Ok, I think this is more or less the final chapter. Not too much on the OC for Cam, but a hint of possible furutre. LOL. My muse is more or less running out for this fic, and I don't want to continue it too much futher, or I'll start rambling (if I haven't already).
I do have more dragon ideas, but I've got ideas coming out the wazoo, so... I have to decide what's coming first. LOL.
I had some problems uploading the chapters, or they would've been up earlier.
JuseaPeterson - To be honest, I don't really see Hunter blushing too easily, either, but I think it would be kind of cute to see. Still, I agree with you, it's just what came out at the time. LOL. Remember, I write in a trance, and don't realize what I've got down until much later.
Special thanks to all my faithful reviewers!
JuseaPeterson
Pinklen98
GinaStar
Mrs.Quincy25/Gracey
Dragons in our Midst
Star-dreamer09
Daziel
Roxy-blue
Purple SPD Ranger
Holding Out For A Hero
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(Blake's POV)
Ok, so the standoff was boring and all, but I don't think any of us expected what happened next. One minute Lothor is standing in the center of the field, taunting us to come forward and attack, the next...
He was a pancake.
I think I was torn between laughing at the irony of the situation, and wondering if my eyes were playing tricks on me.
I mean, he's just standing here, going on and on about how big of cowards we were, that we weren't going after him, and then he's completely flattened by the giant body of what looked like some strange kind of spider.
"Guys, tell me I'm not seeing things." I stated unsurely, my rage having temporarily vanished at the sudden shock.
Shane and Cam didn't move or make a sound, Dustin gave a weak 'dude', Hunter remained silent but took a step closer, and Tori's head cocked to the side.
"I dunno if I should be happy Lothor's finally gone..." She began unsrely.
Evil space alien or not, there was no way any of us could see him getting up from that. Especially when the spider thing bled all over his body and he began to scream as his body melted.
I couldn't help but shudder at the sounds, and watched as Hunter covered his ears from the screams. Quickly following suit, I relaxed after a few minutes, once the screams were gone, and shuddered again, knowing that image and those sounds were gonna haunt me for a little while, and being glad Taelin didn't just witness that.
"Or even more afraid of this thing..." she finished, stepping back.
Shane nodded. "So, Lothor did just get squashed by one of his own...pets... Right?"
I blinked as Hunter quickly backed up, seeing the spider thing turn on us quickly. "I wouldn't call that a 'pet'." I said shakily as I stepped back. It's blood was getting everywhere and everywhere it landed, the ground hissed and smoked. "Yeah, no. I wouldn't call that a pet." I repeated, chuckling nervously.
"Angie!"
Spinning to my bro, I felt his worry and followed his gaze to the hole in the cliff, where a large white dragon limped into view, a small Windian girl riding on her back. "Tae!" I called in relief, seeing that they were more or less alright.
Still, the wound on Angie's arm didn't escape my view, and I could clearly see that she was weak. From what I could tell, the wound was a burn mark, and my guess was that she managed to heal it enough to keep it from getting any worse.
The spider-thing must've bled on her arm. I thought with a frown.
I felt Hunter's rage climb again as he spun to the thing. And it's gonna pay for that.He literally growled in my mind.
As angry as he was, I could also feel his fear and uncertainty. Bro, let's do this. I stated as calmly as I could.
Closing my eyes, I tapped into the power I felt surging below my skin. It was ten times stronger than anything I'd ever felt, and I couldn't help but cry out as a painful spasm ran up my body. My eyes shot open and I could make out a navy mist around me. Things got darker and a lot sharper than they already were, and I could see the faint outline of my friends and the monster.
No, it was more like I could see their body heat signatures, rather than them.
Either way, when the mist cleared, I panicked as I felt my mind being brushed aside. It was like something else suddenly took control of me, and I could only watch helplessly as my newly formed dragon body rushed forward, breathing an icy, navy mist at the monster.
Vaguely, I could make out my brother's terror, and glanced the best I could out of the corner of my eye, watching as a similar ruby dragon fought beside me.
