#1300 words holy heck

[laughterfixs]

OKAY

@madcatdaderpydrawer-blog I did not go all out and uh…this still ended up longer than I thought it would OwO;

Warning; VERY self indulgent and using quite a bit of my ocs cuz cringe culture is dead so meh lol

Very angsty and a bit dark so read with caution

Do Not Mess With the Affairs of the Dragon

The great dragon dog stared at Vanny with cold eyes. Her fur stood on end as the rabbit only seemed to stare back as if trying not to react to the fact that there was very clearly a giant dragon and a very angry one at that.

“How dare you…HOW DARE YOU!!” Ana suddenly roared out, her throat glowing with the intent to use a breath attack.

“You tortured him, you put him through so much pain! You broke his mind and pushed him to break his body! You ruined the relationships he had! YOU ARE THE REASON I DESPISE HUMANITY AND BECAME THE CREATURE I AM TODAY!!”

The closer Ana’s paws stepped toward her, the more Vanny backed away, unsure what to even make of the situation.

“...You’re getting awful worked up over a robot don’t you think?”

Another loud roar, one that shook the tall ceilings above and the vents within, enough to make the Mini Music men cower.

“YOU THINK JUST BECAUSE THEY DON’T HAVE SKIN THAT CANNOT FEEL?! YOU ARE A FOOL! I WILL SHOW YOU THE ERROR OF YOUR WAYS WYRM! I AM WRATH! I AM VENGEANCE!”

The angry dragon hound went to attack, running at full speed with maw open and sparks of electricity crackling from the back of her throat. Sun rushed in to see Moon’s angry and not so imaginary friend.

“ANA DON’T-”

There was no time for reaction…especially not when another large beast tackled the hybrid to the ground.

Another dragon, dressed in lavender scales and rainbows decorating her horns, tail and frills. The fish tip swayed as the purple dragon struggled to keep Ana still.

“LET ME GO! I HAVE TO AVENGE MOONDROP!”

“You have broken enough laws Ana! If you care about Moon and the others from this world, you’ll allow us to help!”

That caused Ana to freeze, she stared up at the other dragon with sorrow in her teal eyes.

“..Okay..”

“Thank you..”

Vanny had tried to take this chance to run, but she was immediately stopped by a large black and grey wolf that blocked her way and snarled at her.

“You will stay right where you are! By order of the Prince of Darkness himself, I have been sent to judge and collect your soul, should I find you guilty of sin! Vanny, you have gained the attention of the shadow wolves! You should choose your next steps very carefully…”

The other intruding dragon turned to Sundrop then, she had walked closer, causing the daycare attendant to stumble back in fear and fall on his behind.

“Fear not, dear. I am here to help. However, I have…rules to follow. I cannot do anything without the…rulers of these walls.” She smiled gently at Sun. “Would you happen to be one of them?”

“R-ruler?” Sun stammered, blinking wide eyes at the dragoness before him. “I-I never ruled over anything! I’m just the daycare attendant!”

The purple dragon tilted her head. “Do you watch over it alone?”

“...W-well with-with my brother but he’s…”

He flinched, feeling a scaly snout gently touch his forehead.

“We will help your brother…I promise. But I need you to help me first, as you run the daycare, you are considered a ruler. Therefore, you can help me bypass these laws in order for us to help you. Is there anyone else in charge?”

Sun relaxed a bit. She was a lot softer than Ana seemed…more motherly.

“There’s…Freddy”

As if on cue, Freddy walked into the area with Gregory in his hold. They too were shocked by the scene before them. The two dragons and the hound keeping Vanny from escaping.

“You are Freddy?” inquired the purple dragoness. The bear nodded, speechless at what was before him. Gregory stared wide eyed, here he thought dragons only existed in stories.

“I am Najada. Queen of the Dragon Kingdom, daughter of Lord Solstice and Lady Sapphire…we have been summoned to help your world by our fellow dragon Ana Ludraco. We cannot do so without permission from the current rulers of the realm. Please state thine name and thine business.”

“I..” The bear cleared his non existent throat. This was so unreal. “I am…Freddy Fazbear, singer of the Glamrock Band.”

Najada nodded in greeting, and she turned her head to Sundrop.

“Please state thine name and thine business.”

“I um…I’m Sun…and I am the daytime daycare attendant.” Sun’s eyes shifted and he puffed out his chest. “My brother is moon, the night time attendant!” He wasn’t sure it mattered, but she did want the name of the rulers…

Najada gave him a smile and another nod.

“This Vanny is accused of causing much harm and performing many crimes. Do you agree?”

