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In the dim light of their nest, Ananas Dragon Cookie sat lounging in their throne, a crumpled piece of paper held in their claws. Their eyes traced over the words again and again, the neat curves of Mango Cookie’s handwriting now thoroughly smudged and disturbed from the repeated folding and refolding of the page. It was becoming soft from how much the dragon had handled it. Worry creased their brow, and they let out a sigh, folding up the paper yet again and turning their face towards the ceiling.
It was several days since they received the note, and only the day prior did the cohort of cookies lingering around the nest head out on their next mission. The place was beginning to feel awfully quiet without their grating, peppy voices. Ananas Dragon didn’t mind--the peace was nice compared to what they had been dealing with recently. Especially in regards to…
Their eyes snapped to the arm of the throne as two sets of red claws took hold of the gold plating. The puff of white fur flinched under their gaze and sank back below the arm, claws slowly sliding out of view.
“Do you mind?” they asked bitterly. They tucked the note against the side of the chair. “Is there anything you could be doing other than bothering me?”
Pitaya Dragon Cookie poked their head over the arm and narrowed their eyes. “No,” they spat in return. “I’m not allowed to leave, remember? Sssomeone decided it would be better if I stayed inside all day like a caged animal.” Their s’s dragged in an exaggerated fashion, somehow managing to sound even more snake-like than usual.
Ananas Dragon scoffed. “You are not a caged animal. You’re hurt. Be reasonable.”
The other groaned and dramatically slid down the side of the throne onto the floor. When the golden dragon looked over, they found them sprawled out on the floor, wings extended and face down, trying to look as hopeless as possible. Ananas Dragon rolled their eyes and sat up again, resting their chin in their palm.
After a few moments, they heard armor scrape against the floor, and a moment later, Pitaya Dragon was leaning on the arm again.
“C’mon, Ana, can’t I just go for a quick fly around the island?” they asked.
“Absolutely not,” the other refuted. “And don’t call me that.”
“But I feel fine! I wanna get out of this dinky palace and breathe some fresh air!”
Their eye twitched at the remark, and they gave a huff. “Even if you are feeling better, we shouldn’t risk Longan Dragon seeing us. They won’t be happy to see you’ve healed enough to fly.”
“Oh, please. I don’t care about that.” Pitaya Dragon hopped up and perched on the arm of the chair. The other leaned away, annoyance flickering on their face. “Let’s go for a quick flight! If Longan Dragon sees us, you can tell them I tried to run and you were dragging me back here. No big deal, right?”
“Yes, big deal. Do you not care at all for your own safety? You’re even more foolish than I thought.”
The red dragon frowned, their eyes narrowing into a glare as they sat on the edge of the throne. They scanned the room as Ananas Dragon watched them warily. After a few moments of thought, Pitaya Dragon perked up, and their expression shifted to a toothy grin. There was a sly gleam in their eyes that might have been unnerving if the other hadn’t seen it so much lately.
“I think I know how to change your mind,” they announced brightly.
Ananas Dragon raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? And what exactly--”
They yelped as the other suddenly leapt over them to the other side of the throne, blocking out their vision with fluffy white fur and nearly smacking them in the face with their wing. The red dragon seized the golden pineapple staff leaning against the chair and threw themself over the edge of the throne. They rolled over and turned to face the other with a smile, twirling the staff over their wrist.
Ananas Dragon straightened up, wings puffing out in an attempt to appear more threatening. “Pitaya Dragon! Put that down immediately!”
They stuck out their tongue and cackled at the rage on the other’s face. “If you want it, come get it!”
The dragon turned on their heel and spread their wings, then shot across the room with a powerful flap, sending them straight out the door and leaving a trail of red embers in their wake.
Ananas Dragon hopped out of their throne, wings unfurling and pupils slimming as their face warmed up in frustration.
“Get back here!” they shouted. “Pitaya!”
Gritting their teeth, they bolted out onto the floor before fully extending their wings and lifting off the ground. As they passed through the door, they soared high into the air, wind whistling in their ears as golden sparks followed their path.
The sun shone brightly as they burst through the treetops; the light glinted off their armor as it burned away the leaves stuck on its sharp edges. Reaching the peak of their jump, the dragon slowed, opening their wings until they had lost enough speed to hover.
They took a deep breath as their eyes searched the blue sea below. Pitaya Dragon was right about one thing--it was certainly nice to be outside after being cooped up for so long. The water glimmered in the sunlight as they observed the isle. Their expression softened, anger fading as they were reminded of the cookies who offered to help them. Where were they now, they wondered, far below on the ground?