He looked the same as he did in baby dragon form, only a lot beigger and more ferocious. His eyes were more slanted and less round, his horns on the back of his head were longer, and his fangs were sharper. He wore a golden, scaled mask around his eyes, in the same shape as the gold rim around his visor, in Ranger form, and the crimson thunder symbol on his chest.
And his eyes... They glowed a deep crimson, full of rage and confusion, as he swiped at the spider thing, hissing loudly as the acidic blood got on his claws.
Bro. I couldn't help but wince mentally when I felt a wall of rage come at me. I knew it wasn't directed at me, but I couldn't make out anything in Hunter's mind. It was like we were blocked.
The spider monster was getting weaker, but slashed at us with sharp claws and the massive stinger on it's butt-end.
Come on, bro... I thought hard, struggling to get control over my body, or at least find some way to comminucate with Hunter. Still, nothing seemed to work and I felt myself panicking worse. I could hear my friends calling my voice, and my dragonic head snapped in their direction with a growl.
Oh god...
I felt confusion and rage directed at them. Whatever was controlling me, didn't recognize them as allies.
A blast of navy mist, sent them scattering for cover, and I faintly heard them crying out in protest. My mind was dragged back to when we were brainwashed, and how I tried to fight it, but it was no use. I felt like i was betraying them again, and that really hurt me.
Especially when my eyes landed on Tori and I smelt confusion and hurt.
But... There was a hope. My dragonic body froze at the sight of her, and i sensed a fleeting sense of recognition.
"Blake!"
My dragon body spun, seeing Taelin run up to the others. Immediately, I growled, unable to help it, when I sensed she was in danger. The only one my body recognized, was Tori, and Taelin was standing next to a yellow clad guy.
Get outta there! My mind screamed. Part of me knew i should know him, that I had no reason to be worried, but it was brushed aside as my panic took over.
A loud roar brought my attention back to the battle, and I spun in time to get caught across the chest with a leg from the spider monster. Luckily, it was weak, and it only sent me staggering, but my head shot back to the strangers, with Taelin in their midst. Another figure joined them now, holding her arm and looking at me with concern.
I recognized her smell. A Dragon Clan. A weak one, at that.
But that's all I recognized.
...Until I felt a strong sense of worry from my other side. Turning to my brother, I watched as his eyes flashed blue, briefly, before they turned back to crimson. His rage had died considerably, and I heard him faintly whimper before he turned back to the battle, his rage renewed.
What's going on? I felt like my mind was spinning in circles. I knew I should know all those people, and that they were no threat. It nagged at my mind, but the panic drove me to attack the spider, knocking it down, before I spun to the group, blasting them with my ice breath, again.
"Tori! You gotta talk to him! He's in a Dragon Panic!" the newest girl cried, clutching her arm. "You too, Taelin!"
Taelin... Tori... I knew the names, but they were the only names I knew. Taelin was my charge and 'little sister', and Tori is the woman I loved. Woman... I love... I felt the control over my body weaken at that thought.
"Blake! You gotta get control!" Tori called in a panicked voice. "We're your friends, remember?"
Friends...
I vaguely recalled battling with them, but as enemies, not friends.
"Come on, big bro!" Taelin shouted from the side of the man in yellow. "Don't you remember? Dustin rides with you guys at the track! You've sparred against Shane and Cam!"
Dustin... A flash of a fair skinned brunette man with brown eyes, crossed my mind. He was looking at me with a grin as he pulled on a helmet. Shane. I saw myself ducking a punch at my head, but knew instinctively, that it was not meant to hurt me. We were sparring. A man with dark skin and hair, deep brown eyes staring at me as he offered me a hand up.
Cam... A man sitting at a computer, making a sarcastic comment. Fixing his glasses as he stared around the room with a smile, picking up a set of ninja leathers. Asian decent, black eyes and hair...
"We're all friends!" Tori repeated. "Blake, please! Come back to us!"
I could hear her silent plea of 'come back to me'.
There was a loud squeal, and my head spun to the spider, watching as it grappled my brother to the ground. Fangs dripping saliva hovered too close to his neck for my liking, and I felt my rage bubble higher. Bro! Snapping forward, I launched myself at the spider and grabbed it from behind, heaving it off my brother before hitting it with a blast of navy mist.
