The New Queen Wasp

Your Friends Call your Names, They Call for Help.

Do Not Ignore them, Do Not Ignore their Pleads.

Their Cries for Help, Their Begs to be Let Free.

Save them, Help them.

They would Do the Same for you.

The sky was a land of chaos, blackened by dragons flying overhead. Their wings flapped a hundred miles an hour, causing a noise to echo throughout the jungle. A sound all too familiar to the dragons of this continent. A sign which struck fear into the souls of all the inhabitants. Their flaps resembled a bee, an entire hive in fact. An entire swarm of the dragons known as HiveWings and SilkWings were grouped together, blackening the sky, casting the inevitable darkness onto the world.

They growled, they thrashed their claws, and lashed their teeth as they scanned the ground for any dragon who was not possessed. Their eyes were pale white, the true threat and fear of every dragon on the continent. Their queen was no more, in her place a new host for the Plant, and she ruled with iron claws. It seemed like eternity, but finally the humming of their wings died down, and the HiveWings and SilkWings had gone.

Somewhere in the jungle the bushes shook. Stepping out of the shadows was Snowfall the IceWing Queen. She held two long, sharp blades made from ice, and wore belts across her torso to sheath the weapons.

The queen looked around, gazing up at the sky, and out at the greenery. When she could see no threat in sight, she calmed, and put away her blades.

"All clear," she called out.

Almost as soon as she said that, nine other dragons emerged from the bushes, all from every tribe.

Qibli the SandWing, who wore a vest filled with arrows, carrying a crossbow.

Tsunami the SeaWing, who wore gloves and boots made of silver, which had talons sharper than any other claw, and armor on her torso.

Mangrove the RainWing, who held a bow, along with a majority of arrows, and darts filled with poison.

Next to him was Mastermind the NightWing, who's only defense was chain mail made by NightWings themselves, and a knife strapped to his right talon.

Carnelian the SkyWing, whose body was covered in burn marks, but wore the traditional SkyWing armor.

Sora the MudWing, who had coverings filled with bombs and other artillery.

Lady Scarab the HiveWing, sister of now deceased Queen Wasp. She had a helmet covering almost her entire face, and her chestplate had knives and other blades stashed in it.

Sundew the LeafWing, who had two vines which she used as whips, along with poison darts and long knives.

Finally, Blue the SilkWing, who wore red cloth across his forehead and torso, wielding four knives, and a flamesilk whip around his arm.

"How much farther do we have to go?" Mangrove asked, impatiently.

"We're not even close to where we need to be," Sundew replied. "The Poison Jungle is miles away from the Pit. Once we get there, we'll go in, and finally destroy the Breath of Evil."

"What about the hives?" Tsunami asked.

"They're useless to us. The only thing we need to do is avoid them at all costs. Do you all understand?"

They nodded.

"Who put you in charge?" Sora snarled.

"Might I remind you that she is the only dragon we have who knows the jungle better than any of us," Lady Scarab said.

"My wings are sore," Mastermind said.

"Walk it off," Mangrove growled.

"As much as I hate to say it," Qibli said, "considering we still have a long way to go, and the fact that ninety percent of the HiveWings, along with other dragons are after us, I too am out of breath and begging for rest."

Sundew sighed. "I'll admit it as well. Alright, we'll rest here for fifteen minutes, and no longer than that. We need all the energy we have if we want to fight the entire HiveWing tribe, and the Breath of Evil itself."

With that said, the dragons slumped to the ground without hesitation while some went to go find some food. Blue sat a few feet away from the group, and forced himself not to look back at them. He pulled out one of his knives and studied it. The blade glistened in the sunlight that peeked through the leaves, and thought it looked dull. He found a rock and began to sharpen the knife.

After a moment someone sat down next to him. Blue was startled a little, but saw that it was Qibli.

"Oh it's just you," Blue said.

"You okay?" Qibli asked.

"Fine." He went back to sharpening the knife.

"You sure?"

"Listen, you don't need to worry about my safety, alright? I can take care of myself."

"I'm just asking if you're feeling alright."

"For your information . . . what was your name again?"

"It's Qibli."

"For your information, Qibli, I am in fact not feeling alright, and I haven't been alright ever since I became a convict."

"Well, I'm sure it wasn't like that."

"It didn't need to be."

Qibli was hesitant for a moment. He was about two years older than Blue, and looking at him now, for some reason he reminded him of himself when he was that young. Always angry, always wanting to be the strongest in the tribe. But he was none of those things, he never was, and never wanted to be.

He then asked: "Do you know how to fight?"

"What?" Blue said, annoyed.

"I asked if you know how to fight."

" . . . Yeah. Why are you asking me that?"

"I'm just wondering."

"Do you know how to fight?"

" . . . Honestly I wish I never had to. But, where I'm from, I learned how to protect myself at a very young age, and did so as I was growing up."

"So you've had experience."

"More than you, I would presume."

"I know enough about fighting."

"I'm sure you do, but . . . have you killed something before?"

"Have I killed something before? What? You think I wait until someone else brings me my food? Are you scared of killing something?"

"No, that's why I'm asking you."

"I'm not a young dragonet, Qibli. Like I told you, I can take care of myself. What about you? Do you know anything about killing?"

Qibli was hesitant, then sighed. " . . . I regret killing everything I had to kill. Those animals I had to eat . . . even dragons."

