Those of you who follow me on ao3 know this chapter was up like 2 weeks ago. Sorry I forgot to post it here. Tbh I don't know how much longer I will be on fan fiction. A lot of little things make me anxious about writing here, not that anywhere else is any better. So I'll drop chapters here when I can.
SK
There was something soft and fluffy that tickled his nose. It woke him almost immediately, making him think he needed to sneeze.
Syo wanted to tell whatever it was to stop. To get away from him so he could continue to sleep. Whatever his dream was it was better than the reality he was living right now.
Right now… it was dark and gray. His life felt like it had little meaning anymore. But his world had just been turned upside down. He really didn't want to open his eyes to a colorless world. But with the tickling of his nose he knew, whatever that dream had been, had faded. It was time to open his tired eyes and face this cruel reality.
When had the world lost its color? That was what Syo wondered as an array of yellows and blues assaulted his eyes. For a moment Syo believed he was actually free. Where was he? Was he back home? What was home again?
It felt like it had been forever since he had seen the sun.
But it wasn't the sun he was looking at. He only realized it when he tried to move his arms. They were firmly pinned to the bed, a mess of weaved ropes holding them in place.
The 'Sun' moved slightly, shifting over his bare body. Natsuki? Or was it Satsuki? Which one was real? Or where they both part of his rapidly deteriorating mind?
He opened his mouth to speak, parting his dry lips, but his voice failed him. His question came out more as a wheeze. Why was this happening? Why must he suffer so the people who betrayed him could live happy lives? Why was the world so unfair?
But when the light dimmed, neither of the mischievous twins were in sight. Instead big, childish, red eyes glared at him. The one that examined him couldn't been more than six years of age.
"Who are you?" Syo's voice was rough. He felt like he hadn't had anything to drink since Ai took him from his homeland.
"Who am I? Who are you?" The child deflected the question in a musical voice.
"Syo." He answered shortly.
The boy hummed at him, looking him over. "That doesn't look comfortable. Do you mind if I undo them?"
Sup blinked. He didn't know who this child was or how he even got here. Never mind the fact he didn't know where here was. But this had offered to untie him. Maybe he couldn't escape the insanity that was his new life, but he would damn well try if this child gave him the chance.
"Please."
"Okay." His voice didn't hesitate over the possible repercussions of his actions. He said it with cheer and optimism.
And seconds later Syo felt his restrictions fall from his bruised arms. Sure it was insanely fast, and probably not possible for a child, but he wasn't going to think too hard on this.
"Do you have anything to wear?" The child asked.
Syo only shook his head. Ai saw no reason to give him anything more than a thin sheet to cover himself with.
Those red eyes watched him before holding out a tiny hand to him. "My brother might have something in your size."
"Who…" Syo said, stunned by his kindness.
"I am Otoya." The child grinned, grabbing his arm and pulling him to force him off the bed.
Otoya, the tiny sun, his savoir. With all of the strange things that had happened since he had been taken, this was the most surreal.
Syo's feet touched the cold cobblestone path. If he hadn't known any better, he would have just assume this to be a simple mountain village. Actually, for all he knew, it could have been. Other than what happened in front of the council, nothing mystical had happened. Ai came and went as he pleased, and there was a set of crazy twins playing mind games with him. For all he knew this could have been an ordinary place that he was made to think he couldn't escape.
"Do you and your brother live around here?" Syo asked. He felt a little guilty trying to interrogate a child for answers about all of the strange things that he knew in the back of his mind couldn't possibly be real. Buy he needed answers.
"We all do." Otoya said simply.
But who was this we? Was he referring to Ai, Natsuki, and Satsuki? Were there more?
"What about your parents?"
"We don't need parents." He said. "The Queen takes care of all of us. She…"
He stopped walking. "No, he wants to know. The Queen don't mind. Then maybe Ai shouldn't have brought him here. Yes, I remember Tok- Fine."
Syo eyed him cautiously. Had the young boy just had an argument with himself? He had heard of people like that when he was helping his people. Some mothers would wail about how their child had been touched by madness. But until now, Syo had never seen someone like that.
Otoya turned to him. "Ittoki would like to talk to you."
"Is that your brother?" Syo asked.
"No. Ittoki is Ittoki."
What did that even mean? It was at this point Syo realized it might not have been the best idea to follow a child, that had gone into the person who kidnapped him, and expect him to lead him to safety.
But still, if he played into the delusions of this child there was a better chance of him surviving than with Ai, who cared so little. How could this child hurt him.
"Sure. I'll talk to Ittoki."
Otoya bit his bottom lip looking nervous but he nodded.
In the moment that it took for Syo to blink something had happened. He didn't know what, but the child in front of him was no longer a child. His face was long and lean. His red eyes much sharper.
"Wait…" Syo said, rapidly blinking. "Where?"
The man in front of him sighed. "I told him to inform you better, this is what we get for putting our faith in such a young child."
This was definitely weird. Natsuki and Satsuki level of weird. Ai saving him level of weird.
"I am Ittoki. My other half, Otoya, failed to tell you about us."
Other half? "Are you…?" Syo didn't finish, hoping he would never have to. He had heard of people in other kingdoms that owned young children and often participated in… adult pastimes with them… but he really hoped that wasn't the kind of place he landed himself in.
"We are two halves of the same whole. The Queen gave us each a shape of our choosing."
"The Queen, huh?" Yup, that was it. Syo had no idea what was going on. In asking questions, it only left him with more questions.
"That's all well and good, but I think I should be going." Syo took a step back, internally cursing that he had nothing more than a bed sheet to cover him.
"In that?" Ittoki raised his eyebrow. "You'd be better off coming with me. I won't hurt you, and I know you probably think that I'm crazy, but just know I let Otoya go to you. I was the side who overheard the twins' giggles of delight that Ai left his toy unguarded."
"So you're saying you're the good guy in this?" Syo tugged his sheet closer.
"No, absolutely not. If I did anything to make you assume that I was kind or any different from the others you've encountered, I must apologize." Otoya whispered to him. "You looked so innocent and naive that I thought you could use a friend, so I sent the childish side to your aid. But even I have become interested in you. Why would the stone cold Ai go out of his way to save some nobody human? Who are you?"
Syo wanted to laugh. After all of this, he had some crazy person asking him who he was. He didn't even know anymore. He prayed that he was trapped in a nightmare that he could wake from at any time. He thought he was Syo Kurusu. He thought he was a prince, a helpful leader, a kind ruler. But apparently he had been wrong about that.
"Who knows."
