The journey to the lake wasn't long, and Gadalik had taken this route with his adoptive mother countless times throughout the first year of his life. That's why everything felt off now that he was alone.

Gretel had offered to accompany him, but he knew even without future visions that the sight of his friend so soon after the fight that caused the water dragoness to leave in the first place would upset the latter all over again, so he advised the former to stay in the den with Guinevere.

As he approached, Gadalik made out the silhouette of Glacia lying on top of the stone pillar she had mentioned he had hatched on, her back to him. The young earth dragon hybrid spread his small wings as he descended into the water, kicking off the sand before his head could go under and paddling strenuously with his large paws in the deliberate motions she had taught him to. He crossed to the center of the lake and began climbing the rock she was on. There was room enough for the both of them as he hauled himself over the ledge beside her.

She had been staring into the depths, not even glancing his way as she murmured, “Why did you follow me…?”

Her adoptive son tensed from the uncharacteristic neutrality of her tone; he had expected more emotion from her. “To make sure you're okay…”

“Does it matter if I'm not?” she asked, still eerily calm. “I look like the villain no matter what I say…”

“That isn't true… Nobody sees you that way. I'm sure you have reasons for not wanting Gretel to travel with us. And… I'm here if you want to share them with me.”

Glacia seemed hesitant, her eyes narrowed as though she were weighing the risks of telling him.

“Are you… jealous, at all,” he pressed, “that everyone seems to have a friend except for you?”

That got an immediate reaction from her, but not one that he expected; the water dragoness seemed genuinely horrified by his implication. “What? No! I don't want friends.” When he fell into a shocked silence, she let out a sigh to break the tension. “Look… I'm happy you have a friend to play with. But playing together doesn't carry the same stakes as traveling halfway across the land. We can't depend on Gretel–or anyone–to stick around when times get rough.”

Gadalik studied her, seeing no trace of dishonesty. “What about Guinevere…? Do you trust her?”

She paused, as if to consider her answer carefully. “I respect Guinevere enough, because she has saved your life in the past… But fairy dragons aren't built for combat or travel. We can't depend on her for everything.”

“I can tell you respect her,” he acknowledged her words, “but do you trust her…?”

She bit her lip. It was clear she wanted to tell him, but was torn. Finally, she said, “I don't know how to answer that without it sounding bad…”

“It doesn't matter how it sounds,” Gadalik encouraged her softly. “I'll understand. I promise.”

“In that case, I'll just put it bluntly: I don't trust anyone… And neither should you.”

He instinctively wanted to defend his friend and Guinevere, but instead, he stayed true to his word and decided to hear what his adoptive mother had to say. “Why not…?”

Stolen story; please report.

“You mentioned before that every outsider you've met so far has been nice to you. The problem is, it's not safe to go around believing that everyone is truly that way, no matter how they treat you at first. In the real world, others will say they love or care about you… Maybe they'll offer to protect you, too. They'll hang around, share their food, and convince you they're your friends. But then, when you’d actually need them the most… they won't be there,” she said quietly, her gaze shifting to the cavern underwater. “You can't put your trust in others so easily.”

Gadalik studied her eyes, feeling a pang of sympathy upon seeing she meant every word. Her jealousy isn’t about our friends… It's about our ability to trust others, he realized. “Did something like that happen to you before…?”

“...Yeah,” she admitted.

He waited for her to explain, but the following sounds were only from the slight current hitting the sides of the pillar from below. “Who were they…?”

“It doesn't matter who they were. That lesson is better taught to you through my past than by your future with Gretel.”

“What do you mean…? Gretel isn't like that… She'd never ignore me if I needed help.”

“Yeah? That's what I thought back then, too. Nobody believes their loved ones could abandon them… not until after they leave you for dead.”

He winced, almost able to feel the sharpness in her voice. Just who hurt her…? The hybrid shook his head. “But if we can't trust anyone… then why should I trust you?” he pressed–not because he didn't, but to show her just how flawed her reasoning was. He remembered asking her a similar question the day she had met Gretel; his adoptive mother had replied vaguely with–

“I'm different.”

“That’s not an answer,” Gadalik dismissed it. “What if I said Gretel was different from whoever hurt you?”

“You have no way to know that…”

“Well, neither do you.”

“But you want to put your life in her hands and risk finding that out the hard way?”

“That's what I've been doing with you,” he pointed out. “So again: how are you different from her?”

“Because unlike her, I know what it's like to be someone's last priority,” Glacia growled, but her anger wasn't directed toward him or his friend. “I know what it's like to call on someone you trust for help–someone who should love you unconditionally–only to find out the hard way that they only cared about getting what they wanted, no matter who they left behind in the process. And I wouldn't wish that betrayal on anyone–especially not on you. You're my son, Gadalik. As your mother, it falls on me to keep you safe.”

The hybrid listened intently, piecing everything together. “You mean… the ones who abandoned you were your parents…?”

The water dragoness froze, as if she hadn't meant to reveal that, but ultimately she nodded and looked away.

“What did they want that was more important to them than their own daughter…?”

“The same thing Gretel might be after in the mountains,” she said, sitting up and reaching a hand to her forehead. There was a faint glow as the red gemstone unfused from her body to land on the teal padding of her palm. She lowered it for him to see.

His striped blue eyes shifted from the gem, to his mother, then back again as he tried to wrap his mind around this. “That wasn't a natural part of you?!”

“No. Only revealer dragons have gemstones naturally in their bodies.”

“Then where did this one come from?”

“From the cavern in my lake,” she said. “Gemstones are hard to find, but they can enhance your powers, so a lot of dragons–like my parents–dedicate their lives to finding them… even if it means prioritizing the search over their own kin.”

“Wait… so you found the gem they were searching for?”

“Completely by chance, yes. But that's not the point. If the reason Gretel wants to tag along with us is to use your earth dragon heritage to gain access to the gem mines in the mountains, I doubt she'll stick around once she gets what she wants.”

Gemstones… mines… mountains… This was all too much for him to take in at once. “But… Gretel is my friend… She wouldn't… She…”

Glacia shook her head. “You understand now, right…? I'm not going to sit idly by and let you get hurt by Gretel the way my parents hurt me.”