The Blood Moon Killer

Chapter 33: Old Wounds

"I know Astraea won't give up." The dragonette announced, gazing at the ring that was on her claw "the few glimpses in her mind that I've seen was how she needed me for the ritual and how she'd do anything to get me." Whiteout sighed and looked out the window to the raging blizzard that imposed itself  "but I can't focus on the negative. We don't even know how Astraea survived this long and why she wants to bring back Scarletnight."

She turned her gaze to Snowslide. "For now, we'll do everything we can to make sure Scarletnight stays dead for good and then, we deal with Astraea." "Could we talk some sense into her?" Blizzard asked, approaching Maka who was hovering in the air. 

"Dragons who kill without reason, cannot be reasoned with." She said as a frown crept on her snout. "Believe me, Soul and I tried." "What... What happened?" Whiteout asked curiously. "It was the doing of an evil Leafwing names Medusae. She experimented with different plants and discovered that a certain plant would be able to control a dragon once it was consumed. It was terrible. She used it to destroy the minds of other dragons and made them do her bidding. They weren't dragons when she was finished. Just mindless husks waiting for their next order. Don't know why she did it. Never found out."

"These plants..."  They heard Aardvark begin as he rejoined the conversation. "Were they dark red, have a prickled stem with bright green veins, while the leaves are also bright green, with dark red veins? Was it form a black seed?" Maka blinked in surprised, her green scales going pale. "You - You know of it?" 

"Hang on. The Breath of Evil? It's been around that long?!" The dragonette became astonished. This just revealed how little they knew about their continent's history and where they came from. Very little information was known about who was the first anything. It is unknown who was the first Animus, the first Trible, first Queen, first of anything! The only 'first' they know of was Scarletnight. The first dragon to be born on the Blood Moon.

"Could she be using the Breath of Evil for something?" Whiteout asked herself, but Aardvark answered nonetheless "Impossible. It's gone." "Last time we thought someone or something was gone it came to life and almost destroyed everything." "How so?" It was Souleater's turn to speak. 

"First off, a living-proof right here. Snowslide." He nodded "was out of the game for almost six hundred years after a killing-spree. Came back and almost killed everyone again." "Pleasure to meet you?" Maka said with a small flinch. "We had Darkstalker, we had the 20 Year War, we had the Breath of Evil, we had the Jerboas, we-"

"We get it!" The couple said at the same time. Whiteout nodded in agreement, knowing she could stop listing everything and then continued to explane how Maka's question on how they came to know of the dangerous plant. "Parents had to deal with it a few years back. The old Hivewing and Silkwing Queen, Queen Wasp was controlling other dragons and even Humans because of it. I later found out that a Human named Cottonmouth was the one pulling the strings."

"I thought we destroyed it when we ambushed her!" Soul raged. Whiteout could practically feel his fury radiate from her ring and Maka calmed him quickly. "She must've had some left over because about a thousand years after you both.... Passed, it re-surfaced again and drove out the Leafwings and Beetlewings and took over Pantala."

Snowslide sighed "so much has happened." He spoke as if everything was his burden, his fault. "Don't worry. Luna was able to take it out so the 'Othermind' - as they called it- is not a threat. Just a regular ol'plant."

"Could she be using a substitute? I know there are some medical plants that allow a dragon to feel calm and susceptible." Blizzard clarified, looking at Maka. "We're now aware of any other plants with it's capabilities. We only knew of the Othermind. Besides, we destroyed her lab along with her sister and organization."

As Whiteout opened her snout to question, Maka waved her claw "story for another time. Right now, you need rest."

--------

Blizzard and Snowslide set up Whiteout in the guest bedroom, it had no windows but was lit up by some candles that were enchanted to never go out, unless wished by the occupant. It was also enchanted so it wouldn't affect the ice around it. Most candles had this enchantment.

Whiteout hopped onto the bed and curled herself into a tight ball, her snout tucked under her tail and her wings covering her body. "I want to go home." She whispered lowly, the sound being muffled by her scales. She then felt a soft and warm claw rub her back in small circles. "Hey..." She soothed, tyring to calm her down. "I know this is all a lot. Trust me, I know. But you have to try and stay positive. Without bravery, we have nothing."

"My mom used to say something like that at the end of a story she'd tell me." Whiteout sighed, looking up only to see a glimpse of her mother and a younger version of herself at the corner of the room. Moon was reading a scroll with the story on it and Whiteout was looking very scared. Every time that would happen, the Nightwing would chuckle and rub her daughter's back.

"What story?" The Leafwing asked as she sat down. 

"I think it's called.... The Royals of the City of Death? Something like that." "What's it about?" Whiteout thought for a moment trying to remember some details. "It's a love story. A Princess and a Prince who were destined to be together, but the Princess was afraid of falling in love and the Prince has never experienced it before. They go to fight an evil witch -- or something -- and the Prince sacrificed himself for her. Getting a huge scar across his chest from a tail slash? Or was it a magic sword... But then their teacher came in to save them."

"This... This 'magic sword'... Was it constantly screaming? Like a bellowing dragon forever in agony?" "Yes.... Yeah that's right! It was the Screaming Sword!" At first, she felt accomplished for telling the major plot, but then Whiteout froze "how do you know that story?"

"It wasn't a City of Death. Nor were they royalty. But she was afraid of falling in love, and he had never experienced a feeling like that." Her eyes began to water. "If only she had listened to him when he told her to flee."

Whiteout looked up at the dragon with sad eyes. "That story... Is mine and Soul's. But... I-I never- I shouldn't have-." She stopped abruptly and sighed. "Let me tell you our story. From the beginning. I'll explain that and how Scarletnight came to be."