I finished it, I finished it, and everything was done by ME!
Prologue[]
The sun was setting, throwing a pinkish-orangeish-reddish glow through the webs. Kobi's dark pink scales reflected the amber glow beautifully, at least in Tabby's opinion. The two of them sat on the soft webbing of Tabby's cell, staring down at the two eggs. "How much longer do we wait?" Kobi asked, his deep blue eyes questioning and fearful. "Until Acadia arrives with the egg." Tabby replied. They waited in awkward silence for a little longer until something twanged one of the webs. Tabby, walking over to check it out, recognized the orange SilkWing as Acadia. She clutched a pale egg in her talons. "I'm sorry I'm so late." Acadia said. "Just- it was hard getting this little one out." Kobi walked over to stand next to Tabby, and stared at the egg.
"A-Acadia-" he said. "Th-this is a HiveWing egg."
"I said so." said Acadia, clearly confused as to why he didn't know. "When I sent Tabby that letter."
"I didn't see any letter." Kobi replied, hurt. "Tabby just said to wait for you because you wanted us to look after an egg." He looked down at the HiveWing egg. A few cracks had started to spiral across it's white surface. "No one said anything about having to hide a baby HiveWing."
"It's not for long." Acadia said back, her voice falsely hopeful. "I have a friend who's mistress looks after orphans- she'll take it off your talons."
"And what happens if we're caught?" Tabby asked, suddenly worried.
"You won't be!" answered Acadia, in a tone that suggested she didn't know. "Just raise the kid for, maybe, a year, and I'll come back."
"Why can't your friend take the egg now?" Tabby asked. "Surely there's no problem with that."
"Listen, just take it." Acadia replied, holding out the egg. "I promise I'll come back when the time is right." As Tabby took the egg, cradling it in her warm blue and white talons, Acadia stepped back. "Uh- good luck!" she said, and flew off towards the Hive. Shaking her head, Tabby led Kobi back inside, where their two eggs were hatching too. Finally, the first one hatched. A tiny blue dragonet tumbled out, looking around with big, pretty purple eyes. "Oh!" Tabby said adoringly. "He's so cute!" She tenderly picked up her new son. As she did, the second egg shattered, spilling out a pinkish-red bundle. Kobi lifted up their new daughter, his light yellow eyes wide with wonder. "She's perfect." he said, cuddling her. As Tabby turned to agree, the HiveWing egg opened, and a small orange spiky ball slid out and onto the floor. She was actually pretty cute, if spiky. Her adorable brown eyes were accented by a black head, and she was looking around the world like she thought it was the most fascinating thing ever. "She's cute too." Kobi said begrudgingly. He'd clearly been hoping she'd hatch out a full grown bristly ball of spite like every HiveWing seemed to be, but they must have started somewhere. "She's going to be their sister." Tabby said. "She isn't a SilkWing, but that doesn't change anything." The dragonet's dark brown eyes met Tabby's. "She's our daughter."
Chapter One[]
One year later...
Anasa's eyelids flicked open. She got up and stretched, before catching sight of Indra and Gypsy and remembering what today was. Finally she'd meet some other dragonets! She was going to school! She bounced over to Indra's hammock, and promptly upended it onto the floor. "OWW!" Indra cried. "MUMMM!" Tabby swept over. "What's wrong, Indra?" Indra opened his dark blue mouth, but Anasa interrupted him.
"We're going to school today!" she squeaked, hopping over to Gypsy's hammock. Before she could tip her sister out, Tabby stopped her.
"You can't just tip them on the floor, Anasa." she said. "That's not nice."
"It's funny though!" Anasa replied happily, her orange wings buzzing with excitement. Gypsy blinked open her amber eyes and looked over at Anasa and Tabby.
"What's all the yelling about?" she asked. "Some dragons are trying to sleep!"
"SCHOOL!" Anasa squealed. Gypsy stood up in her hammock, so fast it tipped her onto the webs. Tabby looked around worriedly as the silky walls shook.
