@kiwiliko replied to your post “@kiwiliko replied to your post: @tothemaxie...”
whoops sorry, I didn't mean to intrude if this was a friends thing. I thought this was one of the drifting posts about to open for a new zine. If you ever consider opening it to public I'd love to do something for Jaytime however!
No no come back! It wasn’t just a friends thing. I just meant like you’re someone I’ve never talked to before (or don’t remember talking to if I have) so wooh! new person! New people are exciting! And there’s always more room for people in the JayTim fandom. I know nothing about organizing zines though...
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Rating: General Audiences
Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: Gen
Fandoms: DCU (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)
Characters: Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Wings, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Self-Discovery, Exploration, Friendship, Personal Growth
Collections: Batfamily Reverse Big Bang 2017
Summary: He was always the outcast. The one treated like an outsider because of his differences. It always made him long for something more, but going beyond their borders was always out of the question. The past made them fear what existed out there. That didn't stop Jason's curiosity or his desire to see it all. To see the world.
*Based off the gorgeous art by @kiwiliko!
The wind rushed past him, whipping his hair violently around his face and gliding pleasantly along his feathers as he soared through the sky. There was nothing he loved more than flying high in the clouds, while the sun slowly disappeared in a vibrant fire of reds, oranges, and pinks. It also gave him the chance to think without worrying about someone interrupting him to ask questions or prattle on about things he didn’t care about. No matter how much his father wished he would take interest in the affairs of their kingdom, he never felt any sort of desire to rule their people or help make any decisions for them.
He grew up an outsider because of his appearance-light brown wings with a trim of white along the bottom and a strange white patch staining his inky black hair. Growing up, the others would openly stare at him and speak about him in voices loud enough for him to easily hear every word they spoke about him. Some of them mocked him mercilessly for his differences, some wondered whether he was punished for past sins, some feared even looking upon him for a second would put a curse on them. The only ones that would speak to him without obvious fear or disdain in their eyes were those who worked for his father and knew him for most of his life. Their lack of fear and inquisitive nature meant they had no problem seeking him out in the hopes of being the one that would finally get the king’s son to take on duties.
To rid the unpleasant thoughts from his mind, he pulled his wings in and let his body drop like a stone toward the ground far below. The entire universe shifted and turned around him as he let his body twist and turn endlessly without a single worry. Just in time to avoid crashing through the trees, he snapped out his wings to break his fall and skimmed over the leaves and branches of the forest. He let himself hover above the trees as he watched the sun finish setting and the darkness of night bleed over the bright colors with dark blues and blacks. Stars twinkling from their homes in faraway places and the moon high above his head were the only things providing light to combat the darkness around him.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he turned his back on the horizon and began the long flight back to their city in the mountains. As much as he loved to disobey his father’s orders, he knew better than to stay out too late into the night. The one and only time he made that mistake, he returned in the early hours of the morning to find his father looking frantic and strung out with his brother bored and angry at his side. While their kind had not been attacked for a long time, their kingdom lived in constant fear of something from deep in the forest moving closer to the mountain. For that reason alone, he made sure to return well before most would be fast asleep, that way his father wouldn’t fear he’d been captured or eaten by something.
His large wings made it easy for him to cover the great distance against the wind with plenty of time to spare. Perhaps if things were different, he would have traveled all over the land to experience those far-off places he read about in history books. With nothing except the clothes on his back, he would let his wings take him on adventures he would never forget. Unfortunately, he was doomed to live an unsatisfying life serving people that wished he never born because of his differences. All the world available to him and he would never go beyond the borders of their tiny kingdom for fear of what lie beyond.
The candle casting light upon his book flickered as air blew past it, then the chair on his left scraped against the ground. A body dropped into the seat, but whoever it was said nothing-allowing Jason to continue reading the last few pages. He hesitated to shut the book and face the one sitting next to him, but knew it was better to get it over with than drag it out much longer. Icy blue eyes bore into his with an intensity that had him fighting the urge to look away from them.
