A/N - Soooo, I decided to write in my Inter. College Algebra class and then added a bit to a piece I have had written for a looooooong time to give you guys not only another chapter today, but a longer one.  I hope it doesn't get to confusing, and if it does, at the very end, I'ma have a really solid, easy explanation. XD Again, it's just because of my stupid writing style can be really hard to follow for my inability to convey what I'm imagining into words.  Anyways, here's another update annnnnnnd

ENJOY~!!!

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Yun, Hak and Yona all stared out into the distance as well. Zeno, who was oddly serious for himself, shifted his gaze to Shin-ah. He was hidden under his mask, as per usual, but something in the way his line drawn mouth was, made it seem like he was on edge. He was scanning everywhere around that area. He was curious about that dragon, and he was also worried around Alice. That's when he caught something, just a glimpse, but it was enough to get him and the rest of them started.

"I see something." He pointed out with his gloved hands, his finger pointing in the area he was facing. The other dragons wanted nothing more than to go, including Shin-ah. It felt like a need to go, not just a want. It was something that pulled him towards the presence, something that he yearned for so much he felt like it would keep his breath rolling in and out of him. The other's must surely feel the same.

"Let's go." Shin-ah's gaze stayed on the horizon, while everyone else looked back to Yona. She was looking out over the wildlife just as Shin-ah, only a smile was slightly pulled across her face. She shifted her violet eyes to everyone else's gaze. "For some reason, I feel like I need to go. If there's another dragon's presence, it just seems wrong to leave them." She brought her hands to her chest before walked to stay behind Shin-ah, placing one hand on his shoulder and bending her knees to look into his mask. "I feel like Alice might be there too, I don't know why, but it my guts is saying that's what we need to do."

Shin-ah nodded slowly and silently, then the rest of the group soon understood. Yun sighed, but was secretly grateful for the chance to go, and hak just smirked at Yona's leadership skills and had decided to follow her anywhere. The dragon's felt the same way as Shin-ah did, and they were ready to go, whether Yona and the other two follow or not.

It wasn't long before the group was running towards the feeling pulling at their chests. The dragons took to the front of the group, while Hak followed, with him tailing behind everyone to make sure everyone stays safe. Shin-ah's eyes began to widen as he ran because through the tree, he kept getting more and more glimpses of the color of red, and occasionally a hint of blonde. The movement between the colors were also very noticeable.

"Alice." His voice was very quiet, however, Kija ran next to him, and heard what he had muttered. He looked at Shin-ah then he nodded to himself more than anything and shouted over his shoulder.

"The dragon's presence is close by! Not much farther now!" Pushing past bushes, running through leaves, around tree and bushes, soon they reached a large clearing that opened into the valley like canyon. They kept running with the change of scenery becoming rubble and rock, and soon turned a sharp corner and from the front of the group to the back, everyone skidded to an abrupt halt. Shin-ah nearly growled at the sight he was forced to see.

"Glad to see everyone could make it." A voice of a man. The same man Shin-ah loathed most out of every human alive and on the planet. The blonde man with his hair tied back and his multi colored eyes stood with his hands behind his back and a smirk on his face. He looked directly to Shin-ah and then to Yona as she glared back at him.

"Princess, the dragon's presence is right on top of us." Yona looked to Kija then back to the man in black. He wore fairly nice clothing so someone with such a sadistic smile. Behind him was two large boulders and he then closed his eyes and took a few steps to his side, showing off the one other object that was hidden behind him. Shin-ah's eyes hardened as he glared through his mask and Yona wanted nothing more than to rush forward to her friend.

"Alice!" 

The kind and gentle Alice who had never appeared violent, was being tied up with chains, rubbing her flesh and burning her body. Her kimono was replaced with a thin piece of cloth that wrapped around her chest just long enough to cover her torso, her hair covering the rest of her bare body in her crouched position. She was weighed down with giant boulders attached to her shackles and a mask was placed on her face to stop her voice and block her vision. She looked like she had been in a prison for years. Lucille clicked his tongue as he spoke down to the crimsonette on the ground, just loud enough for the four dragons, Yona, Yun, and Hak to hear.

"How does it feel, being chained up once again? You escaped once, you won't do it again. You were just a child back then, merely slipping through our grasp. Now we've developed, we've strengthened everything, you can't get away from us now demon." Alice's long hair that covered her masked fell further forward as she folded in on herself. Lucille grimaced as he reached down and forcefully grabbed a fist ful of her blood-red locks, lifting her upper body off the ground, her knees hovering above the dirt. She breathed heavily through her nose as the pain raced through her scalp.

"You act all innocent, but as soon as the eyes of these people are opened, they'll know what you really are. What you're really like and what you're capable of, what you have done, and what you will do." He received over a hard knock in the face with the top of Alice's head. He dropped her hair as her knees fell onto the rocks and dirt beneath her, her body slumped forward a bit as she heard the grunts of the man. He held his nose as he glared at her form back on the ground. From his side, a shout sounded, the voice of a young girl.

"Why are you doing this to her? She never did anything wrong! She was misunderstood, just because of her looks! That's horrible!" The man looked to Yona who had yelled at him and Alice's body shifted as she raised her head somewhat. He smirked as he moved his hand from his face, some blood trickled from his nose, seeping between his lips and his tongue tasted the metallic taste of his own blood. He then turned towards Alice and ripped off her face mask. Alice gasped at the sudden movement. Her eyes opened and took a moment to adjust, then when they did all they saw was the surprised expressions on her friends faces. She then began to panic.

