Heart of Fire

NOTE: A Cleril Fan Fic. No hate, please.
-Peril <3
== Prolouge ==
I'm going to see Jade Mountain Academy, I remind myself. I'm going to see him.
 The thought seems so unreal. That I could ever be part of a home. That's because you won't, I think firmly. You aren't going to make friends with the other dragons. You're just going because he asked you to.
Besides, I couldn't even try to make friends. With a heart and soul of fire, there's nothing more in me for people to cherish. 
Fire courses through my veins. Fire has consumed me like a harness I can never break free from. And that's why I can never be loved by anyone. 
Even him.
== A Warm Welcome (NOT) ==
Their hateful eyes bore holes in my heart as I slink down the Jade 
Mountain Academy hallway. Their murmured remarks make my confidence 
waver.
 "It's that evil SkyWing!"
 "Isn't she the one who killed all of the IceWing prisoners? Ugh."
 "Tsunami does not look happy to see Peril. I wonder if Peril killed someone in her family. Maybe her father?"
 "Look at her scales! I could roast a chicken on them, don't you think?"
 My eyes fall to the floor, and all I can do was stare at my talons. I want to scream I've changed! I'm not a monster anymore, just a dragon who wants to be loved, can't you see that? 
 Starflight shuffles out of the crowd, talons shaking. "I've heard that there was another SkyWing in the academy. Is that you, Scarlet?"
This was worse than I ever could have imagined. I should never have 
come, not even for his sake. I'll never belong here, nor anywhere.
 The crowd disperses and a MudWing ran forward. It was him. Clay.
 I know that the crowd must be watching us, but I forget all about them and get lost into his marsh-colored eyes.
 As he flashes me a goofy grin, I can't help but think Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
== Fatespeaker?! ==
Although I was confined to a cave, my heart was soaring above the 
clouds. I had seen Clay! And he had seemed happy to see me, too!
Stop that, I chided myself. He can never love you because of your heart of fire.
Clay had dropped me off in my new cave and told me that he'd return 
shortly. He still had to figure out my class schedule before we could 
exchange the proper greeting.
I look at (but don't  dare touch, in fear that it will burn up) a rack
 of scrolls that they provided for me. I wonder why they did that, all I
 could ever do is destroy them.
Suddenly, a blackish, purple NightWing appears by my side. She has a 
row of white scales around one leg and another white scale near her 
eye. Her eyes are brimming with kindness, just like Sunny's.
 "Hi! I'm Fatespeaker, and I just wanted to welcome you to Jade Mountain Academy!"
I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit annoyed. Did they really think 
that I needed someone to introduce me to the campus. They probably 
didn't do this to the other dragons, which isolates me even more.
 "So how do you like it here so far?" Fatespeaker asked.
You mean I'm supposed to have an opinion about a place that I haven't even been in for more than ten minutes? "Uh, it's good, I guess."
 "Is there anything that we can do to make it even more enjoyable for you?"
 "No, I'm fine."
 "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure!" I say angrily lashing out. Fatespeaker backs away slowly. I sigh, defeated. She probably sees me as a monster now, too.
 "Sorry, I just..."
 "It's okay" flicked her tail dismissively, but still keeping her distance.
 Eager to change the subject I point a talon at the rack in front of me. "Do you have a good scroll to recommend me?"
 "'The History of Pyrrhia,'" she replies instantly. "It's Starflight's favorite."
"Speaking of Starflight," I say, trying to make small talk. "Did he ever hook up with Sunny? It was so obvious that he liked her, and they made a good match, don't you think?"
 Fatespeaker flares her nostrils and grits her teeth. This must obviously be a sore subject.
"I mean, Starflight's weird. Sunny would never like him. Who could, am I right?" I say, regretting every word once I'm done talking.
 "I'M HAVING A VISION!" She said suddenly.
 "Uh, I though that they proved that NightWings don't have powers."
 "I do," she insisted.
 "I'm a little doubtful of that, though. Because--"
"You know, we aren't very different, you and I. We both came from bad circumstances, surrounded by dragons who didn't care for us. We both have a new chance of life here at Jade Mountain Academy. But unlike me, you're horrible just like they all said you'd be."
