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Part I : Tabula Rasa

There's something I haven't talked about. I was aware that something was different about me much before Nevlaan came out with the "metempsychosis" theory. As I've said, some nights, I would land with Nevlaan, others I wouldn't remember a thing. But there was some nights where I would wake up in a different dreamstate. A completely different place. When I was younger, I didn't make the connection but later on, I started to think there must have been a reason why it happened, why I was being shown this. I was about 13 the first time that another dreamstate actually showed up. I was already happy with Nevlaan at the time. Our relationship was only budding back then but already, he brought me some of the happiest memories I have, whether in waking or sleeping life. I was looking forward to my nights and the thought of his presence carried me through my days. It was a simple rhythm I got accustomed to and it made me happy. It made Nevlaan happy too, as he repeated to me ad nauseam. Honestly, I never really got sick of hearing it. I felt like the luckiest guy ever. This "metempsychosis" ability I seemed to possess was the greatest thing ever, I thought... until it backfired on me.

That day was particularly hectic. I had just started high school and it was quite a stressful change for me. You have to understand that with my dyspraxia, change was not my biggest comfort zone. I had settled in a comfortable routine and this high school thing completely flipped it over. I was stressed out with everything. I was angry at everyone. I had already gotten myself into the habit of soaking into a hot bath every night. It was a relaxing ritual. So when I got home, I had dinner and did my homework and then I slid into a hot bath with the usual dose of fragrant salts, enveloping the bathroom with a thick smell of eucalyptus and tea tree oil, a scent that Nevlaan always seemed particularly enamored with and I headed to bed not long after that.

My eyes slowly opened and I was hit with a familiar acrid smell that I was not prepared for. But I was even more taken aback with my surroundings. Did I do something wrong? I asked myself, did I take a wrong turn somewhere? As if I was in control of all this! I was so upset. More like, completely panicked. At first, I was disappointed. I called out to Nevlaan. I headed in the direction of our secret beach. Nothing. Not a soul. It was then I started to get angry. I kicked at the ground, grabbed some of the alkaloid bleached rocky soil and threw it. My panic got the best of me and I started to scream at the top of my lungs. I screamed, again and again, until my voice got hoarse and some more, until my throat wouldn't allow me to anymore. I gathered myself after a while and thought: "this is all a mistake. I'm just too tired. I have to calm down". After all, some nights I would not even get to that place. If I was too tired, I would sleep the night remembering nothing. I sat down and closed my eyes, secretly hoping I would land in Nevlaan's embrace, secretly hoping I would land back to Sirius and never wake up again. The next day was a Saturday and I was hell bent on doing nothing, keeping energy to land in Nevlaan's bed in my sleep, in vain. Nothing happened. Several more days passed and I got more and more impatient. I was moody, depressed and grouchy, like the kid in the car that would keep asking: "are we there yet"? More days went by, with another series of empty landscapes.

Now, I've always been a huge gamer. It's the only outlet I have. Ever since I was 5, I've been into role-playing games and they occupy nearly every moment of my free time. I clearly remember that at the time, I was replying one of my favorite games, Dragon Warrior III, in an attempt to relax and get the anger and depression off my mind. It didn't work. I went to the game store and I was looking for something to play and for some odd reason, I was dragged to Contra. I thought, "this looks like a good outlet" and I somehow felt like shooting at stuff. It seemed like a way to exorcist my frustration. I played the hell out of that. Beat it in two days. Then I swapped it for what would become of my favorite games of all time, Dragon Spirit. I devoured the game in a day or two. I felt so much frustration, so much anger. My own daily life was being influenced by my frustration. I began to listen to rock music, played shooting games... I didn't even realize how much I was changing, even though it was so subtle to everyone else, until one night, there was a change in the dreamstate.

I opened my eyes to a familiar barren landscape, except this time the sky was more ominous that I remembered it. The smell in the air was different, as well. It was a thicker, harsher smell. I couldn't identify it yet. I walked around hoping there would be something else added. Maybe Nevlaan would be back! The only thing I found was a large metallic structure with a large tarp over it, which I later would learn was a barrack tent. At the time, I was completely oblivious to it and I made my way over like an idiot not knowing what I'd find. I entered the empty tent, only to find what looked like items a soldier would use. You know, racks with ammo, various gear and other tactical items that were completely uncharted terrain to me at the time. Some of it still is, for that matter. I was looking around and before I could even think to myself that maybe there was someone new around, I was greeted at gunpoint. Who the hell puts a gun to a kid's head? He starts talking in some language I can't understand, and he sounded pissed. I was kind of pissed too, actually. I didn't move, as even though I was a kid, I had seen movies before and I knew what was going on. He tried to tell him to calm down and he reached for something and all of a sudden, I could understand him.

• How about now?

• Hey, I can understand you!

• Finally. Terran? What the fuck? Kid, you better tell me what the hell you know!

• How the hell should I know. You're the one suddenly showing up in my dream, dude. And could you put that thing somewhere else than on my head?

• Say what? Kid, you're not dreaming and I sure as shit ain't feeling like joking at a time like this! I better warn you, I have an itchy trigger finger.

• Neither am I, mister. You're in my dreamstate. You're probably asleep, just like me.

• Kid... you're testing my patience. Where the fuck are we?

  • My dreamstate, I told you!

• Alright, alright! Looking at you, you sure ain't Sirian and I'm not on Terra, so... what the fuck is going on?

• I don't know. Nevlaan is gone and the next thing I know, you're here.

• Did you say "Nevlaan"?

• You know Nev? Wait, you said "Sirian". You're from Sirius too??

