Chapter Text
Ego glared down at the half dead flower in his hands.
Aiko gently took it from his palms and pressed it into her journal, pulling out her pen, she wrote: Week six progress.
Ego peered over her shoulder, looking at his progress through the weeks. He’s even been practicing in his free time. But he can still only weave his dark energy into half of its petals without withering it.
Aiko tapped her pen against his forehead, her voice even as always as she continued to jot down notes.
”Don’t look so sullen, you’ve improved greatly. The first time you did it you could only do one petal.”
”It’s minor,” Ego muttered.
”An improvement nonetheless.” She countered. “So stop pouting.” Ego’s hand came up to his face. Pouting?
”I’m not pouting.” He said defensively. Aiko gave an unconvinced hum. “You aren’t even looking at me!”
Aiko finally casted him a side glance, amusement flickering in her eyes.
”And now you’re throwing a tantrum!” Reina, Aiko’s little fox fairy, peeked her head out from the bag. Great. Now she’s got to add her two-cents.
Ego enjoyed his meetings with Aiko far more than he’d like to admit, but if there was one downside, it’s the high pitched haughty fox.
“I simply don’t get it…” Ego explained, exasperated. “I can control my powers just fine. Even more than fine! I can make armor out of dark energy yet I can’t put it in a flower-“ the moment he said that, Aiko turned towards him.
”You can what?” She scooted closer.
”I shouldn’t have said that.” He muttered.
”You really shouldn’t have.” Reina agreed.
”Can I see it?” Aiko ignored the two’s comments. Ego knew she wouldn’t let this go until he showed her.
Ego stretched out his arm; it took almost no thought from how often he did this, unlike with the flower.
Dark energy swallowed his entire arm and he hit it against the wall.
”Don’t feel a thing.” He’s gestured proudly. It was nice to have something to show off for once aside from his culture. “I can usually cover my whole body but that requires too much energy just for a showcase.”
”What about when you don’t have enough during a fight?” Aiko scribbled down notes furiously.
“I can move it throughout my body for different things.” The dark energy slid from his arm to his chest, then to his head, and finally, to his feet. “This is also useful when I need to plant myself.” Ego leaned back, his feet staying put.
“Can I feel it? On your arm. Is it as strong as actual armor? Is it rough? Or does it feel like dark energy? What DOES dark energy feel like?”
As Aiko stepped forward, Ego made the energy crawl up his arm and held it out. Aiko laid her hands on it, looking deep in thought.
”Hm…. It feels prickly. But it’s not painful. And it’s solid…. Can you make weapons from it, too?”
Ego nodded.
”I normally use a spear, but I didn’t bring it for obvious reasons. If I don’t have it on me I can turn it into a weapon.” He motioned for her to back up.
The dark energy crawled up to his hand, forming a glove, a blade protruding from the back of it.
Aiko’s eyes lit up as she reached out to run her hands along it, coming down to brush the palm of his hand.
Ego stiffened.
Ever since their last meeting…Ego has felt off. There was a weird, fluttery feeling in his chest whenever he thought about Aiko…and he found himself thinking about her quite a lot.
It was just…hard to stay away from someone so…fascinating. So focused on their goals and yet so kind to others…. She was smart, talented, funny, beautiful-
Ego shook himself from his thoughts.
That was a…strange thought. These meetings were a good breather, and great distractions from the bigger things at hand. And it was nice…to relax around someone. Especially since their conversations have slowly become less about sharing history and culture and more about talking about whatever was on their minds….
”Where did you learn this? Did someone teach you?”
”Nope. I learned it myself. The only other Mercenare who knows it is my older brother-“ Ego cut himself off. He’s said too much.
”You have an older brother?” She asked.
Ego Drummed his fingers against his knee.
”I…yes…I do. My older brother is the only other person who knows it. I showed it to him.”
“Huh…. You told me about how siblings work with your species, you never told me you had one.” Ego rubbed the back of his neck.
”We have a bit of a..complicated relationship. He’s so…,” Ego ran his hand through his hair. “Confusing. I can’t tell if he’s encouraging me or mocking me. It always seems like he looks down on me, pinching my cheeks, patting my head or back like I’m a child, calling me his ‘baby’ brother. We’re equal ranks- maybe we specialize in different things but still-“
Ego realized he was rambling and stopped himself.
“I’m sorry…I shouldn’t be rambling about this.”
”I don’t mind.” Aiko responded immediately. “I’ve enjoyed learning about you in these meetings.” At her admission, Aiko turned her head away.
Ego realized that, though he talked a lot about himself, Aiko hadn’t really told him much about her life.
Before he could come up with a question, Aiko asked another one.
”Is your brother General Gouma?”
Ego nearly choked on air.
