The sky above Cloud City was a piercing blue, always had been, in fact. The clouds hung perpetually below the island, flowing like a beautiful, fluffy white sea. Many thought of this place as a paradise, but Damian couldn't help but think of it as a lonely place, there was nowhere else to go than the forests and mountains if one wished for a break from the city, after all.
He stood at the edge of the training ground, holding his practice spear loosely in one clawed hand. His gray scales shimmered faintly in the sunlight, but his slender frame drew teasing glances from the other recruits. They hadn’t started yet, and already he could hear the whispers. "Do you think he's gonna go to the new simulator today?" said one of them, "Nah, he probably won't, it ain't for ladies. I've seen women in my Datascapes that look less feminine!" responded the second, their conversation getting progressively louder, their laughter hurt more than anything they could have physically done. "Will you all shut up already? Have those cheap Scapes fried your brains, or do you seriously think he looks like a woman because, why, he's thin?" a voice came from behind their back, halting their cackles at once, confused, they turned their backs. A rabbit girl stood with her arms crossed, her striking green fur contrasted with her weirdly short height, "Oh, look at that. It's Avocado Girl again." said the bigger fox, "Yo, Enok, bet I can punt her across the field like a football!" he continued, ready to kick her, "I wouldn't try that if I were you." she replied coldly, "Why? Would that be too much for the little baby?" exclaimed the fox, exploding into laughter once again. The bunny girl sighed lost no time, she walked up to the fox and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin, and he fell on his knees in pain. His friend quickly rushed over and tried a counter-attack, the bunny was quicker however, she jumped out of the way gracefully, causing the fox to trip over his friend, causing the fox to trip over his friend, hit his head and knock both himself and his cohort unconscious.
"Thanks, Ashley. I don't wanna get in trouble with Captain Sylvie again. These meatheads ain't learn nothing, ever." said Damian with a smile, Ashley laughed, "You still sound like when you were sixteen, dude. Still worried about all that performance stuff, calm down!" she replied, "I know you don't care much about it, but I do. How are we going to join the Monster Control Crew if we just keep wasting time here?" Damian was concerned Ashley wouldn't understand things in time, and that he would have to leave her behind and join the military by himself, the thought alone was terrifying enough. "Don't you worry about me like that! Haven't you seen the charts? We're at the top! If we keep going at this pace, we won't end up with the stinkers of State Security, we'll be on the Control Crew, and we'll go out and kick some monster ass!" she said excitedly, punching Damian lightly in the arm, his smile was more genuine now, he was happy to have at least one friend in this cruel world.
But it hadn't always been this way, the two of them against the world. Many years ago, when Damian was fifteen and Ashley was thirteen, they met each other and changed their lives forever. Even farther into the past, none of them fit into the mold their families had made for them quite right. Damian was born with a strange mutation, Draconic Testosterone Deficiency, a rare condition that affects certain glands in male dragons, affected individuals don't develop quite into the expected image of dragon, ending up resembling a crocodile. Their wings often don't grow at all, requiring an amputation. From the very beginning of his life, Damian felt like he had already let his family down. Growing up, his father paid little attention to him, constant cruel comments such as "I should have had a daughter instead of you" were a common place in his life, yet he still pushed forward to accomplish one dream: joining the Monster Control Crew, the heroic group of soldiers that defended Cloud City from the beasts that soared within the Sea of Clouds. From a very young age, he showed a natural proficiency with the spear, an elegant and swift weapon, yet one often seen as dishonorable in dragon families, blacksmiths who wield the swords that they craft by tradition. Even in school, people didn't respect him much either, the teachers often mistook cared little for his needs as a dragon, often throwing him with other reptile kids, his classmates would ridicule him for his condition. He turned a blind eye to the cruelty and heard none of the mockery, no soul on this earth could stop him from achieving his dream, and he would prove those who thought he was weak wrong. He would be captain of his own squadron, and he would lead the heroes he admired so much to victory every time. He just needed the time.
