The Infected AU: The Dawn of Fire

=== Prologue ===
Leopard panted as she clutched her dragonet close to her.
Darkfall sprinted beside her, eyes wide.
The infected growled at their tails, snapping and biting. Leopard dashed around a corner, flaring her wing to keep upright.
“Go!” Darkfall called, lagging behind.
Tears threatened to flow as Leopard dashed out of the cave, shifting the NightWing egg in her left talon.
She looked behind her, horrified as Darkfall dashed out just before the cave collapsed.
“Dada?!” The dragonet cried.
Leopard rushed to his side as Darkfall crashed to the ground.
Her eyes landed on a bite mark on his tail. “NO!” She shouted. “Ice’Night, get me bandages!”
“No . . .” Darkfall murmured. “It’s . . . Okay . . .” His eyes started to drift shut. “Just leave me.”
Leopard dragged him over to a tree. “No, please, you can’t die!”
“I’m . . . Not going to die,” Darkfall whispered. “I enchanted myself . . . So I wouldn’t be infected, but fall asleep . . . For a long while.”
Tears plopped to the ground. “No, please . . .”
Darkfall exhaled peacefully and closed his eyes. “ I Love you . . .”
“Wake up!” Leopard shouted. “WAKE UP! PLEASE!” She shook his shoulder.
Ice’Night, the dragonet, watched in horror. Her glass-like scales faded to black at her tail, wings, arms, and legs. Her brilliant pink eyes were wide and scared. The undersides of her wings looked like a starry desert night, and her IceWing spines faded to brown-black. “D-Dada?”
Leopard collapsed next to her mate, sobbing uncontrollably.
Ice’Night whimpered and hugged Darkfall’s limp arm. “W-wake up daddy! Please!”
Leopard looked down at her child. “Ice . . . I’m sorry.”
“Me too,” She whimpered. “Me too.”
~~~
Leopard’s gaze was emotionless as she snapped the infected’s neck and threw them aside.
“Mother?”
She turned, seeing a small, skinny NightWing dragonet standing in the ice cave entrance behind her.
“Evermore, you shouldn’t be out here,” Leopard hissed, covering the body with her wings.
Evermore had void black scales with swirls of white around his arms and legs, and wrapping around the outside of his wings. His eyes were piercing blue, and had silver teardrop scales by his eyes. His horns were silvery blue, and the undersides of his wings were white with black flecks. “Why not?” He asked quietly.
Leopard sighed. “Just go inside.”
“Why?” Evermore demanded. “I like the night air.”
Leopard turned on him with a hiss. “Just GO!”
The NightWing dragonet saw past her to the dead infected IceWing. He looked up at her emotionlessly. “I know you killed him, now can I stay?”
Leopard hissed to herself and buried the body under snow. “Please just go inside.”
Evermore turned. “Fine.” He walked back inside with a sigh. He was used to the cold, he even enjoyed it. Weaving around an icicle, he squirmed through the tiny crack into his room. He grabbed his light orb and had it float by his bed. He took out his journal and continued the story he was writing. The story about a LeafWing-SkyWing-IceWing who goes on an adventure to save the world. He sighed. 
Ice’Night’s head popped into his room. “Evermore?”
“Yeah?” He mumbled.
She looked down. “Um . . . About that story you’re writing . . .”
“What about it?” Evermore asked curiously, walking over to her head.
Ice’Night looked up at him. “Leopard never told you, but you were born under three full moons—you can see the future.” She gestured to the book, the back at him. “Evermore, you’re writing the future.”
== Part One: A Hive of Lies ==
=== Chapter 1: Dawnbreak ===
Dawnbreak hated being the center of attention.  She hated that everyone thought she was destined to save the world. She hated that her father protected her from everything. Most of all, she hated that she never met her mother.
Dawnbreak stood. She shook out her LeafWing wings and sighed. Her pale green scales matched her father, and she was told that her opalescent red and blue scales came from her mother. Her eye whites were icy blue and shone unnaturally. She had a LeafWing frill down her back that faded from a purple blue at the base to mint green.
“Dawnbreak!”
She growled to herself and slipped her golden ring over her talon. She held herself high and walked into the other room.
Her father was waiting for her. “There you are!” He exclaimed.
Dawnbreak arched an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“We’re going into the Great Hall today!” He exclaimed.
Dawn blinked. “Why?” She asked. “Why do I suddenly get to go to the main center of our faction now instead of six and-a-half years ago?”
Her father blinked. “Well, today is a very special day!”
“Really?” Dawn asked. “Sage, what could be so important—“
He smirked. “You’re going to meet your mate!”
Oh. She thought. Right. My arranged marriage that Sage has been planning for years. Dawn couldn’t help but scowl.
Sage sighed. “Dawnbreak, this is very important—“
“I know, that I have dragonets that might be immune too.” She turned away. “Let’s just go.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dawnbreak dipped her head and tried to not be noticed. Epic fail, She thought as all heads around her turned. She winced.
Sage grabbed her arm and led her through the SkyWing-based faction. They weaved around in the stronghold, though the crowds parted to make way for Dawnbreak like she was some kind of royalty.
This is both annoying and humiliating, Dawn thought, That I have to be led by my father and treated like a queen.
They reached the Great Hall entrance, and Sage pushed it open. Dragons were milling about, and didn’t seem to notice Dawn—to her relief.
Sage led her through the tall room and into a side door. She stopped as they reached a small room set for two, with a table and furnishings like a fancy dinner.
“Wha—“ Dawnbreak started.
Sage grinned. “Alright, he’ll be here soon! Bye!”
Dawn blinked as he disappeared out of the room. She tried the handle, but it was locked. Of course, She sighed. He knows me too well.
Sitting down at the table, she played around by turning the shrub in the corner into different shapes. Dawn used her Leafspeak to turn the shrub into the shape of a dragon holding a star. She smiled.
Dawnbreak’s head swiveled as the door opened.
