Author's Note: This is it, guys. The final chapter. I can't believe it. I feel like crying (and I've just re-read through the chapter and am smiling like an idiot as well). I want to thank all of you who have read and reviewed and followed and favorited. Every time I get an email alerting me to one of these, I grin and my heart soars. I mean, I write for you guys, you know?

So . . . the last chapter. The end. After a slightly depressing ending, this one is mainly fluff, with some cheesy romance. You can view it as a sort of epilogue (though sort of a long one, being nearly 4,000 words). I hope it won't disappoint you.

The song for this chapter is "Dear, Blue Dragon." (It makes me happy that Shin-Ah has two songs named after him!)

Chapter 14

Dear, Blue Dragon

I am washing my hands in the stream, scrubbing grease from some tender, cooked-just-right fish (if I do say so myself), when I hear it. The sound of horses and the clanging of armor and weapons. Loud chattering and laughter.

Quickly, with instincts honed by several mistakes and their dire consequences, I make sure my mask is secure, sling my bow over my back, throw my few items into my pack, and scramble to the nearest tree. It's an old, thick tree with many branches and thick foliage. Perfect. Shimmying up the trunk, I find purchase several branches up to wait and watch the group pass by.

It's a company of Fire Tribe soldiers. They're making no move to be quiet, although I don't suppose they would, being who they are; with their swords, spears, and heavy armor, they hardly need to worry about being attacked. I crouch lower to my branch and hope I'm high enough to be shaded by the leaves. I doubt any of them will see me, though. The Fire Tribe soldiers aren't exactly the observant types — most of them are only taught to be aggressive.

Once the soldiers have passed by, leaving the area quiet and still once more, I involuntarily let out a sigh of relief. It's not like I'm on the run from the soldiers. I'm not a criminal by any means. I just prefer to avoid people if I can. I stay up in the tree for another few minutes in case there are any stragglers or people scouting behind.

Just once I've deemed it safe, though, I hear a sound of another group — this one is not quite as loud, though I can make out an annoyed voice and then laughter. Smaller, then, and maybe a group of traveling friends, companions rather than soldiers. Wishing I had the time to climb higher up in the tree (though I have not yet mastered the art of climbing trees without making a racket), I lower myself again and try to resemble the bark.

I close my eyes and wait for them to pass.

Then I hear shouting.

"Hey, Shin-Ah! Stop! Wait up!"

I jerk, my eyes flying open.

Wait. What?

Peeking past the tree limb and its leaves, I see a form racing toward my tree. Or at least my vicinity, but somehow I know it's my tree and sure enough, the person stops directly under me.

They look up.

My heart stops.

The person has a mask over their face with a white wolf pelt attached to the back, but underneath you can see blue hair poking out. He wears dark blue clothing, two ceremonial necklaces, and a sword strapped to his back.

I would recognize him immediately.

He hasn't changed much, it seems.

My body seems to move of its own accord. Scrambling. Jerky movements. Unaware of what it's doing.

Clearly, because the next thing I know — I'm falling.

He catches me, of course.

There I am, crashing down through the trees, the sticks scraping against my skin, the ground racing toward me — and then somehow I can feel him reaching toward me. Grabbing my flailing hand first, then catching the rest of my body into his arms.

For a moment, I just blink, in a sort of daze. He gently sets me down and I drop my pack and my bow.

He cocks his head, just staring at me, then he taps his mask and I realize I'm still wearing my own. It has become so familiar to me because I hardly take it off now. Oh. This is how he feels, then.

I rip the thing off, breaking the string that holds it in place, and throw it to the ground.

His mouth opens slightly and he breathes out. "Ae-Sun."

I can't stand it any longer — a smile spreads over my face, happiness bubbling up inside me, overflowing like a great fountain. I reach forward and start to untie the strings of his mask.

Someone shouts, "Wait, don't do that!"

That's when I remember he wasn't alone and I stop, leaving his mask in place.

