Chapter Text
After the Great War ended, the former Dragonets of Destiny kept busy.
Queen Glory, with the help of Jambu and Fatespeaker, helped coax the RainWings and NightWings into a new era of dragon cohabitation. Usually to mixed results, but without battle lines drawn it grew harder and harder for the NightWings to push against their new Queen. Especially one that kept them fed and wouldn’t tolerate their pretentious, holier-than-thou rants.
When not dealing with that mess, Glory often took a trip to the peaks of Jade Mountain where Tsunami was hard at work directing the various dragons they’d coerced into helping build the school they hoped to install there. Clay and Sunny helped where they could, but they found it easier to let the brash SeaWing handle it while they traveled the Pyrrhian continent to spread the word of Jade Mountain Academy.
And Starflight…
Starflight stayed in bed.
He wanted to help, he really did, but after they set up the academy’s library to suit his needs he felt he would just get in the way.
It was just easier this way. Especially with how comfy real beds were, not the stone slabs or hammocks he was forced to sleep on for most of his life. On a bad day, he could just fall into bed and let sleep take him before the negative thoughts could. And on a good day…
Well, the NightWing wasn’t sure he had many of those.
Now that he was blind every day felt exhausting, between training his other senses with Tamarin and struggling to hunt with Clay or Fatespeaker and running into walls or trees and not being able to read the scrolls the NightWings brought over and-
“Geeze, still asleep?”
A loud male voice snapped Starflight out of what would have been the third bedbound panic attack he’d had this month. It was light and smooth so certainly not Clay-- Starflight would have definitely heard the MudWing plodding along towards him, meanwhile this dragon’s steps didn’t make a sound-- but there was a sharpness to his tone, meaning it couldn’t have been a RainWing like Jambu or Mangrove coming to check on him.
It would have to have been a NightWing, and the only male NightWing who would be allowed to see him…
“Deathbringer.” Starflight said softly, grumbling as he drew a thin blanket over his head and turned away from the voice. “Whatever it is, I don’t have the time for it.”
Starflight’s scales bristled as he felt, but didn’t hear, the other dragon grow closer.
“Nope. Nuh-uh.” Deathbringer clicked his tongue as he wrenched the blanket away from Starflight’s grasp, an easy feat considering the size difference between the two. “No more rotting away in bed. Queen Glory’s orders.”
Starflight may have given up the blanket, but he crossed his forelegs across his chest like the petulant dragonet he sometimes wished he still was. “It must be an important order if she sent you to give it instead.”
“Who better to give out orders than her favorite bodyguard?” Deathbringer hummed, and Starflight could practically hear the cocky grin he half-remembered playing across the dragon’s lips. The bed shifted suddenly, Deathbringer bringing his weight down on the edge of it and letting his tail lay across Starflight’s body if only to annoy him further. “Anyway, she tried to do it herself but you refused to wake up. She had to go, so she wanted me to keep an eye on you.”
“Well… that’s sweet I-”
“I got tired of waiting after twenty minutes, and now here we are!”
Starflight wrinkled his snout at this, but slowly lifted his head in the direction of Deathbringer’s voice. “You said Glory had to go?”
Deathbringer hummed in acknowledgement, though his tail briefly whipped at the thought. “Something about Jade Mountain. I think she said Tsunami’s tearing out the library so that they can build a fight pit for the students?””
Starflight said nothing to this, but the scowl he gave was enough to send Deathbringer into peals of laughter. The not too unpleasant sound filled the room they shared for a few moments, and Starflight’s ears burned hot because of it.
“Hey, would it kill you to lighten up a little?” Deathbringer asked, the lingering embers of a snicker still in his voice. He pat a talon gently on Starflight’s shoulder, causing the smaller dragon to jump. “She headed out to give Tamarin and Kinkajou a tour of the school now that it’s closer to opening. Must be nice, getting special treatment from the Queen.”
Starflight scoffed. “As if you don’t know anything about that.”
