Prince Nayoko of Hoshido

I hadn't known it until she went still in my arms, but I'd finally accepted Mikoto as my mother. I'd been ready to love her.

Hot rage shot through my veins, and my senses heightened to something bestial. It was kill or be killed now, and I would be the monster to spill the blood of the hooded thing in front of me.

A power that felt older than time touched every inch of my body, squeezing, lifting, moving my organs. I was not just a man with claws. I had become vengeance.

I reared up on my hind legs and roared. My Hoshidan family, tiny as toy soldiers, shrank away.

Kass' eyes widened. "Norton?"

"Gods!" Takumi exclaimed. "What is that?"

I turned my back on them all and their useless wittering. The empty cloak was still standing where it had summoned Ganglari. I charged towards it with a roar and struck out, waiting eagerly to see blood on my claws.

The cloak vanished.

I spun around, lifting my head to smell the air, but it had left no scent.

It suddenly appeared next to Ryoma. My brother, his blade already unsheathed, charged towards it with a battle cry. The cloak vanished again.

Sakura was sobbing, and Hinoka held her, crying into her hair. But Ryoma didn't go back to them. His gaze searched the plaza, as hungry for blood as mine. "Show yourself!"

When the cloak appeared, we charged towards it together.

On my last stride, I bucked my hind legs and stuck my head down, driving my horns forwards. Ryoma sliced his sword through the folds of the cloak at the same time. "You have breathed your last!"

I felt my horns pierce a body that wasn't visible to the eye. I was quite certain I'd stabbed the thing in the stomach, and it was satisfying.

Then the thing vanished. And it didn't come back.

I stared at the air in confusion. Sniffed again. It was definitely gone.

But I wanted blood.

Ryoma lowered his sword and looked at me, his gaze wary. I reared up and struck out with a ferocious roar. Blood!

"Ryoma!" Takumi yelled.

My oldest brother dropped to the floor and rolled away. I prowled after him and tried to strike again. He ducked and sidestepped, backing up to the dragon statue and his siblings. "Nayoko! What are you doing?"

Azura stepped forwards. "Let me. My song might calm him."

She began to sing the song I'd heard at the lake. But it wasn't beautiful now. It hurt.

You are the ocean's grey waves

Destined to seek life beyond the shore, just out of reach

It felt as if something deep inside was ripping open, and I shrank away from her.

Yet the waters ever change

The pain twisted. I moaned and struck out, knocking her down. But still she persisted.

Flowing like time

The path is yours to climb

I caught Azura by the neck as she started to sit up, flinging her to the ground again. The burning both blinded me and drove me at once. Stop!

"Azura!" Ryoma shouted.

She put her hands over my claws, breathless. I was dimly aware that I was starting to strangle her. The thought made me uncomfortable. I wanted it to go away, so I squeezed harder.

"Kill me if you want," she gasped, "but do it as yourself."

Kill?

The funny feeling inside me grew. I didn't want to kill anyone. That was exactly what I'd been trying to avoid all this time.

I moaned again, lifting my face to the sky as my body shifted.

***

When I came to, I was lying on the cobbled floor of the plaza. Ryoma and Kass were leaning over me. Azura was standing off to one side, being treated by a tearful Sakura. Hinoka was still crying. Takumi, Semyaza, and Kaze were trying to calm them.

"You're awake!" Kass leaned closer and blocked my view. "Thank goodness, I was so worried. Are you all right? Say something!"

I groaned. "I would say something if you let me."

Ryoma smiled faintly.

Azura dropped to her knees beside us. "How do you feel, Nayoko?"

I thought of the way I'd lashed out at Ryoma, and how my claws had tightened around Azura's neck. I'd so nearly killed them both.

"Disgusted," I muttered. "I should have known something like this would happen. I've tried so hard to stay away from everyone and protect them. But in the end...I failed."

"Don't blame yourself," Azura said. "That wasn't you. It was the blood of the ancient dragon that runs in your veins."

Kass frowned. "I thought only the Nohrian royal family had dragon blood."

"The blood of the Dusk Dragon runs in the Nohrian royal family," Ryoma replied. "And the blood of the Dawn Dragon runs through ours. But, Nayoko, you're special. You can actually take the form of a dragon."

"I wouldn't call it special," I said. "I have no control over it. I almost killed you! I...I need to be alone."

I tried to push myself into a sitting position, but the world span. Bile rose in my throat.

Someone caught my back before I could fall again, pushing my head between my knees. I wanted to shake them off; to warn them away. But I was too weak.

When my dizziness cleared, I looked up. It was Semyaza who was crouching at my side, holding me steady. Hinoka, Sakura, and Kaze had also come to kneel with us.

"Look," Semyaza said. "No one's trying to run. We want to help you."

"But I'm a freak." I lowered my gaze to the floor. "A monster."

"No!" Hinoka grabbed my hand. "Don't ever say that! You're our brother."

"That's right," Sakura said, her voice scratchy with tears. "We love you."

"You will always be one of us," Ryoma added.

Surprised, I looked up. Kass' eyes locked with mine.

"I will love you no matter what," she said. "Now I understand you. When you can't accept yourself, you reject everybody. But we accept you the way you are. And so should you."

It was hard to speak past the lump in my throat. "Thank you. I'll try."

"I have something that can help you," Azura said. "The next time you go into battle, you might lose control again. If you yield completely to the dragon, you may not only hurt others, but also lose your humanity." She opened her palm. Two blue gemstones sat in her hand. "These are Dragonstones. They will allow you to control yourself. You'll only transform at will, and you'll be calm when you're in dragon form. All you have to do is give one a drop of your blood, and it will become attuned to your power."

