"You will die by my hands, Seijuro!" Shogo yelled, swinging his sword. Seijuro back stepped out of the way, clashing his sword against his enemy's.

"It seems you've forgotten: I am absolute," Seijuro replied. The two men fought, their will unwavered. The soldiers against them fought against each other, leaving a trail of blood in their path.

Haizaki smirked, his lips pursed as he whistled. "Not anymore." A loud roar erupted from the skies, shaking the ground beneath them. The fighting stopped and for a moment it was complete silence until a flaming red dragon emerged from the clouds.

Seijuro lost composure. A dragon hasn't been since the fall of the dragon empire and the sight of a dragon right before his eyes was both amazing and terrifying. Seijuro just watched as the fire burned down his allies. He turned around, watching as Shogo's lips formed into a grin.

"You lose."

Seijuro shot up from the bed, panting and drenched in sweat. His wounds stung and he clutched his side in pain. He heard the pitter patter of Nigou's feet - the dog making its way to the edge of his bed. Nigou whined, propping himself up on the bed. "Just a nightmare," he said, petting the dog's head.

"Taiga," Tetsuya whispered. He laid on Taiga's bed, covers pulled up to his shoulders while Taiga slept on the floor beside him. Ever since they met Seijuro, he's been taking up Tetsuya's room and Taiga was way too uncomfortable sharing the same bed with Tetsuya. "Taiga," he whispered out again.

Still no reply.

Tetsuya took the pillow beside him and promptly smacked Taiga in the face. The latter woke up in a panic, his incessant snoring coming to a halt as he jolted from his makeshift bed. Tetsuya chuckled, earning a glare from Taiga. "What was that for?" Taiga asked, his voice husky.

"I've been trying to wake you up for the past few minutes but you sleep like a log," Tetsuya pouted. "I'm hungry. Feed me."

Taiga groaned, running a hand through his red hair. "What time is it?"

"4:25 in the morning," Kuroko replied.

The redhead looks at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Why are you even up?"

"Couldn't sleep." Taiga sighed, getting up and taking a seat on the edge of the bed next to Tetsuya.

"So, are you going to tell me what's bugging you?"

Tetsuya sat up, leaning against the headboard. "How do you know something's bugging me?"

Taiga almost laughed. "Ever since we took you in, you've only stayed up this late four times: One, when you woke up after we found you. Two, when dad passed away. Three, when we got into that fight about your parents and four was when you got that sugar rush after eating the chocolates that Tatsuya bought you for Christmas a few years ago."

Tetsuya sighed, moving so he could lay his head on Taiga's lap. Taiga ran his fingers through Tetsuya's blue locks, something he knew always made the younger one feel better. "Do you think Seijuro's family is looking for him?"

Taiga sighed, he knew where this was going. "Of course, any parent would if their child went missing. I'm sure of it."

Tetsuya paused, playing with the fabric of Taiga's pants. "Do you think my parents are still looking for me?"

"Hey, we talked about this," he replied. "We looked everywhere for your parents and we couldn't find them. I'm sorry...I know that's not what you wanted to hear."

Tetsuya sat up, leaning his head on Taiga's shoulder. "It isn't but…" Tetsuya placed a hand on top of Taiga's. "Thanks, I know it's tough to listen to me whine about my parents all the time."

"Aw…" Taiga placed a kiss on Tetsuya's forehead. "You've always been tough to handle."

Tetsuya looked at Taiga, his mouth wide open and his eyebrows scrunched. "You're so rude."

Taiga laughed, ruffling Tetsuya's hair. "I know," he smiled. "Come on, let's go make some pancakes. It'll make you feel better."

Seijuro wasn't able to go back to bed. His head was racing with thoughts of what happened. He thought dragons were extinct but to see one in front of his eyes left him paralyzed and shaken. Akashi, Seijuro, the man who believes not in failure realized that Rakuzan could lose this war.

He heard a loud crash from outside the bedroom and a voice yelling, "Ow, Fuck me!" and another voice shushing him. Nigou's ears perked up and ran to the door, violently scratching the wood and barking to get his master's attention. He walked over to the door and Nigou ran towards the crack of the door. Before Seijuro could even fully open it, the dog managed to squeeze his way through the crack.