Blue was unexpectedly taken aback by this. " . . . You did kill someone before?"

" . . . About a year ago, on Pyrrhia, there was a twenty year long war going on called the War of SandWing Succession, where three queens were battling for the throne. It ended two years ago, and two of the sisters died. The third and oldest sister we presumed to be dead turned out to be hiding and taking refuge with my grandfather. Two years ago, I met both of them again . . . and killed them. I had no choice. I didn't want to kill them."

"What are you supposed to be saying?"

"I'm saying that you look so eager to kill something, or worse someone."

"So you're saying you think I'm going to kill you."

"No, I'm not worried about that. It's just, I had a friend, back when I was going to a school called Jade Mountain Academy."

"I think I've heard this story from someone else beforehand."

"Just listen for a second, please. Back in the school, he never really was the type of dragon to smile. He was always angry, brooding, but he wasn't harmful. I wanted to be his friend, you know? I think dragons, every once in a while, need a reassurance that the world isn't always cruel, or evil, because in reality it's not, even though everyone says it is. I tried to be his friend, tried to get him to smile, at least once. He was a jerk to others, but I thought there was something different about him on the inside he didn't want anyone to see.

"One day he just snapped. He became something even he didn't think he could become. He killed someone who was responsible for ending the War of SandWing Succession. Some dragons never do become something better than what they are now. Sometimes dragons can't stand the torture of being rejected by family, looked down on by friends and siblings. . . . That's what happened to him. Look, I'm not your dad or your mom, but I'm just saying: Don't become something you hate to become, or something your friends and family despise. That's the main thing everyone hates about the world."

Blue took a moment to think of how to respond to that, then after a while said: "He must have been a good dragon in his own way. Did you think he was a good friend?"

" . . . I loved him."

Blue stopped sharpening his knife and looked at Qibli with a very confused expression. He wasn't looking at him. Blue decided not to say anything. He shrugged his shoulders, then went back to his knife.

About a yard away, Sundew was sitting on a rock, gliding her claw along the grass while resting her head on her palm. She was staring at Blue, looking concerned. She sensed someone walking up to her, and craned her neck to see Snowfall.

"You doing alright?" The queen asked.

"Yeah?" Sundew replied. "Why do you ask?"

"You look a little . . . anxious."

"Anxious? I'm not anxious. I don't get anxious. I always have everything under control."

" . . . Are you sure?"

Sundew was hesitant, then let out a frustrated sigh. " . . . I'm worried about Blue."

"Is he doing alright?"

"I don't know. Ever since the Plant took . . . Cricket, he hasn't been the same dragon I knew him to be. He's a nice dragon. A little squeamish too, but he can be very brave, going up against the entire HiveWing army. He, his sister and her friend, and Cricket were chased by them right before I met them. He's never had any friends before. As far as he can remember, Blue was always alone, following the rules . . . I can't imagine how he feels right now."

" . . . Me neither. I don't have a lot of friends either. As far as I can remember, Lynx has always been there for me, even if I was treating her like muck."

"Must be hard being a queen."

"Must be hard living in a jungle."

"You get used to it if you've lived here long enough. You just have to know your instincts."

"I know my instincts well enough so that it helps me to not get killed."

Sundew smirked. "You know something about fighting, don't you, Snowfall?"

"We IceWings have a knack for being vigilant. All the time, in fact. Kind of like how you survive out in this jungle. There are dangers everywhere, and you don't know which one you are going to face."

"Your kingdom must be very strict about that."

"You have no idea." Snowfall studied her ice blades, then saw Blue in the corner of her eye. " . . . Maybe I do know how Blue feels."

Sundew looked at her. "You do?"

"In some way, yes." The queen stopped herself for a moment, reflecting on what had happened in the past few months. She felt uncomfortable talking about it, but at the same time wanted to get it off her chest. She decided not to go into very much detail, and said: " . . . You know how easy it is to kill something? Or kill someone? I always thought that would be the right direction to go for some reason. I thought I could protect my people by being strong, ruthless, vicious, but that's just how evil works. I haven't been queen for that long either, only two years by now. I'm only starting to get used to it, and I thought killing anyone who is beneath you, or disobeys the rules, or tries to harm your kingdom, should be executed.

"I should have seen things the way Lynx did right when I became queen, instead of being a tyrant. . . . I knew someone very special to me who hit that point where they snap. Everyone tries to do their best, and be the best, and would do anything to achieve that. The dragon I knew reached that point. Some things go so far until they snap, and he did. I never knew it happened until I was told about it. I never thought he would go those lengths. Now . . . ," Snowfall felt tears build up in her eyes, but fought them back, " . . . I wish I could have been a better cousin.

"I'm watching myself beginning to reach that point, and I'm scared I will. I'm scared I'm going to turn into something I'm not supposed to be. I'm scared I'll become something my parents never imagined I would become. . . . I'm scared of hurting other dragons. I don't want to, I never wanted to. I was blinded by anger, and lust for power - the same way most dragons are. I want to be better. For my family . . . for my friends."

Sundew stared at her. "Is this your way of saying, 'sorry I insulted you right when you randomly showed up on the outskirts of my kingdom? Sorry I threatened to kill you all if you don't leave in the next ten seconds? Sorry I acted like a psychopath and said awful and horrible stuff about you, your families, and your home?'"