A smiling NightWing entered the room. He had dusty blue scales, and pale blue eyes. His spikes were raven black, and his wings looked like the Milky Way. He was adorned with a single golden ring in his wing webbing, and a plain marble chain necklace.
So he’s pretty, but is he smart? Dawnbreak asked herself mentally.
“Hello,” She said plainly. “Who in the three moons are you and why are we getting married?”
The NightWing blinked, then snorted. “My name is Toughscales.” He smiled at her. “And you’re Dawnbreak, right?”
“Yep.” She stared him in the eyes in silence for what felt like an hour. Eventually he got uncomfortable and looked away.
“So . . .” He said awkwardly, “What do you like to do?”
Dawn shrugged. “Garden, stargaze—if my father lets me outside,” she added bitterly.
Toughscales looked anywhere but at Dawnbreak. “Sooooo . . . What’s your favorite color?”
“Teal.”
“What about time of day?”
“Night.”
“What’s your favorite animal?”
“Ravens.”
“Are you trying to answer me in one word only?” Toughscales laughed.
Dawn smirked. “Yes. Frankly, I see no reason to like you.”
The NightWing blinked. “W-what?”
Dawnbreak shrugged and stood. “It’s not that you’re a horrible dragon, but I haven’t met you EVER BEFORE IN MY LIFE, and now my father says we need to be married.”
Toughscales shrugged. “Good point.”
“Cool. Can I go now?” Dawn asked.
“Um . . .”
“Okay! Thanks!” Dawnbreak used a vine to unlock the door and promptly walk out.
Toughscales stared after her, utterly confused.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sage facepalmed. “SERIOUSLY?!”
Dawnbreak grinned. “Yep.”
“Uuuuugh . . .” He groaned. “I can’t belive you just—“
“Walked out on him? You do know that I can pick locks, right?” She smirked.
Sage sighed. “I can’t believe you.”
“I am your daughter!” She sang. “I’m going to look around, so bye!” She slipped from the doorway, leaving him behind. 
She received the usual looks, but she didn’t mind as much. Finally, she cheered mentally. I can GO PLACES without my father tailing me the whole time. She pulled out her money pouch that had been collecting allowance for about four years.
“Hello!” She called to a vendor that was set up inside the stronghold walls.
“Jes?” He replied in a heavy accent, examining her. “Vhat?
Dawnbreak examined his things. “I’ll take the belladonna and foxglove seeds.” She plopped two Emeralds—green coins—down on his table.
He nodded quickly and handed them to her.
Dawn walked back to their cave, but turned right before she walked in the door and flapped up a series of stone steps. She turned left on top of their cave, onto a little garden that was growing with a tiny ray of sunlight coming through the cave roof above. She planted the poisonous seeds, then sat down.
Dawnbreak stretched out her talon, and they started to grow.
Soon, the purple bell-shaped Foxglove flowers were blooming. 
Crash! Bang!
Dawn whirled around, hearing the noises.
“Dawnbreak!” Sage rushed out, and she jumped down next to him.
“What’s going on?” She asked, not letting fear creep into her voice.
Sage looked worried. “I don’t—“
Ba-ROOOOOM! Ba-ROOOOOM!
Dawnbreak’s eyes grew large. “The infected alarm!”
“Get inside!” Sage ordered.
“Wha—no way!” Dawn exclaimed. “You get inside! I’m immune, remember?”
Sage tried to say something but it turned into a cry of surprise as three infected rounded the corner.
Dawnbreak’s eyes widened as she saw a NightWing. Toughscales! Her thoughts yelped. He’s infected!
Sage was shoved backwards as Toughscales launched at Dawnbreak. She grabbed his shoulders as they tumbled to the ground, keeping his snapping jaws away from her. She threw him through a window, backing up.
“RAAAOAR!” 
She flipped on her heels as a SkyWing pinned her to the ground.
“You . . .” The SkyWing hissed in a voice not its own. “You’re the daughter of Firebug!”
“DON’T YOU DARE!” Sage slammed the SkyWing away, eyes blazing with hate. “You don’t deserve to say her name!”
The SkyWing’s tongue flicked in and out like a snake. “Ah, YOU. The idiot husband of my little toy.”
Sage roared in fury, slicing the SkyWing’s neck. It gargled and fell to the ground, blood splashing onto Dawnbreak’s snout.
WHAM!
Dawn screamed as Toughscales rammed into her, pinning her down.
Sage stopped in terror as the NightWing pressed its claws to her neck. “Don’t come any closer or she dies.”
“D-dad!” Dawn choked out, terrified.
Sage looked from Toughscales to his daughter. “Just stay calm, alright?”
Dawn clenched her talons. Her Leafspeak wouldn’t respond—there was only cold stone around them.
The NightWing possessed by The Breath of Evil smirked at her. “Poor little pathetic thing.”
Dawnbreak gasped as he sliced open her neck. Pain erupted through her scales and her vision blurred. The NightWing pounded Sage into the ground and slung her over his shoulder.
“No . . .” Dawn murmured. “F-father . . .”
=== Chapter 2: Evermore ===
Evermore sighed. He’d been running from the infected for days, and he’d been separated from Ice’Night.
How could a grocery run turn into this huge mess? He wondered with a sigh. He stuck his bleeding tail tip in the nearby river, keeping a lookout for infected while he removed the tree splinter from his tail. He winced, then sighed. “I didn’t sign up for—“ he was cut off by a loud noise.
WHOOOOOOOSH!
Evermore was thrown into the river by an immense gust of wind. A huge pack of twenty infected SkyWings and SandWings had landed in the trees not ten feet from where he was sitting.
Evermore watched discreetly from the river as they threw a SkyWing to the ground.
He’s not infected! Evermore’s thoughts yelled. I KNOW! He told himself. Now shut up and listen!
One of the infected pinned the SkyWing to the ground. The poor dragon looked like he was of nobility. He had red scales and a light yellow belly, with arms and legs that faded to orange-yellow with orange tiger-like stripes around his arms and legs.
