Chapter 12 "Great Grandma?"

While students and teachers at the academy knew something was up and guessed that the newcomers were involved, they knew better than to ask. They would be told in time if they were to know and that was enough for them. Yet still, the arrival of the newcomers did cause some tension in the academy, as well as the knowledge that something was brewing and the fact that the rider and dragon of legend were involved indicating that it was something big. 

Brandon split the new comers up into different classes, even a protesting Savannah, who claimed that fighting was not for her, was soon put into a class where she learned knife throwing and even turned out to be fairly decent at it. While everyone else was learning new things Seth and Akira tried to come up with a plan of action. There was just one problem, and that was that they had no idea what Steeson was up to, or exactly what he was after. 

At the same time Akira noticed that there seemed to be some sort of hostility going on between Seth and Dominique. Somehow they seemed to proceed cautiously around each other and she didn't like it. She really wanted the two boys to get along and had decided to try and talk to them separately when she found some time. 

"You know," Gina began as she came to stand beside Akira who stood in the shadows watching Dominique and Isaac help to sweep the courtyard. Along with classes Brandon had set them up to help out with regular chores as well 

"I still can't get over how familiar Dominique's face looks...I know it sounds weird but I'm sure I've seen him before." 

Akira spared her best friend a glance, wondering if she would ever drop the matter. It had been a week since the group from the future had joined and she had to admit that they were doing a good job of fitting in, yet almost every day Gina would bring up the topic of Dominique looking familiar. 

"But since he's from the future it's not possible that I ever so him before," Gina frowned. Suddenly her eyes widened as a thought seemed to come to her mind. "We're not...related or anything, are we?" she asked turning to stare at Akira. 

Akira shifted uncomfortably, refusing to meet her friend's eyes. "Whatever gave you that idea?" she muttered. 

"Akira!" Gina demanded. "Tell me the truth!" 

"Well..." 

"We are, aren't we?" Gina exclaimed as she seemed to stare at Dominique in a new light. 

"Gina," Akira sighed, "Just drop it, would you?" 

"Of course!" Gina hit her forehead with the flat of her palm, seeming not to have heard Akira at all. "That blond hair, that definitely looks like Drakes, and those green eyes! Why, his brother even had my red hair! Why didn't I see is before?" 

"Gina..." 

Gina whirled to face Akira. "How exactly are we related?" she demanded. 

Akira met her gaze evenly, wondering if she should give it away. Gina had after all figured it out and they were already taking a big risk messing with the future and what not, so as far as she could see one more risk wasn't going to be too big a deal. 

"Fine," she sighed. "I'm not entirely sure but he's something like a great grandson five hundred years in the future." 

"And you knew all this time?" Gina squealed causing the two to be shot questioning looks from all around the courtyard. "Akira, why didn't you tell me?" 

"I didn't want to mess with the future..." Akira muttered, yet Gina seemed to not hear her as she turned her attention back to Dominique, her eyes sparkling. 

"Oh my goodness" she whispered, her eyes were wide and a look of awe was on her face, "I have a great, great, great, great, great, great..." 

Akira stared at her as she continued to list the greats. 

"Hey," she turned to see Seth coming over with a saddle in his hands. 

"Hey," Akira responded as she took a step forward. Seth gave her a peck on her forehead.. "What's she doing?" he asked, shooting a quizzical look over at Gina. 

"Don't ask," Akira muttered in reply as behind her Gina continued to list the greats. 

"Right, I probably don't want to know," Seth grinned. "Don't you have training?" he asked Akira. 

"Yeah, but it was getting kind of boring training by myself because a certain someone didn't turn up, not to mention those constant annoying comments Redemption kept shooting at me," Akira muttered. 

"Sorry," Seth apologized, "I know I was supposed to be there but I got caught up helping in another class." Someone called his name from the stables and he gave Akira an apologizing look. 

"Go," Akira sighed. 

"See you?" Seth asked. 

