A/N: Good gosh, I'm just FULL of these new stories, eh? XD Okay, so, I got an idea for a crossover of the two series (again) only this time as both an AU and having Ren being partnered with a different dragon (this time...the Triple Stryke). I'm also going with the Defenders of the Wing in this story (I will mention them in other stories, namely Dragon Souls, but as a minor appearance). I'm still trying to decide how I feel about them...'cause I like how they're helping dragons, but they're a bit...fanatical? I dunno, at least we have more people helping dragons than harming for once.

Another bit of inspiration for this comes from bricann's A Blind Hope and A Blinding Hope: The Second Rider stories. I swear, once I got done reading the sequel, my muse for How to Train Your Dragon came back a bit more.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon or Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's. Both go to their respective owners. I only own my OCs.

(Also, the story will mostly be alternating between Ren and Yusei's POVs)

Chapter One- Of Times Past:

(Yusei's POV)

Among the village, it was always an honor to help or be around the Dragon Linguist. He was born with the ability to talk with dragons, able to understand what they said. Rumors had spread about him all the time. Some claimed that he was gifted to our leader from the dragons, others claimed he was born from dragons. Any way to explain his gift and how he had no family relations on the isle.

All kids on the island were required to train to become new members of the Defenders of the Wing. Of course, with our generation, there was the opportunity to be the bodyguard for the Dragon Linguist. Since he was our age, the leader thought it'd be best if his guard was the same age group, so the stakes were much higher on the training progress. For me, though...I didn't really much care about winning this little competition.

My story was much like his: I had no family on the island, being taken in by the Defenders when I was found as a baby, but I didn't have the ability he possessed. The higher ranked Defenders always made a big deal out of his ability as it would help dragons trapped by other people and forced to fight against one another for entertainment or dragons that are being hunted to extinction for their pelts, horns, claws, or just being there. He'd be able to speak with the rescued dragons and find where the locations we would need to strike were. Dragons being enslaved would have a voice, too, during trials. It all sounded promising, only they were more focusing on the future rather than the present and how he is now.

Everyone kept talking how lucky he was, but any time I saw him he was always alone save for the Defenders tasked to watch him. He trained alone, ate alone, I wouldn't have been surprised to hear he was by himself at his home. If he's so important to the village, then why isolate him from the rest of us? He might not even see us as his people if he's not around others often. Especially since he's supposed to pick the guard out himself (or, presumably as we've been told).

I didn't try like the others to get in the top ten of the class. I was good at training, yes, but I had no motivation to want to defend someone I barely knew. He might as well be non-existent. Well, that was true until I found his secret. When we were reaching our teens and nearing graduation, I noticed him sneaking away from the village at odd hours of the day. Kind of easy to spot him as he wears a special emblem on his shirt in the shape of a fiery dragon's head.

Keeping out of sight and making no noise, I followed him one night to see what was going on. He normally never leaves his home, so it was very shocking to see him suddenly leave. He was carrying a sack with him, stopping every now and then to make sure no one was following him (my clue to stay still until he moved again). He went deep into the forest before he stopped and whistled.

I was a bit confused until I heard flapping and a dragon landed in front of him. The dragon had sharp claws like a scorpion for front limbs, dark scales on the top with lighter on the bottom, and three stingers looped together for a tail. A Tripe Stryke. What is he doing? Has he been keeping a dragon under the leader's nose? Even someone like him should know it's forbidden! I thought when I saw him pat the dragon's snout, the dragon purring.

As he was feeding the dragon, I had to think of a way to approach this situation. Normally, the severe punishments were for the people that came to the island from the outside. I doubt they'd want to lose their precious Dragon Linguist. He's too valuable to the cause...but I doubt that it'd mean he was free from receiving some sort of sentence.

Wings flapping alerted me to the ending of the little get together. When I was sure the dragon was gone, I stepped out as he was leaving. "Planning to say what that was about?" I spoke.

He whirled on me, eyes wide. "Y...You saw?!" he asked. This had to be the first time I heard him spoke. He never talked when he made public appearances as the leader spoke for him.

I decided to find out a bit more of what happened. Of course, I wasn't about to let him know I was leading him on about it. "I'm just surprised that your current guards haven't figured out your sneaking out."

"You can't tell them! He's...He's my friend. He didn't want to leave after I helped him."

"Wouldn't leave?"

"He...wasn't getting along with the rest of the dragons back in the nest. I found him badly injured one day and healed him. He didn't want to go back to the nest, so I told him he could stay in the forest and I'd visit him. He can't go back to the other dragons."

"Did he even tell why?"

"They haven't been around a Triple Stryke before. He's the first one they've seen and they aren't used to any strange dragons. Now, I'm not even sure it's a good idea to put some of the rescued dragons in there if they're outside species."

"Saying that kind of thing in front of the leader..."

"Yeah, I know. Instant lock down...but if we're doing more harm than good with some of the dragons, I can't risk it. The code is to to protect dragons, right? Defeats the purpose if we let them get killed here after being rescued."

I was a bit shocked. This had to be the first time anyone's heard about the dragons here killing the rescued ones. Did everyone assume that their injuries were too great or they got sick when finding the bodies...or did the dragons take the bodies out of the nest? "Okay, I'll keep this a secret."

