Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

There was a boy named Kel

He was a active boy back then

An energetic kid's with is little group, happiness was a common emotion for them

kel was never seen alone by people

And when he alone? well Kel never be alone

He was a pure kid but with brave soul and friendly face

All people to him was his friends, even to a stranger. once kel saw a person he never met, he’d greet them and ask if they want to be friends

His little group was the best for him. It was small but always brought happiness

Kel had a perfect brother too! A handsome man with and kindest heart and he was quite talented as well

His name is hero and to Kel and everyone else, he was perfect

Kel was happy to have a big brother like him

He never alone, there was always his friends around him

But that's all in the past.
.
.
.
.
.
.
There was a boy, inside a large room

The room with two beds in each side. On left has vibrant orange odds and ends everywhere, full of stuff but didn't have any live. but didn’t have any life. the other side felt empty, even though it was full of trophies; there was not a single ounce of joy or pride in the whole room

The boy was in right side. He had been sitting there, staring at the tv emanating a bright light

He seems empty, without joy or any emotion at all

he never feels joy like had again, Kel want to have all brightness he like he used to

All he can do is make false smile, hoping the it can make him same again.

He want to play with his friends again, Kel always hope some off his childhood to just knock the door again. He feel empty

But despite Kel desire to meet his friends, he never really known who his friends at all. His mind was always foggy for remember something, including his memory from his childhood. All he remember was the name off his former group like Mari, Sunny, Aubrey, basil and his beloved brother Hero.

Kel didn’t really know what happened to them, except his brother. He now only had a distant relationship with kel, but it didn’t worry him in the slightest. hero left only left because he been studied to be doctor. He can only just waiting for him to finish the degree and have some fun again

and compared to him, kel was just rotting in their room. he had nothing to do rather that play games with his console and crt tv

The tv was showing some game screen. It was super smash fighting game, kickup. an old video game from gamebox. It was a popular video game back then, its suppose to play with multiple player but the only opponent he had was basic computer

The boy was still watching the tv, with his empty eyes staring at the tv

This boy was the one with full of joy, a lot a friend's and an endless energy. But it was just memories right now.

The boy seem had Lost everything through his life, leaving only painful memory with him

His name was kel, a boy who lost everything.

He just waiting for something to happen
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
As times goes on. The boy finally move, turning off the tv and his gamebox as well, he began to stand up and asking to himself.

"What should i do now"

It was really a tragic, seeing the boy change like nothing we never see. It was tragic moment he had trough entire life, burning all he had left for the price

Although, he didn't quite remember what happened to him, he always remember had a friend's group once but he didn't sure

If he really had a friend's, why they never seek him

If he really had a friend's, why he had hollow in his life

If he really had a friend's, why they never see him

"Ooh... They maybe hate him now" that was always his answer

Although, the answer always giving him more questions rather than solving it

If they hate him, what did he do for something like this

What action he did to make him like this

Why he didn't remember his mistake

How and why this really happens---

A loud sounds can be heard

It was a loud growl, the loudest he had ever heard

Erasing his thoughts, he began the remember one think he miss

He didn’t eat some solid food

He starving

"Well..... It isn't like i had anything to do" his thoughts, agreeing with his body

As Kel tries to move his lanky body, he heard someone ask to just go back to sleep. Well of course not, everyone know you can’t have a nice sleep while hunger crawling his limbs. He maybe never move his muscle often but he need to fill his stomach with some food.

when the last time he have some diner anyway? Or lunch? He didn’t quite sure what times it is but one thing he know it’s time to eat some food
As he began to step down to stairs, he feel something was off

The stair was the same as he remember, long, had a lot step on it, just like usual. The darkness didn’t really bother Kel either, he already used to pitch dark as Kel didn’t bother to turn on the light.

Even thought his mind refuse to continue, Kal take a steps. It was a mistake

An eye from the stairs immediately rose and staring straight at Kel.

Startled, Kel jolted from what he saw.

“what is that?! Why there are eyes at stairs?!” was the first thing Kel say, he may have some nightmare but he sure his nightmare never be real.

His heartbeat racing fast, he never had experience like this.

Or maybe he just never remember it

Even after all the adrenalin Kel had, his stomach seem didn’t bother and ask for some food with grumble sounds it produce.

Now, Kel had two choice. Either he go back to his room and hope his stomach finally discover a word ‘fear’ and ‘scared’ or be brave boy he usually do, go to kitchen and eat some food. Oh and by mean ‘usually do’ is when he never fucking have stairs with eyes in the first steps.

Before he even made his option, his began to hurt. At this state his stomach didn’t ask for food, rather it NEED food.

Why this stomach need to eat in midnight anyway, aren’t eating at this time is forbidden.

As much he want to argue with his body, the choice had been made.

Kel will go down to kitchen, eat anything he see in fridge and go back to his room to have a nice dream.

After Kel control his breath with simple steps, the usually someone do when they scared, kel began to take his first step.

Just like he expected, the eyes come back to stare to him, again.

Kel whisper to himself to just don’t look down, keeping his head straight forward.

He take a steps again, another eyes looking at him.

Another steps, another eyes.

The prosses keep repeating like that, Kel takes one steps at stair and another eyes appears.

After all steps he took, Kel realize one things.

The stairs are long.

To long to be house .

Vision in front him didn’t help either, all his see was a pitch endless dark.

Before Kel can feel anything. A hands drag both his feet, causing him to fall

But instead landing on the stairs and giving him some butt pain, he still falling

it was endless void, with nothing but only darkness

Not long enough, there is a eyes around him filling the empty void

They all staring at him

Kel is afraid

He didn’t know what to do

The eyes are staring at him

This isn’t his house

He didn’t what are those

SOMEONE watching bellow him

It was a dark figure, with something like hair around it and both eyes staring at Kel. The figure was standing bellow him in darkness, in center of all those eyes

It staring at him

SOMEONE say something at him

Kel didn’t know what the figure say, but it was rather giving him comfort he never have

SOMEONE then whisper to Kel

“it was all your imagination Kel, its not real” said the figure

“close your eyes and breath, don’t make your self panic” was kel heard before it was gone

Following the direction SOMEONE give him, Kel began to close his eyes

Breath in

Hold

Breath out

Breath in

Hold

Breath out

As Kel began open his eyes, the darkness began to vanish

He is at the bottom of the stairs, sitting at the floor

The eyes was gone to somewhere

There was no single eyes around him, neither at the stairs

Kel began to sit up, his stomach begging him to fill it with some food. He then proceed to kitchen and open the fridge, there was some sandwich with a note on it.

