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I was stirring awake, when I could feel the sun hitting my face. I opened my eyes and began blinking the grogginess out of them. As my vision was getting clearer, I was looking up at the cloud filled blue sky, while lying on the ground on my back. I see that day has arrived and not night anymore. Wrinkling my face, I started to sit up on the ground, noticing that my left ankle has a...Shackle with a chain linked to it. I followed the chain and saw that it's attached to a very tall wooden post. I moved my head up and down to see if I'm not seeing things, but I wasn't. I was chained to a post. I pulled my leg, making the metal chain rattle. I saw nearby at another tall wooden post is Luna. Laying on her stomach with her eyes closed, and I see her neck has a shackle as well. I gasped a bit. She's chained to a post too.

But...What happened to us?

Moving my eyes off of her, I saw a wide dirt trail going down a hill that there are several wooden houses that are a bit far from where I'm at. The rooftops on all of them are shaped triangular. My face turned into a frown. What is this place? A village? My eyes caught something else that surrounds the very wide area. Turns out what surrounds this place is a tall wall made mostly of logs. Which to me looks like I'm in a middle of a fort. What I'm in a village within a fort?

I pulled my leg again, making the chain move. What's going on here? How did me and Luna get here? What happened?

I closed my eyes, putting some thoughts into last night. Last thing I can remember...I was sitting around with Luna near a fire that she'd made. Then we heard a noise in the woods....Then a dart hit her! And another one hit me too! That...Was the last thing I can remember.

Somebody brought us here. But who? Whoever darted us, didn't kill us. Still who did this? Our enemy? I'm getting a feeling that this is not Lost Soul territory. Someone else did this to us. So who chained us up?

I turned to Luna's sleeping form now. I got to wake her up. Maybe she'll know who brought us here. She lives in this world after all. I walked toward her, since she wasn't far from my post, and I had enough length of my chain to reach her. I crouched low beside her head and started to shake her neck, trying to rouse her awake, "Hey, hey wake up."

Luna was stirring awake when she moaned softly. Raising her head off the dirt and blinking her eyes at me. She appeared groggy from her end. She said, "Mike? ...Is that you?"

I nodded and smiled, "Are you ok?"

She shook her head a bit, shaking away the sleep still plaguing her, "What happened?"

I pointed at her neck and my ankle, "We're a bit chained up, girl."

Luna saw my shackled ankle and then saw her chain lying on the dirt, her eyes followed it to the post that's attached to it. She began to see it now, when she began to nod, "So I see." She twisted her neck to gaze at the village and the wooden wall that surrounds us all. The dragon slowly got up off her stomach, making me back up a step from her position. She arched her neck and back, stretching herself and ruffling her wings on her back. Luna sighed and sat down on her haunches, with her tail curled around her, "Looks like we're in a village. A cheetah village to be precise."

I tilted my head, "Cheetah village? You mean the kind of place where 'normal' cheetahs live? Not Lost Souls?"

Luna turned her head a bit to peer down at me, "Sounds about right." She let out a deep breath, "I think some cheetahs found us alone last night and darted us."

I lifted my chained up ankle, gazing curiously at it, "I don't get it. Why did they do this to us?"

She said, "My guess is that you're a new creature and don't exactly trust you."

I sighed putting my foot down, "Heh, not going easy on me like you are." I waved my hand to her, "Why did they chain you up? I would think that dragons and cheetahs are fighting together because of this war, right? I mean, normal cheetahs are not like the evil ones, right? I mean, do cheetahs hate dragons or something?"

Luna answered with a glum look, "Truthfully, dragons and cheetahs used to socialize years ago. But....Lets just say we don't much anymore, since the war started. They mostly don't want to be involved in the war. But my kind still has allegiance to theirs."

I giggled and motioned my hand at the fort sized log wall, "Sure looks like they sorta are involved. They appeared to be prepared."

She chuckled with me and shrugged her shoulders, "Just because they don't want to be involved in the war, doesn't mean they don't know how to fight."

I laughed a little, "Can't argue with that logic." Now I was frowning directly at her, "But wait, if they still have allegiance to your kind, then why did they chain you up?"

She dipped her snout to the ground when I asked her that question. Like something got to her. I was quizzically gazing at her. What's going on with her? Is she...Keeping something from me? That was when I had a feeling that something was coming up the hill and I moved my body to see that my feeling was correct. I see about three cheetahs coming up to us with slow strides and also with threatening eyes. Two of them on each side were wearing brown vests, while the one in the middle was wearing a vest too, but with a long red cape hanging behind his back. Being blown gracefully by the small wind from the sky. I was having a feeling that the cheetah in the middle must be the leader or the chief of this village.

Just like I would picture for any normal cheetah to not be a Lost Soul, is that the leader has yellow fur, with dark spots on it. While to my surprise to the cheetahs walking with him, have a different color fur than he does. And I'm sure that the four legged cheetahs back at home don't have THAT color. Cause one of them has red fur with no spots on it. While the other one has green fur also with no spots. That's pretty odd to me. And I see that on the two cheetahs hanging over each of their shoulders, are scabbards that has sheathed swords in them. I gulped a bit when I caught glance at their weapons. They have swords? Well they can't grow very long claws from their fingers like Lost Souls can, so normal cheetahs have swords for weapons. I hope one of them doesn't use it on me.

I said in a hushed whisper to Luna before they could get too close to us, "Will they let us go? Even me? I'm just a stranger to this world after all, so-"

Luna said this with a puff of her chest, before turning a bit to me, "Just be calm and explain everything to them. They just want to make sure that you're not their enemy."

I asked, "What about you? Maybe they realize that they've made a mistake and will let you go too?" I grinned and gestured at her, "You're a dragon. Allegiance between two species and all that, right?" She didn't answer me, she just had a concentrated look toward the approaching cheetahs. I don't know what's going through her head, or why they decided to chain her up too, despite that she's a dragon. Now I'm just curious. I followed her gaze, seeing that they're close to us now.

The two cheetahs walking with their leader stopped, while the leader took a few steps towards me and Luna. She was looking down at him, while I was just standing around motionless. The leader locked his yellow eyes to me, and then to Luna. He let out his voice, "I see that you two are awake. I began to wonder when though. It's been hours since morning has passed on."

Luna said in remark, "Sorry to have took you so long." She tossed her head to the left and giggled when she made a joke, "We had a nice nap."

The cheetah didn't laugh at all, but instead just narrowed his eyes at the black dragon, "Glad to hear it."

I decided to take the initiative and just waved at him, "Hi there...Mister cheetah. I'm Mike." I made a step toward the leader, but the red furred cheetah behind him unsheathed his sword, held the hilt in one hand, ran up, and pointed the end of the blade at my chest, making me back away from his chief. I raised my hands in defense, "Whoa, take it easy."

Luna shot a glare at the threatening cheetah, "Calm down. He's not going to hurt anyone. He's friendly."

The chief shot daggers at her, "Shut up. I'll be the judge of that." My eyes went wide at his comeback. God, what's his problem? Does he know her or something? I'm thinking yeah. But what problem does he have with Luna? The chief held up his hand to make his comrade sheath his weapon away. Judging by the looks on the cheetahs with him, they're locking glares at Luna too. Wow, really what's your guy's problem?

Luna protested when she shook her head, "But he's not your enemy. He-"

But the leader cut her off with a fierce snarl, the red cape swished behind him, "I told you to shut up!"

That got to me actually and I protested against him, "Hey, leave her alone. She was just telling you that I'm not your enemy." I shot a hand at her, "She's supposed to be your ally, and you're treating her like crap by chaining her up and telling her to shut up. That's bogus."

The leader turned his glare toward me now, "And I suppose that you know her?"

I stared at him for a moment, and then I nodded with a reply, "Well...Yeah...Sorta."

He cocked his head, "You two seemed close when we found you." He gazed up at the black dragon, who was still glaring at him, "And it has been such a long time since my kind has last seen the likes of YOU."

So apparently they know her. But why know her pretty well out of all the dragons? What do they know about her?

Luna responded by turning her eyes away a bit, laying her wings on her back, "Yeah...Been a long time." I looked at her. Ok, something's really going on here. But what is it?

The chief of the village looked at her for another moment, then he turned his furred face to me and asked with eyes full of curiosity, "Ok, now that we got that out of the way. What are you? Are you a furless cheetah?"

Furless cheetah?! My eyes went wide and I replied with a shout, "I'm a freakin human!" I heard Luna snickering next to me with a paw to her snout.

The chief frowned, "Human? I've never heard of something like you before."

I nodded, "I know. I'm not from around here. I'm not from Avarilan. I'm from a different world. A world...Greatly different than yours. And I'm not your enemy."

He hummed to himself, while his two lackeys both turned to each other quite quizzically. The leader said with a narrowed gaze, "Hmmm, I can tell you're not from around here. I've never seen a human before. This is quite new even for me. And my kind has lived in these lands for many generations. So do tell me....Human. If you're not our enemy, then how come you're with her?"

I replied without hesitation, "Because she's my friend."

Then he bared his teeth, "Then you're our enemy too!" The two cheetahs with him were baring teeth as well.

I drew myself back with a wide look, "What? What are you talking about?"

Luan cut in with a thump of her tail on the dirt, "Listen chief, we hardly know each other. He doesn't know anything about me." The chief turned to her now with that narrowed look still, "He's not your enemy, just let him go."

He thrusted a finger at her, "And you think that I should listen to a no good murdering dragoness like yourself? I think you know well that you've been an enemy to my kind for years and now we have you in our clutches."

Enemy? What the hell's he talking about? I whispered to Luna, "Psst. What's he talking about?"

But Luna ignored me and asked the chief, "What's your name, chief?"

He crossed his arms under his chest and answered with heat in his words, "Chief Meadow. Not that it's any of your business."

