Author's Notes:

Dragon names can be confusing so here is a friendly reminder.

'Nickname,' title, etc(used in public)/Hoard Name(used in private): other helpful info
Merc/Reward Seeker: Firstclaw of Southern Isles Clan
Windjammer/Shipwright Sailor: Secondclaw of Southern Isles Clan
She of Hourglass/Glittery Soul Fire: Formally Ruby
Wanderer/Soaring Skies Thirdclaw of DragonWyrm Clan
Caretaker/Gently Soaring Skies: Mate of Soaring Skies
Scorpion/Eternal Beats

The final days of the flight to Southern Isles was uneventful. Seaweed continued being a pain from time to time, and several more dragons fatigued out and needed to use the dragoons. The sun was low in the sky as we made our approach to Burning Yaw Island, much to the delight of She of Hourglass, who had to use the dragoons more and more as time went by. I was going to need to train her up a bit while we were here. Luckily, we would have lots of time. The Southern Isles stop is five weeks long, and the Southern Isles Clan usually took care of everything for me so that I could get a break, and time for myself. I get so few times to do so... Now that the entire clan was on the Migration, it would probably be the last time... Though, to be honest, only seeing them once every sixty years, and for only seven days, was sometimes not enough.

Just like it should have been done at Hourglass, the dragons circled high above the island until all the dragons were circling, then, at my direction, six or seven at a time would break away and dive down into the jungle below. It wasn’t long until the only remaining dragons were my clan, and Windjammer in his dragoon airship. We followed him down to a secluded lagoon on the north end of the island.

When Windjammer heard that the entire DragonWyrm Clan was coming, both him and Merc, the Firstclaw of Southern Isles, set this place apart for us, so we could spend our time together without worry of being ‘ambushed’ by Migration dragons.

A large black and green dragon, obviously Merc, was standing next to the lagoon, smiling up at us as we made our approach. It was nice that he was here to greet us, but I would have thought that he would have been with the Migration dragons on the south side of the island, keeping order and making sure that everydragon made it down alright. Fatigued dragons, or any flyers for that matter, sometimes had trouble landing, or in the moments afterwards, and the jungles that covered the island were quite thick, making it so that one could get lost really easily.

Windjammer and his dragoon didn’t land with us as I expected, but instead broke off towards the south. I looked off towards the north worriedly. I trusted Windjammer to handle it, but with the large number of dragons...

“Relax, my friend. Your hoard is in good claws.”

“Sorry…” I stuttered sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head as I turned to face Merc. I knew that Southern Isles would make sure my hoard was taken care of, considering they handled it flawlessly during my Slumber, after all. “It’s just that there are so many more dragons than normal…”

“True,” Merc conceded with a nod, “but the reward of having your entire family with you is worth it, don’t you think?”

I suppressed a groan at Merc’s mentioning a ‘reward;’ it was a bad, bad expression for him to use, considering his Hoard Name, but I also knew he was being very serious, as well. That did not stop DragonWyrm Heart and Scorpion from letting out a snort.

Merc just rolled his eyes at the two dragons. I, on the other claw, sighed in slight exasperation. I did smile inwardly as, for just a second, I could see the old DragonWyrm Heart sparkle through, before it faded away again. Maybe now that I was ‘free,’ I and my clanmates could work on that a bit.

“DragonWyrm Heart! Good to see you; it's been way too long!” Merc bobbed a greeting to DragonWyrm Heart. He then grabbed Scorpion by the shoulder and pulled him close. “Scorpion, a bit of a warning: if you teach the parrots another one of your ‘songs,’ Thirdclaw has threatened to stuff you with more crackers than, and I quote, ’a Polly with a cracker fetish would want…’”

Caretaker giggled at Scorpion’s reddening face. “At least it won’t be apples…”

Hey! I am phat, not fat! Scorpion protested the insinuation.

