Snek is a Good Boy [a Worm Crackfic]

[Ack]

Snek is a Good Boy

Part Twenty-Five: Through the Looking Glass

[A/N: This chapter commissioned by Fizzfaldt and beta-read by Lady Columbine of Mystal.]



The Next Morning

Lady Photon

"Hey!" Crystal protested. "No flying ahead! I thought you didn't even want to go!"

"I never said I didn't want to go." Eric rolled his eyes as he slowed down a little. "I just thought everyone else was jumping on the bandwagon way too fast, so you needed an adult in the room."

"Did you find one?" Crystal jibed. "Because I know you're not talking about yourself."

"Well, I sure wasn't talking about you!"

"Now, now," Sarah interceded. "No fighting, kids, or I will turn this family around."

"Listen to your mom." Neil was reclining on a force-field sofa next to Sarah inside her travelling bubble. "We'll be representing New Wave. Vicky and Amy have already given them a good impression. We don't want to turn that sour."

Like the rest of them, he was in casual clothing instead of his costume, wearing what Sarah privately called 'lumberjack chic'; rugged boots, jeans and a plaid flannel shirt, all tailored to fit his seven-foot frame. Sarah hadn't worn skirts since New Wave had unmasked, but she was equally comfortable in slacks and a matching blouse. The kids were wearing jeans and T-shirts, though Crystal was also wearing a denim jacket.

"Yes, Dad. Sorry." Eric dropped back to fly alongside the bubble. A moment later, Crystal echoed his words and moved to fly on the other side.

"Hey, it's not me you've got to say sorry to," he reminded them.

"Sorry, Mom."

"Sorry, Mom."

"That's okay." Sarah gave them both a medium Mom Look to make sure they knew they weren't totally off the hook. "But your dad is right. We all need to be on our best behaviour today. I, for one, don't want to be banned from Snek's world because someone offended his Master. Okay?"

"And that wins the prize for 'sentences I never thought I would hear spoken out loud'," Neil murmured with a smirk.

"Oh, shush, you." But Sarah's mock-severe tone was spoiled by her own grin. "It's a different world to what it was six months ago."

"It's amazing what changes one giant talking snake can bring about," he agreed. "Especially one who's not shy about eating the bad guys. Or the Endbringers."

"I'll say." She chuckled out loud. "Has anyone heard anything about Behemoth since Leviathan? Or even since the day before yesterday?" Since Snek ate the Simurgh like a cat chowing down on a particularly irritating canary, she didn't have to add.

"Not that I know of." His chuckle echoed hers. "And from the way Snek's already said he likes spicy food, there's probably a good reason for that. I'd be keeping my head down, too."

She was still laughing as they swooped down toward the Dallon house.

<><>​

Glory Girl

It turned out that Twilight liked toast almost as much as she enjoyed bacon. The cute little dragonet flew lazy circles around the kitchen while crunching on the freshly buttered treat; Vicky grinned as she made more.

"Are you trying to bribe my hearth-dragon with toast?" Amy asked as she sat at the breakfast table, eating her bacon and eggs. Her own plate of toast sat beside her.

Both of them were trying to avoid listening to the argument filtering down from upstairs, with moderate success.

"Nope, just advertising." Vicky swiped butter across another slice of toast. "If Twilight goes back to the others and tells 'em about how good we treat her, maybe more of them will be interested in bonding with us."

Amy snorted with amusement and shook her head. "I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way."

"You don't know that." Vicky tried to pretend she was being serious and failed badly, letting out a giggle. "Or maybe I just love spoiling her."

"Well, that's a given. Everyone loves spoiling hearth-dragons, and they love it too, don't you?" Amy picked up a smallish strip of bacon from her plate and waved it temptingly, and Twilight predictably altered her flight path to land on the table. With a chirp of thanks (Vicky was picking up on the shades of meaning in her vocalisations) she accepted it and rubbed the side of her head against Amy's hand.

"Heh, yeah." Vicky tilted her head slightly. "Have you noticed how she doesn't just steal food? She waits for it to be offered first."

"They're smart like that," Amy confirmed. "They know that if they just take it, the free food will go away. But I'm pretty sure they eat mice and rats too, and they don't have to worry about asking first with them."

"So hearth-dragons are smart, cute and helpful around the home." Vicky nodded thoughtfully. "I can see how they got the name." She raised her head at a knock on the door. "Whoops, it sounds like the others are here."

"I'll get it." Amy stood up from the table and headed for the door. When she was halfway there, Twilight landed on her shoulder, still eating the bacon. Vicky smirked; those two were just so adorable together.

Predictably, it was indeed the Pelhams on the other side of the door. Although Vicky couldn't see from where she was, she heard Crystal cooing once more over Twilight, and the hearth-dragon chirping a happy greeting. They all filed inside, Crystal now holding Twilight, which also didn't surprise Vicky. Even when bonded, hearth-dragons were gregarious as hell.

"Good morning," Aunt Sarah announced when she got to the dining room. She eyed the table, which still held breakfast, and raised an eyebrow. "Off to a late start?"

Vicky sighed and lowered her voice. "Mom and Dad are arguing over something. Ames and me just came down and got our own breakfasts in the end."

"I see." Sarah took a deep breath and raised her voice. "Carol! Mark! We're here!"

By the time Carol and Mark came downstairs, Twilight was perched on Uncle Neil's shoulder, apparently enjoying the view from that altitude, while Amy was finishing her breakfast. It was immediately obvious what the argument had been about: Mark was casually dressed in trousers and a button-down shirt, but Carol was in her New Wave costume. Vicky met Amy's eyes, and they both shook their heads at the same time. Not getting involved in this.

Instead, Vicky carried her toast over to the table and sat down before offering another piece to Twilight, which was promptly accepted. The little dragon certainly loved her toast.

"Carol," Sarah began carefully. "You appear to be in costume. Are you not coming with us?"

"Yes, I'm coming." Carol's words were curt. "Someone needs to represent the team."

Sarah frowned. "You are aware, nobody in that world even knows New Wave exists, right?"

Amy raised a cautious finger. "The Master of the Castle does, and so does Riley. Nobody else, though."

"And I doubt very much that even they really care, correct?" Uncle Neil waited for Amy's nod. "Yeah, thought so. It'd be like if we threw a party for the neighbourhood kids and a bunch of them were worried about wearing their Protectorate Pals Fan Club decoder rings. We wouldn't even notice."

"Still," Carol insisted stiffly, "it's the principle of the thing. We're going to be representing Earth Bet's superheroes on a whole new world, and we need to make the best possible impression. Show them that we're dedicated to the task of keeping people safe."

"Vicky already showed them that, when she helped Snek with Mouse Protector and the Simurgh," Sarah countered. "We should be visiting as friendly neighbours, not as superheroes trying to show them that we're more heroic than they are. Besides, from what Vicky and Amy have said, the world outside the Master's castle is more medieval fantasy than modern day. They probably don't even have the concept of a costumed superhero in their culture."

"Should we be going then?" Carol frowned. "If we show off unusual abilities …"

Vicky had had enough. "Mom, seriously? If we do that, then what? They'll try to burn us as witches? Worship us as gods? They know about magic! Dragons are a thing! Hearth-dragons like Twilight are seen as good luck! Riley basically said that Ames could make a good living there as a healer, if she wanted to! We told you all this already!"

"Have you seen this for yourself, or are you relying on hearsay?" Carol shook her head. "I'm not saying this Riley is lying or deliberately misleading you, but you can't always believe everything you hear, and not everyone has your best interests at heart."

"Which is why we're all going," Sarah interjected. "I doubt it's a paradise by any stretch of the imagination, but they've never claimed it is. Plus, I always wanted to visit Narnia when I was a kid."

"And I'd be astonished if they had anything like Endbringers, or even the White Witch," Neil added. "Considering how Snek likes to eat monsters alive."

"Fine," huffed Carol. "But I'm still wearing the costume."

Sarah put her hands up. "You know what? I don't care. Were you going to eat anything before we got Snek's attention?"

"I could eat," admitted Mark.

"Bacon and eggs on the stove, and I made toast," Vicky said helpfully. "Then let's get this show on the road."

"Heck yeah!" enthused Crystal. "Let's do this thing!"

<><>​

A Little Later, On a Rooftop

Panacea

"So, how do we do this again?" asked Crystal. "It's not like we can call Snek on the cell-phone he doesn't own … or does he?"

"He doesn't need one," Vicky said, with all the confidence of someone who'd done something exactly once, but gotten it right on that one occasion. "All we have to do is ask him to help us get there."

"What, like some sort of prayer?" Carol was looking dubious again.

"Hah, no." Vicky cleared her throat and raised her voice slightly. "Hey, Snek. It's me, Gold Princess Girl. You picked me and Frizzy Hair Girl up yesterday, and we went and flew with dragons. Can you ask your Master if it's okay for me and my family to visit?"

Amy had to hand it to Vicky; she'd gotten through the whole thing with a straight face, despite Eric suffering a sudden coughing fit, and Aunt Sarah trading raised-eyebrow looks with Uncle Neil. Crystal patted Eric on the back, her own expression that of amused disbelief, and Mark looked like he was hiding a smile. Carol just seemed to be waiting for someone to explain the joke to her.

The familiar portal, about six feet in diameter, appeared before them, with a stone floor and walls beyond. Then Snek slithered into view, putting his head and about ten feet of body through the portal. His scales were scorched and marked, and the hat was missing a tiny piece out of its brim, but he seemed to be his usual cheerful self. "Hello, gold princcesss girl, frizzy hair girl, hearth-dragon Twilight!" As he spoke, he raised his head about six feet off the ground and eyed the rest of the group first with one gold-fringed eye then with the other. "Ssnek iss Ssnek."

"Hi, Snek!" Crystal stepped forward and gave him a hug, which he seemed to enjoy. "It's really good to meet you at last. I'm Crystal, and that's my little brother Eric, and my mom and dad Sarah and Neil, and that's my uncle Mark, and my aunt Carol."

Snek's smile widened. "Ssnek likess meeting new friendss. Hello, Crysstal and blue hair boy. Hello, happy blonde lady and angry blonde lady. Hello, tall Neil and sshort Mark. Iss good to meet you all. Masster hass ssaid you can vissit."

Amy put her hand over her mouth so she wouldn't giggle too loudly. Perched on her shoulder, Twilight let out a tiny rarr of amusement. She had to admit, Snek was right on target with his chosen nicknames, especially 'angry blonde lady'.

"Well, okay, then." Vicky sounded like she wanted to laugh too, but she was managing to hold it in through sheer willpower. "It's good to see you too, Snek." Reaching up, she booped him on the nose.

His smile, wide enough as it was, got bigger before he wriggled backward through the portal, leaving it clear for use. Vicky ducked through first, followed by Crystal. Amy went next, Twilight in her arms.

When they were all through (Neil having to duck his head, and Carol stepping through last) the portal vanished, leaving them standing in a familiar-looking corridor. "Thiss way," Snek advised, turning and wriggling back the way he had come.

"Uh, Snek," Amy ventured. "What happened to you? You look like you've been through a real fight." He hadn't shown this much battle damage even after the Leviathan takedown.

"Ssnek hass been fighting Faccelesss Minionss from the Outer Darknesss," Snek explained. "They attacked the Casstle."

"Faceless Minions?" Eric didn't sound thrilled, and Amy didn't blame him. The name sounded kinda ominous. "What are they?"

Snek briefly turned his head, and Amy saw him licking his non-existent lips. "Delicciouss."

Eric's eyes widened. "Kinda sorry I asked, now," he muttered.

Vicky grinned and nudged his shoulder with hers. "That's Snek, right there. Cuddly, playful, fun, and will totally eat the bad guy whole."

When Snek reached the end of the corridor, he bumped the door there three times with his nose. Amy was pretty sure he was counting under his breath.

"Enter, Snek." The voice of the Master of the Castle was audible to them all. "And please bring your guests."

"Wait, he knows we're here?" asked Crystal in a low tone.

