**********
The setting is a month or so after the war. Everyone still is in Budehuc Castle (I'm too lazy to come up with something else—sorry, Thomas. Repeat it over and over again every day—you'll get used to it), though.
This is the typical Percy-leaves-the-Knights story (but don't worry, he'll be back). It'll eventually become a Borus/Chris story later, though. There aren't enough of those floating around the Net. But in this story, Borus isn't actually in love with Chris here—not yet, at least.
By the way, they might be kinda OOC sometimes...can't be helped. -__-,
The story will unfold kinda slowly—I write at dawdling pace at best. I take a shameless delight in the pointless and silly. You'll see proof of that in this chapter. ^_______^ Lots of pointless and silly here.
But don't worry, I'll get to the story soon. Just expect random bursts of nonsense every now and then.
Oh, and what other couples should I squeeze into the story? I'd like to know, because I don't want this to be primarily BorusandChris.
**********
Outside, there were busy sounds and the distant hum of voices of the people at Budehuc Castle. The sunlight battered him relentlessly, burning through his closed eyes, and lighting up his pale blonde hair.
Morning already?
The young man's stirred and his eyes slowly opened a fraction and closed much faster, flinching from the bright glare of the mocking sunlight.
"Hey, Borus!" came a cheerful voice from outside his door.
Definitely morning.
Borus hated mornings. It was something that began the same time he started training to be a knight. It was required of a trainee to wake up at the crack of dawn—he never understood the term, really: did dawn ever actually crack? It was more of a swoosh—to begin the day of hard training at the practice courts. And since training came hand in hand with intense amounts of physical pain, Borus was not too fond of waking up.
Percival continued, "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty! The morning sun awaits your radiant presence, so don't disappoint her!"
Borus' customary scowl came to his face. Percival, on the other hand, lived for mornings, and found it immensely funny that Borus didn't, taking every chance he got to poke fun at the Swordsman of Rage about it. Many at Budehuc found Percival unbearably jolly in the mornings and often resented him for it, which only served to increase the Zexen's gaiety.
Typical.
"I'll Sleeping Beauty you," Borus muttered, turning over and jamming his pillow over his head.
Ahh…nice and dark…no intruding sunlight…
As un-knightly as it was, it was Borus' lifelong dream to simply stay in bed until the sun went up again. Perhaps today would be the day…
Just as he began to doze off again, Percival called out jauntily, "Come on, now, Borus! The morning unfolds her majestic splendor and awaits your affectionate and tenderhearted approval! Greet her!"
So much for long-awaited fulfillment.
Resigning himself to the fact that morning always came after night (or before) and also to the fact that there was nothing he could do to shut Percival up without getting off the bed, Borus slowly removed his head from underneath his pillow and sat up, muttering words that weren't all that polite. After a minute, he opened his eyes fully, glaring at the window when he was able to look straight into the sunlight without cringing.
He stumbled off the bed when his eyes began to hurt and dressed, ignoring Percival's prattling prose (something about hair and sunlight and dewdrops—Borus didn't even bother listening to the other knight anymore).
Eventually, Borus opened the door and stood in front of the chatty knight. "Aren't you happy today?" he said dryly.
"Ah, the Princess awakes and blesses us with her majestic joie de vivre!" Percival proclaimed, clearly enjoying himself. He bowed. "I must say that I am bowled over, Highness. Completely overwhelmed and beset with the picture you make…"
Percival never got to complete his sentence because Leo had then appeared and cuffed the younger knight with irritation.
"Would you like me to shut your piehole?" Leo demanded, glaring at the jaunty young man. "With my axe?"
Leo didn't like mornings very much either.
"Nothing can harm me as long as the sun still shines!" Percival declared. He paused. "Besides, you'd just make it wider, old man. Age sends your axe off the mark more often than not."
Leo grabbed for him but the swift Percival ducked under the larger man's swipe and emerged laughing.
"What's so funny?"
They all turned to look down the corridor and saw a blonde-haired man making their way towards them.
"Hello Salome!" Percival called out jauntily. "Beautiful morning, isn't it?"
"Nothing is funny about this," Borus stated. "It's a pity, actually."
"What do you mean by that?" Salome asked, coming up to them.
Borus threw Percival a crafty look. "Percival was just giving us clear evidence that he really was dropped on the head repeatedly as a young boy. Wouldn't you know?"
Percival laughed along with everyone else. "Borus, cracking a joke?" Percival grinned. "I never thought I'd live to see the day. What happened to you, friend?"
