Lost Little Starlight, Part Two: Return to Darkness
"WHY DID YOU LET HER GO?!" Gao was definitely losing it. He was repeatedly running his fingers through his bi-colored hair, amber eyes filled with frantic fear as he paced back and forth so much it could burn a track on the wooden floor. No no no no!! Ashes!!!!!
Bal and Chibi were crying, and Drum was comforting them while giving the old man the stink eye. Was he senile?! Why would he do that?!
Batzz was barely keeping it together as well. "You better have a good reason for this, old man!"
To his credit, the guru was calmly accepting their wrath. "I had to. I made a promise to someone and I think that Ashes needs to know more about her heritage."
"Did you really have to send her there without backup!?" Gao argued. "Shishou, that was insanely dangerous! Please! Please send us over to Darkness Dragon World with her!"
Bunbuku paused slightly. His old friend had never mentioned that Ashes had to be alone.
Even if Ashes herself didn't know of the others' presence...
Perhaps, it was fine for him to tweak things a bit. Even if he knew that Ashes' father would never harm his daughter's Buddy and her brothers, they didn't know him as he did. It was natural to assume something bad...
He inhaled. "Alright then."
"Shishou, you can't be serious!" Tanuki gaped. Ashes' Father would KILL him!
"I am pretty serious, Tanuki. Plus, they just need to keep a low profile!" he cheerfully said.
Low profile? Clearly, he was blind if he thought Barbatzz Dragoroyale, Mikado Gao, Balle Soleil, Fangslade Terrestrial the Fourteenth, AND Saint Holy Sword Dragon could do that.
Tanuki couldn't, for his life, fathom his Buddy's brain at times, and this proved his point; his Buddy was insane through and through. No wonder he and Bag- ah wait, SPOILER!!!!
He shook his head frantically. He couldn't risk spoiling anything!!!! Sure, it invited weird looks from the others, but Bunbuku gave a feral smile as he opened up a portal underneath them. "Good luck!"
They barely had a second to react before they were falling-
"AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"
Gao felt shivers go down his spine. This reminded him slightly of that day, when... He lost against Fujin Tamamo, back then known only as Piper, and got sent to-
nO nO No No! Stop thinking about it! It wasn't that time! He was safe! HE WAS SAFE!
Yet even as they fell to the ground, he couldn't stop shaking, and he flinched at every small touch. Voices blurred together. He curled up. No no no, please, stop stop stop...
He felt the hug, he felt warmth, and he began to calm down. It was fine. Tamamo had redeemed himself. Ashes was back. Everyone... Everyone was okay.
He breathed. He let the tears out.
He was fine.
He was fine.
He was fine...
Once he felt like he truly meant that statement, even if it was just a bit, he got up. "Thanks, guys. Now let's go find Ashes."
The Buddies smiled before Batzz agreed, "Let's go, brat!"
The walk to the palace was vaguely familiar to them since they had come here before. Only once to find out how Ashes became a Lunar Darkness Dragon. It was how Kana had found a Buddy, Dragon of Endless Shadows, Belmont when standing up to Ashes' Father.
Gao smiled a bit at that memory. The way she had stood up for them was amazing. Still got shivers remembering it, the good kind, at least. She had become much more self-assured and grown a lot during the Umbra Gao chaos. Not to mention over the half year he had been gone too! Watching the battles from Castle's channel had been awesome! And the pure smiles on their faces reminded him how Buddyfight was meant to be used to have fun, not for some world-dominating scheme, really.
He sighed. Sometimes, he really did wonder why he got roped into stuff like this. It wasn't really fair that he and Tasuku had the highest count of being involved with crazy hijinks. How was one question. WHY was another.
Ah, whatever, they should focus on finding Ashes. She was still the baby, after all...
"Hey, remember when we first met her, bal?" Bal spoke up, breaking the quiet spell that had washed over them all.
Gao couldn't help the fond smile. Of course he did. "That was really funny, wasn't it?"
"Bal!!!!!!"
"GAO!!!!"
Gao couldn't help the smile that formed on his face as he hugged his former Buddy. "It's been a while! But I thought-"
"Oho, this is the Bal from the future, Gao," Bunbuku said while stroking his white beard. "Did you like my little present?"
"This is just amazing, Shishou!" Gao grinned. "But... doesn't he have a Buddy already?"
"Oh, my Buddy is okay with it, bal bal! Said it had to happen!" Bal chipped in.
"Had to happen?" Batzz blinked.
Bal nodded. "Yeah, bal!"
"Huh..." Drum was unsure how to feel about that, but... "Nice to meet ya, kid. I'm Drum Bunker Dragon!"
"Barlbatzz Dragoroyale!" Batzz grinned.
"You can call me Chibi Panda!"
Before Bal could speak up, though, another bright light made all of them cover their eyes.
