Kidian's Story

I'm over here...

Not that way, this way...

Master... That's not me. That's moss.

Sigh... Wait here, I'll turn on a light for you.

Yup, but you couldn't find me...

Yup. Dragons can see in the dark.

Once you get used to it, it's cozy and comforting.

I sleep... I sing...

I also play rock-paper-scissors by myself.

Yup. It's fun if you get the hang of it.

The current score is around 20:20:60.

Because I have my tail...

My tail has a win rate of 60%.

.........

Do you want to force me outside, Master?

It's not about that, Master.

Don't try too hard to get me to go outside.

Remember the moss you grabbed earlier? The moss you thought was me.

It thrives and grows thick within this cave.

However, once outside, it withers in an instant.

When it comes to living conditions, everyone requires different things.

It's alright. I know you thought you were looking out for me...

However... stepping outside is something I'll try on my own in the future.

Yup... When I feel it's necessary...

It's been a long time... A very long time.

A very long time... even by dragon standards.

.........

...It's alright, since it's you, Master.

I've never left this cave ever since I got into a fight with Daya...

Oh, I see that's how you view Daya, Master...

No, Daya is impeccably pure and beautiful.

Back then, we merely had a small argument...

Daya... She said...

You're just like a black diamond...

Look at it this way, Master...

What if I had said to Daya, "You're just like transparent obsidian"...?

Exactly.

Daya is the Diamond Dragon, and I am the Obsidian Dragon. We can't become anything else.

It's not at all a compliment to call each other a different gem...

Yeah... neither do I.

But you know how all dragons inevitably end up fighting each other...

I fought Daya and lost. That's all there is to it.

...Therefore, Master, you shouldn't get too comfortable with me, either.

I'm the Obsidian Dragon that's been defeated and scarred.

Obsidian becomes incredibly sharp when broken.

I can slice through anything, friend or foe alike...

.........

...WHAAA?!

M-Master?! What are you doing?! Why are you pulling my cheeks?!

...Before you start preaching, let go of my cheeks first.

.........

I don't play Tail-Tag...

I'm going to be organizing my treasures today.

Yup. That and some other stuff.

The most important is probably... my sleeping bag.

Surprised?

That's because that's not what the sleeping bag is for...

I use it when I go outside and observe the stars.

That way, I can be snug even while I'm outside...

I don't dislike dark nights.

...It just so happens that the stars will be visible now. Wanna go out?

Yup. It's on a hill, so the stars are clearly visible without any trees getting in the way.

I place the sleeping bag here, lie down, and quietly look up at the sky.

And then at some point... I start to feel like I've become a part of the night.

When night falls, I don't feel sad or lonely like I do during the day...

Do you dislike the night, Master?

Why?

...Did you like to look up at the stars back where you're from, Master?

You still feel lonely?

Then let me teach you the constellations of Elias.

The four stars that are gathered over there in the north... You see how they form a ring if you loop them together?

That's the Jam Donut constellation.

The one next to that is the Cream Donut constellation and the Ring Donut constellation...

The Sprite Queen, Erpin.

On the other side, you have the Honey Bread constellation and the Chocolate Croissant constellation...

You're not lonely anymore?

Kidian's place... It's been ages...

I hear something coming from inside...

I wonder what it is...

One, two, three... one, two, three...

One, two, three... and a dynamic triple demolition turn!

Aww... I failed again... turns are tough.

A spinning... top...?

Gabia?!

W-Were you watching the whole time...?

*Nods*

Oh no... why didn't you say anything?

Dance... practice?

Yeah... I thought it might be fun.

Just curious since you've seen it now... how was it? Was it okay?

*Tilts head*

W-Was it that bad?

Stiff movements... like a rock...

Ouch...

Want... to learn... how to dance...?

Oh, you know how to dance?

Observed... other races...

I... can teach... you... Kidian...

Please. I want to learn what dancing's like.

*Nods*

Straighten... your back...

Always... keep... hips forward...

I-I can barely hear you...!

*Spins both hands in circles*

Now whip... and nae nae...

Whip...? Nae nae...? What...?

Do not stop... Feel the heart beat...

It beats faster... burning...

My heart... it resonates... Heat enough to burn...!

This is the first time I've felt this... exhausted... since fighting with Daya....

So...? Does it look like I can dance a bit now...?

*Smiles and nods*

Thanks, Gabia... It's all thanks to you.

I can feel that my movements have become smoother.

Next time... dance together...?

No... I'm so tired I might faint...

I'm never doing this again...

But... whyyy...?

*Sad face*

Hey, Kidian, it's me, Rim.

Hey Rim, come on in!

You didn't... you know, sneak in and spy on me before announcing yourself... did you?

Excuse me? Why would I do something like that?

It's happened before...

You're quite amusing sometimes.

Were you secretly eating some of your obsidian or something?

I've heard that's a thing with dragons sometimes...? Eating their own gems?

No. I wouldn't do anything that dangerous.

Broken obsidian can be sharp.

I do lick them sometimes, but trying to eat them is dangerous.

...I just had to ask, didn't I?

Anyway, I've brought some lovely tea. Would you like to have some with me?

Sure. Anything you get me is always delicious.

Here, drink it while it's hot.

Mmm, what a wonderful fragrance. Thanks.

.........

What's wrong, Kidian?

It seems you have something on your mind.

Yeah... Well, since you mentioned obsidian...

You know how it's more like glass than an actual gemstone, right?

I suppose you could say that, yes... And?

All the other dragons were born from gems, but not me...

Maybe... I'm not really a dragon...

That's probably why I'm always the odd one out...

If that's true, Kidian, that would make you a...

Dra-gone-wrong. Heh...

Rim...

Sorry! Let's not "drag on" here and designate you as a phantom! Heh...

You're making me angry...

Well, color me dragon! You're getting all hotheaded and red in the face! Hah...!

...Sigh. I'm done...

Oh, come on, Kidian. Hang out with me a little longer.

Rim, your puns are always followed by an icy silence.

So icy that even the tea's gone cold!

But that proves I'm, without a doubt, a phantom.

Huh? What do you mean?

Phantoms love to play tricks or make others laugh.

But my jokes... as you know, they're downright lame.

Just as I am a phantom with no talent for playing pranks, you're a fine dragon, Kidian.

Whether or not obsidian is glass, Kidian is Kidian.

Rim...

What do you call obsidian that's not glass? A rock that didn't quite make the cut...! Heh...!

I was just starting to get the feels... and you douse it with icy water...

Still... thanks. You helped me deal with that.

Yep, you're perfect just the way you are, Kidian.

Don't shout, Master... You're in my cave, it echoes...

Do we really have to do this...?

I know I agreed, but...

Let's do a round of rock-paper-scissors. If you win, I'll follow you out without complaining.

I'll even use my tail to make it fair.

No...!

The sun... it's so bright...

I've never seen anything so dazzling in my life...

Hmm... maybe I'll get used to it...

I feel a bit dizzy...

Three...

Three... two... one...

I see something...

The Weekend Farm...?

O-Okay...

Yes. Much better.

Obsidian absorbs light really well. It's black, after all.

If I get too much sun, I might even melt.

Dragons don't come from moss... Moss is not a gem.

It's because you keep saying boneheaded things.

I wish you'd be nicer to me.

It's okay. I did make a promise.

I just didn't realize it'd make me so dizzy.

No, I'd like to stay a bit longer.

I don't know when I'll come out again, so I might as well enjoy as much of this as I can.

Hey, Master?

Thank you...

Okay.

I'm glad I came here with you, Master.