(Genesis Castle)
They were far from champions, this place looked like a modernized castle, chandeliers hanging above them with ceilings as high as twenty feet and marble pillars to match the tiles with gold window framings and crown molding, the furniture all looked of the highest quality while hundreds of portraits of people they had never seen before were hung across the walls, "What is this place"? Asked Valentine, mesmerized by the stunning structure of the building.
"Genesis Castle…" mumbled Avery, remembering this place from her time in Crystal Genesis.
*Do you know this place? Avery? Talk to me!* screamed Dakota, unable to get the former queen's attention.
"This is Genesis castle, it was the safe haven my parents built to protect the rest of the kings and where they started Crystal Genesis". They followed celestial who led them into an empty bedroom, urging Hector to set Anastasia down on the bed where she was tucked in.
"Wow…..are all the rooms like this"? Asked Mira, receiving a nod from Celeste.
"Where's Iria"? Asked Hector, anxious to see the injured girl's current status.
"She's being taken cared of as we speak, I had Mercy take her to the specialists I have waiting in my quarters, no one is allowed to go in unless I say so, understood"? She received nothing but silence, but she wasn't going to let up, giving them all a firm and cruel leer until they gave their consent to agree.
"Will she be fine"? Asked the ex elite.
"I don't know, but that's why we brought her here". She pointed over to Anastasia who was still sleeping.
"What does she have to do with this"? Asked Asher.
Celeste ignored his snarky tone, "That's the shadow king, she's also in possession of some very helpful healing abilities, abilities that will help Iria, your mom".
Mira still seemed unsure about something, rather yet she seemed confused, "I…...I thought I was the only remaining young king in the future….but, you're here….."
He rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well too bad for you, there are more of us, we just don't know of each other's existence because we were all split apart, the others like us live in different regions or are in hiding".
His eyes shifted up and down towards the young blonde who noticed, becoming unnerving from his gaze, she was feeling warm sweaty, "W-what"?
"Who are you supposed to be"? He asked with an unseemingly bored complexion.
If fumes could rise out she would be producing a lot from her ears, the nerve of this punk to acknowledge her like nothing, "I'm also a king you jerk"!
Still nothing, his expression remained the same, uninterested, though he purposely scoffed with a devious grin, "A shrimp like you is a king? I guess the future was really desperate".
Her face was boiling red, everyone around them watched, of course it was two kids fighting, though they were more brutal than expected, at least Asher was, Hector sighed, "Cut it out you two, obviously you're both kings but we have to figure out what exactly is the next step from here, how do you get back to the future and how do we save Iria".
"He's right". Answered Celeste, leading the way to allow Anastasia some rest.
(Frontiers)
Yun shook his head, shutting his eyes as he tried to contain his out of control emotions, "The sky King…..how did that moron manage to get a regalia"?
"Through his girlfriend". Answered Victoria, staring at her nails boredly.
Michael couldn't help but blurt it out, "Is nobody going to talk about how Dakota and Hector both abandoned the Elites to join Crystal Genesis"?
Yun and Victoria both looked at him, Charlotte was resting on the bed of a separate infirmary, being looked after by Michael himself, "I mean come on, they just both upped and left".
"It sucks". Shrugged Victoria.
Yun didn't seem to concerned with it, "That's none of our business, but Celeste is pulling out all the stops and she's got more kings than any of us, we need to figure out where those regalias are and tame them ourselves before the Elites or Crystal Genesis get to them first".
He pointed to Michael, "Bring me Rika and Mark, I need them both now".
He complied with Yun's orders, "I'll go with you". Victoria walked out with him, leaving Yun by himself to look after Charlotte.
"You know you remind me a lot of myself". Adrian had appeared, leaning back against the wall as he stared at Yun.
Yun smirked, finding this mysterious guy to be nothing but a nuisance, though he only allowed him to continue talking because of the regalia that was visible on the older man's arm, completely black, pitch black like Giratina's soul, "Is that right, well I don't remember being a kidnapper and terrorist so explain to me how we're the same".
