Phases of the moon
Chapter 1- Awaiting truth
It was not how he expected: to be here, in a particularly isolated strip of land, featuring an abnormally shaped tower that seemed to weave into the star- scattered sky above. But Sairu knew this had to be it: the corridor of darkness that had brought him to this world had answered his heart's call, to seek out the master sorcerer, Yen Sid. At first glance, Sairu seemed to have changed a great deal, due to the fact he was now dressed in a billowing black cloak with bell-like sleeves, and matching gloves and shoes. His facial appearance, otherwise, had changed very little: his dark red hair now framing the back of his head, having grown ever so slightly to level with his shoulders, with his bangs draped to the left side of his forehead, and chocolate brown eyes that shimmered with a mixture of curiosity, determination and pain.
The reason being was because he was still reeling from the noble sacrifice of a dear friend. Even though that friend claimed he had been reduced to an empty shell, yet selflessly gave his life to protect him from a Replica of his former travelling companion, Riku, the boy who had once succumbed to darkness, but after their previous adventure in the mysterious Castle Oblivion, he had an epiphany concerning his darkness, just as Sairu had an epiphany concerning his desire to avenge the fallen friend, both involving an enigmatic girl known as Naminé. In any way possible, the two boys were grateful for her interventions, helping them overcome their personal obstacles and strengthen them as combatants. As well as her, they had the undying support of the King of Disney Castle, Mickey Mouse, who joined the two boys in the realm of darkness and Castle Oblivion.
Now that Riku had overcome the darkness of the man known as Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, Sairu bid Riku and King Mickey farewell, to be here, at the base of the tower of the man who can hopefully answer questions of his past. As Sairu gazed at the starry night sky, he felt a sense of nostalgia wash over him, remembering his family and their former home away from home. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed dark objects dancing across the ground, only to realise it was the Heartless, the dreaded creatures of darkness that devoured worlds to futilely satisfy their insatiable hunger for hearts. At seeing these, Sairu demonstrated a new ability: holding his left hand out to his side, a white flash of light appeared and disappeared, revealing his white bladed weapon, his self-titled Lunablade. With his weapon in hand, Sairu lunged forward at the Heartless and effortlessly defeated them, the creatures being mediocre foot soldiers at best.
Once the threat was over, Sairu opened the door to the tower and entered warily, in the event that Heartless were in the tower. Thankfully, there were none in sight, and he continued on his trek through the tower. After climbing seemingly innumerable flights of stairs, contending with Heartless in the intersecting chambers, Sairu eventually arrived at his destination, and carefully opened the door. Once he entered the room beyond, he politely closed the door, revealing a study- like room before him. The room was littered with numerous and odd-shaped bookshelves, huge windows seemingly shaped as a star and a crescent moon. On his far right, stood a large, ornate green door and at the centre of the room stood a large desk, with a tall throne behind it. And in that throne sat a seemingly elderly man, dressed in a blue gown, and wore a blue pointed hat adorned with golden stars and a crescent moon. The man had a prominent long grey beard, and wore a look of severity upon his face, yet when he laid eyes on his visitor, there seemed to be a sense of mild joy gleaming in his otherwise serious expression.
After looking around the study and setting his eyes on the man who at before him, Sairu hesitantly placed his arms at his side and bowed, politely introducing himself: "It is an honour to meet you, Master Yen Sid. My name is Sairu" As he stood up straight, the robed man raised a hand and gave a nod of the head and, surprisingly, a smile now adorned his face. "Yes. I have been expecting you, young man. It has been too long since I last saw you" Yen Sid greeted warmly. "We've met before, sir?" Sairu asked in curiosity and confusion. "Indeed we have. However, you were only a newborn when I first met you, so I do not expect you to remember our first encounter. You have grown considerably since then" Yen Sid said with a brief chuckle. "So..." Sairu added sheepishly "I take it that you're aware of my reasons for being here?" he asked. At this, the smile faded and Yen Sid's serious expression swept across his face again.
