"Ember?" Apple whispered, glancing down at the ground. Sure enough, the familiar smoky scaled dragonet stared up at her.
"Find anything?" a rough voice questioned.
"A body and a Rainwing dragonet!" Ember called back.
"Icewing?"
"Yes"
"Bring the dragonet, leave the corpse for Skipper."
"Sir yes sir!"
".....Don't call me sir, Ember."
"Yes Ma'am." Ember rolled his eyes.
"W-who was that?" Apple asked, her voice still shaky.
"That's Canopy. He's friendly, don't worry."
"He wants you to take me somewhere?" Ember nodded.
"Don't worry, you'll be safe there. I promise. They're really nice." She looked at him skeptically. "And there's someone there that is bound to want to see you." he added.
"Who?"
"You'll have come with me to find out." he sang.
"I swear if there's no one..." Apple threatened, climbing down from the tree. Ember carefully steered her away fro the Icewing's body and they walked towards the mountains, the shadows making them grow taller as night dragged on.
"What were you doing out here anyway?" Ember questioned.
"It's a long story. And I could ask you the same thing."
"Well, it's a long walk back, and I'm better at listening than I am at telling stories." Apple smirked.
"Alright." she sighed and began to explain how the Icewings had found her suspicious and everything else that had happened. Ember listened intently and then reluctantly relayed his own tale. "We're gonna be some battle-hardened warriors after this, aren't we?" she questioned. Ember nodded.
"If you aren't already, yes."
*~*~*~*
It was night, and nearly all of the dragons in the stronghold were sleeping. But Coal and Firefly remained awake, unsure how to start this discussion.
"I think I'm just gonna come right out and ask." Coal decided. "Did you make me invincible?"
"No." Firefly insisted, shaking her head. She sighed. "Glory asked me to enchant something that would prevent certain dragons from dying in the war. I did it, but then added your name. I'm so sorry Coal," she continued. "I know I promised, but I just- I couldn't do it. I couldn't risk losing you like this." Coal pinched the spot between his eyes.
"You have to stop doing this." he pleaded. "Firefly, you can't protect me from everything."
"I can try."
"No. That's the point. I don't want you to try. I don't want you to keep losing parts of your soul to keep me from dying!"
"I can't help it!" she exclaimed. "It's just- you mean so much to me, and I don't know what I'd do if you died."
"Eventually, you have to let me though."
"Eventually, but not now."
"You can't keep protecting me like this!"
"So you'd rather I'd just let you die?" she questioned. "When you were trapped at your brothers, you would have rather had me do nothing, and let you die there?"
"My brothers have nothing to do with this."
"Don't they? They were going to kill you! I had to do something!"
"I get that, but once is enough!"
"So you want to die in this war?"
"I WAS SUPPOSED TO!" he exploded.
Everything went quiet, and on a mat on the ground, Dusk let out a shuddering breath. He had heard everything. What were they talking about? What had his mother done? And since when did his Dad have brothers? Why would they want to hurt him?
"What?" Firefly whispered. Coal's talons covered his face.
"A spear was supposed to go straight through my heart and kill me, but it killed the dragon that threw it instead." he explained.
"I didn't know it would do that-"
"Exactly. I may not be as smart as you, but I do know that animus magic doesn't work they way you want it to all the time. There are consequences outside of damaging your soul." Dusk froze. Animus magic??!?? Surely he didn't mean....Holy coconuts, he did!
Coal took a deep breath and stared at her.
"I want you to stop using it." he declared. Firefly nodded solemnly.
"Alright," she whispered. "I will."
"No." he shook his head. "There has to be some way for you to stop using it- permanently."
"You don't trust my word?"
"Not about this." he admitted. Firefly nodded and glanced down. Her talons fingered the ring on her hand- her wedding ring. She studied it, silently muttering the words.
"It's done." she said finally, shivering at the slight change. Coal eyed her carefully.
"What did you do?" he asked.
"I took it away."
"Took what away?"
"My magic."