The Blood Moon Killer

Chapter 31: Connection

"How do you know my name?" Whiteout asked, feeling herself cowering away into the white scales of Snowslide. "Don't be afraid. I'm here to help and protect you." Maka spoke in one of the most gentle and calming voices ever. The dragonette felt instantly at ease, even if she didn't even know the dragon. "Allow me to explain." She said, as they approached a relatively large igloo. Blizzard landed first, Steve hopping down and shaking excess snow off his back, followed by Snowslide who gently placed Whiteout on the snow and walked with her into the igloo.

"Long ago, when Scarletnight was running rampant, my friends and I put a stop to him. Unfortunately, something went wrong when we attempted to seal him away forever. As a fail-safe, my lover created two rings. One for me and one for him so that in the event Scarletnight would be brought back, we could seal him away for good. In the moment, the enchantment will change so that all dragons born under the Blood Moon would be granted a much tamer and less-threatening power; Mimic. They would be able to mimic other dragon's abilities for a brief period of time. No consumption required. They just needed to see the dragon and understand their abilities to gain them." Maka explained her voice soft like a melody, but also very impactful as if she'd read tons of scrolls on this. Like she was the Animus behind the enchantment.

"Do you live in this ring?" Whiteout asked with a curious tone in her voice as she stared at the ring. Maka chuckled "no, I'm dead. My soul resides in the ring though." Steve walked to whiteout who was a little smaller than him and he began to sniff her snout "awww. You're adorable." Whiteout cooed, gently stroking Steve's fur with her claw.

"How long have you been in the ring for?" Blizzard asked, going to the kitchen and beginning to prepare some food. Maka turned to him and thought for a moment "judging by Whiteout's memories... Over 4 000 years. I was live when Scarletnight was around so that makes me as old as him." 

Maka then turned to Whiteout "how can you see into my mind?" She asked, trying to get the ring off now. "That won't work, and it's part of the enchantment. And since you're wearing the ring - I admit by force, your minds and souls are connected. You can see my memories and I can see yours. Like I explained before, the souls of me and my lover are in a pair of rings. It's a fail-safe in case someone got the bright idea to resurrect Scarletnight. There's also a cool addition to the enchantment. The two who wear the rings can communicate with their minds at any distance."

"Hang on," Snowslide interrupted, waving his claw around "'the two who wear the rings'? There's another one? And 'resurrect Scarletnight'?" Maka looked at Snowslide and nodded "yes. Whiteout is the target of a sacrificial ritual to resurrect Scarletnight. We'll explain everything. Whiteout, call out to the other ring." She commanded with a soft smile.

"O-Okay..." Whiteout didn't know what she was doing or what was going on. First, she was rescued by the very dragon that was trying to kill her parents, next, she's the target of some kind of resurrection ritual, and now she's supposed to call out to the other ring? Whose wearing the other one? What if it's an evil dragon? What if it doesn't work? What if when she tries too, the dragon on the other side won't answer her or refuse to help. Whiteout gently brought the ring closer to her snout and took a deep breath. "Relax Whiteout." Maka comforted, wrapping her wing around the dragonette. 

Staring into the small green gem on the silver ring, Whiteout spoke, not entirely sure what to say. "Um... Hello from the other side?"

"Whiteout? Is it you?"

"Aardvark..." She breathed out with a relieved smile.

"I'm so glad you're alive! Where are you? Everyone wants to know if you're even alive! Did Astraea get to you? Is she still on your tail?"

"S-Slow down! Yes. I'm alright, no, we lost her, and I'm at a secure location." She thought, looking around. "'We'?" Aardvark questioned, a hint of jealousy in his voice. "Yeah. Two Icewings named Snowslide and Blizzard, they have the cutest polar bear named Steve."

There was silence on the other end, Whiteout could only assume Aardvark was speaking to someone or going somewhere else. "Aardvark! My mom!" Whiteout yelled in a panic. "Is she alright?! Is she alive! Please answer me! Is my mommy okay?!" She could hear Aardvark's shaky sigh. "She's lost her wings and injured badly. She had a lot of broken bones and her neck was scratched up pretty good. She's alive, though. Jet, Auntie Peril, Dad and I are keeping an eye on her. But I'm gonna come get you."

"No!" Maka yelled this time. "No one else is going to get killed, or worse. You stay put Aardvark. We'll deal with Astraea. Just keep Soul out of trouble for me." "Who are you?! What did you do to Whiteout?!"  She heard someone sigh "Ouch Maka. Dude,"  it was the voice of a dragon, she's never heard it before. "She's okay. Maka's there with her if she's talking to you. She's the dragon in the other ring." She heard the conversation so clearly. Even though they're still in the dessert where Moon stayed behind.

"You've haven't met me kiddo but I'm Souleater. Oi Maka! What took you so long and why'd you feel the need to diss me like that?!" Maka growled and lashed her tail "The nerve! You're still bickering? I'll have you know your Meister came to you, I had to go to her! And Soul, she was in danger! Don't you even give me that BS!" "You both are arguing like an old married couple." Whiteout said aloud to Maka, who was still visible to the Icewings, and visibly angry.

"Ah, yeah. Married for over 4 000 years. Trust me, after the first thousand, it's nothing but pain and misery." Blizzard laughed, holding up an empty glass "here here!" Just then, he received a snowball to the snout with Snowslide being the one who threw it, a smile on his snout. "You were ecstatic when I asked you don't you lie." Snowslide shot to his husband, chuckling so roughly that his shoulders bounced up and down.

Maka laughed "so was I. Apparently after all these years my husband hasn't changed." "I have!" Souleater fired back, it was clear he was angry - or annoyed - but Whiteout smiled with a chuckle. "Aardvark, how are you?" She asked in a soft voice. "I've been better, honestly. I just wish all of this wasn't happening. We're barely teenagers and everything is going wrong." "Well, you're way more confident now, so it's nice you got out of your shell. The reason is a shame though." 

Aardvark chuckled on his end "when all this is over... How about we go... I mean, it's alright if you don't want to... But maybe if we... Um..." "Aardvark." She said, getting his attention "I'd love to go on a picknick with you."

"Awesome."