"You're leaving?!"

Daigiichi's eyes trembled as he shook the shoulders of the tiny boy standing in front of him like a ragdoll. Thinking that he had misheard, Daigiichi shook his head and cleaned out his ears twice before repeating himself.

"You're really leaving?"

Shaking his head sadly, the onion-like strands at the top of the boy's head drooped sadly while he replied affirmatively.

"Sorry, Daigiichi-nii...Hitomiko-san said I should take the opportunity while it's available and I already met them and they seem really nice so..."

"B-But..."

Daigiichi's voice trailed off weakly as he crumpled to the ground feebly.

First Seiryuu and now Doi...

This was...

Daigiichi shook his head to reorient his world which seemed to be collapsing around him and he tried to put a smile on his face.

"That's awesome Doi! I'm really h-happy for you." Daigiichi managed to get out before he began to bawl despite biting his lips in a vain attempt to stop himself from leaking tears out like a leaky hose.

Standing on his tippy toes to pat Daigiichi's shoulder, Doi gave him a silk handkerchief that he always kept with him since usually he was the one crying. Then, walking inside to begin packing, Daiigichi followed Doi inside once he had managed to calm his watery eyes.

Once inside the house however, he saw his two sisters sitting on the coach and he crawled in between them and wrapped his arms around Suzaku's torso. Surprised by the sudden hug, Suzaku deduced what had happened and she stroked his hair softly.

"Why are you crying Daigiichi? Being adopted is a good thing! You should be happy for Doi, it's rare that one of us gets the opportunity to leave the Sun Garden you know..." Suzaku said with a soothing voice but Daigiichi couldn't be consoled so easily.

"Yeah, stop being such a crybaby Daigiichi. Doi was supposed to leave ages ago but he stuck around just to keep playing with the rest of us...now that stupid Project Mars or whatever shut us down, there's no reason for him to delay his adoption any longer so get a grip already!" Haruka scolded harshly, while Daigiichi wiped his nose on his sleeve.

It seemed like he was the only one who didn't know then, Daigiichi thought glumly to himself.

Even though he knew it was a good thing Doi had managed to find his own family, that didn't mean he couldn't feel sad about losing one of his brothers!

Jumping out of Suzaku's arms, Daigiichi blubbered wildly at Haruka while pointing an accusatory finger at her.

"Y-Y-You're so stupid Haruka! You stupid head dummy!" Daigiichi swore vengefully, calling her the worst names he could possibly utter while Haruka examined her fingernails with a disinterested expression.

Sniffling, Daigiichi ignored Suzaku getting up to comfort him and he ran out the door in a huff.

"Daigiichi, come back!"

Hmph!

No one understood him so there was no reason to stay at the Sun Garden any longer, Daigiichi reasoned pitifully.

Stupid Haruka, stupid Suzaku and stupid Doi!

How could they all just leave like this?

Running until his legs burned and his chest became heavy, Daigiichi found himself resting beside the city's lake and he rubbed his rumbling belly.

Daigiichi knew he was being needlessly stubborn but with Seiryuu gone, it was hard for him to accept that Doi was leaving as well...and if Aniki and Doi were leaving then who knew who was next?

Hiroaki-nee? Noritaka-nii? Suzu-nee? Haruka?

The Eisei Eleven were supposed to stick together...

Always have each other's back...

Sighing gloomily to himself, Daigiichi stood up and brushed the rocks off his pants when he felt a long arm wrap around his body and lift him up in one quick scoop.

"Arghhhhhh!"

"Found you~" a feminine voice sang out from behind him.

"ARGHHHHHH!" Daigiichi screamed louder this time as he felt the person holding him begin to speed up.

"Oh can't you get him to shush Tareru?"

"Yes Lady Powai"

Then, feeling a quick chop to his neck, Daigiichi's consciousness drifted away as the two kidnappers raced into the night.


"ARGGHHHHH!"

"What the–!" shrieked a woman who was sitting beside Daigiichi when he woke up screaming.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" Daigiichi continued to scream as he tightened his fingers around the blanket that had been wrapped around him.

What would Aniki do right now? Daigiichi thought for a brief moment but the answer was obvious.

Time to attack!

Throwing the blanket over the woman's face, Daigiichi knocked her and the chair to the ground but she caught herself with one hand before hitting the ground. Then, kicking the chair and blanket away easily with a fluid motion she flipped her hair to restore it to its usual primness.

