The Flame And The Dragon Chapter 28

The Flame and the Dragon Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Symphony Of Fate

Kai and Cole spent the next few minutes just holding in each other's arms as the servants danced and celebrated at their feet. A few such as Shade, Harumi, and Neuro had already left to their respective workstations for the night. As they finally pulled apart, Kai looked like he wanted to say something to the prince, something he had been meaning to say for a while, when suddenly the entire tower started to shake. Everyone froze as the tremor subsided.

At first, they all thought it was an earthquake, that is until another tremor hit, occupied by the sound of piano keys.

Instead of fading, however, the shaking only got more and more violent as the music grew louder. Cole vaguely recognized the sound as Beethoven's 5th Symphony, but no didn't seem time to worry about that.

"What is this? What's going on?" Nelson cried in fear as the entire prison tower shook violently.

"I don't know!" Tox shrieked as the tremors caused the room to crumble and chunks to fall from the ceiling.

"Hurry now, hurry!" Zane shouted as he tried to get everyone out of the road of the falling debris. Cole had to push Kai away seconds before a large rock impaled the spot where the brunette once stood. Kai could only look around in complete shock and fear as the dungeon around him was being reduced the rumble and his friends screamed and ran around, looking for an escape.

"Can you believe I never took a lesson?" A voice crackled through the entire castle as the music boomed. Cole's eyes widened in horror and anger, recognizing the voice almost instantly. Before he could do anything, however, the floor between him and Kai separated.

"Cole!" Kai shouted as he and the others were forced to back up against the far wall to stop themselves from falling into the seemingly bottomless pit.

"Kai!" Cole shouted back, but he knew there wasn't much he could do. The cell was too small and unstable to fly over. His best bet was to find the source of this dark magic and stop it before Kai or anyone else got hurt. He knew there was only one organ big enough to produce this much noise, with or without magic. He burst out of the cell and flew madly through the castle until he came to a room down the hall from his bedroom. He flew through the doors and snarled when he saw the old pipe organ with familiar black magic pouring out of it.

"YOU!" He roared with more fury than he had ever felt.

"Greetings your highness! I hope you like the song!" He mocked cruelly. "You can remain as you are forever and ever!" The disembodied voice laughed evilly as the music started up again.

"Enough!" Cole shouted as he charged at the organ, intending to destroy it. Before he could, however, the madman blasted him with some kind of music magic, knocking him into the wall...

****************

Back in the falling dungeon, Kai somehow managed to place one of the few fallen roof beams across the crack in the dungeon floor and began to lead everyone across the floor. They could hear Cole trying to stop the music, but when he went quiet, Kai feared the worst. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he just knew that he had to get down there and see what he could do to help stop this attack. He would give it everything he had to stop this.

Kai may not be half-dragon like Cole or have any real supernatural powers, but that didn't mean he was going to stay in this crumbling tower like some kind of damsel in distress.

The first thing he had to do was get his friends to safety before he went charging into some kind of battle.

"Be careful." He warned the servants and they all thankfully made it across the crack with little trouble. Once they were all safe, they all dashed towards the source of the music to try and help the hybrid prince. As they ran, Jay, Tox, and Nelson all froze by their master's bedroom as the others carried on. The door was wide open and they had a clear view of the room and the enchanted candle. The shaking had almost knocked the flicking candle off the table it was resting on.

"The candle!" Nelson cried in horror. If that candle went out or was damaged in any way, any hope of becoming human again would be destroyed along with it. When they said they would be ok with staying with the curse, they were only trying to comfort Kai and themselves. But now that they knew that there was still a chance of Kai lifting the curse, they didn't want to lose it again.

"I've got it! I've got it!" Tox shouted as she shot forward and caught the candle just before it hit the floor. Unfortunately, the tremors were still too strong for them to safely put the candle back in its resting spot. They would have to wait and hope Kai and Cole stopped this attack soon...

****************

When Kai and the others made it to the room where the music for coming from, they all froze at what they saw. The dark magic had warped the pipe organ into a monstrous creation as dark magic and music thundered and boomed from the twisted pipes. Cole lay on his back a few feet from them, completely motionless. For a brief moment, Kai thought the Dragon Lord was dead. Just then, Cole groaned in pain as he rolled over onto his front but was still too out of it to stand up.

Kai sighed in relief, but the moment was short-lived as the organ released another burst of power.

This caused more cracks and chucks to fall from the walls and ceilings, and the statues to break and shatter. Without thinking, Kai rushed to Cole's side in an effort to protect him. The servants attempted to follow, but the organ shot them all back. As Kai tried to wake Cole up, a peal of deep, evil laughter suddenly came out of the organ. This caused Kai to freeze before he growled and faced the instrument of destruction, recognizing the laughter.

As he did this, no one noticed Cole slowly start to regain consciousness.

He opened his eyes to the sight of Kai standing protectively in front of him before the giant organ.

"Well, well, well, the prized slut had finally arrived! I would have thought you'd have frozen to death in that cell!" The sorcerer cackled and Cole growled lowly at Kai being called a prized slut. "I don't understand why you would care so much for a monster who imprisoned both you and your siblings but also cut you off from everything you knew and loved and then threw you in a freezing, filthy dungeon just because you wanted to have a little bit of fun." The madman mocked and Kai hesitated for a second.

He hadn't forgiven Cole for those first three things, but he was getting there.

After spending so much time with the prince, he now understood that Cole was a good man underneath all those scales and anger. He was just lonely and desperate to find someone to break this horrible curse. Now Kai may care about Cole and the others, but he couldn't promise them that he could break the curse this sorcerer had put on them. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

"You're the only monster here." He snarled at the organ. "Cole may have his faults, but he's a good man inside and I'd rather spend the rest of my life here than let you hurting him anymore you spineless bastard!" He shouted, shocking everyone, Cole mostly. "You're so pathetic that you have to rely on little birds and a rusty piano to do your dirty work! You haven't got the guts to face us yourself!" He laughed bitterly and the sorcerer roared with rage.

"Kai..." Cole muttered in shock and joy, startling the brunette. He didn't know Cole was awake and had heard every word. Before either of them could say a word, the organ suddenly blasted Kai in the back, sending him flying into the far wall. He let out a cry of pain as he crumbled down to his side, not getting up. "KAI!" Cole exclaimed in horror before turning his fury to the instrument. He wanted to destroy it, but he was too busy avoiding the weapon's attacks.

All of a sudden, Zane burst into the battle and charged at the organ.

The sorcerer was so focused on Cole that he didn't have time to react as the yeti punched the cold pipes of the organ. The music stopped and was replaced with a high-pitched, screeching echo that erupted into the entire castle. Everyone cried out in pain as they covered their ears, but this briefly cut off the sorcerer's connection. As Kai opened his eyes were a groan, he looked around and zeroed in on a stone mallet from one of the destroyed statues.

"Cole! The mallet!" He cried and Cole looked to where he was pointing. Knowing what the teen was thinking, he shot forward and grabbed the weapon. The sorcerer tried to stop him, but Cole flew high into the air, successfully dodging the magic with an unknown form of rage and determination. With a mighty roar, Cole launched the mallet at the organ, breaking it and ending the evil music. Once they were sure the tremors had stopped, Tox carefully put the candle back on the table.

After making sure it was secure, she and the others went to check on Kai and Cole.

They were surprised and a little scared to see Cole slamming the stone mallet into the remains of the pipe organ until they were both broken beyond repair. The force of the pipe organ falling ripped a hole in the wall, exposing the room to the cold winter air and the dark woods surrounding the castle. An unearthly shriek echoed from the metal remains as a sickly dark purple mist floated out and up into the shadows of the roof. Everyone in the ruined room was in stunned silence for a moment before Cole let out a shaky breath and turned to Kai.

He wanted to say something, but then he saw how pale the usually tanned teen suddenly was.

His body suddenly fell limp and he fell over coughing and shuddering. Cole caught him and realized that Kai's clothes were still wet from his unexpected swim in the lake. Cole started rubbing his back to help him breathe better, but all the teen could manage was a series of heavy, desperate rasps. When his eyes started to close, Ronin shot forward and slapped him hard across the face, waking him instantly. Cole wanted to break the troll's hand for that, but deep down he knew why he did it.

"Don't you dare go to sleep!" He commanded and started taking off the rest of his wet clothes. "Don't just stand there, help me!" He yelled at Jay and Echo. "We have to get him out of these wet clothes or he'll freeze to death!" He ordered and the couple nodded and started helping him. Cole shook his head to clear his thoughts at the sight of Kai's naked body and stood up. He removed his own shirt and wrapped it around Kai's trembling shoulders.

One of the advantages of being a dragon hybrid was being larger than others, so his clothes wrapped around Kai like a thin blanket.

Ronin felt Kai's forehead and cursed loudly. The teen struggled to stay awake, but his eyelids felt like lead and his body couldn't support his weight.

"Cole we have to get him out the cold, now! He's barely conscious!"

"I know!" Cole snarled, but everyone could sense the terror laced in the prince's voice.

"We got the blankets!" Harumi hollered and started wrapping them around Kai's naked form.

"You four, go and get whatever Neuro has for treating hypothermia and Zane, you take him back to his room," Cole ordered Nelson, Jay, Echo, and Tox as he scooped Kai bridal style in his arms, double-checking to make sure the blankets and coat were wrapped securely around his body, before handing him over to the yeti. Zane adjusted his grip and held the teen as close to his chest as he could to block out the cold. Once Kai was secure, everyone departed to do their separate tasks, leaving Cole alone in the partially destroyed room.

The prince stood there for a second, glaring at the remains of the organ before he made to leave and check on Kai.

But before taking off, he growled furiously and turned to the hole that revealed the woods.

"I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU HEAR ME?! I'LL HUNT YOU DOWN AND I'LL RIP YOU LIMB FOR LIMB FOR THIS! I SWEAR IT! I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO!" He screamed a terrible combination of a declaration of vengeance and the furious roar of a dragon determined to avenge its fallen comrades. With that, he turned around, flapped his wings flew back into the depths of the palace as fast as his wings could fly, roaring in anger and terror the entire way...

I don't think it's a good idea to make the ninjas choose a name for Kai, but if I had a cat of that breed I think I would call it ... Ash? Or Zack? But if I would have liked Kai to try to let the boys know that he is the real Kai.

He will try, but it will take a long time before he figures out how 😈

Danny Phantom Su crossover I love this design omg! ;u;

design by @nicktoonsunite

art by: me 

Guilty Pleasures Chapter 1

SUMMARY: A demon Kai and an angel Zane, longtime acquaintances who, having grown accustomed to life on Earth as representatives of Heaven and Hell, seek to prevent the coming of the Armageddon...

****************

Current theories on the creation of the universe stated that if it were created at all and didn't just start it came into being about fourteen billion years ago. The Earth was generally supposed to be about four and a half billion years old. These dates were incorrect. Some medieval scholars put the date of the creation at 3760 BC while others put creation as far back as 5508 BC. But these were also incorrect. Archbishop James Ussher claimed that Heaven and the Earth were created on Sunday, the twenty-first of October, 4004 BC, at nine in the morning.

This too was incorrect, by almost a quarter of an hour.

