FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

This is a fan-made story set in the Wings of Fire universe. Wings of Fire and its original characters are the property of Tui T. Sutherland and Scholastic.

This story strives to remain faithful to the world of Wings of Fire; however, it may contain elements that are not part of the official universe. These primarily appear because sufficient information is not available regarding certain details, or because some aspects of the universe's complex lore are not entirely clear.

Chronologically, the story is set between the fall of Darkstalker and the War of SandWing Succession, approximately 870 years after Darkstalker’s fall.

The story was written as if it were an official companion volume to the original book series. The events do not appear in the main storyline because the majority of the characters and incidents remained hidden from the other tribes, and they did not exert a direct influence on the major turning points of later dragon history.

During this period, the RainWings had not yet fallen into the extremely lazy lifestyle seen during the main series. While they enjoy resting and prefer peace, they are more active and socially cohesive than in their later depictions, which is why this era was less preserved in their memories.

SandWings

Description: Pale gold or white scales that resemble desert sand. Poisonous spiked tail, forked black tongue.

Abilities: They can survive for long periods without water. Like scorpions, they attack their enemies with their venomous tails. They can bury themselves in desert sand to camouflage themselves. They can breathe fire.

Queen: Queen Larrea

MudWings

Description: They have thick, armor-like brown scales, sometimes amber or gold underneath. They have a large, flat head, with nostrils located on the front, upper part of their head

Abilities: They can breathe fire (if their bodies are warm enough). They can hold their breath for up to an hour and blend into their muddy surroundings. They are generally very strong.

Queen: Queen Parnassia

SkyWings

Description: Red-gold or orange scales, with huge wings.

Abilities: Excellent fighters and flyers. Can breathe fire.

Queen: Queen Orion

SeaWings

Description: Blue, green or aquamarine scales. Webbing between their claws, gills on their necks. Luminous scales on their sides, tail and belly.

Abilities: They can breathe underwater, see in the dark, and create huge waves with their powerful tails. They are excellent swimmers.

Queen: Queen Abyss

IceWings

Description: They have silvery or pale blue scales that resemble moonlight and resemble ice. Their spiny claws help them grip the ice. They have forked blue tongues and thin, whip-like tails.

Abilities: They are resistant to freezing cold and bright light. They can exhale a deadly, freezing breath.

Queen: Queen Eranthis

RainWings

Description: Their scales are constantly changing color, usually in bright shades like birds of paradise. They have tails suitable for catching.

Abilities: They can use their scales for camouflage to blend in with their surroundings. They can shoot a poisonous substance from their teeth.

Queen: Queen Radiant

NightWings

Description: Blackish-purple scales covered with silvery stars, especially on the underside of their wings, as if they were carrying a starry sky. They have a forked black tongue.

Abilities: They can breathe fire, hide in dark shadows, read minds and predict the future.

Queen: Queen Aweless

Hallowwings, the young NightWing spy, watched the SeaWing princes' carefree games on the shore in silence. Hidden in the shadow of a tree, she made sure they wouldn't notice her. They couldn't find out that a NightWing was watching them. But for a while now, she hadn't been focusing on her mission, but on one of the SeaWings instead.

"Nereus, Benthos! Time to play a new game!" Billow shouted, his voice full of cheer.

"And what idea do you have now, Billow?" Nereus asked, the one at the center of Hallowwings' gaze.

"Tunnel digging and a race back to the palace!" the apparent leader of the three brothers replied.

Before the others could say anything, Billow had already started digging his own tunnel.

"Hey! Don't start without us!" the other two shouted as they began digging as well.

Billow and Benthos were much further ahead than Nereus. But he couldn't see this, as he was already halfway through his own tunnel. When he broke through the surface, he heard his brothers already running toward the water, so he pushed himself even harder to dig faster.

"Hey! Wait for me!" he shouted meanwhile.

But due to an unexpected movement, the tunnel collapsed on him, and the weight of the sand made it difficult to get out.

"Help! My tunnel collapsed!" But no answer came; his brothers were already swimming toward the palace.

"Your brothers really left you behind, they don't seem to care much about you. They're long gone..." Hallowwings walked over to him, no longer caring about the secrecy of her mission.

Nereus didn't speak, he just looked at the NightWing female standing beside him. She seemed to be about the same age as him, yet she appeared much freer. True, he was theoretically allowed to roam Pyrrhia, but his parents were more concerned with the future queens. The princes still had to ask for permission if they wanted to leave the kingdom, which, of course, they usually didn't receive.

"Hello? Should I help?" Hallowwings asked the dazed prince.

Nereus shook his head to return to reality.

"Thanks, but I can handle it on my own," Nereus replied while trying to dig himself out from under the pile of sand.

Hallowwings just laughed beside him as she watched the struggling SeaWing.

"Are you sure you don't need help? Because from here, it looks like you're just digging yourself deeper," the NightWing asked with a giggle.

No matter how much Nereus wanted to act strong in front of this unknown NightWing, after a short while, he finally admitted he needed assistance.

"Alright... maybe I could use a little help after all..."

Curse and Legacy

Darkness, but not emptiness. This is what had embraced him his entire life. A wall of safety, from the other side of which familiar voices echoed every day. He never understood what they were saying, but he felt surrounded by love. He felt that those two voices would always remain important to him.

As the days passed, the wall of safety grew tighter and more uncomfortable.

"Tonight is the time for them to hatch."

"Are you sure tonight is the time?"

"Yes, NightWing mothers always know. Besides, we have two full moons tonight."

A moment of silence, broken not by a voice, but by a thought. From the one who was most important to him.

I hope they won't be like Darkstalker…

He still didn't understand the words, but he felt the cold fear radiating from the owner of that thought, and he knew he never wanted to be like Darkstalker.

The world outside moved, then warmth began to flow inward from the outside, accompanied by a beating heart.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm taking them to the shore, as we discussed. This way they can hatch in the water, yet not far from the sky, just as you wanted."

The one who lifted him started moving somewhere. After a short while, they stopped and placed him down in a cold, yet soothing place.

"Why did the color of this one change? There isn't anything wrong with it, is there?"

The male voice trembled toward him with concern. It was as if he were being asked, even if the question wasn't meant for him.

"No, there isn't. But... both of them should have changed color, since they should hatch at the same time." The female voice went quiet for a moment, but finally spoke again. "Just look... how beautiful the moons are tonight. It's as if they too are waiting for our dragonets to hatch."

The wall that had been a sanctuary until now was pressing against him everywhere. The darkness that had provided a home began to suffocate him. The outside world called to the dragonet stirring inside the egg more and more. He moved more and more, striking the back of the wall with his horns while trying to break free from the front with his claws.

"Look, Nereus! One of them has started to hatch!"

A faint crack, which sounded louder than anything to him. He didn't know which part of the wall it came from; he only felt that he had to strike the wall, which had provided safety until now but now heralded death, harder with his horns.

Two small horns appeared at the back of the egg, then four small claws at the front. Finally, the wall fell away entirely.

The world that opened before him was wild, yet not so foreign. The ocean water covered his paws, while the two strangers whose voices he had heard from outside the wall stood before him with loving gazes.

One of them was pure black, his mother. While the other was green with flashing scales, his father.

"Welcome to the world, Hydrobreaker." As his mother spoke, she held out a taloned paw toward him, and he climbed into it affectionately.

I hope neither of them will be an animus…

Hydrobreaker looked at his father, as if he knew the thought had been about him too. Then he turned his head in the direction of his father’s gaze. Another egg. Its inhabitant was completely calm, but he heard nothing from within. He didn't hear that usual sound he had grown accustomed to from the outside world.

As he watched the egg, his paw tingled slightly. He knew he would be able to change things, that he could help it hatch today. But it was in vain that a vision floated before him of the egg turning silver between his paws. In vain did he see a dragonet even darker than himself breaking out of the silver egg to share the power of the moons and the love of their parents. However… he did not reach for it.

Although he would have gladly shared the moment with his future sibling, something told him not to do it. So instead, he huddled closer to his mother's loving body.

As he drew closer to his mother, his father also stepped nearer, gently folding his wings around them, and together they looked at the other egg. At the egg that was still waiting.

