Secrets & Promises

Farewell

It was early morning, before classes began for the day. The group had gathered together to say good-bye to Sapphire and her parents. Sapphire looked around at all of these dragons whom she had just met yesterday - she couldn't even remember most of their names.

Her mother received hugs from the bigger dragons, though, she was soon swarmed by her other children. Oak seemed to be taking his family leaving the hardest, and Sapphire worried for him. He seemed reluctant to let his mother go, before being pried off to go hug his father. Sapphire was last on his list.

As Oak moved towards her, Sapphire inched closer to him, relishing in the warm protectiveness. When he released her, he finally spoke. "You're going to enjoy the rainforest, little sister. And everyone there will love you and keep you safe, alright? And if anything happens, have mom or dad send a letter and I will be there the next day, okay?" Sapphire nodded, a slight smile appearing on her face.

"Alright, I love you. See you at home." Sapphire embraced her brother once more before moving to her sister. "Hey, Saph, take care of mom and dad will you? They've been looking for you for a long time, even if I didn't know about it..." Firefly trailed off at the end, not meaning to be heard. But due to Sapphire's closeness, she heard every word. She nodded once more before her sister gave her a small hug. It was different than her brother's, less warm. Either way, it was better than nothing.

As her parents finished with their goodbyes, one dragon moved closer to Sapphire, away from prying eyes. Winter gave her the smallest of grins before moving closer to talk quietly. "Stay safe alright? And practice your gliding and flying. If you keep it up, you'll be flying all over in no time, got it?" Sapphire nodded eagerly, her excitement building.

Hearing her mother call her name, Sapphire looked back at Winter, who had moved to stand beside her. Not wanting to be too close to him, Sapphire quickly brushed her wing tip against his cold one before going to her mother, leaving a frozen dragon in her wake.

When she approached, her mother gazed down at her with a smile, love and happiness shining in her eyes. "You ready?" Sapphire nodded eagerly, not knowing what to expect but knowing her parents wouldn't let anything happen to her. "Let's go, then! Deathy!" Sapphire's father turned to them quickly, then realizing they were ready to go, he grinned.

"Who do you want to go with, Sapphire?" Unsure, Sapphire took a step towards her dad, tilting her head slightly. Her father gave her mother a smug smirk, "Ha! I'm so the favorite!" Her mother rolled her eyes, "Yeah, you can be her favorite. Just remember, I'm our other children's favorite, so.... I think I win in the long run."

Sapphire's father whispered in her mother's ear, "You always win, my love." Not sure she should've heard it, Sapphire watched as her mother's ears turned pink before calming down. Her mother swatted her dad on the nose before flapping her wings to gain elevation. Her dad shifted closer and moved low to the ground, allowing Sapphire to climb on. Once she was comfortable, her father nodded and took off after her mother.

Behind them, the dragons who had gathered were calling out their goodbyes, some more heartfelt than others. The only dragon Sapphire didn't hear, was Winter. The dragon seemed to still be slightly in shock, barely even noticing her departure. Shaking her head, Sapphire looked to the front, towards her home. Home. That was going to be an adventure itself.

***

It took around the whole day for them to reach the rainforest. By the time they reached the outskirts, it was dusk. Instead of continuing on, her parents decided to rest for the night, that way she could see the forest in the daylight and truly experience it for the first time. Sapphire could hardly sleep, she would be home tomorrow. Eventually, her exhaustion won out, and she drifted into a peaceful sleep, one that would leave her energized for the new day.

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Hope y'all enjoyed that little chapter! Have a good week and stay safe out there!