Peacemaking (Nebulous Finale Pt 2)

by Nebula the Starwing

After meeting with the Starwings, the gang races to make diplomatic meetings between Queens a possibility. The Starwings are starting to settle in, and the news of their arrival spreads rather fast. As they begin to settle, The Starwings try to piece together a mystery surrounding Pyrrhia's magical properties as well as a mysterious message emanating from the Claws of the Clouds.

7. Chapter 7 - Breaking Point

-X- BREAKING POINT -X-

"But I'm bored!"

Already halfway through the Diamond Spray Delta, the group of four Seawings glided in sync in a loose cluster, Tsunami and Auklet leading the way while Turtle and Riptide stayed just behind.

"Auklet," Tsunami did her best to remain calm with her voice raised over the wind. "We're halfway there, I know you're bored but we have to keep going!"

"I dun wanna fly, I'm tired!"

"You can't be tired," Turtle spoke up from behind. "You had a magic fish earlier! You said you could fly for hours and hours!"

"STILL not sure how that works by the way-" Riptide attempted to ask for an explanation, to which Tsunami and Turtle spoke in unison:

"IT'S MAGIC, RIPTIDE." "It's MAGIC!"

"Okay okay, geez."

Auklet giggled to herself in her usual princess-like manner, eliciting a smile from Tsunami who watched over her proudly. The older Seawing Princess touched wingtips with her younger sibling.

"Okay, how about we take a little break for a few minutes? We can rest our wings and-"

Tsunami didn't get to finish her train of thought as her attention shifted towards the distance, seeing another pair of dragons seemingly coming towards them from a ways off. Considering she had precious cargo flying with her, the overprotective side of her personality pushed Tsunami to fly in front of Auklet for the moment.

"Hey," Riptide, knowing whenever she shut up suddenly meant danger, flew in front with her as well. "What is it?" His gaze followed along to the pair of dragons growing closer in the distance, which he could now pick up as a pair of Skywings, one dark maroon and the other a burning orange. He thought the orange one looked vaguely familiar…

"Wait, is that…" Apparently Turtle recognized one of them as well. The group flapped a bit harder to catch up to them, prompting both parties to land near the Delta. Tsunami and Turtle sped over to the two, recognizing them instantly as Peril and Queen Ruby.

"PERIL!" "HEY!"

Peril, relieved to see some more familiar faces, pounced forwards to meet them, cautiously offering a hug to the two.

"Oh moons am I glad to see you two…"

As Ruby landed next to her, Peril stepped back to introduce the gang of Seawings.

"Ruby, you remember Tsunami and Turtle, yes?"

Ruby flashed a smile and brief head bow to them both.

"Of course, a pleasure to see you both again."

"You as well," Tsunami glanced between Peril and the Skywing Queen. "I'm assuming Peril told you about the meeting?"

"Yes!" Ruby clasped her talons together. "It's wonderfully exciting news-"

"She knows about the Starwings and stuff, yes." Peril grabbed hold of Tsunami's shoulders with a serious intent and slightly worried gaze. "Listen, have you seen Clay or Stardust?"

Tsunami, knowing Peril to always be the worrying and motherly type, took her questions with a grain of salt at first. After a second of hesitating to respond, she then noticed the increasingly anxious expression of Ruby as well… which did not bode well.

"No, I haven't… did something happen?"

"Unfortunately… yes." Ruby approached the group as well, Riptide sidling up to Tsunami as Auklet looked around with confusion at the group's conversation. "About the time Clay was supposed to arrive at Moorhen's Palace, the whole thing went up in flames."

The collective gasp between the other three Seawings frightened Auklet just enough to reach out for Peril's talons instinctively. Having her enchanted necklace to dull her firescales just enough, Auklet grabbed her talons, and upon feeling the warmth, snuggled in even more. Peril at first felt a panic rise in her chest, but upon remembering she couldn't hurt her she rubbed her head as Auklet's snout brushed against the harness with her precious egg.

"What…" Tsunami did her utmost to remain calm, though the thought of anything happening to her mud-brained sibling made it hard to do so. "H-Have you sent anyone to check on them? Has anyone heard anything back?"

"We've sent a few Skywings with emergency supplies to offer our aid, and they said that the Palace was completely destroyed. No casualties thus far, but a lot injured."

No casualties put her heart at rest, but one thing prodded Tsunami's mind now.

"...Why isn't Stardust with you?"

Peril spoke up once more, still rubbing Auklet's head.

"He snuck away to try to find Clay. That was last night, and he still hasn't returned…"

Now Tsunami could understand why the two seemed to be so anxious, Stardust not returning usually wasn't a common thing, and it always ended up with trouble.

"I'm sure he's fine," Turtle interjected, obviously shaken himself. "This is Stardust we're talking about, he's bound to have things under control."

"Right, and that's…" Peril sighed to herself, casting her gaze into the distance. "...That's what concerns me."

"Knowing Clay, and knowing Stardust," Tsunami grasped onto Turtle's forced sense of optimism. "They've found each other, and are probably helping the Mudwings recover, or talking to Moorhen!"

"Uhm, guys-"

Riptide nudged Tsunami gently, nodding off in the direction of the mountains, seeing a group of Mudwings pouring out from one of the paths. Tsunami happened to recognize one of them.

"Wait, MARSH?!"

Marsh, as well as Reed, Pheasant and Sora, perked their heads up in the other gang's direction. Hawthorn, leading the group of sibs, leaned down a bit.

"You know this Seawing?"

Marsh, witnessing Tsunami marching over with a bit of indignation, winced a little while nodding.

"Yeah… she's my school's principal."

"MARSH, I TOLD EVERYONE AT JADE MOUNTAIN TO STAY PUT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING ALL THE WAY OUT-"

In defense of her slightly younger brother, Sora stepped out in front of Marsh and presented herself boldly. Tsunami stopped in her tracks then and there, staring at Sora as if she were staring at a ghost. After snapping herself out of it, her demeanor shifted from stern to warm.

"...Sora, is that you?"

Sora, paler and skinnier than Tsunami had seen her before, offered a smile to the Seawing.

"H-Hi… Tsunami, Marsh came looking for me and Umber once the palace went up in flames. He was just making sure we were okay."

"I know you told us to stay at Jade Mountain, but I didn't want Clay to go alone, and I… didn't want to be alone either… Then once I saw the smoke, I just had to do something." Marsh stood beside his sister in solidarity. "Wouldn't you have done the same?"

Tsunami knew quite well the pull of familial love, and knowing the Mudwings she could not blame him one bit.

"...Ok, I'll let that one slide," Tsunami pulled the two into a tight hug. "Sora… I'm glad to see you're ok, and you're welcome back at Jade Mountain any time."

Sora, ever the emotional younger sibling, hugged Tsunami tightly and nodded. "Thank you… I'll make it back soon, I promise."

"We'll save a spot for you." Tsunami looked around between the other Mudwings as well. "And… these are the rest of Clay's sibs?"

"Hang on," Turtle stepped forwards as well. "Where's Umber? Sora, wasn't he with you?"

"Guys." Peril cut into the conversation as well, notably still with a heavy tinge of worry. "Have any of you seen Clay?"

"YES-" Tsunami piped up once more. "PLEASE tell us you've seen him, and that he's… ok, at least?"

"He's more than ok," Reed, feeling the need to represent his sibs, prodded forwards. "I think he's better than he ever has been if I'm being honest."

A sigh of relief a bit stronger than the local breeze blew through the Seawing and Skywing party, Peril's heated scales soothed from the good news.

"Oh thank the seas…" Tsunami held a paw to her chest with her sigh. Turtle piped up and looked between the Mudwings once more.

"What happened? Where is he now?"

"He saved my life is what happened," Reed smiled a proud smile as he recounted the events. "When the palace started burning down, I was trapped under a pillar that collapsed on top of me, and then came along Clay who charged into the burning wreckage to save me."

Tsunami and Peril both gasped once more, Tsunami more out of a sense of pride for her brother, Peril out of shock.

"If it wasn't for our long lost Bigwings," Pheasant, leaning on Reed, spoke with admiration. "We wouldn't have Reed with us anymore, our other Bigwings."

"Yup, that's Clay alright." Tsunami said to herself, a heartwarmed smile on her snout.

"I thought Mudwing groups only had one Bigwings?" Turtle tilted his head in confusion.

"I-it's a long story," Reed shrugged. "But we agreed to split it."

"Wait," Sedge, Hawthorn's younger sib, looked up to him. "We can do that?"

"It's a rarity," Hawthorn spoke thoughtfully. "But some groups have done that before."

"Huh." Sedge thought to himself.

Turtle cracked out a notepad and started to jot down a few notes. "Fascinating, I never knew-"

"Okay- next question:-" Peril interrupted the group's branch of conversation. "Have any of you seen Stardust?"

The group of Mudwings, save for Marsh, all glanced around at each other with wild confusion.

"Uhm," Hawthorn arched his brow with curiosity. "Who?"

"We haven't," Marsh spoke in turn. "Last time I saw him was before he left with you guys."

"Then where did Clay go," Tsunami asked. "Why isn't he with you all?"

"He's headed to Jade Mountain," Sora responded in kind. "With Umber and… a few others."

"Is Queen Moorhen with them?" Queen Ruby bumped her head into the conversation, prompting Hawthorn and his sibs to straighten up a bit. "Does she know about the meeting?"

…The group of Mudwings all fell silent, a sullen atmosphere painting the scene suddenly. Auklet took note and grabbed hold of Peril's talons a little tighter. Riptide sidled up beside Tsunami.

"...that's not good."

"Queen Ruby," Hawthorn dug the end of his spear into the moist dirt. "It is… with a heavy sadness that I must tell you… Queen Moorhen was killed shortly after the palace was burned down."

The collective of Seawing and Skywing parties drew back with wide eyed horror. Queen Ruby, removing the modest ruby-studded crown from her head, knelt down and let her eyes close.

"...I offer my greatest condolences, this is truly an unprecedented hardship for our tribes. Has any of her siblings-"

"They're dead too." Marsh, still looking down, spoke up loud enough to interrupt Ruby. "They were found stabbed by a Sandwing, all of them…"

An intense look of concern found itself across Ruby's face. "...then… the Mudwing Kingdom is without an heir…?"

"Surprisingly," Hawthorn replied with a tinge of hope adorning his snout. "No. Moorhen had a secret heir."

"A secret heir?" Tsunami vocalized her disbelief. "Oh moons it's not Clay is it?"

"As amazing as that would be," Pheasant replied. "It's not."

"I have no idea how to describe any of what we encountered in the last few hours," Hawthorn spoke once more, rubbing his snout as his gaze went to the far horizon. "But in short, we found him in a…"

Hawthorn phrased his next words as if he didn't believe they were coming out of his mouth, squinting in thought. "...hidden… semi magical… underground forest, whereupon placing Moorhen's body on a stump, just… poofed into balls of light and, uh, disappeared."

The Skywings and Seawings hearing this didn't exactly know how to react, Ruby especially. Tsunami leaned over to Turtle.

"Mudwing Animus magic…?"

Turtle shrugged. "Maybe, but… that doesn't sound like any magic I've heard of."

"W-well, in any case…" Ruby drew her breath again. "Where can I find them?"

"He's with Clay," Reed answered in kind. "Going to Jade Mountain, since that's where the other queens are going."

"That's not a terrible idea," Turtle spoke in turn. "It's probably where he'd be the safest."

"I'm willing to bet Stardust might've caught up with him too." Peril spoke her thoughts aloud. "Ruby, I think we should head there as well."

"Perhaps…" Ruby donned her crown once more, looking to Hawthorn. "Am I correct in assuming you're in charge for the moment?"

"Yes ma'am, Commander Hawthorn." Hawthorn nodded and bowed his head. "I'm the highest ranking official of the Mudwing Kingdom for the moment…"

"I see…" Ruby huffed to herself and looked to Hawthorn and his sibs. "Commander, I cannot stay in the Mudwing Kingdom at this time to oversee accommodations between the Skywings and Mudwings, but I CAN promise that we will assist you rebuild. Should you send word of the situation of your Kingdom to the Skywing Palace, I guarantee you that our chain of command will see to it that assistance is provided immediately."

Hawthorn, recognizing this as a personal vow of help to his Kingdom, stood up a bit straighter. "Aye ma'am, I'll send couriers to the Skywing Palace at once."

The larger Mudwing looked down to his two younger sibs. "Sedge, Fen, I need you both to handle this. We'll need the Skywings assistance to rebuild, can I trust you two with this task?"

Sedge and Fen both nodded with serious expressions of allegiance.

"Will do." "Absolutely."

Taking to the skies, Hawthorn gestured to the rest of the Mudwings. "Alright, the rest of you I'll need you to help me organize relief and reconstruction efforts."

"Commander," Marsh spoke up, padding over to side with Tsunami and Turtle. "Requesting permission to go with them, concerning Clay."

Before Hawthorn could issue his command, Sora stood by his side too. "Me as well sir. We'll be back as soon as we can, but-"

"Granted," Hawthorn nodded, cutting off Sora. "That little one needs all the friendly faces he can get. Make sure to bring him back here safely too."

"Aye sir!" Marsh saluted, looking over to Reed and Pheasant. "We'll be back soon guys, we promise."

"You two are gonna stay and help, yes?" Hawthorn pointed at Reed and Pheasant, the both of them nodding affirmatively.

"You can count on us." "Of course commander."

"Hawthorn," Tsunami spoke up once more, Marsh and Sora surrounding her. "Are you sure you don't need these two here? Clay will be glad to see them, but-"

"Just let them go," Hawthorn waved the two off once more. "So long as they come back to pay their dues they'll be fine."

"And once the heir comes back-" Ruby spoke up again. "...What was their name?"

"Evergreen." Pheasant had a smile spread across her face as she said his name. "His name is Evergreen."

Ruby thoughtfully let the name ring around her brain for a little, noting it's odd nature for a Mudwing, but liking it's unique sound. "...Evergreen. Once he comes back, what do you plan to do then?"

Hawthorn sighed once more, shaking his head. "We'll have to see. He's real young too… not sure if he should be installed as a King at his age."

"Then we'll make sure he has help." Ruby offered a hopeful smile to the Mudwing Commander.

"The Seawings will offer their aid as well," Tsunami joined in with her hopeful attitude. "Not just in rebuilding, but in ensuring that Evergreen becomes a fine leader."

"I can be his friend…" Auklet, eagerly trying to keep along with the conversation, spoke up with courage. "I know when I'm scared, I wanna have friends."

Tsunami, leaning down to Auklet and nosing her head tenderly, nodded back to Hawthorn.

"There you have it!"

"In any case, Evergreen will not have to do this alone." Ruby assured Hawthorn. "Pyrrhia is the most peaceful it's ever been, intertribal relations are the best they've been in probably hundreds of years… he's going to do fine."

Hawthorn cracked a little smile at hearing the royals offer their help so willingly.

"Thank you, all of you. You've instilled hope in me yet for our Kingdom."

"Of course." Ruby and Tsunami nodded to each other, then to Hawthorn. "We're glad to help."

"Ruby," Peril nudged the Skywing Queen's side. "I don't mean to cut this short but it'd be best if we got going."

"Yes, I agree." Ruby motioned to the group of Seawings, along with Sora and Marsh. "Well then… shall we travel as a group?"

"Sounds like a good idea," Tsunami agreed, rounding everyone up. "Let's go!"

"Let's hope Stardust is there too…" Peril looked up, following the chain of peaks to Jade Mountain. Auklet, ever the excitable little one, took to the air with glee.

"C'mon! Let's go meet our new friends!"

–X–

"Can… can we stop for a minute?"

As long as they'd been flying, Smolder and Onyx had yet to make it past the biggest dunes of sand before the hills turned into mountains. The two glided side by side, and while Smolder nodded silently, they landed just atop the last dune. Onyx sank down and cradled her side, Smolder rushing over to help her stay upright.

By this point, Onyx had given up pushing her father's kindness away, seeing as a broken rib and a few internal injuries made it harder to resist. She felt no ill will towards him doing so, and it definitely relieved the stress on her wounds. Onyx did her best to heave in a few deep breaths of the mixed sweltering hot air and fresh mountain breeze, relaxing as best she could.

"Is it getting worse?" Smolder's concern dripped from his words, inspecting Onyx for any visible injuries. "We can take it slow, or I can even carry you! I mean, I'm not sure how heavy you are-"

"You… are not carrying me."

Smolder backed up a bit, seeing as Onyx had no other injuries he could attend to for the moment. "Fair enough… just don't make things worse otherwise-"

"Smolder, just…" Onyx lifted her head just enough to make eye contact with her father. "Stop, please. I can handle this, I'm not a dragonet."

"I-I'm not saying you're still a dragonet, but I don't want you getting hurt, Onyx." Smolder still sat there for her to lean on him, which Onyx did appreciate, but something about the way Smolder refused to let her out of his sight for even a second gave Onyx a sort of feeling that… well, she didn't exactly know how to interpret.

"Or… at least hurt anymore than you already are."

Onyx considered Palm the only parent she'd had in her life, even as much as she disliked her. As useless as Palm was, she was the only dragon she had in terms of family that took any interest or care for her. It was a fact Onyx had gotten used to, one that she didn't exactly care about now. Now that Smolder had come along though, being looked after felt… refreshing.

Of course, she could never let him know that, else he would never stop at all. Especially not when she needed to fight viciously against Thorn if she were to take her place as the rightful Sandwing Queen-

"Oh! There's Qibli!"

Indeed, looking back over the edge of the dunes came flapping another Sandwing, and one tired looking Qibli landed atop the dune with the two.

"Guh… Phew… sorry I took so long."

"No worries," Smolder padded atop the sand next to him. "What happened? What's going on with Vulture?"

…Judging by Qibli's reaction, Smolder got the feeling he shouldn't have asked that question in particular.

"...It's… It's complicated…" Qibli's gaze reached back towards the Sandwing Palace, wistfully so it seemed. "But he was right, he's not the one who's doing any of this. It's all Cobra... she's taken over the family business."

Onyx, ever the stone-faced pragmatist, seemed entirely unfazed by the news; unlike Smolder, who's worry primarily was for Qibli.

"Ooh… that's even worse… Qibli I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be," Qibli raised a paw to shush him. "Just help me take her down. That's all I need."

Smolder and Onyx both nodded in agreement, Onyx a little less agreeably.

"Ok," Smolder put a paw to Qibli's shoulder. "We can definitely do that."

"Did you see any other Sandwings flying this way?" Qibli looked between the two. "After Cobra tried to trap me in there again, she flew off. I'm assuming it was towards Jade Mountain for the meeting."

"No, no one else." Smolder checked the skies around the desert again. "We would've seen them by now."

"Then what's the plan?" Though Onyx took little stake in what had just transpired, the last thing she needed was another political rival trying to kill her. Vulture might have been agreeable enough, but Cobra and her would be at each other's throats the instant they had the chance. "And what's this meeting business about? I need to be in the loop if-"

Onyx trailed off, noting Qibli's gaze shooting past her. As the two turned around back towards the mountain range, they noticed exactly what Qibli was looking at: A pair of Skywings and… a very odd colored Nightwing?

"Do you know them?" Smolder squinted into the distance. "And… is that a Nightwing?"

By the trajectory of these new dragons, Qibli noted they're flying directly to them, which normally wouldn't be a problem considering the current majority of Pyrrhia being chummy with each other, but a gut instinct told Qibli something was just a bit off… and as the other group approached ever closer, the more apparent that this strange black dragon with a baby blue stripe was indeed not a Nightwing.

The trio of dragons landed on the dune across from them, the strange black dragon and other Skywing brandishing spears towards them as the younger Skywing dragonet hid behind the two.

"STOP right there!" "Don't you dare come any closer!"

Smolder protectively stood in front of Onyx, prompting Qibli to rear up in defense as well, but as soon as Qibli got a good look at the supposed Nightwing, a dawning realization rose upon him.

"Wait… you're a Starwing, aren't you?"

The strange black dragon brandishing the glowing spear seemed caught off guard by Qibli's knowledge of him.

"...that I am… what of it?"

"What in the name of the moons is a Starwing?" Onyx's confusion only heightened itself through the ensuing conversation.

"Hang on," The Skywing with the spear prodded forwards in recognition. "Aren't you Qibli? Haven't we met before?"

"Qibli?" The younger Skywing peeked from between the two guarding him, prompting Qibli to light up again.

"Prince Cliff!" Qibli now approached with his paws raised. "Guys, we're all on the same side here, no need for hostilities!"

"Are you quite sure about that?" The Starwing, still hesitant to let his guard down, had his shoulder patted by the Skywing.

"Mesar it's ok, I know we can trust this one."

Evident by Cliff rushing forwards to wrap Qibli in a hug, Mesar let his spear down and holstered it once more. "If you say so Nimbus."

"Um," Smolder, still quite confused about who these new dragons were, approached warily. "I'd like to introduce ourselves as friends as well?"

"Is NO ONE going to explain to me what a STARWING is?!" Onyx interjected once more, increasingly frustrated with her critical lack of information. Cliff, still with Qibli, looked up to him curiously.

"She doesn't know?"

Qibli shrugged to himself. "Apparently not yet."

"KNOW WHAT?!"

"Hi there!" Mesar gave a friendly wave to the increasingly belligerent Onyx. "I'm a Starwing, my name is Mesar."

Onyx, taken aback by how curtly and friendly-like this new dragon introduced himself, sat there with a critical eye.

"Ok, got that part." The Sandwing gestured for him to keep going. "Now what does that mean?"

"It means, in short," Nimbus spoke once more. "He's from space."

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"Yeah," Qibli agreed. "Pretty much."

Smolder nodded. "That's the gist of it."

"You expect me to believe that this-"

Interrupting the group's conversation, a faint echoing ping! emanated from Mesar's wrist. The Starwing hurriedly brought up his wrist comm, tapping a few buttons along the length of his forearm to which the rest of the gang watched with keen interest.

"Hang on… someone's pinging me, which means that signal has been restored across the continent."

"Wait," Onyx questioned the Starwing intently. "What do you mean signal-"

"Just-" Mesar pressed another few buttons along his wrist. "Wait a sec."

He tapped his comm once more then put a talon to his ear.

"This is Sentinel Mesar broadcasting on multiband frequencies, does anyone-"

Mesar straightened up a bit as he heard a voice speak back to him in his earpiece.

"Neon, Xenon! Stars it's good to hear from you guys, what's the status-"

As Mesar listened to what the two Science Officers had to say, the rest of the dragons around him could see his expression pale. Qibli and Nimbus exchanged worried glances, alongside a slightly anxious Cliff.

"I-I see… What of comms-"

Once more Mesar was cut off by the other two, the group around him staying silent.

"How many do you have currently? … 3, so that's at least enough to establish base communications… I'll contact the Starcas-"

Again Mesar was cut off, the expression on his snout contorting more into worry and surprise.

"...Is… Is Stardust safe? … Copy, that's good news at least… listen, we have trouble, the meeting has been compromised, I'm heading back to base camp to alert everyone, we'll come up with a new plan from there."

The group surrounding Mesar exchanged glances, unsure as to what he'd heard to make him worry like this.

"Copy, we'll get things taken care of, I'll see you guys soon. Mesar out."

Mesar deactivated his comm, letting his wrist pad shut off as he regarded his new group of friends once more.

"So… communications are back, albeit in a limited fashion for now."

Nimbus questioned Mesar first. "What did… whoever you were talking to… say?"

Mesar exhaled deeply, thinking to himself. "Well, communications went down because the uh… ship we came in, was attacked by someone else, crippling our abilities to let everyone down here communicate via the ship. They said they were uhm… fixing it, by placing other… things down here to basically do the same thing, so that's good."

"That's incredibly vague," Onyx spoke out once more, still annoyed at her critical lack of information. "And I still have no clue what's going on."

"Okay look," Qibli turned to her, having had enough of her demands for information. "Shorthand, these space dragons came to Pyrrhia looking for their son (which they found), and now they want to have a meeting with all the queens to discuss whether they're welcome here or not. That's the gist of what's going on there."

Onyx, thankful that someone finally filled her in, began to put all the rest of the pieces together herself. Knowing what she did of Cobra, with the knowledge of this meeting and what she was capable of…

"...That explains a few things…"

Smolder's attention drew back to his daughter. "Onyx, if there's anything you know about Cobra's plans we need to know now."

"I don't know anything concrete," Onyx thought to herself of all the information her planted spies had pulled thus far. "But I know the Talons of Power have been organizing something in quick order the last two days. Any and all muscle they can get their hands on they've been sending out to various places, and there's been a lot of talk about infiltration of the other Kingdoms…"

Nimbus and Qibli exchanged worried looks, Qibli the more worried of the two.

"So she's been planning this for a while it seems…"

Cliff, ever the concerned dragonet, pulled on Qibli's wing. "What're we gonna do?"

"Only thing we can do," Qibli motioned towards the mountain. "We have to get to Jade Mountain first."

Mesar glanced down to his wrist comm once more while he spoke. "Worst case scenario if we warn them in time, the meeting gets pushed back and perhaps Aries can make individual trips to each kingdom. If we don't warn everyone in time-"

"-Then we get to see what Cobra had planned for everyone." Onyx finished Mesar's train of thought for him. "But doesn't that mean we should go to the individual queens and let them know instead of-"

"Um, guys-" Nimbus interrupted the conversation to point back towards the desert, spotting a few more dragons coming towards them now. "We might have company."

In confirmation of Nimbus seeing this, the gang whirled around to see four more dragons approaching speedily from the horizon. Expecting to have to fight again, Mesar, Nimbus and Qibli reared up defensively, however their defensive postures relaxed once they noticed the glittering scales of the oncoming group.

"Wait," Smolder perked up. "Icewings?"

"And there's a Nightwing with them as well," Onyx noted. "At least it looks like a Nightwing. It… could be a Starwing?"

"It's not one of us," Mesar tilted his head. "But you said Icewings? Like, the dragons from the tundra region?"

"Yeah, the strange thing is they've been pretty secretive these last few years…" Qibli thought out loud. "What're they doing here?"

"With a Nightwing no less." Onyx noted. "That strikes me as unusual."

Qibli, about to remark on how fast they were flying, was finally able to make out faces, recognizing one of them as none other than Winter.

"HEY!" Ecstatically, Qibli leapt into the air to try and flag them down. "WINTER, OVER HERE!"

"You know one of them?" Cliff seemed a bit taken back by Qibli's friendly demeanor towards the Icewings, while Qibli's shouting earned the attention of one of the Icewings in formation.

In the distance, the head that'd turned around alerted the rest of his group, causing them to stop and hover while discussing something for the moment. Mesar nudged Qibli with a hint of concern.

"Are you sure we can trust them?"

