Chapter 3

Let me make a few things clear. Yes, Darkstalker will appear in this, but I'm not sure when exactly. I also might have at least one of the dragonets go to Pantala.

Windracer wanted to do something, anything, to stop the guardians from chaining the dragon he loved. But what could he do to stop them without accidentally exposing his powers and animus magic, or worse, hurting one of his friends?

"Why are you doing this?" Lagoon shouted. "Arid is a great dragon! If anyone can save the world, it's her!"

"Actually, SeaWing," Morrowseer rumbled, "The dragonet you should believe in is Windracer over there." He nodded to Windracer, who was still frozen in shock over what they had done with Arid. "NightWings are natural leaders. You do what he says, and you'll be alright."

But Windracer could hear Morrowseer's thoughts speaking an entirely different story.

I'll have to deal with that little freak later.

Was there any dragon that wasn't wishing Windracer didn't exist?

Morrowseer headed for the exit, stopping to look back at the guardian dragons. "I'll be back tomorrow, to make sure everything has been...dealt with."

"We understand," Kestrel said.

Dune rolled the boulder aside, leaving Morrowseer free to exit the caverns. Windracer let out a sigh of relief as the large NightWing disappeared into the blackness without a single backward glance.

"This is for your own good," Webs tried to explain to an infuriated Arid. "We only want to keep you safe. Maybe this isn't the perfect way, but..."

"But dragonets don't know what's best for them," Dune finished as the boulder rolled back into place. "You need us, whether you like it or not."

Kestrel snarled at the group. "All of you, go to bed. I don't want to hear a squeak out of anyone until morning."

Arid gave the SkyWing a devilish smirk. "Really? And what if I feel like singing all night?" She then started singing. "Oh, the dragonets are coming! They're coming to save the day! They're coming to fight, for they know what's right, the dragonets, hurray!"

She was singing too loud to notice Windracer humming along to the tune merrily. Arid's singing was just another thing on his mental list of things he loved about her.

Dune glared at Webs. "I told you not to teach them that horrible song."

"OH, THE DRAGONETS ARE COMING!" Arid sang even louder.

Kestrel stomped over to the SandWing, her eyes flashing dangerously. "We have more chains! We could throw one around your snout if you would like me to force you to be quiet! Or we could chain up your friends! Perhaps that mutant NightWing would like to spend the night hanging from a stalactite!"

Arid paused, then begrudgingly snapped her jaws shut.

"Much better," Kestrel said. She then turned and stomped off into the tunnel, with the other two guardians following, but Webs looked rather reluctant.

Finally, Windracer was able to move enough to try and tug at Arid's chains. But even using both his talons and teeth didn't do anything at all to the sturdy metal.

"Windracer, stop," Arid whispered. "You know what you have to do. Go, get the stick!"

The NightWing knew what she meant. She wanted him to use the stick to make himself invisible so he could spy on the guardians. He never gave any thought to using it for such a purpose whatsoever, but she was right.

This time, the usage of his animus powers was really important.

Windracer had probably entered his room faster than he ever had before. He easily found the Invisibility Stick, as he called it, tucked away underneath his bed, where he always kept it. As soon as his talons wrapped around the thin piece of wood, he disappeared.

Well, not really disappeared.

He was just invisible.

He padded out of his room, his grip on the stick tight so it wouldn't slip out of his grasp and expose his position. He treaded lightly past the other dragonets and into the tunnel the guardian dragons had gone through. He stopped when he was near enough to hear their voices.

"When tomorrow?" Webs asked.

Kestrel spoke next. "He'll be back by midday. It has to be done by then." Her next sentence came out in the form of a snarl. "He doesn't want to see them again."

Windracer clenched his talons around the Invisibility Stick. They had to be talking about Marmoset and Mango.

"Well, I'm not doing it," Webs said.

Dune rumbled, "No one thought you would."

"Even though this is all your fault," said Kestrel.

