Chapter 25

Something instantly felt off.

Suiryu wondered about the dorm but knew the moment he woke, that someone was missing. He quickly checked everywhere to make certain that what he felt was true, when he ran into Gojo. The two paused. "Have you seen Yuuji/Itadori?" they asked each other at the same time.

"Shit, you haven't seen him either?!" Suiryu demanded.

"Not since last night, it was as if… well… as if someone erased him from this world" Gojo explained. "I've been looking for him all morning, but haven't found anything that would be Itadori related…"

"What the fuck is going on…" Suiryu muttered. "Not to mention… who could do something like that? Despite his power sealed away, we can still sense him. But as you said… it's like he just vanished from this world all together…"

"Kitsune!" Gojo called aloud.

But there was no answer. She didn't appear. "Damn fox…" Suiryu muttered lowly once more. "She answers to him, but not to any of us…"

"That's Kitsune for you, but perhaps she is with him now too?"

"No, I'm not."

The two jumped as she came out of nowhere once more. "Damn, this really does make me realize how others feel when I do that to them," snickered Satoru. But then he became serious. "Kitsune, do you know where…"

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" she wept and trembled. She fell to her knees and cried. "I went to see the great one… she knows of Itadori… and was not happy."

"What do you mean?" demanded Suiryu. "Who is this great one you speak of?"

Kitsune tried to settle herself. "I will not speak her name, but you can know this much… she is considered a dragon goddess." She explained. "I had to deliver her new blankets, she picked up Itadori's scent on many of them and questioned me… I cannot lie to her… not to the great one. When I explained what happened… she got very upset."

"Upset?" the two asked.

Kitsune nodded. "No sorcerer has ever survived trying to become a dragon, you all know that. And I just learned why that is… she never approved of them, also, those who try to obtain a dragon's power, are cursed by her."

Neither one could speak. "Does this… great one have Itadori now?" Gojo asked.

"I don't know, I don't sense my young master." Kitsune explained.

Suiryu started to surge. "Where the hell is this so called great one?" he demanded of her. "I'll set thing straight."

"You do and it is your death!" Kitsune stated. "As confident and as powerful as you are, let me explain one thing. Even Sukuna at full strength, with everything he is capable of. And if he learned every single curse there was to know in this vast world… she would destroy him instantly. He is nothing more than an infant compared to her!"

This made everyone pause.

Suiryu even felt fear for the first time upon hearing this. "You shitting me, you got to be…"

"Her legend… is that she helped create this world before it came to be. She is as old as anyone of the divine can remember…"

"Damn… So there is nothing we can do, is there?" Satoru asked.

She shook her head. "This was all my fault… I had young master pick out new blankets for his nest…" she said and began to cry once more. "Oh, young master!"

Suiryu was pissed to say the least, however, he won't hold this over her head, and he couldn't. He had no idea about this powerful entity that could make Sukuna look like a baby in power. At the same time, he wondered and worried. What will happen to his brother?

#

Yuuji tried to make sense of it all.

One moment, he was asleep, the next, he felt as if someone were carrying him off. He couldn't make sense of this light sensation he was feeling, let alone why he couldn't open his eyes. But then, a blinding flash of light came over him. Despite the fact they were close, the light pierced through and forced him awake.

The moment he did though, he froze.

At first, Yuuji was on his back, staring up into the night sky that appeared odd to him. As if the stars themselves were closer to the earth than ever before. Slowly, he sat himself up and tried to look around. Nothing here was familiar to say the least. "Hello?" he called aloud, but heard nothing back. "Wait… my voice?! I have my voice back?" he said in great amazement, yet still didn't have his teeth. But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. Picking himself off the ground, he tried to see if he could find the exit. But, just as he was about to look for it something caught his ear.

He heard the strange call he has been making when he lost his voice.

Turning around, he saw a small bundle lying in a stone basket of sorts as if it were an offering to the gods themselves. Yuuji slowly began to move himself forward to see what was going on. "Is that a baby? Who would leave a baby here?" he said aloud.

Yet as he tried to approach, he felt the world shift around him.

Instantly, he stepped away. "Wait…" he muttered.

Then the walls around him began to move and breath!

He stumbled back as he saw eyes begin to appear above him. What he thought were walls at first, were actually massive bodies! He tired to peer through the darkness to see who or what they were. Which was strange, normally his eyes could see beyond the gloom before him. He jumped though when he heard a firm, female voice say. "This must be the one the fox spoke of. Have they not learned their lesson?!"

Her voice alone made his body trembled from it.

It resonated through to his core, and yet, Yuuji couldn't understand where he was. The one that spoke began to come clear before him, she was a massive dragon with black scales but they had a deep purple shine to them. She then stared down at the infant in the stone basket. She sneered at it. "Is this not the demon vessel to Sukuna?" she asked aloud.

"She's talking about me?" Yuuji whispered.

"Are you not going to answer for yourself?"

