Right as Mamba spoke those words, a loud gong rang out clearly through the halls. Everybody looked to Sunny, who stood in a corner and was setting down the stick, sheepishly backing away from the gong. Tsunami let out a laugh, along with Clay, and even Queen Glory managed a snort.

"You guys should be heading to the prey center." Clay decided. "Don't worry about that silly prophecy and the islands, okay? But just to be safe, don't tell anybody. Try and enjoy the day. We'll let you know if we find anything."

"Thank you, Clay." Artemis nodded to the Mudwing, who smiled and nodded back.

"Well let's get moving." Seaglass blurted, "If we are this slow, we'll be stuck with the leftovers! There's no way I'm doing that."

"Agreed." Snowfall said.

"Move out!" Tempest exclaimed, dropping down on her belly and crawling to the cave exit. Potent and Mudpuddle snickered at the tribrid, who paid no attention and continued on her way. Snowfall, Mudpuddle, and Seaglass followed close behind.

Mamba suddenly gave Potent a hard shove, and rushed out the door, now camouflaged and laughing.

"RACE YOU THERE!" She yelled.

The surprised Sandwing stumbled and fell onto Artemis, who tripped and fell crashing down with him.

"Watch the tail-watch the tail!" Artemis yelped, attempting to get the Sandwing off of her.

"I'm sorry!" Potent yelled, rolling to the side and pulling up Artemis, curling his tail inwards. His frill stuck up like he'd been electrocuted.

Potent growled, "That stupid lizard!"

"I WILL GET MY REVENGE!" He bellowed down the hallways, frightening an unfortunate Rainwing and Seawing who were walking down at that moment. They both gave small yelps and scurried down the halls. Artemis managed to shoot them a sorry look.

Artemis sighed and shook her head. "Same here." She mumbled. She stood and tried to regain her composure, avoiding the burnings eyes of the Dragonets on her scales.

"Come on." Potent snapped. "I need to find that RAINWING and make sure she's gotten back." He strode down the hall, his venomous tail lashing back and forth.

"What a nice guy." Tsunami mumbled to Glory.

Artemis narrowed her bright blue eyes, following Potent to the prey center, and whatever waited for her once she got there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once Artemis arrived in the prey center, she wished she had skipped lunch.

Dragon voices rang relentlessly through the room, bouncing off the walls into the open air above them. All the animal noises didn't help, either. The sun beating down on all those scales made it even harder to tell which dragon from which.

Artemis was utterly tired, and quite hungry as she trudged into the prey center. Her excitement of the prospect of food became short lived when a chicken rocketed over her head in a flurry of feathers. She let out a yelp in alarm and ducked as a small Sandwing chased her prey, shouting curses and insults at the feathery foul.

She let her gaze wander the room, searching for red and black scales that matched her Rainwing friend.

"Gotcha!" A sudden voice shouted, and startled Artemis into nearly falling over.

"What?" she cried, and found the culprit of the scare staring down at her with gold snake-like eyes.

"MAMBA." She roared. Artemis scrambled back to her talons, snorting smoke in her friend's face. She waved it away with a talon and stuck out her tongue.

The Rainwing laughed and shoved Artemis. "Hahaha! You should've seen your face, so priceless!"

"That was not funny." Artemis growled, her eyes clouding with a stormy sky-blue.

Mamba pouted, letting her scales flood with purple. "Sorry. I'm trying to lighten things up."

Artemis shook her head, sighing. "Just to let you know, Potent is looking for you... I'm pretty sure he wants your scales as a carpet." She half laughed.

"Really?" Mamba fake gasped. "Oh, my moons. I'm so scared!" She put her talons to her forehead and threw her head back dramatically. "How could I ever take on that big scary Sandwing, all by my lazy little Rainwing self? Oh the horror!"

Artemis burst out laughing, along with Mamba. She caught a couple of rude stares, but she didn't care. Mamba snorted and fell against her friend, she and Artemis still cracking up.

"What's up with you two? Inhale some swamp gas or something?" A familiar voice called as the owner winged down.

"I heard it gives dragons hallucinations, and makes them go..." He lifted a black talon to his head and swirled it around, crossing his eyes. He smiled at Mamba and Artemis.

"But I know you're smarter than that. So, what's up?" Shadowbender questioned.

"The sky." Mamba said, throwing up her wings to emphasize her point.

"No, Mrs. Smarty Tail." He rolled his eyes. "It's actually the cave roof."

Artemis giggled. "What do you want, Shadowbender?"

"I wanted to talk to you." He says. "But that's already happening. So. Cool."

"Are you sure you aren't the Smarty Tail?" Mamba questioned.

Shadowbender arched a brow. "Maybe I am."

"OOOH." Mamba snorted. "That's soooo interesting."

