District twelve was practically her second home.

Or more specifically, the hospital.

She must have spent just as much time there as in her own home in district two. She was convinced that should she suddenly go blind, she could traverse the gleaming white corridors and know exactly where she was going. She knew every twist and turn by heart.

She wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

Gwyneira followed her mother into the building that took up a large chunk of the back of the stern of the station. It radiated white light in a rather eyesore contrast to the blue and black theme of the rest of the district. To make it easy to find, she supposed.

Beneath her talons black granite transitioned to white glass. Around her the space was massive and airy— the primary room of the hospital. It was shaped roughly like a half circle, and many floors with balconies and rooms rose up on all sides, all the same pale gray with white trim. Nurses and physicians of all species dashed about and flew from floor to floor.

At the center of the room, several dragons worked behind a circular desk. Lines of creatures with myriad ailments led up to the desk as they checked in to the hospital. Gwyneira followed her mother into one of these lines.

Why are the lines so long... She mentally complained. At least a dozen creatures waited in line ahead of them. If only they had beds for creatures in line to take naps... That would be nice... Or maybe just the floor is good enough...

But laying down on the floor to nap probably wouldn't sell with her mother. So instead, she opted for studying the creatures in the line ahead.

She spotted an unusual quantity of territes of the sand type, or vampirics, though she could not discern why. She saw none of them clutching limbs as if injured. Maybe it's a sickness of some sort going around... But it seems unlikely... It isn't easy for a dragon to get sick.

Gwyneira was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of yelling up at the desk.

"I'm telling you, something isn't right!" The gravely voice of a Territe yelled. Gwyneira craned her neck, trying to see past the much taller dragons ahead of her to no avail. She heard the sound of scales on metal as the Territe presumable slammed his fist on the desk. "I've been getting sick more often than ever! And I'm always tired. How is that normal?"

Gwyneira strained her ears to make out the desk clerk saying something along the lines of, "Have you been getting enough sleep, sir?"

This only seemed to enrage the Territe. "Have I been getting enough sleep? I sleep eighteen hours each night, and I'm still knocking out at my control panel! It's going to cost me my job! I nearly triggered Red Alert because I was falling asleep this morning!"

The clerk slowly reached under her desk. "I understand, sir. We will make sure you are attended to..."

The clerk must have pressed a secret button beneath the counter, for just then a couple of Volcanics came in from one of the many doors that lined the walls, and took the furious Territe by the arms. The arwyn growled and protested as he was carried away, likely to one of the medical "quarantine" or "isolation" cells that stood in place of a prison system.

"With any luck the line will go faster after that," her mother murmured, and indeed, the line quickened in pace as the dragons ahead of them took up more civil arguments and were ushered away into various waiting rooms.

Finally they got to the front of the line. The clerk opened her mouth to drone out the usual questions, but Gwyneira beat her to it. "Gwyneira, dragon, Prinuae, frost, aged four-hundred and forty-two years old, ryss, and no I have not been off station any time in the last month Cepheus Prime standard calendar."

The clerk raised an eye ridge and checked her in.

From there it was just myriad white corridors and numerous doors until finally they reached the office of her physician. Neither Gwyneira nor her mother needed a guide to get there anymore. They both knew the way by heart and were granted entrance without any extra form of security.

Gwyneira pushed open the door and slipped into the office, followed by her mother. The small room was simple in design, with a monitor for a holographic screen installed into the wall and an array of medical devices arranged on a simple metal table. Opposite this table was a large metal examination table built into the wall with nothing but a thin cushion covering it for padding.

By instinct she leaped up onto the examination table, the cushion sinking beneath her talons. A pale blue light washed over her from overhead, emanating a faint buzzing sound— a disinfectant sonic scanner.

Almost as soon as her mother had taken a seat, the door swung open again. A sturdy, definitely pretty frost Prinuae entered the room, her lips curved in a friendly smile. "Good afternoon, Gwyneira! How are you today?"

"Hello, Myrron," Gwyneira answered dully, ignoring titles.

Her physician's smile did not fade. "Now, seeing as our last treatment did not work, we have been developing a new one, and we are really thinking that it will work this time."

Gwyneira hardly paid attention. It was the exact same thing she was told every time she came here.

Myrron began collecting various instruments from her table. "We just need to check in on your current status before we can proceed."

By the time the physician turned around, Gwyneira was already standing straight.

She knew the routine.

She could make out the slightest of sighs from Myrron before the physician came over and deposited her instruments on a low rolling table beside her.

