Chapter 4

Serenity was tortured by more nightmares. She watched, paralyzed as usual, as Chris was strangled to death by Windwalker, who was being controlled by Hael. Then she turned to Serenity, red eyed and growling. Serenity was completely defenseless. She couldn't move to save herself. Windwalker wrapped her tail around her throat and squeezed as hard as she could. This was so terrifying that Serenity couldn't breathe in the real world, due to another panic attack. It caused her to fall out of bed. Chris, who had fallen into a very light sleep, quickly rushed to her side. She was sitting up, wide awake with her hands over her neck.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I, I think so," Serenity panted.

"More nightmares?" Chris asked. Serenity nodded. He helped her back onto the bed and sat next to her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Chris asked quietly.

"No, too scary," Serenity said. She took four deep breaths and calmed down.

"You've had a rough few months," Chris said. "But I think it's going to end tonight." The two of them got back into bed and laid down facing each other. Chris gently ran his fingers along the almost invisible scar on Serenity's face, where she was hit with a shovel when she was little.

"What are thinking about?" she asked, afraid to go back to sleep.

"About the day we first met, as kids," Chris answered. "You looked very different back then."

"The first day of a new life," Serenity said. "I hardly remember my old one now a days. All I remember is the shovel and Ruby." Tears rolled down her cheek. Chris used the edge of the blanket to wipe them away.

"I have a question," she said finally.

"What?" Chris asked.

"If that war with the Song had ended the way you planned and the mountain nest wasn't destroyed," Serenity said. "Would you have stayed there?"

"Yes, that mountain needed me more than Draconia did," Chris said. "But I would have visited, since I hadn't been home in ten years. I would have asked you if you wanted to stay with me." Serenity looked surprised.

"Well, I would have said yes," she said. "That mountain was very pretty. It's a shame what happened to it." She heaved a sigh.

"Well, those dragons have a safer home now," Chris said.

"That's always good," Serenity said.

"Do you remember the night you said you'd marry me?" Chris asked. Serenity nodded.

"It feels so long ago," she said.

"You were very happy then," Chris said. Then for the first time in ten months, Serenity smiled and the fear in eyes was gone.

"There, that's more like it," Chris said, satisfied. Serenity scooted closer to him and he pulled her into his arms. She buried her face into his night shirt.

"Will you promise me one thing?" he asked.

"I suppose," Serenity said.

"Promise me that no matter how bad things get, that you won't take your own life," Chris said. "I love you too much, and I don't want to lose you."

"I won't Chris, I promise," Serenity said. "As long as I have you, Edelweiss, and the dragons I won't." She kissed his cheek. Chris drew back a bit so he could look her in the eye.

"Thank you," he whispered, before he kissed her. She wrapped her hands around his neck. They eventually broke apart. Serenity put her hand on his face. He raised his own hand and held hers in place. He felt her cold wedding ring.

"You feeling better?" he asked.

"Yes, much better," Serenity said. "I still don't want to have anymore nightmares though."

"Just play that night you said 'yes' in your mind," Chris said. "Over and over, until you fall asleep. I'll be right here the whole time I promise." Serenity sighed and she felt so much better when he said that. She closed her eyes and let her mind wonder back in time to the night all her dreams came true. As she fell asleep her mind played it for her.

She was back at the Draconian castle. It had been a month since they all came back from the Song war. She was in her room, it was sunset. She was so happy, not only because she was home, because all her family was home as well. She still couldn't believe that Chris had been alive all this time and that he was home. Little did she know that her life was about to get even better. She heard footsteps outside her door and a sheet of paper was pushed under the door and the footsteps walked away. Serenity went to pick up the paper. I had a big fancy S on it. She opened it up and read it.

Come to my room at midnight. I want to ask you something. C

This sparked Serenity's curiosity. She wondered what Chris wanted to talk about. She thought about going to his room now but decided to wait until midnight. She sat at the Round Table. She stared at it and remembered all the good times she and Chris had on top of it. She watched the dragons outside to pass the time.

Before she knew it, midnight was five minuets away. She readied herself and made her way up to Chris's room. Even after all this time she still remembered where it was. She arrived at his door and knocked.

