Time of Our Lives - Nebulous

-X-

"Roooaaaaaar!"

The SkyWing palace echoed and bustled with life, the throne room overlooked the buildings outside, a huge balcony peering over the edge of it all. Inside the throne room six dragons inhabited the space and mingled about.

Ruby (Aka Tourmaline) lounged on the throne, Peril lounging besides her a few feet away. The mandatory two guards oversaw the whole room, keeping an eye on Prince Cliff and the newly introduced Stardust. The two dragonets tussled playfully and pounced around on each other as young dragonets do.

Notably, Stardust had grown to around the size of Cliff, the two seemingly best friends already. Giggling and fake snarling and roaring as they tussled around, Ruby and Peril smiled brightly watching their dragonets as proud parents.

"Cliff is getting big! He's still adorable though." Peril smiled to Ruby, who nodded and tilted her head at Stardust.

"I get the feeling that he'll stay that way forever. And Stardust certainly has a bright head on his shoulders!" Ruby turned to Peril curiously. "How come you never told me you adopted a dragonet?"

Peril opened her mouth to answer, however nothing came up. Shortly after, she closed it and sighed.

"It was… uhm… an emergency, per se. He was left at Jade Mountain and, well now he has a whole mountain of dragons as his family."

"Ahh, alright." A dawn of understanding aroused her curiosity. "So it wasn't just you and Clay deciding you wanted to raise a dragonet?~" Ruby teased, Peril blushed and chortled softly.

"Oh hush! ... " She glanced down and cracked a moderate grin. "...It was partially that, and believe me we're GOING to have one in time but nOT YET!" Peril settled herself down again. "But anyways, Stardust was left as an egg at the mountain and we decided to raise him."

Ruby, now even more curious shot a glance to the two dragonets just laying on their backs tired out. "Pray tell, why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

Stardust giggled and nosed the prince's wing. The two exchanged intimidating glares, then promptly collapsed into a pile of giggles again.

Peril took a breath and turned to Ruby again.

"That's why I'm here. You noticed Stardust's unique look right?"

Ruby nodded. "Yes. A hybrid, is he not? Half Nightwing half Rainwing, like Peacemaker?" Peril ever so gently jumped at Ruby saying that.

"Yyyes but remember," She whisper hissed to the queen, "that's our secret and no one else can hear about that!"

Returning to normal she sighed and regained her posture. "And no, he isn't a hybrid."

The two glanced to the two dragonets again, this time both of them met their parent's gaze. Peril smiled to Stardust who waved back. Promptly the two dragonets were in a dogpile atop each other again.

"He isn't? What do you mean Peril?" Ruby's expression tinged with worry, Peril gazed off into the distance in memory. If flashbacks could manifest in real time it would've right then.

"I'm not even sure he's from Pyrrhia… Or even from this planet. If he is, he's something the likes of which none of us have ever seen before…"

Ruby's eyes locked onto Stardust with a keenly sharp sense of wonder/worry. "How old is he? He looks to be almost as old as Cliff, how could you have kept it a secret for this long?"

Peril sighed again, donning a curious expression of pride and worry.

"Stardust hatched just two weeks ago."

Immediately, Ruby cocked her head to the side and left Peril with a bewildered look.

"Two weeks ago…? But how? Look at him, he looks almost like a 1 year old!" Peril almost cut in when Ruby ceased expressing her astonishment, but was cut off again.

"And mentally he's as developed as one too! It took Cliff this long just to start talking! I mean, once he DID start he wouldn't stop, which, I love him to death but GOODness…"

Ruby trailed off and Peril finally cut back in.

"He started to talk just a week after he hatched." Before Ruby could cut in again, Peril followed up. "And this week he JUST started to speak in full sentences. He's still working on it but he's progressing fast."

Both SkyWings turned to watch their children in awe. Ruby spoke softly in wonder. "That's… amazing… Almost scary."

Cliff and Stardust ceased their horsing around and looked to their mothers. Cliff spoke up first.

"Are we in trouble?"

Ruby shook her head, but motioned for them to come forwards. "Not at all my darlings, but Stardust, can you come here for a second? I'd like to get a look at you."

The starry dragonet trotted up and plopped himself in front of the queen herself, he tilted his head and looked to Peril.