"Hi, buddy," Tetsuya cooed, picking up the dog and cradling him in his arms. "Did you watch over Seijuro?" Nigou barked in response, basking in the attention that his master was giving him. Tetsuya looked over at Seijuro, "Sorry for waking you."

Seijuro shook his head, "No, I couldn't sleep anyways."

"We're making pancakes," Tetsuya said, poking Nigou's nose. "Well...Taiga's making pancakes but I'm cheering him on."

"Taiga, would you mind taking me to town today?" Seijuro asked.

Taiga took out the ingredients from the cupboards, "Are you sure you're well enough to be up that much? What do you need?"

"I need to send a pigeon to my father," Seijuro eyed Tetsuya. "He's probably worried sick."

"Sure, we'll go at 9."

Seijuro walked behind Taiga, following him to the pigeon post. The town was quite small and it had obviously been ransacked when Shogo and his army came through but the people seemed to be coping pretty well. "You said the army passed through here?" He asked.

"Yeah," Taiga answered. "It was pretty terrible. They took a lot of our resources but thankfully no one was hurt."

"Did you by any chance see anything strange?" Seijuro knew it would sound like he lost his mind but he had to know.

"Strange?" Taiga asked, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like a dragon?"

Taiga stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Seijuro. "A dragon?" Taiga paused, contemplating something before shaking his head. "Impossible," he said. "Dragons have been extinct for several years." Seijuro eyed the taller one suspiciously. He knew something but he knew it was going to take more than a simple question to get Taiga to tell the truth. "Hey...uh...mind if we drop by the bookstore on the way back? It's Tetsuya's birthday tomorrow and I haven't gotten him a present yet." Seijuro nodded in response.

"Hyah!" A blue haired man yelled, slicing down an enemy soldier in his path. He watched as the body dropped to the ground and put his sword back in its sheath.

"That's the last of them," A blonde haired male informed, turning over a dead body of another enemy soldier.

"Don't rest yet," They both looked over to a green haired man adjusting his glasses. "We've still got more camps to hit."

"Eh~," A purple haired giant whined. "But I'm tired~."

"If Seijuro was here, he wouldn't have let them get this far," The blue haired one scoffed.

Seijuro scanned the bookstore, his eyes searching for anything with the word 'dragons.' Taiga was searching around the bookstore as well but his intentions of searching were different from Seijuro's. The shelves in the bookstore were stacked with dusty, old books. It was challenging to walk around as the books were stacked messily on the floors and shelves, making mobility less than ideal. His eyes found a book hidden under the bookshelves. Had it not been for his keen eyes, it would not have been found. He slid out the book, careful not to disturb the mountainous piles of books around him. Once he had the book in his hands, he wiped the dust off, almost coughing from the amount of dust that flew off. The book didn't have a title, just a seal of a dragon that took up a small portion of the middle of the cover. A groan escaped his lips as the realization of his financial situation dawned on him. It's not like he could ask Taiga either, considering he was as suspicious as they get. He had no choice. He hid the book in his jacket, sandwiching it between his arm and the side of his chest. He walked over to the cash register where Taiga was paying. Taiga said a quick 'thank you' and turned to look at Seijuro. "You ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah."

The trek back to the cabin wasn't long and it gave Seijuro a chance to memorize escape routes in case things went sideways. Once the cabin was in sight, they saw Tetsuya playing with Nigou in front of the was wiggling on his back, barking happily as Tetsuya rubbed his belly.

"We're back," Taiga greeted.

Tetsuya looked up and smiled happily. "Taiga, Seijuro, welcome back!" He stood up, much to the dismay of Nigou. "Did you get me anything?" He asked Taiga.

Taiga smirked. "You'll have to wait until midnight," he teased, ruffling Tetsuya's hair and making his way inside. Tetsuya crossed his arms, making his way inside followed by Nigou.

"Seijuro, would you like to join me and Nigou for lunch?" Tetsuya asked. "We're going to have a picnic by the river." Nigou barked, running over to Seijuro pawing at his shins.

He wanted to say no but there was something about the way Tetsuya looked at him that made him unable to. "Yeah, sure," he replied. "Just let me freshen up." He turned on his heel and walked into his room, closing the door behind him.

"Why wasn't I invited?" Taiga asked, shoving half a muffin in his mouth.

Tetsuya packed the picnic basket that laid open on the kitchen counter. "Tatsuya is coming over in a bit, remember?"

