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avirael · 5 months ago

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The Frozen Lake

It was the third day since he had stopped feeling like dying.

About a week ago he had woken up from his far too lifelike fever dream and a few days later the last spikes of the fever itself had been gone too just like the hallucinations it had brought in his sleep.

He still had been sick though and welcomed Rael telling him to stay in bed until he was perfectly healthy again all too eagerly.

While he still sneezed every now and then, it was at least tolerable now, still annoying but he didn’t feel incredibly uncomfortable anymore.

That day, just like the last and also the ones before that, he had awoken late. Against Rael’s order to stay in bed he had found the courage to get up and take a look out of the window. It was a sunny day, which in Coerthas still meant that it was bitterly cold though. But the sun was shining brightly and already high in the sky too which meant it had to be almost midday. He had slept way too long again, way to many hours for a surprisingly dreamless sleep. Or maybe it was exactly the lack of dreams that allowed him to finally rest, after all in the past there rarely had been good ones…

For a moment he considered to go downstairs and ask for a late breakfast if that wasn’t too insolent given the late hour but then a knock sounded from the door.

Quickly he hurried back to bed, just in case it was Rael, but the person who carefully peeked into the room a few seconds later wasn’t a viera.

“Ah, you are awake! That’s good!”, Haurchefant exclaimed happily and brought a small tray with hot soup and also something warm to drink. “It is so late already, you must be horribly hungry. Alphinaud checked in on you earlier but you were still fast asleep and he didn’t have the heart to wake you.”

A little uncertain on how to answer to that, A’viloh just nodded. Haurchefant grinned, put down a mug on the bedside table and handed A‘viloh a comfortingly warm bowl filled with some rather delicious smelling stew.

Instead of fetching the chair from the small desk by the window, Haurchefant sat down at the lower end of the bed balancing the tray with his own lunch on his knees. Rael once told him that ishgardian society had an absurd amount of strict and antiquated rules and so A’viloh couldn’t help but wonder, that although it seemed like a very appropriate distance to him, in Haurchefant’s hometown the fact alone that he dared to sit on someone else’s bed was probably scandalous.

“I hope you don’t mind me having lunch with you.”, the Elezen asked as he noticed A‘viloh staring.

Quickly the Miqo’te lowered his gaze to his bowl of soup. “Not at all.”, he muttered and tried a spoonful of the food just to change the topic. “Mhh, this is very good!”, he mumbled, still chewing, surprised by how good this really was compared to the bland food and bitter teas Rael had usually brought him these last few days. It must have been the Viera’s way of punishing him for running away.

Haurchefant laughed and then for a while they ate in silence.

“You look a lot healthier already.”, the Elezen stated after a while with an amiable smile on his face before taking a sip from his mug.

A‘viloh shrugged a little embarrassed, since it had been his own fault that he hadn’t been well in the first place. “Only because all of you took so good care of me.”

Haurchefant nodded. “You know, you had us all horribly worried right?”

“Sorry about that.”, he said and guitily looked into his mug.

Curiously Haurchefant eyed him for a moment. “Why did you do that anyway? Run out into the storm.”

A bit surprised A’viloh looked up. Had they all thought he had done this on purpose? “There wasn’t a storm when I left! What do I know about weather? I didn’t expect it to start snowing, let alone that much!”

That made the Elezen chuckle again but he still looked at him expecting an answer.

“Still… why did you leave?”

“I assumed Rael told you…”, A’viloh replied not sure what Haurchefant wanted to hear exactly. He nodded. “Rael did. But maybe I want to hear it from you…”

A’viloh sighed. His plan hadn’t been very smart and he felt a little uncomfortable having to explain his reasons to someone else, when in retrospect it didn’t make much sense even to his own ears.

“You know the… circumstances under which we fled Ul’dah… I couldn’t… um… the fact that we didn’t even know what happened to our friends… I wanted to find out, because it doesn’t seem fair to me that we escaped while all of them didn’t…”

“Mhh…”, Haurchefant nodded thoughtfully but let go off the topic for now. Instead he asked, „And how are you feeling today?”

Somehow that question confused A’viloh even more.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s a simple question, isn’t it?”, he said still smiling politely.

Of course it was a simple question. Just the answer felt unreasonable complicated to him. To make things even more difficult people who asked such a question usually wanted to hear “I‘m fine, and you?” or “Very good, thank you.” for an answer and rarely the truth. They certainly didn’t want to hear “A few days ago I was convinced I was going to die and honestly it wasn’t that bad, so now I‘m still not sure wether I am happy to still be alive or not”.

“Alright… I guess.”, he mumbled instead. He had never been a good liar and could only hope that this fact wasn’t too obvious for the Elezen.

“You know what?”, Haurchefant proclaimed after watching him thoughtfully for a second. “Today is a wonderful day. We should go for a walk.”

“A walk?!”, A’viloh exclaimed wide-eyed, as if he had just asked something unreasonable of him.

“Why not?”

