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Contrary to what the whole universe seemed to believe, Long, The Permanence was alive. Sure, they had been sleeping in a body of water for who knows how long, but they were still alive. Some people just lived the twist the story so that it fit what they knew, much to the frustration of The Permanence.
But, no, Long was still alive. They stayed on the Luofu under the surface of the water (because if they could survive flying around in space, then they could survive underwater) and decided to do something to pass the time. Which either meant twirling their body underwater and causing a minor flood (it was a little fun to watch the people of the Luofu panic) or they were watching the Vidyadhara eggs at Scalegorge Waterscape. Whichever one seemed to garner more of The Permanence's attention and depending on their overall mood.
While Long watched over the Vidyadhara eggs, they made sure not to get too close to the eggs. The eggs were small and fragile and Long was a large dragon. They would get as close as they could to the eggs before keeping their distance. As much as they wanted to curl around the eggs of their precious scions, Long didn't want to disturb any of them or break the shells. So, The Permanence did small things to still have a feeling of closeness to their scions while they were going through the rebirth process.
Long spoke to the eggs as a dragon would with rumbles and chuffs and growls. It didn't matter that Long wasn't speaking a human tongue. The beings in the eggs would understand Long because they were the scions of Long. And when Long wasn't speaking to the eggs, Long would rumble in a melodic way that would imitate singing despite the inhuman noise. And clearly, some of the beings in the eggs appreciated the effort Long was putting in since they heard a few taps from the beings inside some of the eggs while some of the eggs flared with energy, making Long chuff due to amusement at the attempt to impress.
Time passed. Long watched over their scions as they hatched from the rebirth process and the elders took over getting the new reincarnations settled. The Permanence watched over the High Elder of the Luofu and saw the evil that lurked within some of the Preceptors, making them flare with anger at those scions of theirs who held wickedness in their hearts. And when the High Elder was sealed away, Long felt insulted that the Luofu was judging the High Elder for a crime that was committed out of grief.
Long never knew what the crime was, only the emotional state of that lone child of theirs. And it wasn't good. That poor child of theirs... Long could only hope that the reincarnation of that child never remembered that heart splitting pain of never-ending loss again. Although if there was someone who remembered the child... Long could do nothing about it. This solitude was one that they had brought upon themself and they were going to stay in solitude until they could stay in solitude no longer.
Despite their thoughts about that moment, time continued to pass. Long took an interest in two eggs that had yet to hatch. Long kept the two eggs hidden from the Preceptors, worried that those cruel, power hungry snakes that they were disgusted to call their scions would consider the two eggs defective and have them taken away from Scalegorge Waterscape. Long would not dare give up on these eggs though. Usually, the longer a dragon took to hatch, the more powerful it would be. So Long, like a dutiful parent, kept watch over the two eggs and kept them hidden from danger.
Of course, Long kept themself and the two eggs hidden when the waters were parted and a group of people went to the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor. Long watched and waited, not making a sound. When the group came out, Long recognized one of the members of the group as the reincarnation of the High Elder. All grown up and clearly looking far freer if that outfit was anything to go off of. Seriously, there was so much skin showing now. Didn't this child prefer covering up? This seemed far off the mark for that child of theirs. But Long had no inherent right to judge, given that they didn't wear clothes as a dragon. Actually, they hadn't even attempted to so much as take on a humanoid form. So judgement was to be kept to themself until they took on a humanoid form and decided clothes were an option.
Once the group was far away from Long and the eggs, Long settled the nest with the eggs back in its original place, having pulled the nest gently towards them enough so that none of the group would see the nest with the eggs or at least take a second glance to see if there was a nest with eggs. The group must've had other priorities then. That was honestly a relief. And it was a relief that the group didn't have one or more of the Preceptors with them. Though with the reincarnation of the High Elder with them, Long doubted that any of the Preceptors would've gone near the group unless they were planning to stab the reincarnation in the back (literally).
