Dragonets of Their Own: Fate Decides (A Moonbli Story)

Chapter Eight: Recoveries and Ships

Obsidian glanced at his killer tail. He glanced back at his working peers. He wiped the thought of killing himself from boredom out of his head and continued scribbling down answers on his piece of parchment.

There is a large chance that, in the future, SandWings will lose either their unique spine or their stingers from interbreeding with other--

"Hey!" a girl voice whispered. Everyone started to whisper as the teacher Webs, literally about to blow his top, growled and flared his wings. Everyone fell silent. 

Obsidian raked his mind for the memorization of the summary of The Scorching.

"Arghh," he rested his head on his front talons. In his head, he whispered, Enchant my mind to understand the conce--

No! He couldn't do that. That would be cheating.

But before he could make a decision, Webs yelled in a slightly hoarse voice, "Time's up! Papers down!"

Obsidian looked around, fretting. He glanced over at Flurry, who was looking at Obsidian with his glassy eyes that were not usually filled with terror like this.

Obviously he had the same debate with himself. Before Obsidian could understand what was happening, his paper started to glow from the inside and inked-in words appeared.

He could feel the chill from Flurry's scales a mile away. 

Thanks, he said in his mind.

After Class

Queen Glory's daughter

"Yes, the rumors are true!" whispers erupted from behind Firefly. "The queen's daughter is here!" "You mean Queen Glory's oldest daughter? Wow."

Firefly growled in her throat and rolled her eyes. She struggled to keep a scarlet red from flooding into her RainWing scales. She kept walking and walking and walking until she reached the prey center, where she happily rested on a bench next to Tsunami.

"'S'up, squirt?" Tsunami asked as Firefly grumpily sat down.

"Nothing," Firefly looked into Tsunami's blue eyes as sincerely as she could. 

Tsunami said, "You know, that stare was a little too intense to have a true statement preceding it."

"I know," Firefly said. "It's being the firstborn daughter. The. Firstborn. Daughter." She tore a piece of rabbit out of Tsunami's sharing claws. 

"Thanks," she tipped her long neck at Tsunami. "Everyone's whispering about me and acting like I'm some sort of disease."

Tsunami barked a laugh, "How is being the firstborn princess a disease?"

"Well," Firefly said patiently. "First, there's the fact that my mother is such a great queen. Once I challenge her, it could be game over for either of us. One's the queen and one... isn't. I might not be the best queen, but my younger sister is pompous and SOO IMPORTANT. She'd be a terrible queen, but I think I might be as well."

Tsunami nodded and glanced at a passing Riptide. She yelled, "Hey!" Firefly swiveled her long neck.

Riptide swiveled around. "Yeah, love?" Tsunami flashed a few stripes on her snout, her tail, and then on her neck. He nodded and sighed. "Guess I'll see you later then. Can't believe she wants me again..." Riptide nuzzled Tsunami and then flicked away.

Tsunami rolled her eyes and chuckled. "See him? The biggest complainer in the world? He's complaining about QUEEN ANEMONE. Also known as my younger sister. She is a good queen and has matured a lot since her school days, but is still slightly demanding and a little impulsive."

"Oh," Firefly said, sounding guilty. She sat up straighter. "Well, I still have practices and everything, but I'm more than a little nervous. RainWings AND NightWings?!"

Tsunami stared into Firefly's purple eyes. She rest a webbed hand on Firefly's front shoulder and sighed solemnly. "You will be an amazing queen. I took my heritage for granted and didn't get it. Instead, I'm a public school teacher," she chuckled. Firefly felt a small smile in her jaw, but she forced it back. Instead, guilt seized her over.

"Anemone got the throne instead, and she and Tamarin have two kids," she shrugged. "I have none yet, and who's older? Me. Does that tell you anything?"

Geode smiled. Suddenly, the bell rang. Firefly stood up and shook out her speckled wings.

"Thanks for the lecture," she rolled her eyes, but smiled warmly.

"No prob," Tsunami grinned back. She waved her tail and shooed Firefly away. "Go on! You still have classes!"

She glared at Tsunami mock-threatingly, then turned around and boosted herself out of the prey center. She glanced over and saw a SeaWing-RainWing waving at her.

Prism.

She felt a lump in her throat. 

Two months ago...

"No," Firefly often told herself. "I won't fall for him. I can't fall for him. We're both of royal descent, and that would cause more than one problem. And we are probably related," she growled, "somewhere in this tangle of VERY STUPID ROYALTY!" She snarled at frightened birds.

"Did I smell an insult?" Deathbringer walked into the room with his playful smirk. 

"Dad," Firefly said. "I wasn't talking about Mom. I was talking to myself about--" 

"Good," Deathbringer interrupted. "You should obey Mom, since I do."

Firefly smacked her tail against her dad, who looked mock-hurt. She tried to look serious, but burst into laughter. "I can't be a good queen if you say funny things like that!" She widened her eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't think I should talk about challenges and whatnot in front of her mate."

Deathbringer rolled his eyes, although she could sense his fury and sadness. "S'alright. She's giving me gray scales, I'll probably be dead by then, anyway." He chuckled. "Don't tell Mom I said that." 

"I'll tell her immediately," Firefly saluted. She wrapped her wings around the tall NightWing. "Thanks, Dad," she said. "I kinda needed that." They let go and both turned to face the castle.

"Yeah," Deathbringer said quietly. He stared at Queen Glory, who was resting on her pavilion. She was surveying the hammock-covered forest and flicked her tail offhandedly at Kinkajou, who started to talk excitedly. He smiled. Even from what Firefly knew, she knew he was still completely and madly in love with the queen. He tore his eyes from them and looked back at Firefly. 

Queen Glory noticed the two, dismissed Kinkajou, and flew from her pavilion and to Deathbringer and Firefly. Her brilliant mint-green, almost a light teal scales shimmered in the sunlight.

"Hey, honey," Deathbringer nuzzled her snout. She smiled, then, looking at Firefly, she frowned. "Are you alright, Firefly?"

"She's upset about queen stuff," Deathbringer shrugged. 

"Oh," Queen Glory flicked her tail. "That's not something to worry about for a while. Of course you need training, but look at me! I'm a considerably fair queen, and I had zilch training. If you're descended from me, you'll be in good shape."

"And she got her brilliance from me," Deathbringer said smugly to Glory. Glory raised her eyebrows. "Do you want to know how to keep an idiot waiting? I'll tell you tomorrow." Deathbringer pulled her tail and she flared her wings, "Hey!"

Firefly giggled and stayed out of the (obviously) one-sided argument.