Instantly, Dawn's mind began to rush through all of the possibilities. Who had been the one standing there in the shadows, wearing the symbol? She did have a guess, but she didn't like it.

"Dawn!" Flutterwing was not her usual self.

She was covered in dirt and smears of blood, even blood that was not her own.

"What?" Dawn asked.

"I asked Pomegranate to tell Aster and Grove that we can't have them over for dinner tonight."

Dawn let out a sigh of relief. Out of the corner of her eye, she shot Pomegranate a sympathetic look. Even talking to those two was such a bore.

"All right then! Can we leave?! Oh, and, I also want to catch some fish for dinner," Dawn asked brightly. She loved catching fish, it was like a break for her, from the rest of her life. Especially today, where everything seemed to be going wrong, it would be very therapeutic. And plus, it would get her out of eating bananas.

Flutterwing had the distracted look in her eyes that she always had when thinking about Bamboo.

"Sure, sis, whatever," she mumbled.

Dawn sighed again. She was becoming quite used to her sister being scattered one way or another. Pomegranate shot Flutterwing a look, and she hastily added onto it.

"Erm, well, because... Pomegranate and I want to... further our relationships..."

Awww, they'll look soo cute together, Dawn thought. Then, she realized something, something even better.

"So, that means you're going to break up with Bamboo?" Dawn asked hopefully.

"Dawn! Don't say that! But yes, I am going to end my relationship with Bamboo," Flutterwing stammered awkwardly.

Yes! For the first time all day, Dawn smiled. Dawn started to head out of the clearing, and the sharp edge of the gold disk cut her palm.

"Ow!" she yelped, recoiling from the disk and dropping it on the ground. She clamped her hands together, watching as blood trickled through her clasped fingers.

"What's wrong?" Flutterwing asked.

"I cut my palm, it's nothing," Dawn said hurriedly.

"Of course it's something!" Flutterwing yelped, "You've already cut your shoulder."

Oh, right, that. Dawn reached her claws up to touch her injured shoulder. The blood on her talons looked almost surreal. They began to pick their way back to the cave, their ears and eyes ready and alert to warn them of anything dangerous.

Just then, a piercing scream filled the air. Dawn instinctively faded into the forest, changing her scales to blend in with the late morning light.

"Dawn! Don't do that!" Flutterwing cried. "You know I get nervous when I can't see you."

Dawn just rolled her eyes. Oh, do you now?

"Can we go help them?" She asked instinctively, fading back into view.

"Who- oh right, I guess, but..." Futterwing looked hesitant.

"What?" Dawn asked.

"It- it could be upsetting, you know..." Flutterwing averted her gaze.

Dawn let out a laugh. "Trust me, my day couldn't possibly get any worse."

"All right then..." Flutterwing said, still looking hesitant.

The two dragons took off as fast as they could. Dawn began to have a bad feeling about what they were doing as they drew near to the source of the scream. It was a terrible, bloody, mess.

A full-grown, cinnamon-colored big dragon stood in the clearing. She clearly didn't look too happy, and Dawn wasn't surprised. Behind her was the real mess, three of the cinnamon's dragonets, except they could hardly be called 'dragonets' anymore.

They had been torn to shreds and doused in RainWing venom. The last dragonet, a small black one covered in white speckles, stood in her mother's shadow, looking uncertain. She swayed on her feet, her eyes unfocused. Dawn saw, with horror, that there was a golden cuff on her wrist. Big dragons didn't naturally wear jewelry.

She shuddered,  not wanting to know what had happened. Flutterwing was frozen beside her. The answer had been presented on a silver platter.

It was Bamboo.

He looked different, somehow. He had shed his gentle demeanor and looked, well, downright threatening. His gold jewelry was stained, and he was injured, badly.

"Flutterwing, should we help him?"

"No, I can't believe I ever loved such an awful dragon."

"You love-"

"That's not the point!"

Bamboo let out a demented snarl and crouched lower. The cinnamon growled and lunged. Bamboo met her with another snarl and attempted to use his venom. The cinnamon sunk her teeth into him and shook him like a rag doll, before throwing him against a tree.

He landed with a crash, and the cinnamon didn't give him time to catch his breath. Instead, she charged and threw him again, this time into the trees. Flutterwing rushed up to him, and Dawn followed.

"Help," he croaked.

"No. I won't, Bamboo, we're over," Flutterwing said firmly. "What are you doing here?"

Bamboo dropped the act and spat blood at Dawn's feet.

"Curse you! Curse you all! It's called getting rid of a premature problem!" He growled.

The big dragon came rushing, and Dawn melted into the shadows, throwing her wings over her sister to hide her from the raging big dragon. She didn't think it would matter either way, the dragon only wanted revenge on one dragon in particular, and that dragon was Bamboo. The cinnamon growled and snatched Bamboo, throwing him against another tree, then smirked as he got caught in the sharp branches.

He was dying, and she knew it. Bamboo let out another scream as she tore at him again, bloody, mercilessly, and precise. Dawn's mouth unhinged a little bit, and she quickly snapped it closed.

The cinnamon paid them no mind, her only thought was of revenge and blood. And she was going to get it.

Dawn and Flutterwing watched as Bamboo was ripped apart, shred by shred, limb by limb, without them even stepping in. Finally, the mother turned away from the bloodied remains and moved towards her dragonet, but something was off.

She tried to nuzzle her, but instead, the dragonet shied away. Cinnamon whimpered and tried again. The dragonet turned. Her face was blank and emotionless when she walked away. The mother let out a billow of grief, and lowered her head, clawing at the ground.

"You know, this is kind of weird, but do you kind of feel bad for her?"

"Oh, definitely," Flutterwing replied. "She looks just like how I looked when I learned my mother left me."

Dawn began to slowly shuffle away, even though she was pretty sure that the big dragon wouldn't notice either way.

"You're mother? Oh, right... I just... You never talk about her."

Flutterwing sighed. "Yeah... Her name was Cyan. When I asked Dad about her he would always say the same thing, 'she constantly talked about Pantala, she wasn't really that happy here. I always worried that one day she would leave us, and well...'" She shifted uncomfortably like there was more she wanted to say but didn't want to.

Flutterwing stopped talking. Dawn let down her wings and changed her scales, falling into step next to her sister. They walked in silence for a while, one word echoing through Dawn's brain. Dad. 

The thought had always been in a forbidden part of her brain, locked away in a place so toxic, that she never went there. Why did he leave us? Did he know about Snappea? Was it Snappea who was in the tunnel that night? Why, was it because he didn't love me?

Stop.

Dawn couldn't bear her own mind sometimes.

It's all me. I'M the one who is all stupid and toxic! It's all my fault! 

Dawn furrowed her brow, thinking.

Three years ago...

Pale green scales, dark in the dim light, immense sorrow, the rain...

Present time...

Dawn gasped. She had found the culprit.

It was Snapea.