Disclaimer: Dragon Knights do not belong to me, but to Mineko Ohkami. Only Liozu, who is my sis and mine's OC belongs to us, and us alone! And the song "The Reason" belongs to Hoobastank. I make no claim on anything that is not mine and my sis'.
A/N: Yes, so. This fic goes between the past (in a flashback) and the present. It ties in with a doujinshi my sis is doing, about Nadil's past as the Dragon Knight of Wind. I think that's all. Everything else is probably explained in the fic. Ah, yes; the two sentences in italic before the flashback is a memory, but since there's no whole "scene" to accompany them, they're only in italic.
A/N2: Within the flashback, there's three separate scenes, divided by the horizontal break, so you will know when there's a new memory taking place. All three are in rough chronological order.
A/N3: The lyrics to the song is in italics and /..../
Rain
Rain poured down from the strange, cloud-covered sky of Kainaldia, thrumming against glass and stone, and drenching all outside. The mists that were the Sea of Souls swirled lazily in the downpour, hardly visible in the overall grayness that a rainfall brings.
One of the windows in the large castle that towered over its surroundings was open, letting in the fresh scent of rain and rain-cleaned greens, which was the same everywhere, even here. The man in the room shifted slightly, going through reports and various other needed papers without any hurry.
Because, after all, who would question how the Youkai Lord went about with his business? Looking up from his work for the first time in several, unnoted hours, red eyes stared out the open window, the slight breeze coming in faintly stirring the purple strands. His eyebrows twitched, the only sign that he was displeased with something as he laid the papers he'd been working with currently down on the dark, wooden desk.
He held no fondness for rain.
It reminded him of things he would rather forget. Not all of them were bad, but even those that could be considered "good" held a definite note of bitterness to them.
"Why are you always out in the rain? You'll only get wet." A slight, almost indiscernible scowl.
"Because it wipes everything clean, Nadil. It gives a fresh start, clean of old things. It brings hope! Besides that, I like rain." Clear, deep laugh, high and carefree. Just like everything else about him.
Shaking his head the youkai frowned, wondering why he was thinking of this, of him, now.
It had rained many times since he had left there, and he had not thought about anything pertaining tothat part of his past in so long.
Hope was an ugly thing, after all.
But it seemed his memories would not leave him alone today, and the rain outside was hardly helping. With a ghost of a sigh he leaned back in the chair, stretching out his legs in front of him. Better get this over with, then.
/I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so, I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know/
Flashback
The sun was hidden behind fat gray clouds the day he arrived at the Dragon Castle in Draqueen, a fine, misty drizzle enveloping everything in a cool caress. Their Darnas snorted wetly, and lumbered on, gaining some energy at the closeness of their home, and the prospect of a warm stable and food.
Tugging the hood of his cloak further down over his head, the young youkai frowned slightly as they passed the wards that protected the castle against youkai, the light dragon amulet now hanging from his neck the only thing protecting him, reducing what would otherwise probably have been a quite painful experience to a faint buzz. Not that he would have shown any reaction had it hurt. That was showing weakness, and that was unacceptable.
A flash of color and movement off to his left had him gripping the hilt of his sword, glaring out at the rain-drenched garden surrounding the castle. Who had a garden surrounding a castle anyway? That was not a smart idea from a tactical point of view. Anyone could simply sneak close, hidden by the foliage.
"What is it? Saw something?" The Secretary of Sate said silently, looking over his shoulder at Nadil, pale eyes only vaguely curious. Were they always this careless?!
He was about to answer when someone tumbled out of the bushes to the side of the path they were on, in front of them. The dragon turned around, his own hand landing lightning-quick on his own sword, but he immediately relaxed, and smiled. The young youkai's red eyes narrowed in irritation.
So. Another idiotic dragon.
This one had wild, slightly spiky red-brown hair, and warm lavender eyes full of laughter. And he was drenched. Who is so moronic they would go out willingly in the rain? Slight sneer and his opinions of dragons hardly rose.
