//------------------------------// // Chapter 6: The Miracle // Story: Drake the Dragon // by Immortan Joe //------------------------------// Drake and Emerald had broken through the treeline some time in the mid afternoon, having for the most part gotten used to walking on four legs, Drake flopped onto the grass. The Unicorn, Emerald, on his back yelped and slid off before falling onto her hooves and turning to glare up at the large dragon. “Who said you could lay down?” She called up to him in her chirpy, unintimidating voice. Drake scowled, before he had thought this spunky little horse was rather cute. But over the course of their trek through the forest, fighting mimics which led to him saving her life. Sorta casted a negative effect on her constant comments and pestering, thus making it very...grating on his nerves. “I did,” The once former space marine said, “Five minute rest and then I’ll be back up.” His eyes glanced at the unicorn who looked at him with a frustrated expression. He sighed and closed his eyes. “Even the glorious of warriors require rest, Emerald.” His tail sub consciously wrapped around his frame and he rested his head on it as if it was a pillow. Thoughts trailing off back to the scuffle he had not too long ago in the forest, the mimics, their faded voices still fresh on his mind. Then Emerald’s comment about how those voices belonged to her and how the phrases they had used, “Either you can die...away out of existence seeing as those...the Elysium gates...dragons don’t...laws of magicality...” Was that really the little pony’s voice? Drake popped an eye open and looked to the unicorn who had trailed off and sat upon a small foothill, her back to him. Drake squinted as he looked at her. He could feel something in his chest. He sensed doubt creeping up on him. As he looked upon the unicorn who had supposedly saved him he couldn’t help but feel that something about that pony wasn’t right in the slightest. Now that he thought about it, what could she have been doing up in those mountains? And that dream of the bounty hunters he had, those bird like xenos. Was that really a dream? Something wasn’t right, her story wasn’t making a ton of sense now that he truly had time to think about it. His body was gone, some where it had vanished. Had he passed away upon the mountain? How did she have access to a deceased dragons body? Where had she gotten the body? Most of all. Why had she saved him? Draw saw Emerald climb back onto her hooves on the foothill, she then turned and looked back down at Drake, their eyes locking on each other for a second. Her steel, green eyes glaring down at him, almost as if she was looking down at him. In a figurative and literal way. “Unfortunately, your time in the physical world is done.” Was another phrase he recalled the mimics using, that one he had heard crystal clear. A phrase full of resentment and cynicism. “I’m a Soul Reaper.” Drake scowled as he carefully connected the dots, or so what he thought connected together. What he so far had was that this was a pony who obviously dabbled in the dark arts, a witch perhaps, and there are either two reasons he is alive right now. First off she could have saved him out of genuine kindness. Secondly, she could have done so for the fact that she could use him. Now use him for what? He had no clue. Information, weaponry, or any other aspect. He had not a clue. Halting his thoughts for a second, Drake closed his eyes and took a breath, clearing his mind, he relaxed for a moment. Before he should act so rashly, he should probably get more information. Possibly weed it out of her, or do what he normally did best. Beat it out of her. Drake opened his eyes and shook his head with a quiet snort. Though...he shouldn’t do that, perhaps he could play along with what this thing had and try and weed out more intel. If it's true that she had his real body, it's possible she could be using it as some kind of hostage. Forcing him to play by her games or else be trapped in this draconian form for the rest of eternity...or however long dragon’s normally lived for on this planet. Emerald flicked her head back, bangs going to the side, she began to descend the foothill. “You ready?” She asked him as she came to his feet. “My home is just over the hill.” Emerald flicked her head once more towards the direction they needed to go in and Drake nodded. “Yes. I am ready.” The dragon shifted his body and carefully clambered back onto his paws just as the pony teleported onto his back. “Just keep heading straight,” she said, her voice very unenthusiastic. Drake nodded his head and began to clamber up the hill, which went along with one