"You good?"

"Huh?" The Seawing glanced up from going through his bag, and he realized how tense his wings were. He had been thinking to himself, his thoughts rapidly running over Solar and the big fight that was to come- as well as the fact he was alone with Snowfall.

That was the most unnerving thing so far.

"I'm fine." Seaglass says, totally not fine as he flicked his tail and grabbed the canteen of water he had been searching for. Snowfall was quiet as he drank, the Icewing having his eyes on the darkening sky. "How long do you think it'll be?" Says Seaglass, referring to when they would arrive at the Stone Kingdom. He and the Icewing had been flying non stop over the ocean since that morning, just recently coming across land.

"At least another day." Snowfall sighed, sitting down under the trees that hung over them in their hastily set up camp. They had found a rather large cluster of those odd purple trees, more of the clusters scattered across the nearly black soil and short grass. Setting up camp under the biggest tree, they immediately collapsed in exhaustion.

"I wonder how everyone else is doing." Seaglass says, catching Snowfall's eyes. The Icewing turned a darker blue and looked away.

"They're fine, I can tell." Snowfall responds, Seaglass snorting at this.

"You said that back at the Academy when that poor Mudwing got that weird ink spilled on him." He mimicked Snowfall's voice. "He's fine, I can tell." He switched back to his normal way of speaking. "Now the scales up to his ankles are permanently blue. Sorry, but I don't think I trust your judgement."

Snowfall just stared at his talons, giggling. "Oh, I forgot about that."

"You forgot about that?" Seaglass cried, looking offended. "But that art class was where we became besties! I can't believe you."

Snowfall laughed even harder as Seaglass stumbled over to him. "Besties?"

"What, are we not besties now or something?" Seaglass demanded, secretly exhilarated he had gotten Snowfall to join in on a lighthearted conversation.

"You got rid of your bandages." Snowfall noted, his blue eyes narrowed at Seaglass. Scooting a little closer, the Seawing flapped his wings.

"Don't change the subject."

"I guess we're besties." Snowfall finally said, rolling his eyes. But this left the Seawing confused. The enthusiasm in his voice didn't match is expression.

"Do you know how to start a fire?" He asked him hopefully, Snowfall arching his brows at this.

"Keep in mind you're talking to an Icewing here." Snowfall said, getting to his feet. "But yeah, I had to do it once our twice on our little adventure. Come with me to go get some sticks or whatever."

"I'm good right here, see, I'm quite too lazy for that." He said cheerfully as he began to lay down. But Snowfall wasn't having any of it. The Icewing just stomped over to him and hauled him back to his feet, the bands around his wrists even colder than his scales as they brushed against Seaglass's talons. Snowfall and Seaglass were uncomfortably close.

"Come on." Snowfall urged, turning from the tired Seaglass as he sighed and began to walk into the center of the trees. 

"Fine." Seaglass whined, flapping his wings as he muttered under his breath. "Only for you."

******
"You idiot, the other one."

"Shut up! I'm doing my best!"

Seaglass and Snowfall were hauling back large twigs to their campsite. Seaglass roared with laughter as he tripped the Icewing, Snowfall cursing and dropping the bundle of twigs he had so carefully put together.

"It's getting too dark, we need light, not everyone can see like you!" He cried.

"We have all the light we need." Seaglass flickered his glowing patterns at him, grinning.

"What are you even saying?" Snowfall hurriedly picks up the rest of the twigs, brushing past Seaglass. "You know I hate it when you say things in aquatic."

"Why else would I be doing it, duh."

The Icewing turned around to glare at him with his silvery blue eyes, and Seaglass felt his heart begin to thud crazily against his ribcage.

Snowfall just shook his head as they reached their camp, immediately dropping his pile of twigs in the center. Seaglass dropped the others a ways away, for when they needed to stoke the fire later.

"So how exactly does an Icewing make fire?" Seaglass asked, genuinely curious. Snowfall picked up a twig or two and some things from his bag, settling near the pile of twigs.

"Easily." Said Snowfall.

He wrapped what looked like a piece of twine around a random twig, pressing that twig against a flat piece of wood. He took the twine and twig and pressed them in his talons, pulling the twine as he rolled the twig a little bit, the friction of the twig was shaving the flat piece of wood down.

"Wow." Seaglass said merely, leaning in close near his shoulder as he observed, the Icewing not seeming to mind.

Eventually, from that, smoke began to rise. Snowfall hurriedly got some of the dry grass he collected earlier and taking the ashes that had formed from the wood and blowing them gently onto the grass. Flames slowly flickered to life. He dropped it, quite literally, like a hot stone, in the middle of the pile of twigs they had created in the middle, a small fire now burning.