He laughed, and then laughed even more as he paced around Yun, "Oh trust me, I've been watching everyone, especially you, we are exactly the same, we put a facade as if we're harmless, we isolate ourselves and we quietly wait in the dark for people to tear each other apart for our amusement, you're like me because you feed on negativity, you love watching people suffer and so do I, it makes us feel invincible".
Nothing, he said nothing to Adrian but rather watched and listened closely as the king continued circling around him, "If I didn't know any better….I'd say you're the successor meant to take my crown".
The frontier king stifled a sharp laugh, irritating Adrian who didn't see the humor, "Well now you've got my attention, maybe we are alike".
His laugh turned more menacing, he placed his face onto his palm, laughing even more to Yun's curiousness, what was he laughing about, "Darkrai's nightmares, they warned me about the Heir to my road, the one who would come after me, the one who will pry my title from my dead cold hands…...it's you…...you're the little bastard who darkness chose".
He followed Adrian with only his eyes, standing still as he carefully planned out a system in his head, "On the contrary, you don't have to be dead for me to collect that regalia, just hand it over, unless you refuse and leave me no choice, then you'll die".
Before he knew it, Adrian was now behind him, lips extremely close to his ear as they were followed with a few simple words, "Just. Like. Me".
He quickly spun around, finding the dark haired man gone, he had vanished in just seconds, but this encounter left Yun with questions and a new plan forming inside.
Everyone is a moon and has a dark side to which they never show anybody, but when you refuse to seek the light, the darkness begins to take over and everything becomes pitch black.
(Infirmary)
Luis slammed his hand against the wall, startling Rika, "I finally get my girlfriend back! But then they go ahead and kidnap the girl who didn't know a thing about me but still tried to help me find Keilani, are you kidding me right now"!
Leonardo shook his head, "It was Celeste and Hector, it wasn't a stranger so at least we know that".
Troy found it hard to believe such a thing, especially from what he thought Celeste was, definitely not a kidnapper, "Are you sure it was her"?
Tyler reassured him, "Oh it was her, and it was definitely Hector too".
Without another word, Troy stormed out of the infirmary, leaving his friends to wonder where he was going.
Harvey remained silent in the background, sitting beside Eira whom he watched over, she looked better, though he could feel a pair of eyes staring at him, he just didn't know from where, those eyes belonged to Leonard.
"Harvey". He looked up, meeting eyes with Levy who approached him.
"Yeah"?
She seemed nervous, anxious, almost panicky, she took in a deep breath, building up the courage to speak, "We need to talk".
"Ok". he nodded, walking out with the short haired girl, both of them passing by Blake in the hall who then stopped at the entrance, he looked down at the door knob.
The door had opened, everyone quickly whipped their head over to see who it was, but it was Blake, a grim look in his eyes as everyone looked on.
"They took her…...they took Rosebella".
"What"! They had surrounded Blake, bombarding him with countless questions about what he had just said.
To find light, sometimes you must do the unutterable, like venture into darkness itself.
(Elite's quarters)
Mika was leaning against the door, pressing her head against it as she waited for a response from the queen, but all that came were the footsteps of Celebrant and Eric who came to check up on her.
"How's she doing"? asked the ace, frowning as he felt a tight clench on his heart from remembering Dakota's departure from the Elites.
Mika closed her eyes, shaking her head in dismay as Eric went to embrace her for comfort, "She hasn't left her room since we got here, she hasn't said a word…..Dakota and Hector leaving really tore her down".
"I would too if my sister who is also my enemy recruited and stole my allies". Answered Eric, quickly regretting saying it allowed when Mika pushed him away, glaring at him for being insensitive to Luciana who was just on the other side of the door.
She sighed, tilting her head upwards in distress, "What are we going to do? The school is a mess, students are injured, and now we're down two Elites, can things get any worse"?
They heard stomping up the stairs, finding Troy running up to the door only to be stopped by Celebrant, "I need to talk to Luciana"!
"She needs to be alone Troy, losing Hector and Dakota really took a toll on her".
"I know that, that's why I need to go in there and talk to Luciana and figure out what's going on with Celeste, I need to get to the bottom of things".
Mika placed her hand on Celebrant's shoulder, "Let him through, our talking hasn't done anything, maybe someone else's words can get through to her".
