\n EDIT:  I have replaced the text of the original piece with the new edited version.  This version is the best that I can make it.

\n

\n Safety No More

\n

\n Several human years ago, I would've never imagined that I'd be where I am now. In fact, it was on this particular day that my life got better, but included more problems. My name? My name is Alex. Well, it used to be, now my name is Talon, in your human tongue, and I am a dragon. Yes, it all took place many years ago, my transition into the form of a male dragon.

\n

\n I was 16 at the time and taking a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park. I had gotten this weird rash (it looked like a giant case of hives) on my arm a few days prior and I didn't know of the cause. I wasn't allergic to anything. Ever since he saw the rash, my father started to act very strange. Always eying it, asking questions about how it felt; if there was any discomfort or the like. I told my friend Michael about it over the phone and he all of the sudden took on a different tone of voice that I never associated with him before, telling me to be careful and not to trust anyone outside of my immediate family. The actions of both my friend and father left me deeply puzzled. There was definitely something up. I just didn't know that I was going to find out sooner than I thought...

\n

\n "Are we there yet?" my sister asked. It was apparent upon my father's face that he was annoyed.

\n

\n "No, Alyssa!" my father replied, now obviously irate. "We have about another hour until we reach Old Faithful. Now please stop asking."

\n

\n Then Alyssa saw something, a moose, majestic and peaceful. Because they were rare, my father thought it would be a good time for my step-mother (*cough* Bitch! *cough, cough*) to get a picture of it.

\n

\n Alyssa was the first thing out of the car when we stopped. Unfortunately, in her excitement, she forgot to look for oncoming traffic. It was at this point in time that my life would be forever changed, turned upside-down by a power I didn't even know I possessed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a silver SUV barreling towards my beloved sister.

\n

\n Immediately, all time around me slowed to a crawl. The rash on my arm all of the sudden heated up to the point of it being agonizingly hot, as if my arm was on fire. Triggered by my fraternal instincts to uphold the promise I made to protect my sibling with my life, the rash spread to every part of my body. The bumps on the rash took on a different shape, almost like scales. Then, two large wings shot majestically and painfully out of my shoulder blades. My cloths ripped to pieces as my previously 5' 6" body stretched to about a good 14 feet and my tailbone extended into a full-blown tail. The entire back seat of the car was demolished, thanks to my sudden growth. What to me seemed to take an eternity really only took a few micro seconds.

\n

\n What happened after that was a blur, however, as massive amounts of strength-altering adrenaline was pumped into my system, every muscle fiber tense and ready to snap into action. My eyes automatically locked onto my helpless sister and I lunged into the air with incredible force and strength. I landed directly over Alyssa and put my left shoulder level to the SUV's grill, shielding my sister with my bulk. There was a loud crash as the vehicle struck me. I felt it, it didn't hurt at all let alone move me, a gentle push would be an excelent way to describe it. However, the SUV didn't fair well at all, the whole thing had crushed itself from its own momentum. Then I felt lightheaded as my new-found strength dissipated. I collapsed and blacked out.

\n

\n ***
\n             "This is just like you, Rakk!" Amethyst growled to her mate, "What is it that makes Alex more important than your own mate?"

\n

\n "Because his father told me to watch over him, Amethyst." Rakk said, a little annoyed by his lover's nagging. "You know why, his transition started later than when it should have. And because it wasn't the normal slow transition like it should have been, he may be frightened and confused."

\n

\n "I know." Amethyst whined, "It's just that ever since Alex changed, he's taken priority. I understand that he is your friend and your charge as well, but lately, I've never had you all to myself."

\n

\n "When I'm done tending to him today, you can have me for as long as you desire if he isn't awake." Rakk assured her, lightly nuzzling her cheek. She grinned and purred softly, returning the loving gesture.

\n

\n "I can hardly wait." She said seductively.

\n

\n ***
\n             I had been out cold for about half a month. I woke up to the sound of someone nearing me, which was odd considering that I was usually a heavy sleeper. I stirred, still a bit groggy, I thought that what had happened to me was all a dream. But then I looked to make sure. I gasped, it wasn't a dream! I was covered in crimson scales from head to toe. On the end of each toe and "finger" was an onyx black claw. The flat, glossy, crimson colored scales on my underbelly were like heavily armored plates, possibly tough enough to stop a .50 caliber BMG round. I had a very impressive tail that was curled up beside me. On the end of it was a spade tip that looked sharp enough to slice through anything. I also had facial spikes on my cheeks and along the top of my long muzzle as well as a pair of horns atop my head. I couldn't see my horns or the spikes on my cheeks but I could feel them. The ones that I could see on my snout were onyx black, just like my claws and dorsal spikes. The next thing I noticed was my friend Michael standing where my hind feet were resting. I froze. 'Oh crap!' was the first thought in my mind, followed by 'How long had he been there?' Standing next to him was his girlfriend, Rachel. Michael noticed my panic.

