Naoki07 here again. I apologize for posting two chapters in a single day, but ideas won't bring themselves to a halt! The ending of 'Embrace' was created to kick the plot into motion-this entry will kick the plot even further. Whenever an idea appears, I mold the idea into reality before I either lose it or drastically change it-I have no desire to lose this idea.
Marth's past is going to be a vital piece of 'Aeturnitas', but it's going to be told through my eyes. For those of you that are unfamiliar with his past, he was the prince of Altea...a grand kingdom that was fated for destruction. He dwelled within the kingdom of Altea...before he was forced into exile. Hardin, an ally of Altea, betrayed him and overwhelmed the entire kingdom-chaos swallowed everything in its wake. In the midst of the chaos, Marth took up the legendary Falchion and eliminated the Dragon King Medeus. My own spice is going to be added to his past, but those vital pieces aren't going to be damaged.
Riev, a character of Sacred Stones, will make his first appearance in this chapter. A character from Marth's adventure will also make his first appearance.
Please remember that Charon was created by my own hands. It is not a true place within the FE series, or in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Thank you all very much for your time, and feel free to leave any comments/questions! NO FLAMES, PLEASE. I AM THE MORTAL ENEMY OF FLAMES-I DON'T TAKE TOO KINDLY TO THEM. I was a little lenient in the past, but the reviews I read on a Harvest Moon story broke this camel's back. The end of 'Evanescence' will ignite a break, unless another update is requested. I have NO desire to turn anyone off with frequent updates. Thank you, and happy reading!
Current background music: One-Winged Angel (encore presentation)
"I believe the revelations are drawing themselves closer. The time for awakening is almost at hand."
The realm of Charon was silent, for it was bathed in the enigmatic aura of nighttime. The skies were a dark, intense shade of blue, and they were filled with crystallized drops of prosperity. Each drop held a thousand dreams in its embrace, and the dreams glimmered with the resplendence of a newborn day. The endless realm was covered in an infinite white sheet of elegance, and its radiance was bringing smiles to the faces of Charon's residents. Most residents were in their homes, for the night was in its deepest stage, but a few residents were happily enjoying the grand beauty of the night.
Ethereal establishments were abundant in Charon. Each building looked as if it had been crafted by the hands of angels-even the smallest house had a warm glow to it. Two souls were looking over the grand city, resting within the city's most important building. It was a temple-an enormous temple of vast magnificence. It was a temple of crystal white splendor, and it was high enough to reach the heavens. Charon's residents enjoyed walking throughout the temple, for the voices of the heavens drifted into their ears as they walked through the endless fields of distant memories. There were only two of Charon's residents inside of the temple, and they were in the temple's highest tower-the voices of the heavens were making themselves known to the two of them...but one of the souls had his back turned to the voices.
He was a slender yet powerful warrior of unfathomable strength. His green eyes were colder than the depths of Winter, but a small smile was hovering about his lips. His short silver hair met the ferocity of his eyes-it bore the bewitching beauty of the snowdrops, but it was immoderately cold at the same time. There was a small smile on his face, but there wasn't a scrap of warmth to it-it was as cold as the underworld itself.
"This time of year is certainly the most beautiful time of year. I love it-the snow, the warm smiles upon the faces of children-"
"Hardin, I would appreciate it if you could keep the sarcasm at a lower level. It sickens me."
Hardin ran a hand through his hair and turned away from the world before him. The smile on his face didn't waver for a second-it was sickening to look at, for he looked like a hungry, red-eyed cat. "I apologize, dear Riev." he said to his companion sweetly, giving him the most deceitful bow. "Forgive my rudeness. I'll adopt a better attitude to suit your preferences."
Riev shook his head, bored with his companion's sour cynicism. "When do you think he'll meet you?" he asked him, sounding like a weary mother that had spent the last ten hours in the company of a whining child. Confusion fell onto Hardin's eyes, but his smile returned in an instant.
"He'll be here...soon. You aren't going to be here?"
A heavy sigh withdrew itself from his companion's mouth.
"Of course not. I've got business to attend to, my friend. You'll be able to show him everything, and besides-he's your old friend's soul mate. The two of you will get along just fine. My presence won't be needed-I'm not acquainted with either of them. I'd just be in the way."
A small chuckle fell from Hardin's mouth, and it was just as sickening as his smile. He would have made the perfect lion. "You're right." he told his partner happily, closing his eyes. He seemed to be planning something...the wheels of his mind were turning, and the gears were stamped all over his face. "The Sovereign of Pharae and I will be just fine. I won't even hurt him-we'll play nicely with each other."
"You aren't supposed to harm anyone, Hardin. We're only here to light the path, remember?"
The smile on Hardin's face glimmered with enthusiastic anticipation. He folded his arms and released a wave of laughter, bearing the facial expression of a lion that had succeeded in capturing the weakest prey. "I remember our mission. The path's definitely going to be lit. It'll be fun...tearing those two apart. The Sovereign of Pharae is already on his way to ruin-he believes that he isn't worthy of my friend's magnificence. He's right, though-thinking about those two is absolutely disgusting."
"Why? Do you have an eye on Lord Marth?"
Hardin winced at Riev's words. "Of course not." he snapped bitterly, looking like a cat that had been forced to eat too many lemons. "It's just hard to believe that an Altean would pick such a lowly, filthy peon. I thought Alteans were above all other races, but this certain one possesses the intelligence of a rock."
"You're going to place all of your attention on Lord Roy. Am I right?"
"Well, going straight for Marth wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. He's drowning in his own little parade-the most effective way to tear them apart would be to attack Roy, not Marth himself. You know, I love picking on little weak birds."
Something isn't right.
The air's thick...too thick. The winds are heavy with tribulation...
Soren closed his faithful book...and peered into the silvery white heavens. His normally calm face was drenched in fear, and so was his heart.
A flock of doves broke through the skies...but their melodies fell into an abyss of deafening silence. The skies were tranquil, but they were heavy...heavy with the foul scent of apprehension. As an Empyrean Wind Mage, Soren was familiar with the earth's words-he could hear the very heartbeat of his world. The current heartbeat wasn't too pleasant, for it held the rhythm of pain about it.
He held his only source of comfort close to him and bit his lip. Confusion and fear erupted in his eyes, and caused his heart to become heavy. He was uneasy-that alone made him unhappy, for he was uncomfortable with feeling like a forlorn kitten. Something was wrong...but he couldn't figure it out...
Time soared by him, and so did the doves within the skies. Every passing second increased the flow of tension.
"What's...what's wrong? What could possibly be wrong? I thought-"
His heart was split into two pieces a second later.
The heavens transformed themselves into dark oceans of obscurity...and the doves vanished into a realm of distant dreams. Those two developments alarmed him, but there was a certain development that shattered his soul.
The Soulbond Star, which was also known as the Star of Evanescent Eternity, had been resting in the heavens. It crumbled right before his very eyes, and drifted into the depths of its haven...it was as if it had been nothing more than a mirage, a deceptive phantom of...false...light.
Starlight filled the eyes of Roy's faithful advisor...and for the very first time...he allowed himself to sink into them.
"Gods...what can this mean?"
Lord Roy and Marth...
They aren't in trouble, are they?