She made a small nod, "Chief, I know that you and your kind know of me." Then she narrowed her eyes, "But I'm not your enemy. The Lost Souls and Dark Dragons are your enemy. And-"

He groaned, "Yes, yes, I know who the enemy is."

She stood on all fours and flared her wings, "Then take a good look at me! I'm not your enemy! The ones that are the enemies are outside these walls!"

"And am I supposed to believe that out of your big mouth, Dark Storm?!"

Luna just growled at him in response and my eyes went wide at this. What? Why did he call her...Dark Storm?

That's when Meadow turned fiercely at me, "And you are her friend. You're the friend and ally of the Dark Storm." Then he pulled out a dagger from his vest, making me let out a gasp. Before I could back away from him anymore, with a quick reflex he grabbed the back of my head with a free paw, shoved the sharp blade to my throat and sneered, "I shall kill anyone who allies with her. None of us have forgotten what SHE has done. She's a killer to everything and everyone. She has never showed remorse. And she pretends that she's not evil, and blabs out disgusting, black hearted lies to throw us off any suspicion of her. But we know that she's evil. That's why she doesn't live with her kind anymore!" He growled after all that, "What's your excuse, human? Speak!"

Luna flapped her wings and screamed, "Leave him alone!"

Meadow only moved his head to her, with his blade still at my throat, "You try to protect your minion, Dark Storm? Like you would protect your Dark Dragons and Lost Souls? That you would protect your army?!" I moved my eyes to her in shock and surprise. Huh?! What is Luna not telling me?!

"He's innocent! Don't kill him!"

Despite my shock about what I've heard from chief Meadow, I grunted in protest, "Wait!" Meadow turned his eyes back to me, "Look, I don't know what's going on! But she's right I'm innocent! All I know is that I was kidnapped by Lost Souls and I'm alone!" The chief stared at me for another moment, until he lowered his dagger from my throat. He put away his small weapon and crossed his arms again, with his eyes silently urging me to speak more. I spoke after taking a deep breath, "I escaped from them...Two nights ago. But I wasn't alone before...There were others along with me. Lots more humans than myself. But...A lot of us have died! I was all alone, alone in this...World." I waved my hand around us, "I don't even know where I'm really at! I don't know where I'm exactly at in this world, or know where I'm going! I was lost! I just wanted to get home!" I gestured my hand to Luna beside me, "She found me, and has told me that she would figure out a way home for me. That was why I was with her. But I didn't know about her. I didn't know her at all."

Then I turned to glare at her, my shock now replaced by anger and distrust. The black dragon shared her gaze with me, only she'd softened it up. She was giving me a blank look. After everything the cheetah chief said, now a lot of questions were swirling around in my brain. I can't believe this. What else were you not telling me? Were you lying to me about everything? Were you not planning to help me after all, that you were just manipulating me? Was there a way home for me the whole time and you lied to me that you didn't know, but that you knew it all along? Did you plan to kill me? What was your REAL purpose? I looked to the chief again and said with a softened look, "I'm telling you the truth. I don't even know anything about her."

He asked me with a curious frown, slowly his anger melting away from his eyes, "You aren't the enemy after all? You were manipulated by her?"

I shrugged my shoulders with a sigh, "I thought I knew her." I looked at the dragon again, looking directly in the eye, "Now I'm not so sure anymore." Luna just lowered her gaze to the ground. What, did I finally caught your bluff? Is that why you're not looking at me? I just...Can't believe it. I really thought I knew you. You just...Seemed so friendly and nice. Now...I'm wondering if that was a lie. I glanced to the leader of the village once more, "I know we don't know each other and all. But I can assure you, I'm not your enemy. And if you want to leave me chained here, because you don't trust me, then I won't stop you. But I am telling you the truth."

I was giving him a somewhat pleading look, showing him that I'm not hiding anything and I've meant every word that came out of my furless mouth.

Chief Meadow peered into my eyes, reading me. Then when several moments passed, he started to nod slowly at me. He pulled out a key from his pocket, crouched low, inserting that key into my ankle shackle to unlock it with a snap. I kicked the chain away from my foot and the cheetah stood straight up to look me directly in the eye, "You seem to be truthful. I can see it. Plus, you don't appear to be any enemy. So I'm thinking I was wrong about you. You...Seem to be a creature from an unknown world. Wandering all alone in ours...Trying to go home."

I showed myself that I was smiling at him, "Bout sums it up."

He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing, "I'm sorry about this. When it comes to this war and all, it's hard to really trust such things. Even new things. Anything could possibly happen. We thought you were some new kind of enemy. I'm sorry that you went through a lot, and I'm dreadfully sorry that you were manipulated by her."

I shook my head and waved him off, "No need to apologize. I'm not hurt, that's what matters."

Meadow for the first time since the conversation started, showed a smile across his muzzle, "Well since you're a traveler, maybe you're hungry now." He beckoned me when he started to turn around, "Come. Let me and my fellow cheetahs show you around our village. Get you settled in. You been through enough." Before he could leave, he turned his body a bit to point at Luna, "And as for you, evil one." She looked at him and he went on, "Don't even think about trying to escape. This chain attached to you is so strong, it won't break no matter how hard you try. Even your powers won't break it. The metal is made for dragons like you. Me and my kind will figure out how to deal with you later, Dark Storm." With that, he and his lackeys started to walk down the hill, while I was just standing there alone with Luna.

I turned slowly and walked up to Luna, looking up at her. I was just glaring at her, pretty much believing that she probably manipulated and lied to me about everything. Luna looked down at me and said with a low voice, "Well things weren't calm at first, but glad things went well in the end."

I crossed my arms, fuming at her, "Is there something else you're not telling me?" She didn't appear to be taken back from my question and I was asking her more of them, "Were you fucking lying to me the whole time? Who are you? Or better yet, WHAT are you? Was that guy telling the truth? Did you really...Lead an army of Lost Souls and Dark Dragons?"

Luna shook her head, "I'm not who you think I am."

I raised my eyebrows, "Oh really? You're not who I think you are?" I furrowed my brow, "I think I find the whole thing pretty doubtful. What's your purpose, dragon? Why are you with me? Was everything you said to me a lie?"

She narrowed her gaze at me, "I'm with you because I am helping you. I was helping you from the beginning."

"Yeah, a beginning that happened not long ago. What would've happened if I was alone with you a bit more longer? What would've happened if I was sleeping with you alone in the night? Were you planning to kill me? Were you gonna kill me if I continued to let my guard down?"

She reared back her head, "What?! No! I would never do that! I just saved your life!" She thrusted her wing tip toward the outside of the village, pretty much beyond the tall wall, "I just saved you on that mountain! If I was going to kill you, I would've done so before! You know that!"

I pointed an accusing finger at her, "Yeah, now that I think about it. I don't think what happened in the mountain was pure coincidence." She frowned at me, as I went on with my theory, "I bet that somehow you knew about me and my kind that got kidnapped by your..." I made air quotes, "Minions. And some of us probably escaped. You probably knew it from the Dark Dragons, who are probably flying around searching for me and you joined the search. Or maybe you were there when it happened and saw what happened too, huh? Is that right? Did you see me before we met on the mountain? Did you see me escape? I think you already knew what I was, before we'd met. And just by chance you found me in your supposedly cave in the mountain and pretended that you didn't know me."

She argued, "I saved your life!"

"And I think that there was more to it than that. I think it was all an act to get me to trust you. I was scared of you, ran away and then I ran into your minions in the mountain. Was that pure coincidence? I doubt it. I think MAYBE while I was running away from you after we met in the cave, you found those Lost Souls and made a plan with them. To get them to attack you without hesitation, and then you kill them all. After all, they do follow orders well and do not intend to fail. And why would you want them to do that? Well since they were just a few Lost Souls and they were just expendable to you, you thought...Hmm...Why not just kill a few Lost Souls just to earn my trust? After all there are a lot more of them. You were doing that to get me to trust you!"

Luna just rolled her eyes, "I can't believe you just said that." Her body's shadow towered over mine, "You're wrong about what happened on the mountain! I would never do something like that! That's disgusting! And in case you didn't pay attention, I was defending you before Meadow could slit your throat! What do you call that?! I was protecting you!"

I quirked a brow, "But why really? Was there a purpose for that? Now that I really think about it, why didn't you kill me before, before we got captured and brought here? Because there's a reason why you want me alive, isn't it? You want me to go into that big blue crystal back in that stone fortress, right? You can't get me in there, if I'm dead. I have to be alive to do that, right? You were waiting for the right time to pull that trick by knocking me out and take me back there. Is that right? Were you trying to take me back to that crystal? Why, Luna? What's the crystal for? Why did you use your minions to get us in it?"

That's when I saw that Luna had this confused look in her eyes, "Huh? What are you talking about? What crystal?"

I didn't believe her so called bluff and I shouted in interrogation, "Answer my question! Why are you doing this to me and everyone else?! What have we done wrong to you?! What was that crystal for?!" Then I narrowed my eyes and huffed, "Now that I really think about it. Are you...Their master? Did you create those monsters? Is that why you're called 'Dark Storm'? Did you start this war? Huh? Answer me! Why are you doing this, Luna?! Or is that really your real name?"

Luna let out a snort, "How dare you?! How dare you accuse me of such things?!" We continued to glare at one another and she thumped her tail behind her on the ground, "I would never create such things. If I had that kind of power, I would never do it. I didn't start this war! I'm not who you think I am. I'm your ally, I'm your friend."

"Friend?! I don't even know you!" I was backing away from her, "I thought I knew you. I thought you were just a friendly dragon, but now...I think I'm wrong about you. I thought you were trying to get me home, but..." I threw my hands in the air, "God, I can't believe it. I'm such a fool!"

Luna held out her paw to me and was about to start saying this, "Mike, listen-"

"Why? So you can throw more lies to me? That you're going to tell me again that you don't know a way for me to get home, but you knew it all along?! How do I get home?!"

