I hope you guys like it so far!!!
Prolouge[]
A bluish dragonet cheerfully flew down the large, crowded hallway, singing a silly, apparently historically important, song she had learned in her music class.
"Oh, the dragonets are coming! They're coming to save the day! They're coming to fight, For they know what's right, The dragonets, hooray!!!"
Although she was receiving murderous looks from the other dragonets around her who were also rushing to go to their classes, she was too excited to care. Today was her graduation day, her final day of this miserable torture, or "school", as the teachers called it. No more wasting my time and magic! No more grumpy teachers! No more cold scales!
Flying into the classroom, the dragonet cheerfully waved to her disapproving, enormous SandWing teacher, and sat on the icy, glittering floor.
"Sit. In. Your. Chair." her teacher said with gritted teeth, motioning towards an uncomfortable metal chair the students had come to refer to sarcastically as "The Comfy Couch".
Looking at the chair, the dragonet shuddered. "Um, no thanks.... I would rather sit on the floor. It's my last day! Shouldn't I be able to sit wherever I want?"
The SandWing glared at her coldly. "Your last day, huh? Well, then I guess that means that....." (The dragonet looked at him hopefully) "You still have to sit on the chair, because it's not over yet!" Visibly fuming, he stomped over to the dragonet, who had now gone pale blue as if to camouflage herself against the blue-white floor, and picked her up painfully by the wings, plonking her down on the chair with a thump. "Are there any complaints?"
"No, sir," the dragonet said, shifting around in the Comfy Couch, her face set in a grimace as she struggled to find a comfortable position in the hard, sharp, freezing-to-the-touch piece of furniture. For once she was glad this class was for only one dragonet at a time -- no matter how cheerful her personality was, this would have been embarrassing.
Her teacher nodded, satisfied, and started the lesson. It was another review, and the dragonet was bored. She let her mind wander, not even paying attention as her teacher asked her about the different aspects of animus magic and told her to recite the various animi in the Tribes' history. Argh, this information isn't even relevant to the class! We're supposed to be practicing! she thought, annoyed, blankly answering question after question.
As she daydreamed, she thought about soup, what she would do when she was finally out of the Ice Kingdom, more soup, her favorite kinds of soup, where she would go to eat soup, what her friends would do without her, what her one friend would do with her, what kind of soup it, or rather, he (as she had discovered recently), wanted, soup, whether her family would be glad to see her....
Her random train of thought that was mostly based on soup suddenly stopped in its tracks. My family! Her lip curled in a rare moment of unhappiness. Although she came from a relatively happy family, she was still mad at them for sending her to this miserable place, all those many years ago...
~*~*~
It was a bright, sunny day in the Claws of the Clouds Mountains for once. Although there was still snow and it was still freezing, the sun was actually visible for once, and that just made everything clearer, happier, more cheerful and bright in general. She and her mother, Canopy, were taking a flight among the peaks, swerving around the precipices. After a while, they flew, panting from the exertion, back to the waiting arms of her father, Wolf, who was at their home at the base of one of the mountains. Flying through the door, she grinned at him, nudging his wing as she passed, causing her thin father to topple over in feigned surprise. Her mother reprimanded her, laughing, and together they all went to the table to have a delicious dinner of fish soup, the fish caught earlier that morning and the soup slaved over by her father for hours, and now piping hot and scrumptious.
It was a perfect day, and it seemed like nothing could ruin it. But, like in every fiction scroll she had ever read, the cliches of all cliches, it was not to last.
Over dinner, a messenger crow arrived. The small family was startled by this, as most messenger birds were either eaten by unknowing dragons, eaten by knowing dragons, or captured, their messages read, and then retrained or, more likely, eaten. In short, there weren't a lot of trained messenger birds, and, actually, most of them were hawks, not crows. This surprised the family even more, and they quickly seized the bird to see who the message was from, what the message actually was, and why a crow had been sent to deliver it.
"It doesn't have a message," her father said, befuddled, lifting the bird upside down, causing it to squawk in protest. "It doesn't even have a pouch for a message."
"Let me see," she said, taking the bird from him. She held it upright, gazing straight into its intelligent eyes. "Do you have a message for us?" she asked it softly, examining it. "Is it about soup? Do you want some soup? I hope the message is about soup..."
Suddenly, the crow started flapping its wings and kahing. "Kah! Kah kah kah!" it said, flying out of her talons. "Message I have for you! Soup...? No, but message!"
The family gasped as one. "You can talk???" her mother said, her scales turning rainbow with excitement and fear and curiosity.
