It was no secret that Overcast had never believed the legends about NightWings. Secretive dragons who could read minds and see the future? A hidden kingdom no-one could find, ruled by a mystery queen? She didn't buy any of it. It all sounded like fantasy, like fairytales. 

Most of the dragonets, being rational, could agree with her point of view: Clay didn't entirely believe the stories, Glory was a realist, and Tsunami usually made fun of them. Starflight was argumentative, of course, insisting that his tribe had some magic hocus-pocus that helped shape the world.

But they knew Starflight, and the NightWing dragonet was many things – long-winded, smart, too serious, sort of annoying – and scary or powerful were not words Overcast would use to describe him.

And yet when the guest of honour, as black as an abyss and bigger than Kestrel, loomed out of the shadows of the entrance tunnel, Overcast couldn't help but feel intimidated.

The NightWing spread his jagged, bat-like wings and peered down at the dragonets lined up in front of him. He had silver scales like stars on the underside of his wings, like Starflight, but on him they seemed to emit a cold glow. Morrowseer looked like a stone sentinel, his scales as coarse as rock. 

He appeared as if he could rip each of their heads off in one bite. He also looked like he already loathed the six dragonets. 
Give us a chance, Overcast thought.

Maybe the NightWing was reading their minds and saw how confused they were about the prophecy. Or maybe he was getting a vision of all their futures filled with failure, failure, failure.

Stop that. He knows nothing about us. Overcast stood a little straighter, narrowing her eyes slightly.

She could feel Sunny trembling at her side, and saw Clay looking petrified next to the SandWing out of her peripherals.

On Overcast's other side, Tsunami didn't look afraid. The SeaWing looked respectful, and Overcast saw the light of something in her face that surprised her – hopefulness?

Morrowseer raked his dark gaze over the line of dragonets, going over each one in turn.
Overcast met his onyx-bead eyes, setting her jaw and equalling the glare.
I'm not afraid of you.

He moved to inspect Tsunami, and continued down the line.
It was obvious when he reached Glory; the huge black dragon glowered down at the RainWing dragonet for a small eternity. His snout twitched with the ripple of disgust, and a forked black tongue darted out of his mouth.

He pivoted his head to redirect his glower at Kestrel, and lifted one long claw to point at Glory.

"What. Is. THAT?" He rumbled, his voice black and corrosive like acid.

Starflight stepped back, and Overcast could see the RainWing now – she was sitting on her haunches with her long tail curled over her talons. Glory stared calmly up at Morrowseer, hues of lavender and yellow being the main palette of her scales. Only the orange overtaking her RainWing ruff hinted that she was upset.

"There was an accident," Kestrel explained. "We lost the SkyWing egg, so we had to get another one somewhere –"

"From the RainWings?" Morrowseer interrupted seethingly.

"It was his idea," Kestrel whipped her tail at Webs, quick to delegate the blame. "He brought her here."

"At least we have six dragonets," Webs muttered in defence. "That's what matters."

Morrowseer peered down his snout at Glory. He then shifted his eyes to Sunny, who let out a tiny squeak and sank a little lower toward the ground. 

"More like five and a half," he grunted. "Are you supposed to be the SandWing? Don't you eat? What's wrong with you?"

There was a long, horrible pause while Sunny tried to eek out an answer. Each moment that passed added to the unfair weight of Sunny's embarrassment... and to Overcast's fury.

"There is nothing wrong with her," the IceWing explained firmly, her loud voice about as slick and safe as a slippery ice slope. 

"She eats fine," Tsunami followed. "As much as anyone."

"It's not her fault she's small," Starflight chimed in, to Overcast's slight surprise.

"She's a good fighter," Clay supported. "And so is Glory."

Morrowseer spoke in a tone that was enough to drop silence over the dragonets like a blanket of fresh powder snow:
"Stop talking now."

Overcast spread her right wing a little bit, allowing it to hover protectively over Sunny. She curled her tail around her left side, letting it rest near Tsunami's.

The tall NightWing turned to the three guardians. "Something has gone very wrong here," he started.

"Yes! It has!" Tsunami burst in. "We've never been outside this mountain, not even once. We're treated like prisoners in these caves! All we know about the world we're supposed to save is what we've learnt in scrolls. We're supposed to be the most important dragons in the world, and these three treat us like blind salamanders!"

Overcast couldn't help as a thin, proud smirk overtook her face during the SeaWing's speech. She was sure there wasn't a dragon in the world who could silence her friend.

