This is all a dream, just a nightmare.

Lydia felt frozen as she looked at the whispy dragon before her, his scales didn't reflect in the light, she could see through them. No dragon could see through scales, it was unheard of. Especially with dragons who she knew were dead.

This can't be real.

The whsipy dragon, should she call him Fatefinder, looked sad. His ears drooping, the corners of his lips tugging downwards and his eyes of honey looked at her pleadingly, hopeful.

"Cza-.......seez-.........eEe"

"W....what?"

He looked to freeze where he stood, not even a twitch of his ears, he was as still as stone as he looked into her scarlet red eyes. His moment of shock soon passed over within a matter of seconds before he looked to be trying to speak again, his voice was muffled and frazzled, sounding as though it were underwater. She tried to focus on what he was saying, her ears perking up to try and listen over the pounding of her own heart that felt and sounded deafening within her own ears.

"I....." she didn't know what to do, her legs felt numb, her scales as cold as ice. The whispy Fatefinder must've noticed her distress as his jaws snapped shut with a silent click. But she couldn't hear said click.

"You're dead."

Fatefinder looked to wilt slightly at her words, flinching back, his ears pinning to the sides of his head as he looked at her.

"I saw you, you were dead." Lydia could feel her heart rate pick up again, pondering heavier inside of her chest. The other dragon in front of her looked to be trying to speak once more, moving closer, his voice still sounded muffled, distorted. "Why can I see you!?"

"This is a dream, it's all just a dream. A nightmare! I'll close my eyes and I'll be back in that horrifying dark hallway again, like all the other times."

Princess Lydia felt as though she had gone mad, just like the story of the mad NightWing Queen centuries ago who saw to many visions. That was a story Lydia never liked, it scared her a lot as a dragonet so her mother stopped telling her about it. But it still haunted her dreams as a small dragonet.

What if this is just another nightmare like hose ones? Where I thought I was the mad queen like the story? She suddenly thought, yeah, that's all this is! If I close my eyes, I'll be in that hallway again, I'll follow the torches just like the creepy voice says, then I'll be awake.

And that's what the princess tried, she screwed her eyes shut as tightly as she could, for once she wished to be back in that black stone brick hallway only lit by hungry torches, but after a few moments she didn't feel any different. Lydia opened her eyes to find herself still there, still with the ghostly Fatefinder looking at her with pity and guilt.

Her throat felt dry, her mouth gaping open and closed like a fish out of water. "This isn't a dream.....is it?" She hesitantly asked.

Fatefinder opened his mouth to speak, but looked to have thought better of it as he simply shook his head from side to side, mouthing a silent "no" to the princess before him.

"T....then how can I see you? You're dead! I saw it!"

"IzzDo..........kn.....oew." His voice still sounded muffled, but if she focused, it sounded ever so clearer, just a tad. "Buzzzzzz.....y-ouue ci...annn"

Breath, remember to breath Lydia, she told herself with a shake of her head, her earring as cold as the night air, pressing against her scales, helping to ground her as she shakily moved up. She hadn't realized that she had lowered herself to the ground in her shock, but she moved to stand herself up, so Fatefinder didn't look to tower over her, instead she could almost now meet his gaze. The other NightWing was always a little taller than her but it was much better than looking up at him from down on the gold grass coated floor.

"You.....you are dead....right?" Hope started to bubble within her chest. If he was alive, then maybe he could help her home! Maybe-

He shook his head, looking sorry as his talons reaches up and touched his throat, almost as though outlining the wound that killed him a few days ago. A slash across his throat by a large set of talons.

Her ears drooped at the sight, the small hope inside of her bubbling away back into sorrow and grief. She could feel tears pricking the corners of her eyes, feeling like ice.

"Why did you have to go into the room alone." Her voice was a mere whisper, nothing more than a soft tune against the wind that fluttered around them, almost like it was listening to them like a nosy dragon who didn't know when to keep their snout out of other dragons business.

