[private] It's A New Dawn[Amen]

[EkstaCee]

Wrapped in a loving embrace, I drift into the only place I've known thus far.  But there is a new figure here with me; tall, dark, wings and scales.  I call him father and he walks with me in my dream world.  

This world is bright and beautiful today, dotted with colorful summer blooms around a lake the color of my aqua eyes.  My body, long and lean, bounds about in the tall grasses; bringing me to stand at the edge of the reflective pool.  I smile happily as I look across it, my father coming to stand beside me proudly.  Wanna go for a flight?  He asks and I look up to him with eager eyes.

The skies were a pale blue with scarce fluffy white clouds as I watch him unfurl his great wings and take to the air with a few thrusts to the appendages.  Even though they share the same blood, they were quite opposite in more ways than one.  Him a dark winged being, me as heavenly as the clear summer sky.

I lunge into the atmosphere; my paws stepping lightly on the air molecules.  They support my mass with as much ease as the earthly ground in which I leapt from.  Each step taking me higher and higher until I am leaping from cloud to cloud.

---

There is a rubble that vibrates me awake, opening my eyes to the cavern which is my birthplace.  Tucked to my father's side, cradled in an upside-down fashion, my head lifts as I hear the rumble once again.  My elongated face turns, as does my ear, to seek the source of the noise.  It is in that moment of silence I look upon my fathers scaled face sleeping so peacefully, his only movement that of his chest as he draws in a deep breath.  Then there is the noise again, coming from the large dark mass as he exhales.

My long body turns to bring myself to my paws; my eyes still glued on my father's face.  I take a single step then another, dragging my back half along with me until I am an inch away from his head.  I examine him carefully, trying to understand what the noise means to tell me.

With a twitch of my tasseled tail, I retain my wide-eyed stare awaiting clarity...

E

kstaCee

@Amenadiel Apparently, baby dragons don't know what snoring is XD

[Amenadiel]

The egg tumbles from the nest, shattering, cracks rupturing the barrier between the celestial realm and the mortal world, and what emerges is a sight of pure terror. Hollow, abyssal voids in place of eyes, flesh peeling away to reveal blood-red sinew and ivory bone.

His shut eyes and wings quiver as wisps of smoke escape from his flaring nostrils. Abruptly, he awakens, ears pinned back, alarmed by the nightmares that had plagued his slumber. Yet, standing before him is his exquisite, emerald-eyed dragon daughter. He breathes out, composing himself as he extends his neck to embrace CeeCee, drawing her close. His erratic heartbeat steadies, feeling her presence enveloping him.

He rises and lets out a loud yawn, stretching his wings and body while CeeCee twirls and dances around and beneath him. With a smile, he affectionately licks her.

“Would you like to go on an adventure?” he inquires to the inquisitive young one as he leaves the cavern, heading towards the lake for his morning sip.

@ EkstaCee

[EkstaCee]

I watch the curtains of his eyes convulse from the nightmares I do not witness.  Warmth and softness are all I currently know of this world, so the horrors that awaken my father abruptly are lost to me.

With large soft eyes I peer up at the great winged stallion as he stretches.  Mimicking the behavior my long back arches then dips, outstretching my legs and claws in unison.  Lifting my body off the rocky surface takes some effort, I find.  Up until now I have only remained in one cramped position.  But with practice I find strength coming to me.

His warm tongue on my tufts of mane has me squeal with joy and I find myself leaping forward.  All four limbs leave and return to the cavern floor in one swift motion.  I pause, now watching him walk from their nest site with a four-beat rhythm of individual steps.  My long ears tilt in thought and soon follows my pearl-colored head.  

With a glance at my paws, I lift them individually this time, examining their strangeness.  Again, I mimic my father and begin placing my feet along the ground in a similar fashion.

I waddle towards him, my tasseled tail dragging behind me as I draw myself from the shelter and into the dawn.  He asks of me a question, but I simply smile, unsure of how to respond.

For having only known darkness up until this point, the light should be blinding, it is anything but.  My teal eyes blink in wonder at all the vivid colors and unique lines of this new world.  

Continuing to waddle behind I find that I was lagging behind too much to my liking.  The grasses began to grow too tall for me to see his figure, so I stop, raising up on hind hunches and extending myself above the greenery.  My furred ears twist, finding the sound of my father before I am high enough to see him.  Now on tippy toes I spot him and launch myself in his direction.  I continue the leaping stride through the vegetation until we arrive at the lake.  That was a much faster way to travel, I think.

Now settling at the water's edge, I peer into the reflective surface.  The creature that stares back at my catches me by surprise, sending me tumbling backwards.  My nose wrinkles as I look to my father to gauge his concern over the stranger in the water.  "Who is that father?"  My voice soft with concern.

