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The Woods of Wicked Willow. An unknown place where all mystical and dangerous creatures of all land live together, some people say the place was just a myth and some say they have been there and see many things that shouldn't be disturbed. No human should be allowed to go there, but then again no one ever debunked if it was real or fake. So for now no one knows about it.
But we're not going to talk about it or anything— instead we are going to tell a story about a lovely couple in the Woods! *clear throat* alright, Here's a story about a werewolf and witch. They both lived in the deep of the wood, not pretty afar from a Village full of mythical creatures. Both are a happy married couple, the werewolf name is Shade, while the Witch's name is Neuro. Their love story was a weird mystery that no one knew except for them and friends. But yeah the rest are history…
“I'll be back at 4, I'm going to hunt some meat and maybe stop by the village. I heard they have new relics that they got from humans nearby” he told Neuro as the witch was doing his daily brewing potion, and looked up to Shade who was at the front door. “Hey, Shade before you leave the village after some errands can you visit your boss' place first? He said he has something he wants to give you” Shade just nodded and went to kiss his husband before he left their house.
“Don't be late for dinner again!”
“I won't, bye love”
Neuro's face was red as he processed what just happened, true they have been married for 2 years now. And yes Neuro is still flustered by Shade action, oh how cute these two happily married couples are. “Seriously… he and his words, how cute…. Hmm, I wonder what Garmadon wants to talk about with him? Whatever it is, let's hope nothing bad happens that has to involve humans in it.” He mumbled as Neuro went back to his brewing potion.
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After wandering around and successfully hunting for meat in the woods, Shade was pretty happy he got his hunting for today, especially if it was deer meat. “Finally, I have finally caught one deer for our monthly supply of meat! Hopefully Neuro liked it, he is usually kinda picky… Now, I should go to the village to look for the relics that Bentho has to offer.” He mumbled to himself as he shifted to his wolf form and spring to the village. He didn't know that something was spying on him from afar away.
As he arrived at the village he then went back to his human form and walked to the relics shop, not forgetting to stop by another shop. Betho's relics shop was one of the most successful shops there, not to forget there's always something new that he brought. The peak of it was that Shade was one of the best customers and he always got the discount. The owner is a siren and a good friend with him. “Good afternoon, Shade. What can I do for you today? Another shiny stuff for your husband?” The siren teases Shade just scoffed and gives him a gold coin as he points out to the newest potion vase for Neuro. “I see you like our newest collection, a discount for my greatest customer!” He takes the gold and gives the shiny stuff to Shade as the werewolf takes it and thanks him as he before went out to his next place to go. “Thank you, also if you want to know the medusa that you have a crush on, he's single if I remember. But not that long, if you want to know him, suggest that you act fast and stop with your stalking habit… that's all, see you later dude!” He smiled and walked away, as Shade didn't see the shocking face that Bentho made right now. Too stunned to speak by the information he received.
Back to his original plan as Shade then went to Garmadon's place, to see what he meant about ‘giving him something’ sound suspicious enough for him, but Shade didn't want to ask anything since he's working with him as his lackey for spying on the humans. Yes, it was a risky job but atleast he and the other creatures can be more careful around humans if they happen to walk around their places. And Garmadon is the underworld oni so he needs to check everything up with the underworld and the upper world, “Whatever it is, I hope nothing bad happens there. We cannot afford to move places again or even make another stronger barrier than this. Let's hope he gave me a raised…”
Oh Shade if only your word is easy to grant…
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“You want me to do what!?”
“Adopt my son. Well he hasn't been born yet, but I knew this little boy was going to hatch any moment…”
The werewolf stood there, frozen in his place. Trying to process his boss' words in the first place, “you… want me to… adopt your baby dragon?” he asked as the oni king nodded, “well yes, my son is a dragon oni breed. I can't possibly give him to my brother, who's lived amongst humans as a spy that would also endanger our lives… and nonetheless dragon oni hybrid, it's dangerous for him, and I can't possibly bring him into the underworld. As much as I want him in there, a dragon cannot live there; he's not immune to it. And I don't think that's what my wife wanted, she sure wants him to live a normal and happy life with no danger around him” Garmadon explained as he saw how unsure Shade was.