"The day you wouldn't live to see, actually," Borus informed him, "is the day Roland makes a joke." He paused and glanced at the brains of their group. "Or Salome, for that matter."
"For your information," a smooth voice cut in. "Humor is no stranger to me, young Borus."
Borus grinned at the newly arrived Roland. "But it's been away for a long time."
Percival looked thunderstruck. "TWO jokes! TWO!" He collapsed against the wall in mock disbelief then straightened to look him straight in the eye. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Borus? The real Borus is an uptight, violent and uninteresting—"
Borus looked at his friend sourly. "My sword is on your menu."
"He's back!" Percival crowed. "Borus is back!"
"It's too early for this," Leo groaned, putting a hand to his forehead with a resounding smack.
Borus glanced at Percival, frowning slightly. The man usually was annoying as hell in the morning—he'd tune down in the afternoon, of course—but this was slightly too much. Something was bothering Percival. They may not have looked it much, but the two were as much friends as they were rivals. And having been the knight's companion over the years, Borus could tell that something was wrong.
"Has Borus left without my knowing?" It was the Captain of the Zexen Knights. They all nodded to Chris, a formality they had to follow and which she insisted they did not need do. It was customary for knights to greet their leader more respectfully—bowing perhaps—but Chris had specifically ordered them not to.
"Greetings, Lady Chris!" Percival honed in on a new outlet of flattery, having been ignored by the staidly Borus. "I must say that your beauty rivals the sun this morning, and that the rays bend around you in homage to your radiance."
The Captain's squire cocked his head. "Would he wilt if he spent a day not flattering anyone?" Louis wondered.
Roland shrugged. "Most likely, although that is physically impossible."
Leo had his face scrunched up with confusion. "I'm trying to figure out whether Roland meant that to be a joke or not."
Chris sighed. "Good morning, all of you."
Borus nodded to her. "You wouldn't say that if Percival decided thinks you've slept enough, Lady Chris. Having him yodeling outside your door to wake you up would shatter any impression you might have that it might be a good morning."
Chris smiled briefly and looked at all of them. "Since the war has long been over, it's about time for us to return to Vinay del Zexay. I'm sure the council will have plenty to say to us, especially since our time from under their thumbs was taken without their leave. We should cut our extended vacation here in Budehuc short—the sooner we get back to Vinay del Zexay, the less they have to blame us for."
Percival made a mournful noise. "Ah, well. I suppose all good things must come to an end. I suppose we've been neglecting their duties long enough."
Borus glanced at the knight, trying not to show his surprise. Something was really off with Percival. His tone was subtle but it didn't sound as though he wasn't going to be doing that anytime soon.
"We'll have a lot to answer for," Salome mused. "But I believe that they will not be too harsh, considering that they suggested this vacation for us in the first place."
"And considering that we have connections with the Fire Hero," Roland added.
Salome nodded thoughtfully. "That should shield us from bearing the full brunt of their wrath."
"They'll be irritated at losing their bullyboys," Leo agreed. "But they should dip their hands into the mud, same as we do."
"Bullyboys?" Chris said skeptically.
"It's what we are, correct?" Leo shrugged. "We do the dirty work for them."
"Of course," Percival stepped in. "No one could mistake you for a boy, Lady Chris. Why, anyone who does so has taken leave of his senses! No one who looks even half as beautiful as you do can ever be mistaken for nothing but a beautiful, enchanting goddess. Her perfection does not allow it at all!"
There was a brief silence here, and everyone paused, waiting. But it appeared that no one was going to say anything.
Chris glared at him, oblivious to the silence. "I advise you to stop. Now."
Percival still looked surprised as he replied to her. "B-but no one can ever stop admiring such—"
"Now, Percival." Chris arched her eyebrow. "Unless you would like me to stop you instead." She put her had suggestively to the hilt of her sword.
"Two death threats in less than an hour," Leo commented. "Maybe if you keep on that way, you'll make a world record—if you survive, of course."
"Oh, keep quiet, you hunk of lard."
"Hunk of lard?" Leo boomed. "I'll teach you who's a hunk of lard! By the time I'm done with you—"
Percival grinned. "Three."
Chris sighed again and said, "I'll leave you gentlemen to your...fun. I'll go to take our leave of Master Thomas and thank him for our pleasurable stay."
Salome nodded. "I must also have a word with him. He needs a bit of help getting the council off his back. Even though this is technically property of the Karayan chief, he will need some help escaping their hounds."
The two of them gave their leave and walked away, Louis following them dutifully, although he eyed the group they were leaving behind, curious to what was going to happen.
