Chapter 2: Holy Saint

Manhattan, December 16, 2009

It had been two months since Aaron and his father returned from the Clock Tower to their home in Manhattan. The boy didn't seem off, so Kaito was more than happy to allow him to keep the Magic Wand the Apostle gave him.

But, behind closed doors, that was another story, which leads to current time as he and Diamond were sitting in his room.

"So there's a class card here in the city?" Aaron asked Diamond.

In the past two months since coming back from England, he and Diamond got to know one another better and Kaleidostick helped him further his magecraft, but haven't gotten anywhere with their quest for the Class Cards.

But now, they had a possible lead.

"Possibly, but the energy signature is faint, but not far from our current location. But where exactly is the question."

Aaron hummed softly as his mind thought about what to do, before he had an idea. "I know, let's look online and see if they have anything on strange stuff happening around New York." Aaron hopped onto his desk top as he searched online.

Diamond, meanwhile, shook his head. "Aaron, I don't think you're going to find anything-"

"Found something!" Diamond looked on, dumbstruck. He quickly flew over to his holder's side and they both saw an article online. "It says a strange and shadowy figure has been lurking on Roosevelt Island between the Manhattan and Queens districts." Diamond looked at his summoner with a curious gaze.

"Anything on the said island that could help us?" Aaron searched up the island on google maps and enlarged it.

"There's a hospital, a national park, and the old Smallpox Hospital." the Wand looked at him, wanting an answer for the last one. "Smallpox was a deadly disease back in the 1700s, and a lot of people died there due to their being no known cure."

"Maybe that's where they are." Diamond thought aloud. "There's a possibility that lost souls attracted the Hero inside the Class Card."

"You make a valid argument Diamond. And luckily for us, it's less than a few miles away from us. And if we go now, we can make it there by noon." the Wand nods.

"What are we waiting for? Let's get going!" Diamond dismissed it's shaft and flew itself to hide in the hood of Aaron's jacket.

Aaron exited his room as he trotted down the hallway of his family's penthouse, now a man - or boy - on a mission. But before he could get to the elevator connected to the penthouse, a voice called out to him.

"And where do you think you're going?" Aaron froze, a bead of sweat dripping down his forehead. He slowly turned around and gave a sheepish chuckle.

"Oh, hi mom."

Aaron's mother was, in his opinion, the most beautiful woman around. She had dark blonde hair that reached her mid back, pulled together in a wavy ponytail. Her eyes were a striking grey hue he inherited from her, and the only of his siblings to get her grey eyes, which contrasted a bit on her darker skin tone, of which he also inherited from her. She was dressed in a simple pair of grey jogging pants and a plain blue colored shirt. Despite her age being in her late thirties, she didn't have any wrinkles or look old at all.

"I was just going out for some, uh, fresh air." She, at first, didn't look convinced before ultimately sighing.

"Okay, but please sweetie, do be careful, I don't want you getting hurt, okay?" He nods.

"I promise, I'll try not to get hurt." She smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Good." she continued on her way to whatever she had planned on doing originally.

Along with being good-looking, his mother was one of the sweetest people one could ever hope of meeting. Always quiet, understanding, and gently to a fault, it was like she was an angel in mortal form. And Aaron inherited that very same kindness from her.

Back to the story, Aaron and Diamond, hidden in his hood, walked down the streets of New York at a quick walking speed. There was no time to waste, they had a mission to complete, and they'd be damned to fail.

It took about thirty minutes before they finally reached the Smallpox Hospital, but to their surprise the area was roped off for unknown reasons, possibly due to recent events about the unknown figure being sighted.

Diamond, sensing no one around, flew out of Aaron's hood, and felt the presence of a Class Card. "There here, I can feel it, and they're inside." Aaron nods as he slides under the rope and walks up to the front door.

He slowly opened it as he and Diamond were graced with a dark presence that sent a shudder down both their spines. But then, Diamond noticed something…

"Over there!" Aaron followed his gaze, and they saw them.

