Chapter One

"I'm pathetic. I'm worthless. I wish I could just hide from the world."
~Death The Kid; Soul Eater~

A girl was walking back home, happily humming to herself. "I heard that the dragons attacked a village not to far from here," The girl heard some men talking and she slowed to hear the conversation.
"We might be next, then," Another said.
"The minister was saying that he had a vision that when the dragons come to attack, they'll take a little girl," The girl listened intently.
"Though, we won't know when this happens. Perhaps it'll be in a year or 100 years," Another added.
They murmured their agreement and the girl walked on.
She walked into her home, her mother making dinner while her father was still working. She walked into the kitchen and her mother looked at her, giving a sigh and a stern look. "Have you had too much fun today, Gretal?" Her mother asked.
Gretal, the name the little girl thought was the most ugliest and worst name ever. "I guess I did," Gretal told her mother before adding, "I'll go change now."
She hated how her life was. Her mother hated how her clothes were always dirty and she wasn't practicing how to become a proper lady as her father yelled at her that she needed to spend her time studying so she could get into the most prestigious academy instead of playing with other children. They pushed her to do her best and achieve what they had not achieved, but that's not what Gretal wanted at all. She went upstairs to her room and changed into a short white dress. She stared at the closed math book at her desk and gave a frown, knowing what the normal conversation would be at dinner. First, it would be silence and then her father would start out by asking what she did today and her answer would be playing outside. Then, he would ask if she did any of her studies and the answer would be no. Her father would then go on a lecture about how she needed to focus on studying rather than playing. That was always how dinner went and then she would finish her dinner quickly and go to her room once more and hide, taking out the fairy tale book she hid under her bed and escape away into those worlds. Bringing her back from her thoughts, Gretal's mother called her for dinner. With a sigh, Gretal went down and as her mother was setting out the last things for dinner and her father sighed. Gretal took her seat, seeing that her father was looking down at his lap while her mother had a uneasy look. When Gretal's mother sat down, they ate silently, looks between her mother and father were constantly shared before her father hissed in pain, earning a small glare from her mother. "Gretal, there's something important we need to tell you," Her father began.
"What is it, father?" Gretal asked, knowing this was no where near the normal conversation they usually had.
"The dragons," Her father began and added, "We need to teach you about those uncivilized and unintelligent creatures."
Unintelligent. It always had something to do with education. "What about them?" Gretal asked again, remembering some men were talking about the dragons.
"You should never come into contact with them. They're bad creatures who could destroy you in an instant, not leaving a single trace of you," Gretal's father informed her.
"Don't befriend them either. They're traitors," Her mother added.
"Yes, Mother, Father. I promise I won't," Gretal promised.
With that, they ate their dinner silently without another word.

Chapter Two

"If change is a part of life, why does it seem both cruel and gentle?"
~Tohru Honda; Fruits Basket~

Gretal still couldn't get over the strange, abnormal conversation they had for dinner. She wondered why her parents would tell her such things of dragons. This made Gretal ponder as she stared out her window, still not changed into her pajamas, but in her short white dress. It was a silent night tonight, but it felt nice as her thoughts were loud. The night breeze felt nice and comforting. You could see the stars clearly as the slit moon moved slowly across the sky. It was so nice and perfect, yet odd. Gretal continued to be lost in her thoughts until there was a explosion. It frightened her and she stumbled backwards from the window tripping and falling on her butt, causing a rip at the bottom of the dress. Though at that moment, a dragon crashed through her home, throwing the second floor down to the first floor. She fell with it as well as a green dragon sat on the rubble of her broken home. She cried out when she landed on the floor, which caused more tears into her dress, but also caused to draw the dragon's attention.This dragon was so much larger than her size that she had to strain her neck to see. It had emerald green scales with brilliant golden eyes that showed wisdom and intelligence. The dragon gave out a roar as he took her into his claws. Gretal saw her parents race up to the dragon, yelling to let her go. Though the dragon flew up to the sky, letting out a loud roar. For some odd reason, Gretal didn't feel panicked, but just surprised. More dragons rose up from the ground and they flew away at a fast speed and Gretal fell asleep.