"If Winter is with them," Qibli kept his eyes glued on the group of Icewings. "Then yes. Absolutely."

While the group hovered in midair for a moment, one of the Icewings looked to be passionately convincing the others to land and meet them. After a few moments more, the group agreed, and the four dragons sped over to the dunes to meet them; one of them flying a bit more ardently than the rest, him being the first to land. Qibli indeed recognized him as Winter, who immediately sped over to meet his best friend.

"WINTER!"

Qibli, having no qualms about tackling the Icewing in a hug, nearly bowled him over as the two squeezed each other.

"What're you doing out here, I-I thought you weren't going to-" Winter shushed him shortly after, motioning to the other Icewings with him.

"I know what I said, but… You left the message with me, and… I couldn't just sit and let things get worse."

Winter's smile seemed much warmer to Qibli than he'd seen on his snout in a very long time, which prompted Qibli to smile in return even moreso. The Icewing squeezed his friend once more, simply because he could.

"I'm sorry about turning you two away like that, I just… Honestly I was petrified to face my past, but it was exactly what I needed. Thank you for getting me off my butt, seriously."

"Hey," Qibli squeezed back appreciatively. "Of course! You're like, my best friend, no way I was gonna let you just stick around scavengers all day."

The Sandwing perks his snout up to Jun, still on Winter's back. "No offense Jun.~" Jun just rubbed Qibli's snout with a wide grin.

"While I can appreciate the sappy reunion," The authoritative voice of Snowfall cut through the air. "Would you mind telling me who these strangers are, Winter?"

Winter straightened up and padded back to Snowfall.

"Right! Snowfall, this is Qibli, he's one of the most trustworthy dragons you'll find, I can vouch for him myself!"

"Lovely to make your acquaintance Qibli," Snowfall offered a curt nod. "Though might I ask… are we intruding on something?"

"Well we were just-" Qibli nearly answered in kind before stopping in place. "Wait… Snowfall? As in…-"

"OOH, waitwaitwait!" Lynx nudged Snowfall's side with her wing. "Can I introduce you?"

Snowfall, smiling to herself, simply nodded and waved a wing forwards, to which Lynx popped in front of her with a dramatic flare.

"Sandwings, Skywings and everyone else, I introduce to you-"

"Queen Snowfall!" Smolder burst out as the name suddenly registered in his brain. Lynx shot him a dirty look.

"Hey, I was JUST about to say that!"

"Wait a minute," Mesar, still confused about what everyone was talking about without him, spoke up and looked to Snowfall. "The Icewing Queen?"

"That's me yes." Snowfall, now noticing this strange dragon, drew a bit closer with realization. "…Are you perchance a Starwing?"

Mesar sat up proudly. "That I am!"

"Oh come on," Onyx facepalmed with annoyance. "How does she know about them but not me!?"

"That would be thanks to this guy!" Qibli pointed at Winter all smooth like, eliciting a slight blush and smile of pride from the Icewing Prince. Snowfall stepped to the side and motioned to the Nightwing behind her.

"Also thanks to this one as well.~"

Prince Cliff nearly jumped out of his scales as Peacemaker was revealed, immediately tackling him in a hug.

"PEACE!"

Peacemaker, all too happy to see his Skywing friend, hugged back as the two rolled around in the sand for a bit. The group said naught, but watched the two with smiles all around-

"Wait a minute!" Mesar suddenly remembered the conversation that'd been had the past few minutes. "Queen Snowfall, you're in danger!"

At Mesar's sudden jump and warning, Lynx and Winter perked up and surrounded Snowfall.

"Where?!" "What's the danger?"

"No, like…" Mesar waved the two aside. "I meant the meeting!"

"He's right, the meeting isn't safe anymore." Qibli approached the trio of Icewings. "The Talons of Power, a uh… Sandwing terror group, somehow got word of the meeting, and we've learned that they intend to crash it somehow."

Nimbus, also bearing information about this, stepped forwards as well. "Prince Cliff had retrieved information about the plot, and even overheard a few of them talking about it."

"Wait," Onyx stopped the two in confusion. "I thought the meeting was tomorrow." She turned to Qibli with a more intense expression of curious befuddlement. "Why would Cobra bother putting her plan in jeopardy if she knew it was too early?"

At Onyx mentioning Cobra, Winter's expression shifted towards Qibli with a hint of sympathy, mixed in with a healthy dose of anxiety. Qibli shook his head worriedly.

"Knowing Cobra, I have no idea. But also knowing Cobra, we do NOT want to let her get to Jade Mountain first."

"Then let's go," Snowfall, ever the resolute leader, stamped her paw down in finality. "We have to warn Jade Mountain, we'll need time to prepare either a counterattack, or to securely stop the meeting."

"Snowfall, isn't she counting on you being there?" Lynx voiced her concerns, causing Peacemaker and Cliff to pay more attention to the conversation once more. "If that's true shouldn't we get you away from the danger?"

"Lynx I've been the victim of two murder attempts today, both back to back and by the same dragon." Snowfall growled ever so slightly. "Should anyone else try anything funny, they will be sorely disappointed to find out I fight back."

"Excuse me," Smolder raised a talon with a healthy amount of concern. "Did you say murder attempts?"

"Yes, murder attempts. It's been a long day today."

Qibli leaned over to Winter with a whisper, both looking straight at Snowfall still.

"What did you get into over there?"

"Turns out," Winter whispered back with a hiss. "My mother stole the crown from Snowfall with some sort of enchanted necklace, and then when she found out and we helped her, my mother tried to kill her. And then… well, Snowfall killed her."

Qibli reeled back a bit with a tinge of shock, melting away into sympathy as he faced Winter again. "Oh… wow, Winter I'm so sorry, that's-"

"Don't be." Winter bumped his shoulder. "I still have my brother and sister, that's all the family I'll need."

Qibli nodded in thought, before Winter wrapped a wing around his Sandwing best friend. "And you."

The Sandwing couldn't help but wrap a wing around in return. "Oh you big sap, I knew you missed me.~"

Winter smiled in return, looking down a bit at the dunes, his mind shifting gears a bit. "H-hey, um… how's Moon?"

"-OH relax!" Snowfall spoke loudly to Lynx once more, motioning to Peacemaker. "We have Peacemaker with us, I doubt things will get too out of hand."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cliff loudly asserted his question, glancing over to his buddy with his wing wrapped around him. Peacemaker shrugged shyly as he faced his friend.

"I'm uh… kind of an Animus."

Cliff didn't exactly know how to react to Peacemaker's sudden revelation of his powers, and just blinked a few times in succession.

"You're a what now-"

"An Animus?" Nimbus drew back a bit and gripped his spear a bit tighter. "Like… Like Dark-"

"NO," Snowfall of all dragons cut the Skywing guard off, before Peacemaker could defend himself. "NOT like Darkstalker. Nothing like Darkstalker."

"Okay," Mesar cut in once more. "I feel like I'm missing some critical context here…"

"HEY!" Peacemaker, not enjoying being in the center spotlight for a change, cut everyone off again. "Don't we have more pressing matters right now?"

"Yes," Qibli agreed. "We need to move."

"To Jade Mountain." Mesar nodded to the group. "I'll lead the way, everyone stay close."

"As you say," Snowfall nodded back. "Strange… space dragon."

"Starwing, your highness." Lynx tapped Snowfall's side with her wing. Snowfall tapped back.

"I remember Lynx.~"

"C'mon then!" Nimbus shouted, taking to the air along Mesar. "Let's move!"

The gang followed suit, save for Qibli who also stopped Peacemaker from taking off.

"Peacemaker, just a second."

Peacemaker, already not liking where this was going, stayed in place at Qibli's behest. The Nightwing shifted in place with a tinge of malaise.

"Is…" Qibli, unsure if he should ask the question he had in mind, stopped for a second before continuing. "Is it true you kept your powers?"

Peacemaker nodded slowly. "Yes… although just my Animus powers, thankfully. No mind reading or future sight or anything… Promise."

"Ok…" Qibli sighed to himself, forcing his gaze onto Peacemaker. "...And is it also true you helped save Snowfall?"

Nodding with a bit more pride in himself, Peacemaker let a slight grin appear on his maw.

"Yeah… it felt good to help change things for the better. I'm glad I did."

Peacemaker's malaise drifted away seeing Qibli's expression shift from hesitance to trust, recognition even. Something behind the Sandwing's eyes seemed to melt away and reveal the warmth of hope, a feeling the young Nightwing appreciated quite a bit.

"That's… that's great to hear. If Winter trusts you, and Snowfall trusts you… then I trust you too."

"Thank you Qibli. That means a lot to me." Peacemaker nodded in return, not before Qibli lurched forwards to wrap the Nightwing in a hug.

"I know you remember who you were before… but just know that I don't care about your past self. You're someone new now, and who you're turning out to be is everything I'd hoped for you. And… well, I don't know if you remember this but…"

Once more, Qibli hesitated to keep talking, to Peacemaker's curiosity He let go of the hug and studied Peacemaker's face in memory.

"...you… Darkstalker enchanted Vulture, my grandfather. At first it was twisted and maniacal, like he was just trying to taunt me… but, in the end… the enchantments didn't wear off, and for all the terrible, awful things my grandfather did… he felt guilty, and wanted to change himself."

Peacemaker looked up to Qibli, who glanced down with a small tear in his eye.

"You gave him a second chance, and… I wasn't prepared to forgive him, but… Darkstalker saved him, and… who knows, I might be able to actually have some sort of relationship with him now."

As much as Peacemaker had remembered from before his transformation, the memories of Darkstalker and Qibli rang around in his head for a moment. The young Nightwing thoughtfully wiped away Qibli's tear, and smiled once more.

"Well…. If I were Darkstalker, I would be glad to hear I did something good."

Qibli chuckled to himself and hugged the Nightwing hybrid once more.

"Honestly I'm not even sure why I'm telling you this, it's just-"

"-been an intense few days." Peacemaker finished Qibli's sentence for him. "I know."

Qibli arched an eyebrow as he pat Peacemaker's side. "You sure you didn't keep your mind reading?"

Peacemaker chuckled in response, gesturing to the group of dragons flying in the distance. "C'mon, we still need to save Pyrrhia."

"Again." Qibli noted while taking to the skies.

"Yep, again." Peacemaker joined him, and the two flew wingtip to wingtip towards the others…

…unaware of another dragon trailing behind the two in the distance.

-X-

"Sigh… Hope they're doing well out there."

While Starflight didn't necessarily miss being in the center role for saving Pyrrhia, he admitted it was awfully hard to stand on the sidelines and wait for the news of what happened next. Then again, what good could a Blind Librarian be out there? He mused on with his scrolls gingerly, wondering if he could've had a different role through all of this.

One by one he ran his talon across the library's scroll holders, sorting the few scrolls that had been checked out by the remaining students. At least he knew what his job was to be, something he enjoyed regardless-

"Here we are! Jade Mountain Academy!"

Starflight's head perked up all at once at hearing the voice echo down the empty halls, knowing that voice intimately enough to be none other than Sunny. He navigated the shelves of the library nimbly to exit the hall, bumping his head into another dragon that grunted out in surprise.

"Omp, sorry, uh…"

"It's Tamarin," She cleared her throat allowing Starflight to recognize her. "It's ok. I was in the middle of the hall."

"Sorry Tamarin," Starflight continued. "Did you hear Sunny just now?"

"Yeah," Tamarin stood up alongside Starflight, the two blind dragons leading each other along. "I think she's in the main hall, but I heard someone else with her too."

"Huh," The Nightwing peeked his head out the hall, listening more intently now that Tamarin had said something. "Let's see if we can find out who."

Starflight padded down the halls with a wing touching the inner wall to guide him, hearing another two female voices accompanying Sunny. As he beckoned closer though, the incoming sound of wingbeats on the opposite side from him drew his attention further.

"...-NOT going to let you put a harness on Auklet, mother!"

"Not even an enchanted one? It could stretch as long as she likes!"

"I don't care! Don't you dare put her through that, it's horrible!"

"Alright alright, you have my word little one. No harness."

"Thank you. Anyways, here we are! School sweet school."

Starflight made his way to the new voices this time, instantly recognizing Anemone, as well as her mother. He stood a bit straighter upon recognizing the Seawing Queen's voice.

"Anemone! Queen Coral, you're… both here early?"

"Ah!" Coral's voice prodded closer to the Nightwing. "Starflight, a pleasure to see you again!"

"Hey Starflight," Anemone drew closer as well. "I know the meeting isn't until tomorrow, but we were hoping we could see Queen Aries a little earlier?"

"Well uh," Starflight rubbed the back of his head. "I don't think she's here right now."

"She's not?"

Sunny's voice struck Starflight's ears like a melodic chord, his head swiveled over in her direction happily.

"Sunny!"

The warmth of Sunny's presence brushed against Starflight's side, as well as a gentle head nudge.

"Hey," He continued as the two mingled. "Why are you here so early?"

"We came to see Aries about something. You said she's not here?"

"No, she uh… left to find someone." Starflight tilted his head. "Also… we?"

"Oh!" Coral's delighted gasp startled the room. "Queen Thorn!"

Talons to the ground could be heard as Coral scampered to the other side of the cave.

"Queen Coral!" Starflight then picked out an older Sandwing voice as well, one he guessed to be Thorn herself. "How very surprising! You came early for this meeting too?"

"Of course!" Starflight might've guessed the Queen could barely contain herself with giddyness as the sound of talons to stone continued. "This is history in the making, I nearly left as soon as I got the message!"

"It is quite a momentous occasion," Thorn agreed. "And I'm glad circumstances allowed me to visit as well-"

"Oh good, you're back Sunny!"

Once more, Starflight tensed up in surprise at the sudden voice from behind him, belonging to none other than Webs.

"I'm so glad you're here, you have no idea… what…"

As Webs slowed in his speech, the slow rolling realization that Coral didn't actually know Webs was here working as a teacher struck Starflight as suddenly as lightning. He whirled around to where he last heard Coral.

"Queen Coral, wait a sec-"

"-you TRAITOROUS SLUG!"

…Now whether Webs intended to hide behind Starflight in fear, Starflight couldn't say. And whether Coral intentionally knocked Starflight aside to get to Webs, he didn't know either. But what Starflight knew was that before he could react, Coral had done exactly that in an attempt to strangle the poor old Seawing behind him, nearly slamming the Nightwing's head to the cave wall.

THUNK!

"GAH!" Starflight fell to the floor with disorienting pain, hearing a faint ringing before feeling two pairs of talons help bring him up, the first of which he discerned to be Queen Coral.

"Oh SEAS I'm so sorry Starflight! Truly I-I meant no harm!"

Immediately after, another soft voice remedied the pain in his head, drowning out Anemone scolding her mother. Sunny then rubbed her paws over Starflight's aching head.

"You hurt…? You're bleeding a little bit…"

Starflight held his talons along with Sunny's, still cradling his head.

"I-I think I'm ok… it's nothing, Sunny, I-"

…The Blind Nightwing kept Sunny's talons atop his snout for a moment longer, feeling a more pronounced warmth from her contact. He could've sworn he could visualize them in front of his eyes… and from them, through the inky darkness, wisps of golden light brought that into reality. Starflight was seeing her talons in front of him, despite his blinded eyes… Soon he could make out the cloth of the blindfold as well, the golden light peeking through the fabric.

Sunny drew her talons back, but as she did so, Starflight caught one of them mid air. With the other, he slowly unwound the blindfold from over his eyes… and through renewed eyes he made out the form and shape of Sunny's face; the very first sight he'd gotten to see again, the face of his favorite dragon in the world.

"Wait-" The Sandwing Princess found her talons intertwining with Starflight's, recognizing the spark of sight behind her brother's once blind eyes. "Starflight… can you…-"

Starflight could make out more than just that though. From her paws, her face, every part of her body radiated with the same divine light. The Nightwing brought up his paw that held Sunny's, making direct eye contact as he stroked her cheek.

"...Sunny ...You're… you're beautiful."

Even though Sunny didn't reciprocate the feelings Starflight had towards her, hearing him say that with the expression he bore at that moment… Sunny couldn't tell whether her cheeks were blushing, or whether her light was focusing on her face at the moment. Either way, she squeezed Starflight in an ecstatic hug once she realized what that meant.

"OH MY GOSH! STARFLIGHT, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN!"

"What?!" Anemone bounded over to the two, inspecting Starflight's now restored emerald eyes. "HOW?! Sunny, is there some sort of animus magic you're not telling us about?"

"And-" Webs was next to prod forwards, looking Sunny all up and down in her glowing state. "Why in the moons are you glowing like that?"

"That's actually the reason we came here so early," Thorn and Aloe approached the group, Aloe taking more interest in Sunny's light. "This light that seems to be emanating from her."

"Have any of you seen anything like this before?" Thorn glanced between Coral and Webs. "Queen Coral?"

"Goodness no," Coral looked over Sunny with ever increasing fascination. "The only glow we Seawings have is our bioluminescence, nothing like this."

"This isn't just a glow though," Anemone takes Sunny's paw and inspects it with great interest. "I mean… unless all that Starflight needed was a good bonk on the head to help him see again."

"As the dragon in question who was blind," Starflight interrupted, still looking around the room wildly only to stop at Sunny's still blushing snout. "I hit my head plenty of times and it didn't really help."

"So then…" Sunny looks down to her talons again. "What is it?"

"How about this-" The Animus Princess bent down to pick up a decent sized rock from the ground, holding it at eye level. "Ahem… Enchant this rock to turn into pure diamond if Sunny is an animus like me."

As Anemone spoke with firmness, the room hushed with all eyes on the rock she held… and after a few seconds, nothing happened.

"Darn," Anemone frowned. "Kinda wanted a huge diamond…"

"Well it's not Animus magic," Starflight noted. "But it could still be magic of some sort."

"ARE there other types of magic?" Aloe asked inquisitively.

"Considering the Starwings and what Sunny has going on now…" Starflight shrugged. "Apparently so…? Maybe it's just something that's not been seen for millenia."

"Okay okay-" Anemone cleared her throat again. "Enchant this rock to turn to… um… Topaz, if Sunny has some sort of, like, ancient healing magic that no one has had for thousands of years."

Without any hesitation, the rock rumbled in Anemone's paw as it shifted from a dull gray to a brilliant gradient of sky blue and amber yellow. Shock blows through the room as Sunny clasps her talons to her snout.

"Well then! I guess that solves that mystery!" Anemone hands Sunny the stone (albeit somewhat unwillingly) to which Sunny grabs onto Starflight with glee.

"I HAVE HEALING MAGIC! STARFLIGHT, I CAN HEAL DRAGONS!"

While the Nightwing held onto Sunny while she hopped up and down excitedly, his mind raced more with questions than anything else.

"Sunny that's-"

"TAMARIN!" Sunny nearly tore down the hall in excitement."COME HERE, I NEED TO TRY SOMETHING!"

"HEY!" Anemone sped after her just as quickly. "QUIT HOGGING ALL THE BLIND DRAGONS, I WAS GONNA HELP HER!"

"Beetle-" Thorn called after Sunny, then started off after her as well. "Sunny, maybe we shouldn't go flaunting this new power of yours like that!"

Starflight couldn't stop the train of dragons running off, but rather sat in place; still mesmerized by being able to actually see again, especially being able to see Sunny of all dragons.

"I must apologize again Starflight," The Nightwing's train of thought was cut off by Coral sitting closer to him, her paw tenderly caressing the side of his head. "I acted rashly. Please forgive me, I would never intentionally harm you."

Starflight stood there mesmerized by Coral's impressive stature and glittering scales, not used to seeing such elegance (or anything for that matter).

"I-I know your highness, I forgive you."

"Him on the other hand-" Coral's sudden malice shot past Starflight to the Seawing cowering around the corner. Webs finally presented himself with a shaky yet firm stance, obviously frightened for his life, but not backing down.

"My queen, I know that what I've done is… unforgivable, and I-I've stopped trying to ask for forgiveness."

"As you should." Coral snidely remarked.

"But… this is my home." Webs stamped his paw down. "I've come to appreciate helping these young ones to learn about our world, just as I helped teach Tsunami and the others."

"That doesn't change the fact you kidnapped her!" Coral indignantly retorted, nearly taking a step forwards.

Starflight stepped in front of her consciously this time, protecting Webs intentionally this time around.

"Yes, he did kidnap her. But think of what might've happened if he didn't!"

Coral's intense line of sight broke from Webs, then locked on to Starflight. One thing he didn't miss about being able to see, was seeing others glare at him with such ferocity that made him wish he could curl up into a ball.

"What would've happened," Coral continued. "Is Tsunami would have grown up as a proper princess should have-"

"Actually no." Something about being able to use his eyeballs again granted Starflight some sort of guts to say the things he usually reserved for himself. He didn't know exactly why, but he felt strongly that he should stand up for his teacher. "Tsunami would've died at Orca's talons, remember?"

While Coral's gut reaction was anger, such that spread across her maw and expression; her more thoughtful reaction was that of acknowledgement. The memory of such potent loss rushed through her once more, both of Orca, and of the eggs that never came to fruition.

"...I remember..."

"If anything," Starflight gestured to Webs. "You should thank him for saving her… but, your anger is also warranted."

"Your highness," Webs continued once more, this time more pleadingly. "I've done nothing but my best to protect your offspring, truly. I cannot repent enough for my previous transgressions, and-"

"ALRIGHT."

Webs and Starflight stopped as Coral spoke authoritatively. Coral regained her composure and regal air. "Sigh… You've made your point, Nightwing. Webs," She motioned for him to come a bit closer, to which the older Seawing approached slowly and cautiously. Once he sat a good few feet away from her, she regarded him with a less hostile energy. "...I must offer my apologies."

Webs' expression brightened with pleasantly surprised astonishment while Coral continued.

"While I considered you the worst of traitors for years, you did well to protect my daughter for that span of time, and I have yet to credit you for it. You've been punished enough, and I thank you for helping to raise Tsunami."

"I-I…" The older Seawing stammered with no idea what to say in response. Coral turned to Starflight next.

"And I must thank you too, Starflight. You proved to be an excellent brother for my daughter."

Starflight beamed a proud smile. "Of course Queen Coral, I'm glad to have her as my family."

"Mom," The trio of dragons whirled around to see Anemone poking back into the main hall where they all stood. "Did you just forgive Webs?"

"Perhaps." Coral shifted in place for a second, slightly uncomfortable with the openly admitting so. "For now, at least."

"Does…" Webs prodded up meekly once more. "Does this mean I'm allowed to come home now?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves-"

"Mom!" Anemone bumped her mother's side with her wing. Coral shot her a brief look of 'Hush!'

"-but MAYBE. I'll be sticking around for a day or two, we can discuss it."

"Webs can't leave!"

This time, Sunny's voice from the cave entrance nearby prompted the four to look to the Sandwing Princess, following alongside her came Thorn and one still-blind Tamarin.

"He's our only history teacher! What're we gonna do without him?"

"Don't worry Sunny," Webs beamed a smile at her. "I won't be going anywhere."

"Hopefully." Coral felt Anemone smack her side with her wing once more, to which she brought her daughter in for a playful hug.

"Tamarin," Starflight switched the subject to the Rainwing. "Did Sunny's light not work for you?"

"Oh it worked," Thorn spoke up in response. "Just not for her vision. Her scars and injuries are fully healed, she's as good as new."

"I think my powers only work for injuries and such," Sunny piped up again. "Not for things you're born with."

"I'm grateful for the healing though," Tamarin nudged against Sunny happily. "My leg has been killing me lately."

Sunny, ever the excitable princess, let out a squeaky "Eeeee!" and squeezed Tamarin tight, then bringing in Starflight as well.

"Oh MOONS THIS IS SO COOL! I finally can make a real difference!"

"Sunny," Starflight found his talons intertwined with hers once more. "You were doing that without powers already. You've already made a huge difference to everything!"

"Yes but come ON-" Sunny lifted her other paw with her light spiraling off still. "Think of all the good I can do with this!"

"Starflight is right," Anemone padded over to the three. "WIth great power comes great responsibility. It's really cool that you have this now, but just…"

Despite Starflight having his sight back for the span of about 5 minutes or so, he detected what he made out to be a flash of grief on Anemone's face for an instant in time, replaced by steel will to cover it up. Had Starflight needed to guess, he would've made the assumption she spoke from experience.

"...Don't let it go to your head, Sunny."

Those words seemed to bring Sunny down to earth once more, realizing how carried away she'd gotten with her newfound powers.

"...Okay… Okay, you're right. I'll keep it to a minimum for now."

The Sandwing Princess looked back to Starflight with another warm grin, prompting Starflight to do the same.

"Still though, I'm glad I was able to help you," Sunny let go of the other two dragons from her hug, focusing on Starflight's verdant eyes. Starflight found himself returning the favor, unable to avert his gaze from Sunny's. "I missed seeing your green eyes!"

Starflight faltered as he fumbled for words. "I-I missed seeing your eyes too… Honestly, I missed seeing."

Sunny chortled a snorting chuckle, soon cut off by Thorn prodding the two.

"As adorable as you two are, I think it wise to try and track down Queen Aries."

"YES!" Coral sprang up to her feet once more. "That's a wonderful idea!"

"Starflight," Sunny spoke in turn. "Do you know where she went?"

"No," Starflight finally broke his gaze from Sunny's. "She seemed to leave pretty suddenly."

"Didn't their King leave as well?" Webs threw his conjecture into the mix as well, leaving Coral surprised.

"The Starwings have a KING TOO?"

"Actually," Starflight perks his head up in memory. "I recall Kinkajou took off earlier too… Perhaps she was with him?"

"What is it with all our students not staying in class?!" Sunny threw her paws in the air in exasperation. "Are we just boring or something?"

"I know where they went."

The entirety of the group practically jumped out of their scales, whirling around to find the lone Starwing Caelum nervously prodding out.

"OH!" Coral excitedly clasped her paws to her snout. "A STARWING!"

"So that's what they look like!" Aloe, having sat quietly for the entirety of the conversation, cautiously prodded up to Caelum and stalked around him. Thorn, following her politely, bowed her head to this new dragon.

"Greetings, my star speckled friend! I am Thorn, Queen of the Sandwings. Who might you be?"

Caelum, entirely not used to this level of attention, awkwardly sat in place while Aloe poked and prodded (until Thorn smacked her with her wing gently), clearing his throat.

"Ahem… Ah, my um… My name is Caelum. While i-it's lovely to meet you all, I have some pertinent information about where Queen Aries and King Orion went."

Sunny nudged Aloe aside to stand near the Starwing, giving him her full attention.

"If you could tell us where they are, we'd very much appreciate it."

"Yes, of course." Caelum nodded. "In fact… I think they could probably use your assistance. Aries went off first to find Stardust's sister-"

"Sister?" Anemone made her way into the circle now, listening intently. "He's got a sister?"

