Creative Corner

[center][size=7][b][u]Introduction[/u][/b][/size][/center] This clan's library is huge. Just from where you're standing in the doorway, you can see innumerable rows of mahogany bookshelves, stuffed with so many books and scrolls you're surprised they haven't broken from the pressure yet. Marble walls stretch high over your head; a glass dome over the building acts as the roof, letting the silvery moonlight shine in (you're still not sure why it's always nighttime around here). For a while you're just standing there, taking it all in, when a soft, friendly voice suddenly speaks. "Oh, hello!" [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=31727516] [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/dgen/dressing-room/dragon?did=31727516&skin=0&apparel=23289,15137,909,6273,17907,23744,17923,21824,27150&xt=dressing.png[/img][/url] You blink in surprise at the green face that suddenly pops out from behind a nearby desk. You weren't expecting a Spiral, of all dragons, to be the librarian. "How do you do?" the Spiral greets, holding out a talon. Still somewhat dazed, you shake it, just to be polite. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting visitors," she continues. "If I had known you were coming, I would've tidied up a bit, maybe set out some recommend reading material. But anyway, I'm Viper, Reversal Pack Librarian, and I welcome you to my Library. How can I help you?" You explain that you're a traveller from another clan who has sought lodgings here for the night (which alarmingly doesn't seem to be ending), and were advised by a polite blue Nocturne to go to the library if you had any questions - which you have quite many of, actually. Viper nods in understanding. "You're not the first visitor we've had here, and you're definitely not the first to be confused or curious about us," she says, which somewhat puts you at ease. "After all, the average Clan is pretty questionable if they're harboring something as simple as a Gatekeeper. Meanwhile, we've got aliens, Ghosts, an interdimensional Dream Demon, and whatever exactly MissingNo. is, and that's just off the top of my head. Even we don't completely understand why things are so weird around here." That gets you worried again. The clan that [i]lives[/i] around all of this doesn't even know [i]why[/i] it's like this? You're about to voice your concerns when Viper speaks again. "We'll figure it out eventually, I'm sure. Anyway, since you're here to learn about us, feel free to just wander around and take a look at whatever piques your interest. Haven't gotten around to categorizing everything just yet, so it's all rather scattered about. Although, I must advise you to turn a blind eye to anything that says, 'by Boomerang'. She needs to stop putting her fanfictions in here." The librarian suddenly shudders, a mixed look of horror and disgust crossing her face for a brief moment. You decide not to ask why. "Well, have fun learning!" Viper says, giving you a cheery wave. "If you need anything, just call. Quietly, please, this is a Library after all." You nod, returning Viper's wave as you begin to walk down the nearest aisle. The tile of the floor is cool beneath your paws, but you almost don't notice. Your attention is entirely on the shelves on either side of you; up close, they seem even taller and more crowded. Finally, something catches your attention, and you pull it out. As you prepare to read, you hope this will answer at least one of your questions about the strange, mysterious Reversal Pack. ----- This is basically a thread where I'll be posting stories about my Dragons, because there's a nonexistent cartoon about them that lives in my brain and I'm constantly coming up with scenarios for it but have nowhere to put them. Not gonna be a big linear story (this'll probably actually end up being a glorified one-shot collection), but there might be a few stories that get a follow-up or two. I'm trying to lore. Plz let me lore. NOTE: All Dragons in these stories will be depicted with their completed genes and outfits. Writing quality may also fluctuate depending on whether or not my brain decides to work properly.

• Close Encounters of the Hatted Kind
• Ssssiblingssss
• Minecraft, But I Found the Reversal Pack

Spaceships were a fairly common sight in Anomaly Crater. The Reversal Pack's alliances with two alien empires (well, technically one empire and the remnants of another) coupled with the valley's natural weirdness made extraterrestrial encounters an almost daily occurrence.

Still, that didn't explain the weirdly-shaped, wooden ship currently hovering over Anomaly Crater. The entire Pack was gathered beneath it, just staring at it, watching and waiting for something - anything - to happen. In the meantime, the local Irkens and the Crystal Gems were consulting their respective records, trying to find information on the ship.

