13 from

The last dwarf sprints for the exit in a mad desperation to get away from the cruel duo that stormed into their kingdom and started breaking the dwarven city while taking out huge swathes of dwarves, indiscriminate in their apathy.

A tonfa catches the dwarf in the back of the head and he goes down hard.

Kyouya walks up and snatches his tonfa, giving both a flick to clean the metal. The sound of scales hissing against each other makes Kyouya turn, only to find Dino in human form. He raises his tonfa and Dino backpedals quickly.

The dragon explodes into his true form again because he still remembers the last time Kyouya got angry. "I forgot!" he cries, trying to placate the child. "I'm technically naked in this form so it honestly doesn't occur to me when I shift to a human skin."

"Is that my problem?" Kyouya huffs, still advancing on the poor Alpha dragon.

Dino scrambles backwards and huddles against the wall of the large cavern in effort to put as much distance between him and the human. He looks ridiculous, the huge golden dragon trying to blend into the dark brown walls so a tiny Kyouya won't hit him.

Dino may have the size advantage over Kyouya in this form, but it also means that there's more of him to be hit with tonfa. He quickly makes a plan to shrink again and stay in the air until the boy decides to leave him alone.

Kyouya stops when massive wings slam into the floor, forcing deep gouges into the rock, the limbs both obscuring the dragon from view and protecting him in such a vulnerable time since he's distracted with moulding himself a new body.

Well, 'vulnerable' in the sense that a rail gun is needed to pierce the dragon instead of pretty much nothing being able to.

Changing forms is not a weakness to dragons. They are shifters, born with scales but easily able to take any form at will. It's in their base nature, so it makes no sense for them to be completely defenceless when in a transition state. However, only similar creatures intended for change like kitsune are also as prepared when shifting, while most are greatly weakened.

Portals are created with this problem in mind. For angels, they move between the worlds and create bodies with what is essentially a huge gush of toxic atmosphere at their backs, bright enough to challenge the sun.

Demons use poisonous tar that corrodes anything it touches or is inhaled by. Fey change within wards and barriers, that will rip apart any foreign intrusion, before they step into a new world. It's different variations on the same technique by most of the races that are forced to transition in some way when they move worlds.

Then you have the werewolves, who were born from a mage playing with things they didn't understand and by some miracle the creation thrived. Wolves only have two forms and the transition is disgusting and painful because the human form rearranges to a wolf in the most primitive way, breaking and reforming bones, tearing muscle and rebuilding, growing hair and all the rest.

While it's not a long change it still gives an enemy plenty of time to strike and quite frankly it's an insult to call the abominations 'shifters'. Dragons hold that rightful title, mastering the ability long before hatching.

However, Dino may or may not be a little out of touch due to sleeping for a few centuries.

The Alpha folds down and instead of stopping at a human size, he condenses further into something barely higher than Kyouya's mid-calf. Small wings rise up from the new figure and Kyouya tilts his head in confusion. Round, honey eyes peer up at the human from a tiny dragon. A pudgy body wobbles on stumpy little legs and the normally daunting spikes are curved and look squished.

Dino mentally face palms because he was supposed to be this small, but look exactly like his older self instead of a hatchling. His body seems to have taken the form automatically because Dino still remembers what it felt like.

A squeaky roar escapes the baby dragon that was now all soft curves instead of sharp edges and tiny wing flap quickly in effort to take off. Kyouya drops his tonfa and tackles the dragon before the Alpha gets a meter off the ground, the human hugging the adorable creature tightly to his chest and burying his face in between the wings. Even the scales feel softer despite being just as strong as before.

The dragon lets out a warbling complaint as he gets squished like a toy but Kyouya just flops onto the ground and curls up with the cute dragon pressed against his chest. Dino stares up at Kyouya's soft expression and feels the hands gently cradle him.

Apparently, Dino has just discovered the human's weakness.

...

It takes more effort than Kyouya will ever admit, but eventually he stands again and collects his tonfa on the way out of the tunnel system. He still has Dino in his arms, the Alpha dragon quite content to just lie there.

The two of them run into an angel with Kyouya's jacket on the way out, a sweet brunette by the name of Kyoko who ruffles Kyouya's hair and tries to pat Dino on the head. Kyouya turns away so the angel can't reach his dragon and scowls at the woman.

"How adorable," Kyoko coos. "What are your names?"

"I'm Dino," the baby dragon says, trying to stifle the urge to expand into his true form. Cuddling from Kyouya is one thing, but a complete stranger underestimating him is another. Then again, Kyoko seems like the kind of nice person to try and pat his huge form as well.

Kyouya says absolutely nothing, not really sure how to speak with something so innocent.

"And this here is Kyouya," Dino adds on when the teenager just peers at Kyoko with wariness. "We offered to find you for Hana; she's pretty worried about you."

Kyoko frowns in concern. "Oh, I hope she's not too upset. Some nice short people wanted help with finding their dog and I couldn't just leave them."

"Did they offer you candy as well?" Dino blurts out.