"What a predictable Azul! You'll have to do better than that if you want to beat Pichorii~"

Hmph.

Sitting herself back down in the chair which she had placed in front of the door, the woman crossed her legs imposingly while Daigiichi was forced to take a step back. Taking a closer look at the woman, Daigiichi raised his finger in astonishment.

He had seen that light blue skin and strange, upwards hair strands once before on the telly when he was watching the triannual Grand Celesta Galaxy Tournament!

"Y-You're a Snneezyan!"

"A Sazanaaran you mean! Ugh! Pichorii already hates her nephew, hmph!" the woman replied belligerently while stomping her foot.

"...?"

"Whaaaaaaaaaat?" Daigiichi cried out while tripping over backwards on his own feet.

"Nephew?!"

"But I'm not blue!" Daigiichi yelled in disbelief, pinching his skin to make sure he wasn't blind.

"Hmph. Pichorii is bored now so Pichorii is leaving~ Bye Bye Nephew-chan~"

Attempting to leave, Pichorii walked out the door and into the chest of another taller Sazanaaran with lilac purple hair and white highlights.

"Apologies Lady Pichorii, Lord Basha has requested that you do not leave until he arrives."

Pffft

Realising that she was trapped in the room with him, Daigiichi saw her previously bright yellow aura rear upwards indicating a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Sensing the attack, he avoided her flying kick with ease and stuck his tongue out at her.

Not giving up however, Pichorii lifted up the entire bed he had been resting on and was about to give it a kick when he heard a low voice bark authoritatively. .

"Pichorii Powai, put that bed down this instant!"

"Ugh, Can Pichorii leave now?" she answered in a sullen voice, but still put the bed down roughly.

"If this is another one of your ideas of a joke, I really won't let you off" the other Sazanaaran warned with a hard expression on his face.

Taking the chance while they were occupied, Daigiichi began to tiptoe his way outside when Pichorii pointed a finger at him and cried with indignation in her voice.

"If you don't believe Pichorii then just see for yourself!"

Hmm...

Lifting Daigiichi up with one hand by the back of his clothes, Daigiichi was finally able to see the Sazanarran who had been ordering his kidnapper around.

With a wide jaw, genial, neon-green eyes and short, pitch-black hair that extended upwards in two strands similar to his own, he looked strangely familiar somehow...

"It can't be..." the Sazanaaran muttered while touching Daigiichi's face softly.

"Pichorii! Explain yourself! Now!"

"Ughh! Pichori doesn't know! Pichori was watching the Earthlings Holy Road because she was bored and saw an interesting Azul so Pichori thought it would be fun to show you! Stop bothering Pichori now!" Pichorii snapped back; now regretting the decision to kidnap Daigiichi considering how big of a fuss her brother was making.

Sighing in disbelief, the Sazanaaran man dismissed her with a wave of his hand and guided Daigiichi outside along with a squad of Sazanaaran warriors who seemed to be his bodyguards.

"I'm sure you must be confused right now and I apologise but I need to do some investigations before I say anything. My name is Basha Powai and if you need anything, you can ask Galila-san and he should be able to fulfil any of your requests. Now if you'll excuse me."

Daigiichi saw Basha's aura was clearly distorted and entangled chaotically but he didn't seem to harbour any negative feelings. Judging that he was safe for the time being, he decided to close his mouth and nod agreeably as Basha departed with most of the guards.

Now left with one of the younger looking Sazanaarans, Daigiichi followed behind him as he was guided down a different elevator than the one Basha had taken which revealed an aquatic underworld.

Putting his hands on the glass-like material, Daigiichi smushed his nose so he could get as close as possible to the exotic environment. Opening his mouth with awe, he sucked in his breath and let out a long 'Whoaaaaaaaaa' as he saw strange fish with red and blue stripes swimming around them. Swarming together, they took on the shape of an enormous whale-like creature which then shifted into an octupus-shape before finally settling on a pod of seals.

"This is Sazzynara?! Awesome..."

Forgetting that he was kidnapped, Daigiichi ripped his face from the elevator and took a look at the Sazanaaran who was currently guiding him.

"This is Sazanaara, yes. The greatest planet in the Grand Celestic Galaxy and home to the supreme Sazanaarans! We'll be entering the capital, Kopokopo, soon so please hold on tightly, Young Lord Daigiichi."