The crow nodded, still in the air. "Gift of Intelligence, by grandfather of Wolf, Shard. Not I needed it, I tell you," the crow added, with an offended look. "Crows smart already, just grammar and speech poor. But not to Shard, apparently. Anyway, message! From still living and ancient Shard, to Wolf and Canopy! Says, 'Your daughter must be tested for Animus Powers. Although you and your family may not live in the Ice Kingdom, and the testing must be done there due to the IceWings' extensive knowledge of animus dragons, the queens of all tribes have agreed; all potential animi, or animi gene-passers, must be tested for the magic and trained about animus powers and the risks they run by using them or encouraging others to use them. So, she must come to the Animus Academy, or face the wrath of the queens and most of society. You have until tomorrow to reply.' Kah!" With that, the crow landed back on the table, and stood, waiting, its head cocked to one side as it looked at them with an intelligent eye.
The dragonet whom the crow had been speaking of (and, indeed, the same dragonet who is having this memory in the first place) looked at her parents, shocked. "Animus Academy??? You can't send me there! You've taught me plenty about animus magic, and besides, we don't even know if I have magic or not! You've told me never to try, and even to always make sure I never do it accidentally! Besides, what if their soup tastes horrible??"
Her parents looked back at her, even more shocked. Her mother said sadly, "Moonbeam, I'm sorry... If the queens have ordered it, we must obey. We hate to do this to you, but you must go. We cannot protest, even if they have horrible soup, and we have no power to protest against it anyway."
Her father added, "Still, don't worry, with your cheerful personality and helpful enthusiasm, you'll make friends of the other students and the teachers. You'll fit in perfectly!"
She glared at both of them, her sad mother and hopeful father, all of her cheerfulness (of which she had much), gone. "I DON'T WANT TO GO!!!" she yelled, causing the crow to flutter around in panic. "I want to stay here and eat soup and be happy! I want to forget about animus magic, and just live a normal live, with my family!"
"Moonbeam..." her father pleaded, his sorrow at the news starting to show. "I don't want you to go either, but please.... We can't go against the queens, and you do need proper schooling, and not the mismatched lessons we try to teach you...."
Still displeased, she turned away from her parents. "Soup," she said simply, taking her bowl and the crow, and then going down the hall to her room. Her parents looked in dismay after her, but she took no notice.
When she had gotten to her room, she closed the door behind her and set the crow down. Sitting on the floor in front of the crow, she said, "Is that all of the message?"
The crow squawked. "Kah! Kah! Yes, but reply the message! Tomorrow is the day, yesterday's today!"
"Do you ever make sense?" she said, laughing. The crow looked offended at that, so she quickly added, "I was only teasing, no worries. Now, about that reply..."
"No. No matter the soup, only Wolf and Canopy can reply to this message, sorry." the crow swiftly replied. "Kah is the sound, for I am crow!"
Sighing, but suddenly way more cheerful than she had felt only moments before, she finished her soup and set the bowl in front of the crow. Although it had refused the food earlier, now, in just the presence of the small dragonet, it gratefully pecked at and slurped what was left. When it finished, it hopped away from the bowl and fluttered to the top of her head. "Kah!" it said triumphantly, flapping its wings. "Crow, I am, and Crow by name! Soup is delicious, one and the same!"
Laughing, she plucked the crow from her head, and set it on a small table by her bed. "Crow, huh? Very creative."
Crow puffed out its chest. "Yes, yes, imagination took part in Crow!" Hopping up and settling on a stack of scrolls, it kahed one final time and fell asleep. She smiled at it, and went to her own bed, curling up in some sheep-wool blankets. By now, the message had been driven far from her mind, and she fell asleep peacefully.
However, she woke up only a little while later to a peculiar whispering sound. Pretending to be asleep, for she was sure it was her parents, she carefully rolled over so that she was facing the doorway. She was right; her parents had snuck into her room, and were trying to send a message back to Shard using Crow. It was clear that Crow was reluctant to do this, however, as it was hopping back and forth on top of the scrolls, clearly agitated, although trying to keep from kahing and waking her.
"Please, little crow?" she heard her mother whisper to Crow. "I know that you do not wish to harm her, but she must go! Either way, she shall be taken, so you might as well make the transition easier for her by taking the message."
Her father muttered something to this that she couldn't quite catch, but apparently her mother had heard and understood. "Yes, I know that the transition will be hard either way, but if you had to go to this animus school, would you rather be welcomed as if you signed up for it, or treated like a prisoner because you were forced?"
