...And Thus, A Legend Was Born.
Scorch stared hopelessly through the open window of the abandoned building, watching the unruly beast he harrowingly failed to train and briefly arrest fly away. It was a giant, flying yak. Not only one of the first aviating animals he had ever seen, but it also shared a few likenesses to the dragon himself; having draconic heritage.
The bold, bulky bovidae in question wasn't just big and furry all over, but also had scales on its underbelly, and long, orange-yellow fins protruding from its head to the tip of its tail. It truly was a sight to see, and it would've been a trifling means more graceful if Scorch wasn't currently staring at the flying yak's beastly posterior. It made him a bit angry, to be honest. Knowing that he was in the midst of training to be a worthy enough warrior, but the harsh fact that he may never get there.
Oh, and speaking of warriors, Scorch was training to be one. Obviously.
"Get back here, ya giant hunk'a- woah!" Upon the frivolous, and quite frankly, rude action of waving a meddled fist at the flying poephagus, Scorch found himself losing his balance and falling face first from the broken window frame. "TORCH DAMN IT!" He bellowed, conveniently forgetting that he had wings to fly. As he free fell through the air, flipping violently back and forth in panic, he called out in anger. "You're supposed to catch me, you know!!" Screamed the dragon, cupping his hands to his muzzle and calling out to the clearly unbothered drax flying whimsily through the air.
"Wait!" the dragon muttered with a face palm. "I can fly, can't I?"
Scorch, finally realizing the flight-abled creature he was extended his wings and bent them hard.
"Thud!"
"Ack...!"
And he realized that he had hit the ground already. He'd already obtained countless bruises from crashing through the ass of that abadoned building. This is... the exact opposite of what he needed.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow... damn it..." He cursed. His wings were completely sapped, and that was something his own energy and his wing muscles had in common. No matter what felt which thing, he was hurting like hell. And that drax flying so ecstatically through the air only pissed him off even more, especially when it landed in front of him.
Pounding his fist against the tainted grass with a snarl, Scorch flickered his glance toward the menacing mammal. "Listen here, you little-"
"Hello there, sweetie..." Scorch turned his head to see a ginger Ocellus walk by, her casual clothes making Scorch's dented armor seem like complete and utter Tartarus. Still, the dragon's gaze softened as he watched his best friend calmly stride over to the gigantic yak-dragon. A smile came to her lips as she slowly circled a finger around the tip of its nose. The drax slowly lowered its head, its eyes moving quickly and looking directly at Ocellus, now.
The changeling looked over at Scorch, an amused grin at her lips. "Don't even start," Scorch hissed. The changeling knelt to his position, smugly flicking the orange scales on bridge of his nose in between his eyes.
"You suck at training giant yaks." she giggled playfully. Scorch rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."
"I know. I will." Ocellus cooed. "Besides, this giant sweetheart can't be that hard to train."
"You try it, then."
Scorch grunted as he grabbed Ocellus' hand, allowing his friend to pull him back onto his paws. "I would," Ocellus sighed. "If only you'd let me help..."
Scorch blanked. "Uh, no. I'm supposed to be a dragon warrior. Just... not the kind that kills dragons." He stared off into the distance for a minute, but then shook his head. "Besides- I'm supposed to be protecting you. Not having you as my sidekick. That's not how heroes work."
"I still don't understand... why are you so bent on trying to protect me? I can protect myself!"
With that last remark, Ocellus stomped her foot on the ground as she clenched her fists at her side. The ground shook in response, and she was immediately caught off guard. Scorch reared up into a fighting stance upon instinct. The drax accompanying the two stood up in an instant.
"Oh, crap..."
Out of nowhere, a spot in the soil between the two tore open, and emerging from the cavernous burrow was a bulky, slimy, serpentine creature of the like Scorch saw all too familiar. Ocellus fell on her rear end, clenching the sour-green grass in her palms out of sheer terror. This beastly bastard carried six legs- three on each side. And despite its disgustingly moist appearance, its head was only a tainted, yellow skull that happened to be bone dry, one hollow, empty eye hole on each side and one at the base of its snout.