"In some way, yes."

Sundew snorted. "I know what it's like to be kicked out of your own home just for living there, just for being alive. I don't need to be reminded of that, 'Your Majesty.' If I were a queen . . . I'd do the same thing, only to show them a lesson for what they did to me, my friends, and my family." She turned away, hunched over and wings out in a menacing way.

Snowfall stared at her before walking away, wishing she could have been a better dragon, a better queen. Or better yet, not at all.

Mastermind sat in complete silence as Mangrove looked over his weaponry, not making any noise whatsoever as he did. The squeamish NightWing slowly breathed in the fresh air, but hoped he wasn't breathing in any toxic fumes. He glanced at the old RainWing. He thought about saying something to him, but decided against it.

He hesitantly stood up, wanting to go find food, but was stopped when Mangrove grabbed his arm, and growled: "Don't, even think, about going anywhere."

Mastermind sat back down, flustered. He then gave him an odd look, and asked: "Why do you despise me?"

"I think you already know that."

"I never wanted to use the RainWings as lab tests."

"But you loved it, didn't you?"

"I thought it was only interesting to learn about the dragons we always looked down on."

"Listen to me, you may be the father of one of the Dragonets of Destiny, but that doesn't mean I'll treat you the same. You murdered RainWings. My friends, my allies, my family."

"I never wanted to kill anyone. Morrowseer and Queen Battlewinner forced me to dispose of them when I was ordered to."

Mangrove grabbed the NightWing by the throat, digging his claws into his scales. "You mean kill them just to put them out of their misery, because you forced them into that situation." His eyes slowly turned. No one was taking notice of the situation, then pointed a hard claw. "You loved it, didn't you?"

"I had to."

"Liar."

"They told me, if I didn't obey the queen's instructions . . . I would never see my son. That's all I ever wanted. I worked to keep Morrowseer from killing him. He said he would bring me his head if I dare go against him. . . . Wouldn't you do the same?"

Mangrove's eyes widened slightly, then he let go of the NightWing. He breathed heavily, forcing himself to calm down and not make a scene. He glared at the dragon next to him. "Dont, you dare, bring her into this. You are here because your only weapon is your head. As long as you are with me, you will not leave my sight. We may have a new queen, but I am still following the orders Queen Glory gave me. Don't think of this as an opportunity to redeem yourself. You are a prisoner, and don't forget that." He held up an arrow. "If I catch you hurting any other RainWing, I will take this . . . and shove it in your throat. That will be the day when you never wake up again."

Mastermind watched him with a disgusted look on his face as the RainWing hunched over, staring at his tools and artillery, taking no notice of the NightWing in any way. There was nothing he could do now. He was here only because of his intelligence, and he was going nowhere. Mastermind tried to think of his son, and told himself that is the only thing he would think of throughout this entire journey.

Lady Scarab was sitting in the grass, removing her mask from her face, being careful not to drop her spectacles. She examined her knives, making sure they were sharp enough. To be sure of that, she picked up a long, thick stick that was ripped from a tree branch, and lashed the blade. It cut into the wood with ease, and Scarab showed a hint of surprise on her face. She then looked over, and caught the SeaWing watching her.

"What are you looking at?" Scarab hissed.

"Who?" Tsunami said. "Me? I'm not looking at anything. I just can't believe I'm still a part of this Prophecy stuff. I'm also baffled that I'm working alongside a dragon that I never thought existed, traveling on an island we thought was supposedly real."

"Get used to it. You do more things when you're older. You just get tired of it, and angry at someone else for no reason."

"I can relate to that."

"Only because you are young."

"You don't want to be here, do you?"

"I don't. I wish I didn't have to."

"And you're angry because of it? That sounds like something someone would say when they're young."

"You dare talk to me like this?"

"I don't need to follow any rules made by a sovereign anymore. I am my own dragon now, and no one can change that. I'm only here because they needed me. If I wasn't here, I would be home, doing whatever I want to do because I am free."

"Didn't I hear you are a daughter of a queen? Shouldn't you be home, sitting on a throne, bossing dragons around, forcing them to do your bidding and become spoiled? Or more spoiled than you are?"

Tsunami was taken aback, and Scarab gave her a smirk. She glared. "Shut up."

Scarab chuckled. "That's another thing about you dragonets. You think you know everything. You think you are perfect. You think you are impossible to make mistakes. I find that amusing. Sad as well. You don't take time to live your life. You keep going, you keep surviving at all costs, no matter what happens to you. And you say life is a jerk? You say life goes on and on and never stops for no one, while everyone suffers silently. But that's exactly how dragonets work. They don't stop, they don't appreciate their life, they don't appreciate what their friends and family have done for them, and they don't care about others suffering. You're angry about something you have to deal with everyday?

"I am angry because I didn't take time to love my family. I'm angry because I didn't see a better side to our pointless arguments when we were young. I'm angry because I wish I could go back to say sorry. I wish I could hug my family again, look at them the way I should, because I am their scales and blood. We are family. But it was lust for sovereignty that divided us. It tore us limb from limb. I watched it take place with my sister, and I didn't do anything about it. I wish it was me who had that plant in my head instead of her. I wish I were dead instead of her. I watched her crumble because of tyranny. I keep hating myself because, as the monarch I was made to be at the time, I didn't care about her.

