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08-26-2015, 04:37 AM
ARELI
Do you still believe in love, I wonder?
Do you still believe in love, I wonder?
Of course, you don’t expect the egg to really answer. You’re used to daydreaming alone, making up silly voices for your slew of inanimate friends. But just as you’re squinting at the speckled shell, sizing it up and wondering how it might reply, it speaks on its own—and in an unexpectedly deep voice. “Hey there, sis,” it rumbles, in a tone that’s vaguely familiar. Finding the nickname (and really, the ability to go speaking out of turn) rather fresh, your head shoots up indignantly…and you come face to face with your brother and an obnoxiously large bouquet of flowers. Graceful as ever, you promptly sneeze in surprise and stare at him wordlessly.
Though you’d swear up and down that you’d recognize Illy anywhere, it takes you a moment to fully understand that it’s him and he’s here. Unexpected appearance aside, something about him has changed, you notice—not just in the muscles that round his shoulders or in the timbre of his voice. No, it’s something in the way he’s standing, you think. He looks…happy. You’d never noticed the sadness in your brother’s eyes before, but seeing him now, it’s impossible to overlook.
Meanwhile, Illy drops the bundle at your hooves. With the rustle of stems against grass, you come rushing back to reality and suddenly find your hooves scrambling for traction against the dewy meadow. ”ILLY!” you scream, as he wishes you happy birthday. “YOU’RE HERE!” Clumsily, you launch yourself toward him, aiming to barrel into his wings for a warm embrace. How had he found you?
You’re so excited that for a minute, you forget the egg. It remains to the side, perched on the earth, until your brother spots it. Hanging on his every move, you follow his gaze, watching his eyes widen as the comprehension dawns on his face. ”Areli!” he tells you, “I think you’ve found a companion egg, like Mother has!” At his prediction, your golden ones do the same—reverent for a moment, then you’re talking at a mile a minute again, hopping around him for emphasis. “Really, Illy? How d’ya know? Do you think it’s a bird like Penna? Or maybe it’s like Kiara? OR MAYBE…” The thought of a dragon sends your heart racing, making the glass medallion against your chest shiver with your quickened pulse. Before you can utter the word however, another familiar voice rings out across the meadow. “Do your impromptu flying lessons count as you being in trouble?” Volterra booms, walking toward you.
At the sight of him, you feel as if you could nearly die of happiness. For someone whose shadow and dragon action figure were her only regular companions, the prospect of having not one, but two! playmates materialize in the meadow is incomprehensibly wonderful. “Volterra!” you shriek, now visibly wriggling with joy. You don’t even care that he saw your tumble; annoyed as you had been when Mama had asked him to be your babysitter, he doesn’t seem like the type who’d tell on you—would he? Immediately, you scan the sky for the sign of his dragon…but he is nowhere to be found. “Where’s Veerzays?” you ask, proud of yourself for pronouncing the red reptile’s elegant name. Pleased with yourself, you shoot a sideways look at Illy, wondering if he’ll be impressed with the vocabulary you’ve picked up in his absence.
But the goliath has seen the egg too, and strides over to it, presumably to get a better look. "You're going to want to keep that egg warm and safe," he comments, gazing down at it. Though he is probably not much older than Illy, he seems to worldly and wise. You trot over to the orb again with renewed interest. Could it be? Is whatever’s inside really a companion—your companion? Eyes wide with wonder, dark muzzle reaches down to brush the shell’s surface.
CRRRACK.
The sound is nearly noiseless, but it rings like a gunshot in your head as hairline fissures suddenly mar the smooth curve of the eggshell. Yelping, you leap backwards (hopefully without crashing into the pair of colts), ears lolling sideways in guilt. Instinctively, you have the urge to yell, “Wasn’t me!” but you can’t help but fear…Had you broken it? You hadn’t meant to hurt it! Anxiously, you stare at the egg, willing the cracks back together with all of your heart. Of course, the egg hadn’t played along with you before, and it certainly didn’t intend to do so now. In horror, you can only watch as the dark lines widen and spread. The sound of every crack echoes in your ears, making your heart sink progressively lower and lower with each new noise: you’d definitely broken it. Then…the sound stops. You glance up hopefully, just in time to see the egg gives one defiant shudder, to see the shell fall away, to see the wet little ball of gold tumble out with a disgruntled squeak.
And even though your hooves remain planted in the meadow grass, you feel your heart lurch as it takes flight for the first time.
"speech"
![[Image: areli_by_moonstone_designs-d9dgh47.png]](http://orig05.deviantart.net/fac3/f/2015/290/f/c/areli_by_moonstone_designs-d9dgh47.png)
