THE SKY WAS LIMITLESS AS Jaye soared through the air in its pure wyvern form, wings stretched out as wide as they would go on either side of its massive body. In this form, it was absolutely huge, larger than the dragons of old that were often the subject of legends.

     This gift was not something that came to any fairy or witch. The legendary blood in its veins was one-of-a-kind, gifting it with this massive form, a form in which Jaye had been born into. Holding it used no energy, and the feeling of freedom kept it from torching the entire forest below.

     Beneath it, the Gloomy Wood Forest stretched on endlessly, enveloped by the beast's massive shadow. Few had seen this monstrous beast in the flesh, having only glimpsed the power it used to hold a humanoid body, but now, as it flew high over the magical woodlands which surrounded the college of Alfea, its massive shadow seemed to swallow the trees.

     Jaye was making its way toward the other end of Lake Roccaluce, where it knew that Professor Palladium was holding a class. He had promised to help it find a rare flower that grew in the forest to use in a potion experiment for his assignment, and since he was already out in the swamp teaching his freshman course, it figured it would meet him there and get the task over with.

     The cluster of young fairies was gathered near the edge of the lake, and the wyvern wasted no time in making its presence known by flying over them, casting its huge shadow over the clearing, before landing roughly behind the professor with a loud roar, tail lashing.

     Within a few seconds, it took note of the reactions stemming from the young ladies gathered. Fear, shock, awe — it was all there, and it could feel the emotions radiating like vapor in the air.

     Professor Palladium turned around to face it, his face calm and perhaps even a bit amused. "There you are, Jaye. I was wondering if you'd show up."

     Jaye growled deep in its throat, flicking its tail again before releasing a burst of power to transform into its human form. "Sorry, Professor," it spoke, the attributes of its half form on full display for the young students to see. "I was caught up in my previous class." With reptilian eyes as bright as the sun's rays, ombre scales dotted on its skin, and a long dragon-like tail, it was clear that the redhead wasn't a normal fairy. Especially when it unfurled the large wings it wore in this form, as dark and powerful as the wings while it took the shape of the monstrous wyvern it had come to the world as.

     Once it had relaxed its power enough to maintain its humanoid form, it tilted its head, feeling something scrape against its skin. In a burst of motion, a slender white weasel appeared from between Jaye's wings, climbing up onto its shoulder and twitching her nose delicately.

     Palladium waved his arm at the dragonoid. "It's quite alright. Let me finish the instructions for this exercise and I'll be right with you, okay?"

     It gave a sharp nod, running a clawed hand through its short auburn hair and walking to stand behind them, before gently stroking the weasel who had come with it. The two of them watched the younger fairies mingle.

     " . . . Today's exercise is to put your skills to the test." The professor was explaining to the students. "You've all been put into groups, so we're ready to begin. You have three hours to get out of Black Mud Swamp, and reach the clearing in the middle of Gloomy Wood Forest — without using magic." He raised a hand. "Remember, listen carefully to what the voice of nature tells you, and follow its advice."

     With that, he beckoned to the dragonoid, leading it over away from where the groups began to converse quietly on which way they should go. Its reptilian gaze sparkled in the gloom, as it tilted its head slyly. "Freshmen, am I right?"

     He laughed lightly, shaking his head. "This is one of the easier exercises of the course."

     "Oh, I know. That was me two years ago."

    The professor sighed deeply. "If I recall, you decided to abandon your group in the woods and track your way out in an hour."

     It raised a brow. "Excuse me? They left me. Word for word, their excuse was 'it's a reptile, it doesn't need us.'

     "It didn't help that you practically know these woods inside out and backwards."

     Jaye shrugged. "That stems from my wild instincts." Its eyes sharpened. "Anyway, the flower?"

     Professor Palladium nodded, getting back to the point they'd come here to make. "Right, yes. It's a blue-gilded snow marsh orchid that you're looking for, correct?"

     The dragonoid creature nodded. "I need a flower petal for my hypnosis potion."

     He dipped his head in return. "It's a rare blossom, but I believe that there is a small meadow where it grows more toward the middle of the swamp." His eyes sparkled with mischief. "You could join a group heading that way and pick it up."

     Jaye snorted. "I don't work well with fairies, professor, you know that."

     "It might do you some good to get to know some of them." He pressed. "I'm not saying you should give away the answers to getting out of the swamp, but some social interaction would be good for you. It isn't healthy to keep away from other students."

     "Other students don't like me." It replied, lashing its scaly tail in slight irritation. "Why do you think I work alone?"

     He gave it a stern look. "You need to learn to play nice with others."

     Jaye crossed its arms coldly.

     The professor turned around, catching sight of one group that was heading toward the edge of the water to begin their assignment. "Bloom! Come here for a moment."

     A member of one group off to the left turned her head slightly, locking eyes with the professor before making her way over to him, those who had been around her following curiously.

