Heartbreak

When he was young, Heartbreak was bright pink, and endlessly cheerful. He was unnamed, and liked it that way. He loved playing with other young dragons, always up for a game of tag and the like, and was well-liked by other dragons.

However, when the time came to find a mate, no female dragons in his clan would accept him. Though they never mentioned it, he believed the source of his lack of luck in love was his feminine colouration. He grew to loathe the colour pink. Rejected and alone, his colour began to fade to a murky dark red, starting at his claws and working up.

As his transformation became more noticeable, dragons would often ask what was causing it, rarely asking any other questions. Each time, he would simply respond, "Heartbreak."

When he joined our clan, his whole body has been recoloured. His scales were a deep maroon, and his underbelly had faded to rust. The red was even inching it's way onto his wings. Then, he met Teartracks. She greeted him as he entered the lair for the first time, and asked his name, so he could be added to the clan's register. On impulse, he responded "Heartbreak."

Before he could correct himself, 'Heartbreak' had been added to the list of dragons, giving him his official name. He begged Teartracks to change it, to take his name off the list, much to her confusion. He explained his situation to her; the rejection, his colour change, and the endless answering of "How'd that happen?" which lead to his mistake. Teartracks pondered this.

"Well, heartbreak sure seems to be meaningful to you." She pointed out, "It's part of your life, and what caused your colours, and what caused you to give "Heartbreak" as your name accidentally. It's fitting, and it's important. I think you ought to keep it."

He considered her argument, before finally agreeing. Heartbreak was a fitting name. As he grew more used to the clan, he felt more at ease. Who cared if a few hatchling girls rejected him? He didn't need them anymore. Their opinions didn't control who he was. He'd find love somewhere, regardless of colour.

He sighed. Examining his muddy scales, he felt he'd be darn lucky to find a female who'd be his mate now. He would have had more luck when he was pink. As he wallowed in self-pity, Teartracks approached him, and asked to speak with him. They found they had much in common and, after a little while, the pair agreed to go on a date. Soon, they became a mated pair.

And Heartbreak noticed something. While the damage had already been done to his body and wingtips, the main bulk of his wings had remained pink. Since finding the love he'd so desperately craved, not one scale on his body had faded. Though he missed being entirely pink, and the wings clashed horribly with the new brown body, he knew they were a symbol of his love for Teartracks. He smiled.

He could live with pink wings.