"Kel if you read this, please eat some proper food. We are worried you never will eat the food when we go to city. There is another food we left so you better fill those stomach :)
With love, your parents"

Kel never expect there was a sandwich made for him. He never eat that much anyway so why they made him some food? He can think it latter. Kel then grab the sandwich and eat it immediately, didn’t bother using microwave for reheating his meal. Why you want reheating it anyway, food is food it was the same no matter what the temperature.

The sandwich was nice, its cold but the taste was really the only thing he care. His mother always bring his food to room but right now she nowhere to see. Kel remember his parents say they will go to city for looking for something, he didn’t quite sure what they trying to find but its not like he need to think about it

After he done with his sandwich, Kel then wash the plate and began to go back to his room. But before move to his room, he wanted to check the landline phone. His parents usually send some voice via the telephone, but right now he didn’t have any voice mails

And right after he check the phone, a knock can be heard. It was odd at this late someone knock the door, and if it was hero he will immediately open the door. And without anymore thought Kel began to move his feet to door.

“Strange” as Kel said, it was right to describe. The knock sound was ended when he face-to-face with the door, and when Kel open it there was nothing but the cold night. He then lock the door and find some letter bellow it

“hey Kel, is me basil. Its been a while since we play together, I have been knock your door but you never answer, I just want to ask you can you please play with me? I don’t know when I will leave faraway town but at least I want to see you!”
“I’m going to come here morning so I hope you sleep well so we can play again”
Your best friends, Basil Demetriou :D

Kel never thought someone will ask him again to play

He remember someone usually knock at his door to ask him play, but Kel always denied it. He didn’t remember why he always refuse answer it but it doesn’t matter, right now Basil ask him to play as friends, heck he says Kel was his best friends.

Kel need to sleep right now, he didn’t want to missed to play with Basil again after a long time. Maybe he the one who knock the door al this time, but he glad basil didn’t forget him.

at such, Kel return to his room and go back to his bed. His eyes began to close, and then he start to sleep
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
A heartwarming child had waken up from his sleep

Chapter Text

A heartwarming child wakes up from his dream

Opening his eyes, stood up slowly and checked his surroundings.

He wakes up in his room, but without a wall and roof, a place full of comfort. But you never want to stay here far too long.

 The kid always feels calm whenever he wakes up here.

His bed is soft. If you just lean in there, you will easily fall asleep. But oddly, sleeping was the least he wanted to do. It colored the bed white and yellow, and it had tons of blue stars visible on his blanket.  

And despite the warm and cozy bed offered, he began to leave his bed. 

Calling it a room has never been the correct word. There were no walls, after all. Around the supposed 'room' was all his stuff, placed just like you put stuff in a bedroom, such as his favorite comic book, a TV, some game consoles he usually plays when he is bored, and ‌all of his photos of his friend.

And there was a dark orange door, placed in front of the area, standing up, and waiting for someone to open it.

His room may be strange. 

Full of mystery, yet it brings a calm.

It feels isolated here, but anyone never complained.

but despite the oddness, he felt safe

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

As the boy moved and examined the place, there was no single missing item after he checked them.

He still had his TV

He still had his bed, obviously

He still had his comic books, which were a bit messy since he placed it at his desk, but it didn't bother him

He still had his journal and his to-do list book. He hated to write all that should be done, but it was important.

He still had a light lightbulb. It was the second most important thing he had. How else does he sleep without it?

He still had all his friend’s photos. It was just a copy, but still important nonetheless.

All of them are complete.

Picking up one of his photos, he sees a person with a simple blue shirt with a charming smile.

It was his brother, Hero.

The guy lifted his nickname.

Picking up another photo, he sees two boys around his age, who seem to be talking about the book one of them holds.

A black raven-haired boy with monochromatic clothing and a plain face, yet he can see the excitement through his face.

His name is Sunny, and despite his silence, he can still bring warmth to others.

Beside him is a blonde boy with bright blue eyes, wearing a green t-shirt with a flower icon and brown shawls.

He is Sunny's friend, Basil. Hearing his name, anyone can tell what his hobbies are..

Picking up another photo, two girls are playing with Basil's hair and giving him a flower crown.

A long-haired girl with her school outfits, even though it was school clothes she seemed comfortable wearing them.

Her name is Mari, a perfect girl and Sunny's elder sister. He is lucky to have a sister like her

And another girl also with black hair, though her hair wasn't long like Mari, it's still pretty. She wears a plain pink shirt with a blue sky skirt.

Her name is Aubrey.

Putting back the photo in its place, he sees his reflection in the mirror beside his bed.

Someone was looking at him

It was his own reflection

He wore a simple orange shirt with the color green on the end of his sleeve and a pocket at his left chest, and short brown short pants.

He is quite short for his age, but he is determined to be so much higher

He wants to be bright like the sun, beaming a warm light and giving people a smile

He smiles

He wants to achieve this dream

His name is Kel. He is the happiest kid anyone can be.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Smiling at the mirror, fixing his clothes, and looking at the mirror again, his face as bright as the sun 

Kel has never been seen as sad or empty aside from the battle. He usually just uses those emotions for a strategy in a fight, and it always works for certain enemies.

Moving on from the mirror and approaching the desk, he began to put all his stuff in place.

Comics near a TV, aside from his console.

His pen and pencil were in his drawer, below his desk.

The books? He just tidies them up, no need to put them anywhere aside from his desk.

After putting all of his stuff in place it was supposed to, he sat at his desk. Opening the journal, he wrote his dream story, it was a habit whatever he awakened from his dream. Although, all of them start with the same words.

However, this dream came with one new event.

Day ???

It was just like the other day. I still had a dream where I felt nothing.

I eat a cold sandwich; it tastes nice.

and then someone sent me a letter.

it is just a normal letter from Basil, nothing special.

I climb up the stairs and then wake up.

I still hate those dreams, they never show me anything other than me with a hollow.

I hope I had a different dream.

He had been having the same dream for as long as he can remember, it was the same scene, same action, same activity, and at the same place.

