Disclaimer: I do not own the Young Wizards Series.

There is some blood in this chapter (from a dream) so if you cant handle it, don't read. You have been warned.

Thanks for the reviews guys!

Booknerd: Well I guess I refer to Atin as a 'he'. At first I was going to keep him genderless but it turned out to be extremely hard. It's kind of genderless I suppose even though I say he and him. Lol

Bookstotheceiling; shhhhhh =] I'll try to update asap.

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The only light in the room came from a small phone lying on the desk as it charged. Kit was lying in bed, sound asleep, his inky hair fluttering with his breath. At first he seemed to be peacefully asleep. But on a closer look, you could see the small furrow between his eyebrows, his slightly heavy breath, and the beads of sweat that dotted his brow.

Atin sat up from where he had been lying at the foot of Kit's bed, and slowly slunk up towards Kit's pillow. He crept onto Kits sleeping form, until he was sitting on the boys chest, staring into his troubled sleeping face. He cocked his head to the side, and anyone watching would have said the cat was studying the sleeping boy. They might also have said they saw his mouth turn up into a slight grin. That is if anyone had been watching.

Atin slid backward onto Kit's stomach, then reached out a paw and set it over Kit's heart. Then Atin closed his eyes, as if in sleep. A moment later, the feline form started to glow.

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I was having a bad dream. Well actually, I guess that's an understatement if there ever was one. By 'bad dream' I mean 'worst dream you've ever had in your life where you wish you would just die rather than go through the torture this dream is putting you through x100' dream.

It started out innocently enough. I was sitting with Nita. There was no landscape, no talking; just sitting with Nita. Then suddenly everything went dark, and I felt like I was being pulled from every direction. Finally it stopped and I could see. But I instantly wished I couldn't. Nita was lying broken in front of me. I stared in horror at where she lay, grey eyes glazed over, and arms and legs sticking out at odd angles.

My hands felt wet and sticky, and when I looked down at them, they were covered in blood. Blood started to form a puddle around the two of us and I saw Nita's head turn slowly towards me. She looked at me with those dead eyes and I saw her mouth moving.

"You didn't save me Kit," she said in a hollow voice. "You didn't even try."

"No Nita, I tried! I tried!" I cried out. "I did everything I could. I tried!"

"It's your fault I'm dead," she told me, and blood trickled from the corner of her lips.

"I know! I'm so sorry Nita, I'm so sorry!" I was pleading with her, my words barely decipherable over my sobs. Then, if it was possible, there was more blood. It blossomed over her chest and gurgled from her mouth as she coughed feebly. I saw blood red tears leak from her eyes, making trails down her pale cheeks.

Then suddenly everything around me began to fade. The colors ran together in a familiar way and then I found myself standing on a deserted street corner, everything around me painted in grey. I looked down at my hands but there was no blood dripping off them anymore. And this time, Atin was right there with me.

I had to do a double take. Was this Atin? I knew he was growing at an astonishing pace, but this creature beside me came up to my waist. I could see the bulging muscles beneath his sleek fur which was still purple with stripes and swirls over it. "Atin?" I whispered.

He gave me another 'well duh' look. Then he scanned the street with his great violet eyes. He gave me a glance that clearly said 'don't do anything stupid' before padding off down the street, flicking his tail as an indication that I should follow.

I followed Atin down the dreary sidewalk. It looked like a city but it was deserted. Atin eventually led me to a small park area, surrounded by dense bushes. Atin peered through a break in two trees then slipped through, followed by me. Atin stopped just inside the barrier.

Then I saw her again, standing across a clearing with her back towards us. While everything around us was grey, this girl appeared in muted, dull colors. Long wavy brown hair cascaded down her thin shoulders.

"Nita?" I whispered hesitantly, not entirely believing what he was seeing.

I spoke so low, no one should have been able to hear me, but she apparently did. The figure turned slowly around to face me, her hair fanning out slowly and twirling around her as if she were underwater. And Nita stared back at me.

She was about two inches taller, and looked older, more grown up. In the year that had passed, her hair had grown even longer, coming down a little ways past her hips. But it was still Nita.

"Nita!" I cried out with happiness.

A look of indescribable joy crossed her face but was quickly replaced with horror.

"Nita?"

You shouldn't be here. She spoke to me in my mind. He's coming. You aren't safe.

I frankly didn't give a damn who was coming or how much danger I was in. I made to run to her, but Atin blocked my way with a low growl. The three of us looked up as the gray sky darkened until it was a dusky black. Atin growled again. Then suddenly, a pair of dark wings erupted from his back.

"Wha--?"

Run Kit! I can only keep him distracted for a little while. I tore my eyes off Atin's new appendages and looked up at Nita, just in time to see the dark shadow descend on her.

"Nita! No!" I tried scramble around Atin but got a surprise when Atin instead jumped straight up into the air. He sank his huge claws into my windbreaker and hauled me up into the air with steady strokes of his new wings.

"No Atin! Bring me back down! Let go of me! Nita!" Atin started to glow as he pulled us upward. The color started running again. I gave one more frantic look down and saw a pair of grey eyes look up at me from a writing mass of darkness. Then I couldn't see anymore.

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I shot straight up, finding myself back in bed. I winced as a fiery pain ran along my shoulders. Pushing back the collar of my shirt, I found three shallow red gouges on each of my shoulders. Then I saw the tiger on my bed.

Well it wasn't a tiger; it was just Atin. But a tiger sized Atin. I couldn't see any wings so I guess I could be thankful for that.

I stared him straight in the eyes. "Tell me what's going on."

He nodded.

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I love reviews! I'll try to get the next chapter up on Sunday if you guys review! -Ivy