Hunter jumped to his feet, his eyes flashing between crimson and a sky blue. The crimson full of rage, and the sky blue full of confusion and fear.
Opening his jaw, he blasted the partially frozen spider with a crimson fire blast, and we watched as it fell to the ground, exploding into a firely mess.
"Hunter! Blake!"
My head shot back to the group and I felt the rage fade into confusion. Friends? Tori? Dustin, Shane, Cam? Tae...? Little sister? It suddenly felt like my body had been drained of all my energy, and I felt my eyes close as it felt like I was shrinking.
"Blake!!!"
I was falling, I think. I felt my legs give out, and heard footsteps run towards me. Next thing I knew, I was being cradled in a set of warm arms that smelt faintly of perfume and the sea. Instinctively knowing it was Tori, I allowed myself to curl up in her arms, vaguely noting I was back in my baby dragon form.
As I felt myself succumbing to the darkness, I also faintly heard Angie and Taelin calling to Hunter, and knew that if anyone, but me, could get to him, it was them.
(Ops, Hunter's POV)
"Dude, I never wanna do that again!" I groaned as I slowly sat up.
"I still can't believe Marah and Kapri just gave up and 'wanted to go good'." Cam stated with a shocked look as he adjusted his glasses.
Everyone was sprawled out around the main room of Ops after the final battle. Me and Blake needed a little time to rest, but once we were awake, I left the room, insisting I wouldn't rest until I found Taelin and Angie.
"I still can't believe Lothor got done in by one of his own monsters." Shane muttered with a wince. "Man, I think those screams are gonna scar me for life."
I eventually found them, sitting in the main room. They were exhausted, and Angie had transformed into her baby dragon form, lying asleep in Taelin's arms. Tae was pretty tired, too, but told Cam that she'd have nightmars of what they went through, if she tried to sleep right now.
I was so relieved to see them alright. I just remember rushing forward, with a cry of their names, and hugging Taelin tightly, smiling when Angie let out a startled and peeved squak at having been squished between us.
That reminded me of her wound, and I noted that it was still pretty raw looking. Without a word, I just grabbed her arm, despite her trying to pull it back, and healed it.
...Only to end up holding her hand as she transformed back.
She was blushing deepy, and told me I should've just left it to heal. Then I brought up that it was no big deal for me to heal it, and pointed out that it didn't even leave a scar.
"I still dunno if I should laugh or be grossed out by that." Tori muttered with a face as she stroked the back of dragon Blake's head.
My bro was still tired, and after following my example, of hurriedly looking for the girls, he turned back into a dragon and crawled into Tori's surprised arms.
"It was cool how you guys can turn into big dragons like that." Dustin murmured as he leaned up from the table, leaning a little sideways to rest his head on Tae's shoulder. "But next time, can you like, not try to fry us?"
Taelin shook her head. "It's not like they could control it."
Angie nodded as she sat by me. "It was their first tranformation, and they were already terrified. Their dragon halves fed off that terror and sent them into a Dragon Panic. The only ones that could get through to them were the closest people to them. Family, or people they loved." That last part made her blush.
Then again, I felt my own face heating up a lot at the words. "Is that why it took Tori and Taelin to bring Blake back?" I asked nervously, clearing my throat as my voice cracked.
She nodded a little and Tori shot us a look as her own face turned a nice cherry red.
Blake's one eye opened and he raised an eyebrow. I wouldn't be one to talk. he stated pointedly. It took Angie and Taelin to get you to turn back.
"Blake!" I yelled in embarrassment, givig a sheepish look to everyone who jumped and stared at me in confusion. How would you know?! You were out cold!I challenged mentally.
He snickered a little and a little navy scaled fore-claw raised and pointed to Tori. I heard all about it, bro.
Narrowing my eyes at Tori, I watched as her own eyes went wide. "So, Tori was talking about me, was she?" I asked conversationally. "Why don't you tell us all what you said?"
You don't wanna do that. Blake warned with another snicker.
Oh yes I do. I countered firmly. "Well Tori?"
Her eyes stayed wide and she seemed to be searching for something to say. "Uh, I just... I, umm..."
I watched as Angie's eyes went wide as well and her face turned a deep red. "Uh, Tori... She was, uh..."
