Age Twenty-Five

It's as quiet and peaceful here as he remembers it to be. Amazingly, everything still looks the same: the meadows, the forest, the snowy mountaintops in the distance, the river… it's as if no time has passed at all. When he closes his eyes, he can almost hear Dhurke's voice again, calling for him and Nahyuta to come back inside because it's getting late.

Dhurke…

It's been almost two months, but the deep pain in his chest is still as fresh as it has been back then whenever he thinks about him. There are still times when he stares up into the night sky, wondering which one of the million lights up there is the one Dhurke has lit for him, Nahyuta and Rayfa. Sometimes, he finds himself standing in court, having to make a decision, and wondering what Dhurke would do in his place. It is still palpable, the hole he has left behind. He has been the only true connection he has had to this country, really. Sure, there is also Nahyuta… but somehow, it is difficult to reconnect with him. They've both changed quite a bit after all. And Rayfa… well, he barely knows her. And she's difficult. Very difficult.

The grass rustles softly beneath his feet as he slowly walks down the meadow towards the river. Nothing has changed; the trees, the riverbank – everything still looks the same, like no time has passed at all. Apollo smiles a little when his gaze falls onto the rock he has climbed on that fateful day. It has looked huge to him back then, but now, he realizes how small it really is. It would be ridiculously easy to climb on it now, he thinks, and so he does – he carefully sets one foot before the other, avoiding the patches of moss, until he is standing on the exact same spot he has been standing on so many years ago. Below, the water is rushing, current as dangerous as ever, and he wonders if he has made the right decision in staying here, what Clay would say to him now if he could see him, what Dhurke would say if he knew how lonely he feels here.

It's strange – he has spent so many years in the US wishing he could return here, and now that he finally has, he wants nothing more but to leave again.

"Careful. Don't fall in again."

Apollo turns around. Nahyuta's standing there.

"Don't worry. I learned from my mistakes," he replies, carefully stepping down from the rock. "What brings you here?"

"I was looking for you. When you weren't in your office, I thought I might find you here. I wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

Apollo looks at him, befuddled. "A happy what?"

"It's the 14th of July," Nahyuta reminds him. "Your birthday."

"Oh… right. Well… thanks. Though we do not actually know when it is, do we? After all, my dad never told Dhurke my birthday."

"He didtell him you were born in July though, so the month is right. Dhurke only chose the day."

"Ah, I see." Apollo huffs when he realizes something. "Guess what, I think I already know why he chose the 14th."

"French Revolution," they say in unison, and then, they chuckle softly.

"Who knows, it might actually be today," says Nahyuta.

"Yeah…" Apollo scratches the back of his head. "That would be a crazy coincidence indeed."

For a moment or two, there is silence between them. Then, Nahyuta says: "I also wanted to invite you to the palace tonight. To celebrate a bit over dinner."

"I…" Apollo swallows. "That's very kind, but… I… I can't. Too much work. Sorry."

"I thought you were going to say that." Nahyuta sighs. "Apollo, I know something is wrong. You've been so… preoccupied lately."

"I'm fine," Apollo says.

"No, you're not. Forgive me, but I am not blind. I can see how you are avoiding us."

"I'm not – I'm not avoiding you, I just – "

"But you are. Every time I invite you over, you come up with another excuse. I may not have seen you in a very long while, but I can still tell when you're lying, Apollo."

Apollo's fingers nervously start to play with his bracelet and he bites his lip. Curse Nahyuta and his ability to see right through him.

"Just tell me what is wrong, ono'ro mit-sa," Nahyuta says gently and for a brief second, Apollo sees the familiar older brother in his features again.

"I…" He desperately searches for words. "I can't explain. It's just that… I don't really like those dinners with your family. I'm out of place there."

Nahyuta raises an eyebrow. "Your family? They're not just my family, they're your family, too. They're our family. And you're not out of place, you're one of us."

Apollo shakes his head. "Maybe I was once, but now that Dhurke's gone… now that he's gone, I don't fit in anymore."

"That's not true – "

"But it is!" Apollo interrupts him, voice shaking. "I never realized it until now, but Ata'oji was the one who was holding the whole family together the entire time, he was the one who made sure I always had a place here. It only worked because he was there."