“You just won’t INFECT you little—“ The Breath of Evil roared at him, lifting him into the air.
The SkyWing hung limply. 
The infected bit him in the throat, shaking him like a crocodile then throwing him into the ground.
The SkyWing shrieked and writhed on the ground. 
The infected group hissed among themselves then jumped back into the air, leaving him for dead.
Evermore emerged and rushed over to the SkyWing’s side.
He wasn’t breathing.
“Come on,” Evermore hissed. “Breathe!” He did CPR, stopping to try blowing air into his lungs through his mouth. 
After a moment, the SkyWing gasped in air. “Wha—“ He screamed in pain and held his head. The bite mark in his throat was bleeding badly.
“Calm down!” Evermore said, panicking himself. “Just—um—take a breath!”
The SkyWing clutched his skull and squeezed his yellow eyes shut. “AAAH IT HURTS!” He screamed.
“Okay!” Evermore exclaimed. “Uh . . .”
The SkyWing flopped to the side, groaning weakly after a moment.
“Um . . . Are you okay?” Evermore tried.
“It’s Roost,” The SkyWing murmured. “And no.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evermore held down the rabbit he had eaten earlier as he peeled the gauze off of Roost’s throat.
“Take a deep breath, this might hurt,” Evermore said as he discarded the soaked moss and scraped up some more.
“Ugh . . .” Roost murmured. “It already hurts.”
“You’re welcome,” Evermore muttered as he replaced the bandage.
After a while, Roost sat up. “T-thanks. Who are you again?”
Evermore smiled. “I never introduced myself. I’m Evermore—a NightWing.”
“Oh, well, I’m Roost.” The SkyWing sighed. “An assassin who juuust so happened to be in the area when that stupid group of infected curb stomped me.” He rubbed his head.
“Um, if you don’t mind me asking, how are you immune?” Evermore asked.
Roost chuckled bitterly. “I was raised by infected, genius.”
At Evermore’s stunned silence, he smirked and continued.
“I was abused and orphaned as a child. My adoptive mother tossed me to the wolves so to speak when I was about two. A group of infected . . . Kinda . . .” He shrugged. “Took me in. They didn’t seem to know I was uninfected.” His eyes darkened. “That is, until one of them . . . Did that weird thing where they talk.”
Evermore nodded thoughtfully. “What were you doing the whole time?”
“Being an assassin for hire—making money where I could, killing evil dragons where I couldn’t.” Roost sighed. “It’s a long story.
“I understand.” Evermore murmured.
Roost arched an eyebrow. “So what’s with the white scales? Mutated?”
Evermore nodded. “I’m adopted. So yes. I was born under three full moons, but I don’t have mind reading.” He pointed at the void black teardrops by his eyes. “Don’t know what those are for.”
“Hm.” Roost muttered thoughtfully. “Well they aren’t silver . . .”
Evermore rolled his eyes. “Duh.”
His new SkyWing friend smirked.
Evermore sighed. “Still, I find it strange that you are immune.”
“Why?”
“Well . . .” Evermore poked at his wound. “That.”
Roost’s eyes flashed white and he roared in pain, clutching his head. “Ahh . . .”
“Are you okay!?” Evermore cried, helping him against a tree.
Roost flinched. “Ow . . . My head hurts . . . A lot.”
Evermore bit his lip. “Can I help?”
“No . . . I’m fine.” The SkyWing clutched his head and weakly opened his eyes. “Actually, some water would be nice.”
The NightWing nodded vigorously and started folding a leaf into a cup shape. He furrowed his brow as an image flashed across his vision. He closed his eye for a moment, and it came into focus.
A slender LeafWing with a lithe frame and red opalescent LeafWing scales dotted around her. She also had silvery blue scales mixed in with the red, and piercing blue eyes.
The beautiful dragon was tossed onto the ground by an infected NightWing.
“Big mistake,” The LeafWing hissed as lashing vines sprouted from the ground and shot at the NightWing.
The vision ended and he blinked rapidly.
“Are you blushing?” Rooster laughed hoarsely. 
Evermore scowled at him. “No!”
The SkyWing rolled his eyes. “Okay, okay, whatever you say.”
~~~
Night fell, and Evermore was worrying even more. He still saw no trace of Ice’Night, and they’d been separated for hours.
His tail drifted absently in the water as he stared up at the crescent moons.
Evermore sighed and his wings drooped.
Poor Ice’Night, He thought. All alone all by herself. He sighed. Even though she is older than me, I—A vision of a SeaWing leaping from the river stole his breath away.
Before he could react, a SeaWing with pale blue scales and glowing white eyes grabbed his tail and pulled him into the water, clamping his snout shut.
Water rushed into Evermore’s nose and ears and he struggled against the SeaWing as it tried to bite him.
When he swam up to take a breath, the SeaWing pulled him back down and slashed its talon across where a SeaWing’s gills would be.
Evermore’s lungs screamed for air as he tried to fight off the infected.
Splash!
Evermore yelped, the last of his air escaping as a familiar dragon plowed into the water and attacked the SeaWing.
Evermore was thrown from the water, and he drank in the air gratefully.
The dragon roared, leaping from the water.
“Ice’Night!” Evermore cried, hugging his sister.
Crack.
Evermore was frozen in terror as Ice’Night’s eyes flashed open wide in pain, and she collapsed to the ground seconds later.
A branch had impaled her back.
The SeaWing hissed and snapped Ice’Night’s neck to make sure she was dead, then shoved her body aside with a deadly hiss.
Evermore backed away. Roost was lying bleeding on the ground. It was obvious he had tried to save Evermore before being tossed aside by the infected.
“No no no no no!” Evermore cried, dodging the SeaWing’s blows.
He barely escaped its looming jaws before rolling over to his sister, panicking. “Come on, Ice!” He begged. “Please be al . . . Alive?” Her eyes were still open, but lifeless.