“Could have fooled me.” I countered, poking Scorpion in the chest and snorting, before joining alongside the rest of the clan and Merc in roaring with laughter at Scorpion’s misfortune.

gaaaAAH! Scorpion shouted, his paws clenching. I knew I was going to pay big time for pushing it as far as I did, but I wouldn't have it any other way, and I knew he wouldn’t, either.

Fortunately for Scorpion, the laughter died pretty quickly. My earlier prediction that Scorpion would come after me was right, as he subtly gave me the ‘I’m watching you’ sign as he moved away, allowing Merc to get a good look at Dragon FireWyrm and She of Hourglass.

As per usual for the last week, She of Hourglass was lounging on Dragon FireWyrm’s back. When she first started doing that, it was because of how tired she was, but now, I think they both enjoy it, judging from the way their tails were braided together, and the way they kept nuzzling each other.

When Merc saw Dragon FireWyrm and She of Hourglass, his eyes lit up. “Dragon FireWyrm and your mate! I...”

She of Hourglass flinched back a bit at Merc’s approach, until Dragon FireWyrm cooed at her. I suspected that she would always be unsure around anyone unfamiliar, due to the whole fear of being shunned or vilified as a monster to be put down.... It made me both angry at myself, and sad at my role in all of it… I really should have made sure that things were really fine, not just a tense okay...

I sighed. There was nothing more that could be done now, but to learn from it… Never ending, soul crushing guilt would not help, especially if ever we need a nondragon dragon caretaker again, never mind that it is a self imposed cage, and I hate those kinds. It’s the antithesis of my name. DragonWyrm Heart, on the other claw, sometimes takes after Twilight… I think. Curse my seeing the clan only every sixty years! (Nevermind the two millennia long Slumber that DragonWyrm Heart had!)

Merc cupped the edge of She of Hourglass’ face, who, with a slight reluctance, leaned into the embrace. “She of Hourglass, don’t be so fearful… I am a friend, Merc…”

With that, She of Hourglass’ eyes lit up, and she started to nuzzle Merc’s paw. I breathed out a breath that I didn’t know that I was holding. It was a relief that the name clearly triggered her Clan Memories that let her know the truth: that Merc truly was a friend.

“So affectionate…” Merc chuckled. “I can see why you are mated with Dragon FireWyrm… ”

Jealous? Scorpion smirked as Merc gently lowered his foreleg back down.

“Just a bit…” Merc admitted, “but after everything Dragon FireWyrm has been through, and all this time…he deserves this...”

Soon… Dragon FireWyrm growled, nuzzling Merc under the chin.

“What?” Merc questioned, confused.

I had to agree with Merc on this ‘what?’ It seemed, though, that Dragon FireWyrm was going to remain cryptic, again, as he did not elaborate on what he said. Of course, it was possible that She of Hourglass, who was now licking of his ear, was distracting him, which she had started right after Dragon FireWyrm had spoken. I shook my head in mild amusement. Yeah, she has definitely been faking some of the tiredness that ‘required’ Dragon FireWyrm to carry her. From the way Dragon FireWyrm was purring, I suspect that he knew. He growled loudly as he pushed She of Hourglass off of him before he then started to ‘attack’ her, nuzzling and licking her belly. I could smell the musk of arousal from both of them, thick in the air. Gah, he is so cruel, teasing her like that… I should watch, for some ideas...

“I’ve always wondered how wyrms did the deed...” Merc commented as the two wyrms stopped the foreplay and began to do said ‘deed...’

I carefully cracked open an eye when I heard the sound of somedragon getting up, just as the sky was beginning to lighten into dawn. I knew who it was before I had even opened my eye, but I didn’t want him knowing that I heard him get up. Luckily, I had fallen asleep with my head over Caretaker’s neck in such a way that her spines covered most of my now opened eye; that, and DragonWyrm Heart, who was the one who had gotten up, was too busy making sure Twilight would fall right back asleep after losing her warm ‘blanket.’ After a moment, Twilight stopped squirming and fell back asleep. DragonWyrm Heart waited a second longer, to make sure she was really asleep, before quietly walking away.

