I sighed to myself as I was padding on the trail, beneath the trees. After some of the apples that I've ate earlier, I feel like I want to exercise.

So here I am now, and I've wondered away from everyone else to get my exercise in. I giggled to myself now as my memory from my hatchling days flashed into my mind.

I remember when me, my brother and my parents always find a apple tree just like me and everyone found today and I can remember how many times I tried to jump up to a certain tree, to get a apple. But the problem was, the tree branches were too far from my grasp and I was just little.

Only my parents have managed to get some apples off the tree and drop them down to me, and I dug right in!

Course, my brother and I would fight over one and I can CERTAINLY remember I threw one at his ego sized head!

I was laughing at myself. Ancestors, those were the days. I guess I should've thrown a apple at his head today, I'm sure he'll remember THAT, if I did.

Oh boy, he might even throw one back, just for the heck of it.

I was giggling to myself some more and still had that smile on my face as I was still strolling. Then I started to have a glum look on my face, as a certain human just popped up in my mind.

Brandon.

I let out a sigh. I still feel for him.

It was already since two nights ago, when I realized that I loved Brandon and here I am, a love struck dragoness, still thinking that way about him. Another human that I have come to love as a mate.

But he doesn't want me that way, he wants Jessie.

Heck, he's not even Tommy and I know that he knows the truth about my love for Tommy and he'd support it and never judge me for it, but he probably wouldn't think about me that way. He's not Tommy and never will be.

He wants another human anyways, so what's the point in thinking about him that way?

I growled angrily to myself. I can't let him go, that's why!

No matter how hard I try, I CAN'T LET HIM GO!!

I'm such an idiot! Thinking that he'll be my mate, but he's not interested in me!

Hell, I'm still feeling a bit of jealousy when Jessie's close to him. When I saw her real close to him this morning, I wanted to swipe at her for touching him!

What kind of a dragoness am I? A horrible one? Because I feel horrible for still feeling jealous right now!

I stopped where I was and just hung my head. I'm such a fool. A stupid fool.

I love another human and I can't have him.

I looked up at the blue sky, sighing to myself in sadness. And I feel sorry for feeling jealous towards Jessie. I can't do that to her and there's no point in interfering.

He doesn't want me and he sure as hell wants her.

I'll only ruin everything, if I interfered.

I let out a trembling breath and a tear fell down my eye, as I looked up at the clouds. I thought I saw one of the clouds form as Tommy. Tommy....

I told you that I loved you and you even felt the same way about me.

I even sang that beautiful, tender song to myself last night. The one you sang to me, out in the meadow one night, years ago.

I have never forgotten that song. Not ever.

Even Brandon said that I have a beautiful voice, when I sang it. He never minded me singing that human song from my memory.

My body shuddered as my sobs were ready to break free from within me. I shut my eyes real tight. Oh Tommy...Look at what's happening.

I'm falling in love with another human, other than you and I can't have him.

I...I still feel like I want you. A part of me still does. And I wish that you were with me still. Young or old, I wouldn't care.

That way, me and Brandon would both have someone to love and be with. That way, I wouldn't have to feel so jealous of Jessie. That way I...Feel like I have a mate of my own.

A big part of me has let you go Tommy, but my feelings and my memories that I had with all the times we shared together, are still there.

I still feel that love, other than the love I have for Brandon.

I still love you, Tommy.

Brandon comforted me last night, because of my truth. That I loved that human and it was you, Tommy.

Because I can't have that human back and there's nothing I can do about it.

One of my claws started digging into the grass and dirt below me, making very deep cuts. I was hissing now. Why?

Why did you change? Why can't I know the truth? What happened to you?!

You loved me, and then you changed!

I loved you and then you tried to kill me!!

None of this would be happening, if you didn't change!

I wouldn't love Brandon and feel jealous towards Jessie, if you didn't change!

THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!

I let out a loud gasp and shot my eyes open. Then I held a guilty look now and sighed. I relaxed my paw and stopped digging in the ground. I hung my head again. I'm sorry, Tommy.

I shouldn't blame you for my problem. This isn't your fault. It's mine.

I'm doing this to myself, not you.

I love Brandon and I'm jealous towards Jessie and it's my fault. All my fault.

Not yours, MINE.

I took a deep breath, puffing out my chest and let it out. You know Brandon...I'm still glad you've comforted me last night.

And I'm glad that you didn't judge me for my feelings toward Tommy. You hugged me in my own despair. You held onto me and I held onto you with my own wings.

You don't deserve this kind of treatment from me and Jessie doesn't deserve that kind treatment from me also.

Both of you deserve to be happy, just like me.

I don't control what everyone feels, only the person controls how he or she feels, not anyone else.

And I still haven't had control over myself. I need to.

If I don't control myself, and if I ruin things between them, I won't forgive myself.

I'll NEVER forgive myself.

I love you, Brandon, but I also care about your feelings.

Jessie...I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry for feeling jealous. I can never hate you.

I know when we first met, you were pretty scared of me, but not long after that, you became a bitch. A real, hard headed bitch!

But in the end, you've forgiven me.

And here I am now, jealous towards you.

I won't hurt you two. I won't.

I'll keep that promise to myself, that I'll never ruin anything you two have.

Brandon said that I was never a monster and I feel like I am one now, having those thoughts about ruining everything.

I won't be that monster. I promise you, Jessie....Brandon.

I'll do this for both of you.

I looked straight ahead and took another deep breath, then I resumed my exercise. I stretched out my wings a bit and then curled them back up.

I was taking one step with each paw, as I walked under the trees. Soon after, I saw Wayne sitting on a rock nearby. He appeared to be looking at something in his hand.

I decided to take a deep breath and walk up to where he's at. Taking one slow step with each paw at a time. My shadow is now over him, I was behind him and he noticed it, but he didn't move to look over his shoulder. He giggled and asked, "Let me guess...That you Rain?"

I shot up my head and laughed, "How did you know?"

He looked over his shoulder and he was grinning now, "Lucky guess. I thought it'd be Neal, or maybe Frankie. But I just made a lucky guess."

I giggled, "Nice guess. And here I thought you'd call me Sierra."

Wayne shrugged his shoulders, "That would've been a good guess, since she's probably out here somewhere." He looked up at the sky and sighed, "If you're planning to ask me what am I doing out here alone, well I decided to just wander around and sit down here. Such a nice spot here."

I asked, "Mind, if I joined you? I think I had enough exercise from all the apples I ate."

Wayne laughed and motioned his hand beside him, "Oh you didn't eat a lot of them, so don't call yourself fat."

I trotted up beside him and sat down on my haunches, looking down at him beside me, "I wasn't, I was just getting my exercise in."

Wayne was giving me a playful grin, "Only because you think you're fat."

I rolled my eyes, "Don't really care if you believe me or not, I'm going to get my exercise."

Wayne reached out to pat my leg, "You really do have a good figure, so I think your exercise is being paid off."

I held up my head proudly, "Got that right." I looked down at his hand, seeing something in it and pointed a claw at it, "What's that in your hand?"

Wayne knew what I was talking about and he showed it to me, I lowered my head to get a good look at it. I smiled as I knew what it was, he showed me that photo before.

It's a photo of him, when he was sixteen with the human Joanna. Before she died.

I giggled at it, "You still carry that photo around? I'm surprised that thing doesn't look torn from you carrying it a lot."

Wayne lowered it back onto his lap and chuckled, "Well I always carried that with me as a good luck charm. Makes me think that Joanna's watching me right now." He looked up at the clouds and had an odd look.

I cocked my head at him, with a bit of a worried look. I'm getting a feeling I know what he's thinking about. So I stretched out one of my wings and wrapped it around him, asking him this, "You ok?"

Wayne looked at me and nodded, "Yeah I'm fine. It's just...I was actually asking Joanna, if Sierra was up there with her. Like I did, so many times before." Then he looked up at the clouds again and reached up to his neck and gripped the crystal pendant that used to belong to Sierra's first human mate, Eric. He gripped it tight, "I was also asking Eric if his former love's up there too."

"Did you find your answer?"

Wayne let out a big drawn out sigh, "Honestly no. I still haven't had any answer. And who am I kidding anyway? The dead don't really talk to the living. You just feel that they're with you, but talk to you, that's a different story."

I held a pity look for him and looked up at the sky too, joining his gaze, "You know me, I sometimes talk to my parents when I'm looking at the sky, but even they don't talk to me. I just feel them, especially my mother."

Wayne shrugged his shoulders, "Well, you don't have a mate that you've loved for a long time and disappeared on you, and you think that she's up there with Joanna and Eric now."

I looked down at him and held a sad look now, "I'm still sorry for you, Wayne. You know I am."

Wayne looked up at me and smiled in appreciation, " I know and I'm still sorry for you and Tommy. You guys were...Close."

I nodded, "VERY close." I looked ahead at the trees now, "I'll be honest...Ever since we all came out here yesterday, I had the urge to see Tommy at his house, just to see how he's doing."

Wayne said, "I figured as much, but you know it won't do you any good. You'll just feel disappointed again."

I let out a sad breath, "I know. I can't keep going back to it, but that urge is here."

Wayne nodded and looked at the trees too, "You know, a part of me is actually thinking that Sierra's watching us at a distance, maybe right now." He giggled to himself in disbelief, "Talk about a weird feeling, huh? That the old girl is now living in the woods and she has been watching us the whole time. Without even talking to us. I even had a dream about it last night."

I was giggling a bit at that, "I don't think it's weird at all. After all, she has disappeared for years and she probably is living in isolation in the woods, watching us right now. And besides that, you love her."

Wayne nodded in agreement, "True, and no matter how good looking other dragoness's are in the city, I could never be with another. Sierra's always the one for me."

I shrugged my shoulders, "I'd seriously doubt that any dragoness would choose to have a human as their mate. Besides, I'd bet that they wanted someone who's big and strong. Not someone's who's small and short, like a teenage drake."

Wayne was laughing now, "Why do you think, I'd still want Sierra?"

I formed a smile across my snout, "Because she doesn't see you that way. That she doesn't care what you are."

Wayne replied, "That's right. And you didn't think that way about Tommy either. You loved him, whether he's tall or short."

I shot my head to my left, "Yeah, and he has a small mouth when it comes to sharing intimate moments with him."

Wayne playfully smacked my leg, "Hey, humans can't help it, if we have small mouths. And besides, it's probably your fault that your kind has a big mouth."

I laughed loudly at that, "Perhaps, when it comes to sizes, you probably should be with a dragoness in her teenage years, just about the size of Cody and Eleanor back then. She would have a snout small enough for a human to kiss."

