Chapter 8 "Lindsy"

To Akira's pleasant surprise both Liam and Anita had been chosen by a dragon, both of whom they had left a good distance away when they had decided to advance on foot and the Watchers had come upon them, their dragons preventing both Anita's and Liam's from coming to their aid. It was not hard work to drive the dragons away and free Anita and Liam's two, and by the time Redemption decided to show up everything was taken care of. To her further surprise Akira found that Anita's dragon was the very same one which the council had tried to force her to fight against the last time she had been here. A large bay colored female. Liam's was a somewhat smaller one, a young male who was an aqua blue. When everyone was mounted and ready to go they proceeded with their journey, heading towards Academy City. 

When they passed over the quarries everyone went silent. Gina, Drake, Will and Seth stared in disbelief at the land below that was bare and scarred from endless digging, small canyons formed among it. Akira comforted herself with the knowledge that the quarries were closed and no one was forced to work there anymore. She had made sure of that in her last visit. Yet seeing them once again still brought a jolt of sadness through her as she remembered the day she had watched the thin, starved dragon's and humans alike come out of them to freedom. Seeing the land still scared like it was she wondered if it would ever recover. 

"In time," Redemption assured her. "You saw how the land that suffered under Haiden's rule has recovered." 

Akira smiled at the thought. 

Before they reached the end of the quarries they all stopped, landing inside one of the canyons. There it was agreed that everyone except Seth and Akira, would go on ahead. Will, Gina and Drake's presence would make Anita, Liam and Dominique less noticeable to Watchers, and if anyone asked, they were knew riders in town, looking to go and join the academy. Dominique assured that once they got to Lindsy's place, which had been revealed was near the edge of the city making it all the more easier to approach, that he would return with some coloring to change Redemption's color so that Akira could follow on. Ultimately they had agreed on staying the night at Lindsy's as it was already getting late and it would give them a chance to discuss things with the others before taking them back to the past. 

While Seth and Akira waited they sat together on a large rock and Akira told Seth in more detail about her time in the future. 

"So," Seth murmured, "Your saying they actually made you fight a dragon, the same dragon Anita now has?" 

"Apparently the council found it entertaining," Akira sighed. 

"If you ask me, they sound almost as bad as Haiden," Seth said, his brown eyes troubled. 

"I know," Akira replied, leaning her head against Seth's shoulder and staring at the sky into which darkness was creeping. "Which is why I'm so worried that Nemis is back in the picture." 

"You should have killed him," Seth spoke, surprising Akira, for Seth usually did not say such things. 

"Redemption told me the same thing," Akira replied. "I guess that I just wanted to hope that there could be some good in him....besides, what if Steeson is somehow controlling him like Argos?" 

From where he was lying some distance off Redemption let out a snort. 

"I'm not sure about this whole controlling thing," Seth sighed. 

"Dominique wouldn't lie," Akira replied confidently. 

"Yeah, but what if Argos is actually following this Steeson guy willingly? And Dominique's brother to?" 

"No," Akira replied with a frown, "I know Ray, I don't think..." 

"Sometimes we only think we know someone, when in truth, we only know what they want us to see," Seth told her softly. 

"You sound like Redemption," Akira smiled. 

"He's here," Redemption thought moments before Dominique's dragon, Breeze, landed some way to the side. 

"Miss me?" Dominique grinned as he slipped from Breeze's back and hurried over with something in his hands. 

"Nope pretty boy, not at all," Redemption said as he got up and walked over to Dominique, his eyes on the object in his hands. "You've got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed as he stared at the bottle that Dominique held that contained the coloring needed to change Redemption. 

"It was the only one she had," Dominique protested innocently. 

Raising her eyebrows Akira jumped to her feet. Walking over to Dominique she snatched the bottle from his hands. In the fast disappearing light of the sun she held the bottle up and read the color of the contents within. A mischievous light twinkled in her eyes as she glanced up at Redemption. 

"No way," Redemption shook his big head. "There is no way you're going to put that one me!" 

Akira only grinned as she shook the bottle to mix the contents thoroughly.

A little while later Akira, Seth and Dominique were heading back into the city. Only this time, instead of riding a pure white dragon, Akira was seated upon a bright pink one. 

"This is beyond embarrassing," Redemption muttered. 

"Relax," Akira grinned, "no one even knows it's you." 

"You're enjoying this," Redemption accused. 

"Let's just say that after you've pushed me off the roof of the academy one too many times, yes, I am," Akira smirked. 

The sun had set and the last light of the day was disappearing, letting the stars above become visible. As Academy City came into sight Akira heard Seth take in a sharp breath of air. She shot a look over at him to see that he looked in awe while beside him, Dominique looked bored. Turning her gaze back ahead Akira couldn't help but smile. It didn't matter that she had seen it before Academy City still took her breath away. 

