Somehow or another, Laeolyja managed to survive transferring to the Ukuure and getting settled in as a candidate. He'd never had to do so much interacting with people in his life--signing up, getting showed around, being told how things would work, and more--and sometimes he'd been so scared that his stutter had escalated until he hadn't been able to speak at all. But the people were kind, and mostly patient, so somehow he was able to get through it all.

Thankfully, things had mostly gotten easier from there. Once all the hard socializing was done, all he had to do was wait, and stay clear of the dozens of other candidates that trickled into the Ukuure as the days passed. Laeolyja ended up spending most of the days as he spent them back home: hiding in his room, where it was quiet and alone.

When the day finally came that the eggs began to rock, it seemed like years had passed, and all Laeolyja wanted to do was retreat back to Star City, where at least things were familiar. In truth, it had only been weeks: long enough for winter to end and for the first touches of spring to creep into the area.

::The eggs have begun to rock!:: bugled Fathueth, the dark rainbow dragon who guarded the hatching fields.

Along with every other candidate, Laeolyja obeyed the summons, staying at the back of the cluster. He was not the only draconic candidate, but he was certain that he was the biggest and the brightest, and he stared fixedly at his feet. Terror ran over him in waves, and it took every ounce of self-control that he had to keep from bolting. It was like being at his hatching again, surrounded by candidates and the eagerly curious audience.

It didn't matter that no one seemed to be particularly paying attention to him. He felt hemmed in, surrounded, suffocating, and all he wanted was escape.

Except... that wasn't all he wanted. He was terrified, but he was still lonely. Lonely for someone he wouldn't have to be scared of. So he sat where he was, stared at his feet, and waited, hoping he would be approached.

He glanced up a few times to see the little fedra were exactly like the hologram at the Registrations office, if far smaller. In comparison to him, he could have picked up a dozen of them in a forepaw. They varied wildly in colour, but each had snowflake markings worthy of any Flurry across its pelt. He looked at them, and felt no fear. So he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And was left alone on the field.

The eggs were all hatched, as far as he could see. His eyes scanned the field and its patches of green grass and melting snow, and saw nothing but eggshells. Every single other candidate had walked off to tend the little fedra that had approached them, and now Laeolyja sat alone.

Alone.

His eyes whirled dark blue and bright yellow, slowly at first and then picking up speed as panic overcame heart-sore sorrow. What did you do when you didn't bond? Walk off with your tail between your legs? Duck your head under a wing so no one could stare at you as you fled the field in the face of your failure?

Did the hatchlings sense his fear? Had he disgusted them?

What did he do now?

The terrified shaking started at his paws and started to work its way up his limbs-

-and a little cyan face popped out of the grass.

Laeolyja froze, startled as the pale blue fedra seemed to materialize out of nowhere and pad towards him. His heart was somewhere up in his throat as she approached him, looking up at him with bright yellow eyes.

::I figured you wouldn't want to be called out in front of everybody, so I waited until it was just you,:: she sent, her mindvoice flooding his thoughts with apologetic warmth as she placed a tiny hatchling paw on his much larger one. ::I'm Michel, and I'll help you not be so shy, at least around me.::

Gratitude stole the words from Laeolyja mind, and all he could do was smile back at her and think he was about ready to cry, his relief was so great. He let Michel lead the way off the field and kept her eyes on her so that he wouldn't have to see everyone that surrounded him. Her mind meshed into his as if it had always belonged there, filling him with warmth and love that soothed his nerves and helped calm his fear.

And for the first time in his life, Laeolyja didn't feel empty and alone.