"What's wrong momma?"

Peril, smiley and proud as ever, conveyed a reassuring look to her Stardust. "Nothing sweetie, Aunt Ruby just wants to get a look at you."

Ruby, turned to Peril and arched an eyebrow.

"Aunt Ruby?"

Peril smiled again and gestured to the colorful dragonet. Ruby cleared her throat and took on her mother like personality.

"Stardust, I just want to look you over. Alright?"

Stardust nodded and smiled, sitting perfectly still for Ruby as she hopped down and inspected the dragonet curiously.

Taking note of the color shifting scales all along his body, Ruby made a special effort to make sure he felt welcome and loved.

"Oh my… You have the most handsome scales I think I've ever seen! We have a real looker on our talons don't we?~"

Stardust beamed a smile and sat up ever so straighter. Cliff pouted to himself while his mother inspected his playmate.

"Heyyy… I thought I was the handsome one!" Ruby nosed Cliff and kissed his head.

"You are and always will be little one, no one can compare to you.~" Cliff's smile almost caught on to the guards' faces, the two watching all this happen. Cliff hopped up besides Peril who gave him a warm wink of assurance.

Ruby stepped back and sat down in front of Stardust. "Young dragonet, you are a VERY special case indeed! Might I ask, are you changing the color of your scales yourself, can you control it?"

Stardust shrugged. "I dunno… But oh! I can do this, watch!"

He concentrated hard, shutting his eyes and straining himself in such a way Ruby thought he was going to burst into flames. Slowly but surely however, the rate at which the scales shifted colors grew faster and faster, almost to the point where they became indistinguishable.

After almost a minute of this, Stardust burst out breathless and panted softly. His scales returned to normal, as he seemed rather proud of himself. Ruby clapped encouragingly for him.

Notably, he kept his wings closed the entire time. Peril piped up.

"Stardust, can you show Aunt Ruby your wings? She needs to see that as well."

Stardust nodded and promptly spread his wings.

A hushed gasp filled the room, Ruby took a step back while Cliff just stood there mesmerised. The guards dropped their spears, everyone in the room totally transfixed on the shifting intricate patterns of Stardust's wings.

Stardust stood there and smiled, enjoying the attention and eyes of everyone. As everyone kept staring, Ruby drew forwards and gingerly inspected his wings all around. The starry dragonet giggled as she poked his tickle spots, and finally she let him put his wings back down.

"...Thank you Stardust. I very much appreciate it, and you are welcome here anytime." Ruby, hushed and amazed, nodded with a smile. Stardust smiled and nodded in return, crouching into a pounce aimed towards Cliff.

The two went off again, Ruby taking her place next to Peril. Peril in turn glanced to her.

"Any ideas?"

Ruby shook her head no, distracted by the incredibly unique dragonet with her son. "No… None I'm afraid." Ruby pried her eyes off to meet Peril's. "Peril… I need you to tell me everything that's happened with him so far, however insignificant."

Peril sighed and laid down her head. "Hoo boy… Where do I start?"

Ruby, still serious and worried slightly, met Peril's eyes directly. "From the moment he arrived as an egg, start there."

Peril nodded, recounting the moment he hatched under the moonlight surrounded by everyone.

"...and slowly, the light faded. Everything fell silent again. That's when Moon started tapping her talon on the egg, and then we heard a little tap coming from inside right where Moon was tapping. Soon after that he hatched, and well… Not much else after that really."

Ruby, awed and wide eyed attention drawn to Stardust, stumbled for words. "I see… and he's also Fireproof similar to Clay?"

Peril nodded, particularly gleeful about that. "Yep! Means he'll be a lot safer, and notably he heals all his scratches and bruises quickly, almost as if nothing happened in the first place." Her smile to Ruby conveyed both pride and a feeling of safety.

"As a parent, it's incredibly reassuring." Ruby's worried expression faded into a lesser form, a tinge of anxiety in the back of her mind.

"I can imagine… With Cliff, I'm constantly worried about his safety. He's a prince, and should be treated as such but you remember what happened with Scarlet, yes?"

Peril shivered to herself. "Oh moons that was awful… But the good thing is Cliff didn't get hurt, right?"

Both SkyWings glanced to their kids, now just sitting and overlooking the balcony. They took a keen fascination to the bustling village down below.

