The Flame And The Dragon Chapter 31

The Flame and the Dragon Chapter 32

Chapter 32: The Art Of The Dress

Kai gulped under her stare as Harumi grabbed his wrist, and yanked him forward. They had to get Kai ready for the ball tonight. She took in the teen's messy hair, mud and slush caked riding boots and dirt-splattered riding clothes. He had just taken Flame for a quick walk around the castle grounds with Ronin when Harumi suddenly dragged him away and Ronin took Flame back to the stables. Kai was seriously confused. The ball was not until tonight, so he didn't know why he needed to get ready so early.

Harumi insisted that her absolute mess and they had less than six hours to get him ready.

With a struggle, Harumi managed to drag the stubborn teen inside. Kai looked over his shoulder at the troll for help, but Ronin just threw his hands up in defense and chuckled nervously. He couldn't save the brunette from his fate. Harumi scared Ronin more than Kai did. The harpy ordered him upstairs. Echo had put in too much work into this for Kai to show up looking horrible. Kai tried desperately to pry Harumi's hand on his wrist, fearful of his destination, but she shoved him into his room and shut the door.

Kai stumbled in his haste but regained his footing as he blinked at the chaos circling around him.

Pixal and Tox were both giggling with mischievous smiles while they set up the changing wall, Pixal holding a plethora of bathing supplies in her arms. Tox was in the joint bathroom preparing a large tub with dozens of bubbles gurgling over the rims like a cauldron. Griffin tapped his foot impatiently, holding a pile of clothing covered in red silk Kai assumed was his clothing. Jay, Echo, and Nelson set up a changing wall and Neuro sighed in the corner with his hand buried in his greying hair.

When they heard Kai stumble into the room their eyes turned to him.

Jay, Echo, and Nelson immediately sat on the bed. Jay and Neuro had sympathetic smiles on their faces while Nelson was trying hard to laugh. Echo crossed his arms over his chest with a wide grin on his face. Griffin's face twisted to a wicked smirk. The combination of looks sent a shiver down Kai's spine and he took a wary step back only to bump into Harumi, who was perched at the door with her arms poised to catch him. Her grin made Kai gulp and he turned around only to come face to face with Tox and Pixal.

The normally sweet girls both sported, devilish smiles, like giddy school girls with a new doll.

That realization made Kai wish he could sink into the floor.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?" He gulped, unsure if he truly wanted an answer to that question. He tried to take a hesitant step to the left, but Tox slithered to stop him. He faked right and waited for Tox to move, then went left. Too late he realized his mistake. Kai screeched when Harumi pounced from behind him and Kai was pinned by her strong grip before he could blink.

"What?! Put me down!" Kai demanded thrashing his arms and legs, stunned that Harumi managed to keep such a firm grip on his upper body.

"Oh no you don't," She taunted. "You're not going anywhere, we're going to scrub you from head to toe." She laughed as she dragged Kai towards the bath, but the brunette dugs his heels into the floor and tried to grab anything within reach to slow down his inevitable fate. He managed to free one of his arms from Harumi's grip, but Pixal grabbed his legs and Tox grabbed his wrists. The three women laughed and dragged him towards the washroom, ignoring Kai's rants and protests.

Kai flashed a pleading look over his shoulder, but the boys gave him the same fearful but sympathetic smile Ronin did.

"Sorry firecracker, we're sitting this one out," Jay smirked as he threw his hands up.

"W-W-W-Wait!" Kai pleaded, gripping onto the rim of the bathroom door with his free fingers, holding on firmly as the girls tried to pull him off. His nails scratched off chunks of wood when they finally ripped him off. Harumi shut the door and stripped him of his coat. A wicked gleam covered the three girl's faces.

"Don't worry, Kai, when we're done with you Cole won't be able to keep his hands off you!" Tox grinned wickedly. Kai gulped and backed into a corner before the three giggling ladies descended upon him. The girls had stripped Kai of his clothing faster than he could blink and shoved him backward into the tub of water sending a flood over the rim. Before he could protest, Harumi uplifted a basin of water over his head, drenching him. She then began attacking his hair with soap and her long nails.

"GET YOUR DAMN CLAWS OFF ME, YOU SHARP TALONED HARPY! I CAN SCRUB MYSELF!" Kai screamed a retort and shot to his feet, furious. He and Harumi exchanged glares but the older woman was adamant.

"THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU!" She scolded, harshly, and forced Kai back down by pushing his shoulders, surprising Kai with her strength. She shoved him under the water then hoisted him back up by his shoulders. Kai coughed and wheezed at soapy water filled his mouth, and released an animalistic growl but Harumi held him firmly by his shoulders while he lashed in the tub. Tox and Pixal then attacked every inch of his body with soap, scrub brushes, and a loofah sponge.

They battled the flailing limbs and the bathwater spraying all over them and the chamber floor.

"Hold still!" Harumi thundered, tightening her grip on one hand as she used the other to scrub Kai's back and shoulders

"Ow, stop that, Harumi, you're choking me!" Kai screeched, furiously. He tried to spray her with water to get her to let go, but missed and hit Pixal instead. Pixal shrieked as she was sprayed when she tried to scrub his hair.

"I've only got your shoulders, now stop that!" Harumi snapped. Tox shrieked rinsing her scrub brush in one of the basins then drowned it in more soap.

"My God, Kai, did you bathe at all this week? You're covered in grime!"

"No, I'm not!" Kai howled, insulted.

"The hell you aren't, I could grow Shade hundreds of ingredients in the muck I scrubbed off you!" Tox protested, returning to her crusade to rid the teen skin of any dirt. Kai wanted to insult them back, but he screamed in pain as a wave of soap fell into his face and stung his eyes.

"Ow! Pixal! Get that out of my face, you're getting soap in my eyes!"