“Of course I do, I’m her favorite.” Starflight felt the bed shift and creak as Deathbringer stood but quickly returned a firm grasp to Starflight’s shoulder. “But so are you. So, one favorite to another, how about we get some lunch? I’m absolutely starving.”
For as much as he wanted to turn the dragon down, turn him away so that he could fall back into the cold embrace of sleep, Starflight’s body had other ideas.
His belly growled loudly, painfully so, and garnered another boisterous laugh from Deathbringer.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Not twenty minutes later, Starflight found himself gliding down into what he was told was a clearing just on the outskirts of the RainWing Kingdom. With just a bowl of fruits perched precariously between his wings.
His landing was pinpoint, touching down as gracefully as ever onto the grass below.
His accuracy, however, left much to be desired.
Deathbringer yelped loudly as Starflight nearly barreled into him, rustling the grass around them as his wings beat strong and swiftly to get him away from the dragon turned battering ram. “Hey! Watch where you’re-”
Starflight flinched.
“Shit, I didn’t mean…”
As Deathbringer trailed off, his voice quivering just the slightest bit, Starflight was quick to wave it away with a talon. “It’s a common turn of phrase. I get it.” He said as he forced a smile up in the direction of Deathbringer’s voice.
And he just hoped that for once his face didn’t divulge his true feelings.
There was a long moment where the other NightWing held in the air, his large wings flapping and blowing air all around Starflight. The blind dragon didn’t have to see to know he was being studied, his face growing hot as he felt Pyrrhia's (self proclaimed) greatest assassin stare at him.
But the moment ended as Deathbringer slowly drifted down to join Starflight. “Right. Well, I guess let’s get to eating.”
In rousing agreement, Starflight extended his wing and let the bowl on his back slide down onto the ground between them. It clattered a bit, but he didn’t let that stop him from settling down on the grass and basking in the patch of sunlight that he could feel shining on his dark scales.
“Damn, lost a few.” Deathbringer said softly as he drew closer to Starflight, muttering a bit to himself before sighing. “Ah well, it’s not like a bit of dirt ever hurt anyone.”
He then bit down into one of the fruit, eliciting the loudest and wettest bites that Starflight had ever heard in his life. Shivering with a bit of discomfort, he grasped at the bowl and grabbed what he assumed to be a mango, taking far more conservative bites than his companion.
“So, is there any reason you picked this clearing instead of, say, the usual eating area?” Starflight asked between bites.
Deathbringer scoffed after another, thankfully less intense bite. “And deal with the NightWings trying to rope me into helping challenge Queen Glory? No thanks.” The grass beside Starflight rustled as he could feel the dragon next to him stretch out with a yawn. “So sometimes I’ll just eat out here instead. It’s nice and quiet, and no one’s here to bother me if I wanna take a nap in the sun.”
Starflight had to admit, the sunlight falling on them both was fairly comforting. If he wasn’t careful, and despite the fact that he’d just woken up not too long ago, he could imagine himself curling up and falling asleep again. Perhaps there was a bit of RainWing in his lineage, or maybe it was just natural for dragons to find comfort in the sun shining on their scales.
Shaking his head, pushing away any thoughts of sleep for the time being, Starflight looked in the direction of Deathbringer and tilted his head in confusion. “They’re still trying to issue a challenge? Didn't they learn from Duskwalker?” Lowering his head, Starflight pursed his lips in frustration. “Can’t they all just… understand that the war is over and we aren’t enemies anymore?”
“They’re still scared, Starflight.” Deathbringer responded, his voice a touch sharper. “Can you really blame them? Not everyone’s gonna be like me or Fatespeaker. It’s not like Battlewinner or Morrowseer prepared any of them for this. For this kind of peace.”
A silence followed, the only sound surrounding the two being the rustling of nature and the birds making noise in the trees. Starflight couldn’t even hear the sound of Deathbringer eating, so he didn’t dare reach for another fruit just yet.
After a few moments Deathbringer let out a sigh, but one that quickly transitioned to a dry laugh. “Sorry, that was probably a little too serious. We’re just trying to chill here.” Between them, Starflight could hear him rustling through the bowl of fruit. “Speaking of Fatespeaker, how are you two doing lately?”
