Chapter Text
Kyouka remembered when Goka was born. Bundled in her— no, their mother’s arms quiet as a mouse. It was clear from the very start that he was no different than her. Even as he grew older he still kept that stoic image.
But Zanka was different.
Instead of quiet, he was loud. Piercing cries reverberated the room, a thing she wasn’t accustomed to.
At the time, she was ten years old. She glanced from Goka and Zanka, seeing the clear stark difference between the two.
She’d rather have a quiet brother than a loud one.
“Come my children, don’t be shy.” Their mother beckons, a hand gently patting the open space beside her in contrast to her superior title.
Kyouka was the one who moved first. As she approached the bed, she stared hard at the little boy she would call her brother. Goka follows after, his face showing a bit more distaste than her.
Their mother tries to shush the baby quiet, but it didn’t work to no avail. Even as he was bounced, rubbed, and cooed he still kept crying.
His cheeks were red, eyes squinting from the amount of fat on his face. His tiny hands try to reach anything, something other than their mother and ended up landing on Kyouka’s own finger, who just started to raise her hands to cover her ears.
It was like a zing of realization as soon as those small fingers wrapped around her own bigger one, squeezing with all his might to the point where Kyouka actually hissed.
His face visibly relaxed. His mouth slowly closed, small gasps and coughs as an aftereffect from crying for so long. His face slowly went back to a neutral, pale skin tone. However his cheeks were still flushed with blood, which Kyouka couldn’t describe anything other than cute.
The tiny mouth of his curls into a smile, babbling incoherent sounds as his face turns towards the young girl, almost like he sensed the animosity withering away inside her.
“Aw, it seems he likes ya my dear.” Their mother softly muttered, brushing Zanka’s thin baby hairs from out his face.
It didn’t matter whether he was different. He was her brother, a cute bundle of happiness and joy.
After a couple days in the infirmary, their mother was finally released and was able to come back to the main building with a new baby in tow.
Although their mother should be resting, she was a strong woman. A woman capable of bouncing up from pain while commanding a whole army with careful, strategic planning.
That meant that Goka and her were on babysitting duty. There were nanny’s of course, but Kyouka had a strong urge to see the boy being taken care of herself.
For Goka, it took a minute to warm up to the him. Sure, he was old enough to understand what happened, but as the previous youngest it felt weird, off balanced.
Kyouka noticed every once in a while the furrowed eyebrows of her younger brother everytime Zanka would do something “annoying.” This including crying, throwing tantrums, and whatever babies do.
If you asked her, Goka was once like that to a degree, so it gives more reason why he shouldn’t be acting like that.
Eventually, Goka did warm up— maybe even more so than Kyouka.
It was a time where it was just them. No nanny, no Kyouka. Just them inside Zanka’s nursery room.
“I don’t like ya.” Goka muttered, picking him up to his face level. “Yer’ annoying.”
Zanka only tilted his head in confusion. This earned a groan from Goka, clearly knowing that this was getting no where.
For now, he put baby Zanka down, being alone in his own thoughts. Bad, negative, thoughts. It got to a point where frustration was written all over his face, mumbling curses from being put on babysitting duty.
What he didn’t notice was that Zanka was climbing the rails of his crib trying to go back to bed. The only time he even realized was when he heard a loud thunk filled with crying.
Goka snapped his head so fast that it actually strained his neck. Panic filled his system as he saw his little brother on the floor, red and flushed with a growing bruise on his forehead.
With no other option, he quickly scurried to him, cradling him in his arms in comfort.
“Are ya an idiot? Why would you go and do that all by yourself?” Goka asked seriously as if Zanka could comprehend the human language. As Zanka blinked his tears away, the older saw the boy’s favorite plush scorpion in his hands. Is that the reason why he tried to do something as dangerous as that? For a stupid, meaningless toy?
Zanka was a no good for nothing, pathetic, dumb baby that stole his—
A babble breaks him out of his thoughts. But it wasn’t just that. There, against his chest, he felt the softness of Zanka’s precious toy being pressed against his chest. Firm too, his intention strong to keep it in place. And then, his tiny hand reaches to his face, or well, tries.
Goka allows it, lowering his head down. When Zanka finally reaches, the boy caresses his cheek in an almost comforting motion. A great, goofy smile formed on the younger as he blinked his tears away.
Did.. Did Zanka get his favorite plushy to give to him?
Goka’s eyes furrow once again, trying to figure out what he could’ve done to earn such actions when Zanka moves again, smoothing his eyebrows out.
The older felt his lip tremble as his eyes began to water.
“Zanka, i’m— ugh, i'm sorry about—“
“Am I interrupting?” A familiar voice says behind him.
Goka immediately jerks, bringing the baby closer to his chest as he turned around to see his sister leaning against the door frame.
“Older sister, I— this is not…” Goka stuttered, eventually resigning and letting himself relax. “It’s just, he fell, and I didn’t know what to do.”
