That's it for this week. Next chapter on Friday, the 16th.


"They've promised that dreams can come true - but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams, too." - Osar Wilde

The clearing was a short distance away and he ran lightly over the green grass, the blades tickling his feet.

He looked around thoughtfully. The area was serenely still in the daylight.

"So why am I here, exactly? What is going to happen or come to me?"

He was confused now. "Was the dream really telling me to come here? Or did I... hear the wrong place? I ... what am I doing here?"

Then he heard his name being whispered from the forest beyond the clearing. Tony pulled out his dagger and walked into the forest.

The soft familiar voice was calling his name again and again. He yelled into the green depths of the forest. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Come closer, Tony, come closer..."

"Where? Where are you?! Do I know you?"

"Come to me, Tony..."

Then he saw a slender, hooded figure standing beneath an oak tree. Its back was to him. Tony walked towards the figure cautiously, dagger raised high.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

The figure turned and at first he blinked at what he was looking at. He dropped his dagger in shock.

He gasped with horror, the dreadfully familiar face filling him with dread.

Pepper stood in front of him, red hair softly falling around her shoulders. Her beautiful blue eyes were now an empty dull grey. From the neck down, she was covered in a gooey black mass, that oozed and thickened around her.

She smiled sweetly, head tilted slightly in the way he loved. He dimly realized she was lifting a skeletal hand to his face. She cupped his jaw, her bone fingers horribly cold and hard against his flesh.

He shuddered at her touch and then widened his eyes in fear as a giant portal of light and smoke suddenly appeared behind her.

His heart began to pound as Stane stepped out from the portal, dressed in purple, grinning evilly at him with his cold blue eyes.

"Stane!" He yelled angrily.

Pepper let go of him and said softly, "I love you Tony, I always will but..." she stepped back towards Stane and lowered her head.

Then she raised her empty eyes at him and whispered sadly, "But I belong to the Master now..."

His vision turned red with rage and he clenched his fists as Stane possessively caught Pepper by the chin and kissed her, locking eyes with Tony as he took her mouth hard.

"STANE! Let her go, you bastard!"

His heart pounding, he ran towards them, fists raised, ready to kill and destroy Stane but he ran right into an invisible wall.

He banged his fists helplessly against the invisible barricade and yelled but it was no use. Stane caught Pepper by the arm and led her into the giant portal.

"Pepper! Pepper! Don't go! No!"

Stane looked back at him and laughed. "You should have taken better care of her, Stark! You couldn't protect her!"

He was pounding against the invisible barrier and ramming it desperately but the portal started to close on them and he could do nothing. He watched as Stane pulled Pepper into his arms.

They disappeared from sight and he heard Stane's voice echo in his head.

"She's mine now. My Queen..."

Then he felt a wrenching pain in his Arc and he fell to his knees.

"Nooooo! Pepper come back! Come back!"


Tony sat up in bed with a jerk. His heart was pounding as if he had been running a race. His entire body was wet with perspiration and he shoved off his blanket and walked towards the window.

The sun was rising and he tried to calm his racing heart with deep breaths.

This is becoming too much of a habit! Why am I dreaming so much?

Ever since the Black Knight attack four days ago, his sleep was plagued by nightmares. The dreams varied, they were of his parents dying, of seeing Rhodes die, of seeing himself dead or at his own funeral.

But today's dream was really disturbing...

Then he remembered how the dream ended and Tony walked quickly out of his room. He slowly opened Pepper's door and looked at her bed.

Phew! She's still there! It was just a dream! Just a dream...

He blinked at Pepper, lying down serenely on her side, facing away from him.

Is this a dream? I need to make sure this isn't a dream...

He quietly tip-toed to her bed and knelt down slowly till he was level with her sleeping form.

She stirred in her sleep and turned toward him, lashes dark against her cheeks.

Look at her ... so quiet, so calm... so beautiful, even in sleep...

Her mouth was slightly opened and her hands were tucked under her chin. She pushed her blanket away absently and he gently pushed her jaw shut, smiling at her child-like behavior.

He touched one stray tendril of hair on her pillow with his fingers.

I can't let Stane take you from me, Pepper...I can't lose you.. you are all I have... Rhodes... the Black Knight said that his Master wants you. But what do they want with you?

The memory of Stane kissing her in the dream, made him tighten his grip on her stray hair strand.

Pepper murmured something indistinctly and he gently stroked her satiny cheek with one finger.

There, sweeting, there, it is alright... I won't let them take you, Pepper... Stane and his companion... whatever it is... they have hurt you once...I won't let them hurt you... I won't let them hurt you again.

He leaned forward slowly and pressed his lips to her forehead for a second, closing his eyes, taking in her heavenly lily scent.

Her lips softly curved in her sleep and she burrowed herself into the pillow further.