\n

\n "Alex, it's alright, no need to freak out." He said.

\n

\n "Alright? Alright?!" I exclaimed, "Look at me! How can this be alright?"

\n

\n "Because Rachel and I are the same as you." He replied.

\n

\n "Bull!" I shouted.

\n

\n Michael sighed, "C'mon, follow me."

\n

\n I reluctantly, however deftly, got up and stumbled a bit as I tried to get used to walking on my four new legs, causing Rachel to giggle. When I got outside, I was fully awake and noticed that I wasn't at my house, but at Michael's house in the middle of nowhere. By nowhere, I mean that you could go three miles in any direction and not find another living soul.

\n

\n "Now we will prove that we are telling the truth." Michael said. I noticed in the dim light that his fair skin turned a frosted blue color. His skin took on the familiar pattern of the strange rash I had while in Yellowstone. Then he started to grow exponentially. Reaching about the same length as me. A tail shot out of the base of his spine and a pair of bat like wings came from between his shoulder blades. He also started to gain a lot of muscle mass. Before I knew it, he was completely changed. Also, I noticed that Rachel had changed too. They were roughly the same size as me, but they were frost blue in color and Michael had sharp facial spines like mine, except his were bone white. Rachel lacked these extra spikes, but that didn't make her look any less fearsome.

\n

\n "My real name is Rakk." Michael said.

\n

\n "And mine is Amethyst." Joined Rachel.

\n

\n "Do you know that 'Alex' is not your real birth name?" Rakk asked.

\n

\n "No." I replied, "I never had a clue, obviously."

\n

\n "Would you like to know?" asked Rakk.

\n

\n "Um... Gee, I don't know, I think it would be nice to know!" I lashed out. I do have a pretty bad temperament and this whole situation was letting it get the best of me. Needless to say, I was surprised at myself. Never in my life had I ever snapped at my best friend like that. Sure I got a little mad at him at times, but it was never as severe as this was.

\n

\n Rakk noticed that I surprised myself with my own anger. "You should try to keep your attitude in check." He suggested.

\n

\n "Why?" I asked.

\n

\n "Just trust me on this for now." Rakk said.

\n

\n "Okay." I said, though I couldn't really do anything but trust him. "Thanks Mike, err, Rakk." It was going to take a little while to learn my friend's actual name.

\n

\n "No problem." Rakk continued, "Get some sleep, you have training tomorrow."

\n

\n I gaped at him, "Training?" I asked, "For what?!"

\n

\n "Let time answer that question." My friend said. I slumped over and closed my eyes.

\n

\n I had an interesting dream that night. I was in my new draconic body but I was gigantic, towering above others like me. And I saw hatchlings, many young dragons that seemed very familiar to me, even though I didn't know why. But it was almost as if they were related to me in a way. That dream was short lived though.

\n

\n It felt like I had barely gotten back to sleep when Rakk woke me up. Forgetting about the previous night, I jumped at the sight of the large ice dragon that was barely two inches from my Muzzle.

\n

\n "Wake up!" He bellowed, "you have training today, remember?"

\n

\n "Oh, yeah, right." I said as I tried to wake up, "What for, exactly?"

\n

\n "Well, we dragons must learn to defend ourselves, just like it's always been." He answered, "But now, humans have a way to detect us, even if we are in human form. It is for this reason that you must also learn to fight in hand to hand combat as a human, should the need arise."

\n

\n "But who is going to train me?" I asked, still half asleep.

\n

\n "Amethyst and I will." He said. I gave a slight chuckle, I was always able to take him down with little effort.

\n

\n "What are you laughing about?" Amethyst asked.

\n

\n "How are you going to train me?" I asked, "I've always been able to beat you easily."

\n

\n "Those were human brawls. Real combat is not all about brute strength." Rakk retorted, "Most of it is technique. Now, let's begin." He shrank down and turned back into his human form that I was so familiar with.

\n

\n "Um, how did you do that?" I inquired.

\n

\n "Oh, I forgot about that." He said, "Just picture yourself in human form."

\n

\n "Okay." I said as I concentrated. I felt my wings retract back into my shoulders, my tail retreated back into my spine; it felt very odd. My muzzle was next, it shrank itself and smashed back into my skull. My massive muscles shrank to normal human size and my claws retracted back into my fingers and toes, turning back into clear human nails. Before long, I was back to my former self. I paused, something was different. I looked at myself and noticed that I was completely naked. My member was completely out in the open for anyone to see. I felt my cheeks heat up as I blushed from embarrassment.

\n

\n "Here put this on." Amethyst tossed me some strange heavy clothing. It looked like some sort of suit with metal pieces fused to it.

\n

\n "What the hell is this?" I asked.

