After the events of their last night together, Braxton realizes that he can't stop thinking about Yuki. Confident in his feelings, he seeks to confess his feelings, but has no idea where she could be. Fortunately, he gets some unusual assistance.

Contains transformation.

This is the last chapter. I am glad you enjoyed reading about these two. One day I hope to be good enough to do commissions. :)
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A few days went by and she had not returned. He was growing more worried by the minute, and he found himself staring at the snowstorm outside, wondering if he could see a trace of green through the white. Winter was in full swing and he knew she hated the cold. Surely she would come seeking to rest by the radiator, and then he could… finally confess his feelings. Braxton sat by his desk, his eyes scanning the orb as if it could provide some clue as to where Yuki was.

Her actions had left him a bit shaken up, but none the worse for wear. He was amazed by how quickly he recovered and wondered if it was possible for him to learn a spell or two. First, however, he would have to find her, and with no leads on where she could be...

“Yuki…” Two months was a short time to know someone, but he felt as though he had known her all his life. The longer he stared at that orb, the more he realized just how worried he was for her sake. In such a short time she did more for him than anyone else, his family notwithstanding. Most people were put off by his reclusive nature and never took the time to learn what made him tick, while the same couldn’t be said for himself.

Yuki, on the other hand, demonstrated a level of patience he had never seen before. As playful as she was, she never forced him into anything, something he really appreciated about her. Whether she used magic or not, he didn’t know, but what he did know that she was the reason for his newfound confidence. Life without that dragon in his life seemed unlikely, almost as if she was… his other half. It was extremely difficult to think about anything else, and all that mattered was that she was unharmed.

He placed a hand on the orb and looked at its contents. As if responding to his touch, the shards inside flickered before gaining a steady glow. He sat up straight, curious about this development, and placed his other hand on it, hoping to get a closer look.

“What’s happening now?” The shards levitated as the light within changed to a red color. His nearby electronics suddenly detonated as the energy they contained spilled into the item. He found himself unable to pry his hands away from the orb. Struggling, his hands ached with a burning sensation while the shards swirled until they were a cloudy black mass. The red color moved to his hands and spread along his arms. Baffled by this development, he could only watch as thick scales started to grow alongside them. His nails sharpened and curved into green claws.

“Is this thing… turning me into a dragon?” he wondered. A thick and scaly tail burst out of his pants, shattering the table behind him. As surprised as Braxton was by this revelation, the dominant thoughts in his head were of Yuki and how he had to seek her out. A pair of red, bat-like wings burst out from his shirt as a very warm feeling came over him. Suddenly, the snowstorm did not look as intimidating as before. Purple scales covered his chest, knocking off the tattered remains of his clothing as two rigid, orange-tipped horns sprouted from his head. In spite of the surprisingly mild pain flowing through him, he had an idea.

“The orb! Maybe I can use it to find her!” Seeing as he was still holding on to the orb, he looked into it again, willing it to show him where his other half was. At first it appeared empty, the shards having been turned to dust in the wake of his change, and all he could see was his new draconic face. Soon, however, the orb created an image of a rocky location with glowing lights dotting the walls. He knew that place… it was where they first met. Braxton concluded that Yuki must have gone back to her home, but had no idea why. Still, it was at least a far safer location than anywhere else, and what mattered now was that he knew was where she was and how to get there. Clutching the orb tightly, he made his way outside and, with unsurprising ease, took to the snowy skies.
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Braxton arrived at the cave entrance in only minutes. He wasn’t surprised that he remembered its location, though he was shocked that the blizzard did not affect him at all. In fact, looking at his landing point he saw that the snow around him melted. Now that he had come to a stop, several thoughts ran through his mind.

For starters, Braxton felt completely protected despite his exposure to the elements. Clothing now felt like an option, as opposed to a requirement. His body had been reinforced with red scales that made him feel as though he were on smooth, comfortable ground the entire time. It was strange, but at the same time, empowering. The fact that he was noticeably as tall as Yuki was a nice bonus, though his body was not as flexible.

“Now’s not the time to be thinking about this. I’ve gotta make sure she’s okay.” Not missing a beat, he headed inside, his eyes quickly adjusting to the darkness. Upon hearing a voice, he slowed down and got on all fours, not wanting to draw any attention his way. Eventually he stood in front of the room they met in. To his surprise, he saw a woman blindfolded and bound to a chair and surrounded by several people in gray cloaks. Stifling a gasp, he hid behind a wall and peered at the group.

