A Dragon's Love (Young Justice)

Jem And Tula

"I can't believe we just did a solid for Lex Luthor." Red states as we walk out of the building. "Not for Luthor, for peace. Beyond that, if Ra's and the League of Shadows wanted to sabotage the summit, the signing of the treaty renders their contract moot. It is over." "Is it?" Red questions.

"I heard what Sportsmaster said. Do you really think there's a mole on your team feeding him intel?" "I cannot rule out the possibility. I will investigate, quietly." Kaldur says. "Not tell the team?" I ask. "I do not want the unit unraveling over baseless suspicions. And if there is a mole, I have no wish to tip him or her off." He explains. "Good luck with that." Red says, a smile and a salute as he goes to walk off.

"One moment, my friend. Tonight you could have called Green Arrow for help, or the Justice League. Instead, your first instinct was to call the cave." Kaldur states. "You're right. The team deserves... has my respect. I'm still getting used to this solo act stuff, but if you need me, I'll be there." He says. The two of them smile and shake hands, and then he gives me a look, a mixture between mistrust and uncertainty, before leaving. It's silent between Kaldur and I once more as we look at each other, and begin to walk where we hid the bioship.

"Just say it, Kaldur. You're aura is bursting with the color purple, with confusion, so just say what you want to know." I tell him. He sighs. "You told Red Arrow that he wasn't allowed to know because he wasn't a part of the team, but am I allowed to know the answers to his questions?" He asks me. I think about it for a second. "Yes. You're my teammate. And like I said before, I trust you with my life. That includes my past." I say.

I stop at the end of the street, turning to face him. "I have no score to settle with Dragon Master. I never did. But do you know what it's like to have siblings?" I ask. He shakes his head. "Dragon Master... Jem; his real name is James Embers, and he is my older brother and heir to the throne." I state, looking across the street.

"He doesn't know that it's me. He believes that I am just a dragon from our kingdom. But it hurt, when he called me a peasant. He had never called me anything before, so it took me by surprise, then anger. But what really set me off..." I look down, taking a deep breath before looking up again. "'Which family name disowned you? I'd like to congratulate them.' That's what set me off. He doesn't know that I'm his sister, doesn't know that his own flesh and blood is the family that disowned me."

It's silent for a moment, before I look up at him. He's staring at my hair once more. I shake my head, smiling slightly. "It turns black depending on how angry I get. Just one of the reasons I try to stay calm most of the time." I say, beginning to walk once again, Kaldur following immediately. "You know, if the team finds out we've been keeping a secret about a mole from them, they're going to be furious with us for a while, right?" I ask. He nods silently.

Suddenly, he grabs onto my wrist gently and stops me. I look up at him, a little startled. "Kaldur? What's wrong?" I ask. He looks into my eyes seriously. "Esmeralda, why have you been avoiding me?" He asks. I freeze. There are mixed emotions in his eyes, from pain, to confusion, to concern, and to something else I don't recognize. I look down, away from his piercing grey eyes.

"Please, Esmeralda, please look at me." He whispers, taking hold of both my arms. I look up at him. "Why have you been more distant than usual?" I sigh, closing my eyes. "It's... It's complicated..." I begin to tell him. "I've been feeling something lately, Kaldur. I don't know what it is, but I'm afraid of it. I'm terrified. I've had this feeling once before, but I ended up getting hurt. I don't want it to happen again."

I feel his hand slide up my arm and take hold of my chin, and I open my eyes. "Esmeralda, I don't know what it is that you're feeling, but I want to help. I have to admit that I've grown accustomed to you being by my side. And it's been rather offsetting without you." He tells me, and I swear, my heart was fluttering like the wings of a butterfly. "Please, Esmeralda, I want to help." I close my eyes and nod, and he lets me go, slowly.

We start walking again, and a thought pops into my head. "Kaldur, may I ask you something?" I ask him. He nods and looks at me. "Who is Tula?" I question. He looks at me in bewilderment. "How do you know about Tula?" He asks me. I look forward again as I begin to explain.

"When we were in Bialya; when we lost our memories, I woke up to Phyrix licking me. Eventually, he ended up leading me to you, unconscious in the middle of the desert. For some reason, he seemed to want me near you. You spoke Atlantian while you were there, and while I couldn't understand most of it, I did get little bits and pieces. Most of the things I did understand involved Tula and Atlantis." I finish and look down. I don't want to tell him about the pain it brought me each time he said her name. I don't even know what it means myself.

I sense Kaldur nod, and he thinks as he walks. "To answer your question, Tula is a friend of mine, back home in Atlantis. I once held feelings for her," At this, I visibly twitch slightly, "But that was before I found out that she began dating my friend Garth, who is also back in Atlantis." My eyes widen at his words. "She must be very special, then." I state.

It becomes silent between us once more, but it's a comfortable silence. I feel something grab hold of my hand and look down. It's Kaldur's hand. I don't move away.