So, a very special chapter that is twice as long as normal! I really hope you guys enjoy this and would love to see some reviews! Any bit helps me get back to writing because honestly, reviews are what keep me motivated. Feel free to PM me too if writing a review is not enough! I'll try to get back to you, but sometimes life gets in the way.

Thank you to Asuka1920 for your messages! This long chapter is for you!

"Hey, guys! We're not gonna run all the way to Alubarna now, are we?" Ussop panted as we ran through the alleyways of Rainbase towards the edge of the city.

"And what about Eyelashes?" Nami asked.

"Aren't there stables in the city? Let's get some horses!" Luffy exclaimed.

"But the marines are all over the city!" Vivi argued.

"Don't worry guys, take a look ahead!" Sanji reassured, gesturing to the sand cloud approaching us.

I smiled as the clouds cleared to reveal Chopper, Aiden, and Eyelashes riding atop a giant crab. Chopper had told us to trust him with getting us transportation and boy did he keep his promise.

"Oi! Guys!" Chopper yelled, waving enthusiastically.

"Yukio! Look! Look!" Aiden cheered.

I gave a wave back, which only made Aiden more excited.

"That's a Moving Crab!" Vivi announced happily as they pulled to a stop in front of us.

"He's one of Eyelash's friends!" Chopper said, directing the crab to lift us all aboard.

Once we were all on top, Chopper gave a snap to the reins which sent the crab racing in the direction of Alabasta.

Within seconds of our departure, Vivi's scream of distress rang out. We all looked back to see her being pulled away by a disembodied hook with a trail of sand leading it back towards Rainbase.

"Chopper! Stop the crab!" Zoro yelled.

"VIVI! IT'S HIM!" Luffy shouted in rage before shooting his arm forward.

He grabbed Vivi, using his arm's rebound to swing her back aboard the crab while leaving him caught in the hook.

Chopper was about to pull the reins but stopped as Luffy yelled.

"Go on ahead! I'll be fine by myself!" Luffy ordered as he was being pulled away.

My stomach dropped in fear. Taking on Crocodile alone while we were separated? In the manga he was fine, but a part of me had doubts. This was the real world now. Maybe my presence had changed things and he wouldn't be able to survive this encounter?

I clenched my fists in rejection. Luffy was strong and I trusted him with all my heart; he would survive and come back to us.

And Luffy trusted us. "Keep her safe! Get Vivi to the Palace!" Luffy cried out before giving a wide smile.

I took in a deep breath, solidifying my resolve before shouting to Chopper, "Keep this crab heading for Alubarna!"

"G-got it!" Chopper stuttered back.

Vivi shouted in objection but Nami held her back, reassuring her that Luffy would deal with Crocodile.

Zoro laid a hand on Vivi's shoulder. "Listen up Vivi, Luffy will hold Crocodile here. When the rebels decided to march on the capital, the time limit for the country was set. This country will fall once the rebels clash with the royalists! If you are the only hope of stopping that, then you have to survive. No matter what happens to any of us, you have to continue on!"

"But…" Vivi whispered at the silhouette of Rainbase.

"Vivi, you left your home for several years, to go up against an organization you knew nothing about. But don't forget, you aren't fighting alone anymore." Sanji chimed in.

I kneeled down and gave Vivi a hug. "We are here for you."

Vivi stood up and shouted back, "LUFFY! We'll be waiting for you at Alubarna!"

Even far away. His voice rang clear and true. "ALRIGHT!".

About an hour of traveling had passed and despite my trust, my worries did not cease. Zoro was passing the time by training, using Eyelashes as a weight. Ussop was telling stories to Chopper. Sanji was smoking, and Vivi was staring in the direction of Rainbase. Suddenly, a sandstorm sprung up in that direction. Everyone was silent as we knew it was Crocodile's work.

My heart clenched at the sight and I felt uneasy. But all we could do was head for Alubarna now.

A few minutes had passed and the tension hit a limit as Sanji and Zoro got into a fight until Nami knocked them down in anger at their squabble. Everyone was on edge for the upcoming battle.

"Luffy will be fine everyone! After all, he promised us! He promised to meet us at Alubarna!" Vivi tried to reassure us, but her face was pale and damp with worry.

Nami knocked Vivi's forehead fondly. "You just stick to worrying about the rebellion, not us!"

"Sorry Vivi-chan," apologized Sanji.