Luna softened her look, putting her paw back to the ground and said in a calm voice, "I'm telling you the truth. I don't know how."

I spat out more heated words, "Bullcrap." Her jaw dropped a bit at that, "You do know it. You know how, but you won't tell me. You never wanted me to get home." I shook my head slowly at her, "I shouldn't have trusted you. You're just like everyone else. You would just lie straight to my face and play me. I've dealt with someone like you before. You're just that kind of person."

She flashed her eyes in anger when she made another glare, "You say that I'm just like everyone else? Well guess what? YOU'RE just like everyone else. I even thought I knew you, but I think I'm wrong too. You would judge me, like everyone else would. When you hear what I've done, you judge me for it. When someone tells you about me, you judge me now." She softened her look, showing me this look in her eyes that seems truthful, "I'm not your enemy. I was your friend. I really did like being with you. I really was helping you. You thought everything I did with you yesterday was a lie, but it wasn't. You thought me saving your life was all an act, but it wasn't. It was all real. And as for my name. Yes, Lunasin, or Luna is my name. That has always been my name."

Luna stared at me with that look for a second, before she softly closed her eyes and started shooing me away with a dismissive paw, "But since you don't trust me now. Since you won't listen to me like a hatchling. Since you won't listen to my words and instead judge me like everyone else. Then go enjoy your freedom." She laid down on her stomach with a thud and curled herself around, not looking at me, "I guess I won't expect you to talk to me again."

I stared at her for another moment, until I turned and walked off. Seeing that the cheetahs noticed that I didn't follow them and were waiting for me. I was pacing fast to them, when I looked over my shoulder at the dragon. Who appeared to not change her position one bit. I let out a sigh. Luna....I can't believe you.

I thought you were helping me. I thought you weren't some evil dragon. But now....God.

Then that look she gave me shot back into my mind. She...Seemed to be telling me the truth....

I shook my head, mentally brushing that thought away, putting on a small glare on my face. She can't be trusted, Mike. Don't fall for it.

I glanced to the chief who gave me a warm welcoming smile. I returned it and when I stood beside him, we both strode off together. Giving me the tour of his village. I hope they have good food here. Cause I am hungry.

*****

I was walking on the dirt trail in the woods, alongside Damon, the big green male dragon on my left, with Emily strolling on my right, and Rick strolling beside the dragon on his left. The sun shined through the canopy of the woods, the day has come since a few hours ago. All of us had something to eat this morning, last night after Damon rescued us from a monster, we wandered among the trees looking for a place to rest, and we came across an apple tree. Then when morning came, we all picked some apples and started to eat them with the dragon. Which was a surprise that Damon, a dragon, would eat an apple at all. I thought he would eat meat, but he told me that he can eat both things and he's not the only dragon to do so. I seriously have a lot to learn from him.

I looked up at the savior from the night beside me, Damon was still looking ahead on the trail. His long tail swinging back and forth with each step he took. I can't believe it. Since last night, I still can't believe it. What happened last night, was the most unexpected thing it could've happened. We have a dragon, of all creatures that me, Emily and Rick have feared earlier, saved us from death and walking with us. Not to mention talking too! I never thought that one dragon would be friendly and kind. Heck, he seemed to be kind to Emily, probably still feeling sorry for her that she was crying last night. Emily took that kindness well without hesitation. She doesn't really seem to be scared anymore. Not like before. Probably because we have a dragon on our side. That if any....What Damon would call 'Dark Dragon' would find us, Damon would protect us. But we hope we don't meet any Dark Dragons at all. And we also hope that we don't meet them in pairs. He said last night that in pairs, they're more dangerous even to him. He does have a point. He can't fight all of them alone.

Dark Dragons and Lost Souls...That's what he's called the monsters who tried to kill us two nights ago. And another thing that comes to mind on what he said last night....Is that we're in another world and it's called Avarilan. I did have a feeling that we were in a different place before we met him. But I wasn't too sure...Until last night when he said it. Really does explain all the weird things that has been happening. But...How did we get here?

Now a thought came to mind. Well none of the weird stuff happened, until that green light in the sky came and exploded. That's when it happened. Did that light have something to do with it? Possibly. But now a question has come to mind...How do we get back home? We haven't talked about that with the dragon yet. He did say he would help us, which I hope he does know a way back home.

I heard Rick stuttered when he was trying to say the dragon's name, breaking the silence, "Hey uh...Damono, no, uh..."

Damon actually laughed and looked down at Rick still having his pace, "You don't have to call me Damonen, just call me Damon. Damon's always easy to say. Especially in a conversation."

Rick sighed, "Ok...Damon. Well since you live in this...World. Then how do we get back home? How do we get back to where we belong?"

Damon shook his head and flapped his wings in exercise a bit on his back, "Well you still never really told me how you guys got here. You said something about Lost Souls and Dark Dragons showing up after seeing this light and attacked your ship. Kidnapping you as well. Is that right?"

I answered, "Yeah, it was after this green light that was in the sky during the night was when we came across those things." I tilted my head, "I'm just curious, have you ever heard of this light? Cause I think that light has something to do with this."

Damon turned his snout toward me, "Like that it brought your kind here?"

I snapped a finger and pointed at him, "Right."

Emily asked with hope in her eyes, "So have you heard of it?"

Damon hummed and scrunched up his face in thought, "Well...No. I mean, a green light that's over the ocean and over your ship, that's pretty new to me. Actually, I never heard of a...What your kind would call a 'ship' before. What is a ship exactly?"

I giggled a bit. Oh boy...How do I explain it? Well I'll give it a shot. I said, "Well, it's...Something that floats over the...Ocean. Over the water, I mean. Actually, there are several more ships than the one we've mentioned. They're big...Some are small too, but the ship we were on is pretty big."

Damon lowered his head a bit toward me, "How big?"

I giggled again and waved at him, then at the trees, "I'd say bigger than you and the trees here."

He shot up his head with a wide face, "Ancestors, really?" He was chuckling now, "Now you really peaked my interest! I get to learn about something that floats on the ocean and it's big!"

Rick thumbed at Damon beside him, "Heh. Listen to yourself. You sound like a...Little dragon who's eager to learn."

Damon looked down at him now with a tooth filled grin, "Well what if I am? I'm walking with three..." He trailed off, trying to find the word to say what we are.

Emily held up a finger, "Humans."

He shot up his head, "Right! I knew that!" Emily rolled her eyes and the green dragon went on, "I get to walk with three humans, three creatures that are from another world, and I get to see what else came from your world. And it's...Wait? Does it talk?"

I quirked a brow, "Does what talk?"

Damon turned to me, "The ship. Does it talk?"

I laughed at that, "No, it's inanimate. Like the trees here. Lets just say it's one of the things that my kind has built...For travel. That we can travel across the ocean."

Damon nodded now, "Ah, makes sense now." He formed a grin after that, fluttering his wings, "Well I also get to see this 'ship' that you humans used back in your world. I'm excited, I can feel it in my wings."

Emily and I were laughing at his eagerness. Then Emily said, "Gee, you're that excited?"

"I like to see newer things. Like you guys."

Emily was smiling up at him, "I'm liking you already. And we just met!"

Damon replied, doing a small bow with his head, "Why thank you. And I'm starting to like you three too."

Rick giggled softly and shrugged with his hands, "How can you like us, if you don't know us? That's a bit rushed wouldn't you say? You're starting to like three strangers." Then he looked around Damon's green form, right at Emily with a grim look, "And I should say, Emily, that you're liking him a little too fast than intended. He's still a stranger."

Emily rolled her eyes and waved him off with a chuckle, "Oh dad, relax. Damon seems ok to me."

Damon shot up his head, gazing down at Rick, "Yeah! I know we met last night, but I'm not some kind of monster." He stopped a second and we did too, to gaze curiously at him. Damon gestured himself with his paw, "I mean, do I look like a Dark Dragon to you?"

Rick slowly tilted his head, "Well what does a 'Dark Dragon' look like? You haven't really told us a lot about them."

The dragon explained, "All Dark Dragons are black scaled in color. They're basically the same." He cocked his head at him, "I think you should know. You saw several of them, didn't you?"

Rick nodded twice at him, "I see. So what else can you tell us about them? Like, why are they terrorizing us? And...What are the Lost Souls exactly? Those cheetahs monsters with them?"

Damon nodded, "Yes, it's the cheetahs that are with them. And as for further explanation, there will be time for that." He resumed his pace and so have we, "I'm more curious about you three, than anything else. I mean, what is it that you humans like to do? What's your world like? Are there really more of these 'ships'? What do-"

I laughed a little and was waving him down, "Alright, alright. Slow down, scaly."

Damon smiled at me after taking a deep breath, "Sorry. Told you I'm excited."

Rick made a stern remark, "More curious and excited than getting us home?"

Emily shot a glare at him, "Dad."

Rick heard her and he sighed, waving the dragon off that remark, "Sorry. It's just that I want to get back home before me, my daughter and Scott here get into more trouble than we already are." He gestured to Damon, "So you said that you never heard of this light? The green light in the sky?"

Damon shook his head, "No. But by the sounds of it, I think there must've been some magic at work and it brought you guys into my world." Then he made a growl deep in his throat, "And I think it must be connected to the Dark Dragons and the Lost Souls. Cause you guys said that they showed up after that light went away." He softened his look and went on, "For some reason, when you said that they kidnapped you and your kind, they must've wanted something from you." He cocked his head to himself, "But I wonder what for really? Dark Dragons and Lost Souls don't kidnap anything unless they were ordered to do so and that doesn't happen a lot."

Ordered? So they're all working for something? I wonder what? Then my brain clicked to what happened in that big stone chamber. They kidnapped a lot of us to bring us there. To that big, blue, shining crystal. How everyone, including that middle aged woman disappeared into that thing and there were shining white lights floating around in the huge thing. Maybe Damon knows what it is. I held up a hand and said, "Well-"

But Rick just cut himself in, "Look, I don't care what they want. All I want is to get back home with these two. That's it. So do you know a way home or not?"