Hydrobreaker didn't know why, but for a moment, he felt as if time itself had grown quiet as they watched the silent egg.

It did not move. It did not call. It did not answer.

And yet… something was watching him from the inside.

...no, don't think about whether he hears you… don't think about how loud that branch snapping was… or about the fact that he's right here beneath you… damn it.

Hydrobreaker stopped abruptly. He turned his head upward, and although not many dragons would be able to spot a well-camouflaged RainWing, he knew exactly where to look.

"Aqua…?" he spoke softly, fixing his gaze on one of the higher branches.

For a moment, nothing moved. Then suddenly, as if reality were breaking through the leaves, a dragon's body separated itself from the surroundings. Her scales shifted from mimicking the foliage to shades of blue and yellow as she let go of her camouflage.

"Ughhh…" Aqua groaned as she slowly descended from the branch. "Was that seriously it? I was just thinking…"

"That was exactly the problem," remarked another female voice, whose thoughts Hydrobreaker hadn't heard until now. Dazzling was able to turn off her thoughts perfectly during the game. "You really should learn to switch off your brain, since we've been playing hide-and-seek with a mind reader for years…"

"And you... should talk less…" The voice was barely more than a whisper, yet it was enough to make Dazzling's entire body tense up.

From behind the bush she had chosen as her own camouflage, Doomsbay stepped forward. The other hybrid, Hydrobreaker's brother. The smirk sitting on Dooms' face told everything as Dazzling's magnificent pink body revealed itself as well.

"Okay, that was clever from you too, Dooms," Hydrobreaker said with a laugh to his brother.

"More than clever…" Dazzling noted. "It's almost as if... you've been practicing. Alone. In secret."

"Maybe yes. Maybe no," Doomsbay replied teasingly. Meanwhile, his gaze fixed on Hydrobreaker for a moment, as if something had crossed his mind. But Hydrobreaker couldn't know. After all, his brother was the only dragon in their company whose thoughts he never heard.

The group stood in silence for a few moments, only the light filtering through the canopy playing on their scales. Aqua was the first to break the silence.

"So now what…?" she asked. "I mean... now that we've found everyone… what should we do?"

"I have a good idea." Everyone looked at Doomsbay. "It's time for a little adventure. We always stay in the same area, close to the RainWing houses or right next to our home. But we never go anywhere else. I think it's finally time for that too."

"I'll leave that to you. I don't want to get my wonderful scales dirty." Dazzling rolled her eyes while turning her head away from Doomsbay. "Hey!" the pink RainWing cried out as Doomsbay laughingly swept a pile of dirt onto her with his front paw.

"There. Now you have nothing to worry about," Doomsbay grinned, watching his visibly angry friend, whose body was streaked with red lines of rage. "Now it's really… uh-oh!" Doomsbay flew up above the canopy laughing, and Dazzling followed him furiously.

"Come on, let's follow them…" Aqua said. Hydro only nodded before they too took to the air.

They had been flying above the treetops for a while when they reached a rock face overgrown with dense vegetation. At the base of the rocks, a dark, gaping opening yawned at them, half-hidden among hanging vines and mossy stones.

"This is it." Doomsbay was already slowing down in the air, as if he knew exactly where to land. The others followed him, but uncertainty lurked in their movements.

"What is this...?" Aqua tilted her head curiously as she walked closer to the cave entrance. A few blue stripes ran across her body, accompanied by even fewer pale green ones.

"Something... filthy." Dazzling's face contorted, a few orange spots appearing on her body before she pushed one of the vine-like plants away with a paw. "This place is too dark, too... musty. Who would bring anyone here of their own free will?"

"Someone who is curious about truly exciting things." Doomsbay smiled at her for a moment, but something else lurked behind his smile. It was as if he knew the place too well... moved too comfortably in it.

Hydrobreaker watched them silently. Something wasn't right. The cave entrance was dark. Too dark. Even for him, who could normally see in the dark. There was something about it... hard to grasp. Parts of the leaves covering the ground were strangely swept aside, as if someone had been coming here regularly.

And yet, he felt nothing suspicious from his brother. No thoughts, no emotions. Only… the silence.

"What's inside?" he finally asked, quietly and cautiously.

Doomsbay gave his wings a slight shake and made a careless gesture.

"Just some old tunnels. Maybe a small cave pool. I haven't had time to look around thoroughly." There was something playful in his tone, but Hydrobreaker couldn't decide if that was truly the case... or if he just wanted them to believe so.

"When did you come here? We're almost always together."

"When everyone is already asleep, naturally."

Naturally… Hydrobreaker's eyes narrowed. The word echoed in his head as he watched his brother's smile.

Before anyone could speak, a firm, familiar voice cut through the silence.

"Doomsbay!" The hybrid froze, slowly glancing toward the newcomer from the corner of his eye. Hallowwings' form stepped out from among the trees, her wings folded gracefully against her body, but her gaze was as sharp as ever.

"Mother…" Doomsbay's voice was both light and cautious.

"You know very well we discussed that you aren't to come here anymore. Especially not with others." Hallowwings' voice remained calm, but every word weighed heavy in the air.

Our mother knew about this place too…? Why didn't I? Hydrobreaker pulled in his wings and cast his gaze downward. A strange tightness appeared in his chest, as if his foresight and mind-reading had suddenly vanished.

"Uh… so what happens now?" Aqua's voice rose uncertainly, as if she were afraid of something. A few pale green stripes ran across her body before quickly fading away.

"Now? You two go home. And my sons come with me." Hallowwings raised her wings slightly as she slowly looked around at them. Her gaze was cool and searching, as if she saw everything at once. She didn't need to shout; her quiet sternness was enough on its own to make everyone watch her intently.

"But…" Hydrobreaker cautiously raised a wing. "I didn't do anything! I just followed Dooms-"

"We'll talk about that later," his mother interrupted. "Aqua, Dazzling. Can you find your way home from here?"

Neither Dazzling nor Aqua said a word. They only nodded, then took off and headed in the direction of the RainWing village.

"How much did you tell them about this place…?" Hallowwings asked her son, her gaze almost boring a hole into him.

"Almost nothing yet. You were too fast…" Doomsbay rolled his eyes, indifferent to his mother's severity.

"It's better that way." I don't want anyone else knowing what you're doing in this cave…

"W-why…? What is Dooms doing here?" Hydrobreaker asked his mother almost inaudibly.

Hallowwings snapped her head up and looked straight into Hydrobreaker's eyes.

"You know very well that I don't like it when you read my thoughts…" Her words were sharp, but her voice remained steady. After a short pause, she continued. "Nereus and I clearly told him not to use his animus power. That's why he comes here, in secret… to practice despite our prohibition."

That darkness… Hydrobreaker's eyes involuntarily drifted toward the cave. Could it have something to do with animus magic…?

"You want me to practice in front of you?" Doomsbay shot back, a cheeky smile on his lips.

"No. I want you not to practice at all. I don't want you to end up like…" like Darkstalker. Although she couldn't finish her thought aloud, the past was still too painful even now, she still added it in her mind.

"Albatross? Come on, Mother… I won't make the same mistakes." Doomsbay's smile was more disturbing than reassuring.

"Doomsbay…" Hallowwings' voice rang out softly, but every word fell upon them like a weight. "That is exactly what I am afraid of."

I knew Mother was afraid of it, but… this much? Hydrobreaker's chest tightened, but he tried to maintain his composure outwardly.

"As for the punishment…" Hallowwings' gaze slid back and forth between her two sons, cold and cutting like a blade. "It's time you both understand the consequences of what you've done."

Doomsbay's cheeky smile froze on his face at the word punishment.

"Doomsbay, for two weeks, you are coming everywhere with me. You don't step out alone."

"Oh, great…" Doomsbay muttered almost mockingly, flicking the ground with his tail.

"And you, Hydrobreaker…" Hallowwings' gaze fixed on her other son.

"Me? But… I didn't even do anything!"

"You will stay by Nereus' side for a week. If you left the permitted area and followed your brother, then bear the consequences as well." Hallowwings spoke no more. In an instant, she leaped into the air, spreading her wings and rising above the canopy.

The two boys followed in silence. Hydrobreaker looked back one more time at the cave, which yawned darkly in the distance as if it were watching them.

