Chapter 5

Transformation

"That's Gareth?! What happened to him?!!" Bill wanted so much to examine the figure on the ground, but Babe had said there were high levels of radioactivity coming from him.

"I don't know. He was walking, then he stopped and stared at the city. After a few minutes he turned around and started running back. He collapsed and the radiation started. Gareth started changing after that."

"Babe, is the radiation leaving yet?" Sarrah asked, "Can we get closer to him?"

"Well...almost. The radiation started lessening after he finished changing, but I would wait a few more minutes before I'd get closer to him."

"Should we tell someone?"

"I'd start with Gareth. I don't think he's going to believe it until he sees it."

Bill started walking forward, "I can't wait any more. I want to see what's wrong with him."

"Bill, wait! What about--"

"Remember when Player came by? He was radioactive."

"Well, yeah but--"

"You coming? I think Gareth's waking up." Bill pointed back at Gareth, who was starting to move a bit, "I wonder if his blood did this to him? All those poisons were bound to do something. This'll be interesting when he wakes up." Bill approached Gareth as quickly as he dared. He kneeled down by Gareth, "Gareth? Gareth, can you hear me?"

"Bill?..Bill, what happened? Are we back at the lab again?" Gareth mumbled. He opened tired eyes, "I--I remember turning around to run...then falling...pain...all over...I--"

"Gareth, be still. You'll be fine."

"So...so much pain...thought I was going to die..."

"You won't die, Gareth. You just need to rest a bit more."

"Thanks, Bill." Gareth closed his eyes and slept.

Gareth came back to awareness slowly. He felt a bed underneath him again, and the familiar smell of medicines, "Maybe I should just live here. I've spent most of my time in this lab ever since I came here..." Gareth opened his eyes. Sure enough, it was the same room, same setting, and Bill was, as always, hovering right above his head, "Bill, can I get up now?"

"You finally woke up. I was beginning to worry, Gareth."

"About what?"

"You've been in a coma for the past four days. I ran some tests on some more blood samp--"

"FOUR DAYS!!!!!" Gareth sat up in his bed. The movement was so quick that it made him dizzy, but he managed to stay upright, "I've been asleep for four days?!!!"

"Calm down, Gareth. I'm happy to say that, while you slept, your blood turned back to normal. I can't find a trace of the poisons anywhere inside your body."

Gareth almost smiled, "And the bad news?"

Bill sat down, "Gareth, look in the mirror."

Gareth turned until he could see his reflection in the mirror. What he saw instead was a window. On the other side of the window sat a black mountain dragon with wings that looked to be nearly as big as Player. It had a strange plate on the back of its head that almost resembled that of a dinosaur. White scales that lined its head plate and covered its chest were the only other color of scales it had. It wore tattered clothes, like it lived down somewhere with Tammy. There was no hair on it's head, and it had suitable muscles on its arms, "Where'd he come from? And what's that?" Gareth squinted his eyes to look at the dragon, "There's a scar running down his arm!" Gareth started to stand up to get a closer look at the dragon, but stopped when it did so as well. It stopped when he did, "Sheesh. The way he's moving you'd almost think that was...my...reflection." Gareth recognized the ragged shirt the dragon wore as one of Shane's, "Is that--me?" Gareth looked questioningly at Bill, who shrugged, "Wha--what?" Gareth tried to ask, but it came out more like a whisper. He looked down at his arms. They were covered in black scales and were his. Gareth started examining the rest of his body, "Bill?"

"I don't know, Gareth. I don't know."

"I'm a dragon? But--but I--" Gareth stared at his hands, "I didn't ask for this! I want to be human!" A new thought occured to him then, "But if I'm a dragon, I'll fit in! I'll be able to fly around on my own!" Suddenly being a dragon didn't feel so bad, "I'll be able to fly! And transform into a bigger dragon! I wonder if I'm as big as Player...Wouldn't that be something? Me, being able to match him in almost everything! He'd never live it down!" Gareth smiled at the thought. He looked back at Bill, who was now staring at him, mouth open and eyes wide, "What is it?"

