Author's Notes:
- First of all, I wrote this ages ago, like in 2011 =)
- Draconta is greek for 'dragon' meaning 'to watch' as they were often portrayed as guarding things.
- Okay, this is a very long fic of short drabbles. Each drabble has its title and rating, which is why Rating: varies. ... There is only one M scene and it is in part two, and there is a warning so if you don't like M you can just skip it, it doesn't affect the story. Some drabbles have warnings as you will see.
This first part is mainly angst but part two is romance and fluffy fluff ^.^
Terms:
These are some of the terms I'm using for this fic. Many are used for reptiles like the bearded dragon.
Gravid: Carrying young or eggs
Gravid Coloration: Birth markings found in gravid reptiles (some species develop bright red or orange pigmentation on the sides of their heads)
Clutch: The amount of eggs laid at one time
Crest: formation on top of a reptiles head.
Vent: also known as cloaca is a slit on the underside of a reptile at the base of it's tail which contains genitals, urinary and intestines.
Crepuscular: active during the evening and early morning hours.
Diurnal: Active during the day.
Nocturnal: Active at night.
Dorsal: Referring to the features on the back or along the spine of the animal.
Other dragon types:
Heraldic: Two pairs of legs and wings, the typical dragon.
Wyverns: Winged, serpent-like creatures. They have two legs, a barbed tail, and cannot breath fire and are smaller than other dragons.
Guivre: No legs or wings, like a serpent with a dragon head.
Lindworm: Small dragons with one pair of legs and no wings.
Amphiptere: Basically a serpent with wings, which flings itself at its prey.
The magic is all me XD
Prowl's form is based on the Fyulong dragon from the manga 07 ghost (though there's isn't a full body pic T.T) and this shadow walker dragon.
Jazz much like Prowl but instead of fur, scales.
Optimus on this red dragon but with his coloring.
Ratchet on this dragon but with the colors described.
Ironhide like this but without the fairy lady XD
0000000000000000
Title: Dragons
Rating: K+
The forest was large, surrounding the rocky mountains, their sharp drops and spiky tops a danger to any without wings and even to those who had them. The mist that seemed to surround the top proved a perfect cover for the small caverns that went deep into the mountain side, home to many dragons.
On the ground, both the weather and the territory seemed more friendly. The trees were almost gigantic even for dragon standards, their untamed branches and showers of leaves home to a variety of smaller dragons, their nests tucked away in the large trunks and even under the trees themselves.
The rivers that flowed like veins around the trees and even up the mountain side were also home to many species. The water dragons were rarely able to fly, their wings helping them swim in the deep and turbulent waters, most of them being an aquatic type of wyvern.
The trees sang with the cries of the dragons, their cheerful and mischievous personalities making them friendly to many, yet sometimes a bit of a nuisance to those older ones who wished for some peace, and not fruits being dropped on their heads.
The water dragons were a peaceful bunch, playful and kind. Their homes were underwater caverns that had air holes in them, providing for safe and cozy homes.
Many different species lingered in the forest, and many rested on the lower rocks of the mountain, where the mist never approached, but it was hidden in the mist that many violent and less civilized dragons had their nests. Not much was known about them, their kind rarely leaving the cover of the mist. Water formed on the tops from the glaciers, and fell in waterfalls to flow into the rivers, so they were never seen by the forest rivers, something that pleased the water dragons very much.
They could be seen hunting their prey deeper in the forest, where dragons didn't dwell, but they weren't the types to oppose on dinning on smaller dragons and mammals, making them very dangerous.
Loners. That much was certain, as they were never seen in groups, not even with their mates, if they had any. The mountain life was a mystery, one that many didn't really care about as long as no trouble came from the unforgiving misty rocks.
They all went about their business, pretending the mountain dragons didn't exist.
000000000000000000000
Title: Earthquake
Rating: T
The day offered clear blue skies with zero clouds visible, fresh winds and lots of sunshine; it was a lovely day to be out and about, to play and fly with no fear of storms or strangers lurking in dense clouds.
A perfect day for living.
And yet, the birds, wild animals and even the dragons themselves were uneasy. There was an odd electricity in the air, and they all knew something bad was going to happen, keeping them and their families near their caverns, ready to protect themselves from harm.
But danger did not come in the form of a visible foe.
The forest seemed to get oddly silent, a silence that was followed by what appeared a far away rumbling... and then it struck.
The ground shook, trees swinging this way and that, loud cracks could be heard as the smaller and weaker trees broke from the force of the vibrations.
The dragons in the trees took flight, screaming and shrieking all around. The water dragons left their caverns, their homes becoming death traps, swimming to the shore and wobbling to higher ground. Even with the large size of many, the shockwaves of the earthquake would make the river water rise and waves would soon raze anything in their path.
Shrieks echoed through the looming mountains, the mist shifting as mountain dragons flew away from them, rocks and boulders falling in an avalanche, and many dragons dropped down to help flightless animals escape.
The forest was wild with movement, parts of the ground cracking and forming crevices, the land lifting, the roots of many trees now hanging from the newly elevated pieces of land.
Whirlpools formed by the violent stirring of the water in the rivers, and the landslides the mountains poured only added to the chaos.
From the sky, birds and dragons circled, looking at the devastation, calling to their friends, loved ones, and offering help to any flightless that was in need.
The earthquake could not have lasted more than a minute, and yet so much destruction and loss had been left behind in its shadow.
The dragons touched down near their caverns, some mourning the loss of their homes, others wailing in grief, not managing to get their eggs out in time.
Water dragons dared not approach the river yet, their large size meant nothing to the fury of a river.
A white dragon with grey horns, his legs ending in red, a long red line colored his dorsal was flying from cave to cave, alongside other white dragons and their apprentices, searching for any that were hurt to perform their healing magic on.
Large, strong dragons were helping remove debris and tree branches from the paths and those surrounding caverns.
The chaos, and the screaming of all dragons and animals masked the sound of painful wails and calls for help from the other side of the mountain.
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Title: Downed Dragon
Rating: T
Warnings: Blood (injuries), cursing
Three days had passed since the earthquake, and things seemed to settle down. Smashed eggs had been cleared and offered proper burial, injured dragons had been healed, caverns freed of any debris, the rivers calm once again, and life was slowly returning back to normal.
In the air, a white and black dragon flew around, taking this break to stretch his wings. He had been fortunate, none of his friends had been hurt, all leaving their caverns as soon as the first vibration had run through the earth. He himself had been hunting, and his cavern hadn't even suffered any damage.
Jazz flew toward the misty mountains. He liked flying around the spiky towers that rose all around the mountain, the strange rock formations his personal playground as he turned left and right, twisted through narrow openings, and dropped down the cliffs, the wind sailing through his wings offering him a kind of freedom only those with wings were privy to; and after all the chaos, he needed the adrenaline rush to unwind.