Damon sighed and looked ahead, "I'm still trying to figure it out." Emily had a nervous look shown upon her face and I wrapped my arm around her, knowing what she's thinking. That there might not be a way home. Well I hope there is. Joshua and her mother are back at home and we don't belong here. I hope there is...I hope.

Rick sighed too and kicked a small rock away, "Well...Maybe if we can find the ship, then maybe we find a weapon or two." He waved his hand at himself and then at me and his daughter, "Then we can at least better defend ourselves. I'm tired of running away all the time, we need something to help us fight."

I nodded in agreement, "That sounds like a good idea. And we can find food to take with us as well. So that way we wouldn't have to walk around in this world to find it." Then I made a sheepish smile at Damon, "Not that I didn't like eating the apples in your world, Damon."

Damon giggled, "I'm surprised you knew what an apple was. That your world has them too." Then he perked up his head and ears as excitement was getting to him again, "Now I'm curious as to what other sort of food your world has! Sounds pretty exotic!"

I was laughing at that, "I'm sure you are, big guy."

Emily moaned to herself a bit, "And while we're on the ship, I can take a bath. I need one!"

Damon stared quizzically at Emily, "Bath?"

Emily chuckled a little bit, "What, you never heard of a bath before?"

He shot up his head, "Of course I do!" Then he scrunched up his nose, "It's just that when I smelled you last night, you smelled like you've been through a lot. I was wondering if your kind has ever taken a bath."

Emily rolled up her eyes at that, "Oh no. That means I smell."

Rick smiled, nodded and said, "Don't worry, dear daughter. You'll get your bath."

She replied, "I better. I don't want everyone, including Scott and Damon, telling me that I smell terrible. I need shampoo and body wash, and fast!"

Rick stated, when all of us went around a corner on the trail, "Then lets find that ship. Since we're in this world, then the ship's still here too. Maybe it's not far away from here. Don't know where it's at, or when we'll get there. But I think we will. We'll all get what we need."

Emily muttered, her fingers brushing through her long hair, "I hope so. Probably be a lot better if we flew with Damon here. Get us to the ship faster."

Damon nodded in agreement, "I agree with you on that one, Emily. But it's best we walk. Even during the day. We'll be spotted more easily if we're up in the air." Then after he made that statement, he started to get giddy on his paws with each step, "Ohhhh, but excitement's creeping up again. I feel excited, I want to take to the skies and find it!" Me and Emily were laughing at him again. Gee, it's funny seeing a dragon acting like that.

Rick sighed and nodded, "Don't worry, dragon. You'll see the ship. It probably never went anywhere."

*****

For such a long time, we paced and paced through the woods, until we can all see something at the edge of them. It looked like a beach and ocean's nearby. Emily gasped and shoved her finger at the direction, "Guys, do you see that?"

Damon nodded, "Yep, looks like we see the ocean ahead."

Rick started to pace toward that, brushing past bushes along the way, "Then come on. Lets see if the ship's close by." We all followed after him, until we all stood on the soft white sand. The small waves from the ocean crashing over the beach, before being pulled back in the water. I didn't look around or anything, I was staring at the distant ocean, just standing in one spot. Rick and Emily did too.

Damon came up beside me, sharing my glance to the ocean, and he muttered when he resettled his wings, "Hmm, I have flown over the ocean before, and have known that a lot of creatures live below it's surface." Then a smile creeped up on his muzzle, the waves rolling up to his forepaws, "But who'd have thought that new creatures would show up from a different world, came from here?"

I smiled and nodded, before I started looking up at him, "No one would've thought, I suppose."

Rick nodded after that and said, "Alright, lets find the ship. Maybe it's here somewhere."

Emily began to giggle in disbelief, looking down the beach, "Actually, we don't have to look very far." We all followed her gaze and we can see the tall cruise ship not very far from where we're at. I was beaming at the sight.

Rick giggled loudly and planted his hands at his waist, "Well, that was easier than I thought."

I turned to him, "You thought it'd be hard?"

Rick shrugged his shoulders, "Mmm, I was thinking that it would've took us a day or two to find the ship, or perhaps forever. But now.." He laughed and gestured to the faraway ship, "It's over there."

Emily started to stroll in fast strides on the sandy beach, "Lets go." We all followed her after that, Damon's big form trekking behind us.

Getting close to the ship, Damon looked up at it in awe, and he showed it on his scaly face, "Wow...It's big. Like one of the stone buildings back at the city."

Emily turned her eyes from the ship and onto him, "City?"

Damon looked down at her, "I'm from the dragon city called 'Wingspan'. There are so many stone buildings that are about as tall as this...Ship here."

My eyes went wide at the mention of a dragon city, "The dragon city? Now I'm surprised that your kind has a city. I thought that your kind lives in...Mountains, or caves...Or you just live in forests."

He shook his head, "No, I'm from Wingspan. I grew up there." He giggled a bit, raised a claw and explained, "My kind has always had a home and it's Wingspan. It was built many years ago. Way before all of us here were born." He planted his paw back to the ground, "But not all dragons live in the city, there are several who decide to live outside it. Some feel crowded, some want to just get away and have a home of their own."

Rick asked with a quirked brow, "Like you?"

Damon waved him off with a paw, "Nah, I don't ever want to find a home away from Wingspan. I love my home."

Rick crossed his arms, "So why are you out here then? If you love your home, then why are you out here?"

Damon stared at him with an expressionless face and responded, "It's a long story."

I frowned at him. Well, that's odd. What really brought him out here?

Damon smiled shortly there after, "But you outa be lucky that I did leave my city...Many days ago. That I flew around last night and found you."

Emily smiled and nodded at that, "That's a bright side to it. We were lucky that you left your home and found us."

But Rick mentioned, "Still curious as to why though."

Damon turned to the ship with a wide grin, "I'll tell you about that later, but I just want to stare at the glorious thing!"

I laughed and made a remark, "That I can really agree on. It is glorious."

"Did your kind really make this thing?"

I held up my chin in smug, "Yep."

Damon's form and wings shook when he giggled, "That is amazing. Your kind has quite a talent." Then he wrinkled his face, "But wait, how do your kind...Use it? You say that you use that thing for travel....Like you ride on it? I can probably see that you can go inside the thing too, like a building. But back to the questions. Does it just float around for a long time, until you reach somewhere?" He glanced at the ocean beside him, his tail flicking at it too, "I'm sure that the currents could take you anywhere, but to where you exactly want to go...With that huge thing? How do you turn it against the currents? How do-"

Rick sighed and began to explain it, "It's a bit hard to explain, big man. But lets just say that thing has an....Power source. That's powered by electricity and gasoline."

Damon's head perked up, "Electricity? I know what electricity is!"

Rick frowned, "You do? Does this world have electricity?"

I waved to him, "How do you know about it?"

Damon replied, "Uh well....Some dragons actually know how to breathe electricity."

Mine, Emily and Rick's jaws dropped at the revelation. What? No freakin way! I exclaimed, "Your kind can breathe electricity? I thought dragons can only breathe fire. Is that right?"

The drake shook his head, "Nope. Dragons can breathe more than one element. Like electricity, ice, wind, earth-"

Emily put a hand to her chin in surprised reaction, "Oh my god...That's fucking cool."

Now the green dragon cocked his head again, "So hold on...Does your kind no how to harness the power of electricity or something? I don't understand. How does the...Ship be powered by electricity?"

Rick rolled his eyes and sighed again, "Another big explanation." He waved at him, "Look, I'd love to explain some more interesting things like a teacher and all, but we need to get on the ship." He whirled around to stare at the ship deep in thought, "But right now, I don't see anyway to get on board."

Damon stretched his neck forward to gaze closely to see anything that'll get us on board, "I don't see anything either." Then his eyes lit up when a thought came to him, "But, I can pick you guys up and we'll fly up there!"

I made a clap with my hands and said, "Now you're talking! Lets do it." But then I was feeling a bit nervous about it now. Uh...I never flown with a dragon before. So...How does it work? I hope that I don't fall off or anything.

Emily started fidgeting as the same thought came to her, "Uh...How do we do this?"

Damon curled his neck into a shape of an s, "Well I can't carry all of you in my paws. So I'll give you a ride on my back." He lowered himself to the ground, until his belly touched the sand beneath him, "Come on."

Emily's face drained color and she softly shook her head, "Uh...I don't think so."

Rick made a step past Emily and asked the dragon, "Are you sure we're up to it? What if we fall off?"

Damon answered with a big grin on his snout, "Oh, you won't fall off. I think all you have to do is climb on my back and hang on tight."

I said, "Have you given a ride to anyone before?"

Damon slowly melted his smile away, "Well...No." Then he made another smirk, "But I'm sure you can handle it."

Emily shook her head, letting out a small giggle also, "That doesn't really inspire confidence."

Damon gave her a reassured look, "Trust me."

I looked back to the ship nearby, then back at Damon. Until I finally let out a sigh. Well...How bad can it be? It's not a far flight anyways. It won't take ten minutes to get us on the ship. He just needs to fly up to it a bit and land on the main deck. Pure and simple. We just need to hang on tight while we're at it. I nodded at him, "Alright, lets do it."

Emily called out when I started to walk up to the side of Damon's body, "Scott, uh-"

I grabbed Damon's wing joint and shoulder, and climbed up there with ease. Now I'm sitting on his back, trying to get comfortable, "Well that was easy than I thought." I was feeling his green scales by running smoothly at them with my hand. Huh...They don't feel rough. They actually feel soft...And warm too! That's pretty odd, but intriguing as well.

Damon chuckled beneath me, and turned his neck to look at me, "I better be easy to get on, little guy."

I called out to Emily and Rick, "Well come on guys, your turn."

Damon encouraged them, "Yeah, come on. You can do it."

