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Shine looked out of the window of her new room. She could see others from a ways away. She wanted to explore again; but Alchemy said she shouldn't do that just yet, and to wait for her to get done with whatever she was doing.

'Sun time, I could use some Sun time,' she thought, curling up under the window, bathing in the sunlight. It was accustom for RainWings to lay down and 'recharge' their scales, it made them a lot happier and made their scales more pretty.

Shine smiled as a memory of Passion helping her when she was still new to Sun time. She got caught in a vine, making blood run to her head for a few minutes, before Passion found her.

Granted she was scared, but now she looked back and laughed a bit. She wanted to show how good she was to Lovely and Oriole, back when they use to hang out all the time.

'Lovely and Oriole... they're good friends. They like me, they like me better then some others,' Shine thought, shuffling slightly to get more sunlight on her scales.

Then the sunlight started to get a bit too hot, Shine found herself gripping the ground. The need to jump out of the way clear as day. She quickly stumbled out from under the sunbeams, finding herself suddenly gasping for air.

What was wrong with her? She normally got a bit too hot during Sun time, why is she freaking out this time? She took a deep breath, trying to get back in control.

Looked back out the window. She decided she was was going out, no matter what Alchemy said. Grabbing her animus touched hornring, she went out of her room.

The RainWing quietly made her way to the kitchen, using the back of what looked like a grocery list to write a note for the other two. Once done, she quietly snuck out, tiptoeing past the passed out Alchemy, who laid on the slab of a couch, a glass bottle next to her.

She didn't know where Swift was, probably in his room (the attic), or was out hunting in the alleyways. She found it a bit funny that a cursed dragon was now acting like a big cat, but didn't hold it to him too much.

Once outside, she took a deep breath, slipped the hornring on, and went to explore.

~~~

Shine wasn't one to really admit things, but even she knew she was lost at this point. She had found her way back to Founder's Tree, her scales cooling under the shade of its massive crown. More dragons passed by.

SeaWing soldiers on patrol, MudWing guards standing post around the tree trunk. Shine saw a few NightWings drawing up their hoods before flying off to the exit of the city.

It was just like home, but much more bigger, with a lot more dragons. Nearly ever tribe could be seen... but.

'Where are the other RainWings?' Shine tried to recall what Alchemy had told her. 'My RainWing self... are RainWings not welcomed here or something?'

Shine found herself so deep in her head, that she hadn't realized she suddenly fell on the ground. An angry, hissing sound coming from above her. Her diguise's green eyes trailing up.

Iridescent gray-blue-greens blocked her way, spikes on the back of the neck a pearly white. Eyes the colored of shattered icicles.

Her top scales were a very light gray-teal in color, along with the front of her arms and legs, a stripe going all the way down to her tail. The spikes at the end seemed to have formed awkwardly rather then fully, a pair of spikes being much smaller then the rest.

The IceWing peered down at Shine, her head held high as her shiny, glistening scales cast a cool breeze onto the disguised RainWing.

"So, NightWing, what made you run into me, huh? Needed my assistance in magic? Needed to speak to the daughter of General Sable?" her voice was cold, as was her gaze as she looked the other up and down.

Shine was at a loss of words. General? Why does a place like this need a general? Who even was this IceWing?

"I... I'm sorry, I'm new here, and-"

"New here? Whatever, I don't care... but you seriously have now idea who I am?" the IceWing asked, raising a brow at her. Shine nervously gave a nod.

"Um... an IceWing?" Shine squeaked out. She couldn't feel the ice dragon's emotions, not like others. Instead of the normal sunset irritation or dark green of disgust, they seemed to be like a barrier between them. Like the IceWing had put a shield around her emotions.

"Moons, allow me to explain then. I'm Moonstone, General Sable's daughter, who has no time for non animus dragons like you. Now if you excuse me, I have to head back home before my brother comes looking for me."

The IceWing, Moonstone, then turned, her tail stirring small leaves as her spikes rattled against one another. Shine watched her walk off, noting how she held her head high. Shine wanted to brush it off as her being a typical IceWing, but she reminded herself she wasn't on the Mainland.

Mainland IceWings had that weird ranking thing, they wouldn't have it here, would they? If they did, wouldn't all dragons be on it, and not just the hissy glacier dwellers?

"Shine!" Shine turned her head, seeing Swift run over. His golden pelt rippled slightly as he began to pant.

"I hate not having wings! Now I have to run everywhere, but moons, do you know how fit I'm gonna be when I turn back? Anyways, where were you? Alchemy was looking all over for you, before she kicked me out to come find ya."

Shine frown a bit. "Sorry, Swift, I just came out to check out the city. I left a message on the counter telling you to guys that."

Swift sighed. "Shine, you shouldn't run off like that, note or no note. If your disguise came off, do you know how much trouble all three of us are in?" he asked, golden eyes slightly narrowed. He wasn't all that threatening with his squeaky voice, but Shine knew he angry he was by his bristled pelt.

Trouble. Alchemy keeps telling her she would be in trouble if they found her, and at first she kept thinking it was because she was a Mainland dragon.

"What do you guys mean I'll be in trouble? You and Alchemy keep talking about how much I'll be in if I'm caught, why is that?"

Swift sighed, gently bowing his head and shaking it. The jaguar got up, and motioned for her to follow.

"We'll explain when we get home."

~~~

"That time, huh?" Alchemy spoke, clearing a space on the rug for them with her tail. "I knew it'd be soon, but not this soon. Alright, now, where do we begin?"

