AU depiction of Xixas and Sumaru's conversation

“hey”.

…

“hey, git up, ye guilty bastard”

…

wh-..

“are ye even alive?”

who-..

“hey, is he even alive?”

i ken that voice..

A blurred storm o' clouds 'n' lightning bolted thro' his mynd, th' rainfall slowly dimming doon as th' kenspeckle voice pierced thro' th' ragin` typhoon ben o' him. His body felt heavy 'n' burdened, as if th' weight o' th' world wis pressing him doon. His een felt lik' thay wouldn’t open, as if submerged in tar. His body wis hauf numb 'n' his tongue felt thick wi' blood. It smelled lik' metal 'n' he cuid hear th' sound o' smirr hitting glass.

It sounded nice.

“he is? urr ye sure?”

and that voice.. He hud heard it afore. A million times. A voice o' softness, o' stern command. A voice o' joy 'n' sorrow, yin o' anger, yin o' defeat.. Yin o' respect, 'n' o' triumph.


He hud heard a' his lee. It mist be..

“can ah chib him wi' something tae mak' sure?”

it is!

sumaru amaya shot up fae whaur he lie, supporting his-sel wi' his hauns behind him as he sat, sittin` up. He blinked th' kip awa' fae een 'n' thare he saw a lifetime o' emotions.

Xixas wis keekin awa' fae him, bit kneeling ower him as if peepin'. He spoke behind him tae whit keeked lik' a mottled figure o' black, bit sumaru’s mynd hadn’t cleared enough tae fin' oot. Bit, 'twas him. 'twas six.

“six!” he cried oot, voice hoarse 'n' loupin. He cuid taste blood still.

Xixas averall turned his heid, 'n' sumaru felt a flurry o' emotions. He keeked at sumaru wi' an face o' surprise, bit it quickly relaxed intae his signature appearance o' stoic silence.

“hey” he shored.

“six..” sumaru repeated, incredulous. Xixas did that half-smirk half-frown thing he aye did. “yeah, that’s mah name. Tae late nae tae wear it oot ah guess”.

The vampire shook his heid. “six, i..”

“yes, ye'v said that already”.

“what’s gaun oan? how urr ye 'ere? ah thought-” sumaru lurched tae th' future as he spoke, bit a series o' stabbing pains in his chest held him back. He gasped in surprise agony 'n' xixas pat a haun up tae gesture th' laddie tae fall back a bawherr, bit aye allowing him tae bade sittin` upright.

“careful. Yer body haes nae fully healed yit, sumaru. Gie it a bawherr bit o' time. Keep the heid 'n' relaxed”.

Sumaru did as xixas said as if 'twas th' maist natural response in th' world. Mibbie 'twas. He keeked doon. He fun his-sel in whit keeked lik' a marble wi' a flat surface in th' middle. 'twas perfectly clear o' th' world ootdoors, bit it shawed twa different world. 'boon him, 'twas a rainy day. Gray clouds mottled th' sky 'n' thunder boomed. It pattered against th' sphere rhythmically. Oan th' sides o' th' upper hauf, a world seemingly made o' rid flowers wi' peculiar petals. Thay dipped up 'n' doon as th' mirk sky shored thaim th' gift o' rainfall. Everything wis sae bricht bit at th' identical, sae mirk. 'twas lik' a world o' silver skies 'n' rid flowers. Silver 'n' red.

Beneath him, he cuid see war. Or whit appeared tae be war. Everything wis frozen in time-- or howfur it appeared tae be. Ilka single warrior oan th' battlefield wis under an extremely potent spell o' compulsion tae remain perfectly aye. Less than yin percent o' living beings oan th' field wur capable o' resisting sic magic, 'n' th' masses wur stuck in th' act o' war oan freeze frame. Directly below, thare wur soonds battle. Sumaru glanced doon 'n' saw anither kenspeckle character. 'twas th' arrogant light chaser fae th' snaw water.. That felt lik' sae lang ago noo that he cuid see 'n' mind thro' th' thick miasma o' pain 'n' fury that possessed him nae lang ago.

