Raya and the last Dragon: Return Of The Drunn

Chapter 2: Coronation Rehearsal

Having accidentally overslept, both Namaari and Raya stayed in bed late until Sisu came to their room the next day, yelling "WAKE UP!". Sisu shouted over the girls, "AHH!" Raya rolled off the bed in surprise while Namaari grabbed her swords, quickly sitting up. She looked at Sisu and sighed, "Don't do that!" Sisu chuckled mischievously, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Well, I couldn't resist giving you both a little scare to start the day off with some excitement," she said playfully. Namaari reluctantly put her swords down, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips as she realised Sisu's intention was all in good fun.

"What time is it?" Raya asked from the floor. "Time for you two to be in the heart's throne room for coronation practice!" The girls looked at each other, suddenly remembering. Raya scrambled off the floor, quickly giving Namaari a look, saying,We're going to"be in trouble."

"Your Ba asked me to wake you girls up, but you two looked so comfy!" Namaari chuckled and playfully nudged Raya. "It looks like we overslept again, thanks to Sisu's antics." The two friends exchanged knowing glances, realising they needed to hurry if they wanted to avoid their fathers' disapproval. "Sisu, you should've woken us earlier," Raya scolded as she hopped around the room, attempting to get her shoes on and then the outfit that she had chosen for the coronation. "Ba's gonna kill me!" Namaari laughed and said, "Don't worry, Raya. We'll make it in time. Just remember to grab your sword before we leave." Raya nodded, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and anxiety as they rushed out the door, determined to face whatever awaited them at the coronation.

"Raya, calm down. I explained you both needed rest after last night with Kalani; he understood. Namaari reassured Raya, trying to ease her friend's nerves. "Besides, we've trained for this moment our whole lives. We're ready." With renewed confidence, they hurried towards their destiny, ready to prove themselves at the coronation. "But my mother won't, Sisu. She doesn't know about Kalani! And if she's mad at us for being late, we won't be able to tell her! "Wait, Sisu, where IS Kalani?" Namaari asked. Raya's heart raced as she considered the consequences of her mother's finding out about Kalani. "We can't let her find out, Namaari. We need to find Kalani before it's too late," Raya responded, her voice filled with urgency.

"chill alright Chief Benja just took her outside for a walk near the river nearly an hour ago."Namaari sighed in relief before Raya pulled her arm, urging her to move quickly. "We have to find them before anyone else does. Let's go!"

"Come on, we gotta go!" Sisu watched them before looking around the bedroom. "Hey Raya, don't forget your tiara. And she's gone."The sky blue dragon followed the girls to the throne room, grabbing Raya's tiara. Raya and Namaari stumbled into the throne room.

"Ba, I'm so sorry we're late! We overslept, and, ah, sugar."
Namaari fell silent, seeing her mother, Chief Virana, looking away a little. "You two are late for the rehearsal. I understand Benja asked Sisu to wake you... I see she did her job." Sisu chuckled softly, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Well, I did my best to wake them up, but you know how stubborn these two can be," she said playfully, gesturing towards Raya and Namaari. Chief Virana couldn't help but smile at Sisu's comment, realising that her daughter was in good hands with such a loyal and caring friend.

Virana looked up at Sisu as she placed the tiara on Raya's and laughed nervously before looking at the girls and saying, "A little help." Raya went to speak but was stopped. "I also understand you were hiding something from me." The princesses hesitated at this, looking at each other, then back at Virana, who started approaching them with a mix of curiosity and concern. "I hope you can trust me enough to share whatever it is," Virana said gently, her voice filled with warmth and understanding. The princesses exchanged a glance, their expressions softening as they realised that Chief Virana genuinely cared for them and their well-being.