     When the five fairies had halted a few paces away, Palladium gestured to the dragon. "Girls, this is Jaye, a third-year student of mine. You might have met it before or seen it in the halls."

     Uncomfortable with being shoved into this situation, the creature snorted and glared at a tree, lashing the end of its tail aggressively.

     The one apparently known as Bloom smiled slightly at it, holding out her hand. "Hi there, I'm Bloom."

     Jaye glared at her hand with distaste, moving a step back. "Sorry, I don't do physical contact." Its eyes narrowed to slits.

     The professor gave it a long stare, to which it met with a completely passive expression until he backed off, shifting his gaze back toward the fairies. "Jaye will be accompanying you on your assignment, as it needs a special plant from the middle of the swamp for a project."

     The wyvern snorted. "I won't bother you about your exercise so long as you don't bother me with mine. Professor here thinks we'll be safer in numbers." Which is incorrect in every way. I'm a dragon — I can take care of myself. And I'm not alone.

     The weasel on its shoulder nestled into its neck as if agreeing with the thoughts.

     Palladium nodded once. "I'll see you girls later. Jaye, I hope you find what you're looking for."

     It dipped its head, snorting as it watched him vanish with a burst of golden energy before turning and heading after the fairies. They were headed toward the watery part of the swamp, wadding in until they were up to their thighs in the murky marsh.

     Jaye narrowed its eyes, launching off the ground in a whirl of wings to swoop overhead, not willing to risk burning itself in the water.

     The blonde teenager who the dragon remembered was named Stella winced as she wadded further into the swamp. "Ugh . . . this place is totally disgusting!"

     "Oh, yes dear," another one spoke mockingly, one who Jaye could not recall the name of, though her short blue pigtails were slightly familiar. "All of this mud is so terribly inconvenient." She put a hand to her head dramatically, causing the others to laugh.

     A short-haired tech fairy shook her head. "I don't know if you realize it, but we're knee-deep in what I would refer to as a problematic mud puddle." Her gaze shifted downward, before her eyes narrowed. "Alright guys, take cover." She raised her hands. "I'll handle this."

     I wouldn't do that if I were you. Jaye raised an eyebrow and winced mentally, landing in a tree above them to watch.

     "No, Tecna, don't!" Bloom warned, raising one hand in a halting gesture. "We have to listen to nature." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I smell something — what is it?"

     The wyvern flared its nostrils, then suddenly hissed and jumped up a few branches. Swamps have methane. Poisonous and flammable gas.

     Stella scoffed. "He said listen, not smell." Her nose turned up as the others all looked around uneasily. "It smells like —"

     "It smells like gas!" The pigtail fairy exclaimed. "Let's get out of here!"

     The five fairies bolted in the other direction, and Jaye looked down as it noticed some particularly large bubbles beginning to form under the surface of the swamp. Now, its intrusive thoughts desperately wanted to send a blast of fire down and just blow up the entire area, but it figured the professor wouldn't be happy with it endangering the lives of his freshmen, so it begrudgingly remained in the tree.

     Watching, it now noticed that Bloom had once again taken charge by grabbing a large stick in one hand, muttering something under her breath before throwing it straight into the bubbling swamp. As it struck, the bubbles burst, releasing the methane gas built up within.

     She turned toward Tecna now, smiling slightly. "A single spark, and we'd have been toast, my friend."

     The nature fairy who Jaye believed was named Flora seemed concerned about the situation, looking out over the swamp. "Oh, yes. We took a big risk."

     "Especially you, Tecna." Stella commented seriously. "I would have sent you my dressmaker's bill." The words earned more laughter from the gathered fairies.

     "Wait," Bloom's expression shifted to one of shock. "Where's the other student?"

     "Oh no, the dragon!" Flora gasped, standing up and looking around with concern. "Could she have gotten trapped somewhere?"

     Jaye rolled its eyes, swinging off the branch to hover behind them, wings stretched out to catch a warm breeze. "It did no such thing. I'm fine." I have more of a brain than you do, apparently.

     The nature fairy's eyes widened as she snapped her gaze up toward the dragon. "Oh, sorry!"

     "Hmph." The dragon hybrid crossed its arms, but dismissed the matter without any other words about it. "Come on, let's keep going. Standing around isn't going to get anyone through the swamp faster." With a flap of its scaly wings, it soared over their heads, heading through the dark trees and dodging through vines, listening to what the fairies below were saying.

     " . . . get to use wings while we're stuck walking?" The sun fairy was complaining, shooting a glare up toward the dragon creature, who merely snorted and looked away, not in the mood to deal with petty complaints from a freshman.

     "Because she's a third-year student, and this isn't her assignment." The musical fairy replied, much to the irritation of the warrior above them.

     "I'm not a she." It growled, curving its wings and gliding between two trees which were growing rather close together. For star's sake, can't you take a hint?

     The five of them had stopped to stare at it in surprise, so it stopped and hovered overhead.

