A/N: Hey everyone. Prince Leon here. So I do apologize for not releasing any new chapters of Astral lately. School's been taking up much of my time as well as other things. But I am happy for the continued support of the story. I've been following it everyday, and I'm stunned that my number of Hits spiked from 41 to 127. But Pwease Review as well! Your feedback helps make me a better writer, honest. I've already had one person write me a review, so here's a public Thank You to Kitsune'sBlackBloodRose. ^_^ Before continuing, I just thought that I should go ahead with the Disclaimers.
Disclaimers
I do not own D N Angel
Any and all Bleach Terminology belongs to the creator, Tite Kubo
Any and all Full Metal Alchemist references belong to the creator(s)
Any and all Yu-Gi-Oh! references belong to Konami
Any and all Final Fantasy Terminology belongs to Square-Enix
Alright, I think that's all of them. These disclaimers will stay in effect until I say otherwise. Any new elements that emerge from the story that is copyrighted material will have a disclaimer. But I did warn you guys that plenty of anime/ video game influences went into this work XD. But enough of that. I'm sure you all have been waiting for the next chapter, so here it is.
Chapter 3- The Astral Realm
Darkness had once again filled Aaron's vision. His body was lifeless as he laid flat on the floor. He had been unconscious for what felt like hours. Slowly, he started to stir. He opened his eyes and blinked several times, trying to assess what happened.
Just what happened to me in there? I remembered those people carrying me through some sort of gate. That and looking into a bright light. Then...everything went black.
He slowly sat up, giving his head a light shake. Once he was sitting up fully, he opened his eyes and was shocked by his surroundings. He was no longer in his bedroom, but he was in a bedroom that looked as if it belonged to a billionaire. The room contained a full library of books, a canopy bed which Aaron was sitting in front of, a crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling, a mirror in the corner, and a wide window that was filled with sunlight from outside. Aaron shielded his eyes from the light as he slowly got his feet. He took a good look around the room, baffled by how he got there.
"Just where did those psychos take me?" he asked to himself. It was then that he made his way over to the window. Once he got there, he was shocked at what he saw. There was nothing but trees as far as the eye could see. He looked over to the right in the northeast and saw a small village. He couldn't make out anyone down there because of the distance, but it looked inhabited. His last sight came when he stared straight ahead into the distance. There, some few thousand miles away, he could make out what looked to be another castle. Aaron's eyes widened and he took a few steps away from the window. Fear had now started to creep into the young boy's heart. He had no idea where he was and the new scenery only confused him to no end. He placed a hand on his chest when he felt a silk material on him. He looked down and saw that he wasn't wearing his T-shirt and shorts that he wore to bed, but an expensive-looking, blue, silk robe. He was baffled as to where the garment even came from.
"Wh-what the hell?"
He sped over to the mirror to get a better look at himself when he stopped. Once he was within the vicinity of the mirror, he saw that he was indeed wearing the robe. But that wasn't what caught him off guard this time. In the mirror, he saw that he no longer had his brown hair or his brown eyes. Instead, he now had blonde hair with crystal-clear blue eyes. He pulled on his new blonde locks, wincing at the pain he was feeling from pulling. No longer able to take the shock, he screamed at the top of his lungs. He fell back on his butt and started crawling backwards away from the mirror. No sooner had he screamed that his door was opened by the two guards that brought him here. They had completely ditched their cloaks, and were now wearing full suits of armor with the exception of the helm. Because of the improved lighting, Aaron could the knights much clearer than he had before. Felicia's bangs were now even over her eyes while the rest seemed to go past her neck and a little under her shoulders. Rue's hair was cleanly cut and swept to his left side, like that of a business official. Said knight stepped into the room with Felicia following him.
"Prince Leon, are you alright? What was the cause of your screaming?"
Aaron's blue eyes darted up to them, filled with fear and confusion. He scrambled to his feet and pointed at them.
"You," he began. "just where in the hell did you take me! What have you done to me!"
Felicia looked at Rue as the knight sighed. He turned to his partner and spoke.
"Seems our hypothesis was correct, Felicia."
The purplette looked to the ground with a heavy sigh.
"It looks like he's really forgotten us..."
