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A light drizzle showered across Jade Mountain and the lands surrounding. Clouds blanketed the sky, though bits of sunshine came through small breaks amongst them, and a variety of birds chirped and called out into the air. For the students of the academy, it was a big day. Spring had arrived, and this was their last day before they’d be getting a break from classes and assignments.
Within the mountain, an Icewing slowly roused from his slumber, blinking awake and gazing up at the window speckled with raindrops. He yawned and rolled onto his side, stretching out tiredly before shuffling up onto all four limbs, glancing around the room. His school supplies neatly sorted, scrolls aligned along the rack, indignant sand-snorter sleeping peacefully across the room; everything was in its place.
Stepping down from his ledge, he brought himself up to his mirror and inspected his reflection. It had been a few days since he tended to himself, and he could see the time had worn down his looks a smidge. His scales looked a little drab, and his spikes felt misaligned by just a tiny bit. With a quiet grumble, he took his brush and began to freshen up, bringing it along his scales as he flexed the muscles that raised and lowered his spikes, working out the misalignment. Luckily his talons seemed plenty sharp enough, so he left those alone.
It was a routine that had stuck with him ever since he was a mere hatchling, and it helped ground him in a way, made him start his day every morning. Besides, it was of utmost importance that a dragon of his stature kept up his pristine looks.
Winter paused for a moment, blinking, then let out an amused snort at the thought to himself. He was no prince any longer, banished from his tribe.. He knew he was seen on that cliff during that day the Nightwings and Icewings fought. He even almost left to fight with his kin, but his friends had managed to stop him, and Qibli stopped the battle before either side was wiped out. All he knew since then was that some Icewings, including the previous queen and aunt by blood, Glacier, had succumbed to Darkstalker’s plague, and the new Queen Snowfall sent a letter to him that he was banished and his title of Prince was stripped away.
He sat down as he got lost in his thoughts and memories, which drifted towards some events while Darkstalker himself was around. Winter knew he had said some… admittedly nasty things to his friends during the very tumultuous time, but in the end he stood alongside his friends and watched as the two-millennia years old monster was ultimately defeated… mostly by a very cunning Rainwing and an unassuming strawberry. All that remained of that evil was a peaceful Nightwing-Rainwing hybrid by the name of Peacemaker, who harbored no memory of his previous life.
With a small chuckle at the memory, he inspected himself in the mirror again. Being distracted had broken his pace a little, and his scales weren’t quite as pristine as he was so used to for most of his life, but his spikes looked pretty good. He didn’t quite feel like settling for perfect these days, anyways; too much effort for something that didn’t mean as much anymore, or perhaps he was letting his Sandwing clawmate rub off on him too much.
Winter’s ears flicked as he suddenly tried to listen in on the quiet sounds around him; the quiet rain sprinkling over the mountain,, an occasional gust of wind making the window creak just the faintest bit, the subtle breaths he took, but he didn’t hear any hustle and bustle outside of the sleeping cave.
Must be early. He mused to himself, tail flicking a little eagerly. One of the changes he had grown used to was waking up later than usual, often at the same time as most of the dragons in the academy. It was rare for him to wake up earlier than the rest, but he did enjoy having the quiet halls mostly to himself during those mornings.
Eager to enjoy his quiet morning, he started to step out towards the halls, planning to head into the prey center, when something on the floor near the entrance finally caught his attention. He was focused enough on his morning routine to have missed it until now. Reaching towards the object, he picked up a letter and held it in his talons and read the neat text scrawled on the front.
From Moon. To Winter.
Winter’s breath stilled. He rubbed his eyes and blinked, but he was still holding the letter, reading the same words. Gingerly, as if he was holding the most fragile thing in the world, he slowly slid the letter open and read its very brief contents.
Late afternoon today, see me at the entrance.
Just underneath those words, a pink flower petal was sealed with the letter, as if it were underlining those words for dramatic effect. Now Winter’s heart nearly skipped a beat, and he felt a blush creeping along his snout. He almost would’ve believed this was a prank if not for the little petal. As he took it and carefully lifted it up to more closely inspect it, he just felt deep in his soul, this was something personal.
He glanced back towards his brush and mirror, feeling compelled to put in that extra effort into his looks today and be a little more dignified.
…
Winter quietly grumbled as he slumped forwards against the desk. His paws covered his snout to hide the faint blush that crept along his snout, his thoughts drowning out the Seawing droning on and on about Icewing history he already knew about.