“I know it's such a sudden request, but please as your boss can you keep my son safe and at peace with you and your husband?”
“.... I'm not sure myself, sir. What if we can't? I don't think me and Neuro are prepare at that level if you're really trusting me as his caretaker—”
“Parents.”
“What?”
“You are now his parents, and yes. I trust you and your husband can take care of him. I believe the little guy would be happy if you and Neuro would be his parents, as I can look over him from the underworld” Garmadon smiled as he gave a trustworthy smile and hope to him, he knew that Shade can take over. “Why are you trusting me so much sir? I'm just your underling, but you seem to trust me a lot with this job other than your other underling that is…”
Garmadon sighs and pat him on his shoulder, hard. But he also laughed seeing how nervous the werewolf was, “You are one of my most trusted and loyal underlings, so that's fair for me to rekayasa that to you. Besides, you and your husband must be thinking about having a child by now~” he teased, as Shade was blushing by the idea of him and Neuro having a kid.
“W-what?! Where did you get the idea sir?!”
“Oh comeon, it's normal to think about it. That reminds me, I haven't introduced you to Lloyd!” He exclaimed, making Shade confused.
“Lloyd??” He ask to him, as the oni smiled
“Yes. He's your child! I named him before, and if you wanted to change his name it's fine. He's your son now” Garmadon said as he showed Shade the dragon's egg. The egg was set on a small pedestal as it basks in the golden light of the afternoon. “Is that a dragon egg?! It's.. kinda big” he said a bit nervous about how he should bring it to his home without anyone noticing at all. “Well he is a dragon, just like his uncle and his mother. And that's a average dragon eggs size, it's not that big”
“And are you sure you want me to bring him with me? What if there were hunters or worse humans who saw him? Dragons are their hunt or prey… I just don't think me and Neuro can take care of him”
Garmadon saw this and patted his shoulder and just giving him a assurance smile, “I know you and him will take care of Lloyd in better hands, that's why—” his words was cutted off as the two then heard a rustling sound from afar, as they heard humans coming through their way. With panicked steps, Garmadon then took the egg from the pedestal and immediately replaced it with a fake one as he hurriedly gave the dragon egg to Shade. “Hurry! You and Lloyd need to run away faster! We can't let humans find us or our existence!” Garmadon gave him a warning as Shade quickly turned back into his wolf form, with Lloyd behind his back.
Shade was struggling to keep the egg from falling or making any noises from the humans nearby, “sir! I can't take him if it's like this! I'm afraid the egg will fall from my back easily…” he informed the oni as Garmadon looked around and carefully cast a spell for Shade and Lloyd. “I will teleport you and Lloyd immediately to your house, I'll distract the humans while you and him escape!” He told his underling, making him surprised by his action. “But sir! Your magic will be dread by the time you teleported me and the egg!”
“Yours and Lloyd's safety is more important right now! We both don't have time– just be ready!!”
“But–”
They heard the rustling closer by the time they stayed longer there, as Garmadon finally cast a spell as he teleported both Shade and the egg away. “lord Garmadon!” He shouted just as he then suddenly already right in front of his house with him holding the egg in his embrace. That's when he saw Neuro was in the garden, handling some herbs and plants. “Shade? What happened? And why is there a dragon egg in your arm?” He asked but he didn't get his answer as Shade then pulled his arm and brought him inside and locked the door behind.
“Is everything alright, darling?” Neuro called to him, as Shade kept hugging the egg and suddenly brought Neuro to his hug. As if he was somehow in shock and scared, as in cue Neuro was trying to read his mind with his power, “does something happen earlier when you meet lord Garmadon? You seemed…. Stressed when you suddenly arrive at home, as if something bad just happened before?” He tried to ask again, Shade then suddenly releasing Neuro and the egg, as he shoved the egg to his husband's arm.
