Book VII: The New Lives

Part One: Firstborn

Ragnarok and Amber landed in their home through the window, Amber puffing a little from the effort of flying up there with all the extra weight. “We’re home!” Ragnarok called.

Almost a year had passed since Skye had come to live with Dash. Everyone had adjusted well to living so far after they had been born. Amber and the twins were well into their pregnancies. In fact, Amber was very near term, due very soon. She was understandably a little nervous about it, but she didn’t let it get to her.

The past year had been both a restful and exciting one. There had been plenty of time to relax, but there had also been some activity as well. Most notably, Talbona had come a few times, needing help with some problems that had been going on in her home. After one of them, Sabre had fallen in love with Talbona's granddaughet, Twilight, who he had gone to go help rescue, and had decided to stay there with them. They all missed him, but he was very happy there, and there were plenty of times they could visit him, and vice versa.

Amber looked around. “…Hello?” she called out. “Huh… no one’s here….”

“Oh, there’s a note,” Ragnarok said. “It looks like Dash’s claw-writing.”

“Well, what’s it say?” Amber asked him.

“Umm… ‘Ragnarok and Amber, we’re going off to take the cubs to the swimming pool. You guys will have the place to yourselves for the day. See you later, Dash,’” he read.

“We’re all alone here, huh?” Amber asked with a giggle.

“Yup!” Ragnarok said, smiling. He playfully tackled Amber, knocking her onto her back.

Amber laughed. “Hey, be careful!” she said.

“I am!” Ragnarok replied. He nuzzled Amber’s big, white tummy, making her giggle.

Amber rolled onto her side and smiled up at him. “I can hardly believe it’s been a whole year,” she said, rubbing her belly with a wing.

Ragnarok slid a paw under her wing. “Well, I’d think this would be all the proof you’d need,” he joked. Suddenly, he felt something thump against his paw, making Amber squeak. They looked at each other, and burst out laughing.

“Our chick sure is and active one,” Amber said with a smile, nuzzling him some more. Ragnarok grinned and ran the tip of his tail down the middle of her belly. Amber cooed and laid her head down. “Mmm…” she sighed as Ragnarok rubbed her belly with his tail.

“So how’re you doing?” He asked.

“Oof!” Amber squeaked as she got thumped again, then laughed. “I’m doing okay,” she told him, “Aside from our chick trying to beat me up from the inside.”

Ragnarok laughed, then his head perked up as he heard something outside. “C’mon!” he said, scrambling to his feet and heading to the door.

Amber sighed and heaved herself to her feet. Ragnarok opened the door, walking out into the hallway, and Amber walked out after him, waddling a bit.

Outside, a pair of anthro wolves were opening the door next to theirs. “Cory! Calli!” Ragnarok exclaimed with a smile.

The wolves turned to him, setting down their bags. “Ragnarok! Nice to see you again!” the male, Cory, said to him. The two had gone on a big vacation a month ago, and had apparently just gotten back.

Amber walked up. “Hello again,” she said calmly, smiling.

Calli smiled back and walked over to her. “Hey there, girl!” she said, patting the draken’s tummy. “I see your chick has gotten bigger while we were gone.”

Cory crouched down next to her, also grinning. “Yeah, you look like you’re due any day now,” he said, scritching her behind the crest.

Amber closed her eyes, leaning into his hand. “Yeah, probably in less than a week,” she said.

“So, do you guys know anything about your chick?” Calli asked.

Ragnarok shook his head. “Of course not,” He said with a grin, like she had just asked him if he knew what the weather would be like next month.

Cory smirked at him. “Hey, it’s not as impossible as you think,” he said.

Ragnarok cocked his head. “It isn’t?” he asked.

Calli smiled. “When humans or us furs get pregnant, we go to doctors at times in the pregnancy, for check-ups on how the baby is doing,” she told the drakens. “One of the things they do is an “ultrasound.” It lets you get a look at your baby before it’s born.”

“Wow, really?” Amber asked, looking at her belly. “I think that’d be really neat.”

“So where would we go?” Ragnarok asked.

Cory smiled. “We’ll take you there as soon as we unpack,” he told them. “Come on in, in the meantime.”

The wolves carried their bags into their home, and the drakens followed. It was pretty roomy, but it wasn’t as styled toward drakens as Dash’s home was, for obvious reasons. “We’ll just be a minute,” Calli said. She walked to a dresser, opening her bag, and started putting clothes into the dresser. Ragnarok sniffed around, then stuck his head into the bag. “Ragnarok!” Calli said, grinning. Ragnarok looked up at her, one of her shirts draped over his nose. Calli grabbed her shirt and whapped him on the nose with it. “Goofy draken,” she laughed.

Ragnarok grinned up at her. “Sorry,” he said. “Something in there smells really nice, though.”

Amber took a few sniffs of the bag. “Yeah, it does,” she agreed.

Calli rummaged in the bag and lifted out a small box of little purple cylinders. Each had a little bit of string coming out of the top, and the smell was suddenly a lot stronger. “They’re scented candles,” Calli told them.

“Candles?” Amber asked.

“Kinda like light bulbs, but they give light using a little bit of fire,” the wolf explained. “Here, let me show you.” She started fishing in her pockets, but then she heard a little whoomp of flame and turned around to see one of the candles burning cheerily. Ragnarok grinned, a red sparkle flashing through his black eyes. Calli blinked, then laughed. “I forgot you could do that,” she said. “Yeah, that’s how they work.”

Cory walked into the room. “I finished getting the souvenirs put away, and started getting the dirty clothes washed,” he told his mate.

Calli put a last bit of clothing into the dresser. “Okay guys, let’s go,” she said, and they headed to the hallway. They piled into the elevator and rode it to the bottom, then walked out of the building.

“Do you feel up to walking there, or do you want to take the bus?” Cory asked Amber.

The draken shifted her weight. “I don’t think I’d mind sitting down for a little while,” she said.

“To the bus stop, then!” Cory declared heroically, heading toward the little glass shelter that the bus usually stopped in front of. Everyone grinned and followed him.

The bus pulled up presently, and they all got in, the wolves sitting in the back with their draken friends. Amber sighed happily ash she laid down, curling around her belly. Ragnarok curled up next to her. “So, where are we going?” he asked.

“The hospital,” Calli told him as the bus started moving.

“The hospital? But why? This isn’t an emergency,” Amber said.

“They don’t just do emergencies,” Cory told her. “They’ve got a whole section devoted to helping out pregnant women.”

“Wow,” Amber replied with a grin, flicking the tip of her tail. “I feel important now.”

Cory leaned over and rubbed her tummy. “I always thought it was cool… you’ve got another person in there,” he said. “He’s not a person yet, but he will be.” Amber smiled up at him and patted his hand with her tail.

The bus rolled to a stop. “New Halipont General Hospital!” the driver announced.

“C’mon, time to go,” Calli said, patting Cory on the shoulder. They stood up, moving toward the front of the bus.

“Up you go,” Ragnarok said, helping Amber push herself to her feet. She shot him a look of thanks, and they hurried after the wolves.

As they stepped off, the driver glanced back and shut the door, driving off. Cory and Calli waved them over to the big glass doors. Cory pushed them open, and they walked into a big room, which had a desk at one end. They walked over to the desk, and the human behind it looked up. “Can I help you?” she asked politely.

“Well, it’s her, really,” Cory said, stepping aside and Motioning to Amber.

The human looked down at her, then smiled. “Third floor, take a right,” she said, pointing to the elevator.

“Wow, that was easy,” Ragnarok said. “Don’t we need an ‘appointment’ or something?”

The human smiled brighter. “Pregnant drakens don’t come here too often, so our draken specialists are rarely busy,” she explained. “I’ll tell them you’re coming, miss…?”

“Amber,” the draken said. The human nodded, and they turned and got into the elevator.

“Well, that was remarkably painless,” Cory said. The elevator dinged, and they stepped out onto the third floor. “Right, right?” Cory asked with a grin.