Wayne laughed too, "Tell you what, if you can somehow, take me back in time and let me see Sierra in her teenage years, I'll gladly kiss her."

I rolled my eyes, "She wouldn't know who you are anyways."

He shrugged his arms and said in a high voice, "Well I'll still try!"

I tossed back my head and laughed again, "Keep dreaming, Wayne. Keep on dreaming."

He snapped his finger and pointed at me, as an idea popped up in his head, "I got to thinking, maybe she'd be more sexier and less old back then, if I saw her as a teenager."

I shook my head down at him with a grin, "Human, if Sierra heard you say that right now, she'd spank you right now."

He shrugged his shoulder and adamantly shook his head, "Not my fault that she's an old lady."

I playfully argued, "Wayne, she's a beautiful old lady!"

He shot back, "And you're old too, you old lady."

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Don't you go calling me old now, you little bastard."

He shook his head, "I won't, I only call Sierra that."

I moved my wing off of him a bit, to give his back a pat with my paw, "Better not, or I'll be the one to spank your ass, in Sierra's honor."

Wayne laughed, "Great, now I'll be having another dragoness in my circle, spanking my ass."

I gave him a big tooth filled grin, "Do you prefer I spanked someone else?"

He nodded, "Yeah! Go spank your brother! Not like you haven't today!"

I nodded at the devious idea, "Oh, I'll keep that in mind. Since he spanked his own sister."

He giggled and pointed at me, "Yep, you."

I rolled my eyes, "No crap." Then we both looked at the woods together, as my wing is still curled around him. We were both sitting around in silence.

After several moments of silence, I sighed, as Brandon's face came into the picture again. Wayne looked up at me and asked, "You alright?"

I nodded, as I keep up a straight face and lied, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Wayne actually began to notice I was in some form of thought and asked, "Is it about Tommy?"

I didn't say anything to him for a couple of moments after that, until I finally answered him, "Honestly...Yes and no."

Wayne raised a curious brow, "Guess I have another answer like that from you now. And the last one was days ago. Alright, which one should you start off first? The yes part, or the no part?"

I sighed again, "I suppose...The yes part. Yes, I was thinking about Tommy and a part of me still loves him that way, and I know that we're not mates right now. But...I still feel for him."

Wayne replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "Tell me something I don't know."

I giggled a bit at his response to that one and then I had this hesitation of telling him the no part. That I was thinking about Brandon, too. I looked down at him, as he was waiting for my other part of my answer.

Should I really tell him? I mean, it's not like he can do anything about it.

But then again, I do feel like I want to tell someone about my feelings toward Brandon and I still haven't. Maybe I need some help with this one. I had help with Tommy back then, so I guess there's no shame in asking for advice about Brandon. This situation is WAY different, than Tommy.

Wayne won't tell anyone, including Brandon. He'll keep this secret with me.

I'll tell him. Right now.

Wayne pressed me, as he was still waiting for me, "Well?"

I nodded slowly at him, "Alright well...You're probably not going to believe it, trust me, I've had it for the past two nights and I still don't believe it."

"What is it?"

I took a deep breath and let it out, "I was thinking about Tommy, but I was also thinking about another human that I've grown to love now. Another human, other than Tommy."

Wayne hummed and he actually figured out who I was talking about, "Brandon, right?"

I held a guilty look and removed my wing off of him. I looked away from him in shame and shut my eyes, "Yes."

Wayne beamed at me, "No kidding? That's great!"

I hissed at myself, opened my eyes and got up off my haunches and strode away from him a few steps away. I stopped where I was at, with my back facing him, "I feel like I'm an idiot."

Wayne frowned at me, "What? You're not an idiot."

I whirled around to face him, as he's still sitting on that rock, "But I am. I just feel...So stupid for thinking that way about him."

He got up off the rock and shrugged both his arms with a confused face, "Why?"

I shook my head in total shame and guilt, "Because I'm sure that Brandon doesn't want me, that he wants Jessie. And here I am, thinking that way about him."

Wayne finally got the picture he held a pity look for me, muttering only one word in surprise, "Oh...."

I started to pace back and forth in front of him, without even looking at him as I spoke, "I just can't believe it right now, and what's more unbelievable, is that I feel jealous towards Jessie, every time I see her real close to him. More than once, including this morning, I wanted to swipe at her for touching Brandon. I mean...What kind of a dragoness, am I?"

I stopped pacing and looked straight up at the sky with guilt now shone in my eyes, "To be very truthful with you, I've tried to forget about my feelings for Brandon and just drop them, but I haven't. And I'm not even sure if I can let him go. I mean....His touch and concern for my own well being is so touching, I wouldn't want to drop him at all. And I feel guilty and sad at the same time, when I know that I can't have him. Heck, he might even find it odd that the dragon that he became friends with, is starting to love him."

I let out a unhappy sigh, "He's not really Tommy and he never will be. He's only thinking about Jessie and he loves her, a lot more than he loves me that way. He's only thinking of me as his best friend, but I think differently than him."

He shook his head in pity for me, "Oh, Rain."

I turned my head to look directly at him now, "I've been trying very hard to let that feeling go, but I can't. I even thought that I have dropped this jealousy towards Jessie, but it's still there." I growled at myself, "I feel so horrible thinking that way about Jessie and hell, more than once, I wanted to let it all out all at once, but I can't. Because I don't want to hurt Brandon. I...I don't want to lose him."

Wayne took a few steps toward me, asking me this, "So why do you love Brandon? Is it because, he reminds you of Tommy?"

I answered with a small smile, "More than that, I love Brandon for who he is. I love him for his kindness, his feelings, everything. And also...We both lost family and we both been through a lot."

I let out a guilty sigh now, as I looked up at the clouds again, "Last night, after I told him the truth about me and Tommy, I even wanted to kiss him on his little mouth, just for comforting me and telling me everything's going to be okay. And more than once, before that night, I've been having this urge to tell him everything, but I...I just don't want to frighten him, because of my feelings and I don't want to make things awkward and complicated too. And I SERIOUSLY, don't want to ruin his relationship with Jessie."

I hissed at myself again in anger, "I'm such a fool. Thinking that something would happen, but it won't. He's not Tommy and he's probably not thinking about me that way. So what's the point, dwelling on it?"

Wayne gave me a comforting smile, "Because you love him, that's why."

I turned my whole body and looked at him, while narrowing my gaze, "But he doesn't LOVE me, Wayne. That's the problem! I feel so helpless, because of my feelings toward Brandon and I feel like, I can't let him go."

I gave Wayne a pleading look now, "Wayne, what the hell am I supposed to do now? Because this is totally different than Tommy. Tommy wasn't planning on being with any human, he wanted me. But Brandon wants someone and it's not me. This is really bothering me and I'm trying to move past it, but we both know that I can't."

Wayne walked up to me, until he was right in front of me, "Rain, don't beat yourself up over all this. You know that you won't ruin anything. You care for both Brandon and Jessie. And yes, it's wrong to feel jealous towards Jessie, but you still held yourself back from ruining it. You're not a bad dragoness, because if you were, then you would have ruin it. But you haven't."

Wayne put his hand to his chin, as he was thinking about it, "And as for the whole, Brandon wanting Jessie...This is a real tough situation. Nothing like that has ever happened to Sierra, or to Neal. This is pretty new to me."

He let out a sigh, "Well...I know that it might sound a bit much, but...Maybe something could change up ahead. After all, I think fate has some kind of plan for everyone, and we just don't know, until it does happens."

I shook my head while I was looking down at him, "But Brandon doesn't feel anything like that about me. He only thinks of me as his friend. He's not Tommy and he's not you. He's different. I'm sure it'll never happen." I placed a paw to my chest, "I did believe in this thing called fate, and I knew it from you and Sierra, that me and Tommy were destined to be with each other that way one day and we have."

I expanded out my chest and let out my breath, "Wayne, what sort of plan does fate have for me now? Because me and Tommy are not together now. Tommy has changed and I thought we were meant to be together forever before, but we aren't." I hung my head in sadness, "I...I feel so lost."

Wayne said, "Rain, listen." He reached out to place his hand onto my chest, I looked right at him after that, "Some things happen for a reason. And if he and Jessie are meant to be together, then they're meant to be together." He raised a finger, "But, why do you think that he and Jessie found you at all? Why did you think they found you in that cave?"

I stared at him, not speaking at all. He answered for me, "Because there's probably a reason why that happened. Sure they may have ran away from home, because of their problems, but there's a reason why that happened."

I asked with a low voice, "To find me?"

Wayne nodded, "That's right, just like I found Sierra, because of what happened to me and what happened to her. Look, I don't know what might happen up the road, I could be wrong. But I think that...Brandon would come to love you too and he probably hasn't realized it yet, he's probably ignoring those feelings and he still thinks that you two are friends. Even I can see it now. I was like him."

I lowered my head to his level and he took my chin in his hands and looked directly at my eyes, "I know that Brandon likes Jessie, but maybe something might change. I think there is a reason why they both found you, why Brandon found you most of all, it's probably a part of fate's plan. Maybe...There's a reason too, that Tommy changed, so you'd find Brandon."

I muttered with sorrow shone in my eyes, "But I wish he didn't change, nor humanity."

He motioned one of his hands behind him, "I know that. But maybe there's another big reason why they're here, maybe they'll somehow find out the reason why humanity changed, I don't know." Wayne let out a sigh, "Look, I'm not saying that Tommy changing is a good thing, but something good came out of it. Perhaps Brandon showing up years later, has given you a second chance at love."

I asked, "What about Jessie? If something changes between them and they're not meant to be mates, then why is she here then?"

Wayne shook his head, "I don't know. But fate has a plan for everyone. And...Something good will come to her and she won't expect it. If they're not meant to be together in that way, then something else might find her."

I was showing him a small grin now, "You really are an optimist."

Wayne planted a tender kiss on my nose, "Might as well. Look Rain, things may seem bleak and unfair to you now, but don't let the whole thing get to you so much. It's like with Tommy, since Sierra told me about it on that day you and Tommy left the city, just wait for things to develop. Be patient. Because Brandon may think of you as his friend right now, but he might realize what he has been missing and what's really right in front of him, one day."

He went on, "And look...I'm glad you've fought your jealousy towards Jessie. Because that means you care about her. Look don't interfere them, just wait for something to happen. Don't say anything to Brandon about it. Wait for him to show you that he loves you that way, understand? And if you see it, then you tell him the truth. Tell him how you feel, but don't do it before then, because he might love Jessie. Remember, just wait for it."