It was created at 9:13 in the morning. The whole business with the fossilized dinosaur skeletons was a joke that paleontologists haven't seen yet. This proved that God did not play dice with the universe. He played an ineffable game of his own devising. For everyone else, it was like playing poker in a pitch-dark room, for infinite stakes, with a dealer who won't tell you the rules, and who smiled all the time. To understand the true significance of what that means, we need to begin earlier.

A little more than 6,000 years earlier, to be precise.

Just after the beginning. It started, as it will end, with a garden, in this case, the Garden of Eden, and with an apple. It was a nice day, but all the days had been nice. There had been rather more than seven of them so far, and rain hadn't been invented yet. But the storm clouds gathering east of Eden suggested that the first thunderstorm was on its way, and it was going to be a big one...

****************

Zane fretted as he stood near the lip of the stone ledge, his shining robes shining in the light along with the white, almost glowing, feathers of his large wings. The first two humans off in the distance, Adam and Eve, had barely made their way out into the new world and they were both already in danger. A large male lion made a beeline from nowhere toward them and was now intending on making them extinct. The young angel didn't think this was going to go well.

Thank goodness they weren't unarmed, the angel consoled himself.

Before they left, he gave Eve his shurikens of ice gifted to him by the high angels. He was surprised to see Adam wielding a sword of fire, a weapon not of Heaven, but considering what had happened, he wasn't too concerned about it. Knowing that they had means of protection helped Zane's mind rest, but only a little. The weather was fair, aside from the rapidly building clouds. At least that was a comfort to know. A kind, warm breeze fluttered his clean robe around in a playful way.

It felt wonderful to the angel, but even better how it ran through his unsheathed white wings.

He flexed them out to get a better feel. It felt good to have them free from their confines. He had been practicing getting used to having them put away for his assignment on this new planet. They had warned him upstairs that he couldn't afford to be seen by 'God's Little Projects' down here. Those were their words, not his own. Before Zane embarked, God himself told him they wouldn't be able to handle it due to now learning 'jealousy', whatever that meant.

When he asked him what it was, he said the young angel would find out in time, plus all the other ones.

He still didn't know why God didn't tell him, but God had always worked in mysterious ways. Don't interfere too much. That was the rule all angels lived by. Be ever watchful, a mentor if needed, provide guidance if asked, but that was it. Not too difficult, or so they kept telling him, and already he broke the rule. Now he had more trouble on the mind. There was only so much to do when watching over the birth of a new species. To be so limited to what needs to be done simply wasn't fair.

Not that he condoned rules should be broken.

But this was not going to be easy. His toes curled on the hard surface when he felt that other presence approach closer. It was a sort of tugging sensation that came from deep inside him. He thought it was curious. That never happened before, except when that thing first showed up. He knew it was nearby anyway. At times it felt as though it was hovering just out of sight, watching. But he had hoped it would leave. It felt different than anything he had ever known, and he didn't like it one bit.

Not when everything was so new.

So he promptly chose to ignore it. It was just a lowly serpent demon anyway. Granted, that filthy Hell beast was most likely the reason he had a chance of being fired before he could do his job. Perhaps everyone would understand. They were angels, after all, forgiveness and compassion were at the very root of their cores. Zane rubbed his temple. He had only one job. He hadn't even been here for very long and already he morally mucked it up.

He would be the laughing stock upstairs.

The only other thing he could possibly get wrong now is if Eden caught fire. Then he would officially be out of a job. Zane started wondering if he should have been more aggressive about it and really told that serpent what for. He never was very good at this soldier of Heaven thing or asserting himself in general. Zane truly believed that someone else would be better suited for this than he.

"What do you make of it?" A voice suddenly asked, shattering the silence. Zane jumped, the voice startling him from his own musings. He hadn't noticed he was no longer alone. He was shocked that the creature had yet to attack him, wondering if they were friendly, but that would be outlandish because the very thought is preposterous, blasphemous even. Their kind would never mingle with his. Not without bloodshed, anyway. It simply wasn't done.

The angel turned to his left and couldn't help but do a double-take to the creature next to him.

It was male, dressed in dark red robes, with amber snake-like eyes, beautiful tanned skin, a toned body, and brown hair shaped in a way that reminded Zane of fire. The back of the demon's hands and up his arms were dusted with dark red snake scales. His finger and toenails were incredibly sharp and black. Zane couldn't take his eyes off it, completely transfixed. He almost didn't believe that that was the serpent. He didn't know it had a vessel, let alone a silky pair of feathered, crimson wings with black tips.

When Zane saw the wings he realized that this was not just some ordinary demon.

It was one of the Fallen. That was fascinating to Zane, as he had never met one of them. In fact, if Zane was entirely honest with himself, this dark one was a mixture of striking, exotic, and becharming. Now it was staring at him with those amber serpent eyes. For some reason, they didn't repulse the angel. It was then that Zane remembered that the snake had asked him something and it was probably best to respond. He should also stop thinking of it as an 'it'.

That demon was evidently much more than that and Zane suddenly felt like he was being rude, even if the demon couldn't read minds.

Zane smiled awkwardly, then concluded he had no idea what the creature said.

"Sorry, what?" Zane asked and the brunette pointed out towards the humans.

"That, right there, the whole tiger thing." He clarified and Zane followed the demon's finger.

"That's a lion." Zane corrected.

"Whatever, don't you think it's a bit much? I mean, they just got out, are finding their footing, and the first thing they come across on this big round planet is this aggressive beast?"

"No one said it would be easy," Zane said, even if the other had a point.

"It's trying to eat them!" The demon gawked at him.

"Look, I don't like it any more than you do, uh...?" Zane trailed off when he realized he hadn't gotten the demon's name if it had one. The brunette quickly caught on to why Zane paused and smiled faintly.

"Kai." He answered the unasked question.

"Kai, thank you, but these things are not our decisions to make."

"You're not about to sprout some Holier-Than-Thou jibberish at me are you?" Kai asked as he gave him a peculiar look. Zane wasn't sure how to answer that. That was all anyone ever talked about upstairs. The very idea that someone wouldn't want to, let alone calling it jibberish, preach about it and discuss its many glorious wonders was unheard of. When the angel didn't answer, the dark one rolled his eyes.

"You were, weren't you?"

"There's nothing wrong with that." Zane countered.

"No no, of course not." Kai mocked. "You're within your right to justify a reason as to why God's human race failed at the get-go."

"I'm not trying to do any such thing!" Zane said, growing flustered. "B-Besides, look! The male seems to be fending its adversary off brilliantly on his own! They're obviously capable of taking care of themselves; I only hope that this will be the worst of it, at least for today." He frowned in concern as a roll of thunder broke in, causing them both to look around for the source. Detecting it was from the sky, they exchange looks then went back to watching the battle for survival in front of them.

They stood in oddly comfortable silence before Kai broke it.

"Wait, so that's a lion?" He gasped, almost in awe.

"Yes, It is."

"Never seen one of them before."

"Sorry?" Zane blinked in confusion.

"I said, I've never seen one of those before."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've never seen a lion before, so I would never have known they looked like that." He shrugged and Zane could only stare. "What?" Kai asked in a rather prickly manner.

"Nothing," The angel squeaked as he turned away, a slight blush framing the tips of his ears. He didn't realize he was ogling again. "Just, find it surprising that one dead animal isn't familiar with an equally dangerous one."

"It's not like I was there when they were created, was a little bit busy with another matter at that time, as you well know." Kai returned as another boom of thunder rumbled closer over their heads. Only this time it had been accompanied by a shocking bright snap of light that streaked across the sky. Both of their sets of wings flinched outward and lightly fluffed at the surprise of it. Zane let out an embarrassed chuckle and willed his feathers to settle down.

He could see out of the corner of his eye the other trying to do the same.

He cleared his throat and thought it best to continue where they left off.

"So, therefore, am I left to understand that, based on what you've said, you've never witnessed a tiger as well?" He asked and Kai immediately clammed up.

"Why do you ask?"

"It's a simple question."

"I don't know about that."

"Really? Do tell, I'd love to hear it."

"Has it gotten a bit stuffy out here?"

"No, I find it quite pleasing in all truthfulness."

"More cloudy things are building up."

"Stop trying to change the subject, please." Zane all but begged and Kai eyed him carefully.

"Why do I get the feeling I'm being ridiculed?"

"I would never," He said with all honesty. Kai looked around as if someone might hear, grimaced, and leaned in.

"Promise you won't tell?"

"Oh, may the Lord himself strike me down if I should ever utter a syllable to another living soul," Zane promised and he clasped his hands as if in prayer. Kai gave him a doubtful look, but eventually relented and grumbled with an obnoxious huff.

"No, are you satisfied now?! I've never seen a tiger, a lion, or fucking whale!" The demon cried as he closed his eyes and flinched again when more thunder rumbled closer. The sky was turning all below it several shades darker, growing ever so closer to swallowing the bright sun. The angel was oblivious to this, however.

"If it makes you feel any better, I've never seen a whale either." Zane smiled. It took a moment, but Zane noticed the smirk flit across that surprisingly pretty face.

"It doesn't," Kai replied as he glanced at him all the same with those gemstone eyes and once again they slipped into a pleasant silence. Zane suddenly had a thought. If Kai didn't seem to know about other animals, did he know about himself?

"Now Uhm, don't take this the wrong way but, you do know what you are, correct?" He asked carefully.

"You mean besides an angel-turned-demon who's damned for all eternity?" Kai said in a sarcastic tone.

"Yes."

"Then, of course, I know."

"Excellent! Care to say it out loud?"

"I already told you; my name's Kai," The demon grinned. He felt his heart miss a beat, and not in a good way. The thump was alarmingly prominent like his vessel-body was trying to alert him to take note of what this creature was saying. There was no possible way this demon could be this naive. Something else was amiss.

"Yes, I know your name, but I'm asking if you know what you are; do you know what you are?" He asked again and Kai's expression gradually changed from enjoyment to being perplexed. His brow furrowed as he stared off, eyes flicking around as if searching for something but simply grew more confused.

"What am I?" Kai finally asked, getting annoyed by the question.

"A serpent, dear," Zane replied for the demon. Evidently, Kai's face fell back to puzzlement once more and Zane's mouth fell open. It was evident that word meant nothing to the demon. "You don't know what a serpent is, do you?" He asked, almost sadly, Kai shrugged it off.

"What of it?"

"That's what you are!"

"So? What's so important with needing to know the ins and outs of a serpent? Why do you care if I know or not?" Kai snapped, experimenting with the new word in his mouth.

"No need to get upset, I was only trying to help," Zane said as he raised his arms in defense to try to quickly diffuse the tension. He watched Kai focus on the humans again, and it was clear something he had said or done bothered the demon immensely. He felt terrible, and then suddenly that scent came back. Only recently Zane had caught this aroma in the air. It comes and goes with the wind, but the longer he had been here the less deniable it had become.

Never had it been invasive or overbearing, but the angel noticed he could pick it out no matter what kind of stronger scents surrounded it.

Right now, this very moment, it was hitting him stronger than it ever had before.

"Looks like the lion's down," Kai added, noting how successful the humans were doing so far. Another rumble of thunder accompanied by that bright flash pushed ever closer. Perhaps Kai had caught a whiff of the scent?

"Do you smell that?" The angel asked, sniffing the air.

"What?" Kai asked and Zane realized he had made a poor judgment.

