Smaug opens his eyes and all he sees is a black void. "I'm here again." Smaug looks around. "What happened? All I remember is a flash of white and then pain."

"Someone tried to kill you, or maybe it was to antagonize you." A loud deep voice speaks throughout the void.

"Ancalagon." Smaug says and he turns around and looks up to see a massive dragon.

"You have a very small human form." Ancalagon says as he lowers his head down to Smaug.

"I'm still growing!" Smaug yells at him. "I'm 5'2'' and still growing, I'll be much taller when I reach 20,000 years."

Ancalagon rolls his eyes. "Tsundere." He mutters.

"Hey-! Wait, how do you know what that is?" Smaug asks. "You've been dead for many of thousands of years."

"I--- Uh.... I can see stuff from your perspective." 

Smaug tilts his head and his tail mimics a question mark. "Wait, you can see the outside world from my perspective?" Ancalagon nods. "For how long?"

"Since you've taken my magic."

"Uh?! That was like 3,000 years ago!" Smaug yells.

"All I can say is... nice." Ancalagon laughs. "You should keep doing what you do and maybe stay in your female form more."

Smaug gains a massive blush. "YOU OLD, LONELY, PERVERT!"

"Hey, I'm not lonely, at least not recently." Ancalagon states.

"Not recently?" 

"An old friend of mine has returned to our dimension once again from the Lands Between." Ancalagon moves to show someone sitting down behind him.

"The Blue Witch." Smaug says in slight awe.

The Blue Witch stands up and walks towards Smaug. "It hast been a longeth timeth, little dragon. And thee has't forgotten mine own nameth."

"I'm not little." Smaug says in an annoyed tone. "I don't have a bed time anymore. And I hardly ever see you, so of course I've forgotten it. I have a great memory, but I've only ever spoken to you like five to ten times."

The Blue Witch stops in front of Smaug and smiles at him. "Mine own nameth is Ranni, since thee has't forgotten it. The reasoneth wherefore thee has't hardly seen me is because, I traveleth to The Lands Between and help the Tarnished."

"But why are you here now?"

"She's here because of that Eyepatch Dave, or as I call him Evil Dave. The one that tried to kill you and your family and friends." Ancalagon states.

Smaug's eyes widen. "I remember now!" He growls in anger and yells out. "I'LL SKIN HIM ALIVE!"

"You may get your chance. But listen to Ranni."

Smaug feels something on his head and he turns to Ranni to see her patting him on the head.

"I've cometh to giveth thee a warning." Ranni says as he removes her hand from Smaug's head. "A battleth is coming, a battleth for the whole universe, a battle of wills. But thee shalt beest slain during this battle, but 'twill beest wonneth in the endeth."

"I'm gonna die?" Smaug asks.

"Thee is fated too."

"Screw your fate, I refuse to die right now! I don't follow fate's story, I make my own!"

Ranni brings Smaug into a hug. "That is wherefore I liketh thee mine own, little dragon. Thee defy fate."

Ranni lets go of the hug. "It is timeth to waketh up." Ranni kisses Smaug on the lips.

.

.

Smaug shoots up from a bed and he takes a few deep breaths. Smaug then wince and he looks down to his body and see that it's covered in some bandages. 

"Smaug!" A voice yells and he's suddenly hugged.

Smaug looks down and sees Pink hair and Pink eyes looking up at him, with tears in her eyes. 

"Ilulu?" Smaug questions.

"I'm sorry!" She cries. "I'm sorry for kicking you out! If I didn't, this wouldn't have happened." She cries into Smaug's chest.

Smaug looks down at Ilulu for a few seconds and then hugs her. "It's okay." Smaug looks around and notices that he's in an unfamiliar place. He looks out a window and notices that it's raining outside. "Where am I?"

Ilulu sniffs and rubs her eyes and looks up to Smaug. "Where in the medical center of  Aureum Regem. You were taken here after the explosion, along with many others."

"How many?" Smaug asks.

A couple minutes later.

Smaug is standing in the entrance of a room that has cots full of people, all injured from the explosion. 

