_Scritch. Scritch. Crackle. Creak! Scratch. POP! _

I awake with a jolt!

My eyes snap open, and I scramble out of bed as fast as I can. In my overzealous effort my legs get tangled in the sheets and I fall flat in my face.

I don’t care.

I don’t even feel any pain, that’s a problem for later.

I’m too excited!

It’s time!

It’s finally time.

After months of carefully and painstakingly monitoring the eggs temperature, analyzing its ever shifting color to determine its needs, collecting moon water to bath it and letting it bask in the warmth of the freshly risen sun.

It’s time.

I watch with bated breath as the saffron egg continues its first journey. A pearlescent claw surfaces and I’m glad nobody is here with me because I actually squeak in excitement.

A shimmering pearlescent claw is a good sign. It means my little hatchling is healthy and I had dusted it with the correct ratio of pixie dust.

This was the part of the incubation process that I was most concerned about, for it is a meticulous process and done wrong the hatchling can be cursed with brittle and breaking claws. I would have felt terribly guilty had I saddled my dear companion with that.

A thrill shakes me to my core as an amber eye blinks up at me through a crack in the tough shell.

I want ever so much to help the little hatchling out of its egg, but I know I can’t. It has to do this by itself.

Besides, I know I did a good job incubating it. It’s strong and healthy.

An excruciating ten minutes later my little

hatchling is sitting on the floor in front of me.

It’s an ugly little thing as most newborn animals are, covered in a filmy slime and scales and anemic yellow.

But she’s beautiful to me.

And I just know she’s is going to grow into a beautiful strong dragon.

Now I’m left with a hatchling on my hands.

Crap.

I should have read up on what to do once the egg actually hatched.