Run 2004 (1)

The waves collided gently with the sand, making beautiful art on the beach under a bright blue sky with not a wisp of cloud in sight. A soft breeze blew land inward and touched the eggs that had been laid last Easter. This year there had been no need for bunnies to hide the eggs, not with the ten mothers and several helpers to carry on the tradition. Knowing the time was near the females had set out with their eggs, some hiding them and leaving the eggs for candidates to find, and others remaining with their eggs.
At the last count the number of eggs had been hesitantly set to 80, but no-one knew if that number was anywhere near correct. Still, things always worked out on Lantessama and no-one had a doubt that today as well everyone would find a dragon to bond with, with some to spare to sponsor out to other planets.
Lucas was taking care of the last arrangements when a whole cluster of small dragons gathered around him. As with the flight, the mini cocktail dragons were to be used as the eyes and ears of the record keepers and as guards for the few candidates who ran into a clutch of hatching hydra, disturbing the mother. Hopefully there wouldn't be too much of that. This time Lucas' own Vodka Zast was in charge of the fair of miniature dragons and would remain high in the air to coordinate. Eris, Trix' ice would stay behind to relay information to her bond about the impressions and Cyan's Raspberry Purple would stay on Evilness' tail to make sure he wouldn't do anything to disturb the eggs. The little dragon took his job very serously, fastening himself to Evilness' tail and not letting go. Cyan had kept her eyes on him for the past months, but was still certain he was up to something even if he didn't show a sign of bad behaviour.
"Are the candidates ready?" Lucas asked Cyan.
"Trix is making sure all of them get the concept, though what is so hard about an egg hunt, I don't know." Cyan shrugged, "Whatever gets her secure, I can't stand her when she's nervous."
"Tight strung?" Lucas asked.
"Break a twig in her vicinity and she would explode." Cyan giggled.
Finally all the candidates were let loose on the same track where the run had taken place. The females had scattered their eggs all around, many of the untended ones being bunnies who could imagine no other way of being born except to be found. 
The first to bond, though he didn't know it yet, was Kuryo, one of the alien bunnies that had been warped to Lantessama. He was impatiently twisting his ears when the sign to go was given. He leapt forward, stumbling and getting his hind legs caught behind something under the ground.
With a startled shriek Kuryo fell and only turned in time to see a white bunny with yellow siamese markings crawl out of the shell the plush-looking bunny had tripped over. The bunny looked deep into his eyes, almost at a level since the alien bunnies were only the size of a 3-year old human, and sighed happily.
"Kuryo! I found you!"
"Actually I found you, Huzau." the plush bunny commented before returning to the finish line. The chase had not been long for him, but it had been good while it lasted.
Most candidates had witnessed Kuryo's good fortune and only started out after the bunny had impressed, but not all. 
Divine, one of 10 women who Sovyl had brought in, was walking carefree between the woods. She had decided to stay at the edge of the darker forest, but still she felt strangely alone. people were running past her, but no-one really noticed she was there. That is to say, almost no-one. Suddenly a bright shape leapt from between the trees and hugged the woman's legs.
"Divine! Divine! Divine!" the baby bunny shouted.
"Are you happy, Geinash?" Divine asked smiling broadly at the cute purple-marked face of the white bunny, it's whiskers barely visible in the dimmed light.
"I could be happier..." the bunny said, "If you had some sweets around, maybe even chocolate?"
With a laugh, Divine took the bar of chocolate all candidates had been given out of her pocket and gave it to the bunny who swallowed it whole.
"Now I'm as happy as I'll ever be."
"Me too."
Hidden in the foliage of Isla Klynn, a grey mottled egg cracked, lunged up and fell back splitting it's surface. One head pushed through, but was pulled back in. On the other side a head pushed through, this one darker in colour and with two flexible horns twitching in the noon air.
"Get away!" the first egg rumbled from within the egg.
"No way!" the other replied, "You get out!"
"I am trying, believe me."
"Weakling." Hecubah sighed, gathering her stregth and pulling both of them out on the shore. The 2-headed hydra with an ash male and a coal horned female side looked around. The male half, Mardut, tried to ignore the ash skin at the edge of his vision, but the coal female half tried no such thing, she glared evilly at her siamese twin brother, trying very hard to get control over his side of the body... but well, she couldn't.
"Are we going to walk?" she snarled.
"Where to, Sister?"
