Orbis was really one of the more amazing places Tear had ever seen, and even after her third visit, she still couldn't stop staring.
How in Grandis could an entire city be built on clouds and air? In the sky no less, which changed blue/black and wasn't perpetually orange-red. Sure, magic held it up and the whole thing would fall one day from what she'd heard, but Tear couldn't get her head around it.
She'd just finished gathering Eskalade's soul stones down in El Nath and was fully intending to enjoy herself before the dumb dragon could drag her off on yet another mission. Because at least this place didn't freeze her wings to each other and draw weird looks when people saw a girl struggling through the snow in a skirt and leotard.
And that was when the very masculine, very familiar voice rang out behind her. Tear froze.
"Hey, Angelic Buster! How's it been?"
She spun around to see a blue-haired teen charging towards her, waving a rather overlarge red sword that drew alarmed looks and cautious backpedaling from the tourists around him. Kaiser slowed to a stop a few feet away, cheerily nodding at her. It took Tear a few seconds before she realized that he wanted an answer.
"Oh, um, hey Ky- Kaiser. I've been… good, what about you?" Panicking and wondering whether her false identity was about to go up in epic Kaiser flames, but completely all right, thank you very much.
Kyle grinned and stabbed his sword into a crack between two stones, leaving it quivering upright. "I've been pretty busy, but it's been fun, yeah. I just came here to restock on potions on that, and saw you walking by. So, I came to say hello and talk to you about-"
Tear hurriedly interrupted before he could spill anything else, acutely conscious of all the passersby, fairy and human, avidly listening in on their discussion. "Kaiser, let's go somewhere else. You know…"
The other boy blinked, took a quick glance around, and looked back at her with an expression that screamed Yeah? What about it? And her insides clenched, because that was so like the brash, irresponsible Kyle she'd always known.
It cracked her heart in two to know that she couldn't reveal a single bit of her inner conflict to one of her best friends, lest he guess her true identity. So she sighed and turned away.
"… Let's just go. Come on, I know a place."
A place meant a bench somewhere in eastern Orbis Park with ice creams courtesy of a vendor along the way, where the two sat there awkwardly waiting for the other person to start the conversation.
"… So what were you going to say?"
"... Kind of forgot."
"Oh."
An uncomfortable silence. Though it wasn't that Tear and Kyle hadn't been able to banter without the incipient awkwardness. Mostly that Angelic Buster just didn't know how to talk to Kaiser as herself anymore.
Kyle rubbed his head. "So, I guess we should catch up. What have you been doing?"
She shrugged. Better than nothing. "It's been alright, I guess. Mostly I've been traveling. Victoria Island at first, then through Ossyria and the Nihal Desert." Wondering what she's supposed to do as the supposed dragon heroine. Arguing with a perverted blue dragon. Pining after friends who wouldn't recognize her now at all.
Kyle nodded. "Same, I guess. I've gone to a lot of places, served lots of justice and been the epic Kaiser savior of Grandis-" He smacks his hand into his palm to demonstrate. "-and all that. But for some reason, everyone insisted on calling me a demon. Which I'm not, and I tell them that every time, but no one listens. Tough digs, right?"
That did happen to her a couple of times on her travels, but Tear just bought a cloak to hide her less human features and tried to stay out of sight. She sighed. "Yeah, me too. Maple World is strange, isn't it? It's so bright, and the trees are the wrong colors. I used to think the people here were mutants or something, they don't even have wings." She shuddered - that was really one of the worst things about coming to Maple World. The sun was fine, it made things prettier and more sparkly and that was even better, but when she'd first met a human, she'd asked them where their wings and horns and tail were. It had taken a while for her to notice that the guy was too shocked by her own to speak.
(As it turned out, he was actually too dazzled by her looks. Something about a goddess?)
After she'd finished telling that story to Kyle, she lost track of where she was for a moment. It was almost like they were back home, and everything was just like it was. Almost made all the difference, didn't it?
And then she heard a snicker.
Kyle snorted again, and then cracked a grin at a rather affronted Tear. "Sorry, ahaha. Didn't mean to laugh. It wasn't at you, honest! It's just…" and a rather wistful expression appeared on his face. "You really remind me of someone I know back home."
Well, that was unexpected.
Tear felt a horrified expression well up before successfully smashing it back down. "R-Really?" she stuttered, flashing a panicked look inwards at a… sleeping Eskalade. How in the world did that work, and darn all the tokkas in this upside down world, she was alone now.