"Wha!?" Noboru yelped.
"An attack?!" Baku growled.
When the light dispersed, all that was left was... an egg?
Gao's eyes widened. That egg! It couldn't be!
But then it popped open, and a familiar face popped out. "Graoo!"
He couldn't believe it! His eyes lit up in surprise and happiness as he scooped her up into his other arm, allowing Bal to stare at her curiously. "Who are you, bal?"
"Ashes is Mystic Sun Dragon, Ashes!" she answered happily. "Graoo's Buddy!"
"Nice to meet you, bal! I'm Dragon of the Sun, Bal Dragon!" he smiled.
"Drum Bunker Dragon!"
"Barlbatzz Dragoroyale!"
"And I'm Saint Holy Sword Dragon! But you can call me Chibi Panda!"
"Nice to meet new friends!" she giggled. Gao smiled.
Man this was so awesome!!!
"It was a really fun reunion," Gao fondly said. "That was right before we met Ayumi, wasn't it?"
"Yep, that brat isn't a bad fighter once she puts her mind to it," Batzz confirmed. "She beat Ryuenji after all."
Gao's face soured a bit. "He was possessed, Batzz. Doesn't count as Tasuku-sempai."
And all his Buddies had the same thought at that one moment.
"Whipped."
He blinked at their faces. "What's up?"
"Nothing!" Batzz snapped. Man, this kid was an idiot! He didn't have a single brain cell that could recognise how much Ryuenji loved him! Not that the other had any either way! When would they realise the other had the hots for them, no pun intended!?
(Faster than one expected, really, though it involved a LOT of interventions AND the world possibly ending.)
"Let's just go...." Drum had suffered through the brunt of these two. He refused to deal with more of their tiptoeing around each other! No one understood it as much as Drum did!
Batzz just gave him an awkward pat on the back while Bal nodded sagely. "Very hard, bal."
Gao gave them a confused look in response. Okay? At least they were connecting.
They soon reached the front, where Granitan stood. The Lunar Darkness Dragon didn't seem to notice them as they hid behind a boulder.
"Well, that's a bummer..." Gao groaned. "We need to sneak past him, don't we?"
"Yeah. Just make sure to make no noise when you do it, kid," Batzz snarked while always moving closer to the entrance.
"Wait up, Aniki!" Chibi Panda whispered as he hurried to follow the other.
Drum grumbled something about Chibi being too loyal to Batzz, but followed them anyway. Bal just shrugged and joined along, leaving Gao to bring up the rear as the five headed into the castle.
(Granitan was unsure if they were stupid or something, because he was very much aware of their presence, but if he snorted slightly when they passed him by, he did not say.)
The dark ceiling loomed above them, as if any moment now, something could swoop down and attack them. Gao was using his phone light, as small as it was, to get around, but he could see the stalactites and stalagmites. The silence was eerie, so unlike actual caves.
Golden eyes scanned their surroundings, keeping all senses sharp. His muscles were tense. Sweat came down his forehead. He even took off his jacket for a while, draping it over his shoulders like a cape. Why, he didn't know. Maybe he wanted to make a fashion statement in the dark? Wow, he was getting a BIT too used to scary situations.
But soon, they arrived and Gao turned off his phone light.
A familiar room, illuminated by a bunch of candles and a chandelier that seemed centuries old, yet still managed to hang above strongly.
Atop the huge stone slab one would call a throne sat the ruler of the Lunar Darkness Dragon tribe, losing his name upon taking up the mantle and now only known as Ashes' Father. The stern dragon looked downwards towards the dragon staring back at him, defiant, powerful, bright, determined.
So much like her mother...
Ashes was in full size, standing in front of her father despite the fear. She didn't know what was going on with her. She was scared of it, truth be told. She was terrified.
But she had hurt Jacky. That was unforgivable. She HAD to figure out what was wrong. No more excuses. She was going to find out the truth, today!
"Why Ashes like this? Why Ashes can't control self when in Lunar Darkness form? Why Ashes hurt Jacky? Ashes wants answers!" She demanded.
The ruler of the Lunar Darkness Dragon tribe stared at his daughter. While she felt the urge to squirm, she tempered herself. No, she had to get answers today. When else would she be able to know!?
Bunbuku's old Buddy couldn't help but groan. Darn it, Bunbuku! At least give a heads-up when doing stuff like this!
He rubbed his temple, although he did have to admit that this was a bit amusing. Not a lot happened these days, even with the unrest due to the super solar eclipse coming up, so he did find himself wanting some chaos for once. Not as much as he had when he was still Revenar, at least, but...
Maybe he could have a little fun with his daughter as well. His only family left after everything.
"Do you really want to know?" He asked. "Do you truly wish to know the truth?"
Ashes felt her muscles tense. He made it sound like something bad... But she couldn't be scared now! "Yes, Ashes wants to know."
