There are three parts to this story, where the Dragon finally talks about its origin and how it is linked to what Stane is up to.


"Look like the innocent flower,
But be the serpent under it."
― William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Pepper lazily traced the shape of Tony's Arc with her finger, smiling as he murmured her name in his sleep.

It was a sleepy afternoon in Stark Manor. Tony and her were in the Workshop. They had spent the whole morning in a nearby town, Sourton. While the Inn was built, it needed materials such as foodstuff, toiletries, furnishings etc. So she and Tony had traveled to the town to buy such materials in bulk, to reduce on the cost.

Haggling and bargaining was her forte and she enjoyed the experience. However, she knew that Tony had hated every minute of it. However, he had behaved himself admirably and had been the perfect companion. She had been impressed.

So when they had returned to the Keep, she had seen his face fall, when they learnt that Magdalene had decided to hold a meeting of her cooking club on that very day.

Pepper had suggested hiding out in the Workshop, to escape from the crowd of women. Now they were both cuddling by the warmth of the slow burning smithy, enjoying the peace and quiet.

Tony had been dozing in his huge armchair for sometime now, with Pepper curled up in his lap very comfortably.

She laid her head against his chest and sighed with contentment. Then she decided to mischievously wake Tony up.

She gently stroked his jaw and felt him tighten his arms around her in response. Then Pepper lightly nipped his chin with her lips and felt a tremor pass through him.

Ah... so you aren't as fast asleep as you seem to be, my lord.

Then she slowly touched her lips to his and moved back.

He did not make a sound, so she repeated the action, pressing slightly harder.

Still nothing from Tony. Pepper laid soft butterfly kisses all over his face, lingering on his jaw. Then he quickly moved his mouth and kissed her hard.

"Pepper..." he growled at her, mid kiss and she laughed.

She held herself back, looking into Tony's grinning face with his sleep drunk eyes and said, "My lord, if you want to sleep, I can go away."

He stared at her musingly and she moistened her lips. Then Tony pulled her close and kissed her again, moving his lips passionately over hers. She moved her hands through his hair as their tongues mated wildly and Tony stroked her back.

Then she heard a serpentine voice whisper slowly, Virginia... Virginia...

She broke off the kiss in fear and then realized it was Tony's Dragon.

Tony straightened and then she saw him focus as well, tilting his head curiously.

Virginia, Anthony... The Dragon whispered again, Can you both hear me?

They both replied at the same time,

"Yes."

"Yes I can, Dragon."

Tony asked, "How are you doing that?!"

It is mainly due to Virginia's growing expertise over her fire. But I have learnt some new things and one of them includes the ability to speak to others, who do not carry my fire. I am very sorry to interrupt your time together.

She lightly pinched Tony because he was making a face and replied, "It is alright, Dragon, we were just talking."

Tony asked slowly, "Has something happened?"

It exhaled tiredly. I have learnt something and... I want to tell Virginia and you the truth... the truth about my disappearances, my recent behavior. And myself...

"Go ahead, Dragon, please." said Pepper softly.

She stood up and was going to move to another chair, when Tony rapidly pulled her back down into his lap, growling in her ear, "This is just as good a seat as any other."

She suppressed a smirk and he said, "Well Dragon, we are all ears."

The Dragon whispered, Open your Arc, Anthony and let my Fire out.

He did so and she watched as the wispy bright light began to drift upwards from his chest. It moved towards her and she smiled as it wound itself around her fingers slowly.

Close your eyes, both of you...

Tony said grudgingly, "Dragon, you better not be playing a trick on us." But he closed his eyes and she did the same, wondering what was going to happen next.

Then Pepper saw a bright blue light flash inside her closed eyes and she felt light flow through her.

Keep your eyes closed at all times. I am going to show you where I came from. whispered the Dragon.

She gasped as clouds of blue smoke began to form in the darkness of her mind. The smoke cleared to form a scene, dreamy and hazy.

First, she saw green grass under a light blue sky. Then a valley of trees and flatland. A huge mountain range in the backdrop. And a sleepy little village.

"Tony," she exclaimed, "Are you seeing this?"

