Screams and shouting erupts through the room as the beast is held back by the Royal guards and the human soldiers. It continues to thrash about as Starlight evacuates the students. Dragon’s friends look to the Chief, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna.
“Dragon Slayer!” the Chief cries out. He reaches for the young warrior only to be pulled back by Prince Risen.
“Chief, you must evacuate the premises! That thing was after you!”
The Chief and the princesses were taken by the Prince and were quickly escorted out. As the soldiers were pushed down to submission, the beast saw the Chief taken away. It reached for the spear currently in Dragon’s body, but was stopped by Twilight with her friends standing behind her.
“Push it back!” Twilight cried, the two forces clashing at each other.
The six kids ran over to Dragon’s body. The spear was right into the center of his stomach. The force had pushed so much of his blood out. They were shocked by the sight of their friend who had seen the light at the end of a tunnel, only to end up like this.
Smolder grabbed the spear and began pulling it, shocking the others. “Come on! Help me get this thing out of him!”
“Stop! You’re making it worse!” Gallus told her as he and Silverstream pulled her back from continuing.
“Well, how else are we supposed to wake him up!?”
“Yona… doesn’t think Dragon will wake up.”
“No, he WILL wake up!” Smolder told her as she tried to get out of Gallus’s and Silverstream’s grip. “He wouldn’t be able to wake up with this stupid thing in him!”
“I don’t think he’ll get up even if we take it out,” Sandbar warned her.
“You are all half correct.” Chewka told them. He walks past the panicking children and inspects Dragon’s body. “Just as I thought. He should have been able to recover from that.”
“What’s this ‘should have’ got to do with anything!?” Smolder shouted. “He’s… He’s…!”
“Alive,” He finished. He continued to inspect the body and the spear. “He’s still breathing, quite faintly. His durability had stopped the spear from penetrating any vital organs, yet it should have stopped the spear before it got inside so deep. And it’s because of this.”
Chewka points to the spear and rubs his finger on it. “Magic disruption is causing his markings to become less effective. All of his abilities are hindered because of it, including the ability to stay awake from damage such as this.”
“So I’m right?” Smolder confirmed it. “We take it out, and he wakes up fine!”
“No, we need to turn off the magic disruption on this spear.” He said, taking out two needles. “Unfortunately, I also need to activate a marking on him that will keep him alive.”
“Should I go get some pony?” Sandbar asked.
“You’ll suffice.” Chewka told him.
“... What?”
“You only need to hold this needle and place it on the side of his stomach. Everyone else, please distract that beast and give me time.”
The five nodded and got ready to defend Chewka, Sandbar, and Dragon. When the beast turned its attention back to the spear, Smolder flew up and breathed fire on the claw. The fur was set ablaze as the beast roared in retaliation.
“Keep hold, you’re what’s keeping him alive.” Chewka reminded Sandbar as he placed the needle onto but not into the body as instructed.
Gallus and Rainbow flew close to the side, getting the beast to swing its mighty claw at them. Twilight and Starlight caught the beast’s arm and pulled it down to cause it to fall to the ground.
“This is… more complicated than I suspected. I may need someone elses help.” Chewka thought aloud. He looked to see Spike flying nearby. “Excuse me! Can you assist me?”
“Me?” Spike spoke.
The beast thrashes around wildly, ramming its body from wall to wall, causing the whole place to collapse. Ocellus transformed into a duplicate version of the beast and pinned it down to prevent it from causing anymore damage to the building. The Twilight and her friends grabbed the other kids and distanced themselves from the beast and the falling debris. A piece of the ceiling falls off and towards Spike and Sandbar who were holding needles in place. Spike and Sandbar looked up and screamed, but miraculously didn’t move the needles from place. Chewka’s needles snapped and the spear was suddenly taken out of Dragon.
The ceiling piece was pushed aside by Dragon just in time.He stood on his two feet with an open wound on his stomach.
