Unexpected Adventure

by WhooshieWoosh

How to Get Trained By a Dragon If You're a Dragon

"Oh sweet Pajeebs! Oh dear mercy me! Oh shite!"

I clung onto Tudoria as we stood on the edge of a massive cliff. The ground was so far below us that I could barely see it through the morning fog.

"Don't be scared, if you fall, I'll catch you!"

I tried to slow my breathing as I looked over.

"Normally, heights don't bother me. It's just knowing I'm going to jump off the BIGGEST CLIFF I'VE EVER SEEN!"

She pat me on the back and said.

"But if you never learn to fly, how will you get through the mountains."

Grr... why'd she have to use logic.

"I know, I know. Just... can... can you walk me through the basics first?"

She smiled.

"Of course! Now, the most important thing to know is proper wing movement. Don't try to slap the air, scoop it. You aren't trying to move your wings straight up and down, you're moving in arcs."

"Arcs, got it."

She stepped away and slowly led me through the motions. It didn't seem too complex, just keep your wings synchronized and moving correctly. Like walking, except if you screw up, you die.

"Now, I'll show you what it'll look like and you can try to copy me from the ground."

She walked over to the cliff and jumped off. She reappeared a moment later, flapping her leathery wings in a controlled pattern.

"See? Not as hard as it looks."

"Yeah... okay... I, I can do this!"

I breathed in and shut my eyes. Alright, just jump off the cliff and flap my wings. Birds learn as babies, I'm way older, and I can do this.

I stood on the edge and started to breath deeply. I bounced on my heels before crouching and jumping off. I felt myself falling and made my wings begin to pump up and down. I kept it up but realized I was still falling.

"OH SH---"

A clawed hand wrapped around my torso and hoisted me against a scaly chest.

"Um... you need to flap faster. You weren't flapping fast enough."

I nodded as I clung to Tudoria's neck. She flew us both back up to the cliff before setting me down and motioning for me to go again. I nodded to her and jumped. This time I made sure I was flapping nice and fast. Unfortunately, I lost sync after a bit and spiraled out of control. Once again, I was rescued by Dragon Mom.

"That was much better! Keep on practicing and you'll get the hang of it in no time."

"Really?! Okay then. Let's try again."

Again and again I threw myself off the cliff, each time I'd spend a bit longer in the air before dropping like a stone. Each time Tudoria would catch me and bring me back, offering friendly advice on how to fix what went wrong.

We stopped for lunch when the sun was directly overhead. We both sat tiredly on the edge of the cliff as we ate the venison pie Dragon Mom brought. And dang, it was some good pie, and I told her so.

"Why thank you! I'm glad you like it. Now then, let's wait a bit before giving flying another try. Don't want to get sick."

I nodded and adjusted my coat. I'd left the backpack back at Dragon Mom's place and was very glad I did. I feel like it would have thrown off my balance even more than just trying to fly already did. I spent the brief pause taking on the sights and realized I could see a city on the side of a mountain in the distance.

"Is that...?"

"Canterlot. I remember back when the ponies lived in the Everfree forest. But, eventually they built the castle on that mountain and Canterlot around it."

"Huh, how long ago was that?"

"Oh... a couple hundred years ago."

I spit out the mouthful of water I'd just gotten and stared in shock at her.

"Wait, a couple HUNDRED years ago?!"

She nodded and looked at me in confusion.

"Why do you ask?"

"It's just... you don't look... hundreds!?"

She laughed and good naturedly winked at me.

"I guess I look good for being ooh... about nine-hundred or so years old."

I nodded, mouth wide open.

"Y-yeah! I mean... If I hadn't have know that I would thought maybe... uh... I dunno? Something less than a couple centuries, and that you just had grown larger than me."

She blushed and waved a claw at me.

"Now now, flattery will get you nowhere. Besides, I'm relatively small for a full grown dragon."

My jaw dropped again. She... was small!?

"How... how long do dragons live?"

She looked up and tapped her chin with a claw.

