Listen, And The Stars Shall Speak

The Office

"Are you positive it'll be in here?" Rin whispered as she and Apple crept into Glory's office.

"I'm pretty sure." Apple admitted. "It's not like it could be anywhere else."

"And what's it looks like?"

"My dad said it was an emerald."

"And that is?" Apple stared at her cousin.

"Okay, you should know this. They're green and rectangular.  You took jewels 101 right next to me, remember."

"If you remember that, then maybe you also remember that I slept through that class." Apple sighed and rolled her eyes as they started to search the office.

"And to think, you're gonna be Queen someday."

"I will gladly hand that job over to you if you want it."

"I don't want it! I never have! And besides, you are the rightful heir."

"How so?"

"Joy is technically next in line for Queen, and you are her first born daughter."

"I'm twins with Ander though. We're the same age." 

"Yea but you hatched first."

"That's like a two second difference!" Apple shrugged.

"That's how royalty works."

"Why can't you be the proper heir? Rainkeeper is older than Joy and you're his only daughter."

"But I'm younger than you and Ander."

"But your parents got married first!" 

".....That makes no difference."

"Yes it doe-" Rin's words were cut off as the office door opened abruptly and Deathbringer stepped in. Apple immediately slammed the desk drawer she'd been looking in and Rin frantically stuffed various objects back into a cabinet before closing it. The two girls spun around and smiled innocently at Deahbringer. He gave them a suspicious look and crossed his arms.

"What were you two doing in here?" he questioned.

"Nothing!" they exclaimed in unison. He stared at them with a deadpan expression.

"Really."

"Yep."

"So then, I suppose I didn't just see you two snooping around in Glory's files."

"Nope!"

"You know, it's against the law to search the Queen's private documents, right?"

"Of course!

"And that even though you're princesses, I can still report you and have you imprisoned for breaking the law." Apple and Rin exchanged a glance. "But," Deathbringer continued. "If there was some vitally important reason that you two were in here, perhaps I can be persuaded to remain silent." The girls looked at him guiltily. 

"We were looking for her animus touched objects." Apple blurted. "There's one that lets you talk to dead dragons and we need it." Deathbringer grinned smugly at them.

"See, now was that so hard?" he teased before growing serious. "Why do you need it?"

"To help my sister!" Rin explained. Deathbringer frowned.

"Ander? How is talking to the dead going to help her?" They looked guilty again and Rin held up the Dreamvisitor.

"We took this earlier and spoke with her. She gave us the name of a dragon who would know what do to. A dragon that's been dead for over a thousand years." Deathbringer stared at them, his face now more sympathetic.

"Girls," he began. "I don't know what you think talking to this dragon will do, but I doubt it will help. We don't know what's wrong with Ander, so we can't possibly know how to help her."

"But we do know what's wrong!" Apple retorted. "She's angered the stars- they're punishing her somehow!" 

"Apple-"

"It's true!" Rin declared. "I saw it myself. She's in a coma here because the stars have her mentally trapped in a prison. This dragon is the only one who knows how to help!"

"Rin, you're not making sense."

"Since when does anything related to my sister make sense?!" she shouted. "I'm just trying to help her!" Deathbringer sighed.

"I know that's what you think, but you have no idea what this dragon could tell you or ask you to do. If you really want to help, go find your parents, let them worry a little bit less by knowing you're not putting yourself in danger."

"Go comfort my parents? Why, so that they can go overprotective mode and never let me out of their sight? No way!"

"They don't do that."

"Yes they do. Everyone in this family does!"

"She has a point." Apple agreed. "You were protective of Joy, so she rebelled. Our parents are protective of us, so we rebel. It's an endless cycle." They stared pleadingly at their grandfather.

"What if we let you watch us?" Apple suggested. "While we talk to the dead dragon. Then you know exactly what we're getting into." Deathbringer glanced between the girl's hopeful expressions and sighed. He crossed the room and grabbed a box that sat near the ceiling of the room. He pulled a key from a pouch around his neck and unlocked it, pulling out a shining green emerald before relocking the box.

"Deal." he agreed, pointing the jewel at them. "But if you tell Glory, I'll have to kill you."

Do you really think we'd tell Grandmother that we ransacked her office?" Rin questioned. "How dumb do you think we are?"