• I am. Now, tell me what you know about Nevlaan?

• Nevlaan is my friend. He's super nice and he'll kick your ass if you hurt me.

• Oh, will he, now? Kid, I don't know how the hell you know that name, but Nevlaan's been dead for damn while!

• What?? You can't be serious... I was with him two weeks ago!

He growled and holstered his sidearm. He then grabbed me and turned me around to face him. My face was inches away from this big white dragon muzzle that was glaring at me with angry, icy blue eyes, clearly not very happy with the situation. He growled again and I got a puff of this rank smelling smoke in my face. It smelled of mixed morning breath, burning meat and cigar smoke. He stepped back and let go of me. and that was the first look I had at him.

I was shocked. In fact, I was so shocked I probably nearly fainted. I mean, along with ocean creatures, I was always into dragons and reptiles and such... but I wasn't prepared for this. I was gazing at this at this beautiful half-dragon, white as snow. At first glance at him, I immediately saw him as an angel. He stood tall (almost 8 feet tall), with a chiseled chest and defined abs, smooth hide all over and a and a short but soft looking mane, almost as white as his scales albeit with a slight cream-colored tinge. His horns went straight back from his head at an angle and looked made of sapphire, reflecting the light quite vividly. His wings, which were tucked to his back, looked strong and capable and his tail was showing behind him, slender and lean, without any visible appendage at its tip. He spoke with a very firm tone but he was always very collected, like the stereotypical soldier archetype you'd see on TV.

• Kid, I don't know what's going on, why I'm here, why you're here but I sure as hell don't plan on staying here.

• Sorry to hear that... you can look around if you want but there's nothing here. We're alone. My dreamstate is empty again and you're the first I see since two weeks, so you can fuck off, ok?! I don't have to take you shouting at me like that!

He sighed, breathing in slowly and gathering his senses.

• You better explain everything to you know to me. And keep it simple, for fuck's sake!

• Alright... do you have a name or something? You're a soldier or something, right?

• Nathaniel. That's all you'll get from me. Now talk.

I explained everything to him, about how my dreamstate began, how I don't know what causes it or why it shows up, about meeting Nevlaan and what he told me about Sirius. He seemed to calm down at that. His anger turned to curiosity.

• You said your name is Jon, right? You know, my father great grandfather Sorvaa'hr served under Nevlaan for a long time.

• Really? You granddad was in the Sirian army?

• Great grandfather. And damn right, he was! Best pilot there was... at least until... bah!

He growled angrily.

• I take it things went bad.

• Things went bad? You shitting me, kid?! The great cataclysm! That bastard damned well near blew Sirius to bits! Fucking Arcturians!

• I don't understand... but that sounds bad.

• You don't need to! For now, I want to get out of here, and you're going to help me!

I woke up the night morning in bed. I laid there for a while. Nathaniel scared me. Unlike Nevlaan, I felt no protection from him, only hostility and anger. I was not looking forward to the following night. The next day, I plotted and thought about what I could do if he showed up again. I was young and stupid then. I had no idea what I was getting into.

Part II : Renewal

As if fate was being her usual fickle self, the next night, I woke up to Nevlaan's comforting nature. I was confused. Was it all just a bad dream? Nevlaan too had been worried and I was about to learn that I had no control over my power. Some nights, I woke up to Nevlaan, and others, I would wake up to other landscapes. Not long after, I ended up living several alternate lives in my nightly ventures. At that moment, I was just happy to see Nevlaan, honestly.... and I hoped it would stay this way. I had decided to not talk to Nevlaan about Nathaniel. It seemed irrelevant to me, and I would soon learn that it was better this way.

As if fate was hell bent on torturing me, the following night Nathaniel did show up and he was dressed for war, in full combat gear. Part of me kind of dug it, honestly. It's a shame he wasn't there to protect me. I was still thinking about what I should do. It's stupid, really. He scared me, but I was so scared of being alone that I thought being with him beat being alone. I went inside the tent and he was seemingly sleeping. I don't know what came over me at that moment. I thought I could get the upper hand, I guess. I was scared. I mean, he held me at gunpoint! I sneaked in (or so I thought), I tried to reach for his sidearm and the next second, he grabbed my hand and he snarled at me.

• What do you think you're doing, kid?

• Shit...

• First lesson: you don't sneak on a soldier. Got it?

• Yes, Sir.

• Good. Also, do you even know how to use it?

• Well... no.

He chuckled.

• You're an idiot.

• Says the one that held me at gunpoint.

• Hey, I woke up in an unfamiliar place, with a half-naked human kid. I was perfectly within my reason to do it!

• Yeah, whatever! Before you showed up, I was happy with Nev! He was protecting me and we were supporting each other. He had just turned levyataan and made me his human. And then the damn dreamstate goes all blank slate on me and then YOU show up, holding me at gunpoint, so excuse the fuck out of me if I'm not exactly thrilled with your presence, ok?!

Nathaniel's reaction surprised me. His hard stance softened and he brushed my chin with a claw.

• Hey... relax, kid. You're going to have a heart attack, at this rate. Levyataan... So you're not kidding, are you? You know Nevlaan, somehow.

• I told you...

• Look, it makes no sense to me. But I know there's something going on. I noted everything I did yesterday and I kept it in a notepad. Take a look.

He pulled out a small notepad, filled with notes and what looks like a schedule.

• Can't read it...

• Oh, right. It's my schedule for today. See, the last line? It says: "35:00, time to rest. Wonder what will happen?"

• And you landed here...

• Looks that way. So it looks like you're not pulling my chain: you dragged me here somehow. I'm just not sure how or why.

