"It's true." Queen Glory continued. "Me, Tsunami, Clay, Starflight, and Viper are the Dragonets of Destiny."

Scarab's mind whirled. "How...?" She said in shock. How we're they in the Rainforest? How did they find them so quickly? How was this happening?

"Not that difficult really." Tsunami mused. "Just a healthy dose of abusive guardians and complete isolation for about seven years. With that kind of environment, anyone could be destined to save the world."

Scarab stared at her. Viper is the SandWing? Hidden alone from rival queens, the SandWing egg awaits unseen? I thought that was me... No, I know that is me. Unless Thorn got something wrong...

Qibli was watching her with a concerned expression, clearly thinking along the same lines as Scarab. "Can we, uh, talk to you all?" Scarab asked numbly. "Privately?"

The Dragonets looked at eachother in ways only they could understand. "I'll get Viper." Starflight volunteered, and he swished through the vine curtain.

"What do you need to talk to us about?" Clay asked. Scarab wasn't sure how to answer for a moment.

Qibli rescued her. "Wasn't there supposed to be a SkyWing in the prophecy? I don't remember anything about a RainWing."

Queen Glory stiffened and a dangerous shade of red fluttered at the edges of her ruff. "Yes," she said coldly. "But they lost it. I was backup."

"You're better than a backup, Glory." Clay said kindly, and Scarab got the feeling that they had had conversations about this topic before.

"Is Viper really the SandWing?" Scarab blurted. Maybe if Glory was a replacement, Viper was too. She felt bad that she wanted this so badly. What had Viper done to her? Besides being rude in our first interaction?

The three Dragonets of Destiny looked at each other with tightened jaws. "Why do you care?" Tsunami said defensively. "It's none of your business."

Scarab took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what she had to say. She felt a tail wind gingerly around hers and she tightened her grip around it gratefully. She didn't know whether if was Arid or Qibli, but it helped.

"Because I was hatched on the Brightest Night." Scarab said as calmly as she could. "My mother couldn't raise me herself, so she hid me in the desert as an egg. But the Talons of Power found me and stole me before I hatched. I was raised among them and only met my real mother a few days ago and learned about the prohecy even later. Me and my friends came to find you to see what else I could learn. I don't know how to end a war, but I know that I can't stay with the Talons anymore because they we're trying to use me to end the war in their favour." She took a deep breath. "I thought I was the prophesied SandWing."

The three Dragonets stared at Scarab with wide eyes. "Hidden alone from rival queens, the SandWing egg awaits unseen." Tsunami whispered to herself. No one said anything for a few minutes.

A rustle came from behind them and Starflight and Viper pushed themselves into the crowded hut. Starflight glanced between the others, taking in the thick tension in the room. "What did we miss?"

________________________

It didn't take long for Scarab, Qibli, and Arid to explain everything that had happened with the Talons, the Outclaws, and the prophecy. Everyone looked amazed, or shocked, or impressed, or stunned.

Scarab watched Viper anxiously, waiting for some angry accusation that it was all a lie, and that she was the only prophecy SandWing. But that didn't happen.

Instead, she met Viper's ebony gaze, and it looked like she might cry. "I..." She started, fumbling the words. "We had known for ages that I was a replacement. Kinda like Glory. After awhile we learned it was because I hadn't hatched on the Brightest Night, but close enough to be convincing. We heard the guardians mutter about missing eggs in the desert and unreliable sources. We didn't know what it meant than."

Scarab felt her shoulders relax slightly at the gentle tone Viper was speaking in. She could feel loose strings connecting in her mind. "I was found, er, taken, from the desert. Someone else in the Talons of Peace must have heard about me as well as Saguaro, but he got there faster."

Who was the SandWing guardian they talked about? Dune? He would have taken me if Saguaro hadn't. Well it's nice to know I was destined for prophecy related drama since I was an egg, and this isn't an entirely new development.

"Are you...not mad?" Scarab asked carefully. She would've been mad. If the roles were reversed, she knew she would have been jealous and bitter. But Viper didn't seem like that kind of dragon. She seemed happy around the other Dragonets, and though she had been rude when they first met, Scarab saw how strongly loyal to the others she was. And whether she was a prophecy dragonet or not wouldn't change that.

"No, actually." Viper tilted her head. "Honestly, I've kinda been hoping for this for awhile. To meet you, I mean. Because if it wasn't me, it had to be someone." She shrugged. "I guess it's like meeting a long lost sibling for the first time." She smiled at Scarab.

Arid was still giving Viper a wary look, but Qibli had started to warm up to the others. "So what are you all doing in the Rainforest?" He asked Tsunami.

The SeaWing grunted. "I'm honestly not sure. Starflight? Why are we here?"

Starflight massaged his temples as he answered. "We are here, Tsunami, because Glory is the only queen we can trust and we're trying to help the lost RainWings."

"That's it!" Tsunami grinned.

"Lost RainWings?" Arid asked slowly.

"The NightWings have abducted several RainWings and are experimenting on them. They're trying to make armour that will protect them from RainWing venom so that they can take over the rainforest." Glory said coldly.

Qibli's eyes widened and Scarab glanced at Arid. "Venom?" She asked, but the scarred SandWing just shrugged.

Starflight must have overheard them. "RainWings can shoot a venom like acid from their fangs. It's very dangerous."

Scarab blinked at him. "Oh. Okay..." She glanced at Glory warily.

"How did you learn this?" Qibli asked. "Are you going to get them back?"

"Of course we are." Glory said in an almost hiss. "But it's not exactly easy to make an army out of dragons who can't tell the difference between a spear and a toothpick."

Scarab thought for a moment. "Why don't you use the sleeping darts? We never saw you coming back in the forest and you had us out in moments."

Qibli's eyes widened and he nodded, thinking. "That's a good idea."

"Especially if you steal their weapons after they're knocked out." Arid agreed.

Tsunami perked up. "That might actually work." She looked at Glory.

Glory nodded, and a slight shade of pale blue crept along the edges of her face. "Why didn't we think of that? You're right, that could actually work. Free the prisoners, no casualties."

Scarab felt a prickle of pride in her scales. Maybe the Dragonets would be more inclined to help them if they were helped first.

"How can we help?" Qibli asked, voicing Scarab's thoughts.

"Hold on," Arid protested. "Do we really want to get involved in this?" She looked at Scarab for some kind of support.

Scarab opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by Tsunami. "We could really use your help. Especially dragons who know how to fight." She looked pointedly at Arid's scar, Qibli's coiled tail barb, and Scarab's pouches full of small daggers.

Arid looked hesitant. Scarab looked at her determinedly. "What better way to stop Vulture than to help the Dragonets of Destiny?" She looked back at Tsunami. "We're in."

A/N: OH MY GOSH FINALLY!! I am so so sorry this chapter took so long. I was in the deepest hole of writer's block as well as being incredibly busy very suddenly. I also apologize for the lack of action in this chapter, but it's what I have.

I really hope the update schedule will sort itself out after this, but I'm not fully sure. The next chapter won't take so long, though. I can promise that much.

I was trying to experiment with Viper's personality in this chapter, and trying to imagine what she'd be like uf she grew up around a supportive family rather than constantly competing and fighting like in the canon.

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter anyway. Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to comment and vote on this story, it really makes my day. And thank you to everyone who has not only told me how much they like the story but also has reminded me when I need to update lol.