Darkness. It was all around her, threatening to consume her whole.

Tears ran down the sides of Moon's face; the silver scales shining from the wet droplets. I might never see them again, her mind whispered. Moonwatcher sucked in a ragged breath, sobs of grief racking through her as her wings shuddered in response.

All she could see were flashes of everyone's shocked faces flashing rapidly behind her eyes. It was a nightmare, and one she didn't expect to leave anytime soon. Her only escape was sleep. Curling in on herself, she squeezed her eyes shut and tried to let oblivion take her.

No one could form words. It was entirely silent, with the exception of the steady thump of wingbeats and the rustling scales of a giant, angry NightWing. Only after what seemed to be an eternity did the thousands of screams from Jade Academy begin to form which brought Moonwatcher back to the present.

With a sigh all too pleased, Darkstalker turned his attention to the dragonets before him. Even in such a malnourished state, there was still a regal beauty to him.

"Ah. That's infinitely better," he sighed in bliss as a charming yet toothy smile spread over his features. "Nice to finally meet you, Peril. Thank you so much for your help."

With a push against the rubble, Darkstalker pushed himself out of the chasm and revealed his body in full. No dragon should have ever been that size, nor that thin. How he wasn't dead was beyond Moon's mind. His scales were dull and worn from years beneath stone, and the sharpness of his rib-cage made it all more real. Large wings stretched to their full extent, seeming to nearly disappear into the starry night behind him.

Darkstalker ran his gaze down his form, a look of distaste forming on his lips. "No, no... This certainly won't do. A form more maneuverable, perhaps?"

A collective number of gasps and yelps came from the dragonets as Darkstalker's form was consumed in blinding light. No longer was there a giant dragon that could have crushed them with a swing of the hand, but instead a dragon only a bit larger than Winter himself. Darkstalker was still deathly thin, but at least he was no longer a giant.

"How did-" Turtle stammered, eyes wide in shock. "But the scroll- your powers-"

"Hmm... Turtle, isn't it? Such a mystery. You are one of the few whose minds I couldn't reach before."

Darkstalker landed onto one of the larger boulders that had fallen, tucking his wings against his sides to hide his form while he looked at the dragonets with an eerily calm expression. "I'll make things short and sweet for you. Thanks to your fiery friend over there," he nodded towards Peril, who winced, "my scroll was indeed destroyed. Yet what you all failed to realize... Once the scroll is destroyed, my powers return to me in full."

"No," Moon breathed in disbelief. She felt as if her blood had turned to ice in her veins.

With a tilt of his head, Darkstalker turned his attention back towards Moon. He smiled at her so sweetly, so kindly - as if they had known each other their entire lives. "You still don't trust me, little Moon?"

Winter growled threateningly as both he and Qibli put themselves between Moon and the animus before them.

"Don't talk to her," Winter snapped, bits of frostbreath trickling from his maw.

Giving the most bored expression, Darkstalker lifted his hand before curling it into a fist. Seconds later, Winter's wings stuttered in flight, as he began to desperately claw at his throat. Darkstalker was choking him.

"STOP IT!" Moon shrieked as Winter fell to the ground, gagging and gasping for air. Qibli and Turtle rushed to his side, with Peril pacing anxiously around trying to decide how she could help. Moon landed and rested her arms on Winter's side, tears beginning to form in her eyes as his eyes began to glaze over.

"Darkstalker, please! Please stop!" She cried, looking up at the animus with a heartbroken expression.

Darkstalker uncurled his fist. Winter inhaled deeply, beginning to cough violently as he did so. Raising his tail menacingly, it was now Qibli who looked up at the NightWing with pure hatred before turning to Turtle who seemed a few lighter shades of green.

"Can't you do anything to stop him?!"

As if drawn out of a trance, Turtle's eyes widened and he looked nervously from Darkstalker to Qibli. "I-I'm only a beginner... I can't perform that sort of magic!"

A low hum came from Darkstalker, and everyone glanced up to look at him nervously. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I am absolutely famished. If you could all do me the favor of pledging your unyielding allegiance to me, that would be fantastic."

"Not before I turn you to a crisp, you cow-headed snot pouring scavenger!"

Peril flared her wings open to lunge at Darkstalker, but he was too quick. In one swift movement, Peril was frozen in place, kneeling towards Darkstalker. Peril growled in frustration as her tail lashed out behind her.

"UGH! Let me go! Right now, before I-"

"Silence."

