Ryoiki: Solarian King (9)

CHAPTER 10: Home again, Whole again.

Bruce gently splashed water on his face.

He looked up from the sink, and into the mirror in front of him.

Aged, slightly scarred skin, bright red reptilian eyes...and long, greyed hair.

Bruce sighed and grabbed a hair tie from the counter, putting his hair up into a ponytail, like he always did.

With one more look at his reflection...he left the bathroom.

Bruce's life had changed quite a bit.

He remembered his first day back to college after his...transformation.

He looked older than most of his professors! But he was still the same old Bruce...

He was...surprised when Terran, Seb, Lockheart, and Kami all spoke to him like he still resembled a guy who barely turned 20...

And now he was an author. A well known scientist...living in a mansion in Ameno...with his wife.

Bruce summoned his cane to his hand...cherry wood with a diamond topper, and snake designs...a cut down version of his staff.

Kami was leaning on a counter...flipping through their mail.

"Response-?" Bruce asked, walking close to her.

"Nope. Are you sure you want to go wait at a space port to see if he's even going to show up? Shouldn't he have replied?" Kami tried to reason, her own naturally silver hair falling over her purple eyes.

"I didn't ask for a response in my letter...and, you don't have to come along, my love." Bruce replied.

"I know, but-" Kami began.

"Darling." Bruce interrupted.

Kami sighed.

"Look- you know I worry about you..." She said.

"And I'll be fine." Bruce assured her.

Bruce walked up and gently nuzzled his cheek on Kami's...their way of showing affection.

Bruce then left to go get dressed...

A simple blue shirt, trousers, dress hoses, and his satchel...didn't really need much else.

Kami was sitting down in Bruce's study...gently writing down in a notepad.

"...I'm going to head out-" Bruce said, leaning on the door.

"Alright! Good luck love." Kami called.

"Thank you."

Bruce walked to the front door, grabbed his keys, and left.

Spaceports were a common occurrence on Ryoiki, every planet had a few, mostly in their major cities.

Prior to the normalization of space travel, most spaceports were airports...their purposes transformed.

Bruce's cane gently tapped on the carpeted metal floors of the port...awaiting the arrivals from Solaris.

He waited...and waited...and then felt a shift in the air.

Zero froze. He felt it too.

"Zero-?' Sparky asked, adjusting her bag.

Zero put his hat on his head, grabbed the strap of his backpack...and ran forward.

He pushed through the crowd...following the call of magic.

He sensed the energy close to him...that familiar calling...

Zero burst through the crowd.

And almost fell directly into his brothers arms.

Bruce caught Zero's arms, and gently stood him up.