@distortionxsoul
Was he seeing this right? Was he hearing them right?
Zane stared at them and the flowers for a few long moments, trying to make heads or tails of this, before it finally really clicked. So they had developed actual feelings for him? Why though? Kina was the Hero of Arceus, he had went against his father and was banished. They shouldn’t like him like this despite how much he wanted this sort of affection.
If he accepted it would giving her a death sentence for betrayal and a worse punishment for him.
“…..You shouldn’t, Kina, and you know why.” he said simply and quietly, not rejecting yet not accepting.
“Probably not, but I cannot deny how I feel.”
They were the embodiment of all that Arceus was supposed to stand for, what the people believed the All-Father was supposed to stand for. Courage, justice, fairness, compassion and an all-encompassing love. And Kina’s capacity to love immensely was the driving force behind their ability to rid the world of darkness. The road ahead of them may be fraught with thorns, but they were ready to face those trials.
But only if Zane wanted to. They would not force anything upon him.
“Of course,” they began, “you must not accept because I am telling you this, that it may hurt my feelings when you do say no. No, only accept if it is something you want. I am prepared for the consequences, but if you do not wish to pursue anything, I will...pretend that I have said nothing. Will allow you pretend that I said nothing and we may continue our cordial relationship as friends. Nothing more.”
They smiled gently up at the divine beast.
“I don’t want to see you hurt on my account. However, I would gladly trade my life for yours regardless of how things end up.”