Rick and Emily just stared at us, then a moment later Rick sighed and patted his daughter's shoulder, "Come on. Lets get on board."

Emily turned her eyes to Rick and nervously nod her head, "Alright...Lets get it over with." With that, they both came up to the green dragon and I held out my hand over the side, Rick reaching up to grasp my hand. I pulled him up and he sat down behind me. I did the same thing to Emily, pulling up my good looking girlfriend and she sat down behind her father now. Wrapping her arms around him.

I looked behind me and then said to Damon, "Alright, we're all on." Damon started to rise his body over the sand, Emily crying out softly a bit in shock when she can feel him move.

When Damon stood straight up off the sand, Emily was actually doing the same thing as I did. Running her hand along the green scales of the dragon, feeling them, "Wow...Your scales feel soft. I'd think they feel rough like a fish."

Rick joined in with a chuckle, "Yeah, you feel warm too."

Damon laughed and said, "Well I'm not a fish, I'm a dragon. Dragons are warm blooded."

Rick furrowed his brow, "Really? Not like lizards?"

The drake twisted his neck to look at Rick past me. A curious look in the dragon's yellow eyes, "Lizard? What's a lizard?"

I laughed a little, "It's a creature from our world. There are a whole lot of species of lizards back home and all of them are pretty much small."

Damon just stared at me and said, "That doesn't explain what a lizard is, Scott."

I made a wide face, "Oops, sorry." I giggled in embarrassment and made a gesture to his face, "Lets just say a lizard is...Like a dragon."

Damon narrowed his eyes, "But I'm not a lizard, I'm a dragon."

Rick made a remark, "I guess not. Lizards are cold blooded. But dragons apparently...Are not. Plus you're not small like a lizard, you're big. That's the difference between your kind and them."

Damon shot up his head and glanced ahead at the ship, "Got that right. I'm no...Creature from your world. I'm nothing small like them." He stomped his paw at the sandy ground with pride filling his chest, "I am a dragon!" Then he looked back again and made a smug grin, "And I'm sure these so called lizards can't fly, right?"

I made a smirk to him and shook my head, "Nope. And that's another difference you have with them."

Damon made a nod and looked to the ship again, "That's right." He started to stretch out his wings and made a test flap with them, "Ok, well...Lets do it." He looked over his shoulder at us once more, "Just hang on tight, alright? And don't worry, I won't let you fall. I promise."

I was wrapping my arms around Damon's neck, since it was the only thing I can hang on to. I tucked my legs on his body for good measure. Rick wrapped his arms around me and made a threat to the dragon, "You better, or if you drop my daughter I'll kick your ass."

Emily scolded behind him, "Dad, don't be rude." Then she made a cry when he started to flap his wings over and over again, making her holding onto Rick's body. We were starting to fly over the beach after several flaps. Blowing some of the water away on the beach and also the sand, making a bit of a cloud of dust from it. I held on tight, as we're getting higher, until I can see the deck on the cruise ship from the height we're on.

I pointed and instructed the dragon, while we're hovering over the beach, "Land on there!"

Damon hollered when he made another flap of his mighty wings, "Alright, hold on!" Then he started to fly forward and we were all screamed in shock and excitement. My eyes bugged out of my skull. Yikes! Damon flapped a few more times, taking us to the ship. Until he began to glide down to the deck with his wings stretched out, since it wasn't a far flight after all. He softly landed on all fours to the wooden deck. Letting out a whoosh of air, "Whew...That was easy, right?" He looked over his shoulder at me and the others with a big grin.

I nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it was. At least it wasn't too far of a flight. I was still nervous."

He shrugged his shoulders, as he crouched low to the ground and folded his wings, "You might get used to it, since you're stuck with me. Flying's not all bad."

Rick chuckled behind me, relaxing his grip around me, "Planning to give us more flights?"

Damon answered, "Why not? You'll love it."

Rick started to slide down off of him, along with me. We both landed with a grunt and Rick walked up to the dragon's face afterward, giving his neck a pat, "Well if you are, just don't drop my daughter."

Damon gave him a confident smile, "Wouldn't drop any of you. And I'd go easy on you. Make you get used to it."

I saw that Emily was still on his back and I beckoned her with a hand, "Come on down, girl."

Emily shook her head like she was in a trance. Probably couldn't shake the surprise from the flight out of her head. She looked down over Damon's side to me and nodded. She hurled her leg over his back and fell down over his side. Landing softly on the deck. I clapsed a hand on her shoulder and asked, "You ok?"

Emily let out a small whoosh of air through her lips, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just...Feeling his weight shifting from under me. You can really feel Damon beneath you."

I smiled, while Damon rose his stomach off the deck, his eyes looking around on the main deck of the ship, "I can agree." Me and Emily turned and saw Damon strolling around on the deck, since there was enough room for him to walk around on.

His paw made another step on the floor, when Damon lowered his head to the pool that everyone else on the ship have used before we were attacked. Damon said when he made an assumption, "Looks like a pool to me."

Rick walked up until he was right beside him, "It is."

Now Damon can see the bridge of the ship from where he's at, "Hmm, talk about an interesting place." He looked down at me and Emily when we caught up to him, "Thank you for showing me this place, guys. This is really astonishing to me. No other dragon would believe their eyes at this!"

I giggled and asked when I made a gesture at him, "Not even you?"

He shot up his head with his eyes widen, "Exactly!" We all shared a laughed after that. My eyes were sweeping slowly around the deck. Memories of what happened before we were attacked came to me. Man, there really were a lot of people and crew aboard this place. Now the ship is like a...Ghost ship now. Everything's quiet. That gives me goosebumps.

Damon said when he saw my look on my face, "You alright, Scott?"

I nodded when he broke through my thoughts, "Yeah...I was thinking about...Before it all happened." I made a sweep around the deck with my hand, "There were a lot of humans here, before the attack. And it's quiet now."

Rick nodded and sighed, "Not really a good feeling." He was starting to look around the now empty deck, heading around the pool.

Emily rubbed the side of her face, showing a bit of sorrow for everyone aboard the ship, "God...What happened to everyone. How will the families take this? That we were attacked by monsters from another world? No one would believe it. Even when the family members who never got on board who'll search for closure won't believe it."

Damon began to have a pity look and he sat down on his haunches, "I'm still sorry for what happened to your people."

Emily shook her head, hung it and waved him off, "I'll be fine. It's just that...Everyone else isn't here like we are. Me, Scott and dad are the only ones who'd made it."

Damon made a grim look, "Lots of dragons have died because of those monsters. So I understand how you feel about this." He lowered his snout closer to her and then made a small smirk, "But even they'll pay for everything they'd done. Monsters like them don't live forever."

Emily looked at his gaze and smiled a bit at him a second after that, "They would pay. But it won't bring the dead back to life."

He shot his head a bit to his left, "You're right, it won't. But we can live with the fact that they've all been brought to justice. That every soul that's been taken by them will be avenged. Dragons don't deserve this, no innocent creature deserves this."

Emily giggled and wiped one strand of blonde hair off her forehead, "If you're trying to make me feel better...It's working."

Damon bumped his nose against her chest, making her yelp a bit cause she didn't expect that, "I'm glad." Emily brought her smile back when he did that. I was smiling at this too. Silently thanking Damon for cheering up my girlfriend. He is right...One day, they'll all be brought to justice. And every person that has suffered and died, will be avenged. Including...Mike, if...He's dead too.

Rick came back to us after a few minutes he'd left. Holding a pistol in his hand, "Hey guys, I found a gun on the ground. I'm sure I'll be using that." Then he made a very grim look on his face, "And...There's blood still on the deck too and-"

Emily sighed, melting her smile away and nodded, "We get it, dad." She turned to Damon, who rose his head above our levels. She shot him a brief smile, "I'll see you around, big guy. But I'm going to take a bath now." She waved at us when she started to stride away from us, to go into the ship, "So Chau."

Damon cocked his head when she was about a few feet away, "Chau?"

I shook my head with a giggle, "Tell you later. But we're going to head inside the ship."

Damon's eyes went wide in excitement, "Can I go in there with you?"

I laughed and walked up to the big guy and patted his shoulder, "Sorry, pal. But with your very big frame, you can't fit in there. Heck, the doors are way too small for you! So you'll have to wait for us on the deck."

He had a glum look, "Well drat, you're leaving me alone?"

Rick made a comforting pat to his side, "Don't worry, we'll be back up here to be with you. It'll take us bit awhile. Alright?" Then his face darkened, "Besides that, I'm glad that a certain someone won't look at my daughter while she's naked."

I knew who he was talking about, so I pulled myself away from Damon and shot a narrowed look at him, "You talking about me?"

Rick narrowed his eyes back at me, "Not only you." He pointed at Damon, "But this guy as well. I don't want either of you guys looking at her naked body."

I threw my hands in the air, "Are you kidding me? Me and your daughter like each other." I made a sly grin, "Plus, I have looked at her body before. So too late for your warning."

Rick was fuming at that, and he shook a finger at me, "You better watch your tongue."

Damon laughed at this, "Wow, sounds like we have an overprotective parent in the group." Then he cocked his head, "But why is it bad that we look at someone who's naked? I'm a dragon and I don't wear fabric like you and the cheetahs. So why hide your bodies? I don't really." My face turned red at that. Oh boy.

Rick was now thrusting a finger in the dragon's hide now, "You wouldn't understand it, cause you're a lizard."

Damon snorted with a narrowed look, "Hey! I'm a dragon!"

Rick just ignored him and thumbed back at the doorway to get in the ship nearby, "I'm going in the ship now, so see you around. And remember, don't look at my daughter's body."

I rolled my eyes, "How can he look at her body if he can't get inside the ship?"

Rick was shaking his head with a annoyed groan and waved both hands at us, "Just don't look at my daughter's body!" With that, he whirled around and walked in fast strides, until he disappeared into the ship.