"Is he?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Tetsuya scolded. "And yes, he is. Seeing as you never let me listen to your conversations, I thought I'd take Seijuro out for lunch."

Once Seijuro exited from his room, Tetsuya picked up the picnic basket. "You ready?"

"Yeah."

"Be good while I'm gone, Taiga."

Seijuro took a bite off his sandwich, watching as Nigou growled at the fish that he could see by the edge of the river. Tetsuya and him sat underneath the shade of a tree, a cloth with food laid out on top. "May I ask you something?" He asked, finishing his sandwich.

"Of course. Anything at all," Tetsuya replied.

"Don't you find it a bit strange that Taiga treats you like you're a child?"

Tetsuya shook his head, pouring tea into the two mugs in front of them. "Taiga's father was the one who found me and took me in and after he passed away, Taiga took over," Tetsuya explained, adding honey and stirring it in the tea. "So, I suppose it's natural for Taiga to be so protective."

"Found you?"

Tetsuya nodded, "I don't remember what happened before I was taken in by Taiga's father, not even my parents or where I'm from. I really only knew my name." He finished stirring the tea and passed it to Seijuro who said a quiet 'thanks.' "Taiga's father used to be a traveller and he said he found me unconscious during his travels and took me in. I honestly owe him my life."

"You've never thought about looking for your parents?"

"I've thought about it numerous times...but it's hard to miss people you don't remember. Taiga, Tatsuya & Nigou are my family now and I'm content with that."

"Aren't you the least bit curious?" Seijuro asked. "Your parents might still be alive and they might be waiting for you to come home."

"I guess so…," Tetsuya fiddle with the hem of his shirt. "But Taiga said they looked everywhere for my parents but they never found anyone. What about your parents? If you don't mind me asking that is."

Seijuro took a sip of his tea and put it down. "My father's the K-" he cut himself short, remembering that Taiga told him not to tell. "He's a merchant," he said. "My family and I used to travel and sell goods until we earned enough money to buy a permanent store in Rakuzan."

"Wow," Tetsuya said in awe. "What was it like travelling to so many different places?"

"It was fun," he replied. "It was tough moving around so much but I guess it made moving to Rakuzan all the more rewarding."

A comfortable silence befell the two. Seijuro thought the small town was beautiful - more peaceful and quiet than living in the city. If he didn't have duties and responsibilities, he would have seriously considered moving here. "You know…" he paused. "If you want, you can come with me to Rakuzan. My father has connections and he can help you find your parents."

"W-What?" Tetsuya's face turned red, again. "There's no way Taiga would let me."

"Then ask him to come with us."

"I-I guess I can ask him." Tetsuya sighed. "Don't you think he'll be upset?"

"You never know until you try."

Tetsuya and Seijuro entered the cabin, wiping off their shoes on the doormat before entering. "There you guys are." They looked up and saw Taiga munching away on an apple at the dining table. "I was starting to get bored."

Tetsuya chuckled, placing the picnic basket on the counter. "Where's Tatsuya?" He took the dishes out of the picnic basket and placed them neatly in the kitchen sink.

"He came and went. Said something about having to look into something." He looked over at Seijuro throwing the apple core in the garbage. "I managed to get your armor fixed and your sword sharpened. They're in your room if you want to try it out."

"That's so sweet of you, Taiga," Tetsuya teased.

"Sh-Shut up!" Taige turned his attention to Seijuro. "It was the least I could do since you've been keeping this kid out of trouble," Taiga joked, pointing at Tetsuya.

"I am not a kid!" Tetsuya retorted, pouting.

As night fell over the household, so did the need to go to bed. Tetsuya had turned in early and just when Seijuro thought he would find the time to read the book, he was interrupted by Taiga and Tatsuya, calling him over to help cook. Taiga had cooked a feast and baked vanilla flavoured pastries while Tatsuya decorated the living room.

"Um. it's almost midnight, shouldn't we be heading to bed?" Seijuro asked, watching as Taiga and Tatsuya rushed to finish their duties.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you," Taiga said, taking the pastries out of the oven. "We usually celebrate our birthdays at midnight. It's a long running tradition in this household."

"That's...weird," he commented, earning an eye roll from Taiga.

"Maybe to you, your highness but us peasants don't have holidays set aside for our birthdays."