She heard him say, "Yes, I can! But Pep, it seems so familiar! The thin green grass and the mountain..." then he snapped his fingers, exclaiming, "Dear God! This is the village I keep seeing in my dreams! Where have we come?"

The Dragon huffed. You haven't traveled anywhere, Anthony... this is a memory. Now let me tell you a story.

The Dragon continued, You are looking at the land of Hyperonia... a land of mountains and valleys. And this is a tiny village of farmers, the name of the village lost in the mists of time.

There was a note of sadness in its voice and she wondered at it. Then it seemed to shake itself and huffed.

The village was set up by a group of wanderers in the shadow of a mighty mountain, Wadi, a hundred years ago. They were fortunate to find a place such as this, a small slice of paradise on earth.

Pepper looked around in awe, seeing the simple village of yurts and treehouses, with a small dirt road and people moving about their business. Children played outside the huts in the bright sunshine and she smiled as a little donkey pulled a cart of onions past them.

The beauty and natural richness of this place could all be attributed to a single, powerful source, The Hokai.

Tony gasped audibly as the scene shifted to a green clearing with roses and lilacs. A small stream encircled a tiny blue house with a horned roof. A little bird fountain stood next to it. Pepper was curious at the architectural style of the house but she heard Tony exclaim, "I know this house. It is the Miao!"

The Dragon chuckled in a puff of smoke and said gently, Yes, Anthony, you have seen this before, haven't you? In your dreams...

Tony said, "Yes, I have but not as myself. As someone else, a girl."

Yes, well, I am coming to that. You see, all natural structures have a soul and The Hokai was the soul of the mountain Wadi. It had hidden itself in the valley, ever since the mountain had grown from a tiny hill to the magnificent structure of rock and earth that it was now. And The Hokai also had grown into a powerful spirit. It had seen the wanderers looking for a home and generously decided to let them stay. All it asked for, in return, was that they would guard it and let it slumber in peace.

The Dragon huffed and they were now inside a treehouse or rather a treehall, with a small stage and curtain.

Now the wanderers weren't fighters or warriors. Only one of them was a former solider. So he agreed to guard The Hokai but as he grew older, he knew he could not do it forever. So he selected three of the settlers, whom he felt had promise.

Pepper was now looking at a portrait of three young men, standing in front of the Miao. A much older man stood in the center, his arms on their shoulders.

The first soldier trained these three young men in the art of warfare, to be the best guards they could be. And thus started the tradition of the Guardians of The Hokai. Every twenty years, one expert from the Guardians would be chosen as the Acolyte and he or she in turn, would appoint the next three Guardians from the village's youngsters. The Acolyte would train the chosen three to be warriors and they would swear a sacred oath in the presence of The Hokai, to protect it at all costs.

Now Pepper could see the treehouse slowly fill with people. The lights were dimmed and she watched three young girls ascend the stage.

Tony said softly, "I saw this... in one of my dreams... these three are to be the next guardians."

A tall, bearded man dressed in black and face painted with blue paint, stood behind the girls and began to speak in a foreign tongue.

The Dragon spoke softly, Each Guardian was distinctly identified by a skill and an animal or bird of the forest. You are looking at the last generation of Guardians.

The Lioness...

Pepper watched as the light focused on a tall brown-haired girl with twinkling brown eyes and a slender, athletic build. She nodded her head regally at the audience.

The Goat,

This time, a petite svelte girl with greenish grey eyes and hair like sunlight, bowed to the cheering crowd, grinning mischievously.

And finally, the Crow.

A skinny black-haired girl with long hair that nearly covered her face and deep-set black eyes. She was easily the shyest of the lot and at the Lioness' prodding, raised her hand to wave nervously at the crowd.

The Acolyte raised their hands in tandem and the crowd went wild.

Tony said, "This is the Chimera! I remember that word."

Pepper watched as the girls grinned and the hall emptied, the Crow's mother kissing her softly as she came down from the stage. She asked softly, "Dragon, why do you say this is the last generation?"

The Dragon sighed deeply with sadness and her vision filled with blue powdery smoke. All will be clear, Virginia... soon...

