Everything I Thought I Knew
Written By: Teno Hikari
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Beta-Read by: Sarryn
Summary: They say that the truth can set you free; however, with Onion's last words, Carrot finds himself trapped in a web of lies. Finding an unlikely friend and companion in Gateau; the two take a journey to discover who they really are.
Author's Note: I had this plot-bunny in my head back when my friend and I watched the Sorcerer Hunters for the first time. However, this story takes place in Book 4 of the Manga (the most current book I've read) right after Sacher's fight with Onion. Then everything goes AU after that.
Warning: Since I have yet to write a non-yaoi story, there is YAOI in this one. Yaoi refers to male/male pairings and yes, Carrot is one of them.
**************
"Love can sometimes be magic.
But magic can sometimes...
just be an illusion."
-Javan
**************
Chapter One
It's ironic that sun was setting when funeral had just ended. End. A single young man contemplated that word bitterly while staring off into the horizon. His heart sank along with the sun as he realized that all things must come to an end, and life was definitely not an exception. Still, he never believed that he would return home ... only to discover it was never his to begin with. Apart of knowing yourself, you have to know where you come from. With that in mind, he didn't know who he was anymore.
His name was Carrot Glace, an eighteen year-old young man and a Sorcerer Hunter. Born with the powers of Aranju and Zoanthrophy, both a blessing and curse at the same time . These powers allowed him to absorb magic to change into all sorts of creatures. Transforming had saved his ass more times than he can count, but the problem was that he had no control over it. His other forms could go berserk and wouldn't be able to distinguish ally from enemy.
His parents had been former Sorcerer Hunters in their youth and later Haz Knights. His father, Onion Glace, was a big, perverted, idiot; they really couldn't stand each another. While his mother, Apricot, was a beautiful and intelligent woman, strict but kind. Marron, his little brother looked like the spitting image of her (and Carrot of his father).
Taking a deep breath, he concentrated hard so that he could remember some of his earliest memories. It was probably a few months before Marron was born when his 'accident' had occurred. A two-year-old Carrot had been playing in his mother's garden when he tripped and fell. Slamming his head against the solid ground, they found him unconscious with a serious head wound. At least that's what his parents had told him.
Carrot remembered waking up, cradled in a young woman's arms. She was very beautiful with her long dark hair and amber eyes. Gentle, holding the boy-child who was drawn to her warmth. His head was still throbbing from the injury, as he cried. He wanted to touch the wound but she quickly pulled his small hand away from the bandage. The beautiful woman suddenly looked afraid and shook her head at him.
"Mommy?" It was the first word that came out of the boy's mouth. He didn't know this woman; but he somehow knew she was a mommy. Or was going to be one soon. He just knew.
Mommy. Mom. Mother. There's a special bond between a mother and child. Even after the umbilical cord is cut when the infant is born, the connection, spiritually, still exists. Looking at this woman he had called 'mommy' for the first time. The boy knew he should have recognized her instantly as his mother. He should have but didn't.
Her warm smile had returned although she was visibly surprised. She nodded to assure the child ... maybe even herself, that he was correct. "That's right, little Carrot. I'm your mother."
Those were the first words she said to him. They were also a lie. Another statement he was struggling to accept during Onion's funeral. His pop. It's was still so hard to believe that the man he called his dad was really gone. When both he and Marron were children, their father used to play dead all the time; but this time was different. He wasn't playing now, this was real.
* * *
'Marron ... Carrot ... I wish you well,' Onion rasps while smiling. It is a sad smile, but neither boy believes that their father would embrace death so easily. 'Take care of one another ... after I'm gone…'
'Idiot,' Carrot calls him, his face a mixture of outrage and disbelief. 'You're not fooling us. We'll take you to a doctor and…'
'Being struck by Platina energy isn't something you recover from,' their dad says calmly. 'Look, I knew this would happen eventually ...I…'
The older man's eyes grow wide suddenly as he coughs up a mouthful of blood. Startled, both Marron and Carrot are at his side. The older brother feels practically useless as his sibling, being a white mage, begins to place a healing spell on their parent. It doesn't work ... he's still dying.
'Carrot…'
'Shut up,' Carrot hisses, his tone was still harsh. 'Save your breath. Millie…'
Turning to look at the Haz Knight, the older Glace brother is shocked to see tears running down the pretty man's face. 'Can't you do anything?' he begs. 'Ask Big Mama ... do something! Anything!'
'Carrot, you have to listen to me,' Onion pleads, clinging onto the boy's arm for dear life. 'Shut the hell up for once and listen to me!'
The spiky-haired youth opens his mouth to retort but stops once he sees the pleading look in the other's eyes. Hot tears blur Carrot's vision, burning down his face as they spill. No. This can't be! His pop can't be dying! Not because of him ... not because he...
'We love you,' he tells the boy in a gentle tone that Carrot hasn't heard in such a long time. 'Apricot and I loved you like you were our own.'
'Like?' the young man repeats, his brain quickly piecing the words together. 'Pop, what are you saying?!'
'Carrot…' The Haz Knight takes another deep breath and his next words are almost inaudible. Almost ... and it makes the boy wish he were deaf. The older man's breathing grows fainter. His skin is so pale that it matches the pristine color of Marron's mage robes. The younger Glace just looks horribly confused, never taking his eyes off their dad. Onion Glace lets out a small tired sigh and stops breathing as his hand slips from Carrot's arm.
Marron lets out a small, strangled cry before he's embracing his father. 'His father,' Carrot thought to himself. 'Not mine ... never mine.'
* * *
Silence fell upon the village of Hordic like a shadow. The sun had vanished without fanfare and been replaced with the darkness of night. Carrot found himself shivering, longing for his mother's loving embrace around him once more. Even though her first words to him had been a lie.
'I'm your mother.'
Yes, and he believed her for sixteen years ... even after she died for him. Then his dad had done the same and with his last words, told him the truth.
'You're not our child.'
The lie had been kinder. Despite that, Carrot couldn't find it in himself to hate either of his parents. Not even when assailed by the feeling that his heart was being torn free from his body. Standing alone now, looking at Onion's grave next to wife's, Carrot wondered why he bothered telling him. Mentally, they were father and son. Okay, so they didn't get along, what with all their fights, but Onion had taken him in. Was it easy for Onion? To pretend this stranger was his child? So why did he bother telling Carrot after all these years? Why now?
"Carrot."
