As it turned out, "Perania" was a very, very, very large system of catacombs that weaved around and underneath Pantalan soil.

"No one is actually sure how deep some of the lowest tunnels are," Argiope was saying as he walked Clearwing and the others down a long corridor. "Many of us think they're underneath the ocean floor — if we dug far enough, we might even reach the Distant Kingdoms! Unfortunately, we'd have no way of knowing when we were directly under their continent, and if we dug up too early, the tunnels would fill with water."

Cricket had been listening intently to his chattering since they started walking. Nettle looked like she wanted to claw her own ears off. Mandrake seemed like he was more interested in the dragons digging the tunnels than the tunnels themselves. Clearwing was only half-listening, her mind elsewhere.

She watched as advanced pulley systems pulled rocks from the deeper parts of the caves to different areas — most likely to be used as building material for more dragon homes. The group was now walking along a large stone ledge as the tunnel opened up — no guardrail, even though it didn't seem like WebWings could actually use their wings, and FormWings certainly couldn't fly. The ledge was more like a path — but it looked out over a massive cave, with many other paths weaving around its edges and huge structures rising up from the middle. The cavern was shaped somewhat like a bowl, or a hollow sphere, Clearwing decided. She watched as WebWings and FormWings walked wing-to-wing, chatting with each other happily. She wished the SilkWings, HiveWings, and LeafWings could be like this — all living in peace, no tribe "better" than the other.

She also wished they hadn't left Coal behind in the room. But Argiope had said that the sight of a GreyWing would cause panic; and panic in a place like this usually resulted in a cave-in. They left Coal with way more guards than necessary, four guarded the outside of the door and two more were in the room watching him. Clearwing was pretty sure they had better things to do, but didn't argue with these tribes' customs.

"Where are we going again?" Sundew asked, brushing a wing with Willow.

"To see the king and queen, of course," Argiope replied. "They'll want to know everything about why you were nearly killed by the crazy old LeafWing."

"Oh, no!" Cricket exclaimed suddenly. "I completely forgot about that! We have to get back to them! Queen Wasp is coming to attack the LeafWings today and we have to help them!"

"Oh, well," Argiope said, looking genuinely startled, "I'm afraid you won't be able to get back to them until you talk with the queen."

"There are a lot of dragons here," Clearwing observed, changing the topic. "A lot more than the LeafWings. Maybe even more than the HiveWings and SilkWings."

"What can I say?" Argiope shrugged. "We fled underground the moment Wasp came to power. She was bad news."

"You're even more cowardly than the SapWings," laughed Nettle. In a split second, the venomous tips of Argiope's claws were pressed up against her neck — not hard enough to cut her, but enough to let her know that if she moved, she was dead.

"Say that again," he snarled. "Say that we're cowards. We've had enough of our own problems to deal with, especially with the GreyWings as our enemies. We chose the safest path — the one that would let us survive to fight another day."

"N-nevermind," Nettle squeaked. Argiope pulled away, walking back to his place at the head of the group.

"Awesome!" Mandrake said. "Teach me to do that!"

"As I was saying," he continued, as though nothing had happened, "We fled underground. It wasn't the first time, either — we were driven down here by the breath of evil as well."

"What? The Legend of the Hive doesn't mention WebWings or FormWings," said Cricket.

"That's because we were here before that,"Argiope said. "We were the ones who created it in the first place. It's quite a long story, actually. And a confusing one — most likely garbled by millenia and warped over time."

"Oh, come on, another tribe of bad guys who aren't really bad guys because it was an accident?" Nettle moaned. "Wow," she added, "that's oddly specific."

"This was over six thousand years ago!" Argiope cried. "And we're still trying to make right what we've done wrong!"

"You sent a random dragon off to live in the jungle with a creepy plant, too?" Sundew asked, as though that was an actual question.