"I wouldn't if you'd hold still!" She snapped, furiously attacking the floppy mane of brown hair. "My God you have so much hair! Tox, get me another basin! I'll need to wash this twice."

"The hell you are!" Kai protested angrily but Harumi dunked him under the warm, sudsy water and hauled him up for Pixal to scrub at his hair again. Kai thrashed furiously like a caged wild animal.

"This is worse than drowning in a frozen lake!" He cried as he thrashed his limbs, causing Harumi's grip to falter, but she quickly recovered.

"Harumi, don't let him go or he'll cause havoc!" Tox shrieked, concerned, grabbing another basin of water and dumped it over Kai's head riding his hair and upper body of soap, but it only worsened his already foul mood.

"Just wait until I get out of this you bitch!" Kai warned as Tox drained the bath and Pixal kept dumping water over him to remove the soap and shut him up...

****************

Cole heaved himself out of his private bathtub the second he heard the door to his room slam open. Water pooled at his feet and his heavy wings shook violently hoping to free the waterlogged limbs from the heavy water weighing them down. He ran a hand through his damp hair spreading raindrops everywhere before grabbing a towel and proceeded to dry himself as best he could. Once dry, he let his damp wings hang loose and wrapped the towel around his waist.

When he entered his joint bedroom, he found Ronin sitting on his bed about to fall over in his half-conscious state.

The boy jumped back to life when Griffin entered, dragging Jay, Echo, and Nelson behind him.

"You're not dressed yet?" Griffin shrieked. "What is wrong with you people? How am I supposed to make alterations if none of you try your clothes on?"

"Calm down, Griffin, there's still plenty of time," Cole snapped, drying his hair, while Ronin helped him dry off his heavy wings. Once that was done, Ronin threw the towels over the chairs and handed him the neat pile of clothing Griffin had laid out for him. Cole grabbed the breeches off the top and disappeared behind the wall while Ronin turned to his companions.

"Why are you three here again?" He blinked. "I thought you were supposed to be helping Kai and fixing up the ballroom?"

"The Ballroom's done," Echo boasted, thrusting his chest forward proudly. "Shade is just setting up the food right now, and I personally made sure everything is perfect!" The boy flashed a triumphant smile.

"You didn't go overboard did you?" Cole asked, coming out from behind the wall, and look at the rest of the clothes. "Could you help me out here, Ronin? You need three people to put this thing on." He asked and Ronin nodded. He helped his lord to the ties and buttons on the difficult outfit Griffin had concocted.

"No, I didn't," Echo answered with a proud glint in his eyes. "This is my far my grandest work!"

"I helped!" Jay smiled, wrapping his arms around Echo's waist, while Nelson laughed at his enthusiasm. Griffin scowled at their distraction as he thrust three sets of clothes into their arms and forcibly propelled them all into the bathroom. "It's time to get dressed!" He exclaimed as he shut the door and left the boys to change before turning to Ronin and the prince. "Are you two finished yet? Ronin needs to get dressed too!"

"I'm going as fast as I can! This thing has knots that have knots!" Ronin complained standing on his toes to meet Cole's taller height and snap the chains on the front in place.

"It isn't that bad," Griffin protested, sitting cross-legged on the bed, waiting impatiently for them to finish.

"This thing has at least six pieces!" Cole snapped.

"So what? It looks brilliant, doesn't it? Besides Kai's is worse."

"I believe it, but he's right you look brilliant! Kai's going to be speechless." Ronin sighed when he finished buttoning Cole's top. Cole smiled and spun around in front of the full-body mirror to test his new clothes from all angles. His ballroom outfit, which consisted of a golden vest over a white dress shirt with a white kerchief, black dress pants trimmed with gold, and a stunning black ballroom tailcoat trimmed with gold. Cole had also tied his shaggy black hair into a ponytail adorned with a silky black ribbon.

"I'll admit it, I didn't think it was possible, but Griffin's outdone himself." He beamed with pride. "Hopefully, it'll be enough to convince my flame," Cole mumbled to himself.

"Tonight he'll be yours." Ronin corrected earning him a confused look from the prince. "We all know what you're thinking, Cole, we wouldn't be a good staff if we didn't know what our prince was thinking! You have nothing to worry about." He added with a smile.

"I hope you're right, I know Kai's answer, but there's still a nagging disbelief that's there." Cole smiled, mentally scolding himself for doubting his staff's loyalty. His sharp claws ran through his bangs.

"Don't be nervous, Kai feels the same way about you, even if he's not ready to admit it out loud just yet, and everyone knows how you feel about him." Ronin reassured him and that made Cole smile.

"Alright, you, time to get you changed." The tailor insisted as he dragged the troll away. Before Ronin could blink, he had been thrown into the same room as his friends, stripped and redressed in a new outfit. Ronin groaned as he looked over his outfit. He knew it was rude to complain and he should be grateful but Griffin had decked him out in formfitting black pants with a pair of spiked-heeled ankle boots, and a shirt made of a smooth black material that was open in the back, but the bottom billowed over his hips.

There were no sleeves, instead, the top material was held with a double ring that hung loosely about his neck.

Long fingerless black gloves with rubies over the back of the hands climbed up his arms, held to the collar of the shirt by gold chains. It was a comfortable outfit, but Ronin had grown so used to lose clothing that covered everything but his hands and head that wearing form-fitting clothing that showed even bits and pieces of his skin made him feel exposed. Echo thought he looked like a girl as he took in his own outfit. They consisted of light brown, form-fitting pants and a white long tunic that was also turtle necked but pillowed almost like a dress near the bottom.

Long black gloves with wide ends that curved to points formed sleeves over his shoulders and a large gold bow half his size, tied in the back.

Jay thought his boyfriend looked spectacular as he tied the bow. His own outfit consisted of a navy blue militaristic style outfit with silver accents, black gloves, and knee-high black boots. Nelson sat on the bed watching them. He eased his boredom by picking at a loose thread on his white, knee-length pants that billowed from the calf down. His outfit was similar to Ronin's but the shirt was a sleeveless turtleneck and was dark purple, and his sleeves were fabric bunched up from the wrists to the upper arms.

