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How to Train Your Dragonblood 3: The Dragonblood Alpha Ch1

The bright, yellow, morning sun shined and shimmered over the stunning blue sea surrounding the northern islands. Suddenly something fast moved across the surface causing the water to part and spray sideways. A colorful, bustling town sat atop one of these many northern islands. A few sea birds were heard in the background along with the shifting waves as they hit the base of the island. This was the island of Ninjago. The only island that housed both dragonbloods and humans as one community.

It was the best-kept secret this side of anywhere.

Much had changed on the island of Ninjago in the five years since Jay Walker and the Fire Dragonblood Kai had first bonded together and became a couple and showed humans and dragonbloods alike that coexistence between their two species was not just a possibility. It was the way of the future. The catapults and trebuchets that once dominated Ninjago's towers during wartime have now given way to aqueducts, wing-inspired windmills, and Dragonblood Racing bleachers.

Similar changes also occurred beneath Ninjago's surface.

There was a reinforced hangar, complete stables, feeding troughs, and a dragonblood wash for when they were in dragon form. Granted, it may not look like much, but this wet heap of rocks packed more than a few surprises. Life here was amazing. Just not for the faint of heart. The streets were seemingly empty, aside from the shadowy blurs zipping over the many roofs of the town. In-between two houses, a group of scared sheep watched the sky as they trembled in terror.

The bunch of sheep started crossing the plaza back to back as their eyes darted around in fear.

On their sides, they had different colorful targets painted into their white wool. They quickly scurried into a space between two buildings, only it was too small. One of the marked sheep was pushed away and into the open. It looked up alarmed just before being snatched by a sudden, flying blur. Fast shapes moved across a totem and buildings. While most folks enjoyed hobbies like whittling or needlepoint, the people of Ninjago preferred a little something they liked to call Dragonblood Racing.

Dragonbloods barreled past at a dizzying speed.

Their riders swiped, kicked, and rolled into one another while they weave between the houses, docks, and revamped structures of Ninjago. Dareth, who is now twenty, rode Tox, his Poison Dragonblood, who carried the sheep in her claws, until Plundar, also twenty, but every bit as a juvenile, and Adam, his Lightning Dragonblood, side-checked them and stole their sheep.

"Sorry, Dareth! Did you want that?" Plundar laughed as Dareth glared at him and Adam. Adam fell back toward Zane and Harumi, who lag on their Ice and Wind Dragonbloods, Pixel and Morro. "Here ya go, babe!" Plundar called out and, with a chivalrous grin, he tossed the sheep to Harumi. She snatched it with a sneer and a grumble. "Did I tell you that you look amazing today because you do?" He smirked, but she wasn't impressed.

"Ugh, come on, Morro, it's starting to stink around here." She huffed in disgust Morro started to peel off, spewing a gust of wind as he did so.

"You must see that she still hates you." Zane sighed at his friends' antics before he and Pixel also flew ahead. As they flew, Pixel released a wave of frost that blew into Morro's previous gust and left Plundar and Adam shivering. As they rush past the main bleachers, Harumi dropped her sheep into one of seven baskets suspended over a chasm at the lap crossing. Each backboard bore an image of its corresponding dragonblood. Morro and Harumi's basket was filled to the brim with sheep.

Presiding over the game, Cliff turned to the frenzied crowd.

"That's nine for Harumi and Morro, Cole and Rocky lags with three, and Plundar and Adam, Zane and Pixel, Ronin and Shade, and Dareth and Tox trail with NONE!" He roared over the crowd as his eyes fell on an empty basket at the far end, its backboard painted with an image of fire. "And Jay and Kai are... nowhere to be found." He sighed as he slumped back into his large chair.

"Scared your boy off with the big talk, didn't ya, Cliff?" Ed chuckled lightly. Plundar, still defrosting from the blast, suddenly got a punch from behind. Cole rolled in, astride Rocky, spirited and competitive as ever.

"What are you doing, Plundar?! They're going to win now!" He growled.

"She's my princess! Whatever she wants, she gets!"

"Harumi?! Didn't she try to bury you alive?!"

"Only for a few hours!" He argued. Cole rolled his eyes in frustration and Rocky flew as far away from the love-struck Plundar as he could get. He loved Adam with every fiber of his being, but his human rider could be very annoying. The racers chased each other through a sprawling hangar and into a vast cave, teeming with colorfully painted dragon stables. They exited through the far side and circled back through the village, blasting past many of its dragon-friendly additions.

In the village, one of Rocky and Adam's children suddenly sneezed, releasing a little molten rock and accidentally setting one of the houses aflame.

Cole saw this and Rocky peeled away from the other racers, and yanked open a spout on the overhead network of aqueducts, dousing the flames with a surge of water. Back to Cliff, amused as he watched the racers around the island, searching for sheep. He turned to Ed and nodded.

"It's time, Ed."

"Righty-ho! Last lap!" He shouted to the crowd. A horn sounded and the racers all turn to each other, excited. It was time to release the Black Sheep.

"Come on, Rocky! We can still win this thing!" Cole grinned and the Earth Dragonblood kicked it into high gear.

"Come on, Shade!" Ronin shouted.

"Let's go!" Dareth cried to Tox.

"Go, Adam!" Plundar yelled as Ed loaded the Black Sheep onto a catapult. He pulled the trigger, launching the Black Sheep into the air. Cole spotted it first and steered Rocky into a steep climb toward it. In a flash, however, Dareth and Tox flew in and nab the sheep.

"NO!" Cole shouted and Rocky roared in frustration.

"Good job, Tox!" Dareth praised as he patted the green dragonblood's neck and tossed his captured prize to Harumi. "Here you go, darling! Mine's worth ten!" He called to her when she caught it. She cheered and steered Morro towards the baskets

"You guys are fighting over Harumi?!" Ronin scowled at his brother in disappointment while Shade let out a laughing sound, but Dareth just ignored them and Tox flew to catch up with Harumi and Morro. When they saw him, Morro rammed into Tox, sending her and Dareth into an uncontrolled spin. They slammed into Plundar and Adam, sending them all tumbling head over tail. The crowd went wild. Harumi thought they were in the clear until Zane and Pixel came up beside them.

He grabbed at the sheep, but Harumi fought back, inciting a tug-of-war.

Neither of them noticed Cole and Rocky flying toward them. As they got closer, Cole stood on Rock's back, keeping his balance.

"Get 'em, Cole!" Cliff shouted out in excitement at what was to come. Cole leaped off of Rocky, ran up Pixel's back, and plucked the Black Sheep from Zane and Harumi's hands. He laughed in victory as he tumbled through the air onto Rocky, sticking a perfect landing, the Black Sheep in hand. Zane smiled at Cole's strategy while Harumi and Morro growled in annoyance at losing the Black Sheep. As they flew, Cole eyed the fast-approaching finish line, unaware as Dareth suddenly rammed Tox into Rocky, sending them off-course.

He recovered and saw Ronin flying headlong toward them, war hammer cocked, aiming at his head.

He cried as Ronin hurled his hammer. Rocky suddenly ducked and rolled Cole out of the way. The hammer caught Dareth in the face with a clang and the crowd collectively winced. Cole and Rocky recovered from their roll, looped over the water, and blasted past the finish line, dunking the Black Sheep into their basket.

"That's thirteen! Cole and Rocky take the game!" Cliff shouted and the crowd came unhinged. The winners flew over the crowd, basking in their victory while the loses flew away to lick their wounds. Ninjago was pretty much perfect. All of Jay's hard work had paid off, and it was a good thing too because, with humans on the backs of dragonbloods, the world just got a whole lot bigger...

Life of a High School Vampire One-Shots 5 The Bite

SUMMARY: Jay has a big, bad secret...

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

Jay panted and gasped in pain as boiling sweat dripped and dropped down his burning flesh. Low hanging tree branches smacked him in the face and arms, not really painful, but irritating nonetheless. He wanted to scream as he almost tripped up for the sixth time. Jay hadn't wanted to come on this stupid trip. He didn't see what they could gain from it. A few days ago, the headmaster told everyone in their geography class that they were taking a camping trip.

It was a trip to the Forest of Blackthorn, to study the construction of a new theme park and how it may affect the wildlife.

The park was located somewhere up in the mountains, near a place called Jamakai Village. The village rested near the cliffs that lead to a small beach and the ocean. The ginger-haired teen had all but begged on his knees for Headmaster Wu to let him stay, but the old man refused. Kai had also tried to get out of the trip, but Jay didn't care about him. There was always something about the brunette that made Jay uneasy. He couldn't tell whether it was the lingering smell of death hanging onto his and Lloyd's newest roommate, or the fact he seemed to hate Jay and Lloyd.

But Jay honestly didn't care.