The physician took up what appeared to be a black metal rectangle in her talons. The rectangle, upon being pulled apart, snapped into two long bars. Between these bars was a flexible holographic screen, which the physician could look at to see the inner workings of any creature that she angled the contraption at.

Myrron proceeded to hold up the devise to her chest, where in most other dragons, the first five hearts would be located. The physician squinted, and looked confused for a minute.

Then dropped the devise.

It fell to the glass floor with a metallic clang, and magnetically snapped back into one piece.

Gwyneira's mother was already on her talons. "Physician Myrron, what is it? Is something wrong?"

Myrron looked shocked, her indigo eyes still fixed on where she had been holding the devise. "Gwyneira... Her acariad..." The physician took a breath and gathered her wits. "I don't see how, but... Her acariad... It's growing back."

Gwyneira blinked.

Then her legs crumpled beneath her.

"Physician Myrron, how is this possible? I thought you said that the previous treatment didn't work?" Gwyneira heard her mother question.

My sixth heart...

Can it really be?

But she couldn't find a way to voice her words.

It's impossible...

And yet...

"We thought it was a failure. We were certain that it hadn't worked— in fact, this almost appears to be something closer to some form of regeneration," the physician considered.

Her mother bit her lip. "But are you sure? How can you be certain? How do you know it wasn't just some anomaly?"

Myrron shook her head. "It couldn't be. I clearly saw it there through the scanner— small, as if it belonged to a hatchling. It hasn't started beating yet, but it's even connected to all the right veins. I'm just not sure how..."

Gwyneira's mother seemed confused. "But a heart doesn't just randomly start growing! Something must have done it. Are you sure that it is safe? It won't cause any harm or side effects?"

The physician reached down to pick up the scanner from the floor. "It shouldn't. As I said, it hasn't even started beating yet— it likely won't for a long while, judging by its stage of growth. I don't think it could cause any problems till then, and we can prepare for that."

Her mother turned to her, eyes glowing bright. "Gwyneira..." Before any more words could be spoken, her mother enveloped her in a hug.

"It's a miracle," her physician commented. "And just for safety, I would like Gwyneira to stay at the hospital tonight so that we can monitor her, just in case."

When her mother pulled away from the hug, there were tears in her eyes. "Of course, Myrron, thank you." She then turned back to Gwyneira. "Wait till we tell your father! He's going to be so thrilled!" Her mother smiled and took a steadying breath. "Do you want me to stay with you tonight? We may not be able to celebrate back home just yet, but maybe I could get those marshmallow penguins and we could watch a holomovie together... Or maybe even play with your VR visors and go on adventures!"

Millions of thoughts were racing through her head at that moment... And it was starting to become overwhelming. "I... Thank you, mom, but tonight I... I just sort of want to process this, right now."

Her mother looked disappointed for a moment, but it was gone in a blink. "Of course, my dear. I understand."

Myrron returned over to the examination table. "We'll get you set up in your usual room. Whenever you are ready, I'll meet you there." With that, the physician quitted the room.

Gwyneira's mother's eyes were still teary. "Do you... Want me to bring you anything from home for the night?"

Gwyneira shook her head, and hopped down from the table. "No... I don't think so, thank you."

"Okay then," her mother said, opening the door. "But I'll be calling you later. Dad'll want to talk to you."

She nodded. "Okay."

Her mother gave her a reciprocating nod and smile, and left the room.

Gwyneira took a steadying breath before she followed suit.

She walked back out into the hallway, and let her talons go on autopilot as she fell back into her thoughts.

My light magic heart...

Finally I can be like other dragons... Finally I can practice magic...

.... Was it worth it?

"Hey Gwyneira!"

A voice jolted her from her thoughts, and she turned to see a Sand Territe ryn at her side, beaming up at her with emerald eyes. "Oh, hi Bron," she murmured.

Bron smiled, practically bouncing with energy. "Are you staying the night again tonight? Ooh, did you bring your VR visor? Could we play tonight? Pleeaaaase?"

The younger dragonet's enthusiasm brought a slight grin to her lips. "I'm... Not sure, Bron. I might be a little preoccupied tonight."

His face melted into an over dramatic frown. "Awww, but why?" Suddenly he bounced up again. "OOOH, did they find out something about your heart? Do you think you're gonna get it?"

"Ahhh...." She struggled to phrase her answer. Long ago she had figured out that she had been given a room next to Bron's specifically because he was a Territe. Or even more specifically, because his race, by nature, was born without any magic hearts whatsoever. She assumed that the physicians wanted her not to feel ashamed of her disability... Or perhaps to learn that one could live without magic.

Not that she felt that she could.

"A dragon isn't a dragon without magic," her father would tell her. "It's what makes us the superior race."