"When I was too late I wished I were dead. There was nothing I could do. What could have I done? I didn't understand the power until it took place before me. The HiveWings' eyes turned pale. They weren't themselves anymore - they were mindless. They lived to rule and kill, nothing more. I saw my sister become something far worse than we could ever imagine. Become something we never thought could be real. A creature stronger than dragons themselves. Something that was buried for over thousands of years, kept hidden from the world until its resurgence. Now it lies in the claws of a dragonet who didn't deserve a fate like this.

"Tell me something: You call yourselves the Dragonets of Destiny. You stand to fight for the dragons of your continent, because a Prophecy says that you will. Now, traveling all this way to help us, risking your life to do it, even after everything you have gone through, would you die for the dragons?"

Tsunami stared at the HiveWing for a moment, considering her words, then replied: "I don't know."

"Well, you should think about that. Because, as you get older, you doubt things. I made doubts, I made enemies I wish I never had. A word from the wise, SeaWing: Enjoy the youth you have left. You might wake up the next day, and look in the water to see your reflection, and find that you have become the very thing you hoped you never would become." Scarab slowly turned her head back to her weaponry, and forgot about the SeaWing's presence.

Tsunami felt offended by this. "I guess it serves you right that you're here with us now." She walked off without saying anything else.

The dragon sitting farthest away from the team, but still in eyesight, was Carnelian. She had found a small pond, sitting quietly, staring at her reflection. She knew she was looking at herself, but also knew she was looking at someone completely different.

The dragon staring back at her had burn scars all over her body, but took most of the injury to her face. Blood, and a small hint of skull could be seen. She didn't know how she was even alive after what had happened back at the academy.

Carnelian looked at her scared claws, cracked and bruised, hoping they wouldn't fall off. A natural hatched warrior, that's what she called herself. Crawled out of her egg for only one purpose, and one destiny: Serve Queen Scarlet, sacrifice for her, fight alongside her, no questions asked. She trained her entire dragonethood for that moment of war, she wanted to be a piece of the war. But no. Her mother insisted she go to Jade Mountain Academy because she thought it would discipline her better - even Carnelian knew that as well. But she was not meant for that. She was meant for battle. When the War of SandWing Succession had ended however, there was no more purpose to fight.

Maybe she thought this would be the perfect opportunity for her, maybe that was why she agreed to join the New Dragonets. This was war, this was her true nature as a SkyWing to join a fight. She prayed for this . . . but what purpose did it have? Why fight when there is no battle to be fought? This is what war, and all the fighting had brought her: Pain, and Carnelian will live with it for the rest of her life. Hundreds of years maybe . . . or she could end it, free herself . . . maybe . . . .

A twig snapped behind her. Carnelian's instincts kicked in. She jumped up and spun around. There was no sign of conflict, at least to everyone else. There was Sora, the MudWing. She scowled at her, then started to walk away.

"Here to kill me again?" Carnelian said, and the MudWing stopped in her tracks. "Stab me in the back behind everyone else's backs? Blame it on a HiveWing? Somehow I knew you had something to hide the moment I saw you when I first stepped into that school. Pretending to be nervous to hide your true intentions. A good tactic, I'll give you that. Or are you here because you can't believe I survived that dragonflame cacti?"

"I didn't mean to kill you," growled Sora.

"So you openly admit you were trying to kill someone else."

"That is none of your business."

"It is also none of your business to interfere with the arts of war."

"You're the one to talk."

"You know how to kill, Sora, but you don't know how to kill an individual."

"What?"

"I mean you are careless. The Dragonets of Destiny are only trying to keep the peace, trying to not start another war between the tribes. Are you trying to break that rule?"

"You never cared about that school in the first place."

"You're right, I didn't. In fact I never wanted to go there."

"But you did." Sora's face was a sadistic smile. "What's wrong, Carnelian? Did the Dragonets of Destiny not inspire you enough to let go of the war?"

"It's sad to think that you of all dragons are grieving even after two and a half years since the war ended. It makes me wonder: You are one of the six siblings of Clay, who is the leader of the Dragonets of Destiny. If, by any chance, had found out you were the one who was trying to kill that IceWing, and had set off that dragonflame cacti . . . what do you think he would do?"

Sora jumped in front of her. "Don't mention his name."

"Because you would kill me if I did? You need to learn when the fight is over, young MudWing. I was trained for that. What were you hatched to do? Terrorize an entire school just to kill one single dragon?"

Sora grabbed her by the throat, digging her claws into her scales, trying to make blood fall. "Listen to me you worthless piece of dirt, I only tried to kill that IceWing because she murdered my sister. Now I can't trust anyone anymore. For your information, he did find out I was the one terrorizing the school. It reopened, sure, but for me . . . he doesn't want to see my face anymore. I just want him to accept me as his sister, his sibling. Because of that IceWing, all the trust I had is now dead."

Carnelian scoffed. "At least I had a reason to fight."

"You fought alongside Scarlet, who tried to kill the last of the Dragonets."

"Then I guess that makes both of us enemies to the Dragonets of Destiny."

Sora growled while raising a claw above her head.

"Hey!" Sundew called out. "You guys alright over there?"

Sora had quickly put down her claw right when she heard Sundew's voice.