Increasing in speed, the dome-shaped elevator began to zip across a long stretch of water towards an enormous dome filled with life and tall skyscrapers...or should he call them oceanscrapers?

"This way, Young Lord."

Picking his nose with an odd look, Daigiichi scratched his head with his other hand, unsure of why the older Sazanaaran was talking so respectfully to him for a brief moment. Not wanting to dwell on it too long however, he simply wiped his booger on his pants and continued to follow the man who led him to a massive building that reminded him of the Sea Dragon King's Palace in the stories Auntie Furuya read to them.

Pearls adorning each doorway, four floors that stretched as far as the eye could see, massive sculptures of bizarre fish monsters, and what appeared to be a jade material covering all the walls, Daigiichi began to feel pretty out of place as he compared it to the humble Sun Garden that he was used to.

"We've arrived Young Lord, if you have any requests simply blow into the seahorn and one of the workers will arrive shortly."

"Wait!" Daigiichi stopped the Sazanaaran before he could leave Daigiichi alone in the expansive room by himself.

"Yes, Young Lord?"

Twiddling his thumbs, while Daigiichi had a thousand questions racing through his mind he ended up spitting out the first thing that came to mind in confusion.

"Is there anything to eat? I haven't had dinner yet..."

"Of course, I'll have the chef cook something immediately."

"Chef? Whoa...that Basha dude must be loaded" Daiigichi muttered under his breath while the Sazanaaran finally closed the door to the room.

Running around the room the minute the door closed, Daigiichi quickly examined the ornate decorations but just as quickly got bored and buried his face into the pillows laid atop the massive bed.

Would Suzaku and Haruka be looking for him by now?

Had Doi already left before he could say a final goodbye?

Was...anyone missing him yet?

Worn out by all the crying he had done earlier and by the forceful kidnapping, Daigiichi fell asleep with a troubled look, not noticing a man sneak into the room and brush his hair softly later in the day.


"You can't do this Basha! Basha! I raised you! How dare you treat your own mother like this!"

"What kind of mother would hide her son's own child away from him?!" a voice thundered back, causing the floors of the house to begin to tremble.

"It was for your own good Basha! That trashy Earthling didn't belong here and neither does her dirty son. How can you not see that?!"

Rubbing his swollen eyes, Daigiichi walked out of his room to see what the commotion was about when he felt a pair of arms grab him from behind and pull him backwards into the shadows.

"Pichorii doesn't recommend you interrupt the show, nephew-chan. Here, Earthlings like these things, right?"

Accepting the bucket of popcorn and binoculars, Daigiichi spotted the older Sazaanaran with neon-green eyes that had spoken to him yesterday currently engaging in a shouting match with a shorter and older looking Sazaanaran who resembled Pichorii.

"It's not like I even killed the Earthling...you know I wouldn't stoop myself low enough to acknowledge that dirty woman's existence. I simply...took an opportunity for you to take the correct path again! And look! I was right! Thanks to me you were able to meet Thana and—"

"Just leave...and don't show your face in front of me again. I've had enough of you for a lifetime." the green-eyed Sazaanaran said in a tired voice, waving with his hands to have the guards drag her out.

"Basha! Basha!"

Boom

Doors slamming shut on the screeching Sazaanaran, her screams became fainter and fainter until finally only Daigiichi, Pichorii and Basha remained in sight.

"Hmm...show's over so Pichorii is out of here~"

"Pichorii! What are you–" Basha said in a startled tone, eyes widening when he saw Daigiichi standing awkwardly behind Pichorii.

"Daigiichi!"

"Hello Sir!" Daigiichi replied stiffly with a straight back, thinking he was the next one to receive the boot but contrary to his expectations Basha had a jovial expression on his face.

Coughing once to clear his throat, Basha led Daigiichi by the shoulder towards a vast living room and sat him down on a strange sofa that seemed as though it were made of bubbles.

"..."

"..."

"Umm...nice place you got here Basha-san, oops I mean -sama!" Daigiichi quickly corrected himself, fearing he would be executed considering how everyone else seemed to refer to the regal Sazaanaran.

"I'm glad you like it, Daigiichi-kun...erm..."

"I suppose you're wondering what you're doing here, so I should address that first if you're up for it, Daigiichi."