On impulse, I extend my talons toward her,  as if to sear her scales, then stop myself. Why would I ever do that again? If I did that, I'd be just as evil as they think I am.
 Fatespeaker stalks out of the cave. I stood still, thinking over what I just heard.
It's true. I am a horrible monster like she said. That's all I'll ever be.
== Fearless ==
The next day I am assigned to the Silver Winglet. The SkyWing, Thrush, never says a word to me, even though we were born around the same hatching day. Mostly all of the Dragonets in the Silver Winglet don't  talk to me. They wouldn't even stand next to me during our first class, Webs's.
"I'd like you all to welcome Peril to Jade Mountain Academy. Though she came a little later on in the year than you did, I still want you to treat her with respect. I also want you all to-" Webs rattles on and on, never saying a word about my burning scales or heart of fire. I guess that it is better left unsaid. The other Dragonets know it anyway.
After an intriguing lesson on the history of Pyrrhia, some things Scarlet 'forgot' to teach me, we head to the prey area. Anemone and her loyal band of followers stray as far away from me as they can. Everyone else huddles around them, and I am left isolated.
But I didn't mind their cold ways, because just then Clay walked through the mouth of the cave, a cow dangling from his talons. It enthusiastically thrashes around, trying to break free, shouting.
Clay made his way to a platform, the cow slumped in defeat. "Hi, guys," he said smiling up at everyone. "Today we have some cows for you to eat! Isn't that amazing? I love cows." Boto the RainWing rolled his eyes, and fell on a tired heap on the floor.
Clay's eyes drifted from student to student, then finally resting on me. "Aren't cows great, Peril? Will you help me demonstrate how to cook them?" He asks with a smile.
I blush, and follow him up to the stand. He handed me the cow and turns again to face the other Dragonets. "Make sure that your partner has a firm grip on your cow. Then, ready your fire..."
"Um, Clay?" I whisper.
He gracefully turns around and gasps when he saw the cow roasting into leather. While the class erupted into murmurs, Clay said, without a hint of rue "Thanks, Peril! I like mine extra crispy sometimes. Anyway, who needs a demonstration, all you need to do is have your partner hold your cow so that it doesn't get away, drop it, and you spurt fire breath on it. It's simple. Now, everyone pair up."
I can't help but think about what a good leader he was, and how he took control of the situation. A Bigwings.
The crowd disperses into pairs, leaving me alone. The NightWing in our group went to Clay after everyone had already chosen their partners. She is a reject, just like me.
"Hey, Peril, do you know Fearless?" He asks, gesturing to the NightWing. She smiles shyly and I noticed for the first time that something on her back left leg was glinting.
"Hi," I said, not knowing what else to say. Jealousy crept inside me. I don't know how or when it got there, it just was there, reminding me that there were other Dragonesses in Clay's life.
Clay excuses himself, going to check out the other groups' progress. Fearless doesn't say a word, chewing on the cow that she'd just cooked.
"So, how do you like Jade Mountain Academy?" I ask.
"It's great. A lot better than my life in the volcano." She shudders and discards the cow, too disgusted to eat.
"If you don't mind me asking, what happend to your leg?"
"I..." Her voice falters. " I don't usually talk to other dragonets about it but... When I was a young dragonet, probably five, I felt sick and tired of the volcano. I guess all of the Dragonets living there hated it, but I was the only one who took action. I was really brave as a young dragonet." She looks down at her cow, her voice wistful.
"So I left the only home if ever known, and flew away. I'm not really sure what kingdom I was in, just that it had a scavenger den. I thought that I would eat the scavengers for a meal, but they had other plans."
Fearless traces a feint scar on her snout. "They bound me with chains on my snout, wings, and front legs. I guess that I hadn't really thought of scavengers as capable beings until I was captured. But they are dangerous, and I'll never underestimate them again."
"They had also captured an IceWing dragonet, about my age. He was still getting used to his frost breath, and froze many of the scavengers who tried to tame him. They decided he was too dangerous and... Killed him. But before they did that, the IceWing sprayed frost breath on my back left leg. I haven't been able to move it since."