Just like that, Peril was quiet. Her mouth moved yet no words or sound came from it. Then, one by one; Turtle, Qibli, and Winter kneeled before Darkstalker... except Moon.

"What are you-?!" Moon began, looking to Darkstalker nervously.

"Now," he began, sounding quite pleased with himself, "that's more like it. The sooner you accept that I am the one true ruler of Pyrrhia, the sooner you realize your chances of living become just a bit higher. It's only because of Moon you still breathe."

"Darkstalker, please listen to me," implored Moon, daring to move a bit closer to the boulder on which he sat. "You don't have to do this, there's a different path. You can start again, I promise, we can work things out-"

Moon's breath caught in her throat as she let her mind touch his. His emotions were strong, thoughts racing through him so fast she could barely keep up.

Can we, Moon? his thoughts entered her mind as he stared her down. A shiver ran through her just looking into his silver-like eyes. I can see it. Now, on this timeline, if I do this... I will become King. I will be the one to bring all the tribes together under one rule, a rule full of peace and tranquility... With you by my side.

He lifted himself from the boulder and glided down to her on the ground, hardly making a sound as he did so. Nearly two heads taller than her, he dipped his head to have her eyes even with his as he gave a smile to sweet she almost forgot he was holding her friends hostage.

"Think of it, Moon. You and I... With our powers. We'd be a force to be reckoned with."

"Don't listen to him, Moon! He's just trying to trick you! He's going to-" Qibli was cut off as his voice left him, leaving him in the same state as Peril. The SkyWing wasn't giving the kindest look.

"How could you do this?" Moon whispered to him, a single tear running down her cheek. Darkstalker lifted a talon and brushed it away, looking at her with concern.

"I know it seems bad now... But what are the deaths of a few insignificant dragons who don't matter in the future? Our future?"

Moon pulled away as if she'd been burnt. "These 'insignificant dragons' are my friends! I won't let you kill them! You can't just treat LIVING BEINGS like your toys! If you kill them, you'll have to kill me too! I will never help you with this."

A small growl came deep from Darkstalkers throat as he barred his teeth. Moon backed away, yet kept her expression firm. The larger NightWing began to pace back and forth, occasionally glancing back and forth at Moon's friends, then to her. And then he stopped. He blinked a few times, then threw his head back in a laugh.

"Very well then, little Moon. Then perhaps a wager?" He mused. He sounded confident, striding towards her with unnatural grace.

"A wager...?"

"Yes." He stopped in front of Winter, who was glaring daggers up at the NightWing. "Being an extremely gracious dragon, I have decided to have a little fun. I will give you and your friends approximately one year to discover my one true weakness to be my downfall. I'll spare you all the shock and frustration by telling you my scales are indestructible. So if you do try an assassination attempt, please, be creative."

Darkstalker chuckled to himself, seeming quite pleased with himself before his expression went serious once again. "As I was saying... If you find my weakness, I, Darkstalker, will completely reverse the effects done to my scales and entirely relinquish all of my animus powers."

Shaking her head, Moon looked back over to her friends. All of them were either eyeing her or Darkstalker. Her answer would determine their fate.

"And... If I am not successful in finding your weakness?" Moon asked, dark emerald meeting silver.

A wicked smile formed across his face. "Then you, my Moon, will become my Queen when I rule over Pyrrhia."

Silence hung in the air for what seemed like centuries. Was this really happening? Did she WANT that life? To become Darkstalkers bride-to-be if she can't find out his weakness? And what if he makes her immortal, too, and she is stuck with him forever? An unpleasant shiver ran from her horns to the tip of her tail.

Moon looked over to Peril, Turtle, Qibli... Winter. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was mouthing the words, "Don't do it!" over and over. A great weight was forming in her chest and her eyes were growing unbearably hot, causing tears to form once more. This might be their only chance to stop him. But she had to be smart, she had to make sure he couldn't lie to her about this.

"Alright," she breathed, walking to Darkstalker with a solemn expression. "I agree to your terms... But you must swear also that no dragon will be harmed or killed during the year."

With a grunt, Darkstalker began to drag a long claw across his chest in an x. It glowed a faint purple for a few seconds before fading away as if it had never existed at all.

"Of course, of course... If I do, then my powers are destroyed. Do we have a deal?" He extended his hand to her, wings extending in excitement.

For a moment she wondered if she was deciding wrong. This could easily backfire on her. But it was one of their only chances. She looked back to Winter and her heart seemed to shatter.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, taking Darkstalkers hand in hers.

