The image of air being sucked out of his friends is still burning in his memory. Their faces slowly turning blue like his own iris, and he, standing atop their beings. A jester laughing maniacally at his artwork of dark comedy.
His mind screams to stop, but his throat feels like being stuffed with butterflies. Crawling against his pharynx, wings fluttering--yearning to be freed.
In the middle of the darkness, the austere jester smiles uncannily gentle.
"You'll enjoy it soon, boy..."
Cold sweat envelops his skin when Boboiboy wakes up. He wished what he just experience was a mere dream, but he knows very well that it's not. He seriously almost killed his dearest friends.
"I'm genuinely sorry," the night breeze whispers, "they were being an obstacle, so i..."
Beliung felt the growing regret inside the boy's, it could also feel regret inside itself, as Beliung is part of the boy. Not only that, it almost gave Boboiboy the opposite of what they promised.
"Understood, i won't do it again."
"Let's take a little night walk to cheer you up for a bit, okay?"
⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝
This is the second time the raven haired boy felt anxious this week. Which is a lot for his standards. He sighs and pats his chest. He can still feel the burning cold sensation from yesterday. When he actually felt more fear than when facing Borara or Retak'ka.
The fact that thing wore his friend's face as it sneers more villainous than any villain worsen the whole experience.
They were luckily saved by TAPOPS crew, them barging their whole spaceship through the castle wall--Papa Zola already apologized for that. Turns out Gopal managed to contact the TAPOPS HQ before all hell goes down.
Guess that guy isn't that useless, huh?
What happens after that is a mystery for the Kokotiam gang. Fang himself woke up in the medical room at TEMPUR-A Station, only then he finds out that the rest of his friends were already sent home.
Right, you must have the same question.
How the heck did they manage to tame that insane creep?!
Well, he's about to find out as the metal door in front of him hisses open. The meeting room is revealed before the shadow-bender, including his brother conversing with Maskmana. Looking at the young soldier, Maskmana excuses himself from the room.
As the admiral passes his shoulder, Fang realizes that whatever reason his brother called his presence immediately after the 'event' is highly serious, if even Maskmana himself is physically present to meet the captain.
"Sit." His brother's voice commands, and so Fang obliges.
After a few minutes of the brothers sitting, facing each other if not for the papers that hid Kaizo's face, the older brother finally looks at Fang, "Do you know what have you done?"
Fang keeps his head hung low.
"You do realize that a team member's mistake is the leader's fault?"
"Yes, Captain."
"And you, the person who has the highest position in your group yesterday, failed to control your subordinate. Am i correct?"
"Yes, Captain."
Kaizo leans his back on his chair, he hits a stack of papers against the table, "Your team almost caused an interplanetary war, Lance Corporal Pang." He folds his arms on his chest, "What excuse do you have for this abominable mistake?"
He doesn't have one. Really, he doesn't. Part of him wants to force all the blame into Boboiboy, but some of what Kaizo says is right, why can't he stop Boboiboy? Because despite their position, the line's very clear in which the person who holds the real 'power'.
Fang can't possibly hold Boboiboy down even if he tries with all his might. He tried.
But both option means the same, he thinks that Boboiboy is the one that cause the chaos. Even though it's very clear to him that it's another being inside him doings, whatever that is. And he doesn't want to burden the boy with more responsibility and suffering than he already holds for his friends' sake.
Right, Boboiboy is still one of his best friend.
"We were not in Windara as TAPOPS, because we went there out of our own will and not because of a mission. Therefore, we were not there nor responsible as our respective positions in TAPOPS" the younger brother stares at his older, "but as equal friends, Captain."
The captain half-expected that answer, but he grunts anyway, "You and your team are the face of the organization, willing or not. Anyone would recognize your faces if the war were to happen..."
"...could you imagine what it would do to our image?"
Fang hits himself mentally for being an insensible idiot.
"Also, the way you're putting it. Do you think you can lessen the punishment with sharing the responsibility with your friends? Hah, what kind of friend who isn't even willing to sacrifice himself?"
Fang hits himself mentally for being an insensible idiot twice.
