The young boy had asked about his parents many times. Every time he was diverted, distracted, or the person made an excuse to leave the conversation. But he wanted to know about his origins. Every other child had a mother and father. Even if they weren't present, they had a biological set of parents. The prince was raised by some nannies, as well as his godmothers, Saki, Shoko, and Akira.
He loved them dearly and appreciated them. But he wanted to know where he came from. He was about ten years old, he believed he was old enough to know already. The prince searched the palace for someone to ask, preferably someone who had been there all those years ago. But the ones who had accepted the blessing back then were scarce, although the population had grown considerably in the centuries that passed.
He walked through the halls and came upon a familiar face. "Maya!"
"M-Maya?! Ah, your majesty. It's you. Do you really have to call me Maya?"
"Otamaya is too long", the young prince said matter of factly.
"Then just call me Yusu-"
"Who are my parents?"
"Agh! Y-your...well...I..." Otamaya sighed. "Honestly, I don't know why everyone keeps it from you. The truth is-"
"Otamaya-san", a firm voice called.
Rukino Saki strode down towards them. Otamaya looked at her nervously. She gave him a hard look but smiled gently at boy. "Asking that question again? I suppose it is natural to be curious." She held out a hand.
The prince took it without hesitation and walked with her, leaving Otamaya behind. Saki brought him into his bedroom and turned on a holographic display. He sat down in a chair as did Saki.
"You remember all the stories I've told you, right? As well as your history lessons? Of how our empire came to be?"
He nodded and looked to the display as the screen changed. It showed faces that were very familiar to him. Everyone in their empire knew these names. Tokishima Haruto and Mikhail Karlstein. But the prince was confused as to what they had to do with this.
"It is because of these two men that our world is like this. And also, that you are here. Haruto and L-elf are your parents."
"Huh?!" He jumped from his seat in shock. "Stop playing around! They're both men! Plus, Tokishima Haruto died long before I was born! And Mikhail Karlstein was a normal human."
Saki nodded. "It's true. But what I said is also true. Would you like to hear the story?"
The prince settled back down and went back to his chair before nodded. He would finally get some answers.
Their empire was in its fledgling stages. It was still referred to as New JIOR. The other three nations had fully recognized it, but it was still unfinished. Shoko was still prime minister, but the political stage was changing. And she believed she wasn't fit for it. Not as the pilot of Unit I.
L-elf had gone over the options for the types of government. In a world where magius and humans lived in peace, a magius had to be in a seat of power, but who? Right now all he had was Akira, Shoko, and Saki. The remaining students of Sakimori were all able to become pilots, and thus become a magius. But finding one who would willingly change would prove difficult.
That was why he kept Shoko on as prime minister until his plans were concrete. She may consider herself not meant for the job, but they needed a leader for the time being. The existence of elections finalized his decision. Democracy was lofty. When the next election came around, even with his skills he might not be able to predict the winner. Shoko was proof of that.
With Haruto dead, L-elf knew that the task in forming a world for both humans and magius was left in his hands alone. He could only trust himself. L-elf needed someone whom he could control without worrying about any political opponents.
That was how he announced the plan to turn New JIOR into a monarchy. He supported his idea by explaining that a long term ruler would have more time to execute their campaign promises and as long as the citizens chose the royal family, they could rest assured that their best interests would be thought of.
Some opposed, saying L-elf only wanted to put himself on the throne, but he denied that accusation. He wanted a magius. As a non-student, he would never be able to give up his humanity. But L-elf reminded them all that they had the choice and left it at that.
The second and what would become the final election of New JIOR was held and Shoko stepped down as prime minister, giving way to the first emperor, Renbokoji Satomi. In L-elf's eyes, he was very good at taking orders and did well in social situations. Satomi became a magius and the homo sapiens novus population grew just by a bit.
"I won't bore you with all the details. You pay attention to your classes well anyway. L-elf worked endlessly to change the world. Even after Haruto died, there were battles to be fought. But you did not become an idea until L-elf began to grow old."