“Jason, you’re not happy here.”
“What gave that away?”
Silvery feathers, like the color of the moon’s reflection in a still lake, ruffled in frustration and eyes narrowed to slits. “Don’t act that way. We’ve had our differences in the past and I know neither of us has ever really considered the other a brother, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care for you. You’re one of the only… friends I’ve ever had and I want to see you happy and you’re not happy here.”
“Even so, what does it matter? Here is the only place I’ll ever be.”
“Not necessarily.”
“What do you have in mind now? Another scheme that will get us in trouble?”
“Of course.”
“I don’t understand why I’m the one always labeled a troublemaker, when you’re clearly the one always causing trouble.” When the only rise he got out of Tim was an eyebrow, Jason let out a heavy sigh and rubbed at his head to rid himself of an oncoming headache. “What did you have in mind?”
“You’re not made for sitting at a desk going through potential laws and policies or listening to grievances people don’t even want to speak to you about. There’s so much out there and I know how much you want to explore it. Let me help you. You can go off on whatever grand journey you have in mind and find whatever happiness means to you.”
“And what do you get out of it?”
“I no longer have to put up with you moping around the castle and staring longingly out every window you pass.”
“Very funny.”
After an exaggerated roll of his eyes, Tim leaned forward to place a hand atop Jason’s own and gave it a firm squeeze. “Is it so hard to believe I simply want you to be happy? We might come from different backgrounds, but I know what it means to be lonely and wanting. There’s nothing here for you, at least not right now. Go find out what it is that calls to you, whether it means coming back or finding a new home. Don’t suffer like this any longer.”
“Even if I did, Bruce would search to the edge of the world for me. He’d find me eventually and bring me back.”
“Let me handle Bruce. He only wants what’s best for you. I’ll make him see reason.”
“You won’t let me say no, will you?”
A cloudy look fogged over Tim’s expressive eyes-his pupils unfocused and gaze directed at nothing in particular. The beginnings of a frown pinched at the corners of his mouth as a hand fisted at the pants covering his slim legs. Every muscle in his body tightened like a taut string and a crease formed between his eyebrows as they pulled together. Just as quickly as the tension appeared, it disappeared as if it were never there in the first place.
“I’ve watched more than enough people I care for waste what life they have to please others. All your life you’ve been scorned by those around you. It’s time you see what else the world has to offer you because this cannot be it. There must be a reason for everything that has happened to you and I don’t believe you’ll find it here. Your heart yearns to be out there for a reason. Follow it for once. Let it guide you. Find your life, your meaning.”
“Bruce will be furious with you.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time.”
They shared a serious look, then broke into laughter at the thought of all those times Bruce got that look of consternation on his face because of Tim’s antics. “I’m glad we didn’t remain enemies. I much prefer you on my side.”
“Me too. I suppose we technically have Damian to thank for that, but I prefer we pretend he has nothing to do with it.”
“Agreed. So, what’s this master plan?”
“Well, it’s really very simple.”
The hood covering his head threatened to slip as a gust of wind blew through the narrow alleyway and whipped up the bottom of his cloak. His feet barely made a sound as he hurried along a stone pathway to the edge of the city he never even knew existed before Tim told him about it. Every few seconds, he glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was following him-not a guard or merchant or child or anyone that might tell his father. Despite his best efforts to stay calm, he could feel his heart beating wildly in his chest and his breathing sounded much too loud. While he knew Tim could strategize better than any of the old coots his father worked with, he couldn’t help feeling that something would prevent him from getting far enough from the city to escape his father’s reach.
Not even soaring through the air brought him the peace he normally felt. All he could think of were the tight patrols he father had running this time of night and the many ways he could get caught if even one part of Tim’s carefully sculpted plan fell through. His eyes searched desperately for the landmark Tim mentioned would mark the edge of their little kingdom. A large tree with branches so large and long they could practically reach the heavens and past that would be trees even bigger. The forest he knew and loved was so much more wild and fantastic than he ever knew and it all existed outside their kingdom.