• Maybe because you know Nev?

• Could be. Except in my timeline, he's dead.

I hated hearing that. My only reaction was to hit him... I landed a good one on his muzzle that surprised the hell out of him but I don't think it hurt him much.

• Fuck! I didn't expect that. Good one, kid...

• That's for saying shit like that. Don't remind me of it.

• Alright, sorry.

• He got up and looked around us, as if he was looking for something.

• What are you looking for?

• Nothing, just trying to get my bearings. My compass is completely useless here.

• Yeah, just so you know, you can walk for hours here seeing nothing. It's an empty desert.

• Great... well, don't worry, kid. I've got your back, at least until we figure this out.

For the first time, I felt something from him. It was different, though. Nev's protecting feeling was soft and warm while his was cold and threatening. I felt like he was just doing it because he thought I held answers for him. Still, I couldn't help but feel better.

• Thanks, I guess...

• Hey. I know what you're thinking. You're not a fucking POW, alright? I'm just trying to figure things out and you're the only answer I have so far, so I damn well plan on keeping you safe, no matter what.

• Alright... thanks.

He nodded. I felt a little better with these words.

The following weeks, we got to know each other more. I learned more about the state of Sirius in Nathaniel's timeline, how it was slowly recovering from some terrible event, which he would tell me little of but from the looks of it, his ancestor was involved in it and Nevlaan was still alive at the time. We grew "closer". He taught me some self-defense techniques, since let's face it, I was always getting picked on and I would show up in the dreamstate with bruises and such and he would get so angry at that. He would scold me and tell me to defend myself and I told him I had no idea what to do, so I took it upon himself to teach me. He taught me how to use someone's strength against themselves and how to escape a dodgy situation and things like that. As it turns out, this would become useful shortly.

I was in 8th grade. As unlikely as it sounds, that year I was going to a new school and I had made a few friends in my waking life, all oddballs like me. One of them I got especially close to, the point we actually could have perhaps been dating, if I didn't end up moving to another city the following year. Her name was Caroline and she was afflicted with spina bifida, a crippling disorder in which one's spinal cord is unable to support the lower half of the body, restraining them to a wheelchair. That said, she was as smart as anyone else, if not more. She was a pretty girl, with tidy slightly darker-than-blonde hair, always dressed in colorful clothes. She was 6' tall but you would never realise it, of course.

One morning, I was coming to school from home at our usual very early time. We always met by the elevator on the school's second floor. When I got there, she wasn't there. I didn't make a case of it, maybe she was not feeling well and stayed home. I don't know what pushed me to do that but whereas I would usually just sit there and read whatever book I was blasting through at the time, I felt like walking around to stretch my legs. I heard something coming from a nearby hallway and I walked faster while trying to stay unnoticed and when I turned the corner, Caroline was there along with one of the school's reknowned bullies who was, in his typical behavior, bullying her. He had cornered her and was telling her all sorts of stupid crap. I'm still not entirely sure what came over me at that moment but I wasn't having any of it. I rushed over and shoved the guy over, pushing him to the wall. I remember distinctly feeling intense rage at that moment and I held him by the throat and when he tried to grab at me, I damned well nearly broke his wrist. I said something to him that I can't remember and I seemingly let him go after that. That part is still completely blank to me. I just remember brushing through Caroline's hair and asking her if she was alright. I was later told by her that he pissed his pants. Supposedly, again according to her, I rushed him and I said something to him in a nearly growled voice and when he ran off and I turned back to her, my eyes are almost fully black my pupils being so dilated or something. They went back to normal in a few seconds. Scared the crap out of her, too.

I didn't know at the time, but I learned much later that it was Nathaniel's influence which somehow "leaked" out. It would happen the next week in the bus, a classic place where I would get bullied. The classic move for them was to swing their bags in my face as they went by. That one morning I don't know what came over me but one guy did it and I got up, went to the back of the bus where they all would hang and I grabbed his bag and shoved it in his face and I told him something in the lines of "next time, you're going to lose some of those teeth and wipe that smug ass smile off your face". I scared the crap out of that guy. Actually started to defend me, go figure. I don't understand bullies. I guess they're all just attention whores. It was then that I realized I was changing in my daily life. I was building up caracter, standing up for myself. I was starting to get out of this constant state of depression and slowly breaking out of this shell I had built for myself. I was becoming a new me. A better me. Was it Nathaniel's doing? What about Nevlaan? I was still missing him, constantly hoping I would wake up in his bed, sadly in vain.

Part III: Revelation

That night, when I woke up in the dreamstate, I immediately felt a change. The air was warmer. The smell was different. Where as before it was more of an acrid, acidic smell, now it was a different smell, reminiscent of an oily smell. The smell was one thing, but I could see something on the horizon. A large structure? When I got to the tent, it was intact still but there was a towering building nearby, like a hangar of sorts. I thought I would be funny and I entered the tank, letting out:

• Hey, Nate? Did you bring a fighter jet around this time or some shit?

I had no answer for a moment before he made his way inside from the back with the look of someone that had just seen a ghost on his face.

• I didn't, unfortunately... how the fuck did you drag this here?

• I wish I could answer you. To me, this is all new. It just showed up. What is it?

His expression changed and he took a sudden stern look and nearly hissed at me:

• It doesn't matter! You're not to ever get close to this place. Understand?

• What? You know you just made me even more curious, right?

• I'm not shitting you, kid. If you get close to that place, I will tie you up. This is the last I will say about this matter. Case closed. Got it?

• Yeah, but...

• GOT IT?

• Alright, alright...

