Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Math blonde : Turns out knowing about your deadly missions prior doesn’t make me feel better

Me: Worry not, I am prepared and focused for this train mission

Me : Gaylen be my witness as I have every intention to come back victorious

Math blonde : Getting solemn on me, now I know you mean it. And with such a glamorous name for the plan too, wow

Math blonde : Just be careful, please

Me : When was I not?

Math blonde : Your majesty don’t go there if you’re not ready for the exposition

Math blonde : …

Math blonde : Really Krel, you have to look after yourself for once

Me : That is rude and frankly, understandable

Me : I will be cautious, believe me

Me : Tomorrow it will be all over

Math blonde : Okay

Math blonde : I trust you

Math blonde : I

Math blonde : I like you a lot

Me : I like you too my math blonde

Me : Wait for me

Math blonde : Always

Last online, 10 hours ago

Me : As the humans say I have good news and bad news

Math blonde : Please tell me the good news is you being actually alive and not Steve making the worst prank in history

Me : It seems you made your choice on what knowing first

Math blonde : I’ll take that on the bad side it’s not over, given you guys were on national television

Math blonde : What now?

Me : I am on my way to Akiridion-5 with Eli, to discover a way to defeat the Arcane Order

Math blonde : He came back? Wait why are you having a romantic getaway out of space with him and not me? Do I have to get jealous?

Me : Believe me, going back there will be anything but pleasant for me

Math blonde : Oh, are you okay?

Me : I will be as soon as I come back

Me : I just need to get this over with

Math blonde : Alright, good luck

Math blonde : Keep me updated

Math blonde : …

Math blonde : Krel? You’re still there?

Me : Uhm, Eli says hi

Math blonde : Cool? Why do I feel like you’re getting all bashful and I’m missing a very cute face?

Me : Goodbye!!

Last online, 5 hours ago

Math blonde : Krel we got Godzilla like creatures now

Math blonde : I’m really getting scared

Me : I’m here. I’m okay

Math blonde : Are you really?

Me : I’m unharmed

Math blonde : Don’t play this game with me, you know I don’t like it

Me : … I just miss you

Me : Me and Aja had a fight. It turns out that Aja is not as okay with me staying on Earth as I thought

Math blonde : Oh

Math blonde : That sucks

Me : It deeply sucks

Math blonde : Hey, maybe she doesn’t understand everything about your choices. It doesn’t mean she won’t try eventually, if she really cares

Math blonde : Isn’t that what love is about?

Me : … I got to go, Hisirdoux is summoning me

Math blonde : Okay but please don’t disappear again

Me : Understood

Me : I really do miss you

Math blonde : I miss you too, your majesty

Last online, 2 hours ago

Me : Hello Seamus

Math blonde : Oh thank goodness! How are you?

Me : Quite optimal I would say

Me : The parameters of family bond between me and my gorgeous sister are now at the highest level

Me : I am currently experiencing the human term for happiness

Math blonde : Pff, really Steve? You were in the drama club and this is all you got?

Math blonde : Krel is not a robot you doofus

Me : Your face is a doofwjahfv

Me : Apologies, it seems that my phone had been fallen into the hands of a blonde oaf

Math blonde : There he is. I take it the general mood is a bit higher?

Me : That is an understatement, the latest hour had been extremely beneficial for everyone

Math blonde : I’m glad you’re feeling better

Me : It would be better if you were here

Math blonde : Whoa that was cheesy, you sure Steve is not still there?

Me : I mean it, I want for this to be over as soon as possible. I want to see you

Math blonde : You’re gonna be the death of me

Me : That is not a good omen for someone who is trying to save the universe

Math blonde : I know you know what I meant, and I know you know I know you’re grinning. Get back here soon

Math blonde : I wanna see you too

Last online, 2 hours ago

Me : Seamus where are you?

Me : Please answer to me!

Me : Seamus!!

Math blonde : I’m here! How are we texting, the wifi signal here is all messed up

Me : Intergalactical wifi

Math blonde : Ah, of course

Me : Are you okay? Did you get to safety? Arcadia is under attack!

Math blonde : I know, that’s why me and the class are on a trip

Math blonde : Coach Lawrence wanted us to have our minds off the end of the world and I guess he decided it was better to stay here

Me : Sweet Seklos thank you

Me : We are on our way back to Arcadia, we will make sure the situation is under control

Math blonde : I wouldn’t worry too much, Arcadians will be fine while you save us all, you can count on it

Me : I know. I still don’t want anything bad happening to you

Math blonde : That’s my line you dummy

Math blonde : I’m not the one on my way to fight giant colossuses

Me : We are finding a way to deal with that. We are getting to Excalibur now, I have to go

Math blonde : Oh right, that actually exists

Math blonde : Good luck

Last online, two hours ago

Me : Seamus

Math blonde : I’m here

Me : It is the final battle

Math blonde : Tell me something I don’t know your majesty… don’t actually tell me, you know it’s a figure of speech

Me : No. We are actually about to fight the Order

Me : I hardly think there will be an outcome aside from victory, or the other possibility

Math blonde : …

Me : You make me so happy Seamus

Math blonde : Don’t, don’t you dare

Math blonde : You promised you’re coming back to me. I promised I’m going to wait for you

Math blonde : Don’t you dare talk like this is the last time

Me : I won’t let it be the last time

Me : I am scared though. Terrified even

Me : You understand me… you complete me

Me : I don’t want this to end

Math blonde : It won’t. I’m scared too, but I know you won’t allow it

Math blonde : I trust you

Me : We are headed towards the titan of ice. I have to go, I’m sorry

Math blonde : Krel?

Me : Yes?

Math blonde : I

Math blonde : I want to tell you something

Math blonde : After all of this is over

Me : Is that some kind of incentive, you math blonde?

Math blonde : It will be your A+ if you do a good job, your majesty

Math blonde : …

Math blonde: Come back to me Krel

Me : I will

Me : I swear

Last online, 5 hours ago

Seamus : Krel

Seamus : Krel pick up

Seamus : Pick up this instant your majesty

Seamus : Don’t you dare do this to me!

Seamus : You promised me!!

Seamus : You would never do this to me after all we’ve been through!

Seamus : Answer me! Talk to me!

Seamus : Krel!

Seamus : Krel!!!

Seamus : …

Seamus : …

Seamus : Krel

Seamus : Please

***

It was like seeing everything and nothing at the same time.

His parents had told him about the conflicting yet fascinating sensations coming with the stasis. It was the same overused story. For an Akiridion, as long as your core remained intact, then you could survive almost anything. Apparently, Mama had been reduced to her core more time than she would have liked, stories that should had made Krel and Aja figured out about her past as a solitary warrior for House Akraohm; the queen had said the core status to be a moment of distance, where everything was too quiet to be appreciated. Apparently, Papa had experienced his core form only a couple of times – a story that should had made Krel recognized their similar predisposition to the battlefield –; the king had described it as permeating fear, so absolute it killed every other feeling possible. It had been wise to prepare them for it, to have it explained to them.

Even so, his parents had never been very good at realizing when they were talking to future rulers, or a couple of kids. Krel remembered that it had been very hard for him sleeping that night, her eyes had been fixed on the sleeping figure of his sister until the next delson. Maybe he would have liked to avoid a nightmare, just once. Just for one time.

That fear had evaporated with time and, like with most things in his life, rationality. All in all, it had felt like something that he had genuinely thought he was never going to experience. Krel wasn’t that arrogant – he was but not about battles – to believe that he was never going to end up losing his form while facing someone, but before the coup it had always seemed like a possibility, not a certainty, something that an Akiridion could meet but not necessarily. Even after escaping, with his skepticism towards battle in general and with Aja, Varvatos and Zadra by his side always defending, he had always expected it to be knowledge, not experience.

And now he was here.

It was weird. Not the way Mama had said it to be, neither how Papa had scared him with. He wasn’t far, neither he was scared. It felt more like floating above it all.

Krel knew for sure that something had occurred that had put him there, but for the sake of all his mind or whatever was making him think right now couldn’t focus on the why long enough for him to remember. Everything was suspended, time was beautifully still but also terrifyingly moving lightkeltons all around him. He couldn’t stop it, not with his will, nor with his body. He could only accept it as it was happening.

Was this what his parents had experienced after getting hit by Morando? Was this what they had been through while waiting for their bodies to be reformed, unaware that they were never going to step foot on Akiridion-5 again? Bad thoughts were filling him, but it was like his body had been duplicated, and his copy that was the container of all that negativity wasn’t connected to him. He was just witnessing distress from afar. He was supposed to be terrified of what was occurring outside, right? Of possibly having his core destroyed any mekron, right? And of this foreign experience of right now, right? But why even? He wasn’t even sure this was the right way to feel about the regeneration process in the first place. Did it mattered? Who knew?

He didn’t hate it. He didn’t like it either though, and after an undefinable arc of time spent looking but not, moving but not, Krel blinked and images appeared. Close, vivid, reachable. He was moving, but he was not. He was seeing, but he was not.

There was a yellow outline around, tracing figures and place, movements and elements, and what was left of his genius mind whispered ‘Totus Praeter’.

Not images then. Memories.

***

“In the name of your future realm, and your future battle, I gift you this weapon.”

