Chapter 28

He wanted his space.

He wanted to be alone with his thoughts and try to process everything. Fushiguro doesn't remember how he woke up, but he remembered the tears he shed. Everything he endured, the pain he suffered through, the heartache and deaths… he unleashed it all in grief. He was never given time to grieve, let alone believe he was able to. But perhaps, it was all just repressed for the sake of moving forward, it was the only way he knew how to.

Despite Lady Tiamat's suggestion, he took it upon himself to return home. His residence was kept clean thanks to his siblings, but now, he wants time to himself.

"Why did he do it? Why would father even care to do this to me?" he muttered to himself.

He didn't feel strange, or anything different, at least, not at first. His body ached a little here and there, but nothing more. "Did that really happen?" he asked himself. "Do I really… did I really…" but he shook his head of the notion.

Instead he began to make his way to the bathroom. Splashing some cold water on to his face, he cleaned up and then stared at his reflection. At first he was startled, his eyes had changed suddenly, they were pitch black with a green iris of a dragon for but a moment. Yet when he looked again, it was his normal eyes. "Maybe my head is playing tricks on me…" he muttered.

Then his back ached.

Megumi thought it was tightness, but instead he felt it kink… then and snap! "What… what's happening…" he began to stretch, his body began to grow bigger! But then, he suddenly grew longer! His spine began to stretch farther and farther, he barely got out of the bathroom before he collapsed to the ground.

Pulling himself across the ground, he made it to the living room, yet as he peered back, he froze.

His legs were still at the bathroom, his body had become long like a snake! "GGGGAAAAAHHHHH!" he screamed out. "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING TO ME!"

He tried to calm down, but his body refused to alter back to its original state.

It took everything to turn himself over. But even then only half his body was able to roll! He stared up at the ceiling, enduring this uncomfortable state.

"KNOCK KNOCK, HEARD YOU HATCHED AND FINALLY WOKE UP!"

"SUIRYU DON'T COME IN!" Megumi shouted.

But the door already opened.

Suiryu waltzed in without a care but paused the moment his eyes came upon him. He stared at Megumi and then his eyes slowly trailed his long body to the bathroom where his legs remained. "Damn, this is fucked up…" he muttered. "Okay then," he wasn't the least bit concerned, he approached him oddly and gently turned him on to his stomach once more. "You don't roll on to your back, you make yourself vulnerable. Keep on your stomach, as well, take a page out of your shikigami book. Orochi right? Slither!"

"What do you mean slither? I can't slither!"

Suiryu smirked a little. "Okay then, good luck moving around…"

"Wait! What's wrong with me? Why is this happening?"

There was an unimpressed look on his face. Suiryu appeared almost… disappointed in him. He said nothing but raided the fridge, taking one of Megumi's drinks out before finding a seat to relax in. He continued to be silent on the matter until he finished his beverage.

Megumi didn't dare yell out at him, it would cause others to investigate his screaming.

He took his dear sweet ass time.

Suiryu placed the can off to the side and said. "Next time mom tells you something, fucking listen!" he demanded.

Fushiguro was stunned by his tone… is that why he was upset with him? He shied away from the scolding, but endured it. "I'm sorry, I know she means well but… why would she help me? I'm not her child…"

"Yuuji, Choso and I are not blood related and Choso still considers us brothers. What of it?" he snapped back. "Look, mom is looking out for you, for everyone here. She knew this was going to happen. Had you been at the nursery where Rhea is tending to Choso, she could have assisted you. But you decided you knew what was better apparently and now… you are stuck on the ground."

He sighed. "I'm sorry… please, help me."

"I don't know if I can,"

He froze to the news. "What…"

"Megumi… why is this happening to you? I know this isn't your shikigami having second thoughts on becoming your dragon form. But have you really accepted them?"

He paused to the question.

Suddenly, Fushiguro sat up… his legs were back, his body normal once more and yet, he turned to Suiryu who remained rather serious on the subject. "Well?" he asked sternly.

"Well what?"

"Have you accepted them?"

Megumi paused, but fell silent to it all. He hasn't, he knows he hasn't. How can he? His shikigami are precious and very valued and respected allies he had, and now…

He shook his head of the thought. "I didn't want this to happen to them…"

"Well, it has and it did. So, you going to accept their gift to you? If not, this is going to happen again." Suiryu warned.

He went silence once more, this is going to get some getting use to…

#

"Now, I want to make certain that we have more than enough for you to eat, as well, I think we should start with five at first before we take any more. I don't know what the limit is to a nursery dragon…"

Rhea was going over her plan. Lady Tiamat merely snickered at the sight of her daughter doing such a thing, then again, she has waited a few thousand years to do so. All the while as she spoke, Choso sat there quietly and listened to her ramble on with the plan. Yet at the same time, he was told to keep snacking and eating to gather his strength.

"Rhea," he said gently.

She stopped her rambling. "Oh, sorry, you were saying?"

"I… don't quite know what I will be doing for you as of yet, let alone… understand my own physiology…"

Lady Tiamat snickered. "As a nursery dragon, I think at the moment your limit would be about ten, but as Rhea said earlier, start small. Five even seems excessive to me…"

Choso appeared to have paused and considered the notion. "I think five is a prefect number to start with…" he said. "But are you certain about this?" he asked of Rhea.

She turned to Lady Tiamat, who nodded to her. "Choso… it's all I ever wanted to do… you see, for me, a lot of male dragons wanted me since I have a very strong and high fertility. It breaks my heart that I will not be able to bare you more children for a long time, as well… I've only ever wanted to be a mother… and as a mother… how could I be one if the males who were to be my mates, refuse to be the fathers they should be! I won't allow a child to suffer such a fate. As well… you know what it's like too…" she whispered the last part meekly.

Choso appeared rather confused on the notion. "Rhea, when he is stronger, show him rather than tell him." Lady Tiamat said gently.

She nodded in agreement.

"Mom… is this happening to everyone?" Yuuji asked suddenly. "I mean, I am thrilled if it is, but at the same time… is everyone else okay with it?"

She smiled to him, her hand gently patted the top of Yuuji's head with great affection. "I made you forget our conversation before, but yes. With the success we have had, I plan on turning most of those who live here into a dragon. As I said, those of the heavenly realm are not going to last much longer. My uncle is aware of it too, he can feel his power is not the same nor will it hold against the likes of me… the likes of us," she said aloud.

"Then…"

"It will take time, but those who are close to you, will join you. A new dragon convent is something I have always wanted to make on earth, yet the conditions, people and situation were not right." She paused oddly but turned to Choso. "Your younger brothers set the stage for this, you are aware aren't you?"

He forced a smile and nodded. "Indeed…" he suddenly paused. Lady Tiamat sensed it too.

Another just hatched!