Fan Fiction ❯ Dog Days In Serdio ❯ Dog Days In Serdio ( One-Shot )

A/N: Welcome readers once again to my world of insanity, I am once again your guide, Deucez. This story is one that I did as a school assignment in 8th grade. It's based off of something that happened to me when I was younger. So please don't flame me to hell if there is some OOCness… I was only in 8th grade what did you expect, Pulitzer worthy writing? This is the original version of the text with some editing or expansion by my now even more brilliant self. If you doubt me then track me down, and I'll be glad to show you the original story with the rubric still attached. Time to read my pretties, HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

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Disclaimer (Hey- I didn't add anything superfluous to it…dammit!)- I do not own Legend of the Dragoon, Sony Computer Entertainment does- hell; I only had about $200 in my bank account when it came out on the original Playstation. I'm merely using the characters for my own machinations to finally take over the world!!…Sorry about that. Now on to the story.

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Legend

I emphasize words in italics

`Thoughts can appear by surrounding the thought in single quotes,' I thought

"I speak with my mouth betwixt these fine double quotes," I said

*boom* is a sound effect and *wham* is an action that you can only find between asterisks

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Dog Days in Serdio

By: Deucez

It's typical you want to hear how I lost one of the Serdian Golden Apples. It's actually a pretty funny story. I remember it just like it was yesterday- in fact, it was a year ago yesterday……

It was the first meeting of the Dragoon Council. Some fellow Dragoons and I decided that the only way for us to keep in touch was for us to form a council of Dragoons to talk about issues currently affecting us and mostly just to goof off with good friends. I, as the president of the International Dragoonal Council (the council's formal name), naturally arrived first. Then in tandem, the vice-president and advisor respectfully, Dart and Shana arrived next. Then last but not least, King Albert of Serdio (everyone just calls him Albert because he gets mad if you call him Your Majesty or King Albert), arrived at the grand hall so that the IDC (I call it that for short) was complete.

"Ok, let's bring the first official meeting of the International Dragoonal Council to order," I said, "What is our first order of business? Never mind, I have my sheet."

"Where did Rose wander off to?" Dart asked.

"Rose? Who's Rose?" I questioned.

"Rose is a good friend of ours; she has saved my life more times than I can count!" Dart replied.

"Oh. Well I hope she gets here soon because I don't want to wait all day for someone I don't even know to arrive," I put bluntly.

"Who don't you want to be waiting for? I hope it's not me because I'm already here," a mysterious voice called from the rear of the room.

"Rose!" the others exclaimed.

"We thought you weren't going to come, but I'm sure glad you changed your mind," Shana chirped.

"I'm glad I could make it," Rose stated.

"I was just wondering," Dart began, "as to why you are so late?"

"Well I-"

"It's plain to see, Dart," Albert interjected, "An experienced sleuth such as myself can see it as plain as the sun shining on a cloudless, summer afternoon."

"What is it that you see?" Rose inquired, genuinely amused.

"It is an amalgam of factors presented by your visage that lead me to conclude that you were involved in a skirmish. For example, your face is faintly dotted with perspiration from exertion, and your breathing is slightly labored making your chest… heave… um, where was I? Oh yes, your clothing also shows a vague semblance of cuts along your midsection."

"Oh, well I guess the jig is up oh astute detective," Rose said with the sting of sarcasm.

"That is a good pile of evidence but other form of training or exercise can result in those same characteristics," I interposed, "I came to the same conclusion but by a different set of evidence."

"And that would be…" Albert questioned doubtful that he had missed any other forms of evidence on Rose's person.

"Her sword-" I began.

"Demon Stiletto."

"What?" I asked.

"My sword," Rose replied, "is called the Demon Stiletto, and I would appreciate it if you would call it by name."

"Okay," I acquiesced, "as I was saying, your `Demon Stiletto' smells of blood, as does your hair, and by estimating your apparent level of fitness, I believe that your heart rate is 27 beats per minute over resting."

"Wow," Albert said, dumbfounded.

"How do you know all that?" Shana questioned.

"I have special abilities from my past; you don't want to know about it."

"C'mon Antoine, we're all friends here. You can tell us," Dart insisted.

