Struggle

==Prologue==
"Kill one, Kestrel. And you and the other shall be spared." Queen Scarlet demanded, the rain pouring over her orange scales. "Do not disobey your queen."
Kestrel looked down at the two dragonets at her feet, one with no fire and one with too much. 
Her daughter, who she had called Finch, looked up at her with sorry blue eyes.
Kestrel felt her heart sink as the thunder of flapping wings approached. The guards! Her head turned to the small male. Soar, I'm so sorry... She raised her claws, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt them collide with the tiny form. She sobbed softly as she turned away.
Scarlet gazed at the tiny dragonet's body for a moment. "You know, Kestrel. What fun would this be if I just let you go?"
The red Skywing's eyes flew open as she snarled in the queen's face. "You wouldn't!"
Scarlet grinned. "I'm going to kill that dragonet. And you'll be next when I put you on trial."
Kestrel whirled around, grabbing ahold of her daughter as she hurtled into the sky. She yowled in pain as the dragonet's scales burned her own. She looked at her daughter, turning back and leaving her on the rock ledge. "Goodbye Finch. I will always love you, no matter what that beast of a queen does to you." she muttered to herself as she disappeared into the storm.
Scarlet stared down at Finch, smoke rising into her horns. She scoffed. "She named you Finch, but I don't think that shows what you're really capable of. I think I'll call you... Peril."
Peril looked up at her, her strange blue eyes glowing in the darkness. A cloud of smoke rose from her scales a fire shimmered underneath, shrouding her in a black cloud.
The queen grinned at her. "Very good. Now follow me. I have a plan for you."
==Chapter One==
Soar's eyes flickered open to reveal a shining forest around him, sunlight streaming through the leaves and sending light dappling across his washed-out red scales. He sat up, staring around.
A rustling came from a bush to the left of him, causing his attention to jerk toward it.
A smoke-colored dragonet leapt from the shrub, giggling happily. "Hello!" she squeaked joyfully.
Soar pulled his tail close to him. "What are you?"
The dragonet giggled again. "I'm a Nightwing silly!"
"W-What's that?" he asked.
The dragonet laughed, rolling onto her back.
Soar looked at her, frustrated. "It's not funny!"
The Nightwing rolled back over. "Yes it is. Everybody knows what a Nightwing is!"
"Well I don't." Soar said.
"What's your name?" she asked, her bright yellow eyes looking at him as he lay in the grass.
"Soar." he responded quietly. "I was named after my dad."
The Nightwing sat up straight, puffing out her tiny chest. "My name is Princess Willowheart, daughter of King Crookedjaw."
Soar didn't take his eyes off her. "Where am I? Where's my sister?"
"You're in the Starwing Kingdom. This is where dragons go when they die." a deep voice said as a large Nightwing with stars lining his scales emerged from the trees. "Greetings, Soar. We've been expecting you."
"Hi daddy!" Willowheart chirped.
Crookedjaw smiled down at her. 
Soar turned his head up to look into his clear green eyes. "Do you know where my sister is? Her name is Finch."
Crookedjaw sighed, a tooth protruding from his twisted lower jaw. "She's still alive. She won't join you for a while."
Soar's eyes widened. "You mean she's okay?"
"Yes, but she will have to resist Queen Scarlet's influence on her. If she cannot, she shall fall into darkness." the large dragon responded.
Soar shuddered. "You mean I won't get to see her again?"
"Not right now, little one." Crookedjaw responded. "Come. I'll take you to where you can stay."
He pulled himself to his feet, following Crookedjaw and Willowheart into the undergrowth and toward a bright light in the trees. As they emerged into a clearing, Soar pulled his wings to his face to block the light. 
The open field was lined with dozens of dragons of different tribes, each intermingling with the next.
A dark grey dragonet ran up to Willowheart. "Hi sister. Who's this?" she said as she looked at Soar.
Soar swallowed hard as she looked at him.
"This is Soar. He's new here." Willowheart responded. "Wanna be his friend?"
The grey dragonet's blue eyes looked him up and down. "Hi. My name's Minnownose." she said with a smile.
"Minnownose, Willowheart, why don't you show him around?" Crookedjaw suggested. "But stay away from the border. I don't want you near there."
"Alright daddy." Willowheaert said with and innocent smile as she pulled Soar away, Minnownose following.
"Where are we going?" Soar asked quickly, his ears quivering.
"To show you the rest of the Starwing Kingdom." Minnownose said quietly as Willowheart jumped through the grass in front of them.
Soar looked over at her. She's definitely quieter.
"Look! It's Dawn Falls!" Willowheart said, pointing over a cliff.
Soar fearfully pulled himself to the ledge, peering at the tall waterfall at the other side, a cloud of mist rising from it. "Wow..." he muttered. He turned to see the two princesses mumbling to each other.
