Chapter Twenty-Three: The Green Dragon Village

A/n: I decided to split this prompt up into parts since all together it was too long. I decided to put the other prompts off until I finish this prompts, since I don't want to space them too far apart. Anyways, enjoy!

Prompt: Jae-Ha and his daughter make a visit to the Ryokuryuu village to grab the newborn Green Dragon.

"I don't take things for granted, because everything feels more fragile. It's made me wonder about mortality and how long you've got somebody in the world. I'm more fearful than I used to be."- Robin Gibb

It was a quiet walk for the most part. Neither one said too much, as they were both lost in their own somber thoughts.

"So... The Green Dragon Village is in the... Fire Tribe?" Jee-Sun said quietly as they paused just outside a familiar village. Or at least all too familiar for Jae-Ha. To Jee-Sun, it was a village she had never seen before.

The houses were the ones that were similar to the ones built in the Fire Tribe. Adobe house that were small, one or two bedroom, with straw or wooden roofs. There was a field or two just on the outskirts where Jee-Sun could see people tending to the crops that grew. There was a single market place selling various items. The place had a wooden fence going around the village, but nobody seemed to really be minding the fence, which looked old, like it hadn't been maintenance in years. In some places, the wood was so rotten, it had broken off. There were a few trees and shrubs around, littered throughout the village. Jee-Sun could hear the sounds of animals, mostly the chirping of birds in the few trees.

"Yeah." Jae-Ha said simply, but it sounded as though he was far off, in his own thoughts. Jee-SUn looked at him, smiling softly.

"It'll be ok." She said simply, grabbing his wrist. Jae-Ha came out of his thoughts, his memories, and then looked at his daughter, who was smiling a small smile at him, trying to comfort him. He smiled, sighed, and then looked forward.

Times had changed. They were once again seen as protectors. They were feared, sure, because of their powers, but they were more repscted than they were in times previous. He was sure nothing bad would happen. He was confident this would go over well. He was sure that there was nothing to worry about. Times had changed. Times were different than when he was growing up. At least, that's what he had to tell himself to remain calm and confident. He squeezed his daughter's hand tightly, and then lead her into the village. This would be alright. After all... How many years had passed since he was a child? Enough time had passed, enough people had heard what they had done for the country when they were younger... Times had changed, and so had people's views on the Dragon Warriors. He was certain that nothing would go wrong. At least, that's what he had hoped.

As they entered the village, people seemed to grow quiet, and stop whatever they were doing to stare at them, and whisper among themselves as they looked at Jae-Ha and his daughter. They whispered low enough that neither Jae-Ha nor his daughter could quiet catch what they were saying. Just little words here and there.

"Left... Ages ago."

"Must be..."

"Why..."

"Of all places..."

"Who... Girl?"

"Child?"

"Curious..."

"Nah..."

"Can't be..."

"Warn..."

And other little things that were too vague to piece together. They ignored the voices around them, Jae-Ha silent and serious as he looked around until he came upon the house he was certain belonged to the new dragon warrior. He paused at the house, looking at the house, searching as if he would find any indicators of what he would find inside.

"I can knock if you want, Father?" Jee-Sun offered in a whisper, glancing at her father, who shook his head to bring himself out of his thoughts, and then looked down at his daughter with a small smile.

"Nah. I can do it." He said simply, and it was at that moment he could hear a sharp, strong cry in the house. His chest tightened, but it made his resolve tighten and strengthen. He sighed, knocking on the door firmly.

"One moment please!" A strained, female voice called out from inside. He could still hear the strong cries continuing from inside. He could hear the female still try to comfort the child."Hello, how may I..." The female, a young looking woman with short, dark brown hair and blue eyes answered the door. She was holding a baby swaddled in a white blanket in one hand, holding it up to her shoulders, while one hand awkwardly patted it's back in comfort as it continued to cry. She looked at the pair standing before her with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open in shock."You're..." She looked at the pair before her, and then at the baby in her arms.

"I came to see the new Dragon Warrior. The one that's replacing me, it seems." Jae-Ha said simply, with a smile he hoped would comfort the woman, who once again looked at the swaddled, wailing child in her arms. "May I hold it?" He questioned, holding out his arms. The woman, who couldn't be more than twenty-five years old, nodded, and then switched the child's positions in her arms as she held it out for Jae-Ha to take. He did so with the most gentle of care.

