Chapter Text
When Yuzu received her acceptance letter to Dragonheart to say that she was happy would be an understatement. When the faerie had delivered it to the castle steps her first reaction was to run headfirst into a bush on her way to tell her mother. That was where the gardener had found her, giggling with excitement and joy as she caressed the neatly printed handwriting to her chest.
She had spent her weeks leading up to her first day constantly checking and rechecking that her skirt was the right length above her knee. Memorising every school rule, mapping out the campus in her head and of course, decorating her spell books and parchment.
As a nymph, Yuzu loved nature. She also appreciated organisation, and henceforth spent her afternoons sorting her books by subject, then flower depending on how much she liked the subject or what colour she most associated with it.
Herbology, being her favourite, was collectively sprinkled with pink roses and cherry blossoms. While as Mathematics was decidedly coloured with ‘queen of the night’ tulips to express her negative attitude towards the subject.
Her opinions however, did not detract, nor spare her books from the layers of glitter she dusted them with. To add a little something extra special and personal to her things.
This went on for weeks, Yuzu growing steadily more and more anxious til finally, the day arrived.
“Now Yuzu, be a good girl and don’t give your teachers any trouble,” Yuzu’s mother, Queen of the Nymphs, Ray spoke sternly, hastily fussing about and making sure she had everything she could possible need for the upcoming semester. “Remember if you need anything--”
“I’ll be fine mum! It’s just boarding school, I am coming back,” Yuzu laughed, pushing her mother off her as she went in for a strangling hug. “I’ll see you at term break okay?”
“Write to me everyday Yuzu!” Ray called as Yuzu boarded the family coach.
“Maybe not everyday…” Yuzu frowned, “How about once a week?”
Ray sighed, throwing her hands in the air in mild exasperation. “Fine, but don’t leave me hanging!” Yuzu laughed again. Adjusting her school cloak and the tie around her neck, Yuzu signalled to the driver that she was ready to go.
She continued waving back at her mother until she disappeared around the bend, with a sigh, half out of relief, half as a way to straighten out her growing nerves, Yuzu sat back, and let the coach take her to her new school.
***
“You got accepted?!”
Yuya blushed, scratching the back of his neck a little sheepishly. He nodded, “Yeah, they expect me to be there at the start of term. I mean I’ll need to get my uniform and spell--” Yuya was cut off as his father pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.
“Yuya I’m so proud of you! The first one of our race to attend Dragonheart Academy!” Yuya smiled, wrapping his own arms around his father as he hugged him back. Being extra careful not to crush his father’s great ebony wings.
Zarc smiled, releasing his son and beaming. Then he frowned, “Dragonheart doesn’t usually accept dragons, what happened? As a matter of fact, I don’t seem to recall you telling me you signed up for the application.”
Yuya looked away, “I-- I wanted to go… So I put my name down… You’re right though, they don’t accept dragons,” Yuya sighed, “I’m sorry I should have told you.”
Zarc shook his head slowly, smiling again, “Yuya, I want you to be happy, I’m glad that you were independent enough to make that decision on your own.” Zarc frowned, “But then how did you get a slot? They ask for your race on the application form don’t they?”
Yuya sighed again, “I put ‘human’ just because it was easier…”
Zarc pinched the bridge of his nose with a taloned finger, “Yuya, you do realise that you’re a dragon? That act won’t work forever.”
Yuya gave a shaky laugh, “Don’t worry dad, I’m a performer, it’s what I do. Besides,” Yuya held up his hand, showing his claws, “I can always file these down, and cover my arms to hide the scales. I’m half a dragon remember, I can switch to a mostly human form if I want. As long as I don’t panic and end up switching back it should be okay.”
Zarc raised an eyebrow, but sighed, shoulders sagging in defeat, “Fine, I’ll let you go, but you’re going to have to keep that secret. If the other races still knew we existed--”
“I won’t let them come after you.” Yuya said firmly, causing Zarc to turn, blinking back down to his son. Yuya’s dichromatic eyes were burning with determination, “I won’t allow them to, I won’t allow the past to be repeated again.”
Zarc smiled sadly, before walking over, firmly ruffling the boy’s green hair between his horns. Yuya looked up in surprise, putting a hand to his head.
Zarc just smiled, “I know you won’t.”
As Yuya’s first day drew closer, Zarc found himself slowly regretting having agreed to letting his son go.
“Yuya…”
“Not now dad!”
“Yu~ya.”
Yuya turned a little too quickly, to stare at Zarc in annoyance. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor of his bedroom, the paintbrush midway to his Charms book. “What is it? I’m a little busy…”
“Geez okay, someone’s stressed.” Zarc grinned and opened the door a little further before stepping through. Yuya sighed, causing his wings to give a slight shudder.
