Chapter Text
CLANG!
Hollyberry grunted, lips twisting into a smile as a thick sword collided with her shield. The serrated edges often gave her a run for her money, but years of fighting with and against her opponent had leveled the playing field.
She knew Pitaya’s every move, and Pitaya knew hers. She could tell they were analyzing her strategy even as their throat glowed with flames. Hollyberry sidestepped the bright pink blaze as it erupted from her partner, rushing toward them with powerful legs and kicking up dust into the faces of the people watching.
She loved sparring with them like this. It was far more fun when it was just them, but having an audience was nice too. While she wasn’t necessarily one to bask in glory, she did quite enjoy the slack-jawed looks of awe the Dragon Hunters wore.
A small group of them had asked to see Hollyberry fight with a dragon, and who was she not to deliver? It would do them good to be able to better hold their own against a threat, even if dragons technically weren’t a problem for them anymore.
Pitaya had agreed happily as well. They were never one to turn down a good spar, especially not with Hollyberry. After all, they had held her throne for quite some time, purely to get her attention. That was one of the many, many reasons Hollyberry regretted not coming back sooner.
But that was all in the past now, she supposed. She dodged another fiery attack, driving her shield into Pitaya’s chest. They let out a loud oof, spewing a few licks of fire as they were pushed back.
They laughed, spinning around and swiping their tail under Hollyberry’s feet. She stumbled, but did not fall, though this still gave Pitaya an opening.
A blur of white, and Pitaya was raking their claws across Hollyberry’s cheek. She hissed as blood stained her skin, though her lips cracked into a smile. “You’re quite bold today,” she laughed, wiping the blood from her cheek. The sting only made her heart beat faster.
Pitaya let out a sound halfway between a growl and a chuckle. “Aren’t I alwaysss,” they shot back, lunging forward once again. They wheezed as Hollyberry drove her knee into their stomach. Someone in the crowd let out an audible wince.
Hot desert winds loosened Hollyberry’s braid, which she still favored over her usual twin buns when she was in disguise. “I wouldn’t say you’re always ‘bold,’” she quipped, lifting one elbow and preparing to jump. “A reckless lizard would be a more accurate description!”
She jumped into the air, ready to pile drive Pitaya into the ground. Before she could, a clawed hand grabbed her foot, and she was being slammed into the ground herself. Dust clouded her vision as she lost all the air in her lungs.
“Ooh, ouch,” Pitaya snarled, though their tone was less offended than it was amused. “Resssorting to insssults, are we? How childish.”
Hollyberry sucked in a deep breath, trying to regain her strength and keep track of Pitaya’s voice in the dust cloud their wings were stirring up. They were much smarter than most people gave them credit for, actually having a plan for most of their battles. That plan usually consisted of “hit fast and hard,” but it counted.
“I’m not the childish one here,” Hollyberry insisted, grinning as she picked out Pitaya’s footsteps. “Perhaps you should face me instead of hiding in the dirt like a hatchling!”
To punctuate her sentence, she spun around and hurled her shield forward. It struck true, the rounded parts of the heart-shaped metal striking Pitaya in the chest. They grunted, then growled, the beating of their wings finally blowing the dust away. The cloud ended up in the audience, and coughs and complaints replaced the cheers that had erupted moments ago.
Hollyberry couldn’t care less, though. She was entirely focused on her opponent, who was picking up her shield and throwing it back to her. She caught it with ease. It was not a fair fight if both of them weren’t properly armed, and they both just so happened to hate unfair fights.
Truth be told, there were better ways to help the Dragon Hunters. It was more accurate to fight, say, a wyvern than it was to have a friendly spar. Nobody had objected, however, and Hollyberry was more than happy to take this opportunity to spend time with Pitaya.
So they exchanged blows equally, sometimes drawing blood, but never too much. They knew what to do after so many years together, avoiding especially important organs as they jabbed and scratched at each other.
Pitaya was brutal, tearing clothes and leaving scratches on Hollyberry’s arms when her shield failed to catch the brunt of the damage. Hollyberry was defensive, leaving scuffs in Pitaya’s armor and bruises on their ribs as she rushed them with blunt force.
Metal sparked against metal, and pink and green flames roared in the arid winds. Hollyberry missed this every day, even immediately after it was over. No matter how often she got to spend time with Pitaya, it would never be enough to make up for the years lost.
No. Now was not the time to think of that. Now was the time for gnashing teeth and pumping blood and desert heat making Hollyberry’s bangs stick to her sweaty forehead.