Tony stood up and pulled the blanket over Pepper's slumbering form.

Tigliath padded in and Tony said softly but sternly, "Guard her.. guard Pepper."

The big cat sat on his haunches near Pepper's bed and gazed up at him solemnly.

Tony nodded at him and left the room. He had to start training. He had to protect her.


It was noon. Tony was at the back of the yard, standing still after four hours of sword practice with full armor on. He had done typical sword exercises and attack drills, without taking a break.

He walked over to a nearby table and picked up his flask. Then he took a long drink of water, trying to regain his strength. The sun was high in the bright sky and the armor was a dead weight on him, making him feel hot and tired.

I need to be stronger...I faced one minion of Stane's and I crumbled... I can't tire so easily. I can't!

Again the morning's dream came to him and made his hands shake.

He takes her away in a portal... he takes Pepper away... he turns her into that thing... wait the Knight said... the Master wants her only... they wanted my fire but they want Pepper as she is... what could they want with her? Her power of flame? Surely Stane is powerful enough to conjure fire on his own... surely he is... Dragon, what do you think?

There was no answer and Tony felt a burst of anger at the Dragon. Where are you?! Where are you disappearing to? Answer me!

Of late, the Dragon had been acting very strangely. It would disappear for long periods of time and be very silent and brooding, when it was around. He knew this because he could hear it huffing and snorting and talking to itself in a foreign tongue angrily.

Other than inquiring about Tony''s health from time to time, it was being very short with him and he was starting to lose his patience. It did not even want to talk about the Black Knight and when Tony brought up his dreams, it would abruptly go away.

Tony was so deep in thought, that when he felt a hand on his shoulder, his fighting instincts kicked in. Without seeing who it was, he caught the hand, pulled it forward and pinned the body against the desk, folding the arm behind the person's back.

"Tony!"

He let go immediately and stepped back in horror at what he had done. Pepper straightened and turned, looking at him wide eyed.

"Tony! It is just me! Why did you do that? Didn't you hear me calling your name?!"

He opened his mouth and shut it, mind a complete blank. He raised his hands and then lowered them quickly.

"Pepper, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I... I didn't mean to..."

She looked at him up and down. "Why are you wearing your armor? All of it?"

I cannot tell her I'm training... She will want to know why... what can I tell her? That I'm too weak to protect her anymore and I'm ashamed of it... think of something!

"I...eh..ah... I was just testing it out! I wanted to see if everything was working!"

She narrowed her eyes at him and he hurriedly pulled off his helmet. "Pep, I was just seeing if it works fine. Where have you been?"

"I went to the inn to meet a carpenter that Beatrice had called. We met, settled on a price and I came back."

She stepped closer to him and leaned against him, sighing deeply.

"Came right back to my handsome fiance..."

He took a deep breath himself and she ran her hands through his hair.

"Pep, I'm perspiring heavily here..." he murmured but he bent his head forward because her cool hands felt so good against his scalp.

She whispered softly, "Tony, I really don't care that you are sweating... now shush..." then she pulled down his head to kiss him deeply, sliding her tongue against his. He caught her tightly to him and kissed her back, desperate to remove that horrible dream from his mind.

Not leaving her lips, he moved away slightly, to push his chest plate off him because the hard steel would hurt her.

She stopped kissing him, to help him take it off and place it on the desk. Then she ran her hands over his perspiring torso, his undershirt clinging to him because of the moisture. She tugged the cloth away from his pants.

Then Tony closed his eyes and gasped loudly as she moved her nimble fingers under the shirt and caressed his bare stomach.

Pepper moved her hands higher and he pressed himself against her, craving her touch as she whispered sultrily, "Tony... you should get wet more often... I find you irresistible like this..."

She nibbled on his chin and he shuddered. Then she whispered in his ear, "You look so sexy, my lord...my knight." Again she kissed him deeply, hands still moving over his chest and he was enjoying the kiss, when she broke it off.

Tony huffed at her but she was staring at him curiously. "Wait a minute. If you just tried the armor on to see if it is okay... why are you sweating so hard?"

Now what should I tell her?

Before he could reply, they heard a loud thud as a window was opened somewhere above them.

Magdalene poked her head out of the window and shouted "Lovebirds! Lunch is served!"

Tony did not know whether to laugh or shout back but Pepper promptly started giggling and he smiled. She hugged him lightly and said mock sternly, "You heard the lady... come on, fellow love bird."

Pepper pulled his shirt down, took his hand and gently pulled him towards the Keep. He followed her, relieved that she had forgotten her question.


He was riding his horse hard across the blinding white emptiness, the brightness of the snow burning his tired eyes. Desperate to reach somewhere, anywhere away, from his pursuers. The deathly cold had penetrated his bones and he doubted he would ever be warm again.