A part of him hated the very new experiences he had been through in the latest kelton, even now that he could barely make them out. His core disagreed, but his minded wanted to give the blame to something over the fact that the more he had pushed himself away from Akiridion-5, the more flaws his parents had ended up having. And he had loved them, he still loved them so much to the point of crying, and there was no doubt in his mind that the feeling had been mutual from the moment he and his sister had been a part of their lives. Maybe he had believed in their enthusiasm, that as long as they loved each other he was going to be okay. He should had laughed, smiled, been overjoyed as Papa had given him a serrator for his tenth birthday. Aja sure had been. Then why he had felt nothing but emptiness inside? Why had he forced that smile?

It had been from that delson forward that a feeling had been pulsing onto the back of his mind, forever an annoying pitch he had refused to pay attention to for keltons, only to succumb to it the moment he had left his home planet. The emotion, or the question… had he been made wrong?

“My remarkable children.”

Earth had taught him a lot, so many meaningful or minuscule lessons he was completely unable to remember them all, even if he wasn’t going through a mentally challenging experience. Perhaps the biggest teaching he could remember the most right at this moment, was that there was a multitude of things in this universe that could appear evident but that were very much not. Would have his parents been disappointed, learning that he had never complained about his position solely to preserve a happiness that had never been there? Had they known that their kid was not like his sister, but neither the king they had perhaps expected him to become eventually? Did his parents ever known who this big weirdo that rejected fighting and loved inventing truly was?

Maybe they had known. Maybe they would have understood. Or maybe they would have been deeply disappointed in him. Krel wanted to believe that even without support though, they would have accepted who he was and loved him unconditionally.

They had taught him about loving his family.

He wanted to believe in this at the very least.

***

“I need to get there, little brother! I can’t lose another skelteg fight, this one is lively!”

There were some very specific memories to be seen in this world without a name, so very detailed he could admit he had forgotten all about it. Then there were some very similar ones, so identical they looked like a single one multiplied with very little details as differences. The feeling connected to it was not different at all though. Krel had been there almost every time he had seen her doing it, taking up her hoverboard and running away from some new adventure like it was the last delson of her life. Every time a new excuse.

Every time looking like maybe this was the one time Aja was going to leave through that door and never come back.

If there had been a certainty in his life, since the last one about their parents always being there for them both had been short-lived, was that Aja loved him immensely and was never going to hurt him willingly. Yet that one rule had been victim of liberties into his mind, since his sister had never been aware of what she had left behind every time. An empty bed, a discussion from their parents, troubles for the guards, worries for them all. Then that one look from Papa, severe and kind together if that was possible. Both accusing, like Krel should had watched over her, and apologetic, like the king knew that his kid staying behind didn’t make him feel good.

Because Krel knew, he knew that Aja loved him and their family deeply. It was a given, a law of the universe. But what was he supposed to think when she never attended her duty, and given the choice she was always running away? Did she care, after all?

“Your feelings are not mine. Your wishes are not mine. This is just further proof that you belong on Earth.”

He had been so naïve, blinded by jealousy, too caught up in proving he was at least smarter and ending up turning dumber. Whenever he had been reprimanded and scolded by their parents, she had been left on her own. Whenever he had felt the pressure of being up to their standards, she had wondered alone deciding by herself. Whenever he had felt alone over not feeling right, she as well had felt alone over not feeling right. They had taken each other’s end of the bargain, sharing it all like usual. Aja had felt just as conflicted, even more, while pushed into a world of royalty being something other than herself. How crazy was that, since his brave, beautiful, lively sister didn’t have to do nothing but follow her own instincts. He hoped the concept was clear to her now, that Akiridion-5 was going to change for the better as long as she was going to be in charge.

She had been going through so many adventures through her life, running away all along, only to realize it didn’t matter the place, only herself. Ironic that after so many journeys it had turned out none of them had been of use to her.

Ironic that the first escape of the prince of Akiridion-5 had been the last and most important one.

***

“You should know better than to put yourself into such risk Krel, that is something I would expect from your sister, but not from you!”

In this world where memories were outside and inside him, permeating like a singular feeling flowing by, it was easier to take sight of the most forgotten ones. That didn’t mean they were not important at all, in fact now that it was in sight it was very hard for him not to look at it, no matter how much he wanted too. He remembered being escorted to the throne room with his head so down his neck hurt, he remembered being too embarrassed to look up and cross eyes with his parents.

Krel hadn’t meant this to happen, he had sincerely meant to bring his sister back from her last vagrancy in the Taylon’s training area. Then he had stumbled into the hangar of the base, right when a striker had performed landing with the pilot getting off. There had been a bad noise coming from it. A constant ringing, so very annoying, to the point he had been astonished at seeing the pilot leaving the premises like everything was okay. He hadn’t thought he was doing something wrong. He had pulled it apart almost without realizing it. Zadra had given him such a bewildered look after finding him in a mess of components, one of the first time he had seen the lieutenant sincerely surprised, as she had brought him back to his parents, both so very ashamed, looking at him like he had done worse than Aja, worse than expected from a royal like him.

His most shameful memory, of a time he had done so very bad.

 “Morando was a destroyer. But you, you are a creator.”

… except he hadn’t done so very bad. There were awful feelings connected to that moment, but perhaps for the consequential outcome, he would have taken that shame every single time.

The next delson, none other than Varvatos Vex had emerged into the royal chambers, asking with his big voice what he had done to that striker as apparently it had never flown better. The following discussion between him and his parents had been very heated, that was all that he could remember. With the knowledge of now, Krel guessed that the name of Morando had been cited, as an example of how an engineer had destroyed bonds and families. Yet even though his memories were a little faded now too, he had no doubt that Varvatos had fought for his talent, because from then on he had been brought as a ‘punishment’ to assist the maintenance of the Akiridion Fleet arsenal.

Papa’s contempt over engineering abilities had gotten fluctuating from there, between kind acceptance and absolute refusal. Krel wished he could had told Papa about the courage and expertise he had matured during the last period. He was an engineer, a great one.

Even so, at the end, the prince didn’t need his approval anymore. Vex had showed, back then and time and time again, how real support from a family looked like.

***

“Prince Krel, you truly do not wish to interact with the guests?”

Perhaps one of the qualities that Krel had always envied the most about his sister, was how she could instantly make a bond between herself and others. Their parents looked friendly and approachable, yet they had never let go of their role as rulers therefore inaccessible for most people. The citizens had never seemed to mind. Despite appearances, Krel had always minded, because yes everyone around him was most definitely much less intelligent than he was, it was a fact that had nothing to do with being rude – possibly. It didn’t mean having someone showing interest in what he was doing was not appreciated.

It had hardly ever happened. Which translated in never happened at all.

During the royal court galas, during the presentation to the population of Akiridion-5, even while he was working on the Akiridion Fleet it had always been him against a crowd of people that were never able to make a step forward towards him. During one of those tedious parties at the castle, when everyone was either trying to talk with the king and queen or chatting with Aja about whatever latest escape had gained popularity over her, Krel had noticed how wide were the crowds around his parents and sister, and how empty was the area all around him.

It didn’t matter. He was too smart and high in hierarchy to care… then why had walking back to his room had felt so woozy, like he was in a spaceship jumping into lightspeed? Why had he spent another night without a blink of sleeping, while Aja had fallen the moment she had touched the bed.

Why had he thought that he would have not hated having at least someone interested in him?

“That was amazing! I have a catchphrase, a-and friends!”

It was kind of hilarious, really. Because on Earth he had reached his lowest level in regard of social interaction, between being very not inconspicuous about blending in and turning out to be a perfect example of ‘weirdo’ for the terrestrial population. Yet it was there where he had made his first real friends, putting some light over something that had always been so hard for him to comprehend. His friends were not like him, at all. They were not into technology, nor always understood whenever he talked, nor were very keen on math and engineering. But they were there. They showed him interest and appreciation. They cared for him, and he cared for them.

The one solitary kid on the side of the gala, looking at everyone frowning because he didn’t know better, Krel wished he could have a talk with him. About having burritos with a blonde oaf, about doing sleepovers with a guy with a hammer, about going shopping with a couple of girls, about playing guitar with a wizard, about going to work with a group of magic users, about hanging out with a trollhunting team. About the feeling of belonging to a group of people.

He wished he could tell him that he wasn’t work, and he wasn’t going to be alone. He was never going to be alone again.

He had Aja, he had Arcadia, he had allies, he had a family, he had friends.

… he had him.

***

“You’re weird, you know that? But you’re okay.”

It was so unreasonable that one of his favorite memories was that one, the very first time the math blonde had talked to him with something other than contempt into his voice. Perhaps Krel’s brain was lacking rationality right about now. He didn’t care.

As long as he could see Seamus, he really didn’t care.

All of the memories of his mind were put together like clusters all around, connected by wires yet inevitably part of their own category. His boyfriend had his own agglomerate too, but it looked different: it was made of calls from the past, of his smiles and his tears, his anger bursts and his maturity, and everything was united to form a shining path towards something far. Krel didn’t know how he was walking onto it, he wasn’t feeling his body and he was both exploring this world and being it. Everything made so little sense.

He felt calm about it, surprisingly at ease.

