[Legend of Sun Knight] fic: A Slice of Wedding Cake Slice 17
Title: A Slice of Wedding Cake - Slice 17
Fandom: The Legend of Sun Knight
Words: 3,458
Summary: Sun and Judgment are getting married. The "why" and "how" really aren't that important right now. For this is not a story about their romance; this is the story of us observers. Yes, we, the underappreciated observers of this whole spectacle who did 99% of the work, and only received a slice of wedding cake in return. Grisia/Lesus, Ceo/Roland
Notes: Co-written with kiyutsuna. Odd chapters are hers. Even chapters are mine! All illustrations are done by kiyutsuna.
Slice 17: The Twelve Gossiping Knights
Cloud
As the band played the opening notes to a slow dance number, our shining newlyweds made their way to the dance floor. The crowd parted for them eagerly, then hovered around the hall, necks stretched like hungry baby birds. A hush descended; the only sounds remaining were the music, and the soft footsteps as two dancers glided over the floor, moving as one. It was as if everyone had forgotten how to breathe, having been completely captured by the performance. There was magic in the air, and nobody dared to interrupt it in any way.
Their figures spun and twirled expertly. Neither seemed to be leading, yet their steps never showed any hesitance. White and black blended together seamlessly, a union of light and darkness, a meeting of day and night…
Hmm, perhaps that description is slightly overboard for just a dance.
I tilted my head, studying Sun and Judgment’s dance closely. They truly looked amazing together. The choreography of their first dance wasn’t an easy one. I should do some research on dancing if I want to do it justice with my words. It seems that no matter how many books one reads, writing your own is another matter entirely.
When Sun and Judgment went public with their relationship, it became the hottest topic and trended overnight. As a result, many novels inspired by their story were published in a matter of mere weeks. The Holy Temple ended up acquiring copies of all of them through donations. Perhaps the publishers wanted canonical approval? Regardless of the reasons, I had an abundance of reading material for the duration of the wedding preparations. It was fortunate since I found myself with no particular task assigned to me even as the others bustled about. Of course, I tried my best to offer help wherever possible, but more often than not I was left to my own devices. With the extra free time, I was able to devour all of the new novels in my little corner of the library.
The authors of Leaf Bud were both talented and creative. There were so many varieties of Sun and Judgment’s love story, each one more fantastical than the last.
In one story, they were sworn enemies who often crossed swords in private. Their burning hatred for each other led to both seeking the other out day after day, year after year. Until one day, in the middle of a fight, the line between hate and love blurred, and they fell into a passionate love affair. The author was very skilled at describing sword-fighting scenes. Judgment may enjoy reading it.
Another story chose to focus on the wedding. After it became known that Judgment was to wear the wedding dress, there were many speculations over the reason. One author in particular took their imagination to new heights. In this novel, Judgment was actually a woman in disguise. Through an accident, Sun found out about “her” secret, but instead of using it to take Judgment down, he kindly offered to help “her” continue along “her” chosen path. Through this shared secret, their relationship bloomed. Finally, on the day of their joyous union, Judgment wanted to be true to “herself”, and decided to don a wedding dress for “her” beloved. Sun had found this novel while he was in the library one day, and didn’t stop laughing for three days straight.
Sun likely won’t laugh anymore if he kept browsing the selection. One novel, in particular, took a dark turn. In this interpretation, Sun was the one who was secretly a woman (for some reason, this was a popular trope). In an attempt to convince the harsh and villainous Judgment to embrace the light, “she” offered “her” secret as an olive branch. Unfortunately, Sun was not as fortunate as the Judgment of the previous story. This story’s Judgment immediately took advantage of the innocent and benevolent Sun Knight. This eventually resulted in the birth of Elaro, but even a child was not enough to mend this rocky relationship. Over the years, they went through many conflicts. Manipulation, threats, fights… it was two steps forward and one step back, until the two finally reached the present day. They shared a love strengthened through many cycles of breaking and mending, along with a dash of Stockholm Syndrome. However, all was not in vain, for Judgment had eventually learned to truly embrace the path of light. As a show of his repentance and resolve, he had decided to put himself in the position of wearing the wedding dress. Despite its cruel portrayals and twisted plot points, the story was so addicting that I pulled an all-nighter to finish it, and was left disoriented for an entire day. Books are truly powerful.
However, after reading every single one of the published fictions, I found myself feeling oddly empty and unsatisfied. While every one of these stories was interesting in their own right, they were stories about the Sun Knight and Judgment Knight. The people featured in them were strangers, completely made-up characters.