"You could still be here!" She cried out, "you wouldn't be just my imagination! You'd be here, really here, not....." her crying died off into soft hiccups that rattled her lungs. Lydia sat back on her haunches, wrapping her talons around her arms, feeling the tips of her claws sink into her scales, her wings tucked tightly against her back.

"You wouldn't be dead."

Fatefinder looked as though he were about to cry right along side her, his honey coloured eyes met her sparkling scarlet red ones, his swirling strongly with grief of his own. The ghostly dragon moved closer, now right in front of her, his talons wrapping around her neck and shoulders, feeling cold like a breeze, not solid, but something, like a tickle from the wind. His head was right beside hers, and if she paid attention, she could see parts of his body that looked to go through her, proving it more that he wasn't a solid dragon.

Lydia's mind felt cruel as it swirled in uncontrollable sorrow, he won't ever be a solid dragon again.

"You were one of my old friends," she weeped, "Why did you have to go."

"I didn't want too..."

Her eyes shot open to look at him, she heard his voice, clearly and not was muffled though it still didn't sound quite right. But still, she heard him.

"I can hear you," her voice sounded wet and ragged from her tears, "I can hear you."

He leaned back to meet her gaze, it almost looked as though he was now crying, but there weren't any true tears to be seen, just the glistening of his shimmering eyes.

"You czzzannn-" His voice muffled itself again as soon as she didn't entirely focus on it. I need to focus on him, on his voice or I can't hear it properly, she realized, making herself focus on him entirely and nothing else around them.

"You couldn't see me before, or hear me."

"You've tried talking to me before?"

He gave her a nod, "earlier tonight, and a lot before that. Trying to wake you."

"Wake me?"

"When the other NightWing took you."

He's been watching me this entire time, she realized, no wonder I've been feeling as bough I'm being watched!

She looked back at Fatefinder, she couldn't really call him a dragon any more could she? He was dead, but yet she could still see him. Was he a ghost of some kind? But ghosts are only dragonet tales, she tried to tell herself, but no matter how much that thought rang throughout her head, she didn't believe herself that it was true. At least not anymore.

"Yuzzz-....geE.....baix."

Lydia snapped out of her own heard with a shock, her body flinching as though trying to keep herself awake. The princess blinked at she looked at Fatefinder, trying to figure out what he said.

"Sorry," she muttered with a twitch of her ears, making her earring brush against her scales as she did so, "I didn't quite get that."

Fatefinder gave her a confused look for a few moments before shaking his head, almost like he was trying to focus.

"You should get back."

"Back home?"

"No, back to him" the ghost shot a look in the direction which Lydia came from.

"Why?" She felt confusion flood over her as she looked at him, "With you here I can get home!" Wouldn't that be the best way for the two of them to go? Surely Fatefinder would know where in Pyrrhia she is and how to help her back home, where she could have Morpho arrested for what he's done.

He seemed to wilt at that, his ears pinning back against his head like a dragonet who was being scolded by his mother for making a mistake.

"That's the thing..."

What is he going on about? Surely he can help me get home. He was a guard!

"I don't know the way back."

Lydia felt like her world was crumbling for the fifth time in the last two days.

"Surely you know the way back!" She exclaimed, fear gripping the back of her throat like the serrated claws of an IceWing, "you were a guard Fatefinder! Please!"

"I was!" He sounded desperate, "but I was born in the Night Kingdom and my parents took me to the hidden kingdom, where I haven't been allowed out since as young guards aren't allowed out until they're a certain age!" Her gave her a look of pity once more, it seemed to be one of the few emotions that flowed freely from the ghostly dragon.

"One had to be at least seven years old to even be considers able to leave."

"And you're no older than me..."

"I was only a year older than you, about to turn seven too before....this." He used his talons to refer to his throat, looking wilted as he did. "I'm terribly sorry, Lydia"

"You don't need to be sorry, it's not your fault."

"But it is! If I had been a better guard then you wouldn't be lost! You wouldn't have been kidnapped by some maniac who thinks your his long lost daughter!"