"No, thankfully." Ruby still seemed concerned, but as her gaze drifted across the star speckled dragonet next to Cliff a sense of calm washed away the doubt and anxiety.

"I think my biggest flaw as a parent is that I want to protect Cliff from everything that can harm him. He's so small and innocent and, considering how many enemies I have already, there's so much out there, so many dragons who would do him harm in a heartbeat…"

Ruby snapped back to herself after drifting off in thought.

"But that's only a small part of what lies out there. And if he is to help rule this kingdom one day, he should know everything there is to know, and I can't protect him from it all…"

Peril nosed closer to Ruby, a gesture of comforting between them. "That is true, yes… you can't protect him from everything."

Right as Ruby attempted to interrupt again, Peril piped up again. "bUT!"

Peril gestured to the two dragonets again, Cliff acting princely and Stardust pretending to bow and scrape humbly. The two then went back to rough housing.

Peril's grin permeated the air as her scales shimmered with heat. "But… Cliff has a great head on his shoulders. He's brave and kind and… he's a natural born leader and he's got SUCH a great mom!" Almost prodding Ruby's wing she offered a hopeful and warm smile.

"Ruby… He's going to be an amazing prince. I know it."

It was hard to tell but Queen Ruby's snout flushed a deeper red and gave Peril a shy but welcome smile. "Thank you Peril… I guess I'm just paranoid Scarlet rubbed off on me."

Peril snorted and shook her head. "Absolutely not! If she rubbed off on anyone, it'd be me! And as bad as that sounds I actually reversed that now! I mean, yeah I did kinda kill a lot of dragons for her and such, but hEy! Am I proud of that?!"

Ruby, confused as to where Peril was going with this regarded her with an awkward glance. "...are you?"

Peril lifted a talon in the air to prove her point, but the words would not come out.

After a moment of silence the two bust out laughing.

"Okay as bad as that may have looked," Peril assured Ruby in her best serious tone, regardless of still laughing. "I swear I am not going to be a bad influence on Cliff! You have my word!"

Ruby, also still chortling to herself, nodded knowingly. "I know, I know. I trust you, alright? I always will Peril."

The two shared an assuring glance of trust, solidifying a bond between them. Ruby then glanced to Stardust.

"As for Stardust… I trust he's in the very best talons possible." She turned back to Peril.

"Also, I'm going to gather up all the SkyWing scholars I can, do a bit of digging on anything they can find related to him. If anything is found, Jade Mountain Academy will be the first to know. Alright?"

Peril nodded back, the two watching their young ones still gaze over the balcony. Ruby happened to think out loud for a moment.

"You know… I get the feeling Stardust is going to bring about great change."

The sun, still tilted to gleam directly into the balcony, glanced upon the two shining young dragonets. Stardust spread his wings to soak it all in, inspiring Cliff to do the same.

Peril's sense of calm, secure warmth about Stardust set in.

"I know he will."

-That Night-

Wings open to catch the fierce moonlight overhead, Stardust found himself breathing slower and deeper as a strange energy filled his being. The swirling galaxies on his underwings pulsed and shone more intensely as the three moons glimmered on him.

'Stardust, where are you?'

Opening his eyes, a voice prodded him in the back of his mind. Specifically, Moon's.

'Outside, lookin' at the moon.'

Something curious about Moon's mind reading, in tandem with Stardust, came the ability for them to talk within the confines of each other's heads. As he responded, he projected an image of the same stone outcropping he was left on as an egg.

Moon shortly padded outside.

"Stardust, you should be asleep little guy!" She planted herself next to him, nudging his wing. "Won't Sunny be worried sick when she sees you're not with her?"

Stardust's head fell to the ground a little bit guilty, and nodded. "Yeah… But the moons are so pretty tonight... I just had to be under em, they make my wings feel good!"

Spreading them ever more, he looked to the moons with eyes as wide as the great luminaries themselves. A sigh escaped his mouth wistfully.

"...Hey Moon?"

Moon nudged his baby brother supportively. "Yeah?"

Stardust kept his eyes trained on the stars above.

"...Am I different?"

Moon, a bit taken aback, thoughtfully peered to the heavens alongside Stardust.

"Is different a bad thing?"

