Let The Chaos Continue

Let's Ask The Expert

"Are you sure no one's gonna be mad that you left school?" Rosella asked. 

"....Yep!" Parch declared. "Nobody will care. Watch." Linking arms with Rosella, they walked up to the Sandwing Palace.

"Prince Parch," The guard nodded, opening the gate to the Stronghold for him.

"Sup Armadillo?" Parch grinned, walking past.

"Prince Parch," Various dragons greeted him, nodding or bowing slightly. Parch replied to them all, greeting them by name, saying hi. Rosella was a little surprised. It wasn't often that Parch acted dignified, but it was nice to know that he was capable of it.

"Prince Parch!" Someone exclaimed as they stepped into the actual palace of the stronghold. "I thought you were at Jade Mountain Academy!" Parch smirked.

"I was," he admitted. "But I need an expert's opinion on something."

"Oh," The Sandwing turned to eye Rosella warily. 

"Where are my manners?" Parch tusked. "Sellie, this is Camel, Camel, this is Princess Rosella of the rainforest, she's accompanying me on my visit." Camel's eyes widened at the word Princess and he bowed. Rosella fought the urge to roll her eyes. 

"Nice to meet you, Camel," She smiled.

"And you as well." He insisted. "Is there anything I can do for either of you?"

"Potentially." Parch offered. "You wouldn't happen to know where my father is, would you?"

"Try the Observatory," Camel guessed. "If he's not there, then he might be with Princess Haze in her study."

"Thank you," Parch led Rosella down one of the hallways, slyly slipping his arm down to hold her talons in his as soon as Camel was out of view.

"I've never seen you act like a real prince before." She commented.

"It's a rare occasion," Parch grinned. "But necessary."

"It's nice." Rosella smiled. "So, Boysen is the supposed expert we're seeing about the Hybrid Pollution symbol?"

"My Dad was apart of the Color of the Wings during the Hybrid War. He did all kinds of secret missions for Cinder during it. If Starflight's right and the symbol has something to do with the war, then it's bound to have something to do with hybrids, and my Dad is sure to know something or will at least be able to take to someone who will."

"If you say so." 

They stopped in front of a set of double doors, and Parch shoved them open, revealing an observatory with a huge telescope. Paintings of constellations and stars covered the walls, along with chalkboards and various scroll racks. Boysen, sure enough, was studying one of the chalk boards, occasionally changing the markings on the constellations that was drawn on the board.

".....Should we interrupt him? He looks busy." Rosella whispered. Parch smirked.

"Plants and Stars are the same exact thing!" Parch yelled out. 

"That is completely wrong, you IDIO- Parch?" Boysen whirled around, his eyebrows raising at the sight of his son, and then again at the sight of Rosella. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on a mission from the stars," Parch rolled his eyes. "I need you to look at something."

"Couldn't this have been done over a letter?" Boysen asked, wiping the chalk off his talons and walking over to them.

"Where's the fun in that?" Parch countered. "Plus this way I get to sneak out of school with Sellie."

"There it is." Boysen smirked. "Hi Rosella."

"Hello." She waved.

"What do you need me to look at?" Rosella dug out the piece of paper they had copied the symbol on and handed it to Boysen.

"Somebody painted this on the wall in JMA," Parch explained. "We're not quite sure what it means, but Starflight said it had something to do with the Hybrid War, so I thought you might know." Boysen glanced at the symbol and froze.

He recognized that symbol alright. It was from the exact part of the war he wanted to forget. The part that everyone wanted to forget.

"Well?" Rosella asked after a minute. "Do you know what it is?"

"Yeah, I know what it is." Boysen whispered, his voice a strange tone. "And I know what it means."

"What is it?" Parch asked.

"Don't worry about it." Boysen crumpled the paper.

"But-"

"Stay away from that symbol." He ordered. "It's bad news."

"Then why would someone paint it on a wall at JMA?" Rosella pressed. Boysen paused, looking worried.

"It might mean someone is trying to start them up again." Boysen offered. 

"Start what up again?" He shook his head.

"It's not for you two to know. You're too young."

"That's a stupid excuse." Parch declared. "Is it dangerous? The symbol?" Boysen shuddered.

"That's one word for it." He admitted.

"Does that mean JMA might be in danger from it?" Rosella asked, suddenly concerned for her family and friends.

"Not the school itself." Boysen replied. "But it might mean trouble for some of the students." He glanced at them. "Maybe you two should stay here, just in case."

"....No." Parch crossed his arms, defiantly. 

"It's safe here, Parch, and if that symbol means what I know it to mean, then JMA is about to become a very unsafe place."

"I don't care- tell us what it means."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because no one can talk about it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rosella questioned.

"It means that what that symbol represents is bad enough that we don't even write it down in history scrolls- it's better to just let the knowledge of those places die."

"So it represents a place." Parch concluded. "Where?" Boysen glared, angry at himself for revealing anything.

"I'm not going to tell you anything else, Parch. We've been hiding the truth about that symbol for decades, and I'm not going to be the one to reveal it now." He stormed out of the Observatory, leaving them alone, and more confused then ever.