Gretel soared across the morning sky on her way back to her friend’s island. Thin air at this altitude had always been easier for her to breathe, and the mist of the clouds she passed through was refreshing. Even from two miles away, the wind-type hatchling’s hot pink eyes could detect movement from that island and recognize the violet-and-blue revealer who was standing by their tree. His eyes were closed and the natural blue gemstone on his forehead gleamed in the sunlight.
As Gretel neared her nameless friend, an unusual sound captivated her. It was birdsong from the lowland’s forest he was in, but there was also something else she couldn't place. She used her volume control ability to still the air around herself, silencing her movements as she eased into a glide and hovered not far from the older juvenile. To her astonishment, the sound turned out to be his voice.
There were intermittent pauses as he listened to the birds sing, before he responded in kind, almost mimicking their songs. Is he trying to learn from them, or communicate with them? Gretel wondered curiously. Her friend once again stopped and listened to them, but this time he didn’t answer right away. His light green eyes gained that same distant look he'd had when she had caught him daydreaming before.
The wind dragon hatchling prepared to land and greet him, then froze when his voice started again–this time in an original melody. It started at a middle pitch, but instantly corrected to a lower one as his green ears picked up on the key of the birdsong. From that point onward, his voice harmonized with it.
Gretel would have been overwhelmed with pride if only his melody didn't convey such sadness. Her sensitive hearing picked up on the amateurish wavers and cracks in his voice, and lack of proper breathing techniques, but skill wasn't needed to express just how isolated he clearly felt.
The violet yearling once again began to pause in intervals, this time for the birds to respond to him. The white-and-purple wyvern fought the urge to join in, to add a comforting, happy melody to juxtapose his somber one and cheer him up, but she remained quietly listening instead.
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By the time the violet revealer dragon finally finished, his usually Z-shaped tail–which also had a gemstone on the top of its tip matching the one on his forehead–had uncurled to fall against the soft grass beneath him, and his small blue wings were splayed and lowered. Tears threatened to fall from his watered green eyes.
Gretel landed perpendicular to him, releasing her hold on the air to let him hear her freely. “Are you okay…?”
He jolted at her sudden appearance, then faced her with panic, wiping his eyes despite them watering again afterward. “How long– I mean, did you–”
Despite his failed attempts at speech, she nodded in answer. “I was here the whole time, and I heard everything…”
He was horrified and retreated a step from her, once again wiping his eyes before tears could fall. “I'm sorry–it was horrible–I was just–”
The wind type shook her head. “It was perfect.”
His ears perked up in shock. He seemed to relax slightly at that, but then he suddenly turned his back to her with his wings folding around himself as if to hide, but Gretel’s keen eyes noticed the tears had finally fallen beforehand. She moved to comfort him but got distracted when the gem on his tail glinted in sync with the other and he turned around to face her with a nervous laugh, wiping his eyes which were suddenly drying to normal. His tail and wings lifted to their usual level and he smiled warmly.
“Thank you… I've been practicing since you left last night. But that was the first time I made up a song. I didn't expect you to get here before I could perfect it, though,” her friend chuckled.
“I didn't mean to sneak up on you; I just didn't want to interrupt,” Gretel murmured apologetically.
He nodded. “Yeah, I figured. But… you really liked it?”
“I loved it,” she replied genuinely.
The nameless revealer juvenile scratched his ear, abashed. “I might need more practice, but… I think I really like singing.”
An idea popped into her head out of nowhere. “Wait–I know a good name for you!”
He recoiled from her volume, but her enthusiasm was infectious. “Huh? Really?! Tell me!”
“Efron!”
“...Efron?” The young blue-and-violet dragon narrowed his green eyes thoughtfully. “What does it mean?”
“Back when I was trying to name myself, I overheard some older wind dragons saying it meant ‘singing bird.’ With how you harmonized with the birdsong, and enjoyed it, I think it’s fitting,” she chimed.
“Wow. I do like the sound of that. It's also a trait, so maybe other revealers won't think it stands out too much, either. So… I guess that's what I'll be called from now on,” Efron said, then grinned as he added, “You really did find the perfect name.”