Night. The night was already here, feeding the world its darkness. The darkness covered everything...from the trees to the ground to even the sun. The last sunlight shone brightly suddenly like it was trying to struggle, to escape the darkness but at last, the sun lost and the darkness ate everything. A young centaur sat on the ground, leaning against a tree, watching the night became the victor as it defeated the daylight without even trying. His green eyes watched everything calmly. It was a beautiful afternoon. He didn't move, his eyes unblinking like they were hypnotized by the sheer beauty of the dark. The centaur's name was Chiron.
Sighing heavily, Chiron looked up as the night gale tossed his white hair playfully. However, he was in no mood to play with it. He had just come back from the Elder Mountain. That was it. He was chosen. He should have been happy. It was his wish, his desire. He wanted to be chosen for this mission, going as far as volunteering themselves when none of the others wanted to do it. Even so, sitting here and remembering the Elders' last words, Chiron found himself unable to even feel a flicker of happiness. He had done it, signing his own death. There was no way he could come back. Hundreds of others had gone before him, none of them had come back... at least, none of them had come back sane. Whatever would happen, Chiron didn't know but there was only one thing he knew for sure: he would find that book or die trying. His mental illness had brought shame not only to himself but to his clan in general. What kind of centaurs had Multiple Personalities Disorder? The centaurs were praised for their emotional stability. He was supposed to be their rising star. A General, a fighting genius, not a patient!
Subconsciously clenching his hands into fists, Chiron let a bitter glint appear on his emerald eyes. 'It's not fair! Fate is not fair!' He turned his head to take a good look at his village. This was his home, where his heart was truly belonged to. Never had the future looked so gloomy. Would he be able to make it or would he, like everyone before him, die trying? Did he even know where to begin. Sighing again, his lips became a thin line. He wouldn't let this stop him. He would- 'Stop brooding, tight ass and get up! I want ta kill someone!' A mental voice interrupted his train of thoughts rudely. It looked like Undertaker had heard what Chiron had thought. 'Damn right I am, you fucker. If you fear dying so much, let me take over... You won't have to do anything else!' Undertaker whispered in his mind in a sweet voice that was intended to be seductive and tempting but it came out just devious and cruel. 'The day I'm letting you out willingly is the day when Hell has frozen over' Chiron shot back sharply.
'Besides, why should the first persona let you out while I can take over his position perfectly fine?' Another voice in his head continued Chiron's sentence smoothly, his emotionless voice was haunting and curt. 'Emo! How nice of you to join us,' Undertaker said sarcastically and Chiron could imagine a devious version of himself rolling his eyes. 'Yeah, right... You will make a perfect replacement, alright. Let's imagine, a centaur goes around and says "I do not believe this..." or "I do not believe that", "this course of actions is the best right at this moment". That's right, Emo, you will blend in just fine...' Undertaker argued, mentally kicking the little emotionless version of Chiron into a corner. 'Look at me. I can be you, tight ass. Maybe I can even get laid...you want that, don't you?' Chiron groaned and massaged his forehead. Already had he felt a headache coming. 'Enough, Undertaker, Emotionless, neither of you are going to take over me any time soon.' He said and that was final.
'But, tight ass, I can-'
'First persona, surely you can see the logic in-'
'I said no. Please be quiet, you two are giving me a headache.' Chiron ended the disagreement with a wave of his hand. 'Of course, first persona.' Emotionless Chiron was the first one to recover from the interruption and he agreed, albeit reluctantly. 'Whatever, tight ass... Don't think you're in charge of me forever. Sooner or later, you will slip and I will take over you...' Undertaker warned, growling dangerously. However, growing too used to Undertaker's threats by now, the young centaur just brushed it off. 'I will wait for that day then...' Finally regaining some resemblances of peace, Chiron let his mind wander again. A particular memory resurfaced as Chiron smiled warmly and remembered it.
