Ichi thought that things would get smoother as time went on. A thousand years ago, his first and only brother was born. A brother that has since been given the name of Ni. It was a terrible day, driven by violent instinct and bloodlust to dominate each other, and Ichi had thought their conflict would be over when Ni finally yielded to him.

He was wrong.

It was as if that angry burning instinct to fight for dominance never left his younger brother. The resentment he held towards the eldest brother was very obvious, constantly defiant to his orders and always challenging him on an almost daily basis to another fight for the alpha position. So far, Ichi has been able to come off victorious each time, but it wasn't a pleasant victory. Each battle was just as horrific as their first, and it was hard to enjoy a win when he knew Ni would stubbornly challenge him again some time next week. It was taking a heavy toll on the alpha head and at times, he wondered what would happen if he were to make a mistake during these fights.

Ni was a keen and observant fighter, he found, and would take any advantage available to him. He would only need for Ichi to slip up just once and he would pounce on it. Sometimes, Ichi was so tired of it that he would just ignore Ni's challenge to him. But his younger brother would take this as an insult and attack him anyway. There was no getting away from this. Why can't this stubborn... brat accept his place? Did he really want control that badly that he was going to fight him on this for their eternal lives? Was it not enough that he could have the body whenever Ichi fell asleep in their travels between planets? Hell, whenever Ichi woke up from these slumbers, it took effort just to wretch his own body back from his greedy brother.

Was it not enough that Ni, like Ichi, can indulge in dominance over the lesser life forms they would come across in their conquests?

Apparently not, because whenever they landed upon a life-bearing planet and Ichi tried to force dominance over the alpha species by challenging their leader, Ni would ruin it! More often than not, these alphas were substantially weaker than themselves and could easily be killed in an instant. But Ichi liked forcing their submission out of them before he killed them, really make a show of it so everyone would know who the superior one was. HE was their king. But Ni would view this activity as a waste of time; he saw no value in claiming dominance over weak insects and thought their time can be better spent destroying the planet and moving on to another that had actual worthy opponents to engage. Without any approval from his alpha, Ni would Gravity Beam the alien leader to oblivion before turning on the rest of the populace. Pissed that his game has been cut short, Ichi would reprimand him with a power-groom but this only led to them getting into another dominance fight.

Those dominance fights were especially dangerous, when they were on an inhabited planet. So far, their victims have been too weak to take advantage of their in-fighting, but Ichi can't help but wonder how long it'll be before that changed.

Shaking his head of the troubling thoughts that was a constant plague to his mind, Ichi focused on their current goal of reaching the next star system. Instinct told them that they really needed an energy boost before their next big growth-spurt. And for their next unavoidable conflict.

-

Two suns graced the landscape of a burning city, amidst of which was the large two-headed dragon.

The heads were in the middle of a very heated argument with each other, a common sight to behold. Their sharp words and venomous insults had yet to come to blows, but it was no doubt beginning to escalate in that direction when it was brought to an unexpected halt by an unexpected source. Before they had arrived on this planet, they had just finished the growth-spurt their instinct had prepared them for with the help of the twin suns. It was an exciting one, as it had brought them close to their full mature size. They thought it was all over and that they were free to test their new strength on the nearest populated planet, but now a sudden pain gripped hold of their body. A pain so intense that it had both Ni and Ichi cry out at the same time, their feud completely forgotten as they stumbled back through the wreckage. While Ni was confused at this and was glaring around for some unknown enemy, Gravity Beam at the ready to fire, Ichi realized he recognized this. This was not the work of an attacking enemy. He felt it before, a thousand years ago when Ni was born. This time, though, the pain was coming from his left side and he looked over.

There it was, confirming his thoughts. The growth that signified the coming of a new brother.

Ichi didn't want another one, Ni was horrible enough, and the thought to try to rip it off came to his mind. But he was aware of his own abilities, and he knew the move would be a useless one. This was happening, and despite his alpha status, he had no say in it whatsoever.