Long was content with no one coming nearby until one day, when they were doing their imitation of singing with rumbling, Long heard the footsteps of a human. Long had abruptly paused what they had been doing just as the human in question came into view, looking confused. The human looked to be a young male with dark grey hair and golden eyes that made Long think of honey and actual gold. His outfit was odd with a white shirt and black pants, the strap of a black undershirt(?) visible, a black jacket, and shoes that Long didn't understand.
The young male turned his head and spotted the nest much to Long's apprehension. However, there was no greed or ill intent on the human's face. Only genuine curiosity was visible as the male approached the nest and knelt down next to it, examining the two Vidyadhara eggs. It was only when the human reached out to place a hand on the shell of one of the eggs that Long finally growled as a warning. They watched as the young man froze before lifting their head up. That was when Long realized something.
The shadow of their head was probably visible since it was close to the water.
...
Caelus had just wanted to get away from his friends for a minute. It just felt like there were too many issues going on for him to be comfortable. So, he had gone to Scalegorge Waterscape to feel some sort of peace. Because despite being near the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor, there was just something about Scalegorge Waterscape that spoke of safety and security.
And it seemed that he picked quite the day to be there. While Caelus was wandering, he heard the sound of something rumbling. At first, he was worried that something was collapsing and there was about to be an earthquake, but then Caelus took note that the rumbling and realized that it had to have been coming from a very large life form. Another thing he noted was that the rumbling held a melodic quality to it, something that led his feet in the direction of the noise even though whatever was making the noise was probably large enough to take his head off.
Still, Caelus followed the direction of the noise, wandering further through Scalegorge Waterscape in search of it. As he was wandering, the rumbling suddenly paused. Had whatever was rumbling heard him and decided to stay quiet? Had it fled? Given that Caelus didn't hear any indication of fleeing, the being was probably trying to be quiet now. Caelus wasn't going to just give up that easily though. So, he continued to wander through Scalegorge Waterscape, determined to find what was there.
Caelus turned his head this way and that until his eyes landed on something unexpected. A nest with two eggs inside. The eggs were beautiful and looked just like colorful pearls. One of the eggs was black and mottled with cerulean while the other egg was white and mottled with emerald green. Caelus felt curious upon seeing them. Were those Vidyadhara eggs? If so, then they were beautiful. Caelus approached the eggs curiously, looking at them with intrigue. What were these eggs doing here? How long had these eggs been here?
Caelus reached over and attempted to touch one of the eggs, but a spine chilling growl stopped him right in his tracks. Caelus practically froze immediately because that growl sounded much louder and far more threatening than anything he had ever heard before. That definitely answered the question of 'were the eggs alone' with the answer being a 'no'. So, Caelus retracted his hand and looked up to see if he could catch a glimpse of who was caring for the eggs. One look had his breath stuck in his throat as a sense of fear ran through him.
Though only the shadow of the being's head was visible, Caelus could easily tell from the shadow alone that the being was far larger than he was and if it so decided, it would probably be able to snap him up without effort. And if the head was that large, then Caelus didn't want to know how big the rest of their body was. Though... the head kind of resembled something... A dragon perhaps? And if it was a dragon then... Caelus was probably intruding on some sort of sacred family sort of thing. Vidyadhara were infertile though, so how were these eggs here if the dragon was...? Actually, now that Caelus thought about it, how was the dragon here? The more Caelus thought about it, the more his mind spun. Another growl shook him from his thoughts and Caelus was scrambling back immediately.
Caelus was not about to piss off a giant dragon no matter how daring he was. Especially when the dragon was probably very likely to kill him in an instant if he got too close without the dragon's permission. Caelus wasn't about to piss off something like that just to sate his own curiosity. So, he merely watched the shadow of the dragon's head, noticing that the head was still turned to him and was probably watching him to make sure he didn't get too close. Just before he could speak, and probably say something stupid, a voice rang out in his mind.
What is a mortal like you doing here?
Caelus was frozen in place for a minute, jaw working uselessly for a good few seconds before he managed to choke out what he was sure was a, "What?"
I said, what is a mortal like you doing here? This is not your place.
