"Quiksilva? When did you get here?" I muttered and he gave me a happy growl, rushing over and almost colliding with me. Skidding to a sudden halt his tail thrashed from side to side as he nuzzled me and I giggled, wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him.
"I was so worried about you." He growled as he nuzzled my neck and I sighed, feeling a little guilty that I'd made him worry. And not just him as the Dragon Booster and Shadow Booster appeared in the doorway and without even looking at Moordryd I knew I was in for a lecture, or at the very least a glare.
As I watched he removed his own medallion, changing back to his usual racing jacket and pants before he walked over and stared down at me, his arms crossed against his chest. Rolling his eyes at Moordryd, who narrowed his eyes in response, Artha decided to give us a moment and walked away. He had only just left when Moordryd glanced at the doorway and seeing no sign of Artha, he knelt beside me.
"Before you start yelling at me, I..." I didn't get to finish when he suddenly wrapped his arms around my waist and I found myself pulled into a tight hug. Shocked by his response, though a little happier that I wasn't getting yelled at, I returned it wrapping my arms around his waist. After a few seconds Moordryd coughed and relaxed his grip on me, watching as I lifted my head and looked up at him.
"I couldn't find you and...I thought." Moordryd muttered as he stared at me and I sighed, gently kissing his cheek. "But Quiksilva followed your scent and here you are."
"I'm alright. I appreciate you worrying about me but I can take care of myself. Though it is nice that you're so protective of me." I answered and he grinned, his smile soon fading as I winced.
"Are you hurt?" Moordryd asked, almost instantly thinking how stupid that question was when I gritted my teeth. "Let me check...after you change back." Giving him a slight nod I slipped the medallion from my gauntlet and after a quick burst of light I changed back.
"Its my back. Got hit by a mag-blast or whatever that attack was. It really hurts." I gasped and he moved behind me, before he reached for the hem of my shirt. Only to pause and tilt his head to look at my face. "Go ahead."
Carefully Moordryd slipped the back of my shirt up and after a few seconds he made a noise in his throat, making me worry. "Wow...that's some bruise." He whistled as he pressed his open palm against it and I hissed, making his eyes go wide. "Oh scales sorry!" He muttered and I took a few deep breaths before I narrowed my eyes at him. "I should have been the one getting hurt." He sighed and I tugged at his jacket, making him stare down at me.
"Look you didn't do anything, Armeggaddon did and besides I was protecting you. I wanted to." I answered as he sat beside me, almost hip to hip and I gave him a weak smile. "You can't always protect me so I need to take care of myself." Leaning to one side I rested my head against his shoulder, fighting hard to stay awake though that wasn't too difficult since my back began to throb. "How are you anyway?"
"You're the one who's injured, not me." Moordryd replied, reaching around and wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "You care too much, that's your weakness." He muttered and I could have argued with that. Too tired to care I sat there instead, trying my best to ignore the pain radiating from my back and my ear where I'd already copped the blunt of Armeggaddon's mag blast.
In the silence that followed Moordryd thought about why Armeggaddon had asked for my gauntlet and also why he kept targeting me. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden snorting noise and when he glanced down at my face my eyes were closed and with one arm drapped loosely around his neck, completely dead to the world. "Huh you can sleep through anything, can't you?" Moordryd whispered, hugging me tightly against his shoulder and I sighed, snuggling into his side. "Though after the day we've both had..." He yawned then and gave a chuckle, not really that shocked at how tired he was. Moordryd really wanted to crash in his own bed, or at least the spare bed that I frequented here at Penn Stables. Then he looked at me and gave me a grin, deciding that right now this was the best place to rest. So he wrapped his other arm around me and leaning against my side, he closed his eyes.
"Are you sure they're in here?" Cain asked and Decepshun rolled her eyes, earning a slight narrowing of his eyes. "Just asking." He muttered before he tip-toed towards the doorway of the stable. Instead of going back to the compound, Cain had chosen to travel here why he wasn't sure though something told him that it was a good idea. And he soon realized why when he found Moordryd leaning against me, both of us completely out cold. "Well I guess that explains a few things." He muttered as he crept closer and as he did, I shifted in my sleep as a nightmare unfolded.
"Quiksilva...Moordryd? Anyone there?" I called as I wandered around in the darkness and as the moon moved out from behind the clouds I stopped in my tracks, shaking as the darkness cleared. Around me lay the still bodies of dozens of dragon crew members and their dragons, most I didn't reconquize which didn't make the sight any less sickening. As I wandered aimlessly I searched desperately for my boyfriend and his crew as well as the Penn Crew.
Then I began to tremble as I found the lifeless bodies of the Dragon Booster and Beau. Just ahead I saw the rest of his crew but I just couldn't make my feet move, feeling too sickened to keep going. Then I heard laughter and as I stood there, wrapping my arms around my stomach as I swallowed, something shot forward and I was knocked backwards by what I assumed was a mag-blast. Gasping I lay there before someone lashed out and gripped me around the throat, dragging me to my feet and as I struggled to breathe I found myself looking once more at my darker side.
"We meet once again...Rayne." The Light Booster laughed as she stared into my eyes and unable to break free I tried to glare at her. "Hmph pathetic." She giggled and just for a moment she loosened her grip, allowing me to kick out at her hand. She cried out, instantly blasting me backwards with a powerful mag-blast her anger getting the better of her. As I struck the ground she rushed forward and I just dodged her foot as she sent a kick at my head, leaving me momentarily off balance. Gasping a little I watched as she aimed another mag-blast at me, only for Armeggaddon to appear from nowhere and grab her arm. Shaking his head he strolled towards me, ignoring the bow and the angry sneer Rayne gave both of us.
