"He'll know in time..." Marie thought to herself, standing up.
"I have an idea, how about we go to La La Koosha?" she suggested "That's where Lolo lives, and where Lolo is... Klonoa is too..." she then looked down at the orb "But then again..." not just yet...
"I know! Joliante! It's a fun place, it'd be nice to spend a night there together..." she chuckled, her blushing starting to subside "It's like an amusement park!"
Spirit nodded happily "Sure! It sounds like fun!"
Marie energized yet another portal, then turned to Spirit "It'll be faster this way. My brother had to use an air ship to get from the mainland to here."
They both went through the portal, Marie holding tightly to the small orb. They arrived in the middle of a giant amusement park, surrounded by lights and decorations of all kinds. Rides and fun houses dotted the landscape, along with all manner of games and food stands.
"Joliant's entire kingdom is like this. People come from all over Lunatea to see this place." Spirit looked around, eyes widened by the many sights. "It's like nothing I've ever seen before!"
"It's a nice place..." she said, cradling the orb "At night, there's fireworks... but for now, there's rides!" she smiled in glee, eyeing the roller coaster as Spirit gulped slightly. She noticed straight away "It's okay, I can ride it alone... but you'll have to hold the orb..." she thought it over "Better yet, I'll just skip the roller coaster this time..." she looked towards the east to a mountain area "How about the Jungle slider? It's quite fun..."
"Jungle slider?"
She nodded "You take this board and go surfing down a river, it's one of Joliante's main attractions..."
"I dunno..." Spirit frowned slightly "I can't exactly swim..."
"You don't need to" she chuckled, taking his hand as she lead him off "Just don't fall off the board"
He nodded uncertainly, placing his trust in Marie as she slipped the orb into her pocket, snugly and securely before hopping on a board. Shifting her balance to stay on the board, she immediately took off at a great speed, Spirit following behind. His technique wasn't as graceful, and Marie noticed, saying "It's okay, you'll get the hang of it real soon... heck, almost anyone can do this... just relax and don't worry..."
She tilted the board at an angle, slowing her so Spirit wouldn't be left behind. Soon he found his balance, and smiled, how the boarding felt so good, the wind in his fur, the water splashing to a mist, he closed his eyes in the pleasant breeze, until Marie called to him "Lookout!"
"Huh?" he opened his eyes to see himself coming at a spinning creature, then felt an impact followed by instant darkness. Sometime later, he made out the blurry vision of Marie kneeling by him on shore, her wings outstretched.
"Thank goodness you're okay" she smiled "You had a wipe out... it's okay, though, you did really good for your first try..."
Spirit coughed up some water, then looked at Marie.
"Want me to carry you for a change?" she asked humorously. Spirit blushed, but managed to force a laugh. Suddenly, the deity picked him up and cradled him in her arms "Aww, you're not that heavy."
She then placed him back down on the ground, giggling slightly "That was fun! You're like a little plushie!"
Spirit looked amazed by her feat of strength, but was also extremely embarrassed. Marie didn't mind, actually, she didn't seem to notice and she said "Let's go, we haven't seen the haunted house yet!"
He sat up, rubbing his head. The sun dried the last bit of water from his fur. Marie offered him a hand and helped him up. She then took the orb out of her pocket, cradling it in her arms and walked by him. He looked curiously, then asked "Why can't I hold it for you?" he seemed to noticed that she was avoiding contact between him and the orb.
"Erm... you see..." she was lost for words in a moment "It's hard to explain, it's a Cryssnan thing..."
She forced a smile and lead him through the park, up to a dark house.
"There are some real ghosts here, but they're harmless" she chuckled "Sometimes it's fun to remind them that they can't hurt us"
The doors opened for them automatically with an eerie creak, upon which they stepped inside. It then closed behind them, leaving the two in a gloomy, medieval room. An odd looking ghost descended in front of them. It stared at them with a freakish grin, and two beady eyes glowing yellow like the heartless' would.
"Welcome to the haunted manor... I trust you will have a frightening experience!" it laughed. "Either you're really dead, or you need a mint, pronto!" Marie flatly said, the ghost right in her face.
"You try brushing your teeth with an ectoplasmic hand..." it replied, drifting off again. She chuckled, turning to Spirit "I know it seems mean, but if you don't tease 'em, then they may try to terrify you..."
He nodded, taking her hand as she suddenly leapt into a dark pit with no bottom. Spirit felt his heart skip a beat, and also yelled, until Marie landed on a drum moving across a pit of fire and giggled.