The laddie wis a force. He battled against th' fourth king 'n' whitevur monster assaulted him fae below th' earth wi' terrifying speed. His sword danced lik' a virtuoso 'n' his body wis constantly in a state o' dazzling, crystalline light. Sumaru felt dizzy peepin' thaim shift, realizing th' display below him wis oan anither level entirely. He keeked back at xixas 'n' fun him peepin' th' scene beneath him as weel. “that laddie is a guid fighter. Tae be able tae rammy th' prince alone lik' that”. He turned back tae sumaru, smirking. “you’d ne'er hae a chance against him”.

Ignoring th' remark, sumaru pressed oan tae mair urgent matters.

“six..”

“yes, i’m six”

“what urr ye daein' 'ere? ah thought ah.. Ah thought ah murdurred you”. Xixas let oot a soft sigh, bit didn’t keek awa'. Instead, he fell backwards tae sit oan th' ground as weel, yak level 'n' a few feet awa'. “straight tae th' gut o' th' kinch, huh? ah jalouse that’s lik' you”. Xixas glanced at sumaru, wha keeked lik' he wis aff tae be peely-wally.

“joking, i’m joking! ah jalouse that wis in brassic taste, hm? weel.. Ah wish ah cuid tell ye everything, bit ah can’t. I’m a bawherr short oan time. Ah don’t mak' th' rules here”. He gestured behind him. Sumaru aye couldn’t mak' oot whit wis thare, bit he git th' feeling mibbie he didn’t wantae ken.

“well, whit kin ye tell me?”

“mm.. I’ll be gaen soon. This is th' lest time you’ll see me lik' this. I’m 'ere at mah ain request, bit ah don’t hae a lot o' time. Ah wantit tae see ye 'n' a few ither fowk afore mah time runs out”.

Sumaru, aye unable tae fin' th' richt wurds, juist nodded.

“look doon. Richt noo, thare ur countless beings doon thare. Ilk yin o' thaim is a living, breathing body. Ilk yin o' they single fowk haes thair ain story. Ilka yin o' thaim is somebody special 'n' unique. Thay hae fowk they're connected tae in guid ways 'n' ill. . ah wish ah cuid tell ye sae muckle mair aboot thaim. Ah wish ah cuid teach ye sae muckle mair aboot thaim, bit.. Lik' ah said”.

“you hae tae go”

“that is richt. However, ah aye hae something tae dae. Richt noo, that chaser o' light, who’s name escapes me, is fightin' against a jimmy that cuid rip apairt this entire continent if he wanted tae. He’s a guid fighter, bit he lacks th' means tae defeat th' prince. Haud oot as lang as he micht, bit he wull fall. A' body capable o' standing up tae th' prince is either gaen or, weel. Gone”.

“what aboot zechs? he wis 'ere earlier. A clocked him gaun efter th' fourth king”.

“zechs renaurd hud tae lea th' battlefield. Th' prince’s richt haun jimmy is currently mair o' a threat than th' prince his-sel. In order tae prevent th' world fae falling tae chaos, zechs mist gang defeat him. That leaves.. Ye. As yer, ye can’t defeat th' jimmy doon thare. Na maiter howfur muckle that chaser weakens him, he’s loads levels 'boon you”.

With a mixture o' anxiety 'n' frustration, sumaru curled his hauns intae fists. “i am peely-wally o' bein' wabbit whenever it matters. A'm waantin' tae be pure tough fur wance, six. Ah wasn’t pure tough enough tae hulp ye, ah wasn’t pure tough enough tae hulp mah race, ah wasn’t pure tough enough tae help..-” afore he cuid continue 'n' lose his-sel in sorrow, six pat his haun oan sumaru’s shoulder. A simple titch o' th' haun wis clarifying. That wee gesture shattered th' dismay in his mynd. 'twas an anchor. 'twas assurance. Xixas averall, th' ghost o' steppes 'n' strongest in ire. He pure wis 'ere. Thare wis na illusion or dream. Wi' that titch, 'twas clear. Sumaru, his body noo nearly healed, he steid his weight onto his hauns 'n' pulled his-sel up, standing oan skelp feet. Xixas follaed suit.

“i don’t ken whit tae dae, six.. Ah felt as if ah hud lost masell. Ah lost everything.. A' body. 'n' it's a' mah fault. Whit dae ah do..?”