"Calm down, you three." she said. Kobi lifted his head up from where he was sleeping. Something Anasa always found funny was how when Kobi had just woken up, his antennae were all tangled together, and he never seemed to notice. Very laugh worthy. "Are we setting off, or just forgetting about education?" he grumbled. Tabby looked over at her husband. "We're going to set off in a moment." she said. "I'll take Anasa, you take Indra and Gypsy."
"What?" Kobi asked. "I thought we'd walk them there together!"
"You don't think a HiveWing dragonet with a SilkWing family would stand out?" Tabby hissed. "Just take them, alright?"
"Fine." Anasa hopped over to Tabby, jumping onto her light blue back.
"Yayy!" she said. "Mummy's taking MEEE!" Tabby twisted her head around, and seemed to accept that her dragonet was going to have a ride for a little bit. She turned back to Anasa's siblings. "See you later!" Tabby turned, and flew out of the webs. Anasa almost fell off, it was so dizzying! The Hive loomed up in front of them like a giant beehive. Or wasp nest. Anasa had obviously seen the Hive, but she could never remember which one it was. She also didn't much like it inside. Too dark and stuffy. Tabby landed on a balcony, and Anasa slid off. Tabby had told her the day before about the SilkWings and the HiveWings, and how she was a HiveWing, and how usually SilkWings worked for HiveWings, so she had to pretend Tabby worked for her mum. Anasa had responded by saying "but you're my mum!" Tabby silently led Anasa in through the door, past a pair of guards. Anasa noticed a bunch of pictures on the walls. They had writing, but she was too far away and couldn't read. Anasa wanted to try and say something, but instinct told her not to. She wasn't paying much attention, until Tabby stopped. "Here we are." Tabby murmured. Anasa stared up at the large building. It looked way more intimidating that she'd imagined it looking. Then again, her imagination had also put it out on the webs so maybe this was normal. "Have a nice day, Anasa." Tabby said. Anasa waved, and walked through the open doors. She was immediately bumped by another dragonet. It looked like there were MILLIONS! Anasa walked along quietly, her usual peppiness gone. A bunch of grown-up HiveWings stood by a bunch of doors. Over the chatter, she heard one yell her name. Loudly. "ANASA! ANASAAAAA!" Anasa found the HiveWing who was yelling, a pale yellow female who had stripes over her snout. "Y-yes?" Anasa said nervously.
"Ah, there you are." the other HiveWing said. "I'm Enema. I'll be teaching you. Come in." Anasa followed Enema into the room. Loads of HiveWing dragonets were sitting at desks, chatting. They fell silent as Anasa entered. "Everyone, this is Anasa." Enema said. "Anasa is new here. Let's see... Junebug! Upis! If you two move up, there's space for Anasa." A pair of HiveWings sat up and pushed their desks to one side. Enema lifted up a chair and put it between them. Anasa followed her over and sat down. "Hi." whispered the HiveWing on the left. "I'm Junebug, the other one is Upis." Junebug's dark red scales reminded Anasa of Gypsy, but less pink. She also wore glasses, which gave her eyes a bunch of different layers. "I'm Anasa." Anasa replied, turned to Upis. He winked, which made his very pale orange freckles sparkle. "Alright, pipe down." Enema said loudly. "Today we'll be learning about the Hives! Firstly, this one. Does anyone know what it's called?" Anasa jumped as almost every single dragonet raised their talon. She felt embarrassed now that she didn't. Junebug, who had her talon raised, seemed to notice. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"Yeah." Anasa replied as Enema started talking again.
"Thrip?" she said, gesturing to a chubby male dragonet sitting a distance away from Anasa.
"Tsteste Hive!" he said excitedly. That doesn't sound right. Anasa thought.
"Yes, Tsetse Hive." Enema replied. "Does anyone know why it's called Tsetse Hive?" Anasa thought she knew this! She raised her talon as high as she could. Enema's black gaze snapped onto her. "Yes, Anasa?" she said.
"Because the queen's sister who lives here is called Tsetse?" she guessed. She remembered Tabby saying the Hives were named after the Lady who lived there. Enema looked impressed. "Very good." she said. "So, we live in Tsetse Hive." she pointed to a map on the wall. "What Hives are near us?" Anasa could only understand the letters, so she tried to spell it out quietly. "Vi-nee-gar-oon Hive?" she said, raising her talon.