"Sure! What's up!" Daigiichi replied in an easy going manner, feeling particularly at ease thanks to the bubble sofa being more comfortable than he had expected it would be. As far as kidnappings could go, this one seemed pretty nice...he would definitely need to leave a good review once he got back home.

"I'm sure you can see these right?" Basha asked expectantly while pointing to the empty space above him.

"See what?"

"...? Did he not inherit it?" Basha muttered, his neon-green aura moving in a perplexed manner such that when Daigiichi tried to follow its movements his eyes began to spin.

"Can't you stop moving like that Basha-san...it's really making my head hurt..." Daigiichi complained, holding his hands on his head to force a stop.

"Hmm? So you can see it?"

"Your aura? Yeah, it's really messy though Basha-sama...can you see them too?"

Face scrunching up, Basha began to realise there was something a bit different about Daigiichi but it seemed the boy mostly understood and he nodded in affirmation.

"All Sazaanarans can see Azuls...they're the orbs of light that represent people's thoughts, feelings and emotions. It is thought that the Sazaanarans started as Deep Sea Folk who evolved heightened senses of sight to allow them to survive in the dark underwaters of Sazaanara and have been retained up to this day...Are you following Daigiichi?"

"Uhhh...yup, for sure!" Daigiichi answered confidently while wiping the drool from his mouth to hide his stupor.

"Mmm...well quite simply you can just think of them as a visual representation of the inner mind. And those who are particularly attuned to viewing Azuls like Pichori, can see even hidden characteristics of the Azul...such as traces of lineage."

"Based on that, Pichorii was able to see in your azul that you are...my...son."

"Oh..."

"Hmm..."

"Oh..."

"Hmmmmmm..."

"Sorry, could you repeat that Basha-san?"

"You're my son, Daigiichi. I'm sorry it took so long to find you...I–"

"Hmmm?"

Scrunching up his face tightly like he had eaten a sour plum, Daigiichi twisted his face upside down while resting his hand on his chin like he saw Seiryuu do when he was thinking intently.

"You're...my dad?"

"Yes." Basha answered patiently while tapping his foot nervously.

He had expected more anger or possibly even crying from the boy, but it made him more nervous that Daigiichi was showing no visible reaction besides befuddlement.

"I had no idea you were alive...please believe me. If I had known, then I never would have rested until I had found you. I promise..."

"That's okay. I believe you." Daigiichi assured him while twisting his face back into its original position.

While he had been a bit thrown off after the initial announcement, he realised it didn't make a difference whether the Sazaanaran in front of him was his father or not.

"It's not like it'll make a difference in my life anyway." Daigiichi said with a shrug, continuing to hammer a nail in Basha's heart with every word.

"I've lived without a dad for 13 years already so I can live without one. Thanks for finding me though." Daigiichi explained as he stood up looking for the exit.

"So when can I leave?" Daigiichi asked while straightening his clothes out, unsure of where a Transporter would be that could take him back to Earth.

However, Basha stood up at the same time and put his arm behind his back stiffly, trying to hide his awkwardness.

"Er—well, actually I was thinking it would be nice if you stayed here for a while so we could get to know each other...if that's alright with you Daigiichi..."

"Umm...you seem pretty nice Basha-san but my family must be worried about me so I should really get going now."

"Are you talking about the Sun Garden? Tareru-san says you've been staying at an orphanage in the meantime so I thought that...nevermind...Why don't you rest for a bit while I set up the communications with them in the afternoon?"

"Thanks! That sounds great!" Daigiichi cheered happily at the thought of being able to talk to the others finally. Despite only being gone for two days it felt like weeks had passed since he had last talked with his siblings!

Diving back into his bed, Daigiichi began to count the seconds until Basha said he would call him.

"One fish...two fish...three fish..."


"What?! You don't want me anymore?!" Daigiichi gasped in dismay and disbelief hearing Hitomiko's words through the large screen that Basha had set up in one of the study rooms.

"That's not what I said Daigiichi. You are always welcome back at the Sun Garden...but we think it would be a good chance for you to meet your biological father while you're there. Especially with the way things are right now here on Earth...So what do you think? If you really don't want to, then Powai-san said he would send you back on the next Transport to Earth, so...?"

Not expecting the sudden proposition, Daigiichi's shoulders hunched over while he thought about his options.

"Is Suzu-nee or Haruka there?" he asked pitifully hoping that his two sisters would have something different to say.