Caelus looked at the shadow of the dragon's head, blinking rapidly. "I am... I was just trying to get away from everyone... There's a lot happening and I was just stressed, so I came here... Scalegorge Waterscape has quite the calming effect, though that's probably because it's so new and so desolate to me... Though, not as desolate as I thought, given that you and the eggs are here... The eggs are beautiful by the way..."
There was silence for a good second before a rumbling noise that almost seemed like a contemplative hum reached Caelus' ears.
I see... So, you were seeking somewhere calm for solace... I hardly trust the words of mortals, but you seem to be an honest sort... I could tell that you were simply curious about the eggs when you approached, but it is better to be safe rather than sorry when it comes to the children. The eggs are beautiful though. Of that, you are not wrong.
Caelus looked at the dragon curiously. "Are you their caretaker? You seem rather protective over them."
An amused chuff followed that.
Yes, let's go with that.
"Am I wrong?"
Yes and no.
"That's vague."
That's the answer you're getting, little mortal.
"Ok, you gargantuan behemoth."
The dragon let out a (literal) roaring laugh that made Caelus startle and jump because that was louder than he expected. Still, he hadn't upset the being with his callous behavior, so that was at least good. If anything, it was a good sign that the dragon hadn't been outright offended by what he had said.
Then Caelus decided to ask a question that he really should've thought of before this whole conversation started. "How are you communicating with me anyway?"
The shadow of the dragon's head seemed to twist this way and that before the response came easily.
Telepathy.
Caelus blinked in surprise, but before he could comment on that-
"Caelus! Are you summoning an ancient sea creature down here?! I could hear that roar from the other side of the Luofu!"
Caelus sighed. Damn it, March...
...
Long was surprised that Caelus continued to come back after their first initial encounter, but given that young male was practically curious about everything, Long shouldn't have been all that surprised that Caelus kept on coming back. After all, as far as Long was concerned, Caelus saw them as someone who could be talked to freely. Which gave the elder dragon a small feeling of pride that they, a being who inspired fear moreso than safety, was this young mortal's safe haven.
Caelus always kept a safe distance from the eggs at first, but Long could see the way his eyes strayed to the eggs more often and so used the water to drag him closer to the eggs after making sure that Caelus could be fully trusted with these two eggs that housed their scions. Caelus had been surprised for a moment, but then Long watched as he stroked the shells of the eggs with surprising gentleness. What was even more surprising was the smile that graced Caelus' face, soft and fond. It had made something in The Permanence rear its head, seeing Caelus so gentle and almost... motherly towards the two eggs. An urge that wouldn't just die down no matter what. An urge that Long knew by heart, but didn't want to put a name to just yet.
Long continued to watch the interactions, allowing Caelus to stroke the shells of the eggs before Caelus managed to get to the point where he was cradling the two eggs on his lap or in his arms. And that only made the urges of the dragon progenitor that much worse. Because if Caelus had been appealing before simply stroking the eggs with a soft smile, then he was even more appealing cradling the two eggs and having them close. It made The Permanence wonder if their scions knew just how much a mortal like Caelus was willing to dote on them.
The Permanence and Caelus continued to chat, having exchanged names at their fifth meeting, but now Caelus seemed to find the idea of rambling to the two eggs as well, describing his adventures around the Luofu and around a planet called Jarilo-VI. Long listened to those stories as well because they hadn't left Scalegorge Waterscape in a long, long time and they were curious to hear what Caelus had been through. Hearing that one story of how he got impaled by an ice spear made Long's instincts overflow though and The Permanence were pretty sure they had spooked every member of the Xianzhou Luofu with their angry roars and growls...
... As well as those of the Astral Express, because Caelus had taken out a strange thing after setting the eggs down and proceeded to sigh. When Long made the inquiry, Caelus had told them the members of the Astral Express were asking him if he had seriously summoned an ancient sea creature and how big was the sea creature he had summoned. That was also how Long learned that the strange rectangle was called a "phone" and that is was used as a means of communication. Which was odd because those of the Astral Express could've just come here, but then again, Long didn't want anyone to see Caelus being so warm with the two eggs. That was a sight reserved for them and them alone. No one else was allowed to see Caelus like this.