We both just stood there, still staring at the door far a bit from us. I sighed and Damon brought it up, when he thumped his tail softly against the wooden deck, "Wow...He's stern about things." He turned to me, "Pretty stern about you. What gives?"

I started to walk away from him to use the same door as well, "It's a long story, I'll tell you later." I can't believe it. Rick hates me so much, and now he's telling me to not look at his daughter's body. Give me a break! She's my FUCKING girlfriend!

I sighed once more. Well I won't let him get to me again. I'm just going to play it cool right now. I finally made it to the door, and pushed it open. Before I glanced back at the green dragon who begun to pad around on the deck again, looking around. Well I'm sure he'll handle without company for a bit. I'll be back up here later. I entered into the ship after that. Intending to go to my room and see if I can find anything to grab onto.

*****

I was standing on a narrow wooden platform that lines around near the top of the wooden wall that surrounds the cheetah village protectively. Looking out beyond the wall towards the landscape. The platform was also the perfect place for any guard to stand up here and look out over the wall to see any potential danger. They would even use their bow and arrows, since I have seen a few of them up here carry those things walk past me, with a wave of course, to make me feel welcomed. From up here, I see a vast meadow and the tree filled woods behind it. The wind from the sky blew against my face and I was humming in satisfaction as I began to relax. The view didn't look bad from up here. I smiled at this. I really loved the view. I don't think I've ever seen a view like this one back at home. Heh, not to mention that my home doesn't have a place like this. I let out a sigh when I had enough standing up here. I was ready to go back down now.

I let out a pleasant breath and started to walk along the platform, looking down at the village from all the way up here. Seeing the houses, and the furred villagers wandering around outside of them. I smiled staring down at them. I kinda feel like the king of the world from up here. I formed an amused smile on my face.

It's been about five hours since chief Meadow gave me a tour around his village. Even though there weren't a lot of things to show, but it was worth the tour anyways. He even showed me how to get up here to this platform. After the tour, he took me to this house that has a lady cheetah named Merana living in it. Which she's rather friendly to an outsider like me. Meadow explained who I was to her, and told her that I was hungry and he wanted her to make me something to eat. She obliged and she said that I could stay in her house as long as I'd wanted. I knew that the chief would help me find a place to live in and stay. Pretty better than sleeping outside. After eating, I left Merana in her house since I couldn't really sit around right now, and started wandering around alone, eventually bounding myself up here.

I had to say, this place is great. It seems quiet and peaceful compared to everywhere else here in this world. Even I know I haven't travelled in Avarilan for very long, but I can say that this place just feels peaceful to me. I think I can understand why the cheetahs don't want to be involved in the war outside these walls. They're a peaceful race.

Even a lot of cheetahs have started welcoming me, despite that I'm not one of them. Guessing that the chief has spread word about me and told them to start treating me like a guest and welcome me. With all the glances towards me for the last few hours, I feel special right now. That I'm the first human to walk among their race. Heh, imagine how Scott would take it if he saw what's happening. Treating us like guests....I can imagine his face.

I moved my eyes around the village and I could even see Luna still chained to her post on top of that hill. My smile went away immediately and I breathed through my nose when my eyes caught sight of her from up here. She was just pacing back and forth, probably bored of just being in the same spot for hours. Luna...I still can't believe you. Honestly, a part of me doesn't believe that she's bad, but then another part is telling me not to trust her at all. That what the cheetahs, including Meadow, said about her could be true. But Luna said that she's not an enemy and that she's not who I think she is. And at the end of our conversation, she was swearing that everything I accused her of was wrong...There was that look she gave me. The look that said that she was telling me the truth. I felt a bit of guilt and anger both welling up within me. I didn't know what to think about her anymore. I made myself look away, getting back to heading back down to the ground. I started searching for one of the ladders that I used to climb up here. Which I can see that there was no other way to get up here.

I found it a minute later, and I made my way to it. After crouching myself down and found my footing on the ladder's step, I started to climb slowly down. Taking my time since there was no rush getting down from here. I made it to the bottom and hopped off the ladder, sighing as I backing away, looking up at the high platform. That's real high up. Don't want anybody to fall off of there. I backed a couple more steps and whirled around to strode away from the very tall wall.

I was making several slow steps within the village. Feeling like I was making myself at home, even though I'm not a cheetah. I rubbed my stomach a bit, still feeling bit stuffed by all the food I had. I had to say that lady cheetah knew how to make her food. Especially the meat. How it smelled great with all the spices those things had. My mouth can practically taste it now. Making me want more of it. I don't know what kind of meat they had, but my home should get this kind of meat, whatever it was that I ate. Cause I can't get that taste out of my mouth!

I strode past two cheetahs, they appeared to be a couple who were chatting outside their wooden house. They waved at me and I gave them a wave in return. Talk about another welcoming wave. I smiled at that. When I returned my attention ahead, I almost ran into another cheetah by accident. The cheetah who has blue fur with two stripes that lines on top of his head up to his nose. He gave me a glare, and I waved at him with an apologetic look, "Sorry about that."

The blue furred cheetah softened his look and he was bowing his head and shook it, "No need to apologize." He rose his gaze and gave me a small smile, "Take care, traveler." He made his way past me shortly after that. I giggled deeply in my throat. Heh, they're pretty generous. I started to resume my walk around the village, letting the sun above in the sky warm me up.

My feet took me past a couple more houses, when I saw something nearby that's caught my interest. I see about two cheetahs, one's red with spots, and the other one has lime green fur with no spots at all. They appeared to be near a archery range of a sort, cause I can see a test dummy made from a wool bag filled with dirt being hanged from a tree branch by a rope and one of them has a bow in his hands. The tree's shadow covered the cheetahs within it's range. The one cheetah with lime green fur raised his bow with his arrow drawn and he let it go, sending it flying in a high velocity, and it struck the target right in the middle. I see that the cheetah held a proud, smug smile as he admired his skill.

As I watched them doing archery, memories started coming back to me. I remember years ago how I got into archery and I was eight when I started doing it! Yeah, I know eight years old, a bit young to do that stuff, right?

Anyways, it was years ago, before mom died that I started doing archery. It was one day when uncle Joshua was babysitting me and Scott while mom's at work. He was setting up his circular target in the backyard of his house and me and Scott were watching him shooting arrows. While watching him hitting that target over and over again, since he was a good shot, I raised my hand, asking him if I can try it. After asking him that, I can tell he was apprehensive about it, but it didn't last long though and he agreed to it. He began to show me how to aim and shoot an arrow, since at first it was a little harder than I thought it would. I really had a hard time firing that thing. But my aim and firing skills were starting to get good with each shot I was making. With enough encouragement and training from my uncle, I actually, much to my surprise, made my first perfect shot at the target after several misses and mess-ups. Then I found myself making another perfect shot, and then another, and another. I was getting quite good at it, and I was eight! Scott only watched me doing that nearby.

Boy, I remember when mom found out what I did, she'd flipped out. Scolding Joshua for doing that to me, cause I was eight. But I didn't think it was a big deal. I wasn't even hurt at all. I think mom gotten over it after that and every once in a while, I would shoot with Joshua. But it's kinda been awhile since I did any archery at all. I haven't done it a lot since mom died.

Now watching those cheetahs from a distance gave me an idea. I put a hand to my chin, forming a smirk. Well, since cheetahs obviously do archery other than wielding swords, maybe I can have one of them hand me one of their bows as a weapon. After all, it's a dangerous world I'm standing in and I would want to defend myself. Better to have a weapon than fight barehanded. I don't think I'm good with swords, but archery that I can do.

With the thought, I started making my way to them, in time to see the cheetah raise his bow again and fire his weapon, making it struck hard at the target again. Yeah, that's it. I'll have one of them hand me a bow and I'll be making a few practice shots, get the hang of archery again. The two cheetahs saw me coming up to them, the one with the bow lowered his weapon to turn to me. I gave them a big warm smile and a wave, "Hi there. Nice day to start shooting, huh?"

The one with red fur responded with a grin on his muzzle and a nod, after I stopped in front of them, "Sure is." He gestured his hand to me, "I believe that you're the creature from another world that we heard about?"

I laughed a bit and shrugged with my hands, "Well I'm the only creature from another world walking among your village, so how can you not know about me?"

The one with the green fur giggled in response, "Point taken. And we're just glad that you're not an enemy to our kind." He thumbed to his right, "Comparing to the black dragoness we have here. I'm wondering when we'll execute that monster. I've heard stories about this dragon and they weren't exactly good."

Him bringing up Luna brought up my conflicted feelings about her. But I just mentally brushed them off again and said, "Well still, thank you and your kind for welcoming me here."

The one with the green fur made a smug face, "You're lucky we didn't have to consider you as our enemy." He held up his bow for emphasis, "Cause I'm a good shot with this."

I laughed and then I shook my head, "Wouldn't doubt it. I saw how you shoot your arrows. Talk about good aim."

He bent over to bow at me, "Glad you've found my skills amusing." He looked up at me while he still bowed, "And also for not doubting them."

The cheetah with the red fur asked with a gesture to me, "So how are you liking this village, creature from another world?"

I let out a chuckle and modestly said with a hand to my chest, "Please, call me Mike. And for what I am, I'm a human."

The red furred cheetah started to nod getting the whole picture now, "Ah, ok then...Mike." He waved his hand to me again, "So how are you liking your stay in the village?"

I smiled and nodded, "It's pretty good." I moved my head back and forth looking around the area, "I had to say, it's more peaceful here than anywhere else. I can actually feel the tranquility here."

