At the Fire Tribe Castle as the dark dragon and happy hungry bunch were settling into the comfy confines provided by Lord Tae-jun, Shin-ah decided to take a stroll around their residence. Walking through the estate, his heart clenches up when he can’t help but realise how freely he walks now. Able to move wherever he wants with his arms open, eating delicious food cooked by the genius pretty boy. Having a family. I’m not a monster anymore. I’m glad. 

Times like these is relaxing for him, as he explores the world around him, It also helps that he can scout out the place from different vantage points to make sure there isn’t anything suspicious around that could hurt his friends. 

 

“Hya, take that, haaaa” a distant but sharp sound is picked up from beyond the castle wall.

“Pyukyuu?” Ao turns towards the sound from her position on Shin-ah’s arms.

As he leaps across the wall he sees metal reflecting the noon sun and a dark green coat. The figure is blurry, meshing in between the foliage and trees that he can’t get a good look. He would have thought it was danger except, the figure is alone? He can’t smell any of the dragons in that direction, so there isn’t any imminent danger.

 

As Ao leaps to hide in his coat, he gently places the firewood on the ground and he draws his sword. Then, in haste, runs towards the figure. I must protect my friends.

The closer he gets, the less foliage lies in between him and the figure and the more he sees.

Pale skin, flashes of ash brown locks fluttering through the air like dried up leaves in autumn. The sound of wood and metal thudding gets louder and the smell of freshly cut grass is mixed in the air. He stands behind a tree some distance away, here he has a clear view of the figure.

 

Its a kyoketsu shoge, a weapon he’s only seen used in some back alley in the fire tribe capital. But this time its different. It’s elegant, graceful, as if a dance although the battered up trees surrounding the figure would say otherwise. The sound of the chain wiping through the air is almost hypnotic interrupted by the sharp scrapes when the blade or metal ring hits the trees. He can’t help but pull himself closer, feet moving without much of a thought, entranced in the fluid movements of the figure.

As he is two trees away from the figure he catches a glimpse of red puffy eyes, tear stained cheeks and a sweaty forehead. But rather than being appalled by such a state, even though is was just a glimpse, his heart clenched as he sees her face. 

Puffy cheeks, a small face with a small nose and lips but long eyelashes that are sparse but lightly graze her cheek every time she blinks.

She’s beautiful. 

For some reason he has lost all cognitive thought and is left standing there peering from a tree with his mouth slightly gaped as he stares in awe. 

 

“Pukyuu, pukyuu” Ao leaps from the fluff on his coat towards the woman. His eyes now fixed on his best friend just as the woman throws her metal ring in the direction of Ao.

“AO!” he screams.

The metal ring just barely surrounds Ao as the woman pulls it towards her with such speed.

Instinct kicking in he silently charges towards her to save his friend. I have to save Ao from… whoever she is, who is she? why did I stop just now?

The metal ring pulls away from the ground and Ao is flung into the hands of the woman who smiles down on the little squirrel as it cuddles her cheek.

He notices this as he fully charges towards her. “Huh?” and he swings his sword back as a means for prevention when he suddenly loses grip of it, trips over something and tumbles into the grass. Before he can stand up he feels something grab his left forearm which tugs him up, facing the woman.

 

“Is this your friend? She’s so cute”

“Pukyuu, pukyuu, pukyuu!”

Ao leaps from the woman’s head onto Shin-ah’s gently patting his scratched up face from the fall.

“Also why did you charge at me? Were you sent by my uncle? I told him i’m not coming back to that place already would he just quit it, why does he keep doing that I alr-“ She’s rambling.

“W-Who are you?”

She stops her monologuing.

“Oh, you’re not sent by my uncle then? I’m Lin, a… traveller, who are you?”

“Shin-ah”

He starts to get up from his awkward position, loosening the chain around his forearm. It’s then that she fully takes in his appearance. Gigantic white mane, animal mask with red markings, squirrel as a friend

“Who exactly are you? Why do you wear that? If the squirrel your only friend or do you have others? Oh what is the squirrels name?”

“Lin…”

“Your squirrel’s name is Lin too? Wow what a coincidence...”

“Who are you?” Why does my heart feel so light and so erratic, why can’t I think of anything other than your face, your voice, that smile you had as you held Ao? What is this unexplainable feeling?

“Why do you ask? I’m not going to just ball out my life story to some creep who was watching me in between some trees.”

She knew? How…

“I-“

“SHIN-AH? SHIN-AH? Yoon’s asking why you’re taking so long again, you haven’t been possessed by another Seiryuu predecessor have you?” A deep voice yells as he rustles through the bushes. He’s accompanied by two others, one with their hand over the shoulder of the other. 

“Shin-ah, why aren’t you respon… oh hello, what’s a beauty like you doing in the middle of a forest all alone?” A tall man with green hair says.

“Uh…” Lin starts stepping backwards, tightly gripping her weapon. Those are words of erts uncle warned me about!

Her eyes dart towards the other two figures, a tall burly man with some cloth covered thing on a stick and a red-haired woman…

“Princess Yona?” Lin exclaims in concern. Did these men take her as a hostage too? no no no no no i’m too young to go like this, ahhh at times like this I wish I listened to that loud uncle…

 

“Lin? Is that really you? I haven’t seen you since the festival years ago!” Yona exclaims

“Lin...” Hak states matter of factly, recalling a fiesty little girl during the annual battle festival. 