"You don't want to know about it," I replied.

"If he doesn't think we should know, then we shouldn't push him. We can all wait for him to get ready to tell us like big boys and girls," Rose chided the others.

"We're sorry," Dart and Shana chimed together.

"It's all right; I know you had good intentions. Well now that everyone is here why don't we get this meeting underway," I suggested.

"Splendid idea Antoine," Albert replied, "I believe that the floor is yours."

"Alright, our first official act as the IDC is to speak at the upcoming press conference in Serdio. Rose, I don't know you very well but you seem dependable and trustworthy. Would you mind being our public speaker?" I inquired.

"What do you mean by `new' public speaker?" Rose queried.

"Well currently, I'm the public speaker, but I tend to freeze up in front of the cameras. The only reason I have that position is because I'm the president. It wasn't my idea; in fact I vehemently protested against the nomination but here I am. Well, Rose, what do you say? Will you be the new public speaker?"

"Uh, I wasn't aware of you needing active participation on my part when I agreed to come here," Rose replied.

"Rose, I implore you, your assistance is essential," beseeched Albert.

"C'mon Rose, can't you help out a few of your friends?" Dart asked.

"I don't kn-"

"Please Rose, we need you," Shana pleaded.

All the occupants of the room waited on bated breaths for Rose's response.

"Fine."

"Yay!" the others cheered.

"I'll only do it," Rose added, "if Antoine writes my speeches. I listened to a couple speeches you gave earlier, and if you can get past the stutters and pauses, they're really good."

"It's a deal then," I answered.

"What's the next order of business?" Shana inquired.

"I've got this one Antoine; I'll tell everyone after we greet our new guest. Hello there Miss," Albert said.

"Hi there! Anyone know where I can find the president guy of this group of dragoons?" a voice called out from the back of the room.

"Shareesa (I call her Ree for short)?!? What are you doing here? Oooh, it's so good to see you again!" I said to her as I gave her a crushing hug.

"Oh, I just wanted to make sure that my little bro didn't earn the wrath of a world power or anything," Ree replied, "and I brought an old friend of ours to see you."

"Will they still be out there in a few? We only have one more issue to resolve before we'll be done," I asked.

"Sure, don't let me interrupt your big meeting or anything; just come get me when you finish," Ree replied as she walked away.

"Will do, Albert will you continue please?" I responded.

"All right, Minister Noish wants us to come to the capital of Serdio and talk to him about some golden apples. Or at least I think it was about golden apples, I can never remember a message correctly," Albert said.

"Why does he need to talk to us about golden apples for?" Dart thought out loud.

"Where do the apples come from, Albert?" Shana asked.

"I don't really know, Shana. I mean I know that Serdio has a secret garden containing the secrets of our ancestors, but I was never privy to the knowledge of what was growing in there," Albert answered.

"Well if we don't know, we'll just have to find out, right?" I said.

"Right," Rose agreed, "this matter needs to be taken care of immediately."

"But a side trip is in order, for I still need to talk to my sister," I reminded the others.

"Right," they chimed.

Soon we were chatting away with my sister Ree. We talked about random things, from sports to the weather, but I was about to explode form the anticipation. You wouldn't meeting old friends would get you into international scandal, right? Well in my world, we wouldn't either, but it still happened to me. Oops, let me get back to the story.

"Okay Ree, I'm gonna explode if you don't tell me who you brought with you," I pleaded.

"Ha ha, I shall have pity on your mortal soul, come on out Diesel!" she replied.

Then, out like a shot from a cannon from the alley behind us, a big assed Great Dane barreled right at me.

"Diesel! How've you been bud?!? I missed ya!" I exclaimed when he bowled, "Hey everybody, come meet Diesel, he's my Uncle's dog, and a good friend of mine."

Shana was the first to come over and start petting him.

"OOOH! He's just so cute!" Shana crooned.

The rest eventually came over to greet our newest guest except Rose.

"Are you scared of dogs, Rose?" I asked

"Of dogs, no. But he can hardly be called a dog! Dogs are small and fuzzy and cute and… I can't believe I actually just said that."