It was clear that from his body language, as DragonWyrm Heart carefully looked over us, that he was not just trying to not wake anyone up, but was trying not to be seen leaving. Three things kept him from being able to sneak off successfully. One, Eternal Beats could hear his downtrodden Soul Song, and had been keeping a sharp eye on him because of that. Two, my ability to sense that he was chained down by something (huge guess on what it was) made me also keep a sharp eye on him, though, until we arrived in the Southern Isles, I was limited on how much time and effort I could spend watching DragonWyrm Heart. Finally, Dragon FireWyrm was guard sleeping, which was a form of restful but watchful sleep that a dragon does when guarding his or her hoard, and would have known the moment that DragonWyrm Heart left the clearing.

“There he goes again…” Caretaker sighed sadly once DragonWyrm Heart had snuck out of the clearing, where we had been sleeping for the past week. If I hadn’t detected her breathing change earlier, I would have been startled.

“Yeah…” I sadly agreed, though a fire was beginning to well up in me.

“What are you going to do, Wanderer?” Caretaker whispered as I quietly rose to my feet.

“Get my Firstclaw back.” I growled back, trying to control the anger that had overtaken my sadness. DragonWyrm Heart had not gotten any better in the past week; if anything, he had gotten worse… and hiding from us clearly was not going to make it better.

I carefully followed DragonWyrm Heart, keeping to the still dark shadows and masking my scent and any noise I was making with magic, though it looked like it would be overkill, as, once DragonWyrm Heart had left the clearing, for whatever reason, he appeared to stop paying close attention to anything around him. I guess he thought he was in the clear once he was sufficiently out of sight.

I followed him for some time as he walked along a path through the thick jungle. When he finally broke through the trees, I stopped and stayed back within the trees. I didn’t want him to know that I had followed him, yet. I looked to see that DragonWyrm Heart had found a rare bare bluff on the island, one that also looked out to the sea. It was a good place to take a flying leap, though, somehow, I don't think he was about to fly off.

He just laid down at the edge of the precipice and stared out. He remained like that for a long time, so long that I was about ready to say ‘screw it’ and walk up to DragonWyrm Heart. I halted when he suddenly started mumbling. I leaned as close as I dared, to see if I could catch what he was saying. Hopefully, I wouldn’t hear anything I shouldn’t...

“...I have your memories, Dragon FireWyrm, but it’s not the same… you to advise me… you were always the better claw then I…” DragonWyrm Heart sniffed out, parts lost to me as his voice was fluctuating at the edge of my hearing. “And without my own wyrm self to help, what am I to do?”

I backed away carefully, as I had all I thought I needed. DragonWyrm Heart wasn’t avoiding us over guilt with Glittery Soul Fire, insomuch that he was doubting his ability to be a firstclaw, our Firstclaw… which was brought on by failing Glittery Soul Fire… If this is true, then I knew with whom I needed to speak about this. Not sure if he could help with the wyrm part, but the firstclaw part, I was sure he would be able to help with.

I made my way to the south side of the island to find Merc. Hopefully, he would be easy to find. I could send him a letter through my fire mail, but, unless he was at or near something easily identifiable, we could end up playing mail tag. Not something I was in the mood to do... at least, not right now. Maybe later… with Scorpion, or against him… yeah, later for sure.

I got lucky that I found Merc wandering the air docks, watching all of the dragoons and dragons flying about in the morning sky. Even though we were a race of prideful fliers, it didn’t stop some from taking a flight on one of Windjammer’s flying dragoons, or sailing on the ocean in one of his sea galleys. It was kind of nice, sometimes, to laze about on the ocean, or in the sky. Plus, it made it easier if one wanted to spend time chatting it up with sea serpents, who comprised, unsurprisingly, nearly two thirds of the Southern Isles Clan. Hovering over water was quite tiring, and no one would want to do that just to have a conversation, and, unless you were a sea serpent, swimming for long periods was exhausting, if you could even swim at all.