As long as Kai didn't bother him, Jay would keep out of his way as best he could. It was like a silent agreement between the pair. Jay suddenly cried out a more intense wave of pain hit him and he slumped against the trunk of a large oak tree in unbelievable agony. He felt pain in his chest, he felt pain in his arms and he felt pain in his mind. Jay wanted to stop everything he was doing and try and treat the pain, but he knew it would only make things worse if he tried.

The road ahead was a tough one and right now he wasn't sure if he was willing to walk it, let alone whether he was able.

He was so very tired. Tired both because of the pain and tired of having to deal with the pain, but he didn't really have a choice in the matter. With every second, the shining white light of the full moon rose higher and higher into the starry night sky. His breathing became more labored and he gritted his teeth as he felt his nails grew and sharpened against his will. Jay gritted his teeth, hoping that he could stick it out just a little longer and get to safety.

Even though the amusement park was located a few miles away from his current location, he could still hear the faint, almost whisper-like voices in the distance.

He couldn't risk their safety, or his own. All of a sudden, he gasped as he felt a strange freezing shiver ripple throughout his whole body. Before he realized what was happening, he felt his body start to change as his cells rearranged themselves. It was over in a matter of seconds, and when he regained his senses he noticed instead of the breaths from a human, they were heavy, canine pants. All of Jay's senses were dialed to eleven as he sniffed the air.

The air was cold and the only light were the stars, moon, and an approaching flashlight.

The teen's stomach growled in hunger and his nose picked up the scent of blood. Small, fresh, human blood...

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

The forest rain fell in the drenching sheets, hammering the corrugated roof of the clinic building. Rolling down the metal gutters, splashing on the ground in the torrent. Amelia Winchester sighed and stared out of the window. From the clinic, she could hardly see the beach or the ocean below, cloaked in a low fog. This isn't what she expected to see when she came to Jamakai Village to spend two months as a visiting physician for the small settlement.

Amelia Carter had expected fresh air and relaxation after two grueling years of residency in emergency medicine in Chicago.

She had been in Ninjago now for three weeks and it had rained every day. Everything else was fine. She liked the isolation of Jamakai Village and the friendliness of its people. Ninjago had one of the twenty best medical systems in the world. Even in this remote village the clinic was well maintained, amply supplied. Her paramedic, a Hispanic man named Youssef Toledano, was very intelligent and well-trained. Across the examining room, Youssef cocked his head.

"Listen." He said.

"Believe me, I hear it," Amelia said.

"No, listen." He told her again and then she caught it. Another sound blended into the rain; a deeper rumble, but built and emerged until it was clear. It was the rhythmic thumping of a helicopter. She thought they couldn't be flying in weather like this. But the sound built steadily and then the helicopter burst low through the treeline and roared overhead, circled, and then came back. She saw the helicopter swing back over the water near fishing boats and back towards the beach.

It was looking for a place to land.

It was a big-bellied Sikorsky with a blue stripe on the side with the words 'T.S.G Construction'. That was the name of the construction company building a new resort somewhere up near the nearby mountains. The resort was said to be spectacular and very complicated. Many of the local people were employed in the construction, which had been going on for more than two years. Amelia could imagine it. One of those huge resorts with swimming pools and tennis courts, where guests could play and drink their sorrows away without having any contact with the real world.

Amelia wondered what was so urgent in those mountains that a helicopter would fly in this weather.

Through the windshield, she saw the pilot exhale in relief as the helicopter settled onto the wet sand on the beach. Uniformed men jumped out and flung open the big side door. She heard frantic shouts in Spanish and Youssef nudged her. They were calling for a doctor. Two crewmen carried a limp body towards her while another man barked orders at them. The man had a yellow sticker, and dark brown hair appeared around the edge of his ragged baseball cap.

"Is there a doctor here?!" He called out and she ran up. The rain fell in heavy drops, pounding her head and shoulders, soaking her in seconds.

"I'm a doctor." She said and the man frowned at her. She was wearing cutoff jeans and a tank top. She had a stethoscope over her shoulder, already slightly rusted from the salt air.

"Noble Oliver; we've got a very sick man here doctor."

"Then you better take him to the hospital in Ninjago City." She said, a little confused. Ninjago City was roughly twenty minutes away by air, so why hadn't they gone there instead of this remote village?

"We would but we can't get over the mountains in this weather, you have to treat him here." He ordered and Amelia had no choice but to trot alongside the injured man as they carried him into the clinic. He was a kid, no older than eighteen. Lifting away the blood-soaked shirt, she saw the big slashing rip along his shoulder and another on his leg.

"What happened to him?"

"A construction accident! He fell and one of the backhauls ran over him." Noble shouted, panic clear in his voice. The kid was pale, shivering, and unconscious. Youssef stood by the bright green door of the clinic, waving his arm. The men brought the body through and set it on the table in the center of the room. Youssef started an intravenous line and Amelia swung the light over the kid and bent to examine the wounds. Immediately she could see they did not look good, and the kid would almost certainly die.

A big tearing laceration ran from his shoulder down to his torso, and at the edge of the wound the flesh was shredded and the shoulder was dislocated, pale bones exposed.

A second slash cut through the heavy muscles of the thigh, deep enough to reveal a pulse of the femoral artery below. Her first impression was that this leg had been ripped open.

"Tell me again about this injury." She told the leader.

"I didn't see it! They said it was just a construction accident!" Noble replied.

"It almost looks like he was mauled by a large animal!" Amelia exclaimed, probing the wound. Like most emergency room physicians, she could remember in detail a patient she had seen even years before. She had only seen two maulings. One was a two-year-old child who had been attacked by a Rottweiler dog, the other was a drunken circus attendant who had had an encounter with a tiger and both injuries were similar. There was a characteristic look of an animal attack.

"Mauled?! No, no, no, it was a backhaul, believe me!" Noble cried, licking his lips as he spoke. He was edgy, acting as if he had done something wrong, and Amelia wondered why. If they were using inexperienced workmen on a resort construction they must have accidents all the time.

"Do you want the lavage?" Youssef asked and she nodded as she bent lower, probing the wound with her fingertips. If an earthmover had rolled over him then dirt would have been forced deep into the wound. There wasn't any dirt, just a slippery, slimy foam, and the wound had a strange odor. A kind of rotten stench. A smell of death and decay. She had never smelled anything like it before.

"How long ago did you say this happened?"

"An hour." He said and again she noticed how tense Noble was. He was one of those eager nervous types. They didn't look like a construction foreman, more like an executive. He was obviously out of his depth. Amelia turned back to the injuries and somehow she didn't think she was seeing a mechanical trauma. It just didn't look right with no soil contamination on the would site and no crushing injury component. Mechanical trauma of any sort always had some component of crushing, but there was none.

Instead, the man's skin was shredded, ripped across the shoulder, and again across the thigh.

It really did look like a mauling, but on the other hand, most of the body was unmarked, which was unusual for an animal attack. She looked again at the head, the arms, the hands, and she felt a chill when she looked at the kid's hands. There were short slashing cuts on both palms and bruises on the wrists and forearms. She had worked in Chicago long enough to know what that meant.

"Alright, wait outside." She said, but Noble didn't like that.

"Why?"

"Do you want me to help him or not?!" She snapped and pushed Noble and his men out the door and closed it in his face. She didn't know what was going on but she didn't like it. Upon seeing this, Youssef hesitated.

"Should I continue to wash?"

"Yes." She nodded as she reached for a little camera. She took several snapshots of the injury with the flash on for a better view; they really did look like bites. Then the kid suddenly groaned and she put her camera aside and bent towards him. His lips moved and his tongue thick.

"...lycan." He barely whispered and at that word Youssef froze and stepped back in horror.

"What does that mean?" Amelia asked as Youssef shook his head.

"I do not know doctor."

"Then please continue to wash him."

"No doctor! Bad smell!" He cried as he wrinkled his nose and crossed himself. Amelia looked again at the slippery foam streaked across the wound and she touched it, rubbing it between her fingers. It seemed almost like saliva.

"...Lycan." The injured boy whispered again."

"It bit him!" Youssef said in a tone of horror.

"What bit him?"

"Lycan!"

"What-What's a'Lycan'?"

"It means wolf!" He exclaimed and Amelia frowned. Wolves had been extinct in these woods for well over two hundred years, but that didn't stop the local villagers from scaring their children away from the dark and dangerous forest by telling them scary stories about how a pack of monstrous wolves would swallow them whole and no one would ever find them. Amelia had heard these stories herself, in person, and she almost laughed when she even saw some adults terrified of this myth.

Many conservationists search these woods regularly to keep count of all its wildlife to make sure they weren't endangered and none of them have ever reported a wolf in this area.

So the idea that a wolf had caused these injuries was very unlikely. It could have been a bear, or a large badger or fox, but they were usually located miles from where the resort was being constructed. Youssef was backing away, murmuring and crossing himself.