Wayne gave me a smile, "Don't beat yourself up over it, ok? And promise me, that you'll behave. You know, you're better than that. And remember, just wait. Don't say anything to him, just wait."

I shook my head and said in a comforting tone, "I wouldn't do anything to them anyways and I won't let the whole thing get to me anymore. And I'll wait for it, I promise."

He gave my nose another kiss, "And remember, some things might change, you just have to wait and see."

I nodded, as he still held my chin in his hands, "Alright, I'll see what fate has in store in the future."

Wayne asked with his brows raised, "Don't Stop Believin?"

I gave his nose a lick and nuzzled my cheek with his, "Don't Stop Believin." Then I asked, after pulling my face away from him, "And can you keep this a secret and don't tell anyone? Ok? I only just want you to know this. I...I don't want to take any chances, because someone might tell Brandon about this. Ok? Can you keep this a secret?"

Wayne nodded and gave my nose a tender rub, "I promise."

I smiled at him, "Thank you, Wayne. I knew there was a reason why I like being with you."

He grinned at me, "I'm a very charming guy." He winked and we both giggled.

Then we both heard a voice nearby, "Hey Rain." Wayne let go of my chin and me and him looked at the direction of the voice. I saw, Brandon and Jessie coming towards us. And they were close together.

For an odd reason, I don't feel jealous towards her anymore. When she's walking beside him, I don't. I'm glad, I don't feel it and that's a good thing.

I don't think, I'll feel jealous towards Jessie and feel horrible about it, ever again. I think letting the truth out to Wayne, finally made it go away. I'm sure, anyways.

But I'll still go through on my vow to myself to not interfere what they may have and I'll see what fate has in store in the future. I'll wait and see.

Brandon and Jessie got right in front of us. Jessie smiled and asked, "Hey guys, what are you doing out here?"

Wayne gave my nose a pat, before I rose my head real high up, "I was just having a conversation with Rain here."

Brandon tilted his head, "What did we miss?"

I shook my head, still with that smile, "Oh nothing. Just talking to each other."

Wayne gestured to Jessie, "And here, I thought that you'd be with Frankie right now."

Jessie giggled, "Oh the big dork, can wait for me a bit longer. Besides, I walked with Brandon here, to look for Rain."

I cocked my head, "What's up?" Then I saw something in Brandon's hand, and I was frowning at it, "And what's that in your hand?"

Brandon asked, "It's a letter to my mom and I want a favor from you."

"What is it?"

*****

Rain lowered her body to the ground and said with a grin, "Alright little guy, hop up."

I rolled my eyes, "I resent you calling me little guy."

Rain playfully shot back, "Would you prefer I say that you have a small dragonhood?"

The others were giggling nearby, including Frankie, who has a big smug grin on his face. I raised my eyebrows at Rain and held out both my hands, wiggling my fingers, "Want me to start another tickle war with your wings?"

Her face went wide at the threat and she shook her head immediately, "Nope."

I let my hands fall to my sides, "Then don't call me little guy."

Rain nodded a bit, her chin almost hitting the grass, "Sure thing, little guy."

I narrowed my eyes at her at first, then I softened my face by smiling at her, showing my teeth, "You'll get what's coming to you, big girl."

It is now about an half an hour ago, since I told Rain I wanted her to take me near Leon, so I can go back home and find mother.

It's still daytime, actually in the afternoon, but the plan is, is that me and her wait throughout the afternoon, until darkness comes and then I'll sneak into the city without anyone seeing me.

I don't want to go in the city during the day, since the police probably have an APB out on me. I don't want to waste any time when the cops find me, Rain would be waiting for me, so that's why I have to sneak back to home during the night.

But Rain and I won't be going alone, cause Wayne, Cody and Sebastian actually offered to come along and see my town in the distance. Neal, Amanda, Frankie and Jessie are staying behind near Jessie's car. They'll be waiting for us to come back. Which that's fine by me, they can do whatever they want.

I started to walk up to Rain's body and I grabbed her wing joint, and groaned to myself as I hurled myself onto her back. I let out a sigh, when I sat on her back and said to myself, "There we go."

Rain started to rise slowly off the ground and stood tall over Jessie and Amanda in front of her. She smiled down at them, "What? Does he like magnificent on me?"

Jessie and Amanda laughed, then Jessie nodded, "Oh yes. He looks like a real pro sitting on you."

Wayne said this after he got on Cody's back beside Rain, "Really, girls? I believe I'm the pro when it comes to riding a dragon." Cody rose off the ground with Wayne on his back now.

Neal came up beside Amanda and sat down on his haunches. He pointed a paw at Amanda, "I think in my big opinion Amanda's the pro at riding a dragon." And gave everyone the biggest, smuggest grin of his own and placed the same paw he pointed at Amanda on his chest, "And by dragon, I mean ME!"

Amanda grinned up at him, "That's right, big red dude. You better say that I'm a pro at riding you."

I hollered at Neal, while trying to peek around Rain's head at him, "Hey Neal, don't you ever get tired of Amanda bossing you around?"

Frankie sat down on his haunches beside Jessie now and asked the same question with a big grin, "Yeah pal, don't you get tired of having a little female bossing you around?"

Amanda and Jessie both glared at him and he put on an innocent look, "What?" He started shaking his head, "I don't like it when human females bark orders at me."

Jessie placed both hands to her hips, still having that glare, "I'll continue to bark orders at you, as long as I live!"

Frankie whined, "Aw, come on. Give a drake a break already!"

Jessie started to smirk, "Not a chance, you big black dork."

Amanda started to giggle and she turned to Neal, "And I'll be barking orders at YOU, as long as I live, you big red scaly pervert."

Neal rolled his eyes, "I know and it's my damn fault that I'm stuck with you."

Sebastian was laughing a bit at this, "Well boys, I hope you can protect your eggs while we're gone."

Cody was stifling his giggle, "Yeah and whatever you do, don't piss them off."

Neal growled at him, "Thanks, you little green runt. Thanks a lot."

Frankie snorted, "Yeah, you little green bitch, thanks a lot for backing us up."

I laughed at what Frankie said and so did everyone else. Except for Cody who's flashing anger at them with his eyes, he trashed his tail to the ground behind him "I'm not little and I'm not a bitch!"

Frankie was grinning deviously now, "You certainly have the curves of a female, Cody. So why do you think I'm calling you a bitch?"

Cody rolled up his eyes, "Know what? Whatever. I'm just going to ignore this one entirely. No need to feed anymore ego."

Wayne patted Cody's neck, "Good idea. Don't want to suffer anymore mental torture." He thumbed to me, while I'm sitting on Rain's back, "Just like Brandon over there."

I said playfully in gratitude, "Thank you, Wayne."

Sebastian paced past Cody and Rain, right in front of them, "Alright guys, lets fly to Brandon's village."

Rain nodded and strode after him, while Cody followed behind her, "Yeah, lets go."

I felt her body beneath me as I was riding on her, until we were all at a spot where we're going to take to the skies. Rain turned her body to Neal and the others and said, "We'll be back later tonight everyone, so stay out of trouble."

Frankie warned me by hollering this, "You better look after my sister, you little shit. Cause if you don't, I'll bite your small dragonhood off!"

I waved at him, "I'll keep that in mind!" Rain was laughing after that.

She twisted her neck to look at me and asked with a big grin, "You ready for takeoff?"

I nodded, "I'm always ready."

Wayne hollered on Cody's back, "So am I!"

Cody shot up his head, "Lets go!" Then he started to flap his wings and so did Rain and Sebastian. We all started to lift off the ground with each flap. I wrapped my arms around Rain's neck, as we're now over the trees. The wind from their flapping, is blowing some of the leaves off the tree limbs now.

We were hovering over the woods and I looked down over Rain's side. My eyes went wide a bit. High up as usual.

And with that, Rain started to fly forward, along with Cody and Sebastian. All three of them flapping against the wind, as all of us are flying beneath the blue sky. I looked at Wayne, who's hanging onto Cody, as he flew right beside Rain. Wayne saw my gaze and he waved at me. I waved right back.

Rain hollered at me, as we're flying over the woods, "So is this the direction we're going?!"

I hollered at her, "Yes!"

Rain screamed again, "I hope you remember how far it is ahead!"

Me too, big girl.

Me too.

*****

The lone dragon dugged it's jaws into the deer leg it has in its paw, taking a big chunk of meat into its mouth and chewing it. After several smacks with it jaws, it finally swallowed the meat. It let out a sigh, after having another bite from it. It's hunger satisfied.

About an hour ago, while the dragon was stalking Brandon and Jessie through the trees, it's stomach growled. Since it didn't eat anything all morning. Around that time, the hunger was getting to it.

No matter how reluctant it was, it had to leave Brandon and Jessie alone, to go hunting again. Couldn't exactly stalk them on an empty stomach. So now, here it was eating something it already hunted and finally having it's fill.

The lone dragon got up on all fours, since it's not hungry anymore. It trotted it's way to a pond and when it got to the edge of the water, it reached down through the surface of the water with its paw, getting it wet and then it started to scrub the wet paw onto its face. Washing the blood off of it.

When it looked at it's reflection, it saw that it's clean from all the blood now.

Now since it's done eating, it can go back and watch over Brandon and the others. The dragon whirled around from the pond and trotted back to where they could be at.

After about twenty minutes, it made it's way back to where Jessie's car is at, to see the dragons and humans it's watching over are up to now. It stopped and sat down on its haunches and watched from a distance. Seeing Neal, Amanda, Jessie and Frankie are the only ones there.

The lone dragon cocked it's head, wondering where the others went off to.

*****

I pointed and shouted over the wind, "Land down there! I think that's Leon from up here!"

Rain hollered over her shoulder, "Hang on, little guy!" And with that she started to dive down smoothly to the ground, since there's a highway nearby, and she thinks she better find a spot to land as soon as possible. Someone driving could see her, also Cody and Sebastian.

As Rain started to glide down to a spot in the woods, Cody and Sebastian did too, knowing that we're not real far away from Leon.

Rain got close to the ground now, flapped her wings to stop herself from falling down any further and she landed on her hind feet first, then her front. Cody and Sebastian landed and trotted to a stop, not very long after that.

Rain sighed, as she relaxed her body and wings after flying, "So Brandon, did you think that anyone saw us?"

I shook my head, "I don't know."

Rain looked over her shoulder and had a bit of a worried look, "I hope not, because if any human sees us, remember they're not as nice as you and Jessie are. They might shoot us, since every human outside the city changed."

