A/N: Now for an update! I'm so relieved, because my finals are over! Also, I'm borrowing two characters from another game, so please just bear with me. They'll only be here in this chapter, so no other chapters will have them. Guess the game they're from, and I'll give you a cookie! First one to guess correctly gets a plushie of Matt and Tai! Enjoy~
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Shadow, Night, & the story.
Dragon Spirit
Chapter 4
I woke up early the next morning with a crick in my neck from lying against the tree in an awkward position. Yawning, I looked about, and noticed that Taichi was fast asleep in his tent. That's when I noticed Night and Shadow lying together in a tree hollow to keep warm. Smiling softly, I gazed at the early morning sunrise, feeling calm and at peace with the world for once. It wasn't always this way, though.
Back when I was kicked out of my old home, I had tried to make an honest living with Night for a few months, but like we had told Taichi and Shadow, it hadn't worked out. That's when I had made the tough decision to sell myself for a living so we could survive. Yeah, that's right, I became a kind of male prostitute for a year. I had lied to Shadow and Tai about my timing with things, and in reality, it only took Night and me six months to master thieving, and we've been living here in the forest for only a year. People would pay my boss, and they would have me for the night for a certain amount of time, depending on the amount they paid. I never got out of it unscathed. I always ended up bruised and scratched, but my boss was kind enough to help me bandage my injuries. He paid me extra, too, compared to the others, due to my circumstances. When I eventually decided to leave, it was because I wasn't going to allow myself to be used anymore, especially after a certain returning client who had taken a particular interest in me. My boss understood, and even wished me luck before I left. Sometimes I would even visit him, but it's been a few months since I've last seen him. I was long overdue to see him, but I didn't want to be caught by Tai or Shadow.
Nodding to myself, I decided to slip out of the campsite for a bit and go to town and visit my old boss. I would need Night's help, though, so I could get there fast and return quickly. I approached the two sleeping dragons and carefully woke Night.
"What's up, Yamato?" he yawned.
"I want to visit the old boss man before Tai notices I'm gone," I told him. "We haven't seen him in a while, and I think a visit is long overdue. What do you think?"
"Sounds good to me," the silver dragon smiled. "I'll just tell Shadow to let Taichi know that we'll be back in case we're not back in time."
"Okay, just please make sure that he doesn't tell Tai why," I said, and my partner nodded before gently waking his black lookalike. While Night told Shadow what we were doing without going into details, I grabbed my pack and swords, slipping the blades into their sheaths, and then hiding them in my pack. Didn't want to draw too much attention, after all. I kept my dagger strapped to my boot, though, just in case.
"Ready to go, Yamato?" Night asked as he approached. Shadow was giving me a semi-knowing look, but there was some curiosity it his gaze, too.
"Yeah," I nodded, and then Night grew in size to his larger self, and I climbed smoothly onto his back before my partner silently took to the skies. As we flew, Night piped up with a question.
"When are you going to tell Taichi the truth?" he asked.
"About me selling myself for a living? Not anytime soon," I snorted.
"Come on, Yamato, he won't hate you for it, he'll—"
"Pity me," I interrupted.
"No, I was going to say he'll understand your reasons," the silver dragon corrected.
"Look, Night, you know as well as I do that I hated doing it, but at the time, it was the only thing I could do to get by for both of us," I pointed out. "Especially seeing as you technically can't get a job."
"Whatever," my partner scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Just be glad I'm doing this for you."
"Why wouldn't you?" I smirked.
"…Valid point," he muttered. Eventually, we arrived at the edge of the town where my boss lived. Night began his descent, and landed in the forest near town, shrinking down to his original size and crawling into my pack so no one would see him. I then began to sneak through town, making my way to my boss's home. When we arrived, I knocked on the door in my signature fashion that I used to when I had visited him in the past, and heard his voice.
"Coming!" he called. As soon as the door opened, he yanked me inside, hugging me tightly as soon as the door shut behind us. "Oh, Yamato! It's been too long!"