"That's not a normal smell! It is the Lycan!" He all but screamed. Amelia was getting annoyed by this and was about to order him back to work when the injured youth opened his eyes and sat up straight at the table. Youssef shrieked in terror. The injured boy moaned and twisted his head, looking left and right with wide staring eyes. All of a sudden he explosively vomited blood be he immediately fell into convulsions. Amelia grabbed for him but shuddered off the table and onto the concrete floor where he vomited again.

There was blood everywhere and at that moment Noble opened the door.

"What the hell is happening?!" He shouted and when he saw the blood he turned away, his hand to his mouth. Amelia was grabbing for a stick put in the boy's clenched jaws but even as she did she knew it was hopeless and with one final jerk he relaxed and lay still. She went to perform mouth to mouth but Youssef grabbed her on the shoulder fiercely, pulling her back.

"NO!" He screamed. "The Lycan will cross over!"

"Youssef, for God sake-"

"NO! YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND THESE THINGS DOCTER!" He roared again, staring her in the eyes. Amelia looked at the body on the ground and realized that it didn't matter anymore. There was no possibility of resuscitating him. Yousseff called for the men, who came back into the room and took the body away. Noble appeared, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I'm sure you did all you could." He muttered quietly. Amelia watched as the men took the body away, back to the helicopter, and it lifted back into the sky. The sound of the helicopter was drowned out by the thunderous sound of the rainstorm and Amelia was certain she could hear the faintest squeak of a bat.

"It is better this way," Youssef told her but Amelia said nothing. She was too busy thinking about the boy's hands. They had been covered with cuts and bruises in the characteristic pattern of defense wounds. She was quite sure that he had not died in a construction accident. He had been attacked and he had held his hands up against his attacker.

"Where is this resort again?"

"In the mountains, perhaps a hundred and twenty miles from here."

"Pretty far for a resort." She said and Youssef watched the helicopter.

"I hope they never come back." He said and Amelia hummed in agreement. She was a little disappointed that she couldn't examine the body or the slime and learn what those wounds came from, but at least she had pictures. When she turned back to the table, however, she that the camera was gone. She searched and searched but she couldn't find the camera. Amelia had sneaking suspicion that one of the men from the helicopter had snatched it on their way out, but she had no proof.

Youssef was grateful it was all over, but Amelia was dissatisfied with the outcome.

After they had cleaned up the blood and equipment, Youssef called it a night and Amelia had started typing out her report on her laptop. As she finished typing the report and emailing it to her superior, she couldn't help but think about what the boy had said. With no other option, she turned to the internet for answers. She entered the word, Lycan, into the search bar and was surprised when she saw the results. This didn't make any sense to the doctor.

The word Lycan was derived from the word lycanthrope, meaning someone who suffered from lycanthropy; the professed ability or power of a human being to transform into a wolf, or to gain wolf-like characteristics.

In more simple words; a werewolf...

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

Kai frowned behind his sunglasses as he looked through all the pictures Amelia Carter had taken of the construction worker's injuries. All of the students were gathering their luggage and preparing to leave soon, so Kai had plenty of time and privacy to think about the situation. It had been almost laughable how easy it was for the vampire to not only follow the helicopter and steal the camera while the medics were distracted. As he flicked through the pictures, Kai couldn't help but grimace at the sight of the injuries Jay had inflicted on the poor human.

He had always known Jay was odd and had a weird smell, but even the brunette hadn't expected this.

He glanced over to Jay and watched as the ginger-haired teen listened to Lloyd talking about something Kai couldn't care about. Jay looked a little green and he had heavy bags under his eyes, showing Kai that he hadn't slept at all last night. This new information was very interesting to the brunette. Kai liked his fangs in anticipation as his mind thought up ways to use this against Jay. He wasn't going to hurt Jay or put him in danger, but Kai could stop himself from messing with the freckled teen for a little while.

He might tell Jay he knows his secret, or he might wait until Jay told him himself.

Kai glanced around to make sure no one was watching. Once he was certain they weren't, Kai removed the camera's film and used his powers to set the black roll on fire. That destroyed all the photographic evidence of Jay's attack. Kai waited until he was sure the film roll was destroyed beyond repair, he dropped it into the stream, watching it washed away. The teacher suddenly called Kai to get on the bus with the others and Kai silently complied.

He couldn't help but smile slightly as he stared at the back of Jay's head as the bus began its long drive back to the city.

This will be so much fun...

**************** Requested by: jamiehernandez8888 on Fanfiction.Net

The Flame and the Dragon Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Temptations Of Hope

Cole angrily paced around his room as the clock struck twelve. The only lights in the room were the moonlight reflecting off the untouched, white snow and the purple flame coming from the now almost completely melted red candle. His instincts warned him not to feel for Kai. Life was so much simpler before he came along, before Cole and the others dared to hope. Cole sighed tiredly as he slumped into a torn-up armchair. He had thought Kai was the one.

He didn't know why he continued to torment himself.

His eyes fell on the candle and an enraged growl bubbled in his throat. That was the symbol of his curse, and it needed to be destroyed and end these adolescent notions of love and redemption. It would end all of his pain forever. Cole growled and raised his arm to smash the weakening flame. Just as he was about to destroy it, a couple of cinders flew from the flame. Cole watched as it landed next to the gift, which Kai left for Cole next to the bed.

The prince's eyes widened in shock, recognizing the small, nice handwriting on the gift's little label.

The hybrid carefully picked up the lovely wrapped gift as if it was made of glass. He quickly ripped off the wrapping paper and was surprised to see it was a book Kai had written just for him. Without really thinking about it, Cole sat back down and started reading the story Kai had made. The incredibly detailed story inside talked about an enchanted castle and how the master seemed as cold as winter. His cries echoed through the stone wall of the castle, and though he was surrounded by servants, he was all alone.

It went on to say that thanks to that simple act of kindness, he knew someone cared.

Even though he didn't read much, even before he was cursed, Cole knew this was an amazing story. It ends it all off, Kai wrote about how that time of year was spent exchanging humble gifts, but the greatest gift that anyone received was the gift of hope. As Cole finished the book and put it down, he contemplated what the book meant by hope. Once he had hope that was hope to break the spell. But as the years passed, that hope had started to fade until it was almost nonexistent.

That is until Kai suddenly forced his way into his life and that hope burned brightly for the first time since he was first cursed.

Then Kai tried to leave the castle, despite his promise, and almost drowned in a freezing lake. It wasn't just the fact that Kai left, but also that he almost lost his life again because Cole wasn't there to protect him. Despite his anger, Cole still loved and cared deeply for Kai. He didn't want to see the teen get hurt and if that meant he had to lock Kai in a cell then so be it. It was probably the safest place for Kai since Cole was certain that he had just blown any chance with the brunette and any hope of breaking this curse.

As soon as that thought entered his mind, however, his mother's voices echoed through his very soul.

She used to say that regardless of how desperate things may seem, remember, people could always have hope. All of a sudden, Cole realized his idiocy and what he had done to Kai in his blinding anger. He promised himself there and then that he would do his best job to find the perfect way to beg for Kai's forgiveness if the begging wasn't enough in itself. He knew it was going to be hard, but he was ready for that. With that in mind, Cole stood up from his chair and bolted out of the room towards the dungeons.

He failed to see the enraged shadow made of dark magic scowling at his retreating form.

This was not part of his plan...

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

He growled in rage as he watched the dragon prince flee to attempt to make up with Kai through his purple crystal ball. Despite all Cole had done, he knew that the brunette loved the hybrid and would forgive him. The man snarled as he ran his hand through his raven hair, pacing around as he tried to find a way to stop this from happening. He stared out of the small, empty window of his hideout in the ghost town of Kilmarnock hundreds of miles from any civilization.

What was once a wide avenue that led to Kilmarnock was unrecognizable as nature had begun reclaiming the now unused area.

The crisp and clean-looking town now looked more like a jungle as trees and gardens grew beyond their now unkempt boundaries. Many doors had collapsed as the rot was eating away their edges. The open doorways that were once perhaps very welcoming were now an eerie and unwelcoming sight. Broken cars and rusty pieces of metal littered some of the larger driveways, stripped from all but their most useless parts. Kilmarnock, once rich with life, hopes, dreams, and aspirations was now partially reclaimed by nature.

The sounds of insects, winds, and creaking wood of trees which were once drowned out by the sounds of people had returned as the dominant sounds once more.

The clock tower was somehow still rich with sounds, but it wasn't its bells and gears as those had stopped working a long time ago. It was a flock of crows that had made this once great pillar their new home. No matter how you looked at it this town was an eerie sight to behold. Lives forgotten, perhaps completely ruined and there was barely anything to show for it. But even though everything may seem like it was lost forever there was still a silver lining.

While this town was no longer home to the families that lived here, it was now home to families of wild animals.

The enchanted candle would flicker out any day now, and Kai had yet to proclaim his love for Cole. He couldn't afford for Cole to suddenly find the key to ending his curse and everyone's suffering. He saw red as he thought about what this could mean for his revenge when Kai and Cole made things up and confessed their love for each other. The prince got the one he loves and his curse would be broken, and then it was a happy ending for everyone.

