Chapter 7, Feathers and Scales come at a price.

Ariel rolled over in the bed the Kudo's had lent her, staring at the clock nearby. She glared at it, as it struck 3AM.

'Gods above and below,' she groaned in her mind, 'It's been half-an-hour, make it stop!' She rolled over again, futilely trying to ignore the sensation in her back.

'Itchy itchy itchyitchyitchyitchyitchyitchy!' she buried her head in the pillow as a pained whine escaped, claws sinking into the fabric, ripping long gashes in it. Ariel hissed in irritation as she sat up, pawing at her back.

"Gods damned. thrice-begotten. spring. molting." She muttered quietly to herself. She let her claws drag across the back of the shirt, marking where it met her shoulder blades. She pulled the oversized cloth off of her, turning it over to get a better look at the rips.

Grabbing the now shredded pillow, and stuffing it in the shirt, Ariel let the claws on her right hand extend further out, inch-and-a-half curved claws gleaming in the dim light, 'Right,' she mused, 'let's cut some space.'

She set the claw of her index finger about a quarter over from the initial rip, and dug it down, turning the stuffed shirt once, twice, three times, leaving a roughly square hole in the back of the shirt, before clawing off the flap. She pulled it off the pillow, and held it up to look at her jerry-rigged job.

"Looks like it'll give me enough room", Ariel mused as she squirmed from the incessant ITCHING. "Okay, now, I need to deal with this SOON."

She pulled the now backless shirt over her head, and slid off the bed with a muffled thump. 'Now, where's the restroom, I need a mirror to make sure I've got enough clearance.' Her tail lashing behind her in irritation as she moved.

She flexed her fingers as she walked over to the door, wanting to deal with the issue, but couldn't, the source of itching was currently under her skin, and she didn't want to tear herself up further.

Ariel wander the hall for a moment after leaving her guest room, and walked over to a nearby door, she tested the knob, and found the door unlocked. She slowly turned it, gently pushing it open, not wanting to wake anyone. She peaked inside and found, luckily enough, found a restroom with a mirror.

'Oh thank the gods,' Ariel silently intoned, as she made her way over to the counter with the mirror, crouching before making a small leap, landing near the sink. She slowly turned around, the sat down, looking over her shoulder to get a look at the hole in the shirt while it was on her.

The young dragon gave it a critical glance, and noticed the bandages wrapping around her chest, covering hers shoulder blades. She groaned when she saw those, 'I really hope the wound on my back is at least partially healed, or this is gonna' suck more than normal.'

She reached a claw under her shirt, working it under the bandages, before pulling it out and down, half ripping, half cutting, them off. Ariel looked back and saw the ugly, thick, dark scab that now, at least, oddly sat inside the heart of her clan mark, and small, thin scabs a few inches away from the outer sides of her shoulder-blades.

She snorted in ill humor at the sight, 'Figures,' she sighed, 'my body heal that area first, because it's going to be an even bigger pain for me now.' She shook her head, pushing herself off the cool surface and to the floor.

She took care when stretching as she stood up, not wanting to crack the scabs, 'Last thing I need is to start bleeding all over the Kudo's place.' Ariel took a deep breath, and hunched over, growling quietly as she focused her magic on the sensation of pressure built under her skin, the feeling of muscles rippling as limbs move, forcing their way up and out through the new pair of slits running vertically down her back.

A muffled string of curses in Dragonic escaped into the collar of her shirt, tail bottle-brushed in pain as her wings spring from her back, a mix of slightly damp feathers, fur, and scales spread on both sides, light *clicks* echo as the claws at the tips made contact with the tile floor.

Ariel winced as she stretched her wings, muttering, "I don't know if I should be happy or worried that this hurt less than last time." She stood up, folding the odd appendages against her back, tan, cream and rose-tipped feathers layered the top half of her wings, a thumb-like digit peaking out from the down, the lower half resembling bat wings, covered in tan and cream fuzz, fine scales dotting them, inch long claws tipping the end of the wings.

She left the room, looking back to the guestroom before shaking her head, 'No, I'm too wound up to sleep now.' Ariel started towards the stairs, wings rustling as she tried to keep them folded comfortably, but that seemed to be a fool's errand. The itch was now focused where her wings joined her back.

Scratching the back of her head as she wandered down, feeling something odd, she moved her hand away and noticed a few scales had come away with her hand.

"Great, I'm molting my wing feathers, and my scales." An exhausted sigh left Ariel as she considered what she'd do to pass the time.

She remembered there was a nice moon tonight, "Maybe… maybe I'll sing tonight, since flying is out with these injuries and molting."

She made it down to the living room, wondering where she could go to sing so she wouldn't wake the home's owners up. The smell of paper and ink hit her nose, old and new.

Curious, Ariel followed the smell, and it took her to a thick, heavy door. A bandaged hand took hold of the doorknob and turned it, small but strong hands push the heavy door open. She marvels at the size of the room and the volume of books within.

"I think I like this place," as a grin splits the girl's face and she closes the door behind her. Giggling, she walks to the middles of the vast library, wings spreading to their full 8 foot span. She breathes out a relieved sigh, the room was large enough for her to at least work the kinks out of her wings with some stretches, and far enough removed from the bedrooms to sing in peace.

Ariel moves to the window, drawing back the curtain slightly, just enough to let a sliver of pale moonlight in. She sits sprawled on the middle of the floor, wings spread out on either side. She tilts her head up, and sings, not realizing she'd left a trail of shed feathers and scales to the room, or that she was no longer the only one awake that night.

"If you are lost in your way, deep in an awesome story~

Don't be in doubt and stray, cling to your lonesome folly~

Now you're too close to the pain, let all the rain go further~

Come back and kiss me in vain, mother oh do not bother~

Hear the chorus of pain / Taking you back to proper ways-"

Memories surfaced as she sang, her being began to resonate with her magic, an ethereal form overlayed her own. The shape was female, young adult, maybe late teens to early twenties. Striking sky blue hair tipped in bright gold, silver-white robes seemed to clothe her. Still visible through the transparent figure, was the singing child, irises and pupils glowing sky blue and gold.

So lost was she in the music and magic, Ariel didn't hear the door open behind her.

(A/N: The song being sung here is 'A stray child' from the .hack/SIGN anime.)