D. N. Angel Fan Fiction ❯ Snippets ❯ Dragon Changeling ( Chapter 6 )

Dragon Changeling:

 

Disclaimer: I do not own DN Angel.

 

Warnings: AU, shounen-ai

 

A/N: Thanks for the lovely reviews guys, I appreciate them very much. I just finished my Art exam (first exam of many) and I must say, development and prep took a LOT of time. If you're thinking of doing Art for your GCSEs, I would advise you not to unless you really really love Art or you're planning on art college, graphic design or something of the sort. I'm warning you; it's a LOT of work and it's not as much fun as everyone thinks it is, especially in the weeks leading up to the exam. Well anyways thanks for the support and enjoy! Oh, and in response to a review, I'm sorry for the indiscrepancy there but it's always possible that Black Wings was broken once more, considering that it was `re-sealed' only forty years ago (Daikii Niwa's time) and if Dark and Krad were really sealed, why did they manifest themselves in Daisuke's generation again? Well, whatever. Thanks for the feedback.

 

Daisuke stretched and yawned lazily as he looked around at the familiar surroundings. Closing them again, he prayed to the gods above that they would keep his family happy and healthy, a ritual that he had performed every day since he'd left home. Then he yawned again and sat up, crimson eyes glowing faintly in the darkness of the cave. Concentrating hard on his other form, he let the magic surround him and moments later he soared out of the cave, ready to resume his journey.

 

Dark was irritated beyond all belief. His father had dragged him out of bed at three in the morning, determined to show him something. Unfortunately, this `something' happened to be hiding in the middle of the woods. So now he was traipsing behind the hunting party and growling all the while about it. “Dad,” he said, trying to sound mature and not like a child whining, “Why are we out here again?”

 

The men up ahead laughed raucously and not for the first time, Dark wondered if they had scared the `something' off with all the noise they were making. “Hoi, Kai, your son's asking something!” One of them called.

 

Obsidian eyes glanced back at his son. Kai Mousy sighed and pushed his unruly purple hair out of his eyes before slowing his pace. “Go ahead,” he told the rest. “I'll catch up with you.” He waited for his son and then looked down at him, wondering what he had done. He loved his son very much, but he could not understand the boy, no matter how hard he tried. “Dark,” he said, “We're going to see something special. It's a rare creature.” His son merely gave him a look and continued to walk as though he had not heard anything. Kai sighed and speeded up a little, determined to instill a sense of respect into his son. Before he could say anything more, Dark just shook his head and jumped over a large rock.

 

Fifteen minutes later:

 

Daisuke sat atop a flat rock, leaning slightly against a tree. He stuffed a handful of berries into his mouth and chewed happily. Having spent most of his life outdoors with his family, he was accustomed to feeling the sun on his skin and the wind in his hair. Surprisingly enough, he also liked feeling the rain on his skin and would often go out in thunderstorms to play. So he was content. The sound of voices then reached his ears and the snake lying near his feet raised its head abruptly, tongue flickering out to feel the air currents. Run, brother, it hissed urgently before slithering off. The redhead frowned slightly before the voices became louder and he realized that he should have left with the snake. He wanted to summon his other form and take to the skies in haste, but his mind was so clouded with curiosity and fear that he could not concentrate properly. The sound of the noise was coming ever closer and he could not do anything, save hide behind a tree. He knew it was a paltry hiding place and hardly fit for the situation, but he couldn't do anything about it.

 

“I saw it here!” Daisuke winced at his own carelessness and promised himself right there and then that he would never ignore his mother's advice ever again. I hope they saw something else, he worried.

 

“Kai,” a new voice said. It was a rich tenor and Daisuke could tell that the man was a good singer.

 

“Maurice,” `Kai' replied.

 

“Are you sure you didn't just see a snake and mistake it for something else? I mean, we were out pretty late last night, and it was dark…” The lilting voice held a slightly hesitant note to it and Daisuke wondered whether they had been anywhere near his resting area.