I gave her a comforting smile, "Relax, big girl. No one's going to hurt you."

Rain shot a teasing grin at me, "My brother told you to look after me and you know what'll happen if you don't."

I laughed at her tease, "You tell your brother on me, then I'll star tickling your wings after that. Tell you what, don't tell on me, and then we're cool."

Rain chuckled, "Sure, that's a deal. But don't let any human shoot at me." She lowered her body to the ground and I started to get off of her, by sliding off. I landed on my feet on the grass and sighed.

I saw Wayne get off of Cody after he lowered down his body toward the grass and Wayne landed on the grass too. Wayne turned to him and gave his body a pat, "Thanks buddy."

Cody nodded in gratitude, "My pleasure."

Sebastian stretched his neck and his wings and he asked, "Well we're all here, so now what? Is the village nearby?"

I giggled, "Humans don't have villages anymore, old man. I live in a town."

He shrugged his shoulders, "I think the difference is the same to me."

Wayne got up beside me and clasped my shoulder. He pointed ahead and asked, "Is that Leon?"

I followed his gaze and through the trees, we can all see Leon not far away from here.

I nodded at the question, "Yep, that should be Leon. I can recognize some of the buildings from right here, especially the gas station."

Rain hummed as she stared at my town, "Not a bad looking human town, if I may say so."

Cody followed our gazes, as he strode up to me and Wayne, "Home sweet home, Brando."

I giggled at that, "Yep. That's my hometown."

Sebastian is right behind me and Wayne now, as he stared at my town, "Hmmm, I can really tell that your kind really did change. I don't think I've seen villages that were like that, back then."

Me and Wayne looked over our shoulders and Wayne asked, "Pretty surprised at the sight, huh?"

Sebastian looked down at Wayne with a smile, "Oh yes, VERY surprised. Even I was more surprised that humans don't use horses and carriages for transportation anymore, they just use cars."

Cody turned to look behind him at Sebastian, "I know I never was born around those times, but I would think these days are better than before."

Sebastian nodded in agreement, "I would think so too. No castles, no dragon slayers, just evolved humans running around in a different time."

Rain smiled at the thought, "Evolved to be better than before."

Cody looked at my town from a distance and let out a sigh, "I wish that all of us went into that town and introduced ourselves. I wouldn't mind doing that."

Wayne shook his head, as he looked at him, "Not really a good idea right now."

Cody held a sad look and hung his head, "Yeah I know. I just wish that dragons, like me, can still wander in human towns like before and not be called monsters and creatures. That would've been great. Really makes us feel accepted and wanted."

Sebastian let out a sigh too, "Me too. I never had a chance to do that, like you guys did back then. I maybe old, but I still have a interesting life to live!" He put on a small smile, "Heck, I would meet Diana in there, now that would be great. I get to meet the beautiful little human."

I playfully raised an eyebrow at him, "Just remember what I said to you."

Then I jabbed a finger at him with each word I said in emphasis, "DON'T....GET....ANY...FUNNY...IDEAS....YOU...DIRTY....OLD...DRAKE."

Everyone drew back their heads and laughed, except for Sebastian, who looked dumbfounded. Sebastian then shrugged his shoulders, "Still wouldn't try to mate her, kiddo. She looks so tender."

I blushed a bit when he said that, "Will you quit saying that? You're making me imagine it!"

Sebastian tossed back his head and laughed at that, "Oh ancestors, kiddo! You have a weird imagination."

Rain pointed down at me with her wing tip, "He's funny, but he's also weird."

I shot a glare up at her, "Thanks, Rain. Thank you so much."

She held up her head and gave me a big smile, "You're welcome!"

Cody asked me, as he took his eyes off of my town, "So what do we do now? Wait till it gets dark?"

I looked at Cody and replied, "Yes. And dusk is only several hours away, we'll have to find productive ways to kill the time."

Sebastian grumbled a bit and rustled his wings, "Well it didn't take us forever to get here and now we have to sit around and wait? I'll get bored here."

I giggled and turned around to face the old drake, "So then go for a walk, old man. Nothing's stopping you."

Sebastian slowly started to form a grin, "Not exactly, a bad idea." He began to nod, "Sure, I'll do that, anyone want to walk with this old drake?"

Cody turned his whole body around to start trotting away, "Actually, I'm not in the mood for walking right now. I'm going to get lazy now."

Wayne nodded in agreement, "Me too. I'm getting lazy too."

Sebastian snorted at them, "Really boys? Do you want to get fat and lazy, by not doing anything?"

Wayne strode after Cody, while he patted Sebastian's side, "You enjoy your walk now." Wayne already walked ahead after Cody, as they found a spot to lazy about.

Sebastian looked down and asked me, "You too? Want to get fat and lazy as well?"

I shrugged my arms and gave an innocent grin, "Give me a break. I want to be lazy sometimes too."

Rain groaned at my words and said to Sebastian, "Oh alright, I'll go with you. I'm not planning on getting fat anyways." She started to turn all the way around to face him, "So, want to lead the way, old one? Or do I have to be the one to do it?"

Sebastian smiled and nodded, "I think we'll just walk alongside together."

I pointed at him and joked, "And don't you get any funny ideas about Rain. You're too old for her."

Rain's eyes bugged out of her skull at my words, "Brandon!"

Sebastian was laughing now, "Really, kiddo?" He motioned his snout toward her, "I know that Rain's a very beautiful dragoness, even with her black colored scales. But do you think I'm a VERY dirty drake?"

I formed a devious grin, "Well you imagined that my mom's a beautiful red dragoness with good curves, so yeah, I think you're a very dirty drake."

He gave out a old hearty laugh, "Oh my ancestors, young one! You're too much! If there were any dragoness's that I'd pick, I'd pick your mother!"

I narrowed my gaze and pointed my finger at him again, "I told you not to get any funny ideas, about mom."

Sebastian waved me off with a paw, "A drake can dream, can he not?"

I rolled my eyes, "You keep telling yourself that. And I'm warning you for the last time, if you play dirty with my mom. She might grow a backbone and kick your eggs. And I'll tell her to do THAT, if you have plans to play dirty."

Sebastian gave me an innocent smile, "Aw, come on, kiddo. Would you do that to your own father?" He shot up his head proudly, "After all, fathers and sons always stick together."

My smile returned on my face, "Nah I wouldn't, but you have been warned."

He nodded three times, "I know, I have been warned. I don't want my eggs to be kicked." Then his eyes bugged out and he exclaimed, "They're so old, they might crack!"

Rain was just laughing hard now, she began to reach under her and hold her ribs, "Sebastian!"

Sebastian said this to Rain, "And you're lucky you don't have eggs, like I do. You only get an egg when a drake mates you."

Rain started to walk past him and while she walked, she brushed the tip of her tail across the side of his face, "Yep." And before she could walk any further, she looked over her shoulder at me with a narrowed look, "By the way Brandon, when I get back from my walk with the dirty old drake, I'm going to spank your butt because of your crack."

I giggled and replied, "I hope you'll forgive me for that crack, big girl."

Rain said with a devious smile, as Sebastian started to turn to follow her, "We'll see, you little bastard." I laughed hard and I followed up behind them.

I stopped where Cody and Wayne are at near a big rock, while Rain and Sebastian were walking off together. I hollered at them, "See you guys back!"

Rain hollered back over her shoulder, "You three stay out of trouble!" Me, Wayne and Cody waved at them, as their big, tall figures disappeared through the trees.

Cody started to sit down on his haunches on the ground and sighed, "Well now what?"

Wayne started to smile, as he sat down on the rock, "Anyone want to play I spy?" I sat down on the grass, with my legs crossed after that and nodded.

Cody nodded at him too, "Better than playing gender war."

Wayne giggled and started to play the game, when his eyes trailed around the area, "I spy, with my little eye....That begins wit-"

I guessed the answer and raised my voice real loud, "TREE!"

Wayne whined and snapped a finger, "He guessed it!"

*****

Sebastian and I are having a stroll still side by side, he's pretty much looking up at the trees with every step he took.

I was just grinning at him and he didn't notice it. I really love having a stroll alone with the old drake. Ever since we met, we haven't even tried doing that yet.

I know that he's a nice old drake, but still, I wish that I would've took a walk with him sooner. We haven't said anything much since we left Brandon and the boys, just enjoying the quietness of our walk.

Sebastian finally noticed my grin and he was giggling at me, "Find something you've admired?"

I laughed at his joke, "Oh no. I just realized that this is our first walk alone together, ever since we met a few days ago. We never even done that yet, until now."

Sebastian hummed in thought, "You know it's funny, this is my first stroll in a long time that I had with a beautiful dragoness."

I asked with a tilt of my head, "That a bad thing?"

Sebastian was grinning at me and he shook his head, "Oh no. I really am enjoying the stroll."

I nodded in agreement and looked ahead on the trail, "Me too." He looked ahead too and then a thought crossed my mind. Hmm, I wonder how far we've walked? Feels like it has been a long time.

I looked up at the sky and I can tell that dusk is only hours away still. I looked back ahead and me and the old one kept our trek. Our tails swinging back and forth with every step of our paws.

Not very long after our conversation, Sebastian cried out in pain and raised one of his paws off the ground, "OW!"

I stopped and my eyes went wide at him, "What's wrong?"

Sebastian started to raise his paw to his face and looked right at it, "I think, I stepped on a sharp rock and it hurt."

I walked up real close to him and offered, "Let me see." He held out his paw and I was looking at it, frowning, "Hmm, well it doesn't seem bad. Does it still hurt?"

Sebastian let out a sigh, "A little bit, but I swear, I hate it when I step on sharp rocks out here. They're a menace to dragons who wander here!"

I was laughing at that as he put his paw back down to the grass, "I guess that's why we take to the skies so much." I hummed as an idea popped up in my head, "Maybe we need to take a break, before you step on another sharp, pointy rock."

Sebastian nodded and gazed around the area to find a spot for us to take a break. Then he pointed ahead with his wing tip, "Lets go over to that pond. This old drake's thirsty anyways."

I followed his gaze and saw too that there's a lake nearby, I nodded in agreement and said, "Alright, I could use a drink too." Me and him started making our way to the lake now, but I can see that the poor old drake is kinda limping a bit with one paw with each step. I know how he feels, sometimes I step on sharp rocks and I hate it!

Me and the old one walked up to the edge of the pond and we both dipped our snouts toward the water and started drinking it in large gulps.

Sebastian raised his head and sat down on his haunches. He let out a satisfied sigh, "That's much better. It felt like I haven't had a drink for days."