     "What?" Jaye growled, swaying its tail as it glared down at them. "You got a problem or something? Quit staring at me."

     "Well, if you aren't a she," Tecna countered, her voice almost cautious, "are you a he?"

     Steam blasted out from its nostrils. "I'm not either one. I don't have a gender."

     "Everyone has a gender," Bloom told it calmly. "You know, what were you born with? I've heard that makes it quite easy to tell." The other girls giggled at her words, though Jaye was unamused.

     "What, you want me to strip down and prove it to you? I'm dead serious — my kind don't have separate genders. We're the same."

     Stella crossed her arms. "So what half of your species gets pregnant?"

     "I'd assume we lay eggs — we're dragons."

     "Right, whatever, but who of your species lays the eggs?"

     Jaye inclined its head. "Pretty sure that I have the potential to lay an egg, just like my twin."

     "Have you ever laid an egg?" The technology fairy asked, seeming suddenly intrigued.

     "What?" The dragon recoiled slightly. "Ew, no. Children are not my cup of tea. In any case, besides myself and my sibling, our species is . . . extinct. No one to fertilize even if one of us laid eggs."

     "So you don't have mothers and fathers?" Flora asked curiously.

     "No." It replied tersely. "Can we move on? This isn't a topic I want to discuss with a bunch of freshmen."

     The scent of smoke struck Jaye's nostrils as soon as those words left its mouth, and it lifted its gaze just in time to duck aggressively as a large aircraft with smoke billowing from one side dove down, twisting midair and crashing into the swamp a few strides back.

     "A Red Fountain aircraft!" Bloom warned, spinning around to watch it go down. Without much thought, the fairies sped toward where it had crashed, leaving the wyvern groaning in irritation. It glanced toward the weasel still sitting on its shoulder, then rolled its eyes.

     Was it too much to ask to get to their location without being distracted every five minutes?

     It flapped after them, wings curving to avoid vines and branches as it twirled through the trees, eventually coming upon the ship and landing elegantly on the top, tail lashing aggressively. The beast stared down at the men who had stumbled from the wrecked vessel, seeming disoriented and confused.

     "Are you guys okay?" Flora asked kindly, raising an eyebrow in a sort of curious concern for them.

     The boys Jaye recognized as Brandon and Sky exchanged a confused and exhausted glance, before smiling at each other. However, the resident 'tough guy' Riven, simply scoffed and turned partially away. "Isn't it rather obvious?"

     "Hey," the dragon growled. "Play nice, Riven. You're not the toughest one here."

     He looked up, as if just noticing it there, and glared coldly. "What are you doing here?"

     Jaye smirked, though the light didn't reach its eyes as it folded its wings back. "Hunting. Nice of you to drop in and join us, boys."

     "Sharky!"

     The smirk was immediately struck off its face as something barreled into its form, nearly knocking it off the ship. It let out a yelp, driving its claws into the metal to stabilize itself, getting back on its feet to spy the redheaded figure hovering a few paces away, looking nearly identical to itself save for the difference in the color of their familiar dragon-like wings.

     They dropped down to land on the aircraft, smiling widely, opening their arms. "Wasn't expecting to meet you here, sib."

     Jaye inclined its head at the sight of them, swishing its tail slowly, before it stepped forward, which they took as an invitation. The two of them embraced, wings curling over each other for a long moment before they stepped back. "I'm on an assignment." The darker dragon told its sibling, waving its tail toward the fairies below them, who had met up with the Specialists and were speaking with them quietly. It turned slightly, walking over to the damaged wound in the vessel. "Any idea what happened? This is a huge blow."

     The other twitched their wings slightly, and Jaye caught sight of their familiar when they moved — a fluffy brown weasel which clung to the back of their neck. It rarely saw them without their animal guide — just as it seldom left home without its own. "We aren't sure." They replied, shaking their head. "We didn't see much before we hit the ground."

     The brown-haired male known to Jaye simply by the name of Sky shook his head as well, gaining the dragon's attention. "We're all safe and sound, thanks." His expression shifted back toward the ship, specifically onto the hole which Jaye was examining. "Oh no . . . where's the troll?"

     Troll? The dragon narrowed its eyes, glancing toward its siblings with a raised eyebrow. Both of them morphed their expressions into one of shock and slight nausea.

     Brandon, the longer-haired blonde specialist, stepped forward. "It's escaped!"

     An outburst of exclamations rose up from the fairies, until Tecna managed to get a full comment in, "You guys were transporting a troll and you let it escape?"

     "We didn't let anyone escape." Riven growled hotly. "There was an accident. We lost altitude, and—"

     "Mechanical failure." Timothy, the tech specialist, offered with a smile.

     "—anyhow, there's nothing to worry about. He's handcuffed."

     Jaye was now lounged comfortably on top of the airship, smirking deviously when it caught sight of something metal lurking in the waters of the swamp. "Are you so sure about that?"

