Blood on Parchment

This is a fanfic by Berry52.
Please don't steal anything. Only edit if there are spelling or grammar errors. If any of the characters relate, either by name, attitude, etc., it is completely coincidental. Some of the characters were given names on the spot, as they had no names before.
== Summary ==
Swish is a normal SeaWing, adopted by Queen Gull. But, when she receives a letter made of parchment paper written in blood, her whole life turns upside down.
== Chapter 1 ==
"Can't catch me!" Swish chased after her 'sister', Blu. Swish was adopted by Blu's mother, Queen Gull of the SeaWings. She was a light green-blue color with sea green eyes. Swish had no clue what had happened to her mother before she was adopted.
Swish jumped over Blu, as she was older and could cover more space in a single leap, and cut her off from exiting the area they played in. Blu squeaked, and spun around, trying to escape. Swish grabbed Blu's indigo-colored tail, stopping Blu right before she smacked in Gull.
The queen looked down on the two dragonets. "Play more carefully." Blu and Swish nodded obediently.
"Let's go to the Deep Palace!" Blu chirped, ready to leave. Swish blinked.
"Are you sure? Last time we went you got scared by the glimpse of a thresher shark." Swish pointed out.
Blue pouted. "Fine. Let's go spy on Mother and her council meeting!"
Swish's eyes widened. "That's the worst idea in the history of-" Blu glared and flew off. Swish blinked, then alarm set in. "BLU!"
She ran toward the edge of the cave they had resided in. Swish caught the small figure of Blue gliding shakily toward the cave in which Gull held the council meetings.
Swish looked down, checking the area. If she jumped, and failed to open her wings in time to catch the air, she wouldn't smash any SeaWing's brains into the ground. Taking a deep breath, she leaped from the edge, and opened her wings. She jerked up, and began frantically beating her wings in hope to stay afloat.
Swish swiveled her head around, scanning for Blu. She saw her on the edge of the meeting cave, peeking her head in. Swish glided over, and landed as quietly as possible. Unfortunately, it wasn't very quiet, but not too loud. The voices cut off in the cave.
"Did you hear something?"
"No. You must be hearing things."
"Continuing with the meeting. Splash, how is the training of Crab going?"
Swish released a sigh of relief. Nobody knew they were here.
"Come on, Blu. We have to go." Swish whispered.
"No." Blu snapped. Swish rolled her eyes, and grabbed her sister. Blu began flailing, and almost screamed. "Fine I'll go! But by myself."
Swish put her down. At least she was getting somewhere. Swish jumped silently, and flew in a spiral down towards the water. Suddenly a clattering sound of rocks broke the silence behind her. Swish glanced over her shoulder to see Blu plummeting toward the water. A council dragon looked out the cave.
Swish took evasive action and made a sharp turn in the air. She descended slightly, enough to be under Blu, and flew under her. Swish bumped Blu up, to where she could open her wings. They both then slammed into the water. Swish blinked as bubbles clouded her vision. She saw a flash of indigo, and knew Blu was safe.
Swish recovered slowly, and by the time she fully was able move about, she bumped the sea floor. Churning, Swish planted her back legs firmly on the floor, then shoved herself upward. When her head broke the surface of the water, she looked around. Blu was on the shore, waiting for her.
"You shouldn't have done that. I would have known when to leave." Blu said.
Swish glared at her. "I highly doubt that."
Gull landed next to them. "Oh my! Are you two hurt in any way?"
"No, but I was paralyzed for a brief moment after hitting the water." Swish admitted. Blu snickered a bit.
"I'm fine!"
== Chapter 2 ==
Something poked Swish in the side.
"Hmmph?"
"Swish, get up, a SeaWing is here with a letter for you." Blu's voice whispered in Swish's ear. Swish blinked several times, then raised her head.
A deep blue and aquamarine SeaWing stood at the entrance of the cave. "Are you Swish?"
Swish nodded. She got up and went over to receive the letter. She took it and undid the binding on it. It was parchment paper. Swish's eyes scanned the writing.
When the waves slam harder and harder against the shore
The area will be ruined and tore
Only a dragon of light green and blue can prevail
But alone it will fail
Acceptance to this letter is to meet near the shore of the MudWings
And meet a dragon of navy blue and rings.
Tell of this note to no one. Eyes must not lay upon it but yours.
Swish blinked in surprise. A cold feeling went through her bones. To meet...tonight, maybe?
"What's it say?" Blu poked Swish in the side.
"Nothing!" Swish rolled up the paper and wrapped the binding around it once again. "Nothing at all."
