The First Meeting

Summary: the Gourmet Age was over, and most of the advanced ingredients were extinct, leaving behind the simplest of foods. Their world was forgotten, not even mentioned in history books or legends, and all that was left of it were the Four Heavenly Kings; all trapped in time until their gourmet cells gave out. Komatsu was gone, and this world could never be their home… and then they found him…

Flashback

Thoughts

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It was mid September, a warm autumn afternoon with a slight breeze to chill the cherub cheeks of the small children happily running around the festival. In the middle of it all, an impurity among the innocence, were four large, muscled men, who should of stuck out and yet were unnoticed. Unlike the people around them, these men were quiet, almost depressed, their eyes speaking of untold darkness and sadness.

The first among them was a tan man with three long scars on one side of his face and a star shaped scar under his eye on the opposite side. His hair was long and tied back in a low ponytail, it was also an abnormal color, blue to be exact, not a dark blue-black, but bright blue. The man was dressed conservatively, wearing slacks and a white buttons up with a vest and maroon tie; his color scheme was charcoal grey.

The second man was paler than the first with purple earrings and shaggy, black hair. On the man's head was a green, yarn beanie, and on his wrist were sweatbands in the same shade of green. Despite the informal articles, this man was also dressed like the first, though his color scheme was black with a purple tie to match his earrings.

The next man, was considerably paler, with a single, pale line of a scar under his left eye. This man's hair was long, reaching just above his butt, and black, though his roots revealed pale pink, blue, green, and white, tied in a high ponytail. The man wore a full suit, the color scheme being light grey with a black tie and a pink carnation in his breast pocket.

Finally, the last man was dark skinned, and covered in scars, the left side of his face ripped to shreds but neatly stitched closed. This man had short, maroon hair and a shadowed expression on his face, giving the vibe of extreme annoyance and anger. Unlike his companions, this man dressed informally, choosing to wear old jeans and a maroon wifebeater that was stained with oil, finished with a worn, black leather jacket.

These men were the Four Heavenly Kings; Toriko the Glutton, Coco the Gentleman, Sani the Fashionista, and Zebura the Monster. Once upon a time they were the Gourmet World's greatest heroes, and strongest assets who had discovered a number of ingredients while defeating the heinous Gourmet Corps. Now, they were mere men who had seen their world disappear while they could do nothing. No longer were Gourmet Hunters needed, ingredients having gone extinct except for their most basic of forms. What's worse, Komatsu was gone, old age taking over the man's life. The four hunters would of separated to wallow in self-pity alone but stayed together as was Komatsu's last wish.

"Please," the old man whispered, holding Toriko and Sani's hands. "Please, no matter what, stay together. Be happy together for me…"

They were together. Happy on the other hand…

Toriko sighed through his nose, watching the world go on around him; just as it always has.

"Why do we do this Toriko?" Sani asked, breaking the silence. "Why do you keep bringing us here?"

Coco gave Toriko a sympathetic glance. "Komatsu-kun…" he hesitated. "Komatsu-kun won't be coming back Toriko…" he said and against their will they all flinched.

Toriko, who had become their pseudo leader, remained silent. He couldn't help it;,ever since twenty years ago when they'd come across a reincarnated Ichiryuu, who remembered nothing of his old past, Toriko had hoped they'd find Komatsu again. So far, after two decades of looking, all they have found is disappointment, and heartbreak. All Toriko's done is hurt his brothers, giving them a hope he wasn't even sure of himself.

Finally Toriko straightened from his leaning position. "Let's go home," he said, barely hiding his defeated tone.

Back to their empty house, where only the graves of their lost pets and sister were their companions. Where they was nothing for them to do but sit and wait for the time to come where they'd also join the world's bounty and become soil themselves.

The three other brothers stood up as well, Coco giving Toriko a worried glance as he saw the dark aura coming from his brother's very pores. Without saying anything, the three men followed their blue-haired leader into the crowd; all lost in their own thoughts.

"What happened?" Toriko asked ironically. "I was there to see this all happen, to see the Gourmet Age end, and more war, and more famine, and yet I feel like I saw nothing…"

"Nearly four hundred years and what have I done with the life given to me?"

Toriko glanced at his brothers. "Coco wrote a book; many in fact; so popular that everyone must know our story by now. Sani is a world famous model and director of his own fashion company; he sells clothes to some of the most famous people in the world… Zebura's a cop, he just returned from his undercover mission in the mafia in China… And yet what have I done?"

"Oof!"

Toriko's thought abruptly ended when something small, not even enough to really stop his stride, ran into his legs and then fell onto the ground. They all stopped, Toriko looking down while the other three kept an eye on their surroundings. Toriko's eyes landed on a small child, three or four, who had a mop of bright, red hair. When the boy looked up Toriko froze, staring into those golden eyes.

"Toriko-san what are you looking at?" Komatsu whined, shoving the other's face away from his own.

Toriko laughed, allowing the shove. "Sorry Komatsu," he replied, not really sorry. "I was just thinking that your eyes reminded me of honey from the Honey Dragons!"

"That's a horrible reference! Disgusting!" Sani screeched from across the room.

The boy tilted his head at Toriko, seeming to be just as shocked of the man in front of him, his eyes looking into Toriko's very being. Suddenly their trance was interrupted.

"Soma where are you?!"

Toriko stared a moment longer as the boy, as Soma, turned his head towards the voice calling him. Toriko crouched to look at Soma better and Soma stared back. A small smile, one he hasn't given out in decades, appeared on his face, true happiness seeping through the seams.

"Soma," he murmured, testing the name on his tongue. Smooth, almost like Ko-.

"Toriko?" Coco asked cautiously, catching the other two's attention.

Soma seemed to take his name in as well. "Toriko," he repeated.

Toriko grinned and he knew, home was around the corner. "Soma-kun," he nodded, and patted the boy's head. "We're gonna be together for many years to come."

Toriko stood, picking up Soma so his brother could see him too. "All of us," he said.

Toriko turned as Soma's name was called a second time, motioning Coco forward while the boy leaned against his chest. On autopilot, he watched as Coco and Sani smooth talked Soma's parents, his focus elsewhere. Elsewhere being Soma, catching the scent of cinnamon and sugar on the boy's clothes while listening to the calm repetition of breathing, that Zebura was no doubt listening to as well. In that moment, Toriko knew; their lives were complete again.

End.

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Til next time~!

Ja ne~!