"Tsunami, hold your tongue," Dune snapped.

"I will not!" The SeaWing cried, her wide eyes glaring at the SandWing minder. "Please get us out of here," she said to Morrowseer. "Take us away with you."

"Hush, you ungrateful lizard!" Kestrel growled.

Morrowseer bared his teeth. With no further warning, he lunged at Tsunami, going for her neck.

The surreal shock at seeing this huge stone monster attacking her friend was quickly replaced with adrenaline as Overcast found herself moving, running alongside Clay. She and the MudWing flung themselves on the big dragon, scaling his ridged back.
All those combat lessons, hours of being yelled at by Kestrel were about to pay off.

Tsunami rolled away from the attack and spun to fight back, her blue talons slashing Morrowseer's belly.

Overcast fought for her balance, trying to click her claws in between the black-on-black interlocking scales. She saw Clay doing the same as he steadied himself and snapped his jaws on the NightWing's back. She scraped her serrated talons against Morrowseer's hard scales, trying in vain to bring him the stinging pain that came with the slash of an IceWing's claw.
Suddenly getting an idea, Overcast stabbed Morrowseer's left wing harshly, locking her claws into the forearm and the membrane connected to it. She inhaled, snaked her head to the wing, and opened her mouth.

Just before she could blast her ice breath, the NightWing jumped away from Tsunami and shook his whole body violently. The first jump had dislodged Overcast's claws, and the second threw both her and Clay through the air.

They landed with jarring thuds, sliding halfway into the river. Overcast was on her feet in an instant, the aftermath of the impact making her stumble as she shook her head to right herself. The IceWing quickly checked Clay to make sure he was okay, then turned back to their enemy.

Tsunami and Morrowseer were facing each other in battle positions. The NightWing suddenly made a harsh grinding noise deep in his throat, as if resisting the urge to exclaim or smothering a yelp. He stepped back and swung his tail round into view.

Clinging to Morrowseer's tail, her teeth firmly planted in a particular place near the end, was Sunny.

Of course! 
The vulnerable spot that every dragon has, no matter which tribe they're from. Genius!

"Go Sunny!" Overcast whooped, her pride for her youngest sister forming a smile on the IceWing's face.

Sunny's green eyes met with Overcast's blue ones, and the latter swore she could see thankfulness reflected in them.

"Ha," Morrowseer snorted. "That's a surprise." He plucked Sunny loose with his front talons, as if she were just a tiny, bloodsucking insect.

Overcast heard movement, and realised Clay was staggering up beside Starflight, who hadn't moved the whole time the conflict had taken place.
Neither had Glory.
Neither the minders.
Overcast snorted tiny ice crystals. So much for being tasked to protect us.

"That one will do," Morrowseer said, pointing at Tsunami. After a few more moment's consideration, he nodded at Clay. "And that one will do."

Kestrel snorted.

What does he mean? Overcast thought in slight alarm. Wait, what happens if one of us doesn't qualify? Who says he gets to pick, anyway? The IceWing rattled her neck-spikes, feeling her resolve rising.
The prophecy is destiny. Our eggs follow the instructions. Apart from Glory, he can't – 

"And that one too," Morrowseer gestured his wing to Overcast, the wing she had managed to scratch in the fight. The dragonet blinked, feeling indignation at the fact that she seemingly met Morrowseer's criteria. I will not be separated from my friends.

Morrowseer raised Sunny, inspecting her from her harmless barb, to her golden colour, to her moss-green eyes. "Hmm."

Sunny maintained a scowl at the older dragon, as unfriendly and cold as Overcast had ever seen the SandWing.

"This one..." Morrowseer muttered, his voice still loud enough to be heard by everyone, "we'll have to see." He set the SandWing down, but the dragonet did not look away.

"We followed the prophecy," Dune reassured. "She wasn't in a clutch of eggs – I found hers alone, buried out in the desert. Just like the prophecy said."

The guardians almost never talked about where they got the dragonets' eggs – the only other time Overcast could recall was when they were very young, no more than half a year, when Webs told them that Morrowseer had brought Starflight's egg to them.
Sunny stared at Dune hopefully, wordlessly begging him to keep talking, but the bigger SandWing went silent under Morrowseer's dark eyes.

"As for you," Morrowseer turned to Starflight.
Overcast mentally braced herself. She knew how harshly Starflight reacted to criticism, and she knew he must idolise the older NightWing already.