The enchantment will be lifted, and that stuck-up brat and his family's suffering would fade into the background.

He refused to let them get off that easily. He used his magic to set the cauldron bubbling and boiling and opened his spellbook. He flipped through a dozen pages until he finally found exactly what he was looking for. He ran around his hovel, searching for the needed ingredients. These included red and white rose petals, pearly white swan and dove feathers, maple leaves, and a bright red apple. He threw them all into the black cauldron and the liquid inside turned a stunning crimson red.

"I call the darkness unto me, from deepest depths of earth and sea, from ancient evils unawoken, break that what can not be broken." He chanted loudly before grabbing another set of ingredients. These included a dead raven, a red poppy, blood of a black cat, and a human skull. "To blackest night I pledge my soul I crush my heart to burning coal, to summon forth a deathly power, to see my hatred foe devoured!" He bellowed and suddenly a blast of black smoke shot out of the cauldron.

It filled the room in a matter of seconds before it shot out the window like a bolt of lighting.

He cackled loudly as he watched the dark magic travel straight to Cole's castle, standing out against the white fluffy clouds like blood on a white wedding dress. They couldn't fall in love if they were dead...

hey i really like your writing but for posts on tumblr could you maybe use a read more

Thank you!

But what do you mean by ‘a read more’?

The Flame and the Dragon Ch17

Chapter 17: The Reason

"Would you hold still?!" Kai snapped, pulling the cloth soaked with medical herbs from the kitchen away.

"That stings!" Cole argued as he moved his clawed hand to cover the wound and prevent Kai from touching it but hissed every time his claws grazed the surface of the wound. Kai snorted feeling his blood boil in rage. He'd had to drag the man back to the castle and wake up some of the servants to get the things he needed. Then he had to drag Cole to the kitchen and force him to sit on the table. Shade all but exploded when the two entered the kitchen covered in leaves, dirt, and blood, all of which were scattered all over the room.

Then he practically buried Kai and Cole with questions when he saw the wound on the man's chest, despite Cole's insistence that it was only a scratch and that he was fine.

He only managed to free himself of the other noirette's badgering by pointing to Kai. The brunette was digging through the cabinets for anything he could use. Shade all but exploded. Now, Kai had to put up with the Dragon Lord acting like a child while he tried to remove his coat and the remains of his shirt to nurse his wounds. His already thinning patience was on the verge of snapping.

"If you'd hold still, and let me clean the damn thing, it wouldn't hurt as much!"

"If you hadn't run away, this never would've happened!" Cole yelled in a voice bitter with sarcasm before he deliberately scolded. "Do you have any idea how stupid that was? How much danger you were in! You were only lucky you were on your way back to the castle, or I wouldn't have been able to save you!" He shouted. Kai growled and threw down the washcloth.

"If you hadn't started blasting things and scaring me, I never would've left!" The teen countered, if for nothing more than to wipe the smirk off the man's face. "You scared the shit out of me!"

"You shouldn't have been in the West Wing in the first place! You were specifically told what it was, by several people I might add, and I never permitted you to enter my room! How would you feel if someone entered your room without permission? And don't lie to me because we both know you've would've reacted the same way!" Cole retorted. Kai felt his ego bruise at that comment and opened his mouth to protest but bit back the words and exhaled.

"You're right." He said with no emotion. Cole was stunned and clearly not expecting such a response.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I said you are right." He repeated in a more civil voice. He was tired of this blame game. "I shouldn't have gone into your room without your permission and I'm sorry." He said and his apology was sincere, but when he looked up again, his fierce eyes bore into Cole's. The dragon hybrid sat frozen by the intensity. "But I'm not the only one at fault here! You should learn to control your temper!" He scolded. Instantly, Cole opened his mouth to counter but immediately realized he had no answer.

He felt his pride deflate when he realized the boy was right. He had lost his temper, but he refused to take all the blame for this.

"I'm the only one with a temper or at fault here! You should learn to listen and do what you're told!"

"I already know that!" Kai snapped, collapsing into a chair. "I'm too impulsive; it's one of my faults but, to be honest, if you weren't always hiding maybe I wouldn't be so curious." He mumbled out loud, dumping more yarrow on the cloth. "I've been here almost a month and the only thing I know about you is that you have a temper, you're a control freak and you can throw energy."

"Haven't you ever heard 'curiosity killed the cat'?" Cole snorted but chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, I have." Kai chuckled. "As a kid, I always heard the story of Bluebeard; everyone always said it was supposed to show how curiosity only causes trouble." He chuckled then smiled. "But I always thought that if that were true and the girl obeyed her husband, he would've killed her anyway, and start the process all over again, but because of her curiosity, not only did she find out the truth, she and her brothers managed to kill the guy and save a lot of other girls from suffering the same fate." He burst out laughing at the memory.

Cole just stared as he listened intensely.

"No one could answer that one, not even Mom and Dad said curiosity was a double-edged sword; it helps us learn new things and make discoveries but if we let it get the better of us, we set ourselves up for trouble and I always let mine get the best of me."

"Obviously," Cole added before his voice took a stricter tone. "Next time you want to ease your curiosity, you should try asking."

"So if I asked you, you would have let me into your room even if it was for the sake of getting to know you better?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, his voice a mixture of sarcasm and teasing.

"Hell no!" Cole blurted out fiercely. He realized his mistake when the smirk on Kai's face widened. Again his pride was dented. "I see your point." He mumbled with as much dignity as he could muster.

"And you say I'm impulsive." Kai teased.

"You are." He countered, leaning closer to him. Since he was sitting at the table, their eyes were level with each other. "You're reckless, that's why you get into trouble and you never have the control to hold your tongue when the time calls for it, and you always put others or your pride before your own safety; there's a time and place when your own safety should be more important than defending your pride."

"Like in the woods, when that thing tried to kill you?" Kai asked as he raised an eyebrow in an accosting tone. "I don't care what happens to me if someone I care about is in danger! If I can help them I will!"

"You care about me?" Cole smirked and a blush painted Kai's face before he growled back.

"That's not the point!"

"I know what you meant." He chuckled as he shook his head with a small smile. "But I stand by what I told you before, if you keep focusing on everyone else's happiness and let your pride get the better of you, you'll never be happy." He said and the statement didn't anger Kai as much as it did the first time, but he still felt his irritation spike as a result. He opened his mouth to protest but Cole cut him off. "Everyone else who goes out of their way to try and make you happy will constantly worry about you because they know you'll always put everyone else before yourself." The hybrid said and any protest or angry words died in his throat.

He never looked at it that way before but it was as if the last piece of an extremely difficult puzzle had suddenly been put into place.

Nya had told him something similar before she and Lloyd had left. Everyone else in the palace had been sick with worry over him since he arrived, worse after his and Cole's fight. The teen put the medical supplies down and lowered his head.

"Why did you let me stay here?" He asked in a low voice, unsure if he wanted an answer.

"I don't understand." Cole blinked. Kai raised his head and glared at him.

"When I asked you to let me stay in Nya and Lloyd's place, why did you say yes? You said so yourself, I'm nothing but trouble?"

"I never said that." Cole corrected.

"That doesn't answer my question." Kai glared. Now it was Cole's turn to smile, a smile that curled at the corners.

"You really want to know why I let you stay here?" He asked and Kai nodded.

"Because you fascinated me the second I saw you." He replied and he raised his claws and spoke in a passionate, free-flowing voice as if he no longer had to keep something secret. Kai was clearly not expecting such an answer.

"What?"

"I'd never seen or met anyone like you; you found my castle all on your own, you were willing to sacrifice everything for your family and when you saw my true form for the first time, not only were you not afraid of me, you knew who I was! I didn't believe it when my staff called your arrival here a miracle, but everything about you astounded me." Cole paused for a moment, taking in the stunned expression on Kai's face. "Every time you saw me, you showed no fear and you refused to obey or respect me unless it was earned and you defy my every order; you countered every rule, regulation, or demand I made with one of your own and you had an answer for each one."

He paused for a moment and looked around the kitchen, not surprised to see the staff had left.

"You treat everyone in the castle-like people, where anyone else would've fled in terror, you let them pamper you even though you hate being waited on, you treat this place as if it were your home, and you put your own needs on hold for the sake of someone else." He sighed and Kai blinked again, but Cole was unsure if he was truly confused or if he disbelieved Cole meant what he was saying. "I agreed to keep you here for the reason that everything about you fascinates me from your beauty, intelligence, spirit, fiery temper, fierce independence, courage, heart... need I go on?" Cole smirked at the crimson blush spreading rapidly across Kai's face when he realized Cole was serious.

"I-I..."