"We're fine," Carnelian answered. "Just fine, nothing to worry about."

A moment of hesitation, then Sundew replied: "Alright." She walked away.

"I never wanted to be your enemy," Sora hissed. "But if you try to rile me, you will." She stormed off, not saying anything else.

" . . . We'll see who's the real psychopath when that time comes," Carnelian mumbled to herself.

Another minute went by, and when Sundew looked up at the sun, deciding what time it was, and making sure they were not being watched, she shouted: "Come back."

She did not need to say that a second time. The dragons grouped together, not looking at one another, only the ground, or at their weapons and claws. Silence fell, other dragons looked over their shoulders, looking back at the trees, wondering if they had been spotted.

Mastermind was the first to do this, and Snowfall asked: "Is everything alright?"

The NightWing jumped, adjusting his spectacles. "Oh! Um, yes . . . I'm fine."

"Did you see something?" Tsunami asked.

"No, I did not. I'm sorry."

"Okay, listen up," Sundew started. "Eleven miles SouthWest from where we stand are the hives, so is the Pit, and that is where we need to go. Nowhere else, got that?" They all nodded. "The flight takes about two days, but because we may stop every once in a while, and the fact that we could run into a potential threat, and with all the things that lurk in the jungle, it might take us longer. Two days is the time I want for us to arrive there safely. We're going to do our best to not take any breaks, or stop anywhere, and sneak past the hives. If we encounter something the jungle might throw at us, we'll try to avoid it. If we encounter a HiveWing, or anyone who is possessed by the Plant, we avoid them. No fighting, no conflict, just traveling. We get to the Pit, destroy the center of the Plant, then everyone is saved. Do you all understand?"

They were hesitant, exchanging a few glances, but nodding in agreement. All except Blue.

"Are you okay?" Snowfall asked.

They all looked at him.

" . . . Cricket has the brain of the Breath of Evil inside of her," Blue said. " . . . If we kill that . . . do we kill her?"

A long moment of silence, tension dropping, then Sundew replied: "We'll find a way to free her, along with everyone else. Cricket will be alright. I promise you, Blue, she will be safe, no matter what happens."

"What if you're wrong?"

"She's not," Scarab said. "Your friend may be in danger, yet that doesn't mean she has to meet the same fate as the Breath of Evil. She doesn't have to perish. By any means necessary, we'll help her, free her. She is trapped, unable to break free, like all the other dragons on this continent. They will be set free, and she will be set free."

Blue stared up at her, then at Sundew, and everyone standing around him. His hopes had decreased ever since that day Cricket was taken. Only a small spark of her consciousness was left, as that was the only thing he had keeping him calm throughout this journey.

Qibli's ears perked up suddenly, and raised his head to the sky.

"What is it?" Mangrove asked.

"I hear something," Qibli replied.

"What?" Sora asked.

" . . . Wings."

"Wings?" Tsunami said.

"Everyone be quiet," Snowfall said.

Dead silence fell. Off in the distance, a HiveWing's wing flap could be heard.

"I can hear it too," Mastermind said.

"That's a HiveWing, no doubt," Sundew said.

"Do you think one of them stayed behind after that swarm passed by?" Mangrove asked.

"No. Why would they? With the Breath of Evil inside of them, HiveWings are loyal to their queen no matter what. There is no way they could disobey."

"Unless it's not a soldier," said Lady Scarab.

"You don't think . . . ," Qibli asked.

A moment of silence fell upon a realization, then Sundew shouted: "Everyone, hide."

Without hesitation, the New Dragonets of Destiny dashed into the trees and bushes, covering themselves up the best they could, making sure they couldn't be seen. They looked up when they heard laughing, and Blue's eyes went wide enough to fall out of his head.

Laughter bounced off every tree, echoing throughout the entire Poison Jungle. A loud slam on the ground, followed by leaves blowing. Heavy breathing, then silence. All the dragons covered their mouths to silence their breathing - the queen was right there. If she saw them, they were all dead. The queen turned her head, searching with sharp eyes for the New Dragonets, her pale white eyes piercing into the souls of every creature in the jungle. In fact, all the snakes, bugs, and every insect seemed to go silent, and hide from the New HiveWing Queen.

A malevolent smile formed on her face. Letting out a wicked chuckle, she said: "Oh, little Dragonets . . . why must you be so far away from your home? Why must you turn your hearts, eyes, and souls to the land you thought was fake? Is it because hope must be spread throughout the entire globe? Did you suspect there might be someone out there in the world who deserves light? Were rumors spread across the ocean and to your ears, and knew freedom must be brought to the dragons of the Lost Continent? Heh . . . that is so . . . heroic, of you. It is very selfless of you to travel all this way to save us from . . . who? Another dragon who wishes to murder everyone? Was it the justice that must be brought to the dragon who dares challenge freedom? Or . . . have you returned to save one dragon?

"Heh, heh. Yes. Of course! Why shouldn't I have seen that logic sooner? How could I be so blind to not see that? You are here to help the only dragon who cared for you. The burning wings carry you miles away from your precious sanctuary to free her from my grasp. Maybe . . . that is what brought you here. Because it was not a dragon keeping the residents captured. It was not a dragon keeping everyone's lives at bay. No . . . rather, an ancient relic from an old, forgotten past. An object no one could ever think was harmful in any way. They all thought it was just another plant, eating sunlight, hanging on to life as much as it possibly could.

