It wasn't possible. Everything in her mortal-educated mind informed Chihiro that everything that her eyes revealed was fake; nothing was real. It's just a stupid dream, or a hologram, maybe someone drugged me and I'm hallucinating! Funny, I thought doing drugs would at least make me feel better.
But, reality was two giant lizards staring at her in the face, or rather, her own muzzle. The green one had the creepiest grin; Mara would have fit right in with the bad guys from a Disney movie. Bade was still panting and now licked his lips with an eerily glowing yellow tongue from time to time.
"This is stupid, why would you," Chihiro began.
"Shut up, stupid girl. You will die and pass on to the next life. Just because you have the body of a dragon doesn't mean your soul is going to come back to this realm again."
Chihiro gave her best snarl, "Why should it matter to you whether your son bonds with an immortal?"
Mara slithered so fast from the rooftop that Chihiro barely caught her movements and had time to back several steps, "You really are just a selfish human, it doesn't matter what skin you're in. You will die and move on to the next life, free to do as you please. My son will keep being reborn, for centuries, and if you should truly bond with him, he will never be able to love another. His love for you will last forever, but you won't remember, and thus he will be alone forever."
What could Chihiro really say? The cruel, seemingly heartless dragon did have a valid point which Chihiro had never really thought of before. Lightly stomping one foot, her tail lashed in agitation, "What if I never die? Technically, I could live forever as a dragon."
Pulling back both ears and opening her mouth, Mara gave a cruel deep laugh from her mouth, "You think you're so clever. Don't you remember your sister? She died. All things must eventually perish. True, I've made it for over 3000 years, but this body will eventually crumble. It could be tomorrow, some strange disease could strike you down, war could break out, hell, someone could destroy the entire spirit world!"
This was the time the black dragon decided to speak up, eyeing the pearly dragon with the hungry look of a predator, "I accept whatever my fate is, I will kill you for everything that you have done and will do to others."
Bade leapt forward, passing Mara as if she were another member of the pack, giving her plenty of space should she choose to join in.
This can't be Bade. His coat is completely black! Is he too infected like Haku is? From watching Kira fight Fire in the battle that had taken her sister's life, Chihiro remembered the movements they had made almost perfectly. As the black brute made an open lunge for her neck, Chihiro noted how clumsy his strike appeared. In an instant, the light dragon dropped her head and gave a sharp upward thrust. Had she a horn like Raider, Bade's neck would have been punctured. However, Chihiro managed to strike a blow that sent her attacker tumbling to the ground and wheezing.
"That was quite impressive considering your experience."
Mara snarled and circled around Chihiro, opposite where Bade sat.
With a loud bellow, Chihiro screamed, "Raider!"
She took off at a gallop.
No longer did Chihiro care where they were or what country, or even world. The pearled dragon ran past her former home, onto the front lawn and in the blinding sunlight. She didn't stop there; she leapt the twelve foot wide road with ease, increasing speed. Houses were everywhere, but it was summer, and luckily at seven in the morning traffic is almost nonexistent.
There are going to be people! They can't see me! Raider, where are you?
Quickly running out of somewhat open backyards, Chihiro looked up and kept running. I'm running on air! Where is…
All thoughts ceased as her tail was sharply clamped and something heavy jerked her to a stop. Knocked flat to the ground, her left hip collided with the ground with a sickening boom.
The pressure on her tail released, but she was still dazed as she lifted her head to see Bade towering over her and growling before she lowered it again from dizziness. With the dragoness still lying sideways, Bade grabbed hold of Chihiro's injured leg, rolling her over to expose her belly.
A howl that was a few octaves too deep to be a wolf broke the transfixion Bade had on his sister. He looked to his side to see a very pissed Raider charging him. Chihiro turned her head, noticing Bade's interest in something.
The ogre wolf threw his considerable mass at the dark dragon's shoulder, knocking it off Chihiro before leaping back to her side.
"Chihiro? Chihiro look at me!"
"I'm sorry Raider, give me a second." She begged with closed eyes, raising her upper half and feeling the throbbing pain in her hip crescendo as she stood up completely. But, the girl would not cry out. She turned her head to the wolf and smirked, "I got it."
The wolf gave her a wry smile.
In that instant, the wolf would have been struck dead. However, Chihiro saw Bade's lunge for Raider and she leapt forward to bite the dragon's muzzle and knock him away from the wolf. Both were sent tumbling back and Chihiro kept her strong hold on Bade as he roared in pain.
Once the rolling stopped, Chihiro felt sickened as she identified the coppery taste in her mouth.
"Let go! Let go!" the black dragon roared, beginning to hyperventilate.
Just as Chihiro released his nose, something knocked into the back of her head and sent her crashing back to the ground.
Growling…..snarling….a whine…..all animalistic noises halted but she could make out the shuffling of feet and sickening noise of something tearing and even a tiny splash hitting the ground.
Panting, the dragoness was brought back to her senses when something sharp tore into her shoulder. Blindly, she slashed with her opposite paw and was rewarded for her efforts.
Looking over, she saw Bade clutching his front leg to his chest before he pounced on her. The black dragon swiftly placed his frame on top of hers, making sure to pin her head down with his and put most of his weight onto her injured hip.
"Release me!" Chihiro begged, flailing her paws before she gasped, looking over as someone yelped.
An enormous green dragon stood on all fours and glared down at something between its front legs. Her left eye was closed and blood pored from a deep gash across it while her neck was torn up.
But, hope finally came in the form of a snowy white dragon.
With a great bellow, Haku knocked Bade off of Chihiro as he landed on the earth. The pressure gone, the dragoness breathed a sigh of relief.
"This isn't over Haku. We're going to finish this on my terms," snarled their mythical opponent. "Consider this your final warning, I'll kill her next time Haku."
With that, she grasped Bade's neck in her mouth, quickly helping him depart to the sky.
The white dragon snarled and leapt into the air, but was too startled by Chihiro's cry to take off.
"Raider!"
The midnight-hued ogre wolf lay gracefully where Mara had been standing. His position might have been mistaken for sleeping, but he did not stir. Turning to her human form, Chihiro walked over to her large guardian.
Haku noticed how the edges of Raider's body were fading.
The girl sat next to the beast, dead silent. She simply sat, looking at his wolf-like body. He was so big, even on his side. There were no ugly gashes or wounds, but the horn atop his head was broken. Other than that, he looked ok.
"She crushed him, didn't she?"
The white dragon opened his muzzle, as if to speak physically, but was too stunned to reply. He rested his head on her shoulder, nuzzling her cheek softly.
"I know Haku. Maybe, maybe he's with Kira. At least….until he comes back."