Will these stories be how future generations learn about the special bond between the 38th Sun Knight and Judgment Knight?
I did not want that.
I had always felt a bit disappointed by the lack of records regarding previous generations of the Twelve Holy Knights. Aside from notable feats, the books in the church library rarely if ever held information about their personal details. That is how things are and have always been. The moment we were sworn into office, we discarded our true selves to uphold the tradition of the Twelve Holy Knights. I know that it is not reasonable to want our personal lives known, however…
However, I selfishly did not want the story of Grisia and Lesus to be lost to speculations. I did not want our story to be reduced to mere recounts of battles and achievements. I did not want the world to forget our precious bonds.
With that resolve in mind, I decided to write my own novel. After years and years of reading, it was time I put my experience to use.
Blending in with the crowd, I had an ideal vantage point from which to observe the dancing. The married couple’s first dance had concluded, and I clapped along with the others. Now that the floor was open to everyone, the band struck up an upbeat tempo. I watched as Judgment got dragged into a dance by a laughing Teacher Neo, who did not let his missing arm deter him and twirled Judgment around with his good arm. While Judgment’s complexion began to turn slightly green, Sun and Teacher Chasel danced together at a much more normal pace, their gazes following the other pair with a mix of worry and amusement.
With them setting the example, many others also made their way onto the dance floor. Earth could be seen shyly chatting up a lady with blond hair and green eyes. It did not take long before he led her to dance.
It wouldn’t do for the Earth Knight to be seen as the first to mingle, I saw Storm catch Hell’s eyes, and they moved towards each other. But before either was able to ask the other to dance, Storm’s teacher swooped in out of nowhere and whisked Storm onto the dance floor. As Hell was left blinking at the suddenly empty space in front of him, Blaze’s teacher came and patted him on the shoulder.
Speaking of Blaze, he seemed to be looking for something, his distinct red hair flitting left and right through the people. I wondered if he needed any assistance, and made my way towards him. As I approached, he suddenly spun around and grabbed me.
“Ah! Cloud! There you are!” Blaze yelled. “Man, I knew it was you when I felt a spirit-like presence behind me!”
“I’m still alive…” I mumbled. Was I that much like a ghost?
Blaze just threw his head back and laughed.
“Anyways. I was trying to find you! Ice got kidnapped by his old man again. Wanna come with me to rescue him?”
I looked around and indeed saw Ice being led to dance with his teacher. Ice’s teacher had defrosted over the years. He was speaking animatedly to Ice as they moved. Ice had a soft smile on his face; he must be happy to catch up with his teacher.
“They look like they’re having fun. We don’t need to rescue him,” I told Blaze seriously.
“Nonsense,” Blaze huffed, “this is a party! A party! We should be having fun with people our age instead of taking care of geezers! Ah, speaking of which, where is your teacher?”
“He’s at the refreshment table.”
“Huh? Really? I don’t see him.” Blaze craned his neck and squinted at the table.
“He’s right there,” I pointed out, “by the cake. It looks like he’s trying a slice of Metal’s cake.”
Blaze squinted some more.
“Gah, I give up! You have really good eyesight, Cloud. I can’t see him at all… But may the God of Light bless him. Didn’t Ice buy that record-holding hottest pepper to use in it?”
I nodded. My teacher is quite the daredevil.
I felt a tug on my arm, Blaze was pulling me towards the dance floor again.
“Come on let’s go! Ice must be dying by now!”
Any other protests I may have had were preemptively ignored, and I was pulled into the crowd.
Teacher Eller must have been in an exceptionally good mood today. He didn’t even bat an eye at the notion of Ice hanging out with the warm faction in public. Then again, given the theme of today’s main event, the public may be disappointed if we didn’t mingle.
He handed Ice off to us easily but paused for a moment to address Blaze.
“Now Chikus, have you gone to greet your teacher yet?” He asked.
“Ehh…” Blaze scratched his head, “I’m sure I said hi at some point…”
“Go talk to him.” Teacher Eller demanded, face growing cold and he rambled on. “Lanbi has been complaining my ear off about his student being stolen. I won’t have a moment of peace if I have to also listen to Fahr complain about his student ignoring him!”
“But--”
“Go.”
Unable to win against the chilling aura of the former Ice Knight, Blaze could only relent.
“Alright alright, I’ll go find him… Cloud! Ice! Don’t move from here! I’ll be back and then we gotta dance!”
