As Lyn darted down a secluded alleyway to save time, she collides with a figure Lyn's mind had not the time to process. "Oof!!! Watch where you're going!!"
"Lyn?" the voice was familiar to Lyn.
Looking up, Lyn saw who owned the voice. Sprawled on top of her was Ann. "I didn't know it was you..." Lyn giggled, scratching her head, feeling bad for being rude to one of her few friends. Ann started making gestures but Lyn didn't pay attention, instead trying to apologize. "I was in a hurry, and I figured I'd cut through here..." Lyn finally sees her motions, and asks, "What, Ann?"
"Tail." Ann, as it was, was one of the only people in the world besides her mom that knew she was half-dragon. She had known since they were in pre-school and Lyn showed Ann her dragonic features while on a play-date, wholly unaware of the stigma against dragons and their ilk at that age (and because her tail had gotten stiff and cramped from being bound up for so long and she wanted to give it some fresh air). Ann had told her parents, but luckily, they were progressive minded people who believe in peace and equality with dragons, so Lyn and her mom had nothing to worry about.
Sure enough, when Lyn fell on her bum in the alley, her tail unfurled and became exposed, unable to stay wrapped under her skirt, a reflex Lyn couldn't control well, much like when a doctor taps your knee with those hammers and you reflexively kick. It twitches a bit on the pavement before Lyn stands up and dusts herself off. "You know, some days, I'm just tempted to stop hiding my dragon parts and let the whole world know I'm half-dragon. My tail gets so stiff wrapped around my hips all day."
"I know you want to, and I wish you could to, because your tail is kind of cute, but society is still stuck in the dark ages when it comes to human-dragon relations." Ann said, trying to help Lyn hide her tail again.
"What I can't stand is how my kind, half-dragons, are supposed to be so taboo, reviled, and despised, even moreso than pureblood dragons, or pureblood humans in the old-blood dragon circles. Why am I 'forbidden?'" This issue always got to Lyn, so much that she didn't realize her eyes were welling. She wouldn't tell anyone to their face, but the stigma of being labelled "forbidden" cut her to the bone, and everyone who knew her secret had figured it out from talking to her.
Ann saw Lyn was agitated, and knew under certain emotional stressors, she becomes more dragon-like. Crimson scales were growing on her hands and forearms, which now were tipped in deadly claws. Ann put her hands to Lyn's claws and said, "Calm down. Let it go for now. All we can do for now is go to school. Maybe one day we can change the world, but right now, getting upset won't help anyone."
Lyn sobs once, then calms down, her scaled claws reverting to human hands. "Alright... But I still don't see the point. With how corrupt our government is, do you really think one person can change anything anymore?"
With all her dragonic featured hidden, Lyn and Ann continue to run for school. However, a shadowy figure saw the whole exchange. He says, "One person can change the world, young girl. In a weeks time, on your 18th birthday, I will greet you and all will come clear. However, it will mark the start of your greatest trial..."
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