Each one in his own house, the five friends prepared. Their families awaited them, all the houses full of distant relatives who had travelled to witness the ceremony or because they also had young ones who would become adults too. It was still two days before they could be chosen by a dragon but the actual adulthood ceremony was held today. From this day on, they would be considered adults.
The long preparations beforehand had been mostly travel and accommodation arrangements because the entire population of the colony, scattered all over the planet, gathered on the same spot, on the wide prairies near the banks of the river Urbe’s spring and its canyons. Families were reunited and the huge gathering of people just became one large continuous party, especially because it was necessary to find activities to keep the little ones entertained and the ones too young to become adults less annoyed. The huge dragons had also been converging to the same spot and would constantly fly over the prairies, the sky sometimes becoming dark when several of them would pass by. 
Jaejoong and Changmin would fidget every time they saw the display, eager to be up there. Of the five friends, they were the more anxious and yet, the ones less worried about that specific day. Yunho was the worried one about his new responsibilities, mentally going over and over what was required of him during the ceremony. Junsu was happy because he was one day closer to finally becoming a full doctor in status. Yoochun was a bundle of nerves, not because of that day’s ceremony but worrying if any dragon would want him.
The humans and the dragons had an interesting relationship that was too difficult to explain to the people from the other colonies. The dragons were not pets; they were not domesticated; they were not owned, not even by the person they would chose to ride them. It was a truce, a sort of a peace pact that had evolved into friendship. The dragons could accept the tiny creatures seeking refuge in their planet because they adapted and embraced the dragon’s teachings. The machines that other colonies used daily were still kept operational, they were even updated and improved, but they were usually only used for training or when nothing else could work. Everyone was however required to learn how to use them. 
Yoochun loved those machines, unlike his friends who just tolerated having to learn how to use them. Yoochun especially loved flying the huge spaceships that could take him even to their orange moon and back. Not even flying with his mother and cather on their dragons could ever compare to the speed and freedom he felt on a spaceship. The young man sighed. He was really sure no dragon would want him.

…

Lhara’s way of life seemed rustic for someone from Seffren or Tarp, and yet their quality of life could be envied for the deep connection with the dragons had useful advantages. They travelled easily and fast all over the planet with no need for spaceships. The genetic modifications, even the suppression of psychological turmoil of adolescence, were a result of studying the dragons. It also gave families and close friends an added benefit: telepathic communication. Most of the time it was just an awareness of where the others were and reading their moods. With family, the link was stronger and they could talk inside their heads, even at great distances. The Connection with your Linked One was however the strongest of them all, since it was based on the same type of connection the mated pairs of dragons shared.
In his room, Yunho wondered who would be his Linked One. 
The Connection was a link for life, usually between man and woman. However, there were also same gender pairs and even more than two people connected. The multiple linked ones were more rare but not unusual, the combinations endless. It was The Connection that made all that possible. The cycles of preparation ensured that everyone on the colony was on the same spot, so that when the chemical reactions were unleashed, the bodies and minds would search for that one body and mind that suited them best. No one ever got excluded. They suspected that was one of the reasons for the multiple linked ones.
The adolescence turmoil got released all at once, combined with the first dragon ride. The adaptation period was short, from a minimum of 14 purple cycles to a full blue cycle. During that period, the new couple would travel all over the planet with their dragons, strengthening the connections between them. 
Yunho had been trying to get his friends to think about the Linked One and their new jobs. Junsu and Yoochun were the only ones who half listened and only because they knew what they wanted to do since very young. Junsu was going to be a doctor and Yoochun was going to be in charge of the spaceships. They had been the ones to chose that, unlike their friends who had been assigned by their teachers.
Yunho’s bracelet beeped. He smiled seeing it was Jaejoong contacting him.
-Yunho! Are you ready?
-Hi, Jaejoong. Almost. What about you?
-Almost. Are you still worrying like crazy? I swear I can sense you all the way here. You and Yoochun are distracting me from dreaming of my purple dragon. 
-I’ll call Yoochun. Will that help?
-Yes, please. Also, as soon as we reach the place where the ceremony will be held, can you please please please please save me from my sisters?
-Always.
Yunho talked with Yoochun for a little, telling him that after all he didn’t need a dragon when he had all the spaceships of Lhara just for him. Yoochun laughed and in return tried to assure Yunho that he would be excellent in his future diplomatic position that would require his interaction with people from the other colonies. 
In his own room, Changmin sensed his friend’s chances of mood. He really agreed with Jaejoong and couldn’t figure why Yunho was so worried. After all, The Connection would take care of the Linked One part. The chemicals that would unleash the supressed parts of their brains were going to be given to them today. They had received ample training for the jobs they would undertake, especially because in their case they were part of the older group becoming adults today. His bracelet beeped as well. He laughed noticing it was Jaejoong.
-Changmin, stop sounding so proud. It’s no big deal.
-Why shouldn’t I? I’m going to be in charge of the colony’s security, a very fancy sounding name with a very easy task behind. Tell you what? I’ll stop being so smug about my future job when we return from the bonding with our dragons and our Linked One if… And only if…
He heard Jaejoong’s answering laughing mood in his mind before he heard the laughing sound from the bracelet. 
-I’m going to be in charge of dealing with all the dragons. Come on, Max. How can I not be happy? I know even you were surprised to find out that I got that job. 
-Fine, fine. I do envy you a little. But I’m pretty sure I’ll be chosen by a bigger and faster dragon, so there. 