The moment the tree came into sight, relief washed through him at his successful escape and thought of the best thank you he could for Tim. He wasn’t sure whether he would ever get the chance to thank the other in person, but he knew Tim would know how grateful he was for all the help. Help giving him the chance to do something he had always dreamed of and never had the courage to do on his own. He would always be in Tim’s debt and he would always be appreciative for his help, but now he had the entire world before him to explore and no reason to return home until he wanted to. Bruce would forgive or forget him eventually.
Instead of continuing his journey through the sky, Jason descended quickly through the thick branches and landed softly on the mossy forest floor. Insects chirped loudly from their hiding spots among the leaves and owls hooted from their perches high above his head. Odd creatures he’d never seen before scampered pasted him with soft, squeaky noises and he noticed mushroom sprouting out ground ten times larger than the ones he picked during his childhood. The only reason he could see an inch in front of his nose was because of the fireflies lazily drifting through the air.
The beauty of it all took his breath away. How could something so incredible and pure exist so close to him for so long and he never know? His father and their people feared outside their kingdom so much they were missing the gorgeous world just outside their little bubble. It was everything he ever imagined in his wildest dreams and so much more. Every fiber of his being wanted nothing more than to explore every, single nook and cranny of the vast forest, but his body had other plans.
His eye lids felt much too heavy to keep open and every blink caused his vision to blur a little more than it had before. All the wonders around him were falling out of his focus as exhaustion hit him harder than a punch to the face. With the last of his energy, he shuffled to the closest mushroom and curled up into a tight ball on the spongy cap. The last thing he saw before his eyes shut for the night was a soft, comforting blue glow not far from where he rested.
A ray of sunlight warming his face pulled him slowly from the deep sleep he dropped into after an exciting and tiring night. The was no mistaking the squishy thing below him as his bed or the wind gently ruffling his hair as a breeze blowing in from an open window. Even if he didn’t remember what happened last night, he would have known he was no longer in the familiarity of the kingdom he grew up in. The little things made it obvious, like the smell of something sweet in the air and the sound of unfamiliar birds singing to welcome the start of a new day.
After basking in the warmth of the sun and enjoying the beautiful nature surrounding him, he cracked his eyes open wide enough to see something completely unexpected. A black form curled tightly at the base of a tree not far from him watched him with crystal blue eyes full of curiosity. His knee jerk reaction would have sent him tumbling off the mushroom, but he fought the urge to scramble back and simply returned the gaze. Admittedly, the curiosity he saw in the creature’s eyes flowed through him as well and he got the feeling looking away would mean never getting answers to the million questions running through his head.
He thought they might spend the rest of eternity staring at each other, but the creature suddenly began to move. Large black wings with blue-the same color blue as its eyes-dusted along the tops spread wide enough to block the sun streaming through a small gap in the branches. Its neck extended high enough in the air the creature now towered over him, revealing more blue detailing along the neck, ears, spin and tail. A much larger splatter of blue painted its chest, that immediately pulled the eyes to the shiny area. He found himself wanting to reach out a hand to feel for himself whether the obsidian scales felt different from the shiny blue ones.
To resist the urge, Jason placed his palms flat on the mushroom and pushed himself up to be on a more even level with the creature. Of course, the creature still loomed over him and could easily harm him if it so wished, but he no longer felt like the tiniest speck in comparison. As he shuffled a little closer to the creature, it bent its head down close enough its breath brushed across his face. A strange warmth radiated from the creature, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it was a pleasant warmth. Almost like the same warmth given off by a fire during wintertime.
A rumble rolled through the creature’s chest, then a smooth voice flowed from it. “Who are you, little wing?”
“Little wing?”
“You are little with wings.”
“Should have guessed that one.” The creatures mouth quirked up-almost like a smile-and it shifted a little closer to him. “I’m Jason. Who are you?”
“Nightwing.”
“That’s… That’s an interesting name.”
“So is Jason.”