The silence of the flight was broken only by the monotonous rhythm of wingbeats. Hydrobreaker tried to shake off the tightening sensation in his chest, but from time to time his gaze slid toward their mother. Hallowwings' rigid posture revealed nothing of what she might be thinking.

I can't let it happen again… Hallowwings' thought coursed through Hydrobreaker's body like a cold current. His wing faltered for a moment in the air.

Again? What does she mean by that…? The question pulsed in his head as the lights of their home slowly appeared in the distance.

The sun was already high, its rays sparkling blindingly on the water’s surface. Hydrobreaker swam near the shore, the warm ocean current gently stroking his scales. He loved this feeling. The calm swelling of the waves, the silence broken only by underwater sounds.

This was his punishment. But he didn't mind. If it meant spending more time with his father in the sea, he would choose this a hundred times over Hallowwings' stern glances.

"Watch your tail movements," Nereus flashed with his glowing scales, patiently. Hydro took a deep breath, concentrated, and tried again.

"The… current… will be… faster… yesterday… nemno, tomorrow!" He tried to convey his father’s practice sentence using flashes and body language, with varying degrees of success. The uncertainty was still visible, but it wasn't as bad as when he took his first lessons.

Nereus didn't speak; he waited for his son to try again.

Hydrobreaker sighed, then started over. This time it was a bit smoother, but at the end, he got confused and suddenly flashed a light combination that meant something entirely different. His father smiled at this.

They swam to the surface, as Nereus saw on his son that this much practice was enough for today.

"You said that the current is going to eat your tail tomorrow." Hydro groaned at this, then he too smiled.

"Maybe it will. Who knows." He laughed by the end, unable to stay as serious as he wanted to be.

They both laughed at that.

"Come, son, let's swim to the shore and rest for a bit," Nereus said, already heading toward the beach.

As they got out and lay down on the sand, Hydro was the first to speak.

"Dad… will you tell me the story of how you met Mother?"

Nereus just looked at his son for a while, who gazed back with curiosity, while in his mind, Nereus relived the memories of their first encounter.

Hydrobreaker loved this moment best. Here, he could experience what his father felt when his mother revealed herself to him. Even though she was on a mission, even though she betrayed her own tribe by doing so. And Nereus… that was when he learned where his place in the world was. Beside Hallowwings.

"I’ve told you about this moment many times. But… alright." Hydro listened to his father calmly, but when he reached the part about the escape, he finally decided to ask the question he had wanted to ask so many times.

"Don't you miss them?" He knew the answer, but… this was the only way he could dig into his father’s past without receiving the response that it was a long time ago, or "don't think about it, son.".

Nereus fell silent. His gaze slid to the water’s surface, where the sunlight danced like a play of shattered stars.

"I miss them…" he finally said, softly.

Old images appeared before Hydro’s eyes: his father playing with his siblings and friends near the palace. Although the hybrid dragon didn't pay much attention to this detail, as his father never mentioned that royal blood flowed in his veins, or that he ever had royal friends.

The stream of memory suddenly broke.

"Go and play with your friends for a bit. Just… don't let your mother find out I let you go." Hydrobreaker blinked in surprise.

"But... I'm still on punishment..." he said quietly, almost to himself.

Nereus only smiled as he turned his head toward the water again.

"Not every punishment has to be a prison." Hydrobreaker smiled at this.

"I haven't felt like it was one so far. I like spending time with you. And of course… learning, too." He touched his wing affectionately to his father’s.

"Would you rather keep practicing then?" The SeaWing ex-prince asked his son jokingly.

"Maybe… I'd stay here a little longer. It feels good. Being here. With you." Nereus looked at his son lovingly upon hearing these words, wrapping his wing around him.

"Alright. Then let's stay here a little longer."

The next morning, Aqua and Dazzling were laughing cheerfully as they competed in a tree-gliding race. First one was in the lead, then the other. However, as soon as Dazzling noticed Doomsbay landing on the ground, their race immediately became secondary.

"Doomsbay! Good morning!" Leaving the race unfinished, Dazzling landed in front of the hybrid.

"Where is Hydro?" asked Aqua, who followed her friend.

"I'm here… good morning, guys!" Hydrobreaker descended slowly beside his brother, visibly less present than usual.

Aqua watched the last dragon to arrive for a moment, then tilted her head to the side.

"You… look different somehow. Is everything okay?" Hydrobreaker looked up at Aqua’s worried gaze, but before he could answer, his brother spoke first.

"The guy didn't sleep very well, he was talking about tides, fires, and 'beware' all night. He woke me up plenty of times too…" At the end of the sentence, he looked at his brother with a sharp glint in his eye.

"I already said I'm sorry…" Doomsbay only sighed and shook his head slightly at this.

"Anyway… the point is we're here now and… not on punishment," Doomsbay declared, visibly relieved.

"Come on, Aqua, let's finish our race. Now we have an audience too," Dazzling announced with audible enjoyment as she turned her back on her friends.

"Oh… okay," the blue RainWing said as she slowly turned around as well.

But Hydrobreaker heard almost nothing of these words, as the thoughts from the night began to surface again. His surroundings narrowed, and his consciousness grew more and more distant.

"What's up, bro? You gonna fall asleep right here?" But Hydro didn't react at all; the outside world grew completely silent for him.

Doomsbay gave his brother a gentle nudge, to which he again did not respond.

"Girls! Wait! Something's wrong with Hydro!" Hydrobreaker's body tensed up completely, then visibly began to tremble. His eyes widened, eventually swimming in pure white.

"Hydro! Hydro! Talk to us! Say something!" Aqua rushed back to her friend, worried, almost crying.

Enormous pain coursed through his body. Huge waves, but not from the sea. Dead dragons beneath his feet. Betrayal from the most painful place. Words broke from his maw that did not sound like his own.

"Beware the storm beneath the waves,

Beware the crown that darkness craves.

Beware the talons wrapped in gold,

Beware the one who is not what he seems.

The tides will turn, the sky will burn,

The earth will shatter, the winds will churn.

When silence breaks and truth is blind,

A path shall split, a fate entwined.

Fire and flood shall clash and cry,

A shadow waits with hollow eyes.

One will rise and one shall fall,

And only then will fate stand tall."

His voice hitched slightly at the last line, as if thorns were attached to those words. As soon as he finished his prophecy, he collapsed to the ground, taking the vision and the headache with him.

Hydrobreaker lay motionless for a moment, then slowly tried to push himself up. The movement clearly pained him, but he didn't stop.

Aqua immediately stepped beside him.

"Don't move, just rest," she said softly, her voice still trembling.

Hydro shook his head. His eyes were still dull, as if a part of the vision remained stuck behind them.

"No. I'm… I'm fine," he finally said. His voice was hoarse.

He looked at Doomsbay for a moment. Now there was no mockery, no playfulness. Only seriousness.

"We have to tell our parents about this," he added.

No one argued with him.

The jungle around them remained silent, but the air was no longer the same. They didn't move for a while, just looked at each other, digesting Hydrobreaker's words.

"I'll go find Dad. I'll leave Mother to you, I had quite enough of her yesterday," Doomsbay finally declared before taking to the air.

Hydrobreaker remained where he was for another moment, as if he weren't sure his legs would actually hold him. His breathing slowly regulated, but his gaze remained distant.

Aqua did not move from his side.

"It… it won't happen again, will it?" she asked softly.

Hydro didn't answer immediately. Not because he didn't hear her, but because he didn't know.

Dazzling moved nervously, then finally spoke as she too took to the air.

"Doomsbay! Wait for me, I'm coming with you!"

Aqua watched the figures disappearing into the air for another moment, then slowly turned back toward Hydrobreaker.

"Can you make it?" she asked quietly. She wasn't thinking of the prophecy, but of her friend’s returning strength.

Hydro didn't answer right away. He took a deep breath, then nodded.

"I'll have to," he said finally.

He slowly straightened up. The movement hurt this time too, but he didn't stop. Then he also rose into the air, and Aqua followed him.

Hallowwings did not speak for a long time. Her gaze lingered on Hydrobreaker's face, then slowly wandered to Doomsbay, then Dazzling, then Aqua, and finally back to Hydro.

"Tell it exactly," she finally said. She didn't raise her voice. There was no need.

