*All characters copyrighted to Poseidon Simons

Chapter 21

So Close...

Don kept looking for a way in, going even so far as trying to sneak in with the officials, but he was turned back at every spot. They were now keeping the security camera on him as he sat at the front door to make sure he didn't do anything else. He really could do nothing now...

"Don?"

"Huh?" Don looked up and saw Player land beside him. He was grimacing and holding his chest.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm trying to get back inside, but they locked all the doors."

"What the--damn it, I need to get in there!" Player started pulling on the doors, trying to force them open.

Even though he was worried sick about Johnny and Jack, he could'nt help laughing, "Player, you're supposed to push the doors to open them. Not pull."

Player stopped in mid-jerk and scowled down at him, "You could've told me that sooner." He started pushing instead, "I need to get in there!"

"Why?"

Player grunted one last time, but the door wouldn't open, so he gave up and sat by Don, "It's Crystal and Nino. I can't get used to having both in there! I couldn't even get to sleep last night!"

"How come?"

"I don't know...but everything feels different now. There's more weight in there, it feels like I swallowed a watermelon whole!"

"They can't be that bad!"

"Hey, that's what it feels like. Now if I could just--get--this door--open!" Player kicked at it and pushed as hard as he could, but the door still would not budge, "Damn! Crystal, could you guys please get out for a while?!! I can't get used to you!"

Soon the two fairy dragons were out and flying around Player's head. Don looked at them and wondered..."Hey, can either of them understand normal speech?"

Player grunted as he pushed against the door again, "Hell if I know. I can talk to them as it its, remember?"

"Oh...right. Nino, Crystal, can you understand me?" To his surprise, Crystal nodded her head. Don smiled gratefully, "Thank goodness. Listen. Johnny and Jack are still inside there, and I think they're in a lot of trouble. Can you get in there and unlock this door so I can?" Crystal nodded, chirped at Nino, and they found a way in. Crystal was the one who came to the door and unlocked it, allowing both Player and Don inside. Once in, they heard someone shouting a lot in the back rooms, accompanied by some wild chirping. Crystal flew ahead of them and joined in the fray. Don hid as he watched everyone run outside with their heads covered, being chased by the two little dragons. It looked hilarious. The vet was the last one out, holding a jar in his hands.

"WAIT!!! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!!!!" The vet was running after them, but Player stopped him.

"You the vet?"

"Yes..."

"Good. Look, I have a little problem concerning those two fairy dragons."

"I'll say you do! Do you realize what they just did to my career?!!! I was about to become famous!"

Don stood up, "Yeah, with my friends. Don't you have any feelings?!! Those two 'discoveries' of yours have a family and friends! The green one's family is worried sick about him!"

The gryphon glanced at him, "And just, exactly, how would you know?"

"DON!!" Johnny shouted from the jar.

Don smiled, "That's how. Let them go..."

The gryphon stared longingly at the little anthros, makng his decision, "But I could get rich from them..."

"RICH?!! What about how they feel?!!!!"

The gryphon nodded, "I know, its just--I just wanted--these two could have--oh, damn." He placed the jar on the ground and twisted the lid off, "I could have been famous..." Johnny and Jack jumped out and ran over to Don.

Jack couldn't believe how close that had been. He never wanted to go through something like that again! Along the way he spoke to Crystal, "How's Nino?"

"Oh, he's wonderful Jack! Thank you for making me meet him! He is the first potential mate that has had a mind enough to let me decide when! I've never been happier!"

"Not the only one." Nino's voice happily cut in, "Not often I get chance to meet pretty fairy."

"Not yet, Nino."

"Okay..."

Jack sighed and cut in, "What have you two been doing to Player? He keeps looking angrily at you guys."

Crystal chirped her laughter, "Why, making the nest inside him bigger of course! Nino had built it only for one!"

"Now building it for two."

"Yes Nino. Now for two. Maybe more..."

Jack laughed outright at that. If Player was having trouble now, he wouldn't be able to handle what would later come. He slowed to a walk soon after, having felt like he'd spent most of his energy trying to climb up the counter. For some odd reason, a small headache started. He winced and ignored it, but instead of going away, it got worse. It became hard to think, to concentrate. He collapsed on the floor.

"Jack!" Johnny ran back to him when he saw him on the floor, "Jack, get up!" He shook Jack, causing a groan to come out, but nothing more. Don and Player kneeled down to look at him, followed by Crystal, Nino, and finally, the vet. Johnny tried to ignore the gryphon, but he still felt like he couldn't trust him.

"Head trauma..." The vet mumbled to himself, "His head has been injured many times in the past few years, maybe year."

Johnny glanced up at him, "And how would you know?"

"I'm an animal doctor! I can recognize the symptoms of a massive headache just as easily as any physician!" He glared at Johnny then went back to Jack, "I might be able to help him, if you'll let me. I'm not sure, but it looks like this has been going on for a year at least. Bring him to the x-ray room."

Don carfully picked Jack up and followed the vetrinarian. Johnny landed on Don's shoulder and stayed there until they were in a room with a huge machine, "What's an x-ray gonna do?"

"I need to see what's wrong with him." The gryphon explained, "One quick x-ray of his skull and then we'll head into the check-up room."

After the x-ray, they walked into the room where Vitara had been earlier. Don laid him on the table, and Crystal landed down by him. Nino followed. Player kneeled down, "No, he's just unconscious. No, I don't know what's wrong with him. You two need to get out of the way so this guy can work, alright?"

The two fairy dragons chirped and took off. The vet watched them flutter to the ceiling, "Incredible...how did you teach them to understand speech?"

Player just shrugged. Johnny grunted and landed down by Jack again, "Are you gonna help or what?!"

The gryphon bent closer to Jack's limp form, "Hmm...no outward sign of getting hit except for a slight bump in the back of his head. Any idea how that happened?"

Don sighed, "Vitara."

"Ahhhh, I see. I wonder what his x-rays show." The vet held them close to a light, frowning as he did so, "Well, that's odd..."

"Huh?" Don looked up at the x-ray as well.

"Well, look at this. Here, on this side, there are signs that his skull was cracked a while ago. There's the bump on the back of his head, and the rest...this skull isn't natural for an anthro!"

Johnny could see what the vet meant. It looked like someone had stretched it out from a different shape entirely. The more he studied it, the less normal it looked, "Jack didn't have anything wrong other than a headache when I first met him..."

"When did you meet him?"

"Close to a month ago. It was by pure accident."

"Hmm...then whatever is wrong with his skull happened before you met him. I've never seen this before, but from what I can tell, I think he's had this for a year as well. Whatever's wrong with him, headache and all, happened a year ago."

Jack trembled in the darkness. It seemed so familiar, but he had no idea what to expect. The black dragon appeared by him, "Well Jack, are you ready?"

"For what?.."

"You want to know, don't you?"

"YES!!!!"

The black dragon held out a hand, "Then take my hand, and we shall revive the memories...what the--no!!!!"

Jack woke with a start, trembling. Johnny, the fairy dragon, and three giant anthros were all staring down at him. Johnny grinned widely, "Welcome back Jack!"

Jack cringed, "No, he was going to tell me! He was going to tell me!!!!!!" He couldn't deal with it. For once, he'd almost gotten what he wanted, and now this, "Damn..."

"What's wrong?" Johnny asked.

"I almost remembered!!!!! If you hadn't woken me up, I would've known who I was again!!!!!!!!!!"