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Something like sonshine

Chapter Text


Set watched the young boy race about the field, stumble over a hidden root and fall flat on his face. A moment later, the child was up, shaking its head a little, then beamed up at where the stoic burnet stood on the balcony of his palace. The boy rose, waved with one hand as he took a step back -and promptly fell over the same root again.
Seto buried his face in his palm.
"Oh gods, why did I ever give birth to this moron?"
It was a redundant question; after all, hadn't he brought his downfall upon himself? He should have known better than to make light of his father's demand.
Then again, why should he, the High Crown Prince of the Elbs, let himself be forced into marriage? Just so that his father, Emperor Kai Goza, the Iron One, could use his grandchildren as tools to invoke pressure on him?
When faced with the prospect of marriage, he, Set, had merely laughed haughtily and declared that the only spouse he would deem worthy of his hand, would be a direct descendant of himself. And seeing how he was not willing to take a wife or father any children, this possibility would never arise.
He could have just as well uttered a public challenge towards is father.
For not only was King Goza known for his cunning and cruelty, but he was also an excellent warlock. Using a conjucture of spells, potions, rites and even sacrifices, he had enchanted the Prince's body to bear children.
Seto sighed again; the father to his offspring was a fling of his, another man he was used to lay casually with, whenever this one happened to visit the palace.
At least the boy was of royalty; after all, why would he, Kai Seto, lay with anyone below his rank?
Prince Cra Hiro, heir to the Lower Heights, had been thrilled at the prospect of a child and summoned the wisest and greatest of beings to shower the to-be-born with all possible blessings.
Among the usual presents of beauty, strength, compassion, honesty, loyalty and what not more, the four Fathoms of the East had bestowed the unborn with a gift of their own; a prophecy, if one will, that would make the child a legend.
Shizu-Chi, the Spirit of Air, Yuu At, the Ghost of Water, Kura-ryou, the Embodiment of Earth and Ma-Kuja, the Avatar of Fire, had joined hands and tongues, forces and knowledge, to grant that this would be an elb amongst elbes.
A child that could race faster than the wind, was fairer than the sun, darker than the night and yielded a power that could not be fettered or tamed.
What that power was supposed to be, no one knew.
The very moment the prophecy had been cast, Seto had excused and transferred himself to his washroom, where he had been violently ill for three days straight.

"They should have given him a mind, as unfathomable as my own", snarled The High Prince under his breath, as he watched the blond whirlwind chase after a rabbit and catch it with ease, tenderly cuddling it against his slightly chubby form.
Seto huffed; while Kat-Kat, as Prince Hiro had christened him, was not exactly stupid, he wasn't the brightest candle on the chandelier either. But he was kind, funny, sweet, fierce and just and Prince Hiro adored his boy.
More often than not he would spend hours with the child, teaching him horseback riding, sword fighting, archery and even taking him hunting. At nights, he would cuddle the young boy good night before joining Seto for some carnal endeavours.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, the High Prince went through the chores his son was to accomplish today.
There were chronicles, of course, then the matter of the Two Tongues, some math and physics and finally sorcery.
The prince's brow furrowed. Ten years.
Ten years had he been pregnant with him, but yet his son couldn't even begin to fathom the basics of magic.
Ten years might seem a long time, but seeing as he was some six-hundred years old, it did not weigh in too much.
His kind was known to easily live up to two-thousand years; his great-great-grandfather was even rumored to have reached the great three.
So ten years were really but a nuisance. Still it irked him that-
"Father, I'm here!" The cry shook him fom his reverie. True enough, there stood his son in front of him, giving a polite bow, then smiling up at him. Seto frowned.
"How did you get up here?"
"I jumped", came the gleeful reply. The High Prince nodded; at least in terms of physical prowess his son already proved to be a champion. Turning towards the balcony door, he queried,
"Have you trained the excercises I gave you? Do you understand the motions and calculations necessary to conjur a spell?"
Kat Tsu, as he was properly named, nodded eagerly. With a flourish, he flexed and twisted his little hands and suddenly, there was a spray of glittering sparks.
Seto was taken aback; a Firefly Charm? That was not what he had taught him, so-
"In-azur!" called the boy, and there before them stood a being that resembled a rabbit that had been turned into a giant water bubble; ripples of water shuddering over its transparent, gelatinous form, tiny waves sloshing back and forth through its insides.
The High Price drew a sharp breath and ordered,
"Send it back! Now!" Startled, Kat Tsu did as told, then looked fearfully at his stern father.
"A-aren't you proud of me?" he asked timidly. Seto closed his eyes, then fixed his gaze on the young boy.
"I am. But you must also realize that you cannot just summon beings from their natural habitat for no good reason. Particularly if their habitat is not dry land."
Kat Tsu hung his head. Seto gave a mute sigh, then conceded,
"Yet, I am happy that you finally show some progress. I was worried that none of my magical talent has been passed down to you."
At that, the boy smiled, so happy and angelic that it made Seto's chest tighten.
Little wonder Kat was the entire palace's little treasure.

Chibi Seto is absolutely cute. Chibi Katsuya just makes you weep, due to his utter adorableness. And yes, I'm just making this up as I go, so bear with me. Or don't. Maybe better don't.