12:00 AM.
Commission for ra1der1788. Written by krilltastrophe.
Midnight.
His namesake almost felt like a curse at times— taking a deep heave, he traipsed restless talons from his dank, empty cave into the night air.
The smell was crisp, and one of the only ‘perks’ (if you could call it that) from being outcasted by his tribe was the raw, untouched view of the natural world as he sat in the ever-unhinged mouth of his cave. It was barren inside, just the monotony of rock, stone, broken only by the occasional drip of precipice from stalactites above; no, the only wrinkle of joy his claws could find here lay outside, watching nature stir as the moons danced their steady routine beneath fluttering clouds of stars and celestial resonance.
Midnight sighed, lying down against a rock, slouched, chin on his arm as his free hand traced the lip of the cliff. Pressed against the mountainside at this hour, his scales found a snug home in the shadows, so much so he wasn’t worried about being spotted by SkyWing patrols. The wind cradled him softly, cold enough to bite but not to make him shiver— instead, it drifted gently through him, making the tight melancholy in his chest feel soothed. It felt like his pain, his strife, was natural— part of the rocking quiet of night. It felt almost… Good.
He heaved a sigh, so heavy it felt like scratching an itch. Listening to the wind howl, the swaying flow of the river below, the occasional squawk of night birds… In fact, the wind picked up, so much so it almost sounded like wingbeats in the distance, and light shimmered on the river… Wait, light? And… WERE those wingbeats?
Oh- he thought, Maybe I should- Go back inside—!!
FWOOOOOSH.
A wave of heat crashed down over his head, and the sun itself shot up from the cliffside infront of him, nearly taking off one of his talons! He made a highly embarrassing sound not dissimilar from the aforementioned birds clasping his talons over his mouth as he jumped back in shock. THE SUN ITSELF. Reprimanding him for being up so late—?! No…
A dragon, flapping its enormous wings as it came from high speed to hovering infront of Midnight’s cave.
And he was spotted.
He bunched himself up as small as he could against the rocks, wings folded in, mouth still firmly shut, eyes squeezed tightly shut, shaking–
If I don’t move, it can’t see me. If I don’t move, it can’t see me…
Nothing happened for a moment. He couldn’t hear anything over the thumping of his heart in his ears and the grinding of his own maw, he felt– oddly warm, heat settling in closer like the sun was stood in front of him and BY THE SKY death is here and the afterlife is here to embrace me —
…He tentatively opened one eye.
And was met with the eyes of another dragon.
“HGH– GUH– GHAAUUUGHHUHAAAAHHHHHGHHH????” Was his polite and thoughtful response.
A dragon sat before him. A… SkyWing, perhaps? Their eyes were a blue beyond the sky, electric, and their scales a shocking orange Midnight had thought only paint could capture. But, by the curve of their horns, and the sheer enormity of their wings, he figured they could only be a SkyWing.
He stumbled slightly, catching his footing and adjusting his eyes to their, glowing? Scales? He blinked into consciousness (though not yet figuring out his jaw was totally dropped) and realised the heat emanating from this dragon wasn’t a fear-driven delusion, but they - she - was truly giving off waves of warmth like a furnace. On top of that, smoke gently rose from her scales too— just who was this that had found him in the cliffs?
She tilted her head curiously, pupils dilating.
“Are you alright? I’m not that scary.” She said flatly, sat quite contentedly. Midnight shook his head, closing his mouth and blinking to be sure he wasn’t dreaming.
“I- Um- Hello-? Uh, I, um, wh-, I—” He tried, but she stood up and walked past him into the cave. Oddly, her eyes didn’t stop scanning him until he was behind her.
“Is this where you live?” She asked. “It’s a bit empty,”
Midnight’s shock slowly faded away in exchange for anxiety. As his head cleared, he remembered hearing about this dragon. A SkyWing, with scales so hot one touch could turn any dragon into seared fish. Eyes like lightning, wicked horns, claws that make the ground tremble, Ex-Queen Scarlet’s ex-champion. He shuddered. Death has found me for sure, this time. But, strangely… He felt drawn to her, his stomach churning with MORE anxiety as the warmth of her scales retreated inside.
Midnight followed the icon of death which had found its way to his cave.