"You already have enough on your shoulders. Let us take some of the burden." I smiled. "Now, let's think of a plan."

We traveled through the desert for 2 more hours and with the help of the Kung Fu Dugongs, we managed to cross the river in just under an hour. But without the giant crab, who we had to leave on the other side of the river, we wouldn't be able to make it in time with just Eyelashes.

"Wait! Over there!" cried Nami, pointing to a small cloud of dust in the distance.

"Baroque Works agents?!" Ussop panicked.

As the cloud got closer, we could make out the figures within.

"No! It's the Super Spot-Billed Duck Squad!" Vivi cheered.

As they stopped before us, the dust cleared away to reveal eight hat-wearing ducks with Carue leading them! They had brought supplies and other necessities in their packs. I dug around them and was surprised at what I found.

I smiled, "Well this works perfectly with our plan. Alright everyone, gear up!" I shouted, tossing them the items.

A set of identical robes landed in each of their hands and they immediately knew what to do.

We each donned a robe and then climbed aboard one of Carue's friends, setting off towards Alubarna. Once the walls of the city were in sight, we could see members of Baroque Works, the high-level agents, gathered near the gates.

According to plan, we split up into teams, one going to the south, southwest, and western gates. This split up the members into chasing us while Vivi snuck into the city unnoticed.

I, however, had taken on the role of solo. One person would seem the most suspicious of being Vivi and would fool the agents into thinking there wouldn't be another solo party behind.

Blazing through the city on Cobo, the camo-helmet wearing spot-billed duck, I looked behind me to see an unfamiliar character following me. I remembered seeing them standing with the Baroque Works agents, so they must have been part of their group, but I didn't remember them as one of the numbered agents Vivi mentioned.

Once a good distance from the gates, I halted Cobo and turned to face my opponent.

"Wow." I teased, changing my voice so that I sounded similar to Vivi. "Looks like you caught me. But..."

I threw back my hood, "Too bad, you lose!" I taunted, taking a good look at who I was facing.

Silver, almost white, curly hair framed a feminine face. Her gaze was sharp, accentuated by the angled slant of her green eyes. Her limbs were long and thin, yet clearly full of power as her muscles rippled when her fists clenched. Her skin was a cool, reddish brown that shone with sweat under the blazing desert sun. Large, pale scars branched across her body, some thin and purposeful while others were jagged and puckered. The image of a cobra ran up the length of her right arm in jet black ink and seemed to slither as she moved to unlatch her cloak, tossing it together with her satchel to the side of the road. On her sides were two whips made from black leather, their handles made of metal and crystals embedded in the ends.

I dismounted, signaling Cobo to take Aiden a bit away. I didn't want him to get caught in the crossfire. However, I didn't want Aiden to be excluded from this battle. He was my nakama, and he could fight.

I unwrapped my bandana from my wrist and tied it securely around my head. This wasn't going to be an easy fight.

"Oh no my dear, I clearly have won." she taunted, a glint in her eye.

I sense of dread hit the pit of my stomach as I felt a familiar wave of power emit off the woman.

Magic.

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time."

A sudden dash forward put her just mere inches from my face, her arm thrown back in preparation to strike.

I brought my arms up to guard and winced as a strong force impacted, throwing me backward, followed by a burning sensation. I looked down to see green liquid coating my arms, fizzling and eating away at my skin. Hurriedly, I threw up a wave of flames to burn off the substance, wincing as I had to cauterized the thin layer of disintegrated flesh.

"Who are you? Are you with them?" I asked, feeling an eerie darkness looming over the woman.

"Name's Etsu." She stated with a sharp-toothed grin before lunging again, aiming a green-covered fist toward my chest.

Bringing my hands up, I threw a wall of flames in between us while jumping to the side. The woman easily broke through the wall, missing me by a hair's breadth.

"Now now, little hatchling. Just quietly submit and let me rip out your heart okay? It's been so much work waiting for you and honestly, fairly annoying." she drawled, the smell of acid and decay bleeding from her magic.

"How about I don't." I deadpanned, lighting my fists. Something felt odd about her magic.

"Feisty aren't we?" she responded, unfurling her whips. "It's going to be so fun seeing that fire die from your eyes." Her magic pulsed for a moment and I could sense magic being drawn from the crystals to coat the whips in the sickly green poison.

Snake Strike! She shouted, lashing her whips in a deadly dance.

Left, right, duck, I dodged, ignoring the stings of the whips as they grazed across my clothes and melted the fabric.

