In the Zone

my other story was lacking depth... I am disappointed in myself for producing such trash... so I am taking a break till I can figure out how to make it good.

In the Zone

"HOW DARE YOU!" screeched Yasmine throwing the vase at Neah's head.

"Aw come on little-dragon it was only one village-"

"GET OUT!" Yasmine slammed the door on his face fuming quite literally. Yasmine had the blood of dragons running through her veins. She wondered sometimes if Neah really cared for her at all or if she was just another chess piece that Neah was manipulating to his advantage. Like today, steam rose from Yasmine's clenched fist as she thought about it, how could he possibly think she would welcome him into her house after he just completely slaughtered a whole village? Yasmine knew that they were at war... but still! 

"Carefully there, Nessie, or you'll burn your whole wooden nest to the ground." commented Yasmine's dragon friend from a perch on top of the table. He had a small, light, build with wild black hair and large coal smudged green eyes. She was surprised he was actually in human form (he must have sensed how upset she was) usually her friend never left his dragon form... which was the main reason for his awkward social skills. 

"I won't burn my nest down, Toothless." Yasmine assured him with a smile taking a deep breath before plopping down on the couch. Toothless came next to her and curled into her side with a comforting hum. Yasmine breathed more calmly and absently played with his hair. The other reason for his current human form, she suspected, could be that he knew that it infuriated Neah when he saw the dragon-boy hanging all over Yasmine. She was so peeved at Neah right now though that she didn't mind her dragon friend's antics against her Noah friend for once.

"What will you do now?" asked Toothless.

"I am not sure." admitted Yasmine sighing. Normally Yasmine would go run to her friends and moan to them about Neah and they would plot marvelous ways to punish him together. However, things were complicated with her friends these days. The war was nearing it's peak and everywhere was becoming a war zone. While Yasmine trusted her friends with fierce conviction, most of them were currently in far away safe houses and she couldn't risk revealing their locations by paying a visit... Especialy with Neah being so disagreeable these days. Siana, Rachel, and Sarah were not in safe houses but Yasmine could not visit them either for various reasons. 

Siana had announced that she would cut all ties with Tyki if he continued to murdering innocents simply because the Earl ordered it... Tyki hadn't taken it well and the next day Yasmine found her sister-friend's house ransacked and Siana gone. It wasn't until Neah had come for lunch later that week that Yasmine learned that Tyki was keeping her prisoner in his house until she decided to see things his way... Knowing her dear Siana she would be there until someone rescued her. But to her extreme, continued, anger Neah refused to tell her the location of the Mikk manor or assist her in rescuing her friend in any way, saying that such an act would make her an enemy of the Earl and he refused to allow his friend to put herself in such danger. Neah had been banned from her house for three weeks following that event. 

Rachel on the other hand had seemed like she was doing well... until she began being involved with the Black Order. Her emotions seemed a little all over the place, which was strange because Rachel was typically pretty even-tempered, she would go from being extremely happy one day to being on the borderline of anxiety attack. Rumor had it that there was someone inside the Order very important to the war that she was close to (actually there were a lot of rumors about her and this mystery person that ranged from believable to down right malicious, disgusting, and obvious lies) Yasmine had tried to press for information once but then she and Siana had realized that Neah and Tyki were also trying to get info on this friend of Rachel's and they agreed that they would not endanger her by accidentally leaking info. Now Yasmine wished that she had pressed for info anyway because a month ago Rachel had just packed her bags and left with only a note saying that she had to go and not to worry about her... which naturally immediately made Yasmine worry a ton; if Rachel had not even bothered to try and convince them that she was okay than she was probably in pretty bad shape. Since Yasmine could not look for her without Neah following her she had sent Toothless on countless missions and empty leads, but they'd had no luck.

Which lead to the reason she was not able to she Sarah at the moment; Jack had run into Rachel in town and told Sarah that she seemed really sick and had coughing up blood, but she had convinced him not to call the doctors and let her just go home alone and Jack had agreed... Yasmine had sent him to the doctor instead. Sarah was extremely upset with Yasmine and they had gotten into another argument about how Yasmine didn't approve of her avocation with Jack but Sarah refused to leave him because she "loved him" and how Yasmine couldn't tell her to leave him when she herself still saw Neah in spite all the (much) more horrible things he would do all the time. So even though they'd made up and forgiven each other and Yasmine agreed to be "civil" to Jack, she didn't want to go tell Sarah about what Neah had just done. It was painful to be around Jack too! Yasmine was sure he was up to no good but Sarah was completely blind to whatever it was.