     Sky turned around to see what it was looking at, his eyes going wide. "Oh . . . " he bent over, picking up a pair of giant handcuffs. "Riven, look what I just found in the sludge."

     The fairies all gasped, murmuring amongst themselves worriedly.

     "What are you guys doing around here?" Brandon asked them suddenly, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

     Bloom tilted her head. "We're in the middle of an assignment, Brandon."

     "Freshmen course evaluations." Jaye purred, waving its reptilian tail lazily. "I'm just out hunting for a few things."

     "Then get back to your assignments and don't worry about a thing." Riven told them with a smirk. "Leave it to the Specialists."

     The Specialists who lost the aggressive giant monster in the first place? Jaye held its tongue, resting its head on its folded arms, glancing toward the other dragonoid. They seemed to know what it was thinking, and scowled at it.

     "The Specialists are going to be here?" Stella mocked. "When?"

     The purple-haired male ground his teeth angrily at the bold statement, seeming to become more enraged when the sun fairy simply laughed at her own funny joke. "We're right here, you silly little girl!"

     "Hey, break it up," Jaye growled, flaring its wings with a growl, "I don't have the patience to break up a toddler fight on top of babysitting."

     "Yeah, come on," the copper-scaled dragon-like warrior piped up from beside it, sounding amused by its words. "Fighting won't solve the problem."

      Sky cut between the fairy and his teammate. "What Riven means is that perhaps it would be best for you to go back to Alfea while we try to capture that animal."

     The dragon creature got to its feet with a grunt. "Do you guys want an extra hand? I don't have much going on right now. My assignment can wait."

     "You also have your weird control thing," its sibling swatted it with a copper wing playfully, giving it a glare. "But we both have that ability."

     "Wrong." Jaye clicked its tongue. "I have control, you have pheromones. Technically, my ability is more useful."

     Riven's gaze flashed toward it, but it didn't protest, shoving Sky away from him. "We don't need your editorial comments, your highness."

     Jaye snorted, watching the fairies and Specialists argue below it with a small smirk on its face. It looked toward the smoking hole in the ship, walking over to it and getting a whiff of the energy it sensed around it, immediately recoiling when it caught a familiar scent.

     Another smirk played on its lips as it swayed its tail, turning back toward the others to see if they were done creating enough tension to cut with a blade. Most of the students had left, save for the group which Jaye had been traveling with the entire time.

     "—the impact knocked out the stabilizer," Tecna was telling Sky, as Timmy tried to get the jet back into working order.

     "And whoever did that must have dealt with the handcuffs, too." the fairy who Jaye had finally determined to be Musa added.

     Tecna examined the handcuffs curiously. "It's a psychic lock. To be able to open it, you need mental powers "

     I have an idea of who it might be, Jaye mused to itself, just as its familiar crawled off its body and dropped to the ground, looking around curiously.

     Off to the side, Bloom was examining footprints in the marsh. "Hey girls, check this out." She called. "The troll's footprints — notice anything?"

     "Huh . . . yeah," Stella remarked. "That guy's got feet the size of an ocean line."

     "Huge feet that leave no prints." Musa added. "See? They become less and less visible, and then they totally disappear."

     Flora tested the ground with her own foot. "But the ground's still soft. How do you explain that?"

     Good problem-solving skills for sure, Jaye observed, having moved down to the wing of the airship. I'll have to be careful around them.

     "—let's tread carefully." Bloom's voice cut into its thoughts. "Who knows what's in this swamp? Come on, girls."

     With a deep sigh, Jaye spread its wings, waved farewell to its twin, and took off, soaring over the heads of the fairies and gliding back into the trees of the swamp.

────────────────────────

     "Finding a troll in the swamp has turned out harder than I thought," Tecna admitted after some moments of silence, glancing around at their surroundings closely.

     Flora halted. "He could be absolutely anywhere."

     "The silence is eerie," Musa continued walking ahead of them, her movements stiff and cautious. "The swamps absorb every sound."

     "It's a good thing," Bloom pointed out. "The silence helps us focus."

     "So we can listen to the voice of nature."

     Tecna scoffed. "Not that again — I don't hear anything."

     Jaye rolled its eyes. "Nature speaks only to those who listen." It told them, landing on a tree branch and wrapping its tail around it for security.

     Bloom paused in her walking, looking around as though sensing the air around them.

     "So?" Tecna glared at both Bloom and Jaye now. "Did Mother Nature suggest anything to you?"

     The dragon twisted and flipped upside down suspended by its reptilian tail which still wrapped around the branch. Bloom jumped back in surprise, but then glanced at the technology fairy. "I'd start over there." She replied, gesturing with one hand toward a deeper and darker area of the swamp.

     "Why?" Stella's voice trembled. "What's over there?"

     "I'm not keen on going myself, but I really feel like it's the right way." The redhead fairy responded.

     Flora put her hands to her temples, and Jaye remembered that she was a nature fairy, so she probably had a decent connection to these woodlands. "Yeah, I feel it too." The brunette confirmed. "It is the right path."

