Leaves in the Wind

=Part 1: Drifting Away=
==Chapter One==
Home.
Where was home?
This feels like home, but...
Fern lay sprawled out on the mossy floor of the rainforest, pain searing from her right wing, and her left front talon bent awkwardly beneath her.
Voices spun in her head, whispering to her, howling at her.
One voice split itself from the rest, and Fern heard it clear as day.
"Come on, Fern, wake up! We can't be caught again!"
Opening her eyes, Fern noticed that her friend Maplewood was looming over her, a look of concern glittering in her bright amber eyes, along with the sun. She had her wings tucked in tightly, as though afraid that a sundew might grow out of the ground and grab her at any moment.
Trees stood tall all around them, bright and colorful flowers spread everywhere, and the peaceful sound of waterfalls in the distance.
Wait... this isn't the Poison Jungle...
"Where are we?" Fern asked slowly, taking in her surroundings. She tried sitting up, but the combined pain in her wings and in her talon made her collapse back onto the moss.
"This is the RainWing forest I mentioned, remember?" Maplewood asked. "Do you think you can stand up?"
"No..." Fern replied, struggling to stand up once more. "I think I injured my talon."
"I think I recall something about RainWings being pacifists...?" Maplewood murmured half to herself, gazing thoughtfully at the canopy above. She then glanced back down at Fern. "Stay here. I'll go find a RainWing healer to help you."
"And where would I go?" Fern asked jokingly. "I can't fly or walk."
"You know what I mean," Maplewood replied, rolling her eyes and taking a step back, spreading out her pale brown wings.
"Do I?" Fern asked, watching Maplewood slowly lift herself into the air with swift, powerful strokes of her wings. "Serious question. My head hurts like fiiii- and she's gone."
Maybe I can try walking on three legs, Fern considered. Won't help me fly anywhere, but at least I'll be able to get those bright plants over there to eat.
Realizing that the talon pain was on the left and the wing pain was on the right, Fern was able to use her left wing to replace her leg, and was able to slowly hobble over to the overhanging tree, golden fruit low enough to grab easily.
Oh, thank Rosemary. They're just papayas, Fern thought as she inspected one of the berries closely.
Fern collected as many papayas as she could, and, holding them with one talon, wandered back to her original spot, noticing how sunlit the clearing she was in was, the warmth giving her a rush of energy.
She awkwardly laid back down, and began to eat her papayas, waiting patiently for Maplewood to come back.
Forever seemed to go by, with Fern slowly eating papayas and Maplewood nowhere to be seen.
Maybe she was captured. Maybe the scrolls lied, and RainWings aren't pacifists.
But just as her panic was starting to rise higher and higher, almost reaching its peak, Maplewood swooped down like a hawk, landing gracefully as she fell.
A lavender RainWing flew with Maplewood, swooping down with just as much grace as Maplewood had.
"Who's this?" Fern asked, sitting up awkwardly.
"Uh," The RainWing fumbled for words, their scales shifting from lavender to a leaf-green. "I'm Parakeet. One of the RainWing healers."
Maplewood nodded. "This is Fern, the LeafWing I told you about."
Parakeet lowered their head, inspecting Fern's leg.
"It, uh, it seems you've just sprained your ankle, I think?," Parakeet said. "So I'll wrap it and, and stuff, and you'll try not to use that foot for a while."
Fern nodded, feeling sorry for the RainWing. Parakeet was probably used to having other RainWings to help, as well as the patients being in there for simpler causes.
"As for your wing," Parakeet continued, stepping around Fern to inspect her wing. "What happened?"
"There was- Princess Burn almost caught us, and Fern burnt her wing in the escaping process," Maplewood explained.
"Ah. I don't really know what to do for burning injuries, but if it's not spreading, it will probably heal on its own. It's small-ish, so it shouldn't affect your flying, and it will still hurt for a long time, especially if touched, but it shouldn't majorly affect you," Parakeet said slowly, their scales returning to a lavender hue. "I think."
"Well," Maplewood said. "Thanks for your help. What can we use to wrap Fern's leg?"
"You can use any big leaves around here, and use some grass to tie it shut," Parakeet replied, spreading one teal wing out to show some of the big leaves around them. "Make sure to keep her leg straight."
"Got it," Maplewood replied, watching Parakeet fly off.
As Maplewood grabbed the giant leaves and plucked some grass from a not-so-mossy patch, Fern decided to finish her papaya, watching Maplewood.
"This should do," Maplewood said slowly, pulling out Fern's talon and wrapping it with the leaves, then tying it together with the grass blades. "Just make sure to keep off that talon, like Parakeet said."
"Thanks," Fern replied, standing up. "I feel a little better now."
"Well, you better feel well enough to fly," Maplewood said. "We're going to have to find the others."
"Do you think Burn captured them?" Fern asked, horrifying images from her Weirdling Tower mixed with the thought of her friends and family ending up there.
"Perhaps," Maplewood said slowly, looking away from Fern. "But there's still hope."
"What hope is left for dragons without a home?" Fern asked. 
"I guess we find out," Maplewood replied, spreading out her wings. "I hope you're ready to fly."
Category:Fanfictions
Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete)
Category:Fanfictions (Semi-Canon)