Short story #3: Little Dragon

(It is evening, and Clef spots Moon walking up to him, as he is deeply focused on his crocheting)

Clef: Hey, Moonlet. Is everything okay?

Moon: Oh, I’m good. I just wanted to introduce some friends of mine to you, and they’re “recent” friends. I met a few in class one day.

Clef (confused): Ahhh, o-okay? Sure…

Moon: Take your time, but if you get overwhelmed, let me know.

Clef: Er—What are their names?

Moon: Saffron, Perri, Cooper, and Garnet.

Clef: I know Saffron. She led a gang of bards. She’s a satyr/tiefling hybrid.

Moon: Oh! Okay, then. I’ll go get them.

Clef: But please tell them to not get too excited, okay?

(Several moments later, Moon comes back with four other kids. Saffron, a young elf girl with a strange shaved hairstyle, a human kid with a weird curly mullet, and a tall muscular orc with her red hair in french braids and a small flower clipped to her hair.)

Moon: Clef, these are a few new friends.

Saffron: Heeeey, Clef! It’s been a while since we last talked. How are ya?

Clef (quietly): Oh, I’m doing well, thank you.

Elf kid: hey. New guy?

Clef: Oh! N-no, I’ve lived here since I was about 12, actually. Uhm…(he laughs, then his voice drops to a whisper) This is awkward, at best.

Moon (gently): Clef, it’s okay. You’re doing good so far.

Elf kid: I’m Perri. Nice to meet you.

Clef: Hello, Perri…Nice to meet you. Clef, he/they.

Perri: She/her. Nice to see you too.

Mullet kid: I’m Cooper, they/them.

Orc kid: I’m Garnet, she/they.

Cooper: Just getting familiar with the pronoun thing. I just realized it probably like, 3 months and 2 weeks ago.

Clef: It’s okay, Cooper. You’ll get used to yourself as time goes by. I went through the same thing when I was 12.

Cooper: At least I’m not alone.

(Clef pauses as he turns around to look for something, a shocking realization hits him)

Cooper: Are you okay? You look like you’ve been hit by lightning or something.

Clef (quietly): W-where is she…

Garnet: Who is this?

Clef: M-My…My little dragon plushie. She was right next to me when I started drawing 2 hours ago, but now she’s gone.

Saffron: What’s her name and what color is she?

Clef: Her name is Rory, and she’s kind of a soft pastel green in coloration. And she’s really soft too.

Garnet: Hmmm. (She spots a kid holding a familiar looking stuffed dragon.) Hey kid, can we see you for a second?

Kid: Sure! Wanna see my dragon?

Garnet (pauses, whispers to Clef) It looks an awful lot like yours.

Clef: It is mine. I can recognize it.

Garnet: Kid, I don’t think that’s your dragon.

Kid: You sure? He looks like he is.

Garnet: It’s not.

Kid: Why not?

Garnet: Well, do you remember yours having a little ribbon around the neck?

Kid: No.

Garnet: Then it probably means that the dragon is someone else’s.

Kid: Whose is it? There’s no other kids in here.

Moon: Well, I do know someone who holds that dragon in a special place in their heart.

Kid: Really? And this dragon just happens to look like mine?

Moon: Yes.

Clef: Can you please hand her back to me?

Kid: But you’re not a kid. I thought a kid owned this.

Clef: I…I’ve had her since I was a kid. She belongs to me. It would make things a lot easier if you just handed over Rory.

Kid: Rory? 

Clef: Yeah, that’s her name.

Kid: Fine, you win.

(They hand the stuffed dragon to Clef, who snuggles it against his yellow hoodie)

Kid (surprised): Oh wow…You weren’t kidding about the “since I was a kid” part.

Moon: Hey, at least you didn’t hold Rory hostage.

Clef: She’s my little buddy. If anything happened to her or my friends, I’d murder everyone in the room, then myself.

Moon (cringes): I know you care, but maybe tone down the dramatics a bit?

Clef (laughs softly): Don’t worry about that. But still, I love my friends and this dragon is important to me.

Kid: Anyway, can you help me find my dragon? I had breakfast this morning, but after we were done, I went to get him and he was gone. He looks like yours, but a lot more ragged, and perhaps…really faded too.

Clef: Good details. Did you name him? You know, it’s okay if he doesn’t have one, but usually they do.

Kid: Pretty generic, but his name is Sparky because he has some sparkly bits in his fur, but I don’t know if they’re still there after being well loved for 12 years.

Moon: Hey, you’re the same age as me!

Kid: Really! Guess I’m not the only one who has an older brother figure in this castle.

Moon: How’d you know?

Kid: Just a guess. Clef seems a lot like a big brother. Or the way he talks to you.

Moon: Yeah. He is. Even if he’s not biologically my brother, he’s still like a brother to me, and I wouldn’t trade him for the world. Even though he’s not perfect, and has his own life, limits, and problems, he still makes time for me, and I’ll never forget the memories we’ve made together throughout the 9 years we’ve been together. I was 3, he was 12. I’m 13 now, and he’s 22. He’s grown from this awkward, somewhat introverted kid I fangirled over to a handsome, but most importantly sweet, gentle, and brave young individual. And we’ve stayed together through it all, and I look forward to growing up and staying close to him for the rest of our lives.

Clef: Indeed. I was 12, freshly out, and even though Moon was practically a baby, she taught me a lot of things. Don’t let anyone else tell me how to view myself, be okay with my flaws, and respect my own limits. But most importantly, love myself as much as I love her.

(Moon smiles, and hugs Clef, who gently kisses her on the forehead)

Clef: Now…Let’s go find your dragon, kid.

(They search throughout the castle. Every bedroom, nook, cranny, sitting room, the kitchen, the throne room, and the armory. Just as they enter the servant’s quarters, Moon spots a familiar fuzzy figure on a table next to some laundry.)

Kid: Hey, there he is! B-But what’s he doing in the laundry?

Tori: Oh! My apologies, I just had to wash him. Except I forgot to let you know and didn’t have time because you were out with your family that day. (Quietly) I’m really sorry.

Kid: It’s okay. At least he’s safe.

(They snuggle their own dragon, and walk with Clef back to the sitting room, where Clef once again wraps himself in blankets and resumes his crocheting. The other kids join him.)

Saffron: Is it okay if we stay and watch?

Clef: Sure. Just please keep the talking to a minimum, because I need to focus. You can still have some quiet music in the background if you wish.

Kid: Okay! (He turns on some music, and soft, chill guitar and static lined beats float through the room. Clef closes his eyes, and his body relaxes as he gets lost in the music.) Oh wow. You really like this, do you?

Clef (whispering): Yup…

Cooper: Also I really like your nails. They’re really pretty.

(They look down at Clef’s fingers, where his nails have an iridescent, glossy starry look to them, and are darkly colored, but at the corners, the polish is starting to chip slightly.)

Clef (whispering): Thank you.

(They both sit down, gazing up at the night sky filled with stars, and the kid smiles, and others join him)

Kids: Can’t wait to see what you create next.

Clef: Me too.