Fourth Wheel ||Qinter||

Chapter 11 - Stepping Stone

  Winter sat at the feet of the huge NightWing, listening with interest, as if everything was normal, and the dragon in front of him wasn't the most evil animus who ever existed, come back to life.
"...I'm sure you'll forgive me, Winter. You barely know him anyway. He's barely related to you as well, maybe just a distant ancestor at most." The huge NightWing said, his voice booming through the black void around them.
Winter found himself nodding. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't. Panic began to flood through him. I should be doing something. Why can't I control myself?
"Good," Darkstalker murmured, his snout twitching with the effort to keep a sinister smile from spreading across it.
"And the Plan B, Winter - because we have to have a Plan B - is the SeaWing. If Plan A doesn't work, then I will use the SeaWing."
Winter found himself thinking that the way this dragon was about to manipulate his friend was okay. "But why him?" He asked without thinking.
Darkstalker hesitated before confessing. "When I look at him, I see someone that I wish I had... taken care of before I initiated my plan. He reminds me of Fathom. I don't want to make the same mistake again, and underestimate him. This time I'll not only take care of him, but use him as a stepping stone for our plan."
Our plan?! Winter thought. I have nothing to do with this! I have to tell the others. Winter tried to move, but he was rooted the the spot. Is he using animus magic on me?
"If you don't agree with me yet, you will soon. I'll let you go and think about it." Darkstalker told him.
Mind reading. Right, I forgot about that part, Winter thought as the void closed in around him like black wings, and he fell into unconsciousness.

~~~

  Moon opened her eyes.
  Above her, the sky was beginning to lighten, and the sun framed its dramatic entrance with wisps of golden cloud and streaks of purple sky. She sat up, yawning, and stretched her wings. Blinking a few times to clear the blur from her eyes, she noticed that Winter was up already, with his back to her, facing the sunrise. That's odd, Moon thought. Winter's usually the last one up.
"Winter?" She asked quietly, careful to not wake the others. Qibli would get pretty mad at her if she interrupted his precious beauty sleep. Winter whipped his head around instantly. Why is he so... on edge? Moon wondered.
"You're awake," she said instead.
  Winter nodded. "I'm awake," he echoed shakily.
  Unable to hold back the question anymore, her head filling with curiosity, Moon asked, "Is something bothering you?"
  Winter didn't reply.
"Win-"
"Moon, did your vision have anything to do with Turtle?" He suddenly blurted.
Moon furrowed her brow. "Why are you asking?"
"Just answer my question."
Why does he sound so scared?
Moon sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you. But only you. We can't let anyone else know. At least not Turtle."
Winter nodded. "Go on," he prompted.
"I saw Starflight in the library, burning and dead, I saw you, looking at the mess, as if you made it. I saw myself, dead. And I saw Qibli with blood trickling from his head. And Turtle was standing over him, as if he was possessed."
Winter stared at her. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?"
"I thought it would just cause panic."
"Are you afraid to tell us the truth?" He hissed. 'We should know! This is our prophecy, not just yours. As a Winglet, we're meant to be loyal to each other! Just because you're a NightWing, doesn't meant you're special." He spat out the word NightWing as if it tasted bad.
"I'm sorry! I jus-"
"As you should be." Winter said icily, turning his back in her once again.

  Winter was fuming. How could Moon keep information like that away from him? And he thought they had been friends!
You have to tell her, his mind hissed at him.
"Moon," Winter mumbled.
Moon looked up.
"I saw Darkstalker in a dream. That's why I'm up so early."
Moon's ears perked up. "What did Darkstalker tell you?"
"He's going to use one of my distant ancestors," Winter said. "Though I'm not sure which one."
"And?"
Winter took a deep breath before continuing, "And he said he's going to use Turtle."
"Of course. Turtle wouldn't turn on us just like that, and in my vision he did seem like he was possessed." Moon agreed.
"But don't you see? We have to tell Turtle! We have to keep him prepared, or he could be possessed at any time. Darkstalker could be controlling him right now, for all we know!"
"Winter, I'll be honest. With this whole prophecy thing, I don't even know what to do! I think we should check the prophecy for hints, and where to go next."
Winter nodded. "But you still have to tell them."
Moon ignored that and began to recite the prophecy.

"Descendant of evil's love beware—
Sea is coming to burn the heir.
Hidden away in a shell of death;
His magic will give you your very last breath.

Born silvery under the heavy night sky,
Away from the ashes of a dragonet's cry,
Seek the one with infinite life,
Or you shall live in everlasting strife.

Before twilight on Thremb's Day end,
Find the light in Pyrrhia's night—
Else, a soul you must now spend.
Before he begins history's end."

Descendant of evil's love? Winter thought. Well, evil's love must be Clearsight! Something clicked in his head, allowing a lightbulb to illuminate his mind. And the only NightWing in the prophecy is-
"Moon! You're descended from Clearsight!" Winter exclaimed.
"Descendant of evil's love... of course, Winter, you're a genius!"
"Except I'm not."
"What do you mean?"
"You being a descendant of Clearsight doesn't mean anything."
"Except it does!"
"How?"
"Remember, all of the history scrolls say that after she trapped Darkstalker under Jade Mountain, she flew off to the Lost Continent. She never had any dragonets with Darkstalker. And I'm pure NightWing, which means she never left Pyrrhia at all!"
"You're right!"
"And Jerboa said that we should look for Darkstalker, but I think she tricked us, or maybe Darkstalker possessed her as well, to trick us into freeing him. I don't think the prophecy would make us free the most evil dragon who ever existed, either. And Darkstalker loved Clearsight, so maybe he made her immortal! Maybe, the one with infinite life we should be looking for is Clearsight!"
Qibli yawned, and woke up as the sunrise was in its most glorious stage, throwing onto the landscape brilliant golden rays that seeped through the leaves of the trees above their heads. "Did I miss anything?" He asked groggily, squinting at them.
Winter rolled his eyes, but a small smile betrayed his otherwise indifferent expression.
"Yes," Winter said. "You missed a lot."

A/N

It's currently 8am. I've been writing this chapter for, I dunno, around an hour maybe? I woke up this morning and was like, "Oh frick I haven't published a chapter in like a month, I'd better get writing."

So here it is! Chapter 11 of Fourth Wheel!

And of course, I have to advertise my Discord server YET AGAIN (how many chapters in a row have I done this) I know it's annoying, but please - tap on my profile pic, tap on the link to my Discord server, and join! (And maybe follow me in the process? I'm almost at 30 followers (not much, but it's an achievement for me lol)

See you in a week or two!

-Victory