\n

\n "Armor" Rakk said. "You may need it." I put it on and it seemed to immediately conform to my body, the armored plates fitting onto my body perfectly. On both of my sides, was a large, black katana.

\n

\n "Relinquish your weapons, please." Rakk said, now also wearing armor, "You won't need them just yet." I did as I was told and set them out of the way.

\n

\n "Prepare yourself." Amethyst warned.

\n

\n "For wha-oof!" I was immediately on the ground as Rakk attacked me. I was not prepared for such a blow from my friend and I was already very thankful for the armor.

\n

\n "What the hell was that?!" I said with staggered breathing.

\n

\n "She said 'Prepare yourself.'" Rakk replied. I got up, charged at him and ended up on the ground again.

\n

\n "Rule number one, don't be too quick to charge into the fray." Rakk instructed. This time I waited for him to make the first move. If I knew my friend at all, it was that he would eventually lose his patience. Almost right on cue, he got tired of waiting. I planted my feet and prepared to defend myself. He hit hard, but using a technique that my father had taught me, I grabbed Rakk and used his own momentum against him, flipping him around, and planting him flat on his ass.

\n

\n He changed his combat style and came at me again. I was taken by surprise and froze there, letting my friend hit me. Before I knew it, I was on the ground yet again. "Rule two," he continued. "Be prepared for anything. Learn to adapt on the go."

\n

\n He changed his style yet again and I still didn't know what to do, resulting in me ending up lying on the ground for the fourth time.

\n

\n "What is your problem, Talon?" Rakk screamed at me. "Think! Use that brain in your skull. You're smart, so use it!"

\n

\n "Maybe it's you, Rakk!" I screamed back, "I don't know any real fighting styles, let alone how to defend against them!" My anger was getting the best of me. Rakk must have noticed it because backed off a little bit.

\n

\n "I guess that I should teach you the basics then." Rakk said with a huff of annoyance. "I thought that you had at least some knowledge in that regard. Okay, so you already know how easy it is to use one's weight against them, but that won't get you far in a fight for your life. Let's start off easy."

\n

\n Over the next month and a half, Rakk taught me many things from punching and kicking to evading those same attacks and countering them with other moves. It seemed to me that my friend was holding out on me over the last few years since we began to do mock fights and such. After what seemed like weeks of unarmed training, Rakk suggested moving on to working with weapons.

\n

\n "That's more like it!" I exclaimed, picking up my swords and swinging them around to get the feel for them. I noticed that at the base of each sword was a latch that looked like the swords connected to each other. I tried it and the two swords connected to form a bo staff-like weapon.

\n

\n I nodded and the first exercise began. The first few minutes that went by were painful and seemed agonizingly long. I was covered in scratches and cuts, lightly bleeding but I paid my condition no mind. After hours of pain, we stopped.

\n

\n As those weeks wore on, my human body began to show the strength that I was gaining. I had learned so much but could recall it all on command.

\n

\n It was time for my final test in human hand to hand combat. Rakk attacked first and I readied myself. Just before he reached me, he drew a broad sword and swung with surprising speed. I put my bo staff up in defense just in time to see his weapon's edge impact the handle of my own weapon just inches from my face. I pushed him back and while he was recovering, I split my bo staff into two swords and charged at him with my own attack. He changed his style and blocked, but I was somehow expecting this. Using my swords to push his heavy blade away, I separated them to attack different parts of his body. He blocked the one that was at his shoulder and I went underneath his retaliatory swing, swiped his feet out and pinned him with the tip of my right katana just a few inches away from his throat.

\n

\n "Told ya I'd win." I said cheerfully.

\n

\n "But it took you three hours!" Rakk said back. He was right, the time seemed to have just rushed by.

\n

\n "Now it's time for draconian fighting." Amethyst said. "I will conduct this portion."

\n

\n "How do I change to my draconian form?" I asked.

\n

\n "Until you become accustomed to it, just mimic the feeling you had when you changed for the first time." Rakk instructed. I did as I was told. I thought of the fraternal love I had towards my sister on that infamous day. I felt my body shift. My wings shot out of my shoulder blades and my muscles grew. I grew taller, my neck elongated and thickened to that of a dragon's. My hands and feet got larger while my toenails and fingernails grew into large, black claws. My tail shot out of the base of my spine as my leg joints inverted and reversed as the final changes went into place. Something felt different, I looked around and saw that instead of tearing off of my body like my cloths had when I transitioned for the first time, my armor had changed with me. There were now two polarized lenses to protect my ultra-sensitive eyes and metal plating covered any weak point it could without sacrificing mobility, save for my wings of course.

\n

\n "Are you ready, Talon?" Amethyst asked. I nodded at her. Before I had time to really think about anything, Amethyst pounced on me and had me pinned in under two seconds.

