Storm blinked slowly as Silverbreath pushed her towards the light that was glowing outside of the shady tree.

The sunlight burned her eyes, which tipped her over, and she had to take a step back to regain her balance.

"Steady on." Growled Silverbreath, nudging her forward.

Storm attempted at calming the fluttering butterflies in her belly, but it didn't seem to work. Instead her nervousness opened wider and she was even more petrified.

She took a wary step forward, her wings tight against her bright orange back. The sunlight reflected off the teardrop scale behind her eyes, and shone onto the ground beside her in a blinding instant.

Silverbreath blinked at her, coming her silver and green head and taking a confused step back. "What's wrong, Storm?" She asked, her voice showing nothing.

Storm twisted her neck to look at her mother. "I- " She was lost for words.

Her mother-dragon stretched out her snout and pushed her dragonet farther out.

"Won't you walk me in?" Asked Storm, her eyes round as she gazed at her mother, her heart pounding like lava in an erupting volcano.

"We discussed this." Silverbreath's voice was light, but held a stubborn appeal behind it, one that invited no arguing.

The ginger SkyWing turned her head slowly to glance at what was before her. It seemed so...

Big...

She turned her head once more, but her mother had left, leaving the small dragonet by herself.

Storm started slowly forested, hunching her shoulders and flexing out her wings so the passing dragons couldn't see her strange back.

She entered the large cave mouth, and entered. Inside, there were small torches lining the wall, blazing like little suns.

The floor was gray and smooth, like snow on the peaks, and the air smelled fresh and crisp. It was practically outside but... inside.

Storm swept her head to the side, observing more surroundings. A lean blue and white IceWing was heading for a large stone column that dragons were heading away from.

Atop the column was a pink dragon- or maybe it was green- or blue- it kept in changing colors in its excitement.

It must be a RainWing. Thought Storm, a small ball of excitement lighting her belly. She had never seen a live RainWing before. In fact- she had never seen any other dragons but her mother and occasionally her father.

She drew towards the RainWing, halting right behind the IceWing, who lashed her tail impatiently and swung her head to the side.

Her eyes were the color of chipped ice, and they landed on Storm like talons on prey. She felt herself shrink inside her scales as the icy cold gaze swept over her. It glared at her for a few moments before removing them from her and staring intently at a woozy-looking SandWing in front of the IceWing.

Storm let her shoulders droop with a silent breath of relief. The terrifying glare had lifted up the scales along her back, and she was glad she could push them back down.

My back. Storm realized, horror shooting through her as she quickly swept her wings around her back and looked around her anxiously, trying to tell if anyone had noticed.

Only a small NightWing stared at her, his eyes round. He held a small scroll in one talon, and a satchel in the other. The whites of his stretched out eyes were showing as he stared at her.

Embarrassment flooded through her skin, and she turned self consciously, trying to block him out.

She then realized that the sharp-eyed IceWing in front of her had moved, leaving Storm as the only one in line.

She quickly stumbled towards the rock column, tightening her wings around her back as she did so.

The once-pink dragon was now bright bright red. Storm didn't know much of scale colorings, but she assumed red was for anger, though this dragon looked anything but angry.

I guess there's no guesses in the RainWing world.

"Hello, I'm Kinkajou." Introduced the red-now-yellow dragon, her eyes bright with excitement. "I'm here to tell you to your room!" She blinked twice and curled up her tail.

"I-I'm Storm." Stuttered Storm, her wide blue eyes closing and opening. "T-the-" Kinkajou interrupted her.

"The SkyWing?" Asked Kinkajou, turning her gaze down to a grill she held in her talons.

"Yes... sort of."

Kinkajou looked up in confusion. "Repeat that last bit?" She said, her brow crinkled.

The ginger blinked slowly. "Nevermind, it's not important." She closed her wings up even tighter than before.

Kinkajou's scales fluttered to a deep magenta of confusion, before lifting back up to a pretty purple. "Oh, alright then." She scanned the scroll. "Your in the Silver Winglet."

She handed Storm a scroll. "Here is your welcome scroll." She said brightly, blinking. "Your room will be located in the Silver Cave." Her voice had a finishing sound, as if Storm couldn't reply.

The SkyWing dipped her head to Kinkajou, then turned and shuffled away towards a long hallway.

