"NO! STEAM!!!" Ash wailed. She flung all the nearby NightWings off her as she sped after Steam as he fell.

No, Steam. Three moons let me catch up to him, Ash thought. She beat her wings as fast as she could as Steam picked up altitude as he plummeted towards the rocky ground below. She was just in grabbing reach- then she was thrown sideways.

Ash billowed fire and roared loudly. The male NightWing Steam had been fighting was holding her as he flew far away. She struggled against the large male's claws, cutting herself in the process.

Before Ash knew it, the NightWing had dropped her and she was falling towards the ground at alarming speed.

The last thing she saw was the ground coming dangerously close.

•<>•<>•<>•

Ash awoke with a start. Her breath was shaky, and she was scared out of her mind. She nervously glanced around. Every move she took, pain exploded in an area in her body.

She landed by a swamp. Well, not actually, she landed in a swamp. Cattails surrounded her at every angle. She was half submerged in the gooey mud.

You have got to be kidding me, she thought bitterly. Steam is out there- her head jerked up sharply. STEAM! I forgot about him! I need to get out of here. Ash struggled with the thick mud around her, making her body explode in agony. With one large, miserable push she exploded out of the mud, with a loud triumphant roar.

Ash stalked onto solid ground, where she shook herself clean of dirt and other things. She then looked herself over, hoping to not see horrible injuries. Huh, I actually don't look that banged up. Ash looked at her left wing, if was bent at an odd angle, and then she looked at her right wing which was normal. "You have got to be freaking kidding me," she said aloud.

She kept muttering to herself as she paced around the swamp. Then, a loud SNAP! echoed through the marsh. Her head turned the way where the loud noise had disturbed the quiet swamp. There was nothing to be seen at first, then a MudWing appeared from behind some weeds. He was large and burly, with a few scars scattered about his face. The male was the same shade of brown as the mud between her talons. His underbelly was a pretty amber color, as the rest of his body was a warm brown. The MudWing's eyes were a very light brown color, like an eagles feathers.

He studied her as if she were a scroll, reading every little detail. He observed her injured wing, which Ash pulled back even though it ached. Neither spoke, they just locked eyes and looked at each other. Suddenly, he moved. He was no slow MudWing. He moved with such grace and speed it was unbelievable. One moment he was by the cattails, next he was a few feet away from Ash's face. No one said a word or moved a muscle.

"Fellow SkyWing," he finally said. Ash wasn't completely sure why she was a "fellow" SkyWing but she didn't ask any questions. "My name is Muck. I saw you crash so I decided to check on you."

"MudWing," she hissed back, trying to sound menacing even though her throat was as dry as the desert. "Where am I?"

"The MudWing Kingdom of course!" Muck replied with enthusiasm.

I'm pretty far from my kingdom, she thought sadly. And even farther away from Steam. "When did I fall?" she questioned.

"I don't know....a little while ago." He shrugged his big wings.

"Oh well then. How far are we from the SkyWing territory?" Ash asked, suddenly mad that he didn't know when she had fallen.

"If you fly to the right you will get there in four days. If you fly to the left you will get there in fourteen days."

"Okay. Do you know which way I fell from?" asked Ash.

"Yeah. You came from the left," Muck answered quickly.

My moons. I can't believe that to find Steam and go back I must take the long way home and I can't fly until my wing gets healed. Great. Just great.

"How long will it take you to fix my wing?" Ash asked forcefully.

"Maybe a moon cycle," Muck said, looking uncomfortable.

"A moon cycle." Ash pondered the statement. "How long will it take me to be able to fly on it."

"Without my help, four moon cycles. With my help, but not fully healed, a quarter of a moon cycle. With my help and fully healed, a moon cycle."

Ash nodded, deciding that trying to fly and leave would take much longer than four moon cycles, considering she would be flying. Staying here for a quarter moon cycle was still too long but it was better than one, four, or more moon cycles. "Fix it, but do not take to long. I need to be out of here in a quarter moon cycle," Ash snarled.

"Umm, you don't understand. If that's the case I'll have to come with you, especially if you want to take only fourteen days to get to the SkyWing territory," Muck said.

Ash groaned and said, "Fine, but daylight is fading and I can't stand being behind schedule. We leave the day after a quarter moon cycle the minute we can see enough to fly."

With that, Muck started tending to Ash's wing.

Ash found it terribly horrifying that she was starting to have feelings for the MudWing. Maybe is was that he was handsome or that he had a great personality. She wasn't sure which.

She couldn't close her eyes as her mind tried to tug her into her dreams. Tomorrow Muck and her were leaving for the SkyWing territory, to find Steam and live a normal life. If Steam even is still alive, she thought miserably.

Muck stirred in his sleep, breaking some twigs in the process. Ash smiled, but replaced it with a straight face. I will not have feelings for this MudWing! Though the whole time she told herself that, she was falling for him harder.

"Ready?" Much asked anxiously as Ash headed over to meet him. Today was the day, the day for the mission.

"I'm always ready. Never underestimate a SkyWing," Ash replied smugly.

