"Pete the Magik Dragon"

Chapter the Second

By GirlX2

-

Peter shook himself mentally. There was something very wrong here, and he suspected it was with him. He spotted a pool of water, and suddenly realized how thirsty he'd become.

He loped drunkenly forward, unable to rise off his hands and knees. Unthinking, he bent to the water to drink.

'Look at what you're doing!' A voice shrieked in his head.

Doctor Peter Venkman stared into the water.

-

"The trail ends here." Winston said grimly. "Its just a good thing the rain didn't wash the prints away."

"How could it? They're huge." Ray said quietly.

"I mean Pete's footprints." Winston said flatly. "Not...whatever made these."

The three men stood before the yawing mouth of the cave. They'd followed the path of destrutcion-and the giant footprints- as far as the stone hollow.

"Peter?" Ray called. His voice reverberated weakly.

Egon sighed. "Lets go spelunking."

-

A lizard-like head reflected from the pool, its expression vaguely sad. Peter blinked, hoping to make the horrifying creature vanish.

'I did not just see that.'

The impossible monstrosity stared back at him. He slowly closed one eye, the thing in the water winking back. Thin columns of smoke curled from the corners of its mouth. Long white fangs protruded over the lips. He shuddered and leaned further over the water. The strange head was attached to a long, snake-like neck. Gulping, the petrified psychologist turned to see his body, the long neck bending in a U.

Spikes rose along the bony ridge of his back. Giant leathery plates-wings, he assumed-lay folded close to the scaly skin. His legs had fearsome clawed feet. The structure was singularly unlizard like; vaguely rabbit-esq.

'If rabbits were twenty five feet long and covered with scales!'

The spikes receded at the tail. It twitched nervously, pointed at the end. Peter shuddered again.

'I never woke up. This is a nightmare brought on by sleeping on all that treasure. I'm still asleep.'

His left 'arm' throbbed dully. He turned to locate the source of the pain and winced at what he saw. The gold bracelet, which had fit his arm perfectly before, was now digging deeply into his flesh. A scrap of his uniform was still caught between the gold and the scales. He lifted his right arm to claw at the thing, not realizing the appendage no longer bent that way.

He hissed between his new teeth, smoke billowing. 'Okay, I've had enough of this dream.'

Peter closed his eyes tightly and concentrated. 'I'm going to wake up in three...two...now!'

He risked a peek at the world. The sun shone obstinately down on him. The bracelet still gleamed, embedded in the scaled flesh.

'Damn.'

-

"Its real." Egon announced, dropping a jewel onto the pile. "And what's more, something very large was in here, very recently."

Winston let out a whistle. They'd quickly stumbled upon the mound of treasure after entering the cave. The massive riches had obviously been here for many years-and of course, Peter has stumbled across them. They'd found his pack, but so far that had been the only sign of the other man. There didn't appear to be any other way out of the massive main chamber.

"Oh God." Ray's voice wavered on the other side of the treasure. Egon and Winston exchanged quick glances, then joined the younger man.

Ray had something brown strung between his hands.

"Is that Peter's uniform?" Egon said quietly.

Winston retrieved another scrap from the floor. "Part of it."

"Its been ripped to shreds." Ray's voice jumped as he held back tears. "It's completely destroyed."

"There's no blood." Winston said quickly. "Lets not jump to conclusions."

"His proton pack was unharmed. Peter may have removed the suit himself..." Egon said, doubt filtering in.

"His boots too?" Ray numbly dropped the cloth and pointed to a darker scrap of leather.

Egon gulped, trying to remain calm. "There's no bodily fluids and no other sign of a physical struggle. Peter most likely-"

"Peter might be hurt! This is no time to theorize!" Ray's nerve broke.

"Ray, calm down." Winston laid a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "Let's just worry about finding Pete. Then, if he needs it, we can get medical attention. You and Spengler are Doctors."

"That's true." Ray said, illogical as the statement was.

"Alright then. Let's just keep exploring the cave. If I know Pete, he found a wood nymph and went skinny dipping." Winston managed a smile.

Egon waved the PKE meter over the cloth. "I'm getting a residual. Peter may have found our ghost."

"Then lets find him." Winston said.

-

Peter sat quietly going over the last few hours in his mind.

'I went to sleep...woke up...and somewhere in between, I turned into a Dragon.'

The realization struck hard.

'Oh no, its not enough that I just get turned into something, but its gotta be a big nasty monster!' His mind snapped sarcastically. 'With my luck Egon will be more interested in studying me than turning me back-

'Crap. How do I let them know I'm me and not the thing we were after?'

A bat-like ear cocked itself. Noises emerged from the cave. Something was coming.

-

"This is very strange." Egon said as the GAGA meter beeped. "According to this, a time-centered gateway was recently ripped open. I've never seen a border this thin. We could pass through it unaided!"

"So, what are you saying? A time warp sucked Peter into the past?" Winston asked.

"Possibly. It could be a passage to the future." Egon peered over his glasses at a patch emptiness.

"It looks like a wall." Winston said flatly. The blank stone seemed as normal as the rest of the cave.

"It wouldn't if we had a multi-phase spectrograph." Egon said grimly. "This may also account for Peter's clothes. If he passed very rapidly through the portal, they may have been ripped away, which accounts for their current state."