Yasmine couldn't help but feel that her friends needed her and she could not do anything!

"Nessie, you're smoking again...." Toothless commented from her side.

"Ah! sorry Toothless. I am just feeling aggravated." Yasmine assured him, Toothless blinked his large green eyes at her inquisitively.

"Shall I eat to Noah boy's head?"

"No..." laughed Yasmine.

"He needs his head eaten. He is a snake. I do not understand why you let him in your nest. Snakes will eat the hatchlings you know." Toothless informed seriously.

"I know, but I am hoping this snake shed his bad skin and become a good dragon." said Yasmine trying to explain again why she still was friends with him.

"Snakes do not become dragons when they shed their skins." said Toothless frowning.

"You're right. But Neah is not a snake when he is with me. He is good. It's only when he's around the Earl that he gets so bad." Yasmine said sighing.

"...are you wanting to to have hatchlings with him?" asked Toothless blinking. If Yasmine had been having a drink she would have spat it all out.

"N-no!" she said indignantly her face on fire.

"Then why won't you let me eat his head?" pouted Toothless.

"Toothless," said Yasmine exasperatedly, she wished Rachel was here to explain things to him in some random complicated manner that would satisfy him, "People are not split up between those that we want to have hatchlings with and those that can have their head's eaten."

"They're not?" asked Toothless blinking.

"No. You wouldn't eat my head right?" said Yasmine poking him playfully.

"Of course not." said Toothless looking offended.

"And you don't want to have hatchlings with me right?" teased Yasmine.

"No." said Toothless looking horrified, "But that's because you're my Namaka."

"Right," said Yasmine seizing onto that, "So that's how it is with Neah." Toothless thought about that for a bit. There was a soft caw of a bird from out side and Yasmine could almost see Toothless's ears twitch at the sound.

"You have to go?" guessed Yasmine.

"Yes. The others are leaving for a hunt soon; the queen is getting antsy." said Toothless rising and crossing to the window.

"Oh okay, have fun." said Yasmine trying to sound sincere as she watched the youngster climb onto the frame.

"I'll bring you back a present." Toothless promised, then he paused and turned all the way back to her, "Do not lie to yourself, that is what you always tell me. So now I shall tell it to you... you do not think of that Noah boy as a Namaka."

"Toothless..."

"See ya' soon Nessie!" said Toothless with an impish smile on his face before leaping out the 6th story window. There was a rush of wind and Yasmine watched the small, sleek, nightfury shoot off near invisible in the night. Yasmine shifted in agitation in front of the window. She didn't want to think about what the little dragon boy had told her; her thoughts were messed up around Neah as it was, she didn't need to add to it. Still it would be good to get out and clear her head a little... but Neah had just said today that he didn't want her going out because there was supposed to be an akuma attack on a village near by... Yasmine grinned. 

Yasmine poked her head out her door quickly and spotted immediately the two level 4 akuma and a few brokers that Neah had hired to "Protect her" (aka spy on her and keep her from doing anything that would anger the Earl) standing casually around in the hall. She checked the fire escape; also being carefully watched. Well, nothing for it, she decided, she'd have to fly. So far she had managed to keep Neah in the dark about her Dragon heritage. Though Yasmine was sure that even if he discovered her dragon form her friend wouldn't turn her over to the Earl (after all she had kept Toothless safe by threatening Neah that if he killed or gave away the dragon boy she would never speak to him again. Neah, who already didn't like the boy, now sulked almost every time he saw the boy knowing that Yasmine favored him) she still preferred he not know all her secrets. It was worth it whenever she would slip away from his guards undetected to see Neah practically pull his hair trying to figure out how she did it. Yasmine grinned at the thought.

Climbing quickly through the air vent in her room she made her way to the darkest part of the roof. Quickly she transformed and launched herself silently into the sky. Yasmine stretched her sore wings in the chilly wind with a growl of satisfaction. It had been too long. She angled herself thought the air headed towards the village that Neah had hinted might be hit tonight. The stars shown more brightly the further she flew from the city. Yasmine dipped low to let her claws skim the surface of a clear lake breathing in a breath of satisfaction. Suddenly her reptilian eyes snapped open and she flared backward in the air, sniffing the air. A Campfire... close. Yasmine flew silently over the tree tops following the smoke. The only people brave enough to travel at night these days were Noah and... ah yes, here they were; exorcists. Yasmine transformed mid-air into her human form and dropped lightly into the top of a tree near the campfire and snaked her way quietly into the lower branches being careful to keep herself hidden so she could listen into their conversation.