Still, despite how comfortable Long had gotten with Caelus, one thing they didn't allow was for Caelus to take the eggs from Scalegorge Waterscape for obvious reasons. It wasn't that they didn't trust Caelus with keeping the eggs with their scions in them safe, but it was more a matter of wanting to keep the eggs where they could see the two and not trusting the entire world outside of Scalegorge Waterscape. The second of those reasons was a matter of "the Preceptors exist and I want them nowhere near these two scions while they're still eggs" and "I want no one to see Caelus with Vidyadhara eggs and become as interested as I am because it's honestly bound to happen". They kept that last part to themself.
It took a couple more meetings with Caelus and then an extended period of absence for Long to finally name the feeling that they felt with Caelus. Long was being possessive. Long wanted Caelus to be theirs and theirs alone. It wasn't an old feeling to the dragon progenitor, having been alive for a very long period of time, but it was the first time that had felt such... strong possessiveness. Possessiveness of this magnitude meant this was a very serious thing for Long. Long wasn't sure how Caelus felt though, and acting without key knowledge wouldn't help Long. Now if only Caelus would come back quicker...
Thankfully, Caelus came back to Scalegorge Waterscape on the day that the two eggs began to hatch. Long had seen Caelus appear, having memorized his footsteps by now, but nothing could have prepared them for the way that Caelus practically rushed to the eggs as soon as he realized that they were hatching, sliding onto his knees and managing to end up right in front of them (though The Permanence was concerned that Caelus had scraped his knees in his haste to get to the eggs).
Caelus looked at the shadow of Long's head with stars in those eyes and managed to get out two words. "They're hatching?"
Long rumbled, nodding their head.
Indeed. It's finally time for these young ones to meet the world.
Caelus seemed to be quivering with excitement at the idea, which only made Long's possessiveness a little bit worse. Thankfully, their attention was drawn to the eggs as the little ones broke free from their eggs. The whole time, Caelus was babbling encouragement, still shaking with excitement. Those reactions only served to make Long want more. If Caelus was this excited seeing the little ones hatch from their eggs, then would he be just as excited if he had eggs that were his own? That was an incredibly dangerous thought.
Luckily, the two Vidyadhara were out of their eggs before Long could dwell on it and Caelus was hastily removing his jacket before wrapping it around the two and bringing the newborn Vidyadhara close with eyes that glowed with happiness. Oh, dear... Long wasn't sure how to resist a sight like this...
They certainly kept the world waiting, didn't they? I have to admit, they are quite precious even though they are out of their eggs now.
Long watched Caelus nod before he looked at them with contemplation. That made Long curious, but then Caelus murmured something. "A boy and a girl..."
Ah, Caelus was taking note of their gender. Long was unsure why until Caelus said something that threw them for a loop. "Yang Xu and Ruoxi Xu. What do you think?"
... Huh? Long was confused, until the realization hit them. Names. Caelus was giving the reincarnations of their scions names. Oh, Long was going to-
They sound like good names. What do they mean?
Caelus looked at the two. "Yang, depending on the character, can either mean 'ocean' or 'light, sun, male'. I was thinking more of the first meaning more than the second. Ruoxi is split into the characters of 'ruo' and 'xi' with the former meaning 'like, if' and the latter meaning 'evening tide'. The surname Xu as a character means 'slowly, calmly'. I thought the names fit the two. I gave these two the same surname because they had the same hatching date. And they were so slow to hatch too."
Long listened to every word Caelus said. Something in their chest spread rapidly. Caelus was naming the two. Caelus had researched Xianzhou names and their meanings. It made Long feel all sorts of possessive emotions that wanted this man beside him for all of eternity.
So, I assume the boy with black hair and green scales is Yang Xu and the girl with white hair and cerulean scales is Ruoxi Xu?