"- absolutely not! I will not allow you to go on this suicide mission!" A hand slammed on the table harshly, a loud voice interrupted all Chiron's reasoning. Chiron along with his stepfather and mother were in the living room with Chiron just delivered the news that he wanted to volunteer to go find the missing book. "Father, please understand, I must-" Chiron tried again but his stepfather cut him off again "No, you don't have to do anything like that. No one who went to this quest came back sane! Sometimes, they didn't even come back at all! I can't allow you to go like that."
"Please just listen for a minute what I have to say, Father!" Chiron begged and watched as his father, lips thinned into a white line, said curtly "Say it then, son... I'm listening." Chiron took a deep breath and said calmly "Our kin has always been proud of our mental stability, Father...I'm also one of our kind and I'm proud of it, too...until one day, it has been taken away from me!" He said, running a hand across his face. "I don't need anyone to tell me that but I know I bring shame on myself and on our clan as well as the centaur kin in general..."
"Honey, that isn't true... We are proud of you because you are so brave, because you fight your sickness until today... If anything, you bring joy to us by showing your inner strength" Chiron's mother said, putting a hand on his chin. She was a kind woman with black hair and long eyelashes. In her hands held a tiny bundle of Chiron's half-brother, Tyr. The woman's whisper carried with it unconditioned support, the kind of support that made people tear up and break even the strongest person's heart. "...Mom..." Chiron breathed. He then steeled himself and continued strongly, holding the woman's hand in his hand. "...I'm sorry but my mind is set this time...I will either find the book or die trying. Nothing you two say will change my mind" He said in determination.
"Honey, please don't go... We can help you, we can provide you with food and clothes and money... I won't be able to take it if another one of my love ones goes out like this..." His mother continued pleadingly and Chiron's stepfather nodded. "That's correct, son. Our clan is not poor... We can-" Chiron waved his hand and frowned "Please Father, Mom... You will not be able to stay with me forever. There will be a time when I have to stand and walk on my own two feet" His mother tried again one last time "We know...but surely, surely it isn't now" Chiron agreed "...I know it doesn't have to be now but this is my decision, right or wrong, I will take full responsibility for whatever will happen..." He bowed low and spoke again "...Father, Mom... I'll go and see the Elders now... I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive this son one day for what he will foolishly do." He turned his head and walked out of the living, a single destination in his mind.
"Mom, Father... I...I have been chosen" Chiron said hesitantly, breaking the news to both of his parents. His stepfather looked up and spoke calmly, still not loosing his cool "...So I have heard..." His mother just sent Chiron a look - a mixture of pride and sadness like she was proud of him because of what he had done but also wished he hadn't done it. Knowing his mother, it was probably exactly because of that. "...What do your... inner selves think?" His father suddenly asked, the question threw Chiron out of the loop. It wasn't common that his parents talked about his 'inner selves'. Normally, they would just pretend he was completely sane.
'What do you two think about this? Mom and Father want to know...' Chiron mentally asked and he immediately received two different answers 'I say Hell yeah...Motherfucker, here I come' Undertaker's answer came first, impulsive and potty-mouthed as ever. Emotionless' answer came in later, calm and slow 'I understand the objective of this mission, first persona... I am willing to go' Chiron looked up and took a deep breath "We all want to go, Father... Even my second persona wants to partake in this" He said carefully. "...I see..." The older centaur nodded and stood up "I hope you will change your mind, son... There's still time for you to decide that. In time, you will realize that you have no reason to do this." He said and walked out of the room "...When you have re-thought about your mission, come to me..." His mother shot Chiron another look and hurriedly stood up to chase after Chiron, leaving the young centaur alone in the dark room.
