Wings of Fire: What if?

What if Thorn never adopted Qibli?

Qibli roamed the desert. He was hot, tired, and sweating. Suddenly, he spotted an oasis. He sipped some water. He stared off into the distance. The Outclaws, he thought. Is that THORN?! THE THORN?! A scavenger appeared in front of him. "Ga ga uu ne tho," it said. "A... she," he muttered, and pushed her aside. The scavenger whimpered and gave him a look. Is that supposed to mean "What do you mean?" or "Please please please please please!" ?

"Sorry, scavenger," he said, brushing her golden hair behind her ear with his claw. "I gotta meet Thorn. You can stay here. I'll beeeeeeeeeeeerightbaaaaaaaaaaaaacccck!" he finished with a yell, heading towards Thorn. He didn't want the Outclaws to see him.

His mind didn't stay on Thorn for very long. It often drifted off to thinking about the scavenger. He didn't want to dwell on her, but he couldn't stop. "What's her name?" he thought out loud. "Goldie? Larasi? Eh, I'll stick to Goldie." He couldn't get the image of her out of his mind: light peachy colored skin, gold hair, brown freckles like him, a bluish thing she wore, and a reddish thing she wore.

He opened his eyes, and found himself face-to-face with Thorn. "Young man- what-?" she demanded with a tempting voice. Qibli shook his head wearily. He heard the distant thumps of Goldie running towards him. "Um, hi.... Thorn. I'm- I'm Qibli, and-and I j-just w-w-w-w-wanted t-to ask that..." "Yes?" her voice sounded lulling." "Private? May I sp-p-p-peak to y-you in p-p-p-p-p-private?" "About?" "Ab-b-b-b-b-out? I will tell you in private," Qibili said for which seemed like the hundredth time. "Ask Burn," Thorn replied hastily. Qibli shot her a look. "Oh, right," Thorn remembered. "Fine, fine, fine, fine," Thorn said. They walked to the middle of the desert. "What is it, boy?" "Um, Thorn..." "I've seen this reaction puh-lenty of times. Get. To. The. Point. ALREADY?!" "Thorn, would-d-d-d-yo-ou ad-d-d-dopt m-m-m-m-m-me "Me? What?! Be your adopted mother? Three moons, no way." "Bu-bu-" "Sorry, kid," Thorn said. "I already have an adopted daughter." She pointed to a young female dragonet who was about his age. "Come forth, Onyx," she called in a soothing voice. "I would like you to meet this... troublemaker." Qibli crossed his arms. He wanted to protest, but had lost his voice. "Coming, mother!" a voice breathlessly gasped behind Thorn. "Who- er, what should we do with him?" Thorn pointed at Qibli.

The dragonet who must've been Onyx said, "I suggest we sentence him to his doom- no, death."

...

Onyx was shocked. In a good way, nevertheless. She couldn't believe her ears. For the first time, omiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigoosh, ommmmmmmmmmmmmigoshhhh! Sooooooooo exciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiting! "Onyx?" Thorn tapped on her shoulder. "Heee-llo?" Onyx shook her head, and jerked her head upward. "Yes, ma'am, prepared for business!" she said, and saluted. Thorn gave Onyx a crazed look. "I mean-erm, yes... mom, what is it?" "JOIN," Thorn said. "THE OUTCLAWS." She grabbed her head, and breathed. In a softer voice, she said, "I want you to join the Outclaws, daughter." Onyx blushed with pride.

"Come, prance with us!" a young female voice said. A male nudged/shoved(Onyx couldn't make out what he did, but it was one of those.) her. "Erm, I mean, come guard with us!" Onyx hid a smile and hopped over to the Outclaws. She spotted a lone scavenger. Mmm mmm, Onyx thought. Here comes lunch. Er... dinner.

"OUTCLAWS!" Onyx called. "OUTCLAWS!" One of the Outclaws growled. "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" he demanded. "STAY AWAY FROM THORN!" "Newest member!" Thorn told him. "OH ho," he said. "Well, then..." Onyx held out her arm. "Onyx, daughter of Palm and Smolder." Onyx grinned. "So, royalty, eh?" the male said. "There's more." Onyx frowned. Boy, he is rude, she thought, but didn't have the mind to say it. "I'm also Thorn's adopted daughter." "Oh ho!" "Seriously, that phrase is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy less catchier than 'Ooga Booga,' and 'Ooga Booga' is really... stupid. I like 'Oh ho' when people don't say it all the time." "Ok-'kay- k- 'kay -k - 'kay!" "Weird." "Also, name's Cactus. Anyhoo, yah-haa-" "Yah-haa? Youtalkfunny. AndIdon'tknowwhattodobutIspotdinnerandI'mstarv-v-v-ving." "Ohhhhhh-kay."

From behind them, Thorn's voice called, "Come forth, Onyx. I would like you to meet this... troublemaker." Onyx sighed. "Coming, mother!" Cactus gave Onyx a worried look, which, first the first time, was caring and not sarcastic. She put her hand on his shoulder, and grinned with courage. "Be right back." She took a deep breath, and walked towards Thorn.

The dragonet with her was about her age. He looked awkwardly weird. He had freckles covering his snout, which she thought looked... peculiar.

"Who- er, what should we do with him?" Thorn asked. "I suggest we sentence him to his doom- no, death," Onyx said maliciously.