Long watched as Caelus nodded and held the two closer. Both of those scions had come out of their eggs with scaled arms and legs. Long had seen that much before Caelus got them bundled in his jacket. Now, the two were starting to get a little bit fussy, blinking open their eyes. Yang had eyes of emerald green while Ruoxi had eyes of cerulean blue. The same colors as their scales. How cute. Both of them took notice of Caelus, who cooed a greeting in response to their notice of him. The two then turned their heads to where Long was watching the sight before them with... less than good intentions for the one holding them. After staring between the two, Yang and Ruoxi both chirped before they grasped onto Caelus.
Caelus seemed surprised, but he held them close with a smile anyway. Long watched the scene before them. But looking wasn't enough for Long after a while. So, The Permanence decided to do something they had never done before. They were going to take on a more human form to be closer to the three.
It took a bit of effort until Long had the shape in their mind, but they let their body shift until they were in a more humanoid form. To cover their new body, because humans were surprisingly very particular about clothing, Long let the water shape the clothes that would cover them. Once they were satisfied, The Permanence left the water after many years of hiding away in it to go join Caelus and the two newly hatched scions.
It was a bit overwhelming at first, given the sheer amount of noise and smell that assaulted their ears and nose after so many years of being underwater, but Long still went to the three and settled down with them. If one were to see the four of them, would they see a family? The thought made Long yearn for that to be true.
For now... This would have to be enough.
...
Caelus didn't know what had happened to land him in a hospital bed. Although the fight against the borisin probably contributed to it. Still, it felt like his body wasn't too badly hurt even if it was a little bit sluggish. Caelus tried to blink open his eyes, only to wince as bright light hit his eyes. By everything, was the sun shining directly on his eyes? Because it certainly felt like it. Still, he simply tried to turn his body away from the offending light source, only for someone to speak and catch him off guard.
"Caelus. You're awake."
Dan Heng? Caelus opened his eyes groggily and looked at his companion. "Dan Heng...? What am I doing here...?"
Dan Heng was looking at Caelus calmly, but something about his expression seemed conflicted. Almost as if he was debating something. "Do you remember your fight with the borisin?"
"Yes...? Why are you asking...?"
Dan Heng still seemed conflicted, but then sighed and said something Caelus would have never even expected. "Caelus, you were brought here for safety reasons. Your body is fine, but you were... turned..."
Turned? Into a borisin? That made no sense! Caelus didn't feel any different! And Dan Heng must have noticed what Caelus was thinking because he shook his head. "You weren't turned into a borisin, Caelus. You were fatally injured by a borisin and... a strange person... somehow turned you into a Vidyadhara with their blood."
That was what made Caelus' thoughts all freeze in a near instant. Caelus was turned into a... what? A Vidyadhara? How...? Caelus hesitantly felt around his head until he felt the new point of his ears and the feeling of horns. Feeling around those horns revealed a flow to the shape that reminded him of waves. In a sense. Caelus was getting a little more anxious as he felt behind him, and ended up pulling his own tail into view. His tail was golden in color with a bit of fur at the end of it. It was almost like Bailu's, except bigger and golden in color.
Caelus was trying to process his new features when the door opened and the scent of two people greeted him before he looked up. When he did look up, he saw March, who was dressed in different apparel than what he was used to, and Bailu. Bailu was the first to head to his side. "Caelus! You're awake! How are you feeling? Any pain? Dizziness? How many fingers am I holding up?"
Caelus blinked as Bailu held up two fingers. "Um... Two?"
"Good, your vision is working just fine. Is your body feeling alright? A transformation as big as this is sure to leave your body feeling different."
"My body just feels heavy... The horns and tail are new, as well as the pointed ears... I'm pretty sure that I want to fight the sun because it's too bright at the moment... And everything sounds like it's amplified to me..."
March looked over at Bailu. "Bailu, are you sure he's okay? It sounds like Caelus is going to get overstimulated by everything."
Bailu turned to March and placed her hands on her hips. "Of course I'm sure! Are you doubting that I can take care of my patients?"
"N-No! I didn't mean to imply that! I'm just worried that stepping outside is going to be too much for Caelus!"
Bailu would've said something, but then seemed to focus on something else. She was silent for a minute before she spoke. "Give me a minute, please. I can sense someone coming this way and I'm not sure who they are or what their intent is."
