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Upon realizing the back of the Goulden Sam was unlocked, the Kings didn't need to think twice just to leave their cage and start their journey back to their castles, to get their fortune back.
There it remained Diamond King. Alone in a dark, damp and rusty cage.
Diamond loves his materialistic treasures like his own life. He could go join the other kings into getting their belongings back and reconstructing Spade's damage, but he subconsciously refuses to do so. Often giving excuses like he wanted to do his role as a prisoner... though, it's not a lie that he was a theater kid sometime before. Or that at least he's having fun wearing makeup and accesories of animals to fit in, or simply that he is alright just knowing his treasures are fine. Could it be laziness? Could it be not him wanting to return to his tiring monarch days? Or could it be... not wanting to face the possible truth?
Keyword is "possible". A "truth" that has been haunting him for a while, at least, an imaginary one, and yet it didn't seem very unlikely.
During the war, when his castle was invaded by Spade, he has seen a level of cruelty he has never seen before. Sure Spade never grabbed a liking onto him, the feeling was mutual, and they often argued and threatened eachother but, this time, Spade was enraged, his face being hidden by the shadows of his cape, only showing a shiny, crooked smile that showed a thirst for more power, a bloodlust that was too much for him to contain. They had a battle that Diamond could never think he would have in his life. But it was all futile. Spade had a power that not even the rumors that spread across the kingdom could compare, it was something out of this world. Diamond was in a critical state, ready to accept the last blow that Spade would give from his sharp spade chain.
But, he stepped in. His peridot, shaking and tears flowing in his eyes, but pointing a spear at Spade King, with all the courage that he had.
Despite his bravery, it was clearer than a glass shard that Battat had no chance with a ruthless king like Spade, who grabbed him like he was a golfball, with all the intent to crush him with his bare hand. This led Diamond to finally surrender, to ensure his royal advisor's safety. It was the moment where Spade let go of the die and called his troops, Diamond's own troops, to drag him into the cage. His peridot, going towards him with a trembling body, he said he wanted to help him, wanted to go with him, but Diamond could only say.
"Evacuate with the other pippins, as soon as you can."
And that was the last time he saw him, his royal advisor, his peridot, his treasure.
He was in company from the other surrendered kings, but all he would do is sit to wonder and wonder about his peridot's whereabouts, hoping from the depths of his existence that he is alright within the safety of his group in a new home, but... what if he wasn't? He wanted to brush that thought off, but he couldn't help but feel that things just wouldn't end with him surrendering, specially with Spade's vengeful nature. Did he exile his peridot? Made him stay so he could be tortured? Or even, Spade killed him out of spite?
That's the "truth" he didn't dare to face. He is afraid of coming back to his kingdom and... not see his beloved gem again.
Said "truth" got ingrained within his mind, a fear that slowly became a nightmare. He would have awful dreams that involved his precious advisor getting shattered right infront of him, or impaled with the spade spear, all sorts of torture. Those nightmares would drain him emotionally and mentally, even if he tried to convince himself, the "truth" still haunted him at any chance that it could, so he stayed in his cage, alone, hidden within the darkness of fear and uncertainty.
His brain, as a last attempt to convince him otherwise, would give moments of fake lucidity, where he thinks he has seen his peridot's shadow right infront of his cage, but the moment he gets close, it's gone. It made Diamond more incredulous at the thought of him ever coming back, surrendering once again, to his lonely prison.
...
He curls up in his cage in Castle Town, simply waiting for time to pass by. But as he was trying to close his eyelids, he heard steps. For a moment he thought it would be Ralsei, or maybe a guard coming by to check on them (even if there was no need), but somehow it felt... different.
"Diamond?" someone talked behind him, across the bars. The familiarity of the voice startled Diamond King.
"...Diamond King, is that you?" the stranger spoke again, this time, Diamond turned around, his tired eyes widened.
A pippins, with a different but quite familiar poncho, and a green color, staring at him from the other side of the cage.