With the difference, he received a letter, but the rest is always the same.

The last time he remembers having a different dream is not a pleasant one, it was a nightmare that made Kel rarely fall asleep. His brother, Hero, helps him with the nightmare and he is able to make Kel fall asleep again.

He lives up to his name.

Is a good thing he never remembers those nightmares again.

Putting back the journal, he checked his to-do list. It's not written by him though, but someone always writes it for him.

He still didn't know who those guys were.

Or, maybe those girls are. Kel still didn't know the culprit's gender.

Or maybe they didn't have gender?

Or maybe they are not alone? a dozen people perhaps?

Or maybe, they're not a person at all, maybe it was a ghost, monster, puppet, or anything.

It is still a mystery.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Nonetheless, it always helps him to narrow down what he should do and what he needs to do. It is usually just like beating some evil punk or feeding stray dogs, it is as simple as that.

He then began to read it, loud but only Kel could hear it because he said it in his mind.

What you need to do.

Feed hector

Bring a tenderizer to the hero, we will have a burger for lunch and steak for dinner.

Give Basil his pet rock back, You already have Hector why do you take another pet?

Make sure no one gets hurt.

What you should do 

Hide Aubrey Mr. Eggplant, it was revenge for hiding your favorite comic 

Talk to Sunny, it is always nice to have a nice conversation with him. You want him to talk like he did with basil, enjoying the talk and happily listening to Basil rambling.

Play with Basil, maybe just read comics with him or fight with him (just for fun, not to beat him up). Seeing Sunny and Aubrey play with him made you jealous.

Ask Mari to play a piece of music with her, even though you only have a kazoo it's not hurt to try. You want to play music like she and Sunny did.

Help your brother Hero, make him proud to have a little brother like you.

Explore the world.

It was just like usual

Although he thinks Basil Pet Rock is a bit misleading, Pet Rock isn’t a pet, is a portable game console Kel didn’t have, he is in a low economy after all but somehow Basil manages to have one despite the high price tag. The result is him borrowing Basil Pet Rock, with his permission, of course.

Nonetheless, After tearing the list down and putting it in his pocket, of course, Kel getting ready to finish the list, opened a brown door.

As the door revealed what was behind it, Kel thighed his grip.

…

…

…

…

…

…

…

There's no one beside him.

He let out a relief breath, Kel always worried anything would appear and attack him. Even though this was Kel and his brother's House, he never felt once safe. Kel sees any place outside his room the same, a dangerous place.

Regardless of what he feels, Kel relaxed.

Walking down, from the second floor to the bottom of the stairs, there is still no one in there. Kel didn’t know where Hero was, maybe he sneaked up to have a date with Mari.

Kel was alone in his house.

“Bark!”

Well, his loneliness didn’t last long.

Turning his face, Kel was greeted by his pet. A yellow-tan dog with a red collar, his lower part had white fur and his tail curved toward his back.

His name is Hector.

Jumping toward Kel, falling to the floor for the result, he greets his owner by licking his face. It was a warm (and wet) encounter with a medium-sized dog.

“bark! bark! bark!” says Hector happily.

“I’m hungry, I want to eat!” It's the other way what Hector says right now.

It was a simple desire to fill up his stomach, to get some food.

Well, he isn't the only one who is hungry in here

Standing up from the floor while patting Hector, ‌they then move towards the kitchen. Even though Kel was not going to make some food to eat, it was his brother's talent, not him. He still had a tasty sandwich they stored in the fridge.

As for Hector, he also gets his own portion of sandwich. Not sharing this beautiful food is a crime, and Kel is nowhere a criminal.

The sandwich was tasty, like usual. Hero is really good at making food.

Hero is really a great chef, why didn’t he make it his own job then?  Kel thought while he was eating his last sandwich.

Finishing the meal, Kel picks up his and Hector's plate and puts it on the sink. No need to wash it, it always cleans itself.

Well, that meal for both of us is time to prepare 

Opening the cabinet, it's a bit hard as he is still a 12 year old with less than 5 feet tall. Kel began searching for something.

Cereal, some bread, spoon, another cereal, where is it? He struggles to find the object he wanted to find.

"Spatula, pan, knife. Hmmm, should I just take the knife- nevermind, there is it." Happily finding the object he searched, Kel pulled out a hammer.

A tenderizer, to be specific.

But it's just a hammer for meat. It didn't really feel different from a normal hammer.

Closing the cabinet back, Kel rushes back to his room. There is something he forgets.

He didn't need a lot of time to find it, as he left the room not long after.

It’s a ball, a basketball, with a bright orange as the main color a black and white stripe line around it. Kel never leaves without it, even when he goes out with no intent to play. Maybe it’s just a normal ball, but it’s a tool for surprise. This thing will cough off every enemy.

He also picked up Basil Pet Rock. It was a new type of game where you can duel with each other! Basil was somehow able to buy this despite it having the same price as his allowance, but ten times much more. He always seemed to have a lot of money , Kel should learn the way Basil-

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Kel? Are you awake?" A familiar voice can be heard around the exist.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Kel! It's me! Basil!" The boy shouted again, a little bit loud this time.

"Ah… Speak of the devil, he is here" say Kel in his own mind.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“KEL??? ARE YOU THERE? WE WILL HAVE A PICNIC AT PARK, DON'T YOU REMEMBER?”  He shouted again, it's so much louder than the previous one.

"Yeah Basil, just wait a minute!" As he spoke he proceeded to put his stuff in a pocket.

How does he do that? It's magic.

Going down from the second floor, as he wants to leave Kel gives Hector a pat.

"Bark! Bark! Bark!" Hector says, or…

"Your friends are waiting for you, make them happy!" Is the other way to understand what he says.

And with a smile at his face, he opened the door.

Chapter Text

"Kel! Why did it take so long?! You're always the fastest person to respond!"

It was the first thing Kel heard from his friends after he came outside, greeted by one of his best friends at the start of the morning. The boy had blonde hair with three dandelions resting right on one of his ears, he was wearing a brown shawl and a simple green shirt with a flower pattern all over his lower shirt.

The kid also wears a minibag and carries a camera, matching his shawl. He almost looks like a photographer.

Speaking of the camera, photography was his hobby! He had always managed to take the best photos throughout their time playing with each other. Another hobby he had was gardening, he is a maniac interm of plants. Even though he always says he prefers a “flower” over an actual “plant”, his entire house is full of plants, almost just like an entire exotic forest.

