"Wow." Quartz said after Opal had told her story. Quartz was sitting beside Opal with one wing tented over Opal. She looked at the egg in between her forelegs and nodded solemnly.
"That is just wow." Quartz said again. Opal looked over at her. It seemed as if Quartz was deep in thought.
"You're lucky Flint went to get Shulker." Quartz said finally. Opal nodded as she locked gaze, with Quartz's emerald, green, eyes.
"Hows the egg?" Opal asked. "Enough about me."
"The egg is fine." Quartz replied, "no broken wings or stick wounds." She joked.
"Stop!" Opal said laughing. "I'm serious!"
"The egg is going well." Quartz said again, still chuckling, wiping away tears, "it seems bigger than when I found it."
"Is Moonstone helping?" Opal asked.
"Yes she is, we take turns." Quartz explained, "Moonstone takes care of it one day, when I have lessons, and I take care of it the next, while Moon has her lessons."
"Nice." Opal said peering at the egg closer. Now that she was closer to it, she could see the overlapping plates that protected the eggshell, like all GemWing eggs. The plates were an red-orange colour with some of them being white. It glinted in the light of the luminous crystals, especially the white plates which glittered like Quartz's snow-like scales.
"Have you got a name for it?" Opal asked suddenly. It seemed like the right question to ask at this time.
"No," Quartz replied stroking the egg again, "any ideas?"
"Hmmmmmmaybe, Spessartine?" Opal suggested. "A name from one of my favourite stories."
"Hmmmm. Lemme think about it."
Quartz got to her talons and walked over to Opal's ledge. It was a low ledge about as tall at Opal's shoulders. It was designed for Opal to sit and read her scrolls, even though she prefers reading them in her nest. On the ledge was four diamond-shaped stones, meant for holing down the edges of the scrolls as she read, so the scroll wouldn't roll up on its own. There was also an ink pot in the corner, meant for writing things down on the few bits of paper Opal had. Quartz took one of those papers, dipped her claw in the ink pot an wrote something down. Opal realised, after thinking about it for a few seconds, that Quartz was writing down ideas for a name for the egg. After two minutes, Quartz sat back down beside Opal and showed her the paper. She saw her idea, Spessartine, but Quartz had written other names too.
Aragonite
Carnelian
Fire Opal
Fire Agate
Jasper
Hessonite
Pyrope
Citrine
Garnet
Amentrine
Sard
Onyx
Opal was confused at the last one. The egg had no black scales and the white took up a full plate, not wavy like Onyx stripes. But it was a good name nonetheless. Aragonite looked the closest. They had the egg's orange colour and it could have white as well.
"You should ask Moonstone if she has any ideas." Opal suggested. Quartz nodded eagerly.
"But only after you heal." Quartz said, settling down again.
        . . .
For the next three days, Quartz stayed with Opal. She got Opal the Aythem she needed and they chatted about Shulker, and Voidwings, and what could have happened. Shulker himself even came to visit her, but only for a short while, because he had to leave, as he was "busy" with other things. Opal woke the next morning and stretched both her wings, as usual, without realising it, and turned to Quartz. She was about to say something when she saw Quartz's face. It was that of complete shock, and joy at the same time.
"Your wing!" Quartz cried. Opal turned her neck to look. She moved it up, no pain. She moved it down, no pain either. She stretched it out to its full length, still no pain. Her wing had healed! Opal looked at the stick wound it was just a tiny red scar now, and by tomorrow it should be gone. Opal fluttered about her wings freely, and then turned circles slowly on her talons. A smile was forming on her face as she realised she had healed. Just enough to not radiate pain, but she had to go easy on both, or they might start up again. Opal grinned at Quartz.
"I'm going to get some fresh air." Opal said striding over to cave opening.
"Get Sea to come with you!" Quartz called from in her cave. Opal walked slowly toward the end of the tunnel, trying not to upset any wounds. Opal reached the main cave to see Seasnake observing the Aythem pile. Sea looked around, before grabbing an Aythem crystal with her tail, and slithering off. Opal looked at her wing, then at her leg, then followed after Sea. Opal wove through dragons going in all directions, some off to the stall cave, some off to collect more Aythem and some off to get some more rest. She took off to hover above the crowd to look for Sea. After about a few minutes of turning her head, she spotted Sea by the main entrance, staring at the crystal she had taken. As Opal glided down to land beside her, she saw her friend bite a piece off of the crystal. Her face lighted up as Sea crunched the Aythem. Opal guessed, Sea liked it.
"Like it?" Opal asked behind Sea's ear.
"I didn't mean to!" She shrieked as she whipped around. Her surprised, amber gaze settled on Opal's amused face. Sea blinked at her, and Opal burst out laughing. Sea whacked Opal with her tail.
"Don't do that!" Sea said as Opal felt tears flowing down her face. She had never seen anything so humorous in her life.
"Your face!" Opal said between laughter. Sea frowned at her.
"Yeah, well you can stop now."
Opal pushed the image to the back of her mind and tried to stop laughing. Her stomach hurt and her lungs ached. She wiped the tears away from her eyes, then turned back to Sea.
"Seriously though," Opal said, "do you like it?"
Sea nodded and curled her tail around the crystal.
"How are you—" Sea began, then stopped, as she saw Opal standing on all four legs again. To show how her wing was, she stretched it out to full length, gently brushing a GemWing as he shot by. Sea smiled. She tried to wrap her left wing around Opal, but Opal ducked out of the way.
