Ghost's Reign Chapter 16: Yokai Can't Fly, a How to Train Your Dragon + Big Hero 6 Crossover fanfic

Chapter 16, everybody! Flying is still a work in progress.

Fred's quoting Marie Kondo there and joining Hiro in wanting Tadashi to start enjoying the vibes. Wasabi, meanwhile, is quoting Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc. And more dragons after Helga and Calhoun, plus Gogo backstory! Kinda. Garlic and certain other plants do help keep pests away from other plants, it's called companion planting and when you do it with stuff like garlic and onions and potatoes you get the added benefit of extra food. :D

Momakase's mention of dragon pickle comes from Carole Wilkinson's book Dragon Keeper—the so-called dragon tender turned a dead dragon into a pickle and consuming it killed the emperor. Dragon bones for medicine is in reference to how the Chinese would use fossils in ancient times for the same purpose, since they thought those were dragon bones. And yeah, dragons are going to taste awful because most obligate carnivores do taste awful—something about heavy metals traveling up the food chain.

Obake was sure that this time would work.

Tadashi was not.

"Little-Brother, I have opinions on humoring your Yokai," he announced, edging away from the Yokai trying to put a saddle on him.

"Play NICE, Older-Brother," Hiro insisted. "You flinging him around like he's a dead fish isn't going to help anybody."

"No but it makes me feel better," Tadashi grumbled—growled a little when he felt the straps tighten. Okay fine so it was more comfortable than when they started but good grief he didn't like that feeling on his body. Nor did he like the feeling of a Yokai on his back either.

"Okay, remember: nice flight, gentle flight," Hiro prompted. "Longer than five seconds flight."

"Hey, last time was ten," Tadashi countered—turned to look at the Yokai that seemed to have lulled itself into a false sense of security, right up until eye contact.

Time for a flying 'lesson.'

Okay, so he was hanging on for longer this time. Still screaming at the top of his lungs though from the straight-up takeoff—good grief let him give you something to scream about.

Straightened out from his corkscrew feeling lighter—

Panicked, scanning his surroundings before diving for the falling Yokai, mostly because he was not dealing with Little-Brother's bellyaching about losing his Yokai—

Said Yokai's downward flight was arrested by a blue Nightmare catching him instead.

"My dude that was AWESOME!" Fred exclaimed, arching his neck down to look at a terrified Obake. "Did you mean to do that?"

"Sorry, Fred, my fault," Tadashi said, winging over. "Mind giving him back before Hiro gives me grief for flinging his Yokai?"

"My dude, you definitely shouldn't be flinging him around like that I don't think he liked it," Fred counseled. "I mean look at him he's shaking—oh wait sorry my dude that's probably not comfortable hold on." Pinched Obake's leg in his mouth before letting go and swinging him up to his back. "See? Much more comfortable fewer claws and by the way dude no stabbing or biting and maybe don't roll off the wings okay that does not spark joy."

Obake didn't respond, Obake seemed much too preoccupied with clinging on for dear life. Or maybe trying to strangle Fred, that was an option. Fred didn't seem to notice, though.

"Aw, he's cute!" Fred said—looked at Tadashi. "So how is this whole thing going besides the accidental yeeting I've been wanting to do this with Dibs but you're taking FOREVER about it are you still working out all the kinks?"

Okay Tadashi needed a moment. "Who's Dibs?"

"My Yokai, my dude—got him all picked out, really digging his personality, definitely has the right amount of enthusiasm for this, our epic merging of flights. Got a canto about our growing relationship, want to hear?"

"Uhhh maybe later. Right now though, before I get in trouble with Little-Brother again—"

"What are you doing?" Hiro demanded, winging up. "WHY is Obake on Fred now WHY is he clinging like some terrified sloth what did you do."

"WHY do you assume I did something?"

"Because you launched straight up and then did this upside-down corkscrew thing."

"Ouch my dude maybe work up to that," Fred said, nodding before looking back at Obake. "Don't worry my dude, nice flight gentle flight, THEN we work up to the cool stuff."

"FRED," Tadashi groused.

"My dude don't get jealous you're like the only one who's done this thing so far let me enjoy the vibe."

"Hey I thought we were going to go check that next island?" Wasabi asked, winging up to them. "And—FRED. Fred you have…like, right there—"

"I KNOW," Fred said, wide-eyed. "Isn't it awesome?"

"Not my first choice of words, no."

"My dudes we gotta work on your enthusiasm—oh wait I got it—now small dude I know you're starting to get comfortable but Wasabi is MUCH bigger than me he'd make a better first experience—"

"Wait what? OH NO don't you even get that thing away from me," Wasabi barked, backwinging as fast as he could manage as Fred tried to angle over him, Obake still clinging on. "No, no, I did NOT sign up for this you put that thing back where it came from or so help me—"

"Hiro, my dude, I'm trying, it's just that no one seems to want to embrace the awesome."