A figure, who's form was bathed in a dark aura, was kneeling on the ground, and a flag looked to be in their hands, and they were whispering something that he could barely make out till hearing the final part.

"...oh lord, please, save the souls of those who have long since passed, in your name I pray, amen." Aaron's eyes widened slightly.

'A prayer?' he thought. However, the figure had long since noticed their appearance.

"To whom disturbs my solitude?" The duo of boy and wand took a cautious step back at the figure rose from their kneeling position and turned to face the two, glowing red eyes looking from behind the shadows that covered them, or rather, her if their voice was any indication.

Aaron looked at Diamond for help as he asked. "Now what?" Diamond nods.

It was time.

"Take hold of me and transform into a magical boy!" Aaron's thoughts came to a screeching halt.

"SAY WHAAAT!?" he exclaimed, "Ain't no way I'm dressing up like a Magical boy!" Diamond proceeded to whack him upside the head.

"You have to, remember, you promised the old man you'd do this!" Aaron growled softly. He had a point, and he never backed out on a promise.

"*Sigh*, fine." Aaron took hold of Diamond's shaft as the Kaleidostick gleamed. "Diamond, Transform!"

"Maximizing Magical Connection!" Light gathered around the youth as his clothing was altered dramatically.

(I am not writing a Transformation Sequence, I'll leave it to your imaginations)

Aaron now adorns a form fitting white long sleeved shirt, white performance gloves on both hands, and tucked into his shirt, and over that is a black colored bow tie around his collar, and a platinum/grey colored sleeveless tailcoat over his shirt. On his lower half is a pair of form fitting dress pants, which are the same color as his coat and tie, as well as a pair of black dress shoes. On his head is a Fedora that is the same color as his jacket and pants, but with a black rim around the center of the hat. A set of black fox ears sprouting out of his head, and a fluffy Platinum Fox tail extending from his tail bone, with white highlights on his black hair. His eyes were no longer grey, but an illuminating shade of Platinum, magic swirling in their depths. Diamond was in wand mode in his right hand.

"Listen, oh corrupted Hero from the past, for I, The Platinum Hero; Shirogane, will purify you!" Aaron, or rather, Shirogane struck a pose.

Diamond looked at him oddly. "Shirogane?" said Magical boy nearly face faulted onto the ground.

"Way to ruin the moment Diamond." he muttered before turning his gaze to his companion. "And yes, Shirogane, or Shiro for short, I was thinking of cool hero names while at school for a project before break okay?" The Stick sighed.

"Well that doesn't matter now, focus on taking down the Heroic Spirit!" Shiro's face went serious in an instant as he held his wand with both hands as he faced down his opponent.

"Shirogane, I humbly accept your challenge, now, show me how skilled you are." The figure spun their flag, which somehow dueled as a lance as the flag part tied itself up in a mere second.

The two stared down at the other, neither moving from their spot.

But the shadow figure moved first. She bolted at inhuman speed towards her enemy. Shiro almost didn't react quickly enough to miss being thrust through by her flag pole. She then went on to try once more, but this time, Aaron parried her thrust with Diamond, sparks flying upon contact.

This continued on for a short while, and Shiro knew he wasn't going to get anywhere at this rate.

"Diamond, can you extend yourself into a staff?" Shiro asked, dodging his opponent's swing.

"On it. Staff Mode, Engaged." Diamond extended into a staff and settled into both of Shiro's firm grasp, who smirked slightly at the change.

"Perfect." He then moved Diamond to his side and blocked the Spirit's swing, the figure trying to over power him, which was slowly working, till Shiro gave a command. "Diamond, Reinforce Arms and Legs!"

"Reinforcement Activated." his magic circuits thrummed to life as lines of light blue etched themselves into his skin, and found his strength heightening to greater heights.

He then pushed the figure's weapon off of them before spinning around and slamming Diamond into the figure, sending them flying, before crashing through the wall. The duo raced over to see if it was over…

Only for Shiro to narrowly miss a well placed throw of the flagpole, courtesy of his opponent.

