The Last Continent

Prologue

"I'm sorry, to put this burden on you," the young RainWing sobbed, cradling her egg in her talons. In that egg was her daughter, her only daughter, whom she will never see again. The blue and gold egg with swirls of silver was close to hatching. She needed to get her away from her, just in case her egg was killed with her.

Dragonfruit, Macaw would have called her, had her life been different. This egg will go off to a safer place now.

Her little Dragonfruit, who hopefully will inherit Macaw's animus powers. Her little Dragonfruit, too powerful for this world.

Dragonfruit's father, a NightWing and SeaWing hybrid, disappeared a few weeks ago, only to be found dead on a beach days later, his throat ripped violently out. She would never be able to meet her real parents, but she'll have Glory. That's all that mattered. Her perfect Dragonfruit, someday to inherit the RainWing throne.

"A daughter won't be a burden," Glory whispered to the RainWing, hugging Macaw with her wings.

 "I've been blessed with three sons," she gently took the egg from Macaw's talons. The other dragon sobbed harder, reaching out for her egg, but only to pull back her talons moments later. She couldn't put her egg in further danger than it was already in. As she used her powers more and more, she became slightly more insane. Macaw leaned forward and pressed her forehead to the egg.

"I love you, Dragonfruit," she whispered to the little soon-to-be dragonet. "May you have a better life," 

Macaw took one last look at her egg and Glory. She waved good-bye, her eyes teary. And then, just like she appeared, she was gone. The shadows engulfed her, never to be seen again by RainWing eyes.

Glory sighed and turned around, clutching the egg tightly to her chest. She beat her wings and took off, soaring into the late night sky. The stars surrounded her, guiding her back to the RainWing kingdom. It should only be an hour's flight back to her treehouse palace.

Glory looked down at the little egg. Macaw was going to call her Dragonfruit. She thought, staring at the colorful egg. She noticed the swirls of silver and tentatively traced over them with a claw. She realized that the egg was turning more and more silver by the moment.

She's not even a day from hatching! Glory realized, nearly falling out of the sky. She beat her wings faster, trying to make it home in time. She couldn't have an egg hatching mid-air! She put on a burst of speed, her wings aching and tired, but she had to make it home before the dragonet hatched.

Glory made it home half an hour later, landing softly on the platform outside of the main room of her treehouse palace. She trotted inside, clutching the egg with one arm. 

"Turtle!" she called softly into the SeaWing's room. She heard a slight shuffling and a groan, but no one emerged. "Turtle!" Glory tried again, this time louder and more firm. She heard more shuffling, and soon, a young, green SeaWing emerged, yawning. He looked from Glory to the egg  then back again with a look of surprise on his face.

"I didn't know you were expecting," he remarked, rubbing his eyes. 

"I wasn't," Glory whispered. "I need to tell you something, and this needs to be OUR secret,"

Glory then proceeded to tell Turtle the whole story, his eyes widening. 

"I need you to enchant her to look like a normal RainWing and NightWing hybrid when she's around others," Glory explained, holding out the egg to turtle. He hesitated, as if not feeling confident. He looked from Glory to the egg once again.

"What if I hurt her?" he whispered, a talon resting on the egg. 

"I trust you, Turtle," Glory whispered. "It's okay," she laid a talon over his, and Turtle nodded, a burst of confidence flowing through his veins. He nodded, closing his eyes.

"I enchant the dragonet inside this egg to look like a RainWing and NightWing hybrid around others, but herself when she's alone. She shall resemble both Deathbringer and Glory in the slightest ways when she's around others, but look like herself alone or when she chooses to," Turtle took his talon off just as a crack came from the egg. Glory's eyes widened. The egg was hatching!

"Oh no," Glory cried. "Get everyone! Gather everyone, Turtle!" Glory ran outside and laid the egg in the nest her last eggs were in and watched it attentively. She watched as another crack, and another crack, and another appeared of the egg. She was hatching!

Glory heard claws tapping on the wood as Deathbringer ran out to see their new daughter. 

"Turtle told me everything," Deathbringer whispered, sitting down next to Glory and tenting his wing over her. She leaned into him and watched as her adopted daughter broke out of her egg. Soon, Tsunami, Clay, Sunny, Starflight, Kinkajou, and Fatespeaker emerged from inside the treehouse, looking at the egg in awe. 

"Glory! You had another egg and you didn't tell us?" Tsunami exclaimed. She sat down directly across from Glory. Deathbringer opened his mouth, but Glory poked him and gave him a look, and he shut it.

"You are all so busy at Jade Mountain, I didn't want to interrupt everything," Glory said quietly.

More cracks appeared on the egg, and soon, the eggshell broke into two. The sun was rising. Glory smiled. A new dragonet being born like a new day. There, tucked inside the larger eggshell piece, fitting perfectly, was her little dragonet. 

Dragonfruit. Glory picked up the little dragon and cradled her in her arms. The little Dragonfruit squeaked happily and snuggled into her mother's arms. Her little wings flapped around as she moved about. Dragonfruit was barely the size of a big watermelon.

"So, what's her name?" Deathbringer whispered, taking the dragonet from Glory's arms and cradling her in his own. The dragonet smiled largely at her father, giggling when he smiled a big, goofy grin back. 

"Dragonfruit," Glory said softly. Just as she said Dragonfruit, the dragonet turned and looked at Glory. 

"Mawma?" she squeaked, hopping out of Deathbringers arms and waddling over to Glory. "Mawma?" Dragonfruit squeaked again.

Glory cracked a smile and picked up the little dragon. 

"Yes," Glory, whispered. "I am mama," she nuzzled her daughter gently, then hugged her to her chest, sighing. 

"Mawma," Dragonfruit squeaked, softly, contentedly.