"I don't get it," said Peridot, looking through the Gem archives again. "This type of craft is completely unfamiliar. There's no reports, no sightings, no rumors, nothing!"

"Normally I'd say it's because Gem technology is inferior and stupid, but for once you're right," Zim agreed reluctantly. "Whatever that is is unrecognized by the Irken Empire, and that's not something that's supposed to happen! We recognize everything!"

"Maybe whoever's up there just recently discovered space travel?" suggested Steven.

"Unlikely. Look at the craftsdrakeship," Pearl pointed out. "Despite somehow being made of wood, it's clearly the result of years and years of progress. For something that advanced, they'd have to have known about space travel for about as long as the Irkens have. Though not as long as Gems, of course."

Zim began to growl, but was stopped by a sound from above. All eyes turned to the spaceship as a hatch opened in the bottom of the craft. A small figure jumped from the opening and fell to the ground, landing with a spin and a pose.

"Yeah! Perfect landing, as always!" the alien said - a young girl, judging by the voice. She then seemed to realize she was being watched, because she turned around and said, "Oh, hi!"

She didn't look like an alien. In fact, she looked like a perfectly normal Fae Dragonet. She was purple with brown wings and a glittering gold underbelly, which matched the stripes that trailed along each side of her body. She wore a lavender-colored top hat, an orange cape, a purple tunic, white pants, and brown boots. On a chain around her neck hung a small hourglass that was slightly... glowing?

"I didn't know there were people living here now!" she exclaimed excitedly, looking around. "In fact, I don't remember this valley at all! But that big glowing rock is really cool! And wow! Irkens and Gems living in the same place without turning it into a battlefield? And they said pigs couldn't fly!"

The Pack began to whisper amongst themselves, though the alien didn't seem to hear. Who was she? How did she know what Gems and Irkens were when they didn't know what she was? And...

"Is she wearing one of those hourglass things like the ones Snatcher and Moonjumper have?" Miz asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Steven agreed. "But that's weird. Didn't they say those were magical and could reset time?"

Amethyst scoffed. "Pfft. Prob'ly just something they made up to sound cool."

"WHO CARES?!?" shouted Zim. "She knows what Irkens are! She might be here to sabotage Operation Impending Doom II! And she insinuated that I can live in peace with Gems! GEMS! Like not destroying all of you isn't enough!"

"Hey, hey, calm down!" said Steven. "We don't need another Incandescent War breaking out! Let's just ask her what she's here for."

"It's a little late for that," Garnet replied coolly. "She's already gone."

Attention snapped back to where the alien was standing, only to find nothing.

"What the-?"

"She was right here!"

"Where'd she go?"

Garnet adjusted her shades. "She went towards the Wild Wood. Specifically, the Snatcher's territory."

That might be a problem.

---

The young Time Traveler bounded excitedly through the forest, keeping her emerald eyes peeled for dark vines growing from the ground or red strings hanging from the treetops. Had it really been almost a year since her first visit to Sornieth? It felt like just yesterday she had been traveling the entire continent, looking for Time Pieces, patching up Rifts and making new friends out of old enemies.

She had to be honest, she had been rather hesitant to leave said friends a few of the more... unstable-and-not-recommended-for-use-as-fuel Time Pieces as a way to remember her - not just because it put her flight home at risk, but because of how powerful and dangerous they were. The whole Time's End incident would've made any other Time Traveler get the peck outta dodge before anything else went wrong.

But she was - and still is - young and innocent and caring, and her friends had promised not to try and mess with the Time Pieces. They crossed their hearts and everything! So she had trusted them. And considering how, since then, there hadn't been any chrono-anomalies detected on Sornieth, she knew now they had kept those promises.

A flash of red in the corner of her eye snapped the Fae-like alien out of her thoughts. There, just by those glowing mushrooms! A long piece of thread, brilliant scarlet in color, dangled from somewhere above the forest canopy. She hurried over to it and, with a quick tug on the string, was suddenly and quickly being lifted off the ground.

