TO DREAM OR NOT TO DREAM
Written by Meeps

CHAPTER 1

Johnny Depp was lying in bed, and thoroughly enjoying
himself. The bed was soft and warm. He and his darling
Vanessa had just been doing, what people do in a bed,
when they love each other. Tomorrow family and friends
would be visiting. Now the alarm clock on the bed
table showed eleven thirty five, and it was time to
sleep, since his baby girl liked to get her dad out of
bed bright and early.  
"Well, at least early, if not bright at that time of
day," Johnny thought smiling to himself, and settle
even further down in the bed, and started drifting off
to sleep. Then suddenly - he experienced a falling
sensation - like when you step on something, that
isnīt there ... Johnny thought, it was just part of a
dream, but just the same reach his hands out to catch
himself - and promptly cut his left thumb on a sharp
rock!
Now a rock in bed was something new in Johnnyīs
experience ... Crumbs? Oh, yes. Toys? Certainly.
Books? Forgetaboutit! Or manuscripts - sometimes.
Johnny sucked at his sore finger, opened his eyes, and
saw a dragon.
He also saw trees, bushes, grass, flowers - but some
how it didnīt quite register in his mind. In his mind
was just one big red neon-sign flashing "RUN,
STUPID!!!"
Now that might not be so politely expressed, but none
the less it felt like excellent advice. And Johnny at
least agreed whole heartedly, so he twisted to his
feet and turned to run - and ran smack dab into a
woman coming up behind him. "Arghhh!" he yelled. She
said something similar. And down they went in a heap.
"There, there. I was trying to tell you, you could
have him - although I didnīt mean for you to start
rolling around on the ground, the moment you saw one
another ... o.k. it was perhaps an accident. Here. Let
me give you a claw up," grumbled a voice above Johnny,
and somebody helped him stand. 
"A Scotchman here?" thought Johnny. "Why doesnīt he run?"
Then he saw the dragon helping the woman onto her feet,
and realized, who was talking.
"But how did you get out here," the dragon continued.
"And why the change of clothes - and - you did get the
stone off!!!" Now the dragon smiled an enormous and
rather scary smile - with lots of big, sharp teeth.  

CHAPTER 2

"Niltsair? Baby, it is you! You are safe!! ..... Come!
Come away from that evil dragon." The young woman first
hugged and kissed Johnny, and then started dragging
him away from said dragon.
"But - but I am not ...," Johnny stuttered. At the same
time, the dragon grumbled, sounding rather offended, "I
am not evil!! Now look here, Lass ..."
"STOP!" Johnny yelled as loud, as he could. Not
especially wanting to offend a ten-foot, big dragon, he
added in a more normal tone of voice, "Please, stop.
Couldnīt we talk about this - quietly - in peace," he
asked, and tried a smile at the both of them, in case
it could help a bit. 
The short, broad woman looked more closely at him, "You
are not Niltsair at all, are you?" she said, drawing
back, and starting to look around on the ground for
something.
"No." Johnny admitted, "But I never said, I was!!" he
hurried to add, because the six foot walking stick, she
pick up from the ground sizzle with electricity - or
perhaps something else? Magic perhaps - Johnny was
ready to believe anything standing next to a talking
dragon. 
"What kind of wizard are you, taking my belovedīs
appearance like that?" she demanded. "No wizard, Lass"
the dragon held a taloned forepaw up. "The only magic,
he has, is the ability to charm people into loving
him. Not much harm in that - but very useful at times.
Your boy has the same magic. And a lot more." 
The dragon chuckled at the last comment. "Hell, he has
even charm me into promising to fly out, looking for
you, little hothead. He said, you would be out there
looking for him, if the soldiers didnīt kill you, when
they grabbed him . ....O.k! O.k! Iīm a romantic
dragon! What can I say ... And I was on my way to look
for you, when you came up, and starting chanting
spells, that would turn me into a caterpillar."
"Caterpillar indeed!" the dragon turned to Johnny.
"Hey, there! The wee witch there is called Gia. And I
am Picos - at least to humans. You canīt pronounce my
dragon name anyway. What is your name, Lad?"
Johnny was about to say, "But I know your name.
Connery, Se ..." But then only said "Johnny. My name
is Johnny Depp. I am sorry, I am not your Niltsair - I
hope, you find him" he said to Gia, thinking at the
same time, "I hope, I can find home!!!"

