Hailstorm and Pyrite: Reunited
In the spirit of Pride Month, and because I love this franchise, here's my Headcanon for these two, because I feel sad that their situation was never truly resolved. (Spoilers for Arc 2 & 3)
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Hailstorm before Pyrite was loyal to his tribe, brotherly to his siblings, brave and determined to fight well in the Sandwing War of Succession, a bit arrogant and fierce because of his upbringing, loved to fly and hunt, and had a deep desire to be perfect for approval. (Both from his family and the Icewing Rankings.)
After he is enchanted and becomes Pyrite, some of Hailstorm's characteristics unknowingly show through. Some of them are the same, while most are the complete opposite. While the Pyrite enchantment was designed with as bland a personality as possible, I believe Pyrite, with Hailstorm hidden within her, developed a little personality over time.
Pyrite, as a dragon, was loyal to her tribe and queen, caring and kind to her fellow Skywings, insecure and doubtful of her abilities, shy and humble around others, loved to fly and explore, and believed she was clumsy and useless all the time.
When the enchantment finally comes off, Hailstorm has a severe identity crisis with both of these personalities conflicting. The rest of the story we know well.
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After the events of the second arc, Hailstorm was able to find his way to a sense of who he was again, but Pyrite's personality and memories never really left his head. She was embedded within him.
Of course, the Icewings had a lot of pressure and expectations for him to go back to the way he used to be before he was torn in two. Yet the more he tried to push Pyrite away, the harder it was. This pressure fed into Hailstorm's insecurities that he would have pushed down before but now stood laid out in front of him.
Pyrite had no free choice in her life since Queen Scarlet had her wrapped around her talon. However, Hailstorm didn't really have a choice either because of everything expected of the perfect brother/soldier he made himself to be.
Hailstorm felt like he was keeping a charade on the outside and felt completely messed up on the inside. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt that the mess inside of him wasn't a problem.
Pyrite, unknowingly, expressed a part of Hailstorm that he kept down even before the spell, a part that was afraid to be useless and a failure, and a part that wanted to have a simpler life instead of the strict Icewing standard.
A life where he could truly express himself.
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When Snowfall destroyed the Gift of Order in the third arc, a great weight of pressure was lifted off Hailstorm's shoulders. Even without a rank to help him keep up his perfect record, it was his choice to let go of his perfect soldier persona.
He enjoyed the life Pyrite lived but felt "lost" when he tried only to be her. He also felt "empty" whenever he tried to move away from Pyrite and only be Hailstorm. However, he felt complete when he accepted her as a part of him and vice versa.
It felt ok and might just be his new normal.
After a long period of wrestling with his thoughts, Hailstorm gives himself a good long look in the mirror. He can see Pyrite in his reflection.
"I don't think I can ever be the same again, because of you. But I don't hate you. You're a part of me now, and yet, I'm not ashamed or afraid. I think if we choose to be a part of each other… we can move forward. We can be the dragons we've always wanted to be."
From that moment forward, Hailstorm chooses to let Pyrite take up space, and even self-identifies with her. He does this not to lose himself to her, but for them to gather their personalities into a whole dragon, to grow stronger together.
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Eventually, they choose to be honest about what they feel and identify as with their family and friends. They consider themselves to be plural and non-binary, having two dragons in the same body, and want to be called we/us or they/them.
I believe many Icewings, including their own mother Tundra, would be disgraced and confused. However, others like Lynx, and perhaps even Snowfall, would be more accepting and encouraging. Of course, many of the main dragon protagonists would be much more open-minded and friendly to them.
Even Winter, who would be very cautious and concerned for his brother, would also be glad they remember themselves and want them to be happy again.
"We may not be the brother you remember us being anymore, but in our heart, you will always be ours."
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They also decide, even if they're scared at first, to try wearing the Pyrite enchantment again so that they can truly have two forms for themselves. With the reluctant help of his friends, (I'm not sure who exactly has the enchantment by the third arc) they were able to return it to him.
They rip off the conditions of the enchantment that cause the wearer to forget their memories and be loyal to Queen Scarlet so that all the paper says and does is:
"Enchant this paper so that when any dragon wears it in the form of a necklace, he or she shall fully become a female SkyWing named Pyrite, with the following conditions:"
The first few times they wore it, there was the familiar miasma of forgetfulness between who Hailstorm was and who Pyrite was, but eventually, they could remember both their lives and personalities in both forms. They wear a special locket with the enchantment and pictures of friends and family so they always remember who they are regardless of the form.
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The two balance each other out, Hailstorm provides the bravery and determination for Pyrite's insecurities and social phobia, while Pyrite provides humility and empathy for Hailstorm's arrogance and desire to be perfect.
While both still feel loyal to their own tribes, they are willing to be more open to knowing other dragons because they were open to themselves. They realize they have a lot to learn from other dragons in their lives.
While the Ice Kingdom will always be their home, they decide it would be best to not stay there all the time. They often visit the Sky Kingdom, but also like to visit the Mud and Sand kingdoms, and the recently discovered Pantala continent.
They also love to visit the villages of Possibility and Sanctuary, mainly to meet new dragons and visit their brother. In the process of exploring, they gain a few second homes. (Idk if Hailstorm/Pyrite would like to attend Jade Mountain Academy, but I think either way they have ways to grow as a dragon.)
Lastly, they choose to forgive themselves for their past mistakes and what they did in the war. They want to move through the trauma instead of beating it down and pretending it's not there. While sometimes their brains still feel like a complete mess, they know that together, and with support, they will be alright.
"We're more than a perfect Icewing or a scared Skywing, We love both of ourselves as we are."
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Thank you for reading!
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