Down the hallway were doors that had a small plaque that read Gold, or Jade. There were also branching hallways which she guessed were to classes and such.

After she passed the Quartz Winglet's door, she spotted the Silver Winglet opening. She picked up her pace, weaving around a startled looking SeaWing.

Storm gazed up at the door, her eyes screwing up. Silver Winglet. She thought to herself. That sounds cool.

She pushed open the door, which branches into more hallways. More? She thought, bewilderment clouding her gaze.

The hallway held more plaques. One that said NightWings and RainWings. Storm began to walk forth, and she spotted another that said; MudWings and SeaWings.

Another read; SandWings and IceWings. Disappointment flickered through her, though, as she spotted the last sign.

SkyWings.

She blinked. Just SkyWings? But inside the confused disappointment, a spark of relief wormed in her belly.

She stepped in, swinging the door behind her. The SkyWing swept her gaze around the area. A charcoal-and-stone ledge invited her towards it.

Storm walked towards it, a homey feeling in her chest. It reminded her of the nests that Silverbreath used to fix for her.

She pushed the emotions away, and scanned the rest of the room. There was a desk, a bookshelf, a closet, and a chest.

Well. She thought. This is... spacious.
The disappointment she felt a moment ago was quickly replenished with another wave.

All Storm felt at that moment was a late joke of loneliness. She couldn't escape it, even at school. I thought school was supposed to be fun... she thought miserably.

The ginger blinked minor tears from her eyes and hung her head in an arched motion. She was moping, she knew, but she didn't feel like doing anything else.

Alone.

I'm alone.

Then she heard a knock.

Then another.

Then a fit of giggles.

She pulled herself slowly off her bed and started towards the door. Her claws felt like weights as she walked over and pulled open the door.

"Hi!" Greeted a bright yellow RainWing, she was smiling from ear to ear. Suddenly she was red, then black, then white, then yellow again. It reminded Storm of Kinkajou's flaring aura.

"I'm Lotus, and this is-" she turned sharply, her scales turning pink. "Inkwriter!" She hissed, shoving a familiar NightWing forth.

"It's you!" He gasped, his eyes wide, he stared past her, at her wings, which were covering her back. "From- from the- the... Your scales..." he seemed dazed and confused.

Lotus glared at him, her scales an emerald green. "Inkwriter!" She snapped. "Be polite."

Inkwriter blinked quickly, his forehead wrinkling. He stared at her, still not uttering a word. Lotus looked humiliated at this, and shoved him back.

"Sorry," she apologized. "He thinks every dragon is the SkyWing he saw this morning." Lotus rolled her eyes. "Whatever, but..." she stared at the vacant space behind Storm.

"Is it lonely?" She asked, her voice light and apologetic. Her eyes were sad and full of sympathy.

Sympathy I don't need.

"It's fine." She replied briskly, stepping back, about to close the door so she could be by herself.

Lotus's eyes widened, and she slapped her tail in front of the door, disabling the closing motion. "Do you have a copy of the schedule? I lent mine to Shiver and she froze it and threw it away."

Shiver? Storm blinked. "Oh, uh, sure, I guess." Okay then?

She turned and trotted to get her scroll, hoping this was what the RainWing was talking about.

When she arrived back at the doorway, she quickly asked; "I haven't looked at it yet, do you mind waiting a moment?"

Lotus blinked harshly. "No, we can do it together!" Her voice rose up an octave, and she bounced excitedly.

Storm took an alarmed step back as Lotus bounded in, spinning in tight, excited circles. "I hope we have herbs and healing first!" She announced.

"I hope we have math never." Muttered Storm to herself, fixing her eyes on her alone as she unrolled the scroll.

"That's funny," commented Lotus. "But I quite enjoy math. You get to talk about cool fruits and adding and stuff."

"That's not... nevermind." Storm growled under her breath, scanning the scroll for the schedule.

There.

"Math." Storm read aloud, disappointment in her words. "Then Herbs and Healing, History, Lunch, Band, Art, and Geography."

Lotus sat down. "I hate History." She stared, her scales turning red. "It is so boring."

Storm had to agree, sitting through an hour of crusty map-reading and studying sounded even more boring then suffering through a class of Herbs and Healing.

Lotus turned her head. "Anyway, thanks. I'll tell you if I need it again." She strutted out of the room, leaving Storm in her solitude.