"I assume you used your NightWing powers to figure out I wasn't going to hurt the SeaWing," Morrowseer continued. "Perhaps you even had a vision of my visit today. No doubt you already know that I'm going to take you into the next cavern for a private conversation."

Overcast felt like banging her head on the cave walls. What eelspout.

Morrowseer then began walking toward the study room, and Starflight had no choice but to solemnly follow him. He stopped, however, when Morrowseer paused in the archway and looked back at the guardians, his next sentence dripping with water and freezing to become dangerously hardened spikes:

"As for the RainWing... we'll talk about her later."

He didn't look at the dragonet, but everyone else did. Glory was still in the same calm position, violet and daffodil swirling on her scales.

Overcast felt suspicion nurture the distrust in her chest. She knew she wasn't the only one who had an awful feeling about Morrowseer's tone. It felt like she had been run through with an icicle, twisting her insides and spreading frostbite through her organs.
She scowled after the NightWing as he retreated into the cave.

"Stupid SeaWing!" Kestrel shot across the cave and struck Tsunami's snout, causing the dragonet to hiss in retaliation. "How dare you complain about us? We've given up everything in our lives for you!"

The genuine emotion in Kestrel's tone struck some shock into Overcast. The minder was always mad, but her words were imbued with something else this time: outrage, fury, underlined with heartbreak, even.

Overcast had never really entertained the idea of Kestrel having a comfortable life back in the Sky Kingdom: all her life, she had seen the minders as possessive and abusive and cruel, feeling inclined to hate them because of her natural protectiveness over her friends. But in that moment, Overcast saw the reality behind the red dragon in front of her, and she felt confronted with her myopia. Did the minders really give up everything for the Talons? What has Kestrel sacrificed for us?

"I only told him the truth!" Tsunami shot back. "If you hate this too, why don't you let us go?"

"This is for your safety," Webs interjected. His voice was gentler then Kestrel's, but it was obvious from the way his long blue-green tail swished on the ground that he was angry. "That's what all of this is for. The Talons of Peace need you to survive long enough to fulfil the prophecy. You have no idea how many dragons would love to get their claws on you six."

"Or what they'd do to you if they did," Dune added, his voice a growl.

"Our job is to keep you alive," Kestrel said. "Or else I'd have strangled you myself a long time ago."

"Great," Tsunami snapped. "Well, it's been a terrific life, thanks very much."

Kestrel made the hissing fire-is-coming noise, her throat slightly glowing. Clay grabbed Tsunami's tail and dragged her back towards the river.

"We are grateful," Sunny insisted, jumping in front of the SkyWing. She stood up on her back legs, not even half Kestrel's size, her golden ears twitching. "We would much rather be alive than not-alive! We're glad you keep us that way, really, we are!"

Overcast felt her heart swell just a little bit. Sunny, you're too kind, she wanted to say. We wouldn't be complaining if she had been a decent minder. It's her fault, not ours. Kestrel doesn't deserve your gratitude, not after how horrible she's been to you.

"Come on," Webs said. He prodded Kestrel and Dune toward the guardians' cave. "We need to talk."

"Now he has something to say," Kestrel muttered exasperatedly as the three of them clambered over the broken stalagmites.

The dragonets stared after them until they were gone.

"Well, he was a great help," Tsunami hissed as she slithered into the river, walking to the deep end. Bubbles floated to the top as the SeaWing placed her talons over her head.

It got quiet in the cave. Overcast shared in her friend's frustration. What had Morrowseer done so far, apart from try to attack Tsunami and take Starflight away for a bit?

Sunny, Clay, and Overcast exchanged glances, then looked over at Glory. 
The RainWing was sitting in the same spot, her tail still curved around her feet. She yawned as they turned to her. It looked as if nothing bothered her at all.

"Are you all right?" Clay asked, sitting in front of Glory and studying her face. Sunny sidled up beside her, brushing Glory's purple wings with her own smaller ones. Overcast followed, sitting awkwardly near the RainWing.

"Of course," Glory said. "I mean, well, we all knew that was going to happen. It's not like the minders have been talking about how awesome I am this whole time."

"But you are," Clay said. 
Glory tilted her head at him.
"Awesome," he clarified. "They just don't see –"

"They see a RainWing," Glory said simply, shrugging. "I don't care. It's their fault for bringing me here."

Overcast's neck spikes raised slightly in surprise. It didn't sound like Glory to just... give up. She wanted to reassure the RainWing, but she couldn't find the words.

"Why didn't you fight Morrowseer when we did?" Sunny queried, turning her neck. "Then they'd know how brave and fierce you are, too."

