SEASON

THREE

SPOILERS

I'M IN TEARS I'M CRYING

THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN EXPECTED

THE SHOW WRITERS ARE GODSEND

THEY'RE THE BEST I'M-

RAYLLUM

I LOVE HOW THEY DON'T MAKE SUCH A BIG DEAL ABOUT IT THEY'RE JUST SO HAPPY TOGETHER AND I'M SQUEALING

RUNAAN AND HIS HUSBAND

HUSBAND

HIS FLOWER

HE'S STILL ALIVE

THEY RAISED RAYLA

AND NYX I'M-

WINGS???? H E L L O??????

SOBB I N G

THE OPAL PENDANT

AND CALLUM

S O R EN MY BABY BOYYYYYY YOU DESERVE THE WORLD YOU'RE NOT DUMB I SWEAR

AND EZRAN OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH YOU LITTLE GENIUS I'M-

ARE AMAYA AND JANAI DATING I- DSJHSKHFDKJKSJF

THE R E P R E S E N T A T I O N I N T H I S S H O W

I'M ECSTATIC

VIREN IS AN ASSHAT AND CLAUDIA, OH CLAUDIA YOU POOR CHILD

HHHHHHHHH

THE EMOTIONAL TOLL THIS SHOW TOOK ON ME IS N O T OKAY

I THINK I'M GOING TO EXPLODE

be READY FOR SOME NEW CHARACTERS ALL UP IN HERE

THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN

__

"You think you can help?" My gentle voice could only be forced out of my throat at this point. Tired eyes looked upon the visiting stranger, my fingers trembling as I heard his words, like a grace fallen upon me. The ginger sprouts previously clutched in my hand fell to the floor with a soft pat. The Skywing elf smiled a bit, crouching down and gathering the herbs laid at my feet, putting them back in the satchel slung around my waist.

"Yes. We can only hope at this point. I'll try my best." My heart blossomed with joy, looking at the small paper in his palm. Nodding, I beckoned for him to follow me into the cavern.

"So you got my message," I murmured, walking besides him, "How?" The tips of his lips tilted upwards in a coy manner, mischievous eyes glancing at mine.

"It almost hit me, the arrow you sent it upon," he chuckled, taking out a fine silver rod with a broken arrowhead at the top. "Landed near my feet as I was gathering medicine. Like some kind of calling. I'd already been to this place many times before, but never saw that the Dragon Queen was unwell. Until now." His head turned, facing me as he stopped walking.

"(Y/N)." Looking back in slight surprise, I bowed my head slightly, both hands folded, pressing against my thighs. I was always one for extravagant introductions.

"That's me."

"You remember my name, Ibis, right?" I gave him a exaggeratedly dumb look, clapping my hands together, shaking my head. Obviously I remember, I wrote your name in the note, dummy. But I'm going to play along.

"Well, it's lovely to meet you, but I'm afraid there are more urgent matters, if you've forgotten." His expression morphed into one of embarrassment, slightly flustered, getting the message. Ibis was red at the cheeks as he silently paced along with me, staring straight ahead. A few minutes passed before we gathered at the entrance.

"We're here," I softly announced, feeling a little faint, "Our Queen rests, but has woken up today. It's good news. I cannot bear to imagine the heartbreak she endures." My lips pressed into a soft, thin line, eyes trying to hold back brimming tears that dared to leak out.

"It seems as though her being like this affects even me," I whispered, wringing my hands together. "Or maybe I'm just imagining things." Ibis set a hand on my shoulder, his grip taught and motionless. I looked up at him and only saw his stormy eyes, brooding with anxiety.

"We should let her rest. The Queen needs her well-deserved sleep. I'll make sure to tend to her in a while." He took a hold of my arm and led me outside, his back turned on the weak creature. I opened my mouth to protest, to add that I too, wasn't feeling very good, but shut up. What good was whining going to do anyways? Complaining wasn't going to bring back our Queen.

