Chapter Text

Prologue

Animus Dragons

Turtle had just made Anemone into an Animus dragon in order to hide his own powers. Magic, just like hers.

Sunny was glad for it. She shouldn’t have been glad for it, given that she knew how scary the magic could be.

Oh course, she hasn’t really used it, but for that one little spell that made it so Starflight wouldn’t know she had the magic until it was the right time for them all to know.

That one little spell wasn’t enough to permanently damage her soul and make her just crazy enough, right? Sunny tried to shake off the anxiety.

Anyway, she shouldn’t tell them until after the war was over, really. Starflight had it all planned out, but once they got out of here– about a year, according to Starflight– they wouldn’t have the time to slow down to do more planning. They would have to be on the move move move.

So Sunny was glad that Annenome got the magic, that Turtle hid it. Mostly– and she was being generous to use the word mostly, entirely– because for weeks Starflight had been losing his mind with stress over whether or not it would even happen. It was quite likely, yes. Most likely, in fact. But some things were still chances. And under the mountain, Starflight could do nothing to affect chances. All he could think about was the chance that it wouldn’t happen despite the chance of it not happening– by whatever equation Starflight dreamed up– was not even half a percent.

And Sunny was the only one Starflight could confide in with his worries, being that it was just the two of them who knew the future. And she was glad to be a listening ear, she really was! But given that she could also read his mind, she was subject to his stresses at all times.

If things went differently, he’d have to redo nearly all his planning for the end of an entire war, and he couldn’t even write it down! And Sunny couldn’t help with that stuff. Starflight said it was easier without her as distraction. Though Sunny wanted to help. But Starflight was better at prophecy than her, he was better at pinpointing things if he focused on the branches. Sunny could do it, but she struggled to go as far or as specific. Neither could properly achieve it at all without focus.

Part One - Ocean’s Edge

Chapter One

On The Beach

“That’s right, finding my mother is the most important thing!” Tsunami had said, before turning to look at Sunny and then Starflight. “Right?”

“Yes.” Starflight said at the same time Sunny spoke “I believe.”

“Okay, those are two different answers.” Glory was the one who said it.

“We’ve been moving constantly. Neither of us have the time to pinpoint anything.” Sunny responded.

“Should we stop?” Clay offered, “We could stay around here for a bit if you two need the time to focus.”

“No!” Both Sunny and Starflight said at once.

If Sunny and Starflight were agreeing on something, it was probably a good idea to listen.

“We don’t have the time for that.” Sunny said.

“We shouldn’t linger anywhere. Not anywhere out in the open.” Starflight continued.

“But we might have time to think twelve steps ahead once we get to the Kingdom of the Sea.” Sunny responded to Starflight.

We will have time for sure as long as Sunny doesn’t derail things again.

I heard that! I won’t be willingly letting us get imprisoned again, if that’s what you’re thinking, by the way.

“Ohhh. You guys are talking to each other." Said Clay suddenly.

“What?” Starflight asked.

“When you both don’t say anything for a bit. You’re having conversations in each other's heads. That makes sense now, you do it all the time.”

Glory snorted. “You’re just now realizing that?” She asked, “I put two and two together pretty much as soon as they told us.” Glory glanced at the space between Sunny and Starflight. The two didn’t stand quite so close as they used to anymore.

“He is just realizing it.” Sunny chimed in.

“Hey!” Clay protested.

“Sorry!” Sunny apologised. “You know I wouldn’t be listening in if I could turn it off.”

“I’m not mad you’re doing it.” Clay bumped Sunny with a wing. “You know that.” Clay turned his head up in false offense. “What I am upset about is that you’re not on my side. When is it my turn?”

It worked, Clay got Sunny to laugh. “Next squabble you get my complete and utter backing.”

Clay bumped Sunny with his wing again. “You better! Least you could do.”