"That's.. Really impressive." Seaglass turned his head to meet Snowfall's eyes, once again closer than usual.

Snowfall's scales just flushed darkly and he scooted away to go mess with something else. "Not really, but thanks."

Seaglass looked out after him, almost longingly. He was still for a long moment. He got up and walked over to Snowfall once the Icewing had settled down, quiet. Snowfall's head lifted up as he was about to ask what he was doing, but Seaglass just lay near him, close enough that their tails almost touched, and close to the crackling fire.

He felt Snowfall freeze, more like a sculpture made of ice than ever.

"Goodnight." Seaglass said, closing his eyes. He could've sworn he heard a response as he was drifting off to sleep.

*****

When Seaglass awoke, he was all alone.

Wait, nevermind.

"Rise and shine." Said a sudden voice from behind him, Seaglass looking back as Snowfall was pulling his bag back over his neck.

Seaglass just rolled back over and groaned, his wing shielding his face. "I want to go back to sleep. Can I please go back to sleep."

"And I want Solar to stop being a you know what and get over her idea of ruling in tyranny." Said Snowfall bitterly as he swept out the dying embers of the fire."But unfortunately we don't always get what we want."

Seaglass considered this before sitting up and getting to his feet and stretching. In the sunlight, the non royal patterns on his wing membrane stood out in a shiny, pearly green. He grinned at this, catching Snowfall staring in awe at his wings out of the corner of his eye.

"Off we go again, huh then?" He said in a forced, cheerful tone. Snowfall just gave him a tired look that was all too familiar.

"Off we go."

*****

The Stone Kingdom was nothing but large, rocky hills.

When they first flew across it, they were certain they had gone the wrong way, but according to their map, they were right where they needed to be. And Seaglass didn't like it one bit. The dark grey, speckled terrain was very unique. Some rocks and stones jutting from the ground formed crazy, round and intricate forms. However, most of them had come to be rectangular. How this happened, neither dragon had the faintest clue. But the thing Seaglass hated the most were the gaping craters.

Large, ominous, and overall dangerous looking, several dented the surface. But from the the advice a few Cavewings from the Rogues gave them, that's where they needed to go.

"I hate this even more than I originally did." Said Snowfall honestly, Seaglass peering down in distaste as they winged around another crater.

"Why couldn't we have gotten an easier task?" Seaglass agreed. "I'm willing to go to the Kingdom of Crystals over this, even though the dragon we'd probably see the most of would be Peridot, who hates us for some reason."

"I wonder why-"

"Hey." Seaglass interrupted, pointing down at a smaller crater they happened to be gliding over. He and Snowfall exchanged a glance, like, it looks promising. As promising as a giant crater in the ground could, anyway.

"Race you down?" Snowfall said suddenly, Seaglass looking at him in surprise. He thought this through for a moment before a smirk played on his face.

He flapped, once, "Of course." and let himself fall.

The Icewing grinned and followed. Both dragons were pale, plummeting shapes against the dark sky. Seaglass kept his wings spread, falling sharply. The wind cutting against his scales was cold and bitter, though he loved it anyway. Snowfall was gaining on him, beating his narrow wings and falling through the air faster each time. For a brief moment, all worries were erased from his head. It was just them.

"Looks like you're losing!" Called Snowfall, breaking Seaglass from his daze. The Icewing's dark eyes glittered like the depths of the ocean and his smile was breathtaking. However, he was right, as Seaglass noticed he was trailing very far behind Snowfall, and they were nearing the ground. He simply scowled and lifted his wings a bit, catching himself from his fall and smoothing into a glide. Snowfall did the same, and they landed near the large crater.

"I have the right to brag now." Said Snowfall, his smile now casual, though it disappeared fully once he noticed Seaglass's attention was elsewhere and his eyes passed over the crater.

"Oh, no." The pale Seawing backed away.

"We don't really have any other choice." Said Snowfall, starting down the crater. Seaglass shuffled nervously behind him, and Snowfall paused and groaned irritably. "Do I really have to walk wing to wing with you, you big baby?"

Seaglass flicked his tail and growled at this, still pausing before he brushed past Snowfall and walked ahead of him. "That's not necessary."

Snowfall stopped and watched him go, shaking his head as Seaglass kept walking. They were approaching a large, obviously dug entrance at the base of the sloping crater. Six black stones, three on each side in order of their size, lined this entrance.

"Joy." Said Seaglass, lighting up all off his glowing spots and wincing, for it gave him a headache. An eerie green light now illuminated the entrance, showing that it sloped even deeper down. "I have a feeling I'm not going to like where these Cavewings live."

"Ditto." Agreed Snowfall, edging a little closer to Seaglass and grimacing.

"Well, off we go." Seaglass paused. "Again. For like the third time." He heard Snowfall chuckle at his response, and began forward.

