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Sheiko sighed happily and contentedly, separating from Yukei and flopping on his back lazily. There was nothing more in this world he could have asked for. Yukei and Nary snuggled up together belly to belly while Sheiko lay opposite of them. Warm as he was, he couldn't help but want to lie with them. Though he had never slept with anyone before, he imagined it would be very comforting and soothing to have another's warmth pressed against him, especially Yukei.

Sheiko shook his head. He had to let her go. He would be leaving her soon so she could be with Nary. But the more he thought about her, the more he knew that he would want her. Mating with her was fun and enjoyable, but that had to be it. Nothing more was between them. Even so, he couldn't help but to have noticed the way she mated him. The look that was in her eyes was... different. It was heart-warming and passionate, not just a friendly gaze; there was something deeper.

He couldn't simply let her go.

Sheiko shook his head again. He stood up and began walking toward the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Yukei cooed to him.

"I need to relieve myself." Truthfully, he just needed to step outside to clear his head. He couldn't stop thinking about Yukei, and having two females' scents constantly tantalizing his nostrils was almost torture.

"Would you like to watch?" he retorted smugly.

She snorted disapprovingly and nuzzled Nary. "No, you dirty male."

"There is a latrine down the tunnel to the right," Nary offered, but Sheiko would much rather go outside.

He nodded and left them. He walked through the darkness, down the confined passageway, and back into the main living area. Cold, fresh air soon greeted his nose as he stepped outside. The moon was bright and full, and the land was quiet.

He sat down, staring into the sky. Stars speckled the darkness, glinting like diamonds as they sprawled from one horizon to the other. It was beautiful. A calm serenity brushed his mind, a feeling so surreal. Sheiko felt as if he had come to the end of his journey. His goal for the past year or two had been to mate with Yukei. He accomplished that, but he realized now that he wanted so much more--someone to love him in return.

He loved her. He didn't just lust for her body anymore; he cared for her heart and soul. Before this trip, he hadn't even realized it himself. He wanted to become a part of her, so that she would be a part of him.

Sheiko grinned to himself. A better half would be pushing it... but he wanted to feel complete. He wanted the puzzle of life to simply fall into place; however, without all of the pieces, there wasn't even a puzzle to start with.

With a heartfelt sigh, Sheiko stepped to the side to relieve himself and angled his body so his stream would run off the cliffside. He emptied his bladder and walked back inside with his head hanging low.

Sheiko was about halfway back when he heard Yukei and Nary's voices. He couldn't yet understand what they were saying, but as he crept closer he could make their words out. They must not have realized how far their voices carried because he could hear that they were whispering.

"... can have hatchlings of your own," Nary finished.

"But we have Sky. She's the only hatchling I'll ever need," Yukei replied.

"He's been waiting for you, Yukei. He wants you as his mate."

"Do you not want me as your mate?"

Nary sighed. "It's not that... I can't deny that I love you. But..."

"Sheiko and I don't connect like I do with you," Yukei explained. Sheiko slunk back. He shouldn't listen to this. He didn't want to listen to this. The last time he did, he ended up being hurt. He didn't want to hurt like that again.

"No!" Nary suddenly growled.

Sheiko jerked his head back. He had never heard an ounce of anger from Nary before.

"I won't let you do this to him! I saw how you mated him. I saw that look in your eyes and the way your body moved. You love him, but yet you're about to abandon all of that. And for what, a female whom you've only known for a year?" Nary's voice lowered back to a whisper, even quieter than before.

"Do you even realize what you are doing to him?"

"Yes," was Yukei's meek reply. "But he wants me to be with you."

"Yukei... he would do anything for you, no matter the toll on him."

"I know that... but, Nary, I love you. You would do the same thing." Yukei's voice was beginning to break. Sheiko could tell that she was crying. "I love him too, but... both of you tell me to be with the other! It's an impossible choice to make!"

Tears began to well in his eyes too. He needed to leave. He needed to leave Yukei so she could be with Nary. She shouldn't have to choose, and Sheiko didn't want her to. He would decide for her.

He nearly sprinted out of the cave while violently blinking through tears, his claws scraping the stone recklessly until he leapt off the cliffside. His wings shot out and caught the wind as he propelled himself forward. Home. He headed home.

It felt like the world was spinning around his head, slowly dragging him down from the skies. He had to fight to stay up. Nary's words echoed in his mind: "He would do anything for you, no matter the toll."

He flapped his wings harder and faster until they ached and burned. With a loud, somber roar, Sheiko cursed the uncaring skies. Yukei's joy was all that mattered to him. He would gladly live without her, even if it meant he would never see her again, to secure her happiness. Nary was right.