Silver leggings peeked above his knee-high black and silver boots.

These were normally not his style, but he didn't mind.

"What did I tell you, Cole," Griffin boasted, loudly, clapping his hands together. "My best work!"

"I believe so," Cole nodded, brushing his black locks to perfection. "Now I'm curious to see what you conjured for Kai."

"I swear if he's not ready by the time I get there, heads will roll!" Griffin exclaimed loudly as he bolted for the door. Cole and his staff laughed hearing Griffin's rant echoing off the hallways.

"I believe that is our cue," Cole announced. The servants quickly proceeded to take their positions in the ballroom, Ronin was the last to leave but Cole stopped him.

"Before you go, will do me a grand favor, Ronin?"

"Of course, name it?" Ronin replied. Cole swooped over to a corner of the room and pulled out two strange silver boxes. He opened one and pulled out the most beautiful piece of jewelry Ronin had ever seen.

"Will you give this to Kai? Tell him if he still wishes to be mine tonight, he'll wear it, but if not I'll understand." He requested. Ronin nodded and bolted towards the East Wing as fast as his legs could carry him. Cole smiled before opening the second box and pulled out an identical chocker, only this one was silver with an emerald heart, and snapped it around his neck then descended down the Western entrance to the ballroom. He couldn't wait to see what Griffin planned for Kai...

****************

Kai growled as he sat on a stool in front of the vanity, his chin resting irritated in his hand while Harumi, Tox, and Pixal dried, brushed, and tried in vain to do something with his untamable hair. After two hours of vicious bathing, he had been dragged out of the tub, dried, dressed in a thin, silk bathrobe for the next phase of his torture. The light material felt wonderful against his tender skin, raw from having half his skin scrubbed off, at least that was what he felt like.

"My God, you have so much, hair! Someone get me another brush!" Harumi hollered over her shoulder. Neuro rushed in, now sporting his new clothing as opposed to his normal uniform. A long velvet grey frock coat, folded over and buttoned down the left side of the chest to hip in a militaristic fashion, and matching pants, white gloves, and black boots with gold buckles. It took all of Kai's willpower not to bury his head in his folded arm, but he knew the girls would shriek if he did.

He bit back and growl every time they came across a particularly stubborn tangle.

"I don't think we'll be able to do anything with his hair, Harumi," Pixal said letting the silk strands bounce back to their natural shape.

"I could've told you that," Kai snapped.

"Oh, be nice," Tox scolded playfully and Harumi pondered for a bit.

"I suppose we'll just have to touch it up with jewelry then." She beamed as she clapped her hands together. "Your ears are pierced, right Kai?"

"Yes," Kai replied looking over his shoulder.

"I'll be right back then! Thank God Griffin decided to go with the gold!" Harumi cheered as she vanished and emerged a moment later with a small wooden jewelry box and began digging through the pieces. Finally, she gave a triumphant cheer and gently titled Kai's head so it was facing her. "Hold still." She warned as she gently pierced his ears with dangling, gold, and ruby earrings shaped like a flying phoenix. She then placed a crown-like headdress shaped like phoenix wings curled around a large ruby on his head, allowing his spikey bangs to spill over it.

"There! You look wonderful!" The girls cheered, while Kai examined their work in the mirror. He had never been fond of gold accessories before but found himself liking them as he admired his reflection.

"Now all we need to do is get you dressed," Tox decided.

"Hurry up, Harumi!" Griffin suddenly thundered as he hammered loudly on the door. "There's less than three hours until the ball starts and I need to see if Kai's clothes need any alterations!"

"We're coming!" Harumi shouted as she threw the door open and the girls led Kai behind the changing wall to help him into the difficult outfit. After a few minutes, Kai was glad he had the girls' help getting ready. The outfit Griffin had created for the evening had more ribbons and ties on it than he cared to count. It would have been a bear to get the thing on properly by himself.

"Wow, you've outdone yourself, Griffin," Tox complimented over the wall. "He looks ravishing!"

"I told you he'd look splendid in gold," Pixal added and Harumi smiled as she laced up the back of Kai's clothing. Kai skimmed over what it was exactly he was wearing and blushed, taking in just how splendid the outfit actually was. Kai wasn't a huge fan of dresses, but he thought this was absolutely gorgeous. The bright, crimson red dress left the top of his shoulders uncovered, but did cover the sides and flowed down into a fancy heart-shaped neckline.

It was a loose fit which made the dress both enjoyable to wear and look at.

His had been left uncovered and in a way, help put focus on his soft tanned skin. The dress's waist was narrow, but it was a loose fit. A gold bow had been wrapped around his waist and positioned slightly to one side. Below the waist, the dress widened had glittering gold ends. The dress reached just above his ankles and was the same length all around. He was given a pair of shining, golden, high-heeled shoes, gorgeous on their own, an ideal match in combination with the dress.

To top it all off he was wearing a pair of simple, but stylish, red elbow-length gloves.

"Are you all sure about this? It is splendid, but I'll probably make it look ridiculous." He pouted as he gazed at his reflection. Before anyone could protest Griffin thundered over.

"I don't ever want to hear that come out of your mouth again!" He scolded swatting Kai's head with two fingers making him wince. "First of all, nothing I make looks ridiculous!" He spoke in a harsh tone, but it softened as he continued but did not lose an ounce of its authority. "Second, that's nonsense and you know it! You're just nervous; I could strip you naked and send you to that ballroom in nothing but a smock and you'd still look fantastic, and don't you ever let yourself forget it."

Kai blinked at the tailor's earnestness then smiled, suddenly feeling very silly.

"We're all done," Harumi announced.

