[Prologue] - [pp I2] Farsight, Secretkeeper - [pp I4] Preyhunter, Secretkeeper - [pp I8] Secretkeeper - [pp I9] Secretkeeper, Preyhunter, Moonwatcher [Chapter 1] - [pp 1] Moonwatcher, Secretkeeper - [pp 4] Tsunami, Auklet, Coral, Moonwatcher, Anemone, Turtle [Chapter 2] - [pp 10] Moonwatcher - [pp 11] Secretkeeper, Moonwatcher - [pp 12] Moonwatcher - [pp 13] Fatespeaker, Moonwatcher - [pp 14] Fatespeaker, Moonwatcher - [pp 15] ???, Moonwatcher - [pp 16] ???, Moonwatcher - [pp 17] Qibli, Moonwatcher - [pp 20] Carnelian, Pike, Moonwatcher, Darkstalker, Clay, ??? - [pp 23] Kinkajou, Carnelian, Moonwatcher, Darkstalker [pp I2] FARSIGHT: Oh, Seecretkeeper, poor dear. FARSIGHT: The egg you lost was due to hatch tonight, wasn't it? Are you all right? FARSIGHT: Do you want someone to sit with you? SECRETKEEPER: I'm fine. SECRETKEEPER: Just... going to get some air. FARSIGHT: Do you want company? FARSIGHT: I know it's not the same, but when Morrowseer took my egg -- SECRETKEEPER: It's not the same at all! SECRETKEEPER: You have TWO surviving dragonets, and one of them is off on the continent being pampered and overfed and worshipped by the Talons of Peace. SECRETKEEPER: So don't try to act like you understand me! [pp I4] PREYHUNTER: Do you think it'll be tonight? SECRETKEEPER: No. It can't be. SECRETKEEPER: Mastermind said we have more time before it interrupts. PREYHUNTER: Right. And I'll remember why we trust him any minute now. PREYHUNTER: What are you going at this hour? PREYHUNTER: Shouldn't you have backup for night hunting? SECRETKEEPER: I'll be all right. I just -- can't sleep and I thought -- maybe I'd bring back a sloth or a boar for Greatness to give the queen... PREYHUNTER: Ah. PREYHUNTER: Keeping the queen happy. PREYHUNTER: Always a good idea. Right, see you soon, then. [pp I8] SECRETKEEPER: Oh! [pp I9] SECRETKEEPER: I'm your mother, little one. SECRETKEEPER: I'm going to call you Moonwatcher. SECRETKEEPER: You're going to have the happiest life any dragon has ever had, and you're going to live forever and ever, and the volcano will never have you. PREYHUNTER: SECRETKEEPER! SECRETKEEPER: Moonwatcher! SECRETKEEPER: We have to hide you. MOONWATCHER: Awrk? SECRETKEEPER: Come here. SECRETKEEPER: No, you can't go out there. SECRETKEEPER: You have to stay hidden, do you understand? SECRETKEEPER: You must not let any dragon find you except Mommy. MOONWATCKER: Rrrrk? MOONWATCHER: Arrwrk? SECRETKEEPER: No, I can't stay. SECRETKEEPER: I'm sorry. You'll be safer if I go. SECRETKEEPER: I'll be back as soon as I can. SECRETKEEPER: Please, please don't leave this spot until I come. SECRETKEEPER: All right? SECRETKEEPER: Stay secret. Stay hidden. Stay safe. PREYHUNTER: SECRETKEEPER! SECRETKEEPER: See you soon, little one. MOONWATCHER: Awrk? MOONWATCHER: Awrk? MOONWATCHER: Awrk? MOONWATCHER: Mommy? ** PART 1: WELCOME TO JADE MOUNTAIN ** [Chapter 1] [pp 1] MOONWATCHER: I don't want you to leave me here. MOONWATCHER: I really, really don't want to stay here. SECRETKEEPER: I know, but you have to. SECRETKEEPER: And it'll be good for you. SECRETKEEPER: I think you'll like it better than the NightWing village, you'll see. SECRETKEEPER: {At least Jade Mountain won't be full of NightWings.} MOONWATCHER: I like being wherever you are, and I don't mind the other NightWings that much. SECRETKEEPER: Most of them are awful and you know it. SECRETKEEPER: Here you'll be with much nicer dragons. SECRETKEEPER: Like Sunny and Starflight. SECRETKEEPER: Remember you met them and liked them? MOONWATCHER: I want to be with you. SECRETKEEPER: I'll visit. SECRETKEEPER: You'll see me all the time. SECRETKEEPER: And you'll make friends here, I'm sure you will. SECRETKEEPER: {Well, I hope you will, my weird little diamond.