"But aren't all races and species equal, daddy?" She would ask as a young dragonet.

"They are, Gwyneira. But dragons were given two magical hearts for a reason— so that we can control the dark and the light. The Primordials gave us control over these basic forces of nature because we are the ones meant to guide the other species. Especially the frost Prinuae— the most magically powerful of all the races and subclasses. And that is why, my daughter, you must have your acariad."

Remembering that Bron still awaited her answer, she pulled herself from the memory. "It's... Possible, but not certain." She hoped that she hadn't offended him. She knew that to a dragon who thought having no magical hearts was normal, that her quest to gain one must be absurd.

His pale, sandy colored ears perked up in excitement. "Really? I'm so happy for you, Gwyneira!" He grinned. "But if you get healed, don't forget about me! I still want to see you— after all, I still need to win at least one chess game against you!"

Relief flooded through her at his ease with it all. "Of course, Bron. I'm never going to just forget about you," she assured. "And this is probably just another red herring anyway... It's nothing to be worried about." She forced a wider grin. "You are still far more likely to get cured before I am."

"Am not!" He argued. "Making you a new heart— pffft. It's going to take them millennia for them to even figure out what's wrong with me! At least they know what the problem is with you, but here I am at three hundred years old and they still can't even give me a diagnosis!"

They both chuckled at their usual mock quarrels. Ever since they had met they would argue who would get cured first. It's looking rather likely that it's going to be me now...

That thought hit her with a pang of sadness. Bron deserves to be cured far more than I do... Poor dragonet, he can't even leave the hospital without getting weak... Having to take those injections every hour...

At least, even without my acariad, I can leave the hospital.

"If I feel up to it later, I'll ring your room and we can play some matches, sound good?" She offered as they slowed down to a halt beside the door to her room.

Bron rapidly nodded. "Yes!" He then turned to dash off back to his room, but paused to give her a nudge with his wing. "I'm gonna win this time! See you later, Gwyneira!"

She watched as he sped down the hallway, only to stop short a few dozen yards down to catch his breath, and then resumed at a slower pace, his head low.

Gwyneira turned away and pushed open the white glass door, and stepped into her room.

The lights had already been activated, and Myrron waited by a holographic screen in the wall similar to the one in the office. "Ah, great, your here!" The physician acknowledged. "Did you get to talk to Bron?"

Gwyneira hopped up onto the bed sized for a dragon five times her size and turned around to face her physician. "Yes," she answered plainly.

Myrren grabbed a metallic ring from a narrow table on the far wall beneath the holographic screen. "How was he doing?"

Gwyneira had no interest in the idle conversation, and instead opted for staring at the black granite cube-shaped bedside table and the simple lamp that stood atop it. Then at the white walls of her room, decorated with drawings she had done and other relics of her time there. The room was no larger than the examination office, but she felt like she had spent almost all of her life there. Finally she returned her attention to Myrron, who was holding out the metal ring.

Gwyneira extended her talon, and the physician snapped the ring around her wrist. "This will keep track of your stats for us. If anything happens that might be of concern, this will instantly alert us. And if you feel anything strange, remember you have an emergency call button right on the side of your bed, okay?" Myrron explained.

Gwyneira nodded. "Thank you."

Myrron then stood and made for the door. "Oh, and try not to do anything tonight that might hike up your blood pressure. With a new heart growing in, we don't know what might aggravate it!"

Gwyneira began settling down on her bed. "I won't, Myrron, I promise."

Her physician gave her a smile, before finally slipping out of the room, leaving her all alone. She laid down on the bed, trying various positions in an attempt to get comfortable. Tonight, however, none of her usual tricks proved effective. Eventually, she resigned to collapsing on the middle of the massive, fully-grown-dragon-sized bed, and curling up like a feline. "Lights," she commanded, and the light in the room gradually dimmed into darkness.

And in the darkness, she listened to her heartbeat.

One... Two... Three... Four... Five...

Alas the acariad was yet to beat.

She could feel it. She sensed the new weight in her chest despite it weighing nearly nothing. She could feel it was there.

You like that feeling, don't you, Gwyneira?

There came that voice again.

That same voice.

The same one from the ballroom.

It was worth it, wasn't it?

Gwyneira pressed her eyes closed, as if she could hide from the voice. I don't know, was all she could answer.

Do you want your acariad to beat? Asked the voice.

I... Think I do... She answered, pressing her wings tightly against her sides.

Good, said the voice.

Then there's something else I need you to do. 

~~~~~

Well, that was dramatic! I would love to hear your thoughts on the story so far, and please remember to vote if you liked!