"Good," Griffin smiled as he grabbed Kai's clothed wrists and pulled him back into his room. "Now then, you're done; just give me a few minutes to get everyone else dressed and we'll escort you to the ballroom, got to do this traditionally after all," Griffin winked, ushering everyone out of the room, leaving Kai alone. Alone, at last, he looked at his reflection and smirked proudly at the stunning being staring back at him.

"I do look good." He said out loud when a knock disturbed his play. "Come in!" He called out, wondering who it was. Ronin entered the room holding a box in his hand which almost slipped when he took in Kai's new appearance.

"Can I help you with anything?" Kai smirked, proudly. Ronin looked confused then blushed and straightened himself.

"Cole asked me to bring this to you, he said if you still want to be his for the evening he'd like you to wear it, but he said he would understand if you didn't."

"Thanks a lot, Ronin, I'll see you downstairs." Kai smiled. Ronin bowed and left. Kai sat on the bed and carefully opened the box gasping at the choker inside. It had a golden dragon curled up around a ruby love heart. His fingers gingerly traced over the elegant carvings and circled the beautifully cut ruby shaped exactly like a love heart. Carefully, he removed it from the box and clasped it around his own neck...

The Flame and the Dragon Ch12

Chapter 12: The New Clothes

Kai didn't want to move. Even as the noon light poured through the window, taking him from the other reality of sleep. Taking advantage of the sudden wakefulness, his stomach took the time to growl. The pain of emptiness effectively ruined Kai's sleep. The boy growled and tried to sink deeper into the soft pillows and comfy mattress. His hand reached to pull his comforter tighter around his body. Except there was no comforter and the pillows were not his.

Surprise shocked Kai into wakefulness, and he looked around his room frantically to try and figure out where he was.

This bedroom was not his back in the town. The bed was too soft against his aching skin. The pillows his head was snuggled against were too fancy. The bed and furniture too rich for what he and Nya earned, no matter how much they saved up, and the outline was nothing like the room he'd created for himself in his father's house. Last night suddenly came crashing back to him. A hand rose to gently press against his temples while the other braced his shaking form.

The reality finally sank in that all the events of the previous day had not simply been a nightmare as he had hoped.

It had all been real. Kai certainty didn't feel real, though. Nothing about this felt real to him. He really wanted to feel like he'd suddenly followed a white rabbit and fallen through the rabbit hole, and awoken in a twisted version of his once-favorite fairy tale. He'd dreamed about this before but never in his life had he ever dared wish for it to come true and yet here he was. The prisoner of the Dragon Lord he'd read about every day since he was little.

Living out his sentence in a magnificent castle that haunted his thoughts, and sleeping in a room that suited a prince.

Kai just froze, stunned as the utter impossibility of his situation crashed against the sheer actuality of it. He shivered, pulling the covers tighter against his bare skin, the only warmth he had was the baggy sweater rubbing softly against his chest. It was then he realized something. A shiver of dread suddenly crawled up Kai's spine as the cool air suddenly bit the bare skin of his arms, legs, and torso. Slowly, very slowly, he looked down at himself and found he was wearing nothing but a red sweater and his boxers.

He screamed in both anger and shock, before growling and wrapping the covers around his naked body.

His face turned as red as the sweater, despite the fact no one was in the room. He wondered what had happened before the answer suddenly crashed into his mind, making him see red all over again. His fists clenched the fabric so hard his knuckles went white. It had to be Cole who undressed him while he was asleep and couldn't do anything. He had ordered the servants to not speak to him, so he doubted they took a peek in while he was fast asleep.

Kai growled low in this throat.

He searched frantically for his clothes and only found a neat pile of different clothes at the end of the large bed. A letter sat on top of the pile. Kai stood up and snatched the paper off the pile, using one hand to keep the baggy sweater on him. His name was written in elegant black ink.

Dearest Kai,

As I'm sure you are aware of, you have no clothes, and no, it was not I who undressed you, but I refused to let you roam around my castle in your filthy mud-stained clothes. Therefore, as an act of kindness, I've provided you with a new outfit until the seamstresses and tailor can create a new wardrobe to suit your liking. I suggest you become acquainted with them soon for I will not be around to provide for your needs if you do not take it upon yourself to see if they are met.

Sincerely Cole.

Kai growled and crunched the note into a ball in his hand, unsure if he should be grateful or angered at the note's tone. Any kindness Cole had tried to place in it was stained by the sheer arrogance he could just hear behind the words. It was like Kai was a child and Cole was teaching him how to take care of himself. However, that last line burned a blush across his face. He crumpled the note in his hand and threw it across the room before scanning over the clothes.

Kai couldn't deny the clothes were lovely.

They reminded him of the garments he'd seen when the family had lived in London for a time. The clothes in his arms seemed unique as if they were made just for him. He growled in frustration before swallowing his pride and pulled the sweater off. It was either accept Cole's gift or go naked. At this point, he wasn't sure which was worse anymore. The long-sleeved burgundy red shirt fitted against his lean form and was trimmed with white cuffs.

Black pants with a slit from just below the knee to the floor sculpted his legs then flared at his ankles and the hems had gold designs.

The slender knee-high black leather boots with gold clasps completed the outfit. Once he was fully dressed he jumped to his feet and spun around in front of the mirror as if testing out the outfit. He hated to admit it, but the clothes were perfect. He noticed a crimson sash on the bed. He snatched it up and walked over to the vanity mirror and wardrobe, both were empty of garments but to his happiness, he found a wooden box of old accessories.

He dug through it until he found a gold cross-shaped pendant with a ruby at the top bottom and on each arm of the golden cross.

He looped the sash threw the loop at the top and carefully tied it around his neck in the form of a chocker. This was so much better. He smirked to himself, admiring his appearance in the tall mirror. Lloyd would have loved these clothes. He was always Kai's chief fashion advisor back home. Kai chuckled as he started remembering all the times he and Lloyd had spent their afternoons filling their diverse wardrobes. Realization crashed into him again.