It roared as it snapped open its jaws, baring its sharp teeth right at Ocellus. The changeling screamed in fear, her blood curdling shriek even startling the drax itself and encouraging it to jump high into the sky and fly away as quickly as possible. Scorch only huffed pluming smoke from his flaring nostrils as he drew his amazingly dull sword.
This was going to be fun.
"Hey!" The dragon bellowed, casting a sharp glare toward the monster as he held his not so threatening sword pretty threateningly in front of him. "Leave her alone!"
The creature only seethed, appearing to decide that if he couldn't have Ocellus for his morning meal, he'd simply have Scorch first. The only thing standing in his way was the latter breakfast option himself.
As the monster let out a soul searing roar, it lunged forward, fangs ready to rip and tear through the dragon's smug scales. Scorch only dove forward in the same fashion, just about ready to decieve the ever living Tartarus out of this thing. The serpent only expected to rip the dragon's head off right then and there, and right in that moment, his bravado would come off with his pate.
But as Scorch rocketed his sharp claws through the thin plates of scales belonging to this beast, the creature threw back its head, screeching loudly in pain.
"Yah!" Scorch shouted a passionate war cry as he felt he could push his fist no further, wrapping his claws around this slimy, pulsing organ that he just managed to find within this thing's chest. "Now gimme!"
He used the other claw, which carried his sword, to plunge the blunt weapon into the massive serpent's chest. It let out one last cry of pounding agony before dropping dead to the ground, right in front of Ocellus. The changeling girl let out a cry of shock upon seeing this thing's corpse sprawled across the ground, leaking immense amounts of blood. Scorch finally tugged his claw out of this mighty beast's chest, along with the mysterious, pulsing organ. Turns out, it was a giant heart. Well, a little larger than the average creature’s.
"Ugh, Scorch! W-What is that?!" Ocellus backed away once more, unable to get to her feet. Scorch only chuckled as he gently slipped the still palpitating snake heart into his pocket.
"A souvenir." He said, a smug grin splitting his face. He didn't seem to notice the small amount of blood beginning to slowly drip from the pockets of his mellow purple tactical pants. Ocellus covered her mouth. "Hey, I saved you! You should be grateful!"
Trying to refrain from gagging, Ocellus turned her head. "Yes... okay... thank you, Scorch."
"Whatever."
_______
This begins Scorch's journey as a warrior in training.
Obviously.
Scorch tried going about the rest of his day trying to tame the flying yak once more. The crash from that abandoned building really didn't do him any favors, and even though dragons were meant to take falls ten times as rough, that definitely wasn't what he was aiming for. "No- Come on- This way!" As he literally began wrestling the drax in the sky and gripping it by its neck, he started to question why he couldn't just fly himself.
"You can do it, Scorch! Fly that yak dragon!" He heard his hippogriff friend call from the ground. Silverstream was always a creature for positivity. And there wasn't the faintest second that he didn't appreciate it, either. The soothing sensation of the wind caressing the under-tabs of his scales made him think. Maybe flying on this giant yak wouldn't be so bad, he mused.
He lightly tapped the drax's side, and only then did it decide to turn west and fly over the emerald green meadows of which his friend was standing. He watched as the grass was touched by the breeze. The creature he was riding grazed gracefully just above the blades. Silverstream cheered loudly seeing the two fly over the feilds.
The bottom of her light blue striped sweater gently lifted above her denim jean shorts as the giant yak flew over her one last time, only to land straight behind her. Scorch hopped off the larger than average velvet saddle and let his boots thump on the soil. "That was great! You did amaaaazing!" Sil' ran over to hug her warrior friend in training. "Compared to all the other times. Aaaaat least you're all in one piece this time..."