Lydia felt shocked at his outburst, but didn't make a move to stop him as he let out his emotions, wishing that she could help him, comfort him, but she couldn't. It was almost like he wasn't here and she was just listening to him, with nothing she was able to aside from that, listening.

"I was there when you were shown to the hidden kingdom, I was there and his story doesn't make sense! The Queen would never do that, and besides! The King is your father, I just know he is."

"You were there?"

"Of course I was," the other NightWind nodded, "the whole Kingdom was practically there. The Queen called for a meeting with the whole kingdom, so everyone had to be there."

Lydia guessed that was normal, most royal families wouldn't waste a second to show of their dragonets to the world, but one thing that was different with Lydia's showing to the kingdom, as that the kingdom didn't know about her until Animosity brought her there that fateful day. The day of the three blood moons.

"You should really get back now," Fatefinder pulled her out of her thoughts with a shake of his wings, "before he wakes up."

I don't want to though, she wanted to say, but her body moved for her, making the young NightWing princess nod her head. "Alright," she felt reluctant to agree, "but, Fatefinder,"

He gave her a light hum in question, his ears perked up.

"I...I have so many questions still."

"There's going to be time to answer them, I'm not going anywhere, I...I technically can't go anywhere."

"What do you-?"

"I'll answer that another time, hurry!" He tried to nudge her with his shoulder, but it just fazed right through her, almost like a cold reminder to how he was no longer alive and somehow a ghost that Lydia could see.

With a shaky breath, Lydia started to make her way back towards the tree-line, back in the direction she came, but before she did she stopped, turning her head back over her shoulder.

"Fatefinder are there-"

He was gone.

Where Fatefinder once stood was now empty, nothing in the moonlit clearing giving away any hint at his existence. It was almost like he had vanished, gone. Her ears pinned downwards with a huff. Was she truly losing her mind? Maybe she has gone mad and just, couldn't see it yet.

I'm just tired, she told herself with a shake of her head, turning back and letting her talons lead the way, it's been very stressful lately, I just need to get some rest and focus on not panicking to much.

Maybe once we get to this village Quickstrike keeps talking about, I can figure out where in Pyrrhia I am and find my way home.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Getting some rest was easier said than done.

They continued to walk for another whole day, taking breaks to rest, yet Lydia still felt drained. When Quitestrike would notice her starting to lag behind, he would have her get back onto the cart to rest. Which is where she was currently laying now.

Lydia's heart wouldn't slow down, it still felt like she had been doing nothing but running all day, or even her mother's training for hours on end with no breaks.

I would prefer mother's battle training than being out here, she thought miserably with a twitch of her tail. The thought of being back home reminded her of Fatefinder, who she had still yet to see again. With each minute that slowly passed by, she continued to believe she was just seeing things that night. Things she wanted to see yet weren't really there.

That's all it was, she told herself with a shake of her head as she focused back onto the world ahead of her.

Quickstrike was pulling the cart, the leather harness and straps attaching it to his broad shoulders. He didn't even seem to struggle pulling it, almost as though he had done this multiple times before.

"Don't worry Swift," his voice rumbled, catching her attention once more, "we're nearly there, nearly home."

Home, that brought a sour taste into her mouth, she would never see this new place as home. Her home was underneath the mountains with her true parents.

All I want right now is to be back home.

You'll be home soon

Lyida's body flinched, her muscles tensing. This wasn't Fatefinder's voice, it didn't match his at all. This one sounded feminine, cool and smooth yet hissy like a snakes. It unsettled her. She felt like something was tugging in the back of her mind, something gently trying to grasp her with its talons.

Sleep, the voice hissed softly, you'll need it.

Against the princesses will, her eyes began to feel heavy, almost like boulders were weighing them down. She didn't want to sleep, but she did feel utterly tired. She's been feeling drained ever since the first time she woke up, when her world began to crumble around her.

She just wanted things to go back to normal, maybe she'd even wake up back to the way things were before. This could all just be a bad dream, it would explain so much.