Buildings towered up, each taller than the last, looming above the few smaller ones below. Light flowed from almost every window, lighting each building in a different way and making it look almost as though there were thousands of fireflies clinging to them. Advertisements flashed all around for all sorts of products, adding a dazzling effect to the light illuminating from the buildings. Even though it was dark dragons flew around the buildings, carrying their riders to where ever they needed to be. 

Yet Akira noticed that there seemed to only be half the amount of dragons that she had seen the last time. As Redemption followed Breeze to join multiple flying dragons in a designated fly zone, Akira shot another look beside her, just to make sure that Seth was still there. Noticing her eyes on him he turned to look at her, his own eyes filled with wonder. 

Akira grinned. It was a lot to take in, especially for someone's first time. Even now, when she had been in the City a couple of times before, it still stumped her on how half of what she saw worked and how it could be real. 

As they flew she spotted a few Watchers here and there. They were stationed to make sure that there were no problems as dragons flew without disturbing on another. Yet what struck Akira was that there were a lot fewer than usual. 

Something caught Akira's eye and she turned her head. As her eyes alighted on a black dragon and rider she froze. Her heart began to beat faster. 

"What the...?" she began. 

"It's only a Night Rider," Dominique, who had suddenly come up beside her, told her at the same time as Akira realized that the dragon was not black just wearing black armor. 

Akira frowned. She remembered the Night Riders well. Unlike Watchers they were well trained in fighting techniques. They weren't the easiest opponents and had been the ones to bring in the Resistance, killing Ray in the process and sending the others to the Quarries, Akira along with them. 

"What are they doing here?" Akira asked as Redemption flew past the Rider. The Night Riders had been trained as the cities defense in the case of an emergency, and although the council had used them for other reasons before Akira would have never thought Argos to do so. 

"They're been appearing all around the city. I think they're going to replace the Watchers," Dominique spoke grimly. 

"But why would Argos...?" Akira began. 

"Argos isn't in charge anymore. Remember?" Dominique replied before his dragon went up ahead again and turned a sharp right. 

"So, what do you think Ree?" Akira thought as Redemption followed Breeze. "Seth isn't sure about this controlling thing and he does have a point. But...I just don't think Argos would do all this willingly." 

"I don't know what to think kiddo," Redemption thought as Breeze suddenly turned again and headed towards the edge of the city. "But whatever it is, we're going to have to find out before it gets out of hand." 

Ahead of them Breeze suddenly dipped downwards. As Redemption followed she realized that Dominique and his dragon were heading towards a building that looked almost like a miniature palace. Even in the dark the large garden around it was lit up by the lights. It looked odd to see such a garden with grass and a few trees in among the other buildings, and yet at the same time it seemed to make a statement. Whoever lived in that house was definitely well off. 

Breeze led the way right towards a small courtyard with a large fountain smack in the middle of it, lights lighting up the water from below and giving it a stunning effect. Redemption followed Breeze, landing right beside him, facing the fountain, behind which stood the house. Akira gaped at its size, wondering if someone really lived in a place like this. She turned her head to see that Emerald had landed beside Redemption and Seth sat, his eyes wide, on her back, looking as though he wasn't sure if he was dreaming. 

"Dominique!" a voice squealed. 

Akira's head snapped in the direction of the house to see that the front door had been flung open and a figure rush towards Dominique. 

Dominique smiled a friendly smile as he slipped from his dragon and the figure leaped at him, flinging her arms around his neck. 

"I thought you had left without saying goodbye!" a feminine voice exclaimed. As the figure pulled back from Dominique Akira took in the girl before her. She had long, silky brown hair and hazel eyes that were glued on Dominique and filled with adoration. 

Amusement flickered in Akira's eyes. Either this girl and Dominique were very close friends or there was more to the story. Yet Dominique looked like he was just greeting a friend, making Akira wonder what was going on. 

"Lindsy," Dominique turned to Akira and Seth. "Meet Akira and Seth...friends of mine." 

Lindsy's eyes reluctantly left Dominique to look over at Akira and Seth, who both took it as a cue to get off their dragons, with Seth walking over to stand by Akira's side. 

"More friends?" Lindsy's eyes widened. Yet suddenly a smile spread across her face. "The more the merrier!" her eyes danced, "We could have a real party now!" As her eyes alighted on Redemption her smile spread even further. "You have a pink dragon too!" she squealed, clapping her hands together in delight and reminding Akira of a little girl. 

"Uh...yeah," Akira nodded while shooting Dominique a look. He shook his head ever so slightly confirming that Lindsy had no idea who Akira really was, meaning that she had not been clued in on the whole time travel thing. 

"He's sooooo cute!" Lindsy gushed. "Though I've never seen a pink male dragon before," she giggled. "But that's fine. He can so hang out with Daffodil!" 

"Daffodil?" Akira and Seth repeated at the same time while Redemption watched the entire exchange with a look of disbelief in his eyes. 

"My dragon," Lindsy beamed before turning her head. "Daffy!" she called. 

