Sakura Tree

~CHAPTER ONE~

Grasshopper stretched out the palm of his talon and allowed a pink praying mantis to crawl along his talon. He stared at it, admiring its beauty; it reminded him of Princess Sakura's beauty.

Grasshopper remembered clearly the night that he and Sakura had met for the first time. The first time he had ever heard about Forestwing's, a tribe that pretty much lived right next to the Leafwings. He had been so confused back then. They had come up with a compromise. In exchange for not getting a life in prison or death, Grasshopper would have to come for monthly meetings to assure Princess Sakura he hadn't told her tribe's secret, and in exchange she wouldn't reveal him to the Forestwings.

Grasshopper glanced up at the sun and accidentally let a small yelp escape from his mouth. A few dragons cast sidelong glances at him, but quickly all the glares went away. Grasshopper let out a tiny sigh of relief, unhearable to anybody nearby.

Grasshopper gently placed the Praying Mantis back into its proper jar and quickly shoved that jar into a pouch on his chest. He glanced around to make sure no one was looking and slipped into the bushes.

He slipped deep enough into the forest where it was getting hard to see through the black, shadowed foliage and trees. He climbed up a tree and flung himself into the sky, leaping with his front legs and pushing upwards with his hind legs. He beat his wings powerfully, and with a force great enough to lift him onto an air current. With a mix of mostly gliding and some lifting, Grasshopper flew to Sakura and his meeting place.

He landed a bit clumsily, yelping when he nearly tripped over his own wings. Sakura glared at him, her foot tapping impatiently. When Grasshopper finally regained his balance, he thought he caught a glimmer of humor in Sakura's eyes.

"You're late," Sakura scowled.

"S-sorry. I got a b-bit distracted with the t-time..." Grasshopper mumbled. He hung his head down, purposefully avoiding Sakura's currently bright-red eyes. Sakura's eyes were normally a pretty blossom-pink, but tended to change to an angry red alot.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't've," Sakura growled.

"Sorry, Sakura," Grasshopper whimpered.

"It's Princess Sakura to you. And lift your head, stop looking like a wimp," Sakura snapped. When Grasshopper had followed all her commands, she said, "Alright, you know the drill. Arm."

Grasshopper stretched out his arm. Sakura began fumbling with the pouches on her chest, and eventually pulled out a jar filled with ants. She furrowed her brow as a smallvine gripped an ant from inside the jar, also closing off the entry of the lid. Grasshopper knew by know that this was Sakura using Dragontree, an ability that all Forestwwing's had. It was extremely similar to leafspeak, in many ways.

Sakura opened the jar lid and grabbed the ant by it's stinger. Grasshopper closed his eyes and winced and Sakura stabbed the stinger inbetween two of his scales. Grasshopper yelped with pain, and when he opened his eyes he saw Sakura crushing the ant between her claws.

Sakura stared at him expectantly. "I swear on my life I haven't told anyone anything about the Forestwing's or our meetings," Grasshopper blurted out. Sakura seemed satisfied and closed the jar.

"Don't you ever feel bad, killing the ants?" Grasshopper asked Sakura. He had to wait there until the ant sting wore off, otherwise he would be caught. Not only would people ask him about why his arm was so numb, but he would be forced to reveal the truth. And so he and Sakura needed a way to pass the time.

"Forestwing's personify plants, not ants," Sakura snarled. "A Leafwing of all dragons should know that."

"But, I don't have any leafspeak. You know that," Grasshopper stated, questioning Sakura. She inspected his arm.

"You should be ready to go by now," Sakura said. "Don't forget the time next month." she finished, with a glare at Grasshopper.

"Uhmm... about that," Grasshopper felt his heart quicken as he stared into Sakura's eyes. "I-" he froze, realizing there was no easy way to say this. "All the Leafwings are going to the Distant Kingdom's to find help to defeat The Othermind, But I don't want to go with them! I want to stay here, in my home!" Grasshopper cried out. He despised the possibility of flying all the way to the Distant Kingdoms with his mother.

Sakura stared at him. In some sort of fantasy, Sakura would offer for him to come live with the Forestwings. But in the real world, Grasshopper knew that was next to impossible. Despite this he asked in a small whisper, "Could I live with the Forestwings?" Grasshopper hung his head down, and looked up at Sakura with big, pleading eyes. Sakura's eyes widened and she backed up.

"No, no no no. That's literally impossible. Even if I let you, you would never get past my mother," Sakura blurted out. Her eyes flashed with some unreadable emotion for a split second, something Grasshopper couldn't read...

Grasshopper turned. He could feel tears beginning to stream down his face at the anger and sadness and grief he felt. He didn't want Sakura to see him cry; she would just think it was him trying to get her to pity him and allow him into the kingdom. He leaped into the air and began beating his wings. He could feel the air from Sakura's wings beating behind him. Now the two would go their separate ways.

Eventually Grasshopper made it back home. He began to reach to push aside the vine entrance of his home, but hesitated, realizing how long he had been away this time. His mother, Mantis, would be extremely angry this time. Grasshopper flinched and walked in. Mantis glared at him silently. That definitely meant the usual, Go lock yourself in your room until I have time to deal with you.

Grasshopper bowed his head and walked through an ark into another room. His room. A hammock swayed lightly by a window. A ledge formed by vines held a pot with a small purple magnesium. He had used that flower when it was just a seed to see if he had leafspeak. He remembered with a sigh how excited he had been, and the waves of disappointment when he planted the seed and nothing happened. But yet he still kept the flower. It was so far proving to be a purple magnesium.

There was also a small bookshelf with a few books. Grasshopper leaped into the hammock and threw his wings over his entire body. He wanted to curl up into a ball and hide. Underneath his wings he messed with the pouches lying on his chest. Tears streamed down his face.

Mantis came storming into Grasshopper's room. "Unfurl your wings, coward!" Mantis screeched at Grasshopper. Grasshopper shakily unfurled his wings and winced. Mantis ripped one of the pouches from his chest and tore the jar from inside She glared at the large brown praying mantis inside. Mantis opened the lid and turned it over. The praying mantis fell onto the ground, and Mantis glanced at Grasshopper right before slamming a talon down onto the praying mantis.

"No!" Grasshopper screeched, tears flowing down his face.

"You know what you did wrong. And you knew the price. You're grounded until we have to leave this wretched jungle," Mantis snarled, and left the room with her tail swaying contently.

Grasshopper tore off all his pouches and ripped out the jars. While still crying he released all the bug pets he had collected. He opened the lid to the pink praying mantis' jar, and was about to let it go when he retaliated. He threw all the empty pouches off the window and closed the jar with the pink praying mantis in it when he heard a yelp.

Sakura popped her head up into Grasshopper's view. He opened his mouth to yelp, but Sakura shoved his mouth closed with a talon. Sakura crawled in through the window. "Yes, I saw everything. And I've made a decision. Grasshopper, how would you like to come to the kingdom of the Forestwing's with me?"

A/N

OK so i lied 

this is vv clearly an A/N so i L I E D

hMmMmMmMm Sakura's totally not sus and Mantis is definitely not ever going to be important ever again and poor Grasshopper child

anyways im gonna go write chapter twooooooooooooo