"Assume he knows everything about everything," Vicky advised her. "And seriously, nobody do anything stupid. This guy is the realest deal you're ever gonna meet." The door opened and Snek slithered in; Amy and Vicky followed on, with the others close behind them.

Amy looked around, the Master's laboratory still as awe-inspiring as it had been yesterday. Though there were a few minor differences; she saw four more monster cores on the shelf, and tables were set up with odd things on them. The first was a creature, bipedal but decidedly nonhuman, that was in the process of being autopsied or dissected, she couldn't tell which. And the second was a huge tentacle, easily thirty feet long, laid out over several tables.

Turning away from the tentacle, with brass-bound goggles over her eyes and heavy gloves on her hands, was Riley. The Master of the Castle stood next to her, his staff standing unsupported next to him.

Riley smiled broadly and put down what looked like a brass probe. "Hey!" she said happily. "You're back! And you brought the rest of your team, cool!"

"Greetings, New Wave," the Master said politely. "You are welcome in my Castle. Amelia, Victoria, welcome back. It seems that Twilight made a wise choice."

"Uh, thank you." Amy hugged the hearth-dragon a little more tightly, then let her wriggle free and take flight. "We don't want to get in your way or anything here."

"You will not." It was a firm pronouncement. "I understand that you would like to introduce your family to the Dragonmark. They are out for their morning flight at the moment, but they will be back in a little over an hour. If you wish to visit the village below in the meantime, I can provide appropriate clothing."

"What's wrong with what we're wearing right now?" asked Carol, though her challenging tone wilted somewhat under the Master's steady gaze.

"Nothing whatsoever." Amy could have sworn she saw a twinkle in his eye. "However, I believe you would prefer to blend in. Such a costume is usually worn by street performers and acrobats, and would draw attention from people expecting a show." He nodded toward Neil and the others. "Your attire will not be seen as entirely unusual, merely that of travellers from a distant land."

Twilight had by this time flown up and joined the other hearth-dragons in the upper part of the room, and they were exchanging excited squawks and chirps. Amy could feel the little dragon's happiness at seeing her kin again, though she also seemed to be smug about having such an interesting human partner.

Crystal was also looking up, her lips slightly parted. "Whoooaaa …" Even Eric seemed spellbound.

"Yeah, I know, right?" Vicky murmured. "And it gets better. In here, they're on their best behaviour. Outside is where they really get playful."

Aunt Sarah cleared her throat. "Carol, I think we'll take the Master of the Castle up on his generous offer." She paused. "Uh, sir, will we be expected to wear big floofy dresses … I mean …"

"Not unless that is your desire." The Master of the Castle gave Riley a measured nod. "Kindly show each of our guests to a dressing chamber, if you will."

"Sure thing, boss." Riley paused and held up her heavy gloves, which Amy saw were stained with odd fluids, possibly from the tentacle she'd been examining. She muttered something under her breath and a rainbow swirl of light ran over the gloves, sparkling here and there as the stains burned away. Then she tugged the gloves off one at a time and pushed her goggles up. "Okay, let's go do this."

Twilight swooped down out of the flock and landed on Amy's outstretched arm as they headed for the doors. Taking the lead, Vicky moved up alongside Riley. "So, uh, what did you just do then? I thought you couldn't cast magic?"

"Oh, the gloves are enchanted," Riley said casually. "I just gave the command phrase for them to clean themselves. You don't want to get that stuff on your bare skin. In fact, you don't want to be too close to one of those things without the proper mystical protections in place." Reaching up, she tapped the goggles.

"Why not?" asked Sarah. "What was that tentacle off, a giant squid or something? And what was the other thing? A Case Fifty-Three?"

"Haha, nope." Riley reached up as she opened the door, and slapped the door-frame. "Hit the frame here when you come through." She stepped through the doorway … and vanished.

"Um." Vicky glanced at Amy, then slapped the doorframe and stepped through. Just as Riley had, she disappeared.

"What … what's going on here?" demanded Carol. "Where did she go?"

Amy took a deep breath, and Twilight chirped encouragingly. She slapped the same spot on the doorframe as Vicky had, and stepped through the doorway … into a long corridor that hadn't been there a second ago. There was no sensation of movement, no disorientation. Just a feeling that she'd blinked and missed something. Vicky and Riley were standing just a few steps away, Vicky looking at her expectantly.

"Huh," she said, moving forward to get out of the way, then looking back at the perfectly normal doorway that she'd just stepped out of. "That's a really good trick."

"Saves time getting around, for sure," agreed Riley.

Sarah stepped out of the doorway. There was no flickering, no blurring; one instant she wasn't there, the next she was. She blinked and looked around. "That's the smoothest teleport I've ever been through."

Amy had never been teleported before, except via Snek's portals, but she had to agree; it was very smooth.

Carol appeared next, a glowing blade in her hand. When she saw them waiting patiently for her, some of the tension left her shoulders. "Oh," she said.

"Mom, seriously?" Vicky shook her head. "This is the Master's Castle. It's basically the safest place around. Nobody's going to attack us here."

"You don't know that." But the blade shrank and then vanished altogether.

One by one, the others came through, looking around with wonder. Neil shook his head. "How many sets of stairs did we just skip?"

"A few." Riley smirked. "So, as I was saying, that was the very end-tip of a tentacle from a Tyrant of the Outer Darkness. They try to push into ordinary three-dimensional spacetime occasionally, but the boss has set things up so the easiest place to come through is right above the Castle. This time he got a sample, which means the next time they won't even get this close. But physics is so different in the Outer Darkness that you can literally go insane if you look too closely or actually touch them without protection."

That statement left an extremely thoughtful silence in its wake, until Vicky decided it would probably be a good idea to change the subject. Anything would be better than dwelling on the fact that they were sharing a castle with the remains of Things Man Was Not Meant to Know.

"Is it just me," she ventured, "or did the windows look different? And the stuffed dragon …?"

"Oh, all that came down when the tentacle punched in through the roof," Riley confirmed. "But the boss fixed it after he killed the Tyrants. They were fifty years planning this incursion, and he just took out the ringleaders. It'll be a lot longer before they come back again."

"I counted four extra cores," Amy said cautiously. "Was that how many there were?"

"Five, actually." Riley shrugged. "But one was a duplicate, so he gave it to Snek to eat." She looked around at the team, then gestured along the corridor. "Okay, everyone's here. Pick a room. Clothes will be in the wardrobe. Come on out when you're done."

Aunt Sarah opened the closest door and went inside. One by one, Amy's teammates selected a room, but she lingered for a moment. "The thing on the table. What was that?"

"The Faceless Minion?" Riley waited for Amy's tentative nod. "Yeah, the Tyrants generate those by the thousand. Snek had a good time nomming down on them, but the boss wanted a sample from them as well, so he had Snek let one get past. They've got an organ that kind of acts like their brain and heart and liver all at once, so I performed some non-elective field surgery on it. Now we're taking the rest of it apart to see how it works. The boss is all over the magic stuff, but I can provide insights into anatomy and biology that he finds useful." She grinned at Amy. "So yeah, that's my life now. It's hella fun."

Amy's head was spinning with the ramifications of what Riley was saying, but she couldn't even begin to start delving into the details. "It, uh, certainly sounds interesting. But where did you learn to do surgery? You can't be more than twelve or thirteen."

Riley raised a finger. "That's a 'later' question. Right now, I'd say you need to go get dressed if you don't want to be holding everyone else up."

As full of questions as she might be, Amy could take a hint. "Okay, thanks."

<><>​

Glory Girl

"Okay, I give up." Crystal, wearing a Robin-Hood-esque outfit in green and gold, shook her head as she stared at her father. "Where did you find that?"

Uncle Neil shrugged as he looked down at the fur-trimmed vest and trousers with the heavy boots. The short-handled double-bladed axe slung across his back merely served to complete the image. "They were in the wardrobe? I'm just impressed they had anything in my size."

Vicky, in leather armour with a buckler (she'd considered the chainmail bikini but decided in the end not to give her mother an aneurysm), shook her head and grinned. "You look like you're getting ready to make Conan look like a wimp."

Sarah, who had picked a set of hard-wearing leathers with goggles similar to the ones Riley had been wearing, gave her husband an approving up-and-down. "He certainly does, doesn't he?"

"Mom!" Crystal protested. "Ew!"

"Dad should wear that going up against the bad guys," Eric quipped, straightening the chainmail vest he was wearing. "They'd surrender straight away."

"And would that be such a bad thing?" Steering away from the flashier clothing Vicky had seen in her own wardrobe, Amy had chosen a set of robes that were not dissimilar to her Panacea costume. However, these were in Twilight's colours and came with a vicious-looking dagger on the belt.

"I can't see it being a problem." Mark stepped out of his room, looking downright dashing in something a nobleman might wear, complete with rapier at his waist. "I think we could all do with the bad guys just giving up without a fight."

"Wow, Dad," Vicky said, raising an eyebrow. "Way to rock the Middle Ages."

"Wait," Amy said, looking around. "Where's Carol?"

The last door opened, and Vicky's mother emerged. To Vicky's quiet amusement, she'd managed to colour-match with Mark almost perfectly, while still choosing a practical dress rather than a 'floofy' gown as described by Aunt Sarah. "Nobody laugh," she muttered. "I'm only doing this because you talked me into it."

"Why would we laugh, Aunt Carol?" Crystal gestured at the group now assembled in the corridor. "Look at us. We rock!"

"Heck yeah, you do." Riley emerged from the same doorway they'd teleported in by. "Nice choices. They look good on you."

"I know I'm probably going to regret asking this," Neil said. "But how the hell do those wardrobes work? I just kept on swiping left, and it kept on bringing out new outfits, all in my size. Do you regularly have seven-foot guys staying here?"

Riley grinned. "You might be surprised. But no, those wardrobes are set up to generate clothing according to the needs and tastes of the people staying in those rooms, based around a range of templates. Compared to what else goes on around here, it's a very minor enchantment." She dusted her hands off. "So, who's ready to come see the village?"

Vicky would always be unsure who spoke first as she and Crystal stepped forward.

"Me!"



End of Part Twenty-Five

 

[Mastersgt]

ngl, I kinda want a spinoff of this story from the Master's POV as a MC. So like, have the 'Master of the Castle' be a SI or something, maybe with an Essence META CYOA(like with Essence of the Archmage, Sorcerer Lord, Master Magician, etc...), then following him as he gets his new pet/familiar, adapts to the new world(s) and land(s), to magic, then to him improving himself, learning, and eventually deciding to protect everything. With the story advancing until it is caught up, timeline-wise, with this one.

 

[Ack]

ngl, I kinda want a spinoff of this story from the Master's POV as a MC. So like, have the 'Master of the Castle' be a SI or something, maybe with an Essence META CYOA(like with Essence of the Archmage, Sorcerer Lord, Master Magician, etc...), then following him as he gets his new pet/familiar, adapts to the new world(s) and land(s), to magic, then to him improving himself, learning, and eventually deciding to protect everything. With the story advancing until it is caught up, timeline-wise, with this one.

Click to shrink...

He's been at it for millennia. It would definitely be a longish fic.

 

[Mastersgt]

He's been at it for millennia. It would definitely be a longish fic.

Click to shrink...

Sounds like a positive, not a negative. Also, with the MC clearly knowing the Multiverse/Omniverse so intimately, I could 100% see it being a multicross fic... With him traveling to other settings/realities to learn/study new things, learn/defeat new dangers, until he finally settles down...
The MC(the Master) in D&D, in Warcraft, Stargate, BtVS, Harry Potter, Inkheart, Marvel, DC, Mass Effect, Disney, Generic Horror, Scifi, Movies, TV, Games, etc...

 

[Rmajere]

Woot another chapter! Thanks man this story is all such a joy

 

[Kehsem]

Given the nature of this site and it's reputation, I'll take one for the team and ask what we're all thinking:

When do we get to meet Snek's massive harem?

 

[Ack]

Given the nature of this site and it's reputation, I'll take one for the team and ask what we're all thinking:

When do we get to meet Snek's massive harem?