"G--Gareth? H--how did you--Gareth? H--how--how did you change?!"

Gareth raised an eyebrow at him, "What are you talking about? I--" Gareth saw his hands. They were the same color of green as Players, and he had yellow scales on his chest, "Now I look like Player! What happened to the other colors?" As he thought this, his scales changed back to the first color he had seen them as. Gareth couldn't stop staring at himself, "What else can I look like?" he wondered. As an experiment he thought of Pik, then watched in amazement as his scales turned red. He looked at himself in the mirror. Aside from the clothes, he now looked exactly like Pik! He even had the orange fin runnng down the back of his head! Gareth thought about his first appearance. His body immediately changed back into the black mountain dragon he had become, "I can change to look like anyone on this island! I wonder..." Gareth thought of a dragon picture he had seen once. The creature had been a copy of the chinese dragon, except it had been completely blue, and had wings, plus no whiskers. Long horns had been on the back of the dragon's head, and it had been about to attack a knight less than a fourth its size. Gareth watched as the room seemed to get smaller. He coiled his tail around himself just as he finished growing. Bill was leaning back in his chair, trying to look at Gareth's head, and would fall over if he leaned any more. Gareth thought about his first form again and instantly shrank back to normal size, "I can look like any dragon I can think of! I wonder if I can turn into a griffin as well?" Gareth thought of Ace, but he never changed, "Oh well. I wonder if I can change back into a human?" He felt his wings disappear, and looked at himself one last time in the mirror, "It worked!" he shouted, "Bill, did you see that?!"

Bill had fainted.

"Bill?" Gareth chuckled, "Bill, wake up. Bill..." Gareth shook his unconscious friend, but he never woke. Gareth sighed, "Sarrah? Babe? Is someone out there?" Sarrah opened the door, "Sarrah, could you wake Bill up please? He seems to have fallen asleep and I can't wake him."

Sarrah looked about ready to faint herself, "Sure...Gareth, what happened? You've been asleep for four days, and now you're human again!"

"And that isn't all! I can change to look like any dragon I want! Watch!" Gareth thought of Bill, and smiled at Sarrah's reaction, "Look at this! I can't believe it!"

Sarrah's cheeks turned a deep red, "Neither can I. Get some clothes on!"

Gareth looked down at himself, "Augh!" He wrapped some bedsheets around himself as he changed back into what he looked like as a human, "That's twice now. I wonder if..." Gareth thought about a shirt he had seen earlier, then some pants, and looked down at himself. He was now fully clothed, "I can change my appearance...I can add clothes! This seems a bit unfair. I can give myself clothes but I can't change into a griffin. Hmm...well, I'll try to figure it out later" Gareth glanced back at Sarrah, who was as open mouthed as Bill had been. Gareth cleared his throat, "Ah, Sarrah, what about Bill?"

She blinked for a moment, then seemed to remember about Bill, and dragged him over to a nearby sink. Sarrah grabbed a small cup, filled it with ice cold water, then poured it all over Bill's head. He woke coughing and sputtering, "Sarrah! Why did you--" His eyes cleared, "Sarrah, where's Gareth?"

"Right here, Bill. Look what else I can do!" Gareth waited until Bill had his full attention on him, then changed his clothes with a thought, "I can change into almost any form I want! Clothes included!"

Bill sat there with his mouth moving, but no sounds came out. Sarrah smiled, "Well, Gareth, congrats. This is the first time I've ever seen Bill speechless!"

"Really? I wonder what else I'll be able to do..."

Chapter 6

Hana

That night, Gareth was able to sleep in his bed at the apartment. He had decided to stay in his human form, "This is incredible! Bill says I'm fine now, and...hmm...I wonder what Player would think? Bill said that Player has powers of his own...Maybe I'll show him tomorrow." Gareth settled down to go to sleep, and smiled. Things were finally looking up.

