Well, school has taken over my life again. Chapters will definitely be coming very slowly. Sorry for that. And the Q and A is still up for grabs. Heck. If you want let's say I'll pick the top three questions and answer them and also draw a picture to go with it. Pick a scene and I'll try and draw it for you. Anyway, on with the story!

Check earlier chaps for my style on how I write. It's easy after you figure it out.


Chapter 29—In a Nightmare, There are Friends—


Rachel's P.O.V….


Dream Realm….


"Now you're ours," the leader snarled and licked his lips slowly turning back into is animal form. "No one is here to save you now." He snapped at me with yellowed teeth.

"You'll never be able to harm me," I hissed backing up until my back was to a tree. "You are not real."

"Oh we are though, more real than you know," he snarled and leapt at me.

I threw my arms above my head and fell to my knees to try and protect myself. The attack I was expecting never came, only a shrill yelp and a hard thump of a body hitting the ground. I was a little afraid to even look at what had made the sound.

"You! You are not supposed to be here!" I heard the leader howl. "You-you…"

"You are the one not supposed to be here beast, lowly coyote," a deep, rumbling voice said calmly.

"Dragons have no business in coyote matters!" the coyote hissed.

"Coyote matters? Coyote matters?" The other beast bellowed finally, "COYOTE MATTERS! Coyotes have no matters, only tricks to harm those they wish to harm."

I drew what was left of my courage and chanced a look at my saver. There stood a dragon that was blood red and black. It oddly looked like the one Wren drew for me that represented James. It was more magnificent than the picture though because it was real flesh and blood.

"We have tricks, yes, but this is not that. This girl is of our concern, not your's."

"She is in our forest," a new silkier voice said from the forest.

"Cat, you have no place here either," the coyote snarled his gaze shifting to the right of the dragon. "I found her fair and square so she's mine!"

"I have the place and you know the order," it replied and came into view. It was a cat, about the size of the coyote that tried to attack me. I started to look closer at it and noticed the look of a dragon mixed with it. There were wings folded upon its back but you could barely see them for the thick fur that covered the cat's body. Black paws were covered in fur so inky it looked like it had stepped in dark water. "Coyotes are at the very bottom of the order. Only a very few have the higher place in the order."

"You do not need to protect that creature. They left her for dead!" the coyote snapped.

"Now, that is a lie!" the dragon roared.

"Her soul's other half is waiting for her as we speak," the cat hissed. "She will return to her soul's other half."

I looked a bit confused at the beasts before me. A rustle in the brush brought the attention of all three away from me and themselves. I pressed myself against the tree that was behind me, unsure of what was happening now amidst all the confusion. The coyote took that chance to regain ground. It leapt toward me quicker than I thought a creature ever could move. I froze not being able to think.

"KAAHSSS!" a screech echoed on the trees around me and a streak of green, red, and black hit the coyote.

"You attacked when the othersss were dissstracted. You will have to pay," the creature hissed, anger dripping from each word. "You who have no honor."

I looked up and recognized that it was a creature called a Dryphon. I only knew it was that because Wren had created the creatures. But that was about as much I knew about them. It was bigger than the cat/dragon and had wings gracing its back.

It pinned the creature down to the ground with a foot against its throat. "Never strike at a creature that has done nothing to you when they are as defenseless as a youngling," the Dryphon hissed flexing his claws digging them into the coyote's throat.

The coyote squirmed under his grip until he let him up. The dragon leapt toward the loose creature only to knock it over once again. "Be gone. You are banished from this section of the woods now though your cousins can stay. You have tried to harm one under our protection and so punishment has been dealt to you as it should be."

"She was mine! Mine! She is not under your protection either!" the coyote howled.

"She is now!" the dragon bellowed, flames licking at his lips. "Now, go!"

The coyote jumped up and began to run. The dragon bellowed and several smaller dragons appeared and chased the coyote off into the shadows.


Waking Realm….


James' P.O.V….


A beep of the door alerted me and shook me out of a state of meditation. "Enter," I said turning to the door.

An Irken nurse peeked in through the open door. Stepping inside she bowed to me before speaking. "We have heard that you would like to move… um…"

"Rachel," I said offering her name.

"Ah, yes, Rachel. We'll move her to your ship. We can provide just that as soon as you are ready," she finished.

I nodded, "I am. And I wouldn't mind it happening sometime today."

She nodded and smiled. "Alright, I will begin getting her ready though. Is your ship equipped with the right equipment though?"

I tapped the com on my wrist. "Bez?"

"Yes?" he rumbled across the link.

"We're moving Rachel back to you. Do you have all the stuff to monitor her with?" I asked.

"Wait a moment…" he paused, "I do now. You're safe to move her."

"Thanks Bez."

"Are Wren and Zim coming too?"

"No, they have other business to attend to," I replied.

"Are you returning to that ship after you move Rachel?" he asked.

"Not until she wakes up," I replied softly.

"Alright," Bez said. "When you get to the docking bay just follow the light pattern on the floor. It will take you to the medical lab. Everything should be there and something for you to eat also."

"You didn't have to do that Bez," I mumbled.

"Even though you are there, I still keep tabs on you. That means I know you need to eat. No ifs, ands, or buts." Bez growled out.

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Fine, I'll eat when I get there."

"Good, I'll see you when you get on board," Bez finished and the com beeped off.

"People need to stop repeating the same things over and over again," I muttered running both hands through my hair. I looked to the nurse that was still standing in the room. "Start getting things ready. We are leaving now."

"Yes sir," she said with a bow, "I will do that immediately."

