Grey eyes took in the drifting clouds and watched with a passing interest as they gathered and dispersed slowly, in an ancient dance that spanned ages. The trees waved their branches in a quiet accompaniment, the orchestra of the celestial dance. Then, his attention returned to the lake and he drank a little of the clear depths. Ripples spread over its surface, marring the reflection that looked back at him.

A white dragon, powerful shoulders and heavily muscled haunches, Calcifer turned away, his tail shattering the reflection totally. Glancing upwards, he noted, with a grim satisfaction, a lightning bolt strike in the near distance. Smirking to himself, he settled himself onto a rock, curling up into a loose ball. Then, with his wings covering his head, he was asleep.

Not long after, Aria dive-bombed the lake, sending crystal droplets everywhere. Several flew close to him, but never landed, always deflecting off at an angle against an invisible and intangible barrier. Emerging from the lake, she shook herself off, watching the water droplets with a child-like fascination. Turning to the snoozing white dragon, she smiled. Snuggling up close to him, she allowed herself to be enveloped in his warm embrace. A few seconds later, he was wide awake and not happy.

“Aria, what did I say about cold claws and scales?”

She grinned impishly before nuzzling him gently. He growled irritably before returning the gesture fondly, looking deep into her eyes. She looked into his and her eyes widened. For the first time, she saw an unfamiliar emotion within the normally empty grey. Tears formed and she threw herself into his embrace. His purr-like growl aroused the feeling even more and she felt a comfort she had never felt in such intensity.

“Cal, I love you.”

He folded his wings around her carefully, growling softly. He did not bother to reply, not that he needed to. Aria had seen what he felt and he did not need to vocalise it, not that he would ever do so.

Meanwhile, a very blackened oceanic-blue dragon dropped into the lake without much ceremony, startling Aria, but only bringing an amused expression to Calcifer's visage. Releasing Aria, a thrill of dragon song rose out of his throat, echoing softly across the forestry. A few seconds later, it was joined by another, both blending perfectly. Meredith, dragging himself out of the lake, growled irritably. However, barely a scant second later, he was beset by a group of fans and his roar followed the song, both threads fading into the forest air.

The waltz has not ended, not that it will ever do so. It is a dance of change and change is never-ending, never stopping. Change reaches all, leaving no stone unturned, no rock untouched. The dragon waltz has not yet ended, neither has it begun. It is continuous and will always be.