The Flame and the Dragon

Mob Mentality

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have finally re-written this entire story and I hope you all enjoy the new changes!

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A voice hovered over her. Sweet, gentle, but very worried. At least that was what the tone sounded like. Nya couldn't make out the words. She tried to open her eyelids but they felt as heavy as lead. Exhaustion washed over her and Nya was almost pulled back under when something cold and wet trickled into her mouth. Nya reflexively swallowed, the liquid soothing her dry throat. Too soon it was gone. Someone was speaking to her but the words sounded far away as if they were being spoken underwater.

The wetness touched her again, but this time it was on her hand.

She forced her eyes open a crack to see. The first thing she realized was that she was home. She felt something shift and looked down to see Lloyd curled up beside her. She briefly wondered how they had managed to get back home in that blizzard, but her mind was too fuzzy to think straight. All of a sudden, there was a figure standing over her. In her half-lucid state, it almost looked like Kai, but that was impossible. Soft humming worked its way into her senses.

It drew her back to her sense.

The room was still a little bit blurry but she could now clearly make out Kai standing beside the bed, soaking a rag in a bowl filled with warm water. It hadn't taken him long to find his siblings' thanks to the mirror, but it did take them longer than he liked to get them back home on Flame.

"K-Kai?" Nya managed to say after much struggle. It was quiet and raspy but a word nonetheless. Kai jolted as if he had been shocked. When he saw his sister was awake, he shot forward and embraced her tightly.

"It's all right, I'm home." He whispered as Nya suddenly found her strength and started squeezing the life out of the brunette. All the talking and movements caused Lloyd to wake up and the moment he saw his big brother, he screamed in joy and wrapped his arms around Kai's waist, promising to never let him go ever again.

"We thought we'd never see you again!" The blond boy cried loudly as Kai rubbed his back.

"We missed you so much!" Nya exclaimed, but then she reluctantly pulled away and gave Kai a concerned look. "But the dragon... did you... how did you escape?"

"I didn't escape, he let me go." He replied and Nya looked at him as if he had officially gone insane.

"That horrible beast?"

"He's different now! He's changed!" Kai exclaimed and Nya looked like she was about to argue when she suddenly noticed something sticking out of Kai's bag that was hanging on the chair next to the bed.

"What's with the teddy bear?" She asked and when Kai gave her a look of confusion Lloyd grabbed the bag and emptied its contents onto the bed.

"NELSON?!" Kai shouted as the cub rolled out of the bag. Nya screamed and immediately tried to shield her brothers from the creatures, but Kai just rolled his eyes and approached the were-bear cub without the slightest hesitation. "What are your doing here Nelson?"

"Kai, why'd you go away? Don't you like us anymore?" The cub sniffled sadly and Kai's frustration was quickly replaced with guilt.

"Come on kid, of course, I do." He told the bear cub, meaning every word. "It's just that..." He trailed off as his gaze fell on his siblings, unsure how to explain this to the young were-bear cub. Before Kai could think of what to say, however, there was a sudden knocking on the front door. He gave his family and Nelson an apologetic smile before going to see who it was. He flung it open and saw Noble standing there with his arm positioned in mid-knock.