Wings Of Fire: Closing Eyes (Prequel To The Last Day Series)

Bloom - 23

    Bloom had no idea how fussy some toddlers could be.

    "Jellyfish, stay still!" Crab pleaded, trying to hold her talon still. She squirmed and cried, her tiny claws scratching at his talon. She had gotten a small splinter, but she was fighting him too hard for him to pull it out safely.

     "It's okay," Agate cooed, placing a gentle talon on the dragonet's back. The teary-eyed dragonet whipped her head around and hissed at Agate a little hilariously. Agate raised her eyebrows at her. "Don't you hiss at me," she scolded.

     "You guys," Exo said, shouldering Agate away. She scowled at Exo. "Here, Jellyfish. It's okay," She gently pried Crab's talon as he looked up at her suspiciously. The tiny dragonet clambered up Exo's arm, and she held her up and gingerly took Jellyfish's talon. She felt gently around the injured talon until she felt Jellyfish flinch. Crab twitched, looking at Exo and his sister. Agate stood stiffly.

    "Thank you," Jellyfish squeaked as Exo plucked the splinter from her talon. She sniffed it.

    "Not breath of evil, by the way. This wouldn't have been enough or in long enough to do any... damage." Exo sighed, flicking the tiny shred of wood away. "You guys can thank me and relax for helping your kid." She tossed her head towards Agate and Crab.

     Agate snorted, walking over to Epiphyte, who was trying to open a bundle of tin foil that had just come off the grill that Landslide had been cooking on. Crab looked at Exo and then turned away to follow Agate.

     Exo sighed as Jellyfish went and looked over the food being prepared for dinner on the picnic table. "I don't understand what I'm doing so wrong," she said.

     "Well," Bloom said, "Some parents don't like it when other dragons parent for them."

     "Even when I'm obviously helping?" Exo asked, turning her head towards Bloom.

     "I guess so," she said, folding her wings and turning to the table of food. "I get you're trying to help- but it's not being appreciated." Exo sighed and followed Jellyfish over to the table of food. 

     Bloom followed her. Her eyes fell on Crevasse, who was laughing at Beige, who was aggravatingly and frantically wiping some bird droppings that had landed on his head. Mirage was laughing as well.

     Bloom couldn't believe that they were together. Sometimes, Bloom felt like she felt so far behind everyone in the world that she couldn't live her life fully. But now that she was with Crevasse, she felt like she could do more than just live her life; she felt like she could do anything.

     Crevasse looked at her like she was made of diamonds. Her face at Bloom was making her heart swim in a sea of butterflies. She smiled back at her and sidled up to Crevasse, under her wing. She squeezed her close once and patted her side. Bloom's heart melted.

    "Well," Beige said, with a disgusted look. "I'll be back, I guess." He awkwardly strode over to the fountain, where he dunked his head into the fountain with a splash. Bloom laughed as dragons crowded around the table of food, and they sat down to eat.

    "So," Landslide said as he tore the chicken he had been cooking open and pulled off a leg. "How're your radios coming?" he looked at Epiphyte, who had been carefully unwrapping the grilled veggies.

    "Oh! That reminds me!" he said, hopping up and fiddling with a few buttons on the radio. Cheerful music slowly drifted from the radio, filling the dragons' ears with sunshine.

    "Wow," Crab said, tilting his head at the radio. "It plays music now?"

    Epiphyte nodded. "There's a channel that dragons can use where they can listen to music that's recorded and broadcasted around. Sometimes there are live bands that play."