Kaizo sighs, staring at the wall behind Fang, "If any one of you managed to repeat the same mistake"
"I would be permitted to confiscate all your power watches."
That caught Fang's attention immediately, "What?!" is the only word he can utter in shock.
"You can't do that! Our powers are TAPOPS strongest assets! How would we--"
"We can. And we will. We would not get rid of the power watches as, yes, they are our strongest assets. We could even give them to better suited personnels--"
"We?! The higher ups actually agreed to this?! ARE YOU SAYING THAT THEY ACTUALLY CONSIDERED TO STEAL OUR POWERS AS A LAST RESORT?!"
"One of you friend's powers are technically stolen from the original owners. What does that say for yours? Don't use the word steal when you don't even realize whose powers you wield."
Fang is stunned, the both of them knows exactly who's powers are knowingly stolen. He immediately sinks in his chair, pathetically.
"You are dimissed."
So the young soldier take a step to leave,
"What did that boy do to you?"
and stops an inch before the exit.
"I'm asking you as your older brother, Pang."
...
"Just a few beatings, that's all."
⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝
A plump boy stands nervously in front of a house. His hands holding a stack of old disks containing the (almost) complete Papa Zola game series.
It's been 4 days since he was... stuck in his house because his Appa keeps preventing him to get out of bed. It was a comfy pleasure, but he does missed his best friend. He strongly believes that there's no way in the galaxy that Boboiboy is actually evil. It must be like, his evil persona, or something, like that one boss in one of Papa Zola games!
So he figured that a session of nostalgia and good-gaming time will let the elemental hero to open up.
Gopal lifts up one of his hand and lightly knocks on the door. He waits for a few seconds, no steps heard. He knocks again, and again, and he is actually ready to just go back home until the door's finally opened by a familiar yellow friend.
"Oh! Hey, Gopal! What's up?"
Well, at least someone opens the door.
"Ehehe... Is Boboiboy inside? I'm just wondering if we can... play some old Papa games? Look!" he nudges towards the stack of disks on him, "i even brought the whole series! Well, almost whole, haha..."
Ochobot looks back inside the house, he can't see what the sphere is looking at since the door is blocking most of his vision. The floating ball switches his attention back to him,
"Uh... Well, he is inside, but he's just not feeling well right now. But you're free to come in of course! I can play for Boboiboy's stead!"
A sigh escapes out of Gopal's lungs, "Okay then..."
The both of them steps in the house with uncertain steps. It's a bit dissappointing that he can't hang out with his best friend, but at least he can still get some info from his other best friend. Ochobot literally sleeps in the same bedroom with Boboiboy, he must have known something.
"Dey, Ochobot!"
The called one looks at him expectantly.
"Have you noticed any... I dunno, anything different with Boboiboy?" Oh, he hopes his question doesn't sound weird.
Ochobot seems a bit startled at the question, he answers with a whisper, "Y-yeah, actually... He's been a bit closed off since TAPOPS carried him home--you won't believe how freaked out Tok Aba was,"
Ochobot was silent for a bit, gaze averting left and right like he's worried of something.
"I knew something big happened, so i asked them to only spill the real story to me. I knew what he did, or... what Beliung did.
So i thought he's still recovering, but he seems fine! Way too fine, he even took a long walk last night and came back with--"
"Wait! Wait! HOOOOLD ON! You said 'What Beliung did' and not 'What Boboiboy Beliung did'. Why do you talk like Boboiboy and his elementals are--"
A sudden greeting coming from up the stairs cuts them off, "Hey! Gopal! Is that you?!"
Frantic steps decend down the stairs, Boboiboy's usual friendly smile peeks out, "Have you recovered? I heard from Tok Aba that Uncle Kumar locks you home, heheh!"
He should've been happy to see his best friend, happy and well. But there's a certain uncanny valley seeing a smile present on the boy's face. It forces Gopal's mind to rewind the memory of him... No, it's not Boboiboy. It's something else.
"Yep! Guess i'm too strong for the galaxy to put me down, heh!
Anyways, do you wanna hang out and play some Papa Zola games? Just the two of us like ye' old days?"