"-need to eat, Allen. I don't care how depressed you are; you are a parasitic innocence wielder, you need food." a redhead was saying sternly to a strange boy with white hair and a scar who was picking at his food.

"I am tired Lavi, I am just really not that hungry right now." said the boy with a sweet smile that didn't reach his eyes, "In fact, I think I'll go to bed now; we're likely to have a big battle when we reach the city and I want all the rest I can get."

"Lavi, you shouldn't bother him so much; he ate just as much as you did." reprimand one of the other companions in a low voice once the white haired boy had disappeared into the tent.

"Exactly! he only ate as much as me! there is something definitely the matter with him." insisted the Lavi boy.

"He has been really distraught this past month. Which is weird because before he was almost unnaturally happy." agreed one of the girls in exorcist uniform shaking her head sadly, "I've tried to bother him about it but he insists that he's fine and than locks himself in his room with Timcanpy."

"Do you think it had anything to do with that other parasitic innocence user exorcist girl's sudden disappearance?" asked one of the others who seemed less familiar with the boy and who wore a finders uniform. Yasmine perked up and listened closer.

"That!" scoffed Lavi with anger, "I don't care what rumors are flying around about the two of them, Allen didn't even know the girl. No, I hear she just left because central was leaning on her too much because of her unique innocence."

"First I've heard of it..." muttered Yasmine angrily. She'd never liked the Black Order she had tried time and again to convince Rachel leave them but her friend would just smile and tell her that she didn't want to go. That she really liked it there. Well, it sounded like the Order had just been taking advantage of her friend's optimistic and hard working nature once again. 

"Was her Innocence really that special?" asked the finder.

"So I've heard, I have never seen it in action though," said Lenalee.

"But I think they were giving her too much work because she started to sort of break towards the end," noted Lavi thoughtfully, Yasmine clenched her fists against the tree branch suppressing the urge to maul someone, "She started getting sick all the time and stuff."

"Pity no one noticed earlier, maybe someone could've- hey Allen where are you going? I thought you were gonna sleep?" asked the finder as Allen abruptly got out of the tent and started to march off into night hiding his face with a mutter of "go'in for a walk"

Yasmine shook her head. Exorcists sure were weird. She climbed back up to the top of the tree figuring that if she listened any longer she might pummel them for not paying closer attention to her friend. Instead Yasmine leapt back into the sky transforming in one smooth motion. 

She soured high in the sky and glided lightly scanning the earth for Akuma with her sharp gaze. There was a lot of Akuma in the village... and Noah. Yasmine clenched her teeth and anger and dove in. The villager screamed when they saw her scaly form land among them but Yasmine ignored them as she took out a row of advancing Akuma with her tail and tore through two more with her claws. The villagers ran for cover (about time) and Akuma began to swarm the area leaving all others alone to come deal with her. Yasmine bared her teeth in a grin and began demolishing them with ease, none of their attacks strong enough to price her scales. 

"Ah...Caramba... and here I was hoping to let the Akuma do all the dirty work.... Now Siana probably won't come near me for at least a week..." sighed a familiar voice. Yasmine snarled as she turned to face Tyki Mikk.... she was going to f*****g tear him apart.

"You lot," said Tyki lazily to the Akuma, "Go complete the mission; I'll take care of the dragon."

'like hell I'll let you do that...' snarled Yasmine in her mind. She snapped at him but he leapt back through a wall. The Akuma all started taking off in another direction and Yasmine started to go after them but Tyki suddenly lunged at her out of the ground with a fist full of tease his hand passing right through her scales and into her flesh. Yasmine blew fire at him and leaped away hissing... she'd forgotten he could do that... how annoying. Yasmine glanced at the disappearing Akuma and then at the Noah before her and gave a roar of frustration raking the ground with her claws.

'Need help Nessie?' asked Toothless in her mind sounding smug.

'Toothless!' thought Yasmine in relief 'Can you take care of those Akuma heading off by themselves?'

'Righto~!'

Yasmine grinned and turned her full attention back to the Noah in front of her. She didn't want him noticing the other dragon or he would surly change his orders and then who knew if Toothless would make it in time? And idea hit her and she suddenly started leaping over house tops away from the Akuma.

