Baa-Ram-Ewe!

by Darkonshadows

234. Even knowing I can’t be by your side~.

-Dolly?-

With a yawn, I was awake.

I nuzzled into my mother’s warm pristine fur and I wanted to get started on a bright sunny day, but something was wrong.

She wasn’t moving or breathing, she was last night before we went to sleep and she even sang to us.

“The stronger the connection… the more painful the heartbreak.” I stood up and turned to see mom walking up to me, I was confused at seeing the large Samoyed I couldn’t forget in two different positions. “It’s okay my little Dolly, you only felt what it is like to die through your connections. Bonds like these are rare and should be treasured as they are not easily broken. Your companion Pom did warn you of this and you didn’t listen and held on… good, you should hold on to such bonds as hard you can! While you can now understand what kind of pain such bonds can bring you, it is still very much worth it to the very end. Find your way back to them my little puppy herder and don’t ever forget what you’re leaving behind as you move forward sweetie. Also tell your father that I approve of Delilah, sure he might not believe you, but tell him that steak on our first date was wonderful even if he made some ‘mis-steaks’ with it. Also I remember you telling your siblings that 'Dalmatians can do anything', can you honestly say that's still true when you've already given up? Grieve, then push forward and find a path.”

The white furred dog turned and walked through a bright doorway.

“Mom?” Getting up I tried to follow her through the door way only to bonk my nose on something invisible in the doorway that wouldn’t let me through.

-Bridge of The Raptor, Ocellus-

I knew Smolder would come for me, but I didn’t think she was that greedy about me being her girlfriend!

You think you know a dragon… but that she loves me this much says a lot and she was currently rage and love incarnate. The rage would have been relatively intolerable for me and even debilitating, except the love directed specifically to me and where the rage went specifically to my captor.

At this point, I think it was about time to drop the charade and distance myself from Dragaunus… I just had to wait for him to have Smolder’s full attention because she clearly wasn’t in her right mind at the moment.

On average I’d say Dragaunus was ten to twelve feet in height and mostly muscle, Smolder was currently about twice his size, weight and durability. I wasn’t worried about her, I had to worry about myself. Dragaunus was wearing armor and purple, had three claws and three toes at the end of each limb.

Smolder was glaring at Dragaunus and the fact that he was holding me by the throat.

“You should really let me go…” I muttered to Dragaunus, if he actually listened I could stop Smolder… possibly before he loses limbs and acquires broken bones. He might even survive this, Ponyville certainly did because Rarity managed to stop Spike from a greed growth problem.

Also while his attention was on Smolder, I did some silent internal shape shifting that didn’t require visible magical flare to make the changes. Internal changes that didn’t require a noticeable change in my outer appearance were the best I could do in this situation.

“So you know this beast…” Yes, rather intimately at that Dragaunus, but you probably wouldn’t want to hurt me considering what I just did.

“Yes, you can say that.” I said flatly as Smolder didn’t immediately attack, she was staring at me and her wings were spreading and she looked about ready to maul Dragaunus should he do anything stupid. “You should really let me go. Hurting me would be bad, trying to hurt them would probably be worse and holding onto me is painting a target on your back that you seriously don’t want.”

Thankfully I was prepared for Dragaunus to do something stupid, because I got a good read of his pride. He did have some common sense and was an intelligent guy… just nearly enough common sense, intelligence or knowledge to know that what he was about to do was going to end in tears.

“The beast may be large, but I am a lord of Saurians!” His left claw filled with flames as he tightened his right claws grip on my throat, especially his long thumb claw that he slowly slid into position making Smolder growl. While I’m aware that you alien lizards had fire and magical fire as abilities, dragons aren’t exactly something I would try to fight fire with. “Taste the might of my people.”

“Please don’t, you have no idea what you’re about to set into motion do you?” He didn’t listen to me and tossed the fireball at her.

The tall red guy wearing armor and purple with three claws and three digits on each foot and claws just stood there a bit flummoxed when Smolder quite literally opened her mouth and swallowed the fireball.

