Chapter 29: Complications

Link snarled at Morrowseer. "That no good genocidal maniac," he muttered.

Ruby noticed what Link said. "Why did you say that?" she asked.

"You forget who is in this balcony with us," Link replied.

Ruby nodded in understanding and dropped the subject.

Link dashed into the tunnel and emerged in the arena. He stopped in front of Starflight, anger flowing through him. "You're not going to manipulate Starflight, Morrowseer!" he proclaimed. "Unlike you, I know how the future is going to unfold. You are no better than Darkstalker!"

The NightWings and the IceWing prisoners shuddered in terror at the mention of the legendary animus.

Morrowseer glared at Link. "Who are you to say that?" he ordered.

Link smirked. "The Lunar Sun," he replied. "You don't possess the supernatural powers my mother gave your tribe and never will. Your egg was hatched in the depths of a cave, far away from the light that causes NightWings to have those powers. It is the same light that causes those bitten by Lycan or one of his pack to become a werewolf: the light of a full moon."

Morrowseer stepped backward a bit. As he did that, Starflight started to dissolve into twilight particles.

"What are you doing to Starflight?" Morrowseer declared.

"Nothing," Link replied as Starflight vanished completely. "It might be the work of a friend of mine. By the way, Morrowseer. Thorn wants to rip you limb from limb for taking her child away from her."

At that, he also dissolved into twilight particles.

Link materialized in an abandoned mansion.

This must be the royal family's vacation home, he thought.

"Where am I?" Starflight exclaimed.

Link chuckled. "In an abandoned vacation home of the hylian royal family," Link replied. "Your family will be free from their imprisonment in at least an hour or so, Starflight."

"What do you want?" Starflight asked.

"Your help," Link replied. "For what you can deduce, I am from the future. That I can confirm."

"But you kidnapped me," Starflight yelled.

"So not to let Morrowseer corrupt you into wanting Blister to be queen," Link replied. "None of the SandWing princesses are the right choice. Blaze is too submissive and boastful of her beauty, Burn goes straight to threats of violence to make others comply to her demands, and Blister is willing to commit genocide to get an alliance with the NightWings."

Starflight looked down at the ground. "So either way, we will give the SandWings a terrible queen?" he asked.

"Not quite," Link replied. "The Eye of Onyx is the key to finding a dragoness that is worthy to be queen of the SandWings."

Starflight chuckled. "That's great to hear," he stated. "Are you going to tell me anything specific about the candidate?"

"Can't tell you," Link answered. "I would love to tell you her name, but time is a delicate thing. Something tells me that you have to find out yourself."

Starflight smiled. "Why do you need my help?" he asked.

"It concerns the Goddess Hylia," he replied. "It would be better if I informed the others as well. Will you please be patient until you are reunited with your friends."

In Link's mind's eye, he could picture Glory spitting her venom at Queen Scarlet and escaping the SkyWing palace with Clay, Tsunami, and Sunny; SkyWing guards letting them leave and SandWings being bulled over by Clay.

"We better leave, Starflight," Link stated. "In order to rendezvous with the others."

Starflight smirked. "Let's go then."

Link looked to the giant oak doors. They seemed big enough for a dragon to go through.

"I think it's safe to leave through the front door," Link stated. He lowered his head, horns directed towards the door and charged.

The doors crumbled like a card castle. Link's face was covered in splinters.

"You could have used the doorknob," Starflight complained.

"This place has been abandoned for years, Starflight," Link retorted. "The hinges were too rusted to move. And don't bother recommending fire-breath. The building was mostly comprised of wood. You would have been severely hurt by that."

Starflight looked bewildered. "How did you-"

"Your future self," Link replied. "He taught me a lot of things, being well versed in literature and all that."

Starflight smiled as he spread his wings. "Let's get going then."

Link chuckled as he also spread his wings. "I quite agree."

Together, they lifted up into the sky.