     Bloom gestured to the others. "Come on, this way."

     Tecna hugged her arms. "I just hope we don't regret this," she muttered.

     Jaye released its hold on the branch and flapped over their heads once more, wings curved in slightly to avoid hitting trees. Its familiar clung to its wings, her black eyes bright and curious.

     "So, you didn't introduce us to your friend," Bloom looked up at the dragon, who ducked beneath branches with graceful flaps of its wings. "They were the same species as you, right?"

     Jaye glanced down at her, running its tongue along the edges of its sharp teeth. "That was my sibling, Spice."

     "Oh, were they your twin?" The other redhead seemed surprised by the response.

      The dragon shrugged as it flew overhead. "I mean, yes. We came from the same . . . egg."

     "Both of you?" Tecna raised an eyebrow.

     "That's how twins work." Jaye replied slowly. "The two of us grew inside together. Twins."

     "And this animal you both walk with?" Stella pressed. "What's that all about?"

     "Our kind is known for our multitude of power that continues to grow as we age." Jaye replied, twirling under a tree branch gracefully. "For this reason, to keep ourselves from destroying ourselves or anyone else, we're given a Familiar — a "star" whose spirit takes animal form. Like a siphon to our power, or at the very least, a channel, so we can have better control."

     It raised a clawed hand to stroke its weasel under the chin fondly.

     "That's pretty cool," Bloom told it, eyeing the weasel. "What's its name?"

     "She is called Nyota. " Jaye replied, affectionately brushing the solid white fur of its Familiar. "My little Star."

     "Clever, and unique." Tecna mused. "Not a bad name for it."

     Nyota tilted her head curiously down at the fairies, before pushing her small head into the crook of Jaye's neck. The dragon flapped over a large branch of a twisted tree, then maneuvered through a ring of tangled oak limbs to avoid catching its wings on them.

     It kept well above the fairies, gliding against air currents so it used little energy to actually soar through the silent swamps.

     It was eerie.

     "Don't make any noise," Flora suddenly spoke, her voice strangely quiet as Jaye swooped low to catch another drift. "I recognize these plants. They're Quietus Carnivorous — they hate noise."

     "Really?" Stella glanced around at their surroundings. "I find that hard to believe." She suddenly let out a sharp whistle, causing Jaye to growl in annoyance. "See? Nothing happened."

     Not even two seconds after those words left her mouth, Jaye observed the blonde fairy being seized by her ankles, courtesy of a large reddish vine which seemed to be more aggressive than it looked.

     The sun fairy screamed, thrashing as the plant shook her aggressively, the louder she yelled, the more aggressive it seemed to get.

     Bloom rushed over to her, holding up her hands to silence the struggling girl and shushing her. "Don't move." Her voice was a shocked whisper.

     The dragon hybrid turned to observe Flora once again, as the nature fairy put a hand to her own temple. Something shifted in the air, and the vines backed off from the other girls, eventually releasing Stella as well.

     She hit the ground, covering herself in the swamp water as well as some mud and spluttering in disgust.

     "Dear, oh dear," Flora sighed. "Will you keep your mouth shut from now on?" Her gaze snapped up as a shrill cry cut through the silence of the swamp, and the fairies wasted no time in moving toward the sound. Jaye itself flew ahead, keeping high enough so the vines wouldn't reach it and attempt to tear off its wings.

     It came across a familiar set of faces — the Specialists, all of which were bound tightly by the same vines which had caught Stella moments ago. The dragon landed on a large rock which jutted out of the murky water, observing Brandon, Sky, Riven, and Timmy with a cold expression. "Where is Spice?"

     As it spoke, it caught sight of a ginger-furred creature perched on a branch above Riven's head, and it gritted its teeth, springing up and landing on the same tree limb to snatch the beast.

     "Rhosyn," it muttered, holding what very clearly was a brown weasel up at eye level by the scruff of its neck. "Where's Spice?"

     The weasel released an odd squawking sound, looking up into the canopy of the trees, which caused Jaye to do the same. High above, near the trunks of two larger oaks, was the other dragon, bound tightly by vines which restricted their wings and tail, a few wrapped around their jaw to keep them in deathly silence. It could see clearly that their throat was also constricted, and it wasted no time in lunging upward, releasing Rhosyn in favor of gripping one of the vines. As soon as it touched them, it made sure to allow a single thorn to pierce into its palm. Doing so broke the skin and revealed the golden blood that flowed in its veins, which was highly toxic to any living matter that wasn't a dragon.

     So when the golden liquid streamed onto the plant, it bucked wildly, as it began to dissolve where the blood made contact. Jaye was thrown from the perch, and had no time to catch itself midair before it hit the trunk of another tree, falling to a patch of harder ground with a groan.

     Nyota scrambled onto its back and squeaked, pressing her nose against its skin as it pushed itself to its knees. Overhead, Spice hovered, shocked.