"I JUST DON'T WANT TO EMBRACE THE YOKAI LET ME WORK UP TO THIS."

"Fred, leave him alone," Tadashi sighed. "We might as well land, pretty sure this round is over."

"Aw man, already?" Fred asked, disappointed. "But we were just starting to bond!"

"FRED," Wasabi barked.

"All right fine RUIN the glorious experience of a first flight HONESTLY."

Tadashi rolled his eyes at that, angled down as the others landed, watched Obake carefully as he finally peeled himself off of Fred and collapsed in a heap on the ground, Hiro bounding around him and nosing him.

"Is he okay?" Fred asked, similarly poking. "We didn't break him did we OH GOSH WHAT IF WE BROKE HIM—"

"Ow," Obake muttered.

"Ha, see? He isn't broken," Tadashi pointed out, keeping the added unfortunately internal.

"Yeah no thanks to YOU," Hiro huffed at him.

"Look, it was longer than ten seconds and it's not my fault if he can't handle a Night Fury's routine flight."

"Corkscrews are part of a routine flight?"

"And what have you done while flying?"

Hiro couldn't win the argument and knew it if the aggravated growling wail was anything to go by—grumbled and sulked as Obake eventually dragged himself upright and took the saddle off.

"Okay, so I am VERY intrigued," Fred said, watching the process with interest. "Hey my dude when do I get a saddle?"

"Whenever Tadashi decides to play nice," Hiro groused. "So probably never."

"Lame, my dude, I could totes do this all nice and cool. Maybe a LITTLE fire, as a treat."

"Sorry Fred, but we're trying to minimize damage," Tadashi said. "So it's just me troubleshooting this."

"LAME," Hiro wailed.

"I agree Wasabi back me up here," Fred said.

"Uh, no, I will not you tried to put a Yokai on me against my will you might as well have put slugs in my frills when I was sleeping," Wasabi said, glaring.

"My dude that was NOT me that was totally someone else who shall not be named."

"HIRO."

"Why do you automatically assume it was me?" Hiro asked, struggling to be a perfect picture of innocence.

"Do you want a list?" Tadashi asked.

"Uhhh oh wait my Yokai's leaving gotta go byeeee—"

"So it WAS you!" Wasabi squawked.

"Yeah usually that's the safe bet," Tadashi sighed, shaking himself. "I don't suppose I could talk you guys into some fishing—you know, like regular fishing and not with nets."

"But some of the Yokai are making us a new net to test out!" Fred protested. "If they're going through all that trouble shouldn't we be nice and try it?"

"I'm up for regular fishing," Wasabi volunteered.

"LAME—both of you HONESTLY," Fred said, winging off. "I'm gonna go find some dragons who are PROPERLY excited about this."

"Have fun," Tadashi offered; looked at Wasabi. "I'm not being crazy or a jerk about this, am I? This is actually a thing that isn't something we should be enthused about."

"I mean I know I'M not," Wasabi said. "But I'm starting to feel like I'm on the losing side of this fight."

So did Tadashi, and honestly, that was a problem.

Bites-First had been maintaining the vigil that Swift-Strike had assigned him, looked up when she swooped down to land on the Yokai-nest next to him.

"So?" she asked. "How's it going?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "She's doing a lot of shifty things, scurrying from cover to cover and talking with other Yokai, but in all honestly it's about like how Terrors behave, so I can't really say much."

"Hm," she noised pensively, considering the way the Yokai moved around. Felt like she was missing something, couldn't put a claw on what. Pity they didn't speak the same language, maybe she could ask Hiro about it.

The little shifty Yokai was talking with the one she had seen earlier, glanced up at them.

"I don't know," she said. "That one I think has been following me."

"You're not telling me you buy the cockamamy story about Obake controlling the dragons," the other one demanded.

"I'm open for a proper suggestion to this, then."

The one sputtered for a bit, suggesting to Gogo that the shifty one had won the argument. Not that that was very enlightening.

"Keep at it," she counselled, standing and stretching. "There's probably something we're missing, and if they do try to take a swing at Obake, I'd rather stop it."

"You like that spooky-faced Yokai?" Bites-First asked.

"Not particularly, but like I said, with him gone the whole flight breaks down into fighting again. For the sake of peace and quiet, we either want him alive or all of the Yokai dead."

"Can think of a few who wouldn't mind taking you up on that last offer," Bites-First muttered. Which, yes, she was aware, but also that was concerning. Like Hiro said, there had to be a better way. Matter of fact, it was looking like there'd be a better way, they just had to keep at it.

Sigh, go off to find Momakase. Yeah sure things were improving but they had been at rock bottom and digging before so anything was an improvement. She wasn't quite sure what the plan for the Yokai was in either the short or the long-term, but she was certain that this little group posed trouble. She'd have to stay on her toes and keep an eye on them until they properly integrated into the flight.