Flaming Dragon's Talon! I yelled, delivering a kick to her chest. The strike landed with a solid thump, but as she flew back, one of her whips wrapped around my left leg.

I yelped as they began to eat away through my leather boots and burned my skin.

She yanked the whip harshly, throwing off my center and sending me sprawling onto my back.

Flinching from the impact, I opened my eyes in time to see a green-tinted blade plunging towards my face.

I quickly rolled to the side, mentally sighing as a few tufts of hair fluttered to the ground.

Pulling my legs to my chest, I kicked at her stomach. She easily avoided the attack, flipping backwards through the air in an aerial cartwheel like a gymnast, hands never even touching the ground. She was toying with me, confident in her own abilities.

Staggering into a standing position, I was careful not to put too much weight on my burned leg.

"That didn't answer my question. Who. Are. You." I prompted, both for information as well as to buy time to recover. She didn't seem like one of those dark mages, but her targeting me specifically said otherwise.

"Hm, that's a tough question. Let's see, a hired mercenary for Baroque Works, a mage, and…. A weapon. Made just to kill you."

Noting that the knife also had a crystal pommel, I watched as she sheathed it in a hidden holster on her back; another example of her confidence, saying she didn't need it to kill me.

Shifting my gaze behind my enemy for a second, I saw Aiden and Cobo hiding behind a building a block away. At least they were safe.

Unfortunately, the woman caught my gaze and smirked. "Hmmm, attached to your little pet I see. How about I kill that thing and watch you sob over it like the pathetic child you are? That would be fun." She hummed, a dangerous glint in her eye.

I took a step forward, rage building in my chest. "You leave him alone," I said darkly, flames flickering to life around my feet.

"There are those fangs, let's see you use them!" she challenged.

With a burst of power and brashness, I propelled myself towards the woman. Just before I reached her, I ducked forward and planted my hands on the ground. Using that as a pivot point, I shifted my momentum into a flame-propelled windmill kick towards her neck.

Flaming Dragon's Halo!

My uninjured leg made contact just as she threw her arms to guard. The force of the blow created a gust of wind that dispelled my flames but also sent her skidding a few feet backwards.

Once the initial recoil of the hit faded and I was back on my feet, I looked up to find her grinning wildly.

A searing pain enveloped my right leg this time, the acid once again eating through the leather and cloth like butter. I screamed as it ate through the skin, blood mixing and turning the liquid a dark brown.

I surged my magic, coating the limb in a wash of flames and released it in an explosive burst, either evaporating or expelling the liquid. How was I to fight an opponent that I couldn't even hit without damaging myself?

Raw, bloodied and singed skin hung off muscle. I bit the inside of my cheek as I retreated several yards away, grimacing as my weight was put on the now two injured legs. With them out of commission, it would be difficult to fight directly.

"Aiden!" I yelled, holding my arm up. At my command, Aiden swooped from his hiding spot and latched onto my hand. With a sharp tug, he lifted me off into the air and away from the fight.

Once we had some distance on a nearby roof, I listened out for any sign that we were located. Aiden was still limited on flight stamina so gaining more distance wouldn't be possible for a while.

"Running away little hatchling?" She taunted aloud, " I expected more from you after all the stories I heard. At least make me break a sweat."

She sounded a fair distance away, so no need to relocate immediately.

Quickly wrapping my legs with the tattered remains of my cloak to staunch the bleeding, I ran through possible ways to defeat Etsu.

Ranged attacks were too slow, but close-ranged attacks would cause me more damage with her acid. If I had the speed, I could potentially hit her and retreat before her magic could activate.

However, due to my legs being so injured, it would be difficult to get away once in her radius. I had to deliver a powerful knockout blow in a single attack fast enough that she wouldn't be able to defend.

A memory sprang forward, and I wondered how I had ever forgotten it.

"No, you do it like 'Kabooom!'" Natsu said, throwing his fist forward with a plume of fire which burst in a small explosion.

"Kaboom?" I replied uncertainly, punching forward but no flames had sprung forth.

I snapped back as Etsu hummed. "From the looks of it, kicking was your main fighting style. I guess you can't do much of that now with those legs."

I could hear footsteps below, the dull thud of her boots heading slowly in my direction.

"I have been training my whole life for this moment when I can finally complete the mission." She stopped for a moment, footsteps settling just next to the building I was perched atop.

