Another World, Another War for Survival
Summary: Based on and inspired by a dream I had that mixed a multi-fandom RP I've done with friends and playing the first Drakengard game. A malicious and vengeful dragon spirit who made a pact with an abused and neglected 7 year old believes he has come up with the ultimate plan to change their world… The chosen person they summoned to support their cause, along with a mere few that somehow arrive elsewhere, may be their downfall.
Author Notes of Importance: As I'm getting this all started, I realize that I'm sort of in the middle of another story, a silly Mario-related thing, but since I've had this really interesting and awesome dream, I felt I just HAD to start this story. (Most definitely this first chapter!) I really put some thought into this, adding onto what I can't remember about the dream I had, including some characters from RP that weren't in it. All these ideas and what I dreamt about altogether make a story worth writing. (To RP buds Linden, San, and Dutch especially; I wish to do justice towards the characters you write with that I both selected and saw in my dream. There shall be mentionings of others the rest of you write with, of course. :D)
It's not exactly clear on Drakengard's very young priestess villainess, the back-story as to how and why she was twisted and evil. I'll be writing my take on what's happened to Manah, and about the evil force (not many, just one very clever and sinister entity) that drove her crazy to do the vicious and brutal crimes she did to gain the attention of a mother who was never there for her, along with staying true to what initially happened in this dream. Some inspiration on this is drawn from what I saw from a movie cutscene that comes before fighting Giga-Manah. And yeah, I'm making her a year older. Why? I just decided it'd better suit my take on this character if she were a year older.
By the way, here's something I noticed when I was just curiously browsing some of the Drakengard fanfic section. Drakengard has given other people dreams that motivated them to want to fanfic about it. Coincidence? Or, maybe this game is just that intense and worth replaying.
…I'll get back to "The Magic 8-Ball Story" eventually. For now, I so want to get started on this. I got high hopes for it to be a really interesting, exciting, and dark kind of story. And mind blowing. XD
Chapter 1: Transformation
It was the start of what was seemed a blissfully new day, and an informant in a crazy and unpredictable Nexus of a world, formerly from Shinjuku in Tokyo, was sitting back in his rotating chair in his spacious office. It came complete with a wonderful view of the town below, the humans and other sentient residents going about their busy, so busy lives. When he perched from high above them all, it made him feel godlike.
That's how he ideally saw himself; as a god of humanity. He's observed and predicted, use, made those who interested him live as he saw fit, for years prior to the Nexus willing him here. Being in the Nexus was, in a way, far more fascinating because the varied citizens all came from different realities and time periods. Not everyone was human, but since some associated themselves with humans, Izaya had considered manipulating them, or rather those he was able to manipulate, ever so subtly.
Although as he knew it was great to be him in this unique and strange world, both the mastermind and audience member here, he wasn't alone. His two newfound adorable, intelligent, and furry members that preferred to be in his company more than anybody else—Tain and Verne—were in his office with him. They were also bigger than any rabbit that existed in the world he came from. At least three times bigger.
Verne, the tan and white lopunny, was his cheerful sunny self as usual, and he had fixed Izaya Orihara a cup of coffee. (Izaya liked and preferred coffee in the morning, not tea. He told him so.) Verne was more spirited and dedicated to serving him than Namie Yagiri ever was to make his office environment a good and cozy one, in which he was getting used to quickly. The new adjustments with having Tain and Vern around made Izaya feel more like a king or god of sorts, or some form of high power anyway. It was a nice and fresh new change of things that went on in his office in Tokyo—and he didn't hesitate to take a little advantage of it. Neither of the Poke`mon rabbits objected, and remained loyal and content around him for their own reasons, not quite known to him yet…
Ha! If Namie were here now in this world and saw what was happening, she'd be further pushed way over the edge of insanity. Possibly. And, if she tried any attempts to murder him, Tain would threaten to end her life, or maybe Tain would just kill her, like she did to sacrifice herself to save her friend from dying without much processing of thought into it. Or Namie might feel pressured to quit as his secretary, deciding that it was possibly better to be locked up in a cell than have to deal with either one of the lopunnies. …But what of Celty's head? She'd still want to keep close to it, monitoring the Dullahan head's status and whatnot, and keep her younger brother safe and happy, right?
Apparently, the head wasn't with Namie, and neither was the Dullahan herself! To his pleasant surprise, his courier and her head (to which he kept closer to him, as he had done before) both arrived very recently—but going any further about that, as exciting as that was, would stray from the current topic of his amusement, wouldn't it?