“well, ah think that’s exactly whit yi''ll need tae be doing”

“asking yersel' whit ye kin dae. If ye couldn’t accept whit ye hud dane, if ye couldn’t realize yi''ll need tae dae something tae mak' hings richt, everything wid be lost. Bit, ye kin see it. Ye ken ye hae tae dae something. Richt noo, yi''ll need tae stairt wi' fixing whit ye broke. Making amends fur whit ye did. Making hings richt. Dae ye think ye kin dae that?”

“i- ah don’t hae anythin', six--”

“sumaru, that is exactly th' point! that is wha yer! that is whit yer! ever sin ah hae kent ye. Ye began wi' hee haw. Ye wur hee haw. Nothingness is yer genesis, yer starting point. Bit, nae lang efter, ye hud everything. Ye hud mukkers, ye hud a hame, ye hud power, 'n' respect, 'n' a position in th' kingdom. Ye hud it. Noo, you’re back tae hee haw. Ye hae hee haw 'n' ur hee haw again. Sumaru”.

Xixas stared th' laddie deid in th' eye.

“but noo ye hae a chance. Noo ye hae a chance tae git everything back, noo ye hae a chance tae git mair than whit ye hud 'n' tae become mair than whit ye wur. Dae nae sit aroond, giein' in tae despair 'n' weakness. Be pure tough, be th' jimmy ah trained ye tae be. Be a jimmy concuclare kin be proud o'. Maist o' a', be somebody yer happy bein'. Whoever that is. A'm waantin' ye tae tak' a' o` yer sadness, a' o` yer rage, a' o` yer misery, a' o` yer loss, 'n' a'm waantin' ye tae halt fightin' it. Yi''ll need tae accept everything, sumaru. Yi''ll need tae cop whit ye'v said 'n' dane, 'n' fae thare, a'm waantin' ye tae be pure tough enough tae shift tae th' future, in spite o' everything”.

“you wull hae time tae grieve properly fur whit ye hae lost. In due time. Bit fur noo, ye hae tae tak' th' foremaist step movin` tae th' future 'n' becoming somebody mair.. Dae ye think ye kin dae that, sumaru amaya?”

it wasn’t a warmth he felt. It wasn’t calming or soothing. Xixas’ wurds hud wound thair wey intae his soul 'n' made something thare, filled something that wis wance hollow wi' a placeholder. In th' time he cuid mak', sumaru decided he wid fill that placeholder wi' a lee worth living tae him. Na maiter th' cost.

“i think.. Aye, ah think ah kin. Ah ken ah did a lot o' ill hings, 'n' ah ken ah majorly fucked up, bit you’re richt. Ah can’t let it sloch me. Ah hae tae mak' up fur whit ah did. At th' gey least”.

Xixas gave a smile/frown that wis mair o' a smile than a frown. “i suppose that’ll do”.

“however, wur aye left wi' ferr a muckle obstacle” he stated, keekin doon at th' incredibly muckle great amounts o' sentient flesh 'n' bane that assaulted th' chaser, wha wis aye managing somehow thro' a flurry o' blinking 'n' agility. “you hae tae tak' him down”.

“but ye said ah can’t rammy him.”

“true. Ye can’t. If it wur me, ah cuid likelie defeat him if ah gave it mah all”.

“really?”

“yes. Bit obviously, ah can’t dae it myself.”

“but then howfur kin i-”

“let me rammy him.”

sumaru, appearing taken back 'n' doilt, earned a roar fae xixas that shook his shoulder quietly.

“what?”

“sumaru” xixas cried. He gripped th' boy’s shoulder ticht, 'n' wi' his left haun, moved tae gie th' laddie something. As he moved his haun, his hauns gripped aroond a lang black warkers wi' countless knicks 'n' chips oan th' metal. Sumaru opened his haun 'n' xixas placed th' warkers-- th' catalyst o' his signature, in th' vampire’s hands.

“let me rammy him. Alongside ye, in whitevur wey ah kin. Ah, we,  wull watch yer back this day”. Th' scythe handle glowed silver wi' a faint light. Th' silver aura fused wi' black smoke that extended fae whaur th' scythe blade shuid be 'n' it entirt sumaru’s body. He felt..  

“you ur th' cause o' a' o' this..”

hex ender peered doon, his haun aye crushing th' throat o' th' heroic spirit. “what did ye say?”

