Chapter 15 “Solution?”

Akira was worried. She couldn't help it. Knowing that Seth and Will were in the future and having no idea what was happening was agonizing. She tried to spend her time practicing in order to make the days until they would send someone to meet up with Seth and Will faster. Dominique seemed to try and join in with all her activities, getting a bit too close to Akira for her comfort at moments. While sometimes she would patiently push him out of her personal space, at other times she barely even realized.

Redemption though seemed to have taken it upon himself to always somehow be present when Dominique was around Akira if he could, carefully watching their actions as though chaperoning them and often narrowing his eyes at Dominique. While Akira knew that her dragon was cautious of Dominique's attentions she pushed aside any thoughts on the matter, too busy wondering what was happening in the future to care.

Finally day came after which someone would be sent to meet up with the boys in the future. Dominique, Kirk and Drake were chosen to go. Dominique was going as he would be able to transport the other boys to the future and back. Akira wanted to go along to, and yet she kept this desire to herself, knowing that the chances of her going were not great. She was just going to have to be satisfied with hearing how things were going from either Drake, Kirk or Dominique when they got back.

It was that very night that Akira was woken up by a nightmare, one she had not had in a while. As she sat up in her bed, clutching the sheets, Akira stared wide eyed across the small room she was in. Her mind was in a turmoil and her heart beat as though she had just run a good distance. Yet when she realized that she had only been dreaming she began to calm down.

Taking a deep breath she attempted to lie back down and go to sleep, yet the disturbing images from her dream flashed through her mind. Shivering Akira sat up and stared at her empty room. Suddenly she felt loneliness wash over her. As she sat, feeling somewhat bewildered at this feeling, she came to a quick decision.

Throwing back her covers she swung her feet over the bed. Not even bothering to pull on her boots she padded over to the door. Opening it she headed down the corridor and out to the courtyard. She found it abandoned, with nothing but the moonlight lighting it up in a beautiful and yet eerie way.

Ignoring the beauty of the place Akira head over to the stables. As she slipped through a small side door she felt the smell of hay hit her nostrils as well as a ting that could only belong to a dragon. Sighing in satisfaction she walked on, past stables with sleeping dragons in them. While one or two dragons cracked open their eyes to watch her pass, non stirred.

Upon passing a stall with the familiar form of Destiny, who was fast asleep, in it, Akira paused to look at the large blue dragon. She smiled softly, feeling affection rush through her. Yet after a moment she continued on to the neighboring stable.

Walking into it she laid eyes upon Redemption's form. The moonlight somehow made its way through a small window in the stable wall, reflecting off the white dragon's scales. Without hesitation Akira walked up to her dragon and plopped into the straw beside him. Letting out a satisfied sigh she sat crossed legged and leaned against him.

“Bad dream again?” Redemption thought as he sleepily cracked an eye open to shoot his rider a concerned look.

“Hmm,” Akira replied as she snuggled into her dragon. Redemption shifted slightly to make her more comfortable. “I dreamed about them...my family,” Akira whispered as she stared at the wall that separated Redemption's stall from Destiny's.

“It’s just a dream,” Redemption assured her.

“I know,” Akira murmured as she rubbed her hand across her eyes. “I just haven't dreamed about them since Haiden...” she trailed off, her eyes filling with pain. “I was back in the village again...I saw them die...heard their screams...”

“It’s just a dream,” Redemption assured her as he snaked his neck around and placed his head on Akira's lap.

Absentmindedly Akira began to fondle his head. “But it was different this time,” she continued, seeming not to hear her dragon. “I saw my mother in the fire...she was just standing there, looking at me, not even seeming to notice the flames while Lilly screamed. Ree, she was just looking at me, and she looked...sad.”

Redemption shifted, sensing his rider's troubled feeling over this matter,

“And then...she spoke,” Akira whispered. “Just two words, but they seemed to mean so much.”

“What did she say?” Redemption suddenly seemed interested.

“It’s coming,” Akira shuddered as she said the words.

Redemption was silent.

“It was like she was trying to...warn me,” Akira continued in a soft voice. “I don't know but Ree, maybe it was just a dream but it felt like more.” Feeling suddenly tired she ran a hand through her hair.

“I don't know kiddo,” Redemption thought gently. “Maybe it was just a dream, and maybe it was a warning. Dreams are complicated, maybe they can tell us something sometimes though. Communicate in ways we don't think of.”

“Communicate,” Akira repeated wearily. Yet suddenly her eyes snapped wide open and she sat up straight, startling Redemption who lifted his head from her lap to stare at her.

“Of course! Communicate!” Akira slapped her hand against her forehead. “How could I be so stupid as not think of it before!”

“I must admit kiddo, you have me lost,” Redemption told her as he stared at her.

“Ree. Remember when I first met Haiden?” Akira asked, excitement in her voice.

“Uhh...”

“It was in a dream!” she didn't give him the chance to reply. “Somehow he contacted me through a dream!”

“Not a very pleasant memory. If I recall correctly, he really wasn't very nice in the way he went about it,” Redemption thought grudgingly.

“That’s not the point,” Akira waved her hand as though shoving Redemption's comment aside. “The point is, he had a face to face conversation with me without actually really being there. He did it all through a dream.”

“So?”

“So what if that’s another thing we can do?” Akira's eyes were lit up with excitement. “What if we can contact people and speak to them face to face through dreams?”

