The Letters You Send Me

Chapter 29: Guilt

The day has come.

The plan is ready, and the stage is set.

It was a sunny day, with white fluffy clouds drifting in the gentle, warm breeze.

Most of the Academy was gone to see the new Summer Palace, only Snowslide and the Jade Winglet staying behind.

Snowslide managed to stay behind because he faked an illness.

The Jade Winglet stood in a semicircle around the entrance of Jade Mountain Academy. Qibli and Winter were on either side of Moon, Turtle next to Qibli, and Peril next to Winter. All was silent until they heard the faint sound of scraping metal, slowly getting closer.

"Has the Jade Winglet come out to play?"

Winter and Qibli growled as they extended their wings in front of Moon to hide her from the threat. Slowly, the silhouette of Snowslide came into view, him dragging a spear with his tail. The spear had a blue handle and a silver blade, with a red ribbon attaching the blade to the staff.

Snowslide stopped right at the entrance, his tail handing the spear to his front claws, then going back to scrape the ground behind him as if to sharpen his spikes.

"Well well, it seems the whole gang is back together."

"This is your one chance Snowslide! Surrender peacefully and we can help you!" Qibli shouted, whipping his tail around, pointing the stinger to Snowslide. Snowslide turned his head slowly, carefully examining the Winglet. 

When his eyes landed on Peril, he smiled "oh my. It seems someone has gained some weight. Even if you're strong, you could be on my list but I don't particularly like harming pregnant dragons. I suppose that is why the Rainwing isn't in front of me?"

Peril growled, smoke rising from the gaps in her mouth and her nostrils "I ought to kill you right here."

Snowslide rolled his eyes "yes yes, you were the champion in Scarlet's arena, blah blah blah, you've killed hundreds of strong dragons, threat threat threat, my scales can kill you with one touch,  yada yada yada, hot fire breath-, oh the list goes on."  

Snowslide began walking around, back and forth, along an invisible line as he spoke passively with a smile on his snout.

"Although, even though you have those wonderful powers, it's because of them that you are where you are now. At the pinnacle of peace, Jade Mountain Academy! A wonderful school with wonderful clawmates and teachers who come to you when they require aid in something."

His smile turned into a frown.

"But you dread your Firescales even though everyone thinks they're so wonderful! You think to yourself: 'if only they knew. If only they knew how much pain and suffering my scales caused. How many dragons I've burned to death. How many dragons' lives I've ruined just because I exist.... All those unborn dragonets I've murdered just because they were going to hatch on the Brightest Night. And even though I've done so much good, it can be counter-balanced by all the wrong I've done. I'm a monster. And no amount of good can change that.'"

Peril was speechless.

"Did I cover everything?" Snowslide asked, faking a pout.

Snowslide looked at Turtle "and you, the cowardice Animus. One of the most powerful dragons in Pyrrhia! But who uses his power in service to others. You have done so much good with your powers. I heard it was you who helped defeat the great and powerful Darkstalker and you have my congratulations, however. That cost you your sister. The one dragon you couldn't save. And because of that, she fell prey to Darkstalker's charms and enchanted your crush at the time, forcing her to develop feelings for you, that you weren't sure were even there in the first place!"

Turtle kept an angry, face, but you could see that he was silently crying. 

"Now, your mate is with egg, and you aren't sure if it was made on a foundation of love or not. You dread that the spell Anemone placed on Kinkajou changed her life forever. But some of you is happy that the spell was cast in the first place. You have your dream girl with you now! But you always feel the guilt. And no spell can change that."

Snowslide tilted his head to the side and sat down, facing Qibli. 

"And Qibli. The generous Sandwing. I heard that you figured out what Darkstalker's true plans were and conspired with Turtle to protect you and the others. You are truly very kind and intelligent. Using the Animus gifts that your friend has given you when he was taken away, you helped save the Icewings from Darkstalker's plague, and so on." 

Snowslide laughed.

"But, you also used Anemone's gift for wrongdoing. Twice. Once when Onyx challenged Queen Thorn to a duel for the throne, you didn't want your Queen to fight so you used the Storm Bracelet to summon a big sandstorm, unfortunately, that delayed getting the cure to the Icewings. And because of that, Glacier died. Causing Snowfall to go into a rage and declare war on the Nightwings. To stop that war, you used the Storm Bracelet again, thereby fulfilling Moon's prophecy. What was it again...? Oh yes: Jade Mountain will fall beneath thunder and ice."

Qibli hissed, his tail lashing and hitting the stone underneath. 

Snowslide looked at Winter. 

"Winter, my favourite Prince. I could go on and on about all the wrong you've done, some dating to recent events but I'll do my best to keep it brief. You wanted to make your parents proud of you so you worked hard to be in the First Circle."

Snowslide sighed, shrugging his wings.

"But that selfishness lead to your brother getting captured and turned into Pyrite. And once you learned that I escaped, you rushed to help the others, thinking that would earn you a spot in the First Circle, however. You failed to stop me from killing Snowlepoard, and failed to protect Gelid. Poor Gelid. I sensed his potential when I saw him. Unfortunately I split him in half. That stayed with you, cutting deep into your soul, feeling like you were drowning in guilt. And it only got worse when you arrived at the Academy."

Winter was panting, and his eyes were puffy. You could see in his eyes he was on the bring of collapsing into tears.

"You were a terrible dragon to the others around you. And to top it all off, you were the meanest to the one you loved! Poor Moonwatcher, she only had to breathe and you got on her case about everything. But, you and her ended up together. And only Qibli had to suffer. You knew Qibli loved her and even if he told you it was alright, you knew he cried that night. He had to suffer for your own benefit. Not like that hasn't happened before."

Snowslide looked at Moon. 

"Moonwatcher, the only dragonet spared from the volcanic island your tribe has lived on for two millennia. All for something you all had no control over. And because of it, you were born under two full moons, giving you the title of 'Twice-Born Dragonet'. And you almost went insane multiple times because of it. Darkstalker had to show you the reins on how to deal with your powers, and you went along with him in everything, even defending him when others said bad things about him that you knew were true. But you insisted he was a friend. And that cost some dragons."

Moon tucked her wings and tail against herself. 

Snowslide continued. "I must admit. Your powers are truly wonderful and powerful, earning you a spot on my 'To-Kill-List'. You could see the future and read minds. You could avoid all the problems in the world with a simple vision! But you are so concerned with your soul and well being that you refrain from using your powers too much. A true dragon in service to others wouldn't be concerned with such things. They would use up all of their sanity just to help those in need. But you don't. Other dragons suffer, begging for someone like you to come rescue them from the pits of despair, but here you are. Wasting your time of some murderous Icewing instead of going out and doing good for others."

Everyone was quiet. Snowslide looked around them "oh my. Have I struck a nerve? It must be sad. I thought you all had this worked out by now. The simple fact that a serial killer needed to say this is just sad and shows how little you confide in your peers."

He laughed an evil, wicked laugh, seeing the devastated expressions of each of them, as he slowly walked towards them, spear pointed right to Moon's heart.