"What's going on?" Kemal questioned as his wing cocoon unraveled, Azul retreated into his pocket. The only thing that was left were the chairs they were sitting on.
"Something went wrong with the awakening, however it is the first time to see such a barrier." Kier hummed his tail wrapping tightly around Kemal's waist.
"Is he gonna be okay?" He was clearly worried despite his frowned expression.
"Well, if things go according to the usual, either he will get taken out of the barrier, or his family will have to wait for all his magic to dim and weaken until he's fragile enough to drop the barrier."
Weak…
"I see.." He turned to face the bright silver orb of barriers.
"Well we.." Before Katil could say anything a large man grabbed his shoulder.
"Brother?" The other dragon beamed his blonde hair covering half his face.
Katil turned around nodding to his brother only to feel Kemal get up. "Go ahead."
He didn't care, he needed to be alone for what's about to happen next. Kier narrowed his eyes suspiciously but he reluctantly followed his younger brother with Katil.
Kemal quietly reached into his other pocket to take out his deck and shuffle it till they were gone.
"The family searched for you! Why didn't you sit with us!" The blonde laughed while walking off with the twins who glanced back at their mates turned back.
Mike…
Taking a deep breath Kemal decided to vanish into the crowd listening in in the surrounding conversations. "I doubt they'd leave their son in there to get sick once more.."
"What else can they do?" Two royals sighed among each other while peeking at the giant barrier surrounded by guards.
"Did you see the colour, perhaps he dabbled in forbidden magic!" Another whispered. "That doesn't seem right, yet it adds up, his illness did vanish without a trace.."
"Will everything be okay?"
"Have you seen.."
"Dragon Mate…"
"Help the maids.."
All of it was useless info. Chatter about my mask, chatter about dark magic. Mike wouldn't dare.
He vanished from crowd to crowd while leering as close as he could to the giant orb.
"Are you able to break it open?" Herus asked with a disappointed expression.
"We'll try, sir." Some guards bowed before leaving the centaur alone.
"Shame, yet I knew, poor thing is gonna die in there." He hummed while trotting away from the barrier.
Kemal's eye twitched when suddenly he saw a passed out unicorn.
His brothers!
He wasn't gonna let that opportunity pass by. He slid closer and closer until he was far enough to hear them speak.
"It's okay, don't worry, big brother will wake up." Tair rubbed the little centaur's head while the little unicorn sat on his shoulder using his hair to balance himself.
"Why is brother Kioshi in there?" Soku asked while tugging at the man's hair.
"I couldn't tell you.." Tair sighed in response while ensuring Shine was still breathing steadily.
They tell me nothing…
"Why can't anyone go in? Can't you?" Horu asked while pouting. "Won't big brother let you in?"
Let you in?
His head turned towards the silver barrier, an idea growing.
Mike would let me in, he always did.
—
"Father, Mother, Brother." Kier and Katil bowed before smiling.
Their genes were truly strong, their father had a beautiful golden mane with his body built almost larger than his three sons. His scales on the other hand were grey with little horns sticking out of his hair.
His beautiful wife on the other hand had scales as gold as the jewelry his body was covered with. Golden rings, golden necklaces hanging loosely around his neck with earrings dotted with little pure white gems covering them. His hair was so beautifully black it almost made the gold around his body shine. His lean frame was standing out so beautifully it could make any creature take another look.
Both of their wings and tails were hidden unlike their attention seeking sons.
"Where have you been?" Their mother immediately questioned. "Too good to visit your family? This was supposed to be all about making memories with your family!"
Kier suddenly let out a low chuckle, his tail wagging while Katil tilted his head. "We were occupied with other matters."
"When will you introduce us?" Their father laughed heartily, pointing out the gems embroidered in their sleeves.
"He's not ready." Kier hummed in response but his brother retaliated. "He? Or you. I've gotten a peek at who they're courting and they certainly seemed displeased!"
"Displeased?" The mother questioned. "On this joyous occasion?"
"He's very satisfied." Katil growled.
"That's just his face." Kier added.
Their parents shared a quick look before bursting out laughing. "Just his face? You're telling me he consistently looks displeased?"
"Yes." The twins nodded in unison.
"You think he'll frown once you propose?"
"Zip it Tora." His mother immediately scolded.
"Yeah, zip it Tora.." Katil repeated with a smug grin making the other growl.
"YOU!"
Their father immediately gave each one of them a smack to the head excluding Kier. "Well it would have been more fortunate if Prince Kioshi's awakening didn't go wrong." Their mother vaguely commented her eyes wandering towards the silver orb.
"Who's this..?"
"Who?"
When all 5 dragons turned they were looking at an empty crowd. "It must've been nothing." The golden man dismissed. He was quite certain he saw someone sneak around yet there was nothing.
He placed his hand onto his chest and let out a sigh. "Well I'm sure you understand that we're not just here to chit chat."
"When will you come home?" Their mother's tone turned serious.
The area fell silent.
"Darling.." His husband was about to interrupt but the golden dragon did not back down. "You've been gone for so long all for a life at sea? Is it because of a little harlot?"
Kier suddenly snapped and breathed out a large flame aimed at his mother only for Katil to block it off with his body.
"Shooting flames at your own mother, two dragons born for the crown falling into the hands of lust." He scoffed, turning to hide behind his husband. "You should act like royals and come home to your throne."
"This is why I despise you." Kier growled in a low volume to not attract any attention.
"You think you despise me! You had to drag Katil down with you!" Their mother snapped.
"He.." The black dragon was about to speak up but his mother shushed him.
