A/N - I want to thank EclispeHunter (sorry if I got something in your user wrong >~<) for giving me a push and some confidence in this story publishing. I don't have much to say right now, but I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this AkaYona adventure. ^^

ENJOY~!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a day that the sky was covered in clouds, and the temperature dropped several degrees, the wind picked up and without fail, small droplets began to fall from the sky. Yona and her group of friends, Hak, Yun, Kija, Shin-ah, Jeaha and Zeno all walked through the forest as it began to drizzle. Picking up their pace, it wasn't until the ran had began to pour that they began to rethink moving forward. They were ready to stop and take cover under a few thick trees, but that was until the ground beneath them, now soft from the rain had gave way and both Yun and Yona began to fall. Yona in her quick thinking reached out and grabbed a hold of Hak's cloak causing him to tip backwards as well. It was a small tumble down a small hill with only minor injuries. Yun's only injury was on his cheek where he was cut by a branch that collided with his face. Yona had twisted her ankle and Hak scraped his arm up on a tree, trying to break his fall, but to no avail.

The three of them all lay on the muddy ground, groaning as the four dragon warriors all carefully made their way down to where they fell. Kija helped up Yona, Shin-ah Yun, and Jeaha helped Hak, much to his disapproval. There was still a bit of mixed feelings Hak had with Jeaha, what with the whole incident when they first met. It still gives him chills honestly. Shin-ah looked through the forest, and walked over to Yona, tapping her on the shoulder.

"What is it?" Shin-ah, being the man of few words he is, just lifted his arm and with his index finger, pointed. Hak walked up behind the two as Shin-ah lowered his arm. Hak's spear was hoisted back on his shoulders as his one free hand was on his hip.

"Is there a village up ahead?" Shin-ah looked at Hak, nodding. "Well, let's get moving. Maybe someone will put us up, keep us out of this rain." Hak began walking forward, the rest of his group following behind him. Not 20 minutes later, they emerged from the forest and came across, but of course, the rain had basically stopped. A quick rainfall and of course as soon as they find a way out of it, it stops. It seems the universe is at odds with them this day.

The end of the forest lead to the beginning of a very small looking village. Their houses were fair, nothing close to elegant, but they held strongly, except for one house, that looked a bit worse for wear. The village civilians began to come out of the protection of their homes to complete the chores the rain had delayed as they spotted Yona's group. Naturally they all got a pretty rude first impression remark. Think about it, a group of a girl who wears a hood everywhere, a large man who carries a spear, a small girly-boy, a silver haired, dragon handed boy, a pirate, a masked man and a large yellow child who happens to be older than he appears. They were an odd bunch, so the snarky comments didn't really bother them.

The began to walk around, being ignored by the citizens until they began to hear some ruckus. They rounded a corner, the house that was in a dreary condition was being currently violated by timid little brats who were throwing sticks and stones they found on the ground. Yona, not liking this scene started yelling at them.

"Hey! Stop that!" The kids looked to the group, also earning them some looks from some working adults. The kids were going to backmouth Yona when they caught sight of the men behind her. A glaring Hak is scary enough, but with a mask man with a thick sword, a pirate, and a silver haired lizard to add to it, someone could very well piss themselves. The kids dropped the remaining ammunition and ran off, earning a huff from Yona and a sigh from Hak. They would continue on their way, but soon the wooden door that was being held in the doorway was slightly cracked open. It was then that the villagers behind them began to whisper.

"She's going to come out again.." An old man.

"Damn, can't she just kill over, or stay inside. We shouldn't have to deal with someone like her around in our village." The old man's son-in-law.

"Be grateful she doesn't go to the same field you work in everyday." The old man's pregnant daughter.

Hak spoke, not to anyone specifically, but to anyone who was listening. "There's apparently a village laughing stock." Hak felt a tug on sleeve, looking down it was Yona as she pointed towards the house again, it seemed that whatever, or whoever moved it was exitting. The group watched diligently. It was a girl, a girl who, with her back, pushed the door open. She stepped backwards, her hands full with a basket full of water. The group slow stopped moving, and breathing momentarily. It wasn't the fact that she wore a tattered, off-white dress that barely kept her covered, much less warm, or that fact that she was covered in scrapes and dirt, or that fact that she was barefoot, it was her head.

This girl was the second person they'd ever seen with bright, red, shimmering hair. Her hair was long and straight, glowing a bright crimson color. It was the ideal version of the hair Yona had yearned for in the past when she was in the palace. Her hair reached to her rear as it whipped around her body. Once she stepped outside she closed her door with her foot behind her and set her basket down. She reached up and with a string of medical bandages, tied her hair up. She let out a huff and bent her knees to pick up her basket once more as Yona unconsciously ran towards her and gained her attention.

