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A thousand years ago, there was a dragon in the sky.
Colossal and powerful, a proud dragon of the moon. While many creatures rest under the cloak of the night, to her, it’s the playground for her to roam.
Humans, of course, revere her, and even fear her might. Every time that she soared above their heads, it was seen as an omen of danger. People would watch the sky with bated breath, cower before the first sign of her roar, and even presented their crops and animals as offerings. None of them were ever taken, but it only made them more fearful, as they believed their sacrifices were inadequate.
People were living in fear and too frozen to do anything, so I, as the representative of humanity, had to confront the dragon. I had to take in their fear, and protect mankind.
So imagine my shock when, after months tracking down the cave where the dragon resides, who I found at the end of the trip was –
“…Huh? Waitwaitwait! I never meant any harm on you guys!”
- a half-dragon girl.
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“You sure you don’t remember who my dad was? He always talked about you and how you saved his life that one time…”
“…No, sorry… I’ve lived for as long as humans existed, so I can’t remember every face…”
Turns out, she was a half-breed. After I supposedly save her father’s life, he went on to conquer, marry, and… intercourse with a Lunar Sky Dragon. The feats of humanity never ceases to amaze me.
Anyway, she was still a very young dragon, only a bit over a hundred years, but she had been living by herself on this mountain for at least half of it. She could’ve been living with her mother in the moon, but she chose to stay here because…
She loves humans.
She loves to fly above our settlements and watch us sleep. She never needed any of our offerings, because she had been living perfectly fine, but she still appreciated the gesture.
She was truly sorry that she made people think they were being threatened by a monster.
She never meant to display any harm. The moment she got the misunderstandings cleared out, she immediately ran off to prepare plenty of food for me, and even a comfy place to rest.
…So I could only imagine how much does living all by herself like this hurts her.
“Why don’t you live with us like this? You haven’t harmed anyone, so I’m sure if you explain it clearly, they won’t have a reason to hate you. They all trust me, so they’ll trust you too.”
Hearing those words, she smiled. …But only for a moment.
“Even then…I can’t. This form… I still couldn’t maintain it for long enough. What if I suddenly turn back unexpectedly? I’d harm everyone around me… And then…”
I’ve met my fair share of half-breeds like her during my travels, but a half-dragon is undoubtedly extremely rare. So at the time, there really wasn’t anything I knew or remembered that could help her.
“It’s okay. I will help you – Everyone will help you, however we can. Okay?”
“…Mmm… Okay…”
“How long can you maintain this form?”
“I think… the longest was two days. But I also need to recover every time I transform.”
“Darn, even the nearest village is nearly a day away – Waitwaitwait don’t cry! How about… we visit you instead?”
“…Really? You will?”
“Yeah! I’ll come and visit you, say, every month, with a group of new people! That way I can better convince them that you don’t mean harm!”
“Maybe I can ask Ember to tell you when you can visit me…? Oh, he’s that little dragon over here – he’s very clever.”
“Oh, I have a companion too! Say hi, Friend!”
Ember greeted my companion with a fire burp. Understandably, being a paper bag, he did not take it very well.
“Ah, be careful! Sorry about that, maybe he got too excited. …Like me.”
“It’s okay! Now we have a way to connect with each other!”
“And maybe… Maybe when I can control my form, I can just fly and meet you all by myself!”
“Yeah! Now we’re talking –”
Before I could finish, the dragon girl gave me a tight hug, and buried her face in my chest. Her dragon strength even in this semi-human form almost cracked every bone that I have.
…But, at that moment, it didn’t matter to me at all.
“…Thank you. Thank you so much…”
“I’m only doing my duty. …Come to think of it, I haven’t asked for your name –”
“It’s Selen! Selen Tatsuki! Hope we can be friends for a long time!”
The smile she showed me that day is something I could never forget.
“…Nanashi Mumei. I hope so as well.”