She burst out above an ocean of leaves into a crystal clear night, the two moons high and full in the sky. She could now see what the string was attached to - or, more accurately, wrapped around: the claw of a dull blue, slightly translucent Ridgeback, dressed in regal-looking clothes and facing away from her.

"Well, what have we here?" the Moonjumper drawled, his tone sounding simultaneously curious and sinister. "The newest toy of a certain shadow?"

"Close, but nope!" the Time Traveler replied. "It's just his Contractually Obligated BFF!"

Surprised by the familiar voice, the Moonjumper turned to face his catch... and felt immediate delight overtake him.

"Hat Kid!" he exclaimed, the malicious edge being replaced with pure joy. "You've returned! At long last!"

Hat Kid laughed. "Yeah I have! Nice to see you again, Moony!"

"It is nice to see you too, Starlight!" the Ghost replied, clasping his talons together. "And you could not have come at a better time! Do you remember those Favors I asked of you back when you were completing the Contracts?"

It was hard to forget about the little sidequests Moonjumper had offered alongside the Snatcher's chores. Not because they were hard or anything, but because they had really paid off in the long run! In return for completing the Favors, he had awarded Hat Kid with helpful advice, info, tips, tricks, and a few bonus Time Pieces. He'd even taught her how to face off against the shadow once all her contractual obligations were met and Snatcher had no more use for her. If it hadn't been for Moonjumper, Hat Kid would've gotten her head popped off like the contractor before her!

That's why she nodded eagerly and said, "Yep! Why? You got more for me?"

The puppeteer grinned, his broken monocle glinting in the moonlight. "Well, there is one. But are you certain that you are up for it? Not many have been able to accomplish this!"

"I finished all of Snatcher's Death Wish Contracts and your Big Favors! Whatever it is, bring it on!"

"Alright, alright, if you insist! I need you..."

The Time Traveler leaned in closer.

"...To give me a hug!"

Hat Kid gasped in false shock. "What?!? A hug?!? Oh, I see, you've been saving all the REALLY Big Favors for later!"

"I know, it's far too much to ask of you!" Moonjumper agreed, his voice taking on the same overdramatic tone. "But I'm afraid that it is not something I am capable of doing myself! I know it's wrong to put so much pressure on you, but it has to be done!"

Hat Kid pressed the back of her talon to her forehead. "If I must, but only because you are my friend!"

The two burst into laughter as Hat Kid launched herself off the string and into the Ghost's waiting arms, wrapping her own arms around his neck as he held her in a close embrace. Their Time Pieces clacked together, glowing just a little brighter at the brief contact.

"Missed you, ya big blue softie."

"As did I, Starlight. And congratulations, you've completed the Favor. How shall I repay you?"

"Eh, I'll think of something later. So, what'd I miss?"

"Oh, so much!" Moonjumper exclaimed, pulling back to look at her. "A Clan of living Dragons has been discovered nearby, and they're all so fun! They are used to the supernatural, so Snatcher and I have no need to hide our true natures from them! Speaking of which, Snatcher does not mind them very much. I believe he may actually like them!"

"Oh, so THAT'S who all those weird Dragons back there were!" Hat Kid realized. "And Snatcher doesn't care that they're there? They must be as cool as that big glowing rock!"

"Well, you already seem very interested," Moonjumper replied, smiling softly. "We will have to properly introduce you later! But in the meantime..." His smile turned into a toothy, somewhat mischievous grin.

"Why don't we pay your Contractually Obligated BFF a visit?"

"Shadeborn."

The Gatekeeper looked up expectantly, his eyes meeting the swirling green of a certain Greater Horror. "Oh, hello, Ophi," he greeted. "What brings you here?"

"I wassss looking for you," Ophidiophobia replied. "You have been abssssent all night. What are you doing?" He glanced at the dugout bowl of rock partially hidden behind the Ridgeback, three silver, elliptical shapes covered in glowing cyan pustles lying within. "Why are you watching Dragon Eggssss?"