"Said what?" Albert inquired.

"Nothing at all," Rose replied, "Anyways, he's monstrously huge and vicious looki-"

Rose suddenly froze up and paled while quietly "eeping" and quivering quite visibly. What could cause a hardened warrior like her to quake in fear? Diesel was gently licking and nuzzling her hand. I chuckled to myself while the others gawked in amusement and awe.

"Help…me…!" Rose whimpered while Diesel continued to lick her hand, oblivious to the duress he was subjecting its owner to.

"Come on Rose, he obviously just thinks that you're really tasty!" I joked.

If I hadn't been there and saw it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. But after previously paling when Diesel began his torment, she visibly paled even more after my comment. I thought she was gonna disappear if she got any whiter. I suddenly got a very wicked idea in my mind.

`Oh, I definitely think Rose will love this!' I cackled mentally, "Hey Ree, why don't you and Diesel join us on our trip to Basil, we have our first official IDC matter to resolve over there."

I know I heard Rose emit a gulp although she denied it in further questioning.

"Sure, we'll come. I have a villa over there," Ree grinned.

"Cool. I guess we'll see you there tomorrow," I replied back as we turned to leave.

"Peace out, bud," Ree called out after us.

The next day, the gang and I arrived at the address my sister had given me. As she opened the door we could peer inside and all of us gasped at the ajar of her home.

"Hi guys, I'm really sorry about the mess," she said as she let us in, "I really haven't had the time to organize my space junk."

"You're an astronaut?" Shana and Albert asked in unison.

"Nope," Ree replied straight faced.

"B-b-but," Albert stammered looking dismayed.

"She isn't an astronaut, Albert. Look at that uniform hanging on the wall," I pointed, "she's a space commander."

"Whoa- hey, is that your ship?" Albert inquired.

"Yep, that's my baby, the SRS Amphigory," Ree answered.

"Amphigory?"

"It reminded me of my brother while I was out in space," Ree answered with a smile.

"Aww, that's so sweet!" Shana gushed.

"Hey Albert," Dart began, "when are we supposed to meet Minister Noish?"

"In about fifteen minutes, why?" was the response.

"FIFTEEN MINUTES!?!?" I screamed, "It's lunch hour, we've got to go NOW!!"

We all began running around like chickens with our heads chopped off in an effort to arrive to the meeting on time.

"Thanks for breakfast sis, gotta go, be back soon, BYE!!" I yelled as me and the rest of the IDC scrambled out the door.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same," Ree chuckled to herself.

Sweating and out of breath was how we arrived at the designated meeting place just barely on time. When we arrived we saw Minister Noish standing there waiting for us. He told us that he had a story to tell. He went on to tell us of the first Dragoon Council, and how they defended the world the world from threats of evil outside of our solar system. He also told us that we weren't at a level of power able to combat these threats, that the garden we were sitting in was planted by the original Dragoons and it contained the source of the power boost that we needed.

"Golden apples?" everyone questioned.

"Yes. The golden apples grown in the Serdian secret garden hold the key that will unlock your new forms to combat this new evil that is fast approaching," he replied.

I saw that he was slowly leading us towards the tree located in the exact middle of the garden. It was emitting a soft unearthly glow.

"This tree is the one that grows the golden apples. It was called the Tree of Fury and Wrath by The First. Everyone, please come and get an apple, so we may be prepared to combat this evil that is on the horizon. But do remember to let it mature for one day in your care before you return here to eat it. It is the ritual that was started by the originals, and carried on throughout the millennia."

But he held me back.

"You must not eat an ordinary apple. The apple at the top of the tree is yours to claim. You are no ordinary Dragoon; you deny your true nature because of woes from the past. You are him; you're The First reincarnated!" he whispered at me in hushed tones.

"How do you know? How do you know all that about me?"

"Your eyes. You fulfill the prophesy, `One with eyes as black as night that burn with the rage of a thousand infernos. His past haunts him and makes his fury bright enough to light the world, yet he is as gentle as a summer breeze when around those he loves. When I return to protect this world again, look for him, for I am He, and He is I. So sayth The First.' I could tell when I first saw you, that you are him."