He was shy and not very good at socializing, but he had a big heart despite that. Aubrey, Sunny, and Kel always loved hearing him talk, even if it was about flowers, insects, his book, or even his pictures.

Despite his anxiety toward many people, he has been trying to be more open lately.

He is just like Basil he remembers.

“Sorry Basil, I’m searching and cleaning some of my stuff... my room has been messy lately,” Kel said, answering Basil's question. He didn’t want to worry him that much.

“Ooh… I'm glad.” Answered Basil, he always easily worried about his best friends.

“ Well, we should get going now. I think Sunny and Mari are still in their house and I'm pretty sure Hero has prepared a picnic with us since he isn’t with you… Aubrey might be at the park with Hero” He made a list of where their friends were. He seemed excited and more active, unlike his usual behavior.

 But Kel didn’t mind, seeing him happy and more active gave him joy

“Well we should be going then, I don’t want Hero to wait too long” It was true Kel wanted to see his brother again, but hearing Hero setting up a picnic for them may be the true motive, he always loves picnics after all.

“Me too, but we need to invite Mari and Sunny too! They maybe didn’t know Hero set up picnics and they will miss the fun” Basil suggests, he is not wrong, the more the merrier.

Leading the way, Kel says “It sounds like a plan then, we call them and go to the park together!” grabbing one of Basil's hands, they begin to walk away toward Sunny and Mari's house. Their home isn’t far, only divided by a small forest.

While it may be just a small forest, it had a beautiful view. The leaf had a vibrant purple and black color, Kel didn’t know what kind of these trees were, so he asked Basil he said he didn’t know much about trees but it might be an acacia tree. Kel wasn’t sure about his friend's answer, acacia leaves should been green, not purple.

Aside from the tree, it was pretty calm in here. you can usually hear the melody of a duet from the sibling when it is near their home. They had been practicing for the recital for months, Kel hoped they would be done practicing and and come to the park. They were already master at playing music, a little break wouldn't hurt them.

After a short walk with Basil, they heard a violin sound. It must been Sunny the one who played it, but it was a bit weird he played without a piano beat from his sister, Mari. Even though his sister's piano notes were absent, Sunny played the violin wonderfully. His work for months had been paid it seemed.

“He must be practicing a lot, they will be playing at the recital in two days. I can’t wait to hear them play!” Basil commented happily as he and Kel came closer to the sibling home. while Kel agreed with him, he wasn't as excited as them. Sure he was ecstatic to see Sunny and Mari perform, but those recitals themselves had been strained up their time.

He can't even stand learning for 30 minutes let alone practicing the same song over and over again, they must be tired too. So truth be told he is just glad the recital will finally be over, they will more likely have fun with the whole group rather than training for the recital anyway.

As they walked towards the sibling's house, the melody from Sunny violin sounds also became louder. Within a short time, they felt, Kel and Basil already in front of the musician’s house. The house itself was pretty much almost the same as Kel's house, had a long staircase as it was a two-story tall house, and was pretty much the same, minus the roof, They had a brown roof instead of a bright orange roof tiled color.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

"SUNNY!, MARI!, ARE YOU THERE?! WE WANT TO INVITE BOTH OF YOU TO HAVE A PICNIC!” shouted Kel while he constantly knocked on the brown door.

Shortly after the call for them had ended, the violin sound stopped. Not long after that, a raven boy opened the door, he was wearing a black vest, white T-shirt, and long gray pants. It was weird seeing a kid wear such monochromatic clothing, but it suited him nonetheless.

"Hey Kel, Basil. I was planning to go by myself since Mari is in the park, maybe she had a little date with Hero," Sunny said with his usual stoic face as if it was her habit to do that.

"Wait… Mari's at the park? I was from the park but why didn't I see her?" Basil made a confused face as he said that.

" I don't know why, probably because she wants to give a surprise. She loves making pranks with Kel, don't you remember?" Sunny rolled his eyes at Kel's face.

"I don't know either, I just came out with Basil. But anyway, do you want to go together?" Kel changed the subject while also answering the boy's question.

"I want to buy… wait a second" he then turns back to his house, seemingly wanting to take something.

It's not a long waiting process as in less than a minute, Sunny comes out with a violin case in his hands.

"I want to show all of you what I learned for the recital later, a little bit of spoilers wouldn't hurt," said the monochromatic-fashioned boy, with a look of confidence on his face.

“Well let me carry it then. We know you already practiced a lot, carrying it by yourself just makes you more tired!” offered Kel.  He and Basil knew it by some small blisters and bandages on Sunny's hands. He might just get a small bruise when he plays his violin, but those facts indicate that he needs a rest.

The sunny face may not be showing it all, but he is quite a determined boy. He wants to achieve what his sister can, and it makes him a bit stubborn.

“Oh… thank you Kel, I have been practicing a lot." The violin case was then handed to Kel, and then he put it in his ‘pocket’. Sunny and Basil were still unsure how he could do that.

It’s magic. Kel will never understand how it works too.

It’s magic, not some math that can be explained

Either way, they began to walk to the “secret hangout” at the park as their destination. crossed the Kisetsu’s forest (the forest doesn't have a name, but Sunny told them just to call that using his family name since no one owes it and it was near his family), passed by his own house, and crossed another forest. This forest is different from where Sunny houses are, they have dark green leaves just like normal trees, with a bunch of animals appearing everywhere like squirrels, dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits.

“There are so many cats in this forest, I want to take them all and put them in my forest,” Sunny said, pouting. Seems like he is envied by how many cats are in his self-proclaimed forest.

The forest itself is not as pretty as the one in his area though, so he should be grateful.

They talk with each other on their way to the park, Sunny tells them the progress of his practice. He admits it was a tiring session, but he feels satisfied with the result. He also talked and showed his drawings, art was his main interest before he played violin and he seems to still love it. he always carries a small notebook and pencil to make a doodle whenever he is bored.

He was usually silent, it was a rare sight seeing Sunny start a conversation with his friends. Normally, he just listened to his friends talk, even though if he joined a conversation Sunny would never be the one who led the topic.

But now he seems happy.

And he talks now, it’s always good to have someone to talk to. Seeing him like this may be bit a strange, but he didn’t mind the change in behavior with him. In fact, this was good news for Kel, maybe they can talk more often now.