A’viloh couldn’t think of a good reason why not, other than that he was supposed to stay in bed, so he shrugged.

“Where’s Rael?”, he asked instead.

Haurchefant smirked. “Do you need Rael’s permission to go outside?”

“Of course not.”, the Miqo’te protested. “But Rael will be mad if I run off again, especially against their orders to stay in bed.”

“Rael and Alphinaud went to the observatory earlier.”, Haurchefant explained. “We’ll be back before they are, I promise.”

What was A’viloh supposed to say against that and also against the expectant look on the Elezen’s face. He took another glimpse towards the window and decided that it looked nice enough to go outside.

“Fine.”

“Good!”, Haurchefant exclaimed happily and collected their empty bowls and mugs. “There should be warm clothes for you in the wardrobe. If you need anything else just ask someone. I’ll wait for you by the northern gate.”

After Haurchefant had left, A’viloh remained sitting in his bed for a moment longer contemplating on the Elezen’s question. Yes, he felt better again. But better in what comparison? Better than a few days ago when he had felt and also been half-dead? Though he didn’t feel sick anymore now, there still was a weigh on his heart. From his plan that had failed so spectacularly and even more so from the dreams he wouldn’t have minded to keep on dreaming forever.

Vehemently he shook his head and decided not to think about that now or he would just crawl back under the blanket of his comfortably warm bed again. Instead he got up and took a look into the wardrobe. Almost none of these were his own clothes of course since all he possessed were the ones he had worn on his body that day they fled Ul’dah. Very unsuitable for this climate. But neither did he see the borrowed clothes he had worn that night when he had tried to run away. Everything in here looked even softer and warmer like someone had wanted to make sure he was feeling comfortable. To his surprise the things didn’t look that much too big for him either, unlike his last set of clothes. Besides a few Hyur most people here at Camp Dragonhead were grown up Elezen but these clothes looked like they belonged to neither. Maybe it were clothes for Elezen children, he wondered and also thought that in that case someone must have brought them here just for him.

Grateful for so much effort he picked a few pieces and got dressed. Lazily he ran his fingers through his hair to get rid of the worst knots but the look into the small mirror at the washbasin, where his tired face stared back at him reproachfully, just made him sigh. Once he was ready he took the warm coat out of the wardrobe too and went out to look for Haurchefant. Just as he had said, the Elezen was standing by the gate that led to the north-east, towards the ruins of the Steel Vigil.

From afar Haurchefant already recognised the Miqo’te, his bright red hair a singularity among all the people living here. Pleasantly smiling as always he waved at him and A’viloh couldn’t help but smile a little too and wave back as he hurriedly walked towards him.

“There you are! I see the clothes fit you nicely.”

A’viloh nodded.

“They do. Thank you very much for these.”

Haurchefant dismissively waved with one hand. “It’s the least I could do…”

But he had done a lot more than that, A’viloh thought. “I think there’s more I need to thank you for. Rael told me it was you who saved my life.”

“Mhhh…”, Haurchefant tilted his head as if he wasn’t sure if this statement was entirely the truth. “Rael is too humble. They played a bit of a role in that too. After all it was Rael who noticed you were gone. And it was also Rael who didn’t leave your bedside and tried their best to heal you.”

A’viloh remembered waking up and finding the usually quite touch-averse viera cuddled up to him with a look on their face so horribly sad like he had never seen on them before. Rael had pretended it was nothing but it had been a very unconvincing performance. Asked about it Alphinaud had only offered a few sentences about how worried Rael had looked and how they had used all kinds of spells he himself had never seen or heard of before, all of it to try and save him. It had made him feel even more guilty for his stupidity.

So maybe Haurchefant was right. But still it had been him who had risked going out into the storm to find him.

“Anyway. I still want to thank you! Honestly.”, he insisted. But how honestly was it really?

Sure, he was glad to still be alive. After all his plan hadn’t been to run out into a blizzard and freeze to death, although some of them seemed to think that was the case. But once he found himself in this situation he had to admit that he had welcomed his fate rather willingly. A fact that shocked even himself a little looking back at it now.

“You’re welcome. After all you wouldn’t be any help to your friends frozen to death out there.”, Haurchefant joked with a wry smile on his lips.

“I guess not...”, A’viloh muttered, the topic of his friends making his mood visibly sink again.

Of course the Elezen noticed and his smile turned into a playful grin. “But I acted a little selfish too, you know? I think Camp Dragonhead is a lot friendlier with your company and I would like to have you and your pretty smile around a little longer.”

For a moment A’viloh’s eyes shot up to look at the others face before he quickly pretended that something somewhere a little bit to his left was a lot more interesting. Sometimes Haurchefant randomly said things, A’viloh hadn’t had the slightest idea how to react to. Not because he was that oblivious but simply because it puzzled him. Nonetheless the air suddenly didn’t feel that cold anymore on his face.