I rose my head and sat down on my haunches beside him, both of us staring at the lake and the woods around us, "Yep." I let out a sigh too.

Sebastian smiled at the scenery around him after a few moments, "Doesn't this place look beautiful to you? I know, I haven't been out here for such a very long time, but I don't think I've found a much more beautiful place than this."

I nodded, when I started to look at him beside me, "It really is beautiful out here. In fact, I can remember what the woods were like way back then, when I was a hatchling. Always stays the same."

Sebastian nodded, "Yep."

Me and him were both sitting together in silence, the only thing making any noise at all, is a bunch of tiny little birds up in the trees singing.

Sebastian was chuckling under his breath a bit and I turned to him and cocked my head, "What's so funny?"

Sebastian looked at me and answered with a happy gleam in his eyes, "I wasn't really lying to you, when I said that this is the very first time I'm walking with a beautiful dragoness. I haven't done it in years."

I formed a small smile, "And let me guess who was the last dragoness you've walked with...Your mate?"

Sebastian nodded and looked up at the sky, as he was recalling the happy memory, "Yeah, I remember all those times we share a stroll, a time or two during the day. Even out here, when our son's sleeping. We don't walk very long though, but nevertheless, we like sharing a walk." He giggled to himself, "And of course, I USUALLY step on a rock every time we're walking, just like I did just now."

I let out a laugh, "You know when you bring that up, you sound like you have a problem with rocks."

Sebastian shook his head, "Not all the time. But my mate usually gives me the same crack as you did."

I shrugged my shoulders, "Maybe you should take my advice, look down at the ground when you're walking here."

Sebastian replied with a giggle, "Even she always gave me the same advice, but I keep ignoring her."

I shot up my head, "Well that's your fault then!" We both shared a laugh and we both looked at our reflections in the water, just staring at them in silence.

I can see in Sebastian's reflection that he started cocking his head and I looked away from the water to frown at him, "Something on your mind?"

Sebastian slowly started to turn his head to me, with a curious frown of his own. I cocked my head at him now and he started to answer, "I keep having this feeling that we've met before. When I look upon you, I keep thinking we've met somewhere."

He leaned his head closer to mine to get a good look at me, "It's very weird. It feels like I have met you somewhere before. I have to ask...Have we met?"

I shook my head and he pulled his head away from mine, "I don't really recall. You probably have mistaken me for someone else."

He nodded twice at my statement, "Perhaps, I am." He hummed in thought and looked at his reflection in the water again.

I asked him while he was staring at his reflection, "Why do you ask? Do I look like someone?"

Sebastian hummed again, "You sorta do. Actually, you look a lot like her."

"Who?"

He started to grin, "Well...I remember this black dragoness that I've met in classes, years ago. Way before you were born. Talk about such a long time for a drake like me." He slowly looked at the trees, when he still reminisced, "I remember that we always talked together, she even knew my mate back then too. Actually, they were very close friends."

I smiled at him, "Oh really?"

He nodded, "Of course, we all had our lives after classes, but when we're having them, we usually talk. Such a nice dragoness she was. Then from what I've heard, I heard that she became mates with this handsome red drake, that she met in classes, after we graduated. I heard they were pretty close." He shrugged his shoulders, "I know that drake was a bit hard headed, but they were very close." He sighed in happiness, "But me and my mate did talk to her and her mate, maybe a few times after we graduated. We were all fully grown around that time. She looked beautiful."

I asked, "What happened to that black dragoness and her mate? Did they die or something?"

Sebastian answered, "Well according to what I've heard, years after we attended classes, I heard that those two actually had two hatchlings together. One drake and one dragoness. I think the dragoness was younger, than the drake." He giggled to himself, "A funny thing about it, is that I think the dragoness was hatched around the time when my son was hatched. Boy, I'd think they'd make a beautiful couple, when I think about it right now." He shook his head, "But I never met the hatchlings before, me and my mate hardly ever spoken to that dragoness and her mate. We were all having our lives of our own."

I asked again, "So what happened to them?"

He held a sad look on his face, "Well from what I've heard from several dragons, even from her mate back then, I heard that she died in the woods by several humans. And...Her daughter was there, her mate and her son were flying off somewhere, when it happened."

My face went glum at that, "Oh...I'm sorry to hear that."

Sebastian hung his head, "She was such a nice girl. Nice, just like my mate. She never deserved any bad treatment, whatsoever."

I shook my head, my glum look still on me, "No dragon does."

Sebastian let out a sigh, "I mean, all that mother and daughter were doing was play out in the snow in the woods. I mean, they weren't exactly doing anything wrong. Just like my mate wasn't doing anything wrong, when she's outside the city. And what's more horrible, is that her mate flew off for revenge against the humans who basically murdered her." He shook his head in sadness and pity, "Oh, those poor hatchlings, makes me feel bad that they don't have their parents around anymore."

My eyebrows were raised at what he said, my mind was racing with thoughts. What did he say?

He just said that the dragoness and her daughter were playing out in the snow in the woods and...She died?

Could that black dragoness and her daughter be...?

And now that I think about it, he said that her mate went after the humans for revenge after she died. Could that be?

And those two hatchlings....Could they be?

I opened my snout and asked, "What was her name?"

Sebastian turned to me and I asked a few more questions, "What was her name, that black dragoness? And her mate, do you remember his name too?"

Sebastian nodded, "Of course. They're names were." He said their names in dragon tongue. And my eyes went wide at his answer.

Oh my ancestors! I know them!

They're...Mother and father.

He knew my mom and dad, before they died.

Sebastian cocked his head, "Why do you ask, dear?"

I hung my head and looked at my reflection this time, "They're my mom and dad."

Sebastian's face widened at my answer and I went on after seeing his expression, "You met my mother in classes and you've known that she was with my father. And her daughter that was with her in the snow...It was me."

He held a lot of pity in his eyes, "Oh...."

I responded to him, while I was still looking at myself, "I still think about that day, up to this very day. And I was...Real little." I giggled at myself, "I was having such a good time with her, playing hide and seek with my mother. Even though, she's old enough to not be a hatchling, she was pretty playful. Even to me. I don't think she cared." I let out a amused sigh, "My dad however, was sort of a different story. He can be stern about things, but he was still a good father." I shrugged my wings and shoulders, "Even though I'm not really daddy's girl, I'm actually the momma's girl. But he still was a good father, he always treated my brother Frankie, like he's daddy's boy."

Sebastian said this to me with a sad look, "I'm dreadfully sorry about that."

I waved him off with my paw, shaking my head without looking at him, "I'm fine. It's just...I usually can't get that memory out of my head. Seeing my mother's body on the snow, her blood all over the whiteness of the snow. I can even remember, how long I was crying on her when she was gone." I finally looked at him and sighed, "You do have a point, she never deserved that kind of treatment, not to mention deserved to die."

I looked up at the skies, thinking that I saw them up there in the clouds, "My father left me and my brother months after that happened. He was driven so crazy with vengeance, he wanted the humans who killed her, he wanted their blood. So...One day, he said goodbye to us, hugged us real tight, told my brother to look after me and just took off and left. I...I can still remember calling out to him to come back. Crying out to him. Saying that...I don't want to lose you, like mommy."

My body shuddered a bit at the memory, "I...I sometimes wonder...What it would've been like, if they were still alive. Maybe my brother wouldn't have been so judgmental towards humanity, and...Maybe I would've had a family of my own, thanks to my mother and father's guidance. I wouldn't have been so shy. Maybe...They would've been old, just like you and Joanna." I looked right at him now, "I think that my father, would show some grayness in his scales, but he would still have that stern personality and as for mom...She would also have grayness and she'd always be motherly to me, even when I'm older now, she would always say that I...Looked like her."

Sebastian still had that look on his face and he muttered, "You really do look like her. It..It feels like I've seen a ghost."

I replied, "Humpf, I have the same beauty as her, the same eyes, the same curves, everything. And..." I looked at my reflection again, staring at the mirror image of my own mother, "Sometimes, when I look at myself, I see her looking back at me." I let out a trembling sigh, "I can even feel my mother laying her wing over me, when I'm sleeping too. Thinking that she hasn't left my side. Not even when she's dead. And for dad...He would probably sleep close to my brother, just to keep him from feeling alone, or perhaps he would standby and watch my mother sleep close by me."

I started to lean my head onto his shoulder and sighed, "I still miss them, especially my mother. I can even think they would've liked how humanity changed years ago, but I can be certain, they'd be confused as to why they're hostile towards us again. But...I know they would've loved Wayne, Amanda, Jessie, even...Brandon. They would love them and my mother would treat them like hatchlings. Maybe...My mother would tell stories to them, like she has told her stories to me."

Sebastian started to smile, "I would treat all of you like hatchlings, even Brandon. He's a good kiddo."

I started to smile at his words, "He always wanted a new father and he has one." My smile went away in an instant, and I let out a unhappy breath, "I wish I had a new father too. Because my brother was old enough to take care of me back then, I never had a chance to have a new mother and father."

Then without a moment of hesitation, Sebastian slowly wrapped a wing around me, my eyes bugged out my skull and I looked at his face. He gave me a comforting smile and said in a soothing voice, "All of you are like a family to this old drake. I've lost my family for years, but now after for such a long time ...I have a new family and...You're like a daughter to me."

I smiled at him and he went on, "I wish I did talk to your mother before she died, she was pretty nice and as for your father...I wish I did talk to him and convince him to not leave you and your brother. Maybe it would've made a difference. But...I wish that I've took care of you and Frankie back then, like I was taking care of my son, but I never met you two back then."

I said to him, "I think despite their deaths, I still have a good life. I still made friends when I'm an adult. And...One of them is you."

Sebastian leaned his head and nuzzled my face with his snout, "I'm here for you, Rain. I'm here for you now." He gave my cheek a lick and nuzzled me again, "I'm here, when you need me. And...I'll be your father, if you want. I may not be your real father, but nevertheless, I'll still be your father. I promise."

I nuzzled his shoulder, as he held me in his wing tighter, "Thank you, Sebastian. I...I can see why Brandon likes you so much. I wish I knew his real father, but...I can think he's like you. The human Sebastian."

Sebastian chuckled at that, "Thanks for the compliment and comparison." He sighed and said, "I only feel sorry for his own mother. I know I sound like a broken record, but I'd be with her. If she feels sad, I'd hold onto her, because I've lost a mate too. And we'd sleep by each other too, I'd curl my leg around her, just to keep her company and make her feel warm."

I giggled at the thought, "Sounds like me and Brandon. And...You really do care for her, don't you?"