The scene changed to the three girls on a hilltop, the Acolyte circling them and shouting instructions. She watched wide-eyed as he put them through grueling training exercises with sword, spear and shields.

The Dragon said, The Lioness was unmatched with a hand weapon, be it the Dao or the sickle.

And the brown haired girl indeed displayed an impressive routine with a slender sharp sword with a broadish blade, twirling it about her and then slicing two melons mid-air as the Acolyte threw them at her.

Then the Dragon's voice tensed. The Goat was all about power and domination using long weapons.

The blonde picked up a pike and began to jab and thrust at the Lioness, trying to stab her. But the Lioness dodged her nimbly for a while, only to be finally tripped up by the pike. The Goat smirked at her and helped her up, the Lioness grinning shook hands in a sporting manner.

"And the Crow?" asked Tony curiously as the black-haired one just watched the other two silently.

The Crow picked up a Dao and showed off a mediocre stab and thrust routine. She fumbled with the spear and the Goat defeated her easily. The Acolyte tsked at her but the Lioness helped the Crow to her feet and dusted her off. She then whispered something in the shy girl's ears, whose frown turned into a smile.

The Dragon sighed with exasperation. The Crow was very insecure of her own abilities. But there was one thing, she was sure of and that was her talent with the Gong bow.

Pepper grinned as she saw the Acolyte threw a tiny rock high in the air. The Crow quickly pulled back her bow and swiftly knocked it down with a single arrow. The Acolyte then pointed upwards at a high point on the mountain, a flower on a thin branch, growing from the cliff itself.

The Crow aimed and hit the flower straight off the branch. It drifted down on the wind to them and the girl gave it to the Lioness, who grinned and ruffled the Crow's hair.

Pepper said softly, "They seem to be friends."

The Dragon was quiet for a long moment as the Goat seemed to want a flower of her own and tried to hit one down in the same manner. She tried but just could not hit a flower. The Crow aimed and hit one down for her. She handed it to the blonde girl, who smiled and tucked it into her hair.

Then the Dragon spoke softly, They were all friends, good friends, they had known each other since they were children. Then it puffed a cloud of smoke and the scene changed.

Pepper watched in awe as time passed by, the village grew and so did the girls. They stood in front of the Miao and she saw an artist create a portrait of three young women, the Lioness with a Dao, the Crow with a Gong bow and the Goat with a large Ji spear, grinning, the Acolyte, now old and grey in the center, proudly catching them by the shoulders.

The Dragon said quietly, Alas... this peace was not meant to last. For the Witch came to the valley.

The scene changed to a view of a figure at the top of the mountain, looking down at the village. Pepper watched as it was revealed to be a slender, young woman, dressed in red, with a hooded cloak covering her face. She slowly descended the mountain top, walking towards the deep forest.

She felt Tony tense beneath her and he muttered angrily, "The Witch Queen of the Forest! It is her!"

Pepper was confused. She asked, "Tony, do you know her?"

He said tensely, "I have seen her in at least three dreams, in the last one, she..." He gasped loudly and the Dragon huffed gently, I know Anthony, I know... I know you have seen her... let me explain for Virginia's sake.

The young woman pushed off her hood and Pepper was struck by the resemblance between herself and this witch. "She looks..." Pepper whispered, "she looks a lot like me..."

Tony said slowly, "She does, Pepper, that is why the dream upset me so much... do you remember me telling you about it, where Stane crowns you in a forest and you rip out my Arc... it was actually her... it was her in the dream..."

The Witch smiled slowly as a pure white stag with a mighty head of antlers came to her and bowed on one knee. Pepper watched in awe as a little pink pig and a boar, walking on their hind legs, came forth as well and bowed to the Witch.

The Dragon stirred and huffed out, The Witch Queen or Ninea as is her name, was actually an old evil that walked that earth. She was a very powerful sorceress, who was thrown out of her own coven because they feared her power. Banished, she decided to seek out more power, in an attempt to rule the heavens and below. And so she made her way to the mountain Wadi, because she knew, from her dark ways, that the soul of the mountain would be a very powerful source of energy, that she could use for her wicked plan.

