Ether

The wind roared through the arcane desert, rain pounding against the window of Ether's sleeping quarters.

The Skydancer churned in her bed, wrapped around four eggs, four very forbidden eggs. Eggs that were never supposed to be born. They still reeked and pulsed with the slime of Plague, yet Ether kept them close, making sure no dragon saw them in case one of her sisters, or a guard, entered her room.

Ether gazed at her eggs from beneath the covers, running her claws across their shells; she was almost positive that they all were Mirrors, the one type of dragon her mother loathed with every fiber of her being. The princess frowned, twitching at the thought of Asa finding the eggs, or, even worse, her beloved.

No, Starbow is safe. He is in the Scarred Wasteland. He is nowhere near-

Ether's thoughts trailed off as she heard a light tapping on her window, and her head stretched out from her bed's covers and looked to the window. Through the darkened sky and rain, she spotted the face of a hooded dragon, fanned crests sticking from it, and the familiar, gentle glow of a dragon of Light looking back at her...

... No.

The princess slid out of her bed, hiding her eggs under her blankets as she approached the window, opening it wide.

"... Starbow?" she whispered, her voice fading in the wind. The Mirror in the window smiled, sliding into the room.

"Ether... my love," he whispered, closing the window behind him with his tail. Ether backed away with wide eyes, knowing this dragon was indeed her beloved Starbow.

"S-Starbow? Why are you here? You know your very presence is forbidden...!" she cried, grasping Starbow's talons and squeezing them. The Mirror squeezed Ether's own talons, sighing.

"I know, Ether, I know. But... I needed to know that you are alright. This storm... it made me worry about you," he said, moving to press his head against Ether's. The princess frowned, doing the same with a whimper.

"But, if Mother comes, and sees you..."

"Shhh. My dear Ether. Don't worry."

Ether pulled her head away from Starbow's, her frown deepening as she looked into his eyes. The Mirror used his head to flick his hood off of his head, pulling off his mask as well.

"She won't find me. But... what of our eggs, Ether?"

Starbow's words made Ether blink, and the princess hesitated a bit as she brought her beloved to her bed, slowly removing the covers from them. Starbow beamed at the sight, laying a talon on one of the eggs, sighing.

"They're safe, because of you, my love," he whispered, and Ether's frown wasn't strong enough to prevent her from smiling.

"Why... thank you, my love..." she murmured, and her forbidden love chuckled.

"Of course, my sweet." Starbow gave Ether a small kiss on her cheek, sighing. "... Well. I should not stay too long. I love you, Ether. May you never forget that."

"I-I won't Starbow, I never will forget."

The Mirror beamed, and he gave Ether another kiss, this time on her lips. The Skydancer blushed, holding her beloved's head just before Starbow pulled away. He chuckled again, before slipping towards the window, pulling it open.

Yet, at the same time, Ether's door burst open, and the pair's gazes snapped to the sound, seeing, in the doorway, was none other than the Queen of Absolute Beauty herself, Asa.

The queen's feathered crests were flared, her head leaning slightly to the side, her eyes wide with pure rage.

"... What. Is. THAT," she hissed, charging right towards Starbow and grasping his neck. Ether let out a cry, tearing up.

"Mother! No! Leave him be!" she begged, running to Asa as the queen squeezed her talons around the Mirror's neck, her snarl twisting into a malicious grin as Starbow gasped for air. Yet, Ether grasped her mother's talons, forcing Asa to release the Mirror, who tried to scramble to the window again. Asa was too quick though, slamming it shut as she towered over Starbow, snarling.

"Ether, my daughter," Asa began, her voice a horrid coo. "Why is there a MIRROR plaguing my domain? We know why we don't allow such THINGS in here..."

"But... M-Mother..." Ether tried to speak, her voice shaking more than she was. "I... I love him..."

Her daughter's words made Asa even more furious, and she flared her wings.

"Love? LOVE!?"

The Skydancer roared, slashing at Starbow with her claws, knocking him back across the room.