I revolve slowly to face a group of six other people. There is one boy with yellow hair and clothes, a smile etched on his face. Another with long green hair tied back, who has an air of bored interest. A third man is dressed in white with striking blue eyes, white hair, and an arm shaped like a claw. Next to him, there is a short cute-looking boy with a squirrel on his shoulder.

"Ao!" I cry out. "You're here, too!"

"How do you know Ao?" the short boy says sharply.

Next to him, there is a large man with dark hair clothed in blue, a surly look on his face as he observes me. He places his arm protectively around the final member of the group, a young-looking girl with short, brilliant red hair and a curious but wary look on her face. Like me, she has a bow. I recognize her to be the one to first call out.

"Who are you?" she asks, her tone not unfriendly. "My name is Yona . . . how do you know Shin-Ah?"

I smile broadly, and she and the blue-clothed man give each other a look. I erase the smile, realizing that I might look a little crazy right now. "I'm sorry," I say. "It just makes me happy to hear someone using his name. You're his friends, right?"

Yona considers me. "Yes. We are. You're his friend, too?"

"Yes."

Well, hopefully a bit more still.

I glance up at Shin-Ah and he squeezes my shoulder.

The short boy with Ao on his shoulder leans over to Yona and whispers something in her ear. Her eyes widen. "Oh!" she says. "So this is why you wanted to come this way, Shin-Ah? Were you two . . . ?"

I blink. "Um . . ."

Shin-Ah pulls me closer and the whole group's eyes widen. He says, "Yes."

I smile again, this time even wider if possible.

It has been more than two years since I left the village. More than two years since I last saw him. More than two years since I've been living on my own. At first, it was terrible. I was always so lonely and scared, hungry and desperate. But every time I felt like giving up . . . I'd think of him and I'd remember that he went through things like this, too, and he never gave up. He fought on. And so I did, too. I survived. I learned and I adapted. And after a while, my stomach no longer rumbled all the time. I found areas on the ground that didn't dig into my back. I was able to bargain and communicate with people along the roads without totally looking like an idiot because of my lack of knowledge about the world.

These last few months have become so routine for me that I've barely thought of anything else other than making it to the next day. I wander around, visiting every town I can, reading a lot, and experiencing as much as I can. I try not to think about my old life too much, about Father and Ki-Gun.

But Shin-Ah . . . I always think about him too much.

When I left the village, I wasn't sure what I expected. For us to reunite in a few months? A few years? Decades? Never?

I don't know.

When you consider everything, though, two years really isn't that bad.

Suddenly, the whole fact seems unreal, impossible. It must be a dream. He can't be here. Right here. In front of me. Staring at me like I'm the only thing in the world. It's not real, it's not possible.

The very thing I've been dreaming of for so long . . . is happening?

The world starts to spin around me.

I hear gasping and shouting, but all I know are his arms around me.

When I wake, it's dark out, and I'm leaning against a tree, Shin-Ah's wolf fur over me. He himself sits beside me, hunched over and staring forward. We seemed to have stayed in the same area, the stream nearby, and a fire burning before us, something delicious-smelling cooking over the flames.

It wasn't a dream.

I find myself thinking, Finally. Finally I am back with him. Finally . . .

He is so close, so warm, and I revel in the fact. Ao sits on my knee, sleeping and basking in the warmth of the fire.

"Shin-Ah," I say softly.

He turns to me. "Are you . . . all right?"

"I'm sorry. Did I frighten you? It was just . . . I was so happy. To be back with you."

He entwines his fingers with mine. "Me, too."

The girl, Yona, approaches us and, when seeing me awake, says, "Ae-Sun, right? Are you feeling better now?"

I nod and she hands me a plate of whatever was cooking over the fire.

"That's a lovely name."

"Thank you," I say. "My mother named me." I dip my spoon into the bowl and bring the food to my lips. "This is so good!"

She smiles. "Yoon made it."

From the other end of the campsite, I see the short boy turn at the sound of his name and glance over at me. I smile at him and repeat, "This is so good." His cheeks redden and he hurriedly looks away.

Yona laughs. "Yoon can cook anything. What about you? Are you a good cook?"

