Hatchings

You go first.
Nuh uh! You go first!
But I don't wanna go first.
This odd little exchange was completely unheard by anyone who happened to be in the Hatching Cavern at that time. Which was not a lot of people, as it was fifteen minutes after midnight and most sensible beings were fast asleep. Actually, most people, humans anyway, wouldn't be able to hear it anyway, unless they were a HAD.
Eusyscth lay curled around her clutch, fast asleep, when two of the eggs rocked violently and suddenly, crashing into each other and breaking the shells open at once. Two slightly dazed dragonets rolled out of the shells and sat on their mother's claws, shaking their heads.
The loud crash woke Eusyscth and her mates. Filijyn jumped, and Kashvtaith let out a shriek, until he realized what was happening. Eusyscth blinked down at her two children, and she crooned and called for her rider to alert the rest of the dragonry. Solange! The eggs are hatching!
The two hatchlings lay down among the rest of the eggs, which were all rocking furiously as well, until the candidates started coming in. The male was a pale, clouded blue, obviously one of Kashvtaith's kids. The female was bright green with white stripes like her mother's. It wasn't as obvious whose child she was, until Filijyn looked up proudly. She's mine.
Two of the first candidates to enter were the twins, Caine and Cais, and it was for these two that the hatchlings headed. The blue leaped up, landing Caine's chest and making him drop to the floor. Hi! My name's Horfirith! I'll be your dragon for, well, ever. Can we go eat now?
Caine laughed. "Not until you get off, Horfirith!"
The green looked up at Cais more sedately, and crooned. I am hungry as well. Cais, I am Earidith. Will you feed me now?
Cais smiled and stroked the white-striped head. "Of course, Earidith. Let's hurry before Caine and Horfirith get it all."
A deep purple dragoness, her whole body covered with vivid yellow stripes, and even jagged marks on her wings, hatched next. It was obvious who sired this hatchling. Filijyn looked on proudly as his daughter looked over the candidates, then turned back to her parents and said, My bond is not here. May I go to Xidaver Isle? I am Jugeith. At their assent, the brown-sized purple sprinted off to the kitchens.
The last of the candidates, Marie and Susan, entered the sands as another egg hatched, revealing a green hatchling with thin gold stripes on her muzzle, legs, tail, and wings. The dragoness crooned and walked to the sisters. She looked up lovingly at Marie, who smiled back. "Hi there, Kakanorii! I think you're hungry, want to go eat now?" The green crooned again and followed her rider-to-be off the sands as her sister Susan joined the rest of the waiting candidates.
Two medium-sized eggs cracked open next. From the first, a chocolate brown-colored hatchling with lighter cloudy-like markings on his muzzle, legs, tail, and wings, emerged. The siamese clouded brown male rounded on his brother, creeling playfully. His brother, a dark green with similiar siamese cloudy markings, only he had stars as well, growled back. Geroff!
The brown blinked balefully at the other dragon and shrugged his wings as he turned to his parents. Fine then. Well, I'm Lhrihedth, and I'll go to Xidaver Isle. And his name is Nobhith. He added smugly, causing his brother to snarl bad-temperedly at him.
Lhrihedth ran off the sands, and Nobhith made to follow him, until someone pointed out to the male green that he had better bond, or at least decide on somewhere to go if he didn't. He snorted indignantly. Well, if you must know, I'm going to live at Enzan Shi. Not that it's any of your business. The arrogant green huffed indignantly to himself, muttering about rude, disrespectful siblings as he went to the kitchens.
A large egg with white swirls on its creamy surface split open, and a brown-striped silver head poked out. The hatchling's muzzle was marked with brown stripes like his mother, but the rest of his body was covered with stripes as well, resembling his father Filijyn-as was discovered when he climbed out of his shell and dropped to the ground.
The brown-striped silver strode calmly towards the candidates, eventually stopping in front of Drakos. Dr'kos, I know I've kept you waiting a long time...will you still have me?
Dr'kos smiled down at the silver hatchling. "Of course I will, Ekethys. Now and forever." Ekethys crooned happily as he followed his rider off the sands.
Another of the male candidates watched an egg rock back and forth. He was a first at Darkling Dawn; he'd Impressed a dragon from an earlier clutch as well. Michelynferroth waited a short distance away, cheering his rider F'len on. The egg he'd been watching previously stopped moving suddenly as F'len watched worriedly. He hoped none of the eggs were going to be duds.
F'len? Are you out there? A hesitant, feminine voice asked in his head. F'len frowned, looking around for the voice, faintly reminescent of Mich's. In the egg, hun. The voice said patiently, directing his attention back to the egg he'd been watching earlier. Can I have some help here, F'len? That's it. She said encouragingly as F'len helped to peel away the shell.