Sheiko flew and flew until dawn broke out across the eastern horizon ahead of him. The sun was bright, piercing through the small clouds that had formed. A hazy fog covered the land. His head throbbed, his heart raced, his lungs burned, and his wings ached painfully. It wouldn't be long before he dropped out of the sky from exhaustion.

He angled himself down, gliding toward a hill. His wings could hardly stay open, threatening to fold backward the entire way down. He nearly crashed head-first into the side of the hill, but managed to land on his paws and roll painfully to a stop.

Sheiko gasped for air. Pain filled his mind and trembling body, refusing to let him rest for even a moment. He fought to stay awake, but he could not prevail. He couldn't even stand. He passed out where he laid, his body finally giving in to weakness.

When he regained consciousness, his limbs were stiff and sore, and his head vibrated with a splitting headache, and the daylight didn't help. He struggled to stand up and stretch. Pain shot through his body instantly from head to tail. He growled and bore through it.

The sun was directly overhead, but puffy cumulus clouds obscured most of its light. Darker wall clouds gathered in the distance, far in the east. Sheiko cursed. Frontal winds would soon be buffeting against him, making his journey home even more difficult. If that wasn't enough, who knew how strong of a storm it would be. He couldn't fly through lightning lest he be struck down and killed.

Sheiko longingly looked back. He couldn't even see the mountains anymore. There were no giant trees or pines, just oaks, maples, and birches. He wondered how far he had flown. Everything from earlier seemed like a distant memory that passed before he could get his claws around it. And for the first time ever, he felt lonely.

What would he do when he returned home? He had friends other than Yukei, but it had been nearly a year since he last saw them. They could all have mates by now with no time for him. He had Yukei's brother to take care of, and that would be a challenge in itself. Ayrah was still young, under his parents' wings. It would be awkward for a friend of Yukei's to come around almost every day. But Sheiko would do it for her.

Sheiko grimaced and leapt into the skies. He had to make some distance today, and now would be the best time before the storm hit. His wings strained and his body complained agonizingly, but he was soon at the pinnacle of his climb. It was easy flying for now.

Then, he heard something behind him that crashed into his sore body before he could even turn around and look. With a painful yelp, Sheiko found himself falling. Through his tear-soaked eyes, he could see light-blue scales wrapping around him, wings torn open, struggling and flapping to slow their descent. Yukei.

She held onto him tightly, crying out with pain and refusing to let go. They were sent crashing through the forest, breaking trees and limbs before they collided with the forest floor. Sheiko hit the ground hard and rolled to a stop away from Yukei. He groaned with pain, struggling to move.

Through clenched teeth, he hissed, "What were you thinking!?"

Yukei managed to stand up after several tries. Her limbs were trembling violently. One wing drooped limply at her side, listless and broken. Sheiko's breath caught and his heart lurched. What was even more terrifying than seeing her in pain, was seeing that fiery gaze burning into his soul.

"What were you thinking!" she returned viciously.

"Yukei..." Sheiko stood up, bracing himself on a tree. He didn't quite understand what had come over her or why she was so upset. He hobbled over to her. She must have flown just as long and fast as he had, if not faster. She was in a lot of pain, visible and invisible.

As soon as he was in front of her, she suddenly struck his head with and open paw. Sheiko cried out and fell, seeing stars circling his vision. Warm blood trickled down his face where her claws caught his flesh.

Yukei fell down too with a moan of pain. Her breathing was quick, ragged, and heavy. "You... You left me... you stupid idiot. I was... so worried."

Sheiko's heart drummed, beating like a hammer in his chest. He crawled to her. She shut her eyes, and he wasn't sure if she passed out or not. Either way, he wanted to comfort her somehow. He lay next to her, her back against his belly, and hugged her. Her scales were cold. Sheiko whimpered and nuzzled her cheek. Some of his blood dripped on her.

"Why would you do this? Why are you here?" Tears streamed down his sunken face. He curled up with her, wrapping himself around the dragoness' cold body. She was unconscious, and her body was shivering violently. Sheiko didn't know what to do. He worried and panicked.

Rain began falling from the grey skies, droplets pattering on the leaves until they dripped on Sheiko and Yukei. Sheiko extended his wings as far as he could over Yukei, protecting her from the cold rain. It would only make her condition worse.

He felt as if the gods were toying with him. The rain was soon pouring down as the wind picked up, ripping through the forest. Sheiko whimpered, trying to shroud Yukei with his warmth. Half of his body was on top of her. He even wedged a wing under her so she didn't lie completely on the cold, wet ground. The chilling rain fell on his grey scales and the wind blew against him. Thankfully, the wind wasn't nearly as strong this deep in the forest.

Then the lightning came with roaring thunder echoing after. Bright streaks illuminated the darkness that now cloaked the land in shadow. Sheiko shivered and began to cry, burying his snout in Yukei's neck. He wanted this nightmare to be over.

