DarkSky

TorisLaurinaitis' Stargale
The small wandering Pearlcatcher wandered around the Tsunami Flats near the Highland Scrub, following the coast wherever it took him. He was tired and alone, not sure where to go and without a pearl to soothe him.

He heard laughing in the distance and went to inspect, perhaps it was someone who could help? He saw two hatchlings, a black guardian and a blue skydancer, playing in the water while their parents slept in the sun.

Jay saw the young pearlcatcher and bound over excitedly. "Hai there!" he says excitedly. "Who are yew?" DarkSky was shocked and tucked his hands in close to his body. He didn't reply since Jay was kind of in his face. "Are you a perlcatcher? Where is yor perl?" He had an interesting childish accent that was high pitched and curious.

Quartz bound over and pushed Jay aside. "Hey, don't scare him!" he said. He sat back and smiled. "Don't be scared, we won't hurt you." His speech was more coherent and clear, and he was obviously a little more older. "Where are you from?"

DarkSky only shook his head slowly. "I... don't know..." he says softly. "Where am I?"

"Yor at Stargale!" Jay said proudly. "Te best place in the world!" He bounces a bit excitedly. "Yew can liv with us!"

"Well, outside of our clan, not exactly there though. You can stay if you want," Quartz said with a smile. "Mom takes good care of us and you can meet everyone! What's your name?"

DarkSky blinked, not sure what to say. He didn't want to say no, but he didn't want to say yes. "DarkSky," he said quietly. His eyes were wide as a large Skydancer with red eyes walked over slowly. Ibis was quite annoyed at the two running off, and gave Jay a stern look.

"Mommy, mommy!" Jay said excitedly. "Look, we made a fren!" He pointed at where DarkSky once was, but he was gone. He left quickly, nowhere to be seen. Hopefully he'll find answers somewhere else...

Jay told his mother all about what happened and Ibis then write DarkSky's name down in the guest book, just for record keeping.

((I know how to spell, I swear, haha. Jay just has a childish accent I tried to portray.))


Darkesty's Nightkeeper Sanctum

The young dragon had wandered over to a dark, murky forest. There he found
glowing shrooms and natural dams. He soon spotted a red-and-white fae, who
seemed to be gathering something. Maybe he could help? "He-hello?" he asked,
uncertain. The fae stopped and turned to look at him. "Are you lost, little
child?" His voice was soothing. "Yes.. where am I?". "You're close to
Nightkeeper Sanctum in the Tangled woods. Where are your parents? And your
pearl?". DarkSky lowered his gaze to the ground and said softly "I don't
know.. I don't remember..". Hearing this, the fae asked him if he would like
to join them for dinner. DarkSky slowly nodded and was lead into the lair.

There he joined the other hatchlings for dinner. He hand't realised how
hungry he was until he started eating. He ended up eating a lot more than
he had thought.

As the other hatchlings went to sleep, he figured he wouldn't find his answers
in this lair and left. Maybe the next one?





DarkSky landed in the Southern Icefields. His black scales were clearly marked against the pale snow and ice. He could be easy prey here. His thoughts stopped as something slammed into him. A dragon with dark violet scales dug his claws into his shoulders. "Intruder!" His pinecone flew out of his hand.

A midnight-black female Coatl emerged from the ice. "Violetscale! Let go!" She growled and pulled him off DarkSky. "He's not even full grown!"

"He was on our territory, Midnight," he snarled, his red eyes gleaming with hatred.

A green Spiral followed a purple Imperial into the clearing. "He'll starve out here, let's take him back to camp."

Leafstorm and Pelantos put DarkSky onto Midnight's back and they flew to where the sun was setting. DarkSky felt sleep wash over him like a wave.


"Are you okay?" the Clan healer, Leafshine, had asked him when he woke up. DarkSky nodded. "Good,"

Pain scorched his shoulders and neck. "It hurts!" he wailed.

A yellow Fae emerged from the entrance. "Leafshine, do you need any help?"

She nodded. "Thanks, Mudclaw. He has scars all over his face. He's blind in his left eye and his skull is cracked. His lower spine is broken some he has inoperable rear legs." DarkSky clenched his teeth. Will he ever get revenge on Violetscale?

Midnight entered the den. "Is he okay?"

Leafshine sighed. "No, thanks to Violetscale." DarkSky struggled to whisper in Midnight's ear.

"I need to escape."


Nightkeeper Sanctum (Darkesty)

Scarred and with a broken pearl, DarkSky found himself once again in the Tangled Wood. He struggled to move with his injuries. Soon he was surrounded with glowing sprites, which seemed to beckon him to follow. He tried to, out of curiousity, but failed. He had used all of his energy to get this far and ended up collapsing.