"Heya Joshua," I smiled when he let me breathe. I looked him over, the ashen blonde young man grinning at me, overjoyed to see me again. Joshua was only 21, which was surprising, but it made sense that his business was so successful because he had inherited it from his father. He'd only been running it for three years, but business had boomed since he'd taken over when his father died. The young man had ashen blonde hair that fell in slight curls to his shoulders, violet eyes, and a pale complexion, and wore a pale blue, button-up shirt, a pair of dark, flared jeans that showed off his hips, and a pair of white sneakers. "You haven't changed a bit. A bit taller, but you're still the same."
"Same goes for you," my old friend stated with a fond smile. "So, what brings you here?"
"I wanted to visit you again," I chuckled. "Is that such a crime?"
"No, but you usually have something you need from me when you visit," he smirked.
"Not this time," I assured him as Night crawled out of my pack.
"Good to see you, too, Night," Joshua greeted my partner, stroking the top of his head. Looking at me, he asked, "Want some coffee? It just finished, and Neku should be down soon, too."
"Ah, you're still dating him?" I questioned. "And sure."
"Yes, I'm still madly in love with my Nekky," he giggled, making me laugh. "Speaking of love, have you finally met someone who's caught your eye yet?"
"No, but I'm starting to travel with someone," I answered. Joshua perked up at this, and then grinned widely.
"Come into the dining room, I'll get some coffee for us, and I'll wake up Neku. He'll be happy to see you again," the ashen blonde ordered.
"Yes, sir," I laughed lightly, and sat down at the table in the dining room, waiting patiently for the pair of lovers to join me.
"Neku! Company!" Joshua called upstairs, and quickly went up there with a cup of coffee. Suddenly, there was a yelp and shout of, "Yamato?!" and then Neku ran down the stairs, Joshua trailing after him with a shirt in his hand. And I could see why; Neku had slept without a shirt, and didn't put one on before coming down. The young man with spiky, ginger hair and blue eyes wearing nothing but a pair of navy blue sleep pants ran into the dining room and stared at me, wide-eyed, for a split second before he hugged me tightly.
"Holy shit! Yamato, it's been way too long!" he said.
"Can't…breathe…Neku…" I wheezed, and he let me go with a sheepish look.
"Sorry, man, but it's been a few months since we've seen you guys," he chuckled. "What have you two been up to lately?"
"Actually, Nekky, they were going to tell us, so sit down with your coffee, and they'll share," Joshua told him, and handed him the shirt.
"Gotcha," Neku nodded, and sat down at the table when his shirt was on. Once Joshua had joined us with his own cup of coffee and another for me, I began my story. I explained everything that had happened before meeting Tai, and then launched into that explanation. When I finished, Joshua was giving me a knowing look, while Neku was smirking.
"What's with the looks?" I asked warily.
"It just seems like you already like him, and as more than a friend," Joshua giggled. "And he sounds like a good guy. Caring, kind, trusting and trustworthy, and concerned about others, not just himself."
"What? But I can't!" I protested.
"And why not?" Neku questioned, quirking a brow at me.
"Because of my past!" I snapped, frustrated.
"Yamato, you can't let your past rule your future," the ginger told me wisely. "Just because you had some bad experiences and choices in the past, doesn't mean Taichi will hate you. Who knows? Maybe he'll feel the same."
"Actually, Yamato did keep saying Taichi's name in his sleep the other night," Night chimed in, giving me a sly look.
"Night!" I hissed, irritated that he shared that piece of information.
"Well, it certainly sounds like you like him as more than a friend," Neku chuckled.
"Ugh, there's no hiding anything from you two, is there?" I sighed.
"Nope, not at all," the ashen blonde snickered.
"So, how are you gonna tell him?" the ginger asked.
"I'm not gonna," I shrugged.
"Yamato! You can't keep something like that inside for your whole life, you know! It's just gonna eat at you until you do," Joshua growled sternly. "Have I taught you nothing while you worked for me?"