"-re, brother" A childish voice called, pulling Chiron out of his memories. The centaur looked up to see his younger brother - Thor ran to him. Thor had taken after his Mother instead of father. With long black hair and eyelashes, the little kiddo would be a lady-killer one day. He could only hope he would be able to live until the day he saw it. Belatedly noticed that he had let his guard down enough that he couldn't even detect his brother, Chiron cursed himself 'Stupid Chiron, you forgot Dad's first lesson... A warrior is always aware of his/her surrounding' Thor sat down next to him and flashed Chiron a grin. "Wow, you must have been really distracted, eh? I can't never sneak up on you..." His chest puffed out proudly "Or maybe I'm just getting better"
Chiron chuckled and flicked Thor's forehead, earning a cute pout from his younger brother. "Now, now, kiddo... don't get a big head. You will still need ten years or so to beat this brother of yours..." Thor covered his forehead with his hand and yelled, face red "Big brother! Don't do that!" He then looked at Chiron curiously, his bright green eyes shone with confusion "...But... why are you here, brother?" Chiron just gave a small huh sound and looked at the darkened sky "...Well, nothing much, I'm just thinking about a few thing" He answered vaguely. Thor snickered and commented cheekily "You? Thinking about something? That's a first." Chiron turned his head and smiled fondly at his brother "...Cheeky brat... don't make fun of your brother..." The older of the two paused and then asked "Why are you here, kiddo? Are Mom and Father looking for me?"
"...Brother! Don't call Mama and Papa 'Mom and Father', it sounds weird!" Thor scowled and then sobered quickly "...No, Mama and Papa didn't send me here... I came here on my own" He paused and then looked up "...Brother, do you have to leave? Papa... papa told me that you would be sent on that mission..." Then, the puppy eyes came out, full effect. "...Please don't go, big brother. I don't want to be alone" Chiron cursed his own soft heart as he nearly broke under those adorable eyes of his brother "...Kiddo, don't make this harder than this already is... You know fully well why I want to do this..." Thor still looked unconvinced "I thought you were joking!" He exclaimed, gripping his brother's right arm tightly "Please, pretty please with a cheery on top as well as rainbow, sunshine and everything nice... don't go..." The younger centaur begged, not wanting to let his brother go.
'What am I supposed to do?' Chiron asked in panic. He could feel his resolve breaking and he had to go. He couldn't stay. 'Tight ass, leave it to me... Let me take over for a sec, I will sort this mess out, you useless centaur' Undertaker said suddenly. Chiron frowned 'No, Undertaker... I won't allow you to hurt my little brother' The third persona of Chiron just scowled and said defensively 'He's my brother, too, ya know...Make room, tight ass... I will talk to him directly. It's not like I haven't done this before...' Chiron hesitated 'Should I?' He asked himself but Emotionless answered it for him 'Do not worry, first persona. I will hold him back if he does anything... unfavorable.' Chiron nodded and sighed 'Counting on you, Emotionless...'[/color] He closed his eyes and felt his control slip to allow Undertaker took over.
Undertaker blinked as he felt the wind played with his hair. It had been damned long since he had been released, he almost forgot how awesome it felt to be free "Hello, brat... Long time no see, eh? Did I just hear something about you not wanting me to go on this awesome mission?" Thor blinked and asked in surprise "...Undertaker? Where's my brother, where's Chiron?" Undertaker gave him a mocked hurt look and ruffled Thor's head "Oi, what do you mean by that? Chiron is your brother and so, by default, I'm your brother, too, brat" He laughed, a loud, shrieking sound that made Thor covered his ears in pain.