So they endured, Ni soon understanding through Ichi's reassurance that this was normal and just ride it out. The right head did not like this; although he took the pain in better stride than his alpha, he was not eager at first at the idea of having another sibling. But as the pain fades as the process completed itself and his mind began to clear, he realized something. It was clear to him that the alpha position wasn't going to be his in the near future, but maybe he didn't have to suffer the indignity of being the bottom of the pecking order anymore? As he watched the new head inch towards incoming Awareness, he didn't see this thing as a brother. He saw it as a golden opportunity.

Ichi watched patiently as his new brother's limp neck began to twitch, muscles testing themselves. This head too looked like him, as Ni had, but with smaller, straighter horns. And just as had been the case with Ni's birth, the alpha head began to feel the angry instinct rise within him. Ni too felt it, already snarling at the head but knowing to hold back. His Alpha had to make the move first, and even if that wasn't the case, Ni didn't want to attack his new brother while he was unconscious. He preferred to earn his place fair and square. So, like Ichi, he was forced to wait patiently. The new head only now took its first breath, testing its lung, and it slowly opened its eyes. New Head didn't seem to feel the angry instinct as strongly as his siblings, or at least didn't acknowledge it, looking around to catching his bearings instead. When Ichi began growling alongside Ni, the New Head finally turned towards them. His eyes weren't feral, like Ni's had been, and if anything, carried a kind of curiosity towards them.

Assert dominance, was the primary instinct ruling Ichi at this moment. He didn't want confrontation with his new brother so soon after ending one with Ni, but it was an impulse he could not ignore, regardless of the lack of aggression from this New Head.

Ichi began pushing against this new left head, snarling at him. He was prepared for resistance as had been the case before, but to his surprise, the New Head lowered himself, averting his eyes. The middle head almost blinked, but he continued asserting himself regardless, taking his snout in his jaws and pushing the New Head to the ground. His new sibling lets out a soft whine but gave no resistance as he pinned him with their wings and began power-grooming. New Head didn't even wriggle and held still. The message was clear: New Head instinctively recognized him as the alpha and didn't want to challenge him. He was submitting fully.

The eldest brother ceased the grooming, staring at his new youngest sibling, still pinning him. It felt odd that he was giving up so easily, but at the same time, such a relief. Finally, a brother that acknowledged his superiority without him having to beat it into their skull repeatedly. Why couldn't Ni had been like this when he was first born? Would've saved both of them so much pain and rage the past millennia.

He let out a soft snort before removing his wings from his sibling and giving a light nibble on the top of his head between the horns, acknowledging his submission and starting their new bond with a gentle groom. Unlike Ni, this New Head gave no objection to this gesture and let out a soft purr. It was a short moment to indulge, however, as Ichi pulled away. Further business had to be settled. This New Head still had to secure his place in their hierarchy and as this newcomer lifted himself from the ground, his eyes met with Ni's.

Whatever passiveness he held towards Ichi seemed to have gone, for New Head reacted to Ni's snarls with his own growl. It didn't sound or look as intense as his older brother's, but it was a challenge nonetheless. Ni shoved against him firmly, already attempting to power-groom only for New Head to nip at him in protest. It was a soft nip but firm enough to show that New Head wasn't keen on being the bottom of the pecking order either.

Very well, then. Ni was always up for a fight.

He gave no warning as he lunged at this New Head, eager for blood. The New Head pulled back to avoid his jaws from grabbing his snout, making a lunge of his own with the aim of grabbing Ni by the back of his neck. Ni saw this move coming, dodged by arching downward, and clamping his jaws into the underside of New Head's neck, right by the throat. He bit hard with no inhibition, earning a high-pitched squeal from his opponent. That scream only encouraged him to bite down harder, tasting blood. He can feel New Head's pulse against his mouth, felt his opponent's heart racing. Ni's heart was racing as well, living for the thrill of battle even against his own sibling. This was his chance to advance his rank and finally get out of being the lowest! Get out of being miserable with his place in life! He was going to win this or lose his head trying!