In the middle of the night, Gareth woke up. His throat was dry, so he went to get a drink of water. He had a drink then headed back to bed. Before he got in, something outside his window crashed into a garbage can. Gareth went to look out of the window and saw a green, wingless dragoness running away from a blue water dragon. He ran out of the apartment and into the street, "I should probably change into a dragon first. Or at least give myself a few more muscles..." Gareth started by giving himself some muscles, but the dragoness was out of the alleyway and had seen him before he could change further. She pleaded for help with her eyes, then ran toward him. Gareth motioned for her to go inside the building, then closed the door behind them. The blue dragon saw the door close and shoved it open before Gareth could close it all the way.

"Where is she?" The blue dragon asked as he scanned the room.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm sorry sir but others are sleeping here and won't want to be woken up."

The water dragon snorted, "Like I care what they want. Where is she?!!"

"Sir, you don't understand. There are quite a few people here who would gladly beat on someone if they were woken from their sleep. If you don't want about twenty dragon and griffins on you, I would suggest you leave."

The dragon pulled a gun from out of his jacket, "I asked a question! Tell me where she is, or you die!"

"Who? There isn't anyone else up in here. I'm the only one."

"Not good enough. So long, human. It's been my pleasure to kill you." Gareth cringed as he waited for the dragon to pull the trigger, but it never happened. Gareth opened his eyes just in time to see a metal dragon swoop away with the dragon in its hands.

"What was that? Maybe the girl knows." Gareth turned to the dragoness who had hidden behind the door, "Are you alright, miss? He's gone now."

The dragoness peeked out of the door, sighed when she saw no one there, then began to leave. Before she got out of the door, she turned to look at him, "Thank you, human."

"I'm Gareth to my friends. Are you leaving already?" She nodded, "Can I walk you home?" She nodded again, "Okay. Where do you live?"

"On the other side of town. I was jumped. He chased me all the way here!" She started crying.

"Hey, he's gone. Something swooped out of the sky and grabbed him before he came. I think it was made of metal..."

The dragoness perked up a bit, "The Protector? He saved us?"

"If that's his name...C'mon, let's get you home."

"Thank you, really. I've passed ten people tonight and you're the first one who's helped me. May I call you Gareth?"

"If I can call you by your first name, then yes."

"Hana. I'm Hana Raij"

"Nice to meet you Hana." Hana started walking with a scowl planted firmly on her face. Gareth had to jog a bit to keep up, "Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing at all..." She said through gritted teeth.

Gareth could easily see she didn't mean it, "What's bothering you?"

"I told you, nothing is bothering me."

"There must be something. I don't know anyone who's always angry." He waited a moment, but she didn't say anything, "You aren't going to tell me, are you?"

"No."

"Okay. I shouldn't have asked anyway. Why was he chasing you?"

Hana's face broke down, "I don't know." Tears started to fall, "It's the same one every night. I have to walk a mile from work to my home every night, and my shift doesn't get over until ten at night. He's always waiting for me, even when I take a different route home. He's been stalking me for the last month! This is the first time he's gotten so close. I don't even know what he wants from me!"

"A month?! Have you taken any self-defence classes?"

"I have more than one job. I don't have any time during the day!"

"And you're too tired when the day's over to go to any night classes..."

"Exactly."

"Do you even know who he is?"

"No. This isn't the first time he's been caught either. Whenever he gets caught, I see him again the next day! He keeps finding me, no matter what. I can't get rid of him!"

"Hana, you are welcome to stay at my place if he ever chases you again. I--"

"No, I can't accept that. I don't want to put you in any danger."

Gareth chuckled, "I don't think you need to worry about me that much. Actually, I kind of want to thank you."

"For what?"

"I've been in this city for only a few days, and this is the first sign of crime I have ever seen here."

"Why would you want to thank me for that?"