 

“I know I didn't.” Kai's voice was firm, brooking no argument. Maurice gave up and went ahead, searching. Daisuke hoped that Kai and the rest of the people would follow him and he could leave. His heart rose in hope as the rest of the people grumbled and followed Maurice. Now to get rid of Kai, Daisuke thought. He had come across this spell back home, when he'd been reading some of his father's magic books. It required telepathy and hopefully he could `suggest' that Kai leave and take any stragglers with him. Daisuke closed his eyes and slowly began to concentrate until he felt a light pressure on his arm. Crimson orbs flew open and Daisuke stared in fright and shock at the man in front of him, whom he presumed to be Kai.

 

“Who are you?” Daisuke could only stare, trembling. Is he going to hurt me? Is he going to clip my wings and use them for machines? What will he do? All the tales of humans that he had heard as a child rushed through his head. His mother's voice, “If you don't go to bed now, I'll give you to the humans!” His father, “Little changelings get taken away by the humans!” Grandfather's voice, “They say that humans destroy everything in their path, bent on dominating Mother Nature and bending her to their will…” A tear made its way down Daisuke's cheek and he sniffled, scared.

 

A loud shout echoed through the forest and Kai looked up just in time to see his son crash onto the ground and drop his bag. He could only sigh. Dark might be incredibly clever when it came to street smarts, but he was a lost cause in the forest. Daisuke peeped over his shoulder, straining to see the source of the noise and curiosity getting the better of him. He almost giggled when he saw how comical the other looked but the gravity of the situation was soon recalled to him as violet met crimson. Daisuke hastily looked away and the man-Kai-bent down to talk to him. “Where do you come from?” His voice was coaxing and gentle.

 

Daisuke shook his head, afraid to say anything. “It's dangerous out here, don't you know that?” This time the redhead forgot himself enough to scowl in indignation.

 

“I'm not stupid,” he replied without thinking. Then his face turned a bright red and he hastily covered his mouth with his hands, eyes wide. Kai raised an eyebrow whilst the other boy snickered.

 

“All right,” the other teenager asked, “What were you doing out here then, since you're obviously so attuned to the forest?” You have no idea, Daisuke thought wryly. He blushed and fidgeted, unable to come up with a satisfactory answer. Right now, he envied Takeshi's ability to lie his way out of anything and he wished that his talkative friend was by his side. Kai sighed.

 

“Well, you can come with us.” With those words, he straightened up and looked at Dark. “As for you, son, I suggest you pay attention to the ground.” Placing two fingers to his lips, he whistled three times, a sharp, piercing noise that made Daisuke want to cover his sensitive ears.

 

Village:

 

They all stared at the redhead who'd joined the party, surprise and curiosity etched into their faces. A few girls giggled and blushed when his gaze fell upon them and Daisuke cocked his head to one side, not quite sure what they found so amusing. However, his attention was soon diverted to Kai's house. He looked at the purple haired teenager next to him and blushed, realising that he must be Kai's son. After all, judging from the rest of the humans, it didn't seem to be a very common hair colour. Kai turned to the two boys behind him and smiled slightly, trying to put Daisuke at ease. “You can stay here,” he told the redhead kindly. “My son won't object to sharing a room with you.” With those words, he turned around and walked off. Daisuke blinked. In our culture, we usually show the person to where they will be staying, he thought. Humans are very different indeed.

 

Dark turned to Daisuke, exhaling and ruffling some of his bangs as he did so. “Well, come on then,” he told the other. “I'm not going to wait all day.” Daisuke merely shuffled his feet and looked around, seemingly reluctant to go into the house. Truth be told, he was just amazed. The humans didn't seem so different from his kind, after all. They too had large houses and buildings made of stone. The only difference was that many of them were carrying things in their hands. He looked at one building, which was entirely made out of stone and looked very grand compared to the other houses around him. He looked at Dark and then realised he didn't know the other's name.

