Wings Of Fire: Spotlight

Chapter Four - Poltergeist

A/N: The SkyWing art is Swift, and she will come in later

Mako was sitting near the back of the dining hall, nearly drained. She had met the SandWing again in GT English and learned her name was Lizard; she and Bloodmoon had met at lunch and had a drawing contest; Theater was actual chaos; History was honestly more interesting than she thought, Professor Winter in GT Math was way strict; Herbs and Healing was complicated; Home Economics took away her innocence.

And she was swamped with homework.

She scratched her head, groaning, glaring down at a scroll of math work. "If 5x + 3 = 6x - 2, then... I should've paid attention!"

"X would equal 5."

Mako looked up at a tall SandWing, the GT Math class clown that had messed with the teacher and poked the back of her head with a quill. The SandWing was a darker blonde with caramel flecks, and his black claws tapped the question Mako was on.

"Uh..." Mako hesitated. "Thanks..?" She scribbled down the answer with a raven feather.

"Don't mention it," the SandWing sat down arrogantly. "If you need any help, the best of the class is right here."

"Wow." Mako didn't look up from her paper. "I bet."

"He is."

Mako glanced up at a HiveWing, only a few inches shorter than the SandWing. His wings buzzed quietly, and the caught the firelight and chandeliers that brightened the room.

"Leave her alone, Buzz. You too, Nile." A second HiveWing said, shoving the older dragons away, who obliged and left, grumbling. He sat across from Mako with a lopsided smile. "You're Mako from Home Ec?"

"Oh!" The pieces clicked together. This was Tiger, the amber and tangerine HiveWing she had met in Home Economics. His black scales seemed to reflect the surroundings like polished obsidian. "Hey Tiger."

"Hey." Tiger chuckled nervously. "Sorry about my brother. He and his friend like to get into trouble."

"That's your brother?" Mako giggled. "That HiveWing suck-up who defended that cocky SandWing?"

Tiger burst into laughter, slamming a talon on the table. "Yep, that's Buzz for you. Anyway, if you actually need help, I'm right here. I don't bother people who don't want to hear my voice, unlike Nile."

"Thanks." Mako said, rolling her scroll up. "But I'm just about finished." She shoved the paper in her leather bag, then brightened. She slammed a talon on the table, having an idea. "I heard something in the office, but I couldn't hear the end of it before they walked away. I need help putting pieces together."

"Sure." Tiger shrugged. "What'd you hear?"

"They were arguing about closing the school," Mako explained. "Sunny argued about needing to teach dragons to work together and accept each other, but Tsunami said they needed to shut down the school. Then some NightWing came in with an idea about turning to someone. What do you think that meant?"

"Turning to someone to help?" Tiger questioned. "I'm not sure, but maybe they would turn to a group that knows how to cooperate. Maybe a group that can prove how well the school is doing and someone can fund them."

"Like who?" Mako pondered. She felt nearly hopeless. She wanted to do something to help, but couldn't. It was as if she was chained to the ground and the keys were just out of reach.

"I'm not sure..." Tiger mumbled, thinking. "Let's think of who it could be." He pulled out a sheet of paper and a quill and began to write. His talon moved at an incredible speed, seeming like a blur, like an actual tiger. He held up the paper, and on it read a few names:

Talons Of Peace

Queen Glory

Queen Thorn

Queen Coral

Students

The list was awfully short, but one word caught her eye: students. She bit her tongue about it; there had to be a reason.

"The Dragonets and staff have a lot of allies, but I'm not sure many would fund the school, or could, single handedly. The Talons Of Peace disbanded." He crossed out that name. "Maybe Glory?"

"Maybe, but queens are in charge of their own kingdoms, and Glory is in charge of two." Mako tapped her claws. "Maybe all the queens together? That could demonstrate teamwork."

"Doubt it," Tiger said flatly. "Some queens still don't trust each other, and some don't encourage Jade Mountain. So that leaves students."

"Wait..." Mako held up a talon. "What about the theater group?" Tiger's ears perked, and Mako went on. "Think, theater is an ensemble effort, which means teamwork to put on a play! And dragons would pay to watch. If we could get enough dragons to watch, we could raise money for the school!"

"That makes sense!" Tiger brightened. "Besides, the teachers here believe dragonets can be as responsible as adults if taught right. Maybe there will be a play happening soon!"

They were halted by darkness. Not metaphorical darkness. Darkness. Candlelight flickered away like dying fireflies. Inky blackness swamped the room, silhouettes of dragons fading away. The only sound that could be heard was echoing thunder, and the occasional flash of blinding lightning.

Mako squealed and ducked under the table, her actions mirroring those of about half the dragons in the room. Crashes could be heard as chandeliers fell and shattered into millions of glittering pieces like drops of gold and silver. The pieces caught the light of the storm and seemed to glow with reborn firelight.

"What in the name of all the moons?"

"What's going on?"

"Where's the light?"

"SOMEONE TURN ON THE LIGHTS!"

SeaWings were brightening their scales, shining like pale amethysts and fluorite and white diamonds. Fire breathing tribes were sending plumes of mango ribbons into the air. Some dragons got caught in the flames and squealed as their scales burned and melted, and the pattering of rain thundered like war drums.

A sizzling tear in Mako's neck ripped a scream from her throat, and she knew she wasn't alone; others roared in unison over the ruckus. Mako clutched the side of her neck, where blood was lightly bubbling and falling, and where the wound would scar. She dug through her bag and pressed whatever she could find onto her neck to slow the bleeding.

She could hear Tiger screaming as tables began to fling across the room.

Fire started to catch on the old torches.

Wood shattered like glass.

And all that was heard was the malicious roaring of lion-like wind and the beastly thunder. And the rain, the rain sprayed into the room like droplets of diamonds.

The room lit up once more to reveal chaos. Tables were snapped and splintered, chandeliers were shattered beyond repair, tableclothes lay limply as if dead, papers were torn, dragons were on the floor, face twisted in agony and fear. Others were staring around, eyes overwhelmed with horror.

Mako peeled her talon away from her neck, where blood was no longer dripping. Her bloody math homework was starting to fall apart, and she hissed under her breath. "Great."

Tiger shakily rose to his feet. "Everyone ok?"

The answers were muttered and groaned, but were all positive. Mako's eyes traveled the room. Nobody seemed badly hurt, and the only injuries were burns and scratches. Teachers thundered into the room, talonsteps in cadence with the song of the storm outside.

"Everyone who's hurt, report to the Medical Wing immediately!" Tsunami roared, wings flaring. Around seventeen dragons, if Mako counted right, rose and limped out of the cave. Six others hesitated, and Mako could see scars on their necks.

Her hand reached towards her own neck, claws lightly brushing the scar. Impossible...

She could see Borealis among the scarred dragons, his eyes conflicted and in disbelief. He was repeatedly mouthing something, something he'd been saying for a while now:

"Stonemover..."