Expanding Friendships

"H-How c-could th-they d-do th-that t-t-to me?" sniffled Hookfang, sheltering by a willow tree. The poor Nightmare hatchling sobbed his eyes out.

"Hello there!" said a voice. Or rather, two voices.

"Oh, h-hello," whimpered Hookfang in a small voice, "Who a-are y-you?"

"I'm Barf!"

"And I'm Belch!"

"We're twins!"

"I m-might h-have known it," said Hookfang, starting to smile a bit.

"Why were you crying?" asked Belch.

"You see, there are these two meanie Gronckle girls –"

"Say no more!" replied Barf, "We can deal with them!"


"Hookfang! Hookfang!" Liz cried out.

"Look little bro, we're sorry!" added Meatlug.

Suddenly green smog surrounded the girls.

"I feel queasy!" squeaked Meatlug, before blasting up vomit and fire.

The gas exploded, leaving two blackened baby Gronckles, the smaller of the two very hacked off.

"If this is Hookfang's doing," growled Meatlug in a low voice, "Then he's –"

"It's a Zippleback's doing, sis," said Liz, watching the surrounding forest area in caution. Luckily no trees had caught alight, but there was still the danger of a stranger dragon.

Stranger Danger is not just common to humans, of course, but to dragons as well.

"Hi!" squeaked a cute, mischievous voice.

"We did that!" squeaked another similar-sounding voice.

"Well, WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" roared Meatlug in fury.

Barf and Belch flew out from behind a tree. So did Hookfang.

"Because you hurt our friend over here," grinned the twins cheekily. Hookfang looked at Liz and Meatlug nervously.

"Uh… hi guys," he whispered softly.

"Well hello, Hookfang," said Liz, "Me and Meatlug were just about to apologize."

"Look, we are very sorry, bro," sighed Meatlug, "And I guess me and Liz deserved being gassed here by these two…"

"Barf!"

"And Belch!"

"Pleased to meet you two," smiled Liz.

"We're all cool here – we're all best friends again," chirped Hookfang happily, "Only this time, new friends have just joined the party!"

"HOORAY!" whooped the group of friends and now-friends.

"Let's play!" squeaked Barf and Belch.


And so the baby dragons played, all now good friends. They played all afternoon, the hours passing by blissfully, peacefully, and happily.

Then they all fell asleep at dusk, snoozing side by side under the shadow of a great oak tree.