Ice in the Sand (Wings of Change 1)

== Chapter One: The Fire ==
It was a rather windy day at the Academy. Some of the dragonets were out flying, and some were in the library reading, and some were painting in the art cave. Winter, however, was having trouble concentrating.
"Winter?"
Winter jumped. Moon was standing next to him. "You drifted off again, Winter," Moon said. "Anything on your mind?"
"Nope!" Winter responded, a little too quickly. Moon looked at him curiously, then shrugged and walked away.
Winter gave himself a stern talking-to. Of course she's going to suspect something if I don't stay focused! Winter picked up a paintbrush. He was just about to start painting when there was a shriek. It came from the library. Everyone in the cave immediately swarmed out, carrying Winter with them. Everyone watched as Clay and Tsunami went into the cave. There was a fiery glow coming from inside, and it reeked of smoke. Tsunami then came out of the cave, leading Starflight with her. The blind librarian was coughing and trying to regain his breath. Clay then ran out, carrying several students on his back. Only one of the dragonets was seriously injured.
It was Moon.
Clay set the other dragonets down and started running to the Healing Center. Winter followed him, and so did Qibli. Winter realized that Qibli had been in the library as well. They both ran down the hallway, almost smacking straight into Peril (which would NOT have ended well, thanks to her firescales).
In the Healing Center, Qibli and Winter watched over Moon. Then Tsunami came in, saying that Queen Thorn needed Qibli at the Scorpion Den. Qibli said goodbye to Moon, then left.
Winter also left. He wandered into a cave that, as far as he knew, hadn't been there before.
"You seem like an unfortunate soul," A voice said. Winter whipped around and hissed. There was a red Sandwing there, with rubies embedded in her wings. Winter immediately knew not to trust her.
"I am not an unfortunate soul, I am a soul trying to get to class," Winter retorted.
The Sandwing smirked. "Anyway, I would like to make a deal."
"What deal could a miserable Sandwing strike with me?" Winter asked.
"Listen, kid, I'm an animus. So don't get snippy with me," she sneered.
Winter snorted. "I doubt that Sandwings are even able to have animus dragons," he declared. "They aren't able to handle that power."
The Sandwing scowled. "Alright, you asked for it." Her gold eyes then started glowing. Winter realized that he obviously had made a mistake. However, the door was gone. He was trapped.
Then, everything went black.
==Chapter Two: Something New==
Qibli was bored.
He couldn't help it. He just wasn't one of the guys who like fighting and endless violence.
"Hey!"
He froze. It was Commander Limestone, coming to check over her troop.
With her was a Sandwing Qibli had never seen before. He was a very pale gold, even paler than Qibli. He had a few spikes on his tail near his barb, and he seemed a bit uncertain. His eyes, instead of the normal black, were a smoky gray and seemed to have something beneath them, something that said he wasn't who he seemed...
"Troop, this is Driftwind. He is a new member." She shoved Driftwind towards Qibli. "You're training him, maggot."
Driftwind rubbed his neck where Commander Limestone had shoved him. "Well, I guess we should get started?"
Qibli and Driftwind went over to an arena. Qibli lifted two spears off of a rack and tossed one to Driftwind. Driftwind dropped it. "Oops," he said apologetically. He turned around to grab it...
...And almost stabbed Qibli with his tail. "Watch where you swing that thing!" Qibli snapped.
"Sorry, sorry," Driftwind replied.
On went the afternoon, and Driftwind was pretty much hopeless at fighting. Qibli sighed. "All right, that's it for today," he announced. Driftwind walked out of the arena, obviously unhappy. Thoughts ran through Qibli's mind.
How come he doesn't know how to fight?
How come it seems like he doesn't know how to use his tail?
How come he seemed so surprised when he breathed fire?
Why is he so nervous all of the time?
Why does he seem so familiar?
Qibli gave up on answering these questions and headed to his quarters.
== Chapter Three: Questions Answered ==
Clay ran around the Academy desperately. Winter was gone, only an hour after Moon was injured in the fire. This is not good at all, Tsunami is going to kill me. His thoughts were racing, thinking about where in all of Pyrrhia Winter could be. He thought of what might have caused him to disappear. The only things he could think of were Moon being injured...
And an animus.
Clay ran down the hall towards Peril's room. "Hey, Peril!" He exclaimed. "Where's Lavaea?"
Peril shrugged. "She said she was off to 'enhance her powers'."
Clay muttered, "Uh oh...." He left the room and started rushing around the academy again.