Boboiboy stares at the massive stack of disks on Gopal, the smile is still there, just with twitching eyebrows accompanying it, "Right... Yeah, that sounds absolutely amazing but,"
Boboiboy reveals a single disk container from his back,
"this morning i bought this cool game called Immortal Combat from Ah Beng & Sons Game Store! And i really want to play it with my best friend today."
Gopal finally puts down his disk stack--he's been holding them the entire time--and takes a closer look at the new-but-somehow-dusty disk container. It features 2 characters fighting each other, a flashy golden title 'IMMORTAL KOMBAT' on the middle, and another set of 4 characters on the top. And of course, an unmissable 'M' icon at the corner, stating that it's for 17+ audiences.
Flipping the container, the plump boy skims the description of the game, "Oh, wow... never knew you were into these kind of games... I thought you hate repetitive things?"
"Oh, of course i still do. But this game won't be repetitive in any sorts, i mean, just look how much characters we can fight with! We could play this aaaaall night if we want!"
It wasn't just that, that irks Gopal. Like how Boboiboy have never liked violent games, yet here they are talking about a gory fighting game. Or how Ah Beng & Sons Game Store is supposed to go bankrupt 4 months ago, but the boy just stated that he bought the game there.
Everything about this just screams suspicious. Even Ochobot retreats back to the bedroom, looks like he doesn't want to take any part in this.
But Gopal believes that blunt questions wouldn't get him immediate answers--he's not that much of an idiot. He could clearly tell that Boboiboy is hiding something, whatever that is. So he accepts Boboiboy's challenge.
Before the game, Gopal notices an existing save file. Though, Boboiboy quickly erases it, brushing it off as the shop owner have played it themselves. As they play, Gopal just can't bring himself to watch the TV screen everytime one of them loses--mostly Gopal's loss.
"How are you supposed to have fun with this load amount of gore on screen?!" Gopal shrieks as he covers his face with enough gap for him to peek through.
Boboiboy chuckles, "We literally fought aliens and you're scared of some blood?"
An exploded head definitely doesn't just produce 'some blood'.
"Well... Well...! Uhm... I don't really fight aliens though!" Gopal gives a wry smile, "I just run away like a coward, while the real heroes do their thing."
His bestfriend frowns at his musing, "Don't say that... We're all heroes, you just don't realize it how much you've done to help people,
to help me."
Gopal quirks up his eyebrows and laughs, "Me? Helping you? Really? You sure?"
The rapid questions are only rewarded with a little smirk, but that is enough affirmation for Gopal.
"So, you still want the advice for handling the gore?"
Oh, right.
"Yeah, how did you do it?"
"It's simple, really," Boboiboy moves his hand around as he speaks, "Just imagine you're a hero, and your opponent is the villain.
Some friends told me that if you feel righteous against your opponent, then you'll feel a certain boost to your ego.
When that ego is accumulated, your emotion would be at the point where you won't care for your opponent's fate.
So basically, just play hero and kill your enemies to save the day!"
Gopal blinks once, twice at the explanation. Did he just got lectured on how to be an emotionless murderer?
"Damn, who told you these cruel stuff? Fang?"
The orange capped boy looks baffled, "No? Uh... No. It's other friends, they're uh," Boboiboy tsk-ed, "Aish, that's not the point. So did you understand or nah?"
A secret friend group? Gopal notes it down in his mind, he would need to investigate around the town later.
"Yeah, sure, more or less. Let's continue."
They played for a few more hours. Gopal tried to implement Boboiboy's advice, but it seems he still got a long way to go. After the sky's painted orange, Gopal bid his goodbye. His Appa must be looking for him now.
At his way home, a girl--no older than 12--tugged at his shirt. He managed to not spill the heap of disks on his hands, "Dey! You're lucky i didn't spill this on you! What is it, kid?"
The little girl stares with her big eyes, she speaks with a sob, "S-sorry... Have you seen m-my game disk?" she makes a rectangle shape with her fingers, "i-it has people fighting on t-the plastic thingy, p-please... It's the last gift from my big bro, did you s-see it?"
