A/N: I PASSED ALL OF MY CLASSES! So pleased and proud of myself~ Also, the winner of the plushies and cookies is nightdragon 1265! They were the first to correctly guess what game Joshua and Neku are from! Congrats! Enjoy~

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story, Shadow, & Night.

Dragon Spirit

Chapter 5

"Where to start?" Tai wondered aloud to himself. "Well, I grew up in the town near we met. I never left until Shadow and I began our journey, and even then we decided to take things slowly. Anyway, I'm an only child, but I had a lot of friends in my hometown. First, there's Izzy, a smart kid who is always researching things. He's always carrying around his laptop computer. Then there's Joe, and he's been learning how to be a doctor since he was 13, shortly after I found Shadow. Next is Mimi, Izzy's girlfriend, and she's a shopping addict, I swear! And she adores pink. Finally, there's Kari, my best friend from when we were kids. She's the kindest, most pure-hearted person you could ever meet, and she always tries to see the good in people.

"They were very accepting and supportive of Shadow and my decision to go on our adventure, and Kari even pulled me aside later and told me that she had a feeling this day would come, where I would have to fight darkness with the other dragon and their partner. My mom and dad were the most supportive, though. Even though it's going to be dangerous, they're confident in Shadow and me, and know that I'll make the right decisions. Of course they'll worry about me, but that just means they love me and that they care."

"Never got that feeling from my parents," I sighed. "They barely remembered to feed me, and I was always lucky whenever they were hung over. They would sleep through the rest of the day, and then drink again to try and rid themselves of the headaches, so the cycle would repeat itself. I would have to steal money from their wallets to buy food for myself. Fortunately, they were always too drunk to notice. Sure, they occasionally beat me while they were drunk, but I didn't want to leave until I was ready. I at least had a roof over my head and was guaranteed a warm and dry place to live. When they kicked me out, I deemed myself ready. The morning that I had found Night was, ironically, one of the good days that they wouldn't drink, and yet they still kicked me out." I gave a humorless laugh.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Matt," Tai murmured. "I never would have thought, just looking at you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes at him.

"You just don't look like someone who's had a hard past, that's all," he replied calmly. "You don't behave like someone who's gone through so much, and it's like you don't let it affect you."

"That's exactly it," I shrugged. "I don't let it affect me."

"It's not that simple to let go, though, is it?" he questioned, tilting his head slightly.

"No, but Joshua and Neku have helped me, somewhat," I mumbled, remembering all the nightmares I had suffered shortly after leaving to the forest. They always had to do with that job of being a male prostitute.

"'Somewhat?'" he repeated, his tone suspicious.

"Well, I've…had some nightmares," I admitted in a soft voice. Tai stared at me for a few seconds before crawling over and hugging me.

"I'm so sorry, Matt…" he apologized. "Do you want to share my tent tonight? Maybe it'll help with the nightmares." I thought about it for a bit, uncertain. If I did, it would likely prevent the nightmares, but it would also mean my feelings for him would become difficult to handle. Yet if I didn't, it would mean more nightmares and my feelings would remain the same. I had nothing to lose, so I decided to go for it.

"I think I'll take you up on that," I answered, nodding against his shoulder. He pulled back with a grin on his face.

"Awesome! I'll set up the tent," he declared, hopping to his feet. Taichi began to pitch the tent, and I set up the fire pit, using a small fireball to light it. Once the fire was burning, I watched Tai finish the tent, and then he rejoined me, sitting to my right. "Hey, Matt?" the brunette piped up after a minute.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think I'd be able to meet Joshua and Neku sometime?" he asked tentatively. "From what you've said, they seem really nice, and I'd like to meet them…"

"I think that can be arranged," I smiled. "I told them about you when I was there this morning, and Joshua seemed to take a shine to you, as did Neku."

"Well that's good to know," Tai grinned. "Cane we go tomorrow morning?"

"As long as you're willing to get up early enough," I smirked. He rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless. The action made my heart flutter, and I knew I was definitely developing feelings for the guy. Eventually, Shadow and Night returned around sunset, carrying a deer together.

"What took you two so long?" Taichi questioned.

"We were chatting, that's all, and took our time finding something to eat," Night shrugged. I eyed my partner suspiciously, but he opened the telepathic communication between us.

'I'll tell you later,' he thought to me.

