A/N: Okay, guys, last chapter this time. Seriously.
Kim: (throws rice everywhere)
Ed: (delusional) Ah... I can hear the Heaven's Gate open and the angels sing... I)
Roy: But I get to stay! Hooray!
Link: Goddesses, why don't we just fricken ADOPT him?
Eliwood: That's a GREAT idea! I'll go get the papers!
Link: ...me and my big fat mouth. -.-;
Roy: (hugs Link) :3
Last chappie time!
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Chapter 12: The New Half-Dragon
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"Are... are you sure you have to go...?"
Ryka nodded ruefully at Roy's question as they stood atop the roof together for one last time, the rest of the Smashers (at least those who cared) standing behind them, having already said their farewells. After Jasper and his team were taken off by the NDS for disciplinary action and the newly-acquired money was placed in the SSB funds, things had begun to cool down. It was then that Ryka announced her resignation as an active Smasher.
"I'm always on the move, even when I'm not being chased down by a sadistic poacher. There are always dragons that need my help. Right now I'll be heading south into Mexico to check on the amphitheres to see if they're alright."
Roy frowned, disappointed, but feigned a smile. "I...I understand."
"Oh! Speaking of amphitheres..." Ryka smiled, reaching up to her cluster of turquoise amphithere feathers, plucking one off, and holding it to Roy. "Here. Take it."
Roy gawked, brows furrowed in embarrassment. "Oh, no, I-I can't... I mean, a dragon gave that to you..."
"If he would've seen what you've done, he would've given you ten of his feathers," Ryka responded. "Consider it a gift from dragon-kind for driving one of our worst fears away." She parted through some of his locks on the side, tucking the feather under his Pherean crown until is was secure.
Roy smiled softly in gratitude, lowering his gaze briefly, then bringing it back up when he took her hands in his. "I... I'm gonna miss you..."
"Me too, Roy."
"I...I can't thank you enough for all you've done to help me... You're the first one who truly understood..."
"Yes, but when I'm gone, you won't be alone. Look behind you." Roy did so, at all the Smashers who gazed back silently. "Look at all the brave and dedicated companions you've had all this time. Without them, rescuing me would've been near-impossible."
At this, some of the more obviously modest Smashers chuckled and waved it off like it was nothing. Roy saw this and began to feel low for forgetting about them.
"You see? You never were alone," Ryka continued. "If you truly open up and help them embrace the concept of dragons, I'm sure that'll help them understand as well."
Roy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I will... B-but you keep in touch too, okay?"
Ryka grinned. "I'll send a messenger wyvern whenever I can."
With this said, another gentle silence was exchanged between the two, perhaps the last one they would share in a long time. And with that in mind, Roy didn't care that the entire league of Smashers were watching behind him. This was his last opportunity, and he wanted to take it. Looking up at Ryka, she caught his message and smiled, and this time, they allowed something magical to happen.
They shut their eyes and leaned forward, closing the distance between them until their lips met at last. A shocked silence filled the air in response; not even Link catcalled of cheered, standing there next to an equally surprised Marth.
A fleeting sensation took over Roy at the moment. For once, for just a sweet moment, he forgot about his dragon blood and marveled his first kiss as a teenage boy.
They soon parted, Roy and Ryka giving each other shy smiles with flushed cheeks, their hands still entwined.
"...Take care of yourself, Roy."
"You too, Ryka."
Finally, they let go, Ryka backing up slowly, facing the south to begin her journey. She already had her blue wings formed, and with a leap, she took flight. The Smashers waved and called out behind her, giving their last farewells until she disappeared over the horizon.
When all was done, most of the Smashers began to move back down into the Mansion's interior to return to their everyday routine. But Roy stayed up top, turning to the southern side of the roof, leaning over the barrier and staring into the sky aimlessly. Remembering the feather in his hair, he removed it carefully and looked it over, smoothing its edges with his fingers thoughtfully.
"So, dragons have feathers too?" Slightly startled, Roy glanced up to see Marth to his right and Link to his left, both with curious smiles on their faces.
"Ah... yeah, this one species does." He turned his gaze back to the feather, chuckling softly. "Y'know, a lot of people mistake amphitheres for giant moths because of their soft feathery wings."
There was a small silence, then Marth spoke up. "Hey, um, Roy... we thought about all this, and it looks like all this dragon stuff is a lot more... complex than we thought..."
"So can you teach us about it?" Link asked eagerly.
Roy glanced up, taken by surprise from their request. "You... you guys want to...?"
Marth nodded. "We know it's been a little hard for you ever since your discovery, and since you had a companion who understood, you seemed a lot happier, so... we wanna learn so you don't have to feel alone," he elaborated with hand gestures.
"..." Roy was quiet, taking this into consideration, feeling low of himself again. "But..."
"Oh, don't go starting the guilt trip again!" Link exclaimed, grinning. "We want to learn! It sounds really cool!"