\n

\n "Pay attention!" She growled, barring her teeth. "If you don't, you will die!" She let me up and this time, I was ready. She jumped and right at the last second, I rolled out of her way and dodged her attack. She came back for another try, I jumped high into the air, landed beside her, hit her with one of my fore paws, knocked her down and pinned her.

\n

\n "You learn fast." She hissed.

\n

\n "That was instinct, I had no idea what I was doing." I confessed.

\n

\n "Well, your father was always a good fighter." She said. "He taught Rakk and I everything that we know about fighting in our dragon forms. It is possible that he passed some of that knowledge to you genetically. Strange things like that tend to happen in our kind."

\n

\n We went for another round and I again came out victorious. I honestly had no idea how I was doing it. It seemed like second nature, I barely had to think, if at all.

\n

\n "Very good!" Rakk congratulated me after winning for the fourteenth time.

\n

\n "When can I learn how to fly and breath fire?" I asked.

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\n "When you feel you are up to the challenge." Rakk answered.

\n

\n "I am ready." I said.

\n

\n Amethyst taught me how to breath fire. Apparently, a dragon's body was able to utilize magic. The idea stunned me. Until now, I had never even pondered the existence of magic in the world. It had never even occurred to me. All I needed to do was look for it within my mind and just think about having a jet of flame shoot out from between my jaws. At first, I could not find the power anywhere in my mind. Amethyst said that it was usually locked behind a barrier of some kind. I was told to look for a spot in my consciousness that seemed to be different. On my second try, I found the barrier and plunged into it. Once I had a good hold on the energy, I thought about a flame protruding from my muzzle. I succeeded in only creating a short burst of supernatural fire, but that was better than nothing. I was also told that any dragon could learn to breath any element but their "natural" element was the one that was the most easily learned for them. For example, I was able to learn how to utilize my fire breath extremely quickly because it was my natural element, but it would take much longer if I wanted to learn how to use ice.

\n

\n For flying, Rakk instructed me on how to flap my new wings in unison and how to steer using my tail as a rudder. Before long, I was performing all kinds of aerial acrobatics. This was fun! I was flying! I had never felt so free in my entire life. I let out a roar of delight. The fun was short lived though as I began to feel tired. I went back to Rakk's house to rest.
\n ***

\n

\n When I had returned to my human home with Rakk and Amethyst behind me, I was shocked at what I saw. My house was trashed. The garage was open, windows busted, and the screen door flung wide open with the main door smashed in. It looked like one hell of a forced entry. My olfactory senses were suddenly alive with new scents. They were smells of other people, and from what I could tell, they weren't from around here. It was so quiet. Fearing the worst, I changed into my human form and walked toward the lifeless house, drawing my swords from their sheaths at the sides of my armor.

\n

\n "Rakk, you smell that?" I asked.

\n

\n "Yeah, something's up." He replied.

\n

\n "Rakk, you wait outside. Amethyst, take to the skies and see if you can see something." They both acknowledged the command. I never liked being a leader, I was afraid that I would abuse to power yet I gave these orders without a second thought, partly due to the fact that my home was in shambles.

\n

\n I went into the house to investigate. As I walked into what remained of the kitchen, a foot hit me in the face with a loud *Crack!* and everything went dark...
\n ***
\n             I woke up with a jump and found myself in a white room. My head started screaming with pain. 'Where the hell am I?' I thought.

\n

\n "Ah, I see you're awake." A voice said. I spun around on my heels to face the source of the voice, which was coming from a speaker that was next to an observation window. Even though it was made to be a one-way window, I could see through it. There was a man with gray hair wearing a government suit, maybe in his early sixties on the other side.

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\n "Who the hell are you?!" I growled, "And where am I?"

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\n "My name is not important." The man responded, "You are in a containment cell where you belong. Your kind is a threat to this country and the world. And as such, you must be exterminated."

\n

\n "Oh like hell I am!" I screamed.

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\n "Temper, temper." He said with a grin on his face, "You should compose yourself. After all, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your sister, would you?"

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\n "What have you done with her!" I roared, "I swear, if you hurt her, I'll snap you in two!"

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\n "I tried to reason with you." He smirked, "But I knew it would be futile, you dragons never do negotiate and submit to the will of man. I must go as I have business to attend to elsewhere."

\n

\n "Come back here, you son of a bitch!" I yelled. In my rage, I began to change. I hit the glass with a clawed hand as my body began to shift into its true form. I kept hitting it with no result, as if it were heavily reinforced. Then, I heard Alyssa, my eight year old sister, scream.

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\n "Alyssa!" I called out. My ear fins picked up the sound of her crying. That was it, I couldn't take it! My rage at that man, I had to stop him. Something from within telling me that I had to protect my sister. Seemingly on instinct, I went near the wall that the window was set in. I put the palm of my right paw on it and concentrated. I felt the material heat up to critical levels, and I kept concentrating. The wall suddenly got extremely hot and exploded a moment later. Now I had a way out! It wasn't long before I caught my sister's scent. She was close, and I could smell her fear.

