[color=a0410d][i][h1]Onyx Bright[/h1][/i][/color][hr]Onyx had woken up hours ago- not that she hadn't wanted to. Early morning was one of the best times to draw, when no one else was awake enough to bug her. As she watched the sun rise through her room's window, the pen in her hand scratched away at one of the newest drawings in her sketchbook. It was a woman, one that Onyx had seen in her dreams but didn't recognize from anywhere in her waking memory. As she sketched, words that had been spoken in the strange dream echoed around in her mind. It was surreal, the silence in the room broken only by her thoughts and the noise of pen on paper.

After few more minutes the drawing was done, and Onyx set the sketchbook aside as she stood and stretched her arms up over her head. She yawned, and that small vocalization was all it took for the Scelt that had been curled up on one of her pillows to start waking up. Kirara's head lifted up slightly as he turned to look at her, the fur on the left side of his face sticking up in a bunch of directions as he too yawned. [color=f9ad81]"Morning big sister..."[/color] She smiled at him as he stuck his tail in the air, stretching his front legs before climbing over the blankets to sit on the edge of the bed next to where she stood.

[color=a0410d]"Good morning little brother!"[/color] She replied cheerfully as the Scelt yawned once again. He shook his head to try and fix his fur, but all it really did was make him look more poofs. Onyx couldn't help but laugh as she reached down to smooth out his fur herself. Kirara licked her hand as she finished this before jumping down of the bed and immediately shaking again, restoring the poofiness and making him look like a grey and white walking marshmallow. Onyx heard him sigh as he sat down and began licking as the fur on his chest, holding back a laugh of her own as she walked over to her dresser and grabbed a hairbrush from its surface. Mornings were always like this with him. [color=a0410d]"Should we brush your fur out before we go get our outfits for the ball?"[/color]

His ears perked up as his tail started wagging happily. [color=f9ad81]"Yes please! I'm gonna be the prettiest boy there!"[/color]

She narrowed her eyes at him skeptically as she knelt down next to him and began to run the brush gently through his fur. [color=a0410d]"Don't you mean 'handsome' little brother?"[/color]

[color=f9ad81]"No, I mean pretty."[/color] Onyx laughed as Kirara puffed out his chest in pride. [color=f9ad81]"I will be pretty, because everyone else will be trying to be handsome."[/color] A goofy grin came over his face as she finished brushing out the fur on his one side and moved on to the other.

[color=a0410d]"Ah, so there's less competition in being pretty?"[/color]

[color=f9ad81]"Yeah!"[/color] He stood and bowed playfully to her as he continued. [color=f9ad81]"If I'm pretty, I only have to compete with you!"[/color] He jumped away from her as she tried to reach for him, trotting in circles around her as they both laughed. 

[color=a0410d]"Hey! Who said no one else at the ball would be pretty?"[/color]

Kirara stopped walking in circles and went back to standing next to Onyx where she sat on the floor. [color=f9ad81]"Well, maybe angry Prince will be pretty too."[/color] 

[color=a0410d]"Angry... you mean Prince Dujae?"[/color]

[color=f9ad81]"Yeah!"[/color] 

[color=a0410d]"Oh dear..."[/color]

Kirara sat back down and Onyx finished brushing out his fur while they continued to chat about the party. He wasn't poofy anymore, or at least, not [i]so[/i] poofy. Freshly-brushed, he was soft and very handsome-looking in that moment. Of course, Onyx didn't tell him that. She just smiled before gathering up all her things and leaving the room. 

...

After picking up their outfits from Deja at the Nosey Needle, Onyx and Kirara began making their way to the castle. They had decided to stay at an inn in town, after debating for over an hour on whether or not to just go home yesterday. Onyx was still sad that they hadn't, but she'd sent her godparents a letter explaining about the ball so they wouldn't worry about her. Honestly, she still didn't want to go- social interaction was draining and unnecessary. But, what if she didn't? She sighed as the two of them now walked up the street towards the castle. Words from the dream repeated themselves in the back of her mind. [b][i]If you misstep it will result in your demise...[/i][/b]

Walking into the ballroom, Onyx recognised a few people already. She nodded a greeting to Faeril as she passed, and smiled politely at Dujae and Queen Hektah from across the room. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do yet- so she stuck to the edges of the room as she simply watched the rest of the people there, wondering just how long she had to stay.