“Well they’ve tasted it… didn’t seem to do much really.” I calmly watched as Smolder was about to surge forward only for him to press his thumb claw lightly into my neck draw a small bit of blood on my fur that made her back off. Well was Dragaunus was doomed now, I just had to wait for my blood to start taking effect, changelings were immune to anything they biologically mimic and this wouldn’t effect Smolder in any way. “Again, you really should let me go while you still have a chance.”

He ignored me or the blood trickling down his claw onto his skin from my currently furry form. He wasn’t going to be very happy about ignoring that later.

“Quiet you nuisance!” The greed dragon swung a claw at Dragaunus making him back up a bit, but she didn’t follow after him. Despite how angry she was, Smolder was actually playing this fairly smart by clearly keeping Dragaunus away from the doorway. “Your usefulness to me might have come to its end…”

“Well I wouldn’t say that, also don’t do what I think you’re going to…” Let’s see if I had a read of his personality right.

-Dragaunus-

I came up with a plan and quickly, I needed both my hands free if I am to fight this somewhat intelligent beast. If I distracted the beast, then it would be simple to escape, but if it didn’t distract it I would still be able to fight.

My right thumb claw lifted and I slashed my hostage across the throat and threw the girl away from myself to the right as I personally jumped to the left. The hostage bounced once and then she laid lifelessly on the floor as I went to move forward, her blood smeared across my armor and face.

At least something fell to a Saurian’s might today!

Unfortunately the beast didn’t take the bait and was immune to flames, but I doubt it was immune to my fists! I rammed my right fist into its chin… it’d didn’t even budge a micrometer.

It immediately slapped me with its right claw and I broke some consoles. Fortunately they weren’t powered or else I would have been hurt worse.

I quickly got up and dodged as the beast was upon me.

-Playing dead on the floor, Ocellus-

Called it, ruthless overlord guy that regularly beats up his own people would go for slashing my throat open with his sharp thumb claw.

Thankfully he only slashed open a toads poison sack that liberally sprayed all over him and not my actual shrunken neck, he didn’t go nearly deep enough with his claw to hit my real throat. Had he tried to slice off my actual head… well that would have been a bit more problematic to walk off or account for.

All he did was set me free, make Smolder angrier and make what the fake simulated ‘blood’ would do to him about five times worse as well as act faster. The poor guy had about five minutes before it kicked in and I just had to stay out of his and Smolder’s way.

Changeling biology was never superior to anything else, but when it came to survival it let us do ridiculous things that most other creatures couldn’t hope to copy once you’re made aware of how to mix and match biology sufficiently.

I silently wonder if Dragaunus could adapt to Bufogren poison? I’d find out that answer soon enough.

For one the poison wasn’t lethal and since its changeling mimicry it’s going to be much weaker than the normal poison, but the amount that touched him would make up the difference. Also one of the properties was that it ate through materials like armor and metals, like the stuff he was currently wearing which was started to wear away under his notice. His armor and cloth would fall off him soon enough.

Bufogren’s were not dangerous creatures to be around on Equus, it was in fact quite the opposite. You were safest when a Bufogren was present in a swamp. They like quiet and solitude, because their sense of hearing beats out their having six eyes by a mile, they would know if a threat was around and would warn any wary traveler of such a thing despite how sensitive to sound they were. They also try not to accidentally poison people, because that was somewhat easy to do for them by accident.

The poison was going to be dangerous enough for Dragaunus with Smolder on top of him for attempting to kill me. I would stop Smolder before she could manage to go through with killing him, which was a scary prospect given her current condition of rage and greed.

While Dragaunus was clearly trying to fight Smolder for his life or for some twisted sense of glory, he was doing absolutely nothing to her in her current state… I quietly admired Smolder’s form from the floor.

She was going to look far more beautiful than this when she was thousands of years older, it’s the lacking intelligence in her eyes that sadly made the difference here. Where’s the dragoness that liked cute silly stuff? She was pretty good about keeping her head on her shoulders and holding back her greed for so long.