"...You guys really mean it?"
They nodded in unison. "So, where do we start?" Marth asked with a smile, which was instantly returned by the half-dragon.
"In my dorm. You guys have a lot of reading to do."
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"Wow, really? A messenger, already?"
"Yeah. Mario found it first, though. It ain't a pretty scene."
"Ooh... Yeah, we'd better help him out..."
Roy followed Link and Marth up towards the roof to deal with the situation. A couple weeks had passed, a time period well spent as the half-dragon shifted from a student to a teacher, passing on his knowledge to those who desired it. Things had slowly began to slip back into a normalcy that was comfortable for everyone, even Roy himself. It was this sort of fitting in, this sort of belonging, that he had been searching for all along.
But when he got word from a good friend, he couldn't help but grow excited.
Stepping out onto the roof, the trio met a strangely humorous sight. Mario was trying his best to calm down and persuade a small, sea green dragon to come down, but all he received in return were disgruntled screeches, snaps of the jaw, and the baring of the talons on its only pair of legs, rapidly flapping its wings to stay airborne. t didn't seem to like Mario very much.
"WAHH!" the plumber yelped, pulling his hat down so the dragon's talons couldn't snatch it up. "GET AWAY FROM MEEEEEE!"
"Don't worry, Mario, help's here!" Marth called. "Move over this way!"
Mario did so quickly, darting in behind the prince. The dragon would've followed to harass him some more, but a soft whistle held it back. Continuously flapping its wings to suspend itself in the air, it turned towards Roy, who approached with small footsteps, the pitch of his whistle rising and falling with precision. The dragon gazed at him curiously as he began a series of growls and trills vibrating from his throat, answering with its own questioning whinnies. After a brief exchange, Roy held out his arm, and much to the others' wonder, the dragon complied and perched upon it, folding its wings and curving its talons carefully as not to hurt him. Roy smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a plastic-wrapped chicken drumstick from lunch, offering it up as a reward for its long journey. The dragon snatched it up and chewed through all of it relentlessly, swallowing meat, bone, plastic and all, then gave Roy a soft friendly nuzzle on the cheek.
Mario had taken his opportunity to leave, but Link and Marth stayed, approaching in awe as they looked over the now calm dragon as Roy stroked its neck gently.
"Wow..." Marth breathed. "It... it's a dragon. It's a real live dragon...!"
"So cool!" Link squeaked as he gleefully marveled the creature.
Taking notice of them, Roy grinned slyly. "...Okay, guys, two words: Pop. Quiz."
The two blinked in confusion for a second, but then realized what he meant and nodded.
Roy gestured to the creature perched on his arm. "What species of dragon is this?"
"Oh... ooh, dang it, I know this one...!" Link rambled in unnecessary concentration.
"Oh, come on, Link, it's a wyvern," Marth answered simply. "Remember, the one with only two legs?"
"Oh, yeah! No duh!"
Roy nodded. "Good, Marth." He held out the arm serving as the wyvern's perch. "Now you can hold it."
"R...really?" The Alteanian seemed a bit nervous after witnessing its wrath a few minutes ago.
"Go on, don't be shy." He gave the dragon a few trills, persuading it to hop on Marth's own arm, much to the prince's initial surprise. It stared at the cobalt with curious tawny eyes, and it took a minute before Marth recovered and hesitantly brought up his hand to pet its muzzle softly. It cooed and nuzzled his cheek.
"Hehe, pretty friendly once you warm up to it," Marth chuckled, and then a thought came to him. "...But wait, I thought wyverns were the largest species of dragons."
"They are," Roy answered nonchalantly as he reached for a small compartment wrapped around its leg, opening it. "But recently, dragonologists have been breeding miniature wyverns for messenger purposes." (1) Out popped a small cylinder, Roy took it into his hand. "They have good direction and can travel worldwide flights without rest or food. This one will need to rest here tonight before it leaves tomorrow for its journey back."
"Aw, I wanna hold it..." Link whined.
"Okay, then, what's its gender?" Roy asked.
Link thought about this, glancing at the wyvern carefully. Cautiously, he held up the creature's tail, observing the shape of its hooked end. Then he had his answer. "Oh! It's female, right?"
At Roy's nod, Link lightly cheered in a sense of accomplishment. With a few more growls from the half-dragon, the she-wyvern moved onto Link's arm as the elf joyfully began to pet it, Marth caressing her as well.
With the two busy, Roy popped open the cylinder and removed the rolled up letter inside. Unraveling it, he faced scratchy, runic letters, but he was instantly able to decipher the language and read the message clearly.
Dear Roy,
How are things back at the Mansion? I am here in central Mexico with the amphitheres, who are doing pretty well considering the relentless bandits in the area. I am currently trying to persuade them against their cruel acts, but the process will take time, unfortunately, so at the same time, I am also searching for a safe haven where no humans would dare to venture. It is all I can do.