“Oh, Thunder beast, have you guys finally resolved your unrequited love already?” Lin laughs.

They all gasp in shock, ‘she’s so direct!’ 

“Don’t leave us out of this interesting conversation. Jae-ha says rather seductively, “introduce us to your friend here” he says as he places his arm over Lin’s shoulder. “Lin, was it, why what beautiful eyes that have been oh so stained with tears, come tell me all your worries.”

“Well for starters, I absolutely hate erts like you, even if you’re friends with Princess Yona” She coolly swats his arm away as flings him over to the ground so that he’s short enough for her to ties him up with the chain of her weapon, stepping on his face to fasten the knot.

“Lin, you flatter me” Jae-ha exclaims, to the dismay of Lin.

 

“Aside from me questioning the friends you made, who is that creepy one whose been staring straight at me all this time, amongst these hecklers?” Pointing towards Sin-ah’s unmoving state the past conversation, who hid behind some trees for some reason.

Lin’s current imagination, a ert (Jae-Ha), a ual harasser (Hak, who still has his arms around Yona) and a creep (Sin-ha) surrounding an innocent young princess (Yona).

 

“That’s Sin-ha, he’s a bit shy” Yona chuckles.

“Ya Blue Dragon, why are you suddenly so shy like when I accidentally spilled that White Dragon scale th-“ jae-ha pauses suddenly, realising the situation. “Well it was nice talking to you Lin but you’ll have to excuse us for now” Jae-Ha chuckles as he pulls Hak and Yona while dragging Shin-ah’s lifeless body back to the castle.

“Yah! You could have escaped from that so easily?!?” Lin yells in disbelief “where do you think you’re taking the princess, i’m not going to leave you all alone with her!?!” (Still thinks Yona is a helpless princess)

“Also did you say Blue Dragon? Wait are you- and they’re gone...” sighs. “They seemed like good friends though?”

 

Back at the castle, Jae-Ha frantically paces around the room. Chanting “this is bad, this is bad”.

Zeno chuckles, “seems like he’s finally lost it after all haha”

“Don’t laugh Yellow Dragon! You’re the one who told me about it!?!” Jae-Ha yells, steam practically puffing out his ears.

“Stop freaking out Jae-Ha, you’re annoying and ruining my concentration” Yoon deadpans.

“Sin-ah…” Jae-Ha stares at the soulless body in the corner who’s being comforted by Ao. “Is in love”

“Eh?!?” Everyone yells.

Jae-Ha’s deadener changes to his usual erted, fantastical manner “Usually I would be entranced by such an event, what a beautiful spectical after all, love at first sight.”

“I really think he’s lost it now” Hak cuts in.

“But, but this is a whole other issue! AH, our beloved blue dragon is going to be in shambles now” Jae-Ha bemoans.

“Eh?!?” This time everyone yells in confusion.

Zeno suddenly stands up, his aura now serious as if he’s flipped a switch. “Abi, the first blue dragon, he wanted to protect the next blue dragon from people who seek to exploit it, like they did with him.”

Everyone is now peers at Zeno, body leaning in, barely blinking or breathing, Zeno can be really interesting sometimes.

Taking in a breath, Zeno starts, “So he pleaded with the Dragon Gods to do something so that no one could truly possess all of the Blue Dragon’s power, only achievable once King Hiryuu ever comes back again. At that time, Abi said that thinking that King Hiryuu would never return back on Earth. But, when Yona was born, that same night a blue meteor flew over the bright red star. Abi didn’t tell me much, but I figured it out over the years, I think the Blue Dragon’s blood is split between two people and only together can they use the power. Abi wanted to make sure that whoever would use the blue dragon’s power was validated by another with the same link.”

Zeno sighs “But I dunno, that’s just something I thought of one night some time ago!” He chuckles.

 

They all (except for Shin-Ah) stare rather blankly at Zeno. The Yellow Dragon sure is an enigma.

“What does that mean exactly? Shin-Ah can still use his blue dragon power now, does that mean him uniting with another, whatever that means, makes his power stronger?” Yoon exclaims. “I must research this, maybe there’s a book somewhere…”

“She’s close, I can sense it, it’s as if…” Shin-ah suddenly piques up before collapsing on the floor. “I don’t know what i’m feeling, it’s weird, it’s not like when I first met Yona, it’s the same but different…”

“Shin-ah, i’ve never seen you like this before.” Yona says in concern, walking closer to him and squatting down to face his covered face. “We still don’t know much about it, but maybe you should go relax for a bit, I can tell it’s making you worry.”

“LET’S GO FOR A BATH!” Kija yells!

“YAY! Bath!” Zeno follows.

“The way you idiots change character so easily, bothers me a bit.” Yoon deadpans.

 

And thus, as they proceeded to the bath, the issue of Kija accidentally knocking out the General of the Fire Tribe ensues (see the manga for backstory).

 

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Author Notes: Thanks for reading the first chapter of this story, I think the most difficult part was figuring out when to first set this, at first I wanted to start off right after the Kai empire battle but I wanted to develop something before that event so I somehow figured out how to slot it into the stay at the Fire Tribe. So one part I haven't addressed in this story is why Lin was crying when she was practicing her battle skills and this will be explained in Chapter 3 or later once the characters get to know each other more. I won't be developing the main story arc as much, focusing more on the time Lin and Shin-ah spend together. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!