"Okay, that was way too close for comfort!" he exclaimed. The figure then jumped onto him in an attempt to pin him down, but Reinforcement was still activated, so he easily pushed the figure off of himself. She ran and quickly grabbed her flag pole and got back into a fighting stance.

Shiro sighed.

'I hoped this was going to be easier, but the hard way it is then.' and the battle commenced once more.

-Platinum Hero-

For many it was a normal Thursday Afternoon as cars drove along the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge...

Till a figure came flying straight out the ground, crashing into one of the support beams, leaving a small human sized dent in it. Cars swerved out of the way to avoid hitting the hole in the ground, causing traffic to become backed up, and people soon got out of their cars to see what was going on.

Shiro, the one who had been launched into said support beam, sat up and rubbed his head.

"Okay, first off...ow, and second off, thanks for the endurance enhancement Diamond." the Kaleidostaff nods slightly.

"No problem, but we have incoming!" Shiro leapt from his place and the figure's weapons cut right through the support cable as if it was butter.

Shiro hoved in the air, looking down his opposition and-

"Wait, I can fly!?" he shouted in surprise. Diamond bent itself and looked on at him with an aggravated expression.

"Now's not the time to gawk Shiro! Take down the Heroic Spirit before people get hurt!" Shiro's eyes widened as he looked down.

The figure was slowly making their way towards the group of people, her weapon raised and ready to strike.

But Shirogane, he wasn't having it.

He landed quickly right behind her. "Hey!" She turned. "Your fights with me lady!" she nods.

"Of course." The two once again went back to dueling one another, Shiro being outmatched in skill greatly, but his sheer will and determination was the only thing keeping him going.

"Diamond, I need you to analyse the figure, stat!"

"Affirmative!" the star of Diamond's 'head' glowed as it scanned the Heroic Spirit, and least to say, he didn't like what he saw. "Shiro we have a problem."

"What's wrong."

"She's immune to all forms of magical attacks!" Now it was the boys turn to do a double take.

"Say what!" In his moment of distraction gave the figure a chance, and she slashed him in the abdomen. "Gah!"

"Shiro!" the figure then kicked him back, causing him to skid on the ground. The boy didn't move, and the shadowy figure walked over to the unmoving body, and that began to worry the Kaliedostaff. "Shirogane, get up!"

The shadow figure looms over the boy's body, her flag raised, and ready to strike. "You were a noble adversary, Shirogane, but your current skill isn't enough to beat me."

Unbeknownst to her or Diamond, the boy smirked.

She stabbed down, but at the last minute, Shiro rolled out of the way, right under the figure, and positioned Diamond right over his chest.

"Don't have to be, I just have to out smart you. Fire Beam!" Diamond did as told and fired a beam of magical energy that, while not hurting the figure, did send them flying into the air. Seizing the opportunity, Shiro picked himself off the ground and flew after her. "Diamond, I've got a plan. But for right now, keep firing a laser beam and send her higher into the sky!"

"You got it Shiro!" Diamond fired a moderate sized laser beam of pure energy at the Heroic Spirit, sending her ever higher into the sky.

Before too long, they reached a high enough point where Shiro knew that would do perfectly. "Alright, now time to finish this. Diamond, fire mega laser!"

"Affirmative, Firing Delta Beam!" A silver-white light converged at the top of the star staff as Shiro flew above the Spirit, before swinging his staff down as a beam of unrestrained magical energy at them, causing them to hurtle down towards the earth at breakneck speeds.

It was a few minutes later that they made impact right in central park, and adding the beam's energy, the result caused a massive explosion that rocked everything in a five mile radius!

Shiro flew down and surveyed the damage, and saw he might have gone a little too overboard.

"Opps, I think that may have been a little bit too much." Diamond groaned.