"Ok, that's pretty heavy that I'm this all-powerful `First'."

"Fool! He was! He killed gods and burned planets that were corrupt with the plague of evil. You will understand in time, for now, take this apple from the back of the tree, but do NOT eat it, or all will be lost."

"Alright, I got ya. I'll lose the apple tonight," I replied, "Wait a sec- why can't I just get the apple now?"

"It won't have the same affect. Just trust me on this, for the knowledge I have available to me covers the stories from the beginning of the originals."

"Come on guys, let's go back to the hotel, it's kinda late," I said to the others.

As we were walking back to the hotel, Shana displayed her endless curiosity by asking what Minister Noish was talking to me about while they were grabbing the apples that beckoned them.

"Even though he can be a louse at times," Rose started, "I don't think that we should be involved in Antoine's personal matters. If the Minister thought that we needed to know as well, then he would have told all of us."

"Thanks Rose, despite that underhanded barb about me being a louse, but I really don't mind sharing this with you guys, I mean, you're my friends and you deserve to know," I responded, "Minister Noish told me not to even eat my apple. He told me to lose it before we come back to the garden tomorrow. And then he told me that I was The First reincarnated! I haven't begun to wrap my brain around that yet."

The rest of the group just gawked at me with unbelieving stares.

"Whoa," was the only response I got.

The night was rather restless for me as I tried to come to terms with what Minister Noish had told me. I had always thought of myself as kinda normal even when I became a Dragoon. The fact that I was a reincarnated nearly all powerful being just shattered my perception of myself, and I was currently trying to come up with a new one. Some time in the wee hours of the morning I finally found rest. When I woke up I immediately went to the kitchen for some breakfast, but I saw Diesel staring intently at me while sitting in front of my golden apple. As soon as I stopped walking he took off with it. I started after him, but then I remembered that I was fated to lose the apple. Some peon that worked for Minister Noish was offended that I `let my mongrel run off with a national Serdian treasure' and he told everyone to bring their apples and immediately report to Minister Noish at the secret garden. I ventured around Basil for a while until I spotted Diesel snoozing contentedly in a corner of an alley. All that was left of `my' apple was the core and the seeds. I sighed tiredly and lugged Diesel into my grasp.

`Damn, he's heavy as HELL,' I thought to myself.

After minutes of repositioning and maneuvering, I finally got Diesel into a position where I could carry him semi-comfortably (since he still hadn't woken up, lazy dog), see, and carry the core of my apple too. I was the last to arrive back at the garden, so when I got there everyone else was standing holding their apple cores and looking like they were waiting for me to arrive. Oh, that's because they were waiting for me. Oops, my bad. I gently put Diesel down under when I saw Rose start to and I chuckled to myself. I walked over to Minister Noish and handed him the golden apple core.

"You have done well," he said to me as he took the core from me.

"Then why was your little lackey running around like a chicken with its head chopped off screaming about sacrilege?" I snarled at him.

"Can't an old man have fun at the expense of others?"

"No."

"C'mon, you gotta admit that it was pretty funny, the look on your face."

"It was on the NEWS! I thought that I was going to be arrested or arraigned or something."

"It was only to knock you down a peg and to make sure you wouldn't get a bloated ego after your transformation."

"Ass," I grumbled, "You didn't have to do that you know, even if you thought it was going to be really funny, which it wasn't at all by the way."

"Well not everyone enjoys my brand of humor," he chuckled at me, "Let's get on with this, shall we?"

The rest of us just nodded solemnly.

"Take the core of the apple and place it at the roots of the Tree," he instructed.

We placed all of the cores at the bottom of the Tree and stepped back to observe the results of our actions. Just when I was going to complain that nothing was happening, the cores started to glow with an ethereal light. Then the light was absorbed into the Tree and sparkled its way up to the apple at the top of the Tree.

"Go ahead and claim your apple Antoine. You can eat it as soon as you can reach it," Minister Noish goaded me.

