Misfits of Vernada ~Wattys2016~

XXXII

Zappy 

By: 

Zappy hung limply in the water, wings floating uselessly. He didn't want to die, but there was absolutely no point in living if Moon hated him—no, not hated him: didn't care whatsoever. Her words rang in his ears once again and he groaned heart-brokenly. 'I was only your friend back in the hatchling caves so I would have someone to talk to.'

He suddenly realized he nearly hated Moon, found himself wanting revenge on her: the dragon who had ruined his life.

Slash growled in anguish. He couldn't hurt her; not Moon!

Moon's long gone, a voice whispered inside him. Moon never even existed. She was lying to you your whole life. She's Luna. She's a liar. She betrayed you and tried to kill you.

But. She's. Moon! Zappy felt a weak protest but it was too late, anyway. His vision was fading in and out; black and red.

His lungs screamed at him and he regretted his decision now—a little; he didn't really care what happened.

Zappy couldn't resist anymore and took a huge, gulping breath of—water. He thrashed briefly, trying to rise, but there was no air above him; only cold stone. He sank to the bottom, barely registering a faint on his foreleg; something around his tail.

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"Hwehuuuuh!" Zappy jerked forward suddenly, terrified. "Wh—" he tried to speak and quickly rolled over, vomiting the last of the water out of his body; it steamed out of his nostrils.

"Ow," he muttered, shaking his head violently then turned, wondering who his rescuer was.

"Moon?"

"No, just looks like it." She was staring at him with a strange expression, golden eyes devouring every bronze scale. "I'm—sorry, Zappy. I... I didn't mean what I said—but you can't stay here!" She spoke rapidly before he could interrupt, her expression anguished. "Go back." Her eyes met his pleadingly. "Please, Zappy, I don't want to hurt you. Live your own life. Visit me every ten years or something at the most. Please. I can't trust myself." She stared down at her claws, wincing as she saw his throat.

Zappy felt a huge sense disappointment winding through his relief and wonder, but he pushed them aside to talk to her before she rejected and pushed him away again. "Why'd you say it, then?" His voice came out so ragged, weary, and sad that he surprised himself. "If we really were friends why'd you say you don't care about me? How can I trust you? You betrayed me!" He was on his feet and roaring at her now. "Why waste your time sending me messages? It must've been hard to fake those tears when we left the hatchling caves, so why'd you bother! It would've been easier for both of us if you'd just told me the truth then. What do you care if you had ruined my life before it had begun? Why ruin it now?

"Moon..." he whimpered accusingly and huddled on the uncaring rocks, curling into a ball and tucking his snout under one wing; trying to prevent the tears that threatened to roll down his snout and add to the salty sea.

He felt a touch on the scales of his frill and flinched in surprise, looking up to see Moon nuzzling him sadly like she used to; in the happier days when they were small and didn't have a care in the whole wide world.

"I'm so, so sorry, Zappy," Moon said miserably. "I don't want to hurt you again; I don't want to killagain. It's driving me insane!

"I'm a monster now; I kill and I hurt and I lied to you and—" She couldn't continue and crumpled down next to him, tears pouring from her eyes and pooling on the ground with his own. "I tried to make myself believe what I told you," she continued shakily, "but I couldn't. And when I saw you there, motionless in the water—" She choked on a sob and stopped.

Zappy put a wing around Moon and draped his tail over hers—just like he used to do back in the cave when Sparkles had been bothering her.

"It's okay, Moon. It's okay. You saved me this time. It's okay." He felt an overwhelming amount of joy welling up in the deepest fibres of his being, and butted her head playfully—but that revealed the full amount of damage she had inflicted on him at their last meeting and he felt her tense, struggling hastily to her feet.

"I'm sorry, Zappy," she said in a firm tone, although her words were still shaky. "But I can't be near you. No matter how much I love my little brother." She smiled slightly, and Zappy felt his heart leap. Moon was beginning to look like herself again; the Moon he'd always known but had now changed so much.

The expression decided him: Moon was still there, hurting and sad. He, Zappy, would help her, get her back to the mainland and keep her happy, free her from her worries and the curse of Bloodlust.

"Moon," he began hesitantly, "I need you to come back. Please? I'm not handling life properly without you."

Moon was going to reply angrily, but something in his expression softened her. "You seemed happy enough with your parents, from what I've heard."

Zappy barked a short laugh. "Sometimes. About one-third of my time was spent enjoying myself. The rest was either spent worrying about you or training as hard as I could 'til I could leave and meet up with you again."

Moon was determined not to be convinced into going back with Zappy and used the words against him. "See?" she said sadly. "I'm bad luck. I ruined your life even from the opposite tribe. If you leave you can be free of me, live happily; know I'm safe and not hurting anyone."

Zappy stared at her incredulously. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in my life!" he cried. "And that's counting the visits with Cricket," he added, grinning.

