A/N: Alright, I KNOW I have other stuff to do, but... Ah, I just had to get this up. Three Renegades is currently on hiatus, but Fiend Within is being worked on, as soon as I GET REVIEWS. I just wanted to get this up too. Gimme a break, ok? This has been on hold for too long. Let's get it started. Oh, and before I forget, this is the sequel to "Dragon Blood," so go read that first, please. :) I promise, it's a good read!
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Dragon Maiden
Chapter 1: Solitary
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They watched in silent awe as Roy searched through his things and pulled out a vial and pocket knife. Flipping out the tiny blade with a click, he pressed it against his fingertip and winced slightly as it broke skin and a thin trial of rust red blood curled around his finger. He took the vial with his free hand, tore of the cork with his teeth, and held the cut finger above the opening. The red nectar slowly dripped into the tube, drop by drop, until he felt the necessary amount was filled, to which he slipped it into a rack for a moment.
Sucking on his finger to stop it from bleeding, Roy snatched up the knife again and held it under the vial. Concentrating, he generated a small flame into the tip of the blade, hot enough to create a soft red glow under the glass. The blood bubbled and steamed, and with a few pops and fizzles, it faded into an olive green color.
Satisfied, Roy withdrew the knife and softly blew some of the steam and foam away before corking it and placing it in the delicate hands of Peach, decked in her white nurse dress.
"Here you go, purified dragon blood," he proclaimed casually, as if he did this frequently. "Clean and bring back the vial when you're done."
"Oh, Roy, you are a godsend!" Peach praised graciously. "So many of us would be unable to combat if not for your offerings!"
"It's no problem. I'm just glad to find some use for it."
Peach nodded, approaching the door. "Of course. Thank you so much."
"Uh-huh," Roy smirked. "Make sure to let Falcon know who saved his skin."
"Oh, you bet!" Peach giggled as she left his dorm. Roy chuckled softly and leaned back on his table, observing the thin scar already beginning to heal.
Grinning, Marth pushed out of his chair. "Well, there's another wound you're healing."
Link jumped off the bed. "Yeah! Call yourself butter, 'cause you're on a roll!"
Putting away the equipment he had acquired over the last few weeks, Roy burst into laughter. "Never heard that one before!"
"Yep," Link grinned, observing his fingernails. "Took me all night to think of that!"
"Absolute genius," Marth muttered, launching an episode of laughter throughout the dorm, just like the friendly trio they were. Once it calmed down, Marth continued. "So, what's that, your bazillionth time you've donated your blood?"
Roy turned to give him an incredulous smirk. "Hey, you know firsthand how potent dragon blood is on wounds..." To prove his point, he leaned over and pulled up Marth's shirt sleeve. "Yoink."
Marth's gaze dropped down to the highly-noticeable scar running down his upper arm, the result of an accident that Melee Magic could not block. It was slightly green in color, as Roy had willingly donated his special blood to heal it. The moment it was applied, like an automatic adhesive, it sealed up the wound instantly, with no infection whatsoever.
Knowing all this, Marth glanced back up at the smile on Roy's face. "Well... yeah."
"And yoink!" Link announced, pushing back his golden bangs to show off a scar of his own: a small "x" on his forehead, coated in green as well.
Grinning and nodding at the elf, Roy turned back to Marth. "See?"
"Yeah, yeah..." He brushed off Roy's hand and pulled his sleeve down. "Don't have to announce it to the world."
"I just... I wanted to find some sort of use for all this if I couldn't use it in combat..." Roy explained quietly, turning back to his table and staring at all his books and tools aimlessly.
Silence was exchanged between the blonde and cobalt, and they stepped forward, ready to comfort the half dragon if needed. "Roy..."
Roy lifted his head up, but did not turn. "...What do you guys think?"
They blinked. "About what?" Marth asked.
"Now that we know..." He gave them an unreadable gaze with bright cerulean eyes. "...do you see me any different...?"
"Oh, no!"
"Of course not!"
"We're your friends, Roy," Marth assured softly. "We don't care that your blood's different."
"Yeah! You're still the Roy we know and love!" Link grinned widely, putting an arm around Roy's shoulders. Getting an odd glance, Link sought to rephrase. "...er, I mean, in a brotherly way! Yeah!"
The elf's stupidity caused another round of laughter as Roy pushed him away, trying to make a disturbed face, but failing as a smile kept breaking its way through. The mamkute (1) loosened up in spite of himself; whenever he tried to be serious with these two, they'd always do something to cause laughs all around, no matter what the situation. To him, this was a very important issue, but he let it slide as he knew his friends were only trying to make his days a little brighter. And that's probably why, once they stopped, he was surprised when he was asked the next question.
"So... what's really wrong?"
Roy gave Marth a confused look. "What...?"
The prince crossed his arms, but he remained patient and compassionate. "You already know how we feel about this. We've told you before."
"Yeah, something else eating at you?" Link asked, genuinely sincere.
"..." Roy became quiet and distant again as he stared at his boots, softly shuffling in the carpet. "...I...I know you guys don't see me any different... but I know the others do..."
"What do you mean?" Marth questioned, concerned.
"...the way they look at me... they way they see me... it's changed..." Roy muttered with little care of how strange he may have sounded. "...they see me as someone different... someone who can no longer fit in..."
"...Roy..."
"Aw, don't let them get under your skin, buddy," Link comforted, patting Roy on the back. "Unless they insult you. Then you come to us and we'll kick their ass for you."
Roy gave out a soft chuckle, and both turned to their elder friend for confirmation. Marth held up his hands defensively. "Hey, I can't make any promises!"
"Aw, come on, Marthy!" Link whined playfully, calling the Alteanian by a dangerous name. Roy laughed and Marth placed a hand on his hip near-defiantly. "Come on, how can you resist this face?" The Hylian gestured, and in response, Roy pouted with big ol' begging eyes of blue to match. Marth rolled his eyes and laughed.
"Okay, alright," he submitted to the face. "I'll kick ass for Roy."
"Sweet!" Link clapped Roy in the chest, getting first a cough, then a laugh in return.
Shaking his head in dismay, Marth glanced at the clock. "It's almost dinnertime. You guys wanna head on down?"
Link nodded, whereas Roy turned back to his table. "I gotta put my crap away. You go ahead, I'll meet you guys there."
"Alright." The two left for the SSBM Mansion's cafeteria, leaving Roy alone to his clutter. He absentmindedly stored everything away in his drawers, lost in his thoughts. So lost he was that he knocked one of his books over. The book fell on its spine, flipping open to a random page. Roy sighed in annoyance, bending down to pick it up, but the passage it was open to caught his attention. Lifting it up, he read the small paragraph curiously.
Unlike most myths, where they flock in "packs," dragons are known to be solitary creatures, relying on their own strength to survive. Only courtship, mating, and territorial disputes will bring any dragons together. (2)
Solitary... Roy repeated silently with a heavy heart. Does that mean I'll be alone forever...?
The half dragon sighed deeply as he shut the book and put it away. Yes, he technically had friends that cared about him, but none of them understood the importance of dragons to him. No one could comprehend the enchanting studies better than he could, and he knew no one would really want to make the effort to do so. And in this way, he felt small and alone, misunderstood among the masses...
That upsetting thought left him with one question: Will I ever find someone like me...?
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(1) Mamkute means "half-dragon," I believe. If I'm wrong, please correct me.
(2) My own excerpt, not copyrighted
A/N: Yep, this is a bit old, so it won't be a great one. There ARE 12 chapters, though... T.T Hooray. I can't WAIT to type them all up. XD Please review!