Blu stuck her tongue out at Swish. "You're mean!"
Swish shook her head. "Thank you." she said to the SeaWing.
"It's just my job." He turned and leaped. That's when Swish noticed it. She knew almost every letter deliverer. This SeaWing she couldn't identify. Swish ran to the mouth of the cave. A scream erupted from outside. Swish looked to see multiple SeaWings attacking the letter deliverer.
She flew down when she saw her mother. "Mother!"
Gull looked up. "Who is that?" Swish gestured to the mauled SeaWing.
"That is Anchovy. He was an outcast. I used to just banish SeaWings when they did something wrong. They the penalty is greater. Anchovy was one of the SeaWings I banished." Gull explained.
"Why is he here?" Swish asked.
"That I am not sure of." Gull replied. "Now hurry back to your cave. There is nothing left to see here."
Swish looked back at Anchovy. Their eyes met for a split second. The SeaWing simply nodded at her, his eyes expectant, even in his mangled state. Swish nodded back, before flying back. Blu was waiting.
"What happened?" she demanded.
"That SeaWing was an outcast." Swish answered.
"What was his name?"
"Anchovy."
Blu ran out of the cave to do who-knows-what. Swish sighed, and began fiddling with the parchment paper in her talons. She unrolled it again, then ran her talon down the writing. It ran down with her talon a bit.
Confused, Swish tasted it. She instantly recognized the revolting coppery taste.
The writing was in blood.
== Chapter 3 ==
Swish opened her eyes. She peered around in the darkness. Everyone was asleep. She silently spread her wings, attempting not to send ripples through the water. Blu and Gull were still asleep.
Swish carefully swam to the surface. Small ripples went through the water when she slid it out of the water. Wind whipped past her head. She shivered, and ducked her head back under the water. Something poked her. Swish looked behind to see Gull.
What are you doing? Gull questioned.
I-I... Swish was unsure of what to say.
Come back down. It's getting stormy. The waves with be harsh and hard. The area might be torn up afterward. Gull flagged her back down. Swish followed.
Wait..."The waves will be harsh and hard." and "...might be torn up afterward."? Swish thought. Everything went together. If this storm tears up the area and the waves are hard, I go to the island!
Swish settled back down. She'd wait out the storm. She knew she would.
The days were long, as Gull wouldn't allow Swish or Blu to leave her side, or the Deep Palace. But today the storm finally stopped. Swish was excited. She was finally able to see what the area would be like.
Gull nodded for Blu and Swish to go ahead and leave. Swish swam past Blu, leaving Blu in her wake.
Swish broke the surface, and her heart skipped a beat. The area was messed up. Somehow the storm had been able to get through the canopy. The waves were still fairly rough.
But the reason Swish's heart had skipped a beat wasn't because of the condition of the land. Deep down, she didn't want to meet this navy blue dragon. And now she had to. Tonight.
== Chapter 4 ==
Swish made sure Gull and Blu were sound asleep before she quit the Deep Palace. She left the water and flew into the air. Swish decided to bring the letter, just in case it was needed in any case of emergency.
She landed quietly outside a small, hidden, library. Few SeaWings knew about it, and that small percent was almost all royalty. Swish slipped inside, and searched the selves for her letter. When Swish located it, she tucked it under her wing for safekeeping, until she needed to fly.
Swish hurried to the mouth of the cave, the paused, listening for sounds in the night. All was quiet. Swish grabbed the letter in her talons and took flight. She swerved around to exit the Summer Palace, and was soon in SeaWing territory.
The flight was long, and Swish became worried that she wouldn't reach the MudWing territory by daybreak. She'd swim to speed things up, but the letter wasn't waterproof.
Yet, things went in her favor. The night seemed to be endless, and eventually she saw the Mud Kingdom. And...small flashing lights in the distance. Swish sped up her flight.
When she landed near the rock that had the flashing, it ceased.
"Hello?" Swish looked around through the dark.
"Are you Swish?" a voice asked behind her. Swish blinked in bewilderment, but nodded...even though the voice was behind her.
"Good. Come with me; and make sure not to light up your scales." a silhouette came into Swish peripheral vision, and she followed it. The dragon dove into the water; but for the safety of the letter, Swish didn't. The dragon's head popped up above the surface.
"What's wrong?"
"The letter...it isn't waterproof." Swish told the dragon.
"Leave it under that rock," the silhouette gestured to a small rock. "it'll be safe there. Do it quick, though. We must make haste."