Shadowbender laughed. "Anyways. Back to why I'm really here." He looked at Artemis, his orange eyes sparkling strangely. She found they unnerved her even more than Tempest's.

"Well, spit it out!" Mamba blurted, turning a violent red.

"Well. I need to talk to her...alone...not here." Shadowbender muttered.

Mamba made her scales a bright pink and yellow, arching her brows. "Alone?"

Shadowbender growled. "Yes. Alone."

Mamba giggled, snatching a stray mango from a pile of fruit near her. "Well I'll leave you two ALONE. If it's what you insist." She smirked and walked away. Artemis' protest died in her throat as the Rainwing disappeared.

Shadowbender glanced at Artemis. "So. Uh, can we...Uh. Go somewhere else?"

Artemis felt blood rise to her face. Why, though? What was wrong with her? She had to snap out of it. "How about the halls?" She suggested.

"Sure."

Shadowbender nodded slightly and walked out to the hallways. Artemis followed, her feet carrying her swiftly after him. He suddenly swerved around the corner, grabbing Artemis's talons and swinging her around to face him. She stumbled forwards, her blue eyes coming to meet fiery orange ones. Her face was inches from his, and she gripped his talons fiercely. White and purple against deep, obsidian black. His scales were so shiny.

Shadowbender beckoned her closer, if it were possible, and lowered his voice.

"I have something to tell you." He whispered. "You have to swear you won't tell a soul."

"I swear." She promised, her mind a mix of thoughts of what he could be telling her.

She doesn't know. A sudden voice, as clear as the sky above, rang out in her head.

Darkstalker? She wondered.

No answer.

"I have a secret..." Shadowbender muttered.

Do I tell her? Will she still want to be my friend? Moons I need this to work. The clear voice worried.

"I..." Shadowbender began, his voice trailing off. "I have these...powers...and I..."

Here goes. The voice said quietly. Artemis widened her eyes, the new reality swirling into view.

"I can read minds, and tell the future." He blurted. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I just didn't know how to explain-"

Shadowbender? Artemis thought, directing her thought to the single, clear voice. She imagined her talons wrapping around it, bringing it to her, like her talons still gripped his. It was a long shot, but it might work. She decided to try.

Is that you? The voice began. Shadowbender studied Artemis with his teardrop scaled eyes. The orange was still so unsettling.

Yes. It's Artemis. She projected her thoughts out, her eyes on his.

"You can understand my thoughts, too?" He gasped. "But..."

"It's a very long story.." She said apologetically. "A story I don't quite understand."

Shadowbender stepped forwards, staring at her with curiosity.

"I didn't know there was another like me."

"I'm not exactly like you-" she began.

"This is so amazing!" Shadowbender exclaimed.

"Shadowbender. You don't understand."

"I thought-"

"Stop. I can understand your thoughts, only because you have those powers...I guess it might be about the contact." She pulled her talons out of his grasp. "I just wish it was easier to explain. Darkstalker said-"

"Wait." Shadowbender interrupted. "Did you say Darkstalker?"

"Camel turds." She cursed.

"Did you?" Shadowbender demanded.

"Yes, I did." She whispered.

Shadowbender furrowed his brow. "But I don't understand! He said I was the only one!"

"Wait, he talks to you, too?"

"Well, yes! He has since I arrived here." Shadowbender suddenly shuddered, like a cold air he settled over his back.

"He only started talking to me a bit ago." Artemis murmured.

"Well....he has much to explain, doesn't he?"

Indeed you do. She growled, directing her thoughts to Darkstalker.

"Are you getting any answer?" She suddenly asked. Shadowbender shook his head slowly.

"This is...amazing." Artemis suddenly said. "We sure have a lot in common, don't we?"

Shadowbender's face pulled into a small smile. "Yeah. We do."

Artemis heard her stomach suddenly grumble. She laughed quietly and tried to hide her embarrassment.

"Hungry?" Shadowbender guessed, raising a brow.

"Yeah." She admitted. "I haven't eaten since yesterday, and they were some weird little fruits."

"We should head back inside." He suddenly said. "My friends are wondering where I am, and I'm sure you need to get some food."

Artemis nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's go!" She said, walking into the prey center with a newfound confidence. Maybe he could help her figure out the mess of the prophecy, in time.

She turned to see if Shadowbender was coming when she felt her talons come in contact with a stiff, scaly object. A sudden roar rang out from the prey center, and a furious red-orange Skywing turned on Artemis. Her eyes blew wide at the unbridled rage that was concentrated in the gaze cast at her.

"You stepped on my TAIL." She hissed and flared her giant wings.

"It was an accident! I'm so sorry!" She stuttered, backing up in surprise at the outburst.

"Stupid Nightwing. You will be." The Skywing snarled, raising a talon to strike. Artemis felt her blood turn into fire, and she stumbled onto her back.

That's when all chaos broke loose.