“Yeah, sure ya didn’t.” Kyouka chuckled, walking closer to her siblings until she was shoulder to shoulder with her younger brother.
With a moment of silence, he finally spoke. “He’s pretty darn cute… emotionally intelligent too.”
“I’m glad you two are getting along.” Kyouka whispered, her eyes stuck on Zanka.
The said boy was looking back and forth between the two, seemingly ecstatic that both his siblings were there. His eyes crinkle into crescents, excitedly burbling on and on as he expresses this.
As he grew more older, it only increased the amount of love for his siblings.
With his cheeks becoming less rounded and his speech becoming more coherent, the only thing growth was doing to his body was giving him ways to communicate that love.
By the time he reached five, the boy was attached to the hip to his two siblings, following them around like a lost duck whenever he managed to get out of the nanny’s sight.
As much as they would love to play with him, the two had just started attending Hell Guard Academy and Zanka’s distractions were nothing but annoying.
Kyouka was studying in her room, a singular candle lighting her table as the sound of her pencil scratching against her paper intensified. Her face stayed passive, but as dusk turned into twilight a slight frown started making its way onto her mouth.
That’s when Zanka walks in, meek and quiet holding a hesitant look on his face. He stands in the gap of the slightly ajar door, fiddling with his hands as he kept his gaze down to the floor.
“Older Sister?” He nervously asks, finally bringing his eyes to meet his sisters.
With a sigh, the older girl put the pencil down with a ‘clack,’ rubbing her temple with the same hand.
“What’s wrong? Did somethin’ happen?” She calmly questioned. There was a type of tightness in her voice that made Zanka even more nervous.
“No… I wanted to play but.. you’re busy so.” He murmured, pushing his two indexes together. “Can I just stay with you?”
This wasn’t the first time that Zanka had asked this, he’ll probably ask even more. Usually she would let him stay, but this assignment was testing her and there was also Zanka’s innate ability to take her focus so…
“Sorry Zanka, maybe another time.” The older gives a strained smile.
All Zanka could do was pout, nodding his head as he silently shut the door.
Of course, his next victim was Goka.
He finds him training outside, already sweaty and exhausted by the time he gets there. There’s someone next to him holding a similar wooden katana— probably a classmate— who is fiercely attacking his older brother.
Goka doesn’t back down though. In a swift move, he slashes his own wooden katana against the other with brute strength, cutting his opponent’s sword in half.
The half goes off flying somewhere, and comically lands atop Zanka’s head with a light thump.
Goka slowly turns his head to see where the piece of scrap went only to find Zanka there.. with the scrap sitting on top of him.
With big, confident strides, he makes his way over to the little boy, swiping off the piece of scrap while kneeling down to his level.
“Zanka, don’t ya know ya should let yourself be known before entering the training grounds? Ya might get hurt.” He fussed over the younger, grabbing both of his shoulders to ground him.
“Mm’ sorry, didn’t mean to.” Zanka stared at his brother, wide eyes filled with awe.
“Aw, is that your lil bro?” The random person says from behind them, slowly walking up.
“Yeah, he is.” Goka gruffly mumbled, bringing Zanka closer to him.
“Will… Will ya have time to play with me today?” Zanka pleaded, giving his best shot at puppy eyes. Where did he even learn that?
That’s not the only concern though. The puppy eyes are working insanely well. Goka’s stiff face instantly melts, and his hands shake with that same tremor when he’s thinking really hard.
He didn’t give in this time though, Zanka can tell.
“No, i’m sorry. Why don’t ya go ask Kyouka?” The older’s voice shook with resolute. Another pout forms on Zanka’s face, knowing full well that none of his siblings are free today.
“Nevermind.” Zanka huffed, squeezing out of his brother’s arms.
And like many times, Zanka would get over it and eventually have the time to play with his siblings. Not without some sort loud tantrum, but still, he’d come around.
This was apparently not one of those times.
After a long, arduous study session, Kyouka was finally relieved of that monstrosity of an assignment. She stretched as she walked to the door, keeping her grumbling stomach at bay as she traversed the moon-lit halls.
The girl idly thinks about how Goka’s studies are doing when she sees the very same boy running in front of her.
He’s frantic, she deduces. Goka swivels his head down the empty hall to see Kyouka— and it doesn’t seem to make his panic any better from the worsening indent of his eyebrows.
“Older sister, have ya seen Zanka?” He quickly asks, a doomed look taken over once he sees confusion settle on her.
“No, I haven’t. Not recently at least.” She simply said, bringing a pondering finger upon her lip. “Is he lost?”
“I mean— yes?” His voice cracks unusually.
“And ya didn’t think to alert anyone?” Kyouka raises an inquisitive eyebrow.
“I can’t possibly do that, ya know that.” The boy whisper shouts, and she can at least get it. What are they going to say when the guards alert their parents?
The boy was supposed to have a nanny serving him most of the time, and although the blame could be shifted onto them, if Zanka were to ever get hurt it would be on Kyouka and Goka. They were his older siblings, his protectors.