He never went into the mist though, not only was he unfamiliar with the terrain up there, but he didn't wish to bother any of the mountain dragons, their intimidating and violent behavior enough to keep even his curious self away.
He came over a sharp drop, a large pool of rocks and boulders at the bottom. Taking in the chaotic sight, he made to turn back when something white caught his attention, the blur contrasting with the grey rocks of the mountain.
Circling around, he flew lower, trying to get a good look. It took him a moment to realize it was a dragon. He gave a shriek, the noise echoing through the mountain and out to the forest. Knowing that least one of the healers flying around making sure their patients were healing nicely would hear him, Jazz dived quickly, flaring his wings at the last moment, letting the wind catch him and slow him down to drop softly next to the white dragon.
Jazz stared at the scene, panic settling in. The dragon was deathly still, a large boulder had pinned him down, the whole of his right wing crushed under its unforgiving weight, body covered in dirt and mud. Unlike most dragons, this one seemed to have light fur instead of scales, and smaller falling rocks had cut him up quite a bit, trickles of blood covering the whole dragon's body. His horns were red instead of black, as well as his dorsal. Jazz couldn't see his belly, the dragon laying on his front, left wing tucked under him, yet seemingly untouched.
Shaking, he gently nudged the dragon's head.
No response.
Three days. Three days had passed. If the falling boulder hadn't killed him, than he must be extremely weak. Summoning a shell with a bit of water, he slowly poured it onto the red horned dragon's head, and he let out a sigh of relief at the low moan he received.
"Hey, hey can ya hear meh?" He called, summoning more water and nudging the dragon's head toward him. His face didn't seem to have much damage, amber eyes blinking up at him in confusion and pain. "That's it, good lad." He used his tail to help the dragon drink some of the water he summoned.
"Hey, what's yer name." He asked calmly, trying to keep the dragon talking until a healer got there.
"P- Prowl." Came the hoarse response.
"Hiya Prowl, Ah'm Jazz. Don't worry, we're gonna get ya out and all fixed up 'kay?" He smiled, willing the healers and any other help to arrive soon.
His words though, seemed to break through some kind of haze, and Prowl straightened, long neck lifting and eyes panicked.
"H- how long have I been here!?" He demanded.
Jazz tilted his head, but answered. "From what Ah gathered, probably three days." He wasn't prepared for the shock and suddenly struggling to get up.
"Three days!? I must go, I must go now!" Prowl yelled, trying to free his wing, only to hiss in pain.
"Whoa whoa stop! Yer gonna hurt yerself!" Jazz stood up, using his legs to pin the dragon down and keep him from ripping his own wing off. Where was this desperation coming from?
"Let go! I must return immediately!"
Anything Jazz wanted to say back was interrupted by one of the healer's arrival.
"I'm here!"
"Ratchet!" Jazz was never so glad to see the grumpy healer as he was now, specially the other two much larger dragons behind him.
"Frag!" Ironhide yelled seeing the downed dragon. He was pure grey scales, body large and intimidating, horns sharp on his head, with small ears. He was often confused with a mountain dragon due to his size and appearance, but he was one of the best hatchling guardians they had.
"Move!" The healer snarled, going to his patient. "What's wrong?" He asked, seeing the way Jazz was holding the dragon.
"Ah don't know, Ah told him how long he's probably been here and he went ballistic!"
Nodding, situation explained and understood, the healer assessed the damage. The bruises and cuts were nothing to worry about and would heal quickly with simple medical herbs. It was the wing that worried him the most, and he couldn't do anything about that if he didn't have access to it.
"Alright, Ironhide, Optimus and Jazz I need you to gently, gently get this boulder off him." He had seen no blood around the rock, and while the dragon did in fact seem to be in pain, it didn't appear like the wing had suffered severe trauma.
Optimus, a red scaled dragon with a blue belly, grey horns and face, and blue ears approached cautiously, his large wings tucking to his sides so as to keep them out of the way. Jazz slowly let go of Prowl, the dragon seeming to understand their wish to help and calming down, yet watching them cautiously.
Both Optimus and Ironhide stood on their hindquarters, front legs on the boulder's side, as Jazz came up under them to use his body.
"Alright, push!" Ratchet yelled watching his patient closely for any signs of distress.
For a few seconds, it seemed that the boulder wouldn't budge an inch.
"Harder!" Grunting, the three dragons pushed with all their might.
Prowl made a face and shivered.
"What's wrong?" Ratchet asked.
"Som- something's not right." The healer was about to tell the three dragons to stop when the boulder moved, and there was a sickening crack.
The screams of pain echoed through the mountain, and the four dragons stared in shock and fear as Prowl thrashed, howled and shrieked.
"Stop!" Ratchet yelled, but Prowl's free wing flapped violently in an attempt to get free, throwing his smaller size away. Jazz ran to his side, trying to calm him but couldn't get near. "Prowl! Prowl calm down!"
Prowl thrashed, pulling at his wing desperately, deaf to their pleas for him to stop. There was a horrible tearing sound and Prowl's screams seemed to increase, tail swinging from side to side as he continued to pull at his wing.
"Slag it all!" The healer cast a quick sleeping spell and Prowl fell limp to his side, but the damage was done. "Frag! We need to get this boulder off now!" Ratchet practically snarled panicked. Jazz was about to question him when he realized how much blood was flowing from under the rock.
"Oh no!" He yelled, going back to the boulder's side. "Quickly before he bleeds out!"
As one, the three dragons pushed as hard as they could. Prowl, even in his induced sleep winced, but with a roar, Ironhide, Optimus and Jazz managed to roll the boulder away, the large rock falling with a thunderous noise on its side.
What it revealed made them gag. The white dragon's wing was shredded, the membrane ripped open in the middle of the wing. The wrist had been snapped, and he had lost a lot of blood.
"Primus!" Optimus gasped, pulling his own wings tighter to his body, feeling a pain that wasn't his own.
"Will he, will he lose his flight?" Ironhide asked swallowing hard, injuries like this often left a dragon flightless for the rest of their lives; he had seen dragons go mad due to it.
"Not if I can help it!" The healer snarled, summoning his medical herbs. "Optimus, Ironhide," He started, summoning a large turtle shell with water. "Use your fire to heat this water up. Jazz, crush these herbs and put them in the water, now!" He demanded while using magic to stop the blood flow, the three dragons quick to follow his orders.
It took them most of the day, but it looked like Prowl would pull through. Optimus and Ironhide laid in the shade exhausted. They had been running around fetching large leaves for the healer to wipe away all the blood and wrap the damaged wing in. Ratchet had spent the day applying herbs and boiling water on the wound to chase away any infection. It was too soon for him to do anything for the broken membrane, and he would need to rest and gather his strength for the amount of magic repairing such damage would require.
Jazz had fallen asleep curled up on Prowl's other side, and Ratchet couldn't help the smile that graced his face.
