Irhaboggle Pride (2024) Pride Fourever

Four Noble Truths

"Oh, Gundham, no...! What's happened to you...?" The Ultimate Horror Enthusiast looked into the angry, glowing red eyes of the Ultimate Breeder. As per her Talent, she already knew the answer to her question. He'd been brainwashed, seduced to the side of Despair by the one responsible for the Tragedy. Little Miiko Takeshita's heart wrenched. This was the man—who was really only a boy himself—she used to look up to (literally and metaphorically) as a big brother. Now she, as an Ultimate Hope, stood on the opposite side of the war as him.

She heard soft chittering first, then glowing, beady eyes flashed from the folds of Gundham Tanaka's scarf and robes.

The Four Dark Devas! Miiko's heart wrenched again. Even in the midst of such Despair, he still took excellent care of his beloved hamsters.

"Suffering..." The Supreme Overlord of Ice and Hellfire Frozen Over finally answered Miiko's question. "This is but a consequence of truth, reality, growing up. It is a natural part of life and progression. Even the most Hopeful times succumb to Despair..." His red eyes spiraled with madness, reflecting the death of a once-beloved classmate.

"No!" Miiko's emerald eyes flashed as she shook her short, golden tresses. "Growing up is learning that we choose our reality! Or, well, some of it, at least." She could not deny that much of life was left up to the hands of fate, and not just because of the Tragedy. But they could do their best to choose the best. True, one could not "happy think" their way out of a bad situation, but the only way to survive was to try to see opportunity in all things. It wasn't just naive Hope, but critical pragmaticism. Humans did not survive for centuries without ingenuity, seeing things another way, the very definition of seeing opportunity in all things.

"Benevolence! Miiko chooses benevolence!" That was why Miiko was roaming the cities even though all of them were dangerous, wracked by Tragedy. But that was the Ultimate Hope and Horror Enthusiast for you. She could see beauty in ugliness, opportunity in all things. She refused to let bad thoughts arise in her, and it was her intention to return to the cities until she'd liberated everyone from the jaws of Despair.

But Gundham simply did not share Miiko's worldview. As one on the side of Despair, there was no sense to or in Miiko's philosophy. There was no room for, or point to, benevolence in Gundham's world. The last two girls he loved who were so Hopeful and kind were... well, one was dead, and the other was a Despair like him. It was only a matter of time for poor little Miiko. That much, he was certain of.

ooo

In the end, the two old friends were forced to part ways with no resolution. Gundham strode off alone while Miiko fled to the arms of Aoi—Miyake, not Asahina—and Chihiro as she sought comfort.

"Oh, Miiko, it's not your fault!" Chihiro patted the girl's back. "It's whoever caused the Tragedy! It's easy to forget how much you've already done, but remember that every person you reach out to—whether on the side of Hope or Despair—that's one more helping hand they didn't have before!"

Even though Chihiro was as young as Miiko, both of them first-years—although not in the same class (because of that, Miiko didn't know Chihiro was actually a boy)—Chihiro was wise and compassionate beyond his years.

I have HER to thank for that... His grateful gaze drifted to Miyake, oldest of the trio, third-year. Unlike Miiko, she did know Chihiro's secret. She was biologically female, and comfortable with she/her pronouns, but she was equally comfortable with masculinity and androgyny and other pronouns. She told Chihiro she identified as genderfluid and genderqueer, and that was what inspired Chihiro to come out to her.

"I know Gundham said suffering is the root of all of this, but I disagree! It's attachment!" the Ultimate Programmer insisted. It was attachment that bound him to his secrets, and it was only when he finally gave those secrets up that he was set free. The cliché existed for a reason. Overused as it could be, there was a grain of truth in it. Truth really DOES set you free...! Even though... Oh Miiko, I'm sorry I'm such a hypocrite! I haven't come out to YOU yet... I guess I'm not as brave or ready as I thought... Do I have any right to give you a pep talk like this?