"Aish... sorry too, kid. There's so many game disk containers with that description, you have to be more specific."
Just in time, a woman who seems like the girl's mother came rushing. She apologizes to Gopal for his daughter, "Her favorite game was stolen last night, it was a last gift from my first son before he passed away. So she's been asking strangers for her disk all day."
Gopal just nods idly, not wanting to drag out the conversation any longer. He quickly excuses himself and goes on his merry way home.
He thinks he could try another round of Immortal Combat with Boboiboy again someday.
⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝
That was way more fun than he thought. Beliung was right, the game is much more enjoyable with friends than an AI. He plugs off the ClayStation and brings back the disk to his room.
He found Ochobot charging at the bedroom corner, great, he can use some time to talk with the elementals. The wind said that Gempa have some thoughts on their last night activity. So, he plops down his bed and gets in a comfy position. Then he closes his eyelids, relaxing...
Shortly after, he is back in the void he calls his mind. Two people is fighting with words from afar, though it mostly looks like a mother scolding her son. Except the mother is an exact replica of himself.
"Heeeey! Look Gemgem, the star is here!~"
Gempa sighs harshly, then it averts it's attention to Boboiboy. It wears the best smile it could, but it only looks like a mother who knows that her son cheats on his exam papers, "Hello there,
little thief."
Boboiboy gulps, in actuality, he and Gempa rarely interacts. So he's not really sure how to face it. His friends would describe Gempa as the most 'sane' out of all the elementals, and the most similar to Boboiboy's own personality. It's sense of justice and heroic instincts is surely something admirable.
Almost like Gempa is more a hero than the 'hero' himself.
But right now, all he sees is a judge who's definitely can and will cut off his hands if it wants to.
"Well, cutting off a thief's hands is something from your religion isn't it?" Gempa folds it's un-golemified arms, "if we weren't in the same body, i might actually do that..."
"Gempa, stop!~ You're gonna scare the boy until Hali comes out."
The boy in question chuckled nervously at their antics, but composed himself quickly as he feels Gempa's stare, "Uh... So why did you call me...?" he asks shyly.
"Boboiboy bin Amato. Do you know what have you done?" asks the judge sternly.
...
"...Yeah..."
"'Yeah', what?"
Beliung tries to relax the tension, "Hey, hey, Gempa, we've talked about this already~ It's entirely my fault that--"
"Shut. I'm not talking to you."
The wind shrugs, well, it tried.
Unbeknownst to all, that everytime Boboiboy meets Gempa, it means that Boboiboy has messed up big time. Gempa is very strict and serious regarding his superhero career amongst the elementals--the second being Solar, always reminding him that,
"People see you as a hero, boy.
Yet you act like some deranged villain."
Except the villain part, that's new.
"If you can't answer my previous question, then i'll gladly answer it for you," Gempa lifts it's fingers to count, "Robbing someone of their powers, hurting civilians--and possibly killed some, almost KILLED your own teammates, and just last night you stole a CHILD's game disk."
Gempa's arms are now resting on it's hips, "Does all that sound like what a hero would do?"
"B-but i'm not the one who did that!" Boboiboy glances at Beliung, looking for some kind of support, "...right?" but the jester just gives him a 'pity' look.
"But you did give Beliung permission to do your deeds, am i wrong?"
A stare of silence is the only response the boy could offer.
"Oh, boy..." Gempa's eyes softens and it pulls Boboiboy into a half-hug. It places the orange capped head on it's shoulder, patting him with rough but comforting hands.
"See, Gempa? You made the boy so stressed he froze!" Beliung rolls it's eyes.
The earth elemental grunts, "Yes, i'm not blind," it glances at the boy's face, "He's not usually this frail... emotionally, what did you do to him?"
"I... might or might not gave him an existential crisis?"
"What?!"
Beliung elaborates the whole Windara story to Gempa, the wind receives no more than a disgusted gaze as the story goes--the earthly elemental is always one who doesn't approve of Beliung's way of things. They changed their position so both of them are sitting--Boboiboy is sat on Gempa's lap. Beliung holds it's urge to point out that they look like divorced parents fighting for their child's custody.