"So, he's in another time and he's naked." Winston's voice held the same flat tone.

"Hopefully."

"Egon, I dunno about you, but seeing a naked Peter doesn't exactly qualify as hope in my book."

"Who cares, this is great!" Ray moved toward the wall.

"Wait a sec Ray." Winston grabbed the younger man. "If we go through this portal, are we gonna be stripped too?"

"No, the barrier is very weak now. Whatever went through it last tore down the stronger defenses." Egon said.

"Peter passing through shouldn't have done anything like that. It would have taken a tremendous amount of energy to deteriorate a portal of this caliber!" Ray said.

"Maybe he blasted it." Winston suggested. "Or maybe our gooper chased him through."

"At any rate, I'm fairly confident that Peter is on the other side of this portal." Egon said.

"So lets get moving!" Ray plunged ahead. The auburn haired man shimmered for a moment, then disappeared into the wall.

Winston sighed. "Lets go before Johnny Trumain in there gets slimed."

"Very apt." Egon chuckled slightly as the two men passed through.

They emerged into what seemed to be another section of the cave. Treasure lay strewn across the floor. An opening led to the outdoors.

"Are we in the future or the past?" Ray said anxiously.

"I'm not sure." Egon activated the PKE scanner. It beeped. "But there are stronger residuals here."

"Can you at least tell how far we traveled? I'd really like to know if we're about to be lynched for witches." Winston said as they moved forward toward the mouth of the cave.

"It's quite far. I want to say several hundred years have passed."

"That's great Egon. Either we're antiques or space invaders." Winston mumbled.

Egon un-holstered his thrower. "Lets see."

Winston did likewise as they exited the cave. The flora seemed identical to what they had left behind, except for the light. It was obviously earlier in the day then when they left. A small pool lay near the cave.

"Peter?" Ray called.

"Check these funky tracks." Winston nudged the younger man. The same large footprints went down to the pool, then vanished.

"Where did it go?" Ray wondered.

Egon edged closer to the pond and peered in. "Nothing in here."

Ray walked around the pool to investigate the thick brush. He shifted a branch, and yelped. A pair of familiar green eyes peered out of the darkness.

"Peter?" Ray whispered. The eyes bobbed slightly. "What are you doing in a bush?"

The eyes shifted to the ground, a noncommittal whimper emerging.

"Oh jeeze, its because you're naked! Hold on a sec, I'll see if there's..." He trailed off as the bush shook slightly. "Peter, are you okay?"

The form in the bush moaned. Ray frowned.

"Guys, you better check this out." He said loudly.

"What's up?" Winston joined him.

"I'm not sure." Ray cleared the branch aside, revealing the eyes.

"Pete? Is that you?"

The form shivered and moaned again.

"Something is very wrong here. We'd better get the rest of this off him." Egon sheathed the thrower and began to clear the brush away. A sharp growl stopped him.

"Ray, I don't think that's Pete." Winston said quietly, stepping in between the man and the shrub.

Egon unsheathed the thrower. "Come out of there whatever you are, or we'll be forced to shoot."

An audible groan of frustration emerged.

"You've got till three." Winston growled. "One."

A huge claw emerged from the bush.

"Get back!" Winston pushed the injured and unarmed Ghostbuster aside. Ray stumbled slightly, eyes fixed on the figure before them.

The three stared in amazement as a huge green form shook leaves and branches off itself. The beast stood up, it's head stretching several feet above Egon's.

"Egon, what is that?" Winston demanded as they backed away.

"It looks like a dragon." Egon's mouth went dry.

The strange beast wagged its head frantically back and fourth.

"Its...its like its saying no." Ray said breathlessly. The creature gave them what was an unmistakable nod.

"Can you understand us?" He asked.

The dragon nodded enthusiastically.

Egon's scientific nature took over. "Can you speak?"

The beast shook its head mournfully.

"Egon, maybe we shouldn't be talking to a dragon. That thing could waste us!" Winston hissed. The dragon shook its head frantically.

"If you're friendly, prove it." The dark man challenged.

The dragon sat still a moment, obviously deep in thought. Its eyes widened, an idea forming.

The Ghostbusters watched in amazement as the giant creature lay on the ground, its neck extended past the three of them.

"We could kill it." Ray said in amazement. "It completely trusts that we won't harm it."

"Maybe we should. How do we know this thing wasn't what chased Pete over here?" Winston growled.

The creature stood, its tail thumping excitedly. The three wobbled slightly as the ground shook.

"Easy boy." Ray placed a hand on the Dragon's leg. "Do you know where our friend Peter is?"

The beast rolled its eyes.

"I have a theory." Egon said suddenly. "Look at its left front leg."

Three pairs of eyes locked on the bracelet. Scaly flesh bulged around it, nearly hiding the gold from view.

"Poor thing, it must be in pain. How'd you get that on there?" Ray said sympathetically, patting the creature's leg.

"Look closer." Egon deftly plucked something from the leg. He held his hand open to the others. A scrap of brown cloth rested on his palm.

"It's part of Pete's uniform." Winston stifled a gasp.

The Dragon let out a triumphant roar.

-

End of Chapter the Second.