Bright flames encircled a gleaming blade, crackling and snapping with growing ferocity. It radiated with the untamed passion of a chained animal and the potential of an untested power. Slender fingers gripped the hilt, barely concealing the inlaid crimson gems as the demon swung the sword into an upright position, its tip pointing skyward as he yelled.

"Fire Dragon!"

Immediately the blade burned a vibrant red, flaring to orange then to yellow, finally blazing an intense white as the razor sharp edges grew hotter and hotter. Like the silent explosion of a supernova, the blade of the sword shone like a million stars swathed in flame and energy. Blinded by the light in his hand, the demon threw up his arm to block the radiance of the sword, shielding his eyes from the glare. Cautiously he dared to squint at the blade, narrowing his eyes to mere slits, for the white light had become so extreme that it blurred the outline of the metal and made the air around it shimmer with heat.

It hurts he thought painfully, closing his eyes to shut out the illumination, the light, it burns!

The demon tried to fight off the pain of the light, doubling over and dropping the ever brightening sword in the dirt. He fell to his knees, shaking and convulsing, wrapping his arms around his shoulders as if to keep himself in one piece. The light bit at his flesh like cold fire, streaking past and trailing thin streams of scarlet in its wake. Stifling a cry, the demon tried to make himself smaller so he wouldn't be hit by the brilliant arrows of luminosity, sitting helplessly as his shirt and skin were reduced to bloody shreds.

This cannot be he thought in desperation, I am a Dragon Knight! Fire wouldn't kill...he couldn't...no! The demon buried his head deeper into his chest, trying to forget the notion, but it haunted him still.

Before he could delve deeper into thought, he heard a faint sound like paper being crumpled, a crackling rustle somewhere his eyes could not reach. As he turned to look for the source of the sound, the demon was faced with a whirling inferno racing towards him with incredible speed. He watched in half realized fear as it stormed closer and closer, jumping out of harm's way just as the first flame licked his shoulder, rolling as he hit the ground with a thud. He lay there for a few seconds, mentally assessing the damage he had sustained and the severity of the burns.

Nothing serious, he concluded, just a bit singed.

He waited apprehensively for the second pass of the flaming tornado, but it never came. Confused, the dragon knight lay still where he was, afraid that if he moved, the blaze would find him again. Minutes passed, and the air cooled to its original temperature. It was as though there had never even been a match lit, much less a swirling funnel of flame, and soon the demon worked up the courage to rise and confront whatever awaited him. As he propped himself up on his elbows and looked around, he noticed a change in his surroundings that surprised him. Instead of the previous flood of fiery whiteness, a deep, fathomless dark plagued the land he knew must be there but could not be seen beneath as the blackness enveloped everything. He could find no sign of his dropped sword. Or was it really his sword now? Was he still the master of the creature it harbored, a master to the dragon of flame?

The demon stood up and shook his head in despair. I can't think like that now. Not when I'm so close. After everything, I cannot let this stop me, even if it Fire won't help anymore. He sighed, recognizing his solitude, I'm truly alone now.

To take his mind off things, the demon held his hand in front of his face, puzzled that though he could see himself as if it was high noon, he could not make out even the subtlest of forms from the darkness around him. Awed by the utter strangeness of it, he wandered aimlessly down a winding path of his own creation, not knowing whether he was really moving or not. The blackness swallowed him up without so much as a whisper, leaving not a trace of his presence as he moved along, purposeless. After a few minutes, the demon was about to sit down on the invisible ground and curse out of pure frustration when a sharp flash from the gloom at his feet caught his eye.

Intrigued, he bent to touch it, but just as his fingers were about to brush its surface, it skittered away like a frightened rabbit, stopping just out of his reach. The demon frowned, but the little glimmer waited patiently, flickering as if amused by this game. Again, he walked up to the silver flicker, reaching down a bit more cautiously this time, and once more it darted away.

Damn! The demon thought. He stared hard at it, glimmering only a few lengths from where he stood, but deep in his heart he knew he could never reach it. Not this time. Not ever again.

