Sometime during the night Michael actually laid down on the bed before tossing and turning, but he never awoke from his slumber.


When the morning sun leaked into the window of the room, his midnight blue eyes slowly opened and he used an arm to cover them from the sunlight before pushing himself to sit up with his free hand. "Morning, sleep well?" He asked as he glanced at Seth with a lazy smile.

Seth stretched and yawned deeply when he heard Michael wake up. He swung his feet over the edge of the window and back into the hut, where he let them touch the ground so he could stand upright. He, too, was only half-awake. "I slept great," he spoke, putting his hands together to welcome heat back into his body. "Did you?"

He was mainly curious to know how his comrade felt for the day. Seth was the one who practically lured Onyx to Michael's home, so it didn't feel right for him to expect Michael to become a wandering traveler so suddenly without at least having his own opinions in the living quarters that were acquired for single-night stays. To be as fair as possible, Seth decided that it didn't matter what he cared about the way he'd slept, even if it was better than how he'd slept most nights. His mind thought through that concept. Seth figured that it really was an excellent night of sleep considering that he was broken up physically and had his entire family massacred in less than a second- 'Ugh..' The feeling of instant-morning happiness began to drain away little by little into suicidal regret and frustration. 'Just hold out for fifteen minutes..'

[[ Little Side-note; suicidal thoughts in the morning are totally me <3.. Hee, they're usually gone by the time I leave home. ^^' ]]

[ side-note noted - hey, have you read the posted chapter on my DA? i should have chapter 4 posted soon ^^' *curious little red head* ]

Michael sighed heavily under his breath to make it less noticeable. "I slept okay." He answered quietly, rolling up the sleeve of the arm with the tattoo which burned as if his dream had actually happened. 'I guess this thing can't tell reality from dreaming- just like the brain...' He didn't remember the details, but it wasn't very pleasant.

[[ Haihai, I read through chapters 1-3.. I don't understand half the terms (never played the games ;~: ) but I still think it's epic! I ended up reading Chapter 3 first (Reading them 3, 1, 2, 3, was like reading the Animorphs book where they go back in time >o<;; There's a dire situation at hand and then they go back to lead up to the event) so that went over well ^^; ]]

Seth was immediately distracted when he saw the tattoo on Michael's arm. He thought about the conditions of the tattoo- it 'came to life' in a way when Michael was in danger. It wasn't 'alive' right then, but.. Seth shook those ideas away and realized that he could relate to the situation. He only bothered to pay attention to his side when it flared up in pain. "Michael.. Are you alright?" he asked, walking over to the boy clear over on the other side of the room.

[ hehe, sorry about the unknown terms~ .~. i'm glad you enjoyed the uploaded chapters ^-^ chapter 4 should be up by tomorrow at some point :3 i'll keep you posted <3 ]

Michael was quiet for the longest time before slowly moving his gaze to his friend. "What if this thing really does come to life- for any reason- and I can't control it? I don't prefer the inside of a dragon much..." He said quietly in a soft voice that actually sound, scared.

[ if i disappear for a little bit it's because we're having a T-storm that's on a lightning frenzy and i had to shut down the computer .x. ]

[[ Aw, daijobu~ I can't wait to see. ;o! ]]

Seth's grey eyes locked with Michael's when he felt that his friend was going down. He understood that empty words would ruin everything and deplete the trust-friendship and definitely kill Michael's courage. Seth knew that lying words like those were meant for sarcasm and only in stable situations to begin with. He could sense that time was running low. It would only be so long before the tattoo really did come to life and Seth got his first chance at hearing a dragon.

He took a step closer to Michael, hesitant at first due to his doubts of only having a friendship for about a day. Then he eliminated his feeling of anxiety and disbelief in himself. Seth knew that even though it had only been a day, it was as meaningful as an eternity and the only reason time mattered was because of society. Seth fearlessly reached out and hugged Michael. He gently locked his hands together behind the boy's back and closed his eyes, smiling. "I promised myself that I'd stay by your side, Michael," he said truthfully. "I will keep that promise. I refuse to bear seeing you in this kind of pain. If you're waiting for a tattoo to make its move to fight, why don't we call that blasted dragon out right now and face it head on? I'll stay right here and do everything both in and outside my powers to keep you safe. Even if all else concludes, I'll go with you to the next world."

[[ Okae, heehee. I used to have those where I lived in Illinois where the lightning would strike close and my speakers would pop- do yours do that? >o< If you poof, don't wait for me if it's more than an hour from now. ^^ ]]

Michael let his head rest on Seth's chest after feeling of his friends hands locking together behind his back. He didn't know a lot of things about his life, let alone understand the things he did know- but he knew for a fact that he couldn't risk the possibilities of losing so early is this sick little game he felt like he was stuck in the middle of. His mind raced with so many thoughts he couldn't hardly think straight.

