The awaited 5th chapter...blame school for the long wait, I know I am!

Bite Sized Dragon: Deep Thoughts

The evening was calm, and the only noises were the creatures of the night. Crickets chirping and owl on a branch with his "WHOOOOT..." A beautiful full moon glowed in the sky, almost as if it was the sun of the night. Fireflies started to buzz around in the forests of Stone Hill, giving the setting a more mystical feeling and outlook. The moon's light shined through a window in Kate's room like the morning sun. She turned over to the other side for her eyes to rest. What she didn't notice was that Red was near the window sill; gazing at the beauty of the moon. 'It's been six months since I saw the last full moon...actually, maybe a few years since I saw the moon radiate like this one.' Red thought. His mind filled with memories as a young dragon caught him back.

'Come on, Red! The moon looks great from up here!' The image of a younger Titan, a younger Tomas, and a younger self were climbing a steep hill. 'What's so important about some moon? We're suppose to be studying for the big Light Gem Finals for tomorrow!' young Red stated.

'Aw, don't be such a party pooper, Red. We've been studying for that for the past two weeks! We need to rest our brains.' young Tomas said. They continued up the hill until they finally reached the top. The moon was huge and glowing very brightly! Dragonflies and Fireflies were flying around a pond, with glee and joy. It was also like the magic of the Dragonflies and Fireflies were radiating off the nature around them. 'Wow, they must be having fun. I wonder why.' young Titan said. 'I've read that when the full moon shines its lunar light like this, the Dragonflies and Fireflies do a ceremony underneath the moon.' Tomas said. 'The moon's light restores their magic, like feeding a fire wood to keep it from going out.'

"...They sure look like they're getting a lot of it!" A sudden noise came from Titan's belly, resulting to the blank glances from Tomas and Red. Titan smiled and laughed with embarrassment. "Eh he he...Is it ok if we stop by the Village for some pudding?" Red groaned. "You had five bowls of pudding just a few minutes ago!"

'It's addictive! What else can I say?'

'Maybe you can say that you'll go on a diet?'

'Hmm...No, I don't think so.'

'But do you 'know' so?'

Tomas laughed. 'You always have to make things complicated, don't you Red? We'll go back to the Village after we relax.' They stayed on the hill, gazing at star constellations. The dragon elders, as the same as now, would tell them of legendary dragon elders and/or elderesses. They would tell stories related to the stars and their ancestors. Also, thankfully, there was no light pollution filling the skies, so the stars were like their own TV sets! 'Maybe...Someday, we'll be up there with those stars...Then I would see my whole family!' Tomas said with hope. 'How about you Red?' Red wasn't paying attention, as he was gazing at a certain constellation. '...Red? Hello? Elders to Red!' Tomas waved his hand in front of Red's face.

'What...OH, yes...I, suppose so.' Red replied. Tomas and Titan chuckled. 'That's another thing about you that I don't understand, Red. You always seem quiet with your head in the clouds!' Tomas said. Red glared at him, but turned back to the stars. 'You say "quiet with your head in the clouds" like it's a bad thing, Tomas.' Red sat back up in an Indian sitting position. 'Besides, I'm only in deep thought. There's no crime against that.'

'Then what do you think about?' Titan asked.

'Well...' Red hesitated. 'All sorts of things! And...How should this be any of your business?'

'Because we're your friends.' Tomas added.

Red sighed, and turned to them. 'Alright. Well, most of the time...I've always wondered about our purpose.'

'Each and every individual has a different purpose in life, Red.'

'Yes, but why? Is it that when we are hatched, is a purpose assigned to us? In fact...Is it even our purpose to be talking about our purposes?'

Titan took the time to rub his temples. "...You think about stuff like this everyday?" Tomas sighed, but answered. 'I...suppose some questions aren't meant to be answered, my friend. As for the purpose...well, we make them ourselves; as studying for the light gem finals, for example. You want to be a dragon elder, correct? You want to work aside with the dragon leader?' Red nodded. 'Then that's it! Your purpose is to work towards being an elder.'

'I suppose. But then when I'm an elder, how will I turn out in the future?' Red asked.

'We create our own futures, Red. By giving in effort towards it, it can be bright future...Honestly, we can't know the future. It breaks the balance.' Tomas replied. Red smirked. 'You're speaking like an elder, and yet you're only twenty. You probably won't have to take the test if you just speak!'

'Likewise to your curiosity and open mind.' Titan added. It was until the moon was in the center of the sky that they knew it was getting late. Tomas and Titan got up and started to leave, but Red stayed sitting up; still gazing at the stars. 'Are you coming Red?' Tomas asked.

