A/N: Ermahgerd, mah leg hurts. And be-tee-dubs: there are minor spoilers ahead and a Gary-Stu like character ahead. Only major spoilers if you make a certain connection between two events or things. :3 Slightly OOC Damas is here too.
Disclaimer: I only own Essaji.
Key:
italics= the deal
'blah'= Kid
"Hey again..."= Normal speech
-(3rd person, majorly the Kid's)-
The blonde began to blush. The other boy thought for a second before realizing how what he had said had sounded.
"N-not like that!" He blurted, "I meant it like something that makes sure we still are friends in a NOT SEXUAL WAY nineteen years or so from now."
"Oh, okay," The prince sighed in relief, "What exactly do you propose?"
"Okay, now hear me out on this before you react. I'm thinking that if at some point any of our kids got really chummy and-slash-or if we can tell that they're head over heels for each other-"
"I already see a problem with this."
"You said you'd hear me-"
"I don't care, I already see a flaw."
"But Da-"
"Shut it."
"Bu-"
"Zip!"
"Ju-"
"I said zip!"
"Fucki-"
"Nah!"
"Bla-"
"I am the fucking king and ah be fuckin' decreeing that you shut the hell up and let me speak, damnit!"
"...The floor's yours."
"Thank you. I see a flaw with this, Torrent. I have no children, and just because you technically have one already that does not mean I will have them as well."
"You will though."
"How do you know?"
"Two reasons, your 'kinglyness'. First one: You are the only one bearing your family's name."
"I'm quite aware of that already. And the other reason?"
"You love Renny too much to not let her be a mother."
-/-/-/-
(Two years later...)
The child sat on the concrete by the harbor, his feet barely hanging over the edge. His ever-faithful and loyal crocadog Mutt was sitting by his side, being his only form of companion ship for the past few years.
Loud yelling and the sound of zoomers passing over-head were the only things letting him know that people were still on the planet and in the city. The old man caring for him had vanished earlier in the day, leaving Mar alone and scared. The combination of the two feelings had dragged with them a memory of a time where he had felt the same way. The night when his one and only true friend had abandoned him.
The first thing that had popped into his mind when he was alone that morning was to wander the city and look for Kor. But because of how small he was he couldn't really see who was who. That on top of the scary men in red trying to take him, fear wormed its way deeper into the prince's tiny heart.
So now, he sat by Haven city's harbor infront of a bar, not caring who found him or took him. All Mar wanted at that moment was a friend like the one he had lost.
A loud commotion approached, signaled by sirens blaring loudy. It caught Mar's attention and he saw large squads of men in red approaching, chasing after a young woman. Whatever she had done was not okay with the guards.
As she got closer, the boy's heart nearly stopped. She had an eerie resemblance to his only friend. Not only was this woman's hair the same shade of grey, but her icy blue-green-grey eyes matched too. Plenty of choice words oozed out of her mouth, slightly squashing Mar's belief that she was his old friend.
The teen skidded to a halt and looked him right in the eyes. Mar quickly looked away, his face heating up. Something about her made him a little uneasy.
A soft thud echoed on the concrete beside the prince. He turned his head to investigate and saw the girl beside him, her hair hanging around her face. It gave the illusion that she was staring intently at the water. The guards looking for her ran right by them, and a soft chuckle slid past the rebel's lips.
"Tontos burros," She said, pulling her hair back, "I'm right under their noses, hiding in plain sight."
Her lightly tanned face was looking at Mar.
"So, uh," She said, scratching her neck, "What's up?"
The little prince shrugged his shoulders and started to try and alert this stranger of his 'disability'.
The girl squinted, almost as if she was trying to read something in a darkly-lit room.
"...Charades?" The teen said, cocking a dark grey eyebrow, "At this time of night?"
Mar nodded quickly.
"Okay, whatever you say kid. You start."
The five-year-old gave the sign for 'two words' and pointed to his eye.
"Blue eyes?" The teen guessed, "No, um blind? No, that makes no sense, you wouldn't know I was here... Oh! You mean 'I', right? Like 'I am...'?"
Mar nodded and tried to create something for the next word.
