Wings of Fire Oneshots

Selfish | Dune x Six-Claws [ANGST]

A/N: I just reread Deserter. I was aware this ship existed before I did, but I only ever really liked the concept, and couldn't really remember what the context or their dynamic would be like. But while I was reading it, I kept thinking that the ship would make for some really good angst. (So you'd probably have to have read Deserter for this oneshot to make sense.)

I genuinely love this ship, and there is a criminally minimal amount of existing content for it. I think it would be a really interesting and heartbreaking one to play with, and I like the idea of an AU wherein Dune survives so that one day this ship could properly sail.

I'm sorry about how short this oneshot is. I thought that if I wrote any more it would just be waffle, and it really already kind of is. This is kind of more of a long drabble than anything, but hey, oh well.

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Summary as written on AO3: One night long after everyone else in the guardians' caves has gone to sleep, Dune is still helplessly wide awake. And so, he takes some time to think about the regrettable choice he made years ago in leaving the Scorpion Den.

...and Six-Claws.

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Joining the Talons of Peace was supposed to have been Dune's big escape.

Back in the Scorpion Den, he'd felt so... free. Free from Burn's clutches, free from the pressure to serve such a cold-hearted snake as she was. Free from the question of undying loyalty or rebellion. Sometimes, he would forget how Burn had crippled him entirely, if not for the occasional prickle of pain serving as a less-than-pleasant reminder. 

And he'd gone there with Six-Claws, the dragon who had helped him achieve his dream, and had been by his side for so many years. So many...

Everything had been perfect there. Everything... except for her.

It wasn't that he didn't like Kindle. She'd saved his life. He was sure he would have died that night if Six-Claws hadn't taken him to her. And she had always been so sweet and reserved, it was almost impossible not to like her.

And he had liked Kindle. Of course he had. She was lovely to everyone, and never got in anybody's way. But one day he noticed something. Something between her and Six-Claws. Brewing. And that brew made him feel sick to his stomach, in a way not dissimilar to when he'd walk past a tent selling some ominous, potent brew that made bitter bile rise up into his throat.

It was awful. So unspeakably awful. But he could, and would never say anything. Because Six-Claws had been his closest friend since they were dragonets, and of course Dune wanted the best for him. But having to be there, watching them exchange shy glances and little smiles, forcing his face to stay neutral as Six-Claws twined his tail and Kindle's, and she giggled quietly, and sidled closer to him, it was torture. He wanted to wince and roar and turn tail and run so he wouldn't have to see it, but he couldn't just let them both know he couldn't stand it and that it made his heart crumble and snap in his chest like Burn was crushing it like she'd crushed his frostbreathed wing-

He sighed gruffly and shook his head, as if doing so could clear the memories from his mind. 

He knew Six-Claws was somewhere out there with Kindle. They probably even had a dragonet now. And he knew in his head that he should have been happy for them, by all means, but that thought made his heart scream. He knew it was selfish, and he knew Kindle would feel so betrayed and heartbroken if she ever found out about what he truly thought of her relationship with Six-Claws, but he just couldn't contain it.

It wasn't fair. It should have been him. Six-Claws shouldn't be halfway across the continent. He should be here with him now, with his larger body curled around him, pressing the warm roughness of his scales against Dune's, keeping him close beneath a protective wing.

One of Dune's talons twitched at the thought, as if it yearned to be linked with Six-Claws'. He could just imagine how perfectly he would curl his own five claws around his six.

But here he was, alone in a dingy cave that was far too cool and moist for his SandWing scales. Giving up chasing sleep because it was just so far away from him now, as far as Six-Claws and the Scorpion Den were. And so he supposed...

No, it really wasn't meant to be, was it?