Bubbles broke the surface to try to save his companions. He wanted to be a hero and help. He wanted that really bad. He'd been a good dragon his whole life, and that's a fact! The most factly fact to ever exist. But what did he get in return? Well, it's a simple answer, really. He got to watch his new and only friends that he just met one day ago die. He got to watch the crocodile snap its jaws around the dragons chosen for a very important mission.

The crocodile lunged out of the water in one swervy motion and yanked a flailing dragon out of the sky and into the water. The crocodile was so fast, Bubbles couldn't tell who it dragged down, but that didn't matter. Bubbles reached into his pouch wound around his neck and pulled out his dagger. He dove and chased the crocodile. There was blood forming around the dragon trapped in its jaws. As Bubbles got closer. The crocodile stopped swimming and winced as Bubbles stabbed it in the eye.

The pain made the crocodile open its jaws and swim away, while releasing the limp dragon. Was Bubbles too late? He swam towards the cloud of dark red and, using all his strength, carried the corpse to the island shore where everyone else was gathered.

Cloud reached her talon into the water to grab the corpse's arm and hauled it onto land. Three moons, it was Sandfur. The entirety of his left leg was gone. The crocodile ripped it off, and now SandWing blood was pooling out of the wound.

"Back away!" Bubbles said as he pushed the circle of horrified dragons back. He checked Sandfur's pulse.

"Thank the moons, he's still alive!" Bubbles felt his muscles relax. But there was no time to stall. Bubbles emptied his pouch out onto the sand. Oh, it was waterproof. Good. Bubbles immediately recalled his healing lessons.

"..And remember," Miss Lichen instructed, "first you have to temporarily cut off circulation so blood doesn't leak out."

Bubbles used reed grass. It works best.

"..Then, treat the wound."

Bubbles used his saline solution. Everyone was looking at him now.

"..Next, you wipe away the blood around the wound."

He didn't have to do that. There was no time. Cloud looked the most worried out of the squad.

"..Then, check for dirt. You don't want an infected cut."

No dirt.

"..Lastly, bandage the wound and awaken your patient."

Done. Now for smelling salts. Bubbles opened a packet. He crunched the salt in his talons and held it up to Sandfur's snout. His eyes flew open immediately.

"Oh, thank the moons, you're alive!" Cloud exclaimed. She leaned toward Sandfur to hug him.

"..What happened..?" Sandfur slowly croaked. The dragons surrounding him exchanged glances, unsure what to say. Sandfur took one look at his nonexistent leg and screamed.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY LEG!?? WHERE DID IT GO!!?" he hollered.

"Hey hey hey, calm down.." Cloud tried.

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"Where did it go!??" Sandfur breathed.

"A giant crocodile bit your leg off," Frog blurted.

"FROG!" the dragonets exclaimed.

"What?" Frog asked.

"Let him know easily, that's a lot to take in!" Spring scolded.

"Nobody said not to tell him," Frog murmured grumpily.

"Can you stand?" Bubbles asked.

"I can try.." Sandfur mumbled. He slowly stood up, wobbling due to lack of balance. He started walking in a circle and immediately fell down. He gathered himself back up and pushed away the dragon talons trying to help him.

"We should probably stay here for a few days so you can rest. You must be so traumatized right now," Cloud empathized.

The Queen of the SkyWings was going to visit the sand dunes today, no matter what. She felt like her day was trying to keep her from seeing what's up with the shady SkyWing that was caught this morning.

Queen Ruby trotted down the prison hall to face the ending wall. She searched for the secret lever and pulled it. The floor gave way to reveal the spiral staircase. Gosh, that was one of her favorite hidden items in the palace. Ruby walked down the staircase. The walls and stairs were granite blocks of rock carved to fit together. At the end of the stairs there was a big, bulky nacre door with titanium hinges. It was by far the most secure door known to all of the SkyWing dragons that knew about the secret dungeon.

Ruby breathed a plume of fire to light the space. In the short moment of light, Ruby spotted a gleaming stone. She stepped toward it and tapped it with her claw in a pattern only known to queens and high soldiers. Tap, tap, scrape, tap, scrape, double-tap, scrape, and push. The door parted and revealed a dim cave.

The floor held up iron bars forged to reflect fire. The ground below it was a deep hole in the cave with a crimson red SkyWing withering away at the bottom.

"You've come to visit me," He called, not looking up.

"I want your story," Ruby answered back.

"Free me first."

"No."

"So you don't want my story?"

"Of course I do."

"Then free me."

"You're a prisoner awaiting trial. I cannot do that."

"Then my lips are sealed."

Ugh. Ruby hated stubborn dragons.

"Just tell me what you said about me."

"Only if you free me." Silence followed. Ruby had had enough.

"You will DO as I SAY," Ruby shouted at the prisoner. "I AM YOUR QUEEN, AND YOU SHALL OBEY MY ORDERS! I CAN MAKE YOU A LIFE SENTENCE, WANT THAT?! HOW ABOUT YOU NEVER SEE THE SKY AGAIN??" She regretted saying that as the words left her mouth. The SkyWing stayed quiet. Ruby took a deep breath when the SkyWing started tearing up.

"Oh, no no no! I didn't mean for you to cry! Please stop crying, please?" Ruby hurried. She rushed back to the cell. "Please, mister, I didn't mean it."

"I have a name, you know." He sniffed.

"Oh?"

"It's Spinel." Spinel choked on his words.

"Can you tell me anything else?" Ruby tried to edge him on. Spinel continued crying. Ruby couldn't take it anymore. She unlocked the cell and flew down toward the weeping SkyWing, locking the cell door behind her. She wrapped her wings around the dragon.

Spinel stopped crying so abruptly it gave Ruby a shock.

"You're so easy to manipulate," Spinel grinned.

"What?"

Ruby took a step back, but it was too late. Spinel lunged for the queen's throat.