Midnight
Prologue
"I'm warning you Midteres. Once your daughter is born, give her to me, or I will send them to hunt you and your wife Starnight. They are excellent trackers you know."
"No, not again. I will never give her up to you. She will carry out our name without having an evil step-father like you Pontaro." Said Midteres.
"You might be the lord of all dragons, but once she is born she will never follow you. You think that I would give my only child up to your… your treachery, well think again."
"And I was beginning to like you" said Pontaro. "Have it your way, but mark my words you will be sorry for what you have done. The Wackturos are not very patient when they know that there is blood to be spilled. Now leave my sight. And listen closely, you have three days dawn for you to decide, give her up and live in peace, or be killed with Starnight. Either way I will have her. On the third dawn I will send the Wackturos to your cave to kill anyone in their sight unless you give me the right answer before hand. Now go." Said Pontaro as he sat down.
Midteres left with two guards on his tail. His wife, Starnight was waiting outside for him.
"How did it go?" She asked holding his hands as he sat on the ground.
"It's no use" Midteres sobbed, "He still wants her. And the Wackturos will come after us if we don't give her up. And she was only just born yesterday"
Starnight helped him up.
"Come. Let us go home and see her right now. Besides we still have to name her."
"Your right, either way we still have each other." Midteres sighed.
In the cave of Midteres and Starnight, a small egg was cradled on her mother's lap, sung to sleep by a lullaby spoken in the ancient language of dragon tongue.
As Starnight put the egg in a cradle, Midteres looked upon it and said in a whisper, "Who knew that a young dragon, just born into this world, would tip the balance between good and evil. Goodnight my little one, dream of the good life and not the one in your future, goodnight… Midnight.
Chapter 1: The Egg
Five years had passed and Midnight was still in her egg when her parents, Midteres and Starnight died in a bloody battle against the Wackturos. The egg was dropped on a white sandy beach that had ice-crystals all over it. This place was called Tarmainian Foltern. That meant "The great are raised here." It was a small but populated island in the ocean. And to transport crops to each country, you had to take a ship.
A girl by the name of Sarah was walking along the shore looking for a birthday present to give herself (she was just about to turn eight). She was tall and thin with long dirty blonde hair. She was dressed in a pair a shorts and a sloppy top and her feet were bare and covered in dirt and sand. Just about to turn eight in a couple minutes she trudged along looking out to the horizon. Stooping down to look at some shells she said to herself, "I already have all these shells, all 12,345 of them. When will I find something new?"
Walking on she saw something unusual. Something bright and colorful surrounded by a cluster of crystals. It was a shell the color of lilacs with dark indigo veins all around it. She picked it up carefully and walked to town.
In town there was a little shop called The Shell Collector. She went in and rang the bell on the front desk. A tall and slim man came in and said with a moan and a sour face, "Welcome to The Shell Collector, how may I assist you?"
"Yes, ummm… I'd like to speak with Mrs. Maxell please" Sarah asked looking around at all the pretty shells, big, small, and multicolored.
"Do you have an appointment?" the man asked.
"No, but she's my mom." Sarah protested
"Hold on one moment please." He said and walked to the back room.
Sarah looked at the rows of shells, in the background she could hear, "There's a young visitor for you Mrs. Maxell."
"Yes, thank you Sam, I will be right out."
Mrs. Maxell walked out and looked around.
"Sarah, back so early are you?" she said
"Mom, can I talk to you for a sec?" asked Sarah looking a bit uncertain.
"Why of course you can. Come into my office."
Sarah sat down and pulled out the shell she had found.
"I found this shell on the beach; do you know what kind of shell it is?" Her mother looked at it with interest and said "No I don't reckon I do." She took it to a stand to examine it in the light. There were no cracks or scratches on it. She gave it back to Sarah.
"Take it home or do something with it because I don't really have time to deal with it." Her mother said.
Sarah walked home. What a birthday, She said in her thoughts.
Dropping the shell off at her home she looked around her room and said out loud, "What's the point of living at a place meaning the great are raised here if our family can't even raise enough money to have a proper home?"
