Unity

Chapter 3

Three Years Earlier. . .

Emerald repressed a sigh, boredom weighing her down like the humidity in the air. She blinked drowsily at the teacher. The Miragewing was marking another tick on their "Third World Timeline," saying something about 7 ATF (or After The Freeze. . . Emerald didn't understand why it needed to be abbreviated. It didn't take that long to say the whole thing). She tried to refocus, squinting at the words her teacher was writing under the tick, but her eyes quickly blurred over again.

Ugh! How much more to this war could there possibly be?

She groaned internally.

That Pinewing prince- not prince, noble I think?. . . What was his name again? I dunno, Blue-something. Anyway, he and his buddies saw a huge block of ice floating in the water and thought, "gee, that would make a great land-bridge to connect the continents. I should use my animus magic that I BARELY know how to use to make that happen!" And lo and behold, it backfired and froze the center of Pantala- wait, which one are we again? Pyrrhia, right?. . . Yeah, that sounds right. And so we sent help and it wasn't enough, and everyone thought that "All was lost!" Until those Cicadawings hatched and one of them was a Firewing. . . Grasshopper? No, no. . . Too Leafwing-Hivewingy of a name. . .

"And from there, Leafhopper traveled to the Icewing encampment. . ." Emerald tuned in at her teacher's voice for a moment, then it faded back into the numb buzzing of the room.

That's right! Leafhopper! Yeah, she volunteered to help but got blown up doing that- ooo, that sounds so harsh and insensitive. . I mean, she died bravely in the center of Pantala, leaving fragment of animus magic and eternal fire patches or something like that down there. Pantala wanted us to send them more Firewings, but we were all, "No way, they'll just die, too!" And then something about a Hivewing coup, I think. . .

Emerald looked up again at her teacher. She was now drawing out the ratios of animus magic that were infused into Blue-whatever's magic bomb thing that he gave to Leafhopper. She wondered if they would ever actually reach the part about the Hivewing coup. Every time they got close, the teachers would go on a three-week ramble about the bomb and Leafhopper, and never go past that. It would be nice to actually learn what finally triggered the war they had been fighting for twenty years now. Oh, and learn about the Venom Plague Pandemic because she wanted to know about that, too.

Emerald rested her snout on her desk with a silent sigh. This was so boring, learning the same thing over and over again.

It's too quiet, too. I hate the quiet-mind classrooms.

She scowled at the enchanted skyfire clock behind above the chalkboard, annoyed at its presence. It was designed to keep the Nightwing-descent students from communicating telepathically during class, and it would not deactivate until the period ended.

I learn better when I can talk to someone about it. Or ask questions. . . Or entertain myself when its the same, stupid history lesson over and over again. Stupid, black clock. . . Blocking me from my friends. . .

A sudden idea came to her and she perked her head up. Skyfire wasn't always as effective as it could be.

Sunset?

She called out mentally, then waited. No response. Emerald frowned in disappointment, then smiled mischievously.

Sunset, the day has ended! Moonrise, the night has arrived! Sunrise, it comes with the morning, and with moonset the night says goodbye!