Making sure everything was in order, he drank a small potion he had made for himself and fell asleep, preparing himself for tomorrow's surgery.
000000000000000000000
Title: Gone
Rating: T
A roar of fury served as their wake up call, Ironhide was immediately up on his feet, searching for any threats he could rip apart, baring his teeth, wings flaring threateningly and tail thumping on the ground in warning. Instead, he saw a furious dragon, cursing and yelling, using his tail to throw rocks randomly, Jazz running for cover as one sailed through the air too close to him for comfort.
"Ratchet calm down!" He yelled.
"I will not calm down!"
Optimus came up to them yawning, far too used to the healer's antics to be bothered. "What's going on?"
"He's gone!" Ratchet snarled.
"Who's gone?" The grey dragon asked getting annoyed. He did not enjoy being woken up so violently.
"Prowl! That idiot is gone!"
Jazz stared at the spot he had assumed Prowl was still laying in, but it was true: the dragon was gone, no trace of him.
000000000000000000000
Title: Search
Rating: T
Underneath Ratchet's fury was pure worry. If Prowl didn't get the attention he needed soon, he would lose his flight forever. They needed to find him, and find him fast.
The four dragons went their separate ways, Ironhide searching around the lower mountain side, Ratchet went back to the forest and Optimus to the closest rivers.
Jazz had frantically taken to the sky, flying over the surrounding areas, watching for any sign of the downed dragon. The screams of pain would not leave his head; what was Prowl thinking leaving like that? He shouldn't have any energy to move after the three days he had spent trapped under that boulder and the drastic blood loss. How could a dragon in such a critical state have vanished? And why would he not have stayed to get healed? Did he not want his flight back at all?
Jazz mulled over these questions and more. He shook his head. If he ever wanted to learn the answers, he first had to find the missing dragon.
000000000000000000000
Title: Found
Rating: T
Warnings: Blood (injuries)
Hours passed, and the older dragons were getting tired, but they were all loath to leave the injured dragon out on his own.
"Alright, lets search again, he could have holed up in an empty cavern or between the tree roots." Optimus said, tiredly.
Ratchet paced furiously, ears flat on his head and tail twitching. "I'm going to rip his other wing when we find him. Stupid dragon!" He hissed, but they all knew he was just as worried.
"Alright guys, lets go, he could be in danger." Jazz added, flaring his wings and flying to the skies. He flew in place, watching the others leave, Ratchet's small form running through the forest, Optimus and Ironhide flying low over him.
After some debate, Jazz dropped down where Prowl had been pinned down by the boulder, thinking. In their moment of panic, they had failed to think of the obvious, and Jazz had a bit more understanding of Prowl than they did. The red horned dragon was injured, so he obviously could not fly. There was also the fact that he had panicked when he learned of the length of his time trapped by the boulder.
"I must return immediately!" Prowl had wailed in despair; get back to where? And why the urgency? The black and white dragon had been frantic about, 'getting back', enough to deny himself time to heal. Another thing, amber eyes were very rare and he had only seen them once in a traveling dragon from far away, and that fur. He had seen scales on Prowl but his body was mostly furry, maybe he was a hybrid? He had only seen dragons with fur when he visited the cold mountains a long time ago.
Shocked at this revelation, his eyes turned upward. Prowl was a mountain dragon! Wherever he had to return to was not the rivers, nor the forest, it was the mountains!
Not hesitating, he took flight, flying right into the mist, sharp eyes on the look out, Jazz stayed close to the mountain side, looking for paths and ways Prowl could climb up. He was about to fly lower, doubtful that Prowl could have gone any higher in his state, but a pained groan echoed through the mist, and he quickly flew toward it.
There, just behind some rocks, Prowl was crawling up the rocks, leaving a thick trail of blood behind.
"Prowl!" Jazz yelled, dropping next to him on a protruding rock. He panicked, seeing the trail of blood, the leaves used to wrap his wing in were nonexistent, and the sharp surfaces tore away at the remaining membrane, but Prowl seemed oblivious to it, in fact, it seemed like he hadn't noticed Jazz at all.
"Prowl stop! You're hurting yourself!"
"Need to get back." Prowl muttered, as if in a trance, eyes focused in front of him, determination and pain reflecting in them.
000000000000000000000
Title: Desperation
Rating: T
Prowl crawled up the mountain, claws digging into the hard rock pulling him forward. He had to get to his cavern. Three days! He could not bare thinking about the consequences of his absence for that time.
The downed dragon was blind and deaf to everything around him, he didn't hear the calls of the dragon from earlier, nor did he see the trail of blood left behind by his mangled wing.
All he could thinking about was getting back to his cavern, to his home.
Jazz didn't know what to do. This wasn't a mountain dragon pride thing, where the black and white refused any help. No, Jazz had seen the fear and desperation to get back to his cavern. Could he have a family, and was eager to learn they were alright? The forest dragon trotted along, flaring his wing to catch the passing drifts of wind allowing him to catch up with the surprisingly fast wounded dragon.
"Hey." He called, but the dragon ignored him. Jazz bit his lip in anxiousness, the dragon was losing so much blood, and the rest of his wing's membrane was being ripped by the sharp points of the rocks.
Quickly jumping over Prowl, Jazz stood in his way, determined to at least keep the desperate dragon from losing his flight forever.
"Look, let meh help ya. Ah'll carry ya ta yer cavern, just please stop hurting yourself!" He yelled, whipping his tail against the floor in anger and flaring his wings in an act of dominance, demanding his submission.
Prowl wilted instinctively at the display. A part of him was loath to bring a stranger into his cavern, but Jazz had yet to show him any sign that he meant harm, had even brought a healer to aid him, and he was in too much pain to deny the help; he nodded his permission, the faster he got there, the better.
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Title: Too Late
Rating: T
Warnings: young death
It hadn't been easy, getting the hurt dragon on his back, what with his wing half ripped off and the total lack of energy on the red horned dragon's part, but Jazz had managed.
It surprised him how far up this dragon lived, and it was only by Primus' mercifulness that they managed to find a path up the mountain in the first place! Dragons would never bother with such a thing, unless they had hatchlings to care for, usually just flying directly from the entrance of their cavern to wherever they wanted and back.
The sound of rushing water caught his attention, probably a waterfall, and he guessed that it was around another corner a ways off. The sigh of relief that left Prowl as he saw the entrance to his cavern debris free echoed through the rocky mountain side. The ledge was barely wide enough for them to pass, and Jazz feared tripping and dropping the hurt dragon over the very sharp drop. He could feel warm blood covering his side and knew he should have gotten the healer as soon as he had found Prowl.
Ratchet was going to kill him.
The entrance itself was small and hidden between two boulders; for a second it looked like no one would fit, but Prowl let himself fall from Jazz's back and crawled to the entrance (not without almost giving Jazz a heart attack with his actions).
