"I'm tired of this!" Nightfall's tail lashed angrily, and knocked over the unlit candle. Tundra stood from his spot on the floor, worry etching into his expression as he watched the Nightwing hybrid. "I'm tired of living in these slums!"

Tundra sighed in an agitated tone. "Well, we're hybrids. Since we don't have any special abilities, either, we're shoved to the bottom. There's nothing we can change about that. Not while Silvertears and her minions are in charge." Tundra stated as if he's said it millions of times.

He wrapped his wing around the smaller hybrid, holding him close. Nightfall huffed, his blind eyes set in a glare. "There's gotta be something we can do." Nightfall whispered. Tundra shook his head, sighing.

"I wish we could, but we don't have enough power. We can't make a difference ourselves." Tundra stated, still holding Nightfall. Nightfall shrunk into his embrace, and he could hear Tundra's stomach growl.

Nightfall closed his eyes, realizing there was no persuading Tundra. But that still didn't stop him from wanting to end this reign. In fact, an idea slowly started building in his head. But it would take a lot of convincing, and a lot of travelling.

First, he had to convince Tundra that they should try going to another city to see if they could get some more food. Nightfall knew that their rations had run out, even though Tundra had been claiming they still had a single squirrel.

"Tundra, that squirrel is rotten. We need sometging that won't actually poison us, and neither of us can hunt in this desert." Nightfall stated, head turning to follow the sound of Tundra's footsteps.

Tundra sighed, knowing the other was right. They needed food badly. "Fine. But then we should bring Scorpion with us, so that she can snag some food from vendors in the next city. Sound good?" Tundra asked, just wanting to drop the conversation.

Nightfall nodded numbly. "I can go get her," he said. Tundra nodded, the Icewing hybrid starting to sharpen a stick on a rock. But then remembered Nightfall was blind, and voiced his agreement.

Nightfall made his way over to where he knew Scorpion would be sleeping. She was a previous soldier, kicked out of the army when they realized her barbed tail contained no poison, and that her daughter was defective. They killed the child, but let her go live in the slums. She joined Tundra and Nightfall about two years ago, and ever since, they've worked together.

Nightfall felt for a small pebble, and tossed it in the direction where he thought the sleeping hybrid was. He heard a thump and knew Scorpion had jumped awake. A hiss followed the thump, but it quickly stopped, and was replaced by a rough female voice.

"Three moons, Nightfall..." Scorpion muttered, approaching the blind hybrid. "What is it? Normally I wake you up." Scorpion spoke, and Nightfall could feel her scales radiating a soft warmth.

"Tundra and I agreed we would move on to the next city. I'm guessing you'll come along, but then again you sometimes don't. So what about this time around?" Nightfall questioned, tilting his head slightly.

Silence ensued for a few moments before she answered. "Alright, I'll come. Anything else?" Scorpion asked, sensing there was something else that was on his mind.

Nightfall turned his head around a few times, listening to see if Tundra was near. When he deemed the Icewing hybrid wasn't, he spoke. "How would you like to put an end to this?"

"An end to what, exactly?" Scorpion questioned suspiciously. Nightfall spread his wings, keeping his voice low.

"This! This life in these slums!" He hissed out. "Aren't you tired of never having enough food?" Nightfall questioned quietly. "Get revenge for your daughter?"

There was another moment of silence as Scorpion thought of an answer. Normally, she would say no to this. Her growling stomach and ribs poking from her scales slightly were nothing to her. She had grown used to it, had pretty much accepted her fate.

But what stopped her from answering was Nightfall's last question. Scorpion had definitely thought of revenge. She thought of it every night before she went on her watch for any dangerous dragons, before she took a short nap. At first, she had sworn to the moons every night over the year for her daughter's death.

"Fine. But you'll need reinforcement. Someone who can actually get dragons to go against Silvertears." Scorpion spoke softly, and Nightfall nodded. He knew that. But he needed a dragon who could actually see to help him. And Tundra wasn't willing.

"You two! Hurry up! We're heading to IronClaw!" Tundra called down the path, having packed their things(which wasn't much).

Scorpion brushed her wing against Nightfall's as they walked. It was a small comfort, knowing he had her on his side. Maybe she could convince Tundra. Or give him something to do while Scorpion and Nightfall looked for a way to recruit.

The three took off, and Nightfall could feel the warmth of the sun on his scales. He flew close to Tundra, making sure he didn't fly off. Nightfall could feel Scorpion on his other side, her bony wings brushing his ever so slightly.

Nightfall landed after Scorpion, his landing unsteady. Tundra helped Nightfall to his feet, and Scorpion looked around. It wasn't a rich town, but it wasn't like the slum areas. They had proper buildings, as well as shops and fresh food.

"I forgot how much different our two areas were..." Nightfall heard Tundra mutter. Nightfall would admit, the air smelled cleaner, and the air was full of the sound of wing beats and dragons chatting merrily. "C'mon, let's go see if we can get some food." Tundra spoke, and Nightfall followed his footsteps.

Scorpion followed close behind, her tail drawn close to avoid being stepped on. All three could feel the judging eyes of the residents. Scorpion even spotted a mother rush her child past the small group.