     "Stars above, are you alright?" They landed on the hard ground, folding their copper wings and striding over to their sibling. On his shoulder was Rhosyn now, who also seemed concerned for the fallen dragon.

     "I'm fine," Jaye knocked their hand away and got up on its own with a wince, feeling for any damage other than the rapidly healing wound on its hand from the thorns. "Works every time; how's your throat?"

     The other dragon narrowed their eyes. "Fine." They replied as Jaye led them back toward the others, who had left the area to escape the angry plants. It took off into the air almost immediately, not wanting to risk getting wet, and hovered a bit over the fairies and the now-free Specialists.

     "I think we should all look for the troll together at this point." Bloom turned to face the others. "What do you guys say?"

     Flora smiled slightly. "Well, I'm okay with it."

     "I refuse to team up with fairies." Riven growled, crossing his arms with a scowl.

     Jaye rolled its eyes. "I don't mind joining forces for now."

     "I knew you couldn't resist me," Spice commented, shoving a fist lightly into Jaye's arm with a smirk.

     Sky turned toward Riven. "You're on your own, then, buddy." He told him. "And if you find the troll, just give us a shout." The last words ended with a snicker.

     Jaye grunted. "Great. Can we go now?" And stop being distracted every five minutes? It wasted no time in waiting for a response, propelling itself forward with a low growl and trusting the others to follow it from below. It streaked over a small creek, before halting and turning to face the fairies and Specialists.

     The brunette male, Sky, jumped onto a small mossy pad a few paces off the shore, testing it out before turning toward the others.

     Spice landed in a tree behind Jaye. "Twenty bucks says one of them ends up in the creek." The copper dragon challenged, amusement in their tone.

     While they were still speaking, Jaye observed Timmy attempting to make a jump similar to Sky, only to slip and end up in the marshy creek.

     The sight caused Brandon and the Winx to burst out in a fit of giggles.

     Riven glared down his nose at them. "First, we've got the fairies to look after, and now we have clumsy Timmy as well?" He growled, watching as Sky helped up the other male.

     Brandon scowled and turned toward the Specialist with maroon hair, eyes blazing now with anger. "Riven, you've gone too far!"

     Unbothered, Riven waved him off. "You're just Prince Sky's yes man, Brandon. Why don't you go clean up his stables?"

     Brandon narrowed his eyes. "You're insulting, Riven."

     "So? What are you going to do about it?" He challenged.

     Spice leaned over Jaye's shoulder. "Twenty bucks says they start fighting."

     The ombre dragon scoffed.

     " . . . you're off the team, buddy." Prince Sky butted into the heated conversation. "Is that clear?"

     That seemed to drill through his skull enough to make him hesitate, because in the next moment, the Specialist shrugged with a sigh. "Alright, let's go find that troll."

     Jaye glanced at Spice, who scowled and gave it the twenty that they'd just received, and much to the dismay of the copper twin, the redhead turned and pocketed the cash. Then, it straightened up, glaring across the creek. "Are you all coming, or what? There's still an assignment to complete!"

     They gathered at the edge of the murky water, staring at the clumps of turf which dotted the creek.

     Jaye watched them for a moment, then decided to land on the branch with its sibling while they figured themselves out. Instinctively, it wrapped its tail around the branch and flipped backwards so that it was once again suspended by it. A moment later, Spice mimicked its maneuver, smirking.

     "So, how's the Specialist lift treating you?" Jaye asked casually, observing the group as they chatted quietly amongst themselves.

     "Oh, it's great," Spice replied, eyes shining. "Being the oldest on the team is a bit annoying at times, but that just makes me the undoubted leader."

     The ombre dragon scoffed. "You? Leader?"

     "Of course."

     "Didn't your entire original team get expelled from Red Fountain for vandalism?" It asked.

     Their eyes narrowed. "Yeah, but I wasn't included in that because I was busy actually being useful somewhere else."

     "So you were dumped on a team of freshmen Specialists."

     "I think they just admire my leadership skills and want me to keep that rowdy bunch in line." Spice chuckled.

     Jaye rolled its eyes. "Sure."

     "Anyway, what kind of assignment are you all the way out here on?" They asked, crossing their arms as Rhosyn climbed down to cling to their chest.

     It glanced at them. "I'm looking for a blue-gilded snow marsh orchid for my potions class. Professor Palladium decided to stick me with a bunch of freshmen fairies since they'd have to end up in the same place."

     "Yikes," Spice huffed. "He made you babysit? That's rough."

     Jaye hummed in agreement. "Otherwise I'd be out of the marsh and back in my room sleeping, all while smuggly staring at my amazing marks."

     Its twin laughed, which made the ombre dragon smile slightly, before it turned toward the fairies and Specialists who had finally made it to the other side of the creek — a few of them soaking wet. Riven was among them.

     "Come on, you guys." The maroon-haired Specialist grunted breathlessly. "We've got a troll to catch, and we've wasted too much time already."