“It’s really not. There are tons of Jasons. I had to read about them all the time growing up, but I’ve never heard of anything called Nightwing.”
“There have been several before me, little wing. How did you come here? I have not seen one like you before.”
“I flew.” To emphasize the point, Jason fluffed out his wings behind him. “What are you?”
“A dragon. I have heard of your people before, but most believe your kind to only exist in legend now.”
“Really?”
“It has been quite a long time since your kind was last seen. Although, I do not blame your kind. The dragons caused much distress and harm to come to your kind.”
“You talk about dragons like you’re not one of them.”
The dragon shrugged, causing the blue scales to shimmer and shine as they moved through the light.
“My kind shun me. I think differently from them and look differently than them. Most of my time is spent away from them. It is easier this way.”
“Is that why you’re here? To get away from all of them.”
“Yes. Why are you here? You must be a long way from home.”
“My kind have no love for me either. Well, my father does and one of my adopted brothers, but the rest of are kind whisper about me and saying cruel things. Some think I’m cursed and that’s why I have this white streak in my hair. They think I’ll corrupt the king and bring the kingdom to ruin. When my brother offered me a way to escape and see the world like I’ve always wanted to, it was too tempting to refuse.”
“You’re very brave and strong, but you should be careful. There are many in this forest that would not hesitate to kill you or worse.”
“Worse?”
“Some creatures like to collect unique things and they are not kind to the things they collect.”
Although he couldn’t be sure, something that looked like sadness filled the dragon’s eyes and weighed down his massive wings. His head dipped low enough that Jason knew he could easily reach out his hand to touch the scaly skin. Part of him knew he shouldn’t take advantage of Nightwing’s vulnerability, but another part wanted to comfort the large creature and knew the touch of another might do the trick.
In the end, he brought his hand halfway to the dragon’s snout and let it hover uncertainly in the air as he waited for Nightwing to make the next move. Surprisingly, warm scales brushed against the sensitive skin of his fingertips and palms. A puff of air blew across his wrist, then his hand was given a firm nudge that urged him into action. His hand glided smoothly over the obsidian scales of Nightwing’s jaw and along any part of the dragon’s face he could reach. He still wanted desperately to know whether the blue felt different, but he was content to continue running his fingers over the same spots.
“You are a curious one, little wing.” Nightwing lowered his head, so Jason could reach the blue patch on the top of his head. “Go on.”
“Can you read my mind?”
“No, but I can follow your eyes. Go ahead, little wing.”
“If you insist.”
Unlike the black scales, the blue scales felt cool to the touch and slightly bumpy (something he hadn’t been expecting). It reminded him of walking through babbling brooks with his shoes off, so the water could rush past his skin and the rocks could mold against his feet. He found the sensation comforting and made him remember lazy afternoons with nothing to do. For some reason, he found himself missing home.
His fingers traced along the petals of flowers he’d never seen before, but now knew the names of because Nightwing named each one before he could even ask. At first, they provided a good distraction to the thoughts swirling around his head, but the longer he spent aimlessly traipsing through the forest, the more his thoughts nagged at him. The stories he’d been told as a child about dragons being vicious and unreasonable creatures was clearly far from the truth. Nightwing had only been inviting and kind to him and never made Jason feel like his life might be in danger while they traveled together. Everything about them he learned as a child was proven wrong by the gentle dragon accompanying him, but none of his people knew. Perhaps if they knew, if he father knew, things might be different in their kingdom.
If they understood that the world beyond their borders was nothing to fear, they might see the world in a different light. They might see the differences in the world and the beauty of those differences. He could imagine they might change the way they thought of him, because they would just let him down in the end, but maybe those in the future like him would be treated differently. Maybe opening the eyes of those who shunned him, would allow others to avoid a similar fate and give them what he never had. They could have the freedom to be who they wanted to be without fear of others judging them for the superficial.
“You look unhappy, little wing. I thought this was what you wanted.”
After heaving a heavy sigh, Jason turned to look at the dragon waiting patiently for his reply. “It is. This is everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“But?”