"Um..." The charcoalett looked confused beyond words, "Choking? Nah, you're not blue, or red, or have any food nearby. Uh, singer? Nah, uh... Oh come on! Jesus freaking Mar, what is it? Gah, it's on the tip of my tongue too... Shi- I mean shoot! I wasn't gonna swear just now, I don't do that... Uh, um..."
The child kept making signs and signals, stuggling to hold back laughter as he watched this woman's face. She sure made some wierd faces and sounds when she thought about something.
"It's on the tip of my tounge," She said, waving her hands like she was fanning herself, "Oh what's it called? Don't worry kid, I know it. I'm just think-" A look passed on her face, "Wait, are you trying to tell me that you're a mute?"
Breathy giggles and soft applause was Mar's way of telling her that she was right. She exhaled and made yet another funny face.
"Thank God," She said, "I don't think I would've lasted any longer. I felt as if I was wandering farther into insanity there for a bit." She chuckled softly and looked Mar in the eye, "I know what it's like, being mute. A clog of sand and blood sat on my vocal cords for eleven years, rendering them useless."
A small look of shock appeared on the child's face.
"Hard to believe, right? I mean, I can be dead silent when I want to be, but when I'm comfortable and relaxed, and around people I know well I can ramble for ramble's sake. Like now, I just feel so relaxed. And since I have stranger issues, I must know you from somewhere. Now, be a doll and refresh my memory. Who are ya kiddo?"
'I am,' The green-blonde attempted to sign, 'M-A-R.'
"Mar..." The girl sighed, then suddenly straightened her back, "Wait, Mar as in Damas and Renny's little boy?! That Mar?!"
The five year old nodded and hugged her arm, now knowing that she was indeed his old friend.
"No way!" She laughed, "Oh kiddo, you've grown so much for just two measly years! Wait, you remember your ol' pal Essaji, right?"
Mar looked up at her, shining a look of 'I'd-never-forget-you' on his face.
"Yeah, I figured," Essaji laughed, gently pulling the child into her lap, "I mean, who could forget a ding-a-ling like me? No one, even if they tried. I would be a parasite embedded in their memory, popping up during serious moments and making them laugh at the most inappropriate times."
Mar giggled and smiled. She was still her same old self, even though she now had a voice.
"But yeah, that's just me. So, how'd y'lose your voice? Too much cheering in the arena?"
The child shook his head.
"It was something bad, wasn't it?"
Mar nodded in response.
"Well I won't force you to remember it." She squished his cheeks together, "As long as my little Mar-chupie is okay..."
A soft growl soon emitted from Mar's crocadog. Essaji turned her head twoards the sound and held out her hand.
"I won't hurt him boy," She said calmly, "Mar is safe with me."
The boy was shocked when Mutt jumped up and joined him in Essaji's lap. The crocadog didn't trust many people, especially ones he just met.
"D'aaww," The teen said, "He's such a sweet boy! And his name is..." She looked at the tag and her face fell flat, "Mutt."
Warm laughter soon rang through the night.
"Mutt," She laughed, "That is so a Damas-name. I mean, why not Rex? Or T-bone? Or even Paul?! I mean, y'gotta admit, Paul's a better name than Mutt."
A slight buzz startled Mar.
"Oops," Essaji said, reaching into her pocket, "Gotta take this." She opened the comm, "Hello?"
Mar heard a faint voice on the other end.
"Hey dude!" His friend said, smiling widely, "What's up?"
The other person spoke again.
"Not much, chillin in the harbor with another bud and his pup."
There were a few more muffled words that were followed by a laugh. Who was she talking to?
"Ha ha ha, you are so funny... NOT! Nah, I'm-a just kidding! Where you at?"
There was silence. No muffled words came from the phone.
"Hello? Seere?"
Mar heard faint footsteps in the silence that followed. He noticed a dark shadow that was moving twoards him and Essaji. It raised a finger to its lips, signaling for the child to stay quiet.
"Yo!" Essaji yelled into the comm, "Kai! Are you there?! Necesitas hablarme!"
The figure stepped into the light and quickly jabbed at Essaji's sides, making her jump slightly and yelp loudly.
"Gotcha!" The man laughed.
Mar's eyes widened when he saw the man. He looked like a young boy in a photograph his father kept by his bed. Mar had asked about the other child once, and his father had explained that the boy was Mar's older brother, who had been lost for years.