With that, he rushed off.
Satisfied, Teacher Eller turned to Ice and me.
“Ah, as expected my Lan is the sweetest student. Now have fun with your friend. Teacher is going to go taste every single layer of your magnificent cake!”
“Teacher wait--”
Before Ice could finish, his teacher was gone.
It is quite impressive how every single one of our teachers is so fast, able to disappear in the blink of an eye. I wondered how this collective trait came to be… It took only a moment before the answer came to me. Of course, our teachers had spent decades with Teacher Neo. It must have been a survival of the fastest.
“....ud… Cloud?”
Ice’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. I smiled at him, and he smiled back gently.
“Cake?” He asked, taking out his notebook.
I nodded. “It’s delicious. The coconut flakes are a nice touch.”
He hummed and took notes. I’m sure I will find much more coconut in my sweets bag now. It is something nice to look forward to.
“How would you describe Sun and Judgment’s dance?” I asked, taking out my notebook.
Ice thought for a long moment.
“In sync, graceful, inspiring.”
I quickly jotted these keywords down.
“Thank you.”
Ice glanced at my notebook as I put it away.
“Which part?” He asked.
While I had been taking notes left and right, and writing down scattered scenes as fancy strikes, the official progress of my novel was slow going. After weeks of writing, I feel like I’ve barely even begun.
“The date.” I sighed.
I did not have to specify which date, for there was only one Official Date that Sun and Judgment went on, and it was as much of an important milestone in their relationship’s development as it was an ordeal for everyone involved.
Everyone ended up involved.
The gist of the story went like this: A few weeks after they had gotten together, Judgment began to plan out the first date for himself and Sun. However, the logistics of the date proved to be a major issue. The Sun Knight and Judgment Knight couldn’t be seen casually going on a date in public. It was also impossible to seek privacy by picking a location outside the city, for then they’d have to take the rest of us along, and nobody wanted that. Fortunately, Judgment was able to work something out with Ice’s help, and ended up arranging for their date to take place in Ice’s father’s bakery. Unfortunately, even though Ice’s father had closed the bakery to provide a private space that day, Judgment and Sun were still spotted. In the end, Sun had to make up some excuse on the spot about how they were merely conducting joint inspections on local shops.
To play along with Sun’s excuse lest suspicions are raised, the rest of us had to quickly put together an inspection schedule, and partner up to conduct these completely unplanned investigations. Amidst the busyness that ensued, neither Sun nor Judgment were in a good mood. Though eventually, they returned to normal, they never tried to go on dates outside the temple after that incident.
“I’m stuck on how to wrap this part up.” I confided to Ice. “I don’t know what exactly happened after that first date failed, or how they resolved the conflict…”
Ice nodded in understanding.
“Father said that they both looked upset when they left.” He supplied helpfully in a quiet voice so that the people around us wouldn’t overhear the Ice Knight speaking so much. “From what Lesus told me later, they were both unhappy about not being able to be friendly in public.”
I quickly wrote this down.
“Is that why they gave up on dates?”
“Not quite, they just had dates inside. In their rooms or the Judgment Complex bathroom.”
“What are we talking about?”
That last question wasn’t from me. Ice and I both turned, and greeted the owner of the new voice.
“Storm.” Ice gave him a nod.
“Weren’t you just dancing with Hell?” I asked. I had seen them on the dance floor just a minute ago.
“Ah, Roland’s dancing with his teacher now.” Storm replied with amusement. “I think he got it in his head that dancing with your teacher is mandatory.”
We looked, and sure enough, Hell was leading his teacher in a slow dance. It was a strangely solemn picture.
“Anyways!” Storm spoke to us eagerly, “What were you chatting about? I heard something about dates and the Judgment Complex bathroom.”
Storm’s gossip senses were on point as always. Knowing that it would be futile to try and deter Storm, Ice and I quickly filled him in on the topic.
“Ah… The Date Incident.” Storm mumbled darkly. “We got so many inquiries from the local stops about inspections! I didn’t sleep for a week because of it. Seriously, with his scheming skills couldn’t Sun have come up with a better excuse?”
“Sun was upset.” Ice spoke in Sun’s defense. I agreed.
“It must have been hard, not being able to go on proper dates.”
To our surprise, Storm only scoffed.
“No no, did you guys forget what a hermit Sun is? He wasn’t upset about the date. He was more hung up on the fact that Judgment was too busy for him- both in the days leading up to the date and afterward.”