\n

\n I ran as fast as I could. Knocking down anyone in my way. No one was going to touch her; not while I was alive. I found her cell and ripped open the door to find her curled up in a corner. The gray-haired man that had spoken to me earlier was walking closer to her. I roared and he turned around, surprise painted his face. I walked up to him, barring my sharp, pointed fangs at him. I noticed that he had a 9mm Beretta on his waist. The rounds wouldn't harm me, but they had the potential to kill my sister, a risk I couldn't take. Before he could even get his hand to his holster, I batted him across the floor with one of my paws. He hit the opposite wall with a loud thud, knocked out cold. Alyssa stared at me a moment, I could smell the fear coming from her.

\n

\n "Wait here, Alyssa." I said, "Don't move until I come back." I exited the room and sniffed out my armor, which I found in the adjacent room. I also immediately caught the Rakk's scent. I could smell the adrenaline and knew that the humans were having a hard time keeping him under control.

\n

\n I also smelled Amethyst, I could smell her condition. Her vitals seemed weak, almost lifeless. I got to Rakk first, blowing out the wall with my new ability and taking care of a few humans in the process.

\n

\n "Talon!" Rakk said with a frantic voice. He stared at me with a manic look in his eyes. "Where's Amethyst? Where's my mate?"

\n

\n "This way!" I said, "We must hurry, she isn't doing too good."

\n

\n She was in some sort of chamber, hooked up to some weird machines with wires running in and out of them. She was heavily injured, some of her scales were missing and she was covered in bruises. She could barely lift her head to look at us. Rakk immediately rushed to her side and nuzzled her. Trying to sooth her as much as he could. It wasn't long before he had her unhooked from the machines and was helping her out of the room. Even though she was putting most of her weight onto him, he did it all without a single grunt or moan of exertion.

\n

\n "You guys go ahead." I said, "I need to get something." They nodded and we parted ways. When I returned to Alyssa's holding cell, I found her right where I left her. She stayed put just like I told her to. She was still terrified of my body, so I changed into my human form so she could recognize me. When she saw that it was me, she launched herself into my chest, crying.

\n

\n "Oh, Alex!" She sobbed, "I was so scared. They killed mom and dad!"
\n That statement hurt me. My heart was smashed to pieces. Not just for my father, but for my step-mother as well. Sure, I disliked her, but she was family none the less. Alyssa was my half sister, but I treated her as if we had the same two parents, not just a common father. When she was born eight years prior, I took an oath to protect the life of my sister, even if it was at the cost of my own.

\n

\n "Come on, Alyssa. We need to get out of here." I led her to the room with my armor in it and put it on before shifting into my dragon form again and told her to hop on. When she was on the base of my neck, I made sure she was secure between two of my dorsal spikes before dashing back to where I had last seen Rakk and his mate.

\n

\n To my relief, they were gone, at least they were safe now. I let Alyssa down and shifted into my human form once again. I went over to some of the dead guards and noticed that they were in possession of .44 magnum Desert Eagles. I took one of them and an extra magazine. I led my sister into the main corridor and looked around. I didn't find the exit, but I found the next best thing: the main control room. There was a man all alone in there, working on diagnostic information. I snuck in through the open door and racked a round into the chamber of my pistol with a light *click.*

\n

\n "Take it easy." I said with the gun on the man's head, "I just want you to first, give me any weapons might have on you, then pull up a map of this place and tell me how to get out of here. If you lie, it won't end well for you." The man silently did as I demanded.

\n

\n "Here." His voice cracked slightly in fear. "Please don't kill me. I have a family."

\n

\n "Thank you." I said, "We dragons aren't as savage as you humans think. You did as I asked so I will honor your request."

\n

\n I left the man there and headed to the exit. When I got outside with Alyssa, it was apparent that Rakk had been through there. Men were frozen solid and others had bloody slash marks on them.

\n

\n I discarded my weapon as I shifted once again and had Alyssa climb on to me. "Hold on!" I said as launched from the ground. I gave out a loud roar to have Rakk reply so I could find him.

\n

\n I heard his reply, it was faint but I could track it. When I reached the location of the reply, I found him curled up with his mate.

\n

\n "How is she?" I asked.

\n

\n "She is hurt and weak, but she'll be fine." He replied softly so as not to wake his lover.

\n

\n "We should find a place to hide and rest." I suggested. We found a shallow cave to stay in. It wasn't far, and it would due for a night or two.