After all, they had never needed to make sense, those precious moments spent with him.

 “-That’s it, one of these days you’ll have the honor of being educated on astronomy by a handsome and brilliant future astronaut, be grateful!-”

Krel wasn’t one to believe in fate, the recent revelation about Gaylen himself had made him feel lost in the face of destiny and the world. Yet how he had come on Earth to meet someone so deeply passionate about everything space related, it was the most satisfying coincidence for him. There was more to them than just a boy falling for an extraterrestrial being and that was a given, and maybe it was another thing he loved about them both. There was so much of the two of them aside from fate, and it still brought them together. As two rivals of the math field, as two students of out of space, as two dancers united with joy, as an Akiridion with a sweet tooth and an Italian sweets expert. As two people who so happened to care about each other the most.

“No way, you’ve never seen fireworks?!”

How much he had learned thanks to a single person was still unbelievable, and equally unbelievable how much his thirst of knowledge over something so irrational had developed solely because of him. About dates, about flirting, about wanting and stuttering, about wishing and having, about hugs, kisses and whispered words for two people that had a bond that went beyond what he had been used to on Akiridion-5. It had started as a thrilling experience to let his mind wonder far from his own problems, only to turn into a reassurance that at the very end there was someone he had built something truly meaningful with. A part of his life he was so happy was still there.

“Tarron, you… y-you can’t just say stuff like that!”

Seamus was anything but subtle after all, perhaps only a bit lucky that Krel had truly never had this kind of experience before. Akiridions were not as keen to feel vulnerable, they were brilliant minds, they were glorious warriors, they were the proof that through innovation everything could be perfected to the extreme. Humans were nothing like that, they were raw and egoistical, they were primitive and quite rude sometimes. Most of all, they were so intensely alive, every single gesture of them showed how deeply they were going through their existence. And he was like any of them, yet special nonetheless. Always with the ruffled blonde hair. Always with the blush covering his freckles. Always so vividly beautiful.

“Don’t worry. Just feel the music, and follow me.”

Krel had studied the theories about space and time. There was supposed to always be a logic in it, a deep understanding as the extraterrestrial population out there had been able to achieve everything through their minds. As it turned out they did not apply everywhere, and the moment something so unbelievably enticing was to place, sektons and mekrons and horvaths were all long the same and the opposite and time itself was truly an opinion. Hugging in front of the exit of the theatre. Dancing under the lights of the Planetarium. Kissing in the middle of a battlefield of OMENs. Everything was so ridiculous and meaningless the moment the two of them were united, and it was the most beautiful law of physics Krel had ever witnessed. He wanted to study every part of it.

“How can you ask me to trust you when YOU’RE the one who’s not trusting me??”

Even so, he was never going to pretend that this relationship had always gone perfectly. Not while he had been hiding onto this planet to escape dictatorship, not while struggling to keep his Mama and Papa alive, not when it had seemed like every single problem divided into more forcing him to constantly do the impossible in order to make things right. Especially not with his attitude of pushing away those that could potentially get hurt, after losing Tronos, Buster, Mother and his parents at last. It could had been Seamus’ turn, that fear had been too strong to make him see reason for once. It had almost made him lose it all. Watching him slam that door had been one of the deepest pains he had ever experienced in his life. It could had been all over.

“But I wanna to make it, I wanna improve myself. For you, I really do.” He had looked beautiful, with his blue eyes reflecting Krel’s Akiridion glow. “So… will you take me back, your majesty?”

Perhaps it was the fact that despite this everlasting wall in between, made of anger and misunderstanding, of fear and frustration, they had both done their best to reach out for each other until the structure had crumbled, what made this all so special. How Krel had gone through his fear in The Deep and gotten out knowing he wanted to protect what he loved. How Seamus had been looking for him to talk, to apologize, even after the house had been reduced into a wreck. How after reuniting under the attack of the OMENs, never forgetting the wrongs but bettering each other, the biggest blessing had been that they were alive to kiss and hold each other once again.

There were tears streaming. Krel didn’t know where exactly they were, but he could feel that burn brushing his eyes and coldness onto his cheeks. It mattered so much to him. Everything was hopefully over out there, in the good and the bad, and all he wanted was to embrace the life he had chosen and live through it as much as possible… if not forever.

It had gotten so hard for him to say forever.

Memories were getting faster around him, Krel could barely keep up. The school, the park, the fair, the diner, the bakery, all the dates, all of their moments were rotating all around him, almost as they were hugging him. Almost as warm as Seamus.

There it ended, between his arms, like it should had been. Krel couldn’t see a thing. This memory felt different from the others, it was near and slightly fresher. His vision was black, but he could smell cocoa and he could hear the end credits of a movie. Over his body was a warm blanket, and there was no way he couldn’t recognize that body learning against his. It was that delson, the Tarron-Johnson warming experience, the day Douxie had left with Nari unaware of what the future was going to bring. The prince didn’t understand, it was a pleasant memory and a rare serene moment of the latest time, but not as vivid and intense as others. Then why was he…?

There was a movement. Krel was feeling half asleep, his ears were lightly muffled, but the moment his boyfriend moved they slowly came to life. He brought him closer.

Seamus breathed against his ear. Those three words.

Great Gaylen. He had to wake up. He needed to wake up, right here, right now.

His wish filled body and core. Next thing he knew, his eyes were open.

***

It wasn’t like waking up from an everlasting somber, like he would have expected.

His eyelids didn’t feel heavy, his mind wasn’t craggy, everything was actually unnaturally light. His body was a feather as it levitated outside the regeneration chamber, regeneration room near the Kelso transponder and the CDR sensing unit, and the air and the atmosphere and all he could look at right at this moment was shining madly. He remembered the feeling of diving into the sea of this planet that one time with him, like stepping into space that was dense and enveloping. Going through the surface of the chamber felt like that but on the opposite.

He was coming out to breath.

He was coming out to be himself again.

The place that had been his sleeping place for who knew how long was onto the floor, so the gravitational mechanism of the machine made him float to be perpendicular to the ground. He had never paid much mind to this piece of technology, but now he could see the flaws. The dizziness, the uncomfortableness, and how it prematurely put him back onto his feet.

As he expected, in fact, his body went heavy immediately and went down. As expected, he felt himself being caught, as even after his deep slumber he had no doubt that someone was going to be there waiting for him. Strong hold, wide hands, a low growl in his throat.

Krel smiled, because he and Aja used to think Varvatos couldn’t hug to save his life. Yet now he was there, holding him much more strongly than it was needed. It felt so nice.

“It is good to see you again, general.”

“The feeling is extremely mutual.” Varvatos wasn’t that calm often, not hearing his voice screaming as his regular tone was a bit disconcerting. Nonetheless Krel could understand, even right now that everything felt a bit wobbly around. “How are you feeling? Varvatos has been through this extremely tedious process! Although he considers this to be the equivalent of a scar from a battle so good on you!” He didn’t hold back his tone for long. Whatever, it was much better this way.

It felt like the fog inside his mind wasn’t going to linger for long, it had been a couple of sektons and the prince felt already less light and unfocused. He held onto the warrior for support, finding his feet less sleepy. Yes, he was fine, he was going to be fine.

Physically. The rest he could only assess after knowing everything was fine.

“I am okay but Vex, what of the battle against the Order? I left right when we were about to destroy the heart of the titan, what of Zamara? Of Skrael? What of Aja and the rest of the guardians?” Varvatos went still for a sekton. Krel’s core dropped. No, it couldn’t be.

It was a moment of cold silence… then the general grinned, exploding in laughter.

“Of course we won! The idiocy level of your question makes me wonder if the stasis condition affected your mental abilities!” Kleb, this dramatic general, this was not good for his core who had already made a consistent effort in the last period. “Truly Zamara’s betrayal had caught us all off guard, but our formidable queen had managed to recover and strike down that fiend once and for all! I hardly think we will hear about her ever again!” At last, one less thing to be worried about. One little relief he could conceive to himself. “She did everything herself, Varvatos… I, barely was needed at all. I couldn’t protect you at all.” A shadow went over the general, as he bowed his head towards the prince. “Forgive me my prince, I was not able to protect you.”

Krel sighed. He should had seen this coming, although he had hoped for a less emotionally driven waken up – alright that was a lie, there had been not much of a thought at all in there.

“Vex-”

“This is not Varvatos Vex’ self-deprecating moment, he promises that he thought long and hard about the matter, to the point of getting a human migraine!” The general looked at him with his multiple eyes, that solid undeniable determination shining through. “He has concluded that lingering onto failure is not productive, it has not been back when Varvatos’ family perished, it will not be now! All that matters is what Varvatos Vex will do of his future!” Oh. It seemed like he had been growing up as well, although it missed something… “Varvatos will work hard to inflict the most painful of death to his enemies, and this is a promise!” There it was.

It was his own way of being excited and ambitious, and it was more than fine. Krel smiled.

“It sounds like a glorious compromise.”

“Indeed it is! Nancy had agreed with me as well, which I consider it to be the highest of victories!” It was still baffling how a feeling so sweet could be associated to someone this overbearing. “Oh right! Your serrator, my prince!” He handed him the device, all intact, thank Seklos. “Varvatos wishes for you to try and walk to shake away the resting feeling! Your engineering spirit will surely do the rest!” It was of an endearing naivety that truly couldn’t miss into the general.