thing he wasn’t quite used to. Elevation. The few hills and what not he had traversed over in the forest were one of the most irritating bits during that small trek. However, this hill in particular wasn’t so bad. With the lack of trees, stones and shrubbery, he was able to scale over the hill just fine. Smiling at himself, Drake began to go down the hill, which of course was a little easier...that was until he started going too fast. “What are you doing?!” Emerald gasped when she noticed that Drake was almost starting to gallop, his four legs moving faster and faster. “T-trying not to trip!” Drake’s eyes widened when they finally leveled out, his front two paws snapping forward, his center of mass lurching outwards, which in turn sends him into a face plant. The little pony catapulted off his back, screaming as she goes flying towards a cottage not too far off. Flying at nearly sixty kilometers an hour, Emerald had little to no time to teleport herself out of harm's way. Within three seconds, the pony had gone from Drake’s back, to colliding face first with the back of the cottage, face flattening against it with a sickening crunch. Leaving an nice indentation and cracks into the side of the building, Emerald’s body crumpled to the ground like a sack of sand. Drake on the other hand shifted to his feet, paw rubbing his sore snout. “E-Emerald?” Drake glanced about before looking to the cottage, his eyes widening when he noticed the pony laying at the base of the wall, he quickly, well as quickly as someone new to walking on all fours could, pushed himself to his feet and walked over to the pony. Getting down beside her, Drake’s eyes widened as he noticed that she was completely still, reaching out with a paw he gently prodded the still pony with a claw. Then he noticed it, heart sinking as he pushed the pony onto her side, he saw her caved in and bloodied face. Her eyes widened with fear, yet lifeless at the same time. He had killed her. Drake normally wasn’t one to be prone to panic, or fear in general. No. Fear was one of the first things he, as a space marine, had beaten out of him back during his early years of joining the Chancellor’s Royal Navy. He had seen death thousands, if not million times over, hell he had witnessed planetary genocide from the window of his quarters as he watched the dreadnoughts bombard the Chancellor’s enemy’s home world. But this was different. During his time in service, slaying those who opposed him and his team, or even seeing his comrades fall had an effect on Drake. Yet not like this, he needed this creature alive because she had been the only possible chance which would allow him to return to his comrade’s and his Chancellor’s fleet, yet due to his own stupidity and carefreeness. He had gotten this creature killed. Closing his eyes, Drake took a deep breath. “Tis only...a minor setback.” He told himself quietly, a coping mechanism really. There had to be other creatures out there that’d be able to help him, others who can maybe transfer his soul to his original form. “Stop...touching me...” Drake’s eyes suddenly snapped open upon hearing such a faint voice. “By the gods!” Drake pulled back, shock tearing through him as he looked down upon the once deceased mare. The pony’s eyes once again filled with life, yet her face by all means was completely smashed to hell. “What miracle has bestowed upon you?” He asked eyes blinking rapidly. “Which god has smiled upon you or has forgiven me for my mistake?” “Just...shut...your trap...take me home...I’ll...explain then...dummy,” Emerald said, her eyes closing as she fell unconscious. Drake blinked once more, utterly confused yet absolutely gleeful. Drake closed his eyes. “Chancellor Talos, thank you for your watchful eye. I promise you I shall not fail.” Carefully, Drake scooped the pony up into one paw, and very slowly continued to move in the direction Emerald had previously pointed him in. A minute later, the door to the cottage opened, animals and birds spilling out the entrance a yellow unicorn stumbled out behind them. Still trembling after hearing that dreadful scream and loud smack against her home. Cautiously, the mare timidly moved to the rear of her home, looking to see what damage had been done, a massive indent and cracks could be seen on the rear, along with what looked to be...The pony eeped and covered her face with her wings, the faint specks of blood was stained against her wall. Biting her lip the pegasus stepped back but yelped when she felt herself slip and nearly lose balance. Looking down she noticed something odd, something she hadn’t noticed when coming out. A large footprint of a mountain dragon.