"Well, we know better for next time than to do that again." It was then, the two heard a moaning as the smoke began to clear up, revealing the figure, who was now using her flag as a crutch to keep her up.

"You fought valiantly Shirogane, and for that, you have proven yourself worthy of me and my power." she knelt down before him. Shiro, meanwhile, didn't know what to do.

"So, Diamond, how do I purify her?"

The Kaleidostick gave him a look. "How should I know!? Try to think of something and do it, it's the best thing we got." Shirogane hummed in thought for a few moments before an idea came to mind. He held up Diamond and said a single word.

"Cleanse.'' The moment those words left his mouth, the entirety of central park was engulfed in light, blinding him and the onlookers who came to see what had happened.

Once the light faded, no longer was there a shadowy figure, but in their place was a woman with blonde hair, dressed in purple, armor adorn over her being, a sword strapped to her side, and flag in hand.

"I, The Ruler Class Hero, Jeanne D'Arc, give my power to you, Shirogane." Her form glowed gold before it condensed in on itself, forming a golden card. Diamond shrank back to it's shaftless form as Shirogane looked at the card floating above his palms.

"Alright! One card down!" the young magical boy nods before frowned.

"Yeah, and many more to go." The card suddenly flew into his chest, causing a slight ripple of magic to appear along his being. "Uh, what just happened…?" Diamond flew up and studied his partner.

"Seems the card went into your soul, becoming a part of you." Shiro smiled in glee.

"Sweet." He then looked around and noticed something. "Was it me, or was there a creator in the center of the park a minute ago?" Diamond saw what he meant, and his words were true, the damage was completely undone somehow.

"Hmm, it seems that upon cleansing a Class Card, the effects from the battle undone themselves." The boy sighed in relief.

"Good, at least I won't get blamed for something." he looked around and saw the people had gathered and were looking at him in fascination. "I...think we should get going, Diamond." and before the Floating star could give a reply, Shirogane grabbed him, and the two disappeared into the noonday sky.

"In latest news, New York seems to have a new Young Hero protecting it, going by the name of Shirogane."

"Of which means Platinum loosely in Japanese, but it fits his overall color scheme from what the eye could tell. And from our sources, he's what is called a magical boy, saving the day from evil spirits and monsters alike."

"Sounds like something right out of a cartoon if you ask me. And the people are wondering about the person he found and what they meant by them being Jeanne D'Arc, one of the most beloved heroes of history."

"No one knows exactly, but for now we'll just have to wait and see what Shirogane has in store for us in the future. Now in other news-"

*Click*

The Television was shut off. Aaron flopped down onto his bed, giving a sigh. Diamond then floated up over to him.

"How are you feeling Aaron?" The boy shrugged.

"Fine, a bit sore and tired from the battle, but I'm fine." Diamond wasn't convinced.

"What about the gash on your abdomen?" Aaron simply lifted up his shirt and showed a small cut, shocking the Kaleidostick. "What the-!?"

"My family's Magecraft deals with the Healing Arts Diamond." he told them. "We can close wounds, mend bones, cure sickness and ailments, and even prevent acne. But, another special feature is the regenerative abilities it gives my family, and every mark we get, so long as it isn't fatal, will heal without leaving a scar."

Diamond was completely floored. Such a Magecraft existed!? "Amazing!" Aaron sighed.

"Unfortunately, I'm the only one out of my siblings who has the talent and magic circuits for the art, my oldest sister knows some basics, but can't do what dad and I do regularly." Diamond's amazement wasn't deterred in the slightest.

"But still, it's amazing how your family has advanced in that field in magecraft to the point your own bodies can repair itself instantaneously." Aaron gave a small smile as he sat up.

"Yeah, it is pretty neat. Although my sisters won't stop bugging me about clearing their acne up, but, I've long since gotten over it already." His features then turned serious. "So, how many more Class Cards are left to find exactly?"

Diamond hummed as it sent out a scan. "By my calculations there are approximately...13 left." Aaron groaned.