"No!" Argiope yelped. "You saw how that turned out with Hawthorn! The LeafWings aren't the smartest tribe, no offense," he added quickly. "And they certainly proved that by banishing Hawthorn, when he ended up getting controlled. No, no. We have teams of scientists working on a cure. We think we've had a breakthrough, but no one is brave enough to risk eating the plant and then taking the cure. Best case scenario — it works. Worst case scenario — the 'cure' kills them. And if nothing happens, then they're still under the plant's control."

"Ugh," Willow shivered.

"But now that we have a GreyWing," Argiope said, his eight eyes sparkling, "No one will care if he dies. We can test out all the cures on him until we find one that works. Or until he dies, either way, win-win."

"No, not win-win!" Clearwing jumped in. "I told you already, he's our friend! And we care if he dies! Right, guys?"

"I don't actually know him all that well," Mandrake said.

"He does have Wasp in his head," said Willow.

"Imagine if it works, though!" Cricket exclaimed.

"I'd rather just kill him myself and get it over with," Nettle hissed.

Clearwing's wings drooped. If Blue were here, he'd want to try to save Coal. We helped him escape from the flamesilk caverns — we reunited him with Luna. But she didn't say any of that out loud, because Blue wasn't here, and she didn't want to make the others feel bad, even though they seemed not to care at all about her friend.

"It sounds like it is a win-win, Clearwing," Argiope said. "But we won't do it without your permission, what about that?"

"You don't need my permission, you need his," Clearwing said, not meeting any of his eyes. "If Coal wants to risk it to be free, I won't argue with him. It's his choice."

"Either way, we still need permission from Queen Cobalt and King Fusca," Argiope said. "Speaking of which, here we are!"

They had arrived in front of a looming structure — a massive stalagmite, which was big enough that five full-grown dragons, their wings spread, wouldn't be able to wrap their wings around its base. Many windows peeked out from every level, and it looked like this tower-like structure was hollow, and full of spiralling pathways. Webs branched off of every level, and dragons expertly climbed these up to the top as well as hurrying around inside. Actually, now that Clearwing looked, all of those windows were probably meant to be used as doors. So WebWings and FormWings were expert climbers. Interesting.

"Come on, then," Argiope said, walking through a window-door on the lowest level. "Unless you want to climb — then be my guest."

"We can fly," Clearwing said, spreading her wings. "Meet you at the top?"

Argiope nodded, and suddenly he was halfway up the tower, claws expertly clinging to the webs.

"He's fast," Mandrake observed.

"C'mon," Clearwing said, lifting off the ground. The others followed, diving in through a window-door at the top level that they'd seen Argiope disappear into.

"Your Majesties," Argiope was already bowing, wings tilted back. Clearwing and the others quickly followed suit, with Nettle scowling but finally bowing as well.

"Argiope," said Queen Cobalt, "I see you've brought our... guests."

Clearwing looked up and immediately gasped. Queen Cobalt was huge — even bigger than Sequoia — and she was the color of sapphires and diamonds. Her scales shimmered with blue iridescence as she moved, and even areas that seemed to be a brownish color turned blue when they caught the light right. Her eyes were a yellowish green, and her wings were dripping with precious stones.

King Fusca was also adorned with numerous jewels, which matched his wife's, but he was obviously a FormWing. His scales were a shiny jet-black, and his eyes reminded Clearwing (uncomfortably) of Wasp's obsidian-hard glare. He had no wings, and his antennae twitched, as though tracking their movements.

Rove Beetle was here too — she had been talking to the royals, most likely about Coal.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Argiope said, rising slowly to look up at her. "As Rove Beetle has probably informed you, they had a GreyWing with them. We've left him in his cell."

"Good," said King Fusca. "Rove has also told us about his... ailment." He looked like he didn't have any better words to describe it, although Clearwing could think of a few.

"We want a story," Queen Cobalt said. "You. Speak."

"Me?" Clearwing said.

"Yes," both Fusca and Cobalt answered.

Where should I begin? Clearwing thought. When we first met? When we freed the flamesilks? When Wasp captured us?