Hydrobreaker spoke. Briefly. Concisely. Not about the images, not about the pain, only about what happened. And of course, he repeated the lines he had spoken.

When he finished, Hallowwings closed her eyes for a moment.

"This is not the kind of prophecy that can be set aside…" she said finally.

The words weren't loud. But they had weight.

Nereus did not ask questions. With a single nod, he indicated that he understood everything.

Aqua instinctively huddled closer to Hydrobreaker. Now she understood why fear had been clutching her chest until now.

"Tomorrow morning we set out for the NightWings' secret location. Just the three of us," Hallowwings declared finally. My tribe must know about this even if…

She didn't finish the thought, especially because Hydrobreaker's watchful gaze was fixed squarely on her.

"Mother, no. You can't risk your own life for a prophecy. We have to do this," Hydro declared, glancing at his friends.

"They won't be alone. We'll be there with them," Aqua said, though fear was still evident in her voice.

"What do you mean, 'we'll be there too'? Ugh… fine… I'm going too." Smaller orange stripes appeared on Dazzling's body because Aqua had dragged her into this without asking. Although… she also knew that because of Doomsbay, she would have followed them anyway.

"Out of the question. No one else can know where the NightWings are located. Plus… only I know exactly where the island is," Hallowwings declared, though she knew that as she recalled the route in her head, that was no longer true. "And don't you dare try to run away there."

She directed her last sentence straight at Hydrobreaker. But… she also knew that this was only her maternal worry speaking, and that they wouldn't listen. Not this time.

"Quiet, don't wake them up," Hydrobreaker whispered to his brother as they moved through the living room to leave their house through the entrance hall.

"Relax, I know what I'm doing," Doomsbay replied with a hint of mockery.

"The letter is surely in plain vi-" The older brother's words were cut short as the living room was flooded with light for a moment; Nereus was wishing his sons a good morning in Aquatic. "Dad?! Since when have you been awake?"

"Quiet, son, your mother is still sleeping. Come, let's go outside and talk for a bit," the SeaWing said, then headed out.

"You know you can't hold us back, right?" Hydrobreaker asked, though… he already knew the answer from his father's thoughts.

"I know. But… you must also know very well that's not why I'm awake." Nereus stopped for a moment to turn toward his sons, then took a deep breath and continued. "Before you set out… there's something you need to know."

"Why haven't you thought about this until now…?" Hydrobreaker asked before his father could say what he wanted.

"Because this part of me was never important to me. Princes were always just second-fiddles and… I always preferred to stay in the background," Nereus answered quietly.

"What… what is it? What are we talking about? Would someone care to tell me? You know my mind-reading isn't exactly great…" Doomsbay asked the two of them almost haughtily.

"It's that… before Dad fled the SeaWing Kingdom, he was… a prince. The patterns on our wings. Not every SeaWing has them." Hydro's words fell like stones upon Doomsbay. He didn't understand why no one had told him this information until now; he didn't understand why even his brother had kept it from him.

But… when he turned his gaze toward him, he saw that this information was new to him as well. And that was when he realized. His father had never thought about the power he left behind until now. It was the prophecy that had brought it to the surface.

"You can talk to Dad about this in more detail later; we have more important things to do right now," Hydrobreaker said, seeing the look on his brother's face. "One more thing… would you please go ahead and wake the girls?"

For a while, Doomsbay looked at his brother in confusion. He didn't understand since when he had become the leader.

"Please, Doomsbay," the young hybrid repeated.

Doomsbay didn't react; he just stood beside his brother. Then finally, he set off for Dazzling and Aqua.

Once he was sure his brother was no longer nearby, Hydrobreaker finally spoke.

"I don't see any future where you become evil." Nereus's eyes widened at Hydrobreaker's words; he thought he had never thought about his animus power while near him.

"W-what… excuse me?" He thought he hadn't heard correctly, so he asked back.

"I know that you are an animus. I just wanted to reassure you that I don't see a single future where you turn against us." His calming voice filled his father with trust.

Though he didn't know what words to respond with, his son's smile told him everything.

"One more thing… I won't let anything happen to Doomsbay. I swear." His voice trembled slightly at the last word, as the visions regarding Doomsbay weren't quite so clear, but… Nereus didn't need to know that.

Unknown paths

They had been flying toward the SeaWing Kingdom for half a day already, but Hydrobreaker had noticed almost none of it. The prophecy had been echoing in his head the entire way.

"Why isn't there finally a resting spot that isn't… a swamp?!" Dazzling complained loudly.

"MudWing Kingdom. Remember…?" Doomsbay remarked dryly.

"Arrgh… then let's land there to rest. At least that’s not a mud hole." Without even waiting for the others, Dazzling headed down over the misty marsh.

"Hey, Hydro…" Aqua’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, causing Hydrobreaker to startle slightly. "Come on, let's land too. Dazzling wants to rest. Dooms already headed after her."

"O-okay… I'll be right behind you," he declared, hovering in the air for a moment.

At first, Aqua also began her descent, but in the end, she didn't join the others immediately.

"Are you… still thinking about what Nereus said before we left…?" Aqua finally asked what had been written all over Hydrobreaker’s face the whole way.

"N… not entirely. More about the prophecy itself. Why did all of this happen now, and why… to us?" Hydrobreaker’s gaze involuntarily drifted toward the misty swamp stretching out beneath them. Meanwhile, he thought that the future he had seen was perhaps just as murky. "Do you think… we really have something to do with all of this?"

Aqua fell silent for a moment, her gaze following Hydrobreaker’s down toward the swamp. Orange and purple stripes suddenly crept through her blue scales as her mind raced in a thousand directions.

"I’ve been thinking about that too, ever since the prophecy left your maw…" Aqua admitted softly. "Statistically... I mean, if you think about how many dragons live in Pyrrhia, the chances of two hybrids and two RainWings getting mixed up in something like this are minuscule. So either fate has a very weird sense of humor, or…"

"You’re doing that again…" Hydro interrupted the RainWing, then gave a stressed laugh and shook his head. "Come on, let's go to the others." As the hybrid started his descent, he added quietly: "Thank you."

Aqua paused in the air for a moment. A faint pink stripe ran across her as she watched Hydrobreaker descend.

"Finally, you two are coming to rest… Her Majesty hasn't stopped complaining since…" Doomsbay looked back with a sharp glint in his eye at the RainWing resting on an improvised bed of leaves and branches, her body flecked with orange stripes, clearly offended by the remark.

"I’m sorry, but… have you seen how many bugs are here? The rainforest has a quarter as many on its worst days." After her defensive thoughts, a faint pink stripe seemed to run across her body, which fortunately no one noticed because of her colors. "However… thank you for the makeshift bed."

"Hey, Everglade! I found an interesting bunch. They look almost like dragonets." An unknown voice spoke up nearby, presumably belonging to a MudWing.

"Coming, Muddle! Myrtle, Sable, you guys come too!" A deeper voice called out from a bit further away.

"We have to get out of here! Now!" Aqua’s body flared in green as she began to blend into the background.

"Wait! They won't do anything if we don't run-" But before Hydro could finish reassuring Aqua, his brother stepped directly in front of the arriving MudWings.

"Stop!" he bellowed as the four siblings appeared before them.

"Greetings to you too… a NightWing-SeaWing hybrid?!" Everglade, the Bigwings of the sibling group, reacted with some surprise to the smaller dragon standing before him. "I’ve never seen anything like it… especially since the NightWings have been gone from our circles for a very long time."

"Dooms! Don't do anything stupid. That’s not why we traveled this far." The hybrid tried to influence his brother with a calming voice.

"How would you know if I’m about to do something stupid? You can't even read my thoughts!" Doomsbay shot back.

"A mind reader?! Queen Parnassia needs to know about this! Guys! Seize them!" Everglade immediately threw himself at Doomsbay as he issued the command to his siblings.

"Wait! Please wait!" Hydrobreaker shouted, watching as his brother struggled to free himself from under the larger MudWing’s body, presumably preparing some magic.

"Get off me before you regret it deeply!" Doomsbay’s muffled but threatening voice came from beneath the Bigwings.

"We are only doing our loyal duty, mind reader," Sable answered, before Hydrobreaker also thudded to the ground beneath him.

