True to her word, the old dragon returned Noah's body to the sisters' room just ten minutes before the two-hour limit.
"See? I am a dragon of my word."
"Haha… How do I know this isn't just you trying to earn my trust?" Noah replied with skepticism. "It's like borrowing money: first, you borrow a hundred gold coins and pay it back; then you borrow two hundred and pay it back. But the third time, you borrow a thousand, only to take off with it."
"How dare you! Comparing me to some swindler! I never break my word, nor do I owe anyone anything!" the old dragon huffed, indignant.
Ignoring the rebuttal, Noah continued their banter until they reached the room. They carefully turned the door handle and tiptoed inside, gently closing the door to avoid waking the two sleeping sisters.
Once inside, the ancient dragon said, "Alright, I'll return control of your body now."
"Mm-hmm."
Noah took off her shoes, resuming control of her body. But just as she turned around, her vision went dark, as if a black cloth had been pulled over her head.
Startled, Noah tried to defend herself.
However, a sudden, forceful blow landed on her head, leaving her dazed and unable to resist.
Even the strongest young dragon can't withstand a sneak attack, and neither could Noah.
Just before losing consciousness, she heard two familiar voices.
"Little Light, if we're wrong about this, big sister will definitely make us pay for it."
"Don't worry, trust me, second sister."
As she drifted off, Noah muttered faintly, "What are these two dummies up to…"
When Noah finally woke up, the room was dimly lit. She glanced at the window, where the darkness and faint moonlight suggested it was still far from dawn.
With a shake of her head, her mind cleared, and she looked down, realizing she was seated on a chair.
Trying to move, she found her wrists bound behind her to the chair's back, unable to budge.
The ropes were tight, and the texture felt slick against her skin.
Looking up, she saw her two adorable little sisters standing before her.
"Muwen… Little Light, what are you doing?"
Muwen took a step forward, cupping Noah's face in her hands with a serious expression.
"Big sister, you've suffered a lot lately."
Noah: ?
"What do you mean?"
"Little Light thinks… that maybe you're not the same sister we know anymore. So tonight, we're going to test this theory."
Noah blinked. What was Muwen talking about?
"You're not the sister we know"? Who else could she be?
Just as Noah was about to ask, a thought struck her: had Little Light somehow sensed the slight changes when the old dragon took control of her body?
This little pink-haired sister loved to be where the action was, so much so that even their dad called her a "natural-born mischief magnet." Wherever there was something interesting happening, there she'd be, Aurora herself.
Achieving that reputation required keen observational skills, after all.
If Little Light had noticed something odd during the old dragon's control, it wouldn't be surprising.
"Hey, kid, your sisters are pretty sharp," the old dragon's voice chimed in from Noah's mindspace, adding pressure.
"It's one thing for them to be sharp, but it's another for you to sneak around in my body, doing things that tipped them off."
"Hmph, my disguise was flawless. No way I'd be noticed."
"Then how do you explain what's happening now?"
The ancient dragon, caught off guard, hastily changed the subject. "It would be best if your family didn't find out about me. It would only bring unnecessary trouble. Right now, your top priority should be to keep these two sisters of yours in the dark."
Noah agreed, somewhat.
If her dad and mom knew she had an ancient ancestor living in her mind, they'd probably worry themselves sick. Noah didn't understand strategy or war very well, but she did know that with Constantine looming as a threat, and internal issues within the Silver Dragons, her mom already had enough to deal with.
She decided to tackle this on her own first, only seeking her parents' help if absolutely necessary.
Blinking to pull herself out of her mindspace, Noah smiled at her two sisters.
"That's silly. I'm still the sister you know."
She twisted her wrists, putting on a pleading expression. "This rope really hurts. Muwen, can you untie me?"
Muwen blinked her big, innocent eyes. "Big sister…"
"Be a good girl, Muwen, and untie your big sister, okay?"
"Sister~"
"Mm-hmm, good girl~"
"Nope."
"…?"
Muwen's face was stern, even her cowlick standing at attention. "Since the rope might make you uncomfortable, I coated it in aloe juice. This way, you won't feel pain, but it's still too tight for you to break free."
So that's why the rope felt so slick—it was aloe juice.
Noah couldn't decide whether to praise her younger sister's thoughtfulness or her extensive "preparation."
Well, if kindness wasn't working…
Time for a little force.
Explaining things too patiently would only make her seem guilty.
She knew Little Light well enough to understand her sister's intelligence.
"Muwen, Little Light, if you don't untie me right now, when I get out, both your little bottoms are getting smacked."
The "threat" didn't faze the third princess in the slightest; she just crossed her arms and smirked.
"No use, big sister. That rope has anti-magic properties."
"Anti-magic?…"
Noah tried to summon her lightning magic, but her magic circuits felt blocked, completely unresponsive.
"Give it up, big sister. I told you the rope blocks magic."
"Where did you even find anti-magic rope?"
"In mom and dad's room."
Little Light explained, "After I noticed something strange about you, I began planning this operation. It took days, but I finally found the right tool in their room."
She paused, looking puzzled. "Though I'm not sure why they had something like that in their room…"
Noah's eye twitched slightly.
So, the rope her parents were looking for earlier… her sisters had taken it.
Now she was even more curious—why did her parents even have anti-magic rope in the first place?