\n

\n Rakk curled around Amethyst, putting a wing over her. I sat Alyssa down gently, she was already sleeping. I curled tightly around her, protecting her from the elements. My sister was safe again. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

\n

\n As the next three years went by, it was almost impossible to live a "normal" life. We were almost captured at Michael's house, but we were "moving" to a cave system anyway. The government knew what our human forms looked like for the most part and that made it more difficult to be in the public eye. However, I occasionally went to a nearby town to check up on the local news and such by wearing things like sun glasses and a ball cap or hat of some kind. Anyway, I should probably get back to my story.

\n

\n "Alex! Wake up! You've gotta go to school!" A small voice said, "Get! Up!" There was only one person that still called me by that name.

\n

\n I opened my eyes and looked at my sister, "I don't feel good enough to go to school, I'm too exhausted." I complained.

\n

\n "Well, that's what you get for staying up all night."

\n

\n "Yeah, but I was up all night trying to save your sorry butt!" I joked, it was an old joke about what happened three years earlier. "Besides, it's Sunday and I can't go to school because of the government and I'm a bit old anyway."

\n

\n "I know, I know. I was just teasing." She said back. "Well, you might as well get up now."

\n

\n "Where's Mike and Rachel?" I asked. I still used Rakk' and Amethyst's human names around my sister, even though it wasn't necessary.

\n

\n "They went out hunting." She said, almost like it was rehearsed or something. It was, in a way, though. The routine was that Rakk and Amethyst would go get food in the morning, but I still kept tabs on them.

\n

\n "Did they say when they'd be back?" I gave her the best inquisitive look that I could muster with my draconic muzzle.

\n

\n "They should be back soon." She said. Almost as if on que, Rakk and his mate returned with a successful kill. They each had a large doe in their jaws.

\n

\n "Good morning!" Amethyst said joyfully, "We thought you might want some breakfast."

\n

\n After breakfast, I decided to go into town for some things. I needed normal cloths because my armor wasn't really made for comfort. Rakk was happy to let me use his for the time being but I didn't like the notion of using someone else's clothing.

\n

\n We were 10 miles away from the nearest town, so I thought it best to fly 9 miles, shift, get dressed, and then walk the rest of the way. Once in town I went into a café. I didn't like coffee, but it was a good place to hear the latest news around town. I found a table next to one occupied by a couple of Marines. They looked like they were part of the same regiment as my friend Jason, whom I had silently been keeping track of.

\n

\n "Do you two know a Sergeant Steel?" I asked, turning to the Marines.

\n

\n "Uh, yeah, but he's a Colonel now. He's our head weapons and equipment specialist."

\n

\n "Wow, that's good to hear." I exclaimed. Jason must have ranked up fast. He was brought up in a militaristic household, so it wasn't much of a surprise. Still, it was impressive.

\n

\n "Easy for you to say." The other soldier said, "I heard that his squad's being sent on a suicide mission that has less than a 15% survival rate."

\n

\n "Really? Where's he stationed?" I asked.

\n

\n "The only base in Afghanistan that is still in operation." The first said.

\n

\n "Okay, thanks." I said; drawing a confused look from the two Marines, "That's all I needed." I exited the café and went to the town's clothing store called Beck's and bought a pair of blue jeans and a red tee shirt. When I got out of the store, I broke into a sprint. Once I was out of sight and made sure that I had no shadows, I took off the cloths that Rakk let me borrow and stuffed them into the bag with mine. I double checked my surroundings for anyone watching me. Once I was sure that I was safe, I took my true draconic form. With the familiar feeling of my tail and wings back, I leaped into the air. I beat my giant wings a few times and gained altitude. Because the area was mostly rural, there wasn't much of a risk of being spotted. Especially since the route I was taking had little to no human presence. I dangled the bag of cloths from one of the claws on my right fore paw as I traveled home.
\n ***
\n             "Come on Rakk," I said as I landed. "We gotta go. Amethyst, do you think you can watch Alyssa for a few days?"

\n

\n "Uh, sure. Why do you ask?" She questioned.

\n

\n "Someone's gonna die, and I'm gonna stop it while I still can." I replied.

\n

\n "Alright, I'm game." Rakk said, "But, I'd feel better if I knew where we were going."
\n ***
\n             "Why did I come with you!" Rakk complained, "Yeah, 'Don't worry about the Middle East, the temperature won't bother you at all.' Bull shit!"

\n

\n "We're almost there, stop your whining." I snapped at my friend.

\n

\n We got within a few miles of the base where Jason was at. As we neared the base we landed and shifted into our human forms and continued on foot. When we got about a mile or so away from the base, we were surrounded by what looked to be part of a spec-ops squad out on patrol.

\n

\n We showed them our ID's (which were forged for our safety) and they escorted us to the base. Unfortunately, we were taken directly to the person in charge of the base, not some interrogator.

\n

\n "What the hell are they doing here!" The man asked, he was definitely a top-notch general.