The child finally seemed to calm down as Jae-Ha held it, and they met eyes. The child seemed to tilt it's head, and then grin as it's tiny arms stretched out towards him. He smiled softly, one finger touching the baby's chin. He could see tuffs of curly, dark green hair peeking out of the blanket. It seemed like such a happy child. Still, he wasn't sure how to feel about the child. So many thoughts, and feelings were swirling inside of him, it was hard to pinpoint just how he was feeling. It was hard to gather all his thoughts into one coherent process.

"His name is Dae-Hyun." The woman said softly, leaning against the doorway. Jae-ha looked at her, and then nodded softly.

"Are you the mother?" He questioned softly. She nodded, tucking a hair behind her ear.

"My name is Eun-Ae, but that probably doesn't matter. Are you here to take him away? I would understand if you did." She said softly, gripping her arm tightly. Jae-Ha looked at her, no longer sure what to say." I've been expecting for you to show up these past two months." She then looked at the young girl next to Jae-Ha, and her eyes softened as she noted the resemblance. She looked at Jae-Ha softly."Is this your daughter?" She questioned, Jae-Ha glanced at Jee-Sun, and nodded softly. The woman seemed to relax. She moved out of the way, and then gestured for the pair to follow her in. Looking at one another, they both nodded before moving in.

"You must be taking this hard." The woman, Eun-Ae, said softly to Jee-Sun as she poured them all some tea. Jae-Ha was still holding the two month old Ryokuryuu, Dae-Hyun, who was cooing, and babbling as he gripped Jae-Ha's purple shirt.

"I'm... I mean..." Jee-Sun wasn't sure what to say. So, she let her voice trail off. Jae-Ha smiled at her thinly, letting one hand pat her softly on the leg, his own way of letting her know it was alright, and she didn't have to put on a brave face. The woman also smiled in understanding.

"It's alright. I could only imagine how it must feel." She then looked at Jae-Ha, her look still soft. It was that moment, the baby's face twisted up, and he let out a small cry. Jae-Ha stiffened slightly, worried, but quickly relaxed when he recognized the tell-tale signs of a hungry infant."I'll take him. Change him, feed him, and all that. I'll be back in a bit. In the meanwhile, please make yourselves at home." The woman, Eun-Ae, said softly, quickly but gently, taking the child, and disappearing behind a tattered cloth that acted as a curtain between the two rooms. That left Jae-Ha and his daughter in silence, left to contemplate the situation.

Jae-Ha wondered what next to do. Other than whispers about him and Jee-Sun, which he couldn't blame the villagers for doing. He disappeared from the village years ago, no word, and suddenly he shows up when a new Green Dragon Warrior was born with a young girl who looked similar enough to him for them to make the obvious connections... He'd be whispering too if he saw all that knowing the current situation. However, he wasn't so sure about the situation personally now. It was obvious the village had changed its attitude. Or at least on the surface it did, but he would have to do further digging to fully find out the truth. The mother, although seemingly alone, seemed happy, and she hadn't killed herself out of shame like his own mother had. She took good care of the child, and it was obvious she held affection for the child that any other, normal mother would hold for their child. She didn't have to say it verbally for him to see it through her actions, and how she looked at the child, and how she took such good care for the child. Knowing that she held motherly affections and took such good care of it, he wasn't sure what to do. He wasn't sure if taking the child was the right decision anymore. Judging from how she acted and looked at them, with the suspicious but accepting expression, Jae-Ha was sure that's exactly what not only the villagers, but the mother herself expected considering previous events.

Still, even if things had changed, perhaps that was only due to the fact that another Green Dragon hadn't been born in so many years. Maybe since he left, and there had been no others, they felt safe from the curse. Maybe now that the child was born, they'd go back to their old ways, but worse because he had left all those years ago, and they'd chain the child down even more securely and more often, and be more restrictive on the child than they ever were to either him or Garou simply to keep him within the village, and under their control. Would they go so far as to ailentae the mother? Would she grow to hate her own child? Could he leave now, walk away, turn away right now, and remain comfortable in the judgement that everything would be alright, and nothing would change? The answer would be... Hell no. He was still suspicious of this village, as would be natural considering his circumstances growing up.