Pain surged through Evermore’s body as the SeaWing tackled him, its claws digging into his back.
Evermore flipped onto his back and clawed at the SeaWing’s eyes. Classic SeaWing, He heard Leopard saying in his head. Attack with their claws first, then their mouth.
The SeaWing lunged at him again, and this time Evermore was ready. He ducked under its front claws and killed it with a stab of his claws to its underbelly. He directed its force into the river, where it struggled and gargled until it was dead.
Evermore was breathing quickly.
Roost was bleeding out, Ice’Night was dead, and everything he knew was crumbing around him.
It was only when he was done helping Roost that he noticed a huge gash in his back. Evermore teetered and toppled to the side, unconscious.
=== Chapter 3: Dawnbreak ===
Dawn was pretty sure she was dead. When she woke in a plain white space that resembled a dream she kept having, she was even more sure she was dead.
“What in the three moons and all the stars?” Dawnbreak murmured. “What is going ON?!”
“You’re lucid dreaming,” a cool, calm voice said. “It means you’re aware that you’re aware you’re dreaming.”
Dawn blinked. “What the heck—who are you?” She spun around, looking for the owner of the voice. Her eyes widened as a dragon who vaguely resembled her walked out of the fog. One of her eyes was replaced by a black and red flower, and one of her legs was made of vines. She had the same colors as Dawn, but brighter, and SkyWing wings.
“Who . . ?” Dawnbreak breathed, knowing the answer in her heart but not wanting to believe it. “You’re Firebug, aren’t you?”
The dragoness smiled sadly and tears fell from her eye. “I’m sorry,” She whispered. “I couldn’t save you. This is all my fault.”
Dawnbreak cried out and reached for her mother as everything faded black.
~~~
A sharp pain stabbed into Dawn’s scales, and it felt like acid was eating through her veins. She let out a bloodcurdling scream and her eyes flew open.
“WHAT THE FREAK!?” Dawnbreak leapt to her talons shakily and smacked a dragon in the face with her tail, ramming another’s head into the wall and clawing at the third.
“CALM DOWN!” A RainWing snapped. She was a little older than Sage, and had black scales with turquoise and teal accents. “We’re saving your life!”
“V-venom?” Dawnbreak asked incredulously. Dawn squeaked and suddenly crumpled to the ground, clutching her neck in pain. “Aahh . . . Everything hurts.” She whimpered as the RainWing pulled her talons away from her neck.
“Just take a deep breath, we’re almost done.” She said soothingly.
Dawnbreak inhaled sharply as the dragon she clawed at—a MudWing—poked her with a needle. All pain suddenly drained out of her and she fell into the RainWing, completely numb. “You’re not Venom, are you?” She mumbled in a slur of dazed sleep.
The dragon smirked and their scales seemed to cascade off of her, replaced by purple, reddish pink, and glisteny white underscales. “No, no I’m not.”
Dawnbreak hissed dangerously as her eyes started drifting shut.
“Go on,” She heard the RainWing hiss. “Bring her to The Pit.”
~~~
Dawnbreak felt like she was falling—which she was. And then a sharp pain rocketed through her spine as she hit rock bottom.
Her eyes slowly opened. Dawn’s wings were splayed out to the side, and her head was laying on the ground. Hundreds of infected were circling her dangerously.
“What . . . Ow . . .” She groaned and stood.
A cackle came from above her. A NightWing who she didn’t recognize and the RainWing from before were staring down at her.
“Willful,” The NightWing said. “That’s my name. And you’re part of my little army I’ve amassed here.”
Dawnbreak snarled at her. “What army? They’re just infected!”
“Yes, and they’ll help me destroy the world and raise it back up in my image,” Willful sneered. “Good luck. I’m sure you won’t last a single night.”
Dawn dodged a leaping infected, and chaos broke out the second she got back to her claws. Every single infected rushed at her, tumbling over each other to get to her soft flesh.
Dawnbreak jumped into the air, making a break for the surface. Her breath left her lungs and her wings fell to her sides as an electric shock coursed through her body.
“Oh,” The RainWing smirked at her as she plummeted back down towards the clutches of the infected. “We have your father as well. Be good or he dies.”
Just before Dawnbreak hit the infected, she roared and vines and plants exploded from the ground.
Willful growled in surprise and shock.
Venus dragon-traps snapped at the infected, throwing them away from Dawnbreak. Weeds dragged the infected away from her, and pinned them to the walls and ground.
Dawn turned slowly and menacingly towards Willful and the RainWing. Her eyes were blazing with cerulean fury. “Oh-ho-ho, nice. Try.” She smirked. “But a big mistake.” She launched into the air, plants surging up like a tidal wave behind her.
Willful screamed and dashed away. The RainWing was frozen in terror.
Dawnbreak smirked. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I . . . I . . .”
“I thought so.” Dawn smacked her with the back of her talon, and vines wrapped around her. The vines tossed her into the pit and she screamed as she plummeted from view.
Dawnbreak shook out her wings and walked out of the large chamber. Every and any dragon that tried to stop her was immediately pinned down or knocked out by her giant army of plants. She smiled to herself as she walked right past the cowering Willful and out of the mountain.
Dawn looked out. It appeared as if she was at the border between the mud and sky kingdoms. She frowned to herself. How am I supposed to know where home is, if—
“Forgetting someone?”
She whirled about and gasped. Willful had a knife to Sage’s neck. She wasn’t lying about him being here! She thought.
“Dawn—“ Sage breathed. “Please, don’t do whatever it is she wants.”
Willful sneered. “All I want is for you to die. So let me kill you and your father lives.”
Dawnbreak hesitated.
“Don’t try the plant trick, he’ll be dead in two seconds,” The NightWing hissed.
Tears welled in Dawn’s eyes. “Sage!”
“Dawnbreak, I’ll be . . .” He suddenly fell to the ground as Willful abruptly released him. 
