"Oro, I can see you!" Crusade's voice cut through the air as the now five year old duo played a game of hide and seek. Oro poked his head from the leafy crown of the tree he had hid in, watching the other soar over to him on a gentle breeze.

Crusade rested on the branch under Oro's hiding spot, the hybrid nearly blending in perfectly with the darkness of the shaded leaves.

The NightWing smiled, reaching out, tapping his claw at the end of Oro's nose, a goofy smile on his face as he did so. "Boop!"

Oro sighed, dropping down, shaking the small twigs and leaves off his back and wings, picking a small caterpillar off of his horn, flicking it away.

"That was way faster then I thought it'd be. You've definitely gotten better," Oro praised, a small smile on his face as he wrapped his tail around his talons.

"The Ourobores? Complimenting me, the lowly outcast? Why! I'm the happiest dragon alive!" Crusade teased, his wings shooting out in a dramatic fashion, though not as dramatic as the pose he made. Oro gave a small laugh, before rolling his eyes.

"Yes, he is,"

"Whoa, he's even agreeing with me!"

"Alright, alright, that's enough, Crus,"

"Ah, never mind, we're back to normal now it seems,"

The hybrid gave a small sigh, looking down to the forest floor. Lyre was supposed to come join them today so all of them could go see whatever she had founded a few days ago.

The sound of a bag rustling made Oro turned. Strapped to Crusade's chest was a leather bag with a pop to lock lid, it was large, able to hole multiple things if he wanted to. But what did he do? Use it as a 'Ziggy Carrier'.

The now two year old possum popped her head from bag, her beady black eyes looking around. Her small pink nose twitched as she looked out, drawn out of her slumber by the smell of the fresh fruit around them.

"I see someone woke up from their nap, mornin', Ziggster!" Crusade reached, scratching the mammal on her head, earning a pleased look from the action. She let out a small chattering noise, before reaching up to the yellow banana bunch above them.

Oro reached up, taking one and plucked it, handing it over to the possum. With a small excited cry, she took the banana back into the bag with her, closing the lid soon after.

"Guess she was hungry," Crusade said, shrugging his shoulder, clipping the lock so she didn't fall out by accident.

"Yeah. I'm still surprised your dad let you keep her," Oro muttered, plucking a banana for him and his best friend. Crusade took it, giving a small 'Thank you' as he did so.

The two (three counting Ziggy) sat and enjoyed their time together, briefly jumping subject to subject as they waited for their RainWing companion.

"How are things with Solaris and Razzberry?" Crusade asked, throwing his banana peel down to the ground, taking one large bite to finish the fruit off.

Oro groaned, his wings huddled slightly. "Tense and weird... dad loves her; but mom just doesn't really seem interested in him, which is what's confusing me so much."

"I guess she just doesn't want to be tied down or she just doesn't want to have a mate or whatever. I don't blame her, love is overrated," Crusade said. He wrapped his tail around the branch, before falling backwards, hanging upside down.

Oro watched him, briefly being reminded of a giant flying fox. "Get up before all the blood rushes to your head."

"But, Orooo, it's fun, try it!" Crusade whined, looking up to him from his post. The hybrid watched him, before sighing, wrapping his own tail on the branch, before flipping upside down.

The who rainforest flipped, and instead of seeing the sunlight, the brown, murky forest floor was all he saw when he looked up. Crusade looked right side up, his wings opening to help him keep balance and to catch him if he feel.

"See? Not so bad. You need to live a bit more," he said, resting his talons, on his stomach, hanging there with Oro. The dark green dragonet copied him, looking around.

The whole world looked so diffrent, yet at the same time, so familiar. When he looked down, he was blinded by the sunlight, and his eyes felt like they would bulge out if he looked for too long. They hung there for a few more minutes enjoying the oddly relaxing moment between them.

Eventually, Oro pulled himself up, feeling like he was going to pass out from the blood rushing to his head. His claws dug into the bark as he hauled himself up, wincing as a thundering headache began to pound at his brain.

Crusade looked to him, and with a quick swing, he was right side up. "You okay?" he asked. Oro gave a small 'mhm', not wanting to nod or speak in fear of making the pounding worse.

