The wind picked up, swirling and making the pines sway and rattle with a sense of danger. It began to howl, like an eerie cry as Landslide's large from stood before her. The MudWing's lips pulled back into a snarl. Sharp, bone crushing, teeth clenched as a growl rumbled in the large dragon's throat. She looked even bigger from where Lydia was on the ground, staring up at her with wide, terrified eyes, her jaws parted in a silent gasp of shock.

How did she find me? Lydia's heart was pounding heavily within her chest, loudly hammering within her ears.

Landslide looked angry, and the nasty wound on the side of her face didn't help either. The large MudWing's whole right eye was sealed shut, scales torn off and burnt away, leaving sore and angry looking flesh that looked as though it were only just starting to heal. Lydia could see her own claw marks in that wound, where she had launched herself at the other dragon, blinded by fury as everything in her vision had gone red. She could still faintly feel the burn in her throat from her screaming, and the fire that shot out and latched onto Landslide's face without mercy.

"Father dearest isn't anywhere to save you," Landslide rumbled as she took a step towards the small NightWing dragonet, Lydia flinched back as she scrambled to get her talons beneath her, ignoring the sharp ache in her shoulder. "You're all alone this time, and I know you're tricks." She spat with a sneer, "You won't fool me a second time."

Lydia could see the flickering silhouettes of the red misty MudWing ghosts that hovered around the angered, half blinded, MudWing. Their faces all smudged out. They had to have been Landslide's siblings, and one of them was killed by Quickstrike, accident or not, and Landslide was determined to make sure the bounty hunter suffered the same loss she had: by killing Lydia.

I need to get out of here, I need to get mom- she froze, feeling her heart stop. Animosity wasn't here, Charming wasn't here. No one was. Lydia was alone, left to deal with Landslide by herself. At least last time a group of dragons heard her and Landslide's scuffle and came to investigate, letting her escape while they seemingly dealt with the newly blinded MudWing who'd been roaring in agony.

Lydia's claws dug into the grass below her, feeling the cold strands wrap around each of her talons as if they were scared of the angry dragon too. She saw Landslide's talons twitch, her muscles tensing. The NightWing dragonet felt a sense of dread, but she didn't let her mind fall into a panic, she couldn't. Instead she focused on her mothers training, letting it guide her from the back of her mind.

"Brute strength is not the key to everything, Lydia. Don't let that blind you or hold you back." She could hear her mothers voice, the familiar echo from the training cave making it ring in her ears. She swore she could hear the steady dripping of water that gave her racing heart something to latch onto. "Instead, let it guide you. Your opponent will believe they can take you down with ease, prove them wrong. You'll be powerful in other ways, just as I am."

Time seemed to slow as Landslide launched herself towards Lydia, jaws parting in a roar as they attempted to snap down on the young princess. Lydia sucked in a breath as she darted forwards, dashing underneath the MudWing and bolting out from behind her. Landslide's jaws snapped on empty air once she landed. Whipping around with a roar in the young princesses direction, Lydia was off like a rabbit sprinting from its burrow with a fox nipping at her heels. But instead of a fox, it was an angry MudWing.

Dashing through the woods, weaving between pine trees and sparse oaks, Lydia could hear the crashing and heavy thudding of talonfalls behind her. There was a bent tree up ahead, and Lydia slid underneath it, her belly just barely scraping the ground as she slid out on the other side, picking up the pace as she ran, her legs practically moving on their own. A furious roar from behind her made the princess wince as she pushed herself to run faster. Lydia's lungs burned with each breath she took, feeling like a sharp stinging prickle in the back of her nose and throat.

I just need to get away from her, she thought in between wheezing breaths. With a spring in her step, Lydia leaped over a twisting root that peeked out from the ground. When she landed, Lydia's shoulder ached at the awkward landing, but she kept pushing onwards. I can't let her catch me! Flashes of what happened to Moonglobe shot through her mind, nearly making her stumble as another roar split through the air like clapping thunder from behind her.

With a sharp breath, Lydia dove into the undergrowth to her left. Rolling access the rocky, nettle coated dirt before her claws dug into the ground and forced her to stop as her back pressed against the moss-coated trunk of a tall pine. The ground shook as the dense ferns and furled bracken shifted back into place, concealing the dragonet that hid within them. Hunkering down, Lydia's wings hunched, pulling her cloak closer as her claws wrapped around her snout to keep her from making a sound as Landslide hurtled past, bellowing with rage as red mostly tendrils followed after her.

Lydia could see Landslide from where she was hidden underneath the ferns and brambles, she could also see the flickering MudWings that hovered over the larger dragons shoulders, their faces smudged and and blurred like a misty haze. There looked to be four MudWing ghosts hanging over Landslide's shoulders, practically clinging to the angry dragon. Lydia could almost feel their emotions rolling off of them in waves; anger, confusion, fear, longing, rage.