"Of course you have, Josh," I assured my old boss. "I just don't know if I'm ready…"
"All in due time, Yamato," he promised. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll adjust quickly. You've always been a fast learner."
"Do you plan on telling Taichi about your past with us?" Neku questioned out of nowhere.
"Um…unless he asks, I don't plan on it," I mumbled.
"Don't clam up on us now, kiddo," the ginger ordered, giving me a firm look. "You know I hate seeing you become introverted again, especially around us. We're your friends, after all, and always will be."
"True," I agreed, nodding. "You two have been the best support I've had besides Night in my whole life."
"Good to know," Joshua giggled. Suddenly, Neku stood, looking outside at the rising sun.
"You'd better get going, before Taichi notices you two are gone," he advised. Night gave a soft whimper, not wanting to leave, but know we had to.
"Damn, you're right," I muttered. I stood up, too, and gathered Night into my pack. Once he was inside, I fastened it and carefully slung it onto my back. Joshua and Neku saw me out, and we hugged briefly before I left.
"Try and visit again soon, okay?" Joshua said, and I nodded.
"No promises, but I'll try," I smiled, and then we left to an alley to take flight back to the clearing. When we arrived, I noticed Tai was awake and look in the skies at us, his expression worried. Once Night was safely on the ground and I had climbed off his back, my partner shrunk back down to his normal size and we turned to face an irritated Tai and a nervous Shadow.
"Where the hell did you two go?!" the brunette demanded. "All Shadow told me was that you needed to see someone, and that you would be back soon! I was worried sick when you guys weren't back shortly after I got up!"
"Okay, first off, it's none of your business," I growled. "Second, Shadow shouldn't have told you what we were doing, and third, we weren't gone that long!"
"You're my friend, Matt! Of course I'd be worried! I'd like to know, just so I can trust you!" he snapped. I blinked, the anger and annoyance in me fizzling out. He was right, and I needed to show he could trust me, especially on this journey. Joshua was right; Taichi certainly is caring, kind, and concerned about everyone but himself.
Sighing, I muttered, "Fine, I'll tell you. Just don't judge me for it afterwards, okay?"
"What do you mean?" Shadow inquired as Night stared at me, shocked.
"Night, don't look at me like that," I chided. "They need to know eventually. And as for you, Shadow and Tai, just listen to what we have to say." They nodded compliantly, and we sat down around the empty fire pit.
"Okay, so, you know how we told you guys we tried to make an honest living, and then resorted to thieving a year later?" I began. The pair nodded, and I sighed. "Well, we fibbed. We only tried for six months to make an honest living, but when that wasn't bringing enough money in, I made the tough decision to…sell myself…for a living." Tai gasped, but I held up my hand, signaling that I had more to say.
"I did this for a year, and my boss, Joshua, was more than kind to me," I continued. "He would pay me extra every night I worked, and protected me from unfair customers. If I got hurt on the job, he would help bandage me up and tend to my injuries. He even let me live with him and his boyfriend, Neku. Eventually, it became too much for me, especially after a certain client that had taken interest in me, and I couldn't handle it anymore. Joshua understood, and I left here to the forest with Night, where we became master thieves in only six months. We've lived here for the past year and a half, stealing, but sometimes we've gone to visit them. They always love to see us, and enjoy having us visit. And that's where we were this morning, visiting Joshua and Neku. That's everything."
Tai was silent for a long time, his thoughtful chocolate gaze on me, as Shadow watched him with an equally thoughtful look. After a few minutes, where I was getting more and more stressed and nervous with each passing second, he spoke.
"I don't think any less of you, Matt, in case that's what you're thinking," the brunette finally murmured. "I understand why you did it, and I don't think any different about you. Sure, I'm a little disappointed that you lied to us, but I understand."
"Well, it's not exactly a pleasant table topic," I muttered bitterly, glaring at the fire pit. "And I don't exactly open up to people easily."
