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As they were flying back through the mountains, it started to rain. At first it was just a little bit of sprinkling here and there, and Embryo enjoyed the feeling of the water droplets hitting her scales.

But then it began to pour. Heavy rain falling out of the sky, and thunder crackled through the air.

"We need to get out of this!" Summit cried over the howling of the storm.

Embryo looked around desperately, wind throwing rain in her eyes so she could hardly see where she was going. But finally, she noticed a cutaway in the side of a cliff. A cave. "Over here!" she cried.

Landing inside, Embryo and Summit shook their wings and scales dry and looked around. The cave was small but not too small, and Embryo turned around to watch the storm from the opening, rain falling upon the mountains across from them, small streaks of lightning flashing through the air over them. A breeze blew into the cave, carrying with it the scent of fresh mountain air.

As Summit sat beside Embryo, watching the storm, he couldn't help but look over at her. He blushed. He needed to tell her.

"Em," he began, feeling the awkwardness washing over him. "I got a confession to make."

Embryo looked at him, taken off guard. "Yes?"

"You know you as a girl?" He started, not really sure where to go with it, "Well, I can't help it, but it makes me have a crush on you."

Embryo looked at him confused. "Uh, okay. I already knew you had a rush on me."

Summit hesitated. "No, I mean... The truth is, even the word 'girl' makes me blush. I know being female is normal - I mean, that's like an entire half of the population - but when I think about it, I can't help but think that 'girl' just seems so different, so unlike myself, and I just start to feel all crushy inside." Summit was glad his scales were already bright red, because the level of blushing he must surely be giving off must be off the charts. "And then you come along, and you are more beautiful than any other dragon I've ever seen, and... I want to spend time with you and look at you like I would anybody else, but I can't help but worry I'm doing it for the wrong reasons."

Embryo stared at Summit, trying to process this. What did it feel like to her to know that just by being part of the opposite half of the population to Summit, she was automatically subject to his crush? She would need time to sort out her feelings. But there was one thing she knew...

"I know you have a crush on me," Embryo said, "but I also know you like me for much more than that, you enjoy my company, and I enjoy yours." Embryo hesitated. "I'd prefer you over Vitellus."

As Embryo looked away, Summit couldn't help but overhear the meaning in her words.

"Embryo? Are you betrothed?"

Embryo looked up at him momentarily before looking back away.

"N-not exactly," she said, "it's not exactly official, but my parents were trying to arrange for me to marry him before I left."

Summit looked at Embryo, trying to find words of comfort, but almost realizing that if he said the wrong thing, this conversation could become very awkward very quick. "Well, you're out here. To see the world. Perhaps you'll meet a nice..." Summit hesitated, "uh, dragon well you're out, and you won't have to worry about it." Summit was not going to name any examples of nice dragons Embryo might meet. He was not going to give any names...

Although there was this one dragon who came to mind-

Nope. He was not going to go there. Let Embryo make up her own mind. Summit was not going to say anything.

"I mean..." Embryo thought, "Vitellus isn't bad. He's just... not my type. Our parents think though, if we get together... Our genetic combination will result in some pretty tasty eggs."

Summit's world went still, a dark sickness began to rise in Summit's stomach as the realization of what Embryo was saying hit him.

"Wait... The eggs you eat... Those are the result of being with a partner?"

Embryo looked at Summit, confusion on her face, not able to process the reason for the sudden increase of apprehension in his tone. "Of course. How else would we be able to produce enough eggs to sustain our society?"

"B-but..." Summit stammered, "Those eggs... Those eggs are your own dragonets. You're eating your own dragonets."

Embryo gasped, the idea so sickening, she could feel her stomach turning, something rising in her throat. "Of course we don't," she gasped, Summit must be mistaken, "They're eggs. No different than any other eggs."

This conversation had turned awkward all right. Just this was not the direction of awkwardness Summit had ever dreamed of this conversation going in. "They're eggs..." Summit scrambled for the words, "There are dragonets forming inside those eggs. Where else do your dragonets come from?"

"No," Embryo said, trying to regain her sense of the reality, "Dragonets are only formed in the egg if the egg has rotted long enough. Dragonets are mutations. Mutations of rotted food."

Embryo went silent, firm in her convictions. Right?

Embryo looked down at her talons, trying to think. Summit watched her. As much as this revelation about his new crush brought illness into his very Soul, he knew Embryo was sincere.

"I know that's what you've been told, but it's not true. There are dragonets forming in the eggs. That's the whole reason eggs exist in the first place."

Embryo was silent for a moment, still watching her talons. "No," she said finally, "I don't know what to think, but I know my village. They are not cruel or malicious like that. They would never intentionally hurt another Soul."

Summit watched Embryo a moment longer. He still wanted to throw up. But as he continued to watch her, the look in her eyes, the way her body moved as she breathed, he knew one thing was certain, she was a good Soul. He didn't want to antagonize her like this.

As the rain began to clear outside the cave, the drops pitter-pattering onto the hard stone at the entrance to the cave, he turned to her.

"Hey," he said gently, "you said you wanted to see the world. There are some places I wanted to see too. Why don't we forget about eggs entirely for now, and we can go, see the world together? You and me?"

Embryo looked up from her talons at Summit, taking a calming breath of the rain-freshening mountain air. "Thank you. I'd love to go with you very much."

Summit hesitated. As much as he was disturbed by his newfound knowledge of the OmeletWings, he knew he had his own issues to address. "Even after knowing how I feel about you?"

Embryo looked at him. "I know you're alright. I trust you."

Summit couldn't help but feel relieved. It was good to know she wasn't too weirded out by his awkward crushes. "Thank you."

They watched the weakening storm together a few moments longer, and finally, sure that it had cleared enough, they set back out, flying through the air over the Claw of the Cloud Mountains.