Avalanche's PoV
--------
I couldn't have possibly sunk any lower. Down to the last rung of the Seventh Circle, you'd think I couldn't get any lower. Well, apparently the Seventh Circle wasn't enough. I was down to below the approval of society.

Scorned, hated, despised. Annoyed, ignored, shoved around, mocked, bullied, laughed at, hurt.

All for supporting my brother.

Was it really worth sacrificing my reputation, in a society where reputations are key to success, for him? I don't know, but I'm thinking it's really wasn't worth it. At all.

He could take care of himself by then, he was already almost ready to be taken into the Circles at five and a half months of age. He'd have to be tough to survive there. The only place he'd ever be is in the last spot of the Seventh Circle. He wouldn't move. That's the only place appropriate for a hybrid like him.

The Circles are brutal. The only thing that matters is rank. You can't let anything--emotions, barriers, hopes, dreams, wishes--get in your way. You can't be weak there, only the strong survive. The only thing there is the rank, and that's the harsh reality of it.

I've had enough. I'm sick of all the crap I'd been getting. I had to stop it. Or did I?

There's no way I could possibly survive trying to stop all of the hatred. There's simply too much disgust, it'd be impossible for me to try and stop all of it. And there's only one way out of the Seventh Circle. Up. And there's only one way up.

--------

"Hey! Sis!" I heard him shouting my name. I didn't turn around. He tried again. "Hey! Big sister! You blubber brain!" I still refused to turn around. He reached me and tapped my shoulder. "Hey, sis."

I spun around and hissed, "Whadd'ya want?" He took a step back, eyes widening in shock and hurt.

"I was just wondering if--" I cut him off. "No," I growled coldly. He stared at me, his eyes narrowed.

"What is with you?" He asked suspiciously, walking circles around me. He peered at me, tried to poke me, and all in all, inspected me.

I growled at him warningly. "Nothing. Now go away before I decide to bite your head off," I snarled. He recoiled as if I had struck him.

"But...but some dragons beat me up!!" he protested childishly. He turned to show me dark blue-black bruises on his sides and flank. I hissed angrily though my teeth. I'm trying to get to the top! Does he not understand that?! Otherwise I'll be forced to take the Diamond Challenge.

I swung my head around to glare at him. "But....but...." I mocked in a high-pitched voice. I knew I was being cruel, but you have to be harsh to beat a place as brutal as the Circles. "But I don't care. But you're a big IceWing and can take care of it yourself." I turned my back on him.

He was silent. After a while, I heard snow crunching under his talons as he walked slowly away from me. I exhaled a sigh of relief. Finally.

I hadn't realized how much he was holding me back. I hadn't noticed what a burden he was. But now that I was rid of him, I felt...free.

I heard the scraping sound of talons against ice behind me. As I turned around, I was that it was Storhrid and Jaeger. They sauntered up to me.

"Hey," they greeted me. I paused. They were in the top half of the Fourth Circle. Why were they talking to me? Unless.....

"Hello," I said with a nod, trying to be friendly. What did they want from me?

Jaeger looked at Storhrid, who nodded at her. "So, you got rid of your brother long at last," she remarked. I bared my teeth at them, my eyes narrowed.

"Don't call him that. He's no brother of mine!" I hissed angrily, tail lashing. My talons dug into the ice, creating jagged trenches. "He's too small, too different, too weak to be a relative," I growled. "Which he's not."

Storhrid and Jaeger smirked at each other. "Welcome to the Circles," they said.

....Polar was right. I couldn't keep my promise. I'd say I'm sorry, but I don't know that I am....

--------

I made my way back to the ice hut. Polar stood there, waiting. She smirked when she saw me.

"You've already broken the promise. He's not even six months, and you've broken it. And you were swearing so vehemently that you wouldn't ever break it." She shook her large, broad head, chuckling to herself.

I stared at her. "What promise?" I knew very well what promise she was talking about, but I didn't want to admit that I had broken it.

Polar just shook her head again and grinned.

--------

Ghost's PoV
--------
I dashed through the snow, desperately searching for my big sister, Avalanche. She would tell those walrus butt blubber brains to back off and leave me alone.