"YOU DARE CORRUPT MY DAUGHTER TO LOVE FILTH SUCH AS YOU!? YOU AND ALL OF YOUR KIND SHOULD BE-!"

Before Asa could finish her threat, her gaze fell upon the eggs that Ether forgot to cover up, and this sight made her anger impossible to describe. She pushed her daughter aside as well, staring down at the four eggs.

"... You even had children...? With that beast?"

Asa's venom-laced voice made Ether shiver, and she crawled back to her eggs, trying to grab them. "... Yes, mother..." she whispered, and Asa smacked her talon away.

"Then they shall all perish, along with that Mirror."

Asa raised her talons, ready to smash all of the eggs with her bare claws, but Ether cried in horror, and soon the rage of a soon-to-be mother, as she slammed her body into Asa, knocking the queen aside. Asa slammed into the wall, hissing in pain.

"Why you-! What has that thing DONE to you!?" Asa demanded, her gaze boring into Ether's.

"Unlike you he has taught me to love! He has given me a family!" Ether cried, her talons and wings wrapping around her eggs. "And I will not let you harm them!"

Asa's eyes twitched, letting Ether's statement seep in. The queen remained on the ground for a minute more, before she rose back to her feet.

"You won't, will you? Well then, my daughter, it seems there is only one thing to do now..." hissed Asa, and her eyes once again turned to Starbow, dashing towards him to pin him to the ground.

"N-No!" Ether gasped, trying to reach for Starbow, but Asa raised a talon, keeping the princess still with a small amount of magic.

"Now... my daughter. My first princess of Elegance... " Asa let her last word slip through the air, nearly filling the room with how important it was to the queen. "I will give you a choice. You will leave this palace, and Starbow and your eggs shall die. Or, you stay, and Starbow stays alive... but he must never return, and only a single egg of yours lives along with him."

Ether, who was allowed to move again, gasped, trembling as she looked down to all of her eggs.

Choose one? But... they're all my... Ether sniffled, laying a talon on each of her eggs.

... It is one or them all.

Ether soon grasped one of the eggs, holding it close to her chest, before looking to her mother.

"... I have made my decision," she stated, and Asa's lips twitched into a smile.

"Perfect~" she cooed, releasing Starbow as she approached the rest of Ether's eggs. Said princess backed away, unaware of the tip of her mother's tail grazing the egg she held as she approached the others. Asa, with a hum, soon touched each of the eggs, observing them as they all shriveled up, giggling in glee. Starbow and Ether stood back in horror, tearing up as they watched their future children die before them. The latter held her egg closer, leaning against Starbow so she wouldn't collapse.

... No... My children... her thoughts whispered, and she began to sob, looking away. Starbow laid a shaken wing on his beloved to try and comfort her, not looking away from Asa.

Once the queen had finished, she slowly turned her head to the pair, pointing a claw at Starbow.

"If he is not gone by sunrise, consider both him strangled and your egg shattered, " she stated, before leaving the room, slamming the door behind her with her tail. Once she was gone, Starbow let himself go limp, finally giving into his emotions as he sobbed as well, covering his face with his talons.

"I shouldn't have came... I-I am so sorry, my love... I failed us... I failed our family..." he cried, and Ether held him close, trying to reassure him despite her loss for words.

Their tears continued for what felt like days, rivaling the raging storm outside. Yet, the two found themselves having to stop as the sun inched its way up the horizon.

Ether looked out the window in fear, looking to Starbow, and then her egg.

"... It... It won't... be safe here," she whispered, her gaze fogged by tears. "... Starbow... t-take... take it with you... t-take her with you... Find... Find her a safe... safe place... I beg of you..."

The Mirror looked down at the egg, his talons trembling as he grabbed it. He inhaled, before his eyes met Ether's.

"... I will, I promise you," he stated, nodding. "... I know a kingdom. I will take her there... to the place I was born. Lumiera... where all dragons are accepted and loved, no matter who they are..."