"Yeah," Akira replied. Seth turned and hurried towards the stables and Akira watched him for a moment. Ever since the battle with Haiden the academy was short on tutors and students with experience. They had lost more than they could afford in the final battle and so now students with more experience than others were often asked to fill in. Other advanced students, such as Akira and Seth, did not have many lessons anymore but trained mostly by themselves or together as there were not many teachers who could teach them more than they already knew. 

"Great, great, great, great, great," Gina sung in the background. 

"Just leave it at decedent, would you?" Akira muttered making Gina stop. 

"A good looking one at that," Gina suddenly grinned. 

Akira turned to stare at her in disbelief. "Don't tell me you're hitting on your own..." 

"Ewe no!" Gina protested. "That's just gross," she shook her head, a repulsive look on her face. "I'm just relieved, you know?" 

Akira gave her a blank look. 

Gina let out a patient sigh, "I just wasn't sure that if Drake and I get married and we do have kids if they would be born with his ears." 

"What's wrong with Drake's ears?" Akira asked confused. 

"Have you seen them?" Gina shuddered. 

"Uh, yeah. They look just like ears should to me," Akira replied. 

Gina stared at her in wonder. "You really don't pay attention to detail do you?" 

"Gina, I'm telling you, his ears look just fine to me," Akira replied. 

"So I thought you two were having fun watching us sweep and instead you're talking about ears?" Dominique's voice suddenly said. 

Akira turned to find him peering at her and Gina curiously. Gina grinned widely at him while Akira just shook her head. 

"So..." Dominique began when neither of the girls replied. "Do you watch people sweep often?" 

"I'm trying to take a break from a certain annoying dragon," Akira replied. 

Dominique raised an eyebrow. 

"Hey," Akira defended herself. "It was either this or running the risk of being thrown off the top of the academy roof...again. He still is trying to find a way to get back at me for the whole pink dragon incident with Lindsy." 

"Yeah," Gina spoke up, her eyes twinkling. "And I just came to watch my great, great, great, great, great," she slung an arm around Dominique's shoulder. "Great, great, great..." 

"Add any more greats and you'll end up a few hundred years beyond Dominique's future," Akira told Gina. 

"You TOLD her?" Dominique asked as he stared at Akira in disbelief. 

"She figured it out," Akira shrugged. 

Dominique groaned. 

"What's wrong sweetheart?" Gina asked as she stared at Dominique. "Don't you like having me as a great, great, great, great, great..." she trailed off, her eyes widening in horror. "I'M A GRANDMA!" she shrieked so loudly that all the activity in the courtyard ceased for a moment as both dragons and riders took a moment to stare in the direction of the outburst before they resumed to their normal activities. 

"Yeah," Dominique shrugged Gina's arm off his shoulder and took a step back, clutching the broom in his hands as though it was a lifeline. "Crazy doesn't run in the family, does it?" he asked shooting Akira a pleading look. 

"Oh please," Gina snorted glaring at Dominique, "No one around here is crazy." 

"Yeah, the screaming girl..." Dominique began. 

"Don't talk back to your elder, boy!" Gina snapped. 

Akira watched in amusement as Dominique's jaw dropped. "You're not...your...you're my age!" he protested. 

"Excuse me?" Gina glared at him, "I believe that I am approximately five hundred years older than you!" A grin suddenly broke out on her face. "Oh my goodness, I always wanted a little kid to raise and teach some manners!" she exclaimed. 

Dominique, seeming to realize that he was the 'little kid' that Gina was talking about, took another step back. Akira just shook her head with a chuckle. Now that Gina knew about Dominique being a direct descendant from her she was sure things were going to get interesting. 

"This is just so cool!" Gina continued to babble. "There's so much I can still teach you!" she told Dominique. 

"Uh...yeah, sure," Dominique said cautiously as he backed away once again. 

Suddenly Gina spread her arms out wide, "Come give your great, great, great, great..." she frowned, "Well five hundred year older grandma, a hug" she beamed as she took a step towards Dominique. 

In response Dominique help out the broom he held, shoving the bristles towards Gina. "Don't get any closer," he warned. 

Gina ignored him and with a grin took another step forward. 

"Stay away, crazy," Dominique warned, yet he suddenly looked very unsure of his methods to defend himself. 