"Please! Let us go! We want to prevent an important prophecy!" Hydrobreaker’s eyes widened as he realized what had just left his maw.

However… he achieved the effect he wanted. Every MudWing looked at him with wide eyes. Both he and Doomsbay were able to move more easily as the two MudWings stood up and climbed off them.

"A prophecy…? A prophecy threatening Pyrrhia?" Everglade asked, finding it hard to believe the information he had just acquired.

I hope I’m right that honesty is the best policy… "W… we don’t know for sure, but… it sounds quite grave. The images I saw support that too."

"So you are not only a mind reader, but… a seer as well." The Bigwings stated the obvious loudly. "How did the prophecy go?"

After Hydrobreaker shared everything he knew with the MudWing siblings, the three siblings looked at Everglade with questioning eyes.

"Bigwings… I think we should escort them to the coast. This really sounds important. For the future of Pyrrhia." Muddle, who had found the group of friends and brothers, finally said what every MudWing sibling was thinking.

"You’re right, Muddle… even if it means betraying the Queen to some extent…" Then, after a deep breath, he continued: "Come on, the coast is waiting for us."

"Come on, I can already see the coast!" Aqua shouted, who for once was not occupied with her thoughts but with the beauty of the unknown landscape.

"Let's land over there," Everglade declared as he began his descent.

As they touched down on the shore, the MudWings and the other group turned toward each other.

"Thank you for not capturing us after all," Hydrobreaker spoke first.

"You were lucky. Because if my brother hadn't been there… maybe the mud would have taken you prisoner," Doomsbay added, muttering under his breath.

The MudWings who heard this remark looked at the hybrid with sharp eyes, but in the end, they didn't react.

"Good luck with the prophecy. We hope you can stop it." Everglade looked at Hydrobreaker with his usual brave but reassuring gaze, then turned toward his siblings. "Come on, let's head back to our favorite spot! After all this, we deserve a good rest."

Hearing the word "rest," Muddle, Myrtle, and Sable cried out almost in unison with joy.

"Let’s go! Bye, guys!" Muddle hardly waited for the others as he started heading back.

Everglade just shook his head, and after a proper farewell, the group split up.

"Well… where to now? You don't honestly expect me to swim, do you…?" Dazzling asked the others impatiently, focusing mainly on Hydro.

"You won't melt in the water, princess," Doomsbay snapped at her. Dazzling immediately shot him an angry look, red and pink stripes racing across her body, though only the red ones were visible.

"You don't have to swim if you don't want to. The SeaWing Kingdom has islands too, as I learned from my father's memories," Hydrobreaker interrupted before anything more serious could come of the exchange. "But… we'll still have to swim eventually. At least… me and Dooms, because… the palace will be underwater."

Hearing this, bluish-gray stripes appeared on the two RainWings.

"However… before we set out, we should look for a place to stay. It's starting to get dark," the hybrid added.

"I can make us a shelter if you want," Doomsbay suggested, already thinking about the necessary magic.

"No need. Don't you remember what our mother said…?" Hydrobreaker's voice trembled slightly at the last sentence.

"Don't tell me you believe that fairy tale about the soul rotting in animi…?" Doomsbay shot back at his brother.

"Well… there was Darkstalker, who caused the entire tribe to flee their own kingdom." Before Hydrobreaker's eyes, potential futures flickered where he stood beside an unknown, almost indistinguishable dragon, ruling all of Pyrrhia together. Will I end up like that too…? But finally, he shook his head slightly and continued his thought. "And… there was Albatross, who… almost killed the entire SeaWing royal family."

"They were already corrupt to begin with; there's a reason they remain in everyone's memory. I am not like them." Doomsbay raised his voice at the end, as if trying to convince himself as well.

If only I knew you were telling the truth… Hydrobreaker watched his brother for a while longer, then turned toward a voice coming from a short distance away.

"Come on! There's a cave over here that looks empty." Aqua's soothing voice broke the tension between the two brothers, making them forget what they had just been arguing about.

"Is this the best you could find…?" Dazzling snapped, as she dusted off the cleanest spot she could find for herself

"If you had come to help me search, maybe I would have had a better chance…" As Aqua spoke, very thin orange stripes ran across her body from the slight irritation Dazzling's remark caused.

"Oh… thank you." Dazzling stated with some surprise as she stepped onto the stone that had become soft and clean.

"Doomsbay!" Hydrobreaker growled, seeing Dazzling's newly comfortable spot.

"What…? Would you rather have kept listening to her whining?" the hybrid responded with an indifferent tone to his brother's irritation.

"Don't start again… please." Aqua looked at the pair of brothers pleadingly, with lighter blue scales appearing on her body.

After a moment of deep breath, Hydrobreaker turned toward the RainWing.

"Only because you asked." Then he headed toward the spot that seemed best to him.

The next morning, Hydrobreaker was the first to wake up. At least, he thought so until he looked around.

"Girls! Wake up! Doomsbay is gone!" At the hybrid's panicked voice, the two RainWings woke up almost instantly.

"What do you mean, he's gone?!" Dazzling was already at the cave entrance, unlike her usual self, scanning the area. Dark green stripes appeared on her body.

As everyone stepped out of the cave onto the shore, a dark figure appeared accompanied by a blue dragon.

"Doomsbay!" Dazzling shouted toward the hybrid, who was visibly unharmed.

"I disappear for a bit to find the guard who will help us get in, and I'm greeted by a search party…?" Dooms noted with slight bewilderment.

"The kid speaks excellent Aquatic. He must have had a very good teacher." The unknown SeaWing, who wasn't much older than them, added appreciatively as they walked closer to the others.

Good teacher…? But he hardly practiced with Dad… Hydrobreaker watched his brother with a sharp gaze. I'll ask him about this later.

"Oh, how rude of me… I haven't even introduced myself. My name is River. I only started this whole guard thing a few days ago, but… I'm already fed up with it." But as he said this out loud, he suddenly caught himself. "But let's keep that between us."

"You were expecting something more exciting, weren't you?" Though he knew the answer, Hydrobreaker asked anyway.

"You could say that. Although… your arrival has certainly turned things up a notch." I should take them to Queen Abyss, but… then again, there's still that isolationism since the Great Royal Massacre… What should I do…?

"I think you shouldn't dwell on the ancient past, because… we can't change that anymore." As Hydrobreaker spoke, River's eyes widened. This reminded the hybrid that the SeaWing had only thought that part. "Oh, sorry… sometimes I forget that not every thought I hear is spoken aloud."

"Whoa! A real mind reader! Can you do anything else?" River asked with almost childlike wonder.

"Yes, my brother can do other things too. But… the main point is actually this." Doomsbay took over the conversation, spreading his wings for River to see.

"Those… those patterns. You… you are princes?! Why haven't I seen you before?!" the young guard asked in shock, his head snapping back and forth between the two brothers.

"Well… our father told us yesterday, who… fled some time ago with our mother, a… NightWing," Dooms added.

"A SeaWing prince and a NightWing… that's a pretty strange pair, if you ask me." The SeaWing added with a slight laugh, but seeing that no one else was laughing, he took on a more serious tone. "Jokes aside… there was a prince who disappeared without a trace a few years before I hatched. And… he hasn't been found since. Although… since he was always very reclusive… they didn't look for him for long. At least, that's what I found in the guard records I read in secret."

"I hear he was just as insignificant back then as he is today," the younger hybrid said almost devoid of emotion.

"Doomsbay! You are talking about our own father! Be a bit more respectful, if you please…" Hydro snapped at his brother.

"Fair enough… let's leave the small talk for later and… let's head to the Summer Palace instead, the one River mentioned underwater."

"Okay… wait for me on this island. I’ll go see how agitated things are at the palace…" River said, landing on a seemingly random island with the others.

"Will I definitely have to swim? Isn't there another entrance… for non-SeaWings?" Dazzling asked, faint pale orange stripes appearing on her body.

"We already discussed this while flying from island to island: there isn't," Dooms replied in an almost entirely bored voice. "Instead, come on, let's figure out your bed. It's getting late. Hey, River. Is there a cave on this island?"