"Why didn't you two tell me you were parents? ..." Raya sighed in relief a little. "We thought you'd be upset... and we didn't know how too." Virana's eyes widened in surprise, her concern deepening. "Parents?" she repeated, her voice laced with astonishment. "I had no idea. But please know that I could never be upset with you for such a beautiful blessing. You both must have your reasons for keeping it a secret, and I'm here to support you in any way I can." The princesses exchanged grateful smiles, feeling a sense of relief wash over them as they realised they had found an ally in Chief

"We know you didn't approve of us the first time when we got together." 

Chief Virana interrupted her, shaking her head. "No, no, that's not true. I may have had my reservations initially, but seeing the love and happiness you both share, it's undeniable. I just want what's best for both of you." The princesses felt a weight lift off their shoulders as the chief's words reassured them of her acceptance and support. "Girls, that was a few months ago, when Kumandra was more or less a fairytale."

Namaari smiled at this, pulling Raya to her, cuddling her close and laughing slightly. A few moments later, Chief Benja arrived with little Kalani in his arms, "Ba!" Raya went over to him and cuddled close to both Benja and Kalani. "How did you get her to sleep so easily?" Chief Benja chuckled and replied, "Oh, it's a little trick I learned from my grandmother. I gently sway her and sing a lullaby, and she drifts off to sleep in no time. It works like magic!" Raya smiled gratefully at her father's soothing technique, feeling a sense of warmth and contentment enveloping their small family. Sisu smiled gently, looking at Kalani curled up in her grandpa's arms.

"She's so tiny, but you two did great last month!" Sisu told Namaari and Raya, squeezing them both into a hug and laughing, "These kids are going to have a great time, especially with you guys for her parents." Namaari and Raya exchanged joyful glances, their hearts filled with love and anticipation for the adventures they would share with their daughter. As they embraced Sisu, they couldn't help but feel grateful for the strong bond that held their family together, knowing that it would bring endless happiness to their little one.

"I just don't wake her up in the middle of the night."

"Hey, that was all Kalani, Raya. I'm just saying that was all Kalani because she woke up being a poopy butt and I am not changing her anymore." Both girls laughed watching Sisu shudder at having to change the baby. "So gross. Now come on, enough talking. You've got to have your coronation practise, right guys?" Sisu looked up at Virana and Benja, who looked at each other. "What?"What'd I say?" Sisu asked with a smile, "Uhm, Sisu, I think it's because we're losing the light now and because we accidentally slept in last night."

"Aw, does that mean you won't get the crown today?" Sisu asked Raya, who shook her head.

"It's only practising, remember? I won't actually be getting it for...hopefully a while, right?"Benja nodded at this. "And now that Kalani's here, it's probably best to wait for another few months. Then all of Kumandra will see her." He pulled Raya in, holding her close as she quickly responded, "I can... I can wait another few months.

"me too" Namaari agreed as she looked at Virana, hopeful. She reluctantly agreed, "There will be another rehearsal in another few months then." She looked at both crown princesses and said, "Don't be late again, or I'll get Sisu to wake you up with water next time."

"Or just get my brother Pengu ha-ow," she was jabbed hard in the side by Namaari, "not helping Sisu."

"Oh right, sorry." The water dragon smiled through apologetic laughter. "Anyway, what's for dinner? I am so hungry!" Namaari glanced at Virana, her eyes filled with anticipation. "I hope the next rehearsal goes smoothly," she said, trying to hide her excitement. The thought of Sisu waking them up with water made her shudder, but she couldn't help but chuckle at the idea. "Let's make sure we're on time this time," she added, giving Raya a playful nudge. "And after all that hard work, I can't wait to indulge in a delicious dinner.

"I've got some jerky left." Raya told her through giggles, knowing what was coming, "not that hungry."

"We've got some food prepared, Sisu, don't worry." Benja started to lead everyone to the dining hall as the sun began to drop. As they made their way to the dining hall, the anticipation of a satisfying meal grew stronger. The aroma of freshly cooked food wafted through the air, making their mouths water. They couldn't wait to sit down and savour every bite after a long day of work.