There was a thing about humans involving their circulatory system, whenever the blood was interrupted in a body part like a hand or a foot it was said to be asleep. Apparently it was a slightly painful, slightly exhilarating experience, like ants running through the skin then slowly scattering. Krel had no human blood, but the tingling was there. The general’s support was much appreciated, as they started to walk through all the way back up. It looked like nothing had changed around, nothing too dramatic at least – they better had not put their hands onto his work.

There was silence, through the tunnels of the renewed Mothership, enough space for his thoughts to finally come to life. Suddenly he feared everything he wasn’t aware of now, too much he didn’t know – a feeling he wasn’t particularly used to either.

So many questions. Order, he needed to be lucid more than ever.

“Varvatos, how long was I in there?”

“As of today, a parson.”

“I was in there an entire month?!” Never mind, rationality was now out of the question – which was telling of how extreme the situation was. As a sense of reality started to sink in, even more questions piled up inside of him, and the feeling of dizziness intensified. “What did I miss? Is everyone okay? What happened while I was gone??” His breath was catching up. He didn’t like it. He really didn’t like it being in the dark. They had won, on this he could count on, but what of everything that had occurred while he was asleep? Arcadia, Earth, Akiridion-5, everyone else? What of everyone he cared the most about? What of… him?

The general hummed for a good five-sekton lapse, which had to be a bit excessive even for his loquacious personality – or not, thinking about it.

“Varvatos thinks it would be more beneficial to hear the full story from the others!”

“You are not seriously going to make me wait until they come here, right?!” Sure this Akiridion was very much an enthusiastic about torture, but he couldn’t be this much of an expert regarding the mental aspect of it… right? – oh great Gaylen just how much did he miss? “They did not know when I was going to wake up, they could be very busy at the moment!”

The general smirked, that special grin from whenever he was ready to surprise his opponent. They approached the portal of the Mothership, bringing them back to the human side of the house. Krel felt his core stop when he saw the place cleaned neatly, decorated with ribbons and a big colorful banner with ‘Welcome back Krel!!’ on it, and his friends asleep between couch and armchair. Toby, Steve, Mary, Darci, Douxie and Stuart.

From the window there was a fresh darkness lingering around.

It was early in the morning. At this specific time, Krel felt so incredibly special.

“Varvatos did not know, none of us knew for sure. But Varvatos and your allies were ready to wait for you, even if it meant camping here for the last week.” These gloobers. How much he adored them all. Suddenly Vex slapped his hands together. “Attention, humans and such!!”

There was a coordinated growl of disapproval, and Toby rolled so hard he fell from the sofa.

“Hey big guy, can I remind you that unlike Nana we don’t have a hearing aid that we can turn down and ultrasonic waves hurts very badly?” Despite the grogginess he was the first to get onto his feet, rubbing his eyes ferociously while yawning without restrain. Krel felt a smile coming up naturally. “You better have one heck of a good excuse, I was having this fantastic dream about beating up the people that made me die in the dream and…” He lost his voice when his eyes stopped on him, and a grin took over. “Krel! Krelito you woke up!” It took barely a moment for him to launch himself and hug him. His reflexes had always been impressive. “I knew it was going to be today! Jimbo kept saying I didn’t need to bring the Nougat Nummy Double Chocolate Deluxe but I knew better!”

Krel couldn’t conclude if Toby had gotten considerably stronger in the last parson or all that time spent regenerating his own body had made him weak, even more than he was already – forever grateful he had chosen the mind over the body as his role in life. The Warhammer wielder did look a little wider, his shoulders were getting larger. The energy of him and his carefulness was predominant though, which was exactly the same.

It was a bit of a relief for him. Krel smiled.

“Good instinct Toby. It is so nice to see you all.”

“That pales in comparison with how much we’re happy to see yah!” Stuart went for the hug as soon as Toby was done, and Krel could only laugh at the eagerness. Only to grimace as a very awfully familiar smell made his way to his nose. “Ah, if I’ve known you were to wake today I would’ve taken my monthly shower! Well, guess there’s no use now that the party is starting!” Seklos and Gaylen this Durian meant to kill them all with stinky poisonous gas. Why surviving it all if this was how it all ended? “Time to celebrate the awakening of the sleeping prin-”

“Now now fella, no way you can go play with the other kids smelling like that!” Suddenly Stuart was raised up by Ricky, as smiley as ever, and effortlessly threw him at his wife. “Be a good boy and stay put while we greet our son back!” He turned to him and widened his arms. “Buckle up champ, here comes the love train! One-way ticket for you!”

That was so embarrassing, so much that Krel happily met him halfway there, holding him hard as Lucy joined in – after locking Stuart outside with a hose until he was to take a bath. These weren’t his parents. He knew by now that it didn’t make them any less important to him.

Lucy took all of her time to squish his cheeks as soon as the prince pulled away.

“Our baby boy is back! This calls for a celebration, and so…” She swirled and a tray of meatloaf appeared into her hands. “My meatloaf! I added cardamom this time!” A human term for deadly?

“What’s this fancy food over the table, there will be none of that while I’m here!” Steve had gotten stronger too, which made the prince a little wary since his arm was now all around his neck – at least the meatloaf attack had been dismissed. “Krel here has been slacking into his sci-fi cell for ages, he needs fat on his energy-based bones! Junk food makes the look!” He gestured towards the table, with chips, Nougats, drinks, candies and chocolates were spread all over.

Krel did not get human hungry. He was gluttonous though, and that feast looked beautiful… not enough to distract him from his brother’s questionable coherency.

“That did not rhyme, Steve.”

“I slept on your couch for seven days straight and given the whole camouflage thing I still have no idea what of this is real, give me a break!” Sometimes Krel was sure that sometimes the blonde willingly decided not to learn about certain things solely to have something to complain about. It would have been a very Steve thing to do, almost to the point of making him smile. “I can’t believe it, my little bro is more interested in my grammatical prowess instead of the sumptuous banquet I have personally prepared for him! My heart is broken beyond repair! Someone calls Aja and Eli, I need some love!… no seriously, somebody call them.” Right, there were fundamental people missing. Extremely important.

“Already done it you slowbrain.” Mary showed her phone, Aja responding immediately after – ‘Already there!!’ –, with an annoyed look. “Also why are you taking all the credit? You brought maybe two bags of chips and carried them around like they were piles of rocks!”

“Cheetos have an emotional weight you wouldn’t understand!”

“Like I do with everything that does not have free wifi, I’m gonna ignore you. Now can we at least try to make this look like a rock party?” Rock party? Why did she look like her motivations went beyond this welcoming environment? “Come on Krog, put on some effort!” Alright, in all truth, the misspelling of his names had gotten almost funny at this point.

“What I’m sure Mary meant is…!” Darci made sure to push her hand onto her friend’s face to bring her back of a few steps, dedicating an embarrassed but sincere smile to him – not like he wasn’t used to this comical dynamic between them. “We’re really glad you woke up and look fine, now we can celebrate and make this the best welcome back party ever created!” Mary muttered something like a ‘Of course that’s what I meant’ while frowning massively. “Let me call C-Bomb so we can have Jim and the trolls around. Logan too mayb-”

“Of course but like, is Douxie coming or not?” Mary pushed her friend out of the way, placing himself in front of Zoe who looked a bit taken back by the reaction – and how Darci had been thrown spread onto the armchair. “If we make something cool and all rock he will come, right?”

The witch blinked a couple of times, then shrugged a little.

“Sure, Doux is not really picky about parties and he likes to let it loose.” Mary’s eyes turned into stars – someway, somehow, Krel had given up over explaining the human being that was Mary Wang. “Although it might be later during the day, he’s got his hands full with the newbies at New Camelot almost 24/7.” The leader of them guardians still wasn’t stopping, what an incredible person. “A break will help, and surely he will want to see Krel in person instead of making a call since it’s more real of something. My boyfriend can get so traditionalist sometimes. Mary’s smile broke, probably along with whatever expectation she had before. The witch smiled at Krel. “Good to see you up an about. And thanks for what you did, for all of us.”

Seklos and Gaylen, his ears were still ringing a little, and for some reasons memories connected to his parents were fluctuating a bit more insistently than usual. Yet none of that negativity stood a chance with that feeling of pride, because at last they had managed to go through this moment and at last his support had been meaningful.

Not as a powerful warrior, not as a confident leader, but as the resourceful engineer that he was.

“No need to thank. That was the least I could do as the genius of this team!” It felt so good, even with the eye rolls in the room. Then Krel frowned a little. What did she say? “Wait, newbies? As in magic users? I thought there weren’t many wizards still wandering around.”

Toby snapped his finger, pointing at him while simultaneously walking to the banquet.

“The very epic and quite conflicting story about how we saved the world from collapsing on itself will come later as soon as the others are here!” Why did it make sense that while the prince hadn’t been there even more mayhem had been unleashed onto Arcadia? “To summarize, magic was going crazy so we used a spell to redistribute the power all over the universe. So now there are some people that-” Darci’s loud sneeze interrupted Toby’s speech, only because of the mini tornado that had manifested into the room – and stolen the Nummy he was about to eat. “… got powers. Some are permanent, some are not, it is all about researching!” Huh, Krel approved of that plan.