"Uh… yes, there is. You can find one on the far shore." He began walking toward the water, but as soon as the salt water started washing over his talons, he turned back. "In that case, it might be better if we meet tomorrow morning."

"Alright, River. Thank you for your help so far. And… be careful with Caribbean. He’s going to be a bit annoyed with you for leaving your post." Upon hearing Hydrobreaker’s last words, River turned around completely.

"You mean… the commander? I haven't mentioned him to you at all." He looked at the hybrid with some confusion, then tapped his head. "Did you have a vision about him…? Then I’d better hurry. Good night!"

With that, the SeaWing disappeared into the splashing water.

"Will we be meeting him tomorrow morning, or… with guards?" Aqua asked softly from the dragon standing beside her.

"I don't know yet. That… depends only on him." This answer, of course, was heard only by Aqua, as his brother and Dazzling were already long gone from where they stood.

There’s no one else here, just us. Just me and… Hydro. The blue RainWing realized. Immediately, pink and orange-purple stripes appeared on her scales.

Her wing trembled slightly as her thoughts raced, wondering if she dared to touch her wing to Hydrobreaker’s. For a moment she approached, then pulled back. But as she withdrew, she felt the touch of a wing against her own.

The pink stripes on her body intensified; her thoughts froze.

"The sea of your thoughts hasn't been this quiet in a long time," the hybrid remarked.

W-will he ever see us in the… future? Although she didn't want to think about this next to a mind reader, Hydrobreaker’s proximity triggered the thought anyway.

"I’ve seen many kinds of futures over the years. There were some where I was the first to confess to you, and some where you were. There were some where we were together forever, and some where…" He closed his eyes for a moment and fell silent. "Very bad things happened. But… you know, I always remembered the images most fondly where…" Aqua’s entire body turned pink as Hydrobreaker’s tail entwined with her own. "We continue our journey together."

Although Aqua understood every word the hybrid said, she still timidly asked the obvious. "Does… does this mean that now we… we…?"

Hydrobreaker looked directly into her eyes with a friendly smile on his face. "Yes, from now on we travel together through every point in life."

In the cave, Dazzling already had a proper bed by the time Hydrobreaker and Aqua arrived, one that clearly hadn't been made with paws and claws.

Hydrobreaker immediately moved toward his brother. "Doomsbay! What did I say about using magic?!"

However… a RainWing suddenly stepped between them.

"Leave him alone. He’s just being kind to me. Instead, look at this beautiful necklace I got from him." Dazzling immediately posed in front of the visibly agitated hybrid.

"Relax, Hydro. A little magic won't make me evil," Doomsbay snapped, lying comfortably on the stone.

Aqua finally stepped beside Hydrobreaker, touching her wing to his. Dark green stripes appeared on her body. "Let's just rest. I feel like we’ll all need our energy for tomorrow."

Did he enchant that necklace…? I don't hear anything in Dazzling’s thoughts that would suggest it. But then again… why do I have the same feeling looking at that necklace as I had back at that cave at home…?

While Hydrobreaker’s thoughts were racing, Doomsbay was thinking as well. Although this could only be known from how his eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed the wing-touch between Aqua and his brother. "Alright, let's sleep then… Dazzling."

As the RainWing heard her name, she went back to her enchanted bed and lay down in almost the same position she had been in when Hydro and Aqua arrived.

"Good night, brother." Then Dooms lowered his head, completely ignoring the fact that the other hybrid was still looking at him angrily.

"Wake up! The Queen is waiting for you." A gravelly male voice broke the silence of the cave. "Get up!"

When Hydrobreaker opened his eyes, he was surprised to see a squad of five soldiers, led by a figure familiar from his visions. "C-Commander Caribbean?!"

The towering SeaWing's gaze narrowed instantly upon hearing his own name and rank from the stranger's maw.

"How much information did River spill to you?" he asked with a frigid stare as he looked over the group. Now we’ll see how well he can actually read minds…

"He didn't give us any information. What I know, I owe to my mind-reading and my foresight." Hydro's gaze flickered for a moment toward Aqua, whose body was covered in pale green stripes.

"Prove it, hybrid." Caribbean brought his head close to Hydrobreaker’s, who was visibly stressed by the gravity of the situation.

"H-how could I prove that… that…" Hydrobreaker’s eyes widened as the Commander’s thoughts flooded his head. "My father really did save you once, but he didn't want it to ever come out?!"

"What. Is. Your. Father's. Name?" Caribbean’s words were sharp enough to crack ice, snapping loudly in their ears.

"That green seaweed is called Nereus." Doomsbay, who had been lingering silently in the background until now, suddenly stepped forward directly beside his brother.

"I wasn't speaking to you." Growling, the SeaWing Commander turned toward the other hybrid, who didn't even flinch.

"You are now," he replied in a calm voice. "Now then… how much longer shall we keep Queen Abyss waiting…?"

Caribbean huffed in anger, then finally spoke in a relatively calmer tone. "You're lucky you’re my cousin’s children… Let’s move."

"Um… Commander Caribbean… what about our RainWing friends? They aren't very good swimmers." Hydrobreaker asked worriedly, even though he already knew the answer.

The Commander paused for a moment but did not turn around. "They’re coming too. You don't have to swim that far to reach the entrance of the Summer Palace. It was designed that way on purpose."

Hydro looked at Aqua, whose body still bore pale green stripes, though no longer as densely. As soon as the RainWing noticed his gaze, she gave a small smile, a few pink stripes appearing among the others, and then she too stood up and began walking beside her love.

"Dazzling, let's go." As Dooms spoke, Dazzling followed him without a single word of protest.

Why isn't Dazzling complaining? The thought echoed almost simultaneously in both Aqua's and Hydrobreaker's heads.

The wave of fate

As Hydrobreaker and the others emerged from the water, the atmosphere of the Summer Palace seemed to freeze. Every SeaWing was watching them. The RainWings and the hybrids. The hybrids who were… half NightWing. And they weren't just the offspring of any SeaWing, no. They were hybrids of royal blood.

As they flew higher and higher through the levels, Hydrobreaker held his head. Although he had grown used to the constant noise in his mind, the few days of peace had been enough for him to grow slightly unaccustomed to it.

He shivered slightly as something touched him, but as he glanced at the source, he was met by Aqua. "Are you alright? Too many… new thoughts?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just… I've grown out of practice with this," he reassured his girlfriend, who was visibly worried about him.

Meanwhile, Dazzling followed them almost robotically, as if waiting for a command.

And Doomsbay… he flew upward toward the highest level with pure splendor, as if enjoying the attention directed toward them. He even performed small stunts while flying to ensure as many eyes as possible were on him.

At the top level of the Palace, five SeaWings awaited them, among them River, and… sitting on the throne was Queen Abyss herself.

"Welcome, children of my cousin Nereus," the Queen spoke as the four newcomers, escorted by Caribbean, landed on the platform.

Doomsbay was the first of the group to step forward, ignoring Caribbean's sharp gaze.

"Your Majesty," he spoke, bowing his head to show respect. "My name is Doomsbay, and… as you can see, me and my brother Hydrobreaker are SeaWing-NightWing hybrids."

Why is he acting like this…? This isn't like him. Hydrobreaker thought, watching his brother with a head that was starting to ache less.

Meanwhile, Dooms glanced back at Dazzling and gave a slight nod. Seeing this, the RainWing also stepped forward a few paces.

"Your Majesty," she also bowed her head for a moment. "I am Dazzling, of the RainWings. Doomsbay's assistant."

"Introduce yourselves to the Queen as well. Do not keep her waiting," the Commander declared.

"Relax, little brother, the shock is understandable for them, after all… they have never been here before," Queen Abyss dismissed Caribbean's command with a wave of her talon. "And besides… aren't you happy to have new relatives?"

"G… greetings, Queen Abyss. I am Hydrobreaker…" The hybrid took a small pause, gathering his thoughts. "The elder son of Nereus and Hallowwings. As you may have heard from River, I… I possess both abilities of the NightWings, as I… hatched under two full moons."

Although Aqua tried to keep herself together and restrain her emotions from showing on her body, a few pale green stripes still appeared on her now and then.

"And she is… Aqua. My… mate." The disdainful thoughts of most of the surrounding dragons flooded Hydrobreaker, who immediately clutched his head. But… one thought was stronger than most, alongside Aqua's thoughts. Queen Abyss thought of their relationship with delight.