" . . . It was the Plant . . . it was always the Plant . . . controlling everyone's minds . . . forcing them to do its bidding. That's how it has been since the beginning. The limit to gaining power, but the potential, oh . . . that is why dragons turn to the dark. That is why you are here, isn't it? To set the dragons free from the clutches of wickedness that thrives in the dark claws of an evil sovereign. Dragonets of Destiny. Is that what they call hope? All tried to achieve what I have done. All have failed to even try to claim the world as their own. So many dragons I have killed. So many minds I have taken. So much blood to be shed to reach this moment. Now the time has come. Now the day of my resurgence draws near. All minds belong to me now. None will ever be free. All will fall on their knees. Heh. I take the minds of every creature on these continents, and I make them bow to myself!

"Oh, what a great world it will be. What a beautiful home I will create. None will stop me. Everyone has tried before. Everyone has failed before. What makes you Dragonets think you could possibly hurt I? You know you can't, why even try? In fact, you don't want to hurt me. Isn't that right . . . Blue?"

When that thing said his name, Blue could feel a surge of utter fear come over him, as if a thousand needles had stabbed his heart. He stopped. Turned his head. Peeking through the bush he was hiding in . . . and saw her. That face. He could never forget that face. He was staring at his friend . . . yet at the same time, the Plant as well. That horrifying, zombie face of a monster taking the form of his friend.

"Did you think you could come here, and kill me so quickly? Did you imagine yourself raising your claws, striking me in the heart, and killing me?" Her mouth dropped open, revealing a horrid smile. "You would absolutely enjoy that, wouldn't you? You want to show the world, and all the dragons who have looked down on you, including your family, and prove to them that you are no longer Blue, the squeamish little SilkWing who is terrified to even step out of his own home. The rule follower. That is who you really are, isn't it? Weak. Pathetic. Useless. You know those are the exact same words your friends, your sister, and your mothers called you ever since your egg hatched."

The sick words rang in Blue's ears, but he used all his strength to zone out the noise. Yet, even that wasn't enough to keep her lies away. They came, more sadistic, and more wicked, stronger, more convincing.

"No more. You are now Blue, the great SilkWing warrior who will murder the Breath of Evil, and save everyone. It doesn't matter if you kill the only dragon who has ever been your true friend. You would rather watch her die. It doesn't matter if you kill me and her. She's only a HiveWing, after all. The dragons who have been plotting to enslave you since Wasp's rule. The dragons who looked down on every SilkWing and banished the LeafWings. You could be their hero, Blue. Your own Dragonet of Destiny. This is your destiny. This was written to be your fate. My fate. Her fate. Our fate. It has been planned since the beginning of our lives! You don't have to grieve at all. You don't have to hold back. Fight and kill, that's what you want. That is always what you have wanted to become. No more weakling, no more fear. Say goodbye to your friend, Blue. Say goodbye . . . to Cricket."

A rage he had never felt before soared throughout Blue's veins. He suddenly let out a roar, sprung up, unsheathing his knives, and jumped out of his hiding spot. He charged, a hard scowl on his face, blades out to his sides. Cricket spun around, roaring an otherworldly scream at him, her pale eyes piercing his soul. Blue lashed his knife, but Cricket took a step back, yet he still managed to draw green blood. She put her hand to her throat, mouth hanging open, shocked. The queen growled, and Blue roared in her face. She thrashed her jaws, but Blue kicked her in the chin, throwing the knife across her mouth.

"Blue!" Sundew shouted.

Without thinking twice, the LeafWing leaped from her hiding place, along with the rest of the New Dragonets of Destiny. All at once, they charged, weapons drawn and faces formed into a glare. The true battle had begun.

The queen slashed a claw across Blue's face, knocking him to the ground. Just then Mangrove shot a few arrows. The queen hissed, catching an arrow and throwing it back, hitting him in the shoulder. Qibli landed behind her, slashing a claw. She spun around and grabbed him by the head, and with surprising strength, threw him over her head. Mangrove used his blow gun and shot three darts right into her arm, but even still, it wasn't enough to bring her down. She charged, raising her tail, but Sundew jumped in between them. She grabbed her tail, and pulled Cricket to the ground.

"Cricket!" Sundew screamed. "This isn't you. Snap out of it."

"She's gone," Cricket growled with a smile of insanity.

She threw her claw, cutting Sundew's throat. Cricket got back up, getting at a distance. Qibli and Sora came in front of her, weapons drawn. The HiveWing Queen hissed at them. Qibli raised his crossbow and shot an arrow, which Cricket was able to sidestep away with ease. She smirked, as if mocking him. Sora threw a dragonflame cacti, and breathed a fireball. The cacti exploded, but Cricket flew upwards right before the impact. She glared down at them. The two dragons fired more of their weapons, the HiveWing Queen circling the two, dodging every strike. Qibli and Sora then had an idea. They huddled close, and when the time was right, Sora threw a dragonflame cacti, Qibli shot an arrow, and it exploded in Cricket's face.

