"Yeti? Can I ask you something?" Pika asked Yeti.
"What the heck? What time is it?" Yeti pulled his blanket over his head. "I'm too young to get married, go away."
"What?" Pika pulled back, confused.
"I mean, WHAT? I didn't say anything?" Yeti was awake now, and he sat up, looking at her. "Yes. Ask."
Pika stared at him for a second, completely bewildered by what he said. She shook her head. "Where did you go?"
"What do you mean?"
Pika sighed and closed her eyes, breathing heavily. "Where did you go when I couldn't find you that day? Where did you go when we were supposed to meet?" She raised her voice. "Where did you go when you left ME?"
Yeti yawned. "Look, I'm sorry, it's early, and..."
Pika's hand shot out, and Yeti felt a sharp sting across his face. He cried out, "What was THAT for?" gingerly touching his face.
Pika gave a dry sob and crumpled to the ground. "You came here yesterday, all happy and stuff, acting like no time has passed. Like...Like nothing happened. But something did! You've been gone for months, you left without a word to me, and you never even apologized!" Pika took a shuddering breath and continued. "Then when you finally come back, you're bringing this...this group of dragons, and there's this Amber, and...what happened to me? You forgot me."
As soon as she had finished, Shard woke with a small yawn.
"Hey, guys. What's up?" Shard smiled at them.
Pika glared at him for a second in dumbfounded silence, and then grabbed Yeti by the wing and dragged him out of the hut in the stinging cold.
"This talk is between US. Go back with the rest of YOUR group." Pika yelled back, angrily. Shard stared, shrugged, turned around, and walked out of the room. She dropped him in the snow aggressively and stared at him.
"I-I..." Yeti couldn't say anything. He was shocked, Pika had never acted this way before.
"Well, Mr. Yeti, what do you have to say for yourself?" Pika demanded.
"Geez, Pika...I..." Yeti stammered hopelessly.
"Wow, Yeti," Pika said sarcastically. "You have such a way with words. And the ladies, as they say."
Pika leaned closer and Yeti blushed deeply. "Tell me," she said. "Is it Blackpearl you like or Amber?"
Yeti made a face. "And you."
Pika gasped and pulled back. "Yeti...you..."
Yeti smiled and shrugged, hoping she didn't kill him, when suddenly she pulled closer and kissed him.
Wow, I DO have a way with words, Yeti thought.
"I'm still mad at you," Pika said as they broke apart. She smiled, "But not too mad."
.............................
Amber woke up unhappy. Maybe because it was too early, maybe because she was in a tiny room with FOUR other dragons, and they snored WAY too loudly, or maybe because PIKA WAS A TOTAL JERK.
Amber sat up and took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and thinking, Temper, Amber. Breath in...imagine a blue sky...breath out...fluffy clouds...breath in...wind beneath your wings...
Amber let a final breath out and opened her eyes, smiling. And then she looked out the window at Pika kissing Yeti, and scowled again.
DANG SNOW BREATHER. Amber stood up and moved to the window, intending to bang on it and yell at them, but immediately tripped over Blackpearl, who was sleeping in one corner of the room, and a few feet later stepped on Boriel's tail.
"Ugh," Blackpearl said.
"SHUT UP," Amber shot back.
Boriel squinted up at her from the ground and mumbled something. Amber growled back and turned towards the door, tripped over Blackpearl again, and stalked out the room.
Out in the hall, Amber ran into Tern.
"Hey, Amber!" Tern said cheerfully.
"Hi. I have to go, sorry." Amber brushed past them, and they called, "Wait! Permanently? Are you coming back?"
"I'm just going out," She replied, trying to get past them once again.
Tern grabbed her wrist. "Now I'm not one to meddle in dragon's business but you seem upset. And upset dragons do stupid things. Promise me you'll come back here. I know Yeti will be sad if you go. We've all seen how he looks at you," They said.
"And Pika." Amber snapped, running out the door and smashing right into Pika.
"THREE MOONS YOU ARE ALL INSUFFERABLE!" Amber screamed.
"Amber, calm down-" Tern started.
"NO! I CAN'T TAKE IT! EVERYWHERE I LOOK THERE'S DRAGONS TRIPPING ME OR KISSING MY CRUSH OR GETTING IN MY WAY!" Amber pushed Pika into the wall and stormed out, avoiding Yeti's eyes. "I'm leaving. DON'T follow me."
With that, she jumped into the air and flew away, blinking away her tears.
"You kissed Pika?" someone asked below her, probably Shard, the big dum-dum. Amber felt a sob build up in her throat and she beat her wings faster.
They never liked me. Shard didn't like me. Cherry didn't like me because she was jealous. Yeti's always argued with me. Blackpearl... just...no. The only decent one there is BORIEL, and she has the personality of a BLOBFISH.
Amber took a deep breath of arctic air and realized she didn't feel cold. The fire inside of her was lit, and she wasn't going to let it go out.
As she flew higher and higher, the world began to disappear around her.
Why does everyone HATE me? A burst of flame lit the early morning sky.
Why is Yeti so STUPID? Another fire shot through the clouds.
Why is Pika such a SNOW BREATHER?! Warm crimson light danced around her.
Why am I such a jerk? She cried out, closing her eyes. Her wings stopped beating when she gave into the darkness. Her mind stumbled down a thousand different roads, a thousand different faults.
Her little sister, who had probably died since she was kidnapped. Her brother with his goofy grin erased by starvation. Yeti, who loved someone she never knew existed more than her.
Every failure.
Every shortcoming.
Every flaw.
A last question blazed through her mind.
Why wasn't she ever enough?
YOU ARE READING
Shadows and Peace Book 2: Cool as Ice
Fanfiction"HELP! HELP!" HE screamed, pounding on the door. "I knew we never should have come here." He murmured to himself. Clearly no one was going to rescue him anytime soon. ...