With some hesitation, he began letting Troy pass him, allowing him to enter the room as he watched the door close behind Troy, "I hope you're right Mika".
The room was dark, all the lights had been shut off, only the slightest amount of sunlight peeked in through the openings of her drapes, but with that light he was able to find the queen sitting up against the wall and on the carpet, knees bent towards her as she had her arm out, blankly staring at her regalia.
"Luciana". He joined her, taking a seat beside her as he also stared at the regalia.
"I'm the pledge queen…...do you know what that means"? He shook his head.
"I'm the keeper to the tower, I'm it's sole protector…...I'm the mother to the regalias who feed on my energy and life source…. since birth I was already weighed with so much responsibility, I was raised to be perfect, all while Celeste refused to follow the rules, and then she ran away from home, no goodbye, no letter, no nothing, she was just…..gone".
"And your parents"?
She stayed quiet for a few minutes, stroking the side of her regalia with a sigh, "My parents were barely around, they traveled a lot for business, so I was raised by an uncle and aunt of ours, as well as plenty of tutors, when Celeste ran away, nobody gave much thought, you know why"? He shook his head again, not knowing but now interested in Luciana's talk.
"Because they all said she was strong enough to look after herself, she had what it took to survive alone, she was an ambitious traveler who was finding herself, but not me, I guess I didn't have what she had to make it, so I was just kept behind walls, I figured….if Celeste could go out into the world and be someone great, then I could stay here and do the same thing, so I worked, I put tears and blood and sweat into training my pokemon and myself to become someone powerful, every so often Celeste would come and visit, and every time she was changing, and I would feel left behind, so I tried to keep up, until she stopped showing up….that's when I felt the most confident, that's when I felt I was at my greatest".
The entire time, just through her words he was able to tell how much she was hurting, she was trapped, lonely, and hurting, not caring about the outcome or reaction, he decided to take her hand into his, gripping it softly as he tried to comfort her, "There's never a point where you've reached your greatest, as long as you continue to live and grow, so does one's potential…...right now you're hurting, you're in pain, and it's ok to make mistakes, you may be someone important with such great responsibility, but in the end, you're also a human like me and your friends outside that door, we cry, we scream, we lose control, and we can't be perfect, and it's the flaws in us that help us connect to people, Celeste may seem like perfection, but even she has flaws, you haven't seen her in years, you don't know what she's been through just as much as she knows what you've gone through".
Tears began to stream down her cheeks, plopping down onto the surface of her regalia, Troy held onto her hand tighter, reassuring her that he was there to listen some more, "What about the school….Everybody thinks that I'm perfect…...but I'm not…..I'm always terrified, terrified that people will see right through me and deem me as weak, unfit to be the champion of the school….even if Celeste has flaws….she's a force that always manages to tear me down…...ever since she arrived, I've begun to let this shell of mines crack, she was always the wild one, the more rebellious…...the strongest of us, she's fearless…..I've never seen my sister cry, and I always thought I could be like that, that I wouldn't let her get to me like she does to everybody…...but no matter what I do….she manages to get away with everything and beat me down, she took Dakota and Hector from me, she's brought chaos into this school, and it's all out of my control".
"I don't think she's doing it to get to you, and I don't believe she's a bad person, when you were taken by Dawn's templar, Celeste formed the rescue mission to save everyone, to save you, she wanted revenge on everybody so badly, that was your sister caring about you, caring about your safety, she was ready to destroy everything in sight just to find you, and honestly, I don't believe that you see your sister as bad, I just think you find it difficult to be her sister".
She was pulled up from the ground, stumbling forward into Troy's arms where he caught her, she quickly pulled back, though found that he was still holding onto her hand, "W-what".
"You know what's amazing about life?".
"What". He hurried her over to the window, calling out his dragonite for assistance.
"When you hit rock bottom, there's only one place left to go, and that's up". He picked her up and placed her onto dragonite's back.
"Wait! Where are we going"? She grabbed onto his waist, holding on tightly as they took off.
"Where ever you want".
New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings, when you're hurting…...it's best to take some time and just….look for your start line.
(Levy and Harvey)
They had gone somewhere more private where Levy informed him of the arrangements made between their families, as the oldest he always knew a situation like this might occur, he did abandon his status of Heir to the clan, but even so, he still had a duty to his family.