The HiveWing Queen fell out of the sky, giving Carnelian her chance. She jumped over the queen's head, blasting fireballs, burning the grass around her. Cricket screamed in pain, and tried to escape the flames. Snowfall ran up and breathed her ice, freezing the flames, trapping the queen. Cricket scanned her surroundings, and scowled at the New Dragonets. With the strength of the Breath of Evil, Cricket was able to smash through the ice, throwing the shards at Snowfall and Carnelian. Blue charged at her, skidded to a stop, unraveling his flamesilk whip. He threw the silk hard, but Cricket caught the scourge. They both growled at each other, and smoke emanated from Cricket's hand. He pulled on the whip, and soon was able to free the weapon. He spun it around above his head, lashing Cricket right in the eye.

She screamed in pain and put her hand to her face. For a moment the Dragonets paused, and when the queen removed her hand from her head, they saw green blood ooze down her cheek. A hard scowl formed across her face. The queen charged on all fours, screaming a roar that was not dragon. Tsunami charged as well, ramming into the queen. She was a foot taller than Cricket, but because of the Plant's agility, she was able to overpower the SeaWing, shoving her back. Tsunami for a second was taken aback, but snapped to her senses and thrashed claw after claw. She managed to leave a few scratch marks, but Cricket appeared to not feel any pain, only smile and laugh maniacally. Tsunami growled and continued to strike, but soon Cricket got the upper hand when she dove, bringing Tsunami to the ground, lashing at her neck.

Cricket lifted her tail, ready to finish the SeaWing, but she was thrown to the ground by Lady Scarab. She made no sound, no growl, only glare. Cricket stood back up angrily, hissing at the elderly HiveWing.

Scarab showed no emotion. Instead she sheathed her weapons, and said: " . . . You killed my sister. You killed the last of my family. Both of you."

"None of it mattered when she died," Cricket growled back. "There was no purpose for her anymore. A new host is mine to control. Soon the world is mine . . . I build a new upon your sister's grave."

A surge of anger flew over Scarab. She roared at the queen. Cricket smiled back and hissed. Scarab charged, ramming herself into Cricket, thrashing the knives at her side, but the queen continued to laugh. No, it wasn't this HiveWing she had only met once. It was the Plant. The Breath of Evil, mocking her loyalty, mocking her entire family. Lady Scarab roared and shoved Cricket backwards, continuing to throw knives. The blades cut her scales, but no signs of pain were seen on her face. Cricket kept smiling, laughing. Scarab's rage increased every second a chuckle came out of her mouth.

Once again she roared and threw her knives. Cricket dodged every strike. Soon she caught one, and threw it back at the HiveWing. The blade went into Scarab's side. She growled at the pain. Before she knew it, Cricket thrashed her across the face, throwing her to the ground.

Cricket cackled down at her, but then she was suddenly clawed in the face. She looked up, surprised, wondering what had just happened. The queen was lashed again this time in the stomach, then fell to the grass. She hissed, looked up, and saw Blue standing over her.

"I know you're in there, Cricket," he said. "Snap out of it."

Cricket was hesitant for a moment, then smiled sadistically. "She won't be coming back."

"Give me back my friend, or I will have no other choice but to kill you."

"I see you are now stepping out of your family's shadow. You are strong, now." She stood up. "But will you be strong enough to face what is coming?"

"Nothing is coming as long as you're dead."

"Then kill me. It's what you want, isn't it? To watch me die. To prove to your family that you are not pathetic, because you know you aren't. You only need to prove it by killing something . . . or someone. You love to watch dragons die, don't you? It's the only thing you are good at, you just don't have the right time to do it. Kill me. You want to watch me die. Kill me!"

Blue roared at the top of his lungs, a scream he didn't know he could make. The other dragons were taken aback by the roar, and they watched as the battle continued. Blue unsheathed two of his knives and thrashed them back and forth, cutting Cricket in the face, but only one strike drew blood. Cricket grabbed his arm, clawed him at the head, then threw him aside. She raised her claw and tail, hissing. Blue kicked her, got up and threw a knife, cutting her leg, bringing her down on one knee. Blue growled, and thrashed his blades, trying to make her bleed as much as he could.

He didn't see himself hurting Cricket, he imagined himself hurting the Breath of Evil, killing it once and for all and saving everyone on Pantala. He heard it scream in agony, proving to his whole family that he was not a weakling, but a strong, and powerful dragon he always wanted to be.

Blue grabbed the Plant, roared, and drove its head into the ground. He stomped on its head, a sadistic smile on his face. At one point he thought he heard someone shout his name. For a split second, Blue hesitated, listening. He shook his head, telling himself that it was only his mother, or his sister, or anyone who looked down on him, anyone who thought he was weak. No more. He will prove them wrong.

The SilkWing pulled out one of his knives, and brought it down hard. Before the strike came however, the Plant clawed at his chest, causing Blue to yelp in pain, and take a few steps back. He growled, then spun back around, throwing the knife. The Plant caught his arm, and attempted to break it. Blue growled and kicked the Plant in the stomach as hard as he could. The Plant hissed in pain and let go of his arm, giving Blue the chance to throw the knife as hard as he could. The blade drove into the Plant's side. It roared, then Blue unraveled his whip. He lashed the weapon as hard as he could, hitting the Plant right in the eye, drawing blood. Blue lashed again, this time hitting his enemy in the arm.