\n

\n             "We came here to see Colonel Steel, he's a friend of ours." I said, "We need to speak with him as it is very important."

\n

\n The general started, "Well, I'm afraid that-"

\n

\n "It's fine, sir." Came a baritone voice from behind us. "They're clean."

\n

\n "Okay, Colonel, but they are your responsibility."

\n

\n "Yes sir."

\n

\n             We turned around to face the source of the voice. Wow, many things had changed in the few years since we had last seen each other, but I could still see the rough underlying features that made it easy to tell that it was in fact Jason. "Hey, Jason! How has life in the Marines been treatin' ya?" I asked.

\n

\n "Pretty good, actually." He answered smugly.

\n

\n "So I hear." I said happily.

\n

\n "I haven't seen either of you since the first half of our sophomore year in high school." He stated. "What happened?"

\n

\n "For right now, let's just say that we had some domestic problems." Rakk answered.

\n

\n "Alright, so what brings you guys all the way out to B.F.E?" Jason looked puzzled, "Is...is something wrong?"

\n

\n Rakk and I looked each other and back at Jason, "Yeah."

\n

\n I looked straight into his eyes, "We have a problem back home." my look turned very serious, "And you are gonna have a problem too if we don't get you out of here."

\n

\n "What are you talking about? Have both lost it?" He wasn't buying it, understandable, but still a problem.

\n

\n "You and your squad are going to be sent on an impossible mission that has less than a 15% survival rate." I continued, "That, and some shady government agency that is lead by a very temperamental old man. They tried to hurt my sister and I and killed the rest of my family!"

\n

\n "You've gone bloody insane!" He was rejecting our reason.

\n

\n "Do you want proof?" I asked; a bit annoyed, "Be outside the south wall tonight after darkness falls. Otherwise, it will be too dangerous for me."

\n

\n The expression on his face told me that he was still skeptical. "Okay. But this better be good."
\n ***
\n             Jason was standing just outside the south wall, pacing back and forth, impatient.

\n

\n "So you did show." I said approaching him from the darkness.

\n

\n "Well, I had a gut feeling that I should trust you on this one." He replied.

\n

\n "Now, I'm going to prove that what I said was true. But no matter what happens, you must promise me to keep cool." I said.

\n

\n "Okay... By the way, what's with the strange cloths?" Jason motioned at my armor.

\n

\n "You'll see." I let my emotions go as I began my shift process. As I gained height, muscle mass and wings; Jason's jaw dropped. He didn’t believe what was happening right before his eyes. As I finished, the only thing he could manage to say was "Sweet!"

\n

\n "See, I told you."

\n

\n "Hey! I thought I heard something! Go get Steel!" I heard a voice say from the other side of the wall.

\n

\n "Uh oh, I gotta go." Jason said, "I'll be right back, I gotta go take care of something. Go hide and I'll find you."

\n

\n "Alright, be careful." I said as I took flight to regroup with Rakk.
\n ***
\n             I waited for about an hour and a half. Something about it didn't feel right though. "Rakk, what do you think?" I asked.

\n

\n "Something's not right." My long time friend replied. Just then, we heard a single handgun round go off from within the base. "Sounds like the plan went south." Rakk chimed.

\n

\n "Yeah, change of plans." I said, "We should probably go help him before he gets himself killed."

\n

\n Rakk nodded in agreement and we took flight. We flew directly over the base and at that point, we re-shifted into human form in midair. In the split second of free fall, we readied ourselves for combat. We landed directly in front of Jason. I drew my katana and connected them into each other to form my bo staff while Rakk drew his broad sword from its sheath at his armor's side.

\n

\n "They giving you trouble, Jason?" Rakk asked.

\n

\n "Just a little." Jason replied.
\n I noticed that a number of soldiers had M4A1 SOPMODs. Every one of them had loaded M203 grenade launchers.

\n

\n "I'll take out the guys with the grenade launchers." I said.

\n

\n "Good idea." Rakk agreed. "Me and explosives don't get along very well."

\n

\n "Jason, can you fight?" I asked rhetorically.

\n

\n "Yeah." Jason replied.

\n

\n "And survive?" I asked yet another stupid question.

\n

\n "That's debatable." Jason said with a confident grin.

\n

\n "Alright, go!" Rakk said quickly. In a flash, I was I the middle of the soldiers. They were so surprised by my agility, that they couldn't react. When they did, I had taken out a third of the SOPMOD soldiers. I split my staff into my two katana and shoved them into the nearest soldier, and left them in the body. I drew a pair of saber claws that I had made from some scrap metal and sliced open the throat of a nearby soldier. I was a blur as I took out my foes one by one without breaking stride. One dodged my strikes and was about to blow my face off when his face met a bullet from Jason's sidearm. When the last soldier had fallen, we regrouped with Jason.

\n

\n "Come on." I said, "We need to go, now."