It sounded like a miracle, so I was quick to take Hinoka's naginata when she offered it to me. I carved a shallow cut in my palm and squeezed a drop of blood onto one Dragonstone.

I felt the change instantly. It was the first time in seven years that I was completely relaxed in my own body. I was in control.

Azura looked at Kass. "Has anything like this happened to you?"

Kass shook her head. "No. Never."

"Are you certain? You're twins. You must share so many similarities..."

"Kass never lies," I said. "She doesn't fear anyone enough to. She'd rather pick a fight."

That raised small smiles from my Hoshidan siblings.

Azura put the second Dragonstone away. "Well...all right, then."

Ryoma offered me his hand, and, with Semyaza helping, I stood up. My retainers hovered close by, waiting to see if I'd go dizzy. When I didn't, they stepped back and gave me some personal space.

I turned around in a tight circle, taking in the extent of the destruction for the first time. Hoshidan soldiers and healers flitted about at the edges of the plaza, tending to the wounded. But there were so few.

Even the dead bodies were in small numbers. Most people had been blown up: rendered to just a limb, or a muscle, or a piece of skin. Or maybe nothing at all.

Beyond the blood-stained cobbles, buildings lay in crumbled ruins. All that circled us was rubble and dust. Smoke rose in the distance. I could smell it faintly on the breeze, but it was dominated by the scent of fresh blood.

Mother's body had already been taken away by the soldiers, but when I turned and looked at the dragon statue again, I could imagine it perfectly. I dragged a hand down my face, letting it rest over my eyes for a long moment.

"I can't believe this," Kass said, her voice thick. "Half an hour ago, these streets were filled with vendors and children."

"So you see, Kaiya." Ryoma suddenly looked very weary. "This is the work of the Nohrians. This is what they do. Let me guess -- was that sword a gift from King Garon?"

"Yes." A tear slipped down her cheek.

My heart sank. "This is all my fault. I've been so caught up in my own feelings that I never took it away from you. After what happened at the Bottomless Canyon, I should have."

"No," Ryoma said. "King Garon masterminded everything. He must have known that you would be captured and brought before...the Queen." His voice cracked.

"Hasn't he done enough?" Kass balled her hands into fists. "I'm so sorry."

"Your apology means nothing!" Takumi pushed through our group until he was standing right in front of Kass. "This is your fault, both of you! Mother is dead, along with countless others. It wouldn't have happened if you hadn't come back. You don't belong here!"

Kass choked on a sob. Rage burst inside me, so sudden and intense that I thought if Azura hadn't given me the Dragonstone, I might have transformed and torn Takumi to pieces. "Leave my sister out of this!"

"Your words don't change anything," Azura said calmly. "And, besides --"

"Shut up, Azura!" Takumi tried to get in her face, but I caught him by the front of his vest and pushed him back. He slapped me away, his eyes flashing. "Yes, you protect the Nohrian girl, Brother. All three of you are the same. Interlopers."

"Enough, Takumi!" Ryoma growled.

"No! Are we really to believe they had no idea this would happen?"

"Takumi, what are you saying?" Hinoka scowled at him. "Knock it off! You just saw Nayoko help Ryoma to chase off the thing that killed Mother!"

"Mother is dead, thanks to them!"

"I'm sorry." Kass wiped away her tears and lifted her chin. "This has nothing to do with Norton. None of it would have happened if I hadn't come here. I'll leave."

I tried to catch her arm. "Kass, wait --"

"Please, wait!" a different, louder voice called.

We all turned around.

Yukimura was standing beside the dragon statue. He bowed. "I don't believe that's what Queen Mikoto would have wanted."

"What do you know about it?" Takumi snapped.

Yukimura's shoulders drooped. "I hate to deliver this news, but Queen Mikoto foresaw her own death. She did not know when it would strike, only that it was certain. And that it would be King Garon who set it in motion. This is not the fault of either Nayoko or Kaiya. It's the fault of the King only. And there's something else."

He pulled a naked sword out from behind his back and balanced it in both of his palms. "Our soldiers found this resting here after the explosion."

Ryoma's eyes widened. "It can't be..."

"It is," Yukimura said. "The divine sword Yato. Much like your Raijinto, Ryoma, and your Fujin Yumi, Takumi, Yato may only be wielded by a single warrior who is chosen by the blade itself. It's said that Yato was forged to be the key to peace in our world. As it has appeared now, I believe that either Nayoko or Kaiya will be its chosen wielder."

I exchanged an uncertain glance with Kass.

Ryoma put his hands on our backs. "Go and look at it."

We approached Yukimura. He flipped the blade so that the hilt was facing us. "Hold out your hands."

Kass and I stretched our hands out. Had we been in any other situation, I would have laughed. Surely this was nonsense.

But as soon as both of my palms were open, Yato flew into them.

"Impossible!" Takumi exclaimed.

"Nayoko, do you know what this means?" Hinoka asked. "You're the saviour of our world!"

I ran a hand down the cool hilt and shivered. Saviour of the world?

"We need no other sign," Ryoma said. "Now that Mother is gone, the magical barrier she created at our border will have fallen. Soon, the Nohrians will invade. We've worked hard to avoid an all-out war, but they've committed a crime against Hoshido that they can never pay for. Death will be too good for them. With the chosen saviour on our side, I say that we crush them before they can set foot on our land! Today, we will put plans into motion to deal with our disaster. But tomorrow, we will march." He looked around at us all. "Who is with me?"

The others cheered, hatred tainting their voices. If it hadn't been for Kass and my Nohrian siblings, I would have cheered with them. King Garon had taken both of my parents, and it was high time that he paid the price.

But I didn't cheer, because I could see my twin sister. All the blood had drained from her face. Not even a hint of redness remained around her eyes.

When we marched, it would be time to choose a side.

And only one could be the victor.