"Whatever, brat... the thing is, tight ass, that's the big man here in case you don't understand, can't fight that stupid puppy dog eyes of yours so I have ta go out and settle this thing once and for all." He snorted and continued, pertended not to notice that he had had Thor's full attention "...I'm not a man of second chances... Hell, there are three people in this head and two of them don't like second chances, either...Of course, the other one is Emo but whatever. The thing is, I don't like second chances and so, I don't like giving them to anyone, me included. This is my first and final chance so I will stick with it"
"...I see..." Thor said sadly. He whispered "Could I... could I talk to my brother then, Chiron, I mean..." He hastily corrected, not wanting to be ruffled one more time. "Cheeky little brat, no respect for the elder..." Undertaker grumbled but retreated, allowing Chiron to take over again. "You know, kiddo, Undertaker must love you more than you think... I don't think he has ever retreated on his own before..." Chiron smiled sadly and patted his little brother's head. He continued after a brief pause "Anyway, it's late already, let's go back to our house, kiddo, our parents are worrying a lot..." He stood up and pulled Thor to his feet. "Come on, let's go home" The image of a smiling Chiron was too much for Thor and he hastily wiped a tear, running toward his brother and held him tight "Okay" He said shyly and the two brother walked home. Behind them, the sky turned black. The night was fully here but for some reasons, Chiron didn't find it so sad anymore
Time flied and soon, it was the day when Chiron had to go. In the short time he spent with his family, never had Chiron felt the love of them so much like this. Sometimes, his mother would send him worried look and silently place another thing that he had forgotten in his own backpack for him. Other times, his father would give him tiny bits of information about the world, the other kind and there was that one time, on his desk, there had been a book containing the information about the book he had to searched. Little actions here, little gestures there were enough to push Chiron insane. He felt terribly guilty but he couldn't back down, not now, not ever. And so, when the day arrived, he had stood in front of his parents - his biological mother - the one and only that he called Mom, the woman who had to endure too much just for his sake and his stepfather - his father in everything but blood. While he would never be able to replace his biological Father, the only man he ever called dad, this man was a close second.
"This is it, Mom, Father... I... It's time to say goodbye" He said, for some reasons, his throat was so tight he couldn't speak without choking. Yesterday, he had thought about so many things to say, to thank them for all their support but now, standing in front of his whole family, he couldn't speak a word. Even his alter egos were oddly quiet. "Honey, take care of yourself, okay?" Chiron's mother whispered, giving him a kiss on the forehead. For the first time, Chiron realized he had grown up. He still remembered the day when his mother had to bend down to give him a kiss but now, now he was taller than her. He choked "...I will, Mom, I will... I'll miss you a lot..."
He turned to face his father, the man's blank face cracked when he opened his mouth "...Son, just remember, whatever happens, always know that we are... we are proud of you. Even if you can't come back or come back but not...you anymore, or you can't find the book, we will still love you with all our hearts." He patted Chiron's shoulder and continued, a tear ran down his face "For our sake, son, come back sane, okay?" He hugged Chiron and Chiron's arms wrapped around the rough shoulder, his voice broke "...I will, Papa, I will..."
Kneeling down to face his brother, Chiron let out a shaky laugh. His brother's face was covered with tears but the little boy still covered it, ashamed that he was crying. "...Hey there, kiddo, now, now... Don't cover your face like that...You have to look at your brother at least, okay?" Thor looked up and sobbed "But I cry, that's weak..." Chiron waved his hand dismissively "Nonsense, little brother, a strong centaur isn't a centaur who doesn't know how to cry, a strong centaur is the centaur who knows how to use his own heart..." He wiped his brother's face with his thumb and flicked his forehead. "Take care of Tyr while I'm gone, okay? When I come back, I expect you to tell me all about your little misadventures and your girlfriend, huh?" Thor protested weakly "Brother!" But then raised his hand. "Pinky promise that you will come back for me, big brother..." Chiron nodded and linked his pinky finger with Thor's "Pinky promise...I will be back for you and for Father and Mom..." He turned around and waved everyone for the last time. He didn't even dare to turn his head back because if he did, everyone would see a tear running down his face, too.
The journey to the meeting destination had been short and uneventful. Chiron didn't remember much of anything except for the constant pain in his heart, the missing warmth of his family. He walked to his destination, mind occurred with hundreds of things, the backpack weighting him down. He felt like he could feel the responsibility on his back. Finally arrived, Chiron took a good look at his surrounding, his Dad's first lesson came to his mind 'Always aware of your surrounding'. He looked around, noticing that a male dragonkin, two Faes, one must be from the Seelie and the other from the Unseelie court, a nymph 'That's her! That's the one from last time!' Chiron's mind screamed but he refused to react, a female magic user 'A witch' His mind corrected. Chiron looked up. 'A naga? A female one' He walked subtly to the tree she was hiding, offering his hand but still keeping a good distance, his mother's lessons about being a gentleman came back full force "Miss Naga... It isn't polite to hide there, please come down... Everyone is waiting" He said with a warm, polite smile.