Swish obeyed, then dove into the water after the dragon. After what felt like seconds, the SeaWing broke the surface, and Swish did likewise. She gasped. The area was totally different. Based on the studying she did, she judged they had swam from the edge of the Mud Kingdom, past the coast of the Rain Kingdom, and to the coast that bordered the Cloud Mountains.
The dragon, which Swish now presumed to be a SeaWing, came upon the shore.
Swish followed it. "Now what?"
The dragon's scales lit up. Swish was right, it was a SeaWing. But something else was interesting, too. The SeaWing was navy blue. There was another thing. There was a slight difference in some of his stripes. Some of them were rings.
== Chapter 5 ==
"Y-you're the one. In the-" Swish was cut off by the navy SeaWing.
"The dragon in the letter? Yes, I am. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Navy. My parents were extremely creative in naming me, weren't they? That doesn't really matter anyway, though. Gull killed both of them."
"I'm sorry..." Swish whispered.
"Why should you be? You're Gull's daughter. I bet you live the great life in the Sea Kingdom." Navy snorted.
"Actually, my parents abandoned me as an egg. I never knew them. So I'm not technically Queen Gull's daughter." Swish murmured.
"And you feel bad about yourself for not knowing your parents?" Navy inquired.
Swish shrugged, then slightly nodded. "I guess."
"Well, since you never knew you parents, you don't know what they were like, so that doesn't really affect you. But I actually knew my parents. I had them ripped away from me. Can you imagine that? So don't go feeling sorry for yourself." Navy suddenly turn aggressive.
Swish stepped back. Suddenly a rather plump SeaWing surfaced.
"This is Swish?" he questioned. Navy nodded.
"Really...I thought she'd look different." the SeaWing came out of the water, and Swish could see him more easily. He was a dull blue and green, with bulging, bloodshot, vomit-colored eyes. Overall, Swish wouldn't mind if he disappeared from Pyrrhia.
"Shut up, Walrus. You're just being a big pig again." Navy growled. "And before you say anything, I can escort her to the camp."
"Camp?" Swish asked warily.
Navy nodded. "Nothing to worry about though. You'll be safe."
Cautiously, Swish followed Navy, as he ducked into a small passage that led to an array of caves and tunnels under the mountains. Torches lit the chambers.
Crude signs pointed toward a certain way. Each was labeled with a specific sign. Navy kept leading Swish along by signs that a circle inscribed on them. After a while, the tunnel opened into a big, gaping cavern.
A couple SeaWings aimlessly wandered about. One was pacing on an elevated platform. Navy lead Swish to the SeaWing.
"Swish is here, Conch." Navy told the green SeaWing.
"Thank you, Navy. You are dismissed." Conch said. Navy glared before walking of. Swish felt vulnerable.
"Why am I here?" she asked. "And who is everyone here?"
"We are the Outcast SeaWings. The very SeaWings whom Gull banished." Conch explained.
"Another question: why do you keep calling Queen Gull simply Gull?" Swish inquired.
"We aren't at all fond of Gull, so she has no right to be called a queen." Conch told her. Swish nodded, allowing him to continue on.
"You're here because you are the only link between royalty and outcasts." Conch says, his voice sounding more professional.
"What do you mean by a link?" Swish asked.
"Your parents abandoned you, Swish, as an egg, because Gull banished them. She never knew they had an egg, which was you, so she simply dubbed your parents dead and took you in. You were then turned to purple."
"And that means I'm part outcast?"
"You could say that." Conch shrugged. "But, you are the one. The only one, who can get us outcasts back into the SeaWing Tribe."
== Chapter 6 ==
Swish swam quickly through the water. Thoughts were rushing around in her head. Bringing the outcast SeaWings back would mean defying her adopted mother. These thoughts still clashed in Swish's head when she settled down on the seafloor next to Gull and Blu.
Swish began to doze off when a rush of water pushed her off her seaweed nest and Blu poked her in the side.
She reluctantly followed her mother, as Blu did. Swish tried to remember why they were trailing behind, but nothing came to mind.
Gull entered an underwater room. She wrapped her tail around Blu and brought her inside, but used her wings to deflect Swish.
Go do something else to keep youself preoccupied. You aren't exactly true royal blood. Then with that, Gull left Swish outside.
Though she felt dejected, Swish was able to mull over what to do about the outcast problem. Several ideas buzzed through her head, but none seemed ingenious enough. Then, an idea struck her. First, she'd need a little more information than what she had.
----
Swish set a coin down on a rock. The bedraggled, dull green SeaWing in front of her picked it up and examined it. She took it to a microscope and began checking it more carefully.
"It's real. What do ye need?" the old SeaWing asked. Swish made herself look a little taller.