Pausing momentarily at the sudden change in topic, Starflight slowly shrugged his shoulders. “We’re fine I suppose? She comes by a lot to check in on me and read me scrolls.” He said, tapping a claw on his chin. “I think she might visit me more than Glory at this point, not that I mind of course. It’s always nice to have company.”
“She’s definitely good company if you can keep up with her!” Deathbringer agreed with a short laugh. “I didn’t peg her for much of a reader. What sort of things do you end up reading together?”
“She and I have… differing tastes. I tend to prefer informational scrolls, news, or certain legends when I’m feeling up for it. Fatespeaker, however, seems inclined to find any story of adventure or romance to read to me instead.” He quickly brought a talon up to his snout to try and hide the gentle, dreamy smile that traced across it. “She still likes to do the voices when she reads them to me. It’s kind of embarrassing, but I don’t think I’ll tell her to stop any time soon. She’s having a lot of fun, and I like to hear her smile.”
Deathbringer snickered, nudging his knuckles against Starflight’s shoulder. “Hey, that’s just what a good boyfriend does! So long as she’s happy, right?”
Starflight chuckled along, but it was more out of confusion than anything. “Sure, but… Fatespeaker and I aren’t really, uh, together like that, you know?” His cheeks felt a bit hot as he fiddled with his claws, pressing them against each other in alternating fashions. “I don’t think she and I are very compatible, if you understand my meaning.”
“Oh… oh!” Deathbringer laughed slightly after a moment of realization, heating Starflight’s cheeks further. “If it makes you feel any better, I made the mistake of asking Queen Glory on a date recently. And she turned me down pretty hard. But I guess you’ve probably heard all about it by now.”
“It’s news to me.” Starflight said softly. “Usually when she talks about you, it alternates between you being frustratingly annoying and you being the best bodyguard she could ask for. Sometimes in the same breath.”
“That’s…” Deathbringer stopped for a moment, breathing in deeply before sighing. “That’s honestly good to hear. I figured since you guys were close…”
Deathbringer trailed off slowly and Starflight could feel more rustling beside him before Deathbringer let out a low, annoyed grumble.
“Damn it all, we’re already out of food.” Deathbringer groaned, unleashing a burst of wind as he stood up and flared his wings. “You don’t mind if I just leave you here for a bit to grab some more, do you?”
The thought of being alone in a clearing outside of the RainWing village was a bit daunting to Starflight, but daunting pressed up against the comfort of the cool breeze and warm sun against his scales, as well as the soothing sounds of animals in the trees. Really, the only thing the blind dragon feared was falling asleep before Deathbringer returned with more food.
“I suppose not.” Starflight decided, crossing his forelegs and resting his chin down on them. “So long as you’re quick about it.”
“I’ll try to hurry back.” Deathbringer said, clearly stifling a laugh. “And, hey, for being so accommodating, I’ll sneak over to where they’re keeping Mastermind’s stuff and nab some scrolls. I may not be Fatespeaker, but I can still be a little entertaining.”
Starflight had to dip his head lower in hopes to hide his soft smile. “I think I’d like that.”
“...and then Morrowseer addressed the court by saying: ‘It wasn’t my fault those blasted dragonets escaped again. If you all would just follow my plans, none of this would-’” Deathbringer intoned, dropping his voice low and mimicking Morrowseer’s posh, regal accent briefly before returning it to normal. “Her eminence Princess Greatness then ordered him to beg for forgiveness before herself and Queen Battlewinner. After doing so, for several minutes, Morrowseer was told to leave the council meeting and, as Princess Greatness put it, ‘come up with a plan that actually works.’”
Both dragons broke out into peals of laughter, Starflight covering his snout with both talons as he nearly fell over himself giggling lightly and sweetly while Deathbringer chuckled heartily right beside him.
“You’re lying, you must be!” Starflight said between bursts of laughter. “I can’t imagine a dragon like Morrowseer being forced to beg for anything, much less forgiveness. Are you sure it’s real?”
