A/N: Hi guys. Sorry for the long wait and the late upload. The thing is, I want to write this story only when I'm feeling inspired to do so. I don't want to force myself to write because I know it won't go as planned. However this would have been uploaded earlier but sometimes it's difficult to find the energy and inspiration to write after coming from work. I hope you guys understand. Much love to all my supporters and my beta reader, TigerCritic for giving me the encouragement to continue this. Thank you Yurichan220 for all your little reviews on every chapter. It has given me so much pleasure to read them. Sorry for the long rambling, let's get right into the story! Hope you enjoy and as always, please review.

Elma gave me her death stare. I could tell she was being dead serious.

"I don't think you understand, Nai….this is all too much. I'm really sorry for the inconvenience but what I'm greatly sorry for is what I'm going to tell you next."

I was intrigued. "You're going to tell me about why you showed up here, right? You're going to tell me about why you showed up here with such an outlandish story right?" I was pushing to get more out of her.

"Ok, well I thought you knew but I guess I never told you. The reason I showed up was because I could tell you were thinking of something stupid. How I could, you may ask? Well it's thanks to my clairvoyance. It's one of my magical abilities as a dragon. The thing is, Nai… I had been using it to sense what you were thinking ever since I walked out the door. I couldn't take you off my mind and it caused me great guilt and pain to know what you went through because of my absence. All of the "sorries" in the world would never fix it."

I saw her eyes glistening. She turned away from me.

I didn't go to comfort her. I felt my blood boiling again.

How could she have known I was feeling depressed and not do anything? Why Elma, why? Couldn't you have at least, given a sign that you were ok?"

"And you were in the area this weekend weren't you?" I asked her as I remembered seeing someone like her in the crowd of people at the market.

She raised her head to face me as I began walking closer to where she sat at our table.

And for the first time in my life, I saw Elma cry. They were tears of beauty. I wouldn't call myself a sadist, but her pain, her remorse was beautiful to witness.

She took a tissue and blew her nose. "Yes, yes I was."

I spoke in a lower tone. "And why didn't you come back to me sooner? Why did you only care to come back when you knew I was thinking of suicide? Would my death really have bothered you?"

She stood up and hit me with the same force she used the day before. I nearly fell but I gripped the table just in time.

"How dare you say such hurtful things?! Of course I would have come back to you. But…but I'M SORRY OKAY!" She clenched her fists and sighed.

"I-I would have returned earlier. But I felt so guilty that I just couldn't show up on your doorstep just like that. I thought you would have hated me or turned me away and that would have destroyed me. The truth is, I avoid thinking of hurtful things by eating so I visited the shopping district to get some dorayaki. Anyway, so-so when I knew you were thinking of doing something stupid, I knew I had to step in. I couldn't allow you to suffer anymore. You don't deserve it, Nai. You never deserved the way I had treated you. I can't live with myself if I had let you do something as horrendous as that, over someone ungrateful like me. I never should have left you. But a part of me was glad I did." She quivered as she spoke those exact words to me.

We were now inches apart.

She continued. "I'm glad I had left you only because, I learnt that it is impossible for me to be away from you without you constantly being on my mind."

I felt her strong hands pull me into a tight hug. Her body, I had missed. Her touch, I had longed for. Her warmth embraced me and it felt like all my worries had disappeared.

When we broke the hug, she continued standing facing me. As I looked into her alluring eyes, I wanted to tell her how much I loved her, how much I had missed her, how I longed for us to be together but I couldn't because I felt my heart was still under lock and key.

"A-are you ok, Nai-chan?"

I quit staring. "Yeah. Sorry Elma."

She gave me a little smile. Words could not describe how I had missed it. "It's ok. Now where were we? Oh yeah, I was telling you that there is a shortage of harmony dragons and the only way I can retire is if I…"

"Is if you…" I said as I urged her to go on.

"Is if I-I um, replace myself with a child."

I nearly gasped as I suddenly remembered what she had told me earlier. Her words replayed in my head.

"This is where you come in, Nai."