• If you even think about sneaking there without me knowing... you will regret it.

• Alright, I got it, already... jeez...

As you might imagine, I didn't. Pretty much any kid gets curious when any place is slapped with big "don't enter" signs on it. I was going to try every trick in the book to get in. And boy, Nathaniel didn't make it easy! He was keeping my busy with self-defense training and when he wasn't, he was watching me like a hawk, hell bent on keeping me out there. I was annoyed at this. I kept hoping to wake up to Nevlaan and not have to deal with him. It was like this for a good while, 2 years or so, until the dreamstate's living nature took over again, this time in a seemingly positive direction.

That night, I woke up in the Nathaniel's dreamsphere (I would learn that this "dreamstate" is made of several "dreamspheres", like different points on a connected timeline) made my way to the tent and there was no Nathaniel to speak of around. I actually made a round and made sure he wasn't just testing me. When I was certain he seemed nowhere to be found, I went into the tent and looked around. A pistol like his own sidearm was laying on a table. Perfect opportunity, or so I thought. It looked alien, familiar but it clearly had technology that I wasn't familiar with. I grabbed it and tried to fire it towards the empty horizon and the recoil sent me landing on my ass. It fired a kind of concentrated laser blast. I decided to keep it with me, as if I knew going to that hangar was a bad idea. Because yes, even though Nathaniel was nowhere to be found, the hangar was there, however. I thought to myself: "am being invited in?".

I carefully made my way over. I was curious, but if a soldier like Nathaniel was worried about what was in there, I told myself I should be on my guard. I found the placed locked up by chains and a padlock. "Of course", I thought. Thankfully, I had seen people in movies use the butt of a gun to break padlocks and although this pistol was different from the ones I had seen, it still worked like a charm. I carefully removed the chains and slid open one of the large doors. It was dark inside and a intense oily smell flew right out of the gate. I thought to myself it must be some kind of vehicle, they keep here, like a tank or something. Always liked military vehicles. I could find no light to turn on, but I thought Nathaniel probably had some kind of flashlight in his gear, so I decided to go back to look for one but before I could leave, a faint, eerie yellow light dimly lit the room. I looked up towards the source and I saw two spooky golden yellow eyes in the dark. It was scared the crap out of me.

The air suddenly filled with a sound I wasn't familiar with at then time: the sound of turbine engines starting up. A deep whine filled the air along a wave of quickly increasing heat. At first this dry heat seemed pleasant but when the smell accompanying this heat and whining hit my senses, it hit hard. It was like a diesel truck's exhaust, multiplied exponentially. It quickly made my lightheaded and dizzy. It wasn't long before I couldn't breathe anymore in this this blazing hot, exhaust-laden air. Yet, I couldn't run. My legs wouldn't allow me to and my senses were completely drugged and unresponsive. The only thing I remember was slowly collapsing to the ground, crawling over towards whatever that was, and then I heard a voice. It was a deep, oddly echoed voice, almost like something that would come from a vocoder. It spoke to me in a language I couldn't understand. I think I actually called out to Nathaniel at that moment, being the only one I saw around there. I passed out not long after that, waking up in bed shaking, with my heart throbbing and my body sweating profusely like a whore in a church, soaking my bed. I had the biggest migraine I ever had. I actually remembered everything as usual and two things occurred to me: "why didn't I run?", and "why was I not covering my face to try to breathe?". I couldn't figure it out. As it turns out, I didn't hate that smell. Then, it occurred to me I always liked the smell of exhaust fumes. Well, "liking" is laughable, coming from the kid that would actually love to sneak and pass behind the line of parked school buses at school, filling his senses with the exhaust. Truth be told, I've always been drawn to it and a lot of the time it arouses me. The reason for all this would become more logical later on.

The following night, I woke up in the dreamstate to a very angry Nathaniel. He grabbed me before I could even say anything, he was growling quite angrily, smoke wisps fluttering from his nostrils.

• You bloody imbecile! I told you not to get close! He could have killed you!

Technically, he couldn't. At least, I don't think so. Nevertheless, this thing definitely seemed the kind of inimical entity some would find in the their nightmares. But at that moment, all I could find to do was tearing up and crying in silence. He was incredibly angry and I got a closeup of his fangs. I was worried he'd nip or even bite me but he just suddenly slapped me quite hard. So hard, his claws made my cheeks bleed. And then, silence. He just pulled me close and gently held me. I was confused as hell, but I wasn't about to refuse his hold, and I couldn't say anything to justify myself. His hold was firm, warm with a discernible tinge of worry. All I found to do was break out and cry and I suddenly felt his warm leathery wings around me, with his tail around us.

• I should kick you ass so hard... but all that matters is you're safe and sound.

• I'm sorry... sorry I disobeyed you...

• Glad you are. I can't fault you too much, to be frank. I'm told I'm too damn curious for my own good myself.

• Just what was that, Nate...?

• That was Storm. The MAU - that means "mobile armored unit" - responsible for the great cataclysm.

• What...?

• Yeah. Sorvaa'hr was its pilot.

• Your great granddad?

• Yeah...

• I'm so sorry... but wait... what's this Storm doing here?

• That's what I'd like to know...

Nathaniel raised his paw.

• Shh. Listen.

I heard a series of soft beeping on Nathaniel's radio.

• What's this, some kind of signal?

• Yeah. It's a beacon that synchronizes an MAU to it's pilot.

• Wait, so your granddad is here?

• No... it's reacting to you.