"Well... it all depends. Technically, if you don't get sick ever or ever get hurt one way or another... I think forever. Or at least, as close to forever as a living being can live."

"You're saying that... I'm immortal!"

She shrugged.

"In a sense. If what I'm thinking is true is true, you don't have to worry about dying of old age like ponies or gryphons or... well, anything else like that. Only other beings like us are alicorns or spirits, with some exceptions. Of course, I might just be a special case. I've never actually seen another dragon over two hundred years old. Actually... I didn't see any dragons at all until at least two hundred years ago. And even now, I tend to get tired really easily. In fact, I sleep longer and longer each time I sleep."

She yawned widely before smiling at me.

"Of course, I don't mind getting woken up to do something fun. I tend to spend most of my time awake doing various hobbies and eating until I sleep again."

I whistled,

"Talk about benefits! Being a dragon rocks!"

She sighed,

"It might seem that way, but those 'benefits' tend to seem like curses sometimes."

"How so?"

"Well, if you happen to be friends with, oh, say a pony or someone like that, you'll have to watch them grow old and die... while you stay the same. That's the reason many 'immortal' beings choose a life of solitude. Why risk all that heartache? Why fall in love or make friends that will die long before you will."

"Oh... that... I forgot about that."

She smiled and shook her head.

"And of course that isn't even factoring in how much food a full grown dragon eats! I mentioned I spend most of my awake time eating and doing various hobbies, and that's the truth! Trying to make enough food for one meal, or... even one mouthful is a pain in the tail!"

I cringed.

"Sounds like it."

"Oh don't worry, you probably won't have to worry about that for a long time."

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least I didn't have to worry about eating a metric boatload of food each day.

"Now then, ready to give flying another try?"

I sighed before getting to my feet.

"Yeah, why not."

----------------------------

By early evening I had finally gotten the basics of flight down. I might not be fast or be able to fly very far at one time, but I could fly. Dinner had been a... pretty somber affair. Dragon Mom was going back to sleep soon and I'd be heading for the location on my map. Who knew when or if we'd see each other again?

I'd been given some supplies and Dragon Mom gave me a short speech on making sure I bathed regularly and not to get into trouble (Sorry Dragon Mom, kinda not going to follow that one.) and then she just stood there. She sniffed and began tearing up.

"Oh... I, I know we haven't been aquatinted for very long. But... you've been very gracious to an old dragon like me, and... I'll... I'll miss you."

She surged forward and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her back before replying,

"Oh, cmon, don't cry Dragon Mom."

She gasped and... crap. I called her--

"Did... did you call me...."

"Yeah... sorry. It just kinda slipped--"

She squeezed a bit tighter.

"Oh are you trying to make me cry even more! That... that's the sweetest thing you could've said to me."

Okay... now, now I was getting emotional. Diddly darn it I didn't want to get emotional!

She took a shuddering breath before yawning widely. She looked at me before folding her arms behind her back.

"I... I don't want to overstep my bounds, but... would you mind if I... if I...."

I leaned towards her and nodded. She sniffed before planting a kiss on my forehead. She held her claws to her mouth before saying,

"Oh... you've been too kind to a silly old lady with old-fashioned dreams."

"Aw... I don't mind Dragon Mom. I... I'll come by forr a visit some time. I won't forget you."

She yawned again before smiling.

"I'd like that. Goodnight, Drake."

"Goodnight, Dragon Mom."

She smiled at the "Dragon Mom" part. Yeah... I can lay on the charm if I want. I headed for the couch as she made for her own bed. I looked at the ceiling as her breathing deepened.

No... no getting emotional. I'm not gonna get super sad... not gonna... oh hell.

-----------------------

The following morning I awoke and gathered my belongings before heading out. I pulled out my map and began to look around.

"Alright... I think I know where I'm going."

I faced towards what I thought was South given the sun was at my left. Here's hoping I didn't get hopelessly lost.