When he came to, he was in a familiar lair. "What happened, child? Last I saw you, you were completely healthy". He glanced and saw the familiar red-and-white fae. "I.. I got a-attacked by a dragon," he sobbed and noticed his makeshift pearl was gone, "wh-where's my pearl?". "Worry not, child. Your pearl is safe. Our matriarch is putting some spells on it, to make sure you'll never lose your pearl again. It is an important part of you, after all. I have not yet introduced myself, have I? I'm Qeres, the caretaker here". DarkSky was relieved to hear his precious pearl was safe. He soon noticed his pain had lessened, the fae seemed to notice. "While you were unconscious, Both Amuless and I took turns trying to heal you. Your wounds were great, but they can be healed. You're lucky to have made it here, as there's an abundance of magic in this place, allowing us to heal even the most perilous wounds". DarkSky was about to request that he sees his pearl, as a fae approached them. Behind the fae was a basilisk, which made him nervous. He had heard they were quite dangerous.

"You'll soon be able to leave this lair. I did what I could and made some runes on your pearl. They will prevent it from shattering completely, but it can still crack and crumble. After enough coats, they will no longer be visible, but they will still work. As it was quite foolish of us to let a hatchling wander around without protection from those who wish to harm others, I've decided to give you this basilisk. It will keep you safe, should you run into danger". The fae seemed almost.. detached from everything. Sure, fae dragons always seemed slightly detached from others, but this one was more than usual. Nonetheless the young pearlcathcer was grateful. They were so kind! As they handed him the pearl, he vowed to be more careful with it. He noticed the basilisk was immediately protective of him, not letting the adult dragons too close to him.

He rested in the lair two more days, before setting out to collect more memories. While his wounds had mostly healed, he still had all of his scars. Walking was still difficult, but it was a lot more easier than it had been.

LadyChipmunk's Travels Rest Lair

Moonfire found DarkSky asleep, curled protectively around his makeshift pearl. The flood rains had come, and she'd braved the storms to collect some rare plants for her teas. She never expected to stumble upon a scarred and drenched Pearlcatcher just barely past hatchling age.

He'd not even managed to find proper shelter, and if she let him remain here he'd likely get ill. She approached carefully. Startled dragons were dangerous dragons.

"Hello," she said softly, then again, louder to be heard over the rain, "hello?"

#

DarkSky woke with a start. A strange green Mirror dragon female stood about ten feet away, watching him. He hissed and clutched his pearl close to his chest. Behind him his basilisk roused and flared his wings in threat.

The Mirror backed up a few steps, but held her hands up. "I mean no harm. My name is Moonfire. I live at Travels Rest. Do you need help?"

DarkSky rose to his feet slowly, the wet making his not-quite healed wounds tight and stiff. "I don't know." He swayed and then fell back onto the ground as a gigantic sneeze rocked his body."

Moonfire moved forward quickly, dodging the sharp teeth of the basilisk as she passed. "We need to get you warm and dry. I can support you. The lair's not far."

DarkSky just nodded and leaned against the kind Mirror dragon as she led the way. The trip seemed to take forever, but eventually they reached a cave. The entrance was high up, a stairway of broad rocks providing a path.

But, Darksky felt far too weak to climb. With a soft groan he collapsed in a heap at the base of the stairs. Everything went dark.

#

DarkSky woke to voices talking. He considered running, but he recognized one of the voices as Moonfire, and opening his eyes felt like an impossible task. Moving was utterly beyond him.

"The herbal smoke seems to be helping his breathing, but we'll want to get real--I mean stronger--medicine in him soon."

"Thank you, Argonite," Moonfire said. "What about the other problem?"

"The pearl? I don't know. It's certainly not a normal one, and it seems to be damaged, but what that means for him....Well, it's not really a medicine thing. The connection Pearlcatchers have with their pearls is more...mystical."

"Then what do we do?"

DarkSky could almost hear the other dragon, Argonite apparently, shrug. "Talk to Twilight."

"Twilight?" Moonfire's voice squeaked as if she were being strangled.

"He's the mage, and more importantly, he's a Pearlcatcher. Unless you have a better idea?"

Moonfire swallowed loudly. "No."

Argonite probably said something in response, but DarkSky didn't hear it. Exhaustion had already swept him back under.

#

DarkSky had been allowed to rest for several days, and his breathing had much improved when a trio of dragons approached him. Moonfire he recognized, and the Coatl female felt familiar. The Pearlcatcher male though, he gave DarkSky the creeps. Something in the way the dragon moved and seemed to be looking at something no one else saw. And the deep scowl didn't help.

But, it was the frowning dragon that spoke. "You're DarkSky? What happened to your pearl."

DarkSky curled tight, pearl clutched under his chest. "It's right here. I won't let you take it."

Moonfire put a comforting hand on DarkSky's shoulder. "It's okay. No one wants to steal your pearl."

"No one would want it," the male Pearlcatcher said tersely.

"Twilight!" Moonfire looked aghast at the other dragon.

"What?" Twilight gestured in DarkSky's direction. "It'd be of no use to anyone else. Not even another Pearlcatcher."

The third dragon peered down at the bit of pearl visible. "It's damaged. Could that explain his condition?"

DarkSky knew that voice. She was Argonite. The healer.

"Don't know yet," Twilight responded. "I'd need to take a closer look, and that doesn't seem to be likely to happen."

"DarkSky," Moonfire whispered soothingly. "Would you be willing to show Twilight the pearl. You don't have to let him hold it. It'll stay in your possession at all times. Just hold it up so he can see. Would that be okay?"