Aaron stared at the pair with more confusion than fear. Just what did they mean by that? On top of constantly calling him "Prince Leon", they keep mentioning the fact he supposedly knew them at one point in time.
"Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm not here! Now, I need some answers. Just what is going on here!"
Rue and Felicia were a bit startled by how he raised his voice. The knight nodded and spoke.
"Alright, Prince," he began. "I'll fill you in on everything you need to know."
He turned back to Felicia and addressed her.
"Please get the Prince some appropriate clothes."
She nodded and walked into the room. With a snap of her finger, the wall slid to the right side of the room, revealing a plethora of outfits. She looked back at Rue with a grin.
"Which outfit, Rue?"
While Aaron was just mind-blown by the size of this closet, Rue merely waved his hand.
"Just a cotton shirt and some slacks with boots will be fine."
The girl nodded and pulled out the outfit, setting it on the bed. Rue walked over to the library and pulled out a book from its shelf.
"Get dressed, Prince. Once you're ready, we'll begin."
With that, Rue and Felicia left the room. Aaron stood looking at his new appearance in the mirror. This was the first time he was truly baffled by what was happening. If he didn't know better, he'd just dismiss it as being a dream. But all of this...was just too much to be some dream. He looked at the outfit for a moment before putting it on.
I have to play along to find out what this is all about.
He figured that following instructions was the only way he was going to get to the bottom of this. Soon, he stood tall in his shirt and pants. He slipped on the boots and walked out of the door into a grand, larger-than-life, hallway. Intricate patterns of gold and white traced all across the walls and the tile floors. Aaron was amazed by the design of this place.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say that they took me back in time a few centuries," he joked.
"Are you ready, Prince?"
He turned around to see Felicia and Rue waiting for him. He nodded and Rue spoke.
"Good. Then let us be off."
The three of them walked the hallways. Of course, Felicia and Rue were leading him around. As Aaron brought up the rear, he noticed something peculiar about Rue. His whole right arm looked to be encased in a different kind of armor than the rest of his body. On the shoulder, there was a strange insignia. The symbol in question was shield traced in gold with two swords in an "X" formation under the shield. On the shield, a lone, white wing was placed right in the middle. This same symbol was also on their capes that flowed gracefully behind them. Aaron stared at it, wondering what it was but not coming up with any answers. Soon, the party of three reached the main gates to the castle. They opened the two heavy oak doors, and the sunlight poured into the entrance. Aaron was awestricken by the sight that awaited him. The rays of the sun danced on the beautiful grass and the trees were full of life. The leaves blew in a soft breeze that caressed Aaron's face, and birds beat their wings against the blue sky. Aaron stepped outside and walked forward before looking back at the whole castle he was just in. It was a large building with five towers connected to the main center. But it was even larger inside, filled with plenty of rooms and secret passageways. Aaron's eyes drifted to Rue and Felicia as they joined him.
"Where am I?" he asked. Surprisingly enough, it was without fear or confusion. The tone of the question was curiosity. Felicia smiled and put her arm around his neck.
"This...is the Astral Realm. And behind us is the Illumina Castle."
The names resonated within Aaron. Some how, he was feeling...nostalgic about this place. But it didn't seem possible. He knew that he had never been to this place before in his life, yet it felt so familiar to him. Before he could address these feelings, Rue and Felicia were once again on the move. He followed after them and stopped when he came across a stable. Horses were kept here, like in stables on Earth. Rue and Felicia went inside and came out on top of two beautiful mares. Rue trotted over to Aaron and nodded to Felicia.
"Join Felicia on her horse."
Aaron nodded and walked over to the girl. He hadn't been on a horse in a long time. Not since he was a child going to the local Petting Zoo. Felicia giggled at his uncertainty and held out her hand.
"C'mon, Prince. We're losing Rue."
True enough, Rue had already started galloping away. Aaron nodded and gripped Felicia's hand tightly. She then pulled him onto her horse. Once he settled in, she tossed him a smile.
"Better hold on tight."
