Status: Now with a music video! (h t t p : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v = c - t n J B 8 A W Q o) 'Angel With A Shotgun' by The Cab-RotG HTTYD OC Don't forget to take out the spaces!
Night's Fury
Chapter 12
I found it strange that the sudden shift in our relationship was not the least bit alarming for me.
We had been friends for so long…
But maybe I had always felt this strongly?
I was a child when we first met, and my instincts had always associated Jack with the pack.
Was it because I saw him as family, or as a mate?
Mating was a mix of divine intervention and luck; sometimes, fledglings found their destined mates long before they were able to do anything about it.
I can name hundreds of tragedies written by the elderly dragons about fledglings finding their chosen, and then having more aggressive suitors, war and death rip them apart before consummation.
I didn’t want to be one of those stories.
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Jade very studiously ignored the knowing looks everyone was giving her.
Honestly, she was good at ignoring things that bothered her; three hundred years with Jack had made her immune to almost everything that would annoy a normal dragon.
The cold, loud noises, high-pitched whistling, and staring contests were part of everyday life, so she was able to tune them out into background noise rather easily.
The only thing she could not ignore was-
Jade yelped as someone pulled on her tail, spinning to glare at a laughing Jack, wings spread out like those of a startled bird.
“Jack!”
“I couldn’t help it!” He answered, slightly breathless. “You just looked so serious!”
Pouting as she rubbed the sting from her backside, Jade reached out and bopped the floating frost-boy upside the head.
“Bad, Jack.” The girl scolded, a glint of amusement in her eyes.
Pulling a mock-hurt expression, he put a hand to his chest dramatically.
“You wound me!”
And just like that, it was as if the unexpected moment had never happened at all.
Jack was still Jack, and Jade was still Jade, and nothing would ever change that.
Giggling softly, the dragon-child shoved him playfully, pupils big and warm.
“You’re so overdramatic!”
That mischievous smirk crossed Jack’s face.
“Oh, I am, am I?”
Sensing what was coming, Jade turned to run and was caught around the middle by two cold arms.
Lifted off her feet, a laugh escaped as she kicked out, not really trying to escape.
“I’ll show you overdramatic!” He claimed, tickling the pinned girl around sensitive wing joints and belly.
Wriggling to get away, Jade was breathless with laughter, tail lashing around and wings trying to flex outward despite Jack’s sturdy presence.
After a good minute or two, Jack relented, unable to contain a chuckle of his own as she slumped against a rock, catching her breath.
“You are evil, Jack…” Jade complained, a smile tugging stubbornly at her mouth.
“At your service.” He replied, bowing with a flourish.
Knocking the boy over with a swing of her tail, she turned back to herding some wayward eggs towards the exit tunnels.
Still smirking, Jack joined her, and soon the colorful army was marching down the last stretch, a straight shot to the surface.
Both spotted Bunny overlooking the scene, Sophie climbing into his arms with a yawn, and shared a look.
Touching down on the Australian’s right with Jack, the dragon-girl was surprised at how relaxed he seemed, considering that Bunny is normally a rather grumpy individual.
“Not bad.” Jack admitted softly, looking out at the eggs waddling towards their respective tunnels.
“Not bad yerselves.” Bunny replied as Sophie yawned, already falling asleep.
“…Look, I’m sorry about the whole…you know, the kangaroo thing…”
He was silent for a moment, but shrugged.
“It’s the accent, isn’t it?”
Jade barely managed a smile at the peaceful moment, feeling guilty.
Why couldn’t she say the word ‘sorry’?
Suddenly, a large paw ruffled her bangs, startling a laugh out of the girl as she spotted Bunny’s understanding face.
“Kinda deserved it anyways.” He said in explanation, his words holding a duel meaning. “No hard feelings.”
Face lighting up in relief, she nodded, looking very much like a child that had just gotten the best present in the whole world.
It was heartbreaking.
The two males were distracted by the arrival of Tooth and North, Bunny cradling a sleeping Sophie more securely to his chest.
“Oh, poor little ankle-biter…Look at her, all tuckered out.”
“I love her.” The fairy admitted, smiling as the toddler yawned. “I think it’s time to get her home.”
