Author's Notes: This story became stuck in my head a long time ago, and I finally wrote it for 2011 NaNoWriMo. It's taken me this long to complete it and revise it. It is complete, though. I will be posting around two chapters a day until it's all up.

Summary: This is extremely AU, where Steve's the prince of Hawaii, Danny's stuck in a tower, Kono's a mage, Chin's still zen, and Grace is a princess who can fling a verbal barb like a pro. In this world there be dragons, surfing, button down shirts, ties, and magic scrolls – and where Chin and Kono are very, very, very distant cousins. Any attempt to fit this into an actual, real historical time period will result in a headache. So just roll with it.

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of "Hawaii 5-0", because if I did, I'd have Danny and Steve involved in all sorts of slashy goodness, and if she must be on the show, Catherine might just crush on Kono. Or maybe Gabrielle, because I've loved Autumn Reeser since "The OC", and although I don't want her with Danny, I think she's adorable.

Chapter 1

The Legend has been handed down from generation to generation, first as oral tradition and then later imprinted upon pages for all eternity. It tells of a prince from a kingdom besieged by a fearsome dragon and the quest he must undertake to find his one true love. He will fall in love with her blonde locks, and she in turn will provide him with everlasting love and the key to defeating the dragon.

Sounds straightforward enough, right? Ah, but as the saying goes, the best laid plans…

Crown Prince Steven of the McGarrett family of the land of Hawaii strode into his chambers in the west wing of the castle, hurling his helmet at the wall.

Chin, his advisor and best friend, trailed behind him, lifting an eyebrow.

Sighing, the prince ran a hand through his sweaty hair and turned back to his friend. "I know – okay?"

Having divested himself of his own armour while the prince reported to his father, Chin settled comfortably on a plush forest green sofa. "I didn't say anything."

Two men scuttled in, helping the prince change clothes.

"That eyebrow says it all," the prince muttered. "It's just – this shouldn't be so difficult. It's one dragon! I've killed minotaurs with more intelligence. Remember the cyclops -"

"- with the tail?" Chin winced and rubbed absently at his shoulder.

"That took – what? A couple of hours?"

"It took us longer to travel there than it did for you to finish him up."

"So what's the problem? This is one dragon! One!"

"It's gotta be -" Chin started.

The prince narrowed his eyes. "Don't say it."

" –magic," Chin finished, unperturbed.

I don't believe in magic."

Chin shrugged and remained silent, staring at the prince as he allowed the servants to help dress him in comfortable pants and shirt. Finally he asked, "So, what now? What'd the king say?"

"He said," the prince growled, starting to pace, "that I have to stop disregarding magic."

"We've tried everything else," Chin said, reasonably. He gave the prince a faint smile. "Look at it this way – you try magic, if it doesn't work, your father won't be able to hold it against you."

The prince perked up at that as the men left the room. "So, what do we have to do?"

"I know someone," Chin said.

The prince sighed. "Let me guess – another cousin."

"A distant cousin," Chin stressed, and the prince noted his slight change in tone and posture. Someone not as observant would've missed it, but he and Chin had been through too much, practically grown up together, for the prince to miss the smallest of details in his best friend.

"Well, let's bring him in," the prince said, flopping down beside Chin. "The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can go back to figuring out how to get rid of this dragon."

"She'll be here in the morning," Chin said.

Choosing to ignore the blatant fact that Chin had reached out to the mage before having a conversation with him so he could focus on the other part of the comment that'd caught his attention, he asked conversationally, "She?"

It was obvious that Chin was trying hard not to shift nervously as he met the prince's eyes and said, "yes."

"And she's a distant cousin?" He grinned, knowing that Chin wanted to tell him to fuck off but couldn't. Sometimes it was good to be the prince.

His father's emissary chose that moment to show up in his doorway, obviously there to remind him that his father had only given him a brief reprieve to change out of this armour. Groaning, the prince dismissed the man. He relaxed for a few seconds, staring at Chin, before taking a deep breath. "Magic, then."

Chin nodded. "Magic."

The next day, Steve sat in the formal living room, waiting for Chin's mage to appear. He knew she'd arrived; Chin's noticeable absence would've told him that if the emissary hadn't.

Absently drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair, he looked around the room, aching to be anywhere else, even back with that stupid dragon.

Being inside sucked.

A messenger arrived, bowing low, adams apple bobbing so quickly that the prince was almost mesmerized. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but…"

"But?" The prince prompted after a few seconds of silence.

"The mage refuses to enter the castle."

What the hell," the prince muttered. Standing, he waved absently. "Take me to her."

At least he was out of the damn room.

He followed the scurrying herald through the streets, nodding absently as the commoners bowed and curtsied around him. He didn't mind walking throughout the towns and the villages, especially the ones surrounding the castle. They were so used to seeing him that his presence no longer created a huge stir, the townspeople bowing with respect before continuing with their activities. Eventually, they arrived on the beach where Chin stood, towel in hand, staring out at the ocean. The prince stood beside his friend, absently waving his hand to dismiss the nervous herald. Staring out into the ocean, he saw a dark speck in the distance.

"That your cousin?" He felt Chin nod. "And she thinks that going surfing instead of meeting her prince was a wise move?" He knew Chin would pick up on his tone.

Shrugging a shoulder, Chin said, "She said this helps her stay in communion with Mother Earth."

