#(AND LOOK AT ME TYING ALL MY OTHER CHRS TOGETHER

[universestreasures]

blasterdiablo​/crimsonkaiser:

A curt chuckle escapes him as everything his eyes had shown him had finally begun to fall into place. As always; Psyqualia has never failed him, never lied to him, and never abandoned him as others often would. Reality had begun to overtake the vision, leaving behind the cerulean eyed curiosity before Ren. Interesting… oh, so very interesting. The director had many questions for that girl who had given name to his power now. Up until this point he had believed him to be alone in his blessing. Did she omit such a detail on purpose, he wonders… Not that it mattered, really. His eyes had bestowed upon him the truth all on their own. But this would prove to make for a nice conversation starter upon his return to the theater.

❝ Our eyes, it would seem. ❞

Ren corrects, as he continues to lead Aichi away lest whatever group was hiding Kai from him happened to be nearby. Once a decent ways away from the crowds, the director uses a single finger pressed square against the other’s chest to push his listless body against the side of whatever building they where now behind. Thankfully this one wasn’t a squirmer, he really rather not deal with someone troublesome while Tetsu and Asaka weren’t around to overpower his targets for him.

❝ I’ve felt you before too. So it’s you…. You’re the one who’s been blocking my visions with that obnoxious light of yours. ❞

It had been years since he had seen Kai in his visions. So he can’t truly blame the recent development of this young man invading his sights on why he hasn’t been able to envision the dragon’s inevitable return to his side. But that doesn’t stop him from leading himself to believe that it was this fellow Psyqualia wielder who was now preventing him from picturing that outcome. If they both had the power to influence reality then it was entirely possible it was this user who had been keeping Ren from his desired outcome all along. 

❝ While I am curious if Psyqualia shows you the same images it shows me… I’m afraid we have more important matters to discuss, you and I. ❞ His voice grows softer as he leans in close once more, looking deep into the younger man’s glistening eyes as if the Psyqualia of the other would share the knowledge he ever so desires with him. Ren then drags his finger up the front of the other’s shirt, stopping only to twist his hand into the fabric closest to his throat. ❝ Kai… The dragon masquerading as a human. I know you know who I’m talking about, seeing how you reek of the aftermath of his fire-shows. You will bring him to me, or– ❞

He doesn’t get the chance to finish his threat, but he doesn’t need to. Not as the very being he sought saved him the trouble of seeking him out entirely. The director is shaking out his hand, his fingers aching wonderfully due to how the dragon had torn his human companion out from under Ren’s grip in one fell swoop.

❝ Kai… I’ve been looking for you. It’s been a long, long time. ❞

The sneer he wears is worn without a care. He’s not the one who risked his and his comrades wellbeing if he made a scene, after all. Ren had begun to tap the tip of his boot against the packed dirt of the alleyway, sure to show his growing impatience. He had all the advantage here, numbers had meant nothing to him despite the dragon’s allies. All it took was for Kai’s disguise to break if he decided to lash out and the hunt would begin. There was a grand reward for any dragon captured and relinquished to the Circus, one that would surely have enticed many of the capable people gathered here in this village today.

❝ Say… I tire of this game of cat and mouse. It’s unbecoming of someone of your talent to run from the spotlight forever. That said; are you ready to come back to me? To the only place you could possibly belong? I speak on the behalf of the entire Pale Moon Circus when I say you’ve been dearly missed. ❞

Every instinct he had developed in order to survive had been screaming inside of him, urging him to get out of there. But he ignored them all– Running wasn’t an option now, not when his mates where nowhere to be found. Kai had shoved past crowds of people, following trails as best he could considering the masses of people occupying the marketplace. His heart was pounding inside his chest, threatening to burst as he got closer. And just as he feared, he had found him. Found them–

Ren had Aichi cornered. And Kai can feel the mirrored pendant resting against his chest begin to heat up against his skin in response to the flareup of power he had ushered forth; but thankfully Misaki’s magic held up for the most part. The only sign he had begun to break the spell being the dragonic hand he now wore, armored in scales and armed with claws, which he uses to break Aichi free from Ren’s grasp before jumping back to keep them both out of arms reach of the Pale Moon Circus’ director. Ren now stood between them and the exit to the alley, but all that mattered was that Kai had separated the two from further contact.

