So close...

    "Hey."

   A concerned voice broke Tide's thoughts. "Yeah?" He asked, trying to act casualy. "That was pretty cool." Coast's grin made Tide smile. "You really think so?" He felt some triumph slither thru his scales. "Yeah! Talking dragons into NOT killing each other is pretty darn cool!" Before chuckling, he glanced back at the 10 dragons flying behind him, following his lead.

    "Yeah!" Thorn's voice piped up from nowhere. He shifted his scaled to a deep brown, like a MudWings', so he could see him.

    "Ha, well thanks, you two." He smiled, about to say that it was brave of Thorn to go into the fight, even though it was dangerous, before yellow shining scales flew into his vision, blinding him for a moment. He closed his eyes and shook his head, discovering the sound of a new voice.

    "Hey! That was pretty awesome!"

    "Huh?" He opened his eyes, letting them adjust. "Ow..."

    "Oh, sorry, that usually happens to most people when they see my scales all of a sudden."

    He looked over and saw Coast flying up with Thorn in her talons. He looked dazed, as if the dragons sudden appearance blinded him too. When Coast came into hearing distance, she grumpily stared at the dragon. "Hey!"

    She turned her attention to Coast, who was still holding Thorn. "What's your problem!?" She almost shouted.

    "What? What'd I do?" Just then, Tide noticed this dragon was a SandWing. Hmm. He thought curiously.

    "You almost knocked my friend out of the sky!" Coast scolded, flicking her tail.

    "Oh. So?"

    "So? SO!?" She wrinkled her snout at the SandWing in disgust. "He could have fallen to his death!" Thorn blinked at the commotion, gaining his original sight back. "Whuu...?" He spoke quietly.

     "Well, that's not my fault. He should be able to fly on his own, really." She said, casually.

    "You say that like you don't care!"

    "I DO." The SandWing replied. "Seems like you don't, because you're not even seeing if your friend here is OK." She ushered her away with her wing and Coast game her a look of disgust before flying a few feet away.

    What just happened...? Tide thought to himself, befudled. Who was this SandWing anyway?

    "Just so you know, the name's Rise. If you haven't seen me yet." She blinked n a sweet way and Tide felt kind of awkward near her now.

    "Oh! Yeah, I saw you the day of introductions." He remembered that day clearly.

    "Thaaat's me!" She smiled. "So, was that like, your... you know?" She tilted her head towards Coast and had this look on her face that Tide couldn't even guess what it meant.

    "Uhm, no. Actually I don't know." He could't even guess what she was going to say, until she said it, of course.

    "Your girlfriend, duh!"

    Tide just stared at her, his face speaking for him. "Oh gross, no!" He wrinkled his snout.

    "Haha!" Rise giggled. "By the look on your face I can tell you're not lying!"

    "Why would you think that!?" Tide said, alarmed at how she got the idea of, THEM.

    "Well, I just thought since you two always hung out, I sort of guessed."

    He managed a chuckle at this. "You know that doesn't mean we're together, you know that right?!"

    She gave a smug face. "Yeah, I know!"

    They both tilted their heads as Drought flew up ahead of them. "We're almost there, guys!" He pointed his talon and Tide saw a crowd full of dragons on the yellow floor, surrounding a big clear pond for a whole tribe of dragons. At this exact moment, Tide stopped. Drought came up at about the same time as everyone else. "What is it?" Drought looked concerned. Tide looked at him. "Won't they suspect something if we all go there at once? All normal?"

     Drought stopped for a moment. "Guys."

    They all looked at him. He grinned triumphantly.

     "I think I have a plan. And it may be fool proof."