Click to shrink...

You will note we are on the SFW side of things.

Also, that this is a crosspost from SB, SV and FF.net.

No harem. Or rather, he does have a bunch of teenage girls as friends, but it's purely platonic.

 

[Kehsem]

You will note we are on the SFW side of things.

Also, that this is a crosspost from SB, SV and FF.net.

No harem. Or rather, he does have a bunch of teenage girls as friends, but it's purely platonic.

Click to shrink...

Doesn't have to be a NSFW scenario.

Kind of want to see Snek introduce a 69 mile-long pink Snek named Normie (Jormungandr) and a multi-headed snake named Amphi (Amphisbaenas), though I imagine that would take place in an outtake given the current pace and mood.

 

[Moldy Guacamole]

Still jarring to see most of New Wave act like a bunch of kids in a theme park, in an unknown capes lair. Seriously, the only thing they know for certain about the Master is that he's powerful and that he's the boss of snek. Everything else came speculation or claims from the people around the Master like Riley, which shouldn't be taken at face value like they doing right now.

We know that the Master is good but that's due to having meta context, New Wave don't have that certainty. From the perspective of Earth Bet, Carol is the only one acting with any sort rationale, which is saying something.

 

[Ack]

Still jarring to see most of New Wave act like a bunch of kids in a theme park, in an unknown capes lair. Seriously, the only thing they know for certain about the Master is that he's powerful and that he's the boss of snek. Everything else came speculation or claims from the people around the Master like Riley, which shouldn't be taken at face value like they doing right now.

We know that the Master is good but that's due to having meta context, New Wave don't have that certainty. From the perspective of Earth Bet, Carol is the only one acting with any sort rationale, which is saying something.

Click to shrink...

Well, apart from the fact that:
Snek has Ended two Endbringers and several lesser threats
The Master (via Riley) saved Vicky's life
Mouse Protector was equipped with magical armour and sword to fight Leviathan, by the Master

 

[Moldy Guacamole]

Well, apart from the fact that:
Snek has Ended two Endbringers and several lesser threats
The Master (via Riley) saved Vicky's life
Mouse Protector was equipped with magical armour and sword to fight Leviathan, by the Master

Click to shrink...

With how stupidly dark the setting is, all of that should have only garnered the benefit of the doubt at best. Earth bet has been conditioned to treat everything positive with a heaping dose of skepticism like an abuse victim, because Wildbow is an edgelord that violates everything that is good.

New wave would give some positive regard to The Master for what he's done, but they're not just gonna drop by his base like they're visiting the beach house of an old friend. Despite all the good The Master accomplished, he is still an enigma and the natives of Earth Bet has been burned too many times to accept goodwill at face value.

You'd need to overhaul the history of Bet from being black as tar to only murky like dirty water to make New Wave's action/reaction to your OC sensible.

 

[Ack]

With how stupidly dark the setting is, all of that should have only garnered the benefit of the doubt at best. Earth bet has been conditioned to treat everything positive with a heaping dose of skepticism like an abuse victim, because Wildbow is an edgelord that violates everything that is good.

New wave would give some positive regard to The Master for what he's done, but they're not just gonna drop by his base like they're visiting the beach house of an old friend. Despite all the good The Master accomplished, he is still an enigma and the natives of Earth Bet has been burned too many times to accept goodwill at face value.

You'd need to overhaul the history of Bet from being black as tar to only murky like dirty water to make New Wave's action/reaction to your OC sensible.

Click to shrink...

Once again: Snek has done more good in just a few months than 99% of the heroes over 99% of the history of capes on Bet.

Just on his own, he's done more as an ambassador for the Master of the Castle than nearly anyone else. Mouse Protector has been pretty vocal about how cool the guy is too.

The Master of the Castle doesn't need goodwill. He honestly doesn't care. But he treats guests politely, because they're from the world that Snek likes playing on.

Also remember, Vicky went there once on her own, then she and Amy went back, and they had an awesome time with actual dragons.

You're implying that they're supposed to believe the Master of the Castle is a good guy on zero evidence, when there's actually plenty of evidence.

 

[Moldy Guacamole]

Once again: Snek has done more good in just a few months than 99% of the heroes over 99% of the history of capes on Bet.

Just on his own, he's done more as an ambassador for the Master of the Castle than nearly anyone else. Mouse Protector has been pretty vocal about how cool the guy is too.

The Master of the Castle doesn't need goodwill. He honestly doesn't care. But he treats guests politely, because they're from the world that Snek likes playing on.

Also remember, Vicky went there once on her own, then she and Amy went back, and they had an awesome time with actual dragons.

You're implying that they're supposed to believe the Master of the Castle is a good guy on zero evidence, when there's actually plenty of evidence.

Click to shrink...

You're missing the point here. The problem isn't the evidence of the master's good character but the how people are taking in said evidence.

Ever since the entities came upon Earth, it's been a steadily drop for humanity. Everything keeps getting worse, and everything good is just a precursor to something much more terrible. People are raised in an environment where despair and hopelessness is the norm, where hope is used by the bad guys to break people, and this is especially more apparent in Brockton Bay.

The kids can be excused for being kids, but the adults of New Wave have no reason to be this jubilant about the master. They're acting like they're from a world like ours instead of earth bet, with how unconcerned they are. Carol, despite being a bit unhinged, is the only one acting close to what's expected from Bet natives put in this particular scenario,

 

[Ack]

You're missing the point here. The problem isn't the evidence of the master's good character but the how people are taking in said evidence.

Ever since the entities came upon Earth, it's been a steadily drop for humanity. Everything keeps getting worse, and everything good is just a precursor to something much more terrible. People are raised in an environment where despair and hopelessness is the norm, where hope is used by the bad guys to break people, and this is especially more apparent in Brockton Bay.

The kids can be excused for being kids, but the adults of New Wave have no reason to be this jubilant about the master. They're acting like they're from a world like ours instead of earth bet, with how unconcerned they are. Carol, despite being a bit unhinged, is the only one acting close to what's expected from Bet natives put in this particular scenario,

Click to shrink...

The adults are also quite powerful in their own right.

If the Master isn't who he's supposed to be, then four of them acting in concert should be able to at least hold him at bay while getting the kids out.

But here's the thing. If things were that bad to everyone all the time, nobody would trust anyone, and nobody would bother to do anything.

It's not that bad, at least to them. They're used to it. They have art galleries and movies and fun events. Yes, there's bad stuff but there's also good stuff.

They even have a wizard-style superhero, called Myrddin. People trust him. Not everything is doom and gloom.

 

[Ack]

Snek is a Good Boy

Part Twenty-Six: Visiting the Village

[A/N: This chapter commissioned by Fizzfaldt and beta-read by Lady Columbine of Mystal.]



Glory Girl

"Okay," Riley announced. "I'm sure you don't want to walk down all the steps to the foot of the mountain, and you probably don't want to draw attention to yourselves by flying down. So we'll go by doorway." She gestured to the door frame behind her. "Most of the doorways in the Castle are hardwired, so to speak, but a few can be redirected if you know how. And I know how."

Half-turning, she put her hand up on what appeared to be a knot in the wood grain and murmured under her breath, tapping her fingers in a pattern that had to be anything but random. Though Vicky strained her ears, the words didn't sound like English, or even any variation on the half-assed Latin some movies used for magic spells.

"How cool is this?" murmured Crystal, watching Riley as though she could somehow divine how the younger girl was doing it. "We're in an actual magic castle with teleporting doorways. And Riley's just like us. If I didn't know better, I'd say she has a Midwestern accent."

"Well—" began Vicky, wondering how to break that particular bit of news, but was thankfully interrupted by Riley.

"And … done." She beamed at them as she dusted her hands off. "This will drop us to the foot of the mountain in one step. Your ears will feel funny for a second, but that'll just be the magic adjusting the pressure in your sinuses." She thought for a moment. "Um, you've all got coin pouches. The gold ones are called crowns, the silvers are called nobles and the coppers are called jacks. Don't look at me, I didn't name 'em."

"Huh." Vicky had vaguely noticed the leather pouch, but she'd been too busy with getting the outfit on properly to pay more attention to it. Now she untied it from her belt and investigated its contents. The coins were nice and chunky in her hand, with weird writing on them. "What are they worth? I mean, if we want to buy something? And whose money is this, anyway?"

Riley waved her hand vaguely. "It's decimal currency. A jack is worth about a dollar, kind of? Maybe? Some things are cheaper and some are more expensive than you'd find on Earth Bet. And the boss literally doesn't care about money. It doesn't mean any more to him than Monopoly money would to you."

Carol frowned. "Wait a minute. You sound suspiciously familiar with our pop culture. And with how much things cost. Have you been to Earth Bet?"

"Well, that depends on your definition of 'been to'," Riley said. "I was born there, and I only came here a few months ago. Does that count?"

Crystal's expression was a hilarious mixture of 'wtf' and 'I thought so', while Carol's frown became a glare. "You've been deceiving us," she snapped. "Why didn't you tell us the truth from the beginning?"

"Oh, for god's sake!" Sarah stepped in between Riley and Carol. "You're way out of line! She's a perfectly sweet young lady who is under zero obligation to tell us anything she doesn't want to. And to be honest, I don't see what business it is of yours—or mine—where she hails from. She's clearly doing quite well for herself, right here and now!"

"Hear, hear," Neil agreed, moving forward as well. "Carol, Sarah's right. Leave the kid alone."

Carol looked to Mark, who put his hands up defensively. "Don't drag me into this. I was perfectly fine with the way things were. Can we just enjoy visiting Narnia for an hour without making this into a whole Thing?"

"What he said, Mom," added Vicky. "We're in a whole new world. We're guests here! Just stop being so … so you. Please?"

Pressing her lips together, Carol looked at the group opposing her. Crystal and Eric were evidently on Vicky's side, and she didn't even bother seeking support from Amy. Eventually, she huffed out a disgruntled sigh. "Fine. But I still think something weird's going on here. This can't be a healthy working environment."

"I bet it's healthier than being in New Wave," Amy snarked. "C'mon, Riley. I want to go see what the fuss is all about."

Vicky followed her as she stepped forward. Hahaha, wow. Ames is really feeling her oats today. Twilight must be a good influence on her.

<><>​

Panacea

When Amy stepped out through the doorway, she found herself in a small flower-decorated gazebo that surrounded the open arch of the doorway on all sides. Her ears did feel funny for a moment as predicted, but it quickly passed. On her shoulder, Twilight didn't even seem to notice. Amy could feel the warm weight of the hearth-dragon's tail draped across her shoulders, and took comfort from it.

Between the vines draped over the trellis around the gazebo, she saw nearby buildings, and people walking here and there. "Huh," she said out loud. "Hollywood lied to me."

"As if that was a huge revelation." Riley looked over from where she was leaning casually against one of the gazebo posts. "What part of that are you just noticing?"

"Well, the locals." Amy was aware that Vicky and the others were coming through as she spoke, but she wanted to get her point across. "They're kind of cleaner than I expected. And they're wearing clothing just as colourful as ours."

"So, not actually downtrodden peasants and serfs?" Riley grinned and raised an eyebrow, then continued once Amy had nodded in reluctant agreement. "Well, that's mainly because this is a world with magic and stuff. Hygiene's a real thing here, and a lot fewer people die of any given disease. Also, they don't have to depend on weird snails or oysters for specific types of rare cloth or dye, so everyone can wear whatever colours they like."

"And I'm guessing they don't have to worry about some asshole lord or baron or whatever just kidnapping a pretty girl because he likes her looks and having his way with her," Vicky posited as she joined them, hooking her thumb back up over her shoulder. "Having a literal god-tier wizard in his castle on the mountain just up there would go a long way toward discouraging that kind of bullshit."

"The boss doesn't spend a lot of time keeping an eye on what people down here do," Riley admitted, "but he does like it when it's nice and peaceful, and the dragons kind of act as his proxies when things get heated. Being glared at by something the size of a seven-four-seven tends to make even the most self-important assholes reconsider their priorities."