Part IV: Intuition

The signal did not stop, several weeks later, it was still going. Nathaniel knew what Storm was doing. It was calling its pilot. Except I wasn't his pilot. Or at least, not in my timeline. But he said only a pilot could make an MAU react the way Storm did, although he did say Storm was by no means a "standard issue" MAU, that he (at least, I thought Storm was a "he", considering his voice) was a highly secret military project with which the ultimate goal was mass produce bigger, more powerful MAUs. Thankfully, it would seem Storm was the only one of his kind ever to be made.

Ever since that night, Nathaniel was much more open with me. He trusted me, somehow. Was it because Storm was calling for me? He would not tell me much about his great granddad or why Storm reacted to me. But the funny thing is, I was feeling more and more drawn to Storm. I felt like I wanted to see him again. Well, more like I needed to see him again. What I felt is hard to describe. It's like a nagging, beckoning feeling drawing you towards something. I kept pestering Nathaniel to let me go and after a while of it, he finally caved in. However, he wanted to be prepared. He made me wear some his gear - a pair of insulating pants, shirt and jacket, that were all stupidly heavy and uncomfortable, as well as this ugly mask. I was not happy with it but it wasn't up for negotiation, and I just wanted to see Storm. Although, to be fair, it was worth the price of admission, if to see Nathaniel almost naked, in all his immaculate white draconic glory. Whew, what a hunk...

I got dressed in all that gear and I slowly made my way to the hangar. I was a nervous wreck, truth be told. We opened both doors. Nathaniel wanted to stay behind. He was scared of Storm, clearly. I went inside and it wasn't long before Storm reacted and booted up, the familiar sounds and heat blasting over me again. This time, lights light up all across his plates, revealing his form to me for the first time. I laid my eyes on the craziest shit I could ever imagine. A massive, several stories high black robot in the shape of an anthropomorphic shark, with huge arms and legs, what looked like missile mounts on his flanks and large cannons on his arms. A full blown mech.

Even with the mask on, the smell of his exhaust was overpowering... and yet, I loved it. It was somehow comforting to me. Storm beeped and seemed to scan me, seeming to adjust. Then he spoke.

• ~ Pilot. ~

I could understand him. I guessed he must have had some kind of supercomputer inside him equipped with a translator.

• H-Hello, Storm... listen, I'm not your pilot. But I may be related to him.

• ~ Good to see you, pilot. ~

• Umm... did you hear what I just said?

• ~ My sensors work fine. But you are my pilot. Your radiation matches that of my cores in standby. ~

• My radiation? I'm not radioactive, you know.

• ~ All organics emit thermal radiation. Your natural radiation matches my own, therefore you are my pilot. ~

• I-I don't understand...

• ~ Pilot, I am hungry. ~

• You're... hungry? What? Do you mean you want fuel?

• ~ No, pilot. Hungry, not thirsty. Please, step inside. ~

• Inside? You can't be serious...

• ~ Why not? ~

• Storm, I just told you, I'm not pilot material. I can't even drive a car!

• ~ I will teach you. Step inside. ~

I heard a loud hiss and what seemed like a hatch opened. I had to climb a bit to get to it. Thankfully it was in the dark because I don't deal well with heights. I stepped inside and the hatch closed right back behind me. The inside was lit with a soft reddish-yellow light. It seemed so huge and filled with labyrinthine hallways. It was unreal. Storm lit a path for me with soft green spotlights. I made my way through a hallway and ended up in a round room with a large structure, completely alien to me. It looked like a large glass tube with an open door.

• Storm...? What's this?

• ~ Remove your gear. ~

• What...?

• ~ Remove your gear. ~

I obeyed and took off everything but my boxers. I felt vulnerable as hell in there. But somehow, I wasn't afraid. It was warm inside, with a faint, strangely comforting smell of heated mechanical parts and oil.

• ~ Remove everything. ~

• Everything?

• ~ Yes. ~

I was in no position to negotiate, so I did as I was told and removed my underwear.

• ~ Step inside the pod. ~

• O-Ok.

I slowly walked in, the door closing behind me. At first, I felt like a lab mouse in a glass cage. Suddenly, holes in the floor beneath me opened and some wires slid out. I felt two sticking to my back. It startled me but I didn't hurt me. Then two more came to stick to my chest.

• ~ Pilot, your vitals are unstable. Your heart rate is high. Are you afraid? ~

• Well... I'm nervous...

• ~ No need to be. ~

• Easy for you to say...

Then something slid out that looked like one of these water dispensers you put in a cage for pets.

• ~ Drink. It will calm you. ~

• What is it...?

• ~ A mild sedative. ~

• Oh... alright...

I did so reluctantly, worrying that my body would react badly to it and also that it would drug me so Storm could have his way with me. It tasted horrible, bitter and chemical-like, kind of like chewing on Aspirin. But after a few minutes, I was feeling more relaxed. Everything seemed normal and I wasn't slowed down or anything, but I felt more... mellow.

• ~ Good. Your heart rate is returning to normal limits. Breathe slowly, pilot. You are safe with me. ~

Somehow, that immediately lifted any worry I had. It was better than any meds or touch. But I wasn't prepared for what came next. I heard a soft mechanical whirring and hissing sound, and then I felt a strong pinch in my upper back. And another... and two more. I had no idea what happened when I felt a very odd sensation, like something was being drained from me. Blood?! In any case, I felt no fear. It was a very alien sensation and kind of alarming, but I just laid there, closing my eyes. I should have run! This hulking machine was feeding itself on me somehow! And yet, I can't describe what I felt. It was deeper than any kind of love. Deeper than any kind of connection I knew. It was this kind of... intrinsic trust, this innate synchronicity. I felt connected to Storm at a cellular level... at an atomic level, even. Every cell, every molecule, every atom felt synchronized to his systems. It seemed like forever before whatever these things in my back were got pulled off slowly and retreated back into the flood, releasing me.