'I'll see you tomorrow Tomas. I just need a little more time to myself. Good evening friends.' Red replied without turning around.

'Good evening Red.'

'Yes, good evening Red! I'll try to save you some pudding for tomorrow.' Tomas and Titan glided down the hill, leaving Red alone. He liked to be alone at some points in his life. It gave him the time to recollect himself of the day's events, gave him time to prepare his mind for tomorrow, and gave him time to..."Think." As he was deep in his thoughts, he noticed one star shining brightly.

'Yes...My own purpose...I'm going to dedicate my life in working with the dragon leader. I'll do so much of a good job, that the leader might make ME the next leader! The mightiest leader even in the heavens...I can't wait!'

Red's past memories faded. He was now glaring at the moon and stars, with bitter anger in his eyes. He clenched his hands into fists and gave a slight growl of even thinking of those memories. 'Lies...Nothing but LIES! After slaving to my goal, after spilling my soul out to my purpose...I was still only ranked as a third leveled dragon elder! "The purpose lies within the heavens." BAH! A whole waste of my life! A stupid hatchling story to put us to sleep and it ends up taking the innocence out of me!' Red thought. He gave another slight growl, but then gave a grin. 'In fact...losing my innocence has made me realize how twisted this world and generation can be...My purpose is not in the heavens...'

"...I am beyond the heavens." Red said aloud. He turned to Kate, who was sound asleep. She was also turned over to sleep on her back. The moon's light seemed to be glowing upon her skin. 'And...If I am beyond the heavens, then I am beyond morality. The child looks so peaceful, and yet...' An evil grin spread upon his face, one that almost seemed psychotic and purely evil. At that moment, the reflection of hell was glowing in his eyes. "...This girl is depressed within her soul. Always suffering of her lost father, her busy mother...No, even I didn't suffer at this age...she shouldn't have to go through this...it needs to end." Red whispered, with Kate not hearing him. He climbed down to the bed, and was now face to face with the little seven year old human. Red was standing on her chest, and started to lean down to her neck with a claw reaching towards a vain.

'One, quick slices at the neck with my claw, and it will all be over.' His claw was right at the vain. Instead of making a quick swipe, he just stayed there; frozen. He gazed at the girl's face, with the moon light still glowing on her skin. 'What...What's going on! Why isn't my hand MOVING! This should be easy for me to kill, and with her being asleep! That's the best and closest luck any murderer would have...She does look peaceful when she's asleep- NO! I'm not going to become soft! I was soft and weak before, and that took away my purpose! SCREW purposes, SCREW the heavens, and SCREW the dragons!' Angered at the last of his conscience, he was about to strike. But all of a sudden, the same pain in his heart came back. Red took a few steps back; clenching his chest, breathing heavily with sweat on his face. He walked all the way at the end of the bed and sat down.

He couldn't do it...He couldn't kill an innocent little girl in the dead of night, even if he wanted to. It would bring chaos upon the Dragon Realms and bring them up in arms! Not only that, but he might receive a punishment even worse than he has now! More painful torture...slow, painful torture...until death would come upon him...And he would never see the heavens of the stars. His soul would probably be banished to the underworld, which is a fear most dragons had. Red thought of this, and he knew the consequences...He couldn't kill her. Lying there at the end of the bed, he was trapped in his thoughts again.

'Why...dragon elders above, WHY ME! Why have you brought upon these feelings to me now! Is this some kind of joke to you all...up in those STARS! You lied to me upon my purpose! I was suppose to lead the dragons with the dragon leader, NOT TOMAS! I slaved my soul towards it and towards you all my life! And what happens next, you take it away from me! Just like all of my ancestors before me! Oh don't think that I don't know your little scheme! Ever since my family started in the dragon elder line, they have crumbled in the same ill-fated job as I had! You are all nothing but floating, glowing, lazy piles of FEWMITS! When I die, I'm going to haunt the heavens and make your lives in the afterlife a living UNDERWORLD!'

He was trapped in his thoughts for who knows how long. Still clenching his chest, he fell into a deep sleep.

Elsewhere...

"...He's not at his lab! Oh dear, this is not good at all." A crowd of dragons in the Dragon Village was surrounding the Professor's Lab; Spyro included in the way front. For the past two days, there have been search parties all over the main realms with Spyro leading it. The night when Red escaped, the Professor wasn't there at the time. He had to take an emergency in Avalar with some portals. He fixed it, and then coming back to the lab to find a shattered jar upon the floor. After that, the dragons arose with fear of Red coming back for revenge in his second attempt. Maybe even stronger if he would reach his lair in the volcano.

