Hey guys! Chapter 19 is inside the project, Please go in to see it! I had to split it up because my chapters are getting too long! TW: Mentions of attacking, tell me if i missed a TW! Chapter 20 Crystal lay there, the fury slowly cooling into a cold, hard resolve. She had to understand it. The truth wasn't in Glory's protection; it was in the brittle, ancient parchment. A shadow fell over the entrance of the healer's hut. Crystal looked up and saw Winter. He didn't stride in with his usual arrogance; he shuffled, his pale-blue scales dull, his claws nervously twitching at the doorway." They said I could come in," he mumbled, refusing to meet her eyes. He paced to the foot of her hammock and stared at the floor. Crystal waited, the silence stretching taut between them. The last words he’d said to her—bug-snout—echoed in her mind, stinging worse than the healed claw marks on her flank."Look, I..." Winter started, his voice rough. He stopped, struggling to find the words. He lifted his head, finally meeting her gaze with a fierce, miserable honesty. "I am sorry. About everything. About what I said. It was vile, and you didn't deserve it. You're not... you're not a bug-snout." His confession was simple and final. "You were hurt because you were protecting us, and I was cruel to you. I was a terrible friend."Crystal felt the anger drain away, replaced by a weary ache. "It's hard to be friends with an IceWing, Winter," she said softly, but without malice. "Especially one that’s so easily fooled."He flinched, the accusation landing exactly where it hurt. "I was an idiot. A complete fool. The whole winglet is a mess because of me, and because of that... that SandWing. Moon told us what she knew. Apparently, there’s someone out there who wants you dead." He dragged a talon across the floor. "Qibli's laid up, Kinkajou is miserable, and the real Moon is still too shaken to be around anyone. We're a mess."We'll fix it," Crystal said, sitting up despite the protest from her ribs. "But we can't fix it locked in the Academy, waiting for the next attack."Winter looked at her, sensing the shift in her focus. "Glory told me the rules. Chaperones. No flying. And absolutely no reading old scrolls about Lost Continent fire."A slow, dangerous smile spread across Crystal's snout. "She locked the scroll away, didn't she? Somewhere, Starflight can look at it first?"Winter's eyes widened. "She said they were going to start analyzing it immediately. Why?" Her gaze locked onto Winter's. "I need to know what happens if I use Flamesilk again. And I need to know now, before that SandWing or her 'boss' finds me again. I can't leave the caves, but you can. I need you to get me that scroll, Winter." The former IceWing prince, already consumed by guilt and the need for redemption, stared at the impossible request. The silent, determined promise in her multi-colored eyes was the only answer he needed.
Continue! Chapter 21 Winter knew that look. It was the same dangerous focus Crystal had when she unleashed the Flamesilk. He didn't need to say yes; his frantic nod was the only answer she needed. He found Qibli back in their cave. The SandWing was propped up, still recovering, meticulously sharpening a decorative claw, and looking utterly bored. “Let me guess,” Qibli drawled without looking up, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “The love of your life finally told you to steal a priceless artifact from the two smartest dragons on the continent? Because that sounds like a typical Tuesday for you, IceWing.” “It’s not for me, and it’s not priceless yet,” Winter snapped, but his heart wasn't in the usual rivalry. “It’s the scroll about the Lost Continent. Glory locked it down, and Crystal needs to read it. Now. Her powers are unstable. It’s the only way to figure out how to stop the Boss.” Qibli stopped sharpening the claw. He looked up, his pale face suddenly serious. “Unstable. Great. Okay, idiot. You break rules, I make plans. We need Kinkajou and Moon. Meet me in the main cave in five minutes. Bring a bag for the goods.” Kinkajou was the hardest. She paced back and forth, her scales cycling rapidly between determined green and terrified purple. “I can’t believe I’m betraying Queen Glory,” Kinkajou wailed, wringing her talons. “I love her! She gave me a home! And if Tsunami finds out, she’ll probably feed me to a shark!” “If Crystal uses her power again, Kinkajou, she’ll destroy herself or burn down the whole academy,” Qibli said, his voice unusually soft but firm. “This isn't betrayal; it’s triage. We are protecting the dragon Glory cares about most.” The word triage seemed to settle the matter. Kinkajou’s scales stabilized into a defiant shade of deep magenta. “Fine. But if Winter messes this up, he owes me every mango grown in the rainforest for the next year.” Moon was the final piece. She stood rigid, her dark scales almost invisible against the stone, her eyes wide with lingering fear from her captivity. “I won’t participate,” Moon whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “I can’t risk using my power. They could be watching, and I don't trust my senses after what happened.” She clenched her fists. "The idea that a dragon was wearing my face and walking around here... it makes me sick." “You don’t have to use your voice or your wings,” Qibli said, his strategic gaze calculating. “You’re the mind-reader. You can stand outside the main entrance and listen to their thoughts. You are the only one who can tell us exactly when Starflight and Fatespeaker are distracted." Moon looked at the two determined faces— Winter, seeking redemption, and Qibli, focused on strategy. She nodded slowly. “I’ll tell you when to move. But if I sense any suspicion, or if I read a thought that sounds like the impostor, we abort immediately.” “Excellent,” Qibli murmured, tapping his claws together. “One dragon’s anxiety is another dragon’s security system. Now, let’s go steal some reading material.” An hour later, they were in position near the library. Winter pressed against the cold stone outside the entrance, his muscles coiled, ready to spring. Qibli was positioned down the hallway, fiddling loudly with a damaged wing hinge he'd claimed from the junk heap—a perfect, obnoxious distraction. Kinkajou was perched high above, her eyes darting everywhere. Moon stood closest to the entrance, facing the wall, her eyes shut, concentrating fiercely. Moon felt the torrent of thoughts inside the library. Starflight is worried about the organization of the scrolls. Fatespeaker is thinking about tea… Winter gripped the cold stone wall, his breath frosting in the evening air. Moon's shoulders tensed. Fatespeaker is looking away from the main desk. She shifted her weight slightly and gave a sharp, silent nod to Winter. He's talking about the new history scroll. The one about the Royal SilkWings… Winter didn't need Moon to speak to him. The sudden, decisive movement of her head was all the signal he needed. He burst through the doorway. This wasn't about honor or tribe. It was about Crystal. He was breaking the rules for the scroll that could save Crystal. Song is L-O-V-E by Nat King Cole Next: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1251305212/ Prev: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1248827210/ First: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1244084342/ I'm so sorry it took me so long. I was super busy this weekend! Hope you guys enjoy! Pings: @Star_Lullaby