Namie, yes, that former chief of a her own pharmaceutical facility… Not that Izaya missed his sassy and much less cheerful secretary, exactly…whose love towards her younger brother, Seiji Yagiri, was incestuous and atrocious. He only had fond, sinister thoughts of her—that's all. He wouldn't mind the slightest of the Nexus world ever had any whim of bringing Namie along, in its mysterious and illogical way. It would be so entertaining, and it would spice up the office environment more, oh yes! Namie, Verne, and Tain together in the same room would most certainly provide entertainment. Endless entertainment. All this made him snicker in thinking about it.
He let all thoughts of Namie evaporate as Verne placed the brown mug of coffee down with care, and smiled as he did. "Here you go, Izaya-kun!"
Izaya's auburn red eyes met Verne's dark ones that seemed to light up, and that tended to happen all the time from what the troll knew. He couldn't recall a time in which he was sad, or angry, or showing signs of any negative emotion. A strange character, Verne was, who lived to please others, Izaya most particularly. "Ahhh, much appreciated, Verne-kun." He showed a passive grin as he finished exchanging this routine pleasantry that had gone on not long since he first met him, roughly four days ago.
Why was Verne so kind to such a man, who indulged on playing with humans the way a passionate chessmaster played with his game pieces? Izaya didn't know, and he's been amused enough to want to know—but Verne's answers a portion of to his questions, most specifically anything about his past and background, were vague at most. This however was apart from seeing Izaya as someone he'd treat as a friend. He didn't seem to be concerned much on how Izaya interacted with humans. Verne wouldn't step in to stop him, or get in his way.
Sometime soon, Izaya would have to speak to him again, and hear his opinions out. This time, he'd persist and not accept any vague answers. And he'd enjoy himself in doing so.
As for Tain-chan, the brown and cream colored lopunny who stood quietly by Izaya's desk; she was the opposite. While Verne was talkative, she spoke less. As Verne was often smiling and sweet, Tain's expressions were commonly blank and not showing much emotion. On default, she would blankly glance at several things that happened around her, and not say much about them. No matter how strange this Nexus world was, she didn't mind—as long as she remained near Izaya, she seemed quietly content...
Not to say that she displayed no emotions at all. She would get angry or really annoyed if Verne ever said something she disliked. She'd also occasionally punt him straight up to let gravity do its work and let him drop back to the ground. Sometimes she'd do that to him if he deliberately gave her a hard time.
Tain often followed Izaya around and did what he'd suggest her to do in her own way the same as Verne did, with little objection and question. Yet, she'd also step up to take action if she believed she saw somebody about to cause Izaya trouble, acting as his personal bodyguard. She never advanced to punt or inflict some other means of hurt on them (she had strength that could counter Shizuo Heiwajima's—Izaya's nemesis from Ikebukuro—something he'd love to watch on from afar if ever possible), however. She saw that in most circumstances, Izaya could take care of himself. And, when Izaya would tell her the individual he spoke with wasn't going to do anything to him, she'd back off. As flattering (and all the more interesting) as it was for her to be his protector, Izaya knew that many wouldn't dare try to mess with him. He was the one and only skilled informant who could dig up anything on anyone. The locals around here knew that if he could do that, then he'd know how to blackmail them with whatever he found.
As for what world she came from, it was perhaps not the same as Verne's. Even though they were the same species, had they come from different versions of one kind of world? As complicated that was in Izaya's mind, as well as anyone else's, this could make sense. Tain only mentioned saving it with her friend in it—the name of this friend she did not choose to reveal yet—and nothing else. When they first met in the woods outside of town, filled with various dangers (demonic wolf-men and wolf-women, armored cyborg drones, a certain insanity goddess and her right hand sorceress, etc.) they said different things. Tain mentioned sacrificing herself and not liking where she came from. Verne had only said that his world was boring.
In conclusion, Izaya knew he had quite an odd but never dull pair for a posse…and they both made Namie look boring and lame. Tain and Verne were the saturated color in his life now, while Namie had been black and white. Getting to know these two was as good and interesting as digging up the hard-to-find information. Izaya wasn't going to quit asking his "curious questions" on anything he'd want to know about them, especially since they've decided to keep close to him rather than anywhere else. Why was that? Izaya even suggested the safest and friendliest of places to stay at—but they chose to stay regardless. And that interested him.
He wasn't in any hurry to know all there was to know about the lopunnies, because he had other things to focus on, not just them. He was unable to just keep focus on one person, or one group of people, especially in this world. So much was going on, and he didn't want to miss it all!