"What are you doing?" commented Tyki following close behind her. Yasmine hissed at him in distaste and tried to rip him though wit her tail but it just passed right through him. This wasn't going to work. She couldn't wound him and he could hit past her scales. But she couldn't just leave him unattended... White tendrils of cloth shot towards her and she rolled in the air to avoid them causing them to hit Tyki instead... blood splattered.

'Innocence...' she thought looking over to see the white haired boy... his "walk" had certainly then him far.

"Cheating boy A." greeted Tyki clutching his wounded arm.

"Mikk." acknowledged the boy.

"I would love to play with you but I am a little busy right now..." that brought Yasmine back to her senses. She knew an opening when she saw one; she took off.

'Toothless!' she called out.

'Just finished up Nessie, shall we meet back in your room?' asked Toothless.

'Yes.' agreed Yasmine in relief. She quickly turned to go back home but suddenly she spotted something on the ground that made her pause. Jack was making his way by himself through the village looking carefully over his shoulder every now and then before slipping through an unmarked door and out of sight. Oh! how Yasmine wanted to land right then and chase after him and possibly learn what he'd been up to, but there was both exorcists and noah in the village both of which wanted her dead... and Toothless would be waiting for her... Yasmine growled and turned and flew home.

Once she avoided all of the guards and slipped back into her room Yasmine knew immediately that something was off. The lights were on and she definitely remembered turning them off, the doors were all open to all the rooms and the contents of her closet had been mostly emptied onto the floor. And that was all the warning she got before she was picked up and thrown onto the couch. Instinctively, Yasmine tried to punch her attacker but her fist was caught in a firm grip and her hands were pinned to either side of her head. Yasmine's eyes widened as she realized who was pinning her down and why as she gazed into angry gold eyes.

"How the hell did you get out of here without being seen?" demanded Neah angrily.

"This is my home Neah, not my prison. I am free to leave whenever I like and however I like." said Yasmine stubbornly.

"I told you not to go out tonight!" snarled Neah completely ignoring what she said, "It's dangerous, there was dragons and exorcists everywhere!"

"Your my friend Neah, not my mom. You can't  tell me what to do!" retorted Yasmine. Neah made a noise and suddenly his face was too close to hers and all thought of him just being a friend flew out the window as she felt his breath across her lips. Then his fingers tightened instinctively on her wrists... right where Tyki Mikk had injured her. Yasmine jerked away with a cry of pain.

"What?! What is it?! Are you hurt?!" said Neah all intensity and anger suddenly gone as he panicked glancing at his hand that had been holding her seeing it coated in red, "Blood! Yasmine you're-!"

"Yes, yes, I am bleeding." agreed Yasmine trying to pull her arm out of his sight worried that if he looked too close he'd realize that it was a tease bite.

"Let me see it!" insisted Neah worriedly.

"No! I am mad at you! Go away!" Yasmine informed him trying to push him off with her good arm.

"Someone has to look at that! what if it's serious?!" said Neah starting to become more forceful.

"I'll have Toothless help me with it! now get out!" said Yasmine still shoving at him. oops... she probably shouldn't have mentioned Toothless... Neah had gone stiff at the dragons name.

"A dragon just took out an entire legion of Akuma single handedly. It could have easily been your friend, I don't want him going near you anymore." said Neah coldly coming back after her.

"It wasn't!" that was true, Toothless had only taken out a few of the Akuma, she had taken out the rest.

"You don't know that!"

"I do know that! He was with me! He couldn't have been there!" snarled Yasmine wiggling her legs out from beneath his weight to push at his chest with her feet as well.

"DOES THAT MEAN HE WAS THE ONE WHO GOT YOU HURT?!"

"NO! NOW GO AWAY!"

"WHA-!" Neah's reaching arm suddenly was caught by a small hand... a small hand that held all the strength of a dragon. Neah was thrown off Yasmine and into the wall quite easily leaving a slight dent.

"I believe you were asked to leave Mr. Snake." said Toothless pleasantly though the small boys slitted eyes spoke of hostility. 

"Toothless, you didn't need to throw him." said Yasmine weakly sitting up. 

"Sorry Nessie, I forget that Noah can be pretty weak sometimes." said Toothless innocently.

"Why you little-!" muttered Neah his eyes murderous.

"Neah! um...! I really think you should go now! I ah- I will talk to you tomorrow I am really tired right now." said Yasmine quickly as Neah opened his mouth to say something glaring at Toothless Yasmine cut in again, "Toothless will be going too, won't you Toothless?"

