As Kazumi gets to his feet, his hands reach into the air. Strong, white wings protruding from his back extend as far as they can. His tail follows along as its lifted up and out before silently landing back on the wooden floor. When his hands drop to his side, his wings fold back.

Meanwhile, gray eyes had done nothing but watch with a focus on his back.

"I wish I had wings like you," Kazuma says.

He glances back to his own. Dark navy wings extend out and back. They didn't look as graceful or powerful in his eyes. Even though he was still young and growing, it would be a couple more years before he could fly with no issue. But he had no concern about that. They both knew what he meant.

Kazumi resists the urge to bite at his lip. He doesn't want to break it to his younger brother that, no, he shouldn't wish for these cursed white wings. The weight and burden carried on his back thanks to them, he could never wish that same thing onto his brother.

"Your wings are nice, Kazuma," he replies. The older dragon gets on one knee and reaches out to brush against the dark wing. As he runs his hands against the dark scales, his gaze shifts to the white streak on the inner part of his wings. It reminded him of the streak in his hair. "They're beautiful."

Kazuma looks down. He liked the praise from his brother. He knew it was genuine and normally he would eat it up. But it's not what he wants to hear. He wanted to have those pure white wings and to be like the rest of the Onimaru family. Sure, he had some white scales to prove his lineage, but other than that? He might as well be a regular dragon.

"I'd rather have white ones though…"

"Kazuma," he breathes out his name. Kazumi pulls his hand back and sits back beside him. "You should be proud of your own. Many dragons wish for white, but in doing so they don't neglect their own."

"What do you mean?"

"Well…With your darker scales, you don't stand out at night. How many times have you snuck into my room at night without getting caught?"

Kazuma's mouth opens and he can see the younger dragon trying to count his successful infiltrations. Thanks to his wings, he could become one with the darkness. If Kazumi had dared to try what he did, he'd be caught instantly.

"Your fire is stronger to. And thanks to your scales, you don't gather attention when you go out. Thanks to them, you are free."

"Hmm…I don't really get it."

Not the last bit, anyway. He didn't feel free in his own home, if anything he felt more constricted. But Kazumi didn't want to get deep into this topic. Not now. He extends an arm, letting it wrap around his brother's shoulders. His wing follows, having it wrap around him before resting his head against his brother.

"It's okay. You don't have to. I just hope you can appreciate your own wings someday."

He just wanted his brother to be happy. And thankfully, he wasn't bound to the same fate he was. Kazuma's life was hard, but in time, he would be granted the freedom that every dragon should have. Then he would see the joy in not being having these wings.