At some point of watching the two Dragaunus’s armor fell off making him trip and take a bad hit from Smolder that not only put claw marks in his chest, but damaged the ceiling from the impact that made me wince. Yet Dragaunus was already evading after his feet touched the floor, he really was quite tough.

I quietly got up and moved closer to the entrance, only for several of those robots to surge in, they were quickly torn apart lazily by Smolder’s whipping tail and had seemingly ignored or had missed seeing me slinking off to the side of the doorway.

Looking into the hallway there weren’t any more robots coming. I turned back to see that Dragaunus, despite avoiding Smolder expertly, was starting to slowing down physically and mentally.

Okay… add wings to my current form in a flash of flames that only appeared around my midsection… I now had wings by making them look like they were always there by covering the feathers in a light amount of fur that was barely any different than what Abigail normally had.

Now how do I get in close and her attention off him without her snapping at me? Also, I need to be sure Dragaunus doesn’t do anything so he has to be completely incapacitated before I attempt to bring Smolder to her senses.

As I was concerned about how to approach her, she managed to press her left claw down on his fairly large crocodilian tail. Her other claw came up and smashed him into the floor he was struggling and couldn’t handle the weight of Smolder’s greed.

Lifting her left claw from his tailed she smashed it down on his head and this dazed him, leaving him barely conscious. Lifting his entire body with her right claw, she bodily smashed him against the floor making him unconscious either from the pain or the amount of raw force put into it.

Now would be a good time to get in there before she killed him, but first… dragon bones and dragon skin. I couldn’t have that while they were torturing me or they would have known something was up when the whip didn’t lash me up.

The torture was painful and that Wraith guy tried to get into my mind, but it was nothing I hadn’t been used to under Ex-Queen Chrysalis’s rule. At least Dragaunus had something of an amiable personality despite being a lethal lizard.

“Smolder stop!” Yelling out to her Smolder was an inch away from putting a hole in Dragaunus’s neck and she turned to me with a growl, but then started to coo and she swiftly wrapped her right claw around my waist and hind legs pulling me physically from the air. “It’s okay, I’m mostly alright with everything that’s happened over the last few days… physically anyway. Psychologically? Yeah, we’re going to need some really good therapists after all of this… I wonder if any of our friends know any good ones back on earth.”

Smolder just nuzzled my head with her large nose and tickled at my ears with the claws on her left hand. This is around the time that the five Mighty Ducks charged in and ‘Grin’ the large one was smashing two robots together.

“Drop the hostage!” Wilding ordered aiming his armored arm at Smolder’s head.

“Don’t worry I’m not in any danger from Smolder, so please, don’t shoot at her! I’m kind of the only thing keeping her calm at the moment.” I felt myself pulled against the Smolder’s chest where I could feel the warmth of her body and she held me tight while growling at the ducks. “Just get Dragaunus out of here before she decides to bite out of one of his limbs for trying to kill me. I just need a moment to calm her down.”

She opened her mouth and it was billowing with flames, but they didn’t spew, instead the ducks took to aiming at Dragaunus and tried very hard to ignore Smolder holding me close to her chest. Also the way she held me was both full of greed and affection, of course I was going to feel quite safe despite my current predicament.

Once the Mighty Ducks secured Dragaunus, I decided to make the final play of the day to return Smolder to normal since the threats to me have passed.

“Smolder I think you might be crushing me a little bit too tightly…” I tried to put fake strain in my voice, gasping and the whole nine yards of acting into it. I could feel Smolder worriedly lifting me up to look me over, having loosened her grip entirely. I quickly transformed back to my smaller base form in a flash of green flames and then hovered up to the tip of her nose with my glittering wings fluttering. “There, there… it is okay Smolder I’m safe… relatively…”

I leaned forward and kissed her on the end of her snout with a fairy like grace, a moment later… I saw recognition enter Smolder’s eyes as she looked down at herself. She slowly started shrinking and I quickly spread my hooves and hugged her big chest until she shrunk down enough for me to wrap my hooves around.