“Really?” I asked, Ice’s eyes were wide as well.
“Mhm.” Storm nodded proudly and rambled on. “Roland overheard them talking back then. Sun got all huffy at Judgment and told him that planning a date isn’t worth him spending so much time over. One date in exchange for days being too busy to see each other is a stupid deal. He just wanted to spend time with Judgment comfortably. But of course, Sun’s too repressed to just confess all that himself. That’s why they were so weird around each other for a while, then Judgment got fed up and bullied Sun into admitting all that.”
Before we could react to Storm’s words, a new voice chimed in.
“Sheesh, Sun has no sense of romance!”
Moon sauntered over to us. Metal was with him as well.
“Doesn’t he understand that a date is an art form; and that every little detail is a love poem?”
“Yeah!” Metal added indignantly. “Our Captain Judgment worked so hard on that date. He even consulted all of our platoon members with girlfriends to gather information!”
“A-Are we talking about that Date Disaster?”
Earth and Leaf approached us as well, both of them were holding cake plates. After paying their compliments to Ice for the cake, they too joined in the discussion.
“I-if you ask me, Judgment was definitely at fault. No matter how much Sun looks like a girl, we shouldn’t forget that he’s totally a species of his own. Normal plans won’t work for him.”
His words were met with nods all around. Though whether people were nodding about Judgment being at fault, or about Sun being a different species, I did not know.
“But… it still must have been uncomfortable to not have the option to go out…” Leaf mused with a worried frown. “Do you think that’s why they decided to marry so publicly?”
“Ah, the God of Light’s mercy knows no limits, Sun is so kindly blessed by the presence of his brothers. What a joyous coincidence to see the God of Light’s children bathing together in His benevolence. Sun is humbled that his brothers are so diligently holding counsel over the God of Light’s shining teachings. May Sun inquire though, what holy epiphanies have his brothers arrived at as they pray among His lambs?”
All of us froze and regarded the latest newcomer in trepidation.
“....... What did he just say?” Metal whispered.
“He wants to know why we’re gossiping in public.” Storm mumbled.
Sun smiled at us blindingly. Yet I felt a chill.
“May Sun share with his esteemed brothers the glorious achievements of Brother Stone? He has been working tirelessly under the guidance of the most merciful God of Light, spreading his teachings far and wide with the utmost devotion. Sun cannot help but lament that he is not doing more under the God of Light’s benevolence. May the ever so benevolent God of Light forgive His children's sins.”
“Look at Stone, he’s busy being a diplomat. We should be more like Stone.” Storm translated.
Sure enough, Stone could be seen holding what looked to be an amicable conversation with the royal knight Elijah and the Silent Eagle Awaitsun.
“The God of Light’s benevolence--”
“Stop! That’s enough!” Storm stopped Sun before he could get any further. “I get it, I’ll go entertain some guests. Just please stop talking.”
Sun beamed beautifully and nodded. Storm quickly ran off.
With our translator Storm gone, everyone quickly fled in different directions. Soon, only Ice and I remained.
“Seriously, what are we, the 12 Gossiping Knights?” Sun huffed at everyone’s backs, voice lowered so only Ice and I could hear his plain and not at all elegant words.
“Congratulations,” I said, hoping to change the subject.
“Ack! Didi, you’re here too?” Sun jumped. “Don’t tell me you’ve also been gossiping. Don’t succumb to their bad influence!”
“Judgment?” Ice asked. I gave him a grateful look. I didn’t know how to explain to Sun that gossip was valuable research.
“He’s in the bathroom… Teacher did a number on him. Speaking of which I should go check on him… We haven't finished preparing the bouquet to chuck yet…”
Thoroughly distracted, Sun left as quickly as he came.
Once again, Ice and I were by ourselves. The comfortable quietness was a welcome change.
“Enough notes?” Ice turned to me.
I nodded happily. With the information gathered just now, I would have no problems finishing this arc of the novel.
“Hey! You guys are still here! Awesome!”
A booming voice caught both of our attention, Blaze was back. He rushed over to us and swung his arms over our shoulders.
“Sorry for making you guys wait. That old man of mine sure can nag! Let’s go dancing now!”
Ice and I shared a small smile, and let ourselves be pulled onto the dance floor.
to be continued
Kiyutsuna: A fast update! YAY! /o/~~~
Lucathia: The saga continues, and Cloud is ready to challenge us with fic writing! Two chapters left. Any guesses who the next character is? I've been looking forward to this! This entry was originally posted at https://lucathia.dreamwidth.org/369984.html. You can comment here or there.