Smaug looks around and he sees Mothers, Fathers, Daughters, Sons, all crying at the sides of beds. Doctors and nurses are walking around with medical supplies. Smaug spots a little girl lying in a bed with her father kneeling at the side of the bed, crying.

A doctor walks over to the girl and checks her over. The father looks up to the doctor and the doctor looks at the father and shakes his head. The father cries more as he grips the side of the bed.

"This is all my fault." Smaug whispers to himself.

"Smaug?" A voice says from behind him.

Smaug turns around to see Paimon, with bandages around her head, floating behind him. "Paimon."

Paimon floats over to Smaug and hugs him. "You're awake." She says with little emotion. 

Smaug hugs Paimon back. "How long was I out for?"

"A couple of days." 

"Where's Haru and Setsuna?"

Paimon stops hugging Smaug and grabs his hand. "Follow me."

Paimon leads Smaug down a hallway and to a door. Smaug opens the door and walks inside. 

"Haru is next door." Paimon says as she floats over to a bed, where Setsuna is resting in, and sits down on the edge of it.

Raiden is sitting in a chair next to the bed. "Hello, Smaug."

"Raiden." Smaug nods to her.

Smaug walks over to the bed and looks down at Setsuna. Setsuna has bandages around her neck and one on her cheek. Bandages cover both Setsuna's arms.

"How is she?" Smaug asks the two girls.

"The doctors say she's in a coma." Raiden says. 

"Merlin was her earlier trying to heal everyone the best she can." Paimon says. 

Smaug kneels down to the side of the bed and grabs Setsuna's hand. "Hey, Setsuna, it's me Smaug. I'm... I'm sorry that you got hurt." Smaug rubs his thumb over the top of Setsuna's hand. "None of this was supposed to happen, it was supposed to be a day of celebration." Smaug sighs. "I'm gonna go after who did this and make them pay."

Smaug stands up and looks to Raiden and Paimon. "Please stay with her." The girls nod.

Smaug walks over to the door and exits the room. Merlin walks out of the room next door and spots Smaug.

"Hello, Smaug." Merlin greets.

"Merlin... I..." Smaug sighs. "Thank you, for helping my people."

"Right." Merlin walks away.

"I'm sorry."

Merlin stops, but doesn't look back.

"I'm sorry that I locked everyone out of this realm, but it was necessary to keep my family safe, and I would do it all over again in a heart beat."

Merlin doesn't move for a few seconds. Then she sighs and continues walking. Smaug walks over to Haru's door and he stops. He reaches for the door handle, but stops as he notices his hand is shaking. Smaug grabs his wrists and curls his shaking hand into a fist and it stops shaking.

Smaug lets go of his wrist and grabs the door handle and opens the door. 

Smaug walks inside and he hears crying. Smaug sees Haru laying in a bed with Megumin next to the bed, crying. Smaug curls both his hands into fists. Megumin looks up and sees her father.

"DAD!" Megumin jumps up and hugs Smaug and cries into his shoulder. 

Smaug hugs Megumin and rubs her back. "I'm here, everything will be okay."

Smaug looks past Megumin and looks at Haru.

Haru's right rabbit ear was cut in half and the rest of it is burned. He's covered in bandages. Smaug slightly gasps. Half of Haru's left arm is gone.

"I'm sorry." Smaug whispers. 

Smaug keeps staring at Haru's unconscious form as Megumin continues to cry into Smaug's shoulder.

A few hours later

In a cemetery behind the church of Smaug gathers the whole town, rain pours down onto them. Many freshly dug graves are seen, as people gather around them. A priest is at the front of all the graves, talking.

"We are here today to mourn the loss of friends and family." The priest says.

A long figure stands under a tree, wearing a cloak with their hood up. We move over to the person and it's Smaug, but he's in cat-kin form. Smaug is watching the funeral service from a distance. 

Smaug's cat tail sways behind him as he stares at the grieving families. Smaug's hands tighten and a snarl forms on his face.

"Not going to join them." A voice says from behind Smaug.

Smaug looks to see Tohru walking up to Smaug and he looks back at the funeral. "I don't deserve to be over there."

Tohru stops next to Smaug. "I'm sorry about what happened." She hugs Smaug tightly and he hugs her back. "Come back home, I'll make your favorite dinner."

