Chapter 2:

"How did you like the party, sweetheart?" Sponge asked softly as they walked away from the Palace.

"Oh, er, it was nice, I really enjoyed it mom!", she said after snapping out of her thoughts.

"And it was nice of you to help that Nightwing too, I hope you had fun together" added Hippocampus, her father.

Tidal nodded assuredly, she knew somehow exactly what she had to do the moment she started talking with Moonlight, she felt proud of herself and held her head high, her stripes lit up faintly. She barely could control them when she was excited.

"Of course, dad" she replied with what seemed to be way too much pride, "And she was awesome too!"

Now she had started prancing next to her parents.

Her mother and father glanced quickly at each other but she didn't notice. Sponge sighed a bit and was about to mention something when Hippocampus cut her off.

"Well, it's a good thing you came back from your training in time for the festivities then.", he claimed.

"Hmhmm, it was so difficult..." she pouted, "but I think Anemone is a good teacher..."

Tidal recalled that the ex-animus dragon had asked to come with her onto a small island at sea where she was to leave her alone after explaining that she would need to use her animus magic to find her, but she sternly cautioned her on the wording she could use to control the magic. She was forbidden to use any wording to enchant any animals or cause death or injury and make sure that she'd not cause any problem with a careless spell.

The older Seawing had then make her write down a very specific spell on a scroll and secured it around her neck.

"I want you to enchant this necklace to record every single spell you cast while wearing it and prevent you from accidentally killing or hurting anyone or anything.", she recalled her teacher saying.

She had monitored her writing very closely as she scribbled it down on a piece of parchment.

Tidal felt quite annoyed by this, she wished Anemone trusted her more but then she recalled what she said to herself at the ceremony and the story that was passed through the millennia about why the Talons of Power was created. She shivered instinctively when what Albatross has done flashed through her mind.

Her talon instinctively reached for her neck where the pendant was still dangling. She had forgotten to remove it before going to the ball.

"Does it know if I remove it? And what if I intentionally want to hurt someone?" she thought, but quickly dismissed those questions as her mind wandered further in the past.

***

Tidal was now two-years old, and it was finally her time to get tried at the Talons of Power ceremony. She was so excited about it, she barely slept the night before and was up and ready before the sun rose.

She felt very agitated during breakfast and just couldn't eat at all, she would have to go there on an empty stomach.

"I will eat better at lunch", she vowed.

All the way down to the Ceremony, she had pranced and jumped, feeling like she was the proudest Seawing ever. She just knew she could do it, she had animus power and she could finally use it!

The year prior, she had spent quite some times with Queen Coral at the buffet. Her mother had stayed behind, probably too embarrassed to be seen next to the Queen as a commoner when she had felt none of it. And now that she recalled, she probably should have... In an instant, she felt like her whole body flushed and had turned bright red in embarrassment, if it could. I'm glad I'm not a Rainwing, she mumbled to herself.

The Queen had been very nice to her and listened patiently to everything she said, even when she was blabbering, and answered all of her questions. She wanted so badly to be in the ceremony and be allowed to do Animus magic... but Queen Coral had advised her not to try to use any of it until the next year ceremony when it would be her turn to actually test her powers. She had explained very clearly how and why it was not a good idea for a one year-old Seawing to use her power, in case she had any, without supervision and it stuck in her head until that very day.

The little Seawing had been in awe at the way Queen Coral talked to her, it was both grandiose and yet simple enough for a dragonet to understand everything but it did not feel condescending.

The Queen had promised her she'd keep in touch and talk to her regularly until it was her time to be tried and she had kept her promise.

Tidal had pleaded Queen Coral to accompany her the day of the ceremony but she had promptly refused.

"You see, Tidal, if I accompany you, it will been seen as preference and if it turns out you have Animus power, other subjects could think that I influenced the trial to make you win, and you wouldn't want that."

"But why?" she inquired, her head inclined to one side as if she was trying to decipher the words through studying Queen Coral's expression.

And The regal Seawing then spent a long moment patiently explaining that she had to remain impartial and loyal to all her subjects, even if she had a preference for her family and, in that case, for her, Tidal in order to keep everyone's trust. She promised her they would meet after the ceremony whether she won it or not.

"I will win!" she exclaimed loudly, making the Queen laughs softly.

