Chapter 16
She cried deeply into her pillow.
Mochi wept for her lost childhood and yet, she wondered, why didn't her brothers feel the same as her? Why was this all too scary for her to confront. Before, she was a fearless child. What changed besides her all of a sudden?
"I want my mom…" she whispered.
Then, a gentle knock came on the door. "Not now Pops…" she said.
"Actually, it's Lady Tiamat…"
Mochi paused oddly, curiously, she opened the door and found Lady Tiamat standing there. She wasn't as big or tall as she normally is, and yet… "Why are you here?" Mochi asked.
"May I come in and talk?"
She was reluctant, yet Mochi backed up and allowed her into the room. She was quick to close and lock the door shortly after. "Why are you here? I asked to speak with my mom, but you had mom go away for a while…"
"I'm sorry but she does need a break."
"I don't want to be like this!" Mochi shouted. "WHY AM I LIKE THIS!"
Lady Tiamat looked her over and sighed. "It was my fault this time around," she said gently. "First time, that was Ryomen Sukuna. But this time, it was me. Because you needed to grow in order to contain your technique. Had you not… you would have been burned from the inside out as a child."
Mochi froze.
"What… what do you mean? I had excellent control over my technique! Oji even said so!"
"Yes, you did, and then, you made it stronger. The more one uses their technique child, the more their power grows, and being a Tooru is a double edged sword." She said gently. "You learn far faster than others on your abilities, you also cultivate faster and know how your curse energy works. However, if your body cannot adapt to the change as fast as you are gaining power… it would have destroyed you."
Mochi crossed her arms. "It's not fair," she said in a seething tone. "How is any of this fair?"
"It's not,"
She was stunned to hear such a thing, she thought for certain Lady Tiamat would brush off her words merely stating 'that's life for you'. But, she agreed, it wasn't fair.
"Then how do we make it fair?" she asked. "I want to be a child again, not this! Things are happening to my body and I don't even know what that's about!"
She appeared stunned, Lady Tiamat stood and looked Mochi in the eyes. "That shouldn't be…" she whispered. "When the body ages rapidly like this, I made sure there was a failsafe so milestones are explained and still achieved through the body… As well, the sudden changes are known and you understand why that is… but you don't feel that way do you?"
"No," she whispered. "I just want to be a child again… not this."
Mochi was craving comfort, she found herself drift to Lady Tiamat and inched her way closer to her. She didn't refuse and embraced Mochi full heartedly. "Oh child, I am so sorry you are going through this…" she whispered.
Mochi sighed. "What do I do?"
Lady Tiamat was silent, Mochi pulled away as she peered up into this woman's face. Then, a smile came over her. "I do believe someone mentioned of a girls weekend? How about I join you? I know just the place to bring you and my girls, how about it?" she asked.
"Where?" Mochi questioned.
"It's a surprise," she whispered. "But I need your answer now, would you like to join us?"
She considered it, but why won't she explain where they are going?
Curiosity won out. She agreed to the idea of going on a girl's weekend.
#
The dishes were done, and yet, Suguru kept peering towards the stairs.
The boys had gone up to relax for now, and yet… a part of him wants to go up and speak with Mochi on the matter.
He sighed though. "If you interfere and she comes to you over Satoru you won't hear the end of it…" he lectured himself.
"Are you not being too critical?"
He jumped and saw lady Tiamat at the dinner table. "Oh, sorry about that… would you like some tea and snacks? I just made a pot."
"I would be delighted," she said and smiled.
Suguru learned through Choso on hosting Lady Tiamat, always offer tea and snacks!
With everything arranged, he sat across from her. Yet wondered…
"Did something happen…"
"Of course not," she insisted. "Where Yua is right now, there isn't anything or anyone there that could harm her!" she decreed. "In fact, I made that space for her family to retreat to if things got too rough in Japan…"
"Huh?"
"I came here to speak with Mochi." She said gently and yet suddenly change the subject. "I understand that she is having a hard time accepting what has happened, and I am starting to suspect why. Apparently my uncle has shifted his sights to Yua's family…"
Suguru froze.
"Why would a dragon target a mortal family?" he asked bewildered by this. It was bad enough the Toorus are hunted by the council, sorcerers, even Sukuna in his madness. But now, dragons as well!? "Seriously, who did they piss off?"
Lady Tiamat shook her head. "Not pissed off, my uncle knows that I take great care and consideration to this family. He cannot attack them directly, so he does so in various ways that seem uninvasive. So it's a way for him to get to me. Apparently, a fail safe I had in place did not affect Mochi the least bit. I had to explain to her if she had not aged, her technique would have killed her…"
Suguru froze… did… did Sukuna know that too? Was that why he was concerned for her? Then again, WHY was he concerned for her?