After approximately 5 minutes, Boboiboy woke up from his frozen state. Still on Gempa's lap--'felt comfy already' as he puts it--Boboiboy asks, "What can i do to fix this?"
"You can't fix this one," answers Gempa, "well, the game disk can be returned, but the other ones
you can only redeem yourself as a better hero to bury your immortal sins."
It's right, he can't possibly return Kuputeri's powers back, he can't even possibly get close to Windara after 'that'. He doubts that his friends would forgive him, other than Gopal. He basically dug a grave with making himself acting like a 'deranged villain'.
The more cheerful version of himself seems to have an idea, "How about we increase Gempa's influence by upgrading it to Kristal?"
The boy tilts his head, "How come upgrading you guys have effect on your... influence?"
"Just think of it like this," Gempa moves around it's free hand as it explains,
"Right now, Beliung is the only one who's at phase 3. This means that he's stronger than the others not of raw power, but position.
Like, how sometimes a reguler office worker is smarter than their own supervisor, but the supervisor still holds a higher authority and can easily shadows it's subordinates just by existing.
So even if Beliung is weaker than... Let's say, Solar. The wind still has the most influence over you than the light because their phase differences."
Boboiboy nods understandingly at the explanation, but he still has a question, "What happens when all of you is on the same phase?"
"Smart question, boy," Gempa smiles proudly, "We would all be equal, of course. Then the position of control is either taken by whoever fits the role better
or sometimes we have to fight for it."
The thought of the elementals fighting each other sends shivers down Boboiboy's spines.
"But how would we upgrade Gempa?"
⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝
Delish smell of Tok Aba's Hot Chocolate spreads through the air. The weather's rather windy this morning, so the mismatched boys decides to order one cup for each.
"So," Fang stirs his cup mindlessly, "did you guess why i called you and only you here, Gopal?"
The other boy does the same motion as his friend, "This is about Boboiboy, isn't it?"
"Damn right!" two of them sighs at the same time, "i have to know what's going on in that smooth brain of his to actually tried choking us to death!"
"Who's choking who to death?" Tok Aba shouts from the stall, crap.
"Uh... Nothing Tok."
"Yeah, just--we're just talking games, Tok!"
That did the trick.
Gopal frowns, "We're in this together, dude, not just you. That guy has five best friends by his side including you," he glances to the side, "and we agreed that it's not actually Boboiboy who did those horrible things..."
The raven hair boy sips his drink, "Hmm... Yeah, sorry for the slip,
but this is not the only reason you're here, well, the bigger picture is.
I need you to investigate Boboiboy for m-- us. Snoop around his house, get him to rant, whatever you can to possibly get out his problems."
The plump boy grins, "Heh, is it because you have acknowledged me as Boboiboy's best-est friend?~"
"Exactly because you're his SELF-PROCLAIMED best friend."
Gopal ignores the subtle insult, "Well, i did hang out with him yesterday. Played a new game and talked about some stuff..."
"You TALKED to him?!"
"Yup! It's... quite an eye-closing experience..."
"...Elaborate."
Gopal gladly dumps every single second of yesterday hang out. Violent games, creepy talks, mysterious friends, Ochobot's reclusiveness, everything. Fang is mostly fixated on the 'mysterious friends' part, because the Boboiboy they know doesn't go out that much besides for hanging out with them or missions. Perhaps they are online friends? aliens? imaginary friends? the possibilities are endless.
"This is quite the good start, we have to include Ochobot in this one day too," Fang stares at his now empty cup, "for the time, we should prevent Boboiboy from upgrading his powers. History may repeat itself."
Gopal nods, "Probably should keep him from feeling extreme emotions too."
"Pardon?"
A shrug, "Just a hunch from past experiences."
⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝
He definitely didn't expect a visit from his former 'student'.
After the fight with his ex-best friend, he continues to live in his homely abode at Quabaq Planet. He still keeps the electric guitar from Adu Du, really, he adores their appreciation. But one coming from the elemental wielder is a little strange, he admits.