Crystal snorted in amusement. "I haven't even met these dragons yet, and I like them already."

Sarah cleared her throat. "So, let's go meet the locals." She stepped out of the gazebo, parting a couple of the hanging vines with her hands, and made her way into the sunshine.

Crystal and Eric followed her, then Amy and Vicky. Behind her, Amy heard Neil's solid footsteps; she presumed Mark and Carol were coming along too, though she wouldn't have been heartbroken if Carol decided to stay behind. She didn't hate her foster mother, exactly, but the woman had an outright talent for sucking the fun out of a situation.

Twilight turned her head and chirped happily; Amy followed her gaze to see a couple of hearth-dragons flying between the buildings. People glanced up and smiled to see them, then went about their business. It was just another reminder that people here were used to the existence of dragons in general, and hearth-dragons in particular.

They are so damn lucky.

"So, was there anything in particular you'd like to see?" asked Riley, trotting alongside Amy and Vicky. "Or did you just want to look around and enjoy the ambiance?"

"Actually, yes," Neil said. "Is there such a thing as an inn or a tavern around here? Wearing this outfit, I have the strong urge to quaff a tankard of ale, however that's done."

Eric grinned. "I think you need a beard to really enjoy the experience, Dad. If the online games I've been in are any kind of guide, quaffing involves a bit of spillage."

"No beards." Sarah's tone was firm, for all the playfulness in her expression. "Quaff all the ale you like, but no man of mine is growing a beard."

Riley rolled her eyes. "Well, I don't know about the beard side of things, but the tavern's this way. They might even have performers in from the Bardic College."

"Bardic College?" Crystal looked over with interest. "There's such a thing as a Bardic College? Right here in town?"

"There totally is." Riley nodded in confirmation. "They train in singing and whatever musical instruments they're into, and bardic magic as well. When they graduate to journeyman status, they get a sash and a pin shaped like a harp. It's pretty cool."

"… wait, go back." Vicky put a finger up. "You said bardic magic. So there's magic here that the Master of the Castle isn't involved in?"

Riley shrugged. "Well, yeah. But nothing that can match up to what the boss can do."

"Duh." Eric snorted in derision. "That's like saying 'powers that don't match up to what Scion can do'. Because that's basically all powers, everywhere."

"Okay, good point." Riley paused for a moment, as though deciding whether or not to say something. Amy watched her expression, wondering what was up. Then the moment passed, and Riley shook her head slightly. "So, who wants to see the tavern? The venison stew's pretty good, and there's no minimum drinking age here, just in case anyone else wants to sample the ale."

"No." Carol shook her head firmly. "You children will not be drinking."

"How about me?" Crystal's tone was challenging. "If I went to England, I could drink there right now."

"So, we can legally drink here?" asked Vicky. "Really?"

"Sure, why not?" Riley shrugged again. "It's pretty rich, and it makes the tips of my ears tingle. Not something I want to do as a habit, but it's nice on a cold day."

"You will not be drinking!" Carol turned to Sarah. "Come on, back me up on this at least!"

"Say what you like to your kids, but leave mine out of it." Sarah drew in Crystal and Eric by eye. "I'm trusting you to be sensible. Just remember, we're still meeting the dragons later and you'll want to be clear-headed for that. Okay?"

Eric nodded earnestly. "Okay, sure. And I'll make sure Crystal doesn't get too drunk, the lush."

"I do not—!" began Crystal hotly, then moderated her tone when Sarah raised an eyebrow. Clearing her throat, she started again. "I do not get drunk. And I totally wasn't the one who got into the liquor cabinet that one time."

"Really." Neil looked down at his son, who shot Crystal a betrayed glare. "I think we're going to be having a chat about that, when we get home."

"Mom, it's fine," Vicky insisted. "If I get too soused, Ames can just break down the alcohol and make me totally sober again."

Amy folded her arms, hiding a grin at Carol's expression. Back on Earth Bet, Brandish had all the authority. Here and now, that authority was eroding away. But Vicky still needed to be filled in on certain facts. "Yeah, sure, Ames can absolutely do that. But just remember, it'll also come with a monster hangover, which I'm not going to do anything about, because that's brain work and I don't do brains."

Riley shook her head. Just loudly enough for Amy to hear (which Amy suspected was deliberate) she muttered, "How you guys ever caught any villains is a mystery to me." Then she raised her voice to be heard by all concerned. "Uh, like I said, the tavern's down this way."

As they moved in a group down the cobblestone road, Amy took in the rustic-looking buildings and the people around them. The climate seemed temperate, and the village had more of a medieval-Europe flavour than an Old West appearance. A horse clopped slowly past, pulling a wagon full of produce, with a hearth-dragon perched on its head.

Vicky gestured up at what appeared to be torch sconces mounted at intervals on the buildings. "Does someone come along and light those? Surely they wouldn't burn all night."

"Yes and no." Riley grinned at Vicky's frown of incomprehension. "Those are everfire torches. As soon as it gets dark enough, the night watch make the rounds and give the command words for them to ignite. They burn with a pretty purple light."

"Oh. Huh." Vicky's expression showed that she had once more run face-first into her expectations about this society. "More magic, just like that, huh?"

"Just like that," Riley agreed blandly. "There's a few casters in town who make money from their magic. Healers, crop growth, animal diseases, regular rain, Oathbonds, stuff like that. From what I understand, the more you branch out, the wider your range of clientele, but you're nowhere near as good as a dedicated practitioner. One guy might be able to make it rain over your fields by glaring really hard at a cloud, while the other guy takes a week of chanting to get the same effect. But that guy can also knit a busted femur in a few days or cure your cow of whatever's stopping her milk."

"Heck, Amy could do two of those herself." Crystal threw a companionable arm around Amy's shoulders, careful not to dislodge Twilight. "Though I'm not sure how well you'd do at making it rain."

"In a word: poorly." Amy looked over at Riley. "So it's true. If I wanted to move here, I could totally set up as a dedicated healer, and make money out of it?"

"Oh, easily." Riley flipped her hand airily. "You, they'd love. A healer who can get it done in minutes? Plus, having a hearth-dragon is an extra bonus. They're seen as good luck, and as a mark of superior character. It's more that being bonded to a hearth-dragon helps you be a good person, but the end result is the same."

"Wouldn't other healers get annoyed that Amy's stealing their thunder?" asked Vicky. "Because she'd be a lot better than most of them, if not all."

"Not really." This time, Riley's gesture encompassed the village and the land beyond. "Some illnesses and parasites and stuff have a distinctly magical aspect, and I'm pretty sure her power wouldn't have the first idea how to deal with them. Magical healers, on the other hand, can totally deal with that sort of thing. And here we are."

"Oh." Vicky looked up at the sign hanging in front of the building Riley had just indicated. It was garishly painted, with a rainbow-coloured dragon enthusiastically pouring the contents of a suitably-scaled tankard down its throat. Though the writing was just as unreadable as that on the coins, she had a fair notion of what it said. "Let me guess. The Drunken Dragon?"

"Got it in one." Riley grinned. "Though some people call it The Other Dragon. The joke is, if you can see two dragons, it's time to go home."

"Wait." Eric suddenly looked nervous. "Do dragons drink? And get drunk?"

Crystal snorted. "Who's gonna stop 'em?"

Riley shook her head. "Not the big ones. Though hearth-dragons have been known to enjoy a little ale from time to time. It's very much an individual quirk, though. None of them go the whole hog and get drunk, mainly because they know they'll get laughed at by the others if they do."

Amy reached up and stroked Twilight, who chirped in appreciation and leaned into her hand. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me in the slightest."

Neil pushed aside the door-curtain and stepped inside, followed by Sarah and their kids. Vicky and Amy went in side by side, with Riley behind them. When Amy's eyes adjusted to the lower light levels inside—not too bad all told, with odd purplish torches illuminating the darker corners and a large fireplace (with an equally large pot bubbling away) adding warmth and light to the main area—she beheld a sawdust-covered floor, heavy-built tables, and a long counter with a heavily-built man behind it. Several of the patrons of the tavern, wearing the same rough-spun but colourful clothing that the people outside had been displaying, turned to look at them then lost interest again.

"Look," murmured Crystal, pointing at the rafters. Amy raised her eyes in that direction, then realised that there were maybe a dozen hearth-dragons up there. As she watched, two broke free of the group and swooped down to land in the fireplace; that is, in the fire itself.

"Holy crap," blurted Eric. "Did you just see that? Are they okay?"

Amy frowned. "I think so?" From what she could see, among the embers and the burning wood, the two hearth-dragons (rather like Twilight in form if not colouring) were rolling and playing happily. A moment later, they shook off the ash and sparks, and took flight out of the fireplace. They made a circuit of the room, trailing a few last sparks from their still-glowing red and gold scales, before rejoining their brethren in the rafters.

"Wooooow," breathed Vicky. Despite the fact that she'd seen hearth-dragons up close before, and even flown with them, her eyes were alight with wonder.

Crystal was even more smitten. "Can all dragons do that?" she asked, keeping her voice down with a visible effort.

"No, just the red ones," Riley explained. "They're basically fireproof. Their big cousins are the ones that can breathe fire."

"Hm." Sarah looked thoughtful. "So if someone bonds with a red one, do they become fireproof too?"

Riley nodded. "That's the way it works, yeah. But you can't just bond with one to order. The hearth-dragons pick the people they bond with, a lot more than the other way around."

"Well, that's definitely something to think about," Neil admitted. "But let's get a table while we're doing that, so we don't stick out too much."

"Says the guy literally wearing a battle-axe on his back," Mark retorted in a rare display of snark.

Neil smirked. "Who axed you?"

Amid the collective groans from Amy and the other youngsters, as well as Sarah, he made his way to an as-yet unoccupied table, and pulled out two of the heavy chairs: one for himself, and one for Sarah. She smiled and sat down, while Amy and Vicky pulled out seats for themselves. Amy also grabbed one for Riley; while the younger girl had shown herself to be extremely capable in her own right, she was still a skinny twelve-year-old.

As soon as they were all seated and Amy was just starting to wonder if they should've gone to the counter to order, a young woman came over to their table. Her clothing was neat and tidy and she had a leather pouch slung on her hip; the smile she gave them as she came up was either genuine or she was really good at her job.

"Good morn to you, folks," she said cheerfully. "What would you be having?"

"Um," Neil said, caught on the back foot. "What's good, here? And how much is it going to cost?"

She tilted her head knowingly. "Ah, I'd wager you're new in town, if you don't know of our famed venison stew. And for drink we have ale or mead, both the finest you'll find around. Three jacks for either, or five for two."

"I'll have a bowl of stew then," Neil said. "And some ale too, please. Sarah?"

"Just the stew, thanks," Sarah said. "The youngsters will have smaller cups of the mead, if you have them."

"And the stew for each of us," Vicky added hastily. "That smells amazing."

"And it tastes even better," the serving woman acknowledged. She took Mark's order for himself and Carol (who had apparently decided to stay silent for the moment) then moved off again.

"Okay," Eric said once she'd gone back to the counter. "I'm just going to say, this trip's been cooler than I could've imagined so far, and we haven't even gotten to the big dragons yet. Mom, Dad, thanks for bringing us."

"What he said," Vicky agreed. "I've been to this world exactly twice, and flying with dragons was totally awesome, don't get me wrong. But I never came down here until now, and dressed up like this it feels like we've just stepped into a fantasy movie."

"Just make sure there isn't some shadowy guy sitting in the corner with a broken sword," Crystal quipped.

"Wrong franchise," Amy shot back. "This is Narnia, not Middle Earth." She paused and looked at Riley. "Or do they actually have short people with hairy feet, here?"

"No shorter or hairier than normal," Riley assured her, deadpan. "Some do choose to live underground, but they do that back on Earth Bet too, from what I understand."

Another group pushed aside the curtain and entered, chatting busily among themselves. Their apparent leader, a woman clad in the same kind of hard-wearing leathers that Sarah had chosen, had a green hearth-dragon on her shoulder. When it saw Twilight, it chirped a cheerful greeting, which Amy's companion returned. Both took to the air at once, passed by each other, then flew up to where the other hearth-dragons were perched in the rafters.