After a moment's hesitation, Jazz followed, hearing Prowl mutter the standard spell for a flame to illuminate the dark cavern. The flame would only go out when the caster broke the spell, and would linger without burning, in the air.
Jazz took a moment to look around. It was your typical cave, the entrance a short tunnel that opened into an oval cavern, high enough that he could flare his wings while standing on both feet. In one corner, there was a small water pond, barely big enough for one of them to fit in, but it served its purpose: having a drink on hand. The waterfall he heard earlier probably had numerous water caverns inside the mountain, Prowl being lucky enough to find a cavern with its own water source.
The winds that speared through the air outside did not seem to affect the cozy temperature of the cavern, or it might be another spell. Still, it was a very nice cavern.
A broken cry tore him from his thoughts, and he ran to the other end of the cave, where Prowl was laying on a nest, back to him, both wings slumped in what appeared to be resignation.
Carefully, Jazz rounded the fallen dragon and his heart clenched as his nose picked up a rotten smell, the sight that greeted him confirming his doubts; Prowl had his head to the ground, nose gently nudging, yet with a hint of desperation, at a grey egg.
"Oh no." He breathed, realization hitting him. Prowl had been trapped for three days, more than enough time for an egg to die without the warmth and presence of its parents, the recklessness and stubborn actions from before to get back home now making sense.
Prowl had hoped he wasn't too late to save his egg.
00000000000000000
Title: Wounds
Rating: T
Jazz had left Prowl alone, knowing there was no way the dragon would leave his cave, and flew frantically toward the clearing he had found the downed dragon in search for Ratchet, conjuring a spell that would deliver his message ahead, saying that he had found Prowl and he was safe in his cavern.
In truth, he was worried about Prowl, the dragon and not moved from his position, nuzzling the egg affectionately, his tears never drying. He wanted to bury the egg as soon as possible, it wasn't healthy for a carrier to stay too long in the presence of their dead child.
He was about to touch down when a rock hit him square on the head.
"You moron! You should have called me the second you found him! Where did you take him? Tell me you did not climb up that mountain!" The healer demanded, getting right into the white and black dragon's face, barring his teeth.
"Wait Ratch', ya can kill me later, listen to meh!" Jazz explained all that had happened, and watched as the healer's expression softened and his eyes turned sorrowful.
"Alright Jazz, take me to him. There's nothing to be done about the egg, but I can at least heal his wing." Ratchet sighed, picking up the medical leaves he had gathered for Prowl.
Together they flew back to the cavern, and slowly made their way to the back of the cave where Prowl had not moved from his position.
"Prowl?" Jazz called softly, coming up beside him.
The black and white didn't so much as twitch.
Carefully, Ratchet rounded on his other side, and leaned in to take the egg away. It had clearly been dead for at least a day and a half, the small being inside already rotting. It was cruel to leave it without a proper burial and in Prowl's presence any longer.
He jumped back with a hiss of pain the moment his snout touched the egg, Prowl straightening and snarling at him.
"Don't touch it!"
"It's dead Prowl!" Ratchet returned, trying to lick at the trickle of blood that poured from the bite on his snout.
"Shut up!"
The angered yell turned into a scream of pain. Prowl tried to stand to defend what was his, but too late did he remember that he had torn his wing open again.
"Slag it!" The healer yelled as Prowl fell back on the ground with a loud thump; Jazz barely managed to catch the red horned dragon's head before it hit the hard ground, gently lowering it.
"Jazz, get out there and get me more leaves, I have to bandage his wing up now!"
000000000000000000000
Title: Burial
Rating: T
Treating Prowl had been hard, he had gotten an infection, one that would not disappear no matter how many times they boiled water and poured it over the wound mixed with the healing herbs.
Ratchet had used every pain killing spell he knew, rubbed the wound with all his medical herbs and had patiently woven magical threads over the large gap that was once Prowl's wing, making a new membrane. It was a hard process, one that required all his energy, energy he had lost looking for the wayward dragon, but he could not leave the wound open any longer or the new membrane would not take. It had taken all night, and the healer had passed out as soon as he was finished.
Jazz had been instructed to wash the medical leaves he had brought in more water and leave them over the new tissue to help it heal quicker and be accepted by Prowl's body as part of its own.
Prowl had eventually let go of the rotting egg, and while Jazz didn't like taking it away without the dragon's permission, it had to be buried.
Leaving both dragons sleeping, Jazz left the cavern, his tail wrapped around the egg.
He didn't go far, knowing that Prowl would like to visit his child's grave sooner or later. He made sure he chose a location that was accessible without the need of flight, he doubted the newly woven membrane could be exposed to the strong winds so soon.
The spot he found was fitting, just a bit higher than the cavern, on a large, almost perfectly circled flat ledge, surrounded by tall rocky spirals, right by the waterfall he had heard earlier, another small pond taking up half the ledge. With help from his magic, he opened a small hole in the rock, and gently placed the egg inside, closing the opening with earth he summoned, using his snout to pat it until it was leveled.
Nodding in satisfaction at his work, he laid a few flowers he had gathered from the river earlier. With his last reserve of magic for the day, he took a moment to concentrate, and softly breathed over the tomb.
This was his present to the mourning carrier.
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Title: Recovery
Rating: T
Prowl had wailed miserably when he woke up to find his egg missing. Had screamed and threatened them, before eventually breaking down and crying himself back to sleep, the exhaustion and fever finally taking its toll.
Jazz stayed with him through those dark nights, reciting cooling spells Ratchet had taught him to break his seemingly ever present fever, bringing him water and food, talking to him and even singing soft lullabies.
Prowl went from inconsolable to a state of erie calmness, something that worried him more.
"Prowl." Jazz spoke one night. "It's gonna be okay, this wasn't your fault. Only bad luck." The white and black dragon only nodded and Jazz bit his lip, wanting to ask something that had been bothering ever since the discovery of the egg.
"Prowl…" He began, hesitant. "Where's yer mate?"
Prowl closed his eyes tightly. Would Jazz even understand? He was a wood's dragon, and they were highly social, their type had different traditions, and he doubted Jazz would take what he was about to tell him lightly. But he would anyway, Jazz deserved something after the care and support he had shown him, a mere stranger.
"I have no mate." For a moment, he saw the misplaced grief on Jazz's face, probably thinking his mate was dead, but Prowl quickly corrected him. "It is different, up here. When a carrier goes into heat, the first dragon to… 'smell him out', gets to take them as a prize, but then they move on." He finished, suddenly feeling very tired.
Jazz stared with wide eyes.
What?
A dragon had mated with Prowl and just left!? Jazz couldn't even form any words. It was already bad enough that any dragon would just go and mate with a carrier in heat, but to leave afterwards as if nothing had happened? Leaving a gravid dragon to care for the hatchlings alone?
He shook his head, appalled, feeling a strange rage rise within him.
