Lucillia

Somehow, some way, my sisters didn't get bored of me after several hours. Even Big Sis Silvie finally warmed up to me by the end. They didn't stop until Mama interrupted them for lunch, which means they played with me for the entire morning! I must be a natural entertainer or something. 

Once everyone left for lunch, Mama picked me up again and, you guessed it, I was also pretty hungry. Playing with your big sisters is pretty tiring, apparently. So, Mama fed me her aura again, mmm yummy, and I took another nap. 

When I woke up, the sun was starting to set. I guess I was a lot more tired than I thought. 

*Yaaawn*

Nnngh, nothing like a good stretch after a nice long- wait a minute. I can move now?

Oh, would you look at that. At some point while I was asleep, someone (I'm guessing Mama) changed me from the blanket cocoon to some actual clothes. That being said, I still have a little blankie wrapped around me, so I'm still nice and cozy. 

It looks like I'm on my bed right now too, no Mamas in sight. Hmm, the sheets are pretty soft and silky, the mattress is nice and bouncy, but there's something missing, something very, VERY, important for a bed: THE WARMTH! Yeah, that's right, I don't feel warm at all right now!

It doesn't matter if it's comfy or not. What good is a bed if it can't keep you warm on a cold night?! Actually, I don't really feel cold either, but my point still stands!

And why the heck are the pillows so tall?! Oh wait no, I'm just really  short and I can't even stand up right now, so everything's tall to me. But still! Why am I trapped in a pillow fort?!

*Sniff* I'm cold (not really, I'm just not warm), I'm trapped, I'm starting to feel hungry, and I don't have my emotional support Mama. Woe is me~

No! I can't go out like this! Not when I have so much to live for! Like, uh, Mama, and..hugs, and...headpats...yeah!

Huh? What about my sisters? Weeeeeell, they haven't fed me yet, sooooooooo...yeah. Maybe eventually. I swear I can hear some sobbing in the distance...must be the wind. 

Alright, Lucillia, or what was it again? Ah right, Lia. Alright Lia, you've done this before, you can do it again! No prison can hold you back forever! CHARRRGE!!!

"BUNYAAAAA!!!" [Lucillia]

It's working! The walls come crumbling down like a, uhh, really weak wall, I guess? But anyways, FREEDOM! Time to embark on my journey to go find- eh?

Why do I suddenly feel like I'm falling? U-uhm, w-why does the bed feel so far away now? Why is the floor like a million meters below me? U-UUhmm...eep?

*Squeak*

"Hmm, how strange...no matter how much we oil it, this door just keeps squeaking." [Maid]

Things just started moving in slow motion, my very short life is flashing before my eyes, and I'm starting to feel the familiar cold...this is the end, I guess. 

NOT!!! I DON'T WANNA DIE!!! SOMEONE SAVE MEEEEEEE!!!!!

MAMAAAAA!!!!!

"BWAAA?!!" [Lucillia]

"Hm? Have you awaken, Your Highness? OH! Be careful! A fall like that wouldn't do much, but it would probably still hurt and we don't want that now, do we?" [Maid]

W-who are you? Why do you look familiar? Where's Mama? Where is she? WHERE'S MY MAMA?!

"Haah, you slept in quite a bit, didn't you, Your Highness? And of all the times you could have woken up, it was right after I stepped out for a moment. You really should be more careful, you know." [Maid]

You're not Mama...Mama's warmer...I miss Mama.....I want Mama.....waaah...

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" [Lucillia]

"AHH! U-Uhm...t-there there, Your Highness. I-I apologize if I said something wrong, b-but pl-please don't cry!" [Maid]

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" [Lucillia]

"Ahhhhh, what do I do, what do I do?" [Maid]

"Mira? Is everything alright? I could hear Lia from down the hall." [Corinna]

"Ah! Your Majesty! Uhm, well, I stepped out for a moment to try and fix the door, and when I came back, the princess was awake and nearly fell. I was able to catch her in time, but then she started crying and...well..." [Mira]

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" [Lucillia]

"I see. Let me take over and you go clean up the bed. " [Corinna]

"Yes, Your Majesty." [Mira]

"Alright, are you okay Lia? That must have been quite scary for you since you're so small." [Corinna]

*Sniff* N-noo, I'm not okay. I felt like I was going to die again...all alone...cold...and hungry...uwaa.

"UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" [Lucillia]

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm here now, okay sweetie?" [Corinna]

*Sniff* It's only okay because you're here. When you aren't...then it's not okay...*Sniff* 

"I'm sorry, dear. A few meetings came up and I didn't want to wake you from your sleep. The others are also busy with their duties, so we left you with Mira. Haah, and yet Silvie didn't want to just leave you like that, so she made that little pillow wall for you, though I don't think it worked out in the end. It's a good thing Mira made it back in time." [Corinna]

Mmmmm! That's why you better not leave me again, you hear me! I'm never letting go now for the rest of my life childhood!

"I guess you were quite lonely, weren't you? Sorry, sweetie. It probably doesn't help that you're cold-blooded, does it? I doubt you could get comfortable unless someone's holding you. Or perhaps we should install some heaters in your room?" [Corinna]

Eh? I'm cold-blooded? Is that why I didn't feel cold? Is that why I get really comfortable being held by people? I have so many questions right now. I'll just tilt my head in confusion because it's cute and I can't do much else.

"Bwaaa?" [Lucillia]

"I'll make it up to you, dear, don't worry. I won't leave you again for now. Not for the rest of the day. But after that, one of your sisters should be available to take care of you, alright? I promise you won't be lonely anymore." [Corinna]

Okay, okay, I get it, so STAHP KISSING ME! It tickles a lot when you keep doing it like that!

"Heeheehee~" [Lucillia]

"Hehe, much better. Now then, do you have any idea how long you've been sleeping, young lady? It's almost time for dinner, you know. You're much too young to be sleeping in like this." [Corinna]

Ehhh? But I can't help it when I'm almost constantly in the world's most comfy bed. 

"Buwaaa~" [Lucillia]

"No 'buts' now, young lady. Not when you almost missed a meal when you need to grow. Speaking of which, you're probably hungry right now, aren't you?" [Corinna]

"Waah!" [Lucillia]

"Yes, yes, go and eat up, dear. Eat up so you can grow big and strong like your sisters." [Corinna]

Well don't mind if I do then...nom nom nom.

.....

Not much happened after that. Once that blue haired maid, I think her name was Mira or something, finished cleaning the room, Mama and I were just hanging out. 

I guess my big sisters really were busy because they didn't show up at all until Mama brought me over to the dining hall. 

Nothing special happened there, either. They ate, I watched them, they played with me, yadda yadda. Mostly just a repeat of earlier, except it took place in the dining hall. 

And then everyone went to take a bath while Mama and I went back to my room. When they were done, they came back to my room where, you guessed it, we played some more. Seriously, how much can they play with me without getting bored?

I can't talk, can't walk, can't lift anything, can barely move my arms and legs, and while I can feel a ridiculous amount mana and something else in me, I can't really use either of them at the moment. 

So how is it that they aren't absolutely bored of me yet?

I mean, to be fair, Mama's been reading a book and Big Sis Luna's been knitting something with Big Sis Caela helping out. 

But that still leaves Big Sis's Solis and Silvie who have almost constantly been playing with me for like half the day!

Somehow, someway, those two can just keep going forever, I guess. 

There's just a sliiight problem on our hands: I'm tired. It's getting really hard to focus on anything, and my eyelids are starting to...feel...real...heaaavy...Zzzz.

Lunestia

"Alright girls, I think that's enough for today." [Corinna]

After Mother said that, I looked over and saw Lia fast asleep after Solis and Silvie's...'play' session. I say that because those two, for one reason or another, lose all sense of restraint when it comes to our newest sister. 

So, before Lia is exposed to the danger zone any longer, I must reel in my sisters.

First, we start off with the biggest threat: Solis.

Before she even dares to try and get into Lia's bed, my tail is already wrapped around her and taking her away.

"Uhh, Luna? What's with the tail and why are you dragging me as far from the bed as possible?" [Solestia]

"This is the most effective method I've found to minimize the damage. Have you already forgotten how Caela and Silvie almost turned out because of you?" [Lunestia]

"Yes, yes, I know, you tell me every time to 'exercise restraint' and all that, but have you seen how cute they are?" [Solestia]

Yes, obviously. The young ones are always cute. But that is no reason to throw all, well, reason out the window. It is because they are so cute and adorable that we must be careful with how we interact with them, lest they get hurt.

Unfortunately, I know very well that my twin will never listen to what I say in that regard, so I no longer bother saying it out loud. Thus, the only solution is to take action before she can even do or say anything.