Calli rolled her eyes and gave him a push. “Come on, ya ham.”

They walked past a few doors, until they came to one that said “Draken Prenatal” on it. The drakens weren’t sure, but the Calli assured them that it was the right room.

Inside, there was a little square room with big cushy mats on the floor, and a few chairs here and there. There was a rectangular hole in the wall, and a door next to it. There was a desk with another human behind the hole, and the door led to a hallway with even more doors. An anthro dog peeked around the door. She had long black hair, and her fur was a pretty chocolate brown. “Amber?” she asked.

Amber walked over to her. “That’s me,” she said.

The doctor smiled. “Wow, you’re pretty far along,” she said, then looked at Ragnarok. “Are you her mate?” Ragnarok nodded, walking over too. “Okay, follow me.”

Ragnarok looked back at Cory and Calli. “We’ll wait here, Cory said.

“Have fun!” Calli added.

The doctor led them down a hallway to another door, which opened into another small room. It had a chair, a low, cushy-looking table, a TV with funny things hooked up to it, and some shelves with books and rock on them. The doctor sat down in the chair. “So Amber, how are you?” she asked.

“Um, I’m doing all right,” Amber replied. “A little tired, and my paws ache a bit, but we were walking around a lot today.”

“Well, it’s good that you’re staying active,” the doctor said, then turned to Ragnarok. “I take it that you were the one she was walking with?”

“Yeah. My name’s Ragnarok, by the way.”

“I’m Dr. DeLacey. You can call me Brea,” she said.

“Nice to meet you, Brea,” the drakens said.

Brea smiled at them, then patted the cushiony table. “Now Amber, could you please hop up here and lay on your back?” Amber put her forepaws on the table and tried to get a hindpaw up too, but she couldn’t get one around her belly. Brea grinned at Ragnarok. “You may need to help her.”

Ragnarok put his head under Amber’s raised hindpaw. Amber shot his a grateful smile and pushed down on his head, lifting herself high enough that she could get her other paw onto the table and climb all the way up. She lay down on her side and rolled over, her belly and legs in the air. “How’s this?” she asked the upside-down doctor.

Brea laughed, rolling her chair over. “Yes, that’s fine,” she said. She put her hands on Amber’s belly, pressing lightly. “Hmm, not much fat at all. You have been active lately.” She ran her hands over Amber’s belly, and the draken suppressed a giggle. “All nice and smooth,” she told them. “So, you’ve been okay? Not sick or anything?” she asked Amber.

The mother-to-be shook her head. “No, I’ve been fine,” she said.

Brea chuckled. “Consider yourself lucky that you drakens adapt to pregnancy so well,” she said. “Some of us other species tend to get detrimental effects, like ‘morning sickness.’”

“That doesn’t sound fun,” Amber said.

“No, it doesn’t,” the canine agreed, laying an ear on Amber’s tummy. “Take a deep breath,” she instructed.

Amber inhaled, and held it. Brea smiled, then listened to a few different spots on Amber’s tummy. She sat back up. “Okay, you can let it out now,” she said, and Amber exhaled deeply.

“Everything all right?” Amber asked.

Brea nodded. “Yep, everything sounds fine. Let’s move on,” she said, moving over to the stuff near the TV. “Have you ever heard of an ‘ultrasound’?”

The drakens nodded. “Isn’t it supposed to let us see our chick?” Ragnarok asked.

Brea nodded again, then picked up a little bottle of gel and squeezed some of it on to Amber’s belly. “Ooh!” the draken exclaimed. “It’s so warm….” Ragnarok smiled at Amber’s relaxed expression.

Brea picked up a white plastic thing that was connected to a box that was connected to the TV. “Here, watch,” she said. She pressed the round thing to Amber’s tummy and turned everything on. A grainy picture showed up on the TV, and the drakens realized that they could see a little curled up draken in the fuzzy image.

“Neat,” Ragnarok said, not quite daring to believe it. “So, did you take a picture of someone else’s chick, or what?”

Amber felt her chick shift around inside her, and gasped as she saw the chick on the TV move too. “No, it’s real! It is!” she said.

“Wow, that really is our chick?” Ragnarok asked.

Brea nodded. “Yup. She looks okay, too. And she’s got her mamma’s crest,” she said with a wink.

Ragnarok laughed, nuzzling Amber. “So you were right, way back then: she is a girl!” he said. Amber laughed too and nuzzled him back.

The doctor smiled at them both, moving the plastic bit around Amber’s tummy to look at different bits of their chick while the drakens celebrated. Eventually, she turned the device off and dried Amber’s belly with a nearby towel. “Well, you’re in excellent shape, your chick is very healthy, and she’ll be due any day now,” she informed the drakens, standing up. “It sure was nice meeting you two, and good luck with your new family!” Amber got back on her feet and hopped off the table. Brea opened the door and showed them back the room where their wolf friends were waiting.

The wolves stood up as the drakens walked back into the room. “Amber! How’d it go?” Cory asked.

Amber looked up at him. “It went fine,” she said. “My chick and I are doing well, and we’re getting close to the day that she’ll come into the world.”

“Aww,” Calli cooed. She patted Amber’s tummy. “Kinda makes me want a cub of my own,” she said, smiling at her mate.

Cory grinned back, and the drakens guessed that they’d had discussions on the subject before.

“Well, shall we head home?” Ragnarok asked.

Amber nodded. “After all this excitement, I just want to go lay in our bed for a little,” she said.

The wolves looked at her. “Well, you’re the one carrying the great big chick,” Calli said. “Home it is.”

As they left the building, Cory looked at a little band on his wrist. “Hmm, the next bus won’t be by for a while,” he said. “It’ll probably be quicker just to walk.” Amber nodded, and the four set off for home.

A little while later, they were walking down a stretch of sidewalk, and a small golden-yellow draken passed them. Ragnarok paused in mid-step, then turned around. “Nia?” he asked.

The other draken stopped, then turned around. She looked at them, and recognition dawned. “Ragnarok? Amber?”

Amber smiled. “Nia! It is you!” she said.

“Who would’ve guessed that we’d run into each other again?” Nia asked with a grin. She looked over the two other drakens. “I see you two took my advice seriously.”

Amber blushed a little and nodded. “Yeah, I’m due really soon,” she told their friend.

Ragnarok smiled, nuzzling Amber. “Thanks, Nia. Without you, we might not have figured it all out,” he said.

Nia laughed. “I’m glad I could’ve helped,” she said. “So, where are you guys headed?”

“Home to lay down for a bit, actually,” Amber said, indicating her belly as an explanation.

“Well, I won’t hold you up, then,” Nia said with a smile. “Nice seeing you again, and good luck with your chick, Amber.” Nia nodded and strolled off.

“Bye!” both drakens called after her.

“Friend of yours, huh?” Cory asked as they started off again.

Ragnarok nodded. “We met her not long after we first came here,” he said. “She helped clue us in to the fact that we should be mates.”

“Oh, that’s neat,” Calli said, rubbing Amber’s neck.

“Yeah, she seems really nice,” Cory added.

Ragnarok nodded. “She is,” he said.

“Oh, we’re back!” Amber realized. They were indeed walking in front of their building. She pushed the swinging door open and held it for everyone else.

“Thank you, Amber,” Calli said, holding the door so the draken could get the rest of herself through too. They took the elevator back up to their floor. Calli stopped in front of their doors and crouched down by the drakens. “Well, it was nice to see you guys so soon after we got back,” she said as Cory opened their door. “Bye for now!”

“Bye Cory! Bye Calli!” the two drakens said as the wolves walked into their home and swung the door shut.

Ragnarok smiled at Amber and pushed open the door to their own home for her. “So, ready to lay down for a bit?”

“Yes!” Amber replied with a grin. She walked to their bedroom, and Ragnarok followed her. She padded around until she found a comfy spot on their bed and plopped down with a sigh of relief. “Ahh… feels good to finally get off of my paws without someone poking at my tummy. Ooh!” She giggled and added, “Well, no one from the outside, anyone.”