The young man lifted his head as Big Mama approached. He had forgotten she was still here in Hordic. Since Onion was once her Haz Knight and friend, she had personally attended his funeral. Remembering back to when his mom died, Mama had been there too, comforting and hugging both him and his brother. For some reason, he didn't believe her embrace could comfort him this time. If anything could, just waking up from this bizarre nightmare or Onion sprouting from the ground, and pointing at Carrot, shouting, 'Fooled you!' could.
Carrot regarded the Saint standing beside him, as the two were alone in the Graveyard. Marron was still in shock, Gateau still recovering from the fight, and both Tira and Chocolate were both weary after loosing yet another father to them. The other Haz Knights were here in the secret village as well, but surprisingly not flanking Big Mama's side.
She took the teenager's prone form into her arms and soothingly rubbed her hand against the back of his head. Okay, so he was wrong; her embrace was still comforting. She murmured sympathies into his ear. The long indigo tresses of her hair brushed against Carrot's skin as he inhaled the scent of jasmine that perfumed air around them. This scent... this warmth... so familiar.
His senses were alive again as he allowed the to tears fall. That was strange because the boy didn't remember holding them back. He honestly didn't know what or who he crying for now: Pop or himself. Mama didn't seem to care as she continued to hold the crying young man, and it just felt right ...
"Mama," Carrot finally whispered against the soft blue silk of her dress. "He died because of me... I wasn't even his ... Why?"
The young Sorcerer Hunter could feel her stiffen suddenly; hear the breath hitch in her throat and the failure to repress a sob. Dammit ... he didn't mean to make her cry too! He tried to pull away and to assure her that he would be okay; that he didn't mean to upset her. However, Big Mama refused to let him go.
"He loved you, Carrot," she said soothingly. "He did his duty as your guardian."
Realization struck like lightning. She ... she knew! The young man immediately broke free from her loving embrace. He opened his mouth to speak, but his teeth had begun to chatter and his lips would not form the words. So instead his eyes did the talking… as strange as it sounded. She understood the boy's confused and accusing stare.
"Your parents, along with several other families of Hordic, are your guardians…" Big Mama explained until his loud gasp interrupted her.
"All of them?!"
"Yes."
The dark-haired boy shook his head in disbelief. His whole world seemed to be spinning at the moment. "That's insane! Why the hell would they do that for me?! I …"
'Carrot, why do you think Mama sent you here?' Grandpa had asked him the last time they spoke before he ran after his teammates. 'She felt that here you would be protected from Sacher. If you leave now, it's all for nothing.'
Of course, they were trying to protect him from that man: Tira and Chocolate's foster father, Big Mama's former Captain, the "Man closest to God." Like the idiot he was, Carrot ignored Grandpa's warning and went off to help anyway. A lot of good that did ... they didn't need his help ... and it was because he had left ... Pop...
"Why didn't they tell me I was adopted, Mama?" Carrot asked, gesturing to the two head stones that belonged to both Onion and Apricot Glace. "Why?"
Endless seconds ticked by as Grandpa's words continue to repeat in the youth's mind. It was because of his foolishness that Pop had died by Sacher's hand. So what would have happened if he had stayed in the village? The Sorcerer would have destroyed it ... he still would have if Carrot hadn't transformed then. That was another thing that puzzled the young Sorcerer Hunter. How had he managed to transform? That had been Platina magic; the same magic than reversed his transformation during their first encounter with the band of killers. So many questions and Big Mama was taking a long time just to answer one.
"They didn't tell you," the older woman started to speak again. She took a deep breath, hands trembling at her sides. "Because I had ordered them not to when placing you in their care."
Carrot's world had stopped spinning. Now it felt like it had just been yanked right out from under his feet and then used to hit him upside the head. The boy felt like he was falling and standing still at the same time. He prayed for someone to wake him up from this insane nightmare.
"When ….you?" he just stared, uncomprehending for a few seconds before his brain processed those words. "When *you*...?!"
It was rare for him to raise his voice at a woman. Unless he was yelling at either of the Misu sisters, but had never done so to Big Mama. Now, he couldn't see her as his employer or the Saint of Stellar Church. To him, she was just another person who had betrayed his trust. Another person, whom he both respected and loved, had lied to his face while stabbing him in the back.
"Don't you think I deserved to know?!" Carrot practically exploded, his simmering frustration had boiled into anger. "What gave *you* the right to keep it from me?!"
She looked straight into the boy's umber-colored eyes while he prepared himself for a retort and maybe even a slap. The young man should probably consider himself lucky that her Knights weren't standing there with them. Big Mama closed her eyes before she took a step forward and placed a hand on his cheek.
"I'm your mother."
* * *
"Of course you are…" Carrot said absently. "Everyone calls you mother."
Big Mama was a mother to everyone: to some sorcerers, parsoners, and her own workers. He couldn't think of a single person who wouldn't think so. Scratch that, there was Sacher Torte, Mama's prodigy and rival.
"That's not what I meant." Her voice was soft but firm. Her meaning was clear. They remained silent for several moments before she placed a hand to her heart. "You're my son, Carrot. My flesh and blood."
Well, it certainly didn't get any clearer than that. The young man pushed her hand away from him while, once again, shaking his head in denial. Would the lies never stop?! It felt like he was stuck in some nightmare where everyone he believed he had known turned out to be complete strangers. Or it could be some joke ... some twisted joke. If that was true, then Carrot was determined to go track down a Sorcerer, have him transform him, then kill everyone in sight.
But it wasn't a joke. The look Big Mama gave him... it spoke the truth far louder than her words did. But Carrot didn't want to hear them. He didn't want to believe any of these lies! Or truths. Whatever.
Someone was laughing. Low hysterical laughter that made Big Mama flinch, it was the first time he had ever seen her look so … worried. Who was crazy enough to laugh like... oh. He closed his mouth shut, refusing to give into the urge to just break down and cry again. Blood pounded behind those brown eyes; his world moved once more, spinning faster to try and toss him off. He was crying now, and didn't know why or how to stop it.
"Carrot," his mother whispered, extending her hand to wipe away those tears.
He pulled away, as if her touch would scald his flesh. He took another step back and then another until he was out of the Saint's reach. Opening his mouth once more, the boy was about to deny her words until I saw her eyes. Never before had he seen such dejection in Big Mama's ruby-colored eyes. They were always sparkling happily whenever she saw his band of Sorcerer Hunters... saw him.
"I wanted to tell you everything," she began again with a look of intense longing on her delicate features. "Darling, I…"
"Don't call me that!" he yelled suddenly, deafening himself for a few seconds. "Your endearments are nothing but lies to me!"
