Ripnami

Perhaps..

dedication: 

to: @winterwatcher207

one of my first readers, from 2017! 

not sure if they'll ever see this, but thank you for being there so early!

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I frowned, water lapping at my feet, Moon's prophecy replaying in my head. 

Hear me speak, for this is the final time

A message, delivered in rhyme

A fight that will spark

A world going dark

And the dragon from water

Will wreak havoc upon a daughter

When one confides

it will reveal the secret who hides

And the one who seeks will finally see

Not all is as it appears to be.

I was starting to panic. As my friends had figured out, the message was the prophecy. Or was it? As Moon had said, could prophecies mention themselves? I saw Starflight frowning, he was definitely going to do some research. 

What was going to go dark? And the fight? Was it true, what Deathbringer said? 

And a daughter, who was the daughter. Me? I felt panic rise in me as I realized that it could be Seahorse. No, I wasn't going to let anything happen to Seahorse, I needed to--

"Hi." 

I scream, startled. Relief settles in when I realize it's just Moon. 

I squint. "Moon?"

"Who else," she replies, sitting down next to me. 

"Moon..." I start, but she cuts me off. 

"I followed you. Sorry. Sorry about the prophecy, too." 

"You can't control it," I reply, fiddling with the dark stone Moon gifted me. It prevented her from being able to read our minds. I would never admit it, but being around Moon occasionally makes me uncomfortable. 

"MOON? MOON!" Moon squints into the sky, a confused expression crossing her face. "Qibli?" 

I squint, a slightly smaller figure behind Qibli. "Turtle?"

They landed, Turtle huffing. "Why...did...you...have...to...disappear...so....far..away....?"

I gasp in mock horror. "Oh no, why did I? Maybe because I didn't want anyone to follow me, idiots?" I whack Turtle with my tail. 

Turtle groans, and collapses on the beach. Moon snickers. "Dramatic much?" 

Qibli whispers something to Moon, who nods quietly, glancing over at me. 

I cross my arms. "What."

Qibli glances at Moon. "Um," he starts. "I kind of did something."

Moon interjects. "It's not a bad something."

Turtle lifts his head from the ground. "It is." 

Qibli frowns. "No, it's not!" 

"It's objectively bad. But maybe not baaaad in this scenario," Moon chimes in. 

"You stole." Turtle replies, sounding tired. 

"WHAT?" I yelp. Stole?? From who? What?? Panic fills me. Are they in trouble? Are they dragging me into this? Would they get arrested? Could I get arrested. (a/n: is arrest a thing in pyrrhia? who knows. it is now.)

"From Jade Mountain," Moon quickly supplies. 

I feel slightly relieved. Not enough, but slightly. "What did you steal?" I ask slowly. 

Qibli lifts a scroll from a bag he had wrapped around his shoulder. He lifts a talon. "Don't take this too seriously. It could be nonsense, I haven't done enough research. Starflight showed this to me. Darkstalker made a prophecy like Moon's, before he disappeared." 

I open the scroll, which is filled with swirling letters. 

Let the words rise

Of the one of power

Secretly in disguise. 

Beware of what will be devoured

and what will bring

Pyrrhia's demise.

For this is a warning,  

hidden by those 

who will darken the skies 

I blink. It's like a warning. About Darkstalker. By Darkstalker? "I don't understand." 

"It's about him," Turtle whines from the floor. 

Moon kicks him. "Get up. "

Qibli sticks a talon out. "Don't take it too seriously. Starflight said Moon's prophecy reminds him of this one. Hear me speak, for this is the final time, A message, delivered in rhyme? Starflight thinks it's this prophecy. "

"Or the murder death note, but it doesn't rhyme," Turtle adds. 

I frown. "What's the fight, though? And the Dragon from the water, that could be anyone? Me, Dolphin, Riptide, we're all SeaWings." 

Qibli makes a hmm noise. 

"And the daughter. Could be anyone. Me? Seahorse? Dolphin?" I pause before adding "Her kids?" 

Turtle snaps to attention. "Kids? They had kids?" 

"Unhatched, but yes," I say, sullenly. 

Turtle, now standing, kicks a rock. "I helped him propose, you know. I can't believe him." 

I snort, remembering the proposal. "Don't take credit for that terrible proposal." 

He smiles, filling in the rest of the prophecy. "When one confides, it will reveal the secret who hides, and the one who seeks will finally see not all is as it appears to be."

"Who's confiding, what secret, and who's seeking?"

"You," Moon guesses. "It's definitely you seeking for answers. Be careful in who you can confide in."

I nod, lost in thought. I needed to know who I could trust. Obviously Glory, Sunny, Clay, and Starflight, they wouldn't dare betray me. Aqua and Seahorse, I could trust them, but I needed to protect them. I couldn't burden them with the weight of this prophecy. I suppose Deathbringer, he seems loyal enough to Glory. Turtle, Anemone, and Mother, of course. I squint at Moon and Qibli, deciding I could trust them too. 

I sigh, feeling burdened. I thought I could trust Riptide. He would have been at the top of this list, but not anymore. A sickening feeling washed over me. What if others in this group would betray me, too? 

I quickly make another list, of only the people I need. 

Glory, Sunny, Clay, Starflight. Obviously. Turtle and Anemone. Mother sort of had a big mouth. I need Moon, since she's got all the prophecy mind and stuff. 

There, that list. That's who I can trust. Seven dragons. They could never betray me. 

Or so I thought.

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ahhh! not the longest chapter, but I like it! thoughts?

question of the chapter: who's your favorite WoF character. 

shoutouts: go follow my friend, who opened a small business, on instagram! @doodlesbyvri

anyway, that's it for now! bye!

<3 starburst!