The five were still listening in, and Gao frowned as he covered Batzz's mouth to prevent him from saying anything that could give them away.
(He could smell them, alright. Seriously, Trouble Magnets and stealth missions never go well together. They were so obvious he was chuckling inwardly. Kids these days...)
Ashes' Father's face remained stony.
(... Was there someone laughing in the room?)
"The answer... is simple. Ashes, you are..."
"Ashes is....?" Ashes leaned in, and her brothers subconsciously did the same.
Okay, okay, he had to take his time. He couldn't give it away so easily. He must remain calm. (It had been far too long since something funny happened to make him genuinely laugh.)
"You are..."
Silence, everyone waited in bated breath.
(Why did they hear snorting?)
Finally, he spoke, but something (was that AMUSEMENT?!) shone in that "stony" face, "You are... going through puberty."
".... Wha-" Ashes was truly and fully dumbfounded.
Gao was rubbing his ears. Did he, did he hear him right?
Batzz's mouth went open. Chibi Panda nearly yelped out in shock, but Drum covered his mouth even as his own jaw was wide open. Bal had question marks flying in his head. He was a bit aware of the term, but Ashes was going through THAT?
"It's something all Lunar Darkness Dragons go through," he clarified, a smirk on his usually blank face.
Ashes felt her face flare up. "So Ashes is just... growing up?"
He nodded, struggling to keep his guttural laugh from erupting. He had an image to keep!
Ashes was definitely very flustered. So it was just... just growing up!? "W-Why didn't you tell Ashes about it when Ashes first came!?"
The anger began to rise within her. How could he not tell her in the first place? How could he abandon their family?! Didn't he know that all these years, she questioned why she didn't have a father?! Didn't he know that she was so... so lonely after her mother died, that the only reason she could be who she was today was because Gao helped her?
"I don't think it matters where you came from. You're now a Mikado, Ashes. We'll always be here for you. Whenever you need me... *smiles* I'll be there for you. Just drop by any time!"
"WHY DID YOU ABANDON ASHES?!" She roared.
The desire to laugh died in her father's throat. She was... asking the Question. The one he had dreaded for a long time, ever since he left Solararis. Sure, he knew he would have to answer that question. Sure, he was aware that someday, Ashes would find out the truth.
(Those flashes in his nightmare, that... being, the person who was and wasn't his daughter. That mocking laugh of the one who caused his beloved's death... Sneering that he couldn't protect, he couldn't save his loved ones...)
His fists tightened, but he schooled his emotions. He could talk them out with his former Buddy later on. Right now, he had to address this situation.
He took in a deep breath. (He will NEVER forgive that monster for what she did to them, what she did to Solararis, what her actions led to...)
He closed his eyes. "Ashes, you were born as a Lunar Darkness Dragon. Despite what it may seem like, this is your birth form, your first form. The Mystic Sun Dragon form came from your exposure to your mother."
Gao blinked. What... was he insinuating? That the Mystic Sun energy Ashes had was only from exposure, that it only... covered up her birth form?
Suddenly, what Kana-senpai had said about Ashes before they left for America, after they got him back, made sense.
"I was just told to absorb all the Mystic Sun energy to get a new Buddy. I honestly didn't expect a Darkness Dragon World monster to be where Ashes was. It was as if... the energy was some sort of safety blanket around her. Protecting her from the cold."
"It makes sense now...!" His fists tightened. His lips pursed into one of rage. It meant that...
"But you were cold. Far too cold, even for us Lunar Darkness Dragons." He seemed... pained when remembering this part. "As long as I remained close to you, there was a chance that you could... you could perish. I had to make a choice; to either stay or leave. I... made a hard choice."
He swallowed. "I... left you with your mother."
Ashes felt her stomach churn and turn into lead. Did that mean...?
Guilt filled her heart. She had... caused her father to leave. It was her fault her mother struggled so hard, couldn't be with her beloved...
She was shaking. Tears pricked from her eyes. She was a monster, she had-
"DON'T YOU DARE BLAME YOURSELF!"
Ashes' Father couldn't take it. His daughter was crying because he told her the truth. He knew the truth would hurt her. That knowing it would leave her with sorrow...
Yet what else could he do now? The truth was out, and no pride or image was worth hurting his family.
With powerful yet hurried strides, he reached her, and brought her in for a hug. The little warmth he had, he gave it to her. He let her bask in it as she sobbed. The little one hadn't properly grieved her mother. Didn't know how to.
If he could help her feel better, even if it was just a bit, he was all for this, and he would smite anyone who tried to take her away from him in this one moment. His weakness exposed to the world for just a bit, just for his only family remaining.
venusaura And here we go! Have fun with this! I admittedly took a while cause I had to look back on the RP we had, but this is what I have for ya! Hope you like it!
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top