Windracer could imagine the guilty but well-meaning look the SeaWing was wearing. "We needed five dragonets. I had no way of knowing that RainWing egg was holding twins. What's Morrowseer going to do about that?"

"He'll find us a SkyWing," Kestrel said. "Properly this time. No colorful substitutions."

They all went quiet for a moment, giving Windracer time to think. As far as he knew, the Queen of the SkyWings, Scarlet, had destroyed all of the SkyWing eggs that were supposed to hatch on the brightest night six years ago. Where in all of Pyrrhia would Morrowseer find a SkyWing that fit into the prophecy?

"What about Arid?" Dune asked, suddenly. "He said to get rid of her, too."

Windracer couldn't see them, but he thought Webs may have jumped about a foot into the air. "What? But we followed the prophecy! Her egg was alone in the desert, Dune found it there himself! Morrowseer said he approved of her earlier!"

"But she's no SandWing," Kestrel snapped. "You and Dune know that as much as I do."

Again, silence.

"So, how and when," Dune said in his no-nonsense military voice. "Drowning would be simplest."

"I joined the Talons of Peace to stop killing dragons," Webs said. "I won't argue with Morrowseer, but I'm not doing it myself."

"It has to be me," Kestrel said in a very tense voice. "Those two are just RainWings who frolic about pulling pathetic little pranks on everyone here. Besides, Dune wouldn't hurt Arid even if he wanted to."

Windracer knew it was true. Even though Arid had all her spikes, blue color, and talons that were way too sharp and serrated for her species, Dune wouldn't lay a claw on her. Every now and then, he'd look at her as if she was his own daughter. But Windracer knew Dune wasn't Arid's father. He was looking into the SandWing's mind and had found a name that belonged to a close friend of his - Ocotillo.

But there wasn't time for the young NightWing to question it.

"I'll do it tonight while they're all sleeping," Kestrel continued. "I can get in there and break their necks before the other three even know what I'm doing."

Shudders of horror were running through Windracer so violently that he was afraid the cave wall he was leaning on would start shaking. He padded slowly backwards, but froze when he heard his name.

"What about Windracer?" Dune asked. "I've seen the way he looks at Arid. Poor little dragonet's got a big crush."

"He'll definitely try to stop you," Webs said. "He's not a great fighter, but he's devoted to her and the other four."

Dune sighed. "It's not natural, that much kindness and loyalty in a dragon. Especially to dragons outside your own tribe."

"I can handle him," Kestrel said. "Even if he finally unleashes his NightWing powers like we want him to, there's nothing he can do to stop me."

Windracer turned and started back down the tunnel the way he came. But he was still near enough to hear Kestrel's last statement.

"Arid and the twins will be dead by morning."

"They wouldn't!"

The shout came from a horrified Bog, who had nearly choked on the cow meat he had been eating.

"Believe me, they would," Lagoon said sadly. "They'll do anything if they think it's right for the prophecy."

Everyone looked at the RainWing twins, who seemed blissfully unaware of their conversation as they gathered a few live crabs they were probably planning to slip into Bog's breakfast.

"But we can't let them," Windracer said. He had dropped his stick on the ground, so that they could all see him, plain as day. "There has to be more to the prophecy than what we've been told."

Lagoon was too busy studying the stick on the ground to pay him any mind. "How did you know that stick could turn you invisible?"

Windracer's heart leapt up into his throat as he turned to look at Arid. The SandWing gave him and encouraging nod. He took a deep breath, in and out, before he began.

"I enchanted that stick to make whoever holds it invisible because I'm an animus. You didn't see it as I was passing through because I made it so the stick also becomes invisible when it's being held, to avoid suspicion. That's why no one could find me in my room, I was using it to study my scrolls in peace. I haven't used it much, mostly because I don't want to end up like the animus dragons I've read about. They all let the power go to their head, and they think they can get away with doing whatever they want with those powers. I'm not like those dragons, and I never wanted to be.

