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The dragon walked and walked up the mountain to their nest. They could have easily flown the way up there in minutes, and yet they mentally wished for something that kept them distracted, that kept their mind busy. Their footsteps, the dragging of their tail on the harsh ground, anything truly.
And yet, they knew they would have to fight their thoughts. The dragon knew it, and yet refused to accept it. Deep down, they were trying to convince themselves it was just a mere fever dream. Perhaps they were in the palace, blackout drunk with those old yet sickeningly sweet wines from the kingdom, being judged yet feared by every single cookie that inhabited the kingdom.
No. They knew this was real. And they couldn't escape that fact, no matter how much they wished to. No matter how glorious and respected they once were, how the songs in the nearby territory used to sing about them, all that glory didn't matter no more.
“Damn it” Pitaya muttered to themselves upon tripping on a small rock in the way, being too lost in thought to notice that they were, in fact, dragging their steps a tad bit too much.
Out of pure anger, they kicked the small stone again. It only made a clunking sound against the metal of their armor, before falling on a bright, hot stream of lava, disappearing. It wasn't enough for the dragon, but it was better than nothing. Or at least they supposed.
The lava rivers and harsh stone surface made the Dragon’s Valley an almost inhabitable place if you weren't… a dragon. Pitaya never liked the place. It was too empty and silent ever since their race started to move to different places, ever since survival became painfully hard in that land of nobody.
As they walked, they came across countless knight armours. Some were from mere enthusiasts who couldn't have ever stood a chance against them, whereas some others came from experienced hunters.
Either way, Pitaya didn't even glance at them. They knew who each one of these belonged to, after all they had almost a whole century to learn the names of every habitant of the Hollyberry Kingdom.
How funny. They didn't care about any but a single one of these names, yet the one they wished to come across once again wasn't there for longer than what the dragon could stand.
Their armor felt heavy. When was the last time they had taken it out anyways? It wasn't like Pitaya was a being too fond of feeling unprotected, especially on their cookie form. On their pathetic, little cookie form.
Eventually, they dreadfully reached the top of the mountain, their small cave they called nest being as empty as always. And to think the myths talked about dragons being greedy beings, who kept stolen resources in their territory.
All those adventurers that wished to fight against Pitaya would have been disappointed upon seeing how truly empty their life and possessions were.
The cave was empty, a few glass shards and cookie crumbs there and here, a small nest made out of whatever clothes and stuff they could use to make themselves comfy.
Surely the life a beast like them deserved.
A beast that had brought infinite amounts of pain to mere innocent mortals.
Oh, the irony! A being that was deemed as greedy and arrogant, that had taken upon the kingdom their dearest adversary had abandoned for so long, now back to a lonely cave in the middle of a place where lava and rocks were the only thing present.
The dragon slowly took off their armor, the metallic pieces falling to the ground, as they slowly made their way to the small nest in the depth of the cave.
Their dusty and old underclothes hung loosely from their rather thin body. Those clothes were something he refused to get rid of or let it be damaged, the scent in those old rags being special to him.
They let themselves fall, tears welling up in their eyes, tears they had only once let out ever before in their ancient existence. Dragons don't feel, cookies said. And yet here they were.
They let themselves cry, tightly holding onto themselves, a feeling of unhelpfulness arising deep upon them. “Pathetic piece of sssshit” The dragon sobbed out weakly, desperate to regain their usual composure, but unable to hold back warm yet oddly sweet tears.
It was an almost unknown feeling for them. And to think the same cookie that made them scream their lungs out and cry their eyes away a few decades ago, was the one who led to this episode of theirs as well.
Their pained sobs echoed through the cave, mixed with groans of disappointment upon themselves. These past decades it was common to see them screaming their lungs out in the palace, it was a normal thing to see them drunk as any street vagabond. But tears were a thing they never showed to any mortal who happened to step upon them.
Not like many lived to tell the tale anyways.
“How foolissssh of me.” They uttered to themselves between sobs, looking at their reflection in the only mirror in the cave, dusty, cracked and forgotten. “To believe I could really sssatisfy myself with mortal pleassssures-”
Then they spotted something shiny and sharp between the few things they had on the cave, dragging themselves out the nest to hold it with a trembling hand, laying on their knees like a servant kneeling below their king.
The glass shard, sharp as the many swords that have been pointed at Pitaya through their existence, shiny like the Hollyberrie's Palace lights in the starry night, laid on their hand. How convenient it was.
“Thissssss issss gonna be it?” The dragon asked to nobody, their voice cracking in a poor attempt to contain their tears. “Issss thissss how it ends?” They said again, pointing the shard against their neck.
