Chapter 57: The Mystery Thickens

Link knew that Deathbringer wouldn't risk getting captured by IceWings to kill Blaze or the dragonets, even if he wanted to. When Glory demanded that he released her, he complied. Glory threatened if he didn't leave, she'll knock him out and leave him at the mercy of the IceWings.

He left promptly. When Link leapt into the air, Blaze complained about them having to get to know Queen Glacier.

"I'll do that later, once the war is over," Link replied. "She might not be queen much longer. Darkstalker is going to rise soon. Be sure to tell Snowfall that."

Cynder and the dragonets took to the air. They flew south toward the desert. Glory and Tsunami argued about her not killing Deathbringer.

"Whatever," Glory stated. "We'll likely never see him again. The real question is why the NightWings are getting involved. First they try to get us to choose Blister, a traitor to Hyrule as a whole. That was followed by them sending an assassin to kill us? Don't they want their prophecy to come true?"

"Maybe, like everyone else, they only want it to come true their way," Tsunami grumbled.

"Think back to when Morrowseer tried to have you killed, leading to you and your friends to be captured by Queen Scarlet," Cynder proposed. "There might be a connection to Morrowseer wanting you dead and RainWings going missing."

"Why would the NightWings want to kill RainWings?" Glory asked. "That sounds preposterous!"

"Remember back at the SandWing arena?" Clay asked. "When Morrowseer showed up, I thought I heard Spyro call him a genocidal maniac under his breath."

Glory's eyes widened in shock. "That can't be true!" she screeched.

"And Spyro told me that Blister is willing to commit genocide to get an alliance with someone," Starflight stated. "That could explain the tunnel between Faron and the desert."

Link noticed that gears were turning in Glory's head. "That might be eligible evidence to that conclusion," she admitted. "But we need more evidence to prove that."

It was dark by the time they spotted the SandWing palace in the distance and the cacti that surrounded the entrance to the tunnel that lead back to Faron. Link and Cynder found Starflight frantically digging in the sand.

"It most likely just got buried, Starflight," Cynder stated as Link joined him in digging. She swung her tail, causing part of one of the cacti to be cut loose and fall to the ground. The hole was dug up and they went through the tunnel. Glory entered last, burying the tunnel behind them.

Link watched as Silver jumped out and wrapped its arms around Glory once more, warbling furiously.

"I think I'm being scolded," Glory stated. She reached up and smoothed the sloth's fur.

"WRRRRB," the sloth said sternly, snuggling in closer.

Link watched as Sunny dove into the stream, washing Blaze's blood off her scales. Jambu was most likely back at the village, but Mangrove was sitting beside the stream. His wings drooped as he stared into the water.

"I assume you didn't see any of the missing RainWings there," Glory stated.

Mangrove shook his head. "Nothing anywhere in the fort. I slipped in when a patrol of SandWings came out. I searched the whole day." He kicked up some reeds. "Useless waste of time."

"Probably," Glory replied, "but at least now we know."

"How are we going to find Orchid," he asked.

"A steakout perhaps," Cynder proposed. "We'll see if someone comes through the tunnel that isn't one of us or a RainWing. We'll interrogate them for answers."

Link shifted in his branch and sighed as Glory and Tsunami argued that Glory didn't need to stay at the tunnel. Cynder relaxed next to him. They spent most of the night and the following day in the RainWing village, recovering from their long flight. Cynder and Link spent time with their eggs.

Though RainWings didn't do families, Grandeur knew a lot about weddings and got the preparations ready by noon when Luna, Flame, and the Guardians materialized out of thin air. Link and Cynder were married and crowned king and queen of elementals. Clay, Glory, Sunny, Tsunami, and Starflight were happy for their friends.

As a present, Grandeur gave them a strange object that was made from a mysterious material and was emblazoned with the mark of the Sheikah. Sunny had squeezed the cactus juice into Webs' wound and reported back that she thought it was working.

Sadly, the celebrations were short. Ignitus, Luna, Cyril, Terrador, and Volteer left for the Dragon Realms soon after. The others stayed in the village for tonight; Glory and Cynder thought it was unlikely that they would catch the mystery monster on their first night watching, and they were pretty exhausted. Glory made Mangrove promise that he won't follow them again, and she left Silver with Sunny while Link and Cynder left their eggs in Grandeur's care.

Cynder looked at him. "Are you sure that we'll find our missing egg?" she asked.