Ragnarok laughed too. “So it’s going to be a relief for you when she finally decides to be born, huh?” he asked.

Amber nodded. “It’s a wonderful feeling, carrying this new life inside of me, but it will be good to finally have her out,” she said, then smiled as she felt her chick shift again. “Boy, she sure is getting active all of a sudden.”

Ragnarok set a wing on her belly. “Yeah, I can feel it,” he said with a smile.

“You don’t think…?” Amber asked, trailing off.

Ragnarok blinked as he realized what she was talking about. “Well, it must be getting pretty close,” he said.

They heard the main door open. “Uncle Ragnarok?” “Amber?”

Amber looked at Ragnarok. “Will I ever get to lay down for more than a minute at a time?” she asked good-naturedly.

Ragnarok grinned. “We’re in here, girls!” he called.

Three heads poked around the doorway: two green drakens, and one damp cube with a blue collar. Kaya smiled and bounded into the room. She rubbed Amber’s tummy with a paw. “Hi Amber! Hi Ragnarok!”

Amber laughed. “Hello, Keera,” she said. “Did you have fun swimming?”

“Yeah!” the cub replied. “Me and Roc played tag, and then saw who could go the farthest under the water, and- oh!” She broke off as she felt something thump against her paw, then giggled. “She kicked at me!”

Amber nodded. “Yeah, she seems really active all of a sudden,” she said, then turned to the twins. “So how are you two doing?”

The twins padded into the room. About sixteen months along, they had quite a belly too, but they were still as energetic as ever. “We’re pretty good,” Terra said. “Kaya just raced us here,” Keera added. “That’s why we’re so far ahead of everyone else.”

Ragnarok shook his head and laughed. “Sixteen months pregnant, and you’re still running around everywhere,” he said. “I can remember when you were smaller than Kaya here.”

The twins laughed and laid down. Kaya ran over, laying down next to their belly. She was about four feet long now, but still as cute as ever, and she was really attached to the twins. She also loved the idea of having two little drakens running around that were younger than she was. “So how’re you guys doing?” Terra asked Ragnarok and Amber.

“We’re doing all right,” Amber said. “Cory and Calli got back from their vacation, and took me to a doctor who knows about pregnancies for a check-up. While we were there, she did an ‘ultrasound’ on my tummy. It let us see out chick while she’s still inside me!”

“Wow!” both twins remarked. “Really?” “What did you see?”

“Well, our chick is a girl,” Ragnarok said, “and she’s got a crest like Amber’s.”

“It was black-and-white, so we couldn’t see her colors,” Amber added.

“I guess you’ll just have to wait a few days to see, huh?” Keera said with a laugh. “It’s so neat, that you could see all that stuff before she’s been born,” her sister said.

“So do you two think you’ll try it?” Ragnarok asked.

The twins looked at each other, then shook their heads. “Naw, we’ll leave it-” “-as a surprise,” they said. Ragnarok and Amber laughed again.

“Hey guys, we’re back!” they heard Dash call.

“Oh!” “Dash is back!” The twins pushed themselves up to their feet. “Oof. You want to come, Amber?”

Amber shook her head. “I’ve been on my paws most of the day, and I’m just going to lay down for a while,” she told them.

The twins nodded. “Okay,” “Have fun!” they said, ambling out the door.

Kaya hopped to her feet. “Bye Amber!” she said.

Amber laughed. “See you later Kaya,” she replied as the cub hurried to catch up with the twins.

Ragnarok laughed. “Those cubs are so cute,” he said. Amber nodded, contemplating the contents of her belly with a smile. Ragnarok patted her tummy with his tail. “And I’m sure our chick will be too.”

“Yes, I’m – ow!” she exclaimed suddenly.

“Amber?”

“I’m okay, but my stomach…” she said with a wince.

Ragnarok put a paw on her belly. He could feel her abdominal muscles tightening up “Oh boy, it’s time,” he said, pushing Amber up. “C’mon!”

Amber got to her feet with his help. “Ngh… yeah… it’s time,” she said, stumbling a little as another contraction hit.

She got out of the room as quickly as she could, heading for the bathroom. “Hey guys,” Dash said as they came out, then stopped. “What’s wrong?” he asked, running over to them.

“Amber’s going into labor,” Ragnarok told them.

“What? Now?” Dash asked, startled.

Amber nodded, her teeth clenched. “Uh-huh.”

The twins ran over. “Well come on!” they both said, running to the bathroom.

Amber walked into the bathroom, and Dash helped her into the tub “Ngh… ow…” she commented.

Ragnarok nuzzled her. “C’mon Amber, you can do this,” he said, trying to reassure her.

Teyaka’s cubs walked in too, walking between all the legs. They put their paws on the edge of the tub, looking over at Amber. “Are you okay?” Emerald asked, a lot of concern in her voice.

Amber smiled weakly up at her. “I’m… all right,” she said. “I’m having my – ngh – my chick now.”

“It looks like it hurts,” Roc said, his ears drooping.

“It does…a little,” Amber replied.

Dash rubbed Amber’s neck. “You can do this, Amber. Your body knows what to do.”

Amber nodded, clenching her muscles and pushing.

Kaya looked up to Dash. “Can’t we do anything to help?” she asked.

Dash shook his head. “It’s all up to Amber now,” he said.

“Come on Amber!” “You can do it!” the twins told her.

They all waited in suspense, offering her encouragements, until Ragnarok said, “I think I can see something! Keep going, Amber!”

Amber kept up the work. “Agh… she… she’s… coming,” she gasped.

“That’s the head!” Dash said. He crouched down to help Amber guide the chick out. “Keera, grab one of the towels.”

“Right!” The twins ran over to a nearby shelf, grabbed a towel, and brought it back to Dash.

“C’mon…” Ragnarok said. “You’re almost there!” It was obvious that he wished he could do something to help, but he also knew that all he could do was watch.

The hind legs were the final obstacle, and as Amber pushed the chick past it Dash lifted the newborn out of Amber’s birth canal and Amber’s head fell to the ground. She was panting heavily, utterly exhausted.

Dash bit the umbilical cord, then dried off the chick with the towel, and wiped off the exhausted mother too.

“Here, Dash,” Ragnarok said. Dash lowered the chick, and Ragnarok gently picked her up in his jaws.

Dash carried Amber back to her room, and she was struggling to stay awake. “Ragnarok… w…where is she?” she asked.

Right here, Amber,” he said as he set their chick down next to her.

Amber’s eyes opened a little, and she smiled. “She’s beautiful,” she murmured, curling around her chick and falling asleep.

Ragnarok lay down next to her. “She’s so tired… that took a lot out of her….”

Dash nodded. “Births aren’t easy,” he said.

Keera and Terra walked up next to Amber. “So that’s what we’ll have to go through in a few more months?” Terra asked. “It’s… a little scary,” Keera said.

“Yeah, but we’ll all be here to help you too,” Dash said.

Skye ran into the room. “I… did I miss it?” she asked.

Ragnarok looked up and nodded. “Yeah, it’s all over,” he told her.

She sighed. “Well, that’s what I get for stopping to talk to someone on the way home,” she said.

Ragnarok pulled a nearby blanket up over Amber and the chick. “Um, I don’t want to seem rude, but could everyone clear out for a bit?” he asked. “I don’t want either of them to be too overwhelmed when they wake up.”

Skye nodded, understanding what he was getting at, then turned to everyone else. “Ragnarok’s right. Let’s leave them alone for a while,” she said, herding the cubs out the door. Dash quickly followed his mother. The twins walked over and nuzzled the sleeping draken, then departed too.

* * *

Amber felt a little muzzy, and everything was really dark. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and blinked at the light.

“Amber! You’re awake!” a voice quietly exclaimed.

Amber looked up and saw a red face near hers. “Uh… Ragnarok? Hi there,” she murmured, smiling maternally.