Just thinking of the idea made him filled with Joy.

The trip to the park isn't that long, once they get out of the forest a glimpse of a child can be seen playing in the field. 

The park is a pretty large area where all of Kel's friends usually play. It has a field for soccer, basketball, baseball, and many more, a bunch of set swings for chill, and any other stuff anyone can see at the park.

But playing at the park isn't their objective. See, around the park, there is an area covered by bushes and a lot of trees, exploring the area would lead anyone to another forest. But what everyone doesn't know is that there are lakes around those areas. It had been hidden from strangers' eyes, but Kel and his group weren't those strangers.

Arriving at the park, they proceed to go right back out of the park. This side of the park didn't really have people who played or just tried to calm themselves, then they began to walk towards the bush. With somebody having a leaf from the plant separated from the other, they arrived at their secret hangout spot.

The place itself had a lake far back with some angelic statue in the middle, but other than that it's just an empty place perfect for a picnic.

And speaking about the picnic, they're greeted by the smell of food paired with the sounds of a couple calling them for their arrival.

"Boy's!! It seems like all of you are hungry, I'm right?" A girl greeted them with a smile and a little chuckle. She had long purple hair, and a pretty face, and was wearing a student uniform. Wearing formal student clothing as casual clothing never leaves Kel's mind since he knows the only person who does that.

Her name is Mari, talented and a strong girl, but she is always cheering and supporting anyone from the back.

"I still haven't made food yet, but I already brought some food for the picnic" Behind Mari was a man who talked, he also had a pretty face but with charm all over his face. He wore a casual dark blue shirt and shorts and light blue pants.

His name is Hero, he is Kel's brother.

The kids greet the back while also coming closer to the picnic, they must been tired from their little adventure.

“Do you have a great secret date, sis?” Sunny asks while drinking his favorite soda, Mari and Hero have prepared for their arrival and buying their favorite drink for them.

Cherry soda for Sunny, tea for Basil, and of course orange joe for Kel.

“Yeah! Me and Hero had a lot of fun things before you guys came, right Hero?” She answers and faces her face toward Hero with a smile.

 Hero added his word to Sunny question  “Spending time with you is the best, Mari. I really want this to be more often”

“Oh, we will, prince of charm. I’m dating a handsome person of course I will have dates with you more” She says with a smug applied on her face.

A blush appears on the older boy's face, his face becomes as red as a potato

But different faces also appear on his little brother's face

“Ewh, get a room!! I don't want to see some romance while I eat…” whined Kel. Well, anyone can't blame him since seeing someone flirt isn’t a great view while having lunch.

The pair laugh at the kid's response, while Basil giggles and brings his camera. Without them noticing he took a photo of them, after a while the photo came out, and he and Sunny then took a look at the result. Kel also noticed Basil had taken photos of them and mediately came to the duo to see it.

They seem done inspecting the photo, before Basil puts it on his album he hands the photo to Kel “Here Kel take a look, you and Sunny always want to see whatever I took new photos” commented Basil.

Seeing the photo, Kel was happy it looked beautiful. The photo itself had his brother, Hero, and his girlfriend, Mari With happy faces, Basil always says he always takes the photo when the least they expect since he thinks it looks natural. He cannot more agree with him.

They look happy here

Kel hope it stays this way.

After being pleased with the photo, he handed it back to Basil and also returned his pet rock back. Surprisingly Basil actually had two of these toys,  unsure how and why he had two of most favorite child (and pretty expensive) toys but Kel just shrugged it off and played it with Basil.

While he and Basil having fun playing, Kel feels there is something off. He feels that he forgot something, and the picnic is really calm oddly.

And his worry was proven right when Sunny asked them where is Aubrey.

Aubrey didn't come to the picnic.

Chapter Text

It was just the usual activity on the Hobeez.

The wind is calm.

The colony of stars appears in the dark sky, it looks perfect.

And the sounds of people talking can be heard anywhere. A view of all different races interacting was always a beautiful sight

Some of them are humans, some of them are plants, some of them are animals, and some of them are entirely different from others.

Some people come here to buy things, some people do the opposite by selling something.

But then someone just comes here for their own desire, just for walking, resting, and even talking with people around here.

This place had a calm feeling, despite the sound of people anywhere around, it always felt the same.

And it should be for anyone else.

To feel calm, to feel safe, to be happy.

“AUBREY! WHERE ARE YOU?!”

But… this wasn't the case for certain groups.

“AUBREY! COME ON SHOW YOURSELF!!” A short boy shouted again, trying to find his friend.

“Kel… please don't just shout like that, people are starting to look at us” his blonde friend reminded him, as if it wasn't his first time doing it.

The boy in question, Kel, seems to notice the look they got and starts apologizing finally. Hobeez may be the opposite of a quiet place, but it is still rude to randomly shout when someone tries to negotiate.

His other friends, the siblings, had gone to talk to people asking where the lost girl was. From a seller to a random animal, the results are still the same.

And lastly Basil, he had been giving people a poster with pictures of Aubrey with the sign “MISSING” written on top of the picture and with his phone number on the lower side.

They didn't exactly know how long Aubrey had gone missing, no one seemed to realize it until it was too late, she had disappeared without massage before and no one knew why.

And the worst part, they didn't know where she lived either. Usually, Aubrey comes alone whenever she goes to play, nobody knows where she is from, and even Aubrey herself has yet to mention how her home is.

Finding it's just like finding needles on haystacks, a lot of haystacks.

The only thing they can use is her picture, it was lucky that Basil had photography as his hobby and always captured his friend's memory.

The picture itself is Aubrey happily eating watermelon and her favorite pink raincoat. Both pictures had been printed multiple times and given to other people hoping they would know anything about her.

But, no one can get what they want. The hobeez was a third place they had been searching and asking for her, yet the results were still the same.

Aubrey, it still needs to be found.

As time passed by, the older sister, Mari, suggested taking a little break. While finding her as fast as possible was a great thing, she didn't want them to be sick either, she said.

The Hobeez is a large place full of people, while Kel and the rest agree to Mari's suggestions, there is little space for them to rest here. All the spots had been filled by traders, strangers, and even a ship, finding a quiet empty room felt like a miracle.