❝ Aichi..! Aichi, pull yourself together. I need you right now. ❞

He turns to face the full weight of those deep reddened hues. The flame dragon’s features begin to show through the disguise even further– scales surfacing the skin, visible under the seams of his clothes. The most telling feature now being Kai’s tail, which had completely reappeared to wrap protectively around the lost looking Aichi. It was fine– Misaki could restore his form, he just needed to prevent it from breaking entirely.

❝ What did you do to him, Ren? ❞

Kai spits the accusation out, followed by sparks flying from between his teeth. A boiling rage bubbled up from his core, and it takes everything to swallow it back down. He was immediately on the defensive considering the current situation. But he needed to calm down– Ren wasn’t going to do anything. Not like this. Kai was all too aware of his habits of sneaking away, he had no backup to come and collect him. Not yet at least. They needed to get out of here before Tetsu and Asaka came looking for him though. It’d be bad for everyone involved if they had gotten caught now. Especially considering that to Ren all of them were expendable save for Kai himself– He couldn’t let that happen. He’d never forgive himself if all his mate’s efforts ended with their lives to spare his own.

Especially now that Ren has seen Aichi’s face himself…  Aichi had forgone his own safety the moment he allied himself with the flame dragon. But now there was no going back for him. Kai’s face reflects the frustration he was undergoing as the situation only worsened. He had to do something about this.

❝ Somehow I seriously doubt that. Not that it matters. The last place I’m going is back there– back with you. ❞

He’s resolute in his declaration. Kai would honestly rather perish than return to Ren’s side; but that was no longer an option. The dragon had sworn to Aichi and the others he’d survive, if he didn’t then all their efforts thus far would be for naught. He’d survive. They all would. He’d make sure of that. Emerald hues, laced with hints of gold risk breaking eye contact with Ren in order to check on the battle mage whom he continued to keep in his protective hold. First thing first, he needed to snap Aichi out of it. He was currently locked in a standoff with the director– unless they did something their fates would depend on who happened across them first. Tetsu and Asaka, or Misaki and Kamui… There was no telling the outcome for one untouched by Psqualia’s gift.

❝ Aichi… Get out of here. ❞ Kai intends on having Aichi go and collect the others, to move on ahead without him. He’d have to lose the Circus first before reconvening with them in order to safeguard their location. But he wasn’t about to disclose anything he didn’t have to in front of Ren. All it took was one tiny detail for the director to figure them out, and Kai wasn’t about to risk his mates’ lives now that the threat was serious. He just hoped Aichi wouldn’t be stubborn about this, as he was in the forest when he tried to break away once before. But he had a feeling he’d be fighting both Ren and Aichi on this matter. ❝ He won’t follow you, not while I’m here. I’ll find you again, I swear it, just… Just go–! ❞

-

They were by no means far from the noise that funneled in the alley from the streets. But nothing could mask the clicks of Ren’s tongue as he witnessed such futile efforts to escape. This Aichi character was important, no? The circus director wore a complex expression, which was quickly buried away under one of complete disillusion. No… They were both going to stay right where they were; Ren was going to make sure of that. An ominous energy seemed to radiate off him in waves, one only another user of Psyqualia such as Aichi would be able to sense or see. Kai would be none the wiser…

Ren was going to show Aichi something nice. He can’t seem to help but wonder if these people would be so inclined to keep Kai from him if they were to know of his true potential… Perhaps this one would begin to understand why Kai belonged with him if he was to show him. So utilizing the power of Psyqualia he projected onto Aichi a powerful image– One of rolling flames and ear-splitting screams. The very one that Kai had seared into Ren’s mind that night, all those years ago during his escape. A nice little memory of a truly fearsome dragon to occupy the feeble mind of someone as weak as the young man who Kai held ever so dearly in his arms.  -

The battle mage doesn’t fight the other’s manipulations, his body moving on it’s own without his conscious input. Aichi’s mind was somewhere else, blinded by the visions in his eyes. He didn’t see anything concrete, more so just an abyss of darkness that was accompanied by a red glow. It felt...ominous, his body getting goosebumps before he was finally put up against the wall of a building away from the eyes of the market and its shoppers.

“Psy...Psyqualia...?” Aichi mumbles, able to still hear the other through the vision. What was that? Was that...what this strange magic was? The visions he was having...The way he felt so in sync with Kai during their last battle against the Pale Moon Circus...The way he would sometimes blank out and locate other dragons...And...how he knew Kai was there upon his return a few years back...