Haurchefant was always very kind to him. Well, he mostly was kind to everybody but sometimes he seemed to admire him especially. Him of all people, although there was nothing special about him. Haurchefant sometimes spoke of him like he was one of the greatest heroes of all time and it felt so ridiculous to him. He was just silly, cowardly A‘viloh! What had he ever achieved in his miserable life to justify such admiration? The people called him a Warrior of Light but wasn’t that some grand overstatement? Some days he thought all of this had been a horrible mistake. A great misunderstanding! Then he wondered how he had ever gotten entangled in this madness in the first place and also if he ever would get out of it again. But what else should he do with his life anyway...

While A’viloh’s brain still screeched in desperate search for a proper response, Haurchefant seemed to realise he had flustered him and glossed it over by gesturing to the gate.

“How about we walk a few yalms? There’s something you need to see!”

Still too dumbstruck to speak or to even wonder what the Elezen was talking about, A’viloh nodded and then proceeded to follow him out into the snowy landscape.

After a few minutes Haurchefant paused and took a deep breath. “Isn’t the air wonderful today?”

A’viloh followed his example, breathed deeply and let his gaze wander over the snow covered landscape with a few pines here and there and the mountains and ruins of the Steel Vigil in the distance. The air was cool and fresh, still cold enough that the warm sun couldn’t melt the snow. Instead the rays of sunshine made the scenery shine and sparkle as if everything was covered not in ice but in millions over millions of tiny diamonds.

“It is.”, he answered and smiled, surprised how beautiful this inhospitable landscape could be, before with a sudden spark of curiosity he finally asked. “Where are we going?”

“It’s not far anymore.”, Haurchefant said with a grin on his face and pointed into another direction. Shortly after and only a bit further ahead they reached a small lake.

As they got closer A‘viloh noticed that it not only was covered in a layer of snow and ice but also that quite a few off-duty soldiers, given the proximity to the camp he assumed they had to be, were standing right on top of the frozen lake. No, they were not quite standing. It looked more like they were dancing or flying maybe. More or less gracefully they moved over the lake‘s surface in fluid swift strides, some just moving in wide circles and other swirling around this way or that. A’viloh had never seen something like this and it looked strange and impossible but at the same time very beautiful to him.

The two of them had almost reached the lake by then, A’viloh a few steps ahead to get a better look at the wondrous people on the ice and he already wanted to ask how they did that, when his attention was drawn elsewhere by a curious squawking sound.

“Oh! Look at them!”, the Miqo’te exclaimed, his fascinated smile still turning a little brighter, as he gestured to a small flock of wild geese resting at the shore of the lake. With ruffled feathers they sat closely huddled together at the edge of the ice and suddenly A‘viloh couldn’t help but worry about them. They looked so unbothered by his presence, sleeping through the day and all the hubbub around them, looking all exhausted and frozen with their puffed up feathers. Like anything could happen to them and they wouldn’t even mind.

Strangely he wondered what he himself had looked like when Haurchefant had found him unconscious in the snow. He must have been a pitiful sight. Had the Elezen thought him beyond saving too, just like he himself had. What if he had found him a little later or not at all? Maybe that would have been better, a voice murmured to him just like it had so many times before and for a moment, tempted by the grief heavy on his heart once again, he almost believed it.

But no, he would be dead then and while he would have liked to imagine that this would mean he could be with his loved ones again, it was not exactly what either of the tribes he had lived with believed.

Vaguely he remembered his father working for hours, digging a grave at what used to be Wellwick Wood. An elderly woman too exhausted by their long journey, his grandmother if he remembered correctly, had died shortly after they had arrived there. With a sad smile on his face his father had explained to his children, who had stared down into the hole in the ground with confusion in their eyes, how by returning her body to the earth there could still grow new life from this death.

Or the drake tribe of the Sagolii Desert, who always burned their dead and left the ashes to be carried away by the desert wind, believing that it would make it easier for the deceased‘s aether to return to the Aetheric Sea and create something new elsewhere.

With a sudden sharp pain in his heart A’viloh realised that neither of the people he loved had gotten the burial they would have wanted for themselves. And neither had A‘viloh himself wanted to die in the coldness of Coerthas and be forever forgotten under a thick layer of snow and ice. He had thought about dying before but never had he been this close to it. For a second he wondered if this was something worth speaking to Rael about, but he wasn’t sure they wouldn’t misunderstand and get mad at him again.

“Why do you make such a sad face now?”, Haurchefant asked having noticed the smile slip from the Miqo’te’s face. But A’viloh just vehemently shook his head and focused on the geese again.

“They must be horribly cold.”, he wondered in a voice that suggested he already planned to take all of them to the safety of his comfortably warm room.

Haurchefant chuckled. “Don’t worry, they survived the storm out here after all. They keep each other warm, that’s why you‘ll rarely see one of them alone. A bit like you and your friends.”

“Maybe…”, A’viloh answered thinking about this comparison for a moment. “I just wish it wouldn’t always be me who needs to be taken care of. But as proven in Ul’dah and now once again I am simply too weak and useless to keep myself alive, not to mention anyone else.”