"Never would have guessed......" he replied as he laughed at his own joke.

Maybe that's what I love about him, Ash thought. His great sense of humor and that he laughs at everything, unlike me.

Before Ash knew it, Muck was taking off towards the west where they would eventually find Steam and her home.

Ash and Muck didn't speak, they just flew in silence. The silence was pretty annoying, but she didn't want to break it. Thank goodness something interesting happened. An icy, white dragon flew in front of them. It was a large, old male IceWing. It didn't look as if he was a threat.

"Muck," Ash nudged the MudWing. "Look."

Muck's eyes looked over the new comer. That's how he looked at me when we first met. Like he was strategizing how to kill you. Maybe he isn't the sweet, kind, cuddly dragon I thought he was.

The IceWing was still unaware of their presence. Suddenly, he swooped in a huge ark and was aiming at Ash and Muck with murder in his eyes.

•<>•<>•<>•

Muck launched himself at the IceWing. They clashed together like lightning. Dust flew everywhere, making it hard for Ash to see what was happening. Roaring echoed off the cliffs, little rocks falling and crashing into the ocean below. Then, a huge cracked erupted from the dragons fighting. One dragon had broke the other one's neck.

"Muck! No!" Ash cried. She flung herself into the the dust fight. The dust started to clear, and there flew Muck, with the dead IceWing draped in his bloody talons.

"H-how..." Ash stuttered, amazed how Muck had murdered an IceWing in a small amount of time.

Muck dropped the dragon, and the IceWing hit the water with a splash. "It wasn't that hard really," he explained. "He was super exhausted, you could tell by how his eyes drooped. He was burning up for an dragon of ice, which gave me an advantage. I easily cracked his neck, and then his life ended."

Ash stared at him and saw that he was quite observant and funny, she laughed at him. He glanced a her and started laughing just as loud as Ash, though there was absolutely nothing funny about the situation they were in. That was when Ash knew that this was the type of dragon she would want to hang out with, and even against the SkyWing rules. But he would never like her... or so she thought.

•<>•<>•<>•

"Aunt Pearl," Torpedo called. "I brought home a girl! Possibly my girl!" Leopard blushed at being called his girl.

"What?" Queen Pearl called back from a distant room of the SeaWing's Summer Palace. "What is this impossible news you bear? Nevermind. Come meet me, I'm sitting on my throne."

"Ok, Aunt Pearl," Torpedo called. "This way," he added turning to Leopard.

"Ok, Torpedo. Do you want me to camouflage my scales to look like a Seawing?" Leopard asked nervously.

"No love, if I can call you love," Torpedo said.

"You can, trust me you can...But I feel Queen Pearl will think otherwise," Leopard muttered.

"Stay here for a moment," Torpedo said, as he drifted to his Queen.

"Hello, nephew. I was not very happy that you ran away from me today," Queen Pearl said from her seat on the throne.

"I ran for good reason, but you say you were unhappy with me but you lie here on the seafloor begging my return?" Torpedo asked immediately on the defensive.

"Yes," Queen Pearl said. "Now our guest." She clapped her talons together and Torpedo swam out to get Leopard, but stopped.

"Aunt Pearl, if you don't like her you may banish me. For it was love at first sight," Torpedo said forcefully.

"And this other SeaWing can stay in the kingdom?" Queen Pearl asked surprised.

"I wouldn't say she is a SeaWing until you have seen her and met her. Leopard come here!" Torpedo said.

"Leopard, that's a RainWing name. You surely did not bring home a RainWing!" Queen Pearl shouted.

"She is most assuredly a RainWing," Torpedo said. "But she is quite nice. If you have a problem with her I will leave, now."

"Very well," Peral huffed, obviously irritated.

"Leopard!" Torpedo called and Leopard walked in slowly.

Leopard had never met a queen other than her queens. Queen Pearl sat with such power it was obvious she met business. Her aqua blue scales danced in the sunlight peering through the vines hung from the palace. Queen Pearl eyed her suspiciously as if she were a threat to the throne.

"You are Leopard I assume?" the Queen questioned.

"Yes," Leopard said.

"Now Leopard, how dare you fall in love with Torpedo! You will NEVER BE TOGETHER FOR AS LONG AS I RULE THIS KINGDOM!" Pearl bellowed at the top of her lungs. She threw herself off her throne and at Leopard. The Queen tackled Leopard into shallow water,  causing Leopard to get doused under the sparkling water.

"Leopard!" Torpedo dashed into the water as he struggled with his aunt. "Let go of her!" He tried to drag off Pearl, but had no luck.

Pearl let out a snicker. "You think I'm going to let her live? The royal bloodline must be pure!" She threw Torpedo off her back as Leopard struggled under the weight of her claws. "Might as well finish this pest off!" She dug her claws into Leopard's unprotected underbelly. Leopard roared in agony.

I'm going to die, she thought. Torpedo, I'm so sorry. With that, everything went dark.

