It was late in the night when they arrived. Corona was in a nest made of grass and moss being cared for by Evenstar and Willow. Kite was sitting in the corner silently, Condor draping a wing over him. The MudWing and SeaWing had a slew of questions to ask the group from their journey, but they were already tired and already overwhelmed by everything that happened. Evenstar got Whitecap's pliers and finally removed the hanging tooth from Glow's injured jaw, as well as the broken stump left behind. While it still hurt (a lot) afterwards, her jaw felt infinitely better. Ore, Combustion, and Charcoal had already left before Glow woke up, and she felt much better after sleeping the whole flight.

       Glow took the courtesy to spare the others from having to say everything. She summarized everything that happened, and everyone understood. She left out what Glow had gone through, mostly because she wasn't really all that comfortable talking about it yet. One day I'll be okay, but...not right now. I need time. Frigga and Condor were sitting outside and Whitecap had just come back with a freshly caught fish. Glow recoiled at the scent and gagged.

       "I know seafood isn't really your thing, but that's the best I can give you until your jaw heals." He apologized sincerely.

       Glow was definitely not appealed by the stinky soft meat in front of her, but it wasn't like she had much of a choice at this point. Stupid Morrowseer. She bit delicately at the fish, tearing off its loose scaly skin and tossed it aside. She never really liked skin, anyway.

       "Hey," Corona wheezed. "At least it's not pears, right?" She joked, but then coughed weakly.

       Evenstar tapped her snout harshly. "Hey, stop that. You need to rest, and that includes making hilarious jokes." He ordered.

       "Evenstar's right." Willow scolded. "I can't believe you'd make jokes while you're in this condition. You need to be more careful, what would we do if you got yourself killed?" The pale MudWing huffed and shook her wings irritably. Glow recoiled. She was back to reality, but she still guiltily felt that she'd rather be dead than live with what had happened to her earlier that evening.

       Corona merely scoffed. "Can't blame me for trying to lighten the mood." She chuckled. Heh, even in this condition, she's still the same Corona I know and love. Glow didn't have that luxury. She started to feel guilty as she stared at her fish. She couldn't stop thinking about that soldier. The way he grabbed her and forced her into his personal plaything and tried to take advantage of her for his own sexual gratification. The way he forced himself in-between her legs against her will, her tears, and her cries.

       She started trembling at the memory. She tried so hard to push the memory out of her head, but it wouldn't let her. Despite the strong visceral feeling of wanting to die, she was grateful that it didn't go further than that. Thank the moons that Frigga got there just in time. She never appreciated the IceWing more in her life. Frigga watched a fellow IceWing murder and violate her mother's corpse, and killed him on sight. It makes sense that it was her first instinct this time. She couldn't even finish the thought before her head started to spin and she started to grow numb again. No matter how Glow tried to make herself feel better or see the light side, the reality still wanted to sink itself deep into her. She was assaulted by a soldier who was stronger and more capable than her. No matter how far it didn't go, he still attempted to rape her, and she was still affected by it. And it would take a while for her to come to terms with the realities and the affect it had on her with patience and care.

       Wanting to just distract herself, she carefully chewed the strips of meat from the ocean catch and swallowed them quickly, trying not to gag. Yuck! I know I did this to myself, but...ugh! As she was chewing, she noticed Kite sitting quietly in the corner. He was staring blankly, unable to cry any more. Glow sighed. I know how that feels, Kite. Glow suddenly realized with horror that she could now accurately say that. She could no longer only sympathize with him, Corona, or Frigga. Now she had the personal experience to actually empathize with them.

       It rattled her to her core.

       But still, Glow couldn't stand seeing him so distressed. Now that Evenstar was clearly occupied with Corona, along with Willow, it was up to Glow. She looked over at the small NightWing tending to her best friend. He was looking straight at her, his eyes willing her to go comfort Kite. Glow pushed the remainder of her fish towards Whitecap. "I'm not hungry anymore. Sorry." She said in a monotone disinterest.