“Uh...” Redemption looked confused. “That would be...really cool?” he attempted to guess.

“We could contact Steeson and actually talk to him!” Akira corrected him.

Redemption stared at his rider as though wondering if she had lost it. “Akira, what good is it going to do to...”

“A face to face conversation may be the easiest way to find up what he's up to!” Akira replied.

“You mean you'd just ask him and he'd answer?” Redemption snorted.

“Well...not exactly. But by talking to him we could possibly at least figure out what we're up against!”

Redemption did not look convinced. “Akira, I hate to dash your hopes and all, but even if we could do this, Haiden was in our time span, Steeson is five hundred years in the future. If this dream thing did work, how would you know if it would even reach across time?”

Akira's shoulders slumped. Her dragon had a point. “Well we could go to the future and try it from...” she trailed off as she remembered something. “Ree,” she began carefully. “Was there ever a time in the future when you were looking for me here in the past that you...saw me?”

“Saw you...?”

“Or even just heard me?” Akira quickly cut in. “You know, felt as though I was communicating?”

Redemption looked at Akira quizzically.

“Just try to remember,” Akira pleaded.

Letting out a sigh Redemption cocked his head to the side. “You know,” he began. “There was one time a few weeks after you disappeared when I thought I felt your presence. It was like you were there but it was only a faint presence...” he shook his head. “It was just a dream though.”

“And what were you doing in that dream?” Akira breathed, excitement filling her once more.

Redemption looked taken back. “Uh...I can’t really remember...I think I was dreaming that we were searching for you...”

“It worked!” Akira stared at Redemption with wide eyes. “I've done it before and I didn't even realize...”

“Akira, what exactly are you trying to say?”

“Ree,” Akira's eyes sparkled. “When Dominique was taking me to one of the resistance's hideouts I fell asleep on the way. I really wanted to see you, to tell you where I was. In the next moment I was dreaming that I was watching you search for me. You kept asking where I was and I tried to reply but you didn't hear me. When I tried harder it seemed as though you suddenly knew I was there...I was so close to telling you where I was when I woke up.”

Redemption stared at her, what she had just said sinking in. “I don't know Akira,” he began carefully, “It could just be a coincidence.”

“Or it could be that I contacted you through a dream from five hundred years in the future!” Akira replied. Yet Redemption seemed uncertain.

“Can we try it at least?” Akira pleaded.

Redemption studied her and for a moment he seemed about to protest, yet then he let out a defeated sigh. “If it'll let me go back to sleep, sure.”

Akira grinned.

“So...what do we do?” Redemption asked carefully.

“Oh,” Akira frowned. “Uh...I'm not sure...maybe we just need to really think of contacting Steeson and close our eyes. Then when we fall asleep we'll meet him.”

Redemption snorted.

“Just try it,” Akira told him.

“Fine,” Redemption lowered his head back into Akira's lap and closed his eyes. Leaning against her dragon Akira followed his lead. Closing her eyes she began to try concentrate. When she found her mind drifting she began to repeat Steeson's name over and over again in her mind.

“You know, chanting probably isn't going to do anything,” Redemption thought dryly.

Ignoring him Akira kept it up.

“Anything?” Redemption asked after a while.

Akira frowned.

“Right, well. In that case, how about we try again tomorrow?” Redemption thought groggily. A moment later he was fast asleep.

Sighing Akira cracked an eye open. Shaking her head she felt somewhat frustrated at her dragon's lack of enthusiasm. Sighing she pushed back against him to get more comfortable. As she stared at the wall across from her she wondered if it was really possible to contact Steeson through a dream. She felt her eyelids dropping as sleep crept over her. Yet her urge to talk to Steeson remained and she refused to let her mind wonder elsewhere.

She felt herself drifting and the sleep settling in when suddenly something else happened. A white light seemed to be approaching her, coming at an incredibly fats rate. Some part of her mind told Akira that she wasn't fully asleep yet and she felt excitement course through her as she wondered if it was working. For a moment she almost reached out to her dragon, yet the thought that anything distraction could disperse the approaching picture before her stopped her. No, let Redemption sleep. It looked like for now, she was on her own.

The bright light engulfed her and a moment later Akira found herself standing in what looked like a large room. Blinking in surprise she turned around, taking in the clean with walls. There were no windows and yet the room was bright with light. Catching sight of her arm she stared down at the white sleeve that covered it. Surprised she realized that she was wearing her white academy clothes, the clothes she wore to battle, the clothes that were currently sitting in a chest in her room, folded neatly until further use.

Looking up from her clothe Akira was surprised to see that a small fountain seemed to have appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the room. Fascinated she walked over to it. For moment she stared at it before reaching out her hand. Surprise filled her as she felt the cool water touch her fingers. Pulling her hand away she stared at her fingers only to see that they weren't wet. The realization that this had to be a dream, hit her.

Then, a voice spoke behind her, “you must be Akira.”

Akira froze. She stood rigid for a moment before she turned around to find a tall man with jet black hair standing at the other end of the room. His gray eyes seemed to be surveying her with keen with interest.

“I was hoping I would get to see you. I always wondered what you looked like,” the man smiled, yet even though it was friendly there was something about him that reminded Akira all too much of Haiden. One word flashed through her mind as she realized who this person was, Steeson.