Turtle slunk around the hallways, feeling extremely out of place.
It was evening, and the moon was casting a pale spotlight on the corridors of Cicada Hive. After a rather unsatisfactory meal of antelope meatballs, he was headed back to his assigned dorm, with Winter, Qibli and Umber.
Pantala had been... A very unique experience for him. Whilst, sure, the views were very inspiring, he didn't like the sheer number of dragons around every corner. They gave him headaches. Socially induced headaches.
Then again, it would be a good problem for his main character (Coatyl) in his newest book. Even though he'd already finished the first three books in Coatyl's series during his break, he still hadn't released them to the world yet.
As soon as Hazel, a book fanatic, had met Turtle himself, a book writer, the two had got along fantastically. She'd offered to bind his books - an offer Turtle had complete intentions of taking up, as soon as the series was done.
And then there was Kinkajou.
He hadn't seen her for a long time, secluded in his hut in the Bay of a Thousand Scales, and yet she was every bit as beautiful as she was when they left Jade Mountain Academy.
And he knew she was in her cave, crying at the moment, because he could hear her, but he wasn't doing a thing.
Turtle didn't know what he should do, he wanted to comfort the little dragoness, but would she actually want him there? Did she want to be alone? what was she actually thinking?
Before he'd realised, his body had moved of its own accord in front of the cave, and Turtle was gazing in at her.
The sobbing paused, and Turtle met Kinkajou's eyes staring at him through the gap in the cave. Her watery pink irises blinked with tears, her expression seemed to call for him, and yet...
Was it really her?
Or was it the traces of the spell, still lingering... Because that was the exact same face she'd given him when she told him she loved him. Turtle had loved and hated that moment at the same time.
But when Kinkajou collapsed back into sobbing again, he let his instinct take over, and his legs were carrying him to her side. Her scales were rippled with pale green and white as he approached, and Turtle's stomach did a flip.
White means pain. He was about to panic, when Kinkajou fell into his arms, resting her head in the spot between his neck and shoulder. He felt the tears rolling down his scales, but strangely, it didn't bother him.
Oh. Emotional pain...
I shouldn't be the one here. I shouldn't be the one to comfort her. I'm not... I mean, we're not...
But as Kinkajou's cries became muffled sniffling, he gave in and wrapped his wings around her, drawing her close.
"I'm scared..." she murmured, the words blending into his neck. "Turtle, I'm scared... what if... What if we're next? What if it gets one of our friends, w-what if... What if it gets you, Turtle?"
"I-I won't let it get us." He said, trying to find brave but coming out as more of a strangled garble.
Kinkajou had stopped crying, but she didn't even attempt to move.
For a while, they were silent.
"I-I love you Turtle" she whispered, in that exact same voice, that exact same tone, that it brought him back to the haunting moment in Darkstalker's room and sent a shiver down his spine.
Kinkajou must have noticed, because she looked up and met his eyes with a sorrowful look.
"W-what's wrong? Turtle...? D...do you not love me... Still?"
"I- of course I do, Kinkajou. Every day I spend with you, the sound of your voice, your personality, just - just you - you really drive me crazy with love, you know that?"
He hadn't meant to say all that. But the more he spoke, the more words tumbled out of his mouth, until he'd accidentally confessed everything he'd promised not to say. But Kinkajou still looked puzzled.
"Then- then why...?"
"It's just ... is it really... your feelings ... Kinkajou, do you remember that love spell--"
But he didn't get to say anymore, as Kinkajou looked up at him with a half heartbroken, half incredulous look on her face, which morphed into disbelief.
"Turtle you stupid, lovable, idiot!" She cried, whacking him playfully on the tail inbetween each syllable. "Do you really think I can't - you aren't - we're -" she trailed off into a choked laugh and threw herself into his outstretched wings again. Turtle understood that there were no words for her to use.
And it was just them.
Just them, perfectly fit together, and in that moment Turtle realised that he didn't need to be a brave warrior. He didn't need to be a strong, valiant hero, or a wise magician or any of those things. He just needed to be Turtle, Turtle with his love for writing, his quiet calmness, his scales and his talons, just him. And that would be enough for Kinkajou.
"I won't let them get us," he murmured, into the warm heat of her scales. "We're good. We're better than good. A-and if they try to get us, I'll, I'll..."
"Smush their snouts with your animus magic?" She sniffled with a little giggle.
Turtle smiled warmly back at her as he lowered them both down onto the floor.
"I'll smush their snouts with my animus magic if it makes you happy."
Her scales were back to rose and dappled with sunlight yellow as he instinctively pressed his snout to hers. It was a lot easier to do than he'd dreamed of, for sure. As they sank down against the floor, Kinkajou's head resting against Turtle's and her tail intertwined with his, the dragons turned to face each other and grinned.
"Turtlejou forever?" Kinkajou whispered, waiting for Turtle's soothing voice to respond, which he did.
"Turtlejou. Always."
Still intertwined, and radiating with affection, the two dragons drifted into a peaceful slumber, either one dreaming of the other and not a single disaster in their dreams.
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EEEEEEEEEE TURTLEJOUUUUUUU I'M FANGIRLING OVER HERE
Fun fact, this was the first chapter I actually wrote for this (fashionably starting on number 19, I know), so a lot of this writing is like 3/4 of a year old --
Chapter 20 is going to be ... Interesting.
Two points of view, next time! Starflight and Peril, all in one. And we finally get to find out what is causing them...
... Or maybe, if you're really observant, you've already noticed it.
~ Solar out :3
YOU ARE READING
CounterPart
Fanfiction'' Give me 5 chapters to change your mind '' Barely three years after the events of book 15, a large group of dragons including the Destiny Dragonets and the Jade Winglet are invited on a tour to Pantala... Sunny herself can't wait to see her Pantal...