Now the young prince found himself looking at a teen who could possibly be his older brother, having the same golden hair as his father and the eyes of his grandfather.
"Seere!" Essaji exclaimed, "You little son of a monkaw! You almost made launch this poor kid into the water."
"I would've gone in to get him if you had," The man said, sitting next to them.
"Yeah, sure you would've," The girl teased, "And I'm a Metalhead's grandaughter."
"...That would be very disturbing."
"So where have you been?"
"I was just at the Hip-Hog with your brother, Jak and Daxter."
"...So you were behind me the whole time?"
"Now you get it!" He turned to Mar, "She's not as smart as she looks, is she?"
Essaji playfully punched the man in the arm and stole Mar's aviator cap when he nodded in agreement.
"Ha ha ha," She said, placing the cap on Mutt's head, "You two are hilarious. Don't quit your day jobs though- You're not comedian material." A look passed on Essaji's face, "Hey kid, do you know this joker?"
She jabbed the blonde beside her with her thumb, and Mar shook his head.
"Well," The girl said, "Mar, this is my friend Kaile. Kaile, this is Mar."
The blonde looked away into the harbor, and said, "I'd prefer if you call me Seere, Mar. Kaile was the name my father gave me, and he's, he's not with us anymore. Only Essaji can call me that, really..."
Mar nodded, and looked up at Essaji.
"He's a little shy..." She said, ruffling the green-blonde's hair, "And he's a Mar too so-"
"Hey!" Seere said, looking right at the two, "Don't say that out loud. Do you know what would've happened if a guard walked by? I'd be dead, and you'd probably be going to jail, Saji."
"Nuh-uh! If the guards are going around and killing Mars, why hasn't your little brother been killed?"
The blonde was silent, and did not react to what had been said.
Mar looked at Seere, and he noticed the male's eyes were almost glazed over like those of a dead person's. The child began to panic, tugging on Essaji's tunic to try and get her to do something.
"It's okay," She said, "This is normal for him. Seere got his name from what he's doing now. He's 'seeing' who you are, what your hopes and dreams are, and what your life is going to be like. All you have to do, chupie, is not look away from him."
The child calmed down, and in a matter of seconds the man infront of him shook his head and his eyes looked clear again.
"...Now that I think about what you said, Essaji," He spoke softly, ruffling Mar's hair, "I guess I shouldn't be worried. I mean, if my miracle brother can stay alive in the city all on his lonesome, I guess a few more people can know my real name."
The little prince smiled a wide gap-tooth grin, causing soft chuckles to escape the teens. A soft silence soon fell between the three, punctuated occasionally by the noisy bar in the background.
Mar looked up and noticed that Essaji and Seere both had looks on their faces that showed they were deep in thought. The child grinned and tried to climb into his supposed older brother's lap, causing his Crocadog to grunt in disapproval.
The grunt confused the boy, causing Mar to look and giggle quietly. The crocadog still had the kid's hat on his head, and he looked very unamused.
The little green-blonde began to giggle, causing the two teens to snap out of their trance-like thinking. They both looked at the poor dog and laughed. After a good, warm laugh, Essaji decided that Mutt had spent enough time being the object of humor and removed Mar's cap from his head.
"It's getting pretty late," Seere said, looking at his comm, "We should find a place to sleep. Preferably one that has no alchohol, is kid-friendly and dead-silent."
"I know just the place," Essaji laughed, "So, about the loud noises part... Does my poor little Kaile-poo have a headache? Tienes un dolor de la cabeza?"
The teen blushed and nodded slightly.
Mar smiled warmly up at them.
The three soon stood up and started walking to a little motel where Essaji was known well enough to not have to pay. It was in the northern part of the city, so it would take them a while to get there regardless of transportation. Half-way there Seere picked Mar up and held the sleepy child. The little boy smiled and started to doze...
-(End chapter 2)-
A/N: Aaaaannnnddd there we go.
Spanish translations:
"Tontos burros": Stupid Donkeys/Asses
"Necesitas hablarme": You need to talk to me
"Tienes un dolor de la cabeza": Do you have a headeache?
Anyway, hope you enjoyed!
