Chapter Text
My feet slide over the slippery tiles of the roof, struggling to find purchase—
then my momentum tosses me off the edge.
I hit open air, and my stomach drops.
Chilling winds buffet against my skin. The view of the surrounding city opens up, the streets and the people, the cars and the glass buildings. Through the dark night, bright lights twinkle up the skyscrapers that rise above either side of my head.
I let out a whoop.
It’s a good day to be alive.
The ground is rushing at me, but luckily, there’s a small park surrounding the building I’d jumped form. I whistle, low and clear, right before I slam into the branches of the trees below.
They help to slow my momentum, and by the time I fall through the sharp branches, my pegasus is running to catch me.
I love it when I time things right.
Makes the scene that much more dramatic.
Wings rise up off of Ness’s sides, and he jumps, pumping them up, then down.
He comes just into reach, and I grab the straps of his reins before we crash to the ground, Ness taking the impact in stride.
I also love my pegasus.
“I hate you,” Ness hisses.
“You know you mean love! ” I sing, just as the roar of the Dragon Witch tears through the air around us.
The park is a blur, and soon, we’re galloping down the streets of the capital city, people scrambling to get out our way.
“Official business, coming through!” Ness shouts, ignoring my tugs on his reins.
“Surely we can afford to slow down! What if we run someone over?”
“Then you can just make them come back to life.”
“Ness!”
“ Ro .”
There’s movement above my head, and I can see the Dragon Witch now, covering the sky above us, her crimson eyes flashing. A peal of flames erupt from her mouth, and Ness makes a sharp turn.
I look over my shoulder to see the flames blaze against the steel and glass of a building, blackening and twisting the material beyond recognition.
“Hide,” Ness says, and before I can ask him what he means, he bucks.
Unprepared for the sudden jolt, I’m thrown off the saddle.
I crash into something soft, something deep, and I sit up, spitting out whatever went into my mouth.
Just in time to see the Dragon Witch’s shadow pass over me, as she continues to chase down Ness.
That stupid pegasus!
He threw me off!
I swear, none of my creations are more rebellious than that idiot!
I shift out of the garbage bags— that’s what I’d fallen into, and now I’m covered in disgusting grime and other trash— as I stand up.
I’m going to have a talk with Ness about this.
But not now.
Only after I defeat the Dragon Witch for the nth time.
I look around— I’m in an alley, and the stairs of a fire escape are just out of reach above my head.
I hop onto the city’s garbage containers, reaching for the edge of the rusting metal stairs.
I jump, covering the needed distance, and hook my fingers into the metal. I kick my feet, and I catch on something, something firm enough for me to push my weight on so I can pull myself onto the side of the stairs.
Then it’s a sprint to the top, to the roof— another one , I grin, right after the fall I took, too — and I make it in time to see the Dragon Witch hesitating a distance away, circling the spires of the skyscrapers ahead.
I whistle again— I know Ness can hear it too, it’s a whistle I learned just for him— and the Dragon Witch swerves around, her eyes locking on my form.
“Hey, Lizard Breath!” I shout, waving my arms. “Looking for me?”
Her roar is louder than thunder, making me cover my ears just as she circles around, heading for me.
I call for my katana, and it materializes in my hands, the familiar weight pressing into my palms.
“You won’t hurt anyone today!” I yell, as she comes straight at me, mouth open wide, another ball of fire ready to burn me to a crisp.
I start running to meet her, jumping onto something metallic protruding from the roof to get some leverage— she’s right here now, the fire’s about to reach me— I twist around, with another jump. Her fire passes the air where I’d been harmlessly, but she’s still coming towards me too fast to stop.
I stab my katana through her scales and wrap my hands around the hilt.
I slam into the Dragon Witch’s wide neck, as I hurtle along with her, towards who-knows-where.
She lets out another one of her roars, and I grit my teeth, refusing to let go.
I try to wrap my flailing legs around her neck as best as I can, trying not to look down at the dizzying height below us.
If I die here, it’ll probably take me a few days to come back, and the others would feel the absence of my presence.
But I guess that doesn’t matter anymore.
She suddenly twists, and my hold on my katana slips.
Any time now, Ness .
But it’s too late—
I’m already falling.
Ugh.
I hate dying.
It’ll be worth it if the Dragon Witch died with me, so we could count this match a draw.
But I know it takes more than a stab at the neck to kill the Dragon Witch.
Something slams into my side.
I splutter, as a rancid smell fills my lungs— worse than the garbage I was just in, worse than anything in the Imagination, and green fills my vision.
That can only mean one thing.
Or, more accurately, one Side .
We slam painfully against the side of a building, and then we’re free falling.
“Our dear prince going splat? ” He laughs, his annoying voice grating at my ears even on my way to death. “I’d pay to see that .”
And then his arm wraps tightly around my waist, and we… swing?
I look up, to see webs trailing from his wrists.
“Then why are you helping me?” I growl, struggling against his grip— and he almost drops me, only to curse and scramble to grab my arm instead.
I bite down a scream— we swing into the side of another building— before we’re both falling again.
“Great, now there are two of you.”
Ness catches me, like he always does, and I adjust to sit better on his back.
This time, though, he’s caught some extra baggage.
I move to shove Remus off—
“What are you doing!” I shout, when I realize where Ness is heading. “I almost had—”
“Strategic retreat!” Ness calls. “You know you would’ve died there if Greenie hadn’t shown up.”
I want to protest, as I struggle to twist around to look at the Dragon Witch.
She’s not pursuing. She’s still struggling wildly in the air, probably disoriented from all the purple blood seeping from her neck. That won’t take her long to heal though, she’s freakish at regenerating.
But we’re just ignoring the perfect opportunity to humiliate her, and flying in the opposite direction.
I huff.
I would blame this on Remus.
I probably still can.
He’s draped over Ness’s back behind me, his head hanging listlessly over Ness’s side.
“Happy now, Sir-Stinks-A-Lot?” I hiss.
“Tickled pink.”