A girl and her Horse

Chapter 23- The Lab's End, For Good

"WHOA!" Alex leaned back, pulling on the racks across the roof of the Blazer. Jaslo reared up, sliding to a stop as beasts ran ahead and the gunfire was now meshed with shouts and calls of all types. Jaslo huffed, glancing back to see Hounds starting to come up behind the last bit of beasts behind her.

"We can't stay!" Jaslo snarled, breaking into a full gallop.

"But we won't make it! That's like the whole military out there!" Alex put her body as close to the roof of the Blazer as she could, shielding her face and turning away from the light.

"It's the only option! BRACE!" Jaslo burst out into the main warehouse, wings folded forward to protect the human on her back. The Hounds behind them didn't care who they grabbed in their jaws, they took down the guns that were helping them even. Jaslo didn't slow down, making a line towards the large doors with a few other beasts on her tail. The few bullets that actually hit them did nothing, as their hides were strong enough to take it, but the door was being lowered shut. Alex lifted her head just enough to see the door closing and shouted one word.

"FIRE!"

Jaslo opened her jaws and let out a stream of fire ahead of her. The heat flowed all around them as it hit the door and began to melt it as she hit it with all her weight. The flame and impact was enough to snap it open, and out of that hole they punched poured several beasts who all fled in different directions. There was only one direction the duo wanted to go, and as Alex lifted her body, it was made clear where they were to go next. The Blazer roared, opening her wings before leaping into the air. With a few heavy strokes of her wings, she was off into the sky with dust settling behind her. As they climbed into the sky, Alex looked to the ground and saw Hounds watching them but not leaving the building's edge. She leaned to the left, causing Jaslo to level out and make a wide circle to see the whole compound. She thought hard, remembering the beam of light and got an idea.

"We have to get rid of everything left!" Alex shouted, causing Jaslo to slow in her speed.

"Look, last time I tried to blast everythin out of the ground, I died!"

"No, you just teleported here! This time, you have me!"

"I ain't riskin dying a second time!" Jaslo paused, feeling both of Alex's hands on her roof, feeling her unusually calm heartbeat. The same touch that got her through the rough nights when she first arrived in this world, and the same ones that kept her alive in this hell.

"I won't leave you, my friend." Alex's words, though soft and almost lost in the air around them, hit the Blazer in a way she hadn't been moved in years. Jaslo sighed, looking to the ground and then to the sky as she gauged the output she'd need to pull this off. It was going to hurt, maybe worse than the first time, but this time she had her health and a friend. She dove down slightly before climbing into the air, roaring out with everything she had as a way to pre-charge her body. Alex could feel it, and leaned in close to stay with the beast. The air was getting thinner, and she did her best to control her breathing as she closed her eyes and relaxed to give her friend everything she had.

"It's time to remove this place for good!" Jaslo shouted, hovering in place as she opened her jaws and gathered the energy she needed to create the ring of energy and light in front of her. Alex could feel the tingled through her arms, legs, and chest, more intense than the first time. It also felt as though she could feel everything the Blazer did, and for a moment felt the strain in her back from wings. There wasn't much time to think on this as Jaslo pointed her front to the ground, aiming straight for the building they just escaped from. The two began to dive, but Jaslo held her wings out slowing their decent as much as she could as the beam between her fangs grew in strength. Alex opened her eyes and for a moment saw everything as the Blazer did, and gave her own battle cry with everything she had in her lungs. As Alex shouted, Jaslo released the very same attack that brought her to this realm, which also ended the original laboratory that made her. The beam shot forth, pushing the beast backwards enough to halt them in mid-air as it hit the ground with intense force. A shock wave could be seen rippling through the ground around it, and the light only bubbled out before sinking into the earth itself. After holding this for a good moment, the beam reduced and trickled down to nothing as Jaslo fluttered for a bit, drained of her energy but trying to keep in the air. Alex panted, looking down as the Blazer began to make a slow spiral of a decent, and looking on with awe at what was created. A large crater where the building once stood, where the center was nothing but glowing lava pooled to seal and destroy anything left below. The heat alone caused the plants all around to smoke and wilt, and the ground around was black and charred. Alex raised her fists to the sky and howled out in triumph, as Jaslo smiled and began to glide towards home or what she felt was home.

"Holy shit, is that it?" Alex asked, leaning to the side a bit to steer the beast a bit more towards the mountains she knew best.

"I honestly... don't know." Jaslo tried to answer, but she was getting tired fast. The teen pat her roof and eventually pushed her to land in a meadow. The Blazer landed with much grace, holding her wings out for a bit until everything settled and she neatly folded them before looking around. Alex froze, seeing a pair of eyes watching them from the trees. There was no need to say anything, as her large friend saw it too, and turned to face their guest. Out from the trees walked a very beaten up, old, and scar riddled Hound who was unusually calm with goldeneyes and a gunmetal body color. Alex was uneasy, but once she felt Jaslo was relaxed she let her shoulders lower as the Hound came within strike distance of the two. The Hound smiled a wide toothy grin, showing his fangs had been broken out long ago and he folded in a front leg to bow.

"I was wrong about you, Black Dragon," the Hound spoke in clear English.

"I was wrong about myself," Jaslo answered back, giving a nod of her front as the Hound stood back up.

"You have defeated both labs, and have proven yourself to be a true alpha. This world is not meant for us, but I will follow you until my body fails."

"I am no alpha, don't put me on that rank." The Hound huffed at this, and looked to the human on Jaslo's roof with wonder. Alex just waved and tapped Jaslo with a smirk.

"Okay then, Shadow. How about you lead your herd home once we have rested? I think it's for the best to have your friends close if there's still jerks from that place roaming around." Alex could only chuckle as Jaslo walked through the grass until she found a suitable area for her to lay down and start to rest. The Hound sat near them, watching the area as Alex lay across the Blazer's roof.

"Does this mean you give up on going home?" Alex finally asked. Jaslo stirred in her rest, giving a huff before making an effort to reply.

"I blew up the only way for me to get my dumbass home. I guess I'm stuck here if yer family is alright with that." The two were silent for a bit as Alex thought back on everything that had happened, and thinking about home. Home. Was she finally willing to accept that this was her home after all this time? That this was her family after all these years? Was this really how she'd come to terms with finding her forever home, a family, and a best friend?

"I guess we gotta get back to that dusty farm first before we make plans, huh?" Alex joked, but now she smiled at the thought.

Home.