“How are you doing?” her mate asked.

Amber raised her head up, a blanket falling down her neck a little. “I’m doing okay,” she said. “Still pretty tired, and a little hungry.” She felt something shift against her belly, and almost disregarded it, until she it hit her that the movement came from outside of her belly. She used a wing to shift the blanket back, revealing the tiny body of their chick. Amber smiled, nuzzling her newborn daughter.

Their chick was a little more than two feet long, but she had the same extra-long tail as her mother. She was the same brown as Amber as well, but she didn’t have the white underbelly. She had bright red stripes down her back, on her legs, and one across the top of her muzzle, right in front of her eyes. Her wingsails were also the same brilliant red. “She’s so beautiful…” Amber said, nuzzling Ragnarok.

“Yeah,” he agreed, nuzzling her back. “You did a wonderful job back there, Amber.”

“Thank you,” she said. “At least she was cooperative, coming out.”

“What do you think we should name her?”

Amber smiled. “Shana,” she said.

“That’s a really pretty name,” Ragnarok said with a nod and a grin.

“I’ve been thinking of it since back when everyone found out I was pregnant,” she told him, then looked down as she felt more movement. “Hey, I think she’s waking up.”

Shana yawned, then opened her big black eyes, looking around at her new parents. Amber moved her head next to Shana’s. Shana sniffed at her, then smiled and rubbed her head against Amber’s cheek, making a sort of happy cooing noise. “I think she’s happy to see you,” Ragnarok said with a laugh, sitting down by them.

Shana looked up at him and squeaked, still smiling. Ragnarok lowered his head next to her. She sniffed him too, then nuzzled him and cooed again. Ragnarok smiled and sat back up. Shana watched him, then moved her forelegs. She shuffled them under her, and then hesitantly pushed herself up into the same sitting position as her father. Ragnarok laughed. “Good job, Shana!”

She cocked her head at him, then looked at Amber, who smiled again. “That’s you: Shana,” she said, pointing at the little chick with her tail.

Shana looked at her mother, then looked back at her own back end, seeming almost surprised that she had a tail of her own. She swished it around, then curled it up and uncurled it. Ragnarok smiled again. “It’s incredible, watching someone learning everything for the first time,” he said.

Amber smiled and curled in a circle around her daughter, leaving her plenty of room to move around. “Yeah,” she said. Shana glanced around at her tail again, and followed it all the way up to where it met her body, noticing her hindlegs for the first time. She wiggled her right leg, then pressed down on it a little, lifting her hindquarters up a bit.

She looked up at Ragnarok, and her smiled down at her. “Go on, honey. You’re doing great!” he told her. She looked back down at her legs, then carefully pushed with both of them and slowly stood up, and Ragnarok cheered triumphantly.

Shana stood there, looking at her smiling parents, then cautiously lifted up one foreleg. She set it down in front of her, then lifted up a hindleg, taking a few wobbly, cautious steps. “Very good!” Amber praised, nuzzling her chick and nearly knocking her over. She moved her tail out of the way and said, “Now, can you walk to your daddy?”

Ragnarok grinned, crouching down on his forelegs and wiggling his tail in the air, an altogether playful pose. “Come on Shana!” he said. Shana smiled and toddled over to him, rubbing her head on his leg. “Great job!” he told her, rubbing her back with his tail. She cooed in response and flapped her wings. She didn’t know about flying yet, but they were fun to flap. “Well, now that Shana can walk, do you think we should take her out to meet everyone else?”

Amber slowly got to her feet. “Wow, I’d almost forgotten what it was like to get up without having all that tummy in the way,” she sound, sounding tired, surprised, and pleased all at once. Shana looked up and walked over to Amber. “Come on honey,” she said. “Let’s go meet some of our friends.”

Ragnarok pushed the door open for Amber and Shana. He saw that Amber, though a little rested, was still very tired, and wasn’t a whole lot sturdier than the newborn draken.

Out in the hallway, they saw a white and a blue draken. “Hey there Amber,” Dash said quietly. “This is your chick, huh?” he asked, crouching down and putting his hand down next to Shana.

Amber nodded. “Her name is Shana,” she told him proudly. Shana sniffed Dash’s hand, then smiled and put one of her paws on it.

Dash laughed and shook the tiny paw. “Hello Shana. My name is Dash,” he said to her.

Skye lay down next to her. “Hello little Shana,” she said warmly. Shana walked up and sniffed her too. “I’m Skye, Dash’s mom.” Shana rubbed her head on the end of Skye’s muzzle, making the draken laugh. “You’re just adorable,” she said, nuzzling the little chick.

Shana walked back to her mother and squeaked up at her. Amber cocked her head, and Shana lost interest, toddling off into another room with an open door. Amber and Ragnarok quickly followed her.

Keera and Terra were lying on the floor, resting, and raised their heads as they heard Shana come in. “Oh, hello there!” Terra said. “You’re Amber’s chick, aren’t you?” Keera asked.

“Yep, she is,” Ragnarok said as he followed his daughter in. “Her name is Shana.”

“Hi Uncle Ragnarok!” Keera said. “Shana… that’s a cute name,” Terra remarked. She scooped the little chick with her wing and brought her closer to them. “And you’re a cute little chick!” Keera added, tickling Shana’s side wit the tip of their tail. Shana giggled and fell over, squirming for all she was worth.

Amber laughed. “Don’t make me come over there and start tickling you two,” she said with a grin.

Keera eeped and quit tickling. Shana scooted back to her mom, smiling, and everyone started laughing. “She sure is cute,” Terra said. “She’s got your crest and tail, and Ragnarok’s color for the stripes.”

Keera smiled, laying her head near the little chick. Shana padded back over to her, nuzzling her warmly. “It looks like you guys managed to make a good impression on her anyway,” Ragnarok remarked with a grin.

Shana sniffed Keera to remember her scent, then curled up on the floor between the twins and her parents. “Hey, don’t I get any attention?” Terra asked her.

“I’m not sure she can tell that you’re two different drakens yet,” Amber told her, then heard the same squeak that Shana had made before she went into Dash’s room. Amber looked down, and saw that Shana was chewing on her own tail. Fortunately, her teeth weren’t quite sharp enough to pierce her tough hide yet. Amber separated her daughter from her tail. “I guess you’re hungry, huh?” she asked, then picked Shana up in her mouth and walked out of the room.

“See you later, girls!” Ragnarok said as he followed Amber out.

“Bye Uncle Ragnarok!” “Bye Amber!” the twins called after them.

Amber carried Shana into the kitchen, where Teyaka was getting her cubs some food. “Hi Amber!” Roc said.

“Oh? Is that your chick?” Emerald asked.

Amber set her little girl on the ground. “Yes, her name is Shana,” she said.

The cubs all walked up to them. “Hello Shana,” Buck said. “How are you?”

“She’s hungry,” Ragnarok said with a wink. “Teyaka, do we have something soft that she could eat?”

“Sure, just give me a few seconds to get it,” Teyaka replied with a smile, starting to rummage through a few small refrigerated cupboards.

“So she can’t talk yet?” Kaya asked. She was rubbing Shana’s side with a paw, and the little chick was leaning into her furry paw with a smile on her face.

Amber shook her head. “No, but she should start learning in a few months,” she said.

“Ah, here we go!” Teyaka exclaimed. She turned back to them, carrying a little plate of soft, ground-up meat. She set the dish on the ground in from of Shana, who pounced on it with a cute squeak and started wolfing it down.

Emerald laughed. “She’s so sweet, Amber!” she said. “I like her cute little stripes.”

“She’s so small, too,” Roc said, moving next to the chick. Indeed, Shana was about half as long as the four-foot cub, who was about half as long as the adults.

“Hey mamma? How long did it take you to learn how to talk?” Kaya suddenly asked.

“Well… I’m not sure I’d count,” Teyaka said. “Back when they created me, I was in the pod for a long time. I was an adult when I was born, so I learned to talk on my very first day.”