"Drinks all round!" announced the leader of the newcomers. "Another outlaw band off the roads, and we've been well rewarded for our efforts!" Gold coins clattered on the counter; the patrons raised a cheer, and their mugs as well.

"Those guys totally look like a classic adventuring party, don't they?" murmured Eric. "Bows, swords, crossbows. They're the real deal."

Crystal nodded, then frowned. "Is it just me, or does the one with the stringed instrument and the feathers in her hair look kind of familiar?"

Amy turned her head just far enough to look for herself. Her cousin wasn't exactly wrong; the feathers entwined with the musician's hair were a bright yellow, strongly reminiscent of the disgraced rogue cape Bad Canary, who'd been sent to the Birdcage for misusing her Master powers.

"She does, yeah," Vicky agreed before Amy could speak. "Riley, does this happen much? People from different universes ending up looking the same?"

"Not like that, no," Riley began, but was interrupted by the return of the serving woman.

"Your stew, gentles and ladies," the woman said briskly, placing steaming bowls on the table, along with a fresh-baked bread roll for each place. "I'll be back in a moment with your drinks. Keep your coin for those; they've already been paid for." She nodded toward Neil. "'Tis not often we get one of your size in here. Would you be of a mind to try a larger tankard?" A gesture toward the counter revealed an oversized mug, twice the size of the regular type, being taken down from a shelf.

Neil glanced at the rest of the table. "Uh …"

"Do it!" hissed Eric.

"Yeah, Dad," Crystal chimed in. "Do it!"

"Do it! Do it! Do it!" Vicky chanted, grinning broadly.

Sarah sighed and rolled her eyes. "Go ahead, honey. You may as well."

"Alright then." Neil nodded to the woman. "Let's do this thing."

"I'll be right back, then." She traipsed away, while other patrons raised their mugs to Neil. It seemed to Amy that this was some kind of regular challenge.

Taking up her spoon, she was less than surprised when Twilight landed on the table before her just a second or so later. The hearth-dragon eyed the stew, took a deep and appreciative sniff of the odours coming off it, then gave the most impressive rendition of puppy-dog eyes Amy had seen from her yet. Going solely by the hopeful crooning, Amy might well have assumed Twilight had been starving for days.

"Wow," she said, amused. "It's like I didn't already give you breakfast. Where do you put it all?" But she dipped her spoon in the stew anyway and fished out a nice chunk of meat, then plucked it off the spoon and handed it to Twilight. The hearth-dragon accepted it politely and ate it.

Around the table, she noticed, everyone else was also faced with a hungry-looking hearth-dragon. Like Twilight, they were waiting until they were offered food, then eating it carefully. None were actually starving, she figured; they were just really good at acting that way.

"Haha wow," chuckled Eric, feeding one of the red hearth-dragons a piece of bread roll soaked in the gravy. "These guys sure have it made. Cute enough to be fed regularly, smart enough not to be pushy about it."

Now that Twilight had been temporarily sated, Amy tried out the stew for herself. It was as delicious as it smelled, with a rich variety of seasonings that she didn't recognise but she still rather enjoyed. She took another couple of spoonfuls before feeding Twilight another piece of meat.

The drinks arrived around then; Neil got his oversized tankard, Mark a normal-sized one, and five smaller cups were placed before Amy, Vicky, Eric, Crystal and Riley. Amy hadn't been overly interested in getting alcohol—she'd never tried it before, not really seeing the appeal—but she took hers up and sniffed at it, then gingerly tasted it. Like the stew, it was rich in flavour, but sweet instead of savoury.

"Hey," Vicky said, sounding a little surprised. "This is really nice."

"Our meadery's the finest for a long way around," the serving woman confirmed with a nod of satisfaction. "There's magic-touched flowers in the woods where the bees gather their pollen, and that honey's used by some to make potions. We use it in our mead and you can tell the difference, can you not?"

"It's definitely got a zing to it," Crystal said. "Here, cutie, try this." She dipped some bread in the mead then offered it to the hearth-dragon perching in front of her. Accepting it delicately with its forelimbs, it ate the offering with every evidence of enjoyment.

"How about you, Dad?" Eric grinned at Neil, then nodded toward the oversized tankard in front of him. "Are you going to take the challenge, or am I going to have to man up and do it for you?"

"Dang, Eric, how much of this mead have you had?" jibed Vicky with a grin. "It's good stuff but you might want to lay off it if it's gonna make you say stuff like that."

"No, no, he's right." Neil took up the tankard. "I accepted the challenge fair and square. Let's see how good this ale really is."

"Dooo it," Eric egged him on.

"Dooo it," Crystal echoed.

"Do it, do it, do it," Vicky reiterated her earlier chant.

Even Amy found herself grinning. "Do it," she added onto the tail end of everyone else.

Taking a deep breath, Neil raised the tankard to his mouth and began to drink. He gradually tilted it farther and farther back as he worked his way through the contents. Toward the end, Amy began to worry that he was going to run out of breath before he ran out of ale, but he finally raised it up past horizontal, gulped down the last of the ale, and slammed the tankard down on the table. Then, just to punctuate what he'd done, he released a long rolling belch that almost drowned out the spontaneous cheering that arose from the tables around.

Sarah rolled her eyes, though Amy could see pride at her husband's accomplishment on her face. "Seriously, men are all the same, whether it's a medieval tavern or a redneck bar. Drinking and belching."

Amy could tell Vicky was about to respond, but at that moment her sister's gaze fell on something that made her eyes widen. Looking in that direction, Amy's own eyebrows rose in surprise. "Wow, Mom," Vicky said. "Look at you."

Carol raised her head from where she was cuddling a hearth-dragon covered in silvery scales. The miniature dragon was snuggling into her embrace, its head resting on her shoulder with its eyes closed in bliss. Arrested in the motion of stroking the hearth-dragon's wings, her hand started moving again, softly caressing the smooth membranes. The dragon rumbled gently in appreciation.

"What?" she asked.



End of Part Twenty-Six

 

[theaceoffire]

Yeeeessss, embrace the adorablez! Cute is life, search your feelings! You know it be true!

 

[Troysh]

In retrospect, I shouldn't be surprised to see Carol "my issues have issues" Dallon reacting well to emotional support dergs, but even then, I really did not see this coming.

I think I have genuinely rationalized Carol as being another Umbridge, which is to say, utterly unredeemable in any respect. I like how the visit is going, but this whole chapter I was kind of just waiting for Carol to blow her top and ruin everything, which gave a distinct undertone of anxiety. Kinda a sense of "things are going nice and fluffy, there's no way Old Yeller ain't getting shot in a paragraph or two though". Objectively probably a good chapter, but I sort of spoiled it for myself with my biases being so subconsciously engrained.

 

[NavigatorNobilis]

Carol "my issues have issues" Dallon

Click to shrink...

Look, she does have lots of issues, but that's because she's subscribed to Brockton Daily News, Earth Bet Journal, Parahuman Times, and Lawyers Anonymous. Not to mention she follows both the Collateral Damage Barbie series and is addicted to the My Nemesis Daughter Can't Be This Heroic! light novel.

 

[Kehsem]

Look, she does have lots of issues, but that's because she's subscribed to Brockton Daily News, Earth Bet Journal, Parahuman Times, and Lawyers Anonymous. Not to mention she follows both the Collateral Damage Barbie series and is addicted to the My Nemesis Daughter Can't Be This Heroic! light novel.

Click to shrink...

In Summary: The stick in Carol's ass has a stick up it's own ass. It's sticks all the way down.

 

[Ack]

Look, she does have lots of issues, but that's because she's subscribed to Brockton Daily News, Earth Bet Journal, Parahuman Times, and Lawyers Anonymous. Not to mention she follows both the Collateral Damage Barbie series and is addicted to the My Nemesis Daughter Can't Be This Heroic! light novel.

Click to shrink...

All of which her brand-new hearth-dragon companion is going to be chewing up for nesting materials.

 

[Moldy Guacamole]

New Wave really has no middle ground, do they? On one hand, most of them are treating this excursion to another world way to casually, like nothing can go wrong. Heck, they don't even have a way to return home by their own means, and are completely reliant on a stranger. On the other hand we have Carol, who's going full cornered animal mode hissing at pretty much everything.

 

[Ack]

New Wave really has no middle ground, do they? On one hand, most of them are treating this excursion to another world way to casually, like nothing can go wrong. Heck, they don't even have a way to return home by their own means, and are completely reliant on a stranger. On the other hand we have Carol, who's going full cornered animal mode hissing at pretty much everything.

Click to shrink...

Snek isn't a stranger. He's very personable. Once you've spent thirty seconds in his company, you're his friend.

 

[Ack]

Snek is a Good Boy

Part Twenty-Seven: Dragon Reunion

[A/N: This chapter commissioned by Fizzfaldt and beta-read by Lady Columbine of Mystal.]



Panacea

"So cute," Vicky cooed, leaning in to rub the silver-scaled dragon under the chin as they headed back down the street toward the castle portal.

"Sooo cute," echoed Crystal, stroking its wing, which flared slightly to press into her hand. Its entire attitude radiated serene assurance that such attention was only its rightful due. "What's its name, Aunt Carol?"

"Her name is Argent," Carol said, leaning on a brittle knife-edge of pride. "And you needn't make fun of me."

"They're not," Amy said, cuddling Twilight and rubbing her belly the way she liked it, while the hearth-dragon's hind legs kicked gently. "We're not. You're just feeling insecure because this is a whole new thing for you, especially since you didn't trust it before. Believe me, I know exactly what you're going through."

"Why didn't you …" Carol closed her eyes, shook her head, and cleared her throat. "Why didn't you tell me it was like this?" Argent made a soothing rumble in her chest, and rubbed her head up against Carol's jaw. Amy watched as the tension in Carol's posture visibly relaxed.

"Well, first because it's not something anyone can describe without half an hour and exclusive use of a thesaurus for different versions of the word 'awesome'." Amy grinned at Carol's momentary sour look, mainly because it was true. "And second, would you have accepted what I had to say without trying to pick it apart?"

"I …" Amy could tell that Carol really wanted to say yes, but her foster mother's innate honesty, bolstered by the hearth-dragon in her arms, killed the words in her throat. "It's different now. I know how you feel."

"And I know how you feel." Amy gave Twilight a speculative glance. "Are you two helping us connect like this?" It wasn't telepathy, so much as a stronger level of empathy than they'd ever felt before (which, sad to say, wasn't hard to achieve). Twilight chirped happily in the affirmative. "Oh, okay, then. So apparently this is a thing I didn't know about hearth-dragons."

"Oh, yeah," Riley piped up. "If there's already any kind of emotional connection between people bonded to hearth-dragons, they can improve the connection. Bridge the gap, sort of thing. Now, I know Brandish isn't fully bonded yet, but the link is already there and neither side is fighting it. So, it's as good as done."

"Wait, people fight that sort of thing?" asked Crystal. "Are they nuts?"

"Sometimes, it's just a passing connection. Or the person or the dragon isn't ready for a bonding." Riley shrugged. "This is why a normal bonding usually takes days, to make sure both sides are ready for it. I'm just gonna say, the way we're going two for two with Panacea and Brandish, there's probably a lot of capes on Bet who could use a hearth-dragon in their life."

"Argh," groaned Crystal. "I don't want to sound like That Person, but if I say what I want to say, I'm going to sound like it anyway."

"Let me guess," Eric said from behind her. "'Why does she get one, and not me?' Am I close?"

"Shut up," Crystal retorted, which was answer enough. "Okay, fine, I'll say it. How come Aunt Carol gets a hearth-dragon when she didn't even want one, and I don't when I've wanted once ever since I saw Twilight?"

Amy would never be sure if the words came from her, or the understanding she had with Twilight. "Sometimes it's not what you want, but what you need. You're not nearly as broken as me or Carol." She gave her cousin a cheeky grin. "I'm certain that if you spent a few weeks here, you'd find one to bond with. But it wouldn't be as quick as happened with me and Twilight, or is happening between Argent and Carol."