To the demon's surprise, soft mist filled his narrowed eyes as he realized that he had once touched this silvery trace of emotion, had once held it through the raging tempest of life and time, had once known the happiness of having a soulmate. Now it was gone. It had left him lonesome and coursing with a sense of betrayal that burned far worse then any mortal fire could, accusing him of being cold, selfish and power hungry. Those accusations hurt the dragon knight, had cut his heart deeply, and through his anger, would not heal.

I can change! the demon cried to the darkness, I can change! He gripped his head in his hands, shaking it furiously. A low voice echoing behind him was the only sound that reached his ears as thoughts bombarded his mind, arousing his curiosity and enticing him to turn around.

It is too late

He blinked, releasing his head and letting his arms fall limply to his sides What do you mean?

It is too late for you now Without waiting for a response, the voice took form out of the blackness, materializing right before the demon's eyes. First only the shadow of a body, but it was quickly solidifying into the slender form of a somewhat attractive young man.

He's not a human, the demon observed, looking at the sharply pointed ears poking out from the being's unruly purple hair, He's yokai!

The other demon took no notice of the dragon knight's blatant surprise as he continued to take shape, his body taking on its respective characteristics as well as donning the yokai's own personal touches. Scars slashed across his body at wild angles, on his arms, hands, neck and chest. He wore a sleeveless blue vest, half open and hurriedly tucked into his black pants. One hand was on his slim waist and the other was drawn across his face, masking it from view. The dragon knight was sure that if he could see that face, his eyes would be met with a mischievous smirk.

Tentatively, the demon asked, Who are you? He crossed his arms impatiently when the yokai hesitated. He didn't trust this creature, even if he used to be yokai himself, the aura around him was...evil.

My name is Shi the yokai answered, laughing to himself. The dragon knight shifted uncomfortably, failing to see what was so funny.

A long silence stretched between them. The yokai made no move to speak; it seemed to be waiting for the dragon knight to make the first stab at conversation. He waited patiently, tirelessly keeping his hand up to hide his face. After thinking hard, the dragon knight worked up his courage and voiced the question that had been eating away at the back of his mind as a moth does to a forgotten cloak.

What was that silvery flickering thing back there? the demon burst out, the high ring of his voice surprising himself and the yokai, who stiffened noticeably, but remained composed.

You mean my dragon, don't you? Shi said casually. He brought his hand up from his waist and snapped his fingers, then extended his arm so it was straight as a wooden board.

A dragon? the demon thought, could he be...a dragon knight? he dismissed the thought as pure fancy, conjured by his lonely soul to quell his craving for a friend, to be near someone like him. No. It's impossible. The only other unawakened dragon is Wind, and she needs a female master. This yokai...he cannot be a dragon knight. he sighed forlornly, but his ears pricked up at the sound of rushing air, coming closer.

The demon looked up just in time to see a glistening spark of silver gliding above him, complacently riding the currents as it made its way to the outstretched arm of Shi. It was calming, watching that small glimmer. It was when it contorted feverishly, as if its very cells were writhing in pain, that he had to suppress a cry of anguish for the spark as he watched it twist and change.

Shi seemed not to notice as his "dragon" took on a new shape, first growing bigger and elongating to the size of a parrot, torpedo shaped and sleek. Four short stubs pushed out from its sides, developing into legs armed with small but sharp claws, and at one end what looked like a tail snaked its way into existence. A thin neck appeared, and a triangular head with a mane of what looked like hair, yet wasn't. It flowed upward and had the same flickering quality of the dragon's previous form, for the demon was now convinced that it was indeed a lizard of legend. Long horns poked out of the mane, intelligent eyes brought life to the face, and a forked tongue darted out to taste the air. Last of all were the wings, which grew like a blooming flower and spread apart to reveal the impressive distance between its wingtips, batlike and elegant.

It was a beautiful creature, and the demon was awed at its strange, yet familiar presence. His emotions were raging; he felt like he had known this dragon all his life, but at the same time knew it couldn't be true.

But wait, he thought suddenly, why is it still clear? It's colorless. The demon watched intently as the dragon landed delicately on Shi's arm, searching for some hint of color, a tinge of blue, a trace of green. Nothing.

The dragon knight was stunned. If a dragon had no color that meant it was dead. But the dragon before him seemed full of life, so vibrant as it nuzzled the neck of its master, that it simply could not be anything but alive.