He has betrayed the boy's feelings at one time after all, and the remnants of guilt stays in his heart. Despite that, the boy still has the time to visit this old man. Such kindness is overwhelming.
"Hey, bro! Where's your other whiny friend? And the big guy with his child? Is Ochobot healed of his fever? Heh."
Boboiboy chuckles, "Heheh, Ochobot is in his best condition, and no, no, i'm here by myself.
You don't mind right?"
Then how did the boy get here? Did he drive a spaceship by himself? Alone? Or maybe he used a portal? But that would mean he used Ochobot, but no power sphere nor spaceship is visible. Weird, but Hang Kasa brushes it off as unnecessary suspicion.
The both of them has some tea in the living room, Boboiboy looks bit shocked at the amount of technology inside the house. Hang Kasa laughs at the wide-eyed boy, amused.
"To visit your former teacher by yourself... You must have something that you want."
Boboiboy smiles at the question, "You're right, Tok. I need you to awaken Kristal."
This time, Hang Kasa's the one with wide eyes, "Oh? I thought you would instantly get it as you absorbs it directly from Retak'ka?"
"Sadly, I didn't. Apparently, i still need you--the former owner--to awaken it."
Hang Kasa strokes his long beard, a bit skeptical, "And how do you expect me to help you? I have nothing but martial arts in my possession, and i never experienced power phases like you. So i have zero stuff to teach, bro."
The boy smiled, "Don't worry, you don't need to teach me anything. Nonetheless, it would be a really quick process."
"What pro--"
The former Kristal wielder swiftly jumps out of his chair as a sharp rock is summoned from beneath. He almost got impaled, "As i said,
I have nothing but my martial arts."
Hang Kasa sensed the subtle quake just seconds before. The boy is definitely tried to be discreet, but his teacher also has more experience and aces up his sleeve.
Boboiboy shakily places down his cup of tea. His eyes a glowing shade of gold, strangely without the iconic outfit of the supposed beholder. He used Gempa's powers without transforming to it.
Now that the target has known his true intentions, it would be harder for the boy to execute his plan... Or does Kasa believes so? Boboiboy is the human who single-handedly defeated Retak'ka, the human whom he trusted to hold the elementals. Surely, this is just a prank by a naivè boy.
But the next few pointed stalagmites poking holes in his home and almost skewered him along made him doubt.
"Hey, bro? Isn't it too much for a prank? You're destroying my property, here!" Hang Kasa pants between words, "and old man's a little too tired to continue..."
He was too focused dodging, so when the both of them stops to catch a breath, he looks at the boy's face. Tears threatening to come out from his eyelids, and a forced smile plastered on, "Then just stop moving...!
Stop making this harder for both of us!"
That confirmed all his doubts. His kind and humble student is seriously trying to kill him. The boy's attacks are noticeably slower, his gaze hazy and uncertain. Meanwhile, Hang Kasa has the brilliant idea to slip into his basement.
Little did he know that was the boy's intention.
Hang Kasa frantically runs to his monitor, luckily it's not damaged.
Just a quick message.
Just a quick message, and at least if he dies, someone will know.
Such fortune was not placed on the elder.
A prison of earth is bound upon Hang Kasa, his too late reach retracted as the machine is mashed to pieces with thorns of rocks.
"But why?" Hang Kasa asks, pity in his voice rather than anger, "I trusted you to be better than him."
Boboiboy walks up to him, but his face refused to face his teacher, "I am better, and still trying to be the best that i could be."
"The best what, Boboiboy?" the name seems to make the boy twitch, "The best elemental wielder? The best person?
The best hero?
Then you are just selfish, and i know you're not. You forgived me after all, so i'm just confused,
maybe we're both confused, heheh." He still has the energy to chuckle pathetically. Hang Kasa stares at the poor hero, his golden iris looks sad, empty, detached, it makes him want to pat the orange-capped head and comfort the boy.
Of course he can't! His whole body is binded after all.
"I can't trust you."