An infected ripped Willful to shreds with its claws, not bothering to infect her. It was a LeafWing with flowers blooming along both sides of its neck and sides, running down to its tail where a huge flower bloomed. “Hello there,” It hissed in a cold tone. “We meet again. I have your mother, why not take you too?” The LeafWing sneered. “But first . . .” She picked up Sage by the neck like he was nothing more than a doll.
“NO!” Dawnbreak’s leafspeak was repelled suddenly and she staggered back. The hybrid fell to her knees helpless as the LeafWing raised its tail flower up to Sage’s face. She laughed and pressed the flower to his nose, forcing him to inhale the pollen.
“Dawn . . .” Sage coughed. “Don’t let me infect them—“ His eyes rolled back and became glassy white. He sputtered for a moment before standing and staring at Dawnbreak. He was infected.
“NO!” Dawnbreak screamed. “SAGE!”
The LeafWing cackled. “You’re all alone now, Dawnbreak. There’s nobody to save you now.”
Dawn recoiled as Sage advanced on her, his lifeless eyes boring into her soul. “Dawnbreak,” Sage hissed. “I’m sorry . . .”
Dawn screamed and turned. She ran as fast as she could, her face scraping against branches as she plowed through the forest.
She heard the Breath of Evil laughing through the LeafWing behind her. “No matter where you go, Dawn, you’ll never escape . . .”
~~~
Dawn’s heart was still pounding. She was cowering under a rock that jutted out from the roots of a tree. She had used her leafspeak to hide herself with bushes.  Dawnbreak held her head in her talons and tried to hide under her wings. No no no no! This can’t be happening! She thought. Sage . . . Infected? How could I let that happen?! Tears spilled over her talons as the thoughts tumbled around in her head.
She knew she had been followed, but the thought didn’t strike her until she heard a voice.
“Hello?”
It must be the Breath of Evil, Dawnbreak thought. I’m going to die . . . No. I have to get revenge for Sage. She crouched low, ready to strike. All of her pent-up rage was released as she sped out, still low like a cat ready to strike a mouse.
She rammed right into a SkyWing and NightWing pair, her eyes large with fury. The NightWing yelped and stumbled to the side like a floundering fish.
The SkyWing growled and redirected her momentum into a tree. “Infected?” He said—then ended it like it was a question.
Dawnbreak, in her fury, launched back at him and scraped her talons across his face.
The SkyWing caught her. “What the . . .” He released her and stepped back. “She’s not infected.”
Dawnbreak had tears in her eyes. She flared her wings defensively and snarled at them. 
“Woah, calm down!” The NightWing soothed. It appeared like he has been painted with white—or was a hybrid of some sort. He smiled. “I’m Evermore of the NightWings, and this—“	
“Roost.” The SkyWing said stoutly. “A SkyWing. Duh. What—WHO are you?” He asked, looking prepared for another strike.
Dawnbreak swiped the tears from her eyes and stood down, folding her wings and standing straight. “Dawnbreak. And my father was just infected, so I can’t say I’m in the best mood.”
Evermore looked at the ground. “Oh.”
“Are you a hybrid?” Dawn asked curiously.
The NightWing shook his head. “No. Just some sort of . . . Genetic defect.” He sighed. “I was hatched in an infected egg under two full moons. Somehow I’m immune instead of infected.”
Roost nodded slowly. “Me too . . . Although skip the born from an infected egg and the two moons. I’m immune . . . Somehow.”
Dawnbreak looked from Roost to Evermore. “How convenient that two immune dragons just happen to walk right up to my doorstep,” She said sarcastically. “How am I supposed to believe you?”
Roost sighed. “You’ll just have to wait and see.” He arched an eyebrow. “I’m preeeety sure that you’re a hybrid. What tribes? Rain-Leaf?”
Dawnbreak shuffled her wings uncomfortably. “No. I’m a tribrid—LeafWing dominant. Leaf-Sky-Ice.”
Roost seemed to relax a little after that. “Well, we should probably get out of here, I saw a few infected a little ways away from here.”
Dawn shuddered. “Fine. Have a nice life.” She turned as if to leave, but Roost caught her wing.
“Nuh-uh, no you don’t!” He exclaimed. “We’re going together, at least for now.”
“And why is that?” Dawnbreak hissed, feeling the grass beneath her talons.
Roost looked firmly at her. “It’s safer to travel in a group, and you might need protection.”
Dawnbreak blinked. “Wh-what?” She barked out a laugh and shook him off of her. “I need protection?” She smirked. “Yeah, no. If you havent noticed, leafspeak.” She flared her left wing and a vine grew from the ground, poking at Roost.
Evermore yelped and jumped backwards. “Three moons!” He exclaimed. “That was fast!”
Dawn nodded. “Can I—“
The LeafWing exploded from the underbrush, tackling Dawn. She screamed as the pale green dragon registered in her head.
“Sage?!”
Roost was about to decapitate the infected with a sword when another LeafWing emerged from the trees. It was the same infected vessel for the Breath of Evil as before.
Evermore stepped back hesitantly.
“Hello there.” The LeafWing raised her tail flower with a smirk. “Don’t touch that infected if you know what’s good for you.”
Dawnbreak looked up at the snarling face of her father as tears rolled down her face. “Run,” She said. “I’ll be fine.”
Evermore growled. “What . . .”
“I’m the Breath of Evil,” The LeafWing hissed. “But you can call me flower.”
Dawn suddenly closed her eyes, and vines shot from the ground. They solidified into branches, trapping Sage. “COME ON!” She bolted over to Evermore and Roost, and they turned to run.
Flower scowled and pressed her talon into the ground. Spindly vines shot out at them, black and red flowers blooming.
Dawn skidded around Evermore and grabbed the NightWing and SkyWing’s wings, dashing away as the vines shot after them.
Flower pursued, hissing angrily.
Roost shook her off and growled. “Come on, fly! The Vines can’t catch us in the air.”
