Wings of Fire: What if?

What if Darkstalker was never put to sleep by Clearsight?

"Moon?" the RainWing asked, her face very pale. "A-are you okay?" "I think so," Moon's voice croaked in reply. "Then where are you?" Winter asked. "I don't- Darkstalker?!" " 'I don't Darkstalker' ? What's that supposed to mean?" Kinkajou asked. "Has she gone crazy?" Qibli whispered to Turtle. "Qibli!" Turtle scolded.

"Oh, hello, Jade- part of the Jade Winglet," a malicious voice said behind them. "It's Darkstalker!" Moon warned. "Don't-" Qibli looked behind him, and he slowly turned to stone. "Qibli!" Moon cried, her eyes wide.

Turtle wrote hastily:

I've read about this legend in a scavenger book! I englargened the size, blah blah blah. A person-gorgon thing named Medusa with snaky hair would turn you to stone if you looked her in the eye!

He passed this note to Kinkajou. She read it, and tossed it in a hole, where Moon's voice had came from. Moon read it, and gave Kinkajou a thumbs up. She tossed it to Winter, who was still shaken by the thought that that was Darkstalker, and that he had turned Qibli to stone. He read the note, and at the back, he wrote:

What's a Lorwon?

and tossed it to Turtle. Turtle rolled his eyes and sighed. On the back, below Winter's "What's a Lorwon?", he wrote:

A GORGON, Winter, NOT a LORWON.

and tossed it back to the IceWing. Ohhhhhhhh, Winter thought. He probably didn't need to translate it to Turtle.

"LADY FIRESCALES TO THE RESCUE!" a voice shouted from above. "Three moons?" Turtle asked, raising an eyebrow. "Lady Firescales? What the-" She narrowed her eyes, and before she could look at Darkstalker, Turtle whasshuped up a fireball with his magic, and tossed it to Peril. He made five more, and tossed one to Kinkajou, another to Turtle, threw one down the hole, placed one in Qibli's hands, and chanted, "I enchant this fireball to make you save the world when you have it with nothing stopping you."

"Do you know? Clearsight never put me to sleep! I've been up and awake all moons long!"

Kinkajou made Pssh! Pssh! Pow! Pew! noises, and shot venom at Darkstalker until he wasa large heap at the ground. "Turtle," she said, "He's all yours." Before Turtle could do anything, though, Peril dove straight at Darkstalker and nudged him. "Who's a little goochy koo!" the SkyWing cooed. "You are, yes, you are!" "Uh, Peril?" Moon asked. "Are you gonna- this is so unlike you." "NOW TASTE SOME OF MY FIRESCALES, DWARSTA-A-A-A-A-AKWE-E-ER." "Ha!" Darkstalker's weak voice croaked. "F-firescales don't woh-woh-woh-woh-work on me." "Huh," Peril said. "Don't listen to him, Peril." Moon flew out of the hole. "I-I can't!" Peril whisper-exclaimed, looking frantically at her claws. "He's-he's right!"

Turtle bit his lip, concerned. Time was running out, faster than he'd ever imagined. It was between him and Darkstalker. Suddenly, it hit him. "Ah-ha! I've got it!" He snatched a mango from Kinkajou's hands. "I enchant this mango to kill any dragon it touches," he whispered so that only Kinkajou, Moon, Qibli, and Winter could hear him. " 🎼 Ooh, susp-peh-eh-eh-eh-ense🎼 !" Kinkajou, Moon, Qibli, and Winter sang, but Winter wasn't into it too much.

He threw it furiously at Darkstalker, and growled. "You're stoooopid. I sluh-iced it in half." Turtle chuckled. "Or so you thought." Kinkajou slung an arm across Turtle's shoulder. "Or so you thought," she echoed/sing-sang. Moon hid a smile, and leaned onto Winter. Qibli was sleeping soundly. Peril did her heroic "What-why are you-?" "Guess we win again, Dwahkstalk-k-k-kalker." "Wha-?" was his last word. Before he closed his eyes, "for the last time," Moon had concluded, Turtle said, "Seri-oh-sly. The mango is stuck to your claw. Bye. FOREVER." "WHOO! I, Kinkajou of the RainWings, a special guardian of Queen Glory, we... wait for it... PARTY!" "Ugh." Winter shook his head, but went to party anyway.

In the rainforest...

"Luv your dance moves, Moon, Qibli! Turtle, three moons, omidragons! You animused up this place! Winter, I lu-uh-v the icy scenery!" "Can't believe I'm sayin' this, but thanks, Kink." "No problem-em-em." "🎼 I like your di-i-i-i-i-isco sca-ales!🎼" Moon sang, humming. "Qibli, are you sleep-dancing?" Moon asked. Winter nudged him. "C'mon, ya dragon! WAKE UP! MOVE IT!" Kinkajou winked at Moon, and Moon returned it. *Wink*!