Pitaya tried to bull rush her, only for their claws to get caught on her shield. She spun around, the dragon still attached, and slammed the face of her shield onto the ground. Pitaya struggled under her weight, and while they almost managed to throw her off, Hollyberry emerged victorious.
The crowd cheered, but Hollyberry did not hear them. She was focused entirely on Pitaya, who was hissing angrily at their loss. Hollyberry laughed softly and extended her hand, removing her shield from Pitaya and moving to help them up.
“You fought well,” she said with genuine sincerity. “If I remember correctly, that puts me in the lead, does it not?” They kept a tally of each spar, wins and losses scratched onto pads of paper and stone tablets. They never kept records in the same spot, but each trusted the other to never tamper with the results. After all, where was the fun in a false win?
Pitaya snorted out a cloud of smoke, brushing off Hollyberry’s hand. Always a sore loser, that old lizard. “Not for long,” they insisted, confirming Hollyberry’s suspicions. They shook off the dust and grime and glared.
“Jussst wait,” they said with a slightly malicious smile. “Next time, I will be the one emerging victoriousss! I—“
Hollyberry was snorting, and Pitaya shut their mouth to stare at her incredulously. Their pink cheeks turned even redder, to the point where their markings faded in comparison.
“Don’t laugh,” they hissed, glaring at Hollyberry while she did just that. Their gaze held no real anger, and a smile was threatening to cross their lips as well. They were so easy to read sometimes, and it was absolutely adorable.
Hollyberry’s smile softened. She took a step forward and gently rested her hand on Pitaya’s cheek. “Calm yourself,” she said quietly with a subtle wink. “I’m only teasing. I look forward to being tied with you again!”
She did not remove her hand from Pitaya’s face. They were just so easy to hold, so warm. Getting warmer by the second, in fact. Their expression was one of shocked comfort, and their throat rumbled with held-back purrs.
A clawed hand snaked up and around Hollyberry’s, resting on the back of her palm. The Queen Mother half expected Pitaya to yank her fingers away, but they only leaned into her grip.
This was nowhere near the first intimate moment they had shared after a spar, but Hollyberry didn’t think she would ever get tired of it. The way Pitaya’s eyes gently fluttered shut, the way they finally unleashed their purr in the comfort of her presence. Soft and uninhibited by their easily bruised pride.
Of course, it couldn’t last long. Someone cleared their throat, and a familiar voice spoke up from the audience Hollyberry had forgotten was even there. She pulled away from Pitaya and turned to face Tarte Tatin, who was glancing back and forth between the two with her single eye.
“That was… a very informative battle,” she said with a raised eyebrow. She shot Hollyberry a look, as if to ask what the hell that had been about. Hollyberry sent an apologetic look back, silently promising to explain later.
“Of courssse,” Pitaya placed one hand on their hip and beamed at the praise. “Did you expect anything lesssss from usss?”
Us. Hollyberry liked the sound of that, her heart swelling ever so slightly. She grinned, shaking her head slowly. What was she going to do with Pitaya?
She hoisted her shield onto her back and quickly checked the position of the sun. Damn, it had gotten late. She sighed and turned back to face her friends with an apologetic smile.
“That was a fantastic fight,” she said to Pitaya with every ounce of sincerity her voice could muster, which was quite a bit of sincerity if she said so herself. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid I have to go. I promised Wildberry I would come back quickly.”
Her sons. Such worriers, both of them. She loved them for it, but she wished they would loosen up just a little.
Pitaya’s mood deflated instantly. Their tail lashed the ground, kicking up more dust. “Ssseriousssly,” they grumbled, scowling at Hollyberry with a look she knew all too well these days.
She winced. “I know,” she said softly, “but I promised. You know you can visit me anytime, right?” She honestly hoped they would. She had missed them as much as she had missed her family while she was gone, though in a different way. She wondered if they would ever return to how things used to be, or if she would always be distrusted.
Pitaya rolled their eyes, snorting smoke again. “Yesss, yesss,” they huffed dismissively, though their bitter expression had softened. “I will hold you to that, Hollyberry.”
The Queen Mother chuckled, holding out her hand. “I expect nothing less,” she said. Without a word, Pitaya took her hand, squeezing it with a gentleness they showed no one else. Well, except for Snapdragon, but that wasn’t the same.
Hollyberry fully intended to keep her promise to Pitaya. She had decided months ago, when she returned, that she would never abandon anyone like that again. Especially not Pitaya. They would never understand how much they meant to her, and she suspected the same about their feelings toward her.
All she could think about as she left was when she would see Pitaya next. She couldn’t wait for that moment.