“Ah… Ozzy?” I think we were about done here, I held her tightly and kept her in place.

“Come on Smolder, you’re my big brave dragon… you came to rescue me with pure greed powering you’re love for me.” It was so sweet, the taste of her love and I loved her too.

“What… happened?” Smolder asked after a bit of confusion.

“Nothing for you to worry about, I think it’s time we started on cleaning up here and heading back to the planet.” I held Smolder’s warm form to myself, fire was pretty, beautiful and enticing, but nothing can light a fire in my heart quite like Smolder can. “You were in decent control of yourself, despite losing your mind to come save me.”

-One hour later, three Moonlander built ships connected by airlocks in space, Shanty-

“That’s what be happening.” I be gently stroking Dolly’s head having removed her gear from her, she was still blankly blinking off into space and clutching at the device that used to be Dormarch’s PET.

“We still need to clean up the rest of the Hunter Drones, we’re not leaving anything like those things running around out here.” Mallory grumbled with her arms crossed, The Mighty Ducks be taking some injuries. Thankfully I be nothing bad enough to warrant serious medical attention though. “Who knows what they’ll do if left to their own devices.”

I be looking to Ocellus who was looking at Dolly sadly.

“What does she be feeling Ocellus?” My question redirected her gaze towards me.

“Empty is the word for it.” That not be sounding very good Ocellus. “She’s not going to be in the mood for happy emotions for a long while.”

“Well we did what we set out to do… we just had one fatality along the way.” Smolder tried to sound cold, but even she was digging herself into Ocellus’s side with a grip that Ocellus didn’t be minding one bit. “We stopped Dragaunus, we’ve mostly deal with his army and we’ve prevented him from opening a portal to the dimension the Saurian fleet is trapped in.”

“If it wasn’t for Dormarch the countdown would have taken out more than half of us.” Kim poked and prodded Rufus a bit being moderately affectionate towards him, far more than she had previously. “If the Heavy Hunter Drones didn’t do that first...”

“Good thing we made sure the robot factor couldn’t keep going while we were there, wouldn’t want that place to become active again even if Dormarch ruined the computer systems. Just imagine one of those regular robots replacing the operating systems with one of theirs and restarting all the trouble.” Ron Stoppable be looking around. “So what now?”

“We’ll destroy The Raptor, that’s not negotiable, then we’ll figure out what to do with the asteroid base before heading back to earth.” Anyone can be understanding why Wildwing wanted to deal with the ship in a more permanent manner. “We’re not going to leave The Raptor around out here for someone to find, they might capture another electromagnetic worm and cause even more problems.”

“Agreed, we destroy it.” Surprisingly Honey Lemon be onboard with the idea immediately.

“There, there.” Baymax said as he came over and patted a still rather unresponsive Dolly on the head. “There still signs of Hunter Drone activity in both the ship and the base, destruction of the ship can lead to some form of closure for some of us who have experienced a loss. The Saurians will be detained for as long as we can feasibly hold them.”

The ones who be experience the loss the most would be us, Team Leap Lamb.

“If it helps, I know what it’s like to lose a brother too.” Hiro be trying, but Dolly was still not responding to anything, he still ran his fingers through her black and white fur gently. It wasn’t long after that he be taking an interest in the device Dolly’s paws just wouldn’t let go. “I wonder what this thing does or where it even came from.”

Dolly didn’t be minding us taking the helmet or her skateboard from her, but we could not even begin to get her to be letting go of that device specifically.

“It used to be being the pet device thing that was being Dormarch’s home, it is also being his cage. He could not be separating himself from it without being killed.” That was as much as I knew, I wasn’t much of a technological whiz besides knowing how to make black powder. Even Dodo be far more than I could ever understand, but he is still being connected to me despite our bond nearly snapping and him being currently dormant.

“It was designed to stop beings like Dormarch from running rampant by Kahn Industries. He even told us himself that it was a good idea.” Smolder pointed out and we gather around Dolly.

