"...Pardon?" He couldn't believe what he just heard. She looked at him with a guilt in the eyes and apologised:
"I'm sorry, but I really need your help. I honestly don't want to let down Pankey again. It's the 3rd time this week when I got lost." She looked sad and bowed her head. He grinned and said:
"No problem. I will gladly help you get back to "Pankey"." She looked up and giggled.
Then they began to walk towards the mountains, because it was the only thing she knew about her lair's position. She was walking arm in arm with him, looking around to recognize something and waggling her tail.
*It sure is bizzare that she does not know where her home is. I don't really think that I'll be much of a help, but I can at least guard her.* He thought and looked at her. She seemed confused, but still intensly started at her surrondings.
"So, who's Pankey?" He asked to stop the silence.
She didn't stop looking around, but her face was slightly blushed. He didn't thought if it was a good thing to ask, but she cheerfully laughed in responce:
"That's a one very weird situation, but I guess I can call him my hero an -" Just when she was about to finish, she suddenly freezed looking in the distance.
"What is it?" He asked, and looked in the same direction, and noticed a cave. When he looked back, she was already gone, running towards the entrance. He sighted with a satisfied expression and started walking after her. When he was getting closer, he saw that she stopped and quickly came back to him.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Thank you for Your help, but I'll be ok now so.... safe travels." She smiled hesitantly. He looked at her with a pleased expression, but he felt as if she was pushing him out. He looked around in suspicion.
*I feel watched.* He looked at the pitch black entrance but didn't saw anything, so he just bowed.
"No problem at all, Miss. Have a good day."
Just when he was about to leave, he noticed something coming out of the cavern. It was a big, massive shadow almost as if dragged out of a nightmare. It had a scary look in the eyes, almost deadly. Skydancer immidetally freezed. Mirror was looking at it with concerned look.
*What on earth is that? Is that the person she was talking about?* The beast was looking directly at him, and slowly started walking towards them. Its pece was getting faster with every step.
She looked at him with a scared expression and said:
"I told you, you can go, so fly, NOW." She stood in the way of the slowly charging beast. He jumped up and started flying down the hill, and could see that the monster is running right after him.
*What have I gotten myself into this time?! Maybe I could talk my way out of here.* He stopped on a peak of a tree and looked down.
*It's posture looks like mirror, and his hostile behaviour matches too. No doubt about - it's the Crow.*
He could see that hostile mirror is trying to climb the tree and it's poorly working.
"Why aren't you going to flew up and catch me. Can't you fly?" He asked him with a curious look. Mirror was annoyed and growled. Mirror responded by tightly clamping his teeth with frustration. Skydancer flew up and landed on the other tree.
"It sure is an honor. I never thought that I'll get to see a legend like you, "Pankey"." He said, with a smirk on his face. Mirror was furious and immidetally ran towards the other tree trying to dig his claws into the tree trunk.
"You really are particular being, just like they say - wild and dangerous, and yet unable to attack a flying target. I will not hurt you. I know that every problem can be solved by simple discussion. So please, calm down." Dragon still presistently tried to climb the tree but calmed down a bit:
"Why are you trying to talk to me? I'm a monster, you can't change me." Skydancer sit on a lower brench and said:
"Goodness, so you can talk after all, huh? I'm not trying to change you, I simply want to have a conversation. Besides, you seem to be in a good relation with the lady over there, so it is a proof that you're not a monster." The mad dragon sat down, trough the mask he seemed abashed and just waited on the ground in silence. Skydancer flew down on the lowest branch, mirror was looking at him with an angry stare:
"What did you want to talk to me about? Be quick, before I change my mind." He was a lot larger up close, and had a lot of scars and bandaged wounds, just like the rumors said. Skydancer cleaned his throat and said:
"Thank you, Sir. I simply want to understand you. You seem to be more sociable than what could be heard so I need to know. Why are you doing all this?" Crow looked down, and said with a harsh tone:
"I love animals and I don't want to hurt them, but I really hate dragons. Devouring them is making this world a better place." The hot sunbeam was slowly fading away behind the peaks of the trees.
*Dear God... This clearly reminds me about something. This can't be true. I will not believe it.* Skydancer had a very shocked look on his face, but then he gulped and asked with fear:
"It might be a strange thing to say, but: Have we met before?" Mirror intensly gazed at him with squinted eyes, and said harshly:
"I don't recall ever being friends with a military hound." Skydancer tilted his head in suspicion.
*It can't be. His attitude and look is a lot different, but other than that, everything matched perfectly. I suppose there is only one way to check it.* He smiled, and said with a bit sassy tone:
"Well it seems I was mistaken. I apologise for that, Sir. You just remind me about my dear friend who was killed a long time ago." He paitiently waited for some sort of reaction, but mirror was still looking at him the same way as before. Did the plan failed? Maybe they're just similar. Then he noticed that crow just closed eyes, and slowly took off the mask exposing a large, memorable scar on his eye. He felt as if he just saw something he shouldn't be able to see.
