[MDZS] The Dragon and the Fox

Runaway Wei Ying

As spring time rolled around, the poor fox had grown so bored, he couldn't stand it. Even though he was able to play with Yuan in the afternoon, he had nothing to do the rest of the day. He decided one day to take matters into his own hands.

It was a bad idea.

Lan Zhan had always kept a close eye on the fox. He never would allow for the other out of his sight for even a moment. It was wearing on the poor fox. All the other wanted to do was escape the everyday, ever watchful gaze of the dragon. Now, however, Lan Zhan had grown laxed in his watch over the young fox and no longer considered Wei Ying to want to escape.

Wei Ying didn't feel the same way. He wanted to leave Cloud Recesses for a while. He didn't care how the dragon felt. Well...he did. The dragon didn't care about the fox's feelings though - or so he thought.

Lan Zhan, in fact, did care very deeply for Wei Ying and how the young fox felt. He was only being his overly protective and possessive self, afraid of losing his precious fox once more. He didn't know how else to keep the fox around. It wasn't like Wei Ying would have escaped to begin with.

Wei Ying thought for a moment. If he were to escape right then and there, he might actually make it out without a hitch. Then again, knowing how the dragon was, he might not even make it to the border without the other noticing. He sighed. He needed a plan - a very well thought and drawn out plan. If Lan Zhan were to catch wind of the fox's escape, there was no telling what the dragon would do to him.

He sighed once more and closed his eyes. He might as well give up. In the end, it would be the same result. He would be found and dragged back to Cloud Recesses to be punished. There was a part of Wei Ying that wished Lan Zhan hadn't found him, and part of himself that was overjoyed with being found by the other. He couldn't decide which feeling was stronger - his fear or his happiness. After all, the fox had dark powers he was hiding from everyone. The only one who knew of them was Lan Zhan.

Maybe Lan Zhan was so protective of him because of it? Wei Ying considered the answer to the question. Maybe. Then again, maybe not. It was something he should inquire of the other but didn't dare to - didn't want to. He didn't wish to place the others in danger. Nor did he wish for trouble upon anyone. He simply wanted to live in peace and quiet.

Having come to a conclusion, the fox decided it was best for him to leave. After all, he was a trouble maker. No one really liked him. They all pitied him, only helping him because of their guilty consciences. Everyone would be happier without him...Right?

He soon would find out just how wrong he was.

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Lan Zhan sat with his brother, Xichen, having tea and chatting about this, that and the other thing. The younger dragon wasn't really listening though. His mind was returning to Wei Ying before the fox decided to do something he shouldn't.

Xichen was in the middle of speaking on the many arts there were and their importance within a culture when Lan Zhan stood and bowed. "Am sorry, Brother. Must return to Wei Ying now."

Xichen smiled knowingly but with concern. His little brother had been overly protective and possessive of the young fox as of late. He wondered if something major had happened. He may be able to see glimpses of the future, but that's all they were - glimpses. He never could see a full picture or an entire event. Therefore, he didn't even know about the latest events between Lan Zhan and Wei Ying. He nodded his understanding. "Alright, Wangji. If that's what you must do, then go do it. We can continue this discussion later."

Discussion. It wasn't much of one. It was more like Xichen babbling on and on about nonsensical things like art. It wasn't anything Lan Zhan cared to hear, but he would sit and listen out of politeness for hours to his brother's ramblings.

Lan Zhan hurried back to the Jingshi, hoping and praying Wei Ying was still there. He swung open the door to find an empty room. He grew scared, his heart racing with the thought of Wei Ying possibly having taken off on his own or worse: that the young fox had been kidnapped. He ran to the back veranda and sighed with relief when he found the fox boy sitting in the sun, sleeping. The dragon decided to leave him for a while. After all, Wei Ying was relaxing.

Lan Zhan left to go fetch food for the young fox. He sat the food on the table and called for the other. "Wei Ying." There was no answer, however, and he began to wonder if maybe the fox was still sleeping. He peaked outside and froze.

Wei Ying was gone.

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Wei Ying had left a clone of himself sleeping on the veranda. He only hoped and prayed it lasted long enough for him to escape far away from there before the dragon noticed anything. The fox needed to escape. He couldn't place anyone else in danger. After all, he's the reason all those dogmen died that day. He's the reason the Jiangs died. He certainly would be the reason Lan Zhan dies should that time ever come. Wei Ying would make certain it never did.

He'd had enough of death.

He only wished he'd never been born with his dark powers - that he had never developed them - that he never hurt anyone, and no one died because of them. A never ending cycle of death. That's all it was ever going to be.

Master Jiang Fengmian had help to seal away the dark powers, but now that he was dead, there was nothing left restraining them. Wei Ying had a difficult time controlling them. There were people after him - ones who wished to have the dark powers for themselves. The poor fox didn't know why, nor did he understand why his powers were so desirable.

Then it hit him. That other fox! That one tailed fox was also a wielder of the dark powers! Only he could control them where Wei Ying couldn't. Maybe he was serious about what he'd said when he'd spoken to Wei Ying before about wanting to help him. He would need to find out. Only, he needed to find him first.

That's just what Wei Ying did.