⚔︎ I'll Fight For You, No Matter The Battle ⚔︎

Heart of Smoke (CLERIL)

The rain pelted down on the SkyWing's and MudWing's wings, making it hard for the two to fly. Each raindrop sizzled when coming in contact to Peril's scorching scales, and curling grey smoke spiralled out each time a raindrop pelted her.

Clay whacked his wing with hers. "Lighten up!" He laughed, doing a twirl in the dismal sky. "You look grumpy."

"I don't look grumpy!" Peril stated. "I always look like this!" She grinned at him, and her heart thumped faster.

 He flashed a grin at her and darted back towards the school. "Catch me if you can!" He roared, his voice heard even over the thunder. Peril couldn't help but laugh. As far as she knew, Clay was the only dragon who truly accepted her for who she was. Scarlet, despite what Peril used to think, was only using her for her own gory satisfaction.

The dismal day had driven the students back into the warm dryness of the large mountain, home of Jade Mountain Academy.

Now, Peril thought to herself. Tell him NOW, Peril! UGH, I HATE this stupid feeling in my stomach.

"Uh, Clay?" Peril asked, hovering in the air. The MudWing in question flapped back up next to her, worried. 

"What's wrong, Peril?"

Peril opened her mouth, but no words called out. Clay became more worried.

"Let's land," he suggested.

Peril nodded, feeling sick, and followed after him. They landed in front of the school. All the students were inside, to escape the storm.

It's only us.

Right as the MudWing was going to ask her if she was okay again, Peril spoke.

"I LOVE YOU," she blurted, and immediately cringed.

Clay faltered, wondering if he had heard her right. "....Wha-"

"I mean, I love you, in the way when I can't forget you, I think about you all the time, I get really grouchy and annoyed whenever somebody else acts like they like you, and just now I'm realising how stupid everything's sounding because this will probably ruin our friendship and I know you could never love a monster like me but I just needed to -"

"PERIL!" Clay took her talons in his, not even wincing at the steam. 

The SkyWing's ears drooped at his words, and in that moment she knew she had ruined everything. I'm such a kestrel-brain, she growled to herself. He's never going to love me back I think I just ruined everything oh moons NO -

"Peril. Listen." Clay gently placed her talons over his beating heart. "You are not a monster. You're amazing. I'm sorry Scarlet was so mean to you. I'm sorry you had to live thinking even your mother hated you. I'm sorry for everything, but I do know one thing: I'm not sorry that I saved you. I wish I wasn't the only one who accepted you, but I am. At least, I think I am. I also think I love you too. All my other girl friends - I've always thought of Tsunami and Sunny and Glory as sisters. But know that I think about it, I don't think the same with you. I guess I never really realised it, but whenever I thought about you, my heart sang, in a way that didn't sing for anyone else."

Speaking of hearts, Peril was pretty sure hers was thumping at such a pace she might need medical aid. Her thoughts were all jumbling over each other, a stream of WHAT and HANG ON and WHAT IS HE SAYING and IS THIS HAPPENING and AM I DREAMING, IF I AM I NEVER WANT TO WAKE UP.

Clay locked his warm, inviting brown eyes with her sky blue ones. "What I'm saying is.... yes. I love you too."

Peril's heart exploded like the dragonflame cactus when it touched her claws. 

The SkyWing opened her mouth again, but all that came out was a delighted sob. Clay extended his wing in a hug to her, and she buried her head in the crook of his neck. She didn't know WHY she was crying but she was FAIRLY SURE it was making her LOOK BAD in front of CLAY and she WANTED IT TO STOP NOW.

But Clay hugged her, not caring that his scales lightly steamed on contact. He had accepted Peril, with all of her insecurities and dangers, and that was what made her so happy: he was hers, finally. 

And she was his.

As the two entwined tails and wings in the healing hug that drove Peril to more tears, the raindrops that battered her sizzling skin curled up into smoke. 

The gentle breeze played around with the swirl of grey until it rose to become a heart above them both.

A perfect heart.

Clay's heart was perfect. Peril's heart needed mending.

But Clay was fixing it. Bit by bit, he was fixing it.

And soon, her heart would match his. Soon, it would match the heart of grey dancing happily in the sky.