Shin-Ah lets out a low laugh and I elbow him in the side. "I've gotten a lot better, I'll have you know," I tell him. "Several nice women taught me how to make a proper meal. Even you'd like it."

"Shin-Ah?" Yona looks surprised. "He eats anything."

I look at her. "Oh, no, it's just a joke. I used to be terrible once and he tried it and . . . well, it wasn't good."

She laughs again. "Oh, I see. It's great that you two are such good friends. I'm so happy for you two."

I smile at her. "Thank you." I'm already warming up to the girl. Not only is she nice and understanding, but she's also brave and I can see the loyalty to her companions written clearly on her face. When she shouted at me to stop from taking Shin-Ah's mask off, it was to protect him because she didn't know what my intentions were. I respect her for that.

She leans forward to me eagerly. "So I saw that you have a bow. Are you any good with it?"

"Well . . ."

"She's amazing," Shin-Ah says.

"Really?" Yona's eyes widen. "You mind giving me some pointers? I've just started learning recently. I try and practice often as I can. I only get in about two hundred arrows every night, though."

"Two hundred arrows every night?" I say, looking at her, shocked. "Are you kidding me? How are you not good?"

"Don't be too humble, Hime-sama," the dark-haired surly one says, sitting down beside Yona. "We all know that you think yourself awesome at your archery skills."

"That's not true, Hak," Yona says, a sour but affectionate look on her face.

Then it clicks. "'Hime-sama'?" I echo. I turn to Yona. "You're . . . You're Princess Yona?"

For a moment, her eyes darken. "Yes."

"I-I'm so sorry!" I cry as I stand up and lower myself into a bow. My knees shake.

"No, no!" she says. "It's okay. You don't have to. I'm not really . . . well, I mean, I am, but . . . you don't have to. Please, just call me Yona. Hak is the only one who still calls me Hime-sama."

Hak, I notice, doesn't look too pleased by this. Understanding surges through me and I suddenly feel a bout of pity for the man. No wonder he looks so surly all the time.

"Anyway," Yona continues, "now that you know who I am, I suppose I should introduce you to the rest of the group. Hak, please bring the others over here."

He bows slightly, still looking miffed, and goes to retrieve the four other members of the group.

"This is Kija," Yona begins, motioning to the white-haired man with the arm shaped like a claw, "the Hakuryuu." I realize his arm must represent a dragon's claw. What kind of power is that, I wonder?

Kija bows before me and says, "It is so wonderful that our beloved Seiryuu has one he can hold dear to his heart." The Hakuryuu wipes the edge of his eye and sniffles. Shin-Ah shifts uncomfortably next to me and I grin at him.

"This is Jae-Ha," Yona continues, "the Ryokuryuu."

The man with the long green hair steps forward and bows, too.

"What's your power?" I ask him.

He smiles wickedly at me. "I have the leg of a dragon," he says, "which grants me the ability to soar through the skies. By the way, Shin-Ah, not bad. She scores a solid eight with me. Lovely hair. Darling, has anyone ever told you that your eyes remind one of the sky? You know, the one that I soar through . . ."

Jae-Ha suddenly flies backward and it takes me a moment to realize that Shin-Ah had stepped forward and shoved him with the butt of his sword.

The Ryokuryuu sits up, rubbing his stomach, but still smiling somehow. A creepy smile, I note. "It's usually Hak that punches me," he says, "but you do throw a good hit, too, Seiryuu."

Yona rolls her eyes at me and says, "He's like this all the time, but it looks like you'll be fine with Shin-Ah looking out for you. Next, this is Zeno the Ouryuu."

The yellow-haired boy, who looks to be the youngest of them besides Yoon, bounds forward and bows. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss!" he says in a jovial voice.

"You, too," I say, smiling. He seems like the sweet sort who'd always cheer you up.

"So that's our group, each of which seem to have given you the sum of their personalities. . . ." Yona narrows her eyes at them, although there's something tender in there, too. "Anyway. You're welcome to join us, of course. I can't really turn you away since you and Shin-Ah . . ." She blushes, seemingly uncomfortable.