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The next morning, I waved goodbye to Selen, and returned to my travels. Selen wanted to give me gifts as a gesture of goodwill, though I repeatedly declined. Dragons like her are depicted in legends at the time to be treasure hoarders, and I was concerned that people would come and harm her for riches that she doesn’t have.
But, against her insistence (and her huge puppy eyes), I eventually relented. As the representative of humanity, I accepted one single gift from her.
A large moonstone the size of my whole hand.
“My mom said this is what my dad gave to her when he proposed.”
“Really? Is it okay for you to give me something like this?”
“It’s fine! She said this stone will help ward off monsters when you travel by night! Among many other things, but I can’t remember…”
“Hmm… Well, I suppose the bigger the stone, the better… Thank you.”
“…You know… When my dad gave this moonstone, he said it’s because my mom is “the one he’s been looking for his entire life”. Haha… it’s so cheesy, isn’t it?”
“So, does this mean I’m the one you’ve been looking for your whole life as well?”
Honestly, I kinda expected her to turn into a flustered mess with how emotional she was. But when I turn up to look at her again… That same smile, as bright and gentle as the moon itself, was still there.
“…Yeah.”
This time, it was me who gave her a hug.
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True to my word, I traveled from town to town convincing the people to give Selen a chance. It was, undoubtedly, difficult.
Many still fear or distrust Selen for all the terrorizing she caused in the past, and the very few that seemingly volunteered to go along were either hiding weapons made to harm her, or inspired by folklore at the time that dragons are massive treasure hoarders.
I knew I was right not to accept anything other than that moonstone.
Fortunately, there were still some that genuinely wanted to see the kind dragon girl, albeit most being prohibited by their cautious elders. Most of my visits at that time only had three or four visitors at most.
But, no matter how many guests came, Selen never fails to bring her full hospitability and energy that not a single visitor was unsatisfied. Be it telling them stories about her kind, playing games with the kids, providing food and a good place to rest,… I could feel their joy and hers resonate within me. It was… warm.
So I remained hopeful. That one day, word of mouth will spread far enough that I don’t have to travel to find willing people.
That one day, Selen would be surrounded by those that love her.
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One day, I saw Ember flying towards me with all his strength, just to deliver a single message to me before fainting.
Selen was captured.
It wasn’t just one person, it wasn’t just one small group of them. It was an entire village that wanted revenge on her, tracked down her location, and dragged her back to be dealt with. She couldn’t bring herself to hurt them. But their resentment knew no bounds.
It was the first time in my existence that I felt tired from running.
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“The dragon must pay for her crimes! The dragon must pay for her crimes!”
“Do you know how much you have terrorized us for generations!? You can apologize and cry all that you want, but it’ll never be enough!”
“Are we really running out of sharp weapons? Is there really nothing that can even leave a scratch on her skin!?”
“Hey! Everybody knows that you’re a Dragon! Stop pretending to be a human and let us have your scales! At least you’ll be of help to us that way!”
It was a gathering of not just several hundred people, but several thousand people – every village nearby all gathered to exact their revenge on the Dragon. The unconscious, defenseless Dragon tied up on a post, too battered and tired to even try and struggle.
“What are you people doing!?” I screamed at them. If I said I was horrified at the thought of what they were going to do to Selen, that would be an understatement. Their resentment flows into my mind, far more overwhelming than any natural disaster. But they weren’t alarmed at my appearance, they were elated. They cheered, for they thought that I was there to attend their greatest feast in decades.
So when I vehemently denied their invitation, when I rushed past all of them to bring Selen out of this place, they were understandably bewildered. How couldn’t they? Their capture was taken right under their noses. Not just by an ordinary Human either, but by the Guardian that’s supposed to be on their side.
A few pleaded with me to release the Dragon, but most were throwing everything they had at me. From food to stones, chairs, torches… and eventually spears.
I was actually running out of breath, dodging and covering for Selen. Nothing I said could convince them to lower their weapons – their outrage was no longer reasonable.
I could do nothing but run, with Selen in my hands. All I could focus on was to get her far away from here.
As long as I can do that, she’ll be fine. She can recover.
