Disclaimer: I own nothing involved in this story unless I invented it myself. This is written for fun, not for profit. All forms of feedback eagerly accepted. Concrit is loved the most, but everything is welcome.
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal
Title: Ring The Dinner Bell: Chapter 10: Departure
Romance: Mizael x Vector
Word Count: chapter: 1,596||story: 16,040
Genre: Romance, Fantasy||Rated: PG-13
Challenge: Diversity Challenge, section I, #12, a multichap with exactly 10 chapters; One Ship Boot Camp, Mizael x Vector, prompt #30, dinner
Notes: This is an AU with princes, magic, knights, dragons, flying horses, and other such things. But no dueling with cards.
Summary: Dragons devour virgins and keep princesses captive. At least, that's what the legends say, and when a dragon arrives in good Prince Vector's kingdom, the prince finds that his father knows a lot about legends. But maybe he can learn a little something about dragons?

A deathly silence hung over the castle. There were still people alive within it, but none of those survivors dared to make a move against the two who'd brought down such thorough vengeance against their tormentors. Some few even recognized their prince, somehow alive, if unbelievably changed, and would not raise a hand against him no matter what. Vector took note of those. They would bear watching in the future.

But now, he and Mizael stood together on the castle battlements, looking out at the rising sun. He had no idea of how much time had passed. Apparently having the powers of a demon didn't include any kind of an internal clock. But he was fine with that. The powers he did have were enough for him.

Slowly he flexed one rock-like hand and wondered if he could become his old self again. While this form held a great deal of power, he didn't want to stay like that forever. There were too many things that he wasn't certain if he could do like this.

"I'm going to leave," Mizael said suddenly. Vector jerked his head toward his companion, eyes narrowing.

"What?" A wealth of confusion hid within that single word. How could Mizael do this? Why would he do this?

Mizael did not look at him and that only confused Vector even more. "There are too many humans here who think of a dragon as a creature to be killed or tamed to fight their wars for them." He spat the words out with a thick coating of hatred.

Vector started to shake his head. He wouldn't let that happen to Mizael. They'd killed virtually everyone who would have tried anything like that here anyway!

Before he could open his mouth to say that out loud, Mizael kept on. "You have enough to do putting your kingdom back together. And I'm a dragon: I don't live well within walls."

Vector bit his lip, chopping the words off before they could try to escape him once more. He chose something else to say instead. "Will you visit?" He did not think he could live the rest of his life without seeing Mizael again. In the short time that they'd known one another, the dragon had carved himself a place within the prince.

"Eventually." Mizael's lips turned a tiny fraction upward. "Perhaps then we can find out if those wings of yours work like proper wings should."

Vector dropped a glance behind him at the gray appendages that hung from his shoulders. He twitched them a little, shivering at the feel of the air against them. "I think they do?"

"Then learn how to fly and meet me up there." Mizael gestured toward the sky and the scarlet-touched clouds of morning. "Can you?"

Vector twitched his wings again. They didn't look large enough to carry him, not like Mizael's impressive wingspan. But perhaps demons didn't go by mortal rules, because he thought that he could. He wanted to try. "I'll find out."

Mizael nodded his approval, gazing once more at the skies above. Long minutes passed before he spoke again. "Can you change back?"

"I was wondering that myself. I haven't tried yet." Vector didn't know if he wanted to. Would it mean that he couldn't fly if he became human again?

My power is yours, for so long as our bargain lasts, the sleek, slippery voice of that demon whispered into his mind. Know no fear, my dear prince. The skies will be yours. As will be anything else that you desire.

Something else hovered behind those words, but Vector couldn't yet bring himself to think on what it was. Instead, he turned his attention toward what mattered most right now. He concentrated, flexing his hands once more, and a hiss of surprise uncurled from him as human skin replaced the rock. He breathed in harshly, stumbling as the weight of the stone skin fell away from him, and he suddenly had to readjust how he stood all over again.

Mizael's hand touched his shoulder. Vector looked up into those fathomless blue eyes and found a smile on his lips that surprised him, both by the fact he was smiling and that he had lips once again.