"I've failed at the only thing I could do," he whispered. "I'm sorry, Yukei." He was weak, cold, numb, and scared. He could no longer provide her warmth. What would he do if she died? What if he died? Sheiko tried to dismiss those thoughts, but they haunted him like a reoccurring sickness. He clutched her body tightly, refusing to ever let go. Whatever warmth remained inside of him, he would gladly give to her. If it meant that he died and she lived, then that was all he wanted.

Sheiko suddenly felt sleepy. His body felt as if it was bound to the ground and sinking slowly. His head swam with incomprehensible thoughts. He growled and clenched his teeth, fighting to stay awake. He fought for what seemed like hours. He fought against himself and the cold and the storm until the clouds faded and the sunlight pierced through the canopy. He saw the light and saw hope.

Sheiko shifted, his limbs stiff and sore, and climbed off of Yukei. Her light-blue scales looked paler than normal as light shined down on her. He noticed that his grey scales were also lighter than their usual color. And he had dry blood caked on the side of his face.

The sun's rays were warm and reassuring. The last few drops of rain fell, and soon the entire world seemed to blossom. The birds were soon beginning to sing again, and the insects were chirping. The forest was coming back to life with the opening of the sky.

Sheiko trembled and groaned, struggling to stand even with renewed vigor. He took a few steps and moved around until he could feel his limbs again. The ground was wet and soggy beneath his paws. With a victorious grin, he returned to Yukei and nuzzled her. He whispered her name a few times, hoping that she would wake up.

And she did.

Yukei opened an eye and winced, a painful groan quickly following. Sheiko grinned gleefully and nuzzled her even more with a few loving licks.

"Get off me," she grumbled, and Sheiko obliged, taking a step back. She noticed the blood on his face. "You look like a wreck."

"You're not so bad yourself." Both of them looked like they had been wrestling in the dirt. Their scales were covered in grime from the fall, but only on the bottom half of their bodies where the rain didn't touch.

Yukei hissed, moving her broken wing that lay flat on her side. She glared at him angrily with her teeth bared. "This is your fault!"

Sheiko frowned. They both nearly died and that was the first thing she complained about. "You're the one that decided to tackle me mid-flight!"

"If I hadn't, you would have run from me!" she growled and shook her head. "I can't believe you did that. Of all the stupid and irresponsible things you've done..." A more somber look replaced her angry glare as she looked sadly at him. "You didn't even say goodbye."

"Is this why you chased me down and nearly killed us? To say goodbye?" Sheiko pressed firmly. Anger broiled inside of him. Did she disregard everything that just happened? "Did you decide that I should have to say goodbye and wish you well with someone else?"

Yukei growled in return. "That's not it, Sheiko!"

"Then what is it if it's not to rub it in my face?" Sheiko snarled irritably. He was sick of being played with.

"Sheiko!" Yukei hissed, meeting his fierce glare. But then she winced and coughed, lowering her head, and Sheiko saw the splatter of his blood on the back of her head. He knew that was his blood from when she had struck him earlier, but why? His emotions softened, though his expression did not.

"Why did you hit me before?" he asked.

"Because you're an ass!"

Sheiko realized how thoughtless he was and felt a pit forming in his stomach. She was unconscious and didn't realize how close they were to dying. "Did you come here to say goodbye?"

"No."

"Then why?"

"To say I love you," she responded confidently.

"What?"

"I'm not going to leave you. I won't ever leave you again. I want to be your mate."

Sheiko was baffled and dumbstruck. Those were the words that he had always wanted to hear, but he just couldn't believe them. "What about Nary?"

"She is a very close friend, but she is not my mate. We agreed to go our separate ways."

"So that you can be with me?"

She nodded her head.

"Yukei..." Sheiko was left speechless.

"Come closer," she said. Sheiko stepped forward and lowered his head, and she pulled him closer until their lips touched. Her beautiful green-blue eyes lovingly gazed into his. Everything that had just transpired seemed pointless to him now. All that mattered was here and now.

She whispered, "I love you, Sheiko," and kissed him. Sheiko closed his eyes, suddenly finding his maw locked with hers while their tongues met and entwined tenderly. This kiss reminded him of the first time they mated. It was passionate, filled with lust, and it meant the world to him. This was a kiss between mates. He wasn't sure how long they kissed, but one thing soon led to another.

After the kiss ended, Sheiko's tongue traced down her neck, slowly, tenderly, and affectionately. He brushed his snout lightly over her scales. Their bodies moved instinctively despite their injuries. Sheiko didn't care about any fits of pain, and neither did Yukei. They felt free.