What's... a cold shiver raked it's claws down along her spine the longer she stared at their faces, or more so where their faces should've been. Wrong with them? Lydia remembered seeing them briefly in the village hovering over Landslide, but even then she never got a good look at how distorted and smudged their faces were. She couldn't make out any details, even their eyes were just glowing firefly balls of gold that blinked in the misty shape that was their faces. Their bodies flickering in and out like torches in the wind, angry flames that refused to go out.

A faint buzzing filled the air, like there was a swarm of bees or Lychee was flying nearby. It wasn't loud by any means, it was faint like an echo. One that rang within Lydia's ears as though it were coming from her mind, but not at the same time. Even when she pinned her ears back, she could still hear it. The NightWing hadn't heard it up until now, and it was only when she saw the ghosts that followed Landslide.

It must be coming from them, she concluded as her sides heaved, her ribs aching with each breath.

"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Lydia flinched, unable to hold it back with the sheer volume of the MudWing's voice that made her ears ring. Her talons gripped her snout tighter, the tips of her claws pricking her scales as she swallowed down a whimper of fear. "I KNOW YOU'RE STILL HERE YOU LITTLE MOONLICKER! YOU COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN FAR!"

The dragonet pushed herself further back into the dense undergrowth, pressing her back against the tree behind her until she could feel the rough bark through its coat of moss and her cloak. The large leaves shifted, limiting her view of Landslide who continued to look around, her face pulled back into a snarl until she moved to a spot where Lydia could only see her from the collar down because of the bracken. Her body felt frozen with fear that made her joints lock, making her feel stuck and hopeless as she continued to watch Landslide search for her. The large MudWing ripped up twisting roots and whole bushes to find her, but she never once came close to where the princess was hiding across from where she was searching.

My luck will run out eventually, Lydia thought pitifully as Landslide tore apart another clump of ferns, another flinch shooting through her body, her rapid heartbeat hammering loudly in her ears. She won't search over there forever.

Lydia felt hopeless. The longer she watched Landslide rip apart the thick forest around her, the feeling only continued to grow. She was alone, with no help, and being hunted by a MudWing bent on killing her before the day was over. She just.... She just didn't know what to do. Lydia had only just started her training with her mother, all she knew was the history of the NightWings, past wars and sqwabbles, tribe relations and fighting styles. Lydia didn't know how to get herself out of this. Sure, she had ideas on what she could do, but all she could picture was how horribly wrong they would end.

Smokey see-through red talons stepped into view, making Lydia's body freeze up as misty tendrils snaked across the ground, being carried by the gentle breeze. They just stood there as Landslide continued to search for her out of Lydia's line of sight. A blurry and smudged face began to push its way through the foliage, blurry eyes that held no shae staring into Lydia's own before sandy grey scales blocked her vision.

"Don't look at them!" Hissed a familiar voice that made Lydia's gaze instantly shoot downwards towards the ground. Looking at the grass and resisting the urge to look up, flinching at every little noise as she obeyed the voice that rung within her ears like an echo. The buzz grew louder as wispy red smoke pooled around her, but Lydia never once looked up.

Familiar sharp talons hovered around her forearms, the tips of their claws phasing through her and making her scales feel cold. Lydia could just barely see a slender snout with a smooth, sharp horn on its bridge hovering over her, but she didn't look up. Rattlesnake!

"Just stay still, and don't look at them," Rattlesnake's soothing voice whispered in her ears, helping to muffle the buzz that made her mind feel fuzzy and numb, a throbbing pain pulsing in the back of her skull. The next few seconds were tense, Lydia's heartbeat roaring in her ears, rivaling the sounds of anger and frustration from Landslide as the large MudWing continued her search out of sight, slowly sounding farther away.

The seconds ticked by slowly, agonizingly slow. All she could hear was the rapid beating of her heart. After a few moments, she looked up with her eyes. Rattlesnake had positioned herself to huddle over Lydia, almost shielding the young princess with her body. She could see through her and between the large fern leaves to see that the faceless MudWing ghost was gone, leaving nothing behind to hint that it had even been there in the first place.

"You don't ever look at them, never look at their faces." Rattlesnake hissed quietly as she slowly pulled herself back, the leaves cutting through her body instead of being pushed out of the way like they normally would with a normal dragon. "They'll make you go mad, see things that aren't there."

A loud roar in the distance split through the air, making Lydia flinch back down and nearly smack her bottom jaw on the ground. "Just stay here and don't move," Rattlesnake's voice was quiet, but it was grounding and gave Lydia something to latch onto. "don't make a sound."

Rattlesnake looked off to her left, where Landslide had gone off to, her eyes narrowed. The trees gently whispered to one another at their nettles and leaves shook in the gentle breeze, creating a light hissing noise.

