40 years ago...
A small dragon hatchling was laying motionless on his back in a small nest.
A thick bundle of herbs and bandages covered his chest.
His breathing was shallow and tremors occasionally passed through his body as he winced in pain.
A sharp metallic smell clung to his azure blue scales, his silver white mane was messy, singed and unkept.
The membranes that made up his wings were torn and bloody from the fall after the lightning had struck him.
Back then, he had yet to earn his moniker 'Storm ' and was instead know by the name his parents had chosen for him.
'Raijin'
A tiny silver scaled female hatchling was seated beside him. She tightly gripped one of his forelimbs as if she was afraid he would fly away the moment she let go.
A large golden scaled dragoness pushed open the door that led into the room using her shoulder.
She was walking upright, wings extended to help her maintain balance, her forelimbs tightly grasped a wooden tray with a large jug of fresh spring water and a small basket of fresh herbs and bandages.
She placed the tray on a large tree stump, before taking a seat beside the tiny hatchling.
"Has there been any change?" Asked the dragoness.
The hatchling merely shook her head.
The large dragoness placed a claw on the silver hatchling's shoulder to comfort her.
"You should get some rest, Aurora. I'll watch him while you sleep."
"I'm not going anywhere until he wakes up!" Aurora replied.
"It's been 2 days, Child. You must be starving and exhausted? Go. Let the adults take your vigil while you rest."
Aurora said nothing and continued to hold onto her wounded nest mate.
The gold dragoness gave up trying to convince the hatchling.
Baby dragons were notoriously stubborn and it was clear that nothing would convince the hatchling to abandon her post.
The dragoness took a small cloth and dunked it in the jug of water, before placing the cloth on the forehead of the wounded dragon to help with his fever.
"Do you think he'll ever wake up?" Asked Aurora in a whisper that could barely be heard.
The dragoness hesitated as she looked for the proper words.
"I don't know, Child. The fact that he's even still breathing is a miracle. We won't know the full extent of the damage until he regains consciousness. "
They sat in silence for a moment.
"It's my fault he's like this! I should have watched him closer!" Aurora cried with tears in her eyes.
"Enough, child! Stop blaming yourself! You're not his watcher, I am!
If you must blame someone, then blame me! I should have realized he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer! I should have searched harder when I couldn't find him!"
Aurora took the dragoness's forelimb with her free hand.
"If he dies..."
"No!! You'll drive yourself mad if you think like this! You know how strong and stubborn he is! He'll shake this off and will be back to his old self in no time!"
Aurora smiled and tightened her grip on the dragoness's limb in silent thanks.
Raijin woke up in bed on the 4th day since the accident with the biggest headache he had ever felt. His muscles felt stiff and he winced in pain as they cramped from inactivity.
He tried to sit up straight, but a heavy weight on his chest held him pinned.
He looked down and saw Aurora resting with her head and forelimbs on his chest. She was fast asleep and showed no reaction to him moving at all.
He gently stroked the hair on her mane but even that was unable to wake her and Raijin realized how tired she must have been.
He gently closed his forearms around her sleeping frame and pulled her closer, resigning himself to being bedridden until she woke up on her own.
Present day...
Storm placed a claw on Aurora's limb as she embraced him from behind.
"Happy Hatching day, Storm!" She called out.
"Thank you, Aurora. " he replied.
"You seemed troubled? Is everything all right?"
Storm tapped his scar with a finger.
"Just remembering old hurts." He replied.
"Does it still pain you?!! We can ask your mother to...!!"
"No!! It doesn't hurt anymore!! Not since we learned to discharge it!" Storm interrupted.
Dragons were never meant to hold lightning in their bodies and Storm was no different, as a result his mutated breath organ caused him a great deal of pain in the beginning.
He later learned how to ground himself and allow the organ to discharge it's gathered energy.
This took away the discomfort it caused him but extended periods without discharging often left him greatly weakened and in pain from the energy raking his body.
His best friend, Aurora wasn't born in his clan but came from a neighboring nest. Human hunters found their Hatching ground and organized an expedition to destroy it.
Her parents used what little time they had to hide her egg from the hunters before making their last stand.
Storm's father sent best friend, Pyros to the site a day later to investigate why it had fallen silent, he found no survivors, until the cries of the newly hatched Aurora alerted him to her presence.
He took her back to the clan and gave her to a pair of dragons who lost their own child in a similar raid.
Storm and Aurora were inseparable since the day they first laid eyes on each other. She was younger than Storm by 2 years.
But it often felt like she was the eldest of the two. She always tried to keep him out of the worst trouble.
He meanwhile, always ignored her complaints and ended up dragging her with him on his misadventures.
When he was eventually caught by his parents, she would always try to shield him from their wrath by taking the blame on herself.
An plan that never worked...
He eventually grew out of his rebellious streak and became far more cautious and responsible.
Mostly.....
Storm tried to turn the topic of discussion away from his own well being.
"You smell nice..." Storm said suddenly.
"Don't I always?!" Aurora replied.
"Of course!! I... I'm just making small talk!" He quickly replied.
"I haven't seen you all day? Where have you been?" Asked Aurora.
"Out.... I got something for you. "
Storm removed a small white flower he kept on himself and handed it to her.
She smelled the flower, before looking at Storm accusingly.
"Where did you get this, Storm?!"
"In the fields."
"Away from the nest?" Accused Aurora.
Storm didn't reply and averted his eyes.
"Storm! You know we're not supposed to leave the Nesting grounds! What if the hunters found you?!"
"I'm not a hatchling anymore, Aurora. I can take care of myself!"
"That still doesn't give you the right to put yourself in such danger. Especially for a useless trinket like this." She berated.
"So you don't like it?" Storm replied with a hint of hurt.
"NO!!! I.. I never said that!"
Storm gave a sly grin as she stumbled right into the trap he had set.
He took the flower from her grip and gently wove it into the hair on her mane.