Bailu was out of the room before any of the three could speak, closing the door behind her. Silence descended upon the room before March and Dan Heng were by Caelus' side, looking at him worriedly. March, thankfully, kept her voice lower than her usual exuberant volume. "Caelus! Are you sure you're okay? I'm still spooked that someone turned you into a Vidyadhara!"
Dan Heng nodded. "Indeed. Such a thing should not be possible by normal standards. The only one who should have that sort of power was supposedly dead before Dan Feng..."
Caelus watched as Dan Heng trailed off, no doubt thinking of the sins Dan Feng committed. It made Caelus' heart sting to see Dan Heng still so torn up about that. But he knew who Dan Heng was referring to. The only one who should have that sort of power was Long, The Permanence and the Progenitor of All Dragons. And...
... wait. Wait wait wait. Caelus knew Long. Had seen the Aeon when it was hiding underneath the waters at Scalegorge Waterscape and watched as they took on a humanoid form that had black hair that shone color underneath the sunlight with eyes of silver and clothes fashioned from the waters with curved dragon horns and a tail to match gracing their form.
Had Long... turned him into a Vidyadhara after he had gotten injured? Gave him the blood of a dragon so that he might live without being turned into a borisin?
Caelus wondered if he was imagining the way his heart thudded at the realization that Long might've changed his life in an effort to save it. And that made mixed feelings rise in his chest. On the one hand, Caelus would have liked Long to tell him that they were going to change him in a way that was irreversible and on the other hand, his life had been on the line and time had probably been of the essence to Long, who had probably been panicked and trying to save Caelus quickly. It raised a conflict in Caelus' heart.
"-he is recovering! He doesn't need so many people in his room!"
"I will see him. Now, move."
Caelus perked up at the sound of Bailu's voice as well as... was Long here? And... did they bring Yang and Ruoxi?! Oh, dear... The scent of the two that he had practically adopted the day that they had hatched made his new instincts rear up. He wanted to see Yang and Ruoxi almost immediately after smelling the two. Caelus almost reared up out of bed with some sort of noise leaving his mouth. He wasn't sure what it was, but whatever it was had the door being kicked open and a figure shoving March, who let out a squeak of protest, and Dan Heng, who made a small noise of surprise, out of the way. And then Caelus was face-to-face with Long's humanoid face.
Long was in the same outfit that they had molded to their body using water, a long, flowing outfit of ocean blue. The same black hair that shone with iridescent colors under the rays of the sun and the same eyes of silver greeted him. The same curved horns and the same tail as well as the same clawed, scaled arms... With the only main difference being the two Vidyadhara children in those arms. The second Caelus caught sight of Yang and Ruoxi, he focused on them and reached for them, not focused on the golden scales on his arms and the claws he had now. Long easily handed the two over to Caelus' waiting arms.
The second Ruoxi and Yang were in his arms, a feeling of rightness settled in Caelus' soul. Before he realized it, Caelus was purring. The two Vidyadhara children settled in his arms and Caelus had to forcibly tear his eyes away from his children to look at Long. Long was watching the interaction with a small smile on their face before they looked at Caelus instead of just at him and the children. Long seemed slightly nervous, which was a surprise. "Caelus. How are you feeling? No adverse effects from the transformation, I hope? That was my first time attempting to turn a mortal into one of my own kind."
Dan Heng raised an eyebrow. "That was your doing? Do you know what sort of-"
"My business is with Caelus, not you. If you wish to keep your tongue, scion of mine, then do not speak for him."
Silence descended upon the room almost instantly. Dan Heng narrowed his eyes at the elder dragon, March seemed to edge closer to the door, and Bailu just looked impatient and annoyed. Caelus, growing highly unnerved from the tension in the room, decided to speak up to avoid any sort of confrontation. "I'm fine. Every sense is just amplified at the moment. I also feel new emotions now that I've turned. I smelled Yang and Ruoxi and wanted them in the room with me, feeling like it was an offense that we were separated by a door."