Shadeborn chuckled. "Well, I was hoping to surprise you later, but I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you." He waved a wing, inviting the Spiral-shaped Horror over. "These aren't just any Eggs, Ophi. These are my Eggs! Ifrinn and I made these!"

Ophi tilted his head, studying the Eggs carefully. They were about the length of his corn snake friend and as wide as his red-tailed boa. "I wassss... unaware of thissss," he said slowly. "I apologize. But I do not undersssstand why you are watching thissss Nesssst. Many ssssnakessss ssssimply lay their eggssss in a ssssafe location and leave them. They do not sssstand over the nesssst and watch them. Issss consssstant sssurveillance jusssst a necessssity for Dragonssss?"

Shadeborn shrugged. "Well, no, but it's believed to help the Hatchling's development. And it's nice to have someone keep an eye on them, in case something happens. But personally, I'm just happy and excited. I'm going to be a father, Ophi!"

"But you already are one."

The Gatekeeper blinked in both surprise and confusion. He looked over at Ophi, only to find him with his eyes firmly fixated on his talons. "Wh-what?"

"You ssssaid you were going to be a father," the Fear of Snakes stated simply. "But you already are one. You have no need for thesssse Eggssss in that casssse."

Shadeborn blinked again, trying to process what Ophi was saying. "I-I believe that you may be confused, Ophi. This is my and Ifrinn's first clutch."

"Yessss, but you had a sssseparate Egg before thesssse three. A dying Egg. A Magiclessss Egg." Ophi looked up, his swirling eyes briefly flashing pitch-black as they made contact with Shadeborn's. "My Egg."

Within his mask, Shadeborn's jaw fell.

"The Dragonet within the Egg wassss dying. Itssss Mind wassss in THE VOID. You ussssed your Chaossss Magic to harnessss the Mind, and attach it to ssssomething that would allow it to hatch. It attached to me. And I hatched.

"You were there when I hatched. You were the ssssole witnessss. You brought me to your Clan. You defended me when they demanded my return to THE VOID. You called me 'Ophi'. You taught me thingssss about Dragonssss. You treated me assss a Dragon. You acted assss if there wassss no difference between yoursssself and I.

"At the time, I did not undersssstand why a Dragon would do all of that for a Greater Horror, an incarnation of Fear Itsssself. But assss I remained here, I learned more thingssss about Dragonssss. Thingssss ssssuch assss what a 'family' issss. 'Ssssiblingssss'. A 'mother'. A 'father'.

Shadeborn's eyes widened. He knew now where Ophi was going, but let him talk.

"You are my father, Shadeborn. Perhapssss not in truth, but you possssessss many of the traits of one. You brought me into thissss world. You protect me. You teach me. You have been a father for assss long assss I have exissssted outsssside of THE VOID. And, even long after you are gone from this world, you will continue to be a father for assss long assss I remain in it."

Shadeborn was silent for a few moments, regarding the Spiral-shaped Fear before him. Then, finally, he reached up, pulled back his hood, and took off his mask, purple eyes brimming with tears.

Ophi's own eyes ever-so-slightly widened. He knew it was always a big deal when Shadeborn took his mask off.

"Ophi, I... I had no idea you felt that way," the Ridgeback admitted. "And to be honest, I... I've always thought of you as my own son. But I was uncertain how you would feel about that, so I never mentioned it." He let out a tired laugh. "And now I can see that I should've brought it up much sooner."

Ophi decided to try that "smiling" thing Dragons liked to do. "Well, then... it sssseemssss we have ssssimilar feelingssss about each other," he said. "Perhapssss we can continue like thissss from here on out?"

Shadeborn nodded. "Yes. That would be nice. And I suppose this would make Ifrinn your mother now, wouldn't it?"

"She issss your mate. It issss only logical. But what of your Eggssss?"

"They'll be your little siblings! You'll be their cool big brother who protects them from bullies! And we'll all be one big happy family! That is.... if you want to."