Roy sighed and shook his head. No matter what happened, the struggle to protect the remaining dragons would always be a difficult, drawn-out process.
The tale of your triumph over Jasper has spread like wildfire. Nearly every dragon knows your name, and the young chicks love the stories I tell them of your character and the moments we have shared. Congratulations. You are famous.
Roy grinned at that, glad that he could leave an impact on dragon-kind.
But you do not have to stop there! I know it is hard for you to travel around at the moment, but that cave in the north mountains would be an ideal place for migrating European dragons. Perhaps soon you will have a dragon to watch over, and that is when your true task as a half-dragon will begin.
That gave him some solace. Roy had always been concerned that his connections to the SSB Tournament would hinder his ability to aid dragons, but at least he could help those who came close by.
And who knows? Maybe later you will be able to travel a bit as well. Just make sure to bring companions with you. Our friendship has taught me the importance of companionship, especially when you leave home for a long time. It is easy for me to travel alone since I have done it for so long, but that does not mean you have to. I would personally suggest having Link and Marth with you. I have never met a pair of truer friends.
At this, Roy glanced up at the mentioned two as the wyvern playfully nipped Link's tapered ear, causing the Hylian to laugh as the beak-like mouth tickled the delicate skin. Marth watched this in amusement as he continued to pet her neck gently. Looking at them, Roy smiled to himself as he couldn't agree more with the fact that Link and Marth were the best friends a person could have.
For now, take it nice and slow, step by step. You have made much progress, but there is still room for more. I personally believe you have the makings of a great half-dragon. Keep developing your skills, and may the winds blow good fortune your way.
Ryka
Roy smiled warmly, holding the letter to his heart and sending his own wishes to her. He rolled it up carefully and pocketed it, facing his friends again.
"Are we taking her downstairs?" Marth asked.
"Yeah. But lemme take her so I can keep her calm." He held out his arm, and the dragon automatically leaped back on, climbing up until she had a solid perch on his shoulder. Link and Marth couldn't help but pause for a moment; as they glanced at Roy, with the wyvern atop his shoulder, they could at last see the dragon-esque aura the mamkute was meant to give off.
"Let's head down."
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As expected, the dragon had attracted a lot of attention from other Smashers, especially at dinner. She took no mind of it, though; she was too busy snarfing into her meal of a full turkey eagerly. It was a little on the gross side, watching snippets of tender meat fly in all directions as she tore into it, but the Smashers knew better than to complain.
Later, as the evening came, Roy brought the wyvern into his room to get comfortable, but when he sat at his desk to write his return letter, she insisted on returning to his shoulder to watch him write it. He complied, and the two were at his desk for quite some time as Roy carefully wrote his thoughts in Dragon Rune letters.
A few hours went by without their knowing, late into the night. At last, Roy signed the letter, looking it over, satisfied. He then noticed a warm sensation pressed against the top of his head, and looking into the desk mirror, he saw the dragon had dozed off, her small head resting within his wild mop of maroon hair. Roy grinned warmly, rubbing her neck to gently wake her up. She whined tiredly.
"I am sorry that took so long, but I am done now," Roy told her in Dragon Tongue. "Go on and sleep in my nest for the night."
By nest he meant his bed, a word the dragon would not be able to comprehend. She eagerly hopped off his shoulders and onto the bed, sniffing the blankets curiously. Roy smiled, dressing himself for bed as he watched the wyvern crawl in a circle, creating a warm indent in the sheets where she could nestle comfortably. She paused briefly as Roy climbed in under the covers, giving her a tired smile. She yawned and curved her serpentine body in a tight circle, then plopped down into her resting place, folding her wings, and fell asleep.
Roy sighed, just about ready to dose off himself. He stared at the slumbering dragon for the longest time, until fatigue pushed down his eyelids, and he began to soar through Dreamland once more on leathery wings.
Half-dragons are human beings infused with dragon blood (the usual type comes from the European dragon, Draco occidentalis magnus) at birth by the Dragon Gods. Their purpose is to protect the few dragons remaining in ways dragonologists and even us wizards could never do. These extraordinary creatures are able to associate themselves with both humans and dragons alike, and in a way, provide a crucial link between human and dragon. Their very existence is vital towards the future of both species.
Demetrius, Homo magnus, 1561 (2)
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THE END
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(1) Not true, made it up XP
(2) Oh, look at that! Homo from human, and magnus for dragon! I am so clever...
A/N: FINALLY! WE'RE ALL DONE HERE!
Kim and Ed: WOOOO! WE'RE FREEEEE! (run away)
Eliwood: (chase) Wait, Kim, you have to sign these Lackey Transfer papers!
Link: ...-.- (goes away until next fic)
Roy: :3 (follows like a puppy)
Hooray! Now I can get right to the sequel! Please review!