Frost landed with a soft thud, her wings flaring slightly as she steadied herself on the icy ground. The cold bit at her scales, a harsh reminder of the place she now found herself in, but she barely flinched. Ice was no stranger to her—after all, she'd grown up in the freezing winds of the Ice Kingdom, even if she'd left it long ago. The difference now, though, was that she was alone. There were no comforting whispers of RainWing leaves rustling in the breeze, no familiar warmth from the sun to rest her wings in. Just the sharp, biting chill of the Sky Kingdom.

She surveyed the barren landscape, snow and ice as far as the eye could see. The land stretched out, vast and empty, offering no warmth, no refuge. A perfect metaphor for her life, she thought with a bitter twist of her tail.

But there was no time for self-pity. Frost had learned that lesson long ago—survival came first. And so, she set about gathering kindling, her claws sharp as she scraped together what little dry material she could find. Her breath puffed in little clouds in the frigid air, and her ice-blue eyes narrowed as she worked.

She could feel the weight of the small crystal Fathom had given her tucked away in the pouch around her neck. The gift wasn't much, but it was something. At least it wasn't as useless as the other enchantment she'd once had—the moon cackle, the magic that let her become anyone. That power had slipped from her the moment she left the Night Kingdom, a curse and a blessing she could hardly understand. But the crystal? It had a different kind of magic. A practical magic.

With a sigh, she set the crystal on the ground in front of her and pressed her talon to it, the smooth surface warm against her claw. The color was a deep, almost impossible shade of dark green, reminiscent of the deep forests of the NightWings. It looked almost too small to be useful, but she trusted Fathom's judgment, even if she didn't entirely understand it.

Frost focused, her breath steadying as she tried to reach for the power she knew was inside the stone. The air around her seemed to hold its breath. And then, just as she thought it might not work, a small puff of steam rose from the crystal, followed by a flicker of flame.

She grinned, feeling warmth spread through her limbs as the fire slowly began to crackle to life. "Well, I'll be. Fathom really knows his stuff," she muttered, watching the fire spread across the pile of twigs she'd gathered. The flames burned steadily, a comforting contrast to the icy world around her.

As she sat down beside the fire, her tail curling around her paws, Frost couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope. The fire may have been small, but it was enough. Just like her. Alone, but enough. For now, that was all she needed.

She watched the flames dance for a moment, her mind wandering back to the RainWing jungle and to Darkstalker, the dragon she once loved. The crystal hummed softly against her chest as if reminding her of the choices she'd made. But for the first time in a long while, she felt something else—something she hadn't felt in years.

Maybe, just maybe, she was going to be okay.

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"Careful, we don't know her intentions," a voice murmured, sharp and wary. "For all we know, she could be working for Princess Blaze."

Frost's eyes fluttered open, catching the faintest shimmer of starlight in the cool, thin air. She blinked, taking in the sight of a SeaWing, a RainWing, and a MudWing hovering over her, their faces a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. Frost's tail flicked in irritation, leaving a trail of frost in the air behind it. She sighed, a cloud of mist swirling in front of her face like the remnants of a storm. "I can hear you, you know," she said, her voice as sharp as the ice in her claws.

The RainWing—her scales a glossy kaleidoscope of greens and purples—shifted her head, eyes wide with surprise. "Oh! Sorry, didn't mean to, uh, sneak up on you," she said, her tone thoughtful, as though processing the situation. "You look familiar. Were you in the Sky Kingdom a few days ago?"

Frost lifted her head, letting her frosty breath fog the air as she looked at the RainWing, then around at the others. "I was, but I fail to see why that concerns any of you," she replied coolly, though a flicker of curiosity crossed her features.

The MudWing—his warm brown eyes soft but guarded—scratched the back of his neck before asking, "Are you one of the escaped prisoners?"

Frost's icy gaze hardened, but she didn't flinch. She glanced at her talons, letting a shiver of frost roll across the ground. "You could say that, yes." Her tone was even, measured. She wasn't used to being seen as a prisoner, but it had been a long time since she'd truly been free. She gave a small, dry chuckle, her wings flicking in a way that sent a chill through the air. "Frost," she added, offering her name with a flick of her tail. The introduction felt both strange and strangely fitting.

The dragonets hesitated for a moment, but soon, the MudWing extended a hand, warm and solid. "Clay," he said, giving her a small, friendly grin. "We've all got our pasts, but we stick together. And right now, we're all just trying to survive."

Tsunami, the SeaWing, gave Frost a once-over, her gaze sharp as the ocean depths. "If you're not with Blaze, you'll be fine with us," she said firmly. "We're not exactly fans of that fiery, overambitious princess."

Glory, the RainWing, tilted her head, flicking a tendril of her colorful tail. "Well, that's a relief. But you've got to admit, you've got some pretty... interesting timing. A little too convenient, you know?"

Starflight, the NightWing, smiled faintly, his dark scales nearly blending into the shadows. "It's not like you have a choice in how you show up, though," he said with a small chuckle. "And besides, we all have our secrets. You don't need to tell us everything, just that you're not working for Blaze."

Sunny, the SandWing, blinked slowly, looking between the others with wide eyes. "Uh, yeah... Are we sure we're okay with this?" she asked quietly.

Frost stood up, brushing the snow from her wings, feeling the weight of their gazes. She wasn't quite sure where this group of dragonets fit into her world, or if they would. But for now, they were as much a curiosity to her as she was to them. "It looks like we'll have to see," she said coolly, a hint of a smile playing at the edges of her lips. "But I'm not one to join anyone's 'family' just yet."