“Pretty cozy in here. Could use some decor, though,” Peril noted offhandedly. She picked up some rocks, which sizzled in her hands, and blew white-hot fire over them. They lit into a small bonfire, by seemingly sheer force of will. The hotness washed over Midnight like the lapping of ocean waves, tingling his scales with adrenaline. There was a level of risk which ebbed in this cavern; a scrawny, banished NightWing, and the firescales Champion of Queen Scarlet.
“Um- yeah. I-I’ve only been here a while, so… Just been, uh, just been sleeping here I guess…” Midnight said. Stumbling over his words like this was utterly embarrassing. Anxiety panged like hunger in his chest.
Peril sat down by the fire she had made, huddling herself away from him in a corner. She didn’t seem to care all that much for his answer, but at the same time wasn’t bothered by his social ineptitude.
“What are you doing out here?” She asked, with offputting straightforwardness. Midnight blinked.
“H-huh?” He said, caught off-guard.
“Well, this isn’t really where I would go to find one singular NightWing. So, like, what are you doing here?” Peril’s face didn’t move much, just looking at him intently, but he could’ve sworn there was more than a literal warmth in her face. From her eyes, she seemed curious about him… Drawn to him.
“Ah… I, ah, that’s a… Long story.” He looked down, that sweeping melancholy tugging at his bones again. What could he say? Yeah, I’m just a NightWing thrown from the village that nobody else wants. The usual. His eyes found a small, still puddle, welled from a stalactite above. He saw his pitiful reflection; a NightWing with twisting horns, and a scar across his eye. Even just his image filled Midnight with shame.
“Oh. Well, you can tell me if you want,” She said, blunt as ever. “I don’t have much else to be doing at this time. Well, except sleep. You can bore me to sleep if you want, though. Most NightWings I know do that.” She blinked, seemingly that the amount she spoke was unintentional and she had shocked herself. Midnight agreed— he wouldn’t have expected a soldier to be talkative like that.
“Ah… You see, I was just, um. Exiled, um- banished, from the NightWing village,” He mumbled. His voice had gone somewhere, yet something compelled him to speak. He didn’t even mean to say that, he hadn’t wanted to tell her his story… So why did something in him feel safe telling her? Well, if he was going to die, she might as well know who she was killing.
“That’s sad. I was also banished from the Sky Kingdom. I know how you feel.” Her tail lashed against the floor, and from her eyes, he had her full attention. He didn’t expect a killer to be so… Comfortable to be around. He looked up to meet her gaze. “I know what it’s like to feel like you’re alone. I was alone for a long time, you see. Until I made the best of friends in the WORLD.” She smiled at the thought of her friends, and Midnight felt soothed. The howling melancholy was replaced by… Something else. There was something about her, that was so charming to him. The warmth, literal and figurative, of her scales, pulling him in with overwhelming heat, and the blue in her eyes and wings like the mountain’s freshest spring water; a sip during a heatwave which fills your body with adrenaline. Though unaware, he blushed.
“Wow… I, um, I’ve heard about you. I’m… S-Surprised by you. You’re Peril, right? I-I’m Midnight.” Midnight asked gently. She flinched, but nodded.
“Sorry if I’m not what you were looking for. I’m not a murderer anymore or anything. Uhh, it’s nice to meet you, Midnight.” She said quickly, tilting her gaze down.
“No, no! D-don’t worry, that’s okay. It-It's a good surprise. I… Think you s-seem cool.” She lifted her head, eyebrows raising. “Um, sorry, I, don’t really… I’m nervous, t-talking to other dragons…”
The deep churning in his chest proved he didn’t lie.
“Me neither, don’t worry. But… Aren’t you lonely, living down here away from everyone? I know you were exiled, but a cave in the mountains is a weird second choice.” Peril said. Midnight liked her blunt objectiveness. She inched forward slightly, body language slowly becoming more open. He stayed away from her, but wasn’t so afraid anymore.
She was like him.
“...Yeah. Yeah, I am lonely.” Midnight admitted with a sigh. Admitted both to Peril and himself.
All I want, is somewhere I can BE, He thought. Peril tilted her head sympathetically.
“Well, I’m not usually good at helping people, but maybe I can help. I want to help you.” She replied.
