Chapter Text
Caws and screeches of once unfamiliar birds could be heard. Destroyed building with dirt and plants growing out of them, trees shading most things its branches could reach.
It was peaceful, and in the centre of it all, down in a shaded mossy area of Old york, sat Michealangelo.
He wasn’t here by himself, or by choice. His friend, a large blue beast with wings, almost frill like soft, long and jagged pieces of scale jutting out around the top and sides of its head. A long snout and head, even longer neck, and two strong legs. To finish it off, it was covered in frills past its shoulder and wing muscles, made to cut through air and water.
The same friend who he cried to when he had to abandon Herrade, only years after losing his brothers. The same friend who he fought alongside, the same friend that bare witnessed to the amount of times Micheal thought death at caught up with him.
He called him Cricket, rather fitting for how this beast seemed to run and jump around at lightning speeds.
Micheal refused to be weak, nowadays. Another thing he hated was how quickly Cricket could move on with life, growing with it. It made envy curl its vines around his heart, longing to be that carefree as he once was. But, it was a stupid want. One he could never get.
Mikey watched the egg, sighing in annoyance and breathing out. “Buddy, your egg probably won’t hatch for another.. couple days or whatever.”
He looked up at him, closing his eyes and shifting away and the snort of bad breath shot at him.
Truthfully, it was a good distraction. From the way everything was destroyed, and how life had now grown over it. Mikey did his best to always ignore the dark history of Old york.
Part of him found peace in the new life, of how everything continued despite what happened. He felt jealous, truthfully. It wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t life continue the way it was? Didn’t he do enough?-
A loud crack jumped him back to the present, as his eyes shot down to the egg, in one large nest.
Mikey hadn’t though it would hatch. He had found it one day and gave it to Cricket in hopes the abandoned egg would survive. Just a small hope. Still, the waiting process was boring.
He looked at the dragon, who was staring at it with such intensity Mikey thought the egg might fry.
He shuffled forward, cautiously, and placed a hand on the nest. “Hello?” Mikey stared down at the egg, blinking.
He inched closer, seeing it gently rock, smaller new cracks forming, an innate sense of curiosity taking over.
He was only inches away, gently reaching out a hand when-
CrrrACK
“GODDAMIT! Warn a guy next time!” He sputtered, spitting yolk on the ground as Cricket laughed.
“You didn’t tell me your eggs EXPLODE! Why are you laughing at me?!” He furiously wiped yolk and whatever else away from his eyes and face, along with the dirt and muck that clung to his scales like a second skin half the time.
“Don’t laugh at me! You knew, didn’t you? You knew!-“ he hissed out at Cricket, but was cut short, by the small and urgent chirps of a very, very soggy baby.
When Micheal looked at it, his eyes filled with curiosity..
It felt new. He felt like he could accept how everything was destroyed, that life continued growing.
Cricket was cleaning the baby, taking care of it, despite reptiles typically abandoning their young.
He slowly inched forward, his old and worn heart warming.
“..hello.” He murmured, staring down at the new addition to his life.
It felt.. odd. To see such a small thing, that would grow into a giant. It’s head was big for it’s body, and it lacked any frills or spines. It was.. cute. Unharmed from what happened.
New life. He was always so interested, in all the new species and plants, and how everything seemed to piece itself back together.
He had hated it at first, it reminded him of how he was no longer a piece in the puzzle, how he had been left alone and forced to adapt into a shape that wasn’t his to match what was new.
But he didn’t hate this.
Mikey could never hate this.
Perhaps, if life was a little different than it was before.. it’d be fine.
As he lay to sleep, awaiting another restless night of sleep, watching as Cricket attends to his baby.. Mikey can feel the vines around his heart loosen a little. Sure, the next day might be hard, he may remember all it was now and what it wasn’t anymore..
But Mikey doesn’t really mind.