"Good reading!" Enema said. "Vinegaroon Hive has a much harder name than most Hives. Can anyone tell me what the other Hive is called?" Anasa had to dodge Upis's raised talon. "Upis?" said Enema.
"Yellow Hive?" he said. Anasa could make out the word yellow, but there was another bit on the end.
"Close." said Enema. "It's called Yellowjacket Hive. It's another word for wasp." She went back to pointing, and Anasa sort of zoned out. Why should she care what the other Hives were called? She shouldn't need to! Suddenly, a loud bong echoed through the room. Anasa almost leapt through the roof. "Well, that's home time!" Enema said. "You've all had a great day, have a wonderful afternoon, and I'll see you tomorrow!"
Chapter Two[]
Anasa sat on the webbing floor, playing with her toy lion. "Yahh!" she yelled. "Away from our Hive, snack!" Gypsy giggled from the other side of the cell, and Anasa glared at her. "So, how was your day?" Gypsy asked hurriedly.
"Fun!" Anasa replied, her anger forgotten. "I met a nice HiveWing named Junebug!"
"Oh?" Tabby said from her seat on her hammock. "She's another dragonet?"
"Yep!" said Anasa, going back to her lion. Suddenly, the flapping of wings alerted her. "Someone's outside!" Tabby looked up, as Kobi's voice sounded from outside. "You?!" Tabby rushed over, and Anasa followed. An orange SilkWing was standing, oddly calmly, facing Kobi.
"Acadia?" said Tabby. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here for the dragonet." the orange SilkWing replied, still calm. "As I said I would be."
"But- I thought there'd be more time!" Tabby said, the panic in her voice showing. "Anasa might as well be from Indra and Gypsy's hatching! She's our daughter too!"
"I thought she was a HiveWing." Acadia's voice sounded slightly irritated now. Anasa crept backwards, trying to hide herself. Acadia's green gaze flicked onto her like a searchlight. "Ah, there she is."
"Anasa, I thought you were inside-" Tabby said, before Acadia interrupted
"Anasa, is it?" said Acadia. "My name is Acadia. I brought you to Tabby and Kobi, and now you're going back where you came from."
"I don't wanna." Anasa mumbled. "I like it here."
"With a pair of SilkWings?" Acadia replied. "It's not up to you, Anasa."
"Get away from her!" Kobi snapped, taking a step forward. In a swift movement, Acadia grabbed Anasa, and took off into the air. Anasa screamed in terror. Where was Acadia taking her? She couldn't take her away! Anasa was Tabby and Kobi's daughter! "HELP!" Anasa yelled, so loud her own ears hurt. "HEEEELPP!"
"Shut up!" Acadia hissed, but it was too late. Anasa heard the buzzing of HiveWing wings, and spotted three of them soaring towards them. Acadia tried to dive down, but the HiveWings caught up, grabbing Acadia. "Paralyze her!" one shouted to another as the third pulled Anasa out of Acadia's talons. Acadia screamed, then as the first two HiveWings drove their tails into her scales, she was cut off mid-sound. The two who'd stabbed Acadia flew away carrying the orange SilkWing. The one holding Anasa turned to her. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Y-yeah." Anasa replied.
"What's your name?" the HiveWing said questioningly.
"Anasa." Anasa answered. "Is A- the SilkWing- what did they do?"
"She'll be okay after a bit." the HiveWing replied. "I'm Colletidae." There was something familiar about Colletidae's scarlet scales. Anasa couldn't think where she'd seen them before though. "What exactly happened?" Colletidae asked.
"I'm not sure." Anasa replied. "But I was with Tabby and Kobi, and she showed up and stole me!"
"Tabby and Kobi?"
"My parent-'s servants."
"Ah." Colletidae said. "You don't know the SilkWing who took you?"
"No." Anasa replied. "But her name's Acadia."
"How do you know that?"
"Tabby and Kobi recognized her!" Anasa answered. Why's she asking all this?
"Oh." Colletidae said. "I'm going to take you home. Do you know where your parents live?"
"N-no." Anasa replied. "But I know where Tabby lives! She'll know!"