"Coal was hatched on a bright summer's morning," she said. Fusca hissed. He didn't care about this. But it was important. "His father, a SilkWing named Salvation, found his egg out in the savanna, and begged Lady Bloodworm to let him keep it. Originally, Coal's egg was going to be smashed — a dragonet, killed before he even saw sunlight. But Queen Wasp wanted him alive. Her motives did not become clear to me until about a week ago.

"I was hatched at night — the only surviving dragonet in my hatching." She paused, remembering when her parents told her about Marble, the brother she was supposed to have. "There were two full moons, I think. Either way, I was born with these." She stood up on her hind legs, gently reaching up to touch her black scales. Queen Cobalt inhaled sharply.

"SilkWings don't have black scales," she said.

"I know," Clearwing replied. She was going to tell them everything — it was the only chance for her to earn their trust, and maybe ally with them later on. "And I can see things. Things normal dragons can't. If a dragon is telling the truth or lying; who a dragon is and everything that's led them up to this point; sometimes I can even see glimpses of the future, feel emotions, or hear thoughts. But only if their thoughts are strong, or if the point in the future is a fixed point, and something really important." The royals glanced at each other, each thinking the same thing — She's like Clearsight. There was a pause, until Clearwing started talking again to break the awkward silence.

"Coal, the other SilkWing dragonets from Bloodworm Hive, and I went to Gossamer Academy. Coal and I would always get into such trouble trying to find out secrets." She laughed, remembering the old days. "We were the Truth Squad. 'The truth is out there', that was our motto. Lady Bloodworm could never punish us too severely, or else Wasp would do... something... to her. I'm not sure what, but it was scary enough that we normally got out of trouble with nothing more than a very firm scolding, and the occasional scratch.

"A..." she took a deep breath. "A few nights ago, Coal found out about a big secret. Something that Queen Wasp would gladly punish us for, no matter how 'valuable' Coal supposedly was."

She continued, telling them about the flamesilks, Bloodworm Hive burning, about Luna, and rescuing the flamesilks, and Blue, and her metamorphosis (she left out the Vines, she would tell that later), and getting captured by Wasp, and escaping into Jewel Hive, and meeting Cricket and Max and Polistes, and going back for Coal, and running into Blue again, losing Coal to Wasp's mind control (she cried during this part), meeting Swordtail and Io at Cicada Hive, being attacked by the Hive zombies, being saved by the LeafWings, Cicada Hive burning, escaping into the Poison Jungle, and following Sundew to Queen Sequoia's village (she left out the part about Sundew sneaking out to meet Willow, since Sundew didn't look like she wanted all of that information out just yet), meeting Queen Sequoia and Hazel, hearing the mind of Snake, waking up to Belladonna having a fit, reuniting with her friends, meeting Tsunami and Turtle (the king and queen seemed surprised at this part), journeying into the Jungle to find Hawthorn, and finally an explosion and waking up here.

"You've certainly had an eventful last few days," Cobalt murmured.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Clearwing said. "I can't believe it's been less than a week since Coal and I were laughing about something funny Milbert said in class that morning." She smiled wistfully, trying not to drift back into the past.

"Do any of you have anything to add?" King Fusca asked, peering down at the others.

"Nope, not really," said Sundew.

"Also, er," Clearwing pressed her wings against her sides. "In my metamorphosis trance, I talked to the Vines — what you call the othermind, I believe. Or the breath of evil."

"Oh?" Queen Cobalt raised a brow. "And?"

"You aren't surprised that the Vines talked to me?" Clearwing asked.

"No, why would we be?" Fusca said. "They're fairly intelligent. In the past when we've found cures that were proven to work on captured HiveWings, they would only work for so long — then the vine would adapt and we'd have to find another antidote."

I bet Hawthorn was the one who did that, Clearwing realized. With that thing in his head, it must've used his leafspeak to make itself stronger.