Like he had done with Ichi before, he began to shake viciously, tearing the scales. His victim was writhing and trying to pull away, continuing to scream as if that'll help him.

The alpha did nothing to intervene, instead watching silently with a blank face void of compassion as his siblings settled this between themselves. His only movement was that of the body accommodating their battle, shifting a bit among the ruins. He can see the New Head was horrified by the unnecessary blood being drawn, just as he had been a millennia ago, but it didn't cross his mind to do anything about how overly-aggressive Ni was being. If he can endure it, than so too can this New Head.

The brutality doesn't end as Ni slammed the New Head into the ground, snarling loudly as he gave another shake of his jaws. New Head continued to struggle, desperation clear on his face as he's slammed into the ground again. He wasn't even given a second to recover before his head had to endure another impact, this time by his older brother smashing his face into one of the alien's larger metallic structures. The sturdy material barely caved with the impact and blood smeared along the smooth surface, coming from New Head's nose and from the fangs that have broken from his mouth.

He made one more attempt to pull himself free, only for Ni to shift his grip and give another vicious shake. Skin tore off here, dangling limply from his jaws as New Head screamed again. Wide scared eyes met his narrowed glare, as New Head's instinct shifted from 'dominance fight' to 'he is going to kill you'-levels of panic. Irrational, perhaps, but he didn't care! Especially when Ni dropped the ripped off patch of scales and moved closer to him. New Head cowered, his head giving a small wriggle as he shrieked with horns flared. This was a defensive display made from the pure terror of a cornered animal, but Ni didn't back off. It wasn't submission so as far as he's concerned, this fight wasn't over. He struck again, ignoring the teeth sinking into his own scales as his jaws bite into flesh again. He can feel the New Head try to shake like he has done to him, but the move lacked the raw viciousness behind it.

No, there was only desperation.

Ni showed him how it was done and thrashed him around in his jaws, ripping another piece off of him. The resulting scream was cut off as Ni immediately clamped down again on his throat. His eyes catch sight of an alien structure by them, a spire, and there was no hesitation. He slammed New Head down onto it, impaling it through his opponent's neck. At this point, New Head's writhes become sporadic, choking out blood that splattered on his brother's scales. Ni still doesn't release his throat, feeling the heart pump erratically through his grip. After a moment, New Head's writhing died down before going limp and he choked out a pathetic warble, a pleading sound begging for his attacker's mercy. The sound was lost in the gurgling of blood and Ni's snarled as he clamped down tighter. New Head tried again, this time to be as loud as he can but no sound came out and another rush of blood choked him. With no choice, he spoke inwardly through their neurons. Desperately.

Stop. Please. No more.

Ni silenced his snarls and for a moment, all was still. But he doesn't loosen his grip as he growled out his words. "Then yield." A strangled squeak escaped from New Head as he managed a weak nod.

I yield. Please... I yield...

New Head has given up. He won.

Ni let out a huff through his nose, and he shifted his grip a bit to slowly pull his brother from the spire. The horrific damage was already beginning to heal, their body making it the priority over the more minor injuries. New Head wanted to just yank himself free in one go, as the pain was torturous, but his brothers did not allow it. Ichi finally involved himself, ensuring the neck got to heal around the spire before pulling New Head off a bit more. They continued this gradual extraction until they felt confident enough to allow New Head off the impaling structure completely. Ni, still gripping his younger sibling's throat, lowered New Head to the ground before he released his jaws to glare down at him. New Head stayed down, whimpering and crying like a pathetic scared creature. Ni growled at him, before proceeding with a power-groom. His younger brother held still in submission, making true on his forfeit, marking the first time Ni got to display dominance like this without retaliation.

Ni felt a rare smirk grow on his bloodied snout. It felt good, this victory. Sure, he still wasn't an alpha, but now that he had someone beneath him, that didn't seem so bad anymore. His days of misery was finally over.