"Never mind." The angel shrugged off awkwardly, but thankfully the demon didn't push it. They stood there in silence for a short while, before Kai glanced over at Zane, and his snake eyes suddenly narrowed.

"Wait, where are your shurikens anyway? I thought you had a pair that froze anything they touched?" He asked and Zane froze in fear. "Did you have one, or didn't you? Because now I'm confused."

"How do you mean?" The angel asked as he began to feel uneasy.

"Well, your presence here no longer makes sense, so what are you doing here Snowflake?"

"I'm-"

"Are you lost?"

"No, I'm... you're trying to confuse me." Zane accused as his heart started to race,

"I'm trying to confuse you?" Kai almost laughed, and this made Zane even more defensive.

"Yes! That's what your kind do and I will not be swayed into it!" He stated in the strongest voice he could muster at that moment, his chest puffing out slightly as he did. Zane knew he was being cornered. He knew this whole thing was a setup to get him to lose ground or faith or doubt himself in his duties for the choices he'd made and how thanks to him everything was ruined. But that wasn't what upset Zane. He was upset that he fell for it.

He had failed again.

God must have been testing him early and he has failed another one. Or perhaps not? He may have caught it in time, he could still redeem himself if he stayed strong.

"You're the one who's doing the confusing here," Kai lectured. "You're supposed to have some freezing shurikens, which I could've sworn you had, and that would make sense for a Cherub to have in order to guard the Garden of Eden, but let's face it, you're terrible at guarding, and you don't have your shurikens so I ask you again; what are you doing here?" He scowled and a boom of thunder emphasized the demon's point. Zane took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, eyes closed.

All he had to do was be honest, true, and stop being distracted by the alluring visage before him.

"I...I gave them away."

"You gave them away?!"

"Shh! Not so loud!" He panicked, already forgetting the pep-talk he gave himself. "I don't want the head office to hear! Besides, they're not lost or anything; they're right there, see? The humans have it now." The angel explained and pointed to the humans slowly fading in the distance with a pair of remarkably bright-looking objects in the hands of one of them. Kai looked back to the tiny figures, then to the angel. Then back to the figures, and once again to the angel.

Then suddenly, what Zane could only describe as a ridiculously big stupid grin spread over the demon's face, the creature did an unexplainable thing.

He started to laugh, laugh, and laugh some more. It became so severe they turned into fits, gripping his stomach. That damned thing lost its balance and fell to the floor. He rolled around, it wracking his body to near spasm levels, and during it all, he had the utter nerve to speak to the angel at the same time.

"Oh, I would love to be there for your first report! Glad to know I'm not the only one who interfered." He cackled, and his grin grew when he saw the confusion on Zane's face. "What? Where did you think Adam got that flaming sword from?" He laughed and Zane gasped at the realization that Kai had been the one to give Adam the sword, a weapon of Hell. "I hope it doesn't turn out that they aren't too bright yet when it comes to violent weaponry and the use of fire and ice so they somehow kill themselves!"

Zane's paled, even more, when Kai's words sank in.

The angel finally realized that he could get in a great deal of trouble for this. Everything Kai pointed out was more than plausibly true and may happen once the humans were out of sight. This was serious. Even so, he couldn't stop a giggle bubble up to the surface. Watching Kai, he found out, was contagious. It started small but soon grew to a level that was painful to hold in. He tried to stifle it, tried to bite it back with his teeth against his tongue, but it was hopeless.

Zane covered his mouth and did his best to hide it from the cackling demon.

"That's not funny, I beseech you, stop laughing!" He tried to say normally but cracked on the last word. He clenched a fist and nearly begged the other to spare him. Kai rolled to face him and Zane was almost lost again when he saw tears running down his cheeks. He had no choice but to turn away and fisted his hands tightly by his sides. "No! No, I refuse to believe in your trickery! This isn't a joke!" The angel yelled, not caring what he said so long as this lark would end.

Within time, Kai calmed down, breathing heavily.

"They're going to be fine, Snowflake, I'm only teasing you," He said while a chuckle or two still found its way out. "Look how well they have handled themselves against their first threat, and they've only just set foot out there; if I hadn't given them that sword and you hadn't given them the shurikens they would be torn to pieces by now, we saved them." Zane heard from behind him a tired sigh. The loudest thunder roll cracked out, the very appearance of the clouds above threatening their next level to come soon.

The flutter from inside Zane's chest came back.

But, somehow it was stronger this time around. He turned back to face the other being and took notice of how Kai laid there. Wings relaxed, hands resting on the stomach, one leg bent. He was comfortable. Kai, an evil enemy, was content to lay there in his presence. Zane could easily smite him. He would technically be within reason, for what Kai had done concerning the apple. It would be simple, quick, and clean. But that never even crossed his pure mind.

He strode over to the brunette and reached down a hand with a winning smile of his own.

"My name is Zane; it's nice to meet you." He introduced and Kai's eyes widened. He wasn't expecting that. He stared at the hand as if he had never seen its kind before. He appeared unsure of what step to take next. Zane gave him time, not pulling away yet. Soon enough, Kai eventually smiled.

"Hello, Zane, it's nice to meet you, too," He replied and reached up with his own hand, clasped the inviting one, and was hoisted up. Zane nearly dropped the demon, however. Once they touched, the contact was not at all what he was expecting. He cried out, yanking his hand away, and jumped back. His other hand clasped it around the wrist and pulled it close. Zane stared from his hand to Kai in either astonishment or fear. He couldn't decide which it was.

Kai just raised an eyebrow at him, perplexed as to what had happened.

"Oh! Forgive me but, you're so hot! To the touch, I mean!" He stammered as he did his best to explain but not offend.

"Naturally." Kai shrugged. Zane shook his head, confused.

"This is a normal occurrence?"

"Of course," The demon said casually, amused by the reaction from the angel. He crossed his arms, took a deep, over-exaggerated breath. "Being a fallen angel, or more accurate, a demon from the fiery pits of Hell now, so to answer your question; being boiling hot is normal for demons like me," He smiled. The next boom of thunder rumbled on for some time. It was as if the sky was growling its impatience for being ignored.

"Is that all?"

"Yep," Kai replied, but he didn't seem to care. The brunette then opened his mouth and exhaled. The air in front of it appeared to ripple several inches outward. Zane walked up to it, mesmerized, and like a baby who was still testing out the world for the first time, he reached out a hand and ran it through it. It was warm, heated air coming out. It wasn't painful in the slightest. The angel beamed as he wiggled his fingers around it. He kept it up until Kai closed his mouth, grinning at Zane's blush.

Zane was about to agree, then stopped himself and wondered why this was brought up in the first place.

"Anywho, going back to your shuriken conversation with His Almighty, if you can't find humor even in the direst situations, then what's the point of it?" He asked and Zane visibly shook his wings at the way Kai mockingly talked about the Lord. Ignoring that, however, Zaen wasn't sure what he thought of that advice, but he secretly tucked it away in the back of his mind all the same.

"You'll be alright, he loves all of you unquestionably," Kai added and Zane paused. Did he hear that right? Had a fallen angel, a being who willfully rebelled against God just casually admit the Lord adored all of them? Without a second thought about it? What was going on here? Zane turned his head and glanced at the demon. The brunette was rigid stiff. Amber eyes hard, staring intently straight ahead. Jaw clenched. He could see the dark one's fingers turning white from how hard he was gripping his own arms.

So it was a mistake.

He didn't mean to say it. Now at least something about this villain makes sense to him.

"I wonder how far up we are?" Kai suddenly blurted out with a jerk of his head, and then just took off, running over and standing right on the edge of the wall cliff. His red and black wings thrusting out just so as to counter the body weight from tumbling over. Zane gasped and ran after but stayed himself some steps later. For a split moment, he chastised himself for the idea of wanting to save the enemy. But most of the time he was too busy worrying about the brunette disappearing suddenly from his sight.

The wind had picked up some, and was a tad rougher on Kai's clothes and hair, yanking and blowing it around like a dare to take another step.

The demon suddenly moaned, but Zane couldn't tell what he meant. The angel moved fast and was standing next to them once the groan had been uttered.

"Are you alright?" He panicked.

"I don't like heights," The demon mumbled. The eyes were closed and they appeared to be swaying.

"Then get away from the edge, you silly thing!" Zane shouted, grasping the other and guiding him down to safety. When he unclosed his eyes, he got defensive.

"I just wanted to see how far down it was!" He hissed angrily, but Zane just rolled his eyes and neither of them said anything more on the subject. Water from the skies began to fall. When it hit them they shied away from it on the first drops. Zane figured it out quicker than the other one did. Kai seemed a little lost to this experience, unsure of what to do or how to react to it. Kai must have sensed eyes on him, for he turned to catch the angel's icy orbs.

Zane, at this point he stopped trying to reason it, opened an arm, lifted a wing, and beckoned the other in.

To say he was surprised the demon actually moved closer was a hardball to juggle. So many unusual and unexpected things happened in such as short time. He wasn't even sure how he felt. He didn't seem the least bit repulsed when Kai stood so close they nearly touched shoulders, and he could feel the heat of the other's temperature radiating onto him. The demon kept glancing at him, shifting on his bare feet. Eventually, he opened his mouth and asked what seemed to be on his mind.

"No hard feelings between us, yes? After all; I was only doing what I was so ordered to, on pain of repercussion, and all that." He said, looking a little nervous. This made the pale angel go quiet. Unsure of whether to trust what this thing was saying or if he was lying to him and this was planned the whole time. Whichever it was, he hadn't the heart to be cruel.

"No, I daresay, no hard feelings; it's too early for that yet." He replied and another silence surrounded them. Every once in a while, they would both stick their hands out to catch the water droplets on their palms then bring them in under the protection of the angel's wing. Even if they both refused to admit it, Kai and Zane felt at peace at that moment. Where it was just the two of them, huddled together as they experienced the first rainfall with the young planet Earth...

How to Train Your Dragonblood 3: The Dragonblood Alpha Ch4

"Ground all dragonbloods!" Cliff shouted at the top of his lungs as he ran through the underground stone corridor to the hanger. Jay and Kai were trailing after the chief as he ran ahead, bellowing orders to anyone who would listen. Cole and Ed were also following them, also concerned about Cliff's fear. The others were following Cliff's orders and locking down the island, even though some of the dragonbloods weren't happy about it. They hated being controlled and ordered around, especially after all those years of being enslaved by that monster at the nest.

Unfortunately, as they were living on Cliff's island, they had to live by his rules.

As soon as Jay confirmed Iron Baron's name, it was like Cliff suddenly became a completely different person. One not seen by his family or anyone in Ninjago. As he was growing up, Jay had seen his father in chief mode, father mode, over-protective mode, and sometimes he could just be an insensitive and condescending jerk. This Cliff was very different, however. He looked downright terrified as he ran around the hanger, and it was very unnerving for Jay to see.

"What?! Why?" Jay cried in shock, but Cliff ignored his son.

"Seal the gates! Lower the storm doors!" He shouted as they entered a bigger cavern. Jay tried to keep up while Kai followed him, just as bewildered.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait, wait, what is happening?" The brunette asked as everyone rushed around.