"Do you really think I'd hurt us?" she asked, as he nervously looked to the side, descending into a dark abyss. He then noticed gaps in the path and panicked until he saw Marie, calm and collected. The drums magically hopped across every gap, and soon the path ended back to solid ground, and she leapt, taking Spirit with her back onto solid ground. They approached a door, Spirit still trying to catch his breath as she chuckled "It's ok, just a few thrills and chills, huh?" He nodded slightly, face paler than usual.
Marie took Spirit through the rest of the mansion, going through all manner of rides and puzzles. Spirit's heart was racing by the end, and he was mentally and physically exhausted.
"Too many drops..." he said, body quaking.
"I'm sorry... I didn't know you were afraid of heights." Marie petted him gently, then helped him up. Spirit stumbled a bit from dizziness, but managed to stay on his feet. She then took the orb out again, stroking its glassy exterior. The deity knew exactly what was inside it, but didn't know how to tell Spirit. As he calmed, nearly falling asleep, Marie pocketed the orb and looked to the sky holding the exhausted Gaia in her arms. Brilliant colors dazzled and streaked across the heavens, followed by loud booming sounds.
"Look Spirit" she gestured towards the sky "Fireworks, aren't they pretty?"
He didn't answer, already asleep in her arms. She smiled, using magic to fade into a portal, ending up back at home. Spirit awoke that morning to find Marie sleeping, head rested on his stomach, orb cradled in arms. Even in her sleep, she kept a grip on it.
Spirit felt compelled to touch it, some feeling coming from the energy it emitted, as he laid his hand on the glassy shell, suddenly feeling dizzy. He took his hand away, feeling weaker "It absorbs energy?"
Spirit pondered this discovery for quite a while, until Marie woke up. He didn't want to ask her anything about it, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable.
"Spirit, I was thinking... Why don't we go to Zarconia and meet your mother?"
"But, Sephiroth forbids it..." Marie hopped out of bed and looked at him. "I don't care what he says... You should be allowed to see your own mother."
He smiled "You're right!"
"Have I ever been wrong?"
He nodded in agreement, allowing her to open the portal. This time it took slightly more time to form. Spirit took notice, thinking if the orb had something to do with it, but soon the vortex formed. He took her hand, leaping through as Marie found herself in a city filled with cat-like people. Like Marie's home planet, the world seemed quite beautiful, but modernized. She looked up towards the sky, buildings towering above her. A smile spread across her face "This place is so cool!"
"It feels like it's been years since I was last here." Spirit said. Suddenly, they both noticed someone behind them.
"It appears the bounty has returned." it said, apparently female by voice. She had orange colored armor covering her entire body, and a green visor that revealed her eyes somewhat.
"Who are you?" Marie asked tilting her head with a slight 'meep'.
"I am bounty hunter first class; Samus Aran. I've been hired to take in the renegade prince." she lifted up a gun that was attached to her arm, pointing it directly at Spirit and Marie.
"You have it all wrong! Spirit's not the bad one, it's his parents!" she quickly explained, standing between her gun and Spirit. The bounty hunter looked unconvinced, as Marie continued "It's true, Spirit would never do evil! He has helped me fight the darkness, and saved me many times..."
The deity looked to her with pleading eyes "All we want to do is see Lumina... please?"
She thought a second, taking down her blaster "I'll trust you, for now..."
The bounty hunter turned, gesturing to follow as the two stared on dumbfounded "What are you waiting for? You can't be out in the open..."
"Oh!" Spirit said, following her as he took Marie's hand, the two placing their trust in Samus. "Who is this 'Lumina' you're searching for?"
"She's... My mother..." Spirit answered, not knowing if she'd believe him.
"I didn't know my mother for that long... My home space colony, K2-L, was ravaged by space pirates when I was still young."
Marie looked confused. "Space pirates?"
Samus nodded. "A ruthless army of genetically enhanced thieves. They attack planets, plundering the resources and technology for their own use. Their leader is a bio-mechanical organism known as Mother Brain."
"Meh..." Marie frowned at hearing that and tugged Spirit's sleeve, asking "Didn't Seph say that she's in the heart of this world? Where's that? Maybe it's... where the keyhole is!"
"I remember talk of something like that in the castle..." Spirit rubbed his chin, walking down a path, suspended by a technological force. Marie gazed all around at the other cat-like people, not giving much notice to the alien that walked the streets. A look of excitement spread across her face "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go there!"
As they walked through the city streets, she noticed that no one was using vehicles of any kind.
"Spirit, why is everyone walking?"
