BLACKHEART
3 ½ Years Ago. . .
"Why are we doing this again?" Blackheart asked his best friend as they walked through the dark, damp tunnel.
"Because you have to see the Rainforest! It's the best place on the whole planet!" she said, acting as if it was obvious. "It's so incredibly pretty and the animals, oh, the animals! Hurry up so you can see, you slowpoke!"
She grabbed Blackheart's wing and pulled him forward slightly. Even though Blackberry was a year older than him, she still acted giddy and childish.
"The Rainforest is that good? Are you sure? Even better than your bed at home?" Blackheart asked her, walking a little faster. To be honest, he had an odd feeling about today, but he didn't know if it was a good or bad one yet.
Blackberry considered this for much longer than she usually considered things.
"No, I guess it's not that great," she said, tucking in her wings and looking at the ground.
He had not meant to make her feel bad. "Hey, cheer up! We're almost there, look."
Blackberry looked up towards the opening only a short distance away and perked up. "Yes, you're right! This is too exciting! Why are you going so slow? Come on!" she groaned as she tugged on his horns.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay! Okay! I'm hurrying!" he winced as he walked even faster towards the light, picking up his friendship horn ring that Blackberry accidentally pulled off. "I just don't understand how- oh my moons!"
Blackberry was right. The Rainforest was the best place on the planet. Everything about it was... breathtaking. The birds, the flowers and trees, the sounds, and the sun. Oh, the sun. He had never seen or felt the sun, but it was glorious. He was seeing animals and plants and colors he didn't know existed. All the odd feelings he'd had melted away. He hadn't realized his mouth was hanging open until Blackberry closed it.
"I hate to say I told you so, but. . . I totally told you so!"
"This place is prettier than the royal treasury my mother told me about!" Blackheart said, ignoring her gloating.
Blackberry hesitated to say something. "Speaking of your mother, how is she?"
They sat down on the soft, wet grass. He hadn't seen his mother much in the past several days. She was always too busy with royal stuff. When he did see her, it was very late at night. She would check his room to see if he was asleep. If he wasn't she would tell him about her day, all the wonderful things she saw outside the kingdom, and the odd things other dragons think about until he drifted off. Then she would go into her study, well, bedroom but everyone treated it like a study, and record things that dragons thought about that could be considered treasonous until she passed out from exhaustion and Blackheart had to come in and give her a blanket.
"She's better," he finally said. "We got a letter from father yesterday, so it calmed her to know he was alright."
"What?! Why didn't you tell me that?!" Blackberry shrieked at him and fluttered her wings. "You tell me nothing important! I always told you to tell me if you heard anything from your father since he's the first dragon in nearly nine years to go back and see Pantala. So, when that finally happens, you don't tell me first thing?!"
"Sorry?" Blackheart tried.
"Sorry doesn't cut it you dusty old rock!"
They laughed and elbowed each other. Again, Blackberry was a year older than him but had the temper and insults of a hatchling.
His ears perked up when he heard the sounds of shouting and clanging metal ahead of them.
"Do you hear that?"