But then I tripped.
I didn’t remember what did I tripped over, but I couldn’t stand up.
I couldn’t stand up, no matter how hard I’ve tried. I’ve really reached my limit.
The last thing I could hear was the sound of the mob getting louder and louder as they come closer…
…and someone desperately calling my name.
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When I came back to my senses, Selen was gone.
All the buildings behind me were in tatters. Some villagers still lie scattered on the ground, the rest had disappeared.
It’s like I’ve somehow slept through a massive storm. I tried to get up, and approached one of the villagers still remained.
“You… It’s all your fault…!” he cursed, despite his wounds. “We could’ve ended that Dragon… if it weren’t for –”
“THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!”
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I did not know what kind of face I showed to that man.
I only remember the sheer terror on his face.
Like Death had materialized before his very eyes.
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I never saw Selen again after that day. Even Friend couldn’t keep in contact with Blaze. The cave where she once resided was completely empty.
Every day passing by that I thought of her…
…The rage of the villagers that day, boiled inside me like an inferno. Their resentment, their hatred,… At best, it whispered in my head incessantly.
At worst… I’d wake up after a haze, with blood on my hands and dagger, surrounded by destruction.
Something deep within me had changed. I became volatile. Countless nights I’ve lost sleep. My negative emotions festered.
Before I knew it, the reflection that looked back at me was not of a guardian, but of a feral, wild animal.
I was scared.
I began to keep my distance from humans. I wandered far, millions of miles, with barely a shadow of another human with me.
Humans, in turn, start to forget about my existence. Generations and evolutions of civilizations no longer has any presence of me in it.
I traveled, and traveled, and traveled. Alone.
I had mostly forgotten where had I gone, or what had I seen in those hundreds of years. The notes on my journal might as well have been complete gibberish.
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Then, one day…
“Becoming a VTuber?”
A businessman and an office lady approached me with a peculiar offer. They seem to come from a talent agency, specialized in this “VTuber” thing.
“Yes, it’s short for Virtual Youtuber – a term for entertainers that hosts streams on the Internet. Though it’s called as such, they often use other social media such as –”
“Okay, you can stop now. I… think I understand those words individually. So, you want me to become an entertainer?”
“Yes, that’s basically it.” She nods, adjusting her glasses.
Entertaining humans… that should’ve been my duty from the start. And I’ve ignored it for too long.
“You can think about it as much as you want, Miss Mumei. I can see that you’re not –”
“I’ll do it. …I should’ve done it a long time ago.”
“You don’t have to regret anything.” The man smiles warmly. “Take as long as you need. You can’t put a smile on others if you don’t put one on yourself first.”
“…”
“…Thank you. But…Can I ask one question?”
“It’ll be my pleasure.”
“…How did you find me? You two are the first to find me for… what, 900 years?”
“Oh, that’s because we reached out to Miss Fauna first.”
“Fauna…? Wait, you mean the Keeper of Nature?”
“There you are Mumei!” Fauna’s voice didn’t come from herself in person, but from the little device the office lady was holding – a ‘smartphone’.
“…Is that… really you, Fauna?”
“Oh my gosh, it really is you! My Saplings were right… you look terrible! We’re so sorry that we didn’t contact you for so long… We thought you were just doing your duty as usual! We… *sob* we really don’t have any excuses…”
“It’s okay, it’s okay Fauna! I-I’ll tell you what happened when I meet you again! Don’t worry about me, I’ll be okay!”
“Really…? Then hurry! We miss you so much!”
At that moment, I could only said such words to Fauna to calm her down – I didn’t know how long it would be for me to return to my old self after a thousand years with only that madness by my side.
…
But, remembering those words that the businessman told me…
You can’t put a smile on others if you don’t put a smile on yourself first.
…It gives me warmth. A warmth I have almost forgotten.
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“…Mumei?”
I saw Selen again. Nearly a thousand year after she had disappeared.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her face on stream again. Laughing, and smiling just as I remembered.