Everything just.... It just felt like everything was crashing down around her, no matter how hard she tried to return to some form of normality, it was like the world was trying to pull her back, make her go down a different path. Lydia blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. She hadn't realized her claws had been gripping her head so tightly, her talons were digging into her scales by her horns, making her wince at the dull ache as she pulled them away and looked back up at the SandWing.

The way she sat... she sat like a guard or soldier on duty: their back straight, alert. While Rattlesnake's posture made her look ready for anything, her eyes gave a different story as Lydia looked up into her black narrowed eyes. They looked alert, worried, almost...scared with a burning frustration mixed with confliction behind them.

Rattlesnake's gaze briefly looked down at her from the corner of her eye before looking away and off to where Landslide had charged off too in search of the NightWing princess. The SandWing's lips pressed into a thin line, her brows pinching in thought as her lips twitched in a snarl of frustration. The forest had gone quiet around them. Lydia could no longer hear Landslide's destructive rampage.

"You need to listen to me closely, and do as I say. Do you understand me, Lydia?"

A shiver slithered up along her back, making her scales feel cold as she looked up at the older dragon who stood over her. Rattlesnake's voice held no room for protest as her sharply narrowed black eyes met Lydia's. Silently she nodded her head, not once prying her eyes away from Rattlesnake's gaze. There was something within the other dragon's eyes that made Lydia's heart sink, a cold feeling of dread coiling inside of her gut, making her wings fidget with unease.

"When I tell you too, I need you to run and not look back. Not for anything. No matter what you hear, you run, and don't stop."

She froze, her throat going dry. "W-....What?" She managed to force the whisper out as her ears pinned down.

"Be careful of that dragon with the moon opal necklace, whatever they look like now. If I could, I would protect you better. If you come across them, go-" Rattlesnake paused, a desperate and pained but thoughtful look flashing through her eyes, like she was having to make a tough decision. The SandWing looked conflicted as she sucked in a sharp breath. "Aim for the moon opals, rip them out and destroy them."

Lydia's heart spiked inside of her chest. Rattlesnake was talking like she'd never see her again. Like sending Lydia away was sending her away forever, the tone of her voice making her sound as though she were losing the last strand of hope like a lone soldier fighting in a war.

Rattlesnake screwed her eyes shut, her brows pinching tightly as her face scrunched up in displeasure, almost like the words she was saying hurt. When she opened them again, Lydia felt tears swell within her eyes as Rattlesnake reached out. The SandWing's long claws ghosting over Lydia's cheek, making it feel cold as the wispy SandWing's touch felt like nothing more than a gentle breeze.

"You're strong for a dragonet, princess. Carve your own path, you don't need to follow a path set out for you-"

A thundering group of roars shot through the air, sounding distorted and screech-like. Rattlesnake's talons ripped back as her head whipped towards the sound, her eyes wide. Lydia had never heard a sound anything like it, it sounded wrong, so horribly wrong she felt as though a tidal wave of fear and panic slam down over her. Whatever it was sounded close, and heading their way. "Rattlesnake-!"

The SandWing snapped at her, her wings shooting out. "Go!" She screamed before turning back towards the noise. "Lydia, go!"

It was like something had snapped inside of her body, like chains holding her in place shattering. Rattlesnake's shout sent the young dragonet sprinting as fast as she could, rearing back and running into the thicket behind her. Lydia's shoulder ached with each step as she threw her claws ahead of her with each pace. The awful roars split through the air, along with Rattlesnake's that sounded like furious thunder. The two sounds clashing, but the world around her didn't react as only Lydia could hear it, and oh how much she wished she couldn't.

Lydia was sharply pulled backwards by her cloak, the silver ring keeping it together jabbing her in the throat, making the NightWing cough at the sudden pressure on her throat as she reeled back. Reaching up with claws, she tugged at the clasp, trying to pull it off as she tried to pull her cloak free from the clump of brambles and thorn bushes it was caught in. It was digging into her neck, making her feel as though she were choking every time she tried pulling herself free.

Panic began to try and control her mind, but she pushed it down and kept pulling at the clasp, trying to find a way to make it release. Get the cloak off, get the cloak off, get the cloak off! The clasp was a simple silver hook, a ring almost. It was smooth and polished, feeling cold against Lydia's talons. From what she could feel, there wasn't a clasp she could open, it was just a solid silver loop that wasn't meant to be opened.

Tears made the NightWing's vision blurry as the roars off in the distance made her ears ring deafeningly. It all only made her panicking heart beat faster, painfully so inside of her chest as her breaths were sharp, being released almost as quickly as they came.

I have to rip it off.

Pulling her talons away from the silver loop, she dug into the dark cloth that wrapped around it and pulled. The sound of her cloak rippinThe cloak began to tear, fabric ripping as Lydia pulled it apart until she heard a SNAP that sent her learching forwards with a gasp. The dragonet coughed as she rubbed her throat, looking back to see her cloak laying innocently on the ground, its back half being held up by the bramble bush.