But thankfully, a person had proven his name for them. Hero had already prepared a picnic for them to rest, complete with the grilled meat he already promised and a lot of cold drinks.

“How do you find a place for a picnic hero? There's no way you're just finding an empty place” Curiously, Mari's little brother, Sunny, had asked him.

“Well, this was a friend of mine's location! He has already done trading with others and gave me this empty place!” Hero answered him with his usual smiley face.

After hearing his statement, Mari seems to ring some bell in her mind “Wait, Juno here? It's been a while since I saw him and he just left without saying ‘ hai’ to us?”

Hmmm… Juno. Kel never really sees this supposed Mari and Hero friend, but they seem close to each other.

“Must be a cool guy” He thought while finishing his meals.

“He says he already has stuff he needs to do, family things he says ” confirmed Hero, it made at least this strange person's action understandable.

“Owh… well at least Juno says his reason, do you have informed him about Aubrey's stuff” she asks him again, but this time with a different reason. 

With a nod, he pulled a missing poster showing his gone with no contact friends. “He says he doesn't know her, but I already gave him a bunch of Aubrey's missing papers. He plans to share it with Spaceboy crewmate” he informed.

“Wait, HE’S A SPACEBOY CREW?!” This sudden news made Sunny lighten up his face, then the talk between the older brothers and younger siblings.

While sunny seems interesting to a friend's couple, Basil had pulled out a map from Mari's picnic basket.

“We'll since we're done at the Hobeez now…” he took a red marker and started giving the place an ‘X’ symbol. Every Time they are done searching at a certain place, he will do that to remind them which place they have already explored.

This has been the third place they're exploring, with the same results over and over again.

“Since we will be moving, which place should we try to find her Mari” Showing the map to Mari's side, she takes a good look for a moment.

“We could go to school, but going there will take a long time. We could use the train, but why would Aubrey want to go in there?” She examines any location on the map and analyzes them.

“Maybe we could go to Gino pizzeria? She may be just hungry and wants a pizza badly” Basil tries to help Mari figure out what place next for them to explore.

“that could happen, but if she just wants something to eat Aubrey shouldn't be gone that long”

“That means the plaza is out then?”

“Not really, we could pass by and give the poster to people”

“Yeah but still why did she come to the plaza”

“Where should we go then”

“Why don't we go to Sweetheart Palace then?” Kel asks bluntly.

“That sounds like a good plan” She seems to agree with Kel's idea, “Maybe people in there can help us! They…”

“I don't think we should go to Sweetheart Castle soon Mari” 

All eyes then focus on one singular person, which makes them surprised since the one who said it was Hero, among all people.

He didn’t like people who had many enemies, and it was rather the opposite of it. Everyone who has already met Hero always says one thing, he is the friendliest person they met. And now they see him dismiss the idea of coming to Sweetheart's place with a worried face. It must mean he had a serious reason

Did he do some illegal thing at her place? maybe he isn’t paying taxes?

Wait a minute, he doesn’t even live in there.

Did he fight with her? but Hero had never really been a Sweetheart hater, that title belonged to Sunny. 

“Wait, why is that Hero? Did you hate her too now?” said Sunny “You are the last person I expect to hate her,” He said with somewhat a plain face, although he did seem happy with the idea.

“Well, it's not like we had bad terms, is it just she…”

“ HOLD YOUR HANDS UP YOU TRAITOR…!! ” 

The shout had cut what Hero wanted to say with harsh and loud sounds and the fact that the creature who said it felt far away from them had taken them by surprise.

Or maybe, they are just small.

“What is that? It looks like potatoes” Basil noticed how odd the creatures looked. They have bodies almost round and look like potatoes just like Basi hasl describes, but they have silver skin similar to armor people used to wear.

And the most noticeable, they had swords on top of their hands.

Hero seems to know what they wants, getting up and defending himself.

With his words of course, not with a frying pan.

“Look guys, I know your kingdom had some problem with those space pirates but I'm just friends with him, not some agent”

“ NONSENSE, ONE A PIRATE THE OTHER MUST BEEN A PIRATE, YOU DIRTY TRAITOR”

“ I don't even have official work with Sweetheart, how did I become a traitor?” He sounds confused by how this creature's logic runs.

They are beginning to come near the picnic, and they can now know the creature is really, some sprouts of moles.

By the looks of it, the group knows they are some knight sent by Sweetheart itself.

“ TRAITOR ALWAYS SPITTING SOME LIES ON THEIR MOUTH!, WHICH IS WHY I, SIR MAXIMUS I…” The front, supposed to be the leader, said.

“ AND I, SIR MAXIMUS II…” Come to the second mole sprout at his right, which somehow looks precisely like the first one. If they’re a clone doesn’t make them surprise them with the similarity.

“ AND I, SIR MAXIMUS III…” And now the third one appears at his left, maybe the thought of them being a clone makes more sense than any reason anyone can think of.

“ WILL COME TO FINISH YOU…!!!” they said in unison while they began to attack.

While they look fast as they try to land a hit on Hero's body, they immediately get reflected by Kel. It had surprised the opponent by how fast he countered their attack.

They stumbled a few meters (or yard, which one you prefer the best) from Hero, as his younger brother stepped in to try to defend him.

He holding what seems just a regular hammer, he may not look like using his usual basketball for this, but he has a few tricks on his sleeve.

It's not only Kel who jumps for a fight, Basil and Sunny are by his side, and they seem to have the same idea.

Sunny, at his right side. He holds his set of violins in different ways, with his right hand wielding his violin body like a combination of shield and bat, while the other hand wields the stick, it looks sharp as he uses it like a short sword.

On the other side, Basil wields his garden sheer tightly, while he may not look suitable for a fight, he is ready as the other two boys. Never judge a book by its cover, after all.

While the others prepare for battle, Mari comes near Hero to check if he has gotten hurt. He insisted he was okay and perfectly fit, hearing that made Mari relieved but she changed her sight to make sure the boys were fine and well.

The sprout moles began to get up and ready for fight.

The look of both groups had the same face.

A glaring of determination.

The face of fighters, they will achieve anything to win.

whit that in mind, they knew the fight wont end easily.

Finding Aubrey will be harder it seems.

Maybe she will like it when Mari tells her what had they been thought

Chapter Text

“I never expected this day to be something like this”

“Shh… Basil they can hear us, we tried to sneak out”

“Ah sorry, Sunny I- wait a minute…”

“Something wrong?”