Phoenix red and silvery-white heads popping into view, Daigiichi let out a sigh of relief seeing Suzaku and Haruka show up. However, squinting closer, he saw that Haruka had some sort of party hat on her head and was waving some sort of cheering sticks in her hands.

"Woohoo! We finally got rid of him! Freedom is ours!" Haruka cheered ecstatically, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"Heard you're stuck in Sazanaara, baaaakaa. That's what you get for running off like that, haha."

"Y-Yeah, well you're just a stinky head anyway! I definitely won't miss you Haruka!" Daigiichi said sulkily, when Haruka was pushed out of view by the taller redhead.

"That's enough Haruka. Hey, Daigiichi! Heard you found your dad! That's faster than most of the pokemon protagonists, congrats!"

"Thanks Suzu-nee..."

"Anyway, don't worry about us. We can take care of things over here so you should hang out with your dad for a while...unless he sucks. If he does just let me know and this nee-san will One Punch him straight into the moon!"

"No...he doesn't suck." Daigiichi whispered so Basha wouldn't be able to hear him, though Basha could tell from his Azul anyway.

"You guys...don't miss me though?" Daigiichi asked with a dejected smile on his face, wondering if he was the only one who missed them.

"Of course we do! But like I told Doi, not everyone has the chance to meet their parents so I don't want you to miss out on the opportunity because of us! So we'll be waiting patiently for you here, Dai-kun! And maybe later, you can let us check out your place! I've always wanted to meet mind-reading aliens after all shishishi!"

"You know they can read people's minds?"

"Oh Daigiichi...don't underestimate the vast otaku network...because what transcends money, politics and the stars is always anime!"

"Sorry, Suzu-nee, you're right, you're right." Daigiichi said with a smile finally back on his face.

"Okay then...I'll be staying here for a little bit and..."

"Yeah, Daigiichi?"

"If I get lonely can I call you guys?"

"Is that even a question? We're nakama right? You can call whoever, whatever, whenever and wherever you want. I might be pooping sometimes, so not then, but whenever else you want!"

"Pinky swear?"

"Pinky promise~"

Holding his pinky out so they could cross them over video, Daigiichi stepped backward and waved goodbye to Hitomiko one last time. Then, letting Basha take over so he could talk with Hitomiko about some details, Daigiichi waited in the study room on another bubble sofa until finally Basha ended the call.

"How are you feeling?" Basha asked with a worried tone, but Daigiichi sat upright and began playing with the sofa absentmindedly.

"Thanks for letting me talk to them, Basha-sama..."

"You can just call me Basha, there's no need for honourifics Daigiichi."

"Sure."

Basha swept his hand through his hair, trying to get rid of the sweat beginning to form on his forehead.

He hadn't sweat like this in almost ten years...he needed to hurry before Daigiichi changed his mind and decided he wanted to go back to Earth forever.

"Why don't I show you arou–"

"Is my mom here too?" Daigiichi asked with a nervous expression, wondering why no one had mentioned her to him yet.

Though he tried not to let it bother him when he saw the other kids at school with their parents, if he was here, Daigiichi figured he might as well and see what having a mom and dad was like even if the thought made his heart race uneasily.

Did she not want him anymore? Did she leave his father? Was he the reason that she left? Why didn't she want him anymore? Was he an ugly baby? Did he cry a lot?

Daigiichi began to imagine himself as a large, ugly baby that didn't stop crying or pooping and decided it was reasonable for his mother to want to abandon him. Reading these strange thoughts in his Azul however, Basha stopped him before it could get any worse.

"Your mother loved you very much but...she isn't with us anymore Daigiichi."

"Oh..."

"If you're ready, I think I should probably start from the beginning? Is that alright?"

"Mmm." Daigiichi nodded in assent, sinking back into the sofa to prepare himself for his father's story.

"I guess I should begin with the current government of Sazaanara. We were for most of our history, a feudal monarchy until only very recently did we switch to a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy."

"..."

Sensing the complete lack of a reaction from Daigiichi's Azul, Basha quickly corrected himself, reminding himself that Daigiichi was only 13 and he repeated himself more simply.

"In the past, we used to be ruled by a king and the nobles that served him, with commoners at the bottom. Now the executive power lies with the government and the laws are made by the government and our parliament."

"Oh, gotcha, but what's that got to do with us?"

