Nacomi wandered down myriad aisles of frozen foods and pastas, trailing her energetic sister as she flitted from spot to spot, occasionally plucking a box or bag of this and that to place in their already full cart. Really, it all seemed far too much for one person, and the monster fridge she had gotten to put in her apartment! Nacomi shook her head in disbelief; she could throw several weekend parties and still not run out of food. Still, she didn't begrudge her sister the chance to go shopping; normally she jumped in with gusto, but lately she'd been too worried about Jake and her friends to worry about inane things like dresses, door latches, bath supplies and such.
She came to herself when she heard her name. "Huh?" She blinked in surprise.
"Hello. Earth to Nacomi, what's the matter little sis? You okay?" her sister asked.
"Of course I'm okay." Nacomi said unconvincingly, even to herself. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you aren't" she said bluntly. "Come on, we've lived together for almost twenty years. I think I'd be able to tell when you aren't yourself. So what's wrong? Is it that new boy of yours?"
Nacomi gave an abashed grin and nodded. Her smile vanished though as she spoke her fears. "It's been more than a week and no one's heard from them. Everyone thinks they're away camping or something, but I don't think so. Jake wouldn't go anywhere for that long without telling me, I'm sure of it."
"Have you gone to the police?" She asked bluntly as she began moving the cart towards the front of the store. Nacomi trotted to keep pace.
"I thought about it Sunday, when I went over and they all were gone, but I had my squad captain with me at the time and she talked me out of it. Told me to wait until the start of the new quarter to report them as missing as they were probably out of town camping and forgotten to tell me about it; what with the nice weather and stuff. I followed her advice thinking she was probably right. Now the weekend has come, and still there's no word about them. I'm starting to think I've made a horrible mistake." She looked anxiously at her elder sister. "Do you think I've made a mistake, Sam?"
Her sister paused, looking steadily at her. "Yes." She spoke frankly, without condemnation, but Nacomi felt it keenly. She had been the fool to wait so long. She knew it, so why did it take her sister's confirmation to make her do something about it?
"I am a fool, Sanuye." She admitted softly, using her sister's real name. She watched her eyebrows climb into her dark hair. She hadn't been called that since she grew old enough to legally change it.
"So, what do you think I should do?" Nacomi asked. The girl at the checkout finished ringing up the sale and chirped, "Have a nice day", before turning back to her next customer.
"Well, first we are going to put all these away at home." Her sister said as she walked briskly out to the car. "And then we'll drive over to your friend's place and see if he's there. If he's not, we'll go straight to the police."
"Okay." Nacomi said determinedly. At last, she was Doing Something!
Later, she wondered what, exactly, she was doing. After opening the door to the apartment with her key, they had begun searching the expansive apartment. Almost immediately, she could tell something was wrong. The place carried a feeling of emptiness with it, like a house that the owners had been called away suddenly and have not returned for good or ill. Plates sat unwashed in the sink, beds were made in some rooms but not in others, book lists for the upcoming quarter were pinned to a cork board. There were no signs anywhere of any hurried packing for a long trip, or any sign that a trip had been planned.
"Something's not right." Nacomi told sam as they walked back into the kitchen. "Everything looks like they stepped outside for a few minutes, not a week."
Sam nodded in agreement. "There's more. I found camping gear stowed in the closet. Wherever they are, they aren't camping."
"All right. That settles it. We..." Nacomi began, reaching for her cell phone.
"Nacomi!" A familiar voice interrupted her.
"Jake?" Nacomi shouted in surprise, dropping her phone.
"I'm out in the alley behind the apartment. I need your help!"
Nacomi took off, ignoring Sam's shouts to stay behind. She heard running feet behind her but didn't stop as she pelted downstairs and behind the house. She slid to a halt in the dirty alleyway. No one was there. Where was Jake?
"Jake?!" She screamed hoarsely.
Sam came racing around the corner behind her and slid to a stop next to her, panting. "I...huh...don't see...whew...anyone." She gasped as she bent over to breath.
"I heard him, I swear I did." Nacomi said.
"You did." Came a voice next to her ear, while a strange light transfixed her. She felt much the same as a rabbit skewered by her father's war spear, about to die and unable to move or do anything about it. But when she looked all she saw was a blank wall. Then she realized the wall had eyes. Eyes that glowed with an inner fire.
