Sakura Mochi (LGBTQ+)

Chapter 3 - Hatchday

I watched as my brother walked down to the pit where an elegant chair waited for them. They sat down, their ceremonial robes seeming to swallow them up. Nobi tugged on my hand gently, making me realize I hadn't sat down yet. I sat down in a chair next to Yuki, letting Nobi let go of my hand so she could sit next to Noni. Soon enough, people began filing in from the crescent and making their way to open seats. The seats were more like long, circular benches that stretched around each tier, so people crowded in. All to get a look at Akira's dragon form.

I noticed another family dressed in fancy robes make their way to a booth of their own nearby: two adults, a dragon about Akira's age, and someone who looked like mine and Yuki's age. The kid was really pretty, I found myself noting. Fluffy, white hair framed a young face and bright, blue eyes. I must've been staring too much because the kid turned and looked at me. But, instead of being angry, they flashed a wide smile and waved. Flustered, I looked away, my ears burning. I heard Yuki giggle from beside me. "Oo, Rin's got a crush~" she sang.

"Shut up," I grumbled, pushing her not-so-lightly.

"Hey!" She protested, pushing me back.

"Children," Nobi said. "Behave. We are here for Akira. Present your best selves so as not to dishonor him."

"Yes, Nobi," we both mumbled, going quiet.

I looked back to Akira down below and caught their eye. They smiled, waving to me. I waved back enthusiastically, a smile on my face mirroring theirs. Their attention got pulled away, however, a tall woman with dark skin and long, curly hair that was piled high on her head walked across the stage to them. Gold ink swirled across her skin and seemed to move as if it were alive. She was our high priestess, Ifema. I didn't know much about her except that she wasn't from our land. She came from across the sea, sent by the grand priesthood to bless our land. I didn't care about her status, but I was always fascinated by her and how she conducted ceremonies.

High Priestess Ifema suddenly turned to face the crowds, smiling. The dragons in the temple silenced themselves immediately. "Welcome, everyone. Today, we are gathered to witness the coming of age of Kamihara Akira, descendent of Kamihara Aiku and Kamihara Hibiki. May the great god Ryūjin give Akira his blessings."

Akira stood up from their chair, looking calm and collected as usual. Ifema put a hand over her elegant robes and drew it away, her golden flame following. "With this flame, I shall awaken your dragon. Are you ready?" She announced, directing the question at Akira.

They nodded firmly. "Yes, I am ready."

Akira closed their eyes as Ifeme began to chant, her voice powerful and laced with a lovely melody. Drums began to accompany her as the air seemed to heat. I wiggled around in my seat excitedly, watching intently as the high priestess began to draw symbols in the air with her flame. The golden symbols shimmered in the air, drawing soft gasps from the crowd. The drums intensified, quickening along with the beat of my heart. Then, they stopped.

The silence that followed was almost enough to kill me, but then a golden circle etched its way into the ground at Akira's feet, circling them fully. Then, light shot up into the sky from the stage and my brother's body fell to the stage.

"He's okay," Nobi whispered to me, sensing that I wanted to get up. "Just watch."

Akira remained hunched over on the stage before their body began to glow with a deep cerulean blue light that I recognized as their flame's color. Then, their body began to change. Slowly, it morphed into that of a water dragon, known for its sleek body, fins, and long torso like that of a sea serpent. Akira must've taken after our noni, who was a water dragon, too. The dragon was beautiful, though, as the light faded away and I could get a full look at my brother's new form. Their scales were a deep blue that glimmered in the light, shifting to a deeper purple as they moved. A roar shook the temple as Akira spread their magnificent wings made to float elegantly in water and took off into the sky.