"Because if there isn't any crime, then that can only mean one of two things: Either this place is a dream, or I really am crazy!"

"What?" Hana looked at him, confused.

"Where I came from, everyone thought I was crazy."

"Why? You don't look insane to me."

"Thanks. See, as a boy, I saw someone from this island. I still don't know who...but that's not the point. I tried to show people, you know, to tell them about it, but they either wouldn't listen, figured it was just my imagination, or threatened to send me to the nuthouse! No one believed I saw a dragon. I grew kinda desperate after that."

"Well, you aren't crazy, Gareth. I think you have enough proof of that by now."

Gareth forced a laugh, "Yeah, too bad I can't tell anyone. I doubt they'd even look for me now."

"Why's that?"

"They were the reason I got here. Someone clubbed me and sent me on my way in a liferaft. I was unconscious until I was on this side of the mist."

"They did what?!"

"They hated me enough to want to strand me in the middle of an ocean." Gareth sighed, "How much farther to your house?"

"Well, I think it might be safe enough now..." Hana glowed for a moment, then grew in size, "Thank you for your help, Gareth. I can do it from here." She smiled at him and ran off.

"Gareth smiled and waved until he couldn't see her in the darkness anymore. He headed back to his apartment to sleep the rest of the day away.

He got a pleasant surprise in the morning when Ace came over. They chatted for a bit, mostly with Ace asking him what had happened, then Ace excused himself, saying he had to help his mother with a few chores. Gareth watched his friend leave, "Wait, Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"You want some help? I don't really have anything to do right now..."

Ace smiled, "Sure!"

Gareth got up from his chair, "What are we helping her with?"

"She needs some help at her flower shop again. Hope you don't mind."

Gareth groaned in mock disappointment, "Aw man, and here I thought we were going to--" He laughed at Ace's angered expression, "Joking, Ace, joking! I'd love to help!"

Hana chopped up a few tomatoes in the last minutes before her break. She always got excited at this time, since, right across the street, was the most famous flower shop in town, "Maybe Ace will be there today!" She clocked herself out, then headed across the street. As she walked, she thought she caught a glimpse of something blue in the crowd. She shuddered and hurried the rest of the way. Inside, everything was quiet. She sighed, "Guess not. Oh well, it's not a total loss. Looks like she got more roses today!" Hana jumped when she heard the door close behind her and looked back. Someone shot out of her site and into the back room, while the other just smiled at her.

"Hey."

"Gareth! I didn't know you worked here!"

"I don't. I offered to help Ace with the flowers today."

"Ace is here?!!" She realized then who had zoomed past her, "And I didn't get a chance to touch him. Damn! I should've paid more attention!"

Gareth's smile grew, "You and all the other girls we passed. Pick your flowers out now, Hana. There's gonna be a rush soon." Gareth laughed a bit when they heard a stampede of feet rushing to the shop, "C'mon. I know where you can get the best ones." Gareth grabbed her hand and took her to the back room. Back there, Ace was busy sorting through some flowers to make into boquets.

"I can't believe it! Ace is standing right in front of me!"

"Ace, you have customers."

Ace grimaced, "Don't I know it. It's a good thing they aren't allowed back here or I'd be--Eep! Gareth, what's she doing here?!"

Gareth laughed, "I told her she could find the best flowers back here. None of the others out front look the best."

"Well, those flowers were put there yesterday. Does she have to be this close to me? The last time I let a girl get this close she attacked my hair with scissors! Do you realize how many chunks were missing after that?"

"Your hair looks fine to me."

"That's not where I meant." He held up his tail, "It takes twice as long for tail hair to grow back."

Hana went straight for the pink roses, "Can I have one of these? They're my favorite." She reached for her purse, then realized she had left it back at work, "Wait, I'll be back. I left my purse--"

Gareth stopped her and turned to Ace, "Can she pay you back later?"