"Does THIS look like a face of someone 'misunderstood'?! She's a monster, someone who shouldn't even be alive. We should've killed you long ago, but you made us chase you because you ran and hid. Hid away in a small village where everyone resented you, I bet you wished you had died, I'm surprised you didn't kill anyone, much less yourself." Alice's golden eyes resembled that of a snake's, large irises and one single black thin slit in the center where the pupil would lay. They seemed to faintly glow as her teeth adored small fangs and scales crept their way up onto her cheek bones. She seemed like a whole different person. She then spoke up.

"Please, you all need to leave. Leave before something happens, something that I can't fix." Alice pleaded as she lowered her head. She didn't want to be seen like this. She kept chanting a single phrase in her head. 'I refuse to be labeled a monster, I don't want to kill anymore people.. I didn't mean to back then.. I....' She quickened her breathing, trying hard to concentrate every ounce of her will into her actions and mind.

"We aren't leaving." A cool voice spoke out and Alice's head shot up, viewing Shin-ah, reaching behind him to grip the hilt of his sword. Everyone else nodded and followed suit, grabbing their weapons, even Yun who wasn't a fighter, dug around in his bag and pulled out a small batch of acupuncture needles. Yona had her bow, Hak his spear, Jeaha his knifes, Gija unraveled his claws, and Zeno stood at the ready. Lucille sighed as he raised his hand in the air. The bushes rattled as the sound of footsteps sounded and soon the group was surrounded by a group of armed men with tubes at their mouths, loaded with poison darts. Alice's eyes widened as she jerked at her chains, the boulders holding her down sliding slightly.

"Should you decide to fight back, it will be your last action, that'd be a real shame. Losing such able men, 4 dragons and a princess. What a loss indeed. All that for a price of one little demon girl. How could you live with yourself." He asked Alice mockingly, she merely spit up at him in response.

"You can go to hell for all I care, but you'd better not hurt them in the slightest. I'd have to go to some drastic measures should you do anything other than stand down." Alice glared up at the man she had known for a long time. Her friends were shocked to hear such a thick, threatening voice come from the girl who was always so kind and gentle.

"Your words have no power here." Alice shifted again, the boulders dragging as the man lowered his hand. "Open fire." It all seemed to happen in an instant. Shin-ah's eyes couldn't even catch the scene as dirt was soon surround the area. Alice's shackles shattered, a crater was created from where she once sat, the view looking like something powerful either just landed or took off, and a thick cloud of dirt and earth surrounded the area. The group of dragons and friends were all suddenly slammed against one another as they were surrounded by something large and thick. It felt scaley and cool to the touch. Once the dust settled down they were released slightly and they were see that they were being caged in by something.

A loud roar sounded, that when the group all looked up. Defending them was a giant, serpent style dragon. It's scales were a crimson blood-red shade and it snarled and sneered at Lucille. He stepped back as he then tripped into the crater created by Alice. The Dragon unwound itself from the group and stalked towards the man. The group stumbled forward in their freedom and saw around them the men all on the ground, more than likely dead. Once Lucille was backed up to a boulder he clung to it as the dragon came to his face, breathing heavily and glaring into his eyes. The dragon then raised it's head and roared in his face, the sound and fear he felt was enough to send him into a solid unconscious state. The dragon turned around and made eye contact with Shin-ah.

His eyes widened beneath his mask as he lowered his sword before placing it back into its sheath on his back. Aoi, who was hiding in a nearby bush ran forward and began to prance on the dragon's paw. The dragon's head lowered and seemed to nuzzle the small forest animal as Aoi only mewled in response. The dragon looked back up as Shin-ah called to it.

"Come here, Alice." Shin-ah held out his hand to the dragon as it visibly backed away before slowly striding to his hand. He slowly and steadily reached out further and began to stroke the long muzzle of the creature before it brought it's head to Shin-ah's chest. He stroked through its mane and gazed at it's long horn atop its head. Yona had made he way beside Shin-ah and began to pet at the dragon too.

"No wonder, I always felt so drawn to you, not because you were a dragon warrior, but rather you were a true dragon." The rest of the group was still analyzing the situation as Shin-ah spoke to her again.

"Can you change back?" Alice looked to him, his eyes boring into the gentle eyes of Alice's dragon form. She backed away as their was a gust of wind and once it settled a naked Alice stood before them. She crossed her arms over her chest and had her back to the group. Her hair was long enough to cover her rear at least. She shook, not with chill but with fear. Yona quickly undid her cloak and ran over to Alice, draping it around her frail, bare skinned, frame. Alice looked up to her as Yona lead her back to the group with a warm smile on her face. She stopped walking as Alice stood before Shin-ah. She pulled the cloak around her more and averted her gaze.

"Listen-" She could hardly utter a single word before Shin-ah crashed into her form. He held her to him like if he didn't she'd run off, and get too far for him to reach her. His breath tickled her neck as it brushed her long locks slightly and her eyes were wide as they flooded with tears and they spilled out as he tightened her grip on the girl. He was never one for physical contact, but just now he was scared. He was frightened that maybe the girl he loved was far out of his reach, and he didn't want to accept that. Just knowing that she came back to him, he felt so much relief, it began to overflow and seep out of his body through his actions. This was the secret she kept from him when he told her his feelings, and this was why she was suffering so much.

"Thank you. For coming back Alice." Alice's eyes closed as she cried and clung to Shin-ah. He pulled away soon and Yona, with teary eyes, gave Alice a hug as well. Zeno gave her a giant bear hug, Yun playfully scolded her for frightening him, Jeaha flirted and shot a cheesy pick up line to her, Gija expressed his gratitude and how impressed he was with her and Hak merely teased her by ruffling her hair. She smiled and laughed, Shin-ah did as well as he watched her. Even Aoi climbed up on Alice by her cloak and began to nuzzle her cheek.