"If it were that simple- this would be so much easier to deal with..." He heard himself say softly. "We wouldn't stand a chance against something we know nothing about..." Michael whispered as he slowly lifted his head off Seth's chest.

Seth had embraced the moment in which he held Michael so close.. It was a strange feeling for him; one he'd never felt before. He listened intently in his calmness and looked up to the door ahead of him. "Then let's ask someone who might," he said, taking Michael by the hand and heading into the rest of the hut. If there was a rock that could prevent Onyx from getting in- something that had been engineered that same morning of the rock's defensive appearance- then there was a way to fight a dragon without dying. Seth was most interested in telling Ariel first, since it wasn't right to suddenly leave someone out of the trio. If she wasn't already awake with the sun, then Seth planned to get her up. "You heard what Marcia said- she recognized your 'tattoo' in the first place. Lazarus also said that there was already a stone that protected the village from Onyx. They're smart people and this really shouldn't bee too difficult. First, we'll tell Ariel." Seth felt like he was breaking through a glass ceiling with Michael. If only he could reach a point of no return, then everything would fall into place quicker. 'First things first,' he thought to slow himself down. "Ariel!"

Michael followed behind his friend, listening to his words. It didn't entirely make sense but at this point- nothing really did. He nodded lightly.

Ariel shot up at attention when she heard her name. 'Who's butt are we kicking?' She asked then blinked a few times and looked between the boys. 'What's wrong...?' Ariel asked in a much more concerned voice.

Seth suppressed a laugh that tried to escape out into the room when he heard Ariel's first comment. "We're calling out the dragon," he said defiantly. "Do you have any tips?" Seth wasn't exactly looking for anything in Ariel's answer other than pure information. He would understand if she had concerns and maybe even be a little surprised if she didn't. However, he didn't care for emotional detests. Seth glanced around to see if Marcia had gotten up yet, or where that chief had run off to. 'Today is yet to be another interesting day..' he thought to himself, realizing what had happened since he woke up.

Before Ariel could make the slightest intentions of answering Marcia poked her head out from behind the cabnit in the kitchen. "You're calling out the dragon?!" Ariel puffed a cheek and shot a dark look of annoyance at the woman looking for something to make for breakfast who pressed her lips together at the sight of Ariel's spine-shivering warning. She sighed softly and looked back at Seth. 'I have a few pointers. 1; attack it's blind-side(s) every chance you get, 2; don't stop to take a breather no matter how bad you want to, keep moving, and last but not least; you have to win at all costs.'

"Michael has to fight it alone, since it can only have one tamer." Marcia speaks in a soft voice with the eyes of a heart broken mother. "If he has help, the dragon will pick the one out of the two of you depending on who gives the final blow." Michael shakes his head and looks at her. "It'll be after me, therefor even if I have backup- it'll be like I'm the only one fighting it." He paused for a brief minute to numb the pain of his arm before finishing the previous statement.

"Michael--" Marcia started to say but stopped in mid-sentence "It'll only get one tamer. It needs to be done now." He said in a tone that caused little Ariel to flinch. "Okay, okay." Marcia caved, raising her arm in defeat. "Seth will need to keep a hold of you while calling the dragon, or you'll be going to an alternate universe to fight it alone." She explained in simple terms.

[[ Why does it have to get so good right now T~T *squee* I'll have to see you tomorrow >o<]]

Seth counted off all four pointers. 'Three and a half~' he thought musically. This was the event horizon that he wanted- the point of no return. Seth couldn't exactly place his finger on why, but he'd been seeking something of the sort for a long time. He turned his attention to Marcia, who had coincidentally been in the same room. He tilted his head a little at their conversation. "So I can help in and out of combat?" he asked for clarification. He knew he'd be anchoring Michael into the real world, but Seth wanted to do everything he was allowed to do. He wouldn't stop halfway through. 'Not with my promise.' Seth turned directly towards Michael and then got a glimpse of what was behind him. It was just household items, but..

"Would it be convenient if we stepped out?" he asked as a last-minute remembrance to the fact that everyone he'd spoken to that day was in a hut with him. If a dragon came in and blew something up, there would be consequences other than simply being worn down.

[[ Last Post.. Nightnight Nova-Chan ^^]]

[ ironic isn't it? ;~; see you tomorrow~ (sweet dreams <3) ]

Marcia nodded. "After the battle is over, you will both be brought back to the last place you were standing before calling the dragon- it'd be better to stay in here. But if you'd like then go right ahead." She chuckled nervously. Ariel wondered if her tips were heard. "Ariel sit your butt on that couch, you have to stay here, understood?" Ariel glances at her and nods slowly. 'Understood~' She giggled and sat on the couch.