"I am glad I can now put names to your faces. This is my partner, Cove. And these are my two daughters. The elder is Puffin, and the younger is Sapphire. Besides them, I have several sons as well, but they are… busy at the moment." As the Queen introduced the present members of her family, the awkward tension began to subside.

I hope I won't get into big trouble for bringing them here… Commander Caribbean was very angry with me…

Hearing these thoughts, Hydrobreaker snapped his head up and looked straight at his new friend, who was visibly dejected. "Um… Your Majesty…?"

"Drop the titles, Hydrobreaker. That introduction was more than enough. They don't matter among family," she interrupted the hybrid.

"R-right… Abyss… what will happen to River? I mean… he won't get into trouble because of us, will he?" he asked worriedly.

"Well… it's true he left his post, but… at the same time, he did it for a noble cause. He helped you find your way home." Caribbean clearly didn't like the Queen's reaction, but he said nothing. "Therefore… his new task will be to escort you while you stay here."

Upon hearing these words, River immediately snapped his head up and threw himself before his Queen with a huge smile on his face. "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you!"

Then he rushed over to the others, immediately hugging Hydrobreaker. "Thank you for not letting me get lost in the depths!"

"Of course, I always stand up for friends," Hydro replied as they let go of each other.

"By the way… you didn't even tell me you two were a couple! Since when?" the SeaWing asked in a slightly hurt tone.

"Well… it became official not long after you left to tell Abyss." The mind-reading hybrid touched his wing to Aqua's, who visibly turned somewhat pink. "But… the thought had been weighing on us for a long time."

"River, lead them to the guest room. And bring them to the family lunch later. For once, you are invited too," Queen Abyss said in a voice that was still kind but now more formal.

River turned to the Queen immediately, bowed respectfully, and finally spoke.

"Understood, Your Majesty. Thank you." Then he turned back to the others and spoke to his friends in the tone they first knew. "Come on, this way!"

He immediately sprang into the air and headed toward the rooms. The others followed him, at least… three of them did.

"Here it is, your room!" River shouted, being the first to step into the spacious area. "Wait… where did Doomsbay go?"

"He said he wanted to talk more with the Queen and her family. He’ll join us later," answered Dazzling, who was bringing up the rear of the line of dragons.

"Can you tell us a bit about Abyss' children? How many siblings are there? Because… judging by the age difference between Puffin and Sapphire… she must have had several clutches hatch," Hydrobreaker asked.

"Yes, Queen Abyss and King Cove have had four clutches so far." River continued the story after a short pause. "Unfortunately, there wasn't a single female in the first two, while… in the third and fourth, there was only one in each. So they have twelve children in total so far." The SeaWing looked toward the entrance as if wanting to share a secret, lowering his voice. "But…of the two possible heirs to the throne, only Sapphire has any potential for it, because… Puffin has declared more than once over the years that… she isn't interested in the throne and everything that comes with-"

Hydrobreaker cut the sentence short, clutching his head from a sudden burst of pain.

A very sharp image appeared before his eyes: Queen Abyss killing Puffin in a challenge for the throne. And… there was something very familiar around Puffin's neck. A necklace that radiated the same ominous energy as the cave at home, or… Dazzling’s necklace! Beware the one who is not what he seems.

At that final thought, Hydrobreaker’s eyes snapped open, and without any hesitation, he broke away from Aqua’s caring talons.

"Dazzling! Stop!" he bellowed as he ran after the RainWing, who was just about to make an escape.

The pink dragon stopped in the doorway like a statue. Only her breathing was visible on her body. Neither her head nor her gaze moved.

"W-what…? How?" Aqua and River asked in bewilderment, watching the frozen RainWing and the hybrid from where they stood.

"I have something else to confess to you… I am an animus as well. I'm sorry I kept it from you until now, Aqua…" After a deep breath and ripping off the necklace, he continued. "The Queen and Puffin are in great danger!" Dazzling, you can move again now. He added in his mind.

A massive growl escaped Dazzling’s throat the moment she could move again. "Let's catch that chameleon and claw him to shreds!"

"First, let's save Queen Abyss. River! Where is the Royal family lunch taking place?" Hydro asked the SeaWing, who was already poised to leave.

"Follow me, this way!" The group set off after River at a frantic pace; he flew faster than his own records, straight toward the level of the banquet hall.

When they arrived at the banquet hall, the table was already set, but… no one was there except for a server.

"Where are they?" Hydrobreaker shouted.

"Who?" the server asked back, somewhat terrified.

"Queen Abyss and the others," the hybrid answered hurriedly.

"On the top level, they're with Puffin, pre-" The rest was lost to them. They were already surging upward.

"Are you sure about this, my daughter? You are only driving yourself to your death!" Queen Abyss spoke to her daughter in a worried but firm voice. Puffin stood opposite her, preparing for the fight.

"Enough talk, Mother! Let's fight! The people want blood!" With that, she would have lunged into the fray if a dragon with dark green scales hadn't landed between them. "Don't interfere! The throne will be mine!"

"Puffin’s necklace! Turn to dust!" As the command left Hydrobreaker’s maw, the necklace Puffin was wearing vanished into nothingness. And Puffin… collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"An animus?!" "An animus in the palace?" "Has Albatross returned?" Such thoughts echoed through the crowd watching the events.

But Hydrobreaker wasn't interested in that. He fixed his gaze on the Queen, who was frozen in fear. "Where is Doomsbay?! I have to stop him before it's too late!"

An… an animus?! But… but… he seemed kind. D-Doomsbay? W-where is Doomsbay? Queen Abyss’s gaze flickered to the spot where she had last seen the other hybrid, but… no one was standing there anymore.

Every dragon in the Summer Palace watched in deathly silence as the notorious animus gazed at Queen Abyss for a moment. After a short while, however, he turned back toward his friends.

"We have to go! He couldn't have gotten far!" he shouted.

Aqua, Dazzling, and even River set off after Hydrobreaker. Meanwhile, the rest of the SeaWings remained frozen in the shock and fear caused by the events.

"Aren't you afraid of getting wet, Dazzling?" Aqua asked amidst racing wingbeats as they approached the palace entrance.

"Revenge first, comfort second," she declared before diving under the water after Hydrobreaker and River.

When everyone emerged above the water again, River was the first to speak.

"Where to now? Do you have any visions of your brother?" he asked, as they were already flying through the sky back toward the shore.

"I’ve never had a clear vision of him… it’s as if he’s always been blocking it somehow," the hybrid sighed. "Though… I have a hunch where he might have headed. To the NightWings' secret territory."

Hearing this, River paused in the air for a moment. Why didn't I think of this before…? With power like his, he could bring them under his rule in an instant.

"If you fall behind, you won't be able to avenge what he did to Puffin!" Dazzling shouted as she streaked past the SeaWing.

"Hydro, aren't you worried that the SeaWing army will come after us and stop us from stopping Doomsbay?" Aqua asked, faint dark green stripes appearing on her body alongside the pale green ones already there.

"No. Caribbean knew my father's secret. It was when Dad saved him that Caribbean found out he was an animus. That's why my father didn't want him to ever tell anyone. Caribbean knows there are good animi, too." Hearing this, the dark green stripes vanished from Aqua’s body, though the pale green ones remained.

They covered the half-day distance somewhat faster than they expected, yet it had already grown dark by the time they reached the shore.

"What should we do? Should we find another place to sleep, or… will the place where we slept last time be okay…? Though that might be risky because of my brother…" Hydrobreaker asked the others.

"The place where you slept will be fine. I'll keep watch," River declared.

"You can't keep watch alone. You'd be dead tired tomorrow. We'll take turns keeping watch," Hydrobreaker stated.

"I'll start," Dazzling declared, much to the surprise of both Hydrobreaker and Aqua. "What? If that chameleon shows up, at least I’ll be the first one to… give him a taste of my 'acidic' personality. Literally!"

"Alright, but… before you do anything like that, wake us all up, okay?" Hydrobreaker pleaded.

The visibly bloodthirsty RainWing sighed, then finally spoke. "Fine…"

"Wake me up when it's time for the shift change, then I'll wake Aqua, who will finally wake River." After Hydro laid it all out, he looked at the other two dragons. "Is that okay with you two as well?"