Oh how much she wished that were true, but each time she'd punch her scales, she'd feel it. Each time she counted her talons, she still had them all. When she focused on dragons faces, they didn't suddenly have the wrong pair of horns or a crooked snout.

Princess Lydia let her eyes close, letting the calming darkness behind her eyes gently pull her to sleep like a mother gently cradling her newly hatched dragonet.

Instead of a dreamless slumber like she had been hoping for, her eyes opened to find her in a dark room, the floor feeling cold beneath her talons and looked to be made of some kind of stone, but it was pale like sand.

Was it made of sand? Sand were tiny rocks, so small they moved around you as you walked, but these felt like real stones. There was a small chandelier made of light wood the colour of dust with swirls of crimson and gold lingering inside of its painted grooves yet it looked as though if she touched it, it would be as smooth as a river pebble.

The room was strange to say the least. There looked to be more rooms with iron bars for doors, but she couldn't see inside of them yet by the sound of it, they were empty. The silence was eerie, almost to loud, deafeningly so. The feeling of being watched prickled up along her neck like a spider crawling across her scales and spines, making them rattle with a shiver.

SCRAPPPEEEE

Lydia whipped around, looking into the shadows that looked to taunt her from the other side of the warm yellow light that came from the torch lit chandelier. There was something in there, watching her, she could see their eyes watching her. The only way she could see them was from the light that reflected off of them. The eyes were a pale gold, almost like dust and dirt, yet shone with speckles of gold that rung around the iris like a ring. The whites of their eyes really could be called 'whites' as they were as black as obsidian, sparkling like tiny stars were trapped within it to forever sparkle. The shape of their eyes were like diamonds, thin and pointed.

Lydia nervously swallowed, her voice feeling dry. "Hello?" She called out once her voice had returned.

The eyes continued to stare at her, not just at her, but at her own eyes.

"I....I can see you, I can see your eyes."

They blinked at her, nothing changing within then as they continued to stare. Though, it was no longer as silent as a soft hiss filled the air, much like that of a snake's tasting the air or letting out happy huffs.

"Sso you can ssseee me." A voice stated.

"I mean, sort of?"

The voice hummed, their eyes moving silently through the shadows. She knew there was a dragon attached to them, but through the dark it just looked like a pair of eyes moving on their own free will, with a mind of their own.

"Have I not been able to see you before?" She questioned, "who are you?" The eyes stopped and looked at her once more, scanning through her gaze as though searching for something, almost questioningly.

After a few moments of tense silence, they spoke up.

"You wouldn't know who I am, at least not from your lifetime."

"Wait..." does that mean they're dead? "You're dead then, aren't you?"

They looked at her silently for a few moments, before a sigh left their nostrils. "I like to try and forget that."

"Sorry."

"Don't be, you weren't even laid when I died, but I've been here, watching you."

"Watching me?"

"I like to watch others, to help remind myself that time is still moving. It's hard to remember while you're dead. You keep, forgetting."

"Forgetting?"

The eyes looked away for a few moments, almost lost in thought before they looked back at her, their thin irises looking into her much rounder ones.

"You'll be waking up soon."

"Huh?" That was a quick change.

"When you do, don't fight against stuff for a while, be agreeable. Watch the world around you and you'll figure out where you are." The shadows around her seems to begin to close in around her, reaching out to grasp her. She tucked in her tail close to her legs, her wings pressing closer against her sides.

"Wait!" She blurted out, lifting one of her talons to avoid the inky shadows. "You still haven't told me who you are! Who are you?"

The eyes looked at her as Lydia felt the shadows gently wrap around her, the room gassing out completely into darkness. When Lydia woke up to the blinding light of the sun, an answer never rung within her ears, it was quiet. The songs and chirps from birds was the only thing she could hear along side the rumble of the cart she was laid upon.

"Ah, Swift you're awake!" Quickstrike said, the cart coming to a stop as he looked over his shoulder at her, reaching out with one of his talons to lift up her hood ever so gently as though he were interacting with a scared rabbit. He gave her a warm smile, a light shinning with his golden eyes.

"We're here."

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- MindlessTyper