"In the past our family—"

"Ooh! Were we kings! Are we royals? That's why you got such a fancy place, right Basha?"

"Not exactly...we were a rather prestigious noble family however, with a long history. Thanks to the actions of my parents however...we were able to retain most of our power unlike the other noble families and as the current deputy prime minister, we still enjoy a certain amount of privilege that other families do not."

"Because of that power however, when I met your mother sixteen years ago on Earth—"

"Wait just a sec...I'm not exactly the best at maths but didn't the Grand Celesta Galaxy Organisation only reveal aliens like...two years ago? So how'd you get to Earth and meet my mom then?"

"Just because Earth did not have the technology to travel to other planets does not mean the same was true for ours." Basha smiled wryly, as he began to reminisce about his first meeting with Daigiichi's mother.

"As a member of the expeditionary team to scout out other alien lifeforms, I lived in the country you call 'Japan' for about three years and had the great fortune to meet your mother..."

Reaching over to grab a picture frame that was on his desk, Basha revealed an image of a man with tanned skin like his own, pitch-black hair, and neon-green eyes holding his arm around a woman with sun-kissed skin, a vivacious smile, honey-brown hair and arctic blue eyes.

"Kotome Maruyama...She was...ahem...a skilled police officer who—"

"You got arrested by my mom?!"

"I never said–ah..." Basha hid his face with his hands, recalling Daigiichi also had the ability to see Azuls and he continued, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"Er...well, I wasn't the most fluent in your Earthling laws at the beginning so there were some difficulties along the way but in any case, after three years were up I told Kotome that I needed to return to Sazanaara to settle our affairs before I came back for her...and that's a decision I regret to this day."

"What happened?"

"I let my guard down..."

"Just after I had finished the travel preparations for the rest of the expedition team including your mother, someone leaked our departure plans to a certain radical group that desired the death of all the noble families of Sazanaara...The day the Intergalactic Train departed, they were ambushed and I was told that everyone inside had perished." Basha managed to spit out, jaw clenched tightly as he recalled the day he had received the report.

"But I'm here aren't I?"

"Yes...you're right in front of me and I can hardly believe it. You grew up so quickly..." Basha said with a trace of regret woven into his voice.

"Your eyes look so much like Kotome's I knew it was you before I even saw your Azul."

"Hmm..."

Staring at the picture, Daigiichi didn't see too much of a resemblance with his mother as compared to Basha but he didn't want to pop his bubble and nodded his head agreeably.

"If only my mother hadn't gotten in the way I could have found you sooner..." Basha cursed while pounding his fist on the table in between them.

"Kotome had told me she had given birth earlier than we expected but my mother is a bit...old-fashioned. She was completely infuriated to hear that I had married an Earthling rather than someone of noble blood so she sent some of her people to interfere with the investigation..."

"So they hid me from you?" Daigiichi asked hesitantly, not sure if he was following along with everything Basha was explaining.

"Yes, my mother's investigative team were the first to arrive at the scene and reported that you were alive to her immediately. Following her orders, they dumped you at your first orphanage and then reported to me that there were no survivors left on the train..."

"So then...how was I the only one to survive?"

"...Your mother loved you very much, Daigiichi." Basha answered with a faint smile on his face.

"She protected you with her last breath and managed to hide you from the attackers...they had no reason to believe there was a baby on board so after achieving their targets they escaped into a neighbouring solar system...not for long however..."

Basha's eyes narrowed as he remembered personally tracking down each and every member of the group until they were completely eradicated.

"So don't think anything strange like neither of us wanted you, okay Daigiichi? Your mother and I were both very happy when you were born..."

Observing Daigiichi's thoughtful expression as he said this, Basha sighed and stood up from his chair.

"But I think that's enough for today, so why don't we have some dinner and head to bed now. We can talk more tomorrow when I'm back from work."

"Okay..."

Dragging his feet back to his room, Daigiichi fell asleep with little trouble, a content smile on his face as he recalled Basha's words to him.

"Your mother and I were both very happy when you were born."

Hehehehe...

He didn't know why the affection of two strangers made him feel this way but his heart still tingled as a strange warmth spread throughout his body.


Skipping merrily throughout the enormous hallways the next day, Daigiichi didn't expect to run smack into the stomach of an older Sazanaaran woman.

"Oof. Ouch, my nose." Daigiichi said with a nasally voice, grabbing his nose to make sure he hadn't lost it.