"So that means you can't retire if you don't have a child to replace yourself, am I correct?"

She blushed. "Correct."

"And what is your plan?"

"The only way I could retire and live here freely is if I have a child to replace me so it depends on um-"

She turned away and returned to her seat. I saw her pour herself another cup of tea. It was cold by now but she didn't care as she downed every drop with inhuman speed.

"Please go on. I'm listening. You can't tell me things half-way and expect me to understand."

She burped. "Oops excuseme."

Her face turned red again. In a matter of seconds, she continued speaking.

"What I mean to say, Nai, is that my future lies in your hands."

What? How?

I was clearly confused. I folded my arms as I continued facing her.

"Uh-huh. Go on."

"Well you see, how should I put it? The only person I could dream to have a child with is the one who knows me inside and out. And that person is you."

I laughed nervously. "You're not serious."

"Yes I am!" she shouted with an adorable squeak in her voice.

The silence was deafening. Moments later she broke the ice. "Sorry for shouting moments ago. But what I mean to say is that we have been friends for a short while now. In dragon time, that's like a day. But even though we have known each other for only a few months, it feels like years. And I have known some dragons for centuries now. My point is, our short time together feels longer and I want to extend that time. I know it's going to be hard because dragons outlive humans but I feel you are the only individual who is worthy enough to breed with me."

This was all too much. I was beginning to feel nauseous but I told myself I must remain rational. "Elma, first of all, how is that even possible. We're completely different species. You said so yourself. Wouldn't your people forbid you to do something like that with a human?"

"I don't think so, Nai. Even though we are bound by laws, our laws are convenient- sorry to say. They don't really care where I get a child from, once it has dragon genes and is fit to serve them, they wouldn't see a problem."

How? What? What in the actual hell? How could Elma and I breed? Did she only come back here to use me? Is this what she wants from me?

I took a deep breath. I was both frightened and amazed to think that I might be the only person in the world right now who is experiencing such a thing. A dragon- goddess-like creature is asking a simple human to breed with her? Has the world gone completely insane? Or have I lost it and only hallucinating Elma?

I glanced out my window to see the world completely normal. The children were walking quickly so as not to arrive late at school while the adults were all going about their usual business activities-whether it was going to their day jobs, or opening their shops. So why was something so extraordinary happening to me? What did I do to deserve this? Was this a good thing or a bad thing?

I began to question everything even my own place here.

I heard the snapping of fingers. I was completely unaware that I had taken a seat and was staring out my window for some time until Elma had snapped me out of it.

She spoke in a low tone. "You're quiet."

"I'm sorry Elma but I don't know if you are just using me. And you mentioned that you have known dragons for centuries so why me of all persons?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "What? Well I guess it's expected for you to think this way."

Was she insulting me?

"Don't you see, Nai? Of all the persons I could have a child with, you are the one I picked. Because, well you are the only one who is worthy. I know you. I know you will love that child, even though you wouldn't see him or her- and even though he or she wouldn't be from your kind. You know how I know that? It's because you have showered me with all your kindness and love from day one. Even after I had told you I was a dragon, you still cared for me and even confessed your feelings. You never discriminated. I should have learnt from your free spirit before I walked out but that's in the past now. As a matter of fact, the only reason I seriously considered this, was because it is the only way I can be here. Having a child is the only way I can be with you and if that's the case, I don't mind making a sacrifice."

Her left hand was now on my shoulder. "Before you say anything though, please understand that I am not forcing you to do this. You do understand that this is a sacrifice. It will be painful but we can face the pain once we're together. You don't have to feel obligated in any way. Believe me, I would understand if you refuse. This is not something that happens to people in your world and if it's too much for you, I'll understand and leave you alone. I won't bother you anymore, if that's what you wish. So no pressure, okay?"

I was shocked. I was nearly in tears. I couldn't believe the day would come that Elma would admit her feelings for me. I wasn't sure if she had felt the same way about me, as I felt about her, but if I knew one thing is that she was willing to give up her life as a dragon to be with me and that's something.

TO BE CONTINUED