"Auuughghghghhuuhhhhhh." Grayson slumped to the ground, covering his head with his forelegs. "I can't dig anymore. I'm too tired."
"Why am I not surprised?" Shay rolled her eyes. "Get up, lazy! You haven't been in the Coliseum for the past two days. On the other hand, Stirling has, and he's still out here scavenging."
"Which further proves my theory that Stirling is, in fact, a soulless machine," Grayson said. "How else could he survive all that time in the Arena? Belladonna and Blue are beasts. How could he keep up with them if he weren't a machine?"
"Grandpa, quit saying mean stuff about my dad," Twilight said, walking up behind them. "Aren't you happy Belladonna and Blue came to help us fight the mimics?"
Grayson grumbled under his breath.
"Shaaaaaaay." Nimbus swooped out of the sky, dropping in a pitiful heap of coils in front of the clan's matriarch. "Shay, how long are we going to look for these stupid eggs?"
"You whine more than your hatchlings do," Shay said.
"But Shaaaaaaaaay!" Nimbus pouted up at her, trying to make his eyes look as big and sad as possible. "Everybody's tired! And Stirling's grumpier than usual since he's spending all his time in the Coliseum. Do we really need a Nocturne egg?"
Shay swatted at his head. "Honestly, Nimbus! You're more of a hatchling than the hatchlings are! At least they're helping out!"
She turned to face the rest of the clan, which was gathering slowly around her. "Listen, all of you. I know that everyone is getting frustrated and tired, and that the Night of the Nocturne isn't as much fun as we thought it would be--"
"Trust the Shadowbinder to come up with such an awful event!" Nimbus griped from his position down on the ground.
"Hey!" Drymarchon snapped. "You watch what you say about the Shadowbinder!"
"But," Shay continued, shooting a terrifying glare at both interrupters, "there are Nocturne eggs out there. We've seen other clans finding them-- Wind clans. There are eggs hidden in the wild and there are mimics that have eggs, too. We're going to find them! Or at least one. We're going to find a little Nocturne hatchling and give it the upbringing it deserves. So get out there and dig! Scavenge like you've never scavenged before!"
"But Grandma, we have scavenged before. That's the problem," Ocarina groaned.
Faron smacked him over the head. "Quit complaining."
"Maaaaaaaammmmmmm, whydja hit me?"
"Shay! Shay, Shay, Shay! Look what I found!" Mariel the Coatl hatchling came bounding into the center of the group.
"Not now, Mariel." Shay sank her claws into the grassy earth, hoping to channel her frustration with her clan into the ground instead of her grandson's skull.
"My claws hurt. And my back. And my shoulders," Windwaker groaned. "It's worse than when Uncle Komali sat on me."
Komali let out an indignant yelp from the back of the group. "Are you ever going to let that go?"
"Shaaaaay! Shay, Shay, Shay, Shay!" Mariel tugged on Shay's foreleg.
"I said not now! Eulalia, come get your hatchling." Shay looked around. "Eulalia? Den?"
"I think they're still dealing with Martin and Matthias," Swift said. "They got into a little scrap."
"Even the hatchlings are fighting now?" Shay growled. "All right, listen! I don't want to hear any more complaining out of anybody! We're finding a Nocturne egg, and that's that!"
"Shay!"
"WHAT?" Shay roared.
Mariel blinked, quite stunned.
"Gaaahhh." Shay dropped her head, inhaling slowly. "What is it, dear?"
Mariel held up the purple egg she was clutching in her forelegs. "I found an egg!"
After a second of shocked silence, the gathered dragons let out a booming cheer. After hours and hours and hours of searching, they had finally found a Nocturne egg.
---
Nobody will ever let Lysander forget that he was a product of the infamous Night of the Nocturne of 2014. Whenever someone brings it up, he simply shrugs, because it's not his fault everyone tired themselves out looking for him. He would've managed fine on his own, but he's glad he doesn't have to. He loves his clan.

Lysander enjoys traveling the world and seeing the sights. He's quite fond of funny hats, and he was very glad to find a red fez small enough to fit his little head. When he's not traveling, he enjoys spending time with his mate Hermia and his daughters Kate and Bianca.