Willowheart looked at him, a large smile on her lips. "Hey Soar, wanna see something really cool?"
He gave them a confused look. "Uh-"
Willowheart cut him off. "Great! Come on! It's this way!" she sang as she hopped into a patch of tall grass.
Soar reluctantly followed after them, trailing behind Minnownose. He bumped into her, tripping over her tail as she stopped.
"We're here!" Minnownose said happily.
"Where?" Soar asked, irritated.
"The border to the Darkwing Lands." Willowheart said softly. "Shhh." she whispered as she raised a claw to her lip.
"B-But your dad said not to come here. We should leave." Soar stuttered.
"Aw, come on Soar. Have a little fun." Willowheart insisted. "We'll go too."
Soar sighed, following them into the dark, foggy forest in front of them. "What kind of dragons go here? Why don't they go over there?" he asked, pointing back at the bright clearing behind him.
"This is where bad dragons go. Very evil dragons that aren't allowed into the Starwing Kingdom." Minnownose mumbled.
Soar gulped. "And you're sure it's safe here?"
Willowheart nodded. "Of course. We come here all the time."
A cackling laugh rattled through the forest, stopping all three dragonets in their paths and sending a collective gasp through all three.
A skinny dragon with black, white, and ginger patches on her scales emerged from the trees, her glowing fiery eyes narrowing when they landed on the dragonets. "Well, what do we have here?"
Willowheart stepped in front of Soar and Minnownose, glaring at the Rainwing. "My dad told me about you Mapleshade. Leave us alone!"
Mapleshade's grin grew wider. She slithered closer to Willowheart, her narrow snout pressing into the dragonet's. "I don't take orders from overgrown newts." she snarled.
The crunching of wet leaves startled the multi-colored dragon, causing her to bare her teeth in the direction of the sound. 
A curl of blue flame illuminated the forest as a silver Nightwing flashed into view, her pale scales shining with starlight as she stepped toward Mapleshade, driving her backward. "Stand down. You will not harm these dragonets. They have a right to be safe." she curled her tail around the dragonets, pulling them toward the lit forest.
Mapleshade growled again, snapping her teeth at the silver Nightwing. "Featherwing! They came here of their own accord. Let them go! They're mine!"
Featherwing gave them a rough nudge. "Run for the border!" she said urgently.
The three dragonets began to run toward the Starwing Kingdom, scampering across wet leaves and mud.
Soar's eyes were desperately locked on the light ahead of him, certain he wouldn't make it. He heard Mapleshade's claws pounding behind him as he ran, not daring to look back. He shielded his eyes as he entered the lit forest again, Minnownose and Willowheart with him.
Featherwing emerged from the shadowy trees moments after, panting. "Are you all alright?" she asked, her bright blue eyes giving them a sense of relaxation.
Soar nodded, his eyes wild. "Y-Yes. We're ok."
Minnownose stared up at her in awe. "Who are you?"
"My name is Featherwing, an ancient soldier of the Nightwing Kingdom." she said. "I am also your distant ancestor. My son was once king."
"Wow!" the two Nightwing dragonets breathed at once.
"You're very pretty. I like your necklace!" Willowheart said, pointing a tiny white claw at the golden brace around the silver dragon's neck.
Featherwing grinned, a small chuckle escaping her lips. "You know, these star-shaped gems have magical powers. Want to see what they do?"
"Yeah!" Willowheart squealed.
Featherwing grabbed one of the blue gems, pulling it from its cuff. "Link your wings with mine. It's the only way it'll work for all of us."
Soar hesitantly placed his claw on Featherwing's talon, linking his wing with Minnownose's.
"Okay." Featherwing continued."Pick a living dragon. We will then enter their dreams."
Soar looked up at her. "Can we try my mother?"
Featherwing nodded. "Now just think of her. Focus on the thought of her."
He squeezed his eyes shut, picturing Kestrel in his head. As he focused on her red scales and amber eyes, he felt himself lurch forward, swift wind pricking into his face.
When he opened his eyes, he could see he was in the mountains once more.
== Chapter Two ==
Kestrel's dream was dark, a raging storm beating against the mountains, wind whirling through the air.
Kestrel stood, her shoulders raised as she furiously pounded an orange dragon against the ground. "I'll tear you apart! You're no queen of mine!" she snarled.
Soar watched in shock as his mother roughly threw the dragon from a rocky outcrop, staring down as the orange Skywing plummeted. He swallowed, taking a step toward her.
Thunder rumbled in the distance as Kestrel's rust-colored shoulders lowered a bit, her huffing breathing rasping through the air.
WIP
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)
Category:Content (Queen Seaglass of the Seawings)