"Has this happened before?"
"Sorcerers can age themselves as well as alter themselves to better adjust to their technique and power. Ryomen Sukuna is an example, the same happened to another sorcerer Tengen, correct?"
He merely nodded to her, he didn't realize it was one in the same.
Perhaps he should ask…
"You're still conflicted aren't you?" Lady Tiamat asked.
He froze to her words. "What ever do you…"
"Yua needs someone like you,"
That… was a little blunt.
"I don't have much to offer her, not to mention I don't deserve it. After everything I had done… what Kenjaku did because I was stupid to get myself killed so he could take my body!"
"You sound like my son, Yuuji," she said with a smile. "Kenjaku's actions are his, just as your actions are yours. The difference is, you have accepted your mistakes, and you have accepted your punishment and have not gone back to your old ways. Chusi has a good eye for things like this, and remember, her technique involves the soul."
"Exactly what IS her technique?" Suguru asked. "I am so confused on that…"
"The soul," she said gently and smiled once more. "The thing is, the soul is so versatile, there are many aspects to it that cannot be pinned down by merely one method or technique involving it. Like Mahito for example, the curse that can transfigure people. His involved the shaping and altering of the soul and the body. Nothing more or less. Chusi, can do that if she desired to, for it's one of the many methods a soul can be used."
That would partly explained how she managed to have Gojo obtain Sukuna's body structure and vise versa.
"Isn't that a little… too much for a single sorcerer to have?"
"Depends on the sorcerer." She said gently. "The Toorus have been known for this, in the open, they would stick with one method or the main vein of their technique so no one would go hunting for them. But, if push came to shove… they would reveal their cards to fend off an attack if necessary."
"If they are so powerful… and Yua already has a powerful husband, what more could I do for her?"
Tiamat bore a 'really? You're asking that?' look on her face.
"Suguru, despite Satoru's claim and status of being the strongest, strength and power only get you so far. As well, you have stated he is scared to be a father… you're right, he's utterly terrified. After all, all the other children he has looked after are not his. He didn't have a fear of screwing them up since, he taught them what they needed to survive. His children… are a different story."
He listened on as she explained that the reason why Gojo doesn't appear around his kids that often is not just fear, but he is worried he would mess them up. "Satoru knows they are in the best hands with Yua, however, he needs to be made painfully aware that he has to step up in being a father. Which is why Chusi has turned to you. You have a natural nurturing ability, I saw you take care of those two little girls. Granted, not the right path for them, but you cared for them as if they were your own."
"My choices caused their deaths…" he whispered.
"Suguru, they chose to follow you." She said. "There is a difference of making one walk the path you are on, then there is from those who decide to follow you on such a path. They chose to follow since they cared for you and your dream."
"Still…" his voice lingered off. "It's part of the reason why I don't think I deserve to be with Yua. She would never want to have my children…"
"What makes you say that?"
He was silent. He didn't know why, perhaps he was trying to talk himself out of it once more.
"Suguru Geto… I already know you have been thinking of what kind of family you could have…"
He froze.
"In fact, you have been thinking of names if given permission…"
"Please stop…"
"It's good to know you are prepared…"
"JUST STOP! SHE DOESN'T WANT ME!" he shouted.
Lady Tiamat froze a little. "She doesn't?"
"She has kept saying over and over again that she married Satoru, I know that, I respect that. What the hell gives me the right to try and weasel my way in?"
She snickered. Before long, Lady Tiamat burst out laughing!
"Oh my goodness, I keep forgetting mortals are like this…" she said and shook her head. "Suguru, people change, notions change, circumstances change." She said and snickered. "You may not realize it, but she IS considering you!"
He froze once more.
"What… why would…"
"Because, you fill in a void that she needs to have filled." Lady Tiamat explained. "But I think that is all I will say for the time being. As well, I will return tomorrow to pick Mochi up. We are going to do the girl's weekend, but it's going to be done MY way." She decreed rather proudly.
"Thank you for that, I'll take the boys out for some fun so they are not left out." He decreed.
"Oh good, if you can, please take Kiyoshi and my boys with you, for that matter bring Toji along!"
He forced a smile.
Geto hasn't really seen much of Toji since they were first revived. In fact, he has sort of kept his distance from him besides the odd small talk… and the time he was 'helping' him figure out his curse technique and using the curses he contained as his own power.
It could be fun… right?