Dawnbreak and Evermore launched up in unison directly after Roost. She beat the air as hard as she could, rocketing up above the trees. “Okay, we should be saAAAAA!” She screamed as Flower landed on her back and vines pinned her wings to her sides. Roost roared and flew for Flower with his sword.
Flower dropped Dawnbreak as the vines pinned her snout shut. 
Dawn struggled against the vines as a flower bloomed on her snout. Holding her breath, she started untying herself. Her lungs were screaming for air, and she felt like she was about to pass out. She inhaled on accident, and immediately felt the pollen in her nose.
Dawnbreak screamed and clutched her head as voices started berating her skull. No no no . . . NO! She writhed on the ground as more flowers bloomed around her, and she inhaled more pollen.
Dawn’s vision blurred and she fell limp. Her consciousness weakened, and everything went dark.
=== Chapter 4: Evermore ===
Without even thinking, Evermore dove after Dawnbreak. She crashed through the trees, and he gracefully looped between the branches, pursuing after her.
Come on . . . There! He landed a few tail-lengths away from her, seeing the flowers surrounding the dragoness. Just gotta get her out of there, He thought. His heart was racing as he held his breath and jumped into the flowers—before realizing he was immune. Even so, he didn’t take the risk of inhaling the blood-red pollen. 
He looked down at Dawn, ignoring a roar behind him, and hauled her into the air. Evermore strained to keep in the air as he flew the two of them.
Roost was battling Flower, who was screaming about how he was immune and it should be “impossible”.
Evermore blasted Flower with fire as he swooped past her, and she roared in agony. Roost helped him carry Dawn, and the two sped off towards the sunset.
~~~
Evermore landed on the hard, rocky, gravelly ground that was the Sky-Sand border. Shaking out his sore wings, he gently lay Dawn down. Her eyes were darting around under her eyelids, and her talons were twitching.
Roost bit his lip. “How is she not infected yet?”
“She could be . . .” Evermore started.
Roost looked doubtful. “Three immune dragons? I highly doubt it.”
“That’s how I wrote heeeeeerrrrruuuuhhmmmm . . .” He looked away, trying to ignore Roost’s questioning look.
“OH THREE MOONS!” The SkyWing suddenly yelled, grabbing Evermore’s wing. “Get back!”
Evermore yelped as he was pulled back. Dawnbreak’s paws were flexed, and small infectious flowers were slowly blooming.
“She must be infected,” Roost hissed. “Right?”
Evermore looked around and picked up a stick. “Hold on.” He flicked Roost off and swiftly bonked Dawn on the head. Hard.
Screaming, the LeafWing floundered to her talons and smacked Evermore away with her wing, hitting Roost with the other. Her tail lashed anxiously behind her. The pupils of her eyes were white, but her irises and scleras were the normal icy blue.
“What . . .” She asked quietly. “What happened?” She let out another scream/yelp and fell backwards as she saw the flowers at her talons. 
“Calm down!” Roost grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. “It’s all okay. Just take a breath.”
Evermore swiftly torched the flowers, making them into ash quickly.
Dawnbreak looked like she was about to panic. “What’s going on!? Why did I grow infected flowers?! W-what . . .”
Evermore looked surprised as he saw her eyes.
“What?” She demanded.
“Nothing?”
Roost sighed. “Just take a deep breath and let’s recap. You were infected by Flower—that LeafWing—and Evermore rescued you. I mortally wounded her, so she should be dead soon.”
“INFECTED?!” Dawnbreak wrenched away, backing up slowly. “I’m . . . Infected?”
“You look like it, but obviously you’re not,” Evermore pointed out.
Dawn shuddered. “I can hear these voices in the back of my mind telling me to grow those flowers,” She whispered, sitting defeatedly and looking at her claws. 
Roost put a wing around her. “Come on. We’ll get some food and find someplace to stay tonight.” He smiled at her. “You’ll be fine.”
Evermore nodded. “Yeah.”
A flicker of a reassured smile crossed Dawnbreak’s face. “Is it just me or are you blushing?” She asked Roost.
The SkyWing turned defensively and frowned, trying not to smile. “No!”
Evermore felt a pang he couldn’t identify and shook out his wings. “Alright, come on. We should head higher into the mountains—Infected can’t fly very long. Or well.”
Dawn nodded and stood. “Alright. After you?”
“Ladies first!” Roost exclaimed.
The LeafWing smiled at him and jumped into the air. “Alright. Come on!”
Evermore jumped after her, looking back at Roost who was flushed. The NightWing looked away with a sigh, trying to get the image of Ice’Night out of his mind.
A chill went down his spine as sadness and dread crashed down on him. She’s dead, He thought. Forever.
~~~
“We should be safe up here,” Roost said, picking up a rock and examining it. “For a while at least.”
Evermore nodded. “Yes—the Claws of the Clouds Mountains should keep some infected away from us.” He smiled a little. 
Dawnbreak sat down in the cave. “I can grow food unless you’re against it.”
Roost shook out his wings. “I can catch birds, but I think fruit should be a last resort.” He grimaced.
“Phht—“ Dawn snorted. “You don’t like fruit, do you?”
Evermore shrugged. “I don’t remember ever eating fruit, so sure!”
“What?” Dawnbreak was incredulous. “How?”
The NightWing shrugged. “I’ve lived in the Ice Kingdom my whole life. Ice’Night, my sister, and I only left the kingdom for food and weapons.” Evermore sighed sadly. “And then . . .”
“He met me,” Roost said guiltily. “When I’d almost been killed. Then an infected attacked, and Ice’Night was killed.”
Dawnbreak looked down sadly. “I’m very sorry about that, Evermore.”
Evermore nodded with a sad expression. “I don’t know what to tell my mother. She’ll be heartbroken.”
“What happened to your father?” Roost asked curiously.
“He’s . . .” Wait, He thought. He looked up at Dawnbreak. A vision bolted through his brain, and he flinched, catching his head. 
