When Lightning Strikes: A HTTYD Hybrid's Story

Chapter 7: Goodbye

Storm awoke with the pungent smell of smoke in his nostrils. He sneezed several times, clearing his nasal passageways. There was a thin layer of ash coating his scales, and he shook it off. Next to him lay the dead body of Twilight. A fresh wave of pain passed over Storm, and he decided it would be proper to bury his mother's body outside of the mountain, were the grass was green and uncharred. With a sigh, he folded her wings and and scooped her up in his claws.

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"Goodbye mom, I'll miss you."

A few tears dripped down onto the fresh soil where Twilight was buried. Storm felt dead and empty on the inside, like someone had ripped out his heart and replaced it with a cold block of stone.

Storm had spent the entire morning digging a deep hole as a grave. It was hard work, but it wouldn't be in vain. Storm buried his head in his paws and cried. He didn't care how foolish he looked, or if anyone was around to see him. He was now all alone in the world and the only family he'd ever had was now gone. Destroyed. Never coming back. Storm was all alone and the only guidance and comfort he ever had was dead.

"Mom, I failed. I tried to fly in front of everyone and I fell. Now Achira is hurt because of me, and everyone thinks I'm a failure."

Twilight sighed and wrapped a warm wing around Storm. "Did you learn anything?"

Storm looked up with a hardened expression. "I learned that I'll never fly and that I'm a failure," he spluttered. "I'll never be able to accomplish anything and I won't be able to see the world."

Twilight shook her head. "No, you learned that it takes more than one try to get something right. You learn more from failure than from success."

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You learn more from failure than from success.

That was his mother, always looking on the bright side of things. What had he learned? That he couldn't accomplish a darn thing, no matter how hard he tried to help others, to save the ones he loved. And it doesn't matter how hard you try, because in the end it never makes a difference.

Look on the bright side.

Storm sighed. He had learned that life was hard, and the world was not a forgiving place. Horrible things may happen, but there isn't always something you can do about them.

Storm looked towards the sky. It was time to move on. It was time to finally see the world, to make a difference. There must be something out there for him, or else life was just full of empty promises. No. He would not think that way. For himself. For Twilight. She would want him to move on. And so, with one last goodbye to his mother, Storm spread his wings, and flew off.

As he skimmed just below the clouds, Storm felt a new sense of freedom wash over him. He was finally going to see what was beyond the Sanctuary, and maybe even make a few friends along the way.

The world just got a whole lot bigger.