"H- how can- argh!" Jazz flared his wings in anger, tail whipping against the floor, snarling at no one in particular.
Prowl was slightly amused by the display, and not for the first time found himself attracted to the black horned dragon.
"It is how mountain dragons are raised, Jazz. It's how I was raised, and many before me." He calmly explained.
"Well Ah wouldn't leave a dragon Ah mated with alone ta raise the hatchlings!" He said pacing the cave's length, muttering to himself.
The words woke something in Prowl. This, of course, had not been his first mating although it had been the first time he had been gravid, granted it had been only one egg. Thankfully, his matings had always been somewhat pleasurable, but he did feel that emptiness and loneliness when his 'mates' left right after they were done. Primus he never once managed to even say 'hello' to the first dragon that found him before he was being pounced on, less of all know their names!
The thought of being courted, like he had heard happened in the forest and rivers, and to never be alone sounded… nice. Very nice. In fact, he found himself wanting a real mate.
Maybe, Jazz…. no. It was stupid, they had only just met! He had lost his first child and he was already thinking about being courted by a dragon he didn't even know?
He thumped his tail in irritation.
Unbeknownst to Prowl, Jazz was having similar thoughts. He felt attracted to the silent dragon. Whether it was because of what had happened, or fate, but he felt loath to leave the hurting dragon alone, specially with what he had just learned. This would mean that Prowl's next heat cycle would bring other dragons to his cavern and… he bristled at the thought. To have careless, lustful dragons near Prowl, specially after the loss of his first child, left him feeling angry and possessive.
No, he would not allow that!
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Title: Tomb
Rating: T
"I want to see the tomb."
Jazz looked up from where he was slowly dozing off. The illuminating flame had been extinguished, the cavern almost pitch black but for the dim light that entered from the small entrance. Any other night it would have been completely dark, but strong winds had temporarily cleared the mist perpetually surrounding the mountain and a bit of moonlight managed to enter.
"Huh? Come again?" Jazz asked groggily, shifting closer to Prowl's nest.
"I.. would appreciate it if you could show me where you buried my child." A small pause, then- "Ratchet said tomorrow I could go for a short stroll." He added somewhat defensively.
Jazz nodded, knowing that the mountain dragon's keen eyes would pick it up even in the darkness.
"Alright, Ah'll take ya tomorrow."
"...Thank you."
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Title: New Start
Rating: T
Prowl was up and waiting patiently on Jazz, the sky still dark outside. Once ready, the forest dragon flew close to the ledge, slowly guiding the mountain dragon, encouraging him to take breaks, to take his time and above all, to be careful. Prowl kept his still healing wing to his side, the medical herbs still tied around it, completely closed so no breeze could catch under it and make it flare; that would hurt a lot, not to mention throw him off the mountain ledge.
The red horned dragon was very grateful that the burial site was not so far up, having underestimated his physical strength. Still, he did not want to worry his unofficial guardian, and tried to keep his pants and tired sighs to himself.
Finally, a few minutes before the sun rose they reached the small rocky opening, and Prowl gasped. In the middle, close to the ledge was a small tomb, but that wasn't what caught his attention. Jazz silently stayed behind, watching as the mountain dragon walked to see his gift up close.
Dragons had all sorts of magic; all had the general magic for basic needs, such as the illumination flare, the dimensional pockets where they could carry their food and other materials. There were those with special magic powers; some had healing magic, like Ratchet, some could control elements, others knew alchemy, and some, though very rare, could even see into the future.
But others, others had a special gift; the gift of creativity. These types were also very rare, and what was known of them was little, but their gift drained them pretty quick, yet they could manage the greatest of masterpieces.
Prowl had no doubt Jazz was one of these dragons, for above the tomb, were a bunch of pure white roses, but they were encompassed in clear crystal, forever preserved. It wasn't much, taking into account what other dragons with this type of magic had accomplished, but it was perfect.
Small, humble, beautiful.
"Thank you." Prowl breathed, his eyes locked on the frozen flowers, a tear escaping down his cheek.
Jazz slowly walked up to his side, gently wrapping a large wing over him in a hug.
"Yer welcome."
Together, they watched as the sun rose, its first rays hitting the crystal, making lights of different colors dance around the dull grey rocks, gliding across the small pond. Sniffling at the breathtaking sight, Prowl felt for the first time since he saw his dead egg, like he could breath again.
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Title: Thoughts
Rating: T
Prowl's attraction toward the black horned dragon grew every day. Not only had Jazz stayed by his side, helped him heal, but he had given Prowl something he had never had; a friend.
Mountain dragons did not have families nor friends. He had lost touch with his own clutch a long time ago, he didn't even know if his brothers were alive or not, and he had last seen his carrier when he was days from maturing into an adult. There had never been much said between them, surviving off what they found by themselves, rarely being given any care by their carrier.
He had never questioned it, even at times where he felt like his life had no purpose.
But now, Jazz had given him meaning, a reason to look forward to what the next day brought with it. He loved waking up with someone by his side, with who he could discuss his dreams with, or just talk about anything at all, take walks (since he still wasn't healed enough to attempt flying), and admire the few beauties the mountains provided. Prowl loved hearing Jazz talk about his forest life, the different families he knew, and even about their traditions, the evenings spent with him intently listening to Jazz recite old tales, many time even reenacting them. He had never had so much fun in his life.
Was that what having a true mate meant? Having another close by him, offering comfort, protection, and unconditional love? If it was, he wanted it, he wanted it dearly. But how did forest dragons do that? He knew they courted, a concept that both confused him and made him wish for that undivided attention; to have a dragon fawning over him, tending to his every needs. It sounded petty, and selfish, but after a life long existence of being alone, with never a word directed toward him, not even a glance, he couldn't help but allow himself to be just a bit selfish.
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Jazz was irritated with himself, and even with Prowl. Almost four months had passed since their fateful meeting, Prowl's wing days away from being deemed healed enough for flight.
He had felt the attraction steadily growing between them, the shy glances Prowl dealt him when he thought he wasn't looking, the soft, barely there, accidental touches, their tails intertwining at night, the happy flaps of Prowl's wings when he returned from hunting, and how he simply seemed to glow with his company.
He was much the same, not able to stop the giddiness at seeing Prowl, how right it felt coming back to this cavern, knowing who was waiting for him. He loved how Prowl would unconsciously curl into him at night, seeking warmth. His mind went stupidly blank with any kind of contact with the red horned dragon, and he always made sure to nuzzle Prowl's neck affectionately when ever he had the chance, lightly nipping at his ear, telling the oblivious dragon that is was a forest thing.
They were dancing around each other, and it was driving him mad. Jazz had already made up his mind, he wanted Prowl as his mate, and he knew Prowl wanted him too.
Both their lives had been intertwined by fate's mysterious hand, and they were loath to deny her plan, so why were they holding back?