"Yes. I understand that you are here to learn of your origins. It is understandable: it is only natural to learn of such vital knowledge. I take it you were guided here by Squall" Yen Sid then asked, which Sairu confirmed with a nod of the head. "Yes, that's right. He also gave me this" and Sairu reached into his cloak's pocket and revealed his father's scroll, to which Yen Sid looked serious again. "He told me you were the only one who could help me learn about my past. Based on what you said previously, my brother was right" Yen Sid nodded in response and then asked politely "May I take a look?" Sairu nodded and passed the scroll to Master Yen Sid, who then closed his eyes as he held it, as if he were trying to read it with his mind. "As I thought..." Yen Sid then said as he opened his eyes again after a moment. "What is it?" Sairu asked as politely as he could. "It is fortunate you did not open it all this time. If so, you would not have liked the outcome." "Why? What do you mean?" Sairu then asked, still curious. Then, Yen Sid replied "This is not an ordinary scroll your father bequeathed you. This scroll is very unique, for it has the power to traverse the portals of time"
At hearing this, Sairu's expression became unreadable, before setting into disbelief. "It... can?" Sairu asked, his voice as disbelieving as his expression. Seeing this, Yen Sid placed the scroll on the counter and explained "Though I never met your people, I was aware of their existence and knew some of their greatest triumphs, every single one of them associated with powerful feats of sorcery. Of these great triumphs, your father was a shining example of them all, for he was the only one who successfully mastered the magic of time travel. As such, he was a legend to the people he presided over, for in your birth world, your father was the benevolent ruler of his kingdom" Hearing this, Sairu's disbelief shattered as his expression evolved into shock: he discovered he was effectively royalty in his birth, meaning he would have become the ruler in his father's place, which excited, yet deflated Sairu.
"However, just as your father's power was worshipped, it was also highly coveted by other individuals who did not deem him worthy to wield it. You will probably learn this once you go back in time, but a civil war raged over his abilities to travel through time. Thankfully, by the event of your birth, the fires of war had been quelled, yet a new threat emerged shortly after and dragged your home into the deepest darkness, never to be seen again. Though I was not present in these affairs, a mutual acquaintance of your father and myself reiterated these events so that I may inform you, now that you are ready. Once you have witnessed the events that transpired all those years ago, I shall reveal another chapter of your history" Yen Sid finished with a sombre expression, which caused Sairu to reel from shock, learning of his father's enmity with some of his own people, which only served to fuel his pride over being descended from such an idol.
"Incredible. Does that mean I am capable of similar mastery of sorcery?" he asked in his shocked state, to which Yen Sid responded "It is not yet certain, but I do believe you possess your own unique sorcery and are capable of equating to his legacy. That weapon you wield in battle allows you to manipulate light and gravity, the defining traits of the moon. This in itself is a unique power, one that as far I can tell, only you possess" Sairu couldn't help but smile in surprise at hearing this; it wasn't everyday you were descended from royal sorcerers and had the potential to be a master of a unique form of sorcery. "And yet, out of my people, my father was able to manipulate time. But, how can his magic remain after all this time?" At this, Yen Sid began stroking his beard, as he attempted to explain "Because this scroll holds a distinctive sealing property, one that keeps the magic's essence preserved until someone is capable of breaking the seal. Once the seal has been breached, then the magic will flow freely, and after an amount of time, will fade away. Yet, from what I can ascertain, it would appear this scroll was forged by your father's most important memories" "I see..." Sairu said aloud, the euphoria of the previous moment extinguished as the atmosphere became serious again. "What will happen when I travel back in time?" he then asked.
Yen Sid ceased to stroke his beard, and explained "There are numerous restrictions to passing through time. First, to do so, you must leave your body behind; then, there must be a version of you waiting at the destination in time. Furthermore, the events that are destined to happen cannot be rewritten. In your case, you will most likely be sent to your most past self, when you were an infant. However, because your mind is now more developed, you will retain memories of this experience when you return to your original form. But if you are to be regressed into an infant's body, with next to no control of your bodily processes, then we have nothing to fear about other events being rewritten"
At hearing this, Sairu immediately grew uncomfortable at this prospect, but understood it would be the only way that he would learn of his parents, and his heritage. Sensing his unnerved aura, Yen Sid continued "There is something you can gain from this experience besides the memories of your family. Once you have returned, there is an artefact I shall pass on to you" "I see... Then... I have to know what kind of life I would have led. Master Yen Sid, I'm ready" Sairu said, his unnerved aura dissolving, at which Yen Sid smiled and replied "Very well. Sairu, if you are ready to see it, step forward" Sairu obeyed and stopped directly over the table. "I shall unseal this scroll to grant you passage, but once you are through, there is little I can do. After a period of time has elapsed, your mind shall return to your original body and the scroll's power shall fade once its purpose has been fulfilled"
Sairu nodded at this, and, with a wave of Yen Sid's hands, the scroll unravelled, revealing a window- like opening. At seeing this, Sairu cautiously reached out to the scroll, and felt an immense lurching sensation yet his body was firmly rooted in place as his soul was suddenly removed from his body and sucked into the vortex of the portal to the past. Soon, the light that emanated from the scroll disappeared, and Sairu's body collapsed into a heap on the floor, like a puppet whose strings were cut. Meanwhile, the inner Sairu was seemingly falling in a spiralling vortex of purple and golden light, yet he couldn't tell if he was falling fast or slow, nor did he care. After what seemed like a long time, the falling sensation came to a stop, and his body seemingly fell numb, unable to move anything except to open his eyes, and awaken in an unfamiliar place.