The image focused, and his eyes glowed white like they did when he had an important vision. 
“Beware the hive queen, beware flame and fire, lest your talons destroy you in your skybroken hour.” He said ominously. 
In his mind, he sorted through the vision. A moonlit field, with a dark shrouded dragon and Roost standing there. Roost turned and said something to the dark dragon. They looked shocked, and suddenly turned. Roost reached after them as they ran away. The vision changed, and his brow furrowed. Dawnbreak roared and struggled against infectious vines as they pulled her into the ground. Evermore saw himself grabbing her talon and pulling her from the writhing vines. He gasped and his eyes flashed open as Flower appeared behind him, and a vine stabbed straight through Evermore’s chest. Vines erupted across his scales, and Evermore was transformed into a monstrous vine beast. Dawnbreak screamed and the scene faded black.
“Ice and fire, burning flame, dragons screaming the chosen one’s name.” Evermore’s eyes flickered and he finished, “Mind of one the flowers spread, darkness learning light has led.”
He groaned and staggered to the side, catching himself on the cave wall.
Dawn’s eyes were wide as she stared at him. 
“Evermore?” Roost asked slowly. “What. Was. That.”
=== Chapter 5; Dawnbreak ===
Dawnbreak’s mind was racing around frantically. “Was that a prophecy?!” She suddenly exclaimed.
Evermore opened and closed his mouth. “I . . .” He righted himself. “That was a prophecy.”
“A prophecy?” Dawn echoed. No, wait—why!? Why did it have to be a PROPHECY?! She thought. “Why?”
Evermore shuddered. “I . . . Don’t know. But I saw multiple things. In one future, I was infected. In another, someone abandoned Roost but I don’t know who.”
Roost looked suspicious. “Strange. What could ‘lest your talons destroy you in your skybroken hour’ mean?”
“No idea,” Dawnbreak hissed. “And frankly, I couldn’t care less. Prophecies are a bunch of bird poop in my opinion.”
Evermore caught her wing. “Listen to me,” He said. “I know what I saw. We’re in danger.”
Dawn hissed and pulled away. “Don’t start,” She replied. 
Roost bit his lip. “Don’t fight, you two,” He ordered. “That won’t help anything.”
Dawnbreak looked down. “Fine,” she said harshly. “But don’t expect me to get wrapped up in this web of ‘prophetic’ lies that could never come true.” She brushed past the two of them and sat in a dark corner. As rain started pattering outside, she closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.
Dawnbreak hissed and turned in a circle as she found herself in a dark room. The ground rippled like water as her claws and tail touched it.
	“Hello again.”
	Dawn whipped about and saw Firebug behind her, gazing at her sadly.
	“Mother?” Dawnbreak breathed. “Is that you?”
Firebug walked up to Dawn and a tear fell from her eye. The trybrid held Dawnbreak’s claw. “Dawn . . . I know what happened to Sage.” She extended her wings and Sage walked out from the shadows.
	“Dad? Mom? I . . .” Dawnbreak’s voice quivered. “How are you here?”
	“We’re both infected, Dawn.” Sage said sadly.
Dawnbreak was about to say something, but Firebug pulled away. The plop of a tear hitting the water-like ground echoed through the room as infected dragons suddenly started appearing, murmuring Dawn’s name.
	“Wait!” Dawnbreak cried. “Mother, come back!” Dawn chased after Firebug as she turned and walked away.
	The plopping noise swelled and grew into the roar of a waterfall.
	Dawn’s talons suddenly slipped and she was thrown forward into the inky water. She thrashed as she sank deeper and deeper until everything faded away.
Dawnbreak woke with a start, her breathing heavy. “What . . .” She murmured. The moons barely shone into a cave, the silver surfaces only a sliver in the sky. Dawn stood silently and looked around. Roost was sleeping silently against the wall, his left wing spread out on the floor. Evermore was sitting in the mouth of the cave, looking out at the moons.
Dawnbreak walked over next to him and sat down. 
The NightWing looked over at her. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“Yeah.” Dawn’s tail swept through the mist outside the cave. “Why are you awake?”
“I am a NightWing if you haven’t noticed,” Evermore replied. “I usually don’t sleep much.”
Dawnbreak sighed, then her eye caught something shooting through the sky. “What’s that?”
Evermore smiled. “A falling star.”
“Oh.” Dawnbreak watched it fall down into the mountain range. “I didn’t know stars did that.”
“Me neither.” A voice said behind them.
Evermore and Dawn jumped as Roost poked his head between the two. “Neat.”
Evermore stood, shaking out his mist-coated wings. “You can go find it if you want. I’m going to try to sleep.”
Dawnbreak watched as he lay down at the back of the cave, wrapped in his wings like a caterpillar going into a chrysalis.
“Wanna come?” Roost asked, preparing to fly.
“Where?” Dawn asked, standing as well.
Roost smiled. “To find a star, of course!”
~~~
Dawnbreak gasped as the pair rounded a bend and saw something shiny embedded in the ground.
“That’s a star?” Roost asked quietly, walking over to the thing and peering at it.
Dawn joined him. “No idea.” She carefully dug it out and scraped the mud off. It was a large, glittery piece of stone that had an iridescent white shine to it. It had a sandstone like texture, and seemed to match the moon in color.
“It’s not a star,” Roost breathed. “It’s a piece of the moon!”
Dawnbreak’s eyes widened. “Wow.” Was all she could say. She looked up at her SkyWing friend. “Should we even have this? The moons don’t just drop chunks of them randomly. Is this some kind of sign?”
“Don’t overthink it,” Roost replied. “I think it’s just a moon rock.”
“What should we call it?” Dawn smiled. “Moon-rock? Moonstone? Glittery lump of moon stuff?”
Roost snorted. “I think moonstone is a good name.”
She nodded. “Then we’re in agreement. Maybe we can find someone at the Reunion stronghold to make something out of this.”
“Where’s Reunion?” Roost inquired curiously.