Eventually, he found Lavaea. She was just hanging out in the fire-charred mess of the library, as if the extreme heat that was still being let off didn't bother her one bit. Of course, it didn't, but it was still always a surprise to find her hanging out where even the most durable Sandwing would get heat stroke. An Icewing would die in five seconds flat in here.
"Lavaea, have you seen Winter?" Clay asked suspiciously. Then he noticed her necklace. There were orbs on it, and he could see dragons in them; all of them were showing each dragon in a moment of terror. Every one of them was a Seawing or an Icewing.
Winter was one of them.
In the orb he was clawing at a wall and screaming, trying to get out of somewhere. Then, a white flash would go over the orb, and the moment would replay.
"Lavaea, what is the meaning of this?!"
Lavaea looked up. "Of what?"
"I know you did something to Winter!"
Lavaea growled. "He was getting cocky. He said Sandwings couldn't be animus dragons." She smirked. "However, I taught him otherwise."
"What did you do, Lavaea?!" Clay yelled.
"I sent him on a trip," She replied innocently. "And you won't be able to find him."
== Chapter Four: The Letter ==
Weeks passed, and Driftwind didn't seem to be improving at all. He still messed up almost everything in combat training. To Qibli, he wasn't going to be able to actually fight. Maybe he would be a good healer, but not a good soldier.
It was another afternoon of training. So far, Driftwind had dropped every single weapon Qibli had tossed him, not to mention it seemed as if he could barely control his fire.
"Alright, training is over," Qibli sighed. He was getting nowhere with this, other than the fact that Driftwind seemed to count him as a friend now, instead of a commander.
Driftwind seemed to get the hint. He hung his head and walked out of the arena.
That night, there was a note on his nightstand.
"And if you feel you're sinking, I will jump right overInto cold water for youAnd although time may take us into different placesI will still be patient with youAnd I hope you know I won't let go
Signed, a friend"
Qibli's heart skipped a beat. Is this from Moon? He shook his head. It couldn't be. She wouldn't show her feelings through a note, she would actually tell him in person.
Qibli slipped the note into his bag. Maybe he would find out who sent it tomorrow.
== Chapter Five: Driftwind's Secret ==
Training next day went the same way as it always did. Driftwind still didn't seem to be improving-at all. In fact, he seemed to be getting worse (If that was even possible). Driftwind seemed to sense this as well.
"Alright, training's over," Qibli said with a sigh, and looked behind him at the wall. The sign hanging up showed where a soldier was at the beginning of training and at the end of training. Each day, Driftwind's number never changed. Driftwind noticed the sign as well. He froze when he saw it, then turned around and ran out of the arena, trying to hold back tears.
Qibli ran after him. "Driftwind, wait!"
Eventually, Qibli caught up to him on the rooftop. Driftwind was lying on the rooftop with his claws over his eyes.
"Driftwind?"
Driftwind looked up. "Oh. Hey," he said when he saw Qibli.
"Hey, dude. What's wrong?" Qibli asked.
Driftwind sighed. "I'm a failure, Qibli. Now I can't even hope that my parents will accept me, let alone the whole tribe."
Qibli thought this sounded a bit familiar, but paid it no mind. "Don't talk like that, Drift. I'm sure you'll be able to do something good for the tribe."
Driftwind sighed again. "Qibli, how can I do something good for the tribe..." He paused. "If I'm from a different one?" His eyes flashed blue for a moment. Cold and blue, like the ocean in winter.
Qibli gasped. "Winter?" he asked quietly.
Driftwind-or rather, Winter-nodded.
"What happened to you?" Qibli asked.
"Animus dragon. A red Sandwing with rubies and sardonyx in her wings. I made a mistake and said Sandwings couldn't have animus dragons. In short, she turned me into a Sandwing. She made me Driftwind."
Qibli gasped again. "Lavaea did this?!"
"You know her name?" Winter asked.
"Yeah, she's Peril's roommate," Qibli replied. "I'm surprised you haven't seen her before. She and Peril are like sisters."
"Maybe she doesn't know about Lavaea," Winter suggested. "That would make sense."
"Yeah, it would," Qibli answered.
"I learned something else, Qibli."
Qibli asked, "What is it?"
Winter stated, "It isn't Moon who makes my heart skip a beat and my brain overload."
Qibli was puzzled by this. "Who is it then?"
Winter hid his face. "Oh god this is so embarrassing..."
"Come on Winter, you can tell me," Qibli pressed.
Winter took a deep breath, then let it run out. "You are."