"Come on boy, I just want to give you a little hug!" Gina protested. 

"Not happening," Dominique replied as he suddenly turned and made a dash for it. 

Gina frowned before she suddenly leaped after him. "Don't run away from your grandma!" she yelled, not even bothering to consider how weird it would sound to anyone listening. 

Akira stood, watching in amusement as a determined Dominique ran from an equally determined Gina all around the courtyard. While some student and dragons paused to watch this new unfolding source of amusement, others just kept about with their work, ignoring it altogether. Isaac stopped sweeping just to watch, his face cracking into a grin as he leaned on his broom. 

"I believe I finally see the resemblance," Redemption's voice thought as a large shadow fell over Akira. Akira didn't even bother to glance at her dragon. "They're both lunatics," Redemption thought in satisfaction. 

Akira couldn't help but smile. 

"You still running away from me?" Redemption asked as he looked over Akira's shoulder. 

"I don't know, are you still planning to throw me from the roof?" Akira replied. 

"I always do," was her dragon's smug reply. Shaking her head Akira turned her eyes on her dragon. 

"I'm just tired," she sighed, "of training, you know. Steeson is out there. We should be doing SOMETHING, not just sit around." 

"We need a plan, and planning takes time," was Redemption's reply. 

"I know," Akira muttered. "It's just that...I don't like it. It's like the longer we wait the longer we give Steeson and Deception to go ahead with their plans." 

Redemption never got the chance to reply as Dominique suddenly appeared and ducked behind Akira. "Help me," he pleaded as he grabbed Akira's shoulder and maneuvered her so that she was between him and an approaching Gina. 

Upon reaching them Gina stopped and bent over as she tried to catch her breath. 

"Stop running, would you?" she gasped as she glared at Dominique. 

"Gina," Akira told Gina, trying to hide her grin. "I really don't think Dominique wants a hug right now." 

"Yeah," Dominique quickly voiced his agreement. 

"Then why didn't he just say so instead of making me chase him around half the courtyard?" Gina frowned. 

Akira just shook her head. "Oh look, there's Drake," she pointed in the direction of the academy from where Drake was coming from, his gaze sweeping around the courtyard as though looking for someone. When his eyes came to a rest on Akira and Gina a look of relief filled them and he began to hurry over. 

Panic began to fill Gina's eyes and she turned towards Akira. Reaching out a hand she shoved Akira aside and grabbed hold of an unsuspecting Dominique's color. She pulled him down so that he was at her level and stared threateningly into his eyes. 

"You won't breath a word of this whole related thing to Drake, do you understand?" she hissed. 

"W...why?" Dominique stuttered, looking more than confused. 

"Because you'll just freak him out, that's why!" Gina snapped. Her grip on Dominique's shirt tightened. "Not a word," she told him. 

Dominique nodded and Gina released him just as Drake reached them. 

"Drakie," she grinned at her fiancé. 

"Hey," Drake replied as he slung his arm around her shoulder and drew her close. "What are you guys up to?" he asked. 

"Just talking," Gina replied. "Though Dominique is supposed to be sweeping," she added giving Dominique a meaningful look. 

With a sigh Dominique turned and walked back to Isaac, dragging his broom behind him. 

"Well, since you're doing nothing, how about we go out on a ride?" Drake asked Gina as he gazed into her eyes, adoration written on his face. 

"Sure," Gina beamed. 

"Well why those two love birds go and hang out, why don't we continue with some unfinished training?" Redemption asked Akira. 

"Alone?" Akira replied. 

"I'll shot fireballs at you," Redemption offered generously. 

"Gee, thanks." 

"Is that a yes?" 

"If you throw me off the roof today Redemption then I swear you'll be meeting Daffodil sooner than planned," Akira warned as she walked up to her dragon and swung herself onto his back, ignoring the fact that he wasn't wearing his saddle. 

"I'll keep that in mind," Redemption chuckled as he spread his wings. 

"Where are you going?" Gina asked shooting Akira a questioning look. 

"To practice," Akira replied as Redemption took off.