“I’m sorry… I just want these to be right…”
“What have I said about the ‘sorry’s’?” Zarc asked with a sigh, “You don’t have to keep apologising, I am letting you go because it’s what you want to do isn’t?”
Yuya smiled, “Yeah… Sor-- I mean, I know.”
“So what are you painting?” Zarc asked, Yuya just smiled and held up his Potions book.
“What do you think?” He asked, Zarc simply grinned, the book was splattered with an array of coloured circles and stars, a large smiley face scrawled on each.
“I love it. Very you.” Yuya blushed slightly, turning away to place the book back on the pile with the others. Zarc laughed,
“Your uniform came in, I got one of the druids in the village to pretend his son was the one getting it.”
Yuya’s eyes sparkled, “Can I try it on?”
Zarc laughed again, “Why are you asking me? It’s your uniform.” With that Yuya brightened, placing the brush down and dashing out of the room.
When he returned, he was clutching the new clothing with delight. He looked up to Zarc, eyes hopeful. “Well? It’s not a stuffed toy, I want to see it on you!” Zarc laughed.
Even after raising the boy for his fourteen years of life, Zarc was still trying to get used to when Yuya switched. He watched as Yuya’s wings and tail receded, his horns sliding smoothly back under his hair, eyes switching from deep emerald and ruby red to a soft crimson. The whole transformation had taken him less than thirty seconds. Of course, Zarc knew that his previous form had only been the halfway mark, just like himself, his son could also take to the skies in the form of a full dragon.
Now looking like a perfectly normal human, if you discounted the small patches of red scales on his arms, the fangs that still poked out from his bottom lip and the talons that adorned his hands. Yuya swiftly pulled on his new uniform.
The male uniform for Dragonheart was simple. Comprising of a plain white shirt with gold trim, dark blue pants and a red tie. The blazer was militaristic in style, deep blue with gold trim and shoulder pads. Yuya smiled at his reflection, before turning back to his father.
“What do you think?” He asked, Zarc just smiled, getting up from the bed to wrap Yuya in a hug.
“I think you look ready for your first day!”
Yuya smiled.
The day came and Yuya was starting to grow anxious. He took another look at himself in the full length mirror in his bedroom. The uniform suited him well, he had to admit, and did a wonderful job at hiding the scales on his arms, although he had packed several rolls of bandages and long sleeved shirts to be safe. With a sigh Yuya picked up the nail file and set to work on his claws, having to have bought a fairly sturdy metal one with seven spares just in case.
His trunk was already as full as it could be with his books, parchment, runes and clothes already loaded on to the coach out front. Zarc had managed to get the village druid to organise it all, but Yuya sometimes hated that he could never leave their castle built into the side of the mountain.
He had his father for company, and the servant faeries that were loyal to them, but he’d never truly had the freedom to explore the world past the midnight flights his father took him on every so often. They were more or less disconnected from the rest of the world. The last two, as far as they knew, of the dragon race.
Yuya felt a sudden rush of fear as he placed the file in his back pocket, looking down at his hands with a mix of amusement and curiosity at his now short, square, human-like nails. What would happen if he let his true identity slip? What would happen to his father if his classmates knew he was the son of the Supreme Dragon King? That he himself was a dragon? He’d never even talked to someone of another race before, how would he cope?
Yuya shook his head, the other races had discarded them as dangerous. Terrorisers and disruptors only wishing for death and destruction. It hurt, and Yuya never understood why they couldn’t walk among the people of the village or attend public areas. All he knew was that he wasn’t the only one. That his father was also hurting and wishing that the other races could be as forgiving as they once had been.
“Yuya?! You ready?” Zarc’s voice filtered through the crack in the door and Yuya took a breath. Looking up to his reflection before plastering the most brilliant smile he could across his face. It was a fresh start, no one would find out, and he could finally get to see the outside world.
“Yeah, I’m coming!” He yelled back, admiring his reflection one last time before grabbing his satchel and heading out the door.
“Now remember, keep those claws filed, we don’t want someone to notice them.”
“Yes dad I will.”
“And keep your scales hidden! If you end up switching your eye colours out of frustration people could start asking questions, no midnight flights even if you want to stretch your wings and--”
“Dad!” Yuya laughed, “I’ll be fine, I’ll write okay? Everyday or at least once a week, term’s not that long, I’ll see you in the holidays!”
Zarc sighed, looking sheepish, “I’m nagging aren’t I?”
Yuya laughed holding up a hand and bringing his thumb and forefinger together, “Just a touch.”
Zarc grinned and pulled Yuya into a hug, “Don’t be reckless, okay? Try to have fun out there.”
Yuya smiled, and waved as he opened the great doors, spilling sunlight into the dark hall, “I will, I love you dad.”
Zarc smiled as Yuya descended the steps, turning to give a final wave as he got in the coach.
“I love you Yuya, stay safe. Please, don’t let them take away your smile.”