"Well, maybe if you would keep him in a cage instead of a jar, he would still be in your lab." Spyro said. The dragons shouted with agreement. The Professor ignored it and paced back and forth with concern. "I don't understand. His lab should be the first place he would go to bring him back to normal form."

"Maybe something happened to him." a random dragon shouted. "Don't get your hopes up, Flame. A dragon his size could be hiding in the smallest of places. Cracks, holes, pipes, underwater domes...Perhaps..." The Professor eyed Sparx who was hovering by Spyro's side. The dragonfly seemed to notice his look by reacting with buzzes.

"Bzz bzz Are you nuts Professor! I may be able to fit in small places, but if I find him, what do I do then? Attack him! Bzz bz bzzz I can't fight a dragon, even if he is my size!" Sparx protested.

"You're the best that we have Sparx! After what we have done to him for punishment, he'll annihilate anyone in is way of his goal." The Professor replied.

"Come on Professor! I don't need my best friend torched. For all we know, Red may be in another world. Maybe in the Forgotten Worlds." Spyro said in defense for his friend. The Professor went back to pacing; his right hand under his chin as he was thinking. Then, a little light bulb in his mind seemed to shine. "Ingenious! That's what Red is doing!"

"Oh, sorry Professor. I was just changing a light bulb."

The Professor glared at a dragon standing on top of a ladder that was behind him. "No, not that! The fact that Red may be hiding in another world! He must know about the Forgotten Worlds and Avalar by now; with all the years he was banished. In fact, he may have been planning an escape like this just incase he failed to bring revenge!"

Spyro smirked. "Yeah, and the fact that he's old enough to fit in that time line." The other dragons gave chuckles, as Spyro smiled at his own little joke. The Professor only stayed worried. "Now is not the time for games, Spyro! Remember, if Red succeeds in getting back to normal, the first person he'll come after is you!" Spyro only kept the same cheeky grin. "I know, don't worry about it."

"Alright, now we should split up into three groups. After five hours of searching, we will meet back here. If you find Red, make sure to stay hidden from his sight and call on your communicators."


"...ZZZzzzzzz..."

The sun started to rise, with its rays shining on Red's small body; which stilled laid at the end of the bed. He opened his eyes, but covered them quickly from the light. 'Blasted sun! Can't even let an old dragon have his sleep!' Rubbing his eyes to be a little more awake, he got up on his two legs and stretched his limbs. He winched a little for trying to stretch both of his wings.

He sighed. "How I miss my stretches...How long must I go through with this?" Red started to walk up to the other side of the bed, when he noticed the bed was empty. Only unmade sheets laid there. 'She must be up already.' What he also noticed was a piece of parchment lying on the sheets. Curious, he walked up to find that it was a note.

Dear Mr. Red,

This morning I saw you sleeping at the end of my bed, so I didn't wake you up...

Red rolled his eyes. "Oh really now, where else am I going to be in this condition?" He said in a sarcastic tone, but continued to read.

If you are up, I'm at school now. I made you a really, really, really, really, REALLY huge breakfast! You'll love it! It's got pancakes with raspberries in it, and there are chocolate chip waffles with whipped cream, and sausage and eggs and-

"-Blah blah BLAH! I know what is at breakfast!" He skipped a few more sentences and read the end.

I'll be home at 3:00pm. I have soooooo MUCH fun plans! We'll have lots of fun.

Your very very bestestfriend in the whole world,

Kate

Red gave a chuckle. "She wouldn't be saying that if I slashed her throat last night! After all the rudeness I have given to her, she still thinks of me as her friend." He jumped off the bed and headed towards the bedroom door. "PATHETIC! Puny emotions for a child. She would be scared out of her wits if she really knew who I am..." he sighed "When I was my regular size."

Red was now in front of the front door to freedom. He walked up to it, and was about to jump as high as he could to the mail latch...That is, until the sent of bacon and toast was in the air. The sudden sound of rumbling came from Red's stomach; clenching it with his arms to prevent any more noise from coming out. "Oh good grief! Why do I have to be hungry now!" Red said out loud. He glanced at the entrance to the kitchen, which was strait down the hall, then back to the door.

HmmWell, maybe just a small snack..."

Icy Wilderness...

"Do you see him Sparx?" Hunter asked. Spyro agreed to let Sparx go along with Hunter to the Gloomy Glacier, while he went to search in Winter Tundra. Sparx was in the middle of traveling through a small crack. He flew out with ease, only to have a disappointed look. "Bzz bzz Sorry Hunter, but I've looked through there at least 10 times! Bzz bz Not even one tiny flash of Red in there." Hunter let Sparx relax on his shoulder, as the little dragonfly looked exhausted. "Don't worry about it buddy. Red couldn't have gotten far. As far as I know it, he could've have gotten eaten by a fodder for his size." Hunter said in support.