"I didn't mean for you to try right now," Mizael said, stormclouds flickering in his eyes. "Are you all right?"

"Yes." Vector breathed in, stunned at how very different he felt. "I'm fine." He wasn't certain of how to describe how he felt other than that. More than anything, he thought he needed a very long rest and as much food as he could cram into himself. Wreaking revenge took a serious toll on one.

Mizael had said already that he had a great deal to do to put the kingdom in order again. That was nothing more nor less than the absolute truth. He would've loved having Mizael by his side to help with that. But he would not be his father: he would not keep Mizael where Mizael did not wish to be kept.

You can make him wish to stay with you, the demon's voice murmured in Vector's ear. It would be easy. I can show you.

Vector pushed the voice away. Mizael wanted to go, and no matter how much that hurt, he would let him go. They'd see each other again anyway. Mizael promised.

"If you're certain." Mizael stared down at him and Vector straightened himself up and dusted himself off.

"I am. It just takes some getting used to." He still hadn't explained everything to Mizael about what had happened, saying only that he'd made a bargain to get the power necessary to stop his father and free Mizael. He hadn't lied. He just hadn't told Mizael everything.

He wasn't certain of the full details of his bargain anyway. He didn't fear the demon, but he wanted to make some points clear before much longer. He would tend to that once he'd done what he could to set matters in order in the castle first.

Mizael's eyes reflected things Vector could not entirely read. The prince wondered if the dragon feared the demon that he'd become more than he wanted to say. Was that another reason that he wanted to leave?

Small sparks of anger seethed underneath his skin until he could fight them back. Mizael was not like that. He didn't care for humans, but he just wasn't like that. Vector had done this to keep Mizael safe anyway. Mizael would not hate him for this. He couldn't.

"If you're all right, then it's time for me to go." Mizael took a few steps backward, to where the battlements spread out a little wider.

Vector wanted to say something else, to do more than just watch him go. He kept the words where they belonged, firmly behind his teeth.

"I'll miss you," he said instead. Those were every bit as true as anything else that he wanted to say, but ones he felt he could say more than anything else.

Mizael glanced at him. "I said I'd come visit." A small hint of a smile curved his lips. "But you don't have to try to give me any virgins next time."

"I'll remember that." Vector thought that was as close to a joke as the proud dragon would ever come to making. He had other thoughts in mind for what to get to welcome Mizael when he did return anyway.

Mizael nodded, turning his gaze upward once again. The change took only the briefest of seconds, the moment of time between one heartbeat and the next, and then the great golden dragon leaped into the skies. He circled the castle once or twice, and Vector could hear startled noises coming from those who could see him from below.

They will never forget what you and your dragon have done here together, the demon whispered. Use that.

Vector considered pushing that away as he had all the other suggestions. But the more he thought on it, the more it wasn't such a bad idea. He wouldn't threaten them with Mizael, not when they could all see that he'd left, but none of them knew how long the dragon might be gone or if Vector couldn't get him back at a moment's notice.

It was something to think about anyway. And he would need a great deal to occupy himself as he sorted out important matters such as his father's funeral and his own coronation and everything else that he wanted and needed to do.

His gaze still followed Mizael, just visible against the mountains. Never once in his life had he imagined that being sent to be a dragon's dinner would end up with him on the throne of the kingdom, his father dead, and the power of a demon flowing through his veins.

Learn how to fly and meet me up there. How much of a promise was that? What had Mizael truly meant by it? Did dragons – could they -

Dragons mate in the skies.

Vector did not know how the demon knew this. He did not care. Mizael had made him an offer. It was one he wasn't going to go back on. All he needed to do was learn to fly, and then wait for Mizael's visit.

And perhaps find a few trinkets to share as well. Mizael might not want a virgin, but something to add to his hoard? Vector already had a few thoughts on what that could be.

Don Thousand smiled. His new work was well-begun.

The End

Note: I am entertaining the notion of a sequel. But not for some time to come.