"Oh, dear! Who are you? Oh my goodness! You're so cute!"

"Hey lady! Hands off the merch!" Daigiichi cried desperately as the Sazanaaran woman fondled his cheeks like mochi.

"Oops, sorry! I shouldn't have fallen for the temptation..." the woman said with exaggerated despair while collapsing on the floor.

"It's not that big of a deal..." Daigiichi said with embarrassment, causing the woman to revive immediately and smile at him with her eyes bent in wide crescents.

"And you're even generous too! I'm Thana, it's a pleasure to meet you~ And you are..."

Wow.

Now that she was smiling at him, Daigiichi could see an overwhelming, soft orange aura radiating from behind her and he covered his eyes shyly while answering.

"I'm Daigiichi..."

Debating whether to include his father's last name since Basha had told him he could, Daigiichi decided against it since he wasn't used to it yet and stuck with his usual greeting.

"Daigiiiichi! Daiiiigiichi? Daigiichiii? Am I pronouncing it correctly? Sorry, I've never met an Earthling before, but your name sounds wonderful. Wait...Daigiichi? Daigiichi...Oh! You're...! Eek! I knew I forgot something...oh dear..."

Seeing Thana's aura begin to fluctuate rapidly with what appeared to be a mixture of anxiety and fear, Daigiichi blinked curiously at her wondering what had caused the sudden shift.

"Thana?"

"Oh, it's nothing...so what brings you to the fourth floor Daigiichi?"

"I was bored..." Daigiichi admitted readily, causing Thana to burst out into merry laughter.

"Is that so? Bored already? Well...I certainly can't blame you. Who wants to stay cooped up in a palace all day when there's no one your age here? Basha really should've thought of that..." Thana muttered while putting a finger to her lips.

Pausing to think for a brief moment, Thana hit her fist against her palm with enlightenment and asked him with a sneaky look in her eyes.

"How about I jailbreak you out of this place Daigiichi? Do you want to go for an adventure with me?"

Not having anything better to do at the moment, Daigiichi nodded his head up and down and grabbed her extended hand while she led him outside.


"Ta-da! Pretty cool right? I heard you like soccer from Basha...sama, right? So, Say hello to Zazaza Stadium! One of the cooler stadiums, Sazanaara has to offer if I do say so myself!"

"Whoaaaaa! This is amazing!" Daigiichi declared, running forward so quickly he almost fell over the railing causing Thana to pull him back hastily.

"Whoa there, I know it's cool but let's not go and hurt ourselves before you can play."

"I'm going to play?!" Daigiichi shouted loud enough that the current players on the field all turned their heads to look at the duo.

"Coach Thana?"

"Coach Thana? Really?"

She's here? I thought she was on maternity leave?!"

"That's definitely her! I can recognise her Azul! Coach Thana!"

"Eyyyyy! I'm back and I missed you all! Did you miss me?"

Watching the mob of young Sazanaarans swarm around her like moths to a flame, Daigiichi was a bit overwhelmed by the large mob who had surrounded her excitedly. Fortunately, Thana saw him getting pushed to the side and she grabbed his arm, pulling him beside her before he was completely swallowed up by the mob.

"This is Daigiichi! He really likes soccer like the rest of you, so I'm thinking of having him join us? What do you all think?"

"An Earthling? Really?"

"Hmmm...sounds fun I guess."

"Remember what Lady Pichorii said? Earthlings are the best at soccer!"

"That's true! His Azul is pretty too!"

Clapping her hands to settle down the murmurs, Thana looked at Daigiichi who was fidgeting in place due to the excessive stares from the Sazanaarans.

"How about it Daigiichi? You up for it?"

"Mmm...sure!"

"Yay! Then let's see if you all have been slacking while I've been gone then, shall we?" Thana said in a playfully strict tone causing the thirty or so Kopokopo players to stand up straight.

"Yes. Coach!"

"Yes, Coach!" Daigiichi said a second later after the others, while Thana pushed him from the back encouragingly to get him on the field with the others.


"Daigiichi! Thana! You're back!" Basha said with a hint of relief in his voice as he saw the two rush back inside, giggling and with dirt all over their clothes.

"Thana..."

Covering Daigiichi's eyes so he couldn't see the conversation between their Azuls, Basha lifted his hand up when they were done and by then Thana had disappeared.