E

kstaCee

[Amenadiel]

Amenadiel chuckles softly watching his daughter replicate his actions as her body elongates. He never knew he could feel so much pride and love all at once, but CeeCee has proven him wrong. He’s ecstatic and so in love with her. The way she stares at him all wide-eyed, her squeals to his grooming, the way she slinks and bounces underneath and around him.

He walks forward out of their cave and peers back behind him to see her trepidation. “You’re safe, come on out,” he assures her. Before he knows it, she’s scrambling out figuring out the mechanics of her body. “You’ve got it! Good job, CeeCee,”

His eyes stay fixed on CeeCee, not wanting to miss any moment. If he could keep her at this age and not grow up, he would. They continue downwards to the lake, but Amen realizes that he can't see her. He quickly around, ears flicking around his head trying to find his daughter. His eyes zoom into tufted ears that blend into the tufts of grass which surround them. He shakes his head, snorting softly, relieved she’s right behind him.

Just as they get to the water, he lowers his head for a sip and in his reflection, he sees CeeCee’s ears twist trying to make sense of what is going on before she launches backwards in a somersault, landing in a pile of baby dragon. He laughs, turning towards her and nudging her back up. “Are you ok? That’s you, CeeCee. It’s your reflection. That’s what you look like,” he brushes his muzzle over the entirety of her body, ending at the tip of her tail. “You’ve got a lot to learn, sweetheart. I’ll be here every step of the way to help you,” he smiles as he turns to head towards where Aurora and his friends are staying.

[EkstaCee]

Curled into an upside down ball of scales and fluff, I think of the image I had seen.  The pearl white of the face, the green and gold tufts of hair, the large pool like eyes.  It wasn't a frightening sight in the least, just not what I expected to find staring back at me.

When my father answers, nudging me back to my feet, I consider the image again burned within my mind eye.  A smile creases my elongated jawline as I ponder the thought of my face.  I could see my golden clawed toes and my tufted tail, but I couldn't see the details of my face. "Yes, I'm alright," I reply with a gentle nod.

Finding my footing upon the ground, I sit thinking for a brief moment before approaching the waters once more.  My steps are slow, cautious even, as I crawl nearer, stopping with my nose at the edge.  I look back at my father -who waits patiently- as if seeking confirmation of my safety.

Turning back to the waters, I take another step or two and peer into the reflective surface again.  The image I see is as I remember the first time.  A pearled snout, long ears and two greenish bumps on my skull is what I now notice.  

The mirrored image shifts just as I do.  My expressions vary and are shown to me now.  Sticking out my forked tongue, I watch as the reflection mimics me, causing me to giggle.

In my enchantment I hardly notice as my father turns to walk off.  The soft vibrations within my ears hint towards something happening and bid me to turn.  A sense of urgency heightens within me, so with one last quick look at the water I say goodbye to myself and scamper off to follow the winged stallion.  Lunging in long strides I catch up quickly to his walk pace.

Settling beside him with a waddling walk I look up to him, "Where are we going now Father?"

E

kstaCee

@Amenadiel

[Amenadiel]

The stallion waits for his daughter to catch up, not wanting to rush her first experiences with life.

“I thought we would go explore more of our home and possibly see a friend. If you are too tired, we can go back,” he says, seeing her bubbling energy slow next to him, trying to keep up with his long strides. He peeks down seeing her playing with each stride. He lowers his head and gently and playfully bumps her with his nose.

The young dragon bounds forward causing Amenadiel to pick up a quick trot to keep up with her. He smiles softly as he turns it somewhat into a race until they make their way down to Aurora and the others.

[EkstaCee]

My long tasseled tail curls behind me as I consider what is spoken to me.  Explore...  I wasn't sure the meaning, but I figured I'd soon find out and happily trod beside him.

The teal green of my eyes look about the world in naive wonder: the vibrant green grasses, the jagged stone mountains, the white capped tops.  Everything was finely detailed, unbeknownst to me due to my enhanced senses.  My head lifts as high as I can to try to see above the blades of vegetation. 

It is in lifting my head does my nostrils pick up a delightful scent.  My elongated ears perk forwards as I begin to bound forward, following the smell upon the air.  

Within a few leaps I land in a small clearing of four-lobed petal plants with pinkish white blooms.  Lowering my nose to the blossoms I take a deep whiff, exhaling in a sigh of elation.  "What are these father?" I inquire of my find, my eyes still fixated on the greenery at my paws.