\n

\n Rakk and I re-shifted and Jason climbed aboard Rakk's neck base.
\n Rakk looked at Jason, "Hold on, it can get a little rough."

\n

\n On the way home, I smelled something wrong with Jason. "Jason, are you ok?" I asked.

\n

\n "No, I think I've been shot." Jason replied weakly

\n

\n "Shit!" I said. "Rakk, we need to land so I can get a closer look at Jason's wounds." I may not have been a doctor, but I knew a few things about how to treat a bullet wound thanks to my dad.

\n

\n We landed about fifty miles from the base. The Sun was coming up at this point, so I would be able to look at the damage. The sight wasn't pretty. There were a few bullet holes at his mid-section. The blood was a dark crimson color, almost black, meaning that the bullet either hit his liver or one of his kidneys. He had already lost a massive amount of blood and was on the brink of losing consciousness. At best, he was going to need a blood transfusion.

\n

\n "What's your blood-type?" I asked.

\n

\n "AB positive." Jason said with a shortness of breath. He then lost consciousness. I looked through his bag and found a first aid kit. With the help of the included instruction manual, Rakk and I were able to stabilize Jason's condition. When the procedure was finally complete, we took off again towards home.

\n

\n When we landed back at the cave, we were greeted by a growl from Amethyst, who smelled the unfamiliar scent of our friend. She took one look at him and noticed that it was Jason.

\n

\n "What happened?" She asked.

\n

\n "Gunshot," I replied. "We were able to stop the bleeding but he still needs a transfusion."

\n

\n Lucky for him my blood lacked all protein types. I delved into my magic and made it so his body wouldn't reject my blood, changing small pieces of his DNA. I tore through his large equipment bag and retrieved the first aid kit. Inside were the needed materials to preform a blood transfusion. It was a long shot, but it had to work. Why we didn't do this earlier, you ask? We were more concerned with getting away from the outpost to really perform this type of transfusion.

\n

\n ***
\n             Jason was finally starting to stir. He'd been out for a week. "Hey, Jason," Rakk said. "you're awake." He tried to sit up but I stopped him from going too far too fast.

\n

\n "Slow down." I said, "You don't want to over strain yourself."

\n

\n "Oh, my head." Jason groaned.

\n

\n "Your head is the least of your worries." Rakk said. "You almost died of blood loss. But Talon was able to patch you up and stop the bleeding."

\n

\n Jason gave a bewildered look, "Who's Talon?"

\n

\n "I am," I started. "You however, know me better as Alex." I was still in my draconian form but wasn't wearing my armor anymore.

\n

\n "No," Jason said, still half asleep. "Alex had some sort of strange armor on."

\n

\n "Yes, I did." I retorted, "But the armor gets too uncomfortable to wear all the time, so I removed it." I shifted forms so he would recognize me.

\n

\n "Holy shit." Jason said when he finally recognized my features. I reversed the shift, going back to my draconian form. "whoa, my head feels really stran-." Jason passed out again. Apparently, he was still having side effects from the blood transfusion. Out of necessity alone, the procedure also had a curious effect on his external appearance. His new shiny black scales went unnoticed by him during his brief state of consciousness.

\n

\n Jason woke up the next day with a start. "Hey," I said, "You're awake!" Throughout the night, we had all been taking two hour shifts watching over Jason and it just so happened to be my turn as he awoke in the early morning.
\n             "Ugh, my head," Jason said groggily. "it feels like it's on fire. And my skin feels a little awkward, it feels dry and rough-." Jason let out a scream when he saw his arm. "Gah! What happened to my arm?"

\n

\n "It's not just your arm." I began, motioning to his entire body.

\n

\n "What did you do to me?" He asked angrily.

\n

\n "We saved your life." Rakk snorted as he walked into the cave.

\n

\n "You took a few shots to your liver, spleen, and kidneys." I continued. "We gave you a transfusion using dragon's blood, but we had to change your body slightly. Otherwise, your body would have rejected the DNA in the blood and you would've died from shock. "

\n

\n "Look at me man!" Jason screamed. "I'm a fucking dragon!"

\n

\n "Actually, you're an anthropomorphic dragon." Amethyst corrected him. Seeing a look of confusion on his face, she continued to explain, "You're part human and part dragon. A hybrid, if you will."

\n

\n "Well that's just great! How am I gonna break this news to my girlfriend?"

\n

\n "First things first," I said. "How about some breakfast? You're probably hungry."

\n

\n "Now that you mention it, I could use a little food."

\n

\n             The problem with Jason's girlfriend (who's name I have forgotten over the long years since then) wasn't that much of a deal. Although, it could have went much better. When she found out, she freaked out and ran. We never saw her again after that. I believe that she was too scared and confused to contact the authorities as no one ever came near our territory. Everything was going to be fine, it seemed.