[Legend of Sun Knight] fic: so we can get to know you chapter 8
Title: so we can get to know you - chapter 8: E.h no, there will be no potato stew tonight
Fandom: The Legend of Sun Knight
Words: 1,786
Summary: The Twelve Holy Knights go on their biannual mission outside of Leaf Bud City. They just never thought that some of them would return as toddlers. Roland introduces himself over and over again. "Isn't this great, Roland? We'll get to learn about you and make up for all those years we missed!"
Notes: This chapter has been edited quite a bit from the version I have up at AO3, but it's essentially still the same chapter. I just thought it needed a bit more fleshing out. It's around 500 words longer. Enjoy~.
previous chapter: H.ey mommy, can we have potato stew?
chapter 8: E.h no, there will be no potato stew tonight
"No, I'm not a bandit." I pulled down my mask, my face softening. "I'm Roland Hell, the Hell Knight. You are safe."
I held Cloud's tiny, tiny hand. He was actually older than the previous time he had deaged, but unlike his previous, cheerful self, this Cloud was much more withdrawn. His bangs were much longer, closer to the style he had as an adult with his eyes hidden. Despite that he was older, he appeared somehow younger. It was the way he shrank into himself, trying not to stand out, the way he exuded vulnerability, a far cry from the innocent boy who had happily drawn all over Storm's paperwork, that made him seem smaller.
What happened in the interim?
From the question he had asked me, I had a vague guess, but it was no more than that. I was ashamed to admit that despite the years we had worked together, I did not actually know all that much about Cloud. I had always admired Cloud for his special fighting style, but now I had to wonder just how he had ended up so proficient at hiding, so suited to learning the Cloud Knight's style.
Cloud's tiny hand tightened just a bit. I gave it a squeeze.
"Look, we are in the Holy Temple in the Church of the God of Light. You are safe," I said, gesturing at our surroundings. Holy knights were walking about. Some curiously cast their glances our way but quickly looked away when they saw me pointing out the surroundings.
Cloud hid behind me when he saw the other knights, but eventually he raised his head and asked, "I'm... safe...?"
I nodded.
He gulped. "Can you... take me to big sister then...?" he asked in a very small voice, as if afraid I would berate him for asking.
"I will try," I answered. "But first, I need to send help to my friends. Then, we'll look for people who know your big sister."
Cloud nodded.
I had not known Cloud very well, but now I knew him to have been a strong child. He was brave.
I kept Cloud close as I searched for help to send Storm and the others. I did not have to walk far to find the perfect candidate.
"Tyler," I called out.
When he heard me, he immediately jogged over. "Captain!" he saluted. Then, he darted his eyes down at Cloud, but he made no comment. Cloud hurriedly hid behind me once again.
We had previously explained the situation to a select number of our vice-captains so that they could take over our public duties as needed. I, of course, had opted to tell Tyler. With all that he had gone through for me, willing to believe in me when I didn't even believe in myself, there was nothing I would keep from him. He had already seen all my secrets and had shown loyalty beyond what I deserved. I could have asked for no better vice-captain.
I explained, "Knight-Captain Storm, Knight-Captain Leaf, Knight-Captain Sun, and Knight-Captain Earth are in need of your aid. They are in the marketplace. Head over there immediately. The latter two are undercover as mother and son. When I left, Knight-Captain Earth was just about to be kidnapped."
Tyler's eyes only widened slightly. "U-Understood, Captain!"
I added, "If you spot Adair or Vidar along the way, bring them with you."
"Yes, Captain!"
We should have perhaps had them go with us since the start, as there was always the possibility that any among the twelve of us would shrink or grow at any moment in time. We had overestimated ourselves.
With that taken care of, I tried to search for the remaining Twelve Holy Knights, hoping they would know more about Cloud's big sister. This was yet another thing I didn't know about Cloud. If not for Cloud shrinking these past two times, I wouldn't have even known that he had a sister. Cloud as an adult never spoke to me of his family, always keeping to himself, and I'd never asked. Parents, siblings, and the like... They hadn't been a part of my world. There had only ever been my duty as a knight serving my kingdom.