 

“Um…” He shyly tugged at the teen's sleeve, not sure of what to expect. Dark raised an eyebrow and turned to face him.

 

“Yah?”

 

Daisuke looked up at the purple haired human. “What's that?” He asked quietly, pointing at the large building. Dark looked in the direction in which he was pointing and blinked. “That's the meeting place. Everyone goes there when something big happens, like the fair or when the traders come.”

 

Daisuke stared. Traders? Fair? What's he talking about? He didn't understand the concept of trade, as back home they had always been able to make whatever they'd needed with magic. “What are traders? And what's a fair?” He noticed that his host's attention was somewhere else and he also looked, just in time to see a harried looking middle-aged human woman come over.

 

“Dark-san!” She bowed politely and smiled at him, her white teeth flashing. “I hear you came back with something more than just a catch this morning!” She cheerfully remarked. Dark nodded whilst Daisuke noted that Kai's son's name was Dark.

 

“Uh, yes,” he said. “We, uh, found someone.” He awkwardly gestured at Daisuke, unsure of whether it was fair or not to talk about him as though he were not there. The lady's gaze swung towards him and Daisuke warily smiled back, unsure of what to do.

 

“My goodness,” the lady exclaimed. “He's so striking!” Dark blinked and Daisuke flushed, unsure of what to do as she continued to speak. “You've got lovely hair,” she told Daisuke.

 

“Ah…” Neither boy said anything until Kai came out again.

 

“Misaki-san!” He cheerily exclaimed. “How are you this morning?” He saw the two boys fidgeting and raised an eyebrow. “I was just coming out to get…hm…?” He shot a questioning look at Daisuke, who mumbled his name. Kai leaned closer. “I'm sorry?”

 

“Dai,” the redhead whispered, not wanting to reveal his full name.

 

“Dai,” the older man repeated. “Dark, why didn't you bring him in?”

 

“I was going to, but then he started asking questions!” The purple-haired teen shot back. Daisuke could sense the odd tension between father and son. It wasn't bad tension, like the kind that always shot up between his mother and his aunt. It was an awkward tension, the kind that was found between two strangers who had been shut in a room and told to talk to each other. Humans aren't that different from us, he thought.

 

Dark looked down at the redhead next to him. He seemed lost in thought; his eyes were glazed over and he had a dreamy look on his face. “Hey,” he said, “Let's go up. I'll show you around later, okay?” As they went up the stairs, Dark wondered just where Daisuke had come from. Every county and village had its own town hall and meeting place for market. How could this…teenager not know what markets and traders were?

 

“You still haven't answered my question.” Dark looked down at Daisuke.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You know,” the redhead stomped his foot impatiently. “What's a fair? And what are traders?” The purple-haired teen stared. He was being serious, he thought incredulously.

 

“We-ell…a fair is when people…uh…get together. To…um…celebrate stuff. You know, like the first harvest, the end of winter, the summer solstice, things like that. There are games and competitions, and lots of food.” He warmed to the topic, although part of him still found it strange that Daisuke didn't know such common things. “It's a chance for people to get together and dance and enjoy themselves.” Daisuke nodded, trying to absorb the information and grasp this concept. We don't have anything like this `fair' back home, he thought.

 

“It sounds interesting,” he shyly said. Dark nodded vigorously.

 

“Oh yeah, it is. One year, Krad-he's my cousin-and I rounded up a few pigs and set them loose in the village square. It was hilarious.” Dark smiled, remembering just how much chaos had been caused from that one action. Daisuke stared.

 

“Why would you do that?” Daisuke couldn't see the fun in wreaking havoc amongst villagers.

 

Dark stared. “It's…it's one of those things that you have to do to be able to see the fun in it,” he finally said. He didn't know how to explain the concept to Daisuke. To his relief, Daisuke merely nodded.

 

“So what's a trader then?”