"If Nessie wants me to." said Toothless all hostility gone from his face as he smiled sweetly at her and going out of the room.

"... we can talk about this tomorrow?" asked Neah his shoulders slumping looking regretful. 

"Of course!" said Yasmine, she couldn't believe how close that had been to two of her most important guy-friends trying to kill each other. Her heart was still going about a million miles per hour.

"Yazzy?"

"Hmm?" asked Yasmine turning to smile when she suddenly found that Neah was all around her, Neah was holding her close to him breathing shakily into her hair, Neah's warmth spreading all through her making her heart do strange summersaults...

"I am sorry.... just please... I am begging you; be careful. I couldn't bare it if something happened to you..." murmured Neah.

"Neah...?" asked Yasmine shakily, she didn't know what to do. What do you do when your supposed guy-friend suddenly holds you and whispers to like a lover would? And then he was gone without another word. Yasmine stared after him in shock.

"Bwaaaa!!!"

"Shhh! Nessie said we have to go!"

"BWAAAAAA!!!"

"AGH! where is the off button on these things?" Yasmine frowned and looked over her shoulder towards where Toothless had wandered to. She walked into the other room to fin Toothless holding a screaming little redhead toddler by the right ankle with a weirded out look in his dragon eyes.

"Nessie? what do I do? It's making a terrible noise." complained Toothless.

"Toothless! you don't hold a baby like that!" exclaimed Yasmine rushing over and snatching the little boy away.

"You hold hatchlings that way, why isn't the same?" asked Toothless blankly.

"Human babies are more fragile." said Yasmine rocking the baby back into silence, "Why on earth do you have a baby Toothless? please tell me you didn't steal him?"

"Why would I steal such a noisy creature?" asked Toothless looking perplexed, "The Akuma and exorcists were both after him and he didn't have any human parents living... so I just took him here. I hoped you would know what to do with him but then you sent me out."

"Erm... yeah," agree Yasmine awkwardly at Toothless's pout, "If both exorcists and noah are after him then he'll have to stay here I guess... he wouldn't be safe anywhere else."

"He could stay with the dragons." suggested Toothless.

"And that would be a disaster." commented Yasmine under her breath, "Looks like you'll be staying with me little one."

Big sea-foam green eyes stared solemnly back at her... he really was just too cute he was really-, "Momma?"

"...Toothless?"

"Yes?"

"You're the best."

"...Huh?"

Author's Note

The picture for this chap is Toothless's human form.
Yasmine's dragon nickname is "Nessie" because she appears like a normal human but her dragon form lurks in the depths ready to burst forth.

I took longer on this chapter to see if I could come out with a better outcome... methinks it's a little better. Hope you like!

Reviews

[PokemonFan#1]

Finally ended up reading this! XP

It was really good! I liked it a lot! :D

[TheEverHungryOne]

haha are you just going through my stories? Would you like me to read any of yours in particular? (when I get a chance)

[PokemonFan#1]

Yes, yes I am :) I'm reading the one's I never got to (mostly cause I've been a bit inactive on here).

Mmm...Oh, have you read Mystic Academy yet? (Oh, and I'm going to re-write "A Mage's Beginning" but it'll take a while to get it posted + with a new title)

[StillShorterThanYou]

wow girl~ have you read the trickster's choice/ queen again? Because all that talk of hatch lings made me think of NAWAT and ALY ;) good chapter BTW! :D

[TheEverHungryOne]

sadly I haven't read those books in almost a year :( but I LOVE Nawt!

[StillShorterThanYou]

same
Just hatchlings. Nawat. They go together so well

[Imagination-mage]

I LOVED ITXD EEEEEWWDDEEEED JHDBNAJR RDJEEKWJEN!!!! Phew okay my little heart attack has past-_-'. I loved it so much and TOOTHLESS AND I WOULD BE EXCELLENT FRIENDS! Poor Neah I don't give him enough attention;P I LOVED every part of this and I assure u.....there will be a comic....after character designs if u don't mind. Ill give u credit too don't worry darling:)

[TheEverHungryOne]

haha I look forward to it... hmmm this'll mean I need to come to your house... ah well, I need to come to your house anyway to drop off your robe....

[TheEverHungryOne]

I am really liking this story line... beware; it might turn into a thing.

[Imagination-mage]

believe me I won't mind:P and yes, u DO need to stop by. NO, I won't keep u here against ur will and ensure u can never leave my sight until Westmount and ur parents begin to question ur disappearance....not. at. all:)