#Zere Majir

[the-evil-authoress]

GX Month Day 10: “Standby Phase”

Free day! Take a break today or introduce yourself. It’s your day today - do it your way. ;)

Hello, Meda here, running this event once again because I love GX more than my own sanity. GX is my sanity what the hell am I on about?

I have fallen so deep into this hole it’s not funny. So have an excerpt from my latest project, Shattered Memories, an FF7 GX AU.

Did he lose them? Did he get away? Jaden twists around to look frantically behind him, scanning the crowd for any sign of K Corp soldiers. He won’t let himself get caught, he won’t go back, he won’t. Because they’re-

-“...monsters.”-

He flinches at the sharp pain in his head, the scenery around him blurring.

“You okay?” A hand on his arm.

Old instincts flare and Jaden swings his fist out as he turns around. The redhead jerks back and his fist passes harmlessly in front of her eyes as a basket of flowers teeters precariously on the young woman's arm. He immediately recoils.

“Well that was rude,” she huffs but doesn’t look particularly bothered at almost being backhanded by a Dragon Warrior no less. She barely spares a glance at his scales. Not the usual reaction.

“Sorry.” Jaden mumbles with a glance over his shoulder. No sign of any K Corp uniforms. “Caught me off guard.”

“They’re not following you.”

“What?” He snaps back to face the woman. Pursing her lips, she steps back in an awkward, jerky motion.

“You looked like you were running from something,” she says at length, as if choosing her words carefully. “But I don’t see anyone following you.”

Okay, this girl is kinda weird; not that Jaden is one to talk. Anyway, if he’s not being followed anymore, he should head back to Kame Game and regroup with the others.

“Before you go,” the woman calls out as he walks past, and Jaden turns to face her once more. She presses one of the pale lilies from her basket into his hand with a wink. “Take this. Give it to someone special.”

His fingers tense around the stem as his chest tries to tear itself in two. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. “I don’t have a use for this.” He tries to hand it back, but the woman steps away again.

“It’s a symbol of reunion,” she says, blue eyes so intense Jaden has to look away, and when he looks back, she’s already disappeared back into the crowd.

‘Someone special’? I don’t have that. Not anymore. He lifts the flower to stare at its mockingly pale petals. If they catch the light just right, they almost look like the same color.

“Reunion, huh?” What the hell is that supposed to mean?

[the-evil-authoress]

*crashes in very late to the party* Here I am!!

Infinite Month kinda? Not gonna write anything real shippy so up to reader opinion I guess. Skipping day 1 and gonna post these in chunks since I am ridiculously late.

@itsashowtime I hope it’s okay that I’m using my own headcanons! =3

Day 2: Firsts

Yubel watches. Yubel always watches. They watch the way Hersha's face lights up as he spars with this new recruit. They watch as the young man reprimands Hersha for a careless mistake, speaking with little regard for the prince's title. They watch as the man stumbles over his words in a hasty attempt to correct himself. They watch as Hersha laughs and assures that he doesn't care. They watch as the man huffs and glares at the prince from the corner of his eye.

"Fine. Pick up your sword. We're done with warm ups. Let's get serious," Tre states, shifting back into stance.

Brown eyes glitter as Hersha retrieves his sword. "You mean you weren't serious before? Careful, newbie, you're not the one with an automatic shield."

"Overconfidence is a danger." Green eyes sharpen.

Yubel smiles.

Tre is the first to look at Hersha and see a person rather than a prince. Perhaps he will also be the first to break through the wall that Hersha has carefully constructed. Yubel watches Hersha, cheeks reddened with exertion, eyes glimmering with life.

That wall has already begun to crack.

Day 3: Touch/Blush

The first time Hersha drapes himself across Tre, Tre isn’t entirely sure how to react. The Prince had shown up to their usual sparring session in something of a fowl mood, and they’d quickly descended from actual combat to arguing the merits of defensive maneuvers when Hersha possesses the nearly automatic ability to block any attack with his magical shadows. Hersha had then gone into a rant about his tutors at the end of which he flopped across Tre’s shoulders with a loud groan.

“You’re surprisingly comfy,” Hersha mutters before falling silent.

Tre has younger siblings; he’s no stranger to being used as a human mattress. But Hersha is the prince and Tre is a recruit from the backwater countryside of the kingdom, no matter how often his brain likes to conveniently forget these facts. They’ve only known each other a month or two, and this is a level of familiarity Tre has only experienced between family members. So Tre sits there, silent and unmoving, waiting for Hersha to do or say something more, until he finally realizes the boy has fallen asleep.

Well

What now?

“Well, well, well... look at this,” a voice slides from above as Yubel descends next to them. Tre stiffens. He hasn’t interacted with the creature much; it - she? Tre’s eyes roam the confusing shape of Yubel’s body but the voice is fairly feminine and like hell he’s going ask something like ‘what are you?’ so sure let’s go with that - tends to watch from afar most days. “To think you’ve gained such trust from the prince in such a sort time. What will you do with it?”

“What?” Tre asks, shifting.

“Very few can claim to have earned Hersha’s trust to such a degree that he’s willing to sleep on them,” Yubel elaborates, leaning over the pair, eyes gleaming.

Tre shifts again but there’s not really much he can do with Hersha’s weight pinning him down unless he wants to unceremoniously dump the teen off himself. “It’s not like I want to take advantage of him or anything, I just enjoy his company.”