The others nodded.

"Then… good night," Dazzling said before heading out of the cave.

The next morning, when Aqua opened her eyes, she was surprised to find that no one had woken her up. Pale orange stripes appeared on her body as she rushed over to her love.

"Hydro! Why didn't you wake me up?!" she cried.

"Because…" A yawn escaped his maw as everyone began heading out of the cave. "You deserved more sleep."

"But you'll be tired if we have to fight Doomsb-" The rest of the sentence caught in her throat and her body turned pale green as a familiar figure descended from the air before them.

"Good morning, my friends. Brother."

"Doomsbay!" Hydrobreaker bellowed, as the figure appearing before them stood facing them with his usual, chilling calm.

"I see you're no longer wearing my gift, Dazzling… tragic. And yet… you were at your most… tolerable like that." As he spoke these words, they sounded normal to everyone, but… it felt as if they came from the maw of an entirely different dragon, not Doomsbay.

"Rot in hell!" the blood-red shrouded dragon screamed, before a jet of pitch-black venom shot from her fangs straight toward Doomsbay.

But the acid froze in mid-air for a moment and fell harmlessly to the ground.

"Dazzling… Dazzling… Dazzling… you didn't seriously think that would be effective against an animus, did you…?" As Dooms spoke, he shook his head.

Then he fixed his gaze on Hydrobreaker. "Well… brother? Are you ready to leave the weak behind and rule by my side?"

The indistinguishable dragon by whose side I ruled Pyrrhia in one of my darkest visions! Hydro's eyes widened completely at the realization.

"I see… you’ve had a vision too, where we don't just lead the SeaWings or the NightWings, but… all of Pyrrhia." Dooms’s smile was freezing. "Join me, and I promise… it will become reality."

One will rise and one shall fall… This line of the prophecy rang out almost simultaneously in Hydrobreaker and Aqua. And… they both knew this was the moment they had wanted so desperately to prevent.

Hydrobreaker’s gaze flickered to his friends for a moment, then back to his brother. "Get to safety… I don't want you to get hurt too."

Aqua and River nodded; only Dazzling remained in a fighting stance.

"My invisibility and my acid will help defeat this chameleon!" the still-raging RainWing shouted.

"Dazzling, no! You know that without animus power, you can only lose here," Hydro commanded, his eyes never leaving his brother.

"What are you waiting for? Are you joining me or not…?" Doomsbay asked, his voice growing irritable.

When everyone had finally backed away, Hydrobreaker stepped forward.

"You know very well I can't. And perhaps you know why…" He stopped directly in front of his brother, showing him he wasn't afraid. "The prophecy said it all… one of us shall rise, while the other… will lose. Fate allows no other way."

"Then your fate is sealed forever… your destruction will not be in vain." No sooner had Doomsbay finished his sentence than he lunged at his brother, who threw himself to the side with the same momentum. "Don't make this harder than it has to be!"

He shouted as he lunged again, finally pinning Hydrobreaker into the sand. His talons sliced across the side of Hydro's throat, sending a jolt of pain through his gills.

However, Hydro did not give up and almost immediately bucked Doomsbay off him.

"Enough! Crush my brother!" Dooms roared, pointing his talon at something behind Hydrobreaker.

As the seer turned, he saw a massive boulder flying toward him. "Vanish!" he commanded, while from the other side, his brother attacked again. As the brothers scuffled on the ground once more, the stone disappeared into nothingness.

"Sand! Swallow Hydrobreaker forever!" As the words left Doomsbay’s maw, the sand beneath his brother began to pull him down. Though not as fast as the younger brother would have liked.

"Sand! Turn to earth!" The color of the sand around them turned brown in an instant as its structure transformed. With that, Hydrobreaker’s sinking stopped.

Hydrobreaker’s scream echoed across the shore as Doomsbay’s talons tore another wound into him.

"Knock Doomsbay off me!" But his brother didn't care what Hydrobreaker said; he drove his claws deeper into him.

"How original, using the same magic against me! You don't thin-" Suddenly, a palm tree struck him down, knocking the words right out of him.

Hydrobreaker’s wounds stung painfully from the dirt that had gotten into them, but ignoring it, he stood up and stepped over his dazed brother. "Enough fighting, Dooms. Nothing good awaits us if we let the magic take our minds. We can still stop the prophecy from being fulfilled."

But in the next moment, Hydrobreaker’s howl vibrated through the air as Doomsbay’s teeth sank deep into his front left leg.

"Teeth! Fall out of Doomsbay’s maw!" As these words left Hydrobreaker, his eyes widened at what he had just enchanted.

Doomsbay immediately let go of his brother as he shrieked sharply. All of his teeth were torn from their places at once, blood pouring from his entire maw.

"Shells! Cut Hydrobreaker to death!" Every seashell on the beach began to fly toward Hydrobreaker simultaneously. The shells beneath him cut Hydro first, making him scream.

"Waves! Wash all the shells off the beach!" A massive amount of water suddenly flooded the shore, nearly taking the brothers with it, as the shells vanished into the foaming ocean.

As Doomsbay tried to stand up, his back legs would not obey him. It was as if… the palm tree had broken his spine.

"Doomsbay, that’s enough… give up. It’s over." The eyes of the animus dragon lying in the blood, however, continued to burn with a lust for power.

"No! This wasn't how it was supposed to be! But if I am lost… you shall be too! Kill me!" Hydrobreaker stared at his brother in horror at what he had just said.

"No, I would never do th-" The rest of his sentence remained unspoken as his own talons moved on their own accord.

He watched helplessly as the red blood began to spray from his brother's throat. The death rattle of his sibling filled the deathly silence of the shore.

What… what have I done?! Hydrobreaker stared fixedly at his dead brother, still in a state of complete shock.

His friends, who were equally stunned, slowly walked over to his side. It was finally Aqua’s embracing wing that snapped him out of it. "It’s not your fault."

Hydrobreaker’s eyes squeezed shut as painful tears began to stream down his face.

"I could have saved him. If I’d known… if I’d known he was the one we couldn't trust, if I’d only known…" The words caught in his throat, and he looked up at Aqua and his other friends through tear-filled eyes.

"But you couldn't have known. None of us did," Aqua tried to soothe her love.

"I should have known! I have these abilities and yet I couldn't help him! And in the end… I was the one who killed him! What if this is what starts me down the dark path he took?!" As he said this, he pushed Aqua’s wing away from him. "It’s… it’s better if you all leave. Before… before I become like…"

"You will never be like Darkstalker or Albatross. You didn't want to kill Doomsbay," Dazzling’s words were a bit strange coming from her, yet comforting nonetheless. "And besides… revenge isn't exactly what I expected it to be, either…"

"I don't know what you see in your future, but… I don't see the signs in you that we were taught about regarding Albatross," River joined in the reassurance, then added to himself, Not yet.

"But what if I change tomorrow? What if I attack you all from one moment to the next?" Hydrobreaker froze for a second as a vision of the future appeared before him. In that future, he no longer feared the corruption of his soul; he no longer feared his animus power, because… it was gone.

The look in his eyes changed as he took one last look at his friends and his love. And he knew… what he had to do.

A few years later.

"Do you think there’s an animus among them?" Aqua asked Hydrobreaker, looking down at their newly hatched dragonets.

"No, there never will be. My final spell made sure of that," the hybrid replied.

"How are the little ones?" River called out, as he and Dazzling suddenly emerged from the rainforest.

"They're doing well, every one of them is healthy," Aqua declared, her eyes never leaving her children.

"When will you two have dragonets?" Hydro asked, though he knew the answer better than anyone.

"As soon as Her Majesty deigns to allow it," River answered, giving his partner a teasing look.

"Hey! You have to suffer for beauty." A few red stripes ran across Dazzling’s body as she looked at River. "Although…" She turned her gaze toward the little ones. "Looking at them… the moment might come sooner than I thought."

River snapped his head up at Dazzling’s words. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Dazzling confirmed, touching her wing to River’s. The red stripes on her body shifted into a soft lavender.

In the background, Hallowwings and Nereus watched the young dragons, looking upon them with joy at what they had become.