𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 ☁️

𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒙

"You're insane..."

"I know, isn't it great!"

"No, seriously... You really think you can get into the SeaWing palace? It's hidden, you idiot!" Sunset replied half jokingly, half legit.

Atlas thought about this. True he thought... But he could find help.

"Or you could be killed..." Sunset continued as if she was reading aloud a book called, 'Top ten reasons why you should NOT try to break an entry into the SeaWing Palace' which Atlas thought was highly encouraging.

"You don't sound too sad about that," Atlas said sarcastically.

Sunset glowered at him with tired eyes.

"You know none of us want you killed." Sunset said with a yawn. Atlas felt like yawning himself but, luckily, prevented it.

"Look..." Sunset continued, cautiously twirling her tail far away from anyone in danger of her tail barb. "We're leaving, so don't do anything stupid, okay?" The colour drained slightly from her face but Atlas pretended not to notice.

Atlas shied away from reality, trying to distract himself from the fact that he would be venturing alone soon, his friends would be gone.

"Okay?" Sunset asked again, raising an eyebrow. "Mhm,'' Atlas replied with a nod and got a strange look from Sunset in return.

Sunset then unexpectedly leaned in and wrapped her wings around his in an 'i'm nervous for you' sort of way. Immediately Atlas felt the steaming hot blood rush up to his face as his heart beat sped up a little. Atlas' mind rushed back to the days at the academy, where Sunset and Atlas had been so close. They had loved each other. But that was then... It felt so long ago, everyone had changed, so much had happened. This is now. Back then, their love was so carefree, so fun. But now, love was heartbreaking.

"Good luck" Atlas said as Sunset began to walk away, glancing back with a worried look in her eyes, her brow furrowed.

"You too."

Then she just walked away, and it felt like a piece of his life just removed from him, the exact same feeling he had felt when Cosmo had left him earlier this morning. He watched as Sunset said a heartfelt goodbye to Droplet as they stared into eachothers eyes, and tore away again, tears filling their eyes. The two flew off in opposite directions, Sunset towards potential danger, Droplet back to the academy, where he would be looked after and have company. Atlas felt a burning sense of jealousy erupt in him. Droplet had it easy, being looked after the academy, spending time with the people he loved... Atlas would have to find out his own truth all by himself, not a single soul to accompany him. But Atlas felt guilty. He couldn't hold a grudge against Droplet, the poor SeaWing wanted to accompany Sunset as much as Atlas did, and both had been turned away in fear of losing them.

As Droplet flew from sight, Atlas continued to think about him.

I wanted Sunset to love me... Atlas thought as his beating heart felt crushed.

But she always loved you...

Atlas stared out the window, his puffy eyes blood-red from sobbing. Disaster was coming, on its way to sabotage the prophecy, and potentially destroy any luck Atlas had of finding his truth. Atlas stared down at his empty talons, he had nothing to bring with him to the palace. What good would it do to sit here and sulk? Atlas pondered. He trudged through the mist covering the floor, the sensation of the softness was calming, but an inkling feeling told him this would be the last time he could appreciate it.

He swooped off the ledge of Eden and through the fog emptiness below. The SeaWing palace is South - East, A thought in his brain told him as the sun, and unluckily, the rain hit his stiff scales.

Thanks brain.

He pushed through determinedly through the gushing wind and the pouring rain. It was a challenge to keep his flying steady, he felt like any moment he would tumble from the sky and collapse. Atlas hesitantly looked down, and that was his mistake. The ground was at least fifty feet below him, if he fell, he would die without a doubt. Atlas gulped and began to feel woozy, but he tried to shake it off, but the thought still lingered in his mind. He closed his eyes and pressed on through the rain, determinedly blocking out all thoughts that had something to do with crashing.

But the strangest thing happened.

A downwards wind knocked into him with such force it began pushing him down towards the earth, no matter how hard he fought it. The 5 kilos that he had lost would have given him more strength, which would have been highly useful right now. It felt like being forced down by an invisible giant. This powerful downward wind was unheard of. Unnatural. Atlas felt his brain clogging with panic, his eyelids closing momentarily from exhaustion. Then he felt himself fully fall, his brain fully closed to what was happening, panic fading away into nothingness.

In that moment he was caught, smooth talons wrapped around him like a barrier between himself and the ground. Atlas attempted to wake up, to even open his eyes in the slightest way. He peered through the small gap of vision and saw pale blue scales, like diamonds.

SeaWing, Atlas's brain chirped. So pretty.

"It's okay..." The sweetest voice said. "You are safe for now, but you need to rest..."

Atlas nodded and tried to say 'Okay' but it came out more like, 'Ooh yay'.

The SeaWing giggled and closed his eyes. And he was out.

Atlas had another vision which meant 'creepy dude' was still reaching him and able to show him stuff.

And this one made him panic.

"Sunset!" Cosmo cried, searching blindly through the blindfold over eyes. Sunset didn't answer. She was limp and being carried in the arms of another dragon. They looked like SeaWings. Foxglove was fighting with a SeaWing of dark blue, effortly trying to resist the blind fold. But that only ending in deep gashes with blood flowing from the SeaWings sharp claws. Bumblebee was unconscious too, being pushed through the air by one of the capturers. Sundew was there, and she was angry, she would not give up. She had already sent down a SeaWing who was on the ground five feet below, large wounds on his talons and snout. But even Sundew wasn't strong enough for these dragons who had already put the blind fold on her and were dragging her away, kicking and screaming. Atlas tried to call out, but his voice wouldn't work, he couldn't move which just made him feel pathetic.

"We'll take them back to the cave. They shouldn't escape there..." The dragon holding Sunset said in a gruff voice.

And then the dragon looked straight at Atlas through the dream, and then Atlas woke up terrified.