*All dragons copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 15

Nino

"Well, this is certainly a first, isn't it?" Kia asked, trying to lighten up the mood, "Who knew we'd all be kidnapped?"

"Can it, Kia. A cheery mood isn't gonna get us out of this." Player said between sobs.

Pik came to her defence, "Well, at least she's trying something! No one else here has thought of anything to do..."

Player laughed, "There, you said it. That's what it all comes down to...No one has tried anything. And what are we supposed to try? If we move at all we'll be shocked! Because of that, none of us will ever be able to summon the strength to break free! We can't even transform!" His laughter dissolved back into sobs. For a moment, he thought he felt something flutter in his throat, "What the--" There was a tiny chirp inside his mouth, "NINO!!!!" Player opened his mouth to let the fairy dragon out. Player couldn't stop his excitemeent from getting higher, "Nino! For once I'm glad to see you! Listen, some people tied us into these chairs. Fly over to the wall and push those buttons so we can get out, okay?"

"Button?" Nino hovered in the air, confused by the strange word.

"The little round things on that wall right there." Player pointed to the panel with his head. He got shocked for his movement. When he could lift his head again, he spoke, "C'mon, Nino. If you do it, I promise not to get mad at you for living inside me anymore."

"Not mad?" Nino danced about in the air with delight, "Not mad! Not mad! Button...round button...Funny name, button." Nino landed on top of the first button.

Player was getting more and more excited, "Okay Nino, hit it!"

Nino climbed around a bit on the button, then flew up and rammed into it. The button beeped when it was pressed. Nino jumped back into the air when he heard the beep, "Noisy button! I don't like it!"

Player was thrashing inside his chair. Nino had turned off the electicity! He broke the bonds around his arms and legs easily, then ripped the 'necklace' from it's position around his neck, and ripped his tail chain from the wall. He walked over and pressed the rest of the buttons to free his friends. Once everyone was free again, Player opened his mouth, "Nice job, Nino. You wanna go home?"

"Not mad!" Nino looped in the air a few times then flew daintily down Player's throat. Player slammed the door down, surprising the two guards beside it. Neither guard was fast enough to defend themselves. The Deep Rockers ran down the hallways, calling for their friends as they ran.

"Gareth..." Gareth jerked at the sound of his name. The jerk brought another of many electrical shocks, "Gareth!.."

Gareth lifted his head and tried to shout, but to him it sounded more like a pathetic whisper, "In here...I'm in here..."

"Gareth!" The voices were nearly to the door.

Gareth grabbed the first idea that came into his head. He moved as much as possible before the shocks came. The result was a shock so powerful he screamed. It got their attention.

"Gareth!" Pik shouted as he opened the door, "Gareth, are you alright?!"

"Push...push the...buttons..." Gareth whispered. Alan was the only one still outside the room, so he pushed every button out there. Gareth was lowered to the ground. He feebly pointed in the direction he'd seen Peter go, "Hana--Hana needs help..." He was starting to catch his breath little by little, but he knew he wouldn't any help, "Go--hurry. Don't let Peter..." Gareth slumped over, too exhausted to finish speaking.

He felt something land on his shoulder and nuzzle him. Gareth turned his head to look at a tiny fairy dragon. Player was speaking to it, "Okay Nino, you stay here with Gareth and make sure he doesn't do anything that will drain his strength any. Stop him if he tries to come."

Gareth felt a small headache come on, followed by a tiny voice, "Not mad? I will stay."

"Thanks Nino. Remember, he needs rest right now. Don't let him sit up until we get back." Player finished speaking and followed his friends out the door.

"You stay down, black one. I won't let you up until nest gets back." was it Gareth's imagination, or was that fairy dragon speaking to him?!

"Who?--" Gareth thought. His thought was cut short by the voice.

"Nino. You rest now." There was a light tap on his head from the fairy dragon. Gareth fought off sleep for as long as he could, but it came. He never knew until much later that Nino had fought off many of the men while he'd slept.

Voices plagued his dreams.

"NO!!!!!!!" Hana shouted as she turned and fled. There was a loud ripping sound as Peter caught yet another piece of her shirt. After only a few steps, he was in front of her again. She shoved him down and turned to run. Her face met the wall of the room, "I'm trapped!!!" She turned back as Peter stood up. There was a cruel smile on his face.

"I told you, Hana. I thought of everything this time. There is no one to keep you from me anymore. Face the facts for once!" Peter grabbed her shirt and tore the rest of it off. Hana clutched her arms over her chest. She still had her bra on. She flinched as she realized what she'd just left unprotected. There was another loud rip as a large section of her left pant leg came off. Hana kicked with that leg and sighed when it connected between Peter's legs, "There! Take that you bastard!"

Peter doubled over in pain as Hana dashed for the door. She reached for the doorknob. Instantly her hand felt like it was on fire. Hana jerked away from the electrical doorknob and turned once again to face her opponent. Peter had made it back to his feet and was advancing her with what looked like a feral snarl planted on his face, "You're going to pay for that, Hana...C'mere!!!!"