"I see…..when do they want an answer"? He asked, folding his arms as he grazed his finger across his chin.
"I don't know, but soon, things are still being worked out, by then there will be a huge celebration and they want the three of us to fly in where I will give them my decision on who to marry".
His attention was quickly brought in, "My brother…..who is he, I've never known my adopted brother, my parents kept us apart, but if you're going to choose between the two of us I need to know who he is".
She nodded, complying with his request as she pulled out her phone, scrolling through the pictures where she found the one her mother sent, "That's him…...that's your brother".
He stared at the screen, words were an understatement to describe how he was feeling, so close this person was to him all along and not once did he realize or even bother to think that he could have been his brother.
"Hector's my brother….."
(Genesis Castle)
She rounded them up in the lounge, each of them taking a seat on the couch as a maid came in with beverages and snacks, "How do you afford this"? Asked Hector, gazing around the room which was even more extravagant than the last room they were in.
She leaned back in her seat, shooting a cold gaze at him, "Crystal Genesis is an organization for kings, but we also have business around the world, business I can't discuss with you".
"Celeste….." Mercy stood up, signaling her friend through just a gaze that she needed to speak privately.
"Ok". she nodded, walking out with the bluenette as the others remained, silence awkwardly playing in.
Mira sat across from Dakota, visibly avoiding any type of eye contact with the ex elite who took notice though didn't say anything.
Inside however, things felt different, Dakota felt close, *She….she looks familiar…..as if I know her already*
Avery shook it off, taking a sip of her drink as she looked away, Valentine on the other hand chose to interrupt the silence, not liking it at all, "So….you two are from the future".
Asher and Mira looked at each before looking away, both of them showing repulsion, "I'm here for major business, though I don't know why anybody would send Blondie here to do an important job".
"It's not blondie, it's Mira! And you're one to talk, you have the same hair color as an old man".
"Watch it Myra-".
"It's Mira!"
"Whatever, you think I was born with hair like this? I wasn't, my hair used to be brown, but because I've been having difficulty controlling my regalia it's managed to steal so much energy from me that one day my hair just turned like this". He held out his regalia, showing it to the others who gazed at it, being amazed by it's cool beauty, all but Hector who couldn't even look at it. All he could remember was his regalia, that same regalia being stolen from him on the night of the ball, he hadn't seen it since.
Asher took notice, frowning as he pulled back his arm, now hiding his regalia with his sleeve, "Dad…..".
Hector cleared his throat, "Mira, you said you were the next thunder king in the future, where is your regalia"?
Dakota mentally gasped, *What? Thunder king? But that's Celebrant's title right now, who…..who is this girl? Why can't I shake this feeling of familiarity away?*
Mira sighed, lowering her head, "In the future I was still trying to find my regalia, it's not easy…..everything is messed up". She rolled up her right sleeve, revealing the yellow lightning bolt encryptions burned onto her skin and all the way up to her shoulder.
"What do you mean everything is messed up"? Asked Valentine.
Both Asher and Mira looked at one another this time, and this time everyone else noticed that they weren't showing any repulsion or giving nasty leers, no, they had sorrowful expressions, grim and dark, as if they knew exactly what the other was thinking.
(Russell)
He waited on top of one of the roofs of the school building, holding onto his arm where he was encrypted with the King's code, he turned around when he heard Noivern's screech, watching it land with both Celeste and Mercy on tow.
"Is this him"? Asked Celeste, approaching Russell who took a step back, feeling cautious of the Genesis leader.
"Yeah". Nodded Mercy, grabbing him by his other arm as she helped him over.
"You're the one Rosebella warned me about, the leader of Crystal Genesis, the bad guys". He narrowed his eyes onto Celeste who stifled a laugh instead.
She held his arm up, looking at all the symbols on his skin, "Is that what she told you? Mercy's cousin sure has an imagination, but if that's what you believe then go ahead, I'm not going to give you a whole explanation about why you should trust us, I could care less what people think of us, but I do know about the kings and the tower, and right now a road is calling to you, It hasn't revealed what road, but it looks like you've been chosen by the tower".
