Stalker of Dreams

Chapter Six

"Are you sure you need all of this?" 

Hope was wearily eyeing the pile of school supplies Firefly had dragged in, her tail lashing across the floor. 

"Yes, of course," Firefly chirped. "What if none of the other students brought inkwells?" 

Peacemaker was pretty sure they had enough inkwells at Jade Mountain Academy, but he decided not to say anything. He and Firefly had been preparing for their departure to Jade Mountain for days, and he didn't want to squash the princess's enthusiasm now, when they were about to leave. 

"Besides, we could still have forgotten something," Peacemaker said instead. 

Hope sighed. "All right," she said finally. "Just be careful, moonbeam." 

"Mom," Peacemaker sighed. "You realize I really don't like that name." 

"I know," Hope looked at her talons. Suddenly she lifted her head. "You better get going."

Firefly didn't wait for Peacemaker. She grabbed a large sack of school supplies and flapped madly out the door. The other hybrid followed his friend, grabbing the other sack. 

"I love you, mom," he said. 

"I love you, too."

Outside, there was a small group of NightWing dragonets gathered around an older dragon Peacemaker recognized as - could it be?

"Moonwatcher!" he squealed like a newborn dragonet. 

"Peacemaker!" she smiled at him. "I heard you got accepted into the Academy!"

"I know," Peacemaker ran into her wings, feeling the night sky wrap around him in a hug. "I was so excited - I mean, I still am, but-" 

"Moon!" Firefly dropped her sack and also embraced the NightWing ambassador. Peacemaker tried not too look to sad as one of his best friends hugged one of his first. He knew that Moon and Firefly were close, seeing as Moonwatcher was Queen Glory's best diplomat with Pantala, but it still made him feel all wriggly and jealous inside whenever he saw them together, and then he wanted to step on his tail again for thinking that. 

Among the dragonets he noticed Flashsight - one of Peacemaker's neutral friends. They weren't especially close, but sometimes they would hang out and talk about magic and queens together. 

The dark lavender dragon was jumpy as ever, fiddling her talons and snapping open her wings before rapidly folding them back in again. Peacemaker could also see that Moon had brought a dragonet, Princex Hourglass, with her. They were a year younger than Peacemaker, however the SandWing held themself like a dragon of much older age. 

Princex Hourglass is Thorn and Smolder's dragonet, right? So they'd be here because Qibli's basically their brother, so Moon is like their sister-in-law. 

Hourglass didn't say anything as Moon settled down the other NightWings and launched into the sky. As they flew into the RainWing Village to wait for Kinkajou (with the RainWing students), Peacemaker sidled over to the royal. He'd only ever met this dragon twice, both times they came to visit with Moon. 

"Hey," he said, glancing over at the adult dragons talking. "Remember me? I'm Peacemaker." 

"Of course I remember you," Hourglass replied. "Moon almost never stops talking about you. She-" The dragonet covered their mouth, catching themself mid-sentence. "I-I'm not supposed to talk about it, actually. Technically I'm not supposed to eavesdrop on Moon and Qibli at all." Hourglass glanced at the ground, tan wings dotted with dusty black specks dropping to their sides.