“Yeah, but it looks entirely different now, I wonder what it does now if it’s not containing or keeping Dormarch bound to it?” Ocellus poked at it with a hoof, poking or prodding the device didn’t get much reaction from Dolly. “Does technology on your world normally transform through magical or mystical means like this?”

“No, but it certainly does have me curious, if this was the last thing left of her brother, then she’ll need to understand it as there may be something to it.” It sound like Hiro be speaking from experience as he turned to look at Baymax.

It only be by trying to take it that her paws tightened to a point that you’d have to hurt her to even get her to relinquish the thing, she was very protective of it for someone that not be in any thinking state of mind. Nobody be wanting to actually take the last thing Dolly’s little brother be leaving to her.

“This ship doesn’t have very strong scanners, but that device still has a working power source.” We turned to look at Ms. Shuttle. “Maybe you should activate to see if it does something unique about it? Also Mighty Ducks Team, please make sure that the Saurians are secure again.”

We gathered around the device, Solder, Ocellus and me, Smolder was the one to prod the devices buttons and the like. Curiously enough when she found a way to turn the device on it showed a strange symbol, the symbol be reminding me of Pom somehow before the screen be showing something different.

“Hm… Menu… help, contacts, one message pending…” Pressing the buttons didn’t do much more, but Smolder be saying something that be helping us out a bit. “I could use some help with figuring out how this device works.”

The screen lit up and then a large screen be appearing in the air above the device that drew everyone’s attentions.

-Transformed Personal Exploration Terminal, Digital Device-

‘Yggdrasill.sys’

Accessing digital device help function.

Warning, user Pom not present, device functions limited.

Accessing device data… 40%... 60.7%... 100%... all device data read.

A digital device or digivice, is a powerful device that helps the wielder use their spirit or power of heart to boost digital companions to immense potential. It is given to those who mostly embody heroic or villainous natures depending on the balance a digital world may need. There are approximately five hundred and thirty seven instances of interconnected Yggdrasill Network Branch Worlds in existence.

Digivice is also used for various other functions provided to help the wielder in the course of rebalancing network problems, without a digimon partner the wielder will at least have survival functions enabled for personal use.

The user of this device is not needed, but the device will remain functional in case strong need of a balance occurs. Unlikely, for without a partner the user cannot fight the most disruptive elements in other network worlds.

Devices purpose… is usually aiding in the rebalancing of Yggdrasil Administrative System operating any given branching world networks. Its aid is currently not required for any digital world maintenance and user has been logged with all digital realms. It will summon user in last ditch effort in case of emergency, but will not attempt to get the user killed needlessly and only if the user can possibly deal with the issue.

Current Chance of user Pom being priority summoned by device in dire circumstances… 0.0000001%

Updating all new information… please hold.

Bonded digimon partner…

New Type Digimon. Name: Dalma.mon. Current status: Deceased.

Restoration…

Improbable to impossible.

Reasons?

Massive data corruption to digivolution system, digimon partner’s digital soul missing, immense world breaking viral corruption installed (Cross referencing various virus incidents and digital destined involved in said incidents.), digimon egg routines likely destroyed by virus and or other various anomalous errors.

Crest of *@#)$^*% discovered to have been tied to digimon… searching for digital soul in dark area for immediate reinstatement.

Error… soul not found, soul has not gone to Dark Area. Digimon has likely suffered true erasure.

Crest recovery improbable to impossible.

Crests are based on the individuals and bonded partner personalities, it is unfortunate that such a powerful crest was destroyed beyond the system’s ability to restore. Extremely sorry for the inconvenience.

Possible conclusion, full erasure of digimon enacted by world. Prior function in last incarnation, incidental and accidental scouting of world with viable technological level as Dorulu.mon before finding partner to bond to in new incarnation from egg state.

Current Digivice capabilities are among the following. Noted uses added are scanning for digital breaches, capturing and holding digimon for training and or bonding purposes in personal digital space pocket accessible by the user. Other applications and data were left behind by Dalma.mon during runtimes.

