The Tail of the Twin Dragons

20

The Dragon King stood in his castle staring out the open window. A soft wind blew and he closed his eyes. He looked out over his peaceful kingdom and a soft smile came to his face.

"Was it worth it!" a voice screamed.

Acnologia opened his eyes and whirled around. The sun and the breeze were gone. Now it was night and he stood in a tower with a small window that had been thrown open. It blew in the wind that howled outside. The stars and moon were covered by clouds and Acnologia could sense a storm coming.

He looked around the room, it was a nursery and suddenly the heart of the Dragon King sank. The candles had all been extinguished and there was no magic lighting the room so that the nursery felt empty. Acnologia slowly walked up to the empty crib and ran his hand along the wood, a part of him broke as he looked at it.

"Was it worth it," the same voice sobbed.

Acnologia turned and his heart ached. A blonde stood in the door. Her hair was wild and cacked with blood from a wound in her head. The blood ran down her face and stained her white and black gown.

"Anna," Acnologia begged, stepping forward.

"No," Anna commanded as tears streamed down her face mixing with her scarlet blood.

"Please," Acnologia begged.

"You did this. You brought this on our family," Anna sobbed from the doorway.

"I didn't know - "

"What? That this would happen... that's hardly an excuse," she spat.

"Anna, I didn't want this," Acnologia growled.

"And yet... this is what you have. This is what you gave up for power."

"For peace," Acnologia argued.

"What peace, all I see is loss and blood," Anna scowled.

And then there was a baby babbling. Acnologia turned and found a young child smiling in the cradle. The baby had hair of blue and large brown eyes that belonged to Anna she smiled and reached for Acnologia.

"Wistala," Acnologia breathed.

"So you do remember her name, I thought you would've forgotten after all these years," Anna stated her voice full of venom.

"I would sacrifice everything if I could undo that day," Acnologia snarled turning to her.

"I don't believe that. Not for a moment. If you had to choose, you'd choose power."

"No," Acnologia growled.

The baby stopped babbling, looked to her parents, and began to cry. Both of them looked to her, Acnologia's eyes were full of pain, Anna's were full of pity. Anna touched the blood on her cheek and looked to the child.

"Maybe what you say is true... but that doesn't change a thing," Anna murmured.

Acnologia looked at his child and felt his heart rip into pieces. Tears suddenly flooded his eyes and he gritted his teeth.

"Please leave me," Acnologia pleaded, "I can't have this... Just leave me..."

"We already have Acno... we're both gone," Anna breathed.

And like a breath of wind both her and the baby were gone. Acnologia was left in the empty room.

Acnologia bolted out of bed and tried to steady his breathing - it had been a dream. A terrible dream. He held his head and growled; this changed nothing.