“you 'n' yer king.. Yer th' cause o' a' o' this”. Zechs shuddered as he brought his body tae bear tis ain weight, lifting wi' a' o' his braun juist tae staun up.

One mair time.

“war. Th' pain, th' loss. Wurds mean hee haw in war. Friendship, fowk. They're hee haw anymair fur o' whit ye did tae oor land”.

“and whit claim dae ye hae oan this world, human? yer th' lowest maybee aye bein'. Whin did ye think tae tak' claim o' a throne? yer leadership is a "skinny malinky longlegs, big banana feet, went tae the piktures and fell throo the seat", flawed. Ye left yer entire airmie. Yer “friends 'n' family” ur dying or deid fur ye left thaim. Whit kind o' fools ever 'greed tae mak' ye leader o' a nation. You’re hee haw mair than a boy”

zechs, aye strained by th' weight o' his ain lee, actually nodded. “you’re richt. Mah leadership is a "skinny malinky longlegs, big banana feet, went tae the piktures and fell throo the seat". Ah ne'er wanted tae be a king”.

Hex ender grinned maliciously. “and you--”

“and ye see. That’s exactly how come ah hae tae be a king. Mah mukkers, wha ur mah brothers 'n' sisters 'n' arms, thay pat me 'ere. Th' citizens o' sanc, thay placed a crown oan mah heid 'n' cried me king”.

“then they're fools”

“they ur mah fowk. Ilka citizen o' sanc, ilka mercenary, ilka living bein' is a pairt o' th' nation as a'm a pairt o' it tae. We hae gaen thro' mony levels o' hell th'gither, 'n' ah ne'er boasted mah leadership or ability. In fact, even noo, ah doubt masell oan a daily basis oan whither or nae i’m making th' richt choice..”

zechs staun up, shoulders squared. Blood bolted ower his left yak, blinding it. Black bruises covered his body, his jibbed 'n' torn armoured garbs did hee haw noo tae block th' gashes that bled openly or th' fucked pieces o' his body that kin or kin nae ever heal.

“but, na maiter whit ah think, 'n' na maiter whit ah say tae masell, yin thing is ne'er aff tae chaynge. A'm th' king o' sanc, 'n' ah hae a nation tae protect fae threats lik' ye. Thay a' hawp in whit a'm, 'n' whit ah kin dae. Ah didnae lea mah men 'n' wummin tae die. Even noo, we rammy oan th' identical battlefield, shedding th' identical blood. We rammy under th' identical sky. Fur that is whit it means tae be a pairt o' a nation. If thay pat thair faith in me..”

zechs readied his blade in a defensive stance, his yin remaining wing readied itself tae move.

“then ah wull pat mah faith in thaim. Eiyuu ou!”

Wee did th' three bambini know...
They wur bein' tracked by th' maist rudimentary o' butterflies.

Hey, awright! ciacho! it pure is thaim! tis lik' they've bin purposefully trying tae stammle mah muse! chap ower mah lament! jab at mah mourning! tak' a bath in th' morning!
heh. Playing snide-and-sneak na mair, noo. Thae twa shall be mah gateway! mah path tae grandiosità, sì!
and then ah will be lik' "remember me?"
and then they'll be lik' "santo galileo! it pure is him!"
it'll be sic a tear-warming, heart-jerking reunion, verìssimo!


-------

the atmosphere hud wee tae distract him. 'twas a' dirt fae th' identical waste-ball. Th' fact thay wur ben a ben wis... Freish. Bit it barely mattered. Even th' clouds weren't spared. Th' tower him 'n' th' trio wur facing wis imposing, bit that's natural fur ony construction that boasts tis size 'n' flaunts aboot it.
The jester, stepping-yet-stopping three feet behind oor primitive trio, opened gam wi' a joyous, almost-loud voice tone.
His arms 'n' wings opened up in unison, as if staging a welcoming gesture. Na ither approach fit better.
He made sure tae keep his distance. Thay a' keeked bonny sharp-bladed.