E

kstaCee

@Amenadiel

[Amenadiel]

Amenadiel trots behind CeeCee as she bounds off excitedly, exploring all that is new around her. After all, she is just a day old. He lets her take the lead in their adventure as she bounds from one place to the next. Her tail whips around him as she bounds effortlessly into a patch of flowers. “That my dear is a flower,” he says, reaching his long neck and head down to it, nibbles at the stem releasing it from the ground in which is stood before gently placing it in her soft, teal fur behind her ear. “Now it is yours,” he nickers softly

He raises his head up, flicking his ears around surveilling for any threat that could be lurking in the shadows, veiled by the long grass in which they are walking. Every bound and leap from CeeCee has Amenadiel smiling as his heart fills with warmth. This time a different warmth than he had felt previously when he was transforming.

He spots an apple tree slightly further from the flower patch they are in. He walks to it, and stands on his hind legs, using his wings for balance as he grabs the juiciest apple he can find, tossing some others onto the ground. Like the flower, he gently grasps it in his mouth and softly lands against the soft Earth beneath him. Turning around, he looks to see CeeCee curiously eying the object that he holds. He bites it in half, juice running down his chin and mouth. “This is an apple,” he tells her as he reaches his neck out to her, offering her the first taste of the delicacy. He waits to see her reaction.

@ EkstaCee

[EkstaCee]

My jeweled eyes watch as he gingerly grasps the flora between his lips and tugs it free from the surrounding greens.  Widened with awestruck wonder my gaze trails his movements until he is too close to see, and so I stare off into the vast lands before me.  Suddenly I feel the soft brushing of something behind my ear.  It startles me to look up just as he says that it is now mine and I can now see the edge of its pastel petal within the frame of my vision.  

I consider for a moment just what makes me special enough to claim such beauty.  My empathetic self-wonders if the flower, as my father called it, was happy behind ear.  With a thought scrunch of my facial features, I contemplate it only a second more before something catches my attention off in the distance.

Perking to an attentive sit I watch a curious form dancing along the horizon, but the sound of my fathers hoofbeats draw back my attention.  Turning, I bound off to follow him towards a tree.

It doesn't seem to be just any tree, as I now watch the winged stallion rise up on two legs and do a little jig, snagging something from the branches overhead.  He then snaps it in half and my eyes widen in slight horror.  Juices gush everywhere as he begins to chomp his half before offering me the other.  I look at the tattered remains still perplexed at the savagery.  He explains what it is, and my ears perk with further curiosity.  

My eyes focus on the fleshy insides now exposed from the crimson exterior.  Saddens tugs at my heart but then a sweet aroma begins to fill the air.  Closing my eyes and lifting my muzzle I inhale deeply, a soft smiling breaking my elongated lips.  

I sniff at it before opening my eyes and deciding that I would follow my father's lead and taste it.  My fleshy pink tongue pushes past my dull herbivore teeth, extending until it brushes along the apples juicy core.  The sweetness ignites my tastes buds, and my mouth begins to water.  "Mmmm," my jaw parts and I take a small nip off of the juicy treat.  I chew softly, allowing myself the full experience of all the flavors before taking another nibble.  "That's yummy!"  I squeal joyfully as I finish the remainder of the fruit.

The sweet smell wafted about the area, drawing in a winged creature that fluttered in a dazzling display of colors around my head.  Looking up, I still my movements, only allowing my eyes to follow its flight path.  It loops around a few times before turning around settling upon my snout.  Now cross eyed, I examine the creature more closely; the slender antenna, the segmented body, the large multi lensed eyes, and of course the intricate design of its wings.

It begins to move one of its many legs, tickling my nose and stirring a strange feeling within me.  My scaled muzzle wrinkles as a sneeze erupts, sparking a blustery breeze to sweep over the area.  The apple tree quakes, sending tasty treats flying in all directions.  The tall grasses whip haphazardly about, even flattening in some areas.  My ears cock sideways as I look up to my father, the tufts of fur along my body tousling about in the sudden uproar of wind...

E

kstaCee

@Amenadiel I imagine her sneeze sets off a windstorm XD

[Amenadiel]

Amenadiel watches intently as CeeCee figures out the taste of the apple as her head twists and turns with each chew. His wings bounce against his sides from laughter. “I’m glad you like those, they’re delicious,”

It is only a matter of seconds until her attention gets diverted as a colorful butterfly lands on her nose, instinctually causing her eyes to cross in on it.

Suddenly, a huge gust of wind knocks an apple of the tree, knocking Amen on the head. He pins his ears back toward the tree as more of those treats fall against the ground. He moves swiftly, dodging the falling apples. He turns his head towards CeeCee as she looks to him befuddled. His mane and tail whips around as he lowers his head and opens his wings to shield them from the sudden wind storm.

It dies down just as fast as it rose. He looks to CeeCee, eyebrow raised wondering if she was the cause. He nudges her reassuringly as they continue their adventure.