"Skygazer…" Sunny put the pieces together in her mind, tilting her head in thought. "I KNEW it!"

"And the King?" Thorn followed up with her question.

"King Orion found… a uh…" Caelum stopped for a second, trying to think how to describe the camera feed to a civilization who had yet to discover electricity. "...in simple terms… a signal, that Stardust was in a cave with her, around the Claws of the Clouds mountains, one of the middle peaks."

"What's Stardust doing there?" Starflight's inquisitive nature spoke for him. "He should be with Peril and Ruby right now."

"We don't know either," Caelum continued. "That's why Orion went over there. He and Aries met up there to find out. But… with what energy readings we're getting from their vicinity…"

Caelum needn't say anything else to elicit an intense worry from the group. His expression and ominous trailing off said everything they needed to know.

"Say no more," Coral, ever the excitable Queen, spoke with authoritative presence. "We'll go find them and ensure everything is ok."

"Coral," Thorn nosed up to her. "Are we sure that's a good idea? After all, it seems like a family issue that they're resolving…"

"No need to worry," The Seawing Queen's nonchalance soothed the room's worry. "Magical Family Drama is something Pyrrhia is used to by now, I'm sure."

"Unfortunately." Anemone coughed to cover up her snide comment.

"What they mean is," Sunny looked to Caelum once more. "We'll go find them, and make sure everything is ok. Can you give us a specific area?"

Caelum nodded, producing a data pad that he held behind him nervously.

"Around here," The map of Pyrrhia displayed a glowing red dot around one of the bases of the mountain slopes, relatively close to Jade Mountain. "That's where we last had contact. Their signatures are coming from deeper within the mountain last I checked, but they could be coming back out now."

"We know that area," Starflight glanced at the map, remembering the peaks from his time adventuring. "We'll go find them."

"We?" Sunny looked to Starflight in surprise. The Nightwing nodded staunchly.

"I wanna come with you. I've been stuck in that library too long, I need to get out there again!"

"Okay okay," Sunny had no issue with Starflight tagging along, looking to Webs next. "Webs, you can take care of the school for a few hours, right?"

Before Webs had a chance to respond with indignation, a glowering scowl from Coral stopped him from saying what he REALLY wanted to say. He sighed in defeat and nodded.

"Of course… I'll make sure nothing catches on fire."

"Good!"

"Alright team!" The Seawing Queen stood once more and looked to the nearby landing pad. "Let's make history!"

As most of the dragons filtered out alongside her, Caelum stopped Starflight for a second.

"Hey, just… one more thing."

Starflight stopped for a second, barely tearing his eyes away from Sunny. Caelum seemed deathly worried, it nearly dripped from his every word.

"I can't say why… but… I just have a bad feeling about all of this. Promise me you'll protect the royal family if anything goes wrong?"

…Starflight hadn't the opportunity to actually see any of the Starwings until this very moment, considering his sight had been taken from him for all these years. Meeting Caelum's eyes, brilliant shining white and gold against deep set black, Starflight once more found himself transfixed by the lustrous color and depth of the other dragon's gaze. He found Caelum's paw and held it with both of his own.

"I swear to you, we'll keep them safe." Starflight nodded to seal his resolve.

"No matter what."

-X-

"Why do I always get left to wait…?"

While waiting already wasn't Kinkajou's strong point, she found it much harder to do when waiting for the King of the Starwings to return from a mysterious cave after he'd rushed in at blistering speeds. Without so much as a word to tell her what was going on or what he was doing in there, all Kinkajou could do was wait for the Kingly Starwing to return.

"...Wish he would've told me what's going on. I could've helped…"

The more she paced around the coniferous mountain base, the more her anxieties set in like an oncoming storm. Kinkajou could only assume that the strange happenings earlier regarding Stardust were happening in this very cave, and quite literally the only thing stopping her from barging in to see what was going on, was Orion shouting "STAY HERE." before blasting inside. As curious and worried as she was, she knew whenever serious matters were unfolding, and when to keep her snout out of it…

…all that being said, she planted her head to the nearest tree trunk angrily.

"URGH, what is taking him so long?"

Kinkajou nearly barged into the cave in the short few seconds she looked away from it, only turning around to hear the patter and scraping of talons to stone, emanating from said cave. She bounded over to the entrance to see Orion heading out.

"ORION! You're back! What happened, why did…-"

The Rainwing looked past Orion to see a group of other dragons following behind, one's she'd definitely not seen Orion come in with. The Starwing King looked a bit more despondent now, notably letting a smaller, similarly colored Starwing lean against him with an expression of grief upon her face. Kinkajou, sensing that she should be more quiet about all this, nudged up to Orion slowly.

"King Orion… What happened? Are you ok?"

Orion offered a kind smile, nosing her head gingerly.

"We're ok… thank you for your assistance Kinkajou, may I ask that you lead us back to Jade Mountain now?"

"My liege," Before Kinkajou could respond, another larger Starwing poked alongside him. "Perhaps we should escort Princess Libra to the ship first."

"Hamal, I think we're going to wait on that for the moment." Orion looked back to him. "We need to do a sitrep on the ground before…"

Orion's trailing off gave Kinkajou the heebie jeebies, for reasons she couldn't exactly place. Hamal nodded slowly with a silent understanding that went over Kinkajou's head.

"As you say my liege…"

With more questions than she started with, Kinkajou looked around the dragons following behind Orion to see if she could glean any answers. Why is Libra so important? Is that Libra, leaning on Orion? Why do they look so sad? Where did all these other dragons come from anyways?

And speaking of other dragons, one seemed to pop up in the background besides Queen Aries:

"Moon!" Kinkajou pounced over to Moonwatcher, before noting her equally sullen expression. She perked up a bit seeing Kinkajou, and allowed her a hug despite her sorrow.

"Kinkajou, hey… What're you doing here?"

"King Orion needed help finding his way here, what're…" Kinkajou whirled around looking at all the different dragons, noting Stardust practically burying his head in Aries' wings. Everyone seemed to have this depressed aura around them. "...What happened? Why is everyone so sad?"

Moon opened her maw to try and speak, finding that any words she brought to mind were none that she wanted to say, especially not at the moment.

"It's… It's complicated Kinkajou… Can we talk about it later?"

Kinkajou did not want to talk about it later, seeing as she'd waited about a whole half hour for Orion and company to come back out, but with everyone as depressed as they'd looked, she decided not to press anymore on the subject.

"Ok… c'mon, I'll lead the way-"

"Incoming-"

The group stopped in place as Hamal and Boteïn motioned in alert to the denser part of the trees behind them, notably shuffling.

"A group of dragons are approaching." Boteïn spoke up to alert Orion. "Not pinging on our registry, not Starwings."

"Boteïn relax," Orion waved a paw to assure him. "I don't think we have any enemies here."

"But my liege-" As Boteïn replied back in earnest, voices emanated from the trees that shuffled with life.

"-don't understand, why are we going toward the voices instead of flying towards Jade Mountain?" A feminine yet gruff voice asked.

"Because," The deeper voice, incredibly familiar to most of the dragons present, spoke a bit forcefully. "I think I know who's over here."

"Maybe we should just get Evergreen to the academy first though-" A smaller male voice piped up. "It might be dangerous out here-"

"Umber, it's ok." The deeper voice spoke in turn. "Just wait a sec-"

Finally the head of the deeper voice poked through the trees, and there to grace everyone's presence came a very happy Mudwing: Clay. Orion and Aries reacted first, both with gladdened surprise.

"Clay?" "CLAY!"

Amongst the happy faces, Stardust finally revealed his tear-addled snout from out of Aries' side, prompting Clay to perk up and step out of the trees.

"Stardust!"

The Young Starwing Prince wasted no time in charging his father figure, throttling him in a tight hug with all his faded strength. Clay let out a soft "hoomph-" as his adopted son thudded against his chest, immediately wrapping his arms and wings around him.

"Oh cows Star, after the day I've had, you have no clue how glad I am to see you! What are you doing out here, where's…"

Clay stopped his line of upbeat questions and ecstatic fatherly love upon feeling Stardust heave a cry into his warm chest. The Mudwing stroked his head and looked down at him.

"Hey, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

Stardust shook his head no, and lifted his head just enough to let out a few words.

"...i'm just glad you're alive…"

…Upon remembering that he was in the Mudwing Palace around the time it caught fire, Clay sat up a bit straighter realizing that everyone who knew he was going there would be worried for his safety. Aries was next to approach him, wrapping a wing around Stardust as well.

"Aries," Clay looked at her with a pang of concern. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

While Aries did her best not to let her expression betray her true emotions, the silence between Clay's question and her answer said all that was needed.

"...He's… had a long day. Right now, I think it best we return to Jade Mountain, we'll fill you in when we get there, ok?"

"Actually-" Clay began to respond, before the plantlife beside him erupted in three more dragons: Umber and Cattail, and then shyly came along Evergreen. Cattail and the little one stood besides Clay in wonderment at the array of new dragons, maw agape.

Umber waved to the Starwing King with a twinkle of recognition.

"Oh! Uh, hi King Orion!"

Orion tilted his head remembering this small dragon from last night.

"Good afternoon, Umber was it?"

"UMBER!" Seeing as Moon hadn't seen her Mudwing clawmate in years, she sped towards him in a hug tackle that nearly bowled him over, Umber gladly accepting said hug.

"Clay," Cattail spoke stiffly, unable to take her eyes off these strange new dragons. "Would you mind introducing me to…?"

"Ah, right." Clay motioned to Cattail, Umber and Evergreen. "This is Cattail, my mother, and Umber, my youngest brother. Cattail, these are the Starwings I told you about."

"Umber!" Kinkajou pounced up and squeezed Umber in a hug as well, who hugged back appreciatively as best as he could with Moon as well.

"Guys! Gosh it's been so long, it's so good to see you both!"

As Evergreen prodded out from behind Clay and Cattail, he looked up with his young wide eyes at Aries' cascading colors down her snout. Clay smiled as he motioned to him last.

"And finally, we have young King Evergreen."

Aries expression shifted from her motherly fondness, to a sharp turn of harrowing realization.

"Wait… King Evergreen? What happened to…"

Umber and Cattail's lack of response, combined with Evergreen's downtrodden expression afterwards, made Clay's slow head shake all the worse. Aries, along with everyone else, now knew exactly what transpired, and Aries knelt down to Evergreen with a soulful nudge to his head.

"I'm so sorry little one… it must be awful losing her. I promise you, you are not alone in this, we're going to make things better. All of us."

Evergreen lifted his snout up to see Aries' eyes once more, blinking as he nearly got lost in her wondrous irises. With a hushed and small voice, he finally spoke:

"...you're really pretty."

Cattail and Clay's ears perked up hearing Evergreen finally speak, Umber simply prodded the little one curiously.

"I didn't know you knew how to talk! How come you never talked to us before?"

Evergreen ducked his head shyly and instinctively.

"You never asked…?"

"OH MY GOSH!"

Of course, Kinkajou immediately took to Evergreen with utmost fascination, adoring the new little dragonet. Umber did his best to ease Kinkajou's excited chittering to little avail. Moon stepped back to keep her distance respectfully, but hung around Kinkajou and Umber.

Clay smiled to himself seeing Cattail and the rest take to the young Evergreen so happily, as well as being admired by the young Rainwing. He looked down to Stardust again, noticing his crying hadn't subsided yet, nor had he relinquished Clay from his hug… With an increasing amount of worry, knowing Stardust usually wasn't rattled or truly hurt by much, he tilted his head up to meet his eyes.

"Hey… whatever happened that's got you like this… scale of 1-10, how bad was it?"

Stardust nearly forced himself to look away, but found himself unable to resist Clay's fatherly pull. He looked up with reddened eyes and a wet snout, sniffling all the while.

"...11…"

Clay balked at Stardust's answer, never had Stardust even answered anything above an 8 before. He looked to Aries once more, who's worry seemed to shine through even more in her expression. Next, his gaze swiveled over to Moon; and while she seemed happy to see Clay, she carried the same forlorn expression… Taking that as a sign that something really bad must've happened, he took mental stock and tried thinking of ways to bring up Stardust's mood. That being said, Clay didn't know how to handle Stardust at the current moment, but rather let him bury himself in his adoptive father's chest once more.

"Ok Star… I gotcha buddy, just breathe… we'll make it better, I promise."

Stardust shook his head slowly as he tried to breathe in, only exacerbating his still ongoing crying. Clay took pity on his boy and held him closer.

"My lieges-" Hamal spoke up loud enough for everyone to hear him. "We should keep moving."

"Right," Aries cleared her throat and motioned forwards. "To Jade Mountain. Um," She bowed her head to meet Kinkajou face to face. "Kinkajou was it? Would you mind-"

"INCOMING AGAIN."

Hamal drew up defensive positions again, as did Sheraton and Boteïn as he kept up with the tracker on his wrist. Orion groaned in annoyance, still allowing Libra to rest on his shoulder.

"Bad guys?" Clay's head perked up, Cattail and Umber immediately sidling next to Evergreen and Kinkajou protectively. Aries brought up Boteïn's wrist so she could read it, looking to the patch of trees opposite from the one Clay came from.

"Probably not, but there's at least 8 more dragons heading towards us."

"That seems like hostile intent my queen-"

Aries shut Boteïn's snout for him as the bushing started to rustle.

"Do me a favor and stop driving my anxiety any higher than it already is."

Boteïn, keeping his gaze fixated on the bushes, nodded slowly. Without any provocation this time, the bushes parted for a rather small, green, Seawing Dragonet, notably adorned with a gleaming pearl necklace. She stopped in place, gazing with wide eyes at the Starwings that surrounded her.

"Woah… oh my gosh you're all so pretty!"

To Kinkajou and Umber's surprise, Evergreen prodded his head out from between them to chime in.

"Super pretty."

"Hold on," Moon spoke aloud, letting her thoughts catch up with her. "Auklet? Is that you?"

"OH MY GOSH!" Auklet squealed with glee, and having paid no heed to Moon's question she charged Evergreen with single minded intent, pushing aside Kinkajou and Umber. "You're so cool!"

Evergreen sat there with a slight blush as Auklet circled all around him, unsure of whether to be embarrassed or proud of being admired like this. Aries and Orion paused for a moment to smile at the young ones.

"AUKLET, WHERE DID YOU GO!?"

The instantly recognizable voice of one demanding Seawing Princess cut through the air and attracted the attention of Clay and Moon immediately, Aries perking up as well. And barely a second later, the heads of Tsunami and Riptide burst through the same grove Auklet came through.

"THERE you are!"

Auklet immediately snapped back to Tsunami's voice, gallivanting over to her once more as Tsunami took stock of all the dragons present. Riptide sat up straight as an arrow seeing these strange new dragons, unsure of how to act in their presence. Auklet came over to tug at Tsunami's wing and point at the newcomers.

"Look! Aren't they so cool?"

"Auklet," Turtle's head popped through the bushes next, admonishing her in his very best big brother voice. "You need to stop running off!"

"Yeah, but-"

"CLAY!"

Tsunami immediately rushed over to the Mudwing's side as the two hugged tight, Stardust just readjusting himself to hold onto his father figure from around his back.

"Tsunami!" Siblings to the end, Clay's face lit up at seeing his sister so soon. "You're here! Why aren't you and-"

"UM," The ever confused Riptide stuck by the bushes around Turtle, rapidly looking between the strange Nightwing-esque dragons before him. "Are… are they…"

Tsunami sighed to herself. "YES Riptide, these are the Starwings we talked about."

"Star… wings?" Auklet sounded out with fascination as she looked up to Aries with even wider eyes. Aries bent down to nudge her head with a smile.

"That's correct.~" As she looked back to Tsunami and Turtle, she cleared her throat. "SO, I'm assuming your mission was successful?"

"Yes," Turtle piped up, trying to corral Auklet with little success as she sped around to look at everyone else. Cattail and Umber offered smiles as she came up to them, Stardust still hiding away from everyone similar to Libra. "Coral is absolutely coming."

"In fact," Tsunami spoke in turn. "She should be at Jade Mountain with Anemone right now, like SOME DRAGONS SHOULD BE."

Kinkajou's vibrant pinks and yellows paled to a softer green shade as Tsunami glared at her.

"I was helping King Orion, honest!"

As another thought struck her mind, her head whirled around looking for a specific dragon. "Hey, where's Stardust, have you- OH! There you are!"

Finally looking behind Clay, her expression shifted from relief, to one of motherly sternness, to a mildly worried concern as she noticed how despondent he looked. A glance to Clay who shook his head with a similarly worried expression stopped her from launching into one of her scolding rants, and instead nodded complicitly.

"Well… I'm sure everyone else will be happy to see you."

"Speaking of," Riptide finally found his voice after taking all of the situation in. "Where are the others?"

"Others?" Boteïn perked up with more interrogative questioning, causing Aries to smack him with her wing.

"Yeah," Turtle piped up again. "They should've been close by…"

"Was Sora with you guys?" Moon looked to Umber, remembering the events that transpired at the academy.

"Who were you with exactly," Umber looked up to Turtle. "We can help find-"

"-They're over here!"

Once more a voice from the bushes perked everyone's ears up again, to which Sora and Marsh peeked their heads through. Marsh immediately sprang through to meet everyone, Sora slowly sauntering out to meet Umber with affectionate head touches. Moon, to Sora's surprise, practically sprinted over to hug her.

"Hey! I'm glad you and Umber are ok, we missed you both."

"We all did," Marsh spoke up, noticing Umber and Kinkajou speed over to the group cuddle. "Especially me."

Before Sora had a chance to cry (again) the rustling of the bushes caught everyone's attention once more. Only this time, the gentle wafting of smoke and burning foliage rumbled through as well.

"PERIL!"

Clay, alongside Stardust, barely allowed Peril any time to get through the bushes before wrapping her in a tight hug. Peril's immediate reaction was to embrace them both, just glad to see the both of them healthy.

"CLAY! STAR!"

The group seemed to silence itself a bit at the sight of Peril's reunion with her mate and little one. While they squeezed the living daylights out of each other, Peril looked to the two with tear filled eyes.

"Don't you two ever scare me like that again!" She jabbed a talon at Clay with a mix of anger and emotionally charged passion. "I don't care if you're fireproof, I won't have you charging into burning palaces! I won't lose you!"

Clay wrapped his paws around Peril's cheeks and kept her eyes trained on him.

"Hey, hey hey hey! I'm ok, it was an emergency, I'm sorry. I did it to save my brother, I'm so sorry to make you worry…"

Peril found herself taking a deep breath and steadying herself once more. "I know, you're right… I just… I heard the palace burned down and I… moons you should have seen me…"

"You did give her quite a scare."

Without so much as an introduction or any sound of approaching, a scarlet Skywing with a simple crown adorning her head stood by the bushes, doing her utmost not to look like a smiling idiot, but failing to suppress a huge grin.

"And-" Boteïn approached slowly. "Who might you be?"

"Ah! Queen Aries," Tsunami spoke up and motioned to the Skywing. "This is Queen Ruby of the Skywings."

"Queen Ruby!" Aries lit up once more with surprised joy, Ruby drawing closer to the Royal Starwing with fascinated giddiness. "What a pleasure to meet you!"

"AND YOU AS WELL!" Ruby enthusiastically shook Aries' paw with gusto, to which Aries just let it happen with a tinge of confusion at such a custom. "Really, the pleasure is all mine, I mean just… wow! You're all so incredible!"

"Well-" Aries attempted to reply back in kind, as Ruby continued.

"It's a fascinating coincidence too, I had just captured one of your guardsmen snooping around my palace! I do apologize for that as well, but we never meant him any harm!"

"Oh please," Aries offered a sly smile. "You could've kept him in there for a bit longer if you wanted, that one is always getting into trouble. But I am very gracious you kept him intact.~"

"Of course! And also-"

Sheraton, noting that room was running out in this clearing, nudged Aries gently.

"Perhaps we should walk and talk?"

"That's a grand idea," Aries motioned for everyone to move along with her, leading the way towards Jade Mountain along the exposed mountain base. Everyone followed suit in a leisurely stroll, save for Clay who stopped Peril for a moment.

"Hey, I'm glad you're here… and I'm sorry for worrying you."

Peril stroked her mate's cheek with a growing smile.

"Don't apologize, you did what you had to, and I'm just glad you're here and whole…"

Clay smiled as he kissed her snout tenderly, to which she returned a soft kiss back. After which, her attention turned to Stardust who hung onto her tight.

"But YOU mister-"

"Peril."

Clay stopped her mid sentence, to which she shot him a glance and took note of Stardust's soft but definite crying into her side, sending a faint trail of steam upwards. She retracted her fury, and looked back to Clay.

"What happened?"

Clay shrugged helplessly. "Something bad… I don't know what yet. We'll find out at Jade Mountain."

"Okay…" Peril nodded to Clay, seeing the rest of the group following Aries. "...Okay, let's just get going. You can tell me all about your adventure-"

While Peril continued on about wanting to hear of Clay's time with his family, Clay's attention immediately tore away. His spine went stiff once a particular whistling sound filled the air.

…fweeeeee …

"Wait-" Clay was not the only one to hear it though. Moon, Sora, and Kinkajou all stood stiff in recognition. Kinkajou voiced her concern first. "Did anyone else hear that?"

Before anyone else could reply…

fweeeeee …
fweeeeeee e e…
…fweeeeeee…

Clay was the first to call out the danger.

"CACTUS BOMBS!"

The ensuing two seconds of chaos threw the dragons into a frenzy of reaction. Peril and Clay immediately surrounded Stardust, Cattail practically threw Evergreen alongside herself towards the others in an attempt to protect him. Sentinel Squad surrounded Orion and Aries (Libra included, who knew not what to do at this juncture), while the few dragons of Jade Winglet and Sora scrunched together as Turtle tried to will into existence a forcefield around them through his magic.

Right before the fuses reached their limits, another voice from farther away called out through the trees.

"EVERYONE GET DOWN-"

KRA - KCOOM!

At the last second possible, Orion swirled his energy around the group to create a dome shield, softening the impact of the multiple explosions but ultimately succumbing to the blast, as he wasn't quick enough to create as strong a field as he hoped to. What weakened blasts throttled the dragons in the center practically threw them altogether in the middle, though it didn't seem too terrible an explosion to endure; certainly not full force, but enough to send a few dragons flying back a couple feet.

What few dragons were knocked unconscious lay on the ground with a good amount of gashes and bruises; Kinkajou, Marsh, Sheraton, Sora and Auklet were of this group, while the rest groaned out and attempted to right themselves with ears ringing and trails of blood lining their scales. The first to get themselves up were Turtle and Clay, who upon returning to their feet found a group of dragons rushing in from the rainforest to help; Deathbringer, Glory, Liana and Mangrove ran up to the banjaxed dragons, Glory specifically to Clay as she squeezed him in a hug.

"Oh, you handsome… cowbrained idiot, I knew we shouldn't have sent you alone!"

"Ngh… I'm ok, thanks for asking…"

"Is anyone seriously injured?" Deathbringer helped the other dragons return to their feet, Liana and Mangrove taking vital signs from the few unconscious.

"Ungh… Au-... Auklet…" Tsunami stood to her feet weakly, whirling her head around to see Auklet lying unconscious on the grassy floor. "AUKLET!"

Turtle, refusing to let this keep him down, sprung to his feet after rejuvenating himself magically, scrambling over to Auklet and feeling for a pulse. "No... Please no, please don't… don't be-"

"She's alive," Mangrove confirmed. "Just unconscious. She doesn't look too hurt, but I think we should let her be for now."

"I'll take her," Turtle scooped her up in his arms, holding her without any trouble. "I got her."

"Thank you…" Tsunami replied in kind before sinking down and clutching her side. "Ngh!"

"YOU on the other hand," Mangrove gingerly inspected her side. "I'm not sure you should be up-"

"Tsunami!" Once Riptide found himself on his feet, he wasted no time in rushing to her side to support her. "Are you hurt? Can you walk? Talk to me, what's-"

"Please don't make me talk right now…" The Seawing Princess gingerly nudged her partner as she let Mangrove inspect the bloodied gash on her side.

"SENTINEL SQUAD," Orion's booming voice rang through the area. Hamal and Boteïn stood at attention. "TRIAGE PROTOCOL. GET A HEAD COUNT, ASSIST WITH INJURIES."

"Sir," Boteïn knelt next to Sheraton, knocked out with a nasty gash across her neck. "Sheraton is down. Vitals are steady, but I don't think she's fit for duty in this condition."

"I'll take care of her," Aries wiped the dust off her scales, a slow trickle of dark scarlet blood down the side of her head. "You two attend to the others."

"My Queen, you're-"

"I know Hamal," Aries shot him a look while she knelt to Sheraton. "I'm fine. Now GO, that's an order."

Peril, now standing on wobbly legs, nosed Stardust to his feet as he shook himself off and took long heavy breaths. Libra, somewhat the same, nosed up to him worriedly.

"Star, are you ok? You took a nasty hit-"

"I'm fine."

Stardust whirled away from her, sticking close to Peril.

"...Leave me alone…"

Clay and Peril took note of Stardust's angered reaction, but said nothing of it. Libra stopped in her tracks, and while she wasn't surprised Stardust still wanted nothing to do with her now… it didn't make it hurt any less. She ambled over to Orion, who gingerly inspected Libra up and down for any wounds.

"Sir," Boteïn approached Orion. "Official report. 5 unconscious, no fatalities. No one is missing, and… close to thirty dragons present. I can't count us all just yet, I think 4 more just arrived…"

"And counting." Hamal's gaze shot past the two towards the mountains. "...There's more coming."

"Did I miss a memo or something," Orion whirled around to see another group of dragons flying in about half a mile out, no doubt attracted by the smoke of the still fresh explosion. "Because there's no reason for all of us to be in this exact spot like this. Who are these guys?"

"Hang on," Ruby, gathering her bearings after assisting with the injured and unconscious, joined next to Orion. "Are those Icewings?"

"Along with a few Sandwings." Glory piped up, now standing beside Ruby. "By the way, it's a pleasure to see you again, Queen Ruby."

"Pleasure is mine," Ruby replied, still keeping her eyes trained on the oncoming group. "Though I could've managed without the bombing…" Glory and Aries noted Ruby squinting harder to make out the oncoming group of dragons. "...is that…?"

"My Queen," Hamal checked his wrist tracker, then glanced back up to the oncoming group. "Mesar's beacon is closing in, looks like he's with them."

"Mesar…" Ruby muttered under her breath. "That means…"

"WINTER!" Moon shot out from the group, bounced up and into the air, flying towards the oncoming dragons; an Icewing and Sandwing headed off the group and met her halfway.

"Winter?" Glory's head perked up at hearing the name.