Gretal awoke and realized she was flying over a forest, none of the other dragons to be seen. They got closer to the ground and when they were close enough, the dragon set her down on a tree stump and rose up to the sky once more, seeming to be fleeing. Gretal was confused, the wood under her feet felt uncomfortable, yet she didn't want to move as the tree stump seemed the most safe area at the moment. "Excuse me, Mr. Dragon?" Gretal then called out.
She looked around, afraid of what would then happen to her. "Please come back! If you're going to eat me, then please eat me now!" Gretal begged the dragon.
"You're a funny girl," A deep voice from somewhere in the forest, making Gretal jump.
Then, a massive dragon head appeared, turning out to be the same dragon that carried her from her home. Gretal saw the dragon stick out one of his massive claws and on it was a pair of white sandals and a new white dress. "I apologize for scaring you and destroying your home earlier, as well as ruining your nice dress," The dragon told Gretal in a deep voice.
"C-can I have your name?" Gretal asked as she took the clothes from the massive dragon.
"You shall find out my name soon. Though, you won't need your name that your human parents granted to you," The dragon told Gretal.
"Why?" Gretal asked, wanting to know more.
"We dragons responded to your want of no longer having a connection to your parents. We've seen your suffering and it is time that we take you under our wings and teach you ourselves," The mighty dragon explained to Gretal.
"Please, dress in unripped clothing so we can go and meet the other dragons. They are awaiting for you, dear child," The dragon told Gretal.

"The world is beautiful. Even if you're full of tears and sadness, open your eyes. Do what you want to do. Be what you want to be. Find friends. Don't be in a hurry to grow up. Take your time."
~Kotomi's parents; Clannad~

Once Gretal changed, the dragon allowed her to climb on to his scaly back as he took off to from the forest floor and began to make the trip through the air, going north. Gretal only knew that she was about to meet other dragons, but she didn't know where. Gretal stared out over the emerald dragon's large head as they began to make it through the clouds. A sense of wonder and amazement filled Gretal as they flew. The feeling of flight made her feel free of everything the world had chained her down. She felt released from the world. It was the first time she ever experienced such a feeling in her entire life, but it felt good. There was a grand smile from her face and the grand emerald dragon also had a small smile on his face. Ahead, you could see a peak of a shadowed mountain. It reached high above the clouds, to Gretal's surprise. The emerald dragon dived down through the clouds, his wings slightly folded by his sides. Gretal shut her eyes tightly as the hide speeds dried her eyes, making her blink constantly. The emerald dragon reopened his wings fully and caught the wind, making them slow down and stopping falling. Gretal reopened her eyes, seeing the humongous mountain, snow covering it everywhere. The little girl's eyes were filled with wonder and amazement as if everything that was happening was just a dream. "Welcome to Snow Tooth Mountain, home of the dragons and soon to be your home too," The emerald dragon welcomed her to his home and many other dragon's home.
They reached a ledge of the large mountain and the girl shivered as it was cold. They stood in front of two large iron doors. The iron doors were fit for the large dragon as they seemed like a normal size for him. On the doors had two dragons carved on it. "Are you prepared to have your family be dragons instead of humans," The emerald dragon asked Gretal.
"I am," Gretal agreed.
"Then, from this point on, your name is no more, but the dragon that you choose to be trained by will give you your name," The emerald dragon told Gretal before pulling open the doors of iron.
Gretal watched and when they were finally opened, they headed in and the emerald dragon closed the doors behind them. The room was huge. Great fires illuminated the cavern as the floor had a brilliant jeweled floor that seemed to be in a shape of a grand magic circle, the great bon fires stood at a specific location. They slowly walked in as Gretal took in her surroundings. They reached the center of the giant magic circle and the emerald dragon stopped. Gretal decided to stop as well. "We will start your journey here. I am the dragon of ancestry, Paterion. Now, speak your true element to the heavens!" Paterion told Gretal.
Gretal saw the fire from the bonfires spread around the edge of the magic circle as the floor began to  glow the jewel's colors. "I-I choose the element of ice," Gretal said.
"Say it louder, young child! Your voice must reach the heavens!" Praterion's voice echoed in the cavern.
"I," Gretal began in a small voice, but then screamed at the top of her lungs, "I choose the element of ice!"

