This chapter is the first time my friend Queen Glory of Rainwings helped me out a touch. So this is kinda a collaboration with them from now on. I've helped them with theirs countless times, so they've done the same for me.

Chapter 1:
A NightWing Arrives

5013 A.S.

The morning is without much light, not just by the flock of NightWings flying on by, but also by the three moons of Pyrrhia dully shimmering in a striated pattern as they slowly disappear amidst the misty horizon. These dragons are in search of somewhere amidst the Claws of the Clouds Mountains, a young Silverlight understood that much as he glares down at the unfamiliar territory. Where am I? I don't recognise this.

"Stop blabbering, dragonet!" a grouchy male voice shouts down towards him. "This is for your own safety!"

"Stop reading my mind! I don't care if we know how it's done! It intrudes!" Silverlight replies, raising his voice.

"You are going here to do just that dragonet! No holds barred! You will learn!" he mumbles to himself. "Born under two full moons, my damn foot." He looks around trying to find the location they must reach by all means necessary. The young NightWing can see his guardian is rather stressed, but he does not understand. Why are they flying in unfamiliar territory, with little light as though something is chasing them? He could see all the soldiers around him looking round in subconscious and strange patterns he has never known them do before, frightened.

NightWings like me are never this scared. They are brave and smart. What is going on? Silverlight questions in his mind, but before he could get even a single reply from his guardian there is a spine-chilling bellow from behind the whole troop. That did not sound normal.

"Arm your minds! Be ready to strategize! She has found us!" the lead general bellows to his men, just when the last of the little light vanishes into darkness. Where is it they are going, flying over the Sky Kingdom as if they have no other choice? Anything could find them up here. Why could they not reach their destination out of sight like their namesake states? The huge beating of wings soon reaches his ears, his heart beating three times its usual pace, and he is consumed by fear.

Who is after us? Who is after me? I cannot see! Silverlight shouts in his mind just when dying screams suddenly manifest all around him. The light begins to shine and his guardian, sliced across the throat, streaming blood as he holds his right foretalons there, and choking before his body drops out of the sky. He is dead during the fall, blood still oozing from the wound. The young dragonet is knocked off balance from the corpse of another soldier, his arm wing sprained on the wrist and shoulder as he plummets screaming to the mountainous peaks below…

Silverlight screams himself awake. He is alone again. Looking around only hurt him more, as he tries to understand where exactly he may be. Feeling fresh pain as his body wakes from its slumber, he scrutinizes the injuries he sustained upon his crash landing in what little light he could use. His hind leg dressed and his arm wing in a splint he wonders, How did I get here? He can feel a gash on his side still bleeding, but for some reason it is tight around his ribs and as he turns his head he sees another dressing there. Huh! I don't understand. Who found me? I crashed out there, somewhere, and for some reason I am here, wrapped up where it hurts. Why does my arm wing have sticks tied to it?! Why do I hurt so much? How did I even get hurt? Everything happened so fast and I don't even understand. Before he could even try to figure out how, he hears movement from outside. "Who's there?!" He tries to turn his head but the pain becomes unbearable, and he hisses in pain as fresh blood oozes from his neck injury. The next thing he sees is another dragon much larger than himself, carrying a recent kill. Based on its heavy build, he can tell it is a MudWing but surprisingly, the dragon carefully lowers his head and places the food before him.

"Eat, little dragonet. You need your strength. I have called for another dragon here. We need to carry you safely back." The voice is surprisingly calm for a big brute as he, but the young dragonet is confused. He knows MudWings cannot read minds, but who was he even?

Carry me? He quickly clears his throat, and speaks in a shaky voice. "Wh-who are you? H-how did I get here?"

"Huh! You don't, know who I am?" A second dragon appears at the mouth of the cave, a look of awe on her face as the young dragonet could tell before she walks inside to lay beside him.

A SandWing! Did they both find me out there? Is that how I appeared here? The warmth of her body has a feeling of comfort around it, relaxing the dragonet from the cold bite of the air streaking at his very scales as the huge carcass calls to him from deep inside. He has not eaten properly for days since leaving from his home with Shadestar and the others that went with them, and the smell of the corpse in front of him he just could not resist any longer. Hungrily he devours the meal, not caring in the slightest for what it even could be. It just tastes far too good for words.

There is a grumble of favour coming from the MudWing, before he breathes out tufts of flame to warm the insides of the cave for the temporary residents. The tearing of flesh and crunching of bone that echoes between the walls is a sound they can never forget. The dragonet looks around at them watching him, smiling favourably with a tear forming from his eye before he instantly goes back to this unforgettable feast he wishes could last forever. His emotions are all they need to see to know he is grateful for their kindness, as he strips the corpse clean from the bone in seconds.

"Wow. You must've been starving young'un," the MudWing complies in surprise.