 

“Just where do you come from?” Dark asked. “Don't you have traders in your village?” Daisuke just shook his head, blushing at his ignorance.

 

“It's okay then,” the redhead quietly said. “You don't have to tell me. I…I guess I wasn't cut out for this, huh?” He weakly smiled at Dark. Amethyst eyes closed and Dark shook his head quickly.

 

“I didn't mean to imply that!” He quickly said. “I mean…I guess there are some places that traders don't go to…” His attempts to explain himself failed and Daisuke quietly began to walk to the village gate. “Hey, where're you going?”

 

Daisuke turned back. “I'm…I'm leaving,” he said. “I don't think…I don't think I'll fit in here.” I just want to go back home right now, he thought sadly. But I can't. I have to stay away from my kind for another six months at least before I can return home. His friend Takeshi had gone on his yearlong journey and returned just recently. The stories he'd told were amazing; according to him, humans had large places called `cities', where the buildings were taller than the trees and had spires reaching up to the heavens. The humans who lived in these places were rich and had more authority over the people in their area. The males were known as `lords' and the females `ladies'. According to Takeshi, many humans were kind and didn't mind questions, although he admitted later on that they'd looked at him strangely more than once when he'd asked what they called the large grand houses that rich people lived in. How did he manage to get so much information? Daisuke wondered.

 

He felt a tug at his shirt and whipped around. “What?” he demanded. “I'm leaving, I'm not going to stay here and screw up your life. I'm going, all right?” Homesickness and fear made him snappish; his mother always said that.

 

Dark's eyes showed hurt and Daisuke felt just a little guilty. “I don't mind you staying in my room,” Dark said shortly. “I was going to show you around this place.” Daisuke stared before smiling widely and for a fleeting moment, Dark felt his heart skip a beat and he felt a little lightheaded. He looks good when he smiles, Dark thought. “C'mon then,” he said, holding out a hand to the redhead. “Let's start from here.”

 

The pair walked through the village, Dark acting as tour guide and pointing out all the `places of interest' such as the baker's, the butcher's, the blacksmith's and the inn. To his amusement, Daisuke asked about everything. He even inquired in the most naïve way what the `large wooden box with fire underneath it' was for. Dark had been lost until Daisuke pointed at the oven. Strangely enough, the redhead liked the blacksmith's place the most. He had gazed intently into the roaring flames of the forge until Dark pulled him away. In this way the afternoon passed and both found themselves enjoying their time together.

 

“Where do you come from?” Dark asked again. Daisuke and he were in his room, looking at the stars from the window. The redhead was entranced by the sight of them and had even shown Dark some constellations that he had never heard about as well as told him their legends. Strangely enough, many of them had to do with dragons. At this question, Daisuke jumped and blushed, fidgeting with his nightshirt.

 

“I…” Daisuke didn't want to lie, not to his new friend, but he knew that he couldn't tell the truth either. Otherwise the humans will come and drive us out again, like they did before. “I…I don't really know,” he said. It was a half-lie; no one knew exactly where the Dragon Kin had come from, but it wasn't the answer to what Dark was asking.

 

“So you're an orphan?” Daisuke shook his head.

 

“Iie…uh…we travel a lot.” That was true. Dark suddenly grabbed his chin gently but firmly and pulled him closer. Despite his protests, Dark didn't let go and with his other hand, gently traced his features, eyes sharp. Daisuke felt a blush coming on as he realized just how close they were. Suddenly the warm hand on his chin was gone and Dark had pulled back, frowning lightly.

 

“You don't look like gypsy blood.” Huh? Daisuke panicked. What's a gypsy?

 

“How do you know?” The redhead challenged. Dark shrugged.