"Wha--?" she yelped, startled.
A blur of motion in front of her made her pinwheel backwards just as an enormous hand smacked her down like a kitten with a ball of yarn. A startled cry told her that Sam was in the same predicament as she was. What was happening?!
Her frightened gaze locked onto the fiery red eyes as the wall started to move and shift. The color of the brick dropped away to be replaced by a buttery gold, in the shape...of...a...
Dragon? Her frightened mind gasped, too startled to think further. She began to feel light headed, and her vision swam. She came to, listening as Jake's worried voice spoke urgently to her.
"Nacomi, snap out of it. We don't have much time. Please, come back to me." The dragon's head came into focus, the concern in its eyes at odds with its fearsome appearance. She stared at it in wonder.
"Is--is that you?" she managed to ask.
The head sighed. "Yes. Yes it is." A smile pulled the corner of the mouth up, exposing teeth that wouldn't look out of place on a T-Rex. "I'm so glad to see you again." And, to her surprise and disgust, the head came forward and a long tongue came out and licked her face tenderly. She squirmed.
"Ugh." She managed, scowling. "What terrible breath you have." She managed.
The dragon froze, looking down at her. A moment later a strange rumble came from him and she realized he was laughing at her.
"That's what happens when you feast on deer for a week or so." He told her dryly.
"Well, brush your teeth, swallow a tic-tac, anything. Geez. If you have to be in my dream, could you at least have perfect breath? And be human again?!"
The dragon sighed. "Nacomi, this isn't a dream. I promise you."
"It has to be." She told him stubbornly, refusing to let her subconscious get the upper hand. "There's no such thing as dragons. They're just fairy tales."
"Not anymore." He told her seriously. He suddenly glanced up and away, over her head. A moment later she felt more than saw the entire body tuck her in close and collapse in a ball on the ground. The world went dark for a moment above her. Her head spun from the rapid change in position and she prayed to her ancestors not to let her throw up all over herself.
They remained in the uncomfortable position for some minutes before the dragon uncoiled and she found herself being hoisted off the ground several feet. She dangled limply in his grasp, the only movement coming from her head which looked around wildly before settling on Sam who had an enormous paw or hand wrapped around her belly on the far side, looking just as bewildered as she felt.
"What kind of dream is this?" Nacomi asked her.
"I don't know, I--gaaaah!" she screamed. Nacomi's voice joined her in shared terror.
The dragon had launched himself back into the sky, wings booming out on either side of her as he struggled to gain height. Nacomi caught a brief glimpse of the ground receding dizzyingly fast before she shut her eyes and refused to open them. The wind pulled at her with icy fingers, but the grip holding her was simply too strong. She shivered in her shorts and T-shirts.
Almost immediately, the paw holding her warmed, as did the belly she was tucked up against, keeping the chill at bay. Nacomi gathered her courage to open her eyes.
The first thing she saw was open sky above her, the sun blazing down as it had all week. Yet her nose felt the hard scales she was pressed up against. She couldn't comprehend it, what was going on?
Jake's voice came again, somewhat windblown but still recognizable and understandable.
"Nacomi, can you hear me?"
"Yes." She gave a muffled shout, smooshed as she was against his belly. She wondered if she'd be inside there shortly. After all, didn't dragons eat girls? She shuddered at the notion, no matter how unlikely she found it. It was Jake in dragon form, she told herself. Jake. He wouldn't hurt her, even in her dreams.  
"Well, do you think this is a dream now?"
"I sure hope so!" She shouted. "You owe me a new stomach for the one we left back there, dream dragon!"
"Er, sorry about that. I could hear lots of people approaching. I didn't want them to discover me." He sounded apologetic.
"Why not?" she shouted.
Sam's voice came to her on the left. "He's a FREAKING DRAGON." Her voice held a near hysterical edge to it.
"Well, yes." Jake sounded a little embarrassed. Nacomi heard him mutter: "At least someone believes me." Before speaking in a louder tone, "By the way, I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Jake. You must be Nacomi's sister."