Verne waited expectantly as Izaya sipped the coffee that was prepared, waiting for approval that he did a good job. Izaya thought it was a little funny. If Verne were any other animal, he'd make an adorable dog, man's best friend. In fact it seemed like he was trying hard to become Izaya's best friend. Anyone who saw them together could see that, even Tain. Izaya didn't blame anybody who thought of that as funny at his own expense. He had thought the same, but more so at Verne's expense. After all, Izaya knew he was who he was, but did Verne? Of course, Izaya could make his own coffee. It wasn't hard—but to have seen Verne eagerly volunteer to do it? Well, breaking his heart so soon wouldn't be as fun as it would be to do it later.
Just as Izaya knew that he'd never be able to return any kind and loving affection towards humans that wasn't faked, it went the same way towards both Tain and Verne. No one but himself understood his complicated obsession with humans.
Izaya treated this coffee morning routine as a little social game. Maybe Verne did too, but how would he know? There wasn't enough of Verne to know about just yet. In Izaya's own viewpoint, knowing was something to look forward to in the near future.
Tain didn't seem to mind, or really care, that Verne liked doing this, preparing tea and coffee for Izaya and anyone who stepped into his office to speak with him. Would she turn on Izaya if he put Verne into a miserable situation? That was something to think about, because Verne to Tain was like an annoying younger brother to an older sister. With this additional factor, and in witnessing Tain's strength from days ago, Izaya chose to play it safe until he learned more about them. Izaya liked playing with humans more than those who associated with them anyway. Why? Because he's always loved them most of all; a masochistic and unconditional sort of love.
Not very sweet, but not too bitter or strong was the kind of coffee Izaya liked. It took not many times to get that right. Izaya would smirk and give suggestions on how to do better (just a pinch of sugar, and the faintest hint of flavored cream) and Verne listened with enthusiasm, and some confusion in there too. He kindly asked the other day, "Why don't you like sweetened stuff, Izaya-kun?"
Izaya was picky with whatever he ate and drank, and he knew that couldn't be helped. Most junk food he avoided, and he leaned towards seafood (mostly sushi), and organic food. He also liked bitter and lightly salted foods. He couldn't will himself to eat fatty and sweet foods, because of his upbringing for one reason. Most of the members of his family were health nuts. The other reason was that he wouldn't give in to sweet stuff to keep in top athletic shape—for crafty getaways and parkour. And once you tasted sweet and highly caffeinated foods, it'd be hard to resist having more of it.
He had explained all this to Namie, treating her like a housewife and just as a secretary. Once he passed the knowledge of his food choices along to Verne, he accepted and understood.
"It's good. Just as I like it," Izaya said. He grinned and patted Verne on the head in his own amusement, because Verne was just so adorable. It was almost at a disgustingly high level of cute, not that he minded.
Verne of course looked very pleased and nodded after Izaya returned his hand to the smooth and polished surface of his desk. "Oh, good! I'm glad."
Izaya turned in his chair to Tain, who was moved to stand by one of the large windows behind him. "See anything interesting down there?"
She blinked and looked to him, her expression blank. "No." As her voice was at a low monotone, Izaya could see it in her eyes that she held expressed a bit of curiosity toward him.
As he formed the next question in mind to ask Tain-chan, it seemed as if the sun was getting too bright to see his interesting, mysterious companion, or look back to Verne even. The bright light seemed to surround him on all sides as Izaya had to shut his eyes. It was just so intense—why was that?
As he wanted to know what the hell was happening, he could feel his limbs stretching and thickening. He could hear the sickening sounds of his bones shifting and changing—and it didn't hurt. In a way, he could feel relieved about that, but would someone just tell him what was going on?!
He soon felt something grow out of his back, and his nose and mouth were elongating. His teeth and skin were starting to itch a little.
He could feel an extra bit of weight from his lower back to his behind. What the...?! Was this some kind of sick joke Verne had pulled, from putting something into his coffee?! Because IF HE DID... Well, he'd first demand the antidote, and threaten to hurt the lopunny very, VERY badly...
Shit. If Verne was doing this, then where was all that light coming from?! Was it just Verne or was Tain behind this too?!
Whatever was happening, he wanted it to stop. Things were getting way too weird and bizarre for Izaya to comprehend as he tried to open his eyes just a little to see the changes happening to his body. It was still too bright to see, but as he looked down...he could see what looked like loose flaps of leathery skin appearing around one of his arms.