And that was true because her mother, father, little brother Matthew, and her cat Toast, all lived in a shabby looking cottage with a kitchen, two bedrooms, a small living room, and one bathroom. She placed the shell on her night stand and looked at her wall. It was full of hand drawn pictures of dragons. Fire-breathers, ice-breathers, flyers, or dragons with people on their backs. Those people were called Dragonons. Oh, how she dreamed of being one. Anyway, she named all of her dragons, Midnight.
Looking at the shell she thought, about it, it looked more like a tumbled amethyst. An amethyst was a rare stone and she had only caught a glimpse of one being boarded onto a ship. Maybe it was dropped into the sea and was washed up on shore. But then again, it doesn't have to be a stone. Stones are heavy, this thing, whatever it was, was as light as a feather.
Sarah left it there and went to the library. On her way she looked into the store windows, everything was either about, shells or ice-crystals. Nothing about dragons or drogonons. But a long time ago, this place was famous for the dragons and dragonons. That's why it was named Tarmainian Foltern, "The great are raised here."
The library was located at the very edge of the town right up against the mountains. Not a lot of people went there because they had too many things to do. Sarah opened the library door.
"Good morning Gertrude. How are you doing?" she asked walking toward the shelves.
"Oh. Hello Sarah. Back again for another book on dragons or dragonons?"
Sarah smiled at the question and disappeared behind the books.
Gertrude was the librarian. She was a sweet, kind old lady, but was strict and clever when it came to the rules. Sarah knew Gertrude very well because Sarah loved to read. She had learned all about the library, the rules, books, where the books are placed, and how to use the card catalog.
Besides wanting to be a Dragonon, (which was a secret) she wanted to be a librarian. She rummaged through the books.
"Dragon Eggs, The History of Dragonons and Dragons, and…aha! Here it is. My favorite book, Raising a Dragon Today. I'll get this one, this one, and… this one." Sarah took three heavily chaptered books off the shelf.
"Here we go, three books for some light reading." She said placing the old and worn out books on the desk for check out.
"The History of Dragonons and Dragons, Dragon Eggs, and Raising a Dragon Today." Each book was placed in a bag as it was rung up. All except one was put away. Gertrude kept Raising a dragon today out on the desk.
"You know what?" Gertrude asked with a smile on her face. "Since it's your birthday, I'm going to let you keep Raising a dragon today, permanently."
Sarah looked up with astonishment. "What, but….but…it's a library book!"
"I know, but no one reads it, it's old and the pages are fading, and all it does is sit there taking room up on the shelves until you come take it out again." Gertrude reasoned.
"Wow my own book that I've dreamed of having ever since I moved here. Thank you so much!" said Sarah as she went out the door.
Sarah ran home. She went to her room, shut the door, and sat down on her bed and opened the book to the table of contents.
It read: Chapter one – The egg
Chapter two – Hatching
And so on.
She took out Dragon Eggs. As she flipped through the pages one of them got stuck with another page. She used her finger to split it and then looked at the page.
There was a picture with a very pretty egg on it. The egg was called a Someonian Dragon egg. It was a lilac purple with indigo veins on it. She read the caption: "This egg is called a Someonian shell. The dark indigo veins on the shell represent the color of the dragon's scales. The Someonian shell is a very rare shell. Dragons aren't supposed to be dark blue. Someonian dragons hatch from a Someonian Egg not shell. Someonian shells come from a mix of the Midturren and the Starcutelen Dragon. Someonian eggs come from the same type of breed. The color of a Someonian Egg is an orange with a tint of black and deep red veins. The dragon inside this egg will be a dark blue dragon with lavender wings. The dragon will breathe fire."
Sarah looked at the picture. She looked at her pictures.
"I guess I'm drawing Someonian Dragons." She laughed.
As her eyes lingered around the room they fell upon the shell. She put it on her pillow and compared it on to the book's picture.
The blood drained from Sarah's face. She had not only picked up and extraordinary shell, but the egg of a Someonian Dragon!
She decided to keep it a secret and not discuss it over dinner.
Chapter 2: The Hatching
Heading back to her room after dinner, she heard a crack like a fire cracker exploding into a million sparks. Sarah rushed to her room to see that nothing had happened. She looked around the room and stared at the egg of her dragon on her pillow basking in the warm glow of the sunset.
