Misaki

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The only thing Misaki remembered when she opened her eyes was her name. She didn't realize it at first, of course; she lay there on her side in a patch of green tendrils rising up from the ground and found herself entirely stuck on a word for them. She knew there was one, of course, and she knew that words existed, but for the longest time, nothing came to mind.

Gradually, she became aware of a voice accompanying the roar of noise in her ears, and she looked up to see a dragon whose eyes were on fire. Startled, she scrambled backwards, and as she did, her claws hooked in the earth and tore up clumps of the green plant. Grass she remembered. Her head hurt. It felt as though she wasn't quite present in her own body.

"Are you all right?" the other dragon repeated, slowly. A blazing circle of fire spun lazily around her head, and she wore a lantern around her neck and draped over her hind legs. Smoke twisted up from her feet. Misaki was almost positive none of that was supposed to happen.

"What are you?" she whispered.

The other dragon paused. "I'm not going to hurt you." She bobbed her head down. Misaki watched the fire in her eyes dance. "Where are your parents?"

"Parents?" Misaki repeated the unfamiliar word and considered: maybe, like grass, she would eventually remember. "I don't know if I have those."

Another pause. The other dragon lifted a foot and put it down again. She had gems all over her, too, Misaki noticed, and though the chains holding the lanterns up clinked as she moved, the fire made no sound. "Hmmm," she rumbled. "Let's start from the beginning. My name is Shula. I'm a Snapper, formerly of the Ashfall Waste, recently come to the Windswept Plateau."

Like parents, Misaki didn't recognize any of those names. But this dragon seemed nice, and really, what choice did Misaki have but to trust her? "I'm Misaki," she offered in return. Her ears went back. Compared to Shula's long litany of information, Misaki's seemed woefully inadequate. She pawed at the ground, then snuck a peek up at Shula. Shula stared back, silent, and Misaki found herself admitting, "I don't remember anything else."

"You… don't remember. Amnesia?" Shula's wings rippled where they lay tightly tucked against her body, and she moved closer. Misaki tensed but didn't skitter back this time. "Oh dear. I'm not equipped to take care of a hatchling. I'm not…" She swung her gaze towards Misaki again, or at least Misaki thought she did. "Very well. Come with me, hatchling. Misaki. Let's get you somewhere safe. Out in the open like this is no good, even on the Plateau." Misaki cringed a little, lowering herself to the ground as Shula stepped closer. Shula stopped. "There's no need to be afraid. I'm no hatchling caretaker, but I won't harm you."

"I…" Misaki hesitated. Some unknown, unremembered impulse tugged at her. She twisted her head around, this way and that, searching for the direction her instinct was trying to tug her, but she found nothing but unfamiliar skies and a flat plain stretching out ahead of her. "There's something…"

Shula stepped back, her broad tail swaying slowly with the awkward movement. "We can stay here for a while longer," she said agreeably. "In case your parents come back."

"I don't think that's—" Misaki's ears flattened against her head again. She shook herself, sending bits of dirt and grass flying away from her coat. "It's something…"

"We can wait no matter what the reason is." Shula bobbed her head. The motion was a bit at odds with her dignified manner, and Misaki found herself relaxing at the sight. Shula was nice. Eyes on fire had been scary at first, but really, Shula was very nice, no matter what she was. Maybe Misaki shouldn't get too close, though; a faint memory stirred of burning fur and a horrible stench filling her nostrils.

She wouldn't get too close, but she could still accept Shula's help.

"Thank you," Misaki said finally, softly. She looked down at the ground, at the shape in the grass where she'd been at the moment her memories first started. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"There are people who can help." Shula sounded convinced by her own words, and she spoke without any hesitation. Misaki relaxed a little further and let her jaw drop open in a warm smile. It was okay. Whatever had happened, everything would be all right, somehow.