When he hatched...

When HE hatched-HE caused an uproar amongst the clan, barely a minute old and already he created unease. Mainly he caused this within his own mother who, at heart, believe in every myth and legend in the world.

Both his parents were Coatls; briliantly colored and flashy.

He was not...

He was pale; a terriable omen of bad luck. But his father, he'd like to disagree.

He loved his father for that, for standing by his side and helping him raise his drooped head in pride of his pale colors instead of in shame. But sometimes...

"He NEEDS to leave the clan!" Sometimes...

"Elessa! He's but a hatchling! Besides he's NOT unlucky- he's a point one percenter, he's a miracle." Sometimes... it hurt to hear them agrue, all because of his colors. But he stayed, the leader, Buchanan, and his well-respected council of three voted so. They did not believe his colors would bring ill fate down upon the rest of the clan. There were plenty of pale colors amongst them and not one ever brought bad luck on them and they wanted to prove a point.

But sometimes... he could still hear them,his parents, hissing and maddeningly hmm out accusions in the Coatl tongue. All because of his grey-ness, of his thistle wings, and the deepest black gems that covered every inch of him. Everyday he felt unwanted by some of the memebers and loved by the other half.

He was falling into depression; he started failing at his combat courses with Fei, couldn't pay attention to Azurite's history and world lessons, and most certainly couldn't stand Kabos' ramblings of magic and valuable objects.

Buchanan knew, he had to have known, or else Tane wouldn't have gone to the Auction house to get him that surprise gift, to pull him out the depression.

"Young fellow." Buchanan, the praised leader called out one day to him. Many wouldn't peg him as the leader, most clans would want a strong guardian or ridgeback as the leader. Buchanan was but a Fae- clad in iron armor and bore nothing but the most basic of genes.

Hardly worth a second glimpse... and yet he WAS worth it.

"Tane had gone out exalt resueing again. Thankfully he only brought one back, but I think you two would be good friends in my mind. Maybe you can kindly show her around the lair?" He hadn't expected it, hadn't thought anyone would approve of him even escorting a new dragon around for fear of something unlucky happening.

But the instant he laid eyes on the female imperial that strolled in, timid, but confident at the same time-he knew. he knew she was there on purpose, not because Tane decided at a whim to pay the travel and adoption fee.

"Hi. Guess your showing me around then?" She asked with a lovely texture voice. Whatever accent she had, it was a beautiful one making her voice feel like a soft caress on his cheek, but with enough volume that no one could even pretend she hadn't spoke.

"Y-yes... Bit of surprise I'll admit. I wasn't expecting to give an orientation... at all." He wasn't sure what to say to her as he was greatly-maybe even a tad bit happy- that she hadn't shy-ed away because of his colors.

Of her colors.

This imperial bore the same vast greyness tinged by thistle wings and the deepest black crackle as he did- well he didn't have the same genes, but the colors matched all too well with his own.

"It be nice to know your name." She said so kindly, laced with sweetness and love. How could anyone want her out of their lair was beyond his spand of knowledge.

"Karamat. It means 'miracle' or so my father says..." Karamat said in the common tongue which came so easily to him unlike many other Coatls. "Do you per chance have a name?"

"No... I am but referred to as Daughter of Torfri and Shaderain of the Shifting Expanse," She replied, that loving smile dipping lower now, but bouncing right back. "But I'm sure I'll recieve a name in no time!"

Karamat couldn't help but return a small smile back. Perhaps being a pale Coatl-a Pale anything-wasn't as bad as others made it out to be. But he already sent it on his mind to leave the clan one day, for he couldn't bare to stand the constant shifting eyes, whispers, and the agruements his parents had almost daily.

But perhaps... perhaps he'll take this Imperial with him whose smile was as bright as any flashy colors.

But he had to know, as they walked down hallway after hallway lit by fireflies in jars. he had to know something.

"And this is Impulse's den, he's a crounch and definitely needs his space..." He trailed off as they past yet another room, up ahead was an opening into a small area that had a circlar hole in the ceiling that let the light shine down. some the light was blocked by the massive tree that lend over the edge of the hole.

The imperial stopped her sight-seeing for a blink as she noted he suddenly went quiet. A tilt of her head was all he needed to spill out his thought.

"Are you not afraid?" Karamat asked almost shakingly.

"Why would I?" At first Karamat thought she meant being in this lair as he hadn't specfically asked if she was afraid of HIM, but she knew. "Pale colors are just that, pale colors. Why be afraid of them?"

And a great weight was eased off his shoulders; All he wanted was to here those words, that his pale colors meant nothing. The others of the clan implied it, but never really spoke it aloud; well except Buchanan, but he's the leader and he needs to keep the peace. But to hear those words from a complete stranger?

A thousand times more powerful and uplifting than anything in the world.

And the weightless that he felt then stayed with him for the rest of that day as he rebounded his efforts to give to this nameless imperial a wonderful first day in her new clan.

During the night, when all had fallen into the abyss of sleep, he swirled many names in his mind for the lovely imperial with the heart of gold. two words kept swirling in his head. Regal- for the imperial was like a kind, but diginified queen to him- and dull for her colors that she wore proudly and without hestiation.

"Redula...? Redula." It fit in his mind and when he suggested the name, the imperial hugged him out of seer and unbridled joy. Buchanan's knowing smile and nod at the naming ceremony was all too ingrained in Karamat's mind. He knew, he knew bringing Redula here would brighten his world.

But that didn't mean the shifting eyes, whispers, and arguing ceased.

Sometimes... sometimes he'd feel like a nobody again.

But always Redula was there for him.

And one day, gave him his ultimate motivation when he had sulked into his room and curled up on himself. She came in knowing he needed her company and words to bring out his smile again.

"Have you ever heard the saying,"the eyes are the window to the soul?" Karamat shook his head negatively for he had never heard that saying in his life. "Your eyes give away who you really are deep inside, not your appearance." Karamat lifted his head up curiously.

"And your bright, beautiful, green gems for eyes betray that colorful and briliant soul that is you. Don't ever let that change." Karamat couldn't express his feelings to her, of his ultimate joy at having her around. He only managed to give an affectionate nuzzle which she returned full-heartedly.

Even if he were to take off and explore the universe, he knew deep down that Redula-sweet Redula- would be by him no matter the twists and turns in his fate- in THEIR fate.