If they weren’t able to do this one single thing, what makes people think that they are even capable of sitting on the Golden Throne?
“I’ll help ya. On one condition.” She says too quickly, noticing the way Goka’s eyes lit up for a second. “If one hour passes and we aren’t able to locate him, we’re telling someone.”
“Deal.”
And so, the search continues. From every nook, to every possible hiding spot, to even places where shit and garbage lay were scoured. Nonetheless, they still haven’t found any sort of trace of Zanka.
It went so far to asking the night servants on duty, subtly asking them questions about Zanka’s whereabouts without giving them the full truth.
At this point, even Kyouka is starting to get a little worried. Zanka only goes places where he’s familiar with, there was no way he would be in any of these rooms… but there’s still a slim possibility of him being in there.
As the timer nears the one hour mark, the more moral decreases. She could only keep a calm, collective face as her younger brother started to freak out, a constipated look staying permanent on his head.
Here they are, standing in front of their parent’s quarters ready to get an earful. Even as much as Kyouka wanted to appear, she wasn’t calm and Goka’s worrying behavior wasn’t helping her either.
It’s even worse that she volunteered to take the blame, or, mentally volunteered herself.
Holding a steady hand, she knocks loudly, a few only to get a message.
After a couple seconds, the door ominously opens to reveal their father in his robes, clearly tired and looking like he just woke up.
“My children. What is it that ya need at this hour?” Their father asks, rubbing a teary eye.
Although his voice was quiet, it still held the presence of his commanding authority. It was deep, gravely to the point it scratched both of the younger’s ears. When they didn’t respond, it seemed to only irritate the man.
“Father…” Kyouka starts, trying to find the words. “I lost Zanka. Forgive my incompetence.”
She then proceeded to kneel on the ground, bowing to her father with a bit lip.
Kyouka can practically feel Goka’s bulging eyes at her, but she pays no mind to it, only expecting the never ending scolding of losing her own blood.
“No! Father, I was the one who lost him!” He tries to salvage, also going onto his knees.
“Ya idiot! What are ya doing?” She shouts as she sees Goka’s face near hers.
“It was my fault! Ya don’t need to take the blame for me!” He shouts back.
“Children, please, on your feet.” Their father chuckles at this display, so entirely different from his regular facade. In confusion, they both stand up on their feet, brushing off the dust with jumbled minds.
He briefly coughs to hold back his laughter, putting back the serious father face they expected him to have.
“While I appreciate ya two coming clean, I assure ya Zanka is safe and well.”
Relief swept the two siblings like a wave. Kyouka let her shoulders drop, the anxiety pooling in her belly going away as she took the moment to take a deep, long breath. A shuddering one, but a comforting thing for her to do.
On the other hand, Goka still wanted to know more despite the new information. “Then… where is he? We looked all over the house…”
Their father stares up at the ceiling for a moment in thought before silently opening the gap even more, revealing their mother sleeping soundly in their bed as well as Zanka.
Zanka lays in the middle of the mattress, limbs sprawled out and drooling a small line of spit onto the scorpion plushy he laid on. Their mother has an arm wrapped around his abdomen, unconsciously rubbing gentle, slow circles onto his belly.
“He’s growing older.” Their father simply says, looking at the direction their eyes were entranced by. “Don’t get too worked up on Zanka, he’ll be able to do things by himself later on— without ya help.” He emphasizes.
“I’m assuming that he didn’t throw a tantrum this time?” Kyouka quipped, causing a light ripple of laughter between the three.
“Yes… just a testament to see how far he’s really come. Zanka will achieve greater things, i’m sure. Just like how ya two will.” Their father says seriously. This was the father they recognized.
A demanding, strict parent who only seeks power, nothing more or less.
“Go on now, rest up for tomorrow. If I see any flaw in your performance ya know what is expected.”
The two siblings simultaneously nod their head, bidding goodbye to their father and walked back to their quarters in silence. They know why they sit in silence, but neither doesn’t peep a word about it.
Well, not until they reach Kyouka’s room. Goka’s was just a little down the hall, but still significantly farther than hers.
Just as Kyouka opened the sliding door, Goka places a hand on her shoulder. One that she can push away, but chooses not to.
“Do you ever think… imagine what it would be like if we were a normal family?” Goka softly asks from behind.
Kyouka is quiet, more so than before. This very question tests her loyalty to her family, her title even, so such impudence shouldn’t be tolerated. This was supposed to be something she’s proud of— and she most definitely is but… she can find herself to indulge once in a while.
A middle-class family, just her parents and her siblings, no rules nor expectations… one could only dream.
“Erase those thoughts from your mind. You’ll only lose yourself if you keep thinking like that.” The girl harshly spoke.
“Yes, older sister. I’m sorry for asking.” Goka responds, but the disappointment was loud in his tone, even if he didn’t want to show it.
Although these fantasies weren’t real, Zanka figures out a way to make it a little bit more believable as the day passes.
Just almost.