So I reread the first timeline book with my friend a while back, and remembered that Darkstalker proposed to Clearsight the night after they ended the war, when they were all celebrating. And it's a crime against humanity I didn't write this earlier, so enjoy :)

(I actually wrote this a few months ago and for some reason got super nervous about posting it, so hopefully this isn't terrible lol)

***

Darkstalker takes us to the woods. We've been here a few times before, this is our favourite spot to stay when we go on our little trips in the summer—a little clearing in the woods, right by Lake Starseeker.

I light a fire, and Fathom catches a few fish in the lake to roast over it. Darkstalker opens a bottle of champagne, and pours it into little fancy goblets we stole from the palace. 

"A toast," Fathom says with a grin. "To the most powerful dragons in Pyrrhia." We all clink our glasses together.

"I could get used to this," Darkstalker says, shooting me a grin. "MOST POWERFUL DRAGONS IN PYRHHIA!" He screams at the sky. I burst into giggles.

"What are you doing?"

"Screaming at the sky! Come on, you two have to try it, this great."

Fathom clears his throat, looking very flustered. "What if someone's trying to sleep, or I scare some poor bird?"

"Who cares!" Darkstalker grins, shoving him playfully. "Come on, try it! Try it!"

"DARKSTALKER STOPPED THE WAR!" I cheer, looking up to the stars.

"See! Like that!"

Fathom rolls his eyes. "All right, fine, um... SEA CRAB!"

I burst into giggles. "I think it's supposed to be something meaningful," I point out.

"I know, I just couldn't think of anything..."

I glance over at Darkstalker. He's been all weird and nervous tonight, like he's planning something, but I can't figure out what. Normally I'd try and look ahead to figure it out, but I've been writing timeline scrolls all week for the queen, and for once, I don't want to think about the future. I want to bathe in this moment, where the stars glow bright, and my friends are right here beside me. And everything turned out fine.

Better than fine, actually.

Darkstalker clears his throat, pulling a little box out of his bag.

"What is it?" I look at him all weird.

He takes a deep breath, meeting my eyes with an adorable little smile. "Clearsight of the NightWings. You're—um—you're the most kind, brave, beautiful dragon in the whole kingdom."

"Oh—oh my gosh, are you—" Fathom's eyes are all wide.

"You've—you've known me pretty much all of our lives. We've grown and changed at each other's sides, and taken on the world together, and it would be an honour if you'd marry me, because I just want to stay at your side forever. I wanna... have your back, and keep you safe, and always be there for you when you're scared, or alone. And, uh, yeah."

He pulls out a little opal ring, talons shaking a little. (It might just be the light, but I'm pretty sure his eyes are all glassed up.)

"Yes!" I throw my wings around him, accidentally knocking him onto the forest floor. "Of course I want to marry you, you goober!" I swat at him teasingly. "What did you think I was gonna say?"

"I don't know?" Darkstalker laughs. "I'm breaking up with you?"

"Yeah! To become your fiancée!" I giggle, helping him back up into his feet. I pick up the ring from the forest floor (I think I accidentally knocked it to the ground when I tackled him) and slip it onto my claw with a grin. It's so pretty--there are little diamonds embedded along the band, and if I tilt it towards the firelight, it glints rainbow.

"Uh, do you guys need a moment?" Fathom asks awkwardly. "Cause, like, I can go..."

"Sorry, just give us a minute to be a nauseating couple," I say, rolling my eyes, and trying to seem totally calm and cool about all this, like I saw it coming a mile away, but inside I just want to sing and dance and run around in circles like a giddy dragonet because I'm getting married!

We just kinda stare into each other's eyes for a moment, processing what just happened.

"This is, um, this is somehow even more perfect than I imagined it to be," Darkstalker admits sheepishly, a grin tugging at his mouth. "And I imagined it a lot, so that says something. I actually tried making one of your timeline scrolls, I was so nervous, it was terrifying. Remind me to, like, never do your job."

I laugh. "Yeah. This is, um, this is pretty much the dream come true." Because it could have gone wrong, it could have gone so wrong, no one knows what more than me. I've seen a thousand different alternate versions of this exact moment, and I don't know what I did, or he did, or what elements completely out of our control changed to get us here.  "We're gonna get married!"

"We're gonna get married!" he agrees, beaming now. "Oh my gosh, and then  I'm gonna get to be like, this is my wife, Clearsight, and she is beautiful and amazing and smart and funny and did I mention beautiful? And then you'll be like, and that's my husband, Darkstalker? And hopefully some other nice adjectives in there too, I don't know."

I'm too dazed to think of something funny to say back in reply. 

"Congratulations," Fathom says awkwardly. "I, uh, I've never been to a wedding before!"

"You're gonna get to give a speech!" Darkstalker says excitedly. "Just don't make it too embarrassing, okay? I do have a reputation to uphold." He shoves our friend playfully. 

Fathom laughs. "Oh, I have some stories. Your eighth hatching day party was, um... interesting. Your graduation party also comes to mind..."

"Yeah, I'm gonna make that off-limits," Darkstalker says, rolling his eyes. "If my mother hears about that, I will never hear the end of it."

"She means well," Fathom says, smiling in a vaguely wistful way I can't quite fit together. "Even if she's a bit protective. You're really lucky."

"I know, she's awesome. But also, like, oh my gosh Mother, I'm nine," Darkstalker says, rolling his eyes. "I have a proper adult house and a job and everything, you can stop coming by with care packages and reminding me to clean my room or weed the garden beds, three moons. Actually, I take it back, the care packages are really appreciated--she'll bring by dinner sometimes, and write down little recipes on index cards so I can make whatever she gives me on her own, I have a little folder of them going. But I could do without the reminders. She still goes to all my, like, public events and press conferences and stuff, you know?"

 I close my eyes while they're talking, and let myself check the futures for just a moment. Just to be sure. There are still dark paths, of course there are. But none of them feature Darkstalker. This version of him is good, and safe, and kind. And I think he'll stay.  

This is it. This is the future I wanted--this is what I've spent my whole life hoping for.

I pull my fiance in for a hug, and bury my face in his shoulder.

"Aw, c'mere," he laughs, wrapping his wings around me. 

"I'm really glad you're--I--I just love you so much," I murmur, trying not to cry.

"Hey! Don't cry," he chides gently, brushing a tear off my cheek. "This is good. The best thing. Believe me."

"I know."