"Wait," Aries' eyes focused themselves on the dragons approaching as well. "Moon mentioned someone named Winter helping us at the meeting… does that mean-"

"CLIFF!" Aries' train of thought was cut short by Ruby taking to the air, rushing to meet the smallest dragon of the oncoming group as she enveloped him in a midair hug. Nimbus helped the two land, guarding their teary reunion. Now that the rest of the group had gotten close enough, Moon now landed near Turtle and the other unconscious dragons along with Qibli and Winter.

"GUYS!" Umber, hovering worriedly around the unconscious Marsh and Sora, leapt towards the trio of familiar dragons, Qibli graciously hugging him back. Winter, Moon and Qibli all stayed right next to each other, though Winter and Moon accepted Turtle into a group hug, cradling the still unconscious Auklet with great care. The small group tittered amongst themselves energetically, finally being all back together once more.

"MY QUEEN!"

Mesar was next to land, frantically landing beside Aries and Orion. He bowed briefly before continuing. "My Queen I'm so sorry-"

"DON'T-" Aries raised a paw to stop him. "Just… save it for later, you've got some explaining to do. Where were you all this time?! It's bad enough you were captured, but going AWOL during a time sensitive mission? Mesar I should have you-"

"Queen Aries," Surprisingly, Queen Ruby interrupted as Cliff clung to her trembling fiercely. "This dragon saved my son's life. I am indebted to him for this, please forgive him."

Aries, relenting from her Queenly anger, turned to Mesar with thoughtful incredulity. Mesar shrugged meekly.

"It's true… She caught me snooping around, and when Stardust released me, I just wanted to prove our trustworthiness. This was the only reason I did not return to you, I swear it on my birth system."

The Starwing Queen exhaled a long sigh from her nose, looking over Mesar with a less infuriated expression.

"Alright… I suppose that's a good enough reason to let you off the hook. You're lucky you have a queen to vouch for you this time."

"Yes, thank you Queen Ruby." Mesar turned and bowed once more, humbly but quickly. "I was honored to find your son for you, I'm glad everything turned out fine, now Queen Aries I need to-"

"Excuse me," Another voice interrupted the small circle of dragons. "Are you Queen Aries?"

Aries, along with Ruby, turned to meet two smaller Icewings looking up at them. Aries' gaze widened, having finally laid eyes on an Icewing.

"Oh! That I am!"

"Awesome!" The younger Icewing beamed a smile. "My name is Lynx, and this-"

Lynx stepped to the left, revealing another young female Icewing, this one wearing a beautiful diamond necklace, and a starstruck expression.

"This is Queen Snowfall of the Icewings!"

Snowfall presented herself regally, specifically looking to Aries with an expression Aries could only describe as looking at a ghost of someone's past. She barely spoke audibly, very visibly awestruck.

"It… it's an honor to meet you ma'am."

The Starwing Queen stopped for a moment as she looked over the young Icewing, letting the similarities between Libra and Snowfall sink in for a moment. Aries finally decided to wrap a wing around the young one and offer a sincere smile.

"Snowfall, the honor is mine. I'm ever so glad you decided to come, even if it's early."

Snowfall simply sat there as Aries surrounded her with a wing, leaning into the larger Starwing that so reminded her of Glacier. It took everything in her power not to immediately latch onto her like a clingy young dragonet.

"Queen Snowfall," Ruby slowly pawed forwards, clearing her throat and snapping Snowfall out of it. "My name is Ruby, Queen of the Skywing Kingdom. It's a pleasure to finally meet you as well."

"AH!" Snowfall perked up once more and cleared her throat this time. "Hello! It's so nice to meet you, I'm sorry we haven't met earlier, I just uh…"

She rubbed the back of her head and sighed. "I got… really depressed… for a while… -and had to kill one of my advisors who tried to steal my throne. But I'm back!"

"Oh dear," Aries arched an eyebrow. "That sounds quarrelsome."

"Not the word I'd use." Lynx tossed in her bit as she sat by the side and listened in.

"Wait wait wait," Cliff, finally done embracing and clinging to Ruby, spoke up as he looked to Mesar. "There's already three queens here?"

"Four technically," Orion spoke up, still holding Libra to him gently. "If we're counting young Evergreen."

"Evergreen?" Snowfall tilted her head curiously.

"Moorhen's last heir," Ruby stated sadly. "She… didn't survive the palace fire."

"Her palace caught FIRE?" Lynx once more vocalized her disbelief, looking to Snowfall with a hint of worry.

"My queens," Nimbus interrupted the conversation urgently. "I mean not to interrupt but we are in danger."

"YES." Mesar took center stage once more. "The meeting has been compromised, an enemy faction knows the queens intend to gather, and we think they're going to try and bomb the meeting-"

"REALLY now?" Deathbringer motioned to the still burning/smoldering area around them. "That might've been more pertinent information a few minutes earlier."

"HEY!" Finally finishing up their mandatory hugs, Qibli and company made their way into the official conversation. "He's not kidding, we need to get somewhere safe, like right now."

"I can confirm this as well," Glory confirmed the other two's information. "There's a Sandwing faction that's intent on crashing our party, and they're more than likely behind this attempt as well."

"More like," Qibli spoke up once more. "Intent on murdering everyone who attends."

This information thoroughly captured the group of Starwing's attention, Orion standing front and center now.

"Do we know who's behind this operation?"

"The Talons of Power." Glory gravely replied. "Led by some of the worst dragons Pyrrhia has to offer."

"Specifically," Qibli piped up again, this time almost ashamedly. "...my mother."

"Cobra?" Moon looked to Qibli with astonishment in her voice. "What about Vulture? Wasn't he-"

"It's complicated," Qibli cut her off with a tint to his voice Moon couldn't identify. "But no, it's not him."

"So what-" Snowfall found herself piping up, bravery lining her voice. "A few Sandwings want us dead. I say let them come, better than letting them hide in the shadows and plot against us."

"While I do prefer an enemy I can see over one that I cannot," Glory replied in kind. "They've already bombed us once. That means they knew where all of us were at the same time…"

"-and were expecting us to be here…" Winter followed Glory's train of thought. "And considering all of us were in different spots across Pyrrhia…"

"That's another thing." Orion looked across the sea of dragons, now most of which were intently listening to this conversation. "What stroke of luck is it that we're all in this particular area at the same time?"

"I mean," Turtle found himself speaking once more. "It seemed like most of us were just heading back to Jade Mountain."

"Albeit all for different reasons." Aries put her thoughts forward once more. "It seems we've all had quite the eventful day and a half… I know we have."

"Still though," Ruby nodded in agreement. "The fact you all met here first, and promptly survived a bombing attempt, speaks to the fact that someone knew we were going to be here…"

"I would ask how," Winter looks around the group once more. "But if it's true, we REALLY need to get somewhere safe. We have too much royalty here already."

"What about safety in numbers?" Young Cliff found himself speaking up with his idea. "There's a lot of us here already, maybe Snowfall was right. We can stand up to them!"

"Perhaps," Aries nudged the young prince. "But we'd be risking the lives of others here, and that is never a wise decision."

"Why not?" Lynx guarded Snowfall jealously, planting her paw in the grass. "I'm willing to fight for my friends, I think others would do the same!"

"We already have dragons injured," Riptide finally found his voice, Mangrove beginning to create a healing salve for Tsunami as she laid on her side and took shallow breaths. "Not to mention the few that are unconscious."

"Should we split up?" Umber offered his idea to the group. "Take the injured and unconscious somewhere safer?"

"With Cobra leading the Talons of Power," Qibli shook his head. "I don't think there is anywhere safer."

"It's not a where that's safer."

From the back of the group, behind everyone else, a smaller yet definite voice spoke up. The small myriad of dragons parted to reveal a very familiar rainbow Nightwing: Peacemaker.

"It's who we're with."

"Oh!" Aries offered a smile seeing Peacemaker reveal himself. "Hello again Peacemaker, you just seem to pop up out of nowhere don't you-"

"What do you mean?" Moon, still very much concerned for the young Nightwing, prodded forward to him.

"I mean, if the enemy can predict where we'll be, there is nowhere safer to be than with a large group." Peacemaker motioned to Turtle and the Starwings. "Especially those with… uh… powers."

"Are you suggesting the Starwings protect us?" Umber looked around the group, mulling over the thought.

"I think he means everyone with powers." Peril found herself taking center stage, glancing down to her talons. "As Cliff and… uh, the other Icewings said, I'm willing to fight for my friends. I have no better use for my firescales anyways."

"My lieges," Hamal spoke up with his opinion. "Considering the situation, the tactical advantage here will be sticking in numbers. Perhaps a confrontation would play out better in our favor."

"Not to mention we possess higher technology," Boteïn found his words as well. "As well as Astral Abilities."

While Orion mulled over their defensive situation and took into consideration Boteïn and Hamal's ideas, Aries' concern rested upon Libra and Stardust… neither of them seemed to be concerned with the situation, both too sullen and depressed to act at all. She worried as a mother might, that they would be prime targets in a fight. Then again, Aries hadn't seen any sort of magic or weaponry that could counter their own, making a defensive stand safer than she originally thought.

But where Aries thought of standing up to fight, the dilemma of this being their first major decision on this planet prodded her with malaise. Of course Aries had seen her share of explorations gone awry, prompting self defense, and in some cases offense. Yet… this situation seemed more complicated than the rest. What her action should be here, she couldn't say for sure.

All this weighed on her mind, while also taking note of the once blue sky beginning to grow cloudy.

"I'm not sure I can recommend a full on confrontation either," Qibli's concerned voice spoke up again. "Considering the Talons of Power work from behind the scenes… I'm not even totally sure what their plan is-"

"But we can assume it's definitely not good." Smolder, along with an increasingly tired Onyx leaning on him, prodded beside Qibli. "Sandwings can be-"

"Devious?" Tsunami offered with painful sarcasm, or at least painful to her considering it still hurt to talk.

"Underhanded?" Deathbringer tossed his bit in just for fun, earning a glare from Glory.

"Obtuse?" Onyx, doing her best to remain conscious by this juncture, managed to wheeze out.

"Wow," Qibli deflated some. "Thanks guys."

"Not you," Moon nosed his side. "You're none of those things."

"Maybe obtuse sometimes," Winter added with joking snark. "But just sometimes."

"Was no one going to say handsome?" Qibli looked between the two. "C'mon, someone back me up here!"

"I think you're handsome," Umber stuck his snout between the four. "If that counts."

"I'll take that!" Qibli perked up, getting a bit carried away at this point.

"GUYS-" Nimbus spoke up once more. "WE'RE STILL IN DANGER HERE."

"I suggest we use the rainforest as cover," Glory spoke up with authority. "I can have Rainwing guards camouflage and set up a perimeter, that way we know when the enemy moves in."

"That just might work," Hamal looked to Orion. "That way we can be better prepared for a confrontation if need be. We can have Neon and Xenon do recon from the shuttle-"

"Hey, wasn't the sky clear a few minutes ago?" Cliff noted with his snout pointed up. The group found themselves looking up as well, to see that the blue daylight barely crept in at all by this point… in just a few minutes, the sky had darkened unnaturally quick, and seemed not to let up.

"Peacemaker," Snowfall looked to the Nightwing first. "This isn't your doing is it?"

"It's not me…" The young Nightwing looked up with perturbed fascination.

"Wait, why would it be you?" Turtle spoke up with sudden concern. "Unless you-"

"Turtle, he kept his powers." Moon nudged the Seawing Prince to get his attention. "We can trust him, he's changed."

"How do you know?" Turtle, understandably questioning the situation, felt skepticism line his tone.

"Seawing," Snowfall piped up. "He helped restore order to the Icewing Kingdom, and pretty much saved my life. No other Nightwing Animus would do such a thing."

"Hang on," Deathbringer waved his paws in confusion. "If we have multiple Animus dragons on our side, why are we so concerned? We literally have the most powerful dragons on the face of the continent to protect us!"

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable with all of you putting your lives in my talons," Turtle looked down to Auklet with a pang of guilt. "...it hasn't worked out that well before-"

"Then what about Peacemaker?" Lynx motioned to him once more. "He did well last time-"

"I think we shouldn't rely on magic to solve our problems at all!" Qibli piped up again. "That's what made half of them go insane in the past!"

"FELLOW DRAGONS."

Orion's booming voice took hold of the conversation once more, and all heads in the area swiveled to pay attention.

"We CANNOT deliberate anymore, we need to move. Now."

"I agree with Glory's plan," Aries motioned to the royal Rainwing. "To the Rainforest, Glory if you could lead the way-"

"HEY!"

Once more, everyone's heads turned to the new voice that came from the nearby clearing. This time, a confused yet chipper Sandwing stood there: Sunny.

"WHAT HAPPENED HERE?!"

From three different dragons came a burst of pleasantly surprised welcome:

"SUNNY!"

Clay and Glory rushed to meet her in a hug, Tsunami called out from where she was, unable to rush over to her. Once Sunny had embraced the two, her immediate attention went to the bloodied Tsunami, on her side and in distress.

"TSUNAMI! What happened?!"

Clay and Glory followed her over, while Orion exasperatedly rubbed his snout.

"Oh good… are there ANY OTHERS WE SHOULD WAIT FOR?!"

"Sunny?!" Another male voice called out from beyond the trees, almost snuffed out by the wind that began to pick up. "Did you find them?!"

"Are you kidding me-" Boteïn went back to his tracker once more, Aries just pushed past him.

"Boteïn, at this point don't even bother." Padding over to the clearing, she called out once more. "SHE'S OVER HERE. IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"

"Everyone, she's over here!" The voice then popped out from the leafage, Aries recognizing the dragon that emerged instantly.

"Starflight? What in the galaxy's name are you doing out-"

She stopped for a moment noting the once blind dragon's eyes now shimmering a deep emerald. Aries stood in fascinated shock, Starflight allowing her to take her time.

"...You regained your vision?"

"Yes!" Starflight perked up. "I can see again!"

As everyone else noted the Academy's librarian in the clearing, the cacophony of equally confused and excited voices overlapped with such intensity that Aries couldn't make heads or tails of what was going on.

"What? How?" Tsunami's voice was among the quieter of them, prompting Sunny to shush her.

"Tsunami, I need you to lay still for a second, this won't take long."

"What won't take long?" Mangrove, still attending Tsunami's wounds, looked to her concernedly through the chaotic scene.

"Sunny," Clay's voice rose with concern, as the Sandwing began to glow ever so slightly. "Are you… am I seeing this-"

While Sunny's glow wasn't the most intense, the overcast skies darkened even more and began to snuff out the remaining sunlight. Sunny's luminous magic intensified as she pressed a paw to Tsunami's side, eliciting a sharp grunt of pain from the Seawing Princess.

"Ngh-!"

Once the light had grown enough to cast a slight glow over the entire group, the swirling energy enveloping Sunny passed through Tsunami for a few seconds… and slowly, Tsunami's pained expression faded into one of relief, and even more so of bewildered fascination. Once Sunny retracted her paw, Tsunami instantly popped up onto her feet as if nothing had happened in the first place.

"...what… how did…"

By now… half of the small assembly of dragons had their eyes glued on Sunny, while the other still clamored over Starflight's newfound sight. Riptide immediately squeezed Tsunami in a tight hug, which… Tsunami was still too shocked to return just yet. As she pushed Riptide off for the moment, she grasped Sunny's shoulders.

"By all the fish in the sea, DON'T TELL ME YOU'RE MAGICAL TOO!"

"YES!" Sunny's unbridled optimism shone nearly as bright as her magical healing. "I HAVE HEALING MAGIC!"

"TOO?" Peril found herself enveloped in the conversation upon Tsunami's exclamation. "What do you mean "Too"? Who else is magic?!"

"Well," Turtle spoke in turn. "Turns out Auklet is an animus as well… We just found out today, we were trying to get to Jade Mountain to talk to Mother-"

"AUKLET!"

As if summoned, Queen Coral and Anemone sped out from the clearing Starflight was in directly to Turtle. Turtle and Tsunami sped over to meet her, all in a tight hug while Turtle and Tsunami spoke over each other in their apologies for what happened to Auklet.

"Wait, Sunny-" Clay went back to Sunny with a more serious question. "When did you discover this magic?"

"Literally just this morning!" Sunny looked between him and Peril with glee. "I got bit by a dragonbite viper, and then my body started healing itself, and then I woke up with this cool light stuff!"

"YOU GOT BIT BY A-" Peril started her incredulous question, then stopped herself short once she realized it wouldn't have mattered anyways. "...Am I the only one who had a relatively normal time visiting Ruby?"

"Uhm, Peril…" Clay nervously spoke up. Peril regarded him with a suspicious glance, to which Clay presented his paws; both aglow with a more ambient orange light, almost the color of his scales. Peril nearly choked seeing her mate's talons glow as well, Sunny grabbed hold onto his left while Peril did the same for his left.

"WOAH!" Sunny began to ask while Peril simply stared at Clay's paw. Clay shrugged as Cattail finally brought Evergreen over, who seemed keenly interested in Sunny's magic. "Clay that's amazing, when did you-"

"Its… a long story," Clay smiled down to Evergreen, who held Sunny's paw with his own. As Sunny's faint glow reached the strange dragonet's paw, Evergreen's own energy flowed along with hers. Before Sunny could pipe up in surprise again, Clay continued. "But whenever we found this little guy, he kinda… unlocked my powers? I guess? I dunno, it's all really new to me-"

"Where did you learn this?" Evergreen's young and tiny voice spoke in wonderment as Sunny's light spiraled into green orbs along with Evergreen's energy. Sunny barely heard the little one's reply as she gazed in amazement at the sight.

"Clay," Cattail, ever present yet quietly figuring out that these dragons surrounding Clay were of close family, felt obliged to speak up and ask a question. "Are these dragons part of your family?"

"OH!" Clay perked up hearing her speak. "RIGHT! Guys, this is my mother!"

"Your mother?" Peril spoke indignantly, trying to suppress a tinge of hostility in her voice.

"I thought she-" Sunny voiced her memories of what Clay spoke of her, cutting herself short as Clay attempted to explain her presence.

"I don't know what you've heard of me," Cattail spoke suddenly, getting the three's attention. "But… more than likely it's true. When he first came to me, I was… awful, and I probably deserve whatever scorn you feel towards me."

"Then…" Peril, arching an eyebrow in curious distrust, prodded further. "I'm assuming you two made up?"

"It's hard to explain in a short time," Clay rubbed the back of his head. "But basically she sold me to the talons because she wanted me to have a better life than what she thought I could have with the other Mudwings."

Glancing over to his mother with a complex mixture of grief and trust, he offered a smile.

"She did what she thought was best for me… and it ended up allowing me to meet my family, so… I think she chose right."

…Peril couldn't tell for sure, but she could've sworn Stardust looked up a bit when Clay had said that.

"It's not in Mudwing nature to take care of our eggs," Cattail nudged Clay warmly. "But we don't have to be jerks about it."

"Even though you were-" Clay bumped her jokingly. "You came around. And I forgive you."

"Clay," Peril nosed her mate's shoulder. "I think it's wonderful you got to meet her again but maybe we should-"

FOOM…

[SOUNDTRACK PROTOCOL: ENGAGING WEATHER AMBIENCE FILE | STORMWIND]

(Just put on some heavy rain and lightning ambience for this part!)

While the conversation of Clay, Peril, Sunny and Cattail was one of many going on in an ever chattering forest clearing, the distant rolling thunder of a blackened sky slowly brought a hush across all of them… coming from the mountains in clear view, came not a quaint little rain clouds, but rather a fierce wall of roiling storm clouds; pouring forth from between the peaks came streams of these clouds, building rapidly into angry thunderheads. The pitter patter of the first gusts of rain brought a static across the winds as it pelted the treeline, and everyone felt to the core that this storm was not of natural cause.

"...Turtle," Coral found her words first. "I need you to wake up and heal who you can. We need to find shelter."

Turtle, still balking at the worsening clouds, made his way to Kinkajou, still being surrounded by the rest of Jade Winglet. "Y-yes mother."

"That's not a regular storm…" Anemone spoke to herself, simply thinking out loud. "They don't just come out of nowhere like this."

"Or get this bad this quick." Snowfall continued her train of thought. "That… that looks as bad as the blizzard we had for two weeks."

Anemone, not liking the train of thought this was going towards, picked up a sizable rock from the ground, still keeping her eyes glued on the blackening sky.

"Enchant this rock to turn to solid diamond if that storm was summoned by another animus dragon."

"What is it with you and diamonds-" Tsunami began scoldingly, before seeing the stone turn into a chunk of pure and clear, gleaming diamond. The surrounding dragons balked in recoil.

"So… there's someone out there making this happen…" Qibli couldn't take his eyes off the chunk of diamond in Anemone's paws.

"Well," Riptide, still with Tsunami, piped up. "Can we make it un-happen?"

"Why is he here?!" Coral, still cradling the unconscious Auklet, hissed at Tsunami.

"Mother-"

"CLEAR THIS STORM." Peacemaker, stepping forwards and extending a paw to the heavens, spoke firmly and willed all the magic he could muster to stop the advancing clouds. To his chagrin, and everyone else's too, no such thing happened.

"You sure you're an animus?" Anemone said with doubt lining her voice. Peacemaker simply pointed to the huge diamond in her paw.

"Return to normal."

Instantly, the chunk of diamond returned to a normal rock, causing Anemone to deflate some.

"Aw."

"Then…" Winter tilted his head a bit in thought. "That means whoever created this storm had the intent of it staying here… they're using it as cover."

"But who-" Onyx spoke up, but nearly crumpled to the ground with a painful cough as Smolder held her up. Sunny, realizing how banged up Onyx and Smolder were, rushed over to heal them both. Thorn and Aloe rushed to their sides as well, Thorn making sure to keep an eye on Onyx especially.

"That's a good question…" Anemone looked at her stone again. "Enchant this stone back to diamond if that storm was summoned by anyone in this group of dragons."

After a few seconds of waiting… the stone didn't turn to diamond, and stayed just as a regular rock.

"Fishbones… I just want a giant diamond, dang it-"

FOOOM!

This time the lightning flashed across the sky, painting the dark clouds a strident flash of deep purple and illuminating the turbulent skies underneath.

"Urgh… wha-" Kinkajou slowly regained consciousness with Turtle's help, and subsequently was immediately met with a hug from Turtle. "What… where did you all come from?"

Through all of this, Orion and Aries made sure to keep Libra and Stardust close by, Sentinel Squad grouping around them. Considering that the Starwings had witnessed the species of this new planet unveil to them several different types of magic that they had no previous knowledge of, the King and Queen's game plan seemed to fall short in covering the magical possibilities that their newfound friends possessed.

"My lieges, orders?" Hamal motioned for the rest of Sentinel Squad to form a tighter formation.

As the winds accelerated, and the pitter patter of rain strengthened into a barrage of water, conversation became harder to entertain amongst the group. Marsh and Sora stood to their feet, Clay beckoning Umber and them back to him along with Cattail and Evergreen. Kinkajou stood with Moon, Qibli and Winter, Turtle returned to Coral and her offspring. Thorn and Aloe protected Sunny from the torrent, Starflight taking his side beside Sunny. Smolder and Onyx stood together alongside them, Smolder looking to Thorn while keeping Onyx close to him. Peril still stood with Stardust, protecting her egg. Snowfall and Lynx found themselves besides Ruby and Cliff, Nimbus standing in front of them all. Glory stood surrounded by Deathbringer, Mangrove and Liana, who then gathered near Snowfall and Ruby, Deathbringer, Nimbus and the other rainwings guarding the other royals out of unease…

Though everyone sought protection in groups… imminent danger permeated the air as fiercely as the roiling storm. No one felt safe where they were… and Orion took note. He headed off the group, projecting as loud as he could.

"WE NEED TO MOVE. THIS STORM WILL PREVENT US FROM SEEING OUR ENEMY, WE MUST BE CAUTIOUS."

While everyone listened intently, Starflight cradled his head and grunted out. "Ngh…"

"Hey," Sunny immediately caught on. "You ok? You hurt?"

"N-no, just…" Starflight stared at the ground with inherent confusion struck on his face. "...I… I saw something…"

"You…" Sunny nearly had to shout with the winds and rain. "You SAW something?"

Moon couldn't help but overhear at this point, latching on to what Starflight said.

"What did you see?"

"I…"

FWOOOMM!

Lightning cut the Nightwing off once more, causing him to cradle his head a bit more.

"Gh… I… I saw…"

[-[ENGAGE TRACK : DIVISION RUINE - CARPENTER BRUT (Reality Level: Background)]-]

Starflight whipped his head up to the mountains, looking between a single pass where a stone ledge overlooked the forest clearing. From the point of view of the dragons in the clearing, the storm obscured anything else past that point with near pitch black. Starflight pointed to it with a rising expression of wide eyed fear.

"...THAT."

…Now everyone's eyes were locked onto the same spot Starflight pointed to. While no one could see anything… Another flash of lightning illuminated the mountains behind the scene, and subsequently revealed the stone platform that stood between them. In that single flash… where once there stood an empty space, there now stood a small army of Sandwings. Distinct and menacing, the increasing lightning now made sure that everyone below could see them. Echoing from the platform, a voice cruel as the winds and booming as the thunder rang down from the platform, coming from the dragon that stood in the center of it all.

"SLAUGHTERTHEM ALL!"

…Orion decided he would wait no longer.

"RAINFOREST. NOW. GO!"

…And then chaos broke free through the clearing.

-X-

While the congregation of dragons split up through the thickening rainforest, it was gut instinct that drove Jade Winglet together. Qibli and Moon led the way while Winter hung back with Kinkajou, who seemed quite dazed from the sudden and startling revelation.

"WHAT ARE WE RUNNING FROM?!"

Kinkajou's voice barely rose above the howling winds and pelting rain, Winter did his best to reply.

"SANDWINGS TRYING TO KILL US. WE NEED TO REACH THE RAINWINGS, THEY'RE OUR CLOSEST BACKUP."

"MOON," Qibli ran side by side with his Nightwing companion, who seemed still lost in thought. "CAN YOU HEAR ANY OTHER DRAGONS OUT THERE?"

"NO!" Moon's enthusiastic response came out with a heavy layer of rising panic. "I CAN'T HEAR ANYONE'S MIND RIGHT NOW! I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!"

"GREAT!" Winter nearly had to stuff Jun in his satchel to keep him safe, yet amazingly the stoic scavenger hung on as the four barrelled through the thickening trees. "NO ANIMUS MAGIC, NO MIND READING, IN THE MIDDLE OF A MAGIC STORM, AND WITH AN ARMY OF SANDWINGS TRYING TO KILL US. NOT EXACTLY HOW I IMAGINED BEING BACK WITH YOU ALL!"