"Darkling Dawn." she hissed leaving no room for him to argue.
Gudrun, the baby sticky weed from Lantessama knew where the eggs were. In fact, she had helped hide them from plain sight with the other dragons. She hadn’t been able to do much, but she had helped Girth with adding extra camouflage. Gudrun was still proud of her work, after all she had made herself a nice hideout as well to alert Girth of who was coming. And now the first, aside from Evilness who had been stalking Girth’s nest for hours, candidates was approaching.
"He is male." The plant said, "Tavorian is his name if I remember right."
"Is he going to find us?"
"It looks like it. Is there an egg hatching?"
"One of them is wobbling rather fiercly." Girth nodded, "He will have to do."
The egg burst open as Tavorian entered the small burrow in the earth. A bit surprised he looked at the baby pink female that had fallen into his arms. She was rather chubby, with small leaflike wings and bunny ears. Clearly this egg was fathered by Evilness.
"I like you!" the baby plant runner proclaimed and licked Tavorian’s nose.
The chocolate thief arched away, wiping away the wetness on his face. "Now give me chocolate!" the baby plant runner started chanting in an irritating fashion. Shortly after the chant changed to say: "Kindness is hungry" revealing the name of the hatchling. Tavorian only growled and gave the hatchling half of his candy bar (the rest of it he had already eaten) and promised her he'd get more, grinning evilly which made Kindness startle.
"Ehm, Gudrun." Girth said, "We have a problem."
"What?"
Gudrun turned and saw a yellow cherubun look up at her.
"There were two babies in that egg."
"Will you take care of me?" the male yellow baby asked, "You would make me happy."
"But, I can barely take care of myself…"
"I don’t need much, maybe I can help you!" the yellow bunny called out optimistic, "I’m Happiness."
"You wouldn’t say." Gudrun answered.
Right after the first twin, another egg broke and a baby purple female crawled out. She was well rounded as had the other two been, but with real bunny ears and short fluffy wings. This lovely bunny was certainly sired by Eith and not by Evilness. With her heart-shaped tail she looked around and crooned happily when Bran appeared around the corner.
"You're mine!" she called, "I'm Prei!"
Valsalla was walking in the dunes when she suddenly heard a small whispering not too far away from her. Straining she tried to follow the sound, rounding corner after corner until she didn't know where she was exactly. And then, something jumped her from behind. Screaming she went down and was startled when she didn't feel fangs, but fluffy fur gainst her neck.
"I won!" the 4-headed pink-edged white bunny hydra called happily, "Want another go?" she asked with a clear undertone of danger in her voice, her three other heads hissing softly in the wind.
Gambit Lanor flew through the air, his metal-coloured hide gleaming in the sunlight. He was almost a beechen. Or so he hoped, because he was planning on bringing home a lot of dragons for the lady Eternal Rose.
Shining beams of light from his blades, the star dancer illuminated the dark undergrowth of forest bushes. It was the best way he could think of to find hidden eggs. The white of the eggs, he had noticed, almost shone fluorescent in the semi-dark of the forest. He only hoped not too many females had camouflaged their eggs with dirt.
Pondering, he was suddenly struck by a reflected beam of light that struck him in the eyes. A small group of eggs had been hidden beneath a fallen tree, they were camouflaged skilfully, but the wind had cleared a bit of the top. Gambit didn’t need to know more.
He swooped down and scratched the surface of the topmost egg. He was only mildly surprised to find his call was answered. A small hole appeared as a paw pushed through. The skin was green in several hues, camouflaged.
"Gambit?" the male hatchling asked, "I’m Troylot"
Ameran felt the wind swoop her white dress up and only barely managed to hold on to it. -Why bother?- she felt more than heard her other half saying. That side of her had been a bit frustrated at her hold on things when clearly they were great together. But once again night would come and than her dark side would go free, Ameran pondered. Maybe now after today she would have a watcher to tell her what had happened.
Crossing the plains, Ameran suddenly felt her ankle twist. She went down and looked around her, a small hole was visible between the grass, thinking she hadn't noticed it. Absentmindedly she made the hole in the grass bigger so other people would notice it and suddenly touched a smoothness that shouldn't be there.
"What's this?" she asked herself.
"An egg stupid."
Frowning she touched it again and pulled back her hand when it cracked in half. Two heads looked up at her with four eyes. One head was pure white with faint yellow streaks, the other was black as night with only a hint of blue.
