Worrying hadn’t done anything other than create stress lines across my once flawless façade. Fina chided me, “Go fly. Patrol. No think.” She was right, as usual; patrolling, nay flying in general was a source of relief. I smiled at her and pushed out from under the ol’ Magnolia to do as the young phoenix advised. Fina took wing as well, speeding toward heaven. She urged me up by applying a teasing tug on my forelock. My face relaxed into a rare smile, feathered limbs pumped hard to draw my heavier bulk into the sky. Soon we were both racing across heaven, sliding neck and beak. She hissed at me mischievously and cracked it up a notch. Her fire could condensate the air enough that a tiny trail of white followed behind. I allowed my concerns to fade, concentrating instead on how the wind felt beneath wings and across my body.

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Sometime later Dragon’s Throat border came into sight, we had long since stopped our race. I coasted us high enough to see across the vast expansion of land, yet low enough to make out abstracting dots that could pinpoint someone daring to trespass. Two dots in particular caught my attention; innocent curiosity ordered me lower, I wouldn’t interrupt whoever it was if they were recruiting. It wasn’t polite. Fina hummed passionately and thrust an image toward my mind. A golden child, her face alight with my secondary element.

My mouth gave slack and I spared a surprised glance at Fina. Appendages instantly tucked and I become a hairy bullet; whose impact range would strike in moments. Sandy earth rushed to me, Fina soared near me, and at the last moment we pulled up to avoid becoming a squashed ameba. Wings extended nearly in unison, there was a twinge of pain within the corners of my collarbone. Sand curled up from below, rising to meet its bender.

Golden sand absorbed any impact. Fina glided toward my rump and positioned herself, while I gracelessly gathered myself. Granules fell harmlessly to the ground again. My wings remained extended, perspiration slithered down each flank. Still breathless, chest heaving from the flight I said, “Ranjiri, my child.” Walking openly toward her I extended myself and offered a Pegasus version of an embrace. Nudging my muzzle down to brush her warm back, “I’ve been worried,” I whispered for her ears alone. Gaze shifted to Guacho a moment later, my lips curved into a content grin, “Guacho, dear bother I would like ye to meet Ranjiri. My daughter.”

She came to me. Obviously time had done its part, the daughter of love was much taller now; less like the fragile foal my mind still made her out to be. Less likely to break or fall over from the slightest breath of wind. At least… that was what Ranjiri would like me to believe. In these eyes she would always be my sweet little girl. I smiled a paternal grin as she pulled away, my muzzle followed to brush across her cheek, “Aww, you don’t have to worry about me.” If only the little lass knew just how much a parent worried. I lingered in those crimson eyes for a moment to long and saw someone else that had been a source of worry lately; Ktulu was there. My heart gave a small lurch, a soft sigh rose in the back of my throat. She looked so much like her ma.

With boundless energy my daughter pranced around on new legs, their length sprang from the ground in inches that hadn’t been there only a few short months ago. Her excitable state gave me no reason to notice anything astray on the golden cherub. Guacho started to say something, he paused in the middle as if just having changed his mind; I looked his way and opened my jaws to inquire the rest of that sentence. Ranjiri piped in before any words could escape, “Guess what, dad!” Still grinning I paused to glance at her, one brow rising in quiet amusement, “I can fly now!” For a moment it was all that could be done to not stare like a complete idiot in shock, I had to double check to make sure my mouth hadn’t slipped apart and was just dangling from my face.

Slipping into a composed state I tried to smile wider, “T-That’s wonderful news!” The main concern to flying was that she would be off the ground. Soaring through the air unsupervised...possibly falling; and, I hadn’t been there when she learned. I didn’t get to see those first few attempts. “Why don’t ye show me?”

Disappointment would have to wait for a day when the present didn’t claw at yonder door screaming for attention. It made no sense to squander the hours away in a web of selfpity that wouldn’t and couldn’t be changed by even a heavenly host. So with a heaving sigh I released my pent up concerns to the wind. Our past couldn’t be changed, nor would the hours be unwritten. A stronger smile laces across the dark recess of my face, a sign of patient willingness to participate in whatever aspect of Ranjiris young life was allowed.

“Okay,” she said after a brief pause. My brows notch up curiously when the little lass swiveled head round in search of some missing prize. A gleaming spark of excitement carried goldenrods to her quivering form with an enduring affection for the offspring of my beloved, I didn’t have to wait nor wonder for long before she ventured a question, “Why don’t you go first?”

As if on cue my ivories fell apart from flesh. Cooler air washes toward the warm fur which had been under a weighted blanket of feather. Retracing my steps in reverse I note that her crimson orbs are upon me with causal intent—though she is likely watching with an almost hungry appetite. Some lessons were best taught by those of similar traits. Ears slip ahead and my head bounces in a playful nod that sends patched strands splaying across my neck, “To the sky then.”

Graceful as a dancer I tuck and turn, heading away from them at a controllable canter. Fina opens her fiery limbs and glides ahead. Ivories splay apart, rotating toward the breeze, eager to embrace the most perfect abyss. Gold tips brush earth for only a moment, one powerful down stroke later my feet are inches from sand. Another, thrice, I’ve tucked limbs toward chest and am soaring ahead. Tail fans out from behind and the strong Southern breeze fills out my feathers.

A sharp bank and my direction is toward them. There are other (creative) ways I could be of service to the gilded babe. Sand pools up from below, directly ahead. Thousands upon thousands, nay billions of granules rise up from the belly of our dragon. They stack themselves up, higher and higher they climb until a small mound that oddly takes the shape of a ramp comes to form. A temporary sheet of gold slides across, hardening the surface so that smaller feet might find steadier support. Calling from overhead I utter, “Ye might find yonder mound useful.” It was only a hunch that she might need to use it.

OOC: So sorry this took so long ;__; I've been sick, busy.