A Vision of Happiness: Recovery (Book 4)

Chapter 5

MINK

Mink sighed. She doodled on the corner of her scroll, drifting off into her own thoughts. 

"Mink! Are you coming?" Thrush, a kind and friendly SkyWing, called. They had been friends before Visioner had come.

"Hm? Oh, I'll catch up later," Mink replied offhandedly. 

"Okay." Thrush was swept away in the tide of exiting dragons. Mink returned to her throughts.

I wish Visioner was here. If only I'd stopped him from going. Was he in pain when he died? He must have been, considering what Destroyer did to him.

"Mink?" The IceWing dragonet looked up, startled. Sunny was staring at her, a worried look on her face.

"Yes?" Mink said.

"Class already ended," The hybrid explained. "You should be in Herbs and Healing with Clay."

"I'll go right now," Mink said, standing up. She knocked over a scroll rack on her way out, and she scrambled to pick them up. She felt a warm talon on her shoulder, and Mink turned to see Sunny just behind her.

"I know you're still grieving Visioner," Sunny sympathized. "Perhaps you need a few days off. Take it easy. Maybe you should go visit Visioner's grave."

"I- I can do that?" Mink asked. 

"Of course." Sunny smiled at her. "I'll tell Clay and Tsunami. Take your friends with you, if you want."

"Thank you," Mink whispered. "I'll go ask Tamarin and Brightness and Anemone."

"Be careful!" Sunny called after her.

Mink rushed to the music cave, where the Gold Winglet was having their class with the Jade Winglet. Today was a day for the winglets to 'mingle with each other', so everyone could make new friends.

Mink slipped into the music cave, enjoying the sound of irregular symphony. Moon, a shy NightWing who could read minds and see the future, looked up from a set of drums. 

"Mink?" She asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's-" Mink stopped. "I need to find my friends."

Moon nodded, her green gaze questioning.

Dark purple scales caught Mink's eye, and she saw Brightness fiddling with a violin. Tamarin was strumming an instrument Mink had never seen before. They were smiling at each other, matching to each other's rhythm.

Was I that obvious, too?

Shaking away the thought, Mink made her way to the two dragonets. Tamarin was the first to notice her.

"Mink?" She raised her head. Brightness waved at Mink.

"Why are you here?" The NightWing asked. Her voice was soft and sounded like the jingle of bells. 

"Sunny's giving me a few days off," Mink explained. "Where's Anemone?"

"Here." Mink turned to see the SeaWing princess standing regally behind her. 

"I was wondering if you'll come with me to visit Visioner." Mink swallowed at his name.

"Of course." Tamarin brushed her wings against her's. "Come on. We can go right now."

Smiling, Mink led her friends out the cave, her heart thumping painfully as she thought of seeing her crush again.

Even if he was no longer alive.