The Elezen’s face got a little stern as he folded his arms in front of his chest. “Don’t say that, I am sure it’s not true! This was just bad luck! You are neither weak nor useless!”

A’viloh shrugged. “But that’s how I feel right now...”

Slowly Haurchefant nodded before speaking again with a silent but determined voice. “Listen. I‘ll never forget how bravely you fought for Francel although you barely knew him. You could have gotten yourself in trouble with that and you helped him anyway.”

“It’s not like I did that on my own -”, A’viloh tried to protest but was immediately interrupted. “But you still helped! And I’m sure even without Rael you would have done so!”

Another shrug was all Haurchefant got in response, so the Elezen thought for a second before making an offer. “You want to make yourself useful, right? Get stronger? I could teach you how to fight like a real ishgardian knight, with sword and shield. Or we have some dragoons at Camp Dragonhead too! I’m sure there’s a lot you could learn from them.”

A‘viloh‘s face turned to disbelief. “I really don’t think I could fight with armor and weapons this heavy…”

“You can’t say so if you don’t try! And I have you know that dragoon armors are surprisingly light. How do you think they could still be this agile otherwise? Promise me to at least try training with them a little!”

He didn’t really want to agree to that. He knew he would make a fool of himself. But how could he say no with Haurchefant trying everything in his power to cheer him up. Weakly he shook his head and muttered: “Fine…”

“Perfect!”, Haurchefant exclaimed with a bright smile on his face. “I think an early reward for your efforts is appropriate then!”

Confused A’viloh watched him take a small bag off of his shoulders, which he hadn’t even noticed until now. For a moment the Elezen was busy undoing a knot before he opened the bag and presented to A‘viloh a set of two weirdly shaped blades attached to pieces of wood with leather straps. He had no idea what these constructs were meant to do and that was plainly visible on his face. “What’s that?”

“Ice skates of course!”, Haurchefant said as if that would explain it all but the Miqo’te‘s face remained clueless, so Haurchefant gestured to the lake behind them. “You attach them to your boots so you can walk on the ice like this!”

“Oh!”, A’viloh exclaimed as he understood what Haurchefant was planning. “I don’t think-… I mean I‘ve never-… You don’t really want me to step on that lake do you?” The idea somehow scared him.

“Why not?”, Haurchefant asked for the second time today with this smile that made the question sound like a challenge.

“It’s just a bit of ice!”, A‘vi objected. “What if it breaks?”

The Elezen shook his head and proceeded to fasten the metal blades beneath his boots. “Ah, don’t worry. The ice is thick enough, it will take at least a few more days to melt.”

“I don’t know…”, was all A’viloh replied as Haurchefant pressed another pair of skates into his hands. But the Elezen remained determined and took a few wobbly steps through the snow and onto the ice. “See! I can stand on it and it doesn’t break! You are a lot lighter than me, so why wouldn’t you be able to?”

Oh, you don’t know my bad luck!, A‘viloh thought but Haurchefant didn’t look like he would take that for an excuse. Instead he stretched out a hand towards the Miqo’te. “Come one! Believe me, this is going to be funny!”

For a second A‘viloh pondered his options. The idea of nothing but a little bit of ice between him and the water still terrified him but Haurchefant seemed so excited about this and the other people actually seemed to have fun too. Maybe he should at least pretend to try... Reluctantly he sat down on a rock and tried to put on the skates just like Haurchefant had done a moment ago.

“The clasp on the back too. Make sure none of them are loose… Yes, that looks fine!”, Haurchefant helpfully explained. As A’viloh got up, he almost flopped right back down into the snow. It was a weird feeling to balance his whole weight on only two thin pieces of metal. As he carefully took the first few steps towards the lake Haurchefant reached out for him once more. “Here! Take my hand! I don’t want you to fall…”

Hesitantly A‘vi stepped onto the ice and immediately felt like the ground was being pulled away beneath his feet. He struggled for balance, feeling himself falling backwards, so Haurchefants arm was a very welcome thing to hold on to.

With a chuckle the Elezen tried to loosen A‘vi‘s desperate grip on his arm and instead took each of his hand in one of his own before carefully making slow steps backwards pulling A‘viloh over the ice, which A’vi could swear was making suspicious crackling sounds below them. There was no way to tell the blades beneath his feet not to move, so all A’viloh could do was try not to fall and plead to Haurchefant with ears flat on his head and panic in his eyes, as he slowly was pulled further onto the lake. “No, no, no. Take me back, that’s a horrible idea!”

“Calm down. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I promise.”, Haurchefant said soothingly and continued to explain to him how to move on the ice skates. And in fact the Elezen’s calm voice slowly made A’viloh feel less anxious. His hands, frantically clasping at Haurchefant’s, relaxed along with his legs. It was still a weird feeling to be standing on the ice but now it felt a lot easier to remain balanced. He glanced at the people around them while remaining as still as possible, studied their movements for a moment and then tentatively tried to mimic the way they slowly pushed their feet above the slippery surface. To his surprise he really moved forward without much effort and also without feeling the sensation of falling again, closer to Haurchefant who had steadied him with his outstretched arms so far.