-------

bambini! it pure is ye! in th' flesh, bones, organs, lugs, 'n' bones! tis me, y'compagno marcella gallileo! mind me? ehehe!
it pure is me, though. Heh!
hey, awright! y'all keek grimmer than a duo o' vampires wi' a demon leid oan thair backpack! darkier than th' sewers o' l'mia casa 'n' murkier than a dog-eat-dog-eat-lion type o' scenario! andato a male, it is!

you a' keek as if someone hud juist frilled a puffer! as if someone hud opened a bat-box! as if someone hud fun joy in jogging fur a living!
can ah hulp? mibbie ah kin hulp, aye? whit rock's bin resting oan yer shoe, eh? whit type o' bud-eating vermin is fashin` yer crops?

what sort o' tragedy dae ye coupon, magni ragazzi?


-------

knack-talk finished, he starts curling his locks pompously.

Ah stared doon ower th' vasure plains, reminiscing in whit wis th' oncom o' mah time 'ere, in ae'ire. Goupin' at th' flattened land, ah thought o' zechs 'n' his squad. Th' captain o' th' guard wis cauld whin he foremaist met me, as ah wis tae him. He continued tae huv a go 'n' keep up sic a demeanor, bit ah cuid see thro' it. Mah een fun th' wee area ah woke up in, a few dying shrubs marking th' area. Fae thare, thay trailed ower tae th' clove o' trees neist tae th' concuclare encampment, locking onto th' areas whaur ah gutted bandits. Slowly traivelin doon th' path, toward said encampment, mah mynd continued tis journey. Keekin fae th' clove, tae th' pathway tae majesty, ah recounted mah meetin wi' xixas- wha wis noo mah leader.

So muckle haes happened in sic wee time...

I wis currently suppose tae catch up wi` up wi' a tae o' men at th' encampment, bit ah didnae cop tae confident. While xixas 'n' zechs wur noo honored in mah mynd, ah wis aye wary o' th' rest o' th' faction.

Chin up, 'til wantit otherwise finvarre...

-

i parntly wis suppose tae catch up wi` wi' some lassie. "if she attacks me...... Ah shuid bade cautious."

-

sumaru arrived at th' catch up wi` up zone 'n' saw finvarre wha wis yin o' th' newest members o' consuclare. He traivelt up tae her 'n' said "im sumaru amaya. A'm guessing yer finvarre"

-

i raised mah eyebrow at sumaru.

He parntly kens mah name already...

Looking at th' ither male, ah cuid see howfur shrewd his een wur. He wis expecting an attack fae me...

Summoning yin o' mah chakrams, ah waved it at him- jarring him fur a reaction.

-

i struggled tae keep mah composure, bit ah managed tae keep calm. "so, ah jalouse yer th' yin thay ca' finvarre, correct?"

-

"yeah thats her"

-

a wee uggit, ah made mah ither chakram appear at his throat.

Not muckle, ur they...

Shattering mah chakrams, ah turned aroond 'n' began tae donder toward oor destination- a wee toun oan th' plains. Zechs hud asked me tae visit it wi' th' twa men, 'n' check oan th' people.

Little did ah ken a'd be workin' wi' men lik' these...

-

after clearing masell, ah wasn't scared o' anythin' at th' moment. Ah keeked at th' armor-covered lassie, 'n' began pondering whaur she wis aboot tae gang. Finally, ah remembered that we wur suppose tae gang tae some toun oan th' plains. In th' meantime, ah keeked at masell. "i lik' this outfit," ah thought. Ah wis sportin' a black robe wi' shades o' white whilk covered mah body completely except fur th' v-shaped slit in th' middle o' mah chest.

-

sumaru pat his hauns in his pocket 'n' follaed finvarre. Sumaru keeked up at sky 'n' thought 'twas a crakin' day. He began tae think o' azumai 'n' let oot a sigh 'n' continued tae walk.

-

my scarf flapped as th' win` changed direction.

Ugh.. Whit... Whit's that reek? that howfs awful...

Crinkling mah hooter, ah turned mah heid tae th' left, 'n' keeked oot fur anythin' that cuid mibeez aye, mibeez naw be makin sic an awfy scent.

-

"what's up wi' her?" ah thought 'til ah caught th' thing that wis affecting her. "oh!" ah yelled as ah bolted back a foot. Ah wanted tae throw up, bit a'm needin' tae keep mah swagger up fur anythin', or a'body, wha micht strike.

-

sumaru smelled th' mingin' stench 'n' covered his hooter wi' his sleeve 'n' said "what th' bugger is that smell?" sumaru keeked aroond trying tae fin' th' steid o' whaur th' stench originated fae.