Anima (Sunset the Rainwing 13)

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This character belongs to Sunset. Theft or vandalism will not be tolerated. 
 
Note - at this time in Pyrrhian history: 
*BeetleWings and LeafWings still lived on Pyrrhia.
* NightWings had many moonborn dragonets.
*RainWings were feared monsters.
*Every newly founded dragon tribe was working to drive the scavengers to extinction.
==Intro==
Created for Macanut23's character contest, this character is a warning tale of the dangers of animus magic unchecked, even in a dragon so inherently good.
==Backstory==
Anima was born in a small town that would eventually become part of the IceWing royal palace. She learned of her magic when she was four years old, when she accidentally enchanted a pine branch yo burn itself. She'd been frustrated that her older brother could start the fireplace in their home but not her, and so her parents let her try, only for her too almost burn down their entire home. In that day, the first queen of the IceWings, Queen Ice, was ruling, and as she had not yet figured out how to create elaborate homes out of hewn ice blocks, and therefore almost all IceWing citizens lived in small, wooden, very flammable homes. At first, the family thought it was a fluke, a spark left in the fireplace or something of that ilk. However, Anima started using her power in small bits, and eventually, once she was sure, she brought the information - and several living ice statues - to her parents, who insisted on visiting the queen to investigate more. Anima didn't particularly want to, but she hesitantly agreed and the family flew a half mile to the palace the next day. In that time, the queen was much more like one of the people, and didn't even have a crown yet. She met them in a beautiful grove of tall, dark green pines, where Anima and her parents explained the power she had. They didn't realize, but her brother, Shiver, was jealous of Ani, and that jealousy would be both of their downfalls. Queen Ice invited Anima to live in the palace, along with her family. They decided to take her up on her offer, and settled in quicjly. Throughout the years, Shiver convinced Ani again and again to create him things from her magic, from living statue to an earring that could make it snow. Ani loved her brother, and couldn't see past his kind exterior to the jealousy within. Finally, years later, Shiver became engaged to a lovely IceWing noble, and at their wedding feast, he pulled her aside. 
 
"Ani," he said hesitantly. "You know it's my wedding day..." 
"Yes, of course I do! This is the best day of my life! I'm so happy for you, Shiver, Snow is so beautiful and kind and -" 
"I have a... request, for my wedding gift." 
"Oh... okay, what is it?" Ami waited for a response. "...Shiver? You alright?" 
"Yes, yes, of course. Can you... well... could you... make me have magic? Like you?" Ani opened her mouth, then snapped it shut as if remembering something. 
"I'm sorry, Shiver, I can't do that. I can't enchant a living thing. Even if it was possible, it would be barbaric. Cruel." A flash of anger flickered across his features before he calmed himself. 
"I'm sure you could! We could work as I team, if I had magic, helping the kingdom!" He said hopefully, teeth gritted. 
"Would... would you? Enchant a living dragon?" 
He shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know." 
"No. No, this - this isn't right. Enchanting a dragon, that's... that's cruel, villainous." She took a step away from her brother. 
"No, Ani, wait -" 
"Goodbye, Shiver. I think I need a little time to myself." 
"Ani -" But she was gone. Shiver wouldn't get his dream, and for good reason - he was much angrier, ruder, crueler than his younger sister. Maybe that's why magic chose her. 
 
Ani moved to a village about three hours' flight from the palace, where she lived for six months, thinking about her gift, and her responsibilities. While there, she fell in love with a handsome IceWing named Cyprus. Together, they moved back to the palace and got married. Things were still tense between Ani and Shiver, and the whole palace felt the animosity. When Shiver's wife, Snow, had an egg, Ani was overjoyed, but still tried to avoid her brother. 
It wasn't long after that egg hatched that Anima and Cyprus had one of their own, and things seemed to finally have settled down. Ani used her magic to create a beautiful home for their new family to live in, and Cyprus started noticing her acting strange. She cast glares at her friends, snapped at dragonets, and seemed distant and cold, so unlike his kind, sweet, gentle wife. 
