Whitedust was weird. All of the SandWings had confirmed it ever since she moved to the Sand Kingdom.

When Whitedust hatched, no one was there to see her glory. She was all alone.

Her parents, Oryx and Harp, hid her away in some 'Secret Sand Dune'. She was a starving two-day-old dragonet when they first saw her. Though, this was all during the war, so Whitedust doesn't blame her terrible dragonethood on her parents. They protected her, and she thanks them.

Her parents had risked so much for her. Harp had actually given up the highest rank in First Circle to leave the tribe with Oryx, and raise her. They had to live in the sand dune during the war, because none of the queens wanted them.

The night of the 'War of the SandWing Succession', Whitedust snuck out to watch it. It was terrifyingly exciting. She didn't know anything about the SandWing queens, or the snake that can kill, or why the Eye of Onyx blew Blister up, but then it didn't on Thorn.  Whitedust was so confused.

She didn't really care who became queen. As long as the war was over, she was happy. Whitedust had told her parents that Thorn was the new queen of the SandWings, and that Blister and Burn were dead and that Blaze was the only living sister. Harp was pretty mad at Whitedust for leaving the Dune, but Oryx was thankful for the news.

Two days after, Whitedust and her parents went to go see Queen Thorn, and asked for permission to stay at the Kingdom. Of course, Queen Thorn had welcomed them with open arms. Blaze seemed to have forgotten about Oryx leaving. Or she was probably too interested in her new jewels.

Yesterday was strange... Whitedust thought, walking through the Sand Kingdom. I just woke up with the ability to read minds. Is that normal?

The day before, Whitedust had woken up and was able to read the minds of other dragons. Beside her was a mysterious scroll and she has yet to touch it due to the fact that she's terrified to do so. She figured she was dreaming or hallucinating at first, but it was very real. I thought only NightWings read minds... Am I half NightWing? I don't know... What if-

Whitedust's thoughts went away when she stumbled into Qibli, Queen Thorn's bodyguard well, Qibli thought he was her bodyguard. He was just a dragonet that clung on to the queen wanting to protect her when she didn't need the protection.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Whitedust said. Should I bow (she was still new here, was she supposed to bow)?

Whoa Qibli thought. She's even weirder than everyone said she is. And, kinda dangerously pretty... But still not. I wonder if I know her SandWing parent. Come on Qibli, you're smart, I wonder if I could put up a conversation with her... I'll know more about her. She looks pretty mysterious and hard to read (are  hybrids like that?) Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I wonder if she knows about me.

"It's okay" Qibli said in a friendly voice. "What's your name again?"

Weirddust she thought, but then said out loud, "Whitedust. And yours?" Whitedust knew who was, she just wanted to seem friendly and non-threatening to him to get off his 'Mysterious Dragons' list.

So she doesn't know me, Qibli thought. She looks so different... I wonder where she came from. Get some information about her, Thorn would need it. I wonder if she knows Whitedust's past already. I should ask the queen... No wait, let's just still interrogate her in case Thorn doesn't know. Let's know if she's a threat or not to the queen.

Qibli's brain hurt Whitedust's.

"Qibli." He said, "I have never seen you before. And I practically know every dragon in the Kingdom."

"Oh, I'm new." Whitedust said cautiously.

Is she hiding something? She's half IceWing, half SandWing, so...

"Did you grow up in the Ice Kingdom?" Qibli asked with no hint of suspicion in his voice.

"No." Whitedust replied saying nothing else.

Maybe... "Oh than some other Kingdom?"

"No." Whitedust replied again. I am going to lead this conversation, SandWing. She thought. "Enough about me, tell me about you."

Qibli's first thought: Does she like me? Whitedust just tried so hard not to laugh. At least they were getting off topic. But of course, Qibli extended his first thought. I wonder what happens if a hybrid and a normal dragon have eggs? More than that, I wonder what happens if two hybrids have eggs...

"Nothing much." He said, "Just been a loyal subject to Queen Thorn ever since I was three, that's all really."

Whitedust didn't know what else to say. Though, they didn't even go seven seconds of silence before Qibli said, "Tell me about your life." Are your parents alive? Who are they? How old are you? Where did you come from? Come on, Qibli... She's obviously not a threat I should just leave before-

Qibli's thoughts and Whitedust's  answers were cut off by Queen Thorn.

"Qibli!" She said, coming up from behind him, making him jump. "Don't pester our newcomers." She then turned to Whitedust, and said, "I'm so sorry about him. Whitedust, am I right?" Still trying to remember all of the subjects' names... She thought.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Whitedust answered her, bowing.

Queen Thorn sighed lightly, but smiled. Still getting used to that too. It feels so weird... Your Majesty, Queen Thorn... I want to feel like an equal to them.

"I'm sorry you and your family had to hide away like that during the war." She said. "At least you are safe now."

"And the war is over." Whitedust finished for her, smiling.

Aha! Qibli thought. Couldn't she just tell me that much? Thorn knew... Come on, Qibli, her parents probably told Thorn. She's probably just shy. He answered himself.

"Yes, that most definitely." Queen Thorn said, thinking, Can't believe the Eye chose me... She fiddled with the Eye around her neck.

Thorn then turned to Qibli, and said, "Are you ready to go to Jade Mountain?"

"No!" Qibli protested. "Let me stay here! Please! And protect you!"

Thorn was already shaking her head. "Protect Ostrich. She needs it."

Please... Qibli thought, but said aloud, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Do you want to go?" Thorn asked Whitedust, including her in the conversation again. "To Jade Mountain?"

"Really?" Whitedust excitingly asked. Can I? She thought.