“Dragon....” Sandbar spoke softly.
He was wobbling back and forth, looking at the two beasts. He grabbed the spear and began to aim.
“Wait, Dragon! One of them is-!” Gallus warned him, but he threw it anyway.
“Ocellus, change back!” Dragon shouted.
The changeling duplicate turned as the spear struck the real beast. She changed back soon after as Dragon began running towards the beast, while grabbing a chain from the fallen chandelier.
“Professor Applejack, I need your help!” He yelled as he raised his hand. “I also need someone to carry me up there!”
Rainbow flew to Dragon and picked him up while Applejack ran with them. After flying above the beast, Dragon tapped Rainbow to let go. He dived to the beast and wrapped the chain around the spear that was dug into the chest of the beast. He then tied the chain around the neck and arm before pulling down. When Applejack caught up, he pointed to the other arm and got Applejack to tie that part down with Rainbow’s help. The beast was being pulled down by Applejack and Dragon Slayer, but it may not have been enough. The beast is still awake, attempting to shake itself free.
“What do we do now?” Rarity questioned.
“If you could help restrain it, I can turn it back.” Chewka said to them.
“Um… Why’re you dressed like a clown?” Starlight asked.
Dragon and Applejack pulled with all their might, but the human was suffering from his wound still gushing out. His strength wanes slightly, giving the beast a little more room to move. However, the beast is yanked back down as Twilight, Rarity, and Starlight use their magic to hold it down. Everyone began to pull back the chain and rope to help Dragon and Applejack.
Meanwhile, Ocellus transformed into the beast and pinned it down while Fluttershy flew Chewka down to the beast.
“What are you going to do to them?” Fluttershy asked.
“If this weren’t an enemy, I’d probably take my time with transforming it back,” he told her as he used the needles on the runes. “However, seeing how this beast attacked my chief and nearly killed a brother-in-arms, I feel less regret doing it the quick and easy way.”
A few changes to the runes, and the beast stops. It suddenly shrinks more and more, the chains and ropes are released as they all fall back. The beast shrivels up until all that’s left is a human. They approach the man before being surrounded by both the royal guards and the human soldiers.
“Curse you...” He coughed after being choked from earlier. “Do you know who I am…!? I’m the Dragon Warrior...! You’ll regret the day you crossed me…!”
“Secure the target and get those markings off of him.” Chewka told the soldiers. Doing as told, they bring the shriveled, fainted man away.
The others were shocked to see the true form of their surprise guest. Twilight went to Chewka and asked, “What… happened?”
“I removed the markings that gave that man such a form. Though, I’m surprised someone was able to handle that many ruins and still survive. But his mind was shot, he couldn’t even think properly to assess the situation despite the advantages.”
“You’re saying we would have lost to that raisin guy?” Rainbow retorted.
“He had the size to do a lot of harm, even a weapon to hurt Dragon Slayer.” He explained. “If he tried, he would have focused squarely on the spear and done even more damage. Unfortunately for him, or lucky for us, he didn’t have the mental fortitude to do that. Even after turning back, he was clearly deluded. Although, that may be because I didn’t do a proper unmarking.”
“Is… that how humans look without clothes?” Silverstream pointed out.
“That explains a lot,” Sandbar joked to Dragon Slayer before he crumbled on his knees.
The others quickly ran over to him as he wobbled back and forth. He was very faint as the others began saying so many things, but they were muffled and murmured from his dizzying state.
The human reawakens in the hospital. He looked around to see that his friends were sleeping around him. They seem to have been waiting for some time. Ocellus was the first to wake up and see the human was no longer asleep.
“Guys, guys! He’s awake!” Ocellus told the others. They rise up and smile at the return of their human companion. Silverstream went a step further and hugged him.
“Oh!! Don’t scare us like that!”
“Ow, ow, ow-!” The human winced in pain. Smolder pulled Silverstream back and said, “Good to see you’re okay.”