“Oh, okay,” Kaya replied.

Shana stepped back from the plate. She had eaten about half of what was there, and her tummy stuck out a little from the size of her first meal. She yawned hugely, then curled up on the floor and closed her eyes.

Amber smiled. “This isn’t the best place for a nap,” she suggested, and picked up the dozing chick in her mouth.

Ragnarok followed Amber as she carried the chick back to their room. Shana had woken up again on the way, and when Amber set her down, she circled a spot on the floor, then laid down again, closing her eyes. “It’s so neat, finally having her here,” Ragnarok said, watching her sleep.

“Yeah,” Amber said, and she suddenly sounded even more tired than she had been.

Ragnarok smiled, gently pressing her down to the floor with a wing. “It’s all right now, you can get some sleep too,” he said. “I’ll make sure that nothing happens.”

Amber looked up at him, the settled her head on the floor. “Thanks, Ragnarok,” she murmured, closing her eyes. She curled in a circle around Shana and slipped deeply into a sea of sleep.

Ragnarok looked proudly over the two of them, and softly pulled the blanket back up over them. “Sleep tight!” he whispered, then walked out and quietly closed the door.

Out in the hall, he found Dash and the twins walking by. “Oh, hey there Ragnarok,” the white draken said.

“Hi Dash, hi girls,” Ragnarok replied quietly. “Amber and Shana are asleep, so we have to be quiet around here.”

“Oh, all right,” Terra said, walking into the main room with Ragnarok. “So, Shana’s done with her first walk, huh?”

“Yup,” Ragnarok told him. “This whole day sure got pretty exiting really quick.”

Keera nodded. "Yup," she agreed with a smile, "and I think it's gonna stay that way for a while."

* * *

Part Two: Rendezvous

A month passed. Shana grew a little bigger, and hung around her parents a lot, following them most everywhere, unless she was told to wait with someone. She seemed to be starting to recognize some words and names, but still hadn’t started talking yet.

Ragnarok was lying in the room that he shared with his mate and daughter when Amber came to talk to him. He had hurt one of his paws catching them all some dinner last night. They had gone to a doctor, and he had told them that it was a minor injury, and advised that he stay off the paw for a day or two.

“How are you doing?” Amber asked him softly.

Shana walked over and nuzzled her father, seeming to know that he was injured. Ragnarok smiled and nuzzled his daughter back. “I’m doing all right,” he told Amber. “My paw still hurts, but I’m fine other than that.”

“Shana seems pretty energetic today, so I was going to take her on a little walk around the city. I was hoping that you’d be able to come…?”

Ragnarok shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I shouldn’t,” he said. “Don’t wait for me, go have some fun!” he urged with a grin. “She doesn’t look like she wants to stay still for too long.”

Shana was currently climbing on top of her father. Amber smiled and said, “All right… we’ll see you later then. Shana! Come on, let’s go!”

Shana smiled and hopped off Ragnarok, chasing after her mother. “Bye Amber! Bye Shana!” Ragnarok called.

Amber stepped into the hallway outside their home, and Shana started scampering toward the door to Cory and Calli’s home. Amber brought her up short with her tail. “No honey, we’re not going that way today,” she said. Shana looked at her, and Amber pointed toward the elevator. Shana smiled and scampered over to it. “There you go,” Amber said with a smile. She walked over and pressed the button. Shana wandered around her legs, then seemed surprised when the elevator dinged and the door opened. Amber laughed and walked in, and Shana toddled in after her.

They stepped out as it arrived on the bottom floor. “Ready to go, Shana?” Amber asked, leading her chick out the door. On a whim, Amber took a new route, down a street she had never been on before. It was a nice one, too. The buildings were warm colors, there were a few trees here and there, and it wasn’t very noisy at all.

They walked down the sidewalk at a pace that was comfortable for the little one, enjoying the sights and sounds and smells – Amber stopped. She had smelled something…. Was it her imagination? It had to be…. She sniffed around… there it was again! It was a familiar scent, one she hadn’t smelled for a long time. Putting her nose to the ground, she followed the scent’s trail to another apartment building. It was a little smaller and less fancy than the one they lived in, but it still looked pretty nice. “May I help you, miss?” someone asked as she walked in.

She lifted her head and smiled at him. “No, thank you,” she said, and then went back to the trail, Shana dutifully following her. She wound up in front of a door, and nearly walked right in before she remembered that it was someone’s home. She scratched at the door, and a voice said, “Come in.”

Amber pushed open the door and glanced around. It was a nice looking place, but a little bare; not much furniture or many decorations around. In one side of the room, there was another draken. He was a dark brownish-yellow, and he had a three-spiked crest like Sabre’s, but all three spikes curved down. Amber blushed. “Oh, sorry, I was just looking for someone… I didn’t mean to barge into your home,” she said, starting to turn back.

The draken chuckled. “No, come in, come in,” he said with a smile, looking over near her.

Amber hesitantly stepped in, her tail twitching nervously. “Um, hello there… I’m Amber,” she said.

The other draken sat up. “And I’m Serge,” he said.

Amber got the distinct feeling that there was something odd about him, and it took her a second to realize what it was. “Wow, your eyes are white…” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before.”

Serge chuckled again. “Neither have I,” he said earnestly.

Amber cocked her head. “Do you mean that you’re the only one?” she asked.

“I mean I can’t see anything,” he said with a kind smile. “My eyes are white because I’m blind.”

Amber gasped. “You can’t see at all?” she asked.

Serge shook his head. “Nope.” Amber took a few silent steps, and his head didn’t follow her. Serge grinned and stood up. “Stand still, all right?” he said, walking toward her.

“Um, okay,” Amber said hesitantly, a little unnerved.

The draken walked up to her and sniffed at her, walking in a loose circle around her. He smiled again as he came back to her front. “I’d say you’re about… oh, a little smaller than most drakens… hmm, brown with a white belly?” Amber stared at him, her mouth hanging open, and the blind draken grinned. “I think… yeah, you’ve got an extra-long tail, too.” Amber tried to say something, but she was still too stunned. He sniffed around and moved over to Shana. “She’s a cute little chick, too. Less than a year old?”

“Ah… um, y-yes,” Amber finally managed to splutter.

“She’s very pretty. She’s got your color and your crest…. Did she get the stripes from your mate?”

“Um, n-no, just their color. How did you do that?” She asked, managing to gather herself. “Can you… smell colors?”

Serge gave a jovial laugh. “No, my senses are all normal,” he said. “I can smell and hear where you two are, but I can’t see a thing.”

“Well…what…then how did you…?” Amber asked, still rather confused.

Serge laughed again. “Simple. It’s my little joke, really. A friend saw you coming into the building, and told me what you look like. You had your nose so intently to the ground that I don’t think you saw her.”

A green draken walked inform another room. She had one upward-curved spike for her crest, and was smiling knowingly. “Hello, Amber.”

“Seren!” Amber exclaimed, running over to the twins’ mother, and her old friend, nuzzling her. “I didn’t know you were here! How are you? How have you been all this time?”

Seren laughed, and Serge grinned. “I take it you two know each other,” he remarked.

“Yes, we’re friends from a long time ago,” Seren told him, nuzzling Amber. “I’m fine, dear. I’ve been living here with Serge, helping him.

“Oh, you aren’t mates?” Amber asked.

Serge laughed again. “Not exactly, no,” he said. “I was born a little while before the Awakening, but I went blind a few years later. I was stumbling around on my own at the edge of the Plains when Seren found me. Her daughters had left for somewhere, and she was pretty lonely, so she took me in. She’s taken great care of me ever since then.” He reached out with a wing, then walked over and nuzzled Seren. “I don’t think I’d be able to work too well without her.

“Oh Seren…” Amber said. “We tried to come back, we really did….”

“It’s all right Amber, I know,” Seren said. “It’s one thing I thought might happen.”

“So… you’re a lot older now, huh?” Amber asked.

Skye nodded. “Two-hundred years old,” she said. “Serge here is one-hundred and fifty.”