"I don't think this is true. Nothing has changed, Apollo – "

"Everything has changed! Maybe you don't notice it because you still have your mother and sister, but I don't know them! I've never known them, Nahyuta. As far as I can tell, you and your mother are quite similar in character and therefore get along brilliantly, no matter how many years you haven't seen each other. Rayfa is also quite similar to you both and very familiar with Amara, and you all make a very happy family – but there is no place left for me." His eyes are starting to burn, but he refuses to let the tears come out – he has cried enough over it last night, while being on the phone with Klavier no less and probably worrying him to bits.

"Yes, there is," Nahyuta says quietly. "You may not know it or notice it, but you're so much like Ata'oji, and – "

" – and Ata'oji is gone," Apollo finishes. "Do you see my problem now, 'Yuta? He was the only one who truly understood me, who made me fit in. You still have your mother and sister you can relate to, but I have no one now."

"You have me."

"Yes, but… we haven't seen each other for years. We don't really know each other anymore."

"Well, then let us get to know each other again," Nahyuta says fiercely. "You always hide, Apollo. At least give it a try. Come to dinner tonight, please."

Apollo takes a shaky breath. "You don't understand. I don't belong there. I'm not royalty, I feel absolutely uncomfortable in this palace, it… it's just not me. I'm used to… to wearing second-hand clothes, to living in dingy apartments, to worrying about how I'm supposed to pay for a new suit because I haven't got enough money. I'm used to a completely different kind of life, Nahyuta."

"Alright. If you don't feel comfortable at the palace, then how about we have dinner in a tavern instead? Just you and me and Datz. Would you like that better?"

"I – I don't want to hold you back from your mother and – "

"Would you like that better?" Nahyuta repeats, more slowly and firmly.

"I… yes. I think I would."

"It's settled then." Nahyuta takes a step forward and lays a hand on his shoulder. "I do not want you to feel out of place. You're not. And we'll get through this together."

"A dragon never yields," Apollo mumbles, and Nahyuta smiles. "Exactly."

"That reminds me…" Apollo starts rummaging through his pocket. "I've wanted to give this to you for quite some time now, but somehow never managed to. Here."

He pulls out a wooden figurine and places it into his brother's hand. Nahyuta's eyes widen as he turns the hand-carved dragon in his hand, examining it from all angles.

"I made this when I was about eleven," Apollo says. "Back then, I still thought Dhurke would come pick me up any time, so I made this as a birthday present for you. It's not very good, I'm afraid, but – "

Before he can finish the sentence, he finds himself engulfed in a tight hug.

Apollo freezes. Nahyuta is not one to show affection in that way, he's barely hugged him even when they were both little. He has never realized how much he has missed it though; the feeling of being hugged by a sibling, his older brother. Tentatively, he leans into the embrace and smiles as he remembers something.

"Love you, 'Yuta," he says; the same words he has also said that day when thanking his older brother for jumping into the river after him and trying to save him. And Nahyuta apparently remembers as well, because he replies: "Love you too, ono'ro mit-sa."

They stay like that for quite some time, unspoken things that have been between them for so long being put into the embrace instead of being spelled out.

I missed you. – I missed you too.

Am I still your brother? – You'll always be.

Forgive me for being so cold when we saw each other again in the US. – It's alright.

Eventually,Nahyuta pulls back. "Would you like to pay a visit to Father's grave together? We can visit your dad afterwards as well, if you like."

Apollo nods. "Yeah. I would like that."

"Oh, I almost forgot…" Nahyuta lets the wooden dragon slide into his pocket and pulls out a letter. "This arrived for you today. Oh, and next time, Ga'ran loyalists decide to break into your office, I don't want to hear it from Datz. I want you to tell me yourself. Understood?"

Apollo pointedly avoids his brother's piercing gaze and takes the letter Nahyuta is holding out to him. The envelope is quite thick and heavy – it must be a very long letter – and the handwriting is one Apollo has never seen before. The sender is one Thalassa Gramarye – a relative of Trucy's perhaps? Apollo frowns, carefully putting it into his pocket. He'll give it a thorough read later.

"Are you coming?" calls Nahyuta who has already started walking back towards the old little house. Suddenly, Apollo notices a large blue butterfly sitting on the lowest branch of one of the nearby trees.

Ata'oji.

His phone beeps with a message from Klavier.

Happy birthday! Are you feeling a bit better today, Schatz?

Thanks, Apollo types back. And yes, I'm fine!

He throws a last glance at the butterfly and then starts running after his brother. "Hey, wait up!"

Because he will be fine. They'll figure everything out eventually.

A dragon never yields after all.

A/N: Alright, we've finally reached the end of this story! I want to give a big thank you to everyone who favourited, followed or reviewed; I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!