The Silver Scales

The Silver Scales Chapter 2

Trying to Solve the Mystery

Sunny felt like she was about to go insane. Every passing day, she would hear more about how her once outspoken niece would simply not stand up for herself when she is being picked on. Why? What happened to her that would cause this sudden change? Even more upsetting was that she seemed SCARED whenever Falcon got too close to Spirit threateningly. Spirit had never had any fears before. Or at least none that Sunny knew of. That would be a possible explanation if it was there her entire life, rather than suddenly appearing from nowhere. Sunny thought to herself as she paced back and forth in her office. Clay had generously offered to cover Sunny's class until she either figured out what was wrong or figured out that she was mistaken in her thinking.

A knock on her door snapped her out of her pacing trance. "Come in." She called, sitting behind her desk. Clay walked inside, a friendly smile on his face. "Hey, any luck?" He asked, Clay, didn't mind helping Sunny. She had come a long way from her younger years. So Clay knew Sunny wouldn't be putting this much time and effort into this unless she was sure that something was wrong.

"NO!" Sunny groaned, slamming her forehead into her desk. "It is so FRUSTRATING! I KNOW something is wrong because a few days ago I asked her why she stopped visiting Jade Mountain to offer her help." Sunny looked up at Clay, who nodded, remembering how Spirit would often help catch prey, organize the library, and even help Webs make his lessons more interactive not to lose the attention of his students. "What did she say?" Clay asked Sunny

"She said she has NEVER visited us in Jade Mountain Academy!" Sunny nearly shouted, grabbing her head as if she needed to stop it from imploding. Clay frowned, joining in Sunny's' confusion. "Alright come here." Clay said, walking over to hug her to calm her down. "Breathe, breathe, calm down," Clay said, as he could feel Sunny slowly taking some deep breaths to calm herself down.

"The worst part is." Sunny said softly. "Is that Moon and Qiblis daughter, which I assume is Spirit since she looks like them, was kidnapped at a young age. She might have had a lovely home and family but now..." Sunny trailed off as she felt Clays talon rubbing her back gently.

"Why not look into new things?" Clay asked, looking down at his surrogate sister. "What do you mean?" Sunny asked, looking up at Clay. "Well I don't remember what they are but ever since Pyrrhia has seen peace for a while now dragons have begun to create new items, methods of study, and things to study," Clay explained. "I'm sure Starflight has some you can borrow."

Sunny hugged him even tighter. "Clay, you are a GENIUS!!" Sunny yelled in elation as she ran out and to the library. She didn't manage to stop in time and slammed right into Starflights' librarian's desk; Causing him to jump. "Hello?" He asked nervously.

"Starflight!" Sunny exclaimed as she stood upright. "I need any scrolls you have on the new items and studies that the tribes are making." She panted, trying to keep calm from the run to the library. "Oh, sure! One scroll just arrived." Starflight said, shuffling behind his desk before re-emerging and handing the dragoness the scroll. "Thank you Starflight! With any luck, this will hold the answer." Sunny reached over the desk to hug him before running back to her office and unrolling the scroll.

She would read through every single item carefully. Agrobiology, books, no not those. She read further. She would eliminate any sort of study That didn't affect dragons immediately, as those studies did not affect dragons. Glasses, Genes, homeostasis, Hypnosis, hydraulics, 

Wait, what is that?" Sunny went back and read through the section on hypnosis. "Hypnosis, Noun, is the induction of a state of consciousness in which a dragon loses the power of voluntary action and is highly responsive to suggestion or direction. Its use in therapy, typically to recover repressed memories or to allow modification of behavior by suggestion, has been revived but is still controversial." Sunny read aloud. Then stared at the paper in silence. ALLOW MODIFICATION OF BEHAVIOR?!?

Spirit's head snapped up from her assignment as she heard that thought shout, as she liked to call it. What was that?? Spirit thought, but shrugged it off and returned her focus to her assignment

Sunny read more about hypnosis. Jotting down notes for later. "Although research is ongoing, this study strongly suggests that it is possible to rewire the brain through hypnosis," Sunny murmured. "This is it! This is it!" Sunny smiled, but then her heart sank. "How is it possible that someone did this if it is still ongoing?"

Sunny went over a small list of possible enemies that Moon and Qibli might've made through their adventures together. None of them sprung to mind until she reached Chameleon. "If he had a small stash of even one single piece of that scroll..." Sunny said slowly, making sure that this theory was valid and possible. "And used that to make himself a sandwing and a master hypnotist.... He could have done this.... But how will I prove it?" She sighed heavily. "Qibli said he never even saw Chameleon's Sandwing form. Let alone find where that scroll piece is!"

No Qibli and the others got rid of Those scroll pieces. She kept looking when she got to a name she had t heard in a long time. Desert. He had grown up with Qibli. He blamed him for being passed over promotion  and promotion. This was just the thing he would do. Not fight the dragon but hurt him a second more painful way. She had to get there three dragons together at all costs.

And she would, she wrote a letter to Qibli and Moon but still needs to send it. Sunny went to Spirit class. "Webs? Can I borrow Spirit for a quick moment?" She asked. Webs nodded and motioned for Spirit to go with Sunny.

"Is something wrong?" Spirit asked, she was sure that she hadn't done anything. "Oh no, everything is just fine. I've been stressed out a lot and I wanted to ask for the name of your father. I forgot about it! Silly me!" Sunny forced a laugh, making sure to fill her head with possible names as if she was trying to remember.

"OH!" Spirit said with a giggle. "No worries! His name is Sandstorm, we live in possibility." She smiled warmly. "Ah, That's right. Thank you, Spirit, have a good day in class, ok?" Sunny hugged her niece before letting Spirit go back inside the history cave.

Sunny grinned. Sandstorm, if you are who I think you are, your days of hurting innocent dragons are over. Sunny thought as she picked her Skyfire back up. Sending it to Thorn and explaining everything, hoping that she would come to Jade Mountain with the Dragon claiming to be Sandstorm in tow. She then sent for Moon and Qibli. Apologizing for bothering them during this time of year. But she explained that their dragonet may be alive and practically begged them to come to Jade Mountain academy.

Sunny watched from the main cave entrance as the two messengers flew off. One to the Sand Kingdom, the other to the Rainforest Kingdom. Hoping and hoping that the dragons she sent for would come. It's going to be ok, Spirit. Sunny thought, still wearing the Skyfire. You will have help soon. Sunny just hoped she would be able to keep that promise.