The silence was worse than the claustrophobia.

Seaglass forged on, the slope going down..down... Just when the air began to get thinner, they'd find a weird shaft that blasted fresh air from outside. It smelt actually a bit pleasing to Seaglass, very earthy. Every now and then he'd hear Snowfall take a breath behind him like he was about to start talking, but it always cut off short. Until now.

"Why?" Said Snowfall, Seaglass stopping with a startled expression.

"What do you mean?" He asked, inhaling shakily and continuing to walk.

"Back when we were attacked by the Lightningwings.." Snowfall muttered. "Why did you push me out of the way?"

"I wasn't about to let my friend get hurt." Seaglass replied hastily, Snowfall narrowing his eyes.

"But you were willing to take the risk yourself? You were probably damaged even worse than I would've been, with your stupid jewelry." The Icewing spat. "Gee, aren't you in a rush to get yourself hurt."

Seaglass turned around to face him, his patterns glowing brighter. "Why are you even asking me about this? It happened, it's over, I'm fine, just drop it."

Snowfall slowly reached out, his talons brushing lightly against his scars. His face looked sick in the green light. "Fine." He muttered quietly. "This doesn't look fine to me."

Seaglass just glared at him.

"You're more valuable to the team than I am." Snowfall hissed, dropping his talons. "You should've just let me take the hit and gone and helped Mudpuddle or Artemis."

"Just drop it, Snowfall." Seaglass urged, his wings twitching against the close walls.

"You don't know how bad it was after we lost you." Said the Icewing finally, his breath a cold cloud.

Seaglass turned around and continued on.

*****

The tunnel had widened. Now big enough for about three dragons to walk side by side. Which, of course, they couldn't do after that argument.

"Look, torches." Pointed out Seaglass, gesturing to the glowing lights on the walls. "We must be getting close."

Snowfall just nodded, his eyes busy scanning the long marbled stone arch that held up all that stone and earth above them. Seaglass was just as impressed, also quite happy he no longer had to have his markings glowing, but his head still pounded due to it. The lightin was dim, but he could see just fine. He tried not to say anything when he felt Snowfall accidentally stumble on his tail.

Suddenly, loud shouting could be heard. The Seawing and Icewing exchanged glances, and rushed after it. They found a dozen or so quite large, wide shouldered dragons with curved horns crowded around what looked to be another tunnel. They were frantic, and many were hauling out large stones from the entrance and trying to get through, even the smallest not being able to squeeze in.

Bewildered, the two stood there in shock for a moment before a pale grey/brown dragon rushed up to them. She had her teeth bared in a threatening way, but she seemed more worried about other things at the moment.

"What happened?" Seaglass squeaked as a bladed tail was brought up under his chin. Snowfall snarled and stepped forward, though the Seawing stopped him with his wing.

"Who are you?" The female Cavewing asked, her voice shrill.

"We're from the Desert Rogues, here to see the Queen." Snowfall held up his wrist, which a flag was tied around. "Now what happened?"

The female lowered her tail and Seaglass reached up to his throat with a gasp, gingerly pressing at where the blade barely grazed his skin. Snowfall looked at him with worry, his eyes narrowing at the Cavewing.

"I don't believe you'll be getting an audience with the Queen today." she said in despair. "We had a cave-in with one of the tunnels, and she got trapped underneath. We're trying to dig her out before she runs out of air, but none of us can make it through in time."

Seaglass strained his neck to look over her shoulder, seeing just that happening. The female eyed them with a frightening grey and yellow gaze. She shifted her wings anxiously and looked back at the frantic dragons, her fierce gaze once again resting on the two.

"Could you possibly-?" She begged, backing up and flicking her tail at the opening they had managed to make.

"I can try." Said Seaglass immediately, rushing forward, Snowfall reaching out and grabbing his wing to halt him.

"We can try." He told the Cavewing, who nodded vigorously and barked at the others to get out of the way. The female stopped them before they could go in, her expresion serious.

"My name is Shatter, and you will forever have my gratitude if you can save my mother." She said, the two nodding in understanding.

"I promise, we'll save her." Seaglass responded, he and Snowfall sharing one last glance before Seaglass lit up his scales, and they crawled in. They were breathing heavy by the time they could stand again, the lack of air becoming dangerously obvious to them. And just a ways away, they spotted the Queen. 

She sat hunched over, her face contorted in pain and cuts bleeding from her dark olive scales. Her right wing and hind leg seemed to be crushed under the mountain of marble and earth that had caved in.

"Your majesty." Called Seaglass, grabbing Snowfall and rushing forward. The rest of the earth and marble arch above them rumbled, threatening to collapse and trap them here as well.

Bat raised her head, her expression hopeful. "Who-?"