"It told me about the GreyWings," she continued. "And about Hawthorn, though I was confused at first." That's the best reasoning I've got as to why I didn't tell them about him sooner. "And... and it said it's 'almost always been a plant'... What does that mean?"

Queen Cobalt rose to her feet, pointedly ignoring the dragonet's question. Her gaze swept around at the gathered dragons.

"The GreyWing — your, ah, friend," she said the last word as though it didn't quite fit in her mouth. "If you so wish, you may inform him of the cure and ask him if he wants to try it."

"I'll do it," Clearwing said. "But I think that if there's any chance for him to be free from Wasp's mind control, he'll take it." Is that a risk I want him to take? she wondered. Am I ready for him to risk his life for something that may or may not kill him? She shook her head. It doesn't matter. It's his choice to make.

I just hope that whatever happens, he's safe.

She sighed.

"Rove, can you take me back to the cave where we were being held?" the SilkWing asked. Rove nodded and led her out of the room.

"I'll be back soon," she told her friends and the queen.

"Good luck," Willow said to Clearwing as she passed by. The SilkWing nodded.

A few moments later, Rove Beetle and Clearwing were standing in the cave entrance. Clearwing took a breath and stepped inside, past the guards.

"Hey, Coal," she smiled weakly at her friend, who was still tied up and looking quite displeased with the situation.

"Hmph, Clmmphwmph," he replied, looking up at her. "Mmph mm hhmphm?"

Clearwing shot a look at one of the guards, then leaned forward to remove her friend's gag.

"I-" she paused. "I'm fine, Coal."

"No, you're not," the GreyWing replied. "What's wrong? What happened? Oh my gosh is someone dead?"

Clearwing actually laughed. "No, Coal. No one is dead." I don't think so. I hope so. If Queen Wasp has gotten to the SapWing Village- she abruptly stopped that train of thought. There were more important things to do.

"Still, you don't look good. What happened?"

"We met Queen Cobalt," Clearwing said. "She said — she said that her tribes may have found an antidote to the breath of evil."

Coal's eyes lit up, just like Clearwing thought they would.

"Awesome! So that means I can take it and we can go back to normal and save everyone?"

Clearwing bit her tongue to keep herself from crying.

"She said they haven't been able to test it," she explained. "She said that it might kill you rather than cure you."

"Oh," Coal said.

"B-but you're still allowed to try it. It's your choice, not mine," the SilkWing continued with a shaky voice. "But please be careful. Th-think about it before you jump right in, j-just — just this once.

"I don't want to lose you."

A tear dripped from her snout.

"Coal, I... I love you."

There was a pause.

"I do, too."

Clearwing buried her face in her friend's shoulder, wings wrapping around him. The tears came, and she let them. They stayed like that for a while. The guards, to their credit, remained perfectly silent.

"Clearwing," Coal said finally, pulling away from her. "You know that if there's any chance... if there's any way that I can get Wasp out of my head, I'm going to take it."

"I know," Clearwing sniffled.

She reluctantly untangled herself from Coal and walked outside to Rove Beetle.

"How did it go-" the FormWing started, then stopped, seeing the tears on Clearwing's face. "Oh."

Clearwing spread her wings, soaring back to the palace on her own. She landed beside her friends, who were being led out by Argiope.

"Hey, Clearwing. Where's Rove?" the WebWing asked.

"Still at the cave."

"Did Coal say yes to trying the antidote?" Cricket asked.

"Yeah," Clearwing replied.

"I'll inform the king and queen," Argiope replied, turning around. "Clearwing, you know the way back to the cave. Can you take your friends there?"

"Sure," Clearwing replied.

"Are you feeling okay?" Willow asked. "You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," Clearwing lied. The word "lie" echoed through her mind and started to make her headache come back. "I... I just need to rest for a while."

They walked back to the cave in relative silence, and Clearwing laid down beside Coal.

Despite all of her thoughts, her hopes, dreams, fears, everything, she still fell asleep almost instantly.