       Whitecap nodded and started eating the rest of the fish. "That's alright." He said calmly. "Do what you need to do. You had a really tough week." He said absentmindedly. You have no idea. Being here with Whitecap for some reason reminded Glow of the SeaWing Tsunami killed in the arena. She spent nearly all that match replacing Gill with Whitecap, and lurching with fear.

       Glow wasn't sure why she felt like asking, but she did. Besides, it would distract her anyways, so it was probably better for her sake. "You lived in the Kingdom of the Sea before you lived with Frigga, right?" She asked. Whitecap nodded. "I told you Tsunami killed a SeaWing in Queen Scarlet's arena. I was wondering if you would have met him." She explained.

       Whitecap shook his head. "Why do you want to know?" He asked. Glow cast her eyes downward. Although Tsunami couldn't really do anything about Gill, Glow might. After all, she would probably be heading to the Kingdom of the Sea, since that's where Tsunami wanted to go. At this point, it wasn't a matter of if, but when. And since Tsunami was the reigning princess, she would have no time to make amends for Gill. "Do you maybe want to give his family condolences? Maybe know more about him?" Whitecap posed. Glow didn't know how else to answer, so she just nodded. "Well then, you're going to need to give me a proper description of him." He said.

       Glow nodded and drew in a deep breath. "He was big, about twice Tsunami's size, and she's slightly smaller than me. He was green, and his eyes were dark green." She described.

       Whitecap rolled his eyes casually. "You're either going to have to be more specific or give me a name. That description fits a lot of SeaWings. In fact, it probably fits a couple brothers of mine." He criticized.

       Glow huffed, growing frustrated. "His name was Gill." She finally said.

       Whitecap stopped and started to choke. Glow was surprised. Was this someone that Whitecap knew? Seems so. Maybe it's one of those brothers he mentioned. She thought with sadness. "Gill." He said quietly. He shook his head and looked out toward the sea, as if expecting the green SeaWing to emerge from the crests. "You said Tsunami is a royal SeaWing, meaning that she's my sister." Glow nodded. Whitecap shook his head and sighed. "Mother's not going to like this..." He muttered. Glow suddenly regretted asking. "Gill was our father, king of the Kingdom of the Sea and husband to Queen Coral." He said.

       Glow saw how distraught Whitecap was now, and felt horrible. Wait. That means Tsunami killed her own father. The realization hit her, and now she was worried over how Whitecap was going to react to seeing Tsunami. "I'm sorry I asked." Glow said hastily.

       Whitecap shook his head. "No no, don't worry about it. I'm glad you told me." He hastily answered. "I don't blame Tsunami, she couldn't have known. But," He paused. "I need time to take it in. That my father is dead. I haven't seen him in almost eight years." He assured. "I'll be fine. Just go take care of Kite." He said. Glow turned towards him and felt pulled. "He needs you right now. I can manage."

       Glow sighed. "Thank you, Whitecap." She said. "And I'm sorry about your father." Whitecap nodded as she got up and turned towards the corner the small SkyWing was in.

       Glow walked towards Kite slowly. She sat down beside the small SkyWing, and simply glanced over at her. His large round hazel eyes were slim and tired. They were red with tears and exhaustion, and he rested his small head on Glow's shoulder. She wrapped her wings around him, sheltering him in her warmth. She stroked his head like Frigga had done for her as a dragonet. She nuzzled her snout alongside his back into her chest, holding him tightly.

       Everything was quiet. Everything was uncomfortable. But, if there was one good thing to come out of this, it was now over. "Hey. Are you...alright?" Glow asked awkwardly.

       "Not really." He said quietly. Glow didn't know what to say. So much had happened at once, that she wasn't really sure what she could say that would make him feel better. She didn't know what would be something useful to say in that moment.