Qibli blinked in surprise. "Wait, but wouldn't your parents get mad? I mean, not only am I from a different tribe, but we're both boys!" He paused. "Say, are you the one who wrote that love letter?"
Winter nodded.
"Wow. No clue you were a romantic," Qibli remarked. "In fact, this is the first time you haven't acted all hostile. At least, in front of me."
"The hostility is just an act," Winter explained. "It's like a shield of some sort. It protects me so that my parents don't know that I'm not a typical Icewing."
"You aren't a typical Icewing?" Qibli asked.
Winter shook his head. "When I was a kid, me and my family were out hunting. I saw a polar bear. I was about to kill it, when I saw that she had cubs. I just couldn't bear myself to do it. That's what told me that I was different from everyone else. No other Icewing would have let them live." He looked down at his claws. "I started acting mean and angry. To show that I was a proper Icewing. To show that I belonged."
Winter suddenly froze.
"Winter, what's wrong?!" Qibli asked frantically. Then he heard a hiss from behind Winter. Qibli quickly lifted a few feet off of the ground when he saw what it was.
Winter was bitten by a dragonbite viper.
Qibli managed to put Winter on his back and started flying towards Jade Mountain.
==Chapter Six==
At Jade Mountain Academy, Qibli was landing outside. The rest of the Jade Winglet ran outside. "You're back!" Moon exclaimed.
Qibli smiled for a moment, then replied, "Thanks for the welcome, but we need to find help for Winter!"
Turtle looked at Winter. "That's not Winter, that's a Sandwing."
Qibli answered, "WINTER WAS TURNED INTO THE-UUUUUUUUURRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"
(Internal screeching)
"You okay, Qibli?" Moon asked.
"No, I'm seriously annoyed because I have to explain a long story in a short time. Long story short: Winter got turned into a Sandwing and he got bitten by a dragonbite viper. Now COME ON!"
Qibli then flew off again with Winter still on his back.
== Chapter Seven ==
"So where are we going?!" Kinkajou yelled over the wind.
Qibli replied, "I think maybe Possibility would be the best place!"
"I guess so, too," Moon answered. "Oww..."
"What is it, Moon?" Qibli asked over his shoulder.
"I'm starting to think I shouldn't be going on a huge flight halfway across Pyrrhia. At least, not until I'm fully healed."
"She's got a point," Turtle replied.
"Listen, Moon, I'm sorry but we don't have time to turn back or rest," Qibli said.
"I know," Moon sighed.
"Listen, we can rest when we get to Possibility, OK?"
"Alright."
== Chapter Eight: In Possibility ==
The Jade Winglet landed in Possibility outside Mayfly's clinic. Qibli started banging on the door. Mayfly opened the door. "What is it?" She asked.
"HiDriftwindwasbittenbyadragonbitevipercanyoupleasehelphim?" Qibli asked, talking 50 miles per hour.
Mayfly replied, "I honestly don't know. From what I was told, only a firescales can help, and there aren't any in Possibility."
Qibli gave himself a mental smack in the face. How could I not remember?! "Alright. Thanks, Mayfly."
The Jade Winglet walked out of the clinic. Qibli's stomach lurched when he noticed Winter's leg, which was turning a nasty shade of black. The venom must be spreading, he thought.
"What do we do now?" Moon asked. "Peril's the only firescales we know, and I don't think I'm able to fly that far again."
"I would have you ride on my back, but I have Winter," Qibli answered. "Turtle, what about you?"
"I think I could carry her," Turtle responded. "It'll slow me down a bit, but I can take her."
Moon climbed onto Turtle's back.
"Everyone ready?" Qibli asked.
Everyone said yes.
"Alright then, let's go."
The Jade Winglet lifted off and flew back to JMA.
Back at Jade Mountain Academy, the Jade Winglet landed and Qibli rushed inside, almost banging straight into Clay.
"Hey Clay, have you seen Peril? We REALLY REALLY need her." Qibli asked.
"I think she's in her room," Clay replied.
"Ok thanks!" Qibli said, then rushed off to Peril's room. Peril was inside.
"Hey Peril, you're the one who healed Clay when he was bitten by a dragonbite viper, right?" Qibli asked.
"Yeah, why?" Peril replied.
"We need your help," Qibli responded. "Lavaea turned Winter into a Sandwing and he got bitten by a dragonbite viper."
Peril gasped. "Why would Lavaea do that?!"
"No clue," Qibli replied. "But can you please help him?"
"Maybe, but it may injure him. It didn't injure Clay because his scales are fire-resistant," Peril answered.