"Ahem! I believe we'll be taking our leave now. Good night, Mother." [Lunestia]

"Good night, girls." [Corinna]

There were no more complaints for once, so our exit went smoothly. Soon after, the captive broke free from her bindings and made her escape to her room. 

"I believe Silvie and I will be going to my room for the night. Will you be joining us, Caela?" [Lunestia]

"Not like I have much else to do tonight, so sure. Plus, I figured you might want to finish that before Lia wakes up, wouldn't you?" [Caelenia]

Only now I realize she is still holding the balls of yarn I was knitting with. As for what I was knitting, you can call it a small present for our little sister. 

I've also made similar presents for Caela and Silvie when they had just hatched.

Incidentally, Solis came crying to me (we both shared a room at the time) demanding I make her one as well. This took place soon after I gave Caela her present. After a bit of help from one of the older maids and an all-nighter, I was finally freed from being my twin's hostage.

"If that's the case, then let's hurry over to my room." [Lunestia]

No one else had any comments, so the journey went by quietly. Of course, I say journey when my room is down the hall, so we arrived in no time. We did say 'Good night' to Lia's maid who was still outside the door trying to figure something out as we passed by.

Once everyone entered my room, we took our usual places: Me at the side of my bed, Caela in a chair by the bed, and Silvie...well her position depends on her mood. At the moment she is seated by my side, presumably so she does not disrupt our knitting. 

"How are you feeling so far, Silvie? It's the end of your first day being an older sister. I'm sure you have some lingering thoughts on your mind. Feel free to share them if you like." [Lunestia]

"Hmm, well as you know, I had rather...complicated feelings earlier after my many blunders. But I think it was around the time Lia let me hold her that I was finally able to loosen up a bit." [Silvania]

"I see. And after that?" [Lunestia]

"Well...at that point I maaay have started to obsess over her cuteness again and...probably played with her a little too much, but I managed to hold back at the very end. Overall, I think I was able to get over those negative feelings from earlier." [Silvania]

"Good. You've made the same progress in a handful of hours that took Solis...how old are you again, Caela? 8000? 9000?" [Lunestia]

"Haah, while I am flattered that you rate me so young, dear sister, I believe you are a bit young to be going senile. I turned 14000 about a century and then some ago." [Caelenia]

"I'm not senile, I just lost count after 5000. Anyway, as I was saying, you managed to make as much progress in less than a day as Solis has in over 14000 years. You should be proud of yourself." [Lunestia]

"Trying, but failing at the moment. Maybe someday I'll get there." [Silvania]

As she said that, she plopped her head onto my shoulder. I admit she is very cute in this situation, but teasing her would only result in disaster, especially if you consider the races her mind has run today. Unfortunately, my hands are occupied at the moment, but I can at the very least use my tail to give her some comfort via tail pats. 

"Not maybe, you will get there. Things like this will always take time and effort, both of which I know you will commit." [Lunestia]

"..." [Silvania]

Hmm, that didn't work. It seems we need more drastic measures to treat this patient.

"Would you like to help out as well, Silvie? Moving your hands will help take your mind off things, and Lia may even like you more if she knew you had a hand in this." [Lunestia]

In the past, I had made plushies for my sisters. Today is no different. 

For Caela, I made her a large cloud-shaped plushie with a cute smiley face on it. She was very adorable sleeping on it back then. At one point, she even imbued with some of her magic to make it float, which she would then ride around the villa.

For Silvie, I made a life-size armored speartuna that she used to use as a chew toy back then. Perhaps that is why she loves eating raw fish so much? Now that I think about it, her favorite fish has always been the armored speartuna...must be a coincidence.

And for Solis...the only thing that could appease her at the time was a plushie of my dragon form, albeit significantly shorter in scale since I had a limited supply of yarn; the arachnae can only give me so much of their silk at a time. Incidentally, it was only then that she finally agreed to move into her own room.

Rather than crushing cuddling me every night, she would cuddle the plushie instead. Personally, I did not and still do not mind sharing a room with her; she is my twin after all. But, there is a a certain caveat that breaks the deal: Solis cannot sleep without cuddling something or someone, and if the victim is a someone...well, good luck not getting strangled. I believe the only reason I survived for so long is because we are roughly equal in strength.

