Heironymous knew exactly what nervous father's felt like, he figured. 'Bosch wasn't nervous in the slightest, just excited like a little boy about to get a treat, so his bond was being nervous, for him. There were seven eggs-- seven!-- and all seven were twitching and rocking, one or two even showing tiny cracks in their previously seamless shells. It was time for them to hatch, after months of waiting, and all Heironymous could think of was the bad things that could happen. What if the hatchlings were born deformed? What if they didn't like the candidates presented and died for lack of a bond? What if some madman from the all-too-large audience came down and tried to hurt them?

::Then we'd hurt them,:: Zionibosch interjected with mixed frustration and amusement. ::Calm down, it'll be fine!::

::You just keep thinking that and let me worry,:: Heironymous sent back.

::You worry too much, that's you're problem,:: 'Bosch retorted, but turned his attention away to Ignis, who wasn't as tense as Heironymous, but also wasn't as carefree as joyful as her temporary mate. Heironymous was under no illusions about Ignis and Fyr staying, though he hadn't broken the news to 'Bosch yet that his "one true love" wasn't going to be there forever.

Fyr, standing next to him, seemed tense, as well, though her eyes were bright. If Heironymous felt attached to the clutch that was about to hatch, what would she be feeling, since they had come directly from her dragoness? What did she think about the candidates coming to hopefully take care of the hatchlings for them? Said candidates were clustered just beyond the clutch, staring at the eggs. Heironymous watched them anxiously; he'd never heard of someone not taking care of their dragon, but it had to be possible, and what if it happened to one of his dragon's offspring?

::Then I'd hurt them,:: 'Bosch interrupted again, matter-of-factly. ::Really, Heironymous, stop thinking about it. There's no point in getting all wound up about maybes, and besides, there's no more time.::

::No more time? What--::

'Bosch directed his attention to the clutch again, and Heironymous blinked, realizing what the dragon meant. One egg gave a convulsive shudder, rolled slightly one way, then swung the other and crashed into the egg beside it. Both broke into a network of cracks, and then suddenly both broke open, spilling two hatchlings onto the springy moss of the hatching bay floor. Full of fatherly pride and boyish joy, Zionibosch crooned down at them, his wordless voice melding with Ignis' deeper one, and they stumbled to their feet: green and red, both striped, like their sire, and both glittery, like their dam.

::We make good-looking children,:: 'Bosch commented gleefully to mate and riders. Ignis rolled her eyes at him, and Heironymous heard Fyr giggle.

::You doubted it?:: Heironymous sent back with an absent chuckle, watching the little green with the multicolored stripes pick one of the candidates-- a weird one, actually, a dragon-like beast who was, to say the least, huge. Not like many of the other candidates classified as "normal", anyway. Not for anywhere other than Star City.

::Of course not,:: 'Bosch countered proudly, but before he could continue on such a vein, he realized that the second hatchling hadn't bonded, but had gone on to eat by himself. ::Will he be all right?:: he asked his rider and Ignis anxiously, showing the first concern since the flight that he would produce a spectacular bunch of dragonets. None of the officials seemed distressed, so Heironymous, though used to thinking that all dragons needed bonds, had to guess it was all right.

::Sometimes dragons at Cy don't bond,:: Ignis reassured him, and 'Bosch shifted his weight with a little less anxiety, though repeatedly glanced at the bondless red.

By the time Heironymous had dragged his attention and thoughts back to the clutch, another three eggs had hatched, and another two bonds had been made. Maybe the rest of the clutch would be normal.... But none of the choosings so far had been Kang, despite Zionibosch's certainty that he was perfect for them. Kang himself, across the bay, was looking a little anxious, and their friends in the stands looked hopefully concerned.

::Don't worry,:: 'Bosch sent, voice warm with a grin, anxiety forgotten as the last two eggs finally shattered, revealing a larger brown dragonet and another red one. ::I'm always right, remember?::

Not always, Heironymous thought to himself, watching the red dragonet make her choice, and watching a second bondless slink away with even more worry. Two unbonded, two without the stability of a second mind... what if the last didn't bond, either? Three out of seven, and none with the kind of support dragons, in Heironymous' experience, needed to survive. And yet no one seemed concerned.

Finally, the last hatchling, the brown one, gave a little start and looked around. ::Go on, I bet you'll find I'm right,:: 'Bosch was telling it with some amusement-- in fact, if Heironymous was any judge of dragonic expressions, the hatchling looked every bit as amused as his sire. Heironymous didn't hear the reply, nor had he heard the conversation leading up to it, but he watched the hatchling trot purposefully towards the candidates, damp wings spread and black muzzle held high. After some dithering, it made straight to Kang, tossed a pointed grin back at 'Bosch, who only blinked innocently back, and promptly Kang started laughing.

::I told you,:: 'Bosch said smugly, whether to his bond or the hatchling, Heironymous didn't know. ::I'm always right.::

Kang led his new bond off to the waiting first meals, still laughing, the dragon's maw gaping with silent laughter of its own. "Nahigicu," he told the Master Archevist between giggles. Icelyn and Sans were cheering their heads off amidst the other applause and enthusiasm in the crowds.

And then it was done. The hatchlings who were going to bond, had, and the ones who hadn't... Heironymous wasn't sure what would happen to them. It all seemed to have happened very fast, and after months of waiting, it didn't seem like it could possibly be over already.

::Oh, that was so exciting!:: Zionibosch was exclaiming, all but bounding in his feet, tail swinging back and forth. ::Heironymous, we must do this again! Soon! Like, let's go sign up right now!::

::You're kidding me,:: Heironymous answered blankly. ::No, 'Bosch. Give me some time to recover, at least!::

::Awwww... okaaaaaaaay. But soon!::

Heironymous didn't even try to respond. Instead, he gave Fyr a smile and a kiss on the forehead, and a promise that he would be back later to talk, if she wished it, and certainly to see her and Ignis off when they decided to leave. ::And come back next time you want to fly,:: 'Bosch interjected to both ladies, Fyr and Ignis-- apparently he already knew they weren't staying, and had already gotten over it. ::We could do this again!::

Whatever Ignis and Fyr had to say about that, Heironymous didn't see, for he blushed and hurried off to meet Kang, Nahigicu, and Icelyn and Sans, who had somehow already gotten down there, crowds or no crowds. In love, my foot, he thought.