She hated to admit it, but it had given her some form of comfort, allowing her to think that other dragons weren't looking at her, and just the cloak, not really her. Gritting her teeth, Lydia turned herself around and kept running. The air felt colder, but still warm, against her scales as she ran. Her claws thumped against the ground, making a steady beat alongside the pounding of her heart. She could hear her own breathing, coming out in heavy pants and sharp inhales.

The weird sounds off in the distance were fainter now, but she could still hear them. Furious roars and hisses, multiple dragons roaring in anger but their voices were distorted like they were underwater, muffled, shrieking, and being cut off suddenly for spit seconds.

Then everything stopped.

Everything went quiet.

Slowing down from her mad dash to a steady sprint, it allowed her to listen to her surroundings over her beating heart and labored breaths. It was quiet, just the rustling of leaves and nettles and the chattering of birds. No roaring, no screeching, no thundering crashing from an angry MudWing, nothing. Just the calm forest around her as though nothing had happened.

Run and don't look back. Not for anything. No matter what you hear, you run, and you don't stop for anything. Panic and fear made her chest feel tight as she kept running. Why had everything gone quiet? What was that roaring? Questions raced through her mind, but one stuck out above all else: is Rattlesnake okay? Rattlesnake was a ghost, so Landslide wouldn't be able to hurt her right?

But Landslide's brothers are ghosts... Lydia's ears pinned back with a shake of her head as she continued to run. But their faces.... Flashes of the red and wispy MudWing's flashed through her mind, making it feel like a spark had shot off, flashing through her entire body and making her stumbly, nearly tripping over her own talons with a grunt. Her sore shoulder protested at the sudden jarring movement, making Lydia grimace.

She'll be fine, she'll be fine, Rattlesnake didn't look like the kind of dragon who would be easily taken down in a fight. She was smart, wise, and calming. Landslide was anything but that, and Lydia assumed the MudWing's brothers might be the same. Rattlesnake will be okay. All Lydia felt as though she could do was hope as she ran, picking up the pace against her shoulders protest. The pain was starting to numb into a sharp ache, not as bad as before from when she was slammed into the rocky ground with sharp stones digging into her shoulder and the leaf and silk wrappings.

The forest around her moved in a blur. Pines merging into one another to make a sea of hissing dark green walls, their trunks helping to mark out breaks in the dense foliage. The ground was steadily becoming steeper, rocks nestled in the grass made Lydia have to watch her step, while also keeping an eye on where she was going. She didn't know how long she was running for. Sliding down slopes, pushing through clumps of bushes and low hanging nettles.

Her scales burn with the hot prickling feeling of being watched, but Lydia kept going, never once looking back, no matter how much she wanted too. Rattlesnake told her not to, to not stop no matter what. No matter what she heard. Alongside the pounding of her terrified and exhausted heart, a sinking feeling of dread and guilt coiled together into a tight knot, making her feel like she'd swallowed a stone.

Why couldn't I do anything? Why do I keep running? All the NightWing could think about as she ran, was how she just always kept running. From everything. Others fought for her, fought for her to escape. Rattlesnake, Fatefinder, Moonglobe... Even though something inside of her told her that with Moonglobe, she was the one to try and save them with Fatefinder's warning, how she fought for her own freedom, it didn't feel like she did. She felt as though it always cost them their lives.

Shaking her head, Lydia pushed those feelings away. She couldn't allow herself to be swallowed by her doubts and fears, to lose sight of the world around her. I need to keep going, just keep going, keep running! A rustle drew the NightWing's attention upwards, where a robin flapped its wings, flying above her but below the branches that stretched out like a web of bark and leaves, the holes of sunlight looking like golden dewdrops.

In that moment her mind felt clearer, open and free. The wind didn't feel like sharp gusts against her face and the ground felt soft. It was almost like how Charming had described the world to her. Beautiful, vibrant, bright, full of life.

Find her. Find her. Find her. Ocean down flower. Deep below, hidden in greens. Find the flower who is awaiting to be seen.

The words were soft in the back of her mind, nothing like the sharp panic from before. Time seemed to slow as the robin flying above her flapped its wings, looking straight ahead, almost like it was following and leading her at the same time. Lydia could see its feathers being brushed by the wind, its legs held up against its belly, its tail shifting with each wingbeat to keep it steady.

Follow the torches, Follow the torches, Follow the torches.

Everything around her started to speed back up again as Lydia let out the stale air she held within her lungs. The whispers in her mind grew softer, the world around her growing louder as leaves rustled and stray branches creaked. Lydia could hear her own talons on the ground, the steady thumping matching the heavy beat of her heart.

Run and don't stop for anything.