“I just can’t help but say again that I never expected this to go so well. My backup is here because I thought you would be much more difficult to capture.” He recognized the speaker as Lev and reasoned he was likely out to get Yuki’s cursed belongings once again, but the woman was a mystery. Who was she? Not yet understanding the scene, he continued to stare.

“I’ve told you time and again, Lev. Your ancestor cursed my things. Until I figu--”

“No! It’s all a lie! You set my family up, and I demand compensation.” He snapped his fingers, and one of the men held a blade up to the woman’s throat. She gasped from the touch, and Braxton couldn’t help snarling at the scene. There was something about the blade that sent an angry shudder throughout his body, but more importantly, he realized that the person in the chair was Yuki. Why she looked like a human to him was a mystery, but what was clear was that his love was in danger.

“What was that?” Lev’s anger turned into mild confusion and fear. Taking advantage of the darkness, Braxton moved closer to her as they looked at where he had been. He felt like a predator as he moved around, his vision and scales giving him uncontested advantages. “I must have been hearing things.”

“Good, keep thinking that,” Braxton muttered. He crawled to the chair and snapped Yuki’s blindfold and bindings off, allowing her purple eyes to shine once more. Sensing what she was up to, he threw a rock near her to get their attention while she regained her original form. The situation was defused in a flash once they looked her way. The dragon’s hypnotic spell was unleashed at full force, immobilizing all of them within her gaze. Nearly all of them, including the blade, turned to dust. The only one left standing was Lev, who stared back at them blankly.

“Thanks for coming to my rescue, Braxton. How did you know where I was?” He smiled at her.

“Easy. Your little orb-thing showed me. How did you turn human? More importantly, why did you leave?” She looked away, feeling ashamed.

“I felt awful for putting you through all that. I wanted you to trust me, and in one night I smashed everything I worked for. I can’t begin to express just how foolish I was then. Letting my feelings get the best of me--” He walked up to her and hugged her, stopping her.

“I do trust you. Besides my family, you’re the only one who’s been patient with me. You told me how you felt about me right from the start, and rather than insist I feel the same way you let me do so on my own. And…”

“And…?”

“If I may admit… I can’t imagine living without you. Call me crazy, but I’ve grown dependent on you. I didn’t realize it until that night. You’re my other half, Yuki, and… I’ll do anything for you.”

“Anything, you say?”

“Wait… almost anything… so long as it doesn’t--”

“Just joking. Let’s speak about things later. For your other question, I was caught off guard while thinking about you.” She turned her attention to Lev, who continued to stare blankly. “Listen to me very carefully.”

“Yes…”

“My things are my things. Be grateful I am not in a punishing mood. To ensure you do hear me out...” She grabbed her orb and pulled him towards it, and in moments he was imprisoned within. At the same time, the dull look in his eyes cleared up, and he rubbed them.

“Ugh, where am I? What’s going on?” Looking around, he nearly fainted at the sight of the two dragons, one of which happened to be glaring at him.

“What’s going on is that you have some explaining to do. And don’t think you can ignore us like before-- you have nowhere to go until you answer,” Braxton said. For extra measure, he held up a paw and flexed it, showing off his sharp claws.

“A-a-all right, sure, whatever! Just don’t hurt me, please!” He couldn’t help but smirk to himself, slightly delighted to see Lev’s weaker side. He couldn’t blame him, given the circumstances. It seemed as though Lev did not recognize him, and he wanted to keep it that way.

“Now then, why are you after my love’s belongings? Are they really that important to you?”

“W-well, my uncle said… said that they actually belonged to my family. He said it was stolen from us.” Holding him up, she studied him, wondering if perhaps he was telling a lie.

“I see,” Yuki said. “You seem confident in your knowledge. Well then, allow me to present my side of the story. I made most of my things through alchemy, the rest I dug up or found elsewhere. One day a woman clad in armor came into my home and demanded I hand over everything I had. I laughed at her and refused, saying that it was my collection.”

“...Wait, what? I don’t have a thieving ancestor!”