And then what? It was still paranoid Yokai, and that didn't help draconic sensibilities. No, there had to be a different workaround, one that Hiro would approve of. Okay brain, start being helpful anytime soon….

Blinked when she flew past a Nightmare. Okay wait one dragon supervising the shifty Yokai was good, but that armored one she had been talking to was part of the problem so if that one had supervision…well maybe they'd think twice about doing something if they thought they were being watched.

The Nightmare seemed pensive at her suggestion, but was amicable enough to follow her until she found that armored Yokai and pointed it out.

"Yokai-Tamer has been suggesting we start picking out Yokai to tame—that one seems nicely challenging," the Nightmare mused. "And I suppose if Sparkbreather can tame a Yokai, I can."

Oi Hiro's whole thing. "Why, who'd they pick?"

"The one Yokai that always smells of smoke—it doesn't seem sold on it, but he considers it a nice challenge."

Gogo considered this, looked at the armored Yokai, who glanced up at them—took a double-take when she recognized Gogo.

"Okay," she noised slowly. "Maybe I am starting to buy into the rumor."

"You might have your work cut out for you on this one," Gogo warned.

The Nightmare snorted. "Good," he said, slipping down off the nest and towards the armored Yokai a little more menacingly than recommended.

"Maybe not like that—" Gogo started, flapping a wing—wasn't surprised when the Yokai backed into a nest and closed it. "Yeah just a tad too scary."

"We'll work on it," the Nightmare said, working his way around the nest and looking for an entrance—probably wouldn't take long, a lot of these looked like they were in disrepair. Probably from dragon raids, she mused, refusing to feel guilty about it as she took to the skies. For the longest time it was either steal or be eaten, the blame was firmly at Mountain-King's talons, so glad he was dead.

Although…now that he was dead…fine she humored these decisions because it soothed old injuries. If Hiro was right, then the raids had made the Yokai. Perhaps, with enough work, they could unmake them—turn them into something nicer to dragons.

Huff, fly over the ocean, scanning for flickering shapes before diving. It was nice to have a dream.

But at the same time, she couldn't deny the enjoyment she got out of taking care of her Yokai, if we were assigning possessives—mostly because of the various shades of baffled she found she could recognize on those flat muzzles.

"It's not poisonous, for the record," Gogo said, nibbling at a wing as Momakase poked at the fish. "And I already ate," she added, when the Yokai looked at her. Tipped her head when the other did.

"What is this," Momakase noised finally. "You weren't stealing all this time, only borrowing? Why did you ever bother stealing food from people when you can obviously find it yourselves?"

Snort, nudge the fish closer to the Yokai. "I'm not defending this for you if a bunch of Terrors decide to eat it instead."

Momakase poked it again…finally took it into her nest.

"Okay fine but I'm getting to the bottom of this," she said.

"I'm not interested in stealing it—shoo," she hissed at a Terror nosing around the nest entrance. "Get your own fish."

The Terror hissed back, irritated—flew away at her huff. Leap up to the top of the nest to settle in, considering. Yokai ate fish and plants, not dragons. They didn't really seem interested in eating dragons. Hiro was most likely correct about his statement, that the Yokai came from dragon raids, in which case Mountain-King was much worse than she had initially supposed, and she had started out with a trench-scraping opinion about him when her parents had first flown her back to the old nest from the hatching-islands. Back then she had identified him as a literal mountain and was terrified that all mountains had eyes and mouths and was willing to suck her in if she disobeyed even slightly. She hadn't been the only hatchling her parents had ever had.

She had been one of the last, though.

Huff—Mountain-King had caused much harm, everyone knew that, there was no point in dwelling on it. What she needed to do, to sink her teeth into, was moving on from that. It was probably too much to ask that they undo all the harm that had been done.

But at the very least, maybe they could start showing that the portrayal Mountain-King had forced them into wasn't how dragons were. Maybe they could be rid of that poor viewing.

It would take time, at the very least, and she was willing to give it a go.

So in other news, a Nightmare was evidently much easier to ride than a Night Fury but he wasn't about to give up on that he had standards, dangit. Even if riding a dragon that could set itself on fire was apparently much less fraught with peril.

So here he was, back in his forge and trying once again to engineer a saddle that would keep him on the back of a dragon that desperately wanted him off, while also leaving himself a speedy getaway if things went south, and no he wasn't appreciative of being interrupted "What, Momakase?"

"Don't what me," she said, leaning over the counter. "What are you working on?"

"If I thought it was any of your business I'd inform you," he said tetchily, rolling the designs up. "Now what do you want? I have other things to do besides getting pounded on."

"Like what? The guys who went out trading didn't get nearly enough for anything."

