Chapter Text
“Dad?” [SIXTH] looked towards [REDACTED]. He had come back to the Memorial Stones in his absence. [SIXTH] found [REDACTED] here on many occasions now, and he tried not to let himself believe that the boy cared for his previous family more than his current one. It was a surprise to see the Soati again though. Younglings were innocent, and this one genuinely seemed to want to befriend [REDACTED].
Wordlessly, [SIXTH] stepped forward and held his Son in the closest approximation of an embrace that he could, given how much larger his boy was than himself. The Soati took his leave quietly, bidding a soft farewell to [REDACTED]. [SIXTH] was just happy to have a little solitude. [REDACTED] patiently waited for him to come back to himself without complaint. Such a strong boy.
“I failed.” [REDACTED] looked towards [SIXTH] quizzically. “I did not pass the test. I am no Hero.” [REDACTED] placed a clawed hand on [SIXTH]’s shoulder, clearly upset on his behalf. “It is fine. It is my fault. What is done is done. Come, I have something to say after mealtime.” [REDACTED] followed dutifully.
“You know, I don’t think any less of you for not passing.” [SIXTH] hated that his Son was the one trying to comfort him. He hardly deserved to be the guardian of such a kind soul. It was why his resolve strengthened for later. “You don’t have to be a Hero to be my hero.” [SIXTH] feared that his heart might burst at such a statement.
“We shall eat and talk, yes?” [REDACTED], as always, obediently followed. [REDACTED] spoke about his day and his time away from [SIXTH] while they ate and [SIXTH] listened raptly. The Soati Youngling seemed kind, and the young female Orooti’s heart was in the right place. [SIXTH] did not blame the other Orooti for being reserved, he had lived in captivity for a time himself, but he hoped that the boy would be able to open up more as time passed.
The Pirti mentioned that she would be bringing her Younglings with her on their journey and [SIXTH] was grateful that others would be there to play with his boy. [SIXTH] supplemented the conversation a bit with how it was at the Exam, though both knew it was a little bit of a sore topic. He’d done his best, and [REDACTED] was proud of him. [SIXTH] waited until they were both done eating before actually broaching the bigger subject.
“[REDACTED], you are my Son, yes?” The quizzical gaze that met him prompted [SIXTH] to continue without awaiting a response. “A choice was given to me. It is also your choice. My Gift, I want to give it to you. I cannot use it away from here. You… you are smart, you are young, so you can use it. I want to give it to you, but we will be watched.
“If you are Tuli-Tuli, then no one will question that you are my Son. If I can use my Gift, they may remove me from our journey. They do not want questions. If I do not have my tail, then I cannot use my Gift. They will remove my tail this Cycle. I will give you my Gift. Will you also take my tail to become like Tuli-Tuli?”
[SIXTH] didn’t want to phrase it in a way that sounded like he was giving up his tail for [REDACTED]’s transformation. He’d rather say that they would be removing it either way and that [REDACTED] had the option to use it to gain a new form, but the look on his face was still heartbreaking. He hated having to give his Son such a big responsibility. This wasn’t a question that one should put on a Youngling’s shoulders, but [SIXTH] also couldn’t just force this kind of action on his boy. He wanted [REDACTED] to be willing if nothing else.
“Dad?”
“I will give you my Gift. They will remove my tail. I only ask if you want to use it to be like Tuli-Tuli. You do not have to.” [SIXTH] could see the gears turning in [REDACTED]’s head. He would be giving [REDACTED] his Gift regardless, and if he believed that they were going to remove [SIXTH]’s tail anyways then it would make sense not to let it go to waste.
“Okay, Dad…” He still seemed hesitant, but that was to be expected. This was a lot to bring up out of nowhere. If only [SIXTH] had been better. If he could have just passed the Hero exam then maybe things could be different. Now his failure forced [REDACTED] to have to come to terms with such a big decision.
“Come. They are waiting for us [SIXTH] had no doubt that M’rai had foreseen their arrival at the medical wing. They would be ready for them as soon as they arrived. It was a useful thing to see the future, however the ability left much to be desired in the hands of someone so callous. Still, [SIXTH] no longer had enough say to change things. He could only follow where [REDACTED] went, hoping to offer what little support he was able to provide. He hoped it would be enough.