I feel my cheeks heating up, too.

But then I realize the full impact of her words. "Wait. You're . . . letting me join?"

"Of course," she says. "I would never turn you away."

"But . . . I'm not anything special. I can't do anything. I'm not a part of any prophecy. I don't have a destiny!" My voice becomes a little frantic.

"Shin-Ah said you're great with the bow," Yona says, her eyes shining with admiration. "We could use another long-range fighter. And I'm sure you have many other talents. Besides, Yoon here isn't part of the prophecy, and he's one of the most important people in the group."

Yoon nods (importantly, I might add). "That's right," he says. "I can cook, clean, sew, heal, make explosives, and I've even self-titled myself the 'handsome genius.'"

"That's right," Hak chimes in. "You can make up your own title and cram yourself into the prophecy. I'm the evil Dark Dragon, by the way."

"Too right you are," Kija mutters.

"I . . ." I swallow and I can feel tears threatening to spill at the corners of my eyes. I swipe them away, embarrassed. "I don't know to say. T-thank you . . . thank you so much."

Yona smiles and leans forward to whisper in my ear. "Plus, it will be good to have another girl in the group. Ao and I were getting lonely."

I laugh softly. "Thank you. Again. For everything."

The rest of the night is spent getting to know the rest of the dragons, Hak, Yona, and Yoon. They are a lively group and I can tell already there'll will be no shortage of fun and laughter with them. Already, I can begin to feel the wards I'd put around myself these last few years disappearing. It seem natural once again to leave my face bare. Perhaps because I, unlike Shin-Ah, have not lived my whole life with it.

Yoon finally demands everyone to go to sleep, saying that we have a big day of traveling to do tomorrow, and he won't have us falling behind schedule. I smile at the younger boy's abrasive nature. How odd it will be. To wake up at different time, to follow another's rules and routines.

I won't mind, though.

Because now I will have other people watching my back. I will have other people to help find food or set up camp. I am not alone anymore.

I am with him.

The boy in question sits near the edge of the group, staring up at the moon, his back to me. I walk up behind him and wrap my arms around his neck and lay my chin on his shoulder. He grasps my hand from the front and turns his head slightly.

"I missed you," I breathe, my eyes closed. "Did you . . . did you miss me?"

"Yes."

I smile at the quickness and the frankness of the answer.

"I saw you," he starts, "from miles away. . . . At first, I couldn't believe it. I thought my eyes must've been playing tricks on my mind. But they've never failed me . . . not like that. So I asked Yoon if we could change direction . . . I'm glad."

"Me, too," I say. "I'm glad you found me . . . and I'm glad that Yona . . . and everyone else found you."

He lets out a sigh, a small contented one.

"I looked for them, you know," I say. "The other dragons. I don't know what I thought I'd do if I met one of them. Point them in your direction? I don't know. Maybe I just wanted to know what they were like. In the end, though, I never did find one." I let out a small chuckle. "Though I did get dangerously close to Kija, I think. Before his clan sent me running from that fog forest of his."

He stays quiet for a moment. Then, "They are not what I expected. But then . . . maybe they are more. Better."

He shifts and turns so we're facing each other. I breathe in and out. He still smells like the mountains, which brings a horde of memories back to me. But he also smells like the sky, fresh, clear air, which promises a bright future.

Shin-Ah lowers his head, nearing me — then I hear a cough. I jump and glance around, catching sight of Hak, who is still awake. He leans against a tree and raises his eyebrow at me. Then he jerks his head.

I nod and I look back at Shin-Ah. "Let's go," I say.

"Go?"

"Not far," I say. "Just somewhere . . . private."

He nods and he wraps his hand around mine. And then we take off running. His hand is as warm and smooth as I remember it. I wonder if mine is still familiar. Probably not. It has become rough and dirty and scarred. But I know he doesn't care. I wouldn't care, after all.