Ophi mulled it over for a moment. ".....Yessss. Ssssiblingssss and a family. Thosssse would be very nice to have..... Shadefather."

Overjoyed, Shadeborn pulled Ophi into a hug, the Horror tensing for a few seconds before giving in. He was a father. Both to his own Dragonets, and to the Fear of Snakes incarnate. He could only imagine what kind of hijinks his new brood and their big brother would get into.

And if either Shadeborn or Ophidiophobia had been paying attention to the Eggs, they would've noticed each of the pustles briefly change to a deep, dark, black color.

Bright green is only good for hiding in a pool of acid. Or maybe if you get chased up a lime tree. Not the darkest parts of the Foxfire Bramble. If you're running through a pitch-black forest wearing a green screen as a hoodie, you might as well be constantly screaming "EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME!!!" at the top of your lungs.

Which is why a certain bright green Spiral couldn't believe he hadn't been caught yet. He was certain a voyeur into the Tangled Wood for the first ever 4v1 Drakehunt would've ensured the Hunters a victory, considering how every part of his being would stick out like the Lightweaver sunbathing in the Scarred Wasteland. Not to mention their Compasses specifically crafted to always point towards his location.

Yet here he was, creeping through the underbrush, a little worse for wear but still not dead. He wasn't even sure how he'd managed to slip away - one second he was being chased, the next second he could only hear distant yelling (and somebody being called a muffinhead). It had only been him and the eerie sounds of the Foxfire Bramble for far longer than he had ever expected. It was... discomforting, to say the least.

Cautiously, the Spiral raised his head out of the knot of thorns he'd found himself in, just enough to take in his surroundings. The green-red eyes hidden beneath his helmet saw nothing but dark trees and vines. His ears only heard the natural noises of whatever creatures called the Wood home. The squeaking of a Duskrat, clambering up a prickly tendril beside him. A Crow flying overhead. A Blue Cricket somewhere, playing its song.

The snapping of a twig just behind him.

Lightning-fast, the Spiral drew his sword from its sheath and whirled around, ready to meet his adversaries. But what his blade hit was not the sharpened steel of another.

Rather, it was the bare skull of a towering, black and blue Wildclaw.

Instinctively, the Drake let out a shriek and dived back under the brambles, hoping that whoever - or whatever - that was, they didn't want to have to get covered in thorns just to catch him. But, much to his shock and dismay, the briar parted from him like water, leaving him with no cover, until there was nothing but empty space between him and the Wildclaw.

His eyes widened, noticing the thorns wrapped around the other Dragon's arms and back. Oh Plaguebringer above, this was some kind of master of the forest! They had moved the vines! Not knowing how to fight a forest master, especially on their own turf, all he could do was point his sword forward and hiss, "Please leave me alone!"

The Wildclaw simply regarded him with an eyeless stare. The Bramble Guardian on their shoulder tilted its head at him, tongue flicking out of its mouth. Several long, tense seconds passed, the Spiral feeling his heart in his mouth all the while, before the mysterious Dragon turned and began to walk away.

The green Drake breathed a sigh of relief, but it was quickly cut off when he noticed the Wildclaw looking back at him. Despite their blank expression, they seemed to have an inquiring look about them. They approached slightly, then turned and walked away once more, before looking back at him again. They repeated this a few times before the Spiral finally got it.

"Oh... You want me to follow you?" he said, though it sounded more like a question. The darker Dragon gave a small, single nod, before beginning to walk off once more. Sheathing his sword, the Spiral scrambled to his talons and paws and followed quickly after them.

Some part of him was warning against following mysterious black Wildclaws into who-knows-what parts of the forest, urging him to break away and run. Some other part of him reasoned that if they wanted to hurt him, they most likely would've done so already. A third part just wanted to see what exactly would happen if he followed them. Sure, they might turn out to be leading him into a trap, but hey, it's been a hot minute since he's killed something anyway. And if he fails, there's always rematches. The 3v1s definitely proved that.