It was she that pulled back this time as if she had been slapped across the face. Big Mama was visibly wounded by his harsh words, wanting to argue against them. Instead, she merely nodded and wrung her hands together. Guilty. Yes, Carrot was glad she felt guilty, but damn those eyes and all the memories of her kindness! Damn everything!
A tremble began in his legs and work its way up his spine. Drawing in a breath, his body reacted before he even knew what he was doing. Big Mama called out his name as her son turned and ran away. If it were only that easy to run away from those words. Those truths and lies.
* * *
"So, you've told him."
Big Mama merely nodded her head from where she kneeled on the ground as Grandpa approached. The village elder gave her a sympathetic smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Tears continued to fall down her cheeks and she tried furiously to wipe them away.
"I shouldn't be crying," she scolded herself. "He had… every right to react that way."
"Now that he knows the truth…" Grandpa coughed as he corrected himself. "Well, the half truth; the trials will begin soon."
"What have I done?" Mama brought a hand to her mouth to hold back a sob. "How could I do this to this to Carrot?"
The old man slowly reached out to wipe away some of the Saint's tears before giving her another smile. "Because you love him. He might not realize this now, but you gave him more than any mother ever good. You selflessly sacrificed your happiness for his and gave him a home… a family…"
Grandpa turned his gaze to the stars. "You've given him a future."
* * *
Well, this was great. So the people he thought were his parents, weren't. The Holy Mother of Stellar was his real mother ... then ...who was his father? Why did he look so much like Onion Glace? Why didn't he just go back and ask her? 'Oh, that's right ... I'm in a pissed off, intolerable mood right now!'
Running further into the woods, the youth wondered where he was running to. Not that it mattered anymore. Hordic, the secret village of the Sorcerer Hunters, was Carrot Glace's home. Not his…. Whoever he was. 'I don't know who I am anymore and I... OUCH!'
Smacking face down on to the ground, the boy struggle to fill his lungs with air. 'Shit…' he cursed and hoped nothing was broken. Well, nothing felt broken. What the hell did he run into, anyway? A brick wall? Gateau?
"Ow," Carrot groaned, rubbing my face. Looking down, he notice that the ground was moving. It was breathing. 'Hah! Knew I was having a nightmare.' The fact that Gateau was actually lying underneath him confirmed it.
"'Ow' the idiot says," mumbled the muscled blonde as the younger boy sat up on his chest. "Runs into *me* like I wasn't there. Knocks *me* to ground, and then falls on top of *me* afterward. Yeesh!"
"Hey, Gateau." The dark-haired young man smiled apologetically and scramble off him. "Sorry ... was going nowhere fast and you got in the way."
"Yeah?" he asked, sitting up from the ground and rubbing the back of his head. He then pointed to one of the cliffs on the mountain. "Well, there's some nowhere over at the edge of that cliff. Don't worry, I won't get in your way this time."
"Thanks," Carrot replied dryly and offered him a hand up. "Your head still hurting?"
"No."
"Well, that's not a surprise…"
"What did you say?" Gateau jumped to his feet and glared down at his shorter teammate threateningly.
'Better not piss him off,' Carrot advised himself. 'My face still hurts... hitting the ground would have been softer.' "Nothing."
"Yeah, I thought so," the blonde gave him a smugly victorious look. "So what are you doing running around anyway? Shouldn't you be with Marron?"
'Oh damn.' Marron. He had forgotten about his little brother who had been right beside him when Onion died. How would Marron feel about all this? Carrot wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel ...the young mage had always been his little brother. They grew up with each other, protected each other, and now that Onion was gone how in the world could he face his brother now, knowing that he was the reason for his adopted parents' deaths ... for so many other families'?
"Hey ... are you all right?"
He was brought back from his angst trip with the snap of Gateau's fingers. Why was the older boy looking at him that way? Why was Gateau's hand on his shoulder? He shrugged it off, not wanting to be comforted. All he wanted was to be left alone. Away from certain people he had believed he knew.
"Look, I'm sorry about your dad. But-"
"He wasn't my dad," Carrot informed him while dusting off his pants. He forced himself to say the rest, the truth. "Marron's not my brother."
"Whaaa?"
Gateau stared incredulously at him, it was like the time he learned that Marron and Carrot were brothers. No one could ever tell just by looking at them ... until you met their parents. Marron had Onion's height and Apricot's looks while Carrot had the opposite. But now looks didn't really matter anymore...
"Yeah," Carrot answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Not by blood anyway... Pop told me I wasn't their child before he died... and then…"
The spiky-haired boy blinked in confusion. Why was he bothering with this? Telling Gateau wasn't going to make things better ... nothing will. He side stepped the older Sorcerer Hunter and continued on his path, as far from Mount Saint Hordic and the truth as possible. "Never mind, I'm leaving this ... this place ... the Sorcerer Hunters ... So take care of Marron and the girls, for me."
"Hey, hold on!"
Damn the blonde's long muscular arms, he thought as they grabbed onto his before he could take another step. Gateau used his superhuman strength to drag the other boy back to face him again. Carrot hated the fact that his teammate was so much stronger than him... and knew he would want some sort of explanation.
"So you're not related by blood, so what?" the blonde snapped. Ice blue eyes narrowed at the other's averted gaze. "You're still family! So why are you leaving? Especially when Marron needs you the most!"
"He doesn't need me." Carrot shook his head. "My own mother didn't need me... who could blame her? Look at me... I... I'm…"
"Carrot." There was a pause. It was rare for Gateau to say his name without an insult attached to it. "You're not making sense... come on, why don't we go talk to the others and…"
"LET GO!"
Everything suddenly become quiet. The crickets stopped chirping in the background and even the breeze died down. Carrot simply stared at the tall blonde who staggered back a few steps, holding his jaw. Pain flared up his arm right after his fist made contact with Gateau's face. Shit... what the hell was his jaw made out of?! His fingers felt like they're ready to crack!
"Little prick…" the blonde cursed, moving his hand back. Carrot could see that his jaw was swollen. It then occurred to him that he had hit a place that was already bruised. Oh, that's right... Gateau was beaten up by one of Sacher's killers. Sacher. God, how Carrot hated that man more than ever.
"What the hell is wrong with…" Gateau continued as he turned to face the other again, and just stopped. Stopped everything. Stopped talking, stops moving, and stopped being angry. For a few minutes he just stared and stopped being Gateau Mocha completely. "...You?"
Carrot's eyes felt like they were burning and, when he blinked, something warm and wet streamed down his face. A tear? Another one? 'How the hell did I start crying?! Why am I crying in front Gateau of all people?!'
"Why?" he asked aloud to no one in particular. "Why?"