     Jaye took off into the air again, releasing the tree and gliding after the others, followed by its twin.

     "You're looking a bit damp there, Riven," Spice commented to their teammate, wings twitching as they flew. When the male looked toward them with a raging glare, the dragon laughed and flapped away from him — just in case he decided to make an attempt at an attack.

     Jaye and Spice landed on the ground once they left the initial marshes behind, now standing on a faded pathway which led to the clearing where they needed to get to anyway.

     Riven and the Specialists were up ahead with the fairies when a loud cry rang out through the still and silent swamplands. Jaye tensed up, watching the others run toward the sound, and followed now on foot, teeth grinding aggressively.

     They all halted behind a clump of shrubbery, peering into the clearing, where Jaye was able to get a clear view of the troll for the first time. A big and ugly thing, purple in color, and it had three other Alfea students cornered against a rock.

     "The girls are trapped," Bloom whispered worriedly. "We've got to do something before the troll starts making trouble."

     "We've got to be quick, and to the point." Prince Sky told them. "Number one — find a way to distract the troll." His gaze flashed toward the fairies, who all seemed to realize what he was getting at.

     "I hope your plan also has a number two," Stella remarked, coldly glaring at the brunette male.

     He smirked. "Of course. Brandon and Timmy will grab hold of him. Jaye will use its abilities to scare it long enough for Riven and I to slip the handcuffs on him while he's distracted, and Spice will be on standby to make sure everything goes right. Any complaints?"

     "I came here to find a flower — just one flower — and now I'm stuck babysitting you all and fighting a troll." Jaye grumbled as it took off into the air again, but only enough so that it wasn't standing on the ground. It released its power, no longer clamping down on the magic surging through its veins of gold, and allowed for its natural wyvern form to emerge.

     Eyes glowing with the raw energy radiating off it, the wyvern roared a challenge to the troll, taking his attention off the fairies he had trapped for the moment. He turned, seeing the dragon, but not the fairies coming up on his other side until Bloom yelled out, "Hey you, big bully! Remember us?"

     He spun around, eyes locking upon the Winx, and he let out an outraged roar, wasting no time before he charged toward them. Jaye narrowed its eyes slightly, not bothering to play its own part. Now that it was closer to the thing, it could clearly scent the witches on him, meaning this was their troll.

     It didn't dare tamper with the tools of its friends.

     As it watched, Timmy and Brandon lunged out of the bushes and grabbed the troll's legs, tripping him to the marshy ground while Riven and Sky lunged for his arms.

     The scuffle lasted maybe a few moments, before the troll reared back and flung the prince off him alongside Riven. He glared back at them, before it turned and bolted back into the marshes.

     Spice landed beside Jaye, and it clamped down on its energy, allowing itself to transform back into its humanoid form with a huff of annoyance. "That was utterly pathetic. Aren't you boys supposed to be Specialists?"

     "Hey, we're not the only ones to blame here, lizard." Riven stood up to it, pressing a hand into its chest, to which it snarled and smacked his hand away. "You were supposed to distract it!"

     "I believe you misunderstand my abilities, Specialist," Jaye growled. "Besides — I was under the impression that the big heroic men would be able to take on a single troll." Those last words were a jab toward them, dripping from its lips like poison.

     The fairies who had been previously trapped by the troll now approached, scowling expressions on all of their faces.

     "So you guys are the Specialists, huh?" One scoffed. "Specialists in what — botchery?" She snickered, jerking her head at the other two fairies before they bolted away, back into the swamp.

     Sky shook his head in disbelief. "That's the thanks we get." He sighed.

     "Honestly, we kind of deserve it." Spice admitted, landing gently on the ground behind the brunette. With a twitch of their copper wing, they offered a bit of sympathy, but not much.

     "Don't try to blame me, Sky. I'm not the one who handcuffed Timmy!" Riven's voice drifted over to them, and Jaye turned to look where he was standing, nose-to-nose with Sky.

     "What? You had the handcuffs!"

     "Who, me?"

     "Alright, that's enough!" Timmy shouted angrily. "If we can't work as a team, we'll never be able to capture the troll!"

     Sky paused, then nodded once. "You're right." He conceded. "We have to work together. If not, we're never going to succeed." He turned toward Riven, holding out his hand. "Should we try again?"

     The maroon-haired Specialist started laughing. "Alright."

     Jaye rolled its eyes. "You both are so homosexual. Shut up and kiss already."

     Spice put a hand to their head. "That's what Timmy and I have been saying for months now!"

     The two male Specialists shook hands as Brandon walked up to them.

     "Riven and I have called a truce." Sky told him.

     Brandon blinked once, then shrugged. "I'd have preferred everlasting peace, but I can live with that."

     Spice swished their tail. "Marriage would be everlasting peace." They commented loudly, only to be ignored.