"What?"

"I'll keep the whole thing a secret from the leader and higher-ups."

"In exchange...?"

"For nothing. See ya." I started leaving the area.

He was quiet for a few minutes. "...Ren."

"Huh?" I stopped, turning back to him.

"My name. It's Ren. I don't like being referred to by that title."

"Alright, Ren...I'm Yusei."

After that little meeting, we started meeting up a bit more. Ren introduced the Triple Stryke as Aden. With graduation on our tails, I started training harder than the others. As the new selected bodyguard had to be with Ren at all times, the risk of being found out was too high to ignore. Not everyone would keep Aden a secret. They'd be telling the leader faster than Ren could make an excuse for him. So, we planned on having me be in the top ten, top five if I could make it, and Ren would choose me as the bodyguard. After all, it's his final word that makes it important. At least, that's what we hoped.

It didn't feel like two years had passed since that day, but it did and now it was time for graduation. The head of the academy called out ten names, mine included. We all stood in front of the rest of the graduating classes as the leader Queen Gwynedd, the higher-ups, and Ren came up. Ren and I made eye-contact, my eyes hopefully telling him, It's going to be all right, even though I was just as nervous as he was.

"As everyone knows, the Dragon Linguist must be protected from any kind of threat, be it the dragon hunters or invaders," Queen Gwynedd announced. "So, the council and I have decided to have his primary protector be of the current graduating class as opposed to a more experienced Defender." Here it goes... "I am proud to announce that his bodyguard will be-"

"Yusei Fudo," Ren called, causing silence to fall over the whole place.

Queen Gwynedd stopped the speech, turning to him. "Pardon?"

"It's either Yusei Fudo or no one. I'm not taking anyone else as my guard." I was more shocked than anyone, really. The previous times he's been in the public, Queen Gwynedd had always said what his decision was, but I could tell it was more of hers than his as he remained quiet and slouched. Like an obedient, trained animal. Now, I was seeing a defiance that had been hidden for the last couple of years. "I believe that it's my word that makes it final, if I'm not mistaken. Is that a problem, ma'am?"

She appeared like she was wanting to contradict him but smiled thinly instead. "No, of course. Anything the Dragon Linguist wants." She turned back to the crowd. "As he said, the Dragon Linguist's personal bodyguard from here on out will be Yusei Fudo."

As the crowd clapped, I saw Queen Gwynedd whisper something into Ren's ear before walking away. There's more going on here than she's letting on. Obviously, a choice was made earlier...but if they want to make it look like the Dragon Linguist does have the final say in matter, then they can't start contradicting him now. Not in public eye, anyway, I thought.

(Ren's POV)

"We'll discuss this later," Queen Gwynedd hissed in my ear before going back to the council. I knew she was wanting to pick the number one trainee for the job, as only the best could and should protect me, but I wasn't about to risk having someone that was blindly loyal to her and not even thinking about what I was saying.

The ceremony continued, Yusei receiving the emblem of the bodyguard as well as the Dragon Linguist, and the rest of the trainees officially becoming Defenders. Once the ceremony ended, Yusei and I were herded back to my place of residence. He was more or less shoved into his new room while I got dragged to the main hall.

"Ren, what are you thinking?!" Gwynedd yelled.

"I'm thinking that I should be the one to pick out the person that's going to be glued to my side all the time is all," I retorted.

"How do you know he'll be capable of protecting you? You should pick the one who got first place. That way, your safety is more guaranteed."

"I'm sure he'll be able to protect me effectively. Besides, wasn't it supposed to be my final say on the whole thing? I'd have to make decisions for myself sooner or later."

She sighed. "Ren, I don't need to tell you that it was a miracle we found you when we had. The dragon hunters are ruthless when it comes to a Dragon Linguist. If he can't protect you well enough, then you'll be lost to us. I'm saying this not as your leader but as your parent."

"...I'm not backing out of this. Yusei's the one I want. He'll be able to protect me just as well...no, better than anyone picked out for me."

"Fine...but if he slips up even once, he'll be relieved of duty and I'll pick out your guard." She walked out.

Wouldn't put it past you to do that, I thought as she left.

Three years passed since graduation and Yusei stayed as my bodyguard. We had to keep on our toes the whole time as even the slightest slip-up could mean disaster. So far, Yusei has been able to prove that he's more than capable of protecting me (as much as I don't like it, I just have to grin and bear it for now). Even more capable than some of the more experienced Defenders, much to Gwynedd's chagrin. In the meantime, we've been taking care of Aden and making sure he was comfortable at his new home away from the other dragons.

I attempted to go into the Nest a few times to ask the other dragons why they wouldn't accept Aden, but the sentries there make it hard for me to get in without them questioning why I was there. Only time there aren't sentries at all points is when the convicted are sent to be killed, and I don't like seeing the slaughter even if they're felons. It makes me sick.

For three years, we had to live double-lives. Me being the Dragon Linguist of the Defenders, Yusei being my personal guard. Three years of doing the same thing over and over...and I've personally gotten sick of it all.