Trying to hold in a laugh Seth snorted. Akira at once jabbed him in the ribs with her elbows, warning him to be quiet. Dominique also looked like he was trying to desperately keep from smiling. 

"Who calls their dragon Daffodil, let alone Daffy?" Redemption wondered, "It's just so...un-dragon like," as he spoke a large female dragon appeared and both Seth, Akira, and even Redemption's, jaws dropped, for as the dragon drew closer they realized that her color was bright pink. Yet that in itself was not what startled them, but the fact that her claws seemed to be painted a bright red and her lashes were unusually long and dark. Her eyelids seemed to be painted a dark blue and to top it all a large red bow was tied around her tail. The only explanation Akira could come up with was that Lindsy dressed her dragon up. 

"This is Daffy," Lindsy beamed proudly as the dragon came to a stop beside her, looking very comfortable with the way she looked. She even shot Lindsy an affectionate look. "Daffy," Lindsy addressed the dragon, "I found you a playmate!" 

Daffodil turned her yellow eyes onto Redemption. She gave him a quick look over before her eyes widened. Suddenly she began to make an affectionate purring sound and began to bat her eyelashes right at Redemption. 

Redemption's mouth snapped shut and he took a slow step backwards, shaking his head from side to side, his eyes glued on Daffodil with a look of horror in them. 

"I'm sure you two will become great friends," Lindsy continued, oblivious to Redemption's horrified expression, "how about you show him around?" 

"No way," Redemption thought, horrified as he took another step back. 

Akira, struggling not to burst into laughter, shot Redemption a mischievous look. "Oh I'm sure they'll have lots of fun," she assured Lindsy. 

"So what's his name?" Lindsy asked suddenly, her eyes turning to Redemption. 

"Uh..." Akira looked to see that Dominique was shaking his head, warning her not to give away her dragon's real name. "His name is..." Akira wracked her brain for something believable. 

"Titan, Macho, Furnace, Abacas, Draconian, Cobalt," Redemption's ideas for suitable names flashed through Akira's mind, yet she ignored him. 

"Fluffy?" it came out of Akira's mouth as more of a question than an answer. 

"Fluffy?" Lindsy repeated in disbelief while Seth's face grew red from trying to hold back his laughter and Dominique grinned. 

"You did not just name me Fluffy!" Redemption groaned in Akira's mind and Akira could feel her dragon's eyes boring in to her. 

"Yeah, his name is Fluffy," Akira grinned, loving the feeling of teasing her dragon. 

"Oh well, Daffy," Lindsy turned to her dragon, "Why not show Fluffy and...." she shot a questioning look at Seth's dragon. 

"Emerald," Seth quickly helped out. 

"Yeah, show Fluffy, Emerald and Breeze around and then join the other dragons," Lindsy spoke. 

Her pink dragon responded by walking up to Redemption. Still making the purring sound she rubbed her head against Redemption's neck. 

"I think she likes you," Akira thought innocently. 

"Oh you are so dead," Redemption thought in reply as he shot Akira a glare. 

"I love you to," Akira grinned as Daffodil began to push Redemption forward. In response he dug his nails into the courtyard. Letting out a snort Daffodil responded by nipping Redemption in the butt. With a surprised snort Redemption sprung forward, his eyes wide in horror. 

Dominique chuckled, shaking his head. 

"Akira!" Redemption pleaded, making his eyes look big and sorrowful. 

"Have fun, Fluffy," Akira said out loud in reply, watching in amusement and making no move to help her dragon as Daffodil pretended to go for another nip at his butt. In response Redemption sprung unto action and rushed forward. Emerald followed, an amused look in her own eyes, with Breeze trailing behind her. 

"Fluffy?" Redemption thought as Daffodil lead the three dragons away. "How did you come up with that? It's not even manly, not to mention even more un-dragon like than Daffodil!" 

Akira just grinned. 

"Where are the others?" Dominique asked as the dragons disappeared. 

"Oh," Lindsy's eyes latched onto Dominique once more. "They're in the garden," she smiled at him, her eyes bright. Reaching out she grabbed his hand and began to pull him along. "We should join them, before they finish all the jam tarts without us!" 

Akira watched as Lindsy pulled a surprised Dominique along, dragging him towards the house. She bit her bottom lip in order to try and prevent a smile from forming on her face. An arm calmly slung itself around her shoulder and Akira turned her eyes to find Seth staring after Dominique and Lindsy in amusement. 

"So, that is Lindsy?" he asked. 

"Apparently," Akira replied with a grin. 

Seth nodded and the two began to walk, with Seth's arm around Akira's shoulder, following Lindsy and Dominique towards the house. As they neared it Seth's gaze turned to where the dragons had disappeared. 

"You don't think you should rescue Redemption?" he asked. 

"Nope," a grin spread across Akira's face. 

"Poor guy," Seth chuckled. 

"He'll be fine. Besides," Akira's eyes twinkled, "it'll do his inflated ego some good."