Was that...this Psyqualia the other speaks of? 

Before he can process that, the red glow of the vision begins to intensity, syncing up the other’s twisting of his shirt near the throat. The young adult winces in pain, trying so desperately to grasp for air. Not only that, his fears of what this man might be apart of were coming true considering the threat the other said. This person had to be from the Pale Moon Circus. He just had to be! But...

But why did he say Kai’s name, specifically? After all, as far as Aichi knew, the reason they were hunting Kai down was because he was a dragon, just like all how they hunted down all dragons they could get their hands on. However, this guy specifically was wanting for Kai, the dragon who hid among humans, to be brought to him. 

Did...Did that mean that he-

His thoughts cease as the vision begins to shift, the red aura being dispelled by the sight of raging crimson flames. He can feel his body being moved, but like this, he isn’t able to move it. He’s at the mercy of whoever had taken hold of him Thankfully for the human, the person who had him, the person who had saved him from the red-haired stranger, was the very person who he trusted more than anyone else on this planet. 

❝ Aichi..! Aichi, pull yourself together. I need you right now. ❞

The voice calls out to him, increasing the flames from within the vision. They overwhelm his eyes, dispelling the darkness he had been seeing and returning him back to reality. He can feel his body again, and with that can feel the scaled arm and tail of the flame dragon. Even with his vision blurred and being slow to adjust, he can tell who he is with simply by the feel and the warmth of the other’s body. He’d know that feeling anywhere. 

“K...Kai...?” Cerulean hues return to normal as Aichi blinks them a few times, the sight of the red-haired male coming into full view before him. That ominous feeling he saw in his vision didn’t go away, the tension in the air being so thick one could cut it with a knife. Being in the dragon’s protective hold, though, all he can do for the moment was bear witness to the conversation between his friend and this ‘Ren’ who Kai had addressed by name.  

❝ Somehow I seriously doubt that. Not that it matters. The last place I’m going is back there– back with you. ❞

Did they...Did they know each other? Was that why Ren wanted Kai to ‘come back’, and why Kai said he wouldn’t ‘go back there’? It seemed like the past the flame dragon never liked to speak about was slowly unraveling itself, making Aichi more curious and concerned about the situation. If there was an actual connection between Kai and the circus, that would explain why they continued to send party after party of assassins to get them. He wasn’t just any old dragon to them. He had been apart of them before, in some capacity. That’s what he can gather at least from the vague details of the conversation.

Once again though, he is given no time to process such deep information. Kai was telling him to run, just like he had that day in the forest when he got injured. The situation here was dire. Aichi was aware of that much. However, he promised himself he wouldn’t run anymore. He was done letting Kai do everything on his own, and he is certain the other two members of their little four leaf clover would agree. 

“No! I’m not leaving without you! I’m...I’m going to protect you, Kai! I won’t let them take you!” Breaking free of the other’s grip, Aichi pulls out his sword from his back and points it at the other. Now was his chance to do what he promised: to keep Kai safe from those who wished to take him. 

At least...that was what Aichi wanted to do, for fate had other plans for one of the three people in this world blessed with the light and visions of Psyqualia...

“Ahhhhhhhhh!!!” Aichi’s eyes once again flare with light, causing him to immediately stumble back into Kai and drop his sword to the ground. This vision was unlike the previous. He could feel his spirit separate from his body, the feeling of Kai’s warmth getting further and further away as he is engulfed by the sight the other had forced upon him. And what a sight it was...

--------------

“Everyone, get that traitor! Don’t let him or any of the other beasts escape!” 

A strong female voice reaches the male’s ears, Aichi finally having seemed to been fully transported into Psyqualia’s image. He was inside a circus tent, one that was engulfed in a sea of flames and was threatening to collapse at any moment. His body was translucent, a sign he was merely an observer to what was to be shown to him by Ren’s own Psyqualia. 

Though, that didn’t make what was going on any less real. Oh, far from it. He could practically feel the intensity of the heat, even if he had no physical body at the moment. His heart was racing too as he watches the chaos unfold, the sight and sounds of people screaming and panicking filling his senses and causing his own anxiety to spike. It was like...a living hell.