"In case you're wondering...this is a glimpse of your future." Armeggaddon explained and when I stared at him, confusion in my eyes he chuckled. "I can see you don't understand. Very well I'll make this clear. You will destroy everyone you care about and bring about Dragon City's destruction no matter what path you choose." When I stumbled back, tripping over something behind me I glanced down and wished I hadn't. Choking back a sob I found the lifeless body of Decepshun and Moordryd. From the looks of him, his dragon had fallen and crushed him with her weight, her neck snapped and as I stared my hand flying to my mouth Moordryd gasped.
"Oh..." I mumbled, instantly dropping to my knees and cradling his head in my lap, tears falling down my face as I began to sob. "What have I done?" I whimpered and to my horror he tried to reach up. Instantly I gripped his hand in mine and he gave me a weak smile before he gasped, chest heaving and a geyser of blood erupted from his mouth before his arm hit the ground. His pale grey eyes went wide, pain and fear in their depths before they went blank. I let out a scream, the sound echoing through the battlefield and as I sobbed I lowered my head, my heart broken. I didn't even look up when I heard footsteps, Armeggaddon having reached me and as he raised his hand it glowed with a powerful mag-blast. I closed my eyes then, waiting to die and as he struck I cried out.
"Rayne!" Moordryd shouted and my eyes shot open, finding my boyfriend staring at me. As my vision adjusted I found that I was sitting on the cold stable floor, unable to understand how I had gotten here. "What happened?" He asked, his voice lowered as he heard someone close by and as I stared at him, my eyes went wide. Before he could understand why I was staring at him, face going pale, I lunged forward and buried my face in his chest sobbing histerically.
My sudden crying fit shocked even Cain, used to my sudden and very weid mood changes, stared as I wailed. More concerned about me than his image, Moordryd wrapped his arms around my back trying to avoid my bruise and hugged me tight. "Sshh its going to okay. You're fine." He told me, keeping his voice low and usually that would have worked but just thinking about what I'd seen in my nightmare made me sob even harder. The sound of running feet was soon heard and as Connor, Artha and even Lance came running into the stable I heard a growl. Not far behind was Quiksilva, almost knocking Cain over in his haste to reach me. But I didn't even notice, gripping Moordryd's back for dear life and Quiksilva nudged me, giving me a low growl.
"What's all the noise?" Connor asked as he appeared in the doorway, only to frown when he saw me shaking like a leaf. "Rayne?" He said and I didn't even respond, too scared to let go of Moordryd in case he disappeared.
"Whoa." Lance muttered as he stared at me then Moordryd, probably just as confused as everyone else in the stable. Finally Moordryd managed to get me to lift my head, tears streaking my face as I whimpered.
"What's wrong with her?" Artha asked as his father moved closer and I cowered, burying my face in Moordryd's chest and he looked at the leader of the Dragon Eyes.
"She just woke up and started crying. I don't know what's wrong with her. Can you help her?" Moordryd asked, looking at me as I trembled. Standing there for a few seconds, Connor stroked his chin.
"Its that same nightmare, isn't it?" Connor asked and everyone, except me, stared at me. "Rayne? Was it a nightmare?" He asked as he knelt beside us and I lifted my head slightly, giving him a tiny nod. "About Armeggaddon?"
"Him...and me." I whimpered and seeing the fear in my eyes made Moordryd hug me tighter. Grateful I rested my head in the crock of his neck, sniffing. "Everyone's dead...because of me."
"It was only a nightmare." Moordryd said as I sniffed, fresh tears streaking down my cheeks. "Look just take a deep breath and try to forget it." He told me, attempting to calm me down and that's when I narrowed my eyes.
"You died in my arms." I whispered before I saw the same moment from my nightmare flash into my head and I began to sob, burying my face in his chest. More than a little unnerved by that, Moordryd still hugged me. After a while my sobs subsided and when I went completely silent he glanced down at me, slightly amused to find that I'd fallen asleep.
"Oookay. Well that sounded a little creepy." Cain suddenly interrupted and everyone stared at him, making him blink. "What?"
"This isn't the first time she's had this dream, is it?" Artha asked and Moordryd sighed, taking one arm from my waist and running it through my hair.
"Did she mention...Armeggaddon?" Connor asked and Moordryd's head snapped up, almost waking me but I just snuggled into his chest with a sigh. "I was hoping that it was just a nightmare. I need to tell you all something." Taking a deep breath, Connor began to pace the stable.
"He's the one that keeps coming after us. Why dad?" Artha asked and with a glance at me, the elder Penn spoke.
"Three thousand years ago, Armeggaddon was the leader of the great Black Draconium empire. Using the friction between the other draconium empires, he helped start the dragon-human war. Eventually he ended up imprisoned in the Shadow Track until its destruction and he escaped." Connor explained and Moordryd frowned, remembering how many times the ancient warrior had tried to turn him against his father.
"So he's really after me." Moordryd muttered as he looked down at me for a moment. "I was the one he trained to rule the draconium empire someday. Even showed me where my gauntlet was."
"But he keeps coming after Rayne, not you so why?" Artha asked and we both heard a voice, which made everyone but me turn to see Parmon and Kitt walk in.
"Because he tried to get the Light Booster to side with him. He even trained her for a while until she crossed paths with his apprentice, the original Shadow Booster, and ultimately they became close. Eventually they chose to side with the Dragon Booster and that caused Armeggaddon...well that's when the Light Booster tried to defeat him. To protect her love and it cost her everything...including her life." Parmon explained and Cain raised an eyebrow at him then Moordryd.
"Makes sense why he wants Rayne so badly...hang on a second. So she's the Light Booster?" Cain asked and Moordryd rolled his eyes before he snorted.
"Its a long story and right now I can't be bothered explaining it. But, yes Cain she is. Despite what I originally thought." Moordryd answered just as I whimpered, shivering a little from whatever I was dreaming about.