. . .

' The second prince is so useless.'

' Look, Look such arrogance!'

'Just because the crown prince is his elder brother, he thinks he can boss all of us around.'

'Jade Dragon? Huh! pfft. He can't even fly properly'

Useless. Arrogant. Cold. Lousy. Such disgrace. No real skills. The words whirled in Jade Dragon Lan Wanji/Zhan's head as he channelised his qi and descended above again, through the biting rain and the whirling winds. They were not totally untrue. He was a disgrace indeed. He is tweleve now, he can't even fly above Sān chǐ ( 3 feet). When his elder brother Lan Xichen/Huan was his age he could easily cross Sān Bǎi chǐ (300 feet). The little twelve-year dragon was practising his flight from dawn till dusk. For he has let down his brother, his clan, and the dignity of all ancestors of jade dragons. Even when the enigmous dark clouds surrounded the mountain. He did not stop. The rain got harder and so did flying against them. The force of the freezing cold rainwater clashed again his skin, as the winds howled dangerously whirling against him. It felt like whips as he forcefully glides against them, trying to levitate higher and higher, and little more.

RAAAARRHHHHHH The lightning clashed against his body, slashing across his pristine white scaled tail, which already had tiny cuts all over. He loses control over his energy as he free falls significantly transforming into his semi-human form. Crashing into the trees that came by the way, scarring his slender small body he crashed on the wet forest ground. Thankfully He used his last bit of power to summon his robes over him before he crashed against those trees or it might have been worse.

He had cuts all over his back, shoulders, some on the sides of the neck too. He tries to move but he can not. He looks back at his tail. It was bleeding and had a 3 inches long cut. But it was not that bad. Or that was what he thought. He tried to get up using his arms but slammed down onto the wet ground due to exhaustion.

He laid on his stomach with the tattered robes, hair sprawled on the ground. 'Cracck' He swiftly turned his head to the sound. 'What is it?' He sniffed. The rain was making it harder to smell. But he could still get a faint smell of an animal. It smelled sweet, like the moist white lotus. 'Delicious' Lan Wanji thought as he sniffed more to inquire where or from what it was coming from. A meal was just what the jade dragon needed to heal his scars and his exhaustion. And the smell was truly beautifully amazing. He staggered as he trailed to the sent of his prey, closing into the canopy of trees.

Suddenly a thing moved. But Lan Wanji still managed to get the whisp of the smell of his prey regardless of the moist air. He quickly descended in the air gathering his last bit of energy to hunt down the prey.

The thing was incredibly fast, he zapped through the forest gliding the rainwater that fell. Lan Wanji could see his prey's movement clearly through his hunter sight. 'Impressive' Lan Wanji thought. Not only the prey managed to challenge the jade dragon's ability but it channelised earth and air energy at the same time.

Lan Wanji flew just 10 feet above the ground catching up to the pace of the creature. Determined to get his hands on the rare thing. But suddenly it turned somewhere else and escaped. Lan Wanji was now beyond tired. Every cell in his body demanded food. Only if he could get his hands on.... 'Sniff' 'Sniff' The twelve-year-old Jade dragon smirked in victory as he approached the cave covered with big rocks. It just had a little opening, enough for a little creature to snoop in. But not for the Jade Dragon.

Lan Zhan could now clearly smell the similar lotus flavoured prey. He summoned Bichen as he slashed through, the rocks shattered to crumbs in the air as the most beautiful pair of eyes came to his view. Big welled iris, long-lashed. It was a boy, a semi-human. 'Enthralling' Lan Zhan thought as the smell of moist white lotus filled in. He looked at the creature carefully, as the small creature trembled in fright, backing his steps.

Lan Wanji looked at Wei Ying with fascination. He has never seen a nine-tailed before. The shoulder short hair that was tied at the back by a red ribbon, his fluff small ears and his nine black tails. 'So Cute' He thought. He used to think that nine-tailed were just myths that only existed in scrolls. Lan Wanji moved a bit more forward as Wei Ying backed in fear a bit more.

'Ah, Natural enemies' He thought. No wonder the little creature was terrified. "Not Harming," Lan Wanji said impassively. As he maintained the space between them and sat on the cave floor. Although they were natural enemies, Lan Wanji doesn't like to hunt other semi-human species like others. To him, it felt like killing and eating their own kind. It disgusted him. But why does the creature smell like the white lotus? It should smell like a fox.

Lan Wanji was lost in his thoughts as Wei Ying was now fascinated by the beauty that sat beside him. Even in tatters and scars, the Jade Dragon looked royal and majestic. Even though they were sitting with a bit of distance, Lan Wanji's tail curled to almost reached Wei Ying. 'So pretty, no wonder they are the worshipped balance of the land of the living' Wei Ying thought And this one was kind too. He said he was not harming. He was beyond glad.

The clouds rumbled again as the raging rain intensified, it seemed the rain was not stopping any time soon. The cave grew colder, the walls felt ice cold. But Little Wei Ying's eyes were on the Jade Dragon's shiny tail. His hands itched to touch it.

The winds hauled inside the cave making them both shiver, as Lan Wanji's tail flipped to touch Wei Ying. Lan Zhan stilled. He realised his mistake. He was in his semi-human form. How could he reveal his semi-form to someone he isn't intimate with, it was against the rules.

The twelve-year boy immediately reprimanded himself by gathering his semi-form inside his core energy. A tiny blue crystal formed beneath dangling onto his forehead ribbon as he did so. He was a normal being now. It was hard for the jade dragons to maintain any being form hence the forehead ribbon's aid.

Lan Wanji's qi energy was so overused that he almost fell on Wei Ying's lap after the transformation. Wei Ying immediately gabbed the big boy helping him, almost forgetting the fact that they were natural enemies, and that he was still in his semi form. He now observed clearly how scarred the twelve-year-old was. There was a big scratch on the side of his neck. A three-year-old nine-tailed is not much powerful enough, though their kiss can heal. 'Should I?' He thought.

Wei Ying helped Lan Wanji to lay on the cave wall, still eyeing the bleeding scratch of Lan Wanji's neck. He quickly removed the long thick ribbon that his hair was tied with and wrapped carefully on the neck of Lan Wanji, stopping the bleeding.

Lan Wanji was stunned, even though he doesn't like physical contact. Wei Ying's thoughtful gesture touched his heart.

"Lan Wanji" He introduced.

"Wei Ying, Wei Wuxian," said the other as he smiled beautifully wagging his tails and Lan Wanji's heart beats a bit faster than normal.

Natural Enemies. One prey, one predator. Still, they felt a platonic affection no one ever encountered.

. . .

A/N- How is it? Why do you think Wei Ying smells as a white lotus to him?

Another unedited, no read-through piece to give my soul a break from the studying.