Chapter 8

Useless

Hellhound Cellar

Mitsuru stealthily makes his way below the Council Room, easily avoiding Byakko and Suzaku upon their return up the winding stairs. "Who would have thought that Tatsumaru would be stripped of his Godhood? Moreover, especially after all these years…" Byakko said.

"Honestly, I didn't even know it was coming… Solomon seemed to like Tatsumaru when he first became the Dragon God. I wonder if Tatsumaru did anything wrong to invoke Solomon's wrath…" Suzaku said.

"Unfortunately, Tatsumaru has to spend the rest of his life here… poor guy… destroyed because Rose no longer loves him…"

We will see about that, Byakko. Mitsuru thought.

"Pity that," Suzaku said. Byakko's gaze rests briefly on the well-shielded Mitsuru. He mouths something to him.

"Help Tatsumaru out of this Mitsuru, you're the only one who can," Byakko mouthed to Mitsuru. Mitsuru merely nods his head slightly. Byakko and Suzaku disappear up the winding swirl of the stairs. Mitsuru continues descending and finds himself in a very dark and damp cellar. Hardly picking up Tatsumaru's Aura, he makes his way to the very last cell in the darkest part of the dungeon.

Tatsumaru is huddled in the corner, his knees drawn up to his chest with something clenched tightly in his arms. He is pale-skinned and clammy. Mitsuru looks at the ex-God horrified his face paling at the pitiful sight of the man in front of him. Hades appears behind Mitsuru.

"Solomon stripped him entirely of all the powers and forms that he ever gained even before his Godhood. He has made him utterly Human and vulnerable to death," Hades said. Mitsuru turns to face the Doom God quickly, his anger seething off him in thick waves and flashing in his yellow eyes.

"But why did he have to be stripped of his powers to begin with?" Mitsuru asked.

"That way, according to Lord Solomon, he cannot retaliate against Rose for her decision."

"And so he must suffer because of that bitch's selfish actions?"

"That's what it seems like," Hades said slowly. Mitsuru faces Tatsumaru again he spots something in the ex-God's arms and pressed close to his chest.

"Wait, he is holding something… Hades, can you get it through the bars?"

"Sure. I think I can manage to breach them." Hades steps through the bars in order to get a closer look at what Mitsuru spotted.

"What's in his arm, Hades?"

"It's an egg. A Dragon's egg actually. Did he do something sexual before coming here by any chance?" Hades asked. Mitsuru looks away uneasily.

"I – er – well –"

"I take that as a yes. Anyway, his body was forming the egg inside him. When Solomon stripped him of his Dragon form, his body could no longer produce the means to nurture the egg…"

"So in other words, he killed my child!" Mitsuru's eyes burn yellow-orange as his anger builds still higher.

"In short, yes, he did."

"Hades, bring Tatsumaru to my apartment in Italy. Give me the egg though. I need to find Lord Seiryu." Hades hands Mitsuru the immature egg carefully. Mitsuru takes the egg with gentle hands.

"Be careful, Mitsuru, and don't do anything rash."

"I'll try my best not to."

"I guess that's all I can hope for…" Hades disappears from the cell bracing Tatsumaru on his right side. Mitsuru heads back upstairs to the Council Room.

Council Room

Inside the Council Room, Mitsuru spots Seiryu and Byakko talking quietly about the most recent events. Mitsuru walks briskly over to the two Gods. Seiryu, whose back is to Mitsuru, faces him quickly. "Why are you so angry, Mitsuru?" Seiryu asked. Mitsuru thrusts the egg into Seiryu's hands; his anger still seething off him in heavy waves.

"Do you know what this is, Lord Seiryu?" Mitsuru asked. Seiryu studies the egg briefly before looking up at Mitsuru again.

"This is an immature Dragon's egg. How did you get this?" Seiryu asked.

"Tatsumaru had it with him in his cell." A horrified look crosses Byakko's face.

"You mean he was pregnant when Solomon stripped him of his Godhood…?" Byakko asked. Seiryu's open wide in shock and understanding.

"That would seem to be the case, Byakko. The other Gods will not be happy about this," Seiryu said slowly. Mitsuru scowls in his anger.

"Solomon isn't going to like it at all. Not when I'm through with him anyway," Mitsuru said as he cracks his knuckles.

"Since when did you care about anything that happens to anybody else?" Byakko asked. Mitsuru's face drains of color. Seiryu studies Mitsuru's features closely.

"You really love Tatsumaru, don't you?" Seiryu asked.

"Yes, I do. Solomon killed my child when he stripped Tatsu of his power."

"Invoking the wrath of the God of Suffering is not a good move, not even for Lord Solomon," Byakko said.

"According to Hades, Solomon stripped Tatsumaru of every speck of power that he had in his body…"

"You do have to be kidding, right?" Seiryu asked.

"No, I'm not. Tatsumaru is a mere shell of himself more now than I have even seen him before…"

"That makes it sound like you've been watching him for a long time now, Mitsuru," Byakko said offhandedly.

"I – er – well have been."

"You really do love him?" Seiryu asked again.

"I had sex with him, nearly had a child with him, and you ask if I love him?"

"I don't think Seiryu intended it like that," Byakko said.

"I didn't mean to injure your pride," Seiryu said.

"My pride isn't what's hurting; it's my heart that's suffering," Mitsuru said sadly. Seiryu gently cracks open the immature egg. He studies the insides carefully and then he looks up at Mitsuru again, his eyes sad. Mitsuru looks at Seiryu undoubtedly confused. Seiryu makes the egg un-cracked again as he looks at Mitsuru. "What is it, Seiryu?"

"This news is going to make you even angrier with Lord Solomon," Seiryu said.

"Tell me, please, I need to know the truth."

"Had the egg fully developed, you and Tatsumaru would have had twins." Mitsuru's eyes open wide in horror and then they become mere slits of yellow-orange as his anger builds.

"Now Solomon is definitely dead! Tatsumaru is not going to be happy at all!" Hades appears behind Mitsuru his hands clasped behind his back and his voice sympathetic.

"Tatsumaru knew that the egg would never hatch as he clutched it to his chest," Hades said.

"Solomon is going to get a piece of my mind right now," Mitsuru said.

"Do please be careful, Mitsuru," Hades said. Mitsuru nods his head, takes the egg from Seiryu, and then leaves the Council Room.

"Mitsuru is one God that o never want to piss off," Seiryu said.

"Tatsumaru is a force to be reckoned with as well," Byakko added.

"Together, they make an unstoppable force," Hades finished. Seiryu and Byakko look at Hades uncertain.

It is true that no one should mess with a couple such as Tatsumaru and Mitsuru; they'd kill that person without so much as a second thought. Hades thought. The three Gods head to their own rooms to think about the most recent of recent events.