Eventually, the Wildclaw came to a complete stop at a wall of trees. The Spiral looked up at them in confusion - they was much taller than any normal Wildclaw should be - before he heard the rustling of leaves. Like the vines, the darker Dragon was seemingly moving the foliage before them at their will, until there was basically a hole in the leafy blockade. Curious, the Spiral stepped through.

He found himself on a cliff overlooking a massive valley, a glowing, aqua-colored mountain at its center. Overhead, the two moons shone high and bright in the starry canopy of the night sky. He could hear voices down in the valley - Dragons. A whole Clan of them. This must be their territory. But...

"Okay... Why did you bring me here?" the Spiral asked, turning back towards the Wildclaw - only to find no one there. The leafy wall behind him was closed back up. It was as if there hadn't been a hole in it just a few seconds ago. "What the- Where'd they go?!?" he asked no one.

He looked around for a few moments, bewildered, before sighing dejectedly. This is what happens when you follow random mystery Dragons into the middle of freaking nowhere, Clay, some part of him snarked. He turned back towards the valley, gazing over it for a moment, and shrugged.

"Eh," he said to himself, beginning to make his way down the cliff. "As long as I'm here I might as well see what kinda loot they have."

---

"Who the heck is that?"

The gruff tone prompted Toby to look up. Deranged's blindfolded gaze was firmly set straight ahead of him. Following his non-visible eyes, the Tundra found he was looking at an unfamiliar bright green Spiral, wearing a white helmet and an equally bright green hoodie, with a sword, an alchemy set, and a crossbow slung around his long form. He was crouched in the shadow of a particularly large boulder, not that it really hid him or anything.

Toby shrugged, turning back to the card game. "I dunno. Must be a new member or something. Got any sevens?"

"Go fish," Harmless replied across from him.

"Did you not just see him slide down the cliff over there?" Deranged growled. "Or how he keeps darting around in and out of shadows like a cockroach? Newbies don't do that."

"What, like you can see it?" Toby responded sarcastically. "Last time I checked, that blindfold ain't just to make ya look cool."

"Do you want to be stabbed?"

"Do you wanna spend the entire night echolocation-staring at someone who's not our problem if he showed up on our night off? After all, you were the one who said the kid gets to pick what we do this time."

"Got any twelves?" said kid asked the Wildclaw.

Deranged passed his twelve to the Hatchling, then turned back to the older Tundra. "Night off or not, you're the one who said the Grimlurker could take care of any trespassers and lead 'em off. And whaddya know, it let this one walk right past it! Have you even thought about who or what this guy could be? Do you really want another MissingNo. to deal with?"

"Why don't you just ask him?"

The two older Dragons looked at the little Tundra in surprise. "What," they deadpanned simultaneously.

"Ask him. Just go up and ask what he's here for. Maybe he's just lost and too shy to ask for directions. Or maybe he wants to join the Pack but he's too scared to ask 'cuz he's worried we'll say no. Or maybe he's a demented psychopath looking for a place where he can hide from the people trying to stop him from killing everybody, like you guys!"

"...Kid, we've been over this. I'm insane, not demented," Deranged corrected softly. "And that guy? He radiates the energy of a high-functioning sociopath. Big difference between that and a psychopath."

"Like not having a stick up your backside all the time," Toby muttered to himself.

Deranged whipped his head towards him, teeth bared. "What was that?"

"HEY!" Harmless suddenly called, causing the unknown Dragon's head to shoot up, whirling towards them in alarm. "Mr. Green Spiral! Hi! Can you come over here for a sec, please? Don't worry, we're not gonna hurt you!"

"Speak for yourself," the two older Dragons said under their breaths.

The Spiral crept over, a bit hesitantly. It was hard to tell with the helmet obscuring most of his face, but Deranged thought he looked apprehensive. He didn't like how the green Drake's talon kept twitching towards the sword on his waist with every step. The Wildclaw drew his dagger and began to twist it between two of his claws - a warning disguised as an absent-minded action.