Michael went outside with Seth. It was still early so no villagers were spotted roaming about.

[[ Omgee, today went by so fast. ^w^' (It's my grace day; no after-school 'activities' <3) ]]

Seth had listened to Marcia's final explanation before he waved and was taken outside with Michael. He was happy to be out of the hut again- to a place where he could roam if he wanted. "So," Seth began to say as the silence of the village drove on. "We attack every blind spot at every opportunity, we keep moving, and you take the last blow." He ran through his mind exactly what needed to be done. "Seth will need to keep a hold of you while calling the dragon, or you'll be going to an alternate universe to fight it alone." He took Michael's hand and held it tightly. Seth, at last second, took out his dagger with his free hand and held it out to Michael. "If this is useful, then take it- even if you already have one," he ordered. Seth didn't know if dragons could even be effected by a blade. "I'll divert and decoy anyway. Then we'll never have to worry about the final strike."

[ yay! ^0^ -- i'm almost done with chapter 5~ *squee* ]

Michael looked at Seth and nodded lightly and carefully took the dagger into his own hand. "We can do this." He said in soft voice that was almost nerve calming, almost. Michael lightly gripped Seth's hand and the scenery around the boys started to change and shift. Ripples waved through the area surrounding them. Marcia poked her head out the window. "One last thing before you boys go, trust your instincts!" "Instincts?" Michael glanced at her a moment for behind the boys stood in the middle of an area lit with shades of orange and white. You could swear you were flying if there wasn't for your feet being planted on something solid, like an invisible floor.

Michael released Seth's hand and tightly gripped the dagger handle, a deep growl of a dragon could definitely be heard, but nothing but the boys were seen.

[[ Ooh~ do you have ch4 posted yet? ]]

Seth was pretty sure he caught the last of Marcia's advice when the world around him lost almost all its colors except for the orange and white that were left. He felt a little dizzy seeing what he was left with. The ground wasn't consistent and Seth was a little seasick at first. After a few seconds, though, he pulled it together. Seth slipped a hand into his pocket, reaching for something, and the tiny click! of a case echoed before Seth had something in his grasp. He was on his toes, ready to jump in either direction. 'Big, scary dragon, huh.' he thought sarcastically.

[ urk! i meant i'm almost done with ch 4 ><' gomennesai~ ]

Michael looked around, this wasn't exactly his type of fighting ground, so the dragon had one point against him, two considering the fact that this was the dragon's universe so it could come and go as it pleased. Big angry crystal blue eyes peered into the side of the alternate universe before a large, light blue dragon with white designs that painted it's blue scales leaped out at the both boys. It's upper and lower jaw lined with razor sharp teeth like a great-white shark and claws like a Velociraptor, along with large heavy weighted wings with tips like spears and a long tail with spiked tips, making it look like a mace. It was about 4xs their size. Michael jumped one way, hoping Seth went the other way. 'We're supposed to take down that thing!?' His mind screamed.

[[ ^^ Lawls, that's alrighty~ Do you know how many chapters you'll have-ish? ]]

Seth felt a strange wave of calmness pour over him like a waterfall when he caught sight of the dragon. The dull ringing in his ears stopped and he didn't feel like a frozen rock. He stood still for a moment as it lunged forwards and automatically threw himself out of the way just before it clashed through the ground where he'd previously been standing. Seth quickly rolled onto his side and made sure not to lose sight of the dragon for more than a second. He noticed that his mind had scaled the dragon down and placed it on an vitruvian-man type model so he could analyze it's strengths, abilities, and weaknesses to a degree.

Then his mind snapped into action and out of analysis. He remembered that Michael had said the dragon would be after him first. Seth took one of the tiny- yet surprisingly heavy- bundles of white paper in his palm and whipped his arm hard enough to send it flying. The little bundle exploded harmlessly against the dragon's scales yet created a big flash and a loud CRACK! "HEY! Fluffy! Over here!" Seth screamed, shifting another one of his fire-cracker pellets into his finger-tips and eventually launching it at the dragon to create another flash. He would throw a whole pack if it didn't work. "Come on!" He began to run, knowing that if he really got the dragon's attention then there was no way for him to evade such speed and force.

[ -shakes head- no idea .-.' ]

The dragon screeched in more anger than pain as it hissed viciously, bringing its tail around like a whip, which Michael grabbed the midsection of it after holding the blade in between his teeth, and climbed up the tail like a spider monkey. Once he was on the back, the tail came up and swat at him that a fly, knocking him off and into the invisible force known as the wall, the dagger hit the ground just before Michael landed on his feet and picked up the dagger. The dragon hissed snapped at Seth, who had angered him first. Michael brought the blade up and sliced into the tail just deep enough to make it barely bleed. The dragon screamed with pain and flew into the wall of the dimension, vanishing in minutes.