He chuckled a bit "Zarconians don't believe in relying on anything but themselves for transportation. Despite our technology, we still have many deep-rooted beliefs."
Just then, Samus stopped "We've got company!"
Spirit and Marie looked in front of them, only to see a towering machine. It had two massive mechanical legs, supporting its large, jet-like body.
"Oh no!" Spirit gasped "That's a Zarconian guard mech!"
A sensor appeared from the underside of its hull; a robotic eye locking onto them. The tip of its body then opened up, revealing a large gun.
"We've got to get out of here! That's Zarconia's most powerful weapon: The Hyperion Cannon! It releases a burst of pure energy that can vaporize anything in a second!"
Marie grinned deviously, not budging an inch, materializing shield of bright energy, fazing around her arms. The blast fired, and she leapt in the way, reflecting the beam right back at it and her body received a shock, pushing her backwards. She braced herself, stiffening her legs and pushing against the ray. The beam decimated the robot with a small explosion and Maire turned to Spirit, her fur sticking upwards from static as she huffed out smoke in a cough. She looked at her hands, the gloves burned as she grumbled "Darn, this stuff is powerful enough to break through mythril? Let's hope we won't run into anymore..."
The fur on her hand seemed to steam slightly, and the force of the blast bruised them, causing Spirit to ask "Are you okay?"
She twitched her fingers slightly, wincing as she did so "Ya, it only stings at the moment, doesn't seem like I'll be using my hands much..."
Spirit took off his gloves and handed them to Marie. "They're not much, but they should give your hands some protection." He helped get them on, being careful not to hurt her. As Samus watched this, she thought, "No way that's a bad kid."
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in front of them, his coat rustling in the breeze.
"Sephiroth! How did you get here?" Spirit exclaimed.
"I have my ways..."
Marie turned to him. "We're not going back until we find Spirit's mother!"
Sephiroth smiled at the two, letting out a short laugh. "I couldn't stop you if I wanted to. You should be able to know who your mother is... I never did, and look at what I've done over the course of my life."
The Gaia looked at Sephiroth with a look of surprise. "I was assigned to be your guardian, and that's what I'm going to do."
"Yeah..." Marie clutched her shoulder "We'll need guarding..."
Spirit suddenly noticed her limp arm and she quickly explained "Even though I have no innards like most beings, I do have a structure... like bones... almost..." she forced a smile "I think the impact shattered it..."
"Huh?"
"It's like as if it broke her arm..." Sephiroph said "But if she's a goddess, it should heal in a few hours..."
"Until then..." she mumbled, wincing slightly "We best find Lumina, if there are things out here willing to attack with everything they have..."
She shuddered at the thought "Why don't you lead the way, Seph?"
He nodded, then pointed to a giant castle. "That's where the portal to Lumina is."
Spirit nodded happily. "I can lead us inside. I used to sneak around in there all the time."
Marie suddenly realized something, and carefully took the orb out of her pocket. "Umm... Spirit... Could you hold on to this for me?"
He took it, forgetting that simply touching it sapped energy from his body. It emitted a light blue aura in his hands, as if altering how much energy it would take from him at a time. As Spirit looked at the orb, he felt a sudden joy.
"Something's in here... Could it be?"
"Just be very careful with it..." Marie reminded, as he lead them inside through an entrance hidden to the side, behind some thick undergrowth. Spirit held Marie's free hand gently, just in case if she'd trip, and held the orb firmly in the other hand. He could sense a very great power in it, and didn't want to break it.
"Okay, we're in..." he said, looking over to Sephiroph "Lead the way..."
He nodded, walking down the corridors to a stone staircase that descended into darkness. It felt like walking through a dungeon, silent, cold, barely any life, but it didn't bother the small party at all. Soon, they came to a room, revealing a door and a hey hole, as Sephiroph said "Only Gaia's and divine beings can pass through here... I'll just wait in this room with Samus..."
They both nodded in unison, stepping through the light. The two appeared on a platform suspended in space, stars falling like rain all around them.
"Is this it? There's no one here..." Marie said, looking around. Spirit's eyes began to tear up, and he dropped to his knees on the floor, crying from the loneliness he felt in his heart, like he had just been abandoned. Marie wanted to comfort him, but knew there was nothing she could do. As he sobbed, he suddenly felt someone's touch upon his shoulders. Opening his eyes, he saw an elegantly dressed woman, with blonde hair that went down to the floor.
"Mom..." Spirit gasped. She knelt down by him and held him in her arms, crying as well.