"Coulda fooled me," Tai chuckled. I gave him a puzzled look, and he said, "You opened up to me by telling me about your past, and we've only known each other for three days now." I was briefly reminded of how Joshua had told me that Tai was trusting and trustworthy, and I grudgingly found I had to agree with that remark.
"Maybe it's just that you're different from the other people we've met," I shrugged. "Joshua and Neku are our closest friends, but we've got other people we're connected to for things."
"Like who?" Shadow questioned.
"Just connections for supplies and trading," Night replied. "Kinda a black market sorta thing, if you want to call it that. Thing is, they're friendly, known about, and only sell illegal items if you do them some favors."
"What kind of things?" the black dragon asked, intrigued.
"There's some things that are incredibly rare, like phoenix feathers and unicorn meat, that they'll charge you in doing favors for them," my partner explained. "For us, we were always asked to steal something for payment, and we always succeeded."
"Wait, phoenix feathers and unicorn meat?" Tai repeated, confused. "What would you want those for?"
"Phoenix feathers are perfect for warmth, and unicorn meat is incredibly rich and hearty, perfect for stew in the winter," I answered. "But anyway, we've kept connections, and we know some people in town all over the place."
"Do you know anyone who could possibly tell us more about the prophecy?" he wondered aloud.
"Maybe," I shrugged. "I have an idea as to who, but we'll have to leave for town early tomorrow morning to meet with her."
"'Her'?" Shadow uttered skeptically.
"Yes, her name is Sora, and she's a kind girl who's Yamato's age who can point us in the right direction if she can't give us all of our answers," Night told them. "She supplies us with phoenix feathers in the winter and fall, too."
"Wow, sounds cool," Tai smiled. "Now to figure out what we're gonna do today while we're here…"
"I could try teaching you a little magic," I suggested.
"Sounds great!" he grinned, hopping up from where he sat. As Night went and sat with Shadow, I heard him whisper, "Where does the boy get his energy…?"
"No idea. He's always been like that, according to his mother," the black dragon sighed. I snickered at their remarks; it certainly seems like Taichi.
"What are you laughing at?" the brunette asked, confused.
"Just at how Night was wondering where you get all of your energy from," I replied with a smirk. "And Shadow said that you've always been like that, according to your mother."
"Shadow!" Tai whined, blushing an embarrassed shade of red. "Why'd you have to go and say that?!"
"Hey, I only speak the truth," his partner shrugged.
"Well here's some truth for ya: you don't get to have any of my sweet bread tonight now since you shared that!" he declared, and Shadow glared at him playfully.
"Please, you know you can't hold up against 'the look'," he pointed out.
"You wouldn't dare," Taichi growled.
"Oh, I would," Shadow smirked. Night and I sighed and rolled our eyes, both of us smiling at their antics. Suddenly, the pair seemed to realize they were being watched as they argued, and each gave us sheepish grins.
"Sorry about that, guys," Tai apologized. "He wasn't supposed to share that about me, hehe…"
"Don't worry about it. I know the feeling," I assured him with a meaningful look at my partner. He managed to give me a small grin before looking at Shadow.
"How about we go hunting while these two try out some magic?" he suggested, and Shadow nodded.
"Okay," he agreed, and the two dragons left into the forest's depths. Once they were gone, I looked back to Taichi.
"All right, where to start…" I murmured.
"Actually, I know how you told me about your past, and I want to tell you about mine," he told me.
"But what's there to know? You seem like you had a good life growing up," I said.
"Well, yeah, but I thought you'd like to get to know me more," the brunette shrugged. I nodded in understanding, silently agreeing that I'd like to get closer to him by learning more about him. We sat down across from each other, the fire pit separating us, and I watched him.
"Okay, tell me what you want to," I urged. "What should I know about Taichi Yagami?"
A/N: Sorry about the slight cliffy, but I don't think it's too bad. I'll start the next chapter soon, and the perfect part is that I'm done with finals, and so far, I've passed 2 out of 3 classes! I'll find out the next one in 2 days at the latest, but I'm sure I passed~ R&R, peeps!