More magic, more wizards, it looked like it was now the new normal, even considering a weird world to begin with. It was the most endearing thought to him.

Darci closed her nose with two fingers and giggled.

“I’ll see Douxie tomorrow then, Zoe?”

“Yep, be on time girl. Careful not to pluck any pigeon on the way there.” She winked at the girl and made her way to the door, ignoring the pained Durian on the outside that was showering himself – Krel could only admire such nonchalance. “Oh yeah, Tarron, you’re welcome back at work when you’re ready. Hex Tech left you a card over there.” His friends. “Alright, see y-”

The conversation was interrupted way before his own core could even phantom a thought, because as soon as the entrance was widened three figures in Akiridion clothes and one little creature were right there. And perhaps Krel was able to resist Luug’s assault as he jumped right into his arms to lick every trace of him he could find, but there was absolutely nothing he could have done when Aja charged and tackled him on sight, knocking him down. It hurt and it was reckless and unnecessary and the prince found himself laughing, while hugging back his sister while lying face upwards onto the ground. Perhaps he hadn’t been able to feel the stream of time, perhaps the events on the North Wind felt like more of a distant dream than a month ago event. Yet he had missed this, he had missed them all.

Slowly he managed to raise up his torso, four arms still tightly laced around his body.

“I see your killing technique has improved sister, I’d say you’re back at being a menacing warrior while leading merciful planet, what a paradox.” Like she should had been at the beginning. Although if anyone understood the meaning of taking time to find the right place, that was certainly Krel. And if she didn’t look incredibly at ease while carrying the massive spaulders of the armor of the Neo Taylon Phalanx. “Any way I can get out of this deadly hold?”

“That is not how you get rid of the enemy on the battlefield, little brother.” Aja smiled against his shoulder, then slowly let go of him. Yes, her eyes were lightened up. She was finally on her way. “I’m so happy to see you’re okay, I… I thought that like with Mama and Papa…” Her lips trembled for a moment. It was too clear what she was referring too.

Krel slowly untangled himself from the hug and got up, bringing along his sister by holding her hands. Eli and Skrael had gotten in the meantime. There were only allies here.

They were safe. He was safe.

“I’m fine Aja. I’m sorry I scared you.”

“No, I’m sorry! Zamara, she… she is not more.” Aja breathed out, clearly it was taking a tool on her. It wasn’t surprising, if the last member of House Akraohm had truly been killed then his sister was feeling the weight, no matter how much she had hurt them. “I faced her, like I should have done it right away. I never needed her help or for her to influence my decisions, I just needed a push into the right direction, to finally do things how I want. You and Varvatos and Eli showed me that, and so did he.” She turned towards the core wizard, who approached them by walking for once. “You know him already, but perhaps not as the new royal counselor of House Tarron, and the ambassador of core magic on Akiridion-5.” Things really did change.

Skrael looked so different, even unrecognizable as Krel had seen him all dark and covered in a cloak what had felt like only a nap ago. Most notable was that his body was glowing now, like any other Akiridion, something that had seemed to be an extinguished glimmer before. Of the old rugged cloth there was no trace, he was now wearing the familiar Akiridion-5 suit along with a cape of a distinct intense blue, that still formed a hoodie onto his head.

He might had passed as a completely different person wasn’t for the familiar frowny expression and the look of superiority stamped onto his face – what an egomaniac… why did that sound hypocritical? –, which made it all the more sense as he arched an eyebrow.

“Took you long enough. Akiridion-3 had chambers directly planted into the planet, it would have taken only weeks for the form to be reestablished.”

“Would that not risk an overpowering and possibly the implosion of the nucleus?”

“There was a time when Akiridions were not afraid of taking risks and it appears not to be this.” Careless about danger, looking joyful only talking about it, yes Krel had been right about seeing a lot of Aja into this figure. “… but… but I guess trusting the bare connection between a bitter core wizard and a crazy Akiridion queen counts as something very unexpected, that is somewhat commendable.” Krel was almost sure that was a thank. Now Skrael sounded like himself but it was hard to be sure about it. “Well, is this the ideal atmosphere of an Earth celebration? Pathetic.”

“Hold on popsicle, give us a chance, geez! We need to regroup!” It looked like Steve had married into the nick – it looked like Skrael wasn’t happy about it. “Just need to call Logan, he should be done with work at his mom’s flower shop so he’ll probably bring Nari too.”

“Jimbo is on his way, AAARRRGGHH!!! and Blinky too.” Toby waved with his phone.

“We asked Zadra if she would like to attend, she said that she is going to bring her fiancé as well.” Aja grinned at the word – the lieutenant had made progresses. “Perhaps even Loth Saborian?”

“The more the merrier so pink popstar over there, if you can let blue haired dreambot be single at least bring some of your cool friends who are! Hashtag getmesomelove!” Mary pointed her finger at Zoe, who simply blinked and mouthed her words in confusion. “We got our gang, we got Aja’s team, we got trolls coming our way, the only person missing…” She turned, giving the prince a wide smirk. “Is the one perhaps you would like to escort here personally?”

Krel gulped, his core shining through. Immediately flashes of images passed in front of his eyes. Strawberry blonde hair. Celestial blue eyes. Those warm smiles of his. Memories of him were impossible to stop, and he found himself swallowing by the intensity of it.

Great Gaylen, he needed to know, he needed to know everything.

“Where is he?”

“Should be on his way at home after getting private magic lessons, today only early morning was free.” Darci closed her nose again to avoid sneezes, giggling a little. “Apparently he got some magic as well, some kind of charge that he can use only once. He has gone taking suggestions from Douxie and Zoe ever since.” Trying to know everything about a new field through exploration and research. That sounded very like him. Krel could almost imagine him curled onto a book of magic, with the reading glasses and the finger tapping on the table with impatience.

Ah, he wanted to see him. Krel smiled, turning quickly towards the door.

“I will be going then!”

“Wait, I can give you a lift!” Proposed Steve, winking at him. “You know my Vespa is dependable, and we can have another old alien movie moment! Again, this is no bicycle and there is no moon on the background but still…” Again, what was his brother talking about?

“I got my dad’s car for the day.” Suggested Darci, who had finally stopped pinching the top of her nose to avoid hurricanes. “How about it?”

“Little brother you can take my hoverboard!” Interjected Aja. “It will be lively!”

When he had gotten popular, exactly? Had engineering become cool at last? There was barely time to answer such question, as all of the sudden the middle of the room exploded in shadows, and a couple walked out of it hand in hand. Jim blinked at the sudden attention on them, like he had taken for granted teleportation being the norm now – between that and wormholes, he wasn’t wrong. Claire on his side was grinning, snapping her purple fingers.

“Heard something about needing a ride?”

Being transported in front of the Johnsons’s residence was a matter of sektons.

He had been here plenty of times before. Seamus’ house was not exactly the most characteristic one – not like having a camouflage matrix hiding an actual spaceship – but it did give him some peace of mind realizing that not everything had changed dramatically during the time he had been asleep. All he could notice right about now was how generally clean the front yard was, a second blue car aside from Seamus’ dad’s black one… and on the horizon what looked like Bellroc’s titan, but completely black as the lava seemed completely solidified – huh, that was… huh. It gave him a different feeling from before, less of a menacing weapon of destruction and more of some kind of monument to prove that they had truly made it.

Krel turned towards the witch, who gave him a wink and retired into her world of shadows. There was still a lingering jealousy over how easily she was to teleport all over the place in the absence of a wormhole, yet he also kind of admired her for it – also he wondered if that girl knew by now what a popstar she had become between Hex Tech workers. Besides, right now was not the time for inferiority complexes or admiration.

The clean flowerbeds on each side of the path, the shining red mailbox hidden under the darkness of the early day, the simple doormat a little ragged, the door closed in front of him. He had come here so many times, often to deliver something less than pleasant. This time was different, it felt different. It felt definitive.

He ringed the bell. Nothing. He ringed again.

Heavy steps approached.

His core started to shiver in anticipation. It hit him there that rushing onto the place with this eagerness to see him, kind of reminded him of that one time an asteroid had come crashing down…

“I told you already, no free help to rebuild whatever local troll market you have going on! You pay for a cleaning service like the rest of us!” Given that, it should have not surprised him that much seeing Mr. Johnson’s round nose like that one time. Because of course Gaylen had to make it difficult, even after apocalypse number five. “What the…? Tarron, I thought you were dead!” It was a bit hard to unpack all that because on one hand Krel had made sure to let Seamus know thoroughly and preventively about the matter of cores and stasis. On the other he could see this man ignoring everything in favor of his own opinion – Johnson’s stubbornness right there.

Krel couldn’t help a little unbelieving huff, with a bit of adrenaline dying down.

“Well as you can see you relied on an undependable source of information, as I am perfectly fine.” The man was arching an eyebrow like he wasn’t fully convinced – what did he want a diagram of his vitals?? “I was simply rebuilding my physical form after sustaining a considerable damage to my body, that is why it took me quite some time to be awakened.”