"I can't not yet."

"Why not?"

Smaug stops hugging Tohru and looks back to the town. "Someone needs to pay for this."

"Smaug, just please stop and come home." Tohru begs. "You always seem to get hurt and I can't stand to watch my little brother get hurt again."

"Tohru, you have to understand. This was a deliberate attack on me!" Smaug yells then he calms down. "Someone attacked my family, my town, my people! I know who did it too."

"If you do this, just promise me that you'll come back home when you're done?"

Smaug nods and he changes into his dragon-human form. "I promise. No more adventures, at least for a while."

Tohru sighs. "Please hurry, Kanna and Miss Kobayashi are worried about you."

Smaug smiles. "I'll be back before you know it." Smaug walks towards the town.

Tohru puts both her hands together. "Please be careful, Smaug."

.

.

Smaug walks into Haru's room and he notices someone.

The rabbit girl looks at Smaug. "You must be, Smaug."

"And who are you?" Smaug asks.

"Rumi Usagiyama, B rank adventurer. The cousin of Haru."

Smaug walks over to the side of Haru's bed and looks down to him. "I wish we were meeting in better circumstances." 

"So do I."

Rumi grabs Haru's left hand. "I've got to go now, Haru. But please wake up soon, your mother and siblings are very worried."

Rumi lets go of Haru's hand and walks over to Smaug. "I want you to find out who did this and make them pay."

"I was already planing on it."

Rumi smirks. "Maybe when this is all over me and you can go out for lunch."

Smaug gains a small smile. "I'll think about it."

Rumi nods and walks out of the room and Smaug looks back down to Haru. "I promise to pay back the person that did this to you, Haru. I promise."

.

.

Smaug is standing in the middle of a grassy plain. 

"Huzzah! I'm here!" Dave yells from behind Smaug, causing Smaug to roll his eyes.

Smaug turns around. "Hello, Dave."

"Oh, Smaug, when we get to the one that hurt you, I'm gonna give them the one two." Dave punches the air a couple of times.

Smaug rubs his right shoulder. "Yeah, yeah. We need to hurry."

Smaug grabs Dave's hand and they both hold their hand out and a orange portal opens in front of them.

"Let's go." Smaug orders.

"Right." Dave nods and they both jump through the portal.

Drabrotry: The World of Dragons.

Capital City Drogate

Smaug and Dave exit the portal right at the city limits.

"Here we are." Smaug says and suddenly the entire place shakes.

"What's going on?" Dave asks.

"I don't know, but it's not good!" Smaug and Dave start to run through the streets.

Dave's and Smaug's run past them or enter portals back to their own universe. 

"Where are we going?" Dave asks as they run past people.

"I recognized the scent of the person that attacked me." Smaug states.

"Who?"

"Another Dave, the one with an Eyepatch that we met a couple weeks ago." Smaug states.

"Oooohhhh."

Smaug and Dave keep running as the town keeps shaking, suddenly the ground starts to split open and a few Smaug's and Dave's fall into lava deep down.

"Shit, Hurry!" Smaug yells.

The two dragons keep running and they make it to the capital building.

"Here?" Dave asks as the two run inside.

"The scent leads here." Says as Smaug walks through the halls and he stops at a random door and opens it up and sees a stairs that leads down.

"Ohhhh, spooky." Dave comments. 

Smaug huffs and starts to walk down the stairs with Dave following him. As the two walk down the stairs the hair on the back of their necks stand up.

"What's this feeling?" Dave asks.

"I feel a lot of mana being gathered down here." Smaug says.

The two reached the end of the stairs and come to a long hallway with an orange light at the end of it.

"This is getting kinda scary." Dave comments.

"Will you shut up!" Smaug says to Dave.

"Sorry."

The two walk down the hallway and come to a large room. In the middle of the room is a large lava pool and on the other side of it we see Evil Dave.

Evil Dave is standing behind a large class pain and there are two massive crystals above him. A blue one, that's glowing, and a red one, that's not glowing.

"Ahhh, you two finally came." Evil Dave says and Smaug growls at him, casing Evil Dave to smirk. "Have fin with the little gift I gave you?"