'Tell me now. I won't freak. Much,' I thought back. He sighed through the connection.

'I told Shadow about your feelings for Taichi, and he promised he wouldn't tell,' Night mumbled telepathically. I froze, and then glared at him.

'Why the fuck would you share that?!' I demanded. 'That's personal, and should have been kept between us and Joshua and Neku!'

'Sorry, Yamato…' he apologized. 'I thought Shadow might be able to help, ya know?'

'No, I don't know. Please share the details,' I growled through the connection.

'I thought that if I told Shadow, he might be able to give me any clues that Taichi likes you back,' the silver dragon explained. I blinked in surprise, and then lowered my gaze, ashamed.

'Sorry for doubting you, Night…' I thought. 'I was just hurt that you would give away my secret that easily.'

'Look, Yamato, I'm just trying to help, you should know that,' he reminded me. 'After all, I would never go out of my way to hurt you.'

'You're right,' I nodded, but then noticed Tai and Shadow looking at us funny. 'Let's end this now. We'll talk later, because it looks like Tai and Shadow have caught on that there's something going on here.'

'Gotcha,' Night smiled. And with that, he ended the connection.

"Sorry about that, guys," I told the watching pair with a slightly sheepish grin. "Night and I were having a private talk."

"How? Through your eyes?" Shadow questioned with a confused expression.

"No, I can communicate telepathically with Yamato," my partner explained. The pair gaped at him, making him shuffle uncomfortably.

"Don't stare," I snapped, noticing Night's discomfort. The other two jumped slightly, and then apologized. Tai rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed at having been caught.

"Eh, it's okay, Yamato. It's not every day that you hear of a telepathic dragon," the silver dragon assured me.

"He's right," Shadow agreed. "I've never even heard of anyone being capable of telepathy."

"It's not a common ability, but there are others who have the capability," I said. I began to go over to the deer to skin it, but then Night darted over and began to skin it himself. He motioned for me to sit at the fire pit, so I did, and fished a blanket out of my pack, wrapping it around my shoulders as I tried to warm up. The sun had set by now, and it was chilly in the night air. I shivered as a cool breeze blew through our small campsite, and huddled into my blanket to seek more warmth.

"Who else do you know that has the ability?" Tai asked.

"I personally don't know anyone, but Joshua has told me that it's not completely unheard of," I replied. "He's heard of other people, like from some old business partners that can use telepathy. So Night isn't the only one."

"That's so cool!" the brunette crowed. "You still need to teach me magic, too, Matt."

"We were going to today, but then you decided that you wanted to chat," I reminded him with a smirk.

"So that's what you two were doing while we were gone," Shadow laughed lightly. "I was surprised to not see any scorch marks on the trees and rocks, and now I know why."

"Hey!" his partner huffed indignantly. "I wouldn't be that bad!"

"I have to agree with Shadow," I chuckled. "You seem to get really overexcited, and fire reacts quickly to strong emotions. I won't be surprised if you can control fire with ease, though."

"Really? Why do you say that?" Tai questioned curiously.

"Because your personality matches that of fire itself," I answered. "You're determined, set on your goals, and won't let anyone stop you from getting there. But you're also kind, caring, and passionate about those close to you."

"Like you," he stated. Upon noticing my perplexed expression, he elaborated. "I care about you. And I know it goes further than just being connected by the prophecy."

"What do you mean?" By this point, I noticed Shadow and Night had stepped away to give us a little bit of privacy.

"I mean that we're close. Already, we've told each other so much about ourselves, and we don't look at the other differently for any of it," he explained. "Friends, true friends, don't judge each other. They care."

"…Right," I nodded, my heart sinking slightly when I realized he only referenced us as friends. I could tell Night sensed it, because he and Shadow rejoined us with fully cooked deer meat.

"I hope you guys are hungry, because that was one big buck," Shadow laughed lightly. I nodded as the black dragon handed a drooling Tai one of the deer legs. Night sat on my left, while Tai was still on my right. Shadow sat in between his partner and his silver counterpart. We ate in silence, but I ended up picking at my deer meat, not really hungry. I barely ate, still hurt by Tai's words. I know he didn't intend to hurt me, but it still hurt. A sudden snap of a branch snapped me out of my thoughts, and I looked up quickly along with Night and Shadow, the two dragons growling quietly.