He suddenly saw her eyes locked on to him. Yuuji froze as he found himself falling to his knees and prostrating before the dragon. "I am sorry… I… I don't know what's going on! I don't even know how I am able to speak right now, I lost my voice and yet…"

"Silence!" she ordered. "You demonic sorcerers are all the same, craving more power than what you can handle, did you think I would allow such a thing to happen despite the fact you are a mere child!" she demanded of him.

"I swear to you… I don't know what has happened to me…" he said as tears wielded in his eyes. "Please, I am sorry if I offended you. I had no intention of obtaining a dragon's power…"

"All humans and sorcerers wish to obtain it!" scolded another voice. "It is why nearly all dragons left the human realm, you all wanted power nothing more without considering the consequences let alone understanding the purpose of having such strength to wield!"

He peered out of his left demonic eye and saw the dragon that spoke. It was a dark green color, not nearly the same size as the dominant one who spoke so coldly to him.

"I care not for this, such actions are insulting to us. Boy, you are going to learn your lesson the hard way as all others before you who dared try to stand among us… Your body shall remain small and feeble for the rest of your life until your death!"

"PLEASE WAIT!" Yuuji begged.

He saw the talon reach down to touch the infant, when a ghost like hand came from the baby and grabbed hold of the talon!

"You were always so brash, mother…"

Silence befell the room, Yuuji saw a white hand release the talon and then come up through the infant's body.

Ryujin!

He took a rather phantom form but stood before the dragons. He maintained his image that Yuuji is use to seeing him in when they speak.

The black dragon froze. "Ryujin… you're alive?"

"Yes mother, for the time being. Please, do not judge this fledgling. For these actions were mine,"

"Wait, YOU are forcing me to become a dragon!?" Yuuji demanded. He suddenly stood on his feet. "Ryujin, why?"

"Indeed, I wish to know the answer to this as well brother," said another dragon with dark yellow colored scales.

Ryujin turned to them. "Mother, sisters, my absence has been long, but it has also been very fulfilling as well. I have learned so much and seen so many things, but this child before you… I wish to allow him to obtain our power. As well, I had wronged him. I took a foolish risk that endangered his life, and did the only thing I could to save it."

Yuuji shook his head. "Ryujin, I don't need to get any more powerful than what I already am, please, stop this from happening! I don't need to become a dragon…"

"You refuse such a gift!?"

"Mother, please…" Ryujin said gently. He turned to Yuuji and approached him gently, his hands came on his shoulders when he said. "You are the first I have ever come across who deserves such an honor. You have not sought power for your own benefit, nor have you used or abused it to obtain what you desire. I have seen your heart and intentions and know them so. Itadori… Yuuji… You need to become one of us."

He shook his head to it all. "I can't…" he whispered.

"Can't or won't?"

"Mother…" Ryujin said in a warning tone.

"I want to know his reasoning!" she demanded. "For I have seen many sorcerers in my life time, they would kill millions to become a dragon. I want to know, why would this one refuse our strength? You are aware little one, aren't you?"

Yuuji gulped his pride. Ryujin however gently patted his back, as if to say speak from the heart.

He stepped forward and said. "Ever since… I ate Sukuna's finger… all anyone has ever seen me as is a threat to them… my friends suffer, many have died for me… because I became a demon vessel. Those feelings, those actions haven't changed the least bit since I had been given Ryujin to take care of…"

"YOU? TAKE CARE OF RYUJIN!"

"Great dragon… I have done everything I can to ensure he maintains his strength, I gain divine energy for him to use, I am slowly learning of it myself…"

"Impossible," she snorted and refused to believe what was said.

"He speaks the truth. Mother, look into his eyes and see what he has seen!" he pleaded to her.

Yuuji froze as her eyes suddenly bore into him. When they locked on each other, he felt everything, all over again from the loss of his grandfather, to consuming the finger and everything in between it all. It ran though his mind at a rapid pace until finally, they broke off.

He collapsed and gasped for air, at the same time shed tears all over again to everything he endured.

His arms wrapped around his body, trying to self-sooth himself, but it wasn't working.

"I had no idea…"

Her voice suddenly became gentle.

Peering up, he no longer saw a massive dragon, but a giant, lavishing, full figured woman in a black scale dress. She had long, black and wavy hair. Her eyes were piercing yellow.

She stared down upon him, but not with malic. "You really did tend to my son, you took care of Ryujin… and even with your power over the divine, you never abused them…"

Yuuji merely nodded, he couldn't bring himself to speak at first. But then he found his strength. "Please… don't make me do this…" he was able to whisper. "I can't do this… I just can't…"

He felt a gentle hand come on to his back. He felt himself calm down and soothed nearly instantly. Slowly, he peered up once more as the woman smiled. "Please stand," she said gently.

Yuuji slowly took to his feet once more. The woman towered over him, her hands gently cupped the sides of his face as she peered into his eyes once more. "Ryujin, he is far too young to be doing this."

He merely nodded to her. "I know," he said gently. "But right now, it is needed. His body was severely damaged and it would have taken his life… for my foolish mistake, it was all I could think of to save him. Not only that. Mother, I am not going to be able to live much longer…"

She paused. Yuuji did too. "Wait, did I do something wrong? I thought you still had a few years at least..." he asked as he pulled out of the woman's touch. "Ryujin… I'm sorry…"

He smiled and shook his head. "This has nothing to do with you, fledgling," he said gently. "My soul has gone through so many hosts, it has become greatly weakened. My only hope is to attach myself to another and fuse with them. However, you cannot be the one."