"I'M SO CONFUSED," Kinkajou voiced angrily. "WHY ARE THE SANDWINGS TRYING TO KILL US?! WHY DO I ALWAYS MISS EVERYTHING!"

"DID ANYONE ELSE NOTICE STARFLIGHT?" Still evading vines and dodging between tree trunks, Moon kept her gaze ahead while questions roiled in her mind. "HE PREDICTED THAT THEY WOULD BE THERE! HE'S NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE!"

"CONSIDERING THE EVENTS OF THE PAST TWO DAYS," Qibli kept his voice raised, now following Moon while simultaneously ensuring Winter and Kinkajou were behind him, and scanning his surroundings to see if he could spot anyone else. "I AM NOT SURPRISED A SINGLE BIT."

"DID SUNNY GIVE HIM FUTURE SIGHT OR SOMETHING?" Winter theorized while making sure no one followed them. "MAYBE SHE UNLOCKED SOME DORMANT POWER?"

"SUNNY DID WHAT NOW?!" Still ever confused, Kinkajou nearly stopped in her tracks hearing this news, prompting Winter to start dragging her along.

"DO WE EVEN KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING, MOON?!" Qibli interrupted Kinkajou to ask. Moon nearly got to answer, before a tree falling over in the four's path cut them off.

CRASH!

The quartet of dragons stopped in their tracks, and out from behind the thicker trees jumped out a total of 6 Sandwings; each brandishing a gleaming sword on one side, and their venomous tails on the other. Jade Winglet formed a close circle just as quickly, barely having any time to react to the sudden swarm of hostiles.

Before anyone could strike or make another move, a blur of light and energetic distortion blasted two of them back towards the mountain, and the fiercely protective Queen Aries guarded Jade Winglet with wings stretched out.

"KEEP GOING. DO NOT LOOK BACK."

Not daring to disobey the pretty space queen's orders, the gang scurried off through the increasingly violent storm. More blasts of energy and impacts could barely be made out through the winds, obscured by the sizzling rain as the four ran fast as they could away from there.

"IS SHE GONNA BE OK?" Kinkajou shouted in front of her, obvious worry showing through.

"I'M MORE WORRIED ABOUT THE SANDWINGS." Qibli shouted back, quite unused to weaving through the rainforest like this. "SHE'LL BE FINE, WE NEED TO WORRY ABOUT OURSELVES-"

"WAIT! LOOK!"

Just as the group escaped the fight behind them, another ruckus could be seen through the trees a ways in front of them; 5 more Sandwings had surrounded Thorn, Aloe, Sunny and Starflight, Thorn seemed to be shouting at them fiercely. In that moment, no conversation was had between the members of Jade Winglet, gut feeling alone propelled them to charge at the Sandwing attackers with all their might.

"GRRRAH!"

Winter and Qibli each tackled a Sandwing on their side, Moon launched themselves at another while Kinkajou sped behind them to trip them over. Thorn and Aloe took the opportunity to lunge at the other two, quickly dispatching them with lethal jabs of their venomous tails and making quick work of them.

Qibli had done similarly to the slightly larger Sandwing in his grasp, getting up just in time to hear the suffocated screech of the other hostile Moon and Kinkajou had in theirs; Moon lay on her back with her arm around the Sandwing's neck, and Kinkajou spraying venom directly into their eyes. While Qibli grimaced at such violence, he had to admit that made Kinkajou that much more terrifying.

"GAH!"

Winter on the other hand, seemed to be having a bit more trouble with the Sandwing he picked a fight with. Held down against the muddy jungle floor, he had his hind talons at the brutish Sandwing's chest, barely keeping the hostile's stinger inches away from his face. What made Winter shout in pain though, were the talons scraping across his neck and cutting off his airways.

Before any of the others could stop him, Starflight and Sunny had rushed over and tackled him off with their combined forces, pinning the larger Sandwing to his back while Qibli jumped in for the final blow with his tail stinger to the Sandwings neck. The three watched the life drain from his eyes, and the three stepped back.

"GUH! *Cough! Hack!* Phew…" Winter stood to his feet, dripping with a few trails of blue blood down his neck and head. Jun, miraculously still alive, hopped up to his side and tucked himself in Winter's satchel. "THANK YOU GUYS, I WOULD'VE BEEN-"

"YOU'RE WELCOME," Starflight shouted through the storm. "BUT WE NEED TO MOVE."

"STICK WITH US, AND STAY CLOSE." Thorn's commanding presence cut through the immediate area. "WE PROTECT EACH OTHER, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR OTHER DRAGONS, FRIENDLY OR NOT."

Moon, Qibli and Kinkajou all circled into a tighter formation, Sunny, Aloe and Starflight stood behind them all. Winter and Qibli guarded Thorn as she spoke, nodding in confirmation. Moon however couldn't avert her gaze from the ground… the rainforest floor now lay littered with lifeless bodies, stabbed and oozing crimson blood that mixed with the torrential rain. As she watched the two liquids mix… something about it itched in the back of her brain. It wasn't a memory, nor was it something she recognized. As Kinkajou nudged her to keep moving with the others, it struck as suddenly as the lightning over head.

'Wait… I've seen this in a vision.'

-X-

CRACKOOOM!

'Darkstalker what do I do? This is chaos, how can I help the situation if I can barely think straight?!'

Peacemaker ran as fast as his unenchanted feet would carry him across the rainforest floor, not daring to take off the invisibility ring he bore for occasions like this. The more he wildly looked around, the worse his anxiety and panic took hold of him. It took a vine around his back paw tripping him, and causing him to faceplant in the mud that it subsided momentarily.

'PEACEMAKER. LISTEN TO ME.'

Darkstalker's commanding presence shook his mentality for a second, recovering some semblance of focused thoughts as his mental tenant directed him.

'Stop where you are, they cannot see you. You're right about the situation, it IS chaos. What we need to do is make some sense of it, that way we can act swiftly and decisively.'

'Right, right… first we need to know what capabilities they have-'

'Considering that they're able to conjure a magical storm that resists our commands, I think we can safely say that they have an animus on their side.'

'We don't know who though, that might be pertinent information-'

"DON'T YOU DARE COME ANY CLOSER!"

The duo's train of thought cut short at the resounding shout from Queen Coral, and as Peacemaker looked up from the muddied ground he looked through the nearby trees and found the group of Seawing Royalty completely encompassed by Sandwings; Tsunami, Riptide and Anemone stood between Turtle and Coral, who still held Auklet tremblingly.

It mattered not, considering that a total of ten Sandwings surrounded them, outnumbering them 2 to 1. That didn't stop Tsunami and Riptide from standing guard with fangs bared in the meanest snarls Peacemaker had seen.

Anemone stepped forwards to the three Sandwings she faced. "YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE'RE CAPABLE OF!" A brave shout at the three in front of her steeled her courage, but their knowing smiles only pushed her back. One of them stepped a paw forwards.

"OH BUT WE DO…" The Sandwing that spoke definitely stood out as the largest of the group, riddled with scars and a few tattoos as well. Their gruff yet effeminate voice seemed to mismatch their body, but it made no difference as to what they said next. "ANIMUS… WE CAME PREPARED FOR YOU TWO."

The slowly dawning look of horror on Anemone's snout soon spread to the rest of the royal group. Tsunami, deciding to have no more of this, charged one of the Sandwings with a tackle.

"HYAAA-"

Only to come face to face with what seemed to be an immovable object, firmly planting her snout into the Sandwing's neck and nearly knocking herself out in the process.

"Agh! Ghh…"

After that, Tsunami found the Sandwing's paw atop her neck with ease, though there was nothing she could do about it either. The rest of the Sandwings closed in, about to pounce for the kill…

'Peacemaker listen to me carefully, you need to know what exact wording was used for the spell on these Sandwings.'

'How do I do that?'

'Think these exact words in a command: Reveal to me the knowledge of what spell was used on these Sandwings, down to the exact wording.'

'Okay.' Peacemaker pushed aside the panic for a moment more to summon his magical willpower to him once more. 'Reveal to me the knowledge of what spell was used on these Sandwings, down to the exact wording.'

Nearly instantly Peacemaker felt another voice inside his head, an echo of words spoken before.

"Enchant these Sandwings to wield incredible strength, and to resist any magic from Seawing Princess Anemone, and the Seawing Prince Turtle."

The echo Peacemaker heard could be felt to be the exact voice of whomever spoke it, sounding to be from an older female dragon, notably devoid of emotion. Peacemaker knew no such animus dragons, neither from his time or current time, but he'd gotten the exact phrasing he'd needed.

'They're only enchanted to not be affected by Turtle or Anemone!' Peacemaker felt a rising pang in his chest. 'I can stop them!'

'Disenchant them, all of them! Before they can do any damage!'

Peacemaker barged towards the scene, still invisible and not planning on revealing himself anytime soon, and focused on the Sandwings with magical intent.

"DISENCHANT THESE SANDWINGS FROM ANY ANIMUS MAGIC!"

While the Sandwings stopped their closing in and searched wildly for the disembodied voice, Tsunami grabbed onto the paw stepping on her throat and roughly SNAPPED it by the wrist, tossing them aside with furious power.

While the Sandwing collapsed and cradled their wrist, Anemone quickly spoke up with a command.

"ENCHANT THE SEAWINGS WITH ME TO BE IMMUNE TO SANDWING VENOM-"

Just as Anemone finished her command, the Sandwing closest to her struck her with extended talons, hard enough to send her back a few feet and leave deep gashes in her face. Coral, now handing the still sleeping Auklet to Turtle, charged the Sandwing in rage with a direct bite to the neck. Tsunami already was atop the other Sandwing, and with a violent thrust from her talons to the enemy's neck, their lifeforce drained within seconds.

At that point, the rest of the Sandwings charged in towards Riptide and Turtle. Turtle, thinking on his feet, crouched down while he shouted into the storm:

"VINES, GRAB THE ATTACKERS!"

Like snakes through the ground, the vines that hung low through the rainforest swooped down to grab onto the Sandwings, successfully trapping two of them and snatching them up towards the treeline. The rest managed to cut them off or burn them, distracted enough for Tsunami and Riptide to finish off another 3 of them. Coral had grappled with the largest Sandwing for a good minute or so, taking a stab wound to the leg before ripping out the assailant's jugular veins with malice.

Peacemaker decided enough was enough, and pounced on one of the Sandwings that dared to attack the still downed Anemone, biting the hostile dragon's heel and ripping out the tendon; while not a lethal move, it was definitely one they would not recover from easily. And considering he was still invisible, the screeching Sandwing only took a quick slice across the neck from Tsunami to cease their functioning. 6 down, 4 to go.

By that point, Riptide and Tsunami dealt with two of their own, Coral had another two pinned down with blood staining her murderous glare, and Turtle sat with Anemone and the now waking up Auklet. Peacemaker rushed over to Coral in an attempt to help her out, extending his paws to both of them in an attempt to issue a command, when-

SMACK!

-Coral sent one of them back flying, knocking into the still invisible Peacemaker with a harsh blow to the head once more. He lay in the rain struggling to maintain consciousness…

"...not… again…"

[-[END TRACK]-]

His invisible body flumped to the rainy floor, garnering the attention of Anemone who noticed the dragon-shaped dent in the mud. She rushed over to try and see what this strange anomaly was, just as Tsunami and Riptide had dispatched the other two Sandwings in their grasps.

"NOBODY MOVE!"

Everyone's attention found themselves facing Coral, now bloodied much more than before and at the mercy of her Sandwing attacker with a dangerously sharp barb readied at her neck, keeping her firmly subdued.

"YOU SO MUCH AS BLINK AT ME WRONG AND I'LL-"

"GET AWAY FROM MY MOMMY!"

All eyes snapped over to one bravely standing Auklet, pointing a talon with fierce commandment at the Sandwing. While the Sandwing tried smiling cruelly, he found himself relinquishing Coral against his will.

"WHAT THE-"

His arms and legs moved on their own as he stood a good few feet away from her now, unable to resist the command of Auklet's magical command. After Coral managed to bolt away from the intruder, Auklet then opened her paw and shouted once more:

"GO AWAY!"

And immediately upon her command the Sandwing was forced back and into the air like a puppet being dragged back through the rainforest, sailing into the stormy air at breakneck speeds.

"wRRAAAAAAAAA-"

And then Auklet rushed over to Coral, hugging her tightly while the battered Seawing Queen looked down to her awakened child with awe.

"What…"

Her astute gaze then went between her multiple offspring surrounding her, squinting in suspicion.

"WHEN WERE YOU PLANNING ON TELLING ME MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER IS MAGICAL?"

"MOTHER," Tsunami helped her and Auklet to their feet. "NOT THE TIME. WE NEED TO KEEP MOVING-"

"WAIT!" Anemone poked the invisible dragon, feeling around them to try and guess who they were. "AWAKEN THIS DRAGON!"

At the magical command, Peacemaker gasped with the sudden flood of consciousness to his system, sitting up with a splitting headache.

"Ngh… T-THANK YOU ANEMONE."

"PEACEMAKER?" Turtle was the first to recognize the young Nightwing's voice. "IS THAT YOU?"

"YEAH," He took off his ring for the moment, revealing himself to the group of Seawings. "I HAD TO DO SOMETHING."

"PEACEMAKER," Anemone clasped a paw to the young Nightwing's shoulder. "YOU SAVED OUR LIVES!"

"I AM VERY GRATEFUL, BUT I'LL BE MORE GRATEFUL ONCE WE'RE NOT IN IMMEDIATE DANGER!" Tsunami gestured to the deeper rainforest. "GET MOVING! NOW!"

-X-

"EVERYBODY STAY CLOSE, DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF EACH OTHER!"

While Clay was certainly a leader, he had to admit being the Bigwings in this very much panic-inducing situation was a bit hard to handle. He led the way through the dense rainforest, staying away from trails and open areas to ensure they had as little a chance as possible to encounter any other hostiles.

"BIGWINGS-" Marsh barely kept up with Clay as they galloped across the gradually muddying bed of leafage. "WE NEED TO GROUP UP WITH THE OTHERS!"

"THEY SAID TO MEET WITH THE RAINWINGS FOR BACKUP, RIGHT?" Sora kept up behind Marsh, following his train of thought. "QUEEN GLORY MIGHT ALREADY BE THERE WAITING FOR US!"

"CLAY, WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL! WE HAVE EVERGREEN WITH US!" Cattail stayed at the tail end, keeping the strange young one in front of her. "THEY'RE GOING TO COME AFTER HIM, RAINWINGS OR NOT!"

"I'M AWARE!" Clay could barely keep up with the conversation just navigating the rainforest at such a breakneck pace. "EVERGREEN, CAN YOU USE YOUR POWERS TO FIGHT IF WE HAVE TO?"

While the young one had a soft spoken voice, a firm "Yes!" could be heard from behind him.

"GOOD, IF IT COMES TO IT WE'LL HAVE TO-"

CRASH!

Halting the group in their tracks came a huge tree trunk, cut down exactly in front of their path. As Clay came to a screeching halt, everyone barely had time to stop and practically crashed into him. Just as they did-

CRASH!

-Another tree crashed behind them, all but cutting them off. As the group of Mudwings lay somewhat trapped between two massive tree trunks, four Sandwings appeared on both open sides; all brandishing swords and tail stingers, all closing in with malicious intent.

"EVERGREEN, NOW!"

Clay's sudden shout prompted Evergreen to plant his talons to the ground firmly, letting loose a ferocious wave of his verdant energy into the ground. From it, thick roots breached the muddy ground and rushed towards the assailants.

Clay, remembering that he suddenly had been granted some similar energies, acted in desperation and attempted to do something similar to what Evergreen was doing. He planted his forepaws into the mud, letting his orange energy blast into the earth beneath him. While he had no idea what to expect, he felt solid stone resonate beneath the dirt and roots, and dared to will it up from the depths towards the surface.

As the four Sandwings on both sides charged them, Evergreen successfully stopped 3 three of them from advancing and pinned them to the ground; Clay had raised a bulwark of limestone that crashed into the other four on his side, blasting them back and more than likely breaking a fair amount of bone as well. The single Sandwing that made it past Evergreen's roots was met with Cattail and Clay's combined force, pinning him to the trunk and knocking him out cold.

After that, the six Mudwings took stock of their surroundings, finding no other hostile Sandwings in the area.

"OKAY, LET'S MOVE."

Clay led the group out from between the trunks, back to the crowded and dense rainforest and away from the open areas; this time with more haste propelling them, considering they got extremely lucky with the confrontation that had just ensued.

"CLAY, PLEASE TELL ME YOU KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Cattail's sudden question brought to light the fact that everything in this rainforest was really starting to look alike.

"I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING!" Clay said in his most determined voice. "...MOSTLY. I THINK I DO, IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO TELL WITH THE RAGING STORM-"

"WHY DON'T WE FLY ABOVE THE TREES TO SEE WHERE WE ARE?" Umber piped up with his idea, the tiredness evident in his voice.

"THE STORM WOULD RIP US APART," Marsh found himself responding to Umber's question. "THESE WINDS ARE FEROCIOUS RIGHT NOW!"

"MARSH IS RIGHT," Clay followed up with his thoughts. "GOING ABOVE THE TREELINE WOULD EXPOSE OUR POSITION, WE NEED TO STAY HIDDEN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW."

"CLAY, IF THEY FOUND US BEFORE WHEN WE WERE STAYING OFF THE PATHS, THEN THEY CAN FIND US AGAIN!" Sora argued alongside Umber's point with passion. "I DON'T THINK ANYWHERE IS SAFE!"

"THEN WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP MOVING!" Clay looked behind at his family for a moment, having a straight shot down the rainforest. "THEY CAN'T ATTACK US IF THEY CAN'T-"

WHAM!

The Mudwing hadn't a chance to dodge to the side or stop before another Sandwing had tackled him from the side, pinning him against the nearby tree trunk. Before anyone else could even stop to shout at them, 5 more popped out from behind nearby trees to surround the rest, closing in on Evergreen and Cattail specifically.

"NO!" Clay attempted to push off the Sandwing attacker, but barely had a chance to do anything before the Sandwing thrust his tail stinger to Clay's face, Clay catching it with both paws just in time to stop it from entering his left eye.

"NGH… GET… AWAY… FROM THEM!"

Umber, Sora and Marsh all crowded around Evergreen as well, the young Mudwing crouching down and trying to summon more vines frantically, while Cattail snarled ferociously towards her assailants. Clay did everything he could to force his attacker to the side, just barely able to-

KCSHHHHH!

The Sandwing that held Clay to the tree screeched out a silent cry of anguish, before the blazing talons that wrapped around his neck severed it clean off, and toppled to the floor. All heads swiveled around to see what had caused it, while Clay got a good look at who his rescuer was.

"PERIL!"

While Clay knew his mate to be a gentle lover and proud mother, he knew beyond doubt that the untamed and fierce fighter still lay somewhere in there, and with Peril's bloodied past in the arenas, it would only take one of her friends in danger to bring that part back out. But with Clay put in harm's way…

The Sandwings immediately disengaged, retreating to one side while Cattail, Evergreen, Marsh and Sora scurried over behind Clay and Peril. Clay also noted that Stardust stood next to Peril with less sadness across his snout, and a deathly aura of rage surrounding him. Around his chest he carried their egg with the very same satchel Peril had, allowing Peril to flex her body as free as she needed to. The group could still hear and see the rain, but with the heat that Peril radiated off her body at the very moment, no one could feel a single raindrop hit their scales. Clay thought she might actually cause the Sandwings to burst into flames just by looking at them.

"...Take Evergreen and go. Stardust will get you to the Rainwings."

Clay leaned in with a more forceful worry in his tone.

"PERIL-"

Peril kept her eyes trained on the Sandwings.

"NOW, CLAY."

…Having learned through years of being Peril's mate, Clay knew better than to argue against her command with that tone of voice. He motioned for his family to follow him and Stardust as they silently exited towards the inner rainforest, leaving Peril to stare down the five hostile Sandwings. Peril's aura of heat and steam clouded the area, while the Sandwings met Peril's blazing blue eyes…

[-[ENGAGE TRACK : GENESIS - JUSTICE (Reality Level: Foreground)]-]

"I WILL GIVE YOU ONE CHANCE TO FLEE. TAKE IT NOW."

Obvious fear lined the group's gestures and posture, the few Sandwings in front doing everything in their power to scoot back from Peril's increasing radiant heat.

One of the Sandwings in front shouted back: "WHERE'S THE TEAM THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HANDLE HER?", without taking their eyes off the Skywing. While Peril could tell that whatever magical force had their talons in this mess had counted on her firescales, she had not a single doubt in her mind that it could stop her.

With Clay and Stardust out of the area, the searingly hot Skywing spread her wings and allowed all of the heat within her body to loose itself, evaporating the rain that hit her before it could make contact.

Noting that none of the Sandwings had moved yet, she stepped forwards.

…The Sandwings all stepped back.

Peril took another step forward.

More Sandwings poured in from around her, none of them dared get close.

Peril continued to move forwards… The Sandwings still pedaled back from her.

Memories of Scarlet's arena flooded her mind, only this time, her ferocity and built up fire were not just to kill, but to protect.

…And nothing would stop her from protecting what she had now.

"GET HER."

…The group of a dozen or so Sandwings seemed to be suspended in slow motion as they all charged at her, fangs bared and talons outstretched, swords and spears all about to pierce her fiery hide. But Peril focused on none of that. All she did was close her eyes, and picture Clay's face in her mind…

…and the instant before any of the incoming danger reached her, Peril ducked, slammed her wings down to the jungle floor, catching the wave of Sandwings within them and trapping 9 under a net of instantaneous incineration.

There were no screams, no struggling, not even a fight. Nine Sandwings were now gone, reduced to ash that quickly made peace with the now cracked and charred earth beneath her. The remaining few that narrowly avoided this fate scrambled back as far as they could, grouping together and making a mad dash towards any others they could find.

Peril scraped her talons to the charred ground to propel her forwards, nearly severing trees in her wake as her tail wrapped around them to turn tighter within the dense forest. With ease she caught up to the three remaining Sandwings, snapping her tail through them with a single SNAP and cleaving them cleanly in half. Not tempted to leave bloodied torsos on the ground, a simple flick of her talons burst the pile of bodies in immediate flames, quickly scorching them into unrecognizable bones.

Not yet done with her work, more Sandwings yet found their way through the trees, circling in and surrounding the blazing Skywing. Each more careful than the last, Peril found herself dashing towards the nearest one and cleaving the tree in two at the base, equally slicing the Sandwing behind it similar to the last three. It took her but a few seconds to lunge at the next one, slicing the tree and dragon behind it with ease, forcing the nearby reinforcements to jet away and-

"HYYAAH!"

Stunningly, Peril found herself tackled by a huge Sandwing that, to her chagrin, didn't immediately burst into flames. This one, a bit larger than Peril by a good margin, attempted to bring his tail to her face with as much muscle as he could muster, Peril barely able to hold it off on her own. It took a burst of her wings to flip him over, and while Peril usually relied on her sheer heat to annihilate her enemies, she growled with guttural vehemence as she planted her hind talons on the Sandwing's neck, slicing the Sandwing's neck with all the strength she possessed, and watching the life drain from his neck as he sputtered and strained for a few seconds.

Peril now looked up to see that the majority of other Sandwings had fled entirely, leaving only two others to stay and face her, both equally large and fearless. She had to assume these two carried the same enchantments with them, and as the two charged her, her fears were proven correct.

The Sandwing to her left had dragged their talons across her right wing, drawing blood and nearly poking a hole in her wings all the way through. The Sandwing on her right nearly grabbed hold of her, if not for her dodging and grabbing hold of his tail barb. Peril narrowly slipped under his grasp, redirecting his tail barb into his back, embedding it into his ribcage from behind. While he sank down to his knees in agony, the Skywing attempted to slice her talons through the Sandwing's neck, only to get tackled once more by the Sandwing to her left.

Both dragons now tussled on the ground, Peril narrowly dodging stabs into the ground from a venomous tail dagger every which way. This Sandwing kept Peril pinned to the bone dry earth, despite the pouring rain dousing the forest around them; every which way she struggled, her attacker knew how to keep her down. Just when the other one got back up to finish her off-

PHOOSH!

A wave of energy from the right knocked the two off of her in the nick of time, blasting them back to the thick trunk of an olden oak tree. Peril hopped to her feet once more, to see a familiar looking Starwing standing there with a few gashes and bruises, but standing resolute with a Light Spear nonetheless. Peril nodded to Queen Aries with appreciation, and the two set their sights on the Sandwings once more.

While the Sandwings quickly recovered from Aries' blast, the four dragons met with frenzied attacks and powerful blocks to counter them. Peril countered high while her opponent went low, Aries protected Peril's lower flank while her own opponent dove upwards to strike. Peril swept his attack aside and shoved him back. Aries brought her spear across the second Sandwing's face and pushed him to the tree, Peril kicking the other one just beside him.

It took the two enchanted thugs a few seconds to get back up, not going down without a more thorough fight. The first managed to get out a swipe of his talons across Aries' arm, just barely making a bloody scratch in her forearm. Aries roared out and back handed him with ease in her reaction, turning just in time to see Peril tearing into the other Sandwing's side, and quite nearly breaking a rib or two with her strikes.

Aries bolted after the injured Sandwing, narrowly avoiding a bloodied stinger to the face as she whipped her tail under his legs and shoved him back. Peril charged the other Sandwing, and used her wings to propel her knee into his gullet with as much force as she could muster. Both opponents fell to the ground, and just as their heads hit the muddied floor, the two motherly dragons switched targets; Peril found her hind claws on the back of the injured Sandwing's cervical, while Aries pinned the other to the roots of the tree with the shimmering blade of the spear.

With one quick SLASH, it was over for both of them. The two Sandwings lay dead where they landed, both covered in blood and dirt. Peril's rageful heat settled down into her normal fiery disposition, and Aries deactivated her Light Spear and took a knee to catch her breath…

[-[END TRACK]-]

Aries broke the silence first.

"WHERE… *Huff*… WHERE'S STARDUST?"

Peril felt her wings and arms, running her scales over any wounds to seal them immediately. The water that surrounded her now ran hot, but wasn't immediately evaporating. Considering the amount of blood that caked her, the water was appreciated.

"Nngh… WITH CLAY AND HIS FAMILY. THEY SHOULD BE AT THE RAINWING VILLAGE BY NOW."

"OKAY…" Aries shook herself off and rose to her feet. Offering her paw to Peril, she then helped her new found family up to their feet. "PERIL, WE MIGHT BE THE ONLY DRAGONS THAT CAN PUT A STOP TO THIS. WE NEED TO FIND THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND AND CUT IT OFF AT THE HEAD."

