NOIR:- A Wings of Fire Fanfiction

Chapter 30

Star

The party was quick, and from how much fun Paragon was having most of the entire time, Star could see the happy glimmer in Paragon's eyes, the one he had long before the accident. Long ago when things were all gold, and things were all good. The gang enjoyed some cake, and spent time catching up. Python and Mamba had many many a story about their new activities with the "business" they ran, along with Star and Tigerfish having stories to tell as well. Terra listened to the group, and though mute his eyes told the message that this group, this winglet of dragons was his new family.

Things were going amazingly, until a knock at the door signaled Star away. She knew what this knock was about, mostly. Qibli had messengers that he sent, giving Star updates on their Darkstalker hunt.

Star made her way to the door, her mind wandering on the possibilities of what this news could be, what could be going on. She unlocked the six deadbolts that Tigerfish had insisted be installed after Prophet nearly killed Paragon, and cautiously opened the door.

She was met with the face of a messenger, who clutched a scroll in his talons. The black eye that Tigerfish had given him last time still was there, as she had whacked him with a pike. Two lessons learned that day:- One, don't let Tigerfish answer the door, and Two, don't keep pikes by said door.

"H-heres your message, miss" He stammered, holding it out to Star with shaking talons. His eyes scanned the open area behind her, watching for a red scaled dragon with a stick. "Is the mean dragon here today?.." he asked softly.

"Yes, as always, though today she's upstairs, far away from any pikes." Star reassured, smiling comfortingly at the messenger, who still was giving her a fearful, skeptical look. "No angry red dragons, I promise" Star added, gingerly taking the scroll from his trembling talons. The streets outside the mansion weren't their usual busy atmosphere, and the ambient uproar of dragons bustling about, merchants offering goods, and the usual busy atmosphere of the markets was somewhat dampened.

"Thank you again for this" Star held up the scroll, then asked. "Are there any more? Or is this the last?"

The messenger shrugged. "He said that was hopefully the last, it had the locations/ plans for his prophet, or whatever project in it. Strange kid had a book he also wanted to give you." He said, and as he did he pulled out another black leather notebook from his satchel, presenting it to Star. Star immediately felt her heart rise as she took the book from the messenger.. Prophet project! This could be the one! 

She immediately sent the messenger on his way, which he happily obliged, and closed the door, locking the deadbolts. Star then rushed upstairs as fast as her legs could carry her, rushing to the bookcase and the hidden library that laid beyond it. Since Prophets escape the library had been modified, opening only when Star or Lupus, when Lupus was fully himself, to show the library. The bookcase could be moved aside, only to reveal a blank, undecorated wall.

Star made her way up the secret staircase to the desk, littered with notes and papers on Lupus's visions and visions of her own. Like a puzzle she was trying to piece together, a system of thoughts and pieces, fragments of an already broken future she was desperately trying to glue together. She unrolled the scroll, and read the letter from Qibli.

Star,

A SandWing scout group stumbled upon a cave, inside were drawings, diagrams of something even I can't even describe. The languages written here are beyond our language, symbols and letters I can't even begin to understand.

I can't even begin to decipher this or what it means, but I'll give it to you, hopefully your brain can maybe piece mail some of it together. This is the last I have that I can give to help you on your quest to regain your love, I've got a quest of my own now, finding Darkstalker and ending this once and for all. I wish you luck, wherever the moons take you.

Signed,

-Qibli

Star laid the letter on the table and took another look at the book the messenger had given her, opening it and carefully turning the pages. Upon further investigation, it appeared the book seemed to be an exact copy of the one Lupus had, except some things were different, mainly details. It was obvious the book was a copy, however it wasn't an exact carbon copy. That was strange, why wouldn't Darkstalker just use his magic to copy the book page for page and clone it perfectly?

Star's interest was peaked as she turned through the pages, studying each and every one with upmost care and observation. Page after page went by until suddenly, the book just....stopped. It ended about halfway through with a jumble of blank, unwritten pages. Hm.

That was wierd.....a book full of the future but not fully completed? Unless...

Star rushed to the desk, finding the herbs and powder Lupus used to reveal hidden messages, this was a long shot and she was praying to the fates it would work.

She sprinkled powder to the pages, holding them over candlelight to warm them up. Slowly but surely ink began to form to the pages, and soon there after words flowed into place. Notes, diagrams, of something Star had never seen before. They pertained to Prophet, the psyche that Darkstalker built for him. Prophet in Darkstalkers mind was an end to all means, his weapon to finish off the Obsidian Winglet once and for all.

That was Prophet.

He was the one to alienate himself, make himself into the outcast that would then exterminate his own friends. To Star's horror, that was his only purpose.

"I enchant Lupus The Hybrid to lose all love and affection for his friends, lose all affection for his family and his lover."

"I enchant this dragon to become a stone statue within, with only one purpose-

Kill."

Tears from Star's face fell onto the parchment, the horror of realizing how cruel this fate was, how cruel it was to take away a dragons ability to feel....

She realized now who Prophet was. What he was made to do.

Prophet was made to break her, because deep under all of Darkstalker's predictions, Prophet was merely a pawn in his game. 

The past words from someone long lost echoed in her mind, "You are the glue that holds our winglet of misfits together, Star."

"You hold me together."

"Lupe...." Star whispered, looking to the the wall of predictions with a smile. She had hope now, hope that she hadn't had in months. She had a way to beat Darkstalker.

See, she had one thing that he didn't. Star had love, and hope.

She had possibility.

Darkstalker could see possibilities, yes, but most of the time people like him would use that to then find the best outcome for them. However, Star could use this against him. She knew that Darkie would keep ways to ensure Prophet stayed Prophet as long as his master lived.

Wait....thats it!

"If Darkstalker's magic ceases to exist, then the spell on Lupe will cease as well!" Star exclaimed excitedly, setting Qibli's last letter down on the desk. She had a way to fight now. Her hopes were high, and so were her spirits.

Suddenly, an explosion shook the building, and the thunderous boom that rattled Star's eardrums incinerated the good mood she was in along with one of the exterior walls of the mansion. Someone was trying to break in.

Or someone was breaking out.

"Wings and tails....here we go again..." She said with a sigh, grabbing her spare crossbow by the desk. 

Today was about to get a whole lot worse.