Tundra stopped at a fruit shop, and began talking to the shopkeeper. He was a Seawing with dark blue scales.

"Hey Tundra, I'm gonna walk around with Nightfall so we can get an idea of where everything is. You think you can get us some food?" Scorpion asked, and Tundra turned and nodded.

Nightfall felt Scorpion brush his wing against his side, guiding him away from the market area. She led him into a small alley, looking around before speaking.

"Alright, we'll start with the bar." Scorpion spoke in a hushed voice. Nightfall tilted his head.

"Why?" He questioned. "Do you already know your way around?"

Scorpion swallowed before answering. "Sort of. When I was still in the army, this city wasn't under control. Despite these dragons talking happily, most are just acting. They're killers, Nightfall. Some may not know it, but they are. And the bar would be full of either drunks or shady assassins." Scorpion explained.

Nightfall processed the information, and then nodded. "Alright, fine."

Nightfall felt Scorpion grab his upper arm gently, tugging him in the direction of the bar. As they neared the building, Nightfall could hear shouting. He shrunk into Scorpion, who wrapped a wing around him comfortingly.

"Okay, wanna go in with me, or stay out here?" Scorpion asked, looking down at the Nightwing hybrid.

"I'll go in, too." Nightfall said, straightening his posture suddenly. He trusted Scorpion. And they really did need not only information, but also strong leaders.

Scorpion patted his arm lightly before opening the door, holding it open for Nightfall. She walked in after him.

Inside was much louder, and Nightfall kept close to Scorpion as they made their way around groups. Nightfall tried catching what some dragons were yelling about, but quickly dismissed the ones that didn't matter.

Scorpion was doing the same, shoving away drunks who tried to lay a claw on her or Nightfall. Nightfall stopped, head turning towards a small group near them. Scorpion listened closely, hearing a few interesting words such as "rebels" and "execution."

Scorpion followed Nightfall towards the table. Scorpion got a clear view of them, a small group composed of a black and gold dragon, a yellow dragon with silver and black patterns, a Sandwing covered in tattoos, and a Rainwing with torn wings.

None of them seemed to notice Scorpion or Nightfall. "If they find the rest of the rebels, we're all done for! And you know it!" The Sandwing exclaimed. She obviously wasn't worried about others eavesdropping.

"So? We can't end our plans now." The Rainwing spoke, his voice rough and jagged.

What appeared to be a Sandwing hybrid spoke, their voice so quiet it was nearly impossible to hear what they had said. "We can't rely on one plan, only."

"But what else do we got? They've got Lily in their clutches. Y'all know what they'll have her do." The black and gold dragon spoke, his voice accusing.

Scorpion cleared her throat, tapping the Sandwing hybrid on the shoulder. The dragon jumped, spinning around swiftly and hissing. The other three went into action, jumping from their seats and grabbing a weapon each.

Scorpion held up her talons, eyes wide. "Hold up! We don't wanna fight!" Scorpion defended, her wing smacking Nightfall to the side.

"Then what the hell do you want?" The Sandwing hissed, clutching her knife. No one seemed to notice the standoff, their attention still on their own loud conversations.

"To talk! We just wanna talk!" Nightfall pushed past Scorpion, his head turning to where he thought the female dragon was.

Another hiss, and the black and gold dragon approached slowly. Nightfall held his head higher as the other dragon towered over him. Scorpion watched, tail curling menacingly. The Sandwing copied this, eyes narrowed.

"Sunblocker, Diamond Back, relax." The Rainwing moved the two dragons aside. They nodded, moving out of the way of the Rainwing.

He too loomed over both Scorpion and Nightfall. Scorpion held her tail between herself and Nightfall, eyes never leaving the Rainwing. Nightfall forced himself to block out all other noise, forcing his nerves down with it.

"Come with me," the Rainwing said. "You three, pay for the drinks then meet me at Nighthowler's." The others nodded and briskly made their way to the counter.

The Rainwing turned back to Scorpion and Nightfall. He made his way out of the bar, the two behind him following at a quick pace. Nightfall sighed with relief once away from the crowded building, and as they walked, the sound became softer and softer until it was nothing.

The Rainwing stopped in front of a somewhat large house - definitely large for Scorpion and Nightfall - and unlocked the door. The stone door opened with a creek, and the Rainwing gestured for the two to enter.

They did, Scorpion glancing around. She spotted a rather young Nightwing sitting on the ground, a bunch of maps scattered around him. He didn't even notice them come in.

"Nighthowler!" The Nightwing jumped, looking around wildly before seeing the three. "Stop looking at your maps for once, we have guests." The Rainwing said in a gruff voice. Nighthowler nodded, swiftly cleaning up his maps and pitting them on a shelf.

"I'll go make some tea for you two while we wait for the others. Nighthowler, make our guests welcome." The Rainwing walked into the kitchen, heavy talons hitting tile.

Once he was gone, Nighthowler walked around the newcomers. "Hybrids?" He questioned, looking at them once he had finished looking them over.