"I'M WITH YOU THERE," Peril found herself surveying the trees as best as she could, slightly buffeted by the raging winds and rain. "BUT THEY MORE THAN LIKELY HAVE AN ANIMUS ON THEIR SIDE!"

"I'M STILL EXTREMELY CONFUSED AS TO WHAT THAT MEANS."

"IT'S MAGIC, IT ESSENTIALLY LETS YOU DO ANYTHING, BUT…" Peril's worried gaze met Aries' eyes. Neither of them felt comforted by Peril's trailing off. "...IN THE WRONG TALONS, IT'S EXTREMELY DANGEROUS."

Aries looked up to the mountain, finding the space where the flash of lightning illuminated an army of Sandwings. As a thought grazed her mind, her expression hardened.

"THEN WE FIGHT MAGIC WITH SCIENCE."

"WHY DON'T WE JUST USE MORE MAGIC? WE HAVE SEVERAL ANIMUS DRAGONS ON OUR SIDE TOO!" Peril shouted across the storm, catching onto Aries' idea. "I'M SURE WHATEVER TECHNOLOGY YOU HAVE CAN HELP US, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S WISE TO GO WITHOUT OUR OWN MAGIC."

"GRANTED. WHOEVER WE CAN FIND THAT CAN FIGHT," Aries, now sure of her plan entirely, looked to Peril with determination. "BRING THEM. MAGIC OR NOT. THEIR NUMBERS ARE DWINDLING, WE JUST NEED TO PUSH THEM BACK."

"I'M WITH YOU," Peril looked towards the mountain where Aries had her gaze. "WHAT'S THE PLAN?"

Aries took a few deep breaths, before shaking herself off and rushing towards the rainforest.

"DON'T DIE, AND IMPROVISE!"

Peril, ever the optimist, rushed after her through the ever chaotic storm and trees.

"THAT'S A TERRIBLE PLAN!"

-X-

"It's the only plan we've got so far!"

While Rainwing architecture was certainly comfy and cozy, stormproof it was not. The main plaza was filled to the brim with bustling Nightwings and Rainwings surrounding the area, armed and ready for any encounters or attacks, and protecting the few leaky buildings within. Sentinel Squad, with a freshly awoken Sheratan, directed the main bodies of guards to set up defensive perimeters around the area. Just behind the blown up main pavilion sat the relatively untouched royal quarters, where Orion, Glory, Snowfall, and Ruby all sat hunched around a table.

"STAYING HERE AND WAITING FOR THEM TO TAKE THEIR NEXT MOVE ISN'T MUCH OF A PLAN!" Snowfall voiced her concerns with passion towards Ruby, holding the trembling Prince Cliff in her arms.

"Taking the fight to THEM," Glory responded with equal passion, a furious blend of reds and greens, whites and blues all dotted in between. "IS JUST AS BAD AN IDEA, considering what they've been able to do thus far."

"Our key priority here is survival, is it not?" Ruby found her voice once more. "We've seen the capability of their forces, and considering we still don't know where Coral, Thorn, or Evergreen is-"

"Aries is out there, and she WILL get them here safely." Orion responded with rumbling authority. "It is just a matter of waiting. She is more capable than any other Starwing that I know of."

While Libra sat close by, staring out the window at the torrential rain, Orion nudged her gently with his tail.

"...Almost any other."

"King Orion I mean no disrespect to Aries," Snowfall began.

"-then simply don't be disrespectful."

"But she is but one dragon, out in a magical storm meant to cover their forces, against no doubt enchanted enemies, who can more than likely see our next move."

FOOOM!

The lightning crackling outside reminded the group of exactly what type of situation they were in at the moment.

"From what you've told me of this…" Orion snaps his talons trying to remember the word.

"Animus magic," Smolder, still feeling bad for leaving Thorn behind in the torrent (despite her command after the ambush) filled in Orion's blank. "That's what it's called."

"Thank you. That much dynamic power can't just be coming from nowhere, there has to be some sort of field, some sort of…"

…Orion's mind went back to the cave he'd found Stardust, Libra and Iso in. Strange for sure, and while he didn't get a good look at it, he definitely had felt something else in that chamber that reminded him of this seemingly omniversal magic that was described to him. The Kingly Starwing knew it wasn't just him that had thought of that either, Libra glanced back at him with a curious (and still downtrodden) look that shared the same sentiment.

"...Some sort of source."

"Regardless, Orion," Snowfall continued. "We just don't have the power to fight against it, unless your dragons can find some way to… I don't know, stop it?"

"That might be out of the question right now," Orion continued to ponder to himself. "This storm is also scrambling communications… Caelum is still at Jade Mountain, along with the majority of our equipment-"

The sudden slamming open of the doors startled everyone in the quarters, watching as a familiar gang of Seawings barreled through the doors out of the rain. Tsunami and Coral were the first to rush in, a sigh of relief rushing through the room.

"HEY!" Tsunami anxiously searched the room. "Who's here? Is everyone-"

"Tsunami-" Glory rushed over to calm her down, grasping her by the shoulders as the other Seawings flooded into the ever tightening quarters. "We're still waiting for the others, but we have Snowfall, Ruby and-"

"Where's Clay?" Tsunami held Glory's shoulders right back, only tighter and ever firmer. "Where's Sunny, where's Starflight? Do we know where they-"

"H-has anyone seen Moon or Qibli? O-or Winter, or Umber…?" Turtle's worries filled the room alongside Tsunami's, Riptide quietly slinking towards the others while keeping track of Auklet.

"Children," Coral spread a wing over them. "Calm yourselves. We're going to figure this out."

"I can see Jade Winglet," Anemone held her eyes closed and a talon to the side of her head. "They look ok, and they're with Thorn. Sunny and Starflight are with her too."

While a sigh of relief blew through the room, Tsunami prodded up to her sister worriedly.

"Did you see-"

"Clay is unharmed!" This time, Peacemaker spoke up in turn. Eyes closed as well, he concentrated as best as he could. "He's got his family, Stardust, and Evergreen with him. They're closeby I think!"

Now, Tsunami blew a second sigh, bringing Peacemaker into a firm hug upon hearing the news.

"Oh thank the seas…"

"Uhm-" Peacemaker spoke muffled through Tsunami's wings. "Can you thank me instead?"

"Hold on."

Once more, Orion's commanding voice took hold of the room. He approached Anemone and Peacemaker with intrigue.

"You two can see them with this… Animus magic?"

The two nodded, having to crane their necks to meet Orion's face.

"Yes sir." "Yes I can."

Orion stroked his chin next.

"...Can you use it to see the Sandwings attacking us, their positions in the forest?"

Anemone, Turtle, and Peacemaker all looked between each other with a dawning idea.

"...Actually," Turtle found himself pulling a scroll out of his bag and laying it on the table. "I have a perfect idea."

While he laid it flat, Anemone and Peacemaker found themselves with similar ideas.

"Enchant this scroll to show us a map of the exact whereabouts of the Sandwing Forces, known as the Talons of Power, down to each individual dragon, displayed as actively updating red dots."

With Turtle's words finished, the scroll flashed to life with black ink trailing across it's previously unmarked surface, detailing a map of the lower southeastern half of Pyrrhia; from the tops of the Mudwing Kingdom, to the edges of the Claws of the Clouds Mountains bordering the Sandwing territory. After the black ink finished crawling over the canvas, then came the red dots.

…Many, many red dots.

While tiny, and actively roaming the map, the sheer number of them sent a terrible chill through the room. Turtle could count more than a hundred on the map, and a good 70 of them were swarming through the rainforest as they sat and planned in Glory's quarters.

"That's…" Coral's voice attempted to carry royal authority, but couldn't shake an air of intimidation. "...Much more than I expected."

"How-" Lynx, standing besides Snowfall quietly, found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the pouring red. "…How do we fight against that many?"

"Well," Glory found herself beside Tsunami, patting her back. "Still craving adventure after this?"

"Look-" Smolder, eyes fixed on the map, motioned to the inner rainforest, where they currently resided. "They're swarming this way."

"They're gonna try and overpower us." Ruby stroked Cliff's head as the young Prince looked on with horror. "They know we're going to try and hold out."

"Can we get reinforcements here?" Snowfall found her voice falter at the notion of facing off against 70 Sandwings. "I mean, we have-"

"A small battalion of specially trained Nightwings and Rainwings to defend this position," Glory spoke with firmness in her voice. "And hopefully some magic to help us not die today."

"That still doesn't solve the problem of someone trying to kill us." Coral noted. "We can defend this position, but we need to cut off the serpent's head, otherwise we're going to just be stuck here."

"I'm willing to bet their chain of command is centered around here-" Ruby motioned to the concentration of dots up in the mountains, about 25-30 or so. "That's probably a good place to start."

"Yeah but how are we going to get there?" Cliff fought through his fear to present the question, Nimbus stood to his left and let the prince sidle into him.

"I mean-" Peacemaker shrugged. "I have a few ideas."

"No doubt involving magic," Turtle spoke up. "Which they'll be prepared for. If they had the foresight to enchant a squad specifically for me and Anemone, there's no telling what other traps and enchantments they have."

"Yes, but they also didn't predict me." Peacemaker retorted. "There's flaws in their plan that we can exploit, that's our way out of this situation."

"Okay but-"

"HUSH."

The room stopped its tittering and planning at Anemone's sudden silencing. The Seawing Princess touched the walls of the room for a moment.

"Enchant this hut to be impervious to all magic, and make it impossible for anyone else to listen in, or spy on us in this room."

While nothing outwardly changed, the idea of what Anemone had implied made everyone stand ramrod straight with realization. The Princess pointed to the map.

"They were listening this whole time. Look-"

Where once the concentration of red dots amassed within the mountains, now it dissipated into the rest of the dots, leaving the group to wonder what else they heard.

"I think most importantly," Anemone looked around to the rest of the Queens and royalty. "We stop them from gaining any more information about what we're doing."

"Excellent idea Anemone!" Coral stood beside her daughter with pride. "Now, we have two objectives from here:"

"Three," Snowfall piped up. "If we include keeping ourselves alive as the primary one."

"Find the others in the rainforest and protect this zone," Glory started in continuing Coral's thought. "Because they know we're here and they're going to try and flush us out."

"Secondly," Ruby followed along. "Find and eliminate the mastermind of this plot, then deal with the rest of them depending on how they react."

"Considering we're very slightly outnumbered-" Smolder started to mention.

"About 2 to 1 by my estimates." Onyx, decidedly out of her league, piped up to supplement her father's notions.

"-We either need to employ stealth, or make sure that we're sufficiently enchanted to resist the enemy's enchantments."

"Or both." Peacemaker posited poignantly. "Preferably both."

While Orion had let the conversation ensue to gather as much information as he could, a more elaborate plan pieced itself together in the Starwing King's mind. Looking down at the map, where the red dots had swarmed around like stars in a galaxy, Orion found his words once more.

"Anemone, Peacemaker…" He spun around to the smaller green Seawing Prince. "…Um… Turtle, was it?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Turtle… You three are the key elements in this scenario."

"Undoubtedly," Snowfall remarked. "Which is why they should stay safe-"

"They should stay hidden, where no one can get to them until this blows over. We make our move, use this magic here and now, and remove them from this battle."

"Orion, our enemies have the same capabilities," Ruby spoke with concern. "I'm not sure we can sufficiently hide them."

"In that regard you're incorrect." Orion smiles just a tad. "We have superior intelligence, technology, and even more advanced planning than them. If we level the playing field, they have no chance at beating us."

"I like the sound of that," Tsunami inserted herself into the conversation. "So how do we strike back?"

"More importantly," Coral put a paw to Anemone and Turtle, Auklet reaching up to her mother expectantly. "How do we ensure that our little ones will be safe…?"

"I have an idea for that too," Turtle found himself digging through his satchel again, pulling out a stick with a half smile. "Should be pretty easy!"

"You kept that all this time?" Anemone looked at him strangely. "Why?"

"Um," Peacemaker looked to Anemone strangely. "Who are you talking to?"

"Huh," Turtle marveled at the broken stick for a second. "Still works!"

"Ok," Tsunami interrupted their train of thought. "Let's do it then. I'm assuming in order to find their head of command, you'll need a distraction?"

"I'm assuming you want to be said distraction?" Glory arched her brow a bit.

"Actually," Orion spoke again. "A distraction is exactly what we'll need. I'd rather not risk this place coming under attack directly, so…"

Orion turned to everyone in the room.

"Whoever wants to fight, to defend the masses from an onslaught of evil, and to save the future of your continent… Now is your time."

Anemone stood beside him. "Not to mention you'll get some cool enchantments."

While Tsunami stood at the forefront of the conversation, Riptide joined her with stoic bravery. Alongside them, Smolder and Onyx stood forth, followed by Nimbus, with the implied permission of Ruby. Lynx, nodding to Snowfall, stood with the ragtag team; creating a group of six formidable dragons that all stood valiantly, ready to stop what may be thrown at them.

"Excellent. Now, we need to do this quickly…" Orion turned to the group of animus dragons. "Use your magic, hide yourselves, then we move."

"Wait," Peacemaker spoke up once more. "Don't we need a way to communicate if we're all separated?"

"Don't worry about that," Orion nodded. "I can handle any communications. I'll have Sentinel Squad protect this area, see if we can't fend them off, while the animus dragons find cover. That only leaves a small squad to try and find-"

"I'll go with them."

Orion's voice faltered as Libra volunteered herself for the mission.

"I'll split off to find the source of all this, no one else has to be involved. No one else has to get hurt."

"I mean-" Snowfall shrugged. "If she can work in the background… that might be useful while the main force is distracted."

"But just one dragon?" Glory spoke with concern. "I mean, I know she's your daughter, and from the sound of things I'm sure she's more than capable of handling herself-"

"She can absolutely do this."

Libra wasn't sure how she felt about Orion praising her like this. Orion's expression didn't seem all too sure either.

"…Libra, are you sure?"

The Starwing Princess nodded solemnly, carrying a tiny bit of guilt still.

"I can't just stand by and wait. I can help, and I want to help. It also gives me a chance to help protect whoever else I can find, out in that mess of a storm."

"Then your help will be greatly appreciated, Princess." Snowfall replied in kind. "We're counting on you."

"Keep me updated, and please…" Orion drew close to Libra, tenderly caressing her cheek as he touched his head to hers. "...Please return to us."

…The Starwing Princess stayed in that moment for just a few seconds longer, wrapped up in the familiar energy of her father. A pang of haunting guilt from floating memories reared its head within her, and Orion did his best to help soothe them from her mind in those few seconds. The two understood that trust had been formed once more, uneasily albeit… but neither of them wanted to do anything to break it again.

Especially not Libra.

"Of course… I-I promise."

"Thank you…"

Orion let his daughter go for the moment, looking back towards the rest of the group with determination.

"Now… let's end this."

-X-

Through the pounding rain and shrieking winds, barely could one hear the sloshing of talons to the muddied forest floor, much less the panting and panicked voices that followed it. Having fought off another dozen or so Sandwings that were vying to end them, Jade Winglet and company found themselves in still unfamiliar territory as the rainforest twisted and turned in unfamiliar directions. Even Moon had a difficult time recognizing anything through the storm.

"ARE WE GETTING CLOSE?" Aloe managed to shout out over the storm.

"I'M NOT SURE," Moon admitted freely. "I CAN'T SEE THAT FAR AHEAD WITH THIS STORM!"

"ARE WE EVEN GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?" Starflight's question echoed out next.

"BEATS ME!" Qibli's voice spoke next. "YOU TRY FIGURING OUT WHICH WAY IS NORTH!"

"WE HAVE TO BE MAKING PROGRESS AT LEAST," Kinkajou attempted to inject her optimism into the situation. "THE TREES ARE GETTING BIGGER, AND THE CANOPY IS THICKER TOO. SHOULDN'T BE TOO LONG NOW!"

"KINKAJOU IS RIGHT!" Sunny hopped on board the Rainwing's notion. "WE JUST NEED TO KEEP MOVING! WE HAVE BETTER CHANCES OF STAYING ALIVE THAT WAY TOO!"

"WHAT ABOUT FINDING THE OTHERS?" Winter, now carrying Jun in his satchel to prevent him from getting soaked any further, spoke in turn. "MAYBE THEY STILL NEED HELP GETTING TO SAFETY TOO, I MEAN YOU GUYS WERE GETTING ATTACKED WHEN WE HEARD YOU-"

"WE NEED TO FOCUS ON MAKING SURE WE'RE SAFE FIRST," Thorn's commanding presence unified the chaotic group of dragons. "OTHERWISE WE WON'T DO ANYONE ANY GOOD."

"WHAT IF WE-"

"LOOK OUT!"

Winter managed to push Qibli and Kinkajou out of the way of another tree smashing in front of them, stopping the group from progressing forwards for the moment.

KRASH!

From behind the other trees nearby, another 10 Sandwings burst from their cover, effectively surrounding the group all at once. Immediately the Jade Winglet, Starflight and Aloe surrounded Sunny and Thorn, forming a protective circle even if they were outnumbered. Right before any dragon had the chance to attack, three of the Sandwings on the left side suddenly rushed towards the canopy, snapping upwards as if something had grabbed them.

While their crescendoing shrieks caught the groups attention, two more followed suit, before the five along the otherside rushed in to charge the protective circle. Even before the two sides made any contact though, a streak of light separated the two sides, and seemed to sweep away the Sandwings as they crashed into the ferns and trees further away. Once the light faded, the dragon in question proved to be Stardust, panting heavily with his wings outstretched.

"STAR!" Moon's excitement was the first to escape her maw, the two meeting in a hug briefly before Stardust surveyed the area once more. Seeing no more Sandwings in the immediate vicinity, the Starwing Prince called out to the open Rainforest:

"COAST IS CLEAR!"

From behind the small hill to the left came another group of dragons, a small clan of Mudwings headed off by Clay. Sunny and Starflight were the first to rush to meet him, while Umber ran to join Jade Winglet once more.

"HEY!" Clay embraced his two siblings in spirit with a giant hug, Sunny and Starflight hugging back with as much strength as they could muster.

"GUYS!" Umber found himself surrounded by Jade Winglet once more, Sora and Marsh joining them with gratitude.

Cattail followed Evergreen as he prodded up to Thorn with interest, Aloe finding herself entranced by the strange little one-

"NO TIME FOR SAPPY FEELINGS!"

Stardust's sharp command brought everyone's attention into focus once more, the young Prince pointing to the deeper jungle.

"WE'RE STILL UNDER ATTACK, AND STILL NOT SAFE. BEST BET IS TO KEEP MOVING."

"STAR WAIT A MINUTE." Clay broke from his hug to meet his adopted son with a worried expression. "WHAT ABOUT PERIL?"

"DAD," Stardust asserted himself firmly. "SHE'LL BE OK."

"KNOWING PERIL," Winter found himself speaking on her behalf. "SHE'S PROBABLY EITHER MADE IT BACK TO THE RAINWING VILLAGE, OR MAKING SURE THE REST OF US ARE SAFE."

"THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE!" Sora spoke up fervently this time. "WE LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND."

"GOING BACK TO FIND HER IS MORE THAN LIKELY GOING TO GET US KILLED," Thorn argued. "WE HAVE TOO MANY OF US HERE AT THE MOMENT."

"WE HAVE STARDUST!" Moon looked to her little brother with determination. "EVEN IF SHE'S ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS DRAGONS IN PYRRHIA TO FIGHT, SHE'S STILL ONE DRAGON AGAINST WHO KNOWS HOW MANY!"

"SHE STAYED BEHIND SO WE COULD ESCAPE!" Stardust found himself growing increasingly angered in the conversation. "WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO NOW, WE NEED TO-"

KRASCH!

Another fallen tree found itself on the other side of the first, trapping the larger group of dragons in a makeshift arena; the hills proved to be a bit too wet to dig their talons in to get up, and the trees were just large enough to be too big to jump over. And along the edges of this makeshift arena… there they appeared.

[-[ENGAGE TRACK : THE ARENA - LINDSEY STIRLING (Reality Level: Foreground)]-]

The heads of Sandwings popped up over the ridges like flowers from a rainfall, numerous enough to force the group of dragons in the middle to shrink back into a tighter circle. Despite the 15 dragons that resided in the center and their fighting abilities, none felt safe to even approach the seemingly endless swarm of Sandwings surrounding them. Clay couldn't even count them all, but there had to have been at least 30 dragons on the edge of the arena, each one with a menacing snarl and weapons enough to do enough damage to anyone.

Stardust ensured the circle behind them was well fortified, he wasn't about to let all of this be for nothing. The more he coursed his energy through his body… the more he felt the wind around him slow, the rainfall soften as he could make out the droplets. He wasn't transforming, just readying himself for the fight of his life. The satchel across his chest still carried that egg, and even now he would do everything in his power to save everyone he could. From the looks of things though… the fight would not be an easy one.

"LOOKS LIKE WE GOT YOU AFTER ALL!"

A familiarly gruff voice rang out through the area, cutting through the wind and rain. Qibli's scales stood on end as he heard it, knowing intimately for that voice to belong to his older sister, Rattlesnake. He spotted her on the ridge to his right, witnessing the bold Sandwing step out into the open mockingly.

"MOTHER SAID YOU MIGHT BE THE ONLY ONE TO STOP HER PLAN, BUT… I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D BE THIS MUCH OF A PUSH OVER!"

"RATTLESNAKE," Qibli called out to his sister. "DON'T DO THIS. YOU THINK YOU WANT THIS BUT YOU DON'T-"

"SHUT UP YOU PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A DRAGON." Rattlesnake spoke over her brother with disdainful anger. "YOU CHOSE THE WRONG SIDE FROM DAY ONE."

"I'M SURROUNDED BY DRAGONS THAT APPRECIATE ME FOR WHO I AM. CAN YOU HONESTLY SAY THE SAME?"

Surprisingly, Rattlesnake had no retort to that. The Sandwing stood surrounded by the small army she led, looking around for a moment before pushing that thought out of her head. She steeled herself once more before growling a sinister growl.

"…GET THE QUEEN AND THE LITTLE ONE, LEAVE QIBLI TO ME. I WANT TO BE THE ONE WHO TEARS HIS FACE OFF."

With her bitingly stern command, the legion of Sandwings closed in slowly, Stardust, Clay and Evergreen readying their energies to defend as best they could. Everyone crowded together, outnumbered for sure, but undeterred in their spirit to survive.

Even while the circle grew smaller still, none dared attack just yet to expose themselves, and all that remained was the harsh storm raging around them… until…

" N O W !"

Outside the Sandwing circle from the opposite side of Rattlesnake came a commanding voice, a saving grace to the trapped circle of dragons defending their royalty.

Between the trees burst 6 dragons from all around, daring to strike first as the Sandwing's backs lay exposed. Clay could make out two blue blurs that single handedly neutralized a dozen of those closest to them, moving with agility that was without a doubt unnatural.

Closest to the front of the circle came barreling the rest of the Sandwing aggressors, attempting to do whatever damage they could before any others arrived; but even before they took their first step, an instant layer of ice trapped them in place as another blur of white rushed past.

Faster than anyone else could follow, another three blurs of scales swept between the remaining 15 or so Sandwing enemies that stood between the royals and Rattlesnake. As the bodies littered the muddied ground and the rest had backed off sufficiently, only then did these blurs of scales stand still, fortifying the circle of defending dragons.

Tsunami stood firm besides Clay and Stardust, Riptide accompanying her.

"TAKE ONE MORE STEP AND YOU'RE DEAD."

The defending group made out their saviors in full now, counting Tsunami and Riptide, Smolder and Onyx, Nimbus and Lynx around them. Rattlesnake hissed a growling and malicious roar:

"You… YOU THINK YOU'VE WON?!"

Qibli rushed to the front besides Tsunami and Clay, facing his sister down once more.

"WE DON'T WANT TO KILL YOU RATTLESNAKE-"

"WELL I DO." The leader of the pack prowled around, staring her foes down again.

"UH, GUYS?" Lynx's voice interrupted the duo, watching the ridge carefully as more Sandwings began to show themselves, almost appearing out of thin air. Just as before, a veritable army now swarmed them.

No one stepped back this time, all stood their ground with renewed spirit. Smolder and Onyx stood back towards Thorn, Nimbus to Jade Winglet, Lynx to Starflight and Sunny. Qibli stepped forwards to Rattlesnake, getting close enough to meet her hardened gaze directly.

"STOP THIS," Qibli pleaded once more. "YOU CAN HELP US FIGHT COBRA, IT DOESN'T NEED TO END WITH MORE VIOLENCE!"

"THERE IS NO STOPPING THIS." Rattlesnake planted her paws more firmly in the sopping wet ground. "NOT WITH WHAT SHE HAS PLANNED."

A few of the Sandwings dared to skirt closer, threatening the circle once more. Qibli seemed unfazed and desperately approached his sister once more.

"WHICH IS WHY YOU'RE THE ONE WE NEED TO HELP US TAKE HER DOWN!"

"QIBLI," Thorn raised her voice to try and snap him out of his sentiment. "SHE WON'T LISTEN TO YOU."

"I HAVE TO TRY." The young Sandwing retorted to his superior. "OF ALL THE BLOOD FAMILY I HAVE LEFT, I HAVE TO AT LEAST TRY TO SAVE THE ONES I CAN!"

Thorn had no response. Rattlesnake found herself unable to retort with any sort of quip either.

"I WON'T KILL YOU. YOU ARE NOT BEYOND REDEMPTION." Qibli continued, undeterred by the advancing forces. "YOU CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING, HERE AND NOW. JUST… TAKE THAT CHANCE. PLEASE!"

Rattlesnake dug her talons into the ground at Qibli's plea. Anger was the only thing keeping her going now, but she didn't have have retort to Qibli's pleas for nonviolence. Even after all this time and the terrible things she'd done, somewhere inside her idiot brother was the chance for forgiveness.

…With furious rage concealing her rising fears, she shouted her orders at the other Sandwings:

" !"

Once more the two sides launched at each other, intent to kill in full swing. This time, chaos reigned as it could barely be made out who was fighting who. No one was safe from danger, but it quickly became apparent who was going to win.

While a few Sandwings managed to injure and slash a couple of the defending dragons, none of them were standing long after to do much else. Evergreen ensured that the vines chased after the larger foes, Stardust found himself shielding others from fatal blows with his wings, and while Sunny wasn't the strongest of fighters, her nimble movements allowed her to heal any of her friends who had been struck.

Countless fights were raging in the center of everything, yet more and more Sandwings fled from the battle, and those who decided to endure were quickly put down. Qibli found an exit from the madness, quickly grabbing a spear of the fallen Sandwings and launching himself up the hill to Rattlesnake.