"Um, excuse me!" The girl looked up, her golden eyes glimmering in the now appearing sun as she stared into Yona's purple ones hidden beneath her hood. She grabbed her basket and used her knees to push off the ground and hold it to her chest. The girl tilted her head and looked around, making sure Yona was talking to her, and not someone who was behind her.

"Yes? Can I.. help you?" Yona nodded as she pointed to the basket of water.

"Um, I was wondering if you wanted help, I mean, I don't know many everyday skills, so.." She came up with an idea on the fly. As sketchy as the idea sounded to the stranger she just met, she graciously smiled to Yona.

"If you truly wish to help, you don't need to make up a reason for it." The girl chuckled as Yona's face redden. She began to fidget, picking at her fingertips and bowing her head, hiding it further underneath her hood.

"I'm not making up reasons.. I really don't know how to do this stuff." The girl just smiled again as she shifted the basket to Yona holding it in front of her. Yona looked up and blinked at it. "Do you want me to carry it?" The girl shook her head.

"No, I want you to carry half of it, I'll take the other side. If you want to help, we have to share the workload right?" Yona's face lit up as she nodded. She took the side of the basket the girl offered to her as they began to walk together. Her group of comrades followed behind her, and soon enough, just stopped walking and took a seat to where she and the stranger girl were working, just watching them from afar.

The girl had taken Yona to a large area of fruit trees. She pointed out how to know which fruits to pick and when they are ready to be eaten, in this case it was apples. They picked a few then the stranger showed Yona how to properly wash them and check for bruises on the apple that may be bad. They picked them from the stem, washed them, checked them and then let them sit in the water until they had it filled. Once it was filled and she had enough, the two carried the basket back together, it was heavier than it was the first time, so two people was more than enough.

She began to walk through the small village again, but as she walked, she noticed a few boys, teenage-looking boys. She then grimaced. She took the other side of the basket from Yona, offering her a smile and looking towards Yona's friends.

"You should go back to your friends. This village isn't the nicest to travelers, but you seem like a strong group." The stranger then began to walk off as Yona went back to her group. She walked back with her arms crossed and a look on her face that scream dissatisfaction.

"I don't want to leave her alone like that. I just have this feeling.." Hak closed his eyes as he leaned on his spear. He agreed silently that she shouldn't be ignored, he could see that by the sight of her body condition, but he also offered up a good point.

"A feeling, yet you don't even know her name." Yona gasped at the realization that she indeed had no idea what the strange girl's name was. She turned around, her cloak swirling around her legs as she took off, running back to where the girl had walked off to. She ran and turned a corner when she saw the basket of apple's fallen on the ground, water spilled everywhere and the girl she spent a small amount of time with on the ground, with rocks being thrown at her. She was on the ground taking rocks and kicks with no emotion on her face, like she didn't care at all.

"Hey! Knock that off!" Yona ran to the girl's side, and the boy's stepped away as Yona helped the girl sit up. As she bent her knees to help the girl up completely, a strong gust of win had blown through the village, a wind that blew Yona's hood off her head, revealing her own bright red hair. The boy's looked at her, as did the stranger. The boy's clicked their tongues at Yona.

"She's the same as the other one, she's just as bad!" The boy who had shouted threw his leg, ready to land a kick to Yona's side but they didn't hit her. The stranger somehow, moved herself from behind to in front of Yona quickly enough to take the brunt of the kick and didn't feel another as Hak and the rest of them all stepped in and, let's just say, the boys ran with their tail between their legs.

"Are you okay?!" Yona grabbed the shoulder of the stranger and she only smiled back at her. Yona looked at her, confused and concerned. She literally took a beating and she's only smiling now. "You're.. Smiling..?" The girl merely pushed herself off the ground and patted off her already dirty dress.

She walked to her basket and began to grab the apple that had spilled and scattered. She reached for an apple when it was picked up by someone else and held in front of her face. Looking beyond it, she saw the masked boy holding the apple out to her. She smiled to him and took it, placing it in her basket. She gathered them all and stood, looking at the group.

"Thank you all, sorry for this." She looked at Hak's arm that had his clothes ripped and his arm with a few cuts. She then noticed Yun's cheek with a few scratches and finally noticed how Yona limped with her ankle. "Do you all need some medicine? I can go and gather some herbs and patch up your bandages." Yun stepped forward, taking the opportunity by change.

"We're actually low on medical supplies, so if you could that'd be great." The stranger smiled as she turned her back and began to walk off, she then stopped and turned back around to the group.

"You can stay with me tonight if you want, I don't mind but don't expect high quality living." She began walking again when Yona called out again.

"Um, your name? What is it?" The girl stopped once more, before turning all the way around, smiling again.

"Alice. My name is Alice." Yona liked that name, it fit her. She then went and introduced her group from Yun to Jeaha. "It's nice to meet you all, now let's get moving. Those injuries won't heal themselves."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First chapter with nearly 2,000 words.  XD Not too shabby if I do say so myself~