Sighing heavily, Chiron looked up as the night gale tossed his white hair playfully. However, he was in no mood to play with it. He had just come back from the Elder Mountain. That was it. He was chosen. He should have been happy. It was his wish, his desire. He wanted to be chosen for this mission, going as far as volunteering themselves when none of the others wanted to do it. Even so, sitting here and remembering the Elders' last words, Chiron found himself unable to even feel a flicker of happiness. He had done it, signing his own death. There was no way he could come back. Hundreds of others had gone before him, none of them had come back... at least, none of them had come back sane. Whatever would happen, Chiron didn't know but there was only one thing he knew for sure: he would find that book or die trying. His mental illness had brought shame not only to himself but to his clan in general. What kind of centaurs had Multiple Personalities Disorder? The centaurs were praised for their emotional stability. He was supposed to be their rising star. A General, a fighting genius, not a patient!
Subconsciously clenching his hands into fists, Chiron let a bitter glint appear on his emerald eyes. 'It's not fair! Fate is not fair!' He turned his head to take a good look at his village. This was his home, where his heart was truly belonged to. Never had the future looked so gloomy. Would he be able to make it or would he, like everyone before him, die trying? Did he even know where to begin. Sighing again, his lips became a thin line. He wouldn't let this stop him. He would- 'Stop brooding, tight ass and get up! I want ta kill someone!' A mental voice interrupted his train of thoughts rudely. It looked like Undertaker had heard what Chiron had thought. 'Damn right I am, you fucker. If you fear dying so much, let me take over... You won't have to do anything else!' Undertaker whispered in his mind in a sweet voice that was intended to be seductive and tempting but it came out just devious and cruel. 'The day I'm letting you out willingly is the day when Hell has frozen over' Chiron shot back sharply.
'Besides, why should the first persona let you out while I can take over his position perfectly fine?' Another voice in his head continued Chiron's sentence smoothly, his emotionless voice was haunting and curt. 'Emo! How nice of you to join us,' Undertaker said sarcastically and Chiron could imagine a devious version of himself rolling his eyes. 'Yeah, right... You will make a perfect replacement, alright. Let's imagine, a centaur goes around and says "I do not believe this..." or "I do not believe that", "this course of actions is the best right at this moment". That's right, Emo, you will blend in just fine...' Undertaker argued, mentally kicking the little emotionless version of Chiron into a corner. 'Look at me. I can be you, tight ass. Maybe I can even get laid...you want that, don't you?' Chiron groaned and massaged his forehead. Already had he felt a headache coming. 'Enough, Undertaker, Emotionless, neither of you are going to take over me any time soon.' He said and that was final.
'But, tight ass, I can-'
'First persona, surely you can see the logic in-'
'I said no. Please be quiet, you two are giving me a headache.' Chiron ended the disagreement with a wave of his hand. 'Of course, first persona.' Emotionless Chiron was the first one to recover from the interruption and he agreed, albeit reluctantly. 'Whatever, tight ass... Don't think you're in charge of me forever. Sooner or later, you will slip and I will take over you...' Undertaker warned, growling dangerously. However, growing too used to Undertaker's threats by now, the young centaur just brushed it off. 'I will wait for that day then...' Finally regaining some resemblances of peace, Chiron let his mind wander again. A particular memory resurfaced as Chiron smiled warmly and remembered it.
Flashback
"- absolutely not! I will not allow you to go on this suicide mission!" A hand slammed on the table harshly, a loud voice interrupted all Chiron's reasoning. Chiron along with his stepfather and mother were in the living room with Chiron just delivered the news that he wanted to volunteer to go find the missing book. "Father, please understand, I must-" Chiron tried again but his stepfather cut him off again "No, you don't have to do anything like that. No one who went to this quest came back sane! Sometimes, they didn't even come back at all! I can't allow you to go like that."