"Okay, I'll take you back to them." Colletidae sped back the way Acadia had come from, her black spotted wings buzzing in the sunset.
"There!" Anasa said, pointing to where Tabby's familiar blue scales were flying about. Colletidae landed and put Anasa down.
"Oh, thank Clearsight." Tabby said. "I was so worried!" She looked up to Colletidae. "S-sorry."
"It's alright." the HiveWing's voice was surprisingly polite considering she was talking to a SilkWing. "You have emotions too." Anasa bounced forwards as Colletidae spoke more. "Did you know the SilkWing that kidnapped her?"
"Not well." Tabby replied. "I'd only seen her, maybe, twice? then I didn't see her for a year until now."
"I see..." Colletidae said thoughtfully. "Well, goodnight!" She buzzed away, back towards the Hive, and Anasa suddenly realized what made her so familiar. The red of Colletidae's scales was identical to Junebug's! Are they related? Anasa wondered, before turning towards Tabby. "Come back inside." Tabby said, lifting Anasa up and carrying her into the cell.
Chapter Three[]
Three years later...
Anasa treaded quietly on the silken floor of the cell. She'd agreed to meet Junebug and a few of her other friends, Formica and Vespa, before school Unfortunately for her, this meant sneaking out, which was never easy. As she passed the colours shining in her peripheral vision that were her family, she sighed. She felt distant from Gypsy and Indra sometimes. They'd come back from their school talking about dragons Anasa would probably never meet and things Anasa couldn't learn or do. The rising sun shone blindingly as Anasa squinted towards Tsetse Hive. It didn't look like anyone was around to see her, and she hadn't seen Acadia since- she began to fly towards the nearest door, shivering. It got cold at night, and dawn was too early for it to be warm. As Anasa landed on the cobbled path that she'd memorized led to her school, she began to see signs of life in the city; HiveWings and SilkWings taking dragonets to school or going to work, stopping to talk with neighbours. Anasa spotted the tall building she went to school at in the distance. She could see a small group of HiveWings walking down the street. Her friends! Anasa sprinted up to them. "Hi!" she called. They turned.
"Anasa!" Junebug called back, hugging her as soon as she was close enough. The other two dragonets joined in the hug.
"How are you?" Vespa asked when the hugging stopped, her amber and red scales dark in the low light. Vespa was in a different class, but the two classes took lessons outside the school together. "I'm alright." Anasa replied, trying to make her voice sound happy. Formica, one of the smartest dragons Anasa knew, seemed to notice her awkward tone. "I'm not sure you are." she said. "What's wrong?"
"I just didn't sleep well." Anasa lied. She couldn't exactly say, "I've been feeling sad about how distant I am from my adopted SilkWing family." That went against the secrecy that had been drilled into her. "Aw," Junebug said sympathetically. "Well, at least there's math class!"
"I like math class!" Anasa protested, laughing.
"That's right!" Formica agreed.
"Cleverclaws." Vespa said teasingly as the four of them started walking again.
"So, how have you guys been?" Anasa asked.
"Well, my brother's getting better." Formica replied. "His wing's still broken, though. The doctor said it could take up to a month to heal properly."
"Poor him." Junebug said gently.
"How about you, Junebug?" Formica said, changing the subject.
"Well, my mum's still working a lot." Junebug replied. "I think there's some kind of trouble in Cicada Hive. Something about a traitor?"
"Huh. Weird." Vespa said. "Well, I went to visit the Temple of Clearsight."
"Woah, really?" Anasa exclaimed. She knew how hard it was to go there, but Vespa's father was pretty important.