Ashley was also born in unusual circumstances, a warm spring day when the grass was a beautiful emerald green, the day she came into the world seemed perfect. The moment her mother gazed upon her for the first time, however, something was undeniably wrong. The newborn rabbit was inexplicably small, small tints of green in her otherwise pink skin made her look sickly. She was rushed to emergency care and stayed until doctors determined what exactly had gone awry with her. Despite her miraculous survival, she was still treated as inferior the moment her first coat of fur grew, a lustrous green that was a shocking contrast to her family's light brown. It also became clear that she wasn't growing very much as the years went by, her small frame staying the same regardless of how much she tried to eat, or how many vitamin pills she took. Her school life wasn't easy either, other bunnies made her the primary target of their pranks because of her height and strange fur color. They came up with a nickname that would stick to her like a barnacle to a ship, "Avocado Girl!" they chanted, like cultists during practice. Ashley could have given up, could have called it quits and ended it all, but she could not bear the thought of giving up, she knew that her condition wasn't a burden, it was a gift, and she was determined to make the most out of her life, even if every other wanted it extinguished and gone. Her new goals were clear, train and become stronger, and maybe join one of the brave groups of soldiers that defended Cloud City from threats within, or from far beyond. She would prove height doesn't have to do with bravery or strength. She only needed the time.
They met on a calm day, their encounter an accident or perhaps a twist of fate. Damian was sitting on one of the Skyview Platforms, an old and abandoned tourist attraction, from the times the skies were safe, when monsters didn't lurk deep within the Sea of Clouds. "Hey there. Beautiful sights, right? Almost as stunning as The Distant Lights at night!" said someone behind him, he turned around to see a bunny girl with green fur, she walked up to him, like she had known him for years. "Yes, it's my favorite place in the city. The lights are fine too, I guess. They're kinda creepy." Damian replied with a sigh. "How about The Great Black Lake down south? You've surely heard about it, right? The greatest mystery of our time?" she continued, determined to get something out of Damian, "I don't care about it. Those Corpo scientists can go and sink their noses into it for all I care. Just a boring hole full of water." said the dragon as he curled his tail around his legs, "Woah! Depressed today, are we? Do you come here every day or is it only when you want to be a drama queen?" she replied, Damian giggled a bit, "No, I'm fine. I just want to see the world. I want to see what's out there, beneath the clouds. Beyond just the same boring landmarks we have up here." he replied, his tone noticeably less grim, "Well, you're not gonna see much from here. After all those attacks a century ago, no more ships come here to pick up passengers. Can't believe you don't know that, do you even pay attention to your history class?" she joked once again, Damian laughed harder this time, "No! I am the best in my class, actually. I'm Damian, nice to meet you" he said, smiling, "Cute name! I'm Ashley. Umm... one thing, is it true what they say about dragons?" she said the last part in a whisper as if it were a secret of utmost importance, "What?" Damian replied, rightfully confused "Do... you guys fart fire too? I mean, you CAN breathe fire, so it makes sense, right?" Ashley asked in such a serious manner that Damian couldn't help but laugh out loud, "So, is it true?! Tell me!" Ashley continued, making Damian laugh harder, a contagious act it seemed, as she exploded into laughter as well. The rest of the day went by with the two of them talking about their lives, their families, and their struggles. When the sun was setting distantly on the horizon, Ashley turned to Damian once again, "Hey, Damian" she said, he turned and looked at her, "What? No more questions about what dragons can or can't do, I can't laugh more, or I'll definitely explode." he said with a smile. "Do you think it's true, what they say? That if you jump down, the clouds will catch you?" she asked, while looking out to the horizon. "Well, if they do, I would love it if they carried me far from here" Damian replied, "I wouldn't like that" Ashley responded, "Why not?" asked Damian, confused once again, "Because I wouldn't see you again" Ashley concluded before getting up, "Well, look at that. We spent our ENTIRE day here, I say we go back home. Would you mind giving me your number so that we can stay in contact? I haven't met a dragon before, I would love to be able to tell people my bestie is a dragon, that way no one wants to mess with me because they don't wanna get burned!" she exclaimed as she pulled out her phone from her pocket, "Sure, I had never met a rabbit before. If I say my best friend is a rabbit, people are gonna think I actually want to devour you" he said they brought the devices together, a musical beep signaling they were now registered in each other's contacts. Ashley giggled "Yeah, like you'd get any nourishment from me." she responded. They waved goodbye and parted ways for the day. As the sun set completely and gave way to the night, the world was able to be put to rest once again, in a period of peace that lasted over one hundred years.