His head turns frantically, trying to focus on one thing in the vast amount of actions going on around him. One thing he does notice though, out of the corner of his eyes, is the sight of what looked to be an adult dragon and four smaller dragons fleeing the scene. He can also hear the angry roar of what appeared to be another dragon on the opposite side of the tent, one the other dragons had seemingly left behind.

The pure rage...The feeling of betrayal...All of that Aichi can sense deep in his heart. It’s as if he can understand and connect with that dragon’s feelings, even if it was only one he can see through his Psyqualia. It reminded him of how he could get a feeling for Kai’s true intentions as well without the need for words, much to the frustration of Kamui who rather the flame dragon be direct. 

The fact it was happening here too, when he is among the sights of a vision from that mysterious ability he has, cannot be a coincidence. There had to be a connection to Psyqualia. There just had to be! It’s the only thing that made sense! Though, without more information, it’s only a gut feeling, but it’s one Aichi Sendou feels very strongly in this moment as he’s surrounded by fire and devastation that was being caused by who knows what.

Well, the source of it was about to reveal itself to him. For the center of the stage, now broken and burnt, stood a huge red dragon with it’s wings stretched and flames spilling from it’s mouth. The desperation, the anger, and so much more hit Aichi like a truck, the pure emotion overwhelming the image all together. It’s after he moves around the stage, to get a better look, that he finally realizes just what dragon was causing all of this devastation...

“K-Kai!? Is...Is that...really you?!” Suddenly, the sight of Kai is cut off as the top of the tent begins to fall, the supports all but crashing before him. His hair blows back from the impact, his eyes shutting temporarily. When he opens them, however, his companion is gone, leaving nothing left for Aichi left but the aftermath of his destruction and the sounds of others calling the dragon’s name.

He simply stands there, watching the ember flames flicker and dance across the ground. Aichi knew that Kai was powerful. He’s seen him enough times in battle to know that much, but...he’s never seen him so...so...

The word to finish his thought will have to wait as the cries of another distract him again. His head jerks towards the left, the same direction the caged dragon he saw earlier was. Before him, he sees what appears to be a tall mage with pink hair, using her magic to free the imprisoned creature from his shackles. She specifically targets silver-thorned shackles and collars, ones that had been fastened around the neck and legs that the battle mage suddenly recalls seeing on some of the other beasts he’s battled in the past. That must be how they controlled what they captured. There was no other explanation.

“My dearest darling... I’m so, so, so sorry I didn’t arrive sooner. Please, please forgive me, my lo-”

Apologetic words are soon replaced with screams as the flames in the room manage to make contact with the left half of the woman’s face, searing and scaring it with their intense heat in the process. Aichi tries to run towards her, out of concern for the person in the vision, only to be stopped as more flames get in his way. Though them, he can see the female having passed out in the arms of the dragon. And just like a flame...he too vanished from the vision.

It seemed like all that was left in this burning circus tent was Aichi, left to absorb all that he has seen and learned. The flames continued to rise and rise through the building, threatening to swallow the battle mage whole. However, towards the top of the fire, he can see something, a white figure clad in rainbow lights watching everything from above. His golden hues were lit with lights, the same light that Aichi had in his own eyes...

“Who...Who is...that? And why...why does he have-” The image of the stranger, just like the image of everyone else, then bursts into flames, leaving Aichi alone once again in a sea of fire. Unable to move, unable to escape, all he can do is close his eyes and pray he will be brought out of his vision again, just like Kai had done for him before.

Unfortunately, that isn’t how this was to be. For the battle mage would be forced to be consumed by flames, Kai’s flames, of anger and desperation. His cries could be heard back in reality, a sign that his mind is slowly returning to his body from whence it came. It seems like the vision was over, for now.

However, that did not mean damage had not been done. Aichi had learned much, seen much, felt much, in such a short span of time he couldn’t possibly endure anymore. His spirit and body were beyond exhausted. So, just like before when he exerted all of his power to defend Kai when they battled side by side in the forest, he passes out straight into the other’s arms, leaving the flame dragon once again alone to protect himself and the human.

He broke his vow to his companion, unable to do anything to truly save him when he needed him most. He should have stayed with Misaki and Kamui. He shouldn’t have gone off on his own, for Kai was now going to pay for that choice...a choice that Aichi should be the one suffering the consequences from. 

What a burden he was, truly....

~