Chapter 18

She was with them.

The moment she brought Yuuji to Suiryu, Yuuji froze. "Wait… he's… Suiryu…" Yuuji stammered before he suddenly grabbed hold of Suiryu and pulled him into his arms. Suiryu at first didn't return the embrace, but eventually his hands went up and he held Yuuji closer to him.

"You two have been through enough, it's about time we get to work or you won't awaken as true dragons." She explained.

"Wait, true dragons?" Yuuji asked.

Suiryu pulled out of the embrace. "What are you talking about?"

She pointed down to Yuuji's chest, the same cracks that he had before when his body was breaking down were becoming visible once more! He was startled to it. Suiryu was too. "Wait, what's happening!?" Suiryu demanded of her. "What's happening to Yuuji?"

She smiled warmly to him. "He's hatching," she said gently.

"Hatching?" they questioned at the same time. "I… I don't understand."

Tiamat giggled to his confusion. "Your human soul is the shell… it is breaking apart, for your new soul is about to emurge," she explained. "This is an outer shell to you now, within… is your new soul growing and waiting to come out. But, it won't just yet." She said as her eyes turned to Suiryu. "For it's waiting for him, you are connected by the soul, since you nurtured each other and are now true brothers. However, one cannot become a dragon if they are missing a part of themselves. Suiryu…"

He sneered at the notion and turned his head. "Why… WHY DO I HAVE TO TAKE HIS SOUL!" he shouted in protest. "I don't deserve it" his voice was low and full of spite. "Why can't he take over me? Just let him take my body and live, I came from…"

"Silence!"

Suiryu froze, as did Yuuji. A small mouth transfigured at the side of his face. Peering down, Suiryu saw it. "Ryujin?"

"I have only enough strength for this, Suiryu. This has been my goal this whole time. I have lived long enough, but you will continue my task and you have someone to help you. I wanted this from the very beginning; don't insult my gift or me. Understand!" The eye turned to Tiamat, she began to feel teary eyed as she saw her son. "Mother… I hope I made you proud."

She nodded. "I've always been proud of you," she said gently. Then she turned to Suiryu. "What you do now will decide many things and the fate of many as well. Suiryu, you have no idea how important this task is. If my son does not have his essence taken, it will be released into the human world. Consider what happens when one unleashed hoards of curses to a world with no guardian. His power would do the same and cause wars. Many will die. But if you accept this here and now… you will save many that moment, and many more when you are whole."

He looked to her and then to Yuuji. Suddenly, he grabbed his stomach as the cracks began to appear on his flesh as well. He sighed aloud. "Ryujin, do whatever you want, I won't resist…"

She felt his guard lower, what he was doing to restrain and prevent himself from taking in the essence has vanished. And the surge happened.

Suiryu face wrenched with pain as the energy began to fill him, the parts of his soul that were incomplete, began to fill and become whole. The cracks soon spread through his body until… it was like a burst of power!

The human shell shattered, and Suiryu began to appear smoldering. His body appeared to be made up of red fire; he slowly peered down at his hands and saw this drastic transformation. Looking across from him, he found Yuuji was like him, but he was encased in a light blue flame. "Wait, how did he…"

"I lied about him being unable to become a dragon if you didn't as well." Tiamat snickered. "But now you are, you have souls of a dragon now! You are connected as brothers, true blood brothers," she said joyously. She even wept a little. "I still have my son with me and I have gained another."

Yuuji was staring at his essence. "So… this is our soul now?" he asked curiously.

She nodded to them. "Yes, a dragon's soul is very, very powerful. Yours is also still developing, this is merely the hatching stage." She explained. "As for your dragon soul, it's powerful. It's what the divine users wished to obtain for themselves for the sake of supremacy. However, when they take it, they only take… this…" with a quick swish of her finger, and took a small floating wisp strand of Yuuji's soul. No thicker or bigger than the length of a human hair. "If they took any more than this, they would die."

"Shit, what a waste." Muttered Suiryu. Yet the more he looked over himself the more uncertain he was. "I still don't think this is right for me to have."

"Suiryu…" Yuuji said gently. "I feel the same way. I don't think it's right for me to have either. I had harmed people because of Sukuna… I was forced to kill people who were transfigured… Hell, the whole purpose of my birth was to be Sukuna's vessel… nothing more."

"But that's where you are wrong," Tiamat stated. "Those events happened in the past, when you were demonic sorcerers and still partly human. But now, you will start anew. Begin something new. For you are my children. I have seen both of you, your past, present, and I have a glimpse of your future. You are going to do many and great things for this world, and not just for the humans either. I cannot wait to see what kind of dragons you will be…"

She froze for a moment, despite being in this meditative state, she felt discomfort, but it was familiar. "Suiryu, Yuuji, you cannot return just yet, for you have yet to obtain your strength. I will make a binding vow with you here and now. On the next year's anniversary of your deaths… I will bring you back into this world. But you need to prepare yourselves." She said. "You have to adjust, adapt and understand your dragon state, you cannot return until you have full understanding of this, or you will be in great danger."

The pain suddenly spiked in her. This was a contraction. She can't let them go just yet, they aren't ready!

Yuuji was stunned and Suiryu thought about it. "Mom hasn't been wrong yet, she said we aren't ready, then we aren't. Suiryu?"

He sighed and nodded in agreement. "Wherever we are, we're safe and can cultivate. Very well then, we agree mom…. Damn it…" he muttered.

With the binding vow in place, the pain vanished completely. "Thank you boys, and trust me when I say this. You are going to be fantastic dragons… I cannot wait!"

#

Her eyes opened.

Lady Tiamat stretched herself out before peering around the room. "How long have I slept for?" she asked aloud. She paused for a moment as he hand came on her swollen belly. They grew in the time she rested, and yet she was also relieved. The binding vow took, stopping her contractions and allowing her to retain her sons for a while longer.

Regaining to her feet, she shuffled out of bed and went outside. Everyone was out and about. It was barely dawn and yet, people were up this early, in winter coats? "Strange, I thought it was summer…" she muttered.

"Lady Tiamat!?" Yua Tooru shouted. "Are you okay?!"

She was taken aback. "Fine, why do you ask?"

"You've been asleep for a few months," Gojo explained. "You came back from Shibuya and then passed out, you haven't woken since,"

"Oh… what day is it then?"

No one spoke at first until Toji said. "January 1st, it's new years day."

She froze, she just made that binding vow with Yuuji and Suiryu. Suddenly her hands caressed her bloated belly. "January first?" she whispered. 'Oh my…' she thought to herself.

"So, how much longer until you are due?" asked Yua.

She forced a smile. "Uh… one year and eleven months…" she said nervously.

"Wow, dragons take that long huh?" asked Muta.

"These ones do."