Finally, this story's getting somewhere. I apologize if the plot isn't too appealing to you, but I try my best, so please let me know in a review if something has to be changed.

The cave was quite chilly, and it spoke volumes of solitary gloom. The atmosphere was downright depressing. If her mother was in here, Rune couldn't imagine how she'd cope with the dreadfully somber mood of the cave, because Fatespeaker was anything but dismal.

As she traveled further into the cave, she could just make out the silhouette of a dragon, the contents of his mind eddying into her own.

Oh, dear. Another long day. How dreary. I suppose Sunny won't visit today. I sure would l like to see her one last time before I become a statue. Yes, that would be nice.

"Hello?" Rune said tentatively. Stonemover's scales had turned to stone from his neck down, and his head was the only part of him that he could move.

"Sunny?" came the slightly hopeful answer. "Is that you?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Rune said, edging closer. She didn't really know what to say to him. "Sunny's been a bit busy running the school, but I'm sure she'll come visit soon."

Stonemover sighed. It was something he did frequently, she noticed. "She hasn't come in a long while. I wonder what's keeping her so overly busy."

"Um." Rune blinked. "Can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"Have any other dragons come in here in the past day?" She really needed an answer. "Two NightWings? And maybe someone else along with them?"

"No," he said sadly. "No one. Are you looking for them?"

"Yes, I can't seem to find them anywhere." Rune shook her head. "Thank you, though."

"Would you mind staying for a bit?" Stonemover asked. "Not many dragons come by, and it does get lonely in here."

"I wish I could," she told him genuinely, "but I there's somewhere else I really need to be right now."

He sighed again. "Alright. That's no problem. Go on."

Leaving the old NightWing in the cave, Rune took to the sky once more. A cave, they had to be in a cave... but which one? There were many located in the Claws of the Clouds mountains, and it would take forever to check every single one.

Hello? Strangely mysterious voice? Are you there?

Nothing.

You know, I could really use your omniscient help right now.

Silence.

"You can't just tell me they're stuck in a cave about to be dead and not give me anything else to work with!" she shouted angrily. The voice had been so ominous, as if whoever it was could literally see the future...

They had to be a dragon like her, a dragon who could read minds and foresee what was about to happen. So then why couldn't she just have a clue? She knew Clay and Tsunami were searching already, but if the strange voice was to be trusted, they weren't going to find them anywhere. No one else would be able to hear the dragon. If someone was going to find her parents, it had to be her.

Lost in her own reverie, Rune hadn't been watching where she was going, and the moment she looked up, she saw red the color fire. Burning red. She yelped, swerving out of the dragon's path before righting herself. "Peril?"

"Sorry," the SkyWing said sheepishly. "I wasn't really paying attention to where I was headed."

"That's all right," Rune said. "To be fair, I wasn't, either."

"So," Peril said, awkwardly hovering in the air, "How'd it go?"

"Fine." Rune grimaced. "They all have some now, but I don't know if they trust me or not. Probably not, to be honest. I wouldn't trust some nosy dragon poking around in my head either."

"If they're mean to you, I could always burn them a little."

"Thanks." Despite the horror of it, Rune allowed herself a small smile. She knew Peril only meant it as a joke, because if the way she spoke and behaved was any indication, she wasn't the dragon she used to be anymore.

"Were you visiting Stonemover?" Peril asked, tossing her head in the direction of the cave. "He's Sunny's father, apparently. Awfully boring, too."

"He seems like a very sad sort of dragon," she said. "I felt sorry for him as well."

"Hm."

"I should be getting back to school," Rune told her. "I'll see you later."

"Wait!" Peril called. "Tanager mentioned something about Starflight and Fatespeaker being missing. Um - do you... do you think I can help?" She looked down at her talons warily. "I mean, I'll try not to burn anything, but I could probably find them and let you know. And, um, if someone kidnapped them or something, I could, you know..."

"Of course," she said gratefuly. "Peril, that would be a great help. Thanks. Really."

"Oh." Peril had a surprised, pleased look on her face. "No problem. Off I go! Hold on." She frowned. "Where do I look?"

"Caves," Rune said. "That's all I know. They're in a cave."

"Alright. Caves, caves," Peril sang, flying away. "So many caves..."

"Alright," Firefly said. "That is a lot of new information in two days. You can read minds, but not ours anymore, and now your parents are missing, and you think you know where, but you can't tell us how because you're scared of something, and we don't know that either, and-"

"Stop rambling," Gale said.

"Don't interrupt me," she snapped. "So, Rune, what on earth are you going to do now?"

"Peril's already looking in all the caves in this mountain range." She sighed. "But what if they're not there? Then what? I don't have anything to go off of."

"I'm sure you don't have to worry," Delta said kindly. "Clay and Tsunami are probably going to find them. Soon, let's hope."

No, she thought, her worry growing by the second. No, they won't - they can't. They won't be able to. Wherever they are, I'm the only one who'll be able to find them, for some reason.

That's right.

You. Who are you? Rune was seething with anger. And how do you know who my parents are? And where?

So many questions, the voice observed. One at a time, please. Even my brain isn't made to answer so many simultaneously.

