CHAPTER 3

Ria's head was pounding as she opened her eyes. She focused on a black blur which was sharply brought into focus as she raised her head up.

"Hey, hey, easy! That was quite a bump on your head little one." The black dragon said looking her over.

"Wh-who are you?" She asked scared, remembering she was in a strange place, lost in the woods.

He smiled warmly at her and answered

"My name is... Mr. Bubbles." the strong, muscular looking young adult said.

She giggled slightly at this and began to try and dry her tears.

"Why is your name Mr. Bubbles?" She asked beginning to smile.

He laughed softly and held up a single claw. Bubbles soon burst forth by the hundreds from his claw tip.

Ria laughed in earnest for the first time since being here.

"That's really neat. Are you magic?" She asked.

He smiled again and answered

"You could say that. I'm sorry little miss but I didn't catch your name?"

"Oh, sorry. I'm Ria." She said, her tears finally drying.

"Very nice to meet you Ria. Now if I may ask, what are you doing all the way out here in the forbidden forest?" He asked.

Her expression sank to one of sadness as his morphed to one of intrigue.

"I was running..."

"Running? From what?"

"...This mean girl and her friends..." She hesitantly answered.

He lifted her chin up with his claw and brought here eye to eye with him.

"You're different from the other dragons aren't you Ria?" He asked

"Yes...If you didnt notice, I dont have any horns." She lamented.

He simply smiled that warm comforting smile and looked to her.

"Oh, sweetheart you're beautiful with or without horns. I'm different too, you know. Even I got picked on when I was your age." He said

This was quite the revelation to her. He got picked on? He looked as normal as everyone else she had ever seen! What could someone possibly find wrong with him?

"Why?"

"Because I didn't think the same way everyone else did and...I was...purple." He said, his warm smile drooping slightly

Her eyes widened. She had never seen a purple dragon before. In fact, she had never so much as imagined it.

"Really? How come you're black now?" She asked, her fear now long gone, replaced by curiosity.

"That's nothing to concern yourself with my dear, now lets get you out of this dingy old temple." He said as she got up off the Holy crystal she had been leaning against.

They walked out to the front door in which she had entered and stepped out into the still foggy forest at sunset.

"Oh no, Mr. Bubbles, I don't know how to get back to Megaton!" She said slightly panicked.

"I know how to get there, follow me Ria." He said walking into the fog as she followed along behind him. They came to the same old rope bridge she had ran across and he crossed it without so much as making it sway. She followed carefully until she was safely on the other side. She kept up with her new friend as best as she could, but his larger strides were giving her trouble.

"I...I've never had a friend before Mr. Bubbles..." She admitted embarrassed. He looked to her and smiled once more.

"I'd be honored to be your friend Ria." He said as they came upon the clearing she was initially chased from.

"This is my favorite place in all of Megaton! Its where I came to be alone, but I don't have to be alone anymore now that you're here!" She said beaming at her new friend.

They sat in the field and watched the clouds for a few minutes before Ria sat up.

"Its getting dark, my mommy wants me inside before the sun sets." she said.

"Yes, well...that's fine then. Thank you for finding me, I was very lonely out there until you came along." He said sadly.

She frowned and tried to think. She didn't want her only friend to leave now!

"Hey! I know! You can come home with me! There's plenty of space in my room!" She said excitedly as the idea hit her.

"Well, the temple does get awfully drafty at night...sure, I'd love to!" He said happily.

She took her new friends claw and trotted merrily down the worn path back to her house, happier than she had ever been.

They arrived at the mouth of her family's cave and she called for her mother as she walked in.

"Mommy! I have a new friend I want you to see!" She said excitedly. Her mother appeared from the eating area and looked at her daughter.

"...Where is your friend sweetie?" She asked.

"Silly mommy he's right here!" She said pointing to him.

She didn't see anything next to her daughter, so she assumed she had created an imaginary friend.

"Oh right! There he is! What is his name dear?"

"His name is Mr. Bubbles! He found me when I was lost in the woods today!" She said happily.

Her mothers expression shifted from perplexed to stern as she scolded her daughter.

"Ria I told you not to go into the wilderness hundreds of times! When are you going to start listening?"

She looked down and lowered her head in remorse.

"Go to your room until your father gets home Missy." She said aggravated. This wasn't the first time Ria had wandered into the woods and gotten lost. The last time it took her father and brother all day to find her.

She took Mr. Bubbles claw again and led him there.

Once they were securely in her room, she climbed onto her bed and Mr. Bubbles sat on the floor.

