Three months later . . .

Doomsayer waited in the Rainwing queen's pavilion, a structure of woven vines directly between the Rainwing and Nightwing villages, waiting for Glory. Queen Glory, she reminded herself. It was strange being ruled by a dragonet her own age - And a Rainwing too! She didn't mind too much - she was a good queen - it was just so strange. She glanced at Shadowlight beside her, his thin body at odds with his large head and long, spiked tail. He pawed nervously at the vine carpet, slightly serrated claws catching on the creeping tendrils. His black eyes were wide, his whole body tense. She leaned into him, her midnight blue scales scalloped with white brushing against his solid black body - no stars decorated the undersides of his wings, and only a diamond of silver interrupted the black scales of his forehead.

"What's wrong?"

He shivered against her, I don't know what to do if you leave. I know you want this. I wish I could say I wanted it for you too. I'm sorry.

She leaned in closer to her twin, "Don't be, I understand. I'll write. And anyway, Glory could easily deny me this."

She'd be foolish to. Doom grinned at her brother, then straightened as the queen finally arrived. Today her scales were a deep blue with speckles of gold around the edges of her wings and eyes. Power colors. Meant to intimidate. Still . . . a strange jolt ran through her as she realized that finally she had found an equal. Perhaps not with the same set of powers but . .

"Doomsayer, correct?" The queen said after a few moments pause. Her mind was surrounded by a prickly wall, as if she'd filled her mind with cacti to prepare for the meeting. Still, the way her wings were shifted slightly towards the open side of the pavilion . . . it seemed as if the queen were nervous about something.

She nodded. "If this isn't a good time, Your Majesty . . ."

"No," Glory shook her head, "This is fine. Deathbringer said you were wondering about an opening at the Academy?"

"Yes, I heard that one of the Nightwings . . ." She glanced over at Shadow. He was always better at remembering these things than her.

"Fearless." The queen looked at him with surprise as if she hadn't noticed him before.

Doom nodded. "Left the school prematurely a few days ago. Also . . ." she hesitated, not sure whether the queen would mind, then continuing as she realized she actually didn't care, "I heard that the Jade Winglet disappeared, but think it would be better if I were placed in the other one. The relatively whole winglet."

Glory winced at that, as if realizing how bad it sounded. As the new queen any problems the tribe experienced would be seen as her - not the rebellious dragonets' - fault. "I will need to think about this, especially since Fearless may still go back."

Doom shook her head, "I doubt it. He's already at our village, and seems quite happy away from the dangers of the Academy." When he arrived his parents had literally began screaming at the top of their lungs. He'd not been much better.

Glory tensed. It was clearly a sore subject. "If that is the case, I will consider your request. However you must remember that this isn't just up to me. I'll need to check with the others at Jade Mountain." no need to ask who those others were. "In the end it'll be up to them."

Doom nodded. "Thank you. I certainly hope this will all work out." She turned and exited the pavilion, followed by a slightly delayed Shadowlight. She turned to him as they flew through the jungle, alighting on a tree. "What slowed you down?"

He looked at her, eyes slightly wide. "You don't just walk away from a Queen!"

She shrugged. "I guess I do."

He sighed at the sun above them and began to fly away, leaving her to catch up. Watch and see. I bet she didn't like it. If you don't get to go to the school because of that . . . Well, I certainly won't mind.

Oh.