"I'll have to ask mom, but I--"

"Of course she can." Mrs. Jackson came from out of nowhere, "She's one of m best customers."

Hana blushed, "Mrs. Jackson, I wouldn't say that..."

"You come here more often than anyone else, Hana. Mostly you just admire the flowers. Take it. You don't even have to pay me later."

"Mrs. Jackson! I can't do that!"

"I just said you could. Take whichever one you want. Ace, hurry with those other flowers. Those girls are growing a bit restless."

"Kay mom. The white roses can go, if you want. I've almost finished with the yellow ones, too. You gonna stand there or help, Gareth? Come on. There's gonna be at least thirty boquets before we're done."

Gareth smiled and handed Hana one of the pink roses, then settled down to help Ace with his work. Hana looked at the rose in her hands and blushed. She walked in a daze back to the deli where she worked. She had no idea that two others had been watching her when she went inside.

Gareth waited until she was inside before he went back to help with the flowers. She was always on his mind while he worked, "She likes the pink roses the best, eh? Well, let's see if I can't get my hand on some more of those for her. Wait, what am I thinking? She probably already has a boyfriend! I wouldn't stand a chance. Maybe I'll visit her when I'm done here, now that I know where she works." The flowers disappeared quickly, each one being snatched away before he could even get it to the display stands. When they were done, Ace sneaked out of the building using the back door. Gareth said goodbye to him there, and headed to the deli. As he walked he thought he noticed someone with blue scales and blue fins on his hands walk there as well, "That's impossible. There's no way he could already be back! But, just in case..." Gareth swung into a different alley and turned corners until he was sure no one would stumble upon him. He thought of his black and white dragon form, along with the necessary clothes to go with it. He made his muscles bigger, and added a little extra length to his wings to make him look taller than he really was. Once he was done, he headed into the deli. Sitting in a corner and staring was the same blue water dragon from the previous night. Gareth looked over to the place he was staring at and saw Hana chopping up vegetables with such a concentration he knew she was trying to ignore the dragon.

He walked over, ordered a small sandwich, and sat down at a table half-way across the room, placing himself between Hana and the dragon. He glanced at her right when she looked up at the dragon, and watched her visibly sag with relief when she couldn't see past Gareth's head. Gareth turned back to his meal and watched the blue dragon until his sandwich was gone. The blue dragon sneered at him a few times when he thought Gareth didn't see him, then left. Gareth turned back to glance at Hana again and saw her stare with surprise when the blue dragon left. Gareth came up to order another thing from her.

She made him his sandwich, "Thank you, sir. You don't know how much you've helped me today."

Gareth smiled, "What are you talking about? I din't leave that big of a tip."

"No, it isn't that. You managed to scare off a dragon that's been following me everywhere. Would you walk with me to my next job? Please?"

"Um..well, I guess so, but I don't see what the big deal is. It's just one dragon after all, isn't it?"

"I'm going to be done in two more hours. If you could come back then I would be most grateful. And thank you again."

"Don't mention it, ma'am. I'll be back." Gareth left the deli and wandered around a bit more in his dragon form. When an hour and a half passed, he made his way back to the deli. Fifteen minutes passed, then Hana came out dressed completely different. Gareth pretnded to look surprised, "You work at a mall too? Which one?"

"It's close." As they walked Hana kept scanning the crowd. When he asked her what she was doing she answered, "I really can't thank you enough, sir. I can't find that dragon at all anymore. It's like a dream come true for me."

"He's that much trouble for you huh? Why does he keep following you?"

"I don't know. He just does. He almost attacked me last night."

"Last night?! Why haven't you called the police?"

"Because every time I get to a phone he vanishes. They wouldn't be able to find him."

"He's thought things through that well?"

"Yes."

"Wow..." They reached the mall and she said goodbye, "Listen, ma'am, before you go, I need to warn you. I won't be able to come back to walk you home. You'll be on your own."

"Thank you...Say, I never caught your name...may I ask what it is?"

