Burning Bright → Wings of Fire ?

Gem woke up by the whisper of her friends carrying through a breeze from the sky hole. 

Gem sighed, stood up, stretched out her large wings, and flapped them, making smacking sounds filling the air and alarming the friends of her awakening. Clay was the first to come inside and greet her with a warm hug of his wings. 

"Good that you're awake," he said gently, tugging her after him. "We wanted to talk to you," Gem sighed, having pretty much idea of what was about to happen, and let's say that she wasn't looking forward to it. 

They soon arrived at the cave where the dragonets usually met and played together. It was where the sky hole was located as well. Starflight looked up from his nails when Gem and Clay arrived. He stood up and flicked his tail to gain Sunny and Tsunami's attention. They both turned around simultaneously, and Gem cringed when she saw Sunny crying, her eyes bloodshot. 

Sunny ran over to Gem, leaning in and sobbing on her shoulder. Gem wrapped her wings around her little sister and tucked her head against the warmth of the SandWing's back. "Shh shh," she whispered in a soothing tone even though tears were also coming to her eyes. They still itched after crying in her sleep at night and crying late in the evening when she had talked to Kestrel. 

"t-tell me it's not true," Sunny hiccupped, looking up into Gem's eyes as she pulled back. "Please tell me it's just one of Kestrel's rage phases." Sunny read the answer clear as day in Gem's deep blue eyes. "I'm sorry, Sunny, I wish it was, but I..." she broke off, and Clay laid a wing over her shoulders, making her lean into him.

starflight was checking his claws individually as if he didn't want to look at Gem for fear of breaking into tears. The tsunami was making faces like she had difficulty doing it herself. 

The SeaWing dragnet rarely cried, at least not in front of the others, but Gem had heard her cry sometimes in her cave whenever she thought that no one was listening. 

Gem sighed, feeling all their sorrow rub off on her. She shook her wings out and stepped away from Sunny towards the entrance of their cave. "I need to go and pack. You can meet me at the boulder later," she said, then walked out without another word, even though her heart was crushing into a million pieces.

When Gem arrived in her room, she fell with tears pouring out of her eyes before she could stop them. Her body shook as she wrapped herself in her wings, trying to keep her sobs silent. The weight of all the sorrow she had absorbed from others was too heavy to bear alone. She needed time to process her own emotions and heal from the pain of others. As she cried, she knew that she needed to find a way to protect herself from the emotional turmoil that came with her gift.

When done, Gem shook her head and stood up, settling her face in a blank mask. She had to focus, or Kestrel would let Morrowseer leave without her. She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath to steady herself. Gem knew she couldn't let her emotions control her if she wanted to help those who needed her. She quickly packed her things and headed out to meet Kesterel at the boulder, her mind already working on a plan to protect herself from the overwhelming emotions of others.

Kestrel dipped her head and gave Gem an affectionate lick on her nose when she reached within distance. "You'll be fine, Gem; I just know it," she said. Gem smiled and turned to see her friends coming, their heads held down and their wings dragging against the floor. Starflight was the one who came to her first, leaning his head into her chest as silent tears fell.

Gem wrapped her wings around him, holding him close as she whispered, "It's okay, Starflight. Let it out." She felt his body shake as he cried, the weight of their recent experiences taking a toll on him. She held him for a few moments longer before gently pushing him away, looking into his eyes.

"We'll get through this together," she said, her voice firm and full of conviction. The rest of their friends came to them then, and Gem knew that they would need to be strong for each other to overcome the challenges ahead.

Then the boulder rumbled, rolling aside as Kestrel pushed it open, and Gem turned around, giving Starflight and her friends one last look before she stepped out into the world for the first time. The wide expanse of sky shocked her, and she felt the wind rush to caress and welcome her to the world of dragons. So this was what it felt like to be a dragon, to be free.

"Go on, he is waiting up there," Kestrel said, nudging Gem out of the cave. Gem took a deep breath, then spread her wings and flew, soaring up into the sky. She felt the wind lift her higher and higher until she soared above the clouds.

Gem knew she would face many challenges and hardships as she flew toward her destiny, but she was ready to face them all with her newfound strength and courage. She was determined to use her gift to help others, to be a force for good in the world of dragons. And as she looked out at the vast expanse of sky before her, she knew she was exactly where she was meant to be.

Gem met up with Morrowseer halfway, and he glanced at her before nodding and turning around, angling his wings to fly upward. The two soared away from the mountain Gem had known her whole life and towards a kingdom she had never seen. This was a new beginning, and even though she wouldn't be going through this with her friends, she would discover things for herself that she never knew were possible.

As they flew towards the NightWing kingdom, Gem's mind raced with possibilities. She had heard stories of the NightWings and their glory but knew that not everything was as it seemed. The gem was determined to learn the truth about her people and her place in their society.

As they landed in the NightWing kingdom, Gem took in her surroundings. The architecture was stunning, and the dragons were all shades of black and purple, their scales shimmering in the moonlight. She felt a sense of awe and respect for her people and their heritage.

Gem knew her journey was beginning, and she was excited to see where it would take her. With a newfound sense of purpose and determination, she was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.