Qibli x reader: Chasing Stars

Chapter 9

(Cute NightWing picture. If the eyes were sea-green and there were more stars on the wings, this would be Starchaser. Two special chapters coming up. One is funny, the other is schmaltz) 

"But you can't be.' I whispered. I looked at Sora, who stared blinking at me, and I realized I'd spoken aloud. 'Darkstalker lived over two thousand years ago.'

'I know.' He sighed. 'I've been asleep a long time, apparently. I suspect this bracelet was supposed to keep me that way forever.'

'So what happened? Why are you awake now? Not to be rude, or anything.' I asked.

'It's broken. After two thousand years, almost anything becomes weaker. Something must have jarred it and snapped it off.'

'The earthquakes? There was a comet six months ago, and as it passed by there were a lot of earthquakes and strange weather.'

'That's when I woke up, so you're probably right.'

I hesitated. Six months ago was also when my nightmares had started. Moon's had come a little later, either that or she just hid it very well. The visions about Jade Mountain falling... Was I seeing visions of something that would ultimately be caused by Darkstalker's awakening?

'I'm not actually a monster, no matter what the scrolls and ghost stories may say. Can't you tell?' He asked.

'Where are you?' I asked instead of answering.

'That, I don't know. Somewhere dark. Covered in stone. I can't move. I can only... think. Perhaps you can see why I was so pleased to find you and Moon. I can hear others, but no one else can hear me. Makes for a lot of boring, one-sided conversations.'

I didn't know what to say. I'd expected another dragon like Moon, someone I can meet and go flying with. I had not expected to be talking with the legendary monster of NightWing nightmares.

'I'm not a monster. It seems history has painted me that way, but perhaps that's what happens when you disappear before you can tell your own story, and only your enemies are left to finish it. Or your best friends-turned-enemies apparently.'

I rolled back to the Darkstalker section of the scroll. A handsome dark face stared regally back at me. He had silver scales in the corners of his eyes too.

'Formidable dragon. I suppose that's true, but it is not my fault I was born with these powers, I think you know something about that.' He mused.

'I've never plotted to steal any thrones, though. Or killed my father.' I pointed out.

'I think you would, if you'd had my father. I saved the tribe from him He was a lot worse than I am. This scroll's version of the story is highly oversimplified. As for being king - why not? Just because we've only ever had queens, does that mean that a king is impossible? Why would I have all these gifts if I wasn't supposed to use them to lead and protect the tribe?' It felt like he was torching my skull with arguments.

'Listen, I could see the future, but not just any future - all the possible futures. Do you understand what that means? I could have guided the tribe along the best possible path, to safety and glory and power and everything else. At each crossroad, I would have known the right thing to do. I loved my tribe, Starchaser. I would have been the best ruler they'd ever had. I know it; I saw the futures where I was king, benevolent and beloved, married to Clearsight with six little dragonets of our own. Those were possible. They could have happened, if anyone had had faith in me.

She saw them too. Clearsight had the gift of prophecy, as strong as mine. She knew those futures existed... but she also saw the ones where I turned towards evil, destroying instead of protecting. She didn't believe that I could avoid those paths. In the end, I guess she didn't really believe in me at all. I wonder what happened to her.'

Another long pause.

'This is going to sound really weird, but I want to give you a hug right now.' I offered. Darkstalker laughed.

'How did she surprise you, then? If you could see all these futures - how did she trick you with the bracelet?'

'I had too much faith in her. I saw the possibility that she would betray me in more than one future, but further down the line. I didn't want to believe it, so I never studied those paths, just as she was stop looking down my darker paths as well. Up until the last moment, even with visions of blackness pressing against me, I still thought I could change her mind, that I could talk her into trusting me so we could fly into out bright, perfect future.'

He growled, but I couldn't tell what emotion was behind it. Bitterness? Revenge? Despair? Loneliness?

'I never saw any of this back then, though. I suppose prophecy doesn't extend two thousand years forward, not even for me.'

'So you don't know what happens next?' I asked.

'All I can see is darkness, and all I can do is hope.' 'Hope for what?' 'Hope for someone to set me free. You, specifically.' 

I jumped up, dropping the scroll in shock. Starflight turned towards me in alarm, Sora looked up at me sharply and blinked. Qibli stared at me curiously, and he looked a little concerned. "Sorry, just - had a thought." 'How can I, a runty NightWing, set you free? I'm nobody. I have no idea where you are, and you're-'

'The most dangerous dragon in Pyrrhia history? You shouldn't believe everything you hear, Star.'

'Even if I agree to do it, which I'm not saying I will, how could I?'

'There's something I need-'

"Star!" Kinkajou called, grabbing the scroll from my claws and tilting my head up to look at her. Moon was behind her, smirking at me. "Didn't you guys hear the three gongs? We have to get to history class! Sora, you too!"

Sora scrambled to her feet nervously, dropped her scroll, and hurried to gather it all up. I wondered if I could skip history class. I wanted to keep talking to Darkstalker.

"Hi Starflight! I'm super excited!" Kinkajou thundered. "I don't know anything about history. I have, like, a million questions for Webs. Like, what's the Scorching, and is it true there used to be scavengers everywhere, and who started the Talons of Peace, and what's the big IceWing tragedy from the past, and-"

Shrieks of terror echoed through the halls.

"Help!" Somebody screamed. More yells and the sound of fleeing dragons joined the tumult. "The SkyWing, she's here to kill us all!"