"Come on, you heard the man, lock it down!" Ed echoed around the underground cave with dragonbloods and humans milling around as the group climbed down the stairs, one-half alert and the other half confused. People began to pull down levers and the gate that led outside slowly closed.

"No dragonblood or man sets foot off this island until I give the word!" Cliff bellowed and dragonbloods and humans start running around in near panic at their Chief's sudden alarm. Cliff ignored the stairs and jumped down the platform along with Kai and Ed.

"Wait, all this because some weird guy you knew is stirring up troubles on some faraway land?" Jay asked in shock. He had never seen his father run from anything in his life. Without warning, Cliff suddenly got into his son's face, a look of fear, anger, and determination plastered on his face.

"Because Iron Baron is a madman, without conscience or mercy, and if he's built a dragonblood army... Gods help us all!" He muttered in horror before he started to scream orders at his men again as he paced around. Jay wasn't discouraged by this and caught up to him, cutting off his path. Ed had to give the kid some points for audacity. He had always known the lad had it in him to stand up to his own father.

"Let's ride back out there," Jay suggested, trying to be positive. "We'll follow those trappers to Iron Baron and talk some sense into him."

"No! We fortify the island!" Cliff insisted.

"It's our duty to keep the peace!" Jay argued.

"Peace is over, Jay! I must prepare you for war."

"War!?" Kai exclaimed in shock. He could tell Cliff was scared of the Iron Baron, so was Kai, but the brunette didn't expect it to go so far.

"Dad, if this Iron Baron is coming for the dragonbloods, we can't wait around for him to get here! Let's go find him and change his mind!" Jay pushed, but the chief was too stubborn to listen.

"No, some minds won't be changed, Jay; Ninjago is what you need to worry about! A Chief protects his own!" He snapped at the young man before turning back to the panicking humans and dragonbloods running around the hanger. "Secure the stables! Latch every stall!" He ordered as he ran ahead, leaving Jay and Kai alone in the middle of the hanger. As he left, Jay looked at Kai and gave his hotheaded boyfriend a comforting look, sensing his unease.

The Fire Dragonblood then went and gently touched his arm, already knowing he was up to something from his determined look.

"Jay, don't!" He tried to reason with his boyfriend, but Jay was just as stubborn as his father.

"I have to baby, you know that." He replied as he leaned down for a quick peck on Kai's cheek and that was all it took to convince Kai into transforming into his dragon form. Cliff saw the flash of Kai's transformation, but before he could turn around completely, Jay was already on top of Kai's dragon form and then they were in the air and swooping underneath the closing hanger gate. The couple tried to find a way out as the windows and other openings of the cave were closing off.

Luckily, they managed to get into the open air before the last gate was closed.

As the Chief and Ed watch him go, another dragon swooped down behind them and takes after them. When they saw what was happening, Pixal also transformed and she and Zane chased after the pair. Zane frowned as the gate slowly rose and the light was blocked but in the last second, he and Zane were out right before the entrance was locked. Cliff sighed and shook his head as he watched his son and Zane fly off into the distance...

****************

As the sun began to set, a ship was sailing in the icy sea near some huge cliffs. At the front of the ship stood Clutch Powers, watching the horizon before he walked back on the deck where his men were working and pulling ropes. They all had to keep their eyes peeled. With this wind, they would reach Iron Baron by daybreak so they had to fill up the ship with dragonbloods and quick. It was no time to be picky. Not with riders showing up to rescue their targets almost every night.

He just couldn't understand how anyone could like those flying, murderous, monsters.

As Clutch examined his maps, trying to pinpoint the most recent dragonblood sightings with their route, one of the sailors looked in the sky, and Clutch noticed that and followed his gaze. Everyone was watched the two dragonbloods appeared in the distance and flew towards them. Clutch brightened up at the sight of two healthy-looking targets.

"Get them, lads! Take them down! He ordered as he aimed the crossbow with a satisfied smirk. It was wiped off, however, when he realized who the dragonbloods were. The same riders and dragonbloods that they had met earlier that day. As the men around him yelled and prepared themselves for capture while Clutch frowned and pulled the machine.

"You're not getting away this time!" He shouted at the riders.

"Jaybird, please tell me you have a plan at least." Kai gulped mentally as they flew closer to the ship. The ginger-haired man didn't say anything to his boyfriend, however. He wasn't confident enough to even look at him. "YOU DON'T HAVE A PLAN!?" He roared, catching Zane and Pixal's attention.

"Is everything alright?" Zane asked in worry, but Jay gave him a comforting smile.

"Yeah, we're good, Kai's just being paranoid as per usual." He reassured as he petted the Fire Dragonblood's head. Kai only snorted in disbelief, but before he could respond, Clutch started firing net at them. The launched nets were gracefully avoided and Kai got closer to the ship until he could leap on the deck with Pixal following seconds after. Jay removed his helmet while Zane spun his large shurikens and Clutch takes out his blade.

"And here I was worried I may turn up empty-handed," Clutch smirked as he prepared for the riders to make the first strike.

"Nope! It's your lucky day, we're here to give up." Jay chirped as he held out a hand for Zane to put down his weapon and for Pixal and Kai to return to their human forms, which they all did. The hunters and Clutch were shocked to see the dragonbloods transform into humans. They knew dragonbloods could do this, but they rarely saw this. When they all finally registered Jay's words, everyone blinked in shock. Even Kai and Pixal were confused, and Kai practically shared a mind with him.

What was his human boyfriend up to?

Zane looked at him like he was crazy as Jay put his arms up in surrender. Everybody else was too busy gawking to even remember to pick up their fallen jaws. Clutch also almost dropped his knife as he raised a confused eyebrow. Jay and Zane walked away from their dragonbloods and Jay leaned down to take a net.

"That's one Fire Dragonblood, one Ice Dragonblood, and two of the finest riders from the sunny island of Ninjago; that ought to make the boss happy, right?" He smirked as he suddenly threw the net over his three friends all froze in shock. Kai really hoped Jay did have a plan or else the human would be sleeping outside for a week. Mutters of insane and worried rumbles flew in the air around them. Pixal mentally begging the crazy boy who apparently was willing to sell them to a bunch of hunters to explain himself faster or she would happily freeze him right where he stood.

Jay said nothing to his friends as he pushed Zane's shurikens into Clutch's hands, who was still rooted to the spot and watching Jay in disbelief. He backed off when Kai bared his fangs at him to follow.

Jay then shoved out of the way the weapons of the dumbstruck crew while Zane, Kai, and Pixal finally got the net off. They all climbed down in a cage built below the ship while the men are still watching.

"What are you doing Jaybird?" Kai hissed at his boyfriend as Jay followed after him, pulling down the barred opening. This only made Kai more worried as he was a bit lost by his boyfriend's actions. They were among enemies yet the boy and Zane were not aggressive. Granted he somehow doubted Jay would ever intentionally be aggressive. He just didn't seem to carry that type of intimidating aura like his fellow humans. He was also concerned that he willingly entered a cage.

He whined in his throat at Jay's confusing gestures that made a dragonblood as mighty as he behaves like a mother watching its hatchling from falling out of the sky.

For the life of him, Kai just couldn't understand his human, boyfriend, rider sometimes.

"Kai, just relax." Jay pleaded as he turned back to the hunters. "Dragonbloods don't really care for cramped spaces, but they won't be any trouble." He promised, but this had a very opposite effect to what he was hoping for. The people suddenly pointed all of their weapons at the Fire Dragonblood, making Kai jump in fright as he transformed, eyes like needles and back arched like a cat. Pixal quickly followed his lead, also feeling incredibly threatened.

She had spent many long and grueling months locked up in a cage in the arena back in Ninjago, so this was all brought back some very painful memories.

Zane seemed to sense this and gently rubbed her head to help her relax. It worked, but only a little bit. Kai lowered his body to the ground and growled. Jay resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he poked his head through the bars. Clutch stared at him with a flat look. Beside him, a hooded man fidgeted with his weapon. After a short staring contest, Clutch rolled his eyes to the sky when a sword sticks out of the cage. The crew jumps back when it lit up in flames.

Jay popped out again, hitting his head as if reprimanding himself for not remembering.

"Can't have armed prisoners." He smiled as he gave the sword to a man while down below Ka, Zane, and Pixal watched everything unfold with trepidation.

"How is this a plan?" Kai mentally glared at the back of his head. But Jay was more focused on the trappers and gaining their trust.

"Just what every dragonblood trapper needs." He smiled as the men inspected the device he made curiously. One end coated the blade in saliva from Kai's dragon form and the other sprayed gas from Tox. As the men looked at the weapon, they accidentally activated the gas. They desperately tried to shut it off, and Clutch stepped away while another man clicked the lighter by mistake. Jay ducked below as an explosion rocked the deck. The two men that caused the explosion were covered in soot and coughing.

A spark was floating around and glided into the cage.

Without thinking, Kai and Pixal leaped onto their back legs and played with it, trying to be the first to catch it with their paws. Jay almost squealed at the sight and Zane smiled. Despite being intelligent, powerful creatures, dragonbloods were still animals deep down. Jay would even use light reflecting off his knife to make a little dot for Kai to chase like a cat. When he finally regained his senses and the spark faded, Kai moaned and covered his face with a paw.

He hated it when he acted cute when he was supposed to be daunting and remarkable.

He always told Jay and anyone that he was a fearless creature, not some cuddly toy. Having enough of the show, Clutch stomped to the men and grabbed the sword before he turned to Jay.

"What game are you playing?" He demanded.

"Eh, no game, ee just want to meet the Iron Baron." He shrugged innocently.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to change his mind about dragonbloods." He replied, looking more serious than Clutch had thought the small man was capable of and the crew started to laugh. Zane sighed in disagreement but said nothing.

"Some minds cannot be changed, Jaybird, you really have to understand that." Kai mentally mumbled with a tired thought when Jay caught his eye he shook his head and that visibly hit the ginger-haired man judging by his surprised look. The teen was silent as he stared back until he finally gathered his thoughts.

"Well, you changed yours, so did my Dad and all of Ninjago." He shot back just as determined but a tad more subdued, and Kai looked away. Zane and Pixal shared a look, knowing that the couple were having a private talk, and were feeling very uncomfortable at being in the middle. When he knew he had won their short argument, Jay slowly climbed out of the cage and was joined by Zane and the two dragonbloods. The trappers raised their weapons but waited for Clutch's command.

"He can be very persuasive," Zane added, trying to help his friend.

"Once you gain their loyalty there is nothing a dragonblood won't do for you." Jay smiled as he scratched the Fire Dragonblood's ear fondly, demonstrating their close bond and showing Kai he wasn't upset with him. But Clutch was still not convinced.

"You won't be changing any minds around here." He snorted.

"I can change yours right here, right now." He promised as he reached for Kai's flying gear, pulling a lever that spread the prosthetic tailfin.

"You sure about this Jaybird?" Kai asked nervously, but his boyfriend sent him as much love and reassurance as he could through their link. Once he was sure Kai would be alright, Jay turned back to Clutch.

"May I?" He asked as he extended his hand for Clutch to take. Only he didn't get the chance to do anything because all of a sudden, a dark green shape moved across the ship and snatched him away. Another dragonblood flew by and ripped the sails. Within seconds, the trapper's ship was surrounded by a few dragonbloods. The sailors tried to stay on their feet as Clutch glanced around at the sky for the assailants. Fearing for his boyfriend, Kai leaped onto the mast and sails growling loudly, until he stopped when he saw they were the other riders from Ninjago.