"I thought I heard something" she said out loud scratching her head. Then another ear splitting crack sounded. CRACK! She jumped. She rushed to her mom who was wrestling with Matthew trying to get him to stop throwing his dinner at her and the wall.
"Did you hear that?" Sarah asked
"Hear what honey?" said her mom
CRACK! Another one
Sarah looked around horror stricken.
"Did you here that!?" she shouted.
"Okay dear, I think it's time you went to bed. Remember, tomorrow we go to town to the flea market to sell shells."
"But…But…But…" Sarah stammered.
"No buts young missy, now march off to bed and no more nonsense."
Her mother confirmed.
Sarah went to her room and slammed the door. She hurried to the egg and grabbed the Raising a Dragon today book off her night stand. She flipped to the Chapter called The Veins (Chapter 11).
The page read: "There are only twenty veins on a Someonian Shell. The crack that some people hear is a sign of hatching. This crack can only be heard by the keeper of this egg. There will be twenty cracks in all. At each crack a vein will disappear. This represents……….
Sarah screamed in frustration, "I can't read it, it's all faded out!" But that quickly faded from her mind because there were three cracks and three veins missing from the egg.
Half out loud and half in her head she did the math, "Twenty minus three equals….. seventeen." And with that, CRACK!
"My mistake, sixteen."
Making sure the egg was placed safely back on her night stand, Sarah put on her pajamas, brushed her teeth, turned out the lamp on her desk, and pulled up the covers with Toast at her head.
"Oh well, guess I have to wait another week till all the veins disappear and the dragon hatches. I wonder what to call it." And with that Sarah fell into an uneasy sleep.
That night Sarah dreamt a strange dream. Mysterious cracks sounded as she walked down a long dark corridor. For each step there was a crack as loud as a clap of thunder. She counted her foot steps, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. She found a door in front of her and as she reached for the door knob, the loudest crack sounded and Sarah awoke shivering and drenched with cold sweat.
Sarah could not fall back asleep so she took out the egg book and flipped to a page showing a picture with an egg with one vein under it.
She read the caption. "Before the egg can hatch it must know its name. Also, if a dragon doesn't hatch after half an hour with all the veins gone, that means the dragon has rejected you because it believes you aren't trustworthy enough to raise it. At this point all the veins will reappear on the egg."
Sarah slammed the book closed. "A name, I need to give it a name." She looked around her room. At all her pictures, her books, the egg.
Sarah slapped her forehead. "Duh, what was I thinking? Of Course the perfect name should be… Midnight."
The egg jostled, and Sarah fell back asleep.
The next morning Sarah awoke to a beautiful morning. She looked at the egg and gasped.
"Oh no, there's only two veins left! When did they all disappear?" Then she remembered the dream. She hurried to breakfast.
"Good morning Sarah" said a cheery voice, "What a beautiful day for selling shells. Don't you think?" It was her mother, with a hot cup of tea.
Sarah looked around the kitchen; her dad was reading the morning news.
"Hey dad, any news on the case of the missing crystal?" she said with kind of a moan. She didn't feel too good.
"No, I'm not surprised they haven't found it yet because all ice-crystals look alike except for the sizes." Her father said looking up.
As Sarah sat down she heard another crack.
"Oh no, not another!" she shouted.
"What Sawah, Sawah, Sawah, Sawah?" said little Matthew who was trying to eat his spoon.
"Oh nothing." Said Sarah quickly, "Uh, mom, I don't feel so great." Praying that her mom would let her stay home to see her dragon hatch.
"Now that you mention it, you do look pale and sweaty, and you were hearing things last night, and this morning." Her mom said. Why don't you stay home and get some rest. We'll be back late this afternoon."
"Okay, if you insist" said Sarah silently saying "YES!" in her head, "I can go and help you, you know?"
"No. I want you to stay here." Said her mom putting Matthew's coat on him, "Lock the doors and don't let anyone in." And with that, her mom, Matthew, and her dad left the house.
"Phew" she said with a sigh of relief.
As Sarah went to her room she heard the last crack. She rushed in to see the egg on her desk, nothing stirring. Her mind was racing.
"Only 30 minutes till it hatches. What if it rejects me?
Sarah waited, and waited, and waited. Nothing seemed to happen.
Chapter 3: The Beginnings Of Midnight
Time seemed to have stopped for Sarah. She wondered if it was going to open.