     The sun was starting to set, blanketing the swamp in shadows as they began walking through the marsh once more in pursuit of the troll.

     Jaye and its twin had taken to the sky once more to drift through the night sky, taking in the crisp scent of the natural air.

     Brandon glanced toward Bloom as they walked through the marshes again, noticing her quizzical expression. "Now what do you hear?"

     The redheaded fairy stopped walking, and Jaye landed on a tree branch with Spice following a moment later. "It's not a sound — more like a feeling." She admitted.

     "It's something you can't hear with your ears." Flora suggested. "You feel it inside."

     All I've felt inside is rage that this took an entire day. Jaye waved its tail with a glare down at the fairies and Specialists.

     "Well then, you think this should be the right path?" Sky asked, seeming wary about trusting the instincts of a fairy.

     "Relax," Tecna walked up to them. "I've learned that in these situations, Bloom can't be beat."

     The continued further down the path into the darkening swamp, Jaye keeping its nose alert for any scent of the Trix. When they halted again, the murky trail ended abruptly.

     Bloom shifted uncomfortably. "We've reached the end of the road." She told them.

     "But there's no one here." Sky pointed out.

     "I don't know what to say; I sense nothing." She replied, confused.

     "There's negative energy in this part of the swamp." Stella butted in, her voice cautious.

     Tecna nodded and closed her eyes. "I feel it, too." She murmured. "As if someone cast a spell here."

     Sky turned to face them. "Someone used a spell to make the troll disappear."

     Musa crossed her arms, glancing up at the sky before shaking her head in disbelief. "First, they help him escape. Then, they help him in the swamp and make him disappear."

     Brandon sighed. "But who would want to do something like that?"

     I think I know who, Jaye inhaled sharply from its place on a large tree root which stuck up out of the ground. The scent wafted around it like perfume, and it turned just as Bloom bent down and picked something up out of the mud.

     Purple feathers.

     "What's that in your hand there, Bloom?" Tecna asked, coming up behind her to observe the feathers as well.

     "I'm not sure . . . " the redhead replied. "I may be wrong, but these feathers look familiar. Ring a bell?"

     Jaye swayed its tail back and forth. "Not to me."

     "Icy's duck." Musa gasped, her eyes widening slightly.

     The dragon snorted in amusement. Since when did Icy have a duck? A purple one at that? It would have to ask her later — that was certainly a topic to discuss.

     "And what does she have to do with this story?" Flora asked, almost scornfully.

     Bloom turned her gaze back onto the feathers. "I haven't got a clue . . . but I'd really like to know."

     Jaye narrowed its eyes, staring at the feathers with interest. The fact that Icy had a duck wasn't too concerning — it hadn't personally spoken to the witches in the last few weeks. It was wondering how the Trix knew the Winx.

     Did the fairies do something to get on the radar of the Cloud Tower witches?

────────────────────────

     Jaye roared as it plunged into a nose-dive toward the clearing which they had finally made it to, and it landed heavily upon solid ground, beheld in its brown glory.

     Spice, also stretching out their dragon form, landed on either side, similar in size to it, and still glorious to lay eyes upon. Copper as rust, with brilliant golden undertones that matched their golden-green eyes, they were a sight to behold alongside Jaye itself, with its dark ombre scales and fiery undertones to match those molten eyes.

     The two of them shifted back to their human forms as the Red Fountain aircraft landed behind them. Jaye itself inhaled sharply upon finally glimpsing the very reason it ventured out this far. The blue-gilded snow marsh orchid was growing in small clumps at the very edge of the swamp, bathed in moonlight. The dragon paid little mind to the dealings of everyone behind it, walking over to the small patch and picking one of the flowers gently.

     "Is that the flower you were looking for?" Spice asked quietly, their green-gold eyes holding an emotion that Jaye hadn't seen in a long time.

     It nodded. "The one I need for my potion."

     The two of them stood in silence around the small bundle of growing orchids, wings pressed together as that familiar scent wreathed around them.

     "It smells like . . . it smells like our home." They murmured, and Jaye agreed. Their homeland had once been filled with these flowers, and now this was all that was left.

     After some time, the two of them pulled apart, and Jaye turned around with the flower gripped in its claws only to notice the Winx approaching it now, having just finished speaking with the professor they'd met up with.

     "Hey," Bloom told it. "It was fun working with you today."

     The dragon swished its tail silently. "I suppose it was rather interesting." It replied coldly.

     The fairy smiled slightly, clasping her hands together. "Well, we just wanted to say that you were good company."

     "And we'd really like it if you hung out with us more." Flora added, sweetly.

      Jaye didn't show the surprise which threatened to twitch onto its face, instead brushing by them as it inhaled the scent of the orchids. It glanced back, just once, and met Bloom's eyes for a second before looking away. "I'll think about that offer." It replied eventually. Then, it spread open its wings, bidding farewell to its twin, and took off into the sky, fast as lightning, headed back to Alfea

     It had a potion to finish.