This story has been brewing for a while. I like this world and pairing, so wanted to share what I thought could have been with a sequel.
Prologue: Replantation
The pungent, eggy smells of the marsh gave way to the pleasant smells of earth and wildflowers. The shift told the small dragon that he had made it to his destination.
As the setting sun bathes everything in warm pastels, he sees a cozy cottage separated from its surroundings by a simple wood fence. Plots of simple crops and two sheds nestled in the corners of the fence. The cottage itself was surrounded by a ring of wildflowers that he knows wasn't there the last time he visited. 'This must have been a project for her nephew,' he muses, as he notes it lacked any composition and looked like the seeds were simply thrown about.
The small dragon lands with a flurry of scales and leaves behind a toddler in a simple blue kimono top and shorts. The child makes his way to the opening door of the cottage. As he enters, he sees an oddly small, giant old lady on the other side of the home making tea.
"Good evening, Zeniba. I hope that spell is ready to pick up," the toddler says with a slight listlessness, as though he could fall asleep at any moment.
When the old woman looked over, she took notice of how tired the little dragon must be. He had bags under his jade eyes and his dark hair looks dry and uncared for despite his attempt to tame it.
Zeniba breezes over with two teacups in hand and beckons the young dragon to sit. "I've told you many times you can call me Granny. There's no need to stand on ceremony with me," she lightly scolds as she sets the tea in front of the boy.
She gave him another once over before sighing, "I don't think I should enable you any further. This fool's errand is running you into the ground." The older woman looked disgruntled by the boy's current condition. The power he had left after he lost his connection with his river was sustaining him and each failed attempt depleted a significant amount of it. The dragon gets smaller every time she sees him. Soon there won't be anything left.
She looked into her tea with a calming breath. "You knew it was most likely impossible when you made that promise, Haku. Why are you gambling away what time and power you have left on this?"
Haku glanced away, taking a sip of the proffered beverage. Catching sight of No Face's ambiguous figure at a spinning wheel making thread, before answering. "It's … it's different this time. I know I can't keep this up, but the spell isn't for my promise."
As he spoke, the tiredness seemed to overtake him and slouched for the first time since Zeniba had known him. The many wild goose chases to find a spell that could help him find the remains of his river or a rumor that could help him cross into the human world. All it did was leave him a fool with less time. "This feeling I'm having …it's like a ghost pain of a lost limb. If I can strengthen it…I'm sure I'll be able to find my river. Please, I need that spell."
The lost look he gave after that plea nearly broke Zeniba's heart. It was something that should never be on someone so young. The old woman looks into her cooled tea before releasing a long-suffering sigh. She makes her way towards a workstation packed to bursting with herbs, books and other odds and ends. She poked around with several things flying away and organizing themselves in other shelves; quiet oaths and promises to properly organize this mess under her breath. Before, finally picking up what looked like a small jade slate with etching on it.
"No Face, could you be a dear and bring that sachet you and my nephew worked on, please," the older woman called as the jade in her hands started to softly glow.
The ambiguous figure of No Face made his way to Zeniba. A small blue sachet with a silver dragon, a pink flower and the character for bonds embroidered on the front in his hands. With the sachet in hand, she placed the still glowing jade inside and pulled the strings closed, encasing the glow away from sight.
"Haku, this spell will make this feeling you're having stronger. If it has a source, you'll feel a pull; as long as you keep going in its direction," Zeniba's voice was tired and worn, as though she was co-signing a disaster waiting to happen. "However, it will need you to funnel power into it to do so."
The implications of her words were warning enough. If he found nothing.
He'll disappear.
"Thank you, Granny. When I see you next, it will be refreshed and with new life," Haku spoke with a somber hope. Whether it was to reassure Zeniba or himself, not even he knew the answer.
With an effort that looked incongruent with his childish form, Haku made his troubled way from his seat to the front yard of the cottage.
As he transformed into a much diminished dragon form, barely bigger than a large dog, Zeniba called out to him. "I hope you truly find it this time. It would be a tragedy to lose you."
He tried to give her a reassuring stare, as much as any dragon can share its intent, and flew into the air.
He held the amulet tightly in his claws as he flew to and fro in the skies like a dragonfly. He made it close to a large building billowing steam when he felt a particularly strong twinge.
'There,' he thought as he activated the spell in his hands. The pulling sensation felt as though his heart was being crushed to his ribcage and nearly sent him tumbling from the sky. He pulled himself up just before he crashed into the paper sliding doors of the red bathhouse.
He grit his maw in pain but continued channeling his power into the amulet and focused on following the sensation.
'This feeling has a source,' a thought that has turned into a mantra as he tirelessly flew over the expansive and ever-changing landscapes of the spirit world. He refused to land or rest for fear that he would not have the strength to take flight again.
Even with his desperation, his exhaustion would cause him to lose focus and veer off course and lose the crushing pain in his chest. He would have to double back and circle around for precious minutes before he could reinstate the spell.
With each passing day, he grew more and more worried as he felt himself shrinking to accommodate his declining power. Cats could harass him at his current size.
'Once I find the source, I'll be able to return to my former glory,' he tried to reassure himself. Imagining himself growing to full maturity, towering above any mundane animal.
A week into his journey, his vision grew blurry with his growing fatigue and the only thing guiding him was the dull pain in his chest. He hopes that the lessening pain means he's getting closer.
Nearly two weeks into his journey, he was losing hope as he languidly glided in the direction that pulled on his chest. 'I'll disappear alone and no one will know-,' his despairing thoughts got cut short as, like a beacon, a glow grabbed his attention.
As he tried to focus on it, the glow became a beam that connected to his chest. Understanding dawning, Haku picked up speed as he gained a second wind and shot towards the growing light.
In a blinding flash, the pain in his chest was gone, and before him was his river. The water was dark and uninviting, as though it was an abandoned home falling into disrepair.
Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi looked at his other half and felt gratitude. The river had called out for him instead of welcoming another spirit into the world. He made his way to its shores, no bigger than a baby garter snake, and took in a sight he thought he would never regain. Even in its altered state, it was beautiful.
The tiny dragon jumped into the river's depths. Experiencing a joy he could never put words to as he swam and jumped and relished the feeling of his familiar watery half.
As he felt the water stir at his arrival, a sudden, all-encompassing fatigue creeped into his mind. He could feel it was a restorative sort of sleep coming to help him reconnect with his river. However, he couldn't help but worry, 'I need to send word…. they'll think I've…'.
Another thought flashed through his mind. The ever present constraint of time on human lives, 'I missed my chance'.
With a mix of despondence and relief, the fatigued spirit fell into a restorative slumber. His thoughts were full of worried faces and a promise doomed to go unfulfilled.
This story will be kinda slice of life with some action. Like MLP: Gen 4 but more mature, sort of. My other fic will take priority, but this one won't be forgotten.
Hoped you liked it. Plz comment your thoughts.