} MOONWATCHER: I'm not a weird little diamond! SECRETKEEPER: ...You need to stop doing that, remember? SECRETKEEPER: If you only hear it in your head, don't respond. SECRETKEEPER: No one can know about your curse. SECRETKEEPER: Everybody thinks NightWings don't have powers anymore -- they won't know what to do with you if they find out. SECRETKEEPER: {And how will you make friends that way, if you keep guessing their thoughts and making them uncomfortable?} SECRETKEEPER: Or they might not believe you, and then they'll hate you for lying. SECRETKEEPER: So don't let them find out, all right? MOONWATCHER: I know. MOONWATCHER: Stay secret. Stay hidden. Stay safe. MOONWATCHER: ... MOONWATCHER: So isn't this really dangerous? What if I make a mistake here, with all these different kinds of dragons around? SECRETKEEPER: You won't. You'll be careful. SECRETKEEPER: I know it's terrible to be the way you are, but if you keep it a secret, you can have a normal life. SECRETKEEPER: No one needs to know that you're not a normal dragon. SECRETKEEPER: Understand? SECRETKEEPER: Are you ready to go inside? MOONWATCHER: Not yet. MOONWATCHER: Can we watch for a little longer? SECRETKEEPER: (Sigh.) SECRETKEEPER: Sure. SECRETKEEPER: {She's so nervous all the time. I'm sure I was never that nervous when I was a dragonet.} MOONWATCHER: ... MOONWATCHER: {Don't you think maybe there's a reason I'm like this?} MOONWATCHER: ... SECRETKEEPER: Oh, look. SECRETKEEPER: SeaWings! Do you see the one with the ropes of pearls? SECRETKEEPER: I think that's their queen! MOONWATCHER: Queen Coral. MOONWATCHER: Those two must be her daughters, since she never lets them out of her sight. MOONWATCHER: I don't know who the other one is. SECRETKEEPER: Remember not to show off! SECRETKEEPER: I mean, thank you for telling me, but the other dragons might not like you if you always know all the answers. MOONWATCHER: ... [pp 4] TSUNAMI: You came! TSUNAMI: (Hugs!!) AUKLET: Awk! Hey! CORAL: I'm really not sure about this. MOONWATCHER: {Oh, I'm a snail-brain. That must be Tsunami.} TSUNAMI: It'll be great. I'll take care of Anemone, I promise. AUKLET: Me too, me too! AUKLET: I want to go to shcool, too! CORAL: You are much too young. CORAL: I can't risk anything happening to you, especially while Anemone is this far away. TSUNAMI: Maybe next year, Auklet. AUKLET: Maybe!!! CORAL: ...And I'm only letting this happen because Anemone has been badgering me about it every day since she got your message about the school. CORAL: But you can come home *anytime*, you understand? CORAL: If you feel threatened, or lonely, or overworked, or tired-- ANEMONE: I'll be fiiiine! MOONWATCHER: ... MOONWATCHER: {Why doesn't Secretkeeper want to keep me close like that?} MOONWATCHER: {Does she think I'm cursed...? Does she want to keep me far away from her?} MOONWATCHER: ... TSUNAMI: Who's this? CORAL: This is one of your brothers. CORAL: He heard about this and really wanted to come, too. CORAL: Which one are you again? TURTLE: Turtle...! TSUNAMI: One of my brothers? TSUNAMI: I didn't realize -- I mean, I guess I knew the male eggs were surviving every time your female eggs were destroyed by the Orca statue-- TSUNAMI: But I didn't even think about having brothers! TURTLE: There are about thirty of us. TURTLE: (Shrug.) TSUNAMI: THIRTY? TSUNAMI: I have THIRTY BROTHERS???? TURTLE: Well, thirty-two. TURTLE: (Spots Moonwatcher: ...?) TSUNAMI: Why didn't you mention this before???? CORAL: Who cares about them? CORAL: They can't inherit the throne. MOONWATCHER: (Tilts head.) TURTLE: {.} MOONWATCHER: {Huh?} TURTLE: {.} TSUNAMI: Well, *I'm* happy to meet you, Turtle. TSUNAMI: And I'm glad you're joining our school so I can get to know you better. CORAL: I want to see everything before I leave. TSUNAMI: ...Of course. TSUNAMI: Come inside. [Chapter 2] [pp 10] MOONWATCHER: {What *was* that?} MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {"NightWing powers include mind reading and visions of the future."} MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {Lucky me.