Kyle nodded cheerily, somehow not noticing the almost comical horror growing on Tear's face. I mean, you act like her, you talk like her, it's just like if you were exactly -"
Tear hurriedly interrupted him. "Kaiser, did you find an army to help us retake Grandis?"
Kyle scratched his chin in thought. "Oh yeah, that's what I came here to talk to you about! There's this group called the Maple Alliance. They're led by this girl who's really smart and nice and looks pretty royal and leader-like and all that, and they said they'd help us. Well, they said I'd have to work for them, but that's all right. Though I do miss home a lot."
Tear sighed and tilted her head back. "I think we all do. Our whole lives are back there, you know." More than Kyle would ever guess, as she remembered mornings spent clashing with wooden swords in front of their secret clubhouse, afternoons hiding in the bushes with Veldy from a Kyle demanding to know where they hid that brand new sword the blacksmith just gave him yesterday with a huff and a stomp. The nights sitting in front of the fire telling jokes and laughing over the funniest stories told by Kyle and maybe even Veldy when he wasn't being such a grump.
Magnus ruined everything, she grumbled. If he hadn't ever come, then Kyle wouldn't have to become Kaiser, and Velderoth would never have gone weird and run away. The next time they saw each other, she would beat him the heck up until he saw sense and came back.
She'd almost forgotten about Kyle - better call him Kaiser now, oops - until he spoke. "You know, I have a really great friend back there. She's nice and… well, she can't exactly fight in the war, but I really miss her. She was my childhood friend. I mean, me and her and Veld - I guess you wouldn't know Velderoth, would you? I'm not sure where he went after Magnus beat us all up. We used to do practically everything together. I really miss them both."
His words - they were so sweet, really - made her chest tighten and she found it hard to breathe for a second. With his armor, sheathed sword, and serious expression, he seemed so much older than the bumbling teen she'd known just a few turnings ago. Oh, Kyle.
She stared at the ground, quietly kicking her feet back and forth and watching the tiny puffs of dust dissipate. "I'm sure she's waiting for you. Your friend, I mean. She sounds like a really nice person. Velderoth - your other friend, right? - probably just needed to take a breather. He'll be back for sure!" A small giggle escaped her - that was easily one of the most introspective things Angelic Buster or Tear had ever said, and she could feel Kyle staring at her.
"You think so?" He sounded hopeful, and Tear shoved back the tightening in her throat as she looked up. Sky blue met indigo, and Tear could already feel the wide smile spreading across her face.
"Count on it!"
Because even after all that'd happened, they were still the best of friends. Maybe Velderoth had disappeared who-knew-where, Kyle'd gone and become a hero and she was still trying to fit into a new life, but Tear knew for sure - that one day, they'd all be together again.
Atop a stone tower, a green-haired boy wakes up. He rubs his eyes, glances out at the predawn light, and doesn't go back to sleep.
He has no idea where that dumb vision came from. That person - the Velderoth that led the Heliseum Reclamation Force and waved toy swords beside their secret base - he's gone.
The people in that dream don't know what he's done to them. He's hurt them, he's lied to them, and there's no way they'd ever forgive him. Not just like that.
Because when in this life has he ever been that lucky?
.
.
.
..
A/N: A spin on one of the conversations between AB and Kaiser in the game. I wrote this a really long time ago o.o Like, years. It used to be ABxKaiser, but when I finished it I turned it into something of a friendship fic starring my favorite trio. And then realized that Velderoth wasn't there and had to include that part at the end. Which turned it into a really weird thing, because Velderoth's watching a dream narrated by Angelic Buster who's actually his best friend having a conversation with his other best friend.
The writing in the middle is probably crap and OOC because I just wanted to fill it until the part where he starts talking about how she looks familiar, because that was the original inspiration for this fic.
Turnings are my headcanon as to how time flows in Grandis. Like, the moon and stuff.
I also wrote this when I still played Maplestory, and I haven't really touched the game for a year or more. Sorry if I get their personalities wrong. I also haven't played Kaiser past level 15.
The part that comes after this was also the original ending with Veldy. I liked the last four lines too much to leave it out.
III. Alternate
But as he rises to descend to the training grounds - he obviously needs to beat all this sentimental grobbler dung out of his system - he can't resist the faintest curl of a smirk.
Wait for me, guys. That fine with you?
He imagines a cheerful grin and spring green eyes. Blue irises flashing strength, closed fist raising victory.
Are you kidding? We'll catch up, just you wait!