Chapter 7

Pronghorn

Pronghorn looked around him as sand, sand and, spoiler, more sand came into view. He didn't like the desert. He hated that he had to go there.

Twilight gave a snort of amusement when he looked back ahead. "It's just sand. Deal with it."

"I'm part Seawing," he pointed out. "My fathers tribe would dry out here."

"But your mothers tribe would be alright," Twilight said. "I heard the Hivewings are allies with the Sandwings."

Pronghorn let out a growl. "So what."

"You really have no idea," Twilight looked ahead. "After your parents had given me your egg they had gone back to their tribes. They didn't want to fight. They were forced to. You might see your mother there."

Pronghorn looked down at his claws for a second. "How would I find her? I don't even know her name."

"Simple," Twilight mused. "I do."

Pronghorn flew closer to Twilight. "Really?"

"Of course," she laughed. "I am the Elder. You're looking for a dark Hivewing named Cerana. She is your mother."

Pronghorn pictured her in his head. "Thank you, Twilight,"

She nodded and looked ahead. "I'd say a day's more flight till we reach the palace. We can rest now." She angled her wings as they both started to drop towards the ground.

Pronghorn landed and watched the sun drop below the horizon.
Do you think we'll find him unhurt?" he asked, still looking at the sky.

"Huh? Oh, Iceberg. Yes I do," Twilight layed down with a sigh. "We'll find him. Don't worry."

"I'll take the first watch," Pronghorn turned to her.

"No need. I have a protection spell around us. Had it ever since we left." She waves a talon around in a circle.

"Oh. Alright." he laid down and placed his head on his front talons, watching as stars began to appear. His eyes slowly closed bringing him into a deep sleep.

"Watch out," Twilight hissed to him. "This spell only makes it so they can't see us. If you bump into one we'll be in trouble."

"Sorry," he continued forward through the Sandwing Palace. He noticed Icewings around as he and Twilight crept through the crowds of Sandwings and Hivewings. He kept a silent eye out for his mother, Cerana. Though he really didn't care for that at the moment. He was here for Iceberg and he wouldn't be distracted by something like that.

Icewings were about glaring at the Sandwings and Hivewings almost willing them to drop dead or surrender. As He crept closer to the walls he heard a familiar voice. He turned to see a pure white dragon with no scars. Her scales glistened in the light and her face showed of displeasure. On her head stood a small crown made of silver. It looked like spires of icicles and she walked through the courtyard.

"Twilight," he whispered in shock.

"What?" she grumbled.

"Frost is here," he pulled on her wing to look.

Twilight turned around to look at the Icewing. "So, that's the Queen of the Icewings."

"Yes. Me and Iceberg encountered her before. She may look regal but she is a Queen not to be reckoned with." he watched Queen Frost step through the crowd. "She had broken off her alliance with the Skywings easily years ago. When she did, Queen Ember retaliated. It ended up being a bloody war for the Skywings."

"Just watch out for her. If she's here that means Iceberg is in danger," Twilight continued walking through the crowded courtyard.

As they had gotten through the courtyard Pronghorn pulled out a map he had enchanted. It was a palace layout with a single blue dot pulsing. "It looks like he's in the prison."

"Then let's go," Twilight started ahead. He followed her through the twisting corridors of the palace. Going down a set of stairs only to go up then down another. Pronghorn was about to give up when Twilight had stopped him.

She pointed ahead. "There. That's the prison entrance."

He looked at the big doors ahead. "How do we get in?"

Twilight thought for a second. She gave a sigh. "Glad I kept this thing." she grabbed a very round rock out of her satchel. It shined and she was suddenly transformed into a Sandwing.

"Whoa," Pronghorn jumped to the side.

"Stay here," she said before going right up to the doors and opening them. He heard her converse with the guard inside until he had started running in a different direction. Twilight looked outside and gestured to him to come inside. He ran across the hall and through the doors. Inside were cells. Some with Skywings some with Sandwings. Only one had the white of Icewings scales.

"Where are the keys?" he asked Twilight.

"Here," she handed him a band with cell keys on it.

He scrambled over to Icebergs cell. "Iceberg!"

Iceberg turned to look at Pronghorn. "You're alive!"

"Yeah and I'm getting you out." Pronghorn twisted the keys in the key hole.

"How are you alive?" Iceberg questioned.

"That would have been me I suspect." Twilight came up behind Pronghorn.

"Pronghorn look out!" Iceberg shouted at the sight of Twilight, who was still a Sandwing.

"Oh right," she said. She grabbed the rock again and transformed back into herself. "Sorry about that.

Iceberg's eyes widened as he saw the hybrid. "Who are you?"

"Iceberg I found her," the key hole finally clicked as he got the right key. "She's the elder."

Iceberg's jaw dropped. "You're the Elder?"

"Yes, now can we get going. It'll be only a few minutes till that guard realizes he's been tricked." Twilight looked at the door.

Pronghorn thought for a moment then raced to the other full cells. He unlocked the first one, a Skywing. "Go. Escape." She looked at him and opened the door slowly. He raced over to the next trying the key.

"Pronghorn, what are you doing?" Twilight hissed.

"Creating a diversion," he replied, unlocking two more cells. "Just give me a second."

"Hurry up." Iceberg said by the door. "I hear talon steps."

Pronghorn quickly ran over to the last two cells, both with Sandwinsg in. One of them stopped him. "Don't. Go. Get out of here while you still can."

The other one piped up. "Go. We'll be ok."

He looked at them both. "But I can get you out."

"Obsidian would catch us again. We were a part of the Hybrid movement. She'll catch us then you. Go before she finds out." The first, male, ushered him.

"Come with us." he suddenly said. Iceberg and Twilight looked at him. "We're leaving this palace. Come with us."

The two Sandwings looked at eachother. "Alright." the first one said. "We'll go."

Pronghorn sighed a sigh of relief and unlocked the cells. Both Sandwings hugged each other as they were freed from their prison. Pronghorn looked at Twilight and nodded. "Ready."

Twilight put on the sight spell where all of them were invisible. Iceberg leapt from the doors as they were swung open by a massive Sandwings. She had pitch black eyes and tattoos running from her horn to her wings and tail. A crown of gold sat atop her head and she slithered inside.

"Where are my prisoners?" she hissed to the guard behind her.

He shook from talons to horns. "I..I don't know."

She spun around to face him. "FIND THEM!"

He jumped and raced away, presumingly alerting all the palace guards. An Icewing appeared next to the Sandwing. "Calm down Queen Obsidian," her voice slithered under his scales. "He's only a prison guard. They don't know much besides watch."

"Queen Frost," Obsidian recomposed herself. "I'm terribly sorry but the prisoner you're looking for has escaped. But don't worry. I'll let you kill him."

"Thank you, Queen Obsidian," Frost walked away with Obsidian.

"Your queen is freaky," one of the Sandwings said to Iceberg.

"I know," Iceberg said, looking out the doors. "Coast is clear. Let's go."

Pronghorn was about to leave when he saw something in the cell closest to the door. It was a black object. It had splotches of dark yellow along the curve. Pronghorn came closer to the cylindrical object. He gasped as he saw it.

An egg.