When Mamba, Mudpuddle, Artemis, Prophecyteller, and Tempest barged into the male sleeping cave halls, they caused a quite an uproar. Mamba lead the way. One Sandwing saw the Rainwing and ran in a panic at the sight of her bright, urgent colors. Well, tried to. He smacked into the wall and ended up knocking himself out.

Tempest insisted they drag him at least to the side, once that was accomplished, they set off to find the boys again. After checking various sleeping caves, they finally stumbled into Potent, Snowfall and Seaglass's shared one.

Poor Seaglass was so startled he almost suffocated after tripping in Potent's bed that held soft moss with sand and heated stones underneath. The sand got stuck in his gills when he fell.

"Mamba, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Potent screeched, flaring his wings and dropping the scrolls he was holding. The History of the Scorching unrolled in front of Mamba's talons and she flared her wings right back, making Artemis jump into the hall with alarm. Snowfall was startled, but didn't have a huge reaction, he looked like he had just woken up.

"What are you doing?" Mamba retorted.

"Getting my scrolls for class with Webs!"

"Um." Snowfall cleared his throat. "Not that classes aren't terribly important-"

"Sarcasm." Seaglass interrupted, jumping in his shallow pool and scratching sand out of his wet gills.

"-Important." Snowfall started, giving Seaglass a hard stare. "But why are you in the male section. Last I recall, we weren't supposed to go near each other's side of the mountain." He pointed out.

"Don't you think we know that?" Tempest rolled her eyes.

"Get to the point!" Potent hissed and pushed away the rest of his scrolls.

"Uh. Someone's here." Mudpuddle said, pushing Artemis to the front of the group. Treasure was still seated on her back, and the cave fell silent when the others spotted him.

"Why do you have a scavenger?" Potent started.

Artemis just shrugged her wings.

"He wouldn't leave me."

Seaglass beamed, shaking water everywhere as he climbed from his pool.

"You're back!"

Potent looked relieved, but just stood there with his talons twitching towards Treasure. Snowfall gave her a cold glance, but his smile warmed the icy look as he rubbed the rest of the sleep from his eyes.

"You have a lot to explain." Potent growled. Tempest smoothed her crest, upturning her snout in another dramatic manner.

"As do I."

"What do you mean?"

"How about we find a place where nobody else can hear." Mamba stated loudly, flicking her head in the direction of the caves where pairs of eyes were visible.

"Agreed." Artemis said, knowing exactly where to go.

~~~~~

The group of friends was gathered around a dimly lit blue and purple globe, listening to Artemis tell her story as the day outside turned to night, and small stars twinkled from the tiny holes in the roof of the cave.

"That's when Ostritch sounded the alarm." She spread her star speckled wings. "You know what came from there." Prophecyteller twined her tail around Artemis's, smiling.

"I never would've had that courage, Artemis."

"Neither would I." Mudpuddle said.

"Same." Tempest nodded.

"Agreed." the rest chimed in chorus.

"I really wasnt hoping for praise. But...you're not mad, are you?" She asked, wincing.

"Of course not." Mamba answered for them. "It's not like any of this is your fault. Just call it...bad luck."

Treasure, who was now seated beside Artemis, squeaked something, and nodded appreciatively as he set a paw over her talons

Artemis smiled down at him, turning her attention back to the group of dragonets. She had told her friends of her long journey in the Skywing Kingdom.

She didn't leave out a single detail, and explained everything that had happened to herself and the necklace. She'd told about the dragons she'd met, to the astonishment of her friends. Every dragon, except one. Something made her hide Nova's true appearance.

Artemis had learned a respect for the hybrid, and really hadn't wanted to gossip all about her to her friends. Instead, Nova was talked about briefly and referred to as Dingo.

Her friends explained what had happened while she was gone. Queen Glory was furious Artemis had run off, and promptly refused when Mamba wanted to go after her. To Artemis's surprise, she learned there was a set of new dragonets that had arrived, to replace the ones who were lost or left. A new Nightwing named Starcatcher was one of them.

Just to top it all off, the others carefully explained how Shadowbender had practically forgotten about her. She stared at her talons dejectedly, confused when it seemed that he was more afraid of her now than anything. Maybe it was because of the whole Skywing incident.

She sat back as Mamba told her the news, heartbroken. But an idea in the back of her head began to warm her up on the inside a little bit. She still had Flare.

If he would even accept me. She thought bitterly.

Wellllll. Said Darkstalker, drawing out the last word. I don't believe I've ever met a Nightwing who ended with with a Skywing. Especially you, you've had a bad history with them. Unfortunately, your friends are right about Shadowbender. That numbskull won't listen to me, he's gotten that weird black stone 'skyfire' from the new Nightwing. Who is quite a snob, by the way. But Shadowbender..I can't talk him to or read his thoughts anymore.

Artemis harrumphed, but her ears pricked in interest at the mention of the stone. What is skyfire?

A stone that can block mind readers, apparently. Darkstalker answered, then paused. Don't you dare think of getting some for yourself. He added, clearly attempting and failing to sound demanding.

She chuckled quietly to herself, half listening to Seaglass drone on about a cave he found.

"Guys." Tempest scowled.

"You interrupted me!" Seaglass whined back, receiving a shove from Snowfall, who barked at him to quiet down and blushed deep blue when their scales contacted.

"I still have to tell you guys something." She retorted, flapping her wings.

"Well go on, then." Snowfall said, squirming as Seaglass leant on him. "Get off." He grumbled to the Seawing.

"Noooooope." Seaglass replied smugly, splaying his wings.

"Shut your snouts!" Potent snapped.

Tempest looked at him with her wide violet eyes, tilting her head.

"Go on." He mumbled to her.

She beamed, and began to talk. "I've had a vision. It started out strange, with a giant gold dragoness."

Artemis felt dread build in the pit of her stomach. She knew just who Tempest was talking about.

"Then it switched to Artemis. And that necklace of hers. It switched again, showing a set of three doors. Gold. Bronze, and Silver."

She looked at the Nightwing, and Artemis sighed in frustration.

" Just like the ones you described. It then showed the silver door opening, a bright blue sky behind it. Strange dragons flew in the sky. Fighting one another..." she finished, nodding her head. "That's all."

Artemis and her friends exchanged glances, nodding at one another. Artemis slowly pulled the satchel from her neck, taking out the rolled up and weathered map. Gingerly unrolling it, she set it out in front of everyone, hearing loud gasps.

"I think- I think Tempest saw the Twin Islands.." She said slowly, her eyes flashing in the violet light. "With her vision...and this map I've found..."

"We know where the islands are." Seaglass mumbled.

"That means?" Mamba asked.

Artemis narrowed her eyes, looking at all of them. "We go to the Islands and fufill that prophecy. Defeating Queen Solar."

"But how?" Mudpuddle demanded, flattening her ears.

"How?" Artemis echoed, talons clenching the map. "Well, we'll do it our way. Whatever that may be..."