of fire dragons and singing stars
chapter two
After a few fitful hours of tossing and turning in her bed, followed by what Rachel was sure had been the fastest shower, outfit selection (for once, she was grateful that she owned a few T-shirts and pairs of jeans) make-up application and breakfast in recorded history, she hugged and kissed her dads goodbye and ran out the door shouting a hurried explanation, "Early Glee meeting I overslept I know I never do that I'm sorry bye!"
Driving faster than she ever had before – but still mindful of the speed limits in town and all other traffic regulations – she practically flew the short way to school, pulling into the first vacant student parking spot she saw with a screech. Her heart pounded as she slammed the car door shut and raced around to the front of the school, where she was sure it would be waiting to meet her. Panting, she was bewildered to see nothing but the usual group of early morning smokers gathered outside the front entrance. Not bothering to acknowledge the curious looks being shot her way by the little band of nicotine addicts, Rachel ran around to the back, thinking perhaps that the dragon would land – if it hadn't already – on the football field.
The thought of Coach Beiste being confronted by a giant, sentient fire-breathing lizard on her field brought a momentary smile to Rachel's face, but she dismissed it almost immediately when she saw only the Cheerios running laps around the track.
Where could it be? She was beyond certain that the creature was coming here. The voice in her mind that usually spoke to her at times like these remained strangely silent, adding to Rachel's frustration, but she forced herself to focus on the task at hand, as she always did. The gears in her mind turned, and then she had it.
Of course! The roof.
Sure enough, when Rachel looked up, there was a dark, enormous winged shape descending with shocking grace, headed toward the roof of the school building. She bolted across the parking lot, not even hearing the honks of horns and the angry curses of the teen drivers forced to stop short to avoid hitting her, and tore through the hallways to find the door that led up to the roof.
(She only knew where it was because she had gone up there once with Puck on a dare.)
Taking the stairs two at a time, breathing heavily and near exhaustion, she finally emerged from the relative dimness of the stairwell onto the roof and into the bright light of the Lima morning. What she saw then shocked her to the very core of her being.
The huge creature's scales gleamed in the sun like polished steel. Its massive wings stretched impossibly wide before folding into its sinuous, muscled torso, and its eyes glowed with the inner fire of an otherworldly intelligence that unnerved Rachel so much that she fell to her knees.
It fixed its reptilian gaze upon her, and she trembled under that terrifying stare.
Relax, tiny. I'm not going to eat you. Even though it was a long flight and I am actually pretty hungry.
Rachel blinked. The voice that had just sounded in her mind was definitely not the same one that had been speaking to her occasionally for years now. This one was low and raspy, but definitely feminine. And it sounded as though it was...amused?
She found that she had no idea how to react, what to do, what to say. What did one say, exactly, upon meeting a gigantic mythical creature atop the roof of your high school?
Look, I get that you're uncomfortable. I'm sort of weirded out by it myself. After all, this is the first interaction between my kind and yours in thousands of years. There's really no way to prepare for this kind of thing.
Rachel said nothing, still shaking and unable to tear her eyes away from the extraordinary creature that sat on its hind legs, flicking the tip of its tail against the far edge of the roof.
All right, then. I didn't think I'd have to do this so soon, but...here goes.
Suddenly the air around the dragon shimmered, and waves of some force that Rachel was only barely able to perceive at the edge of her senses beat through the air. Power so ancient it defied comprehension was gathering here. It made something in her heart sing even as she felt completely terrified. At first, she couldn't even begin to understand what was happening, and then, all at once, she knew, without knowing how she knew.
The dragon was... changing.
Its wings shrank and retracted into its back, while its scales and limbs and even its great, vaguely triangular head all seemed to melt and flow like some viscous, metallic liquid, now stretching, now compacting. It was all happening in seconds, yet to Rachel it seemed as though hours were passing as she watched this creature of the world's dreams reshape itself into a form that Rachel could accept and understand.
Do not fear. It is one of the oldest and simplest magics. I mastered it when I was barely more than a hatchling.
The light flared impossibly bright, as though a miniature sun had suddenly been kindled before her, and Rachel forgot how to breathe for a moment.
And then, where a behemoth had been, a giant fashioned of leather and steel and legend, there now stood...a girl.
A beautiful, tan-skinned, dark-eyed, darker-haired girl, in an off the shoulder blouse, skin-tight jeans and high-top sneakers.
The most beautiful girl Rachel had ever seen. And she was smirking at her, amusement dancing in her eyes, the smile making her eyes crinkle ever so slightly.
"Hello, Rachel. My name is Santana. And I'm here to help you save our world."