The younger boy was trembling... shaking ... ready to fall to pieces. Gateau couldn't help but stare, silently wondering who the hell this boy was standing before him. Whoever he was, certainly wasn't Carrot Glace.
A part of the umber-eyed teenager wanted to debate, to hold on to his false identity. But it was false, he knew it ... Just like his adopted parents and guardians knew it... hi biological mother knew it.
Big Mama ...
'Mother…'
"Why?"
'You're not our child.'
"Why?"
The tears burned hotter as the youth dug his fingers into his palms. Not caring in the least when fingernails created bloody crescent moons in his flesh. Numb. he felt numb ... he knew he was in pain... just couldn't feel it yet. He couldn't feel anything.
"Why?"
Gateau blinked again before taking a step forward. "Carrot...?"
Carrot... but he wasn't Carrot. He could never be Carrot Glace again ... not after knowing the truth. Not after all the deaths being Carrot Glace had caused. Being what he was, her son. So many had died ... so many lives destroyed. Tira and Chocolate... how could he look at them and not see the pain in their eyes all because that traitorous adopted father wanted him.
"Leave me alone!" he shouted again. "Carrot Glace doesn't exist anymore so just forget all about him!"
His umber gaze hardened. He refused to let anymore tears spill. "You shouldn't have a hard time with that, Gateau!"
The taller Sorcerer Hunter flinched as if he had just been punched again. The other boy turned and ran away. Always running…
'Where am I going?' the dark-haired boy thought to himself. 'Don't have a clue.' Maybe he'd just run until his legs could no longer support him. Until his aching heart finally burst in his chest. He didn't care, didn't think he would feel death anyway.
He just felt numb.
* * *
Carrot awoke the next morning with the chirping of the birds along with the heavy snoring in his ear. The young man blinked, his brows knit in confusion. Snoring? But he was awake… Swallowing hard, he turned around came face to face with Gateau … and screamed.
"Huh? What?" Gateau was stirred awake by the cowardly screaming that nearly shattered his eardrums. The boy next to him gave him a cutting glare as he held up their bound arms. Their forearms had been tied together securely by Gateau's belt. The strap of leather was wound and crisscrossed so many times, Carrot didn't know where to begin with just one arm free. The buckle wasn't even visible near his arm, which meant it was hidden somewhere on Gateau's. How the hell did the guy do this with just his one arm?!
"What the hell are you thinking, pervert?!" Carrot demanded as he got to his knees.
Ice blue eyes narrowed lazily. "Said the pot to the kettle…"
"Whatever! Untie us! NOW!"
"No," said Gateau as let out a loud yawn before rolling over away from Carrot .
Twitch marks appeared all over the young teen's furious face before he stood up slowly and suddenly jerked the 'leash', jerking the body-builder with him. Gateau put a hand to the ground to still their movement and threw his teammate an annoyed glare.
"What the hell are you trying to do?" he demanded. "Sit down, shut up, and let me get some more sleep. It's your fault. I spent most of the night getting kicked by you … you're lucky I didn't have anything else to tie your legs with."
"Then untie us already," Carrot huffed.
"No," the blonde repeated. "You'll run off. Now shut up and let me sleep."
The spiky-haired teen let out a small growl, watching the other male lay back down, and then broke into a run. A satisfied grin appeared on his face when he heard the tired, older boy groan as he was dragged across the dirty ground.
"Oi!" Gateau snapped angrily, before he looked back to the spot where they had laid. "Whoa, you're surprisingly strong for someone who has pipe-cleaners for arms."
The boy growled like a pissed off animal and continued to jerk the dead weight attached to his arm another couple of feet. The blue-eyed man glared then tightly grasped the binding. "Stop jerking me off, pipsqueak…" Blue eyes went wide and he wanted to slap a hand over his mouth. Damn… he really wish he hadn't said that.
Carrot's face turned bright red with both embarrassment and irritation. "Shut up!" He stopped to catch his breath then lifted their bound arms again. "Why did you tie us together, anyway?!"
The taller Sorcerer Hunter sat up in a more dignified position and wiped the smudge of dirt off his face. "Idiot, I didn't want you running off a cliff. When I tried to get you to settle down last night, you attacked me. Don't you remember that?"
Carrot frowned as he took in their rugged appearances that indicated a struggle. His memory was a big blur right now, but he did recall a lot of yelling. Eventually he must have tired himself out and fell asleep. Next to the big muscle-headed jerk. Wonderful.
Then he considered what his teammate had told him. In the state of mind he had been in, he could very well have died last night, either by plunging right off a cliff or into a booby-trap. But death was what he had wanted, right?
Grandpa's words then came back to haunt him: 'If you leave now, it's all for nothing.'
If he died, then the deaths of Apricot and Onion Glace wouldn't mean anything. Then he would never have the chance to figure out who he was, what he was and why so many people had to die in the first place.
"Thanks."
"Huh?"
Biting his lip, the boy turned back to face Gateau, only to find that the young man was staring at him oddly. Shrugging his shoulders, Carrot sat himself down on the grass but kept his gaze from meeting the other's eyes.
"Thanks for saving my life," mumbled Carrot.
Gateau continued to stare then just snorted before laying back down. "Finally some gratitude!"
Carrot didn't respond and the older boy just sighed tiredly. "Yeah… no problem."
"Can you help untie us now?"
"No."
Brown eyes shot the other hunter a glare before looking away again. Sighing in defeat, Carrot lay back upon the ground and looked up at the blue morning sky. The chirping birds finally flew off and dark colored eyes watched their departure before falling shut.
"I'm not going back."
Gateau stirred, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Why not? What else happened last night?"
Carrot didn't trust himself to say the words and simply rolled onto his side. Away from his companion and the questions. He just wasn't ready to deal with all of it now.
"Fine, you don't have to tell me." Gateau yawned again. "I think we passed a town on our way to Hordic. Let's stop there for lunch later on."
Umber eyes flew open as dark-haired boy sat up suddenly. "Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"
"Cause I'm to tired to knock you upside the head," came the gruff reply. "Now let me sleep or else I'll…."
The young man blinked as he waited for his teammate to finish his threat, but gave up when he heard the snoring once more. Shaking his head, he laid back down and thought of places where he could go. Probably some place where the past wouldn't find him.
End Chapter One
Ack! This story is actually two plot bunnies merged together. Basically this whole chapter was the first 3 chapters I had just rewrote in third person. However, since they were short chapters, I thought I'd merge them too. Hehe, this story is a mutant ^^;
Written By: Teno Hikari
Email: [email protected] / [email protected]
Beta-Read by: Sarryn
Summary: They say that the truth can set you free; however, with Onion's last words, Carrot finds himself trapped in a web of lies. Finding an unlikely friend and companion in Gateau; the two take a journey to discover who they really are.