As if reading his thoughts, Shi said, You are wondering why my dragon is colorless and yet still breathes, are you not? he smiled, his lips barely concealing pointed fangs, It is because this is not his true form. It is one of many, but not his own. Would you like to see it? he grew suddenly serious, and lifted the dragon resting on his arm higher into the darkness that surrounded them. Would you like to see him as his true self?

Shi didn't wait for an answer from the demon, for he knew it already. Keeping his hand in front of his face, the yokai recited a chant in a tongue foreign to the dragon knight, melodious and sad, but with an edge of danger to it as well.

Between breaths, Shi said, Watch him. Watch my dragon, and don't look away, he chanted some more, then added, though I cannot promise that you will like what you see, dragon knight of flame.

As Shi chanted, the dragon on his arm sat very still, moving not a muscle. Slowly at first, but growing faster and faster, a wind rose up and encircled the dragon, flaring its mane and whipping around its delicate wings as if it threatened to rip them apart. The yokai chanted more feverently, and the wind grew swifter until the dragon's outline was burred, making it appear as if it were beneath the surface of a whitecapped river.

The demon watched, spellbound, unable to tear his eyes away from the spectacle. As he gazed at Shi's dragon shrouded in unseen wind that seemed only to affect the beast, he noticed a subtle change in the coloring of the creature within the storm. At first, only pale red tinged its skin, but it soon intensified to a brilliant sheen of crimson and fiery scarlet. A bright orange lick of flame blazed to life briefly before being extinguished by the gale, and the identity of the dragon became agonizingly clear.

Eyes widening to shining orbs, the dragon knight blinked in disbelief. His mind must be playing tricks on him, and cruel ones indeed, if what he thought he saw before him was real. He tried to deny the recognition that swelled in his heart, tried to tell himself it wasn't true, it couldn't be true, but was proven wrong again and again as Shi's dragon took on it's proper from as the dragon of the inferno.

Fire. Shi's dragon was the dragon of fire. And that meant he was a dragon knight.

NO! the demon cried, running to Fire, I am the dragon knight of flame! He is my dragon! He ran at Shi, hands in front of him as he tried to snatch his friend from the yokai's outstretched arm, but Shi just laughed and kicked him as he came near.

He is...my...friend, the demon wheezed at he clutched his side where Shi had landed the blow, slumping to his knees before the yokai, the true dragon knight of fire. He was gasping for breath; the kick had knocked the air from is lungs and left him weaker than a kitten.

I...I need him, he continued, forcing himself to look up and face Shi, who still hid his face behind a scarred but slender hand. I don't want to be alone anymore, the demon said, recovering from the kick, I want to be happy again. Don't...don't take him away from me, not now. Please, I beg you! He inched forward and grasped the hem of Shi's pants, shamelessly resting his head against the yokai's knees and begging for Fire. Please!

Launching Fire into the air and leaving him to hover above his head, Shi let loose a scorn filled laugh into the dark, listening to it resonating in the blackness. He watched the demon at his feet through the gaps between his fingers, snickering as the pathetic form tensed at the sound of his laughter.

You fool, he said, you were never the dragon knight of fire to begin with. This beast, Shi indicated Fire with a casual sweep of his hand, was never yours. You were always alone, even when you were surrounded by those you call "friends." he emphasized the word 'friend' with a decisive snort, What kind of friends lock up one of their own in the prison of a castle, forbidding him even to walk outside? What kind of friends taunt and mock their fellows for things that cannot be changed? What kind of friends keep secrets from each other? With friends like that, your enemies shouldn't be a problem.

The demon hung his head in despair, shuddering. All these things, all these accusations, they were all true. He tried to block Shi's words from his mind, but they only pounded harder, driving their meaning home. Any plea for the innocence of his former companions against these crimes was futile, and the demon knew that. Instead of making useless requests, he asked Shi a question on impulse, without expecting an answer.

How can I be happy then? Without my friends, without my dragon, without anyone? How can I be happy alone?

