#codeadleaf's au

Seraphim are gone and all lands are immersed. Humanity survives on floating towns, struggling for resources. 

Sorey, a young artisan, is fascinated by legends and spends all of his free time looking for old books and studying his father journals. He developped quite a knowledge when it comes to the old era when Seraphim and mankind were said to live in harmony, a long time before the big Wave that swallowed the world.

So when Ladylake send an expedition to the Aroundite forest, a sacred place where giantic trees raise from the water, princess Alisha appoints Sorey as a guide, trusting him to lead the Woodsmen troupes. The mission consist in finding new ressources and finding clues about the seraphim whereabouts, without profaning the sacred forest. 

But the true meaning of this expedition is hidden. Ladylake's leaders hope to capture a seraph and use its mana as fuel for an ancient machine found in the ruins laying under the town, in the depth. With it they plan to go at war for ressources, and enslave more seraphim to shape the world into a better place for mankind. 

In the forest Sorey separate from the group and meet Mikleo. He then learns that most of seraphim are sleeping into the Earth Pulse but a few live in place protected by elements, like an underwater town at the bottom of the sacred forest.

But as they're talking, both fascinated by this being they never thought they would met, the Woodsmen catch up and capture them. Betrayed, Sorey tries to protect Mikleo but fail. They're bring back in Ladylake. There Chancelor Bartlow threatens to emprison Sorey for life if he refuses to track more Seraphim for the city's sake, while Mikleo is connected to the machine. 

Thankfully the process is interrupted by the Sparrowfeather guild, called to the rescue by Alisha, and the seraph Dezel, but too late. Mikleo can barely hold his physical form and is forced to conclude a pact with Sorey to not disappear. The group manage to escape to the Sparrowfeather's boat and leave the town. As the group sets on a quest to restore Mikleo's mana, the world changes. 

Called by the great seraph Zenrus, Seraphim are waking. 

In Ladylake, more ancient devices are discovered and the population divide between Bartlow's and Alisha's sides. 

Seraphim have left the human realm, leaving behind them a group of humans blessed with their powers. Those people call themselves Malakhim. In order to use their power, a Malak must bond with another being. Like a flower, the power will takes root in the vessel's soul, feeding on the vessel's trust for the Malak. If there's no trust the roots won't expand and the Malak can never leave their vessel's sides or the flower will wilt. If the Malak uses their power despite the lack of trust, the flower will bloom using the lifespan of its vessel. 

Once a bond is made, cutting it will most likely result in the Malak's death; a flower cannot survive long without its roots.

Humanity came to reject Malakhim, deeming them responsible for the Seraphim's disappearance. So the Malakhim ran away to save their lives, going on an never ending journey and letting history forget about them. 

Centuries later, the world awaits for the return of the Seraphim, believing in the old tale of the Shepherd, the messiah who will one day open the door to the heavenly realm.

Sorey is a Malak, one of the very few left. Mikleo is the heir of the last Shepherd, born left handed and therefore believed to be blessed by Seraphim. 

Sorey is an optimistic and naive person despite living a rather lonely nomad's life. Mikleo has always been surrounded by shady people trying to obtain the Seraphim's blessing through him. 

One day as he is travelling with his escorts to Lohgrin, Mikleo crosses Sorey's path. Stricken by Mikleo' beauty, Sorey accidently bonds their souls. 

It was just a normal day. Sorey was going home with Alisha, still adjusting to his newly blind right eye and too engrossed in his book to pay attention to the road. He never had problem with this bad habit before and Alisha was there to prevent incidents. Except when she was eagerly listening to his rambling and not looking in front of them either. And that’s how Sorey ended up toppling over a wheeling chair and its owner.