"Please just listen for a minute what I have to say, Father!" Chiron begged and watched as his father, lips thinned into a white line, said curtly "Say it then, son... I'm listening." Chiron took a deep breath and said calmly "Our kin has always been proud of our mental stability, Father...I'm also one of our kind and I'm proud of it, too...until one day, it has been taken away from me!" He said, running a hand across his face. "I don't need anyone to tell me that but I know I bring shame on myself and on our clan as well as the centaur kin in general..."
"Honey, that isn't true... We are proud of you because you are so brave, because you fight your sickness until today... If anything, you bring joy to us by showing your inner strength" Chiron's mother said, putting a hand on his chin. She was a kind woman with black hair and long eyelashes. In her hands held a tiny bundle of Chiron's half-brother, Tyr. The woman's whisper carried with it unconditioned support, the kind of support that made people tear up and break even the strongest person's heart. "...Mom..." Chiron breathed. He then steeled himself and continued strongly, holding the woman's hand in his hand. "...I'm sorry but my mind is set this time...I will either find the book or die trying. Nothing you two say will change my mind" He said in determination.
"Honey, please don't go... We can help you, we can provide you with food and clothes and money... I won't be able to take it if another one of my love ones goes out like this..." His mother continued pleadingly and Chiron's stepfather nodded. "That's correct, son. Our clan is not poor... We can-" Chiron waved his hand and frowned "Please Father, Mom... You will not be able to stay with me forever. There will be a time when I have to stand and walk on my own two feet" His mother tried again one last time "We know...but surely, surely it isn't now" Chiron agreed "...I know it doesn't have to be now but this is my decision, right or wrong, I will take full responsibility for whatever will happen..." He bowed low and spoke again "...Father, Mom... I'll go and see the Elders now... I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive this son one day for what he will foolishly do." He turned his head and walked out of the living, a single destination in his mind.
"Mom, Father... I...I have been chosen" Chiron said hesitantly, breaking the news to both of his parents. His stepfather looked up and spoke calmly, still not loosing his cool "...So I have heard..." His mother just sent Chiron a look - a mixture of pride and sadness like she was proud of him because of what he had done but also wished he hadn't done it. Knowing his mother, it was probably exactly because of that. "...What do your... inner selves think?" His father suddenly asked, the question threw Chiron out of the loop. It wasn't common that his parents talked about his 'inner selves'. Normally, they would just pretend he was completely sane.
'What do you two think about this? Mom and Father want to know...' Chiron mentally asked and he immediately received two different answers 'I say Hell yeah...Motherfucker, here I come' Undertaker's answer came first, impulsive and potty-mouthed as ever. Emotionless' answer came in later, calm and slow 'I understand the objective of this mission, first persona... I am willing to go' Chiron looked up and took a deep breath "We all want to go, Father... Even my second persona wants to partake in this" He said carefully. "...I see..." The older centaur nodded and stood up "I hope you will change your mind, son... There's still time for you to decide that. In time, you will realize that you have no reason to do this." He said and walked out of the room "...When you have re-thought about your mission, come to me..." His mother shot Chiron another look and hurriedly stood up to chase after Chiron, leaving the young centaur alone in the dark room.
