The Dragon's Heart (A SummerXWinger story)

Finale

One week later

Summer's P.O.V

"Hey! Summer!" Leyla called to me.

"Coming!" I replied.

I ran over to my friend, still pondering the events of the past week. Winger and I had gotten lost in a cave, traveled to multiple different and dangerous islands, and angered a deadly dragon. It was a miracle that we had survived.

"What's up Ley?" I asked the girl as I slowed to a stop in front of her.

She smirked and gestured behind her. Winger was there, thinking no one else could see him. He was doing a variety of ridiculous things, like chasing his tail and chewing on rocks. I burst out laughing at the sight of him.

"What has gotten into Winger?" I asked Leyla.

"Well, Cutter and I were going to give Haggis catnip to see what happened. We sprinkled it onto a fish and set it on the desk." Dak started to explain as he walked up to us.

"Winger ate the fish, not knowing it was seasoned with the catnip. And, well.... you see how that turned out." He finished.

I looked back toward the dragon, still chuckling a bit. Winger turned his head and spotted us, then trotted over, wagging his tail like a dog.

"Hello mates! What's cracking?" He said in a perfect Australian accent. Dak exploded with laughter beside me.

"Oh Winger. Come on, let's get you inside." I said, watching as he swayed from side to side.

"Why? I love it out here!" Winger told me. He started to lose his footing, and I let him lean on me for balance. As we walked back into the sleep cave, his eyes started to flutter shut.

"You tired?" I asked him.

He looked me straight in the eyes and asked "How many cats do you think it would take to fill up an entire planet?" Before I could answer, he said "It's gotta be at least seven." Then Winger flopped down on the floor and started snoring.

Cutter and Aggro, who were also in the sleep cave at the time, had seen and heard everything and were now giggling and rolling on the floor. Leyla, Dak and Burple walked in shortly after I had pulled a blanket over Winger's sleeping body.

"Wow. He's knocked out." Dak stated.

"That catnip must have really done something."

I looked at the sleeping Winger. He was so cute!

"It's hard to believe that he's the same dragon that defeated the Red Death!" Cutter said from behind me, still laughing a little bit.

"Ok Cutter that's kind of rude." Aggro scolded.

"But really though. It's hard to believe any of us defeated Shredder." Cutter replied.

"Well that's the thing.... Shredder wasn't a normal Red Death." Leyla said. Dak cocked his head to the side.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"Shredder was... a pigmy Red Death. They are much smaller and weaker than normal Red Deaths." Leyla said.

"WHAT?!" Cutter and Aggro both said in unison as their jaws dropped open. I was surprised myself.

"So a normal Red Death would crush us like bugs?" I asked. Leyla nodded.

"Pretty much."

Winger's P.O.V

It was late at night. I had woken up in the sleep cave, not even knowing how I had gotten there. Summer was sleeping right beside me. She looked so nice and peaceful..... Iggy coughed at the other side of the room.

"You're still awake?" I asked the dragon. He saw me and nodded.

"You've been out for awhile. I suggest not eating that catnip anymore." He said. So that's what happened!

"Hey... thanks for helping Summer and I get out of the cage. We owe you our lives." I told Iggy. He smiled.

"It's no problem. I was tired of Shredder ordering me around anyway." He said.

"How did you come into Shredder's possession in the first place?" I asked. Iggy's smile turned into a frown.

"Shredder came to my home island hungry. He was going to destroy the entire island, but my family fought back. He was too strong and killed everyone. Everyone except me. I begged for my life and said I would serve Shredder if he let me live. Somehow he agreed." Iggy explained.

"And when I saw you two in that cage.... I knew you guys loved each other a lot.... and I couldn't possibly let you feel the same pain I did." He finished.

"Could you guys keep it down a bit? I'm still awake and trying to sleep." Axel said from a few feet away. I cocked my head.

"I know you can understand me. I just can't understand you." I laid my head back down and shifted my gaze toward Summer.

Her face had went from peaceful and happy to stressed. I snuggled into her, wrapping my wings around her shivering body. She tensed up, then relaxed. Summer made a soft purring sound and curled her tail around me. I looked at a grinning Iggy, who had been watching rather than try to sleep himself.

"I called it." He said.

I closed my eyes and let the pull of sleep take me over, listening to Summer's soft snores and the sound of the crackling fire place. Just like the fire in my heart. For my friends. For my life. I heard the breathing of my companion next to me. For Summer.