Hey!" Sea said still smiling. She looked from Opal's foreleg to her wing and back. "I can't believe it!"
"Believe what?" Opal asked tilting her pearl-white head a little. Her turquoise-blue eyes looked straight into Sea's amber eyes.
"Your . . . You are . . . The stick . . . Wing . . . The wounds . . ." Sea stammered, to happy to find the right words. Opal smiled at Sea.
"Yes I guess they're all healed," Opal replied, "I didn't really notice until this morning, when Quartz told me."
Sea nodded happily.
"Hey you do know it's the races tomorrow." Sea said smirking.
"Oh my gosh you're right!" Opal cried flapping her wings. She couldn't wait. But she had to practice with her newly healed wing.
"Let's go outside and practice!" Opal called racing to the entrance. She weaved around dragons as she ran.
"Opal!" Sea called back frantically flapping after her, "outside is a bit—"
Opal couldn't hear what Sea had said because a large puddle of water, just splashed over her head. Opal looked outside to see that it was pouring with rain.
"Rainy." Sea finished as she caught up to Opal. Opal could feel her heart sinking. How can I practice in this weather? She thought. The group races are tomorrow and I can't practice! Opal sighed as Sea slithered up beside her. Opal sat and let the water drip off her as she watched the raindrops with dismay.
"How can I practice in this weather?" Opal whispered. Sea's thin pink tongue flicked in and out.
"Well," she began, "who said the weather could stop you?"
Opal held out her talon letting the rain pelt on it. The raindrops felt cold, like small, cool, fragile diamonds were running like a river between her scales. Who said the weather could stop you? Opal turned to Sea.
"You know, you're right," Opal said, "who said I can't fly in the rain."
Beside her, Sea smiled. Her sea-blue scales shimmered like sapphires in the rain. The wavy stripes of black and white looked like rivers of obsidian and quartz in the sea of sapphire scales. Wings suddenly materialised out of her body, as Sea spread them and took off into the storm.
"Wait for me!" Opal called, taking off after her, though the wind whipped her voice away. Rain pounded on her wings, making them heavy as the wind kept trying to smash her into the ground. Opal could barely see Seasnake flying just ahead of her through the rain.
"Sea!" Opal called, trying to make her voice heard over the wind, "SEA!!"
Opal stopped to hover in the rain. Rain fell and splashed on her head, cold and uncomfortable. Opal looked down and saw Jade Forest stretch out below her. Opal glided down to take shelter in the leafy canopy. As soon as she landed, she shook herself dry. She would wait for Sea here. Opal was less overwhelmed by the rain here as most of the water fell on the leaves instead. Opal decided to find her way to the spot where she and Shulker met.
"Going somewhere?" A voice asked behind her. It was a slithery voice sort of whispering, like something sinister. Opal turned to see a dark purple VoidWing standing behind her. He had dark purple scales and a lighter purple underbelly. The scales on his shoulders and legs were a light pink and the scales lining the spine from the nose to the tail was a deep, pale pinkish-red. The circular scales lining the under belly were a cherry pink colour. The wings were a cherry red colour and he had stripes on each of the webs that were bright pink. His bright pink eyes looked at Opal with an evil intent.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"Doesn't bother you," The VoidWing said, "you all die soon enough."
Without any warning, the VoidWing leapt at her, claws outstretched. Opal ducked out of the way and knocked his feet with her tail. He landed in a pile with an "oof" sound. But seconds later he was up on his talons again staring at Opal now with pure rage. He leaped at her again, trying to land a blow but missed again. He tried again and again but kept missing.
"Keep still!" He yelled leaping at her again. Opal jumped over to the bushes and turned to the VoidWing. He inhaled sharply and turned his head toward her. Opal only had seconds to move before deadly purple frost shot from his mouth. The frost laced the bushes making them shrivel up and turn black.
"Stop moving!" He yelled and shot more frost at her. Opal frantically climbed the tree behind her to escape the dragon.
"Get down here!" Suddenly Opal fell and before she hit the ground, the world suddenly went purple. It was a strange array of purples, pinks and blacks all swirling around each other as she fell. Then suddenly Opal hit the ground. The rift above her closed slowly the quiet world closing. A dark purple head came into vision as the VoidWing leaned over her.
"They all try to run," he said sinisterly, "but I'll always get them in the en—"
He cut of abruptly as something slammed into him and sent him crashing into the nearest tree. Something or someone.
Opal rolled over onto her feet to see Shulker staring at the VoidWing.
"Sssssssshhhhhhhhhulker." The VoidWing hissed. Shulker put up his wings to shield Opal from view.
"What are you doing?" The other VoidWing asked, "Kill her!"
Shulker looked from the VoidWing and back to her, trying to decide what to do. Opal knew the situation he was in. Either follow orders and kill his friend or disobey his Queen to protect her. He debated on this for a moment before he lifted his head, took one look at Opal and smiled, then turned to stare defiantly at the other VoidWing.
"No." Shulker said flatly. This took the other VoidWing by surprise as he looked at Shulker with those sinister pink eyes.
"You wish to protect that worm rather than obey your Queen?" He said. He hissed at them both as Shulker said nothing.
I will report this!" The other VoidWing hissed before he rifted away. As the rift closed, Opal noticed Shulker's face shift as though the weight of his decision finally slammed its talons down on him, and Opal knew why. No matter what Shulker said or did, he could never return home again.