Fandom: The Legend of Sun Knight
Words: 3,458
Summary: Sun and Judgment are getting married. The "why" and "how" really aren't that important right now. For this is not a story about their romance; this is the story of us observers. Yes, we, the underappreciated observers of this whole spectacle who did 99% of the work, and only received a slice of wedding cake in return. Grisia/Lesus, Ceo/Roland
Notes: Co-written with kiyutsuna. Odd chapters are hers. Even chapters are mine! All illustrations are done by kiyutsuna.
Slice 17: The Twelve Gossiping Knights
Cloud
As the band played the opening notes to a slow dance number, our shining newlyweds made their way to the dance floor. The crowd parted for them eagerly, then hovered around the hall, necks stretched like hungry baby birds. A hush descended; the only sounds remaining were the music, and the soft footsteps as two dancers glided over the floor, moving as one. It was as if everyone had forgotten how to breathe, having been completely captured by the performance. There was magic in the air, and nobody dared to interrupt it in any way.
Their figures spun and twirled expertly. Neither seemed to be leading, yet their steps never showed any hesitance. White and black blended together seamlessly, a union of light and darkness, a meeting of day and night…
Hmm, perhaps that description is slightly overboard for just a dance.
I tilted my head, studying Sun and Judgment’s dance closely. They truly looked amazing together. The choreography of their first dance wasn’t an easy one. I should do some research on dancing if I want to do it justice with my words. It seems that no matter how many books one reads, writing your own is another matter entirely.
When Sun and Judgment went public with their relationship, it became the hottest topic and trended overnight. As a result, many novels inspired by their story were published in a matter of mere weeks. The Holy Temple ended up acquiring copies of all of them through donations. Perhaps the publishers wanted canonical approval? Regardless of the reasons, I had an abundance of reading material for the duration of the wedding preparations. It was fortunate since I found myself with no particular task assigned to me even as the others bustled about. Of course, I tried my best to offer help wherever possible, but more often than not I was left to my own devices. With the extra free time, I was able to devour all of the new novels in my little corner of the library.
The authors of Leaf Bud were both talented and creative. There were so many varieties of Sun and Judgment’s love story, each one more fantastical than the last.
In one story, they were sworn enemies who often crossed swords in private. Their burning hatred for each other led to both seeking the other out day after day, year after year. Until one day, in the middle of a fight, the line between hate and love blurred, and they fell into a passionate love affair. The author was very skilled at describing sword-fighting scenes. Judgment may enjoy reading it.
Another story chose to focus on the wedding. After it became known that Judgment was to wear the wedding dress, there were many speculations over the reason. One author in particular took their imagination to new heights. In this novel, Judgment was actually a woman in disguise. Through an accident, Sun found out about “her” secret, but instead of using it to take Judgment down, he kindly offered to help “her” continue along “her” chosen path. Through this shared secret, their relationship bloomed. Finally, on the day of their joyous union, Judgment wanted to be true to “herself”, and decided to don a wedding dress for “her” beloved. Sun had found this novel while he was in the library one day, and didn’t stop laughing for three days straight.
Sun likely won’t laugh anymore if he kept browsing the selection. One novel, in particular, took a dark turn. In this interpretation, Sun was the one who was secretly a woman (for some reason, this was a popular trope). In an attempt to convince the harsh and villainous Judgment to embrace the light, “she” offered “her” secret as an olive branch. Unfortunately, Sun was not as fortunate as the Judgment of the previous story. This story’s Judgment immediately took advantage of the innocent and benevolent Sun Knight. This eventually resulted in the birth of Elaro, but even a child was not enough to mend this rocky relationship. Over the years, they went through many conflicts. Manipulation, threats, fights… it was two steps forward and one step back, until the two finally reached the present day. They shared a love strengthened through many cycles of breaking and mending, along with a dash of Stockholm Syndrome. However, all was not in vain, for Judgment had eventually learned to truly embrace the path of light. As a show of his repentance and resolve, he had decided to put himself in the position of wearing the wedding dress. Despite its cruel portrayals and twisted plot points, the story was so addicting that I pulled an all-nighter to finish it, and was left disoriented for an entire day. Books are truly powerful.
However, after reading every single one of the published fictions, I found myself feeling oddly empty and unsatisfied. While every one of these stories was interesting in their own right, they were stories about the Sun Knight and Judgment Knight. The people featured in them were strangers, completely made-up characters.