Sarah looked at the clock. She started to cry.
"It's been thirty minutes and it hasn't hatched" she sobbed, "Oh Midnight why didn't you choose me. I'm capable of raising you." She put her face in her pillow and cried her eyes out.
When she couldn't cry anymore, she looked back up at the clock.
"Forty-five minutes and it still hasn't opened! What should I do now?" Sarah sniffed, "Why Midnight, why?!"
Then at that moment, a little tiny voice sounded, "Sarah, don't cry. I have chosen you. I wouldn't know anyone else better than you. It's just tough getting out of this thing. Do you know how thick it is? Why don't you try being in here for 5 years, so cramped that when the time comes to hatch, you forget your own strength."
Sarah looked around and realized the voice was coming from the egg. Sarah was so shocked that she fell off the bed. Almost breaking her arm.
"Is that you Midnight?" said Sarah looking at the egg. "Are you alright? Because five years sounds crazy to me."
The egg stared to crack. Then another, and another. Each one sprouting off the other. And soon the egg was in pieces. A young and small dragon was looking around. It was the most beautiful sight ever. The dragon was a dark blue, with lilac wings, and vibrant deep ocean turquoise eyes.
"Hello Sarah, I am Midnight, Your dragon. You needn't give me a name. I was already named by my mother Starnight, and my father Midteres."
Sarah was speechless.
"Uh, hi Midnight, ummm, I'm Sarah, your Dragonon, I guess." stuttered Sarah.
"Sarah, what a pretty name." said Midnight.
Midnight flew to the window and looked to the sky.
"My mother and father are up there. In the endless stars of the sky." said Midnight, "Are yours?"
"No, but my Gram-Gram is. And it's called heaven." Sarah said correcting Midnights mistake, "And how do you know how to speak English, how do you know your mom and dad if your in an egg, and how do you know they're dead?" said Sarah. She had a billion questions for Midnight.
"Well," Midnight began. "When a dragon hatchling is born its brain is complete with all the knowledge it will ever need in its life time. Some times it needs to be refreshed but, I knew my name when my father was saying goodnight to me the day after I was born. All I really can tell you is that you were chosen for me by my mother after running away from the Wackturos. She had said to me, "Stay here my little one, be the leader and help guide Sarah as you guide her to defeat the Wackturos and Pontaro the lord of all Dragons, you have our love, always.""
"Wow, and how do you know English?" asked Sarah.
"Actually the proper question would be how do you know Dragon tongue?" said midnight, blowing a puff of smoke from her nose.
Sarah fell back in astonishment.
"I'm speaking dragon tongue?!" Sarah asked. Midnight nodded.
"But, you don't always have to. You can speak to me telepathically when you're in public. Why don't you try? Just close your eyes and think of me right in front of you. I will be on your nightstand." Midnight said adjusting her wings to fly.
Sarah closed her eyes and thought of Midnight right in front of her.
"What should I say?" thought Sarah.
"What you just said was a perfect example. You're a natural at this." Said a voice inside Sarah's head, "When you get more experienced at it, you can do it with your eyes open. You can open your eyes now."
Sarah opened her eyes. Sunlight streamed in through the window and that reminded her that she had never had breakfast.
"I'm hungry" said Sarah. Then she turned to Midnight with a sickening look.
"What do you eat when you're hungry?" she asked not wanting to hear what Midnight was going to say.
"Oh, me." Said Midnight, "I don't know, maybe a mouse or two, oh, how about a nice big juicy rat with a little bit of lizard on the side."
Sarah thought she'd throw up.
"I'm only joking, I hunt for myself." Said Midnight looking proud.
"But what if someone sees you!" Sarah blurted out.
"Don't worry Sarah, I can blend in, or camouflage." Said Midnight, "I'll be right back, and if you get a painful shock in your head a couple times, you'll be surprised when I come back." And with that, Midnight flew into the Morning sunlight.
Sarah went into the kitchen to have some eggs. As she put the eggs on the frying pan a shock went rippling through her head. It sent her flying backwards which made her drop the egg she was holding. It was even worse than when she heard the cracks of the egg. Sarah looked up, dazed. As she got up to clean up the egg mess another shock went through her, making her fall backwards again onto the hard floor. Sarah thought she was going through some kind of metamorphosis. She had no clue what was going on. She got up again, this time holding on to something unless another shock came. Which did. This one was even harder than the last two. Sarah sat down on a chair and put her head on the table, closed her eyes and thought of Midnight right in front of her.