Additional notes:

I am totally doubling Laurent's role so Sergei can spend most of his time reprimanding Zaveid about his improper attire

Alisha will have a bigger role than Gertrude (and more dignity)

The delay before the ball is a month instead of a week

Michael is still Mikleo’s uncle

Edna and Symonne are older for the story’s sake

Sorey is less “dumb” than Henry

Homophobia is not a thing, but royals have a hardest time marrying the same sex because of the heir question

The circlet replaces the glass shoe

Mikleo won’t accept Sorey’s proposal right away

Lot of post end moments…

I don’t know if Mikleo should still have white blue hair here or make it light brown. On one side, white would be a problem cause it would be easier for Sorey to recognize him, but on the other side, lot of characters have weird hair color soooo

She's lying before him, unmoving. He wants to call her name. His throat tightens. Red spreads on her dress. 

"Mom...”

He catches movements where that man and that woman stand. He doesn't care. He brushes hair off his mother's face. 

Warmth is leaving her body, and he can feel it, already, softly filling his veins. It's oddly comforting, like an embrace. Her last embrace.  

She couldn't even say goodbye. 

It's so peaceful, he feels like this isn't happening. But it does. The witch is dead, her offspring shall inherit her power. He'd seen assimilations before, too much for his taste. None of the malhkim had survirved it. He had saw them writhing, suffocating, drowning, saw their mind shattering. And yet there's only peace washing over him. 

The heat is getting stronger, calling to the water he's made of. He can picture it, like a fire on the shore, gently washed away by the tide. There will soon be no trace of it.

No.

His forehead feels too hot, metal burning his skin. Fingertips rest on the circlet there.  

She had gave it to him a long time ago, saying it was something important. Someone had made it for him before his birth. A family tradition.

The fire spreads on the shore. Water boils.

There are many reasons why a malak's body would reject a witch's power. He'd never considered that one of those reasons could be love. 

The water withdraws. 

He won't let the flames be swallowed. He won't let what's left of her disappear. 

He had made his choice. He had chose death. Sorey would have been safe. But she has decided otherwise. She has imposed a third option.

This is what she wanted but he can't let it happen. There's too much anger. Too much pain. He doesn't want her to fade away. He wants his mother back. And if he can't have this then everything shall burn. He will let her flames consume his body if that is what it takes.  

Fire spreads through his veins. It burns but he doesn't care. This kind of pain his nothing. His left hand grabs the circlet, metal scorching skin.

The man who made it killed his mother. And for what ? Her only crime was to let Mikleo live. She had given up everything for it. She had thrown everything away without turning back to protect an innocent baby from a certain death. She had blamed herself for taking that child with her, away from his true family. She had never allowed herself to be called a mother. 

And she loved the child so much she chose to die for him. He will never see her smile again. Never feel her warmth. Never hear her voice. Never hear her laughing at her own stupid puns.

It burns.

She's the only mother he needed.

Everything shall burn. 

He can see flames dancing in violets eyes. He can see tears rolling on that woman's cheeks. He can see horror deforming that man's face. He tosses the circlet at them. They were never his family. His family is dead, lying in a pool of blood. 

They deserve this. For all the guilt Lailah shouldered over the years. For leaving her no choice and blaming it on her. For all the innocent souls they'd "purified". For trying to do the same thing to him. For putting Sorey in danger. For killing his mother. 

White rabbit Sorey being a little shit and happily tormenting his boyfriend (and relishing in the sweet sight of Mikleo's long milky legs)

Lailah as the red queen yelling "off with their hat" at her normins army whenever they dare not laugh to her puns.

I don't know yet for the rest of the cast but...

Embarrassed Mikleo trying to cover himself until too much teasing makes him stand with pride in this ridiculous outfit and try his hardest to act like normal.

Dorky Mikleo, not graceful and collected at all in his dress, easily loosing his cool at everyone bullshits.

Sorey not giving a break to his boyfriend, like he may be Mikleo's number one fan but he knows how to be a little shit to him and enjoy it very much also maybe he will find a interesting way to be forgiven later~)

(a bit late but it’s still the 22 somewhere right ?)

Pokemon AU: It's always been our dream!

Read on AO3

Sorey and Mikleo were given their first pokemon at age 8.

Two Eevee with blood stained fur. Barely a few weeks old.