 

The two boys went back to looking at the stars and Daisuke reflected upon what he had learnt that day. He'd certainly learnt a lot more today than he had in the last six months and the pangs of homesickness were now gone, thanks to Dark. He still thought of home and wanted to go back, but the longing wasn't as strong as it had been this afternoon before his tour of the village. It wasn't long before Dark's father told them to go to bed. Before he slept, Daisuke offered up a prayer for his clan and prayed that he would not change halfway through the night. It happened now and again.

 

Early morning:

 

Dark groaned as his eyelids fluttered open and he stared into the inky blackness of his room. The pressure on his bladder was insistent and he knew that he would have to go relieve himself. After doing so in the chamber pot (he felt awkward doing it in front of a sleeping person), he rinsed his hands outside and let the night wind soothe him a little before heading back into the house and back to his confusing roommate. He's so odd, it's as though he's never seen such things before in his life. He's like a child, Dark thought as he looked at Daisuke's sleeping face. So peaceful. Then without warning, something hard struck his leg. The teenager glanced down, trying to figure out what it was in the gloom. Then the hard thing hit his leg again. What the…? A glow suddenly lit up the room and Dark could only stare as Daisuke's soft features began to change. His red hair grew longer and wilder and that peaceful face suddenly became much more reptilian. Red scales started to pop out all over his skin and Dark found himself staring at a creature he thought only existed in fairy tales-a dragon. His first thought was to scream, and then he caught himself. It's not like he's doing any harm, he told himself sternly. Calm down.

 

Minutes ticked by and Dark just stared at the dragon sleeping in his bed, curled up into a ball. So that's why he didn't know much about villages, he mused. Then the fairy tales all came back in a rush. Dragons destroyed things, didn't they? They were powerful, but they certainly didn't go around in human guise. They certainly weren't as docile as Dai was, either. They were supposed to be fire-breathing, frightening, evil monsters. He found himself re-thinking everything he'd ever seen in books or heard in stories.

 

Morning soon arrived and Daisuke still hadn't changed back. Dark now kept glancing towards the door; he wasn't sure how his father would react if he saw a dragon in the house. Carefully placed a hand to the dragon's claw, Dark began to tug at it. “Wake up, Dai,” he whispered into one red ear. “Wake up.” The ear twitched, but the dragon didn't wake up. Instead, it curled itself into a tighter ball and wrapped its large red wings around itself, forming a cocoon (everyone together now: awwwwww). “Dai, wake up!” He whispered urgently. Finally, one crimson eye cracked open and in a flash of bright light, Daisuke was back in `human form' again. His eyes were wild and he looked like he was about to panic.

 

“Ah! I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry! Please don't kill me!” The redhead pleaded. His ruby eyes glistened with tears.

 

Dark shook his head. “Don't worry,” he said in a soothing voice before gently pulling Daisuke in for a hug. He missed the contact; ever since his mother had died, he hadn't gotten any hugs, as Kai Mousy was not a physical person. Added to this, it comforted the other boy-dragon-whatever immensely, as his frail body relaxed within his arms. Dark leaned into the mass of red hair, inhaling the younger one's spicy scent deeply and closing his eyes.

 

Daisuke was confused. He felt safe in Dark's arms, but he knew that he shouldn't. What if he sells me out? He shut his eyes, feeling Dark all around him. Please…he thought, although he didn't know what he was pleading for. “I think,” Dark spoke softly into his head, breath tickling his scalp, “you'd better tell me the whole story.” Daisuke sighed and looked up at Dark. After gathering his thoughts, he began to narrate his tale.

 

“And that's why I'm here,” he finished off. Dark stared in amazement at the tale he'd just heard.

 

“A familiar story,” a new voice commented from the doorway. Both boys jumped and turned to look at Kai, who was still dressed in his nightshirt. His coal black eyes were glistening and Dark couldn't believe what he was seeing or hearing. Kai, his father, his calm, collected, unemotional father, was about to cry. The purple haired man walked over to Daisuke and smiled slightly. “I could tell you weren't human when I saw you,” he softly said. Daisuke's eyes widened as the man continued. “Your behaviour only served to convince me further and your tale confirmed my suspicions.” He turned to Dark.

