Misfits of Vernada ~Wattys2016~

XII

By creepakilla

Zappy

"How could you be my parents?!" Zappy stuttered. "I've got parents!

"How...

"Who...

"What?"

Vertigo grinned apologetically, flicking his ears sheepishly, "Sorry to spring it on you like that."

"Oh, stuff that! How in Vernada do you think that? What-what makes you say that??!" Zappy lashed his tail agitatedly, but his head throbbed and he slumped forward with a groan, he wanted to throw-up, he was unnerved and unsettled and felt misplaced, he was confused and stunned and tired, but, above all, he wished Moon was with him, she wouldn't feel like this, she would probably demand answers and call him a friendly name at being so sensitive.

"Well," Vertigo began, but Flare cut him off.

"Come into the living room, first," she told Zappy, "it's much more comfortable, and it's time you saw your real home."

Zappy gave in, staggered to his sclaws, and tried to totter down the hall, but only half-way there his legs crumpled. Luckily Vertigo was there to catch him, though, Zappy doubted that Goldy would've done the same. He began to wonder if Flare and Vertigo were speaking the truth as Vertigo slung him over his back and wings and clacked down to the living-room.

Zappy didn't notice the room much, he was intent on knowing why the two older dragons thought he was their hatchling.

After he deposited Zappy onto a vine-net full of leaves, Vertigo curled up on another while Flare rubbed something into Zappy's aching head-it eased the pain almost instantly.

"After we mated," Vertigo began, after a bit, "Flare laid an egg and we delivered it to the Egg-Guardians. But, a year or so later we were banished-for reasons we won't reveal at this point, but we had always had trouble fitting in-and there was no way that we could ever meet our hatchling except for one hope: Sharpshooters usually have similar character traits to their ancestors, and, since we both were more active than normal Sharpshooters, there was a good chance that you would be banished, too. So since you're bronze (like Flare) and were banished (like us) it only makes sense that you'd be our hatchling."

Zappy took a while to process the new information before saying: "That does make sense, but, where do Glitter and Goldy come in, then?"

"Glitter was my friend from when we were hatchlings," Flare told him, settling down beside Vertigo. "and after we delivered your egg to the guardians, I asked her-since there was a good chance that I would be-if she could look after you if we were banished. As you can tell, she agreed."

"But, why them? And how did Waterfall know?"

"I suspect that, after we were banished, Glitter told Waterfall that she was adopting you 'no matter what'," Flare told Zappy, smiling slightly. "She always was a little outspoken like that. And after he saw you, Waterfall would have agreed because they're both golden, and gold is the closest colour he had to pick from for a bronze hatchling."

"Why did the Elders give me a chance to fit in, then?" Zappy asked, remembering the protesting dragon during his audience with Waterfall.

"Sometimes hatchlings can change, with the right influence."

"Huh, I'm not gonna change if I've got a Stormrider nest-mate," Zappy muttered under his breath.

Flare pricked her ears, interested. "What was that? You were with a Stormrider?"