After the SkyWing was over the horizon everyone turned to look at the "newly" animus dragon. Bubble shifted uncomfortably and backed up slowly.
The knife was still floating in the air, so Boris walked over and took it. He studied the knife closely, while everyone else was looking at him accusingly. Diamondback looked so angry, that Bubble was starting to think he might actually be killed by him, even after he helped save the SandWing's sister.
"Why didn't you tell me you had animus magic! Bubble!" Diamondback roared at him.
Bubble and Artemis winced. Bubble looked over at Artemis and saw her face. She looked sorry for Bubble, and there was a hint of something else, but it was unreadable for Bubble. He has never seen it before.
"I-I-I didn't... I don't know," Bubble said. He was fearful to say anything in front of the enraged SandWing.
"What do you mean you don't know! You should have a very good reason!"
Artemis put her talon softly on Diamondback's shoulder.
"He should have his privacy for his gift, just as well as any of us here."
Diamondback sighed softly and calmed down. Bubble still backed away just in case he started to act up again. To Bubble's surprise, Diamondback started to cry. He sat where he was and hung his head down. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, and Bubble felt sorry for the SandWing.
After a while, everyone calmed down enough to talk. Starburst finally spoke up and asked, "So why didn't you tell us that you had magic?"
"Because I didn't want anyone using me. If you guys didn't know, every time you use magic, you lose a bit of your soul."
Everyone gasped and looked at the SeaWing. Bubble knew the effects of a damaged soul very well.
"If I damage my soul too much, I will go insane and start killing lots of dragons. My ancestors found out the hard way. During a party, an animus killed everyone there except for three survivors. I don't ever want to do that. Not to anyone."
Artemis hugged Bubble, and started to cry again. Starburst changed into the unreadable multi-color party again, and Boris just looked like normal, but Bubble could tell he was tense.
"I have almost never used my magic because I don't want to hurt anyone I care about."
To Bubble's surprise, Diamondback came over to him and hugged him. Bubble knew how tense everyone must be feeling, considering that he just used his magic.
Hours passed, and they just stayed there. They were starting to calm down, so they headed back to the mountain.
"So... should we follow the assassin, or just leave them behind?" Boris asked.
Bubble absolutely did not want to follow someone who has a really big chance of killing all of them. Bubble knew that he would much rather prefer staying in the safer mountain and hide in a cave the entire time, but wherever his friends go, he will follow. He needs to make sure to protect his friends from danger.
They were arriving at the base of the mountain when Artemis collapsed. She was falling out of the air without warning. Without time to think, Bubble and Diamondback were diving down to catch the fall in NightWing.
"Come on! Come ON!" Bubble said to himself. Only a few feet off the ground, Bubble managed to dive below Artemis and caught her. Bubble didn't have the strength to keep flying with the NightWing on his back, so he crash-landed on the ground, and ran into a tree.
The tree cracked under the stress, and Bubble's body was sore. Everyone landed and ran over to them. Diamondback held her body and checked if she was breathing. To everyone's relief, she was. She was starting to regain consciousness, and she opened her eyes.
"What happened?" Artemis asked with a gravelly voice.
The others were explaining what happened, and Bubble pulled Diamondback away from the group to talk to him privately. They faced away from the group of dragons.
"Diamondback, do you know if your sister also has prophecy powers?"
Diamondback looked at Bubble, a little surprised, "Not that I'm... Wait! What do you mean, 'Also,' Bubble?"
"I know your sister can read minds. I've talked to her about it. I was just wondering if she collapsed because she was having a vision."
"Oh, well don't tell anyone. I am trying to keep her secret, so until she tells them herself, she gets to keep that secret safe."
Just then, Artemis grunted in pain, held her head, and closed her eyes, as if she was getting a headache.
She started to talk, but it was like it was coming from somewhere else. It didn't sound like her normal voice.
