Ettolrahc looked to her right, and then to her left. Good. No one's here. She shifted anxiously and shambled to a hole in a cave. She glanced furtively around and slid into the cave. "Safe!" she muttered.

She glanced inside of the cave quickly before entering into it. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that no one was there. If someone had found her hideaway, it would be utterly terrible.

Her tail swished in annoyance as she heard a scuffling of paws. She looked under the table and saw her sheep friend Stasia. "Stasia," Ettolrahc chided. "You know not to come in here."

"BA. BAAAAAAAAAAH. BRAHHC."

Ettolrahc wrinkled her nose. "There is no need to curse, young sheep."

The sheep muttered something again, and Ettolrahc rolled her eyes. She picked up the sheep and tossed it out of the cave. Using a form of small magic, she sealed the door.

"Finally. A place to stay and be quiet." Ettolrahc yawned, but didn't give in to her raging exhaustion.

She shuffled over to one of her desks and opened the drawer. She pulled out a sealed scroll and opened it. It read:

Dearest Ettolrahc,

You are needed at Golden Springs at sun high. Please don't be late to your training. It is vital that you know how to defend yourself and how to use the small magic every female dragon has. This meeting shall be held the day after full moon high. I thank you for coming.

Headmistress Exadryi

Ettolrahc snorted. She tossed the paper into the fire, as was her routine. She didn't notice what the fire did, however.

Ettolrahc shoved her paw into the drawer and brought out another letter.

Dearest Ettolrahc,

You have been late to several of your magic classes. I suggest you start attending classes soon. You run the risk of failing out of your class. If this happens, you know that you will be shunned by all in your tribe. Have a nice day.

Headmistress Exadryi

Ettolrahc rolled her eyes and tossed that scroll into the fire. She reached in for another scroll.

My dear, dear, dear, dear, dear, dear, Ettolrahc,

It has been months since I last saw you. The sun glints off of my scales dully. There is no hope for me if you don't return soon. My eyes water every time I think of you and what happened to your mother. My heart breaks again and again every time I don't see you. ...

The love letter went on for some time and Ettolrahc disgustedly plasma blasted it. It incinerated on the spot and she yawned. I hate love letters.

She looked in her drawer and saw that they all had the same symbol as the love letter. She yanked the desk out and shambled over to the fire hearth and dumped the contents of the drawer in the blazing fire. The fire hissed and sizzled. Ettolrahc turned around and put the drawer back.

This life I live, I can't continue it. It's gotten too ... too gross. There's love. Yuck. I just don't need that right now. There's school. Magic? PAH! I don't have any. Oh, and what was that? Yeah. That's right. I have no input in anything. The Night Fury slumped to the ground. "My life is as total mess."

True. It issss.

Ettolrahc whipped around. "What? Who's there?"

No one is here, and yet I am.

Ettolrahc muttered a curse. "Who are you?"

I am no one, and yet, I am someone.

"You aren't answering my question." She huffed.

Oh, but I am.

Ettolrahc narrowed her eyes. "Show yourself."

Three days.

"What? Who are you?! Where are you?!" Ettolrahc spun around, yet no one was there. Her eyes wild with fear, she gallopped out of her cave and into the light. I can't tell anyone this happened! They might turn me and my baby sister away for good!

Ettolrahc kept running, oblivious to the sights around her. Her wings outstretched and she was off. Her wings flapped maddly as she tried to get farther and farther away from that silky, yet slimey, voice that was haunting her. She had learned that it wasn't good to dwell on things like those. Who knew what could happen?

Ettolrach passed over a waterfall and it seemed to leap out at her, but did she see it? No. Her wing beats grew harder and longer as she struggled to escape the turmoil left in the cave. Why did I ever go to the cave? Why did I make it my home? I knew something bad would come out of it! These thoughts plagued her like no other. If she couldn't reach her sister in time ...

She slammed into another object. A Night Fury with bright orange markings flew back disgustedly. "Ettolrahc."

"Anuht." Ettolrahc replied icily.

Both Night Furies stared at the other, willing each to break down and fly away. Ettolrahc would not have this happen, but ... she had to. She needed to make sure her sister was safe.

"Why must you fly around so carelessly?"

"Oh, Anuht. Why must you follow me wherever I go?" She said and pushed away from the black Night Fury with orange markings. Anuht flew to her again, anger burning in his eyes.

"Me? Follow you? Pah! It must be you following me. You always seem to know when to strike at me in a moment of perfect peace." His eyes narrowed.

Ettolrahc's eyes narrowed.

You're move, Ettolrahc.