Just show me where they are. Please. You said they were in a cave. Which one?

Oh, dear. I meant it figuratively. They're not actually in a cave. Did you really think they were?

"Something's wrong and you're not telling us what it is," Aster said suddenly. Rune looked up to see that his black eyes were trained on her. "We can't help you if we don't know what's wrong."

I can't tell them. They can't know. And I can't tell Moon either; she's already dealt with an evil dragon in her head. I can't tell anyone!

Suddenly, a thought struck her. Perhaps it was impossible, but she did have to try... Are you Darkstalker?

How amusing. No, I haven't been transformed into a hybrid dragonet, thank you very much.

How am I supposed to figure out who you are? And how am I supposed to figure out who took my parents? You're not helping me at all, even though you're probably the only dragon who can.

I want to, Rune. I'm here to help you find your mother and father.There was a pause. And we'll find the dragon behind this and have our revenge, trust me. What do you say, little dragonet?

Rune didn't like being called a little dragonet again. She also didn't like the way that voice had spoken the word 'revenge.' But... she wasn't about to waste her only chance at finding the two dragons she loved most in the world, just like that.

Yes. She let that thought resound in her head. Yes. I trust you.

"We'll help you," Aster said again. "We're ready to."

She'd have to trust them and hope for the best. She had to hope they'd understand and not just make things worse for her.

"But you have to tell us," he continued. "Where do we start?"

Good question.

"I totally believe you," Firefly said immediately. "Because that's what happened to Moonwatcher. I bet it's an evil dragon in your head."

"I don't think so." Rune lifted a talon to her horns. "It wants to help me. Maybe after I find my parents, we can figure out who it is."

"I don't want to trust this strange... thing," Aster said. "But it seems to me that we have no choice."

Listen carefully, Rune.

"Is it speaking again?" Gale scoffed, flicking his tail to the side.

There's someone out there who wants to destroy the continent. There's a dragon who hates the other tribes, hates everyone else and wants to destroy Jade Mountain.

Why Jade Mountain?

Because this is where dragons of different tribes come together. This is where it's peaceful, and someone wants to get rid of it. And... they're starting by targeting the dragons of destiny.

"So... my father," Rune breathed, slowly making sense of the new information. "But why my mother?"

She is close to your father. It may have been easier to take both of them than just one.

But... who? Who could be that evil?

Think, Rune. Who has been made fun of all her life for being a dragon of her tribe? Who wasn't even supposed to be where she is right now, a accident caused by a replacement? Who, despite living a seemingly happy life, is burdened with issues every day?

"Um..." Rune blinked. Who? Queen Ruby?

No, silly dragonet. Think again.

Replacement... accident... "No," Rune breathed. "It can't be."

"What?" Aster asked. "What'd it say?"

So you finally understood. Well done.

It can't be her. That's impossible. That's stupid.

It's true. I've seen inside her head, Rune. It's all in there.

"Rune?" Aster asked again. "Did you find out anything?"

"Apparently it knows who took my parents," she said, shaking. "And that same dragon wants to destroy Pyrrhia. The entire continent, Jade Mountain... everything."

"Sounds evil," Firefly said darkly. "Who?"

Rune swallowed, trembling with pure shock and disbelief. No, no, it can't be. She would never. But as much as she denied it, she had no other choice but to accept it as the truth.

"Queen Glory."

"That's a lie," Firefly blurted immediately. "My mother would never do that. Besides, how can you trust some weird dragon getting all inside your head and saying random stuff like that?"

"It wants to help," Rune said, her voice dry. "It wouldn't... lie to me."

"Okay." Aster paced around the prey center, brain working. "Alright. We don't know for sure that this is true - Rune, don't look at me like that, you might trust it, but I don't - so let's assume that Queen Glory is behind this."

Firefly growled low in the back of her throat.

"If she is, she must have a reason for it. Why would she have kidnapped her own friends, and why would she be after the dragons of destiny if she's one of them?" He paused. "This is one thing that's not understandable. Even if a lot of others made her feel like she didn't belong because she was technically not supposed to be part of the prophecy, she had the other dragonets with her, and they were her friends. She really loved them. So she shouldn't be trying to kill them." Aster glanced at Rune. "It really doesn't make sense."

She didn't know what to say. "I..."

"The most reasonable thing to do right now is pay her a visit," Gale said lazily. "But of course none of you thought of that. Idiots," he muttered under his breath.

"Thanks," Aster said with a sunny smile. Rune nearly giggled; it seemed to have thrown Gale off, probably since he never expected such a reaction. "Good idea."

Firefly glared at the three of them. "My mother didn't do anything," she said, ruffling her wings indignantly. "But since you insist, fine. We'll go to the rainforest and prove her innocent and come back and find who actually did all of this so I can drown them in venom."

"We can't let anyone else know," Rune said. "And our entire winglet can't go."

"It'll just be the four of us," Aster assured. "And that's true. Tsunami would have a fit if we wanted to leave. Especially since Clay already told us to stay here."

"Alright," the little RainWing sighed. "When do we leave?"

Rune and Aster shared a subtle look. "Tonight."