Chapter Text
One day,
One very simple day,
The glorious Crimson Dragon,
After spending hundreds of years in Heavens, wondering what the world below is like,
Decided to visit Earth.
He sneaked out, he didn’t tell his companions. The other four dragons wouldn’t like it if he wasn’t around, they liked him too much for that. So he thought, they wouldn’t notice if he was gone only for a minute or two.
So, his first stop…
Was a lake at the top of a mountain he had always dreamed of seeing.
It wouldn’t hurt to look from there, right? He thought as he was flying toward Earth. I can stay hidden and safe as long as I watch from afar, right?
That was his plan.
His glorious, amethyst, holy eyes, could see everything on Earth, even from high above, even from the Heavens, but he wanted a closer look- and he was satisfied with the view from the top of the mountain. So what he wanted to do was simply sit by the lake, focus, and look around because he simply found everything interesting…
…Including humans.
He always thought they were fascinating creatures, as he had heard and seen from very high above, from his companions in Heavens. But to see them closer, even if they were as far as a mountain top, how interesting it’d be?
So much, he trusted that.
But still, he couldn’t believe what he was seeing once he reached the top of that mountain.
Next to the lake, maybe four steps away, on the sturdy, and dusty ground…
Two children were standing.
Two human children.
“…WOAH…”
They both stared at the Crimson Dragon with a deep, fascinating awe in their eyes.
“…Brother, brother.” They were both roughly the same height and very young, but one was just slightly taller, and he talked first. “Can you see this, too?”
“…I think I can.” This one’s eyes were sparkling more. “If you mean, this massive, glorious red dragon in front of us, I think I can…”
The Crimson Dragon was speechless, so he just stared at them.
The taller one had a pair of deep blue eyes that looked at him like racing blue flames, and straight, slightly long black hair that reached his shoulders just barely.
The other one had curious green eyes and short bright-colored hair.
Their clothing was a little different, too. The first one had a shorted shirt, comfortable pants, and a pair of good, but used to the point of tearing apart boots. The second one, had a rather long garment and simpler shoes that looked not that much used.
“…Oh, children of man.” The Crimson Dragon finally talked. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”
“Brother! It can talk!!!” The one with blue eyes fisted his hands with excitement.
“I can see that! Wow!!!” The other one pulled his brother’s sleeve as he raised his voice.
For the first time ever, the Crimson Dragon felt awkward.
“Oh, oh!” The one with blue eyes settled first. “Right, we have to answer its questions!”
“Yes, yes!”
They smiled as wide as they could.
“I’m Haku!” The one with blue eyes said.
“And I’m Won-su!” The other one’s green eyes sparkled like stars.
The Crimson Dragon felt a little better, so he started circling the children very slowly with careful eyes.
“And why are you here…?”
“We were told,” Won-su smiled. “That if we climb this mountain, make it to the top and the lake,”
“One of our wishes would be granted!” Haku completed his sentence.
“But who would’ve thought we’d find an actual god here!”
The Crimson Dragon flinched.
“I’m sorry, child…” His enormous figure looked shy. “But I don’t call myself a god.”
“…What do you call yourself, then?” Won-su asked. “You are glorious, powerful-looking… and the end of your tail follows into the skies. What do you say, of not a god?”
“…I’m a dragon.” He felt a bit at ease saying that. “I’m the Crimson Dragon.”
“Oh…”
The two boys pouted as if they couldn’t understand what that meant.
“Then…”
Won-su fell deep in thought.
And then he lightened up.
“You are Hiryuu!”
The Crimson Dragon was surprised. “…Well, yes, yes. That is what I am called.”
“Nice to meet you, Hiryuu.” Haku smiled brightly. “As I said, I’m Haku, and I’m 9 years old. My brother, Won-su, is 10, a year older than me.”
“…You’re younger than him?”
“I know! It’s a surprise!” Won-su answered instead. “Isn’t Haku amazing?! All the adults say that he looks like the older one!”
“Now, stop that.” Haku hit his elbow softly.
The Crimson Dragon looked at them closely.
“…Are you sure that you two are brothers?”
The two children looked at each other.
And then, smiling, back at him.
“We don’t know for sure.”
“We don’t have parents.”
“And the other adults don’t know, either.”
“But we could be, and so we decided that we are.”
The Crimson Dragon took a deep breath.
Were the adults in these children’s lives hoping that they would never make it to the top of this mountain?
That they’d give up because climbing it would be too difficult?
And then they would say, that’s why their difficult wishes didn’t come true?
Maybe, they were even hoping they’d fail but keep trying. Climb the mountain every day, or week, or month, or year. Until someday comes that they succeed…
And maybe by then, they would give up on their childish dreams and awake to reality?
After all that thought, he narrowed his eyes and stood in front of the two children.