Sebastian leaned his head onto mine a bit and replied, "I know we never met before, but how he describes her, what she's like, how she likes flowers like I do...I'd help her through the pain. And I'll never leave her alone, until I die, or until she dies."

I slowly started to smile at his words, "She would love it and...I hope you'll meet her one day." I hope he does, they deserve each other.

Diana has lost her mate, just like the old drake did. They would both make great company together.

Just like me and Brandon. She'd be with a dragon, just like Brandon's with me. I let out a pleasant sigh and Sebastian heard it. He asked, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

I pulled myself closer to him and answered, "Nothing. Nothing to worry about."

Sebastian still held me in his wing, as me and him are looking at the water in front of us. Just feeling content being like this.

I'm happy, that you're here Sebastian. Comforting me, about my folks. And I'm very surprised that you know them, especially my mother.

And you know...You really would've make a good father to me and Frankie. We wouldn't mind it.

I know you'll keep your promise. My mother would appreciate it. She would really thank you for that.

*****

I looked straight at Wayne's photo of him and Joanna Stanton in my hand. I was smirking at it. I handed the photo right back at him, and said this as he took it out of my hand, "So that was the woman who inspired you to sing back then? I have to say, you looked a bit different back then."

Wayne looked at the photo for a second and he put it back in his pocket, "I was sixteen, when that photo was taken. So yeah, I'd look a little different." We both giggled at that and he asked with a shrug of his arms, "But hey, I still look like that kid right now."

I nodded, "As a matter of fact, you are."

Wayne shook his head, and had an expression full of disbelief, "Man, so many years have passed by and I still look young. I think, that's what I get for staying in the dragon city for such a long time."

I shrugged my shoulders, "Hey better than grow old real fast and die, right?"

Wayne replied with a sigh, "Yeah, but when you're the one who's aging slower, then the people you knew around that time who haven't really lived in the city, they'd grow old and die real fast, before I do."

I had a look of realization at what he said, "Oh yeah...I guess I see your point."

Wayne then smiled, "But, at least not everyone I know dies. I know that my mom and dad, died years ago from being old, I'm sure of that. But still, I still have someone that I know and love." He gestured to Cody near me, he's laying on his stomach looking at my town from a distance, "Just like Cody here. I don't think, I could live without my green pal."

Cody just ignored Wayne, by still having his gaze upon my hometown. I giggled and thumbed at him beside me, "Guess his mind is on track about something."

Wayne shrugged his arms, "Who knows?"

I looked at my hometown along with Wayne and Cody. Still waiting for night to come. Cody's laying on his stomach, Wayne's sitting on that rock and I'm sitting on the grass with my back pressed against it, my legs laid straight out. I looked up at the sky and saw that it changed a little bit. Meaning that it's maybe a couple hours away for dusk to arrive. I let out an impatient sigh. I wish night would get here already. I'm a bit tired of waiting.

Cause so far, me and the guys have played three games of I spy. Knock, Knock jokes. Twenty Questions. We even made up a game called, who can guess what kind of bird there is on the trees. But we didn't like that one pretty much. We don't know many types of birds, all that much.

Heck to my amusement, Cody said that he wants to roar at the birds just to scare them off and also give him something to do. But we stopped him before that could happen, because my town's not a mile away far from here. People who live there might hear him, and that'll be bad.

Might as well keep the roaring the down low. I don't want anyone to find and hurt him. Not even Sebastian and Rain.

Their faces popped up in my mind. Boy, I guess we should have went for a walk with them. They were gone for a long time. I wonder where they walked off too?

Well they're probably having a fun time having a stroll. Now we wish we weren't lazy after coming here and we didn't let them go off alone. That's what you get for being lazy.

I'm sure Sebastian would be bringing it up and laughing about THAT. Saying, that's what you get for being lazy! I chuckled under my breath. We have been warned, old man.

And you, you dirty old drake, you better not have any funny ideas about my mom again.

Oh man, I can just picture mom kicking the old drake, right in the balls. I'd be in hysterics! Meanwhile, Sebastian would be moaning in pain and curled up in a ball, holding his nuts with his paws. Also, he'd be whimpering like a baby.

Boy, I really have a weird imagination. Mom, kicking him in the balls. Give me a break!

Then Rain's face came into mind and now my expression's blank. I'm still shocked at myself, that I'm still in love with Rain. And I'm thinking, I'm going really crazy.

But I'm glad that I have made amends with Jessie today, for what happened last night. I'm glad there were no hard feelings about it. And even, I'm still glad for it.

I think now it would've been better, if she and I would stay as friends. I just don't really think that way about her. I thought I did before, but I don't. I won't put her through any pain. After all, some people are better off as friends. So me and the blonde rich girl will stay friends.

And I'm sure I'm better off being friends with Rain. She's still a dragon and I'm a human.

I looked at Wayne beside me and he didn't notice my stare. I know that he was with Sierra and I was surprised that he was with her in that way.

That a human and a dragon, can be together that way. I didn't really think it was really possible.

Well, I think it's good for him that he was with Sierra that way, because of what happened to her years ago. She seemed to really need it and both their lives have really changed, for the better.

I let out a sigh. I know that Rain loved Tommy back then and I know...That I love her. But I just don't think I can do it, or it'll really happen anyways. I'm not Wayne and Amanda, and I'm especially not Tommy. I'm just...Brandon.

I really feel my conflictions just thinking about it. Me, being with her that way.

I know Rain's a nice girl and we're close, but she's too different for me and plus, she wouldn't think about me that way anyways.

I can't do this, I can't.

Rain's my friend and it'll have to stay that way.

I know that I have my warm fuzzy feeling, more than once before my realization came, but I still can't do it.

I'm sorry to say this, warm fuzzy feeling, I can't do it.

But I'd do it, since I still have feelings for her, on one condition though. If she were a human like me, I'd consider it. Or if I was a scaly, tall, big dragon like her, then I'd REALLY consider it.

I can't be that drake, that's the problem. And she can't be a human, and that's a problem too.

I really need to drop this, before it gets out of control. I'll drive myself more crazier than before, if I don't. It won't work out, I'm not really that kind of human.

I can't be Tommy, or any other human who has done this sort of thing. I can't.

Cody's voice interrupted my thought, when he asked Wayne while he was looking at my town still, "Hey Wayne?" Me and Wayne both gazed at the green drake and he said, "Do you remember all those times me, you and everyone else went to that human town?" Wayne nodded and Cody asked, "Did you remember one time we went for that...Town fair?"

Wayne smiled and nodded, "Yeah, and we all went to that carnival for that event." He giggled and he gestured his hand toward him, "I think when you saw clowns, you were afraid of them."

Cody shot up his head and laughed, "Well they were FREAKY! I've never been so freaked out in my whole entire life! And Eleanor was thinking the same thing." He shook his head and chuckled some more, "Man, if Henry was born around that time and he came with me and his momma, he'd be scared for life too!"

Wayne laughed and added, "Or he might have protected you and your mate, by using his little roar at them."

Me and Cody laughed at that and Cody replied, when he looked at Wayne, "Oh, I'm sure his little roar won't be around forever. He'll have a strong, proud roar just like his papa."

Wayne rolled up his eyes, "I'm sure he will."

Cody gave him a narrowed look, "You'll see one day, you and everyone shall see what drake he'll be when he's big."

Wayne nodded, "I'll keep that in mind. And hopefully, he won't be a little green run-"

Cody protested, "He won't and I'll make sure of it!" Then Wayne and I laughed and Cody did a little bit.

Wayne was giggling still when he said, "I actually remember, Neal had developed a fear of clowns too. He really wanted to toast them."

Cody shifted around on the grass on his stomach, to totally face Wayne and me, "So did I." He cocked his head, "I still don't understand why humans dress as clowns. I don't get it."

Wayne answered, "Because apparently, they bring joy and happiness to kids and adults of all ages. Even when they're weird."

Cody snorted at the idea, "Well I still think there's no point in having clowns, Wayne. They're freaky!"

I shrugged my shoulders and admitted, "I'll admit it, I'm afraid of clowns too."

Cody shot up his head and pointed at me with his wing tip, exclaiming to Wayne, "See? Brando agrees!" Then he gave me a proud smile, "Good job, pal!"

I waved him off with a giggle, "It was nothing."

Cody then rolled up his eyes to glance at the sky, in some thought, "You want to know what I think? I think that there should be a war between dragons and clowns. You know, like a gender war, only we really do fight. I think dragons would win."

Wayne's face went wide, "But then you'd be killing innocent humans, big guy."

Cody rolled his eyes and groaned, "Well there should be creatures called clowns, instead of humans dressing like them! That way, dragons wouldn't really kill innocent humans. That should solve the problem!"

Wayne chuckled and pointed at him, "Cody, you're weird."

Cody shot his head to his left and shrugged his shoulders, "I'm weird, so who cares?" He lifted a paw off the grass to point at him, "And you're the one who's no damn fun, you won't join the dragons in the war against clowns."

Wayne waved him off, "I don't give a crap, about your war. That's your problem."

Cody narrowed his eyes at him, "Traitor."

Wayne shot a narrowed look back at him, "I'm not a traitor."

Cody gestured his paw to me, "Well Brandon here, would join the war, he thinks clowns are freaky too."

I laughed and nodded, "I think that's true, I'd do it."

Wayne looked at me and asked, "Why are you afraid of them anyways?"

I responded, "Because on my sixth birthday, my dad hired a clown to do tricks and you want to know what he did? By pulling off a clown trick, he pulled a snake." Then I held my hand near my right arm and made an imitation of pulling something out of my sleeve, "A LIVE SNAKE, out of his sleeve! And that's why, I'm afraid of them!"

Wayne tilted his head while trying to stifle a giggle with his wrist to his mouth. Then he asked, "So what did you do with the snake?"

I was shooting a glare at him, "That's not funny, Wayne. I HATE snakes!"

Wayne laughed and waved me off, "Sorry."

I let out a sigh, "Can we stop talking about freakin clowns and talk about something else?" I gestured toward Wayne, "So what else did you guys do in that carnival? I'm sure dragons couldn't ride on the rides there."

Cody whined, "No, we couldn't. Only humans get to ride them! And me and Eleanor weren't tall and big for them, we were small enough to ride them! Problem was, no human would let us ride any of them."

I held somewhat a pity look for him, "That sucks."

Cody nodded with a pout, "Yeah, sucks big time. They looked so fun!"

Wayne nodded in agreement, "I can understand that big dragons couldn't ride on any of them. But for short ones, I think you would've rode on a few of them."

