"Opal time to go!"
Opal opened her eyes slowly and groaned. She lifted her soft, brown, bear-fur covers, curled in her nest of dry, pale yellow, grass further and practically threw the cover back over herself. She closed her blue eyes in attempt to fall back asleep, but the scraping sound of stone on stone, her mother's talon steps, had sounded in the tunnel nearby.
Opal had a small sleeping cave to herself. It was decorated with her mother's sparkly, rainbow, crystals and had little shiny emeralds embedded in them. This was to indicate that her parents were Rainbow Quartz and Emerald. The other dragonets had rooms they had to share, but Opal's father had dug out this room just for her. There was a scroll rack full of Opal's favourite scrolls, pushed to the back of the cave. A small painting of a rainbow diamond hung above the scroll rack, near the ceiling of the cave. It was beautiful, the perfect shades of each colour blended perfectly, each colour contrasted well with the other beside it. It was an amazing painting that Opal painted a few years ago.
Opal groaned as her soft cover was quickly thrown off of her. Her mother's face looked down on her, stern, but gentle. The deep pink of her mother's eyes looking down on her.
"Up," she said as she stroked Opal's head, "we are already late."
Opal's eyes sharply flew open as she leapt out of her nest and swiftly flew out into tunnel and almost crashed straight into her father. She skidded to a stop right in front of him. He looked down at her with warm green eyes.
"You're late," he said as her mother came up to stand beside him, "better hurry if you don't want to miss the first lesson."
Her father looked down into Opal's eyes a twinkle in his eye. Opal nodded and hugged her mother and father in a tight affectionate hug, in her wings.
"I will," she said, waving her tail, "bye!"
Opal spread her pearlescent wings and flew out of the cave toward the nearest tall cliff. The cliff was a big overhang, with grass growing over the edge and vines hanging off of the edge. A large green forest sat at the bottom of the cliff. It had large trees about a quarter of the size of the cliff. The rest of the forest was hidden beneath the leaves of the trees, what was hidden beneath, cloaked in mystery. That was Jade Forest. She looked down at the green, grassland landscape that shot below her as she flew. She saw patches of dark, green, clover and yellow and white dandelion dotting the green landscape here and there, clusters of white oxeye daisies and azure bluets, and a few acacia trees too. A few small lakes dotted the area with striped zebras, spotted cheetahs and swift antelope around them.
Opal looked up and saw a group of shimmering GemWing dragonets sitting on top of the cliff, just above Jade Forest. The sun was just catching on their smooth, colourful scales, making them all glitter. Opal could see different shades of orange, green, purple and blue. She had never seen the white dragonet that sat with them before. She glittered like the snow in the distant tundra, like white sand on the shores of Shifting Desert. The other dragonets that sat beside her were Jasper, Jade, Sugilite and Holly-blue Agate. Opal groaned to find out that Holly blue would be there. More torture, She thought. Opal flapped her wings harder, trying to fly faster, she didn't want to be any more late than she already was. She landed next to shy Jade, her gaze intent on the white dragonet. Jade's pale green scales shimmered in the sunlight. As did the other dragonets'
"You're late." A bitter, yet satisfied, voice said from behind Opal. She swung around to see Holly sitting right behind her. Her icy blue gaze stared down on Opal as she, opened her mouth to reply.
"Save it," Holly hissed, "It's not worth my time."
Opal muttered "Boulder-Brain" under her breath as she turned to see the new dragonet. She glittered even in the shadows of the mountains behind them, the sun creeping between the split in them and catching her scales, make her blindingly bright. Long, white crystals had started to grow from the soft earth around her claws. She looked around at the other dragonets looking a little timid. Opal was the only one to go up and comfort her, since the others were just staring at her claws, where the crystals grew.
"Hey." Said Opal. The other dragonet turned to looked at her.
"Hey." She said softly. The crystals grew even more.
"You're a Quartz, right?" Opal asked. The dragonet's eyes widened.
"How did you know?" She said surprised. Opal glanced at the crystals.
"Oh sorry," Quartz said laughing. She removed her claws from the dirt, but the crystals stayed there.
"Alright!" A voice bellowed from behind them, "Let's get on with the lesson, now that that's rapped up!"
Opal turned to see who had spoken. The dragonets were gathering in front of their instructor, Malachite.
Holly cast a hateful glance at Opal, but Opal ignored it.
"Today I will show you how to use the wind for flying," he said his gaze passing over the lesson group, "this is important to know, so you have an advantage in the Group Races that comes soon. This is why I picked a windy day."
A gust of wind buffeted Opal's face, just as he said "windy."
Holly edged over to Opal and Quartz. She was trying to be silent and unnoticeable, but Opal could clearly hear her. She edged close enough so Opal could feel her breath on her ear.
"I'm obviously going to get this first time," she said showing Opal her large wings, "we will see how you go."
Opal rolled her eyes as Holly crept back to her spot. Quartz leaned in and whispered onto Opal's other ear.
"I'm so scared right now," she whispered, "I haven't had flight lessons that much, so I don't know much about flying."
"It'll be alright," whispered Opal, "just watch what I do then try to do the same."
Quartz nodded and then looked over at Holly.
"What about her?" She asked, "what if she does better than you?"
"Don't worry about her," replied Opal glaring at Holly, "Still try to copy me."
Malachite spread his wings and walked over to the edge of the cliff, to show the group what he meant.