Would they allow hybrids? Qibli and Thorn thought at the same time. Qibli continued the thought of course:

I wonder if they would classify her as an IceWing, or SandWing... Both of those features are noticeable... Including the sharp horns on her neck, and the Barb on her tail... Would they determine off of her breath? I wonder if she breathes Fire, or Frostbreath... Or both? I don't think both is possible... Is it?

Whitedust thought the same thing sometimes, but then again, she was the wielder, so... She knew what she breathed: Frostbreath.

"The SandWing dragonet, Arid." The queen said, "They aren't sure if they should go just yet. I could ask the founders of the school if it's alright to change it, if you want to."

Time for my thoughts. Whitedust thought, trying to block off as much as she could of Qibli's thoughts (which she was failing at miserably).

Should I go? What would Mother and Father think? Would they accept? No... Let Arid do it...

Qibli's thoughts drowned Whitedust's immediately. What if I get stuck with her, and she's mostly considered a SandWing? Will she be in the same group with me? Wait, probably not... Two of the same tribe couldn't be put in one group thinking of Sunny as the founder of the school... But what if she's considered an IceWing, and then I'm stuck with her?

Whitedust pulled herself out. Her brain hurt. What answer were they expecting again? Jade Mountain Academy?

"Oh, no. Thank you," she answered. "But thank you so much for the offer! I'm just not sure what they do with... Me."

Oh, whoa... Thought Qibli.

"Very well." Thorn said kindly. I wonder... She started thinking then cut off her own thoughts. "Well, Qibli and I must go."

"Run a kingdom," Whitedust finished for her. Is that being obvious that I can read minds?

"Yes." The queen said, and for half a second, Whitedust thought that she was answering her thoughts. But quickly reminded herself that she couldn't.

"It was nice meeting you!" Whitedust said to them.

"And to you as well." Queen Thorn answered. Then the two SandWings flew away.

Whelp. I'm alone. Whitedust thought, turning around to fly away to her house.

"Mom, Dad! I'm home!" Whitedust yelled when she got into the house. She could just imagine the conversation at the table during dinner: "Oh yeah, so I woke up yesterday morning, and I could read minds! Yippee! Wat fun! Its fun to snoop around in dragons' minds knowing everything horrible they think about you! Oh, and did I mention that mind reading gives me headaches? And sometimes I feel nauseous! I don't even know how I got them! So no worries!"

Should I hide it? Just another day? Maybe I'll tell them tomorrow...

"Hey honey!" Her mother called to her, running up to her daughter and giving her a tight hug. "Mountain goats tonight! Only three though..." Their taste is terrible... Oh I should have gotten fish today... Then Oryx can melt his... Does Whitedust like fish toasted, or raw? She never told me...

"It's okay, Mom. Three is plenty." Whitedust said. Nope. I have to tell them. I can't just hold such a big secret like this! Especially from my parents. "Where's Dad?"

"Out in the back. Could you go get him? And tell dinner is ready." Oh, I hope he's okay... This heat is killing me. I wonder if it bothers Whitedust.

To be honest, the heat on Whitedust's scales felt good. She wondered if the snow would ever bother her. Poor Mother... Stuck in this heat where she is meant to be in the snow...

"Sure." Whitedust said. As she walked outside, she saw her father making a big cage. And all around it, were little traps.

Stupid animals... You won't fool me this time, ha! He thought.

"Dad." Whitedust said.

Oryx whirled around, and smiled ear-to-ear at her. "I haven't seen you since this morning!" He hugged her. "What's new?"

This is my chance! My chance to tell him! Now, now, now, now... "Just exploring, so nothing new yet." Should I tell him about Jade Mountain? No, what if he just gets mad...

"Yeah it's almost been two months now. Seems like you've covered most of the kingdom, even though you usually go out when not many dragons are around." He said, smiling. Such a good girl. I don't know what I'd do without her. I wonder if she's met anyone yet.

"Yeah." Replied Whitedust. "Oh, by the way, mom wants you to come in. She said that it's dinner time."

"Awesome!" Oryx said to her, snapping the last cage part in place. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" He walked cautiously, avoiding the animal traps. They were at the doorway, and he brushed wings with Whitedust's, as he passed by her happily.

Whitedust followed him inside to the dinner table. All three of them sat with their goats on the stone in front of them. While they were eating, it was total silence. But not in their heads. They were both busily thinking about what happened in their day.

Harp broke the silence.

"Queen Thorn seems nice." She said. "And who is that dragonet who clings onto her wherever she goes?" She looked at Whitedust, then Oryx.

"Qibli." Oryx said with a chuckle. Then he thought, Such an adorable loyal dragonet.

Ahhh!! I can't take it anymore! Whitedust thought harshly. She wanted to control her powers, not let them control her! And she needed help. Her parents' help.

"Mom... Dad..." Whitedust unexpectedly said at the table. Her parents listened intently for the response, even their minds were quiet. Listening. For the four words Whitedust was trying to choke out.

Well, this secret lasted long. She thought sarcastically. "I need to tell you..." She paused, listening to her parents' thoughts.

Harp: Oh no... Did something bad happen? I knew I shouldn't have let her go out alone. I thought Queen Thorn and the soldiers would protect her. She doesn't look harmed. She just looks frightened. Did someone just try to hurt her?

Oryx: Something seems wrong. Maybe she needs to tell us a secret. She seems like she's listening to something... Her father squinted his eyes at her, then smiled. Well then, maybe- his thoughts cut off. Whitedust couldn't hear her father's thoughts. There was no sound coming from him. Nothing.

Whitedust looked at him in suspicion.  Can he block his mind? How did he learn to do that? That and NightWing are supposed to read minds! Not hybrids of SandWings and IceWings! I thought reading minds was just fake anyway? So no one should learn how to block them. No one even knows... But if I can read minds... The question is how...

Whitedust sighed, accepting her fate. I need to tell them. And then, she managed to choke out: "I can read minds."