"Listen, I don't even care if his whole leg is burned off, I just want him to be alive!" Qibli exclaimed.
"Alright then," Peril said. She touched her talon to Winter's leg. Gradually, the black stopped spreading. Then, Lavaea came in.
"Hey Peril what are you-" She froze when she saw the Jade Winglet. Peril gave her a stern look. "Uh-oh."
Qibli lunged at her. They wrestled on the ground for a bit until Lavaea's eyes glowed and Qibli was thrown off of her, clutching the orb with Winter. When he hit the ground, the orb shattered. Five minutes later, Driftwind turned back into Winter.
Winter's eyes opened. "What happened?" he asked groggily.
His eyes fell on Lavaea. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO CAUSED THIS!!!" He tried to jump at her, but Qibli held him back.
"Winter, you are in no condition to fight anyone right now. Do not even try."
"Alright," Winter replied, and calmed down. He winced. "Ok, this hurts."
"Well, I kinda had to burn the venom out," Peril said. "There's no other way to treat dragonbite venom."
"All right. But anyway, I appreciate it," Winter said. "Thanks for the help. Both of you."
"You're welcome, Winter," Peril responded.
== Chapter Nine ==
A week later, Qibli was sitting in front of JMA. Winter walked outside. "Hey Qibli. Do you have any room?"
"Yeah," Qibli answered.
"Anything wrong?" Winter asked. "You've been a little down lately."
"Not much," Qibli replied. "It's just I kinda miss Driftwind."
"Well then, I guess it's good that I can do this, then." Winter said.
"Do what?" Qibli asked.
"Close your eyes, and don't open them until I tell you to," Winter said. Qibli closed his eyes.
Five minutes later, Winter said, "Open them." Qibli opened his eyes.
Standing in front of him was Driftwind.
Qibli gasped. "What the- How are you able to do that?!"
"I have no clue. I just sneezed this morning, spurted fire, and realized that I was Driftwind. Just in time, too, or I would have stabbed Clay in the face." Driftwind turned back into Winter. Then, Kinkajou ran outside.
"Hey guys! Moon has a prophecy!" She yelled.
Qibli started running after her. Winter started limping as fast as he could. "Wait for me!" he yelled.
In Moon's room, Moon was on the floor. Her eyes were glazed, as if she was in a trance. Then, she spoke.
"In the light of three bright moons,
The Forsaken will take away power.
Destruction will come
In The Forsaken's hands
Unless wings of change can reach Jade Tower.
Wings of change will find a way
to stop The Forsaken's plans,
Five dragons coming to save the day
and save Pyrrhia's lands."
"Wow. That sounded ominous," Qibli said.
"Way to go, Captain Obvious," Winter said.
"But who are the Forsaken?" Turtle asked. "And who the heck are these 'wings of change' that will stop them?"
"Wait! Lavaea said something about forming a group of criminals to get revenge..." Peril said. "I think that's who it's talking about!"
"Seems legit," Qibli answered.
"Yeah, but who are the Wings of Change?" Turtle asked. "The only dragon in this group who's able to change anything is Kinkajou."
"Not true," Winter said. He shifted into Driftwind. Everyone except for Qibli stared.
"ERMAHGERD!" Kinkajou exclaimed. "You turned into a Sandwing!"
"It must be an aftereffect of Lavaea's spell," Peril said.
"Yeah, I guess so," Winter said. "But no matter what caused it, I still need to learn how to control it. I DO NOT want to set stuff on fire or stab someone unless I absolutely have to."
== Epilogue ==
In the old Nightwing kingdom, several dragons gathered around a stone table.
"Alright! Who has a good plan to DESTROY the Jade Winglet?" Lavaea asked.
"Umm, I think I need lunch first," Groundfrost answered.
"YOU JUST ATE FIVE MINUTES AGO!" Cave Ice yelled. "Geez, you're HOPELESS!"
"I agree! We don't need to break for snacks EVERY FIVE SECONDS!" Icicle yelled.
The table erupted into yelling.
"I say we take out all of them except for Peril!" Chameleon shouted.
"WHO CARES ABOUT YER STUPID DAUGHTER?!" Icicle yelled.
"WHO CARES ABOUT YER LIFE?!" Cave Ice yelled at her.
"EVERYONE SHUT UP!!" Lavaea yelled, and breathed fire at everyone. "Now, I think we should just SETTLE THIS LIKE PROFESSIONALS!"
Everyone started yelling again.
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Completed)
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)
Category:Content (YOHIOloid56)