Author's Note: I had this plot-bunny in my head back when my friend and I watched the Sorcerer Hunters for the first time. However, this story takes place in Book 4 of the Manga (the most current book I've read) right after Sacher's fight with Onion. Then everything goes AU after that.
Warning: Since I have yet to write a non-yaoi story, there is YAOI in this one. Yaoi refers to male/male pairings and yes, Carrot is one of them.
**************
"Love can sometimes be magic.
But magic can sometimes...
just be an illusion."
-Javan
**************
Chapter One
It's ironic that sun was setting when funeral had just ended. End. A single young man contemplated that word bitterly while staring off into the horizon. His heart sank along with the sun as he realized that all things must come to an end, and life was definitely not an exception. Still, he never believed that he would return home ... only to discover it was never his to begin with. Apart of knowing yourself, you have to know where you come from. With that in mind, he didn't know who he was anymore.
His name was Carrot Glace, an eighteen year-old young man and a Sorcerer Hunter. Born with the powers of Aranju and Zoanthrophy, both a blessing and curse at the same time . These powers allowed him to absorb magic to change into all sorts of creatures. Transforming had saved his ass more times than he can count, but the problem was that he had no control over it. His other forms could go berserk and wouldn't be able to distinguish ally from enemy.
His parents had been former Sorcerer Hunters in their youth and later Haz Knights. His father, Onion Glace, was a big, perverted, idiot; they really couldn't stand each another. While his mother, Apricot, was a beautiful and intelligent woman, strict but kind. Marron, his little brother looked like the spitting image of her (and Carrot of his father).
Taking a deep breath, he concentrated hard so that he could remember some of his earliest memories. It was probably a few months before Marron was born when his 'accident' had occurred. A two-year-old Carrot had been playing in his mother's garden when he tripped and fell. Slamming his head against the solid ground, they found him unconscious with a serious head wound. At least that's what his parents had told him.
Carrot remembered waking up, cradled in a young woman's arms. She was very beautiful with her long dark hair and amber eyes. Gentle, holding the boy-child who was drawn to her warmth. His head was still throbbing from the injury, as he cried. He wanted to touch the wound but she quickly pulled his small hand away from the bandage. The beautiful woman suddenly looked afraid and shook her head at him.
"Mommy?" It was the first word that came out of the boy's mouth. He didn't know this woman; but he somehow knew she was a mommy. Or was going to be one soon. He just knew.
Mommy. Mom. Mother. There's a special bond between a mother and child. Even after the umbilical cord is cut when the infant is born, the connection, spiritually, still exists. Looking at this woman he had called 'mommy' for the first time. The boy knew he should have recognized her instantly as his mother. He should have but didn't.
Her warm smile had returned although she was visibly surprised. She nodded to assure the child ... maybe even herself, that he was correct. "That's right, little Carrot. I'm your mother."
Those were the first words she said to him. They were also a lie. Another statement he was struggling to accept during Onion's funeral. His pop. It's was still so hard to believe that the man he called his dad was really gone. When both he and Marron were children, their father used to play dead all the time; but this time was different. He wasn't playing now, this was real.
* * *
'Marron ... Carrot ... I wish you well,' Onion rasps while smiling. It is a sad smile, but neither boy believes that their father would embrace death so easily. 'Take care of one another ... after I'm gone…'
'Idiot,' Carrot calls him, his face a mixture of outrage and disbelief. 'You're not fooling us. We'll take you to a doctor and…'
'Being struck by Platina energy isn't something you recover from,' their dad says calmly. 'Look, I knew this would happen eventually ...I…'
The older man's eyes grow wide suddenly as he coughs up a mouthful of blood. Startled, both Marron and Carrot are at his side. The older brother feels practically useless as his sibling, being a white mage, begins to place a healing spell on their parent. It doesn't work ... he's still dying.
'Carrot…'
'Shut up,' Carrot hisses, his tone was still harsh. 'Save your breath. Millie…'
Turning to look at the Haz Knight, the older Glace brother is shocked to see tears running down the pretty man's face. 'Can't you do anything?' he begs. 'Ask Big Mama ... do something! Anything!'
'Carrot, you have to listen to me,' Onion pleads, clinging onto the boy's arm for dear life. 'Shut the hell up for once and listen to me!'
The spiky-haired youth opens his mouth to retort but stops once he sees the pleading look in the other's eyes. Hot tears blur Carrot's vision, burning down his face as they spill. No. This can't be! His pop can't be dying! Not because of him ... not because he...
'We love you,' he tells the boy in a gentle tone that Carrot hasn't heard in such a long time. 'Apricot and I loved you like you were our own.'
'Like?' the young man repeats, his brain quickly piecing the words together. 'Pop, what are you saying?!'
'Carrot…' The Haz Knight takes another deep breath and his next words are almost inaudible. Almost ... and it makes the boy wish he were deaf. The older man's breathing grows fainter. His skin is so pale that it matches the pristine color of Marron's mage robes. The younger Glace just looks horribly confused, never taking his eyes off their dad. Onion Glace lets out a small tired sigh and stops breathing as his hand slips from Carrot's arm.
Marron lets out a small, strangled cry before he's embracing his father. 'His father,' Carrot thought to himself. 'Not mine ... never mine.'
* * *
Silence fell upon the village of Hordic like a shadow. The sun had vanished without fanfare and been replaced with the darkness of night. Carrot found himself shivering, longing for his mother's loving embrace around him once more. Even though her first words to him had been a lie.
'I'm your mother.'
Yes, and he believed her for sixteen years ... even after she died for him. Then his dad had done the same and with his last words, told him the truth.
'You're not our child.'
The lie had been kinder. Despite that, Carrot couldn't find it in himself to hate either of his parents. Not even when assailed by the feeling that his heart was being torn free from his body. Standing alone now, looking at Onion's grave next to wife's, Carrot wondered why he bothered telling him. Mentally, they were father and son. Okay, so they didn't get along, what with all their fights, but Onion had taken him in. Was it easy for Onion? To pretend this stranger was his child? So why did he bother telling Carrot after all these years? Why now?
"Carrot."