The green cheetah made a nod and a smile on his muzzle, "Us cheetahs always loved the peace and tranquility. We wouldn't exactly trade it for anything." He moved his eyes to look at the log made wall that surrounds the village, having a grim look and a sigh, "But it's too bad that the war's outside these walls and the peace and tranquility doesn't come around out there much like before. There's usually just fighting and pain." He made a feline growl deep in his throat, "And it was all because of a dragon that started this war, and it started so many years ago. Way before I was born, but as the story passes onto generation to generation before the war started, my kind has socialized with dragons." The cheetah beside him nodded in agreement, "We chatted with them, flew on their backs, and we even shared our festivities with them. Dragons were like our best friends. And it was all because of one dragon that we don't do that anymore." He made a glum look, "I know for a fact that our allegiance is still with dragons, but they just want to get involved in the war, we don't. Too bad I wasn't born back then. Only my ancestors has been around those times."

My eyes went wide. Yikes...Ancestors? Has the war been around for such a long time? Like...For a LONG damn time? I really have to ask someone about this war. I only know about the Lost Souls and Dark Dragons so far, how they were made. And just now I do know for sure that a dragon has started this war, but why? I turned my head and see Luna still chained to her post from a faraway distance. She said that she never started this war, but is that really true? Did she start it? Well how long has this war been going on? Cause I don't think Luna's that old. I can just tell. Well a part of me still thinks that she never really did it at all, but I'm still not sure. I'll have to talk to someone about her, everything about her. I know from chief Meadow that she's bad and manipulative, but I want the full story about her from someone here.

I looked back to the two cheetahs in front of me, and the one with red fur replied after his friend, "Yeah, makes me wish that we didn't have to deal with war outside these walls when we're out hunting for food and fishing for it too. Heh, makes me wish that I rode on a dragon too like my ancestors has. I can even dream about it."

Don't know about you, pal. But I for one am afraid of flying!

I didn't say that out loud, I just made a wave to them, having a bit of a glum look on my face, "I'm sorry this have happened to you."

The one with green fur shook his head and smiled at me, "Don't worry about it." He held up his bow again, "Even though we love peace and tranquil, but even we have to fight back. Especially when it comes to protecting it. There's not much of a choice." He made a chuckle, lowering his bow, "I'm not exactly the type to wield a sword. I'm more like a archer by blood."

I nodded softly, "I get the feeling, brother. I'm not the sword wielder myself. I'm more like an archer."

His ears perked up in a bit of excitement, "Really? Do you know how to use one of these?"

I beamed at him, "Boy, do I. I did archery when I was a...Cub. I think that's how you'd put it?" The cheetahs both nodded and I nodded after them, "Then yeah, I did some archery back in my cub days. I was a good shot." I shyly rubbed the back of my neck, "But I haven't done so for a long time."

The one with red fur started to trot past me, saying this over his shoulder, "Well how about do some practice with us? I'll get you a bow, so be right back."

I looked over my shoulder, "Ok, dude." I turned to the green furred cheetah in front of me, "A traveler like me has to have a weapon, right?"

He nodded, "Exactly. You deserve to have one." Then he tilted his head slightly, "But are you going to leave the village sometime?"

I sighed and shrugged my shoulders, "Can't really stay here forever. Have to find someway to get back home." I did ask Meadow if he, or anyone in the village has ever heard of this green light that probably brought me to Avarilan, but he said that he didn't have a clue. Well that's perfect. None of them don't know how to help me get home. But...I can't exactly stay here forever, I still need to do something. If there's a way home, then I'll find it. But the question is...Is there a way home at all? I turned my eyes to Luna on that hill. I know that I don't know what to think of you right now, but did you know how to get me home the whole time and lied to me before? Or were you telling me the truth and actually didn't know how? God, I really don't know. Luna...You seemed like you'd cared.

One part in my brain spoke to me, making me have a small flash of anger boil in my body. Mike, she could be another monster who was lying to gain your trust.

But another part made conflict to the other one, making that anger go away in an instant. But she said that she's wasn't lying to you about everything. That everything she did was the truth. That how she'd met you, was just an unexpected thing that occurred to her, and how she'd saved your life wasn't an act. You're probably wrong about her. Now the truthful look she gave me before, flashed in my eyes. The small bout of guilt tugged at my heart again. Luna...

The green furred cheetah tapped my shoulder, breaking me out of my thoughts, "What are you doing?"

I shook my head and then waved him off, "Sorry about that. I was just thinking about...Her."

He followed my gaze and knew who I was talking about, "Ah, the black dragoness called Lunasin, also known as Dark Storm. I've heard about her. I've heard about so many things she did." My mind just clicked when he mentioned her name. Well Luna did assure to me that her name is Lunasin, or Luna, so apparently she wasn't lying to me about that. The cheetah made a growl with his bared teeth and turned his eyes off of her, "I've heard that you were with her, pretty much manipulating you I suppose." He made a fiery look and shook his head, "Well the chief will make sure that she won't do anything like that ever again to anybody." He hummed in thought, "Now I'm wondering what he'll do with her. I do hope that she gets executed, cause who knows what she'll do."

Part of me was thinking that it's a great idea that she dies. But another part, the guilty part, was telling me otherwise. You're probably wrong about her, Mike.

But you shouldn't trust her! She probably manipulated you! Heck, she was probably going to kill you in your sleep, if you've slept alone with her last night!

I internally fought back and forth those feelings. Wondering if I should trust her, or distrust her. This is confusing me.

I looked right at the cheetah in front of me. Thinking that I should ask him about her. Have him tell me everything. But I didn't have a chance to do it, when the red furred cheetah came running back with another bow in his hands, along with several arrows in the other hand, "Hey Mike." I whirled around, beaming that I saw it in his hand. He handed the bow over to me, "Here you go."

I held the wooden bow in my hand, feeling the smoothness of the carved wood on it. The cheetah held out the arrows to me and I grabbed them too. I nodded to the cheetah giving me those things, "Thank you." The green furred cheetah already ran to the hanging target, pulled his two arrows out of it and ran back to us.

The red cheetah thumbed at the hanging target from the tree branch several feet away from us, "Go ahead, show us what you got." I nodded at that and placed some arrows to the dirt ground, only having one in my hand. I raised the bow and began to draw back the arrow on the string, remembering how I was taught to do it with Joshua. I know I can do this. I aimed the arrow right at the target, my hand held onto the arrow while at it. I can feel a bit of perspiration forming on my forehead as I was feeling nervous that I'll miss. I can do it...I can do it.

And with that, I let go of the arrow and sent it flying across the several foot range....Hitting squarely at the target. I let out a shocked gasp, shocked that I made a shot for the first time in awhile. Wow...I did it! I was giggling in disbelief at this. I really did.

The two cheetahs cheered loudly and one with the green fur clapsed a proud hand to my shoulder, "Nice shot!" Then he made a grin, "Maybe I should challenge you for who's the better archer?"

I laughed at the challenge, "Maybe so." I turned my head to his eyes, "I think I'm up for the challenge." With that, I bent down to grab another arrow and drew it back on the bow, ready to fire it at the target like the other one. Then I released it and it had the same result. It struck at the target, right next to the first arrow I fired. Making me chuckle. Well I haven't really lost my skill after all.

*****

I peeked out through the small opening on the wall to look outside from inside Merana's house. From right here at this spot, I can see Luna on that hill sitting on her butt looking up at the sky which it has now turned into a sunset filled sky. I can barely see her face, but I think I'm sure her expression looks depressed. I furrowed my brow at seeing that. Why are you sad really? Are you sad because cheetahs have foiled your plans and thwarted your tyranny forever? Or is it because you're just an innocent girl and they've chained you up? Leaving you alone up on that hill...All alone without a friend.

I let out a sigh. Luna...I'm still wondering about you. What are you really? Are you really bad? Or are you good? I'm still trying to figure it out.

I heard small footsteps pad up behind me and I glanced over my shoulder to see Merana right there with her warm smile. The two legged, blue furred female cheetah with spots on her fur really made her look beautiful. She was wearing a green nightgown around her body which I think it was made by some furry animal in this world, fitting since I think two legged cheetahs are modest about their bodies like humans are. But four legged ones back at home are a different story. Merana said with her soft voice, "Is everything alright? You're not in bed." She tilted her head, "Are you still hungry? I can go outside and cook you up some more meat if you want."

I returned the warm smile with my own, turning my body around to face her, "No thanks. I just...Couldn't really go to bed yet." I gestured the outside through the window with my head, "I think it's a bit early to go to bed, isn't it? I'm not even tired."

She snickered a bit, "Guess I'm acting a little bit too motherly towards you, ain't I?"

I just looked right at her. Seeing how her personality reminded me of my mother. I even pictured the blue cheetah as my mother in her place. God, how I really missed her. I shook my head, my vision showing Merana back in her place now, "Nah, you could never be too motherly to anybody." I gestured to her, "I'm surprised you don't have any critters running around in here. I think you'd make a great mother." I thumbed back through the window, "I have seen a lot of little cheetahs playing today, I thought they were cute."

Merana giggled, "Oh I already had a cub, but she's all grown up now." She made her way to the window near me and reached her hand out through it to point, "My daughter lives at the other side of this village. She already has a cub of her own and a mate." She brought her hand back in here and gushed when she closed her eyes in pride, "Me a grandmother, that's really adorable."

I nodded a bit to her, "Maybe I'll get a chance to meet her. If she's anything like you."

Merana replied with her hands to her hips, "Oh she is, but she can be feisty too." She winked and laughed.

I did too only a little bit, "Well I better watch myself then." I shot a glance through the window again, looking right at Luna. I held a bit of a concerned look on my face and sighed.

The older female cheetah noticed it and had one of her own, "What's the matter, sweetie?"

I shook my head, "Nothing."

She brought her hand to my shoulder and gripped it, "Mike, listen. I know that we don't know each other that much, but at least tell me what's troubling you. Is it because of what happened to you before getting to you?"

I sighed and only shook my head again. Merana was trying to follow my gaze by looking through the window too. And she can figure out what I'm looking at. Merana had her gaze on me now, already figuring it out, "You're staring at Lunasin? The Dark Storm?"

I nodded and looked at her face again, "Yeah..." I hung my head, "Lets just say she's been on my mind all day. Ever since your chief set me free from that chain."