"Where'd Thana-san go?" Daigiichi asked with disappointment written in his eyes, causing Basha to smile warmly at him and explain calmly.

"I'll introduce you to Thana-san later so why don't you wash up and we can eat dinner together in an hour."

"'Kay! See you in a flash, Basha!" Daigiichi yelled, halfway down the hallway already causing Basha to burst out laughing.

Thanks to Daigiichi and Thana, the warm palace was already completely unrecognisable compared to thirteen years ago...

Humming softly to himself, Basha walked up the stairs to his room, the mellow song reverberating through the house and filling it with a pleasant sound that suited the peaceful atmosphere that had descended.


Accustomed to a certain daily ritual by now, since he had been living with Basha and Thana for three months now, Daigiichi was a bit surprised when Basha had told him to come up to his room on the fourth floor.

Knocking once, Daigiichi stared at the duo that had summoned him with a curious look in his eyes, wondering if he had done something that was going to get him in trouble now.

"You're not in trouble, Daigiichi" Thana giggled while patting the couch in front of the already sitting duo.

"Yes, you're not in trouble Daigiichi...we just have something we wanted to tell you."

"For people who were telling him that he wasn't in trouble, they were sure acting like he was in trouble" Daigiichi thought briefly before scattering his wild thoughts into the wind.

Basha and Thana had never lied to him before so if they said he wasn't in trouble, then he might as well sit down and relax.

"So...Daigiichi, I think you know Thana-san a bit better by now right?"

"Yup! Thana-san is awesome!" Daigiichi agreed readily while giving her a thumbs up. Winking at him, Thana gave him a thumbs up back, after learning how to do so from Daigiichi.

"Well...I also think Thana is a really awesome person so...Thana and I got married three years ago, meaning she's actually my wife now."

Hmm...

Daigiichi had heard of this type of scenario from Suzaku before...

What had she called it again?

"Thana-san...is my stepmother?" Daigiichi asked with furrowed brows, as he looked at the Sazanaaran couple sitting in front of him.

"Stepmother is such a...word." Thana said while biting her tongue agitatedly.

"We weren't trying to hide it from you Dai–" Basha began but Thana elbowed him in the side.

"I mean technically, we were trying to hide it from you..."Thana grumbled as she recalled the first day she had met Daigiichi.

"We weren't trying to hide it from you with bad intentions." Basha corrected himself, while Daigiichi continued to stare blankly at the couple.

"I was just afraid that you would...take it the wrong way."

"Take what the wrong way?" Daigiichi asked with a perplexed look in his eyes.

"Umm..."

Basha looked at Thana for help, but she shrugged her shoulders in such a manner that he didn't even need to look at her Azul to tell him that she had no idea what to say either.

"Kotome is my mom." Daigiichi said in a questioning voice, while holding his index finger upwards.

"Yes. That's correct." Basha answered patiently while Daigiichi nodded his head like he understood.

"Thana-san is also my mom. So that means I have two moms?" Daigiichi asked while holding his middle finger up beside his index finger.

"If you're okay with someone like me then I'll definitely be your second mom!" Thana shouted happily while going over to hug Daigiichi eagerly.

"And those are my brothers..." Daigiichi asked while pointing his finger towards the cribs where two babies were lying.

"Yes..." Basha answered with bright eyes, grateful that Daigiichi was taking it so well and towards Thana who had worked hard the past three months to build a relationship with his child.

"Lucky!" Daigiichi declared with a sunny grin.

Talk about a deal!

Now between his family at the Sun Garden and his family in Sazanaara he might have enough members to form two soccer teams soon!

"Ooof! Suffocating..." Daigiichi managed to sputter out as Basha and Thana quickly squashed him in their embrace.

"Just a little longer..." Basha murmured beneath his breath, relief evidence in his voice while Thana laughed joyfully at the sight of the three sun-like Azuls.

"So this was what...parental love was like...I like it." Daigiichi thought loudly enough that Basha and Thana could both see it written all over his Azul. Seeing the sweet message, they hugged him even tighter and this time Daigiichi thought he was really going to die.

"Can't breathe...Basha...Thana..."

Finding it increasingly difficult to breathe as their grips tightened around him like clingy octopuses, Daigiichi felt a buzz at the back of his head like he had forgotten something.

Hmm...

Well if he couldn't remember it right now then it probably wasn't important!