"You saw all that, right?" Lavender couldn't help but ask Shadowsplitter as the two siblings started to make their way back to their own hut where their parents would surely be waiting for them to return. The hybrid could see that her brother had a basket like pouch wrapped around his neck and it looked stuffed full of what she assumed was prey he caught. She could smell things like lizards and birds, but sadly, no fish, their smell wasn't easy to go over without at least catching a whiff of their strong smell.

"Yeah, I did." The brown shaded NightWing sighed as they walked. Lavender was trying to match his stride, but he was larger than her so he could cover slightly more distance than her. "It almost looked as though Silentbreath was ready to burn that RainWing's face off." He commented with a twitch of his wings.

"Well, good thing he didn't or that'd cause even more fighting." She huffed as their families hut soon came into view.

"Yeah." Was all Shadow said as he opened the door and held it open for Lavender to quickly make her way inside, himself following soon after with the sound of the woven vine door closing softly behind the two siblings.

Inside, their parents could be heard happily talking to one another. When Lavender and Shadow peeked around the corner, they could see Strongwings by his bookshelf that was stuffed full of scrolls of historical events in Pyrrha and stories. Lavender never knew how in the three moons that he could tell where each scroll was. It was as if the NightWing knew every scroll by heart and knew exactly where it was at all times. Lavender's mother, Orchid, was standing beside him as he organized some of the scrolls.

"You'll have to get another bookshelf at this rate." Orchid commented as she watched Strongwings organize the packed shelf, her warm orange and brown scales shifting to a brighter colour, almost yellow in tone.

"I might even have to open up my own library again." The dark grey NightWing chuckled.

Lavender had been told by her father that he used to own his own library, but he had to leave it behind when he and Shadow met Orchid before she was born. She never really asked all that much since it looked to be a touchy subject that her father didn't wish to talk much about.

"Maybe you will. It could be just like your old one, before, you know."

"Yeah, but if I do, I'll make sure it's better than the last and it'll probably have every scroll written in all of Pyrrha."

Lavender and Shadowsplitter gave each other a side glance before Shadow cleared his throat, gaining their parents attention as the two adults turned to look at them.

"Oh! Welcome home! Did you find anything good for breakfast you two?" Orchid asked, a smile on her face, not even mentioning the subject she and Strongwings were just talking about.

"Um, yeah! I found some juicy fruit!" Lavender gave her mother her own smile, her frills fanning happily.

"And I found some lizards along with some birds. The feathers would be nice and could be used for something, maybe a craft?" Shadow spoke up as he tapped the pouch around his neck.

"That's great! Let's go outside to pluck the feathers and put them in a basket for later." Strongwings spoke up as he walked past the two siblings, Shadow following after him outside, leaving Lavender and Orchid in their hut.

"Let's see what fruit you've collected dear." Lavender looked back at her mother and silently nodded as they made their way to the table. She placed her half filled basket onto the wooden table that had been cared with swirled legs that looked like plants growing to form them. The table always rectangular in shape with round, soft edges. She wasn't born yet when her family had gotten the table, but her older brother told her about the day they got it.

The old NightWing she had helped this morning, Silentbreath, used to be an assassin when he was in his youth, but he retired and took up carving as his hobby. He'd sometimes leave for trips to other kingdoms to sell some of his work, or dragons will come to his hut to buy some of his carvings. Apparently he uses his own talons to carve every detail. The table was said to have taken months to carve by claw, since Silentbreath took his time to carve each little detail and make sure he made no mistakes.

Lavender was pulled from her thoughts as her mother spoke as the RainWing looked at the fruits within the basket, along with the clawfulls of colourful berries. "Theses look wonderful dear," she praised with a warm smile. "This should be the perfect amount for breakfast."

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring a full basket back, I gave half of it away to Silentbreath this morning after a little...um...squabble."

"A squabble?" Her mother questioned as she looked over at her daughter.