Long nodded as they looked him over. "I understand how you feel, as I think of Yang and Ruoxi as my children as well. I can not help but feel protective over them just as you do. You are not used to these instincts though, of that much I am aware. So, just rest with Yang and Ruoxi. I will handle talking with your companions."
Caelus' eyes strayed to Long's hand as it stroked his hair, which made him realize that his hair was longer and that the inner part of his hair was just as gold as the rest of his draconic features. Caelus didn't focus on that for long because Long was urging him to lay down on the hospital bed with Ruoxi and Yang safely nestled in his arms (Caelus noted that they were also wearing long, flowing clothes of ocean blue that fit their little bodies, a clear sign that Long had manipulated the water to make clothes for them). Long nuzzled their nose against his before rising to the full height in this humanoid form and turning to the rest of the occupants in the room before filing them out... with the exception of Bailu, who went to Caelus' side to check over him and wouldn't take no for an answer any longer.
Caelus wasn't sure just how long he laid on the hospital bed with his children. He relaxed on the bed until a text from March buzzed from his phone. Bailu ended up reading the message to him. "'WTF, Caelus?! We leave you alone for ten minutes and you revive a dead Aeon and gain children that are also theirs?!'... in all caps. So, you're in the good graces of The Permanence?"
Caelus had to clear up that misunderstanding first because he had really just stumbled across The Permanence and the twin eggs. He hadn't expected to get attached (to both of those things, but that was left unsaid even though Bailu could probably sense what he left unsaid), but he had and the two had imprinted on him when they hatched. Caelus did mention how The Permanence had allowed his presence near the eggs after a few meetings, to which Bailu nodded in understanding as she made notes of that. Purely medical interest, Bailu informed him even though he didn't need to hear that. Caelus knew that Bailu, as a doctor, had a purely medical interest in things.
A little more time passed with Long returning with March and Dan Heng. Long sat on the chair beside Caelus' bed and reached out to stroke his hair. March and Dan Heng seemed to be conflicted about Long's presence because of who they were, but they didn't say anything. Caelus did let March and Dan Heng hold Ruoxi and Yang with careful supervision after a few minutes. That lightened March's mood as she cooed at Yang while Dan Heng seemed slightly contemplative holding Ruoxi. March looked at Caelus and Long. "So, what are their names?"
Caelus smiled at her. "The boy is Yang Xu and the girl is Ruoxi Xu. Though they're not related, the two did hatch on the same day, so I gave them the same surname. They're beautiful, aren't they?"
March nodded happily as she looked at Yang. Dan Heng looked at Ruoxi calmly before looking at the two. "If the two have imprinted on you, then I suppose that Yang Xu, Ruoxi Xu, and Long will be coming with you to the Astral Express?"
Caelus blinked before turning to Long with a questioning look. Long looked at him calmly and nodded in response to the silent question. So, an Aeon on board the Astral Express. What could go wrong?
... was the initial thought at the time. Once Caelus was given the all clear to leave and go back to the Astral Express, he went back with March and Dan Heng while dragging along an ancient dragon Aeon and two adopted children. Pom Pom had not been prepared for that, but Welt was immediately enamored by Yang and Ruoxi. Caelus was reminded of a grandparent when he looked at Welt with the two little Vidyadhara. Himeko was only smiling as she watched the scene.
Welt, Himeko, and Pom Pom were surprised to see Caelus as a Vidyadhara and it took them a little bit of time to get used to the sight of Caelus with more draconic features. They did warm up to the sight enough that they grew more comfortable in their speech around Caelus, but Caelus could tell that the new changes would take some getting some getting used to.
Long was hovering the entire time, keeping an arm firmly around Caelus and keeping close to him the entire time. What the crew really had to get used to was an ancient dragon Aeon clinging to Caelus like a scaly koala. Still, Caelus was fine with Long being clingy even if they did terrify the rest of the crew with how large their humanoid form was and how they seemed to have a glare on their face constantly. So, the crew kept a healthy distance from The Permanence while still interacting with them.