“My world, just say you were at the hospital, why does it have to be all fancy with you?” Huh, Krel had almost forgot how infuriating this human could be. Mr. Johnson grunted. “Good to see you’re fine then I guess. Look, Seamus is not even here yet, he has been held back to whatever little magicky school he is frequenting right now… one I agreed to only because I don’t want whatever this mystical crap he has to interfere with his college resume.” Answering a question no one had made, again, Krel had forgotten how entitled this man was. Patience was very quickly running out. “In conclusion, you can very well-”

“Tom you can’t leave in the middle of an argument just because you’re losing it!” Just as Krel was about to tell this very annoying human off – ‘I could snap my fingers and have you taken into custody by three different kinds of armies and I know I would have Seamus’ blessing’ –, another one appeared, eyeing Mr. Johnson’s with an accusing look. “Take it like a man or whatever!”

The man had his face all red already.

“I didn’t leave for that, airhead! Didn’t you hear the doorbell?? And I wasn’t losing it, I’m right!”

The woman huffed loudly, the black ponytail snapping on the right. Then she turned to the prince, looking at him up and down like he was under examination. She blinked, several times, then she grinned widely and grabbed him by the wrist.

“You came right on time, we can’t have an observer more external than this!” Before the prince could sputter some response, he was dragged inside, all the way to the living room and then sitting onto the table, with an impressive amount of magazines on it. “We’re having a bit of a dispute, you’ll solve it for us, and don’t feel too pressured about admitting that I’m right just because it might make Tom a bit grumpy. After all he’s been made with that face.” After a quick analysis lasting pretty much two mekrons, Krel concluded that he liked his woman.

The inside hadn’t changed much either, it was only a bit more lived. There were a couple of graceful bags on the sofa, and from the kitchen a lovely smell of almond was filling the air. The constant tinkering of pots and mixtures gave it away that there was another person in there, and in truth the prince was seriously on his way to start asking question.

Then right under his scientific nose were placed two magazines, one with a scheme of black and white cubes and the other a simple grid divided in 81 squares, and his interest was piqued.

The woman sat in front of him, while Mr. Johnson heavily dropped right next with a grunt.

“You’re not winning this, I swear! This is ridiculous!”

“Easy boy, stay still.” It took everything for Krel not to burst into laughter – now the man looked like a human thermometer. “So, in short, we were all doing our own logic puzzles since, you know, at some point of age you get that impelling fear that every year you lose a bit of mental functions forever and we don’t want that.” … oh so this was what these were, puzzles. Fascinating. “Everything was fine until I asked for a word, Tom got all smug because he knew it for once, and now he’s fixed over the fact that number puzzles are better than word puzzles!”

“for the last time, I’m not fixed! I’m right!” Mr. Johnson was still flushed, but it looked more like the vivid color of someone who was way into the conversation. It actually kind of seemed like he was having a lot of fun… in his own antisocial way – pff, like the prince could talk. “Tell me that word search is better than Sudoku, come on, I dare you!”

“Tell me that ‘find the missing number’ is better than crosswords!”

“Sudoku is challenging and helps with concentration!”

“Crosswords make you learn new things and make you realize what you knew! Also quizzes change every time, numbers don’t, how about that!” She let her back hit the back of her chair with a satisfied huff, crossing her legs in the meantime with a dramatic gesture. The man in front of her looked ready to explode, sipping angrily at his glass. “Anything you would like to add, outsider?” She had very dark eyes, enticing even. But there was a spark of energy hard to ignore.

So this argument was silly, like any other human related thing. Perhaps that was why he felt impelled to contribute, giving a look at the two puzzles in front of him. The rules were in sight.

Huh. Huh huh. Oh alright. Now the matter was clearer.

“There is, yes. I believe there’s been a misunderstanding, clearly Sudoku is superior.”

Krel knew exactly the kind of reaction it was going to generate. He knew about that man’s efforts towards his son and how he was indeed bettering himself for his sake, commendable… but it was definitely pleasing seeing him choke on whatever beverage he had been sipping.

The woman gasped loudly. She didn’t look pleased, but she also looked challenged.

“Excuse you? Care to explain?”

“Well your reasoning is understandable as there is no doubt the need to constantly implement new knowledge into this puzzle, to keep simple human minds at bay. It is a completely valid puzzle, for the less exigent people.” He sighed in the middle, just for the sake of seeing these people hanging onto his words, and it was hard not to let out a little grin. “With that being said, it is clearly brought forward with an unnecessary struggle, as the scheme is constantly changing in order to adapt to new words and intersections. In other words, it is a waste of time. This Sudoku uses a nine-for-nine grid that changes numbers but not the base, which makes it for quick work over making new quizzes and over sis sextillions possible combinations. It is a perfected base, therefore better in any way.”

“Hah! Told you!” It took Mr. Johnson coming out of his near choking experience and victoriously slam a hand over the table for Krel to realize he was siding with him of all people. “You don’t need fancy tricks with numbers, what you see is what you get! That’s math for you!” And now the prince agreed with what he was saying? What was happening right now?

“How dare you disrespect the sanctity of my favorite hobby!” It didn’t matter, the woman was at it again. “It changes often to pick the interest of many people, this is why crosswords are so popular! Sudoku are brushed off, they are boring and barely relevant!”

Krel smirked at that. He really liked proving himself right.

“Perhaps not for everyone, which makes Sudoku sophisticated.”

“Which makes crosswords commercial at best!” This had to be the happiest Mr. Johnson had been around him – correction, the first time he had been happy that he was aware of. “Eat this, Lyn!” He turned around to smile at the prince, only to maybe realize what he was actually doing and scoff, like it was too much even given the situation. Honestly Krel would have not known how to react given the situation, so perhaps it was better like that – human baby steps.

The woman gasped for three full seconds – alright she was another dramatic type – then pushed herself up onto her feet to hover over the two of them.

“I hope you realize that this means war! Siding with your future father-in-law, what a cheap move!” Father-in…? “Because you’re Krel, right?” She suddenly laughed, scratching the back of her head in a surprisingly timid way. “I just figured it out, correct me if I’m wrong.”

Ah, she was also the reckless type. Yeah, so far Krel really liked her.

“Yes, Krel Tarron, that is me.”

“Oh good, I didn’t make a complete fool of myself this time! Victory!” Mr. Johnson arched an eyebrow like to say ‘There’s still time’. “So nice to meet you, I heard so much about you! Name’s Jamie, Jamie Lyn.” Oh, Seamus’ mom’s girlfriend? He did mention her before and he had seen a photo only once, now it made sense – that and the fact that out of three words used to describe her Seamus has said energetic, stubborn, and weirdly competitive. “Now that I have your name for the epitaph, let’s get down to business!” She grabbed one of the magazines scattered over the table, snickering evilly. “You talk down crosswords so you better be able to complete one of these! The Bartezzaghi is the big boss to defeat, pure Italian rage, be ready for the challenge!”

Was this quite the weird situation to engage in some sort of game between the partner of his boyfriend’s mother and said boyfriend’s father? Definitely. Did this make him any less competitive and eager himself, as it truly felt like he hadn’t had any kind of serene mentally challenging situation happening in a while now? Absolutely not.

Krel hummed solely to exhaust the time and mess a bit with Jamie, then he shrugged.

“Well then, I have nothing against it. But to make this a fair game I believe it should be provided to you a Sudoku as well, one of the most difficult too.”

“Already ahead of you, Tarron.” Mr. Johnson shuffled between his perfectly lines up magazines and took out one of them with a confident gesture. “The creation of Finnish mathematician Inkala, literally called the world’s hardest Sudoku! Enjoy sweating all the way to your armpits!”

“Enjoy having brain cramps!” Pens were embraced like weapons. “Ready…”

“GO!”

In truth, it was a walk in the forest, as the humans said. In actual truth, it was one of the most complicated matters he had lately encountered. The logic behind it was fairly simple, but many of these words came from heavily acquired human culture and needed a rigorous grammar in order to make them all fit in the right cells. Even given such background those were highly specific clues even for more explored scholars. Having a partner made it less tricky as Mr. Johnson at least knew something, but there they came some of the less obvious terms apparently and he was getting all flushed again – Krel had no doubt where Seamus had gotten his reddening skin from.

As a matter of fact, and for the sake of his ego, it looked like Jamie was struggling as well. She had started with a pen, then she had crossed over many written digits, then she had copied the grid onto another paper to start all over with a pencil. She had been writing and erasing numbers for quite a while now, there were little particles of pink eraser all over the paper. It was silent around them, calm and comfortable, aside from the occasional ‘dang it’ and ‘oh come on’ all over.

Time had finally started to make sense around Krel, he felt in control of it. The feeling of being suspended above it all was slowly drifting away, and he found himself even slightly smiling after realizing his mind had been elsewhere and he was happy about it. After some more trial and errors – with Mr. Johnson stuck with a ‘vertical, fifteen letters, name of a horrible experience’, which apparently was making everyone feel extremely angry and triggered just thinking about it – Krel distanced himself a bit and stretched himself up. It was also pleasing that there hadn’t been a single negative comment about his current Akiridion appearance. It was a given and how it should had been, but it was still nice to assess it.

