The Light In The Darkness

Tonight

Shin-ah's POV

I stare up at the night sky admiring the the millions of stars in the sky. The view never ceases to amaze me. I feel a light weight lean against my arm. Looking over I'm met with the beautiful sight of a girl with long shimmering silver hair with the stars dancing in her eyes sitting next to me. She turns to look at me giving me a big cheeky smile. Without saying anything she climbs in my lap facing me. She smiles down at me as she gently removes my mask. I don't feel the need to hide my eyes from her when she finally removes it. I know she isn't afraid of me or my dragon eyes.
The tips of her soft fingers dance across the marking on my cheek. She's gentle as she cups the side of my face. Our eyes sharing the intense feelings we have for one another. She leans in slow connecting our lips in a sweet kiss. My hands find there way up her smooth legs to grip at her hips through soft fabric. I moan deeply as our lips begin to move against one another. I don't know why I miss this feeling when it's happening right now but it's a deep ache in my chest. She pulls away, a sad look moving over her features. Seeing her like that makes the ache in my heart all the more unbearable.
"I miss you..." she whispers out, tears pooling in her crystal blue eyes.
"I miss you too!" I speak out frantic. I grip at her desperately as the feeling of her slipping away from me washes over me. I try to kiss her again but it feels like my lips are touching air. I panic as she begins to fade in my arms.
"Come save me....please!" She quietly pleads
" I will! I promise I'll save you!" I grasp at nothing as she begins to disappear into the night. The only thing I can see of her is her tear stained smile as she finally dissipates before me.
"Blue..."
"TSUKI!" I yell sitting up from my apparent sleep. I breathe heavily as the reality sets back in and I can take in my surroundings. Everyone is startled awake at my out burst but soon realize the cause of my shock. They all give me a look of sadden sympathy as they remember the girl we had to leave behind that night.
"Blue dragon? Are you..." Gija begins to question but I leave the tent in need of fresh air to clear my head.
Emerging from the large tent I assess that it's early morning. I begin to head for the stream not so far away from our camp. I take a moment to splash the cool water on my face hoping this would wake me up from what I was wishing was just another nightmare. But when I wipe away the water she's still not here.
" shin-ah!" I hear Yona calling from behind me as not to startle me. She has Ao on her shoulder as they approach me next to the stream. Ao jumps into my arms when she's close enough too. I rub her little head and gift her with an almond I found along the way. I smile down at my little friend as she enjoys her breakfast.
"Yun told me you had another nightmare this morning ...... are you okay?" She places a comforting hand on my arm. I nod my head not really feeling much for words at the moment.
"Don't worry Shin-ah! We'll find her soon! We're getting so close I can feel it! After ..... well after we found Li Tai...and he told us what he knew.... he gave us the name of the person she's hopefully with now! And we already made it to the territory we think she's in!"
I grit my teeth at hearing the name Li Tai. That sick twisted monster. When we finally tracked him down to his estate it's was horrendous what we saw he was doing to his current slave. But when he started talking about all the awful things he did to the girl with silver hair I lost control.
I killed him.
But not before he told us who he sold Her to next.
"Come on Shin-ah! Let's get ready! Lord Arai is having the villages hold a parade for him today! This is our chance to get a look at him and see what really going on! Maybe we'll get some new leads about Tsuki as well!" She grabs my hand as she leads me back to camp. Her attempts to cheer me up causing a small smile to cross my face. I give her a nod as I follow behind her.

>>>Time skip>>>>

We're at the so called parade for the reigning lord of these lands, but I would hardly call it a happy festivity. The people are just lined up against the street with dark gloomy looks on their faces. But I will admit it's very crowded. Me and the rest of the group are taking up an ally way completely concealed in our cloaks. We try to blend in as much as possible. As the parade begins there is a marching band and soldiers leading the parade. Then assumedly members of the Higher Nobility. Then we see Lord Arai himself being carried in an opened litter. It's was draped with a sheer red material so you could see him but not see to much detail in his face. But I could.
"I can't get a good look at him!" Yun complains as he struggles to see over the crowd
"Shin-ah can you see anything?.......shin-ah?..........Shin-ah what's wrong?" Yona questions but I don't even hear her. I don't hear anything. Just the sound of my heart thumping wildly in chest. I rip off my mask letting it clang against the stone ground needing to make sure this isn't a dream and I'm seeing things clearly.
There sitting behind Arai is a breathtakingly beautiful girl wearing a foreign two piece dress. Her face is is covered with a thin translucent grey cloth. Her eyes are downcast as she's paraded through the streets not daring to make eye contact with the gloomy people of this village. Around her neck is a giant metal collar connected to a short chain that's wrapped loosely in Arai's hand. One thing I can't miss about this girl is her impossibly long shining silver hair.
"Ts...Tsuki..." I whisper out in shock. Before I know it I've stepped into the crowd trying to follow after the beautiful girl. I push pass people as I try to keep up with the litter carrying her away.
"Tsuki!" I call for her slightly louder as I desperately shove my way through the crowd.
"Tsuki!!" Shes getting further away as it's getting harder to cut through the crowd. My heart slamming against my chest as I think about seeing the silver haired girl again and holding her again.
"TSUKI!!" I scream for her once more over the sound of the marching drums and instruments. It must have caught her ears because her head shoots up as she scans the crowd a hopeful but confused look on her face. She grabs on to one of the pillars sitting up to look into the crowd more closely. Happy she heard me I'm about to call for her one more time until a hand snaps over my mouth pulling me back into the crowd. For the briefest second her eyes scan over me as she searches hopelessly for whoever called her name. In that briefest second I saw the girl I grew up with, that I spent all my time with, the girl that accepted me, and loved me without fear, the girl that saved me, the girl I was forced to leave behind a year ago. It's was Tsuki! I watch as her lips begin to call out a name. I can't hear her but I know what she's saying and I know who she's calling for. With a yank of a chain she brought back down against the carriage floor. Her eyes immediately losing that hopeful spark in them as she's brought back to her lonely reality. It drives me crazy!
I begin to fight against the hold stopping me from reuniting with her again. I fight hard wanting nothing more than to break her free from those chains and embrace her so tightly never letting her go again.
"I'm so sorry shin-ah but this is not the time we get her back! Remember the plan! I promise you, she will be back in your arms by tonight just please wait a little longer." I hear Jaeha in my ear trying to talk me down. My heavy breaths slowly become normal again as I calm down. When I notice what's going on around me it seems it took everyone to hold me back.
"We're sorry shin-ah! Just please be patient for a couple of more hours." Yona apologizes with tears in her eyes. As she looks up from her position from trying to keep me still.
"Okay..... I'll wait.." I give her a pat on the head to show her I've calmed down. Everyone takes a sigh of relief as they all release me. We begin to make our way back, to go over the plan once more. I take one finally longing look at the girl cursing all the obstacles in our way. I readjust my mask and follow after my friends.

Tonight! I will save you tonight!