"Thank you, for all your kindness." His innocent and cute voice pulls them at their heartstrings. He tries to stand up so he could move closer to the SandWing female, to rest in her comforting warmth but the new pain forces him down again roaring in agony and no closer to her. The shock on the MudWing's and SandWing's faces explaining everything. He tries to slide, but to no avail when his shoulder throbs in pain again. I can't even slide to her. Why do I hurt so much? The dragonet starts to cry, covering his eyes with his good arm wing. "But it hurts me, knowing I can't…" He begins to break down as he wraps it round himself to cover his head.

"Are you trying to slide to me? You don't need to slide to me, I'll slide to you," the SandWing answers calmly before doing exactly what she said she would.

How did she know I wanted to slide? Can she read minds? I hate my mind being read. The SandWing carefully presses her side to his, knowing his shoulder is dislocated just when another dragon appears at the mouth of the cave. The dragonet turns his head a little worriedly towards the noise as the two dragons look towards it, noticing a NightWing as the light starts to brighten nearby.

"Where did you both find him?" the NightWing questions with his professionist voice to the other two dragons.

"I saw him plummeting down towards the waterfall Starflight, then called drastically for Clay's help," the SandWing answers, a little hurt.

"Sunny is right. I instantly bound his bleeding wounds when I arrived, using what NightWings use. He is hurt bad. We don't know what happened." He pauses, letting Starflight inside the cave. "That's why I asked for you. He's a strange looking dragonet. He has the body shape and style of a NightWing but I… I don't know what his other features are."

Starflight, Clay and Sunny? Where have I heard those names before? Silverlight thinks, trying to remember despite looking confused. "Who, are you?"

"Let me answer that for you, young dragonet," Starflight replies, heading closer to the dragonet in a kind manner. "We are some of the Dragonets of Destiny."

"The Dragonets of Destiny?" Silverlight curiously questions, his face beaming with joy. I'm talking to them in real life! The Dragonets of Destiny! He cannot contain his joy and tries to get up again.

"Wait! You are in..." Sunny starts to act worried all of a sudden.

"Trust me, Sunny," Starflight states to her with a nod of his head. Silverlight suddenly falls but instead of hitting the hard cave floor like he expected he would, he finds that the NightWing catches him with his head. "You are a strong little dragonet, but please do not strain yourself."

"I… I'm sorry…" He begins to cry again, gritting his jaws painfully closed when his shoulder would not stop throbbing. That is when he feels a sharp needle-like sensation in his neck. "Ah." No sooner after it happened, he starts getting drowsy.

"We need to get him to your healing chamber immediately Clay! He is in far too much pain!" Sunny rises to her feet instantly as Starflight carefully lifts the dragonet up from the cold rocky floor, then onto Clay's broad back and shoulders when he turns to face the mouth of the cave.

"You are the only one nimble enough to lift without issue Starflight. That is also why I asked for you." He gives a look of worry to the NightWing dragonet who sees his concerned eyes with his head resting on Clay's shoulder, but he struggles to keep his eyes open. He feels the MudWing carrying him lift off in the direction he had been flying only hours ago with his NightWing escort, and then everything suddenly fades away.

Silverlight starts to open his eyes again though groggily, as Clay enters a large chamber with his wings folded either side of him. The injured dragonet tries peering over them, and sees many dragons and dragonets from each of the seven tribes looking at him inquisitively. They make him feel uneasy all of a sudden as he shies away, covering his head with his good arm wing. Clay understands his feelings before opening up his wings just so, in order to keep their eyes off of him but still let him see from underneath. Suddenly, a small RainWing comes up beside Clay. Silverlight could just about see before closing his eyes to blot out the strange bright company.

"Who is the new dragonet Mr. Clay? I'm curious. I've never seen him before so where did he come from? Is he hurt? Crying? Lost? I really am curious, please tell me. I promise I'll leave just as soon as I know who he is, but then again, I don't mind going with you to help inasmuch a way as I can help a new dragonet friend. Oh please, please tell me Mr. Clay."

"Kinkajou please. Give him space to recuperate. You're frightening him."

"I didn't mean to frighten him but he needs someone to check he is okay. I really don't mind helping. There was this one time I really started helping a young little RainWing find her way back to the others, and she enjoyed my company and kindness, I told her everything about me, and the life of our tribe and Queen Glory and…"

"Someone keep her occupied please! I'm busy!" Clay shouts to all dragons in the vicinity, expecting one of them to take her away. None of them moved from their many positions inside the chamber, as they continue to ogle at the stranger.

"We all want to know who the new dragonet is Mr. Clay and well, curious as it may seem why he is hurt bad, being carried by you and all towards the healing room and…" Kinkajou's voice continues to breach the peace as Silverlight speaks in his mind hoping Starflight and Sunny can help him.