Finally, the dragonet managed to free herself from the egg, revealing a dark brown body with deep black, slightly raccoonish stripes and markings. The female brown's black-rimmed eyes looked up at F'len softly as Impression was made. My name is Saredai. Michelynferroth cheered as F'len helped the hatchling to the kitchens.
As most of the people were distracted by the bonding of Saredai and F'len, no one noticed a tiny, dark green female hatch, which was just the way she liked it. The siamese starry-marked dragoness crept silently off the sands, pausing only long enough to mention her name, Tithralith, and that she'd be heading back to Draco's Inferno with her mother.
Another female hatched, this time a delicate clouded silver whose hide was marked with vivid red stripes in the familiar siamese pattern of her mother. Maralith decided to follow her father Kashvtaith to Starburst Weyr.
A particularly large egg, the largest in the clutch, in fact, began to crack. Not unexpectedly, twin dragon emerged, though they were not exactly what people might have expected. People from Earth or other worlds would recognize their markings as those of a tiger, one in orange with black stripes, the other white with black stripes. The crowd murmered appreciatively as the twins moved towards the candidates.
The black-striped white was the first to bond, moving to stand in front of Feres. The male white looked up at the mysterious young man with a pensive look. Feres, mine. Why are you so fascinated with death? Is life not worth living, even with me, Thtayjuth?
Feres smiled down at the hatchling, though his answer was unintelligible to anyone but Thtayjuth.
Thtayjuth's orange tiger-striped brother strode towards Susan, but upon reaching her, he was attacked from behind by a pale brown blur. Get away from Susan, Tigolith! She's my rider! The dragon on Tigolith's back was a clouded brown, snarling angrily at the black-striped orange.
With a groan, Tigolith shoved the other dragon off his back as Susan watched. I didn't want to bond her anyway, idiot. I just wanted to go with you and your sister to Star City Dragonry. I can take care of myself from there. Is that okay? This he directed at Susan, who nodded absent-mindedly as she helped the clouded brown to his feet.
The brown snorted, hovering by Susan protectively. Well, whatever. Just stay out of our way, hear me?
"Bhijoth..." Susan said to the brown warningly as they all headed towards the kitchens. Tigolith's only reply was a shrug as they left the sands.
A smaller egg cracked to reveal a cloudy black hide, marked liberally with stars. The clouded starry black jumped to his feet, shaking sand from his hide. Instead of looking at the one remaining candidate, or the stands, or his parents as the other sponsorlings had done, he looked at Weyrwoman Teah in her customary seat in the front row of the stands. My name's Niohbhoth, my bond is not here. May I stay here for now?
Teah nodded. "You can stay with Jilameth while you're here." She said, as the senior queen Eoth had just informed her that the siamese white-blue had volunteered to care for the hatchling. Niohbhoth nodded and trotted off to the kitchens to join his siblings.
Canti shifted on the sand impatiently, watching the remaining two eggs wriggle back and forth. Finally, one of the eggs split open, spilling a pitch black dragon liberally marked with golden stripes onto the sands. The male hatchling looked up at the dragoness sheepishly from his position on his back. Hi, Canti. My name's Taamith. Can we go eat now? The Lvarian dragon happily led her new bond to the kitchens with the rest of the hatchlings and their bonds, if they had any.
And one egg stood still, unhatched. Thinking the final egg wasn't going to hatch, people began to leave the hatching cavern, until Eusyscth hissed irritably at them, and they reluctantly sat back down in their seats. The last egg quivered, shuddered violently, and finally split cleanly down the middle.
A medium-sized blue hatchling rolled out of the egg, landing nimbly on his brown siamese-marked feet and looked around proudly. I'm here! Don't leave yet! Hey- The blue-brown seemed to realize that there were no more candidates left, and he seemed angry about this. Feres! Where did you go!? Someone pointed out to the blue that the young man in question had already bonded and was in the kitchens, and he huffed indignantly as he strode that way.
Geez, how rude. Leaving me alone before I even get to meet him, or my fellow bondmate, for that matter. Feres! The dragon called as he entered the kitchens. Feres looked up in confusion from where he sat, Thtayjuth lounging beside him. You forgot something. The blue-brown said dryly, standing in front of Feres.
Feres blinked. "Jhazhth..." There might have been concerns about jealousy from his first dragon, but they were soon dashed; Thtayjuth just watched the other dragon calmly, eyes whirling slowly, and back to his rider.
Once the spectators saw the siamese blue-brown enter the kitchens, presumably going after his bond, they began to leave again, sure that there were no more hidden eggs left. Eusyscth and her mates did the same, all arching their necks proudly to have had such fine children.