"You're like a desert rose, Kai, something so unique and powerful that it can grow in the wildest of places." He smiled warmly. "You're like one giant puzzle and no matter how hard I try, I can't figure you out, but mark my words, I plan to." He promised. Kai just sat there for a moment, too stunned to speak. His mind was still trying to process what he was just told, completely ignoring the blush he knew was blazing across his face. When his mind finally put everything into perspective, he smiled a small smile and laughed.

"Funny, back home everyone but my siblings considered me everything from odd and peculiar to weird and bizarre for the way I am, and yet here, everyone seems to like me for that reason."

"Then those ignorant, backward fools need to get their asses out of the past and accept the end of aristocracy; I've been trapped in this castle for over a hundred years and I know full well things are much different." Cole laughed. Kai couldn't help but laugh in agreement. He flashed a small smile before turning back to the cloth soaked in yarrow medicine.

"Now hold still and let me finish cleaning this, it'll sting a bit." He warned before pressing the liquid-drenched cloth to the wound. Cole bit his lip, a hiss making his pain evident but he held still while the boy gently worked.

"Just a little longer, I promise." Kai comforted him, throwing away the dirty rag and grabbing another one. Once the wound was clean, he screwed the yarrow jar shut and took out a cotton-padded patch large enough to cover the entire wound. He grabbed one of the thick aloe leaves, cut it open, and squeezed the clear gelatin onto the patch before carefully spreading it all over. Cole watched patiently as he emptied the entire leaf until it curled.

Once that was done, Kai carefully lifted the patch from the bottom and pressed it to the wound.

Cole hissed, but this time, he only felt slight discomfort.

"Don't worry," Kai said, wiping off his hands. "It's aloe, it's more soothing than yarrow and it'll stop the itch and it's also a very powerful disinfectant." He explained, pressing his hand to the patch gently. "Now, I just need you to remove your coat so I can bandage it." He said and Cole shrugged the garment off his shoulders, revealing his entire upper body. Kai bit back a blush as the naked flesh was revealed to him. Kai quickly grabbed the bandages and carefully began wrapping them around Cole's waist.

"You're a good nurse," Cole commented, noticing how skilled the teen was.

"Thank you." He replied as he forced down another blush.

"Where'd you learn this, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My mom and dad taught me," Kai replied. "Our family was well known for their knowledge of herbs and since we traveled a lot when I was younger, we had to make sure we knew what to do in case one of us got hurt before we reached the next town or doctor, but most of the time, it was just me and Dad always teased me, saying that was why the yarrow stung; it was both a healer and a punishment for misbehaving."

"Sounds like the two of you were close."

"When I was little, he would always buy me the most beautiful and bizarre things wherever we went and he'd tell me stories about them." Kai smiled. "My favorites were always the ones about how our family descended from a powerful line of warriors from Japan."

"He sounds like a good man." Cole laughed. "My father was like that, he always told me our family was chosen by the legendary dragon to protect this kingdom from corruption and prejudice, and obviously, this castle's theme was modeled around that myth."

"I noticed," Kai replied as he tied the bandage tightly. Once he was finished, he frowned and turned away again. Cole looked concerned until he noticed another blush forming on the boy's cheeks. "Thank you, by the way." The teen finally spoke.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you, for saving me." He clarified. Now it was Cole's turn to blush, but he hid it by coughing in his hand.

"You're welcome, and thank you... for coming back." He added.

"I made a promise and I intend to keep it."

"Oh, is that all?" Cole replied, sounding a little disappointed.

"No, that's not all." Kai giggled a bit. "Honestly, I like it here; it's nice to be away from that town for a while and I'd feel bad if I left everyone without saying goodbye, and besides, I want to get to know you too." He added. Cole just smiled and gently ran his claws through Kai's hair before scooping him into his arms like a bride. The teenager yelped at the sudden movement.

"H-Hey! W-Wait a minute!" The teen protested.

"Don't think this means you're off the hook, you're still in big trouble for going in my room," Cole smirked and laughed. Kai snorted and crossed his arms. He hated being carried. The few staff members watching backed away as Cole flew through the hallway with his captive in his arms. The four creatures stood frozen, their eyes bulged and their mouths dropped in identical masks of shock.

"Um..." Jay mouthed, pointing to where the two men just were. "Did they just—"

"Uh-huh." Ronin nodded.

"And then they—" Tox continued.

"Yup." Echo finished. This was certainly an interesting turn of events...

Rottmnt AU!!

Everything is the same but Leo is blind

I'm sorry 2003 fans,but Sainw Leo was soooo badass and I was wondered "what if Rise! Leo borned blind?" It would be very Interesting

Headcanons:

He keeps his personality and always make jokes about his disability,even bother his brothers with that

He has acrophobia,that's because he can't feel nothing while is jumping from high places like a common ninja would do,the Ōdachi was a bless for him

He still believing is the "Face Man",this is because his brothers were triying to give him more selfsteme

He and Mikey are more sensitive than Raph and Donnie,Mikey has synesthesia while the rest of Leo senses are super developed

Raph was very overprotective with Leo being a Toddler

Leo usually confuses his blind stick with Donnie's bō

He loves hear their brothers narrate the figths from Lou Jitsu's movies

How to Train Your Dragonblood 3: The Dragonblood Alpha Ch5

The clouds looked like cotton candy as Kai and Jay broke through them, not really sure where they were going. Jay just really wanted to find Iron Baron and be as far away from his father as possible. They flew above them, with the only sounds being the rush of the wind around them. Jay scowled at nothing until he clenched his fists and started yelling aloud in rage, stopping as he fell on his back a few seconds later. Kai moaned lightly, trying to be consoling to his boyfriend and Jay took a deep breath, knowing that lashing out wouldn't solve anything.

"That's right, better let it all out." Kai snorted at his boyfriend's outburst.

"You know me so well." He managed to grunt before sighing. "Don't worry, baby, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." He promised as he patted the dragonblood's head from his laid-down position. Kai wasn't paying attention anymore, however, as he started looking around. He could see something peeking out of the clouds on their right and growled lowly. Jay didn't notice as he kept looking upward. In the corner of his eyes, he could see a figure beginning to rise out of the clouds and his brows scrunched up in frustration.

He stood up, ready to give the person he was sure was his father a piece of his mind.

He recoiled in shock when he saw an intimidating dark blue horned mask instead. The person, carrying a crooked staff and a shield, appears to be simply standing on the clouds. They slowly sank back into the cloud bed soon after. The air around the couple was tense with suffocating silence as Jay and Kai started looking carefully around them for any sign of the masked figure returning. They were worried that if they made any sudden movements it would lead to disaster.

A dragon cry was their only warning.

A huge Lightning Dragonblood surged out of the clouds right in front of them, on its back was the person from before. Kai flapped his wings to stop and hover in midair. Jay followed the path of the dragonblood with his eyes as it circles around them, the rider standing upright with unbelievable balance. The figure pointed its staff in their direction and the Lightning Dragonblood grunted as it came back to hover in front of them. The two dragonbloods were at a standstill, watching each other and disturbing the air and clouds around them.

Jay watched the Lightning Dragonblood and its mysterious rider closely.

There was something very familiar about that dragonblood. Kai narrowed his eyes and snarled threateningly. The other dragonblood roared as well, the crown around his skull widening with the motion. Another roar drew Kai's attention and he turned his head in time to see another dragonblood closing in and grabbing Jay around his arms. He yanked the boy out of the saddle and Kai struggled and growled as he fell down.

"KAI!" Jay screamed as his boyfriend plummeted down to the frozen ocean below. Kai was helpless as he tumbled down to the ground, never taking his eyes away from Jay. He fell through the ice and into the cold water of the north. Jay watched as he swam back to the surface, jumping in the air but not flying long or far before plunging down into the ocean. The sight was truly saddening and heart-wrenching. The Fire Dragonblood kept trying to reach his rider, howling to the sky as he watched the flock of dragonbloods carrying Jay further and further away.

Kai was in total shock. He was unable to fly on his own and now his rider was kidnapped by other dragonbloods and he was helpless during the whole thing.

His ears lowered and his eyes begun to shine. He didn't want to let that happen but he couldn't do anything either. As he struggled to stay afloat, he failed to see a crest behind him dipping in and out of the water. It wasn't long before Kai finally noticed them as he held onto a piece of ice. They swam around him and eventually take him under with them. The calming water was again disturbed by Jay's helmet surfacing...

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

As the group of dragonbloods led by the Lightning one and its rider Jay tried to get free the same way he did with Morro, the dragonblood holding him was much bigger. He tried reaching Kai through their link but he didn't get a reply. He really hoped that meant that Kai was just too focused on staying afloat. Jay knew that Kai was a terrible swimmer, and the freezing waters could seriously hinder his powers or cause damage. When it was clear he wasn't going get out of the Lightning Dragonblood's grip, Jay settled on gaining the attention of the person.