“I want others to see it. I want them to experience all of this. To stop fearing what they don’t understand and open their eyes to the vastness of everything. It’s stupid.”
“Not at all. Wanting your kind to understand you and see things the way you do is not stupid. You long for companionship. It is understandable and relatable. I wish for my kind to do the same.”
“Do you think we could?”
“Could what?”
“Show them.” With a grand sweep of his arm, he motioned at the wonders around him and felt excitement fill him. “Show them all of this. Explain to them the world is so much more than they believe it to be. Do you think we could get them to understand all of this and what it means?”
“I do not know, little wing. My kind are set in their ways. They rarely change their minds on such immense matters, but it would be a shame not to try while we have the chance.”
“We should speak to my kind first. My father… He might be easier to persuade and Tim will help. He’ll ask you a million questions before he does it, but he’ll help. I think he wants to explore just as much as I do.”
“If you think it is for the best, then it is what we shall do. Lead the way, little wing.”
While he wanted desperately for his people to see what he saw, the closer he got to his home the more nervous he became. All the possible scenarios he could think of ran through his mind and none of them ended with the outcome he so desperately desired. There were so many things that could go wrong and so few ways things could work out for them, that made it difficult for him to see the bright side of things. Hoping things would go right wouldn’t help at all, so he pushed all thoughts of hope out of his mind.
Seeing the twinkling lights of the kingdom come into view caused his stomach to drop and his heart to stutter oddly in his chest. A scaly wing brushed comfortingly over one of his own, then a tail landed across his shoulder as Nightwing circled over him. He forced his body to calm down as he began his descent into the small garden his father enjoyed spending time in whenever he got the chance. How they managed to make it there without being seen by his father’s patrol he had no idea, but he could see a familiar figure waiting patiently for him to touch the ground.
The instant he landed on the cool earth, a pair of wiry arms wrapped around him and gave him a quick squeeze. “What are you doing back here so soon? I expected you to be gone much longer.”
“I would think it’d be obvious. I thought you were the smart one, Tim.”
“Don’t be an ass. Bruce will know you’re back by now. He’ll want to have a long talk with you, especially when he sees your little friend. A friend you have yet to introduce me to.”
“You haven’t given me much of a chance.”
“If I waited that long, we’d both have grey hair. Introduce us before Bruce decides to whisk you both away.”
“I think that’d be a little difficult considering his size.”
“Jason.” The warning look Tim gave him wasn’t enough to keep the pleased smirk off his face and earned him a playful punch on the arm. “Fine. If you’re not going to do it, I’ll just do it myself. My name is Tim. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The dragon dipped his head in acknowledgement, keeping eye contact with Tim the entire time. “Nightwing. You must be the one Jason spoke so fondly of.”
“That’s hard to believe, but I’ll take your word for it. How did Jason trick you into coming here with him? It’s unlikely our kind will show you any sort of kindness. They fear the dragons of legend.”
“Rightfully so, but I mean no harm. I want only peace with you and your kind. It is why I came him with Jason. We want the same thing.”
“Well, I hope the two of you are successful. Our kind have hidden away for far too long and if anyone can change that, it’s Jason.”
“It is good to hear you believe so as well. He has many doubts.”
A knowing smile appeared on Tim’s face and he opened his mouth to speak again, only to quickly snap his mouth shut. The sound of heavy boots thudding against the ground made it painfully obvious why Tim was so quick to close his mouth. The was no mistaking the sound for anything other than the boots of his father’s personal guard, which undoubtedly meant his father would be with them.
Upon turning around, his eyes immediately landed on a tall and muscular figure striding purposefully toward them. The hair he remembered being mostly pitch black now had more white in it than color as did the rough beard covering the lower half of his face. There were other things about him that had changed in the short time Jason had been away-wrinkles etched into the corners of eyes and mouth and slight limp in his step.
“Jason, we need to talk.”
“I agree, but-”
“Alone.”
