Chapter Seven – A Failed Plan

Hikari looked at Kei as he slept on her lap, his large head warming her lap and his warm breath on her knee, she ran her hand down the back of his head. She thought about all of the dragon images that she had seen during her life whether they were at parades or if they were on the back of pro wrestling jackets. She placed her hand on her chest thinking about the baby that was growing in there. She wanted to find the cure before the baby was born but she could imagine taking them to see their father. As strange as it was, she could think about taking a newborn to see the dragon. Kei would always care about them.

She thought about what she could do to protect the child whilst taking Kei's place as a dragon. Aoi was probably right, her being a dragon wouldn't be good for him and he would get angry at her but she could do it. She was stronger than they might give her credit for and it might be fun to be a dragon.

She looked towards the front of the vehicle where Aoi was driving them. He would keep Kei safe. He would take them to where they could start their journey to get the medicine to return Kei to a human state. "I love you," she whispered as she touched his scales. "Whether you're a dragon or not, I love you."

Kei blinked his eyes and looked up at her with a little growl, he smiled as he let his head rest on her knee with his snout over her other knee but her lap was too small for his whole head. He made a sort of purring noise as he looked at her and then nuzzled her cheek with his head, moving softly and slowly so not to scratch her.

'Thank you, Hikari' he told her through his special powers. Hikari blinked before her cheeks turned red and she nodded with a squeak, bowing her head and trying to cover up her shyness. She was his wife now, she shouldn't feel this awkwardness. He looked around, 'We're not there yet?' he asked her.

"Aoi says that we won't get there for another couple of hours but I can keep awake," she told him with a grin and Kei shook his head.

'Please go to sleep,' he said as he lifted his head so they were looking into each other's eyes. Hikari made a note of how much larger his head was than hers. 'It'll be okay if you go to sleep. I'd like you to rest'

Hikari reached out to touch his head and then nodded. "I'm really glad that I married you," she told him and Kei smiled as he let his snout rest gently on her shoulder. Even though they had found out that he might not really be human, that sort of detail didn't seem to matter to her and it made him feel more comfortable around her.

'I am thrilled that I married you too' he said and saw her smile. He would always be refreshed by her smile, it was the most beautiful thing to him. He looked down and blew a smoke ring out from his nose, pausing as he saw it. Would she say something about it? Would she one day get angry at him being a dragon?

"Why don't we both try to sleep?" Hikari asked him and Kei nodded, he knew that he would be keeping awake though, she had made sure that he was okay when he was asleep and he would do the same for her. She placed her arms lovingly around his neck again. How did not having a human husband not bother her? He would appreciate any time together that they might have. He was glad that he had fallen in love with such a gorgeous woman with such a beautiful heart.

…

…

Hikari woke as she felt a human hand touching her and she opened her eyes to see Kei there in a human state, touching her gently. She moved in her sleep before hearing his voice, "My dear HIkari," he smiled at her, "It's time to get up. We're here."

"You're not a dragon," Hikari smiled and Kei nodded as he knelt and kissed her cheek. She laughed gently and unbuckled herself since they had stopped moving. She threw her arms around him and Kei pulled her closer, keeping his arms around her and even pulling her closer to him. He laughed gently as he saw her happiness.

"Don't get too excited, I think it's very formal," he told her and Hikari looked at him nervously, what was he talking about. "There's some kind of enchanted festival happening outside but Aoi gave me very clear instructions to go to this one stand first. It's far away from the others but we might have time to enjoy ourselves once we've collected the first item."

"The item that will stop you from being a dragon?" Hikari asked and Kei nodded. So, it was the most important and she wasn't going to let herself be swayed. Sure and enchanted festival sounded like an amazing attraction but it was more important to her to restore Kei. She took his hand.

"Where's Aoi? I want to thank him for what he's done for us so far," she said and then exited the vehicle where Aoi was waiting for them with a hand drawn map. Hikari took it with a grin and looked over to Kei who was looking weak with his human clothes almost sliding off of him. He had lost so much weight. Maybe he should be eating more, enough to fill his dragon stomach so that she didn't get concerned when he turned back to being human.

"So, this is where you have to go first," he told her before waving his hand at the festival that was happening. "There is a small inn by a river, outside there will be the first ingredient for the spell. I'm not sure what it is anymore but make sure that you go here first," he told them. He looked at Hikari, "If something happens to either you or Master Kei and you need help, please let me be the first one that you contact."

Hikari nodded, "Of course," she turned to Kei and took his hand, "Shall we go?" she asked and saw Kei drop down into a bow.