She rolled onto her back, her legs open for Sheiko. He pressed against her, tying with her at the hips. She rocked back and forth with his stirring motions, gently grasping and holding his body against her. She cooed and moaned her pleasure, taking every smooth drive of his hips. Sheiko was gentle and soft, making love to his mate delicately while panting softly. It was a rhythmic dance between two lovers, a reeling, pleasureful trip.

Neither of them lasted for very long, but the release meant everything. It was the greatest feeling in the world, unmatched even by the threesome. Mating with Yukei as a mate stimulated so many more feelings that Sheiko's emotions rushed from him like a river. When his seed entered her body from his loins, the sun seemed to only shine on the two of them. Everything was perfect. Life was perfect. Warmth filled Sheiko's fluttering heart while his silvery eyes gazed lovingly into Yukei's.

Someone loved him back.

They kissed again, lost in their own blissful world. Yukei's body was warm again, pressing against his own. But the matter of their injuries was soon gnawing at his mind, tearing him away from their peaceful world. He broke away from the kiss and smiled affectionately.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"We fly back home, of course," she replied.

"Your wing, Yukei."

She grimaced and sighed. "Oh... yeah."

"We should try to wrap your wing up."

"I want to get cleaned up first and get some water. There's mud and dirt all over me... did it rain?" she asked, sniffing and looking around.

Sheiko chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. Of course she had slept through all of that. He nodded. "I don't know where a source of water is, and I don't want to leave you here."

Yukei clambered up on to her paws, struggling and wincing with pain. "Then we better start walking."

"Yukei..." It pained him to see her hurt like that. It was unsettling.

She faintly grinned at him and said, "I'm fine. Besides, if we don't start walking now, it's going to be ages before we get back home."

"You mean for us to walk all the way back?" Sheiko asked with uncertainty.

"What else are we going to do?"

"But Yukei... your wing." It was drooping at her side, but it was at least not dragging on the ground.

"That's why we're walking. Where else will we go? We're already halfway across the island in the middle of nowhere, and it'd make no sense to return to Nary."

Sheiko shook his head. "Let's go find water. We'll worry about our journey home after that. For now..." He trailed off and ripped a coiling vine from a tree, quickly removing most of its appendages until it was a smooth rope. "Let's try to hold up your wing with this."

With surprising dexterity, Sheiko managed to wrap the vine around Yukei's body and tie it so that her wing rested comfortably and still against her back. It was a sore process for her, but she bared her fangs and held strong.

Then, they began their journey east. It was almost painful to walk at first, but they trudged on, and it became easier the farther they went. Yukei and Sheiko walked side by side, stepping over fallen trees and through thick brush, and traversing around rocky hills.

"What did Nary say before you left?"

"We didn't get a chance to say much, since someone decided to run off," she teased.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"But we had our moment. She was happy that we could be together. She told me not to worry about her..."

"But you do?"

"Yes. She may seem like an upbeat dragon, but there's so much more to her beneath the surface."

Sheiko nodded in understanding. "We'll visit her when we can."

"And you won't be jealous if we have a little fun?" she asked smugly.

He smirked craftily. "As long as I get to watch or participate!"

"We'll see about that," she responded.

Sheiko decided to take a moment to fly up on top of one of the giant hills. He carefully landed on top and gazed over the horizon, looking for any source of fresh water. He spotted a winding break in the trees that wound through the forest like a snake--a river. He returned to Yukei and told her of the news.

"It's maybe about an hour away."

"Good. I don't think my feet can take much more of this walking," she said with distaste.

Sheiko shook off his paws of some accumulated grime and continued east. "I've never walked so far before."

"I'm surprised you're not complaining as much as you do when we're flying," she commented. "You're usually having a fit."

"There're more pressing things on my mind at the moment," he responded.

Yukei looked at him thoughtfully. "You've changed a lot in the last few days."

Sheiko smirked. "You think so?"

"But you still have that same stupid grin," she jested.

He chuckled lightly. "Well, I have a mate now. I have more to consider than just myself."

A small moment of observant silence passed between them, giving Yukei time to think. "You've never only been concerned for yourself, Sheiko. You've always cared about others. You've always cared about me, and you've always put my wants and desires before yours."

Sheiko paused, coming to a halt. He looked at her happily with a big, toothy grin. "And I won't ever stop." He nuzzled her cheek affectionately, giving her a quick lick. "Even if you are a pain in the ass."

Yukei hissed playfully and slapped his rear with her tail. He trotted away, laughing spiritedly. "That's what I should be saying to you!" She chased after him, careful to avoid hurting her injured wing.

Sheiko laughed brightly with a joyful smile across his muzzle. He was glad to see nothing had really changed between them. Even though they had a long journey ahead, they had each other. They were still the same good friends they used to be, but now they were mates, and that was all he had ever wanted--someone to share love with.

Yukei was that someone.