Scorch huffed, crossing his arms. "Whatever. I'll never forget that time Pinkie Pie had to stuff me in a cauldron. Ugh..."
"Right... sorry."
"Well, I'm at least glad I'm getting something done. Big and brawny over here is as stubborn as a-"
The light grey drax decided to preempt Scorch's rude remark with a kick of his hind leg. The soon to be slayer was rocketed at least twelve feet in the other direction, making a harsh skid in the dirt and landing square and scales on his face. Silverstream winced. "Maybe you should've left it there...?"
"I'll leave somethin' there, alright..." Scorch seethed, already sounding like he had a mouth full of dirt.
"Remind me," Silverstream started once again, pinching her beak as she flared her wings and leapt into a thinking hover. "Why are you starting this whole warrior business again? I mean, ever since this town started to get targeted by..."
"Then you've just answered your own question." Scorch stood up, dusting off his purple velvet aketon. "I wanna show that I care about this Torch-forsaken place. Friendship or no."
"Then that would be no. Since the School of Friendship was destroyed..."
"Precisely."
"Look at you, using those big words," a smart mouthed griffon cut in, drifting by and landing right next to his draconic friend. Scorch flicked him at the side of his head, and he replied with a chuckle. "Whaaaat? I can't help but notice Ocellus has been holding you to that tutoring thing. You know, since the School's been eradicated."
"How many times do you guys even have to say that?" Scorch asked.
"Enough times to satisfy plot convenience," replied Silverstream. Gallus nodded in agreement and Scorch simply shrugged.
Gallus looked like he was pretty lax most of the day. Doing nothing in his sweatpants and casual graphic tee. Seeing his friends in such casual clothing made him mentally kick himself. "Ugh. What are you even doing here? I couldn't convince Silverstream I was supposed to train alone- I thought you'd be at least a little bit morally stable."
"Eh. Nah." Gallus leaned against his slightly shorter friend, an elbow hanging off Scorch's shoulder like he was some kind of arm rest. "Who would I be if I couldn't see you fall ten times? Not in my nature."
"Dick."
"Bigger than yours."
Scorch scoffed and shrugged it, and more importantly Gallus, off as he stepped out of the way. "Doesn't matter. I've got bigger balls to go out there and fight for a country that isn't even mine."
"Isn't that the whole concept of friendship though?" Silverstream asked, cutting into the two's back and forth banter.
"Whatever." Scorch boarded his flying drax once again, softly and reluctantly driving his claw against the back of its mighty, fuzzy skull. It let out a small exhale, lowering its head and seeming to enjoy his company now that he was being a lot less mean. "Another ten months with this thing here. Then I'll be spending the rest of my life with this thing risking... well... my life."
"Yeah, but, like... why?" Gallus asked, crossing his arms and shrugging his shoulders. "You never actually properly explained it."
"I dunno, cause I don't need to properly explain it? Can't I ever just fight for a country without having a personal reason for it?"
"No. You're not that compassionate."
"Gally!" Silverstream chided, knocking the griffon upside the head. "If Scorch wants to be selfish, let him be selfish!"
"I'm not selfish!" Scorch groaned, already getting tired of this conversation. "I just didn't tell you guys anything. Suddenly, I'm starting to see why." he muttered.
"Alright, then," Gallus conceded, sitting criss-cross applesauce on the ground. "If we're making such a big deal out of it, why don't you tell us? To get rid of the hassle."
Scorch crossed his legs as well, flipping his sandals off his feet and placing his claws together. "Will you two shut up if I do?"
"He'yeah!" Silverstream quickly nodded, bobbing her head in her usual hyperactive fashion as she zoomed to the ground and lay on her stomach. She looked like she was about ready to lay there for a few hours. "Tell us! Tell us!"
"Fine. Stick a sock in it and listen up."