"A little while later they let me free. I flew all the way back to the volcano, because I was in no condition to walk. I used to be fearless until then, just like my name said. But now I'm just a shell of who I once was."
== The Accident ==
My life has actually gotten better! I have a... Friend.
Fearless has loosened up around me, and become more of who she probably was before the accident. She isn't as quiet as people think she is, and more lately she has been repeating sarcastic things under her breath. It's hard not to burst out laughing in the middle if class.
Then there's Clay. I've been eating lunch with him and a Fearless everyday now, and he's been his usual happy self. He hasn't said anything about us being a couple, but he did intertwine our tails once. I think that he did it because he was happy to be eating a cow. Maybe he was also glad that I was there... but it was probably the cow.
Today I woke up refreshed and ready for my classes. Warm sunlight was streaming through the cave, and I couldn't help but smile. Today was bound to be another perfect day.
As I groggily made my was to the mouth of the cave, I saw Fearless walking in step with another NightWing, a male. It was hard to hear what he was saying, but I could hear "scrolls" mentioned at least twice. Although I knew Fearless wasn't much for scrolls, she nodded and smiled the entire conversation.
During our first class, I interrogated Fearless about the mysterious NightWing. "His name is Mightyclaws," she proclaimed without hesitation, blushing furiously. And I thought I was the only one capable of turning that shade red!
"I see," I replied, raising an eyebrow. "So he's your 'friend' from the volcano?"
She rolled her eyes and turned back to face me. "Oh, quit it, Peril!"
That only made my smirk grow. "You're avoiding the question..."
Fearless and I both burst out laughing, and the students around us all stared. "If you don't mind," Webs scolded, "I'd like to get back to the lesson."
•••••
"Where do you think Clay might be?" I asked Fearless, twiddling my talons. Our Winglet had met in the prey center a while ago, but Clay still hadn't joined us. I tried not to show Fearless how nervous I was, but she saw right through the act.
"Don't worry, I'm sure that he'll be here soon." She was about to put a consoling talon on my shoulder, but reeled back before she could burn herself.
She happily wolfed down her minnows, something they didn't have on the old NightWing kingdom. Fearless never complains about the food like Anenome's group does. She eats it without complaint, probably because there wasn't an abundance of food in the volcano.
Suddenly Clay came barreling through the mouth of the cave, straight towards me. Before I can say anything he grabs my talon and pulls me off of the floor where I was sitting. "You... Come... See... Now." He panted through each word.
Without hesitation I followed him, and glanced apologetically at Fearless. She grinned, and went back to her minnows.
I wondered where Clay was taking us, as we ambled through the corridors. What if he had been busy preparing something romantic, and wanted to show me. Yes, I decided, that was where he was taking me.
But as we were still running down the hallways, he explained what had happened. "Stonemover... His cave... Everything burned."
That is not romantic.
== Everything Falls Apart ==
When we get to Stonemover's cave, we are surrounded by chaos. The teachers rush around, jostling Clay and I around. I try to be very careful not to accidentally burn someone.
"Who could have done this?" Tsunami says, quieting down the crowd.
Starflight shuffles out, led along by Fatespeaker. "If we look at this logically, it was probably Peril. Didn't we give all of the winglets a tour of Stonemover's cave a few days ago? She probably lit something aflame, and it took a while for it to burn everything in the cave."
"It wasn't you, was it?" Sunny's eyes pleaded with me, and I can't help but feel sorry for her tear-streaked snout.
"Of course not!" I reply, feeling slightly betrayed by Starflight. "Why would I ever-"
"Well," Tsunami says, thoughtfully pacing. "All the evidence does lead to you."
"Woah, guys. Before we make any rash decisions, let's think this through. Why would Peril even want to set Stonemover's cave on fire? We all know that Peril would never do something like this." Clay reasoned.
"I don't know," Fatespeaker admitted. "She does seem a little suspicious."
"Even if she did," Clay persisted, "she didn't do that much damage. The cave itself can't burn, only the things inside it."