"I like your enthusiasm, little one.", Coral gently put a wing over Tidal for a moment that felt much too short but reminded her of when her mother did this and she closed her eyes to make it last even longer.

Tidal and her parents eventually arrived at the beach, soldiers ranging from green to blue scales were already spread in an arc all around the place so that their shade would gradually go from cyan blue to jade green, Queen Coral and her family standing in the middle of the soldier breaking the perfect color gradient as if she had wanted to attract all the eyes to her. Next to her, Anemone and Turtle, stood regally as the most well-known Animus Seawings still alive in the kingdom, Tsunami was also there, fiercer than ever. It would seem her mother had again managed to get her to be present at the ceremony.

Anemone looked proud, it was as if nothing could get her down from her pedestal since the Summer Fest in her honor. She kept flashing "WELCOME!" to every new comer in Aquatics, never faltering or decreasing in intensity.

Turtle stood a little behind her, despite the years and his accomplishments, he still didn't like to be the center of attention.

"It's like he is hiding something" Tidal wondered.

The benches were already filling up quickly, as more and more dragons walked in. It felt like there were even more people than the previous year to her.

A tall Seawing tapped her shoulder gently.

"Are you here to be tested?" he asked.

She nodded and he pointed at the large flat place in the center where some dragonets already waited.

She stared for a moment, there were several Seawings, bright blue, green and even brown, some with shades she had never seen before then she noticed other dragons who she thought might be hybrids but lived under Queen Coral's regime.

"I guess it's not just Seawings dragonets", she pondered.

As she took a step towards the center, the sun shone through the trees and onto the audience.

Her eyes went wide. The crowd seemingly stared at her. Her heart started racing in her chest. She could feel cold beads of fear on her body, which shocked her as she did not recall learning that dragons, especially Seawings, could sweat.

She took another step. All she could hear was the loud THUMP THUMP of her heart going faster and faster as she approached her place.

"Welcome everyone!" Queen Coral shouted.

Tidal snapped out of her fear. She blinked a couple time and looked right in front of her where a coconut stood still. She raised her head, all the other dragonets also looked at their coconuts, then at each other then at the Queen. Some seemed unsure why they were even in this arena. Her heartbeat slowed when she realized she wasn't the only one being stressed.

"How many really want to be there? And how many truly are Animus dragons?" she wondered.

Immediately, Tidal's mind started to drift away, she imagined herself making the coconut float and then all the other dragonets imitating her; two rows of coconuts floating in the air and dancing like a majestic coordinated ballet of brown hairy balls.

"I wish I could make that coconut dance" she thought as she stared blankly at the one right in front of her.

She imagined very clearly how her coconut would do loop-the-loop and nice arabesque-like movements as she remembered seeing some Seawings do during an aquatic dance of some sort. The orb would dance and prance around for a minute or so and eventually end its act with a bow at the audience then Queen Coral and rest back between her front talons. She grinned at her own idea, wishing she could actually do that.

She sighed a bit and opened her eyes, the place was awkwardly silent. All the dragonets were looking at her, few with awe and others with fear. Queen Coral had stopped talking and a murmur started growing from the tribunes. She could barely tell if her mother and father had fear or pride in their eyes. She turned around and saw Turtle and Anemone, both had a contempt smile.

A faint sound came from between her front talons and something touched one of her claws softly. It was the coconut.

That same coconut that flew in front of her and danced.

Not just in her dreams.

Not just for her.

She had made the coconut dance for real. In front of everyone. In front of the Queen.

Her pupils contracted in sudden shock, she didn't mean to do it. Her mind was racing about the possibilities now, should she run away? Will people mock her? Attack her? What will Queen Coral thought or do to her? The soldiers... The soldiers, will they attack her and throw her in jail? She wanted to say something, to apologize or just hide under her wings but she couldn't, her body was frozen solid as if an Icewing had used their breath on her.

"As I was saying," Queen Coral resumed, "We will determine who among you, dragonets, is an Animus..." she trailed off, her eyebrow raised but with a quirky smile, "however, you should wait my signal to start", and added under her breath, after a short pause, "and you don't need to brag about it.", with her eyes locked on Tidal.

Anemone and Tsunami tried to repress a laugh but partially failed.