“Wanderer, my friend,” Merc smiled as I carefully landed near him, “what are you doing here? I would have expected you down at the beach with your ‘mermaid’ getting all... wet.”

My jaw dropped, and I started to spurt nonsense. I was completely caught off guard by Merc’s lewd remark. It was rare for Merc to speak sexual innuendos unless... “Damn it, Merc, who paid you to say that?”

“Scorpion.” Merc shrugged, grinning maniacally and motioning for me to follow him down into one of Windjammer’s workshops, just off the docks. Which was good, as I wanted to speak to him in private.

“I should have known.” I groaned, facepalming, following Merc into the workshop. Scorpion was always doing stuff like that, teasing and pranks. Usually, Scorpion tended to avoid sexual innuendo, because he knows that, when I get him back, it will sexually frustrate him.

“Seems to me that you are slipping... “ Reward Seeker remarked as he closed the door to the workshop. I inwardly bemoaned getting caught off guard, and I wouldn't normally admit it, but he was right… to a point... The issue with DragonWyrm Heart has been weighing heavily on my mind, and, if what I could see from Eternal Beats and Dragon FireWyrm, them as well. “So what is it you need, Soaring Skies? It's not like you to come to me this early in the morning, especially as we are handling everything for you so you can spend time with your clan.”

“That is kind of why I’m here...” I sighed. “Or more for DragonWyrm Heart than the clan…”

“I noticed something was off about him…” Reward Seeker looked off knowingly towards the south. It came as no surprise that he was aware of DragonWyrm Heart’s movements. Not only were we inside Southern Isles’ territory, but we were on the main clan island. “I had noticed something that I have been wondering about… Do you know why his DragonWyrm mark is covered up?”

“It started as a joke ‘punishment’ by DragonFriend Twilight for messing up one of her scrolls… DragonWyrm Heart decided, in return, to ignore her punishment, to get back at her, but then...”

“Does this, by chance, have any connection to his scars?”

“Most likely… somewhat… maybe...” I muttered in uncertainty. Though I knew that his guilt over his role in Quartermaster’s death had been wiped out during his Slumber, the guilt of fucking up She of Hourglass, Quartermaster’s daughter’s, childhood clearly had reopened his feelings of inadequacy, both of being DragonWyrm and Firstclaw. Losing his ability to mature in the Dragon Code was not helping in the matter, either.

“Okay… “ Reward Seeker sighed, “Start from the beginning…”

Reward Seeker walked up to DragonWyrm Heart, and, from the way he was slumped, it seemed that he was as bad as Soaring Skies reported. Something was definitely troubling him now; whether or not it was over what his hatchmate thought remained to be seen.

Reward Seeker had to hand it to DragonWyrm Heart; this was a good spot to brood and think. He, himself, had used this spot on many occasions, when he needed to mull over a particularly difficult problem. The idyllic and secluded location had a calming effect. Very helpful when he had to make a decision that would make everyone involved, including himself, ticked, even when it was the only right way…

“Hello, Merc, how are things today?” DragonWyrm Heart greeted Reward Seeker, but Reward Seeker could tell that it was done with fake enthusiasm.

“Everything is going well, though nothing exciting like a mating, and we are alone.” Reward Seeker answered, eyeing DragonWyrm Heart carefully. He did appear to be more down than contemplative. “You seem troubled, my friend…”

“I just have a lot on my mind…” DragonWyrm Heart softly answered as he gazed back out to the ocean.

Cleary. Reward Seeker noted. But it’s also clear to me that there’s more going on than just a lot on the mind... “Tell me, friend, why do you cover your honor?”

Reward Seeker’s eyes narrowed as DragonWyrm Heart demeanor dropped even further. He couldn't understand why his friend would be so ashamed of the highest honor a dragon could have.

