Deep in the jungle where only the brave people go, lived two best friends, Spero and Vona. They loved the jungle, and all the animals in it. The jungle was hidden by tall, tall mountains. In the biggest cave in the biggest mountain lived the green dragon. He didn’t like anything that was happy. He was especially jealous of Spero and Vona.

At night, all the animals would gather together by the fire that Spero made, and tell stories. One day, the old, wise tiger told the story of the evil green dragon. “…and to this day, everyone believes that he flies in the sky at day and night, preying on all those who are happy and doing everything he can to take that away. Only the destined warriors of Hope can defeat the dragon.” It began to rain softly, so all the animals made their way home while Spero and Vona put out the fire. “The green dragon isn’t real,” Spero said. Vona was scared. “Spero, what happens if one day he does come?”  “You are my best friend Vona! I will never leave you, okay? As long as we have each other, we will be happy”

The green dragon was real, and he had heard everything that had happened that night. He was quite happy with the jungle: all the animals were always scared that he would come out and eat them, or burn them alive. The only thing he couldn’t stand was Spero and Vona. “They are not allowed to be happy in MY jungle!” He roared into the night sky, his voice sounding just like thunder. Vona was scared of thunder, and it made him laugh when he heard her cry.

The sun was shining in the morning, and Vona and Spero woke up early. Today was a special day, they both decided, and planned a big picnic with all the animals, near the waterfall at the foot of the big mountain. None of the animals wanted to come when they told them where the picnic was. “The green dragon” whispered Parrot, “he lives in the biggest cave in the biggest mountain!” he shrieked and hid in one the trees.

“Well Vona, looks like it’s just you and me” he smiled. “I like that Spero! Last one to the waterfall has to find the firewood for tonight!” She sprinted ahead of him, but he soon caught up. They left their baskets in the shade of a fern and dived into the water. The green dragon watched them. The closer they got to his cave, the angrier he became. He could hear their laughter and the fire inside him began to burn furiously like his temper.

With blankets laid out in the sun, Spero and Vona lay side by side watching the clouds. They’d eaten as much as they could, and drank until they could drink no more. “This has been the best day EVER Spero.” She whispered, slowly falling asleep. “mmm. I couldn’t agree with you more” he yawned. The animals were hiding in the trees, watching to see if the dragon would come or not.

The clouds began to gather in the sky, and slowly the sun began to set. Spero and Vona were still fast asleep. The monkey and the parrot decided to go and wake Spero and Vona. The green dragon was most dangerous at night. They woke up to see the sun painting orange clouds in the sky behind the tall, tall mountains. “It’s a beautiful evening” Parrot squawked, sitting on Spero’s shoulder. “It sure is” hummed the lioness, with Vona on her back. None of the animals noticed the flash of light in the sky. The green dragon had left his cave.

He couldn’t hold it in any longer. He screamed out with all his might, so much that the earth started shaking. Each roar sounded like loud booming thunder, each burst of fire like lightning in the sky. Soon the whole jungle was ablaze. The lioness ran back towards the mountains, and hid Vona in a small cave behind the waterfall. Spero tried to distract the dragon so he wouldn’t follow Vona.

The dragon grew absolutely furious, and it was no longer normal fire that came bursting from his jaws. It was a jealous magical fire that swallowed up Spero and the parrot. “VONA I WILL FIND YOU I PROMISE! I LOVE YOU!!”

It was pitch black when he opened his eyes. Spero thought maybe he was blind. But he wasn’t. A bird full of fire came flying at him, and he ran. “Spero, Spero, it’s me! Don’t run!” It sounded like parrot, but he looked like a phoenix. “The green fire of the dragon has ruined everything Spero, and changed you and me” he cried. The jungle was a wasteland. All the animals of the forest had run away. Parrot had been flying for days but couldn’t find Vona anywhere. Right in the middle of the jungle, where Spero and Vona had once lived, shone something just as bright as the sun. “What’s that over there Parrot?” “That” he whispered fearfully “is the green dragon.”

