"Thunderwing!" Cried a voice. The black griffon raised his white feathered head. The tips of his feathers were yellow, his beak and feet gray. The voice called his name again. Thunderwing heaved himself to his feet. He strode over to the source of the voice. A light tan griffon with blue tips to her feathers and yellow feet.

"Rainwing?" He asked. The lighter griffon was looking around. When he spoke her head swung around and stared at him.

"Thunder, the eggs are hatching!" She cried. Thunderwing gasped, rushing to his mate's side. He stared down at the four beautiful eggs. The pair waited for what seemed like eons, when finally, a crack appeared in the smallest.

Thunder and rain leaned forward, holding their breath. The egg burst open, fragments flying everywhere. Rain stepped back in surprise. Thunder stayed were he was, gazing intently at the figure in the egg.

"A female!" He whispered gleefully. Rain strode to his side. The chick was brown, with red tipped feathers. She opened her beak wide in a yawn. A flame like shape of red feathers surrounded each eye. She opened them, gazing her pink eyes in wonder at the world. Thunder glanced at rain.

"Oh thunderwing..." She wispered, "she's beautiful. Her name... Her name is bloodwing." Thunder stared at the small one with a smile. He shook away the thought of a bad name. Blood shakily stood up, and stared at the other eggs. The first born always broke the others out. Bloodwing marched over to the first, and hacked away at it. She broke open all of the eggs, and flopped over in exaustion.

Thunderwing narrowed his eyes.

"Rain," he said, voice raising in panic, "rainwing?!" The female didn't seem to here him. She stared at the eggs. Three little bodies lay there, three little bodies didn't stir.

"No!" Rain suddenly shrieked, her voice rising into a wail, "why won't they wake?!" Thunder silently padded over to her side, stretching a comforting wing across her back. "Did bloodwing break them out too early? What-"

"Rainwing" Thunder said firmly, "the three are stillborn." Rain gasped and looked away from him, eyes clouded. She sheilded her face with one wing. Thunder took his wing off her back and scooped up blood with one taloned bird foot. He held her up so his eyes were level with hers. "Rain," he spoke, voice softening, "we still have one." Rain lowered her wing slowly and sniffed. Her eyes were red. She had been crying. Thunder handed her the young chick. "We still have blood."

Rainwing stared at the chick in her taloned Palm. Fury suddenly erupted in her eyes like a flame.

"No!" She shrieked in fury, "THIS IS HER FAULT!!!!!!!" The young chick gave a frightened yowl at the sound of her screaming mother. Rain growled at her, and flung the chick across the cave.

"Hey!" Gasped Thunder, jumping forward, "Rain! Oh-bloodwing!" The little chick sumersaulted midair And suddenly her journey through the air stopped.

"Gotcha" gasped Thunder, breathing a sigh of relief. Blood looked down at his palm, and then smiled up at his face.

"Papa!" She chirped, rewarded by a beaming face. Bloodwing smiled back and jumped of his palm, fluttering to the floor. She tested her paws, and, seeming satisfied, she began to strut around the cave. Thunder turned to rain. She was at the back of the cave, facing the wall. Her wings were open, drooping along the floor.

Thunder padded over. He did not notice blood padding over to the edge of the cave. He started lecturing rain who whipped around with a snarl. Blood looked out over the ledge. She uttered a little squeak of happiness. The cave looked out over a beautiful paradise. There were rivers, forests, ponds, caverns! It was amazing!

Rain cried out, startling blood, who fluttered her wings and stepped away from the edge. Rain flew like a dart out of the cave, grabbing blood roughly. Thunder gave an enraged shriek. He ran through the cave and lept off the ledge, his wings snapping out to full length.

Rainwing clenched blood tightly in her taloned fist. Thunder shrieked again, causing fauns and faires in the woods below to look up, only to see faint figures in the sky high above. Thunder faced rain in the sky, talons ready.

"Give her back!" He screamed. Rain shook her head and clenched her fist tighter, causing blood to squeal. Thunder roared and flapped forward, head butting rain in the chest.she shot back, clutching her chest with her free paw. Her eyes were unfocused. She had gone mad with greif.

Thunder shrieked again, a long echoing wail. Rainwing covered her ears, dropping blood. Thunder gasped and dived after her. His stomach flip-flopped when he saw what was waiting below. An imp was stretching his arms up, grabbing with his hands. Blood was falling quickly towards the greedy creature.

"No!" Roared Thunder, slapping his wings to his side and pointing his beak down. He snatched blood up and pulled sharply out of the dive, pumping his wings and leaving a dissapointed imp below.

When Thunder alighted on the cave ledge, he set blood down and turned her to face him.

"Nobody shall know your mother, or her cursed name for you," he muttered, "from now own, you shall be know as Rubywing, or ruby." The small griffon squeaked in joy,

"R-ruby!" She squeaked, "r-Rubywing!" Thunder laughed.

"That's right!" He replied, scuffing her head feathers. She squeaked in anger, and smoothed them with one wing.

"Papa, Ruby! Papa, Ruby!" She chanted, marching around the cave, "rainwing, ruby!"

"No!" Roared her father, cuffing her around the head, "you shall not know her name." Ruby whimpered slightly and slunk to the back of the cave. Thunder proceeded to tear apart rainwing's nest, sending hay flying over the edge. He then sent the eggshells and the three stillborn sprawling down the cliff side. He gave a disdainful kick after them.

"No one shall know rainwing ever was here," he muttered to himself, and with that, he drew the vines in front of the cave shut.