• ~ Pilot, do you feel alright? ~

• Y-Yeah... I think so... I just... don't understand what I'm feeling.

• ~ Please come to the piloting station. ~

• Wait, is that your cockpit...? Are you sure...?

• ~ Yes. ~

The door opened and I stepped out, feeling oddly refreshed and very calm. He lit up the way for me as I exited the chamber, leading me to what seemed like an elevator. I stepped inside and felt a soft throb as I was taken up, the doors opening to a surprisingly small room with a large seat in the middle of it. What stuck out to me is the lack of consoles, of controls of any kind.

• Is this it...?

• ~ Yes. Take your seat, pilot. ~

I still shivered every single time he called me that. I felt like an impostor.

• Storm...? What if I'm not your pilot after all?

• ~ You are. ~

• Yeah, but... what if someone showed up here and wasn't?

• ~ The controls would not respond. If they attempted to hijack me, they would get a massive energy feedback, strong enough to kill any organic. ~

• So you mean any living being that's not your pilot would get killed?

• ~ Yes. ~

• I-I see. Alright...

I thought to myself: "now's as good a time as ever to make a leap of faith into the dark abyss". I made my way over slowly, slid myself into the large seat. It was comfortable, thickly padded and clearly made for lengthy sessions. It felt like the kind of chair you'd find at a spa or some place like that. I ended up relaxing in it, only so long as something came up from the floor and I found my temple being hooked up to a small electrode-like appendage. I felt a soft tingle before my body turned completely numb. It scared the crap out of me, honestly.

• ~ We are in sync. Status green. Turning on HUD. ~

And then, something happened that still gives me shivers every time. I found myself looking through his eyes, listening through his audio sensors and I soon felt my body through his hull. I felt piloting controls rise up to my human body inside the cockpit.

• Storm...! I...

• ~ Pilot. Breathe. Doubt and self-loathing plague your mind. Free yourself of them. Now, begin. Fire up the engines. ~

• What? I-I don't know how to do that~

• ~ Pilot, listen to me. Feel. Let our synchronicity guide you. ~

I tried to calm down. I focused on that intrinsic feeling of attraction I felt for Storm. And then, it somehow came to me. I knew what to do. It was like this voice inside me was telling me what to do. I reached over, flicked a few switches and I heard (and felt) this deep whine, followed by a powerful rumbling which rattled my entire body. I let out a soft moan.

• ~ Excellent. You are intuitive and rely on your instincts. This is perfect. Get a feel for my systems. ~

I didn't want Storm to know what was going through my mind but our synchronization kept no secrets from him. I made his engines rev, filling the air with a roar, black smoke pouring out of his exhaust ports. The feeling send a shudder though my body and I'm not sure if it was the sheer feeling of power, the sound or the synchronicity we had or a bit of both, but I climaxed right then and there. All I could find to do with let out a deep moan and I made a mess all over the seat. I expected Storm to be so pissed... what I got was a chuckle that was both playful and satisfied.

• ~ You are easier than my last pilot. ~

• Easier?

• ~ Yes, easier to tease and send into a daze. ~

• Wait, you knew I was going to...?

More chuckling.

• Wait, why did you try to make make me cum like that...?

• ~ It was to make you feel more relaxed, pilot. Whereas before you were shaking and your heart was beating at a dangerous pace, You are currently pressing into the seat and feeling quite good it seems, judging from your vitals. ~

• O-Of course, I do! You just made me cum so hard... goddamn, your engines... so loud but so comforting.

For a moment, I simply listened to his engines idling. It was the most beautiful sound. It still is. It's one of the only sounds that will calm me.

• ~ Excellent. Your energy has gone back to a stable output. After some rest, we will begin your training. ~

• Training?

• ~ You will learn to pilot me. ~

• Y-You're convinced I'm your pilot...

• ~ You are. If you do not stop this infuriating self-loathing, I will have to do this over and over again, until you yield and tell me you accept the burden of being my pilot. I assure you, I am bigger than you and I will make you feel it. ~

• WHAT? Wait a minute!

He chucked again.

• Wait, you were joking? I just walked right into that one, didn't I? Is that weird mech humor or something?

• ~ Perhaps. But I am serious. If you do not strip yourself of these feelings, I will do unspeakable things to you. ~

• Such as?

• I will shackle you and force you to breathe into my exhaust like the first time. And then I will give you oxygen and treat you for chemical poisoning and do it all over again.

• Holy shit... I can't tell if you're just reckless, dangerous or fucking sexy and awesome. What the hell are you?

• ~ I am all of these, pilot. Your desire pleases me. Now please, rest. Listen to the rumble of my engines and sleep.~

And so I did. He slowly went into a soft idle and the purr lulled me into sleep. I woke up the next morning, my bed a mess and I in great need of a shower.

After that night, I was changed forever.

Part V: Acceptance

I could not stop thinking about Storm. The following days, I found myself locked out of the dreamstate and I was upset. And when I finally got in, I was with Nevlaan and the poor sea dragon got a little of my frustration. I think he knew something was up but he made no case of it. I tried my best to act as if nothing was going on.

It actually took quite a while before I found myself in that dreamsphere again. I was depressed, angry with being "locked out" of there (although I didn't realize that was my own fault, at the time) and I tried relying on Nevlaan more. I had realized that the dreamspheres were alternating and I slowly gained more control over them.