"Watch I will." the light half of the hydra bunny said, "I am Illum."
"My eyes will be on you too." the dark half said, "I am Noxi."
A dark-coloured shadow bunny stuck his head out of the tall grasses he had been hiding in. Many people were around, but the bunny knew how to avoid them, humans weren't that smart. Dashing short distances and even bolting a few longer runs, he made it unseen to the finish line. The bunny couldn't risk bonding, he wanted to be free and travel to Cy Dragonstake. At this time he doubted he would ever bond. And if he did, he would certainly never bond to a silly human.
Having said as much to the record keepers he was off to his chosen home before anyone could stop him.
Voleski skipped along the road in a bright pink devil-outfit, capturing quite a few looks as she came by. She loved the attention and was already considering asking one of the young men for the egg they had found when she spotted one in plain sight. As if it had been dropped of just for her.
With a delighted smile, Voleski sped forward, grabbed the egg and waited... and waited. How long did eggs take to hatch? Was it supposed to take this long? Losing her patience, Voleski kicked the egg she had placed in front of her, maybe it was a dud. 
Pain lashed through her and she suddenly felt as if her shoulder had taken a fierce blow. With big eyes she stared at the egg, could it be?
"Help!" finally reached her mind, like a whisper in a crowded room.
tearing at the shell, Voleski was left with a small purple pink glider dragon, a female looking at the pose she was in. Finally the glider opened her eyes, crooned happily and looked into Voleski's eyes telling her all she needed to know. 
Riand looked around and wondered how he had gotten here. One day he had just been ten and happy leading his life, and the next he was having to work through the existence of living plush bunnies and dragons.
The young boy sat down on a rock and sighed. He stared over the waters of the lake and followed the shimmering patches of reflecting light. The wind stirred his hair and he felt a bit tired. Maybe there was jetlag in interplanetary travel.
"I think they try to jump so they don’t have it." He heard someone say behind him.
"Hey! How did you…" he turned and nearly fell.
A red-purple bunny, with transparent wingsails attached to it’s arms and flanks stood behind the rock Riand was sitting on. The boy still marvelled at the sight of a dragon, how could it exist?
"Evolution maybe. All I know is that I am, and that I am Argenyl."
"That’s a funny name." Riand said.
"Yours isn’t very normal either." Argenyl said.
"Oh… ok."
"I smell chocolate." Argenyl said with light in his eyes.
"Oh… yeah, I’ve got this candy bar, somewhere…"
"Your back pocket. Hurry, I’m kind of hungry."
On the small isle in the middle of the lake an egg stirred. Not one human had made it here yet and it was unlikely that many would without being able to walk over water. Yet the egg knew it wasn’t the only one on the isle. Softly the dragonet pushed outward to the world he knew was there. His head pierced the shell first and was followed by his front legs. From there it was just a matter of twisting and rocking until the egg rolled over.
The brown bunny with forest green marks spilled on the ground and arched his back getting up. With ears standing tall he looked over the water. In a flash of brown light the dragonet appeared on the other side of the lake. But even there no-one was waiting, but it knew he would be taken. Someone was around who would take him where he was needed. All the small Sontag had to do was wait till the person came by.
Sookee just had to go to the meadows, where else would she go? She was picking flowers, humming a little tune and just enjoying the day. She wasn't really looking for eggs, well she might when it got a bit later, but for now she was happy just being here. She passed a suspicious looking bush without even a second glance, but did stop for the patch of daisies that grew next to it. 
Two small eyes looked at Sookee intently. The little blue cherubun was rather fond of traditions and even though this one was only two years old, he really wanted to be found. Rustling the bushes, he tried to get Sookee's attention. He failed. Louder and louder he dragged the trees against each other.
Finally Sookee got up and turned around to see who was making all the noise that had put her off key and out of rhythm.
"Hello!" the blue cherubun called at her, "You are Sookee."
"How do you know that?"
"Well you just didn't want to watch... and then..." the bunny blushed, his cheeks turning a bright purple, "I just went ahead. You know my name too."
Sookee frowned, but then smiled and said: "Ukiwaith!"
Ettie was busy talking to herself, mostly about a certain searchrider that had got them here, telling things he would certainly not want to hear, when another conversation caught her ears.
"I so am not going to swim." a feminine voice said.
"It would get us to the other side." a male responded.
"If you would just get your part of the brain straightened, we might teleport!" the feminine said in an angry tone of voice. Ettie could nearly see smoke rising from her head.
