Sizzling Rain

author's note: this is for the wings of writing workshop, with the prompts mountain, mercy, and rainfall.
written by lucy, features veil near the end. main characters are kite, ember, and flair.
----
Kite considered herself a "perfect" average dragon. A normal SkyWing, the red and gold scales layering over her in a pristine coat. Large wings, long tail, a slender head, all completely normal. Even her eyes seemed to choose the average, a muddle of amber with the practiced snobbish gaze.
A gaze that she certainly had a right to own - after all, being such a functioning, helpful member of society, she should be able to look down upon others. She worked for the queen, and although sorting through the thousands of complaining letters to the palace didn't seem to do much, it did. Of course it did! This freed up the queen's time, which meant better things for all of the Sky Kingdom.
Although Kite did send in her own letters at times, and made sure they got past the filtering. Perhaps with her extra time, the queen could reinstate the old law. The one that dictated the extermination of odd dragons. Of animi and the little stunted types, for the safety of the rest of the tribe and pity upon the dangerous. Or at least, preventative measures to keep them separate.
So Kite didn't have firescale twins for neighbors.
She hated them, despised them with an anger that had started long before they moved in. Anger that bubbled and boiled when she first learned they existed, not immediately murdered my their fool of a queen. She had disagreed, angrily even as she knew she'd personally never had to deal with them. Fury that peaked when that new queen, Veil, hadn't lifted a claw to kill those twins.
It was inane! Senseless. Firescales were dangerous, the murderous machine of a queen long past. They burned far hotter than fire, could murder with a touch! And it was a surprise that the one living just a cave away hadn't burned down their ridge yet.
Even the fireless counterpart! Kite couldn't quite label that one dangerous, given the complete uselessness of their existence, but nonetheless. They were equally different, and it was absolutely pitiful to lack fire. To lack one of the two abilities SkyWings could be proud of. It was so simple! Just kill the dragonet before it understood what was going on! It would spare the creature a life of pain.
But of course, no one listened to her protests. She blinked back into focus, down at letter number thirty-four. The same as the number of days those twins had spent far too close. Kite let out a frustrated growl, dropping her quill. Her concerns were perfectly valid. The new queen would listen. She was just, busy perhaps. With a difficult political balancing act.
Queen Veil would listen. Kite was sure of it.
She turned, stalking out into the sunlight. It was a clear day, brushed with feathery clouds. Nearly perfect for flying, if she couldn't hear the activity just a cave away from her. The twins always, always were outside. Couldn't they at least spare her the pain of seeing them every day? Kite gave them a glare of daggers, that failed to sink in. Like it always did.
One day, she was certain she would just straight up evict the two. Not her property, perhaps, but they needed to leave. She just needed an answer from the queen. Telling them to get out, at the very least.
She growled at the two, despite the fact they were too busy doing - whatever they were doing. It looked a bit like gardening, if gardening included sitting still and staring at someone else gardening. The firescales hadn't set anything aflame today, yet. Kite turned, and imperiously returned to her cave.
She had a letter to finish.
----
Flair and Ember. Those were the twins.
"She's out again."
Ember raised their ear, flicking it in annoyance when a fly buzzed too close. "Again?" They laughed. "What's her expression this time?"
"Do you really need an answer to that question?" Flair said, as she often did. Every time, in fact. "Also, be careful there. You nearly cut off that one's roots."
"I'm trying" Ember grumbled, interspersed with small laughs. "I'd like to see you try." They dissolved into giggles, having to put down the plant as they laughed. However, Flair seemed very prepared for that response.
"Yep. Let me just go ahead and -" She paused. "Wait a minute... didn't Ms. Murderous over there hate it the last time I tried?" Another pause. "You'd think I burned down half her garden, with that look." Ember couldn't see Flair, but could tell their sister was sending a rueful look towards Kite's scorched flowers.
"Just saying," Ember added, carefully transplanting the orange flowers, "If you burn down half of mine, I could actually slap you." They stepped back for a moment, and nodded, satisfied.
"And look at that, she's gone. Probably off to yell at some diplomats again." Flair glanced over, her intensely blue eyes crinkled into a smile. "You know, I always wondered how you could touch me, no problem, but when there's an actual fire it's like the moons descended upon us and started an apocalypse."
Ember rolled their eyes. "I can touch you because I accidentally fell on top of you five years ago and didn't turn into a pile of ashes. I have yet to touch fire, and I'm not sure if it's as agreeable as your scales are, therefore I will not touch any. And no - " They said, before Flair could open her mouth. "I refuse to test that theory."