Neuro looked at him in confusion, wondering why Shade gave him the egg. “Why are you giving me this? Whose egg is this?” He looked at Shade's eyes as the werewolf tried to explain everything, still shaken by everything that happened earlier. “I-i… earlier you said I need to meet him right? Turns out he… wanted to give us something, and that ‘something’ is the egg. It's a dragon egg, supposedly to be his and his late wife… but he wanted us to take care of Lloyd.”
“Lloyd?”
“That's the baby dragon name— that's not the point! The thing is he gave us that as he wanted us to adopt it as our… kid? Ah fuck, it's hard to explains. But after that we both heard humans as they were trying to hunt this egg, so as you can see with panicked he teleported me and Lloyd back…. And now I'm afraid he didn't teleported in time”
The werewolf said as he was being worried and still terrified of what happened. “I could check on him, but I think from my sixth sense that he's alright– Oh! A letter?” The witch was surprised as he suddenly got a letter from the underworld. The letter was from Garmadon as he stated that he was alright and teleported safely, but sadly he cannot come back to the surface as he was now tasked to keep the Woods of Wicked Willow safe from the humans' harm. This makes Shade sigh in relief, knowing his boss was alright, “that's a relief to know, but still he didn't say how we should take care of the dragon eggs before it's hatching!” He exclaimed, and got another letter from Garmadon.
“He only said just keep the dragon egg warm, it should hatch for another few days or hours if it's fast and warm enough…” Neuro explains as he cradles the egg in his arm to make it warm. Since he's a witch, he has the power to warm anything fast enough, with his magic ofcourse. “Alright, if you're tired you can give him to me. Since it's our job now to take care of the dragon egg, and maybe… as its parents?” Shade said with a little unsure and embarrassed by his own words, Neuro just chuckled and petted his husband.
“You're interested in becoming a parent?”
“I mean– are you not?”
Neuro just chuckles, as he is still cradling the egg with him. “I never thought of that idea in the first place. But since lord Garmadon forced us– I mean ask us a favor to adopt the dragon egg… I think I wouldn't mind at all. That is as long as we both take care of this guy together and love him” Shade stood there, wagging his tail and smiled at him fondly as he walked to his husband and pampered him with a lot of kisses. “I love you soo much”
“I love you too…”
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It's been a week since Neuro kept warming the dragon egg in his arm, he didn't want to let go of it. He feared if he let go, the egg would not have enough warmth or even hatching any moment. And well, this made Shade a little bit concerned for his husband and the egg… and also he might be a little jealous of not having cuddle time anymore since Neuro was occupied with warming the egg and him busy with his potion and witches stuff.
Not to mention that Neuro always brings the egg everywhere he goes with him, he didn't want to let go of it. “darling… Can you just let me take care of the egg? You've been holding it over for a week now” Shade tried to convince Neuro but his husband didn't want to as he said that the egg still needed warmth. “You kinda forgot I'm a werewolf right? Automatically I have a high warmth from my body, let me take care of it too… he's my son too— I mean our son!” This made Neuro giggle as he kissed his cheek and gave him the dragon egg, “ofcourse, he's your son too afterall. Sorry for hogging him for a full week, and yes you can also cuddle with me today and tomorrow” he said as it made Shade's tail wagging happily.
While he cuddle with Neuro at nighttime, as he also also making sure Lloyd got enough heat from his temperature, he could feel a hand running through his ears and hair, Neuro petting him as the witch smiled at his husband. Oh, dear fsm, Shade was so lucky to have an adorable husband and loving person. He feels like a lucky man right now. As Neuro cuddled to him, he could feel the egg was shaking and squirming around as Shade let go of it. “Uhm… is it supposed to be like this?” He ask as Neuro immediately took the dragon egg and placed it on a warm blanket near them, and watched as it kept squirming and began to crack, some of the crack then began to fall off as they saw a small hand from the egg, and later they saw a tail and wings and later it fully crack as a baby dragon/human emerge from it.