Could it be related to that… "captive play" they mentioned?
"Forget the rope. What matters is fixing big sister's problem before it's too late and she's possessed forever," Little Light said with utmost seriousness.
Noah was about to refute, but the old dragon in her mind protested loudly.
"Possessed?! What nonsense! The soul in your mindspace is none other than the great me!"
Well, well, someone was getting agitated.
But no need to worry.
Agitation wouldn't help.
Ignoring the dragon's complaints, Noah tried again to convince her sisters.
"I'm not possessed. I've just… been a bit off lately. Give me a few days, and I'll be back to normal."
"Possessed people say that too. I read all about it."
"…"
"So, big sister, I prepared a professional exorcism kit just for you!"
With that, Little Light pulled out an assortment of random items from who-knows-where.
Bells, candles, a mirror, and various little objects Noah had never seen before.
"…Isn't this a bit much?" Noah sighed.
"For your mental and physical health, it's essential."
"…Alright."
Little Light handed a bell to Muwen. "Alright, second sister, let's begin."
"Mm-hmm!"
"W-wait, what are you doing?"
For once, Noah was genuinely flustered.
Who knew what these two little troublemakers would do to exorcise her?!
Jingling the bell, the two little dragon girls started circling Noah.
They even arranged a ring of candles around her.
As they circled her, they chanted rhythmically:
"Ghosts and goblins, go away~ Ghosts and goblins, go away~"
Muwen & Little Light: (￣△￣?)
Noah & Noah's inner dragon: (;￣ー￣川)
After seven times around—well, actually, only about twenty rotations before Muwen got dizzy—they finally stopped.
Little Light put down the bell, leaned in, and held Noah's face, examining her closely.
"How do you feel, big sister?"
"I feel like laughing."
"You're still not better. Continue!"
"…"
"No more, Little Light, I'm so dizzy (´Д｀)."
Muwen flopped onto the carpet in a star shape, waving the bell feebly. "Let's try a different exorcism method."
Little Light pursed her lips. "Alright."
She then took an oversized mirror and set it in front of Noah.
"What's this now?" Noah asked.
"A holy exorcism mirror."
"That name sounds made up."
"No way! That's what it says in the book!"
Little Light placed one hand on her hip, holding the mirror upright. "Now, look into the mirror and tell me what you see."
Noah glanced at her reflection, but before she could speak, Muwen's head appeared beside her in the mirror.
"I see the cutest little dragon ever!"
"Second sister, stop messing around."
"Oh…"
Muwen backed away.
With a sigh, Noah played along. "All I see is myself. No ghosts."
"Do you feel any discomfort?"
"No."
"Any guilt?"
"No."
"Ughhhh~~~"
Little Light threaded her fingers through her hair. "This… this can't be! Did I misjudge?"
Muwen froze for a second, then quickly clasped her hands over her bottom.
"Sister, if you're going to spank us, could you go easy on us this time?"
Noah looked at Muwen, a gentle smile playing on her lips. After a moment, she replied sincerely.
"I was only teasing. You two are my beloved little sisters. How could I bear to spank you?"
"Really, big sister?"
"Mm-hmm, really."
"Little Light, let's untie her then. We've confirmed she's not possessed."
Despite a thousand lingering doubts, Little Light had to admit that all their exorcism attempts failed to reveal any possession.
Which meant Noah really wasn't possessed…
But then, how could she explain her strange behavior over the past few days?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Little Light decided to let it go for now, pretending that "big sister is fine," while keeping an eye on her sister for any future anomalies.
"Alright, let's untie her."
The little dragon girls loosened the anti-magic rope.
Noah stood up, sighing in relief, rubbing her wrists before taking a towel from Muwen to wipe off the aloe juice.
"Heehee, big sister, I knew you'd always be the best sister ever!"
"Mm-hmm."
"So, big sister, you'll keep your word, right?"
Noah raised an eyebrow. "What did I say?"
Muwen's face turned anxious, and she took a cautious step back, curling her tail over her little bottom. "You said… you wouldn't spank Little Light or me."
"Did I say that? I forgot."
"W-what?!"
Crack, crack—
Noah cracked her knuckles as she took slow steps toward her sisters.
The little dragon girls clung to each other, shivering.
"Big sister! You said you'd spare us!"
"Next time, for sure."
"Well, then, let's face this together, right, Little Light?… Little Light? Hey?"
Turning around, Muwen saw her pink-haired sister already darting toward the door.
"Little Light, where are you going?!"
"Second sister, haven't you heard the saying 'every dragon for herself'?"
"Don't worry, neither of you will be able to escape."
…
Cosmodeous Family Breakfast
Leon glanced at his two daughters, both of whom were standing as they ate, looking confused.
"Muwen, Little Light, why are you eating standing up?"
"Because… because our bottoms—" Muwen started nervously.
Little Light quickly interrupted, "Because standing while eating aids digestion!"
"…Really?"
Leon didn't ask further, continuing with his breakfast.
"By the way, Dad, where's Mom?" Noah asked.
"Oh, she had breakfast early and said to meet her in the front courtyard later. Apparently, she has something important to discuss."
"Oh, I see."
Speaking of which, her mom had been in unusually high spirits that morning, almost as if she had good news.
Inviting him to the front courtyard so early… what could it be for?