Scales and Hooves (BxB) (Unicorn X Dragon)

Ch. 27 The End of the Beginning

Zion woke up slowly. He felt like he had slept for a week; his head was light, and he felt more refreshed than ever before as a breeze blew on his face through the open balcony door. He raised a hand over his face and cracked open his eyes as the mid-morning sun shone in through the transparent net curtain in front of the glass doors. He blinked twice, confused.

He was in his room in the Askal Castle. But he did not understand how he got there. He propped himself up on his elbows, looking around, before looking at who lay in his bed; one of his 'bed buddies'. A bay Pegasus lay beside him, laying on his stomach, snoozing quietly.

"What the fuck?" Zion muttered, holding his hand to his forehead. He sat on the edge of the bed, his silk sheets still covering his bare legs as he rubbed his face.

Molten.

That was all that was going through his mind. He had felt like he had lived a lifetime with the drake... But where was he? He remembered nothing about coming to the castle. He reached across to his bedside table, picking up his silver, latest model phone from its wireless charging station. He pressed the 'on/off' button. His lock screen showed his usual background of the Roanian flag. And then he saw the date; 26 June. He briefly remembered looking at his calendar the day of his and Molten's wedding, and according to his phone, that year was three years.

Zion felt his head get even lighter, he felt dizzy. He unlocked his phone and scrolled through his contacts; no Molten and none of Molten's family were in his contacts list. He put his phone down again and looked at his hands. No rings. No pale sapphire engagement ring, no silver and gold wedding ring. He breathed out through closed lips.

He thought hard. Long and hard. Trying to figure it all out. He felt like he had lost part of himself by not waking up to have the drake by his side.

And then it hit him.

"It was a dream."

*-*-*-*

Molten groaned to himself as sunlight shone into his eyes. His head was throbbing from a hangover as he prolonged opening his eyes. Eventually, the heat of the sun irritated him enough to open his eyes. He stretched as he looked around. He was in his old bedroom; in the cottage he was supposed to have moved out of a few years ago. He rubbed his eyes and pinched the scales on his bare forearm; he was awake.

He forced himself up. He winced, thinking was hard with his hangover clouding his mind so he was pretty fucking confused. He sat on the edge of his bed, leaning on his knees. Immediately he saw there was no ring on his finger. He felt his horns; they were bare. He drew in a slow breath through his nose, trying to smell the air. There was no scent of a newborn lingering in the air.

Zion.

Where was he?

Molten reached for his phone. He pressed the 'on/off' button only to realise the battery was flat. He plugged his phone in quickly and waited for his lock screen to flash on. It felt like the longest minute of his life.

He saw the date on his phone. "Three years?" He questioned. "How?" He unlocked his phone as a dragoness with taffy scales and small wings entered the room. She was about Molten's age, with smudged make-up and dressed in a cyan party dress.

"Hey, Bethany," Molten said wearily, pushing aside the Zion 'thing' for now. Bethany looked at the ground, swayed from side-to-side.

"Moltie? Can I have some cash to get a cab home?" She asked, playing with her finger. Molten picked up his jeans from the night before and grabbed a twenty credit note from his wallet.

"That should be enough, right?" He asked, handing it the blue paper note. Bethany nodded, took the money and grabbed her high-heeled shoes on the way out. Molten Ross to his feet as she left, he walked into his bathroom at looked straight at himself, trying to remember everything he could as she searched through his phone.