End Flashback
"-re, brother" A childish voice called, pulling Chiron out of his memories. The centaur looked up to see his younger brother - Thor ran to him. Thor had taken after his Mother instead of father. With long black hair and eyelashes, the little kiddo would be a lady-killer one day. He could only hope he would be able to live until the day he saw it. Belatedly noticed that he had let his guard down enough that he couldn't even detect his brother, Chiron cursed himself 'Stupid Chiron, you forgot Dad's first lesson... A warrior is always aware of his/her surrounding' Thor sat down next to him and flashed Chiron a grin. "Wow, you must have been really distracted, eh? I can't never sneak up on you..." His chest puffed out proudly "Or maybe I'm just getting better"
Chiron chuckled and flicked Thor's forehead, earning a cute pout from his younger brother. "Now, now, kiddo... don't get a big head. You will still need ten years or so to beat this brother of yours..." Thor covered his forehead with his hand and yelled, face red "Big brother! Don't do that!" He then looked at Chiron curiously, his bright green eyes shone with confusion "...But... why are you here, brother?" Chiron just gave a small huh sound and looked at the darkened sky "...Well, nothing much, I'm just thinking about a few thing" He answered vaguely. Thor snickered and commented cheekily "You? Thinking about something? That's a first." Chiron turned his head and smiled fondly at his brother "...Cheeky brat... don't make fun of your brother..." The older of the two paused and then asked "Why are you here, kiddo? Are Mom and Father looking for me?"
"...Brother! Don't call Mama and Papa 'Mom and Father', it sounds weird!" Thor scowled and then sobered quickly "...No, Mama and Papa didn't send me here... I came here on my own" He paused and then looked up "...Brother, do you have to leave? Papa... papa told me that you would be sent on that mission..." Then, the puppy eyes came out, full effect. "...Please don't go, big brother. I don't want to be alone" Chiron cursed his own soft heart as he nearly broke under those adorable eyes of his brother "...Kiddo, don't make this harder than this already is... You know fully well why I want to do this..." Thor still looked unconvinced "I thought you were joking!" He exclaimed, gripping his brother's right arm tightly "Please, pretty please with a cheery on top as well as rainbow, sunshine and everything nice... don't go..." The younger centaur begged, not wanting to let his brother go.
'What am I supposed to do?' Chiron asked in panic. He could feel his resolve breaking and he had to go. He couldn't stay. 'Tight ass, leave it to me... Let me take over for a sec, I will sort this mess out, you useless centaur' Undertaker said suddenly. Chiron frowned 'No, Undertaker... I won't allow you to hurt my little brother' The third persona of Chiron just scowled and said defensively 'He's my brother, too, ya know...Make room, tight ass... I will talk to him directly. It's not like I haven't done this before...' Chiron hesitated 'Should I?' He asked himself but Emotionless answered it for him 'Do not worry, first persona. I will hold him back if he does anything... unfavorable.' Chiron nodded and sighed 'Counting on you, Emotionless...'[/color] He closed his eyes and felt his control slip to allow Undertaker took over.
Undertaker blinked as he felt the wind played with his hair. It had been damned long since he had been released, he almost forgot how awesome it felt to be free "Hello, brat... Long time no see, eh? Did I just hear something about you not wanting me to go on this awesome mission?" Thor blinked and asked in surprise "...Undertaker? Where's my brother, where's Chiron?" Undertaker gave him a mocked hurt look and ruffled Thor's head "Oi, what do you mean by that? Chiron is your brother and so, by default, I'm your brother, too, brat" He laughed, a loud, shrieking sound that made Thor covered his ears in pain.
"Whatever, brat... the thing is, tight ass, that's the big man here in case you don't understand, can't fight that stupid puppy dog eyes of yours so I have ta go out and settle this thing once and for all." He snorted and continued, pertended not to notice that he had had Thor's full attention "...I'm not a man of second chances... Hell, there are three people in this head and two of them don't like second chances, either...Of course, the other one is Emo but whatever. The thing is, I don't like second chances and so, I don't like giving them to anyone, me included. This is my first and final chance so I will stick with it"
"...I see..." Thor said sadly. He whispered "Could I... could I talk to my brother then, Chiron, I mean..." He hastily corrected, not wanting to be ruffled one more time. "Cheeky little brat, no respect for the elder..." Undertaker grumbled but retreated, allowing Chiron to take over again. "You know, kiddo, Undertaker must love you more than you think... I don't think he has ever retreated on his own before..." Chiron smiled sadly and patted his little brother's head. He continued after a brief pause "Anyway, it's late already, let's go back to our house, kiddo, our parents are worrying a lot..." He stood up and pulled Thor to his feet. "Come on, let's go home" The image of a smiling Chiron was too much for Thor and he hastily wiped a tear, running toward his brother and held him tight "Okay" He said shyly and the two brother walked home. Behind them, the sky turned black. The night was fully here but for some reasons, Chiron didn't find it so sad anymore
Time flied and soon, it was the day when Chiron had to go. In the short time he spent with his family, never had Chiron felt the love of them so much like this. Sometimes, his mother would send him worried look and silently place another thing that he had forgotten in his own backpack for him. Other times, his father would give him tiny bits of information about the world, the other kind and there was that one time, on his desk, there had been a book containing the information about the book he had to searched. Little actions here, little gestures there were enough to push Chiron insane. He felt terribly guilty but he couldn't back down, not now, not ever. And so, when the day arrived, he had stood in front of his parents - his biological mother - the one and only that he called Mom, the woman who had to endure too much just for his sake and his stepfather - his father in everything but blood. While he would never be able to replace his biological Father, the only man he ever called dad, this man was a close second.
