Tied in Fate (Wings of Fire Fanfiction)

Part 1

        "Moonkeeper! Hurry up!" Legacy twisted her neck around behind her, trying to spot the NightWing's dark scales through the jungle foliage.

"RAWR!"

"Oww!!" Legacy collided with something in front of her mid-flight, and she fell backward as she whipped around to face the front again. She was in the shadow of a thick overhanging tree trunk. For a second, there was nothing; then slowly a black form leaked into her vision. Quicksilver grinned at her as he hung in midair, beating his wings in powerful flaps. Silver plates embedded between his scales caught the rays of light that pierced through the trees.

"UuGHH! Not you again! Stop doing that! I thought I ran into a tree!"

"Sor-ry." Quicksilver rolled his eyes; he clearly wasn't.

Legacy just sighed; her brother was always toying with her, and she was used to it by now. "Do you know where Moonkeeper is? I can't find him. That's why I turned around in the first place."

"Here I am!" A flutter of starry wings broke through the treetops. A silver and black NightWing landed on the tree trunk in front of them. "Sorry about that. I saw this, and thought you might like it, Legacy." Moonkeeper handed Legacy a pretty blue feather.

"Three moons, this one is really pretty! Thank you, Moonkeeper!" After admiring her newest treasure for a few moments, Legacy placed it inside the pouch around the front of her neck. Then she looked up at her guardian, a more serious look in her eyes. "Please be more careful, I thought I had lost you. And what's the point of bringing around a guardian if he's not going to be around to protect you? Next time-"

"Pfft," Quicksilver interrupted, shooting an almost condescending look at Moonkeeper. He looked around quickly and yanked down a thick vine draped on the nearest branch. With a smile, he snapped it in half. "Who needs a guardian when you've got me?"

Legacy rolled her eyes at her brother. "Y-you're young," began Moonkeeper sheepishly, turning to Legacy.

"I'm older than her." Quicksilver jabbed a talon at Legacy. "And she still gets the throne," he added under his breath.

Legacy huffed a plume of smoke in exasperation. "I'm sorry, okay? It's not my fault this is how things are!" She stopped herself quickly. A good queen knows how to calm herself and prevent heated arguments. The words of her mother, Queen Truthseeker, echoed in her mind.

She turned to Moonkeeper again, who was staring down Quicksilver, obviously on the edge of a lecture. Catching her eye, Moonkeeper turned to Legacy and nodded hastily. "Yes, I'm sorry, Your Highness. Please, never go out without a guardian, you are too valuable. I should know my priorities; next time I will alert you of when I am stopping."

Legacy nodded briskly. Now that is how things are done. Mother would be proud. The small band of dragons continued wandering through the shadowy rainforest, swooping above the foliage and diving back to the ground again as they wished. Legacy stretched her wings and breathed in the freshness of the greenery, taking in the beauty of it all. She loved to come out into the deep jungle and explore. She had also created a hobby of collecting the stray feathers she found along the way to decorate her scrolls and journals. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to have a guardian along with me, I'd like to be alone and take my time. There's so much to see, she added to herself.

Something from the jungle floor caught Legacy's eye, and she dove down carefully through the vines. Leaning against a tree stood a bush full of bright yellow and red flowers speckled with black and white.

Moonkeeper promptly came up alongside her. "Those are beautiful," he commented. "Maybe you should pick a few."

"Sure! Do you think Mother would like them?" Legacy asked, bending down to carefully pluck the finest flowers from the bush.