Then Pepper gasped as the blonde young woman, the Goat, came into view, hesitantly approaching the Witch. The Witch smiled and extended a slender hand, which the young woman kissed.

The Dragon said very sadly, The Witch had done her homework. She had studied the village from afar and had learnt of the Guardians. She knew she needed a person on the inside... and she picked the most vulnerable of the Guardians, the young Goat, who always wanted more... whose thirst for power just wasn't satisfied, with what was offered by The Hokai.

The Goat knelt and offered up her spear and the Witch moved her hands over it, muttering something in a fell tongue. The spear began to glow with an unholy red light. Then the Witch grasped the Goat by the shoulders and Pepper widened her eyes because a portal began to open before the two women. They walked into it and disappeared.

Pepper asked quickly, "Where... where have they gone?"

The Dragon whispered, To the Abyss... the Witch realized that in the young Goat, she had found a disciple, someone who obeyed her every word and whom she could teach her dark arts to. She corrupted the Goat by showing her just what dark magic could do.

The scene before them changed. The Acolyte was training them again but the Goat kept rolling her eyes at his instructions. When she and the Lioness sparred, she knocked the brown-haired girl down hard with her spear and did not help her up. She sneered at the Crow, who kept quiet as the Lioness defended her.

Tony said thoughtfully, "She has seen the power of the Witch and become enamored with it. Now her Guardian duties seem a chore. She has changed."

Exactly, the Goat became more secretive, more vicious... more violent.

The scene changed to the Goat sneaking into the forest around the Miao and ignoring the Acolyte as he called for her.

Then Pepper gasped in horror as she saw the Goat aim her arrow at a sparrow on the mountain, trying to shoot it down. Before she could fire, the Lioness pushed her bow away, knocking the arrow off its course. They shouted at each other and then started fighting with their fists and the Acolyte separated them, chiding them both.

The Dragon said quietly, She lost her ability to feel pity, compassion, she lost her humanity somewhere in the Abyss... she was no more the smiling, happy girl of sunlight... but the Crow still felt some hope for her.

Now Pepper saw the Crow talking to the Witch and the Goat in a clearing of stones. The Witch handed the Crow a flower, who accepted it and ran off, back to the Miao.

Tony said softly, "I have seen this as well... the Witch tried to gain the Crow's trust. But the Crow was scared... wait! So the gash on the red panda! The Witch did it!"

Pepper saw the two young women looking at the horizon as a small four-legged animal bounded happily in the grass. The Crow seemed worried and the Lioness took her hand and squeezed it.

Then they walked back quietly to the Miao, hand in hand.

The Dragon whispered bitterly, If only she had said something, if only she had mentioned the strange young woman to the Acolyte but... she didn't...she sought to protect her friend... who did not deserve it!

Pepper furrowed her brow in confusion and then once again the landscape was filled with puffy blue smoke.

She heard the Dragon blow the clouds harshly and they waded away into wispy puffs. She was looking at the village again but it seemed very quiet.

Tony said sadly, "I know what is going to happen." The Dragon just sighed deeply.

She saw the Witch leave a house, standing straight and tall, an evil smirk on her face. There was a bright orb of light in her hand, which she squeezed until it disappeared. Then Pepper watched as the Witch walked into the next house and the next, each time exiting the house with a similar orb of light in her hand.

Pepper asked slowly, "What is she doing ... what is she doing to them?"

The Dragon huffed sadly. Much like the Bloodstone of the Demon Asmodeus, the Witch had the power of extracting energy from life sources. So she drained the village of its life.

Pepper whispered in horror, "You mean she... she ..."

She killed everyone, not sparing woman or child. And then she went for the most powerful source of them all, The Hokai.

The scene changed again. Pepper realized she was standing a little distance away from the bridge that led to the Miao.

She saw the Witch levitate off the ground and fire endlessly at the Miao as the Lioness and the Goat fought each other.

"Oh no!" Pepper gasped in sadness. "The Goat turned on her own friend!"

The Dragon snorted angrily. She had no friends anymore, no family. She was not a Guardian anymore. She owed no loyalty to the village or its people. The Goat had truly become the Witch Queen's disciple in every way.

