Few days later...

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

*NEIGH*

*NEIGH*

Daiki opened one of his eyes to only meet amber ones. He turned over to go back to sleep. Something nuzzled his neck. He tried to sway it away. It nuzzled his neck again. 

Daiki sighed.

Daiki stood up and then turned around to face his rude wake up call. He came face to face to a rather beautiful black stallion with amber eyes. They had a small stare off. He flopped down back on a quick made bed of grass. The stallion breathed on him. He tried to swat it away again. The horse then pushed the green-eyed boy (girl) gently. 

Daiki sighed again. 

Then stood. He then started to chew on an apple from his satchel. The stallion gently bumped him gently on the head. The Black Dragon sighed and threw him an apple which the stallion caught and ate. Daiki could see the satisfied gleam in his eyes. 

"You are so enjoying this, aren't you?" Daiki stated. The stallion snorted. Daiki stood up and stretched, he then judged the time by the sun. 'Che, I've been out for a while.' 

The stallion nudged him again. Daiki sighed then smiled with defeat. 

"Hai, hai. Thank you for waking me up Unknown Horse-san. Mataku, to think the great black dragon was defeated by a mere stallion. Wonder if the heavens will punish me for that?" Daiki examined the horse, he noticed a couple of cuts, they were nothing that serious but their was a big gash down his side. It might already be infected. 

'Whatever happened to this guy must have been pretty brutal..' Daiki thought, he then opened his bag and applied a special lotion on the stallion's wound.

The stallion immediately jerked away and gave the Black Dragon a wary look. "Nani? Your not going to accept help from me? You think its a sign of weakness?" The stallion narrowed his eyes, Daiki chuckled.

"You sure are a tough and stubborn one. Ma, just trust me on this one, ne?" He gave him a gentle smile. The stallion slowly made its way back to the jade-eyed boy and he instantly went to work, noting that the stallion is a pretty strong one since he only did wince once. Either that or he really is a stubborn one. 

'Hmph. Reminds me of someone I know.' Daiki thought in the middle of treating, thinking about a certain red-haired princess.

Daiki finished and immediately the wounds began to close. A few seconds later, they fully healed. "This is a special lotion made out of black dragon scales, I might not have something like this again for a while, so be grateful. You just happen to remind of someone I know, take this as a thank you for amusing me with your presence and being my personal wake up call for today." The stallion stared at him and then seemed to give him a smile and then started nuzzling him again.

"Oi, oi..." Daiki sighed, "Oh and now you have her trait of selfishness. Ow! Hey, don't bite the person who just healed your wounds!" 

Suddenly he heard a rustle behind him, the stallion immediately stopped nuzzling/biting him and raised his head and narrowed his amber eyes at the bush that made that sound. 

Daiki smirked at the stallion's sharp senses, "Heh~ Your a sharp one. Ne, you can come out now." Daiki called out, he heard the bush rustle some more and he didn't need to turn around to know that whoever came out were definitely not good people, why?

Because the newly met stallion is literally staring daggers into them. In an instant third of a second, Daiki heard a small fast whoosh of wind. 

SWISH

Daiki took a step back and caught a throwing knife. He performed a sharp turn and released the knife, "Here, you can have this back."

Blood burst in streams as one of the bandits fell dead with a knife sticking out from the forehead.

Daiki smirked as he put on a confident pose, the bandits gasped and stared at me with wide eyes. I raised my eyebrow. 'Man, I miss that mask, without it, people keep staring at me. And what are these guys staring at for? Did they never see a dead corpse? Why become a bandit in the first place?'

'Sigh. I'll have to snap them out of it, if I don't, they'll probably be like that for another 2 hrs or so.' Daiki thought as he flinged one of his own knives them.

"Allow me to return the favour as well." 

Well, that snapped them out of it when another one fell with a cry of agony. The arrogant one that seemed to be their leader smirked at me. "It seems like we hit the jackpot boys! She'll sell much better then that stupid wild horse."

'Oi, oi. You don't say that when your 'victim' is standing right in front of you, and when their is an angry wild horse that seemed to take a strange liking to your 'victim'....' Daiki thought, almost wanting to face-palm at their stupidity.

With that said, the stallion charged at them and literally kicked them off to the sky. "Ahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!" The three stupid jerks shouted as the went flying off to who knows where, probably dead when they land. 

Daiki whistled. "Your pretty good, but I can tell that technique's got to hurt, so make me a promise that you wouldn't use it again any time soon. Got it?" The stallion, who was in pain after performing his mega kick, somewhat snorted. 

'Che. How stubborn.'  Daiki thought.

He sighed, as he started walking away. As expected, the stallion started to follow him.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~  

10 minutes later....

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~  

Daiki sighed as he kicked another bandit away. Bandits who show up out of nowhere in packs of 20-40 is nothing new, you could say that it is the result of King II's silly idea of 'no weapons'. Still 40 bandits against the black dragon and an injured stallion . . . . . That really isn't fair. 

"Sate, lets stop playing." Daiki then knelt down and started to murmur the ancient language. In the corner of his eye, he saw black wind swirl around. He then stood up, and watched in amusement as all the bandits started to kill each other. 

Cruel? Maybe so. Does he really care right now? Not really. (A/N: How scary....)

Daiki started walking away, when he heard another scream behind him, he turned around to see the stallion kicking a surviving bandit into the sky, Daiki blinked. If that bandit came any closer, he probably would have already sensed it, but looks like this stallion got rid of him quicker then he did. 

'Hmph. Showoff.'  Daiki thought with a small smile.