“Is that so?” Yubel leans back, arms crossed, and the way those dual colored eyes seem to stare into his soul is unnerving. The hair on back of his neck and arms prickle. Tre feels a bit like a prey animal.

“Yes?”

The corner of Yubel’s lips twitch, then the creature descends into giggles, landing in the grass as she folds into herself. Tre stares dumbfounded. He’s missed the joke.

Hersha stirs sluggishly. “Yubel?”

“Getting quite close with your new friend,” the creature stops giggling long enough to answer, and this time Tre can’t miss the teasing slant of her smile. No longer looming over him from above, he can see the gleam in her eyes for what it is, mischievous rather than menacing.

Hersha makes a vaguely confused sound, shifting to look up at Tre. He blinks a couple times, then pokes Tre’s cheek. “You’re blushing.”

Yubel is still giggling.

“You two are the worst!” Tre snaps, rising quickly to his feet which sends Hersha tumbling with a yelp.

“Wait, Tre! What’d I do?”

“Don’t worry, he’ll be back,” he hears Yubel say smugly behind him, and curse her she’s right. Tre will definitely be back. This is hardly what he expected from his stay in the capital, but he can’t say that he isn’t enjoying it.

Day 4: Gift

The streets are packed with people, lined up and down with colorful market stalls and lanterns, signs proudly proclaiming delicious delicacies, fine arts, and exclusive merchandise. Hersha had watched festivals like these from the palace walls. He’d been enchanted by them then; he was twice as enthralled to be in the mist of one now.

Perfect way to celebrate, he agrees with a glance to his companions engaged in a debate over festival cakes, Ruby chirping from Tre’s shoulder. He smiles.

Something catches the light from the stall next to him and Hersha’s attention diverts, carefully picking up the chain of a moderately sized pendant. He turns it over in his hands, running his thumb along the small stones.

“Unusual taste for you,” Yubel comments over his shoulder.

“It’s not for me,” Hersha grins and buys it on a whim.

“Tre!” Tre looks up as Hersha jogs over, hand waving excitedly. “I got you something!” he beams and holds out his gift. A clear prism like chunk of crystal hangs at the end of a delicate silver chain, seven tiny stones inlaid in silver against one face of the larger stone, creating a rainbow.

Tre’s eyes widen, holding his hands out to accept the gift. “This is...”

“Perfect, isn’t it?” Hersha beams, thinking of the glittering white dragon waiting for them outside of town and the gemstones adorning her scales.

Zere whistles, appearing from an adjacent stall and leaning over to peer at the piece. “Didn’t think you boys were into jewelry.”

Tre flushes, fingers curling around the pendant.

Hersha laughs. “Please, have you seen the amount of gold I have to wear at formal events? It’s gaudy as hell! But crystals,” he pauses and meets Tre’s eyes with a grin. “Crystals are cool.”

Tre murmurs an affirmative as the slips the chain over his head. He won’t be taking it off anytime soon.

Day 5: Wish/Hope

“You will meet again.”

Hersha looks out over the waves, sparkling blue in the sun. A worn blue travel cloak rests across his shoulders. It fits better than it use to, still a little too broad in the shoulders. He wonders if he always would have been the slighter and shorter of the two of them. Well, no way to know now.

He walks along the coast, far from the reach of the tides. It’s still there, the pile of rocks protruding from the sand. It’s been ages since he managed to come here.

Kneeling, Hersha places his hand upon the rocks. “It’s good to see you, old friend.”

He sits, watches the waves, and he talks. About all the things he’s done and the places he’s been and the people he’s met. It was always this person he was able to speak most freely to.

Gradually the Crystal Beasts join him; Ruby curls atop the stone, Amethyst lies beside it. Topaz flanks him and Hersha’s hand finds its way into his fur. Sapphire stoops to press his snout against the stones. Cobalt takes perch next to Ruby, and Emerald settles on Hersha’s other side. Amber looms above them, trunk pressed to the stone. Yubel slides in between Amethyst and Sapphire, briefly laying a clawed hand against the stone.

Hersha pauses, the first break in his words since he sat down, and glances up as someone else approaches.

Zere’s lips perk into a tiny smile. “I had a feeling you’d be here.”

The Crystal Beasts part to make room for the redheaded woman. “Hello, Tre,” she speaks softly, placing the flowers she holds atop the grave, snowdrops and a blue iris.

Hersha’s eyes linger on the petals.

“You will meet again.”

“It’s been ten years,” he says quietly, watching the waves.

He can feel Zere’s eyes on him. “It doesn’t get easier with time,” she says at length, “we simply learn how to cope with it better.”

“Indeed,” Yubel agrees, wiping tears from his eyes.

Hersha doesn’t respond.

“Would you like to join me in for a while? Or do you have pressing matters to get back to?"

Hersha pauses, holding his breath. It’s not an uncommon request. The mage asks him the same question every time they meet. Hersha has never once said yes. “Sure,” he agrees, meeting her blue eyes. It’s time he stop avoiding this.

Zere smiles. “It’s good to see you again, Hersha.”

Hersha nods and Zere stands, and that calls an end to their remembrance as their quiet circle disperses. The Crystal Beasts wander off in their own directions; Ruby hops atop Hersha’s shoulder as he and Yubel follow Zere away.

Pausing, Hersha looks once more at Tre’s grave.

“You will meet again.”

He just has to keep believing that.