"It's open," came Windwalker's voice. Serenity opened the door and entered the room. Windwalker was sitting in the middle of the room, looking happy.

"Chris is waiting for you upstairs," she said.

"Ok," Serenity replied. "How are your friends doing?"

"They're much happier now," Windwalker said. "They're still getting used to their new surroundings but they've recovered."

"Oh good," Serenity said.

"Now you better get up there," Windwalker said. "Don't keep him waiting." Serenity went up the small staircase that led to the second floor of Chris's room. It was a slightly smaller room then the one bellow. The only furniture was a huge bean bag chair. A window ringed the whole room and a balcony ran around the outside of the room. Serenity walked out onto the balcony. It was washed with moonlight from the full moon that was in plain sight of the balcony. Chris was looking out at the lagoon, leaning on the railing.

"You wanted to see me Chris?" Serenity said. He turned and looked at her. She was wearing a knee-length blue white dress, with pale blue rhinestones on the hems and waist. Her hair was pulled back in a dragon's tail (a braid). She had a dragonfly hair clip at the top of the dragon's tail. She looked so beautiful in the moonlight, that Chris took a second to reply.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen you in one of those," he said.

"I only wear dresses when I'm at home," Serenity said. She stood beside him at the railing.

"So what did you want to ask me?" she asked. Chris sighed, he seemed a bit nervous. "Serenity, I've been been waiting for ten years to ask you this." She stayed quiet waiting for him to finish. He looked her in the eyes and took both her hands in his.

"Will you marry me?" he asked. Serenity blushed and smiled.

"That's one question I thought I would never be asked," she said. She looked at him, still smiling.

"I most certainly will," she said. Chris reached into his pocket and pulled something out. He lifted her right hand and slid a ring onto her her ring finger, she admired it. The band was pure silver. A green and blue celtic dragon was wound around it. The eye of the dragon was on small diamond.

"Wow, it's beautiful," she said.

"Hiccup made it," Chris said. "He made mine as well."

"Such a good person," Serenity said. Chris murmured in agreement.

"I still can't really get over what he did," he said. "Or what he didn't do." Serenity held his hand tightly, her new ring gleamed in the moonlight.

"That's one of the reasons I hate war," she said.

"It's never a good thing," Chris said. "When it does come you have to what's necessary to end it."

"Why does it need to be started in the first place?" Serenity asked. "All it does is hurt people, weather physically or emotionally."

"Ah, that's a very good question actually," Chris said. "People have their various reasons to start a war. I wonder why Hiccup didn't kill that man, it could have saved a lot of lives."

"Maybe he thought it was the right thing to do," Serenity said. "He meant no harm."

"Hmmm," Chris said, thoughtfully. "It seems your compassion is a little too contagious my dear. That's okay though, that's what I love about you." Serenity smiled. Then Chris changed the subject.

"I've been so nervous about this night," he said, with a sigh. "I got through the hard part though." Serenity chuckled.

"Well, this will feel easy compared to when you actually marry me," she said.

"Oh, you're right," Chris said. Serenity laughed and kissed his cheek.

"It's okay, I've never been married either," she said. "I hope I don't look too ridiculous in a wedding dress."

"I think that's impossible," Chris said. "You'll look amazing in a wedding dress." He held her face gently in both his hands and looked into her beautiful green eyes.

"I love you so much," he said quietly. She smiled.

"I love you too," she said, in her honey sweet voice. He was about to kiss her but she beat him to it. She wrapped one arm around his neck and with the other hand she ran her fingers through his hair, holding his face to hers. The kiss lasted for a minuet before they reluctantly broke apart. They held each other close in a warm embrace.

Serenity woke up still in Chris's arms. It was daybreak, she had let the happy dream carry on the rest of the night. She breathed a sigh of relief. She admired the ring on her finger, it glimmered in the morning light. The celtic dragon seemed to smile at her.

"Thank you," she whispered in Chris's ear, knowing he could hear her. She then snuggled as close as she could to him. She dozed off again, finally at peace.