They found Tsunami, Clay, and Glory by the Diamond Spray River. They were with two SkyWings and a SandWing that Link instantly recognized as Sunny.

"I thought you were coming with us," he heard Clay say to one of the SkyWings.

"Over my charred, dead body," Tsunami growled, whacking Clay with one of her wings.

"Why not?" Glory asked, her eyes on a passing butterfly. "Peril might be helpful in recovering Ruby's sister from Malefor's clutches."

"Ruby has no siblings, Glory," one of the SkyWings stated.

"Then why did Ruby mention the name Cynder then if she isn't connected to her in any way?" Glory countered. "The 'wings of sky' lives for sure."

The other SkyWing looked at Glory for a moment. "Cynder was the name of a dragoness that behaved like a four year old dragonet," she stated. "She was very strange. She claimed to be on a quest of self discovery, as in to find her parents.

"She was captured by a patrol of SkyWings and forced to fight in the arena like the rest of you. That was until Malefor's followers showed up. Since that day, Ruby was different. She always asked patrols about any sign of "Princess Cynder" as she called her."

Tsunami's eyes widened in shock and realization. "'The largest egg on mountain high'," she quoted. "Do you think that Cynder is the 'wings of sky' mentioned in the prophecy?"

"Not a chance," the first SkyWing stated. "Cynder can't be the SkyWing dragonet. From what Morrowseer told me, Cynder looks several years older than you misbegotten worms. The prophecy speaks of five dragonets hatching on the brightest night. Face it, your SkyWing died in the egg. I saw the broken shell, the dragonet herself, and the murdered dragon that carried her."

"But Ruby spoke of a squadron of SkyWings that was sent after Burn to recover the egg," Glory countered. "You didn't take a second look to double check. If you did, you would have seen an ape from the Dragon Realms pick up the dragonet and slaughter a whole squadron of SkyWings and a group of Sheikah. Only one Sheikah survived."

"How do you know that?" the SkyWings replied.

"Ruby told me herself," Glory replied. "Yesterday, she had Lady Luna temporarily lift the enchantment Queen Scarlet placed on me. Spyro was with them. He relayed information about our escape and about him needing our help to save the world from Malefor."

"Who is this Spyro character?" the other SkyWing asked. "I never met him. I only caught glimpses of him at mealtimes."

"Good riddance," Tsunami stated. "He uppercutted me in the arena earlier. He also abducted Starflight."

"Are you coming with us, Peril?" Clay asked the first SkyWing.

Link noticed Starflight lunge toward the others. "Now isn't the time," Link whispered.

Starflight waited. They waited as the others learned of where their eggs were from. Sunny exclaimed about Tsunami being the daughter of Queen Coral. A SandWing named Dune finding the egg that housed Sunny by the Scorpion Den. And Clay was retrieved from down river at the Diamond Spray Delta.

"And Glory was found amongst hundreds of other RainWing eggs in one of their hatcheries," Link whispered to Starflight. "Just wait a little longer. When the SkyWings are gone, the others will disguise themselves and swim down the river. Join them. I'll go ahead. Meet up with me at the world gate down river."

Eventually, the two SkyWings flew off. Starflight approached the others as Clay covered Sunny in mud to disguise her. Clay looked up and saw him.

"Starflight?" he asked. "Is that you?"

Starflight nodded. "It's me," he replied. "That Spyro guy is pretty cool. He is scouting ahead for us. Most likely to find your family, Clay. He told me to rendezvous with him at a world gate."

"Why is he watching out for us?" Tsunami asked. "He kidnapped you. He doesn't seem to be the Hero of Twilight to me."

"But he has the Master Sword," Glory countered. "You saw the reaction of both the NightWings and IceWings when Spyro mentioned the name 'Darkstalker'."

"It was as if they fear whoever this Darkstalker is," Sunny stated. "It sounds like a NightWing name. Maybe he's a NightWing that did something terrible."

Link chuckled as he dispersed into twilight particles and headed downstream.