All enjoyment was quickly sapped from his face until he matched the shocked, broken face in the mirror.

He hadn't thought about Nya and Lloyd since he had woken up. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting even for a moment why he was there. He leaned his head against the mirror, before sighing in defeat. It didn't matter now. Kai had made his choice and he could only hope and pray they found happiness. As if answering his prayers for a distraction, his stomach suddenly howled its protests, reminding him he hadn't eaten anything since the previous morning.

His argument with Cole was still fresh in his mind, but he wasn't going to let that arrogant bastard starve him.

Kai stormed to the door before carefully gripping the golden handle. He gave it an experimental turn and found it was unlocked. He turned it completely and pulled it open. No one was outside. The hallways were dark as they had been the previous night save for the light seeping through the skylights overhead and the burning candles. Kai smirked, but deciding not to tempt his luck. He carefully scanned the hallway before slipping out of the safety of his room and slid against the wall.

Nothing moved.

No one acknowledged his presence. In fact, the castle seemed as deserted as it appeared when he first arrived in this hell-hole. Smirking in victory, Kai strolled through the hallway past the wide windows and descended down the staircase. Now all he had to do was find the kitchen...

****************

Echo sighed as his back hit the wall. He put up no resistance as his lover ravished his neck with small kisses and caresses against his bronze skin through his dark brown suit as his golden yellow eyes seemed to glow in the darkness. The touches sent a shiver of delight through him. Cole had put Jay there to guard the door and to tell the lord when Kai woke up. When Echo walked past, however, Jay became a little distracted.

"Jay..." Echo moaned through half-lidded eyes.

"Yes?" The ginger-haired teen smiled.

"We can't stay here, we'll get caught." He said and gestured to the hallway, behind them, though Jay had been sure to hide them behind the curtain first. They dreaded the thought of anyone other than Ronin or Tox should see them. Having been the best of friends as teens, a hundred years together in a castle had only caused their bond to grow and bloom until neither could deny the love between them. They mutually agreed to keep it a secret.

At least until the curse was broken.

Hopefully, if they were right about Kai Smith being the answers to all their prayers, they would all be fully human again and then, while everyone was happy and celebrating, they would tell Zane about their relationship, and Echo's older brother would take it a whole lot better than he would have done before.

"Aw, do we have to?" Jay whined and Echo could only laugh. Jay was such a child, but Echo loved that about him. It certainly didn't stop Jay from being serious when the situation called for it.

"You want someone to find us?" He teased.

"Of course not! Do you know how over-protective Zane is? He'll never let me see you again, or do something worse." Jay panicked as his breathing and heartbeat started to speed up in fear. Zane was Echo's older brother and everyone in the castle knew that nothing would stop the yeti from making sure his brother was safe, not even Cole. Zane would let hell freeze over before he let anything dare to harm his little brother in any way, shape, or form.

The very thought was enough to send Jay into a fit of panic attacks until he felt Echo's gentle hands on his arms.

"Then we need to keep quiet about it, just for a little while longer." He replied, disappearing through the curtain. Unable to resist, Jay swooped behind him before wrapping an arm around his lover's waist and stealing a kiss from him. Only to then ceremonially dropped him to the cold floor. Echo hissed in shock before he stared back at Jay's shocked face.

"Kai!"

"Kai? That's something you say when you're kissing you're boyfriend?" Echo growled angrily. Jay turned to Echo then threw his hands up in defense and shook his head.

"No! no! no! Look!" He pointed behind his upset lover. Echo turned his head just in time to see their new brunette guest disappearing down the stairs...

The Flame and the Dragon Chapter 33

Chapter 33: The Dragon's Dance

Cole sighed as he stood in the center of the ballroom, watching as all but Harumi and Griffin rushed about the ballroom, seeing to the last minute preparations. Echo polished glass, Neuro rearranged the spread for the fifth time, and Pixal arranged the flower vases and spreading blooms decoratively along with the table. It left Cole torn between putting his foot down and telling them enough was enough, or laughing in amusement. Fortunately, Ultra Violet beat him to the punch when she burst into the room and groaned loudly at the chaos.

"Will you all knock it off! He's coming!" She barked at them. Her words made everyone jump then finish what they were doing before taking their positions. It would be rude to start without the guest of honor. "You don't get any nasty ideas." She winked playfully at the dragon prince before dashing off, cackling all the way. Cole blinked she walked off, and turned around, following her with his eyes. Before he could ponder the matter he heard a loud angry cry of pain beyond the closed doors of the ballroom.

"Ugh! I hate these shoes!" Kai's angry voice echoed from behind the door.

"Hey! What did I say, about that, Kai?" Jay scolded.

"But that's the third time I've tripped in these things! They're a death trap!"

"Oh shut up, do you have any idea how long it took Griffin to make those!" Tox giggled loudly.

"Shut up you two! We're here!" Jay exclaimed and the doors swung open, revealing Tox and Jay to the whole ballroom. The two of them waited for their guest of honor but when all they heard was a string of curses, Jay rushed back out.

"Come on!" He cried out loudly.

"Don't push, you'll make me fall!" Kai complained, stumbling over his shoes, but Tox was quick to catch him and elegantly yanked him into the ballroom. The second Kai entered the room, time froze. Without realizing it, the brunette was commanding the attention of the entire room. He was truly the belle of the ball. Flowers slipped from Nelson's fingers, while Pixal's arms fell at her side. Neuro didn't notice the wine he was pouring was completely missing Harumi's cup.

Griffin beamed at everyone's stunned faces and Echo and Ronin's eyes widened with mystification.