Serge chuckled. “Not too bad for a blind old coot, eh?” he remarked with a grin. “Hmm, that must be your chick, Amber.”

Amber glanced behind him. The tip of his tail had been swishing around a bit, and Shana had pounced on it. Amber giggled and apologized, separating her daughter from his tail. “So earlier, when you said Shana was cute, was it just what Seren told you?” she asked him.

Serge shook his head. “I wasn’t born blind, so I can remember what drakens look like,” he told her. “She told me about little Shana, and I can imagine what she looks like. And I think she’s very cute.”

“So you really can’t see anything, huh?” Amber said.

“Nope, only the pictures I paint in my mind,” he said. “I can get around a bit on my own, using my hearing and sense of smell to keep from walking into people, but walls and chairs are a bit harder to hear. That’s where my ‘seeing-eye draken’ comes in handy,” he said, smiling warmly and motioning in Seren’s direction with a wing.

Amber smiled. “I’m glad you two are so happy together,” she said. “You do make a great pair.”

Seren smiled too. “It’s a nice life. Serge is a great draken to live with, and he does need help to get around.”

“You can say that again,” Serge said with an exaggerated wink of a milky-white eye. “In all seriousness, I’m pretty sure I owe my life to you, Seren. I wouldn’t be here today if you hadn’t come to my rescue.”

“But I sure am glad that I did,” she said, nuzzling him. She turned to look at Amber. “So, how are you and your friends doing?” she asked.

“Um, we’re doing pretty well,” Amber answered. “Ragnarok and I are mates, ad you can guess from Shana. Keera and Terra found a mate too, and are actually pregnant right now!”

Seren smiled brilliantly. “So, after all this time, I finally get to be a grandmother?” she asked.

Amber blinked. “You haven’t had any more children?” she asked.

Seren shook her head. “No, only Keera and Terra,” she said. “It’s very strange, but it may have to do with my being Awakened during my pregnancy…. I think I’d gotten used to the fact that I wouldn’t’ have any more children.” She sighed happily. “And now my only daughters have come back, and they’re bringing in a new generation as well.”

Serge leaned over to Amber and whispered, “She’s trying not to sound like it, but she’s absolutely ecstatic.”

“Well, she does have a really big smile on,” Amber whispered back.

“Oh,” Serge replied, then chuckled. “I always miss those visual clues.”

“Amber, do you think you could take me to visit them?” Seren asked.

“Of course!” Amber said, jumping to her feet. “They’re your daughters, and you’re their mother! They’ll be overjoyed to see you!”

Seren stood up. “Thank you so much, Amber,” she said. “When can we go?”

“Now, if you’re ready,” Amber said, collecting her daughter.

“Hold on a second,” Serge said, climbing to his feet. “You two weren’t planning to leave me behind, were you?”

Seren grinned. “Of course not,” she said, stepping closer to him.

“Good,” Serge said, also grinning. He set a wing on Seren’s back, and smiled in what he hoped was Amber’s direction. “Okay you two, lead on.”

* * *

As Amber followed her route back home, she watched Seren and Serge. He followed her perfectly, without any hesitation. Well, after spending a hundred and fifty years with someone, you get to trust them, she thought. “Seren, I’m so sorry we weren’t able to come back,” she said, “that you had to spend so long alone….” She hung her head a little, feeling a bit guilty.

She felt a wing pat her back, and she looked up into Seren’s face. “It’s all right, dear,” she said.

“I’m not entirely sure what this is all about,” Serge said, “but from what I’ve heard, it wasn’t really in your control to fix it, so don’t be too hard on yourself about it. And besides, you’re back now, right?”

“Yeah, I guess you guys are right,” Amber said.

“By the way, I think your chick is leaving,” he added with a grin.

Amber looked at Shana, who was scampering in another direction, chasing after a small bug. She grabber her by the tail and pulled her back. “Here, why don’t you ride on Uncle Serge?” she suggested, then lifted the chick onto the yellow draken’s back. Serge laughed, but he didn’t shake her off. “How did you know she was going somewhere else?”

“Compared to us, her claws click on the ground a lot faster than ours,” he said, “so when I heard the quick footsteps moving away from us, it was easy to tell who it was.”

“Wow, you’ve got really good hearing,” Amber said.

“A bit better than average,” he said, “but mainly, I just pay more attention to it than most folks.” He stumbled on a crack in the sidewalk, then chuckled. “It doesn’t always help, though.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Seren said. “I was so absorbed in the conversation….”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Serge said. “Probably dined up my claws a little, but that’s about the worst of it. No harm, no foul.” Shana had hopped off when he stumbled, and now she had gone back to dutifully following her mother again. “So, about how much further is it?”

“Not too much, I think,” Amber replied. “This is the first time I’ve been this way, which is why this is the first time I’ve met you guys.”

Shana walked over to Serge and nuzzled his leg, smiling up at him. Hi chuckled again. “Visible or not, she sure is a sweet little chick.”

“Here we are!” Amber told them. “This is where we live.”

Serge sniffed around. “Hmm, lots of people…. Another apartment place?” he deduced.

Amber nodded. A few seconds later, she realized that he couldn’t tell. “Yeah,” she said quickly, a reddish tinge appearing on her cheeks.

Serge chuckled. “You nodded, didn’t you?” he asked with a grin.

“Um, yeah,” Amber said, blushing a little brighter, sheepishly pawing the ground.

He laughed kindly. “Don’t worry, everyone makes that mistake sooner or later,” he told her. Amber led them into the building and over to the elevator. It dinged, and the door opened. “…Ding?” he asked Seren.

“It’s an elevator,” she told him as they walked in. “They don’t live on the first floor, after all, and this one’s pretty tall.”

“Oh,” he said with a chuckle, and it started going up. “I never quite got used to these things. The floor just shouldn’t move.” He staggered a bit as the elevator stopped, and the doors opened. He set a wing back on Seren, and let her lead him out.

Amber pushed open the door. “Hey Keera, Terra!” she called. “Could you come out here?”

“Ugh…” she heard faintly from another room. “Coming, Amber!” one of the twins called.

They wandered into the room, and Amber saw Seren’s eyes light up. “Hello girls,” the older draken said.

Terra had started to say something, but stopped in mid-word, staring. “Mom!” the twins exclaimed in unison, running over and nuzzling her, doing all they could to keep from tackling her over.

“Oh, it feels so good to see you two after all this time,” Seren said, hugging them with her wings, and Amber could see tears glinting in her eyes.

Keera and Terra smiled too, their eyes also tearing up. “Hi Mom,” Terra said. “It’s good to see you too,” Keera added.

“Here, let me get a good look at you,” Seren said, taking a step back and looking them up and down. “It’s been so long… I’m glad I could finally see you again,” she told them, a tear running down her cheek.

“Me too, Mom,” Terra said. Keera gasped as she realized how long it had really been. “Mom… we’ve been away for… oh, I’m so sorry!” she said, leaning into Seren’s shoulder, crying a little.

“Shh, there there,” Seren said, nuzzling her and rubbing her head with a wing. “It’s all right. I know you tried as hard as you could.”

Terra nodded. “We would’ve kept trying, too, but we had to stop, since we didn’t know if it’d be bad for our chick…” she said. “You must’ve missed us so bad… I’m sorry.”

Seren petted her neck with her other wing. “It’s okay, honey. I know it wasn’t your fault,” she said. After a minute, she leaned back and smiled. “So, your chick?”

The twins nodded, smiling again. “Yup!” “We’re about seventeen months in!” they said.

Seren laughed happily. “After all these years,” she said, another tear of joy running down her cheek. “I’m so glad to finally have you back.” She laughed again. “And you’re going to have a chick, no less! My daughters, and a grandchild too!” She hugged them again. “So, do I get to meet the father?”

“Oh, sure!” Terra said as the two of them turned to the hallway that led to the bedrooms. “Follow me,” she said, as Keera called, “Hey, Dash?” They stepped into the hallway, Seren following them.