"Thank you for helping me with this, you've always helped me and I am beyond grateful to you," he said and Aoi smiled upon hearing that. Everyone knew that Kei meant a great deal to him as well.

As they walked through the festival, Hikari felt herself grow more afraid as she saw stands selling dragon blood and dragon tears and dragon scales and dragon wings. She moved closer to Kei, wrapping herself around his arm and he looked at her. He wasn't showing fear on his face but Hikari wondered if he was scared in his heart.

There were so many dragon parts and she felt herself stop breathing as she saw a stand selling dragon eye balls.

"It's okay," he reassured her as Hikari wished that she was dealing with this instead of Kei. Takishima had always protected her and prioritized her and she wanted to take his place so that he could live a happy life. If they wanted to catch her, would she be able to escape them? She shivered in terror as she imagined seeing Kei's head chopped off and set prominently on a stand with dragon heads. They shouldn't be here. It was far too dangerous.

"I'm scared," she told him and saw him tense up, the emotions leaving his face and giving him a rather blank expression.

"It'll be okay," he told her and Hikari nodded nervously. They arrived at a stand far away from everyone with a sign that didn't have any words on it. He pulled her behind him before approaching the elderly woman there. "I was sent by Aoi," he told her and she raised an eyebrow, "I've come for the ingredient necessary for the cure," he said as Hikari held tightly to his hand.

"I can see what you want, child," she said as her eyes drew towards Hikari and Kei stepped to the side so he was blocking her. "That is the one you love isn't it, the one whose heart beats heavy with the desire to love a dragon," she laughed. "She's one of a kind. A rare one."

Kei looked at Hikari and then forced himself to look at the woman. "Please leave my wife out of it," he told her and the woman grinned in a way that made Kei feel uneasy. He looked at Hikari before feeling some energy seem to gush out of his body as if he had been fatally wounded. He looked around to see that Hikari had fallen onto the ground and was shaking as scales went over her body. Kei looked at the woman wildly to see her pick up a sword.

"I'm afraid," she said as she grinned, "I've changed my ways since your friend last saw me. I find it more in my interest to keep these dragons, fatten them up until I can slaughter them and with this girl she will birth a litter of dragons," she told them. "Both of you will become my pets."

"Hikari," Kei whispered as he saw that she was quickly turning into her own form of a dragon. He could see the pain on her face before his anger took the best of him and he used a number of moves to knock the woman out despite the fact that she seemed more skilled than her appearance made her out to be. He took the sword before seeing more people approaching his wife as she looked more and more like a dragon with every moment. He put his hand to her head and looked to her affectionately.

"I love you, Hikari," he whispered. "With my entire body and heart," he said and Hikari felt herself growing ill. Before she knew it, Kei had taken out the entire group of people advancing on them. He took a deep breath before stroking her head. "I'm here," he told her and Hikari grabbed him gently by the shirt, tossing her onto her back before clumsily flying away. "Steady," Kei whispered as he held to her. "You can do this, I believe in you, my precious Hikari," he told her.

…..

…..

As his body finally changed to a male dragon's, Kei went into the cave that they had somehow managed to find and let his body wrap around hers. He had done this to her. If it wasn't for him then this wouldn't have happened to her. He allowed his wing to cover her. She was a silver dragon but in the light she held the colors of the rainbow. He nuzzled her, making sure to be as close to her as she would let him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her again, the silver lining being the way they could communicate with each other. "I'm really sorry," he told her and she breathed softly.

"It's okay," she said sadly and it pained him how he could hear her pain in his voice. "We're together now. We can look after each other," she said before lifting her head up and Kei looked at her nervously. She was still beautiful even in this new animal form. She looked like a work of art and he knew that dragon hunters would want her because of how gorgeous she was.

"I'm sorry," he apologized again and she looked at him.

"Do you still think I'm beautiful," she asked fearfully and he nodded, nuzzling her once again before pressing his snout to hers.

"You are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he told her before letting his head run against hers. "I'll protect you. I'll keep you safe," he said before bowing his head. "I can't apologize enough for getting you involved," he said and she looked at him.

"Don't apologize," she told him before letting her tongue slip over his snout and he opened his mouth so that they could kiss. "I love you, my Takishima," she told him before hearing a couple of people shouting outside. She froze but felt him push her back as he went to the opening of the cave. She was worried about what he would do but were people different than them now? Should they treat people differently? What was even their level of humanity?

End of Chapter Seven

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