…

Sarah was surprised at the huge amount of people that started arriving to attend the adulthood ceremony. She even felt a bit overwhelmed because, since they had changed her status from student to doctor, she was giving consultations alongside her former teachers. It was definitely a hands on approach to put in practice all that she had learned over the last months, or as the people from Lhara say it, the last blue sun cycles. It was daunting to see up close all the different combinations of Linked Ones and even more to notice how all the families seemed so well adjusted. She still had trouble wrapping her mind around this thing they called The Connection but there was no doubt that it worked.
One of the genetic manipulation miracles so often forgotten was that two women could generate a baby with no need of a guy, the woman who could fertilise the other being called a “cather”. The young girl was still smiling at having found out that Yoochun had two mothers and no father. For her, the two mothers explained his personality. Not that she would tell anyone that. The guy had a kick out of knowing everything about everything. She found that endearing.
Junsu’s and Yunho’s parents were regular couples. Junsu’s older brother was only one year older, however he had been considered an adult for the last five years while Junsu had to wait. Sarah figured that was why Junsu seemed to be so spoiled. Yunho, on the other hand, had a much younger sister to take care of, not to mention he obviously took care of Jaejoong and, in a lesser way, of the other three guys as well.
Changmin was another surprise. Like Yunho and Junsu, she thought that if he had grown up in Seffren, he would be playing football or something like that. He would endlessly tease Jaejoong for being so good looking and distracted, Yoochun for being too thin and always knowing everything, and even Junsu for being the more childish one. His favourite taunt was that they would end up being a “mather”, a man who gave birth. To her utter surprise, Changmin had two fathers, which meant he himself had a mather instead of a mother. Sarah had actually stared at that, surprising her even more than Yoochun’s two mothers. 
One of her teachers started laughing next to her.
-Here comes Jaejoong. This will be one of the happiest days of his life.
-But they won’t ride dragons today.
-No, but today they will drink the potion that will activate the part of the brain that controls The Connection and that diminishes the previous strong link with family. See all those girls? They are all his sisters. Imagine being able to hear them chatting inside your head.
Sarah was surprised yet again. Jaejoong’s father was a tall thin man, taller than his son. He had four wives of different ages, the youngest being obviously Jaejoong’s mom. The sisters, ten in total, seemed to be having an animated chat but they were not moving their lips, only their arms as they talked to each other. Jajeoong seemed to be trying, in vain, to not hear them.
-I thought you said there is some control of the telepathic link?
-There is. It can be and switched off at will. However, he’s the youngest and they are a very pranking lot. They thought it was funny not to teach him how to ignore their chatter. That’s how he got his reputation of being distracted. I personally think his brain might be a little fried. He’s only more like himself around his friends. Today, after the potion, his link with his family will diminish to help create space for the dragon link and, more important, for his pair.
-Is there any control over who is the pair?
-I know the mechanics of it but how it really works is more difficult to explain. You can end up with your best friend or with someone you never saw before in your entire life. No one ever tried to see if you can fight The Connection. The more odd cases we have is the rare instances when a Linked One dies and the surviving one is not absorbed into an existing pair or linked with someone new on the next adulthood ceremony. That was what happened with Heechul. You know his story, right?
Sarah nodded and turned to look at the five friends. As soon as they were within reach of each other, they immediately left their families and went to explore on their own. Jaejoong had an absolute look of relief on his face before he started to stare at the dragons high up in the air, who were creating sudden shadows on the ground and gusts of wind. The dragons seemed to share the excitement and eagerness in choosing their rider. 

…

The ceremony was long and boring like all ceremonies tend to be. The guy conducting the proceedings felt he needed to give a speech to emphasise their new responsibilities. Only Yunho and Yoochun were looking serious and listening to every word. Junsu tried to keep up, after all he was going to be a doctor, right? But he gave up and started to chat telepathically with his older brother asking how he would know which one was going to be his dragon. His brother answered the same old way: “You’ll just know. Don’t worry.”
Sarah was on the back, watching the five friends from a distance. She still found strange that Junsu had to wait for this ceremony to be acknowledged as a doctor. Immediately in the first purple cycles of meeting him she realised that he already knew everything that they could teach him. Today he looked really happy. She supressed a twinge of regret. At first, she thought the guy hated her for being an outsider. Then she started to think that maybe he was attracted to her. The way Junsu kept pestering her made her think that he was pretty much pulling her pigtails. But now she knew he probably just didn’t like her, that simple. Junsu didn’t saw her as a woman and he never would. Besides, he was about to become a married man. Sarah shook her head, trying to forget her crushed hopes and just focus on the ceremony. In spite of everything, she was really happy for Junsu.

…

The five friends drank the potion and just looked at each other waiting for something to happen. Seconds passed. Then minutes. Yoochun nervously laughed and soon the others joined. They didn’t feel any bit different. Around them, childhood friends, neighbours, cousins and even strangers appeared to be having the same puzzled reaction. There was nothing happening after drinking the potion.
-Well, so far I don’t feel any weird compulsion to see anyone . 
-What? Oh… Changminie… - Moaned Yoochun, putting his face in his hands.
-What what, huh? Isn’t that one of the sure ways to know you’ve found your Linked One? It’s going to be the one person you will suddenly want to see , even if you’ve already seen it a thousand times. And when you do see it again or even just think about it, you’ll point up.
Changmin finished his sentence with his finger sticking in the air, close to his groin. Yoochun shook his head, chuckling. Changmin pouted to find Yoochun laughing at him.
-Pretty sure I’ll be bigger than you.
Yoochun just smiled again, still shaking his head at his friend.