The Sky Lands: Cursed

Chapter 3: If the World Was Quiet

  Amber liked the world when it was quiet. When the Sky Lands were peaceful, when no one was fighting, when no one was mad. But Amber was thankful for the times when the world was loud. Because if it was never loud, Amber wouldn't want the world to be quiet.

  Amber still didn't like the world being loud. Especially in a school. With almost every student watching her. Especially when someone was demanding two things that Amber didn't want to or couldn't give to him.

   But just that morning, Amber had sworn to herself that she wouldn't break her one important streak: Doing exactly what anyone asked of her. She didn't want to break it. Not today. 

  "Did you hear me? Give me that." Coal growled. He flapped his wings, lifting into the air, accompanying his growl with a snarl. Amber held out her talon with her honeycomb sadly. Coal smiled and reached for it, ready to grab it, and-

  "You IDIOT!" A blue dragon flung himself on Coal. Topaz! He gripped Coal's wings and held him down. "You stay away from my sister!" He roared into the flame dragon's face. 

  "Master Topaz! I didn't know she was the master's sister! I thought the only sister master had was the twin!" Coal said, panicking. Of course, everyone knew about Quartz, being Topaz's twin sister. Amber wished she had also hatched with a sibling, being comforted in her egg with a second warm body. But, she wasn't.

  "I don't care if you thought Quartz was my only sister. All you need to think is to remember that Amber is my sister!" Topaz growled. He stepped off of the flame dragon. "Now get lost." Coal and his followers nodded eagerly and ran, walked, or flew away. 

  "Amber! Are you okay?" Coral was flying over. 

  "Where's Faith?" Amber asked. 

  "She thought it was best to stay over there. Anyway, are you hurt?" Coral asked, her eyes widening. 

  Amber shook her head silently. 

  "Amber! Sis, did they hurt you?" Topaz asked, running over and shoving his snout on top of Amber's, and wrapping his arms around her. They stayed like that in silence for a few moments before Coral interrupted. 

  "You two look happy, but I'm her best friend because I asked if she was okay first," Coral said, cracking the silence.

  "I don't care if you're her 'best friend'," Topaz said. "She's still my sister. I did say 'Sis! Are you okay?' a few moments ago."

  "Oh yeah," Coral said. "I forgot." 

  "Am, I wanted to show you someone, before I saw Coal and his gang swarming you. I'm sorry about that. I should've told them to stay away." Topaz said, stepping back. "Anyway, this is who I want you to meet." He flicked his tail, and a pale pink jewel dragon walked over.

  "Who is that?" Coral asked. 

  "My name is Rose Quartz." The pink dragon said. "You can call me Rose." Amber instantly thought of her sister, Quartz.

  "And why do you know her?" Coral asked. 

  "Why do you care? I don't even know who you are!" Topaz said. 

  "I care because I'm Coral, Amber's new best friend. We can talk more about the Amazing Me later, now we're talking about the mysterious dragon." 

  "She's not mysterious, she just introduced herself!" Topaz cried. Coral rolled her eyes. 

  "Get on with it," Coral said. 

  "I'll start again," Topaz said. "This is Rose, and she... she's my...."