That wouldn't last much longer.
He stood at the edge of the training ground, holding his practice spear loosely in one clawed hand. His gray scales shimmered faintly in the sunlight, but his slender frame drew teasing glances from the other recruits. They hadn’t started yet, and already he could hear the whispers. "Do you think he's gonna go to the new simulator today?" said one of them, "Nah, he probably won't, it ain't for ladies. I've seen women in my Datascapes that look less feminine!" responded the second, their conversation getting progressively louder, their laughter hurt more than anything they could have physically done. "Will you all shut up already? Have those cheap Scapes fried your brains, or do you seriously think he looks like a woman because, why, he's thin?" a voice came from behind their back, halting their cackles at once, confused, they turned their backs. A rabbit girl stood with her arms crossed, her striking green fur contrasted with her weirdly short height, "Oh, look at that. It's Avocado Girl again." said the bigger fox, "Yo, Enok, bet I can punt her across the field like a football!" he continued, ready to kick her, "I wouldn't try that if I were you." she replied coldly, "Why? Would that be too much for the little baby?" exclaimed the fox, exploding into laughter once again. The bunny girl sighed lost no time, she walked up to the fox and kicked him as hard as she could in the shin, and he fell on his knees in pain. His friend quickly rushed over and tried a counter-attack, the bunny was quicker however, she jumped out of the way gracefully, causing the fox to trip over his friend, causing the fox to trip over his friend, hit his head and knock both himself and his cohort unconscious.
"Thanks, Ashley. I don't wanna get in trouble with Captain Sylvie again. These meatheads ain't learn nothing, ever." said Damian with a smile, Ashley laughed, "You still sound like when you were sixteen, dude. Still worried about all that performance stuff, calm down!" she replied, "I know you don't care much about it, but I do. How are we going to join the Monster Control Crew if we just keep wasting time here?" Damian was concerned Ashley wouldn't understand things in time, and that he would have to leave her behind and join the military by himself, the thought alone was terrifying enough. "Don't you worry about me like that! Haven't you seen the charts? We're at the top! If we keep going at this pace, we won't end up with the stinkers of State Security, we'll be on the Control Crew, and we'll go out and kick some monster ass!" she said excitedly, punching Damian lightly in the arm, his smile was more genuine now, he was happy to have at least one friend in this cruel world.
But it hadn't always been this way, the two of them against the world. Many years ago, when Damian was fifteen and Ashley was thirteen, they met each other and changed their lives forever. Even farther into the past, none of them fit into the mold their families had made for them quite right. Damian was born with a strange mutation, Draconic Testosterone Deficiency, a rare condition that affects certain glands in male dragons, affected individuals don't develop quite into the expected image of dragon, ending up resembling a crocodile. Their wings often don't grow at all, requiring an amputation. From the very beginning of his life, Damian felt like he had already let his family down. Growing up, his father paid little attention to him, constant cruel comments such as "I should have had a daughter instead of you" were a common place in his life, yet he still pushed forward to accomplish one dream: joining the Monster Control Crew, the heroic group of soldiers that defended Cloud City from the beasts that soared within the Sea of Clouds. From a very young age, he showed a natural proficiency with the spear, an elegant and swift weapon, yet one often seen as dishonorable in dragon families, blacksmiths who wield the swords that they craft by tradition. Even in school, people didn't respect him much either, the teachers often mistook cared little for his needs as a dragon, often throwing him with other reptile kids, his classmates would ridicule him for his condition. He turned a blind eye to the cruelty and heard none of the mockery, no soul on this earth could stop him from achieving his dream, and he would prove those who thought he was weak wrong. He would be captain of his own squadron, and he would lead the heroes he admired so much to victory every time. He just needed the time.