Shi was surprised at this, but didn't show it. He waited for a moment, choosing his words carefully. Finally, he answered, You cannot. But, you can be at peace with yourself. You can be alone and at peace with everything, without anyone to hurt you and without anything to disrupt your amity. He smiled. It was not a comforting smile, but the demon failed to notice this as he stared blankly at the ground between Shi's feet. I can help you there. he finished.

The yokai knelt in front of the dragon knight, leaning on one arm and carefully blocking his face form view. Not that the demon could see it anyway; he was absorbed in his own thoughts as he stared down at the hollow blackness, not even aware of Shi's presence anymore.

Abruptly, the demon took a deep breath, and said, You aren't just a yokai dragon knight, his hands shook with the weight of his body, you are something else, too. Tell me who you are, Shi. He kept his eyes low and unfocused as he waited for an answer. It came all too soon.

My name is Shi, the yokai said placidly, and I am a dragon knight of fire. This you know.

The demon shuddered, his arms and legs wobbling like he had just run for days. Though Shi was right and he had heard this information before, for some reason the second time it was relayed to him was like being shot between the eyes. Fear coursed through his every cell, his every nerve was charged with a terror he had never known before. The demon tensed, ready to run from the yokai, but was caught off guard when Shi's hand came down to cradle his chin, tilting his head up to gaze into golden eyes.

Shi's face was crisscrossed with scars, but one stood out in particular. It slashed vertically across his right eye, all but disappearing in the thick mass of tangled purple hair that hid half of Shi's visage.

But what you don't know, he said, lowering his voice as he brought his face closer to the frightened demon's, is that I am also your death,

Stars exploded in the demon's head, pounding and pounding like a giant drum. His ears rang, his heart raced and skipped a few beats, and his palms were moist. He felt himself getting dizzy; fuzziness pervaded his mind as he fell and fell and fell in a hole of darkness. Shi's grinning face faded out, but the demon did not need to see the yokai in person to visualize him. His image was burned into his mind just as the scars on Shi's body were etched into his flesh.

The demon screamed.

Rath's scarlet eyes snapped open as his own cries woke him. He was drenched in cold sweat, the beads of it glistening in the faint morning light. His breathing was ragged, stretched between pants as he tried to calm himself down.

"A dream," he said, running a hand through his black hair, "only a dream."

Rath looked around nervously, but finding only the tethered horse and endless hills of waving grass and rocky outcroppings, he began to relax. He told himself not to let his nerves get the best of him, and settled back into a depression in the stone at his back.

Quickly drifting into slumber, Rath didn't hear the rustling of grass steadily creeping up on him, the stealthy figure within eyeing his sword before advancing too close. The gleam of the blade was hidden beneath its scabbard, reassuring the watcher that its master was unaware of his presence. Silently, he traversed the rise between them with practiced ease, leaping over a small boulder and landing catlike in front of Rath's sleeping form. He peered at the demon's fair face, taking in the sharp features, the calm expression, the smudges of dirt from the long days of rough traveling. He inched closer, the locks of his purple hair lightly brushing Rath's shirt, flexing his long, slender fingers as he came to some unknown conclusion.

Satisfied, mysterious figure cautiously prodded the demon to see his eyes flutter open, heavy with sleep.

"Wha...what is it Fire...?" Rath said groggily, not quite awake. He flinched when he was poked in the shoulder by something in front of him, and wiped the blurriness from his eyes with a yawn. "It's too ear-..." He stopped suddenly. A smirking face loomed into view, only a few inches away from his own.

Rath was at a loss for words. Adrenaline flooded his system, and he scrambled to get up, but the thing in front of him put its knees on either side of his outstretched legs, keeping the dragon knight up against the rock.

He started to panic, "Get off of me! Whatever you are, get off!" Rath's struggles were interrupted by two strong hands seizing his shoulders, their iron grip surprising him enough to keep him quiet.

Scars lacerated the visage that took up most of Rath's line of sight, and he shrank away from the uncomfortable closeness of it. It seemed almost human, but clearly was not; humans did not have the slitted yellow eyes of a cat or the pointed ears of a demon. This was a yokai.

As the dragon knight stared at the long, vertical slash across the yokai's right eye, memories of his dream slowly resurfaced, and with sudden clarity he knew who this was.

"...Shi...?"