“See! It’s not that difficult.”, he said while making another step backwards so A’viloh had to follow with another step forward. The Miqo’te, strangely excited about the fact that he was actually moving on these weird ice-blades, laughed happily. “You are even going backwards!”

Haurchefants laughed. “One step after the other. Let’s teach you how to go forward first, hm? I‘ll let go off one of your hands but don’t worry, I still got you. One feet after the other just like you did before…”

In fact it almost felt easier now that he could use one of his arms to balance himself. Very slowly at first they floated above the icy surface of the lake but soon A‘viloh got braver. Once he almost lost his balance but for a comparably tall and strong person like Haurchefant it seemed like a very easy task to keep a small Miqo’te on his feet. Almost falling had felt like a shock for a second but only moments later they were laughing about it and in the end A’viloh was surprised and also a little proud how quickly he had learned and how much fun this was.

He wasn’t sure how much time they spent there on the frozen lake but at some point a bell sounded from the nearby Camp. Startled A’viloh looked up (and almost lost his balance again). “How late is it? I’m sure you have more important things to do than this! I’m sorry if I’m keeping you from doing your work.”

But Haurchefant just laughed and teased, “What could be more important than prove to you that not all of Coerthas is a deadly wasteland trying to kill you? But I think we really should return soon. I don’t want you to get cold again and after all we also don’t want Rael to find out about this little excursion, do we?”

For a second A’viloh wished the viera could see him now and wondered what their reaction would be like. The thought made him chuckle.

And as they floated, one last circle around the lake, A’viloh couldn’t help but wonder that maybe it was happy moments like this. The reason he was still here. Moments that made his life worth living.

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inspired by the poem The Reversal by Leila Chatti

#ffxiv #ff14 #final fantasy xiv #final fantasy 14 #ffxiv writing #ffxiv screenshots #gpose #Aviloh Tia #Haurchefant Greystone #This ended up sadder than I wanted actually XD #But at least it ends on a good note and thats worth something huh?#I read that poem while I was still writing the last story and thought it fitted A'vi's mood quite well #and that it would be sweet to make him go ice skating although he has no clue what that is and how to do it :D #Did I ever tell you A'vi is his own worst enemy sometimes? I probably did or you figured that out by yourself by now...#If he thinks he can't do something he won't even try #I like to blame that on the expectactions people had for him and which he failed repeatedly but it's probably a bit of a character flaw too #However before late HW it is probably also very easy to talk him into pretty much anything if you have the slightest bit of persuasion skil #oops thats probably a character flaw too... but in this case it is useful at last :D #A'vi will get better soon I promise!#Well obviously he will get worse first for obvious reasons but then he'll get better eventually!#Maybe... I hope... Oh boy I am seriously trying but this sad cat doesn't want to be happy D:#I think getting the Scions back will help a little and so will the happenings of Stormblood I think...#And regarding Haurchefant: I don't think I see this as particularly romantic (I mean from Haurchefant's side maybe given his character)#I should probably make a post one of these days giving some iside look on A'vi's emotions! because it's complicated! XD #he's been alive but not really living for so long now and maybe this near-death-expierence was necessary to make him think about that...#rant over! I'll make a different post another day! this already got out of hand again...#and once again I’m posting this on a Friday! i might just start calling it FanficFriday! which doesn’t mean you get something each week XD

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universestreasures · 8 months ago

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My Brother Is Also My Dad…?

(A Drabble Requested By @shacchou )

"It's time for my Final Phase and time to finish you off, Akatsuki! Impact Call! I pay 3 Gauge To evolve Bal into an Impact Monster!" Mokuba declares, three of the floating cards in his gauge meter turning into stars as their energy floods into the monster located to his right area.

"Bal…Bal will do his super best, bal!"

"Bal is now a Size Two monster, with 1100 attack and 6000 defense and a critical of five thanks to having Bal Knuckle equipped! And his attacks cannot be nulified, meaning that Art of Body Replacement card I know you have in your hand is useless!"

"Oh no! I knew I should have used that to guard your item's attack earlier, but with only one card left in your hand, I didn't think you could have possibly had your Impact Monster!" His ninja friend panics, realizing his mistake as soon as Mokuba pointed it out. Seems like he still had a long way to go to catch up to his brother in terms of Buddyfighting.

"Go for it, Bal!"

"Bal Burst Smasher!!!!"

And the attack succeds, the impact of Bal's attack reducing Akatsuki's remaining life points in record time. The young Kaiba had outplayed his opponent by anaylzing the situation and predicting what cards they may hold. Mokuba truly did learn a lot about gaming by watching his brother, and was using that knowledge even in a game his brother hadn't played. He was a Kaiba and a gamer in his own right, and his victory today was a showcase of why.

"Game End. Winner: Mokuba Kaiba."

