Chapter Two

Nostalgia

This is...that time.

Viki turned from Futch and the younger Luc to the older one in front of her. Not sure why he's so dazed at the scene, she followed him and continued to watch the conversation between the two younger lads in silence.

But the conversation hadn't really developed any new sentence. Bright had left his settlement on Futch's shoulder and flew down to his laps. Futch petted him and the petite dragon let out a happy shriek.

"It's rare to see you here instead of in front of that stone tablet," Futch spoke without really looking at the one he spoke to; still petting Bright. "And it's still early in the morning, too."

Luc didn't turn his face to Futch either, but apparently he'd been listening. "The breezes here are saviors," finally he said after a while.

That made Futch turned to look at him. He smiled, then returned his attention back to Bright, who's now being teased by a butterfly. "Yeah, right. It's so peaceful, isn't it?"

The conversation ended in a peaceful silence as Futch was now completely interested in watching Bright trying to catch a butterfly. The butterfly kept on doing maneuvers to get away from the dragon's catch, but still lingering around his little head. Quietly, Luc turned his head to join Futch watching that scene, too.

The butterfly flew high out of Bright's reach and flew in circles there. Perhaps if it could, it would be laughing at the silly white dragon by now. Bright was trying to support his weight at the top of his two back feet and reached out as far as he could with his front legs. He didn't fly because Futch prevented him from spreading his wings. Futch didn't want him to learn bullying the weak.

In the end, he lost his balance and fell, making Futch burst into laughter. The butterfly then rested on Bright's head for a second before being chased out by the enraged dragon. Futch petted him to calm him down, still laughing. He then lifted Bright to the level of his face with a cheerful, loving expression in his face.

"Luc. Hey, Luc. Why do you look...pained?" Viki was asking the preoccupied guy in front of her.

Viki was right; the younger Luc sure looked like he's in pain the more he watched Bright's silly attitude and Futch's laughter.

The questioned person merely chose not to give any response to the confused teleportress. Viki was patiently waiting for an answer from his silent back until Futch developed a new conversation.

Still holding his white dragon high, Futch turned to Luc. "We can't imagine it by now, but this child will surely grow so big, that someday he'll even be too big to sit on my laps or to be lifted by my two hands like this. Amazing, huh?"

Luc looked away and started to stare at the grass again. It couldn't completely hide the darkness that shaded his eyes, though. That made Futch a little bit curious. "That is, if he manages to survive until that day," he said unenthusiasticly.

"What do you mean? Of course he will," Futch answered. He looked at Bright again with hope beaming from his eyes. "He will turn into a strong mature dragon and flap his wings into the sky, soaring reeeally high..." Bright returned Futch's look with wide, sparkling eyes. "And you might take me even higher than Black..."

"And probably will die in a war the same way he died, too," Luc replied.

Even Bright was upset as the small dragon saw how Luc's dark comments snatched away the light from Futch's eyes. Futch frowned at the depressing mage. "Can you not destroy any slight of hope at sight?"

"...No, I can't, apparently."

Futch frowned even deeper. Well, Luc might have never been a comforting company since the very first time Futch met him, but he'd never been this depressing. Usually, Luc was more like the butterfly earlier, always teased and mocked people around, but he actually had most of his time lingering around others. Although not as cute as the butterfly, he could be as energetic. Futch definitely sensed something was off with him that day.

Futch opened his mouth and the question "What's wrong?" was already at the tip of his tongue, but he hesitated. It's the kind of hesitation that you feel before you decide whether to knock on a coldly closed door or not.

And that's when a sneeze broke the silence again.

"-choo!" Another Viki popped out in front of the two surprised boys.

"Huh? Huh? Isn't that...me? Whaaat?" One of the eavesdroppers from behind the bush seemed to be surprised, too.

"Viki, keep it down, will you?" the older Luc warned her.

"But Luc, there are our dopplegangers over there! This is so awkward."

"...Viki, don't you remember anything?"

"Remember what?"

Luc sighed. "This is one day of our life 15 years ago, remember?"

"What do you mean 15 years? Has it really been that long since I know you? ...Uh, anyway, my memories are getting mixed up pretty easily, so I'm not good at remembering things..."

"Is that so..." Viki could almost detect the sadness in his eyes before he hid it by turning his attention back at their younger selves. Viki just followed his gestures quietly, too.