With the battle now settled, Ichi began cleaning the blood from their scales, lowering their body where it was to rest. New Head laid limp on the ground, waiting for his injuries to fully heal. Even through his pain, and even though he still coughed up the occasional splatter of blood, he was glad. Glad this whole thing was over. Not even born for a full hour yet and already has taken such a massive beating. Winning wasn't worth it. Ichi and Ni may have kept fighting for days if they had to, but for him, those few moments was more than enough.

At least from this experience he learned that this whole 'fighting' thing wasn't for him after all.

-

If you were to meet Ichi just a week ago and asked him about whether he would want another brother or not, he would've answered with an immediate 'no'. Then he would've incinerated you for daring to ask such a question in the first place. But now...

Flying through the cold expanse of space that they called their home, their path taking them towards the distant point of light that marked the next planet, Ichi glanced towards his right side. Ni was keeping to himself, lost in his own thoughts as he tended to do during these long journeys. Ichi was certain that in the past, Ni would be thinking of new ways to dethrone him from his alpha position. Ni was not one to share his thoughts and feelings through their neurons, but his face wasn't exactly subtle, and its angry snarl and seething glare was all Ichi needed to safely make the assumption. That said, what he was thinking about now, Ichi wasn't so sure anymore. His face seemed... content. Almost peaceful even, if that was possible.

Ichi wasn't usually one to push his dominance on his brother unprovoked, as keeping the risk of fights with Ni to a minimum was always ideal. But now, he wished to test his brother's response. He had a feeling that something's changed in their dynamic since their newest sibling was born. So he moved over swiftly, tearing his brother from his thoughts as he began pushing his neck against him. Ni gave an internal growl, but it lacked the snarl that would usually grace his face. No teeth was being bared at him, no feral eyes glaring in his direction. No snapping, no biting. For once, he didn't seem interested in starting conflict with him at all and yielded easily to the show of dominance. A snout-bite or power-groom wasn't even needed for his submission.

It took a moment for Ichi's brain to be convinced he wasn't dreaming.

Deciding to test the waters even further, Ichi began softly nibbling the top of his brother's head. He felt Ni stiffen. This wasn't a power-groom as he no doubt expected, just a normal groom, to bond. Ichi was half-expecting Ni to lunge for him or at the very least, push him off in a show of rejection, but no. Ni was clearly uncomfortable and didn't like this, but he tolerated the gesture for the very first time. Now he had to be dreaming, right? Finally pulling away from the experimental groom, he left his brother in peace as he turned to look at the youngest.

San, as he has been deemed, was looking around with eyes full of wonder. This was his first flight through space and Ichi could feel the childish excitement his new brother was sharing to him. San was such a vast contrast to the rest of them, that Ichi wondered if their body specifically created this brother with the sole intent of ending the rivalry between him and Ni. Was it even possible that their body got so fed up by the amount of damage they were doing to themselves that it gave San life so as to keep the peace? Sure, San didn't want to be the lowest of the pecking order, but it was clearly something he wasn't troubled by either. Unlike Ni, San didn't let his low rank consume him until he had nothing but seething hatred for those higher than himself. Ichi could feel it in San's neurons: he had no intention of ever fighting Ni again and thus had no intention of bringing disorder to their now-stable hierarchy.

That was exactly what this broken family needed, and for the first time in a thousand years, Ichi can finally relax and enjoy himself once more. Things can go back to the way they were before this whole mess started, except this time, he had the size and the extra fire-power he needed to take on even the toughest adversaries this universe had to offer. No longer did he need to retreat from opponents too strong for him to beat, because with Ni and San at his side, such opponents would no longer exist.

So now, if you asked the question of whether he would want more brothers, he would take a moment to consider it, glancing at San as he did, before giving his response. The answer would still be 'no', but for a vastly different reason. There was no need for another brother because now, they finally found stability in their relationship with each other. The thought that he would have to endure an eternity of constant battle with his own blood no longer plagued him. Ni seemed content in his position and their newest brother was all they needed to make this happen. No need to fix what is no longer broken by throwing another head into the mix.

And then, after all that is said and done, all three of them would still incinerate you. Because you were foolish enough to stop and ask Ghidorah a question.