§-Echogreen-§

My eyes were glued shut. Not literally of course. It only seemed like it. But they weren't.

After much struggling, she opened her eyes. It was so bright outside, so she closed them milliseconds later. "Erg ..." she moaned.

I glanced to my right with slitted eyes. Paintsplash was there and I saw her mumble something. Was she awake finally?

I closed my eyes.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

I was falling through the air. "HELP!" I cried, but my voice was snatched away. I tried to flap my wings, but alas, I could not. My eyes were wide in terror and I felt so helpless.

Echogreen.vA voice hissed. I spun around, a terrified look in my eyes. This was extremely hard as I was falling through the air.

"Who is it?!" I yelled. My voice cracked and I tried to cringe. Didn't work.

Your sister battled me once before. It is your turn now.

"I said, "Who are you?" And you had better answer." My eyes slit.

You won't get an answer out of me.

"Yes. Yes, in fact I will."

No.

I hit the bottom of the chasm with a thud. I groaned. "What---"

Your first appearence of me is yet to come, but yet ... I'll give you a hint.

A huge shadow loomed up in front of me. I yelped and skittered back. My legs wouldn't work properly and I was too drained to do anything.

Gaze upon the shadow.

I shake my head. "N-n-n-no."

Are you afraid?

I shook my head again.

Lying doesn't become you.

I bit my lip and turn around.

The shadow was misshapen. There was what looked to be a Monstrous Nightmare shadow, but really it was a wing. The tail whipped around. It was one of a Deadly Nadder. My eyes widen as the shadow laughed. It's teeth snapped into place and I screamed. I didn't want to look. I couldn't look.

Yes. Let my fear be instilled in your heart.

"No ..."

I will leave you with one last thing ...

My wound from Cinderpaw's dagger reponed and I screamed in agony. The last thing I remember was a cruel laughing.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

I awake to the bandages on my arm being soaked with blood, Diamondspirit looking over me worridely, and a cold looking female glaring at me.

I tried to speak but I couldn't.

"I told you they would bring trouble." The female's eyes slitted.

"Vetrnýi," Diamondspirit said a little harshly. "She just woke up from shock and her bandages have been soaked. Take pity."

This ... Night Fury?. ... might not even know the notion of pity.

"Pity is for the weak. Pity softens you and makes you vulnerable. Show emotion and your enemies will crush you." Vetrnýi said.

Paintsplash gurgled something and Diamondspirit glanced and Paint. "Wait, is she ..."

"Yes, dumbledork." Vetrnýi said. "She's out of coma."

Diamondspirit's eyes brightened up. He looked to me and with my free hand I motion for him to go. He nodded and raced off.

I was left alone with Vetrnýi. Well. I wasn't completely alone. Paintsplash was there, but I sorta doubt that she'd be of much help. This Night Fury looked ready to kill me.

She growled something and stepped away from me. She glanced at Paintsplash before walking out of the room. I sighed. This day ... Oh well.

I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

I awoke screaming.

"What?! Who drank the yaknog!?" Paintsplash sat upright in bed.

I sighed. "No one."

Paint crossed her arms. "Echo, I meant what was wrong."

I tiredly smiled at my friend. "Paintsplash, you should know by now that I take things seriously."

Paint rolled her eyes in good humor. "I know I know."

I lay back in bed with a small sigh.

"So what was the matter?" Paint persisted.

"I ... I just had a bad dream, that's all." It was half true.

Paint crossed her arms. "You're lying. You wouldn't sit straight up in the air screaming if it was just a bad dream."

"'You're right." I sighed. "It was a nightmare."

Paint looked at me sternly and then sighed. "Fine. It was a nightmare."

At least ... well at least she didn't press further, I thought semicontentedly.

I looked over at Paint one more time before closing my eyes.

"Surprise!" Someone called, wrenching me out of my slumber.

"Yaknog is from the devil!" I screamed sitting up again. Once my eyes focused I saw Paint and Diamondspirit and Toothless laughing hysterically.

I crossed my arms. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want."

"We will," Diamondspirit promised.

"Why are you here anyway?" I asked.

"To give you a few things. And to take you out." Toothless explained.

"But the nurse said at least two more days!" Paint exclaimed.

"She said you improved rapidly since the last time she checked on you." Toothless said. He walked over to Paintsplash and sat on her bed. "You can go back to your dorms today."

Paint's eyes lit up. "Great!"

I nodded slowly. I don't know if I was up to going back to my lonely dorm. It was gloomy. No one was there to keep me company. I looked over to Diamondspirit. Maybe it could be a little less gloomy if he could visit every once in a while.

Now I'm not the kind of dragon-excuse me, girl-who goes around lovestruck. No, that's not me. In fact, I haven't even really had a crush until now.

Well, there was Baleck. I thought. Baleck had been my first crush. When I was around six years of age, I noticed him and started to think about him more and more. My crush ended around twelve years later when he was allegedly killed.

"You okay with that, Echo?"

I blinked back to the present. "What?"

"I asked if you would be okay going for a walk with me. After that we'll meet up with Paintsplash and Toothless at my sister's diner."

I was silent. "Well, o-okay, Diamondspirit."

He smiled.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

A few hours later we were out on a wonderful walk together.

"This is ... awkward." I said after an unbearable sillence.

Diamondspirit laughed. He stopped and so did I. He reached into his coat and pulled something out. "This is for you," he said. He opened his hand and extended it to me. In it was a box.

"You didn't need to do that," I admonished him lightly.

"But I wanted to. Just open it."

I sighed dramatically and opened it. Inside were a pair of ... things.

"Uh, what are these?"

Diamondspirit looked at me strangely. "These are a pair of pencils. Pick them up."

I did as I was told and I gasped. The pencils were wooden and had small gold circles around it. On it were written words. A lovely lass I met one day. On the second pencil it said: I will never forget her.

I blushed profusely. "Diamondspirit-"

"You could call me Diamond."

I smiled. "Okay, Diamond, I ... I love these. They're beautiful. I don't think I could write with them!" Because I can't write anyways.

"They are sorta ornamental." He blushed.

Before I know what was happening, I was kissing Diamondspirit.