Why is she not going away? Why do they stare? I don't like all this attention. Starflight, Sunny please, help me! I'm scared! Just as though his mental cry had been heard, the recogniseable voice of Starflight bellows amidst the chamber.

"KINKAJOU!" The young RainWing immediately goes silent when Starflight stomps towards her. "Stop blabbering your mouth!" He turns his attention to all the other dragons and dragonets. "And all of you get back to your chambers! This spectacle is over!" Instantly, the many strangers mumble and grumble back to their chambers in groups of seven, except Kinkajou.

"Kinkajou, that means you as well, unless you want to visit Dean Sunny's chamber in detention," Clay kindly ordered, not wishing to shout.

"I'm sorry." She bows her head in contrite. "But this is all so very exciting, meeting a new dragonet we have never seen before, I just can't wait to introduce him to all my friends and clawmates…" Her voice trails off when Starflight warmly ushers her away with his head towards Sunny, who in turn casually takes her back to her group. Silverlight had seen and heard it all from looking over Clay's hips as the MudWing continued on to the healing chamber with Starflight there beside him.

"How did he sustain these injuries?" Starflight worriedly asks as Clay undresses the young dragonet's wounds carefully. Silverlight does not like all this pain and keeps squirming around, hoping it will stop.

"Stop it, please. It hurts!" he cries, unable to get away as the dressings are carefully peeled off.

"I'm sorry, little one. It is going to hurt. I'm doing this as gently as I can. Please understand." Clay instantly grabs a well known NightWing herb paste for sealing deep wounds after seeing the damage sustained in clear light, the gash still bleeding profusely. The young dragonet accepts the warm feeling when Clay lathers it over the injury as it starts doing its work, but his blood still seeps through the hardening remedy. "Why is it still seeping out blood like this?" Clay worriedly questions.

"It is still far too deep. I must take him to the NightWing healing waters at once. He will keep losing too much blood otherwise," Starflight states matter-of-factly, before carefully picking up the little dragon with his jaws around the scruff of his neck to ease the pain. The dragonet sprawls out limp and shocked, jostling his good hind leg against Starflight's shoulder, not wanting to be carried in this way.

"Please Starflight, let me go!" His pleading is simply ignored as he is taken into a back chamber held high so his good hind leg swings freely. "Starflight, please! I don't like it!" He soon goes quiet when warm water surrounds his whole body except his head. Then he cries in agony as his shoulder is locked back into place by Clay, who had followed them both inside. His eyes flooding with tears he tries to hide his face, but instead bawls out in sadness shying his head away so they do not see.

"There is no shame in a little tears, young'un. You shall soon feel relieved once letting it all out I assure you," Starflight promises him.

"B-but…" Silverlight begins, still in tears, innocently looking at Starflight. "A NightWing...m-must never cry!"

"Who told you that?"

"Shadestar. My guardian… N-now I… I'll n-ne… Never see him again!" Silverlight breaks down all of a sudden, hitting the two dragons with their own unique sorrow for him.

"Shh, shh," Starflight repeats, resting his head beside the dragonet's, trying his best to calm him down. Clay simply bows his head low in respect for what may have happened to the dragonet possibly as recently as only a fair few hours ago. The NightWing calms down after feeling the comforting head of Starflight rubbing against his own. "Do you know what happened to them?"

"We were followed… by something huge. They said it was female, but when the darkness came…" He pauses not wanting to continue, shrinking down as he begins to cry once more. "Everyone just...just died…" No more! I ca…I can't handle this anymore!

"I understand little one." He rubs his head against the young dragonet's, before heading to Clay in order to converse about what happened to him. "What sanguinary dragon would do such a thing? Well, besides Scarlet, Burn, and Blister of course, but they're all d…" He cuts himself off, realizing the young NightWing is listening.

"I don't know. How could she even kill them all at once like the way the young one said? It seems impossible."

"His guardian must have be…"

Silverlight submerges himself under the water, not wanting to listen anymore as their voices drown out from his hearing range. I can't listen to this! I'll stay under here until I drown! He never even thought his mind could be read from under the water or even understood why he said what he did, but he is soon pulled back up above the surface by Clay, tears forming in his eyes once more for how stupid he had been.

"You can't, do things like that young one," Clay claims, offering leniency from deep in his heart.

"We are sorry about bringing all that up, but we need to discuss possibilities and reasoning." Starflight reassures, pausing to wipe the dragonets eyes clean. "Do you feel better now?"

"I, guess." He sniffles one last time, before finally calming down. "Please. Don't speak of what happened anymore. I'm not ready to accept this."

"We give you our word."

"Can I ask something little one?" Clay randomly questions, changing the subject entirely. "What is your name?"

"Silverlight." Silverlight turns his head to Clay. "My name is Silverlight."