"What's going on with me, what are you doing?" Sarah thought
"I'm growing into what I was born to be. Do not worry about the shocks." Midnight answered
"Don't worry about the shocks! They practically killed me. How am I supposed to live with migraine headaches 24-7?" she yelled
"This happened to every Dragonon in the world, yours is no different from the rest." Midnight said
"Yeah, that may be, but was every Dragonon eight years old?!" Sarah said
"You have made your point fine and clear, but I cannot do anything about it." Thought Midnight
"Whatever" said Sarah and she opened her eyes.
Sarah ate her small and pitiful breakfast in a few famished bites.
"Whatever Midnight's getting must be better than this." thought Sarah.
A loud Thump signaled Midnights return. Sarah went out side to see not a weak, small, and young dragon, but a tall, fully-grown, strong dragon.
"What happened, it looks like you've been gone for ages." said Sarah.
Midnight laughed, "Remember those shocks to your head?"
"Yes." replied Sarah rubbing her forehead remembering the painful shocks not to long ago.
"Well, each one signified another year older. Do not worry, it will never occur again." Said Midnight looking down upon Sarah, "Now, are we going to teach to you to be a Dragonon or what?"
Sarah sighed, "I don't know. I don't have a trainer and my family will be back soon. Besides I have no where to let you sleep."
Midnight pointed with her tail, "Do you see those forests and mountains, just beyond the town?"
"Yes" said Sarah looking as far as her eye could go.
"That's where I will stay. And as for your trainer, I know an old friend of my father's that we can go to.
Chapter 4: In Training
"Why are we at the library?" thought Sarah looking puzzled. She and Midnight were at the back entrance of the library.
"Just go in and tell the librarian what I told you to say." replied Midnight.
Sarah entered the library, and ringed the bell and the front desk.
"Good morning Sarah" said a voice from the other room.
"Good morning Gertrude, umm there's someone I want you to meet out back. Don't be a little shocked when you see her but you might remember her." Said Sarah wondering what the heck Midnight might want with Gertrude.
"Okay but let's make it quick." said Gertrude walking out from the desk and following Sarah out the back door.
When they were outside Sarah closed her eyes and called Midnight.
"Okay, she's out. Now please don't hurt her, she's a good friend." thought Sarah.
"Do not worry Sarah, Gertrude will be fine." replied Midnight.
"Gertrude, look." said Sarah shaking her arm.
"Oh, my golly gosh. Midnight. Is that you?" said Gertrude.
Midnight walked out from the trees so the sun could shine on her scales.
Sarah was confused, "Now wait one crystal tumbling moment. Gertrude, how do you know about Midnight?"
Gertrude looked at Sarah, "I've kept this a secret for 32 years. Yes I'm a Dragonon, but I'm retired. Midnight's father, Midteres, was my dragon. I was at Midnight's naming ceremony. But, I heard that Midteres and Starnight were both killed in a battle."
"It's true. They rest in the endless stars of the sky now. But there are more important things to do than grieve. Gertrude, we need you as a Dragonon trainer." said Midnight.
"WHAT!?" screamed Gertrude
"Please calm down Gertrude, yes Midnight is my dragon." said Sarah
"Please Gertrude, do it for me, and for Midteres." Pleaded Midnight, "You're our only chance of defeating the Wackturos and the Dragon Lord Pontaro."
"Wackturos eh? Those are those creatures that are made of every earth mineral and all the most dangerous animals on the planet, almost invincible? What about the Dark Magic. That's their source of life, so to defeat Pontaro, we have to defeat the Dark Magic to defeat the Wackturos right?" explained Gertrude
"What?" said Sarah even more confused than last time.
"That's correct" said midnight nodding her head.
"I'll do it." Said Gertrude, "I'll just need to talk to your parents about this."
Gertrude and Sarah walked to Sarah's house. As they walked in to the town every one they passed was running and screaming in the other direction.
In Sarah's head she heard Midnight roar, "Get out of there, the Wackturos have come!"