"So what? You're another person, so of course you look different. What do you need to be ashamed for?"
~Ciel Phantomhive; Kuroshitsuji~

A powerful aura that ghost white, surrounded her, she could see shapes of dragons as if they were made of ice, yet they were see-through. "Sleep, sleep, dear child," It seemed whispers of many dragons told Gretal and she did fall asleep.
The next time she awoke, she was on an ice floor. For what seemed for miles, there was no other signs of anything around, but just the ice beneath her. Her feet, for the first time she looked, were bare as her white sandals were no longer on her feet or no where at all. "What are you looking at?" Gretal looked up to see a beautiful white and ice-blue dragon.
The dragon was about her height, her eyes a deep sea blue. The ears were beautifully webbed with an icy blue color. It's horns were a beautiful snow-white as the scales were also a white color. The spikes along the dragon's back was also an ice-blue color. Her tail swayed back and forth and a small smile on the dragon's face as if she was as excited as a child. Gretal felt uncomfortable with the dragon. "You seem to about the same age as me. My name is Glacia, the ice dragon that is supposed to grow alongside you until the day you die," Glacia introduced herself.
"Grow up with me until I die?" Gretal asked.
"That's right! This is now our world where we can play, have fun, and share thoughts without being disturbed!" Glacia explained.
Gretal looked around again. "So this is our own personal world?" Gretal asked.
"That's right! I am also your power source as we are now one," Glacia said cheerfully.
"How would I use them though?" Gretal looked at her hands.
"It'll take training, but the ice dragon in the other world will teach you to wield your power. You must go now, but before you do, I must give your new appearance," Glacia told Gretal.
"New appearance?" Gretal asked.
Glacia placed her nose against Gretal's forehead. A white, frosty wind whipped around them and then Gretal couldn't see the dragon in front of her because it was so white. The whiteness faded into a gray, getting darker and darker, becoming black. The next time she saw a color other than black was when she woke up. "Finally awake?"
Gretal first looked around the room to see it went back to its original state of when she first entered it and her eyes landed on the grand emerald dragon, sitting down as he commented, "As well as your new appearance which looks more beautiful, dear child."
Gretal overlooked herself as her new long, straight, white hair cascaded over shoulders. Gretal's eyes had become a deep blue color as her skin was a bit paler than her original skin and her left arm had a white dragon twirled around it. Though, her shoes were still on her feet strangely, even though this 'special world' she went to, lacked her shoes, finding it odd. "Now that you're part dragon, you should be taught how to fly," Paterion told Gretal.
"Fly?" Gretal felt off at that statement.
"Didn't the dragon within you tell you that their power is your power?" Paterion asked.
Gretal gave a nod, knowing that Glacia had said something about her being her power source. "Then you should be able to fly," Paterion simply stated.
"But, how?" Gretal was confused on how.
Paterion watched, but didn't give a hint. Gretal then realized what Glacia meant by her power was to be shared with her. I shall guide you through these steps. Gretal looked around, startled by the voice. Don't worry. It's only me, Glacia. Gretal relaxed a bit. Think of yourself as me. Think of yourself as a dragon.
But, can I trust you? Gretal thought back, in doubt.
You can. Just give it a try. Gretal gave a sigh and imagined herself as a dragon. Her body was outlined with a white glow as her body distorted into the shape of a dragon and the glow faded away. She looked like an exact copy of Glacia except for the dragon tattoo twirled around her left arm. Instead of it being a white color, it seemed to be a light blue with ice built over it. "Good job, child," Paterion praised Gretal.
Gretal was a bit surprised as she moved around in the dragon body, as it felt uncomfortable and awkward to walk on all fours and have extra joints in the back to move her wings. Paterion watched. "Is it okay for me to feel awkward?" Gretal asked Paterion.
"I'm sure it it. I would probably feel awkward if I was put in a human body," Paterion gave his opinion.
After minutes of endless walking and moving her wings, Gretal felt more comfortable in the form. "So, I was going to learn how to fly, right?" Gretal asked Paterion.
Paterion gave a nod walked over to the edge of the large room, opposite of the door. Gretal followed, very curious. "You'll learn through falling. Now, off you go," Paterion said as Gretal looked down the edge to see a bottomless hole.
"Wai-!" Gretal was nudged over the edge and she began to fall, Paterion followed after her.

