Don't Fall in Love with the Night

Chapter 3

     Later that day, Prism received an informal summons from the new queen, Glory, requesting her presence at the palace in an hour.  "For what?" she asked the messenger, feeling nervous.

     The messenger shrugged. "No idea." 

     Well, that's helpful, thought Prism sarcastically, returning to her hammock. Maybe it was because of battle training that morning. Mirage would know; after all, she'd been singled out, too.

     Right as she was about to find Mirage, her friend appeared behind her with a yell. Prism started and abruptly threw the flower necklace she had been weaving at Mirage, who snorted. 

     "Absolutely terrifying attack there," she smirked. "But now we're even. And ooh, these flowers look great on my scales!" Mirage picked up the flower necklace to examine it.

     "Bananas and baby sloths, Mirage, why did you do that?!" Prism's scales were still bright green, and she quickly changed them to an indignant orange.

     "Two reasons, actually. Well, three if you count this necklace that you gave me." Mirage was cooing at the look of the flowers against her scales. "Hmmm, the leaves do go well with my eyes."

     "Yes, yes, you're very pretty." Prism rolled her eyes.

     "Jealous, much?" asked Mirage smugly. "But that was my revenge for you teasing me about you-know-who earlier. Oh yeah, and I got the same summons. Weird, isn't it? Especially since the queen is still a dragonet and everything."

     "I did think it had something to do with this morning," mused Prism, settling back in her hammock.

     "Probably. I overheard Poinsetta talking about it to Citrus, so that would make sense. And I totally ship them, by the way."

     Prism sighed. "You ship everyone."

     "Well, of course! Except I haven't found anyone for you... yet, anyway."

     "You wouldn't dare!"

     "Oh, yes I would! I actually think that you and Hyacinth -"

     Their arguing broke off as a knock sounded on the tree next to Prism's hammock. It was in a special sequence - knock, tap, knock-knock, scratch.

     "Come in," Prism called immediately.

     A young, bright yellow dragonet bounced in. "Auntie Prism!" she greeted Prism delightedly. 

     "It's nice to see you again, Buttercup." Prism grinned and held out her arms for a hug. The dragonet leaped into Prism's arms. Buttercup was somehow related to Prism, as determined by a venom test, so Prism decided to call herself Buttercup's aunt and take the young dragonet under her wing. 

     "When are we going training again?" asked Buttercup eagerly.

     "You guys just went out this morning," laughed Mirage.

     "Oh, good afternoon, Mirage. I didn't see you there." Buttercup smiled apologetically.

     "I'd take you training again, but Mirage and I have a summons from the queen, and we need to be there soon."

     Buttercup wrinkled her snout in disappointment. "A summons? Why?"

     "Well, we don't know yet." Mirage already had made another flower wreath, this one placed on her head, and was making yet another one. "But Prism and I think that it's about battle." 

     Buttercup blanched slightly. "Battle? As in fighting and...death?"

     "I don't think it'll get that intense." Mirage settled into Prism's hammock along with them and began gently swaying from side to side.

     "Well, General... whatever her name is, said that NightWings are deceitful and untrustworthy." Prism made sure to leave out the word 'deadly'.

     "True, true. But come on, enough with the depressing talk." Mirage stopped swaying and grinned. "We could make more flower wreaths while we wait. We still have some time, and your living space... well, it's a bit dreary."

     The clearing was a little bare, but Prism didn't mind it all that much. She had her hammock, a moss-covered floor, raspberry vines around the perimeter to provide privacy (and a snack), and the shade from the surrounding trees made the clearing cool, yet cozy. Mirage's space, on the other hand, included a bed of plucked eucalyptus leaves, picked daily, strings of flowers and vines, and a large amount of space. 

     "I like it the way it is." Prism ran her talon along one of the trees.

     "Well, to each her own," sighed Mirage. "But we can still make necklaces. And bracelets. And crowns! We are going to see our queen, after all."

Mirage is so fun to write :3 Plus, yes, I introduced a cinny roll, because cinny rolls make life a better place.

Vote if you liked it, don't if you didn't, and feel free to comment (and talk to me 'cause I'm lonely ahahah).