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Pitaya Dragon Cookie watched the five speak. They were just traveling adventurers. But the colors of their clothes. White, blue, red, gold, and violet. Great Ivory, why did it have to be those colors? It couldn’t be any other colors? Their wings shifted uncomfortably as old memories resurfaced. Times when golden earth crashed against fiery scales, moments where violet illuminated the battlefield with cowardly deceit. Seconds where their gaze was trapped in a deep blue reflection. And the memories of long ago. When flashes of light could kill thousands in an instant. And they were protected because of the fact that they had gotten lucky. They were allowed to fly among the strongest, to soar alongside the true rulers of the skies in the era of the dragons. Because they had gotten a hit on the Ivory Dragon as a hatchling even younger than Snapdragon. They were pitied, they were alive because of mercy.
“Taya?” A warm hand was placed on their shoulder. They whipped around faster than they had meant to, more defensive than they had wished. Their eyes traced the age weathered lines of Hollyberry Cookie’s face, locking onto the Soul Jam that she had inlaid into her golden gauntlet. They focused on the subtle glow the artifact emitted, almost comforted by the soft light. Passion..
“I.. Can we leave..?” They were inside the Hollyberry Palace, it was a ball. The five had protected some farms out west and Hollyberry had invited them to the party as thanks. But.. They hadn’t anticipated this. The five bore shocking resemblance to each other. The one in violet was draped over the one in gold, sibling-like annoyance clear on the elder’s face. The one in red laughed boisterously as they shook the one blue violently. Met with fond irritation from the calmer sibling. And the tallest, the one wrapped in violent, horrible, damned, ivory. Affection was clear in the tallest’s gaze, their black eyes tracing their siblings with the type of love that both protected and killed. The legendary dragon’s heart stuttered. Thinking of the final day before the Ivory Dragon fell into their slumber. Cookies flailed around the battlefield, jam splattered on the ground as smaller dragons fought under the orders of the first dragon. Pitaya Dragon had pinned Lychee Dragon under their claws as chaos roared around the two. Ananas Dragon and Lotus Dragon watched from nearby, Ananas’s eyes terrified at the watched the colossal figure that was the Ivory Dragon collapse in a searing cry. Condemnation of anything that was not dragonkind being the final words torn from their throat before the massive form of their elder sibling collapsed into the ocean. Silence had followed, even the roars and cries of the battle raging around them had dulled.Pitaya had moved away from Lychee, confused as Lotus looked down mournfully. Ananas’s tail swept forward as they leaned against Pitaya. Lychee had started screaming, breaking the careful silence with crazed screams and grief filled claws. The four had separated after that. Lychee just began traveling wherever they liked, or with whoever believed them the easiest. Ananas retreated onto their island, being the one to watch over the islands for all eternity, revered as almost a god. Lotus built their paradise back up from its watery grave, harvesting life powder from Cookies in order to stay alive. And Pitaya had moved to the Valley, to Crispia, unable to handle being upon the Islands anymore. And then other stories played out. The world had changed and the dragons with it. The five remained as icons among any who remembered their legends, myths beyond even the elemental guardians. But now.. It had been hundreds of thousands of millennia since, and the Ivory Dragon was waking. Confined in a Cookie body but no less the terrifying specter of death their kin remembered. Pitaya’s dreams were invaded by visions of the world that the eldest dragon dreamed of, the world that they were sure to create if given the chance. A world without Cookies. A world without the small creatures that Pitaya had grown infuriatingly attached to. They turned their attention back to Hollyberry, who had placed a warm hand on their face. Her eyes were laced with faint worry, her thumb tracing over the edge of their helmet.
“Yeah, let’s go.” She took their hand gently, leading them away from the ballroom. The two took the most discreet pathways to Hollyberry’s bedroom. The doors swung open quietly as the two moved inside. Pitaya pulled off their beloved armor carefully, their breathing growing more and more erratic as they removed piece after piece. Their chest felt too tight, their armor too restrictive. It felt like there were bugs crawling underneath their skin, pushing up against itchy scales. Everything felt too loud, too quiet, too much at every corner. They tugged their helmet off roughly, throwing it against the wall in a fiery rage. Hollyberry came up to place a hand on their waist, pink eyes coated in concern. Pitaya couldn’t hold back anymore. They threw themself over Hollyberry, sobbing into her shoulder. She hugged them back with the quiet protectiveness that always made them melt. Their claws dug into her back roughly as their cries ramped up. The two sank onto the floor. Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic. Pathetic. PathETIC. PATHETIC. PATHETIC. PATHETI-
“I’m sssorry, I’m sssorry, I’m sssssorry,” They mumbled over and over again, tucked their head into the crook of Hollyberry’s neck.
“You’re okay, you’re safe, you’re alive,” She whispered in response, her hands running through their thick mane of hair comfortingly. When Pitaya quieted down and leaned back, Hollyberry cradled their face lovingly.
“I.. That wassss inappropriate..” They whispered, wrapping their arms around themself.
“You want to explain what happened, Dragonfruit?” She took their hands carefully, rough fingers lacing with sharpened claws.
“..The travelersss.. They.. Reminded me of my kin.” They admitted softly, shame running hot through their core.
“Your kin?” Hollyberry looked confused, her words stifled for a brief moment. Pitaya didn’t respond, trying to find the right words.
“Yesss.. Other dragonssss. Fou- three of them ssspecifically..” Pitaya growled out carefully, not yet ready to reveal their relation to the Ivory Dragon.
“I’m gonna assume they’re not exactly nice?” Thankfully, she seemed to ignore their small stutter, her thumb tracing their knuckles.
“Hah.. You’d be shocked,” Pitaya thought about what would be easiest to tell. “One time, one of them tried to drown me for a quick laugh..” It was a small spar with Ananas, just trying to teach Lychee something. The dragon said it as a funny thing, even laughing a bit themself, before they met Hollyberry’s gaze. She looked both horrified and furious.
“They,” She started.
“Ah.. I misssread that, didn’t I?” Pitaya asked quietly, wings folding tight against their sore back. HollyBerry released a frustrated sigh, her eyes shut tight as she ground her teeth together.
“It’s.. alright,” her fingers tightened on theirs ever so slightly. “So your, kin. They’re not.. you’re not in contact?” She asked. Pitaya thought for a moment, thinking of the letters that they exchanged with Lotus and Ananas every few years.
“We’re not exactly out of contact..” they muttered, tail sweeping close to the two of them.
“I visssit two of them ssssometimes..”
“These two, you’re close to?” She tilted her head ever so slightly, her jaw tight.
“Assss clossse asss dragonsss can be.” They rolled their head around, trying to release some of the tension in their neck. Hollyberry noticed their discomfort, eyes sharpening and locking onto theirs.
“Massage?” She suggested, her lips curving up in a smug smile.
“Great onessss, yessss.”