Bowing his head in submission, her father sighed. "I just hate to do this... I can't pretend like it's something wonderful anymore... she's going to have trouble there..."
Her mother wound her tail around her father's. "I know..." Sighing as well, she added, "Please, crow, take the message..."
"Kah." Crow said sadly, glancing at the dragonet in the bed, who froze as its gaze penetrated hers. "I shall, but tell her... soup is good. Never give up on it, no matter the pain. Soup is different meanings, but strengthen and help it can, either way." With that, it flew over her head, one foot scratching her head knowingly, and it flapped out the open window in the wall, kahing mournfully into the night air.
Her parents stood silently, watching the crow, the tears on their faces visible in the moonlight.
~*~*~
In the morning, after a fitful night of falling asleep and waking up again, she woke up and actually stayed up. By now, Crow was back, watching with intelligent eyes as she stretched and generally got ready for whatever she would have to face that day.
As she was heading out the door, Crow hopped on top of her head and leaned down until it was face to face with her. "Brave soup." it said softly, pecking her forehead. "I come, facing the wrath of Shard, and shall help."
"Thank you." she said, perhaps even more softly, heading into the dining hall where her parents were waiting anxiously for her.
"Hi, little moonbeam!" her mother said in an attempt to be cheerful. "I prepared your favorite breakfast, pancake soup!"
"Thanks, Mom." she half-heartedly said back. She scooped the pancakes with their drippy toppings into a bowl, and started to eat. However, after just a few mouthfuls, she began to feel sick, so she relinquished the bowl to Crow, who had been pecking her face and kahing for a bite, and who now eagerly ate the remains of her breakfast. She watched it for a minute, slightly amused, then turned to her parents, who stared at her guiltily.
"I heard you last night," she announced, turning her accusatory gaze on them. "You're turning me over. Even though I asked you not to."
Flinching, her father took a step towards her, and his voice was soft and uncertain, but his gaze was strong, and his face said that his answer was final. "I am so, so so so sorry moonbeam, but we have no choice. Please, try to be cheerful, I know it's hard, to be taken away like this, but you must go. The crow, I assume, will be with you -- here Crow gave a squawk of agreement -- so you will have a friend, but just please, we love you, we wish we didn't have to do this, but face it with an open mind and you'll be okay."
She breathed deeply, in, out, in, out, and finally said, more cheerfully, "Open mind. Yeah! Open! If they have bad soup, I can make my own! If I'm an animus, I'll make the best of it!"
"And if you're smart, you'll come with us without a struggle," an unfamiliar voice growled from the doorway. She whipped around, staring at the intruders her parents seemed to have no problem with. They were IceWings, and their faces were locked in sneers as they glared at her family. "Come on, we haven't got all day."
"But I don't even have my stuff ready!" she protested, looking pleadingly at her parents. "You didn't tell me they were coming this early!"
"Well, too bad, because we're going now!" the first IceWing said, taking a step through the doorway.
Her mother growled. "We agreed that she would leave with you -- but let her get her belongings first."
The IceWing dipped his head, but was obviously not pleased. While the IceWings waited, she zipped back into her room, grabbing the few things she had, patted Crow to make sure it was still there, started to head out the door, and hesitated. Turning back, she inhaled deeply, trying to absorb all of the scents of spilled soup and crackers that had accumulated over the years. Trying to stay positive, she fought back her tears, and resolutely ran out the bedroom door.
As she ran into the kitchen, her parents were discussing something in low tones with the IceWings. When they heard her come in, they quickly broke off, and turned to their daughter. "Hey, moonbeam!" they said, with fake smiles. "We'll see you when you graduate!"
She fake-smiled back, hugging them in turn. "We'll write to you," her mother whispered, hugging her tightly.
"Bye mum," she whispered back, pressing a small token into her mother's talons. "This was for your birthday." Her mother looked at it, grinned at her, and glanced away, starting to cry.
When it was her dad's turn, he was even more emotional. "Remember what I told you about being cheerful!" he sobbed, making her scales wet. She hugged him, winding her tail around his, nudging his wing.
"Bye dad," she said softly, when she finally pulled away, Crow hopping up and down. She hurried over to the disapproving IceWings, and turned for a final goodbye. However, the IceWings had other plans. They grabbed her roughly, facing her towards the door, and she smiled sadly at her parents as she was led out the door, into the morning where it was just beginning to snow. They headed off towards the Animus Academy, Crow kahing as it flew after them, and a mysterious voice calling after them, "HYBRID!!! WAKE UP!!!"....