The sound coming from Mokuba's Core Gadget, which took the form of a floating capsule akin to those found in Capsule Monsters Chess, signaling the end of the match. The effects of the fight vanished immediately as Akatsuki's Katana World flag shattered, and the proud Sun Dragon returned to his mini form in a flash of light.

"Mokuba and Bal won, bal!"

"We sure did! We totally kicked their butt! Up top, Bal!" The raising of his hand for a high five was soon met with the dragon's own palm, both winners giggling and celebrating their victory. Mokuba really had come to get good at Gao's Scorching Sun Dragon Deck that Baku had made not too long after he met Bal. In fact, some suspected if Mokuba became more than just a casual Buddyfighter, that Bal might have become his buddy instead of Gao's.

With the dragon now atop his fluffy hair, Mokuba moves to exit the Castle's Buddyfight arena to meet his opponent and his Buddy Monster, both understandably disheartened by the loss. Noticing this, the Kaiba approaches them, offering them a friendly handshake of good sportsmanship that Bal then mimics.

"Hey, don't look so down, guys! You both played well today. If I didn't have that Green Dragon Shield in my hand on the previous turn, Byakuya's Shadow Dive mulit-attack combo would have taken the rest of my life points! Besides, I had a lot of fun playing with you guys today!"

"Bal loves Buddyfighting with Akatsuki and Byakuya, bal!" The dragon adds, his innocence and sunshine smile, along with Mokuba's kind words, seeming to improve the other's moods rather quickly. Both monster and Buddyfighter return the handshakes, a confident expression now facing Akatsuki's face.

"Yeah…that was pretty fun! We did almost have you. But next time Mokuba, it will be us who are the winner! Big Z and I are going to go through a special training together soon! When we're finished, no one will be able to beat us!"

"I look forward to seeing the results of that training, Akatsuki."

The two boys and two monsters then both laugh together. Following his adoption, never did he celebrate a match with his opponent like this, win or lose. This change in his behavior was a sure sign that his friends, as well as Yugi Muto and his own crew, really had rubbed off on him. It…It felt good to be able to share games like this again with others. Now he just needed to get into doing them regularly with his brother, a task that seemed more impossible than one might realize.

"That was a great fight, everyone!"

The voice of Gao Mikado breaks through their laughter, Bal immediately waving to his Buddy and the others who were accompanying him. Among the group included Gao's other Buddy, Drum Bunker Dragon, in addition to Gao's two friends Baku and Kuguru. Mokuba may not be as close with the Mighty Sun Fighter's deck builder and analyst as he was with the Buddyfighter proper, but he had come to call the pair his friends in their own right.

"Gao saw Bal and Mokuba's fight, bal!?" The dragon asked, quickly jumping off from Mokuba to instead land right ontop of Gao's shoulder.

"I sure did, buddy. You two were totally in sync out there! It was so cool to watch, and I think I may have picked up a strategy or two by watching ya!"

"I'm surprised you played the deck I made to match Gao's fight style so well, Mokuba. Call me impressed, bro." Baku adds, the compliment being a high one from a deck builder of his caliber.

"I saw no holes in your strategy, either. You took advantage of the Sun Dragon's unique skills perfectly." Kuguru then comments, pulling up her tablet to then show Mokuba the statistics she took during the match that support her claims. "Your Impact Call in particular was perfectly timed. Your attack formation and demeanor threw your opponent off from using his defensive spell prior."

"N-No need to rub it in..." The young ninja says, his expression looking disheartened. That's when he feels Byakuya gently pat his back, offering his Buddy some comfort.

"If he's getting high praise from you two, then that just proves it! Mokuba, you're an amazing Buddyfighter!"

The wave of compliments hit him hard, elating the young boy's heart. It was, after all, not a common occurrence that he was complimented for his gaming skills. Seto always took the spotlight when it came to that, and while he certainly thinks his brother is deserving of such praise, it felt good to hear it for himself too. Mokuba was a gamer in his own right, and he took pride in that fact, a pride not too dissimilar to Seto's own.

"Keh. Would you expect anything less from me? We Kaiba's are Gamemasters, after all! Mastering multiple games is our trademark!" Mokuba says with a prideful smile and hands on his hips for a few moments, soaking in the attention. He then takes his now de-transformed Core Deck Case out of his pocket and removes the deck out of it to hand back to Gao. "But…thank you for letting me borrow your Scorching Sun Dragon deck, Gao. It's always a blast to fight with Bal!"

"You can use it anytime! You know Bal is down for it!"

"Bal wants to fight everyone with Mokuba, bal! That be the best day ever, bal! Everyone Buddyfighting together, bal!"

"Huh…" The youngest Kaiba speaks, his mind formulating an idea sparked on by the dragon's words. "You know? That isn't a bad idea, Bal. We should…We should do something to make that happen. Like…throw our own Buddyfight tournament, with the winner getting some kind of prize! That way, everyone will be playing seriously!"

"A tournament with all our friends, huh? Now that sounds interesting! I'm in!" Gao's signature grin appears on his face, matching the one Mokuba formed on his own.