Tidal stared at her talons, she wanted to run away and hide, the coconut felt like a thorn against her scales now.

She breathed slowly: "I must control myself, I must not do anything reckless."

The lessons about that first Seawing Animus flashed back in her mind once again and the reason why the ceremony was created in the first place as well as Queen Coral's warning to her.

"I failed her..." she thought.

She wanted to cower behind her wings but her pride wouldn't let her. She didn't want to,couldn't, look weak in front of everyone. She puffed her chest and tried to look as regal as she could while waiting for the others to try their turns at it. She had proven more than enough that she was an Animus but she still had to obey her Queen and thus she softly muttered some words at her coconut to just make it float in front of her this time. Nothing fancy, nothing to brag about, just floating for a few seconds and the gently landing back to where it was first set on the ground in front of her.

That was it, that was all she ever wanted, she had known from the very first time she had been taught about Animus dragons.

She just wish she could go back ten minutes and...NO! NO MORE WISHES! She shouted in her mind.

"You may begin." Said Queen Coral softly.

Next to her, the other dragonets were trying to make their coconut fly by either staring at it or by yelling at it. Some even tried to poke their but no avail.

She forced herself to contain her breathing despite her heart racing like there was no tomorrow and then looked around quickly, she tried to study everyone and everything, it looked like nothing happened, she wasn't back ten minutes in time either, some dragonets were still trying to levitate their coconuts, others had given up and looked frustrated. One was even sitting down, their tail curled around their talons and the regal Seawing Animi still kept their eyes on her.

"I must control myself, there is no other Animus with power anymore. I must do it, for my sake, for my soul..." she looked at Queen Coral. "For my Queen."

Tidal closed her eyes again, she opened her mouth to slowly breath out, her muscles slowly contracted to adopt the dignified attitude she could muster. Whatever happened now, was in the talons of her Queen and if she was to be punished for it, she would accept it as the Seawing she is.

She was an Animus after all, and now officially under her Queen.

A cool wind blew gently from the sea, the air was warm and salty, her chin appendages and her head fins floated softly in the air, like a mane.

She unconsciously lifted her talon over the coconut to keep it on the ground and accidentally took the pose of a conqueror who had just overtaken a giant enemy and wanted their picture drawn.

No other dragonet proved to be an Animus this year and when it became obvious that no more result were to be expected, Queen Coral raised her talon and declared the end of the ceremony.

"We have a new Animus!", she had proclaimed.

A pause, then a cheer from the audience, growing up like a tidal wave that hit the little dragonet off her stance. She curled down and covered her head with her wings. She almost expected them to run her over.

A voice came from behind her.

"Say brother, where did that proud Animus dragonet go? She was there a second ago."

"I don't know sis, it seems she has... vanished", Turtle whispered the last word to Tidal's ear.

Tidal jumped in surprise and saw Anemone and her brother standing right next to her and grinning widely.

Her mother had rushed to her, she looked confused and shocked.

"Tidal... what did you do? Are you alright?" she then proceeded to check her everywhere, lifting her wings one after the other, then her talons, searching for some strange marks that could have appeared on her.

"Mooother!" she said indignantly, "Not in front of_them_..." she nodded at the royal dragons.

"You really need to listen and be less impatient, young dragon." A voice boomed behind them all.

Sponge immediately bowed.

"Your Majesty!"

Queen Coral put her wing on Tidal's mother and helped her up.

She nodded at her and and then lowered her head toward the little dragonet,

"You certainly made quite a show, I was impressed!", and she exploded in a big laugh.

Tidal blinked at her as if she had missed the joke.

Queen Coral nodded again and wrapped both her wings around Tidal and Sponge, Hippocampus trotting right behind them between two royal guards.

"Alright, since you are the only Animus, you have a choice of teacher, which one will it be? Anemone or Turtle?"

The pale-blue dragon looked her regal self as usual while her green brother just stood impassive slightly behind Anemone.

Tidal tried to remain as still as she could but her tail betrayed her excitement. It swayed wildly behind her. The choice was easy for her. She made it long ago, it was as if she knew who would be her role model for the rest of her life.