When we came across Blaze, Moon, and Metal, I had not even asked them anything before Cloud immediately blurted, "Big sister!" Then, he covered his mouth and lowered his head, unwilling to look up at any of us. I gave his hand another squeeze, hoping to reassure him.
Metal said, "Seems like he still remembers you from the other time, Moon."
Moon blinked, but he held out a hand to Cloud, who didn't immediately take it. Cloud first peered up at me. It was only after I gave him a nod that he shyly took Moon's hand without letting go of my hand.
Since he hadn't detached himself from me, Moon and I walked with Cloud between us. We each held one of his hands. We headed to Cloud's room, hoping he would feel more at ease there even though we had not brought him to his actual big sister. Once we reached his room, I saw that the rumored ink drawings done on Storm's paperwork were pasted on the wall. While none of the three who had taken part in the drawings could claim to be artists, the drawings were full of life. And messy splatters.
Cloud smiled a tiny smile. His hand relaxed, no longer clutching mine as tightly as before.
It seemed that Cloud finally felt safe. I smiled too.
In the evening, we received a telepathic message from Sun with coordinates to the kidnappers' stronghold. Psychic magic was not something eighteen-year-old Sun knew. It was highly likely that Sun had returned to his original age. I was sure he was not very happy to find himself in a dress, and I was right.
I teleported myself to the location Sun had indicated to help them capture the kidnappers and free the kids. The first thing Sun said upon sensing me was, "Roland! How could you let ignorant, past me agree to wearing a dress?!"
"It was a sound plan," I said.
"Yeah right!" Sun said sarcastically and picked at the sleeves of his dress in distaste.
But Sun, you were the one who suggested going undercover...
Sun, upon returning to his original age, had not covered his white hair with holy element, perhaps as another layer of disguise, perhaps because he did not have the Divine Sun Sword to aid him. Now that he was no longer eighteen, there was indeed a possibility someone might recognize him as the Sun Knight. But since he was "in disguise," he blasted the kidnappers with wind blades and sliced cleanly through the shackles on the door. The kidnappers had long since learned that it was not a good idea to go against the raging, white-haired "mother." They all had their hands up in surrender.
The mission was a success. As we made sure we had everything taken care of, Earth grumbled that Sun really didn't have anything to complain about. At least his clothes still fit! Earth, on the other hand, had needed to steal one of the kidnappers clothes so that he would not be accused of being a flasher.
After that, I teleported Earth back to the Holy Temple so that he could change. He got changed quickly and left. Sun also teleported to the room of clothes to grab his discarded uniform. As he changed, Sun confessed, "I am glad to be back, Roland, even though I could have done without the shock of suddenly finding myself in a dress."
Then, he went on to say, in a quieter voice, "Thanks for being so truthful with me. I know you could have just kept me in the dark. I'm glad I got to know you from the perspective of a teenager. If only..."
Sun smiled sadly. "If only you had been a teenager too."
I gazed at Sun, whose hair was a pale golden. Without the Divine Sun Sword by his side, he could no longer even cover his white hair with dense enough holy element to make it appear a brilliant gold. Back to his adult self, Sun had to rely completely on his sensing ability. Gone was eighteen year old Grisia with his dazzling golden hair and bright blue eyes, unmarred by what was to come.
"Did the change trigger any memories?" I asked with a sad smile.
Sun nodded. "It was just around the time I'd chosen Adair as my vice-captain. I totally thought he would never listen to me! I blasted him down the cliff one hundred times and jumped after him one hundred times, but he just. wouldn't. give up. Stubborn bastard."
"You're really lucky that he's so stubborn," I said.
"Ah, I am lucky indeed," Sun agreed. "If not for him, I wouldn't be here anymore. I sure had great foresight back then, huh? Though I was actually a little scared to tell Teacher Neo about my choice of vice-captain."
"Why?" I asked.
