Darkstalker's Goodbye: A WOF Au

~Chapter 5~

What weird dream is this? It's like I'm actually dead. Darkstalker opened his eyes as rock smashed into his nose. He felt as if he had been in a long sleep. He let a roar of agonizing pain, immediately choking as water went down his throat. He swam upwards, yet got the strange feeling the water was pulling him down.

"Argh, by slime weasel moon-lickers!" Darkstalker roared as he reached the surface. He felt sand under his hind legs. He coughed up the water he had swallowed, feeling as miserable as the current NightWings as they dreamed about the smoky and rotten stench of the volcano they used to live in. Of course Darkstalker would know. He could read minds, duh. Or used to.

Talking about the smoky and rotten stench of the volcano of the former NightWing island, Darkstalker found himself at the location. Sand of a color darker than Darkstalker's scales, scattered the ground, leading towards black rocky area and up in the center where the feared volcano sat upon. Darkstalker snorted. This looks nothing like their dreams. Well, I suppose teeth and eyes are only part of nightmares. However, they definitely weren't wrong with the smell. Some kind of large animal must have been decaying somewhere. A dragon even, Darkstalker realized.

Darkstalker laughed. "Did the Kingdom really think I would kill them all? Was it really necessary to flee the old Kingdom?" He wheezed between his laughing. The NightWing looked down sadly, feeling tears run down his face, "But why would I do such a thing? I wanted to help my tribe, not destroy it... Didn't they know that?" He felt anger rise in his chest, sadness adding to it like tiny grains of sand. He flew towards the volcano in disbelief. How could have the NightWings lived in such place? I knew that coward of a queen would make the NightWings fall in dishonor! I would have never lead them to a place of great suffering like this! They should have listened to me! Why didn't they... Did I do something really wrong? He thought, landing on the very bottom of the volcano, careful not to accidentally dip his tail in lava. The storm still continued, even though it was veiled by the immense clouds of smoke.

Rain poured from everywhere, sizzling as it sled through cracks and contacted lava. Darkstalker watched it, wondering when would someone greet him.

After a while, nobody did. Darkstalker frowned in confusion, slashing his tail. Is this it? Does that mean I won't see Clearsight? Darkstalker concluded with a heavy feeling of sorrow in his chest. "N- No. Of course not. Maybe I just have to look for her. She's probably here somewhere. S- She must be," he told himself. He explored around, circling over the top of the boiling hot volcano again and again.

Nothing.

He growled, before flying down the volcano. The lava gurgled in the most undignified way. The NightWing wrinkled his nose. He found an awkward structure. Peaking inside, it lead to a fortress, walled with jet black stone. Would she be in here? He thought, squeezing in the fortress without moving any stones. It was pitch black, however little light lit the place as magma flowed down through cracks. The tunnel led to different rooms and halls, one eventually led to an underground magma river. That wouldn't be able to stop Darkstalker. He would be able to fly over it. Clearsight wouldn't be here though.

I need to find a library.

Darkstalker couldn't imagine a library in this stenchy flammable place. He had to hope to cling to. He walked down other tunnels, finding a throne room with no queen, a bedroom with no dragons, and part of fortress that lead to a dead end.

But no library.

He hissed, this fortress seemed endless. His claws ached as they scraped against rock. He coughed, the air here wasn't quite breathable either. Each breath burned the interior of Darkstalker's nose.

Darkstalker hissed as the IceWing scales on his wing membrane began to ache. The heat bothered them intensely.  Darkstalker let out a roar of despair. It was almost as if they were to melt any moment. The NightWing decided it was time to exit the fortress: it was completely empty. He took the turn he had just taken... Then another, and another, and another- there were much more tunnel than Darkstalker remembered.

"By the moons!" Darkstalker roared, pressing his wings against him as he was not able to get out of the cave. A unsettling wave of claustrophobia chilled down Darkstalker's spine as the walls seemed to close upon him. Darkstalker could feel the veins on his neck pop up as he gained a headache of frustration. I am not going to be trapped underground again... That's not going to happen... He thought furiously as be exhaled a blast of fire to release his anger. He gripped into the rock under him. Lowering his head and closed his eyes.

"Darkstalker, swirls of lavender and the universe," a voice spoke to him.

Darkstalker looked up, uncontrollable tears escaped from his eyes. "Whiteout." He whispered. He glanced at the elegant dragon, her snowy white wings with black spots flared with orange as the magma light reflected off them. Her dark blue scales looked even darker in this black rock area. Her icy blue eyes were curious and nostalgic, as if memories she didn't remember she had emerge out of the swirling colorful mind of hers.

"Brother!" Whiteout exclaimed, running towards Darkstalker happily, wapping her wings around his bulky body. Darkstalker rested his head over her shoulder, letting out small giggles of joy.

After all this time I've awoken again and been trying to bring back Clearsight... I forgot about the dragon that loved me the way I am... Darkstalker realized as the two dragons pulled apart and looked into each other's eyes. I am indeed a terrible dragon.