Vicky nodded thoughtfully. "Sort of like triage. Someone with a sore knee comes in ahead of someone else who's been in a traumatic car accident, you'd see to the accident victim first. Even if that knee is really, really sore."

Amy's grin broadened. "Doesn't stop 'em from whining about it." She tilted her head and glanced toward Riley. "So, what sort of hearth-dragon is that one, anyway?"

"Oh, Argent's part of the lunar strain. A moon dragon, if you want to call her that. Once your mom's fully bonded to her, she'll be stronger and faster when the moon's up, and she'll be able to see perfectly in moonlight. There might be some other minor effects, but those are the major ones." Riley looked pleased with herself. "Hearth-dragons are fun."

Vicky snorted with amusement. "Wait, so Mom will be a … were-hero, I guess? Like a werewolf but not as fuzzy?"

"Now, now," Sarah said austerely. "No making fun of Carol. She's going through a lot right now." Along with the note of amusement, her voice also held a tinge of sternness.

Vicky nodded contritely. "You're right, Aunt Sarah. Sorry, Mom."

Neil cleared his throat. "Not to change the subject, but I'm gonna change the subject. Riley, you obviously like hearth-dragons and they like you. How come you haven't bonded with one of them yet?"

"Well, I gotta tell you, the state I was in when Snek first brought me here, I would've needed about ten of them to bring me back around to 'normal'." Riley shrugged, as though her statement was nothing out of the ordinary. "But the boss took a special interest in dealing with my problems, so now I'm about as well-adjusted as you can get. I like hearth-dragons just fine, and they like me, but we don't need each other to the point that we're going to bond."

Sarah frowned. "I'm sorry if this sounds like prying, but … well, to be honest, that sounds like there's a lot being left out. Do you feel comfortable with telling us why you were in such a bad way when you got here?"

"Wow, Mom," Crystal spoke up. "Whatever happened to not digging into her past, like you said earlier?"

"You kind of did say that, Mom," Eric agreed. "And with the way Snek rescues people who really need it, the fact that she needed the Master's help when she got here isn't surprising at all. Not to me, anyway."

"Also, Earth Bet's kind of a shithole," Amy added. "We all know it. There's a lot of walking wounded out there." She wasn't even being sarcastic when she said it.

"Not as much of one since Snek showed up," Mark noted, causing everyone to look at him in surprise. He raised his eyebrows. "What? It's true. Snek's eaten two of the three Endbringers, and I've heard there's a brisk betting pool over when—or if—Behemoth is ever going to show his face again."

"He'd be wise not to," Riley said with some confidence. "Snek likes his spicy food. The hotter, the better. I've seen him chow down on literal demons with hellfire for blood like you or I would go through a bucket of spicy chicken wings."

Crystal began to giggle. "If Behemoth hasn't heard of any of this, he's in for a serious surprise when he shows up again. I think I'll sell tickets."

"Don't expect to sell many," Vicky advised her. "Snek does not waste time when he's hunting Endbringers."

"Wouldn't that make him the Endbringer Endbringer?" asked Eric, faux innocently.

Neil made a noise of mock annoyance. "Brat. Beat me to it."

Amy glanced at Carol, who chose that moment to look back at her. The empathic link, it seemed, was still going strong. Argent didn't seem to be as playful as Twilight, though she was definitely as affectionate, snuggling into Carol's arms and wrapping her tail gently around Carol's wrist.

Good, Amy decided, giving Carol a slight smile. She definitely needs this. I know I did.

After a moment Carol smiled back, before returning her attention to her hearth-dragon.

<><>​

Glory Girl

The Master of the Castle already ticked all the boxes when it came to the 'totally bullshit' stakes, so Vicky wasn't surprised when his only reaction to Argent's presence in the group was a nod and a smile. It was like he'd either known all along what was going to happen, or had even arranged for it to turn out that way.

She wasn't willing to bet on which one it was. Nor was she about to argue with the results.

"Welcome back," he said, removing a set of goggles which included an intricate multi-lensed magnifier; it seemed he'd been using this to examine one of the tentacles when they arrived back in the castle. Vicky wasn't too certain that all the lenses were made of normal matter, considering how some of them seemed to disappear and reappear, and at least one changed places on the magnifier as she watched. "The Dragonmark has returned, and will no doubt be pleased to meet you all, and reacquaint themselves with Victoria and Amelia. I trust your sojourn in the village was enjoyable?"

"It was a lot of fun," Crystal confirmed. "Dad took the big tankard challenge in the tavern."

"Passed it, too," Riley added. "Oh, and the Travellers are back too, boss. Looks like they caught up with the Cragmores. They're flush with gold, so they collected the bounty. No injuries."

The Master of the Castle smiled and nodded approvingly. "That's very good to hear. The redoubtable Ms Meinhardt has justified my faith in her several times over now."

"Uh …" ventured Vicky. "No disrespect intended, sir, but from what I've seen, you could personally pinpoint and zap bandit gangs from orbit with the greatest of ease. How come you do it this way?"

"Vicky!" Amy hissed. "Not cool!"

Fortunately, the Master didn't seem offended in the slightest. "An excellent question, Victoria. The answer is threefold. First, as you may have noted, my focus is broad. I watch over, and protect, entire worlds. While I am capable of narrowing it to the level you describe, that would force me to relax my vigilance over the wider sphere. Second, bandits are like roaches; while they do little damage individually, they are legion. Were I to devote my time to eradicating them all, it would draw an unconscionable amount of time from my greater projects. Third, there are many people for whom the pursuit and apprehension of such malefactors brings enjoyment and fulfilment. Thus, I find it easier to locate and place such people in appropriate roles and allow them free rein to perform their allotted tasks, than try to do it all myself."

"And that's what you've got Snek for," Eric said in tones of sudden realisation. "He takes care of the mid-range stuff for you."

"Indeed, young Eric. He began his time with me as a simple familiar, but I have added several improvements since then. I am quite proud of the way he has grown and found friends of his own. He is truly a good boy." The Master raised his head at a triple knock on the door leading out of the laboratory. "And there he is now. Come in, Snek. Your friends have returned."

The door opened and Snek slithered in, looking somewhat less scuffed than he had before. Even the minor damage to the hat showed subtle signs of repair. "Hello, friendss," he said happily. "Ssnek likess your clothess. Very nicce." His gaze switched to Argent. "Friendss have found another hearth-dragon. Iss very pretty. What iss name, pleasse?"

Carol straightened her back and held Argent a little closer, to which the little dragon didn't object at all. "Her name is Argent, and thank you." She took a deep breath. "Also, I want to apologise for the times I've been rude to you. It was unfair of me to be that way, especially considering how much you've helped my daughters."

Vicky caught Amy's slow double blink out of the corner of her eye as Snek slithered closer. The giant snake reared up slightly so that he could smile at her from eye level. "Ssnek knowss angry blonde lady wass unhappy. Iss good that you have found hearth-dragon Argent. Friendss?"

Leaning in toward her mother, Vicky murmured, "Boop him on the snoot. He likes that."

Carol's smile was a little strained, but it was there all the same. Shifting her hold on Argent to free one hand, she reached out and tentatively fist-bumped Snek's nose. "Yes, friends," she said. "I'd very much like that."

Argent let out a rarr that sounded approving, and spread one wing across Carol's chest in what seemed like a hug, while Snek's smile widened. "Ssnek likess having friendss. Go play with dragonss now?"

"You guys go ahead," Riley said. "Imma stay and help the boss. Have fun."

"Thanks for showing us around." Crystal went over to Riley and gave her a hug, which was reciprocated. "You're pretty cool. It's been great."

"Heck yeah," Eric agreed. "I don't know what I expected when I came here, but this wasn't it."

Riley beamed at them as she began to pull on her protective gloves. "That's really good to hear. Let me know how it goes with Cirrus and the others."

"Totally."

<><>​

Lady Photon

Meeting the Master of the Castle had been a rare experience in Sarah's life; he was impressive without being domineering. The Castle itself was thoroughly intriguing, not least due to the rooms with the magic wardrobes. Sarah had also enjoyed the trip to the village, the hearty fare in the tavern, and the drink that had come with it, though that experience was topped off by Carol's unexpected acquisition of her hearth-dragon companion.

But the full-sized dragons threatened to blow all that out of the metaphorical water.

They were huge, but their size was only part of it. The power and grace inherent within their forms was breathtaking, and they were smart. On the other side of the coin, as Vicky had noted, they were extremely vain and soaked up attention as readily as hearth-dragons did.

Sarah just had no idea what to make of them, even after introductions had been performed.

||It's good to see you again, Vicky,|| the one called Finesse said in that weird broadcast mind-speech. ||I see that Twilight is doing well with Amy.||

||And Carol, is it?|| added Cirrus. ||I must congratulate you on your upcoming bonding. You have done well, the two of you.||

"I … uh … thank you." Carol honestly looked more than a little taken aback herself. Argent was in her element, of course, trading happy chirps with the other hearth-dragons flying around. "Is there … anything I need to do? To look out for?"

Cirrus seemed to consider this for a moment. ||Do not neglect her. Until the bond matures, she will need to be with you or in your near vicinity. Let your own feelings be your guide; they will be a mirror of hers.||

"And what if …" Carol stumbled over the words. "It'll be a whole new world, when I take her back home. She's inquisitive, curious. What if she goes exploring and … and gets lost?" There was real worry in her voice, more anxiety over someone else's welfare than Sarah had heard from her in some time.

Cirrus chuckled. ||Your concern speaks well of you, but fear not. The bonding process has already begun, so she will always know where you are, and you will know where she is. She may get lost, but she will never lose you.||

"Well, that's definitely good to hear," Carol said, cupping her hand under Argent's chin. "Isn't it? Because I know just from looking at you that you're going to be all sorts of trouble. Aren't you?" Belying her words, her tone was downright fond. Argent crooned in reply, and snuggled a little more closely into her embrace.

"She's raised two daughters," Sarah explained. "Crystal and Eric are mine. From what I've seen of Twilight, once she and Argent get more confident about exploration, they're going to be getting into everything."

Finesse chuckled. ||You have a fine understanding of hearth-dragons, I see. So, which of you wishes to come flying with me first?||

"Oh, I can fly on my own, like Eric and Crystal," Sarah said, lifting a few inches off the ground by way of demonstration. Out away from the side of the mountain, her two children were already swooping through the sky along with Vicky, accompanied by most of the Dragonmark. Even Amy was seated astride another dragon, with Twilight flying alongside. "Carol, you can go with her. I'll be your wing-woman."

"That works," Neil agreed. "Mark, you want to go with Cirrus? I'm pretty sure another one of these big strong dragons will be able to get me up there."

"No, I'll be fine." Mark settled down on a conveniently flattened rock, adjusting the hang of his rapier so the hilt didn't dig into his ribs. "You three go ahead. Knock yourselves out."

Sarah shared a glance with Neil, who shrugged. It was hard to get Mark out of his shell at times like this, but it wasn't as though he would come to harm on this rocky ledge.

"Okay, then," she said. "Let's go flying with dragons."

Cirrus beamed. ||You're going to love it. I always do.||

<><>​

Flashbang

Mark was so proud of Carol as she tentatively climbed aboard the dragon called Finesse.

She'd always been so set in her ways, demanding that others bend first. It was no great admission to say that her will was stronger than his. Coming on this expedition, she hadn't been happy with matters and had been quick to find fault, and he'd fully expected things to go wrong because of it.

He hadn't expected her to find common cause with a cute little silver-scaled dragonet, who was even now perching on Carol's shoulder with wings half-spread in anticipation, chirping encouragement. That should be me. I should be the one telling her that she can do it.

Hell, I don't think I could even bond with a hearth-dragon. I'd be scared of it going wrong somehow.

When she was settled, the dragon moved toward the cliff edge, then brought its wings down as it leaped out over the void. From what he could see, the transition from ground movement to flight was so smooth as to be unnoticeable. Neil, on Cirrus' back, was already airborne and whooping with exhilaration.

