Rainbows In The Dark

Chapter 24

Lavender

Lavender could not believe it. Comet had not only managed to get inside, but brought back Silver with him.

"Silver!" Oleander cried, throwing her wings around her brother.

Silver hugged her back before realizing it was his littlest sister. "Oleander!? What are you doing here?"

The princess looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "I came to save you! I noticed you had been gone for a while... and you're usually never gone longer than a week or two..."

Silver crouched down, but not as much as he used to. "Oleander, thank you so much for coming here. And I'm not going to tell you to go back or scold you for being reckless, though you were."

"Sorry, I know you're the reckless one in our family." Oleander said, trying to smile.

Silver grinned back. "Dad's still got me beat on that. Now what do you say we...." He looked back at Lavender and the other two dragons. "...and your gang... raid a castle?"

"Hold on," Lavender said. "It's great to have you back and everything, Prince Silver, but you just escaped your prison."

Silver sighed and then coughed. "So? I want to get this done as fast as possible, plus, Squall needs our help."

Lavender couldn't hold back her hiss. "SQUALL!? As in the dangerous hybrid dragon who almost killed you, Squall!?"

"Yeah, I agree with her for once." Comet said, which surprised her.

Silver turned to them, his scales shifting to their deep blue and shiny gray. "Do you believe in second chances? I would have never thought I'd see you two standing next to each other, but here you are. Why should he be any different?"

Comet sidled a step away from her and hesitated to say anything.

"Squall is a murderer!" Lavender objected. "How can you think of saving that living nightmare of a dragon?"

Silver put a talon onto the grass, raising his defined chin. "Because if you were a murderer, I would give you a second chance." He looked at Comet. "I'd give you a second chance. Squall would give me one, as well. We are not enemies, but everyone seems to think they've figured us out."

Lavender grit her teeth. "But... you... you can't-"

"Lavender." 

She looked up and saw the determined look in his eyes. 

"If it wasn't for Squall, I wouldn't have been able to escape. He's about to be executed in an hour... I owe him this."

Lavender thought for a moment and then looked up. "Well, I'm glad to know Comet didn't rescue you. He would have been infuriating to deal with." Comet shot her an injured glance. "I'm in." She said.

Comet sighed. "Fox told me to help out Oleander, and she's obviously going with you."

Fennec stepped forward, shaking slightly. "I-I'm in, too."

Stingray hopped in front of him. "Yeah, we can do this! Let's go wreck those jerks!"

"You're not planning a raid without me, are you?"

Firefly strode down the hill from the trees above them.

"Firefly!" Oleander said, running up to her. 

Firefly smiled. "I thought me and Silver were both crazy, but running around the continent by yourself?"

"Well, I had some friends to help me." Firefly turned toward Stingray and Fennec, who both managed to look embarrassed.

"What a coincidence," Firefly said. "I brought some friends as well."

A cricket chirped in the distance.

Firefly turned toward the trees. "That's your cue!" She shouted.

Peacemaker walked out, trailing behind him was a portion of Queen Glory's army. "Sorry, most people aren't as dramatic as you guys..."

"Peacemaker, you're here, too?" Silver asked.

He glanced at Firefly. "I'm not running in there with you guys, I'm planning the raid from a safe distance. I'm glad you're safe, though..."

Lavender turned her head to the palace. "Comet, how many dragons do you think are in there?"

"Only about hundred... maybe a hundred and fifty?" The Nightwing shrugged. "Everyone seemed to be gathered in a triangular plaza near the castle.

"That's the Great Diamond." Fennec said. "I've read about it, it's supposed to be a meeting place held for important events."

Silver ripped a talonful of grass from the earth. "They're planning to take over the continent, Squall told me everything that's going down there/"

Peacemaker shivered. "That guy is still alive!?"

"And we're going to go save him." Stingray added cheerfully.

"And the rest of the prisoners." Silver said. "We're going to save everyone and put an end to this."

Peacemaker frowned. "As long as I don't get a concussion..."

Lavender stared at the imposing figure of the castle. "We'll win this, I know we will..."