Disclaimer: I don't own Rave. Mashima-sensei does. I do know the plotline 3 Omake and beta-ed by baka neechan ala schyra desu noda! Arigatou!
Warning: MAJOR use of blinking and staring xP
Notes: Well… I've been having quite a hard time writing these days, due to our dear periodic exams . So instead, I've decided to write the chapters longer. Well, tried… Also, this one can be quite a bit off-track, due to background stories that are self-created. xP
.: And the Hero will Drown :.
: Chapter One :
Wearing his coat, Sieg opened the door and stepped out of the hotel room, ignoring the beep coming from the door.
After coming down the stairs, which he preferred, he didn't even bother with the stare coming from the receptionist. Who wouldn't when you leave a hotel without entering it?
He walked past the guard, and stopped to stare at everyone and everything around him. The Mildean he knew so well wasn't what he thought it was anymore.
What replaced the clocks on top of every roof were normal windows, some even adorned with flower pots. Even the Tower of Mishakal still stood in its full glory on the Eastern Street. Sieg blinked, doubting his eyes, until he saw the royal castle with its golden gates.
'What the…'
He strode towards it at a rather quick pace, nearly running until the sight of the guards alerted him to stop. Staring at the grand palace again, flashes of memories entered him. The screams of soldiers being slaughtered, children crying as they lost their mothers… He could even smell the familiar scent of burning corpses and the ground shaking along with the memory of the tower falling as the castle was being robbed of its treasures, with blood splattered on the walls and portraits ripped and torn.
Slightly panting, he stepped back a bit and leaned on a wall, clutching the side of his head. Finally, he took a deep breath and glanced at the castle again, images replaying inside of him.
'You don't belong here…'
Someone told him that once. Someone very dear…
'You're a danger here… You have to go…'
He closed his eyes and inhaled. His head hurt, and he swore he could see stars at the back of his mind.
'Why do you persist on living? You'll only lead death to us all…'
The screams of innocent lives killed, men losing their heads as they fought back…
'You must go… You don't belong here…'
The sound of gates opening caught him from going deeper into his childhood memories as he suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the sight in front him.
Wide blue eyes stared back at him though, the Medallion of Light glittering as Niebel stood there.
Straightening himself, Sieg averted his eyes and turned around to leave the horrid place, until the boy stopped him with a hand grabbing the cuff of his sleeve.
---
He stared at the man, noticing the pendant present around his neck, the silver chain shining. Is it just a replica? He doubts that. The orb shines! Even the finest replica created for the museum doesn't shine that bright!
'It's as if it's real!'
He's greatly intrigued by it and blinked to keep himself from blinding his eyes. It was then when he realized that the man was staring at him with his head turned in his direction. And he noticed the man was frowning.
He quickly let go of the man's hand, and kept giggling to himself, unable to keep his laughter, jumping in doing so. It earned him a lot of stares and glances from everyone around them, but Niebel doesn't mind. He's quite used to it, being the prince and all.
Surprised at the boy's antics, Sieg faced the boy evenly and tilt his head, regarding the boy strangely with a cocked eyebrow. Funny, he didn't sense the boy before the child reached out to him. Still, it's very weird to see the boy jumping and giggling and acting like a child waiting for his candy.
"Neh, neh, neh, neh, neh, neh! Where did you get that pendant?" The boy started. No. He shook his head. This boy isn't any ordinary sugar-eating-hyper-active-jumping kid. This boy is bouncing, literally! Sadly, he didn't get to twitch his eyebrow though, since the boy can be even more persistent.
"Come on! Tell me! I wanna know who's creating replicas of my necklace!" The boy continued.
He didn't know if the boy is intent on suing whoever he thought is copying his property, but he pitied whoever the person will be suspected of doing so. He didn't care, though, of what the boy thinks, as he reckons the pendant is pretty much his property now, it being a keepsake from his brother.
He was quite tempted to talk back to the boy, hand unconsciously grabbing hold of the medallion. Instead, he just turned around and left the boy silently. He was tempted even more though when the boy pouted, but he dismissed that thought as he realizes one thing out of order.
The boy didn't recognize him as his best friend.
---
"O-oi!"
Niebel was shocked and yelled at the stranger, not believing someone just turned his back on royalty, even more so when the said someone freaking ignored him.
He was about to yell at the man again for being a moron when he suddenly saw the insignia on the back of his coat and frowned. The crest of a Guardian.
'Niisan…'
Niebel glared hard a the retreating figure's back, wondering if he should sound the bell to call the Crimson Knights1. Guardians have been the bane of his existence, not only for accidentally killing his brother, but also for trying to take over Mildean with the lame excuse of protecting the time stream. Rumors had already been flying about them being Chronos'2 men.
'And they say it's a far-fetched idea!"
Huffing out loud, Niebel pouted again, hands on his hips. "And here I thought everyone's polite! Fine! Be that way!" The boy yelled at no one in particular, the stranger already gone. It earned him a lot of stares though, but he ignored them and returned to the castle and to rant at his father.
'I'm so going to tell this to Otousan!'
---
He did hear the kid, yelling at him even though he's quite far from him already. His thoughts aren't about the child though, his major concern being everyone not recognizing who he is. Usually, when he walked around the street, people would be smiling at him adoringly, or girls giggling in their circle of friends.
He strolled around the western street, where the coffee and fruit stands are. He had already walked past a vendor selling apples when suddenly, a pink cloud revealing two girls appeared in front him, halting him.
"UGH! Why, oh why, do we have to practice teleportation when we can already do it?" The shorter girl complained, dusting off specks of glitter on her skirt. The one beside her kept her silence though and shrugged.
"Hilda."