“Yeah, I make a habit of reading it whenever Morrowseer yells at me. I’m just glad it made it out of the eruption.” Deathbringer laughed, but it quickly dried up into a rough silence. “Yelled, I guess. I’m still trying to get used to that.”
“It’s… a lot.” Starflight sighed, bringing his head down to rest atop his nervously flexing talons. “I hated him, I think. He was horrid and awful, and he treated me and my friends like we were worthless and completely replaceable. But I keep thinking back to the volcano and wondering if I could have said or done something different. Something to convince him-”
Starflight’s words were interrupted by his own startled squeak as he felt a talon rest upon his own.
“I don’t think he was ever going to accept peace. Not one he couldn’t control like everything else, at least.” Deathbringer said softly, scratching a claw against one of Starflight’s digits before slowly retracting his talon. “So all we can do now is laugh at what a devious, conniving, and pathetic dragon he ended up being. Want me to keep reading?”
Starflight hummed for a moment, then shut his eyes as he shrugged his shoulders. “I think that’s a good idea. Part of me hopes the NightWing Council talks about him behind his back.”
Deathbringer snickered in response. “Oh, you’ll see.”
There was a long moment of silence between the two of them, the only sound in the clearing being Deathbringer fiddling with the scroll. After waiting for what he felt was an appropriate time for Deathbringer to start, Starflight raised his head and turned in his companion’s direction.
“Did you lose your place?” He asked, tilting his head. “The last thing you went over was Morrowseer being shunned from the meeting, and Princess Greatness saying-”
“I got it, I got it.” Deathbringer interrupted, but allowed another brief moment of silence before grumbling to himself. “Ugh, it’s so dark I can barely read the scroll at this point. Not enough moonlight, and I can’t exactly breathe fire and talk at the same time.”
“I could always give it a shot.” Starflight suggested, building up the flame in his chest before stowing it away after a moment of thought. “Although I don’t think I can aim it well.”
“Let’s keep the forest fires to a minimum, yeah?”
“Moonlight already, huh?” Starflight asked, rubbing his chin with a talon. “How long have we been out here?”
“A few hours, I think.” Deathbringer said. “You woke up pretty late, so we didn’t have a lot of time to work with. Not that I mind a late lunch.”
“Moons above, quite literally I suppose, I assumed someone would have come to get us before night fell. They know where we are, right?” Starflight asked, a twinge of nervousness slipping into his voice. “Not that I’m not having a strangely good time, but…”
“But the forest can get pretty scary after the sun goes down, I get it.” Deathbringer finished with a bit of a chuckle. There was a clear sound of parchment crinkling as he rolled up the scrolls and stood up beside Starflight. “You’ve got a point, we should probably head back. If I can’t read the scrolls then you’d just have to deal with me talking, and no one wants that.”
“I wouldn’t mind!” Starflight said, perhaps a bit louder than he wished to, as he stood to match the taller dragon. Taking a step back, he scratched his claws into the ground beneath him and turned away nervously. “I mean, um, if you were so inclined. I enjoyed myself today and I’m not sure how to thank you for it.”
Deathbringer let out a short, scoffing laugh as he bridged the distance between the two of them and knocked his knuckles against Starflight’s shoulder. “Hah, thank Queen Glory then. She’s the one who told me to spend some time with you.”
“You didn’t have to though.” Starflight said. “We could have just had lunch in the communal eating area and made awkward conversation for an hour or two before going our separate ways. But you went out of your way to cheer me up and I…”
Hesitating for a moment, Starflight slowly and awkwardly closed the gap between the two of them, throwing out a foreleg that he managed to wrap around Deathbringer’s neck. Bringing himself in for a loose, gentle hug, Starflight sighed softly. “Thank you for dragging me out of bed today. I definitely needed it.”
Deathbringer shied away for a brief moment, but wrapped a foreleg around Starflight and pat him softly on the back. “Hey, I had fun too. If anything, we still haven’t finished the Morrowseer scroll, and we have some other scrolls leftover, so if you ever want to do this again…?”
“I think I’d really like that.”