I jumped from branch to branch, half surprised that they supported me, and I snagged the apple as soon as I was in reach of it. I took one bite out of it before I was blasted by this wave of power. It suspended me in mid-air until I felt this connection in my mind being made. AS I explored it a little, I felt a surge of power and when I touched it I felt the energy around me explode in a shower of sparks and waves of light. Then I found something unexpected. I had found Him. The first Dragoon. The first leader of a Dragoon Council. The first Fury Dragoon.

"AH, I'VE FINALLY BEEN REINCARNATED. HMM, YOU ARE A FINE SPECIMEN, TRULY WORTHY OF THE POWER GIVEN TO YOU. THEY HAVE CHOSEN WISELY."

"Uh, could you turn the volume down a little?" I asked.

That's not exactly the smartest thing to do when talking to a god slayer, who was also the one who had created the path that you were now walking. Although I've been commended many times for my intelligence, I can be a real idiot some times.

"AHH, YOU'VE GOT MOXY. HANG ON TO IT, FOR YOU SHALL NEED IT IN THE FUTURE. I HOPE THAT THIS LEVEL IS COMFORTABLE."

"Yes, thank you. I have so many questions to-"

He silenced me with a wave of his hand.

"YOU SHALL UNDER STAND IN TIME. I WILL TALK WITH YOU LATER AS YOU PROGRESS AND MATURE. I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK IN THE TRIALS THAT YOU SHALL FACE SOON. NOW RETURN TO YOUR FRIENDS SO THAT YOU MAY RECOLLECT YOUR THOUGHTS."

"Antoine?"

Someone was calling my name. And I was on the ground. Oh well, best not be rude.

"Yes?"

I open my eyes to see everyone surrounding me with looks of concern on their faces. Even Diesel was there with an odd look on his doggy face.

"I'm fine, really I am," I spoke to them as I rose off of the soft grass.

"Hey, you'd freak out too if you'd seen what we had. All those lights woke me up and scared the hell outta me."

Everyone froze as we realized that none of us were speaking. Slowly, one by one, we turned to the source of the speech.

"What?"

Rose fainted, but she called a tactical retreat of her mind when we talked about it later. But there, wagging his tongue at us, was Diesel…telling us how freaked he'd been.

"You can talk!" I shouted out at Diesel.

"Yep."

"You can talk!" I repeated.

"So can you!" he countered.

" But…but… you can talk! I mean, since when?"

"Since you exploded. I think it had something to do with that tasty golden apple I ate earlier today."

"Makes sense." Albert quipped.

The others just nodded their assent.

"OK, I guess I can deal, but what is Ree gonna say?" I questioned.

"I don't know, it's not like I planned this or anything!" Diesel said as he began to panic.

"Chill, Diesel. I'm sure she'll understand," I said in effort to calm him.

Rose finally woke up again, and then she looked at Diesel.

"Hi! You must be Rose! You know you smell really nice?" Diesel yipped at Rose as she stood on wobbly legs.

"I need a drink."

"Don't we all," I agreed to Rose's solution to our ails.

After we collected our brains, we headed to the nearest tavern and ordered five rounds to inebriate ourselves with, but I couldn't shake that last bit of advice The First had given me.

`DON'T LET IT CONSUME YOU, OR ALL IS LOST,' I recalled, `but what does it mean? What will consume me? How can I stop it?'

Even as I drank my third blitzkrieg, I couldn't help but ponder what was in store for me and the rest of the gang. But those were my last thoughts on that as the far wall exploded in a large fireball…

To Be Continued…

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A/N: So what cha think? Good, bad, ugly? C'mon, tell me! Pretty Please? With sugar on top? I have done some editing and lengthening to this fic, and I changed the ending leaving it blatantly open for continuance. I'm dying for your reviews. I would love for them to be e-mailed, but I'll take `em any way I can get `em. Let me give you a quick Steel Angel Kurumi (SAK) EX 2 plus a: Hot Saki. I'm kinda old fashioned in the way that I like to write my stories out on paper before I type them. But I'm working as feverishly as possible with all my learning getting in the damn way. I've outlined all the way to Chapter 3, and I have started to write Chapter 1. It's also now confirmed that Chapter 3 will have lemon in it. Hooray for hentai! I've also got to try to get back on the PimpVersE Bandwagon. I shall return, and even more ecchi than the last time- BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!