10 (human) years later.... (but not present time) Ashflight opened her eyes to her parents, Nightseer and Dreamwalker, looking at her lovingly. "Good morning, Ash." Dreamwalker said sweetly. Her name was Ashflight, but she preferred the name Ash. "Morning, mom!" She said. "You know it's the day, right?" Nightseer asked. "What day again?" She asked curiously. "The day when me and your dad travel to the skywing kingdom. We are currently working with them and have a business meeting." Dreamwalker explained calmly. "Oh." She said. "Okay. When are you leaving?" You couldn't tell just by looking at her, but she was freaking out. She had NEVER had to stay home alone. "This afternoon." Nightseer said. Ash twitched. She couldn't imagine her loving parents leaving so soon. She just wanted to spend time with them. And for them to spend time with her. “Don’t worry, we won’t be gone for long.” Dreamwalker said reassuringly. “We can play some of your favorite games and eat some of your favorite foods until it is time for us to leave.” Ash wasn’t completely sure about her watching herself when they leave, but she couldn’t argue with playing her favorite games. “Can we play hide-and-seek first?” She asked. “If it’s what you would like,” came her mother’s calm reply. “Okay! I’ll hide, you seek!” Ash exclaimed. “1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10..11..12..13..14..15..16..17..18.. 19..20..21..22..23..24..25..26..27..28..29..30!” “Ready or not, here I come!” As soon as little Ash heard that, she scrambled over to the sofa and crawled under it. She was surprised she could still fit under there. Dreamwalker walked around, pretending not to see her daughter, even though it was quite clear that she was under the sofa, "Oh, I have no idea where you are..." She said very unenthusiastically. After their truckload of games and snacks, it was time for them to leave. "It's time for us to go." Nightseer said. "N-now?" Ash asked with tears in her eyes. "We will be back soon, Ash." Ash ran into her room, and ate some of the leftovers of her favorite snacks, but it was tasteless when she had nobody to share it with. After a while, she felt shivers run down her spine as she felt like someone was watching her. "There's no way out...." A deep voice had suddenly said. "W-who said that?" She asked, stumbling off her bed, with fear written over her face. "Just a friend of your father........" The voice said smugly. "What's your name?" She asked. "My name is Blackout." He said. "I knew your father for many years before you were born." Ash twitched. "Did he ever tell you about me? Like, that my mother was going to have me?" Blackout's muscles tensed. "Your mother...." He said in a deep voice. She then didn't hear his voice anymore, so she assumed he had left. She turned the lights on and saw a message written in blood on the floor. It read, "You are locked in from the family you have always known.....". Ash jumped. She ran to the doors and saw that they were open, so she guessed it was a trick. Ash saw that her dad had left his watch on his nightstand. She checked the time and saw it had been an hour already! Her parents should be home soon. She waited and waited and waited a bit more, then she had finally heard the movement of her parents' flight that Ash had recognized very well. As soon as she heard them, she burst into flight and flew into her parents' arms and wrapped her wings around them. She knew that her dad was pretty much obsessed with business and work, so she knew she would have to ask him about it. "How was the meeting?" Ash asked. "Well, the SkyWings refused our request to share kingdoms. I guess it makes sense. We don't even share borders. But if they agreed, the strongest tribes could have changed the map. We have animus magic on her side." Nightseer explained in a weird voice that she hadn't heard him use before. She frowned, because she was an animus, but had always been ashamed of her power. Were her parents plotting to use her magic to change Pyrria's map? "Um... Dad?" Ash asked. "Yes?" He replied. "While you were gone, I heard a weird deep voice talk to me. He said that he was your friend. He said his name was Blackout." She told him, staring at him with wide eyes. Nightseer started to laugh. "Ha! What a big imagination you've got there, kid! I know no dragon named Blackout!" He glanced back at Dreamwalker with a serious expression. "But- Are you sure?" Ash asked. "Yes, Ash, he's sure. He would never lie to you; you know that right?" Dreamwalker asked. "Yes, Mother. But Dad, did you discuss the sickness that has been killing NightWings? The SkyWings have many disease cures that could help us," Ash said in a serious voice. "Ashflight, why would anybody care about that?" He replied in a smug voice. “Because! We NEED it or else the whole NightWing tribe might die!” Ash yelled at him with tears filling her eyes. “Calm down, Ash. We’ll find a way.” Dreamwalker told her.
Content warning: Blood and de@th (it is going to be continued in here because the description was too long) — (+) “NO! I’m tired of everybody telling me to 'calm down' when all I’m doing is trying to save us, o-or help us!” Ashflight screamed, then picked up an earring. “A-Ash…” Dreamwalker stuttered. “I enchant this earring to warn the wearer whenever there is danger coming for them, their family, or their friends, and give them emotional support in the times where they need it most.” Ash had immediately felt better from the earring as she ran into her room and slammed the door. Suddenly, Ash’s earring tugged at her ear, and told her that her parents were in danger. She ran as fast as she could out of her room, and saw that SkyWings were attacking them, blood scattered all over the floor. When Dreamwalker saw Ash standing there looking hopeless, she said, “Ash, I’m sorry it had to end like this. I’m sorry we had to die. Escape. Find a new place to live, and find somebody to take care of you. Just know, that even if we aren’t there, I will always love you.” Ash flew out of the scene as quick as she could. It was all happening so fast! So many tears were filling her eyes that her vision was blurry and she hit her head on a tree while flying. Ash was knocked out of the sky by the hit and landed on the ground near the entrance of the rainforest. When she woke up, there were two RainWings looking over her. One with green scales and little flecks of blue and pink, and one indigo, orange and yellow dragon. She jumped to her talons and looked up at them. “W-Who are you…?” She asked them. “I’m Clover, and this is Blueberry.” The green one said.“What’s your name, little one?” Blueberry asked her. “I-I’m Ashflight…. But I-I like to be called A-Ash….” Ash replied nervously. “Where are your parents?” Clover asked, with a concerned look on her face. “M-my parents… I-I don’t remember where they are o-or what happened t-to them… I-I just woke up here, a-alone…” Ash said sadly. “Well, don’t worry, we will take care of you, little one.” END OF CHAPTER ONE