"Yeah! It was beautiful!" Vespa began describing the temple's wooden walls and pools of fish. Anasa let her thoughts wander. She'd probably never see the Temple of Clearsight. It was sad, because she really wanted to, but Tabby and Kobi could never take her there. Suddenly, a terrifying, paralysing feeling swept over her. Had she stepped on her tail stinger again? No, it wasn't hurting. She turned- but she wasn't moving her head. She could see her friends- but- she wanted to scream, but she couldn't. Their eyes had gone white- only white, and blank. "There are traitors in this hive." a voice snarled, coming from Anasa's and her friend's throats at the same time. "Find them." Anasa tried to resist, tried to get back in control, but it was impossible. She tried to call out. Nothing happened. Other HiveWings began to close in on them, all with the same terrifying white eyes. Anasa could suddenly feel tears rolling down her snout. She wasn't sobbing- whatever was controlling her made sure of that- but maybe it couldn't control her tear ducts? Anasa tried to stop as the roar of the HiveWings insect-like wings filled the air. They were flying outside the hive. As Anasa was forced to follow them, she managed to see where they were headed. No. Stop. Please, we can't- It occurred to Anasa that maybe the thing controlling her could read her mind. But she couldn't disguise her mental panic. Because they were headed for Tabby and Kobi's cell. Some of the HiveWings landed on the webs, but most of them, including Anasa, stopped a short distance away, hovering threateningly. Tabby emerged from the cell, her eyes widening as she saw the HiveWings. "I know you have the stolen egg." hundreds of voices said. "Give it to me and there will be no trouble." Tabby didn't visibly try to disguise her fear. Instead, she backed away slightly. "I- I don't steal- especially not eggs." she stammered. "You can check, there's just my partner and my dragonets inside." Tabby had obviously meant to say that to get the soldiers to leave- after all, Anasa wasn't in the cell, she was at school for all they knew- unless- did Tabby know she was being controlled? As the few HiveWings that had landed on the webs marched in, and she heard a pair of screams, Anasa could see Tabby's eyes scanning the hovering dragons. Looking for someone. Looking for me. Her eyes stopped on Anasa- she wanted to call out, to ask what was going on, to show her it was okay. But she couldn't. Tabby sighed, closing her eyes like she did when she was trying not to cry. The HiveWings marched back out, Kobi, Indra and Gypsy in tow. "Where is the egg?" the voices snarled. Tabby shook her head wordlessly, and the HiveWings- and Anasa- growled as one. "I'll be watching you, SilkWings." The thing controlling them led them back into the hive. Anasa's claws had only just touched the ground, when she felt the thing vanish. Disguised in a crowd of HiveWings she gasped, and started sobbing. That was the worst thing I've ever felt. she thought. Through the general bustling, she heard a familiar voice. "Mum! Anasa! Vespa! Formica!" It was Junebug. Through her tears, Anasa tried to make out her bright red scales, but it didn't help that about a thousand HiveWings were all bustling around her. "Over here!" Anasa tried shouting. She saw a few HiveWings taking to the air, adding buzzing to the clamour. She could see a tall red HiveWing with a smaller dragonet clutching her talon. Colletidae and Junebug! Anasa flew up to meet them, wiping her tears. "Anasa!" Junebug cried, letting go of her mother and hugging Anasa. "Wasn't that horrible! What was that, even?" Colletidae sighed and rubbed her forehead before taking Junebug's small talon. She held a talon out to Anasa. "Would you like to stay at ours for a little while?" Colletidae asked. "Unless you think your parents are looking for you." Anasa wanted to go with them. She didn't think she could face her family, but- they deserved to know she was okay.
"They are." Anasa murmured. "Sorry."
"It's quite alright." Colletidae responded.
"See you later!" Junebug called from behind Anasa as she flew back towards the outside the hive.
Chapter Four[]
As she neared her family's cell, she realized she'd find it hard to ever fly this way again, thanks to the thing that was controlling the HiveWings. Before she landed, she could hear the raised voices coming from inside. "-if that happens again while she's here, what do we do?" Kobi was yelling. He never yelled. He got a little upset, sure, but not yelling! Anasa landed carefully, and could see Tabby and Kobi, clearly in a heated argument. "We can't just leave her now!" Tabby yelled back. "She's four years old, she'd be terrified out there!" Anasa crept in. Maybe they wouldn't see her? Maybe she could greet Gypsy and Indra first? "Our deal with Acadia was that we'd care for her for a year and then give her back!" That was news to Anasa. There'd been a deal? This whole time, she'd just thought Acadia had just been a bad dragon. Was that why she was being cared for by a SilkWing family? "Well, we can't just tell her we'd like to go back on the deal now!" Tabby's voice was more than just angry. She was pleading with Kobi. "She's probably either dead or in prison, wherever Anasa came from, she isn't going back there!"