Were they in their dragon form, that mere shard could have done no harm. It probably would have been a ticklish feeling more than anything. But now, they weren't the mythical beast they were known as. They were a mere cookie.
They knew they could end their immortal existence with just a gesture, holding with trembling hands the shard, like it was their most precious possession.
Holding it to their neck, they held back tears, pointing the sharp edge of the glass against it. “Then ssssso be it” they uttered in an almost inaudible manner
“Wait!”
“...”
A tall figure stood in the entrance of the cave, slowly walking towards them. Oh, Pitaya could recognize that posture and body everywhere from a thousand kilometers if needed. That woman, the only reason they were still alive. The reason they almost ended said life moments ago.
Hollyberry knelt down to their level, one of her hands grabbing Pitaya’s trembling wrist, pushing the glass away from their body.
The dragon could swear they never saw that woman as concerned, not even when they were fighting like their lives depended on it.
And then, the unexpected. A hug. A strong yet warm embrace. It was the closest thing to affection of sorts the beast had received in it's lifetime, a truly unknown feeling for them.
The queen of the Hollyberry Kingdom was back. She was there, having climbed up an entire mountain just for them. For the dragon who had terrorized her people for so long.
“Silly old lizard” She said in a gentle voice, hugging Pitaya tighter. “You really believed I wouldn't come for you at all?”
Her words were mixed with small hints of worry, but the characteristical cheerfulness on her tone snapped the dragon out of their thoughts.
At first reluctantly, Pitaya hugged her back. But the excitement they secretly felt from seeing someone as beloved to them as Hollyberry was impossible to suppress after decades of pain, pain that was drowned away in self-destruction.
Eventually, the dragon held onto her tightly, their tears falling once again onto the crook of her neck, feeling humiliated yet relieved as never before by the situation.
Hollyberry could feel the dragon's tail wrap around her, almost as if begging her not to ever leave again. She didn't mind that small gesture at all, more focused on giving the crying beast their much needed comfort.
“C’mon, you're old enough to know I always return, lizard” She said, without a single hint of mockery on her tone, one of her hands ruffling around Pitaya's long dotted hair.
Small, rapid breaths came from the dragon's lungs, as if the crying had started to exhaust them slowly. It was a curious sight, to see a merciless monster weak like a lost child who craved their mother's love.
“You promissssed you would be back once that Dark Enchantressssss Cookie was defeated” The dragon replied back, once again trying to hold back their sobs, leaning further onto her embrace. “You sssswore you would be back. And yet, almosssst an entire century went by”
Hollyberry sighed. As much as she knew Pitaya loved to fool around, she knew that for once, they were in the right. She made a promise their own desire for adventure kept her from fullfilling.
“I'm not leaving again, I assure you that” She replied, finally letting go of the hug, even if the dragon didn't let her go yet. She could finally see the sobs slowing down, their breath finally stabilizing slowly but surely. “I can promise you that now”
Finally the crying stopped, tears no longer running through the swollen eyes of the dragon until they could finally let go, having emptied most of the thoughts and frustrations that had been built up within them through long contained tears.
Still kneeling, the dragon held Hollyberry’s hand tightly, looking at her in the eyes with difficulty. It was shocking, to be staring into the eyes of someone you had missed for long, of someone you deep down admired with all your being.
“May you sssssstay the night here, pleasssse?” Pitaya said suddenly, almost in a whisper. The comment took away Hollyberry, not being used to the dragon directly asking for things. Usually they just took whatever they wanted to.
But regardless, she nodded lightly. She understood how the seemingly heartless beast truly felt, the feeling of emptiness that takes over you over time without those you care about.
“Of course, silly oldie,” She answered, now in a much more optimistic tone, completely ignoring the scattered remains of Pitaya's armor and shattered glass on the floor. She pulled Pitaya up with strength, helping them back on their feet.
Of course she noticed how much of a trembling mess the beast was, of course she saw their trembling knees. She could read how nervous they were to be with her again, from the way their wings folded behind their back, to the slight wagging of the dragon's tail.
They both sat on the nest. As uncomfortable as it was for a human, Hollyberry didn't really mind at all. She had slept in worse places through her adventures.
Pitaya curled up in her lap, laying in there mostly limply, enjoying her presence as they let out a relieved sigh, finally dozing off to sleep in the warmth of the cave.
“Jussssst don't tell anyone You ssssaw me like thissssss” the dragon mumbled, an almost inaudible purr of pleasure coming from their throat, clearly in a better mood now.
Hollyberry laughed, her warm voice filling the cave with it's enthusiasm. “You know I won't, Pitaya” She gently said, watching as the dragon fell asleep peacefully for the first time in, perhaps, decades.