Not only that, but he knew without a doubt,that if it wasn't him that would do it, knowing his background, one of the others, if not all of them, would be the next to visit to take the child. And he knew, without a doubt, that some of them, like Kija, considering how he views the Dragon Warriors as brothers and such, most likely would be the least kindest and considerate when going about it. Besides, this was his duty to carry out. Nobody else could do it for him. And if they did, he wouldn't feel right about it no matter how they justified it to wouldn't be able to justify and be right for himself if any of the others took it upon themselves to do this in his place. Because, no matter what he thought or felt about the situation, this was the new Green Dragon. In the end, it was up to him, and nobody else, to guide and help this child grow and learn as a Dragon Warrior. Nobody else but him could teach this child how to use the Dragon Leg the way he could use it, and demonstrate his own abilities to the child so it could better learn through hearing and seeing how it all worked. In end, this was his responsibility and nobody else's, and he had to face and accept that face. Because nobody else would be able to do it for him.

Jee-Sun was still dealing with the feeling of someday, much sooner than she hoped, that she would lose her father. In a weird way, he would live on. Through the legacy of the New Dragon Warrior, and whatever her father decided to pass on to it. She could take a small, weird comfort in that thought, but it would never fully be her father. Only a small, part of a shell, that would be her father. He would never even compare to her father in any way. She would accept it, and treat it as any other child should be treated, and view it as her younger sibling she never had, and at that, it was a boy. She could have a cute younger brother to look after. She would like it more if it was a girl, that way she could easily identify with it, and further guide it in a way only one girl to another could, but Dragon Warriors, for some reason, weren't born females. They were always males, which was strange considering Yona, the reincarnation of King Hiryuu, is a female. SO why couldn't there be a female Dragon Warrior? But she supposed that was a question for a different time and place.

Still, neither one knew what to make of this situation. They looked at one another after a few moments, as if hoping the other had anything to say, but quickly looked away when it was obvious neither one had the right answers.

"How are you feeling, Dear?" Jae-Ha questioned, touching his daughter's hand. She looked at him, at his hand first, and then at his face as she shook her head, and shrugged.

"I don't know. This is all so confusing. I'd feel better if it was a girl, but since Dragon Warriors, for whatever reasons, are always male. So... I guess, that's just some weird thought I had while trying to process this all. I guess it was just my mind trying to comfort me in some way, ya know? Help me make sense of this, or whatever. But... In the end... It's just confusing and I don't know how to process this all. What about you? This has to be affecting you way more than it is me." She was speaking fast, a sign of how flustered and confused she was feeling. Jae-Ha understood that feeling perfectly well. He sighed, taking his hand away, and shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess I feel just like you. I was sure of what I wanted to do before we came here, but here we are, and I... For the first time in a long, I'm not sure of the right thing to do. It's not as simple and easy as I thought it was going to be. So, it makes it all a bit more complicated than before." He explained the best way he could, flipping his bangs back.

Jee-Sun looked t her father, and nodded, biting the insides of her lips as she thought. She looked out the cover-less windows, watching the trees breeze slightly, and noted how nobody seemed to walk by. It was curious. This whole thing was curious as hell, and she wasn't sure how to process it all.

They fell back into silence. They were both processing their thoughts. They couldn't voice their thoughts to one another, if, personally, they were still sorting out their own thoughts and feelings. So...They couldn't expect one another to understand their thoughts and feelings if they couldn't even understand them themselves. So, naturally and expectantly, they fell into silence. It wasn't tense like one would expect it to be, but it was oddly serene and calm, which they were both thankful for as the mother walked back in, she didn't seem to suspect anything a miss as she walked in with a relieved and happy sigh, and walked in breezily with a now calm and content child in her arm. She laid it down on a soft, fluffy blanket that seemed to be made out of some kind of black and white furred, medium sized animal of some kind. She placed what looked like to be a home made, stuffed bear looking toy next to the child, cooed and babbled to it, tickling its stomach while making the baby noise. It laughed, it's hands clenching the toy rather awkwardly, and then yawned, closing its eyes as it chewed on the animals round ear. Eun-Ae smiled gently, gently touching the curly, dark green hair, and then sighed as she looked over her shoulders at her guests. She stood, walked the short distance, and then once again knelt in front of them with a small, shy smile on her face as she tucked some hair behind her ears.