"-but, seriously, Viki, you should stop appearing in front of people out of nowhere like that. It's not good for the heart, you know?" Futch lectured her while regaining his calm.

"I'm so sorry! But I really can't help it once I start to sneeze..."

"Then maybe we should try asking Dr. Huan if he has any medicine to prevent you from sneezing..."

"Medicine? I don't really like- ...Umm, Luc? Are you still shocked? You look scary..."

Futch turned around to see what she meant. Fortunately, he was fast enough to catch a glimpse of Luc's paralyzed state before Luc quickly collected his composure and hid his face by looking down. Luc was stunned at Viki, maybe from shock, but then again maybe not since he was frowning. It's more like something else, like, fear...? But why would Luc be scared of Viki?

"Luc?" Futch tried to call out his name.

"Are you not feeling well, Luc?" Viki asked, which made the older Luc experienced a feeling of déjà vu. He sure had heard that exact sentence twice that day from the same person.

"Not at all," Luc simply replied without lifting up his face.

"...You look pained again," the older Viki threw her comment into the air knowing that she'd be ignored again. Luc didn't really mean to ignore her, he just didn't know what to say since it's the truth.

"You know, you've been awfully gloomy today," Futch came again.

"And it's not just today." The voice came from behind the two sitting boys.

"Whoa, Sasuke! I didn't sense you at all!" said the surprised Futch. Luc and Viki were surprised, too, but Luc didn't seem enthusiastic at all while Viki seemed to be more interested in what the young ninja had got to say.

"Well, of course. I'm a ninja. What do you expect?"

"What do you mean by 'it's not just today'?" Viki asked.

"Well, he's been like that since that particular war, isn't that so, Luc?"

"Now that you mention it... Something happened back there, didn't it?"

Luc was being even quieter and he turned his head away, gesturing that he's seriously pissed right now. The tenseness in the air had turned too fierce. Futch and Sasuke knew better than to provoke him more.

But unfortunately, not Viki. "Huh? What? Did you mean that fight with that bisho-mmpfh!" Sasuke's hand shut her mouth in time. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"Sorry, Luc. That's none of our business," Futch apologized.

Luc just lowered his head, but that's not a response.

"Viki, there you are!" It's Sheena's voice.

"Huh?" both Viki reacted. Just after Sasuke had released the younger Viki, Luc had to shut the mouth of the older Viki. "I'm sorry..." she hissed from behind Luc's hand before he hesitantly released her, too.

Now everyone's attention was being stolen by the newly approaching guy. He arrived after running all the way to Viki. And judging from his fast breaths, he must have been running for quite a while.

"Hey, don't you dare disappearing on me like that, girl!" Sheena burst.

"Eh, did I? I'm so sorry!"

"Sheesh... Okay, that's not important. What's important is...you know, your answer."

The three other boys that seemed to have been listening all that time apparently began to stick their ears more closely.

"Answer? What were we talking about again?" Viki seemed to be lost.

"You forget? Seriously... I was inviting you to take a bath together, remember?"

"Whaaat? Why do I have to take a bath with Sheena?"

The three cute boys lost their interest. It's just Sheena's regular flirting; everyone's so used to it. The two continued their own conversation while the other three were back being with just themselves.

"Luc, look! Sheena's flirting with Viki again. You're usually madder about this," Sasuke teased his mage friend.

Luc just looked away. Futch and Sasuke exchanged perplexed look. They're a little saddened at the fact that Luc didn't even care to say "Shut up" like what he would generally reply. It felt somewhat lonely with their friend acting that distant.

"So vibrant already this early?" Tir said as he walked in along with Riou.

Everyone stopped to greet them with a warm "good morning", except Luc. At Tir's voice, Luc had seemed like something struck his mind and he quickly turned to look at Tir. But then he paused with an open mouth, looking so serious yet hesitant. No one seemed to notice―since everyone was now chatting with the two newcomers―until Bright poked Futch. Futch might be lost as to what's going on with his depressed friend, but as soon as he saw him, he knew that this called for a little help.

"Hey, Tir. I think Luc's got something to say to you," he said.

The called guy turned his attention towards Futch then Luc, followed by Sasuke.

Luc blinked, startled, but he's too troubled to care what favor Futch had done for him. Even after Riou, Viki, and Sheena also gradually turned their attention at this later, he's too preoccupied to care how much attention he had earned.

"You..." he began hoarsely. He tried once more after lightly clearing his throat.

"You know the future, don't you?"