A/N: What if Mightyclaws can bring anything to life?
Imagination Unleashed
Mightyclaws visited Jade Mountain Academy. He was famous for his ability to bring his pictures to life. He stood in front of a class of twenty aspiring artists. He planned to perform his talents for a few lucky dragonets. A vast array of students waited to see who he would choose.
A NightWing dragonet rushed past him clutching his painting up front. "Sorry, I'm late to class."
Mightclaws's talons collided with the painting, that was enough to bring it to life. A being of living flame rose out from the drawing scalding the NightWing dragonet. The dragonet dropped the painting in panic.
The other dragonets stood transfixed by the act occurring in front of them. Mightclaws watched with fascination as this was the first time he created a living being. The scary figure rose out from the painting more and more. As the demon completely manifested out of the image, the painting turned into ash. Fire made up most of the demon's body. The only exceptions were its two bat-like wings, hands and the two tentacles with red eyes on his shoulders. The demon turned around surveying the room looking for its creator. Tentacles moved with blinding speed surrounding the dragonet. The dragonet laughed at first enjoying the sensations. The demon opened his mouth towards the dragonet that drew it. He exhaled a gout of flame towards the dragonet's face making it scream in pain.
The demon backed away after hearing that terrifying sound. He withdrew his tentacles from the scarred NightWing. The other dragons in the room were opening their mouths preparing to attack in retribution. He had harmed his creator when he just wanted to give thanks. They were going to kill him. His body collided with furniture setting it ablaze. He saw black projectiles flying towards him from the mouth of dragons.
The demon closed his eyes teleporting away from the situation. He saw other dragons tossing a black egg off a cliff. He went to catch the egg, saving it from destruction. He didn't think he could take care of a dragonet on his own especially since he burned his creator the moment he was born.
He tried finding other dragons but he knew it in his heart that they were going to attack given his grotesque figure. He set the very forests he walked around ablaze without much choice. He had to be careful not to let the egg too close to his body else it would melt away in seconds.
He found himself surrounded by dragons making noises he couldn't understand. They seemed ready to attack him on sight while he was carefully holding the egg. The demon blinked sending them away to another place. They were in a scorching desert away from everyone as far as he could see.
If no one was going to take care of the egg, he had to do it himself. He was concerned for the egg's wellbeing even though the desert comforted him. He blinked once more finding himself in a cool place full of mud.
The egg would be safe in this location although he had difficulty navigating as mud turned into clay when it collided with his body. He hid the egg in a cave to keep it safe.
He simply waited day after day until it was time for the egg to hatch. He hunted prey he stumbled on, consuming its charred remains. Every time other dragons saw him they tried to attack him with fire. He blinked back to where he buried the precious egg.
A terrifying wail shook him from his slumber. The egg had hatched but the dragonet tried embracing him upon instinct giving her second-degree burns. He had to remind himself that he couldn't embrace the dragonet with his body while it was crying. It also needed sustenance.
With a grieving heart, it left the dragonet unattended to hunt. He carried prey back to the cave, he wasn't too careful thus it contacted his skin charring the meat. He set the burnt goat in front of the dragonet. The black dragonet sniffed the meat and hesitantly took a bite, grimacing as it didn't like the taste.
The demon used his tentacles to soothe the dragonet. His tentacles tickled the dragonet as it brushed past the flesh unprotected by her scales. She laughed at the sensation completely forgetting how bad the meal tasted.
Two years had passed since the dragonet hatched. They lived on the run. The demon blinked them to a new location whenever dragons saw them and prepared to attack. The NightWing was still unnamed just like the demon that watched over her. She couldn't embrace her friend as the burns from the day she hatched remained.
She learned about the world from the demon. She learned that dragons tossed her egg off a cliff before he saved it. The demon had tried to find dragons to care for the egg without success. The demon told her about the cruelty of the world and how no dragon would accept her or them.
They were fearful of any dragons that they see, careful never to make themselves known. They had lost a few hiding spots that way. The demon's presence often gave them away after living there a few weeks. He set everything ablaze just by existing.
They ended up in a frozen wasteland. The demon wasn't faring too well with the snow and ice as it was an entity of living flame but they were safe, for now. The dragonet he watched over fared no better in the icy climate.
The demon couldn't teleport them away because he instincts still regarded this place as one of the safer locations despite how much his body told him otherwise. They began travelling in a direction hoping to escape the blistering cold. The journey took a few weeks before they sighted
They lived there for a few weeks. The demon's strength was fading as he failed to adapt to the cold. The dragonet too was losing strength in constant conflict with the icy temperatures. The demon's body was cool enough for the dragonet to embrace. It was something he wanted for so long but it was only possible because he lost so much power.
They journeyed onwards until they saw the welcoming view of the desert. Dragons saw them yet again. The demon gripped the dragonet with his tentacles and teleported away upon instinct. They ended up in another forest.
It took a few weeks for the demon to gain it's usual blazing temperatures but the dragonet grew weaker and weaker with each passing day from a cold she contracted. Despite everything the demon did, the dragonet wasn't getting better.