"Mum?" Anasa said quietly. Tabby turned and Kobi looked past her.
"Oh, Anasa." Tabby hugged her. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't have been fighting. Are you alright?" Anasa nodded. Kobi sighed. He couldn't just kick Anasa out. He wasn't that bad. "What were you fighting about?" Anasa asked. Tabby and Kobi exchanged glances.
"After today," Tabby said haltingly. "We don't think it's safe for you to live here anymore. I know we're your family," Tabby said before Anasa could respond. "But what if that happens while you're here? All of us will be in trouble. The problem is, we don't know where your egg came from. We can't return you to your real family, and I don't think anyone else will take you."
Kobi snorted. "Ask the guards, I'm sure they'd be happy to take her." Tabby glared at him and smacked him with her tail before turning back to Anasa.
"We're sorry," she said. Anasa didn't know what was going on. Her family was saying they couldn't keep her, there was something out there that could control her at any moment, and her usually kind parents were fighting. She wanted things to go back to the way they were, when the worst thing to happen would be failing a test at school. But- if they couldn't keep her- and they didn't know who her family was... "I could go and live with Junebug." Anasa suggested. Tabby was stunned, so Anasa took her chance. "Her mother is the HiveWing that saved me from Acadia, the really nice one. She'd understand, and probably not tell the soldiers."
"She is a soldier." Kobi protested. "We might as well just hand you over to the authorities." Tabby shook her head, standing up, her blue and white scales glinting in the greenish light that filtered through the web ceiling. "No, it's a good idea." The blue SilkWing wiped her eyes and sighed. "Get your things, Anasa." Anasa walked into the next room and was tacked by Indra and Gypsy. "Don't go, Anasa." Gypsy murmured, her warm, pink-red scales comforting against Anasa. "You're our sister, not some HiveWing's." Anasa gently smacked her siblings with her wings until they let her go before responding. She walked over to the box she kept her books and toys in. Anasa took a deep breath before responding, "You saw what happened today. I was controlled too. If that happens when I'm here, the secret's out. Mum and Dad'll be arrested- or worse." Anasa's SilkWing brother and sister were silent as she put her stuff in the bag. As Anasa swung the bag over her neck, she hugged them both, wanting them to know how bad she felt for leaving them. "I love you." She walked out, to where Tabby was waiting. It had always seemed odd to Anasa that it was Tabby that took her everywhere; to school, to shops. Now she knew why- Kobi must have felt like he was doing something illegal every time he looked at Anasa. Tabby, on the other talon, just thought she was her daughter. "Ready?" Tabby asked. Anasa nodded and took Tabby's talon. They swooped into the hive together, and she felt the weight of what she was doing sink into her. She and Tabby were about to throw away the secrecy they'd kept Anasa's whole life, just so that she could have a safe home. As they landed, Tabby asked quietly, "Do you know where Colletidae lives?" Anasa shook her head. She'd never been to any of her friend's houses, she usually just hurried home after school. Tabby sighed slightly. "I know a way to find out." Was Tabby going to do something illegal? "Come on," Tabby led Anasa towards- the school? Why? As they reached the gates, a worried looking HiveWing rushed up to them. "What do you want?" he asked, rudely.
"Sorry, my mistress moved a few days ago and didn't give me the address." Tabby said, sounding meek and apologetic. "Her daughter isn't sure either, I was hoping you could help me?" The HiveWing sighed and put a pair of glasses that had been hanging on his neck from a chain on his nose.
"One moment." he muttered, flying in. Anasa waited nervously. She hadn't thought of this way, but it made sense. The snooty HiveWing emerged with a stack of files. "What's your mistress's name?" he asked.