He was relieved to see Jay in Morro's claws.

"Put me down! Harumi, what are you doing?!" Jay screeched as he struggled in the Wind Dragonblood's claws, but Harumi and Morro had to suddenly duck with everyone else as the trappers started firing nets at them. As most of the riders managed to dodge the nets, Dareth and Tox weren't as fast and one of the nets wrapped around them. They would have fallen into the icy sea if Rocky hadn't caught them in the air. The Earth Dragonblood hovered in place as Cole climbed down and cut the net away with a knife, freeing the pair.

While they were all distracted, Jay finally managed to push his legs up and released himself from Morro's grip.

As he fell headfirst he looped his hands through the bands around his legs and unfolded his wings. On the deck, Zane rushed Clutch and pushed him away from the catapult, but the net was still fired. Luckily, Jay avoided it as he glided back down to the ship. He grabbed a rope from a sail and slid down on the deck. Kai jumped beside him as he took off the wings and nuzzled the human affectionately. He would have transformed and hugged Jay, but he still didn't feel safe enough to do that yet.

"What are you guys doing here?!"

"We're here to rescue you!

"We don't need to be rescued!

"Enough!" A voice suddenly boomed and a large dragonblood made of metal landed behind a sail, with Cliff Gordon as the rider and Ed as a back passenger. This was Karloff, a large Metal Dragonblood. A couple of years ago, Jay finally convinced his father to partner up with a dragonblood like almost everyone else in Ninjago. After many failed attempts to connect with a dragonblood, Cliff met Karloff in a local tavern and the two of them hit it off right away.

They were now regular drink buddies and partnered up whenever Cliff needed a dragonblood.

Karloff roared in agreement with his rider and Jay turned just as the Chief hopped down with a thud on the floor.

"Well, you just picked the wrong ship!" Clutch sneered as he gestured angrily at them. Cliff just heaved a sigh in frustration. Before the lead trapper could say another word, the chief grabbed his face without a word and pushed him away, being in no mood to deal with other people with attitude problems. He slid down and as he tried to stand, Zane hit him in the head, knocking him back down. Before he could get up again, Pixal suddenly pinned Clutch down, her icy breath leaving bits of frost in his face and hair.

Clutch was smart enough to stop struggling.

"Does anybody else want to try anything?" Cliff growled and the crew reluctantly lowered their weapons. They may be skilled in the art of Dragonblood hunting, but they weren't stupid enough to take on eight different Dragonbloods and nine humans. "That's what I figured." Cliff huffed and turned to glare at Jay. "You, saddle up; we're going home."

"No." Jay snapped. It was so blunt that Cliff almost fell over. That ungrateful, idiotic son of his! What had he done to deserve so much grief from his family? First Libber and now Jay? It must have come from her side of the family, no doubt about it.

"Of all the irresponsible–"

"I'm trying to protect our dragonbloods and stop a war! How is that irresponsible?!"

"BECAUSE WAR IS WHAT HE WANTS, SON!" Cliff shouted louder than he had in his life. The exasperation in his voice had Jay freeze and Cliff realized he had to explain. With a heavy sigh, he began to tell the story of Iron Baron. "Years ago there was a great gathering of chieftains to discuss the dragonblood scourge we all faced." He started and Ed gripped his friend's arm tightly. The Chief was rubbing his eyes and frowning. Ed had a feeling that by the end of this his friend would have aged decades.

Who could have thought that something so old and gone would surge from the folds of the past and haunt him so much?

As Cliff recounted his encounter with the Iron Baron, his mind flashed to the past. A younger Cliff looked around at the other chiefs sitting on high chairs as a pale, hunched figure was stepping in their middle.

"Into our midst came a stranger from a strange land, covered in scars and draped in a cloak of dragon skin; he carried no weapon and spoke softly, saying that he, Iron Baron was a man of the people devoted to free mankind from the tyranny of dragonbloods." He said as he remembered the man speaking to the chiefs and Cliff leaned down in his chair, scratching his chin as he listened with the others. "He claimed that he alone could control all the dragonbloods and that he alone can keep us safe if, we chose to bow down and follow him." He sighed sadly as the sound of the other chiefs laughing rowdily at the man's boldness still ringing in his ears.

In the present day, the teens all started laughing too, Dareth and Plundar the loudest.

Ronin was laughing so loud that he had to wipe a tear from his eye.

"Yeah, we all laughed too; until he wrapped himself in his cloak and cried out: Then see how well you do without me." Cliff shuddered at the memory. "Then the rooftops of the meeting hall suddenly burst into flames and from it armies of dragonbloods descended, burning everything to the ground!" He hissed angrily before it melted into a look of sorrow and regret. "I... was the only one to escape." He muttered and everyone on the deck fell silent at the confession.

Jay still wasn't convinced, however, and everyone could see it.

"Men who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with." Cliff tried to convince him, but as usual, his son was stubborn.

"Maybe, but I'm still going to try." Jay insisted as he walked away. Clutch followed Jay with his gaze as the younger man Jay hopped onto the Fire Dragonblood, just as surprised as the chief. "This is what I'm good at, and if I could change your mind, then I can change his too." He added, sounding sincere but determined at the same time. Ed smiled at his apprentice's courage while the Chief shook his head. With one thought from Jay, Kai took off and Cole runs over to Rocky to follow.

"Let's go!" He ordered to the other riders, but Cliff grabbed his arm.

"No, lead the others back to Ninjago; I've had enough mutiny for one day." He growled as he stepped away from the Earth Dragonblood and his rider. Down with Clutch, Pixal still had him pinned to the deck until Zane managed to pull her off. As quickly as they had appeared, the riders all flew from the trappers' boat, with Ed and Cliff chasing after Jay and Kai and the others heading back to Ninjago. Clutch couldn't move from the deck, too shocked and confused by what just happened...

The Flame and the Dragon Ch8

Chapter 8: The Proposal

Kai suddenly jumped out of his skin and stumbled into a heap on the floor. After untangling himself, Kai shook his head and found himself on the kitchen floor. His book lied open on the table and the chair he'd fallen asleep in tipped over when he stumbled. A loud knocking against the front door sent obnoxious vibrations through the entire house. He punched the floor in frustration. It took all his willpower not to destroy everything within two feet of him.

It wasn't the first time he'd fallen asleep reading a book, but it was the closest he'd ever come to seeing his dream lover or kissing him.

The obnoxious pounding on his front door only increased his already burning fury. The furious brunette stormed to his feet and stomped to the front door before unlocking it and throwing it open. He intended to take his rage on the idiot foolish enough to wake him from such a wonderful dream.

"WHAT!" He bellowed. Then his jaw hit the floor, out of shock more than anything else.

"Why hello darling," Morro flashed a seductive smirk, swaggering into the house. The duke's swagger wasn't in any way surprising; in fact, Morro visited the Smith's home frequently in his attempts to either seduce Kai or bribe Nya into a marriage contract. The fact that he'd invited himself in wasn't a surprise either. Being the Duke, he would claim it was his own right to be allowed in. Dismissing of him would be a direct insult and utter rudeness.

What shocked Kai to the core was that this time, however, and only this time, Morro had arrive draped in nothing but a wedding suit and was holding up a gorgeous, white-laced wedding dress to the brunette!

It was clearly tailored for Kai. Heck, it even had his full name stitched on the tag. The dress left the top of the shoulders uncovered, but didn't cover the sides and flows down into an elegant plunging neckline. It's a relaxed fit which makes the dress look comfortable, yet elegant and stylish. The arms had been left uncovered. A choice that added to the elegance and grace of the dress. The dress's waist was wide, but it was a comfortable fit. A small, elegant belt helped accentuate the waist without being too much.

Below the waist, the dress widened and has a bell style.

The dress reached well above the ankles and was slightly longer at the sides and back of the dress. The final touch was the white veil embroidered with flowers. At first, Kai was too shocked to say anything, but once his head cleared enough to think straight, he turned to the duke, glaring.

"Morro... what a pleasant surprise." He kept his voice civil solely out of respect for his relatives. The words rolled like poison off his tongue. Misinterpreting this as a sign of approval, Morro smiled a smile that curled at the corners.

"I'm sure." He brushed up against the brunette, leaning in close, causing Kai to take a step back. His green eyes flashed like a siren about to seduce its prey. It was a miracle of Kai's will that he hadn't already thrown the duke out of the house. He exhaled a breath when Morro pulled back and looked around his home. He sighed with disapproval. "Why do you live in this God-forsaken house, Kai? It's so... small and plain, and it's in the middle of the woods?" He complained.

Kai clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, his face was red with rage.

"I like my house; it's more than enough room for me, Nya, and Lloyd and we actually quite enjoy the walk to town and the woods; Nya finds it inspirational." He answered, doing his best to keep his voice civil.

"I wasn't asking if you tolerated it." Morro snapped, strolling towards him again. "I was saying..." He began until he caught his reflection in the hallway mirror. He stopped and smirked at the handsome god in the mirror, and ran his hand through the jet black locks, and straightened his bow tie. Kai scowled in disgust. Morro was as shallow as a puddle. Once the Duke was finished entertaining himself, he strolled back to Kai in that seductive swagger the brunette was beginning to hate more and more.

"I wasn't asking if you could tolerate it, darling, I simply meant that you deserve more." He smirked as he brushed against him causing him to take a long step backward. "Surely, you've always dreamed of something better than this?" He purred and Kai raised an eyebrow at this. He dreamed of getting out of this rat hole and of what he could learn, where he could go, and what he could see. Not what house he lived in. It took all of Kai's willpower not to roll his eyes.

Only Morro would care for something so frivolous.

"And what exactly do I deserve?" He demanded, expressionlessly, crossing the room to return to the kitchen. Morro's smile curled, taking a step towards Kai.

"You, my darling, deserve the best and only the best."

"And what is that." He asked, his neutral mask refused to fade.

"A grand, beautiful home filled to brim with treasures and endless elegant rooms." He swooned, brushing up against him again. Kai stepped back but Morro stepped forward. "A high title and position worthy of your status, the respect, and admiration of all the people around you, a house full of servants to wait on you hand and foot and, of course..." His fingers danced up Kai's chest, making him shiver in horror. Kai gripped the table, resisting the urge to grab the man in front of him by the neck and throw him out the window.

Respect for his family forced his temper under control.

"You need a spouse; someone who is gorgeous, educated, well-respected, highly thought of, someone who has known you your entire life; to ravish you each and every night and spoil you with whatever your heart desires." He grinned and Kai swore his skin turned green when the noirette said ravish. He couldn't even concentrate on the rest. By some miracle, he managed to hold his stomach and worm his way out of his grasp, unable to listen to Morro's ridiculous delusion of his wishes anymore.

Again his gift of words failed him, unable to find a world revolting enough to describe the spoiled and selfish dream world Morro was creating.

"And you know who that woman would be?" He asked as he cut him off when he escaped into the hallway.

"I can't even imagine." He retorted, not even trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

"Me, darling." The duke said gleefully, in a voice so giddy, it would make even the strongest of men, sick to their stomachs. "And all it takes is one little question…" He growled seductively as he pushed himself up against the brunette, as he skillfully backed up until he felt his back hit the front door.