“How about we take her?” Jack offered, and Jade jumped to her feet, ready to go.
“Jack, no. Pitch is-”
“No match for us.” The winter spirit finished, confident.
“Which is we need ya two here, with us.” Bunny argued.
“We’ll be back before you know it.” Jade assured, smiling. “There’s a reason my kind is associated with lightning, you know.”
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As expected, the flight back to Burgess with Sophie in tow was quick and uneventful.
Perched on the windowsill, Jade kept a look-out for trouble as the frost-boy went into the room to deposit Sophie on the bed.
Baby Tooth zipped between them, giggling softly at the child’s clingy sleeping habits.
Personally, Jade found it rather adorable.
Once Jack pried the little arms off his neck, leaving Sophie to slump on the mattress, he stood up-
And she rolled onto the floor with a THUNK.
All three winced, sympathetic.
“Sophie? Is that you?” A voice called from another room, most likely the girl’s mother.
Panicking, Jack threw a blanket over the still-sleeping toddler and jumped out the window, closing it before they were caught.
Back pressed against the outer wall of the house, Jade let out a soft, misting breath.
“Nice one, Jack.”
He sent her a look, amused and slightly competitive.
“I’d like to see you do better.”
Rolling her eyes at the bait, the dragon-girl hovered into open air, a difficult task with such large wings.
“Come on, we need to get back.”
Not about to argue, Jack moved to follow-
And stopped at the sound of a familiar voice calling his name.
Sensing the change in his attention, Jade turned back in confusion.
“Jack?”
“That voice…I know that voice…”
He took off, catching her off-guard.
“Jack!”
When no reply came, Jade and Baby Tooth shared a glance and followed, agitated by this turn of events.
They caught up in a clearing somewhere in the surrounding forest, and Jade landed without a sound, wings pulling in defensively at the sight of a dilapidated bed frame sitting ominously before them.
Jack did not hesitate to approach, despite Baby Tooth’s protests, forcing the girl to do the same out of concern.
A hole gaped at them through the wooden beams, and her instincts screamed.
“Jack, I don’t think this is such a good idea…” She warned, ear horns pressing back and tail wrapping around her ankle.
“Relax, we’ll only be a minute.” Jack assured, distracted.
“Oh, I’m not going in there.” Jade insisted, arms crossing as the boy used his staff to knock a board out of the way. “Enclosed spaces are not my friends. Enclosed spaces can go die somewhere, because I am never going near them agai-”
Jack jumped down as if he had not heard a word being said, and Jade sighed, defeated.
“Damn.”
Leaping in after him, she tucked in her wings, spark flaring at the dead drop before she caught herself a scant foot from the cavern floor.
Baby Tooth was squeaking frantically, but Jade was distracted by the multitude of cages hanging from the ceiling, filled with…
“Mini-fairies!” She realized, flying up to the nearest cage.
Fumbling around for a lock, the dragon-girl cursed under her breath as Jack flew past her towards the ones further in.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Jade cooed, the low purring of her tone soothing the little fairies. “I’m gonna get you out of here, alright? Just move to the other side, and I’ll have this open in a sec.”
Before she could call a bit of fire to her throat, the Night Fury realized how dark everything had suddenly become.
“Oh crap.” She muttered, sensing danger.
Pushing off the cage, Jade barely avoided getting blindsided by a Nightmare.
Twisting sharply to dodge more of the dark sand, she let loose a barrage of fireballs, hoping to give herself some space to breathe.
“Jack!” She called out, shooting through the cave with a horde of Nightmares on her tail. “Oh, where’s that boy when you need to make an exit?”
Weaving between pillars and cages and mounds of ivory tooth containers, her spark twisted painfully in growing worry when there was no reply.
Where was Jack?
“Jack!” The dragon-girl shouted again, pushing off a column and dispersing a Nightmare with a well-executed roundhouse kick. “Jack!”
Nothing.
Oh stars, where was Jack?
Panic set in, making her heart race, and Jade was fairly sure she began to hyperventilate as she blurred through the cavern.
“JACK!”
Thoroughly distracted by her frantic search, she failed to react in time when a wave of dark sand struck from above, pinning her wings.
Thrashing about, shattering the sand’s attempted grip on her legs and tail, Jade roared loud enough to shake the hanging cages.