Saki changed the projection to show an adult L-elf of thirty-one years.
"Satomi had only ruled for fourteen years before we all agreed L-elf should be emperor. He refused, very adamant that a magius remain on the throne. That is until Otamaya had an idea."
"If Haruto was still here, I'd nominate him in a heartbeat", Yusuke said offhandedly.
"The dead have no place in this conversation", L-elf replied coldly.
Shoko smiled. "He would have rejected the idea anyway. But, I think Haruto is the only one that everyone would accept without arguments. If only there were a way."
L-elf held his hands together in his lap. By now, every citizen of New JIOR was a magius and most had retained their teenage appearance. But L-elf continued to age, looking much older than the rest. "If Tokishima Haruto were alive, certainly he would have the people on his side. And by extension they would rally behind his family members."
"Family? No one knows where his father is and his mother is dead", Saki said firmly. She crossed her arms, wondering where he was going with this.
L-elf looked to her. "His parents are out of the picture. And any distant relatives are out of the question. But he has an heir."
She frowned deeply and put a hand to her stomach. "He didn't-I-I didn't...What are you talking about?"
"I gathered up all of the data on the VVV Project. Tokishima Soichi was very proud of his son's genome."
Shoko looked confused. "Genome?"
"You aren't suggesting we clone him?!", Saki was absolutely against it. Haruto was unique. There could never be another. Even if the copy looked exact down to his naive expressions.
"I said he had an heir. Not a twin." L-elf sighed. "With his genome, we could create a person to raise into the next ruler. However, with only Haruto's genes, it will be a clone." In the years that had passed, he'd become more understanding of people's sentimentality. Having a clone on the throne wouldn't bode well for their opinion of royalty. "I propose that there be a second donor to act as another parent."
Saki looked at Shoko and Shoko looked at Saki. Akira, who had been in a corner, eyes glued to a monitor, started to get anxious. L-elf could feel their tension and decided to break it.
"The donor does not need to be a magius. Or even female. I will not make the decision either. The second parent should be someone who will be supported by the citizens. Someone they will respect and thus respect the child."
With that, he left the meeting. The other members of the cabinet left, leaving Akira, Saki and Shoko. Akira looked to them before quietly shuffling out.
"Saki, you loved Haruto, right?"
"I love him. Even now. How dare you ask such a thing?"
Shoko looked down, then turned her gaze back up to the dark haired girl. "I love him too. That's why I don't think either of us should be the mother."
"And just who should it be?", Saki snapped. The image of some other person getting to have a child with Haruto, even if it was this way, it was too much. "You are his childhood friend. At least you should get to do it. If not us, then who? Who understands Haruto more than us?"
"So you would be fine if the person understood Haruto? Perhaps if they knew things about him that Haruto didn't tell us?"
"If you could find such a person, I would happily relent."
Saki stood and walked over to the prince, stroking his silver hair. He smiled and leaned into her soft touch.
"It took me a moment to realize she meant L-elf. I knew then that was the right choice. He agreed with that, but it wasn't proceeded with immediately."
"I figured. He was a human who died ages ago. He must have saved his DNA to make me. But why did he wait?" His face saddened, thinking that this man didn't want to raise a child.
"L-elf saw everything. Everything until his death, actually a few things beyond it, were all in his plan."
The procedure did not happen right away. Satomi stayed as emperor while Haruto's genome was deciphered and made usable. Even when it was ready, L-elf kept it paused. If the child was born now, of course he would take responsibility and care for them. But that was not the right way. He reasoned that people would accuse him of trying to rule New JIOR from the shadows, despite him refusing the title.
Never mind that he was already practically running the country, L-elf didn't want any hiccups. There could be no risk of rebellion, which meant he had to satisfy majority opinion. So the child would not be born until he was already dead. He entrusted the child's education and well being to Saki and Shoko, the two women who knew Haruto best.