He struggled to keep focus as his mind wandered to the dragoness that had left him that harmless letter early in the day.
Moonwatcher. He practically fantasized about her… those soft yet striking emerald eyes, her gentle voice that eased his mind, the way her dark scales seemed to almost glitter in the moonlight… Winter had thought about her like this before, but not nearly to the same severe degree as he had been doing so today thanks to that letter.
It went further than just her looks and voice, though. He remembered the times they were close, especially that night in the Rainforest. It was hard to forget one of his most vulnerable moments, where it was only him and her together, and he found himself wishing he could have another moment like that. If only…
A gentle nudge got the Icewing to squeak in surprise and quickly sit back up, inadvertently showing off his flustered blush to the rest of the class. The Seawing teacher, Webs, just tilted his head at him. “Winter, you can fall asleep after my class.”
Winter felt his cheeks flush an even brighter shade of blue as he heard the dragonets around him giggling, and he rocked back with another flustered grumble.
Art class was a little bit better, as it gave him something to at least try and focus on besides the Nightwing plaguing his every thought. He kept to himself, talons carefully dipping into the paint and covering the canvas before himself, though even this didn’t keep him from letting his mind wander.
He thought about Moon again, how she was so patient and caring, quiet and understanding. Where other dragons seemed to wear down his patience, he felt relaxed in her presence, more willing to allow himself to be open.
“Winter, this is a wonderful night sky you’ve painted!” Sunny’s eager voice suddenly roused the Icewing from his thoughts. He glanced at the little hybrid dragon before turning back to his canvas, seeing the wonderful night sky he did indeed just paint, entirely without his knowledge.
“Uh… yeah! I um- was going to do more, but I got carried away, heh…” Winter shuffled awkwardly on his messy talons, averting his gaze. He didn’t even register the words Sunny said in response, his focus now entirely captivated by the Nightwing at the canvas beside his own.
Moon was very intently focusing on her own painting, one that just so happened to look like the Icewing palace. One of her talons was rapidly tapping on the stone floor as her wings fidgeted anxiously, and for only the briefest moment, she glanced towards Winter, gazes meeting before she quickly snapped back to her painting.
Winter was almost entirely certain he saw her cheeks flush with a soft red blush before he snapped his attention back to his painting, feeling an all too familiar warmth rushing to his face yet again.
The remainder of his classes weren’t of any particular note, and soon enough he found himself back in the prey center at the end of the school day amongst his friends… minus a very notably missing Moonwatcher. He did his best to keep to himself as his friends around their table chittered about how they want to spend their Spring break, something he had nearly forgotten about… though his own thoughts were focused on the anxious Nightwing he briefly observed earlier during art class, rather than how to spend the time off from assignments.
Maybe he tried a little too hard to keep to himself though, as a particularly bouncy Rainwing nudged his side and snapped his attention away from the half-eaten fish he was feigning such intense focus on.
“Soooo… Winter! Whatcha thinking about?” Kinkajou leaned in close, causing the Icewing to flinch in surprise.
“I- er- nothing!” Winter stammered out uncharacteristically, far too noticeable. He felt the gaze of the rest of his winglet turn to him, and he couldn’t suppress the subtle blush forming over his snout again.
“Uhuh, right.” His Sandwing friend, Qibli, chimed in. “Something says otherwise!” Winter felt the Sandwing’s claw tap his snout, and he barely contained a half-squeaking noise.
“N-No! That’s silly! It’s nothing important!” Winter smacked Qibli’s claw away and grunted, tail flicking traitorously.
“Is this about the letter by your bed?” Qibli grinned. Winter’s body froze save for an ear twitching dangerously, hearing Kinkajou gasp and watching Turtle’s eyes widen a bit.
“Oh moons above, you two are going to break him again!” The Seawing chuckled, morbidly curious to see this disaster unfold.
“Wait- Winter. Are you… thinking about someone?” Kinkajou’s tail swayed eagerly, her scales bursting into a vibrant colourful swirl of excited yellows and pinks.
“You- Qibli you-” Winter’s voice broke as he snarled, trying to think of a million different insults. His blush spread across his face, too impossible to hide now. “You incessant damn sand-snorter!-”
“I bet he is!” Qibli snickered, taking far too much enjoyment out of seeing his clawmate getting so deeply flustered. “C’mon, tell us!”
“That is- that’s none of your business!” Winter rapidly insisted, unaware he was stoking the curiosity of his friends until it was too late.