"But Stonemover's in the healer's cave for burn marks. For a dragon his age to go through something like this..." Sunny's worried voice trailed off.
"I didn't do it," I emphasized.
"Yeah, I mean, who else are suspects?" Clay asked.
For the first time, every dragon was silent. I knew what this meant. They thought that since I was the only one with a Heart of Fire, I must be the only reasonable suspect.
"I hate to do this, but someone has to get punished in order for other dragons to know not to do things like this. I mean, what would happen if someone set the history cave on fire? There could be Dragonets in there who could die. This isn't just about Stonemover's anymore, it's about the sake of our entire school. I'm sorry Peril, but you've been out on probation."
After Tsunami spoke the last word, I felt my heart stop. "What does that mean?"
Clay's head dipped downward in defeat. "It means that until further notice, you might have to leave the school."
No. This was the only home I've ever had, and now it's going to be ripped away from me for a crime I didn't even commit?
== The Aftershock ==
My mind is spinning, and Clay must have recognized this, because he extended a wing over me protectively. In normal circumstances, this would have made me want to scream of joy, but right now I couldn't. I was too shocked to register any emotion.
"Let's not speak to the students about this. We wouldn't want to worry them." Tsunami then added, under her breath, "Mother would take Anenome and Turtle out of the school."
I was vaguely aware of Clay leading back to my cave. I couldn't comprehend that, or anything. I was too stunned after all that has happened.
By the time I was out of shock, we had reached my cave. "You've had a long day," Clay said. "Why don't you take the rest of your classes off? I'll go tell your teachers."
He starts to walk away, but I can't  let him. As long as I was going to leave anyway, I might as well say it. "Wait, Clay..." I started.
He swivels around gracefully, or at least as gracefully as a heavy MudWing could do it a small hallway. "Yes?" His eyes housed a sincere kindness that you I had only ever seen in him and Sunny.
"Do.... Do you love me?"
"Of course!" He replied happily. "I love all my friends!" With that, he flounced off. "Make sure to get some rest!" He called, over his shoulder.
I just lost the only home I'd ever had, my first friend, and a chance of redemption from my past. Not only that, but I was no closer to Clay's heart than I'd been earlier.
== Mightyclaws ==
"I made this for you, Fearless." Mightyclaws hands over a well-painted picture of a NightWing on the canvas to her. It's actually pretty accurate, I can't help but note.
Fearless inspects it with pride. "You make me look prettier than I actually am. And, trust me, that's pretty hard." 
"Oh, trust me, your much prettier than I could ever paint you to be." He replied. Fearless blushed fiercely.
I clear my throat, and Fearless blinks a few times. I have to keep reminding her that I'm still here.
"This is Peril," Fearless introduces me. Mightyclaws nods in my direction and smiles. He's a lot more friendly than Fearless was when I first met her. How can two Dragonets who come from the same place be so different.
Thinking it over, I realize that their personalities synchronize perfectly. Fearless is fierce and bold, making rash decisions. Mightyclaws is logical, and the one who helps her rethink those decisions. I wouldn't have it any other way.
"So, do you come to paint often?" I ask, referring to the cave we're in. Fearless had taken me here after retrieving me from my cave.
Mightyclaws nods, saying nothing. Rushing to help him, Fearless adds "Yeah, it helps him cope with his anger. The volcano left us all angry, but Mightyclaws takes the
 anger out through creativity. Trust me, he's really creative."
At that remark, Mightyclaws's face brightens even more. It's easy to see how happy they make each other.
"Speaking which, do you know Sora? She asked for my help to make something, I just can't figure out where I last put it."
"Uh, I don't know where it went," Fearless replied. "But you'll find it soon."
"What did you make?" I ask, intrigued.
"Dragonflame Cactus."
"And what does it do?"
"Well, it-" Mightyclaws gets cut off by Fearless, who places a talon tenderly at his mouth to silence him.
"You know what? I think we have to go. Sorry that there isn't time for your long scientific explanation. Bye, Mightyclaws"
"I-"
"Bye, Mightclaws!"
We rush back into the hallway, where we both burst out laughing. My world may be falling apart, but for this second, it's better than I could've imagined.