It suddenly escaped his lips, and it took a lot of effort to keep himself from squeaking out loud when the two girls turned their heads and stared at him, the taller one glaring with her cold black eyes.
"Ariya…" Felicia, the shorter one, said and stared harder, making Sieg feel quite small. And he rarely felt like that. "So… someone wants an autograph, eh?" The feeling of intense fear tugged at him on the side of his cheek when he saw the smirk appearing.
"N-no…"
'Ohmygawd.'
He stuttered. He stuttered. The effing almighty Sieg Hart stuttered. Hilda? Autograph! He has to reread the newspapers. This never happens. It's usually his autograph everyone is dying for, not Hilda's!
"Nevermind."
He gritted his teeth and was forced to continue on his way twice that day. He even lowered his head to avoid glares and weird stares. It felt like they were quite fond of boring holes in the back of his head.
"Strange guy…" Felicia muttered, while Hilda just shook her head and reached a hand out from the depths of her cloak and picked an apple. "I'll take this, please." She motioned at the plump old lady.
---
He's already a few blocks away from his tower, where he studies with all his books. It was more like a home.
He walked a few more steps, staring at the random windows and stands when he caught sight of a huge dome made of ivory standing out from the row of buildings. Eyes going wide, he hurried a few more paces until he reached the corner of the street and stared at it.
His tall tower, where it was supposed to be, was gone, replaced by the dome with the signature mark of the Crimson Knights on its center.
'The Dome of the Rose…'
Worry and fear gripped his heart as its beat quickened, when the voice of the Fate sounded in the back of his mind, reminding him where he is.
'I can give you the chance of going back… but with a price.
'…Shit.'
OMAKE! D (by schyra)
Sieg sucked in a deep breath, closing his eyes and clenching his fist... He didn't want to admit it, it was too painful, but…
'…Now I can't pretend to be Rapunzel anymore.'
The thought was mind-shattering.
Releasing a tortured cry, Sieg fell to his knees. He pounded the ground with his fists.
"Why? Why! WHY! It's not fair.. You hear me! IT'S NOT FAIR!" he sobbed.
Around him, fluffy white bunnies poked their heads out from behind random objects, woffling their noses and twitching their ears.
Without warning, one squeaked and ran off, little fluffy tail bobbing wildly.
The others continued to watch.
Sieg stayed that way for a while, neither noticing the snowy white creatures nor caring that a small plant had begun to sprout from the spot of earth where his bitter tears of grief had fallen.
He stopped muttering to himself when he saw a pair of brown boots step in front of him.
Too saddened by his personal tragedy to feel embarrassed or any sort of shame, Sieg tilted his head up, looking into the eyes of the stranger.
They were a startling, clear shade of blue.
"My subject tells me you are most aggrievedly upset. Do you have a disorder or something?"
Sieg sat back on his heels, getting a better look at the youngster before him.
He was short.
That was the first thing Sieg noticed.
The kid was about level with Sieg's chin, even though the blue-haired mage was on his knees.
He had on a strange, short robe with several belts looped around his waist, some short shorts, a small quantity of strings, necklaces and gauntlets of various kinds, an oversized collar with a gleaming bell on it, a red ribbon and several ornaments in his hair and was covered by a fluffy white cape. Sieg couldn't help but feel that he knew this person… strange as he was… and he felt that was actually quite worrying.
Sieg searched his memory, furrowing his brow. He was sure he remembered..
It was the kid's silvery hair that triggered it.
"…Haru..?"
The kid wasn't smiling.
"Yup. That's me."
He stated with an innocent but neutral face.
Sieg gestured oddly. "Why're you… What's with the..?"
"I'm the Bunny King."
Sieg blinked.
"…Hah?"
"I've come to help cure you from whatever it is you have. So... depression, toothache? Did your girlfriend dump you or something?"
Sieg's jaw hung down loosely.
The older man just stared.
Haru waited patiently. He'd dealt with this before. Seldom did people actually get it that he was going to help them. They didn't think good things came so simply.
Finally, Sieg managed to snap his mouth shut.
"…Uh..?" he tried.
The mage considered spilling; just telling the oddly-dressed Haru in front of him everything and anything that troubled him. 'My friends don't recognize me!.. I feel insignificant!.. They wanted me to get an autograph!.. I can't turn my hair gold and make it longer with good reason anymore!.. Niebel was acting weird!.. Everyone was staring at my butt!"
Instead, he settled on, "…How?"
Haru blinked.
"With my Magic Bunny Staff." The boy lightly lifted the long staff (that was taller than he was) that was decorated with various cords, beads and a lone bunny sticker. It had a white rabbit plushie strapped to it (as you would tie someone to a tree) with a piece of leather belt and black cord.
Sieg raised a brow dubiously.
A rabbit crouched by Haru's side, the one that had run off in fact, gave a small squeak to it's… King.
" …You had a sudden case of unbearable grief and tragedy?"
The rabbit nodded.
Sieg blinked. The little creature was pretty smart.
The fluff-ball in turn, gave Sieg a look. It looked… maddeningly superior.
"Very well, then. I'll have you escorted back to my castle."
Haru tapped his stick on the ground. Immediately the rabbits stood at attention. A horn sounded from somewhere, and at once the little creatures scurried towards Sieg at an astonishing speed.
Sieg cried out as he was suddenly besieged by fluffy white bunnies. They were over him, around him, under him.. Before he knew it, he was lifted up above them and being moved… on a sea of bunnies.
Haru plopped down in Sieg's lap.
"Onward," he chirped.
And they were moving.
TBC
Schyra: Ah, that's like… 2 ¼ pages of omake. XD Might wanna make the omakes on separate chapters..