Shana, who had managed to sit still through the whole thing, finally decided to wander off, probably to look for her father. “That was nice,” Serge said, “hearing her finally reunited with her daughters.” He smiled near Amber. “They sure sound alike. Are they twins?”

Amber stared at him. “She never told you about them?” she asked in surprise

Serge shook his head. “It was sort of a painful spot for her,” he said. “I think this’ll be really good for her. She missed them an awful lot.”

He turned his head as he heard someone new walk into the room. “Oh, hi there!” the new someone said. “You’re a new draken!” The voice was higher, probably a little girl, and was also relatively close to the ground.

Serge chuckled. “Well hello there,” he said, turning to face the voice. “And who are you?”

“I’m Emerald,” the girl said, coming closer. “Wow, your eyes are white!”

Serge nodded. “Yes they are,” he said. “It means I’m blind, actually.”

“Oh,” she said. “…I think they’re pretty.”

Serge chuckled. “Thank you! So, how old are you?” he asked her, making conversation.

“I’m two!” she announced proudly.

“That’s great,” he said, chuckling again and patting her back with his wing. He blinked as he felt her hard back. “Oh, you aren’t a draken…?”

“Nope!” she answered.

“Would you mind if I felt you, so I could get a better idea of what you look like?” he asked politely.

Emerald giggled. “Okay,” she agreed, stepping a little closer to him.

He reached out with a wing, first feeling her back. It had a hard, ridged feel too it, but it turned into sharp spikes as he followed it up to her head. Her face felt like it was shaped like his, but it was covered with soft, smooth fur. She giggled as he went down her neck, feeling her legs and paws. He followed her body to the end of her tail. “Well, you sure aren’t a draken,” he said with a smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever met anything like you.”

Emerald giggled again. “Well, there aren’t too many of us,” she said. “Just my mom, my sister, my brothers, and me.”

The draken blinked. “Oh, your mom must be… um, Teyaka, right?” he asked. “I think I remember Seren reading me a news story about you guys a while back.”

“Yeah, I think I remember too. Someone came in and asked us lots of questions, and mamma read it to all of us a day or two later,” Emerald said. It was kinda fun!” Serge chuckled at her enthusiasm, rubbing his head on her furry side. “So is that really Keera and Terra’s mamma?” she asked him.

“Yes, she is,” he replied.

“That’s good. They really missed her,” she told him. “Did you know that they’re nine years old?”

Serge stared at her. “Both of them pregnant, and at nine?” he asked in surprise. “That’s unusually young, and it’s also strange that they’re both pregnant at the same time….”

Emerald laughed at him. “It’s not like one could be pregnant without the other, silly!” she said with a giggle.

“Um, what do you mean?” Serge asked.

“Well, they’re in the same body, aren’t they?” she said. “They’re… um, con-joined twins. Was that right, Amber?”

“That’s right, Emerald,” Amber said.

Serge blinked. “Oh…. Well, that explains a lot,” he said.

* * *

“Hey Dash?” Keera called, as Seren and the twins walked into the hallway. “Yeah, girls?” Seren heard a voice call back, coming from one of the rooms.

“C’mon!” Keera urged Seren as they hurried to the door. “Hey Dash, we’ve got someone for you to meet!” Terra said, peeking around it with a grin.

“Oh?” Dash looked up from the book he had been reading. He saw three heads poking around the doorway, and they all looked the same. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. “Um… did you two get another head?”

All three heads laughed and walked in, and Dash saw that one of the heads had its own body. “Dash, this is our mom, Seren,” Keera told him.

Dash smiled and walked over, crouching down by them. “Nice to meet you, Seren!”

Seren stared up at him. “Your mate is the Dash?” she asked her daughters.

“Um, yeah, he’s our mate,” Keera said. “Is something wrong?” Terra asked.

Seren goggled at them. “He… this draken has stopped dozens of crimes, and saved a lot of lives!” she said.

Dash grinned bashfully. “Aw, I’m no super hero,” he said. “Sometimes I just happen to be nearby when something happens, and I have to help. It’s just who I am.”

Seren laughed and nuzzled him. “I never expected to ever meet you, and now to find out that you’re the father of my granddaughter!” she exclaimed, smiling brightly.

Dash grinned modestly and rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks, Seren,” he said. He blushed and turned his head away, but they could see him smiling. “All that means a lot to me.

Seren smiled. “I’m glad it does,” she said, then noticed something as looked at the door.

A light blue head with a crest like Dash’s was peering around the edge of the doorway. “Well hello, who do we have here?” she asked kindly, walking into the room.

Dash grinned, standing up and walking over to her. “Seren, this is my mom, Skye,” he said. “Mom, this is Seren, Keera and Terra’s mother.”

Skye smiled brightly. “Oh! Nice to meet you!” she said.

Seren smiled back. “It is nice to meet you as well,” she said. “So, this wonderful draken is your son?”

Skye nodded. “Yes, he’s my only child,” she said. “Though we’ve got a grandchild coming soon!” she added with a grin.

Seren laughed. “Keera and Terra are my only children as well,” she said, then grinned. “We’ve got a small family, but it looks like it’s going to get bigger.”

Everyone in the room shared a nice laugh. Dash looked thoughtful, and turned to the twins. “Y’know, we’re a lot alike…” he said.

The others in the room cocked their heads. “I think it would be hard to find two drakens in the world who looked more different,” Skye remarked.

Dash shook his head. “Think about it. There is no other draken anywhere who looks like us. We’re both totally unique.”

“Oh, you’re right,” Terra said.

Dash smiled. “For both of us, the only family we’ve had for most of our lives was our moms,” he said, rubbing his mates’ back.

“Yeah, and now we have out moms and each other!” Keera said happily, nuzzling Seren.

Skye giggled. “You three do make quite the couple,” she said, smiling at Dash. “Oh!” she exclaimed, then grinned, looking around at her back. “Hello there, Shana.”

Shana grinned up at her. She had snuck up and jumped onto Skye’s back, and was moving up toward her head.

The twins giggled. “Hi Shana!” they said. Shana squeaked and jumped off of Dash’s mom, padding over to his mates. She nuzzled their side, and they patted her with their tail. She lay down against their tummy, and they giggled again. “Aw, you’re such a sweetie,” Keera cooed at her.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Seren,” Skye said. “I get the feeling that we’ll be seeing a lot of each other.”

Seren smiled. “Yes, I think you are right,” she said.

They heard a thump from outside in the hallway. “Oh, sorry!” came the muffled voice of one of Teyaka’s cubs.

Someone else chuckled. “It’s all right,” he said. “It happens often enough when I’m alone.” They saw a dark yellow head and a fuzzy golden one poke around the doorway. “Is Seren in here?”

“Yes, I’m here,” she said. “Is something wrong?”

Serge shook his head. “No, everything’s fine. I just felt like coming to sit with you,” he told her.

“Oh, okay,” she replied. She moved her head over an empty spot on the floor. “There’s room over here,” she told him, then moved back to where she had been.

Serge walked over and carefully laid down where she had spoken from, and glanced around the room. “And hello to everyone else who happens to be in here,” he said with a good-natured grin.

Dash and the twins smiled as well. “Hi, I’m Dash,” the white draken said.

Serge blinked. “Dash? The Dash?” he asked.

Dash laughed. “I’m not that important,” he protested in good humor. “I’m just a guy that likes to help people who need it.”

Serge grinned. “Seren’s read me a bunch of news stories about you; saving people, stopping criminals… you’re a hero!”

Dash smiled, rubbing his crest and blushing bashfully. “Aw… I… hehe,” he muttered.

Keera smiled at the yellow draken. “He’s not saying it, but that means a lot to him,” she whispered.

* * *

Amber smiled as she watched Emerald lead Serge off to Dash’s room. She thought about following them, but decided that there was someone else she ought to go check up on first. She walked into the hallway that led to the bedrooms, but went into a different door than the other two. “Hello, Ragnarok,” she said with a smile.