Now I was very suspicious and confused. Obviously Angie was in on it. And if Taelin's giggling was any indication, I suspected she was, too. "Alright, spill!" I stated firmly. "After all, apparently Blake heard all about it and I can always get him to tell me."
Oh no you won't. Blake stated as his head shot up and he shook it quickly. Leave me outta this!
You started it! I hissed mentally, biting back a grin as Tori's eyes shot to Blake really quickly before shooting to the other girls.
"Maybe we should tell him." Taelin stated with an almost evil grin.
"No, you should not!" Angie cried, her face turning a red that almost made me worry her face was going to explode. "Or I'll tell Dustin about-"
"Ok!" Taelin squealed loudly. "There's nothing to tell anyone about!"
"Enough of this!" Tori stated loudly. Turning to Angie and Taelin, she shrugged. "It was kind of a last game of Truth or Dare, but just between us girls, and both of them have dares to do." she stated vaguely.
If it was anything like before... My face began to heat up once again. Bro... Tell me.
He shook his head and buried his snout in his paws. Nope.
"Blake..." I stated warningly.
"Come on, just get it over with." the water ninja stated with a grin.
"Well, I'd love to stay for this, but I have to meet someone." Cam stated evasively as he got up and headed for the stairs, activating Cyber Cam as he went. "Try not to blow things up."
"And you try to have a good time with Carly." Angie stated with a teasing smirk, giggling when his face turned a deep crimson.
He opened his mouth to say something but seemed to quickly change his mind and shook his head, leaving us alone as he stalked up the stairs.
"Carly?" Tori asked in confusion.
Angie's face sobered up. "I swear there's something familiar about her. Something I know I should be able to identify, but I can't." Shaking her head, she shrugged. "Just before Tae and I got captured, he was talking to her in the park, and I just guessed that he was going to see her."
"From the look on his face, I'd say you guessed right." I muttered as I looked at everyone. "Now, back on topic..."
Tori grinned evilly. "Yes, girls... I believe you had dares to do?"
Taelin sighed heavily, her face set unsurely as she turned to Dustin. "My dare..." she trailed off as she nervously licked her lips before looking at the ground.
"Oh, what the hey!" Angie stated loudly, turning and grabbing me by the face.
Before I could even blink, she'd covered my mouth with her own. For a moment, I froze. I felt my heart beating nervously as her lips moved over my own, but then I relaxed, moving my lips back, and kissing her. I was about to deepen the kiss when she beat me to it, and I could feel my face heating up nicely as we continued to kiss.
After a few moments, she pulled back and I could only blink blankly, not knowing what to say or do.
"My turn, I guess." Taelin stated, her own face a deep red. She turned and grabbed Dustin, leaning in and kissing him lightly, nervously. As the kiss wore on, she grew braver and the kiss deepend.
Me, I turned back to Angie, nudging her lightly to get her to look at me. Her face was filled with nervousness, but in her eyes I could see a deep warmth, directed at me. It helped to quell my own fears, a little, and I found myself smiling at her. Hesitantly, I reached over and took her hand, holding it in my own.
She squeezed back and smiled at me.
Turning back to the kissing couple, I smirked at Dustin's lost look as Taelin pulled back.
Like before, things had changed, but...for the better, not the worst.
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I say "THE END" With a (?) simply because I am fairly certain this is the end of this fic, but if I get an idea for a continuation or a sequel or something, I can always do that. LOL. But don't expect anymore chapters for a while, if ever, on this fic. (Sighs) My muse for this one up and jumped out my window on me. :S
Now, with Hunter, relationships are fun, because he won't just jump in. So yes, things between them are still a litle rocky, and the same for Dustin and Taelin. Mainly because I don't want the last mentioned couple to just suddenly glomp each other and start making out in front of the room... Although... No, I'm trying to keep them somewhat in character. LOL
So their relationships are still progressing. And the mention of Cam and Carly... That's more of a 'Make it what you want' type thing.
I hope you like it. I wanted to try something a little different for the ending. Thus the Lothor getting squashed and Dragon Panic.
R+R please.
Thank you everyone for keeping me going on this one.
Tenshi