"It's the Wackturos!" yelled Sarah, "We need to get to my house quick."
"Sarah!" shouted a voice. Sarah's mother came running toward her. She was carrying Matthew, and her father who was right behind her was carrying Toast.
"Mom!?" yelled Sarah.
"Come with us." Said her mom.
"No mom, I can't my duty lies here with Gertrude and my life long friend. It's up to me to stop this, after all it's my fault they're here."
"You must come with us Sarah." Shouted her mom.
"No mom, you don't understand, I have to do this. It's my future." she yelled back
Her mother started to cry.
"I hope you know what you're doing." Sobbed her mom, "I always knew this day would come, but there is greatness within you. Be safe, you have our love always."
"I love you too mom, dad, Matthew, and Toast.
Sarah took forever to say good-bye. But finally Gertrude interrupted.
"Go, go now, before it's to late." And the rest of Sarah's family disappeared into the crowd. Gertrude took Sarah by the arm and they rushed to the safety of the trees where they met up with Midnight.
"We must go now" screamed midnight, "Get on my back."
"But, I don't know how to ride yet." Sarah said.
Gertrude hoisted her on to Midnight, "Lesson number one: In a crisis like this, don't think just act when deciding wither to ride or not. Now hold on tight around Midnight's neck. Go Midnight, we're ready!" And they took off into the sky staying low enough so they wouldn't be seen.
Sarah's vision was blurred. All she could see was destroyed houses. Hers was totally wiped out. She caught glimpses of the Wackturos, blood thirsty beasts. They were pretty ugly to. Not even real skin just hard dirt and rock with little bits of fur hear and there. Bright red eyes, and snakeskin on the feet and hands. Fangs the size of water bottles and weapons of swords, spears, and arrows. It was a horrid sight.
All she could hear was the beating of Midnight's wings. She was in panic, and thought she would pass out. Which she eventually did.
When they landed, they were in a far off country that Sarah had never seen nor heard of. There where mountains in every corner and lush green forests with wide, deep rivers flowing through them. Gertrude helped Sarah get off and told Midnight to go hunt for all three of them.
"Where are we?" asked Sarah sitting up.
"We are in the land called Cartenuto." said Gertrude trying to light a fire on a little pile of sticks that she had collected.
Sarah closed her eyes and tried to talk to Midnight.
"Hey, I can't talk to Midnight." she complained.
Gertrude looked up, "That's called blocking, if your dragon doesn't want to talk to you at the moment, it will block your message. If you don't want to talk to your dragon, you can block your head from her message."
"Why does Midnight want to block me? I haven't done anything have I? Nothing to upset her I hope." said Sarah looking down at her feet.
"No, that's probably not why, besides, that was her first time flying with a dragonon and two of them at once. Or, maybe she's blocking you so she can concentrate on catching something to eat for you." said Gertrude.
Sarah was not that hungry that night for rabbit shish-kabobs.
"You know, your going to have to get used to eating what's in front of you." Said Midnight, "You can't always just sit there and say you're not hungry."
"Midnight," said Gertrude, "she's eight years old, she just lost her family, and she has to defeat the strongest being on earth.
When the last of the rabbit was eaten up by Midnight they all sat around the fire. Sarah, leaning up against Midnight, looked deep into the flames. In the fire there was a dragon, orange, with jet black wings and poisonous spikes on the tail.
"Who's that?" Sarah asked not taking her eyes off the sight.
"Who's who?" said Gertrude.
"There's a dragon in the flames. It's orange with black wings and spikes on the tail."
"Ah, now that would be a Midturren Dragon." Gertrude said.
Sarah looked up "I'm going to take a walk."
She got up and walked down to a stream. She looked up into the sky and sat down. Midnight joined her.
Sarah closed her eyes, "I know who that was." She told Midnight.
"Do you." Midnight replied.
"It was…Pontaro. I can feel it." Sarah thought.
"That is correct, I don't know where you got the ability to think magically, but that is the first step into learning it. Seeing things you had no idea existed in the flames of dragon fire. And if you want to learn magic, you must prove it to me in a battle of wits."
"Like that's ever going to happen" yawned Sarah. And she fell asleep right there.
The next morning Gertrude woke Sarah up early.