So the two talked for a while, both steadily becoming more and more open about their experiences with acceptance. Peril told him about Jade Mountain, her escapades with Turtle, how Clay saved her, the warm friendship of Sunny. And Midnight felt so happy for her, even though they’d only known each other for an hour, maybe two. Her story was touching, it was so similar to his; they both knew banishment, and ostracisation.
He came to a point where he felt safe enough to tell her something very secret.
“Um, I- I don’t usually tell anyone this, but… Well, it’s… Scary. It’s like your firescales… It’s why I’m different from everyone else.” Midnight wrung his talons together nervously, filled with anxiety which ebbed in his muscles. “I-I’m– I… I am an animus dragon.” He sighed and winced, looking away, expecting her to hate him. Or, to just make a slow job fast and kill him now.
“That’s cool.”
…What? He thought. Nobody’s ever said that before. He looked up at her in bewilderment.
“Well, I’ve known some bad animus dragons in the past, but I feel like I can trust you, Midnight. You seem like a good dragon. Dragons like you and me know how to handle our abilities… Does that make sense, or does it sound like I have a scroll in my snout?” Peril said. Midnight laughed at her, then that laughter turned to tears. He sniffled. “I- Um, sorry-” She began, but he cut her off.
“No, it’s okay. I’m crying because I’m happy, I think?” His heart fluttered, looking at the concern in her face. “Yeah, it does make sense. I’m glad you trust me, Peril… I thought you might, um, kill me. But you’re a good dragon.” Her eyes lit up. “I just want to hug you, but…” Peril’s face drooped again, also disappointed.
The space between them in the cave suddenly felt so much longer than it had before, and the chill from outside was sneaking in.
A moment of silence dripped between them like a stalactite… Watching the drip fall, an idea sprung to Midnight’s head. He sat up straight, and Peril raised an eyebrow.
“I… Think I know h-how that could happen.” He stuttered, picking up a rock from the cave floor which fit perfectly in his palm. He coughed, clearing his throat, speaking the spell before she could try to stop him. “I enchant this stone so that, upon hitting the floor, I become immune to Peril’s firescales and can touch her without dying.”
Peril’s jaw dropped. The rock fell from his talons and echoed against the slate below. Midnight turned to his new friend, feeling a flutter in his heart and across his cheeks.
Neither of them said anything for a moment, but as if telepathy had passed between them, they ran into each other’s arms; and not for a single second did an anxious thought cross either of their minds that the spell hadn’t worked, or that the other didn’t want this, or that Midnight had made a mistake— they fell into each other, wings wrapped around them both as if they were one being. A tight, strong hug.
It was the warmest hug Midnight had ever felt, and the most meaningful Peril had ever had, too.
They stayed like that for a few precious moments, which felt like the most welcome eternity. Eventually, they pulled away with a smile. A small speck of worry creased Peril’s brow, however.
“Um, are you sure you’d want to use a spell for that, Midnight? Do you have any soul protection?” She didn’t break contact with him, gripping his shoulders, looking into his eyes with real concern.
Something took over him, and Midnight took her by the talons, squeezing them reassuringly.
“Don’t worry, Peril. It’s a small spell… Besides, I- um, would love to be your friend.” She saw the sincerity in his eyes and smiled. It was such a beautiful, sincere smile, on the face of someone whose hardships Midnight felt to his core. A smile she had earned, after everything she had been through. But she was at a loss for words.
“Um, why don’t we make the most of this spell? It’s… A lovely night outside.” He suggested tentatively.
The mouth of the cave more than happily greeted them again, and this time Midnight wasn’t so cold and alone when he collapsed on the rocks, staring up at the twisting stars in the night sky. It was well beyond midnight now, and the first streaks of dawn would soon be casting their pink fingertips into the clouds. Peril by this side, his tail resting on hers, they took a well-earned rest. Companionship that they both needed, comfort in each other, watching the beauty of the world turn around them. Peril might have been restless at this, but by Midnight’s side, she seemed at peace.
This spell wasn’t a waste at all, Midnight thought. It’s the best spell I’ll ever cast. I get the feeling that I’ll be using it frequently… I hope so.
His eyes drifted to Peril, falling asleep, as the first cooings of love blossomed, tracing his talon on the lip of the cliff face under the blessing of Pyrrhia’s finest moonbeams.