She reared the horse back and took off after her partner. Aaron, fearing for his life, wrapped his arms around Felicia's waist as the horse darted off with impressive speed. The warm wind was all that he felt against his face as his blonde hair whipped away in the breeze. He looked at the changing scenery around him, and was filled with awe and mystery. Despite being absolutely clueless, he couldn't lie and say that this place wasn't beautiful. Suddenly, Felicia started to slow down the horse. Aaron peeked over her shoulder and saw the back of Rue's head. They had caught up to him, but now where were they headed? He paid more attention and figured out the answer. They had now entered the village that Aaron saw from his window. He looked around as the villagers were going about their lives. It wasn't until a little girl saw Rue's horse did the village stop in activity. All eyes were centered on the trio as they made their way to the square. Aaron did feel a little creeped out by the amount of eyes on him, but he noticed two things as the horses continued to move. For starters, the villagers looked as if they were taken straight out of a movie about the Middle Ages. Even the village looked like it was from the medieval period. The second thing was that this village had a lot of people. More and more villagers were coming out nowhere, and suddenly began following them. Aaron quickly turned around and tapped Felicia's shoulder.
"Hey, where are we? And what's with them?"
"We are in Illuminus, the Royal City. Sorry it doesn't look like much. And don't mind them yet."
Aaron sat back and contemplated what Felicia told dinky village was suppose to be a Royal City? It would make since with the castle being this close to civilians, but there was nothing "royal" about this place. He was confused, but he merely kept with Felicia and Rue. Once they made it to the village square, Rue stopped his horse and dismounted. Felicia did the same and helped Aaron down as well. He was now looking at the large crowd of people who couldn't take their eyes off him. A moment of silence passed over the village before Rue walked forward. He cleared his throat and began to speak.
"Good citizens of Illuminus, I, Rue Midou, would like to give my personal thanks to all of you for being so strong in this time of crisis. We've faced immoral dangers and perils, and while the reconstruction of the castle is finally complete, we do realize that the once beautiful city of Illuminus has yet to be rebuilt. But, rejoice! For this Age of Darkness has finally ended. The Darkness that came here to rip apart our hopes and dreams for a future will no longer plague us. Why, you ask? Because we now have our Leader. The true heir of Illumina, and the soon-to-be-King of the Astral Realm. The last time he was seen, he was a boy at the tender age of 6 years old. But after 13 long, hard years, he has finally come home to the Astral Realm. Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls. I present to you: Prince Leon!"
Rue and Felicia parted to the side to let the people fully view Aaron. Nothing but silence swept over the villagers. Some of them had started to whisper to each other and talk amongst themselves. Aaron, on the other hand, just stood there dumbfounded by what was going on. He didn't know if he should hide or try and interact with these people. And then there was this whole "Prince Leon" business. He figured that this joke had gone on long enough. But before he could address his Guardians about their speech, a random voice emerged from within the sea of villagers.
"Ey! Rue and Felicia! You say that boy is the real Prince Leon. How do we know it's him and not another fake!"
All at once the residents of Illuminus came alive, each one with their own concern. In the past, several young men had appeared within the royal city, claiming to be the long-lost Prince. Only to fail the "trials" that Rue presented to them. In fact, news of the Prince returning discouraged the people more than encouraged them. But Rue and Felicia had the utmost faith in Aaron. They knew he was the real Prince, and had been waiting for 13 years to bring him back to the Astral Realm. Rue held up his hand and waited until the crowd had fallen silent.
"Citizens, please. I know there have been some impostors in the past, but I assure you. This is the true heir to the Illumina Throne. And the proof is right here."
Without any waring, Felicia and Rue grabbed Aaron and spun him around, turning his back to the people.
"What the? Hey! What gives!"
Without speaking, they lifted up his shirt to expose his back. Right in the middle, the same insignia that was on Rue's armored arm was imprinted on his back. The villagers all gasped and silence once again filled the area. Once Rue saw that he had gained their attention, he nodded to Felicia to take over. She cleared her throat and spoke up.
"As you can see," she began. "the insignia on his back is the true mark of Illumina. Only Light's true descendant has this symbol tattooed on their body. This is Prince Leon."
No one else dared challenge the legitimacy after that. It's true that all of the descendants of Light had that mark on their body. It served as proof that they belonged on the throne. Aaron was no different. But the villagers not only believed that this was their chosen champion, but that their time of suffering was indeed over. Aaron wiggled out of Rue and Felicia's grip, turning to them with a glare.
