Three Months Later......
Joy grinned, still surprised that everything was so peaceful again.
Snowfall and Coral had properly ended the war and the Hybrid Hunt had been permanently ended. The Colors of the Wings had disbanded until they were needed again, but many dragons had chosen to remain in the mountain, including Cinder and Crimson. Ember, Hope, Air, and Nightflyer had gone home, and so had all the dragons from the Stronghold. Rainkeeper and Pear had officially made up, and were back to normal, and so were Firefly and Coal. Everything was as it should be.
Kelp snuck up behind Joy and wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Whatcha doing?" he asked. She smiled at him.
"Just thinking."
"About?"
"Everything." Kelp smirked.
"Everything, huh?" she shoved at him playfully.
"Stop it." He grinned and kissed her.
~*~*~*~*
Now that the war was over and everything was normal again, Shore found something new to do with his time.
There was a hut, near the center of the village, that was filled with instruments. Stands, sheet music, instructions, reeds, everything you could possibly need. Anyone that needed an instrument or wanted to learn one came in. The hut was owned by a rainwing named Tempo. He was an older dragon, but he was happy to teach dragonets and anyone, really, how to play an instrument and read music. He wore glasses, and his scales were duller than most. He was one of Shore's favorite dragons in the entire world. Tempo was the one who taught him how to play the piano.
In the back room of the hut was a piano. It was shiny and just hitting one key could give Shore goosebumps. He had known how to read music since before he could read scrolls. He loved it, and the piano was by far his favorite. Tempo had taken a liking to him and had insisted that he could use the back room any time he liked. It almost seemed to good to be true, except that it wasn't. The back room became like a second home to him, the piano like family, and Tempo like an old wise Grandpa that Shore would never have, seeing as his grandfathers were Deathbringer and Riptide.
"There you are!" Orange exclaimed. Shore jolted out of his own world, quickly jotted down a couple notes on a piece of paper, and looked up at her.
"What?" he asked. Orange rolled her eyes.
"I've been looking all over for you. Although in hindsight, this probably should've been my first stop." He grinned.
"Yea. I'm pretty much always here, with you, or at home."
"I know." She walked over and looked at the pages of music he had scribbled down. Shore was always writing some piece, but he'd never let her hear any of it. She tilted her head, trying to read the title. "What are you working on?"
"NOTHING!" She had just caught sight of an O when Shore grabbed the papers, opened the hatch under the piano bench, shoved them in, and sat down. He held the bench, as if the pages would fly out if he didn't keep them pinned down. Orange eyed him suspiciously.
"One day I really want to hear you play something." she declared. He smiled.
"You will." he promised. "One day, when I write something that doesn't suck."
"How would you know if it sucks if you never let anyone hear it?" Shore paused.
"Touche."
~*~*~*~*
Later that night, Shore, Orange, the twins, Apple, and everyone else found themselves at one of the many fiestas. Shore was surprised that they were still celebrating the end of the war. As the band played a pretty melody, Ander unconsciously swirled her hands and hummed, her eyes unfocusing with the music. Rin and Shore watched her closely. If she started spinning again, someone was going to get hurt.
"Ander-gander?" Shore asked.
"Yes, the blue nickname-maker that I call brother?" she replied in a daze. He took a second to process that.
"How come you've never conducted a song before?" Ander paused, taking in her brother's words, and what the stars had to say.
"Music is our true language, yes yes!" They cried. "Only in music can we truly speak with everyone....."
"Musica. Scilicet. Quam admirabile est a lingua loquor."
"What?"
"I'll do it." Ander announced. "If the opportunity shall arise, I shall collect." Shore and Rin exchanged a glance and nodded, a plan forming in their heads.
"I'll get the sleeping darts." Rin offered, quickly running from the room.
~*~*~*~*
"Is that him?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
"I'm just making sure!"
"Just shoot the dart already!"
"Alright!" Rin obliged and shot a sleeping dart towards the conductor of the band. But, the conductor chose that moment to turn, and the dart found a new target- the pianist.
"Uh oh."
"Crap. Rin! You knocked out the piano-player!"
"Well, maybe if you hadn't been rushing me,"
"Just shoot the right dragon this time!" This time, Rin was successful. Shore and Rin quietly dragged the conductor and the pianist out of the room, praying no one had see them.
They were wrong.
"Uh, Joy?" Kelp asked, slightly concerned.
"Yes?"
"Should we be worried about the fact that Shore and Rin are dragging two unconscious dragons out of the room and are just looking very shady?" Joy glanced over.
".........I think they know what they're doing."
"Ander!" Rin exclaimed, rushing over after they had hidden the unconscious musicians. "The conductor of the bad has disappeared!" Ander eyed her twin skeptically. Really? Did they really think she was gonna fall for this?
"Did you kill him or just tie him up somewhere unpleasant?" she asked. Rin's eyes widened.
"Uh....."
"No matter. If the orchestra needs a waver of hands, then a waver of hands I shall be." She approached the band.
The musicians were talking in hushed whispers, wondering what had happened to their conductor.
"Hey guys," Shore announced, interrupting their conversation. "So, the conductor has vanished, but no worries! We have found a perfect replacement. You'll love her." They exchanged a glance.
"What about the piano?" one of them asked. Shore's heart dropped.
"We've got that covered too. Just go and play, and we'll take care of everything."
They obliged and Shore looked over at his sister with a terrified expression.
"What the hell do we do about the pianist?" he hissed.
"You can play, can't you?" Rin questioned.
"Not any good!"
"Well, looks like you're gonna need to learn quickly, or play softly. Have fun!"
She shoved him towards the band as Ander took her place. The musicians looked confused. Was this a joke? Ander raised her arms and looked at them expectantly.
"Do you not have a musical education?" she questioned. "Play! Ludere animabus vestris fleverunt ploratu magno melodiam suavis!" They stared at her. "Ludere! Play! Come on!" Reluctantly, they raised their instruments.
Shore studied the music on the piano and awaited Ander's cue she barely looked at him, her eyes distant and dreamy. A peaceful expression covered her face, and it looked to Shore that this was the calmest his little sister had ever been. He played his part, trying his best not to mess up. The crowd buzzed as they noticed the changes and Joy and Kelp stood frozen in shock. Rin jumped with excitement and hit her friend Parrot until he noticed.
A few hours later, the fiesta was coming to an end, and a dragon walked into the room, rubbing his head. His eyes fell on Shore and he didn't look too happy. Shore paled. It was the pianist.
"Crap." he mumbled, diving off the bench, dragging Ander away and bolting for the door, Rin right behind them.