She barely had a second before her vision faded to black with Darkstalker laughing in manic glee.

When she woke, she was surrounded in darkness. For a small moment, she wondered if she was dead. No, death wouldn't leave her with a mind-splitting headache. She groaned and brought a gentle hand up to her temple. Everything seemed to hurt. Getting to her feet, she tried to look around in the darkness for any bit of light. None. Nothing at all.

A sense of dread started to wash over her, so much she felt her breath quicken. Had Darkstalker made her blind?

No, Darkstalker was many things, but he wouldn't do that to her... Would he?

Moon almost cried out in relief when a ball of light suddenly appeared above her head, illuminating the cavern she was in. But she was so transfixed by the light she couldn't think of anything else. It was like a miniature sun; brilliant and gold. And just like that, it zoomed away from her... Right into Darkstalkers' hand.

She almost didn't recognize him now. His scales were bright and smooth, and eyes as sharp as a hawk. It didn't change the fact that he was still unnervingly skinny, but no longer did he look like a skeleton. He admired the orb for a moment; allowing it to dance all up and down his arm.

"Do you like it?" he asked, as the orb flew back over to Moon. It circled over her head a few times before floating up near the ceiling; circling the room ever so slowly

"It's... Interesting."

Darkstalker moved towards her, keeping his wings tucked close against his body. He took a seat a few feet away from her. A second later, she felt the familiar touch of his mind brush against her own.

He tilted his head. You don't trust me...

"Why should I?" Moon nearly snapped. "You threaten to kill my friends- kill anyone that even dares oppose you-"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

The question lingered for a moment. "What?"

"Have I ever lied to you?" Darkstalker again. His expression was serious, silver eyes nearly black in the light.

She thought about the question... While his methods were not what she approved of, and he had done some horrible things... While he might have stretched the truth on some things, he had never straight up lied to her. He had even helped her in the past when it came to her powers. Thanks to him, she could actually stand to be in a crowd.

"... No."

That response seemed to please him because he hummed and allowed himself to slip down onto the ground.

After staring at him a bit longer, she finally found more of her courage.

"How did you do it?"

He stared at her, and she felt heat rush to her face. It didn't matter that he was skinnier than normal- he had to be one of the most handsome drakes she had ever seen.

"I mean... How did you change your appearance..?. And gain more weight? It's just, you don't really look like-"

"Like a walking skeleton?" He chuckled. "Ah, yes... It does seem unnerving, doesn't it? Nothing a little magic can't fix."

"Aren't you worried about your soul at all?" Moon asked, genuinely concerned.

Darkstalker was quiet for a moment before closing his eyes. For the first time since she'd seen him, he looked exhausted. "You shouldn't concern yourself with my fate. I'm the one who is holding you hostage, remember?"

Any sympathy Moon held for him vanished. "Where are we?"

"Back inside the mountain. I thought it would a cozy little home for us. Pitch darkness is just the touch a dark, depressing cave needs."

Moon dipped her head down and stared at her talons. One major thought was plaguing her mind.

"Where are my friends?"

Darkstalker immediately stiffened at the question, slowly raising his head. Moon met his eyes and gave a small growl; flaring her wings in hurt and anger.

"Darkstalker..."

"They are unharmed, as per our agreement," Darkstalker spoke simply. "But... I do not believe you will be seeing them again until your year is up. I said nothing about keeping them away."

"You promised you would-"

"Not use my magic," he cut in. "On them. I have not. The most I have done is cast a spell so that no other dragon beside us can enter this mountain. Think of it as a giant force field, keeping out all unwanted guests."

She would have to wait a whole year to see any of her friends again? A small part of her heart wilted, but hope remained. She would see them again. He said that none of them could enter, but he made it seem that she could leave at any time. It would just mean she needed to find a time when Darkstalker was distracted long enough for her to escape.

Lowering his head back onto his talons, he closed his eyes and exhaled softly. "Tomorrow morning, we shall hunt. No doubt you are hungry, I'm still starving, and I doubt you and I both want to continue to sleep on a stone floor. Especially when you've been doing it for nearly two-thousand years..."

All Moon could do was lay down on the farther end of the cave; the small orb of light growing smaller and smaller until it seemed as big as a lightning bug floating about the room.

"Goodnight, little Moon."

Closing her eyes and praying this was all a dream, Moon allowed herself to sleep once more.