“Twilight put some special scale polish on it as ‘punishment’ for wrecking one of her scrolls… She hoped that I would panic, but I just ignored it, knowing that it would confound her that I had not ‘noticed’ it.”

“Well, if what my clan has been gossiping over, it’s been well beyond that point, don’t you think? So what is the real reason you are not washing off the scale polish?”

“I just forgot.” DragonWyrm Heart shrugged, not wanting to let on that he was not in the mood for this line of questioning.

“I somehow doubt that…“ Reward Seeker drolled.

“Well, I don’t know what to tell you, as…”

“QUIT LYING!” Reward Seeker roared, startling DragonWyrm Heart. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me the truth about what is bothering you!”

“I screwed up, Reward Seeker!” DragonWyrm Heart screamed out, tears flowing from his eyes. “The Voice said it himself… I failed him!”

Reward Seeker blinked in confusion; as far as he could tell, the only time that he could think of that DragonWyrm Heart could possibly have failed The Voice was when he succumbed to Rage Growth. The problem? The Voice elevated DragonWyrm Heart to DragonWyrm status after that happened. “Failed? I don’t understand… What did The Voice say, exactly?”

“You are a DragonWyrm!” The Voice roared at me, the dream darkening. “Not a fucking average joe shmoe dragon! I shouldn’t have to hold your claws over something as simple as helping Magic Dowser and Ruby, even with your severe mental handicap! You have several clanmates that can help you overcome that, and tried... You knew how ponies can be, sometimes, as you yourself grew up with them. Ruby went through similar things to what you went through, but worse!”

I sighed and looked away, looking down in shame. The Voice was right. I seemed only able to screw things up...

The dream brightened back up as I could feel The Voice licking my head. “My child, I am more disappointed than mad with the way you handled this situation, DragonWyrm Heart… Inaction only lengthened her needless suffering to the point that drastic and more painful measures had to be taken.”

“I see...” Reward Seeker nodded as DragonWyrm Heart finished telling him what The Voice told him. From what Reward Seeker had been told by Soaring Skies earlier, and what DragonWyrm Heart just said, he did not fail The Voice. Mess up, yes… but making a mistake was not the same as failing… Plus, in the end, it seemed all worked out well... “Yes… you made an error in judgment, and yes, you will have to live with the consequences of said mistake, but I fail to see how this error in judgment makes you a ‘failure.’ You are not infallible, DragonWyrm Heart. No one is…”

“I have made several similar mistakes, myself…” Reward Seeker admitted, chuckling at the memories of the things he had done. “Sometimes… Sometimes, no matter what you do, you are fucked… but I have yet to see when indecisiveness was helpful… There were a few times when I had become so uncertain of the best course of action, and was too prideful to ask for help, so that, by the time I did do something, things had became worse than they would have been if I had done the least favorable thing... It was a hard lesson to learn, but I did learn…”

DragonWyrm Heart was suddenly flashed back to a memory long forgotten. Back when this very lesson was learned, back when he was still whole, back when he could still mature in the Code, and when he matured in this very code...

“We were dealing with the problem of hurting our hoards… which we can’t do, but because our hoards are…” Dragon FireWyrm began

“Sentient…” DragonWyrm Heart interrupted in understanding. “No matter how we dealt with the cold blooded murder of Medallion…”

“Our hoard was going to be hurt by us…”

“Damned if we do, damned if we don’t…” DragonWyrm Heart finished at a near whisper.

“Yeah… so did I, once…” DragonWyrm Heart whispered, ashamed. “Matured for it... And, now… I may never…”

Reward Seeker gritted his teeth in frustration. DragonWyrm Heart was being stubborn, and he would not tolerate that. Sometimes, a dragon needed ‘tough love.’ With an angry roar, Reward Seeker slammed down on DragonWyrm Heart.

“Where is my friend DragonWyrm Heart?” Reward Seeker growled angrily at DragonWyrm Heart, some of his green flames licking out. “Who, even against the impossible and unknown, kept going?”