"I have NightWing powers, too. But I've been suppressing them all this time because I was afraid of the kind of dragon I might become if I did use them. I was afraid of hurting all of you, so I tried to hide it all. But I can't. Not anymore."

Arid and Lagoon nodded in understanding. As did Bog, who had bits of cow meat sticking out from between his teeth. Marmoset and Mango were still gathering crabs, each daring the other to clip a pair on their ears, completely unaware of what was going on.

"Windracer!"

Everyone jumped at the sudden shout, but relaxed when they realized it was Webs. The young NightWing composed himself as best he could. "Yes?"

The SeaWing looked rather baffled for some reason that was made clear when he stated, "Kestrel's sister, Auburn, has just arrived, and she's asking for you."

Windracer was so surprised, he actually turned around, expecting to find another dragon named Windracer standing behind him. Finding no other dragon, he slowly turned back to Webs. "Me? Are you sure?"

The SeaWing shrugged his wings. "She's looking for a dragon that goes by the name of either Windracer or Skyhigh."

The young NightWing let out a shaky breath as he followed Webs out into the opening where the entrance to the cave was. Sure enough, there was another SkyWing, whose auburn scales looked rather dark and dull when compared to Kestrel's rust-colored scales. The two sisters were arguing back and forth when Auburn's eyes suddenly landed on Windracer. Her eyes instantly went as wide as they could go, and she took a step forward.

Webs slowly padded away to join Kestrel and Dune, both of whom looked to be quite confused and disturbed.

Windracer's eyes never left Auburn's, which were close to the color of sunshine and prettier than Kestrel's orange eyes. With every step forward the SkyWing took, he took a step back. Soon, the young NightWing found himself backed up against the wall of the cave. He just stood there as Auburn kept getting closer.

Finally, when she was about three feet away, she stopped.

"...Windracer?"

The young NightWing gulped nervously before he started rambling. "Yes, that's my name. Listen, whatever you want me for, I'm sure we can work something out, I mean, I've never been outside this cave, and I really don't want to cause any trouble. Not that I'm complaining, it's not that bad in here, and to be honest, I was outside when I hatched. My egg was left outside the cave and I was found alone, by Dune." He pointed to the SandWing. "He took me in to be raised by the Talons of Peace, along with the other dragonets of destiny. After all, I fit the prophecy..." He hesitated, then added, "And I don't think my parents really wanted me."

Auburn's eyes were sparkling with what appeared to be unshed tears as she stepped forward and grasped Windracer's front talons in hers. The young NightWing cried out in surprise, and found that all he could see were the kind, caring eyes of the SkyWing.

"I wanted you," Auburn said fiercely. "You were the only thing I wanted. Scarlet wanted me to kill you, but I could never! I took you away, into the mountains, with the guards chasing me. I hid you near the cave, where I knew my sister would find you. She's not much of a family dragon, but she's the one I trusted the most to keep you safe. I wanted to come back for so long, but I was afraid I'd lead Scarlet and her guards to the cave. I'm sorry I was away for so long. But I'm finally here."

As nice as it was having Auburn's grip comforting him, Windracer went cold with shock and dread. He'd wondered why he didn't look like a normal NightWing his whole life. Of all the theories he'd ever imagined...yes, this one had crossed his mind, but of all the tribes he'd wondered about, never this one.

Never, never this one.

Auburn gripped his claws tighter. "Windracer, I'm your mother."

That happened.

Bet you guys weren't expecting Auburn to be Kestrel's sister, did you?

The events in this story will be moving along a lot faster than in the original book series, but not because I want to rush through it. I just don't want this story to go on for too long, like no more than fifty or so chapters. Plus, I'm all about getting into the excitement.

Auburn - Valka
Windracer - Hiccup
Arid - Astrid
Lagoon - Heather
Bog - Fishlegs
Marmoset and Mango - Tuffnut and Ruffnut