Strawberries and Darkness

Why did the Noise Stop?

Jambu looked over the small crowd of young dragonets mixed with Nightwings and Rainwings. He was tasked to take care of them and keep them entertained like always though he didn't complain. He loved the job and this was one of the moments when Jambu could see finally a unity between Nightwings and Rainwings. Normally, there wouldn't be a day without some sort of disagreement, fight, or intense argument but with young dragonets that at maximum are aged at four, they were able to cooperate and play together much easier as they already got accustomed together. Sure, maybe there is a bit of bullying and picking but Jambu would already deal with that and soon, crisis averted.

He guessed the main downside is that recently, it's been him alone with a bunch of young dragonets which can admittedly be exhausting but as the prince he is, he could not afford to complain. At least Glory could've had Pineapple hang around here as well...

Nevertheless, he had to suck it up and keep the dragonets entertained as some of them don't have...the best homes to return to.

It was getting dark and with the help of bits of flamesilk imported recently through new trading systems that Glory told him about, Jambu and the dragonets were able to make a small campfire without the fire. The silk was a bit hot but not too bad and they gave good enough light which sufficed.

"Alright, everyone, how about some story time?" Jambu suggested to the group of small dragonets. They jumped and smiled with glee as Jambu eventually asked the group, "I'm taking that as a yes so...what stories do you all want to hear?"

As predicted, Jambu heard all sorts of answers from funny stories, life stories, how Glory became queen(which he had to alter the last time he told that one), how the Nightwings "decided" to join with the Rainwings(Jambu had to definitely alter THAT one), and eventually, someone came up with something unique, horror.

"How about a scary story?" a tiny Nightwing suggested. "I have never heard that."

....Technically this wasn't the first time a horror story was introduced as an idea but normally the other dragonets would reject that and move to something not scary surprisingly the majority agreed which Jambu was hoping would not happen. It's not that he couldn't or he would get scared too much but there wasn't much Jambu came up with that would be scary but not overly violent.

Or at least...back then he couldn't but recently there had been complaints and rumors of a ghost. Knocking, creaking, feeling like being watched, and so on. It got bad enough that Glory got Moon to check it out and...she didn't come back looking well. 

Jambu sighed as he prepared the story in his head as he explained the real events that occurred, "Very well then, gather around and sit comfortably, let's see how well I can scare you."

"Is that a challenge!?" another young Nightwing spoke up.

"Of course, it is, last to get scared gets to learn a royal secret," Jambu grinned as he began.

Recalling back to Moon, she was terrified but couldn't explain any plausible reasons for what was happening. It was like there was a ghost and the response from everyone who heard Moon's story was mixed. Some said Moon was just paranoid and it was just some dragon that found loopholes to Moon's mind reading and scared her off, others say that Moon was being ridiculous, and dragons like Jambu think there might be something haunting or in general wrong with the source.

That source being then none other but the home of Hope and Peace. It was a clever name that Jambu heard Deathbringer call it. It made it sound overall positive when recently it's been everything but that. It doesn't help that Hope had those same complaints while Peacemaker...