“Why don’t you show him how happy you are?” Sandbar suggested. “You were really worried when he was down the first time-”
Smolder quickly hits Sandbar with her wing as Yona jumps up and down yelling, “Human now okay! We should celebrate!”
Gallus pats her back to get her to stop jumping. “Okay, stop, he’s still busted up pretty bad. Give him some room guys.”
“Thank you, Gallus,” the human said gratefully. “How is everyone else?”
“No one was injured, luckily.” Sandbar assured him.
“But… Well, the Chief of your Tribe was advised to go home since they’re trying to figure out the source of the attack.” Ocellus told him.
“... I see...” The human thought about the request he wanted to make, but was unable to make it. In a moment, the door to the room was opened. The seven of them looked to see Prince Risen entering the room.
“Goodness gracious, you lot make such a racket.” He curses under his breath. “I could feel the stomping from two rooms over.”
“Prince Risen.” The human responds.
“Ah! The Dragon Slayer!” The prince greeted. “You’ve served your Tribe quite well. I’m here to see how your recovery goes and estimate the time you’ll be back to fighting fit!”
“The doctors said he’ll get better in two weeks if he takes it easy,” Gallus answered for him.
“I see,” The prince mused. “Well, while I’m here, the Chief told me you had some sort of request before the… incident happened. I’m here on his behalf to listen to your request and deliver it to the chief.”
“He was supposed to ask the Chief about that,” Smolder told him, crossing her arms.
“The chief is very busy, even for the Dragon Slayer,” He stated. “Unless your request was unreasonable to begin with?”
“It’s alright, I’ll tell him.” the human declared, sitting up straight.
“We’re gonna tell it to him of all people?” Sandbar made sure that he was serious.
The human looks to the prince and says his request. “I’d like to revoke my title.”
The prince stares at him, slowly laughing at the request. “You’re kidding, right? Dragon Slayer, you seem to have forgotten many important things in that battle. You need more rest.”
“No, he’s serious about it.” Smolder confirmed it, her scowl becoming apparent.
The Prince clicked his tongue. “I don’t think you little children quite understand what it means to hold the title of Dragon Slayer.” He looks toward Smolder and points at her. “And for you, I’d watch your mouth while in the presence of a being who can put you in your place.”
“That’s enough, Prince Risen.” The human called out.
“Have you lost your mind, Dragon Slayer?” the Prince questioned. “Have you truly, honestly, forgotten what it means?”
“It means he passed a trial,” Sandbar answered.
“One where only one human, a Dragon Slayer, has ever accomplished,” Gallus continued.
“And the only other human to do it again was him!” Yona finished, pointing to the bedridden child.
“If you all know what it means, then you know the importance of why that title should remain where it is.” He said to them. “The honor of carrying that historical achievement, the immediate respect and recognition, the fact that it reminds all of the other tribes and creatures their place when they find out we have someone worthy of being called, Dragon Slayer!?”
“I do,” He says without losing face. “But it hasn’t made it easier to make friends or be myself.”
“So you being yourself is far more important than being a symbol of our tribe? The pillar of our strength?”
“It’s only a name,” He told the prince. “A name that I despise.”
The prince stared at him coldly, but his eyes couldn’t penetrate the warrior’s gaze. Realizing that the human had changed significantly, he turned away with a growl. “This place has made you weaker. Perhaps the Dragon Slayer did die in that battle.”
He headed to the door with angry stomps. “Call yourself whatever you wish, but that title isn’t going anywhere. You’re the Dragon Slayer, and that’s final.”
He slams the door and finally leaves the seven. Ocellus sighed and looked at the human.
“Well, that could have gone better.”
“Who cares what he thinks?” Smolder huffed. “So you wanna change your name, right? We're gonna go for that one then?”
His friends await his decision. He smiles at all of them as he says the name he had chosen to them.
“Valiant”