He must had been very out of it, because he didn’t notice that the sounds from the kitchen had stopped. All of the sudden a bowl of fragrant cookies was placed in front of him, along with a glass of juice, so he turned around. For a moment, he thought Seamus and almost panicked as he realized he had no idea what to say to him after a whole month of distance, even though his core had given him a very pleasant squeeze.

Then he noticed the stature, the softer figure, the longer hair braided and the very sweet smile, even vulnerable, of a very perceivable weakness that his boyfriend certainly didn’t show. She sat down and it was a bit scary how silent she was being, like she deeply didn’t want to disturb.

“I did hear we were having a guest. Sorry you were dragged along by these two.” Even her voice was a bit undertone. It had a nice sound. “Krel, right?”

The prince smiled, because she was sweet and now he knew who she was.

“Yes. Lydia?”

“That’s me, does the hair give it away? My mother had the same color.” It was probably too forward telling her that the warm and comfortable sensation from Seamus that Krel had never found in Mr. Johnson likely came from her. Even if she didn’t have those same specific tones of hair and eyes, Krel would have recognized her as his boyfriend’s mother. “How are you doing? I’ll admit that I didn’t understand everything Seamus told me about your situation, but it sounded really serious. Are you okay?” That was a good question.

Krel took a deep breath, trying to hear his own body. Everything felt the tiniest bit more sensible now, he didn’t know if it was a lingering sensation from having been nothing but a core for so many delsons or it was meant to stay with him. He wasn’t afraid of his own intense feelings, not anymore, but it was a bit destabilizing still.

He was fine though. The best he had been in a while, actually.

“I am okay, only a bit destabilized I believe.” He tapped over the glass, remembering the same cold feeling from the glass of the chamber. “After sustaining a certain damage Akiridions need time to recover, in order to adjust our body. Our core, our heart, keeps us together.” He didn’t know what would have happened if Krel had been born human for this specific battle. In all truth, he didn’t want to think about it. he was alive, that was all that mattered.

Lydia nodded lightly, eyes lingering on him.

“I see.” She looked like she didn’t completely, but unlike her ex-husband she seemed able to apply tactfulness. “Well I’m glad to see you’re fine, and to finally meet you! With how much Seamus talks about you I feel like this should’ve happened much earlier.”

Krel grinned, lightly biting his lip. That stupidly sweet human.

“Likewise. Your lasagna recipe has provided a delightful surprise.”

“Oh he made it to you at the end, was it good? I always go overboard with the besciamella, I’m sure my son is much more precise with the dosages.” Lydia leaned her elbow onto the table, distractively tinkering with her necklace. “Ever since he was little, he would get all fussy if he didn’t get to measure his own milk. I thought that meant we were to raise the kind of kid that was going to ask for the little lab science kit for Christmas but no, he wanted a big book about planets.” She giggled lovingly, getting silent for a moment. The pens of the two contenders were going by eagerly. “We used to play a lot with stories about space. We also had this game about astronauts…”

“… for him to find an unusual object and for you to narrate a tale about it.” The prince nodded softly, closing his eyes. “He told me about that one.” Along with the rest of the stories, how the last time they had played had been another factor to the divorce of his parents. Yet he didn’t want to turb her with that, not now that they were talking so serenely.

Besides, those tender eyes looked too aware to need more words.

“He did, didn’t he.” They had all been making progress since then after all. “Krel, I’m very glad that my Seamus find you. I’m so happy to get to know you.” She sounded so sincere.

She was great. She was. The prince swallowed, lowering his eyes.

Right, she didn’t know how mutual it was. The prince swallowed, realizing the chance.

“I’m very happy too, I’ve been wanting to do it for a long time now… to thank you.” Lydia gave him a confused look, batting those deeply blue eyes of her. They seemed a bit darker than his boyfriend’s, the color was in between hers and Mr. Johnson’s. They were still inevitably connected to him. “I know that you talked to Seamus before… after we broke up.” Still a harsh memory to evoke. “You convinced him not to give up on us, and I’m very grateful for it. Truly, thank you.” He didn’t want to think about the eventuality, not now that slowly but surely everything was going into place. Yet that part of their relationship was still there, inevitably, as a reminder of what the lack of trust and sincerity could do to the two of them. The most powerful lesson.

Lydia let her lips slightly apart, blinking a few for times, then she smiled again and nudged the bowl of cookies towards him. They looked just made and smelled wonderful. Krel took a bit of one. Sweet and toasted. He immediately grabbed another one.

“Your words make me happy, I’m glad I could help.” She sighed softly. “But I don’t think Seamus would have given up, even if I didn’t intervene. He cares a whole lot about you and that’s something you shouldn’t underestimate.” Her eyes turned a bit gloomy, she started to pinch the skin between her thumb and index out of a nervous tick. “He was devastated when he discovered about your conditions, he sounded unhappy every day whenever I heard him on the phone. It’s the reason why Jamie and I have moved here for the time being.” She was a really good woman, just like Seamus had said. Sometimes healing oneself pulled people apart, but not for long.

Of course, of course he had come out of it like that. His boyfriend was so emotional, so quick in getting overwhelmed and so unbelievably kind under it all. The thought alone of him, entering the absolutely silent Mothership, looking at the capsule with nothing but a pulsing core, made Krel wish he had been a better warrior solely to avoid it all.

He pressed the cookie between his fingers, again the wave of uncertainty washing over him. It was stupid. They had that conversation before, about the serene existence Seamus might had without him. His boyfriend wanted this life, he did, no matter what pain it brought.

The cookie broke. What a visual. Krel sighed heavily.

“I don’t think a boyfriend should cause so many problems.”

“Oh dear, having a relationship means having problems. It’s the connection between two different people, it’s inevitable.” Lydia put a hand onto his shoulder, it was more callous than he would have expected. “Sometimes everything seems to be going smoothly, sometimes there are arguments and fights, and some other times our own problems interfere.” Her voice lightly cracked at last, it was all the experience from within. Yet she was smiling still. “It’s when you go through the best and the worst and still want to be together, the moment you know you found someone special.” Her eyes were on Jamie, as she was still struggling over the Sudoku with her tongue out.

She was right, of course. Ah, Krel was still doing that, he was still doubting everything ever so slightly. Was it because he had never even considered the possibility on Akiridion-5? Was it because he had spent an existence pushed towards a life he wanted nothing to do with? Was it because this was his first relationship, one he wanted to last so badly it hurt? All the above. Yet if this last apocalypse – hopefully and truthfully the last – had taught him anything, especially from the highly destructive selflessness of the trollhunter, was that not knowing right away was okay.

Working towards it. Being motivated and being happy about it. That mattered.

Krel bit a cookie. Warm and delicious. He smiled, feeling his core warming up.

“I do know I found someone special.” It had never lied after all.

Lydia looked like she was doing her best to suppress the biggest smile at the moment, doing a very bad job at it – there it was, Seamus’ blatantness.

“Is that so?” A question that did not need an answer.

“Aaahhh, dang it! How is this so freaking hard, I don’t get it!” Suddenly Jamie threw her pencil in the air, rubbing her head to the point her ponytail was coming lose onto her shoulder. Mr. Johnson looked like he was trying to grin smugly, but perhaps he couldn’t see how red and exhausted he was as well. “They’re just numbers! Stupid, rigid, thought-was-never-going-to-see-again-after-my-high-school-years, unbearable numbers!!”

“Ha! Ha…!” Again, the man looked victorious, but he was also panting like he had been running until now. “I told you, this kind of complex puzzle are only for experts like me and Tarron!” Seklos and Gaylen, did he just include him into the ironic equation? Krel was fairly sure it was the competition high talking, but he also didn’t particularly mind gaining more points with that man – better than having a glare pointed like a blaster. “I guess… I guess I’ll give you the chance to have a break, since it’s more than you can handle! So I… I’ll stop too… for a moment… uff…” He pushed the magazine away like it was weighting him down, letting out a sigh.

It looked like so far the dispute between math and letters had reached a moment of stasis – surely the prince could pretend numbers were not superior for a couple of mekrons. Lydia giggled and got up, walking behind her girlfriend and kissing her forehead.

“Sweetheart, how about some tea to calm you down? I made some in the kitchen.”

“You bear with us and our buffooneries Lily, I’ll take it myself.” Jamie grinned at the blonde woman and pecked her rosy lips as she stood up, leaving a dense red behind – oh, maybe it was a family tradition after all. “… what the… oh.” She suddenly stopped before turning around, eyes fixed onto the window. Suddenly a wide smirked forced onto her face, as she stepped forward. “Hey Krel?” The prince arched an eyebrow. “Get this one. Six letters, blondie that surely cannot wait to see you right now.” Why was she making out clues on the spot that was not how it wor-

The prince was sure he had never jumped onto his feet faster than this. He missed Jamie’s amused look, he missed Lydia’s sweet stare, he missed Mr. Johnson’s serious yet vaguely approving glare. As he rushed towards the door with tickling feet and his core bouncing into his throat, he was seeing absolutely nothing.

Then he was outside, and finally, Krel saw him.