Grumble at that, at the fact that they had taken Night Fury scales and still came back bare-handed. "Let's hope whoever got sent out this time has some understanding of economics."

"Yeah, good luck. Any explanation on why the dragons are suddenly fishing for us?"

"Maybe they're bored," he said, gesturing vaguely with the rolls of paper. "Maybe they view us as incompetent hatchlings. Maybe all this time they were just borrowing fish and decided to start paying us back."

"So apparently I need to avoid hitting your head during our training sessions," she muttered.

"Oh I'm sorry that was training? I figured you were just killing me slowly."

"I mean that is an option, don't get me wrong."

"I do have other things to do."

"Like?"

Oi. "Other. Things."

"Ooh, extra punctuation," she said, leaning back and waving her hands a little. "Tell you what, you give me your best educated guess at this—like actual best educated guess, not the snarky stuff earlier—and I'll leave you alone for the day. I'll even throw in lunch, see?" she asked, nudging a basket. "Now why are the dragons fishing for us all of a sudden instead of stealing from us?"

Consider this. "When we say day, do we mean a full twenty-four hours?"

"We mean until tomorrow morning. Now spill."

Hmm. "Well we can start with there's eels nailed to the storeroom doors now."

"Yeah why is that a thing?"

"For the same reason garlic keeps bugs away from the garden. Now about my Momakase-free day—"

"Sorry, I said serious answers only. That one was snark."

Oi. Consider her, turn the question over…well there was one reason….

"The impression I've gotten is that there's a much larger dragon out there demanding that the smaller dragons feed it," he said as Hiro hopped onto the counter, sniffing after the basket—put a hand out to stop his progress. "I'm sure you've noticed the state of the dragons—the only plump one around is Hiro, and that's because I've been feeding him for the past several months."

"Yeah I've noticed—you're lucky you taste horrible, you know that right?" she asked Hiro. "The only vaguely edible recipe involving dragon I've ever heard of is dragon pickle, and that one killed the guy who ate it."

"Wrr?" Hiro noised, tipping his head.

"Yes well, despite knowing you speak from experience on that," Obake said, waving her off—and she was, she had tried more than one recipe using the dragons they had downed before. The only real use dragon meat had had for them was drying it to sell to snake-oil salesmen who then ground it up and tried to pass it off as some miracle cure. At best it was a lot of waste. "The fact that the dragons aren't acting that way now tells me something changed regarding that."

"Changed how?" she asked.

Obake considered Hiro a moment—held a finger up to her before retrieving a blank sheet of paper and a pencil, sketched out Hiro's one drawing before showing it to the little dragon. Hiro considered it, looked at him, shook his head before miming falling down dead.

"What was that about?" she asked.

Obake evaluated the little dragon a moment. "Play dead," he said finally, taking one of the fish from the basket and holding it over Hiro's head. "Good dragon."

"So that was actually one of yours."

"And I don't doubt it was poisoned, thank you. Now, last I checked you got the serious answer."

"A giant dragon was too fat and lazy to hunt for itself and instead had other dragons do it for it. Are you for real?"

"Consider it—what difference is there between that and a—say a hive," he said, waving a hand in an attempt to grab the right comparison—having someone to bounce this off of that actually talked back helped. "Say it was their queen, their chief, whatever—a dragon big enough that other dragons didn't, or rather couldn't go against it."

"And yet you're proposing it's dead now, so something had to kill it. Unless things like that die of old age."

"Possibly," he noised, squinting at Hiro. "Although…which dragon do you notice these other dragons inclining their heads to?"

Momakase considered this. Or maybe she was considering him, like she was debating on whether or not she should be humoring him. "That big Night Fury."

"The big Night Fury. I don't doubt he has the firepower to do some damage if he aims in the right space."

"That doesn't mean it'll get bigger, does it? Since he's the alpha now."

Obake had a moment of picturing that and the absolute disaster his then-short life would be. "Boy I hope not."

"Hmm, maybe that's why they're called the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself," she mused. Flicked a finger at Hiro. "I mean, that's not selling it."

Hiro growled at her, sensing his dignity was being called into question.

"I'm sure you weren't quite the terror you are now when you were young," Obake pointed out.

"Says you."

Hmph. "But as I was saying, I believe we've met our demands, our business is concluded, see you tomorrow—"

"And what are these anyway?" she asked, making a grab for the rolled-up designs.

He slammed his hand down on them. "I said, our business is concluded," he stressed, glaring. "Now you promised I'd spend the rest of my day in peace, thank you."

She narrowed her eyes at him, but eventually wandered off.

"I'm going to have to hide these," he told Hiro. "I just made them interesting to her, she's bored and I've no doubt she'll be trying to steal these soon."

"Wrr?" Hiro noised, tipping his head. Let's see, what options do we have…ah.

"I think it's high time we retreat back to our lair, don't you?"