"You'd invite Big Z to this tournament too, right Mokuba?"

"Of course, Akatsuki! Can't leave you or your brother out of this! Same goes for Tasuku and Suzuha too!" Mokuba would invite his own brother if he was interested in playing the game, which he no doubt wasn't. He was too obsessed with Duel Monsters to probably even think of trying it. Besides, this kind of thing was so not Seto's vibe.

"I'd wanna invite all the best Buddyfighters you guys know, too! Like your classmates and upperclassmen, Gao! It won't be any kind of official event or anything, but I'm sure it will be fun! Plus, we can have it at my house! If…If…"

Mokuba then pauses for a moment, his expression changing from one of excitement to one that looked slightly disheartened. He takes out his phone then, staring at his home screen which contained a more recent photo of himself and Seto he took at Kaiba Land.

"If what, bal?"

"If I can get permission from Seto, first. He needs to approve any and all social gatherings that happen at the house, whether it's something like this or even just having one person over to play games." That's why Mokuba often hung out with his friends in public places or in their own homes. The process was much easier. "On top of that, he'd probably want background checks on everyone who'd be coming over who he isn't familiar with, Buddy Monsters included. Not to mention just selling him on the idea to begin with…"

The idea did seem like it be a tough sell, considering it's size and scale. It's not like this was a promotion event or anything related to the business. This was just something he wanted to do for fun with his friends, and while Seto respected Mokuba's choice to pursue what he wished, this was…different. He would be agreeing to invite multiple strangers, a whole group of them that included monsters with supernatural abilities, into his home. It was a massive security risk, as well as a distraction.

He hates to admit it, but…as much as he wanted it to happen, he just can't see Seto agreeing to it. This reality is shown on his face, Mokuba sighing heavily in defeat before the battle even began.

"Man…That's…That's tough, Mokuba." Gao comments, gritting his teeth as he looks to the side. "He's stricter with you than my mom is with me, and that's saying something."

"Lord Seto's even stricter than Big Z is with me!" Akatsuki chimes in. "I remember when you told me he banned energy drinks from your house and at Kaiba Corp just because you drank one too many one day!"

"Never met the guy personally, but it really does sound like he's basically your dad, bro. And a very, very overprotective one at that. I think he needs to chill out a bit, if you ask me."

Baku's comment takes Mokuba aback a few short moments, his purple hues blinking in utter confusion at the deck builder. "What…What do you mean by that, Baku? Seto isn't…isn't my dad. He's my big brother, always has been. And the stuff he does…is just what big brothers do. He's looking out for me, that's all."

"Big bros look out for their siblings, sure. But…" He then sticks a lollipop from his pocket into his mouth, Baku always being one to snack on something during almost any occasion. "I don't think it's the norm for little bros to ask their big bro for permission for everything, or for big bros to ban things from the house or want background checks on people coming into their house. Those are things that parents typically do. Gao, do you do that kind of stuff for Hana?"

"No way, Baku! That's Mom and Dad's job! I just do my part to look out for her, that's all. Though, if anything, she looks out for me! We all wouldn't get up on time if she wasn't there." Gao says, Bal and Drum nodding their heads in agreement.

"And Akatsuki, does Zanya do that kind of stuff for you?"

"Sorta…Big Z does a lot of things for me, but…he more enforces Father's rules when it comes to discipline. He…He tries to be like him when he's not around."

"And Mokuba. Isn't your big bro your legal guardian?"

"Y-Yeah…B-But that's because…because…" The words stop coming from his mouth, Mokuba unable to find an answer. He was completely stumped here, despite always having some sort of line to say when it came to his brother.

"He's the one responsible for you? The one who is raising you? The one who goes to parent-teacher conferences? Just face it, he's essentially your dad too, bro."

Those words from the deck builder, ones that Mokuba could not understand but was unable to fight against, caused him to stare back at the picture of Seto on his phone again. To him, everything Seto had done since they were kids was normal sibling behavior. Sure, they were in different circumstances compared to other children, but all of it seemed normal to him. But…he sometimes forgets how different his life was compared to those around him, and how that shaped his worldview.

"I…I should get going. It is getting late. Don't want to cause my br-" He pauses for a moment before changing his word. "Seto to worry. I'll…I'll get back to you guys on the tournament idea. If…If it doesn't work at my place, I'm sure Suzuha can host it just fine. That girl has multiple Buddyfight arenas underground at her castle."

That's when he starts to leave the area, putting some pep in his step. His heart and mind were a bag of mixed feelings that he just couldn't comprehend right now. He only stops his exit when he hears the voice of Kuguru calling his name. Mokuba turns around then, his eyes glancing upon the analyst.

"What Baku dear said…He didn't mean it as a bad thing, right Baku?" Kuguru glances at the other with a sharpness behind her glasses, her gaze a signal that he better answer correctly.