== First Meetings ==
The
 first thing that I thought of when I met Sora is that she looked just 
like Clay. Same flat MudWing snout, same color eyes, and a similar shade
 of scales. But the twinkle in Clay 's eyes was nothing near what I saw 
in Sora's. Her face was hard, sharpened by years on the battlefield. 
Dull from having a glimpse of the world's harsh realities at too young 
an age.
While
 I examined Sora, the librarian let out an agitated sigh. "Peril, why 
are you in the library? You know the scrolls will, you know..." 
Starlight didn't finish the sentence, just let it hang in the air 
between us. I knew that I was a threat to the scroll supply, but I'd had
 to meet Sora first.
Her
 eyes analyzed me, piercing through my invincible scales. She probably 
wondered why I was there, too. "I came to do what other dragons do in a 
library."
"Read?" He asked, latticing his talons.
"Yeah, that's what I'm going to do."
"Okay,
 just make sure not to touch anything." He said, voice quivering with 
fear. I thought he worried to much about his 'precious' scrolls, but I 
probably shouldn't question him. After all, he is Clay's best friend.
For
 a moment, everything is silent. Sora returns to her scroll, and I 
return to the daunting task of watching her. "But how will you read a 
scroll if you can't touch it?" She asked, eyes still occupied on the 
words in front of her.
"Honestly, I never learned how to read."
This
 time I knew I'd sparked her interest. She looked up at me with wide 
eyes. "But everyone else has learned already. We're pretty far into the 
school year, and everyone, besides some Rain and SandWings, learned 
before they even got here."
"Scarlet
 thought that it wouldn't help me defeat other dragons, so it wasn't 
worth taking time to teach it." I pointed out. "And I came later than 
you guys did."
"Oh." Her eyes lingered on me for a second then flickered back into the scroll. "I'm Sora, by the way."
"I'm Peril."
"I
 already knew who you were." She seemed absorbed in that scroll, so I 
can't read her eyes. I can't figure out if she's complementing or 
insulting me.
"Why? Does Clay talk about me a lot?"
"Everyone at the school knows who you are. You're the queens champion, after all."
For
 a couple minutes, the only sound in the library was Starflight's stamp 
pressing against papyrus. Sora and her scroll spent some quality time 
together, and I watched her read. She was completely lost in it, and I 
couldn't  help but feel a stab of envy. I've never gotten lost in a 
scroll.
"You know," Sora said after a while. "I could teach you how to read. I'll just hold the scroll and let you look on it."
"You'd do that?" No one had ever offered something along those lines to me before.
"Sure," she faintly smiled, and for a second I could almost see a twinkle in her eyes, just like Clay 's.
== What She Never Told Me ==
Something was wrong. I could just feel it.
The library was never 
unattended, yet Starflight wasn't there. Neither was Sora, who had never
 showed up late to my reading lessons. 
Something had to be wrong.
Suddenly,  Starflight 
barreled into the room. He tripped over a stack of scrolls in an urgent 
attempt to get to his desk quickly. It was so strange to see a usually 
careful dragon to be so reckless.
"Starflight, what's 
happening?" I asked while he rustled through a drawer, scurrying like a 
scavenger. He didn't reply, already occupied with his task of... Making a
 huge mess? I considered repeating the question again, but he finally 
found whatever he was looking for. He retrieved it, and sprinted back 
toward the cave door. 
"Wait! What are you holding that's so important?" 
He pivoted around, and 
said, "This is a scroll with all of the names of people who have died 
while at Jade Mountain Academy. The list just expanded."
He turned to leave, and I trailed behind him. "Why?"
I followed him out into the hallway, scraping my talons across the stone. "The history cave... It-it's been burned ."
The halls started to get
 a lot more crowded, and I lost Starflight. I stopped, in a daze, and 
considered what to do next. What had Starflight meant by the cave had 
been burned?So many thoughts overwhelmed me. There were too many dragons
 in the hallway, enough to accidently burn someone.
"Peril!" A familiar 
voice cried. I found myself face to face with Fearless, and she motioned
 me into the nearest classroom, the art cave. 