An arrow whizzed by his head and he ducked low, praying he would not be hit in the back. Another arrow shot past him and he kept praying, urging his horse on harder and harder.

He looked back quickly. Out of his huge contingent, so very few were riding away with him. An arrow hit one of his soldiers, riding close to him and he watched with sadness as the man fell dead from his horse.

Then he felt himself flying and the white ground rose up to meet him. The ground hit him hard, he felt the pain on his body, in his bones and air whoosh from his lungs with the impact. His heart was racing and he knew, he knew he had to get up and keep running.

He realized his horse had thrown him. The beautiful brown beast lay in front of him on the white snow, head twisted at an odd angle, tongue lolling out.

He looked behind him and in front of him. The wolves behind me and the cliff in front.

Then he saw a familiar figure ride towards him. He smiled, relieved. They could ride away together. They could escape this white hell.

As his friend approached, he wondered why the horse moved so slowly. Then he widened his eyes in horror and felt his heart skip a beat as his friend slowly slid sideways from his saddle, to tumble to the ground.

He began to run towards him, adrenaline, anxiousness making him ignore the freezing numbing cold and he lifted his legs high, to run over the thick, white snow.

He finally reached his friend, lying there eerily still, hands outstretched and twitching slightly. The snow beneath him, had turned crimson, thick with blood.

He saw the dagger poking out from the gap in the armor. So much blood, so much life leaking away onto the white soft snow.

But his friend was still alive. He knew it. He would not let him die.

He took off his friend's helmet, to see where the wound was. And once again, his heart stopped as beautiful red hair, like fire, fell from the helmet.

"No... no it cannot be... no ... not Pepper, Pepper..."

But it was her, delicate face pale and bloodless, eyes wide and blue staring up at him, flickering lightly. He could see the wound, it was between her shoulder blade and her neck. He pressed down on it, tried to stop the bleeding but there was too much blood.

She whispered to him, "Tony, why... why did you lead me to my death? I thought you loved me... I thought you loved me..."

He watched the light fade from her eyes as she gasped. Her blue eyes stared at him emptily, wide and still like a frozen lake. He closed them with his fingers gently and lay down beside her, feeling his own heartbeat slow in the cold, numbing snow beneath him. The dreadful chill made his blood freeze in place and he felt his Fire fade out as he closed his eyes.


Tony opened his eyes, gasping. The dream had been so real, he still felt the coldness of the Hills of Nioh in his bones.

Then a warm thing pressed against him, murmuring softly and he looked at Pepper, who was fast asleep on his shoulder.

They had eaten lunch and had sat down to read one of his history tomes together. But the good food and the lazy afternoon sun, shining through the windows, had made her sleepy. So halfway through, she had leaned on him and drifted off sleep. And he had done the same.

He gently lowered Pepper's head to the open large book and stood up. Tony took the cushion from his chair. Then he gently lifted Pepper's head and slid the cushion under it.

Satisfied she was comfortable, Tony stepped out into the courtyard. It was nearly evening and the sky was growing dark.

He exhaled loudly, trying to calm down. Truth be told, I am scared... why am I getting these dreams? Why am I dreaming so much about death... today I saw Pepper taken by Stane... and then I saw her dying.

He felt goosebumps rise on his arms. Are these premonitions? Is Pepper... going to be taken from me? Because I can't protect her, because I'm too weak, because I...

Then Tony remembered why he had been drained of his strength. The Bloodstone! I was weakened by the stone! If I... If I learn to tolerate it... if I toughen myself against it...

He looked back at the Keep. I couldn't help Pepper and she needed me... what if it happens again... Stane will win and Pepper... I will lose her. What does not kill me only makes me stronger. I need to train myself to adapt to the stone. I need to be stronger.

He heard a serpentine whisper. I do not think that is a good idea, Anthony...

"Dragon!" He exclaimed out loud. "Where have you been?! Why am I getting all these dreams? What is going on?"

There was something about the Dragon's tone that made Tony even more nervous. The note of uncertainty.

I... I cannot answer that, Anthony... I do not know what to tell you... all I know is... the Black Knight was the result of dark, black magic... I've seen that magic once before... only once.

"Stane has grown stronger..."

This is not the work of Stane! The Dragon explosively said, the exclamation echoing in his head. Tony swayed in place with the sound. This is something else entirely! If it is what I think it is ... the Dragon started talking in a foreign tongue.

Tony said sarcastically, "Could you please stop talking in riddles and talk in English please?"

There was only silence and Tony stamped his foot down hard. "Damn it! Gone again!"

He had made up his mind. "I need the Bloodstone and I better get it before it becomes too dark to see." He walked towards the Forest quickly, determined to return before Pepper woke up.