"Ok….so what does that mean? What do we do next"? He asked.
"We wait". Was all she answered with.
"Wait?! Are you kidding me"? He looked over at Mercy who shrugged, preferring to not give her input, she knew Celeste had more knowledge and wasn't about to interfere on it.
"Until the road that has chosen you gives a sign of where you will belong, there's nothing more for us to do at this point, some roads take longer to reveal themselves, some want to test you, others just come to you, some roads surrender, and then at rare moments, the road can be tamed before it chooses an Heir, the roads have minds of their owns, they don't follow a plan, it's just how destiny works".
"So that's it then, I just wait". He threw his head back, grunting in frustration as he paced away from them.
"Russell, there's one more thing". Responded Mercy.
He stopped pacing, "What".
She let Celeste talk this time, "It's important for you to understand what this means, once your road reveals itself, you'll have a great responsibility to it, I'm warning you now I am trying to stop the next royals war and I am targeting all the regalias, so you can either join Crystal genesis and help us fight to stop this upcoming war, or you can side with Luciana who wants this to happen, think it through, because for this, you will need allies, it's something no king can do alone".
Mercy waited for Celeste to get on Noivern, she approached Russell closer, speaking softly to him, "Celeste is right, we're trying to stop something terrible from happening, but it's not up to us or anyone to convince or force you to pick sides, it's up to you and what you feel is right".
His hand without hesitation had snatched hers, now gripping it firmly as she stopped and looked down at their linked hands, "What if the decision I make is wrong".
A tiny half hearted smile appeared on her lips, "I can't tell you what's right and wrong, I am fighting for what I believe is the right thing for me, but only you know what is right for you, trust your heart".
He didn't want to let go of her hand, something inside told him not to, but he had to, and he watched as both her and Celeste took off, though what she said to him left him thinking quite a lot now, especially on who he should believe, who should he follow, and who was right? Or rather, what he thought was right.
There are two sides to every story, they might not be wrong nor right, and that's when it's up to you to decide what you think is right for yourself, and how well it is for your future.
(Valentine)
She had snuck into the room where Anastasia was resting in, leaving behind the others when she became distracted by Asher's and Mira's sudden arguing, it was like those two were meant to not get along.
"The Shadow king…..nice to meet you, even though you can't hear me, I'm supposed to be like you, also a king….but I'm not even real, at least I don't think I am…..I was created….and only for one purpose….." she sighed to herself, leaning back in her chair, it was all too much for her, how was she supposed to tame a road that wasn't even hers in the first place, she was genetically birthed just to take over the Mystic road, but she didn't even know how to.
"Do you have a mom or dad"? She shook her head, feeling dumb as she realized she had been talking to an unconscious girl, though it didn't stop her from talking some more.
"I have a mom and dad…...at least I think they are my mom and dad…..I mean, I was created from their DNA…..so it counts, right"? she didn't expect a response back, but it still felt nice to talk it all out.
"I've never met them, I was born right out of a pod machine, but….I have their pictures here, of my parents". She took out the folded paper in her pocket, unfolding it and staring down at the two photos printed on it.
She showed the paper over to Anastasia, knowing still that she couldn't even talk or look at it, but she wanted to pretend that she had somebody to listen to her, "That's them…...they're amazing, or so I was told, both of them were kings, my mother, Marceline, was the Mystic queen, the ruler of the psychic road, and my father….." she sighed.
"...he was amazing, My father was the first storm king, the ruler to the neo road, Kingston".
Life holds many surprises, the question is, just how well are you ready to be surprised, because they won't all be good.
(Karen/Tyler)
She pulled him outside of the infirmary, he had noticed that she seemed troubled by something, "Karen, what's wrong"?
She was biting down on her thumb, staring at the ground as she paced back and forth in front of him, she had yet to say anything, but it was because she was trying to decide whether she should say anything or not.
"Karen". he made his voice more stern.
She still didn't respond, but stopped, continuing to stare at the ground as she took in a deep breath, "Ok".
"I have to tell you something, and I want you to tell me what I should do". He was now worried, was it something she had done?
He nodded, "Ok, tell me".
She hesitated again, but then took in another deep breath, "Before the raid, I had stumbled onto something very important back in headquarters".