Freddy nodded. “Yes, she has been chasing Gregory all night. We also have reason to believe..she is behind the many disappearances of other young children as well as tampering with my friends..”

“And Moon!”

Najada’s ears twitched, she seemed to understand why Ana hated this rabbit so much..Speaking of, she turned to the dragon dog.

“Speak thine claims”

Ana looked at Najada, she had no anger on her face, she was simply being a queen. Ana took a breath.

“She has broken Moon’s mind and wellbeing…she pushed him to madness and to self hatred…he began to push away the ones that matter most all because of her…she is guilty beyond all comparison….” She took another breath and bowed her head. “Your majesty…”

Najada looked at the wolf. “Marie, are these claims true? Does the party deserve a fair trial?”

A snort came from the wolf. “Your majesty, with all due respect…they are a sinner through and through. I think allowing her to speak would only bring forth lies…as if she hasn’t already committed that sin”

Again, Najada gave a nod. She looked at Freddy and Sun.

“As the current rules of the land, we require your permission to deal accordingly with the guilty party. Do we have it?”

“Yes!” Sun piped without a moment of hesitation. This dragon would probably not be nearly as harsh as Ana was…right?

Freddy looked between Gregory, then to Vanny being shoved into a corner by the hound called Marie. He nodded his head then…Gregory was his only concern at the moment.

“You have my permission..”

Najada nodded, she looked at Marie. “Tis in your paws now, shadow of hell..”

Marie stood tall and proud, glaring at Vanny.

“Your sins and crimes have been recognized! You have a special place in hell, Vanny! I will make sure of it!” She barked and tilted her head to howl loudly, causing all but Ana and Najada to flinch at the sound. It was haunting..in a mesmerizing way. Like hearing singing in the middle of the night when you’re all alone.

Shadows formed around the wolf, turning into tendrils that wrapped around the now horrified rabbit’s body. Behind Marie was the shadow of a wolf with glowing icy blue green eyes that narrowed as it watched Vanny struggle while she was pulled into the ground beneath her into a pool of darkness.

Horrified themselves, Sun’s rays shrunk back and Gregory hid his face against Freddy.

Najada gave a satisfied hum as the last of Vanny’s screams and threatening of the three faded away.

“She will never harm you again…she will be punished accordingly for all she has done among the living.”

“Among the living? You mean you…” Sun hesitated to finish. Did they really just kill her?

“Hell is for people who have caused so much harm to others, dear.” Najada frowned. “Tis Marie’s job to collect those souls.”

“She deserves it…” Gregory muttered. Ana huffed in agreement, turning to Najada.

“And….Moon?”

The rainbow dragon hummed again. “Yes…I will need to be taken to him..so we may see the damage and come to a conclusion on how to help him..”

[prodigal-ezreal]

It wasn’t easy

**

One departure mixed with the previous one and the one before that one, and even the one before. When you said goodbye as often as Ezreal was used to, things started to get blurry. This was an exceptionally dangerous expedition, so he had taken the precaution to hug his mom just a little longer, to hold his dad’s hand just a little tighter before he watched them step on the ship, off to a city he couldn’t name but knew was really, really far away.

Before they went away though, Amarta gave her son one last kiss and heartfelt look, followed closely by her husband’s own farewell in the form of a hug and ruffling the kid’s already messy blonde hair.

“How long will it take you this time?” Ezrealed asked, knowing he had to let go of his father’s embrace and accept his uncle’s hand before he got too lost in the crowd.

“If we find it, we’ll make sure to teleport to Piltover that very same night, okay?” Luis laughed, reaching inside his coat for a folded rectangle he made the kid promise to not open until he was home. “Wait for us to come home. We love you, Ez.”

The memory gets blurry after that, the last thing he remembers is the silhouettes of his parents waiving as the ship parted away.

**

I 

It began when his uncle opened the door one night while he was playing around with the peas on his plate, still pretending he didn’t notice how cold the rest of his dinner had gotten as he waited for a completely different set of footsteps to be heard behind the door.

(Ezreal learnt to recognize the limping steps of his uncle by the first three months of his parent’s disappearance, but he’d be lying if he said his stomach didn’t turn and his breath didn’t hitch the moment he heard the door’s handle be turned).

The professor did not look frown at him for not yet finishing his food like he used to, he didn’t even have a trace of anger in his eyes as he approached the child and sat next to him on the table with hunched shoulders. Instead, the man looked at his intertwined fingers with the sorrow of a soul that had long accepted the truth now eating away his nephew. Breathed in, breathed out. He was a man of science, logical, analytical, and if there’s something about children that he knew, is that they are smarter than they appear, and sugar coating things doesn’t help at all when the truth is as painfully definitive as this one.