Ashley was also born in unusual circumstances, a warm spring day when the grass was a beautiful emerald green, the day she came into the world seemed perfect. The moment her mother gazed upon her for the first time, however, something was undeniably wrong. The newborn rabbit was inexplicably small, small tints of green in her otherwise pink skin made her look sickly. She was rushed to emergency care and stayed until doctors determined what exactly had gone awry with her. Despite her miraculous survival, she was still treated as inferior the moment her first coat of fur grew, a lustrous green that was a shocking contrast to her family's light brown. It also became clear that she wasn't growing very much as the years went by, her small frame staying the same regardless of how much she tried to eat, or how many vitamin pills she took. Her school life wasn't easy either, other bunnies made her the primary target of their pranks because of her height and strange fur color. They came up with a nickname that would stick to her like a barnacle to a ship, "Avocado Girl!" they chanted, like cultists during practice. Ashley could have given up, could have called it quits and ended it all, but she could not bear the thought of giving up, she knew that her condition wasn't a burden, it was a gift, and she was determined to make the most out of her life, even if every other wanted it extinguished and gone. Her new goals were clear, train and become stronger, and maybe join one of the brave groups of soldiers that defended Cloud City from threats within, or from far beyond. She would prove height doesn't have to do with bravery or strength. She only needed the time.
They met on a calm day, their encounter an accident or perhaps a twist of fate. Damian was sitting on one of the Skyview Platforms, an old and abandoned tourist attraction, from the times the skies were safe, when monsters didn't lurk deep within the Sea of Clouds. "Hey there. Beautiful sights, right? Almost as stunning as The Distant Lights at night!" said someone behind him, he turned around to see a bunny girl with green fur, she walked up to him, like she had known him for years. "Yes, it's my favorite place in the city. The lights are fine too, I guess. They're kinda creepy." Damian replied with a sigh. "How about The Great Black Lake down south? You've surely heard about it, right? The greatest mystery of our time?" she continued, determined to get something out of Damian, "I don't care about it. Those Corpo scientists can go and sink their noses into it for all I care. Just a boring hole full of water." said the dragon as he curled his tail around his legs, "Woah! Depressed today, are we? Do you come here every day or is it only when you want to be a drama queen?" she replied, Damian giggled a bit, "No, I'm fine. I just want to see the world. I want to see what's out there, beneath the clouds. Beyond just the same boring landmarks we have up here." he replied, his tone noticeably less grim, "Well, you're not gonna see much from here. After all those attacks a century ago, no more ships come here to pick up passengers. Can't believe you don't know that, do you even pay attention to your history class?" she joked once again, Damian laughed harder this time, "No! I am the best in my class, actually. I'm Damian, nice to meet you" he said, smiling, "Cute name! I'm Ashley. Umm... one thing, is it true what they say about dragons?" she said the last part in a whisper as if it were a secret of utmost importance, "What?" Damian replied, rightfully confused "Do... you guys fart fire too? I mean, you CAN breathe fire, so it makes sense, right?" Ashley asked in such a serious manner that Damian couldn't help but laugh out loud, "So, is it true?! Tell me!" Ashley continued, making Damian laugh harder, a contagious act it seemed, as she exploded into laughter as well. The rest of the day went by with the two of them talking about their lives, their families, and their struggles. When the sun was setting distantly on the horizon, Ashley turned to Damian once again, "Hey, Damian" she said, he turned and looked at her, "What? No more questions about what dragons can or can't do, I can't laugh more, or I'll definitely explode." he said with a smile. "Do you think it's true, what they say? That if you jump down, the clouds will catch you?" she asked, while looking out to the horizon. "Well, if they do, I would love it if they carried me far from here" Damian replied, "I wouldn't like that" Ashley responded, "Why not?" asked Damian, confused once again, "Because I wouldn't see you again" Ashley concluded before getting up, "Well, look at that. We spent our ENTIRE day here, I say we go back home. Would you mind giving me your number so that we can stay in contact? I haven't met a dragon before, I would love to be able to tell people my bestie is a dragon, that way no one wants to mess with me because they don't wanna get burned!" she exclaimed as she pulled out her phone from her pocket, "Sure, I had never met a rabbit before. If I say my best friend is a rabbit, people are gonna think I actually want to devour you" he said they brought the devices together, a musical beep signaling they were now registered in each other's contacts. Ashley giggled "Yeah, like you'd get any nourishment from me." she responded. They waved goodbye and parted ways for the day. As the sun set completely and gave way to the night, the world was able to be put to rest once again, in a period of peace that lasted over one hundred years.
That wouldn't last much longer.
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