The sound echoed in Jack’s ears from inside Bunny’s tunnel as he realized the mistake he had made.
We had been friends for so long…
But maybe I had always felt this strongly?
I was a child when we first met, and my instincts had always associated Jack with the pack.
Was it because I saw him as family, or as a mate?
Mating was a mix of divine intervention and luck; sometimes, fledglings found their destined mates long before they were able to do anything about it.
I can name hundreds of tragedies written by the elderly dragons about fledglings finding their chosen, and then having more aggressive suitors, war and death rip them apart before consummation.
I didn’t want to be one of those stories.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jade very studiously ignored the knowing looks everyone was giving her.
Honestly, she was good at ignoring things that bothered her; three hundred years with Jack had made her immune to almost everything that would annoy a normal dragon.
The cold, loud noises, high-pitched whistling, and staring contests were part of everyday life, so she was able to tune them out into background noise rather easily.
The only thing she could not ignore was-
Jade yelped as someone pulled on her tail, spinning to glare at a laughing Jack, wings spread out like those of a startled bird.
“Jack!”
“I couldn’t help it!” He answered, slightly breathless. “You just looked so serious!”
Pouting as she rubbed the sting from her backside, Jade reached out and bopped the floating frost-boy upside the head.
“Bad, Jack.” The girl scolded, a glint of amusement in her eyes.
Pulling a mock-hurt expression, he put a hand to his chest dramatically.
“You wound me!”
And just like that, it was as if the unexpected moment had never happened at all.
Jack was still Jack, and Jade was still Jade, and nothing would ever change that.
Giggling softly, the dragon-child shoved him playfully, pupils big and warm.
“You’re so overdramatic!”
That mischievous smirk crossed Jack’s face.
“Oh, I am, am I?”
Sensing what was coming, Jade turned to run and was caught around the middle by two cold arms.
Lifted off her feet, a laugh escaped as she kicked out, not really trying to escape.
“I’ll show you overdramatic!” He claimed, tickling the pinned girl around sensitive wing joints and belly.
Wriggling to get away, Jade was breathless with laughter, tail lashing around and wings trying to flex outward despite Jack’s sturdy presence.
After a good minute or two, Jack relented, unable to contain a chuckle of his own as she slumped against a rock, catching her breath.
“You are evil, Jack…” Jade complained, a smile tugging stubbornly at her mouth.
“At your service.” He replied, bowing with a flourish.
Knocking the boy over with a swing of her tail, she turned back to herding some wayward eggs towards the exit tunnels.
Still smirking, Jack joined her, and soon the colorful army was marching down the last stretch, a straight shot to the surface.
Both spotted Bunny overlooking the scene, Sophie climbing into his arms with a yawn, and shared a look.
Touching down on the Australian’s right with Jack, the dragon-girl was surprised at how relaxed he seemed, considering that Bunny is normally a rather grumpy individual.
“Not bad.” Jack admitted softly, looking out at the eggs waddling towards their respective tunnels.
“Not bad yerselves.” Bunny replied as Sophie yawned, already falling asleep.
“…Look, I’m sorry about the whole…you know, the kangaroo thing…”
He was silent for a moment, but shrugged.
“It’s the accent, isn’t it?”
Jade barely managed a smile at the peaceful moment, feeling guilty.
Why couldn’t she say the word ‘sorry’?
Suddenly, a large paw ruffled her bangs, startling a laugh out of the girl as she spotted Bunny’s understanding face.
“Kinda deserved it anyways.” He said in explanation, his words holding a duel meaning. “No hard feelings.”
Face lighting up in relief, she nodded, looking very much like a child that had just gotten the best present in the whole world.
It was heartbreaking.
The two males were distracted by the arrival of Tooth and North, Bunny cradling a sleeping Sophie more securely to his chest.
“Oh, poor little ankle-biter…Look at her, all tuckered out.”
“I love her.” The fairy admitted, smiling as the toddler yawned. “I think it’s time to get her home.”
“How about we take her?” Jack offered, and Jade jumped to her feet, ready to go.
“Jack, no. Pitch is-”
“No match for us.” The winter spirit finished, confident.