No digital breaches currently detected, several digital anomalies detected, no digimon present in world.

World has been noted as exceedingly dangerous to digimon life and some information has been logged on this device as to why. Mild apologies for the inconvenience, invasion was not systems original intent.

One message recorded by ‘Dormarch D. Lambchop’ found. It was to be originally played by the PET before being reconstituted into a Digivice. It will be played upon conclusion of device diagnostics.

Species name Dalma.mon is to be reconstructed in data centers with available data and be instated as a new digimon type using current acquired information. Will send to testing worlds for viability.

Unable to recreate Search Hunter signature combat program from data elicited from device, Dalma.mon species will be mildly inconvenienced. Including substitute signature move combat data from viable digimon species… Gao.mon and Labra.mon chosen.

Thank you for the data, we will now be attempting to reproduce Dalma.mon ‘data’ type digimon for study and viability as partners. First batch will consist of one hundred and one Dalma.mon instances.

Yggdrasill systems will consider sending a fresh Dalma.mon to user for bonding purposes. Considering prior loss, user will probably not want to bond to a new Dalma.mon partner. Please refer to ‘Yggdrasill.sys’ if you are possibly ready for a new partner.

Playing message now…

“If you’re hearing this, then I am sorry I couldn’t have been with you much longer. The Kahn Industries virus was tied to me specifically and I couldn’t create a copy of myself without the virus being alive inside that copy. If I had detached, then the PET would have been immediately infected by the pale imitation that wouldn’t have what makes me… well… me. I am leaving the PET to my mother Pom or my big sister Dolly.” Digimon Dalma.mon took a few seconds to breathe and star at the center of the screen. “I couldn’t just force you to live with a copy of me, even if I could have eventually somehow figured how out to make it survive. I just wanted you to know, I was surprised that you were able to love me like you all did. I know I was a bit of a coward and an introvert, but mom… mom is special in so many ways I can’t begin to describe and you were special too Dolly. You so easily latched onto me with such a bright smile when I manifested and even invited me into your family to call me you’re little brother and then there was this strange connection we all have. I’m sorry that things come to this, but… if I had to I would save all of you again in the same exact way. It helped solved all the problems at once and fairly efficiently at that… I’m sorry that this happened while you were out mom, I wanted to at least hug you one last time before saying… good-bye. I don’t regret living and I still want to live, but things don’t always quite work out the way we want them too. I love you Mom, Dolly, everyone else who has been a friend of mine like Ms. Shuttle. My life may have been cut short, but its people like you that make life worth living. So please, for my sake, keep living for as long and well as you can and fight to achieve all your dreams! I’m of the mind that miracles are earned and it was a miracle that I even met all of you... my dreams were simply to be of assistance. Please, help mom get back home for me Dolly.”

-Dolly-

Having come to my senses at hearing him, tears finally fell from my eyes as I slowly reached up to my chest with my left paw as my right was occupied by the device.

I had the will and I was still an optimist at heart, then there still might be a way to bring you back baby brother. I just had to look for a way, my powers came from my heart and you're still a part of it little bro! I was of course going to grieve over you're death, but I wasn't alone in grieving and I won't let Pom be without a dog... that rabid case of walking anxiety absolutely needed one!

There’s nothing a Dalmatian can’t do and I will just have to prove that, to infinite and beyond if I had to!

Comments

[Herald of Opera]

First batch will consist of one hundred and one Dalma.mon instances.

Of course.

to infinite and beyond

Not quite correct, but maybe she just never watched the show (which was probably the same cartoon that aired in our universe).

[AllenVth]

Yes Dolly, you get your brother back, regardless of what the digivice says. He's out there!

[Alchemik]

Well, improbable to impossible isn't the best of odds. But then, it's not just impossible. Perhaps they will see Dormarch again. And if not? There are worse legacies than saving all your friends and allies, sealing your victory, and being the genesis of a new species.

And to think he was only a puppy...