"Morro, are you asking me what I think you're asking me?" Kai gulped as his amber eyes almost bulged out of his skull in a mixture of anger, shock, and disbelief. Morro's eyes turned dangerous with impatience. The noirette braced his arms on either side of Kai trapping him between him and the front door, and never in his life had Kai cursed his short height more than he did then.

"You aren't very bright are you darling? Let's be clear then; I am going to marry you!" He exclaimed and his eyes lowered seductively, as he moved his face closer, not noticing Kai's free hand wrap around the doorknob.

"I do have something I want to tell you," Kai smirked, feeling morally obligated to all humankind for the good deed he was about to do. Smirking in victory, Morro closed his eyes and leaned forward waiting for Kai's lips to meet his. "OVER MY DEAD, ROTTING BODY!" He suddenly shouted in burning rage. A sharp turn of the doorknob and dodge to the left by Kai and Morro was so overcome by surprise. He screamed when he stumbled through the door and straight into the mud that had been acuminating after last night's storm.

The once stunning white wedding dress he had been holding was now completely ruined by the sticky brown mud.

A band suddenly roared to life, until a series of collective gasps filled the air. Kai felt his jaw drop. The entire town stood in front of his house dressed in tuxes and ball gowns. A gazebo, decorated in white roses with a priest holding a bible standing beneath it, stood at the edge of the property. A red carpet covered in white petals led from the gazebo to a few feet from the mud where the duke had landed. All the eyes of the town folks were glued to either Morro or Kai.

A few people glared at the brunette with jealously, while some were in tears.

Even a large, delicious-looking wedding cake had been placed in the center of a silk cloth-covered table and surrounded by goblets filled with red wine.

"You arranged an entire wedding behind my back?" Kai growled shaking with fury. All control vanished in a single instant. Furious amber eyes bore into Morro like pools of fire. "Get. This. Through. Your skull. Morro." He spat his name as if it were poison. "I. Will. NEVER. EVER. MARRY. YOU! Now get off my property and FSM help you if you come back because I will not be responsible for my actions!" He roared. He then slammed the door shut, sending the entire town into shock.

Morro's screams of fury were the last things he heard before he bolted through the house and out the back.

He crashed into the side of the deck, panting uncontrollably. Shock, anger, disgust, and a dozen other emotions burned through his veins all at once, consuming him and making it impossible to think straight. He couldn't even speak coherently or even say the word. The very realization was too horrific for his mind to comprehend. He knew full well what Morro wanted, but the man lived and breathed formalities, and that dictated one had to ask permission of the parents first then ask the person to marry them.

Morro was not bold enough to defy the traditions that dictated his place in society, only because they gave him all the power he wanted.

He had dropped hints, made advances, and whatever else to persuade Kai to marry him. But he had never shown up at his house demanding he accepted his proposal. The fact he'd arrived with a wedding dress and had the entire town outside his front door as if expecting Kai to marry him that second was even worse! Kai couldn't stand being the idea of being the husband of that pompous asshole. He jumped over the railing of the deck and bolted across the yard, so fast, the fields vanished under him and the trees were a blur.

He didn't stop.

It wasn't until he found himself skidding in the dirt, barely stopping in front of the pond and falling back into a bed of daisies and dandelions in their cotton form, that he finally calmed himself down enough to think. Kai panted like he ran a marathon. The blood still accumulated in his face, but his color was still pale. Tears streaked his cheeks, purely from shock more than anything else. He didn't know what was wrong with people. He grabbed his head and screamed as loud as he could in frustration, but only because he knew this far from town no one could hear him.

He didn't feel better once he stopped.

He felt embarrassed. Still, he fell back against the field and calmed himself down, wishing more than ever he'd given in to Lloyd's demands. Once he's calmed down, he sat up, bunched his knees against his chest, and buried his face in his hands. He wanted out of this God-forsaken dirt farm not to be trapped in it and being married to the duke until death did they part. He knew no one in this stupid town would accept or see him as anything other than what they wanted him to be.

They only saw him as another part of their perfect unspoken plan.

No one cared about his wishes or what he wanted. They only cared about how he fitted into their provincial grand design. He knew that would be the case since the day he arrived, but it still. How could it not when everyone around you drills and hammers it into your skull that who you are and everything about you is wrong? Kai wiped the tears from his cheeks, refusing to cry or shed a single tear for the town he'd been forced to call home. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much Vincent was writhing in his grave for what Morro did to the place.

Or who much his parents were kicking themselves for leaving the twins and Lloyd to fend for themselves.

Kai promised himself that he was getting out of there. He didn't care how did it or when. He was getting out of that place and was never coming back. His hand soon discovered a stem and he turned to it. A dandelion stood there. Its cottony seeds were in full bloom, ready to be swept away by the wind. A childish game of making wishes and blowing on dandelions flashed in Kai's mind. He carefully picked the stem and twirled the cottony blossom in his hand.

It was a silly thing to do, really, but at that moment it seemed right.

"I wish for someone to understand me; someone who will love me for who I am and nothing less." He wished before taking a large intake of breath and releasing it over the seeds. The cottony seeds dispersed in an instant sending strands fluttering into the distances, carrying with them his deepest wish. A sudden high-pitched cry broke his serenity. Kai's eyes widened in recognition. Sitting up, his fears were confirmed when a brown blob charged straight for him.

It was their horse, Flame, still attached to the caravan.

Kai was on his feet in a second. He bolted to the stallion. Flame skid to a stop, clearly not wanting to hurt his master, the cavern rolled and jolted forward then back in response. Kai grabbed the reigns and stroked the stallion, speaking soothing words until the horse was calmed. Flame's intelligent eyes gazed into Kai's sadly. The brunette's heart plummeted when he noticed the horse was missing its rider and no one was inside or on the caravan.

Panic swept through him as he turned to the stallion, with terrified eyes.

"Flame, where are Nya and Lloyd? Did you lose them? Are they hurt?" He asked the horse desperately. Understanding the boy's fear, Flame neighed loudly before gesturing his head back towards the forest. Taking in the boy's bewildered look, the horse tried to move as far as the caravan would allow towards the path he'd come from as if telling him to follow. Understanding what the horse was saying, Kai's eyes widened. His hands grabbed the reigns tying Flame to the caravan and he viciously untied the knots and set it on the floor.

He bolted across the field, charged into the house, and grabbed his black winter coat off the hook, and threw it on over a long-sleeved red shirt and black pants.

He pulled on his riding boots and grabbed the scarlet scarf Maya made him before running back outside. The stallion was still waiting for him and gestured for Kai to climb on. Once the rider was settled, with a flick of the reigns the strong horse took off. Determination fired Kai's blood at the thought of the only family he had left lost in the woods, alone and without help. The townspeople made no effort to hide their fears when it came to the large, frightening forest.

They had all heard nothing but horror stories about that place.

Dr. Saunders had once told to the siblings that many of the townsfolk believed the stories of a cursed family who used to rule these very lands over a century ago before a wizard cursed them. Dr. Saunders told those stories in an effort to convince people that stories were meant to entertain and not believe. The superstitious residents believed them nonetheless. Even Ray warned the siblings never to venture too deep into the woods.

"Go Flame!" Kai commanded, waving his hands in the reigns. Detecting the urgency in his voice gave Flame the sudden burst of speed he needed until the horse found himself in a familiar forest clearing. Sunlight had dipped beneath the trees lighting the darkness of the forest with an orange and violet glow.

"Is this the place?" Kai asked the horse. Flame neighed in response. Heaving himself over Flame's side, Kai slid down from the saddle and look around. The horse sniffed the ground for any traces of Nya and Lloyd but the storm had washed away most of the trail. Anything to indicate the direction Kai's siblings went was covered by rivers of mud and a carpet of leaves from the storm. Kai swore, bending down to examine the ground. The rain had washed a mountain of mud over the area, burying any traces of footprints that might have been left behind.

His eyes meticulously scanned the forest floor, for any clues as to what happened, until he finally left the road and searched the bushes.

His hand suddenly found something smooth and tough almost like leather. With a flutter of hope, Kai gripped the cloth and ripped it free from the branches and mud on top of it, and shook it open. He recognized the material instantly. He growled as he clutched Lloyd's coat so hard his knuckles turned white.

"They were here, Flame, and if I know Nya, if they're lost in a storm the first thing going through her mind is finding shelter, especially if Lloyd's hurt." He told the stallion. The horse nodded in agreement, before sniffing the ground again. Slowly, he started to walk, following whatever was left of the scent. Kai followed, searching for any sign as to which direction his siblings must've gone. A loud neigh knocked Kai out of his thoughts. Flame grabbed his scarf with his teeth and pulled the brunette teen toward another path in the woods, before gesturing his head to the path.

It was different from the others.

Unlike the dirt paths caked with mud and overgrown with plants, this one was smoothed and made of fine cobblestones. Small plants and weeds were dotted it but the ground remained in place and that was when Kai saw them. Footprints made from boots, sinking thickly in the mud, symbolizing the owner was carrying some extra weight when the prints were made.

"Flame, you are brilliant!" He laughed as he hugged the brown horse's neck, before climbing back on. With a snap of the reigns, the horse took off, following the path and the prints deeper and deeper into the woods, until at last the woods came to an abrupt end. The path led to an enormous gate of rusted black iron standing so profoundly. A grey cloak lied past the gates on the side of the road where its owner must've collapsed. Kai dismounted gracefully, pulling on Flame's reigns until his fingers intertwined with the bars of the gate.

His family was there.

They had to be. His eyes followed the path all the way to the end. His amber eyes bulged in stunned awe.

"It can't be..." He whispered as shock and disbelief reeled through his entire being. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in surprise. "That's... not possible."...

Past Lives Chapter 3

The first thing I realized when I came back to my senses was that I can't see. I could hear all kinds of noises around me, but the loudest sound was faint, high-pitched meowing that sounded like it was right next to me. I must be near lots of cats. I could also that feel my body was different. It felt like my arms were replaced with legs and at first, I thought I was naked until a realized my body felt really hairy. I quickly remembered what the First Spinjitzu Master said about how I might not be human.

So I must be some kind of newborn baby animal.

Before I could try and open my eyes something around my size suddenly shoved into me, knocking me onto my side. I tried to roll over, but something soft and wiggly was blocking my way and my four legs didn't feel strong enough to push whatever was in my way out of the way. It didn't help that I could open my eyes to see anything around me. I could feel movement all around me, but, as much as I hate to admit it, I was still scared and confused.

Just as I was about to go into a full-on panic mood, I felt something weird on my head and down my back.

It felt like a sandpaper brush running down my back. Instead of feeling weird, it felt comforting and relaxing. I recognized that this was a tongue of a mother cat and I was surrounded by a litter of kittens. A large one by the sound of it. I almost gasped when I realized she was a full-grown cat and I must have been her kitten. Well... this is awkward. She must be my new mother now, but how the fuck am I gonna explain to her that I used to be human and was reborn as one of her babies?

The next thing I knew, the mother cat's chin was rested gently atop my head.