“How would they hear us if they didn't have ears?”

All of his friends' eyes are now facing the blonde kid, and while having a conversation at this moment could lead them to straight-up jail his statement does bring some questions.

“And think about it… How did they wield any items, sprouts moles didn't have hands?” Basil added more of his questionable thoughts, which confused the group.

For several minutes, they just stood there. Didn't make any sounds or movements whatsoever.

It’s been a few hours since they defeated Sir Maximus, while it was an easy fight and it ended badly for them the sprout moles had informed them that the Sweetheart was holding Aubrey. They say she wants to meet Hero and judge him for his “action” befriending Captain Spaceboy's crewmates.

With no other option, it brings them sneaking up to Sweetheart's main castle. They planned to just rescue Aubrey and leave without getting caught at first, but Hero had another plan. It involves letting him meet Sweetheart and resolve the problem with a “nice conversation” from what Hero says which is being dismissed immediately.

Hero had his reason as to why he was willing to take the risk because this whole shenanigans started with his “allegation” for being a traitor for Spaceboy's side, he had an idea to come clean and clear his name. While it was getting a worry face from the rest of the group, they agreed with Hero's plan.

Mainly if they succeed in getting Aubrey out, it will put Hero’s name to the worst. those made it useless since they would be dealing with Sweetheart over again.

And why they are sneaking at ventilation right now? Well… While Sweetheart may agree with Hero -or what the sprout moles guard told them- she just takes him only for the talk, leaving the rest waiting from behind.

Now normally, by any right mind, they will patiently be waiting for Hero to return. Hence the plan is to make violence as little as possible and not break any rule since Hero himself is trying to clean up his name. But given that they are already being attacked by Sweetheart's soldier, trusting their most beloved man to someone who tried to beat them up for the sake of befriending their enemy was a hard thing to do.

And here we are, seeing four kids sneaking up to Sweetheart and Hero place to talk in a wide castle, while now also solving what sprout moles are.

“Eh… they are sprout's moles” Even with Kel's answer it is still not answering the logic behind sprout's mole's ability.

It was, as expected, not helping at all.

“wha… I… I still don't understand, how is that possible” Basil said once again, still trying to reach the answer.

“Maybe… magic?” answered Mari, who is also curious and tries to guess how they manage it.

Before they discuss any more sprout moles' secret, a loud metallic appears out of nowhere.

Each second the sound becomes louder as time by.

CLANK… CLANK… CLANK…

They then take a peek, curious about where the sounds come from.

It was… A robot?

Sweetheart robot?

Robo…Heart?

From the vent, they can see what seems to be a Sweetheart robot, she has the same posture and body as her original counterpart but they are metal to all her parts.

They are holding their breath tight, getting caught and encountered by a high-tech machine was not on their list and definitely will never happen.

Their horror becomes reality, as she suddenly stops her walk and proceeds to turn her hand to be a large canon.

“INTRUDER SPOTTED… INTRUDER SPOTTED… INTRUDER SPOTTED…” She announces the info loudly.

Not only that, but her left arm had already turned into a large canon that was spinning fast, seemingly beginning to charge.

It’s not a good sign.

As expected, she began to turn the canon directly toward the vent. With the energy she already had, the robot is ready to strike.

“TARGET… SPOTTED…BEGINNING THE PROCEDDER“ The robot declares.

But before she began to shoot the weapon, Kel jumped out and coughed her off guard as he ran for a fight.

His speed made her struggle to land any shot and instead made a mess in the hallway, he pulled up a hammer and landed a swing toward the canon causing the robot to shoot whatever energy on the canon to the roof, making a huge mess.

Smoke and dust are all over the air, which makes Kel struggle. The robots are lost in his sight, he doesn’t know what she is up to.

His question is answered by her coming out with a rocket below her skirt ready to strike, with little time to dodge Kel received a massive iron blow from the robot's right arm. Even though he already tried to block it, Kel stumbles backward and leans against the wall harshly.

Seeing an opportunity, The Roboheart blasted another blast from her damaged canon. While it was not as great as she blasted with proper canon, a rocket blast is still as deadly as it sounds.

There was a worry on Kel's face, his legs were damaged and both of his hands were simply broken due to receiving the attack. Kel cannot run nor block, he will take this blast fully.

The attack however was deflected thankfully by his friends, Sunny had stepped in right when a rocket blast had been deployed and he easily turned the attack to the owners by his violin case.

A turn event had been made and The Living Iron was the one who received the attack, but it didn't end there as Vine restrained her tightly. Basil would never make her loosen up, so he made it as tight as possible.

In a hurry, Mari ran towards Kel and picked him up as she and the others started running.
The fight may be a short one but the damage and sound it made will definitely alert someone, getting caught will never be fun.

And as she expected, the robot began to ring an alarm in her mouth, gaining a lot of attention from everyone. The sprout moles can be seen marching to ward off the restrained robot.

Panic began appear to on their face, and they began to run without any plan on their hands.

But Mari had an idea, while it may sound risky it made them more less likely to getting caught

“Everyone runs! Let's scatter so they will less likely find us!” Mari informs them as she gives Kel her sandwich while taking the lead.

Basil and Sunny had hesitations about their look, but with no other plans, they agreed with her.

As they run, there are two different ways they could take. The one on the right seemingly could lead them to the next floor as it goes up, it could lead them to the rooftop or an area who less likely to find them.

On in other side, the left side could lead them to explore more of this floor, a dark and gloomy side of it, but as long they didn’t make any sounds they would most likely be safe.

Mari knows Kel needs her help, plus Sunny and Basil can be unnoticed by their nature alone, that’s the conclusion…

“Basil, Sunny, You go left! We will meet again in the main hall, got it?”

She received a nod from the two, understanding a simple plan clearly. And with that, they go left.

But as Kel and Mari go on their way, someone is following them behind their back, left overlooked

Hopefully, she will come not to make matters more difficult than already is.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
“Here Kel, I know you will love this”

Kel receives Orange Joe from Mari, it is his favorite soda, a refreshing drink that makes you feel fresh again, at least that’s what Kel said to everyone. Both of them had run away from the fight out of fear of getting caught, Basil and Sunny are out of nowhere but he hopes they are okay.