"HEY, YOU LEFT MY BOYFRIEND BACK THERE! HE CAN'T FLY ON HIS OWN, OR SWIM, HE'LL DROWN!" He shouted, but the rider wouldn't listen. They flew through the icebergs until they reached a massive ice fortress. They flew through a series of tunnels and entered a dark large cave. The dragonblood dropped Jay and he rolled back on his feet trying to pacify the creatures that surrounded him. "We have to head back for Kai!" He shouted as he put his hands up to show he wasn't a threat, unintentionally backing into an unfamiliar dragonblood that snarled.

Jay quickly took out his sword, activating it, and swung it in front of the dragonbloods.

The rider watched as the dragonbloods followed the glow of the flaming sword, calming down almost right away. As the flames began to die, he switched it off and took a capsule from his ankle holster that he put inside the device. He spun low to the ground, releasing the gas, and then lit it, making the dragonbloods back off. He then stood up and cautiously approached a different Lightning Dragonblood with his palm up. Before he could touch it, however, the rider jumped inside the circle.

Jay jumped back and watched the stranger anxiously.

"Who are you? The dragon thief? Uh, Iron Baron? Do you even understand what I'm saying?!" He snapped as the strange, silent rider, who had been analyzing the teen so far, swung its staff and hit it on the floor, making it rattle. The noise affected the dragonbloods and one of them flew overhead dragging in its claws the missing Fire Dragonblood. He was in his human form, soaking wet, and only just regaining consciousness as he hacked up the seawater from his lungs.

"Kai!" Jay cried with joy as he ran to him and hugged him while he shook off the water.

"I'm okay, Jaybird, it takes a lot more than a cold bath to kill me off." The brunette reassured Jay, still shivering from the cold.

"I'm so glad to see you too, baby; you really had me worried there." Jay giggled, close to tears as he tried to hug the air out of Kai. Kai smiled warmly as he gave Jay little kisses, happy to be reunited too as he used his powers to warm himself up. On the side of the cave, the rider tilted their head and started shaking the staff. The rattle had all of the Light and Lightning dragonbloods open their mouths and ignite their powers but without shooting.

This illuminated the cave, showing the couple how much they were surrounded.

Kai stood in front of his friend protectively as the mysterious rider started getting closer. The strange person crouched, dropping the staff and shield, as it crawled on four limbs towards them. The two backed away with Kai growling all the while. The rider leaned closer with its hand and twisted it to the side. Unexpectedly, Kai suddenly dipped and fell to the side, crooning in delight, despite being in human form. Jay gasped worry, but at least Kai was still breathing.

The person started to stroke Kai's jaw and then moved on to Jay.

The youth watched the hand warily, backing away uncomfortably as he realizes the rider wanted to touch him. A light gasp was heard under the mask and the person's finger stop short of Jay's chin. Where a small scar was just barely visible. It stepped back and crouched again.

"Jay?" The feminine voice surprised the ginger-haired man, who stuttered as he tried to come up with an answer. Before he could, the rider removed the mask revealing a beautiful woman who looked to be in her very early forties. The dim light in the cave allowed him to get a good look at the woman. The shoulders were fairly pointy, very wide and large in size, and black in color. They were decorated with layered pieces of curved metal, starting at the inner sides and curving outwards.

The upper arms were protected by black, rounded, layered metal rerebraces which sat loosely under the shoulder plates.

The lower arms were covered by vambraces which had an intricately crafted sigil attached to each outer side. The breastplate was a dark sapphire blue and made from several separate pieces which were layered on top of each other. It had what looked like a white lightning design carved into it. It covered almost everything from the neck down and ended at the groin, but the sides were only covered near the bottom. The upper legs were covered by pointed, layered metal.

The lower legs were protected by black greaves which had metal flower ornament pieces covering the outer sides.

The woman looked almost exactly like Jay except for her long blonde hair and stormy blue eyes.

"C-Could it be? After all these years... how is this possible?" The woman stuttered in shock as her excited eyes scanned the young man before her.

"Eh, should I... should I know you?" Jay asked fearfully as Kai regained his senses and got to his knees and the woman visibly deflated.

"No... you were only a baby back then." She muttered sadly, looking ready to cry until she finally looked him dead in the eyes. "But a mother never forgets." She said loud and clearly. It felt like every species of dragonbloods Jay could name had struck him down. His body just went limp and he kept staring at her. Kai was also in his own unresponsive state. That was his boyfriend's long-lost mother, Libber Gordon. The woman he never got to meet.

The woman he found Jay and Cliff still mourned on occasions, and she was alive and a dragonblood rider like her son.

Kai took a sharp intake of breath and began to back off. The woman raised a hand and made a soothing sound. She looked to the side at a loss of what to do and then glanced back at him with the beginning of a smile.

"Come."...

Past Lives Chapter 6

I was so excited as Master Wu carried my cat carrier up the many steps towards the monastery. After packing up all the cat stuff Mystake bought and the tea he had ordered, Wu covered the carrier with a blanket, but there was a small tear in the front, allowing me to see a little bit of the outside world as we walked. I couldn't wait to get back to the rebuilt monastery and see the others again. I've missed them all so much over these last few weeks, especially Nya.

Master Wu didn't say anything as the large gates opened.

As we entered the property, the gates swung close again trapping us inside whether I liked it or not. As Wu stepped into the monastery, I was starting to panic a little inside at the thought of seeing them again. How were they all doing after my death? Were they ever still a team anymore? Would they even want to take care of a kitten? Was Nya alright?! All of a sudden I heard many voices, the voices of my family, all around me as I felt Master Wu gently place the carrier on a table.

I think we're in either the dining room or the kitchen or maybe the living room.

Probably the kitchen because I could smell the sweet scent of Zane's cooking. Oh shit, will I still be able to eat human food?!

"Good evening, Sensei." I heard Zane say as the others gave their own greetings and for a second, I forgot how to breathe. So, they were all still here together. That's something I'm so grateful for.

"Good evening everyone, how are you all doing today?"

"Fine." I heard Lloyd mutter in an almost emotionless voice. Did his voice sound lower? Sounds like our little green ninja's growing up!

"What's under the blanket?" Cole asked and, even though I can't see them, I shrank a little as I felt their eyes all turned to the covered carrier I was in.

"As you all know, I traveled into Ninjago City to collect my order of black tea from Mystake earlier, and she offered us a gift to help us deal with... certain recent events." Master Wu explained and the air was suddenly filled a thick tension. I could almost feel the glare harden on Lloyd's face.

"What is it?" He demanded to know. Knowing it was best not to keep them waiting, Wu quickly pulled off the blanket, opened the carrier, and lifted me out for all the team to see me, but it also let me see them for the first time in over two months. They all looked so different from the last time I'd seen them. Cole's black hair was longer and shaggier, his eyebrows weren't as bushy he had a more relaxed look to his eyes. Jay's hair was more curly and he had light freckles now.

Zane's titanium form now had silver hair in a tall flat-top, crew cut hairstyle with no sideburns.

He had glowing blue eyes, reflective of his robotic nature. Instead of a bob cut, Nya had long black hair kept in a ponytail. She was wearing pale pink lipstick and had small dimples on her cheeks. She also had a beauty mark on her right cheek. Lloyd looked more mature and his blond hair was a little bit longer and his eyes were greener than I remember. But that wasn't what shocked me the most. It was the heavy bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in weeks.

He and I made eye contact, but it didn't last long.

"Why do you bring that in here?" He spat and I flinched at his tone. What's he got against cats? When I was a little kid he used to bring all kinds of animals back to the Bounty, begging us to let him keep it as a pet. Hell, he's even brought home a spider once! Jay was quick to shut that shit down!

"Mystake has been kind enough to purchase this feline for us in hopes it will help us come to terms with Kai's passing and provide a way to ease our pain." Master Wu explained and everyone slumped slightly in sadness and it pained me to see. I wish I could tell them I was their lost brother Kai.

"I've always wanted a cat!" Jay suddenly squealed loudly before anybody could say anything else. I scowled at the comment and flattered my ears while Nya quietly chuckled next to him. Lloyd growled lowly before storming off. No one made a move to stop him. All of a sudden, Zane took me from Master Wu and I almost flinched when I felt the cold metal of his hands. I am so grateful for having a thick fur coat. Zane's eyes started to glow over me and I realized he was scanning me!

"Hey! What happened to ask permission?!" I hissed, but this only caused Cole to chuckle.

"I don't think he likes that." The noirette smiled as Zane put me on the table.

"He is a nine weeks old Maine Coon kitten, no records of vaccinations or neutering." The nindroid said once he finished scanning me. Again, very rude!

"A main cone?" Jay frowned in confusion.

"The Maine Coon is a large domesticated cat breed; it has a distinctive physical appearance and valuable hunting skills," Zane explained as he pulled up a holography image of an adult Maine Coon cat.

"Awe, you've got a lot of growing to do, don't you?" Jay cooed in an exaggerated baby voice as he picked me up and held me to eye level.