"What's wrong?" Tai asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

"There's someone nearby, but I don't recognize the scent," Shadow hissed. Suddenly, Night perked up and ran into the brush, and I caught his look of excitement as he took off. He knew whoever it was, so I should know them, too. I got up and followed my partner into the forest at a slower pace. I was pleasantly shocked when I came face-to-face with Neku only a few yards in.

"Neku?!" I yelped, stepping back to give him some space. The ginger-haired man chuckled at my reaction, and then ruffled my hair.

"Good to see we found ya, kid," he smirked. Joshua joined us then, Night on his heels.

"What are you guys doing here? How'd you find us?" I asked, a grin on my face.

"We'll share once you introduce us to Taichi," the ashen blonde giggled, and I nodded eagerly.

"Sure, come on," I nodded, and led the pair back to the campsite as Night hopped onto my shoulder.

"Matt, what was—" Tai started to say, but stopped when he saw Joshua and Neku. "Who are they?"

"Tai, Shadow, this is Joshua and Neku," I said, gesturing to them in turn as I said their names. "Joshua, remember, is my old boss, and Neku is his boyfriend. Josh, Neku, this is Taichi and his partner, Shadow."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Joshua greeted.

"Yeah, it's good to meet the guy that's softened up the Yamato we knew," Neku smirked.

"And it's good that I get to meet the two people who have been so good to Matt, considering his past," Tai smiled.

"I'm always good to those who need it," my old boss assured him.

"So, how did you guys find us?" I questioned, sitting down where I had been before, next to Tai. The visiting pair sat down across from us, smiling slightly.

"Well, to answer your first question from the forest, we're here to deliver a message from Sora," Joshua told me. "She knows about that prophecy you shared about with us this morning, and she said a sign should come to you all soon regarding it."

"As for how we found you, I used my spirit animal," Neku said. "Remember that fox that lives with us?"

"Yeah, isn't his name Kyuubi?" I nodded.

"Yes, and he helped track you guys down," the ginger confirmed. "Kyuubi is special, in that he's got a connection to the spirit world. That's because he's a spirit animal."

"So, where is Kyuubi?" Night asked from my shoulder, sniffing the air.

"He's nearby, but it's impossible to detect him by tracking, Night," the ashen blonde told my partner. "He's probably confirming with Sora what he needs to tell you, but he'll be here soon." A small yip followed Joshua's words, and we all looked to see a small yellow fox with vivid blue eyes trotting into the campsite.

"Hey Kyuubi," Neku called to the fox, and it quickly made a beeline for him, crawling into his lap and sitting there. "Did you get the rest of the message for them?"

"Yes," Kyuubi nodded. He looked at Tai, Shadow, Night, and me, and then smiled. "It's good to see you again, Night and Yamato."

"Good to see you, too, Kyuubi," Night greeted. "It's been a while since we've seen you. Probably the last time was a year and a half ago, I think."

"That's about right," Kyuubi chuckled. He turned his gaze to Tai and Shadow. "And you must be Taichi Yagami and Shadow, correct?"

"Uh, yeah," Tai nodded.

"How does someone get a spirit animal?" Shadow asked suddenly.

"Going through many tough times, and then turning it all around at the hardest point in your life to make it better, and finally looking ahead to the future once you hit that bright point," Neku answered in a soft voice. I noticed he had a dark feeling to his words as he spoke, and knew that what he had gone through in his life before meeting Joshua must have been much worse than what I'd gone through. I shuddered slightly at the thought; I don't even want to know what happened to Neku when he was younger.

"Anyway, I'd like to pass along the message now," Kyuubi interrupted, casting a look to Neku that I couldn't quite interpret.

"Oh yeah, what was your message?" Tai questioned.

"It's that the prophecy does indeed speak of you four, and the source of the darkness is a malevolent beast of a dragon named Ishu," the fox began. "He has been planning the rule of darkness in the world since the prophecy came into being, about 21 years ago. I was told by the spirits that there's some connection to Shadow and Night with Ishu, other than the fact they are dragons, but even they couldn't reveal that information to me. I have nothing else, though, except that Ishu is located at Doom's Divide."

"Doom's Divide? Where's that?" I asked, puzzled. I had never heard of the place.

