Shadow Falling

Newcomer

Shade could feel his talons trembling as he flew with Passion, Jewel, and Destiny back to their family. The stories he had been told about Darkstalker terrified him and if he actually had emerged from a mountain, then that meant bad, bad things. End of the world sort of things.

But Passion was going to see, and he didn't want to be left alone. He was done being alone. Besides, Passion was an animus and could hold her own. Right?

Shade was barely able to pay attention as he and his companions arrived at the place where Hoarfrost and Paradise lived. He knew that Whale was having a panic attack until Jewel arrived, but beyond that, he didn't know what the family was talking about. He was just trying to calm himself down, get his rampant thoughts under control.

"Come on, Shade!" Passion yelled, breaking Shade out of his thoughts. "We're going to see what's going on!"

Passion had already started to spread her wings, leaping into the air, staring intently at the shell she had enchanted earlier. Gulping, Shade followed, suddenly aware of how hollow his stomach felt. He had a nasty feeling that whatever had happened wasn't going to end very well and it was making him borderline sick.

He knew that a few of the dragonets from the beach had joined them again, but he couldn't think clearly enough to acknowledge them. He could barely focus on the tip of Passion's tail, which he was hyper fixated on so that he didn't fall out of the sky. It caused him to stumble when Passion landed ahead of him, and he fell sprawled out on the grass.

"Hey, are you okay?" Passion asked, head tilted in concern.

"Yeah... I just... I'm afraid." he admitted, dragging himself back to his feet. "That... that was Darkstalker. I know it was."

"Well, I want to know for sure. Are you sure it wasn't just some other Nightwing?"

"You don't get that big unless you've been alive for thousands of years. That had to be him." Shade said, shivering.

"Do you want to stay here with the others while I go look?" she asked.

"I... yes, please..." Shade said after a moment, feeling suddenly ashamed of his fear.

Passion's scales shifted so that it appeared like she was almost see through. Beside her, Jewel did the same. For the first time, Shade noticed that Destiny was not with them. Had she stayed behind with her parents? She must have.

After giving the young Nightwing an encouraging nod, Passion disappeared completely and so did Jewel. Suddenly very tense, Shade shrank down on himself, scooting away from the other dragonets around him. There was Silver, the nosy Icewing, as well as Moonlight, Stormcloud, and Hurricane. Lazuli was nowhere to be seen. She must have left. Shade didn't blame her; he didn't want to be here either.

As he sat in the long grasses of wherever Passion had taken him, he had the uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching him. He carefully looked over his shoulder as he sat waiting for Passion to return. He still felt uncomfortable with these other dragons he didn't even know. He curled his tail over his front talons and tucked his wings closer to his body, trying to center himself.

A quiet crack behind him sent his muscles and teeth on edge. His head whipped around as he stared into the trees, eyes wide as he tried to see whatever had made the noise. None of the other dragonets seemed to notice. How could they not notice? The snapping of that - stick? - was so deafening as to nearly scare him half to death. What was he seeing that they weren't?

And finally, he saw it.

The dark, glistening eyes of something just beyond the tree line.