Final unneccessary system offline. Energy conservation beginning at 72% Eye and ear function remaining. Babe had been standing in the same position so long, his robotic body thought he was attempting to sleep! That meant he'd been in the same position for nearly two hours..."Still can't move! If I stand like this for another few minutes, my eyes will turn off!" He struggled as much as he could against the substance that covered his body, but he still couldn't move...he heard footsteps outside his door, along with a voice he recognized, "Kia! Kia get me out of here!" Of course she didn't hear him, but it felt good to try. The footsteps stopped altogether then, right beyond his door. There was a shout, most likely the guards that were posted outside, then silence as a button beeped. More shouts, this time from one voice in particular, then footsteps again as Kia and the rest ran back the way they had come, "Kia, help me!!! KIA!!!!!"

Gareth felt someone shake him awake, "Hmm? Wha?.." He hugged the first face he saw, "Hana! Hana, are you alright? What did he do to you?!"

Hana smiled slightly, "Not much, considering that the Deep Rockers rescued me before he was able to take much off. Let's get out of here."

Gareth started to rise, then remembered something, "Kia, I think there's still someone here who's captured..."

"Who?" Kia asked, unbelieving.

"I'm not sure...I heard his voice while I was dreaming. He was shouting at you to help him." Gareth felt the small headache come back as the fairy dragon landed on his shoulder.

"You're still tired?" Asked Nino.

"Not anymore, little friend. Nino, could you do me a favor?" Gareth thought to it. He didn't realize he had until Nino answered.

"You want me to look for the other voice? Okay!" Nino took off. Player shouted at him as he flew away, but Nino kept flying on.

"Nino, get back here! We're trying to escape!" Player was jumping up, trying to grab him from the ceiling.

"Not yet." Nino answered, "Looking for someone."

"Looking for someone?! Who?!!" Player looked ready to burst.

"Don't know yet. Someone still trapped." Nino looped once in the air, then turned the corner.

Gareth pondered over what had just happened, "I just spoke to that fairy dragon! But how?! Player can do it by just speaking normally, but it somehow heard my thoughts...I heard his! Wait a minute, then that means whenever I'm hearing voices, I'm actually hearing someone else's thoughts?!" He looked at his friends, "I can listen to their thoughts?..Can they hear mine?"

"NINO, COME ON!!!! Stop going that way!" Player shouted. They were almost back to where they'd found Hana!

"Not yet, nest. Finding someone." Nino looked down at Player. Player growled. Nino was having fun with this!

"Nino, Gareth dreamed he'd heard the voice. How the hell is he supposed to be sure that voice was real?!" Player leaned against the door Hana had come from. No sense in taking an extra risk, especially since Peter was still knocked out in there.

"I'm looking anyway. Black one asked nicely. Not like you do, nest." Nino said as he slipped under a door. There was a moments silence as Nino flew around inside the room, then a chirp as he reappeared under the door.

"The 'black one' is named Gareth, Nino. And stop calling me nest!" Player folded his arms as Nino went under another door.

"But you're my nest, nest. Why not call you what you are?" Nino slid under the next door with ease. There was suddenly a series of loud chirps inside the room, then Nino's voice as he popped back under the door, "Found someone! Open the door and bring him, nest!"

"Stop calling me nest!!" Player walked over and opened the door, "I don't see anyo--" Player stopped talking when he saw the figure leaning straight as a board against a wall, "You alright? Looks like Gareth was right after all...BABE?!!!!" Player shouted as he recognized who stood there, "What the hell are you doing here?!!"

"Shiny can't talk. Already asked him." Nino spoke from his spot outside the room, "Grab him and get moving, nest! More coming! Not friends!"

Player picked up Babe's immobile form and started walking. He could hear footsteps now, "No time to run. Nino, go back and get help from the rest of the gang. I'm hiding in here 'till it's safe."

"Okay nest. I'll be back soon." Nino smiled and flew off.

Player growled and shouted at Nino before he closed the door, "STOP CALLING ME THAT!!!!!!"

"Nest needs help! Nest needs help!" Gareth heard Nino's thoughts before he saw the dragon itself. Nino flitted around the corner still shouting the same message, "Nest needs help!"

"Okay, Nino. I'll tell them--if they believe me..." Gareth stood shakily against the wall, "Nino says that Player needs help."

"Nino says--Gareth, who are you trying to kid?!" Kia looked at him with annoyance, "How can you know what Nino said?"

"I'll tell you when we have more time. Right now we need to get to Player..." Gareth collapsed once, but was able to get back on his feet, "I can't stand like this. Hang on a second." Gareth made sure he had enough room before changing himself. He dropped down to four legs, and made himself grow a bit so he could cover more ground faster, "Okay, I'm ready. Lead the way, Nino!"