Seijuro scoffed. He's been here for almost two weeks and every single time Tetsuya leaves the room, Taiga never fails to make smart ass comments. Seijuro tries not to react. After all, he is royalty. He has no time to deal with childish games.

After they finished cooking and decorating, Taiga knocked on the door to his room where Tetsuya was sleeping. A few moments later, Tetsuya opened the door, still groggy from his sleep, only to be greeted by a loud 'Happy Birthday!'. Tetsuya jumped, slightly embarrassed when Tatsuya and Taiga started singing happy birthday enthusiastically. He usually wouldn't feel so embarrassed but they had a guest over.

"Thanks, you guys," Tetsuya said, a tint of pink flushed over his cheeks. He blew out the candles on his cake and smiled widely as he saw the food that Taiga had prepared for him. This was his favourite tradition.

They sat around the small dining table, Tetsuya happily munching on his food. Taiga ate like a pig while Tatsuya scolded him and Seijuro looked at him like he was an animal. After eating, Tetsuya was given presents from Tatsuya and Taiga. Tatsuya gave him a new jacket that he bought during his travels and Taiga gave him the most recent book of a series he'd been reading.

"Th-Thank you," he said. "But...um...I actually wanted to ask you something, Taiga."

"What is it?"

Tetsuya glanced over at Seijuro. "I wanted to ask if I can go with Seijuro to the capital city."

"Absolutely not."

"But Taiga, it could be a chance to let my family know that I'm alive and well. Don't you think we should at least give it a shot?" Tetsuya pleaded, trying to bargain with the older male.

"And then what? What are you going to do once you find them?" Taigas asked. Tetsuya didn't say anything but just looked down at the table. "Tetsuya, I'm sorry but I can't guarantee your safety out there. Here, you're safe and I'd rather have you here than go out there with the possibility of being harmed."

"You'll be there to protect me, like you always have," Tetsuya argued. "Tatsuya?" He looked over at the dark haired male.

The older man sighed, shaking his head. "Why don't you let him go, Taiga? Like he said, you'll be there to look out for him and Seijuro doesn't seem too bad with a sword either."

"That's not the point." Taiga sighed in annoyance. "Tetsuya, I'm sorry but I can't allow it."

"But Taiga-"

"Tetsuya, I said no!" Tetsuya flinched: Taiga had never raised his voice at him like that.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have raised my voice. It's your birthday, we shouldn't be arguing," Taiga said, getting up from his chair.

Tetsuya, played with the hem of his shirt, his fingers fiddling from the tension in the room. He hesitantly nodded. "Y-Yeah…" he whispered. "U-Um...I'm going to get ready for bed. Excuse me," he said before walking to his room and closing the door. Seijuro sighed at the disaster that unfolded in front of him before getting up and walking to Tetsuya's room, closing and locking the door behind him.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Tatsuya scolded, shaking his head at his old friend.

"I didn't know what to do, okay? He's never been that persistent before."

"Taiga, you can't keep him here forever," Tatsuya said. "He's 19 already."

"I know."

"There's only one year left, Taiga. Don't you think he should see the world before then?"

Taiga slumped against the couch. He knew Tatsuya was right but he didn't want to admit it.

"I'll think about it," Taiga said, rubbing his temples.

Nigou whined, rubbing his side against his master's legs. Tetsuya smiled, bending down and petting Nigou on the head. The door opened revealing Seijuro who closed the door behind him.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Tetsuya apologized, placing a coat over himself.

"No, it's alright." Seijuro paused. "Are you feeling okay?"

Tetsuya sighed and nodded. "I'm okay. I knew he was never going to say yes. It's my fault for getting my hopes up." Tetsuya sat at the edge of the bed, sighing. "Would you mind if I slept here tonight? I can take the floor."

"No, it's okay," Seijuro said, taking a seat beside Tetsuya. "I don't mind."

"Sometimes, I just don't get him…" Tetsuya whispered.

Seijuro took Tetsuya's hand in his, "If you really want to go...we can find a way."

Tetsuya shook his head, "Not now. I just...need to get some rest." Tetsuya moved over, adjusting the pillow. He tilted his head, feeling something hard at the bottom of the pillow. "What's this?"

"Wait-"

He took out the book looking at in in curiousity. He ran his fingers in the crevices of the emblem. "This looks familiar."

Re-did this chapter because I wasn't satisfied with it before *-*