DragonBonds

Ethereal

The first thing Andi felt was an all-encompassing burning.

It was all over their body- their head, their arms, legs, tail, it was everywhere and it hurt.

And then, just like that, it didn't hurt anymore. Instead, they couldn't really feel much of anything. No pain, no real nerve sensations, just the vague stuff that is instinctual to their living self. Hell, they don't even need to breathe anymore.

So this is what it's like to be dead...

When the light cleared from their vision, they found themself in the middle of a meadow of extinct or undiscovered flowers and plants. Small critters hopped past them and crawled away as they got up and brushed their dress off. The ringtail looked around for anything important or noticeable to go to for help, and their eyes locked onto a mostly-crystalline cavern a little ways away. They set off in that direction, their head swimming in all sorts of ways.

Would they help me? What if they can't and I'm stuck here? What if I can't save Cloud and our friends, our home, is doomed? What can I do?

The ringtail shook their head and marched into the cavern. The most immediate sensation was waves upon waves of magic emanating from the place. And then, voices, maybe. Either voices or other sounds, they couldn't really decipher it. Andi moved in further through the cavern, looking around for any sort of indication that what they were looking for was around somewhere. They continued towards the sounds and voices until they could see little dragon-shaped wisps flying through the tunnels.

The ringtail crawled through on all fours, trying to get through as best as they could until the tunnel they were in opened up to an enormous cave center. There, they could see it all in its glory.

The home of the Drakes.

And smack in the middle was the largest Drake Andi had ever laid eyes on. They were white and prismatic, and towered above everything.

No wonder the place is so huge...

They spotted more Drake wisps flying about, and carefully, slowly, slid into the cave bottom.

When they hit the ground, they looked up at the dragon in front of them. This must be the one, the Drake they needed to help save Cloud from Zephyr.

The Drake in question had their brows furrowed deeply, as if in severely deep thought. It seemed that they'd been in distress for a while now, their violet eyes glazed over in near-exhaustion. Can spirits get exhausted? Perhaps spiritually. Andi wondered why they didn't know this; they were the spirit-y one after all.

They'd bother themself over it later. Right now, this Drake took precedence.

The ringtail slowly approached the Drake, and squared their shoulders.

"Are you Alabaster?" They called up to them.

The shimmering Drake snapped out of their thought and swung their enormous head around to look at the ringtail. A wave of nostalgia seemed to hit the Drake, and a hint of a smile crossed their muzzle before disappearing into a frown.

"I am," they boomed loudly.

Their voice made Andi shudder. It was smooth, like the softest fur, but demanding like a captain. This must be the power of the oldest, most powerful Drake in all of existence.

Alabaster, the Drake of Balance.

"Alabaster, I... I need your help. My boyfriend, Cloud, he-he is a part of your bloodline of Bonded." The ringtail started to fidget with their tail, the fear completely overwhelming them slowly.