”How did you-“
”It was just a guess.” She explained simply. “You mentioned you’re the same rank, and I heard rumors that General Gouma had a younger brother.”
Where did she hear that from? Ego wasn’t even sure his own soldiers knew of his and Gouma’s relation.
“He’s quite strong….” Aiko said half mindedly, Ego noticed her hand going to her injured arm.
Had…Gouma done that?
“I’m sorry….” He whispered, scooting closer to her. “My brother…he is…very loyal to our kings wishes….”
”Are you not?” She asked, her voice tinged with both amusement and challenge.
“If I was completely loyal, I wouldn’t be here with you right now. A god or not…my king has done nothing for me…not anyone else. It’s mainly fear that keeps us where we are.” Ego found himself admitting something he never thought he could.
“But…there are many who fully worship King Mercenare and will kill others who have doubts…. We are taught to see him as our creator and are indebted to him because of it….”
”And the reason you aren’t indoctrinated into that..?” Aiko pushed, her voice carrying a concern he hadn’t heard from her.
”I suppose…my brother kept me quite sheltered. As far as I can remember he made sure I knew what beliefs were held…but…after a few years he pulled me out and took over my education.”
Aiko seemed to be in deep thought before finally speaking.
”Maybe I’m looking at this from too much of a human perspective…but it sounds to me like he did it…because he cares a lot about you.”
Ego shrugged.
”I can never tell. Sometimes he’ll act caring…other times condescending. Like…I don’t know what I’m doing. As though I hadn’t gotten to the rank I am without his help-“ Ego took a deep breath to stop his voice from raising.
”Anyways…how about your life? I don’t know much about how human families work, so…I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious.” Ego swiftly changed the topic.
“Ah…,” Aiko sighed. “Well, I’m an only child and I was mainly raised by my father.”
”What about your mother..?” Ego asked. Aiko shrugged.
”She was a scholar, a bit headstrong and always getting into fight with the older head researchers. She died when I was around twelve.”
”Ah….” Ego didn’t exactly know what to say to that. Familial bonds weren’t his strong suit. “Is that why you became one? And why you’re so interested in my powers?” Aiko shook her head.
”I’ve always been curious about things. A little too curious, even for my mom.”
I can definitely see that….
“I didn’t have many friends as a child.” She continued. “I didn’t really care about them and they didn’t care about me. They didn’t want to play with the kid who watched ants and I didn’t want to play with the kids who didn’t.”
Ego failed to stifle his laughter. He could absolutely imagine Aiko as a young child, watching ants crawl around.
“My two newest friends are my first friends…. They’re a weird bunch but they’re very sweet, and they tolerate my interests.”
Ego let his eyes drifts from Aiko’s face to the journal on her lap. While it was covered in words, he noticed the sketch on it.
”You can draw..?” He scooted closer, peering over at it. Aiko flinched as he did. It was a drawing of Ego. She shifted the journal away and kept her face down.
Was she…embarrassed? Ego thinks this is the first time he’s seen her be embarrassed.
”It’s good.” He quickly corrected himself. “It’s really realistic.”
”My father’s an artist.” Aiko explained. “He taught me a lot. I mainly just sketch things that peak my interest. Or I sketch what I’m learning about on the pages that have the information.”
”Is that why I’m there?” Ego asked with hint of amusement. That earned him a light smack on the shoulder with said journal. Ego immediately burst into laughter. “I’m serious though- hahah- it’s good. I envy you, I wish I could create something like that.”
“You can…. You create the disdains. That’s creation.”
”No, it’s corruption.” Ego argued. “That’s what dark energy is. Pure corruption.”
“That may be…but even things that seem and can be used to help others. Many medicines have been created from previously harmful bacteria.” She opened her journal to the pages with the pressed flowers. “It just depends how it’s used…and I’d like to think the same is for dark energy.
After all, Nirra is a plant made from dark energy. I’m sure if you’d imbued any other fruit with dark energy it may have a similar effect. I don’t think dark energy is as bad as you think….
Without darkness…light would be meaningless.” Aiko turned her head and she must’ve noticed Ego staring at her. And Ego stared. Utterly. Shamelessly.
Reaching out, Ego placed his hand on hers.
”You…are a diamond in the rough….” Taking her hand he kissed the back of it. Aiko stared and Ego stared back.
The moment was broken when Reina popped out.
”Stop the staring contest you two!!!!” That got the two to break away. Aiko cleared her throat.
”Well…it’s getting late. I should get going….”
Already..? Ego’s chest felt a painful tug, even more so as her fingers slipped from his grasp. Would it hurt to stay just a moment longer? Must he really wait two weeks to see her again? The desperation was strange and unfamiliar yet overpowering nonetheless.
”I’ll see you next time….”
”Right…. Goodbye Aiko.” He mumbled.