A few minutes later, we reach another break in the woods, and we stop, both breathless. The trees around us are evenly spaced and vines creep over the branches, but still the moonlight shines through the open space. I lean over, letting go of his hand for a moment, and I start to laugh. Giggle. Cry out with happiness. Whatever.

I lift my hands up, throwing them to the sky, to the stars and the moon.

Then I turn to him, my mind filled with so many words, racing and tripping over each other. I want to tell him how I've waited and longed for this day, how I knew he'd find me, somehow, no matter how dark my days got, how I love him so much, and —

My breath catches.

During my outburst of happiness, he'd been smiling. And he'd taken off his mask.

The light from the moon seems to shine right onto his face. And it's just as I remember it. The eyes that have filled my dreams, the face that has flooded every waking moment of my life.

I say, "Beautiful."

He glances down and I see the little flush of embarrassment glowing on his cheeks. "I don't understand," he mutters. "Why . . . my powers . . . they don't hurt you."

"You don't want to hurt me, right? Can it not be that simple? Only intention activates the power?"

He shrugs helplessly. "I don't know, but . . . I am glad. That you can . . . see me."

A smile extends over my lips. "I'm glad, too. I'm so, so glad." I reach forward and trace a line down his cheek, starting from the red marking down to the curve of his jaw. "I'm glad you have friends now, too. Though I am a little jealous."

His brow wrinkles. "Jealous?"

"Yes," I say. "Because now I won't have you all to myself."

"Oh." For a moment, he just processes this, and then the blush on his cheeks deepens. "But . . . but you know . . ."

"Yes?" I prompt him, my smile widening.

His cheeks are bright red now as he whispers, "You've always had me all to yourself."

I am smiling so hard I feel as if my face is about to break. I say, "I love you. Did you know that?"

He looks me directly in the eyes.

"Yes. I love you. . . . Did you know that?"

Blue hair. Pale skin. Red markings. Golden eyes.

I see you, Shin-Ah.

I kiss him in reply.

For a moment, all is bliss and fluttering in my stomach. My pounding heart and the heat of his lips against mine.

Then he pulls away from me briefly, looking dazed. He says, "Do you remember . . . what Hak said? About giving yourself your own title . . . and making yourself fit into the prophecy?"

I nod.

"I want you . . . I want you to be a part of my destiny. . . . You helped me find my name . . . so can I help you find yours?"

For a fraction of a second, I feel like crying. Because of the perfection of it. Because of the insurmountable joy and happiness I feel right now. Because he's standing before me right now, and that's all I need.

I say, "Yes. Yes!"

He smiles and kisses me again. "Then . . . ," he murmurs, his lips only an inch from mine, "you are my Sunshine."

A/N: Gahhh, that last line is so cheesy . . . but honestly, I could see no other way to end it. I hope Shin-Ah and the other members of the gang weren't too out of character. I had a lot of fun writing them; since this story has mostly just been Ae-Sun, Shin-Ah, and assorted OCs, it was refreshing to write some other canon characters.

And then, whoa, time skip! Did you expect that? It was mentioned before that they were sixteen at the beginning of the story . . . and Shin-Ah's eighteen when he meets Yona, so . . . yep, two years. But since Ae-Sun gave Shin-Ah his name, I expect that when Yona went to find Shin-Ah, most everything else happened the same, except he knew about the legend of the four dragons, and he already had his name. I've read the manga all the way up to the English translated chapters (hurry up, translators, please!), so if you've read the manga, too, I'd say this epilogue takes place sometime after the anime and in the Fire Tribe arc, probably when they're running around pretending to be bandits.

So, yes . . . THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME AND BRILLIANT AND AMAZING. And of course, thanks to Kusanagi Mizuho, for creating such an amazing world and characters and story! And to all the directors and producers and seiyuu and composers for the anime for bringing it to life (I need a second season, please!).

Reviews are appreciated! I always love constructive criticism, feedback, and praise (I mean, who doesn't like praise?). Thank you once again. I hope you enjoyed Sunshine and Moonlight! I know I sure did, and I really enjoyed sharing it with all of you.

~ J. Dominique