Nacomi could have laughed if she could have. A dragon boyfriend introducing himself to her sister! It was ludicrous, fantasy. How could any of it be real? Well, for now she would play along until she woke up.
"I'm sorry." She shouted. "Jake, this is my sister Sam. Sam, this is my boyfriend, Jake. Apparently, he's a dragon." She giggled. Even to her, that didn't sound quite sane.
"A pleasure." Jake called down from above. "Listen, I'm sorry for the rude way to introduce myself. I promise I'm just as confused as you are about all of this. Probably more so in some ways. But for now, I need you to trust me. Please trust me Nacomi. I'll explain everything, if you'll keep an open mind."
They passed through a small cloud, its clamminess instantly soaking her. As they came out of the other side she found herself beginning to believe that all of this was real. She took a deep breath.
"Tell me." She prayed she wouldn't regret it.
She listened intently as he told about the night of the rock concert and the strange store with the weirdo manning the counter. Roland. Somehow, the name filled her with a certain dread, though she didn't understand why; it was a common enough name. He told of the dragon's claw that fell from the top shelf to impale his right arm, and how it healed strangely fast, but a throbbing pain came from it for several weeks. How on Saturday night of last week he'd been out watching the full moon with his friends when he'd changed into a dragon. The others were still transforming and how they'd gone into hiding deep into the park, near the mountains, in the most rugged areas they could find.
Nacomi felt overwhelmed. The story was compelling, and certainly explained how he'd become a dragon. To her surprise, the longer she listened, the more certain she became that this wasn't a dream. Impossible, she knew, but her senses told her otherwise.
"Wow." She said when he finished.
"Yeah." Sam echoed. She sounded skeptical again, so Nacomi realized that she must be recovering a little.
"Well, we are almost there, and you will hear far more." Jake said.
Nacomi looked ahead; she'd been paying too much attention to Jake's story to really notice the world around her. A mistake, she thought. If she'd needed to get out of there quickly, she'd quickly have gotten lost in the wild land below her.
Jake descended fairly quickly, angling towards a particular dip nestled between two mountains. The rest of them marched quickly off to her right, where they joined up with a jagged wall of peaks that extended, she knew, north and south. She'd had no idea that they had gone so far. Jake's story hadn't been that long, after all.
A blur near the center of the mountains attracted her attention; it seemed different from the rest of the floor, even in the bright heat of the day.
As they got closer, she realized that the shape was actually a tree, larger than any she'd ever seen before. It's leafy crown spread in a great arc like one enormous, living umbrella. Beneath the limbs, near the trunk, she could see a small meadow enclosed by a wall of some kind. It was to this meadow that Jake seemed to be heading.
Nacomi watched in interest as they zipped along the tops of the trees before dropping to just above the meadow floor. They seemed to be going awfully fast, she noted uncomfortably.
"Sorry for this." Jake apologized.
"For wha--aaaaaa--huh--haaaaaaa!" Nacomi's voice turned into a shriek as he braked hard and let go. It was like having someone slam on the brakes of a pickup truck going backwards, only to slide out onto the soft ground. She rolled to a stop and lay there panting hard, trying to keep her heart from beating itself out of her chest.
When she stood up and brushed herself off, she heard a booming sound and turned to see Jake come in for a heavy landing, all four feet grabbing the ground with their sharp talons as his legs bent to absorb the impact. She was struck by how magnificent he looks. How noble the carriage and being of the dragon was. It seemed as if all the worst qualities of being human had been dropped away to leave only the noblest sinews and thoughts behind.
"Wow." She muttered to herself. That she had not been expecting. She rubbed her shoulders to work out the bruising on them.
"You could have given me some extra warning." She told him reproachfully as he walked up.
"Sorry about that." He apologized again. "I only just realized that I couldn't land with you clutched in my front legs. At least, I don't think I can. Not sure what all I can do, to be honest with you. Anyway, I had to come up with something quick and that was the best I could think of."
"You know, when you dump a girl, you're not supposed to do so literally." She joked.
Jake looked at her, his eyes boring into hers. "Nacomi, I would never willingly hurt you, or leave you without extreme need." His voice sounded stronger, more sure of itself than before.
She knew, without any doubt, that he told her the absolute truth. She felt a thrill course through her entire body as she listened.  