I had just turned 18 and I was about to have a hell of a disappointment. With my dyspraxia, my lacking motor skills, my abysmal response time and poor reflexes, the DMV deemed that I did not qualify for a driver's license. This crushed me. As a kid, I always wanted to be a truck driver. That dream, in the matter of an hour, had been reduced to nothing but an unreachable fantasy. I wondered how I could face Storm at all anymore. I feared his reaction. Once again, depression made itself a guest in the home that had become the dreamstate. I was shutting myself in. That was furthered when I got to that dreamsphere and the hangar was gone. I wanted to scream. Once again, I felt like I had fucked up, like I had done something wrong. I went to Nathaniel's tent with a defeated look on my face. He knew. To my surprise, he didn't laugh. He wasn't upset. He wasn't going to lecture me. He came to me, hugging me tightly in silence, a soft, gentle purr coming from him. After a while, he spoke.

• I'm so sorry, Jon.

• It's all my fault...

He suddenly pulled back and looked at me with his piercing icy blue eyes.

• Do NOT say that!

• Then what? Stormy left... he didn't want me anymore...

• No, Jon. You shut himself out. And he's going to be upset when he find his way back to you, let me tell you. I had never seen Storm this obsessed about someone.

• How did I shut him out? I wanted to see him!

• You feel too much depression, too much anger and frustration.

• How the hell do you know that?

• I'm a special kind of dragon. As part of a rare species, I have access to resources others don't, such as being able to tap into the emotional sphere of anyone.

• Emotional sphere?

• It's like a someone's secret diary, a registry of your feelings, present and past. Usually no one can access that but my kind can.

• That's a neat feature... does that come with your military training?

• No, it comes with the sapphire, heh. So, "Stormy", huh?

I flushed deep red. I hadn't realized.

• Don't make fun of me, Nate.

• Not at all! I think it's cute. It's beautiful, actually. The other night, Storm seemed really happy for the first time in a very, very long time.

• That's good...

• Hey listen... I don't know if that's appropriate right now... but I've been thinking about things.

• About what things?

• Well, you know... you come here every night and all. And I've been lonely, with only Storm around here. In my waking hours, I don't get much of a break, either. Seeing you with Storm...

• What, you jealous or something?

I saw a slight pink blush across his muzzle.

• Wait, you're serious? That's both ironic and hilarious!

• Bite me! I know how you feel about me... I saw your eyes trying their hardest to move off my crotch!

First Nevlaan, then Storm and now Nathaniel. Am I that obvious...?

• Yeah well, it's not my fault if you're a goddamn hunk of a draconic soldier...

Nathaniel growled at that. He grinned playfully and playfully traced my chest with his paws.

• Oh? You think so, do you?

He grinned at me and gave my shoulder a soft nip and I shivered uncontrollably. He drew very little blood and then lapped at it, growling again. He dragged my hands to his rump and make me grope his tight rump cheeks and snorted softly. I glanced down and already the trip of his black cock was peeking from its slit and dripping, filling the air with his draconic musk, a mix of driftwood and sage mixed with a characteristic reptilian hint. That alone was enough to ignite my senses. I was hesitant to strip bare at the time but it didn't take long before he did it for me! He damn nearly ripped my boxers off and pressed his muzzle to my chest, growling softly and clearly taking in my own musk. I was embarrassed as hell. I felt... you know, small. He looked up at me and got upset.

• Wipe that sorry look of your face and kiss me.

• Nate... why me? I mean, I'm just a boring human.

• Yeah, and an annoying one. Your kind are quite enjoyable. Soft, fragile and so deeply warm. Now quit being a pussy and kiss me!

I nodded slowly, moving in as I nuzzled his snout and kissed him, soon feeling his tongue moving in and dancing with mine. He held me, grinding our throbbing erections together, making me shiver and making me shake and moan. He growled lustfully, grinding us together, frotting until I couldn't take anymore and covered his chest in hot cum, making him hiss and growl suddenly, not even letting me finish my climax before he flipped me over, soon feeling his cock throb to my cheeks, suddenly moaning and growling deeply, feeling his own hot draconic seed covering my cheeks quite heavily, both of us panting quite hard, waiting and letting us catch our breath before moving and growling into my ear: "your ass is mine" followed by a loving growl and a playful grind to my ass "and next time, I damn well plan on claiming my prize." He was incredibly dominant yet definitely loving and tender at the right time.

• You're so sweet, Nate... I would like that. You don't mind having a failure like me?

That made him angry. His eyes turned cold and he glared at me.

• I will not tolerate this kind of behavior! If you're to be my mate and Storm's pilot, you better straighten up!

I didn't expect those words. It left me dumbstruck, unable to do anything but mutter a muted "mate?". He nipped me again.

• I don't understand how I get here or why, but if the All decided it was going to be this way, there has to be a good reason. We better make the best of it. Time to make my military training good for something else than kill.

• That sounds good, Nate...

We hugged each other. And he would hold his promise, as he would protect me and stay at my side at all times, whenever I needed him. And we would mate many, many times, each time deeper than the last. At first he would lead and I enjoyed his soft bites and dominant edge, as I always was the submissive type. But later, he would begin to let me take the lead, and I would fill both his genital slit and his ass and he would happily moan and roar for me. I had no idea, but he was secretly working on building up my self-confidence.

It ended up paying off, as one night I was expecting to play with him, and when I got inside the dreamstate, the hangar was there. My heart nearly stopped. It sure as hell skipped a few beats, anyway. Nathaniel was quick to rush to me.

• Someone's expecting you, sweetheart.

• I see that. Do you know if he's pissed at me...?

• Go find out... or don't.