Their egg hatched, and the couple took care of their precious twins, a boy and a girl, Crevasse and Flurry. Cyprus watched as the twins grew up, but grew away from their mother. He wanted them to see her as he once had, but she was getting... the only word he could find was cruel. She didn't seem to care about her children at all, and treated them like servants. 
Then, when the twins were four years old, Anima snapped. She used her magic to destroy part of the palace, killing her friend, the Queen, and the Queen's husband, as well as several guards. She went on a rampage through the new kingdom. 
Her family and friends watched in horror as she blazed across the beautiful new city, destroying and killing and taking what she wanted. Hundreds of dragon tried to kill her, only to be killed in seconds with a wave of her hand. 
Anima stood in the square, waiting for the crowds to arrive, as usual. Ah, here they were, right on time. 
"Welcome," she said. Except... she didn't say it. It was this voice, this persistent little voice in her head, the one that had drawn her into evil. She'd tried to fight it at first, only to feel it drag her under more. 
She was drowning, floundering without a hold inside her own mind. There was no escape from what she was doing. This voice, this part of her, had full control, of her body, her magic, and her voice. This was the end, however long it took. 
Below her, the gathered dragon milled around, looking nervously at Ani. With one flick of the her wrist, two dragons dropped. Ani tried to shut her eyes, but it was impossible. This evil had itself wrapped entirely around her, choking her slowly. 
She wondered, just for a second, if she could embrace the cool darkness, then shook off the horrible thought. Below, body after body fell, Ani's own talons doing it. 
She felt her talons moving. 
Felt the slight strain in her muscles as she reached. 
Felt each harsh blast of wind hit her scales. 
None of it stopped her, not until every IceWing in the square had fallen. She didn't even look back. 
Cyprus sent his children to live with the SeaWings for a bit, while he tried to rescued Ani. While there, Crevasse fell in love with a SeaWing noble, and, to Flurry's horror, he decided to stay in the Sea Kingdom. (This is how animus magic entered the SeaWing line.) 
Cyprus searched and searched, and finally tracked her down in a far-off corner of the kingdom. She had just barely fought off the madness, and was able to speak to him. 
"Ani." Cyprus's voice was choked. "Are you there?" 
"Yes. Yes, I am, finally." She rushed over and flung her wings around him. "It's so terrible, Cyprus, like... like another dragon is living inside me, taking control over and over." 
"It's okay, we'll figure this out. The twins will be so excited to have you back." At the mention of her dragonets, Ani flinched. Slowly she looked into her husband's eyes. 
"You have to realize... there is no way away from this. I am gone, there's no saving me at this point. This power... it's destroying me from within. It must be stopped, I must be stopped. Do whatever you must." She took a deep breath and stepped back, pain written on her face. 
"Ani... no. No,you can't mean... that. You will make it out of this, you will see your dragonets again." Sadly, she shook her head. 
"Please, Cyprus... just tell the twins I love them." Without another word, Cyprus flew off, but not for the purpose she thought. 
He called the twins back from the SeaWings, despite his son's protests, so they could witness their mother being healed. Then, he went to the Queen's sister, Agate, one of Ani's best friends, and asked her for advice. She told him that they had to follow Ani's wishes. She said that only Ani would know how to stop herself. Cyprus protested, and insisted on trying to save her. 
It was a cold sunrise when the four dragons gathered, waiting for their best friend, wife, mother, who had transformed into some kind of... monster. She finally appeared. 
Ani landed in front of them, and all four could see that she wasn't herself. She was dangerous looking, coming closer and closer until - with a leap, she was on top of Cyprus, her claws at his throat. 
"Stop! Ani, I know you're in there!" He'd barely gotten out the words when he realized her claws had stopped, frozen. She wore an expression of shock as she slowly lowered herself to the ground, a pool of blood staining the grass from a brand-new wound. Agate stood next to her, looking horrified as she glanced between the bloody spear in her claws and her friend on the ground. As one, the two adult dragons dropped to Ani's side. 
"It's... it's alright. You did the right thing." Ani whispered. It was almost as if the magic was the first to die, leaving her as she'd been before, that kind, gentle, sweet dragon who only wanted the best for herself and her family. Tears streaked the faces of Cyprus and Agate as they each held one of her talons in theirs, watching this powerful, beautiful, wonderful dragon come to the worst end. 