"And they're anywhere around the world too." he flopped back on his bed. "This mission is going to take ages to complete, isn't it?" Diamond hovered over his face.

"It may seem like it, but then again, at least your life will be interesting, won't it Aaron?" The boy chuckled.

"You got me there Diamond." Aaron sat up and got off the bed and stretched. "But we'll worry about that stuff later, right now I could go for something to eat." Diamond nods.

"Of course, I'll be waiting for you right here Aaron." The boy nods as he exits his room.

"I'll be back after while, okay." he closed the door, leaving the Mystic Code to its own thoughts as it looked out at the cold, snow covered view of New York.

'I wonder how the world is taking Aaron's, or rather, Shirogane's appearance…?'

The world in question was in both shock, awe, and utter confusion over the new young hero in New York City.

The shock came from his sudden appearance, as well as the fact he was a live, breathing Magical Boy, or in technical terms Mahou Shounen, was real and had the powers, the look, and the flair of his animated counterparts.

The awe was at how no one knew his mission, yet theories were all abuzz about what his goal was, especially after the accident in the park, and speculated it had something to do with magical cards and spirits inside of them. But what kind, not that's the question on people's minds, on one hand it could be legendary figures from history, seeing how the first spirit they've seen said that they were 'Jeanne D'Arc', the famous Holy Maiden of Orleans and a huge asset in the French War who was unfortunately burned at the stake.

Confusion is basically everything else they don't know. Such as who he truly is, what are his intentions(they already pretty much guessed his goals), where does his faith lie, and is he to be trusted?

All these and more were on the minds of the people. But one thing was for certain though, they'll be seeing him a lot more in the future, and hope his quest to find these cards doesn't bring about the end of the world...

New York, Night Time

"Diamond, Transform me!"

"Maximizing Magical Connection!" Shirogane flew discreetly out of his room window into the cold night air.

Since claiming his first card, the news was abuzz with speculations, coverage, and whatnot about him nonstop, and he found it utterly annoying. They had heroes in their world already God Dang it! Can't those idiots find something better to cover than a magical boy hero on his quest?

But he guessed not, after all, it was human nature to be curious, kinda wished they eased up on their curiosity.

"Shiro, where are we going at this time of day?" Diamond asked his wielder.

The young hero gave a side glance to his Kaleidostick. "It's almost the holidays Diamond, which means crime is going to be at an all time high for the next couple of weeks." The stick/staff sighed as he finally realised.

"And seeing as you have powers now, you plan on stopping crime, aren't you?" his answer came in the form of a grin on the boy's face.

"Off we go!" and the duo flew off into the night…

Unaware they were being watched from a distance.

-Platinum Hero-

A Couple Hours Later…

A groan escaped Shirogane's mouth as he muttered, "That...wasn't too bad, somewhat…"

The Magical boy and his wand found themselves sitting on a skyscraper looking at the illuminating city from below and afar, both already tired from the night.

So far, they've stopped three armed robberies - Shiro almost getting nicked by bullets a lot of times, two muggings, a drug deal, and stopping someone from jumping off a roof. Now the two were taking a much needed break.

But then, he began to realise something. While he was against the criminals, he noticed that the way he used Diamond in staff mode was far more different yet effective, as if the skill and the ease of it came naturally to him.

He needed answers, and knowing his possible luck, it would only lead him to more. "Hey, Diamond, can I ask you something?" The floating star looks at their holder.

"Of course, what's on your mind?" The youth sighed.

"I noticed that the way I used you in staff mode was different than before, and I felt more experienced than I should have been. Can you explain what exactly happened?" Diamond gave a soft hum in thought.

"I have an idea." The wand then poked the center of his chest. "The Class Card you house must be feeding you information passively as time goes on, and giving you experience as well as new skills and powers you'll have passively instead of when you Include and Install the Card."

The Boy quirked an eyebrow upwards. "Include and Install?"

