Chapter 1
"I don't want you to leave me here," Moon said. She fit perfectly under her mother's wing, as if that spot had been shaped by the universe just for her. Stargazer, on the other talon, was behind Moon and her mother, always in her older sister's shadow. Don't get her wrong, Star loved her sister, but it was a bit annoying when no one noticed she was there. Despite how much Moon tried to blend in, everybody noticed her, and no matter how much Star tried to stand out, nobody saw her. Stargazer knew, of course. She knew why Moon was special. Star had seen it in Secretkeeper's memories many times. How Moon had hatched under two full moons, and how her silver egg meant that she had NightWing powers. Star had powers too, but she kept them hidden, and they were powers no one had ever heard of. She could travel into other dragons' memories. She knew Moon had a hard time around other dragons, because of all the thoughts they had that she heard, but for Star it was worse. It felt like seeing a thousand plays all at once, and every time you saw a scene, it gave you a headache. Star felt like she was stronger than Moon sometimes. Moon always complained about her headaches,and Secretkeeper fussed over her, but Star often felt as if the sky had fallen on her head. She never complained, though. Even if she had, her mother wouldn't have realized she was even there. It was as though Star was see-through.
"Queen Coral," Moon recited. Star realized that some SeaWings were flying in, though they looked as if swimming would have been easier for them. "Those two must be her daughters, scince she never lets them out of her sight. I don't know who the other one is," Moon continued. Secretkeeper said something about showing off but Star didn't notice. Tsunami hugged the older daughter, who Star knew from memories was Anemone. The other dragon, according to Coral was Turtle. From the look on Moon's face, she couldn't read this dragon's mind. Star could still see into his memories though. He was an animus.
Moon said something else, and Secretkeeper, as always, acted as if it was the most important thing in the world. Star had had enough. She slipped into the crowd of dragons and went towards the library. She could always go there and talk to Starflight, the NightWing dragonet of destiny. He knew what it was like to be overshadowed by others. When he was younger, he had though that he was the only NightWing without powers, until it was revealed that none of them did. Until Moon, that was. Now Starflight was the blind librarian of Jade Mountain Academy. Star found him behind his desk. His head popped up.
"Star, is that you?" he asked.
Star nodded, then said, "Yes," when she remembered that he couln't see her. He showed her the scroll system with the stamps and handed her a pouch made of black velvet.
"Is that all you came for?" he asked.
" I'd like to borrow a scroll as well, please, " Star answered. "Could I take..." she cast around wildly for an interesting scroll. "Could I take 'The Animus Histories'? " she finished finally.
"Sure," Starflight said, handing her a scroll. "Have you found your cave yet?" he asked her.
" No, " Star replied.
"We had no notification that you were coming, so you get your own private cave," he explained, opening the map on his table and pointing to a cavern near the far side.
Stargazer muttered her thanks and left the room just as Moon walked in with a RainWing. Kinkajou, Star gathered from her memories as the pink and yellow dragonet looked at Starflight.
Kinkajou 's memories:
Glory stands in front of the entire RainWing tribe and promises that all the captives will be freed. Kinkajou cheers, and a few RainWings walk right through where Stargazer is. She is used to this by now, this and the way the silver scales on her forehead,the only ones she has, turn as black as the void which she sees whenever she travels through memories.
Star spins through the void again, and she sees a younger Starflight, with his eyes still intact, facing off against a NightWing. Morrowseer is what Starflight calls him.
Another trip through the void, and Star sees Starflight racing lava in the tunnel, and Clay helping him out, his fireproof scales shielding the young NightWing. Starflight collapses on the floor of the rainforest, his eyes scarred and burned.
End of Kinkajou's memories
Star was thrust out of Kinkajou's memory and was, for the first time, glad that nobody saw her. She hurriedly left the library and walked through the hallways to her cave. Having nothing more to do, she sat on the bed and began reading.
As Stargazer read about Darkstalker, the NightWing animus, and how he wanted to be NightWing king, she was suddenly pulled into the void and another memory came to her.
Unknown memory:
A NightWing dragonet slips a copper bracelet set with moonstones onto the wrist of another. A sudden expression of pure betrayal crosses his face before he falls asleep. The first dragonet carries him and buries him under a pile of rocks in a cave beneath a mountain. She looks back for a moment, as if she wants to stay and die with him, but she makes up her mind and leaves.
End of unknown memory
Star looked up in shock as the memory ended. It was Darkstalker's memory, she was sure of that, but Darkstalker was nowhere near here, and the dragon had to be present for Stargazer to go through their memories.
I am here, a strange voice said. It seemed to resonate within her mind.
Who are you? Star asked it, though she knew the answer.
Darkstalker, the voice answered. I have spoken to your sister, but you are far more interesting.
Star had heard from every NightWing in the tribe that Darkstalker was evil, but faced with his bitter past, she understood what he had done, and not even text evidence from a scroll could change that. So Star stayed up late talking to Darkstalker, and it seemed she had found her first friend.