"Why can't you be more like Tora?" He immediately accused.
At those words the blonde dragon flinched and pointed at himself at a loss.
"Enough." Their father finally chimed in. "Were we not here for a family reunion? We should enjoy our day together."
"You're right, we're here to be with the ones we cherish and love." Kier suddenly calmed.
"But I don't love you."
His words hung heavy in the air as he proudly turned away, his large form fading into the crowd.
"Katil, won't you come back? You don't have to follow your brother's antics." His mother approached from behind his husband while smiling lovingly.
Tora suddenly took off flying leaving Katil with them.
"I'll consider." The black dragon responded weakly.
"Where'd he.." Tora was flying in the sky when suddenly he saw a little figure approach the barrier. "Is no one seeing this? HEY!"
He called out, catching some of the guards' attention.
"HEY, NO ONE IS AUTHORISED NEAR THE BARRIER!" Another yelled, turning everyone's head towards him.
"Well I did try to do this the peaceful way." Kemal shrugged just as guards began rushing towards him he gasped when a large flame wall covered his view reaching high into the sky.
"Ah!" He took a step back. He quickly threw off his jacket, dropping Azul on the ground who peeked out the pocket.
"Thank you!" He called out before making a problem free run towards the barrier. Covering him on both of his sides were walls of flames he finally halted before the shield.
Uncertainty took over his eyes narrowing to the side before he placed his hand on the outermost layer.
To his surprise his hand smoothly went through with a ripple where he touched. He quickly pulled his hand back before touching inside once more.
His hand felt much cooler once dunked in so he took one last deep breath.
He's worth this risk, he's always been!
With a final throw he flung himself inside the barrier, eyes shut tightly assuming the worst but other than a change in temperature it didn't seem too different.
His eyes slowly opened revealing beautiful golden sparkles dancing through the air with soft sways almost as if snowing.
"Mike?" He called out, noticing more and more layers leading to the core.
"Dammit." He cursed quietly before pushing past the gold particles without turning back.
"HE GOT INSIDE!?"
"BUT HOW!"
"Azul.."
The flames extinguished little Azul hiding inside his usual spot. "AZUL WHERE ARE YOU!"
A voice immediately called out.
"I KNOW IT'S YOU! A MOTHER KNOWS HIS SON'S FLAMES!" Azul's mother ran towards the spot where the former flames burned.
Tora's jaw dropped. He saw it all unfold from above but something told him not to say anything.
"Who was that boy?" Tair tilted his head but Prince Zikan could only hum. They all could only watch as a masked stranger vanished into the silver.
"Mike?" Kemal called out carefully. The floor beneath him splattered as if stepping on liquid gold. Each step was followed with a faint splash until he finally came to a halt.
There was a little boy sitting on the floor, head buried in his knees as he hugged himself.
That doesn't look like Mike, should I go past it?
Kemal took a step closer only to see a shadow with whites as eyes appear, much taller.
"Hm?"
Suddenly the shadow reached out grabbing onto the kid and vanishing with it.
What was that for?
He wasn't gonna think about it any longer. When he took just a few more steps forward he saw that same kid once more but this time pulling on the shadows arm and pointing into the distance with a smile.
The shadow only yanked him back before vanishing with him.
Kemal turned his head to look elsewhere only to find that very same child sitting on a desk writing on a paper. The man quickly took the opportunity to see what he's writing only to get blocked off by the shadow.
He immediately raised his fist to punch through, but it faded with the child once more.
"Piece of shit."
Quickly turning towards a different scenario he saw that kid surrounded by multiple shadows.
The more he turned the more and more the kid looked miserable as it grew.
Kemal was getting tired of this movie considering he had a close friend to save but before he could get far he saw a much older man looking more like the former Mike.
Former..
He was beside a shadow clinging and hanging onto the shadows leg desperately while the tall shadow was trying to kick him off biting onto his black fingers.
Besides that scene appeared another mike and a shorter shadow. The shadow was much more reluctant, turning his head away and rolling the whites of his eyes.
Mike on the other hand was looking nervously at the floor hands fidgeting together in an unnerving look.
Two tall shadows appeared for both scenes attempting to pull Mike away. The first Mike was reaching out to the shadow he clung onto only for it to kick the other shadow into smoke.
However the other scenario had Mike get dragged in defeat until he suddenly locked eyes with the smaller shadow. He suddenly burst into kicks and punches and ran back to stand beside the smaller shadow who immediately looked back away before all four faded.
"I think I get it." Despite his unsure tone he believed he got the grasp of what he saw.
He continued walking, encountering another Mike. He was about to assume it was another illusion until he let out a sob.
His eyes were glazed with unreleased tears turned away to face an empty symbol beneath his shoes.
"It's okay." Kemal called, scaring the boy into a full blown retreat. He looked horrified.
YOU'RE HIDING SOMETHING!
The smaller one's eyes snapped open quickly, exposing Mike to his knowing glare.
"Kemal.." He sobbed out when suddenly he crawled towards him, hugging onto his pants tears flooding down his cheeks.
"I don't wanna tell you please don't make me tell you I don't want you to be upset I don't want you to be upset at him please don't make me say anything I don't wanna lie to you I wanna say nothing-"
Mike's tearful rambling came to a pause when he suddenly felt a warm embrace engulf him.
Putting his pride aside he watched the man beneath him fall apart into loud hiccups and sobs until he burst out into a full fit of tears.
"You don't have to lie to me, you can tell me anything." He reassured while running his fingers through Mike's hair, a gesture he wouldn't be caught dead doing.
"Not this time.."