Off in the distance behind her, there was a steady rhythm that sparked fear into Lydia, making her suck in a sharp breath and pick up the pace. Is that Landslide? How is she following me? How did she fi- no, no it might not be her. It could be an animal or another dragon! Charming said there's animals like deer, goats, and even bears or moose in the mountains! Nothing she thought of could soothe the sharp panic in her mind. Whatever it was sounded to be getting closer, and Lydia's shoulder still ached from all of her running.

Looking back, all Lydia could see was the forest behind her, the trees reaching up like the walls of a tunnel, bushes and clumps of ferns making it hard to see anything other than the dark path she had made. Turning back to look forwards, she let out a shuddering breath as she kept pushing onwards. Don't stop, don't stop, don't stop, she repeated to herself over and over. The princess wished she could just turn invisible, like a RainWing, and be able to hide in plain sight. She was good at being quiet, sitting still and keeping herself from fidgeting.

The sore sting in her legs from running was starting to get to her. It felt like her legs wanted to give out, to buckle at the next step, yet she kept going. Would it be safe to try flying? She faintly wondered. Desperately, the NightWing looked up towards the canopy. The robin was still there, flying above her. It let out a chitter, its chirps fast and merging together as its wings gave a hard flap, sending it up into the branches and out of sight.

Go up.

Lydia's body sank downwards, her muscles tensing before she kicked off the ground, her wings giving a hard flap to help push herself up and into the trees. It took a few flaps, but once her claws reached the closest branch, the dragonet pulled herself up before reaching up for the next branch. Higher and higher, Lydia heaved herself from branch to branch, her arms straining from pushing and pulling up her weight.

Eventually, one of Lydia's claws bucked under her and she smacked down onto the branch. Panting and exhausted, she laid halfway across the branch, with her hind legs and tail on another below her, keeping her up. The world had gone quiet again, no more rumbles and just the soft chirp of song birds and the skittering of small animals around her, seemingly unbothered by the dragonet resting her sore limbs nearby.

Don't stop, don't stop for anything, Rattlesnake's voice rang in her head. She gritted her teeth in a wince. Now that she had stopped moving, she could feel the numbing stiffness that rolled through her body, her scales tingling like she was covered in ants that made her claws feel cold and staticky, it was almost painful but closer to just uncomfortable. There was a sense of relief though, that she had stopped. Her body relaxed, going almost limp across the branch as she heaved.

Just a few minutes, that's all I need, just a few minutes...Lydia laid there in silence, listening to the world continue on around her. She just felt numb. Her mind wanted to race but all she could think about was nothing, it was blank, dark, empty. A relieving kind of empty as she rested. Resting her head in her claws, Lydia let out a shaky breath, filling her lungs to the fullest before letting it out and repeating.

The dragonet thought back to everything that had happened this morning, the day before...all of it. Just like that night, she felt alone and scared, but not terrified. Lydia didn't let the panic sink its hooked claws into her head, instead she chased it away with another deep breath. It all just felt like too much, like she was slowly being crushed by rocks. Taking in another deep breath, her claws dug into the bark beneath her.

I can think about it all later, she told herself as her wings gave a loose twitch, just not now.

A few more moments of silence ticked by before Lydia tried moving. Her arms felt sore and stiff, wanting to just go limp from exhaustion, but she pulled herself up onto the branch she'd been resting on. Using her hind legs and her wings to help pull herself the rest of the way up. A rustle of leaves drew her attention upwards. Perching in one of the tinner branches adorned in large lobed leaves was the robin. The bird was watching her with its round, dark brown eyes. Tilting its head as its wings twitched from where they were folded neatly against the bird's sides.

A cracking from below made the bird's head snap downwards before it let out a terrified screech, darting off of the branch with rapid flaps of its wings. That was the only warning Lydia got before she heard the crunching of branches below her, leaves hissing madly as a large creature shot up through the canopy. A snarling, one-eyed face launched up towards her. Lydia's wings shot out as she launched herself up and out of the way with a shriek.

She flew up, pushing through the canopy that creaked and hissed in protest at its branches being shoved out the way, smaller twigs being snapped. Birds screeched and squirrels hissed as they fled. The second she broke through the dense foliage, she took off as fast as her wings could carry her. The wind nipped at her face at first, but the feeling went away as she focused on getting out of there.

The sound that sent her into the trees, that was Landslide, she wasn't wrong but wrong at the same time. She shouldn't have tried to reason with herself, if she hadn't, then she could already be flying away out of sight from the enraged MudWing who had caught up to her once more. How....how had Landslide found her? She's been running for so long! Had she been following Lydia this whole time? But I didn't hear her, I didn't hear her! She also didn't hear her before she was already leaping up to snag Lydia out of the tree.

Suddenly, a sharp pain exploded from her tail as she was yanked back by a set of large talons, claws hooking into her scales. She let out a scream, whipping around with her claws raised, swiping at Landslide's face, her claws digging into the scales above her eyes, leaving a deep gash with blood drops dancing through the air. Landslide merely winced as she pulled Lydia downwards with a seething snarl, trying to drag her back down into the forest below.

