Winglets Cinquet: Outcast (Nightshade28173)

“Poison Ivy!”
A LeafWing, hidden in the midst of a bunch of leaves, jumped. Another bigger LeafWing crashed through the undergrowth and pulled to a stop beside her.
“Poison Ivy,” he yelled. “You have no excuse to go here in the middle of class!”
Poison Ivy rolled her eyes. Yeah well, you couldn’t ambush a bee if you tried. “I know but I already learned everything!”
“Well you clearly haven’t learned that you have to listen to your teacher,” the LeafWing shouted. “You should know better than that! You don’t even have leafspeak and you still hang around Belladonna everyday! She’s more important than you, face it.”
Poison Ivy flinched at that. Her teacher was wrong. She did have Leafspeak. But she hid it well and no one knew about it and that was fine with her.
She had seen how badly the other dragonets treated Belladonna for being so special. She didn’t want to be in that position ever.
“Well?”
“Fineeee,” Poison Ivy sighed. She stomped after her teacher, her tail lashing.
***
“Belladonna?”
“What?” Belladonna paused midway through a leap to catch a butterfly.
“Do you think HiveWings are… evil?”
“Of course they are!” Belladonna gasped. “Why would you ever ask that? They cut away all the trees, took the SilkWings as servants, and they nearly wiped us out. They nearly killed us, Poison Ivy.”
“I know,” Poison Ivy stammered. “But maybe… perhaps… um… they c-could change?
“What?” Belladonna shrieked, turning a few heads. “No way. They can’t change and that is that. Use your brains. ” She shot a disdainful look over her shoulder as she marched away.
Poison Ivy stared after her, dejected. Maybe HiveWings are bad… but it wouldn’t hurt to meet one.
***
Poison Ivy crept through the grass, dangerously close to a HiveWing hive. It loomed above her, a mass of treestuff and balconies. It was a sign that HiveWings disrespected the environment since the treestuff came from dead trees that were once alive.
At least, that was what the older LeafWings said. Personally, Poison Ivy thought it symbolized their intelligence and flexibility to recreate something out of another thing that was totally destroyed.
The other LeafWings did not like her opinion and she was always shushed when she said anything about it.
Today was Poison Ivy’s first solitary mission outside and her job was to spy on the HiveWings. A whole wing of them soared right above her and she had to duck to avoid being spotted.
Then she spotted a flash of orange and black.
A HiveWing.
Poison Ivy froze, her eyes catching every shift of the scales that stood out like sunflowers against the grass. Her ears had to strain to hear the soft steps of the talons. This dragon clearly knew how to be sneaky.
What was a HiveWing doing so far from the hives?
Well, she thought to herself. You wanted to meet a HiveWing didn’t you? Here’s your chance.
Without stopping to think, she leaped out and said, “Hello!”
The HiveWing fell back, her mouth opening to scream. Before she could, Poison Ivy jumped on her and pinned her snout shut.
“Sorry!” She whispered. “But please don’t scream. We’re too close to the hive.” The HiveWing stopped struggling and gave Poison Ivy a clearer view of her. She had orange-yellow scales and half of her scales were black. She looked rather like one of those wasps in the Poison Jungle.
Poison Ivy got off her and she jumped to her talons, shaking off the grass. 
“What?” the HiveWing whispered. “Are you a weird SilkWing? Or…? WHAT ARE YOU?”
“Oh right.” Poison Ivy stopped, remembering that every other tribe thought LeafWings were extinct. “Well… yes. LeafWings are alive. THEY EXIST. WE EXIST. Ha, didn’t know, HiveWing? Your tribe tried to WIPE OUT ALL OF US AND WE’RE STILL ALIVE! Ha. Do you see how strong we are now? I’ve captured you, so follow me back to Belladonna and don’t say a word.” She felt proud that she had remembered to act like a strong and imposing LeafWing.
The HiveWing kept staring at her for a long long time before she shook her head. “Ant.”
“What?”
She made a face. “I know. It’s a terrible name.”
“Your name is Ant?”
“Yes, such an amazing name. Oh, and it’s good to know that LeafWings are alive. I hate to think we killed them all.”
“Well, you did not, and we’re going to avenge ourselves.”
Ant looked at Poison Ivy with a mischievous grin.
“You don’t mind if I join you with that?”