I crouched down before leaping into the air. I spread my wings and flew of towards my destination. Okay, you know how majestic I said the mountains were before? Double it. That's how awesome it looked from the air. I flew through the valley, some of the higher mountains were capped with snow, adding further to the scenery. Hopefully, I'd see some sort of landmark that would make my destination obvious.

I flew... and rested... and flew again. So far, rock, rock, rock and... yup, more rock. No big ass towers, or walls, or caves. Just regular old mountains and rivers. Eventually I landed, my wings exhausted. As I looked around at the evergreen trees and mountaintops, I sighed.

"C'mon Discord, give me a sign."

"Grrrrrr."

I froze before turning around, nice and slow. Out of the thicket behind me, a large shape began trundling in my direction. Out of the shadows strode the biggest dang bear I'd ever seen. And... it was purple. Why was it purple? It growled again and glared at me with its beady eyes.

"Hey! You don't want to screw with me! I'm a freaking dragon. So... just... turn around and go screw yourself."

He growled again and sniffed the air.

"Oh? You hungry you piece of trash? Well you'd better look elsewhere unless you want to taste STEEL!"

I fwooshed in my sword and pointed it at the bear. It backed away before growling again.

"Yeah, that's right. So back off."

I started to back away when it lunged towards me, paw swinging towards my head. I jumped back just in time for it to whistle past my head. I swung at it causing it to retreat and snap at me. We began to circle as I frantically tried to think of something to do.

Okay, it's me with my sword versus a very aggressive bear. I've only fought something in a video game and I don't know how well that translates to actual sword fighting. Unless... oh, idea!

I jumped backwards and threw my sword at the bear. It lept to the side causing my sword to stab into its shoulder rather than its head. It batted my sword aside and over the edge of the cliff. It turned to me looking angry and... smug?! Oh the cocky little--

"Oh, I'm so scared, whatever shall I do without my..." I whooshed my sword back. "Sword."

It grunted so oddly, kinda like it was trying to say, "Are you kidding me!?"

"Oh yeah, that just happened."

I threw my sword again, striking him in the side. I continued my "run like a coward while throwing my magic sword like a scum bag" technique until the bear roared one last time and ran off.

"Yeah! And think twice before you try to F**K with Drake the Thief!"

I laughed as I called back my sword. I don't know how it does that, but it's freaking--

*come forth, student.*

I froze. Okay, what was with--

Suddenly, the earth began to shake and the rock face to my left split into two doors that swung outward. I stared at the door before looking inside. I could see a corridor light with blue flames coming from some sort of lanterns on the walls.

Alright, door in the side of a mountain. Two possible outcomes. One, it's like in Eragon where there's a thriving civilization under the mountains. Or two, it's like Moria.

I gulped and stepped inside. As soon as I had crossed the threshold, the doors swung shut. I looked back before groaning.

"And so Alice went down the rabbit hole, not once considering how on earth she would get back out.... Please don't be Moria."

Comments

[Nightraven]

I wouldn't mind Moria. At least when you look past the balrog... Or the bottomless pits...

[WhooshieWoosh]

8537293
And the fact it’s a total maze.

[Gravity012]

XD that’s me on a video game

Me: (throws magical teleporting swords at other player)

Other player: arrrgh!!! Fight me like a man!!

Me: (stops throwing swords...........starts duel wielding and throwing swords)

[8bitmadness]

8621932
I'm the guy in the back who just flings fireballs at people who aren't paying attention.

[Epicbattlefan]

I feel like he should at least spent an extra day there learning how to breath fire and should have warned dragon mom about the bounty otherwise a pretty solid chapter

[Sunsong]

I threw my sword again, striking him in the side. I continued my "run like a coward while throwing my magic sword like a scum bag" technique until the bear roared one last time and ran off.

Lightning miracle build Dark Souls (1 not 2 or 3, all miracles suck in the later two games.)

[Shadowshame]

No... no getting emotional. I'm not gonna get super sad... not gonna... oh hell.

Oh god damn it you did the undertale reference so well you have me tearing up with your character 😭