"It's not that simple!" the male called out in frustration, "Why don't you do it?"
"I can't! All I can do is flame people I don't like."
Ettie chuckled and drew attention from the two pink siamese, poison heads on Isla Klynn. She didn't even try to duck when the female hatchling tried to flame her, they just were too far apart. And besides, Ettie could hear them, that must mean something.
"Wait!" the male, Vlec, suddenly called out, "If you can keep her in focus I can get us there."
"Be quick about it." the female, Lavira said, "I need to hurt her!"
In a small clearing in the forest a lone egg was rocking violently. As the light hesitantly pierced the heavy foliage, the egg smashed into a thousand tiny pieces and the hatchling inside stood unperturbed on her hind legs. Carefully she placed her forelegs down and looked around. There was no-one around she could bond, but she knew someone was around to pick her up. Someone who would take care of her. But not here.
Pink-Purple Dimanche took off and headed straight for the lake. She knew where she was going. East. When she broke free of the forest, Dimanche spotted movement near the lake, a green-brown bunny was waiting there and she knew he was waiting for her.
"Sontag?" she asked a bit shy.
"Is that you, Dimanche?" the waiting bunny asked, "I was fearing you would never get here."
"I came, didn’t I?"
"But where do we go from here."
"I saw someone pass here who could get us food." Sontag remarked, "He looked real funny with a big tooth sticking out of his mouth, but he had chocolate!"
"I love chocolate!" the female sighed dreamy, "Let’s find him."
The Muffin God, riding his blue firelizard as a dragon surveyed the area and saw a promising moat. Surely something so obvious would hide an egg. He commanded his firelizard, the Muffin Bearer, down and made it dig a whole on the spot he wanted.
Soon, the pale tint of an egg appeared from under the sand and the Muffin God congratulated himself on his judgement. It was about time, he thought, he got away from the place because he had only barely escaped the blueberry-crazed Cyan on several meetings. Some people just didn't learn.
"I think you look yummy too." a small feminine voice sounded in his head.
"Who said that?"
"It is only I, " said the strawberry-chocolate bunny, "My name is Scone."
"Ah, my second subject. I ask you to reconsider your name to be Muffin Bearer, the Second."
"I shall not." the female bunny dragon replied, carefully nuzzling her fur, "Remember I am the one big enough to eat you."
"But I am your God."
"Things are going to change." the little dragoness smiled, "Don't you say, Muffin Bearer?"
"Treason!"
A small clutch in the dunes, guarded by it's father Beaut, was starting to show signs of live. The father had managed to keep all but one egg out of the hands of those meddling bunnies. Whatever had happened to the one egg, he feared to find out, so he concentrated on his remaining eggs.
One broke open and a camouflage beige glider fell o the soft dune sand. Smiling, his father nudged the dragonet to his feet and told it to wait for candidates.
"But I want to bond now!" the hatchling sighed, "I'm hungry."
Feeling his son's hunger, Beaut looked around and when no-one was around, tossed his son a piece of cake he had snagged from the feeding tables. "Don't tell your mother I did this." he said.
"I won't." Thryor said happily chewing his desert, "I think I will go to Nidus Otykaii."
Rini Riago, a butterfly-winged bunny star dancer was searching and hunting, but just couldn’t get to the best places with all the people around. She would be crushed within seconds. But there was always another way… With a secretive smile Rini flew up and started using her special ability. Suddenly a mount of chocolate as big as a human and thrice as wide appeared below her, milk chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate in figures, eggs, and bars, rapped or open, in all possible ways appeared below her.
"Come, bunny, bunny bunny." She called and waited.
Sure enough, within five seconds a bunny, pink, with an orange face and paws appeared at her stash and rolled himself happily in it.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" the bunny told her, "I was sooo hungry."
"What is your name? There’s more chocolate for you if you tell me."
"Buffy" The bunny smiled broadly.
Ebon shadowfire, also a candidate for the next shadow clutch, was trying his luck in the bunny run. After all, he wanted to take home as much dark dragon creatures as he could. With a faint smile playing on his lips, he advanced toward the forest, into the dark.
He didn't have to look long, only ten paces into the forest a grey-white egg lay waiting for him, presented almost on a bed of ferns, surrounded by logs to make a snug nest for the egg.
"Well hello." Ebon grinned.