The Lioness lowered her sword for a moment and stretched out her hand to the Goat who just stared at it quietly.

Then Pepper gasped loudly as a bright ball of fire hit the Miao and the Lioness looked up, distracted. In a quick move, the Goat used her spear to stab the Lioness in the chest, wounding her mortally.

The Crow burst onto the scene, falling to her knees and holding the Lioness in her arms but it was too late. Pepper saw the young woman grow still and the Crow stand up coldly. She struck at the Goat, only to be pushed back by the Witch.

Then the Miao was destroyed and Tony whispered, "Now the Hokai comes forth."

Pepper watched in awe as a small, round object floated daintily out of the wrecked Miao, to hover before the bridge, a bright shiny blue.

"Tony," she whispered as the orb started to pulse blue light. "Tony, it looks like your flame."

He replied, "Yes it does. And somehow the Crow seems to know how to use it... just like my flame..."

They watched silently as the Crow bravely stood her ground and fought off the Witch, amazingly using the blue light from the orb.

Then Pepper saw the Goat creep closer, spear raised and she shouted instinctively, forgetting it was just a vision.

"Watch out! No!" she cried as the Crow fell to her knees, blood pouring from her as the Goat speared her.

"How could you? You were her friend!" cried Pepper in anguish as the young woman lay there dying.

Tony said soothingly, "Pepper, it is alright, you will see... do not worry."

Indeed Virginia, the Dragon huffed slowly, do not worry, the Hokai... it said with a smile in its voice, the Hokai came through for the little Crow.

Pepper watched with astonishment as the orb cracked and blue light began to pour from it onto the young woman, bathing her in a unearthly blue shadow. Then the Crow sat up, wounds healed and The Hokai flew around her in happiness.

"How? How did it do that?" she asked curiously.

It is a spirit of pure energy. It used its energy to heal. The ways of the spirits are mysterious indeed.

Then Pepper giggled at the tiny lizard-like being flying around, going "wheeeee" with joy.

Tony asked softly, "Now they say goodbye ... goodbye to the Lioness."

Pepper watched as a small square monument was constructed over the dead Lioness. The Hokai and the Crow paid their respects.

"Tony, is this the last dream you had... which you told me about..." she asked.

"Yes, Pepper, it is..."

They watched the Crow and the Hokai walked away together and the scene faded to a smoky landscape of blueness.

Pepper asked softly, "She was just a girl, a young girl alone... what happened to her?"

The Dragon huffed slowly, The Hokai was also young and helpless. You see, the spirit of the Mountain would be reborn every hundred years. And so the Witch was facing a young spirit, who needed help, who was still finding its way and learning its powers.

The smoke gave way to a bustling town, the Crow and the Hokai timidly walking through the streets together.

The Dragon said wistfully, It is often said, that we find what we never imagined to find, when we aren't looking for it. The Crow needed a friend, a mentor. The Hokai needed a friend too. So much like you and Anthony, the two found what they needed in each other.

Pepper watched as a young man ran through the streets, a crowd shouting after him. He pushed the Crow aside but she caught him quickly and held him fast. A gentleman took his purse from the young man and handed the Crow a coin in thanks. She used it to buy some food, which she neatly divided between her and the Hokai.

Again the scene changed. A banker surrounded by ruffians, trying to rob him. The Crow burst on the scene, skillfully taking on the ruffians with a simple bamboo Gun or staff, knocking them down. The Hokai helped by tripping them up with its ghostly form.

Tony asked, "Can't they see The Hokai?"

"No. It reveals itself only when it chooses to."

The Crow defeated the ruffian and the grateful banker caught her hands and kissed them fervently. He handed her a small purse of coins.

Then multiple scenes passed before their eyes. The Crow tying her hair into a top-knot as the Hokai's wings grew larger. The Crow and the Hokai fighting off a horde of bandits attacking a caravan. The two of them saving a village from an evil magician.

The Dragon huffed slowly, The Crow and the Hokai traveled the countryside together, fighting evil and training always, to get even better.