At that moment, he felt a pang of envy toward his brother-in-law. He's always been more of a thrill-seeker than me. Not that Neil was much of a risk-taker, but compared to Mark, most people were downright daredevils.

It was truly an inspiring view, out over the stunning vista supplied by the Dragonmark's eyrie. The colossal, winged forms of the dragons swooped and turned with insane agility, accompanied by both their tiny cousins and the flight-capable members of New Wave. All that was missing was … him.

I should be out there with them. Enjoying the moment. Sharing the joy. Guilt dug its claws into him as he watched them. Look at me, the guy who goes all the way to Narnia and then doesn't actually do any of the fun stuff. While my wife does things she never did before in her life.

Finesse swooped by and Carol waved, Argent doing barrel-rolls alongside her. If only to justify his decision to not go out there and join her, he pulled his phone out. He noted with mild astonishment that he actually had bars of signal—how the hell did they pull that off?—then opened the camera app and started taking photos. The air was crystal clear, and he fancied he could see sunlight shining off every vivid scale on each of the dragons—of both varieties—out there.

There was a friendly chirp in his ear, and a weight settled onto his shoulder. He half-turned his head, to see a hearth-dragon leaning in to peer inquisitively at the screen of his phone. It had shimmering orange scales on top of its head, fading to salmon under its throat; the colours of sunrise, if he thought of it that way.

"Hello, there," he said quietly, trying not to do anything that might scare it off. "I'm taking photos, see?" Framing one of the closer dragons, he tapped the icon that took a picture.

The hearth-dragon made a noise of interest, so he took another picture, then hit the selfie icon and angled the phone so it could see its own face in the screen.

That got its attention. Leaning in even closer with its wings spread for balance, it admired its likeness on the screen, then deliberately posed before reaching out with its forelimb and pressing the photo icon. There was an electronic click, and it chirped in triumph.

"Okay, let's see how that turned out," he said, and flicked through to the photo the hearth-dragon had just taken of itself. It was actually pretty good, even considering that the cute little critters didn't have a bad side. "Nicely done. You may have a talent there."

The hearth-dragon chirped in definitive agreement, then gestured at the phone. Mark didn't have to know dragon-talk to understand that as 'please may I take another photo?'. It somehow even managed to put it as a polite request rather than a demand.

"Sure," he said, and opened up the camera icon again. "Another selfie?"

Raising its head, the hearth-dragon squawked, drawing the attention of several of its fellows that had been flying around nearby. They swooped over and landed in front of Mark; with a series of chirps, they looked intently at the phone, some spreading their wings or otherwise posing. As Mark began to wonder exactly how smart these things were, the one on his shoulder tapped the icon again, taking a second photo.

<><>​

Panacea

Amy slid off the dragon's neck onto the ground, still grinning broadly. "Thank you," she said. "That was a lot of fun."

||Any time,|| the dragon—his name was Katabatic—replied. ||It's always fun flying a bonded rider.|| He moved back to join his fellows, and Amy caught his thought-speech directed at the other dragons; ||Did you hear that? She thought I was a lot of fun!||

Smiling privately to herself, she headed back toward where Mark was sitting with a bunch of hearth-dragons around him. Vicky and Crystal landed on either side of her and fell into step. "Whoo!" Vicky enthused. "That was just as amazing as the first time!"

"It was definitely right up there in the 'holy shit' stakes," agreed Crystal. "Hearth-dragons are crazy, but in a good way. How was it riding one of them, Amy?"

Amy held up her arm as Twilight swooped in to land on it, then gathered the hearth-dragon into a cuddle. "I kind of regret not doing it the first time we came here, but then I wouldn't have met cutie here, so I guess there's not a lot to regret." In her arms, Twilight squawked in agreement. "See? She says the same thing."

As they reached Mark, the hearth-dragons looked around and chirped in greeting, which was returned by Twilight. "So what are you up to, Dad?" asked Vicky.

It was then that something stirred in the emotional band, and Amy saw that Mark had a hearth-dragon perched on his leg, as he showed it photos on his phone. He looked up at them a little sheepishly, as he scratched the back of its neck. "You are never going to believe this …"



End of Part Twenty-Seven

 

[meloa789]

My heart can't stand this amount of sweet. This was really wholesome.

 

[Rmajere]

You get a hearth dragon and you get a hearth dragon!

Let's face it earth bet needs all the hearth dragons.

Now I want to see mouse protector with dragons....

Thank you for this, it really does make my day better reading this story.

 

[JohnWolfie34]

It's good to see Mark getting the help he needs.
Thanks for the chapter!

 

[Ack]

Snek is a Good Boy

Part Twenty-Eight: The Dragon Invasion of Brockton Bay

[A/N: This chapter commissioned by Fizzfaldt and beta-read by Lady Columbine of Mystal.]



Panacea

Snek slithered proudly alongside the members of New Wave as they trooped back into the Master's workshop/laboratory/whatever else it was. While other hearth-dragons flew overhead in a kind of honour guard, Amy had Twilight snuggled into her arms. Carol was likewise holding onto Argent (who was quite pleased with this arrangement) and Mark was still wearing a 'how did I get to this point' look, with the sunrise-coloured hearth-dragon perched on his shoulder, its tail wrapped around his shoulders.

Just as Amy was feeling the emotional connection with Carol, she was starting to pick up hints from Mark as well. It seemed that his dragon (Mark hadn't given it a name yet) was bolstering his mood, keeping his emotional downturns from diving into the abyss. He responded to the occasional chirp in the ear by reaching up and petting it, which it accepted as its due.

Riley and the Master of the Castle looked up from the body of the Faceless Minion they were dissecting, and Riley broke into a broad grin. "Well, darn," she said happily. "Congratulations, Mr Dallon."

"I'm still not quite sure how it happened," Mark admitted sheepishly. "I was taking photos and he was interested, so I showed him how and let him take a few himself. The next thing I knew, we'd clicked. So to speak."

"Bonding can follow many paths," the Master confirmed. "This is a good thing for other reasons as well. One hearth-dragon would be seen as an oddity, perhaps something to be feared, but greater numbers will allow the general populace to accept them as commonplace. Familiarity breeds complacency."

Amy was pretty sure the version of the saying she'd heard went slightly differently, but she was in no way about to contradict someone who so evidently had his shit together. Also, she was certain that between him and Snek, if anyone tried to pull any shenanigans with the hearth-dragons, they would be in a world of trouble in extremely short order. That is, if Carol and Mark and Vicky hadn't already obliterated them for their troubles.

The first mistake she suspected anyone would make regarding the hearth-dragons would be to see them as mindless animals. Close on the heels of that one would be any attempt to coax them away from their bonded partners. While Twilight and her cohorts were actually quite susceptible to food bribes (they loved treats, period) they were also empathetic, and would easily pick up on ill intent before anyone could get close enough to do anything stupid. And even with the purest intent (if attempting to steal a hearth-dragon's loyalty could be called 'pure') there was no way to shift a bond to themselves.

"That's good to hear," Carol said, cradling Argent in her arms. "We'll also be bringing them back whenever we visit … I mean, if you don't have a problem with us visiting?"

Wow, who are you, and what've you done with Carol? The question crossed Amy's mind before she could stop it, and she flushed as Carol glanced sideways at her. The emotional bridging effect of the hearth-dragons didn't let them read each other's minds, but they could certainly pick up emotions. From Carol, she got rueful acknowledgement; they shared a slightly embarrassed smile before Carol looked away again.

"There will be no problem with that whatsoever," the Master stated firmly. "If I happen to be busy, Snek will be entirely capable of escorting you across the dimensional barrier. He enjoys spending time with his friends and helping others, and I fully intend to encourage that behaviour."

"Ah. That's good to hear." Carol nodded toward the splayed-out inhuman corpse on the table. "Are you finding out anything, uh, useful from that?" Even on a day trip to a fantasy world, with a hearth-dragon in her arms, it appeared she was constitutionally incapable of refraining from asking lawyer-type questions when the opportunity arose.

Either the Master of the Castle was aware of this, or he was really good at humouring people, because he answered without hesitation. "All information is useful information, when applied appropriately. With the assistance of Riley's expertise, I am confident of devising a simple ward which will bar the Faceless Minions from entering any region where I have decided they are unwelcome."

Magical wards, simple or otherwise, were entirely outside of Amy's experience, and she was pretty sure the same applied to everyone else in the New Wave party. "I bet the multiverse will be pleased to hear about that. Those guys do not look like the happy-fun type of party guests to me."

"And Panacea wins the Understatement of the Year prize," Riley agreed from alongside the cadaver. "Did you need me to show you the way back up there? Because right now I'm wrist-deep in Guts Man Was Not Meant To Know, holding two bits apart that I don't think we want coming into contact. Turns out they had a pseudo-biological dead-man switch, who knew?"

"Ah, no, we should be good," Vicky assured her. "We'll just go and change." She paused, looking at the Master of the Castle. "Is it okay if we keep these outfits? Because I totally want to rock this look come Halloween, and there's no way I can get anything this authentic back home, not without dipping into my college account."

The Master of the Castle inclined his head politely. "Take them if you so wish. I have no further need of them."

"Woo! Thank you!" Vicky headed for the doorway they'd used before. Grinning, Amy followed. She'd been wondering how to ask that very question herself, but having Vicky do it for her worked as well.

<><>​

Glory Girl

Wearing her ordinary clothes once more and carrying the medieval armour in the suspiciously convenient holdall that had been on the bed when she entered the room, Vicky swooped out of Snek's wriggle-hole. Not altogether to her surprise, she found herself hovering above the same rooftop they'd left from, several hours before. Crystal followed, while the others walked through like normal people, even Eric and Aunt Sarah.

Once they were on the other side, Twilight and the other two hearth-dragons took flight, with Twilight chirping authoritatively to them as they flew in circles around Vicky and Crystal. The weird thing was, against the backdrop of Snek's world or the Master's Castle, they had looked … normal. Like they belonged. However, here in Brockton Bay they looked amazingly exotic.

"So, Uncle Mark, what are you calling your guy, anyway?" asked Eric as he stepped through. "Flare? Because he kind of looks like a flare."

"No." Vicky's father looked proudly up at his hearth-dragon, who at that moment was pulling a tight loop around a startled sparrow. "I'm calling him Snap."

Amy slowly turned to stare at him, and even Vicky's mom blinked a couple of times in surprise. The reactions were understandable: Mark Dallon rarely, if ever, made 'dad' jokes. Vicky herself felt like face-palming. "Because he's a dragon, right? Snap the dragon? Snapdragon?"

"Well, not only that." He looked quite pleased with himself. "He also likes taking photos. Snapshots."

"Oh, god." This time Amy did face-palm, while Twilight let out a squawk of amusement. "Double-barrelled dad jokes? Really?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Neil observed, a grin lurking on his lips. "Seems like a perfectly good name to me."

Snek chose this moment to extrude his head from the still-extant portal into his world. "Ssnek thinkss Ssnap iss a good name too, big Neil."

"You would, both of you." Aunt Sarah rolled her eyes expressively, then sighed. "Fine, I suppose there are worse names out there. And thank you, Snek, for all your help. We had a really good time."

"Ssnek had good time too, happy blonde lady. Come back and play with dragonss again?" The hopeful note in his voice was unmistakeable.

She chuckled and hugged him around his immense neck. "Of course we will, Snek. The next time, we might even stay a bit longer."

"Ssnek likess that idea." His perpetual smile widened noticeably. "Ssnek musst go and help people. Will ssee you later."

"Have fun, Snek." Sarah stood back as another portal formed ahead of Snek, and he wriggled from one into the other. As soon as both had closed, she looked around at her extended family. "Okay, we've still got daylight hours to burn. I vote we go home, put the clothing away, decompress a little, then maybe go out on patrol later once the dragons have settled in."

"Um, wait a minute," Eric objected. "You're not seriously thinking about taking them on patrol with us, are you? Villains are assholes! And bad guys carry guns! That's just asking for them to get hurt!"