When the lady and her squire disappeared around the corner, nothing was said for a few minutes.
"What?" Percival looked shocked. "No one has bitten my head off yet?"
"What for?" Borus asked, frowning slightly.
"What for?" Percival repeated. "What for?" He looked confused and incredulous. He laughed in disbelief. "Borus is asking me what for. I don't believe it. He isn't Borus. Borus is not like that."
Borus was getting irritated. "What are you talking about, Percy?" He used the nickname he knew his friend hated.
The dubious look remained in Percival's eyes. "I drowned the Lady Chris in flattery, I applied the full force of my charm on her, I mercilessly exploited her weak side—and you didn't shove me off a cliff?"
Borus scowled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The remaining three knights glanced at each other. "He's actually bewildered," Roland commented. "He really hasn't made any sense of what you meant, Percival."
"Are you calling me stupid?" Borus snapped.
"Roland, I'm afraid it seems that you are right." Percival frowned, nodding. "We may be wrong, after all. Do you think?"
"Excuse me," Borus said irritably. "Did you hear what I just said?"
"Yes." Leo agreed. "He doesn't have a single clue. Not at all."
Borus had had it. "Will you stop talking as if I'm not here?" he exploded, letting out some of his famed rage. "What on earth do you three mean?"
Percival peered at Borus. "You aren't having a hangover, are you? Because that would explain everything."
"No, I'm not having a hangover, I didn't drink anything yesterday," he replied testily. "And it would explain what?"
Roland was shaking his head. "Your theory is incorrect, Percival. If our friend was under the aftereffects of alcohol, then you would have been…what is the phrase again?" the elf wondered.
"Thoroughly chewed out?" Leo suggested.
Roland grimaced. "I suppose your human term will suffice for the moment. It certainly is crude enough."
"Scratch that idea," Percival muttered.
"Will someone PLEASE tell me what you three are talking about?" Borus burst out, a dangerous glint in his eye. His fingers were twitching toward his sword.
They stared at him.
"It is definitely Borus, all right," Roland commented upon observing Borus' 'palsied' fingers.
"It's quite simple, really," Percival stated. "I made advances to the Lady Chris and you didn't even bat an eye."
"And?" he demanded. "What's wrong with that?"
"Aren't you in love with her?" Leo questioned. "Whenever anyone says anything slightly suggestive to milady, you go off like a fire rune."
"In love with her?" Borus asked, completely baffled. "Lady Chris?"
What??
Just then, something small and blue shot past them, followed by a shrill and enraged scream. They all turned, hands going to their weapons, tensing up for a fight.
Lilly came charging down the hall, face beet red and rapier drawn. She was, apparently, the source of the scream. "Where is he?" she raged. "I know he came running down this way. Tell me!" she demanded imperiously to the knights, waving her sword threateningly.
"Who, milady?" Percival asked politely.
"That filthy little boy!" she growled. "That arrogant little brat who lives down in the dungeons making nasty lying notes about people! Tell me!"
There was a short pause while they made the connection. "Kidd?" Leo guessed.
"Yes!" Lilly shouted at them. "Tell me where that annoying blister went!"
"Is anything the problem?" A small figure came clanking down the corridor. It was Cecile. "The castle guard is here to help! If there is any need for my assistance."
The small dog at her side barked its agreement.
"Exactly, Koroku!" Cecile grinned.
"Do you make any understanding of what Koroku is saying?" Roland inquired, looking curious.
Cecile shook her head, still grinning. "Of course not. But he's just so cute anyway. Who could argue with such a lovable little doggie?" she scratched Koroku's ears. "Aren't you a loveable little doggie?"
"Cecile!" Lilly rounded on the girl. "Do you know where that little detective wannabe went?"
Cecile looked puzzled. "Kidd? Why? He wouldn't be making crime, he would be solving it."
"He was snooping around me!" Lilly roared. "I want him to pay!"
"He snoops around everyone," Cecile explained. "That's his job. It would be a lot easier if you just told him what he wanted to know so he would go away."
"I am Lilly Pendragon!" Lilly declared. "I will NOT be spied upon by some little money-grubbing ragamuffin!"
"He's just doing what he's paid to do," Cecile protested.
"PAID???" Lilly screeched. "He was paid?? Who paid him to spy on me? Who?" she glared at everyone around. "What sort of lowlife would dare do this? Was it any of you?" she pointed an accusing rapier at all of them.
"Mistress Lilly!" Reed and Samus came into view. They looked tired—as usual.
"Please, calm down!" Reed pleaded. "You will wake everyone in Budehuc Castle."
