Listen, And The Stars Shall Speak

Shorange and The Stories of Kindle

A/N: Woah, there's only 50 parts left available in this book. Anyways, putting an idea out there, what if I wrote another Winglet style book like I did with Coal, but for Rattlesnake? Or I could do another character, if you want, or I could add more to Coal's....Lemme know!

Orange was confused as she woke up. There was too much sunlight for her to still be in JMA, or the Sting Headquarters, she corrected herself as everything came back to her. A musty scent tickled her nose, so she knew she was still in the Sandwing Kingdom, but where exactly? She winced slightly as she tried to sit up. Her chest really hurt...

Probably because you got stabbed by Dusk's little sister. She told herself. How the hell did THAT happened?

"Take it easy." A familiar voice warned her. Orange blinked and turned her head, relaxing at the sight of Shore.

"Where am I?" she questioned, glancing around the rest of the room.

"Coal took us to an old friend. We're still in the Scorpion Den, though." He explained, eyeing her anxiously. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got stabbed." Orange declared, rolling her eyes. "What happened with the Sting?"

"After Haze stabilized you, we just kinda left and came straight here. You needed a real doctor and the Sting were bound to chase after us." Shore's gaze shifted to the floor. "Coal thinks that they're going after our families, thinking that if they kidnap the ones we care about, we'll come back."

Orange's eyes widened. 

"We can't let that happen!" She insisted. "What about your sisters, and all of Cypress's siblings, three moons, and all the others-"

"They'll have to take care of themselves for right now." Shore gave her a half-smile. "And besides, you're not exactly in a condition to go and fight some Sandwings."

"Why not? It's just a little stab wound! I'll be fine!" Shore laughed, but then his serious face returned.

"You really scared me, you know." He admitted. "I thought you were going to die."

"You should know by now that you can't get rid of me that easily." 

"Well, don't do that again!" Shore demanded. He looked so conflicted that Orange dropped her light-heartedness.

"Shore," she began. "Are you okay?" The prince buried his face in his talons.

"Not really." He mumbled before glancing back up at her. "You nearly DIED, Orange. Do you know how terrifying that was? I couldn't do anything to help you, and I....I didn't even know how to react. I really thought I was going to lose you, and that scared me."

"What are you saying?" Orange asked tentatively.

"I'm done denying." He proclaimed. "It was stupid to begin with, and seeing as there's a gang that wants to kill us, I might as well just say it."

"Say what?" Shore stared at her.

"I love you, Orange." He admitted. "I always have."

"About damn time." Orange replied. "Only took you you like six years to work up the courage." She rolled her eyes, but smiled at the hybrid. "But, you know, I love you too."

"Okay." Shore insisted, blushing fiercely. 

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Six-Claws is Thorn's right-hand dragon." Boysen offered. Kindle nodded.

"He's also my husband." she continued. "And since he was so close and loyal to Thorn, he knew immediately when they got a spy in the most dangerous gang in the Scorpion Den." Coal waved and Kindle rolled her eyes. "Seeing as I was one of the few Out-Claws left in the Den, Thorn made me one of the dragons that Coal would regularly report to." 

"She was also the dragon that helped me escape once my brothers found out I had betrayed them." Coal added. "And after I'd left the gang, Thorn sent me to JMA, to try and live a normal life."

"Which obviously never happened." Kindle but in.

"But I couldn't stay at the Academy all year, of course, and Thorn had to make sure I was safe during the summer, in case my brothers ever found me."

"So," Kindle continued. "She entrusted her most loyal friend with the scared, little dragonet."

"I was not a scared little dragonet." Coal growled.

"Oh come on. The day Six-Claws brought you home, you were shaking like a leaf, and terrified. Not to mention half beaten to death and starving." 

"I was three, and had been abused in a gang my entire life! Did you expect me to not have ANY nightmares?"

"No, I expected you to have more." Coal rolled his eyes. "So Six-Claws and I took care of Coal when he wasn't at school, until he graduated and went to stay with a smart Nightwing." 

"And that's it."

"No it's not." Kindle declared. "You would think, after taking care of him, he'd let us know what was going on in his life! Send us a letter every now and then! But noooooo. He was TOO BUSY. Not too busy to drop by whenever somebody got stabbed though."

"You're never gonna let me live that down, are you?"

"NEVER."