“Phew, thanks for the lift Charlie! Don’t know what I would’ve down without Nunez around!” He looked incredible, as he jumped down from the dragon like he had done it countless of times. The strawberry blonde hair gently moved on one side, the leather jacket onto the iconic black shirt, the moonstone bracelet on his wrist. Everything. Everything. “Man it’s cold on the mornings! Remind me not to accept magic lessons this early… also not to ask for more materials, pretty sure the shelf in my room is exploding between this and final exams…” He sounded so soft. He sounded so sweet. Krel wasn’t feeling himself anymore, only the vortex of feelings of this moment.

Charlie made a throaty laugh that reverberated into the morning.

“It is not negative for a young apprentice to ask for references, especially while we are rebuilding the library of the town! I’m sure Archibald doesn’t mind helping between his own lessons.”

“He looked like he was having fun.”

“No doubt at all! And what a stellar choice it had been of young Douxie, putting him as the teacher of the new familiars of the apprentices!” The dragon looked so proud, a truly supportive and comfortable father. Then he snickered a little. “Back to us, while I do admire your eagnerness, perhaps yes you could try and tame your scholastic urgencies.”

Seamus made a bashful smile – ah his core –, balancing a pile of books with one hand.

“I don’t even know if I’m keeping this power, I wanna know everything while it lasts! It’s you guys’ fault for letting me know magic counts as a whole science with whole branches included! There’s so much in it!” He checked onto the covers, one volume falling onto the ground. “Just look at this, how can I not be interested?? ‘Legends of the One Tower’, ‘Guide into the Emperor’s Covens’… huh, ‘A Brief Recapitulation of Magic Lore’?”

“Oh do not ask me, I am no scholar. Although I believe it was a mandatory text to be done or something.” The dragon’s big deep honey eyes sweetened. Then they went up, widening a little bit as they crossed the prince’s. A smirk took form. “You sure are working hard, young Seamus.”

The blonde snickered, kneeling to pick up the fallen book.

“I guess it’s something deeply written into the Johnson’s DNA.”

“It is not the reason why, is it though?”

“Of course not, like I would give dad any merit about what I’m doing!” Seamus laughed again, turning towards the sun lightly peaking from the horizon. Those same blue eyes, that same telling expression. They hadn’t been apart for that long, and the prince barely felt it at all. “You know, I discovered that I love learning. For so long I felt forced to do it, but the moment I’m free and even have a privilege to exploit for it, I feel so incredibly inspired. There was so much to uncover before, there is double the material now, and that’s definitely a big part of the reason why.” Krel never wanted to be apart again nonetheless. “But even with that, I would be a hypocrite if I said that I’m doing it for me only. Because most importantly, I’m doing it for him. I have something in mind but most of all… I want him to be proud of the work I did.”

Those eyes. That smile. That feeling reflecting into his simple gesture.

Perhaps it was going to take quite a long time to fully accept that they were in this together, and Krel wasn’t supposed to solve everything and anything on his own. Even the feeling of being a bother, a problem for him, that wasn’t his anymore. Then moment they had promised to each other to be reunited, he had allowed a link to form. He wasn’t going to let it break, at all costs.

His body still wasn’t moving. It felt like there was a spell in the air.

Charlie seemed to know the right words to break it once and for all.

“Well let me tell you if I may, as I am without a doubt quite the expert in regard of love!” The dragon widened his wings dramatically, Seamus turned to him with a snicker. “From my personal point of view, I would say… your prince is appreciating every single effort of you.” His eyes drifted forward, giving the prince a little wink while the blonde hummed in confusion.

Then he turned around, those clear eyebrows were knitted together. It took an everlasting sekton that passed with half the speed, for a wave of inevitable changes to turn his expression all over. His lips parted, his shoulders rase, his eyes widened beyond capability. A park of light shined a circle into them, giving them gleam and feeling strong enough for Krel to experience it all the way where he was. All the books the blonde had been holding up fell loudly onto the ground, one after the other, ticking the time that was getting larger and larger between the two of them. Another spell had to have been casted in the middle of the two, a road that had been gray and colorless up until now, that was slowly getting covered in a timid light.

Light .

Like the mellow illumination of the moon that night at the park. Like the absence of it during the blackout in his house. Like the sparkle inside of his chest when Seamus had hugged him at the theater. Like the phosphorescent stars onto the ceiling of his room. Like the inside darkness Krel had felt when Seamus had ripped their photo apart. Like the sunset he had seen at the beach, that had made him decided that he wanted this for his life.

Earth was a good force for him after all, no matter the troubles the prince had been through during his permanence. Right as dawn started to manifest, in colors of pink and orange and green all over, the blonde’s expression changed again and it was the brightest shine of it all.

“K… Krel?” He exhaled, like it had taken him everything to say that, like whatever was happening in front him was the most incredible view he had ever witnessed. Then he smiled, and he grinned, and he laughed with his eyes reflecting the tones of the rising sun. “Oh my gosh… oh my gosh… Krel!” His body was shaking, and suddenly he was in motion, lightly tripping onto his feet as he went above the books onto the ground. And it was so clumsy, so eager and so him and it was like falling for him all over again. Like he had gone through the whole process already, and now every time he saw him he found another reason to like him a little more.

At that point not even an actual curse would have been able to stop him, the prince was sure, and his feet were almost burning the moment he went running towards him. It was the longest path ever yet it was over almost right away, just as the sun was rising up and giving new life to the colors of his perfectly normal and ordinary town of Arcadia.

Two steps away from him, Krel touched his serrator and put on his transduction. He didn’t wait for the blue shimmers to fade away before jumping at his neck, laughing between his arms.

He did it. He came back to him. He had managed to keep his promise.

Seamus was sobbing and laughing, holding him up in the embrace, strong enough that the prince seriously believed that no one, not Morando, not the Order, not the universe itself, was ever going to pull him away from this. Krel did, slightly, only to look at him into those gorgeous eyes of his that he had not seen for so long. They meant, so incredibly much to him he didn’t want to hold back tears anymore. He tried to lean in, but as he pulled the boy towards him he lost balance, and Krel found himself hitting his back with his boyfriend on top of him.

The blonde looked at him in amazement, then burst into laughter again, droplets falling from his cheeks and right onto Krel’s. The prince smiled at that shining image, and he put his hands over his humid face. Seamus’ eyes softened deeply, it made him want to cry himself.

“I missed you so much.” Seamus imitated him, a hand over the prince’s cheek, and Seklos if it was the warmest feeling of all. His favorite feeling. “So much, you have no idea.”

Krel leaned into the touch, feeling thousands of weight leaving his core. At last.

“I missed you too… or at least I think I did.” He suddenly huffed, getting a little far away from the current ethereal moment. “To be honest I do not know what precisely occurred during the stasis, as I have no conscience nor memory over that times, so perhaps I did not have a thought at all.” Seamus was blinking at him. Even his confused face was adorable. “Oh, but I have no doubt that given the possibility I most certainly longed to see you again! Although I doubt some precise desire had crossed my mind with absolute assurance, it is more likely I did not think at all… so…” Kleb, he had felt so good about this all he had let go of his usual personality, and how experiencing something like a stasis did make him want to write down his observations on the matter.

Seamus stayed still, staring at him while the sun reached his shoulders. When it hit his hair, making them golden, he laughed again, much more loudly than before and laid on top of him, holding him close as he hid his face into the crook of Krel’s shoulder.

“Are you serious?? You get all scientific in a moment like this??”

“I feel like I might have destroyed the romantic atmosphere of it all…”

“I can’t believe you, oh my gosh, I really can’t believe you.” The blonde was still shaking, if intense joy or sobbed relief it was hard to tell. It made Krel go quiet all of the sudden. “You’re so weird. My wonderfully weird, incredibly intelligent, beautifully caring Krel.” Ah, the sneaky math blonde was back, breathing on his neck. It felt humid too. “I’ve been so scared, I knew you were going to be fine but I just… I… I really, really missed you.”

Breathing near his ear .

Those three words .

… why was this feeling so familiar to him? The prince had experienced this sense of protection several times already, and even more where the times when the math blonde had left him completely speechless, stuck with this feeling of absolute warmth all over his body. Yet this felt like a calling, a reminder of something that right now he truly couldn’t bring back to his mind. Perhaps he was still under the side effects of the regeneration. Perhaps he was dizzy right now.

If Krel’s mind was strong enough – it most certainly was – then with a bit of concentration he was probably going to understand what was pulsing inside of him. Yet… yet did it matter?

Seamus was pulling himself up, eyes so very red and so very wonderful. He beamed at him, sniffing a bit inelegantly, then he gently leaned his forehead onto Krel’s. Oh. The prince had mentioned it only once, how Akiridions greeted their most important people.

Of course he knew. Of course he knew.

The prince grinned, feeling his cheeks hurting, and slowly closed his eyes to savor it all. Ah, what did it matter after all? Whatever this déjà-vu feeling was all about, there was going to be plenty of time later in a safe universe on a safe planet to think about it. It didn’t feel like it was about him only after all, it involved his boyfriend, all of him, and who knew how he could surprise him given the right incentive. Krel had given him the upper hand before, the math duel, their dates, their kisses, and he had never felt disappointed. As long as this was in Seamus’ hands then everything was okay. They were okay.

As for now, Krel wanted to enjoy what he had earned from the universe and his hard work. A party waiting at home, his precious Earth safe, and his Seamus right next to him.

“I’m so glad to see you, my math blonde.”

“Welcome back, your majesty.”