_______
_______
Scorch lay restlessly on the floor of his best friend's dorm as he stared wistfully at the ceiling. Hearing Ocellus banter about today's lesson drove him completely mad. He thought they were about to host another secret tea party - one of Scorch's guiltiest pleasures. As much as he loved getting his spines done up as he put on makeup and sat in a frilly dress like the femboy he was, he absolutely hated having to wait.
Especially on Ocellus.
"...So tell me what you just got from all that."
Scorch's gaze flickered toward the stone-faced changeling. His tail whipped in response to her inquiry. He was thinking so earnestly about how eager he was to finish this up that he had completely forgotten to pay attention. And this certainly wasn't the first time that happened.
"Er, friendship is magic, and... ponies are dumb...?" He looked to Ocellus with a grimace. Once he saw her frown, he flopped his head back down. "Look, I'm sorry- but I've just been waiting to try on this new dress that would actually fit my forearms and not tear apart the minute I put it on, and... not important...?"
Ocellus shook her head in disapproval. "Scorch, our test is two weeks from now and you still haven't answered even one of my questions. What're you going to do if you fail?"
Okay, come on, now. Two weeks. That was it. It wasn't two days, or anything, you know? Scorch didn't feel like he even had much to worry about. Not until another week, or so. He was always a last minute kind of dragon, anyways.
"I wouldn't know, cause I'm not gonna fail. You're overreactinng, 'Cel."
"Overreacting?! If anything, you're underreacting! I mean, I can't dream of not studying ahead for a test!"
"Yeah," Scorch remarked, rolling his eyes. "Shocker."
Ocellus opened her mouth to say something back, but then realized herself, and drew back her finger. "...Why do you feel the need to do that?"
Her dragon friend sat up on his rear. "Welp, I think that's enough study. Tea now."
"Tea not now," Ocellus replied, furling her brow as she looked annoyedly at her draconic friend. Scorch only crossed his arms, feigning a pout as he pushed out his bottom lip. Ocellus sighed. "I'm sorry. I just want you to excel as much as I do. I mean, what if you fail the test, and we won't be able to graduate together...?"
"Why's that such a big deal to you?"
The cyan changedling stayed silent, head lowered with her cheeks slowly turning redder and redder. Scorch thought nothing much of this, but decided to continue the argument. "Look, I'm not gonna fail. Pretty sure I've got the basics of friendship down. Enough to power through the rest of the semester, anyways."
"Fine, then... have it your way..."
Ocellus turned her head, feeling as if her own frail explanation betrayed her. Folding her arms, she clenched her jaw in frustration. Scorch's fiery gaze became a little more toned down upon realization. Although he was pushing himself to say something, he remained quiet. The two sat in silence for a while, and the dragon started to get uncomfortable.
"Thump! Thump!"
The floor shook under his rump. Scorch quickly jolted upward. "Woah, what...?"
"You felt it, too..." Ocellus whispered, already on her feet and uncomfortably clutching on her baggy, grey sweater. Scorch stood at his bare feet as well, legs slowly spreading as he crouched. The thudding sound echoing through the walls only rumbled underneath once again, eliciting two startled noises, both differentiating in pitch.
Ocellus gripped onto the study desk. She was already losing her balance before, her feet almost feeling like they were about to knock out from under her. As her ears wilted, they barely even had any time to lower, before the rumbling sound roared across the floors one more time. Her ears flicked upward once again. "Alright, I think now's the time that they should really get their budget together to fix their wonky-ass pipes," Scorch quipped.
The changedling only looked at him with an arched brow. "Er... wrong time?"
Ocellus huffed in frustration. Scorch grinned nervously.
"Crash!"
"Damn!" Scorch cursed, gripping strongly onto the frame of his friends' bedset. Silverstream and Ocellus both would've been pissed if he scratched the Lyptus. At this point, or at any point, really, he could care less. Ocellus didn't exactly seem to care either; she was too busy trembling in fear. The room started shaking violently. Was there some kind of earth-quake, or something?
Suddenly, everything would stop shaking.