"Sorry I'm late!" the two looked at the sudden noise, Oro having a talon on his face as he looked.

Lyre's pale purple and silver body came into view as she dip down from the top of the trees, her yellow eyes a calm and collective look to them.

"I thought someone was following me, turned out to just be a sloth that got lost so I had to take it back to the village before it got ate by a hungry predator," she explain.

Crusade smiled, his pointy white teeth showing. "You and animals, as per usu."

"Hush you. Now, are you boys ready to see what I found?" she asked. The two gave a small nod.

Lyre smiled, a small yellow wave going over her ruff. "Alright then, this way." With that, she jumped back, drifting into the air leading the two farther into the forest.

~~~

The three flew for a while, before resting on a tree brach, looking to a clearing.

In the clearing was a hut, mud and leaves all over it with neatly carved wood planks making the walls. A stone chimney was on top, sticks and leaves making the roof. A small lantern rested on a hook outside the hut, a small flower and vegetable garden to the left of it.

"What is this place?" Crusade asked quietly, looking down as far as he could without falling off. The sunlight from above made the clearing look peaceful, like someone could curl up and fall asleep and never worry about anything.

"I'm not sure. I thought I heard a injured toucan this way, and when I came over, all I found was this place. What dragon would live all the way out here?" Lyre asked.

Oro looked over to her, his black eyes spotting a few wisps of lime green covering her wings.

"It may just be a NightWing that doesn't like living under Queen Cherry or something. She's a big stuck in her old ways, after all," he mumbled.

"Hey, I think I see a dragon in there!" Crusade whispered loudly. Oro looked at him, before looking to where he was looking.

Through the window, Oro spotted a figure in in the hut. Strange glowing objects hung from the ceiling it seemed like, casting small, faint shadows on the walls. It was definitely a dragon in there, but Oro couldn't figure out who it was.

A sick, uneasy feeling came over him, something in his gut telling him it was a bad idea to go look. Even from their hiding spot, Oro felt like he was out in the open.

His heart started to beat quicker the most he watched the window. A quick movement passed by, before an eye stared straight at them.

It was seemingly glowing and had yellow coloring, no white being seen. For a moment, Oro had thought it was another hanging object thing that manage to float of swing over to the window, before he noticed the black slit in the middle.

It was definitely an eye, and it was definitely staring at them. As quick as it appeared, it vanished.

Oro felt his blood chill, something once again urging him to get away. "We should go," he started.

Lyre looked to him, a bit puzzled by his statement. "Why? Did you see something?"

Before Oro could reply, the door of the hut was slammed open. There in the entranceway stood a dragon, a RainWing. Oro felt his breathing hitch as he stared at her.

Dark, purplish magenta scales, darker top scales. Her wings were yellow, like a warning to those who came before her. She stood tall, her body having the typical RainWing slenderness, making her see seem a bit off centered with her larger the average wings.

Her eyes was what set her apart, the same creepy off putting stare with her dangerous yellow eyes. She looked up at the spot in the tree leaves, her voice smooth and silky, a motherly tone to it.

"Come down from there before you fall, dragonets. I don't want Cherry on my tail if some of her citizens are hurt."

Oro felt like he was frozen, no matter how hard he wanted to fly out of there, he couldn't move an inch. Crusade and Lyre seemed hesitate, before they former of the two made the first move, gliding down to the floor.

Lyre followed after, and after many heartbeats, Oro finally forced himself to move. He glided down on a calm wind, which seemed so strange with how terrified he was.

This was the dragon that stared at him two years ago, when he and Crusade learned to fly. Did she remember him? Who was he kidding, he knew she most definitely remembered him. What was making him so nervous though?

The ground underfoot wasn't muddy or nasty like the rest, which rose a bit of suspension from him. Were they nearing the mountain range?

"Do you dragonet want to explain to me why you were spying on me?" The dragoness asked.

Lyre looked nervous, her talons shuffling slightly as she spoke. "Well, I thought I heard an injured animal, a-and came to look for it. These t-two decided to come with me," she lied.

Crusade nodded his head, Oro following after with his own. The RainWing stared at them, before flicking her ear.