"Include lets you harness the Cards abilities only a bit, and allows you to use their weapon and have access to some of their skill set. Install, on the other hand lets you embody the Hero in the Class Card, giving you full access to their powers and abilities."

Shirogane's eyes sparkled in utter awe. He could take on the hero in the Cards powers!? "That's totally awesome Diamond!" he then got a look on his face. "So all I have to say is Include and/or Install to activate it?"

"Well, yes, but also the Class Card name, such as saying, Install: Ruler, for example." The boy nods.

"Thank you. But, I have another question."

What he asked next, Diamond wasn't ready.

"Where do the heroes exactly come from anyways?"

Diamond nearly fell out of the air hearing that question. "W-what do you mean Shiro?"

The boy folded his arms and looked up in thought. "Well, the old man did say he was doing studies on them, so he had to get the souls in the cards from somewhere, right?" Diamond sighed in defeat.

Damn this boy's perception.

"Alright, but what I'm about to tell you is the Mage association biggest secret, so listen carefully." The Kaliedostick had the boy's full attention. "Shiro, the stories of myth and legends are all true. The souls in the card come from what is known as the Throne of Heroes, which is made up of those Heroes, Anti-Heroes, and Villains from myth, legends, history, and lore."

To say the boy was shocked was but an understatement.

"You mean King Arthur was real!? And so was Merlin!?" the Wand nods.

"All that and more, even figures from other worlds are said to be housed in the Throne of Heroes." Upon hearing this did Shiro give a low whistle.

"Is there any way to access the Throne?" Diamond nods.

"Yes, but to do so you must-"

"Sh!" Shiro quickly silences them, much to Diamond's confusion.

"Shiro what's-"

"SH!" the Kaleidostick backed off as Shiro turned around slightly, the ears on his head twitching as he heard the lightest sound of footsteps. He stood up and looked around. "Come out, I know you're there!"

Diamond was confused and wondered if his holder had a screw or two loose like his creator. That confusion turned to surprise when a man seemingly stepped out of the shadows, dressed in a black and grey armored bodysuit of sorts, a black cowl with an attached cape on his head, and a permanent scowl on his face.

Shiro instantly knew who this man was. "Batman?"

The Dark Knight of Gotham City looked at the young boy and said nothing before he finally spoke. "So, you're the one known as Shirogane." The boy nods, keeping his excitement down at meeting one of the founding members of the Legendary Justice League.

"Indeed, and this is my partner, Diamond." The Kaliedostick floated up right besides his holder.

"Greetings." If Batman was surprised he didn't show it. He looked at the Wand for a moment before turning back to the child.

"Now, getting to the problem at hand, just who are you and what is your aim?" Shiro frowned.

He had heard and read about how Batman was cold and untrusting of everyone he met, but this was more than a bit much for Shiro.

"I'm just a hero who's on a mission to collect 14 Cards holding the souls of heroes and/or villains from the past or of other worlds before they either fall into the wrong hands or cause havoc, as well as helping others on the way."

Batman gave a small hum as he gazed at the youth. "That remains to be seen." Shiro's eyebrow twitched. "Next order of business, you need to stop doing what you're doing."

Okay, now the boy was mad.

In a low and ominous tone, Shiro uttered, "You want me to stop…?"

Batman felt a chill in the air, it may be the winter wind, but this chill was different. He paid it no mind. "You're a child who thursted himself into a larger world, no guidance, no skill, nothing. You need to stop."

The air became frigid as Batman discovered the source as he looked at the youth, who's Platinum eyes were now glowing with pent up rage as his fox tail swished menacingly behind him.

"...No, I'm not going to stop, and I don't care what you say or do, I'll help people and I'm still going to do my mission!" he exclaimed.

The man and boy had a small stare down, the tension in the air so thick that Diamond felt like he could poke it and it would bounce like Jellaten.

Suddenly, Batman lost his scowl, and gave a small smile.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't stop." the anger instantly vanished from Shiro's entire being, and looked at the man blankly, and could only give a single reply.

"...eh?"