"Day after day, learning to use this power. Fearing that I would be the next to be sacrificed for those stronger than me. Cut and sewn together constantly in order to increase my magic."

Unease settled within me at her declaration. I focused more on her magic and found the reason why it had felt strange. It was not the natural magic reservoir I had expected but rather a patchwork of concentrated magic nodes, Lacrima crystals, embedded into her body.

"Maybe after I deal with you, I'll take care of that group of pirates. Imagine the look on their faces when I drag your corpse in front of them. They'll be so shocked, it'll be a perfect chance to kill them."

I sudden influx of magic in the atmosphere broke my focus. I grabbed Aiden and threw us over the roof edge. Just as we toppled over, thin sharp spikes of green pierced through the stone ceiling. It immediately crumbled, collapsing the abandoned house into itself.

Curling around Aiden, I winced as we crashed into a pile of crates below. The sharp pieces of wood dug into my back.

"Aiden," I whispered, in our huddled position. "On my signal, I need you to be super brave for me and fly me directly at her. Once we are a few feet away, let go and get away as fast as you can, got it?"

Aiden looked at me with a mixture of shock and fear before solidifying into determination. He gave me a salute, chin held high. "Roger," he whispered.

I smiled at him before I heard the casual thumps of Etsu's footsteps signaling her approach.

"I expected more from you to be honest. A miracle on how you stayed hidden from us for so long."

Releasing Aiden and rolling into a crouched position, I faced her and prepared my magic.

Distract, get as much time to charge as you could. "Do you know why I use kicking as a fighting style?"

Etsu scoffed, bringing out her whips of acid.

I continued before she had a chance to speak. "Because when I was younger, I found that kicks can have a lot more power and reach. That was before I discovered my magic." I stood up and channeled magic through my fists, but not yet lighting them up.

"I continued to use it because I loved the style and reminded me of the people who taught it to me. It was a way for me to connect with them."

Etsu was getting impatient, anger rising. Good.

"But then I remembered a boy with a fire in his heart that blazed through his fists and how he taught me how to fight."

"Maybe you'll see him in the afterlife!" Etsu yelled before charging forward, not even bothering to channel her magic in her fury.

"NOW!" I shouted, leaping forward just as Aiden grabbed me from behind and accelerated us towards our enemy.

Azure Lotus: Flaming Dragon's Fist! I yelled, just as Aiden released me and escaped straight up into the sky.

Etsu had no time to dodge, as the distance between us was covered in mere seconds.

A fire-coated fist impacted her abdomen before exploding on contact.

"It doesn't matter if I'm battered and broken!" A second punch, this time on her left cheek.

"If I'm outnumbered and outmatched!" Right cheek.

The momentum pushed us until her back was pinned against a wall.

"I will fight to protect my Nakama and live the second chance I was given!" With a final burst of magic, I sent a barrage of punches, each packed with as much power as I could spare.

The dust settled; I panted as I looked at the remains of my attack.

Etsu had been pummeled into the stone wall behind her, scorched everywhere. She fell forward onto the ground, just barely conscious.

"I… must.. not.. fail." She spat, desperately clawing at the ground in an attempt to push herself up.

I collapsed sideways onto the ground in front of her and struggled to prop myself up with an elbow. My body was sore all over, and I could barely move after such a rapid drain of magic.

If she could get up, I would be done for.

Suddenly, a feeling of darkness and magic enveloped the area. I let out an involuntary shudder as it washed over me.

I watched as the cobra tattoo on Etsu's arm glowed a deep purple. The ink seemed to melt off her skin and flow onto the ground.

A pitch-black magic circle formed around the severely injured woman, mixing with her green poison magic.

"No! I still have a chance!" She pleaded, clawing at the tattoo as it slithered up her arm and wrapped around her neck. Acidic poison erupted from the snake, quickly eating away at Etsu as she screamed.

I reached out an arm in futile desperation towards the gruesome scene before me, unable to muster the strength to move forward. I didn't know what was happening, but she didn't need to die!

"I can complete the mission!" She screeched, trying to get the poison off of her. With renewed vigor, the poison encapsulated her head, drowning her screams.

Within seconds, she fell silent. Moments later, all that remained was a smoldering puddle of green acid.

My stomach rolled and I retched, barely keeping myself from outright vomiting. My mind was swirling and I could hear the blood rushing past my ears combined with the echoes of her screaming. Spots of darkness slowly grew over my vision as I couldn't get enough oxygen. The exhaustion and shock finally took hold and dragged me into unconsciousness.

