Chapter 8 has arrived! All of you glad it didn't take so long this second time? I hope so! Currently in the exam period, so it might take a little longer than usual, but hopefully not more than 3-4 months. I hope you'll like it, and Herald is worried about his former best friend's strange behavior lately. But first, review time!
Guest (ch 1): He does! In the previous chapter, and later he and Boomer will appear, too
SGJBMCfan98: Yeah, nobody deserves it. There's aso a reason why people start bullying, and Teagan has some good reason too.
I don't own Lanny/Yamakoshi or anything you recognize. Enjoy!
-Writer207
Lanny had just been sulking about his latest failure and was planning his newest one against the Kings. As told last chapter, they could have been friends if they had been willing to stand up for Lanny, or even give him the throne for half an hour, but since the Kings had reacted in a bad way – in a bad way, meaning preferring a pool table over family – there could be no such thing. He acted cold towards them, wasn't afraid of humiliating them in public and tried his best to create situations in which they could die in any kind of way.
Pity. They could have become great friends.
He and Yama also didn't talk to each other. After the genius plan of Yama failed, Lanny decided to make the plans himself, but they also failed in one way or another. Yama then scolded him about the prince needing his fish creature, and Lanny couldn't really take that anymore. As response, he would not talk to him until the fish apologized. Which wouldn't happen soon, so Lanny was on his own for… well, for everything.
Someone knocked on his door, and Lanny silently groaned. Couldn't they just keep him alone? He'd told the guards he'd rather not be interrupted, for he was too busy with scheming to see people at this moment. The prince said nothing, did nothing, hoping to make the visitor believe he wasn't home, even though he was always home, hiding from those horrible bullies. Yet, this person knocked on his door again, a bit harder than the previous time. And this second time, a voice talked to him through the door. "Lanny, I know you're in there. Mahuma told me."
Lanny sighed. He decided to let him in, because he recognized the voice and since Mahuma told the boy where he was. "Fine!" he said, rolling his eyes; this comment meant whoever wanted to go in actually had permission to enter the room. Lanny watched the boy with dark hair and dark eyes enter, and turned his head – he really didn't want to see that face, while at the other side, it was nice he came for a visit. "What is it that you want, Herald?"
"I just wanted to see if you were alright," his former best friend told him, "You haven't showed up in school since the Kings came and went." Lanny eventually turned around, not wanting to look like a coward, but he did avoid looking at the boy who had changed sides and now was one of the bullies, even if it was only part-time.
"So you noticed," he merely said. Lanny had decided to quit school so he could spend more time in killing the kings. And once he's done that, he might reconsider going to private school. One without Teagan, Rean, Vic and Karell. Maybe Herald could join him. And about Herald, Lanny saw how he sighed.
"C'mon, I was worried you were sick! You never showed up, I… I really was worried!"
"Is that why you're here?" Lanny asked, "just because you were worried?" Herald opened his mouth, but closed it soon after and shook his head – a clear response which didn't need any more words to explain. "You want me to go back to school?"
"Well… yes, I…" He didn't even get a chance to finish this sentence.
"You want me to get back so Teagan can beat me up again?" None of them said something for a long time. Herald couldn't believe Lanny accused him from getting him out of the castle so Teagan could continue where he left off, and Lanny still wanted to know the real reason why his former best friend suddenly showed up and asked him to come back to school. Eventually, Lanny shook his head. "If that's why then leave."
"That's not why. If it was true, Teagan would've sent Karell," the young islander said, "I really am worried about you. Teagan and the others don't even know I'm here." Lanny studied Herald, but could find nothing that told him this boy was lying to him. So, he huffed and stood up, walking over to the door and closing it – both Lanny and Herald liked privacy, and Herald letting open the door was rare, and a sign of respect and that he hid nothing for the prince.
"So," Lanny began, looking at his former best friend. "you're worried, but about what? Me missing school?" Herald shook his head.
"No. it's your obsession with the Kings and killing them. Plus, that fish is creepy." He glanced suspiciously at Lanny's fish, who had a shocked expression on his face. Then, it turned to the islander bully, still shocked and a bit angered, too. "You're not a miss universe either! I bet you're part Dirt Fairy!" Lanny rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, Yama, this is my conversation!" "But he really is ugly!" "Just shut up and I'll get you fish flakes when he's gone." Herald took one step back when he saw Lanny like this – talking to a creature that most seriously could not speak. Talking to an animal could not be called 'sane'.
"Okay then…" Lanny turned back to Herald, "anyway, your behavior isn't exactly… well, you're not you."
"How so?" Lanny wanted to know.
"First, you've replaced me for a fish. That's just weird. And that obsession with the Kings … why don't you get along with them instead? They seem fine lads. Not exactly fit to be kings yet, but they look like they could become friends." Herald only realized his fault when the look in his eyes changed. From these emotionless, bored eyes could Herald now almost see how they spit fire and, if looks could kill, he'd be out cold from the moment he said the word 'friends'.
"Out," was all Lanny said, as he turned away from Herald, waiting for the moment the boy would leave him. Instead, being heartbroken to see his friend like this, he put one step forward, saying the prince's name, in the hope to reason with him. "GET OUT!"
"You know, I miss him. The old Lanny, who gladly came to school, who would never sink as low as you did! I hope to see you next Monday." And with these words, Herald left the prince in his room. Lanny puffed, and turned back to his plans – he did, after giving Yama the fish flakes he craved. And when Herald finally walked out of the castle, Lanny tried to find a way to get elected as the King for one day.
Neither of them knew that this very meeting was the last time they both saw each other.