DarkSky unfurled. Moonfire was kind, and Argonite and she had done nothing but help him. If they thought this Twilight might have answers then he'd trust them. Hesitantly, he held out the uneven, cracked pearl, waiting for the older Pearlcatcher to laugh or mock him.

Instead, Twilight fazed at his intently, eyes glowing faintly and the air around him taking on a static weight. "This isn't your original pearl. What happened to that one?"

"I don't know," DarkSky whispered. "I woke up and didn't remember anything. Some other dragons explained I needed a pearl, so I've been trying to make one."

Twilight nodded. "And it's important to you?"

DarkSky instinctively pulled the pearl back and clutched it safely to his chest.

"I'll take that as a yes." Twilight stepped back and considered, one clawed hand tugging on his bottom lip. "We could make this work with the right components. He probably won't remember the life stored in his original pearl, if he ever had one, but he's clearly bonding with that one."

"Even though it's broken?" DarkSky asked hopefully, perking up.

"Even so. But, we need proper egg shell to smooth it out. Pearls are usually started with the shell of the Pearlcatcher hatchling as the base, not a--what is that anyway?"

"A pine cone."

Twilight blinked. "A...pinecone. Right."

Moonfire smiled tentatively, "But we can use it, right? And we have plenty of egg shells. There are hatchlings coming almost every day."

"It can be used, but in order to have the right magic, to make it solid and unbreakable and right we can't use just any egg shells. We have to use the correct ones."

"Let me guess," Argonite said dryly, "it needs to be Pearlcatcher shell, not some subpar lesser dragon shell."

"What?" Twilight whirled and glared at Argonite. "Don't be daft. That would be disastrous. That shell would already be attuned to its proper owner. No, we need shell specifically created with this in mind."

"And the hatchling in that shell?" Argonite had puckered up her lips like she's swallowed an unpleasant bug.

DarkSky got the impression she didn't like Twilight much. He didn't blame her. But, if this could really help make his pearl work right then he'd try it. He'd try anything.

Twilight tilted his head in confusion. "What of it? It's not a Pearlcatcher. The shell is of no interest to the rest of," he tossed a hand in the air dismissively, "you."

Argonite closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I meant, this magic thing you want to do won't harm the hatchling? You know, the one being born just so you can have the convenience of some extra shell."

"No. You really think I'd endanger a hatchling for--"

"Yes." Argonite folded her arms. "I think--"

"Twilight is trying to help," Moonfire cut the Coatl woman off. "Besides, there are lots of dragons that want hatchlings here in the lair, Argonite. Even you were talking about wanting a hatchling of your own. And everyone in the lair would help raise it, or them, regardless. We always do. This could end up being good for a lot of people, not just DarkSky."

With a deep sigh Argonite nodded. "That's true. So," she turned her attention back to Twilight, "if not a Pearlcatcher, what is needed?"

"The shell has to have resonance with DarkSky's situation. He's lost a part of himself and he's been left...out of sync with what it means to be a Pearlcatcher. The eggs the shell comes from would have to come from someone that has experienced those same kinds of trials. Someone seeking their truths with the same passion as DarkSky."

Moonfire deflated. "That's...more complicated than I expected. Would Heilyn work? She was abandoned as an egg."

Considering, Twilight shook his head. "She might have once, but she'd not lost now. Her journey is over. We need someone still searching."

"Right." Argonite smiled tightly. "We need someone who has lost what is effectively a part of themselves."

"And who is out of sync with the world's perceptions of who they are. A Pearlcatcher without a pearl is not seen as a true Pearlcatcher. We need a mirror to that."

"So," Argonite said slowly, "like a dragon searching for her missing child who happens to have been born in a male body though she is female. Would that work?"

Twilight nodded. "It would."

"But," Moonfire said, eyes wide, "how are we going to find someone like that?"

"No need," Argonite said with a dry laugh, "she's already here. I'll go ask RainbowFlutter if she'd be willing to help.

DarkSky watched her stride purposefully away. And he dared hope.

#

RainbowFlutter agreed, and a nest was laid. Two hatchlings. Twilight took the shells from both, just to be safe. Then he taught DarkSky how to properly form new layers around his lumpen pinecone pearl.

It would take a lifetime to finish. But, at least now, he knew how to start. Plus, Twilight had made him an apprentice mage. He got a tunic and everything! It was time to move on and make some memories to put in his little baby pearl.

Gifts Given: Mage Thicket Overcoat
Came With: Basilisk

Dark Sky looked up at the midnight sky as the stars shimmered and shone and the moonlight lit his path.
The night was peaceful and crickets chirped as a lay down on the soft grass and stare at the stars.
He remembered a Nocturne a dark colored one who would hold him close and as she flew to the stars..
His mother for a brief moment he remembered his family.
When he turned around a small imperial who was hidden behind a tree was holding a strange stone that was oddly shaped and glowing.
When he caught the hatchlings eye she vanished into thin air and the stone slipped out of her talons.
Dark Sky picked up the stone and continued his journey

Item obtained simple darksteel bracelets.