"Gee, I would never think of getting eaten by a fodder! Bz bzz Talk about irony hitting you in the face."

The cheetah and dragonfly were now at the end of the Glacier, right outside the Citadel at the climbing wall. "Hang on tight for a sec." Hunter said. Using his claws, he climbed the wall and reached inside, supposedly where the old cage that held Spyro was hanging. In fact, the once old dungeon was now a small library. The Citadel has changed dramatically after the past 6 months. Thanks to Spyro, the Ice Princess was made Queen of the Icy Wilderness, and reconstructed the Citadel for her fit. Hunter saw Spyro sitting patiently beside the Ice 'Queen.'

"Gees Hunter. Your timing is way off!" Spyro said with a cheeky grin. Hunter smirked. "Wow, you were actually timing me?" Hunter said sarcastically.

"Any luck on finding Red?"

"If we found him, we wouldn't be talking right now."

Sparx butted in, flying off of Hunter's shoulder. " Bzzz Yeah, and I would probably be a crisp right now!" Spyro rolled his eyes. "Ok, ok, I get it."

The Ice Queen got up from her reading seat and looked towards the heroes. "Very sorry to hear that. I've sent a search party of guards to track him down around the Wilderness. I'll be sure to inform you if we find Red."

"Hey" Hunter walked up to the Queen. "-I was wondering about something: If Dragon Elder Astor was locked in the Citadel before, how come Red didn't lock you up?" The Queen gave a sigh. "Some memories. Red did spot me, but I was able to lock myself within the throne room. Good thing too, because he was gloating about making me his queen when he ruled the realms." She gave a slight shiver. "Insane, THAT'S what he was! I'd rather die within the coldest blizzard he could throw at me than be his queen!"

"Yeah, who wouldn't?" Spyro said, almost in a discusted tone.

In Stone Hills...

"Mmmmm...It feels like heaven."

A now messy counter is where Red laid; all covered with dirty dishes and used napkins. He was also messy with syrup on his lips...if he had lips that is.

Patting his full belly, which was sticking out from eating all the food, he tried to get up on his legs. He only got up enough to be in a sitting position. Before he was like this, the kitchen was full of buttery and sugary goodness; just as Kate said in the letter. It almost made him feel like a young dragon again. He lay back down and stared at the sealing, his mind racing with questions.

"This...All of this, just for me? Does Kate really think I'm her friend? How pathetic can this child be! Are all humans like this, or is she the only one?" His thoughts came to a screeching halt when the sudden sound of a door being slammed caught him out of his trance. Kate, the human his thoughts were put on, came skipping in the kitchen. Seeing the mess, she bursted out laughing. Red tried to get off the counter, but Kate grabbed the little dragon to prevent it. She started hugging him tightly.

"Alright, you loved breakfast! I'm so happy for you. You were almost skinny before!" She giggled. Red, who was trying to get out of the embrace, was also turning green.

"K-Kate...let go...please! I'm GOING TO-...!"

Kate was nowsitting outside the bathroom door; sounds of glutting coming through the door. "Sorry Mr. Red. I didn't know you were sick." Kate said, giving another giggle. Red knocked on the door to say that he was done. Kate opened the door, with Red stumbling out into the hallway. He still looked a little green. Kate covered her nose with her two hands and laughed. "Ew!" She quickly closed the door.

Red shot a death glare at her. "That's because I WASN'T SICK! I just ate, and you go a try to squeeze the life out of me like toothpaste!"

Kate only blushed and picked up the small dragon, this time without squeezing him. "Don't worry, because I know what'll make you feel better." The look on her face gave Red the impression that she was up to something; which most of the time now, did NOT sound good to him.

Trying to play along, he asked anyway. "Um...Letting me go free?" He asked.

"Nope! Guess who's gonna be in my Show&Tell day tomorrow!" Kate said with a wide grin. Red's eyes grew wide with fear. "Show...-a-and T-tell?"

"YUP! I'm gonna show you to all of my friends tomorrow, and they can't WAIT! I told them you are really really cool, and that you're my friend and-"

She stopped speaking when she noticed Red turning even a more shaded green. Quickly escaping from Kate's grasp, he charged through the bathroom door. Leaving a small click of the door being closed.

"...Oh...I know! I can't wait either! This is gonna be fun Mr. Red!"

O.O;...Wow...I went really far with this chapter. I made Red more homicidal than in AH'sT!

If you'll excuse me, I'm gonna...well, recollect myself. (walks off to think)