Merana nodded slowly, "You're still a bit shocked about her? About who she really is?"

I muttered, "Well I'm only going by on what Meadow and another cheetah said. But I don't really know the full story about her." I let out a breath, brushing my shaggy brown hair off my eyes, "I mean, she didn't seem evil at all. She saved my life."

Her eyes widened, drawn her hand back, "She...Saved your life?"

I brought my eyes to her, "She did, from a lot of Lost Souls on a mountain." I slumped my shoulders, "Honestly, the reason why I didn't say anything about that earlier is because after everything Meadow said about her, I thought what she did for me was all an act. But...But now, I'm just not so sure about that. It's because Luna said that it wasn't an act and everything she did for me was the truth. That she wasn't planning to hurt me and show her true colors. That she's not an enemy. She even gave me that look showing me that she wasn't lying. But I still don't know what to think. I'm...Just feeling conflicted about how I should feel about her now. Trust her, or distrust her, you know?"

Merana nodded in understanding, one of her ears twitched, "I get it. You're...Just trying to figure her out. Trying to see if she's evil or not."

I let out another uncertain sigh and asked when I made a gesture to her, "So what's her story? I mean, can you tell me about her? What did she do?"

Merana hummed and crossed her arms under her breasts, "Well....I don't really know her personally, but I do know of her...And what she's done...And that was twelve years ago."

"What happened?"

The female cheetah showed a hint of a smile on her muzzle, "Heh, well from what I know and heard, Luna wasn't always tall and big. Actually she was short and small back then, as a teenager...Before it happened." She let out a sigh and her smile went away, "Look, I don't really know what happened to her really, remember I go by what I heard from the dragon race. But it was one day that little Lunasin left Wingspan." I frowned and she held up a finger, answering me before I could ask her the question, "The dragon city." I nodded and she went on with Luna's tale, "Lunasin left Wingspan all alone without anybody with her. No one knew what really happened to her. But days later...She came back, only bigger and taller and...Dangerous."

I tilted my head, "Wait, are you telling me that she'd grew in size at a fast rate days later?" I waved a hand, "Was it some sort of magic?"

Merana nodded and said, "We all believe that the dragon who started this war years ago, named Abyss, was the one who did that to her. That Luna left the dragon city and went to Abyss at a far away land. To make her more powerful than any other dragon."

Abyss? So that's the dragon's name. The one who started this war. The one who's so freakin old and alive up to this day. Geez, that name....Sounds a bit creepy if you ask me. But...Why would Luna do that? Why choose his side? Why go to Abyss? I asked, "So why would Luna leave and look for Abyss? What was the purpose?"

She shook her head, "Sorry, but none of us had any idea. See it was after she grew big and all, that she started making her attacks on the lands that held innocent beings, like cheetahs and dragons for example. She led an army of Lost Souls and Dark Dragons. Course, Abyss was the master and he created them with his dark power, but he appointed Lunasin to take command of them." Merana sighed, "She wreaked havoc and killed a lot of innocent, like she didn't have any remorse at all. And she was given the title 'Dark Storm'. Because with her black scales and her flying up so high in the sky, she was like a storm of destruction and misery." She had a glum look, "I even saw it happen to me....Only once. I was lucky to be the survivor. But for many others...They weren't so lucky. She was unstoppable. It was like that evil dragon had an ultimate weapon at his disposal. As if his dark creations weren't enough to cause enough havoc and pain amongst us all. And he used an actual born dragon, and her power was strong, just like Abyss's, but they are both different when it comes to power. Abyss is the most powerful one."

"So...Is there more?"

Merana put a hand to her chin, rubbing it as she put it into thought, "Well...One day when she attacked her own city with her army...She was struck down by 'The Great One'."

I frowned, "The Great One?"

She made a smile on her muzzle, "The Great One's is an old dragon full of magic and wisdom. And he's the one who defeated her."

My eyes went wide, "Wowzers, him? How did he manage that?"

Merana answered, "I'd say he'd used a lot of magic on her. He's not exactly a normal dragon like most of them. When he defeated her, she returned to her normal size at her own age."

"She was...Small again?" The motherly cheetah nodded softly and I asked, "So what happened after that?"

She hummed in more thought, "Well...She hasn't really attacked anybody since she was in normal size. Not destructive or anything. But all of us still didn't trust her. Actually, we couldn't trust her."

I spoke slowly and clearly, "Because you guys....Thought that the way she was being calm and not destructive after turning small...You thought she was acting. That the way she'd behaved was all a lie?"

"After all she'd done, it was never forgotten. The memory of her destructive ways would never fade away. All of us on the innocent side of the war thought she didn't change. I even heard that she denies that she was never evil at all, but all of us believed that it was a lie coming out of that mouth of hers. That even when she's small and not big, we all believed that she was still up to no good. That perhaps she was evil before she had magically gotten bigger. Like, maybe she wouldn't give up on being with her...Master again. That she won't give up on his own cause for the war. We would never trust her." She hung her head, "I know I haven't."

"So...Then what happened to her? Cause I did meet her on a mountain, after ending up in Avarilan."

Merana trotted close to the window, looking out at Luna again, "I believe it was...Several months, maybe a year, after she reverted to her small stature....She left the city again." I internally gasped at the answer. But then Merana whirled around to face me with an uncertain look, "But here's the thing...There wasn't any destruction coming forth from her after she'd left the city the second time. She just disappeared...For eleven years. There wasn't any trace of her. She was never to be seen again."

Wait then....She lived out there all alone? For eleven years? Does that mean....She never went back to Abyss? Was I...Wrong about her? Was everyone wrong about her? Did we all just...Misjudge her? Was Luna telling me the truth? Is she not really the enemy at all?

Merana let out a sigh, "That's the story about Lunasin. And now twelve years have passed since she'd done those things. And now after eleven years of disappearing...She finally reappears. And you found her."

I hung my head, feeling the guilt coming to my chest like it has done already. Luna....

Merana held a pity look and said, "Look listen...I don't know her all that well, and...I suppose maybe I should. Because you said that she'd saved your life and...I think that means something." She shook her head, "I don't think it's all an act, dear. Lunasin has never showed that kind of kindness back then and she'd showed you it." I rose my gaze off the ground and looked into her eyes. Merana then clapsed my shoulder again, giving me her own sincere look, "Maybe she was evil back then, and perhaps...She has changed her ways. Like I said, I don't really know what really happened to her back then. But judging the way she acts towards you...That's not the Dark Storm that I know."

Then my distrust toward the black dragon came back only partially and I asked the old female cheetah, "So you think that...I should trust her?"

Merana looked me directly in the eye, gripping my shoulder, "That's only up to you. I can't do it for you. But...I'm willing to trust her now, because of what you said to me. Because saving an innocent life and not destroying it, means something. That battling against her former army that she'd commanded, means something too. I'm sure that it's not an act, that her good deeds are real. And that look she gave you before was real also. And if I were you...I wouldn't wonder about her anymore. And besides...." She glanced through the window to see Luna, and I followed her gaze behind me. Luna is now laying around on her stomach on top of that hill. Merana muttered, "She seems to be peaceful up there. Not to mention...She looks sad too." She locked her gaze on me, "Don't you think that means something? Evil ones would never show emotions like sadness."

That made a click in my brain. God...She's probably right. No one who was that evil would show anything like that.

Merana brought her face close to mine, "I think you should give her a chance. Because by the looks of it, that poor girl looks alone. I'm sure that no one would believe that look she's having, but...I believe it and you should too. But that's up to you. I can't force it. But if I were you...I'd trust her." She was giving me a small smile on her muzzle, "If you get the chance, at least talk to her. Cause I'm sure that no one has NEVER listened to her. Cause we're all just judging her for what she did. I think you should talk to her. And I'm sure you won't regret it." She brought her muzzle to my cheek and kissed it. She pulled back and looked me in the eye again, "Just think about it, honey. Ok? I know there won't be any regrets afterward." She let go of my shoulder and started to back away from me. Her smile never went away in the slightest. We looked at each other and then she turned and left to go into another room.

With me alone in the room, I turned around to look out the window at Luna once again. Looking up at the sunset sky again. With that depressed look still plastered on that face. I can feel more guilt coming to me. I...I'm wrong about her. Everything that I accused her of is wrong. The reason why she doesn't seem evil, is because she's not.

Though I don't know what really happened to her back then, like why she was with Abyss in the first place, I'm only going by on what Merana has told me. She seems to have confirmed that Luna did some horrible things, but what happened to Luna? Was she evil back then? That she's changed after turning small again? Or is there something else that no one doesn't know? That maybe she wasn't evil after all? Not even before she went to Abyss the first time?

Then I can remember Luna's words earlier today. That she said that I wasn't going to listen to her like a hatchling, which I'm sure means child, and just judge her. That I'm just like everyone else. A person who judges and doesn't listen to one freakin word out of her. I'd thought that she was like this kind of person that you should never trust, cause I've dealt with that kind of person before. But now...I'm wrong.

Then another thought came to me, about judging. I get what she's feeling. I've been trying to change my life and I've felt that I'm still being judged. I think that's what's happening to her. It's the same thing I'm going through, and she thinks that I'm the person who judges. That I didn't give her a chance to tell me the truth. That's when I remembered that look that I'd thought she had before we were captured and taken here. Like she wanted to tell me something. I don't think I was imagining that look after all. I think she wanted to tell me all that, but she was afraid of what I would think. Can't really blame her at all for thinking that.

I formed a smile on my face. Merana's right. I should give her a chance. I should listen to the truth from Luna. Tell me what really happened to her back then. She didn't seem evil to me when we met. She was so nice. And that look she gave me before I left her ass up there, was real enough. And I didn't believe it before, but I do now. I'll talk to her tonight, when night shows up. I'll listen to her, and I won't judge anymore. After all...I do owe her that much.