 

“Your mother was like him,” he nodded at Daisuke. “She was beautiful.” His voice was low and Daisuke could tell that he was struggling to stay composed.

 

“There's nothing to say about Mother,” Dark said shortly. “She died because she had scarlet fever. I know. I saw it!” Daisuke could only gasp as a long buried story re-surfaced in his memory. Sumin was the fairest of the Dragon Kin…but she chose a human…she did not live long after…

 

“I know. What I'm trying to say is…” Kai sat on the ground, his eyes filled with the pain of old memories. “You're not…fully human. You have Dragon Kin blood. It's not a lot, but it's going to manifest itself soon.” Dark barked out a harsh laugh.

 

“Well, I'm going to be leaving soon, Father,” he told Kai. “I won't stay for much longer in this place.” He turned to Daisuke. “Is it all right if I travel for a while with you?” Daisuke smiled and nodded.

 

“But are you sure you want to leave this place?” he asked. Dark nodded.

 

“It's stifling here. I don't want to be cooped up forever. I want to roam, to explore this land. There's so much out there that I don't know.” Daisuke smiled.

 

“You could come to my home, you know,” he shyly offered. Kai then stood up, reminding them of his presence.

 

“Dark…” his voice was still low. “I…I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I can only wish you the best and pray that you will always be safe.” The words didn't contain any emotion in them, but Dark caught the meaning clearly. His father was trying to tell him, in his own unique way, that he would not stop Dark from leaving and that he loved him.

 

“Aa.” The amethyst-eyed teen felt a lump growing in his throat and a hot prickle behind his eyes. Father, he thought. The one who's always been there for me. The one who continued to raise me despite the loss of his wife. The one who continued to raise me even though he could tell that I was restless, that I would leave him one day. The one who continued to raise me even though I wasn't completely human, or the kind of son that he wished for. “Thank you…” he softly whispered. Then father caught son in a hug and Daisuke looked away, knowing that it was a family moment.

 

“Well,” Kai said. “As much of a farewell scene as this was, you're not going to go off with Daisuke without anything. I will prepare your supplies and find some maps for you.”

 

“That's fine,” Daisuke said. “I'm going to fly…” he lowered his eyes as he said this, still worried about how Dark and Kai would react to such open discussion of draconic traits. Then he locked eyes with Dark and continued more bravely. “I'm going to fly through the land, just stopping where I will. It'll mostly be in forest though, so if you want meat you'll have to catch it.” Dark nodded. Kai smiled slightly and punched his son on the shoulder in an affectionate gesture.

 

“Well son, I guess we'll be seeing how much you've learned from watching me hunt soon,” he commented. “Now come on. We have much to do.”

 

Two days later:

 

There was a knock on the door. Dark opened it to find the local priest standing on the doorstep. His gray eyes were grave and he was holding his charms. “I have heard that you harbour a dragon here,” he said. Dark blinked.

 

“No we don't,” he automatically said.

 

“Nevertheless,” the priest said, “I would like to see the one you brought from the woods.”

 

Dark nodded and then turned around. “Let me first get my father. But don't wait outside; come in.” Kai Mousy soon appeared and the two men headed into the kitchen to talk whilst Daisuke and Dark continued their packing upstairs. A shout and the sound of chairs scraping backwards caught their ears and both boys rushed downstairs to see what the matter was. To their dismay, the priest and Kai were quarrelling.

 

“It's not right!” Kai shouted angrily. “Is it moralistic to kill something that's never harmed you just because you fear it? You do not understand!”

 

The priest stood his ground, eyes cold and voice quiet. “It is you who does not understand,” he quietly said. “Dragons are evil creatures. This one has trapped you-can you not see? He is even red-the colour of blood and death.” He tried to advance, but was blocked by the taller man.