The young man lifted his head as Big Mama approached. He had forgotten she was still here in Hordic. Since Onion was once her Haz Knight and friend, she had personally attended his funeral. Remembering back to when his mom died, Mama had been there too, comforting and hugging both him and his brother. For some reason, he didn't believe her embrace could comfort him this time. If anything could, just waking up from this bizarre nightmare or Onion sprouting from the ground, and pointing at Carrot, shouting, 'Fooled you!' could.
Carrot regarded the Saint standing beside him, as the two were alone in the Graveyard. Marron was still in shock, Gateau still recovering from the fight, and both Tira and Chocolate were both weary after loosing yet another father to them. The other Haz Knights were here in the secret village as well, but surprisingly not flanking Big Mama's side.
She took the teenager's prone form into her arms and soothingly rubbed her hand against the back of his head. Okay, so he was wrong; her embrace was still comforting. She murmured sympathies into his ear. The long indigo tresses of her hair brushed against Carrot's skin as he inhaled the scent of jasmine that perfumed air around them. This scent... this warmth... so familiar.
His senses were alive again as he allowed the to tears fall. That was strange because the boy didn't remember holding them back. He honestly didn't know what or who he crying for now: Pop or himself. Mama didn't seem to care as she continued to hold the crying young man, and it just felt right ...
"Mama," Carrot finally whispered against the soft blue silk of her dress. "He died because of me... I wasn't even his ... Why?"
The young Sorcerer Hunter could feel her stiffen suddenly; hear the breath hitch in her throat and the failure to repress a sob. Dammit ... he didn't mean to make her cry too! He tried to pull away and to assure her that he would be okay; that he didn't mean to upset her. However, Big Mama refused to let him go.
"He loved you, Carrot," she said soothingly. "He did his duty as your guardian."
Realization struck like lightning. She ... she knew! The young man immediately broke free from her loving embrace. He opened his mouth to speak, but his teeth had begun to chatter and his lips would not form the words. So instead his eyes did the talking… as strange as it sounded. She understood the boy's confused and accusing stare.
"Your parents, along with several other families of Hordic, are your guardians…" Big Mama explained until his loud gasp interrupted her.
"All of them?!"
"Yes."
The dark-haired boy shook his head in disbelief. His whole world seemed to be spinning at the moment. "That's insane! Why the hell would they do that for me?! I …"
'Carrot, why do you think Mama sent you here?' Grandpa had asked him the last time they spoke before he ran after his teammates. 'She felt that here you would be protected from Sacher. If you leave now, it's all for nothing.'
Of course, they were trying to protect him from that man: Tira and Chocolate's foster father, Big Mama's former Captain, the "Man closest to God." Like the idiot he was, Carrot ignored Grandpa's warning and went off to help anyway. A lot of good that did ... they didn't need his help ... and it was because he had left ... Pop...
"Why didn't they tell me I was adopted, Mama?" Carrot asked, gesturing to the two head stones that belonged to both Onion and Apricot Glace. "Why?"
Endless seconds ticked by as Grandpa's words continue to repeat in the youth's mind. It was because of his foolishness that Pop had died by Sacher's hand. So what would have happened if he had stayed in the village? The Sorcerer would have destroyed it ... he still would have if Carrot hadn't transformed then. That was another thing that puzzled the young Sorcerer Hunter. How had he managed to transform? That had been Platina magic; the same magic than reversed his transformation during their first encounter with the band of killers. So many questions and Big Mama was taking a long time just to answer one.
"They didn't tell you," the older woman started to speak again. She took a deep breath, hands trembling at her sides. "Because I had ordered them not to when placing you in their care."
Carrot's world had stopped spinning. Now it felt like it had just been yanked right out from under his feet and then used to hit him upside the head. The boy felt like he was falling and standing still at the same time. He prayed for someone to wake him up from this insane nightmare.
"When ….you?" he just stared, uncomprehending for a few seconds before his brain processed those words. "When *you*...?!"
It was rare for him to raise his voice at a woman. Unless he was yelling at either of the Misu sisters, but had never done so to Big Mama. Now, he couldn't see her as his employer or the Saint of Stellar Church. To him, she was just another person who had betrayed his trust. Another person, whom he both respected and loved, had lied to his face while stabbing him in the back.
"Don't you think I deserved to know?!" Carrot practically exploded, his simmering frustration had boiled into anger. "What gave *you* the right to keep it from me?!"
She looked straight into the boy's umber-colored eyes while he prepared himself for a retort and maybe even a slap. The young man should probably consider himself lucky that her Knights weren't standing there with them. Big Mama closed her eyes before she took a step forward and placed a hand on his cheek.
"I'm your mother."
* * *
"Of course you are…" Carrot said absently. "Everyone calls you mother."
Big Mama was a mother to everyone: to some sorcerers, parsoners, and her own workers. He couldn't think of a single person who wouldn't think so. Scratch that, there was Sacher Torte, Mama's prodigy and rival.
"That's not what I meant." Her voice was soft but firm. Her meaning was clear. They remained silent for several moments before she placed a hand to her heart. "You're my son, Carrot. My flesh and blood."
Well, it certainly didn't get any clearer than that. The young man pushed her hand away from him while, once again, shaking his head in denial. Would the lies never stop?! It felt like he was stuck in some nightmare where everyone he believed he had known turned out to be complete strangers. Or it could be some joke ... some twisted joke. If that was true, then Carrot was determined to go track down a Sorcerer, have him transform him, then kill everyone in sight.
But it wasn't a joke. The look Big Mama gave him... it spoke the truth far louder than her words did. But Carrot didn't want to hear them. He didn't want to believe any of these lies! Or truths. Whatever.
Someone was laughing. Low hysterical laughter that made Big Mama flinch, it was the first time he had ever seen her look so … worried. Who was crazy enough to laugh like... oh. He closed his mouth shut, refusing to give into the urge to just break down and cry again. Blood pounded behind those brown eyes; his world moved once more, spinning faster to try and toss him off. He was crying now, and didn't know why or how to stop it.
"Carrot," his mother whispered, extending her hand to wipe away those tears.
He pulled away, as if her touch would scald his flesh. He took another step back and then another until he was out of the Saint's reach. Opening his mouth once more, the boy was about to deny her words until I saw her eyes. Never before had he seen such dejection in Big Mama's ruby-colored eyes. They were always sparkling happily whenever she saw his band of Sorcerer Hunters... saw him.
"I wanted to tell you everything," she began again with a look of intense longing on her delicate features. "Darling, I…"
"Don't call me that!" he yelled suddenly, deafening himself for a few seconds. "Your endearments are nothing but lies to me!"