"Watch what I do." He said, before leaping off the ledge. The air instantly caught his wings keeping him afloat. The wind tried to slam him against the cliff wall but, his wings sliced through it, like claws through Aythem. He then turned around to face the direction the wind was blowing, and suddenly, he was ten times faster.
Holly grinned as she stepped forward to get a closer look.
She shoved Jade out of the way and Jade stumbled back a bit.
"Hey don't shove me!" Jade protested. Holly huffed and lashed her tail. Holly's tail accidentally hit Jade and sent her to the edge of the cliff and she fell off. Her frightened screams pierced the air.
"Jade!" Called Opal. Suddenly, Quartz shot by Opal, leaped forward and jumped off the cliff, falling toward Jade. Opal ran to the edge to get a look.
Jade was trying to open her wings but the wind, as she plummeted, kept them folded. Quartz was flapping her wings, so she fell faster toward her. Quartz soon caught up with Jade and then fell a little further. When she was a few metres below Jade she snapped open her wings and she stopped falling. A few seconds later, Jade crashed onto her back, but since Quartz was bigger than Jade, she was able to support her
"Hold onto my neck." Advised Quartz as she began to fly upwards. Jade clung onto Quartz's neck for her dear life.
Using the wind, Quartz was able to fly upwards quickly. Soon she landed on the ground and let Jade climb off her back. Jade half climbed, half slid off of Quartz's back. She looked frozen with shock as she crept to the back of the group. Quartz then turned to Holly.
"Why did you do that!" She said to Holly. Holly glared at Quartz. Her glare looked as if it could knock over ten trees at once, but Quartz just glared back.
"The little runt was in my way," Holly snapped, "so I got her out of my way."
"You could have been nicer about it!" Quartz retorted.
"I'm not a nice dragon." Holly hissed and pointedly turned her back. Malachite glided down next to Jade.
"Are you alright?" He asked worriedly.
"Yes," answered Jade, "thanks to Quartz."
Jade and Malachite smiled at Quartz, and Quartz flicked her tail and smiled back.
"Any time." She said with a little wink. Opal looked over at Holly to see her glowering at the duo. Malachite shook his head.
"I should have picked a safer place, just like Larimar said." He muttered. Opal sighed. She really wanted to practice what she had learned.
Malachite then lifted his head, saw Opal's downcast face and smiled.
"We will still practice," He said, "Holly try to be more careful next time."
"I was being careful!" Holly snapped, "Jade should have moved out of my way sooner!"
"Well I didn't know you were coming until you pushed me!" Jade chimed in.
"That's why you should be more aware of your surroundings." Holly said
"Not everything is about you!" Jasper said, joining the fight.
"Who said you could speak!" Holly yelled.
"SHUT IT!!"
Opal breathed heavily. Everyone shut up immediately. Even Holly had shut her mouth for once. Opal hated it when the whole group had an argument.
Opal's claws were dug deep into the dirt. She could feel something smooth brushing against them but she ignored it. Jasper looked surprised as if he hadn't seen Opal this angry before. Opal's glare passed over to Holly.
"You should be more considerate about others!" She said, "If Quartz wasn't here, Jade could have died!"
Holly looked at Jade then back at Opal, her face concerned. She stayed silent and turned away. She looked back at Opal and gasped. The other dragonets followed her gaze. Opal looked down at her claws and gasped. Her eyes widened as she saw pale white and rainbow crystals growing from her claws.
"What! How!?"
Quartz came up and looked close at Opals crystals. She tapped them lightly with her claws, and then sniffed them, like trying to see if there was a scent.
"Yep," she said finally, "definitely yours."
"How can you tell?" Asked Opal.
"Every Quartz GemWing's crystals have a scent of where the power originated from," Quartz explained, "only Quartz's can do this, so if you were enchanted to have this power it would have a different scent on them."
Opal thought for a moment, processing the explanation, then nodded in understanding.
"But," she said, "how do I have the power of a Quartz, when I'm not a Quartz?"
Quartz thought for a moment.
"I don't know," she replied, "it may have something to do with—"
"Maybe you are an animus and enchanted yourself to have this power." Holly interjected.
"That couldn't be possible," Jasper said, "only Bismuth's have animus powers."
"My parents are Emerald and Rainbow Quartz," Opal pointed out, "I couldn't possibly be an animus."
Suddenly a piercing scream sliced through the silence. Opal looked up sharply looked around to try to distinguish where the sound came from.
"What was that?" Jasper asked. Malachite came up behind him.
"I'd rather not go looking for trouble," He said, "I'm going to tell Larimar about this."
Malachite took two steps forward and then turned back to the group.
"Don't go anywhere." He said before flying off. Opal hear talon steps behind her. She turned to find Holly creeping toward the slope leading to the forest.
"Where are you going?" Quartz asked as Holly started to walk down the cliff.
"I'm going to find out what that was," she said, "I don't care what Malachite said." She added quickly.
"Course you don't." Quartz muttered as Opal ran after her.
"None of you can stop me!" She blurted as she shoved Opal away from herself.
"Who said I was?" She asked, regaining her balance. Quartz ran over to them.
"You gotta have somebody to look out for you." She added, "it could be dangerous in that forest."
Holly glared at them.
"Fine!" She said, "you can come. But the rest of you can't!"
Holly raced off before anyone could reply. Opal and Quartz chased after her.
"Seriously though, where are we going?" She asked
"I guess we are going to find out what caused that scream." Opal replied as they continued to race after Holly.