Oneshots, etc.

Destined AU (Not quite part two)

A/N: Hey, the title rhymes.

Apparently it's "Upload my random unfinished drafts" time again. This isn't really a part two, it's more of an unfinished scene I started writing during school that then sat in my google docs for months and never got done.

For context, this is set in the life - reincarnation? Whatever - after the one in the previous part. Also they're in a forest, and Bryan is here now. It also starts in the middle of whatever scene I was trying to write. Confusion once again reigns supreme.

"Oh. Heeeeey, Bryan..." He laughs nervously.

"You," I say, gesturing at Xylo, "Are supposed to be dead. Why are you not. Why are you-" I wave my hand around his face, which looks significantly younger than he was last time I saw him. He's shorter too, no longer towering over me. "-That."

"Oh- Uh- Er- About that- How do I explain-"

A crash echoes through the forest, interrupting him, and a roar shakes the trees not long after. I jump, feathers puffing up along my wings and cheeks. Xylo just sighs, and gives the forest a Look Of Disappointment™. Good to know his facial expressions are still the same, despite his seeming resurrection.

He runs a hand down his face, dragging his fingers through his beard. It's scruffier than last time, I note, more stubble than beard.

"Deities, give me patience..." He mutters, annoyed.

"Don't you mean strength?" I ask, remembering the age-old saying.

"Strength won't help me with this dimwit."

As if on cue, a figure in a dark cloak tumbles out of the bushes besides us. I jump again, expecting an attack, but the figure just pushes its hood back, revealing a shock of black hair and a light brown face just a few shades of grey off from being a corpse.

They gag, poke out their tongue, and spit out a leaf.

"Blech." They say, wrinkling their nose. Xylo sighs again.

"Bryan, allow me to introduce you to someone. This is Mario, my idiot best friend."

The figure - Mario - props one elbow on Xylo's shoulder, with great difficulty due to their height difference, and grins.

"Aw, you love me." Xylo raises an amused eyebrow at this. "Besides, you're not any smarter than me. Remember that time you-"

"Adjeh- SHUT." Xylo splutters, clamping a hand over Mario's mouth, but yanks it back after a few seconds. He makes a face of disgust.

"Did you just lick me?" He asks incredulously.

"Actually, I tried to bite you."

Xylo tries to wipe his hand on Mario's sleeve, who responds by attempting to slap him away. The two scuffle for a moment, but another roar fills the air, and they both pause. Mario grins.

"Oh, right. That." He laughs.

"What did you do." Xylo deadpans.

"You'll see."

Not even a second later, a gigantic horned skull looms through the trees above us. I scream.

"IS THAT A FREAKING DRAGON!? WHAT THE HECK? HOW?"

Mario laughs at my reaction, and beckons the dragon skeleton forward. It leans down, and I see the shadows of its rib bones through the trees. Branches crack, crumpling as the dragon's vertebrae push past them.

"Hey buddy, there you are." Mario coos as if he's talking to a dog, and not an undead dragon about the size of a small town. He reaches forward to pat it on its bony snout, and the thing rumbles, almost purring.

"How- Actually, nevermind how, where did you find this thing?" Xylo asks in an exasperated tone.

Mario shrugs, still petting the dragon.

"Pulled 'em out of the Down"

"Soul and all?"

"Soul and all. It was an accident, actually."

A/N: There was also this random snippet of dialogue. I think it's set after Kay is introduced? Anyway, here it is:

"Mario, they're already having a crisis over the fact that I've been reborn, please do not give them a second crisis. One crisis a day is more than enough."

"Please?"

"No."

"But-"

"NO."

On another note, the dragon's name is Ortheus. I don't know if this means anything, since I was not the one to name it (I asked a classmate of mine to and they just went 'Ortheus' without skipping a beat), but I am going to explain it in-world as Mario doing something I have done with characters many a time: accidentally mispronouncing a random word and calling it a name. In this case, he misheard someone say Orpheus, and just went with it.

Anyway, have a good day/night, and as it is the middle of the night over here as I type this, I will now temporarily drop out of existence. Goodbye.
: )