"...So there are some people who didn't turn they backs at me after what I done." Mirror looked up and slightly smirked:
"...Just to let you know - You're the one of the least dragons, who ever saw a real face of a Crow and survived, so you SHOULD feel honored." He saw a face he could barely remember, but recognized it prefectly. It really was him.
"I knew it! I knew that you're alive!" He smiled as happily as he could and tried to proceed what he just realized. His best friend is a Wounded Crow. A monster everyone knows from it's brutality and yet... he's not afraid, because he saw, deep inside his eyes, that He is still just a scared and lost boy he used to be.
"Hm, aren't you going to attack me or something?" He looked at his firend with a grin on his face. The mirror was looking at it's mask, and said with a bit cold tone:
"I hate dragons, but I don't hurt my friends." Crow stroked his paw on the surface of the mask. Skydancer looked at him with a joyfull expression:
"You haven't changed this much, you know? You're still as kind as you where, and it seems that you have finally gained more friends than just me. I don't have to worry about you anymore."
He came closer and looked at demons mask. It had a ominous aura. Like a bad omen. It was last thing some dragons saw before their deaths. It was a skull with a feathers attached on the top. It had a large crack on the right eyesocket. Something so simple and normal on the first look but also the most feared object in the entire Sunbeam Ruins. Mirror looked up, and said with an irrirtated tone:
"Don't say things like that. She's not my friend... I would never befriend someone this annoying." He put his mask on the ground:
"She's just someone really special to me..." Sun began to fade away in the distance. It is honestly a big coincidence. He was looking for him for ages, and just a one motivating quote from some stranger helped him find his supposidly dead friend. This day turned out into something completely unexpected. He looked at the sunset and said:
"Well, what am I suppose to do now? I just found the most wanted criminal." He mildly smiled. Mirror didn't respond to that and just stood up. They were both looking at the red sky in silence:
"...Where are you heading now?" You could feel reluctance in crows voice.
"Truthfully, I shouldn't even be here, I have an important mission on the Starfall Isles. What a great soldier I am, haha..." He kindly chuckled. Mirror looked at him and with a determined look. This stare was very mysterious. Mirror yellow eyes shined:
"Let us go with you." The leaves were quietly rustling on the warm summer wind. He looked at him, completely stunned, and couldn't believe what he just heard.
"Pardon? Are you insane?! Someone might find out that you're a Crow. I don't want you to die. Not after the efford I put into finding you." He said with a concerned look. Mirror loudly responded:
"Nobody knows how I look like, and I am starting to control my... Needs. It was just a short black-out. Everything will be fine." He didn't believe in a thing his foolish firend just said.
"You tried to kill me a moment ago, and now you are saying that you can control it? What would happened if we didn't recognize each other? Would you snap out of it, or continued?" The sun completely faded and everything became pitch black, but he could still see his shadowy posture.
"Blue is still alive, which means that I CAN control it." He growled exposing his fangs. Skydancer was still unsure about this, he had no idea who that women was, but she definitely saw his dark side and accepted it. Or maybe was too blinded to see the frightening truth? It's a mystery how she is even alive, but it is some sort of a proof that he's above this wretched lust.
*He became a lot more brave and strong. This might be very risky, but let's give it a try, and let's hope that his confidence will be enough.*
He sighned and tried to look him in the eyes, but it was too dark fro him to even see his nose.
"...Fine. We shall see if you are indeed more superior than that. I will take you with me, but first please tell me, why do you intend to go with me so badly?" He honestly couldn't understend why his friend was so presistend to accompany him, even though he knew how dangerous it will be. Mirror turned around, and looked at the rising moon behind the trees.
"...I just wanted to create a new lair and start over from the ashes. To do that, I need to first change myself by fighting with my dark side and then... find followers. I already asked for enough, but would you like to be a part of it?" He continued to glare at the starry night sky.
*Dear me, I sure am lucky to get into such complicated situations, haha.* He smiled and slowly took a deep bow.
"...It would be an honor, Alpha." Mirror quickly turned around looking shocked his mouth was widely opened:
"Please stop with that excessive naming! I'm still nothing but your friend... Let's just go. I need to tell Blue about the plan." Saying that, he started walking towards his caven covered in a satisfied aura. Skydancer standed up and looked at him with a pleased expression.
*I am so impressed that he's still trying to find happiness in his foul life, and I will do whatever it takes to help him achieve it. That's the least I can do to help.* He looked up at the stars.
*Ma'am, your son have grown up so much from the last time you saw him. He did many disgraceful things in his life, but he is trying very hard to get back on the right patch which is amazing, not everyone is this brave enough to face it's problems and fight them. I do hope that you're happy as I am, seeing that, whenever you are." Following his friend, he could feel the white glow of the moon falling on the small, forest area surrounding them.