The Spiral was only a few feet away when he stopped, just close enough for the three Pack members to notice that the eye holes of his helmet moved like actual eyes - odd, but they'd seen weirder. One talon hovered over the hilt of his sword; he was clearly prepared to grab it at any moment, though his stance indicated someone who was ready to flee. "Um... H-hi," he said, somewhat shyly.

"Hi!" Harmless replied brightly. "Welcome to Anomaly Crater, home of the Reversal Pack! I'm Harmless, and this is Deranged and Toby."

"Hey," Deranged said, giving a smile filled with razor-sharp fangs.

"Yo," greeted Toby, a bit warmer but still somewhat menacing.

The Spiral swallowed, clearly unnerved by two very threatening Dragons who were, for some reason, hanging out with a Hatchling not even half their size. "Uh... Yeah. So..."

"So, what brings you to our valley?" chirped Harmless. "Are you lost? Trying to hide from someone? Do you wanna join the Pack? Did Mount Mystery lead you here? Ooh, are you an alien?!? Is there a third eye under your helmet that lets you see the future?!? Are you-"

Deranged clasped a gentle talon over the excited Hatchling's mouth, stopping him from getting too over-the-top and personal with his questions. "Heh heh heh, what our little friend here is trying to say is..." He dropped his voice to a sinister growl, glaring beneath his blindfold. "Why are you here?"

The Spiral gulped again. "Oh, well, uh... Just passing through!" he said. His voice was a bit strange; it had this weird consistent level it stayed at, not quite changing tones or volume, so it wasn't obvious if he was lying or not. "I'm kinda being chased right now, so I can't stay for long, but if you could maybe lend me a couple of resources I might get out of-"

"Hang on. Chased?" Toby perked up, suddenly interested. "By who? Another Clan? A giant monster? A secret cult you were once part of until you tried to leave it and got branded as a traitor and now they're hunting you down so they can kill you and ensure you won't tell their secrets to another living soul?!?"

The green Dragon winced. "Uh... No. Let's just say there's a small group of people who are trying to catch me and stop me from doing something really important, and I would prefer to keep moving and not be caught so I can do that really important thing."

"Ooh! Then you can just stay here!" exclaimed Harmless. When the Spiral gave him a puzzled look, he continued, "It's kinda hard to explain, but basically this whole valley is in its own little world, a little slightly off from Sornieth, and only certain Dragons can find it, and only at certain times. Every other time it's sorta closed off from Sornieth and no one else can find it, so those people chasing you might not be able to find it!"

Toby nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's super weird. It's all thanks to that big rock over there!" He pointed in the direction of Mount Mystery. "Everyone who can ever find this place has this weird little pull at the back of their head that they just can't resist following, and it always directs 'em to Mount Mystery! The chances of whoever's chasing you having that little pull are a little too slim for you to be concerned about it."

"And even if they did, Rule Number One 'round here is against killing fellow Pack members, so you'd be pretty much untouchable," added Deranged. "So, whaddya say? We can introduce you to our Alphas, get ya all set up in a Lair of your own, show you around, and you won't have to worry about being chased ever again." Plus I can keep an ear on you and figure out if you're up to no good, he added to himself.

The Spiral seemed to consider his options, judging by how long he looked at Deranged's outstretched talon. Finally, he made a resigned sound and nodded. "Alright. But if they show up, I'm not responsible for any collateral damage."

"Excellent," Deranged said as they shook talons, making sure to ever-so-slightly dig his claws in to make sure this new Drake knew not to mess around. "So then, I guess we should start with this: what's your name, newbie?"

"Dream," the other responded quickly - almost too quickly. Suspiciously quickly, in fact.

Not using his real name... I'll file that under "Later Use," Deranged mentally noted.

"Well, Mr. Dream, we'd better get you to our Alphas!" said Harmless. "Just follow us, and you'll be feeling at home in no time!"

"Great," Dream replied, glad his helmet hid the line of sweat that had been forming on his forehead for the past several minutes. As the three adult Dragons took to the skies (Deranged was carrying Harmless, of course), he couldn't help but allow his mind to wander.

I mean... It's technically not against the rules if there aren't any rules against it.