“Do you know where we are Mari? How do we find Sunny and Basil now?” Ask Kel as he takes a sip from his Orange Joe can.

“Well… we should go to the main hall, I informed them to meet there…” answered Mari, who was leaning on the wall. “But you need to relax first Kel, that fight must have been a painful one in my eyes. We can't help Aubrey if you didn't help yourself” She then takes a bandage and applies them to Kel's foot.

Kel himself knew how bad he had gone through, his back was hurt like hell and his legs were not in great shape. Thankfully Mari knew how to help him with those injuries and he will fit without a matter of time.

They had been hiding in an empty room, full of sweetheart stuff like sculptures of her, paintings of her, banners of her, and the most weird thing ever, a body pillow of hers.

“Well, not like I will live here” Thinking Kel.

Finish applying the bandage to his foot and legs, Mari then pulled out what looked like a pill of medicine or something. She passes it to Kel and he eats it right away.

“That will help you heal the injury back, it was all I had and we need to go to the doctor after this” She explained his condition, understandable since they are technically trespassing right now.

“If I know it will end like this I should bring more things” pouted her.

“I can help with that” answered with a familiar sound

A sound that someone didn’t want to mess with.

Their face now facing toward the sound.

Terrified

It sounds too much like Sweetheart

They are now in a bad situation, Kel is not in a condition to fight and Mari never fights let alone throwing punch. The only logical thing to do now is run but…

“Don’t be afraid, I mean no harm” She reassures them.

It almost fails to make the tension tight.

Well… Almost.

After seeing the person behind the sound it was actually another Sweetheart look-alike, while she seemed to share a similar face, her attitude was far from the donut queen, she seemed more mature than her and more certainly more patient.

With his guard still up but less tense, Kel asks “You are not Sweetheart…. Who are you?”

“Oh, you may confused me with Sweetheart, by how similar we are” The new person began to explain “ But no, my name is Perfectheart, you can say she is my big sister. My intention is not to harm or bring you to her, I just want to help you” she pointed her finger toward Kel.

This was a surprise for both of them, help from Sweetheart's sister? they are unsure if they should trust and follow her in the hope she helps them or if they just run away out of fear and distrust.

As if she can read them, Perfectheart proves her intention by giving Kel a tofu, just a regular tofu.

The tense feelings and distrust had been lifted from Mari and Kel but were now replaced by confusion and awkwardness, it was taken surprise how Perfectheart just randomly gave them a portion of food, and it was tofu out of anything.

She then giggled at how Mari and Kel reacted “It’s not any regular tofu, try to eat them and then tell me what you feel”.

Kel, unsure of what to do just stares at the tofu, trading looks from the food to Mari and then to Perfectheart.

“I can assure you it is not poisoned, here” She then took a slice with her spoon and ate half of the tofu.

Kel didn’t question how she had a spoon in her hand but instead, he took the other half of the tofu and ate it.

At first, he didn’t feel anything strange until suddenly all of his body fell warm, and within no time the wound he had began to heal up. His body feels refreshed, the pain in his back is no more, and both his feet feel good as new.

“Those are special tofu we have been experimenting with lately” Perfectheart explained “I can teach you how to make it at home, it was surprisingly easy to make” The suggestion made Mari smile, now she didn’t need to worry if something similar happened to the other now she had a way to help them.

But of course, curiosity floats in her head and she asks her “Why are you helping us like this? We are strangers to you who are running around freely. Should you just catch us?”

“Well… that was my intention at first, but this kingdom had been too strict on how to handle foreigners, a simple rumor could lead you to jail just like your friends, and to make matters worse we had some conflict with Spaceboy right now” Kel and Mari already know the state of the kingdom with the space pirate are bad, but they didn’t know it was far worse than that.

“When your friends, Hero, come to her I hope he convinces her to at least be more open to others outside her kingdom. You see, Sweetheart is a… to put it simply… Always skeptical” She describes.

“She is hard to believe in other people let alone a group, and I want you two and your group to make her trust other people and not just to… “ She pauses telling them, unsure to use the right word.

“To what?” Mari asked she didn’t like where this was going

“Annihilate them” Finished Perfectheart, dropping the truth behind her sister's practice.

A realization hit them like a thunderstorm, if Hero failed to convince Sweetheart he would see his demise soon, Aubrey was with her too, it was bad.

Mari thought about Sunny and Basil for a second, they were split to reduce the chance of being caught. She thought that maybe if they or her group were getting caught the worst possible thing would be either getting kicked out or just thrown into jail, and of course, they would easy to escape.

But if they are getting caught, their life is on the thin line. She and Kel are protected via Perfectheart, but Sunny and Basil? they didn’t know how long they could hide, it’s just a matter of time before they got caught.

“Oh no,” She whispered, her face had been morphed to panic.

“We need to find Sunny and Basil fast if not…”

“They, Aubrey, and Hero are going to die” Kel interrupted her. He realise it too.

“Well..” Perfectheart tried to get their attention “We need to work fast to find them, you too will never like it if they see the other”.

Kel and Mari nodded giving her an understanding sign and they began to run toward their place, if even they were still there or somewhere they were unsure. What did they know are they needed to find Sunny and Basil fast.

Kel hoped both of them didn’t encounter any fight in there

Chapter Text

So it's been a while since I updated this fic, it almost like a month already but I might not going to continue this fic

I had several own reasons as to why that might happen, I had been busy for school project, homework and prepare myself for applying to college, my score isn't really perfect so it's keep bothering me.

And with that, my time also had been tighten. There's no way I will updating without making my sleep schedule shorter, and for the record I usually only sleep only around 5 hours.

And finally the fic it self, after I reread my works over and over again I'm not satisfied enough with it. Plus the last chapter I really rushed it out, I blunder by making the ending hard to adapt to next chapter. Adding the fact I only one or two spare time, for the last month I had struggle to making new chapter.

But don't worry, I say MIGHT BE not going to continue THIS FIC. I actually had a plan to deliver the story better, fresh, and different. If you follow my Twitter you know I had been brainrooting this Au hard. And I will updating this work if I had an idea to continue and time.

And sorry if I asking it alot, PLEASE shares you thought or any idea about this au. I didn't really have person to talk about it and I'm really needed help rn.

Sorry for disappointed all of you but plase I really need it.

Chapter Text

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54270754