He paused to his words. "But then… Why am I becoming a dragon?"

"It's to save you, your body was breaking down from the sorcerer who tried to possess us. It was the only way to save and to allow me to separate from you before my death,"

Yuuji froze.

"You are a vessel that has been able to suppress the King of curses himself, and contain my son. Such power is not known to us, but I see now why this path is being taken."

Yuuji shook his head. "Is there no other way?"

Ryujin merely smiled as he approached the stone basket. "There isn't, as well, it's too late to go back. Fledgling, this infant is you… this is the start of your transformation."

Yuuji froze.

That baby on the table IS him.

"But, how can that be me, when I'm standing right here?"

Ryujin smiled once more. "Your soul stands before us," he explained, and then he turned his attention back to the woman in black. "Mother, may I?" he asked.

She nodded to him as Ryujin approached Itadori. He froze as Ryujin placed two fingers in between his brow. "Your test will start soon, your soul will divide into two, and your task to becoming one of us is to reunite your halves together. At the same time, you will learn from each side of your power from the greatest source of it. As well, you will have no knowledge of yourself, your power or of any of those who are going to be assisting you through this. One piece of advice I wish to offer, always, listen to your heart, listen to what is around you and know when something does not feel right, it isn't!"

"Wait, Ryujin…" Yuuji pleaded. But paused as he heard his own voice come from behind him.

"When you succeed, Yuuji Itadori… you will no longer be a demon or a dragon vessel, you will start your journey and become one of us!"

He felt something course through him. He felt as if he had eyes at the back of his head now and they were focused on those waiting from the shadows with interest. Yuuji then began to drift back over to the stone slab, staring down at the baby before him, before he began to vanish into the infant once more.

It was strange, he saw himself entering the small body going forward, and another falling back…

#

The deed was done.

Itadori is on his own. Ryujin sighed aloud as he approached the infant and brushed back his hair a little. "I never thought you would have been so taken with a demon vessel…"

"He's more than that mother, I have gone through his thoughts and memories time and time again. How could one so young, barely a hatchling to us, contemplate what would be a fair death to him?" he asked. "There is something about him too that makes me wish to preserve him, he's not something or someone you come across every lifetime either…"

"Still, for a mere child…" her hand reached to brush back the infant's hair as well.

Then she felt something.

A memory came to her mind, of an event that never happened.

She began to feel she found Yuuji Itadori left on his own, outside in the cold to fend for himself. It happened often with dragons whose children were unfit in their minds. Those who were born weak, deformed or just didn't appeal to the parents were often abandoned. Some are even left behind for their own safety. She never did such a thing, in fact, many times, she took it upon herself to adopt and tend to those who have been deserted.

She saw him as an infant, crying aloud for some sort of comfort and nurturing. He was just born… and never had felt the warmth of a mother's touch. Carefully, she leaned down and picked him up off the ground. "Shhh, little one. I'm your mother from this moment on," she whispered.

The little infant stopped crying and was instantly soothed…

She gasped aloud as her eyes peered down at the baby Itadori. "What… just happened?" she whispered.

"Mother?" Ryujin asked curiously. "Are you okay?"

She pulled back her hand as she stared down at the odd baby before her, and yet, she couldn't bring herself to leave him there. "He is able to implant memories, powerful ones to favor his survival…" she whispered. "But everything I felt from him…" she couldn't explain it all, but still, the baby before her cried aloud.

"UMPH!" followed by a human baby's wail.

Yuuji began to make the hungry sound. Ryujin merely smiled until his mother reached over and took him into her arms. "Mother?"

He was stunned as she lowered her dress. She fed him then and there much to the shock of the room. "Mother, are you sure?" asked Ryujin's sister with the golden scales.

She nodded. "A mother must feed her children," she insisted. "Though this one's eyes I have seen he has not experienced a mother's touch, or cannot recall one. I wish to change that as he grows." She said. Yuuji didn't refuse her, Ryujin was stunned as Itadori took his fill. Instantly he settled afterwards and fell right to sleep once more. "What of yourself?" she asked of Ryujin. "What will you do now?"

He smiled warmly to her. "I have already made arrangements," he said gently.

A look of devastation came over his mother. "You are not thinking…"

But he smiled to her once more.

Ryujin peered down at Itadori; he turned to his mother and said. "His mindset will be preserved, if anything as he tries to reunite his soul within himself, I will be certain that his mind will not alter… If anything until he finds his soul, he shall have the mindset of an infant…"

"I had wished there was another option…" His mother paused but sighed aloud. "How come I was never able to say no to you?" she muttered.

"Brother, is this truly wise?" asked one of his sisters who was a sky blue colored dragon.

He nodded. "I will remain on earth to keep the balance. I have to for all our sakes." He paused as he looked to Itadori once more. "He will grow and be strong enough by the next morning… I am certain those around him will take good care of him in his time of need."