"I know you must have questions. So... Feel free to ask them. No holding back. Anything is up for questioning, and I'll answer them all to the best of my knowledge." She looked at Jae-Ha as she spoke, though she was speaking it to both by extension, she was mostly talking to Jae-Ha. Jee-Sun knew this, or sensed it at least, and decided to keep quiet, and listen instead. Beside, it was her father's place to ask the questions, not hers, since this was mostly his duty and responsibility to carry out. At least, that's the way she saw it.

"This village has changed since I was last here." He said carefully, watching her closely. Eun-Ae, stiffened, as she had heard from her parents how the Green Dragons were treated by this village. She could only imagine the questions and feelings he must have being forced back after so long." What happened?" He questioned.

"Well... Don't get me wrong, nobody understand or knows why you left. There's a few old enough to remember you. They say, the village went crazy for days and weeks looking for you, but they gave up and were glad after awhile. A new one hadn't been born yet, so they felt with you gone, and nobody had invaded the village, that it was good riddance of bad rubbish in a way. They no longer had a burden to care for, and therefore we carried on with our own lives. Sure, we heard about the adventures and such, and how famous and cared and loved you all had become, but it took a long while for this village to change its attitude. I suppose it came easier when we became more... Well, less poor than previously. Don't get me wrong, there's still prejudice and such around here, it's just not as bad as when you were around here, growing up. The people have changed just a bit." Eun-Ae explained, once again gripping her arm. Jae-Ha raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean, just a bit?" He questioned, leveling a more serious expression at Eun-Ae. She looked a bit uncomfortable and uneasy, but then sighed as she closed her eyes, and then looked at Dae-Hyun for a moment before looking back at Jae-Ha with a more serious expression.

"No matter where one goes, they're gonna see prejudice, and in a place where it's so deeply ingrained in the older people, it's inevitable that the younger generations will catch wind of it too, and adapt to those thoughts. Espically if they're not taught any better. So, it's only natural that the prejudice towards the dragon warriors are still here." Jae-Ha nodded when she paused her impassioned speech. She said nothing he hadn't already thought before, and nothing he had any problem with either. He waited for her to continue, to explain herself, which came quickly, without pause, after her little fiery speech. She closed her eyes for a moment,and then opened them, giving Jae-Ha a serious expression." I know you must be wondering why there's no man around. Honestly, if the tables were turned, or it was someone else, I'd be wondering as well. Just so you know, I did have a person I was seeing. We were even talking marriage. In fact,soon after I became pregnant, we had plans on marrying right away, to make things right, but things got complicated, and we decided to wait until after the child was born. Then, it turned out I had given birth to the new Green Dragon. He saw it as a mar on our family, saw it as a curse, and believed me to have brought bad luck on him. He left me, and is now seeing someone else. That's all fine and well with me. If he can throw everything we had and build up together so easily just because the child wasn't born to his liking, then that's something he'll have to live with the rest of his life, and will be no skin off my back. I love Dae-Hyun no matter what. It doesn't matter to me what he is, or what he'll grow up to be like. He's my son, my child, and I'll always love him just the same. He's just a child, and didn't ask to be born into these type of circumstances. Which means, he deserves a normal childhood as any other child, and shouldn't be viewed or treated any different just because he was born differently. He didn't ask for it." She spoke so firmly, so fiery, but it was the truth. It was undeniable that this is how she truly felt,which made Jae-Ha feel much better.

"How does the village treat you?" He questioned softly after a few mintues.

"Hmmm... With distance, but a bit kindly. They give Dae-Hyun strange looks, as if they thought he were a danger of some sort, but nothing I wouldn't expect out of them either." She said simply, firmly once again. She looked at her son,and then at Jae-Ha." What are your intentions with coming back?" She questioned softly, her arm tightly gripping the other as her anxiety acted up. Jae-Ha paused, and then sighed as he looked at his hands, shaking his head. He gathered his thoughts and feelings first, so he could cohernelty speak them in a way Eun-Ae could understand. When that was possible, or he felt it was possible, he looked at her with a serious, but slightly more relaxed expression.

"Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when we entered the village. See, it was so bad back when I was here, that when my own mother found out she had given birth to the new Green Dragon, that out of shame she had given birth to me, the Green Dragon, and was a carrier of the curse, she killed herself. In fact, most previous mothers of the Green Dragons previously had killed themselves. I expected for the village to be the same as before, and since I didn't expect you, the mother to be alive, I came here fully prepared to take the child away, and raise it in a loving and supportive environment. I remember all too well how I grew up. No matter how much I try to forget, I can't, and it was with those memories I always told myself that when the time came, this is exactly what I would do, and nothing nor anybody would stop me from getting the new Green Dragon,and raising it in a more loving, caring, supporting, and most importantly, more free environment. Where it wouldn't be chained up, barely taken care of, seen as a curse, and treated awfully. I wouldn't wish that kind of life on my worse enemy. So I vowed, I would take it and raise it in a more free environment, where it could freely use it's power,and be free to be itself without fear and judgement of others who only want to control its own powers for their own usage and advantages. However, I can now see I was wrong. At least, when it comes to you. You obviously love... Dae-Hyun, and I couldn't feel right just up and taking him now." He paused, looking at Eun-Ae, who nodded softly.

"I would understand if you still did, though. As soon as my child was born, and I came to know it was the new Green Dragon, I fully expected you to come, and whisk it away from me. I have prepared myself the last two months for this day, and have tried to steel myself for this day. The day you would come to take my son away." She said softly, looking back down at her lap, her eyebrows together. Jae-ha paused, looking at her for a moment, and then sighed as he looked at Jee-Sun, who seemed to be quietly taking this all in and processing it in her own way. He looked back at Eun-Ae.

"I'm a gentleman above all, and I would never do that without your express and genuine word." He said softly, leaning over, and touching her chin, lifting it just enough so that they met eye contact. He smiled, hoping it would calm her down. She smiled softly, taking her chin away from his hand, and straightened herself out.

"If you thought it was the best thing to do, I would feel comfortable handing my child out." She said simply. Jae-Ha nodded, relaxing as he sat back.

"I see. That makes me feel alot better. May I add, as a compromise, that if it would be of any constellation to you, and make the transition easier for you to handle, you are more than welcome to come with us." He said softly, which seemed to brighten the woman up. She smiled widely, and looked at him with bright eyes. Her eyes almost teared up.

"Do... Do you mean it?" She questioned. Jae-Ha nodded, smiling softly.

"If there's anything you should know about me, it's that I never say anything I don't mean." He said softly." Besides, I'd hate to tear a loving mother away from it's child." Jae-Ha added on, which seemed to make her happier. She quickly stood up, bowing slightly.

"I'll make sure you won't regret, Mister..." She paused, awkwardly, realizing she had never gotten their names. Her face heated up slightly as she looked at the two with an awkward expression, still in a half bow. Jae-Ha chuckled slightly, standing up, and then helping his daughter up. They dusted off their clothes, and bowed slightly.

"Forgive us for not introducing ourselves until now. My name is Jae-Ha, and this is my daughter, Jee-Sun." He touched Jee-SUn's back slightly before dropping it as all three straightened out.

"Right." Eun-Ae said softly, tucking some hair behind her ears. She smiled,and nodded." I'll make sure neither one of you regrets this. I'll make myself useful in any way I can, and do whatever it is I have to to show I'm worth sticking around, and be a joy to be around. I'm so thankful you allowed this. How soon do you want to leave?" She was speaking so fast, it all ran together, and it took Jae-Ha a moment to catch up with what she was saying.

"As soon as we can. I don't want to have to stay here any longer than I have to." He said softly, to which Eun-Ae nodded, quickly turning on her heels, and getting things together.

Jae-Ha sighed. Now that this was all taken care of, and squared away,there was only one thing left to do... Gather the others all together, and tell them the news if they didn't already know, and then introduce them to the new Green Dragon and it's loving mother. He could only hope that would go as smooth as everything else had gone so far, but somehow, knowing how everyone in the group could be, he highly doubted it. Still, there was no harm in hoping it would go over as well and smoothly as everything up to this point had been so far.