Bon - Dori

Bon ran across the courtyard and nearly crashed into his twin sister Dori. The girl with intricately done black hair yelped and raised her hands to protect the result of hours of tedious waiting while her hair had been pulled and her pinned into the desired patterns. Bon, with his short peeks wouldn't know how bad it could be. 
"Sorry, Dori." Bon said but couldn't help grinning.
"What has gotten you so happy?" she asked.
"We get to dance together."
"Of course, who else would they pair us with? We're a lot smaller than the other dancers."
The two of them were 14 and had always been on the small side, maybe because they were twins, maybe even more since both their parents were small-statured. Though they were fraternal twins they shared the same features: a yellow skin, black hair, almond eyes and a straight nose. When they dressed up in the ceremonial robes, people always said they looked like dolls and called them cute. Bon and Dori were coming to an age where being called cute wasn't all that desirable. 
"Yeah, but we're not just joining in the circle and line dances, we actually get to do the main dance on stage!"
"That must be wrong."
Bon understood why his sister was doubtful, but he had heard it straight from the main priest. So Bon elaborated:
"Apparently the other couple that was going to do it had one of them fall and break a leg. The other dancers all have their own rites to perform, so the head priest told everyone he would train us to take over."
"It's still suspicious, we've only been training for 2 years."
But inside, Dori was getting excited. Dancing on the main stage was an honour and dancing in the center of all that glamour was the best they'd ever get to do. It was what all dancers aspired to. 
"I just hope we don't trip or fall." Dori said, suddenly feeling a bit queasy.
"The head priest is going to train us, it's alright. It's basically just a lot of waving and bowing anyway." Bon said confidently.

The days passed and the training schedule was rigid but by the end of the week, the head priest deemed them ready to perform on stage. The priest warned them to do the dance exactly right to call the spirits of the gods as a misstep might call in something else entirely. It had happened before though those stories were mere rumours now and nobody paid them much attention. 
And then the day was upon them. Hair was styled, ritual robes were donned and the stage was built and lit. People arrived in droves to watch. Bon was still pretty confident, but Dori was starting to get a bit jittery.
"I shouldn't have eaten dinner." she said looking a bit green.
"You need the energy from it." Bon reminded her, "The dancing will go on for a long time."
"How can you be so confident?" Dori asked.
"How can you not?" Bon retorted.
Nerves notwithstanding, they were led on the stage and the events started. They danced completely in sink and were the center of the larger circles and rituals. While the night fell the light dimmed and fires were lit. The temperature and concentration levels on stage rose. 
And then it happened... Dori took a step to the wrong side. Bon did the same thing just a second later. Thunder clapped and a rift appeared in the sky. A large scale claw appeared and picked up the twins before they could get away. The hand pulled them to the other side and hurled them on a sandy beach before disappearing.
Shaken, the two hugged and looked around, trying to make out where they were. It was light on this side and they seemed to be on a beach with three mountains at their back and water as far as they eye could see before them.
"Where are we?" Dori asked.
"I don't know." Bon admitted.
"I thought I heard something." a man said as he appeared around the dunes, "Oh and look, this smetimes happens though the last time was years ago. Apparently there is a portal somewhere around here that only opens to certain cues from the other side, wherever that may be."
The woman who was following him nodded and then fixated her eyes on the twins.
"Oh dear, it seems you are very young. Please follow me so I can get you settled. I'm afraid you'll have to stay here until we figure out where you came from. If possible we'll return you so don't worry too much."
Bon and Dori didn't feel all that much confidence at hearing those words. But they really didn't have a choice and were led toward the mountains. At the base of the center one they saw a creature that very much looked like it's claws could have been what pulled them through. As the orange dragoness focused her eyes on the twins, she suddenly told the others:
"I'd very much like to have them stand for my clutch. I believe they would be good matches to my children."
"If you want them to, but aren't they a bit too young?"
"We're already 14!" Bon complained.
"Oh, that's fine then." the woman reconsidered, consider yourselves found."