Kyoko blinks. "No, I was the one who gave them the candy." She suddenly lights up with happiness and Kyouya flinches back from the rays of sunshine. "Would you two like some?" Kyoko asks and before they answer she's already reaching into a pocket of her dress and dropping a handful onto Dino's back because neither of the males have hands to spare taking them.

Dino hits Kyouya's arm lightly with his short tail and the teenager jolts, shaking off the stunning brightness and mumbling a short, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Kyoko says sweetly. "It's the least I could do for such a kind boy. This is your jacket, right?" She plucks at the collar of the black clothing and starts to take it off.

"Keep it," Kyouya interrupts. "It's cold underground and you're only wearing a dress."

Kyoko smiles and shrugs the black jacket on again. "Such a gentleman, Kyouya. Thank you."

"No matter," Kyouya dismisses and starts walking down the tunnel, instinct leading him straight to the portion with the weakest integrity.

Dino stares up at the teenager holding him and wonders if something is seriously wrong. He hopes it's just the angel that's making him act oddly and not brain trauma or something. Dino doesn't remember seeing Kyouya hit during the fight but the teen was battling underneath the Alpha's torso most of the time and that's kind of a blind spot unless Dino is looking deliberately.

Or maybe… Dino glances over to the woman. Or maybe Kyouya has a crush! The Alpha shakes his head straight after that thought. He's jumping for a conclusion; it's probably something weird, like Kyouya can't handle an honestly nice person or Kyoko is cute but Kyouya doesn't allow himself to tackle hug people who look like humans.

Kyouya reaches the part of the tunnel where the foundations need upkeep and looks down to the dragon.

"You both need to be holding onto me," Dino dictates. He technically doesn't need them to, but it's easier to take them along and they'll be less likely to get burned alive.

Kyoko brushes the candy off Dino's back and they drop to the dip between Kyouya's chest and the dragon. She then lays a hand on the Alpha's spine and nods to say she's ready.

"Here we go," Dino says cheerfully.

A fire storm explodes from the small dragon and within milliseconds it engulfs the two others, ripping all three away from the tunnel. The flame gushes down the tunnel because there's too little room and when it hits the walls the entire structure shudders and immediately begins collapsing, the destruction creating a chain effect and bringing down adjacent tunnels that all relied on this one to stay solid.

The fire stops unnaturally and disperses despite the fuel that could keep it going, an inbuilt safety mechanism to dragon travel, but the damage is already done. The three leave the dwarven city littered with its unconscious and half dead citizens, blocked off completely to the outside by caved in tunnels.

Kyoko just admires the pretty colours and wonders briefly if the short people ever found their dog.

...

Hana rolls her eyes when her forest complains about a burnt patch. She skates along the tree tops and drops to the soft grass in front of the odd group.

"Hana!" Kyoko greets enthusiastically, pulling away from the males to hug her best friend.

Hana last a second with her stoic outside but wraps her arms around Kyoko and squeezes tightly. "You're late," she grumbles. "You definitely owe me chocolate cookies for this."

The forest agrees enthusiastically, leaves shaking and grass reaching up to prod at Hana's ankles. Hana kicks them away and Haru grumbles, the forest retreating into silence for now. Never for long considering how loud Haru tends to be.

"Sorry, Hana," Kyoko giggles as she pulls away. "And sorry to you too, Haru," Kyoko adds on as she peers at a nearby tree.

Haru, the suck up, drops a vine down near Kyoko's head with a large flower at the end and tucks the flora into Kyoko's hair.

"Oh, how beautiful," Kyoko compliments, reaching up to touch soft petals.

Hana focuses on the other occupants of her forest now that she's certain Kyoko is fine. "What happened to you?" she asks, staring at the definitely not intimidating dragon before grimacing. "Ugh, is that your child form? I'm getting hives just being around you."

"Hana doesn't deal with children well," Kyoko explains.

"I hate them," Hana corrects and has to look away. It only helps a little because she can still tell the child is there.

A soft 'thump' sounds and when Hana turns back, Dino is still small but looks sleeker and predatory in his adult form. Or he would appear so if he hadn't just been dropped onto his back by Kyouya.

"Oh, I see how it is," Dino complains dramatically, covered with the candy that fell when Kyouya dropped him. "One of you hates me as a child and the other hates me except when I'm a child. There's no winning is there?" He rolls onto his belly and stands, looking like a mutated snake-dog that has a taste for human flesh.

"I like you no matter what you look like," Kyoko reassures, kneeling to pat Dino on the head.

Hana pries the jacket off Kyoko then ignores them and turns to Kyouya, passing over the clothing. "As a thank you, I'll give you a favor. Anything."

Kyouya swings the jacket onto his shoulders and carelessly nods to Hana.

Hana frowns at the teenager. "I can wilt an entire nation's crops, little boy, don't take a fey's favor lightly."

"Kyouya," Dino calls, launching from the ground in a leap and spreading his wings to glide the rest of the way to Kyouya's shoulder. He wraps around the teenager like a scaly scarf and lets his wings hang down like a cape over Kyouya's back. "Time to go. I sense angels, and if I stay there's going to be a lot of blood."

They disappear to Kyouya's protests about wanting to fight and Hana's muttered curses about boxing monkeys.