He needed the help of dragons for once. He carried the sick dragonet with his tentacles. He flew and tried to find dragons, something they desperately avoided for years of their existence. "Please help her," the demon said.
The dragons opened their mouths, just like that fateful day when he first opened his eyes, he thought they were going to attack. "What are you?" A RainWing asked.
"A demon that no one wants," he said. "I need help for her though, she's been sick for a few weeks." He fought with his instincts not to close his eyes to vanish to a safer place.
"Come, join us. We'll take care of her," the RainWing offered.
The demon marched into the village carrying the sick dragonet. It took extreme concentration not to close his eyes to run away. Every time dragons opened their mouths he flinched expecting the worst to come.
He handed the dragonet off to the RainWing. It was then a regal white dragoness opened her mouth breathing a stream of frost towards him. The demon closed his eyes and found himself in another place yet again.
The demon felt devoid of purpose as his sacred charge wasn't with him anymore. He hoped that they cared for her well. It was the only thing he could do. He lived alone and teleported whenever dragons were near. Living alone also meant that he himself didn't need to keep a constant watch on his surroundings.
He heard a voice that stirred him from his slumber. A dragonet with a scarred face found him. It was the same dragonet who created him so long ago. "I found you at last. No one believed me when I said you were real," he said. The demon was speechless. The NightWing continued on, "No one wanted to be friends with me because of my face. No one believed me when I told them what happened."
"I'm sorry," the demon said. He was careful not to embrace the dragonet lest he burn him. "No one wants me either."
"They want to know you. They're curious about you. Every sighting was explored only for you to vanish without a trace."
The demon began to feel uneasy. He started closing his eyes but he felt a talon touch a tentacle of his. They appeared in the desert.
"I created you, you know. I know your powers," the dragonet said. "My name is Imagination."
The demon stood face to face with his creator unable to escape and unwilling to harm the dragonet yet again. "What is my name?"
Imagination lets go of the demon's tentacle. He backed away a bit. "I never thought of one."
The demon felt sad at that moment. His creator didn't even care enough to give him a name. "Just leave me alone." The demon didn't close his eyes thus he remained there.
"No, I've looked for you ever since the day you burned me. They covered everything up. They kept saying it was a lie until it became the accepted truth." Imagination gripped a tentacle of his again. "Where's that dragonet that was sighted with you?" He had done enough research to know what the demon was up to.
"Gone, safe, away from me."
"You don't truly mean that."
"What good would it do? They don't want me at all. A dragon tried to attack me in the middle of the city." He recalled how he felt a slight chill before closing his eyes to teleport.
"Every place I went to wanted to verify your existence but refused to believe that I created you," Imagination said. "Come with me, we'll find that dragonet. Just close your eyes and imagine that you want to be with her."
It was one of his powers that he never truly understood. He did as his creator instructed him. He closed his eyes and they appeared in the air next to the dragonet.
"You're here," she exclaimed. "Please don't leave me again. I've been looking for you. The villagers want to get to know you too."
"But they attacked me as soon as I dropped you off."
"You were on fire, they wanted to help. They didn't understand. It was just a big misunderstanding."
The demon grudgingly decided to give dragons another chance. They flew into town together. He had to be mindful of where he was since his strength was back to normal. The IceWing dragoness he recognized flew towards him. As she opened her mouth to speak, the demon blinked once more sending them to a desert.
Imagination said, "You're not going to lose us that easily. She didn't even attack you."
"Come on, try again. You can get us back there, can't you? It's too hot for me here," the NightWing dragonet said. "It's okay to be afraid."
The demon blinked again thus they ended back where they were.
"I came to apologize. I had no idea that being on fire is normal for you until Prophecyteller explained it to me," the dragoness said.
"Oh right, they named me as well," Prophecyteller said.
"We've known that you were off to find your friend. We've decided to contact Jade Academy. There is someone else just special like you."
Peril tackled the demon from behind. "So, you're untouchable just like me."
The demon in his surprise tried to grip the dragonet away with his tentacles only to suffer burns. It was someone else just like him. "You're alive?"
"Of course, I am. I have firescales that burn everything they touch. I'm so glad the legend of Pyros turned out to be real," Peril said.
"Shouldn't you know? You were friends with the staff there," Imagination said. "They covered everything up! And no one believed me."
"Pyros?" the demon questioned.
"One of the many explanations of the fires we've kept seeing over the years was a group of dragons obsessed with burning everything in sight," the IceWing explained.
"Clay lied to me?" Peril said in disbelief. "Wait until I get my hands on him."
The IceWing said, "Before you do, we've made accommodations for you both." They led everyone to the one and only house made of obsidian. "Nothing will melt because of you here."
The demon was in awe of the place they gave them. His own body didn't destroy the furniture or anything else. They created it just for him. He just had to give dragons another chance. They named him too something that his creator didn't even bother to do.
At that moment he closed his eyes, but he remained there because it was truly where he wanted to be.
A/N: Feedback wanted.
