I know nothing about simplistic fishing societies, so sue me. I also have never spent a lot of time researching the way 5 year olds talk, I just don't know very many 5 year olds.

Chase slammed the door behind him and turned the key in it's lock. He growled and spoke to no one in particular.

" Interrupting my meditation for such nonsensical dribble! I don't care where that sorry excuse for a witch lost her purple robe there is no need to inform me!" He stopped in his tracks and looked up. Just my luck, he though ,out of all the rooms in all of my citadel I had to take refuge in this one. Chase looked directly into a full length mirror and watched his xiaolin self stare back at him. A bitter laugh rang through the chamber.

"Dashi knew what he was doing when he sent me this mirror of truth,"he turned away from the mirror and sat in the lotus position with his back to the mirror. Chase closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind of all thoughts but they trickled in slowly until his mind was full and he was no longer in control of his own memories as they came swirling past his mental blocks.

A five year old Chase was sitting in the middle of a small boat watching a tall man with long black hair and blue eyes pull a net of fish into the center of the boat. Chase watched with his knees tucked to his chest as the man threw some of the fish back into the sea. The man smiled as green arms shot up to grab the fish he threw back.

"Dad, why did you throw the fishes back?" Chase looked up at his father who crouched down in the boat to get level with him.

"We don't need too many fish today, and if we catch too many the selkies and merrows will be too hungry to help us find things for our nets. You need a strong thread to start a net even if you enchant it," he rumpled Chases hair and started to row the boat back to land. Chase turned around in his seat and watched the small island come closer and closer until the boat bumped the shore. As soon as the boat was moored Chase scampered out with his father and the fish close behind.

"Mom,"he said as he ran into the hut. " We're back," He ran towards the hearth where a small woman with long brown hair and golden eyes was meticulously shredding a light blue seaweed. She looked up and smiled.

"That's great, just in time for supper," she handed him a bowl but not before swallowing a strip of the seaweed and turning light blue. She looked surprised and put it away.

" I didn't expect that to happen, and how was fishing Lee?" She said to Chase's father who had finished cleaning and gutting the fish while outside.

"Not bad, do I get to know what turned you blue?" He asked. She picked up the packet of seaweed and handed it to him. Lee laughed and gave it back. "Well at least now we know it turns you blue, just don't try and make it into tea like last time," Lee said picking up a bowl of food. They ate and by the time Chase's mom had reverted to her original coloring the meal was over.

"Time for bed Chase," she said while laying out the sleeping mats. Chase crawled onto his mat and pulled his blanket over himself. His mother sat down and motioned for Lee to come closer.

"This is the story of a man named Fai who was the son of a wealthy lord. At his birth there was a prophecy that foretold that he would have horrible luck but would grow up to the save the entire world, his family was quite proud of this but by the time he was ten he had already caused so many accidents they decided to send him to a martial arts master far away..." She looked down to discover Chase had fallen asleep.

"We'll finish the story tomorrow then," his mother kissed him on his forehead and tucked his blanket in around him.

When Chase woke up he knew something was wrong. The fire in the hearth that was always kept burning was out and the ground was shaking.

"Mom! Dad!" he cried out. Chase frantically looked around. He felt his mother tie something heavy around his neck and give him a quick hug.

"Hush Chase. The amulets will keep you safe and we will see each other again, be strong," she grabbed him and ran out of the hut, Chase looked up and saw that the sky was red and raining ash, the air was thick and smoky and the wizards of the island, including his father, were all clustered together creating a weakening shield of protection for the island. She waded up to the edge of the weakened barrier, placed him in a small boat and pushed him through.

"I can't follow you through, I need to help the other," His mom swam back to shore and took her place in the circle while the current moved him away from his home. Chase fell down on his knees and began to cry. A falling chunk of rock fell from the crimson sky and splintered his boat, he flailed around clinging to small scraps of wood and as he struggled a large dark shape moved underneath him and surfaced revealing a blue dragon of immense proportions. It turned its head to stare at the small child now on its back, looked towards the island in the distance and swam to the mainland. As the dragon swam it spoke in a voice much like the waves surrounding it.

"I am Jiaolong, dragon of the water, what is your name?" He said. Chase looked up from his hands and blinked his tears back.

" I-I'm Young, Chase Young," he whimpered. He felt the Jiaolong give a nod and from that moment on the sea journey was quiet. Chase gripped the dragon's pearly blue back as it made it's up a river and crawled out of the water. Jiaolong watched the boy fall of his back and give a clumsy bow before collapsing onto the ground and weeping into his hands. He coiled himself around Chase and nuzzled him trying to make him get up.

"Why are you crying young one?" he said nosing the bag of amulets curiously. Chase grabbed them protectively and clutched the wet bag to his chest. " Your parents were on that island weren't they?" Chase gave a little nod.

"I want my mommy and daddy," he quavered and looked Jiaolong in the eye. Jiaolong cocked his head and stared at Chase with a look of concentration. Chase wiped his eyes off with his fists and stared back. The dragon gave a bell like laugh and lowered his head level to Chase. Jiaolong began to glow a spectacular shade of blue that moved up from his tail to his head and sunk into the top of his snout. He opened his mouth and blew a fine azure mist at Chase that sunk into his skin.

" Little dragon," he rumbled, "When destiny calls you must be strong. I can see you will do great things. You will do your parents proud, and I will stay with you," He lay his head down near Chase with a snort. Chase lifted his tear stained face towards Jiaolong and buried his head in his mane.

"The Journey of a thousand miles starts with one step young Chase," Jiaolong said to the child nesting in his mane.

Chase woke up hours later curled up in Jiaolong's mane with his hands still clutching his bag of amulets. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and gave a gasp when he saw Jiaolong and realized what had happened yesterday really had happened. His fingers curled around the bag his mom had give in him and pulled out several amulets he had seen his mother make and enchant. He dug farther in the bag and found a incomplete small net one his father had been working on a few nights ago. His breath quickened and started coming out in quick gasps as he cried. The ocean rolled again as Jiaolong spoke.

" Little dragon, hope is the light you hold onto when all other lights go out," He slowly uncoiled as Chase stumbled towards the river and splashed water on his face."Good boy on your feet. Climb on my back, you have lessons to learn," Chase clambered on Jiaolong's back and grasped his mane.

"Hard lessons?" he sniffled, while making sure his pouch was still on and full. The bells rang again.

"They won't seem hard young one."