Ocellus turned her head left, then right, using her eyes and ears, and possibly opening her own receptors to scan the room for anything too loosely out of the ordinary. And as her hold on the study desk started to loosen, she eventually found a bit more trust in the chaos. Scorch, on the contrary, wasn't ready to fall for anything. He continued gripping on the bed set, claws splintering into the wood.
"Scorch, I think it's-"
A spot in the floor practically split in two. A comically-sized, wormlike creature came expelling from the gigantic hole in the floor. Roaring loudly, it hungrily opened up its hairy, spindly six legs - three on one side, three on the other - and opened its greedy maw. Its teeth were only connected seemlessly to its jaw, which was a rotting, yellow skull with three cracked eye holes.
Its tongue hung loosely from the back of its mouth, slobbering disgustingly on the floor. Ocellus barely got the time to shriek in terror- just mere seconds into her fearing cry, the creature snatched her by her torso and began dragging her back down the hole.
Scorch leapt forward, wings flared as he grabbed Ocellus' hand. His expression turned grim and worrisome, and Ocellus stayed staring back into his eyes. "Scorch!" she screamed. The dragon couldn't listen, only using every inch of his strength trying to tug his friend back to safety. Only, the bigger than average serpent gripped tighter on Ocellus' lower body, bellowing a growl and sinking further into the floor.
Ocellus cried out once again. Scorch only gripped tighter on her wrist, but with two claws this time. He felt his paws grip ever so tightly on the carpeted floor when he attempted to draw himself back. "'Cellus, I need you to grab me with your other arm!" The serpent roared with unnerving might, and Scorch's combatting crouch nearly faltered - he saw the walls start to crumble, and the building starting to shake.
"I-I can't! I-It's too strong!"
The bug tried her hardest to free her other arm from the chilling grasp of the large, worm-like creature's arachnid like legs, but as she felt it sink lower into the ground, her confidence was even further shattered. And Scorch was faring no better.
His heart pounded faster against his chest as his eyes followed from the very bottom of the hole - two spindly spider legs inching their way through the burrow it created. He felt his own guts tie themselves into one big knot, his tail growing stiff, and his throat going dry. Ocellus started to rise up with the beastly thing, trembling in fear at how strongly it held onto her. Her own back was gripped tightly to its underbelly, which of course, made her fairly uncomfortable.
There wasn't much time to react; it swung two of its legs at Scorch, batting them at him like he was some sort of insect. No pun intended, really.
Both the meaty, fuzzy appendages stroke him circly in the stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs and flinging him back into the wall. "No!" Ocellus cried, barely even able to reach back for her dragon friend. She only gasped as the two legs reached back around her, ensnaring her so tightly that if they gripped any harder, her ribcage would have collapsed.
Scorch could feel the bone structure in his wings literally batter themselves, and the pain shot through his back and cut through the flesh like a sharp knife. "Agh!" He sank down against the structure, groaning in pain. And Ocellus couldn't blame him, not getting up after that hard blow.
"W'aaaaaah!!!"
And when she was dragged back down the hole, she screamed out one more time.
Scorch felt a low rumbling as his eyes slowly peeked open. And much to his dismay, Ocellus was already gone. He knelt up to his feet, slowly, but surely, concurring that his wings were most definitely not broken, but the impact really did him in. That wasn't the point, however. What he needed to worry about now was if Ocellus was okay. He was going to insure that he slaughtered the beastly fiend that took her captive.
"Boom!"
He dropped down to one knee. The turbulence was shooting through the building walls as if they were margarine. Maybe if they had opted for titanium like he so eloquently suggested, maybe they wouldn't have this problem. But, his heart caved. Two. Two giant, hairy arachnid-type legs were clawing at the walls, reaching in and grasping harshly at every crumbly chunk. Scorch grimaced at the disgusting display.
No matter.
The building was about to collapse within itself- he needed to make sure he got Ocellus out of there, ASAP.
