(For mewtwocool for Sweet but Psycho)

Coypu anxiously watched the Sandwing talking to his queen and her sibs. She was a pretty color, though slightly smaller than other Sandwings. Apparently, she was the animus that the queen had sent for after learning the trouble that the Mudwings faced. They just... didn't expect her to be so..... eccentric.

"-COYPU!"

"Ack!" the Mudwing jumped, flipping around to face his three fellow Queen Guards and sibs. "What???"

"The Queen needs someone to watch over.... the guest. It's up to you!" Bass said.

Coypu gaped at him, "Why's it up to me?! I don't want to!"

"We all called not it. You didn't because you were too busy watching the guest," Fawn said.

Heron grinned, "See! You're already doing great at your job! All you have to do is watch her!"

Coypu let out a deep sigh, "Okay."

"Great!"

The Queen flicked her tail, signaling for the guards to rejoin her and the others. They did so, just in time to hear the Sandwing speaking to the Queen's younger sibs about the different deadly plants that could be found in the desert.

Coypu blinked. He was not looking forward to being alone with her.

Not much later, Coypu was walking around alone with the Sandwing, who he learned was named Aloe, while the Queen and her siblings figured out whether or not to keep the... interesting animus around.

Coypu wished they would be faster with their decision. He wasn't quite sure how to reply to Aloe's strange stories with their dark undertones. Aloe didn't seem to notice, continuing from one story to the next without much input from Coypu.

It was interesting, how she talked about her home. She never once mentioned anyone close to her, instead focusing on the plants or creatures that could be found around, or things that had happened that were strange or funny.

Coypu eventually started to be interested in the stories. Learning more about the desert was an interesting thing, and everything Aloe talked about was super cool or different then what Coypu was used to.

He felt drawn into the stories, barely noticing when the sun set and the stars started to show, three moons rising into the sky along with them.

"Oh! Look, Coypu! The stars are out!" Aloe exclaimed.

Coypu looked up at the sky and the bright lights that filled it, swirling around in shapes and patterns that no one could truly understand. "I didn't realize it had gotten so late..."

"Me either! But I guess that's what happens when your chatting with Mudwings!" Aloe replied with a grin, but then she frowned, "You can see the stars better in the desert."

"I'm sure you can. Why only when chatting with Mudwings?" Coypu asked.

Aloe blinked at him for a second, "...Oh! You mean the time moving fast thing!"

Coypu nodded, even though she wasn't asking a question.

"Welllllll this has literally never happened with anyone else I've talked to, only with you! And you're a Mudwing, sooooo..."

"I guess that makes sense," Coypu said, "but with me and my sibs, we say that time passes super fast when you're with someone that you're having fun with."

"....I don't... really have many friends or anything like that. I guess... everyone's just wary of animus. Especially one like me," Aloe admitted, staring up at the stars instead of looking at him.

Coypu glanced at her in surprise, a small thought of how pretty her scales looked in the moonlight bouncing through his head before he returned his gaze to the sky.

Aloe continued, her usual unhinged smile returning to place, "Not like I care! I'm too busy to spend time with friends anyway! Animus work never stops!"

"...It can be nice to take breaks sometimes," Coypu said, "otherwise, you might forget you're not just your abilities."

It was silent for a moment, each of the dragons thinking about what the other had said. It wasn't a awkward silence, but Coypu still didn't want it to continue going on forever. So after a few moments, he spoke up.

"......I love the stars. They make everything seem beautiful."

From the edges of his vision, Coypu could see that Aloe had turned to look at him, but he continued looking at the stars.

"Is the world not already beautiful?" Aloe asked.

"Sometimes. But sometimes it's the ugliest place imaginable," Coypu smiled to himself, "the stars are different. They're mysterious, and smaller than other things, like the moons, but they're always beautiful. Kind of like you."

Silence.

Coypu realized what he said and immediately began trying to fix the situation with the guest that he had so obviously ruined. Ugh, he shouldn't have become a Queen's Guard. He always ends up messing up with his rare impulsive choices.

Why'd he even say that at all!?!?!?!?!

Aloe spoke over his ramblings, efficiently silencing him after a few words, "It's okay! You don't hafta apologize for nothing! Plus, I agree. I am obviously mysterious and I am always beautiful!" She even struck a pose to prove her point and show off her mysterious beauty.

Smiling, Coypu spoke up again, "You forgot about the small bit."

Aloe glared at him, "Oh shush, I'm not that small! What if I murdered everyone who was taller than me? Then I would be tall and still mysterious and beautiful!"

Coypu might have been more worried if he wasn't certain that she was joking. Her tone of voice was obviously a joking one.... unless she wasn't joking and he was just reading things wrong.

He let out a startled squeak, "Please don't do that!"

"I won't!" Aloe laughed, it was a pretty sound, light and airy, "but only because you asked me not to!"

The Mudwing let out a breath.

For the rest of the night, the two would watch the stars together, pointing out the strange shapes and patterns they see in them. When the sun rises, the Queen and her sibs would have a decision.

Coypu hoped Aloe could stay.

I know the art wasn't a part of like, the competition, Mew, but I had writer's block and to fight it I just kind of started sketching to figure out what I want them to do, and that art piece came out of it.

Hope you liked the story! Sorry for going a bit over the word limit ^-^;