"This sucks." Mudpuddle says, the dark brown Mudwing winging around to check the dark spaces again. The mountains of the Crystal Kingdom glitter brilliantly, casting golden rays upon the clouds and giving them a pale yellow look, adding to the overall appeal of the place. The sun sat comfortably in the middle of the sky, though positioned as if it was staring down at the dragonesses with disdain.

But, looks are one thing. It was getting tiring trying to find the same entrance to the heart of the Crystalwings they had reached before. Mamba looks up as Mudpuddle thinks this, frowning and letting frustrated colors envelop the dark garnet look she had before. A miniature flag with the Desert Rogue insignia was wrapped tightly around her left horn, as it would aid in showing Queen Diamond that they were here on account of the Rogues.

"Yeah it, does." The Rainwing says with a sigh, flaring the frill around her neck as she swoops around another spire of mountain to search for the entrance. They were going to be here for quite a bit.

~~~~
"Mudpuddle!" A voice jars her from her dazed state, Mudpuddle looking up and blinking into gold eyes. She had been hovering for a few minutes, though her wing movement was becoming jerky and uneven as she grew more tired. "Three moons, I think I found a different entrance." Says Mamba, excited gold colors swirling around her spine and wingtips.

Adrenaline seemed to find its way back into her veins. "Show me."

The Rainwing ended up leading her to a small, more secluded cave. Thin strands of dark odd crystals hung over it. It made it seem like Mudpuddle was looking at a mirage, because each time the wind blew through them they shimmered and changed colors, completely hiding it.

"It's worth a shot." She says to her friend when they were done marveling over the sheer luck of finding it.

Mamba nodded, and quietly slid inside. Mudpuddle followed soon after, the crystals brushing against her ears and tickling her nose. The first thing she noticed was that it was quite dark inside, so she blew a small spurt of fire in front of her . Mamba sidestepped with a hiss, the Mudwing realizing her mistake and quickly apologizing.

"Sorry, sorry." She said quietly, watching as the Rainwing disappeared in a swirl of black and dark brown, now the only sign of her being there was her bright eyes. But gradually, small dots of red appeared along the edge of her wing, oddly bright. Ah, it was so she wouldn't lose her.

"Try and stay close." Whispered Mamba, the rest of her vanishing completely. It was weird, to Mudpuddle. Where her friend once stood was just seven small, floating dots.

"Alright." She responds, pinning her eyes on the dots and following carefully.

They walked for quite a ways until they found the bodies.

Mudpuddle knew something was wrong when Mamba shrieked, and reared up in a dizzying swirl of green, red and white. Then the smell hit her. She gagged, backing up to clasp her talons over her snout, attempting to block out the horrible stench of decay.

"Three moons." Mamba gasped, turning around to reveal frightened eyes full of tears. With one wing around her friend, Mudpuddle peers over the Rainwings shoulder. Carefully, she blasts another stream of fire to light up the room.

Two Crystalwings lay sprawled out in the center. One was a dark forest green, her gemstones and wings sparkling with a bright amber brown and gold. Brown eyes wide, all the light in them destroyed. Her brilliant scales matted with deep scarlet blood, throat torn and a dagger through her heart. Mudpuddle looked over the gruesome mess, trying her hardest not to throw up.

Another burst of fire cast light over the second body. Another female, with oddly banded, coral colored scales. Dark purple, pale brown, white, tan and dark red were among many colors found in her gemstones, though once again that was all ruined by the sheer amount of blood.

The second dragon seemed to be halfway into a tunnel inside the cave. Which seemed in possible, but if you looked closely, more strands of the mirage crystals were hanging from the top. Her talons pitifully reached up for something that they'd never find. But Mudpuddle and Mamba might. Gingerly, they stepped around the bodies. Wincing and gritting their teeth when they knew they couldn't sidestep the whole puddle of blood.

Mudpuddle instantly broke through the strand of crystals, leaping over the second limp body, relief flooding through her when she saw Mamba follow after. The two friends made sure to stay side by side. Once more, Mudpuddle blew fire to light up the cold cave.

What they found the dragon was reaching for was a small glowing quartz crystal pocketed in the wall. It seemed to be sitting on something, just a simple tile square.

"What on Pyhrria was she going to do with this? Throw it at them?" She thought, trailing a talon across the wall as if she was searching for clues.