Lydia flapped her wings wildly in an attempt to pull herself out of the death grip that hooked itself into her tail, kicking out with her hind legs, making contact with the underside of Landslide's jaw. Her head was knocked back by the kick, releasing their hold on Lydia's tail and allowing Lydia to push herself away. Her tail stung, the exposed skin burning.

Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. A hot flash started to creep itself up along her back, Lydia's eyes widened. Fire! She tucked in her wings and dove downwards, narrowly avoiding the blast of fire that hurtled through the air, making her spines feel hot. Shooting her wings back open, she kept going, kept flying.

Lydia's tail hurt, it hurt so bad, it stung like she was being stabbed again and again and again, the pain shooting up the entirety of her tail. It was like when the branch had nearly impaled her shoulder, digging into her scales until they bled. When Lydia looked over her shoulder, she felt her heart stop. Landslide was gone, the air behind the young NightWing was empty.

Where-! A heavy force slammed into her side, sending her flying before she slammed back into one of the tops of a pine tree. Nettles shot out with a hissing rattle and scattered around her as she gasped for breath, her lungs burning from having the air forced from her lungs by the impact, her ribs along her side aching, bruising under her scales. Before she could fall into the swaying forest below, she grabbed onto the branches and thin trunk of the pine that held her, keeping her from falling.

"Giving up would make this easier for both of us," Landslide snarled from where she perched on a nearby pine, its top bending under her weight, to the point it almost looked -and sounded- as though it would snap. The tree groaning as its bark cracked and creaked. "No more running."

Lydia's eyes were watering, her vision blurry as she coughed and wheezed, her sides aching and throbbing. She wanted nothing more than to curl up and protect herself, but she also wanted to run, to fly away as fast as she could.

"Did your brothers give up?" She couldn't stop herself from gritting out, even with the way her body shook. She was tired, sore. Lydia watched as Landslide stilled, her ears pinned back, her one eye narrowed. "Did any of you just give up?"

Landslide didn't respond to Lydia's pained wheeze as the young NightWing tried to pull herself up, stumbling as her body screamed in protest. Everything hurt.

Don't stop running, run and don't stop for anything. Don't stop for anything.

I have a tribe waiting for me, my family is waiting for me. Even with how alone she felt, she knew her parents were out there, searching every nook and cranny of Pyrrhia for their lost daughter. The tribe would be searching endlessly as well for their missing princess who had been stolen from them. They're out there looking for me, I know they are!

Lydia let out a shaky breath, looking back up at Landslide. The MudWing's narrowed eye pierced through her soul, but she held it. Lydia needed to find a way to make Landslide lose her. With the MudWing only a few treetops away, it wouldn't take much for her to lunge at the small dragonet before she could really do anything. Maybe if she could just slip past her like before, just in a way Landslide wouldn't expect.

"You're still injured from last time," Landslide pointed out as she reached out with one of her large claws and grabbed onto the tree in front of her. "When that poor little IceWing got in the way."

It felt like a spear had lodged itself into her heart, flashes of Moonglobe's lifeless body trapped under the fallen tree branch that had pinned them both to the ground, Landslide towering over them as a sickening SNAP filled the air like clapping thunder that shook her out of the memory and back to the present.

Lydia's grip tightened on the branch she clung to, her ears pinning back as she huffed as Landslide made her way closer.

One step.

Two steps.

Three.

Lydia's body tensed, aching at the stiffness, her heart pounding, her eyes burned as she refused to blink.

Another step closer.

"You can't run anymore, even if you tried-"

She bolted, like a coiled snake ready to strike, heading straight for Landslide. The look of surprise on Landslide's face as the MudWing reeled back, rearing onto her hind legs and making the pine tree quiver as Lydia ducked underneath her just like before.

"TALONS AND TAILS!" The MudWing exclaimed. Landslide had already begun to twist around, expecting Lydia to pop out from behind like before, but she didn't.

Lydia's claws shot out, sinking into the soft underside of Landslide's belly, warm bloodshed spilled down her arms as she raked her claws down, twisting herself so she could kick up at the larger dragons gut, pushing her back down against the sharp nettles and branches in the pine tree. The dragonet could feel herself nearly slip down through the branches as the tree shook, Landslide's roar of pain splitting through the sky like quaking thunder.

Gritting her teeth she pulled her arms back, letting herself slip down a little into the dense nettles that dug into her wounded shoulder as she braced herself against them before kicking out with her hind talons and her tail. Her talons kicked back against Landslide's ankle, knocking the MudWing off of her already unstable balance, The large dragon crashed and the tree could no longer hold her weight as it gave way underneath her.