"Hey! Sis!" I yelled, hoping to get her attention. Before I could shout for her again, there was blur in the corner of my vision and I was knocked to ground, painfully hitting my shoulder on the ice.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the dragonet who lived yet everyone wishes he had died," a voice sneered. I snuck a look upwards and wasn't surprised to find that it was Kodiak, Wolverine, Ox, and Narwhal. I'd be concerned if I went a day without being shoved around by them.

I siad nothing. It was easier that way. "Aww, is da poor wittle dwagonet huwt?" drawled Ox. The others snickered, not even trying to hide the fact that they were laughing. At me. Again.

I tried to ignore them. I knew that no big dragons would come running to my rescue. I gave up on that idea a long time ago. But everything they threw at me still stung, despite my attempts to numb the pain.

I simply rolled to my feet, trying to keep weight off my injured shoulder. No sooner had I stood up, I was thrown to the ground by Wolverine swinging a hefty paw at my head. I winced as I hit the ice once more.

Kodiak stalked over and stomped on my side. He leaned down and whispered viciously, "Does that hurt?" in my ear. I closed my eyes. It was easier to deal with the pain that way.

"No?" he asked. "Then how about now?" He slammed his front two paws into my side. I let out a small whimper, unable to hold it in any longer.

Narwhal laughed, a sound that send birds flocking into the sky. "Look! He's crying!" he howled with glee. The others took this as their chance to beat me as hard as they could. When they finally stopped, I could feel the bruises forming.

Wolverine snarled, "If you aren't black and blue and limping tomorrow, we're going to make sure you'll be permanently bruised with a lifelong limp." He turned around and flicked his tail. "C'mon guys. He's done for today."

I groaned, my vision fuzzy. They didn't have to worry about me being bruised or not tomorrow, that was a given. If I didn't have any broken ribs, I'd be lucky.

I managed to stagger to my feet, swaying a little. Once I had regained enough of a sense of balance to walk without falling over, I continued my interrupted search for my big sister.

Long at last, I spotted her, her back turned towards me. "Hey, big sis!" I shouted. No response. I paused, sides heaving, exhausted from having to walk everywhere to find her.

After a bit, I tried again. "You! Blubber brain!" I managed to bark (more like wheeze) out. Nothing. Ugh. Fine. Be that way, Avalanche. I'll have to do this the hard way, then.

I trudged through the snow until I reached her, then reached out with a talon and gently tapped her shoulder. She whipped around and hissed, "Whadd'ya want?!", spines rising.

I took a step back, shocked. What was wrong with her? Did someone put a walrus carcass in her furs or something? "Uh, I was just wondering if--" I didn't get to finish.

"No!" she snapped, eyes blazing. What? I stared at her, bewildered and hurt. She didn't even let me finish what I was saying. How rude.

This is not the Avalanche I know. "What is with you?" I ask, inspecting her. I poked her stomach cautiously. Did she eat rotten seal meat? No, she's too smart to do that.

"Nothing," she replied bluntly. "Now get outta here before I decide to bite your head off," she hissed, the cold threat of frostbreath behind it. I edged backwards, nervous.

But can't she see I'm hurt? Remembering why I came to see her in the first place, I pleaded, "But some dragons beat me up!" I even turn to show her the bruises Ox, Wolverine, Narwhal, and Kodiak left as their oh-so-gracious rememberance gift.

She scowled, an expression I've rarely seen, and it's never been directed at me. Until now. "But...but..." she sneered, tail twitching, eyes narrowed as she lowered her head to stare me straight in the eyes.

"But I don't care. But you're a big dragon and can deal with it on your own," she snarled, her face void of expression. She turned her back on me, tail smashing into my legs.

I got the message. I stood up, and slowly trudged away, my head dropping and tail dragging in the snow.

Buried in a snowdrift where no dragon would ever find me, I began to cry. My emotions overwhelming, I expressed them though my tears. Bewilderment, confusion, shock, hurt, sadness, anger.

But deep within, a sense of betrayal burned stronger than the rest in the muddled, dark, churning mess of chaos and emotions.

How could you?! I trusted you. I loved you. And yet, you turned your back on me, like all the rest.

Deep in a snowdrift, I cried.

A blizzard howling with rage as it swirled on the icy plains matched my mood. I was lost. Confused. Hurt. Betrayed.

Alone.