A brief moment of silence permeated the air around them, sacred moonlight filling the gap.

Once again, Stardust asked: "Am… Am I a bad different?"

Moon felt even more taken aback at that question. "No, of course not! You are the best kind of different there can possibly be!"

Moon sidled up to her brother and nosed his head affectionately, in as comfortingly a way as she could.

"Stardust, ever since you arrived here you brought the whole of Jade Mountain together. You've brought Peril and Clay together even more, you've given so many other dragons inspiration and wonder…" Moon's tail twined around Stardust's ever so gently and reassuringly.

"You've met several queens of the kingdoms, all who want nothing but the best for you, and everyone that has ever met you you've brought happiness to…"

Stardust finally broke his gaze from the moons, his teary eyes looking to his big sister. Moon laid her snout atop the smaller dragonet.

"And you've given me a little brother who I love so much… I can't speak for everyone in Pyrrhia, but to the dragons who matter the most right now, you are absolutely a good different. And don't you dare let anyone else make you think any differently, because you are a shining star among us…"

Stardust threw his arms around Moon affectionately, now focused on her entirely. Moon squeezed back and nuzzled his forehead. "You're my Stardust little one… And I'd rather the moons fall down than lose you."

Stardust smiled and nosed his big sisters snout with a teary expression of joy. "I don't ever wanna lose you either Moon… You're awesome." The two nuzzled closer and hugged each other softly.

As the moons above graced the sky and the starry dragons cuddled up, Moon nudged Stardust's shoulder softly.

"I'm gonna get some sleep…" Moon met her brother's eyes somewhat sternly. "I want YOU to get some sleep too, okay baby brother?"

Moon actually took great pleasure in watching Stardust's ears flop down and flush in the face when called baby brother, and enjoyed it even further kissing his head good night and noticing his beaming smile.

Stardust nodded and kissed her cheek back. Notably, Stardust never was taught this but rather did it on his own. "Okaaay… Just five more minutes? I promise I'll be back inside soon!"

With big pleading eyes to the skies, Stardust nosed her sister as she padded back inside.

"Alright, but if you're late for classes tomorrow you're in for it mister.~" Moon parted with a warm smile to his baby brother. "G'night Stardust, sweet dreams.~"

Stardust bid her goodnight as well. As soon as the silence set in once again, Stardust's head lifted to the moons above. He closed his eyes, the serenity of the night settling his mind into peace.

As he absorbed the moon's rays, a familiar hum grew in the air, as more and more of the light surrounded his body. His wings shimmered with energy as more and more glowing light swirled around him.

And the whole mountain thrummed ever so softly, Stardust's power setting it alight as a star in the sky.

-X-

The Queen's chambers resonated with a soft glow, an unearthly hum inducing a sleep state in all the room. Queen Pulsar floated aloft in a suspension pod, laying horizontally.

In her dreamstate, a familiar power ached and begged to be heard, distant across the cosmos yet distinct and unerringly calling to her. Bloodlines echoed through the sightless, soundless dreamscape yet bled with an intensely recognizable energy.

As it grew to a crescendo, she awoke in a cold sweat, hopeful realization flashed across her whole being.

-X-

King Galaxy met with his table of advisors, a meeting to discuss tactics and careful planning to address various problems and situations across the star systems. All this was cut short by the Queen barreling in and dancing about, shouting joyfully.

King Galaxy went alongside her to calm her down as the rest of the advisers watched in bewilderment.

"Dear, dear!" Galaxy held her wife in place, overjoyed to see her so happy after so long a time of despair, but genuinely curious as well. "I'm endlessly happy to see you like this, but… What has you all aflutter?"

Tears down her snout, she simply pressed his head to hers. In the few moments they were pressed together, thoughts and pure emotions rushed between them as the recent dream/experience transcended between the two.

Pulling his head back, Galaxy gasped to himself wordlessly. Unable to produce words, Pulsar wiped her eyes and nodded. "He's out there, Orion. He's alive."

King Orion Galaxy stood next to his dear wife, Queen Aries Pulsar, the two gazed out the clear energy window into the starry void. A nebula of stars and astral matter colored the inky blackness with hope. Galaxy spoke softly, words that grabbed a gasp from the advisors in the room, while he clutched his wife with joy and hope not felt for a long time.

"My son is alive."