Cody shot up his head, "I know! But we didn't. And it was the very first carnival me and Eleanor ever went to." He hung his head and went back to pouting, "I'm not even small now to ride on them anymore."

Wayne's faces lit up when an idea popped in his brain, "I think Henry would have fun riding them. He's small enough to ride a few of them."

Cody actually started to smile at that, "He really would've had fun. If the humans would let him." Wayne nodded again and so did I.

Wayne glanced at the trees and said, "Heck, I also remember that I've won a little toy bear for Sierra back then and she didn't want the cute little thing." He raised an eyebrow when he turned to Cody, "Did you remember that?"

Cody giggled, "Yeah, Sierra was being a stubborn old lady about it. I'd would take the cute little thing." He tilted his head a bit and went on, "Or I'm sure Eleanor would like the thing too."

Wayne said, "Amanda thought she'd take it and she decided to give that bear to Neal."

Cody shook his head with a smirk, "Neal doesn't mind when he sees something cute and cuddly, plus he always did like gifts."

Wayne let out a sigh, "Sierra apologized for it, but I was never mad at her to begin with."

Cody hummed in thought, "And we also saw our good old buddy Tommy, for the first time there. We actually saw him sing that night too!"

Wayne smiled at the memory, "He was pretty good, even when he's shy around that time, he really was good." Wayne looked up at the sky, "Nice guy, too."

Cody nodded in agreement and looked up at the sky too, "I miss that guy, he really was great to hang with."

Wayne said this in reply, "We all miss him, especially Rain."

Cody held a sad look upon his face, "And what I really miss the most, is all the attention I get when I visit that human town. To see all the human hatchlings come see me in the park at that town." Cody sighed at the memory and was now glancing at my town, still reminiscing, "How they all just saw me as cute and cuddly, because I was short and small, compared to Sierra, Neal and Rain. I looked liked that dragon who didn't scare anything around him. How they weren't scared of me, how they didn't call me a monster. They just called me their...Friend." He giggled to himself, "I can remember how they usually cry when they beg me not to leave. But had to get home sooner or later."

Me and Wayne giggled too. And he said, "You were a big hit with the kids, pal. I can remember me and Sierra watching them trying to play with your tail, when you swish it back and forth."

Cody laughed, "Yeah and when there's too many hands for my poor tail to play with, I usually raise it out of their reach."

Wayne gestured to Cody's tail, "But the flaw with your plan is, they would cry after you raise your tail and you'd just lower it back down to them, just because you feel sorry for them."

Cody let out a pleasant sigh, "Those were the good old days, and I think that's when I realized that I wanted a hatchling of my own, Eleanor did too. She was a big hit as well."

Wayne said, "I think the little girls who were with the little boys, liked her the most because her color's purple."

Cody shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well still, she was a big hit to them.. Even when the little human female hatchlings like her the most." Cody and Wayne both hung their heads and I held a pity look for them. And we were like this in silence.

Cody broke the silence, while he looked at the grass in front of him, "I wonder what those kids look like these days and...I wonder if they'll remember me."

Wayne looked at him and shook his head, "I'm sure they don't. They've forgotten you, just like everyone else." He glanced away in sadness, "Including my...Mom and dad."

I let out a gasp. His mom and dad too? That's...Sad. I asked, "Your parents, have forgotten dragons as friends, too?"

Wayne turned to me and nodded, while he had his glum look, "Yeah. it wasn't very long after Sierra disappeared, I went to their house and asked them if they saw her, but they just...Didn't remember her. They didn't even know her name." Then he gestured to Cody, "Nor him, nor Neal, nor Eleanor, nor Rain, nor anybody who's a dragon." He shrugged his arms, "They remember me, though and they remember Amanda, but my scaly friends, even Sierra being my girlfriend, they didn't remember them."

He went on, "After that, I just couldn't...Talk to them anymore. I mean, I belong in the dragon city and if my parents don't remember them, then I didn't know what to do. They would probably scream at my friends because of what they are, probably be hostile towards them and plus they live in a town. There was no way, I could bring my friends to them, I couldn't go back to them. So I....Never went back to them. I just stayed in the dragon city, worried about Sierra more than anything. So now...I can only assume since it has been such a very long time ago, they've both died."

Wayne let out a frustrated breath, "I don't understand, how could mom and dad forget that their son is romantically involved with a dragon? I did tell them that before and there's no way, you could forget something like that. I can tell they...Didn't remember at all."

Cody nodded slowly, "Yeah, and all of us, including me have talked to them more than once before it happened, so no way you could forget someone like me. I...I liked you parents, Wayne. And what happened to every human, including them wasn't fair at all. I...I like talking to more humans."

Wayne said this with suspicion in his voice, "What happened to everyone, wasn't normal. Humans don't forget their friends that easily."

I held a sad look for both of them. I agree with them a hundred percent. None of this is fair.

Dragons deserve to co exist with humans. And something made them change. Humans don't forget stuff just like that.

It's not normal after all. I agree with Wayne on that one.

I feel so sorry for Cody and every dragon who's suffering because of this. Dragons don't deserve hate. Don't deserve to be called monsters. They're not.

Even what happened to Tommy too, wasn't fair at all. He and Rain...Both loved each other. So how can Tommy just forget that? I wouldn't, if I was him. I'd never forget Rain being my girlfriend.

Not to say, that I'll be her girlfriend. I'm making a point here!

I let out a sigh. This isn't fair, none of this is fair.

I'm sorry for you, Rain. You didn't deserve it, neither should you Cody.

You deserve to be with those children and Rain, you deserve to be with the one you love. You deserve Tommy. But now...He's old and he won't last forever.

I'm so sorry, Rain. Sorry for your kind.

I got up off the grass and shook my head in sympathy for Cody, "I'm sorry for what happened to your kind, Cody." I let out a sigh, "And I'm sorry for Rain too. You guys are right, none of this was supposed to be this way." I motioned my hand to him, "You Cody, deserve to be with those children and watch them grow, and Rain deserves to be with Tommy." Then I turned to Wayne and gestured to him, "I'm sorry for what happened to your parents, them forgotten your friends, wasn't supposed to be that way. They didn't deserve to forget them, they deserve to remember them. And you deserve to be with Sierra. I don't know why she disappeared, but you still deserve her."

They both smiled at me and I placed a hand to my chest, "And I'll tell you this...I'd help you guys in the search to find that answer." They both frowned and I went on, "To find the answer to what happened. To what changed humanity and why."

Wayne and Cody's smiles melted away and Wayne shook his head, "Brandon, we all tried to find it for years, but we never did."

Cody shook his head too, "Yeah we did, but we never found it. I...I don't really think there's any explanation at all."

I shook my head with a determined look, "There's an explanation to everything." I shook my head again, "I know that everyone has been searching for that answer and that search is not over yet. All of you have been searching." Then I put on a smile, "And you know what, I don't care how long it takes. Because no matter how many years have gone by, if I'll still be young, just like Wayne here, I'd still search for it. Until that search is over."

I took a couple of steps toward Cody and said with more determination and honesty, "I know you think you should give up, but you shouldn't. Everything has an explanation and we haven't found it yet and I'll help you look for it. Day or night, year after year, I wouldn't care. Because dragons don't deserve that kind of treatment. All  of you, including you and Rain, deserve better. Not like this. All of you were happy, co existing with humanity and something took that co existence away."

I shook my head, "I won't stand by for that and if that answer's out there, I'll find it. I'll look for it, until I die. Because we all deserve to live together. Dragons haven't lived with humanity for over a thousand years, maybe more than that. Both our kinds deserve to call each other, as friends." I turned Wayne and nodded, "I won't give up. I'll never give up. Because I'm doing this for you guys, most of all, for Rain. I won't give up, until that search for that answer is over. Until the search is over, I'll look for it and find it."

Wayne finally smiled at me after he looked at me for a few moments and he got off that rock and went toward me. He patted my shoulder and said, "Thanks Brandon."

Cody nodded in agreement with a smile of his own, "Yeah, thank you Brandon."

Wayne giggled, "You really do have a way with words."

I giggled too and shrugged my arms, "I have my moments, pal."

Wayne nodded and said, "You're right, actually. Everything does have an explanation and we shouldn't give up, searching for it. I think we'll keep on searching, just like I'll keep hoping and searching for Sierra too. That she'll either come back to me, or I'll find her. Either way, I'll find that answer. My parents and Joanna wouldn't want me to stop. There has to be that explanation and I won't give up."

Cody agreed, when he bowed his head a bit, "Me too."

Wayne glanced at Cody, then at me and asked us, "Don't Stop Believin'?"

I smiled and me and Cody said in unison, "Don't Stop Believin'."

Not very long after that, Rain and Sebastian came back from their walk and Rain said this with a high voice, "So did we miss anything?"

Me, Cody and Wayne looked at them and I just grinned at them, "There you two are! We have you been?"

Wayne giggled when Rain and Sebastian strolled closer to us, "Yeah, talk about a long walk. You were gone for a long time."

Rain went up to me and sat down on her haunches beside me, "Lets just say me and the old drake were just having the time of our lives together. Plus, had to kill as much time as possible." She looked at the sky and snorted, "I can tell it's not getting dark yet."

Sebastian laid down on his stomach near Wayne, "I had a fun stroll with Rain. But hey, even strolls don't last forever, so we came back." He gave us all a smirk and asked, "So how did it go boys? Enjoyed being lazy?"

Cody laughed, "Yes and no. Lets just say we played some games, but we also got bored."

Wayne nodded and said to Rain, "Guess we all should've went for that walk with you, after all."

Rain shot up her head and said with a smug grin, "That's what you get for being lazy."

Sebastian gave out his old chuckle, "Yeah and if you keep this up, you'll get fat sooner than you think."

Cody closed his eyes and held up his head, "I won't get fat, I'll make sure of it!"

Rain pointed her wing tip at him, with a giggle, "Look pretty fat now."

Cody hissed at her and said, "I'm not in the mood for YOU giving me a hard time."

Rain laughed, "But I love giving you a hard time, you little green runt."

He just whined, "Damn it!" We were all laughing now, except for him.

Rain lowered her head and turned her face to me. She asked me, "So how are you doing?"

I answered when I reached to rub her nose, "I think things are getting more entertaining when you and the old drake show up."

Sebastian remarked, "Ha! I'm a good drake to be with!"

Rain raised her head above my level and said with a devious grin, "And by the way, I have something I want to give you."