"Colletidae." was Tabby's response. The HiveWing gave her an odd look, and Anasa could almost tell what he was thinking; 'She doesn't seem like she has servants, but it isn't my job to ask.' "Head down towards the Cocoon, she's on the street with the dragonflies painted on it." Tabby bowed and started walking. Anasa leaned closer to her. "Why didn't he just say Dragonfly Street?" she asked. Tabby shrugged and kept walking. They quickly reached the street the HiveWing had described. It seemed pretty and nice, with sparkly paintings all along the walls. One of the houses had an open window, and Anasa could see the glint that Junebug's scales gave off of. "There." she said. Tabby walked up to the door, still holding Anasa's talon like she'd never let go. Almost as soon as Tabby knocked, Colletidae opened the door. Her eyes landed on Anasa before she looked up at Tabby. "Oh." was all she said.
"I'm very sorry to intrude like this, but it's an emergency." Tabby said. "May we come in?"
"Of- of course." Colletidae replied, opening the door wider and stepping to the side a little. As Anasa looked around, she heard someone hurtling down the stairs, Junebug ran up to Anasa. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you went home."
"I did." Anasa replied. "It's a long story, and I don't know most of it."
"I take it..." Colletidae trailed off, clearly asking for Tabby's name.
"It's Tabby." she replied.
"I take it Tabby will explain?" Colletidae continued. Tabby nodded, and let Colletidae lead her into the next room. "Junebug, do you want to listen too?"
"Sure!" Junebug replied, bouncing in. Anasa followed, feeling nervous, but somehow, despite the day she'd had so far, hopeful.
Chapter Five[]
"Wow." Colletidae said once Tabby had finished. "I was ready for some story about terrible parents or something, but this..."
"Why did Acadia give you Anasa's egg?" Junebug asked, having clearly held the question in while Tabby explained.
"I don't know." Tabby replied.
"I might." Colletidae said. "A few days before Anasa hatched, a report was filed by a SilkWing named Brimstone. He worked for a pretty important HiveWing, and apparently, her egg had been stolen. I would have joined the search to look for it, but something stopped me."
"What was it?" Anasa asked.
"I looked at the HiveWing's background, and saw that both her husband and her first dragonet, her daughter, had a tendency to report violet behaviour towards them." Colletidae explained. "I thought wherever the dragonet was, she was in better talons."
"You were right about that." Tabby replied. "At least, I think so."
"You are." Anasa confirmed. "But- what happened to her? My real mother?"
"She died a little after the egg was stolen." Colletidae said. "According to her husband, she was unstable. The details were never public, though, so even I don't know how she died." Anasa though she should feel sad, but- she didn't. It didn't feel like this strange dragon she didn't even know the name of was her mother. "Your father, on the other talon, mourned for a while before getting back on his feet. He raised his daughter by himself. They're both still around." Anasa sat up in the chair she was in.
"Really?"
"Yep." Colletidae responded. "I can take you to meet them, in fact." Anasa nodded as she held up a talon to try and stop the tears of joy that were dampening her snout. She had a family. She might not see Tabby or Kobi or Gypsy or Indra again, but Colletidae and Junebug could be her new family. And she had a father out there- and an older sister. "Oh," Tabby said, hugging Anasa. Colletidae and Junebug joined in, and Anasa finally felt like she'd found a world where secrets didn't exist.
Epilogue[]
Anasa stood next to Colletidae, remembering how earlier she'd been in the same situation, with Tabby knocking on Colletidae's door. But this time... this time I'm meeting my real family. A slender, purple and gold SilkWing opened the door. "We're here to see Polypax." Colletidae said. The SilkWing wordlessly let them in, and led them through a hallway. The house seemed beautiful, and none of the SilkWings seemed badly treated. As Anasa overtook Colletidae, the SilkWing let them in into what looked like a library. A pair of HiveWings were sitting, reading. One, a dragonet slightly older than Anasa, the other- the other was a male, and he looked just like Anasa. "Two guests to see you, sir." the SilkWing that had led Anasa and Colletidae in said. The male HiveWing stood, trembling. He walked slowly over, his green eyes wide. His talons brushed against Anasa's face. "You're..." he said speechlessly.
"Hi, Dad." Anasa said back.
IM SORRY I JUST WANTED TO LET WHOEVER OWNS THIS FANFICTION THIS IS EXTREMELY GOOD I LOVE IT SO PLS CONTINUE(from eweewee)