"It's the location where heaven and hell meet, and you can only reach it by gaining your true strengths," he replied. "And those will come to you in time during your journey. You will know when you have gained them." I had a theory, so I pulled out my pendant for friendship out from under my shirt, and showed it to Kyuubi.

"Is this the strength you mean?" I questioned, and Kyuubi's eyes widened slightly, but he nodded.

"Yes, that is the strength of friendship," he confirmed. Looking at Tai, he asked, "Do you have your pendant?" The brunette pulled out his pendant.

"Yeah, my dad told me this one means courage," he said.

"Your father is correct," the fox nodded. "That is the strength of courage. You two must gain these attributes through trials greater than you could ever know. I wish you luck in your endeavors, and may the spirits of light watch over you all." And with that, Kyuubi vanished, only a slight shimmer in the air remaining for a second before fading.

"Well, it looks like you four have a long journey ahead of you," Neku sighed. "I'm gonna worry about you all, but I know you guys can do it. Otherwise, things wouldn't be how they are now."

"Neku's right," Joshua agreed. "Now, I know you won't be able to find Doom's Divide until you gain those true attributes, but Sora had told us of a temple where you can train and maybe gain some more information on Ishu."

"That's perfect!" Taichi grinned. "Where's this temple?"

"It's difficult to find, so we'll have to take you there," Neku replied. "But it's late, so we'll leave for the temple tomorrow."

"Where are you guys gonna sleep?" I asked.

"Actually, we brought our own supplies, seeing as we knew we would have to take you to the temple," Joshua grinned, and pulled out his pack. Pulling out a tent from the small pack, he looked at me and added, "I used that expansion spell on my pack like you did with yours."

"Gotcha," I nodded. Once their tent was set up, Neku stood and stretched with a grunt.

"Well, I'm gonna go for a walk before going to sleep," he declared. "Wanna come with, Yamato?"

"Sure," I agreed, and stood as well. "Night, you stay here."

"Will do, Yamato," the silver dragon smiled.

"We'll be back," the ginger announced, and led me out to the forest to wander around. As we walked, I couldn't help but think Neku had some ulterior motive for having me walk with him.

"Why did you invite me to walk with you, Neku?" I questioned in a soft voice. "I know you have a reason."

"Good catch, kid," he chuckled. "And you're right, I do have a reason. I wanted to talk to you about liking Taichi."

"What's there to talk about?" I mumbled. "He only thinks of us as friends. He said so himself earlier shortly before you and Joshua joined us." I felt slight tears burning in the corners of my eyes, and I blinked rapidly to clear them.

"I highly doubt that that's the case, Yamato," Neku sighed. "I'm sure he's got feelings for you, he might not be aware of them yet, though. It's all going to come with time."

"But I don't know if I can hold it all in for too long," I complained. "What can I do? How did you tell Joshua you liked him, Neku?"

"I actually didn't," Neku answered with a small laugh. "Joshua came onto me, and knew I liked him back without me having to say it."

"Well that's helpful," I scowled, glaring at the ground. Neku stopped and grabbed me by the shoulder, turning me towards him roughly. I was shocked to see his blue eyes glaring into my own.

"Listen, Yamato, it's not as difficult as you're making it seem," he growled. "I know it feels that way, but the outcome will be worth it."

"You promise?" I murmured, staring back at him.

"I can't promise how soon it will happen, but I can promise that when it does, it will definitely be worth the wait," he told me.

"…All right," I mumbled. "I'll tell him."

"Good boy," he praised, ruffling my hair. "Tell him tonight, 'cause Josh is talking with Taichi right now about his feelings towards you."

"WHAT?!" I yelped. "Why?!"

"Because he wanted to verify Taichi's love for you," Neku smirked.

"Can we go back now, then?" I whined.

"Fine. Let's get back to the campsite," the ginger chuckled, and we headed back, where we found Tai and Joshua close together in deep conversation.

"Good luck, Yamato," Neku told me quietly, and then called out to Joshua. "Joshua! Let's take a walk, just you and me now." The ashen blonde nodded and patted Tai on the back lightly before standing and following Neku out into the forest. Once they were gone, Tai turned slightly to look at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Shadow and Night are off on a walk, too," he informed me quietly, and I hesitantly sat down next to him. Here goes…

A/N: And there's the end of chapter 5! What's gonna happen?! Find out in the next chapter! R&R, peeps!