The commanding Sandwing unsheathed her own sword and immediately launched herself at Qibli herself, the younger brother barely able to deflect said attack from reaching his body. With great strength did Rattlesnake slash at her brother, but with dexterity did Qibli dodge and parry; the two remained at odds for a few exchanges before Qibli slammed the butte of his spear into her shoulder, freeing her paw from the sword, and allowing Qibli to toss it away with another strike. Rattlesnake stood defenseless, and Qibli pointed his spear at her throat.

"ENOUGH."

The Sandwing Commander found herself stunned at Qibli's abilities, his combat prowess and his unrelenting mercy. Rattlesnake thought her youngest brother to be a fool, one that would die at his own kindness. Yet… that kindness was all that kept her alive.

"…I KNOW YOU WANT HER TO LOVE YOU."

Qibli spoke with pain behind his voice, recognizable and familiar to her.

"TO VALIDATE YOU, TO… TO RECOGNIZE YOUR EFFORTS, TO SHOW SOME SIGN THAT SHE CARES, BUT SHE WON'T! ALL SHE'LL DO IS USE YOU UNTIL SHE KILLS YOU."

"YOU DON'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT ME-"

"MAYBE I WANT TO."

Qibli held the spear tighter, but in an act of trust… he lowered his spear, and stretched out his paw to her.

"…MAYBE INSTEAD OF ALL THIS BACKSTABBING, WE NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER. I PROMISE, I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU."

…The second Qibli stopped talking, Rattlesnake swept the spear from his hands and tackled him, instantly raising her stinger just inches from his face… but she hesitated. In that moment of hesitation she saw not a face of fury ready to lash out, but one of grief. One that reminded her this wasn't her enemy…

This was still her brother.

No longer did anger drive her, and so she let her brother go from her grip. And she did the only thing she could. Rattlesnake bolted away from Qibli, running through the jungle and dodging between trees.

Qibli quickly got to his feet to follow after her, not giving up so easily on family. After all, if Vulture had his change of heart, maybe there was still a chance for those who never had kindness shown to them. Just before he chased her out of sight, Smolder noted the younger Sandwing running after her; He tapped Onyx on the shoulder and signaled her to follow, to which the two rushed after Qibli down the jungle.

Just as they left, the battle slowed to a standstill, both sides nearly exhausted in their efforts. As the final few Sandwings fell silent in the battlefield, the victors remained in a mixture of blood and mud, the rest of it washing from their faces and talons. Thorn, taking a headcount, spun around wildly looking for the other three she was missing.

"…SMOLDER? QIBLI?"

[-[END TRACK]-]

-X-

"WHERE ARE WE GOING?"

Turtle did NOT think this was how the day was going to go, especially not dragging Auklet of all dragons through a magical superstorm, but he would have to play the cards he was dealt.

"SOMEWHERE SAFE, DON'T WORRY."

Peacemaker did his best to calm the young one down, but found himself increasingly anxious alongside the little one.

"NOT SURE HOW SAFE WE CAN BE IN THIS SITUATION," Anemone voiced her concerns as her gaze swept the area. "CONSIDERING WE'RE KINDA AT WAR."

"WAR?!" Auklet's exasperation shone through her voice. "I THOUGHT WE WERE GOIN' ON AN ADVENTURE! MOM SAID I'M TOO YOUNG TO FIGHT!"

"AND YOU'RE NOT FIGHTING, AUKLET." Turtle said firmly, kneeling down to his baby sister's height. "WE'RE GONNA KEEP YOU SAFE."

"GUYS… MAYBE WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING."

"NO, PEACEMAKER." Turtle once more asserted leadership over the magical group. "ORION TOLD US TO STAY AWAY FROM THIS, TO KEEP OURSELVES OUT OF THE BATTLE."

"I KNOW I KNOW BUT…" Peacemaker gestured around him. "AREN'T WE UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS?"

"I AGREE," Anemone looked to Auklet. "BUT I DON'T WANT TO RISK AUKLET'S SAFETY HERE."

"WAIT A MINUTE," Turtle stopped for a second. "THEY KNOW ABOUT ME AND ANEMONE, BUT NOT PEACEMAKER-"

"THEY PROBABLY KNOW BY NOW." Peacemaker butted in. "THEY WERE LISTENING IN HUT, REMEMBER?"

"-BUT THEY STILL DON'T KNOW ABOUT AUKLET!"

Turtle's point immediately pinged with the other two, leaving Auklet to look around wildly in confusion.

"WHAT! WHAT ABOUT ME?!"

"AUKLET," Anemone knelt down to her younger sister. "LISTEN TO ME. I KNOW THIS IS CONFUSING AND SCARY, BUT WE'RE FIGHTING AGAINST BAD DRAGONS RIGHT NOW, AND YOU HAVE TO BE BRAVE."

"ANEMONE HOLD ON." Turtle knelt besides Auklet as well. "WE SHOULDN'T MAKE HER DO ANYTHING SHE DOESN'T WANT TO-"

"I AGREE WITH TURTLE," Peacemaker looked to Anemone concernedly. "SHE'S STILL JUST A KID."

"SO AM I!" Anemone spoke over the two. "AND SO ARE YOU! AREN'T YOU JUST AS OLD AS HER?!"

"STOP IT!"

The trio of arguing dragons shut up as Auklet shouted at them. She then looked up to Turtle.

"I WANT TO DO SOMETHING! I'M NOT JUST A HELPLESS LITTLE GIRL, I'M A PRINCESS! I'M JUST LIKE YOU!"

"AUKLET-"

Before Anemone had the chance to speak once more, the sound of Sandwings charging through the rainforest forced them to be silent. Almost 20 of them rushed by the four magical dragonets, not noticing any of them in the slightest. Turtle blew a sigh of relief as they ignored their presence.

"OK… THE ENCHANTMENT WORKS. WE'RE UNDETECTED."

"AUKLET." Surprisingly, Peacemaker held one of Auklet's paws tenderly in his own. The Seawing Princess gazed at him worriedly. "THIS MAGIC YOU HAVE WITHIN YOU… YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL DRAGONS IN ALL OF PYRRHIA. THAT MAKES YOU A TARGET, AND THAT MEANS THAT SOME DRAGONS ARE GOING TO TRY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU."

"W-…WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"IT MEANS," Anemone spoke in turn. "THAT YOU HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT YOU DO WITH THIS MAGIC. OTHER DRAGONS WILL ASK YOU TO USE IT FOR THEIR OWN WISHES, MAYBE EVEN FOR EVIL."

"BUT… I WON'T! I-I CAN… I'll DO GOOD THINGS!"

"I KNOW YOU WILL," Turtle wraps a wing around her. "BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS CLEAR WHAT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD IS."

"THAT'S WHY YOU ALWAYS NEED TO BE CAREFUL WITH YOUR POWERS..." Peacemaker continues to meet her eyes. "YOU HAVE FAMILY TO GUIDE YOU, AND OTHER DRAGONS LIKE YOU TO KEEP YOU SAFE."

"-AND WE'RE ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU." Anemone nudged the Princess tenderly.

"WE'RE JUST WORRIED." Turtle followed up. "WE STILL TRUST YOU AND LOVE YOU, AND IF YOU DECIDE YOU'RE READY TO USE THIS POWER…"

The trio of experienced magic users glanced between themselves for a moment before going back to Auklet, making sure everyone was on the same page. Turtle then leaned his head atop hers.

"…WE'LL BE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY."

…As Auklet sat in silence for the moment, she couldn't tell whether the wet drops going down her snout were of the rain, or of teardrops, but it didn't matter to her either way. Where once the young one felt nothing of fear or anxiety, now it clouded her mind with the weight of responsibility. For the briefest of moments, she regretted offering to help.

But as Turtle's snout rested on her head, and Anemone's familiar gaze graced her presence, a renewed warmth of assurance whisked all doubt away and strengthened her resolve. She nodded with a sniffle, barely heard in the storm winds.

"I-I'M READY. WHAT DO WE DO?"

While Turtle, Anemone and Peacemaker hadn't come up with a plan just yet, the rushing by of another, bulkier Sandwing, along with another three not too far behind ber, caught their attention.

"WAIT!" Turtle recognized the second of the four Sandwings. "THAT'S QIBLI! C'MON LET'S FOLLOW HIM!"

— / ––

"HAVE YOU CONSIDERED WE MAY BE RUNNING INTO A TRAP?!"

Onyx attempted to shout at Qibli from behind, which the Sandwing definitely heard, yet refused to slow down.

"IT'S ABSOLUTELY A TRAP. BUT IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THIS."

"MAYBE WE COULD'VE WAITED FOR THE OTHERS?" Smolder latched onto Onyx's train of thought. "BACKUP AGAINST MYSTERIOUS MAGIC FORCES WOULD BE NICE!"

"NO TIME. THEY'RE PROBABLY FOLLOWING US ANYWAYS."

"QIBLI, THIS IS FOOLISH!" Onyx continued with her statement. "KILLING YOURSELF ISN'T GOING TO STOP ANYTHING!"

"SHE'S LEADING US RIGHT TO MY MOTHER, AND I HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO STOP HER!"

Rattlesnake broke through the brush ahead, entering a clearing at the foot of the mountain. From there she blasted upwards with a mighty push of her wings, just out of sight of the Sandwings following her.

Qibli wasted no time in pursuing after, immediately pushing through the foliage and climbing the stony wall. As he flew over the top of the mountain ledge, the-

WHAM!

Qibli had no time to react to the dragon barreling into him from behind, using their full weight to bounce him onto the platform. Qibli tumbled through the air and landed harshly onto the rough rocks, before being restrained by a four bulky Sandwings; two held both his arms, another two bound his wings, all of them keeping him still as another 10 surrounded the area. And there stood Rattlesnake, her face darkened as she watched Qibli struggle against his captors.

"EASY, WASN'T IT RATTLESNAKE?"

Descending from the sky where he landed, Sirocco smugly sidled up to his sister. He looked expectantly at her for a reply… yet none came. Rattlesnake kept her gaze trained on Qibli the whole time.

…Qibli knew for a fact he had an impact on her, he just hoped it'd be enough for her to do something.

"HEY," Sirocco cut off his train of thought. "DID YA GET HIT IN THE HEAD OR SOMETHIN?" He poked his sister on the side of her head, to which she batted his paw away.

"SHUT UP."

"OKAY! JEEZ, FINE."

"WHERE…" Qibli faltered for a second as the Sandwing thugs kept him roughly in place. "WHERE IS SHE?"

"RIGHT HERE, WORM."

While Qibli absolutely heard the chilling voice of his mother, he could not see her anywhere in front of him. Yet… as the lightning flashed over head with it's echoing

KRA-KOOOM!

-there her figure appeared. Menacing and glorious, Cobra wore a black hood that draped down her back, complete with dragon skull tattoos and gold weaved into it. Worst of all was the smile that adorned her maw… to call it malicious was a gross understatement; Qibli knew it to be the smile of one believing themselves utterly victorious, and it sent nausea through his body every time he glanced at it.

Qibli also noted another dragon that appeared in the crowd, not too far from Cobra. Another Sandwing, but much more regal than the rest of the thugs present. No tattoos, scars, or anything of the like… this one stood statue-still, unblinking even.

"YOU'VE PUT UP A GREAT FIGHT, ALL JUST TO FAIL AT THE VERY END." Cobra drew forwards, and dragged a talon across Qibli's cheek. "…I TOLD YOU, WHELP. YOU… CAN'T… ME."

Qibli did everything in his power to resist biting her talon off, instead meeting her eyes with as much ferocious anger as he could muster. Yet… his gaze went behind her, looking over to Rattlesnake as she growled to herself.

"…I'm not the only one you have to worry about."

Cobra, obviously doing her best to belittle her son, next raised her polished stinger to the air and rubbed it against the other side of Qibli's face; A cruel and mean spirited chuckle roiled in her chest.

"I HAVE YOUR FRIENDS COVERED. YOU BARELY POSED A THREAT TO ME AT ALL, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THEM?"

From the side of her cloak, Cobra spun out a gleaming dagger that she instantly pointed to Qibli's jugular vein. Qibli didn't move an inch, but instead looked to Cobra with more steel in his nerves than ever.

"NOT MY FRIENDS… MY FAMILY."

"OH BUT LITTLE WORM, YOU FORGET. YOUR REAL FAMILY IS RIGHT HERE."

"YEAH… YEAH THEY ARE."

Qibli's gaze once more looked past Cobra. This time… Cobra noticed what he had his eyes trained on.

"THAT'S WHAT I'M COUNTING ON."

Rattlesnake had drawn her sword with a tremblingly clenched fist, pointing it directly at her mother. Even with the dark sky obscuring the light from above, Qibli could make out the inner turmoil he'd planted within her. Almost instantly, Cobra turned from her youngest son, now concerned with the sudden traitor in her midst.

"...I'VE LET YOU TAKE THIS FAR ENOUGH, MOTHER."

"RATTLESNAKE," Sirocco stood aside from his sister in perplexed shock. "WHAT GIVES?!"

"SIROCCO… I NEED YOU TO STAND BY ME." Rattlesnake dared not to take her eyes off her mother for a single second. Cobra took note as she prowled closer. Under her breath, she decoded the situation to herself.

"...I see what you've done…" Cobra then sheathed her dagger once more, looking between her two lackey progeny. "YOU'D RATHER LISTEN TO THIS MOON-EYED IDIOT THAN ME, THE DRAGON WHO'S GOTTEN YOU THIS FAR?"

"YOU'D SOONER KILL US BOTH THAN ADMIT YOU CARE ABOUT US." Rattlesnake retorted with venom in her shouts. "ANY OF US. SIROCCO AND I HAVE DONE NOTHING BUT OBEY YOUR EVERY WHIM, AND WE GET NOTHING FOR IT."

"SIS!" Sirocco backed up even more at this point. "NOW'S REALLY NOT A GOOD TIME FOR THIS-"

"SHE WAS GOING TO KILL YOU NEXT SIROCCO." Rattlesnake spoke over her brother, briefly glancing at him. "AFTER QILBI, THEN YOU… AND THEN MORE THAN LIKELY ME."

While Qibli had no escape plan as of yet, he watched the unfolding family drama with increasing interest. If it meant escaping this situation alive, he would gladly take on the task of accepting Sirocco and Rattlesnake as his family again. Rattlesnake ground her teeth as she spoke once more.

"...ISN'T THAT RIGHT, MOM?"

Cobra dug her talons into the stone as she watched her last two useful tools turn against her. Sirocco now had his wide eyed gaze fixed on Cobra, terrified quite thoroughly now.

"...M… MA? IS THAT TRUE?"

"...IDIOTS. THE BOTH OF YOU."

Cobra reached back into her cloak once more, pulling out two daggers this time.

"LETTING THE LIKES OF HIM TURN YOU SOFT?! IT'S A WONDER I HAVEN'T KILLED YOU BOTH SOONER."

As Sirocco watched his fears cement themselves into reality, he backpedaled even more from the scene. Rattlesnake stopped him though, offering her other paw.

"...AS MUCH AS YOU INFURIATE ME… YOU'RE STILL MY BROTHER, AND I'LL PROTECT YOU."

"I…"

While Cobra had her back turned to him, Qibli felt a tug at his ear for a moment, before craning his head to the side to see where it came from. While no one was there, a faint whisper in his ear came from seemingly nowhere:

"Be ready to act."

It took every nerve in his body to resist the urge of looking around wildly to see who said that, but he absolutely recognized the hushed voice of Turtle, even if he couldn't see him. Knowing what sort of convoluted magic he was probably putting into place, Qibli readied himself for whatever their plan entailed.

"PROTECT HIM…" Cobra snarled once more, motioning for the surrounding thugs to circle closer. "HOW CAN YOU PROTECT HIM WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN GUARANTEE YOUR OWN SURVIVAL?"

Rattlesnake stepped closer to Sirocco, who in turn hid near his sister. The older sibling wielded her sword with steeled intent.

"QIBLI, IF YOU HAVE A PLAN TO GET US OUT OF THIS, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME."

"YOU THINK THAT WORM OF ALL DRAGONS WOULD SAVE YOU NOW?" Cobra drew closer now, clutching her twin daggers. "YOU CHOSE HIM OVER ME AT THE WORST TIME. NOW… I'LL GET TO BE RID OF YOU."

"QIBLI!"

Rattlesnake's call to him was cut short by Cobra suddenly launching her daggers at the eldest sibling, while Qibli could do naught but watch as they-

PING!

…bounced off her scales like nothing. Rattlesnake stood unfazed yet confused. For a second, the three dragons stood staring at the daggers that clattered to the floor. Cobra, unrelenting in her anger, whipped out two more from her side holsters, flinging them equally as skillfully at Rattlesnake and Sirocco's head.

PING!

"OW!" Sirocco felt the spot of his head where the dagger collided, feeling no blood or anything of the like. Afterwhich, Rattlesnake looked to Qibli with hopeful eyes.

"MAGIC?"

"COMMAND:" Cobra whirled around in place to the wall of dragons surrounding them. "IDENTIFY SOURCE OF MAGIC."

"UNKNOWN."

Qibli's eyes snapped to the strange Sandwing that stood out amongst the rest. She spoke almost in monotone, as if devoid of any other emotive indications. Something about it just creeped him out more than anything else.

"USELESS." Cobra pointed back to the two siblings again. "DISENCHANT THEM NOW."

The trio of siblings stood stiff in their spots at realizing what Cobra's command meant. The strange dragon reached their talons out to the pair, without even looking at them.

"DISENCHANT THESE DRAGONS COMPLETELY."

By this point, the picture had become just clear enough to terrify Qibli from horns to feet, and so came the questions equally as furiously. How did Cobra manage to snag an animus dragon? Why was this dragon hypnotized like this? Could he undo whatever Cobra did to her?

"THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE HERE." The strange animus spoke matter-of-factly. "DRAGONS HIDING THEMSELVES WITH MAGIC."

"WHAT?!"

At this juncture, Rattlesnake decided her time to strike was now, and charged her mother while she was distracted for the moment. Enchanted or not, she had to do something while the moment was ripe. The eldest daughter struck at her mother with her sword, and while Cobra was distracted by the animus' news, her skills and awareness afforded her the split second chance to block the strike with another pair of daggers from her waist.

"FIND THEM." Cobra growled out to her newly introduced magic user. "REVEAL THEM. THE REST OF YOU, KILL THE OTHER TWO. I'LL DEAL WITH THIS TRAITOR HERE AND NOW."

While Qibli had no other option to stand there as the other two restrained him, their sudden forced movements away from Qibli afforded him a moment's notice to break free. Another voice in his head, this time Peacemaker's voice, spoke in the confines of his mind:

'DISTRACT THEM! WE NEED TO FREE HER!'

Qibli need not be told again, he charged into Cobra from behind to knock her off balance, allowing Rattlesnake to attempt another slice at her neck. From there, the blade certainly made contact, yet Cobra remained unharmed. She grinned once more cruelly.

"YOU DIDN'T THINK I'D LEAVE MYSELF UNPROTECTED DID YOU?"

Cobra then kicked her daughter in the chest, back towards the closing circle of Sandwings that had already pinned down Sirocco. Rattlesnake picked herself up to charge at them, leaving Qibli to struggle with Cobra on his own for the moment. Notably, the animus dragon hadn't moved an inch from her spot, still as stone.

Qibli decided it was best if Cobra didn't notice this, so he ensured that she wouldn't. While weapons couldn't pierce her scales, he applied a firm jab to her back between the shoulder blades, right atop a pressure point that caused her to hiss; unfortunately, Cobra retaliated with a swipe of her dagger to Qibli's face, leaving a gash in his cheek and knocking him backwards.

With vengeance she lunged after him, eager to finish him off. Qibli could only watch through the storm winds and pelting rain as Cobra quite nearly plunged her dagger into her son's chest. But at the very last second, mere inches away from him, another dragon lunged at her and pushed her aside…

…and standing over him was none other than Vulture.

The Sandwing thugs all backed up as the legendary clan leader showed himself, lifting up Qibli to his feet. Rattlesnake and Sirocco rushed to Qibli, Vulture welcoming his other two grandchildren into the small circle they were forming. Cobra stood with the majority of her thugs, and Qibli would've sworn she was about to burst a vein with how enraged she looked.

"OF ALL THE TIMES FOR YOU TO FINALLY GROW A SPINE-"

"DAUGHTER." Vulture called out, wielding naught but his talons and fangs. "I-"

"GET THEM." Cobra pointed to them once more with unrelenting fury."KILL THEM ALL, NOW."

Albeit reluctant and intimidated by the sudden appearance of Vulture, four Sandwings launched themselves spear first at the group, and just as the first time, they were swept aside by a blur of scales. This time, not one dragon, but two stood with them. Smolder and Onyx stood with Qibli and Vulture now.

"DID WE MISS SOMETHING?" Smolder chimed in, chipper and sarcastic as ever.

"MORE FRIENDS?" Rattlesnake looked to Qibli confusedly.

"AS LONG AS YOU STICK WITH ME. WE GOT YOUR BACK, YOURS TOO SIROCCO." Qibli regarded them both quickly with a trusting head nod. While Sirocco still seemed unsure, Rattlesnake synced herself with her new cohorts, and the group formed a battle circle.

Cobra, supremely unpleased with this development, glared at her animus prisoner.

"COMMAND-"

…or at least, glared at where she thought they would be. All that stood there was an empty spot.

— / ––

"OK, WELL AT LEAST COBRA CAN'T COMMAND HER FOR NOW!"

Having been unable to alter the enchanted dragon otherwise, Peacemaker whisked the group away just out of sight of everyone, also applying Turtle's "Unnoticeable" enchantment to her as well. The small group of magical dragons all sat together, minus the still frozen Sandwing. Peacemaker inspected her up and down in a frenzy.

"DO WE KNOW WHO THIS IS?"

Turtle dug through his bag and pulled out a scroll, desperately trying to keep it dry.

"WATERPROOF."

Immediately the scroll kept the rain at bay.

"SHOW ME THE NAME OF THIS DRAGON."

The group huddled around the scroll, watching intently as black ink scribbled a neat name in the center:

JERBOA III

"WAIT, WHAT?!" Peacemaker shouted quite alarmedly. "THAT'S… THAT'S INCREDIBLE!"

"WHAT?" Anemone looked between Turtle and Peacemaker wildly. "WHO IS SHE?"

"WASN'T JERBOA AN ANIMUS AROUND DARKSTALKER'S TIME?" Turtle thought aloud to himself.

"EXACTLY!" Peacemaker regarded their new friend with fantastic wonder. "THIS DRAGON IS OVER 2000 YEARS OLD!"

Turtle once more gazed up at Jerboa's face, recalling back to when he was teleported to Darkstalker's throne room. For a split second he saw another Sandwing… now that he thought about it, he recognized this face from that moment.

"HOW DID COBRA ENCHANT HER THOUGH?" Anemone spoke up with her question. "IF SHE'S 2000 YEARS OLD, HOW DID SHE FALL PREY TO A NON-MAGICAL DRAGON TRICKING HER?"

"QIBLI TOLD ME ABOUT HIS MOTHER," Turtle remembered back to Qibli's expression as he mentioned his family. "AND SHE SOUNDS DANGEROUS ENOUGH TO DO EXACTLY THIS."

"HOW DO WE HELP HER?" Auklet found herself at the forefront of the conversation now. "WE CAN'T LET SOMEONE ELSE CONTROL HER, THAT'S WRONG!"

"I AGREE." Anemone replied with similar conviction. She stretched out her talons to the frozen Sandwing: "DISENCHANT THIS DRAGON!"

Nothing happened. Jerboa stood resolute and unflinching in the rain.

"WE TRIED THAT, REMEMBER?" Turtle looked to his younger sister with worry. "WE JUST HAVE TO WORK OUR WAY AROUND WHATEVER ENCHANTMENTS SHE HAS ON HER."

"THEN LET'S TRY THIS:" Peacemaker spoke to Turtle's scroll. "REVEAL EVERY ENCHANTMENT ON THIS DRAGON."

The scroll's waterproofed surface wiped itself clean, now blank. Five simple words etched themselves into the scroll's surface at this point:

OBEY COBRA, DO NOTHING ELSE

"THAT'S IT?!" Anemone shouted with disbelief. "WHY CAN'T WE DISENCHANT HER THEN?!"

"MAYBE IT'S AN ENCHANTED ITEM." Turtle spoke up with an idea. "UNLESS YOU DISENCHANT THE ITEM, THE ENCHANTMENT PERSISTS ON THE DRAGON"

"BUT SHE'S NOT WEARING ANYTHING!" Auklet pointed out with increasing concern.

"NOT THAT WE CAN SEE." Peacemaker extended his talons to the dragon. "REVEAL ANY HIDDEN ITEMS ON THIS DRAGON."

Immediately, a simple leather pouch materialized around Jerboa's neck. It looked to be flat, but the group knew looks could be deceiving.

"LET'S TAKE IT OFF HER!" Auklet immediately reached to grab the pouch, stopped short by Anemone holding her back.

"AUKLET WAIT! WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE IT MIGHT BE ENCHANTED WITH-"

"LET'S SEE THEN." Turtle spoke to the scroll once more. "REVEAL THE EXACT ENCHANTMENTS ON THE LEATHER POUCH JERBOA IS WEARING."

The scroll stayed blank for a second longer, then listed out with haste an extensive list of words, going all the way down the scroll until it reached the bottom:

MAKE WHOEVER WEARS THIS POUCH BE AFFECTED BY THE ENCHANTMENT INSIDE

MAKE THIS POUCH INDESTRUCTIBLE

MAKE THIS POUCH UNABLE TO BE TAKEN OFF BY ANYONE

MAKE THIS POUCH RETAIN AND PROTECT THE CONTENTS INSIDE PERFECTLY

MAKE THIS POUCH INVISIBLE TO OTHERS

MAKE THIS POUCH UNABLE TO BE DISENCHANTED BY ANYONE

MAKE THIS POUCH KILL ANYONE WHO TRIES TO TAKE IT OFF VIA INSTANT HEART ATTACK

As the gang looked across the list of enchantments, Auklet paled in her face reading the last one.

"WOW…" Peacemaker arched his brow. "FOR A NON MAGIC USER, SHE WAS REALLY THOROUGH."

"SO HOW DO WE GET IT OFF THOUGH?" Anemone asked first. "WE GOTTA BE CAREFUL, AND WE HAVE TO THINK THIS THROUGH WITH THAT LAST ENCHANTMENT."

"FIRST WE PROTECT OURSELVES FROM THE EFFECTS," Turtle thought out loud as he worked this through. "THEN WE ACT. I'LL CAST A QUICK-"

The Seawing's thought cut itself short as he noticed Auklet pointing her talons to the pouch. Before he could say anything more:

"ENCHANT THAT POUCH SO THAT… ALL OF THE ENCHANTMENTS ARE NOW THE OPPOSITE!"