~*~*~
"HEY, HYBRID! ANSWER THE QUESTION! ARE YOU DEAF???"
She blinked, finally realizing that the voice had not been from her memory after all, and had actually been from her teacher, who was now horse and frothing at the mouth as he shouted at her. "Huh? What was the question?"
The SandWing seethed. "I'm not repeating it, you should have been listening in the first place!"
She thought for a moment. "Um, was it Penguin?"
Her teacher whacked her. "No, you lizard-faced moon-eating hybrid! It was Snowflake!"
Rubbing her forehead, she grumbled, "You didn't have to hit me, and my name's not "Hybrid", it's --"
"I couldn't care less what your name is, now pay attention and answer the questions!" her teacher barked, flapping his wings. When she cringed, thinking that he was going to hit her again, he grinned. "There we go! Now listen carefully! Repeat after me..."
She felt her attention start to slip again, even with the threat of violence hanging over her like a NightWing assassin flying overhead in the night. Hmmmm, I really want soup... she was so occupied with her thoughts, she hardly noticed what her teacher was doing. He was grinning, slightly manically, slowly walking towards her with that funny limp he had.
She didn't even notice as he stooped in front of her, his bad breath filling her nostrils with the scent of death. "You know what, little dragon?" he said quietly, grinning even more when she didn't respond. "I could have done this while you were daydreaming earlier, but I took the opportunity to really decide what I was going to say. I want to get it right, to get revenge, to finally get even with you, you horrible little hybrid who's been giving me a moon-hard time all these years." Here he jabbed a talon into her snout, making her wince and realize that she was in a lot of trouble. Fear filled her normally-cheerful eyes, and the SandWing laughed, enjoying the cowardice of the little dragonet, enjoying the pain he was giving her.
"Y-you can't hurt me," she stammered, not taking her eyes off him. "I'm your student! You're not allowed to."
Her teacher chuckled, a low sound that sent shudders through her body. "You don't know the things I'm allowed and not allowed to do. For instance, I've been banned from using my animus powers, but has that stopped me from sending countless dragonets to the medical hall for treatment from my torture, and from clouding their memories so they can't tell on me? No, of course not. I've had one extremely annoying dragonet die from my class, but has anyone suspected me? No, of course not. Don't worry," he added, noting and laughing at her frightened look, "I'm not going to hurt you like that -- I have something much more horrible in store for you."
She could feel his talons touch her forehead, grab her wings. She desperately tried to get away, but he held her fast. "I guess I've gone over the bend, despite my teachings of being careful, eh?" he cackled. "Oh well. Oops, it's almost time for you to go and graduate! Better get this over with!"
The SandWing glared at her with mad eyes. She squirmed, but again she could not flee as he held her head still and brought his own closer.
"I enchant this dragonet to keep her animus powers," he said quietly, "but to lose her memory every single time she uses them, to forget who she is and everything she has become, and to become murderous when the enchantment is large, but to always forget that she will become psychotic if she does the enchantments, and for the enchantment to reset every time she is somehow healed from her murderous state. I also enchant her, or, in other words, curse her to never have a home, and to never be able to settle down, whether in spirit, or in home. She shall also always answer yes to me, and do what I tell her to, no matter the question, no matter the deed." Grinning at her shocked face, he let go of her wings and instead gripped her face in his talons, letting the magic come through.
She closed her eyes as the magic filled her mind, trying to resist its malevolent tendrils of power and failing.
When the intrusion of magic had finally stopped, her teacher let go of her face and stepped back. "Enchant yourself to black out, and forget everything in that little mind of yours, and enchant the entire ocean to lift itself into the air and then fall back down," he said, grinning as she, trying to resist, raised her talons and cast the spell, eyes widening as she completely realized what he meant to do.
She couldn't stop it.
The world went black, and there was nothing she could do.
And she was nothing.
For she didn't know who she was, in the suffocating nothing.
She was the nothing, but the nothing was not her, for she was something, but what that something was, she did not know.
All she knew was a small voice at the back of her head, saying....
Kill....
So... How was it? Tell me below! And if you know which OC I'm talking about in this fanfic, don't tell anyone! You're supposed to figure it out on your own when the next couple chapters come out!
But, first, a poll!
Also, it apparently doesn't allow comments anymore, or at least it won't let me put comments, so if you want to comment on this just leave a message on my page or another blog post of mine (just remember to actually tell me what you're talking about! XD).