The prince snorted, not a regal sound, but it got the point across.

"I know as much about this stuff as you do, but Kono is one of the best. She comes from a long line of powerful mages."

"Obviously not from your side of the family," the prince muttered, eliciting a small smile from his friend.

The speck started moving closer, grabbing a large wave and riding it in.

"She's good," the prince said, impressed. "How long has it been since we've –" he waved his arm toward the ocean.

"Too long," Chin said, the longing in his voice echoing the prince's feelings.

"After we blow up this dragon, we're coming back here and surfing for two days straight," the prince decided.

"First of all, you keep forgetting that the goal is to slay the dragon, not blow it up. Secondly, do you think the king will let you off of your duties for that long?"

"I'll be a big fat hero," the prince said, ignoring Chin's correction. After a pause, he added, "We'll stop here before returning to the castle."

Chin's chuckle accompanied the mage as she stepped from the water with the board, a small bikini on her long, lithe body.

The prince opened his mouth, but Chin said, "Don't" in a tone he reserved for his troops, never for his prince.

So that's how it is, the prince confirmed, stifling a smile. She was beautiful, no doubt about it, long black hair sliding down her back, a large smile revealing dimples as she shoved her board into the sand and took the towel Chin held out for her.

"Your Highness," she said, including him in her smile, tilting her head reverently.

"Hozzit?" He asked.

"Cherry, brah," she replied, dimples flashing again.

"Now that you've finished with fun-time, can we get to my problem?"

"That's what I was doing, actually," she said. "The water helps me stay in touch with Mother Earth. I was gathering my strength."

The prince's eyes narrowed. "Why would you need strength? I just need to know how to defeat a dragon – he's not even that large."

"The dragon isn't your real problem," she said, wrapping the towel around her waist. "It's figuring out your quest." She walked past him to a pile of clothes resting on a large blanket.

"What qu –" he followed her, quickly turning back toward the ocean when she reached around and untied her bathing suit top. Clearing his voice and sliding a slide-long glance at Chin, who had flipped around just as quickly, he tried again, "What quest?"

"You need the key to slaying the dragon, and in order to get that key, you have to go on a quest." Her voice was muffled as she pulled her top over her head.

"Why can't you just… I don't know, cast a spell and bring the key here?"

"The point of a quest is to learn something as you move toward your goal. Evidently, the Forces feel you need to take this quest in order to become further enlightened." She stepped in front of him, dressed in a blousy yellow top and forest green pants, her feet still bare.

"I don't have time!" The prince growled, his arms crossing as he glared at her. "That dragon has killed at least five of my men so far."

"The dragon is currently asleep," Kono said, unperturbed by his rant. She noted his bright grin and added, " But he's also being protected from harm while you go on your quest."

The prince stared at Kono for a moment before glaring at Chin. "This is your fault."

Chin smiled at him serenely.

"So." The prince returned his attention to Kono. "Where do I start?"

"Tonight I'll seek guidance from the elders."

"So I can leave tomorrow?"

"We can head out at first light," Kono said.

Chin shrugged. "I'm available."

"Isn't this one of those quests where I have to go alone?" The prince asked.

"There are very few quests where the chosen one needs to go alone," Kono said. "And to be honest, boss, you could probably use the help."

The prince knew he should be upset, but he found himself grinning, happy to have the company.

That night at dinner with his mother and his father, he waited until they were served dessert before saying idly, "So, I'm off on my quest tomorrow."

"What quest?" His mother asked, a slight furrow on her brow.

"Father made me consult a mage about the dragon, and she says I must go on a quest."

"Who is this mage?" The king asked. "How reliable is her information?

The prince shrugged. "She's Chin's cousin," he said, knowing that would shut up his father. For some reason, he thought Chin was a good influence.

"Is it too much to hope that there's a princess somewhere in there? I would like to die knowing my grandchildren."

The prince stilled, trying not to fidget before his mother. This was always an uncomfortable conversation; he'd tried meeting princesses, even fair maidens, but none of them sparked more than a short-term interest. Here he was, thirty-six years old, never having found anyone with whom he'd want to attach himself to forever. He'd lived long enough to know that he wasn't the type to fall in love, but at the very least, he wanted to marry someone who challenged him, maybe made him laugh. He didn't fancy sharing his life with someone who bored him.

"Don't most quests involve meeting true loves and such?" His mother asked.

"I was more interested in the part about getting the key to destroying the dragon," he said noncommittally.

"A key, you said?" His mother tapped at her cheek absently. "I remember a story from my childhood…. it involved a dragon, a prince finding his true love up in a tower…" she frowned. "I think there was something about her lowering her hair so he could climb up the tower and rescue her…"

"He's a sizable man," the king said. "He tries to climb some girl's hair, he'll snap her neck like a twig.

The prince pressed his lips together to keep from laughing at the table, a breach of etiquette that his parents would never forgive.

"Magic is involved, of course," the queen said. "You go out there and get your princess."

"Yes, ma'am."

"We need to take care of that dragon," the king said. "That's your focus."

"Yes, sir."

The advisor leaned over and whispered in the king's ear.

"Don't forget to take your hawk with you, and check in with us regularly. We want to know where you are at all times."

"Yes, sir," the prince said, keeping his face impassive. He couldn't stand that sneaky advisor. He knew what was expected of him; he didn't need reminding.