"Why did it have to be you?" The small voice made them all turn their heads to Flurry, nervously watching her mother. 
"My daughter." Ani said, growing weaker. With a distraught cry, the sobbing dragon dropped to her mother's side, sobbing with every breath. Her brother joined her. 
"I'm sorry, my children, for what I put you through." Her voice was almost too soft to hear - almost. I'm sorry to all of you." 
"We forgive you." Her daughter, Flurry, said. 
"We forgive you, Mama." Her son, Crevasse, echoed. 
"I love you. I forgive you, always," Cyprus said quietly. 
"We all forgive you. Your name will be honored." Agate was the last to speak. 
And that was how Ani's life ended. Staring up at the closest dragons in her life, as they begged her not to go. But she was ready, she knew. Ready to escape the magic, the pain, the hurt. Ready to be free. 
== Ani's Legend ==
All four of the dragons at her deathbed passed down her tale, telling their children, and their children, and their children, of the brave dragon who died to save the tribe from herself. 
Agate saw the potential in Flurry, and placed her next on the throne instead of herself. The new queen in turn had three dragonets, one of whom was an animus. He was taught his whole life the dangers of his magic, and never hurt a single dragon. From there, all animi were taught the danger of their power. 
Ani's legacy still lives today, in the talons of so many impressive dragons who bear the sane responsibility that she did.
To put it simply: she may have died, but her story did not. And she will live on, through millennia after millennia. 
== Personality ==
Before she lost her soul: 
* Kind
* Caring
* Loving
* Gentle
* Fair
* She loved her friends and family beyond measure and tried her best to always keep the peace. 
* She would have been overjoyed to learn of it her thousands of descendants living throughout Pyrrhia.
* She was so proud of her dragonets and would've been so happy if she could've seen how they each ruled their kingdom with fairness and mercy. 
After she lost her soul: 
* Cruel 
* Cold 
* Calculating 
* Unforgiving. 
* She could occasionally take her mind back, but could never hold onto it for long.
*
== Relationships ==
Cyprus - husband - positive 
She loved Cyprus so much, and it hurt her so much when she had to tell him to kill her. She was glad he hadn't done it in the end, so he didn't have that guilt hanging over to him. She knew her best friend could handle it better. 
Agate - best friend - positive 
Her best friend was always by her side, even in death, loyal to the hardest commands, even to the literal death. Having to kill Ani was the hardest thing she ever did, and she made up for it by supporting Ani's daughter on the IceWing throne. 
Flurry - daughter - positive 
Ani loved her daughter, both her children, so much. Flurry theorized years later that her love for her dragonet and husband were what kept her at least partly sane, and what, in the end, saved the Ice Kingdom. Flurry went on to be a successful queen, and the kingdom stayed at peace until the end of her granddaughter's rule many years later, when the Leaf-Ice War broke out. (See 'Lucky' in my content, or search it hehe.) 
Crevasse - son - positive
Her only son, Crevasse, was very close to his mother in the early years of his life, and devastated at her death. The two had had a special bond, that, when broken, was the last straw for him. He told the remainder of his family goodbye, and headed to the Kingdom of the Sea to be with the dragon he'd fallen in love with. Years later, she ascended to the throne, and their dragonets passed the magic down for generation after generation, until the first known SeaWing animi, Albatross and Fathom. 
Shiver - brother - negative/neutral 
When they were children, the two were closer than close, but Shiver's power-hungry nature drove Anima away from the palace, away from her brother, and to a more quiet life in the wilderness of the Ice Kingdom. 
==Gallery==
File:Anima the IceWing by Anderss161.png|Art by Anderss161, base by Local Gay Rat Boy
File:Anima the IceWing by XxCrashxXx.png|Art by XxCrashxXx
File:Anima the IceWing by Shadowhunter3411.png|Art by Shadowhunter3411, base by Mezepheles
File:Anima the IceWing .png|Base by SoFizzticated, fill by ~Northstar Light~!
Category:Characters
Category:Work in Progress
Category:Deceased
Category:Females
Category:Occupation (Government)
Category:Animus
Category:IceWings
Category:Content (Sunset the Rainwing 13)