***
Ant was waiting for her right where they had agreed. It was by the sea and Lake Scorpion. Steep cliffs lined the edges and waves lapped against them turning them darker in color. 
She grinned at Poison Ivy and said, "Hey." Noticing Poison Ivy looking around nervously, she laughed and added, "Don't worry. We're far from any hive. And remember, I won't trap you. I'm an outcast as well, remember?"
"That doesn't mean you aren't lying," Poison Ivy retorted even though deep down she believed Ant.
Ant laughed again, a musical sound that Poison Ivy had never heard before in her life. It felt good. Soothing even.
"Why did you want me to meet you here?" Poison Ivy asked, tilting her head.
"Well..." Ant's expression fell solemn. "This is where I grew up." She tilted her head and Poison Ivy saw a gaping hole in the cliff that she hadn't noticed before. It was covered with ivy -the non-poisonous type- and perfectly concealed.
"Oh." Poison Ivy looked at the entrance then back at Ant. "So?"
Ant shook her head, her amused expression returning. "You wouldn't get it. Anyways, I wanted to show you something." She flicked her tail and nodded at the cave. She turned spread her wings, flying steadily to the opening and disappearing inside.
Poison Ivy paused, uncertainty filling her. What if this was a trap? Nah. She trusted Ant. So she flew into the cave.
"Hey," Ant said. She was sitting next to the wall. She turned away from Poison Ivy and felt along the floor. Suddenly, the rock crumbled below Ant's talons. Poison Ivy gasped, afraid her new friend was about to fall to her death but only a tiny bit of the rock crumbled apart. And laughed again. "Here." She stomped on the crack hard and more of the stone fell apart.
Soon, a hole big enough for a dragon was in the cave.
"Do you trust me?" Ant whispered.
Poison Ivy stared at the hole, the yawning gap in the floor, waiting to swallow her whole. So many risks...
"Yes."
And she followed Ant into the hole.
It was dark. And cramped. Also, very very unpleasant. A sort of grassy scent filled the air and Ant was walking slowly in front which meant Poison Ivy had to be careful of her tail. They finally emerged from the hole to the grasslands. "Watch." Ant murmured.
They were above a hive.
Poison Ivy wanted to ask a billion questions but she was too afraid the HiveWings would come and discover them to say anything or even move. All she did was breathe as she watched HiveWings and SilkWings go about their daily lives, not knowing they were being watched.
***
“Where have you been sneaking off to?”
Poison Ivy paused. She turned around.
Belladonna was standing behind her, her expression grim and her posture regal. “Explain Poison Ivy. I’ve seen you sneaking around last night. And the night before. Now tonight.”
“I-”
“Are you doing something bad?”
Well, according to LeafWings, the thing she was doing was bad. She was visiting Ant, the exiled HiveWing, every night when she could.
“Tell me Poison Ivy!” Belladonna growled. “Or I'm telling the others.”
Poison Ivy hung her head. “I’ve been meeting a HiveWing.”
Belladonna screeched and Poison Ivy cringed at the sound. It was a good thing they were far from any dragon inhabitant. “What, by the three moons, are you thinking?!”
“Um…”
“I suggest you leave as soon as possible.”
Poison Ivy recoiled. “What?”
“I’m going to tell my mom,” Belladonna sighed. “You were a fine friend in my childhood. I will give you this chance to free yourself, take it or leave it. You should be out of the jungle by morning.”
***
“What’s wrong?” Ant asked, her eyes betraying how worried she was.
“Well…” Poison Ivy sat there for a while, explaining her confrontation with Belladonna earlier. “And I thought I could go on the run with you.”
“I have a better option,” Ant said. “I spoke with this midnight black dragon in my sleep. He had a weird blue gem.”
“You what?” Poison Ivy gasped. “But that’s not possible.”
“If you said that a week ago I would believe you. But it’s true. He told me that he could invite me to his island. He offers refuge and peace. He told me he needs me for a thing. He wanted me to find a LeafWing and a SilkWing as well. I can take you there and invite you.”
“What if he was lying?”
“He wasn’t.”
Poison Ivy wasn’t sure she trusted this black dragon. He sounded like the dragon Clearsight from the old stories. But she did trust Ant. “Ok. Let’s go.”
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Content (Nightshade28173)