The egg started to rock back and forth, small cracks forming on its sides.

The dragonet looked through one of the cracks. The light. She could see light. It was as if it were calling for her, like she was meant to be there. Was she meant to be there? She wasn't sure. She just needed to get out of this place. What was it anyway?

The dragonet started to writhe and thrash inside the egg, making the egg tip over to it's side.

She shoved out of the sides, her tail thrashing. She pushed with all her might, and she finally stumbled out.

The dragonet had mostly black scales, gills, and webbed feet. From the tip of her nose to the end of her tail, she had glowing light blue spots scattered around her body, like any SeaWing would have.

"Hello there." The female SeaWing said, her voice warm and soft.

Is that my mother? The dragonet asked herself. She tilted her head slightly to the side.

"What a cute little thing you are."

But the next voice the tiny dragonet heard was different. It was deeper, but it seemed to be friendly.

"What should we name her?" The male NightWing asked. "I was thinking, Lightningpiercer! Or.. or... Venomslasher! or-"

"That's enough," The SeaWing interrupted. "I was thinking Embershard."

The NightWing looked disappointed. His tail drooped. "Yeah, that could work too. But Azure, you have to admit my ideas are better. "

"Oh, shut up. Shadowsplitter, we had a deal. I name one dragonet and you name the other."

Embershard, The dragonet thought. That's my name! And my mother's name is Azure. My father's name is Shadowsplitter. Now I have a name of my own!

Embershard heard a sudden crack. She was startled. "The egg! The egg is hatching!" Her mother cried.

Embershard heard one more crack and a dragon as big as her stumbled out. He looked exactly like her, except he had stars under his wings. He had the gills and webbed claws just like Embershard.

"Now you can name a dragonet." Her mother chuckled.

"Now this is Starslasher." Her father said, looking into the dragonet's eyes. The just-hatched dragonet thumped his tail on the ground. He tilted his head to the side.

"He's perfect." Shadowsplitter said. "Both of them are perfect."

"Embershard," Azure called. "Come here."

Embershard walked to the other side of the cave. She had been stuck here, in this very cave almost all her life just because she was a NightWing and SeaWing hybrid. She'd only been outside once, and that was when she was born.

"You tried to escape again," Azure looked cross. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I've been stuck here my whole life, mother." Embershard replied.

"You didn't have to sneak out!" Azure growled.

"I wanted to go out on my own! I've been stuck here the day I was born!"

"That's no excuse! I'm just trying to keep you safe. You know that, Embershard."

Embershard did not reply. She was furious.

"Embershard, we will have a meeting today with the queen."

"Again? What now? How I "stole" one of the dragonet's rocks? I didn't even know it was his! And it was literally a ROCK!"

"This is serious, Embershard. You shouldn't joke around."

"Well you don't know how I feel like!" Embershard snarled. "I had to stay here my whole life! I'm a hybrid, mother! You're lucky you're a regular SeaWing! You get to attend every event at the palace, swim in the ocean, do anything you want! But me? No! I don't get to do anything because I'm just a stupid hybrid!"

"Embershard-" Azure started.

"I miss father. He would've never let me do this."

"I miss him too. But you must understand that this is for the best."

"If only that stupid NightWing hadn't killed him. It would be so much better. We wouldn't have to be in any tribe or follow any rules, we would just be free. But no, it just had to fall apart. All my plans just had to fall apart."

Azure nodded and trotted away. Embershard just stood there, staring at the carving on the rock. The carving that her father made when they were just tiny dragonets. She stared at it, hard and long.

"Had another argument with mother, didn't you?"

Embershard whirled around. It was Starslasher. Her best friend in the family.

"Yeah," she replied.

Starslasher suppressed a sigh. "Remember you're not the only hybrid." He said.

I may not be the only hybrid, Embershard thought. But I will always be the most hated.