What is going on...

"Wait up Shiro!" I yelled, grabbing my backpack from the floor and dashing down to the entryway of the house.

"Hurry up or else I'm gonna leave you!" he called from the doorway, keys in hand. "I have to go to the dojo early to help set up for the event today."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear ya." I sighed, leaping down the last few steps and grabbing my bento from Shiro's outstretched hand.

"So not cute." Shiro jabbed playfully, and I stuck my tongue out in response.

"Who needs to be cute when you can kick butt?" I joked, rolling my eyes.

"Why not look cute while kicking butt?" Shiro pointed out. "Best of both worlds."

"Touche."

We got into his car and started making our way to the school.

"Last week of school before you head off to America huh? Excited?"

"Eh, a bit." I hummed, staring out the windows and watching the scenery pass by.

"Are you sure you're gonna be ok by yourself? I talked to Uncle about letting you stay with him…"

"I'll be alright, don't worry. Everything has been sorted out." I reassured.

"You know I'm going to nag you for the next week. I'm just concerned for you."

"You have nagged at me for the past month. And don't worry, anyone who messes with me will get a kick to the face!"

Shiro gave me a deadpanned stare before turning his eyes back onto the road.

"Joking! I know the drill." I reassured. "Fight to protect those you love. Fight for something you believe in. Don't raise your hand at all until you've first extended it."

I paused for a second, "Wait, that third one was Wonder Woman…"

"You nerd." My brother snickered.

"Hey! Who was the one that spend a good 6 months trying to fight with 3 swords like Zoro!?"

"I was ten!" He chuckled, my laughter not far behind.

As our laughter quieted, a thought plagued my mind in the silence.

"Hey, Shiro… are Kaito and Kotaro alright with me leaving?" I quietly asked.

I knew that my brothers have been struggling with the bills and costs of maintenance for the dojo lately. I had struggled with my grades to get them high enough to apply for the study abroad scholarship in America. I hoped that maybe if I could get in, I could lessen the burden on them.

Shiro paused for a moment in thought before letting out a sigh. "We are happy that you have the opportunity to travel abroad for school on a scholarship. With our financial situation, it is even better. You get an education you deserve that we can't provide."

The car pulled up at the school's sidewalk. Shiro placed his right hand on my shoulder.

"Sure, we wish you could stay closer to home and rely on us for a little longer, you are our baby sis after all, but we respected your decision to make your own way. In the past, we have always pushed you into doing things that we wanted: learning martial arts, survival training, etc but this is the first time you took the initiative. Does that answer your question?"

I gave a small smile before leaning over to give Shiro a big hug. "Yeah. See you later bro."

Waking up to loud shouts and gunfire was not something I was used to but wasn't the weirdest thing ever. Cracking open an eye, I saw marines fighting Billions soldiers.

"Get up Dragon Slayer!" I heard the marines yell at me.

Opening my eyes further, I could see Aiden standing in front of me wielding one of my small daggers. He stood in between me and the fighting, swinging at anyone who dared to come near me.

"Aiden." I grunted out, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yukio," he whispered. His shoulders lost some tension, but he still stood firm against the marines who were trying to approach.

"What do you want marines?" I growled out, not happy to be awoken. I staggered into a standing position, wincing as the dried blood on my wounds cracked.

A few were whispering to each other near the back of the group.

"WHAT?!" I growled out again, baring my fangs and looking up to shine my blue eyes at them. I was still a bit shaken from Etsu's gruesome death but I couldn't show weakness in front of the marines.

"Y-Your crew is gathering at the clocktower in the center of the town to stop the bombing. Head North." The leader of the small group said, pointing in the direction.

I felt a nudge at my back and turned to find Cobo, still carrying my bags. He was a little bruised but still raring to fight.

Turning back to the marines, I took a moment to consider if this was a trap. They weren't pointing their guns at Aiden or me and kept a fair amount of distance between us. Deeming them truthful, I let out a grateful, yet sharp, smile. It looks like they were genuinely trying to help. It didn't mean I had to be nice about it.

"Ah, really?" I nudged Aiden's arm to lower his weapon and picked him up from the back of his robes. "Thank you." I gave a polite bow in gratitude before hopping onto Cobo's back.

We took off in a flurry of dust and I could hear the sounds of fighting escalating as we approached the main plaza.