Diamond King slowly slithered towards him, with Battat loudly gulping since, he wasn't sure of how to react to seeing the king after so long
"My... peridot?" Diamond whispered, with eyes full of disbelief
"Uhh, yeah, sorta...?" Battat slightly smiled, but quickly frowned upon seeing the Diamond King step back, with cynical eyes.
"No... this must be another illusion, isn't it? It is not real. Just another product of my mind."
"...What." Battat squinted his eyes and tilted his head in confusion
Diamond King turned away while rubbing his arms, "No, snap out of it... This is just another illusion, you know your peridot won't come back."
Battat was... shocked, to say the least. It seems Diamond King does remember him, and yet doesn't recognize him. He has seen Diamond King be stressed and depressed during his times as a royal advisor, but it's totally new for him to see his king become... insane. Illusions? Nightmares? Battat doesn't know with exactitude when all of that happened, but he does understand that, his king probably started having those out of heavy concerns. Battat has missed his diamond, he really did, but he didn't think that Diamond, someone that he thought that wouldn't be interested in him beyond seeing him like a pet or someone to spoil, could miss him so deeply, to the point of ruining himself. There must be a way to bring him back, but... What could possibly make him remember? Make him realize that this is the real deal?
Then, he remembered.
Diamond kept giving himself light bumps on his head, telling himself to snap out of it, but he froze completely when hearing a whistle across the bars, he could recognize that melody, that assigned fragment of the song. The whistling stopped, Battat stared Back at Diamond, who stood silently for a moment, until he, hesitantly, cupped his hands and started blowing inside them, making another whistle. Once done with his part, Battat continued with his whistling, Diamond gasped.
He turned around, seeing Battat whistling to the rhythm of the song, then stopping. Diamond got closer to the bars as he started whistling back, until they finished their melody with a duet, like they used to do in their royalty times.
Battat sighed, "Okaayyy, I may be rusty. I haven't whistled this song for a long time but, I thought that-" he stopped when feeling something drip on his hands, it were tears. He looked up and saw Diamond's eyes, gaining light and the sparkle that he haven't seen in a long time, with a smile growing wider every second.
"It's you... it is really you..." Diamond sobbed
"Diamond King! I mean, my diamond...!" Battat's eyes widened with a bit of worry in his expression
Diamond didn't take a second and immediatly stretched his hands across the gaps of the bars, cupping Battat's face and pulling him closer to give multiple kisses on his head, Battat tried to react but he couldn't help but feel smitten over such action.
"Oh, my peridot, my dear treasure! I thought I'd never see you again!" Diamond cried, giving another peck to Battat's head
"Heh, could've been better for you, just look at me!" Battat chuckled, showing his dead-fish eyes with eyebags, "Well it's... eh, a lot of things since I left, alright? So, I've lost the shine that you loved so much years ago... Do I even deserve to be called your peridot at this point?"
Diamond shook his head, "Oh, darling...", he said as he pulled Battat closer to the bars and wrapped most of his arms around him, like giving the gesture of a hug, "Your return is the most valuable treasure I have."
Battat couldn't help but also start tearing up pathetically, as he tried to hold onto Diamond's arms
Even with the bars in the middle, they could feel eachother's embrace like nothing was in between them, even if Diamond is cold-blooded, the moment felt so warm and cozy, which brought a feeling of relief to both of them. Diamond didn't waste a chance to sit down and start asking Battat several questions just to catch up, and maybe to make Battat stay longer. Battat didn't want to talk in depth, but he mentioned about his new life, his new co-workers... He said he wasn't sure if to come back to work for Diamond again, but at least, with the new life at Castle Town, it means they can see eachother at last, with no disturbance.
They gave eachother one last semi-hug, before Battat retreated back to Castle Town since he had some Mike duties to do. Diamond waved goodbye but, this time, he could feel peace. That night, he dreamed of the garden he used to go with Battat during the prime times.
Makeup question aside, Battat wondered why Diamond couldn't just get out in the back of the cage.