"AUKLET-"

"SIS NO-"

While no one could stop the youngest Seawing Princess from unleashing her enchantment, the after effects weren't immediately apparent… at least not until Jerboa blinked a few times and began darting her gaze around wildly.

Auklet rushed back to the others and hid herself behind Turtle and Anemone while Jerboa felt the pouch on her chest, immediately ripping it off her person. She held it in her open paw, and with vengeful hate she spoke a command:

"BURN."

Even despite the torrential downpour, the pouch spontaneously combusted and within a second had disintegrated altogether. All that remained was a scrap of papyrus, eons old… and incredibly familiar to Peacemaker.

"…THAT'S HOW SHE ENCHANTED YOU! SHE USED A PIECE OF THE SCROLL!"

"HOW DID COBRA GET HER TALONS ON THAT?!" Anemone's disbelief nearly cut through the wind and rain.

"WHICH ONE OF YOU DISENCHANTED ME?"

Jerboa's sudden authoritative voice quelled the few squabbling animus dragons. Auklet shyly stepped forwards and presented herself.

"M-ME. NO ONE SHOULD EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, SO WE RESCUED YOU!"

Jerboa knelt down to the verdant Seawing, donning a smile to make her feel safer.

"THANK YOU, LITTLE ONE. I'M TRULY GRATEFUL."

Auklet, now beaming with pride, rushed forwards to hug her new Sandwing friend, who upon being greeted with a hug, stood in place not knowing what to do.

"JERBOA," Turtle stepped forwards to her. "IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU AND ALL BUT WE'RE IN A REALLY HOSTILE SITUATION AND-"

"I KNOW. I'LL HANDLE THIS."

The elden Sandwing gazed up to the storm, feeling the rain pelt her scales and the thunderous storm winds whip around her. After thinking for just a moment more, she spoke with a firm voice to the heavens:

"UNDO EVERY ACT OF MAGIC I'VE DONE SINCE COBRA PUT ME UNDER HER COMMAND."

— / ––

There was but a split second where Cobra's attention was divided, specifically when she noticed her animus tool had vanished into thin air. It was at this exact moment that Qibli tackled her once again, this time alongside Rattlesnake and Onyx. Even with the three of them there, Cobra managed to resist enough to push them back a bit, swiping her tail at Onyx who just barely managed to dodge in time.

The rest of the Sandwing thugs followed their commander's orders, and charged the three pinning Cobra to the stone, only to be swept back by the overwhelming combined force of Smolder, Vulture, and Sirocco. While it certainly helped to have the imposing figure of the once widely feared Vulture backing them up, it didn't help too much that Vulture had become a frail shadow of his former self. Each strike and block of the Sandwing thugs' blows drove the older dragon back further and further, yet he never faltered when Sirocco dared to defend him. While the eye contact between the two was brief, Vulture detected a hint of what he interpreted as trust behind Sirocco's once intensely fearful eyes.

For a solid 4 minutes, the fighting and struggling seemed evenly matched all the way; Cobra would strike out at the three, attempting to decapitate or slash at anyone she could, only to be blocked and staggered backwards once more by an attempted stab or slash at her chest or neck. Where her thugs attempted to help her, the other three quickly sent them flying or dispatched them with frenzied quickness. Even though the stone below shone a solid gray, it quickly became drowned out by an oncoming wave of crimson red.

Yet, for all their efforts, eventually the defending 6 dragons found themselves overwhelmed by continual onslaught of Cobra's forces. Several of the Sandwings seemed to rise at once from their fatal injuries, more than likely having been enchanted to keep going despite any injuries. Smolder still kept them at bay with his own enchantments of speed and prowess, but Vulture quickly found himself overwhelmed, with Sirocco barely able to hold his own protecting his grandfather.

Qibli found himself in the same situation, Rattlesnake doing her utmost to defend from Cobra's brutal offense. Onyx kept her back where she could, but proved to be a bit outmatched by the assassin's superior skillset. Soon enough, a crippling slice to Rattlesnake's thigh caused her to sink down in agony:

"GYAH!"

Onyx blocked Cobra's next attack with her wing, only to receive a kick to the chest that knocked the wind from her lungs, also sending her back into the nearby tree with a mighty SLAM! Qibli launched himself at Cobra one last time to defend his sister, managing to push her back while he grabbed Rattlesnake's sword. Cobra, not one to take the offense lightly, slashed at her youngest son with her twin daggers, Qibli just barely blocked with the dull side of the curved blade. He tried desperately to keep her mother's strikes at bay, only to falter for a moment and have his sword ripped from his paws, Cobra finally bringing her daggers back to-

KCSHHHHH!

The sound of the nearby tree getting burned in half froze the two in place, and as Cobra looked over to the source of the sound, that sound flew towards her and launched her back. Qibli felt a massive rush of heat flush over him, only to find Peril had his mother pinned to the rocks, quite literally aflame with determination.

Cobra however, didn't seem too phased, and especially not on fire. As she looked into Peril's eyes, another guttural chuckle built up in her chest, and as it roiled into a full on maniacal laugh, Cobra pushed the flaming dragon back and managed to rake her talons across her neck.

"NGH!"

Peril stayed back in front of Qibli and Rattlesnake, Onyx standing to the side to trap Cobra where she stood. As the rest of the thugs attempted to charge Rattlesnake and Qibli, another wave of energy threw them to the side of the mountain. Descending in front of Vulture and Sirocco came Libra, Smolder standing beside her with newly determined vigor. It now seemed the Sandwing army was matched in power, and the Sandwing thugs became much more wary of their foes and their newfound powers.

"SO THEN," Cobra glared at Aries with curious malice, as if figuring out how best to dissect her. "THE GRACIOUS PRINCESS MAKES HER APPEARANCE! AT LAST WE-"

Peril, having no part of Cobra's antics today, once more charged at her and dug her talons into whatever she could. Cobra just barely managed to grab her talons at the last second, keeping the Skywing locked in a grapple. The other Sandwing thugs took the opportunity to charge at Libra and the others while they were momentarily distracted, Libra able to deflect most attacks on behalf of the wounded and exhausted few she protected. Rattlesnake barely had any energy to stand even now, and Qibli managed to rise to his feet for a moment more. Onyx was just about ready to lunge at Cobra herself, only to be distracted by a beam of light.

…in fact, everyone's attention was caught by this beam of light. The wind's culled themselves from the tempest it was a moment ago, and the typhoon-like rain steadied to a drizzle, and then nothing at all. More and more light streamed down from the heavens, breaking the magical storm away into nothingness. The storm that had brought an onslaught of bloodshed had finally dissipated, and the combatants savored the sunlight that streamed across their drenched faces…

All except Cobra, that is, who at seeing her plan fall into shambles, decided that escape would be the most pertinent option. As the storm broke, Peril let go of Cobra for a moment, just long enough for the Sandwing assassin to slam the hilt of her dagger into the side of Peril's jaw, knocking her back and nearly out entirely. With her out of the way, Cobra launched herself down the-

WHAM!

A furious slam of a Sandwing tail catapulted Cobra back to the wall. Vulture had gotten to his feet once again and managed to keep his daughter from leaving, albeit wobbling and still trying to catch his breath. Barely able to keep himself upright, Sirocco joined him at his side, attempting to support his grandfather and keep him from falling over. Rattlesnake acted next, and while still limping from her gashed thigh, she grabbed her sword again, spinning around in an attempt to land a savage slice downwards.

Cobra managed to just barely avoid the sword crashing down on her, landing another slice to Rattlesnake's side, just below her ribs.

"GAH!"

Once more she sank down to the stone, leaving Cobra to dash at Qibli with single minded intent. If anything, she would ensure that one aspect of hers was going to go right. And that started with ending her least favorite son's life.

"YOU."

Qibli scrambled for the sword Rattlesnake dropped, barely able to grab the hilt as Cobra swiped her daggers at him once more.

CLANG!

"YOU RUIN EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH."

Cobra's attacks now carried vengeful rage in every strike, and Qibli found his grip on the sword slipping with each one.

"MY FUTURE-"

CLING!

"MY EMPIRE-"

SHING!

"I WILL NOT LET YOU RUIN THIS!"

KLANG!

Cobra's last strike finally flung the sword from her youngest son's paws, forcing Qibli back onto his scaly hind with enough time to scramble back to the stone. By now, the remaining of Cobra's forces attempted to coalesce around her once more, prompting Libra and Peril to force them back and into the jungle. Onyx and Smolder joined her in driving the Sandwing force away towards the rainforest, leaving only family to surround Cobra now. Rattlesnake lay bleeding 10 feet away, Vulture struggled to stand, much less act upon the oncoming attack on his grandson. Sirocco however…

"GET BACK."

While Sirocco may not have been the sharpest knife in the drawer, he did have some values. He valued his sister, who, whether he liked it or not, made choices for the both of them to keep him alive. Siding with Qibli was one of those choices, but more than that… he understood why they needed to side with him. Cobra was no mother, but Rattlesnake was his sister, and Qibli… even with as insufferable and malicious as they were to him, at the end of everything he was still their brother too.

In perhaps one of the only decisions he'd made for himself in his life, he charged in front of Cobra, standing between her and Qibli. Notably, he didn't even pick up the sword that lay a few feet away, rather just standing as intimidatingly as he could… not that Cobra would have thought of him as any more of a threat, with or without it.

"...You leave my brother alone."

Heartless as Cobra was… there was a mere second where she felt a pang of pity for her children. None of them knew what a mother's love felt like, only replaced by scorn and shame. She instilled no shortage of ruthlessness into Sirocco, and made it clear she only used him as a tool as she pleased. And now despite all of this, despite seeing his younger brother as inferior for betraying his own mother… Now he'd done the same. Cobra now stood alone. No offspring, and certainly no family to aid her now… and yet here she stood, about to take the lives of all three.

Now Cobra drew her last dagger. The second of pity had passed, and all that remained in her black heart was vengeance. The dragon in front of her meant nothing, and it would take seconds to dispose of him. Sirocco knew he wouldn't stand much chance, and yet…

"GRRRRAAAAAAAAAH-"

He bravely throttled his mother, tail stinger raised as he attempted to slash at her. And all it took was Cobra stepping to the side and thrusting her dagger up into his chest cavity for him to stop in his tracks… air hissing out of his mouth.

"NO!"

Rattlesnake shouted with a wheeze at seeing her brother's face contort with agony. Cobra leaned in to his ear for a moment, twisting the dagger in his gut:

"...You will die as you lived… unloved and useless."

-and with the quick RIP out of her dagger, she tossed the now limp dragon aside and growled a deep and hateful growl in her chest. Now all that stood between her and Qibli was but a few feet of open stone.

Qibli on the other hand backed up as far as he could, knowing not what or who would save him, knowing that he could not fight back in almost any meaningful way. As Cobra drew closer he accepted his death, and only hoped that-

SHUNK!

…a moment of ripped flesh and pierced scales sounded through the air, as Cobra suddenly jolted upright by the sudden impact to her back. Behind her, Vulture had rushed over with all the strength he had left, and buried his stinger deep within Cobra's right shoulder. Vulture even tried pushing it deeper within her, only to find himself giving out. For a second, Qibli thought the fight was over, and Cobra would fall to the ground at any second now.

"Ghk… rngh… n-no…"

Cobra instead whirled around, stinger buried in her back, and grappled onto Vulture instead.

"nO… NOT YET!"

The assassin slammed Vulture head first into the rocks beside Qibli, raising her own stinger and roughly jabbing it into Vulture's own shoulder, just barely missing his arteries.

"YOU WON'T KILL ME. NOT UNTIL I KILL YOU."

SHUNK!

Vulture roared out weakly at the piercing jab to his shoulder, tilting his head back and attempting to drive his own stinger deeper into Cobra's back. Qibli, still right beside them, pushed through every pain in his body to lift his tail, barely able to roll himself over to the two. All at once he tossed himself onto Cobra, knocking her over and forcing her to relinquish Vulture from her grasp; from there he used all his force to stab his tail barb down onto Cobra, the assassin using what force she had left to stop his tail an inch from her throat.

Through all of this… Qibli spoke no words, nor could he even think of any. Adrenaline and concentrated anger was all that fueled him, and death was the only solution in this moment. Sirocco's face etched itself into the back of his brain. Vulture's roar replayed in his head. Every brutal action he'd witnessed up to this moment pulsated in his head, and only instinctively drove him to push his stinger further down to meet Cobra's neck.

What pushed him over the edge, however… was a smile. Cobra's face began to blacken with the venom coursing through her body, her strength failing her by the second. She knew death was coming to take her, and yet… she chose to smile.

And then… she let go.

SHUNK!

Qibli's stinger nearly went through her entire neck, snapping through her spinal column and spilling a pool of blood across both of them. Her mouth went slack and open, but still maintained its smile… and the life quickly faded from her eyes. Qibli panted with what little bodily strength he had left, still staring at his mangled mother's face… no relief washed over him, and instead the deep rooted anger persisted. Her smile still haunted him… her smugness. Evilness. Malice. He hated it.

Slowly he raised his stinger again and

SHUNK!

…right through her chest.

"I…I hate you…"

SHUNK!

Under her jaw.

"I HATE YOU."

SHUNK!

Eye socket.

"YOU MONSTER."

SHUNK!

By now her jaw hung dislocated.

"EVERYTHING YOU STAND FOR IS GONE!"

SHUNK!

Chest cavity again. Qibli now had more blood on him than Cobra's body had left.

"STAY DEAD!"

SHUNK!

"NO ONE WILL REMEMBER YOU!"

SHUNK!

"I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!"

Qibli ruthlessly blooded Cobra's undoubtedly deceased corpse a few times more, before taking it out and laying his tail on the floor… simply staring at what used to be his mother. Whatever feelings he had at the moment, he could not tell what they were… it all became a numbed coalescence of gnarled hatred. Nothing came to him looking at this nearly unrecognizable body, and neither did he feel remorse for doing what he did. It all just rattled around in his brain, paralyzing him with black, rotten malice…

…until Vulture's raspy breathing reminded him he was still alive.

Immediately he scrambled over to his side, watching his grandfather weakly breathing, and seeing the venom travel up his neck; Qibli tried to apply some sort of pressure to slow the venom, finding out quickly that it was already too late to stop the spread.

"Nonononononononono-"

"Ngch… Q-Qibli… grand…son-"

The young Sandwing looked to find Rattlesnake, seeing she had already made her way to Sirocco, laying on the ground bleeding out. Qibli held Vulture in his arms, shouting out to the treeline in utter desperation:

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME PLEASE!"

— / ––

"Wait!"

Of the group of Mudwings, Sandwing royalty, and half of Jade Winglet, Sunny's ears seemed to perk up first as far off shouting could be heard now that the storm had faded out.

"Did anyone else hear that?"

"Was that…" Moon swiveled her head around to the mountain looming in the distance. "...Was that Qibli?"

"Only one way to find out." Thorn motioned to the source of the sound, taking the lead naturally as the gang followed behind her.

The sound of sloshing mud accompanied the group as they pounced through the drenched foliage, their footsteps quickening as Qibli's voice sounded clearer and clearer. Starflight was first to lay his newly given eyes on the grisly scene, taking one look at Cobra's mangled corpse and promptly hurling into the nearest bush.

Jade Winglet found themselves on the scene next, taking in the sheer amount of blood with a lurch in their stomachs. Qibli didn't even spare a second to look at them, only grasping onto Vulture in panic.

"Please, please don't die… Vulture, stay with me, j-just breathe, ok?"

Moon, Winter and Kinkajou all hurried over to the scene, seeing the usually menacing Sandwing on the fringes of death with black streaks along his veins. Vulture's eyes stayed locked onto Qibli, Qibli looking around the group of dragons with desperation.

"BRIGHTSTING CACTUS, D-DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY? PLEASE, HE'S DYING!"

"ALOE- Thorn yelled to her medical entourage, who showed themselves with a panic.

"MY BAG IS GONE!" The Sandwing medic presented themselves, looking over Vulture frantically. "I-I CAN'T STOP THE VENOM, I-I'M SORRY!"

"MOVE!" Sunny, arriving at the scene late, balked for a moment at Cobra's body before running over to the group of dragons where Thorn stood. Sunny looked to Qibli spattered in blood, only to realize that Vulture was the one dying, and balked for a second at the thought of reviving one of the most evil dragons on the continent.

"Wait, you want me to-"

"SUNNY PLEASE!" Qibli gripped her shoulder, and Sunny needn't look too hard to see how much this meant to her. The Sandwing Princess shot a concerned glance to her mother, to which Thorn kept her lips pressed tight. Moon nudged Sunny's shoulder, and after getting her attention spoke with assured peace.

"Sunny, do it. He may as well be a completely different dragon now."

While the Sandwing Princess had her qualms about healing Vulture of all dragons, she trusted Moon's judgements, and ultimately decided that saving any dragons she could would be the best use of her newfound powers.

"Fine MOVE."

Sunny immediately laid her paws on Vulture's neck and chest, letting her light flow through the nearly dead elder dragon. A gentle pulse of her golden light illuminated Vulture's veins, sealing wounds and purifying the venom from his blood. All at once it caused the Sandwing to tense up and strain, allowing a weak gasp to escape his maw for a moment, before his body flumped back to the stone.

While still bloodied, Vulture laid on the mountain stone, eyes closed but in much better condition now, even more lively than when Qibli found him in chains. Qibli drew closer to his grandfather in worry, putting an ear to his chest in hopes of hearing his breath or heartbeat-

"HURK-"

Qibli nearly flew back as Vulture jolted upright onto his feet, immediately hacking his lungs out to cough up a decent amount of blood; after a few seconds of coughing, the newly healed Sandwing hawked up whatever remained in his esophagus and spat it into the bushes. Once he could breathe again, he shook himself thoroughly and shot his gaze around at the newfound group around him.

"*Huff* Ahem… Who …Who do I thank for the magic healing?"

Before he could take another step or say another word, Qibli thrust himself into the larger Sandwing's arms, squeezing the daylights out of him with a tear or two streaming down his face. Vulture held him tight and looked down at him with great concern.

"Grandson, are you hurt? I'm perfectly fine now, do you need any-"

"N-no, I'm okay… just… just got really scared..."

"HEY!"

The familiar voice of Rattlesnake prompted Vulture and Qibli to perk up. The now panicking Sandwing waved to the others.

"HE'S STILL ALIVE!"

"SUNNY!" By the time he'd called out to her, Qibli was already by Rattlesnake's side along with Vulture. Sunny looked to Moon for confirmation, to which Moon shrugged:

"I-I don't know about those two-"

"JUST COME SAVE HIM!"

Sunny reluctantly bolted over to the four Sandwing Family, leaving Thorn and Moon besides the rest of Jade Winglet to gawk at the sheer amount of bodies laying around.

"Moons…" Kinkajou's scales prickled a pale blue and white all around her as she took in the sight. "...Did… did we do the right thing?"

"We survived," Winter flexed his wings in the sunlight, sighing as the amount of blood around him began to sink in a bit more. "We… did what we had to."

"I agree but…" Starflight found himself unable to bear looking at the scene, rather aiming his gaze at the clouds above the mountains. "...really wish this whole ordeal wasn't the second thing I had to witness immediately after getting my sight back."

"We might not be done yet." Thorn spoke up once more, inspecting the perimeter of the jungle line. "There has to be more of them out there still. We don't know who else survived this."

"Aren't Libra and Peril still out there?" Moon looked off in the direction they sped off in, leaving Thorn to look at her curiously.

"Who's Libra again?"

"Honestly," Kinkajou kept her gaze back to her friends, trying to get her mind out of the bloody scene around her. "I've lost track of all the new dragons we've met in the last day or two…"

"I think she's the Queen's daughter?" Winter shrugged, sighing as he massaged his temples. "They look similar… so…"

"Yeah, she is…" Moon's gaze fell back onto Winter, noticing Jun popping out of Winter's satchel all discombobulated. The Nightwing drew a bit closer, offering a smile. "Hey… thank you, Winter."

Winter's gaze drew back to Moon, a gentle smile growing across his snout as he regarded her.

"...of course, I'm sorry for saying no in the first place."

Moon looks down at the stone as she sighs. "It was wrong of me to even ask in the first place-"

"Hailstorm was looking for me."

The Nightwing perked her head up at Winter's reply. "...He was?"

Winter shrugged. "I mean… he was trying to get my help to stop my mother from overthrowing Snowfall, but he still missed me."

"Oh," Moon replied with unexpected surprise. "Wow… that's… is, everything ok now…?"

Winter's delay in reply told her what reading his mind would've said instead.

"...She made her choice… and she got what she had coming."

"But still-"

"Hey!"

Winter and Moon looked down to see Kinkajou getting their attention, looking between the two with a more carefree gaze, and the usual tints of pink and yellow in her scales.

"Whatever happens now… I think we're gonna be ok, right?"

"Yes," Aloe spoke up with confidence. "I think we can manage things from here!"

"Besides whatever's going on with Onyx and Vulture now," Thorn sighed to herself, watching Sunny healing Sirocco with a caring family watching over them. "I really hope they stay like this. I can handle a crime family without Cobra, so long as Vulture isn't who he used to be."

"Hey wait," Moon spoke up again. "Cobra's dead, so… what are the rest of the thugs going to do?"

"Vanish, hopefully." Winter let his thoughts interrupt the conversation. "If they're smart."

"Queen Thorn," Kinkajou looked over to the Sandwing Queen with admiration. "If they turn themselves in, would you grant them amnesty?"

Thorn mulled the question over in her head disapprovingly, but looked over on the increasingly heartfelt moments of the Sandwings surrounding Qibli. Vulture had his grandson in his arms the whole time, Qibli doing nothing to get away, but rather getting closer all the while. If they were to prove to be good influences for all the rest…

"That… remains to be seen… especially since we don't know what the rest of them will do-"

"THEY'VE SURRENDERED!"

Peril's voice cut through the hubbub on the mountain ledge, herding a chorus line of mangled and otherwise injured Sandwing thugs onto the outcropping. Thorn stood back in surprise, considering the timing and the circumstance, and also at the sheer number of surrendering Sandwings. The spectacle brought forth Vulture and Qibli, along with the two unsure siblings trailing behind.

"Is… this all that's left?" Vulture let his gaze wash over the line of Sandwings. Thorn nearly did a double take hearing concern coming from the old buzzard's maw. Peril nodded, warily regarding Vulture as she approached.

"There's more coming, some of them can't be moved yet…"

"I'll help," Sunny moved down the line, assessing which Sandwings were in the worst condition. "Point them out and-"

"Sunny-" Thorn's admonishing voice nearly stopped her daughter in her tracks, to which Sunny adamantly turned around to her.

"MOM, PLEASE. They're dying, they deserve SOME sort of empathy from us."

"They don't deserve to die for their dead allegiances." Vulture backed Sunny up, which garnered a shocked response from just about everyone, Thorn most of all. Sunny just gestured to him as if to prove her point. Thorn sighed and nodded slowly.

"Ok… just be careful, beetle."

Sunny offered a thankful smile just before galloping off. "Yes mom."

Just as Sunny trotted off down the line, a familiar star-studded dragon rose up to the platform, glancing around wildly.

"Has anyone seen Stardust?"

Libra's eyes darted around the stone outcropping through the sea of strange dragons, prompting Peril to slow her down some.

"He's probably with the others in the Rainwing Village, last I left him he was with Clay."

"He's not," Libra retorted. "I just checked."

"You checked?" Peril's slight disbelief rose over her worry, prompting Libra to reply with concerned snark.

"Yes I checked, Aries is there and she says he's not around. Neither of us can reach him with our abilities and-"

"i'm fine."

The group whirled around to see the sudden appearance of one roughed up Starwing Prince, standing aside from the group and not even bothering to look at them. Peril was the first to heave a sigh of overwhelming relief, and nearly tackled her young one in a hug, careful not to harm her egg across his chest.

"Oh thank the moons…" She held his face in her talons for a moment, inspecting her son's face with careful joy. "Are you hurt? What happened-"

"I-I'm fine…" Stardust let Peril plant a kiss atop his head before pulling away, gently taking off the satchel and handing it to her. "...my body's not what hurts…"

…The small plateau of stone fell silent around the small group. Libra looked away dejectedly, Peril looking between the two siblings with rising curiosity.

"...Stardust…" The burning Skywing nosed her young one's side, becoming more desperate for answers by the second. "...what happened in that mountain?"

"...I don't want to talk about it."

"Little one, I need you to tell me-"

"I stole him as an egg."

Once more the object of attention switched places, from Stardust to Libra, who so boldly let the truth escape her. Moon's gaze fell to the bloodied floor, as everyone else stood in worried shock. Peril stopped in her tracks, her gaze now fixed on Libra, who gave the impression she'd rather not exist with that statement being truthful

"...you… stole him?"

Libra dared not utter another word. Peril continued.

"...Why?"

"To save me."

None of the spectators of the conversation expected Stardust to speak up again, especially not after Libra's confession. Yet he continued further.

"...She… she did what she thought was right… whether it was or not."

Peril's previously incredulous expression softened into sympathetic understanding, knowing that this dilemma probably went much deeper than she expected. All she could do was be a caring mother to the one who needed her love. Yet, when she drew near Stardust…

"It doesn't matter though."

He jerked back as his glittering eyes trembled, dripping pools of tears that clashed with the blood across the stony ground. Peril didn't dare approach further, but gave him space.

"...Stardust-"

"NO."

The young Prince whirled around in place, standing off against her adopted mother and biological sister, the latter of which had her gaze affixed to the floor by now.

"...Stop trying to tell me it's gonna be ok, because it's not."

Stardust's voice trembled with unbalanced grief, anger lined the words he spoke as if holding back as much as he could.

"I don't even… I-I don't…"

The next words he spoke didn't even feel like his own anymore. Rather just a realization someone else had fed him… and even worse, he accepted them as his own.

"...I don't even belong here."

…Peril clasped her paw to her mouth, the other's drawing back at his renouncing of his home. Libra looked back up at her brother once more, her heart tearing in two at listening to the depth of his heartbreak.

"Star, please-"

Stardust had no words left by then. He merely turned around to face the open skies, ignoring his sister calling after him. With a mighty BLAST of energy from his wings, he vaulted into the skies with comet like speed, leaving Libra to shout after him in desperation:

"NEBULA!"

…It was too late. Stardust did not hear, nor did he care to stop. Libra's words were beyond him now, as the blast from Stardust's wings echoed across the clear skies.

All Libra could do… was sink to the ground… and cry.

(Note: ...I lied. Still not done. but the rest is outlined, one short chapter, epilogue, and... a little treat at the end for y'all.~

Writing the next chapter shouldn't take long at all, so stick around! And... again, thank you guys for your patience.)