"Hey! What did you just show them! Do I have a tattoo now or something!"
He tried reaching it, but to no avail. When he focused his eyes forward, he was in for another surprise. Like he hadn't had enough of those. All of the villagers, every single one, were now bowing down to him. Their faces touch the dirt and gravel as they were showing their deepest gratitude for his return. Aaron was stuck. He didn't know why they were bowing to him. He then grit his teeth and looked at Rue, tired of being confused and left out of what was happening.
"And why are they bowing to me? Tell them to get up."
Felicia stepped out of Aaron's shadow and spoke to him, trying to give him some insight into what was going on.
"These are loyal citizens, Prince Leon. The only one that can command them is you."
Aaron looked at Felicia and thought about it. In truth, she was right. They were peasants and of course, they held deep respect for the Nobility and Royalty of this land. Especially seeing as either power were not trying to abuse them in these dark times. Aaron cleared his throat and stepped forward to the sea of bowing heads.
"Er...Um, arise e-everyone."
The villagers all stood up and started to cheer him. They all clapped and shouted and yelled just from his presence. The boy didn't even give a speech, and his followers already felt safe in his presence.
"Hooray for the return of the Prince!"
"Long live Illumina!"
"The Nexos Kingdom will fall!"
This particular cheered fired up the crowd more than anything. Rue and Felicia watched on with smiles while Aaron just watched the villagers enjoy themselves. It was then that the cheer found its way to Aaron's brain. He analyzed it and got curious. What was the Nexos Kingdom? And why would it fall now that he had "returned"? He sighed as the constant confusion was starting to get to him. But before he could ask the question, Rue approached him while carrying a book. He could see the confusion all over Aaron's face and nodded before looking to Felicia.
"Felicia, you stay here and observe the citizens. I'll take over from here."
"Got it." she answered.
Rue nodded and looked at Aaron.
"Prince Leon, please follow me. We have much to discuss."
He turned on his heel and started walking towards a vacant house. Aaron followed suit and walked behind him, his eyes still mesmerized by the insignia on his cape. Once they got inside, Rue escorted Aaron to the table and chairs that were awaiting them. The whole house was old and abandoned. Light from the sun shined inside the house, lighting a path for Aaron to follow. He fumbled around until he reached the chair. Rue came by and joined him, putting his book on the table. He then looked at Aaron, concern and kindness being the elements involved in his gaze.
"Since you lost your memory, I take it that you are confused with everything that's happening. Right, Prince?"
Aaron cleared his throat and nodded.
"Yeah. It's just that...all of these terms seem familiar, but at the same time totally foreign. Illumina, the Astral Realm, Nexos. Oh, what is Nexos by the way?"
Rue smiled as he looked at Aaron. He could see that maybe, just maybe, his true memories were breaking to the surface. That everything would become clear with a little push. He placed the book on the table and nodded.
"Very well. The best place to start to clarify things is from the beginning. So let's examine it, shall we?"
Aaron nodded to what Rue said. He was tired of being left out of the loop and some clarification would do him some good. Rue cleared his throat and opened the book as he began his explanation.
"Now, I believe that you're already acquainted with the world known as Earth, correct?"
Aaron nodded to this question.
"Well," Rue began. "when that world was created eons ago, the Astral Realm was also created. This world is paralleled to that of Earth. Two worlds existing in the same space, but on different planes. We've lived side by side with Earth for many generations without crossing our borders. In the beginning stages that the Astral Realm was taking form, two Masters were born. They were Light and Dark. Both men, practically brothers, help shaped the Astral Realm into the place that is today. They stood by each for centuries here, until Dark began to lust for more power and control. Light tried his best to get his friend back, but it was no use. Dark eventually created the Nexos Kingdom, comprised of a wide majority of his followers in an attempt to control the entire Astral Realm."
Aaron sat back listened to the history that Rue spoke of. He was onboard with everything for the most part, but he was curious as to how this thing ended.
"Did...did he win?" he asked?
Rue smiled before closing the book and looking at him.
"It was a chaotic battle, but Light defeated Dark with his own army. They would eventually go on and call themselves the Illumina Kingdom."