The baby has green scales, sharp claws, small wings and tail as he also has this human look with blonde hair and green eyes. The baby dragon looked around as he didn't know where he was with the new environment as he then suddenly cried. Neuro then quickly cradles him as he tries to calm him down, the baby crying then slowly decreasing as he then calms down immediately after. “There we go… hello little one, welcome to the world” Neuro said gently as the baby dragon looked at him and giggled as his little hand reached for the Witch's hand, it made Neuro smile and let the baby dragon hold his hand. Shade who's look from afar cannot help but to blush over how adorable the scenery in front of him, his husband and new baby, “thank you, lord Garmadon. I have never been this grateful for the sight of the two in front of me!!” He shouts as he gets shushed by Neuro as he chuckles sheepily.
“Sorry~”
“Hmm… So what's his name?”
Shade looks at the baby dragon, “his name is Lloyd. Lord Garmadon named him that, so why not? Besides, he does look like a Lloyd to me~ isn't that right little dragon?” He asks as he tickles Lloyd tummy and makes him laugh, as Shade tail wagging in delight seeing the small dragon laughing and warming up to him and Neuro easily. The baby dragon took Shade and Neuro as his parents easily, “I guess… and you sure we can take care of him?” Neuro asks with nervousness in his tones as he could feel a warm and fuzzy feeling in his lips, “of course we can, I'm sure we will become great parents!” Shade assured him and later kissed him again and played with Lloyd.
“Alright… I trust you”
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Taking care of a child is hard. That also implied taking care of a baby dragon like Lloyd, but Shade and Neuro can manage it as they took care of him with love and care. It's been 10 months since Lloyd then grew into toddler, the little dragon can already crawl and likes to fly around with his little wings, occasionally scaring Shade because of his flight that sometimes takes too high.
“Neuro?! Have you seen our son?! He's not in his crib!!”
The werewolf shouted as he woken up the witch who saw the baby dragon in question, flying above him as baby Lloyd flew to the kitchen to sneakily get some cookies. He chuckled lowly as his husband was panicking, Neuro then lightly casting a spell as Lloyd was now slowly getting dragged to his arm, as the witch hugged the small baby dragon. “Augh??”
“You got to stop scaring me and your father like that, Lloyd… we got to teach you using your wings and your flame magic soon enough” he said to Lloyd as the baby dragon just giggled as Neuro handed him a small cookie for him, meanwhile shade was panicking as he searching his son. “Oh god, where is he?!— Lloyd!! Where did you??—”
“Relax Shade… The little baby flew around the kitchen trying to get some snack, sneakily. Just like his father did…” he giggled, and a giggle also could be heard from the dragon. The two saw how relieved Shade was, and soon came to kiss on Lloyd cheeks, and get a small pet from Neuro. “He really looks like you when you tried to sneak around to find some snack” Neuro refers to the two as Lloyd just giggling, “I did not. Normally…”
“So you admit it?”
“Maybe~ and what about it?~”
The witch just chuckles as he steps closer and the werewolf also leans closer, almost close to kissing but they are interrupted by Lloyd pulling on Shade's shirt, showing that he wants to be carried by him. The werewolf laugh and hoisted him from the papa, and he played around with the baby dragon making the smaller one flapping his wings happily. “Ha ha!! Up!!” He babbles as the two played around, letting Neuro watch them with a fond smile on his face.
“Papa!! Da.. da!!” Lloyd called as he was now flapping his wings and began to fly around, making Shade let go of his grips. Both the witch and werewolf were surprised by the little dragon's first words, “honey, did you hear what Lloyd said!” Neuro was excited as he saw Lloyd were now flying and giggling as he called to Neuro. “Papa!!” He said and Neuro was happy as he immediately went to hug Lloyd, the kid then snuggled to his papa “my wonderful and amazing son… our son…”
“That's our son! Good boy!!” Shade was shouting in excitement as he also went to hug his husband and his son. “Da-da!! Da!” At this rate Shade was about to cry from hearing the cuteness that was in front of him, but that tears stopped as Lloyd then soon blew some fire and accidentally hit his face, making him get a little bit of smoke. Later he heard Neuro laughing and Lloyd also giggling from it. Oh dear god thank you for this happening in Shade life's. “I'm so happy to have you both in my life…” he said his thanks to the two as well he follow their laughter too.