Will these stories be how future generations learn about the special bond between the 38th Sun Knight and Judgment Knight?
I did not want that.
I had always felt a bit disappointed by the lack of records regarding previous generations of the Twelve Holy Knights. Aside from notable feats, the books in the church library rarely if ever held information about their personal details. That is how things are and have always been. The moment we were sworn into office, we discarded our true selves to uphold the tradition of the Twelve Holy Knights. I know that it is not reasonable to want our personal lives known, however…
However, I selfishly did not want the story of Grisia and Lesus to be lost to speculations. I did not want our story to be reduced to mere recounts of battles and achievements. I did not want the world to forget our precious bonds.
With that resolve in mind, I decided to write my own novel. After years and years of reading, it was time I put my experience to use.
Blending in with the crowd, I had an ideal vantage point from which to observe the dancing. The married couple’s first dance had concluded, and I clapped along with the others. Now that the floor was open to everyone, the band struck up an upbeat tempo. I watched as Judgment got dragged into a dance by a laughing Teacher Neo, who did not let his missing arm deter him and twirled Judgment around with his good arm. While Judgment’s complexion began to turn slightly green, Sun and Teacher Chasel danced together at a much more normal pace, their gazes following the other pair with a mix of worry and amusement.
With them setting the example, many others also made their way onto the dance floor. Earth could be seen shyly chatting up a lady with blond hair and green eyes. It did not take long before he led her to dance.
It wouldn’t do for the Earth Knight to be seen as the first to mingle, I saw Storm catch Hell’s eyes, and they moved towards each other. But before either was able to ask the other to dance, Storm’s teacher swooped in out of nowhere and whisked Storm onto the dance floor. As Hell was left blinking at the suddenly empty space in front of him, Blaze’s teacher came and patted him on the shoulder.
Speaking of Blaze, he seemed to be looking for something, his distinct red hair flitting left and right through the people. I wondered if he needed any assistance, and made my way towards him. As I approached, he suddenly spun around and grabbed me.
“Ah! Cloud! There you are!” Blaze yelled. “Man, I knew it was you when I felt a spirit-like presence behind me!”
“I’m still alive…” I mumbled. Was I that much like a ghost?
Blaze just threw his head back and laughed.
“Anyways. I was trying to find you! Ice got kidnapped by his old man again. Wanna come with me to rescue him?”
I looked around and indeed saw Ice being led to dance with his teacher. Ice’s teacher had defrosted over the years. He was speaking animatedly to Ice as they moved. Ice had a soft smile on his face; he must be happy to catch up with his teacher.
“They look like they’re having fun. We don’t need to rescue him,” I told Blaze seriously.
“Nonsense,” Blaze huffed, “this is a party! A party! We should be having fun with people our age instead of taking care of geezers! Ah, speaking of which, where is your teacher?”
“He’s at the refreshment table.”
“Huh? Really? I don’t see him.” Blaze craned his neck and squinted at the table.
“He’s right there,” I pointed out, “by the cake. It looks like he’s trying a slice of Metal’s cake.”
Blaze squinted some more.
“Gah, I give up! You have really good eyesight, Cloud. I can’t see him at all… But may the God of Light bless him. Didn’t Ice buy that record-holding hottest pepper to use in it?”
I nodded. My teacher is quite the daredevil.
I felt a tug on my arm, Blaze was pulling me towards the dance floor again.
“Come on let’s go! Ice must be dying by now!”
Any other protests I may have had were preemptively ignored, and I was pulled into the crowd.
Teacher Eller must have been in an exceptionally good mood today. He didn’t even bat an eye at the notion of Ice hanging out with the warm faction in public. Then again, given the theme of today’s main event, the public may be disappointed if we didn’t mingle.
He handed Ice off to us easily but paused for a moment to address Blaze.
“Now Chikus, have you gone to greet your teacher yet?” He asked.
“Ehh…” Blaze scratched his head, “I’m sure I said hi at some point…”
“Go talk to him.” Teacher Eller demanded, face growing cold and he rambled on. “Lanbi has been complaining my ear off about his student being stolen. I won’t have a moment of peace if I have to also listen to Fahr complain about his student ignoring him!”
“But--”
“Go.”
Unable to win against the chilling aura of the former Ice Knight, Blaze could only relent.
“Alright alright, I’ll go find him… Cloud! Ice! Don’t move from here! I’ll be back and then we gotta dance!”
With that, he rushed off.
Satisfied, Teacher Eller turned to Ice and me.
