If I owned the Tales of Arcadia series, I wouldn't be writing fanfic that is vaguely based off of a tumblr post about how Krel might become a villain due to a desire for revenge.
Krel hears the doors to his lab open, and someone walk into his lab. It's not Lucy, because Krel can't hear her heels click against the ground. Still, Ricky has tried to get him to come to dinner before. "I told you, I'm not hungry," he says.
"We're worried about you," says Douxie. Krel looks up from his work to scowl at the wizard. He must have messed with the various shields. That, or tricked Ricky and Lucy into letting him in.
"I'm fine. Leave me alone."
Douxe walks closer. "When did you last sleep?"
The last time Krel slept, it was a full eight horvaths. It was a two and a half delsons ago, and he had woken up to a message saying there had been an attack on Akiridion-V. Aja was the target. Aja was okay. Aja was stubborn and making sure that she would still be able to be Queen on her own.
Aja should not be Queen. Not yet.
"Krel." Douxie is leaning over Krel, staring at the spellbooks that Krel is trying to make sense of. Krel is not a wizard, but he is a scientist and magic has rules.
"This is dark magic," Douxie says. Krel glances behind himself, one of his hands slowly making its way towards his serrator, just in case. Just in case Douxie is willing to be a hypocrite and kill Krel for deciding to use a combination of science and dark magic.
Well, Krel has no damning proof that Douxie has used dark magic before. Just the way that Douxie flinches slightly whenever Nimue or Archie refer to all dark magic being evil. Just the way that Douxie once looked panic for half of a secton when Toby mentioned that the color was starting to bleed out of Douxie's hair, leaving it pure white slightly above the blue.
But Krel does not need his serrator right now. Douxie doesn't appear accusatory. His gaze is at worst concerned, at best neutral, and either way his posture is nonthreatening.
Krel nods. "Normal magic and science won't bring my parents back. I'm sure you'd understand, you were there when Archie explained the three rules of magic and then told us that those rules don't apply to dark magic."
Douxie's eyes narrow. "Krel, it's not going to work. Your parents, they won't be the people you grew up with."
"I know. They won't fully remember me because they sacrificed some of their memories to save me and Aja."
"They're not going to know who you are and that'll be in so many ways worse. They won't remember you because you can't bring people back from the dead in a new body - or in your case new core - without a cost!" Douxie's eye turn a black and blue that is just close enough to Krel's own eyes that it makes Krel uneasy, but he does not back down.
Krel stands up, if only so he can use his full height against the now-fully-revealed dark wizard if the need comes. "Sure, without adequate research I can't. Same goes for being without a way to fully replicate the spell. Or without an adequate power source. But I'm not going to be hasty about it."
Douxie's gaze softens, but it does not return to gold. "I trust that you'll be careful and meticulous, because they're your parents and you don't want to hurt them. But, Krel, here on Earth non-wizards call trying to bring back the dead 'playing God', and I'd say they have good reason. And, I don't want you to get hurt for your hubris, not like I did."
Krel stares at Douxie for a long moment, debating. He doesn't want Douxie to ruin his plans, but lack of knowledge will ruin them as well, and Douxie is the most knowledgeable when it comes to the situation.
"I wouldn't be playing with a god's power," Krel says slowly, waiting for any reason not to reveal the power source he will be using.
Douxie gives Krel no reason not to trust him, so Krel takes out a well-disguised container. From it, he pulls out a purple life-core.
"Gaylen had the power to create and destroy planets." Krel looks up. It's hard to read Douxie's emotions because of how his eyes currently look, but Krel thinks there is a keen look to Douxie's gaze. "I'm not, I don't want to make another planet. Or destroy one, for that matter. But, if Gaylen had that much power, then surely by using his core I can bring back my parents."
"That could work." Douxie bites his lip, and then exhales. "I've been researching spells that could restore lost memories. I've even tried a few out, but they've never seemed to work. I... if we combine your technology and my spells..."
"We could both get our families back," Krel finishes. A weight lifts off his shoulders. One less disapproving person to keep this a secret from. One more source of knowledge. One more person to help Krel not make a deadly mistake, while still not trying to keep Krel from doing this at all.
"Okay. But, before we start working on this," Douxie says, a slight smile creeping onto his face and eyes returning to gold, "I have some ground rules. Call them, workplace safety, if you want. First off, we're not going to go crazy with desperation. Which means that you need to step away and sleep for at least thirty minutes."
Krel gives a halfhearted groan. One more person pulling him away from his work because they cared about Krel's health. Still, he can't bring himself to feel too annoyed.
A/N: Yes, Archie is Douxie's dad in this. No, I couldn't figure out how to work it into the plot since this is from Krel's POV.