"Too late for that, I'm afraid," came a yawning voice. "I'm awake now." Mike grinned. "Anyone want to play a game of cards?"
"Cards?" The daughter of the President of Tinto rounded on him. "CARDS?? At a time like this??"
"Kabu," Mike shrugged, totally unruffled by the screaming girl. "It's what I do. Know how to play?"
"Another unlawful way of living!" Lilly dramatically proclaimed. "Doesn't anyone here gain their living with honesty?"
"Are you implying anything, Miss Pendragon?" Mike demanded, irritated now. "Are telling me that I play my cards just so I could cheat people out of their potch?"
"Yes," Lilly sniffed.
Mike frowned, mulling over that for a moment, then shrugged. "That's half-true, anyway."
Borus sat down on a chair, still stumped by what his fellow knights had told him. Leo watched everything with apprehension. Percival, however, watched the unfolding events of the waking castle with great entertainment.
It would figure that impending chaos would amuse the man.
A door slammed open some distance down the hall and out stomped a furious Augustine. "Who is causing all of this infernal racket? Do you know that your endless prattling is ruining my beauty sleep? The aura you people project! Horrible! It's no wonder that my dreams of fields and butterflies didn't come today!"
Everyone stared blankly at him; Borus stared blankly at the floor, having long tuned out the people around him.
Cecile shuddered. "I don't even want to know."
"Amen," Percival agreed.
"Are you saying that my dreams aren't important?" Augustine demanded, dramatically placing his hand on his forehead. "Dreams are the essence of aura! That is why mine is so beautiful! A mountain river! Clean and beautiful water…" he went on.
Leo winced visibly and turned to Lilly. "Maybe you shouldn't have been so loud."
Lilly was staring at Augustine as well. She nodded, looking a little spooked. "Maybe you're right."
"Did someone say clean and beautiful water?"
Percival groaned. "Oh no."
"Try my bath!" Goro announced. "It's got water that's clean, and beautiful! Just like everything else in my bath! The foam, the bubbles…In fact, I'm going to have a bath after I eat!"
"Don't you think of anything else?" Mike asked him curiously.
Goro looked aghast. "What else is there, other than my bath?"
"Gymnastics!!" a hearty voice cried out, and a man came tumbling in. "I've been up since the crack of dawn, and gymnastics is the one important thing you should think about? How else can you be healthy?"
Goro glared at the man. "If you take a relaxing and comforting bath in the right place, you can be plenty healthy!" He puffed out his chest. "Try MY bath!"
"You get all flabby sitting in a tub all day!" Kenji shot back. "And you get your brain addled with bath steam!"
"You exercise all the time, and I don't see any effects of your so-called training!" Goro proclaimed.
"Water-logged slug!"
"Flabby sweat bucket!"
The two traded insults back and forth as Lilly erupted again, yelling at her two pitiful retainers. "Why didn't you two stop that little monkey from spying on me in the first place?"
"Mistress Lilly, we—"
"You should have been more watchful!" Lilly yelled. "Do you know how disgraceful it is to be spied on like that?"
Augustine was still rattling off his nonsense, saying something about daisies and riverstones.
Mike glanced up at Roland. "Wanna play cards?"
The elf looked slightly strained at the chaos around them. "Perhaps another time, sir," he said.
There was a loud POPping sound and two nearly identical figures in white and blue dresses appeared. The Elder Viki looked around in confusion. "This doesn't look like the city state…"
The Younger Viki glanced up at her counterpart in exasperation. "When will you get it straight, Viki? We were supposed to go somewhere else!"
Mike strolled to them. "Wanna play cards? Test your luck."
Both Vikis looked at him curiously. Elder Viki smiled. "Hi. I'm Viki."
The younger one just cocked her head. "Cards?"
Mike nodded. "Kabu. Would you like to play? I'll explain it as we go along, if you like." He reached into his coat and pulled out a deck, shuffling it in many different ways. "It'll be fun..."
The Vikis looked at each other. "Well," the younger said hesitantly. "There's nothing else we can do right now, anyway."
The elder Viki's eyes went bright. "We can always—"
"NO, we can't," the younger interrupted. "Cards it is."
Mike smiled toothily. "You've made the right choice. Now, let me begin my explanation..."
"GIVE ME BACK MY DOLL!!!"
Three new additions ran into the corridor. The young Melville was running around, waving a rag doll around and laughing as Alanis chased him with vengeance in her eyes. Elliot hurried to catch up with them, trying to catch their attention.
"Stop, guys!" he panted. "I can't catch up!"
