Skylanders: Second Leaf

Chapter 23 ~ The Price of One's Soul

Kaos was taken aback. For the first few seconds, Kaos just stood there. As still as a statue. Not know what in Skylands was going on. Shoria was hugging him. Actually hugging him. He could feel the warmth of her body pressed up against his. It was a quere feeling, this whole 'hugging' thing. To have someone pressed up against you out of their own accord, their arms wrapped around you, making sure you stayed close. Kaos had really never been actually hugged in his life. As long as he could remember, no one ever wanted to even be on the same island as him. The feeling was odd. Out of place in his life. It felt almost... serene. Slowly, as Kaos got used to this close proximity to Shoria, he rested his head on her shoulder. Closing his eyes. He didn't care that he was crying anymore. He just let it all come out. All of the tears and sadness that had been building up within him. Kaos moved his arms so that he was hugging Shoria back. Or, at least trying to. It went along with never being hugged. He couldn't really pinpoint the last time he had hugged anyone. Oddly enough, Kaos was starting to like this bizarre, out of place feeling Shoria was giving him. Quietly, Shoria began to cry alongside Kaos. As if one person sobbing uncontrollably wasn't enough. She wasn't crying as much as Kaos had at the beginning, but a few stray tears were beginning to trickle from the corners of her eyes. Kaos held on tighter, not wanting this moment to end; but, of course, like everything good in someone's life, it soon drew to a close. It was gradual, but in both of their perspectives, it ended too soon. Despite everything, Kaos was reluctant to let go, but he did anyway.

"T-Thanks..." He said quietly as he shifted out of Shoria's, now almost nonexistent, grasp and sat back down in his seat.

Shoria managed a quavering smile as Kaos looked over at her. Kaos reached up and brushed the tears from her eyes. He smiled back at her, finally gaining control over his emotions once again.

"Hey. If I can't cry, what makes you think you can?" He joked, the snarky tone back in his voice where it belonged, "Cheer up, fool! Don't want the other Skylosers to see you sobbing over a little freak like me, do you?

As if on cue, the door opened up and a few of the other trainees in this class filed in. Shoria glanced over at the door, then shook her head and smiled her usual, genuine smile. Kaos was right; she didn't think the others would want to see the head trainee crying. Although Shoria could be a bit soft at times, she never cried in front of others... until now. She knew she only cried when Kaos was around. And she didn't mind it. At all.

"That's the spirit!" Kaos said in a mocking tone of voice, clearly attempting to imitate Spyro, flourishing his hands in an impressive, exaggerated manner as if he was making fun of the way Spyro sometimes flapped his wings when talking.

Shoria could tell he made fun of the purple dragon way too much. That fact aside though, Shoria couldn't help but giggle. Just by the fact that she could totally imagine Spyro actually saying that. Kaos started snickering along with her.

"Now... who teaches this class?" Kaos asked when he had regained his composure, turning back to face the front of the classroom. Clearly looking at the desk where the teacher should have been standing right about now, "And why in Skylands hasn't it arrived yet?"

"Hm? Oh, the teacher is-" Shoria began, before stopping mid sentence and motioned with her head towards the slowly opening door. "Ah, there she is."

Kaos looked over at the door and watched as Stealth entered the classroom. A numb, sliding limp to her step. A drained look to the way she moved, like she had stayed up all night grading papers. Which, Kaos knew, was not the case. Stealth got to her desk and placed down her books for the lesson, then turned to face the class.

"Good afternoon, class." She said in her usual quiet, steely tone.

The class replied back with a quiet "Good afternoon, Ms. Stealth Elf."