He saw Moon jump when he mentioned the young Stormrider's name, and she shook her head vigorously, looking panicked. "No!" she cried desperately. "Dragons will use me if I go back! They wanted me to kill all the hatchlings! I won't be safe, and no-one else will be, either."

Zappy tried to suppress his frustration but didn't quite succeed. "Moon, that's just dumb. Why waste your life because of what might happen? You're the most dangerous dragon in Vernada, if someone tries to use you threaten them!" He saw her startled expression and added hastily, "Not actually do anything to them; just pretend you will."

Moon sighed and lashed her tail, annoyance growing. "I don't want to, okay? I don't want to spend my life lying to dragons. I don't want to spend my life feared.

"Just leave me." Zappy couldn't conceal his angry, determined expression and she growled. "Forget it! You're stupid to want to drag me away.

"This is my haven, Zappy; don't take it from me!"

Zappy snarled. "You lie. Don't you think I know you well enough? I can see in your eyes that you're not happy here; come with me!"

"No," Moon replied stubbornly.

Zappy roared and raked his talons across the stone. "Fine, I'll let you rot here! Is that what you want?"

Moon lowered her head, and Zappy felt a gleam of hope. Then—

"Yes," she whispered.

"Fine then." With a furious growl Zappy spun around and leapt into the freezing water beyond the rock, quickly submerging his ears to avoid hearing her.

He angled his wings to propel himself forward and heaved with his legs, pushing for the entrance in the side of the wall that exited the k'lraks' lair.

Zappy whipped his head around suddenly as a movement caught his eye; a male k'lrak beckoned him forward with a flipper, directing him down a side-passage. He looked so stern Zappy resignedly followed, wondering where the sea-creature was leading him.

After several minutes he saw the k'lrak angle up and copied, bursting above the water a moment later.

He scrambled up onto another rocky out-cropping and shook himself, raising every scale on edge to remove the water.

Zappy waited for the k'lrak to speak but he remained quiet, scrutinizing the young dragon with a slight frown on his snout.

"So... I guess this is your home?" Zappy asked awkwardly.

"Yes."

Zappy shifted uncomfortably and the sea creature took pity on him. "I'm J'ran. I suppose you're Zappy?"

The dragon nodded. "Thank you for letting me visit Moon—but sorry for wasting your time," he added bitterly.

J'ran chuckled slightly. "Wasted? I wouldn't say you've wasted it. I've never seen Moon happier."

Zappy snorted scornfully. "Well then I'm sorry for you; she was miserable.

"And all because of me." He stared at his sclaws unhappily. "I never should've come; I've only wasted my time, broken my heart, and irritated Moon."

J'ran swam closer and laid a wet sclaw on Zappy's, his eyes sad. "Believe me, young one: Moon loves you dearly. I know young emotions; she would've died of grief if you had left—which is why I dragged you back to her." Zappy looked up, startled, but the k'lrak ignored him and continued, "She knew she loved you, but needed to be reminded how much you mean to her."

"What do you mean dragged me back?" Zappy demanded quickly as J'ran paused for breath.

The k'lrak gave him a crafty look. "I was coming home and saw you lying on the bottom of the ocean floor. I knew Moon would never forgive herself if you died, so grabbed you tail and took you back—she didn't see me; only you.

"Don't give up on her, Zappy! Don't let her get away with this! If you do you'll regret it your whole life.

"Believe me, young one: I know." J'ran's eyes were unimaginably sad, and Zappy shivered. He didn't want to spend the rest of his life looking like that—or feeling that.

He bowed his head, squeezing his frill tight against his scales nervously. "Alright," he said. "You win; I'll keep trying. But—" he looked into the k'lrak's sky-blue eyes pleadingly, "what can I do? What should I say? She's determined not to return to Mainland Vernada."

"Be her friend," J'ran advised wisely. "Rebuild your relationship and remind her of the good old days when you were small. Share your adventures with her; comfort her when she tells you hers—and then convince her to return."

Zappy nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you, J'ran," he said. "I will. We'll get her back together."

The k'lrak ducked his head rapidly, an impish twinkle in his wise old eyes. "Thank goodness! She's eating all our fish!"

Zappy laughed and shoved J'ran's head underwater, forgetting he had gills. "Don't worry, I'll help ya!" He leapt into the water again, powering back to his sister.

As he swam he wondered what he'd begin with. It would need to be something that would interest both of them.

Just before he launched out of the water a thought crossed his mind that would make Moon curious and might get him an answer, too, for she had lived with a Stormriders.

Zappy saw Moon's figure hunched with her back to him. "I'm back!" he called mischievously, laughing as he noticed her jump.

"What?" she asked tensely.

"I just wanted to ask you a question," he said, climbing up the rocks toward his friend. "My friend's father was killed; a blue Sharpshooter called Cobalt, he would've had a scratch down his side. We didn't really get along, but I'm afraid I promised Birch I'd avenge his death. Know anything?"