“Ah, as expected my Lan is the sweetest student. Now have fun with your friend. Teacher is going to go taste every single layer of your magnificent cake!”
“Teacher wait--”
Before Ice could finish, his teacher was gone.
It is quite impressive how every single one of our teachers is so fast, able to disappear in the blink of an eye. I wondered how this collective trait came to be… It took only a moment before the answer came to me. Of course, our teachers had spent decades with Teacher Neo. It must have been a survival of the fastest.
“....ud… Cloud?”
Ice’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. I smiled at him, and he smiled back gently.
“Cake?” He asked, taking out his notebook.
I nodded. “It’s delicious. The coconut flakes are a nice touch.”
He hummed and took notes. I’m sure I will find much more coconut in my sweets bag now. It is something nice to look forward to.
“How would you describe Sun and Judgment’s dance?” I asked, taking out my notebook.
Ice thought for a long moment.
“In sync, graceful, inspiring.”
I quickly jotted these keywords down.
“Thank you.”
Ice glanced at my notebook as I put it away.
“Which part?” He asked.
While I had been taking notes left and right, and writing down scattered scenes as fancy strikes, the official progress of my novel was slow going. After weeks of writing, I feel like I’ve barely even begun.
“The date.” I sighed.
I did not have to specify which date, for there was only one Official Date that Sun and Judgment went on, and it was as much of an important milestone in their relationship’s development as it was an ordeal for everyone involved.
Everyone ended up involved.
The gist of the story went like this: A few weeks after they had gotten together, Judgment began to plan out the first date for himself and Sun. However, the logistics of the date proved to be a major issue. The Sun Knight and Judgment Knight couldn’t be seen casually going on a date in public. It was also impossible to seek privacy by picking a location outside the city, for then they’d have to take the rest of us along, and nobody wanted that. Fortunately, Judgment was able to work something out with Ice’s help, and ended up arranging for their date to take place in Ice’s father’s bakery. Unfortunately, even though Ice’s father had closed the bakery to provide a private space that day, Judgment and Sun were still spotted. In the end, Sun had to make up some excuse on the spot about how they were merely conducting joint inspections on local shops.
To play along with Sun’s excuse lest suspicions are raised, the rest of us had to quickly put together an inspection schedule, and partner up to conduct these completely unplanned investigations. Amidst the busyness that ensued, neither Sun nor Judgment were in a good mood. Though eventually, they returned to normal, they never tried to go on dates outside the temple after that incident.
“I’m stuck on how to wrap this part up.” I confided to Ice. “I don’t know what exactly happened after that first date failed, or how they resolved the conflict…”
Ice nodded in understanding.
“Father said that they both looked upset when they left.” He supplied helpfully in a quiet voice so that the people around us wouldn’t overhear the Ice Knight speaking so much. “From what Lesus told me later, they were both unhappy about not being able to be friendly in public.”
I quickly wrote this down.
“Is that why they gave up on dates?”
“Not quite, they just had dates inside. In their rooms or the Judgment Complex bathroom.”
“What are we talking about?”
That last question wasn’t from me. Ice and I both turned, and greeted the owner of the new voice.
“Storm.” Ice gave him a nod.
“Weren’t you just dancing with Hell?” I asked. I had seen them on the dance floor just a minute ago.
“Ah, Roland’s dancing with his teacher now.” Storm replied with amusement. “I think he got it in his head that dancing with your teacher is mandatory.”
We looked, and sure enough, Hell was leading his teacher in a slow dance. It was a strangely solemn picture.
“Anyways!” Storm spoke to us eagerly, “What were you chatting about? I heard something about dates and the Judgment Complex bathroom.”
Storm’s gossip senses were on point as always. Knowing that it would be futile to try and deter Storm, Ice and I quickly filled him in on the topic.
“Ah… The Date Incident.” Storm mumbled darkly. “We got so many inquiries from the local stops about inspections! I didn’t sleep for a week because of it. Seriously, with his scheming skills couldn’t Sun have come up with a better excuse?”
“Sun was upset.” Ice spoke in Sun’s defense. I agreed.
“It must have been hard, not being able to go on proper dates.”
To our surprise, Storm only scoffed.
“No no, did you guys forget what a hermit Sun is? He wasn’t upset about the date. He was more hung up on the fact that Judgment was too busy for him- both in the days leading up to the date and afterward.”
“Really?” I asked, Ice’s eyes were wide as well.
