Listen, And The Stars Shall Speak

Separate Paths- Yet One Thing In Common

"Is she dead? OW! What was that for?"

"For being mean! She's too adorable to be dead!"

"And she's breathing, you morons. She's just unconscious."

"What should we do?"

"Can we keep her? Pleeeeease!!!"

"Shut up Whisp."

"But she's so cute!"

"And little. Why would a dragonet this young be out on her own?"

"We're in a war Fox, she's probably got nobody else."

Hopeseeker frowned, listening to the voices around her. None of them sounded familiar- and none of them belonged to her parents or Ember. She opened her eyes and blinked at the dark light of the cave.

"She's awake!"

"Yea. We can see that."

"Oh shut up."

"Hello," Hope stared at the group with wide eyes. There were four dragonets. A shimmering blue one with silver eyes crouched beside her. She was the one that had said hi.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"Hope." She replied meekly. The dragonet's jaw dropped.

"OH MY GOSH HER VOICE SOUNDS EVEN CUTER!!!" She yelled. Hope jumped and a sharp pain shot through her head. She yelled at the sudden shock.

"Quiet Whisp, you're scaring her." A red dragonet, this one older than the others, stepped towards her. "Hope, was it?" She nodded. "Come on, you hit your head pretty bad. I may have to stitch it." Reluctantly, Hope let herself be lead down a torch-lit hallway, and into another cave. The red dragon made her sit on a ledge as she cleaned her up. The other dragonets crowded in the doorway.

"Who are you?" Hope asked tentatively. The red dragon grunted. 

"Hi! I'm Whisp." the shiny blue dragon replied. 

"My name is Fox." a orange and yellow dragonet said.

"Boysen." a dark purple dragon admitted. 

"Oh. Hi." she replied, looking back at the red dragonet. "What's your name?" The dragon glanced at her and her puppy-like brown eyes with a sigh. 

"None of your beeswax squirt. Let's find out more about you, shall we?" she insisted.

"Okay." Hope agreed.

"Sensible dragonet. See Whisp, even a six-month old dragonet behaves better than you do." Whisp glared at her.

"Five." Hope corrected.

"What?"

"I is five-months old. I know cause Mommy made fruit tarts when I's turned it and fruit tarts are my fav-rit." Whisp practically melted to the floor.

"Oh my gosh I love her." she exclaimed. Fox and Boysen looked rueful and sympathetic instead.

"Okay. And what's a little dragonet like you doing out all on her own?" The red dragon persisted. Hope frowned. 

"I don't know. Embie came runnin in and he said some-tin bout a Icey-Wing? An then Mommy looked scared an she gives me her necklace and then she left and Embie an I ran away bu' den the Icey-wing showed ups and Embie told me to run an I was scared so I dids an I tink I fells an now I is here." The dragonets stared at her and Hope watched back. "Do you know where Embie is?" she asked. 

"No." Fox said apologetically.

"Who's Embie?" Boysen questioned.

"E's my brother. E's all big an red an smokie lookin." She explained. 

"Never seen him." Whisp admitted.

"Oh." Hope looked down. "Do you know where Mommy an Daddy is?" They shook their heads.

"Probably dead." The red dragonet said bluntly. Hope's eyes widened in fear. 

"YOU IDIOT! NOT YOU WHAT YOU'VE DONE!!!" Whisp yelled as Hope started to cry.

"Oh no." Boysen said quickly. "MAKE HER STOP! MAKE HER STOP!!!" Hope let out a wail and Whisp rushed over and wrapped her wings around her.

"I want Embie!" she cried.

"IM OUT!!!" Boysen declared, running from the cave. Fox studied her for a minute. 

"Whisp, how do we get her to stop!?!?!" 

"I don't know!" Whisp admitted. 

"DAMMIT CRIMSON!" Fox yelled.

"Well, that gives that away." The red dragonet sighed. 

"Ah, yes. Great way to introduce yourself, by telling a small child that her parents are dead." Whisp commented. 

"Just being honest." 

Elsewhere.....

Ember stared at the Colors of the Wings camp in shock. There were dragons everywhere, and none of the looked alike. The mountain was hollow, and balconies with caves adjoined spread off on many levels. Everyone seemed to be extremely busy. On the very bottom floor, where Ember stood now, dragons trained in fighting, and weapons were organized along the edges of the practice fights. The rainwing that had brought him here- Canopy, was his name, lead him up the floors. One level had dozens of notes and scrolls, another had charts and maps, like they were planning battle strategies. They stopped at the very top level, where a guard stood menacingly in front of a wooden door. The guard and Canopy exchanged a nod, and they entered the room.

A pale red dragon, almost pink, occupied the room. She was peering at a scroll until they entered. She glanced up and frowned at the sight of Ember.

"What's this?" she asked.

"I found him in the area. A couple of Icewings tacked him there." Canopy replied. 

"Excuse me," Ember interrupted. "But I have to go. I need to find my sister." The dragon sighed.

"You and me both." she insisted. "My name is Cinder. I run this organization. And you are?" 

"I'm Ember."

"Alright, Ember. Did your sister disappear around the area that Canopy found you?" 

"Yes."

"Then rest assured, if she ever turns up, we'll find her. I have guards patrolling that area 24/7."

"Why?"

"Because that's where my little sister went missing." Cinder looked away. "Her name was Crimson." She shook herself and turned back to him. "But neither of us are going to get anywhere if we just sit around and wait for our siblings to turn up, right?" 

"Right." Ember agreed. Cinder held up a chakram, exactly like the one Canopy was wearing. It was then that Ember realized she was wearing one too. And so had every dragon he'd seen so far under the mountain. 

"Then let me help you. Although you are young, I think I can find some tasks you are capable to do here. It will take your mind off things, and help the cause that is looking for your sister at the same time. Can I count you in?" Ember hesitated. Something in the back of his mind suggested that saying no wasn't much of an option. 

"I'm in." he declared.

"Excellent." Cinder handed him the chakram. 

"Welcome to The Colors of the Wings, Ember."