Link nodded. "I know so, Cynder," he replied. "Are you sure you are ready to be a mother?"

Cynder shrugged. "I'm not sure," she replied. "It would definitely tell the remaining elemental dragons that I have changed from when I was under Malefor's control, if there are any."

Link nodded in understanding. She had been tormented with her past ever since she was freed from Malefor's control. He twirled the strange object in his claws. Grandeur referred to it as the Sheikah Slate.

"Do you think the dragonets will choose Blaze?" Cynder asked.

"I can't tell you who they'll choose," Link replied. "Blaze doesn't really want the throne anymore, she just wants her sisters to not-"

He stopped when he heard a twig snap. All four dragons were focused intently with their ears. Link's ears twitched as he heard another twig snap and the slither of a tail.

"That must be the monster," Glory whispered.

"I'll go check," Link stated as he dove from the tree and looked around. He heard the rustling of some shrubbery.

He parted the bushes to find a pink dragoness sleeping. She was about his age, judging by her size. She had pink scales like Jambu, but had a heart shaped blade at the end of her tail and a tan underbelly. She was also wearing a gold necklace with a heart shaped pendant and a bracelet that bore a symbol that decorated one of the unused rooms in the temple. Ignitus said that the room was used by members of the now extinct royal family of elementals, the triangles that adorned his shield with an owl perched upon it.

The dragoness began to stir. Her eyes opened and saw Link.

"Who are you?" she asked groggily before she noticed his scale color. "Are you a purple dragon?"

Link thought for a moment before replying, "The color of my scales gave that away, didn't it?"

The dragoness nodded.

"My name is Spyro," Link stated. "Why are you wearing the sigil of the royal family of elementals."

The dragoness looked at the bracelet. "That is because I'm Princess Ember of elemental dragons," she replied. "I've been living alone in this forest since my parents, the king and queen, died six years ago. My mother told me to hide, so I have been living in this forest ever since."

Link raised an eyebrow. "The Guardians believe that you're dead," he replied. "Due to this, they crowned me and my wife, Cynder, king and queen. If you want to take the throne, be my guest. By the way, some of the regular inhabitants of this forest have disappeared. Follow me."

Link lead Ember back to the tree where Cynder was hiding. They jumped into the tree and sat down comfortably next to Cynder.

"Was it the monster?" Glory asked.

Link shook his head. "No," he replied. "But I found this dragoness sleeping in some bushes. She is the daughter of the previous king and queen of the elementals, Ember."

Cynder's eyes widened in shock. "Princess Ember?!" she exclaimed in a whisper. "Are you sure?"

"She is wearing a bracelet that bears the royal crest," he stated.

Cynder smiled as she extended a paw for Ember to shake. "I've been hoping that at least one member of your family survived," she stated as Ember accepted the handshake. "Do you want the throne back?"

Ember shook her head. "You must be Cynder," she stated. "Before their deaths, my parents were pressuring me to be their successor. Though I liked being princess, I never wanted the throne. You and Spyro can keep it."

Cynder frowned. "I was hoping that you would say yes," Cynder replied.

"You would be a good queen, Cynder," Ember stated. "But we can still be friends, right?"

Cynder nodded. "Of course we can," she replied as Ember gave her a jealous look.

"How did you find this handsome lad?" Ember asked.

Cynder looked away. "I didn't find him, he saved me from the wrath of the Dark Master and took care of me while I recovered from the injuries," she answered.

"You are lucky to have him," Ember stated with an air of jealousy.

Cynder noticed this but paid her no mind. The first day of winter was very soon anyway.

"Why are we up here anyway?" Ember asked.

"Dragons have been disappearing," Glory explained. "I was tasked by Queen Magnificent of the RainWings to find them. We believe it to be some sort of-"

She stopped when he heard a twig snap. All five dragons were focused intently with their ears. Link's ears twitched as he heard another twig snap and the slither of a tail.

"That must be the monster," Glory whispered. "It has to be..."

Link assumed his human form and drew his bow, notching an explosive arrow. The instincts of years of hunting with the teachers of Jade Mountain Academy kicking into gear. The sounds of something large rustled through the undergrowth.

"It didn't come out of the hole," Tsunami whispered. "It's on the other side of the creek, near the other tree."

They captured Deathbringer and Glory had another argument with him. When Tsunami left to grab the others, Glory came up with a plan to use herself as bait for the monster. Midna hid in Glory's shadow.