"If you keep that voice, I will scratch you," I growled, but Jay didn't seem to notice.

"He's really ours? Can he stay in my room? Wait, what's his name?!" He screeched, almost horrified that he didn't know my name.

"Please call me Kai! PLEASE!" I begged, but all they heard was a series of meows.

"Noisy little furball, isn't he?" Nya smiled as she started scratching me behind the ear. It was really nice and I started purring, causing everyone to awe and coo at me even more.

"There will be plenty of time to discuss names, for now though, I suggest we find a place for this sleepy kitten to sleep and where to place his items." Master Wu said, holding up the bag full of my kitten stuff Mystake had bought. That was all Jay needed to hear because he was suddenly carrying me out of the dining room and gave me a grand tour of the new monastery. I kept an eye out for Lloyd, but I didn't see or hear him. Jay continued to quickly carry me throughout the entire monastery, showing me all the many rooms and electronic gizmos they had added to the new building.

Twenty minutes later, I had seen the entire mansion but still had no clue where anything was as the place was so big and the tour was so quick.

We returned to the living room, where Master Wu, Nya, and Zane were waiting. I wanted to spend more time with my family, but for some reason, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I suddenly let out a loud yawn, showing off my little, sharp teeth.

"Where is the kitten to sleep, Sensei?" Zane asked, noticing how tired I looked.

"Mystake provided a cat cushion for him and a litter box." He replied and I flinched when he mentioned that goddamn litter box. Using it was so humiliating! I wish I could use the toilet, but even if I could climb up, I was so small that there was a good chance of falling into the toilet bowl. Using a litter box might be embarrassing, but death by drowning in a toilet was even worse! After a short debate, it was decided that I'd be sleeping in Nya's room, which I was grateful for.

I wouldn't be able to sleep with Jay staring at me all night.

We went into Nya's room and my cushion was placed at the foot of her bed and my litter box was tucked into the far corner for me to use in the night. Jay reluctantly placed me on the cushion after Nya ordered him to let me sleep. As soon as I made contact with it, I curled up into a little ball and snuggled deep into my little cloud of heaven. I could hear the others talking, but I didn't pay attention as I drifted off into a peaceful sleep. I was finally home...

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

AN: Right people, start sending me names for a male, moody, dark brown, Maine Coon kitten! The one I like the most will be the one I use!

The Flame and the Dragon Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Blizzard

Scorched needles, scarps of wood blackened by rage, and bits of ash and charcoal scattered across the burnt snow where the proud pine tree once stood. Specks of blood and splinters dropped from the Sorcerer's scraped and roughened fingertips like someone had scattered rubies. His nails were shredded and his cuticles were split from clawing at the bark in a fit of rage. His fury had reduced the aged pine to a pile of ashes. All while, the raven remained still on its perch in the snow, completely unfazed by his master's wrath.

The Sorcerer's growl was dangerous and low before he suddenly screamed and spun around delivering a powerful blow to the young sapling unfortunate enough to be in the path of his wrath.

It made no effort to protests the Sorcerer's rage. Blinded by his rage, all he could see were the images his spy had shown. Images of that disgustingly repulsive beast, not even a beast but a half-beast, dancing with the Occulti, his Occulti. He clenching his fists causing his fingers to scream in pain but he was numb to all but his rage. He could forgive Kai for that. Surely the Dragon was becoming desperate and would use any kindness to trick the youth into saying the words needed to break his curse and deny him his greatest triumph.

He could forgive the youth for his naivety and his defenselessness.

He was merciful, but not after treachery. His wrath erupted, sending the curling shadows at his feet exploding in all directions. They shattered and pierced whatever they came in contact with until the clearing was a hollow circle of scorched earth.

"He's dirty! That damned whore! Damn him for giving away his purity, and damn me for thinking any one of their kind was redeemable!" He screamed and stomped his foot and tore at his hair and clothes until he panted like a beast after a hunt. But no matter how loud he screamed or how much he destroyed, it could never destroy that last scene from his mind. That beautiful boy, who should have been his consort and ruling at his side, wantonly giving his virginity to that monster and enjoying it.

He wanted to scream again, but someone else beat him to it.

"Lloyd! Where are you?!" A woman cried and the weak call was followed by a loud stumble against the carpet of snow. Bewildered, the Sorcerer quickly shielded himself among the trees careful not to let a spot of his red clothing betray his location. He watched a young woman rise stumbling from the muddy earth, and choke loudly on air. Like a shadow, the Sorcerer swooped closer and gasped. It was easy to miss from a distance but beneath the thick winter clock and the leaves and mud matting the sister of his Occulti.

The girl bulldozed through the woods and threw herself forward through the snow.

The action caused her heavy cloak to fall open revealing a shower of black hair, shiny even in the shadows of the winter forest. The girl immediately stumbled and almost fell over, but she was able to remain standing by leaning against a nearby tree. She was clearly sick as a dog and should be going home, but she had to keep going. She tried to scream, but instead choked on her own words and coughed in a way that made even the Sorcerer's skin crawl.

"I have... to find... Lloyd," She wheezed, shoving herself off the tree with surprising strength and half stumbled in her haste. She didn't get far before exhaustion and the brutal cold forced her to her knees. "I have to find them! I have to find Lloyd then we can save Kai! I have to get them back!" She spoke passionately to no one, but it was laced with the madness of grief. Again she shoved herself forward but instead her hands clenched her head and formed fists against her hair.

"I have to protect them! I promised I would! I promised them! Mom and Dad, I promised, and look what I've done! Lloyd's probably dead and I can't even think of what Kai's going through!" She screamed and tore at her hands and clothes with the rage and madness that only grief could drive a sane man to. She slammed her fists against the ground and punched at anything she could. All of a sudden, she was suddenly filled with new determination and charged into the blizzard, not aware she was being watched.

A triumphant smile split the Sorcerer's face.

Perhaps, there was some hope left after all. He smirked cunningly and called his pet. The bird abandoned its statue state and flew to its master's wrist.

"Tell me, my pet is he the one? The one our little Occulti spoke off?" He asked, but even though the bird said nothing a flash of its eyes and the Sorcerer had his answer. "And this 'Lloyd' she searches for, is he the other?" He questioned and again the bird was like a prop, only its glowing eyes gave an indication that it was alive. The Sorcerer snickered to conceal his glee, not wishing to betray his location to the still wandering mage. He spun in delight, thinking this was fantastic. It seemed that the Fates favored him after all.

"Follow her, when you've reached them both, alert me; now go!" He ordered as a grin curled wickedly on his face. The bird was off without another word, vanishing in the darkness while its Master laughed at his fortune. "Oh don't worry, girl, you shall see your little brother again soon!" He cackled like a flock of crows taking to wing and threw his bloody cloak over his shoulder...

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

It had been two weeks since he ran away from home to find the castle where his beloved brother was being held prisoner by that beast. Two weeks he had been living in the woods surviving only because of the warming weather of the upcoming spring and because years of living a nomadic life had taught him to pack and prepare for the worst of situations. Two weeks since he had begun his search for Kai and he had found nothing. He thought it would be easy, with Spring fast approaching, that is until a blizzard appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

It had caught Lloyd completely off-guard and forced him to stop his search and find shelter.

Lloyd whimpered as he bunched his knees to his chest, shivering but not from the cold. The multiple fires he had started to keep the cave air warm, and the thick clothing he had packed had taken care of that. He covered his mouth to silence the heavy, haggard coughs fighting to escape. Quickly, he unpacked the bag containing a herbal blend and dumped it into the pot of water that had been boiling over the fire. He inhaled a sharp, large breathe and exhaled contently.

Immediately, he felt his throat soothe and his chest became less constricted.

He hadn't needed to use the herbal vapors so much before, but the cold weather wasn't doing his weak chest any good. He knew he would have been fine if he stayed in that warm house at night like a good boy. But how could he when Kai had been missing for almost five months, and the castle where the dragon kept him prisoner seemed to completely vanish? The thought made Lloyd's eyes prick with tears, but he managed not to cry. His fingers trembled, he clenched his arms and knees tighter in an attempt to feel some form of comfort.

But there was none. Nothing he did could replace the warmth and security he felt when he, Nya, and Kai were all together at home.

He knew he couldn't go home. Nya would never let him leave the house again until he was eighty. Lloyd didn't blame her, he ran away after all, but he couldn't keep waiting. He couldn't keep sitting around and doing nothing while his older sister worked and searched diligently for their missing sibling. He had traveled deeper and deeper into the woods. No matter how many times he found himself back at the path where they got lost in the storm, however, he couldn't find any trace of the huge castle.

Had it been sheer dumb luck that Kai found it the first time?