Mightyclaws greeted me with a furrowed brow. He looked pensively at the floor, and started to pace. 
"What's going on? Can't someone please just--"
Mightyclaws interrupted 
me mid-sentence by hastily shoving his talon in front of my face to 
quiet me. "There was an explosion in Webs's history cave."
Another explosion? How 
could any of the students at Jade Mountain Academy keep such a huge 
secret? It's a large thing to hide, a big hole inside needing to be 
filled. 
That's when the idea struck me. At first it seemed unreal, but I quickly accepted it. 
Sora.
== Farewells ==
Sora's whole body shook 
with silent sobs. She was hunched over what used to be Carnelian, wings 
bent in defeat. "I- I'm so sorry," she choked out, grabbing for a 
Carnelian's limp talon. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
"Then what did you mean to happen?" I asked from behind her. She jumped in surprise and released Carnelian's lifeless arm. 
"What are you doing here?" She hissed accusingly. "No one is allowed to view the body."
"Then
 what are you doing here?" I asked, trying to keep my voice straight. 
Seeing Sora in such a disheveled mess made me want to curl up into a 
ball and hide.
"Just
 get out!" Sora screamed. Sora was always so calm and put together. But 
now it seemed that she had finally cracked under the pressure. "Don't 
you understand? I did this to her." 
"Carnelian
 is a SkyWing, but when I look at her cold, dead body all I see is my 
sister again," Sora says bitterly. "Back when Icicle killed her. I've 
been so fuelled of revenge that I let another innocent dragon die."
Sora
 stared into Carnelian's cold, lifeless eyes. "She's just like you, 
Peril," Sora whimpered, all of the anger draining from her voice. 
"Carnelian looked up to Queen Ruby just like you looked up to Queen 
Scarlet."
"No,"
 I disagree, with a firm stomp of my leg. "Carnelian loved Queen Ruby 
because she was fair and just and everything Scarlet wasn't. I admired 
Scarlet because she was the only thing I'd ever known, and I'd had no 
idea of what kindness was.
"But
 now I know. I know from you and Fearless and... Well, Clay." I shake my
 head, trying to flick away the emotion that's building up inside of me.
 "When I first came to Jade Mountain Academy I was just a hopeless 
dragon trying to earn Clay's love. But now... You and Fearless have 
shown me that I can be who I am without Clay. Without the constant 
thought of him."
Tendrils
 of steam dissolve into the air, as my tears are released. "Sora, you 
can... You can tell the Dragonets of Destiny everything, all about what 
Icicle did, and no one would blame you."
She
 shakes her head, with narrowed eyes. "I thought you were trying to 
help," she accuses. "There's no way I could ever do that. Who would 
forgive me after I've killed." She spits the last word out of her mouth,
 dripping with disgust.
But
 this is all too familiar to me. "Sora, I killed hundreds of dragons. 
Clay forgave me after I was had changed, so why wouldn't he forgive 
you?"
"No,"
 she whispers, slowly crossing to the other side of the room. "I don't 
deserve to be forgiven. Umber and I are leaving back to the Mud 
Kingdom."
But
 there's nothing I can do to stop her. I made my choice, and she has 
made hers. I chose to start over and become a new dragon, but I can't 
force her to do the same. Instead she's running away, hiding from 
herself. Hiding from the mistakes she's made.
"Goodbye,
 then. I hope that our paths will cross again, but if not, I just want 
you to know that..." But I don't finish the sentence. There was nothing 
else to say.
She slipped back into the hallway, leaving the cave, and, in turn, leaving my life.
                    •••
As
 I return to my room, I see a piece of parchment hanging by the cave 
entrance. I reach out to burn it, because there's no way I can read it. 
But something stops me, and I strain my eyes, trying to understand at 
least some of the letters.
To my surprise, every word comes to me. Maybe those lessons with Sora did work after all.
"Thank you, Peril. Thank you for everything. I knew I could trust you. -Clay"
Well, I guess Clay isn't madly in love with me- Yet. But it's a start. 
After all, I've only been at Jade Mountain Academy for a couple of months, who know's what else is in store.
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Genre (Romance)
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)