They were still a long way to the world the prince had grown up in, but had changed considerably since Haruto's death. Earth had been claimed entirely under the New JIOR flag. ARUS had openly challenged them which resulted in a war. Dorssia had joined with New JIOR and in the negotiations, the the federation had become part of the new empire, as well as all ARUS-owned Earth locations.
On the blue planet, the magius and humans coexisted. Laws and regulations were put into place to keep both species safe and well cared for. It would be long before they expanded beyond that even more but L-elf would not live to see it.
At the ripe age of ninety-three, he laid in bed, thinking of the life he lived. He thought of the Earth; how predator and prey lived peacefully; how he fulfilled Lieselotte's dream and kept his promise to Haruto. L-elf had known his end was coming and had permitted the beginning of the child's development.
By his bed sat those he had known all these years. Seventy-six years ago, he had tearfully called Haruto his friend. His only friend at that time. Now he was surrounded by friends. L-elf smiled at that too.
Shoko was trying to say something but she couldn't speak above her sobs. Akira rubbed her back. Satomi and Takahi stood by the wall, looking on. Saki just stared firmly, unsure of what to feel in this moment. Otamaya entered and sat by the bed.
"They've begun to manipulate your DNA with Haruto's. It'll take some time, but they'll make it work. They wanted to know it you had any special features in mind."
"They must be a magius. That is enough."
"You have the chance to make them look exactly how you want and you don't care? Honestly", Saki scoffed. Her heart felt heavy, knowing L-elf would soon die, but she didn't feel like crying right now.
"They must be a magius. That is enough", he repeated.
"Those scientists already have an idea for what the appearance would be. You said it yourself, they shouldn't be a clone. So down in the lab there was the idea to make absolutely certain there was a good mix between you two and well..." Otamaya took out a small device and a three dimensional image was projected before them. It was just from the neck up of a teenager, quite the androgynous one. But the bright blue eyes and silver hair let everyone know.
Shoko's tears just fell harder, seeing Haruto's eyes so vividly after all this time. Saki looked away after a moment, unable to bear it. But L-elf's smile widened on his wrinkled face.
"All they need is a name", Takahi said.
"If we're keeping with the mixing theme, he should have a JIORan and Dorssian name", Satomi pointed out.
L-elf closed his eyes. "The name Karlstein was imposed on me. While I owe many things to it, it is something that should fade into history. If I could choose a name for myself, it would be Tokishima."
Saki's lips drew into a thin line while Shoko's tears stopped.
"If this child is one made from Haruto and I, they should be a Tokishima."
"You...you loved Haruto, didn't you?", Shoko asked, her eyes welling up again.
Takahi gave a small grin. "What do you know? Perhaps being the founder of a race gives you powers of seduction."
"That just leaves the first name", Otamaya said. "If their surname is Tokishima, then their first name should be Dorssian."
"Ilya", Akira said quietly.
Everyone turned to her and she met their eyes. "Because...it just seems like a good name."
"'Strength of god'... It is a perfect name. Tokishima Ilya", L-elf tried out the name. He nodded and looked to the hologram again. "Tokishima Ilya, you are the embodiment of the two people I care for most. Live happily."
He closed his eyes and sighed. After a moment, everyone realized that it was his last breath. Everyone eye in the room was filled with tears. But with the end of his life began to march towards their prince's.
"We didn't want you born right away either. We didn't want to push our feelings onto you. Everyone missed L-elf. But you are not him and deserve your own spot in the world. The scientists who created you were ready to facilitate your development and allow you to be born, but we still waited some years before that."
"That's why there's such a huge gap", the prince, Ilya pieced together.
Saki nodded. "You are what is left of Haruto and L-elf. But you are not your parents. While you are the prince, we didn't want the burden of your legacy crushing you. We didn't tell you, and took measures to make sure you never knew." It was why Ilya was raised primarily in the palace where they could monitor the things he saw and the people he met.
"I understand...But, I'm really happy! I thought I might be related to Tokishima, but that could've been a coincidence. To be related to Karlstein too?" He smiled proudly and brightly. "I have some really amazing parents, don't I?"
"Truly amazing", Saki agreed.