"Aw," Flair pouted. "Won't you jump into lava with me one day?"
"You've never jumped into lava." Ember pointed out. "Now, would you want to plant the marigolds now, or should we wait another week?" They gestured towards the packet of seeds, which had already waited there forlornly for weeks.
"Stop changing the topic!" Flair declared. "We're going to talk about shoving you into a fire."
"Absolutely not." Ember said. "I will burn, and then you'll have to be heroic and drag me out of the flames and save my life. And it is absolutely illegal for you to do anything vaguely as amazing, because that means I'd have to respect you, which is entirely impossible."
"Here, stay still while I set fire to the tree you're next to. Actually, move closer to the tree. You know, that tree you saved the last time i touched it." Ember rolled their eyes, frowning at a particular tangle of roots. "The one that will fall on us someday. Please walk under it."
Despite themself, Ember laughed, and Flair joined in a few beats later. It didn't matter that they maybe burned down half of their neighbor's property before. The two had gotten through that before, and they were happy.
Okay, maybe destruction of property mattered a little.
They had said sorry, both of them, Flair especially. Their lone tree had caught on fire, and brought that raging towards the next cave. At least too much damage wasn't done, and the tree was still standing. 
Tall, proud, and partially scorched.
----
Kite was happy. The tremors of emotion weren't summed up in that one word - she was excited, she was vibrating with joy and celebration and happiness, because the queen had listened. The scroll, signed by some forgettable government official, showed that. 
The twins would finally be out of her neighborhood.
Kite looked outside into the dark, pattering rain ruefully. Perhaps it had not been the best decision to open her mail now, at the worse time to be kicking two dragons out of their home. She paused at the entryway to her cave for a moment, before continuing out, scroll griped in her talons.
It had been nearly eighty days, and she wasn't about to wait another.
A downpour. That's what the sky was, silently sobbing as sheets of water splashed across Kite's scales. She made her way to the twin's cave, where they were laughing as always. Like one of them wasn't a murder machine. Kite started towards the doorway, then stopped. She wasn't going in there.
The scroll landed at the fireless's talons. "Out." Kite yelled, her voice triumphant. "Look at that - even the royals think you shouldn't exist." She laughed. The vibrant taste of success filled her, even as the chill pattered around her. "You all knew it, didn't you? You couldn't last forever, the new queen knows what she's doing, she knows that you don't deserve to-"
A tree nearly creaked, and Kite paused in her taunts, glancing up. A dark, spiny shape, partly charred, tipped slightly, and fell. Directly on top of the SkyWing.
She screamed. It smashed onto her wing, and she pulled back, excitement forgotten. But the entrance was a ledge, and as she dragged herself back, her talons landed on empty air. Kite wobbled on the edge, in full view of the twins, before falling with a shriek into the valley below.
----
Silence. That was what followed Kite, silence. Even the rain seemed to hush itself, a softer gentle beat.
"I don't think she's okay." Ember finally said, their talons shifting forward. "We should..." They paused, and Flair could sense Ember thinking. "We should help her. I know our relationship with her is rocky but..."
Flair blinked, snapping out of her still trance. "We're not enemies fighting to the death. She might think that but - " She allowed herself a short burst of laughter. "- just. Come on." She dashed out into the rain, enjoying that brief moment of wet-coolness before the water erupted into steam.
"She's down there." Ember had appeared as well, besides her. They glanced at Flair, and dived down, spiralling towards the still SkyWing at the bottom. Flair paused, then followed, a spray of water meeting her snout before that too evaporated. She briefly wondered what it felt like to be truly wet, but then she was at the bottom, next to Ember.
Looking at Kite.
Ember nudged her, and she didn't move. "She's..." They paused. "We need to bring her to the healer's." They shifted, moving under Kite. Flair reached out her talons, then retracted them with a stab of... was it envy? Jealousy that her sibling could help a dragon that hated them?
She cleared those thoughts from her head, looked up the sheer cliff sides. "Here... I can help figure out a way up. If you need any help, just tell me and -"
"Flair. She's cold." Ember's words cut sharply.
Flair glanced over, her heart skipping a beat and seizing. "Are... you sure? Wouldn't I make it worse? You know what happens, what if I touch her?" She paused to take a breath, her wings held tight to her body. "Are... are you sure?"