"This is it, Mom, Father... I... It's time to say goodbye" He said, for some reasons, his throat was so tight he couldn't speak without choking. Yesterday, he had thought about so many things to say, to thank them for all their support but now, standing in front of his whole family, he couldn't speak a word. Even his alter egos were oddly quiet. "Honey, take care of yourself, okay?" Chiron's mother whispered, giving him a kiss on the forehead. For the first time, Chiron realized he had grown up. He still remembered the day when his mother had to bend down to give him a kiss but now, now he was taller than her. He choked "...I will, Mom, I will... I'll miss you a lot..."
He turned to face his father, the man's blank face cracked when he opened his mouth "...Son, just remember, whatever happens, always know that we are... we are proud of you. Even if you can't come back or come back but not...you anymore, or you can't find the book, we will still love you with all our hearts." He patted Chiron's shoulder and continued, a tear ran down his face "For our sake, son, come back sane, okay?" He hugged Chiron and Chiron's arms wrapped around the rough shoulder, his voice broke "...I will, Papa, I will..."
Kneeling down to face his brother, Chiron let out a shaky laugh. His brother's face was covered with tears but the little boy still covered it, ashamed that he was crying. "...Hey there, kiddo, now, now... Don't cover your face like that...You have to look at your brother at least, okay?" Thor looked up and sobbed "But I cry, that's weak..." Chiron waved his hand dismissively "Nonsense, little brother, a strong centaur isn't a centaur who doesn't know how to cry, a strong centaur is the centaur who knows how to use his own heart..." He wiped his brother's face with his thumb and flicked his forehead. "Take care of Tyr while I'm gone, okay? When I come back, I expect you to tell me all about your little misadventures and your girlfriend, huh?" Thor protested weakly "Brother!" But then raised his hand. "Pinky promise that you will come back for me, big brother..." Chiron nodded and linked his pinky finger with Thor's "Pinky promise...I will be back for you and for Father and Mom..." He turned around and waved everyone for the last time. He didn't even dare to turn his head back because if he did, everyone would see a tear running down his face, too.
The journey to the meeting destination had been short and uneventful. Chiron didn't remember much of anything except for the constant pain in his heart, the missing warmth of his family. He walked to his destination, mind occurred with hundreds of things, the backpack weighting him down. He felt like he could feel the responsibility on his back. Finally arrived, Chiron took a good look at his surrounding, his Dad's first lesson came to his mind 'Always aware of your surrounding'. He looked around, noticing that a male dragonkin, two Faes, one must be from the Seelie and the other from the Unseelie court, a nymph 'That's her! That's the one from last time!' Chiron's mind screamed but he refused to react, a female magic user 'A witch' His mind corrected. Chiron looked up. 'A naga? A female one' He walked subtly to the tree she was hiding, offering his hand but still keeping a good distance, his mother's lessons about being a gentleman came back full force "Miss Naga... It isn't polite to hide there, please come down... Everyone is waiting" He said with a warm, polite smile.