"Ibis," I meekly spoke. "Where are we going?" He hummed, sliding his hand down to meet mine, instead of gripping my arm for the rest of the trip. I managed to stumble along until we reached a peak, the top of the mountain, above the clouds.

"We'll keep watch. We can scout as well." My eyes felt like they were going to fall down at any moment. I was exhausted. Awake for many days, tending to our falling ruler. A small gasp of breath left my mouth as I felt myself drifting off. Shaking my head, I told myself to stay awake until Ibis was ready to take over.

"(Y/N), are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I reassured, giving him a small smile. His eyes lingered over my face, a worried expression overtaking his. Suddenly, when mumbling a few words, the runes over his arms glowed, combating the evening gold with beautiful shades of blue. Jaw agape, I watched as plumes of feathers spread across his arms, engulfing them with a bountiful brown hue.

"Wings," I whispered, absolutely fascinated, "They're amazing, Ibis." My eyes shone with newfound curiosity, a longing to know what kind of magic this was rooted from. I've known him for a long time, yet I haven't been able to see his magic until now.

"Skywing magic," he responded, almost if he could tell what I was thinking, amused by my reaction, "Only a few elves can do this." I smiled, delighted, now speaking directly to him.

"Can I ride with you? I understand if you feel as if it's a bit personal, but I really do want to know what it's like... above everything. How it feels, how it looks..." I trailed off, now staring at my own hand, clasped tightly with my other. "What's it's like to be carefree." Ibis laughed lightly, helping me stand up.

"If it matters to you that much, I'll allow it." I excitedly looked up and engulfed him in an embrace, acting on instinct, my reaction almost immediate.

"Thank you!" I sighed, not feeling the toll my body's been taking, but newfound youth, a rush of adrenaline, from a tap that I thought had already run dry. The Skywing elf patted my back awkwardly with the tip of his wing, and pushed me away, crouching down so that I could get on his back.

"Hurry, it's almost nightfall," he said with a grin. Like a small child, I latched on tightly to his backside, legs wrapped around his waist, arms hung loosely around his collar.

"Hold on tight."

And away we went, soaring through the air. The wind gusting at my face, through my hair and ruffling my clothes, the beating my heart grew rapid and unstable, the feeling liberating, in a way. I hadn't felt like this in a long time. Instead of letting out loud whoops of joy, my voice was snatched away by Zephyrs and his cunning winds, blast by the endless gusts and view of the horizon.

Ibis stooped down to touch the clouds with his hand, parting them as his fingers cut the bushels like a precise knife. God, it felt so great. The coldness gliding over my skin, how I could only smile while thousands of feet in the air.

Soon enough, I felt my eyelids begin to close and my breaths begin to get more and more shallow. Ibis's eyes fell upon my figure and creased teasingly.

"How long have you been awake for?" His smooth voice caressed my ear, lulling me, coaxing me to fall asleep. His short white locks tickled the front of my face, making me scrunch up my nose.

"A long time," I muttered, giving a hefty sigh. "A very long time. I'd like to be able to get some shut-eye."

He nodded as if to say that it was okay. I giggled at the way he responded, finally relieved of my position. His shoulder was warm, the perfect spot to rest the surface of my cheek -- acting as a pillow, perhaps. My muscles grew limp as I took a last gulp of the fresh evening air before entering a mode of slumber.

__

Once the moon was out, its light shining upon all of the fair and wonderful creatures of Xadia, Ibis and (Y/N) were already at the cavern. The Skywing elf was busying himself, preparing cups of tea with the ginger in (Y/N)'s satchel, along with some curing herbs he'd found lying around the plantation the Queen was rested in.

Stirring, the drowsy and grumpy, now awake beast yawned and batted their eyes a couple times before sneezing.

"I think I might have caught a cold," they groaned quietly, delicately moving a hand to uncover the stray strands of hair blocking their face. "Ibis, you wouldn't happen to be making some tea right about now, would you?" He chuckled a bit, bringing a cup to the lone figure.