Something had to be done.
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Title: Courting Meal
Rating: T
Prowl stared in bemusement at the fruit Jazz had brought back with him. His wing was healing nicely, and Ratchet said that in a few more days he could start flying.
"But only for very short periods of time and with another dragon present!" The healer had yelled at him. Jazz had immediately offered himself to assist, much to Ratchet's secret delight; it was about time his young friend found a mate.
"As much as I appreciate the sudden… gifts, I must inquire as to why." He said dryly.
Jazz flapped his wings, shifting slightly from foot to foot, his long tail sliding softly on the ground, ears twitching in nervousness
"Well Prowler, since yer're getting better, Ah thought we could celebrate!" Now that he thought about it, he had been bringing the mountain dragon meat for the last few weeks, did he even eat fruit?
"Hmmm," Prowl pondered, he knew of course of Jazz's intentions, and was having his own fun acting dense. He did truly appreciate the efforts Jazz went to, but the kindness he had shown toward him, the support for a dragon he didn't know, and how he had buried his dead child in that beautiful grave had been enough.
Prowl laid down on his front, legs under him and tucked his wings in a comfortable position draping over his side onto the ground, rotating the joints of his right wing to chase off the numbness.
Slowly, he sniffed through the different fruits, some which he had never seen, and chose a big round purple fruit with black dots, taking a cautious bite out of it. He moaned. Oh he was in heaven! The fruit was so juicy, instantly quelling the thirst he hadn't noticed, its flavor not too sweet and not too bitter. It was delicious.
"Mmmm I don't think I've ever tasted anything as tasty as this. Thank you." He said smiling, taking another bite.
Jazz grinned, pleased with himself and not managing to contain the small series of happy flaps his wings insisted on doing. He laid down mimicking Prowl, and chose his own fruit to eat, both dragons savoring their meal in companionable silence.
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Title: First Flight
"Now remember, any discomfort, if you feel tired, if you feel your wing ache, you land. You hear me?"
"Yes Ratchet."
"Stay close to the mountain side and in view of any ledges you can land on in case of an emergency."
"Yes Ratchet."
"Don't turn or twist, don't dive, do not let air catch in your wings. Only glide, and no hard flaps."
"Yes Ratchet."
"Fly slow-"
"Yes Ratchet."
"Would you quit with the 'yes Ratchet' you overgrown lizard!?"
Prowl was about to respond, but the healer's glare and the rock that was suddenly lifted by his tail shut him up, contenting himself with giving the white and red dragon an innocent look.
Ratchet turned to glare at a grinning Jazz.
"You corrupted him you fragger!" He accused, throwing the rock at his head.
The black horned dragon look outraged and jumped back. "Ah did not!"
"Whatever. You will make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, got it?" He threatened, poking Jazz in the chest with his tail.
"Ah got it oh mighty one."
"Shut it!"
Jazz was just as anxious as Ratchet though. He had never seen Prowl fly before so could not know if he was a good flyer; one that knew very well how to maneuver his wings, predict the wind shifting, and sense the currents.
"Ya ready Prowler?" He asked, trying to hide his nervousness.
Prowl gave him a small smile. "Of course, I know Ah'll never fall with you there to catch me."
That, didn't actually reassure him, but he let his stupidly happy smile present itself at Prowl's words, ignoring the mock gags Ratchet was doing behind them.
"Alright, lets do this!"
Chuckling, Prowl opened his wings, closing his eyes and taking a moment to feel the breeze under his wings. He walked up to the ledge, balancing right on the edge and let himself drop of it.
The current he had felt gently caught his wings, and Prowl opened his eyes to stare down at the rocky spirals, letting the winds guide him out of the mist, into clear blue skies, and completely ignoring Ratchet yells ("I told you to stay near the mountain side!"). He let out a sigh of content; nothing beat being able to fly like this. He felt so alive and free when he was up in the sky.
He heard the flapping of wings behind him, and turned his head to smile at Jazz.
"Ya know ya almost gave Ratchet a heart attack with that drop." And himself, but he didn't let it show. They had both assumed Prowl would jump into the air and let the winds catch him before them, where they could observe his progress, not suddenly see the dragon disappear over the ledge.
Prowl laughed, feeling too good to be bothered by the knowledge that he was probably going to die when he got back.
Jazz flew over him, doing a fancy turn and diving only to come up on his other side, giving Prowl a smug grin.
"Don't get too cocky, once I'm back to full health, you'll see what a mountain dragon can do."
Jazz laughed heartily, flapping his wings in delight. "Yer on!"
Both dragons flew over the forest, Prowl staring at everything as if this were the first time he was seeing it. He had flown over the forest before, but knowing it was Jazz's home made the sight seem warmer and familiar.
"Come, lets get back before Ratchet comes looking for us."
Prowl nodded, already feeling a bit tired, his wing aching from the lack of use and the wind gliding over the new membrane.
The were both smiling when they touched down back on the ledge, glancing at each other with love they did not yet confess, before being brutally torn from their own world by rocks hitting them full force and the healer's cursing.
"You morons! I should just rip your wings off right now and let you two-"
Jazz and Prowl tuned him out, rubbing their injured heads, eyes locking and losing themselves once more in each other.
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Title: Finally
Rating: K+
"Ah love ya."
Prowl looked up, eyes wide at the dragon in front of him. They were both sitting in the clearing where Jazz had buried Prowl's egg, enjoying each other's company in silence. The black horned dragon's sudden statement surprising him.
"Wh- I," Prowl didn't know how to react. Love was an even stranger concept for him. He knew what it meant, and all its consequences; he would be lying if he said he did not want it, but he still did not now how to react to it. "Me, too?" He tried shyly.
Jazz chuckled, finding the confused yet hopeful expression on Prowl's face extremely cute.
"Well, Ah was hoping fer that. But ya know, when Ah say Ah love ya, it means Ah want ta stay with ya." He said seriously, before adding, just to make sure it got across, "Ferever."
Prowl shifted, ducking his head. He knew what Jazz was asking, had been thinking of ways to ask the same thing. Primus Jazz made everything look so simple.
"I do too." He said softly, before looking up and giving Jazz a loving smile. "Be my mate?"
"Prowler, Ah thought ya would never ask."
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Title: Abandoned?
Rating: K+
Prowl looked mournfully at the sky. He was lounging outside his cavern, the weather rather nice, and one of those times where the mist around his home dispersed enough for him to see the sky.
Jazz had lied. Or at least, it seemed like he had lied. The forest dragon had promised he would not leave him, not when he had confessed his love. Not when they had mated. And specially when he learned Prowl was gravid. But as soon as he had heard the word gravid, Jazz had disappeared, leaving him all alone.
Once again.
It had never bothered him before, mostly because the dragons he had mated with had been a one time thing, something demanded of his heat cycle. But Jazz was supposed to be different, the forest dragon had been so caring and loving during their mating, called him his mate, and yet…. Jazz had abandoned him.
