Chapter 37

His stomach wouldn't sooth.

If anything, Yuuji felt as if there was a massive rock in his belly and refused to leave. And yet, at the same time, he felt something resonate in this rock to his heart. 'What… what is this?' he thought to himself. 'Why do I feel like I have to… I must… I must keep this safe?'

He turned to his side but was suddenly turned on to his back once more. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. "Huh?" he moaned oddly. Slowly, he tried to sit up, but that sensation returned. Peering down, he saw his stomach oddly distended. "What the hell?" he said aloud. "What… what happened?... KIYOSHI!"

"It's okay, Yuuji,"

He settled himself down, to his left he saw Suiryu laying rather contently. "It's all good,"

Yuuji was oddly confused. "Suiryu? Where… why are we at mom's place?!" he demanded.

"Most room, our houses were too narrow, quite frankly, this was a better option for both of us… you sleep good?"

"I… think so… but… Kiyoshi… is Kiyoshi okay!?" he demanded.

Suiryu peered over him oddly. He smirked and nodded. "Yeah, just fine," he said rather contently. "You've been out for a month, you know that?"

"What?" He asked in a slight panic.

"Suiryu!" came the scolding voice of Yua. "We talked about this…"

"Oh… right… sorry…" he muttered.

Yuuji peered up at her, but was worried. "Yua… what happened?" he asked as gently as he could. Yet his nerves were getting the better of him. "Did… did something happen to Kiyoshi?"

Yua peered over him and yet she appeared rather relieved to say the least. "Yes," she said truthfully. "But Yuuji, please keep yourself calm as I explain this. Okay?"

Her voice was oddly gentle, more so than usual, yet he had a terrible feeling growing in his gut. He nodded in understanding as she took a seat. "Raynn tried to destroy your son's soul so he could possess his body. He failed due to the necklace he wore made by your mother. The feature of that was he had three chances to stop himself, on the third attempt to harm your son, it killed him." she explained.

Yuuji was stunned. "Raynn is dead?"

She nodded once more. "However, his essence had to go somewhere, and it went into your son. The moment that happened, you took him into yourself, the same organ you use to tend to Yuko when she is pregnant holds Kiyoshi as we speak."

Relief washed over him. "Okay, so all I have to do is let him out…" he stared at his stomach as he tried to open himself up, but it refused. Time and time again he tried, but there was no sign of his stomach opening up to let his son out! "Wait, what's going on?!"

"Yuuji, calm," she said gently.

Taking deep breaths he settled himself once more. "Sorry," he whispered.

"You know the last time someone took in the essence of a dragon, it killed them… Suiryu, remember?"

He froze. Panic came over his face. "Wait… then…"

"Let me finish. This is where it gets rather awkward." She said gently. "Your body has a memory recall, after witnessing or experiencing something that has happened to you… or someone close to you… a twin for example. Knows the damage it can do, but it also knows how to prevent it."

He felt so confused at this point. "But the only way Suiryu survived was…"

"Yeah," Suiryu muttered. "However, this is something really similar to that,"

"What…"

"Yuuji, there's a feature a male dragon can do, very rare and hardly ever used by them. They can make an egg." She explained.

Suddenly, that ill sensation began to come over him. "An… Egg…" he whispered.

"Yes, and that is what you have done now with Kiyoshi. Your other stomach used to contain Yuko when she is expecting, has altered, since your body registered something happening to your son. As such, the stomach enclosed around him and solidified into a shell… he's contained in this for the time being, as his body alters."

"Yua… I went through that too! It didn't work!" he protested.

"Yuuji, what are you?" she asked.

He paused. "A dragon…"

"Yes, and what is the rule?"

"No one can be a dragon unless they are born from one… what's your point?"

She sighed and smiled. "Sukuna had spoken this to Lady Tiamat. She only told me of it recently. But, it makes me confident that Kiyoshi is going to be just fine. After all, hatching is a form of birth, right?"

Instantly, he froze.

"Wait, so… Kiyoshi…"

She smiled and nodded. "We have waited the month, your mother insisted on that. In that time frame we would know if this worked or not. For the month, we watched to see if you would alter or change, mainly in the stomach area. You grew three inches in that timeframe, which means, it took. Had it not, you wouldn't have altered at all. But I can safely say, Kiyoshi is on his way of joining you and Suiryu as a dragon himself."

He wanted to cry, Yuuji wanted to scream, curse, shout with anger and joy. But, he tried to keep himself calm as Yua explained.

"Yuko is also preggers." Suiryu said offhandedly.

Instantly, he froze. "Yuko… Wait… How do I…"

"Yo," Suiryu said as he raised his hand in a lazy manner. "I'm filling in for you on that, which is why I'm here… haven't been able to leave yet. The guards here are insane!"

It was then, Yuuji realized Suiryu had put on some weight… hold on…

"Guards?" he asked.

Yua snickered. "Perhaps it's about time you are introduced. Come," she said and helped Yuuji sit up.

Suiryu joined them, he appeared a little bigger than usual. Yuuji was about to ask him but he waved it off. "Caretakers are trying to fatten me up," he explained.

They walked out of the house, yet. Yuuji froze. They were all over the place, and yet, he saw 30 young children, about eight years of age, staring right at him oddly. But, they all looked familiar.

"UNCLE YUUJI!" they cheered.

Yuuji felt his face drain of color. "Uncle?" he asked.

"Uncle," muttered Suiryu. "Meet our nieces and nephews, the sons and daughters of our brothers the curse wombs!" he announced.

"Uncle Suiryu, back to bed this instant!" One scolded. She had quite an authority in her voice. She had long, flat, black hair and piercing yellow eyes. "We spoke about this, the more you are out of bed the more you lose weight, and we have yet to get you the proper calories to take care of aunt Yuko when she needs you!"

"Oh God, this again…" he muttered.

Yua snickered as he was pushed back into the house. However, not even Yuuji was immune to their lecture. "Uncle Yuuji, I understand you just woke up, but at the moment you are not doing yourself any favors, you too, must go back to bed!" scolded a spunky young boy. The thing was, he was the spitting image of Choso! "Miss Yua, we will take it from mere. Grandmother's orders." He insisted.

Yua smiled and bowed to him. "Of course, take good care of them. Uncle Yuuji is going to need to eat," she explained.

He gave a serious nod back as he and the others gently coxed him back into their mother's home. Suiryu was already tucked back into bed, Yuuji's nest was made bigger and comfier than before by the tallest of the children. "Now, you two are going to wait right here and we will bring you food. Don't move!"

They left shortly after.

Yuuji was at a loss for words. "What the hell just happened?"

Suiryu snickered. "Got lectured and outnumbered."