                                                             •<>•<>•<>•

Ash snuggled into Muck's big, warm chest. She really didn't know why. The freezing winds that blew over the land was enough to make a dragon flee. Maybe that was why.

"Hey, Ash?" Muck asked suddenly.

"Yeah?" Ash said.

"Well, I was wondering if I could ask you something," he said as he fidgeted with his claws.

"What?" she wiggled out of his grip and turned to face him.

"Oh, never mind. It's nothing."

"You brought up the topic so don't you dare back down from it."

"I was going to say-" Before Muck could finish a huge object flying through the sky shoved Muck off the edge of the cliff. He flapped his wings wildly, trying to gain balance in the sky once again.

Ash turned her head to see who the attacker was. The gleaming red scales in the sun, the beautiful snout that she adored. The dragon was:

         Steam.

"Steam?!?" Ash shouted, absolutely astonished.

"Ash!" He flung himself into her, wrapping his wings around her protectively. "I'm so glad I found you!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, I found out where you fell. Actually, I didn't find out I just guessed.
Then I finally found you and I have been kind of like stalking you guys. I saw that MudWing touching you so I shoved him off a cliff!" Steam beamed proudly.

"B-b-but Steam.....that MudWing is my friend......" With that Ash threw herself over the edge.

She flapped her wings as hard as she could, fighting against the oncoming winds. Then Muck came into sight. He was on a rock sitting by the ocean and he looked dead. She stumbled to a halt. Overlooking Muck was hard, he had scratches all over his body and his wings were all messed up.

"Muck!" Ash cried. She put her head on his chest and sobbed. The cries wouldn't stop-tear after tear, sob after sob.

"A-ash," Muck stuttered finally.

"Yeah?" Ash let out a cry of relief.

"I was going to say, will you go out with me?" He smiled shyly.

Ash was dumbfounded. "Of course!" Then something hit her square in the heart. "But I'm dating a SkyWing. The one who shoved you off the cliff...."

Muck's smile only grew. "I don't care. Love is strong, like mine is for you."

                                                            •<>•<>•<>•

Leopard woke up to chains. Chains were strapped around her wings, ankles, and mouth. She was stuck in a large cage, water slowly seeping in.

"Ah, the pest is alive," a menacing voice said. Queen Pearl walked into view. Torpedo walked beside her, a harness on him. "I decided murdering you wasn't a good way to die, so I became creative!" She clapped her talons together. "So I'll drown you!"

Guards swarmed her, they opened the cage door, and Leopard was dragged out.

The palace was completely deserted. They are probably all awaiting my death, Leopard thought. That wasn't the unsettling part. The disturbing part was that Torpedo was right before her eyes, and he was doing nothing. He didn't protest, or struggle. Absolutely nothing.

"Come on." A guard hit her with a spear like object. They waded into the icy cold water, except SeaWings were meant to be in water and she wasn't.

They soon arrived at the place where Leopard was going to die. The only thing allowing her to stay above water now was the guards holding her up.

"Welcome!" Pearl shouted triumphantly. "Before we get started I would like to introduce my daughter!" She pointed at a little dragonet watching from close by. "This is my heir to the throne, Coral!" Applause erupted from the dragons watching.

"Now, on to what really matters," Pearl said in her in-a-matter-of-fact tone. "We are all here to watch the death of this pathetic RainWing. For some strange reason she thought she could live with my son." A grumbling noise could be heard from the crowd.

I am not a pathetic RainWing! I can do what I want! Mostly anyway........

All of a sudden she was thrust into open water, her head instantly going under. I will certainly not die today. Leopard forced her talons down, hoping to push herself back up. It kind of worked. Her head bobbled up and she locked eyes with Torpedo, then she went back under and she was positive she wasn't ever going to see light again.

Leopard's lungs screamed in pain. Every ounce of her body felt as if was in flames.

Suddenly, something or someone grabbed hold of her and threw her into open air. She gasped for oxygen, relived. Torpedo held her as she laid limp in his claws.

"NOOOO!!!!!" Pearl roared angrily. "GET THEM!" She motioned for her guards to attack them.

Torpedo took to the sky setting Leopard on the ground. "Stay here," he said urgently.

"No. I'm going to fight," Leopard said, rising.

Torpedo sighed. "I guess I could use the help." He took to the sky and Leopard followed. They swooped low and attacked two of their pursuers. Torpedo took both of them in his claws, after they were dead of course, and dropped them on Queen Pearl.

Queen Pearl roared and joined the fight. She shot right at Leopard and Torpedo, claws outstretched hoping to catch them both by their throats.

Torpedo and Leopard shot out of the way at the last second causing Queen Pearl to roar in frustration.

Pearl grabbed two of her guards instead. She angrily ripped out their throats, ignoring the fact that they were helping her.

Dragons dove in and out of the oceans and around other dragons.

This is bad, this is very, very bad. Leopard started flying away hoping that Torpedo would follow her. Together they had taken out several guards and angered Queen Pearl, they decided it was time for them to make a difference.

~~~~
Prologue part 2 is finished! Thanks for reading! Comment, vote!

-Jinx