Landslide fell with a deafening roar, her large wings flaring out in an attempt to catch herself, claws scrabbling for any purchase and swiping at Lydia with her large talons. Lydia recoiled with a sharp gasp as the MudWing's claws swiped mere inches from her snout, above her eyes, making a high pitched whoosh as they missed their mark and only slashed through open air.

The branches were too thin to hold her weight this high up, snapping underneath her. The sounds of Landslide crashing through the trees, branches snapping as they gave way to the large dragon, before there was a blood-chilling thud that echoed through the forest. Crows and song birds sprouted up from the trees, screeching as they flew off into the sky.

I did it, she heaved, pulling herself back up to the top of the pine tree, clinging onto its brittle and twisted branches as it slowly shifted itself back upright, taking Lydia along with it until it settled back into place with a satisfied rustle of its sappy nettles. I actually did it!

A sharp hiss of pain escaped through the young NightWing's gritted teeth as her body pulsed with throbbing pain that made her bones ache. Lydia didn't have much time to waste as she pulled herself up, letting out a gasp as a sharp stab of pain shot through her ribs, making her nearly toppled over from the hot flash. Taking a few seconds to breathe, she forced her wings open and pushed off of the tree, flying up into the air gritting her teeth.

Don't stop running, run and don't stop for anything. Don't stop for anything. Run, Lydia. Go!

Each flap sent a lashing wave of aching pain throughout her body. Her tail stung, her shoulder throbbed and burned, her ribs felt bruised and suffocatingly tight. A sky rattling roar made Lydia's heart stop. Landslide was angry before, but now she was furious. The princess kept slipping out of her grasp, and Lydia knew that if she didn't find a way for Landslide to lose her trail now, she never will.

She couldn't fly for long before she started to drift down towards the canopy. Reaching out with her talons, she pushed off, her wings flapping to help lift her up with the new momentum. She repeated the action again and again, all she could think about was to keep running, keep flying. Lydia didn't look back, didn't check her sides. She just kept pushing onwards, using the trees to help keep her tried and beaten body in the air.

The dragonet grimaces with each flap, but she also couldn't help the shiver that raked down her spine whenever she used her claws. They were warm, sticky, and still coated in Landslide's blood, making her claws a bright scarlet. The same colour as her eyes

A dragon with eyes the colour of dragon's blood, Her body felt cold as she pushed herself off another treetop, will come and take all that you love. Shooting a glance down at her bloody talons, her breath hitched. They gleamed in the sunlight, sparkling like rubies. Blinking harshly and shaking her head, she looked ahead once more.

A black shape was hurtling towards her, fierce ember eyes looking behind Lydia as the other NightWing shot past her, wings flaring out as the leather rope around his neck holding a silver key and golden ring bounced against his chest. Quickstrike! The dragonet had to dive out of the way before she heard roars and shouts from behind her. Steadying herself in the air and turning around, she saw Quickstrike and Landslide attacking one another. The smaller NightWing twisting around her in the air, making the MudWing whip around in an attempt to catch him.

"You're just like your filth ridden daughter!" She bellowed as she missed another swipe at Quickstrike. "Too afraid to face me head on like a true dragon!"

Lydia landed in a nearby tree, watching from a safe distance as she heaved, watching with wide eyes. Mixed feelings of fear became muddy with relief as she watched the two dragons fight. "I'm more of a dragon then you ever will be!" Quickstrike snarled. Lydia had never seen him so angry. The older NightWing always had a smile on his face, a caring look in his eyes when he looked at her. The dragon she saw now was furious, concentrating on Landslide's every move as he danced around her, slashing at her scales before ducking away and out of her reach. "Killing helpless dragonets!"

Landslide shot at him with a roar, but Qucikstrike leapt out of the way and shot into the air as the MudWing slammed into a tree top, the nettles rattling as the tree shook. The slashes across Landslide's face above her missing eye were still bleeding, sparkling scarlet flowed down the MudWing's face in thin streams, dripping down her chin. Her belly was splattered in her own blood that dripped and splattered. "That IceWing didn't need to die, he was just getting in the way. Your precious daughter was what I was really after."

Lydia flattened herself down more, her tail wrapped around the thin trunk she hugged close from the tree top she was perched in. Her wings hung limply, the wind gently brushing against them, as if trying to encourage them to move, to keep running.

"I would've gone after you," the MudWing grunted after another swipe at the swift NightWing that flew around her in nauseating circles. "But I know how much more it would hurt for you to lose HER!"

Landslide twisted around, making her way towards an exhausted Lydia. She didn't know if she could run anymore with how much her body tingled. If she tried, would she just fall down to the forest floor? Her body surged with fear as she forced herself to move. Wings flaring out as she shot back off into the air, Landslide giving chase with Qucikstrike at her heels.

"Swift ru-!" Quickstrike didn't get the chance to finish as NightWings seemed to swarm them. Quickstrike was tackled to the ground by armoured soldiers while a blur of pale red-tinted scales attacked Landslide, forcing the MudWing to the ground.