} [pp 11] SECRETKEEPER: Wow, a real queen. SECRETKEEPER: I've never seen one before. MOONWATCHER: You see Queen Glory all the time. SECRETKEEPER: Queen Glory is barely older than you are! SECRETKEEPER: I mean a *real* queen, someone who's ruled her tribe for years and years. SECRETKEEPER: ... SECRETKEEPER: All right! SECRETKEEPER: That's enough hiding in shadows and 'observing'. SECRETKEEPER: Time for you to go find your cave. MOONWATCHER: {Already!?} MOONWATCHER: Alone? Aren't you coming inside? SECRETKEEPER: This will be good for you. SECRETKEEPER: {I hope.} SECRETKEEPER: {Remember, Secretkeeper: Be strong.} SECRETKEEPER: {Just turn and fly away.} SECRETKEEPER: I love you, and I will see you soon. SECRETKEEPER: ... SECRETKEEPER: {Oh, I hope this is the right thing. What am I doing? How do I know if this will be good for her?} MOONWATCHER: {!} MOONWATCHER: {She doesn't want to leave me!} MOONWATCHER: Wait! MOONWATCHER: What if I came next year instead? MOONWATCHER: What if-- SECRETKEEPER: Trust me, moonbud. SECRETKEEPER: You will love it here. SECRETKEEPER: Just keep your curse hidden, and you'll be fine. SECRETKEEPER: Act normal, no matter what happens. SECRETKEEPER: And write to me soon! SECRETKEEPER: Good-bye! [pp 12] MOONWATCHER: {Well, then.} MOONWATCHER: {Imagine this is the rainforest, and you're hungry, and your mother's been gone for three days, and you can smell a bunch of bananas inside the cave.} MOONWATCHER: {If I could be brave enough to feed myself when I had to, I can be brave enough to walk into a school and find the place I'm supposed to be.} [pp 13] FATESPEAKER: Hello! FATESPEAKER: Welcome to the Great Hall of Jade Mountain! FATESPEAKER: Let me guess -- you're Moonwatcher, aren't you? FATESPEAKER: I'm tremendously good at guessing. FATESPEAKER: In fact, one might even say I'm *mysteriously* good at it. FATESPEAKER: ...Almost as though I'm... *reading your mind*, eh? MOONWATCHER: {?!} FATESPEAKER: Just kidding! FATESPEAKER: MAAAAYBE. FATESPEAKER: I'm Fatespeaker. FATESPEAKER: I'm not a teacher like the others; I'm just helping wherever I can. FATESPEAKER: Here's your welcome scroll and your map! FATESPEAKER: Hey, look, you have silver scales next to your eyes just like I do! FATESPEAKER: Yours are bigger and sparklier, though. FATESPEAKER: It is Moonwatcher, right? MOONWATCHER: Yes. Um. Moon. FATESPEAKER: {Yess!!} [pp 14] FATESPEAKER: Moon, Moon, Moon... FATESPEAKER: Ah, here you are. FATESPEAKER: Second tunnel on the left, fifth cave on the right. FATESPEAKER: You're going to love your clawmates! MOONWATCHER: {Apparently I'm going to love all sorts of things...} MOONWATCHER: Clawmates? MOONWATCHER: What are those? FATESPEAKER: The dragons you're sharing a cave with! MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {Sharing a cave? All the time?} FATESPEAKER: Oooo, here come some IceWings! FATESPEAKER: Want to stick around and meet them? MOONWATCHER: N-no thanks! MOONWATCHER: ... MOONWATCHER: Fifth cave on the right... [pp 15] ???: {Father said they have a library. I'm going to learn to read! Oh, I hope I'm not the only one who can't read yet. That would be so embarassing!} ???: {What do they eat up in the mountains? We'd better get seagulls sometimes. And soon. Gosh, I'm hungry. Would anyone be mad at me if I went looking for seagulls?} ???: {I wonder where the prophecy dragons are. I wonder if they'll notice me!} ???: {So cold here. I miss the desert.} ???: {They really expect me to share a cave with a RainWing?} MOONWATCHER: {Rrgh..} [pp 16] ???: {It's not fair!} ???: {Secretkeeper should be punished.} ???: {I bet she thinks she's better than us.} ???: {Imagine getting to eat every day.} ???: {That dragonet doesn't know anything about our tribe or what we went through living on the volcano.} ???: {How can she ever be one of us?} MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {I'll figure it out.} MOONWATCHER: {I'll *make* this work.} [pp 17] QIBLI: {...Nightwing.} QIBLI: {Thorn doesn't like them.} QIBLI: {We just sent a couple back to Glory as her prisoners.