"O-Of course not. I'm…I'm sorry if what I said upset you at all. My bad, bro. Sometimes I can be a bit too blunt…" Baku answers, taking his candy out of his mouth, his face portraying his regret. He wasn't too close with Mokuba compared to some of the others here, and if he had, he probably wouldn't have made this comment to begin with. Anyone who knew the Kaiba knew he was sensitive when it came to his brother.

"Your brother may be a bit overprotective like a parent, but what big brother isn't overprotective of their precious sibling?" Kuguru speaks, glancing over at Atatsuki and Gao.

"I can confirm Lord Zanya is very, very protective of Lord Akatsuki. Like there was this one time when someone tried to-" The words of Byakuya are then cut off as Akatsuki covers his mouth, no doubt trying to stop the chatterbox of a monster from saying something highly embarrassing.

"Yota…protected me in his own way. Even when he was in the hospital, he did all he could to help protect my spirits and…leave me hope for the future." Gao says, sunshine hues glancing up at his hat which was a signature part of his Mighty Sun Fighter uniform, the one his mother originally made for Yota to wear. "And I try to keep that hope alive…for Hana."

Drum then steps forward from Gao's side, walking over to meet Mokuba directly. "Listen, kid. Your brother may be one of the grumpiest humans I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, but…in a lot of ways, he reminds me of how we dragons are. Not all dragons…get to be raised by their parents. I'm one of the lucky ones who has, and let me tell you, my old man is worse than your brother could ever hope to be when it comes to discipline. He threw me across worlds to train because I didn't get his stupid riddle right!"

Mokuba, and the others for that matter, start to laugh a bit at the story. Normally such a display would upset Drum, but right now, he was clearly more focused on the younger Kaiba than himself. He certainly has matured since arriving to Earth, that's for sure. His father would be proud.

"My point is that what your family looks like or what you decide to call what they do isn't what really matters. What does is that you all care about each other, take care of each other, and your brother…cares about you more than most people, monster or human, I've ever met. That's something you should treasure, kid." Drum's words are followed by a nod and smile from everyone, Baku included.

The vice president, on instinct then, moves to open his pendent, staring at the picture of his brother when they were children. Waves of memories flood back to him, of the times Seto cared for him, did everything for him. Looking back, what Seto did for him did somewhat align with what he remembers his father doing for him back when he was alive. Deep down, Mokuba could have made the connection sooner if he wanted to, but it was clear he didn't.

His father was his father. His brother was his brother.

Those were what Mokuba knew them to be and that wasn't going to change. And even if in practicality, the roles of both of those individuals overlapped in Seto's behavior following his father's death, as his friends pointed out, what was important is that Seto loved him. His love was clearly shown through his actions, including the strict ones. He had always done all he could to look out for Mokuba, and if this conversation has reminded him of anything, it was to really appreciate everything his brother goes out of his way to do for him, despite the teen not initially understanding them at the time.

"I will." He says softly as he closes his pendant, gathering up his bag and preparing to head out. "Now, I better get going before my…big brother starts to worry about me. He can be quite the worry wort, and I don't want to be grounded! See you at school tommorow, Akatsuki! And keep an eye out for updates about the tournament, guys! I'm…I'm going to ask Seto, and maybe by some miracle, he'll actually agree to it!"

With that hopeful statement said, Mokuba takes his leave. He thought about asking Isano to drive him home, but he decided it would be faster if he ran. He…He wanted to see his big brother right now, to see him and give him a hug, a hug as a show of appreciation for all he's done for him…as a brother and beloved member of his family.

#💎 Crystalized Hidden Gems (Drabble)#💎 Vice Treasure (Mokuba Kaiba)#💎 President With A Blue-Eyed Lighting (Shacchou)#💎 Ninja Treasure (Akatsuki Kisaragi)#💎 NPC: Ninja's Showoff Of A Buddy (Byakuya)#💎 Sun Treasure (Gao Mikado)#💎 NPC: Sun's Baby Second Buddy (Bal Dragon)#💎 NPC: Sun's Drilling First Buddy (Drum Bunker Dragon)#💎 NPC: Sun's Always Hungry Deck Builder (Baku Omari)#💎 NPC: Sun's Always On Point Analyst (Kuguru Uki)#💎 Vice's Dark Side Story (Mokuba DSOD Verse)#💎 Ninja's Game Of Life (Akatsuki Yu-Gi-Oh! DM Verse)#💎 Sun's Game Of Life (Gao Yu-Gi-Oh! DM Verse)#tw long post #tw mention of death #(I THINK...THIS DRABBLE WINS FOR HAVING THE MOST CHRS IN ANY WRITING THING IVE DONE TALKING LOL #(BUT...LIKE MY BUDDYFIGHT BOYS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT GOT A MILLION PLUS ONES SO IT FITS #(AND HONESTLY BAKU BEING THE ONE TO BE BLUNT ABOUT THIS MAKES THE MOST SENSE LOL #(I wrote this over the course of two plane rides without spell check and I'm pretty happy with it LOL #(anyway i hope this answers your curiosity Ani and you enjoyed Mokuba and his squad interacting #(the more i write them the more i love them all the same ;;;;;

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