"Desert Rogues, at your service." Snowfall said, beginning to assess how to get her free. Seaglass grimaced and circled the Queen as well, his eyes darkening.

"Anything you can do?" She urged, both the large Queen and Snowfall looking startled once the tunnel rumbled again.

Seaglass glanced over to Snowfall, and saw the look of regret cross his face.

"Snow?" Seaglass asked hopefully, the Icewing sighing and coming around to face the Queen.

"I.. I think I know how to free you. But you are not going to like it one bit." He admitted, the Cavewing just wheezing.

"I don't care, just get me out of here."

"What's the plan?" Asks Seaglass, his green eyes sparkling.

"I think I can use my frostbreath on her wing and leg, but she'll lose them." He glanced at the Queen as he said this, her face falling ashen.

"Do it." She said.

Seaglass felt his stomach churn at the thought, but he was determined to get the Queen free. He walked over to the mountain of rubble and Bat's trapped wing and leg, prepared to use his tail to break it away once they were frozen. Snowfall looked even sicker than he did, though, as he came around beside the Seawing.

Seaglass put his wing around him.

"Brace yourself, your majesty." Said Snowfall, inhaling shakily as Bat tensed and Seaglass pulled him close. He let out a cloud of frostbreath over her leg. Bat immediately howled in pain, slamming her head and curved horns into the ground as her tail lashed violently. He breathed again, watching the ice slowly form over her leg and begin on her wing, turning them a sickening glossy purple-blue.

Bat was screaming now, the Cavewings outside roaring at Seaglass and Snowfall in response, sounding furious. The ceiling shook, small chunks of marble falling down dangerously close to them. One last deep breath did the trick, and Bat was sobbing.

"I'm so sorry." Snowfall cried, turning away as his face turned even paler. Seaglass took this as the sign to smash his tail into the frozen limbs.

They shattered all too easily, the Queen shrieking one last time before she passed out from the pain. Snowfall reluctantly breathed one last layer of frostbreath over the stumps of the wounds to stop the bleeding. He broke away from Seaglass, gingerly supporting the Queen up so they could drag her out. Seaglass made Snowfall take the lead, both frantically dragging Bat to the now-larger entrance.

The ceiling was shaking even more, larger chunks of marble collapsing down along with chucks of earth. Seaglass slammed his tail into the rocks to make a winder entrance for them and the Queen, and he could faintly hear Bat sobbing again.

He caught Shatter's gaze as they hauled Bat to the entrance, the queen stumbling as the Cavewings reached out to pull her away from the collapsing tunnel. Seaglass was just about to grab Snowfall before he was shoved hastily out of the tunnel first, into the Cavewings. He looked back in shock as Snowfall was pulling the Queen along, the tunnel collapsing even rapidly now. Finally, Bat stumbled out of the entrance, coughing up dust as tears raced down her face from the pain of her missing limbs.

"You idiot-" Seaglass roared, rushing forwards and shoving Cavewings out of the way as Snowfall took a dizzying step forward, his chest heaving as he inhaled dust from the falling debris, blue blood trailing from a fresh would on his shoulder where a decent sized shard of marble embedded itself. He glanced back at the tunnel briefly before turning back to look at Seaglass. Though the Seawing reached him just in time and hauled him out of the way.

They both collapsed on top of each other outside just seconds before a huge slab of marble came crashing down, dirt and dust going up in a massive cloud as dragons around them coughed helped the Queen into a different, much more stable looking tunnel labeled Infirmary .

Seaglass felt his heart racing rapidly as both he and Snowfall lay sprawled out on the cool ground. Snowfall had his arms wrapped very tightly around the Seawing's neck, just as he did for Snowfall. Snowfall's chest was heaving, and Seaglass just now noticed the stupid smile on his face. Seaglass loosened his grip on the Icewing so he could look him squarely in the face, outraged.

"What in the name of Queen Coral are you smiling for?" He roared. "You gave me a heart attack, you idiot-hell, I thought you were going to be crushed! By the Titans, Snowfall, never-"

The Icewing stopped him by pressing his snout against the raging Seawing's cheek, his expression now emotionless.

"Now you know how I felt when you jumped in front of that Lightningwing." Snowfall said.

"Three moons." Said Seaglass, his eyes startled, breathless.

Snowfall cracked a smile, laughing. The Seawing hesitated before pressing his snout to Snowfall's in return, both getting to their feet. Seaglass grimaced at the wound on Snowfall's shoulder, the Icewing just shaking his head.

"Let's go get that fixed up." Said Seaglass, Snowfall shifting his wing to brush it against Seaglass's.

"And while we do, we can have that chat with the Queen. I'm sure she'll listen since we just saved her life and all."

~~~~~~

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