"I wan..." She caught herself before saying anything more. She had to be more respectful, even if she was excited, "Sorry, Your Majesty, I meant to say that I would be glad if I were granted the opportunity to learn with Anemone, please", she bowed the same way her mother did earlier.

The large royal Seawing seemed flattered at the way Tidal formulated her demand and replied:

"Rise little one, have your choice granted and may your lessons be fruitful and enjoyable."

***

Tidal had first tried to enchant dolphins to tell her where to go but the magic would not let her. She then tried on fishes and nothing happened either.

"Right, right, she said no enchanting animals... Be smart Tidal!"

The island she stood on was not very big, about three to four time her own length and was quite bare. Some eroded stones here and there and the ground was a mix of sand and bigger rocks, no life present, not even plants.

She had looked around for a while, there was nothing but stones and dust that should could maybe use.

She grabbed a stone and yelled at it.

"Stone, I enchant you to show me where Anemone is!"

I probably need not yell at it, she thought.

The stone turned around and appeared to point in a direction, but it was mostly round and Tidal couldn't figure out which way the stone was pointing at.

I need to be clearer than that...

"Stone, go straight to Anemone now!"

The stone suddenly rose into the air and rushed away so fast, she didn't even have time to notice in which direction it went.

"Squids and stouts!" she cursed, "I didn't expect that..."

She looked around, frustrated and grabbed another stone. The Seawing dragonet stared at it for a long while, trying to guess if the stone was the correct one, as if its shape or composition had any weight in the nature of the spell she cast at it.

She reached for the collar around her neck and grabbed it firmly but a voice resonated in her head.

"I know how frustrating it can be but you need to learn patience. I trust you.", Anemone had told her before she departed the island.

Those last three words had exactly the intended effect on her and she relaxed immediately, her grip loosened on the necklace and she let it rest against her scales. Not that she would have been able to remove it easily since her teacher had make sure she added that safety into it before she left her alone.

"Under no circumstances except in life-threatening situation shall this necklace be removed until I find Anemone" had she faithfully repeated and then written after her teacher had said them.

She sat down firmly and a plume of dust rose above her.

"At least, I'm a Seawing, I can just swim off of this island and catch fishes if I need to..." she convinced herself.

She stared again at the stone that she still held in her talon and snorted.

"Let's see..." she thought deeply about the wording of her next spell, "stone, I want you to... hum... guide me to Anemone."

The stone slowly rose and floated in the air in front of her. She took a step forward and the stone moved just as much in a direction away from the island. She took a few more steps and the stone kept a constant distance in front always moving in the same direction. She started running until she reached the island's limit and took into the air following the stone.

Suddenly, the stone dove into the ocean and she followed suit. The stone passed low to the seabed floor and between plants and coral, she had to be careful and swim around obstacles while the stone patiently waited for her. Her frustration quickly grew up after the third time and she found herself how stupid the magic would be to not know how to guide her in a more sensible way.

"Why can't it just know what I want?", she ruminated while swimming.

A few time when she really got caught in a mess of seaweed and other stuff, she had lit her scales at the stone

"Squid-brain!", she had flashed expecting the stone to feel insulted, but it remained there unperturbed by her outburst of expletives.

She had not expected the trip to last the good part of the day, but when the stone decided to carry her back in the air, the sun was already setting in the horizon.

Anemone had seemingly also just pulled out of the water as her wings were dripping wet and she was carrying fishes in her mouth.

She dropped the fishes on the rocks next to her and smiled at Tidal. The stone rushed toward the large Seawing pointing menacingly at her until Tidal landed and then fell on the ground.

Tidal quickly explained to the large Seawing what happened and how frustrating it had been.

Anemone just smiled at her.

"You didn't expect me to wait patiently and not moving while you tried to figure it out, did you?", she winked

"Oh and I think this belongs to you too", she handed her another stone and she burst out laughing.

Tidal shook her head as if to get her brain to focus on the present. Yes, it had been frustrating but in retrospect, she had quite enjoyed the lesson, Anemone took the time to explain to her why she had done this and discuss all the questions she had about it. It was like her teacher knew exactly what to say as if she had been there before her. By the time the third moon rose in the sky, her frustration was all gone and they both flew back to the continent.

"Actually..." she exclaimed at her parent, "she's the best teacher!"

Sponge pulled her wing over her body and they all walked back to their den.