Win the Throne

== Prologue ==
Lightning split the air, striking the bubbling lava. The rumbling of the volcano growled through the island as several dark dragons fled into the air and surrounding waters.
Queen Brightheart's eyes searched desperately for Ambermoon. Her head flicked to the side frantically. A roar came from the crumbling fortress. "Ambermoon!" she yelled, rushing back toward the stone tunnels.
The black Nightwing leaped from the entrance of the chamber, three eggs slipping from his grip. "Take them! Hurry!"
Brightheart grabbed two of the eggs under her wings, lifting the third into her talons. She looked down at them. "Where are the others?"
Ambermoon shoved her forward. "I could only save the three. Go. Save them. Starvoyager is still inside."
Brightheart took a step forward, looking back at the flock of escaping dragons. 
"Just go. Save our dragonets." Ambermoon insisted, giving her another shove. "I'll be fine."
Brightheart nuzzled him for a brief moment. "Please be safe." She lifted into the air as she watched him disappear into the fortress. She roar of the volcano rumbled in her ears, shaking her to the core as she fled the island. She was the tiny inlet where the rest of her tribe had taken refuge, landing down in the dead grass.
Several dragons were huffing from the smoke hanging low in the air and many more had burn marks n their scales.
A grey dragon ran up to her, carrying a screaming dragonet with her. "My queen, my dragonet is injured! How long will the island be uninhabitable?"
Brightheart looked down at the dragonet. His tiny tail had all of the scales seared away, leaving nothing but a bright red scar. "I-I don't know what to say. We could be away for months." Her blue eyes searched the crowd, turning to the ground when her aunt, Brilliance, was not among them. Among the dead grass, a single white flower pushed through the tough dirt.
A single crack from the egg in her talons snapped her out of her trance. A tiny black dragonet peeked out of the egg, her light purple eyes looking up at her mother.
"Petaldust." Brightheart whispered as the other two dragonets fumbled their way out of their eggs. She turned to look at the two grey dragonets in the grass. "Smokefang and Greywing." she mumbled. "Your father would be proud of you. I hope he's safe."
"Move aside!" Ambermoon's voice yelled as he landed, Starvoyager slumped over on his back. "Give us some room!"
Brightheart gasped, grabbing her dragonets and running over to her mate. "Ambermoon! Are you alright?"
Ambermoon looked at her as he helped the old king down from his back. "Brightheart, I'm okay. Did our eggs survive?"
The three tiny dragonets squirmed free of the queen's grip, tumbling to the ground at their father's feet.
Ambermoon knelt down. "Did you name them?" he asked as the dragonets began to climb over him.
"There's Petaldust, Smokefang, and Greywing."
Starvoyager wheezed as he approached his daughter. "Brightheart." he mumbled as he sank to the ground. "At least, I survived long enough to see my grandchildren." He coughed again, small clouds of smoke puffing from his nose. "Your mother would be so proud..."
Brightheart felt tears stinging her eyes. "No, father, please. You can't die. Just stay with me a little longer."
The old dragon reached his wing up to caress his daughter's face. "It's alright, baby. I'll still be with you." He looked over at Ambermoon, his pale silver eyes clouding over. "Take care of her, Ambermoon. She'll need you." He sighed, closing his eyes and letting his head flop to the side.
Brightheart looked down at him, tears streaking her face. "Goodbye... father."
== Chapter One ==
Petaldust opened her eyes, yawning as tiny beams of sunlight streamed in through cracks on the fortress walls. She pulled herself up, looking around. 
Greywing and Smokefang were still asleep, piled up together on the floor. Greywing was snoring loudly, earning a kick from Smokefang to silence her.
Petaldust stifled a laugh as she began to walk toward the doorway. She peeked through it, gazing into her parent's chamber. "Still asleep." she whispered as she trotted out into the hall.
She turned her head to look into various rooms as she passed them. All of the dragons in them were fast asleep, none of them moving other than the rise and fall of their bodies as they breathed. The young princess continued, turning the corner to exit the fortress.
The sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, the sky a mixture of orange and pink partially hidden behind clouds of black smoke. The call of a single wayward crow echoed from an unknown source, carrying across the silence of the volcanic rock of the desolate island.
"Hey." a voice called.
Petaldust jumped at the voice, whirling around to come face to face with a black dragonet, slightly taller than her. 
"What are you doing out here, Princess?" he asked.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked in a defensive tone.
As he moved past her, she saw his tail was completely red, void of all scales. "I'm always out here in the morning. I like to watch the sunrise."
Petaldust stared in silence as he sat down on the jutting black rock just in front of her.
"I'm Redtail by the way," he said. "It's an honor to meet you in person, Princess Petaldust."
"Hello, Redtail," she said quietly, sitting down on the stone path just outside the fortress walls.
Redtail looked back at her, jumping down from his perch. "Wanna see something cool?"
Petaldust's eyes lit up as she looked at him. "Sure."
Redtail smiled. "Follow me. It's this way," he said, pointing with his claws to a corner of the island Petaldust had never been before.
Petaldust followed after the large dragonet, stepping carefully to avoid the jagged pebbles that lined the ground. "So where is this place?"
"We're here." Redtail chirped, flicking his tail at a manged and charred tree, its thin branches crossing over each other to form a cage out of blackened twigs. "I heard that an evil Rainwing lived in this tree a long time ago. My mom told me that she killed her old mate because he killed their dragonets in front of her. She then went mad and made sure she'd make him suffer forever." he said in a quiet voice.
Petaldust looked up at the tree, flustered. Her eyes landed on two claws embedded into the dead wood.
"Don't worry though," Redtail promised. "She lived a very long time ago. Mother told me Queen Nightburner punished her for her reason against her tribe."
"Queen Nightburner?" Petaldust asked. "Who's she?"
Redtail's smile dropped a bit as he gasped, only to return even larger. "You don't know who Queen Nightburber is?"
Petaldust shook her head.
"She's only the coolest Nightwing queen to ever live! Come on. I'll tell you her story once we get back to the fortress."
She listened as Redtail chattered about the heroic deeds of the ancient Nightwing queen the entire way back to the palace. She couldn't get a word in edgeways.
By this time, the sun was higher in the sky, the pinks and oranges fading into blue. The tribe would be up and functioning soon.
Redtail stopped at the top of the stairs to the fortress, panting. "So? What do you want to hear first?"
Petaldust brushed the ash from her claws. "I think you covered everything about her on our way back."
Redtail sighed. "Got carried away again," he said to himself. "Well, do you want to hear about the evil Rainwing instead?"
Petaldust shrugged, following Redtail into the fortress.
A small Nightwing walked out in front of them, her eyes on Redtail. "Redtail, what are you doing up so early?"
Redtail flashed a nervous smile. "Sorry, mom. I was showing Petaldust the Cage Tree."
The Nightwing's eyes widened a bit as she saw Petaldust next to her son.
"I was going to tell her about the evil Rainwing that lived there," he said, looking up at her with his big yellow eyes.
She calmed down a bit, gesturing Redtail and Petaldust inside the chamber. "I can tell it for you. Come inside."
Redtail giggled excitedly as he ran after his mother, Petaldust following.
The Nightwing laid down at the back of the nearly empty chamber. "Alright, so where do I start. Oh, yes." She cleared her throat. "There once was a Rainwing who fell in love with a Nightwing named Appledusk. They had dragonets together, but the Rainwings ousted her and her children because of their relation to Appledusk. She attempted to come to the Nightwing Island with her dragonets, but the dragonets were killed and Appledusk turned on her. She vowed revenge and returned, killing Appledusk. Appledusk's apprentice then attacked her, leaving her for dead. It is said that her spirit still haunts the island, still waiting for the revenge she wants so badly."
"Wow..." Petaldust breathed. "What was her name?"
"Mapleshade." the Nightwing responded eerily. She gave a nudge to Petaldust. "Go and get back to your parents. They're probably looking for you."
Petaldust thanked the dragon and ran into the hall.
WIP
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Content (Queen Seaglass of the Seawings)