He then stood up and placed a hand on the book.
"That was the first war ever to occur in the Astral Realm. After the battle, Light went on to be crowned King of the entire Astral Realm. He ruled for many years, but when he was on his death bed, a spell was placed on him. Instead of getting his family members to be on the throne, it was said that when an infant was brought into the world and carried the Coat of Arms of the Illumina Kingdom on his body, that he was the descendant of Light and the new Prince of the Illumina Kingdom. However, the same spell has been used on Dark's body and now his descendants have arrived as well. So now the descendants of both masters battle each other with the Astral Realm as the prize for victory. A never-ending conflict of Light versus Dark, it seems."
Rue paused for a second to see if Aaron was following him. When saw that the boy was listening, he continued.
"Many of your predecessors have all fought to become King. Some have triumphed, while others have fallen. But now the fate of the Astral Realm rests on you, Prince Leon."
At the mention of that, Aaron came alive.
"What? No way, man!" He stood up to meet Rue eye to eye. The knight saw that he was refusing and tried to reason with him.
"But Prince Leon-"
"No buts! I'm not a Prince, and I don't know the first thing about fighting in some war! This whole thing is just insane!"
"But if you don't defeat Tybalt and become King, the Astral Realm will fall into everlasting Darkness." Rue protested. "And all of villagers would become nothing but slaves and targets."
Aaron got quiet when heard Rue say such things. If he didn't defend them, they would be just like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. That was beyond horrible to him. He grit his teeth as he looked down at the floor. Why was he their key to survival? He never asked for this, so why? Rue saw that he was at war with himself. He cleared his throat and continued, positive that Aaron wanted to know who his opponent was.
"In case you were wondering Prince, Tybalt Drevous is the prince of the Nexos Kingdom. Like his predecessors, he only wants power and control and he doesn't care about who he has to destroy or the lives that he ruined to get it. While you were sleeping for thirteen years, he went on a massive offensive and conquered many parts of the Astral Realm. Even small kingdoms and areas that swore their loyalty to Illumina have been taken over. This ruined city not only serves as a home to its citizens, but also as a safe haven for people that we were able to save from his control."
Aaron was about to say something when something got his attention. Rue just said that he had been sleeping for thirteen years. Sleeping? What on earth did he mean by that? Aaron decided to address that statement.
"What," he began. "what do you mean that I was sleeping for thirteen years?"
Rue sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. He truly let that one slip out, but he figured that he should tell him everything. Maybe this would compel him to stay and fight. At least...he hoped.
"Prince Leon, you may not believe me, but you were not born on Earth. You were born here, in the Astral Realm. When you were born, you had the insignia on your back and you were taken to the castle to be raised as the Prince of Illumina. Felicia and I started training you when you six years of age. That's how we know you so well. During your boyhood, however, the Nexos Kingdom did something that no one saw coming. As the new battle for the Astral Realm was going to be put in place, the Nexos launched a massive ambush against Illumina and the Royal City of Illuminus. We...didn't see it coming. Thousands of lives were lost and the castle was throughly demolished. But in all of the chaos, Felicia and I thought that you had perished as well. It wasn't until the council members told us differently. Apparently during the ambush, you had your first encounter with Tybalt. He's two years your senior, so he had more experience than you did. He defeated you in combat and was about to claim your life until you awakened your power. Your Spiritual Pressure, the aura that surrounded you, was so strong that it scarred Tybalt's left arm. That was the only thing that made the Nexos retreat from their attack. However, your attacked released so much energy that your body couldn't withstand bring in the Astral Realm. You disintegrated and was reborn on Earth. This resulted in your human persona, Aaron Hideku, being born. This strange phenomenon has also erased all of the memories you had of the Astral Realm."
Rue looked at Aaron after he was done saying all of that. The look on Aaron's face was blank. His eyes were wide and his mouth hung was just no way. That couldn't be correct. Did this mean that Aaron's life on Earth was a lie? That his friends and family were merely an illusion? That he really belonged to this world and not the world he called home? Rue wasn't thinking about these questions. He just continued on, assuming Aaron would follow.