"The voice!" Ettolrahc gasped quietly. She pushed away from Anuht and continued on her course.

"Wait! What voice ..." Anuht's voice slowly drifted away as Ettolrahc flew faster. She needed to reach her sister in time. She just had to!

Her wings collapsed. She hadn't been getting enough sleep lately, and her whole body was tired. Not to mention that her little sister was in trouble and she had to reach her before it was too late. All of this added to the stress and anxiety the Night Fury was going through.

As Ettolrahc tumbled through the air, she managed to straighten herself out. A painful sensation ripped through her left wing and she cried out, tumbling to the ground.

The last thing she saw was the ocean rushing up at her.

Ettolrahc was speeding through the air and was hit by a missile. She sped to the ocean, but something happened. The water flew up around her and caught her.

She grinned and her wings beat joyously. "Amitilaroda teealda!"

The water swirled into a picture of a young, green blue Night Fury. Ettolrahc smiled. She was fine.

The water screen collapsed and turned into a replica of Ettolrahc. She smiled and punched the water playfully. It did ot give way.

Yes! I've perfected it She thought happily.

The water seemed to have a life of it's own. It jumped higher into the air, and it's "wings" beat lazily. Her tail whipped around, and the legs pawed the air. It was really a majestic sight. The crystal clear water rushed throught the Night Fury likeness. The fluid water swirled in all different areas. Water swirled up and down each legs in all different directions. If one looked at it too long, they was get severley dizzy.

Congratulations. You made a friend.

The water Night Fury disintegrated and Ettolrahc slowly turned around in a circle. "You. I've heard you somewhere before ..."

Oh, you have. You have.

"But wbere?!"

Not in this dimension.

"What"

My dear, my dear. This is just a dream.

"No! It's not! It ffelt real when I punched my creation."

That old myth about how if you hurt yourself, you know it's a dream, that, I'm afraid, is not real. It was just someone's idea of a joke. Just because one person did it, doesn't mean it works for everyone.

"You're speaking in riddles." Ettolrahc growled. Her tail swished angrily.

Am I? We'll see.

"We will. We will."

Oh, and one more thing. You won't remember any of this dream when you wake up. Consider it my present to you.

Ettolrahc growled.

A hissing sound swirled around Ettolrahc and suddenly it was gone.

"She might make it."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not positive."

She could feel pounding in her head. The voices cut in and out. She could barley hear what they were saying.

"... What will happen?"

"I am not sure. She could ..."

"But that's impossible. It can't happen."

"We have to ..."

"...She has what?!

"Wha...?"

The pounding increased a hundredfold.

Steps walked over.

Thump

Thump

Thump

"Shhhhhhhh."

Her head fell onto the cold ground with a thud.

Ettolrahc awoke. Her vision was blurry. A blurry blue shape shambled up to her. A low murmmering sound sounded in her ear. No words were made out. They just sounded like sounds. It was a wee bit unsettling.

The blood rushed into her head. Her vision blacked out for a few moments. When it returned, she couldn't see clrearly, her vision was still fuzzy.

"She's awake."

The voice was abnomally loud and Ettolrahc felt like she should jump. However, due to her weakened state, she could not.

"Q-q-quiet." She muttered as loudly as she could.

"Sh." It was the blue shape that was hissing now. "She's just waking up."

A chuckling sound eminated from her far left. "I should go then."

An orange blur sped past her. A harsh wind followed shortly thereafter.

Ettolrahc heard a "tsking" sound. The blue blob came by and a sweet smell wafted over Ettolrahc's nose. Her eyelids rooped and she fell into sleep.

A few hours later she awoke by a crystal clear stream. A few feet away the river turned into a form of rapids. It was calm, peaceful, and serene. Just the kind of thing Ettolrahc needed.

She raised her head and sighed in satisfaction. Her life was pretty good now. Nothing was going to come for her. No one was going to take her away. No one was going to take away her freedom or her ability to be herself. She would be no one's slave.

Life was just how she wanted it to be.

Life going well?

Ettolrahc's eyes widened and she jumped up. Searing pain ran along her back, black spots dancing before her eyes. "Who-who are you?"

You've asked that before, and yet I haven't replied.

"N-no I haven't!"

Oh, yes, you did.

"But whem?!"

You don't remember.

"I sure don't."

And you don't need to be worried about that.

"Yes, yes, in fact, I do."

You just need to be worried about your sister.

Ettolrahc screamed in fury.

Three things happened at once.

The river exploded and swirled around the Night Fury.

Instant dread coursed through every Night Fury's veins.

Ettolrahc collapsed, unconscious. Her last thought was of protecting her sister.

And this so starts our journey.