Cole couldn't take his eyes off of him. Across the room, Kai didn't notice their stares. All he saw was the Dragon Lord standing in the middle of the room, looking every inch like a fairy tale prince. When Kai met his eyes he found Cole sported a blank expression, and stunning mystification caused his eyes to bulge, and his trembling lips refused to speak. Kai blushed, suddenly taking in everyone's equally stunned expressions.

"Is something wrong?" He asked sheepishly. Cole almost didn't hear him, too lost in the magnificent vision that was Kai Smith. He had wondered what Griffin could possibly create to make the brunette look more beautiful than he already was and never in his life had Cole been so happy to be proven wrong. The outfit Kai wore hugged his figure in all the right places. But all Cole could focus on was the choker around Kai's neck. Pride surged through him, as well as delight.

Unable to resist any longer, Cole approached him and pulled the teen into an embrace that made him stumble over the heels of his boots.

"You'll have to forgive them, my flame, they've just never seen anyone so beautiful before, if I didn't know them better; I'd almost think they were jealous you're with me." Cole purred as he embraced him. Kai blushed as red as the ruby around his neck, while Cole addressed Griffin and Harumi.

"Thank you both, you have truly outdone yourselves." He praised, before turning to the staff. "I'd like to thank you all for joining us this evening! Tonight, we are all friends, and my only request is that you all enjoy the night to your heart's content... and Neuro, keep Jay and Nelson away from the food!" He joked and everyone burst out laughing, except Jay and Nelson, who blushed as bad as Kai. With that, the party began, and Kai fully took in the grand ballroom.

Across the room against the walls, Neuro had set up an enormous spread across long tables covered with gold cloth and dotted with bouquets of beautiful flowers in marble vases.

The glass floor beneath him had been smoothed and polished revealing the pale gold tiles. The windows and walls were free of dust and the stained glass shimmered in the thousands of candles that lined the walls and flooded the enormous chandeliers overhead like thousands of stars. Above him was the stained glass image of an army of enormous dragons flying and roaring against a sunset background. Around him, music started to play, though Kai wasn't sure where it was coming from.

At the table, Ultra Violet and Griffin were devouring the food, while Neuro poured Pixal a glass of wine.

Jay and Echo were dancing in the corner while Tox mingled with everyone else. Zane had struck up a conversation with Ronin. Harumi was showing off her new dress and Nelson was devouring what looked like candy. Kai couldn't believe that this was really the ballroom he had seen when he first arrived. Before it was caked in dust and dead looking. Now it was the most beautiful and perfect room Kai had ever seen, not that he had much experience in ballrooms.

"I take it you're impressed?" Cole asked with a smirk, pouring the two of them a glass of wine.

"This is amazing, did everyone do all this?" Kai asked with a smile, taking the glass.

"They were ecstatic to have a new project, Echo was quite adamant that this place be perfect for the evening." Cole nodded.

"It is," Kai said as he sipped the wine. "Thank you, so much, I didn't think anyone would do all this for me." He blushed lightly.

"I'd do anything for you, and so would everyone else," Cole smirked and kissed his forehead. Kai smiled at that. Cole grinned, examining Kai from head to toe. When he saw Cole's roaming eyes, Kai grew more flustered and Cole's grin widened...

****************

The party continued throughout the night. Though the staff was not large, they had taken Cole's words to heart and mixed and mingled with both their master and their guest that whole evening. They drank the wine and devoured food and deserts. By the time the food was gone, even Neuro and Zane had found themselves smiling and laughing. Music started playing though Kai couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. Cole took Kai's hands and met his eyes, gesturing towards the dance floor.

Kai gave him a nervous glance, but Cole was quick to crush it and swooped the boy towards the center of the room.

Kai had never been good at ballroom dancing. Cole just whispered to him to keep his eyes on him, and suddenly he found himself dancing to a familiar tune. Shortly after, Echo took Jay's hand and dragged him towards the dance floor. Jay, however, gulped nervously and exchange glances with Zane. When he caught the icy eyes he smiled, but his eyes were adamant. Though his expression did not change, Zane nodded and watched them. Ultra Violet bowed towards Harumi, which she humored.

Eventually, everyone joined, and before long the whole room was dancing.

Quickly, as the music picked up, the ballroom dance shifted with the change in the music taking a quicker and more upbeat pace. Once that had everyone tapping their feet against the glassy floor and dancing in circles. Soon everyone exchange partners, dancing faster and faster as the music picked up. They clapped hands and spun in circles, filling the room with the sound of tap dancing among the antiphony of music, and the clapping of hands in time.

Finally, both Kai and Cole spun until everyone once again traded partners.

They found themselves, face to face, hand in hand with one another panting heavily from the dancing. Around them, everyone clapped and cheered, until the softer melody returned. Kai positioned himself to dance again but Cole surprised him by pulling him against his chest and flapping his wings into the air. Kai gasped at first but Cole calmed him down and stopped when they were positioned directly beneath the stained glass dragon. Around them, the chandeliers blazed brightly.

Cole held his wings steady, allowing him to remain airborne. When Kai felt Cole's grip loosen he immediately, held onto him tighter.

"Don't be afraid," Cole reassured him as he gently eased Kai's hands off him. Kai gasped when his feet suddenly felt solid like he was on solid ground. He gasped in shock and Cole winked, childishly, and offered his hand to Kai. The young man smirked and accepted it and before long they were once again dancing on air. Cole suddenly let Kai go to spin him then pulled him close again Then it was Kai's turn to lead. Neither of them needed words, speaking with their eyes.

Their bodies moved in tune with one another in a breathtaking aerial dance while below the staff members danced with their lovers.

They danced across the ceiling until Cole unexpectedly picked Kai up and let himself float towards a set of doors open to a large balcony.

"Come with me, I want to show you something." He said, setting Kai down, and held his hand. He led Kai outside towards the balcony. Kai shivered slightly when the late winter air hit him. Despite the full moon hanging in the sky, night had veiled the castle ground in darkness. Still, Kai waited for Cole to speak. Instead, Cole closed his eyes and focused on the orange sparks flickering from his fingers until they took the form of a sphere. Kai's eyes widened and he resisted the urge to touch it.