"Angler, which daughter goes to the throne after the queen dies?" Swish asked.
"Why, the oldest daughter. And silly me to think ye'd know that." Angler picked through her assortment of oddities.
"Who would go the throne first if the eldest daughter was adopted?" Swish questioned.
"In my day, the queen would choose her successor if the oldest daughta was adopted." Angler looked up. "Now, why do ye be askin' mah?"
"Just curious." Swish turned and flew off. Now to find Gull.
----
By the time Swish found her adopted mother, it had been over two hours of searching.
"What do you need, Swish?" Gull asked.
"Who will be your successor?" Swish asked.
Gull's eye twitched. "Why do you asked me this, Swish?"
"No reason. Simply curiosity." Swish replied.
"My successor will be Blu, happy?" Gull snapped. Swish turned away and flew off. It hadn't been the answer she'd been looking for.
But maybe...just maybe...it would work.
== Chapter 7 ==
Swish was up late working on her plan. She hoped, and was fairly confident, that it would work; but there was a nagging doubt in the recesses of her mind.
The next morning, Swish asked Gull if she could go out. Gull said she could quickly, and Swish was beginning to wonder if Anchovy told her she was 'part outcast'.
This thought stuck in Swish's head, so she decided to visit Anchovy to see just what he was up to.
When Swish landed at the prison area, she realized she had no clue which prison he was in. It seemed in Gull's nature to put him in the above water prison, but since Anchovy was an outcast and knew how to escape and survive by himself, it seemed as though he'd be able to get past the eel-infected water. That meant Gull would put him underwater. Yet, it seemed Anchovy may be able to escape as he was a SeaWing. Then, maybe Swish was overestimating him.
Swish saw the top prison guard and was about to walk over, when she thought of something. She knew the guard. His name was Seaweed, and he was very cautious. Gull adored him, even though every time she asked to see someone he was overly skeptical. Blu told Swish it was because his parents always told him never to trust anyone, and that everyone is a potential enemy, just waiting to ambush and kill him. Blu also said he had insomnia.
Swish knew she had to disguise herself, as Seaweed might bring her to Gull, and Gull would question her why she wasn't off doing something, and instead pestering the prison guard.
Swish dived in the water and searched for some kelp. When she found some, she unrooted it and swam to the surface. She made sure no one was watching her, than plastered the kelp all over her. Then she splashed water onto dry soil, and made it into mud. She proceeded to roll about in the mud silently, hoping no one saw her.
Swish got up, puffed out her chest to look a little more professional (as professional you can look plastered with kelp and mud), and walked over to Seaweed.
Seaweed narrowed his eyes at her, mistrust showing.
Swish took a breath: "I'd like to know which prison outcast Anchovy is being held in." Swish tried to sound like a male, but she utterly failed.
"Right...he's in the there." Seaweed gestured to the damp prison near him. It was above water!
"Thank you." Swish nodded, and a piece of kelp splatted onto the ground. Swish straightened hastily. She hurried inside. Attracting anymore attention wasn't necessary.
Swish looked through the downpour of waterfalls, searching for Anchovy's prison. She finally found something promising. A lone prison cell was in the back; far away from the rest. No other cells were occupied around it.
"Who's in there?" Swish questioned in her horrible male voice.
"Why?" the voice asked. Swish couldn't exactly remember Anchovy's voice, but she thought this might be it.
"I need to know." she growled.
A guard walked up. "Do we have a problem?"
"Which cell is this?" Swish questioned.
"It's the cell most prisoners go in before they're executed. Why?"
"Who is in the cell?"
"Do you live under a rock? I guess you look a little young to know, though. Anchovy, an original outcast, came back from being banished. Gull hasn't planned his execution yet. I think she's just trying to get him all worked up, and then when he begins to relax, he'll die." the guard replied.
"Interesting. I just need to talk to him. Shoo." Swish flagged the guard in a different direction.
"This seems a little fishy. What are you doing back here?" the guard growled.
Panic flared through Swish. Before she knew what she was doing, she shoved the guard into the moat around Anchovy's cell. Sparks flew from the water, and Swish assumed it was extra security. A few shocks hit her, and pain ran through her when it happened. Swish had to lay on the wet rock floor for a few minutes before the pain subsided.
When she stood, a little jolt went through her, but she ignored it. Crouching, she launched herself through the cascading waterfall, for the sake of not allowing guards to know something was up.
The waterfall washed away most of the scum on her, so Anchovy recognized her immediately.
"You're Swish. Why are you here?" he asked, slightly bewildered.
"Did Gull ever talk to you?" Swish inquired.