"Ahh, I see then. You heard Vermi; She's just my scarlet macaw, no worries. Sorry for scaring you, if there anything I could do to make it up to you? A soul reading session? Perhaps a palm reading, or talk to a spirit that's moved on?" She asked.

Crusade perked up, a look of awe and confusion in his dark eyes. "What's that- OW!"

He suddenly rubbed his shoulder, looking to Lyre, who had slapped him. She shot him a glare, before looking to the dragon before her.

"No thank you, ma'am, I think we're-"

"No, no, I insist! I know, a card session, on the house."

She had a reassuring smile on her, yet the glint in her eyes didn't go away. "Right this way."

With that, she turned, making her way back into the hut. Slowly and hesitate, the threw dragged themselves after her, sharing the same worried look on them. Oro was the first to make it in, leading them through the door.

The inside looked magical, like they had stepped into another plain of existence. From the ceiling floated talonfuls of strange glowing orb like crystals, some even having coloring to them. A carved table sat in the middle, a glass ball sitting on it, on either side were a stack of cards.

On the shelves on the wall were skulls from jaguars and birds, even a (hopefully fake) small dragon skull. Glass bottles and jars were filled with different things, none of them seeming to have been organized since forever.

The scent of flowers and a pot of soup on the fireplace filled the air, along with a slight musty smell.

The low lighting that came into the hut made it all more off putting, like any moment the door would-

BAM

Oro jumped as the door closed behind him, swinging his head to look. Lyre stood by it, Crusade now standing next to him and her. Lyre looked to Oro, giving a small smile as an apology.

The RainWing sat down at the table, taking a stack of cards, beginning to shuffle them.

"I suppose we should all introduce ourselves, yes? I'll go first," she started, placing the cards down, watching them as the dragonets each took a seat at the table.

"My name is Cateye, or so what everyone in our side of the continent has called me," Cateye explained, and right away, Oro spotted why. Both of her pupils were slits, like a tiger's or leopard's, and he found himself feeling as though he was growing smaller with second he stared into them.

Even Crusade grew uneasy it seemed like, the way he shuffled his wings and his eyes kept flickering about in the room.

"I'm Lyre, these are my friends, Oro and Crusade," the other RainWing said, slowly pointing to each of them, slight reluctance in her as she did so, like she wasn't sure if it was safe to even be giving her their real names.

"Crusade? Now that's not a name you hear everyday. Normally NightWings would have rather strange names, like Galaxyeyes or Jewelteeth. Oro? I'm guessing that's a nickname?" Cateye asked, splitting her stack of cards into twos, shuffling both as she spoke.

Oro felt his mouth go dry, but, in a moment that felt as though wasn't in control, he spoke, "Yes, it's short for Ourobores."

Cateye stopped, looking to him, a glint her in frightening eyes. "Ourobores? Ah, yes, the SandWing myth of the snake that's constantly eating its own tail. Even more strange for a NightWing."

"Hybrid, actually." Stop talking, stop talking!

"That's even more intriguing. Hybrids are rare, but I suppose now that the world we know is fine and such, it only makes sense for more mixed blood."

Cateye suddenly stopped talking, finishing up with her cards. She placed them onto the table, fanning them out for them all to see.

"Allow me to explain. These cards will tell your past, your present, and your future as well. Pick three, and I can tell you all about it. Possibly even move it around a bit too."

Lyre looked at the cards, nervously picking three, Oro and Crusade taking the same amount. Cateye smiled, collecting the cards, placing them too the side.

"We'll start with the RainWing. Cards?" she held her talon out, taking the three pieces of papyrus from her. She looked over them, smiling a bit.

"My, my... you have an exciting story to tell," she began. She plucked a card, holding it up with a smile. The card was of two dragons twining their tails, eggs underneath them.

"You come from a line of purebreds, a line that was even once associated with the Queen at one point. However." She flipped the card, the back now diffrent. It showed a dragon weeping and looking up at the sky.

"Someone in the line ruined it, and tarnished the bloodline, practically wiping it forever."

Lyre frowned as she heard Cateye speak. The adult plucked the other card, flipping it. The second card was of a dragon singing, looking content and happy.

"You have the voice of an angel, a harmony not even birds can recreate. You use it for good, singing songs to creatures of all types."