Sun huffed. "I drilled obedience into Adair, but even I wasn't a hundred percent sure he wouldn't challenge me in front of Teacher Neo and make me lose face! Thankfully, the cliff incident worked wonders."
After he finished changing, Sun rattled off the names of people who had shrunk. "First it was Blaze, Leaf, Ice, and Metal. Then Storm and Judgment, followed by Cloud and Moon. Last, it was me, Stone, and Earth."
"Cloud shrank again," I said.
"What?" Surprised, Sun raised his head up. "Cloud shrank again? With how things are going, I thought you would be next. I think you should brace yourself, Roland. You never know when it might be your turn."
It was true. I had yet to shrink.
If I were to return to the age of a child, what would I remember?
Would I...possibly... finally recall the gaps in my memories caused by Pink?
I did not have a family. Pink had been the closest thing to one. Had she ever truly loved me? Beyond the fact that I was her demon king candidate? What would it have been like if she had chosen to raise me instead of manipulating me from afar? Was there ever a time when she had tried to do that?
I remember joining the Sun Knight selections, of meeting Grisia, of his brilliant smile whenever I bought him blueberry desserts. But... I didn't remember much more than that. How had I ended up as a royal knight? I could not even recall that, nor could I recall what I had felt the day Grisia had been chosen as the Sun Knight. These were all precious memories I wanted to treasure, yet they eluded me, reminding me all the more of how unlike everyone else I was.
All I had been was an empty shell.
"Ah!" Sun suddenly shouted.
I snapped my head up in alarm.
"I left behind the potatoes and all the other bags!"
to be continued
If you compare this and the version I have up at AO3, you can pretty much see the way my writing works. XD; Although this version is longer, it still starts and ends the same way! When I edit, it usually just means I end up becoming wordier by adding more description/analyses/thinking. First drafts are generally fairly bare bones. XD Most of this chapter is still the same, but I thought it was missing some (more) introspection from Roland. So here you have it.
I kind of wish I'd written the vice-captains taking care of their captains. It seems like it could've been a cute story, haha.
next chapter: L.ook, i don't think i'm a tree...?
Fandom: The Legend of Sun Knight
Words: 1,786
Summary: The Twelve Holy Knights go on their biannual mission outside of Leaf Bud City. They just never thought that some of them would return as toddlers. Roland introduces himself over and over again. "Isn't this great, Roland? We'll get to learn about you and make up for all those years we missed!"
Notes: This chapter has been edited quite a bit from the version I have up at AO3, but it's essentially still the same chapter. I just thought it needed a bit more fleshing out. It's around 500 words longer. Enjoy~.
previous chapter: H.ey mommy, can we have potato stew?
chapter 8: E.h no, there will be no potato stew tonight
"No, I'm not a bandit." I pulled down my mask, my face softening. "I'm Roland Hell, the Hell Knight. You are safe."
I held Cloud's tiny, tiny hand. He was actually older than the previous time he had deaged, but unlike his previous, cheerful self, this Cloud was much more withdrawn. His bangs were much longer, closer to the style he had as an adult with his eyes hidden. Despite that he was older, he appeared somehow younger. It was the way he shrank into himself, trying not to stand out, the way he exuded vulnerability, a far cry from the innocent boy who had happily drawn all over Storm's paperwork, that made him seem smaller.
What happened in the interim?
From the question he had asked me, I had a vague guess, but it was no more than that. I was ashamed to admit that despite the years we had worked together, I did not actually know all that much about Cloud. I had always admired Cloud for his special fighting style, but now I had to wonder just how he had ended up so proficient at hiding, so suited to learning the Cloud Knight's style.
Cloud's tiny hand tightened just a bit. I gave it a squeeze.
"Look, we are in the Holy Temple in the Church of the God of Light. You are safe," I said, gesturing at our surroundings. Holy knights were walking about. Some curiously cast their glances our way but quickly looked away when they saw me pointing out the surroundings.
Cloud hid behind me when he saw the other knights, but eventually he raised his head and asked, "I'm... safe...?"