} QIBLI: {We have no idea what they can do in battle yet, especially if it's true they really have no powers after all.} QIBLI: {Needs further study.} QIBLI: {She's kind of cool-looking, with those silver scales by her eyes.} QIBLI: {She seems nervous. Twitching her wings bakc to look smaller than she is.} QIBLI: {Up to something, or shy?} MOONWATCHER: {...} [pp 20] CARNELIAN: Get your fish-smelling tail away from me! CARNELIAN: {I've faced bigger SeaWings than him in battle if he's trying to start something!} PIKE: Don't you dare blow smoke in my face-- PIKE: {She could be one of the SkyWings who destroyed our Summer Palace!} MOONWATCHER: Ow... MOONWATCHER: Ow, ow, ow... MOONWATCHER: ...Ugh. - - - {Aha.} - - - {There you are.} MOONWATCHER: {Huh???} MOONWATCHER: {Ugh.} MOONWATCHER: {It's so clear.} MOONWATCHER: {It's like it's... talking *to* me.} - - - {I am talking to you.} MOONWATCHER: { ?! } MOONWATCHER: {/Don't trust anyone new./} MOONWATCHER: {/Don't trust anything unusual./} MOONWATCHER: {/Don't let anyone know what you can do./} MOONWATCHER: {/Stay secret./} MOONWATCHER: {/Stay hidden./} MOONWATCHER: {/Stay safe./} - - - {Three moons.} - - - {Aren't you a jumpy one.} MOONWATCHER: ...Who are you?... - - - {Who are you?} - - - {...} - - - {Hello, Moonwatcher.} MOONWATCHER: {Another telepath?} MOONWATCHER: {How is this possible?} MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {I can't read their mind...} - - - {It's as if you've had no training at all.} - - - {Ha ha.} - - - {How old are you?} MOONWATCHER: {!} MOONWATCHER: {95! 76! 12!} - - - {Four already, and that's all you can do?} MOONWATCHER: Who are you!? MOONWATCHER: How are you doing that? - - - {You really have no idea...!} - - - {Hmm. Fascinating.} - - - {Let me think about that.} MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {Rgh.} MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: Are you still there...? MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {Did I imagine it? Maybe I imagined it.} MOONWATCHER: {Maybe the headache and all the noise out there just confused me.} MOONWATCHER: {Or maybe mind reading is finally driving me crazy.} MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {But if it was a real mind reader, maybe they could teach teach me how to use my powers.} MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {Or expose me to everyone, now that they know who I am, while I have no idea who they are.} MOONWATCHER: {Augh.} MOONWATCHER: ... CLAY: Hey now, hey there. CLAY: Stop, stop, stop. ???: {Clay!} ???: {It's him, it's really him!} ???: {Oooo, he's even cuter in real life.} ???: {Oooo, look at his heroic limp.} ???: {Oooo, I think he looked at me!} CLAY: It's just the first day, folks. CLAY: Nothing to be so grumpy about already. You're probably both just hungry. CLAY: Carnelian, take a deep breath and see me later. CLAY: Pike, walk with me. CARNELIAN: ... CARENLIAN: Hrmph. MOONWATCHER: {One of my classmates.} MOONWATCHER: {Yay.} [pp 23] KINKAJOU: Oh my gosh, sorry! KINKAJOU: I didn't even see you there! KINKAJOU: I guess that's a NightWing skill, hiding in shadows, right, ha ha! KINKAJOU: {They put me in with a NIGHTWING???} KINKAJOU: {Hello, isn't anyone worried about my potential post-traumatic stress??} KINKAJOU: {--Hey!!} KINKAJOU: Isn't this EXCITING? KINKAJOU: I'm so excited I can hardly STAND IT. KINKAJOU: That's why I'm this color, by the way. KINKAJOU: I have been trying all morning to turn myself something dignified and I can't *do* it! KINKAJOU: My scales are all like, YAY WE'RE REALLY HERE! and will not listen to me. KINKAJOU: ... KINKAJOU: I'm Kinkajou! CARNELIAN: You're noisy. KINKAJOU: I love this place! KINKAJOU: {Library! Art! Friends!