“Children of man.” His voice was deep and calm. “Why don’t you… tell me what you wish for? Maybe I can grant it after all.”
“Really?!”
They both brightened up at the same time.
“Well, I am a celestial dragon.” He smiled. “So it might be possible.”
Excitedly, they both took the deepest breaths they could.
“I want infinite wisdom!” Won-su shouted with all his might.
“I want infinite strength!” Haku too, did the same thing.
Then they turned to look at each other.
“Strength and combat power are the ones above all.” Haku frowned at his brother. “Everything starts with the strength needed to protect everyone.”
“Wisdom and knowledge are the only wish.” Won-su pouted too. “With enough knowledge and insight, you can prevent any fight of power or strength to begin with.”
And they glared at each other.
“Children.” The Crimson Dragon called calmly.
They both turned to look at him.
“I see that both of you are very wise,” He looked back and forth between them. “And that you’re thought through your wishes,”
He narrowed his eyes.
“But I can’t make them come true.”
The disappointment in their eyes was as grave as their joy in an instant, so much so that it made him flinch.
“Oh, well…”
“I thought it’d be too good to be true…”
They looked at each other fast like they accepted the reality in as instant.
“No, no…!” The Crimson Dragon felt the need to rush. “It’s not like I can’t…! It’s just…!”
The two children looked at him, full of questions.
The Crimson Dragon took a deep breath.
“It’s only infinite as long as you acquire it yourselves.”
The children’s eyes widened.
And the Crimson Dragon wondered if he needed to explain more…
“…Thank you.” Haku said first.
“Then we’ll acquire it ourselves.” Won-su’s eyes sparkled again.
“We need it to be infinite, after all!” Haku smiled, he was not backing down.
The Crimson Dragon felt something was all over his big heart.
“I’m going to!” Haku raised his hand diligently. “Become a sword that protects all that is dear to me… and everyone else.”
“And I’m going to,” Won-su fisted his hand on his heart. “Know so much that no sword ever pierces the shield of my wisdom.”
“And I give you my blessings.” The Crimson Dragon smiled.
And the children felt those words sitting on their hearts,
Because the Crimson Dragon’s words definitely had his celestial power within them.
“I think I should…” The Crimson Dragon looked at the skies. “Head back now.”
And he started to move, his glorious body heading up, but his heart…
“Hiryuu!”
They both called.
“Hiryuu!!”
He looked back and his pair of amethysts sparkled.
“Will we…” Haku said loudly.
“Meet you again?!” And Won-su completed it.
The Crimson Dragon looked at them in awe.
And then he smiled.
“You know what?” His body was getting lost between the clouds. “I think you will.”
And he returned to the Heavens.
Four days later.
The Crimson Dragon had an unbearable tingle in his heart, and he was wondering if he was sick…
But before making a big deal out of it, somehow, he decided to visit Earth again.
“A year?!” He asked Won-su.
Now his healed heart hurt for a different reason, and he was wondering if he had heard it wrong.
“Yes, it’s been a year.” Won-su nodded his head. Now, he had an old book in his hand.
“We came here once every week, on the same day, for all year.” Haku, now, was holding a wooden sword that had been used way too much. “But you were not here, so we were slowly starting to wonder if it was all a dream…”
“…But it wasn’t.” The Crimson Dragon… pouted a bit. “Neither for me… but it’s only been 4 days in Heavens…”
“Oh, so time is different in Heavens and Earth.” Won-su seemed interested.
“…In that case,” The Crimson Dragon fell into thought. “I think… I’ll visit more often.”
That day, when he was flying back to Heavens, all he thought was…
How he had heard from his companions in Heavens, about the kind of short lives humans live on Earth,
And how, although he hadn’t done anything…
It felt like a part of him was left on Earth, too.
And so, he did as he said-
He visited more often.
“Hiryuu, how are the Heavens like?” Haku wanted to know about where he had come from.
“Hiryuu, can you truly see far lands with your eyes?” Won-su wanted to know about what he knew.
He answered all, back, forth.
Heavens, Earth.
The time between his visits got shorter and shorter…
“Hiryuu, aren’t you actually the strongest being in Heavens?” Haku wanted to know about him.
“Hiryuu, do you know how to solve this problem we’re having in farming?” Won-su was always in pursuit of new solutions and things.
…And the time he stayed on Earth, chatting, and waiting for the two children to get to the top of the mountain, increased.
Until, one day.
“Hiryuu, you’re interested in humans, right?” Won-su, who now looked taller and stronger, like the 18 years he had lived, asked curiously.
“Have you ever thought about… meeting more people upfront?” Haku said-
Now he had also grown remarkably strong, and he could tie his long, black hair, behind his head with a piece of cloth.
“Why don’t you give being a human a try?”
The two brothers had finally managed to find a question that left the dragon speechless.