Moving back to the present (heh), what I am making for Lia is a full scale plushie version of my lover, Mizuki, who is a kitsune. In her fox, or well kitsune, form, Mizuki has lovely silver fur and nine fluffy tails. I figured it would make a fun cuddle buddy for Lia while she is still small. 

So far, we have finished three of the tails. Of course, none of them are completely closed up yet; the stuffing will need somewhere to enter after all. Hmm, after learning about Lia's cold-bloodedness, I may need to reconsider my choice for stuffing. 

Something that inherently gives off heat would be nice. Hmm...ah! I did notice that Lia is constantly letting out her aura due to her youth. I believe I should be able to mix in some powdered heat crystals¹These are just the 'heating elements' mentioned in Chapter 1 that were surrounding Lia's egg to keep her warm while hatching. into the stuffing which would then be powered by her aura to generate heat.

That should make her lonely nights more tolerable. 

Anyway, I believe this tangent has gone on long enough. Looking back at Silvie's face, it seems she is still pondering my earlier question.

A few moments passed, and she moved her head from my shoulder to my lap. 

"I'll pass on this one. I would rather bond with Lia myself and get closer to her that way." [Silvania]

"Alright then. Did you want to hear any stories about Solis' antics with Caela back then? There may be something you can learn from them." [Lunestia]

"Mm, that would be nice. I imagine she was quite active even before I was born?" [Silvania]

"More so than you realize. In fact, I believe she was even more energetic back then, especially since Caela was our first little sister." [Lunestia]

"Mhm. You should be glad you were born later, Silvie. For instance, right after..." [Caelenia]

And so the night continued. Silvie continued to listen to our stories from my lap as Caela and I finished up Lia's present. 

By the time that happened, it was maybe two hours past midnight. 

"Hm, finally finished. You can leave everything on the table, Caela, I'll do the finishing touches later." [Lunestia]

"*Yawn* Mm, sounds good. How are you holding up, Silvie?" [Caelenia]

"Nnn? Mmm, Big Sis's lap is really comfy~" [Silvania]

"Were you even listening the last hour? Ah forget it, it doesn't matter. I'm too tired to do anything." [Caelenia]

"Would you two like to stay here for the night? It's been a while since we last did something like that." [Lunestia]

"Sure, that sounds nice. Also I think Silvie just fell asleep as you said that." [Caelenia]

Sure enough, I looked down and there was a sleeping dragon on my lap. This is a rather nostalgic sight. Back when both Silvie and Caela were little, they would always come to me after running away from Solis. I often gave them lap pillows like this. We'd have slumber parties as well.

I believe the last time we did anything like that was when Silvie turned 5000. That was nearly a millennia ago. Not that that is much time for a dragon, especially us elder dragons who have virtually no lifespan. 

After dragging the sleeping dragon into bed, I snuggled up against her while Caela did the same from the other side. Silvie always loved sleeping like this, getting cuddled from both sides by us sisters. 

In fact, this was one of the few times during her childhood that Silvie was rather comfortable with Solis. Once she got over her strangling habits (after an enormous amount of effort on my part), Solis would usually offer to cuddle with either of our younger sisters. 

Sometimes I would even take her up on the offer. Snuggling together feels quite nice after all. 

As much as Caela and I complain about Solis, that dragon is certainly not a bad sibling by any means. If anything, her antics are always driven by the strong love she feels for each and every one of her sisters. 

I always thought that if I did not have a twin, I would probably have ended up the same way as Solis. I too love my sisters dearly. 

That is why I must do everything I can to preserve our close relationships. Even if I come off as harsh at times, I know that none of them would ever hold it against me; they know that I do it for their sakes. 

The day I let one of them get hurt, mentally or physically, is the day I fail as a sister. I would no longer be able to call myself one of their family and...leave if I must.

I do not want that to happen. 

Ever.

Thankfully, neither do they.

Fishcat

Welcome back to another episode of dragons, dragons, and more dragons. In case you didn't realize, Mira (the blue-haired maid) is the same maid from Chapter 1 who informed the girls about their sister. If you go back, I did make a slight change and include the fact that she has blue hair there. Also, I realize that I did not make it particularly clear, but for our dragons, their tails and wings are retractable as you see in other stories. Only the horns stay because I say so. Also, apologies if Lia's bits were kinda dull this chapter. It's a bit difficult to make an infant's life exciting. And I promise worldbuilding will come soon, in maybe 2 or 3 chapters. As always, thank you everyone for the support, stay safe, and take care y'all!