Kinkajou squealed, her scales flashing even brighter. “You like-like someone! I knew it!!” Even Turtle blinked in mild surprise, raising a paw to cover his muzzle as he giggled at the sight of the deeply flustered ex-prince.
“N-No not like- ugh!” The Icewing scoffed and threw his paws up in defeat.
“Alright you two, come on, before Winter turns into a Seawing!” Turtle gave him a broken smile, clearly still fighting back little fits of giggles as he observed the Icewing blushing harder than he’d ever seen before.
“Hmph! You better tell me by tomorrow!” Kinkajou pointed a claw at him, but Qibli gently lowered it and sent a teasing, knowing smile at him.
“Oh don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find out by then~” Qibli teased, and they left the furiously blushing, wordless Icewing to get lost in his thoughts yet again.
At least Turtle had a little decency… he grumbled to himself in his thoughts.
His gaze flickered towards the outside as his friends stepped out. The light drizzle in the morning had since dissipated, leaving only the bright glow of the late afternoon sun as the moist air carried the scent of blossoming flowers. The atmosphere helped temper his anxiety, and he held a paw over his heart briefly.
It’s time. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. Pensively, he walked ahead, away from the academy and out into the warm light.
…
Winter felt the grass under his paws with every careful step, damp from the recent rain yet bringing a fresh scent. The temperature outside was near perfect, enjoyable for any dragon of any tribe. His icy breaths fogged the air as he looked up to see the Nightwing he was looking for.
Moonwatcher sat there, the warm glow of the afternoon sun highlighting the green undertone of her dark scales. Even at a distance he could tell she was nervous, her claws lightly dragging along the grass she sat upon while her tail curled just a little more.
Her ears flicked as she felt his presence, turning a little bit, just enough so he could see her small, awkward smile.
“Hey Winter…” She unfurled a wing, implicitly beckoning him closer. He did so, swallowing down the anxiety he felt.
“Um… hi Moon.” Winter exhaled, stopping once he was just short of being within arm’s reach of her.
Is that all you can really say? His own mind chastised him, and he glanced away from her.
She gave him a sheepish chuckle, waving a paw. “It’s fine, really.” Her smile quickly fell though, and her tail curled closer to herself, speaking softly. “Has your day been okay?”
“It’s… definitely been eventful. I won’t lie, having a few days off from classes and stuff sounds… nice.” He replied simply, shrugging his shoulders, though a question started to bother him. “Why did you ask me to come out here?”
He saw her tail twitch anxiously at the question, and her eyes flickered with a hint of guilt. “Well, we haven’t really had the chance to hang out… just the two of us, ever since… you know.” Both dragons cast a knowing frown at the ground between them. He remembered some of his… choice words at his friends during the time with Darkstalker around, and the reactions he got back.
“I-I know you might still be upset at me, so… we don’t have to do this if you aren’t comfortable…” Her quiet words twisted a small hole in his heart.
She thinks I’m still upset at her? He immediately thought to himself, blinked, and then remembered she could read his mind. Feeling a blush creeping along his snout again, he let go of a little tension in his arms and wings.
“I’m not upset with you, Moon, not in any way.” He quickly affirmed; even the words felt a little strange still, but he knew them to be true. “For what it’s worth, I, uh, thought you might have been a little uncomfortable around me…”
“W-What? No, not at all!” She stammered out, surprised.
An awkward silence drew them a little closer as the pair stared at each other, confused, concerned. Aside from the occasional rustling of leaves, a gentle gust of wind, or the distant bird chirping, the air was quiet.
Winter’s talons clacked anxiously together.
Moon’s tail flicked, staring down at the grass with a frown.
Finally, Winter broke the silence, clearing his throat and inching just a little closer, shifting his gaze away.
“S-Sorry. I just thought you…” He mumbled, closed his eyes, and swallowed hard, struggling to get the words out of himself. “You know how I can be sometimes…”
Moon looked back up at him, just a little surprised at his earnest words, but she inched closer too, enough that he felt the gentle warmth radiating from her scales. He didn’t flinch away.
“It’s okay, Winter… really. I… could have been a better friend, too.” She lamented quietly, speaking the second part mostly to herself. “Guess we both need to be better about this…”
He gave a bit of an amused snort at that, opening his eyes to see her again. “You can say that again…”
There was a short pause, little more than their small breaths and the winds lazily whistling by filling the air with the quiet sound. He could see she was thinking about something, and eventually, thanks to his softened gaze, found the courage to do so.
