Days Union Oneshot Book [DISCONTINUED]

i love found family!!! (uncontrollable sobbing)

A/N: thank you Daisy the Great for bringing me back to my angst phase (I was not the same after that concert y'all I'm.......)

* * *

The airships in the distance drifted across the sea of fluffy clouds dyed a sweet pink in the sunset. The chug of the engines keeping Savonne afloat hummed a soft tune for the ears of the Aurorians reaching the end of their busy days with the final trek home. The various exotic birds soaring over the sky city added a streak of bright color to the vast painting of pastel hues. It was a perfect sight for those who chose to pause their day to sit and admire the view.

From the deck of the West Edge, Prime Minister Zenomil surveyed the sky with a watchful eye, his hands folded behind his back in a formal pose. The airships still sailed along the clouds at its slow, almost leisurely pace, much to Zenomil's impatience. As the West Edge's population of civilians dwindled until only he remained, he took the time to sort and ponder his thoughts. He did not mind being alone, especially in such a calm environment where no horrors from below could reach him for now.

He bowed his head to relax his craning neck, his eyes trailing down to the clouds below the sky city. Savonne felt so far from the problems plaguing the world below, but the dread of those problems lurking and festering underneath until tragedy inevitably shattered the clouds and struck what was above twisted his stomach. Of course, blissful ignorance could only last for so long. Now that it had faded from the idealistic atmosphere, the emptiness of the Edge felt much heavier, much louder than before.

He was alone. He had always been alone with his undying belief in independence, but this time it seeped deep into his bones and chilled him. No artificial warmth of any prideful retelling of his triumphs could thaw such a chilling fear. All he had worked for to see Aurora thrive only led him to utter loneliness while the Council and Ministers partied somewhere else and the civilians returned to loving homes or the company of friends.

Maybe honor was nothing if no one cared about you back.

"Prime Minister. Quite good to see you."

The familiar voice speaking gently in Aurorian despite its rasp alerted Zenomil to the person approaching his side. Of course, his voice paired with the iconic pair of sunglasses covering an eye injury and a scarf masking half of his face spread a pleasant smile across the Prime Minister's face at the discovery of who it was.

"Minister Yokhlinu. A pleasure to see you as well," he kept their conversation curt yet polite as Yokhlinu took the spot to Zenomil's left and leaned against the railing by both forearms. Zenomil envied Yokhlinu's calm nature, as he attempted to mimic it by adjusting his position to a more casual one of one hand on the railing. He watched as Yokhlinu dug through his pocket and pulled out a cigarette from its box.

As he searched for his lighter, Yokhlinu said, "Don't mind me, Sir. I'll just take a quick hit."

"Understood." For once, he felt grateful for Yokhlinu's smoking habits; he only smoked around those he trusted. Soon the dark wisps of smoke followed by puffs of lighter smoke caught onto the gentle breeze and danced away into nothing. Both of the Aurorians' gazes were glued to the glorious sight before them, yet Zenomil could also feel the extra weight on Yokhlinu from his presence alone.

"You seem perplexed, Yokhlinu. Something on your mind?" he asked, turning his head to examine the expression of the Minister. With his scarf down and sunglasses pushed out of the way, Yokhlinu held a more somber aura to himself with a slight frown and downtrodden eyes gracing his otherwise peaceful face.

Yokhlinu hummed, still not taking his eye off the sky ahead, "More fleeting memories about my family. I seem to have forgotten more about them..."

"Ah, I see. I'm very sorry," Zenomil said before returning his stare to the sky. No matter how hard he tried, he was never any good at comforting others.

"Do you remember your family?" the Minister asked, now taking his turn to face Zenomil. The weight of his stare pressed upon him, causing his hand to tremble upon the railing.

He replied, trying to keep his voice as stable as possible, "Yes... I do. I'm sure they are still alive... just haven't seen them for quite a while."

"Why is that?" Yokhlinu's gaze drilled even further into Zenomil's soul. The Prime Minister clutched tighter onto the railing and sucked in a deep breath, caught at a fork in the road. As much as the thought of showing such vulnerability agonized his ego, he could feel his past clawing at his conscience to be set free after so many years of secrecy. Yokhlinu noticed his tension and apologized, "I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to encroach on anything personal."

"No. It's alright."

His aching grip on the railing slipped, his hands now retreating to his trenchcoat's pockets. A sigh exhaled the remains of his pride's anxiety before he began.

"The thing is... my family did not like me much. I was never meant to be in this position, according to them. Just meant to be sent off to die in a war to give my family the honor of having a son who died in the military. It might have been superstition as well, as I was the fourth-born child. But when I rose the ranks and eventually became Prime Minister..." He swiped the hat from his head and stared deeply into the Aurorian insignia on its front. "...they didn't want anything to do with me. They immediately disowned me and shamed me for disrespecting the family's order and shit like that."

He looked back up and brushed his short hair back with his gloved hand, "So that explains the short hair, too."

"I'm..." Yokhlinu stalled, his frame beginning to shake as well until the cigarette nearly fell from his fingers. Zemin bit the inside of his cheek; maybe it would have been better if it stayed within instead of sacrificing another's well-being for his own. "I'm so sorry, Zenomil..."

"It's... fine. Besides, it allowed me to take Aurora as my surname. The name of the People, as one could say," he dismissed, adjusting his hat back on. "Though, why do you go by 'Aurora' as well? Are there no records of your family history?"

Yokhlinu extinguished the cigarette and murmured, "There are, but... I don't think I could take their surname if I wanted to."

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't find it right to take the surname of people I don't remember. I've grown rather disconnected from the few memories of them I have remaining, if I were to be honest. I do miss them dearly, but they are long dead and so far gone from my memory. Maybe if I did remember them again, I might take the surname once more..." He inhaled a breath of fresh air, cleansing his lungs and mind before he pulled out his box of cigarettes again.

"But if I'll be honest..." The lighter flicked on, and the small flame lit the end of his cigarette. He took a puff and blew the smoke out into the air, watching as the wind took the cloud away once more. A tiny smile crossed his face as he looked back at Zenomil and said, "I like being an Aurora, too. It means that we get to be family."

"Us? Family?" Zenomil chuckled at Yokhlinu's suggestion, yet the idea warmed his heart like nothing he had ever felt before. He looked over at Yokhlinu, who stared back with a smile. "It doesn't sound too bad. I suppose the Council and Liangeon can join in as well?"

Yokhlinu laughed, "Of course. Whether each of us does have a family or not, we'll always be family, Zenomil. At least, I consider us such."

Their eyes returned to the sky now darkening to a deep blue hue speckled with stars. The warmth in his heart, he realized, was what family felt like. Being loved, being respected, being wanted as much as others loved and wanted him.

He would never be alone, and neither would they.

"I would consider us such, too."