Moonwatcher wings were starting to ache. Winter, her, and Hailstorm had been flying for at least two hours now, in pursuit of Snowfall, Winter and Hailstorm's sister. It was only then that Snowfall stopped, in a desert near the Sandwing town, and landed.

Winter signaled for them to hide behind a large rock. Moonwatcher peeked behind it to look at Snowfall. Her belly lurched when she realized Snowfall was staring right back at her. She froze, and pulled her head back to the others.

"She saw me!" She whisper-shouted.

"Then let's just get her!" Winter said. Before moon could object, he launched himself out from the shelter of the rock and landed on Snowfall.

Moonwatcher and Hailstorm followed him from behind the rock.

To her surprise, Snowfall hadn't moved!

"She won't move," Winter reported, a hint of worry in his voice.

"She's as solid as a rock!" Hailstorm exclaimed when he tried to lift her talon.

Moonwatcher slid the skyfire bracelet off her arm so she could read Snowfall's thoughts.

I'm not so sure about that! She heard Snowfall think in fury, I have captured a mind-reading Nightwing! Don't you DARE say I am insignificant!

"It seems like she's having a telepathic conversation with someone in her head!" She told the boys, "She says that she has 'captured a mind-reading Nightwing', I think she means me…" Moon trailed off, wondering what it could mean. Winter looked puzzled and Hailstorm seemed deep in thought.

Moon turned her attention back to Snowfall's thoughts.

Oh, young one, do you really expect me to believe such a thing? Rumbled a voice, Come to me so we can have a REAL conversation! Go through The Tunnel of Rushed Water and meet me in the Moon Cave.

FINE, responded Snowfall.

"Hide!" Moonwatcher hissed to the others, "I'll explain later!"

Wide-eyed, Winter, Hailstorm, and Moon all slipped back behind the rock.

Snowfall snapped out of the strange trance, looked around, and took flight again.

"That was close," Winter breathed.

Moonwatcher slipped her skyfire bracelet back on.

"She's meeting someone at a place I have never heard of… Do you think we should still follow h-"

"All the more reason we should find out what she's doing!" Winter interrupted, "What was the place called?" he asked impatiently.

Moonwatcher felt a prick of annoyance, "He said,'go through the tunnel of rushed water and meet me in the moon cave.' He sounds like trouble, Winter!"

"I think we should follow her," Hailstorm said suddenly.

"Yeah, she's getting away! Besides, how bad can it be?"

Moon sighed, "Aright, let's go."

She leaped into the sky after Snowfall, making sure the glittery icewing didn't look back. She looks like snow! I guess I don't blend into the dessert too well myself, She thought, looking at her black talons. If only she were a Sandwing right now! Sandwings were made for the dessert, their sandy-looking scales perfect camouflage, they could also survive the heat!

She glanced back at Winter and Hailstorm. We could all use some camouflage, she thought. Then an idea struck her- the sand!

Moonwatcher flicked her tail for the others to follow her, and dove down.

"What?" Winter hissed impatiently.

"Have one of you seen any water?" She asked.

Hailstorm noded, "I could hear running water up ahead- it's probably a little stream. Are you thirsty? I brought some water for the way if you want it."

"No, but we should get wet and roll in the sand so we have some camouflage!" She said.

"What? I don't want that stuff in between my scales!" Winter cried.

Hailstorm hushed him by putting a tail over his mouth, "Good idea, Moon. It would hide our scales so much better!" He turned to Winter, "You don't want her to see us, do you?"

Winter shook his head, "Let's just make it quick," he grumbled.

...

The three of them flew low to sand, and when Snowfall glanced back, she didn't seem to notice them.

"This was easier than I thought," Winter commented on her left.

"Yeah, and a lot faster when you don't have to get cover every two seconds!" Hailstorm agreed behind him, following Winter's tail.

"Maybe keep it down?" Moon said, "We aren't that far behind her. Let's plan instead."

"Yeah, like what to do if she does see us," Hailstorm said.

"Lost of that kind of stuff depends on how she reacts, though," she argued.

"Oh, I think I know how she would react," Winter muttered darkly, "but what will we do when we get to this 'tunnel of rushed water'?"

"It sounds like it's dark," Moon said.

"And wet!" Hailstorm added.

"And a tunnel," He snorted.

Suddenly, Winter's head snapped up, "She's landing."

"We will wait for her to go into the tunnel, then count about 20 seconds for lag time, and follow her," Moonwatcher explained.

"Okay," Winter agreed.

Moon's talons hit the soft sand silently. She relaxed a little from the warmth that radiated from it, but still stayed low. The hot, barren desert was melting away to a lush forest. She noticed heavy rain clouds forming overhead, Desserts don't get much rain, she thought.

Near a tree, she spotted Snowfall's long tail disappearing into a hole with tufts of grass around it. After a few moments, Moonwatcher crept forward and peered into it. The tunnel was deep and she couldn't see the bottom, nor did she see Snowfall. It almost went straight down, but slanted slightly.

"We can go down if we go slowly," She said, "It's steep, but you can grip the sides."

"Okay," Hailstorm nodded.

"Moon, your the only one of us who can breath fire, could you light the way?" Winter asked.

"I think it would be better if we stuck to the shadows," She replied.

Winter looked at him with sympathy, then turned to Moon, "I'll go first," he declared. Winter made his way down the tunnel, and Moon stuck her tail out for Hailstorm to follow.

As she made her way down, she slipped a few times, but the tunnel soon started going straight forward. Moonwatcher couldn't see anything in the darkness, but there was something else. This kind of darkness didn't just mean she couldn't see, but it overwhelmed her. She felt trapped in the narrow, musty, stone walls. Moon felt as though the blackness was pressing on her scales. Even the sandy floor of the tunnel was cold.

The tunnel turned many times, and Moon tried to keep track.

Left, right, right, left, up, left, down...

"I hear water," Hailstorm said suddenly.

Moonwatcher pricked her ears, Is that a river?

Winter stopped in front of her, "I don't think it's up ahead."

The water was not rushing, but when she strained to listen, she heard.

Tick… tink…

The noise grew louder and harder, seeming to come muffled from the dirt above her head.

It seemed that at that moment, they all realized the same thing at once.

There had been rain clouds when they went into the tunnels.

It was raining on the surface, and the water would flood into the tunnels…

With them in it.