Okay, so this story is sad, like rrreeealllyyy sad, but it's a thing that happens in the future. The main focus character of this story doesn't even exist yet. This is canon, but it's future canon. So it's both real and not. Anyway, enjoy!

"Cheetah! Ice! W-where are you??" Ice shot up so fast that she caused a wind, and the papers on her desk swirled away. Their old friend Carmine the healer rushed into the den, looking flustered and panicked. She was shivering and crying.

"Carmine! What's wrong??" Cheetah barked, tossing aside her half-eaten fish and running to greet the SkyWing.

"Y-your son," she stuttered. "It's... he... it's r-really bad..."

"What?? Is he hurt? Is he alright??" Ice's wings unfurled unconsciously. She was already prepared to fly across Pyrriah to Dingo if he had even so much as a paper cut.

"W-we don't know. He was attacked, and he's bleeding... a lot. He's at the office right now, and Woundmender is doing everything he can."

Before the SkyWing had even finished, both dragonesses had shoved by her and were leaping into the sky. The lines of Unity in the distance turned into a city. They both knew where the healers tent was from their various meetings with Carmine. Woundmender was her NightWing husband, who also worked their.

"Where is he?" Cheetah barked at Woundmender, who was rushing out of the back room with scarlet blood coating his black talons. "Where is my son???"

"Cheetah, Ice, I'm glad you're here," Woundmender said, beckoning them with his wings. "It doesn't look good. He might not pull through."

"No!" Ice sobbed, her claws digging into the ground. No no no no no.

"He wants to see you two rather then continue with treatments that probably won't save him." Woundmender had a gift for staying monotone and calm in all situations.

"No, if there's any chance that you can save his life, that comes first," Cheetah growled. "What are you doing, standing out here and chatting? Get back in there and save him!"

Woundmender started to oblige, before Dingo's shaking voice floated from beyond the curtain.

"M-Mom, Mum, please..." he whimpered. Ice's heart wrenched.

"Cheetah, if that's what he wants..." she murmured, trying to hold back tears and she traced her claws along her wife's shoulder.

Cheetah hesitated, but then nodded and shoved past Woundmender, ducking through the curtains. The SandWing's gasp of shock didn't prepare Ice for the horrible sight in the next room.

Dingo was a mess of bloody scales and ripped skin. He had several awful gashes furrowing into his chest and belly, and several smaller lacerations all over his body. His back ankle was bitten nearly half off, revealing bones and tendons, and one eye was gone.

Ice let out a choked sob and ran forward, lifting his talons in hers. Dingo lifted his head and smiled at her. He was just like his mother—well, other mother... able to smile even in the worst of pain.

"M-mom," he whispered hoarsely, and then Cheetah was beside Ice, nuzzling Dingo's head lovingly. "Mum. You're here."

"Of course were here," Cheetah hissed, her voice shaking. "Just to check on you, and then Woundmender is going to fix you up and we'll bring you home."

"Mum, come on," Dingo said softly. "You know that's not going to happen."

"It is so," Cheetah snarled, her eyes watering up. "If you die you are so grounded, young man, do you hear me?"

He laughed, and his wings shook. "Remember when you taught me to play the drums? And you tried to teach Mom and Wolf too, but they didn't take to it like I did. You said that was the Scorpion Den blood in me."

"Of course I remember," Cheetah murmured.

"Was it the Scorpion Den blood that made me think I could take on a full grown MudWing, too?" Dingo asked.

"Probably," Cheetah laughed. "We get pretty reckless."

"He jumped on Wolf—I don't know why. I-I was just trying to protect her..."

"I know," Cheetah sighed. "You did great. You were so brave, Dingo. I'm so, so proud of you."

Dingo smiled again and titled his head to look at Ice. Her breath hitched when she saw the pain in his eyes, and she instantly spread her wings over his back to comfort him.

"M-Mom, remember that time I fractured my wing when I was a dragonet. Remember how you took care of it right away? You dropped everything and just ran to me and bandaged me right up."

"I wish I could do that this time," Ice breathed, trying not to look at the blood the covered most of her precious son's body.

"I never said thank you," he whimpered. "I never thanked either of you for being such good mothers, and I'm sorry for that. Thank you. Thank you so much."

His eyes closed.

"D-Dingo," Ice stammered. "Dingo, no. Dingo?" He was dead. Ice could feel her heart breaking, shattering into a billion pieces and drifting away into the dark. Her son was dead.

Through the haze of her tears Ice glanced up at her wife. She was sitting dead-still, as still as Dingo now was. It didn't even look like she was breathing. She was just staring down at her dead son, the only movement being the tears rolling steadily down her snout, going pat pat pat on the floor below her. As if she couldn't believe it. As if she wouldn't believe it.

But it was true. He was gone.

Carmine and Woundmender agreed to take care of Wolf that night. Cheetah and Ice didn't have any energy left whatsoever. Ice had to grab her wife by the talon and lead her home; the blank, shocked look never left the SandWing's face, even as they both sat down on the edge of their spire and turned their heads up to the stars.

"Cheetah," Ice whispered. "Cheetah. Please look at me."

Slowly, Cheetah's eyes met Ice's. Blank. Empty. Broken.

"I know this seems like an awful thing to ask but... can you please smile for me?" Ice pleaded.

"What?" Cheetah's head tilted to one side. "You want me to... smile?"

"I'm sorry, I just... I can't even begin to feel better until I see you smile. So please, just one little smile?" Ice begged.

Cheetah sighed. "Okay." And slowly, the corners of her mouth turned up into a small but very bright smile. Ice immediately felt her mind go to ease—the pain didn't fade, but the frantic disbelief did. Now she could be calm, even if she was still heartbroken.

"Thank you," Ice breathed, leaning forward into Cheetah's wings. They closed around her like starlight, instantly letting Ice know that she was safe, that no matter what happened, she'd always have these wings to huddle in.

"No problem, Sunshine."

Awww so sad! I basically had to get this written so I could post my new YouTube video. And remember, though it's sad, this hasn't happened yet. So this is technically a vision of the future, but the future never has to come, because I don't know it just doesn't. Yep the end goodbye.

- Stargayzer 🌟