"I love you. I waffled before, wondering if my judgment was clouded by teenager lust. I tried to put those aside to see if I loved you for you. As a dragon,... I can't explain it. I can't show you how I know, but I know I love you with every fiber of my being. If that isn't enough for you, I'll...uh, I'll understand." He choked.
Nacomi reached out and ran her hand along his muzzle, marveling at the hard surface beneath her hand, how cool it now was compared to the furnace from before she'd felt. He reared back, startled, before letting her continue.
She ran her fingers back, tracing the cheek, up to the top of his neck, and down along his thick spines. He was big, she marveled. Bigger than anything she'd ever seen on land. But his size didn't intimidate her. Rather, it made her feel safe."You always were an idiot." She chided softly, ignoring the tears that formed in her eyes. "Of course I love you, regardless of what you look like."
A snort came from behind. It thrilled through her, making her heart sing in wonder. She turned around and gasped, before her stood a unicorn; an actual unicorn! A pearly horn stood tall and proud on the unicorn's aristocratic face, glowing with an inner light both wondrous and strange. Her soft, soulful eyes showed a reflection of the forest surrounding them. It's very being a concentration of all that was good and pure in the forest. Nacomi fell to her knees in reverential awe of this creature.
The unicorn whinnied at her, the sound falling on her ears like soft golden music. She listened, entranced.
"Now be nice, Serena." Jake chuckled. "This is still a shock to them. I doubt they've met a unicorn before."
The unicorn (Serena?!) whinnied again, but this time the music seemed lively, laughing almost. Nacomi tore her eyes away and looked at him.
"You can understand her?"
Jake looked surprised. "Of course I can. Everyone can, can't you?"
She shook her head. "It sounds like horse whinnies to me. Strange ones, perhaps, but still...I can't make them out. Can you Sam?"
Sam looked a moment longer at the unicorn before she shook her head and got off her own knees. "I cannot." She stated. "It is beautiful, your talk, but I can't understand it.
The dragon and the unicorn exchanged startled glances. Then Jake spoke.
"What do you think of it, Brian?"
"I don't know." A considering, mellow voice sounded. Nacomi jumped, she hadn't seen anyone else. Looking closer, she realized there were two centaurs standing next to the unicorn. She didn't know why she hadn't noticed them before.
The male centaur continued, "I suspect that if this is not simply some fluke, then the only reason we can understand her is because we were changed together, as it were."
"Brian?" Nacomi asked, confused.
"Yes." The male centaur turned to her. "I understand that I sound a lot different. The changes that have been wrought upon us are much more than merely physical. Our instincts and minds have been changed as well. Our core personalities and memories are intact; we are the same people as before."
"Brian's correct." The female centaur said. It sounded a lot like Rachel, Nacomi thought. "We're still your friends, Nacomi. We just look a little different, is all."
Sam snorted wildly, drawing everyone's attention to her. "A little different?" she choked out. "You're mythical...what-have-yous. I can't believe I'm seeing this, experiencing this. It's more like...like--"
"--like an amazing dream." Jake finished for her, stepping forward until he stood next to Nacomi, facing her sister. "Sam, we can't force you to accept what you are unwilling to accept yourself. The truth of the matter is, until seven days ago, we would have been just like you are now, highly skeptical and unwilling to believe what we were seeing. We'd think it was some party trick or a sick prank played on us. That isn't the case here, I swear to you."
"I'm sorry, but I'm still having a hard time with this. I mean, a phantom store? A evil wizard? This is more out of Harry Potter than real life!" Sam replied.
"It does, doesn't it? Yet it still is." Brian chimed in. "You can touch us, feel our effect. You felt Jake's claws around you, didn't you?"
Sam eyed Jake's feet warily, but nodded.
"So we can eliminate trickery there. Is there any other point that you would like to address?"
"No. Believe me, my mind is trying to find some, but having been grabbed and flown a hundred miles or more in one night is very convincing." Sam sighed.
"Good." Jake lowered his head until Nacomi was looking right into his eye.
"Nacomi, we need your help. The items that were given to us must be reclaimed. They are too dangerous to leave around for anyone to find and pick up. We don't know if they have further power or not."