"Heh?! You don't trust my impromptu speech--"
"You BETRAYED me before!" Boboiboy grins, ignoring the joke attempt, "Who's to say that you're just baiting me to let you go? Then you'll call TAPOPS, and paint me as the bad guy, when I'm N--NOT--I'M NOT!
I'm not selfish, this is for the greater good. Yes, i'm a hero afterall, heheh... I sacrificed myself to save everyone...!
THEN THE MOMENT I'M FORCED TO SACRIFICE ANOTHER PERSON FOR THEIR OWN GOOD, I'M THE VILLAIN?!"
"N--"
"SHUT UP! You are NOT choking me another of your lies!" Boboiboy breathes through his mouth, sounding like a faint laughter. He continues muttering words like 'I'm in the right', 'I shouldn't listen to you',
'Gempa believes in me'.
At the mention of the elemental, Hang Kasa understood. The reason why the boy is so fixated on straying from the path, trusting the broken compass he's holding. Hang Kasa speaks, even though he knows the words won't reach Boboiboy's ears.
"You spoke to them, didn't you? and you fall for their words.
The seven of them must have promised you something, your will was too weak to resist them.
I thought you were stronger than him, but i guess you too, are just a child. You were too young and unprepared for the responsibility of holding so much power.
'It's not your fault.'
I'm sorry for not telling you this earlier.
Now stop crying, bro.
I lived long enough anyway."
⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝
Gempa had the warmest embrace of all. Not too hot like Blaze's, not too cold like Ais'. It was perfect. The way that it wrappped it's arms around him was comforting like a mother's, firm like a father's.
Though it is very strict, though it is very stern.
Though it would never forgive only ignore, though it led his hands to end someone's life.
Gempa is there. It is there to welcome him back when he needed he made mistakes and needed it the most.
But Kristal is not Gempa.
It's smile doesn't feel real. It's embrace is cold. It's voice is like a stranger.
Because crystals doesn't have a warm core like earth. It only reflects lights, a mimicry.
"I'm sorry. You may not forgive me, and i will never forgive you."
But Boboiboy is fine with this. He can smile for it. He can be it's warmth. He still feel the good intent in it's words.
"You truly are a good soul, the purest of souls. The reason i'm willing to be your shield for the rest of your life.
You have done your first true heroic act, i'm proud of you, for delivering the punishment i was not able to deliver.
I promise everyone will see you as their hero.
I will make them forgive you for your sins in the ways that i will not.
I will make you a hero.
Do you want to, son?"
Boboiboy embraces his hero, "Yeah..."
The boy woke up on a throne of crystal.
╔═══════════════╗
Author's Note
╚═══════════════╝
Writing dialogues are pain and suffering (´༎ຶ▽༎ຶ')
I had so much fun with this chapter though, i'll just ramble a bit how i wrote Gem--Kristal's character.
I really like the "Mama Gempa" memes and basically the whole thing about the earthy elemental being the parent friend in group lol
So i thought a bit how often children are to draw and think of their parents as their hero. But Boboiboy practically never meets his own Father & Mother since (i think) both of them works full-time in space.
So our boy needs a parental figure.
Yes, yes, there's Tok Aba but he would still miss his father presence y'know.
So Gempa at some point just went "Screw it, he's my son now. Because no one is elligible enought to parent this child." and the both of them went along with it lmao
You can also notice Boboiboy copies one of Gempa's body gestures. This occurence will appear more often as the story goes ;)
Gempa is like a tiger-mom (dad?) type of parent. He's strict, merciless at punishing (but just can't bringself to when it comes to Boboiboy), and it teaches Boboiboy to be independent by... uh... yeah it's Boboiboy who did it and not Gempa haha it just lets him wield it's power without it taking over.
Then since Gempa is the most 'similar' to Boboiboy, i thought for his core to be a hero who judges everything in black & white would fit. Combining this idea with the previous ones and blablabla it's done.
I even rewrote a good chunk of this chapter because it's pretty difficult to write Gempa without it being too morally black or white sheessh.
Oh boi, dat a long ramble lol.
Anyways, real closing thoughts here. I really appreciate the votes and i like reading your comments (it's sad that there's no way to likea comment yet)
Thank you for reading!