"Yes." Ember said, their gaze steel. Flair nodded, and extended her wing hesitantly over Kite. "I'm sure." They said, repeating the affirmation as if they wanted to convince themself, too. "Just be careful." They moved slowly towards the mountain, the twins sheltering the dragon that despised them.
"It'll be okay." Flair found herself saying. "Just hang on..."
----
Everything hurt. It was really the only thing Kite could think of . Her head throbbed, her wing shivered in pain, her legs ached. A few sharp spikes of pain shot through her with every movement.
She was moving. Shifting. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the headache. She could feel scales under her talons, cold. She opened her eyes, but couldn't quite focus on what was happening before her. It was dark. Her head hurt. She closed her eyes again.
It was raining. It took far too much energy to think that thought, and took her a few moments to understand it. It wasn't raining on her. Her mind was fuzzy, but latched onto that train of thought, even as it made her head throb harder.
She tentatively reached a wing up, trying to feel what was above her.
"Agh!"
It took her longer to realize the voice was not her own. Her wing burned, and she considered the pain for a moment. It didn't hurt as much as her head, she decided as a bout of dizziness attacked her. There was rain. Rain that now splattered on her scales, cold. She was vaguely aware of words, too, but before she could process them, she found her eyes drooping.
It was far, far easier to sleep.
----
"What happened?" Ember's voice came out harsher than they meant.
Flair was silent for a moment, taking a few deep breaths. "She - I don't know - she - " She paused again, gasping. "I'm sorry - I - she touched me." Flair glanced at Ember, who could easily feel her worried look on their scales. "I'm sorry - I was, I was trying- trying to make sure she wouldn't - "
"She's okay, right?" Ember cut in, trying to smooth their voice. They took in a few breaths, trudging a few steps ahead. Kite was heavy on their shoulders.
"Yeah..." Flair paused, clearly looking at Kite. "I think - I think she went back to sleep. She didn't -didn't yell like me, I think." Flair was silent, and for a few heartbeats all Ember could hear was the gentle sizzle of water. "I'm sorry, I should have been more careful. I shouldn't have -" Her voice tumbled, trying to apologize.
"She's cold." Ember said, nearly flinching at the sound of their own words. "It's okay." They repeated, trying to soften the edge in their voice. "She needs it, Flair. Just... be more careful."
Silence.
"It's not your fault."
Flair was silent, and Ember stopped in their steps, sucking in the water filled air. Soreness and pain rippled through their body, a dragon lying limp across their wings. Yet they took a few more forceful steps, towards the flatter land where everything would be easier. Ember would just have to hang on, just a bit longer...
A golden wing extended above them, warm radiating down into Ember's scales. "Thank you." They said, although it came out between ragged gasps.
"Just hang on." Flair said, her voice lined with concern. "It's not much longer."
----
They were in the healer's tent. The rain was continuing outside, yet Flair felt as though a hush had settled over the world. A pair of staring dragons. More appearing from little separate rooms, only to freeze and watch as well. The rain was loud.
And yet everything was still silent.
"Our neighbor is injured." Ember said, their voice cutting through the thick air. "Fell off a cliff." They coaxed Kite's still body onto a nearby cot. And still the quiet continued. "What are you doing? She could be dying here, for all we know."
The sharp sound seemed to snap all the SkyWings back into focus. "O-of course." one stammered, immediately coming forward to examine Kite.
Flair watched them awkwardly. Ember was as well, water running slowly down their scales to pool around their talons. Flair looked down, yet there was nothing. A slightly scorched ground. Not a single droplet of water, and the tang of emotion she felt was far too familiar, and yet one she still couldn't name.
One of the healer's gasped. Flair looked up, but they were huddled close, hiding Kite from veiw. "Is… is she okay?" Flair managed, through a tongue that tasted like wool.
"Yes, yes of course." A dark ruby head, staring at Flair with shimmering brown eyes. "We'd…" He paused. "We'd rather you'd wait outside." Another pause. "...Both of you." His eyes stayed on Flair, and she nodded, backing up a few steps.
She stepped back out into the rain, melting into the comfort of the hiss as water touched her scales. Ember leaned close, and she accepted it, wrapping one chilled wing around her sibling.
And yet it still felt as if the healer's eyes never left her.
----
Words had been tossed around for the past… Kite didn't know. 