"FUCK YOU!" Smaug yells at Evil Dave.

"I don't like him." Dave states.

Smaug stomps over towards Evil Dave, with Dave following him. 

Smaug reaches the glass wall and he punches it, only for many runes to appear and Smaug's punch does nothing to the glass.

"You can punch it as many times as you'd like, but you'll never break the glass." Evil Dave says.

"Come out you coward!" Smaug yells as he punches the glass again.

"Heh, I'm no coward, I'm a king." Evil Dave says.

"You're hiding behind some glass and won't face me like a real dragon!" 

Evil Dave ignores Smaug and looks at Dave. "If it isn't the most powerful Dave."

"Don't ignore me!" Smaug yells.

Evil Dave ignores him. "Has he told you the truth of this place?"

"Huh?" Dave is confused.

"You see this place wasn't built by chance, you see our dear Smaug here was the one that managed to bring all Smaug's and Dave's together." 

"SHUT UP!" Smaug yells and his magic surrounds him, only for it to flow away from him and into the massive red crystal. "What?" Suddenly Smaug falls to the ground as more of his magic is sapped out of him.

"Hey!" Dave yells. "What are you doing to him?"

"I just need some of his magic, he's the most powerful Smaug. So for my plan to be complete I just need a bit of his magic, now back on topic." Evil Dave points at Smaug. "This little worm was the one that helped build this city, he's the one that set the rules of this place. And cause of him we don't see any Dave's that are more powerful than Smaug's. Any universes that where Dave is better than a Smaug is blocked from this place."

"Smaug?" Dave looks at Smaug. "Is this true?"

Smaug doesn't answer and just looks away.

"See, he's just a bastard of a dragon. All Smaug's just use Dave's as a steeping stone and your Smaug will do the same." Evil Dave sneers. "I plan to fix this rule. I'm gonna destroy every universe that Smaug is better than us Dave's."

"But that would mean... my universe?" Dave asks.

"A necessary sacrifice."

"But... my Elma."

"I once too had an Elma of my own, but she died of a sickness." Evil Dave says.

"I don't want my universe to be destroyed!" Dave says. "So many innocent people will die! My family and friends will die!"

"Like I said a necessary sacrifice." 

"We... We've already stopped an Evil Dave, so we can also stop you!" Dave yells as he points at Evil Dave.

"Oh, him." Evil Dave just smirks. "His plan was a good one, but he did one thing and it was underestimating you, Dave. I know what you are capable of Dave. And I've had thousands of years to devise this plan." Suddenly the massive red crystal glows brightly. "I guess times up."

"What?" Both Smaug and Dave question. 

Evil Dave turns around and holds his hand out and magic from both the Blue and Red crystal gathers in his hand and the place starts to shake and rocks fall from the ceiling. 

"You see I'm taking mana from the worlds itself and Smaug's mana to create a portal to the center of all universes." Evil Dave says as magic keeps gathering in his hand.

Then Evil Dave swipes his hand through the air and a golden portal opens in front of him. Evil Dave turns around and looks at the two dragons. "This is goodbye."

"NO!" Smaug yells as he tries to stand up, only to fall back to the ground as his magic keeps being sucked out of him.

"Please, wait!" Dave calls out.

Evil Dave just ignores the two and walks through the golden portal.

"Damn it!" Smaug yells and he groans as he tries to stand up, but can't move.

"What do we do?" Dave asks Smaug.

Smaug sighs. "I can't do anything. It's up to you."

Dave looks back to the glass wall. "But I can't get through this... I... I want Elma!" Tears prick at the corner of Dave's eyes.

"Dave, calm down, everything will be fine."

Dave wipes his tears away. "You're right, I'm a big boy now."

Suddenly the glass wall starts to crack.

"Huh? It's cracking?" Dave asks as he walks over to the glass wall.

The wall continues to crack until it shatters.

"Now's your chance!" Smaug yells. "I don't know why it shattered, maybe he's trying to challenge you. But who cares you have to stop him!"

Dave looks at Smaug then to the golden portal. "I'm gonna save the Multi-verse!" He yells as he runs through the golden portal.

"Dave save us all." Smaug says.

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10-27-2022

3041 words