The golden dragon’s attention was drawn away by a flash of red against the waves. Gliding just above the surface, Pitaya Dragon dragged a wing through the water before pulling up and launching into the air, spinning and scattering glittery droplets as they ascended. They flew until they reached the other’s level, at which point they threw out their wings and cheered. Their armor and the staff were dotted with thin columns of steam, making quick work of any water that touched them.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” the red dragon remarked. They gave the other a smug grin before raising the staff over their head and waving it around. “But you’re not getting this back so easily! You’ll have to catch me first.”
“I am not playing your games,” Ananas Dragon retorted, but the other was already plummeting back towards the water. With a snarl, the golden dragon pulled in their wings and dove down after them.
Reaching the water, Pitaya Dragon pulled up slightly and soared just above the surface. Ananas Dragon did the same, their wings beating faster as they tried to catch up. The other was far more agile than they, but they certainly weren’t about to admit that, especially not in the middle of their little race. Just as they were nearing the other’s tail, Pitaya Dragon jabbed the staff down into the water. It began to glow with amber flames speckled with crimson, and almost immediately a cloud of steam formed along its wake. Ananas Dragon faltered, slowing as they attempted to see through the thick cover.
A ring of water formed as the red dragon turned and began to fly in a circle around them, tracing the shape over and over until the steam formed a dense wall at the surface. Their eyes dilated, vision homing in on the blur of movement past the clouds.
With a powerful flap of their wings, they lunged forward, bursting through the steam and colliding with the other dragon. The two spiraled downward and crashed into the cool water.
Ananas Dragon was stunned only for a moment before they managed to wrestle the staff out of the other’s hand. When they finally yanked it away, they pushed themself towards the light and breached the surface with a gasp.
They opened their mouth to shout once again, but their voice died at the sound of a familiar, sprightly cackle. Pitaya Dragon’s arms were wrapped around them, using them as a free ride to the surface. The red dragon smiled brightly when they looked up at the other, and something about it felt more genuine than normal. Their expression was softer, as if all their worry had evaporated away like the water on their armor.
“Alright, you win,” Pitaya Dragon announced. They let go of Ananas Dragon and pushed away with their wings, beginning to paddle towards the shore. The golden dragon looked down at their staff and gave it a squeeze before following.
They dragged themselves onto the shore, Pitaya Dragon’s fur already puffing up again as the water was baked out of it. Once seated, they extended a hand to the other. Ananas Dragon took it, and after a moment they felt their whole body warming up as the droplets evaporated off of them, too.
The golden dragon huffed and set down their staff and their side. “I suppose I should thank you.”
“You should,” Pitaya returned, laying down on the sand and folding their hands behind their head. “You’re the one who tackled me.”
Ananas Dragon looked out over the blue waves. The water lapped gently at the shore, cotton-like clouds drifted lazily by overhead. It seemed impossible there was such turmoil in the valley only a few days prior. A prairie must be burned in order to thrive, they supposed.
“Pitaya?”
They tilted their head. “Hm?”
“Why do you let those cookies help you?”
They gave a heavy sigh and rolled their eyes. “Cookies don’t care if you want their help or not, they’ll help you the moment they sense something is wrong. They’re all about friendship, and teamwork, eugh…” They grimaced, but after a moment, their expression softened again. “Cookies have helped me out of difficult times before. They’re very persistent, but also very determined. Some can even rival my strength.”
The dragon pushed themself up to a seated position before turning to the other again. “It isn’t exactly something to be impressed by, but their capacity to care about someone they’ve only just met is always a pleasant surprise.”
Ananas Dragon held their gaze for a few moments. It was certainly something they had noticed over the past several weeks, but not something they really registered. Those cookies were still willing to put others before themselves even in the face of such danger, such power.
The golden dragon picked up their staff and stood, shaking the sand from their wings. “No. That is worthy of being impressed by.”
Pitaya Dragon’s eyes went wide, and their usual grin crept across their face. “You? Saying something nice about cookies? I must be dreaming!”
The other flinched, and they averted their eyes as their face burned. “Quiet. That was not my intention--”
The red dragon stood up, and their tail swished a few times. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
“I don’t believe that.”
They made a show of rolling their eyes as they walked by. “Whatever. Let’s get outta here.”
Ananas Dragon watched them cross the sand until they reached the grass, then looked over their shoulder at the water again. Somewhere out there, the cookies were fighting for the same island they cared for so greatly.
They turned away and followed the other into the trees.