She flipped it, the back once again changed. It was of a dragon being surrounded by others, a while grin on its face.

"But even an angel can grow horns. Don't let it get to your head, or you'll fall from your branch faster than a falling coconut."

Finally, the last card came into play. It was of a dragon once again, but instead of doing anything, it stared at the front, doing nothing.

"Your future will be lonely for a long time, but after it is over." The back revealed a smiling dragon, others around it, seemingly laughing and having a good time together.

"You will find where you belong."

Lyre looked frozen, taking in what she had been told. Oro looked at her from the corner of his eyes, quietly wrapping his tail with hers. She looked to him, before looking back to Cateye.

She took Crusade's cards, smiling as she did so. "Ooh, this shall be fun. Our first card, your past."

The card in Cateye's talon was of an egg, decorations all over it, making the egg oddly beautiful. Swirls of gold and amber paint shimmered slightly in the low lighting.

"You have already escaped death before you even hatched."

Crusade looked on with worry, freezing up just as Lyre did. Oro frowed his browns, confused by her words. Crusade had escaped death?

"You were supposed to die before you even broke your shell. Normally this would be a card in a dragon's future, for their clutch of eggs. Never before as someone pulled it as their past."

She took the next card, Crusade's present. It showed a dragon smiling again, only it was diffrent from Lyre's.

"You are hyper and reckless, taking other's emotions into account with your own. This isn't your fault though, it's just how your brain works. You try to be one everyone's good side, but."

The card flip, showing a crying dragon, talons digging into its snout as other's laughed around it.

"You've always been fragile, nervous of what others will say about you. With time will come thicker scales, and through it all you'll still have a few by your side."

The last card, his future, was now on display. It showed to dragons smiling and resting their heads on one another's shoulder.

"You'll fine someone who you can trust, and live a long, long time with them."

Cateye set them down. Finally, she reached and picked Oro's cards. Her slitted eyes scanned over them, and for a moment, Oro saw a flash that screamed danger. She looked up, a smile on her face that sent shivers down his spine.

"Our first one, your past. You're not who you really think you are, Oro." The card was split down the middle, a white dragon being split with a black dragon.

"You ran away from something you can't even remember."

Oro mind suddenly buzzed with multiple questions. What? No, he hatched here in the rainforest, with everyone else, always obeyed the rules and never did anything that would get him in the trouble. There was nothing he could be running from.

The next card caught his attention. It was his present card, showing a dragon looking up to the moon, crying. "Your present tells of a dragonet who isn't sure what he wants in life. His dreams don't blend with his reality, to the point he doesn't even know if he could ever do what he wishes to do."

Oro watched as the card was placed down onto the table. The picture of the dragon crying made him unnerved, finding himself feeling self-conscious almost.

"And finally, your future tells me of-"

Cateye quickly dropped the card as a scream cut through the air, "Rodent!"

Oro's head whipped to see what had scared the RainWing, looking to Crusade's bag, seeing Ziggy poke her head out. Her black eyes were wide, angry chattering filling the room as her fur rose.

"Ziggy!" Crusade yelped, watching the possum jump onto the table, hissing and bristling her fur. Cateye scrambled to get away, growling as she bared her teeth.

"You named that thing?" Cateye asked, before shaking her head. "It doesn't matter; out, out all of you! Take your overgrown rat with you!"

Crusade picked up Ziggy, who continued to puff and spit at the fully grown dragon. Oro and the others got up, backing up to the door.

"Wait, what about my future?"

"Forget it, get out of my house! Go, shoo!" Cateye opened her yellow wings her long fangs at the ready, making the dragonets hurry to get out.

The three scrambled to get out, not wishing to upset the strange dragon anymore. They flew up into the trees, darting through them in the air.

They didn't look back, just fled as fast as they could, finally escaping whatever curse that Cateye had put onto them.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Finished - Nov. 27th

Phew! There we go, nearly 3,500 words. Sorry this took so long.

Question time now! Can you guess who Cateye is based on? There is a certain villain I based most of her personality and her mannerisms on.

I hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you all next chapter. Take care!