Shivering, Ciena awoke from her accidental nap. She had been sunbathing on a rock above her cave when she had dozed off.
But now, there was a change in the lovely evening. Standing up, Ciena noticed the valley that had been beautiful and blissful was now dark and menacing. A dot of pure white was still in the distance, playing in the flowers.
Ciena raised her nose to the sky, worry knotting her stomach. Clouds loomed close to the top of the mountain. Something was wrong, and she could not tell what it was.
"Trinity." She called to the white dot, anxiety tightening her voice, but the little dragon had not heard her.
Suddenly the ground began to shake. It did not start as a small earthquake, instead it hit full force. The ground in the valley began to split and rocks fell from the peaks of mountains.
"TRINITY!" Ciena yelled at the white dragon when the ground split beneath her.
The young dragon flew up into the air and began to fly as fast as she could towards the ice dragon above the cave.
"Mom! What's going on!" Trinity called to Ciena.
"I don't know. Just get into the cave!" the blue dragon called to her, as she jumped off her rock and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Trinity landed quickly and rushed inside, the larger dragon behind her. Once inside, Ciena grabbed the young white dragon and pulled her underneath her, "Just stay still, sweetie. Everything will be just fine."
"But mom, why is the earth breaking? Have we angered the ancestors?" Trinity looked up with wide green eyes.
"No, dear. I believe it is because there is a great war raging outside the valley." Ciena spoke as calmly as she could.
"Between who, mother?" the white dragon fidgeted beneath her mother's underbelly.
Ciena sighed. Trinity was no longer the baby dragon that rolled out of her egg, oblivious to what was going on. She was a young teenage dragon now and lying would not work for very much longer.
"Between the Dark Master and the other dragons."
"Is that were brother went? To fight against the Dark Master?" Trinity asked.
"Yes, he left to –" A sudden crack in the ceiling stopped her midsentence.
Ciena swung her head down to protect the younger dragon under her as the entrance caved. Darkness covered them and a chill immediately set in. They laid there for many moments, listening to only each other's breathing.
"Mom? Are we dead?" The young dragon asked.
Ciena chuckled a little, "Of course not." She lifted her head in the darkness, "It feels as if it has stopped." Standing up, she knocked her head on a rock that hung from the ceiling.
The she-dragon shook her head, scrapping her horns on the roof, "Sweetie, can you do mommy a favor?"
"Of course." She could hear the smile in Trinity's voice, excited to do something for her.
"Can you do that trick Zane taught you?"
"Oh, maybe. I haven't done it in a while."
"Don't worry. You can do it, dear. I know you can."
A few seconds ticked by before a bright blue flame erupted from where Trinity's voice had been coming from. The flames licked against the cave wall and the rocks that trapped them, giving Ciena a perfect view of the part of the cave they were in. It only took a few seconds for her to memorize it and Trinity to run out of energy.
The fire disappeared and the young dragon plopped onto the ground. Knowing where she was, Ciena nuzzled Trinity, "You did great. You're getting to be such a big strong dragon."
The white dragon licked the ice dragon's muzzle happily, "So how are we going to get out of here?"
The blue dragon stood up and placed her paw on the wall of rumble, "Good question."
"Maybe we could –" Trinity went to speak, but was cut off by her mother shushing her.
"Listen…" Ciena strained to hear beyond the wall. There was a constant scrapping sound and rocks falling away, "It sounds as if someone is digging us out."
Then a beam of light shined into the cave. A hole had been made at the top of the wall. The light landed on Trinity's back, where it was then reflected onto the walls, lighting up the small room.
"Mother? Rini?" a male voice called from the other side.
The white dragon jumped to her feet, making the lights on the walls dance, "Zane?"
"Thank the ancestors you are alive! I'll get you out. Stand back please." Zane called from the other side.
Ciena pushed Trinity to the back of the cave, covering her with her wing, making the lights disappear from the walls.
Then the rock wall exploded with electricity and sunlight flooded the cave, like water when a dam breaks.
A large orange dragon, not quite as big as Ciena, stood at the mouth of the cave like a hero, "Now, was that cool or what?" he laughed.
"It was awesome!" Trinity ran from under her mother's wing and attempted to tackle him.
Zane rolled onto his back, making the white dragon think she had succeeded in her attack. Trinity stood on his chest proudly, like he had when he had destroyed the wall, "No one can defeat me!'
The orange dragon laughed and pushed the young dragon off him. He stood up and looked to his mother, who was emerging from the cave.
"Zane, I thought you were fighting in the war." The ice dragon asked.
A huge smile split the electric dragon's face, "That earthquake was the end. Malefor has been defeated and purple dragon pieced the world back together. We are at peace."
"Who's the purple dragon, Zane? And Malefor? Why have I never heard these names until today?" Trinity asked, confusion in her grass green eyes.
"No one, sweetie." It was Ciena the answer, "Why don't we talk somewhere more private, son?"
"Why can't I hear? Why are you hiding stuff from me? I didn't even know there was a war!" the white dragon stepped in front of the ice dragon, narrowing her eyes.
"We aren't hid –"
"Mother!" Zane growled, "When did you become such a liar? She obviously knows something up and one of these days she's going to ask why she doesn't look like us. What are you going to say to her then? Huh?"
Ciena looked taken aback at her son's sudden outburst. She dropped her head in shame before looking to the white dragon in front of her. She had tried not to pay attention to how Trinity looked. She was already taller than Ciena's shoulder and her whole body was slender, nothing like her and Zane. Not to mention her sleek white scales and pastel blue horns and spots.
"You're right, Zane. No more secrets." Ciena sighed before meeting her icy blue eyes with Trinity's green confused ones.
"Come here, little one. I have kept secrets for too long." The blue dragon said sadly.
The white dragon walked slowly to where the she-dragon sat, taking only one glance at her brother who seemed to have a face of aggravation and sadness mixed.
"Trinity, I don't know how to put this." Ciena could not seem to lay eyes on the smaller dragon, so she looked off at the distant mountains.
"Just tell me." Trinity said.
That's when Ciena met the white dragon's green eyes, "Zane is not your real brother." Trinity's eyes widened with shock, "And… I am not your real mother…"
The young dragon backed away quickly, "You're kidding right?" she squeaked, looking to Zane. The male dragon just shook his head sadly, "Then who are you to me?" she looked back to Ciena, "My aunt? Grandmother? Mother's friend?"
The ice dragon just shook her head, "We are not related and I did not know your parents."
"So you dragon-napped me?" Trinity growled.
"No, dear, I sa-" Ciena began.
"Enough! I've heard enough! You've been lying to me all these years? How dare you, Ciena!" Trinity snarled.
Ciena's eyes widened. Trinity calling her by her real name instead of mom was like a horn to the heart.
The white dragon locked her eyes on Zane, "And you help! I trusted you! And looked up to you!" She closed her eyes and shook her head, tears splattering back and forth.
"Rini, you have to understand." Zane said, taking a step towards her.
Trinity bared her teeth, "You have no right to call me that! And I understand enough!" And with that, she jumped into the air and flew off.
Zane jumped to chase her.
"No, son. Leave her be." Ciena said from where she sat.
The electric dragon looked to his mother. She had her head bent low, tears streaming off her face. He landed and walked over to her.
"I'm sorry, mom." He said, nuzzling her face.
"No, I'm sorry." She whispered.