When Cole opened his eyes again he lifted his chin and Kai gasped as the sphere floated from his hands and floated towards the sky like a shooting star.

Suddenly it burst, raining stardust across the night sky. Kai was in awe as he braced the railing with exuberant hands, his eyes lit with childish wonder and amazement.

"How did you do that?"

"Lots and lots of practice, I thought you'd enjoy it." Cole boasted, proudly.

"I love it! Thank you! This was the best night of my life!" Kai said happily and hugged Cole tightly.

"I'm glad because I want to ask you something." Cole smiled, feeling his heart swell at Kai's sudden embrace.

"Anything," Kai replied as he let go and listened intently, but his smile fell when Cole frowned and turned around to look at the sky.

"You've been here for almost five months now Kai, and despite the ups and downs, they were some of the happiest times of my life," Cole spoke, kindly, but there was somberness in his words that made Kai's sense feel unstable. "I still can't believe all this is happening, that I'm really this happy, and I can only hope I've made you half as happy as you've made me," He said as he looked down, hunching himself over like he was ashamed of what he was about to say next. "But the truth is Kai, you're still a prisoner; MY prisoner."

Kai immediately opened his mouth to protest, but Cole covered his lips with his claws, making him freeze.

"Let me finish, even though I haven't thought of you in such a way for a long time, and I know no one else does, it doesn't change the fact that you are one, and you can't change that; I, however, can." He told the brunette and Kai's heart dropped into his stomach, fear, and dread suddenly overcoming him when he realized what it was Cole was implying. He wanted to speak, to protest no words come to him. Only strangled gasps of air escaped his throat.

"I'm not a prisoner." He managed to choke. Sensing his distress, Cole placed a hand on his shoulder and bent down to Kai's eye level.

"Whether anyone thinks so or not doesn't change that fact, you deserve better than that." He smiled but his eyes were sad. "You deserve your freedom, freedom I took away from you; I truly regret that, but had I not done so I might have never met you so it is not a bad regret." He shrugged lightly, trying to lighten the mood, but he failed. Kai tried to look away again, but Cole wouldn't let him. "I'm bound to this place, but you are not, and I won't keep you here against your will any longer."

Kai felt hot tears peek the corner of his eye.

His chest suddenly felt heavy and hard like something was digging into it with sharp claws.

"What... What are you saying, Cole?" He whimpered fearfully. Cole sighed hesitantly then turned to Kai with a neutral smile.

"I'm releasing you, Kai; you're no longer my prisoner."...

i read @whiparoundandcry's fic earbuds a while back and i absolutely fell in love with it... i couldn't resist drawing fanart lmao please go give it a read 10/10 recommend!!!!!

Why put on the Christmas special? Wouldn't it have been better to put it in another work like the special "How to train your Dragon"?

I was just trying to create more drama between Kai and Cole and show off the villain a little bit more.

How to Train Your Dragonblood 3: The Dragonblood Alpha Ch5

The clouds looked like cotton candy as Kai and Jay broke through them, not really sure where they were going. Jay just really wanted to find Iron Baron and be as far away from his father as possible. They flew above them, with the only sounds being the rush of the wind around them. Jay scowled at nothing until he clenched his fists and started yelling aloud in rage, stopping as he fell on his back a few seconds later. Kai moaned lightly, trying to be consoling to his boyfriend and Jay took a deep breath, knowing that lashing out wouldn't solve anything.

"That's right, better let it all out." Kai snorted at his boyfriend's outburst.

"You know me so well." He managed to grunt before sighing. "Don't worry, baby, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." He promised as he patted the dragonblood's head from his laid-down position. Kai wasn't paying attention anymore, however, as he started looking around. He could see something peeking out of the clouds on their right and growled lowly. Jay didn't notice as he kept looking upward. In the corner of his eyes, he could see a figure beginning to rise out of the clouds and his brows scrunched up in frustration.

He stood up, ready to give the person he was sure was his father a piece of his mind.

He recoiled in shock when he saw an intimidating dark blue horned mask instead. The person, carrying a crooked staff and a shield, appears to be simply standing on the clouds. They slowly sank back into the cloud bed soon after. The air around the couple was tense with suffocating silence as Jay and Kai started looking carefully around them for any sign of the masked figure returning. They were worried that if they made any sudden movements it would lead to disaster.

A dragon cry was their only warning.

A huge Lightning Dragonblood surged out of the clouds right in front of them, on its back was the person from before. Kai flapped his wings to stop and hover in midair. Jay followed the path of the dragonblood with his eyes as it circles around them, the rider standing upright with unbelievable balance. The figure pointed its staff in their direction and the Lightning Dragonblood grunted as it came back to hover in front of them. The two dragonbloods were at a standstill, watching each other and disturbing the air and clouds around them.

Jay watched the Lightning Dragonblood and its mysterious rider closely.

There was something very familiar about that dragonblood. Kai narrowed his eyes and snarled threateningly. The other dragonblood roared as well, the crown around his skull widening with the motion. Another roar drew Kai's attention and he turned his head in time to see another dragonblood closing in and grabbing Jay around his arms. He yanked the boy out of the saddle and Kai struggled and growled as he fell down.

"KAI!" Jay screamed as his boyfriend plummeted down to the frozen ocean below. Kai was helpless as he tumbled down to the ground, never taking his eyes away from Jay. He fell through the ice and into the cold water of the north. Jay watched as he swam back to the surface, jumping in the air but not flying long or far before plunging down into the ocean. The sight was truly saddening and heart-wrenching. The Fire Dragonblood kept trying to reach his rider, howling to the sky as he watched the flock of dragonbloods carrying Jay further and further away.