CHAPTER 3

"I hope so too." Gia sounded very sad, and then said, "I
was so sure, he was here, and I could have..."
"Do you humans ever listen!?! huh?" Both Gia and Johnny
looked nervously at the irate dragon. And Johnny
thought "This is it - weīre toast!"
"I said, I have him here! Or at least I think I did -
how else could I have talked with him?" The dragon
sounded more exasperated than angry by now. "He is in
yonder barn over there behind the tower - letīs go and
see him."  
They started towards the smallish tower in the
background. And now Johnny noticed some run down farm
buildings of wood further back behind the stone
structure. They were so old, they almost disappear in
the landscape, and he asked Picos, what he was doing
here? "No offense," Johnny hurry to add, "but the whole
thing looks a bit - you know, old and .. but very
picturesque, I am sure"
"Yes," Picos nodded his huge head, "but any body can
fall on hard times. When Queen Fey of Dunn first hired
me, it was to guard her daughter, as is right and
proper, until a suitor was decide on. But the
princess got married last month, and then she wanted
to ... bed this lad ..." Here Picos managed to look
bashful, which is no small feet for a huge brown-green
dragon.
"But Niltsair at once got so sick from having to wear
the Berim-emerald, that he was no fun to anyone. And
the queen left with her people for the capitol in a
huff." 
"He had to wear the Berim-stone, so he couldnīt use
his magic, you know," Picos added to Johnny, who didnīt
know, but just nodded.
Niltsiar turned out to be a very ill young man indeed.
Almost delirious with fever and only barely able to
recognize his Gia, who fuzzed and fretted, but couldn't
help him any more than Picos could.
Picos told Johnny, that only the person, who had
placed the stone around his neck, could remove it
again. And since that person was Queen Fey, there
wasnīt much, they could do.
Johnny stood at the foot of the make-shift bed, and
stared at the young man. This was very strange. Here
was this young guy, in another world all together, who
look exactly like Sam - from "Benny and Joon" -
although a very thin, pale, sick "Sam".  Johnny felt
very sorry for the young couple - Picos wasnīt
the only romantic.
Gia finally came over to Picos and Johnny, looking a
bit green, because she had touch the Berim-stone too,
and sighed: "I wish, you were a Tortooa dragon." "What
ever for, Lass? They would eat you on the spot," said
Picos wondering 
"Well - yes - perhaps ..." "No, with absolute
certainty. They are dangerous beasts, and shouldnīt be
here at all!" Picos sounded very firm and decisive.
And Johnny couldnīt help smiling a bit - a dragon
talking about dangerous beasts. But then he realized,
he wasnīt afraid of Picos anymore. How about that?
"Yes, Picos!" Gia didnīt sound scared either, "But they
are not from this world - they came here, because one
of my ancestors made some magic, that went wrong .....
But they could remove the stone from around Nillyīs
neck, exactly because they are not from this world!"
"And bite his head off at the same time," grumbled
Picos "it is not a good idea, Lass. Why donīt we try
bringing him to your grandmotherīs house? She is the
Shrilla-witch. She might be able to help"
"What if I try?" Johnny almost jumped into the air,
because he suddenly thought, he had the solution. And
he certainly made Picos and Gia jump. "You said
yourself, I have no magic, so it canīt hurt me." Which
wasnīt exactly, what Picos had said, but close enough.
"Maybe I can remove that stone, since I have no magic.
Are not even from a world with magic in it."
"Of course, there is magic in your world," Gia stated.
"How else did you get here?" That Johnny couldnīt
answer, but after some more talk, the other three
agree to let Johnny try. Niltsiar hurt so much by
then, he was ready for anything.
Johnny went over and knelt by the pallet, the young
man lie on, and took the green shining stone gingerly
in his right hand - nothing happened. He got its
golden chain very slowly and carefully up over
Niltsiarīs head and stood up with the Berim-stone -
still nothing happened. 
"You did it! You did it!!" Gia hugged and kissed
Johnny again, and then at once had to go out and throw
up behind the barn door.

CHAPTER 4

After Johnny had thrown the jewel on the farmīs
rubbish-heap, Niltsiar quickly got better. Gia went to
the farm-house and begged some chicken broth from the
farmerīs wife. And that helped too. 
Lots of kisses and hugs didnīt hurt the least bit
either, so Johnny and Picos decide to go for a walk,
and leave the two alone for a bit.
"Now they are happy - for the moment at least," smiled
Johnny. "But wonīt Queen Fey come back with her
soldiers and try again? Since she thinks, she can
force love?" 
The dragon thought a bit, then grumbled "I am tired of
working for the woman ... I can fly them south to
Giaīs grandmotherīs house. There they will be safe.
But I can only carry two - what do we do with you
then? You donīt want to stay to be Queen Feyīs
entertainment, do you?"
Johnny was about to say, that there were probably
nothing to do ... That he had to either stay or find
his way home alone. Which put a lump in his throat, so
he was coughing, when a bright golden light swept
itself around man and dragon. 
"I will bring you home, my boy," a womanīs voice
purred, and a beautiful blond woman in a red dress
came gliding among the threes towards them. 
"Marmon!" Picos gasped, "The love goddess herself." 
"Yes, my dear fire-spitter," the goddess smiled. "You
have done very well here. And now Johnny has done his
part, I will bring him home to his loved ones. Go and
say goodbye to Gia and Niltsiar, and then come back
here, and I will send you home".
Johnny quickly did as he was told. Promising to come
back and visit, although he had no idea how to do
that. And then hurried back to, where the goddess and
Picos  still stood talking. 
"O.k.," she smiled. "Come here." She put her arms around
Johnnyīs neck, and kissed him - very wet - on the
cheek, while gurgling "Da-da-da! A-gi-gugu!!".
"Strange language," Johnny thought. "But that must be
how goddesses talk. Then he heard Vanessa say, still
half asleep: "Can you take her this time, Honey,
please." 
"Vanessa!?!" Johnny opened the eyes, he had closed,
when the goddess got so close and intimate. "... eh, hi, 
Lili-Rose ... yes, of course, you are a love goddess ... 
and rather wet too. We better go get your diaper changed."  
But when Johnny lifted his little darling, he felt a soreness 
on his left thumb. He look at it and saw, there was a small 
wound ... like from a sharp stone".

Return to Fan Fiction page
Return to Depp home page