He continued to thrash the whip, making it crack, which echoed throughout the jungle. Once again, he heard someone shout his name, but he ignored it enough until he could not hear it at all. The whip cracked even more, and Blue watched with the biggest smile on his face as the Breath of Evil bled before him. He swung the weapon above his head. With one powerful strike, he thrashed the whip against the Plant's head.

His enemy fell, and Blue let out the loudest roar he could make. He felt powerful, he felt strong, he felt . . . free.

He put his head down . . . and remembered where he was at. The Poison Jungle fell silent for the first time. He looked at the ground, and saw the dirt painted in green and red blood. He turned his head to see his friends standing not far away from him. Were they his friends? Yes, of course they were. . . . What would a friend do if they watched their friend kill someone. Blue dropped the whip he didn't realize he was clutching, and slowly lifted his claws. He stared at them for a long while, staring at the weapons he hatched with, staring at the blood soaked claws he always wanted to kill with. No, that wasn't him. He wasn't a murderer. He wasn't a killer. Then he remembered who he was attacking. He turned his head, and gasped, at the same time tears forming in his eyes.

There he saw Cricket, lying in her own blood, and the blood of the Breath of Evil. Blue almost fell to his knees. He didn't want to believe that what he had done was real. He couldn't have killed her. . . . Could he? No, she can't be dead . . . what kind of dragon would he be if he had killed her?

A weak, almost inaudible whimper reached Blue's ears. His head perked up instantly. His eyes went wide. Cricket was trying to move her arm, except blood only fell.

" . . . B- . . . Blue . . . ."

Blue's mouth dropped. "C-Cricket . . . ?"

Slowly, like a snail's pace, the HiveWing lifted her head, to reveal a face of pain. " . . . Blue."

The SilkWing's eyes filled with tears. "Cricket . . . I-I'm so sorry."

"Where am I?"

"We're in the Poison Jungle, Cricket."

"W-We are? But . . . we were just here. No, wait . . . Wasp was here. We need to get out of here."

"No . . . no, Cricket . . . we can stay right here. We don't have to go anywhere."

As they spoke, the other Dragonets stared in awe and bewilderment. They couldn't believe someone would be able to knock the Breath of Evil out of a dragon's mind so quickly. But it was still there, and somehow, Cricket was resisting the Plant, even for this long.

Cricket gazed up at her friend for a long while, then noticed the blood around her. "W-What happened to me?"

"It's the Breath of Evil," Blue said. "It's taking over your mind."

" . . . What? N-No! . . . No . . . I-I can't be controlled. Wasp didn't pierce my egg with her stinger before I hatched. My mother saved me."

"Cricket, it's going to be okay. We just need to find a way to defeat the Plant, then all of this will be over. We'll be free."

" . . . Free?"

For the first time in a long time, Blue smiled as tears began to fall. He knelt down in front of Cricket, taking her talons in his. "Free. We'll be free. We'll all be free. You, me, your mother, my mothers, Sundew, Luna, Swordtail, everyone on Pantala will all be free from the Breath of Evil. We won't be pushed around anymore. We won't be controlled anymore. No more of the Plant, no more blank eyes, no more evil, no more wickedness . . . we'll finally be safe."

" . . . Blue."

Cricket smiled back. They both sat there, smiling at each other, both shedding tears.

Then Cricket started to convulse, her eyes shut, and it looked as if two dragons in one body were fighting for control. Blue's smile faded, but he did not let go of his friend's claws. A few moments went by, and Cricket started to scream in pain.

"Cricket!" Blue shouted. "You have to fight back. You can't let it take over your mind."

It was already too late. When Cricket looked back at Blue, her eyes were pale white. She was gone, in her place the brain of the Breath of Evil.

She roared at the SilkWing, screaming: "Your friends are gone. Your home has burned to the ground. Your HiveWing mate, is already dead."

Blue screamed in fear as the Plant roared in his face. Cricket raised a claw, and thorns grew from her claws. For a moment, Blue had accepted his fate, but at the same time he did not want to die. A flash of ice was the next thing he saw, and everything happened all at once.

Cricket had lashed her claw at Blue's face, but at the last second, Snowfall breathed ice, freezing her arm. The IceWing then waved her ice blade upwards . . . cutting the HiveWing's arm off. Cricket backed away, screaming in pain. Blue was at a loss for words, only shock was on his face. The New HiveWing Queen continued to scream in agony. She took flight, and the shrieking stopped.

The New Dragonets of Destiny stared up in silence. Cricket looked down at them, then at her lost arm. Something happened. Vines and thorns grew, Cricket twitched at the pain. Before they knew it, a plant and vine arm had grown in place of Cricket's lost limb. She examined it for a moment, testing the reflexes, and suddenly felt stronger.

She looked down at the New Dragonets, and hissed: " . . . Your continents are mine." That was all she said before flying away.

The Dragonets stood beside one another, staring up at the leaves. They looked at Blue, whose face was a mixture of sadness and shock.

With a small sigh, Sundew said: " . . . There's nothing else we can do here. The best thing to do is keep moving."

No response was given, only obedience.

Snowfall looked at Blue, and he slowly turned his head towards her. " . . . You cut off her arm."

"She was going to kill you."

" . . . That was my friend. . . . She's still there."

Blue stared at her for a second before walking off. Snowfall watched him, and the rest of her allies. She looked at her blade, covered in blood. A weapon, she thought. A weapon to kill . . . nothing more. That's how it was . . . nothing else.