The CloudWings

30 - The Reunion

A Shout-out from the Author: Thank you, ElectricSnivy, for providing ideas and inspiration for this chapter and the following.

Lightbringer's POV

A vision swirled in her mind, blurring prophecy with reality, blending impossible with possible. A vision of Crystal, howling in pain as a splatter of black acid-like substance landed on her scales, dissolving them. Crystal will die of RainWing venom, a voice hissed, as if it were narrating the vision. Was that supposed to be her own voice? Lightbringer startled in the vision, though no one there could see her. RainWings didn't have venom! Even if they did, and concealed it, Hibiscus was much too peace-loving to use her venom. She couldn't even bring herself to stomp on a beetle! Lightbringer had had to put up with all those annoying but sadly true "But they're living things too and we shouldn't kill them" protests. And it was highly unlikely that any other RainWing would try to put a talon into this whole mess. How was this possible? Was Hibiscus more than she seemed? Why then? And how? Lightbringer's mind spun with unanswered questions. 

Then the vision dissolved, yielding to a different one. Now she saw Mist, but older, and seeming to be changing into an IceWing--she had that familiar ridge of spikes and the whiplike tail. She stood before an enormous palace made of ice, whispering to the ice, "I enchant you never to melt or shatter. You will stand tall and strong, and last forever." A glittering sheen seemed to spread over the ice as it became animus-touched. Mist was an animus. What's an animus? Lightbringer wanted to ask, but her question was answered by the "narrating" voice, whose whisper was raspy and felt like an arctic wind over the back of Lightbringer's neck. An animus is a dragon that had the ability to enchant anything to be whatever they want, but overuse of the ability corrupts one's soul. The only thing animus magic cannot undo is death. 

And Lightbringer realized that Crystal would die soon, leaving them helpless to save her. Wait, why did she want to save Crystal? Wasn't Crystal working for Stratus? 

She dimly heard voices, as though they were in the distance. They seemed to be calling her name. "Lightbringer! Lightbringer! Wake up! Are you all right?"

Lightbringer snapped out of the vision. She looked up to see Mist's and Crystal's faces staring at her. "Mist! How are you here? How did you escape?" 

Mist just said, "It's a long story, and a story for later. I see you've just had a vision, and by the look on your face, I presume it was a disturbing one."

Lightbringer looked at her reflection in a small tide pool on the ocean floor. Was that really her? Was the trembling, pale-faced dragon staring back out of the water really her?

But she recoiled when Crystal reached out to pat her talon. "You!" she snarled, pointing a quivering claw at Crystal. "You have no reason to be here! You're working for Stratus and we all know it by now! Go away!"

Crystal turned away, and Lightbringer could see the tears brimming in her eyes. She didn't care. Someone like Crystal didn't deserve her sympathy. She couldn't believe she had wanted to prevent Crystal from dying in the vision. She couldn't believe herself sometimes. 

Lightbringer turned to Mist. "What are you doing standing there? Can't you help me make her go away? Besides, why did you even let Crystal go here? Why didn't you chase her out the door when she appeared?"

" Crystal is no longer supporting Stratus. She chooses to ally with us."

"You're lying! That can't be true! You're helping Stratus, too!" Lightbringer backed into a corner. "You're all helping Stratus! I know it! You're going to kill me! Stratus will be here soon, I know it! And then you all will have everything your way, and get to run Pyrrhia and tell everyone what to do and..." She burst into tears, sobbing and covering her head with her wings.