"Between Silentbreath and a RainWing. Apparently, Silentbreath got back from gathering his morning fruit and when he turned around to open the door to his hut, the RainWing took his fruit. The two were arguing when I got there and I stepped in to stop them. I gave most of my fruit to Silentbreath, as a way of saying sorry for the trouble," she huffed with a flick of her tail. "There's just been so much fighting lately, mostly between NightWing's and RainWing's too!"

Orchid silently listened, her frills dropping slightly and her smile was gone and now replaced with a small frown, a concerned one that she had never really seen on her mother before. She also noticed her mother's scales shifting colours slightly, turning slightly blue, but not much, as though she was trying to keep them from doing so.

"Mom?" Lavender spoke up after a moment of silence stretched out between the two.

"There's been, a lot, going on recently in the kingdom sweet heart," Orchid started with a sigh. "And...dragons aren't taking it well, especially the NightWing's within our kingdom."

"What do you mean? What's going on within the kingdom? Did something happen? Is something bad going to happen?" Lavender could stop the questions from flowing freely from her mouth, but her mother just quietly listened. She always did when anyone asked her a question. Orchid was a patient dragon, that's why she was great with dragonets, hence her job. She was a watcher, she got paid to watch over others dragonets when they couldn't and sometimes would help a teacher if they needed an extra set of talons with a group or two of dragonets.

Once Lavender finished, that's when her mother spoke once more.

"It's been going on for a while now, but it's been getting worse lately. Ever since Queen Dandelion claimed the throne." Her mother's tail twitched nervously on the floor. "The NightWing's have been treated poorly by her, she's been favouring RainWing's more, so when the kingdom found out she had married a RainWing, the NightWing's were outraged and nervous."

"Is that's why there's been more fights? Because of the royal family?"

"Yes, especially when Queen Dandelion would do nothing about the attacks during the war. The outside villages that would be attacked had mostly NightWing residents, and Queen Dandelion didn't seem to care." Orchid nodded.

"Do you think things will get better?" The hybrid looked her mother in the eye. Her pink eyes locking with her mother's warm yellowish pink eyes.

There was another moment of silence between the two before Orchid sighed with a shake of her head. "I don't know dear, but I sure hope things start to get better."

Before the two could continue their conversation, the door opened and when they turned to look, they saw Strongwings and Shadowsplitter walking inside. Strongwings carrying a small basket of colourful feathers while Shadow held his pouch that would've been filled with the plucked birds.

"Who's ready for breakfast?" Lavender's father asked with a smile on his face.

-~-~-~-~-~-

"Can't we just go and meet her at the edge of the rainforest instead of waiting?" Lavender complained to her brother with a groan and she leaned back while sitting to look at her older brother who sat outside their hut with her. It was the next day and they were waiting for Funnel, who Lavender personally thought that the SkyWing and her brother should get together already, who was on her way from the Sand Kingdom. A week ago, the SkyWing had come to visit and told her and her brother that she'd be back in a week and they all could go to see Queen Scorpion and King Meerkat to spend some time together, since it had been a while since they hung out rather than being in the same room for job reasons.

Funnel and Shadowsplitter were still Scorpion's messengers, but they took shifts where one would work for a week before spending a week at home with family.

"No, Funnel wanted to spend a little at the village before we leave, so going to meet her at the edge of the Rainforest would be pointless since you'd probably fly off to the Sand Kingdom on your own."

"But I'm old enough to go on my own anyways! I'm seven now, I'm perfectly responsible!" Lavender huffed and then scowled when she saw the questioning look on her brothers face, one that said 'really?' Or 'you sure?'

"Don't test me." Lavender stuck her tongue out at her brother, watching as he copied her.

"Oh? And why not?"

"Because I have something against you." She said as a smirk formed it's way onto her face, a smug one at that.

"And what would that be? My dearest little sister who couldn't hurt a fly?"

"I know you love Funnel," her smirk grew as she watched her brother's golden yellow eyes widen slightly. "I can do so much with that, you don't even know."