“Winter… can I show you something?” She asked him, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
“Depends. What exactly are you wanting to show me?” Winter tilted his head and raised an eyeridge at her.
“I want to show you a place, further than we’re supposed to be from the academy… it’s along the river, further towards the mountains that way.” Her claws shuffled closer together, voice faltering a little.
“Wow… Moonwatcher, willingly breaking the rules?” He let a small grin spread across his muzzle, even chuckling quietly as the Nightwing squeaked. Before she could second-guess herself, he continued. “It’s just us, right?”
“Y-Yeah! Just us two.” She stammered out, not because it was a lie, but because Winter was obviously teasing her.
He let out a frosty breath and brushed his claws over hers, the teasing grin fading into a simple, soft smile. “I’d really like that, Moon.”
…
The vast mountains the pair of dragonets flew by cast wide shadows as the late afternoon sun sank lower and lower, just barely beginning to dip below the horizon and casting a beautiful warm light upon the lands it could reach. The river beneath them flowed leisurely, the stream clear enough to make out the shapes of small silver and gold-coloured fish within.
Winter let out an amazed breath at the sight. He had seen beautiful late afternoons before on some days, but he never really took the time to take it all in before. Just in front of himself, he heard Moon giggle.
“If you’re impressed at this sight, just wait till you see what’s next!” She called out, and he noticed her wings shift a little, banking downwards towards the base of the mountains ahead. He could see a subtle pathway where the trees parted ways and left enough room for a dragon to walk between.
He gazed towards the path as they landed, which turned and wound around enough that he couldn’t really make out what was at the end of it. To his side, Moon gently flicked a wing, gesturing for him to go first.
“I promise this’ll be worth it, Winter…” Her talons drifted closer together as she reassured him, a usual sign of anxiety from her. He gave her a soft smile and brushed his wing to hers.
“Knowing you? I’m sure it will be.” At that, he stepped forward, gently pushing aside a few bushes as they moved. “I’m curious though, why this place in particular?”
Her voice was softer than before still, and he could feel her warm presence behind himself as they slowly made their way along the path. “We came near here before, back when we were searching for Icicle. Do you remember that?”
“It’d be hard to forget any of that little adventure…” He replied, remembering that particular day. The mountains around them felt familiar, though last time he was here, it was absolutely pouring.
“Yeah… and, I saw some trees. Special ones that look unassuming at first…” She took a small breath, then continued. “But, they are very, very unique. Almost like your kingdom’s Moon Globe tree, actually.”
His expression fell a little at the mention of the special tree back in his home kingdom. He hadn’t thought about it much, but that would likely be one of the few things he’d miss about home.
If I had to, I’d give it all up again to be with my friends, though. He shook his head and thought hard so she would hear it, glancing back to see her expression rise from a sad frown to a soft smile again.
“We’re almost there…” She brushed up to his side as the path opened up a little more. He tensed for the briefest moment, but let himself relax. They were alone together, after all.
“Almost to?” He questioned, and in that moment they rounded a bushy corner and right into a small hollow. His stride stopped, jaw dropping as he beheld the view.
The space was dotted with tall trees, though almost every leaf that would cover the branches of any regular tree was replaced with a flower in full bloom, each a varying shade of light roses to sharp pinks. A gentle breeze picked up and carried the flower petals around, hitting the Icewing with the faint yet unmistakable scent of vanilla.
It’s almost like it’s snowing… Winter took slow, careful steps, feeling the soft petals underneath his paws as he moved along with the wind, watching as loose petals gently floated past himself.
“These… are called cherry blossoms.” Moon hummed, walking ahead of him and stopping by a small stream of water. “Sit with me?” She asked him as she settled down on her front.
He did as she asked, laying his belly down beside her on a bed of petals. The quiet stream lazily carried more cherry blossoms along, the pair observing peacefully.
“Moon, this… this is…” His voice trailed off. Beautiful, stunning, breathtaking, and plenty of other words filled his mind, unsure which one to even use. “Was this… always here?”
She shook her head softly. “They only bloom around this time of year. And only ever in full bloom like this for around a week. The trees themselves are always here, but they aren’t very common in Pyrrhia, at least to my knowledge. I only even know about them because of my mother, actually.” Winter couldn’t help but smile at the last part; even with his only brief interactions with Moon’s mother, it made complete sense to him.