What was interesting was Long finding out which room was Caelus' and the dragon immediately deciding to settle in his room. If any of the crew asked, Long would give the simple answer that they had to watch over Ruoxi and Yang, who were going to be with Caelus more often than not. The rest of the crew accepted what Long said easily while Caelus was slightly more curious than the rest. Even though Long had said the right thing, something about their words made Caelus think twice.
Caelus found an opportunity to speak to Long about it when March took Yang and Ruoxi to give 'the parents some time alone'. He gave March a hard stare and she only rolled her eyes before leaving with the two Vidyadhara children in tow. But it certainly gave Caelus an opportunity to actually speak with Long and get some actual time to talk with The Permanence and get some answers from them.
It took a few moments of silence and Long cuddling with Caelus for most of those moments before any sort of talking occurred. When Caelus finally found the words he wanted, he turned his head to look at Long. "Long? May I ask you about something?"
Long opened one of their eyes with a hum to look at him. "Hm?"
"That day... When I was attacked... Why did you turn me into a Vidyadhara? Were you even sure that you could accomplish that?"
"I was very sure about my ability. I am the Progenitor of All Dragons. I was certain that it was possible for me to turn a mortal human into a Vidyadhara. As for the reason, I suppose that when I saw you lying there, I realized that I didn't want to lose you and so turned you into a Vidyadhara to ensure your survival. I knew that it would change you, but you would only gain the draconic features and nature from the blood I poured into you to save you from something that would've turned you into something far more hated."
Long nuzzled their face against his neck. "Forgive my selfishness, but I did not want to lose you. I would not lose you to something like that."
Caelus was silent for a minute as he considered what had happened to him, how the transformation had made everything so much more different... and then decided to speak while still contemplating everything. "I just don't understand why you wouldn't just use your blood to heal me instead of just turning me..."
Caelus hadn't realized how quiet Long had gotten until he found himself lying on the bed quicker than he could blink. Caelus was surprised as he looked up at Long. Whatever he had wanted to say dried up in his throat the minute he saw the look of a feral dragon on Long's face. Long had his wrists pinned, making Caelus worried about the fact that he was being restrained in such a way.
It was when Long spoke, however, that real chills ran down Caelus' side. "So you're saying that all of my effort to get you to notice how enamored I was with you wasn't enough? You gave the reincarnations of my scions names and I accepted them. I watched them imprint on you and did not anger. I took on a human guise to be closer to you three. And you still don't understand?"
Caelus was caught off guard by what Long was saying. Enamored? An Aeon was enamored with him? It was true that Caelus found certain things a little bit weird, but he had never considered something of that magnitude. Long wasn't done speaking though. "From the moment you grew close to Yang and Ruoxi while they were eggs in Scalegorge Waterscape, I was already thinking of you as mine. Why else would I dare to think of you as warm and motherly when all you did was smile and stroke the shells of their eggs? And the excitement you showed when they hatched made me wonder... 'How would you have behaved if those eggs had been yours? How would you behave if the eggs came from you?' and many other things of that nature..."
Long seemed to inhale and exhale before continuing. "... I want so much more. So much more... I want you to be mine... In every sense of the word. I do not want anyone else to have you when I have already claimed you for myself. Will you let me have you...?"
Caelus was quiet as he looked at Long. He swallowed down nerves that threatened to overwhelm the human nature of his that still remained. His newer, more draconic instincts reacted favorably to the proposition. A strong dragon, stronger than anyone else on the Express... Who already had ties to Yang and Ruoxi... It sounded like the best option for those newer instincts of his. Caelus wasn't sure if he should listen to them, but...
His mouth wasn't on the same page, apparently, because before Caelus could even contemplate those words... "Vidyadhara are sterile though..."
Caelus wasn't sure what made him say something like that, but Caelus shuddered when Long's eyes flashed with intent as they growled. "I am not sterile. And since you are a Vidyadhara made directly from my blood in your body, you still maintain the virility you had as a mortal, but different."
"Different how...?"
Caelus felt himself shudder from sheer nervousness when Long leaned down, silver eyes glowing with wicked intent as their palms practically encased his waist.
"How about I show you, my mate?"