After a brief moment, a soothing purr that thundered comfortingly in my ears reverberated through my very being. Some part of me, deep down, knew exactly what she was doing to me. She was doing the same exact thing that she would do as if I were a scared baby that was in need of comfort from my mother. Technically, that's exactly what I was, but I couldn't bring myself to care about that. For once, I accepted the fact that I desperately needed this.

All of a sudden I felt somebody pick me up and away from the cramped, comforting warmth from the litter and my momma cat.

I could feel that it was a human holding me, and they either had really big hands or I was really tiny because I could literally fit in their hand. Now I was panicking. I tried calling for my momma cat, but I couldn't hear her doing anything to stop the human holding me. My cries for help sounded exactly like little kitten meows and it was so frustrating to deal with. I was suddenly wrapped up into something soft and tight that was warm and comforting, but I wanted to go back to the little.

Wait, why am I saying that?

"How old is he again?" The person holding me asked. Who was that? Where am I? I don't recognize who the voice belonged to.

"Three weeks." Another man replied.

"That long?! He looks like about a day old!" A third man burst out. All the commotion was really stressing me out and with a final attempt, my eyes finally cracked open and I looked up to a man with black hair looking down at me.

"Aw! He's finally opened his eyes!" The black-haired man squealed in delight. I couldn't stop myself from letting out small whimpers as if I was going to cry. I saw three different men around me. Who was this man that was holding me? I didn't like it and the shouting was scaring me. I started squirming around in the man's hand and tried to scratch at the man's hand with my tiny claws, but the soft and tight thing made it almost impossible.

"Here give him to me." The second voice said when he saw how agitated I was becoming.

"Here." The one holding me said instantly. Whoever was holding me now belonged to a person who sounded caring and kind. Who was he? He held on to me as he gently uncurled the tight blanket and patted carefully, barely a flutter, tapped on my back, three soft beats at a time.

"Shhh... Shhh... It's alright, it's alright." He soothed as I felt three soft taps on my back. Who was this? I looked up to see who was this new person. Even though I didn't know who this was, I knew this man would never hurt me. I trusted him. The small beats on me made me feel safer. I liked it.

"Wow, he really likes you." The third man hummed. I turned my head to see the other men and felt fear again. Who were they? Would they hurt me?

"It's okay, these men won't hurt you." The second man hushed and I turned my head back to the one with kindness in his voice and buries myself deeper in something soft and warm.

"I've been gone for a few seconds and someone disturbs them? I thought I said she needs peace and calm to take care of her litter?" A new voice, a female voice, was heard and it sounded angry. Was she mad at me?

"It's okay Bella, he's fine now." The man holding him said, still patting me. I hated this, I didn't know who these people were, and were they talking about me?

"What's with the bottle?" The first man asked.

"Audrey doesn't have enough nipples to feed them all, so I'm gonna have to hand-rear a couple of them." The woman, Bella, explained. "I added the minerals the vets gave us in the formula, this should fill him up." She said, sounding happy now. Slowly moving my head to the new find the sound, I forgot my fear and frustration about the men. As soon as I saw her, I knew she would never hurt me either. She carried something in her arms and gave it to the man holding me.

I don't know how, but I knew that whenever someone had that thing they would give it to me to drink, and it was always tasty.

I wanted that thing with the tasty in it but the warm and soft thing held me in place. It was a blanket. I watched every movement of the thing in the man's hand, eager to taste my tasty. The man held me in one hand and placed the thing in my eager mouth. Yes, it was good! I wanted more! Moving out of my blanket, I started chugging my tasty and barely noticed my right front leg moving on instincts as I drank the delicious formula.

"Woah, slowly, little one." Said the man with a light chuckle and pulled the thing away from me. I felt something fall through me and the man placed the thing back in my mouth. It was so good, what was this stuff? Was it called tasty? Yes, I would call it tasty.

"Awww, he must have been hungry." Someone said but I ignored him and continued to have my tasty. I felt my eyes fall down but I wanted more.

"Awww, is the little kitten tired again?" Bella said, rubbing her fingers on the back of my head.

"There we go, all done." The man suddenly said and my thing was released from my mouth. I was too tired to suck more of my tasty and huddled closer to the man holding me. Something wiped my mouth and I felt the man place me on his chest and I felt something patting my back. I groaned in discomfort before a small burp cleared my belly.

"There we go, all better now." Bella soothed softly.

"Go back sleep little one." The man said as he placed me back with the litter. My littermates hugged me close and I felt my momma cat giving me a couple of licks before moving on to her other fussy kittens. I was tired again, yawning before I curled tight in the group of fluffy bodies as I drifted to sleep...

The Flame and the Dragon Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Human Again

Echo barked orders as the staff while digging a mountain of dust out of the candle holders and polishing them until the iron shined. Cole had only given them a day to get this ballroom perfect, so they had no chance to slack off. Not if they wanted this curse broken. Jay pushed a rag as big as him across the window clearing away trails of dust and leaving the clean stain glass glittering in his wake. Pixal sighed as she whipped her forehead from exhaustion.

She had been helping Ultra Violet and Harumi clean the stained glass ceiling, and her wings ached from their constant fluttering.

Harumi unhooked the tapestries and drapes and gathered them into a pile that Nelson gathered for washing. Down below Neuro and Tox swept away a century of dirt and dust from the frosty glass floor and out over the balcony. Unfortunately, once the chandeliers, ceilings, and windows were done, more dust caked the floor in dark clumps. Echo gazed over their progress from the chandeliers and groaned. After hours of cleaning the ballroom still needed a lot of work, but he was determined.

The first layer of dust and the cobwebs had been cleared from the windows and chandeliers, they just had to clean the rest of the place.

But with some of the staff still doing the regular chores and Shade still deciding what to make and gathering ingredients, they had little help. There was no point in asking Griffin. The second Echo told him about the ball, he had locked himself in his studio. It was only a matter of time before Harumi joined him. Sensing the poor team morale, Echo cleared his throat loudly, catching everyone's attention.

"Right then! You all know why we're here! We have exactly twelve hours, thirty-six minutes, and fifteen seconds to create the most magical, spontaneous, romantic atmosphere known to man or beast." He chuckled weakly at his little joke, but no one else did, so he got more serious. "Right then, I'm sure that I don't need to remind you all that if the flame goes out of the candle, the spell will never be broken!"

"Lighten up Echo and let nature take its course!" Ronin called out and the others all made sounds of agreement.

"It's obvious there's a spark between them." Nelson giggled.

"Yeah but there's no harm in fanning the flames a little; if we pull this off, and Kai is the key, we could all finally be human again!" Tox cheered with starry eyes.

"Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, Tox," Neuro chided gently.

"I don't think she's that far off," Harumi answered. "I mean it's obvious there's something going on between those two, and, think about it; have any of you actually thought of what it would be like to be human again? Finally human after all this time?" She asked and everyone in the room suddenly paused. They had thought of that. They still remembered the earlier days of their cursed existences when they could only take the form of the monsters they were cursed too.

How difficult it had been to change between their physical and spectral forms.

How tricky it had been to muster enough energy to maintain a physical body in their human appearances, but even then they only lasted a short time. Shade couldn't even leave the kitchen without the risk of fading away forever. He may not say it, but everyone knew it hurt the chef more than anyone. Over the last one hundred years, they had feared, hated, despised, and relished in their new existences. They eventually started doing what they had always done and lived their lives to the fullest and trying to make each day a little better than the last.

Even with the dark curse looming over their heads, they had had time to prepare for it.

To accept it. To come to terms with it whether the curse was broken or not. But when Cole had fallen into despair and nothing the staff could do could change his moods or bring him out of the dark, lonely existence he had accepted for himself, they too seemed chained to their fate by despair. But the past four to five months had changed all that. Kai's presence in the castle had given them a spark of hope and they were no longer afraid to continue to live their lives again.

This time they prepared for two outcomes.

Their end which if that was the case they would go to with no regrets knowing they were loyal to Cole to the end and knowing they lived their lives to the best of their ability. The other one was where the spell is broken and they become human and their lives began all over again. Even though all of them were hoping for the latter, it was still terrifying regardless. The thought of being human again. Of the possibility of a new life and the chance to either remain in the castle that had always been their home or to start over in a new one.

Either one promised its own laughs and tears, its own joys and heartaches, but wasn't that what freedom was?

Wasn't that what being human truly meant?

"I'm not sure what I'd do if I were human again," Tox pondered to herself."I don't really think I'd leave here, I mean, as much as I love to leave the castle for once and see the kingdom again and what's changed in the last century, I don't really think I'd have any other place to go, this is my home after all; I guess, I'd just live like I have been, doing what I love until the day I die, and to be honest, I am getting sick of constantly being so young." She smiled and looked at her hands with a chuckle.

"Oh, I can't wait to start aging again!" Nelson added, immediately.

"I am so sick of looking like a teen! I swear I don't care if I grow old and die, if this is what being young forever is like, then all those children's tales can keep their immortality and eternal youth nonsense," Echo chided, sweeping up a cloud of dust in his anger until a laughing Jay stopped him.

"I second that." Ronin raised his hand. "Honestly, though, I think I'd like to find something else to do, I mean I can't exactly be Cole's servant forever."

"I wouldn't mind," Jay added, pulling himself onto the windowsill to sit. His eyes wandered to Echo who continued to battle the dust in the window. "Though there is one thing I'd like to do if I were human again."

"What's that?" Echo asked curiously since he was the only one close enough to hear the mumble. Jay just smiled.

"I'll tell you later."

"Would you miss your spirit form, Jay? You know like being able to fly and control lightning and stuff?" Tox asked.

"Probably," He laughed. "But it was fun while it lasted, and you can only fly and be covered in fuzz for so long before it gets boring."

"Would you miss flying, Pixal?" Neuro asked nervously. "I know you can in your pixie form."

"Well, I think of it as a new experience, like when you jump in a lake for the first time; at the time the experience is amazing and it's a wonderful and fond memory, but if you do it too often, you get bored of it so, I think I will miss flying, but it's not like I won't be able to take the experience with me." She giggled.

"That's a good point!" Nelson added.

"I don't think I'll miss my spirit form," Ronin laughed, leaning against the wall. "My human body is certainly not as short that's for sure, I wonder how Shade will handle not being trapped in the kitchens?"

"I doubt that being bound to the kitchen is much much fun," Harumi replied and turned to Neuro. "What about you?" She asked and he blinked at her response. "It seems we've neglected your opinions on the matter?"

"Well, I think I'd like to be human again."

"Why's that?" Tox asked curiously.

"I know I'm alive and not knowing when I'll die instead of having a clock ticking over my head," He said with a small leer. With that said, they all returned to their respective tasks. If they had any hope of becoming human again, this night needed to get off without a problem. As they all worked and gossiped amongst themselves, Echo was surprised when Jay suddenly dragged him away from his work so they could talk privately. He almost stumbled over his own foot in his attempts to keep up with the faster male.

Again he cursed his youthful form.

He hated that his body had to freeze in time just as he was finally beginning to mature physically.

"Jay! We're almost by the dining hall!" The boy cried as he dug the heels of his boots into the stone of the floor, kicking up the rug as he did so, forcing Jay to stop and turn around, but he didn't release his hold on Echo's hand.

"You said you wanted to tell me something? Well out with it? I don't want to be away from the ballroom for too long."

"We won't be that long," Jay smirked.

"Don't even think about it." Echo growled and blushed.

