Darkness.

That was the first thing the Dreamstealer could remember.

Then, he was reborn into endless night.

The only light he had ever known was the light of the moon and stars, and he had no family.

He did not know what 'family' was. Or that he was a nine-headed dragon.

Nor what love was. Or hate. He did not know he was one of the Nine who had breathed life onto Earth, he did not know the sins that the other Eight had done.

Three rebelled against Man, and were exiled into Eternity to become a simple shadow of themselves.

However, the remaining Six had not counted on Man's being weak, and not understanding.

Man came upon the Exiled with fire, burning, destroying, reaping, taking lives, until none remained. Until the Six were tainted with darkness. Their souls had become torn from their bodies, cursed to an eternity of wandering on Earth.

They all fell, one by one, to Love. The Dreamstealer could remember the day that Shukaku fell to the Sand-mortals, and the day when the Kyuubi fell to the Forest-dwellers.

He was the Tenth, the Secret amongst the Nine. The justice to bring the Six into the Darkness from whence he came.

Until he felt something tugging, tugging, tugging at his Soulspirit, and he was sucked into darkness again.

And the Dreamstealer was encased in stone, the true Essence of the Earth, the only thing that could hold a God.

And the Six were brought to him to face Justice for the sins they had done, and to repent.

The Dreamstealer was no more; and the Soulstealer came into existence.

He ripped their souls from the mortals that bore them, although the Shade-men took the souls that were rightfully his.

He, however, paused briefly when he was brought out of his stone tomb to face a child—a mere child. . .

The Soulstealer could remember a time when he had been naïve, and young. . .

However, the child fought against the Shade-men.

He could remember being a child much like that. . .

Until he was dead.

This realization shocked the Soulstealer, making the floors ripple, tiles ripping out of the earthy floor.

He had been mortal once.

But he could only wish to have the child's vibrant yellow hair sewn from sunbeams, and the blue eyes. But it was the host of Kyuubi.

The Nine had taken the Soulstealer in the dead of night, placing the heaviest burden upon one that a child could take.

The Soulstealer screamed, holding his main head and feeling, realizing, for the first time, he was prisoner, the stone shackles wrapping around each of their necks.

The heads twisted and writhed in agony, some rising to the top of the black ceiling and smashing against it in rage.

Crimson tears pooled at the dragon's eyes, before he shook his head, staring at the child.

Pain. Child caused it. Memories. It was the mortal's fault. Yes. Destroy it.

It snarled, it's nine heads shooting towards it, teeth bared to take the child's soul and eat it—destroy—devour.

Moans of anguish came from one of the heads to the left, crimson tears splashing to the ground and burning through the earth.

It uttered words in the Ancient language which made the mortal's ears bleed, the heads swaying suddenly.

Chains snapped, and the dragon launched through the ceiling towards air.

It twisted and careened in the air, being truly free for the first time.

Then it felt the tugging, tugging, tugging at his soul. But this was a different kind of tugging.

He uttered a long word which made dying men weep in joy, and children to point at the sky; husbands to laugh, wives to look at the sky and smile knowingly.

Then the Dreamstealer soared against the sun, his white scales flashing, before he fell to earth.

It was little known that he fell into a cavern, a secret one. He lived in the same darkness he had been born into.