"Liozu? Out in the rain again?" The Secretary shook his head, a faint disbelieving tone in his voice. The dragon, apparently named Liozu, laughed and shook his own head, sending a spray of water everywhere, while the spikes clung wetly to his face and neck.
"Yes. I like running in it. And no one else is out in the gardens when it's raining. Leaves me alone." Warm eyes turned to the youkai slightly behind the other dragon on his Darna, and he smiled and winked before turning around and disappearing into the undergrowth again, silent as a ghost.
"Who was that?" Nadil was amazed, and annoyed, at hearing his own voice asking that question, behaving as if he cared! His riding companion chuckled and shrugged, urging his Darna on again.
"That was Liozu, the Dragon Knight of Earth. He's always like that."
/I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you/
Sitting down at the desk in his room in the Dragon Castle, Nadil sighed in relief. It seemed as if Liozu wasn't in the immediate surroundings, so he couldn't tease the youkai. Probably out in the rain, running around and bedding for a cold. Not that the Earth Knight ever got sick after his excursions out in the rain, however often he did it. It was something of a frustration, since a severe cold maybe would get the Knight in a more sensible state of mind and stop that foolishness.
And why did he care?! While Liozu wasn't as annoying as the rest of them, and while he was acceptable to be around, it didn't answer the question why Nadil should care about whether the dragon got sick or not. With a scowl the purple-haired youkai picked up the book he'd laid there earlier, continuing to read.
There was a soft clicking sound behind him, against his window, but Nadil didn't turn around to check. It was probably only a stray branch or a raindrop falling a little harder than its mates. After a few seconds there was another click, a little louder than the first, but as he was too engrossed in his reading, and didn't feel like checking what it was, he didn't care.
Which had been a mistake.
There was a slight whistling sound, then a loud crash and glass breaking as the window behind him was breached by some object. He didn't have any time to react and was hit square in the back of his head with the stone. Fury rising up from inside and taking hold, he surged up from the chair, whirling on the window and flinging it open.
The culprit was still outside.
"Ehh... oops?" Liozu smiled sheepishly, guilty grin all over his face, but no repentance in sight.
"LIOZU!" The roar was torn from him and he jumped out the window, and even if he was on the second floor, it was of no consequence to him. Hitting the ground running, he caught the widened lavender eyes of the dragon, who 'eeped' and turned, dashing into the garden to get away.
/I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear/
The hunt was on, Liozu leading him on laughing merrily, the sound carrying on the wind, bouncing on the falling raindrops. And while he still was upset with the dragon for hitting him on the head with the stone, he had to admit this was... refreshing.
And, if he was pushed to admit it, if only to himself, fun.
With a vicious snarl he put extra speed behind him, sword in his right hand and followed the idiot in front of him.
Both stopping under a large willow tree, its old branches hiding them from sight and providing protection from the rain, they panted heavily, Liozu leaning forward and resting his hands on his knees.
"Ooowww..." He moaned loudly, gliding down onto the ground and leaning his back against the gnarled bark, rubbing his head where the flat side of Nadil's sword had hit him several times during their hunt.
"Serves you right." The youkai snorted with crossed arms, remaining standing but leaning against the willow beside the sitting Liozu.
"But it was fun, wasn't it?" The brown-haired dragon said with a laugh, tipping his head back to look at the Wind Knight with wide, bright lavender eyes. Nadil snorted softly again, but didn't deny it. And now they were both drenched. With a grimace of distaste he picked at the wet cloth clinging to his skin.
"Why are you always out in the rain? You'll only get wet." Nadil asked with a slight, almost indiscernible scowl, staring out at the dripping garden beyond the branches of the willow tree. Liozu shifted beside him, probably shrugging.
"Because it wipes everything clean, Nadil. It gives a fresh start, clean of old things. It brings hope! Besides that, I like rain." Clear, deep laugh, high and carefree, as Liozu smiled up at him, and then looked out at the garden.
And the two Knights, one youkai and one dragon, fell into comfortable, and maybe even companionable, silence, listening to the rain falling and whispering its secrets to the earth where it fell.
