I awoke with a start, head darting around frantically to take in my surroundings. My heartbeat began to calm as I was reassured by the familiar cave walls of my lair alongside the heavy breathing of my mate beside me. I laid my head down gently, glad that it was just a bad dream. That I was still here and not... back there again.
Tried as I might I couldn't fall back asleep as my mind couldn't shake the images of that nightmare. Restlessness took hold and I carefully got out of the nest, being sure not to disturb my partner's rest. Nor did I want to wake our precious hatchlings, adorably snuggled together as their minds floated in dreamland. A soft rumble escaped my throat and I smiled at them before leaving the nesting chamber, padding on all fours to the mouth of our cave, sitting on my haunches as I looked up at the stars above.
I turned around to see that I had disturbed one of my little ones after all.
"Did I wake you? I am sorry, my little sunbeam." I craned my neck down and rubbed my snout gently against hers, crooning to her softly.
"You didn wake me, mommy. I... I had a bad dweam." Her fins were drooping as she sniffled a little.
With a wing I brought her closer to my side for comfort. "Why don't you tell me what happened in this dream and we can talk about it. Talking about it can help remind us that such dreams are just images our mind creates and nothing more."
"Well..." she sniffled a lil while leaning against me, "I dweamt that I lost my wings. And then you, daddy, bwudda and sista flew away without me." A little tear dripped down her cheek.
"My dear little one, we would never abandon you." I licked her cheek clean and nuzzled her lovingly. "Even if you lost your wings we would always be here for you."
"But they can fly and I can't!" She shouted. I gently put a claw to my muzzle to warn her not to wake her siblings.
"I should have known the lessons yesterday troubled you. But do not fret. Your siblings can only glide as you three are yet too little to fly. You still have plenty of time to learn. And I promise you that when you are older your wings will make you look majestic when you take to the sky."
My words seemed to comfort her as she looked up at me with a little smile.
"Mommy... did you have a bad dweam too?"
I looked away from her for a moment, working to figure out a way to explain things so she could understand but also keep certain truths hidden. She didn't need to know of my past.
"Yes, mommy had a bad dream. In it I had no wings either. Trapped in a weaker body. And you were no longer there. So I was stuck longing for something that was no longer real...."
I didn't notice I was trembling until I felt my daughter gently rub against my foreleg.
"But I am hewe, mommy. And this is weal so you don't have to be sad."
A smile returned to my snout. My little one could not understand how happy her words were making me for she did not know that once upon a time that the dream was real and this felt like it would only ever be a fantasy. I chirred and pressed my forehead against hers, receiving a happy chirp in kind.
"I think it is time we both returned to the nest. All dragons need a good night sleep."
She nodded and yawned cutely, following me back to the nesting chamber where she once again snuggled with her siblings to sleep. And where I rejoined my mate, snuggling close to him.
We both had better dreams later that night.
