Tonja's friends wanted to do something special for their friend for her birthday. April first - April Fool's Day - what a day to be born. In her short life she'd been pranked almost more than presented with gifts for her birthday. And she actually likes this.

But this time, what they gave to her (with her parents help, and with some assistance from one or two of the exotic offworld students) was a soft, strange coccoon.

"What... is this thing?" She asked, unwrapping the shiny ribbons that had been carefully draping the coccoon.

"It's special," said her mother, who was a zookeeper at a local wildlife habitat control center. "And I'll help you with it if you ask."

"Oookay," Tonja said. When her party was over, it was time to set all the gifts aside and clean up. She put on some music on her stereo - it was a pretty good stereo and it was an exceptionally good vinyl record of George Clinton. Funk came blasting from the speakers, and she bopped her head to the beat, picking up bows and putting them in a basket, ribbons and putting them away too, the ripped paper she would give to her mother, because the ferrets and other nesting animals at the wildlife rescue seemed to enjoy rooting through paper.

She noticed that the coccoon they'd given her was shaking to the beat. "Whoa, that's loud, huh?" Tonja said. She went to turn down the music, but the coccoon's swaying didn't stop. Suddenly, there was a muzzle that appeared through a tear in the silky stuff. Like nothing she'd ever seen, like nothing her mother had mentioned - this was a pretty cool little ... thing.

"I am not a thing!" the thing cried. "Help me out! I've gotta dance!"

"Dance!?" Tonja laughed, "okay then!" She helped pull off the strands of the coccoon silk, until standing before her, unsteadily on four paws, was a beautifully marked fox like creature. It was small, it would easily fit in her big backpack. But it would grow... And it danced right away.

The funky beat went on and the pair danced the evening away.

"Boogie," she said, "your name is Boogie, and I think I like you!"

"That is good," Boogie said, "because I like you too. You've got good taste in music." He sat and his tails moved to the beat until he slept.

***

Going to school while Boogie grew up was a bit of an adventure. He grew quickly, but still, there were times when Tonja and the others with their young pets had to dash out of random classes to go feed their young creatures. She was certain though, that hers was the most beautiful, and he was definitely the smartest, and the most talented.

They would just have to argue about that when they were grown a bit more. Right at that time, though, they all had gangly long legs, tripped over their paws, and often got their tails mixed up with their wings trying to fly.

Boogie remained on the ground, practicing while the others fumbled over one another. That at least he had going for him: he was painfully aware of how cool he looked...

***

Tonja came home to find Boogie lounging around on her bed, wings splayed, and tails twitching to the latest rap album.

"I can't believe you're listening to that," she said, "I thought you had better taste in music."

"You bought it," was Boogie's response. Tonja laughed, and then sat down to talk about dragons...

"I will come with you, keep you safe," Boogie said. "I don't want to be alone, either."

"I leave you alone a lot, don't I?" Tonja replied. She hugged the big colorful Egyptan. "I won't leave you here, even if they tell us we can't take you right away, I think we can send for you guys. It won't be fair without you..."

Staying at a castle was a first for Tonja. She thought to herself that the place had great acustics, if only she could get a big boombox and blare some music down these halls. The reverb would be fantastic!

But soon enough, the eggs which had been warming and hardening on the sands here apparently had hatched. All of them. Without anyone there! Tonja was mildly disappointed that she didn't get to watch any of them breaking open their shells. But that didn't matter. She walked in with the only other candidate, a person named Caake (she wasn't human, and it was kind of odd that her number of tails matched Boogie's!). The hatchlings took note when the pair arrived, and shortly they started deciding among themselves, who would go where.

But... "Where are the other candidates?" Tonja muttered to herself. The dragonets obviously were wondering that too. One after another they would come up to the local inhabitants, and ask about where they could be placed. Many would remain on at Star Thief castle.

A cream colored female, with the beautiful rainbow wings that distinguished this clutch, approached. She told first Scorpion and then Tonja, "I am Manakuyth, and I will go with you to this Carramba High place of yours." Surprised, Tonja knew that this dragonet wasn't hers - specifically - but was currently under her care and protection. Why hadn't any of the adults remained with her while she was here? Wouldn't they be able to do this better?

It didn't matter - for moments later, a green and rainbow winged male tripped up over his big paws trying to catch up with his sister. "My name is Chianjerth, and I want to go with my sister to Carramba High!" He said it all so fast, hardly anyone could understand him - but they got the picture easily enough when he nuzzled his sister and sat on the other side of her near Tonja. The small audience laughed at his performance.

Tonja knew she'd like this little guy, again coming along without being truly bonded to her. (VISIT THEM!)

A good number of dragonets came forward then, asking to be kept on, or moved to some other location when they were old enough. But soon, Tonja heard a kind of strange reverb in her mind. The tune that she was humming to herself was one from a big broadway production that she'd seen once or twice, and owned on DVD. It wouldn't be anything that any one here would have heard.

Yet, while she was thinking that something was up, a little copper-colored yellow female came hopping around the shattered eggs and the feathers left over from the nesting dragons. She flopped over herself, almost as graceful as Chianjerth had been - but not quite enough. She tripped over and landed with a little giggle at Tonja's feet. The black girl blinked, and helped to pick the little dragonet up. She had to unweave her long tail out from around her budding wings.

“Thanks Tonja. I hear your music. Does that mean you're my new pet?” The dragonet said, her voice musical.

Tonja laughed, shaking her head, “I'm not your pet, Orieyonth, but I am yours, and you're mine. You've got a lot of catching up to do in the music department, right Boogie?” the Egyptan nodded in agreement, welcoming Orieyonth to their little family.

As a group, once the excitement of the hatching, and Tonja's thrilled emotions at having bonded, had faded, they went to feed and clean up. A whole warm pile of dragons, an Egyptan, and Tonja all fell to sleep. They'd have a long day ahead of them tomorrow, and after that they'd be heading back to Carramba!