"So you want me to get them for you?" Nacomi asked.
"Yes. But be careful. Use a bag and long collectors. I don't think any harm will come to you if you don't touch them. Bring them to the window and Jake will fly them back to us." Brain explained.
"I will." She promised.
"It seems like you just got here and you already have to go." Jake said downheartedly. He looked so miserable that Nacomi put her hand on his snout and kissed him
"Don't worry." She told him as he looked at her, startled. "I'm not going anywhere again."
"Well, um...I, uh, guess I should get you back." Jake mumbled, abashed. Nacomi laughed at the image of an abashed dragon.



#
This time Jake let them climb aboard his neck, where it met his massive shoulders. They found themselves perched comfortably between two sets of spikes. Sam sat just behind her, looking distrustful at the long neck before her.
"I don't suppose that this thing has seat belts?" she asked.
"Nope." Jake spoke lightly. "But do not worry. I shall not drop you. It will be a far smoother flight then before."
"I hope so." Sam muttered under her breath. "That one's going to leave me with nightmares for a while."
If Jake heard her he gave no sign. He simply spread his wings and took a short run down the meadow, pumping hard. Nacomi felt the bumpiness smooth out as he gained lift and soared above the tree tops. His skin changed color, becoming almost glass-like. She could see everything beneath her and all around her. It was a disturbing and nerve-wracking.
Nacomi could still feel Jake, however, and soon she forgot her fears in the majesty of the world below.
The rapidly darkening sky became dusted with glittering stars, far brighter than any she'd seen from the ground. The earth became a green sea that rolled and shook in the wind. Birds chirped or soared below them while on the ground, in clearings, she could see deer leaping in joy.
Nacomi leaned forward until she could feel the spikes of his neck press into her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gave him a hug.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"For what?" He asked.
"For showing me the world afresh." She told him.
"Oh, well, you're welcome." He told her. He resumed flying, the heavy beating of his wings the only sound she could hear.
The city rose before them like a glittering jewel in the darkness. The lights guiding them like landmarks in the day time. Jake arrowed towards the university, sweeping in low and locking his wings in gliding mode. The wake of their passage fell to a gentle breeze. Behind them, Nacomi could see awnings ripple in their passing, but nothing further. For the rest of the people, they probably thought nothing of it, she'd wager.
At last Jake pumped his wings, but so slowly as to provide minimum lift. He brought them in to a gentle landing on the roof of his apartment.
Nacomi slid off and turned to help Sam slide off. Her sister looked a little green as she stumbled off the dragon.
"I don't feel so good." She groaned.
Jake stepped hastily aside while Nacomi rushed over to check on her. Sam took a few steadying breaths before nodding.
"I'll be fine. It was just that last drop to the roof." She told them.
"Oh." Jake said.
"Why don't you wait here, Sam." Nacomi suggested. "I'll be right back."
"Yes." She said weakly. "Why don't I? Ugh. Be careful."
"I will." Nacomi promised.
She hurried down the fire escape ladder to Jake's window. Opening it she hurriedly stepped inside and grabbed a grocery sack from the kitchen. Going into the rooms she carefully collected each item with a long arm and placed it in the sack. Jake's proved the hardest to handle, because it was also the heaviest. In the end she had to place the neck of the bag over the top and pull it down quickly. Nothing happened and she breathed a sigh of relief.
Back on the roof she passed the bag over to Jake who took it in his front paw.
"Would you like to fly back with me?" he asked.
"Sure!" Nacomi said eagerly.
"Um, no." Sam said firmly. "We've got classes coming up Monday, remember? And lots of people are going to be coming back into town. It'd be a lot harder for her to get back into the dorm rooms unobserved!"
Nacomi stuck her tongue out at her sister. She always had to ruin her fun! But she had to admit she had a point. It would be difficult to get past her counselor. She had ears like a cat and the temper of a jail warden.
"Yeah, I don't want to get you into trouble." Jake said sheepishly.
"I'm not concerned." She tossed her head rebelliously. "I can sneak past Candy any day of the week."
Jake looked confused. "Who's Candy?"
"Our floor counselor." She said impatiently. "I've mentioned her to you before. Just don't land on the roof or wake the rest of the girls and we'll be fine."