Diving down to the ground in a sunlit clearing, Lydia skidded across the grassy floor until she came to a stop, heaving as the NightWing on top of Landslide slammed the MudWing down by her shoulders before grabbing her horns and yanking her head back, almost snapping her neck at the motion. Landslides let out a pained snarl as more NightWings came into the clearing. That's when Lydia realized who stood atop of Landslide.

"MOM!"

Wings wrapped around her from behind, a wall of shimmering blues and greens with tiny stars scattered sparsely. It all was so familiar, the comforting warmth she missed so much, it brought her to tears. Without even having to look up to see her hugger's face, she twisted herself around to hug him back, a heart wrenching sob escaping her before she let out her cries. Lydia felt like a baby all over again in the warm embrace of her father as she cried.

"My little shooting star!" King Charming held her tightly as she wept. "Oh my princess, my precious little dragonet!"

She felt one of his talons press against the back of her head, holding her closely as she clung to him, his wings blocking out the noise around them, allowing her mind to clear into a still buzz as she cried. It all felt like too much, but in a good way. She was back home, back with her family. They had found her, and they found her just in time.

I might've been alone, but they found me, they found me.

"My little starlight, are you okay? Are you hurt?" The colourful NightWing leaned back, his frills fanning out in alarm as he grabbed her claws with his own, holding her bloodied talons up and in front of his dazzling ocean blue eyes that swirled and sparkled like dark sapphires. The bioluminescent scales around his eyes flashing with worry. "You're claws are filthy! Are-"

"It's not mine," her voice shook as she heaved. Looking out of the corner of her eye, over her fathers wings that held her closely, towards Landslide. The MudWing laid motionless on the ground, Animosity standing over her with a sneer. "It was hers."

Lydia's mother turned to look at them, meeting Lydia's gaze before swiftly making her way over. Charming was reluctant to let his dragonet go, but as soon as Lydia was released from his embrace, she was hugged tightly in another one, the one of her mother. The Queen's hug was firm, secure, protective. Her forearms were tense as she held her daughter, ready to defend her.

Lydia felt Animosity rest her head above Lydia's, tucking the dragonet under her chin as she held her close. "Dispose of the MudWing," the queen's voice was calm, yet strained. "Keep an eye out for any more threats."

"Yes your majesty!" Several soldiers dipped their heads before rushing off to follow her command. There were dozens of other NightWings around them; clinging to the trees, lurking in the shadows, standing around them in the clearing. None of them got too close, allowing their royals to reunite under their watchful eyes.

"Lydia," the dragonet looked up to meet her mothers gaze, warm golden eyes meeting shimmering rubies. Animosity's claws came up to cup Lydia's face as she pressed their foreheads together. "My little princess, I'm so glad we found you. We should've found you sooner."

"But you found me," Lydia hugged her mother tighter. "You found me, you found me, you found me." Animosity held her tightly, Charming wrapping his wings around the three of them.

"And we won't ever let you out of our sights again," Charming pulled them closer before the light cough of a guard drew their attention.

""You majesties," The soldier was large with a broad chest and a large set of wings, covered in shimmering silver armor that glistened in the sunlight. Their scales looked almost pitch black against the silver, which made their sharp, dark blue eyes pop. Held in one of their claws was their spear, base resting on the ground with the spearhead pointing up at the sky. "What are we to do with him?"

Motioning for a pair of guards behind her, they dragged Quickstrike by his shoulders into the clearing. Quickstrike tried to pull the guard's iron grips off of his shoulders, but they held firm, especially so close to the small royal family that had just reunited after weeks of separation from their lost daughter. When the bounty hunter looked up and spotted Lydia, he looked to let out a breath of relief.

"Swiftru-"

"You." Lydia flinched, looking up at her mothers snarl as the Queen cut him off. If looks could kill, Quickstrike would have dropped dead. Animosity let go of the dragonet in her arms, handing her off to Charming who held her closely, his wings held around Lydia defensively as he glared at Quickstrike with a snarl of his own. "You think you could get away with stealing my daughter!?"

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I made a post about this earlier asking for you opinions on this, so I'm also putting this here for readers who didn't see that post on my wall: this will be the final chapter for The Scarlet Sunrise.

Don't worry, this isn't the end of Lydia's story! At the time of writing this chapter, the rewrite for Crowns of Betrayal is around halfway done and I've started thinking about how this arc as a whole will be rewritten and a lot of things are going to change.

The Scarlet Sunrise will continue in the form of a rewrite once I reach it in the future! I still have two other books to rewrite before Lydia's story can be written once more.

Thank you guys for all of your support and I love seeing how much you've enjoyed reading my works! I hope you all will continue to enjoy them in the future just as much as I do.

Until the rewrite of The Scarlet Sunrise!

- MindlessTyper