"The group that lay beneath the ground, May make those important impossible to be found. Dragons who know where to look, May have their lives lost. They risk it all to save the world, Will find themselves in the frost"
Boris backed away from the NightWing, and Starburst turned to dark green, which is the color of fear. Bubble felt a shiver run down his spine, but he still approached the NightWing.
"Are you okay now?" Bubble asked, worried that Artemis.
"I just had my nightmare again, but this time, there was more."
Starburst was still green, but she spoke up, "What if that was a vision! Can you see the future!?"
Artemis looked over at Diamondback, who looked worried for his little sister, but he nodded as if to say, "It's okay. It will be fine."
Artemis looked over at Bubble, "would you mind giving everyone some Skyfire?"
He agreed and pulled out some of the Skyfire from his armband, and gave one of the black rocks to his friends.
"This looks just like the one that my father has. What is this for?" Boris asked. Bubble looked down at his armband, which had the black Skyfire rocks in it.
"That is because, this is what my father gave to each one of his friends, at the same request from Diamondback and Artemis' Mother. I also own one like my father's."
"But still, why do we need this?" asked Starburst, holding the rock and looking at it intently.
Artemis spoke up, "There is something I need to tell you all. Bubble already found out by himself, but... I have both of the NightWing gifts."
"What does that even mean?" Boris demanded, but not harshly. He looked fearful, which didn't seem to sit right with Bubble.
"That means... That means I can..." She looked over at Bubble and then at Diamondback with a desperate expression. Diamondback nodded softly, and then she continued on, "Read minds and see the future." Artemis said in a hurry. Boris looked angry and confused, and Starbust looked like she was about to spray venom on everyone.
Before anyone could lash out or do anything, Bubble defended Artemis, "But these rocks shield you from mindreading. Now she can't read your mind."
Diamondback stepped in, "Before anyone says anything, we need to address the matter at hand. There is an assassin on the loose, and we don't know who they work for, or why they are doing it. We need to go after them and stop them, but we can't do that from the school. I say we try to find clues where they are going, and who they are."
Artemis tapped Diamondback's shoulder, "I know who they are, why they are doing this, and where they are going next."
"Really!? Great! Tell us everything," Diamondback said.
"So, they are Alpine. They are doing this, because they are training to get revenge on someone, and they are going to find someone who left the school a few days ago. It seemed like they were important, or they had a connection to someone. I think they are going to use them as bait."
Bubble took a few seconds to connect the dots, "SPRAY!"
Artemis looked over at Bubble with a hurt expression on her face. Bubble felt guilt settle in him instantly. He sent his friend away and might have even caused her to die, and if she lived, she probably hated him for getting rid of her.
"Who?" Boris asked. Bubble just looked up at the extremely confused IceWing.
"She was my first friend when I was little. I sent her back home because I didn't want her in danger. Now instead of saving her... I KILLED HER!" Bubble said as he cried.
Diamondback walked up to him and put a wing around his friend.
"Not if we have something to do with it. Where do you live, because I might have a way to get around the continent fast."
"I live just south of the rainforest, but that is miles away." Starburst growled and said, "I have a way to get to the rainforest in a day."
"What is it? How are we going to get to the Rainforest Kingdom from here?" Bubble asked.
Boris walked over next to Bubble, and Artemis walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. Starburst walks up to be right in front of them.
"We are going to use the secret tunnels in the desert. It was animus touched, so you can walk from desert to rainforest in a few seconds. The only problem is that it is hard to find."
Diamondback's face started to glow, "I know how to find it. We need to see my parents."
Bubble didn't feel normal. Not like he was sick, but more like he actually had something in him to keep him going.
Courage.
Bubble knew why he could not recognize the feeling. It was almost like a first for him. It was not a sudden burst, but a flood, filling him with the courage to save his friends.
He finally had one thing that he has always wanted. Friends. He may have had Spray, but she was just the beginning. She was the key to unlocking the door for Bubble to leave his comfort zone and put himself out there to make new friends. He will do ANYTHING to keep his friends safe. He will not lose them. Including Spray. He will keep his promise to her. He will always be there for her.