I nodded.
He gulped. "Can you... take me to big sister then...?" he asked in a very small voice, as if afraid I would berate him for asking.
"I will try," I answered. "But first, I need to send help to my friends. Then, we'll look for people who know your big sister."
Cloud nodded.
I had not known Cloud very well, but now I knew him to have been a strong child. He was brave.
I kept Cloud close as I searched for help to send Storm and the others. I did not have to walk far to find the perfect candidate.
"Tyler," I called out.
When he heard me, he immediately jogged over. "Captain!" he saluted. Then, he darted his eyes down at Cloud, but he made no comment. Cloud hurriedly hid behind me once again.
We had previously explained the situation to a select number of our vice-captains so that they could take over our public duties as needed. I, of course, had opted to tell Tyler. With all that he had gone through for me, willing to believe in me when I didn't even believe in myself, there was nothing I would keep from him. He had already seen all my secrets and had shown loyalty beyond what I deserved. I could have asked for no better vice-captain.
I explained, "Knight-Captain Storm, Knight-Captain Leaf, Knight-Captain Sun, and Knight-Captain Earth are in need of your aid. They are in the marketplace. Head over there immediately. The latter two are undercover as mother and son. When I left, Knight-Captain Earth was just about to be kidnapped."
Tyler's eyes only widened slightly. "U-Understood, Captain!"
I added, "If you spot Adair or Vidar along the way, bring them with you."
"Yes, Captain!"
We should have perhaps had them go with us since the start, as there was always the possibility that any among the twelve of us would shrink or grow at any moment in time. We had overestimated ourselves.
With that taken care of, I tried to search for the remaining Twelve Holy Knights, hoping they would know more about Cloud's big sister. This was yet another thing I didn't know about Cloud. If not for Cloud shrinking these past two times, I wouldn't have even known that he had a sister. Cloud as an adult never spoke to me of his family, always keeping to himself, and I'd never asked. Parents, siblings, and the like... They hadn't been a part of my world. There had only ever been my duty as a knight serving my kingdom.
When we came across Blaze, Moon, and Metal, I had not even asked them anything before Cloud immediately blurted, "Big sister!" Then, he covered his mouth and lowered his head, unwilling to look up at any of us. I gave his hand another squeeze, hoping to reassure him.
Metal said, "Seems like he still remembers you from the other time, Moon."
Moon blinked, but he held out a hand to Cloud, who didn't immediately take it. Cloud first peered up at me. It was only after I gave him a nod that he shyly took Moon's hand without letting go of my hand.
Since he hadn't detached himself from me, Moon and I walked with Cloud between us. We each held one of his hands. We headed to Cloud's room, hoping he would feel more at ease there even though we had not brought him to his actual big sister. Once we reached his room, I saw that the rumored ink drawings done on Storm's paperwork were pasted on the wall. While none of the three who had taken part in the drawings could claim to be artists, the drawings were full of life. And messy splatters.
Cloud smiled a tiny smile. His hand relaxed, no longer clutching mine as tightly as before.
It seemed that Cloud finally felt safe. I smiled too.
In the evening, we received a telepathic message from Sun with coordinates to the kidnappers' stronghold. Psychic magic was not something eighteen-year-old Sun knew. It was highly likely that Sun had returned to his original age. I was sure he was not very happy to find himself in a dress, and I was right.
I teleported myself to the location Sun had indicated to help them capture the kidnappers and free the kids. The first thing Sun said upon sensing me was, "Roland! How could you let ignorant, past me agree to wearing a dress?!"
"It was a sound plan," I said.
"Yeah right!" Sun said sarcastically and picked at the sleeves of his dress in distaste.
But Sun, you were the one who suggested going undercover...
Sun, upon returning to his original age, had not covered his white hair with holy element, perhaps as another layer of disguise, perhaps because he did not have the Divine Sun Sword to aid him. Now that he was no longer eighteen, there was indeed a possibility someone might recognize him as the Sun Knight. But since he was "in disguise," he blasted the kidnappers with wind blades and sliced cleanly through the shackles on the door. The kidnappers had long since learned that it was not a good idea to go against the raging, white-haired "mother." They all had their hands up in surrender.
