Sorry for not updating on monday. I was busy.

Chapter 54: Disguises

Link and Cynder watched as Glory spoke with the NightWing and came back. Starflight was awake when she came back disguised as an IceWing.

"IceWing!" he yelped, flailing backwards. Tsunami leaped to her feet, teeth bared. "Look out! It's - oh."

She noticed that Link and Cynder didn't react violently to Glory. In fact, Cynder burst out laughing as Glory's scales shifted back to brown and gray.

"Glory!" Starflight screeched. "Why would you do that to me?"

"Because it's hilarious," she replied acknowledging that Cynder was laughing. "And shhh."

"You looked very sparkly," Sunny said sleepily.

"If it wasn't for Cynder laughing her head off, I would have clobbered you with my tail," Tsunami stated severely.

"And I nearly bit your snout when you were snoring last night," Glory retorted. "So I guess we're both models of self restraint. Jambu. Wake up." She poked her brother, who was the only one who'd slept through Starflight's scream.

"Too cold," he mumbled, flopping one wing over his head.

"Too bad," Glory replied. "Besides, if you get up and move you'll feel warmer."

"More sleeping," he insisted, folding the other wing over his head as well.

Glory sighed and turned to Starflight. "Starflight," she asked, "do you have any idea how literal a NightWing's name is? Like, does it always signal something about what they do?"

The other dragonets started getting up and stretching. Starflight scratched his head. "Well, there's Morrowseer," he said. "He supposedly can see the future and deliver prophecies, so that's what 'seeing' the 'morrow' is about."

"Yes, thank you," Glory stated. "I figured that one out."

"But did they know he'd be a prophet when they named him?" Sunny asked. "Not all NightWings are. So how would they know that?"

"Maybe another prophet foresaw it," Tsunami joked.

"Why do you ask that?" Cynder asked.

"Most likely she ran into a NightWing named Deathbringer," Link proposed.

Glory looked at him, dumbstruck. "How did you-"

"I am from the future," Link stated. "You always seem to forget that fact." He looked directly at Glory. "In my era, I knew Deathbringer as a friend. He helped me learn how to fly. When he was younger, he was the self proclaimed bodyguard of the RainWing queen."

"Self proclaimed bodyguard?" Glory asked.

"That point in his life hasn't happened yet," Link admitted. "Do you think he's here to kill you?"

Glory nodded.

That got their attention rather quickly. Glory told them most of what Deathbringer had told her. Link gave her a knowing look.

"He was definitely hitting on you, Glory," Cynder commented. "Even if he was sent to kill you, I doubt he will follow through with it, judging by the fact that he might have a crush on you."

"Let's get out of here," Starflight stated once Cynder finished. "Let's fly south right now and get back to Faron as fast as possible."

Jambu poked his nose out hopefully. "I like that plan," he offered.

"It does sound like the warmest plan. But what about Mangrove?" Clay asked.

"I saw something else," Glory stated. "I saw a canyon nearby. Legends tell of a temple dedicated in the name of the Goddess Hylia. It looked big enough for several dragons to seek refuge within. Blaze's forces must be using it as their camp."

Link nodded in agreement. "From historical accounts, Blaze's forces have set up camp in a canyon that lies on the border between the Eldin Region and Hebra."

"Makes sense to me," Tsunami stated. "Blaze would need a place of her own. She couldn't survive a day in Glacier's palace."

"Right. It's built mostly of ice, so she wouldn't even be able to use her fire there," Starflight mused.

"So here's what I'm thinking," Glory stated. "I'm sure Mangrove saw the canyon, too. He'll head right for it, probably camouflage himself and sneak in looking for Orchid. So I'll go after him and bring him back, while you guys hide somewhere Deathbringer won't find you, then we all fly south as fast as possible."

"But, by yourself?" Clay asked. "Can't one of us go with you?"

"Who?" Glory asked. "Who else can disguise themselves as an IceWing?"

They looked at Jambu, who blinked sleepily.

"We can have Midna grab Cyril from the Temple," Cynder proposed. "His blue scales might give him away, but he can claim to be recruiting for the war against Malefor.

Just then, there was a flash of light as Cyril and Luna materialized out of thin air. It surprised the dragonets to no end.

"How have things been, Spyro?" the ice Guardian asked.

"Good so far," Link replied. "Dragons have been disappearing from Faron, though. Glory has been asked to look for them by the queen."

Cyril nodded solemnly. "Have you found any leads?" he asked.

"We found a tunnel between Faron and the Gerudo Desert," Cynder stated. "Sadly, one of my eggs disappeared while we were investigating the tunnel."

Cyril's eyes widened in shock. "How many are there?" he asked.

"Seven," Cynder replied. "Spyro is the father."

Cyril smiled. "As tradition dictates, the pair of you shall be married and crowned tomorrow," he stated. "So what brings you here?"