"My mom doesn't really like it when I go into the woods... She says I'm too little." She lamented sadly.

"Do you get along with your parents?" He asked.

"...Yes. I love my mommy and daddy. And Jerrath...but I don't think he likes me very much..."

He cocked his head slightly and continued to question Ria.

"Who is Jerrath?" He asked

"He's my big brother."

"What makes you think he doesn't like you?"

"He doesnt talk to me very much...I get really lonely at school." She said frowning, remembering that place she feared and loathed.

"But that's all going to change now that you're here!" She said changing moods on a dime.

"School huh? Why do you get lonely there?" He asked

"Because there is a really mean girl there who always picks on me..." She said saddening again.

"Whats her name?"

"Alexis. Shes the biggest girl in our class, so I cant do anything to stop her."

"This is the same girl who chased her through the woods today?"

"Yeah..."

Mr. Bubbles considered this and then voiced his opinion.

"Have you tried talking to her?"

"...Yes. But she never stops..." She said starting to cry.

"Sometimes I just want to run away from school and never come back." She sobbed.

He perked up and thought about what she just revealed.

'I cant have her running away. Looks like I may have to help her deal with this Alexis girl.' He thought.

"Don't you think your parents would miss you?" He asked.

She stopped crying and considered his words.

"Tell you what Ria, how about I go with you to school tomorrow and I'll talk to this girl."

"Really? You mean it?" She said smiling hopefully at him.

"Sure thing sweetheart."

"Oh thank you Mr. Bubbles!" She said jumping off her bed and hugging him.

He stroked her head and looked out of her window toward Megaton and smiled mischievously.

'Soon...very soon.' He thought narrowing his eyes into a glare.

"Ria! Time for dinner!" Her mother called from outside her room.

She looked up from her hug and gave her new friend one good squeeze before letting him go.

"C'mon Mr. Bubbles! Mom makes the best food!" She said running out to the dinner table.

He followed her down to where the rest of her family was already seated.

Ria grabbed a spare chair from the corner and set it next to hers.

"What are you doing sweetheart?" Her father asked.

"I'm getting a chair for Mr. Bubbles! Did you forget he was here?" she asked.

Jerrath rolled his eyes and Her mother smiled slightly

"Oh yes, I almost forgot about him."

"Do you want something to eat?" Ria asked her friend.

"No, I'm fine, thank you Ria." He said taking his seat beside her.

Her mother looked at her and then asked.

"Well? Is he hungry?" She asked playing along.

"He said no. Didn't you hear him?"

"Oh for ancestors sake..." Jerrath groaned.

"What?" Ria asked hearing his complaint.

"There is no one there!"

"Yes huh! He's right here! Mom, you and dad can see him right?"

They looked at each other and then back at their daughter.

"Well, we believe he is there if you say he's there Ria." Her mother said.

This broke her heart. Could Mr. Bubbles be just her imagination?

"How come they cant see you?" She asked after a quiet dinner and after going back into her room.

"Only you can see me Ria! I choose to be your friend, and when I did, I'm visible only to you!" He said happily laying down on a spare cushion in her room.

"Is it ok if I sleep here?" He asked.

"Yes, I guess it is getting past my bedtime. Mommy will be in here to tuck me in soon. Night night Mr. Bubbles!" she said climbing into her bed.

Her mother soon came in and gave her a goodnight kiss, and left for the night as her and her father stayed up talking about their day, as they usually did.

"Mr. Bubbles?" She asked sleepily.

"Yes Ria?"

"You'll still go to school with me tomorrow right?"

"I sure will."

"Good...Night Mr. B..."

"Night Ria."

xXx

In the main room of the cave, Xenith (Zee-nith) addressed his wife about what he had heard from Gafron that day.

"I have to get the head elder position Hera. If I don't, Gafron said he would claim absolute power, and lock up all his rivals, and their families. That means us..." He said soberly.

"The elder council wouldnt allow that!" She objected.

"It doesn't matter, he's going to abolish it when he comes to power. Then he is going to try and take over the capital, and rule all of the territories."

Hera was stunned. How could something like this happen here?

"...but he cant attack the capital...they would crush him with the city guard alone-"

"No, they wouldn't attack Megaton, for fear of angering the Creator. Those are his crystals after all..."

Hera was at a loss for words. After a few minutes of silence as her mate stared blankly into the fire she asked

"What can we do?"

"Pray. Pray that they pick me over that son of a bitch."

The elder race is heating up! and it seems like Ria is the only one who can see Mr. B. So how will he talk to Alexis tomorrow? all will be revealed! next chap.