       "I'm really sorry, Kite." Glow said. "For all of this. I really am."

       "Don't be. It isn't your fault." He said.

       "But it is." Glow insisted. "If I had kept my stupid mouth shut, none of this would have happened."

       "Honestly, my mom would have probably found me eventually." He admitted. "Besides, there was some good that came out of your bravery."

       Glow didn't feel very brave right now. "Like what?" She said hopelessly.

       Glow didn't see his face, but she could feel his lips curl into a fragile smile against her shoulder. "You found my dad. You brought my dad back to me." He whispered. "And you helped give Peril a real family."

       Glow smiled in response. Peril's copper glowing scales and bright blue eyes blazed in her memory, and the possibility of true happiness lifted her spirits just a little. I wonder how long it will be before we see her again. Glow glanced outside, seeing Frigga talking quietly to Condor. Kite and Frigga's exchange after Cinnabar's death flashed before her again, and she clutched Kite tightly. "Did...did Cinnabar hurt you? When she had you?" She asked.

       "No." Kite answered. "She...was actually really happy to see me...in her own weird way." Glow raised her eyebrow in uncertainty. She didn't really know how to take that.

       Glow paused for a moment, not sure how to respond. "Are you...upset that Cinnabar was killed?" She asked.

       Kite sighed heavily. "Of course I'm upset." He admitted. "As horrible as she was to me and my dad, she wasn't all bad...Sometimes, she could actually be nice. She sometimes used to teach me fighting moves and take me flying around the mountains with dad. And that's the worst part." He paused, sighing again. "I can't help but forgive her, no matter how awful she was. Or, at least I want to forgive her, but I can't. I can't bring myself to hate her...she's still my mom. I feel...guilty, for not forgiving her."

       Glow was silent. She could never imagine forgiving someone like Cinnabar. But maybe I'm just thinking that because I didn't go through what Kite did. But she remembered how terrified Kite seemed in her presence, how much he dreaded going to the Sky Kingdom in the first place out of fear that she'd find him again. No. She doesn't deserve his forgiveness. She looked over to him and wrapped her wing around him. "I don't think you should forgive her." She said definitively.

       Kite looked over at her, confused. "Really?" He said. "W-well, why not? She's my mom, and isn't forgiving her the right thing to do?" He asked, unsure.

       "Did she do anything to earn your forgiveness?" She asked earnestly. Kite looked stumped. Glow sighed and pressed her talons to her forehead. "You don't need to forgive her to heal and move on. In fact, if she hasn't done anything to earn your forgiveness, then you shouldn't. It doesn't matter if she's your mother or not, she was still awful to you. And, honestly speaking, she really didn't earn your forgiveness. She didn't change or realize that what she did was wrong, so I don't see why you should."

       Kite seemed pensive. He was thinking pretty hard about what Glow said, from what she could tell. In time, he'll grow up without her and Cinnabar will be nothing but a distant memory. He'll have us, and he'll have a family of his own someday, if he wants one. All of Cinnabar's horrors will be long forgotten by the time he's all grown up. "Do you think that mom could've been good? That if we gave her a chance, she could've changed?" He asked. Glow looked at him with a pained expression. She couldn't lie to him, but she couldn't bring herself to verbally say it. So she simply closed her eyes and shook her head.

       Glow looked outside to see Frigga with her head low and Condor putting a wing over her back comfortingly. She noticed that Kite was looking in the same direction. "Do you think you're ready to forgive Frigga?" Glow asked him. Kite looked up at her, standing up to level with her. Kite still looked uncertain. "She did what she did to save you, after all."

       Kite took a deep breath and stepped outside. Glow followed closely behind him, ready to offer her support. Condor nudged Frigga, letting her know that they had company. She turned and flinched at the sight of Kite. Seeing him after what happened earlier that day must have driven in another nail in her heart. Frigga has suffered enough, I think...Kite looked like he wasn't even sure how to start.