He dipped his claws into the stream, gingerly lifting a petal up from the water. It reminded him of the letter she had left for him in the early morning, and he felt a blush spread along his snout for the millionth time today.
Hearing him making the connections in his mind, she took a shaky breath and tapped her talons together, shuffling just a little closer. Their wings brushed along each other, with Winter’s wing unconsciously settling over Moon’s.
“There’s another reason you took me here, huh?” His voice was quiet, warm, calming.
Moon swallowed, unsure for a moment, but she turned and met his gaze, cherry petals drifting between them.
I trust you, Moon. He reassured her through his thoughts, and that gave her the resolve she needed.
“Yes, there is…” She admitted, going silent for a moment before continuing. “These trees… they hold more meanings beyond being pretty and ornamental.”
Her claws interlaced with his as she gently squeezed his paw. “Their short life… blooming like this for a short few weeks out of the year… they represent the fleeting nature of life itself. A reminder of how short it can be… and the importance of living it to the fullest.”
Winter kept watching her, still and quiet, eyes patient and understanding. Moon let out a shaky breath, almost leaning to his side.
“They also represent Spring itself… a season of new beginnings, fresh starts, how even after the coldest and darkest of nights, life will still bloom afterwards…” Her voice lowered to a whisper, and she curled herself inwards.
“Moon…” Winter carefully raised a talon up to her snout, brushing aside a tear she didn’t even realize was there. Her emotions were starting to flow out as she let out a quiet whimper, knowing she just had to confess now.
“Winter, I…” Her voice wavered, but she felt his wing tuck over her fully, encasing her within his cool presence. “I-I don’t know what the future holds… there’s so many possibilities… and I’m afraid of messing up all over again…”
She felt his tail intertwine with hers, and her hold on his paw tightened a little, keeping her secure as she managed out the last couple words on her mind.
“But… I know I want my future to be with you. I… I want you, Winter.”
Silence. Even the gentle breeze and the steady stream seemed to go still, cherry blossoms fluttering down beside the pair. Even the golden glow of the late sun focused its attention on them, its gentle rays of light at its brightest upon them. Both dragons sat still, their breaths intermingling as they gazed at one another, closer than they had ever dared being before.
She opened her mouth to speak, just about ready to let her anxiety overtake her, but he gave her paw a gentle, secure squeeze, letting her rest her weight against his side.
“Moon, I… I’ve always wondered if I really deserve you. I’m… not the best at showing I care, you know that…” He whispered solemnly, before shaking his head and gazing up at the cherry blossoms.
“Even now, I… I’m only here because it’s just us. I don’t think I’ll be ready to be so… openly vulnerable, with everyone else around. Not yet, at least.” His talons brushed along the petals scattered about the ground, and he let out a heavy sigh.
“And yet, in spite of it all… I want you too, Moon. Even when I shouted and yelled and fought, you always tried to reach out… you always cared. That… means a lot to me.”
Another silence fell upon them, though this time it felt warmer, more peaceful. Traitorous blushes covered their snouts and cheeks, but they didn’t shy away, only nestled in closer to each other. No longer did any hidden fears or tribal animosity keep them apart, for as far as they were concerned, they were just two dragons in a bed of rosy little flower petals. Two dragons that had just confessed their hearts to one another.
They stayed like this amongst the cherry blossoms, losing track of time. Only once they began to struggle to keep their eyes open and they yawned nice and wide did they consider heading back to the academy, but...
“I don’t want to go back yet…” Moon mumbled as the light of the sun dwindled and faded, making way for the moons to cast their gentle glow upon them. She nestled closer to his side, and his wing tucked in tighter around her. Despite his chilly presence, she felt a special sort of warmth that kept her plenty comfortable.
“Then we’ll stay here.” Winter purred, taking great care as his tail wound tighter with hers. He gave her a content smile as her gaze flickered to meet his. “Let our friends and teachers worry. Tonight… it’s just us two.” He felt a rising warmth of sorts in himself, but it wasn’t uncomfortable despite his icy nature. If anything, he welcomed it, and wanted to keep feeling it.
“Just us two…” She finished with him, smiling as well and resting her head underneath his. And as the peaceful night settled in, and the two dragonets fell into a quiet, tranquil rest, something greater and far more precious than any cherry blossom bloomed, memories to be made that define more than just them, a bond that can break centuries of animosity between tribes, a love that will stand stronger than the impermanence of life itself.