Ragnarok looked up. He was laying about where he had been when they left, and she saw that he had been reading a little while ago. Currently, though, he was play-wrestling with Shana, one leg tucked against his chest. “Hey there Amber!” he said. He draped one wing over Shana, covering her and pinning here to the ground, and lay back down. “I figured you guys were back when Shana came and pounced me,” he said with a grin, and Amber smiled back. “So what’s all the commotion out there? I heard something hit the wall, and a new voice.”

Amber’s smile brightened. “You’d never guess who I found on my walk,” she said. “Seren!”

Ragnarok blinked. “Seren? Here? How…?” he asked.

“After we left with the twins, she got really lonely, and one day she found a poor chick that had gone blind. She’s spent the last hundred-and-fifty years living not too gar from here, and taking care of Serge, the new voice.” Amber giggled and added, “And the thump you heard was Emerald leading him into a wall.”

Ragnarok laughed. “Poor guy,” he said.

Shana managed to wriggle her head out from under her father’s wing. She squeaked plaintively up at Amber, who grinned at Ragnarok. “Okay, you can let her up now,” she said.

Ragnarok laughed again. “Fine, if I have to…” he said with a grin, lifting his wing and freeing Shana. She leapt onto his back and gnawed playfully at the back of his neck. Ragnarok’s hide was too tough for her to do any damage, so he left her there to have her fun. “Well, I think it’s great that the twins finally get to see their mom again,” he said.

“Yeah, me too,” Amber said, lying down next to him. She looked at Shana, who was chewing on one of her father’s crest spikes. “I wonder if we’ll ever get to meet our parents…” she said pensively.

Ragnarok looked over at her, accidentally swinging Shana from her perch with a thump. “Honestly… I doubt we will,” he told her. “I mean, almost everything I can remember from before the Awakening was just me and you. I’ve only got a few memories of a time without you, and I don’t think any of those are of my parents.”

Amber nodded. “I think… my memory is like yours,” she said sadly.

Ragnarok leaned over and nuzzled her. “Hey, at least we’ve got each other, and Shana too,” he said.

Amber watched as Shana chose that moment to toddle out the door. “Well, we still have each other,” she said with a giggle.

Ragnarok laughed too. “So, you feeling hungry?” he asked, awkwardly pushing himself to his feet. “This is easier when I have all my legs,” he muttered.

“Ragnarok, you’re supposed to stay in bed!” Amber told him.

“Aw, I’m starting to get bored,” he replied with a grin, tucking his foreleg up against his chest again. “Not to mention hungry.”

Amber smiled. “Nothing keeps you down,” she said. “All right, let’s get some food.”

* * *

“So where do you guys live?” Dash asked.

“Another apartment place, not too far from here,” Serge replied. “Don’t know exactly how far, but it doesn’t take too long to walk here.”

The twins smiled. “So we’ll be able to visit each other a lot,” Terra said. “Neat!” Keera added.

Seren smiled. “I think we’re going to be spending a lot of time at each other’s homes,” she said.

Keera glanced at her belly. “Could we make it our home for now?” she asked.

Seren laughed. “Sure,” she said, smiling. She walked over and nuzzled her daughters. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again….”

The twins nuzzled her back. “It’s great to see you too, Mom,” Terra told her, smiling warmly.

Serge smiled. “I’m glad you guys could finally meet back up again,” he said.

Keera smiled and nuzzled him too. “It was nice meeting you too, Serge,” she said. “Yeah, you’re a neat draken to know,” Terra chimed in.

Serge smiled wider. He reached out and patted their back with a wing. Shana looked up, then bounded over and nuzzled him. He blinked, then nuzzled her back. “Aw, thanks Shana,” he said. She cooed at him, then smiled and scampered out of the room. “She’s such a sweet chick,” he said with a chuckle.

Seren glanced out the window, then stared at it. “Wow, it got late really quick,” she said, standing up. “Sorry, but we’d better get going.”

Serge got to his feet, placing his wing on Seren’s back again. “Well, it was real fun, everyone,” he said with a grin. Dash and the twins got up too. “Yeah, it was,” Dash said.

“Here, the front door is this way,” Keera said, walking out of the room.

Seren and Serge followed them out into the main room. Seren opened the door, and turned back to the twins. “Goodbye, girls,” she said with a smile.

“We’ll see you later!” Serge said, and they walked out, sliding the door shut behind them.

Dash smiled at the twins as they looked up at him, and then started back to their room. “Well, that sure brightened the day, huh?” he asked.

“Yeah, it-oof!” the twins exclaimed as they stumbled to the side a little, a hard kick from their chick in the middle of a step throwing them off balance. They looked up at Dash, and all three of them burst out laughing.

“Hey guys, what’s so funny?” they head Ragnarok ask. They looked over and saw him limping out of his room.

“Uncle Ragnarok!” “Aren’t you supposed to be in bed?” the twins chided.

“See, I told you,” Amber said to her mate with a wink. She noticed a little brown form sneaking up on them. “Hello Shana. Trying to pounce your daddy again?” Shana squeaked and walked over, sitting at Amber’s paws.

Ragnarok grinned. That squeak was the one that meant she was hungry. He leaned down and nuzzled her. “Oh, you want some food too?” he asked.

Shana smiled up at him and squeaked again. “Well, it looks like we’ll be going that way anyway,” Amber remarked. She looked to the twins. “Care to lead the way?”

“Sure!” the twins said in unison, with matching smiles. They turned around, a little less nimbly than they used to, and walked to the kitchen. There was still some of Ragnarok’s last catch left, and they pulled it out for Ragnarok and his daughter.

Ragnarok smiled at them. “Thanks, girls,” he said, then turned to his meal. He tore of a couple small chunks of meat and set them in front of Shana. She smiled and dug in, taking little bites out of them. Ragnarok started in on his own meal, and the two drakens were soon satisfied.

Ragnarok tried to put the meal back in the fridge, but Dash stopped him. “Here, I’ll get it,” the white draken said.

“Thanks, Dash,” Ragnarok said, standing up clumsily. “Well, I’m full, so I’ll be hobbling back to my room again,” he said with a wink at Amber.

“That’s good,” Terra said, “it’ll be better for your leg.” “Are you sure you don’t want us to heal it for you?” Keera asked him.

Ragnarok shook his head. “No. I think all this instant healing stuff might be spoiling us a little,” he said.

Keera considered this. “Yeah, I guess you might be right,” she said. “Have a nice lay-down in your room then!” Terra said, smiling at him.

Ragnarok grinned. “You guys have a nice day too!” he replied, limping off, Amber and Shana following him.

Dash waved as they left, then sat down next to the twins. “So, how’re you doing, girls?” he asked.

They looked up at him. “We’re doing all right,” Keera said as they lay down next to him. “Feeling very pregnant,” Keera remarked.

“Gee, I wonder why,” Dash said with a laugh, rubbing her neck. “So, do you like it?” he asked.

“Being pregnant?” Terra asked. Dash nodded, and she said, “It’s pretty neat. Hard to get comfortable some times, and out chick can sure feel heavy after a while, but it’s also so wonderful. We’re carrying a new draken, creating a new life.” She smiled, contemplating the effects of pregnancy.

Dash laughed again. “Well, she’s sure enjoying herself,” he said to Keera.

Keera laughed too. “Yeah, and I am too,” she told him. “I’ve heard that other species have a harder time with all this, though.” “Makes me glad to be a draken,” Terra said with a smile.

“Yeah,” Dash said with a laugh. “Well, our chick’s sure coming soon, huh?”

“Yeah, just one more month,” Keera said. Terra looked up at him. “Honestly… I’m getting a little nervous about it…” she told her mate, laying her head in his lap.

“What’s the matter?” Dash asked, slowly stroking the side of her neck.

“…Amber got through her birth okay, but….” She closed her eyes. “I heard Pike say that we came out funny when we were born. Wh