Moonbeam: A Timeline series companion

i'm procastinating, have an excerpt

Ok so I'd offer you something less important to the plot except I have only written this scene from this chapter so far, and I love it so I'm not even gonna apologize.

For some context--right before the end, Sharp-eyes brings back Darkstalker and Clearsight's house to indulge his old pastime of WANTING TO BREAK INTO THEIR HOUSE. But Darkstalker's scroll is kind of weird; it's like he's trying to wear someone else's clothes and squeeze into them, but they don't fit the way he wants, no matter how hard he tries. (sorry i'm tired, that's the best metaphor I could think of.) 

Ok this is about to get really deep into Timeline series meta but: Darkstalker's magic is, like, a piece of him in that scroll. So Sharp-eyes is trying to make it work the way he wants, but again: it's just got little quirks, because it's fundamentally not his.

So Darkstalker's memory ends up playing through the house. Again, this is really meta, but I like to think of this whole scene as a small piece of Darkstalker begging Sharp-eyes to see reason.

.... ok anyway here's a bit of the scene

***

Normally, I'd head straight for the offices. But I've got time to linger--I've got all the time in the world. I run my talons over the little calendar pinned to the wall. Sleepover at Grandma's! Darkstalker's circled the weekend, and drawn little doodles of his three dragonets, and a dragon who it takes me a moment to recognize as his mother. I did some reading into her a while; it was pretty interesting, and definitely casts some insight into why Darkstalker turned out the way he did. On Sunday, he's written, in smaller print: Date night! with a little winky face, and two candles.

Suddenly, the calendar begins to flicker. I growl. If Darkstalker's magic is being weird again, I swear, I will burn this scroll on the spot.

The rug disappears, and the floor shines bright as though recently replaced--plants fading out of existence, the cookies disappearing, until the house is a perfect blank slate.

I flinch as the door creaks open, and in walks... Darkstalker and Clearsight, plus a dragon I don't recognize, who looks like she's in her mid-forties. But they're so young. There's something about Clearsight that feels eerily familiar; a spark in her eyes, and a determination to her step that's long since flickered out.

It takes me a moment to realize the dragon I'm being reminded of is myself.

Darkstalker shifts on his talons, buzzing with excitement. Clearsight looks over in my direction--and I could swear, she meets my eyes, crouching down to inspect the heart. She opens up the fireplace door, and her talon goes right through me. I shiver.

She walks back to Darkstalker, absently gesturing her wing in my direction. I allow my shoulders to relax, and let out a breath.

The door opens again, as they carry in a large box down the hallway, then drop it on the floor, catching their breath. I watch as they put up wallpaper in the living room, and set up the kitchen. Little ferns sit in pots from a nursery on the windowsill, and the light goes dim. I follow them over to the dinner table, where they sit across from each other. Darkstalker leans in and kisses Clearsight, their faces flickering in the candlelight.