“He...” DragonWyrm Heart struggled against Reward Seeker’s paw, trying to get enough air to speak. “He died on the plains of Hourglass…”

“Really.” Reward Seeker stated in disbelief, looking off towards the sea momentarily as he said this, before he then looked back down at DragonWyrm Heart in exasperation. All this over being wyrmless!? “Really!?”

“‘Even if we find out at the Dragon of Orange Scales and Spikes’ Rechoosing that my harmony magic is unable to start your clan magically, if you still wish to become a clan, if only in name, than a clan you shall be.’”

“You said that to us. Those exact words.” Reward Seeker spouted, still at a loss for the strange forgetfulness of DragonWyrm Heart. True, it had happened well over two thousand years ago, but DragonWyrm Heart had been slumbering for nearly that whole time, so, in relative terms, it wasn’t that long ago. “At a time when there was no precedent for ‘Rechoosing’, or forming a clan, except at an orginal choosing. Hell, this was before it was known that clans, clans, could hatchmate with each other!”

“I fail to see how this has…” DragonWyrm Heart started to protest as he finally managed to push off Reward Seeker’s claw, “anything to do with my ‘problem.’”

“I think it has everything to do with your ‘problem!’” Reward Seeker interrupted, clenching his now free claw in renewed frustration. “Tell me, how did you become quadrupedal first growth dragon AFTER losing your wyrm half? Hmm? I think the answer to your wyrmless ‘disability’ is right in front of you. You just have to be a dragon and have the courage to try, and the wisdom to know that your clan understands, and will be there for you, even when you struggle with the quirks of being wyrmless…”

DragonWyrm Heart’s face furrowed in confusion at Reward Seeker’s words, until suddenly, pieces of conversations echoed in his mind. And, like pieces of a puzzle, formed an answer.

“You and your hatchmate have always been intertwined… way more than normal for hatchmates via the Rite of Guardianship…”

“Firstclaw…you are one special dragon, you know that?”

“Yeah, I know… but I also know that I would not be as special without those around me.”

“...even with your severe mental handicap! You have several clanmates that can help you overcome that, and tried…”

Could it be that maybe... DragonWyrm Heart wondered as he looked off into the sea. Could it be that they, my clan and family, are my wyrm half?

“You draw your strength from your clan, your family. Always have.” Reward Seeker spoke up, unaware of the thoughts that were going through DragonWyrm Heart's mind. “You know... sometimes I’m just a bit jealous of your clan… Not because of your status of being DragonWyrm… Your clan is a close knit family, DragonWyrm Heart. With the exception of your newest member, mate to Dragon FireWyrm, you are all hatchmates to one another, are you not?”

“Yes...” DragonWyrm Heart answered slowly, not fully following where Reward Seeker was going, his mind still reeling from the possible revelation that The Voice hid in his words...

“Being a clan of adventurers and mercenaries…” Reward Seeker looked off to the sea in sadness. “We are not as close knit as your clan is. Outside of Shipwright Sailor and Thirdclaw, no other dragon in Southern Isles are hatchmates with me… furthermore, we are the only ones that have hatchmates in the clan… might change if Seaweed joins… though I doubt he will… even though he is well liked within the clan, he just doesn’t seem… to fit…”

“But you, DragonWyrm Heart… They idolized, loved you not just as a Firstclaw and DragonWyrm, but also as a hatchmate… All those centuries waiting for you to awaken, it wasn’t their Firstclaw they wanted, they wanted their brother... Your clan is probably the only clan that could one day truly act as one…”

Truly act as one… DragonWyrm Heart echoed in his mind. Something then clicked, and all the raging emotions and worries vanished. “I’m sorry, Reward Seeker, but we are done here.”

“What do you mean…” Reward Seeker’s words of protest died as he glanced down at DragonWyrm Heart. He saw DragonWyrm Heart staring back with eyes of fire. It was the same look he had seen long ago. The DragonWyrm Heart of old had returned.