"Know what?" A voice spoke up that made both siblings jump like startled cats. When they looked, their eyes were met with the same SkyWing they were just talking about. Funnel stood before them, her messenger's pouch strap could be seen on her shoulder as the actual pouches would be hidden benign her wing. Her pale orange scales looked to practically glow in the warm rays of sunlight. Her golden yellow eyes looked to shimmer like they were circular shapes of pure gold. Her singular golden hoop earring sparkled from where it hung from her left ear. Standing beside the tall SkyWing was a short light blue SeaWing with pearls decorating her body. It was Sapphire.

Lavender glanced back at her brother, we'll talk more about your love later, she thought.

Nope, this conversation is finished by the sounds of things, Shadow shot back through his mind before the two looked back to Funnel and Sapphire who were silently watching them.

"Hey Sapphire!" Lavender smiled widely at the SeaWing who was slightly shorter than her. The Princess reached up to the mid point Lavender's neck. "We didn't know you'd show up."

"I know it might be a bit of a shock," The SeaWing laughed lightly, her voice as sweet as honey and as smooth as the finest silk. "But I was on my way to the Sand Kingdom where we were all going to meet, but along the way I found Funnel when I got a little lost and passed your village."

"She was almost at the edge of the Rainforest!" Funnel laughed, making the SeaWing puff her cheeks in embarrassment.

"But back to a better topic!" Sapphire's wings flapped at her sides embarrassingly, as though trying to clear the air. "What were you both talking about before we showed up?"

"We were just talking about how someone's in lo-" Lavender's snout was immediately shut by Shadow's talons who clamped them shut.

"Nothing! We we're talking about nothing important!" Shadowsplitter said with a smile.

Funnel and Sapphire gave them both confused glances before Funnel shook her head, as though clearing her thoughts which Lavender chose to stay out off, and gave them a warm smile. "Okay then, well, sorry I couldn't get here sooner. I had a bit of a delay in the Sky Kingdom before I found Sapphire and came here."

"In the Sky Kingdom? What's going on there?" Lavender's interest peaked as she pried her brother's talons off her snout as she smacked him with her wing, earning a glare from the older NightWing.

"Well, since Queen Flicker became Queen, she's changed everything for the better. They opened up the Sky Kingdom to all dragons, which means a lot more dragons have been going there lately, mostly merchants. I might've gotten distracted." The y'all SkyWing chuckled.

"Well, now that you're both here, how about we go around the village for a bit before we leave?" Shadow suggested as he laid his wig atop of Lavender, earring shouts from the hybrid who was quick to push it off.

"Sounds like a good idea!" Sapphire agreed with a smile.

"Yeah! Let's get going!" Funnel's wings twitched in excitement.

"Okay, while you three go awe at the village, I will stay here and say goodbye to mom and dad before we leave, I like a certain dragon." Lavender have her brother a look.

"I said I'd say goodbye when we leave, now hush." The NightWing shushed her with a playful smile on his face.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Flying, just flying, flying, oh! And more flying. That's really all they did for the last hour and it was boring! Lavender wanted to do something fun! But the only thing that was fun about flying for so long was seeing how long you could actually do it for, in that case, still wasn't any fun.

"Ughhhhhh, how much longer?" The hybrid complained from where she flew beside Sapphire while Shadowspliter and Funnel flew up ahead of them.

"Till you shut up? Don't know, could be an eternity before that happens." Shadow looked back at her with a smirk on his face.

"Oh hush! I'm talking about how long till we get to the mountains!" Lavender huffed as she heard Sapphire giggling softly beside her, but when she looked, she saw the SeaWing poorly trying to hide her laughter as she tried to hold in her giggles.

"Oh the mountains! Yeah, we could get there by tonight, probably just before moonhigh, if you want to fly nonstop for that long." It was already midday, so that would mean flying for hours straight, probably tired and sore, but most definitely sore the next day. No thank you, she thought with a huff. "Or we could spend a while at the village outside the rainforest by the small river. You remember the one."