“Which is we need ya two here, with us.” Bunny argued.
“We’ll be back before you know it.” Jade assured, smiling. “There’s a reason my kind is associated with lightning, you know.”
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As expected, the flight back to Burgess with Sophie in tow was quick and uneventful.
Perched on the windowsill, Jade kept a look-out for trouble as the frost-boy went into the room to deposit Sophie on the bed.
Baby Tooth zipped between them, giggling softly at the child’s clingy sleeping habits.
Personally, Jade found it rather adorable.
Once Jack pried the little arms off his neck, leaving Sophie to slump on the mattress, he stood up-
And she rolled onto the floor with a THUNK.
All three winced, sympathetic.
“Sophie? Is that you?” A voice called from another room, most likely the girl’s mother.
Panicking, Jack threw a blanket over the still-sleeping toddler and jumped out the window, closing it before they were caught.
Back pressed against the outer wall of the house, Jade let out a soft, misting breath.
“Nice one, Jack.”
He sent her a look, amused and slightly competitive.
“I’d like to see you do better.”
Rolling her eyes at the bait, the dragon-girl hovered into open air, a difficult task with such large wings.
“Come on, we need to get back.”
Not about to argue, Jack moved to follow-
And stopped at the sound of a familiar voice calling his name.
Sensing the change in his attention, Jade turned back in confusion.
“Jack?”
“That voice…I know that voice…”
He took off, catching her off-guard.
“Jack!”
When no reply came, Jade and Baby Tooth shared a glance and followed, agitated by this turn of events.
They caught up in a clearing somewhere in the surrounding forest, and Jade landed without a sound, wings pulling in defensively at the sight of a dilapidated bed frame sitting ominously before them.
Jack did not hesitate to approach, despite Baby Tooth’s protests, forcing the girl to do the same out of concern.
A hole gaped at them through the wooden beams, and her instincts screamed.
“Jack, I don’t think this is such a good idea…” She warned, ear horns pressing back and tail wrapping around her ankle.
“Relax, we’ll only be a minute.” Jack assured, distracted.
“Oh, I’m not going in there.” Jade insisted, arms crossing as the boy used his staff to knock a board out of the way. “Enclosed spaces are not my friends. Enclosed spaces can go die somewhere, because I am never going near them agai-”
Jack jumped down as if he had not heard a word being said, and Jade sighed, defeated.
“Damn.”
Leaping in after him, she tucked in her wings, spark flaring at the dead drop before she caught herself a scant foot from the cavern floor.
Baby Tooth was squeaking frantically, but Jade was distracted by the multitude of cages hanging from the ceiling, filled with…
“Mini-fairies!” She realized, flying up to the nearest cage.
Fumbling around for a lock, the dragon-girl cursed under her breath as Jack flew past her towards the ones further in.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Jade cooed, the low purring of her tone soothing the little fairies. “I’m gonna get you out of here, alright? Just move to the other side, and I’ll have this open in a sec.”
Before she could call a bit of fire to her throat, the Night Fury realized how dark everything had suddenly become.
“Oh crap.” She muttered, sensing danger.
Pushing off the cage, Jade barely avoided getting blindsided by a Nightmare.
Twisting sharply to dodge more of the dark sand, she let loose a barrage of fireballs, hoping to give herself some space to breathe.
“Jack!” She called out, shooting through the cave with a horde of Nightmares on her tail. “Oh, where’s that boy when you need to make an exit?”
Weaving between pillars and cages and mounds of ivory tooth containers, her spark twisted painfully in growing worry when there was no reply.
Where was Jack?
“Jack!” The dragon-girl shouted again, pushing off a column and dispersing a Nightmare with a well-executed roundhouse kick. “Jack!”
Nothing.
Oh stars, where was Jack?
Panic set in, making her heart race, and Jade was fairly sure she began to hyperventilate as she blurred through the cavern.
“JACK!”
Thoroughly distracted by her frantic search, she failed to react in time when a wave of dark sand struck from above, pinning her wings.
Thrashing about, shattering the sand’s attempted grip on her legs and tail, Jade roared loud enough to shake the hanging cages.
The sound echoed in Jack’s ears from inside Bunny’s tunnel as he realized the mistake he had made.