"Instead of regretting what we cannot do, it is better to do what one can. Even for example, what you do has nothing to do with results, you must forge forward."
~Ichihara Yuuko; xxxHolic~

Gretal tried to stay upright, but failed to. "Child, to fly, you need to spread your wings," Paterion advised as he, too, fell along side her.
Gretal looked at him. "If you don't you'll fall into a deep pool of water," Paterion warned her.
Gretal didn't like what she was told. She spread her wings and tried to make herself stop falling by flapping them, but it didn't work. Paterion watched on as they continued to fall into the abyss. Soon enough, Gretal could see a dark blue pool of water, showing its depth. Gretal panicked a bit. "When trying to stop yourself from falling, child, you don't flap your wings, you just outstretch them and the wind will catch on to them," Paterion gave an example and saved himself from the water, by outstretching his and he immediately stopped falling, but Gretal continued to fall.
The water came closer and closer and Gretal did what Paterion did and stretched out her wings, closing her eyes to prepare for the water.
The splash never came and no water surrounded her. Gretal cautiously opened her eyes to find herself gliding over the water. Paterion caught up to Gretal. "So you learned how to fly. Impressive. I've met many others who've tried to do this, but failed to and ended up drowning in the water," Paterion praised Gretal.
Gretal just concentrated on keeping her wings outstretched. "Now, you need to gain altitude as you're going to soon take a nosedive into the water," Paterion then pointed out.
Gretal realized that too. "Is that when flapping your wings comes to use?" Gretal asked, looking over at Paterion.
"Correct," Paterion gave a nod and gave one mighty flap of his wings and rose up.
Gretal did the same except it took her two flaps of her wings to get her to Paterion's altitude. "Next lesson will be landing," Paterion told Gretal.
Gretal gave a nod. Paterion went on ahead and landed on an edge of a pond with a waterfall falling into it and another falling into the larger pool below. His wing beats grew quicker as he landed. Paterion's eyes went to Gretal to see her land. Gretal swept down and tried to mimic the same movements. Though as she landed on her feet, she stumbled, as she hadn't felt the ground in so long. "You're doing very well in flying. You could use a bit more practice, but it seems you're getting the hang of it, child," Paterion praised her and added, "You can go back to your human form. You're here to meet your second dragon."
Gretal imagined herself as a human as she assumed that if she could do it with being a dragon, it should work the other way around too. It did work. She felt herself back on her two feet and she had two hands again as her white dress and sandals were unharmed. It felt weird, but she quickly adapted to it. She looked around the cave, noticing how beautiful it was. It was lit up with white crystals the grew from the floor and a waterfall coming down from somewhere in the ceiling, right on to the rock they were standing on and then it falling down into the pool. The water was dark as you couldn't see the bottom, even with the help of the glowing white crystals. Gretal searched the cave to see if she could spot the water dragon, but she couldn't. Paterion seemed to be patiently waiting, looking out to the tall, round yet rough rocks about 100 meters away. Though, Gretal pay no mind to it and searched the water for a dragon. Minutes passed and then a deep voice asked, "Young girl, are you in search of me?"

A/N: You can find what the cave looks like in the album for this story!