"Surprise, surprise," he hummed, voice dipping low, in a comforting tone, "Aren't I a good caretaker?" (Y/N) made an effort to laugh, thankfully accepting the tea, sipping at it.

"Of course. Only the best," they joked, putting a hand to their mouth, trying to hide the obvious grin that spread across their rosy lips. Ibis clicked his tongue, getting his cup and sitting next to them, bringing a blanket along with him.

"I made a trip back home to retrieve some basic necessities. I also figured you might get cold, since you're not really adapted to this kind of weather."

"You're so sweet," (Y/N) cooed. "Thanks for letting me scout with you, back there. It was nice to finally be able to get some sleep, in the condition that I was in." The sky mage nodded, brushing off the compliment, not wanting to get too big-headed.

"It was no problem. You just needed to let me know. I'm always open for help."

__

Distress wasn't a good time for romance, right? It gets in the way, distracts you from the goal. It keeps boundaries limited and you get too attached, and it hinders your ability to really focus on what you're here for. The Dragon Queen was the top priority, not myself, nor my feelings or health. It was my duty to care for her.

Yet, I couldn't help myself.

Ibis had really grown into his features, and his kind personality was still the same as I remembered from all those years back. We were both fighting side by side in a battle that we didn't know who would win. Despite all the difficulty we endured together, somehow, we were still one unit. A team, perhaps.

We tended to the Dragon Queen together, bouncing medicine ideas off of each other, with me foraging for herbs he needed for spells, and with him providing the humanity I needed to function. I found myself falling, deeper and deeper into this hole that my heart wasn't familiar with.

"(Y/N)?" I felt a gentle nudge on my side, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned my head towards the voice, the afternoon sun shining brightly up ahead. Ibis and I were perched upon the ledge, feet dangling over the cliff. His playful smile, accompanied by an arching eyebrow made my heart melt. Quickly hiding my face, I shielded my eyes from his, flustered.

"Hey, (Y/N), are you alright?" He slowly broke apart my barrier of arms, peering at my face. "You seem nervous, are you getting cold again? Tired, maybe? I can make something for you if you are-"

"No, no! It's quite fine," I murmured, gently taking his wrist, holding him back. "You don't need to do anything more, you've done enough for me."

"Oh, alright." He sat back down, thoroughly confused, looking at my hand looped around his wrist, tilting his head. "But are you sure there's nothing you need from me?" I sucked in a breath, gingerly retracting my limb, smiling sheepishly. Nodding, I stared at my lap in silence, too bashful to spit out anything. He spoke after a few moments had passed.

"You're not one for words, are you?" he inquired, "Though you're really as clear as glass, (Y/N)." He picked apart the tight lock of my two hands clasped together, separating them for whatever reason. My mouth formed an "O" shape as he laid of palm against mine, lacing his fingers with my own. His head turned up at the same time as mine, my irises widening in surprise, seeing his looking back at me.

"I-Ibis?" Gentle creases formed at the bottoms of his eyes, dimples showing through the simple curls at the edges of his mouth. His smile up close was even more charming than usual.

"I know how you feel. You've always been more expressive with your face. Though I can't complain, since you're rather adorable." I was about to have an ulcer due to how much stress I was experiencing. My face burst into a light pink, the tips of my ears heating up.

"You can't just say that and not expect me to react," I huffed, looking away. Ibis laughed and moved closer to me, his free arm now around my shoulders. He leaned in closer, half-lidded eyes staring into my full ones that kept getting bigger with every centimeter that was missing in between us.

"Let's say the feelings are mutual." As soon as I felt his lips press against mine, my eyelids flew closed, a hand immediately coming up and cupping his cheek, pressing back against him. Ibis hummed, loosening the hand previously entangled with mine, and instead placed it on my waist. The warm touch he provided clashed with my cold temperature, but it felt nice. So nice. Like I was safe. Loved.

I was falling, and he picked me up, then placed me on Cloud 9.