"A RainWing named Mangrove rushed through the tunnel," Glory stated. "We're worried about him. He was the one that had me start searching for the missing RainWings."

Cyril placed a talon on Glory's shoulder. "From what Spyro has told me about the future, you are one the right path to making the goodness in that future to come to pass," he stated.

"Once we find Mangrove, we'll head back for Faron through the tunnel," Glory stated.

Link looked to the east where the Great Plateau rested. Dark clouds swirled around a dark tower and the ruins of Castle Town. He could sense a great evil swirling around the tower.

"But the Spirit Temple is on the way," Link stated. "The Twinrova sisters would undoubtedly try to kill us. And Ganondorf would know at once if we went over the Great Plateau. The only plausible paths would be finding the tunnel from Snowpeak to Zora's Domain before getting to Faron, or going through the Lost Woods to find the Kokiri Village and access Faron from there."

The dragonets looked at each other with worry. "You're right, Spyro," Cynder stated. "Ganondorf tried to kill me once already back at the tunnel yesterday."

"We'll reach that obstacle when we get there," Glory stated. "The Twinrova sisters might be preoccupied with something." She turned to Cyril. "Will you help me with finding Mangrove? He might be rifling through Blaze's camp."

The ice Guardian smiled. "Of course I will," he replied.

Glory, Cyril, and Jambu flew off for the canyon.

At the castle, Ganondorf was speaking with his foster mothers, the Twinrova sisters. They reported seeing a group of dragons fly over the Spirit Temple the day before.

"Was there a purple dragon?" Ganondorf asked. "One with golden horns?"

"Yes, my king," Kotake replied. "He was carrying another dragon on his back. Though we couldn't distinguish who the dragon was, its scales were black."

The Gerudo King nodded in understanding. "Let them go where they please," Ganondorf stated. "The threat of the Dark Master has been spreading. The Night of Eternal Darkness is drawing ever closer."

"But doesn't the purple dragon oppose you?" Koume asked. "Didn't all of the survivors of the attacks on the Faron Rainforest report that a purple dragon defeated most of their comrades?"

"But angering the purple dragon might lead to our defeat at his talons," Ganondorf replied. "We must view him as an ally against the Dark Master."

"What of the Goddess?" Koume asked. "Helmaroc King never returned from his attack on her."

"We still hunt her down," Ganondorf replied. "I want her head over my fireplace.

Back with Glory, Cyril, and Jambu; they flew into the canyon separating Hebra and the central field. At the end of the canyon stood an enormous wall, most likely the ruins of an ancient temple. At one time, the ruins were in a state of decay. But the temple's original architecture was reenforced by that of a fortress now. It was nearing winter and snow had gathered at the bottom of the canyon and near the temple.

Jambu yelped at how cold the snow was, and Glory nearly tackled him to make him shut up.

"Who goes there?!" A voice called from the second floor.

Glory and Jambu froze, their scales turning the white of the ground below them as Cyril hid behind a wall of the canyon.

A SandWing's head poked out the window. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

Another SandWing poked his head out. "No. And I don't see anything. You're imagining things again."

"When Burn's army shows up to crush us -" the first dragon growled.

"We'll see them from miles away," the second replied. "The Rito would warn us beforehand. And they would be frozen and weak from the proximity we are to Hebra. We'll also have IceWing backup by the time they get here. Stop interrupting our game." The second guard withdrew into the room. The first glanced around suspiciously, his gaze flitting to Cyril's footprints and over where Glory and Jambu crouched, hidden in plain sight. Finally, he huffed in annoyance and retreated back inside.

Cyril looked out from behind the canyon wall and lead them to the front gate. It was of course locked. Cyril and Glory looked up, none of the windows would be big enough for a dragon that wasn't an elemental of Link's age or younger to enter. Since this building was at the end of the canyon, there was no courtyard or any openings from above, except the chimneys, which had the same situation as the windows. The temple was transformed into a proper fortress.

"I'm not seeing a way to sneak in here," Glory whispered. "Do you have any ideas?"

Jambu invisibly shrugged. "Sorry," he replied. "I've never done anything like this."

"I recommend disguising yourselves as IceWings," Cyril whispered.

Once Glory and Jambu looked like IceWings, Cyril marched up to the door and knocked.

"Try to act like a soldier," Glory hissed at Jambu, who was slouching and rubbing his neck behind her.

"I don't know what that is like," Jambu replied before the door swung open.

A heavyset SandWing with broken claws on one paw peered out at them. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of Cyril.

"It is I, Cyril, Guardian of Ice," Cyril replied. "Accompanying me are some students of mine." He gestured for Glory and Jambu to step forward. "This is Crystal and her brother, Penguin."

"We have an important message for Queen Blaze," Glory announced. "Take us somewhere we can wait for until she returns."

"Eh? Until she returns?" The SandWing looked at her as if she were mad. "Blaze is here. She's always here. I can take you right to her."