Greenroot: Hi everyone, this chapter came early. Inferno and Atlantia are *ahem* kind of tied up at the moment.
*clatter somewhere in the backround*
Greenroot: 0_0 heheh, those are umm, just some... rats! yeah that's it, just rats. anyway, here you go
I stood pacing around the fire habitat with Blaze and Greenroot at my side, while Tidal was just sitting in front of the nursery with sting lying down next to him with her head on his shoulders.
"Inferno calm down, you're gonna wear a hole in the habitat if you keep pacing around like that." Blaze sounded annoyed but I knew he understood how worried I was.
"Sorry Blaze, I'm just nervous that's all, I wonder what egg Atlantia was carrying." I stopped pacing and looked up to the sky, it's been 5 months since I first noticed the growing bulge, and just today the egg was being delivered; Breeze and Grallya were helping her with the process, Breeze since she feels like Atlantia's sister, and Grallya since she's been through this process before. About half an hour later Breeze and Grallya came out, with Atlantia trailing behind them, and that's when I saw the glittering purple shell of our egg, an egg that contained a magic dragon, one of the most spectacular species of dragon ever. I ran over to Atlantia, who seemed quite tired, and made sure she was alright.
"I'm fine Inferno, just a little tired is all, be lucky you don't have to deal with delivering an egg."
"Well I'm glad you're alright, and hey, in a few weeks we're gonna be parents, that's something to look forward to right?"
"Yeah, you're right. Now come on, hold the egg while we fly back, it's going to take all that I've got just to get back home." Just as she was about to take off, I placed a paw on her shoulder.
"Lanti, you're too weak to fly back, let's spend the night here with everyone else, it'll give you time to replenish your strength." She thought it over for a bit and then nodded at me.
"You're right Inferno, I do need the rest, plus I think it's better just to go along with your suggestion since it's impossible to even try to win an argument with you." I just laughed and then helped her over to the water dragon habitat, then I gave her the egg to hold on to since where I'm gonna be is going to be a little crowded. I padded over to the fire habitat where my siblings were and I lied down on my usual spot, but I decided to talk to them before nightfall, or rather they decided to talk to me.
"Well Inferno, looks like Blaze here is the only one of us who has left to become a parent, but I think it's safer that he waits a little while longer since he is the youngest one out of all of us."
"Only by two years sis, but anyway let's focus more on Inferno since he's the most nervous here."
"Ah, I remember how Greenroot acted when we had Sprouter's egg, he acted the same as Inferno is now, worried, proud, yet still adorable."
"Grallya, I am not adorable, if anything you should be fearing me right now."
"Oh calm down mister grumpy flame, I'm just trying to have some fun here. But seriously, how do you feel right now about what happened?"
"Honestly, I'm completely terrified, I have no idea how to be a father, I don't know what to expect from a baby dragon, I'm afraid I'll pull off a stupid move and mess everything up." Both of them sat on either side of me and each placed a paw on one of my shoulders.
"It's alright Inferno, I had absolutely no idea how to be a mother, yet here I am with Sprouter and Greenroot, and I'm also helping you out with this. Trust me, everything's going to be alright."
"I may not have any experience on parenthood, but Greenroot might give you some advice, and hey Grallya's right, there's nothing to worry about, you'll do fine." I looked at each one of them in turn and then smiled.
"Thanks guys, it means a lot that you know I'll be a good father, and Blaze you're right, I'll go talk to Greenroot, the sun still hasn't set yet so I have plenty of time." I got up and flew over to where Greenroot was and landed, right now he was playing with Sprouter, he then heard me and turned to where I was.
"Hey Inferno, what's up?"
"I need your help man, I need some advice on parenthood since you know, you have Sprouter and have some experience."
"Sure man, I'll help you out. Just let me take care of the little guy first." He looked down at Sprouter who was gnawing on a fallen tree branch, but at the same time making leaves grow on it. "Hey buddy, uncle Inferno and daddy have to talk for a bit, can you head on over to mommy for me?" He looked up at his father and nodded, then he walked the short distance where Grallya and Blaze were.
"Wow, you really have this parenting stuff down."
"Yeah, it's really not that hard. Anyway let me tell you this, when your kid hatches, it'll somehow come to you instinctively, I mean for me, I had zero experience being a father, yet here I am, spending time with my kid and even training him to control his powers."
"I guess I could have expected that, but how am I supposed to teach my kid about their power since I'm no magic dragon, and books can only teach so much."
"They'll figure it out, but for what it's worth, help them with what you can."
"Thanks Greenroot, anyway it's way past sunset now, I'll see you tomorrow man."
"Yep, I'll see you tomorrow also." I flew back over to the habitat where I could see that Blaze was snoozing away while Grallya was holding a sleeping Sprouter. I whispered to her so not to wake him.
"You can bring him back to Greenroot now, it's all fine over there, plus you also look like you could use some sleep."
"Alright Inferno, I'll be back in a little." She flew to Greenroot's place where she dropped off Sprouter and then she flew back here.
"So, did he help you out?"
"Yeah, I think he did, at least I've stopped worrying about what's going to happen in the future."
"Good, well it's time to sleep, goodnight Inferno."
"Goodnight Grallya" I drifted off to sleep and dreamt of a happy future with me, Atlantia, and.
"Heatpool huh?" Atlantia pondered over the name I thought up and she seemed to like it the more she thought about it.
"Yeah, the name actually came to me in a dream last night, I don't know how but it just did."
"I like the name, yeah, I think that's what we'll call him."
"How do you know it's a him?"
"While I was in the nursery I happened to come across a book about egg gender differences. With magic dragons it's the number of points the larger shapes have, if it has four points the gender is female, if it has five points the gender is male." I looked closer at the egg and saw that indeed it did have five points.
"Wow, so it seems we're having a son."
"Yep, but for now, let's head back home, I'm really hungry right now." I held the egg on the trip back home, it was warm, almost as if the heat was pulsating from the inside; my son. We landed and I handed over Heatpool's egg to Atlantia and then went off to collect the fish I had stored in the rocks to keep it from being overrun with insects. I brought it over to her and then cooked it up for both of us, then after eating we just sat around and talked for a while.
Five weeks had passed since Heatpool's egg was laid and today was the day. It started small, but eventually the small crack that formed in the center of the egg, spread out and eventually our little Heatpool came tumbling out. It took him a minute to get accustomed to the light, and once he did he took a look at both of us and realized we were his parents, but I guess breaking out of an egg can take a lot out of a little dragon because after taking a look around, he fell right to sleep.
"He's perfect Inferno, just perfect."
"I couldn't agree more, we're finally parents Atlantia, are you just as happy as I am?"
"I think I might be more, but it doesn't matter, our little Heatpool's finally hatched." I felt a strong mixture of emotions, from pride to joy to fear and even to calmness, I guess this is what it felt like to be a father, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
Author's note: Well here you guys are, chapter 7 is completed. Now that I have a laptop I can crank these things out more often, also I'd like to thank SerinasHarmony for supporting this story. Also HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY! I hope you have a great time and I will see you guys next chapter and next year. Peace