“Please, just hear me out for once.” Dark eyes narrowed at Jason and his father to a large step toward him, only to stop when a black and blue tail dropped on the ground between them. “Nightwing, there’s-”
“Leave us. I would like to speak with my sons and their new friend.”
Dutifully, the guard turned on their heels and returned to the castle without a single complaint or worry that something might happen in their absence. For a moment, tension kept them all rooted to the spot, then his father let out a heavy sigh and dropped onto the nearest bench. He ran a large hand through his predominantly grey hair and let out a heavy sigh that moved his entire body. After a moment, his gaze flicked over to Jason and he patted the empty space next to him on the bench. Despite his uncertainty, Jason dropped down next to him and waited patiently for his father to say something-anything.
“I expected you to be gone longer.”
“Something came up.”
“It looks like someone would be more accurate.”
To prevent himself from shifting nervously, his fingers picked nervously at a stray thread on the thigh of his pants. “He’s not dangerous.”
“I didn’t say he was.”
“But you’re thinking it. His kind are part of the reason we’ve stayed hidden away for so long and I’m tired of it. I know you have to do what’s best for our kind, but what was once for the best doesn’t stay that way forever. There’s so much out there and so much opportunity. It’s time we began to look outside our borders again and build alliances and learn about the world.”
“And what if it puts our kind in harm’s way unnecessarily? I have a responsibility to keep them safe and doing as you suggest could put them in danger.”
“So, it’s better to hide away and never experience anything new?” With a frustrated sigh, Jason stood up and motioned to the dragon watching them and listening carefully to their every world. “I’ve learned more in the past couple days than I ever did growing up. There’s so much more out there and we have ways of getting there. All we have to do is stop fearing change and open ourselves up to what’s out there. Nightwing has already taught me so much. If our kinds set whatever differences we may have had in the past aside, we could grow stronger together.”
“Have they agreed to make peace with us?”
“Well, not yet. We came to speak with you first.”
A heavy hand landed on Jason’s shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze and helping him to relax some of the tension tightening up his muscles. “For a long time, you’ve questioned your purpose and what you were meant to do with your life. Perhaps, you have found it. If you can convince the dragons to consider a formal peace between our kinds, then I will gladly meet with them to discuss the terms.”
“Really?”
“If anyone is stubborn enough to make it happens, it’s you.”
“Thanks.”
“And don’t forget. You always have my support.”
“I won’t.”
Despite the grumbling and occasional arguing, the grin on his face didn’t let up as he watched the proceedings with great interest. The representatives from both sides were gesturing vigorously with their hands and wings as passionate words spilled from their mouths. He couldn’t fault either side for wanting what was best for their kind, but they did look ridiculous from a distance with all the flailing going on.
“You’ve done well, little wing.” A leathery wing draped across his body and nudged him closer to a large, scaly body. “All this is possible because of you.”
“Only because you and Tim helped me out. I probably would have been eaten without your help.”
“True, but you did most of it by yourself. It is quite impressive. You should be proud.”
“I’ll be proud at the end of it when we have assured peace between our kinds.”
“Relax, little wing. It will happen.”
To show the dragon just how relaxed he was, Jason let his body lean against the dragon’s without fear of losing his balance. “How much longer do you think they’ll be?”
“It is difficult to say. I imagine several days at the very least. There is much for them to discuss.”
“I don’t imagine they’ll need us for that.”
“It is unlikely they would.”
“Then why stick around? There’s plenty of cool areas to explore and we’ve got plenty of time to spare. What do you say?”
“As much as I enjoy listening to them ramble, going for a flight is much more appealing at the moment.”
The large wing wrapped around him spread so wide it cast a shadow over him and nearly clipped the heads of others nearby. “Lead the way, little wing.”
“You always say that.”
“Because I will always follow your lead.”
“That could get you in trouble. I’ve been told I’m a danger magnet.”
“Then it is a good thing you will always have me at your side.”
“I suppose it is. Now, come on. We’ve got a lot of exploring to do.”