Spero and Parrot left the spot they’d woken up in and journeyed day after day to try and find Vona. They walked towards the biggest mountain. Even if he didn’t find Vona, at least he could hopefully find something in the biggest cave in the biggest mountain that could help him defeat the dragon. One day, he passed a waterfall, and decided to wash his face. He had changed so much. Looking up from his reflection in the water, he saw a little pink thing floating in the water. Parrot couldn’t go near water now, and this water was as cold as ice. Trying his hardest with a stick, he managed to bring the object closer to him. He couldn’t believe it. It was Vona’s hat. He cried quietly by the edge of the water for days. And days. And days.

The lioness watched through the waterfall as the forest burnt to pieces. She had lulled Vona to sleep so that she wouldn’t see any of it. The green dragon found them too eventually. Just as the lioness saw Spero and Parrot engulfed in the green fire, the same thing seemed to happen to her and Vona. They fell into a deep sleep. She had just woken up from it, and padded softly over to where Vona was. She was still breathing and warm, which was good. She lay down there next to her and kept her warm.

Every so often the lioness would wake up, find a bit of food and bring it back just in case Vona woke up. But Vona never did so she ate it. One day just as she went to leave the cave, she saw a ball of fire hovering further down the river. She hurried out and came back with various leaves and anything else she could find to hide Vona. She had the stirring sense that something was about to happen, and so she grew even more cautious. A few days later the ball of fire was still there, hovering over what looked like a man. For some reason she thought it was Spero and was about to run to him, but the ball of fire that stayed near him made her think twice.

The longer the ball of fire was present, the more fitful Vona’s sleep seemed to be. After a few days she began to talk in her sleep. “Spero, Spero, you are so close now! Spero come quickly please!” The lioness began to stress. She didn’t know what to do. She took the freezing cold water from the waterfall and splashed it on Vona’s face. That didn’t work either. She looked down at the fire ball and the man longer and longer every day. It seemed that the man was also upset. She laid down next to Vona and decided there was nothing to do. They slept.

Parrot was getting worried. The days were getting colder and he needed somewhere to help shelter himself and Spero. He studied the waterfall constantly, looking to see if there was a cave behind it. Suddenly, he saw it. Without explaining anything to Spero, in the middle of the night he led him up the base of the biggest mountain and into a cave that was hidden by the waterfall. They were tired, and both fell asleep right by the entrance without any second thoughts.

Vona woke up. She was all by herself, until she felt the fur of the lioness against her skin. The lioness woke up when Vona did. “Vona stay here and be quiet, let me check that everything is okay.” She wandered towards the mouth of the cave, and knew that something was wrong. The ball of fire (which actually looked like a bird now) and the man were sleeping at the mouth of the cave. She roared as loud as she could to wake them up and scare them away.

The bird was already awake.

“…Lioness?”

“…Parrot? No…. No. It can’t be. Who are you? What are you doing here?”

The man sat up, and turned to face the lioness.

“…No. You are dead.” She whispered, frozen in shock.

“Lioness, it is us. This is Spero. I’m Parrot.”

He began slowly to tell her everything that had happened. While the two animals were talking, neither noticed Spero get up and walk deeper into the cave. Vona got up, feeling his presence.

“Spero, Spero! Where are you Spero? I love you Spero! Spero I’m scared!”

“Vona, Vona is that you? Vona?! VONA!”

He stopped when he saw her. She didn’t even think twice. She ran into his arms and held him tight. They both cried with joy. They began laughing and telling stories. Spero began to tell Vona everything that had happened. He led her to the mouth of the cave to see Parrot and to look out at the jungle. Or what was the jungle.

The green dragon awoke with fire burning inside him again. “They are alive!” he shrieked. Enraged, he took flight and searched for them. They weren’t too hard to find. The sky grew dark, and when he saw their silhouettes through the waterfall he grew so angry that tongues of fire burst through his scales.

They stepped out onto a ledge away from the waterfall so they could see the green dragon properly. Vona was scared and held his hand tightly. Parrot and Lioness joined them. Parrot sat on Vona’s shoulder and his wings tickled her neck. She started to laugh.

The green dragon became so jealous and angry that he couldn’t stop. The jealous fire came from everywhere inside him and took over him until he filled up the sky. Vona was laughing so hard at Parrot that she didn’t even notice what was going on. Spero held tight onto her, and told the lioness to hide in the cave. The green dragon came flying straight at Spero and Vona. He held tight onto her and Parrot kept close by. He closed his eyes.

“Vona, I found you like I promised. I love you Vona.”

“I love you too Spero. I will never leave you again.”