Too depressed for the nice weather, Prowl slumped back into his cavern, curling in his nest and falling asleep with his wing covering him completely, effectively managing to hide his tears as he drifted into an uneasy sleep.
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Title: Gift
Rating: K+
Prowl woke to the sound of shuffling at the entrance of his cavern. His head popped out of his wing, blinking in the darkness. Summoning an illuminating flame, he was torn between anger and surprise at the sight of Jazz mid step, eyes comically wide and looking very much like a hatchling caught misbehaving.
Prowl straightened, eyes boring into his and gave a hard thump with his tail on the ground. He was not a happy dragon.
"Jazz." He greeted dryly.
"Hi Prowler." The black horned dragon responded, ears twitching and betraying his nervousness.
Prowl's own were flat against his head. They stared at each other for along moment, before Prowl gave a tired sigh.
"If you just wanted to mate, you should have said so and not let me believe otherwise."
Jazz stared. "Wh- what? Why would ya think that?" He asked, shaking himself out of his stupor and walking up to his mate. He reached out but Prowl seem unwilling and so he lowered his head, looking as non-threatening as possible.
Prowl averted his eyes. "You left." He simply said, hurt coloring his voice.
"Oh, oh no Prowl! Yes I did leave, but I was coming back!" He started, wings flapping widely in annoyance for not finding the right words.
"Ah, Ah left ta find ya a present!"
The red horned dragon looked up, confusion written on his features.
"A present."
"Yes!" He groaned at the blank look he received, and summoned the items he had obtained, laying them in front of his mate as an offering.
Prowl stared, before him were beautiful gems and jewelry, high class metals and even gold coins.
"Wha- why?" He asked, gazing into his mate's eyes. A beautiful gift indeed, but useless to him, to them!
"Ah know ya mountain dragons are all loners and all, but down at the forest, we help each other with the young, and ya learn a few tricks." Jazz started, laying down. "Gravid dragons are gifted with these ta eat, it makes the egg shells all that much stronger and healthy." He added.
Dragon didn't usually eat gems or stones and metals, but while being gravid, their body would indeed turn the strong materials ingested into extra protection for the life they were carrying.
Prowl hadn't thought about that at all, and a sudden wave a guilt assaulted him. He hadn't done this with his earlier egg either, could he have prevented its death had he consumed strong stones and gems?
Jazz seemed to read his mind, and nuzzled his neck, giving small licks.
"Don't do that Prowler, ya know ya couldn't have done anything being pinned down by that boulder. Even with the strongest materials, the egg would have died."
Prowl let out a shaky sigh, unwilling to undo all the progress he had done with accepting his child's death, and nodded in acceptance at Jazz's words.
"I know, I just wish it were different."
The black horned dragon smiled, and brought the gems, coins and metals forward with his tail, presenting them to Prowl.
"It will be different, ya got me first of all, and Ah'll never leave ya. Ah'm sorry Ah took so long ta get back, Ah got really excited looking for the gems, even begged Ratchet ta give me some of the metals he keeps fer these occasions."
Prowl laughed licking at the now visible bump on his mate's head where he was sure the healer had thrown at rock at.
"My hero." He teased, laughing again at his mate's teary eyes and pout.
"Forgive me?"
"Of course." The white and black dragon said kissing Jazz softly. "I'm sorry I thought the worst of you."
Jazz shrugged, purring into his mate's fluffy fur.
"So." Jazz grinned parting, "enjoy the meal?"
Prowl laughed heartily at that.
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Title: Birth
Rating: T
Jazz watched, anxious as hell, as his mate tossed and turned in his nest, groaning in discomfort, his belly swollen and feeling like he was going to burst any second. There was definitely more than one egg, he hadn't felt so stuffed during his last gravid.
Nuzzling his mate's head. Jazz sent a soft trill of comfort.
"Breath love, it will be over soon."
Prowl huffed, rolling in a seemingly awkward position, heavy belly resting on the nest, his legs bent and wings flared behind him, almost smacking Jazz.
"So hot!" He whined.
Smiling softly, Jazz flared his own wings, flapping them softly to produce a nice breeze for his mate. The red horned dragon sighed in delight, before swinging his tail as another contraction hit him.
"I think- I think it might be time." He said softly.
And Jazz did not, he absolutely did not panic.
"Wh- what do Ah do!?" He demanded, getting up from behind his mate and pacing, watching anxiously as Prowl laid on his front, hindquarters up in the air and wings flared for extra balance.
Moaning in pain, his wings twitched as he felt the first egg sliding within him, ready to be laid. He felt his entrance stretch painfully, and groaned as he pushed, willing the egg to drop.
"Just- argh- just make sure the egg is fine!" Jazz jumped as Prowl howled, claws digging into the soft leaves his nest was made of, and the first egg dropped with a soft thud.
Panting, the white and black mountain dragon tried to look back to see if the egg was okay.
"H- how is it?" He asked his frozen mate.
Jazz shook himself out of his trance, laying flat on the ground next to Prowl's head, watching the egg. It didn't look like the normal oval eggs he had seen in other nests, nor Prowl's lost one. This one looked like two eggs had decided to fuse together, but the colors on it showed that the fledgling inside was certainly alive; half of it was yellow, and the other was red. For a moment, he feared how the fledgling would hatch, but immediately dismissed the thought, he would love it no matter what.
Prowl arching his back brought Jazz back to the present, and he watched as another egg fell from Prowl's dilated vent. This one was much smaller than the fused one, its colors red and white.
"Jaaazz!" Prowl cried, contractions hitting him once again and he pushed hard, feeling that this one would be the last egg.
"It's okay baby, you're doing great!" A part of him was angry that Prowl had gone through this completely alone the first time. If he ever found the dragon that had mated with his mate before him and just left him, he was going to do something very drastic! Granted, he'd like to track all the dragons that had mated with Prowl during his past heat cycles, but the last held a special place in his 'must be mauled' list.
Closing his eyes shut, Prowl whipped his tail in the air, pushing with all his might, and sighing in relief as he felt the last egg leave him. He let himself fall to the side, his back to the cavern's wall and looked over their eggs, his heart freezing at the sight.
Jazz nuzzled his neck as a wail left him, eyes mournfully locked on the last egg.
It was grey.
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Title: Scare
Rating: T
"No no no no no!" Prowl wailed, leaning forward, gently nudging the two colored eggs aside to reach the grey one. He didn't feel like he could go through this pain again.
"Baby, calm down." Jazz trilled softly, standing up and laying back down, so the eggs where trapped between both their bodies, licking at Prowl's face soothingly.
"It- it's dead!" He cried, a mournful moan leaving him.
Jazz was about to say something, but the grey egg suddenly wobbling startled them both.
Impossible.