Kai was in total shock. He was unable to fly on his own and now his rider was kidnapped by other dragonbloods and he was helpless during the whole thing.

His ears lowered and his eyes begun to shine. He didn't want to let that happen but he couldn't do anything either. As he struggled to stay afloat, he failed to see a crest behind him dipping in and out of the water. It wasn't long before Kai finally noticed them as he held onto a piece of ice. They swam around him and eventually take him under with them. The calming water was again disturbed by Jay's helmet surfacing...

****************

As the group of dragonbloods led by the Lightning one and its rider Jay tried to get free the same way he did with Morro, the dragonblood holding him was much bigger. He tried reaching Kai through their link but he didn't get a reply. He really hoped that meant that Kai was just too focused on staying afloat. Jay knew that Kai was a terrible swimmer, and the freezing waters could seriously hinder his powers or cause damage. When it was clear he wasn't going get out of the Lightning Dragonblood's grip, Jay settled on gaining the attention of the person.

"HEY, YOU LEFT MY BOYFRIEND BACK THERE! HE CAN'T FLY ON HIS OWN, OR SWIM, HE'LL DROWN!" He shouted, but the rider wouldn't listen. They flew through the icebergs until they reached a massive ice fortress. They flew through a series of tunnels and entered a dark large cave. The dragonblood dropped Jay and he rolled back on his feet trying to pacify the creatures that surrounded him. "We have to head back for Kai!" He shouted as he put his hands up to show he wasn't a threat, unintentionally backing into an unfamiliar dragonblood that snarled.

Jay quickly took out his sword, activating it, and swung it in front of the dragonbloods.

The rider watched as the dragonbloods followed the glow of the flaming sword, calming down almost right away. As the flames began to die, he switched it off and took a capsule from his ankle holster that he put inside the device. He spun low to the ground, releasing the gas, and then lit it, making the dragonbloods back off. He then stood up and cautiously approached a different Lightning Dragonblood with his palm up. Before he could touch it, however, the rider jumped inside the circle.

Jay jumped back and watched the stranger anxiously.

"Who are you? The dragon thief? Uh, Iron Baron? Do you even understand what I'm saying?!" He snapped as the strange, silent rider, who had been analyzing the teen so far, swung its staff and hit it on the floor, making it rattle. The noise affected the dragonbloods and one of them flew overhead dragging in its claws the missing Fire Dragonblood. He was in his human form, soaking wet, and only just regaining consciousness as he hacked up the seawater from his lungs.

"Kai!" Jay cried with joy as he ran to him and hugged him while he shook off the water.

"I'm okay, Jaybird, it takes a lot more than a cold bath to kill me off." The brunette reassured Jay, still shivering from the cold.

"I'm so glad to see you too, baby; you really had me worried there." Jay giggled, close to tears as he tried to hug the air out of Kai. Kai smiled warmly as he gave Jay little kisses, happy to be reunited too as he used his powers to warm himself up. On the side of the cave, the rider tilted their head and started shaking the staff. The rattle had all of the Light and Lightning dragonbloods open their mouths and ignite their powers but without shooting.

This illuminated the cave, showing the couple how much they were surrounded.

Kai stood in front of his friend protectively as the mysterious rider started getting closer. The strange person crouched, dropping the staff and shield, as it crawled on four limbs towards them. The two backed away with Kai growling all the while. The rider leaned closer with its hand and twisted it to the side. Unexpectedly, Kai suddenly dipped and fell to the side, crooning in delight, despite being in human form. Jay gasped worry, but at least Kai was still breathing.

The person started to stroke Kai's jaw and then moved on to Jay.

The youth watched the hand warily, backing away uncomfortably as he realizes the rider wanted to touch him. A light gasp was heard under the mask and the person's finger stop short of Jay's chin. Where a small scar was just barely visible. It stepped back and crouched again.

"Jay?" The feminine voice surprised the ginger-haired man, who stuttered as he tried to come up with an answer. Before he could, the rider removed the mask revealing a beautiful woman who looked to be in her very early forties. The dim light in the cave allowed him to get a good look at the woman. The shoulders were fairly pointy, very wide and large in size, and black in color. They were decorated with layered pieces of curved metal, starting at the inner sides and curving outwards.

The upper arms were protected by black, rounded, layered metal rerebraces which sat loosely under the shoulder plates.

The lower arms were covered by vambraces which had an intricately crafted sigil attached to each outer side. The breastplate was a dark sapphire blue and made from several separate pieces which were layered on top of each other. It had what looked like a white lightning design carved into it. It covered almost everything from the neck down and ended at the groin, but the sides were only covered near the bottom. The upper legs were covered by pointed, layered metal.

The lower legs were protected by black greaves which had metal flower ornament pieces covering the outer sides.

The woman looked almost exactly like Jay except for her long blonde hair and stormy blue eyes.

"C-Could it be? After all these years... how is this possible?" The woman stuttered in shock as her excited eyes scanned the young man before her.

"Eh, should I... should I know you?" Jay asked fearfully as Kai regained his senses and got to his knees and the woman visibly deflated.

"No... you were only a baby back then." She muttered sadly, looking ready to cry until she finally looked him dead in the eyes. "But a mother never forgets." She said loud and clearly. It felt like every species of dragonbloods Jay could name had struck him down. His body just went limp and he kept staring at her. Kai was also in his own unresponsive state. That was his boyfriend's long-lost mother, Libber Gordon. The woman he never got to meet.

The woman he found Jay and Cliff still mourned on occasions, and she was alive and a dragonblood rider like her son.

Kai took a sharp intake of breath and began to back off. The woman raised a hand and made a soothing sound. She looked to the side at a loss of what to do and then glanced back at him with the beginning of a smile.

"Come."...

hey it’s happened in every other version

Keep reading

Here’s a several part text post meme bc it’s all from the same post lol-

Source: tumblr

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VACCINATE YA KIDS FFS

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