} KINKAJOU: Have you explored at all yet? KINKAJOU: There's the most amazing library -- not that I can read yet, but oh my gosh, I'm working on it really hard. KINKAJOU: And an art cave! It's full of all these colors of paint, like, like, like a couple of RainWings just EMOTED all over it! KINKAJOU: You guys, we should make amazing paintings and then decorate the cave with them. KINKAJOU: WOULDN'T THAT BE AMAZING??? CARNELIAN: I might literally die of joy. KINKAJOU: You look way healthier than most of the other NightWings. KINKAJOU: Your scales are so *shiny*. KINKAJOU: I'd almost guess you were a RainWing in disguise; but you're not, are you? MOONWATCHER: I... didn't grow up on the volcano. MOONWATCHER: My mother hid my egg in the rainforest. KINKAJOU: Oh! KINKAJOU: {Aha!} KINKAJOU: I've heard of you. KINKAJOU: Wow, that's a relief! KINKAJOU: That means you weren't anywhere near the NightWings who locked me up. KINKAJOU: I mean, I'm all for amnesty and making friends across tribes and forgiving each other and everything, but *seriously*, it was *scary* there, like I thought I might actually die, and so I figured maybe I'd start by making friends with some *other* tribes first and gradually work my way back around to the NightWings, but you're hardly a NightWing at all, so that's OK, then. MOONWATCHER: {...Hardly a NightWing at all.} KINKAJOU: So what's your name? MOONWATCHER: Moon. MOONWATCHER: I mean, Moonwatcher, but... just Moon, really. KINKAJOU: Sure, Moon. KINKAJOU: And who are you? CARNELIAN: {I'm a warrior.} CARNELIAN: {A loyal soldier in Ruby's army, who never did anything to deserve this... this punishment of schooling and being forced to live with Ditzy and Mumbles over there.} MOONWATCHER: {That's not fair. I did *not* mumble.} KINKAJOU: Ooo, it's a mystery! KINKAJOU: We'll have to *guess* our third clawmate's name! KINKAJOU: I'll go first. KINKAJOU: I bet it's... KINKAJOU: Squelch! KINKAJOU: What do you think, Squelch is a cute name, right? CARNNELIAN: {...} MOONWATCHER: Um, Squelch is a MudWing name, isn't it? KINKAJOU: True! KINKAJOU: Maybe her name is Friendly. KINKAJOU: That would suit her so well. MOONWATCHER: That's not a SkyWing name either. CARNELIAN: {..} KINKAJOU: Think outside the box, Moon. KINKAJOU: Look at her! KINKAJOU: I'm sure she'd *love* to be called Friendly. KINKAJOU: Let's do that until we found out her real name. KINKAJOU: Hehehehe! CARNELIAN: {.} CARNELIAN: I have fought in *fourteen* battles! CARNELIAN: No one *giggles* at me! CARNELIAN: Least of all a RainWing who can't even read and knows *nothing* about war! CARNELIAN: {Bye.} KINKAJOU: Hehehe. KINKAJOU: ... KINKAJOU: Ouch. KINKAJOU: But mostly fair. KINKAJOU: Although I think being imprisoned and experimented on by NightWings and then injured during a royal challenge should give me *some* battle credit, don't you? MOONWATCHER: I- I think Clay said her name is Carnelian, maybe? KINKAJOU: Oh, that's pretty! KINKAJOU: Do you mind if I take the hammock, by the way? MOONWATCHER: The moss bed is all right with me. KINKAJOU: That's what you slept on while you were growing up on the rainforest floor, right? KINKAJOU: This will be great! We can bond over how much we miss papayas and adorable sloths! KINKAJOU: But I don't miss anything yet, it's too fabulous here. KINKAJOU: Come see the library! MOONWATCHER: Oh... MOONwATCHER: I- I think I'll stay here for a bit longer- I need to just, um, um-- KINKAJOU: {Oh, I hope she's not boring...} KINKAJOU: {I don't mind shy; I can handle shy, but please don't be boring.} MOONWATCHER: ... MOONWATCHER: All right, let's go. KINKAJOU: Yay! - - - {Oh, Moonwatcher.} - - - {My new favorite dragon.} - - - {This dragonet with her brain full of bubbles is not your only possibility.} - - - {I believe you and I are destined for a great friendship.} MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {Is it real?} MOONWATCHER: {How? Who? Another student? A fellow NightWing, mysteriously hatched with the tribe's long-lost powers, just like me?} MOONWATCHER: {...} MOONWATCHER: {How can I hide from someone who knows exactly what I am?} - - - {I can help you.} - - - {And better yet...} - - - {You can help me.}