Lavender did remember that place. It was an average sized town with a mixed tribe residents. The most common in that town were NightWing's, those who had chosen to leave the rainforest, most likely because of Queen Dandelion's actions as Queen. The second most common tribe to see were SkyWing's and MudWing's, especially SkyWing's now that they didn't feel tied down to their kingdom like a chained animal. The village was owned by a pair of siblings, RainWing-NightWing hybirds just like Lavender. Their names were Beautiful and Handsome. Really, those names are very confusing, she thought with a roll of her eyes as they kept flying, feeling the wind brush cooly against her purple scales and feeling the sun shinning down on her back.

The sun felt wonderful, especially since she had woken up tired this morning. She felt her scales shift to a lighter shade or purple, the tip of her tail turning more of a pink colour like the spots that ran down her sides in lines.

Lavender must've been wandering in her own mind before she felt something, or rather someone, touch her wing. When she snapped out of it, she looked over towards Sapphire, who was looking back at her with her crystal blue eyes that sparkled in the sunlight.

"Whatcha thinking about?" The SeaWing asked, curiously shown clearly within her eyes.

"Nothing really, my minds just gone blank." Lavender gave her a smile.

"Because if you enjoying the sun?" Sapphire gave her a smile of her own.

"Maybe, it feels nice." She admitted.

The two talked for what felt like forever and soon, the village could be seen up ahead in the distance as the rainforest was now behind them. Lavender looked back to Sapphire and she practically watched the SeaWing brighten at the right of the river, the normally slow flying dragon now picking up her speed.

"Wait up!" Lavender laughed as she picked up speed as well, the two flying past Funnel and Shadow who were flying slowly side by side in a relaxing way, or a loving way in my opinion, she thought with a smirk.

"Where are you two going!?" She heard her older brother shout from behind them. The two looked at each other before looking back at the NightWing and the SkyWing before shouting back, "to the river!"

Lavender looked back to Sapphire before speaking once more. "Last one there is a rotten piece of fruit!" She laughed as she pushed herself to go faster.

"No fair! You got a head start!" She heard Sapphire shot behind her.

Lavender couldn't contain her laughter as she felt the wind blow past her as she clapped her wings harder to make herself go faster as the village and the river came closer, by her focus was mostly on the river. Maybe once they got there, Sapphire could help her catch some fish.

As she thought, she hardly even noticed as said SeaWing silently flew past her in a blur of light blue scales.

"Hey!" She shouted and she was pulled from her thoughts as she heard Sapphire's heart warming laughter.

"Better hurry up or you'll lose to a SeaWing!"

"I would never!" Lavender laughed.

She missed hanging with her friends, so she was glad she could hang out with them now on their way to the Sand Kingdom to visit Queen Scorpion and King Meerkat. They haven't really been able to hang out much since the two became the new King and Queen of the Sand Kingdom, so she was happy they would all be getting back together again.

Even if she did have to spend that time with her brother who she spent enough time with in her opinion.

She cleared her thoughts as she and Sapphire soon were landing at the bank of the river, well, Sapphire dived into it with a splash, getting water all over Lavender's scales. The hybrid couldn't keep the smile off her face as she was quick to slap at the water with her talons once Sapphire re-emerged from the depths of the river.

"Careful Sapphire! Wouldn't want you to get salty over a little water!" She laughed at Sapphire's face when she splashed the SeaWing.

"You're awful at puns." The SeaWing stuck her tongue out.

"I'm great at puns! The very best I should say!" She gasped as she put her talons against her chest as though she had been physically wounded by Sapphire's words, which earned her some laughs from said SeaWing.

"Then maybe you should be the Queen of puns." Sapphire smiles as she swam to the bank.

"Queen Lavender," she hummed with a thought. "It's got a nice ring to it."

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This book might be off to a slow start for a bit, but most books start off like that. Introducing characters and the plot and all. But don't worry, things should start to pick up soon.

- MindlessTyper