Sam sighed. "All right. It's your funeral. But why don't you come to my apartment complex instead? There's a patch of trees in that park spot that he could probably land in without disturbing anyone."
"Taking off could be tricky." Jake mused. "But I think I could do it."
"Well, all right then!" She said happily.
"What about time?" Sam asked.
"What about it?" Nacomi asked dismissively. "It's Saturday. I don't need to get up early tomorrow."
"No, but coming back in the middle of the day would be a little difficult to explain." Sam retorted.
"That's true." Jake nodded. "But if she wants to just hang with me tomorrow, I'll return her after dark." He offered.
"Sounds like fun." Nacomi said.
"Okay." Sam nodded. "I hope you have fun."
The two sisters embraced. Nacomi then jumped up onto her seat. A very short time later she was soaring high above the sky scrapers of the city heading back towards the forest.

#
Nacomi watched as Jake disappeared into the lightening sky. They had stayed out far later than intended today, but they'd had so much fun together. They'd explored the mountains and discovered a nice little cave that Jake announced would suit his needs perfectly. She'd spent the rest of the day searching for moss and ferns to make him a nice bed. To her horror the fronds had dried out almost immediately under him. He'd done his best to make every sign he was comfortable though, and that was something at least.
Now, however, she needed to implement the plan to search for Roland's shop.
It wouldn't be easy, she knew. The store wasn't where anyone remembered it being. For that matter, it wasn't in the city. Jake had risked a low-altitude flight at night to hunt for it and came up empty.
Brian and Rachel had come up with a plan. More eyes would be a great help, they'd argued. Roland was dangerous, yes, but could he attack multiple officers, armed and searching for him? They thought not, though, as Rachel admitted, it was difficult to be sure of anything at this point. So they proposed to have Nacomi make the call to the police on Monday to report them missing. The reason she'd delayed was because of a note, written in Rachel's hand, that said they would be gone for a while seeking the shop. But when they hadn't come back, she'd begun worrying.
It seemed simple, and with Jake's earlier report of the gold statue he'd obtained, the obvious suspect would be Roland seeking to reclaim a priceless artifact. Would the police buy it? She sure hoped so!
Sam greeted her warmly as she entered the apartment.
"Hey. I made a salad and some ravioli for supper."
"That sounds heavenly." Nacomi smiled wearily. "Let me wash my hands and I'll be back."
"And then after dinner, you march right to the shower." Sam wrinkled her nose a little. "You stink of dragon!"
"Easy to do when you ride around on one all day long." She retorted.
"So what have you been doing?" Sam asked curiously when Nacomi returned, drying her hands.
Nacomi told her much of what they'd done together while she ate. The longer the conversation went, however, the hungrier she became until she realized she'd been ignoring Sam for some time. Clearing her throat and finishing the last bite on the plate, she asked sheepishly, "Sorry, could you repeat that."
"Well, at least someone enjoyed my cooking." Sam laughed.
"Yeah. Roast deer starts to wear on one after a while." Nacomi agreed.
"Well, I had asked what we were going to do now? I mean, after we call the cops and tell them of our friend's disappearances." She got up from the table. "Say, could you help me load these in the dishwasher real quick?"
"Sure." Nacomi got up and gathered the plates and spoons and took them into the kitchen. While she placed them in the plastic trays, she spoke. "Well, obviously Jake wants to keep us safe. He told us just to give the police their report and tell them of the shop. Then we were to wait. Ha."
"Like I said." Sam said with a grin. "What are we going to do now? It's not like they could stop us."
"Right." Nacomi nodded. "I'll play the distraught girlfriend for a day or two, then I'll use some of the money I've got saved up and get a car to begin looking. It'll be useful to drive out to the park to. To clear my head and remember my boyfriend by in his favorite place." She smirked.
Sam laughed. "Gotcha. And we'll be searching together. No way I'm going to let you go it alone. Besides, my job lets out close to the same time as your classes, so it will be easy for me to pick you up after class and we can start looking."
"Okay. Jake told me they'd been near the park on their way home when they ran into the store. Sounds like a good place to start looking." Nacomi suggested.
"Seems good to me." Sam shrugged. "It's not like I had anything better to do anyway.