       Condor was standing aside, waiting for one of them to say something. Glow couldn't help but feel the same way, wanting them to just say what they feel and reconcile. Finally, Kite lunged forward and wrapped his wing around his master. Frigga wrapped her arms around him and furled her wings around them both.

       "I'm so sorry, Kite." Frigga said quietly. "I made a mistake. I was consumed by my anger. I just wanted to keep you safe."

       "I know, Frigga." He said. "I'm upset that you killed my mother." Frigga winced. "But deep down, we both know it was the right thing to do." He explained.

       Frigga nodded. "I know, my little dragonet." She said. "I know."

       "Actually," Condor interrupted. "There's something Frigga wanted to speak to you about."

       Glow looked over at her IceWing master in confusion. "What do you mean?" She asked.

       Condor looked towards Frigga, who guiltily padded up to Glow. She put a talon on Glow's shoulder and sighed. "Glow." She said. "SkyWing dragonet of destiny. It pains me to say this, but," she paused. "I've been through so much during this whole week. I need time to myself away from all this chaos and bloodshed to heal and grieve. So, tomorrow morning, I'm leaving."

       Glow's eyes widened. She had finally got her whole family back with her, and Frigga was leaving? "No, you can't. We need you! What about the others?" Glow asked.

       "She'll be fine, Glow." A voice sounded from behind her. She turned around to see Evenstar and Whitecap behind her. "She just needs time away from everything and everyone to herself. Somewhere quiet and peaceful, and untouched by the way." Evenstar explained.

       Frigga dipped her head towards the small green-black NightWing. "Thank you, Evenstar." She said. She turned back to face Glow. "I won't be gone for long. I'll just be in the Rainforest Kingdom. Whitecap and Condor will be in charge of taking care of you all while I'm gone." While Glow was hurting, she knew that her master needed a break from all the loss and heartbreak.

       "Don't worry, Frigga. We'll take good care of them." Whitecap assured, draping his white wing over Glow comfortingly.

       "I'll care for each of them as if they were my own, Frigga." Condor promised, putting an arm around Kite. "It's the least I can do for what you've done for my son."

       Frigga dipped her head towards Condor in appreciation. "Take care, Frigga." Evenstar said.

       "Good luck." Kite added.

       Frigga chuckled. "I'm not departing yet, dragonets." She corrected. Her ice blue eyes scanned the horizon, the stars twinkling dimly in the wide open night sky, the three moons high above them. "But perhaps we should get some rest. The dragonets of destiny might arrive soon. I'll say goodbye to you all in the morning." Frigga instructed.

       Glow followed Whitecap, Evenstar, and Kite inside the beach cave. Frigga and Condor followed closely. Glow noticed that Willow had fallen asleep near Corona, and smiled. She was always the overly cautious one. Corona looked at peace, covered in bandages and poultices and breathing steadily. Even though the little black-winged SandWing didn't want to admit it, Glow found her delicate snoring absolutely adorable.

       Glow curled up around Corona's warmth and found comfort immediately in being by her side again. Kite curled up in his father's arms as they got ready to turn in for the night, and Evenstar helped Frigga get ready for the morning.

       Whitecap got comfortable near Willow and looked outside with a sigh. "I always appreciated the sound of the sea at night." He remarked. "It helps me fall asleep when I don't feel myself."

       Glow smiled and rested her head by Corona's body. She let the sounds of the lapping waves on the sand outside flood her senses. It was all she could hear, even over the rummaging in the cave and Corona's squeaky snoring. It even washed out the horrific memories of earlier, if only temporarily. Whitecap was right. It was calming.

       She let her senses slip free as she feel deep into sleep. No matter what happened next, Glow had played a part in her destiny, and she knew she wasn't alone. So long as she had her family by her, she would hold on to the hope that things would turn out alright. Even through the trauma she's suffered today, eventually she'll be okay.

       That made her feel much better. Not completely okay, but better.