But she was in a different agency than mine. So I ran again. I had to find her, to see if it’s really her.
And when I finally met her at the front gate… I realized I’ve had way too much that I’ve wanted to say to her, to do with her, that I ended up saying nothing, and doing nothing.
I just stood there, hands wanting to reach her, but wouldn’t.
So, just like the first time we met…
…She reached her arms out, and gave me a hug.
“It’s been almost a thousand years already… I’m sorry for leaving without a word.”
I didn’t know how to respond, either. All I knew what to do… is cry in her arms. To condense all the loneliness I’ve felt for a thousand years into streams of tears.
“Come on Mumei, you can stop crying now… I finally achieve my dream! I can finally bring a smile to every human now!”
“You should be happy… for me… Mumei…”
Selen couldn’t hold it back either. So we cried, and cried, and cried, until I had to be asked to leave.
But, before that, I had to talk to the company’s owner. I had to make sure she would not be harmed or exploited again.
The man who came to see me felt… different. He was a young billionaire, the complete opposite of the businessman that recruited me back then. But he assured me that he would do everything to protect Selen as his talent, as he was a big fan of her.
Only then did I feel comfortable trusting him.
And even then, before I leave…
“Seleeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnnnnnnn!”
“Mumei! What’s the matter? Did something go wrong –”
“I promise! I promise, I’ll do everything I can to protect you as well!”
“…Pfft – Hahaha… You don’t have to go this far, Mumei…”
“Of course I have to! It’s my duty!”
“No, I mean – You don’t have to say it out loud like this, you know? I know that we'll always be together again no matter what."
“We’re best friends, after all!”
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…Mumei… Are you in there?
…You heard the news right?
I’m really sorry about your friend… I didn’t know she was so horribly mistreated…
Everyone is angry too. Just what was happening inside that company…?
…
…If it’s alright with you, can I come in -
Mumei! Put down the knife, please! It’s your friend, Fauna!
Please, Mumei, you have to calm down! You’re going to destroy everything –
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Mumei…
…It’s… okay… Mumei…
Please… don’t cry…
See? My wounds… They’re… healing already…
I’ll… be fine…
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…
Your eyes… All the hatred… you experienced through humanity…
They’re so dark and deep… Like an endless abyss…
Oh Mumei, I’m so sorry…
I’m so sorry… that it had to be like this…
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I don’t remember anything from that day.
Fauna said that I screamed and cried until my throat can no longer make a sound. Then… I fell asleep.
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I’m a mess. My throat still hurts.
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I’m so sorry Selen.
I didn’t notice how badly you’ve been treated again.
I failed to keep my promise again.
I wish I could’ve done something.
…
I hate that it had to be like this.
I hate that you had to bear all of it.
I hate that you got hurt again.
I hate that you had to cry again.
I hate it.
I hate that company.
I hate that man.
I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it I hate it
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Three years. That’s how much time I got to spend with Selen.
A thousand years apart, just to be reconciled for three years.
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Selen is gone.
Without a note for me, nor for her colleagues, nor for anyone.
Everyone that day could see her fly ever higher to the night sky above… never to come back down again.
She has returned to where she was born, as a dragon of the night.
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But I know it’s not where she wants to be.
Where she wanted to be was among mankind, to be surrounded by people that she love and that loves her back.
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That day… I felt myself drowning in the emotions of humanity.
They learned of her mistreatment. They became furious on her behalf. They demanded justice for her plight.
They raged and they wept, now, and will be for much more.
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…I could only hope that she knew how much she was loved.
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I could only hope that, when she look back on the past one thousand years, she can still find something worth smiling for.
Whether it’s the three years that she got, finally living the dream she always had.
Whether it’s the months that she spent entertaining whoever came to her cave, to bring a smile on their face no matter what.
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Whether it’s the first time meeting me.
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I can only hope that right now, wherever she is, she’s smiling.
That’s all I want, as her best friend.
So right now, standing underneath this night sky…
…I say goodbye to you, my dragon friend.