She never got an answer. Gareth had shrunk himself when a dragon passed by and changed his coloring to pure white. He made himself act as kid-like as possible. Though she watched for him, Hana never saw him leave.

Chapter 7

Gareth tried flying out for the first time. It was hard at first, but he made himself learn. When he was satisfied with himself, he circled around the mall, waiting for her to finish, "I can't believe I'm doing this!" Gareth watched for any sign of the water dragon, and was rewarded when he saw the very one he was after crouch behind the back door. Hana walked out a few minutes later, warily scanning the area for the blue dragon. He leaped up over her head and landed right in front of her. Gareth followed them as Hana started running for her home, "The way that water dragon moves makes him look like he's part jumper!"

Hana raced through an alleyway, toppling trash cans as she went. Gareth smiled, "That's why I heard the trash can last night. She uses them to try to slow that guy down." The blue dragon leaped easily over the fallen trash cans, gaining on Hana with every step. Gareth couldn't help it any more. He swooped down to slam into the dragon, giving Hana enough time to get away. Gareth took off again after Hana rounded the corner and made sure she got home safely. She entered a building, Gareth heard a lock click, then he watched as she ran up a flight of stairs to her room. He checked once more on the water dragon as he turned around and headed home.

The dragon was nowhere in sight.

Gareth scanned the ground a few more times, landed, changed into a human, and walked the rest of the way back to his apartment room. Mrs. Jackson was unlocking a room next to his when he reached his floor, "Mrs. Jackson? You live here?"

"Oh, hi Gareth. Won't you come in? I have a pie made for when Ace comes by."

"No thank you. I'm beat. Maybe sometime later?"

"Okay." She smiled and walked inside. Gareth unlocked the door to his apartment and crashed onto his bed.

"Long day...I wonder if I'll be able to keep this hero stuff up." Gareth started falling asleep soon after. Outside his apartment, a blue water dragon scowled up at his room.

"I'm ready for you, human. She's mine! I had her before, and I'll have her again. Just you wait. She won't be safe forever!" The dragon turned away from the apartment and headed back across the city. There was a certain alley he went to visit. Inside were two other dragons: a red jumper and an electric dragon, "Listen guys. Tomorrow night's the night. I have an idea to get Hana easily. I'll watch for her as usual, but this time, I want you guys to jump her on her way home from the mall. Sylo," The electric dragon looked up, "you'll be the one to hold her down. I get the legs, and Henry, you hold the knife to her throat. We'll switch off after I've had her enough. Make sure she can't move or scream. If she does either, we're toast."

"One quick question, Boss." Henry spoke, "Why do you get her first? All three of us want her."

"I'm the boss, remember? You'll get your shot at her, I just want the first one. Got it?" They nodded their heads, "Good. We'll get her at the last alley before her house. Make sure you two are ready! I won't allow another screw up. She's gotten away from me too many times now."

Hana woke up in the morning happier than she had ever felt before, "I wonder if I'll see that dragon again...It would be so nice if he could stay around all the time." She headed off toward the deli, humming to herself as she walked. Ahead, someone waved at her, and she recognized Gareth. On impulse, when he got close to her, she hugged him, "It's good to see you again, Gareth. I had the most unusual day yesterday!"

Gareth patted her awkwardly on her back, then asked, "Really? What was it like?" She let go of him and started walking. He smiled, "Well?"

"I met someone yesterday who was able to scare off that water dragon!"

Gareth looked at her questioningly, "How is that unusual? I know at least two dragons who can fit that description."

"No one's been able to do that before. I never got his name, but he was a huge black mountain dragon with a scar running down his arm, and white stripes on his head with a--I'm sorry, I'm talking too much."

For some reason, Gareth slightly hid his left arm from her view, "What, exactly, did he do to scare that dragon away?"

"He stayed with me almost all day! By being there he drove off the water dragon without really trying. It was wonderful not having to worry for once