 

Daisuke let out a soft sob at this point, shocked at how fierce this man was and how determined he was to believe that all dragons were evil. Being naïve and idealistic, he pushed his way past Kai, ignoring the Mousys' protests and warnings. He stood in front of the priest, eyes glowing with the light that his clan was famous for.

 

“Not all Dragon Kin are evil!” Daisuke cried. “It is those who have gone to the Dark Side that turn humans against us! We are just like you-there are good dragons and there are—“ He was cut off by the priest.

 

“QUIET!” The man roared. “HOW DARE YOU COMPARE YOURSELVES TO HUMANS? HOW DARE YOU—“ Apparently consumed with rage, he lashed out blindly. Daisuke hastily blocked the blow, thanking his clan for the combat training. “UNHOLY CREATURE!” The man screamed. “YOU HAVE DECEIVED AND DEFILED THESE INNOCENTS!” Dark rushed forward, scared now.

 

“He hasn't done anything!” Dark snapped. “We just found him in the woods and my father took him home, thinking that he had no shelter and nowhere to go! Is that wrong? Is that not what the Good Book says we should do? Give help to the needy? That's what he was doing!” The priest did not hear him, a fanatical gleam in his eyes. He turned to Kai.

 

“Your son is bewitched, more so than you are,” he calmly said.

 

Daisuke chose this time to defend himself. “What? I haven't bewitched anyone! I haven't done anything whilst I've been here!” Kai nodded, dark obsidian eyes defying the priest silently. Suddenly the man seemed to calm down and his fire vanished. Everyone relaxed. Well, everyone except for Dark. He didn't like the way the priest was looking over at Daisuke every now and again, as though he was plotting something.

 

“Forgive me.” The priest's voice was now quiet and subdued. He looked directly at Daisuke, eyes softer. Even Dark was tempted to believe that he was truly sorry. “I am sorry. It's just that…living in the forest…well…” he trailed off.

 

“It's all right,” Daisuke softly said, smiling at the man. “I understand why you'd think all dragons are evil, but really, they're not. There are good dragons and bad dragons. The bad ones just choose to come out more often and make us look bad, that's all.” Then a thought struck him. “You won't tell, will you?” He asked.

 

“Yes,” he said thoughtfully. “I understand now. Please accept my apologies. And no, I won't tell.” He smiled at the younger one.

 

“It's no problem,” the redhead smiled again, crimson eyes warm. “It's always good to know that someone's so willing to protect the village.” The priest nodded, then turned around.

 

“I must leave…” he said, “My duties at the chapel…” Daisuke's eyes shone as he remembered what a chapel was (Dark had explained it to him during the tour).

 

“That's the place of worship, right?” He eagerly asked.

 

The priest nodded. “That's right. Feel free to come by if you like. My apologies, Mousy-san,” he said, turning to Kai. The tall one merely nodded.

 

“I'll walk him to the door,” Daisuke cheerfully announced. Dark hesitated, then nodded after his father shot him a look.

 

“I'm going to go pack then,” Dark said before heading upstairs again. Kai looked for a moment longer at the priest, then at Daisuke.

 

“Do not be so quick to judge again, Father,” he softly said before following his son upstairs.

 

Daisuke showed the priest to the door, but on the way, the man stumbled over a table. He staggered and Daisuke quickly caught him. Ruby eyes widened in shock, then horror as a searing hot pain flashed through his chest. He fell to the ground, staring up at the priest helplessly. The man was holding a stiletto. “This is what happens to creatures like you,” the man hissed before bending over. Daisuke felt the cold blade touch his throat and tried to scream for help, but the blade moved swiftly and he keeled over, blood gushing from his slashed jugular. Please…Dark…anyone…were his last thoughts. Then he felt a sense of determination come through him. I want to tell him this one last thing…He painfully moved his hand to the pool of blood rapidly forming, dipped his fingers into it and painstakingly began to write.