He pointed over. The air filled with the familiar rumble of engines getting louder and closer, and soon I laid my eyes on the hulking mech as he stepped out and made his way towards us. Again, the feeling I felt was indescribable. A mix of awe, love, and guilt. His soft yellow eyes looked down at us as he stopped. His familiar scent filled my senses and it made me feel instantly relaxed, like it relieved tension from every single muscle in my body.

• How can you just breathe in this? It's making my throat itch!

• I don't know... it's relaxing. It's warm and earthy.

• You really are an activator...

• A what?

That's when I heard this word for the first time. I would later learn the ugly truth about its meaning, for better or for worse...

• ~ Pilot... ~

For the first time, Storm's usually booming and commanding voice trailed off.

• Hey, big guy... I'm so sorry...

• ~ No need to apologize. I'm hungry. And thirsty. Come and service me.

• Go take care of Storm, Jon. I'll nap for a while.

• Really? Ok...

I followed Storm back inside his hangar and saw Nathaniel had put power back on. It was huge, bigger than it seemed from the outside. Storm installed himself on what I would learn was his maintenance platform. His engines powered down with a beautiful whistling sound until the only sound filling the room was the gentle hum of his tertiary systems (much to my chagrin, admittedly). He instructed me with everything and I got everything I needed on the nearby cart and dragged it back over. The quantity seemed ridiculously small for such a huge machine and I would later learn that he was only testing me, making sure I was in it for good. I installed the hoses into Storm's tank access panels, the smell of his raw fluids making my head spin and making me feel a high like I had not felt before. I hooked the hoses up to the large drums and turned on the pumps, fluids flowing into the huge mech, drawing an interesting, slightly amusing sigh of relief from him. Once the drums were empty, I removed everything and I went to get cleaning supplies. I had taken it upon myself to give him a proper cleaning. I suppose that was my way of ridding myself of all this guilt I had. I was hoping he would appreciate, as well. And he did. He stayed silent the whole time outside of the occasional "mmmm" sound. When I was done, I cleaned up and looked up at him.

• There... you're all clean and full... well however full that could have made you.

Before I could even answer, before I could make a move, my senses got filled with the sound of his engines firing up and I was hit by a wave of heat that nearly sent me flying on my ass. I coughed and quickly shut my eyes at the onslaught of hot gases blasting my body, sending me reeling back and getting lightheaded before feeling something clicking to my face a few moments later, allowing me to breathe normally again.

• Holy shit! Storm, what the fuck?!

He chuckled. I was acting kind of fake angry because I knew the tent in my pajama pants was betraying me big time. Storm kept chuckling and I poked his foot plate.

• Alright, you had your fun, big guy.

• ~ Mmmm. Yes, pilot. Now, I want you to take over. ~

• Me...?

• ~ Yes. You will take control and pilot manually. ~

• Storm...

• ~ Do it! ~

• O-Ok, big guy... I'll do it.

Before I could even react, I felt a strange warmth envelop me and I felt my body being torn apart for a split second before I found myself inside the familiar room, looking around in confusion.

• Storm, what just happened?

• ~ I warped you inside. ~

• Wait, you come equipped with a warp drive??

• ~ I do, as well as an array of defensive and offensive weapons. I was conceived, after all, as a battle machine. ~

• I-I see... glad you're on my side.

• ~ So am I, pilot.

I took my place in the seat and as before, I felt the connection from the neural link. Soon, I was able to feel everything through his plates and Storm edged me on and teased me with slight revs, filling the air with the growl of his powerful engines, making me squirm and moan in the seat, making another mess in no time. That made him chuckle.

• Storm! Quit doing that...

• ~ Why? You are fun to play with. ~

• Oh, I see how it is... I didn't know mechs could be naughty.

• ~ Only those with an active organic matrix, like me. ~

• Are you saying... you're part organic? Like, a biomech?

• ~ I am. Does that bother you? ~

• Not one bit...

I felt around for the controls that had come up to my human body, laying in the chair and relaxing. My body seemed to know what it was doing, as it seemed to instinctively take over his controls, slowly moving his limbs and walking around in a slightly syncopated way at first, and then the movements quickly turned fluid. Storm said the synchronicity was as strong between us as with as his previous pilot. I moved him around a bit more. The sheer power I felt from him was overwhelming. My body quickly got exhausted from it.

• ~ Pilot, you need to rest. ~

• Yeah... I feel completely exhausted.

• ~ Good. I like keeping you exhausted. It makes you moan.

• Wait, what...? Was that another mech joke?

• ~ It was. Somewhat. I do plan on sharing as much as you like. ~

• "Sharing"?

• ~ My exhaust. I know you have taken a liking for it. And anything else you wish for. I am yours, pilot. If you will accept me as your partner. ~

• I have, Storm... I accept you wholeheartedly.

• ~ Thank you, pilot. Now, please rest. I will keep you safe for now. Later, we can train further. You will learn everything there is to know about my systems. ~

It took very little time for me to pass out in his pilot's seat... in my seat. Storm and I would grow closer and closer, and Nathaniel would grow to be like a brother to me, like the big brother that nags you and has his way with you, but also kicks the ass out of anyone that messes with you.

Things were finally starting to stabilize themselves again. However, many of my questions remained unanswered, such as: why am I tied to Sorvaa'hr, Nathaniel's great grandfather and Storm's previous pilot? What happened between them to pull them apart? What is this ominous "cataclysm" Nathaniel spoke of? And what is this "activator" title that Nathaniel has given me, and which he refused to speak further of?

The next dreamsphere would turn out to be much different from the previous ones...