Words like "concussion" and "dislocated" and "fracture" and more complicated scientific ones she didn't understand and couldn't remember. Headaches were constantly appearing, bouts of dizziness that attacked at random moments.
She thought about how much she had to pay once. It made her head hurt more so she decided to think about it later. She decided to think about a lot of things later, really. She decided not to think at all.
She was covered in bandages, that much she knew. And everything hurt less - even her head, a little, at times. She was getting better, well enough to mutter some semblance of thanks a few minutes or hours or days ago.
All she knew was that the "Thanks." reminded her of the twins and that made her head throb, and made her break down and lay still for this… for however long it had been. Except now there was brightness and loudness and lots of shouting and complaining.
And she heard the word "Firescales," in a loud authoritative voice that definitely belonged to none of the nurses.
Kite didn't know how she managed it. But she was standing, squinting into the too bright sunlight, ignoring the pain and the dizziness and the dull throb on the side where she hit the floor.
"Please settle down, ma'am." The same voice from before, now softer. He looked somewhat sun colored, guiding her back towards the bed. "We're just taking away the firescales."
"Why?" It took a surprising amount of effort forcing the word out, her mouth dry and sticky as it refused to shape to her words.
He was surprised. Probably surprised, but it hurt her head to look at his face or look at him at all or really look at anything, so Kite ended up closing her eyes and listening. "You should know ma'am." He said. "There's a burn on your wing, clearly from the firescales. We can't let dragons like that go around hurting others."
It was really a wonder she managed to speak after that. Everything was too bright, too loud to everything and overwhelming and her mouth could barely move. But the words were important and they burst out of her, swarming out of her too tired throat.
The full story. Everything. Her letters and the one she was returned and the gleeful shout and fallen tree and the sizzling sound of Flair's perfectly warm wing and whose fault and -
She found herself falling again, and suddenly it was far too easy to sleep.
----
"Letters to me?" The voice was different from the others, and Flair looked up. She was still surrounded by frowning guards and that one nasally loud important government dragon. Ember still stared with worried eyes from behind the crowd.
"She wrote letters. To me." The voice repeated. Flair tracked down the speaker, a pinkish dragon lined with swirls of midnight blue. The queen.
She wasn't wearing anything fancy, yet Flair could see in her mind's eye the outline of a pale blue crown. The one she was always drawn with, floating glowing and pale above her head. She radiated royalty, in her movements and the way she spoke.
"Letters that never appeared before me. And yet…" She turned, looking at Flair. "The injured dragon here received a scroll. Signed by, not me, but you." She looked down at a golden-orange dragon. "I know you all called it a 'massacre,' but don't think I'm afraid to do it again."
She nodded towards Flair. "The firescales here is not at fault. She helped bring aid to the injured. She, and her twin, should be taken as heros, not criminals." Queen Veil turned, glaring at all of the dragons present. "I am disappointed I needed to come today. May it not happen again."
Ember stepped forward before the queen even finished her words. They gave Veil some form of jumbled gratitude, their words stumbling over each other in ways Flair had never heard before. Yet she didn't tease, or comment on it. She simply stepped forward and wrapped her wings around Ember. They would be fine. She looked up, and managed the semblance of a thank you.
Queen Veil tilted her head, and smiled.
----
The sun was still too bright. The sound of bird calls still scissored through her brain in stabs of pain. Leaving the healers seemed like a very, very bad idea. But Kite decided to trust them on this. She should be fine in a few days. If anything went wrong, she was to come back immediately. Rest her wing, have a bit of this plant every day - on and on and so forth and more so and -
Her head still hurt from thinking, apparently. 
The world suddenly darkened, and it took a few seconds to realize it was because of the shadows of two dragons. The twins. Kite froze for a second, wondering if it was possible for her to talk at this rate.
"We just wanted to say…" The fireless one said. "We wanted to say. Thank you. For when you defended us last week in the healer's tent." They forced out some sort of laugh. "I don't think we could have gotten out of it ourselves."
Kite stared at them for a moment, and she finally seemed to find her voice. "No, thank you." She tried her best at a smile. Hopefully it resembled one. "You two were the ones to help me." She smiled a bit more, until it felt awkward, and slowly left, trying to shake off the awkwardness.
She was nearly home before she realized she didn't actually know either dragon's name. Kite shrugged to herself, looking back ruefully. She'd ask them. Tomorrow.
If her head would just stop hurting for one second --
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Canon)
Category:Fanfictions (Completed)
Category:Content (Mezepheles)