The mission was a success. As we made sure we had everything taken care of, Earth grumbled that Sun really didn't have anything to complain about. At least his clothes still fit! Earth, on the other hand, had needed to steal one of the kidnappers clothes so that he would not be accused of being a flasher.
After that, I teleported Earth back to the Holy Temple so that he could change. He got changed quickly and left. Sun also teleported to the room of clothes to grab his discarded uniform. As he changed, Sun confessed, "I am glad to be back, Roland, even though I could have done without the shock of suddenly finding myself in a dress."
Then, he went on to say, in a quieter voice, "Thanks for being so truthful with me. I know you could have just kept me in the dark. I'm glad I got to know you from the perspective of a teenager. If only..."
Sun smiled sadly. "If only you had been a teenager too."
I gazed at Sun, whose hair was a pale golden. Without the Divine Sun Sword by his side, he could no longer even cover his white hair with dense enough holy element to make it appear a brilliant gold. Back to his adult self, Sun had to rely completely on his sensing ability. Gone was eighteen year old Grisia with his dazzling golden hair and bright blue eyes, unmarred by what was to come.
"Did the change trigger any memories?" I asked with a sad smile.
Sun nodded. "It was just around the time I'd chosen Adair as my vice-captain. I totally thought he would never listen to me! I blasted him down the cliff one hundred times and jumped after him one hundred times, but he just. wouldn't. give up. Stubborn bastard."
"You're really lucky that he's so stubborn," I said.
"Ah, I am lucky indeed," Sun agreed. "If not for him, I wouldn't be here anymore. I sure had great foresight back then, huh? Though I was actually a little scared to tell Teacher Neo about my choice of vice-captain."
"Why?" I asked.
Sun huffed. "I drilled obedience into Adair, but even I wasn't a hundred percent sure he wouldn't challenge me in front of Teacher Neo and make me lose face! Thankfully, the cliff incident worked wonders."
After he finished changing, Sun rattled off the names of people who had shrunk. "First it was Blaze, Leaf, Ice, and Metal. Then Storm and Judgment, followed by Cloud and Moon. Last, it was me, Stone, and Earth."
"Cloud shrank again," I said.
"What?" Surprised, Sun raised his head up. "Cloud shrank again? With how things are going, I thought you would be next. I think you should brace yourself, Roland. You never know when it might be your turn."
It was true. I had yet to shrink.
If I were to return to the age of a child, what would I remember?
Would I...possibly... finally recall the gaps in my memories caused by Pink?
I did not have a family. Pink had been the closest thing to one. Had she ever truly loved me? Beyond the fact that I was her demon king candidate? What would it have been like if she had chosen to raise me instead of manipulating me from afar? Was there ever a time when she had tried to do that?
I remember joining the Sun Knight selections, of meeting Grisia, of his brilliant smile whenever I bought him blueberry desserts. But... I didn't remember much more than that. How had I ended up as a royal knight? I could not even recall that, nor could I recall what I had felt the day Grisia had been chosen as the Sun Knight. These were all precious memories I wanted to treasure, yet they eluded me, reminding me all the more of how unlike everyone else I was.
All I had been was an empty shell.
"Ah!" Sun suddenly shouted.
I snapped my head up in alarm.
"I left behind the potatoes and all the other bags!"
to be continued
If you compare this and the version I have up at AO3, you can pretty much see the way my writing works. XD; Although this version is longer, it still starts and ends the same way! When I edit, it usually just means I end up becoming wordier by adding more description/analyses/thinking. First drafts are generally fairly bare bones. XD Most of this chapter is still the same, but I thought it was missing some (more) introspection from Roland. So here you have it.
I kind of wish I'd written the vice-captains taking care of their captains. It seems like it could've been a cute story, haha.
next chapter: L.ook, i don't think i'm a tree...?