"Why bother?" Glory shrugged again. "It was obviously a test."

Overcast heard Clay quietly ask, "it was?"
The IceWing felt the same way; what did Morrowseer get from his attack, if he had just seen what he'd wanted to see anyway?
Both Starflight and Glory did nothing to help, but through Morrowseer's eyes, they did so because one was smart and the other had been cowardly. And naturally, the smart one was the unfair walrus-whisker's tribemate, and the coward was the dragon that was always written off as lazy, even though Morrowseer didn't know Glory and the minders refused to see her as anything but.

Following this line of thought, Overcast brushed her wing with Clay's as she moved closer to Glory, shifting her whip-thin tail so it was lying near the RainWing's.

"Yup. And I'd already failed. I failed the day I hatched as a RainWing," Glory responded, splotches of sky-blue seeming to bleed from her back before spreading throughout her body.

"Well, we don't care what the prophecy says, or what Morrowseer thinks," Clay said stoutly. 

"Exactly," Overcast joined in. "You're our sixth dragonet. We don't want anyone else, and we certainly don't need anyone else."

Glory looked at the two ruefully. "That's very sweet." She yawned again, spreading her wings and standing up. "I'm going to take a nap." 

"Now?" Sunny asked, alarmed. "Is that a good idea?" 

Napping wasn't something unfamiliar to Glory; she usually fell asleep for a few hours after lunch every day, but Overcast had assumed she'd stay awake while Morrowseer was around. And so did Sunny, apparently. 

"I'm tired," Glory replied simply, starting off down the tunnels. "They all think I'm lazy anyway. There's nothing I can do to change that." 

Overcast scraped the ground, frustrated. Glory was always prickly and tired, pre-nap or post-nap. 
Why wasn't she fighting? Trying to prove herself? Trying to prove them wrong?

"Wake me if anything exciting happens," Glory called over her shoulder.
A moment later, she turned around and peeked her head around the tunnel. "But make sure it's actually exciting, not Sunny-exciting."

"Hmph!" Sunny flared her wings, her eyebrows arched down. "I don't think everything is exciting! But you guys don't think enough things are exciting."

"Think of it this way," Glory said. "Time to leave the caves and fulfil the prophecy: exciting. Sunny found another weird-looking white crab in the river: not exciting. Got it?"

With that, the RainWing walked to the sleeping-caves.

Sunny blinked at Clay and Overcast.

"I know," the MudWing said, "that last crab was really weird looking."

"It was, wasn't it?" Overcast agreed, feeling happy at how Sunny's face brightened when the two backed her up.

"I wouldn't have minded if you'd woken me up to see it," Clay added kindly, shrugging his wings.

"Well, good," Sunny smiled. "I know. That's why I offered half of it to you two instead of anyone else." The SandWing headed for her favourite stalagmite and started to climb it, hooking her claws in the holes that dotted the bulbous shape.

Clay clambered up the rocks beside her, Overcast looking up at the two from her spot seated on the ground.

"Hey, Sunny," Clay said, "what would you think about running away?"

The SandWing in question almost lost her grip on the stalagmite in surprise, looking at him with shocked green eyes. "You mean leaving the caves? Alone? Without our guardians? Oh, no, we couldn't! We have to do what the prophecy says."

"But what if the Talons don't understand the prophecy any better than we do?" Overcast proposed, getting to her feet. "What if we need to get out and stop the war our own way?"

Sunny settled on top of the stalagmite and coiled her golden tail around it, balancing on her back legs. She reached up towards the stalactites that were poking sharply down from the top of the cave. "I don't think it's a good idea, you two," she said honestly. "We need to wait two more years, then Kestrel, Webs and Dune will let us leave. If we just follow the prophecy, everything will be all right." She batted the tip of the lowest stalactite, her claws scraping the rock ever so slightly, but it proved she was still too small to reach it.
Sunny sat back down with a frustrated sigh.

Some day soon, Sunshine, Overcast thought sympathetically.

The IceWing looked at Clay staring down the tunnel Glory had gone, and could see his brow creased in thought.

"What's up?" She asked, her voice a little softer in case he was thinking something Sunny wouldn't want to hear.

Clay turned to Overcast, descending the rocks to stand next to his friend. "If the prophecy is real, wouldn't it include Glory?" He whispered, scratching at the ground.

Overcast frowned, giving it some thought.

"What if..." Clay paused, looking at Sunny before catching Overcast's eye.

"What if the prophecy is wrong?"