Shards fell away from the egg and a small purple-black evening paw appeared, followed by a body and finally a head and long fuzzy bunny ears, fading almost into the surroundings.
"Hello back." the shadow bunny said, "My name is Kerrini."
Another egg on Isla Klynn hatched, this one revealing a three-headed hydra, one head was brown, the other green and the last was blue, but like it's siblings, neither of them showed much consideration for the other. All of them tried to pull the rest of the body into another direction, or tried to overpower the others. The trio struggled for a time before finally the brown, Vijifo, decided to pull rank.
"I'm brown, so I'm highest."
Both the blue, Kiko, and the green, Djanoa, had eyes shooting fire and opened their mouths. But wounding their brother would mean hurting themselves. 
"I sssay we ignore him from now on." the green hissed.
"I agree." the blue said, "Where will we go?"
"I've heard dragon willow, whispered in many minds."
"Yes, I hear it too."
"I don't want to!" the brown said.
"Even better." the green grinned.
Nani Mistle, followed by her green bunny Genvesna, was walking around the forest. "You really won’t help me?" Nani pleaded.
"It wouldn’t be right." The young mother replied, "If you are meant to find one of mine you will."
"Any clue?"
"You are ice cold."
Sighing Nani made her way to the other side of the lake, passing several searching people. She nodded friendly, but kept on with her search. Finally she just sat down and refused to move. "If you don’t tell me where you buried yours, we’ll go home without and you know what the lady will say about that!"
The bunny just smiled. From behind Nani, a blue-marked green tail erupted from a hidden egg. Two strong legs kicked away the rest of the shell and the bunny jumped on Nani from behind.
"Mommy, who is this?" the female hatchling asked.
"This is Nani, she takes care of us my darling Vesna."
Touched by the breeze from the sea, growing stronger with each hour, a solitary egg at the base of the lake rocked and banged against a nearby rock. A large dent appeared and from that dent appeared cracks… and suddenly there was a bunny. The male looked around, his head high into the air as he thought to himself that he didn’t need a human. His dark pink hide gleamed from the salty breeze and his ears lay flat on his back, but he would get where he wanted to be. Probing the minds of those around him he nodded.
"Dragon Willow." Javree called to the stars, "There will I go!"
Bastia was busy darting around enthusiastic in her normal way. Her soft green ears darted in every direction as she tried to scan the air for hatching eggs. But there were so many other sounds she couldn’t say where to go.
Disappointed, the trainee sat on her haunches and sighed. Where would she find an egg?
"Maybe you don’t have too…" a calm voice told her.
"Who said that?" Bastia asked, turning around in a fast whirl. A half circle round Bastia stopped and saw a sky-blue bunny looking at her.
"So, what do you say? Maybe you didn’t find my egg, but I sure found you."
"Is it ok that way?" Bastia asked.
"If I say it is. My name is Aveith."
Cameh looked at the colours of sky and water. Someday she would have to come back and paint the hidden lakes of this place, she thought, The view was beautiful and if there were dragons flying above the forest the painting would be perfect.
Cameh made her way deeper into the forest and finally decided she needed a rest to work through all the images she had gathered. She sat down on a log and nearly fell back. Grinning at her foolishness she looked behind her and saw an egg.
As if feeling Cameh's presence, the egg started wobbling harder and soon pieces were falling from it's shell. Cameh waited breathless, knowing that one day she would have to paint this as well, or at least try to convey the feelings she was experiencing.
"As long as I can help..." a thought entered her mind.
"Who?" she asked.
"I am Liahnn." the voice spoke again, and a rainbow-coloured biped leapt from her egg into Cameh's lap, "Oh can I help, please?"
"Of course."
Tharys was walking on the beach, soaking her feet in the water and jumping over waves. She looked longingly at Lantessama Isle and hoped she would once get a chance to fly above those mountains. Maybe she had made a mistake staying at a clutch with mainly unwinged dragons... but maybe, just maybe she would get a glider.
"Watch out!" she suddenly heard a shout in her head.
"What?" she asked, shaking her head.
A dragon came running from behind a nearby dune muttering: "Leave your eggs for one second..."
"I'm fine, daddy." the camou glider said, "My bond didn't see me, that's all."
"Bond?" Tharys looked down and saw a beautiful clouded grey dragoness look up at her.
"I mean, if you want me, I am a glider." the dragoness said smugly, "My name is Yrenha."
"Tharys."
"I know."

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