Shadow's Past Revealed

Summary:
Sierra's Dragons weren't always Dragon/Mouse Hybrids, they were once all Marsian Mice Knights of the highest Caliber and Shad was once only married two years and six months when he was captured and forcefully and painfully fused with his crystalline dragon. While Sierra is taking care of a very sick Shadow who is running a dangerously high fever, Micha and a few others have been researching how to undo the fusion. This story takes place two years BEFORE Sierra and Rimfire tie the knot and Sierra finds out she's expecting their first set of twins.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------It was a brisk yet cool autumn day in the Country side and while the leaves were falling off the trees and Sierra sat at her porch desk inking her latest children's book, Shad was inside his home trying to finish a few chores while battling the urge to fall asleep.

He'd been feeling off for the last few days, hot one minute cold the next, finding it hard to breathe without coughing, the room spun every once in a while then swam before his eyes yet he'd shake his head to clear his vision and continue on with his autumn cleaning until at long last, his body said 'NO MORE IGNORING ME!' causing him to pass out in the kitchen pantry.

As lunch time approached, Sierra glanced over at the clock on the right side of her computer then up at the path that lead to Shad's place wondering where he'd gotten off to.

Saving her work as not to loose her progress, Sierra unfurled her long legs, stood up, stretched good and hard causing joints to pop back into place, then slipped her feet into her shoes and headed off the porch, up the path, through the tall gate, continuing up the path to Shad's place where she stopped and knocked on his front door as per request.

After knocking several times and getting no answer, Sierra reached out and turned the door knob to the right pushing the door open

Sierra pushes Shad's front door open calling: Shad?! (Steps inside noticing how clean the front of the house was, slipped her feet out of her dirty shoes and continued further into Shad's house calling) Shad?! It's almost lunch time and lunch should be ready!

Shad hears Sierra's voice ring in his ears but doesn't have the strength to answer back and blacks back out

Sierra heads further into his kitchen where she caught the stew just before it bubbled over in the pot, turns the stove off, moves the pot to a cool burner to settle down then notices the oven was on, grabs the oven mitts, puts them on, opens the oven door, grabs a tray of scratch made biscuits, cookies and croissants, sets them on the large spacious wire rack to cool then pulls out a second tray she sat on the wire rack, shuts the oven off leaving the door open to cool the inside of the oven down and continues looking for Shad calling: Shad?! (Hears Dragon come in the back door and heads towards it saying) You haven't by chance seen Shad have you? I just rescued lunch from burning on the stove and the croissants, cookies and biscuits almost burned in the oven.

Dragon pushes his worry aside and says: No, I haven't seen him. I'm surprised nothing's burned! Shad NEVER leaves the oven and stove on. You alright Sierra?

Sierra: Welcome to cough, cold, allergy and flu season. Thus far, I've cancelled my flu shot, eye and dental appointments because I can't see straight. Where's it coming from? It's the most awful rotten miserable time of the year.

Dragon: Then it's time for a trip to either Elliott, Jude or Terry to find out what you've come down with. Wonderful. Aria and Orion are loopy today! Where's this bug coming from?
Sierra: Welcome to cough, cold, allergy and flu season. This far, I've cancelled my flu shot because I can't see straight. Where's it coming from? It's the most awful rotten miserable time of the year.

Dragon to himself: Better get the twins in to Crystal and get them checked over.

Sierra groans, puts her glasses back on, opens her eyes and says: As soon as I figure out what's going on with Shad, Uncle Elliot wants to see me when I'm done here and Shad's asleep. Terry and Jude are both slammed so Uncle Elliot was the only one with enough free time to check me over thoroughly and send a copy of the report to both Jude and Terry when he's done. Probably what I said it is, a miserable full body cold that will be treated with a course of antibiotics and four lovely doses of dirty socks.

Dragon: Di-dirty socks?! OH! Buckley's! Have fun! I'll check the out buildings and see if he's out there. (Heads outside to check the outbuildings to see if Shad was out there)

Sierra heads off to continue her search for her friend until she found him passed out in the pantry, pulls out her cell phone and calls Damien's phone getting him on the first ring saying: I need you and Axel at Shad's place to help with a laundry list of chores he still needs to get done. (Kneels down beside Shad, slips her hand under his bangs pulling it out quickly saying to Damien) Ooh, he's burning up with fever!

Damien calls out to Axel: We have to go to Shad's place! Sierra needs help finishing his chore list! He's out cold on the floor of the pantry! So we've heard. What the hell is going on? Did you know he was sick?

Sierra: I myself am sick! I wouldn't be surprised if he's sick as well.

Axel comes on the line saying with a sigh: Grandpa's sick as well with a stuffy, funny nose, pounding eyes and head, sore the and congested chest. Grandma's closed the time doors until he's back up on his feet. It's a travelers virus coming from visitors who won't stay in their lodgings while sick. They seem to think fresh air will cute their ailments. What about you?
Sierra: Allergies, Bronchitis and probably a touch of the flu. Did they ever find out who was behind the robberies?
Axel grabs that day's newspaper and says: Today's paper says the person responsible for the wave of terror and crime was caught and it was Mirabelle! The story goes into detail about how she committed her crimes and how she sold the stolen goods on the hidden black market for millions of dollars.

Sierra snorts saying with a laugh: Someone found two peach colored ribbons at the scene of her last crime and connected it to her right off the bat because she NEVER goes ANYWHERE without four ribbons in her hair. Two pink ones tied around the elastic at the tops of her pony tails and one peach one at the bottom of the braids. They're ALWAYS either pink and peach colored.
Axel: We're on our way to come help you. Try to get a temperature reading, if it's too high, try to cool him down enough to get him somewhere to lay down. (Hangs up to go grab some gear then heads through the only door that hadn't been deemed off limits to go help his sister)