It came up through the floor under Michael's feet with it's mouth open. Michael stabbed the dagger through the side of its nose and flipped off of the wall to avoid being eaten. The dragon screeched in pain again and thrashed its head around once it was out from the floor, to shake the dagger from its nose.

[[ Ahs, I see. >w< ]]

Seth watched in slight awe as Michael totally destroyed the dragon, little by little. He winced when Michael hit an invisible wall, but it was that moment of realization that Seth remembered what Ariel had said. "1; attack it's blind-side(s) every chance you get," a voice echoed in his head. Seth shook his idleness away and swung more flashing firecrackers at the dragon. "Fluffy! C'mere you wall of brick!" he shouted, starting to run in a bit of a circle. He could see where the wall was that Michael had rebounded off of, so Seth used that wall-point and where he knew their entrance-point was like a radius. He figured the wall was some sort of square, so he made sure not to get too close to an edge. Seth cursed at the dragon every so-often throughout his run in the alternate dimension. Occasionally, one of the fire crackers would get lodged in between a scale if the dragon shifted enough to leave such a gap in it's armor. When the dragon moved, the firecracker would go off like it had been thrown. Seth felt pure satisfaction to know that it was like creating multiple diversions. "Michael! How much longer?" he called from across a distance.

With more of the fire-crackers hitting it, the dragon thrashed around which triggered the fire-crackers between its scale, causing the dragon the screech with rising anger than anything. The dagger flew out from its nose and got stuck in the wall, which cracked ever so slightly. Michael grit his teeth and shakes his head. "The dimension is cracking so hopefully not much longer!" He called back, latching onto the tail again and climbing up towards its wings. He ducked when the tail came into action and the dragon screamed in pain as the mace-tail came down on its wing, barely missing Michael who held onto the broken wing for a moment before moving towards its neck. He dodged the tail which came down hard on itself, causing it to screech in agonizing pain. His foot got stuck behind a bone segment in its broken wing that had busted through the scales. "Damn it!" He pulled on his leg but the foot wouldn't budge.

Seth continued to practically run in circles around the dragon, slowly closing in the distance in which he deemed himself safe. Seeing the wall crack was like the time when Seth fell into an ice river as a kid. He noticed the ice starting to split until suddenly he was in a world of a cold, deep blue color. He gripped his firecrackers tightly and ran straight into the dragon. 'Please forgive me..' he thought as he threw a handful at the broken wing. They all exploded upon impact around the dragon's out-broken bone.

There was a bright array of flashes and loud sounds that stung Seth's ear with every pop, but he knew that against bare and unprotected skin- dragon or human- even the smallest bit of gunpowder engineered to make light and noise rather than fire would do damage. Seth just prayed that there was enough done to free Michael's foot while not being too much to injure his companion. He poured a small handful of the little white pyramid-shaped firecrackers back into his pocket and re-clicked the case shut. "Michael, catch this and go!" he yelled, launching the dark blue rectangular metal box upwards at a rainbow arc. He felt so helpless. All he could do was watch and make distractions.

The dragon screeched, but not out of pain or anger, no. This was a screech of pure fear. Michael paused, the only think snapping him back into action was the loud noises and lights and his foot coming free. He nearly kicked himself when it came free and he caught the rectangle and set it within the wing before diving off of the wing and rolling into the wall pretty much. He slowly stood and glanced back at the dragon screeching and whaling about.

[ chapter 4 completed and uploaded onto my DA ^~^ ]

Seth heard the dull thud of Michael running into the wall again. He sprinted over to where his friend was and looked up at the tall dragon who was losing its mind. He couldn't tell if they were winning or losing. Seth noticed that Michael no longer possessed the firecracker case. He still had the hand-full of explosives in his hand as well as the bundle that was neatly tucked practically inside the dragon. If they all exploded at once..

"Michael," he whisper-shouted above the noise. He took Michael's hand in his and tipped the tiny pyramids into his friend's palm. "It'll disable it's wing," he said. 'Does this mean..' he thought. 'Checkmate..?'

[[ I shall read the chapter right now <3~! ]]

Michael stopped Seth from doing so and shakes his head. "We already won, it knows that." He walked towards the large beauty as if understanding what it was saying as it continued to screech. "Trust your instincts!" Marcia's voice rang in the back of his head as he climbed up its wing to its back. "Hold still you overgrown reptile!" Michael ordered and it stopped, landing on the ground on all fours and lowered his head for Seth to climb on. The dimension slowly began cracking like an iceberg ready to crash and burn. "Seth, get up here, quick! It won't leave without us both on it." Michael called to his friend.

[ heehee~ ^-^ ]