“I underestimated her tenacity. She visited me several times afterward. The worst part, as I later found out, was that she came from a rich family. She was an uncommon breed who thought I did not deserve what I had.”

“B-but that’s not… that can’t be right. No way…” Lev held a hand to his head, unable to cope with what he heard.

“It was funny at first,” the dragoness continued, “but eventually I grew weary of her antics and cast a spell on my items. It was supposed to be one that would render would-be thieves unconscious. She interfered, however, making me accidentally cast a curse on them instead. In doing so she gave me another reason to keep my things away from others. The prospect of being turned into a statue does deter would-be thieves, but they are still alive underneath their solid exterior. Needless to say, dealing with them has been… unpleasant.”

“You’ve gotta be lying. You trapped me in this ball just so you could brainwash me into believing you. I could never be associated with such a brat.”

“If that were true, why are you able to speak back?” Braxton countered. The man looked at him in shock as he considered this. “She put you in there so you could hear her out for once, you dolt. This bad habit of ignoring and interrupting others has to stop if you want to live long.”

“...But… all these years… I was… I was lied to all this time?”

“I’m afraid so. The decision to believe me rests with you, Lev. What’s your next move?” He grew silent and looked away, unaware of what to make of things.

“I… I need to go think things over. All this time I thought I was taking back what was mine. I’m greedy, sure, but I’m no thief. This is a lot to take in… Please, release me. I’ll never trouble you again.”

“I’m sorry for having taunted you a while back. I was just annoyed.” As soon as she did so and returned him to normal size, he turned to walk out of the cave.

“No, I should be the one apologizing. I gave you a lot of trouble. Before I go, I just want to say one last thing, just so we part ways on good terms.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Congratulations on finding someone.” Yuki smiled as Braxton looked away shyly.

---

As soon as they returned to Braxton’s home, Yuki undid the magic that changed him. He immediately put on some new clothes out of habit and sat on his bed. She curled around him and nuzzled him.

“I can’t thank you enough for helping me, Braxton, especially after everything I put you through.” He ran a hand through her mane as he stared into her eyes. “I’m surprised Lev had the means to make those minions of his.”

“Well, there is one way. Stay with me. Meeting you has been the best thing to ever happen in my life. Life without you? Never.” He kissed her on the nose, making her purr happily. “I don’t know anyone else as patient as you.”

“I do prefer to talk things over, and I’m glad to know that you have finally come around. What will you do about your ruined belongings?” He looked at her treasure box.

“Well…” He pulled himself away from her and opened the box, pulling out a few coins and confusing her in the process. “Maybe we could use a little bit of this…” She continued to stare in shock for a few moments. “...What?”

“Braxton! My things… w-why aren’t you turning into a statue?” He looked from her to the coins he held, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

“Hmm… I don’t know. Maybe the transformation made me immune. It could be that I belong to you now,” he said jokingly. He had forgotten about the curse that was on them and had reached in without a second thought.

“We belong to each other, for the record. Something happened… the curse is definitely broken, but why?”

“I don’t know. Maybe,” he guessed, “it’s because you don’t have to deal with anyone coming after your stuff anymore? You settled things with Lev, so I guess that means it’s time to look to a brighter future.” She smiled again.

“I knew my heart was in the right place,” Yuki replied as she pulled him into her arms. “You just feel so… right.”

“So do you, Yuki. So… what do you want to do now?” He looked up at her, noticing the familiar spark of mischief within them.

“So… How did being a dragon feel? You turned out to be more attractive than I expected.”

“I didn’t have time to concentrate on that, since I was so worried about you, but now that I think about it… it felt empowering,” he breathed. “There was this warmth within me that made going through the storm a breeze. I felt free while I was flying, like all of my restrictions were gone. In fact,” he said, “I wouldn’t mind being one again.” He felt her squeeze him a bit tighter and chuckled. “You planned to turn me into one, right?”

“Only with your permission, of course. I was hoping that one day we could start a family together. That orb is my gift to you. You weren’t supposed to become a dragon until you wanted to, but I forgot to reinforce the spell when I left,” she admitted as he stepped away and grabbed the orb. “I admit, I want it to be a permanent thing, but it’s okay if you didn--” The next thing Yuki knew, she was on the bed, underneath the body of a red-scaled dragon and staring into his brown, confident eyes.

“I do. Let’s begin our new life together.”