Dawnbreak shrugged. “My father said it’s what replaced Possibility after the infection broke out.” She heard the snap of a twig behind her, but thought nothing of it. “They made it into a faction trading center.”
“Interesting.”
Snap.
Dawnbreak looked behind her. “Did you hear that?”
“No,” Roost said slowly. “Maybe we should head back to the cave.”
“Good idea.” Dawn stood and cradled the moonstone in her arm. Just before she jumped into the air, something shot from the forest and and slammed into her face.
Pain stabbed into her chest and she screamed as the invisible dragon attacked.
Roost growled angrily and breathed a stream of fire onto the dragon. “It’s a RainWing!” He exclaimed.
Dawnbreak roared and clawed at the dragon as pain blazed across her eyes.
WHAM!
Roost tackled the RainWing and pinned it to the ground. The RainWing uncloaked, revealing a pure white dragon missing chunks of flesh in places, with exposed bones. Their glassy white eyes were trained on Dawn.
Dawnbreak’s vision was blurry and it hurt to open her eyes. “You little—!” She dug her talons into the ground, and vines tied the infected RainWing to the ground.
Roost looked over at her and his eyes widened. “Um . . . Dawn, don’t look down.”
Too late. Dawnbreak was staring horrified at a knife lodged in her chest. “Ow.” She squeaked out before crumpling to the ground in pain.
Altitude quickly killed the RainWing with a practiced slice and picked up Dawnbreak. “You’ll be fine,” he said soothingly. “I’ll get you back to the cave, just take deep breaths.”
Dawn winced.
Roaring came from behind them, and more infected scrambled through the mountains after them.
“They must’ve heard us,” Dawn managed to say.
Roost nodded. “Hold on, I’m getting us out of here.” He jumped into the sky, his huge wings spreading out on either side of him. His eyes narrowed with strain, the SkyWing slowly gained altitude.
Roost bit his lip as Dawnbreak passed out. “Come on,” He snarled to himself. “Almost . . . THERE!” He flung himself into the mouth of the cave just before the sun peeked over the horizon.
Evermore yelped and scrambled to his feet, startled. “What happened?”	
“Dawnbreak got stabbed.” Roost answered quickly. The roar of infected made him flinch. “And I was followed.”
=== Chapter 6: Roost ===
This is bad, this is really bad, A tiny voice in the back of Roost’s mind squeaked. It was drowned out by his other thoughts. She could be dying! We need to do something! Oh by all the snakes—He whipped around as infected started pulling themselves up into the cave.
“Get Dawn back,” Roost ordered. “I’ll take care of them.”
“How?” Evermore exclaimed. “You can’t—“ His eyes widened as smoke started to rise from Roost’s scales. “YOU’RE A FIRESCALES!?’
Roost didn’t bother to answer. He roared and charged into the fray, his blood red scales now glowing a dangerous red-orange. Infected let out shrieks of pain as they tried to tackle him. “Get back!” He ordered, smacking five dragons out of the cave entrance with his wing.
Roost winced in pain as a SandWing bit into his tail and latched on like some sort of snake. The infection in its teeth burned away and Roost smacked the other infected with the SandWing like a wrecking ball.
“Die already, you cursed worm!” Roost snarled, prying the SandWing off of his tail and hurling it out of the cave.
“You can’t keep this up,” Evermore called. “We need to get out of here!”
“I’ll clear a path!” Roost shouted back. “Get out! I’ll be—arg—right behind you!” He breathed a stream of flames onto the nearest dragon and reared up, preparing to attack.
The wind was knocked out of Roost as an IceWing blasted him with frostbreath. He staggered back, ignoring the ice crystals as they melted against his face.
Roost used his wings and arms to shove the infected aside, just before Evermore—with Dawnbreak on his back—ran out of the cave. He jumped right out of the cave after him, hovering for a moment and torching the dragons beneath him.
Go go go! Roost urged himself as infected pulled at his wing webbing and tail. With one last blast of fire, he shook them off and propelled after Evermore.
“I can’t believe you’re a firescales,” Evermore hissed. 
“Just hurry up!” Roost urged.
Dawnbreak stirred from Evermore’s back. Roost focused on cooling his scales and took Dawn from his NightWing friend.
Evermore shook his head in disbelief. “How is this possible . . ?”
“Wha—?” Dawnbreak shook herself awake, staring up at Roost. The pain didn’t register for a moment, then she cried out, going to pull the knife out. Roost stopped her. 
“You’ll bleed out!” He exclaimed. “Come on, I see the Diamond Spray River. We’ll stop here.” He dove down, hurtling at the ground like a bird of prey. Evermore flapped after him, and they landed on the squishy ground.
“Oh by all the snakes—“ Roost cried as more infected crawled from the mud.
Evermore flared his wings. “We’re surrounded.”
The infected paused, making a circle around them. They snarled and roared, snapping their jaws and hissing.
Dawnbreak hissed in pain, tears forming in her eyes. 
“Evermore, get Dawnbreak away from here,” Roost hissed, passing her off. “Oh . . .” He smirked. “You might want to run.” He let out a roar, and spun in a circle. A tornado of flames erupted from his maw, and all of the infected converged on him. Roost activated his firescales, and watched as Evermore shot into the sky.
Pain smacked into his side as a SandWing swiped its tail barb across his tail. “Flipping moon forsaken little—!” Roost dismembered the SandWing and jumped into the air, circling to stall some more.
He felt the poison in his veins, and his wings faltered as the weakness spread.
A SkyWing slammed him into the ground, and the others surrounded him. “Look who it is,” The Breath of Evil snarled. “You just refuse to die. Well . . .” She grinned. “Say goodbye, firescales.” Even as the dragoness was burning, she roared and went to slice his throat.
Roost screamed as hundreds of fangs and talons descended on him, blacking out his vision.
Category:Fanfictions
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Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
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Category:Content (Starscatter-the-AbyssWing!)