Blackflower sat next to her sister, not speaking.
Brightscales lay completely still in an odd position with her eyes closed, Leifās spell still in effect.
āI- I didnāt know you couldnāt talk to me you know.ā The NightWing queen said in a soft voice, staring at the ground. āYou couldāve found some way to tell me, you know.ā Brightscales didnāt open her eyes or give any signal that she heard.
A long moment later, the RainWing hybrid suddenly slumped, and she sat awkwardly up, blinking in surprise. Blackflower perked up, glancing over her body. āThe spell! Itās gone! Atlantis must've done something!ā She grinned, flapping up into a large part of the broken palace wall to look towards the battlegrounds. She just barely made out Leifās large shape, and watched it for a long moment.
āShe did really care, you know.ā
A hoarse and raspy unfamiliar voice said faintly from behind Blackflowerās back. She turned around, startled, but didnāt see anyone. She looked over at Brightscales, whoād moved a short distance away and was sitting with her back turned over Revaās body.
Blackflower ran over, alarmed. āDid you hear that? Someone is-ā āAnd you didnāt.ā
The bitter, raspy voice came from her sister, who turned her head away.
āWhat?ā The NightWing hybrid said her words sounding wrong to her as an odd sinking feeling filled her stomach.
āYOU DIDNāT CARE!ā Brightscales roared in a croaking voice, turning her face suddenly towards her sister. Tears filled her eyes and streamed down her face, and her ruff flared a dangerous red color. She barred her fangs as if considering shooting venom at the dragon in front of her.
Blackflower took a few stumbling steps back as Brightscales advanced, her eyes a bright furious yellow. āYou just wanted to play queen! You never payed attention the day I arrived, it was all official business to you! You didnāt care, and I just wanted a sister!ā
Brightscales collapsed, crying. Her scales were a whirling pool of deep blue and black.
Blackflower didnāt move. She was speechless. She didnāt think Brightscales cared.
Sheād always tried to be a just, good queen. Not a loving one. The loving ones were always soft, and she was a NightWing. She had to be tough for the NightWings so they could see that the RainWing hybrid among them could rule just like any one of them.
āReva was the closest thing I had to a sister.ā Brightscales sniffed, her raspy voice just barely heard as her arms muffled the sound. āAnd now sheās gone. So I faked Iād lost my voice, yeah. I didnāt want to talk to you. I wanted to talk to her. At least she supported me the first seven years. I never saw you once, and when I did, you ignored me.ā
Blackflower cautiously put a talon on one of hers. āI didnāt know you cared.ā She said in a hoarse tone. āI was.. close to Reva too. For the most part. She worked as a general.ā Blackflower but her tongue. āOkay, so I never really had much of a sisterly relationship with her. I never saw her as much of a sister as you clearly did. I was wrong. But I was unused to it. You-ā She said as Brightscales looked up. āYou had, what, four brother to grow up with? Well they never came here. I had no one.ā
Brightscales sat up. āI didnāt know that.ā She said, she said in a voice almost too low to hear. Blackflower nodded. āI.. need to learn how to be a part of a family. Well, to be more specific, someONE to help me.ā Her sister let an amused breath out of her nose, and there was a long quiet moment.
āI wasnāt going to hurt you you know.ā Brightscales rasped with the slightest smile riding on her expression. āOh GOOD.ā Her sister gasped dramatically, throwing her talons up. āCause for a second there I thought you were going to go absolutely BERSERK on me.ā The RainWing queen grinned. āAnd I still can.. SIS.ā
Blackflower stuck out her tongue with a grimace. āOkay, no. No āsisā or āseesterā or āsistaā please. It just sounds..ā She shuddered. āCreepy. No, no, no, no.ā Brighscales laughed rashly, then coughed, then grimaced. āUgh, I sound horrible. I sound like a sloth with a cold and barrel full of nuts shoved down my throat. Ughhh..ā