Amy snorted. "I suspect hearth-dragons are more versatile than you think they are. Yeah, they're small and cute, but they're not stupid. Are you?" she asked, as Twilight came in for a landing on her upraised forearm, purplish-black wings spread wide. "No, you're not."

Twilight squawked in agreement then, to Vicky's amusement, turned and stuck a bright-red tongue out at Eric.

Carol nodded. "I think so too. Plus, if the Master of the Castle was worried about them getting hurt, he would've said something."

"Then it's agreed?" asked Neil. "Home, rest and relax while the dragons explore, then patrol."

Mark held out his hand and Snap landed on it, then hopped onto his shoulder. "Sounds good to me."

<><>​

Panacea

The weirdest part about not being the only member of her family with a hearth-dragon was … well, Carol. Amy was used to dealing with emotional distance from her foster mother, as well as a general snappish attitude. Most of the time, she had no idea how Carol came to the opinions she held, so she just maintained a safe distance and didn't initiate any interactions except when necessary.

Now, since the advent of Argent, it was so thoroughly different that she lacked the words to adequately describe it. Carol's bond with the little dragon was still maturing, but Amy could already follow her emotional journey, just as Carol could follow hers. And just as how merely being with Twilight had lifted Amy out of her funk (and was keeping her in a good headspace), Argent was helping smooth the rougher edges of Carol's personality.

It wasn't that Carol was a different person now. Amy just felt that parts of her that rarely got seen were being gently urged forward into the light of day. It wasn't a huge change, but it carried with it deep and abiding ramifications. Aunt Sarah had once alluded to shared traumatic experiences then never mentioned them again; Amy suspected that Carol was on the way to becoming the person she would've been without the scars from that period of her life.

While Snap wasn't as snuggly and overtly affectionate as Twilight and Argent, he was still companionable in his own way, and it was working. Mark was definitely showing signs of being more upbeat and outgoing, though he was even less advanced in the bonding process than Carol. The tantalising glimpses Amy had of his emotional makeup were optimistic; through his eyes, the world was no longer as grey and lifeless as it had once been.

As Amy costumed up, she found herself humming softly. She realised she was actually looking forward to going out on patrol with the rest of the team, instead of just being resigned to it. For a moment, she looked at the gown that she'd acquired in Snek's world, hanging in the closet (and she was absolutely going to be wearing it to school, first chance she got) and considered wearing it instead of her regular costume, then thought better of the idea. New Wave was New Wave, and they didn't want to confuse the public by changing their look.

After a moment, however, she took the intricately braided belt with the long sharp dagger, and buckled it around her waist where she could get to it easily. Dyed (or created) with Twilight's colours, it provided a nice contrast to the red and white of the rest of her costume. Then she pushed back her hood and pulled down her scarf; if she was going out and about, she was going to do it loud and proud.

"Isn't that right, Twilight?" she asked out loud. The hearth-dragon, who had been perched on the dresser mirror watching the costuming process with apparent fascination, chirped in agreement. With a hop and a flutter of wings, she landed on Amy's shoulder, then furled her wings.

Amy looked at the image the pair of them made in the mirror. The costume was familiar, but between the belted dagger and the hearth-dragon riding her shoulder, she looked different. Improved, somehow. Definitely someone to be taken seriously.

Opening the door, she stepped out into the corridor. Let's go do some good.

<><>​

Larry Peterson, Criminal

Since the giant fucking snake had eaten Lung and handed Kaiser and the rest of the Empire Eighty-Eight over to the PRT, life as an independent criminal in Brockton Bay had become easier in a couple of ways and harder in a few more. On the upside, he didn't have to pledge allegiance to someone who could gut him or rip his head off if they decided he wasn't playing ball the way they wanted him to. Likewise, he didn't have to hand over a bunch of his take to some guy in a mask just so he could keep operating in their territory.

On the downside, there was still the problem of a giant fucking snake popping up occasionally in the city. The big-name supervillains were all gone, and even the smaller fry were keeping their heads down or quietly vacating when and where they could. Larry knew of a safe-cracker—no powers, just talent—who'd been quietly exercising his trade when the snake had looked over his shoulder and politely asked what he was doing. The experience had apparently been enough for the guy to swear off cracking safes for life. Also, to need an urgent change of underwear.

Still, a man had to make a (dis)honest living. The word was out that the Dockworkers were hiring again—with the drop in crime, the economy was picking up—but as far as Larry was concerned, stealing shit and mugging idiots was a more efficient way of making a quick buck. After all, the snake couldn't be everywhere.

Which was why he and his buddies were lurking near a bar in the Docks area. It had been noticed that the snake showed up much more reliably to crimes involving women and kids, and the number of rug-rats in a bar at this time of night was likely to be close to zero. As for chicks, so long as they didn't actually pull out a gun and start blasting, him and his guys would be totally hands-off.

From the sounds of laughter and revelry inside, it sounded like the bar was doing a good trade. This meant lots of beer-soaked dollars crossing the counter and ending up in the cash registers. Larry didn't give a good goddamn about where his money had been before it ended up in his pocket, and cash that smelled of beer spent just as good as cash that smelled of perfume.

Likewise with the chick thing, the snake seemed to crack down more on people killing other people—well, to be honest, it seemed to eat those people more often than not—so he'd told his guys to go easy on the skull-cracking and the shanking. Threats worked just as well, and didn't draw nearly as much attention from hat-wearing scaly abominations of nature. Life on the underbelly of society was every bit as much of a jungle as the depths of the Congo or the Amazon rainforest, and the rats that scuttled and scavenged and fought each other for scraps were learning to adapt and evolve to the new situation.

The alleyway was dark, but he'd scouted it out earlier (while Larry had never actually heard of the classic 'proper preparation' saying, he would've agreed with it wholeheartedly) so he knew what was there as he led the guys down it. In his hand was a pry-bar for getting through the back door of the bar; tucked into the back of his pants was a .38 Special, because waving a gun around often got more results than waving a knife around. While he had no intention of shooting anyone, it was loaded, because what fucking idiot carries an unloaded gun?

The plan was simple: wait until the bar was just clearing out, then bust open the back door, bum-rush anyone who came to see what was going on, and clear out the cash registers. Larry and his boys were all wearing balaclavas and he'd made sure any tattoos or scars were covered up. Nobody was unusually tall or short, skinny or fat, wimpy or bulked-out.

Each of them had visited the bar separately over the last week, had a drink, passed the time, then left again, just to make sure they knew the layout. None were wearing the same clothing that they'd had on then. They were as anonymous a crew as he could've assembled.

The three-quarter moon was just starting to dip toward the west when his phone vibrated silently with the text message he'd been waiting for. People were starting to leave the bar, in emptying-out-for-the-night numbers. He communicated this to the others in a whisper, then waited a little longer for Joey to sneak around from the front of the bar to the back without being seen by those inside.

When his scout finally arrived, he took a deep breath. Alright. Time to get rich. Stepping up to the back door, he set the pry-bar into place, braced himself, and heaved. There was a distinct crack as wood began to split.

"Finally," said a voice from behind and above him. It was female, teenage, and laden with satisfaction. "Watching you idiots—"

Larry didn't wait to hear what the rest of the monologue sounded like. A flying teenage girl meant either Laserdream or Glory Girl … which meant New Wave … which meant trouble. Even if the laser chick or the Alexandria package were on their own, they had sufficient throw weight to make taking them on a really fucking bad idea.

And even if they hadn't been all that, it was still a bad idea. For adults, either capes or otherwise, fighting cape kids was a losing proposition no matter which way you looked at it. If you won, you just beat up on a kid. Congratulations, asshole, now you've gotten the attention of the adult capes. And if you lost, then you just got beaten by a kid, and nobody respects you.

But as it happened, Glory Girl could literally punch someone through a brick wall—Larry knew someone who'd seen her do it to Hookwolf once—and Laserdream could throw up a force field and zorch her opponent with lasers, all at the same time. Unfair as fuck, but that was capes all over. So the main reason they scattered wasn't the embarrassment factor, but the very real fear of having cars thrown at their heads or being zapped by lasers strong enough to cut said cars in half.

Larry considered himself smarter than the average mook; he was the one who'd gotten them together, right? So while the others bolted in all directions, clattering and banging down the alleyways, he dived into the nearest patch of shadow and went dead still. Once the heroes pursued his crew out of sight, all he had to do was walk away casually and he was home free.

A few moments later, two more New Wave heroes came strolling up the alleyway, chatting as casually as if they were doing a foot patrol of the Boardwalk. Larry recognised Brandish and Flashbang, though there were a couple of weird things about them. For one, each hero had a little tiny dragon-like creature perching on their shoulder. Brandish's was silver, while Flashbang's was kind of orange-pink. They weren't models, unless they were some kind of Tinker animatronic bullshit, because they were looking around with their wings spread slightly.

The other thing Larry noticed was that Brandish's energy blade (nobody fucked with that thing even once, let alone twice) was a sparkling silver, not gold like every time he'd seen it on the news. Also, either Flashbang was extra lit up by it, or he was glowing slightly.

In any case, Larry wasn't about to try to take them on, either individually or both at the same time; they were even scarier than the kids on the team.

"… saw that eight-foot vertical jump you made, by the way," Flashbang commented. "Very impressive."

"Well, I wasn't about to let him get away, and the dumpster was blocking the way through." Brandish shrugged. "So, I jumped over. No big deal."

"I'm actually kind of impressed that you didn't just cut it in half." His tone was gently joking. "I've seen you do that before."

"I wasn't an Olympic high jumper before," she retorted, though her grin matched his tone. Then she stopped and pointed directly at where Larry lurked in the darkness. "Huh. We missed one."

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Working on blind instinct, Larry reached for the pistol in his waistband … then he stopped, because something very sharp was pricking his wrist. He turned his head without moving any other part of his body and watched as someone faded in out of nowhere. Belatedly, in the light generated by the other two heroes, he recognised her as Panacea, holding a wickedly-pointed blade at an angle that would skewer his wrist if he tried to pull the gun.

"Uh, uh, uh," she cautioned, and grabbed his wrist with her other hand. "Bad boys don't get to play with guns." He had just enough time to see that she also had a dragon on her shoulder, coloured a deep purple-black that blended perfectly with the shadows, before her power took hold and he fell head-first into darkness.

<><>​

Panacea

"'Bad boys don't get to play with guns'? Really?" Mark shook his head as Carol effortlessly slung the unconscious would-be thief over her shoulder. "We've seriously got to work on your one-liners."

"So I was rushed. Sue me." Amy rolled her eyes and re-sheathed her dagger. "So, how'd everyone else go?"

"Oh, they're all rounded up, except this one," Mark assured her. "We were just coming back to pick you up. How long was he hiding there?"

"He dived in there as soon as Vicky made her announcement. I didn't want to have to drag him anywhere, so I was waiting for you guys to get back before I dropped him." Amy reached up and stroked Twilight, who leaned into the caress. "I take it Argent and Snap had fun?"

"I think that's a given." Carol started off down the alley, not at all burdened by the grown man she was carrying. Argent landed on top of him, apparently happy with her new perch.

"She had fun too," confided Mark. "Punched one of them so hard he flew ten feet through the air. Riley wasn't kidding when she said she'd be amped up when the moon's in the sky. Meanwhile, Snap lets me glow, or even light up a whole area if I want to." He gestured to a patch of particularly dense shadow, and it brightened to near-daylight like the sun had risen.

"Cool." Amy grinned. Hearth-dragons were fun to have around and useful for crime-fighting.

I could totally get used to this.



End of Part Twenty-Eight

 

[meloa789]

Those adorable scaly puppies are going to be real trouble when they grow up, especially when they want to smite some baddies.

 

[JohnWolfie34]

I am deeply jealous of New Wave......hearth dragons should be real, and its a crime against humanity that they aren't.

 

[Ack]

Those adorable scaly puppies are going to be real trouble when they grow up, especially when they want to smite some baddies.

Click to shrink...

They're fully grown as it is,

But yes, there will be shenanigans.