It was she that pulled back this time as if she had been slapped across the face. Big Mama was visibly wounded by his harsh words, wanting to argue against them. Instead, she merely nodded and wrung her hands together. Guilty. Yes, Carrot was glad she felt guilty, but damn those eyes and all the memories of her kindness! Damn everything!
A tremble began in his legs and work its way up his spine. Drawing in a breath, his body reacted before he even knew what he was doing. Big Mama called out his name as her son turned and ran away. If it were only that easy to run away from those words. Those truths and lies.
* * *
"So, you've told him."
Big Mama merely nodded her head from where she kneeled on the ground as Grandpa approached. The village elder gave her a sympathetic smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder. Tears continued to fall down her cheeks and she tried furiously to wipe them away.
"I shouldn't be crying," she scolded herself. "He had… every right to react that way."
"Now that he knows the truth…" Grandpa coughed as he corrected himself. "Well, the half truth; the trials will begin soon."
"What have I done?" Mama brought a hand to her mouth to hold back a sob. "How could I do this to this to Carrot?"
The old man slowly reached out to wipe away some of the Saint's tears before giving her another smile. "Because you love him. He might not realize this now, but you gave him more than any mother ever good. You selflessly sacrificed your happiness for his and gave him a home… a family…"
Grandpa turned his gaze to the stars. "You've given him a future."
* * *
Well, this was great. So the people he thought were his parents, weren't. The Holy Mother of Stellar was his real mother ... then ...who was his father? Why did he look so much like Onion Glace? Why didn't he just go back and ask her? 'Oh, that's right ... I'm in a pissed off, intolerable mood right now!'
Running further into the woods, the youth wondered where he was running to. Not that it mattered anymore. Hordic, the secret village of the Sorcerer Hunters, was Carrot Glace's home. Not his…. Whoever he was. 'I don't know who I am anymore and I... OUCH!'
Smacking face down on to the ground, the boy struggle to fill his lungs with air. 'Shit…' he cursed and hoped nothing was broken. Well, nothing felt broken. What the hell did he run into, anyway? A brick wall? Gateau?
"Ow," Carrot groaned, rubbing my face. Looking down, he notice that the ground was moving. It was breathing. 'Hah! Knew I was having a nightmare.' The fact that Gateau was actually lying underneath him confirmed it.
"'Ow' the idiot says," mumbled the muscled blonde as the younger boy sat up on his chest. "Runs into *me* like I wasn't there. Knocks *me* to ground, and then falls on top of *me* afterward. Yeesh!"
"Hey, Gateau." The dark-haired young man smiled apologetically and scramble off him. "Sorry ... was going nowhere fast and you got in the way."
"Yeah?" he asked, sitting up from the ground and rubbing the back of his head. He then pointed to one of the cliffs on the mountain. "Well, there's some nowhere over at the edge of that cliff. Don't worry, I won't get in your way this time."
"Thanks," Carrot replied dryly and offered him a hand up. "Your head still hurting?"
"No."
"Well, that's not a surprise…"
"What did you say?" Gateau jumped to his feet and glared down at his shorter teammate threateningly.
'Better not piss him off,' Carrot advised himself. 'My face still hurts... hitting the ground would have been softer.' "Nothing."
"Yeah, I thought so," the blonde gave him a smugly victorious look. "So what are you doing running around anyway? Shouldn't you be with Marron?"
'Oh damn.' Marron. He had forgotten about his little brother who had been right beside him when Onion died. How would Marron feel about all this? Carrot wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel ...the young mage had always been his little brother. They grew up with each other, protected each other, and now that Onion was gone how in the world could he face his brother now, knowing that he was the reason for his adopted parents' deaths ... for so many other families'?
"Hey ... are you all right?"
He was brought back from his angst trip with the snap of Gateau's fingers. Why was the older boy looking at him that way? Why was Gateau's hand on his shoulder? He shrugged it off, not wanting to be comforted. All he wanted was to be left alone. Away from certain people he had believed he knew.
"Look, I'm sorry about your dad. But-"
"He wasn't my dad," Carrot informed him while dusting off his pants. He forced himself to say the rest, the truth. "Marron's not my brother."
"Whaaa?"
Gateau stared incredulously at him, it was like the time he learned that Marron and Carrot were brothers. No one could ever tell just by looking at them ... until you met their parents. Marron had Onion's height and Apricot's looks while Carrot had the opposite. But now looks didn't really matter anymore...
"Yeah," Carrot answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Not by blood anyway... Pop told me I wasn't their child before he died... and then…"
The spiky-haired boy blinked in confusion. Why was he bothering with this? Telling Gateau wasn't going to make things better ... nothing will. He side stepped the older Sorcerer Hunter and continued on his path, as far from Mount Saint Hordic and the truth as possible. "Never mind, I'm leaving this ... this place ... the Sorcerer Hunters ... So take care of Marron and the girls, for me."
"Hey, hold on!"
Damn the blonde's long muscular arms, he thought as they grabbed onto his before he could take another step. Gateau used his superhuman strength to drag the other boy back to face him again. Carrot hated the fact that his teammate was so much stronger than him... and knew he would want some sort of explanation.
"So you're not related by blood, so what?" the blonde snapped. Ice blue eyes narrowed at the other's averted gaze. "You're still family! So why are you leaving? Especially when Marron needs you the most!"
"He doesn't need me." Carrot shook his head. "My own mother didn't need me... who could blame her? Look at me... I... I'm…"
"Carrot." There was a pause. It was rare for Gateau to say his name without an insult attached to it. "You're not making sense... come on, why don't we go talk to the others and…"
"LET GO!"
Everything suddenly become quiet. The crickets stopped chirping in the background and even the breeze died down. Carrot simply stared at the tall blonde who staggered back a few steps, holding his jaw. Pain flared up his arm right after his fist made contact with Gateau's face. Shit... what the hell was his jaw made out of?! His fingers felt like they're ready to crack!
"Little prick…" the blonde cursed, moving his hand back. Carrot could see that his jaw was swollen. It then occurred to him that he had hit a place that was already bruised. Oh, that's right... Gateau was beaten up by one of Sacher's killers. Sacher. God, how Carrot hated that man more than ever.
"What the hell is wrong with…" Gateau continued as he turned to face the other again, and just stopped. Stopped everything. Stopped talking, stops moving, and stopped being angry. For a few minutes he just stared and stopped being Gateau Mocha completely. "...You?"
Carrot's eyes felt like they were burning and, when he blinked, something warm and wet streamed down his face. A tear? Another one? 'How the hell did I start crying?! Why am I crying in front Gateau of all people?!'
"Why?" he asked aloud to no one in particular. "Why?"