"The League knows that you're involved in something big that could result in problems if not dealt with. So, it was unanimously agreed, that we'd help you as much as we can, and give you more guidance in what to do, as well as giving you combat training."

By this point, Shiro was at a complete and utter loss for words. The League wanted to help him!? He was flattered, honestly, and thankful for their willingness to help him out.

"...I accept the offer Batman." the man nods, his smile leaving his face, returning it to his signature scowl.

"Good. I'll return in two days time to begin your training, and from then on, other League members will rotate on teaching you." The boy nods. "Until then, try not to get in over your head." Batman walks past him and leapt from the building before shooting his grappling hook and swinging off into the night.

Shiro and Diamond watched him go, then the Wand broke the silence. "Well he sure is a ball of sunshine." Shiro giggled.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, we should get back home, I don't want my parents figuring out I'm the newest superhero yet."

Diamond stared at him. "Yet?"

Shiro only gave them a shrug. "To be honest, I'll tell my family about my new double life eventually when I feel they need to know, but for now it's a secret, a big one at that." Diamond was a bit concerned.

"What about what the old man said." Shiro rolled his eyes.

"Which is worse, him being disappointed in me temporarily, or losing my Family's trust?" Diamond conceded to his point instantly on that topic.

"Alright, let's get going then." Shirogane nodded as he grabbed Diamond's shaft and the two flew back home in the night.

?

Grey eyes fluttered open to see a misty grey void.

Aaron sat up and found himself in a void of nothingness, and was thoroughly confused. He remembered coming back home, changing, then going to sleep. But this place was so…odd.

He stood up and began to look around, trying to get a better understanding of this place he found himself in.

But then, a soft, yet, familiar voice spoke from behind him.

"We meet at last, Shirogane." Aaron turned around and came face to face with Ruler, or other known as Jeanne D'Arc. She was the picture of beauty of a Knight and a Saint, but he could see there was pain and longing in her eyes.

"Oh, uh, it's nice to properly meet you Ruler." the Heroic Spirit gave a small giggle before giving him a soft look.

"Please, call me Jeanne." He nods.

"Okay then, Jeanne." he looks around. "By any chance do you know where we are?"

She nods. "We're located in your mindscape, a place where I or the other Heroic Spirits can converse with you whenever you're asleep or meditating." He gave a nod in understanding.

"Alright I understand…" he shuffled his feet slightly, "but, is there a way to change it to make it look nicer?" she shrugged.

"It's your mind, the appearance of this place depends on how you perceive it to be." Aaron nods and began to focus his mind, and the void began to change.

In moments, the void was filled with a beautiful and endless floral valley, flowers that seemed to glow were in full bloom, and a starry sky above them as trillions of stars illuminated the area.

Aaron was in awe at how it looked, and Jeanne was enthralled by it's beauty.

"That's more like it." she said, smiling happily. "Now, the reason I called you here in the first place." Aaron looked at her. "Shiro-no...Aaron Hoshi, you've chosen the life of a Hero, a path of hardships, pain, and sacrifice." she looked at him straight in the eyes. "Is this the life you want truly?"

Without hesitation, Aaron nods. "The life of a hero isn't always hard Jeanne." she looked at him surprised. "A person's path depends on how they make it to be. Yes, I chose to be a hero, but I also choose to live a life where I see those I care about happy, even if it means laying down my life to do so."

Jeanne gave him a sincere smile, fondness and respect evident in her eyes. "Then you'll always have my flag and my sword to aid you in battle Aaron, a banner that gives hope to all, and a sword that embodies mine and the Lord our God's Will. So long as you have faith, they'll stand against all that oppose you."

Aaron smiles and nods in gratitude. Suddenly, the mindscape began to fade out and the boy was scared and confused. "What the-!?"

"It seems your time here is coming to an end." Aaron looked at Jeanne, who wore her smile. "Always remember, Aaron, live the life you desire, and always do what is right."

And the next thing the youth knew, was darkness.