Suddenly, a rumble in the cave shook her from her investigation. Mamba stood, holding the crystal in her talons. She cast a glance at the pocket it used to be in as the tile flared up in colors brilliantly, lighting up the whole cave like a miniature sun. Mudpuddle stumbled back and covered her eyes, Mamba shielding them as well. Just to add to the confusion, she began to hear voices.

She peeks open an eye, looking through her talons to confirm that she was seeing shadows approaching quickly, and the voices were getting louder. Then, finally, four dragons emerged from the other end of the tunnel, bristling, spears ready. The light shut off abruptly, leaving a dazed Mudpuddle and Mamba to rub their eyes in confusion.

"An alarm system?" Mamba says, her eyes still adjusting to the lack of light. "That's pretty freaking clever."

The slightly glowing dragons looked to the Rainwing, who's colors were shifting through just about everything, to Mudpuddle, who sheepishly waved.

"You again?" Groaned a familiar voice, and lo and behold there was Peridot in all his dark and pale green glory.

"Yes, us again." Mudpuddle rubbed her eyes once more, blinking rapidly. Out of the corner of her vision she saw a soldier look at her and crack a small smile at her reaction. Though that was the last of lightheartedness for a while.

"Why did you set off the alarm?" Inquired an orange female, wrinkling her nose as if she just now was noticing the foul smell that hung in the air.

"We didn't mean to, but it's probably a good thing we did." Mudpuddle says, slowly looking over her shoulder to the cover of crystals, and to where the grasping talons of the second dead Crystalwing lay.

Immediately, Peridots eyes shone with a ferocious light, and he pushed past Mamba and Mudpuddle, into the rest of the cave. After exchanging worried glanced, the others followed suit.

There was a sudden wail of despair, and Mudpuddle poked her head out of the curtain to see why. She found Peridot slowly bringing himself down, beginning to cradle the head of the first dragoness with a broken look in his eyes.

"Who were they?" Mudpuddle found herself whispering, jumping when she was almost instantly answered.

"Unkanite." Said the young soldier from before, sliding up beside her." She and Peridot were engaged and to be married soon." He looked incredibly upset at the last dragon, inhaling sharply through his nose. "That's..that, was Agate. My, um.. My sister.."

Mudpuddle met his silvery blue eyes, knowing all too well what it was like to lose a sibling. "I'm sorry.. Uh.."

"Aventurine." He said, smiling sadly.

"Aventurine." She finished, pausing again. "My names Mudpuddle." She says, holding out her talons in a friendly gesture. He smiled a little wider and took her talons in his own, shaking them before setting them down again.

"I would say nice to meet you, under other circumstances.." The dark blue dragon says, looking on as his fellow soldiers began to hoist the bodies of his sister and Unkanite. "..I'm going to go help them." He finally sighs, and Mudpuddle nods in understanding. "I know that I'll see you around." Aventurine tells her as he walks off, waving a light blue speckled wing. "You're too intriguing to not meet a second time."

Mudpuddle sits back with a sigh, Mamba coming around and reassuringly twining her tail with her own. "Peridot says that Diamond will request our presence shortly." She tells her friend, tapping the flag around her own horn.

"Poor Peridot." Mudpuddle says with a frown. Sure, he definitely wasn't her favorite dragon in the world, but even he didn't deserve this.

"I guess." Mamba responds, a little pity in her words. "But I feel worse for the dragons that did this. I know for sure he'll rip out the throat of every Deepwing until he finds them."

"Deepwings?" Mudpuddle says, surprised. "The other allies of Solar? How can you be so sure that it was them?"

"The dagger had the insignia for them on it." Mamba shrugs, a ghostly shiver running through her wings.

"This isn't good." Mudpuddle shook her head, narrowing her eyes as the Crystalwings moving the bodies of their fellow soldiers, their friends. "Solar and her allies already found an entrance to the Kingdom. And we have just a week to stop them-"

"Mudpuddle, I know one thing for sure." Mambas gold eyes flashed with ferocity. "We were picked for a reason. We had this prophecy, for a reason. And I not going to stop until it's fulfilled."

"What if it's not meant to be us?" Mudpuddle says. "What if this prophecy is supposed to happen years from now?"

Mamba sighs. "As ridiculous as that sounds, I know I'm going to at least try. I'd rather go down fighting against them then go down under Solar's rule, knowing I did not thing to stop them."

Mudpuddle shifts her wings, staring at the ground.

"Hey, you. Desert Rogue dragons." Says the orange female from before. "Come. You are to have an audience with the Queen."

~~~~~~
Three mooNs I had to rewrite this whole thing.

What do you think of the story so far?
Who's POV should it be next? Snowfall and Seaglass, Flare, or Tempest and Potent?

Thanks for reading you guys! I can't believe this book is nearly over.