Qing Long, Wu Fan, makes the world smile when he does and makes it cry when he does. And now the world was crying and the sky was pouring hard to compensate his pain and drown his sorrows away.

He is special because the dragon king was the sky’s first love and he’s crying. The thunder gods roared as their lightning whips the ground harshly. How can the beautiful dragon cry when the gods had given him everything? They favored his existence and blessed him the beauty no one can have but little did they know that was a problem. No one can have him. He was alone…so alone.

“Hey are you out of your mind? It’s cold, you know?” a voice scolded a little too childishly as it ends with a lively giggle. He looks at the person slowly tracing her muddy feet, white linen in gray streaks as it soaks in the rain. “You aren’t crying are you?” she tilts her head to the side and it almost scared him away. Her face wasn’t there.

“Are you a lost soul?” he asked, wiping the mix of rain and tears away from his eyes, squinting enough to see if there was really no face. The piece of land is inhabited by lost souls because it gives solace to them and they’ll eventually move on and he, the dragon king, had the habit of sending them to the heavens where they belong. 

“Are you?” she countered, lifting her bangs away and securely tying it up. Wu Fan’s eyes were wide and its shades of dark silver glistened in process. She suddenly winced and fall back. “Too bright.”

“I’m sorry?” Wu Fan apologized unsurely, pulling her up, wanting to know what was wrong and at the same time wishes she won’t say. When she didn’t say anything he takes the time to observe her again. The faceless maiden’s head was tilted downwards and her long pitch black hair spreads away from her nape, almost looking like a normal maiden of the forest from behind. She was small and her hands were small too and for no reason he seemed to enjoy their difference. She looks up and presents her blank face again. All thoughts were pushed back and he feels cold from how disturbing her feature was and wondered if she’s seeing him at all.

“It’s okay.” She smiled and even under her empty face, Wu Fan knew she was smiling at him. He wasn’t though and he fails to notice that. “You looked scared, I’d take that.” She pointed out, disappointment evident in her voice.

Wu Fan quickly shakes his head and denies and she was laughing again. Her body expressed the same happiness and she twirled away and almost falls again with clumsy feet but this time Wu Fan guided her back and they dance unconsciously in the puddle of clear water. He doesn’t know what’s going on anymore but he feels a little lighter than before.

When Wu Fan’s eyes caught their reflection on the pool of water everything stopped. She wasn’t smiling and laughing. She was sobbing and her eyes were like his, her lips were in a tight line and her nose was small but pointy. His eyes darted away from the puddle and back to her, she was faceless again. When he looks back at the water she was reflected as is, no face.

“What’s wrong?” She asked tilting her head to the side.

“Who… exactly are you?” Wu Fan asked warily.

There was a pause and he’s regretting he even asked it. It felt wrong and like her faceless smile, he can feel she’s frowning. Something inside him hurts again.

“The scariest thing in the world is being forgotten.” she hums the words in sadness. She pulls away and Wu Fan quickly reached for her but she fades away on the depths of the forest. When Wu Fan turns around in response from her echoing voice she disappears just leaving something that made his heart race. Her faceless mask was on the floor.

-*-

Days passed and the dragon king’s heart is sadder than the last time so the rain never stops too and the clouds were thicker with the fog heavy on the plains. He held on the mask, tucked safely under his invisible wings and for days he started flying again with the rough weather. He was desperate to find her. He has questions and she’s the only one who can answer them, he knows it.  

The light shades of gray streaks her body and her pale garment was still wet when Wu Fan finally sees her again. Perched on a branch, she sings wordless music and makes the glum forest revive its color, wipes the fog away and let the animals flood the once empty pathway of the unknown forest. The birds hum and the frogs croak and hop on the lily pads. The wolves howl and the wood pecker digs holes on a large chunk of bark on the mud. The nature was singing with her until the dragon descends close and scares the whole crowd.

“Now will you listen to me?” she asked as if they have been talking the whole time. Wu Fan gave her an incredulous look but nodded in the end, sits beside her and hums a voice that frightens the ground. She pats him at the back but found her voice lacing with his, a beautiful sound that made everyone slowly return. Nature sings again and the sun watches with glee, the blue skies dusting the gray clouds away. The birds flew and danced above them in joy.

“I sing to my beloved dragon. That he remembers his friend, the phoenix. Fung has been reborn.”

The dragon king, Wu Fan, makes the world smile when he does and makes it cry when he does. Now the sky is smiling rays of light to the vast land, making everything beautiful and giving new meaning to life. Today, Wu Fan is happy.

-*-

A/N:  I have different styles in writing as it gets referenced sometimes from other fanfics I’ve written and liked but this took it to a more unusual style of writing so some may not get it. I have my own take in this and I hope people get it(?). To give you a gist, I was feeling glum when I wrote this and then it got better after a friend’s call that I missed for a lot of time. Although I didn’t disclose the problem to that person just having a chat with that person somehow made it better. Thanks for reading anyway. I’ll reply when I can. 

*temporary fic poster. reformatting computer again so... I have to dl fonts, brushes again....but it fits in a way so keep up with it for now.