I titled my head, "What?" Then I felt her paw smack against my butt and I jumped up and yelped in surprise. While I was rubbing my bottom with both hands, I turned to Rain with a glare, "Rain! That hurt!"

Rain laughed and she curled her tail around her, "Well you deserved it for that crack earlier."

I groaned, as everyone was laughing at me, "Woman, I was kidding!"

Rain narrowed her eyes, "You told the old drake, not to get any funny ideas about me. You think I'd forgive you too soon." She put on a tooth filled smile, "Besides, I have forgiven you IMMEDIATELY, after spanking you."

I let out a big sigh, as the pain in my buttocks subsided, "It still hurt."

Rain pointed her paw at me, "You were being a bad boy, and I was giving you a good spanking."

I started to walk up behind her and said as I was near her haunches, "I'll give you a spanking." Then I raised my hand real high and then swung it at her haunch, giving her a loud smack. This time, she yelped and her eyes bugged out of her eyes.

Cody, Wayne and Sebastian all tossed back their heads and laughed. Rain looked back at me and glared, "Great, first I get a spanking from my brother and now it came from YOU. That's twice in one day!"

I laughed and shrugged my arms, as I strode away from her haunches and up to her chest, "Well we're even now."

Rain started to grin and rolled up her eyes to sigh, "Yeah, I think we are."

I jokingly said, "Hey, it's better than tickling your wings. I'm sure your wings won't like that."

Rain let out a groan, "I hate when my wings are ticklish." I let out a laugh and she playfully narrowed her eyes down at me.

I looked right at her face, as I was done laughing. Then while I was staring at her, my feelings for her came back in a blink of an eye. I just brushed them away from my mind, feeling apprehensive and awkward again. Don't even think about it, Brandon.

She's a dragon and you're a human. You're not Wayne, Amanda and Tommy, remember? And she doesn't love you that way. Just don't even think it.

Rain cocked her head as she realized I was just staring at her for a long time, "What?"

I waved her off, "Nothing. I didn't mean to stare."

Rain smirked down at me, "Did you notice something on me and you're just looking at it? You know, if it's on my head, I can lower it to give you a good look at it."

I shook my head, giving her a smile, "Nah, I'm done now."

Rain nodded, "Suit yourself." She let out a sigh as her smile went away, "Great, since it's still day now, now me and Sebastian will have to wait for dusk to come along with you boys."

Cody laughed, playfully saying to her, "Welcome to the lazy club, Rain."

Rain groaned real loud for everyone to hear, then she got up off her haunches, "But I hate the lazy club. I don't want to get fat, like YOU."

Cody shook his head and his smile went away, "I'm not fat."

Wayne protested, "I'm not fat either!"

I defended as well, "Me too!"

She rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say, you're just in denial."

Then me, Wayne and Cody shouted in unison, "WE'RE NOT FAT!"

Rain just smugly grinned at all three of us, "Still in denial. You'll be fatter, sooner than you think."

I shot a playful threat at the black dragoness, "Rain, don't make me spank your scaly ass, again."

Rain growled at me and lowered her head to my level, "You do THAT, and I'll smack you little human ass, TWICE." She gave me a grin now as her face softened, "That way you won't sit around being a lazy human for a while. I'm doing you a favor, my little friend. I don't think you want to be fat."

I whimpered a bit and just gave my butt cheek a rub with my hand, "I don't want my butt to be sore."

Rain raised her head and demanded, "Then take back your little threat, and then I won't make it sore."

I said it in total desperation, "I'll take it back."

Rain shot up her head in victory, "I win." I whined in defeat and she laughed.

Wayne let out a breath, "Well since we're still staying in this spot for...Another couple of hours, I guess. I think we need to find something else real productive to do."

Cody shook his head, "Dude, I'm not playing, I spy again. I'm bored at that one now."

Rain shrugged her shoulder as she looked right at Wayne, "I don't have any ideas."

Wayne snapped a finger and exclaimed, "I have an idea how to kill a little more time."

Rain giggled and motioned her paw at him, "Please, do tell your idea."

Wayne took a few steps toward me and Rain, "How about we sing a song, just to kill the time? And you thinking what song I'm thinking of?" He winked at us.

Cody beamed nearby and raised a paw, waving it, "I do!"

Rain smiled and nodded, "I have an idea what it is."

I frowned and slowly shrugged my arms, "Sort of...Kind of...Maybe."

Sebastian formed a smile on his snout, "I wouldn't mind hearing what that human's singing." He waved his paw toward Wayne, "Go ahead."

Wayne backed away from me and Rain, and started clapping his hands. He started humming this certain song real loud. I started to smirk when I recognized the tune.

Wayne stopped clapping and sang real loud, "Just a small town girl!" He motioned his hand around the area we're in, "Living in a lonely world!" He pointed a Rain for a second, "You took the midnight train, going anywhere!" Rain laughed and he beckoned me and urged, "Come on, Brandon. You've heard Don't Stop Believin' before and you know the words, join in!"

I laughed and nodded. I took a deep breath and joined up the whole thing, by taking a few steps away from Rain, toward Wayne, "Just a city boy!" I pointed at Cody, "Born and raised in DRAGON CITY!"

Cody cheered, with his wings flared, "Wooo!" Sebastian gave out his old hearty laugh nearby.

I pulled my hand back and chuckled a bit, "He took the midnight train, going anywhere!"

Rain joined in too, while she was shaking her haunches and tail back and forth, "A singer in a smokey room." She closed her eyes and held her head up high, "A smell of wine and cheap perfume!"

Cody joined in as well, while he was laying on his stomach, "For a smile they can share the night!" He was repeatedly shaking his head back and forth, "It goes on and on, and on, and on!"

Wayne hollered to us, "Come on!" Then he sang, "Strangers, waiting! Up and down the boulevard!"

Cody's turn came, "Their shadows, searching in the night!"

I was tapping my foot in rhythm, "Streetlight, people!" I closed my eyes and held a hand close to my chest, "Living just to find emotion!" I opened them and whirled around to smile at Rain, "Hiding!" I held up my head and shot my arm high into the air, "Somewhere in the night!!!!"

I shot it back down and just danced, by spinning around about three times. Wayne was clapping his hands again and Rain cheered, while Sebastian just enjoyed the show.

Cody sang after I was done spinning around, "Working hard, to get my fill!"

I clenched my fist tightly and was tapping my foot, "Everybody wants a thrill! Paying anything to roll the dice!" I raised a finger, "Just one more time!"

Rain sang along with me in unison, "Some will win, some will lose! Some are born to sing the blues!"

Wayne shook his head, "Oh, the movie never ends!" He gestured his hand repeatedly towards us, "It goes on and on, and on, and on!"

Rain padded towards me and Wayne a few steps, singing real loud, "Strangers, waiting! Up and down the boulevard! Their shadows, searching in the night!"

Me and Wayne sang together in unison now, as we both faced each other, "Streetlights, people!" I sang by myself now, as I went toward Sebastian, who was watching intently at me, "Oh, we're living just to find emotion!" Me and Wayne sang together again as he came and stood beside me, singing to Sebastian too, we both raised our arms high in the air, "Hiding, somewhere in the night!!!!"

We both shot our arms back down and Wayne was clapping his hands again, humming the music real loud. It sounded like that guitar solo in the song. He strode his way back to Rain. Wayne finished the humming, stopped clapping and sang loud by pointing at Rain, "Don't stop believin'!"

Rain's face lit up, as she went along with it, "Hold onto that feeling!" Then she held up her head and flared her wings, while Wayne spread out his arms like a dragon, as they both sang together, "Streetlight, people!!!"

Cody was stomping his paw in rhythm, "Don't stop believin'! Hold on! Streetlight, people!!"

I was shaking my body back and forth, while I was singing this, "Don't stop believin'! Hold onto that feeling!" I hollered at Sebastian, "Come on, dad! Join in, just this part!"

Sebastian didn't expect that, by the look in his eyes, but he cleared his throat and sang too. His voice sounded old and rough, "Streetlight, people!!"

I threw a fist at him and cheered, "Yeah!" Then me, Rain, Wayne and Cody sang together now, "Don't stop believin'! Hold onto that feeling!" Then it was me and Wayne now, as he stood beside me. I raised my left arm up in the air, and Wayne only raised his right arm, both of us singing a high note, "Streetlight, people!!!"

Then we both sang this, "Don't stop!" I shot my arm back down and so did Wayne, who was now breathing heavily and I backed away from him and spun around once. I stopped in my tracks and facing everyone who was watching me and I held a fist to my chest, closed my eyes real tight and sang real loud for the final time, putting my voice into high gear, "DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'!!!!!" Then I shot my eyes open and threw my fist at the air as I ended the song.

Wayne beamed and clapped at my solo at the end. Rain and Cody cheered real loud, "Woo!!"

Sebastian was clapping his paws at our performance, "Wow, that was perfect! I loved it!"

I laughed and cupped my hands together and cheered through them, "Woohooo!!" Wayne laughed too and he came up to me, to pat my back. Rain came up to me too and lowered her head to my level, giving my chest a nuzzle.

Rain said this after she nuzzled me, looking at my eyes, "Brandon, you did a nice job with us!"

I giggled, while I was still breathing heavily. I stroked her cheek with one hand, "Yeah, it was...Amazing." I chuckled at that.

Sebastian got up off the ground onto all fours. He made his way to me, Wayne and Rain, she was backing away from us now. Then he stopped where he was at and beamed, "That was amazing everyone. I loved every minute of it."

Wayne gestured to him and said, "Thanks, big guy."

Sebastian looked right at me, saying this, "And you Brandon, I think your father would be very proud of you, for what you did just now."

I looked up at the sky, imagining my real father's expression. Yeah...I think he would.

Dad would be proud, like he would be proud at me singing in front of a large crowd back at the city.

I nodded and smiled at the old bronze drake now, "You're right, he would."

Rain let out a breath and went to Cody to lay down on her stomach by him, "Well that was fun."

Cody nodded in agreement at her, "Really fun. I haven't sang that song for...Awhile now."

Wayne chuckled and went back to sit down on the rock he was on, "It really was fun and thank you for joining."

I smiled and then I went to sit down on the grass beside Rain. She grinned down beside me and I grinned right back. Sebastian came over and sat down beside me. And now here we all are now, just sitting around in silence. Just letting our moment sink in.

While I was sitting in between Rain and Sebastian, I looked over my shoulder to look at my hometown. I let out a sigh. If you were here mom, you really would've enjoyed it like everyone else.

Tonight mom, in a couple of hours, I'll come home to you.

Don't worry, I'm coming home.