"Yes, about why I returned."
"What did you tell her?"
"I refused to talk. She told me my execution would be extra painful. Then she claws me through my left wing." Anchovy explained.
"You didn't tell her I was part outcast?" Swish asked.
"No."
"Did you tell any other SeaWing?"
"No. I've told them nothing of why I came, or that I was searching for you. Almost all, including Gull, don't know why I'm here." Anchovy said.
"Thank you." Swish whispered. "And, I have a plan."
"I'm not sure how you're going to go through with the plan, as you possibly killed that guard. You'll be lucky if he does die. If he doesn't, he'll rat on you." Anchovy warned.
"No, this is going to work; and first, I'm going to break you out."
== Chapter 8 ==
"What?" Anchovy tensed.
"We have to. Plus, I have a plan to get you out." Swish said.
Anchovy still looked worried. "What if we get caught? Gull adopted you, and with Blu being her chosen successor, I'm sure she won't hesitate to execute you."
"Don't worry. I have it all-" a screech erupted from outside. "One second."
Swish didn't know what made her do it, but suddenly she turned and launched herself through the cascading water. Shocks of electricity went through her. Swish slammed onto the damp rock. She began to black out.
Berry52 (talk)
"S...Swi...SWISH! Do you hear me?!" a voice shouted. Swish reawakened. The voice belonged to Anchovy.
"What happened?" Swish asked, still a little dazed.
"You went through the waterfall and fainted. The eels must have gotten some of their shock back and shocked you." Anchovy theorized.
"How long was I out?" Swish asked, slightly worried.
"Not long. I saw your body didn't move, so I got worried. Now can you get me out? I want to know what that noise was."
Swish looked around. She saw a little handle dangling. She grabbed it and pulled, and a noise went through the room. The waterfall around Anchovy's cave cut off. Anchovy leaped across.
"Come on. Let's see what that scream was."
Swish and Anchovy ran through the prison, when Swish spied something laying on the ground. She ran up, only to wish she didn't. It was a guard, with his throat gashed violently. Swish closed her eyes. Who would do this?
"Anchovy!"
"Conch!"
Swish opened her eyes to see Conch pinning Seaweed down. His claws had blood on them, though Seaweed bore no wounds. She knew it almost had to be Conch who killed the prison guard.
"What are you doing here?" Swish asked.
"We're attacking." Conch said simply.
"The outcasts?" Swish questioned.
"Yes."
"You have too few dragons!" Swish cried.
"We're not here to destroy the Sea Kingdom. We're here to kill Gull, and save Anchovy." Conch growled.
Swish's eyes widened. "What?!"
"We have Navy going after her. This was part of your plan, no?" Conch questioned.
"H-how did you know?" Swish stuttered.
"You can't hide everything from the outcasts." Conch whispered. "A spy snuck in to your and Blu's room and found your plan. She brought it back to me."
Swish ran past Conch and jumped, taking to the air. She beat her wings, flying towards Gull's above water room. She hoped she was there. When Swish landed she found no trace of her.
A scream echoed from the council area. Swish flew down. She saw Navy and Gull fighting. Gull was winning.
"No!" Swish screeched, and she charged between the two quarreling SeaWings. Navy was expert enough to she her and not strike, but Gull landed a heavy blow on her side.
Gull roared. "Why would you get in the way?! Do you have something to do this?"
"Don't...hurt...him..." Swish winced.
"You do!" Gull reared up to trampled Swish, when Navy darted over Swish and took the damage. He growled, before looking up.
"I won't let you hurt your own daughter. Adopted daughter." Navy growl-roared. He launched at Gull and slashed at her, aiming for her throat. Gull screeched, trying to evade him, but was too big.
Swish got up, and looked at the two with pleading eyes. "Please, stop!"
Navy swung around and slashed Gull's throat. She screeched, before ripping him off and slamming him to the ground, her blows weakening. She limped over to Swish, but collapsed before she could reach her.
Swish got up, and walked weakly over to Navy.
"Navy?" the body was limp. She prodded him in the side.
"Swish...go..." Navy whispered. Tears began to build up in Swish's eyes.
She grabbed Navy was best she could, and awkwardly flew away. Swish left the palace and landed on a small island.
She looked at Navy. He was limp, and his body was cold. Swish curled herself around him. She felt something ebbing away from her. Stars began to dot her gaze and black was overtaking it. She thought she saw dragons that had passed before her gathering around.
I'm sorry for not guiding you Blu. You'll be a good queen. Swish closed her eyes. Good-by.
THE END
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Fanon)
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)