"Did you see me?! I had that dagger and was like- woosh- and when the marines came-I didn't know they meant to help- I stood in front of you and was like 'grr'." Aiden rambled excitedly, waving his arms around as if he was swinging a sword. I was a bit surprised at how vocal he was. Normally quiet, I didn't expect him to be so passionate about fighting.

I nodded to show I was listening while I kept an eye out for our destination.

Once the clocktower was in sight, I could see the clock-face was already open and Vivi was standing inside.

Was I too late?

It was then that I saw the form of a giant bird, Pell I recalled, and I knew what was about to happen.

I remember the story, Pell was going to fly into the sky and have the bomb detonate away from the square. I gritted my teeth in defiance, too many lives have been lost already.

I slipped a hand into my backpack that was attached to Cobo's saddle. It was worth a shot.

"Aiden, are you ok to fly?" I asked, looking over and seeing slight scratches on his arms. Probably from the scuffle with those Billions.

"Huh? Oh yeah! I can! What's the plan?" He asked excitedly.

"I need you to fly me straight up for 20 seconds, then let me go and head straight back down OK?"

"But you'll fall!"

"Then can I trust you to catch me when I do?" I asked.

Aiden looked to me in surprise. "Always!" he exclaimed.

"Alright then partner. Let's take to the sky."

With a nod, Aiden grabbed my hands and blasted into the sky.

I kept my eyes trained on Pell mostly, but spared a glance to the clocktower and saw my nakama gathered at its base.

"This is a very dumb idea and they are probably going to be mad at me. Oh well." I thought, eyes locking back onto the growing silhouette of Pell.

Once my 20 seconds were up, Aiden let go and shifted into a nosedive back to the city.

Channeling all the remaining magic that I had recovered while unconscious, I propelled myself straight into the sky.

Within seconds, I had accelerated above the cloud of sand that covered the city and made it to just below the bomb. Pushing upwards, I forced the metal ball to rise further, startling Pell into letting go and moving to the side. Once I was slightly above him, I swung my leg out to deliver a sharp kick to Pell's head, disorienting him.

Wincing as the attack had split open the barely scabbed over injuries on my legs. I watched as Pell fell towards the ground flailing, but still conscious enough so that he wouldn't crash.

"So my current plan is to kick the bomb into the air and create a shield of solidified flames so that my internal organs don't collapse, of which I have no experience doing," I admitted to myself that it was not a well-thought-out plan, but I was already at this stage.

Closing my eyes, I focused my sense of hearing onto the faint ticking of the bomb in my hands. My other senses began to fade into the background of my mind, as I waited until….

"NOW!"

I pushed the bomb away, mustering all my physical strength into a final kick that sent the bomb several feet away. I crossed my arms and tucked my legs to my chest.

From within my pocket, I could feel the thrumming magic of the lacrima crystal I took from my bag and began to tap into it, fueling a barrier of flames. I concentrated on my flames, imagining them as a solid sphere of energy that propelled outwards to counteract the shockwaves.

With a last *tick*, the bomb detonated, sending out a massive wave of compressed air particles, shrapnel, and heat within a split second.

My shield gave out immediately, the initial shockwave easily snuffing out the flames like a candle. Shrapnel flew through the air like bullets, piercing my arms and legs.

I grunted as a secondary but weaker shock wave rippled through the air. I felt pain in my ears and black spots started to appear in my vision. It probably wasn't good to pass out twice in such a small period of time. But I had no choice as once again, I slipped into the darkness.

I could hear a low rumble echoing around me. I deep growl that shook my bones and made my hairs stand on end.

The world around me exploded into bright blue flames; I shielded my eyes. The feeling of danger around me only grew and when I opened my eyes, I was met with the piercing eyes of a dragon.

But not the dragon I expected. No, in front of me was a quadrupedal type dragon with grand wings and horns upon its head. The body was adorned with scales of varying shades of blue that ranged from the darkest midnight blue to bright sky blue.

I stood stock-still as it wound its body around me, scales brushing against my skin. I could tell its gaze never strayed from my position. A large wing stretched overhead, fully encapsulating me and shutting out the light of the flames. Even though this gave me no exit, I did not feel scared.

Ever so slowly, I stepped closer to the dragon's face. Something within me felt attached to this unknown dragon.

It blinked slowly once before letting out a small stream of flames from its maw.

But I was not afraid.

The fire licked across my cheeks, a soothing and familiar warmth. I closed my eyes and basked in the feeling, falling into nothingness.