/I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you
And the reason is you/
His door opening silently, the sound almost lost in the harsh sound of the storm outside. He didn't bother with looking up since he knew whom it was.
Only one would dare come into his room unannounced and uninvited.
Liozu closed the door behind him and leaned against the wood, his head cocked as he looked at the Dragon Knight of Wind from under his lashes.
"How are you?" Simple question, asked in a subdued voice, and he closed his book and laid it harshly down on the small table beside his plush wingchair, the brown-haired Knight wincing.
That level of sound from Nadil was kind of as if someone else had taken a vase and thrown it at the wall beside Liozu's head, and they both knew it. That someone knew him this well troubled Nadil a lot, but he could never find a reason to end his... closeness? with the dragon.
"How do you think?" He said with a sneer, voice tight and controlled. Liozu nodded thoughtfully and walked further inside the room, sitting down on Nadil's bed and drawing his legs under him.
"None of them seem to remember that I am a youkai! I am not like them. And you... you... How can you walk in here, behaving like--" He could not find the word he was looking for and trailed off, ruby eyes blazing in the slight gloom. Liozu shrugged, seemingly unaffected.
"Like a friend? Because I can. Because you let me. However you behave otherwise."
And Nadil knew this was true. If he didn't let Liozu be his... friend, the dragon wouldn't be able to behave as he did around and with Nadil, or continue to do the things he did, and not having to expect any kind of punishment.
"But sooner or later I will probably kill you. And yet you are still here!" He was hissing now, angry. Didn't the idiotic dragon understand the danger? That he was not some fluffy bunny the dragons had taken in and tamed to their hand!?
/I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know/
Liozu shrugged and leaned forward, elbows on his knees and chin in his palms.
"I know. It's probable. I know. But that day, that sorrow, eh?" He said with a laugh, carefree and happy as usual. But his eyes were clouded and dark, showing his... friend, that not only did he know that Nadil would someday probably be the one delivering the killing blow, but he also accepted it. Staring at the lavender eyed dragon silently for a few seconds, Nadil shook his head.
"... Liozu. You are an idiot." He said with a sigh, trying to understand that acceptance, and why it brought a feeling of ice settling in his stomach, and curling upwards, squeezing his heart mercilessly. Liozu only laughed, a sad smile flashing so quickly over his face it could just as well not have been there.
"I know. You've told me that a lot."
Outside, the rain continued to fall harshly.
/I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
And the reason is you/
End Flashback
The sound of rain falling on leaves and against glass brought him back from his memories, but it also reminded him of another castle, stones gleaming wetly in the rain, and a garden drenched in water and blood, all of it slowly dripping away, leaves spattered with the crimson fluid... no, not today.
With a small growl, the Youkai Lord rose from his seat, and glared out the window.
Damned rain.
Damned hope.
Damned memories.
Damned dragons.
All was their fault. Turning around to at least not have to look at the waning rain, ruby eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the figure in the doorway, a hand stretched out towards him in invitation.
An invitation he had declined so many times before, when the memory standing in his doorway had been alive.
Wild, red-brown hair, the same bright, charming grin, sword over one shoulder and his armor on, Liozu looked as if he could be real.
A blink later, and the lingering figment of his imagination was gone, a pale, feeble beam of sunlight having eradicated the figure who hadn't been there to begin with. So why was he so sure he could hear laughter in the fading sounds of falling rain?
With a tired shake of his head, Nadil closed his eyes for a second before opening them again and stalked over to his open door. He must not have been very careful when closing it earlier, it probably opened by itself.
And when did he become so careless?
Closing the wayward door, the youkai wandered back to his chair and sat down again, sparing a quick glance out the window. The rain had stopped, leaving everything gleaming in the strengthening light of the returning sun. Good. Maybe now he would be able to concentrate.
Nothing good ever came out of rain.
/I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you/
Okies. That was the fic. Hope you liked! And, to clear it up; Liozu was/is the former Dragon Knight of Earth, and the only one who really became close (in our AU/version of Nadil's past) with Nadil. Whee!