"Um, yes?" Nightfall said. He was close to Scorpion, her warmth keeping him calm. He could hear Nighthowler mutter something, but couldn't catch what it was.

"Your names?" Nighthowler sat back on the floor, and gestured for the two to do the same.

Scorpion nudged Nightfall to sit, and he did. Scorpion sat beside him before answering. "I'm Scorpion, and this is Nightfall."

"Nightfall and Scorpion. So those your names," The Rainwing came back into the room. As he placed a tray of cups boiling with tea on the ground, the three dragons he had been speaking to prior opened the door.

They sat down closer to Nighthowler. "Help yourselves," Nighthowler said, nodding. The others took their drinks, watching Scorpion and Nightfall carefully. Scorpion handed Nightfall his, and he stared blankly forward.

"I don't think I introduced myself, or my team. I'm Macaw, and this is Diamond Back, Sunblocker, and Silverdust." The Rainwing spoke in his gruff voice. Macaw took a sip from his tea, and the others followed his lead.

Nightfall raised the cup to his snout, and breathed in the smell. He froze, and smacked Scorpion with his tail so she'd drop hers.

Nightfall was up in an instant, growling quietly. Scorpion was up with him, confused, but ready to fight. Diamond Back jumped, and only didn't attack when Silverdust stopped her.

"Nevermind, we don't need to talk. Take your poison drinks and try tricking someone else," Nightfall spoke with newfound confidence. Scorpion looked down at the dropped cups briefly. The tea looked normal. But she trusted Nightfall's sense of smell.

Macaw was smiling, and he and Nighthowler exchanged looks of agreement. Diamond Back relaxed her muscles, and Silverdust wore a small smile. Sunblocker was still acting how he had originally.

"What's... going on?" Scorpion asked, looking at them all in confusion. Nightfall shifted, also confused.

"You passed our test! Nightfall, you were quick to smell the poison. And Scorpion, you were swift to jump to your companion's side. That's what we look for in rebels." Nighthowler said cheerfully.

"How did you-" Nightfall didn't get to finish, being interrupted by a familiar, sharp tone.

"I found them before you guys did." An Icewing hybrid waltzed into the room, eyes on Scorpion and Nightfall. "Seriously, I knew you two weren't gonna go look around. You both hate risking things, exploring being one of them." He spoke fluently, voice even. "You could have just asked me again if I wanted to fight back."

"And you couldn't have told us sooner?!" Scorpion snapped at Tundra as he approached. "If it wasn't for Nightfall's good smell, we would've been poisoned!" Scorpion was outraged by this fact in particular.

Nightfall just stood there, unsure of how to react. He shook his head, finally forming two questions. "Wait, so, you are going to help? And you guys really are rebels?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Tundra answered as Nighthowler nodded. "Now, Nighthowler, what's your plan?"

Nightfall flew silently into the palace courtyard beside Sunblocker. The two landed softly on the sand, small flurries of dust lifting into the air.

Guards immediately approached them, and Nightfall spoke as soon as they were in earshot. "We were invited to Silvertears' banquet," and Sunblocker held out a scroll.

The guards looked at one another, nodded, and walked back to their positions. Sunblocker brushed his wing with Nightfall's as they walked, guiding him in.

They walked to the banquet room. Dragons were already buzzing around, dressed in wealthy jewelry. Nightfall felt butterflies in his stomach as he ran the plan in his head. Keep Silvertears distracted, allow time for Scorpion and Diamond Back to sneak in, free Ocean Rain, and kill Silvertears. The citizens would take care of themselves.

About two hours went by before they got their chance to speak to their dictator.

"Our Queen, might I say, you look lovely tonight." Sunblocker said in a bow. He felt vile in his throat, but swallowed it. Nightfall bowed with him, pastel eyes glazed over.

Silvertears smiled regally. "Why, thank you. You both look handsome yourselves." She spoke.

Nightfall could hear the small talon taps of Scorpion and Diamond Back, but assumed he was the only one. Sunblocker and him lifted their heads, smiling their practiced smiles.

"If I may ask, my Queen, where did you get that jewelry from? It's simply divine." Nightfall spoke his practiced words. Sunblocker had told him what Silvertears had been wearing.

More talons hit the ground softly from the floors above, the soft noise reaching Nightfall's ears as the Queen answered.

"Oh, these things? They were given to me by a friend, she enchanted them to bring me good luck." Silvertears said. Nightfall felt Sunblocker tense beside him. The two bowed once more before walking away slowly. Nightfall counted down the seconds that passed by.

A shriek, and the sound of armor clattering as dragons ran. Sunblocker took off, Nightfall following suit. Another shrill scream, and a dragon collided into Nightfall. Nightfall fell down a few meters before regaining his balance, flying higher again.

"We gotta go!" Diamond Back yelled over the chaos below. On her back was Ocean Rain, who was passed out. Nightfall felt Scorpion brush his wing, and the group flew to a window.

They flew through it, watching as dragons fled from the palace in a frantic. They flew opposite them, South. And in time, they'd meet up with the other rebels, where they would ask Ocean Rain some questions, and see if the citizens would still need to be helped.

But all those would come in time. For now, they had to focus on the present.