Listen, And The Stars Shall Speak

Attack

It was nighttime when the mini army, and newly named Hybrid Defense Team made their way into the cave. Groups were split up, some searching for the dragonets that had been kidnapped, others looking for Fierceteeth and her cronies. They split into three groups- two would go inside, and the others would wait outside in case someone showed up. 

Shore, Orange, Permafrost, Anaconda, Joy, and a couple of Ander's garrison were the first to find the missing dragons.

"Oh my moons," Orange breathed as they stared around the cave at the dragons shackled to the walls. 

"Frost?" A voice croaked in confusion. Permafrost spun around, her eyes wide.

"Stardust!" she yelled, rushing over to him. "Are you okay? What happened?" She tugged on his shackles, but it was no use without a key.

"Holy crap," Anaconda swore worriedly. "Is Haze alive?" Their sarcastic friend, unlike the other dragonets, was covered in blood. 

"Barely." A weak voice offered. Boysen's eyes stared at Haze's unmoving figure. "Prickle tortured her. He left the rest of us alone, saying he'd only hurt us after she was dead.

"Well, it looks like I have a few more dragons to kill before that." An unfamiliar voice hissed. The group spun around to see a tattooed Sandwing blocking the doorway. Joy stepped forward, quickly shoving Shore and the others behind her. 

"You're done hurting these dragonets," She warned.

"Really?" he questioned. "Cause I figured I was just getting started."

*~*~*~*~*

Ander, Dusk, Crimson, Rin, and the rest of Ander's garrison had the misfortune of locating Fierceteeth, Strongwings, and Darkheart first. Pineapple, nervously enough, was nowhere to be found. 

"That's her," Darkheart snarled at Rin. "And her crazy sister too." The unfamiliar dragons from the garrison recognized the insult to Ander, and one of them stepped forward.

"You insult a prophet," he growled in an inhumane voice. "You die." Darkheart and Fierceteeth laughed. The dragon smirked and flicked Darkheart, sending him flying across the room and slamming hard into the wall.

"Ander," Rin began. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."

"Of course mi hermana." Ander replied. " I think my con-padres can handle this one, can't you?" The garrison nodded. "Wonderful. Let's keep searching, shall we?" 

She escorted Dusk, Crimson, and Rin from the room as a miniature war broke out in the cave. They four of them raced around, searching the rest of the space until they found a set of keys.

"Probably important?" Dusk guessed.

"No, they're completely irrelevant." Ander said sarcastically.   They others stared at her.

"....You understand sarcasm?" Crimson asked. Ander rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Bwana. I do. Now grab the keys and let's go find everyone else."

*~*~*~*~*~*

One might assume that after all the years Joy had lived, all her insane adventures, and then getting married and having three dragonets, that she might be a little rusty in her fighting ability.

Well, anyone who thought that clearly underestimated the type of dragon Joy was.

She had attacked Prickle head on, luring him away from the group of dragonets and taking their fight outside of the room. Once she was out of view of her son and the others, Joy did what she does best-

Unleash hell.

*~*~*'*'*~*'*

Shore paced the cave worriedly. He knew better then to get in the way if Joy was fighting, but he was still concerned that Prickle might kill his mother. He wondered if his father often felt this way whenever Joy fought. 

.....And how familiar that feeling was.

But then a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Chained to the walls. What is this, a torture chamber?" Rin asked. "Oh wait...."

"Hey! You're alive!" Anaconda announced. There was a collective rolling of eyes.

"I take it you might need these?" Dusk questioned, holding up a ring of keys. The words were barely out of his mouth before Permafrost snatched the keys and went to unlock Stardust.  

Ander entered the room, her eyes looking at each of the dragons chained up before settling on one. She walked over quietly to Ray's unconscious figure.

"You would think with all the noise we've been making, some of them would've woken up." Orange insisted.

"Odd-ang, they've been tortured. Maybe they want to sleep." Shore retorted. Meanwhile, Ander traced a dried trail of blood that ran down Ray's scales.

"Mi amore," she whispered. "Who dared to do this?"

"Prickle," Stardust explained, now free from the shackles. "He hurt Ray because he tried to help Haze. We all did, but Ray was the breaking point." Ander's eyes went steely.

"Prickle," she repeated ominously. "Such a foolish mistake you've made..."