"Actually, I wasn't, I just want to ask you something very important." Jay laughed. Echo crossed his arms and straightened himself.

"Well?" He asked impatiently. Jay took a breath and stiffened his back.

"Will you do me the honors of being my date for the ball? Not as a friend or as a companion but as mine and no one else's?" He asked with a sweet smile. Echo swore he felt his footing slip like the ground was about to give way beneath him.

"P-P-Pardon?"

"I want us to go to the ball together, where everyone will know we're together if they don't already," Jay replied as his serious eyes betrayed his normally perky expression, but it told Echo he had never been more certain of anything before.

"You really want to take me?" He asked, his voice was shaking, but from what he wasn't sure.

"Of course, I do, I love you, and let's face it we can't hide this forever, and I honestly don't want to." Jay smiled. Before Jay could say anything else, a force like a wrecking ball plowed into his chest with such vigor it knocked the wind from his chest and sent him reeling to the floor.

"Do you even have to ask me?" Echo giggled as he hugged him so tightly, Jay swore he felt one of his ribs crack, but the younger boy didn't notice it in his enthusiasm. Tears of bliss welled in Echo's eyes. "Of course I will Jay!" He exclaimed as he jumped off Jay and grabbed his hand. Jay stumbled forward as his little lover now dragged him back through the castle, impossibly fast for the boy's short stature.

"Now I have to make sure the ballroom is spectacular! I'm going to make this a night no one forgets!" Echo sang the entire trip back to the ballroom, Jay stumbling and laughing behind him...

The Flame and the Dragon Ch 6

Chapter 6: The Storm

"Please, Kai?" Lloyd clasped his hands together and begged.

"We've been through this, my answer isn't gonna change overnight," Kai explained again as he and Nya loaded the caravan with enough supplies for around a week's travel.

"Please!" Lloyd dragged out the word in a whine, flashing a wide-eyed innocent look when his big brother turned around.

"No." Kai smiled and gently petted Flame's mane. The stunning light brown colored stallion neighed. "Easy there, boy."

"Please!" Lloyd pleaded to flash his infamous pout that had even Flame whining.

"Lloyd, I grew up with you; that doesn't work on me anymore." He said calmly, causing his little jaw to hit the floor. Even Nya couldn't resist him when he pulled his stunning emerald eyes into a cute, pleading look.

"Ah, why not!" He pouted.

"Someone needs to stay and watch the shop, and since Nya's the one entering the fair's contest, she's out of the question, you're obviously too young to do it, so that leaves me." He explained smiling at Lloyd's cuteness.

"Or... or a third option, all three of us got and we can close the shop for a week." He suggested, hoping for some kind of an excuse.

"You know we can't leave the shop unattended that long, we already have at least five orders, and besides, I don't mind staying home."

"It's not fair."

"And here I thought I'd get to finally spend some time with my baby brother." Nya playfully whined mocking innocence, causing both of her brothers to snort in laughter.

"I still don't see why we can't just close the shop for a week." The youngest Smith pouted and crossed his arms.

"Because, even if Nya's newest creation wins the contest, we're still going to need some money for and after we move; unless, of course, you plan on starving, green bean," Kai explained smiling, stroking Flame's sleek, brown nose, affectionately.

"He's not going to give in, so come here and help me back," Nya told Lloyd. Groaning in defeat, he pushed himself off the side of the caravan and helped Nya load the supplies. Flame playfully rubbed his nose against Kai's neck and snorted in his hair and made the brunette laugh.

"You take good care of my little siblings, okay Flame?" Kai instructed as he turned around and nuzzled the stunning stallion. "And make sure Nya doesn't get lost again, you know how bad she is with directions." He teased.

"Hey!" Nya growled. Flame neighed in approval. "Even the damn horse is against me." She growled. Lloyd burst out laughing until she heaved him by his underarms and sat him on the driver's seat. "That's everything." She said, dusting off her hands. "We packed enough food, supplies, and medicine for at least a week, but we should be back in a couple of days; do you need anything from the fair Kai?"

"No, I'll be fine; the only thing I need to worry about is Morro and if all else fails Dr. Saunders is right down the road." He smiled. Nya smiled at her twin before climbing onto the caravan and grabbing Flame's reigns.

"We'll be back in a week." She promised.

"Bye Kai!" Lloyd exclaimed as he wormed his way to the front and waved.

"Don't get into trouble while we're gone!" Nya teased.

"I won't; good luck at the fair!" He called and waved goodbye watching Flame and the caravan trot off before disappearing down the road. "And don't get lost this time!" He shouted in a final attempt of teasing.

"Shut up!" Nya hollered, just before the caravan disappeared. That didn't stop her and Lloyd hearing Kai's laughter echoing after them...

****************

"Nya?" Lloyd shivered as he wrapped himself in a blanket like a human burrito.

"Not a word," Nya growled; hard blue eyes meticulously scanned the enormous map spread in front of her. The square-shaped map was large enough that if she held it to its full length it would stretch from her waist to past her hair and spread her arms to their full length.

"Nya," Lloyd said again, annoyed.

"Lloyd..." Nya responded in a testy voice.

"We're lost!" He shouted in anger, no longer carrying about the consequences of igniting his sister's temper. The map crushed in Nya's hands as she clumped it in one hand and slammed it down next to her. Her teeth gritted in a hiss and her eyes turned to her younger brother, bright with anger. "What did I just tell you!"

"We're lost; you can't read a map, and it's pitch black!" He snapped. "If you're not going to admit it to yourself, and since Kai's not here to, I will!" He growled in frustration. Lloyd may not have been as strong-willed as his older siblings but he was more than capable of holding his own if pushed too far. Nya opened her mouth to yell and argue, but the words quickly died in her throat. The confident, know-it-all smirk on Lloyd's face made it impossible to find fault with his argument, and the proud sister hated that.

Frustrated at her bruised ego more than anything else, Nya chucked the crushed map in Lloyd's lap.

"Fine then, you navigate." She huffed and smirked at the baffled look on his face before it hardened. If that was the game she wanted to play then he was more than willing to prove her wrong.

"Any idea's Flame?" Lloyd asked as he turned to the large brown stallion. The horse shook his head. "That's alright." He smiled before flipping his legs over the side of the caravan, slipped inside, and dug through their supplies, before reemerging with a lantern. The angry, orange fire, trapped inside the glass prison, burned vigorously in the darkness. "We're heading to World Fair, right?" He asked. She nodded, looking around for any type of landmark to help identify their location.

It was hard to tell in the darkness, but the moonlight illuminated their surroundings enough that it looked like a forest.

The dark trees stood, like enormous skeletons, their decaying leaves were black and brown without the sun to illuminate them. The wind sent a shower of them into the air. The road withered into a dirt path, filled with heavy stones and overgrown with weeds, worn down by travel. He sighed in relief that he remembered to change Flame's shoes before the journey began. No sounds flooded the forest except for the cooing of an owl or the hiss of bat wings.

The skeletal hands of the trees stretched and pulled as if trying to create a net of branches above them blocking out all sun.

"Well, look at it this way, at least it can't get worse." She said humorously. No sooner had those words left her mouth, a loud crack of thunder roared across the sky in a high-pitched shriek, followed by a waterfall of water, multiple flashes of lightning streaking the night sky, and heavy black clouds overhead, with flashes of white and lemon yellow. If looks could kill, Lloyd's glare would've sent Nya straight to the pits of hell.

"You just had to ask, didn't you!?" He snarled. Lloyd's mood failed to increase as the night dragged on. Even though he'd retreated into the cavern, the rain had soaked him to the bone and he'd given up trying to rake the water from his soaked hair. "Where are we anyway!" He screeched and jumped as another streak of lightning slashed across the sky followed by the crash of thunder.

"I don't know, but we have to get out of this storm quick!" Nya yelled as loud as she could. Unfortunately, her voice was barely a whisper over the freezing wind, hissing like a banshee, the rain hammering the muddy dirt into the ground and the crashing thunder above their heads. The night had bathed the entire forest in a cloak of blackness; the only light they had available was the streaks of lighting slashing across the sky like jagged white scars.

Flame neighed and jumped in fear, as the thunder roared and increase.

Nya attempted to coax him but it did no good. The storm was savage and dangerous and the horse knew it. Lloyd screeched, as he tried to move to the front, only to be thrown back and forth as the caravan shook, due to Flame's sudden outburst. A loud burst of thunder roared to life with the force of an explosion. The sound vibrations shook the entire forest and broke that last of Flame's calmness. The horse went wild and ripped the reins from Nya's hand.

The caravan shook violently causing Lloyd to scream until he suddenly flew from the caravan, crashing to the carpet of leaves and mud.

Ignoring the horse, Nya bolted off the caravan to her brother's aid. She scooped the boy into her arms, checking him over for wounds. The icy rain hammered their skin like a thousand frozen needles. Another roar of thunder and Flame took off down the road, back the way they came, leaving the siblings alone in the storm.

"Oh no! Lloyd!" Nya called, worried for her little brother. Lloyd opened his mouth to reply but coughed wildly instead. Nya's heart skipped a beat, eyes bulging from shock and worry. She ripped off her thick, black trench coat and wrapped it around the smaller before pulling him to his feet. The coughing continued. She dragged him by the hand, willing them both not to stop. She couldn't until they at least found some form of shelter from the storm.

Rain hammered in diagonal lines, making it impossible to see.

The storm blocked out the light of the stars and moon making the forest completely black. She pulled him closer to her, hoping to give him further warmth. She stomped in the mud until her boots hit something solid. Caught by surprise, Nya looked down and found they were no longer on the mud-soaked road, but a cobbled stone path. Her eyes followed the pale silver stone until her eyes caught sight of an enormous iron-clad gate. Despite the grotesque, almost haunted appearance, she scooped Lloyd up bridal style and carried him towards the open gate.

The hinges screamed their protest as she pushed through the rusted black gate, before slamming it shut, in case any hungry beasts followed them.

The cobblestone path winded and curved towards an enormous castle. Nya's eye almost bulged out of her skull at the sight of it. It looked like it was right out of one of Kai's Gothic novels. Thirteen slim, round towers dominated the skyline of this massive castle and were connected by fortified, firm walls made of dark grey stone. Scattered thinly across the walls in a seemingly random pattern were symmetric holes for archers and artillery.

The roof was a complex jumble of black-slate cones, spires, trapezoids, and gothic styles windows with iron frames stacked on connected and linked by flying buttresses.

Pointed arches, oval and arch-shaped stain-glass windows, and arches, and different sized balconies littered the entire castle. She was sure the stained-glass windows looked beautiful in the daylight. The entrance jutted from the front of the house, carved like a giant hallway of off grey-black stones, like columns, the hallways, hazy glass windows lines with faded silver. The darkness and lightning flashing behind it only added to its haunted appearance but at that very moment, Nya didn't care.

Feeling her strength fading her, and seeing Lloyd, already unconscious and shivering, she forced her body to obey.

She could feel the strength leave her body, and she fell to her knees. Blackness danced in her vision before she collapsed to the ground. The last thing she saw or thought she saw before the darkness finally claimed her were two small creatures staggering towards them...

A Lloyd caring for a Kai cat.

I would really like to see how @crystalgirl259 will make Lloyd love Kai in his cat form.