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HATCHING
Lost in thought, Lhyanpith almost didn't notice the small tremor beneath her paws. But her subconscious was on guard and sent the signal to be vigilant. Now looking and feeling with renewed focus, Lhyanpith noticed more tremors around her. 
"They're hatching!" she sent to whomever wanted to hear it and then started the wait as her offspring worked to enter the world. 
The day was sunny and warm and not a cloud marred the blue sky. It was truly a perfect day for a hatching. Ileancureth soon landed beside her and their bonds came running. T'und faster than Kelida, but even Lhyanpith's haughty bond seemed to have forgotten all about protocol. They were followed by others: humans, aliens, dragons. Those who wished to impress and those who just wanted to be a part of this joyous occasion. The spectators were as diverse as the candidates, another thing she wouldn't see if she'd remained on Pern. There were a couple of detectives: green- and purple-skinned women who were looking for fugitive space pirates, an elegant bird shifter and about dozen humans from different worlds. Lhyanpith mostly distinguished humans by their wardrobe and some of the waiting candidates were to say the least, bright in that regard. The orange dragon looked at the lot of them and then let it go, her children would determine whether or not they were worthy.
It seemed her children weren't the waiting kind as just a few seconds later, the first egg shattered. A very normal blue sapphire dragon jumped away from the egg and looked around. Two more eggs cracked after crashing together in their shaking. A jade green and pearly grey with violet wings appeared from behind the broken shells. The spectators cheered as they got the unusual coloured hatchlings they had come for. The violet-coloured hatchling seemed to be a bit uncomfortable with all the attention and he hurriedly pressed against his bond. 
The jade green female meanwhile had walked closer to Dori, the small ritual dancer who had magically appeared on the beach one day with her twin. The green dragoness was also on the smaller side, but moved fluidly, like a dancer. Confident and with purpose.
"You are the one for me." she said, "Am I enough for you?"
Dori, who felt pretty overwhelmed wondered briefly why such a magnificent creature would ask her that, but realised it was her own insecurity mirrored back. With a quick breath she straightened and said:
"Yes Cercleth, you are magnificent and I wouldn't want anyone else."
One of the larger eggs broke, some people had wagered their would be a gold or bronze in there but those would lose their money. Two pearly-coloured hatchlings with swirly green and aqua wings fell from the shards, the momentum of their struggle pulling them a bit apart. The aquamarine-winged water opal female was a bit faster than her turquoise-winged water opal brother and she hastily made her way toward her intended bond. 
Meanwhile, Bon, Dori's twin, was approached by the male hatchling who confided in him:
"Don't tell my sister but I like family too. I will keep yours safe and make certain you can return home."
"Thank you Androth." Bon said, feeling a tightness in his throat and a moistness in the corner of his eyes that he would deny having felt until he was old enough to appreciate the weight of the moment.

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ADULTS
"No no, you have to move more flowy!" Dori told Cercleth. 
Her jade green dragon nodded and started over, this time fluttering her wings less and instead making one smooth ark.
"Brilliant!" Dori praised her.
Cercleth wasn't a big dragon by Lantessaman standards, but she was still a lot bigger than her diminutive bond. Though years had gone by, both Dori and Bon hadn't grown that much more. People always confused them to be children but the people who knew them weren't shy to give them their fair share of work. 
From around the bend, Bon and his dragon, Water Opal Androth, approached. They had been practicing their part of the dance and apparently felt confident enough to come and try to start training together. After their impromptu transportation, the twins had gotten careful about their dancing.
"I am once again perfect." Androth boasted.
"I shall ave to see that first!" Cercleth jabbed, "Last time you were far from what you claimed."
If a dragon could blush, Androth would have, "I was befuddled by your radiance." he tried.
"You get points for that... but that line would work better on someone not your sister." Cercleth grinned.
"Maybe I need practice." Androth said shyly.
Cercleth chuckled but dropped the interrogation. She herself had started noticing some of the male dragons around. As a jade dragon she was very nurturing and wanted to care for little ones. Her brother, was much the same in that he cared about family and was very protective of his little bubble of relatives. Maybe the time for both had come to take the next step into adulthood. Or maybe they would just practice this dance some more... 

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Lantessama Isle
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