"Good," I nodded and watched her walk out of the room quickly. I sighed and looked at Rachel. This should be the best thing for her. Bez was the most advanced being I knew, more advanced than even the Irkens. I felt much safer on Bez anyway.

The door opened suddenly and I looked up to see the Irken nurse from before. She bowed once again, "Sir, Rachel is ready to go. Would you lead the way?"

I nodded once, "If anything goes wrong I will have someone's soul."

She nodded and bowed shakily.

"Good. Do not loose sight of me." I growled and stood.

The nurse shot to the door calling for help. Several nurses rushed into the room to prepare Rachel for the move.


Narrator….


With Rouk….


The last check of equipment was made and the nurses gave a happy and thankful sigh as they followed the creature called Rouk through the halls of the ship. James had stayed behind with Rachel in the medical lab. He had also been forced by Rachel's little pet to eat something. Rouk had convinced the nurses to also have something, but away from the almost terrifying personality of James.

They had followed the strange little creature to Bez's mess hall, which by now it had improved quite a bit more. There were tables for two to three people now which had lights in the center of it the tables. There were more choices of food to choose from in the wall of food.

"Wow," one of the nurses said in awe while running a hand along one of the tables. "Nothing on the Massive is this nice."

"That's because no one's here," another said and all of them laughed.

"I wouldn't mind serving on this vessel," the first said after the laughter calmed down.

"I'd gladly obey any one in charge of this ship to work here," a third said grabbing a tray and a plate of food.

"Now Loatus, You know the Tallest wouldn't go for that," the first said following the third's path.

Loatus clicked. "The Tallests would if they asked, the people of this ship," she replied. "And you would want to work here too Xia. You said it yourself."

Xia, the first nurse scowled. "Maybe I did but I don't think those people would be able to convince them to let us work here."

"I don't know about that. I heard that the one with the Tail and ears scared both of them, really bad. I also heard she scared them so bad that they messed themselves," nurse number four said grabbing a plate of food from the wall.

All five of the other nurses looked at number four shocked.

"Are you sure?" number five asked.

Four nodded and everyone started to murmur amongst themselves. Each grabbed the rest of their food and found a table to sit at. The main discussion was about the girl terrifying their Tallests into crying and trembling little smeets.


James' P.O.V….


I sighed heavily looking down into Rachel's face. 'Rachel, please wake up. I need to know you're alright,' I thought and wove my fingers through hers.

I rested my head on my other arm that lay on her bed. Before I knew it I was asleep.


Rachel's P.O.V….


Dream realm….


The three beasts turned to me then. Ruby, blue-grey, and brown eyes sparkled in what light there was. The red dragon bobbed his head slowly in a sort of greeting to me.

"Greetings child," it said and settled down into a sitting position. It's tail wrapped around his forelegs almost as a cat would. "You are very lucky, by the way."

"I know I am," I said shakily bobbing my head in greeting also. "Thank you."

"Do not thank him just yet," the cat said. "Semajki knows what he has just done, being the spirit beast of your soul's other half he had to save you."

"Spirit beast?" I asked with a slight frown. I'd never heard of spirit beasts at all.

"Yes," the Dryphon said. There was no hiss in his voice now. "Spirit beasts protect the spirit's travels through the dream realm. If a soul finds its other half then their spirit beasts protect each other."

The cat glanced at the dryphon. "Mizzikia, you have said too much you know."

"I have not. I have not mentioned anything about anyone else's spirit beat or their owners. So we are just fine," he said and finished with a nuzzle of his nose to the feline dragon.

She huffed but returned the nuzzle with a small purr.

"He is right you know," a new voice said and the brush rattled around the clearing to my left. A smaller, lighter colored dragon appeared from the gloom. "Don't get so up tight Nerwnce. A little information about spirit beasts will not harm her in the least bit."

The cat, Nerwnce, shook herself before speaking. "Lecharel, you wouldn't care because she will probably find out about you and her and Semajki. She does not need to know about me a Mizzakia."

"She'll probably find out anyway," Lecharel said with a sniff and a twitch of her tail. "You two are by each other's side all the time. We barely know where one begins and the other ends sometimes."

Nerwnce growled as I raised an eyebrow and sat down heavily on the ground. "Wait… Nirwnce and Mizzikia are 'together'?" I asked tapping my chin.

Semajki smirked, "See, she already knows."

"How can that be? I mean, they are two different creatures," I sputtered out. "It's impossible!"

Mizzakia gave me a Dryphon smile. "Love knows no race, species or gender," he replied cryptically. "Understand that secrets and love are pretty much the same and that when and where love is concerned, nothing can hold it back."

I gave him a very funny look. "Huh?"

"You'll understand later," Semajaki answered. "Here in the dream/spirit realm things happen faster than in your realm. So…"

"Basically people can fall in love here and then it happens in your realm," Lecharel finished.

"Oh…." I replied still not quite getting it.

"Enough is enough," Nirwnce said. "Let's get this child back to her realm before she is truly missed."

Mizzikia laughed churring and shook his head. "What she also means is that we should stop before we give too much more away. Things are supposed to happen without our help."


Waking realm….


Narrator….


Rachel gave a small sigh from her bed as James slept beside her. Neither moved after that.


Finally finished and I must apologize for all of this. School is getting in the way of things and it's called stuff that needs done. So that stuff comes before the story unfortunately.

Anyway, hope you've liked this chap. It was sort of filler though you do get a cookie if you figure out about the beasts in the dream. A heads up really.

Um… my incentive is still a go. So review, comment or email me questions, and get answers and maybe a picture too!