 

Five minutes later:

 

Kai headed back down the stairs, wondering what Daisuke was doing. It wasn't that far from the kitchen to the door and he was sure that the redhead would be eager to join Dark again. A metallic smell suddenly assaulted his senses and he reeled backwards. Please, no, he thought desperately. No. He leapt down the rest of the stairs and darted towards the door. Don't let it…He stopped dead at the sight of the pale hand on the floor. “Dear God…” he whispered. “DARK!” He hollered up the stairs. Then he rushed to the body, checking it for a pulse or any other sign of life. There was none.

 

A howl of despair echoed through the village, causing everyone to look up. It was a howl of despair, rage and loss. Dark Mousy staggered out, his face streaked with tears, his father looking just as distraught. The teenager turned towards the chapel, eyes blazing with fury. He will pay…

 

The villagers watched in horror and shock as two large, black wings blossomed from Dark's back and his hands turned into claws. His pupils changed to become black slits in pools of deep violet and his hair grew long and wild, just like Daisuke's did when he transformed. They stared in growing horror at the dragon, which was now making its way towards the chapel. Normally they would have rushed to the aid of the priest and the others by now, but something held them back. Another man turned to Kai. “What's going on?” Kai could only shake his head and let a few tears escape.

 

Everyone watched in silence as the dragon tore the tiny wooden construction apart, searching for the priest. Unfortunately, the man had gone to another village `for a meeting'.

 

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Daisuke's body transformed into its dragon form once more, now that his life force was completely gone. Everyone stared at first in horror, then in sorrow when they realized that the little redhead from the forest was the same creature. It was a pitiful sight-the little red dragon, curled up in a fetal position. Beside it, in blood red characters read the words, `Dark-Aishiteru. Arigato.'

 

The little red dragon was buried and at the service, Dark, back in his human form, fell to his knees. He swore that he would avenge Daisuke but the priest had disappeared. To this day, the villagers claim that Dark is still out there, searching, for as everyone knows, dragons are immortal unless they are killed by unnatural means. He is known by some as `The Sorrowing Dragon'.

 

Whether or not Daisuke's clan knows of his fate remains a mystery.

 

Done! Okay, just for your information:

 

I know I did not use the word `changeling' in the right context. So don't bug me about it, please. According to dictionary.com (too lazy to look up my big Merriam-Webster one):
Changeling: A child secretly exchanged for another.
Legend: Used in England and other parts of the UK/Wales to describe elf-children, who were ugly. The elves themselves swapped the human baby with their own and the human was left to raise the changeling.

 

For this story, I chose to make dragons have a human form too, as it would, after all, attract less attention in the woods and forests where they hide. I mean, come on-what's more obvious, a large reptilian creature with wings or a human?

 

Dragons scare their young into good behaviour by using humans because they know that there are both good and bad humans out there-they're not prejudiced-but they do occasionally act like parents do (`If you're not good, I'll give you to the Bogeyman'). That's why Daisuke's so afraid. However, dragons that have been into the outside world know that there are different types of people-they just refer to the bad ones to scare their young.

 

Daisuke's story is this: When young dragons reach the age of eighteen, they are `sent out' into the world to learn its ways by themselves. They explore for as long as they wish, but the minimum is one year. So, Daisuke has only been gone from his home for six months. Dragons fly all over the place, so each dragon would have a different perception of humans, depending on where they went. This is why Daisuke does not understand villages; Takeshi only talked about grand castles and large cities, and obviously he would ignore the bakeries and things there in favour of the grandeur of the other structures whilst recounting his adventures. The purpose of this trip is mainly to acquire knowledge and instill independence, kind of like a `round the world' trip (backpacker style) but with more meaning to it.

 

I know this seems more like a friendship fic, but I guess that the `Aishiteru' bit pretty much clinched it, so yeah.

 

Hope you liked the fanfic. Thank you for your feedback and reviews for the last chapter and please review this one, as it would mean so much to me. So review please, and see you next time!