"Not until he gives me my doll back!" Alanis announced.
Melville skirted around the prosing Augustine when Alanis suddenly tackled him. He let out a startled cry and dropped to the floor.
"Ha!" Alanis crowed. "You're not so fast after all, Swordsman!" She sat on him, holding her precious trophy to her chest. "I caught up with you."
"Get off me, Alanis!" Melville struggled to throw her off. Elliot stopped beside them and tried to stop hyperventilating. "I'm…glad that….you guys…finally stopped," the blonde boy wheezed.
"Are you all right, boy?"
Elliot turned and saw Mio looking at him with concern. "Here take this," the nurse said and offered the lad a glass of water. "You look dehydrated. Here's a pill to help you."
A boy skidded in around the corner and froze when he beheld the picture in the hallway. There were four of Zexen's greatest knights, staring dumbly at the people around them with the exception of Sir Borus, who was sitting on a stool absently patting a tongue-lolled Koroku, while Lilly Pendragon raged in front of her two suddenly spineless retainers—the latter being a rather familiar sight in Budehuc Castle.
Goro and Kenji were calling each other names and facing off while Cecile tried to mediate between them as Alanis was reclining on Melville's back while Elliot stood by them, turning an unhealthy shade of purple while Mio attempted to give him the Heimlich Maneuver. Both of the Vikis were sitting on the floor staring intently at the cards Mike was dealing them—both girls seemed slightly enraged.
"What on earth is happening?" came a dumbfounded voice beside him.
Arthur glanced up and saw Hugo staring at the chaos as well. He shrugged. "I don't know, but it sure is coming up on my next paper!" he paused, looking slightly uncertain. "Whatever it is..."
Hugo shook his head and suddenly blanched as he heard a familiar voice singing out behind him.
"Greetings, my fellow stars!" Nadir called out. "The theater calls! A new production is to be had!"
Everyone froze, turning white with terror. The previously booming corridor abruptly went silent. All stared in horror as Nadir walked towards them, his porcelain mask somehow emitting an evil smile.
"It's casting time!" the masked man crooned. "Who will be the hero to save the damsel from her distress?" He actually swooned. "This will be our greatest production yet! The latest and the greatest! All for the castle! All for the stage!"
Everyone looked imploringly at the Vikis, panic in their eyes. The younger Viki, her eyes wide with fright, tossed some dust into her older self's face, and the elder Viki suddenly sneezed.
Thus the only two left in the corridor with the masked man were a still-babbling Augustine and a confused Koroku.
Nadir loomed over the two of them. "You two will be my two new stars!! I can see it now...your names in lights..." Cackling evilly, he collared the two and stalked away, dragging the terrified dog and the giggling man/woman (_) behind him.
**********
"Well that was close," Percival breathed.
"Yeah," Leo agreed. "We'd have been done for if that creepy fellow palmed us for his little skit."
"That may have been close," rang out Lilly's indignant voice. "But this is even closer! Get off me!"
They were all incredibly grateful to the Vikis—the younger for her quick thinking and the elder for her abilities—but in their panic to get away from Nadir, they hadn't remembered that Viki's magic was—at best—somewhat erratic. They hoped that she would get it right this time—it was a life-or-death situation, and maybe Viki wouldn't mess up so much: dignity was at stake.
Unfortunately, nothing of that sort occurred to her when she teleported them—they all ended up crammed in Budehuc's one little elevator, much to the elevator operator's dismay.
"Umm..." Shizu looked at the jumble of people suddenly crowding the elevator. "H-hello...W-what floor would you like to visit? ...The infirmary?"
"I'd like it if we headed down to my office first," came a voice. "There's a case I still need to crack, and lives are at stake."
Percival winced, predicting what would happen next. Kidd should have kept quiet...
"Who is that...?" Lilly's head turned around and beheld the blue-clothed child standing pressed to the wall by the mass of people.
Kidd turned white. "Uh-oh," he muttered.
"YOU!!!"
**********
Well? How was it?
Twenty-eight stars in one chapter...^_____________^ I'm almost afraid of what's gonna happen next. I'm sorry. I love castle-interaction. It's so fun to see how such weird people coexist with each other—or don't coexist, for that matter.
By the way, remember: Borus is not in love with Chris yet. He was just stunned that people actually thought that he was in love with Chris. But remember—it'll be a Chris/Borus...once I get around to it, at least.
KOROKU ALL THE WAY!!!!! Erm...well, who doesn't love the little wad of fur? Answer to my pen! Oh, and what other couples should I cram into this?
Well, that's it for now. I think.