The stallion started nuzzling him again, Daiki sighed. This stallion is seriously starting to get on his soft side. And to think the great him was defeated yet again by this stallion. "So, do you want to come with me on my bothersome yet exciting life?" Daiki asked with a smile. More nuzzling.

"I'll take that as a yes. So lets see, I think I'll name you.... Yuki. Means 'snow' and 'courage' you know? Sweet, bothersome courage." It was only then he noticed that it was some time past noon. Daiki sighed as he began to walk, Yuki following after him. 

He began to think.

'Lets see....After I met up with Yona and Hak a couple days a go, called her stupid.... gave her hairpin back.... then I went back somewhere in the woods to train since my skills have gotten somewhat rusty over these years.... then I woke up and found Yuki..... and now my senses tell me that the troublesome reincarnation of King Hiryuu is in trouble again.... I wonder what Hak is doing about this.... I thought that he would leave her at the Wind tribe and I would have to go pick her up....'

Daiki didn't pay much attention to where he was going. So when he almost slipped down a slope, Yuki pulled him back by biting his hair. Daiki jumped back in annoying pain. 

Yeah, for some reason, he decided to keep his nuisance long hair. He didn't know why, but he just doesn't have the guts to cut it off. It made him feel like he was holding back on something......but he supposed it doesn't really matter for now.

Daiki looked at the spot  of the cliff which broke away. He looked down and whistled. "Now that's a long way down. Makes me want to jump..." He could feel Yuki gently pushing me back. 

"Hai, hai. I won't, but that's got to be a one-of-the-things-I-should-definitely-do-in-life. (A/N: She does realize that lots of people could die, doesn't she? What a daredevil...) Daiki then heard fighting and then spotted...

Hak VS a lot of fire tribe soldiers and that annoying persistent guy.... He's the second son of the Fire tribe leader, Tai-jen if Daiki remembered correctly. 

Daiki widened his eyes slightly when he noticed a blood wound. 'That doesn't look good. And where is Yona?'

Daiki closed his eyes as he mentally reached out to the mark he put on Yona, she's not too close to the danger. He just pray she doesn't do anything stupid. . . . again.

It soon became sunset and Hak is kind of messed up now. Daiki felt Yuki nudge against him as if asking 'Why the heck are you not helping, black dragon.'  Daiki sighed, "Sa. . . . . . The most simplest yet cruel way to say it is . . . . I don't really know myself." He could tell Yuki was looking at him with disbelief. He smiled at Yuki. "Hmm.... Lets put it this way..."

"The Black Dragon is a forbidden dragon. The hidden shadow behind everything. You could say.... its not meant to be their. I don't know the details myself. Its something only my mother....the previous and the original Black Dragon knows more about this since she was the one who actually met the Black Dragon God face to face. When something good happens, the light. However, everything good comes with a price, the shadow." Daiki chuckled. What a bothersome topic. "You could say I'm both. And with every good and bad thing. You need balance. To me that's important. But then again, maybe I'm wrong. I don't know. I'm just following what the Dragon blood inside me is telling."

Well, short version of the boring explanation, unnecessary stuff that's just a cowardly excuse, at least that's what I think. Personally, if it involved Yona or Hak or anyone else interesting, then I wouldn't mind breaking every mental rule.

Daiki looked back and widened his eyes, that said. He really should do something now, and why is that you ask?

Because his bothersome mistress showed up and pushed a soldier who was about to shoot Hak down into a tree. 'Ah...she looks tired. I suppose I'll have to help her now.' He thought with a sigh. 'Demo...' 

Daiki looked at the big gap between his steep cliff and the steep cliff where the battle was going on. He could always jump there but how would he explain.

Suddenly, Yuki lifted him up on his back, with slightly wider eyes then normal, Daiki held on with on instinct as Yuki jumped 20 meters and landed on the cliff. He landed behind a rock so Hak and Yona couldn't see us. Daiki stared at the gap and dead-panned.

"You are seriously one strange yet impressive stallion...." Daiki said with a small whistle. He then smiled as he jumped off, he wrapped the scarf over his head only leaving his eyes visible. "Listen Yuki, you stay here, if things get dangerous run away. Got it?" Yuki gave a look as if he was saying 'are you trying to get rid of me?'

Daiki chuckled, he then stroked Yuki's mane. "Nope, I'll find you. Its a promise. Got it?" The stallion snorted. He swiftly blended with the shadows as he hid behind a tree above Yona. If things go right, he should be able to get Yona and Hak out of here....

But......

What is this feeling?

Uneasiness...?

He haven't felt that in a while....

He then looked at Yona and his eyes widened.

Fire....

Theirs Fire in her eyes.....

This is not Princess Yona.... Not that ignorant princess.....

Daiki's blood started boiling. He gripped his heart in agony. 'Sh*t why is this happening? I already had the awakening...? And..... this hurts more....Masaka?!'

Yona's words caught him.

"I may be an ignorant princess. . . . . but I'm not desperate enough to listen to someone who doesn't understand reason!

The wind started blowing and in that instant Daiki saw Yona's hair . . . . burning. Bright red of the blush of dawn, its as if the fire was consuming her....

Daiki's surprised face quickly settled down. He smirked. 'The reason I felt my blood awakening a second time...that more powerful awakening....'

'Was set off because of King Hiryuu's true awakening....' He smiled. She sure does cause a lot of trouble for him.

'However...'

'Her awakening is only on stage one.....and to think its this . . . . . attracting. I'm excited to see her when she is at her final stage.'

Daiki smirked. Finally. Things are finally getting. . . . Interesting.