"It's okay... I'm here..."
"Whoa..." Marie stared out wide-eyed, as she smiled "Your mother's really pretty, and nice..."
She looked over to her, her eyes, soft and blue just like Spirit's.
"And you must be Marie... the goddess of water..."
She nodded eagerly, still clutching to her arm. Lumina noticed, holding her hand over it, softly glowing as the pain eased away instantly and felt movement once again.
"Wow... thanks!" she said, turning to Spirit with a cuddle "I can have the orb back now..."
"Okay..." he said, handing it over carefully. Lumina took notice of it and asked him "Do you know the true purpose of that orb?"
He shook his head "Marie never told me it's true purpose, but said it's a symbol of our love..."
Marie started blushing and made silent gestures to Lumina not to tell, but it was too late. She leaned over and whispered it into Spirit's ear. His expression suddenly turned to extreme surprise, as he blushed uncontrollably and blacked out on the ground.
"That's why I didn't tell him!" Marie exclaimed, as she rushed over to the Gaia and tried to wake him. Lumina walked over, picking him up gently "I'm sorry, but it's best that he knows..."
Marie looked up at her, noticing how much taller she was than Spirit "So... Why was he born to a mortal family, and why does he have Alex's memories?"
The mother Gaia smiled lovingly, still cradling Spirit in her arms "Gaias aren't able to bear children. We can create life, but we can't sustain it. However... That doesn't make him any less my son." she then paused for a moment "As for his memories, it was Alex's soul who protected his when Spirit was transferred to the mortal world. A few of Alex's memories may have rubbed off on him, but Spirit is his own person; His feelings for you are his own."
She smiled slightly "I just hope he doesn't mind becoming a father... it surprised him a lot..." she cradled the orb, the heat nearly lulling her to sleep "I thought he might be resentful... it isn't uncommon for a Cryssnan to become a parent without intending too..."
Lumina laid a hand gently on her shoulder, lying Spirit down by her. Marie rested his head on her lap, as the Gaia comforted her "I'm sure he won't mind being a father too much, he'll still love you, and your new addition... until then, let him rest, it was quite a shock to me too, but I had no clue my son was that shy..."
Marie giggled "That's one of the reasons why I love him, those who are shy are usually worried about the other person's feelings, they care deeply about others..."
Lumina smiled, then patted Marie on the head. "You're going to make a great daughter in-law." Marie happily mewed, then noticed Spirit waking up. She knelt down by him, waiting for him to regain full consciousness.
"Spirit, I'm so sorry that I never told you... I was worried of what you might think."
He looked at her, somewhat surprised "Marie... It's a shock, but... How could I not love my own children?" Her eyes lit up at these words, and she hugged him tightly. "This orb won't hatch for quite a while, so we have alot of time to prepare."
"Speaking of which, how long would that be?" Spirit asked, placing his hand upon the glassy surface, wanting to hold it "Just curious, you know..."
"Three Cryssnan seasons..." Marie said, forcing a shy smile.
"Or eleven earth months" Lumina said, obviously having great knowledge of Cryssnan culture, probably from her talks with Marie's parent spirits "I wonder... if it'll be a boy, or a girl?"
"Either way, I betcha it'll be adorable!" Marie said, Spirit nodding.
"You two should probably be going. Your friends are probably waiting for you." Lumina said, creating a portal. Marie went through it, but Spirit stopped and looked at his mother.
"I'm sorry I kept the truth from you; I was just so worried that you'd resent me for it."
Spirit walked up to Lumina, and threw his arms around her. "I could never resent you..."
She pat his soft, blonde hair, saying "You look just like your father."
Spirit smiled, wiping a tear from his eye. He then stepped through the portal, leaving Lumina alone. "You can beat Zeetan... You have the power..."
The two appeared before Sephiroph and Samus, in the basements of the castle. Marie materialized another portal in a moment, explaining "I don't think it's safe if we remain here, if there's bounty hunters here after Spirit..." she tilted her head "Speaking of bounty hunters, why don't you join us, Samus?"
"?"
"We combat the darkness, trying to save the universe... who knows, maybe you'll get great rewards" she explained "And if you don't, you can always think of it as charity..."
Samus nodded "As a part of the Galactic Federation, it's my duty to defeat evil wherever it lurks." Everyone then hopped into the portal, not knowing they were being watched.
"Pirate 104-5 reporting in to Chozodia. The hunter has just left to Earth with a Zarconian, Human, and another, unknown species." The creature was shielded by the shadows, but its form was unlike anything ever seen.