“Mhm.” Storm nodded proudly and rambled on. “Roland overheard them talking back then. Sun got all huffy at Judgment and told him that planning a date isn’t worth him spending so much time over. One date in exchange for days being too busy to see each other is a stupid deal. He just wanted to spend time with Judgment comfortably. But of course, Sun’s too repressed to just confess all that himself. That’s why they were so weird around each other for a while, then Judgment got fed up and bullied Sun into admitting all that.”
Before we could react to Storm’s words, a new voice chimed in.
“Sheesh, Sun has no sense of romance!”
Moon sauntered over to us. Metal was with him as well.
“Doesn’t he understand that a date is an art form; and that every little detail is a love poem?”
“Yeah!” Metal added indignantly. “Our Captain Judgment worked so hard on that date. He even consulted all of our platoon members with girlfriends to gather information!”
“A-Are we talking about that Date Disaster?”
Earth and Leaf approached us as well, both of them were holding cake plates. After paying their compliments to Ice for the cake, they too joined in the discussion.
“I-if you ask me, Judgment was definitely at fault. No matter how much Sun looks like a girl, we shouldn’t forget that he’s totally a species of his own. Normal plans won’t work for him.”
His words were met with nods all around. Though whether people were nodding about Judgment being at fault, or about Sun being a different species, I did not know.
“But… it still must have been uncomfortable to not have the option to go out…” Leaf mused with a worried frown. “Do you think that’s why they decided to marry so publicly?”
“Ah, the God of Light’s mercy knows no limits, Sun is so kindly blessed by the presence of his brothers. What a joyous coincidence to see the God of Light’s children bathing together in His benevolence. Sun is humbled that his brothers are so diligently holding counsel over the God of Light’s shining teachings. May Sun inquire though, what holy epiphanies have his brothers arrived at as they pray among His lambs?”
All of us froze and regarded the latest newcomer in trepidation.
“....... What did he just say?” Metal whispered.
“He wants to know why we’re gossiping in public.” Storm mumbled.
Sun smiled at us blindingly. Yet I felt a chill.
“May Sun share with his esteemed brothers the glorious achievements of Brother Stone? He has been working tirelessly under the guidance of the most merciful God of Light, spreading his teachings far and wide with the utmost devotion. Sun cannot help but lament that he is not doing more under the God of Light’s benevolence. May the ever so benevolent God of Light forgive His children's sins.”
“Look at Stone, he’s busy being a diplomat. We should be more like Stone.” Storm translated.
Sure enough, Stone could be seen holding what looked to be an amicable conversation with the royal knight Elijah and the Silent Eagle Awaitsun.
“The God of Light’s benevolence--”
“Stop! That’s enough!” Storm stopped Sun before he could get any further. “I get it, I’ll go entertain some guests. Just please stop talking.”
Sun beamed beautifully and nodded. Storm quickly ran off.
With our translator Storm gone, everyone quickly fled in different directions. Soon, only Ice and I remained.
“Seriously, what are we, the 12 Gossiping Knights?” Sun huffed at everyone’s backs, voice lowered so only Ice and I could hear his plain and not at all elegant words.
“Congratulations,” I said, hoping to change the subject.
“Ack! Didi, you’re here too?” Sun jumped. “Don’t tell me you’ve also been gossiping. Don’t succumb to their bad influence!”
“Judgment?” Ice asked. I gave him a grateful look. I didn’t know how to explain to Sun that gossip was valuable research.
“He’s in the bathroom… Teacher did a number on him. Speaking of which I should go check on him… We haven't finished preparing the bouquet to chuck yet…”
Thoroughly distracted, Sun left as quickly as he came.
Once again, Ice and I were by ourselves. The comfortable quietness was a welcome change.
“Enough notes?” Ice turned to me.
I nodded happily. With the information gathered just now, I would have no problems finishing this arc of the novel.
“Hey! You guys are still here! Awesome!”
A booming voice caught both of our attention, Blaze was back. He rushed over to us and swung his arms over our shoulders.
“Sorry for making you guys wait. That old man of mine sure can nag! Let’s go dancing now!”
Ice and I shared a small smile, and let ourselves be pulled onto the dance floor.
to be continued
Kiyutsuna: A fast update! YAY! /o/~~~
Lucathia: The saga continues, and Cloud is ready to challenge us with fic writing! Two chapters left. Any guesses who the next character is? I've been looking forward to this! This entry was originally posted at https://lucathia.dreamwidth.org/369984.html. You can comment here or there.