As I got closer, the sound of screams hit me like a bomb. I sped up, willing myself to hurry. I dodged through leaves, and avoided bugs. Once I could swear I saw a sloth waving, but I didn't think about it for long. What if there was an emergency? I landed on a small, suspended veranda, my claws scratching the wood, and I rushed to the doorway. There was no door, just a curtain of the vines that grew as the roof. I knocked on the wall, but there was no answer.
I swept the curtain aside, and stepped inside. "Hello?" I called, uncertainly. Again, no answer. I tiptoed inside. The wails of agony had stopped, at least for now. First, I saw Caterpillar, tears streaming down is face. "Caterpillar?" I run to his side.
" It's coming, I didn't know it would be so painful, I can't give her a dart because it would just make it more painful when she wakes uuuhuuup," he sobs.
"What is coming?" I ask, genuinely worried now.
"The egg! All my fault, my fault. . .I'm behind it. . ." he went off muttering, and I followed. And there was Lily, sprawled on the floor, breathing hard. But then the next contraction hit, and she was thrown into another fit of agonised screaming.
It was heart-breaking to watch, Lily's scales a swirl of colors. There was red, and light and dark green, and giant splotches of white. In pain, fearful, and distressed, I translated.
I tip-toed to her outstretched wings, and rested my talon against hers. It didn't help. But then, she gave the loudest scream yet, and a white egg clattered onto the floorboards.
Caterpillar sprinted inside, holding a coconut shell of water, and still crying but with joy. Lily gladly took the water, and in between gulps, said," I'm so sorry that you had to see that princess."
"It's okay. I guess it was a good experience, knowing that I might go through that someday," I replied, shuddering at the thought of going through that someday.
After that awkward introduction, Lily asked me what had brought me here, and I told her about leaving. We shared a cup of nectar, and she gave me a royal lily as her blessing. I thanked them profusely, before flying off, saying I had many more visits to make.
Before going to Hope's house, I decided to stop by the Dragonet Center. This was where the RainWing, and now NightWing, dragonets spent their first few years. It was one of my favorite spots when I was younger, though I didn't spend much of my time there, since I actually knew who my family was.
There was a trampoline of tightly woven vines, and swings hanging from the trees. To help the dragonets learn to fly, several thick sticks were hammered into the high fence at alternating angles, and just in case the mossy forest floor wasn't enough, there was a giant hammock below that. Dragonet paradise.
And as I hadn't been there in a while, I couldn't wait to see if there were any new dragonets.