As Monarch climbed onto a Leafwing's back, she remembered the burning pain in her arm, as if her scales were flying off her skin.

Monarch winced, letting out a painful gasp as she wrapped her arms around his neck. One of the other Leafwing's who talked to her was preparing to fly next to them.

She tried to distract herself from the pain. "What are your names?" The Leafwing that carried her shifted his wings, trying to keep himself balanced with her new weight. 

"I'm Spruce, and that's Aspen." The female Leafwing said, flicking her tail at her companion. 

As they flew into the air, Monarch tried not to move her arm, but Aspen rocked and flapped unevenly. She bumped her arms together and against his scales. 

He's not very good at carrying a dragonet. She thought grimly, with a little laughter. But then grief and guilt swallowed her. Not as good as Lacewing. Nobody is as good as her. 

As they flew through the air, she tried to recognize where she was.  It was just past noon, and she could see a few hives in the distance. One was Silkwing Academy, but they were flying away from that hive. 

I can't believe I came this close to my dream. My awesome, that would totally come true, dream. Monarch gazed at it for a moment, before asking, "Where are we going anyways?"

"Sequoia Forest," Aspen said. 

Oh right. That was Mantis Hive, but when Sequoia was offered a hive, she refused to call it a hive. So she named it Sequoia Forest. The scenery there is beautiful, and it's known usually only by Leafwings, and not many other dragons go there. 

Everyone says it's beautiful there, and looks like an actual forest. 

Monarch ended up falling asleep on the ride. Aspen's wing beats gradually became more even and calmer, and it lulled her to sleep.

When she woke up, Monarch was hit by the smell of fresh roasting crickets. She sat up quickly, wacking her tail into scales.

She was in the middle of hundreds of dragons. They weren't looking at her, but they were everywhere. She had never seen so many dragons in one place. Most of them were Leafwings, but she saw a couple of Silkwings and Hivewings here too.

This must be the welcoming area. Dragons were talking to guards and officials, and family members greeting each other. She looked up and saw Aspen and Spruce sitting on either side of her, looking fierce.

"What's happening?" She yawned, rubbing her eyes. Aspen was shaking his arm with a grumpy expression, and she realized she must have hit him with her tail.

"We are waiting for an escort to take you to the orphanage." Spruce and Aspen said at the same time. Monarch mustered a laugh, and the two Leafwings looked at each other and quickly away. 

Spruce was pleasingly swishing her tail, and Aspen twitched his tail, so it slightly touched hers behind Monarch.

Welp. Glad I could be a part of making an awesome relationship. She tensed as a Leafwing approached them, her wings open wide. 

"Oh! Sprucey!!!!" Spruce's eyes widened and she opened her wings, letting out a small squawk as the Leafwing pulled her in for a giant hug, shouting, "Sprucey!!! I haven't seen you in forever!! How is my favorite granddaughter? Found a handsome fellow yet?"

Spruce stepped back, looking embarrassed. "I'm fine, grandma. Thanks." She took one look at Aspen's amused face and said, "Grandma, this is Aspen. He works in forest rescue as well."

Spruce's grandma went right ahead and enveloped Aspen in a big hug as well, and Monarch couldn't stop laughing. "Oh! What a handsome dragon. You better husband him up Sprucey!"

Spruce went red with embarrassment, but a soldier saved her from whatever she was going to say next. He took one look at Grandma (that's what Monarch began to call her) and said very quickly, "Everything is arranged. Monarch will be in the orphanage with the Leafwing and the other Silkwing until a dragon can pick them up and bring them home."

Monarch's spirits fell. Going home. Right. 

"What about Lacewing? Will she go home too?" Monarch asked. Aspen nodded. "After she gets better."

The soldier spread his wings and motioned for Monarch to follow him. 

She turned to Aspen and Spruce. "Thanks for taking me here. Tell Lacewing where I am when she wakes up." They nodded, and she bounded away, waving her talon and shouting, "Goodbye Aspen! Goodbye Sprucey! Bye Sprucey's Grandma!"

Only Grandma waved goodbye, looking pleased and so innocent. Monarch laughed. She has no idea what's going on. Spruce put her face in her talon, sighing, while Aspen let out a bark of laughter. 

"Is that little Leafwing your dragonet?" Grandma asked as Monarch walked farther and farther away. Spruce let out a groan. "Grandma! Thats a Silkwing!"

Before they turned a corner, Monarch gave one more wave goodbye, and they waved back.

She felt sad and disappointed after everything that had happened, but hanging out with Spruce and Aspen cheered her up, and really, she was just glad to go back to her friends. Hawkmoth and Ivy. Especially Ivy.