The younger boy was trembling... shaking ... ready to fall to pieces. Gateau couldn't help but stare, silently wondering who the hell this boy was standing before him. Whoever he was, certainly wasn't Carrot Glace.
A part of the umber-eyed teenager wanted to debate, to hold on to his false identity. But it was false, he knew it ... Just like his adopted parents and guardians knew it... hi biological mother knew it.
Big Mama ...
'Mother…'
"Why?"
'You're not our child.'
"Why?"
The tears burned hotter as the youth dug his fingers into his palms. Not caring in the least when fingernails created bloody crescent moons in his flesh. Numb. he felt numb ... he knew he was in pain... just couldn't feel it yet. He couldn't feel anything.
"Why?"
Gateau blinked again before taking a step forward. "Carrot...?"
Carrot... but he wasn't Carrot. He could never be Carrot Glace again ... not after knowing the truth. Not after all the deaths being Carrot Glace had caused. Being what he was, her son. So many had died ... so many lives destroyed. Tira and Chocolate... how could he look at them and not see the pain in their eyes all because that traitorous adopted father wanted him.
"Leave me alone!" he shouted again. "Carrot Glace doesn't exist anymore so just forget all about him!"
His umber gaze hardened. He refused to let anymore tears spill. "You shouldn't have a hard time with that, Gateau!"
The taller Sorcerer Hunter flinched as if he had just been punched again. The other boy turned and ran away. Always running…
'Where am I going?' the dark-haired boy thought to himself. 'Don't have a clue.' Maybe he'd just run until his legs could no longer support him. Until his aching heart finally burst in his chest. He didn't care, didn't think he would feel death anyway.
He just felt numb.
* * *
Carrot awoke the next morning with the chirping of the birds along with the heavy snoring in his ear. The young man blinked, his brows knit in confusion. Snoring? But he was awake… Swallowing hard, he turned around came face to face with Gateau … and screamed.
"Huh? What?" Gateau was stirred awake by the cowardly screaming that nearly shattered his eardrums. The boy next to him gave him a cutting glare as he held up their bound arms. Their forearms had been tied together securely by Gateau's belt. The strap of leather was wound and crisscrossed so many times, Carrot didn't know where to begin with just one arm free. The buckle wasn't even visible near his arm, which meant it was hidden somewhere on Gateau's. How the hell did the guy do this with just his one arm?!
"What the hell are you thinking, pervert?!" Carrot demanded as he got to his knees.
Ice blue eyes narrowed lazily. "Said the pot to the kettle…"
"Whatever! Untie us! NOW!"
"No," said Gateau as let out a loud yawn before rolling over away from Carrot .
Twitch marks appeared all over the young teen's furious face before he stood up slowly and suddenly jerked the 'leash', jerking the body-builder with him. Gateau put a hand to the ground to still their movement and threw his teammate an annoyed glare.
"What the hell are you trying to do?" he demanded. "Sit down, shut up, and let me get some more sleep. It's your fault. I spent most of the night getting kicked by you … you're lucky I didn't have anything else to tie your legs with."
"Then untie us already," Carrot huffed.
"No," the blonde repeated. "You'll run off. Now shut up and let me sleep."
The spiky-haired teen let out a small growl, watching the other male lay back down, and then broke into a run. A satisfied grin appeared on his face when he heard the tired, older boy groan as he was dragged across the dirty ground.
"Oi!" Gateau snapped angrily, before he looked back to the spot where they had laid. "Whoa, you're surprisingly strong for someone who has pipe-cleaners for arms."
The boy growled like a pissed off animal and continued to jerk the dead weight attached to his arm another couple of feet. The blue-eyed man glared then tightly grasped the binding. "Stop jerking me off, pipsqueak…" Blue eyes went wide and he wanted to slap a hand over his mouth. Damn… he really wish he hadn't said that.
Carrot's face turned bright red with both embarrassment and irritation. "Shut up!" He stopped to catch his breath then lifted their bound arms again. "Why did you tie us together, anyway?!"
The taller Sorcerer Hunter sat up in a more dignified position and wiped the smudge of dirt off his face. "Idiot, I didn't want you running off a cliff. When I tried to get you to settle down last night, you attacked me. Don't you remember that?"
Carrot frowned as he took in their rugged appearances that indicated a struggle. His memory was a big blur right now, but he did recall a lot of yelling. Eventually he must have tired himself out and fell asleep. Next to the big muscle-headed jerk. Wonderful.
Then he considered what his teammate had told him. In the state of mind he had been in, he could very well have died last night, either by plunging right off a cliff or into a booby-trap. But death was what he had wanted, right?
Grandpa's words then came back to haunt him: 'If you leave now, it's all for nothing.'
If he died, then the deaths of Apricot and Onion Glace wouldn't mean anything. Then he would never have the chance to figure out who he was, what he was and why so many people had to die in the first place.
"Thanks."
"Huh?"
Biting his lip, the boy turned back to face Gateau, only to find that the young man was staring at him oddly. Shrugging his shoulders, Carrot sat himself down on the grass but kept his gaze from meeting the other's eyes.
"Thanks for saving my life," mumbled Carrot.
Gateau continued to stare then just snorted before laying back down. "Finally some gratitude!"
Carrot didn't respond and the older boy just sighed tiredly. "Yeah… no problem."
"Can you help untie us now?"
"No."
Brown eyes shot the other hunter a glare before looking away again. Sighing in defeat, Carrot lay back upon the ground and looked up at the blue morning sky. The chirping birds finally flew off and dark colored eyes watched their departure before falling shut.
"I'm not going back."
Gateau stirred, shifting into a more comfortable position. "Why not? What else happened last night?"
Carrot didn't trust himself to say the words and simply rolled onto his side. Away from his companion and the questions. He just wasn't ready to deal with all of it now.
"Fine, you don't have to tell me." Gateau yawned again. "I think we passed a town on our way to Hordic. Let's stop there for lunch later on."
Umber eyes flew open as dark-haired boy sat up suddenly. "Why are you being so nice all of a sudden?"
"Cause I'm to tired to knock you upside the head," came the gruff reply. "Now let me sleep or else I'll…."
The young man blinked as he waited for his teammate to finish his threat, but gave up when he heard the snoring once more. Shaking his head, he laid back down and thought of places where he could go. Probably some place where the past wouldn't find him.
End Chapter One
Ack! This story is actually two plot bunnies merged together. Basically this whole chapter was the first 3 chapters I had just rewrote in third person. However, since they were short chapters, I thought I'd merge them too. Hehe, this story is a mutant ^^;