As one, both stuck their heads to the small egg, Jazz adding his own illuminating flame to see it better. They stared for what appeared like hours, until the egg wobbled again.
Prowl jumped slightly back, wide eyes never leaving the egg.
"It's, "
"Alive!" Jazz finished relieved. He slowly picked the egg up with his tail, and called the two illuminating flames to pose on one side of the egg, and they were able to see the shadow inside. The fledgeling looked much smaller than the egg, but it was with certainty alive and well.
Prowl let out a disbelieving, yet highly content sigh, smiling with love at the sight of the very lively fledgling inside, swimming in the egg's fluids.
"Oh thank Primus!"
Jazz smiled too, brining the egg back down to his siblings, watching his mate curl around them, purring in joy.
"They're beautiful Prowler." He said softly.
"Yes, they are." Prowl had the same momentarily fear about the apparently fused eggs, but he didn't let it bother him, nuzzling the eggs gently with his snout, before turning loving eyes to his mate.
"Thank you."
Jazz smiled, curling around his mate, long neck resting on Prowl's back as he covered them with one of his large wings.
"Nothing ta thank Prowler, Ah should thank ya fer giving meh the chance ta stay with ya, ta have a family."
Prowl purred, but was too exhausted to respond, and fell asleep, Jazz following soon after as the flames extinguished, leaving them in peaceful darkness.
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Title: Hatchlings.
Rating: K+
Warnings: Fluff
"It moved!" Jazz yelled, standing like he was ready to bolt in front of the eggs, snout almost pressed to them. It was a ridiculous sight, and would have been adorable if this weren't the hundredth time Jazz had reacted like this.
"They always move Jazz! It doesn't mean they're going to hatch!" Prowl said irritated by his mate's behavior. Only two weeks had passed, they would not hatch this soon. Maybe in another day if they were lucky. Hadn't his mate said he had helped with the other dragon's eggs? It certainly didn't look like it.
With Jazz's care, Prowl had quickly regained his strength and had been flying back and forth collecting leaves with which he could make a larger nest for their hatchlings to sleep in. His mate had also brought some fruit, its soft texture easy for the hatchlings to bite from, even though they would also drink from Prowl's milk.
Of course, the black horned dragon was too happy about seeing his eggs hatch to even start listening to his mate.
The red and yellow egg, wobbled violently, almost toppling over.
"Wow! Looks like we're gonna have a fighter on our paws!" He said laughing at the display, Prowl could only groan.
In contrast, the red and white egg seemed to shake every once in a while, and Jazz swore over and over again that it had moved from its previous position and was hiding behind the fused egg.
"Awww already looking up to his big sibling for protection!" Jazz cooed, tail practically wagging in delight.
"I'm mated to a hatchling." Prowl muttered dryly, carefully padding the nest, surrounding it with rocks to keep the hatchlings from wandering off in the middle of the night.
"Daww Look at him go!" Resigned, Prowl walked over, and had to admit that their small grey egg was practically rolling in place.
"That hatchling is worryingly hyper." He said deadpanned.
Jazz vibrated giddiness and excitement, his wings flapping full of eagerness to see their hatchlings soon.
"Jazz, calm down, they will hatch when they want to not when you want to!" He scolded, but before his mate could reply, they heard a crack.
Freezing in place, they slowly turned their gaze to the eggs, seeing a long crack on the fused egg, right down the middle.
"It's-"
"Hatching!" Jazz yelled in excitement, laying flat on the ground with his head in between his legs, watching intently as the egg wobbled some more, cracks appearing around its surface. Prowl stood still, head bent and watching the process anxiously; they were still worried about the special care this hatchling would need if their fears were confirmed, but he couldn't wait to meet his child.
They silently watched, the other two eggs showing signs of being close to hatching as well, as more cracks appeared on both sides, rapidly overtaking the whole egg.
Holding their breaths, they watched as the red and yellow egg cracked open down the middle, both halves falling to the side, revealing… two hatchlings!?
"Twins!" Jazz said, tone so full of excitement Prowl was afraid he would pass out. He was though, extremely happy by this turn of events, never once considering the possibility of twins.
The small hatchlings had scales just like Jazz, one red and the other yellow. The red hatchling's front legs were black, as well as the small stubs that would be his horns, while the yellow hatchling's hindquarters were black, as well as the tip of his tail and tips of his ears, the stubs of his horns also black. Both's wings were small, not flaring open completely, and they wouldn't for many months.
They started wailing, having lost the warmth of their egg, fluids making them sticky and slipping as they tried to get up. Prowl stepped over his mate, and started to gently lick them clean, earning identical purrs, both hatchlings nuzzling into him. They were barely the size of the length of his snout! Primus if they were this small, than the other two would be extremely tiny!
"They. Are. Adorable!" Jazz squealed, carefully crawling closer. He reached for the red and white egg, nudging it encouragingly.
It gave a final shake at his touch before a small head poked out of a crack, giving a loud wail.
Prowl and Jazz melted and 'aww-ed' as the twins' ears twitched toward the sound, immediately crawling toward their crying brother, calling out to him in small mewls.
Both parents watched amused and fondly as the egg finished cracking, and the small hatchling fell from within, curling on the spot and crying. He was mostly white, his head red as well as his tail and belly. The twins finally reached their brother, and licked at him soothingly.
"Ah feel like Ah'm gonna die from the cuteness!" Jazz whispered to his mate, and Prowl couldn't help but agree, knowing he was wearing a ridiculously large smile, his eyes tearful in joy.
Prowl helped the twins in cleaning up the red and white, already so proud of his eldest sons. They would be incredible big brothers. He felt a moment of envy, not having one memory of his own brothers treating him like this, but he shook his head to get rid of those thoughts, this was a joyous day, one that would not be ruined by the past.
Jazz brought the last egg, cracks all over, nearer to the other hatchlings, and watched not so patiently with Prowl as it finished cracking. He burst out laughing as the hatchling inside literally rolled out, stopping on his back and letting out a cry, small legs clawing at the air, wings flapping on the ground in an attempt to right himself. It was too cute for words.
Prowl glared at his laughing mate, and quickly uprighted the upset hatchling, gently pushing him toward his brothers, the three hatchlings immediately welcoming him in their cuddling pile; the twins almost laying onto of both their younger brothers protectively.
"Oh Jazz, they're so lovely." Prowl breathed, licking away the remaining egg fluids from the grey hatchling, laughing softly as the twins swiped weakly at his snout for interrupting sleep time; their struggles to get out of their eggs having tired them.
"That they are Prowler." Jazz said kissing him.
Both proud parents got into the large nest, and curled around their hatchlings, both content to stare at their fledglings full of love as they fell asleep. Jazz and Prowl glanced at each other and stole kisses over them, whispering sweet nothings and chuckling softly as their clutch twitched in their sleep.
It was hours before their excitement allowed them to fall asleep, both with happy smiles on their faces.
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