The very next day, Pyrite got her wish. The egg trembled slightly before the first crack appeared.
Pyrona and Ignis were there in an instant, ready to welcome their latest daughter as they had the previous. Beside them, Pyrite watched with equal anticipation.
The irony of the situation made her smile. Had the human Karltin's plan succeeded, a very similar scenario might have taken place, with the witch turned dragoness eagerly witnessing the pink dragoness's new birth. Really, not much had changed.
On the other hand, over the last few weeks, everything had changed. Karltin the arrogant human and Karltin the dragoness were gone, along with their short-sighted ambitions and petty greed. Instead, Pyrite, the dragon princess with a much brighter future and a loving family, sat ready to welcome her cute little sister back into the world.
At last, a piece of shell peeled away, revealing a tiny snout and unsteady pale pink claw. As if freeing that single shard had tired it out, the claw paused to rest. Pyrite started forward, but her mommy's tail blocked her path. "No, sweet jewel, you must not help. She will be fine. This is merely her first challenge."
Obediently, the little dragoness sat back down. Sure enough, the claw finished resting and renewed its efforts. Another shard dislodged. Then, another. All the while, more cracks spread throughout the shell. Suddenly, the remaining shell crumbled completely and a tiny scaled body rolled over, uncurling into a perfect dragon hatchling. Two adorably large eyes of gleaming turquoise blinked up at the two royal dragons looming above.
"Welcome, my lovely daughter," Pyrona purred, leaning down to lick the remaining egg fluid off the hatchling. "Our lovely Tourmaline."
"Greet your new sister, Pyrite," Ignis said softly as he pressed close to his mate in shared joy.
At first, Pyrite was stunned. She could not have predicted the wave of love filling her as she gazed at her new little sister. These dragon instincts still caught her off-guard at times. Once upon a time, the human Karltin would have simply sold off the little dragonling without a second thought. She really hated that human, now.
Leaning into the nest, Pyrite nuzzled the pink hatchling before following her mother's example by helping to lick her clean. Watching this, her mommy and daddy smiled proudly. Pyrite would make a fine mother, one day.
Thus, into this scene of familial harmony young Tourmaline was born. She had been in her egg longer than her big sister, leaving the mind of the former Prince Jasper in poorer shape than Karltin's had been in upon her hatching.
Where am I? She wondered, blearily. Memories were blurred and difficult to muster. She only knew that something inside her felt affection for those two huge creatures above her. And the smaller one licking her felt...odd. Yet comforting. And yet odd. Confused by these feelings, she dozed off.