So that’s what he said: The truth. No filter, no pink colored lenses. Just the truth. Even as his hand trembled as he reached to take off his round glasses, the man made a tremendous effort to look as impassive as he felt he should. This was his brother their reckless adventuring had taken away and while he had come to terms with the fact this was something that could eventually happen, the date was suddenly all too real. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to Ezreal, to lose both of his parents at the young age of eleven, barely past the first decade.

“Amarta and your father…” His voice trembled and almost broke, but he concealed it as a cough and continued speaking. “They were declared dead this afternoon, Ezreal.”

Ezreal, however did not care to look ‘impassive’ or strong. All he could feel right then was the knot quickly forming on his throat and the quivering of his lips as the news sank in. He could feel the world collapsing into itself as he sank deeper into his chair, the trembling of his lips now universal throughout his small body as he tried to cry and weep louder than his lungs would allow him while tears fell freely down his cheeks and chin.

It was not often that his uncle offered any kind of affection, and it was even less common for Ezreal to take it. But that night, both indulged in a hug that seemed to comfort the child enough for him to fall asleep. Still in the arms of the only relative he had left now, still with wet cheeks.

II.

Goggles?

Checked.

Star maps?

Checked

Provisions?

Checked.

Picture…?

Picture!?

Quickly he began throwing everything out of his backpack, where could it be, oh where could it be!?

That was when he spotted, sitting right at the bottom of the bag, a carefully folded rectangle that brought all of his systems out of panic. Ah, so there it was.

Ezreal brought the photograph closer to himself to see it better in the dim light of the Nashramae bound ship that he had sneaked in as his ride to Shurima. It wasn’t the fanciest thing around, but it was something he knew for certain would lead him to his parents so he didn’t have to make out their faces from an old worn out photograph that had seven years now. So, a bit more than half his age.

A fingertip traced the youthful faces of his parents, still smiling in this frozen moment of time even if they were lost the gods knew where now, dead to all of Piltover but him. He knew they had to be out there, waiting for him. And he was going to find them.

The teen took one last look to the photograph before carefully folding it and saving it again as tried to find a comfortable (and decently hidden) spot to rest and be rocked to sleep by the waves crashing into the ship, to dream of great reunions and big smiles he wouldn’t have to imagine nor remember cos they would be happening in real time now, not just in a photograph.

III.

As the dry desert air hit him, so did a realization.

He was now in possession of the very same gauntlet his parents had come to find.

This meant that either they got lost along the way (but why hadn’t they found their way into civilization yet? Why hadn’t they come home if that was the case?) Or that they had… perished, along the way.

This last possibility was suddenly all too real.

Ezreal fell to his knees, looking at the sky but nowhere in particular as his sight became unfocused and clouded by the tears he was trying to prevent from escaping to no avail. There it was again, the lip quivering, his arms that now laid weightless next to him moving due to the jerks from his shoulders and the feeling of a supernova bursting in his heart as he busted into tears and the subsequent black hole spreading through his ribcage and making him curve into himself, like suddenly his chest was too heavy to bear. Like suddenly all of his denial weighted on him all at once. They were dead, gone. Not lost or waiting for him.

(He remembered for a moment that his cries might bring the attention of any near-by void creatures, but he couldn’t bring himself to care that much at all).

As quickly as it exploded, the black hole evaporated into rage and impotence that brought the explorer back to his feet as he ran his hands through his hair, pulling at the golden locks in frustration that everything he had done was for nothing! They were truly gone! And there was nothing he could do about it! All those nights waiting had been useless, all that hoping and all that yearning, and for what!? To come back home empty handed!? With the same shitty photograph as his only solace!? No! No! No! No! He didn’t want this!

He took the photo, crumbled it into a ball and threw it to the ground a few feet away from him as he kicked the sand and cursed every god he could remember as loud as he could and as long as he could feel his tears running hot down his cheeks.

By the time he was done, the sky was turning orange and Ezreal was now frenetically looking for the photo between the sand dunes, digging through layers and layers of sand that kept falling into each other and making his search all the more difficult. But when he spotted a bit of white between all the brown his face, puffy and red from all the crying, turned into an expression that almost counted as happy. Almost.

He quickly undid the ball as carefully as his desperate fingers could manage and sighed with relief when he found his mother’s green eyes and his father’s blues still staring at him through time and anguish, still smiling like nothing had happened. Like they weren’t dead and somewhere he couldn’t mourn them. Ezreal anchored to this last bit of them he had in that moment, held the photo close to his heart and began to sob tearlessly as the sun went down.

He was alone. Now, more than ever.                        

He needed to find water.

Not another Lymere would be beaten by this god forsaken desert.