Or that they found it at all? Lloyd shook his head, forcing himself to dry his sleepy eyes. He then sat up with new determination, mentally forcing the tears and shivering down deep. If Kai could find the castle to save him and Nya then he could do the same thing to save Kai. He removed himself from the warmth of his fires and carefully approached the edge of the cave entrance, where he could hear the blizzard howling and blowing. The cold air bit angrily against his lukewarm skin, as if punishing him for daring to defy it.

Over the woods, he could see the setting sun was nothing more than a yellow sliver above the trees and the night had gone a deep grayish purple of twilight that bled into the dark blue and black of night.

Seeing that there was no point in traveling in the dark, Lloyd slid back into the crevice in the rocks and carefully covered it with a thick net of branches to keep out the cold. He had found this cave by sheer accident when he had slipped and fallen into the entrance. Through that, he discovered a fairly large-sized cave, hollowed out of the dirt and lined with rocks like a fox den. Lloyd had decided it would be the perfect place to camp while he explored the woods by day.

That proved to be true when the underground and rocks blocked out much of the night's cold.

The small opening allowed just enough air so that he wouldn't suffocate from the smoke of the fires. Sometimes, when he felt really weak and his medicine wasn't helping. He would have to spend all day curled up in his makeshift tent under the thick blankets he had brought until his shivering stopped and he could move again. Tonight had been one of his rare nights where he had just enough energy to go exploring again, but he regretted it when he had received an unwanted follower.

Lloyd shivered and blew air into his gloved hands, and rubbed them together before returning to the fire.

Outside a loud crunch of the snow made him scream, the sound echoing off the cave walls forcing Lloyd to cover his ears until it faded out.

"LLOYD!" Nya's voice suddenly screeched, coming closer to the cave. Before he could say anything, she pulled away from the cover and started sobbing tears of joy when she saw her little brother huddled in the dark. Lloyd didn't get a chance to react before she suddenly hugged the air out of his lungs. They stayed like that for a few seconds, before a look of rage fell over her face and she started shaking the little boy. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING LLOYD?! I'VE ALREADY LOST KAI, DO YOU THINK I WANT TO LOSE YOU?! WELL, DO YOU?!" She screamed, still sobbing through clenched teeth.

However, her rage suddenly vanished when Lloyd finally released all the tears he had been holding in and started sobbing loudly.

Nya sighed and hugged her little brother again, letting him sob into her shoulder until he eventually tired himself out and fell asleep. As soon as she was sure he was out cold, Nya packed up his things and lifted him up in her arms. Once he was secure and safe, she left the cave and began to head home. However, it only took a few seconds to discover that she couldn't find the trail leading back to the village in this monstrous blizzard. She tried turning around and heading back to the cave.

But her face paled when she realized that the blizzard had covered her footprints in fresh snow.

She was now stranded in the middle of a blizzard in the forest with one brother sick in her arms and the other being held prisoner by a monster...

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

Kai screamed for his siblings in his sleep as he thrashed around in the bed, only to find himself restrained. His eyes suddenly flew open and he found himself being held in place by Cole, the man's green eyes fixed on him with a mixture of fear and concern. A cold stab of fear pierced him, completely unaware of where he was. He recognized Cole's room, but the bedsheets were twisted and half flung off. One of Kai's arms raised over his head the other clenched the pillow in a fierce death grip, with Cole holding both his wrists.

Cole's tail was wrapped firmly around Kai's waist to keep from thrashing about.

Slowly, so as not to scare him further, Cole unwound himself and looked him over for any sign of injury.

"Kai? Are you alright?" He asked, carefully and tenderly. The details of his nightmare came back to him like a cold knife twisting into his heart. A sudden stab of guilt and terror knifed through him, making Kai flip over and smother his face in a pillow and burst into tears. "Kai? Talk to me!" Cole pleaded as he kept shaking him, his voice sterner, but not losing an ounce of concern.

"I'm fine," Kai lied wiping his eyes. "I just had a nightmare."

"I can see that, you don't wake up crying and screaming if you've had a good dream," Cole said bluntly, lying down next to him and pulling Kai into his arms. Despite Cole's attempt at light humor, Kai said nothing. He just looked at the pillow beneath his face. A tear he hadn't noticed ran down his face and he found himself shaking again. He tried to speak but the only coherent thoughts in his head were the pleading, effusing eyes of his two brothers.

Determined to relieve his precious flame of his distress, Cole wrapped tentative arms around Kai.

He then pulled the brunette into his lap and brought him down with him against the pillows. Kai resisted the embrace and tried to protest but regretted it when Cole looked him straight in the eye. His face was a mask that betrayed no emotion, but his serious eyes held unspoken trust.

"You saw your siblings, didn't you? You're worried about them." He said and Kai's flinch of shock was the only answer Cole needed. "Don't look so surprised, you screamed both their names; I've had nightmares about my sister and parents for years after they vanished, so you don't have to hide your worry, and I don't want you thinking you can't come to me when you're upset like this." He promised as he tucked one of Kai's loose bangs behind his ear.

"It's not that," Kai admitted, feeling his chest stir at the words. He paused, guilt shaking him to the core. "I don't know if that was a nightmare or another premonition, but... it made me realize just how selfish I've been; here I am, happier than I've ever been in my entire life, surrounded by people who adore me, wearing the most expensive things I've ever owned! I'm practically living a fairy tale and they think I'm starving to death in some cold, dark tower, being tortured."

"Oh," Cole muttered as Kai covered his head with his arms and buried it in Cole's chest.

"They probably think I'm dead, Cole!" Kai cried as tears streamed down his face. He had never stopped thinking of his siblings, not since the day he had arrived at the castle. It seemed wrong to do anything else. Even when he started to like his confinement, and enjoy the company of the Dragon Lord, he still remembered his brother and sister and was comforted in the thought that they were both safe and hopefully happy. He never stopped to consider that his sacrifice might have the opposite effect of what he intended.

Or that his disappearance had destroyed their lives in a way he never considered.

But he had been so happy. The last few days were like a dream come true and he wanted nothing more than to pretend that it could last forever, and he dared, for once, to be selfish and think of nothing but his own happiness. Of course, that decision would come back to haunt him. Guilt pooled in Cole's gut and he cursed his own helplessness as he watched Kai weep. He hated seeing Kai like this. The brunette deserved to be happy and content, not feel like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and be consumed by guilt and shame for wanting to forget that and enjoy life for once.

Especially since it was his fault Kai's family was separated from him.

Looking back at the darkest and earliest days of when he and Kai met when he had unleashed his bitterness and rage against Nya and Lloyd. Kai's siblings had every right to be afraid of him. He had only agreed to Kai's proposal because the boy fascinated him and not because he cared at all about their fates, even if Lloyd's health had concerned him. It had filled him with shame and he knew he had to make up for it. None of them deserved to be separated from one another.

Especially not because of him.

They deserved better than that ridiculous town trapped in time, and he knew just how to do it. Cole stroked Kai's back and gently shook him. When Kai raised his head, eyes red-rimmed and cheeks damp with tears, Cole comforted him with caring words pressed with butterfly kisses along his neck and temples.

"If you're that concerned about them, then you can always invite them to stay here." He said with a soft smile and Kai shot up.

"What?" He croaked in a weak voice forced through a constricted throat.

"There's more than enough room here, the staff will adore them; you already said you three planned on leaving your town anyway, and I don't think they'll argue if you ask them, and I can bear the bulk of their hatred for your sake."

"Why would they hate you?" Kai blurted, too stunned to think clearly, and Cole raised an eyebrow of annoyed obviousness.

"Given the fact that I locked them in a tower and technically kidnapped you, I doubt they'd be happy to see me or be comfortable with the fact that you're now my lover, but as I said, I can bear the bulk of their hatred until they see I'm not as cold as I act."

"You'd do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you," Cole replied, pressing their foreheads together. Overcome by emotion, Kai launched himself into Cole's chest and held him tight with such force he nearly knocked Cole over. Tears rained down his cheeks but this time they were happy tears.

"Thank you, Cole! Thank you so much! I don't deserve you!" Kai cried as he buried himself in Cole's torso grateful for the man's comfort and support and his understanding more than anything else.

"Don't ever say that again, don't even think it." Cole scolded but there was little force behind it. Cole pulled the comforter up to Kai's shoulders as they fell back asleep. "We'll talk more about it in the morning."

"Thank you, Cole, thank you for everything." Kai yawned as he dried his eyes.

"You have nothing to thank me for, it's the least I can do since you saved my soul." Cole smiled as he sensed Kai's lingering uncertainty, he continued to hold his lover close and comfort him until they finally fell back into a peaceful sleep. Cole continued to hold Kai, keeping a careful watch for the rest of the night, treasuring the feeling of holding Kai close. When the nightmares bothered him again, Cole was quick to chase them away and coaxed Kai back to sleep with soothing touches and caring words until Kai quieted...

ATTENTION THE RATING HAD GONE DOWN!!!!!

Let's keep in the top 10 so they flim can succeed!!