What if Macaw never existed?

"Aaaahhhhh," Joy sighed and stretched out more on a platform under the sun. Kelp hummed happily beside her as they basked in the sunlight. "This is nice."

"You said it." Kelp agreed. "The Rainwings are seriously onto something with this whole Suntime thing."

"Mhmmm." They laid in silence for a minute, and Joy frowned. "Does it almost seem too peaceful to you?"

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like someone should be bothering us or something; we always end up getting interrupted when we try to relax."

"Sssshhhh, don't jinx it. Besides, Air and Seashell are hanging out with Nightflyer, your brother's probably making out with Pear, and I have it on good authority that neither of your parents will be here for the rest of the day. Who's gonna bother us?"

"Good point."

"I know."

"I vote it's nap time then."

"I second that motion."

*****

"This seems like a terrible idea," Nightflyer commented. 

"I'm told it's a team building exercise," Air explained. It had been her idea, after all. She and Nightflyer versus Rainkeeper and Pear in a series of tests, with Seashell to judge. Test one? Lead your blindfolded partner through a maze using only verbal commands. And since the rainforest didn't have a maze, they went with the forest itself as the next best thing. 

"We're already a team," Nightflyer insisted.

"It's supposed to be trust building!" Air said, typing a blindfold around Nightflyer's eyes. "Don't you trust me?"

"Oh, I trust you wholeheartedly. I just don't trust the judge."

"HEY!" Seashell yelled. "I am the only impartial dragon here; I'm the fairest judge you're gonna get."

"I still feel like we have an unfair advantage," Rainkeeper insisted. "Pear and I have been flying this forest our whole lives- how's Air supposed to lead Nightflyer through it if she doesn't know where every tree is?"

"I'm half Skywing!" Air insisted. "Navagation is in my blood, and besides- Pear seems a little disoriented by the blindfold." Pear whipped around at the comment.

"That is SO NOT TRUE!" She said, pointing at Air. Rainkeeper spun her around so that she was actually facing them, and Pear dramatically pointed again.

"I think you're pretty evenly matched." Seashell declared. "Everybody ready?"

"Yep!"

"Then we'll take off in 3...2....1...GO!" The five dragons launched into the forest, Air and Rainkeeper frantically shouting directions to the blindfolded dragons in front of them.

"GO LEFT!" Air yelled as they approached a tree. "LEFT LEFT LEFT LEFT-"

"GO RIGHT!" Rainkeeper yelled at the same time. "I know a shortcut!"

"I'd appreciate it if we all stayed in the same direction!" Seashell called.

"TOO BAD!" 

The group split, and Seashell went right, leaving Air and Nightflyer crashing through the forest by themselves.

"Can we cheat if there's no witnesses?" Nightflyer asked. 

"Not a chance! We're winning this fair and square. Right!"

"Right."

"No, Nightflyer- TAKE A RIGHT-" Too late. Air swung right, and in the confusion, Nightflyer stumbled left and crashed into a tree and fell, dropping to the forest floor and colliding with another dragon.

"SORRY!" Nightflyer blurted out, yanking off the blindfold and looking up. Faithbringer blinked down at him, bewildered. "Oh, it's you."

"Were you flying blindfolded?" She asked.

"Uh....yes?"

"What crazy shit has Joy got you doing this time?"

"Not Joy, actually-"

"There you are!" Air landed beside him, looking relieved. "Are you alright?"

"Oh totally, I hit trees head on every day." Air shoved him playfully and turned her attention to Faithbringer, who eyed the two of them strangely. 

"Sorry for the intrusion, Faithbringer."

"No, it's fine," Faithbringer shook her head. "Actually....while you're both here..." She sighed. "I've been a really jerk to you guys before, haven't I?"

"Well-" Nightflyer made a face.

"Yes. Yes you totally have." Air confirmed. Nightflyer nudged her and Air grinned. "Just being honest, sweetie."

"Right, well," Faithbringer shuffled her feet. "I've been trying to be better about stuff like that. I thought being mean would get me what I want, but I think it's only pushing away the dragons I wanted to be closer to. I don't know if it means anything to hear it now, but... I'm sorry." They stared  at her for a moment.

"Do you think hell has frozen over or-" Air started.

"Apology accepted!" Nightflyer said. "I'm glad you're trying to make up for your past mistakes and be better. Right, Air?" Air frowned and studied Faithbringer for another moment.

"Promise you're not going to try to take my boyfriend from me anymore?" She asked.

"I promise," Faithbringer swore. "I figure I have much better chances dating dragons that are, y'know, single."

"Alright, then....truce?" Faithbringer smiled.

"Truce."

"We should go find the others before they think we're dead," Nightflyer suggested. 

"Yeah, and so we can demand a rematch cause we were ROBBED." Air declared.

"We lost, Air." They waves goodbye to Faithbringer and headed back.

"Shortcuts are inherently cheating!"

"And hitting a tree is losing!"

"I think you hit your head too hard- you're obviously concussed and that's why you can't see the logic of my argument."

"Might I suggest an alternative argument?"

"Go for it."

"If they knew shortcuts, then them knowing the forest better than us gave them a clear advantage."

"EXACTLY."

"WE WERE PLAYED."

"I KNOW!"

*****

Years later....

"Being single is so hard," Wren sighed. 

"It really is the toughest thing in life." Aurora agreed. They were swaying in hammocks on an island in the Bay of a Thousand Scales, a small mountain of fruit between them.

"Like, in a relationship, you're free to let yourself go, but when you're single? You have to focus on looking this good every single day."

"Exhausting. Pass me a guava."

"Gosh, our lives are terrible. Tell me, Aurora- how are we supposed to live like this?" 

"Well," Aurora sighed as a gentle breeze rocked the hammocks and the sun started to set over the water. "I guess we'll just have to endure."

"Cheers to that," They clinked coconuts, and went back to enjoying the view.