Finally, the brightness had dimmed down, and he didn't feel like he was changing and mutating anymore. His eyes opened and darted to see that his body, his skin was very, very white and scaly. His feet were so large, his changed toes ending in razor sharp talons! He looked behind him, his long snake-like neck twisting so his reptilian head could see the folded wings on his back, and the tail. The tail loosely resembled something like a spear—the arrow head he saw at the very end of it.
...I'm a dragon, he thought to himself in question, feeling very confused. If this was some kind of dream, if he had been drugged that caused him to dream this up, then he figured he had to been given quite a heavy dosage. (LSD? Was that it?)
Izaya experimentally unfolded his wings, extending them. He stared at them for a long minute and thought, Well, that's interesting...
Next, he looked to see if he was still in his office in this really strange dream—it had to be. Dragons weren't real, or at least not anymore! They were mythical creatures that only existed in novels and children's story books. And on television.
Izaya stood and towered over some hills of very green grassy plains. In the far off distance, he could see a dark structure made of stone that looked like a castle. He moved his thin tongue to feel that his teeth had ceased to itch—and they felt much longer and pointed than they should be. His scaly skin also stopped itching, minutes ago.
Izaya realized that perhaps he should still be freaking out—but he wasn't. For he knew that he was in this new and strange land in a very strong and fearsome new form. If anything, he could at least try to defend himself from whatever was going to happen next, maybe.
But I'm dreaming all of this... It didn't feel quite right though, on what he assessed at first, but he refused to accept that this was actually happening. It couldn't be happening, but...
He swore he could feel some kind of warmth brewing inside of him. Nothing like any affectionate feelings or empathy towards anyone else, but a literal warmth present from within the pit of his stomach... Was that because he had the ability to breathe fire...or was he becoming ill?
Izaya could also feel the warm rays of the sun on his scales but didn't let that soothe him any. It'd have to be a no thanks to sunbathing.
"This dream is too surreal," Izaya muttered under his breath, subconsciously. Then he said in sarcasm, "Oh, I'm a talking dragon." As it was comforting to know that he hadn't lost his voice, he still was so very perplexed, and irritated, over the possibility that he had been drugged.
Or, maybe he hadn't been drugged. Maybe the sentience of the Nexus he, Verne, Tain, and several others were trapped in thought it would be a good idea to change him into a dragon. There was always this absurd sort of nature about the Nexus, Izaya knew that. Not that anything so absurd happened often, but this definitely had not happened to him the first time he found himself here!
It could be either of those things, and being here LIKE THIS was happening beyond his control. It was putting him on edge, and he wanted things to change back to the way they were... At the very least, he knew he could be very threatening in this form. A lot of humans would be terrified when they'll first see him as he currently was.
Izaya exhaled heavily, feeling himself forcing the air out his big nostrils and decided it wouldn't help him any if he continued to stand here stewing and moping about being a winged reptile of myth against his will and control.
First, he'd test whether or not he was dreaming under the influence of drugs. He stood tall on his thick and meaty looking legs, as white as his back, wings and tail. As he knew he was very aware and conscious that he was a dragon—and wouldn't have dreams like this at all, hardly any dreams since most of him slept on a typical night...
Izaya soon realized that he was thinking very clearly. Unless it was some sort of other drug he never heard of, he started to think that maybe this was the Nexus's doing.
An irritated growl was in his throat as he decided to maybe see if there was anyone he knew who was either a dragon like him, or if he or she were affected in some other way by it.
Using his clever mind, along with all the information about those within the Nexus he's filed away into his memory, he tried to recall someone he knew; a human from America (or one version of America, since he knew no such group called "The Sharing" had ever existed in the Ikebukuro he knew) who could change into any animal he touched; Jake Berenson. In remembering as to what he had heard Jake-kun say about being a falcon and flying—before he started to deliberately avoid or ignore pretty much all contact from him—Izaya recalled on what was said on using warm air (or thermals) to help Jake in bird form to rise higher, and higher, perhaps he could test to see if his wide wingspan would support this big scaly body of his.
That's right; he knew he had to use what he knew to be true to help him along, and find out how to figure out a way to change back, instead of mentally struggling to grasp onto something of a process that he was very certain of. In addition to this, he'd find out where Verne, Tain, or anyone else was in this medieval type of landscape, or so he assumed from noticing that castle.
He could try to figure out on how to make this new body of his fly. He could get to places quicker if his dragon form was capable of flight. It had to be—he had WINGS, obviously!
This took me a while to get out. I came close to having writer's block at one point! :O