"While you were living on Earth all this time, Tybalt seized the chance to claim the Astral Realm for himself without any opposition. The citizens were about to give up hope...but now you've returned. You can give them hope once more. You can defeat Tybalt and bring peace back to the Astral Realm. And Felicia and I will right by your side. Every step of the way."
Rue approached Aaron, who was still trying to digest the information that he was just given, and hugged him. Rue saw the prince as something more than just a royal and Illumina's Champion. The two had developed the bond of teacher and student. He missed him, pure and simple. But Aaron was not ready to accept what Rue had told him. He put his hands up and pushed Rue away from him, shaking his head.
"No..."
Rue looked confused as he saw him.
"Prince Leon, I-"
"No no no no no! That's it! I'm not your prince! My name is Aaron Hideku, I come from Earth, and this is all a dream! There's no way that I'm suppose to be fighting in some war that will decide some planet's fate! I'm...I'm just thirteen years old. What the hell do I know about war, huh! This isn't real, you're not real, and I just want to wake up from this dream! I want to be with my friends and family again! I wanna go home!"
Tears had actually started to form in the boy's eyes. He was confused and scared. He didn't understand what was going on, and he just wanted it all to end. Rue could see that. It wasn't that Rue didn't think that Aaron would be skeptical of the whole thing, but he wanted him to at least consider it. The knight's heart broke a little when Aaron declared that he wanted to go home, not believing that where he was was his home. He sighed and nodded.
"Alright, Prince," Rue said. "I'll send you back to Earth."
He opened the book once more and pulled out a ring that was embedded on the page. The ring was gold with a purple stone in the center. Within the stone was Coat of Arms of the Illumina Kingdom. He pointed the ring at a space in the room.
"Gate To Earth, Open!"
At once, the golden gates that appeared in Aaron's room appeared again. Aaron watched as the gate slide open, revealing the bright light inside. Rue then took the ring and placed it on Aaron's finger.
"With this, you'll be able to pass through safely. Now go."
Aaron looked at Rue before running right into the light. He was going farther and farther inside, the light getting brighter and brighter before he blacked out again...
Suddenly, Aaron's eyes popped open and he sat up straight in his bed. His breathing was heavy and cold sweat was all over his body. He looked around saw that he was back in his room. He cut on his lamp and grabbed a mirror. His hair was back to being brown, as well as his eyes. He started to calm down and breathe a sigh of relief.
"It's over...Thank God that was just a dream."
He cut off the light and fell back in his pillow. Pretty soon, he was fast asleep with no worries whatsoever.
Elsewhere, Felicia walked into the house that Rue and Aaron were in. A smile was on the purplette's face as she found her fellow Guardian.
"Man, those villagers are a joy. They really are excited for the Prince's return."
It was then that she noticed that Aaron wasn't in the room with Rue. She stopped and looked around.
"Speaking of which, where is he?"
Rue sighed before replying quietly.
"He left."
"He left? What do you mean, Rue?"
"I told him everything. The history of the Astral Realm, and the truth behind his birth. He refuses to believe that any of that is real. He wanted to go back to Earth, so I took him there."
Felicia's mouth dropped. Silence enveloped the room before she spoke up.
"So... he doesn't believe any of it?"
"It appears that way."
"Then what are we going to do, Rue? The people of this kingdom expect to see their Champion bring them out of this Darkness! If they find out that he left them high and dry, Illumina will fall!"
"That is exactly why they can not learn of this. We mustn't lose heart, Felicia. We have to convince Prince Leon that what we say is the truth. And we must hurry. I fear that the Nexos may have already sent their assassin after him."
Felicia nodded her head at the news.
"If that's the case, it really is a race against time. But if the Prince doesn't believe us..."
"...He'll believe the assassin. Come, Felicia; we have much to prepare."
The two knights hurried out of the house and back toward to the castle.
A/N: And done! Phew, this has to be the longest chapter I've written for the story thus far. I'm terribly sorry for it being this late, but hopefully the length of the chapter is enough to make up for it. A lot of time and work went into this chapter, as you can see, and it's only going to get better from here on out. So please R and R. Please! I swear, I need the feedback. Thank you all for being patient with me, and see you all on Chapter 4. I promise it won't take as long to write. XD