Shine felt a little worried, but curiosity pushed her forward. She took a seat on a cushion, Swift laying down on one rather then sitting, Alchemy sitting on the plush rug.

Shine thought for a moment, before slipping her horn ring off, her illusion disappearing. Her seaform green scales showed how confuse she was, so many questions in her mind to even know where to begin.

Swift instead spoke, "Let's start with what this place is." He looked to Alchemy. The NightWing nodded, and grabbed a small glass globe from the coffee table.

"I enchant this globe to tell the story of how Grandeur City came to be."

The glass ball began to shine brightly, lifting up and projected moving pictures inside of it. A clear, feminine voice came from it, announcing the story.

"Grandeur City was made by the ancient queen, Queen Wildflower, nearly six thousand years ago. It was made after she had lost the throne to her sister, Queen Moa, soon after The Scorching. Angered, she left the Mainland with her followers from all different tribes. Using her magic, she created the hidden, underwater empire of Grandeur City."

"To protect the city from the water, she put a magic dome around it only dragons, and what ever they brought with them, could enter and exit from. To protect it from being seen from above, she put a very dense, impenetrable fog to shroud the top."

Shine was amazed. A dragon, although angered by her sister defeating her, thought about her subjects rather then just her. Wildflower sounded pretty nice! She protected them all!

"It is the only place where it is normal for animi dragon to hatch after Wildflower cursed the Mainland."

Okay, maybe not so much. Wildflower cursed the land? Well, as much as Shine found it believable, given she knew the feeling of wanting revenge (but more from an outside point of view), she wouldn't hold it to an animus to make them pay.

"Wildflower then planted a seed of a long forgotten tree, and used her magic to protect it as long as the city stood. It was known as Founder's Tree in honor of her. Shortly after making the city, Wildflower and her husband were expecting their first bundle of eggs. Generation after generation, Wildflower's descendants ruled over Grandeur City."

The glowing then stopped, falling back into Alchemy's talons. "There, I hoped that answered some-"


"RainWings..."


Alchemy looked confused by the smaller's statement, her yellow eyes puzzled. "What?"

Shine took a breath, her talons gripping under her. "RainWings. Why are there no RainWings in the streets?"

Swift sighed, his golden eyes scanning Alchemy, who seemed to be debating about something in her mind. He shook his head, looking to the dragonet.

"'net, RainWings are royalty here, you ain't gonna find a random RainWing in the streets. Any sorta outside RainWing is seen as fair game to kill; unless they have magic."

Dread seemed to seep into Shine, her scales crawling along her back. Maybe this place wasn't all sunshine and rainbows like she once thought.

"I... is that why you made me a disguise?" Why was she even asking that, of course it was! She wasn't safe in the rainforest now, and if she somehow gets caught here, she'll be dead!

Alchemy looked up, placing her talons onto the smaller's. "Shine, look at me."

The RainWing looked up, staring into the NightWing's yellow, sunshine eyes. Concern, worry, unknowing, and so much more swirled in the glints and reflections of her eyes. Yet, as Shine stared, she could feel it. The barely noticeable, yet all welcoming feeling of reassurement and comfort enveloped her.

She hated this, she hated that she knew what others were feeling. She couldn't tell what feelings were hers or another's, not sure if it was her who was holding the negatives, or if they split them.

It was always a headache inducing mess, like picking out thorns from your scales one by one. This, this was why she tried to make everyone happy, so she didn't have to put up with the pain. If she made everyone happy, they would like her, and she wouldn't be so confused and lost on who felt what.

Alchemy carefully brought the other into a hug, letting her rest her snout on her shoulder, both seeming to be stuck in their thoughts.

"I... I'm sorry for bringing you into this mess, but I couldn't think of anywhere to go. I promise, I will do everything I can to keep you protected," Alchemy muttered, holding the RainWing close to her.

A talon was placed on the back of her head, gently pressing her frills to the side of her neck. Alchemy would protect her... yeah, yeah she would protect her.

~~~

That night, Alchemy was stuck in her room. Scrolls, books, and ink pots littered the floor. Spyglasses and colorful glass globes were neatly placed on a shelf over her desk. Said desk, where she sat at, had just been cleansed of the clutter on top of it.

The animus placed the leather scroll casing onto it, popped the button open, and dumped the old scroll out. It had some smeared ink splots on the back of it, with yellow around the edges from age, not that Alchemy mind.

She unrolled it, looking over the ugly, messy writing.

'Deer, Jornol,

Mommy got you twoday I'm so happy! She says I can tail you secets and otter stuff! Twoday I wint with Daddy two go get fruet I got a manego for Mommy four her hatcking day and a pruty nakelace

Mommy neds me no bye bye!

Passen '

Alchemy tried her best to decipher the scribbles, before she got bored and went to the bottom.

'Moons this 'ness lived a long time,' she thought, seeing how many entries there was. Unrolling and rerolling the scroll was becoming an irritating chore by now, Alchemy nearly wanted to throw the paper away; but her eyes suddenly caught an interesting entry.

She stopped, reading over the ink writing once, then twice, then thrice. No matter how many times the NightWing read it, the more the puzzle pieces seemed to fit into place.

She read the next, then the next, eventually coming to the last entry of the diary. She stared at the test of the blank paper, letting the entries sink in.

"Shiny, I think I just found something even you might not wanna know 'bout."

~~~

Another chapter up! I hope you all enjoyed, cause now the real plot is under way >:)

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