"What".
"If the raid didn't go as plan, they had a backup project in development already, it was called Project Reborn, they are trying to genetically birth humans by mixing DNA from king's, former and current".
He was in shock, "You're kidding, Can they even do that"?
She shrugged, "I don't know, but they already had subjects in development, they're making new kings from old ones, instead of reprogramming new heirs or brainwashing, they want to make them from scratch now".
"Why didn't you say anything earlier"? She jolted when his voice had risen, but he quickly toned it down, seeing now how scared she was.
"I'm sorry…..I thought that maybe because of the rescue mission everything would be destroyed and that would be the end of it, but when they said Ryder and Ramona and all the leaders got away, I got scared, maybe now it really is happening, what do I do"? He could see how freaked out she was, she was on the verge of breaking down, so he did what a brother would do, he hugged her, comforted her until she became calm again.
"It's ok, we're going to figure it out together, I promise".
There will always be that one person who becomes your person, but will they be by your side in the future when someone else decides they want your person too?
(Hector)
He found himself in Iria's room, unable to stay away as Celeste ordered, his heart would only stop beating so fast only when he was able to be by her side, especially now in her condition, but it wasn't because he felt guilty, it was because he promised to be by her side when she needed the support, when Zero left her scarred, when she was betrayed by her brother, and then now, he needed, no, he wanted to be her support.
"I'm sorry Iria, I'm sorry for everything". He sat bedside of her, watching over her as she slept, her wounds had been dressed, though the doctors who tended to her injury had said that only time will tell when she heals.
She looked peaceful, the first time he had seen her that way since they met, in his eyes, she looked beautiful, no fear in her eyes, though they were closed, he knew she was at ease, "I told you I was going to protect you, protect you from anybody who wanted to hurt you…...but I didn't think I would be somebody to hurt you, I'm a monster".
Asher had quietly opened the door, peeking in to see Hector holding Iria's hand in his, lowering his head in dismay as he continued drowning in guilt.
"Dad". he walked in, slowly closing the door behind as he received no answer from Hector.
"She's not angry at you". Still no answer from him.
"She loves you…..she always will". His head rose up slightly, he looked over at Asher who was flashing him a soft smile.
"She loves me". He mumbled.
Asher nodded, taking a seat beside him as he also held onto Iria's hand, "You and mom care for each other a lot, I remember seeing how you two would stare at each other everyday since I could remember, it would be like you two were falling in love all over again".
Hector chuckled, ending it with a sigh, "Something about her, just instantly made me want to protect her from the world, from anybody who could damage her, she's different, she's beautiful, and I was always the one being chased, but with her, I'm the one doing the chasing, I've never done that".
"She's ok because you're here, but that's also why I came to your timel, I don't want mom to die, but the only way I can stop it from happening is if you help me dad".
He had remained silent, Asher's sudden entrance into their lives was still something he found hard to process, a son, he was his son, and Iria's, everything felt all too surreal, but for some reason it also felt right, staring at Asher was like staring into another him, he had his blood in him, this kid was a produce of something special being born between him and Iria, and he needed to save it.
"Together…." he placed his hand over Asher's, bringing it on top of Iria's to share with.
"...we're going to save our family, together".
When you least expect it, family will become your pillar of strength and hope, and sometimes, they become your destruction.
(Christopher)
"I still can't believe it…...Ryder's here, I have to find him, I have to track him down".
Nyla shook her head, "I think you need to lay low for a bit, things are out of control right now, you confronting Ryder will only make it worse".
"Well I can't just do nothing, he used to be one of my best friends!" he had stopped, facing over to Nyla who frowned as he raised his voice to her.
They were out on school grounds, leaving Raven behind to rest and heal as he was called in to take care of the aftermath of the school raid, "I understand, but from what I've heard, Celeste and Crystal Genesis are taking care of things, you're no longer part of them".
She was right, he had left the organization a while back, he was now a teacher, but the thought of his old friend working for the bad guys still triggered him.
"Grab him". He was snapped out of his thoughts, his feet quickly spun him around, but it was too late.
"Augh"! He was knocked to the ground, two figures held him down by the feet while two more had him down by his hands, a fifth figure had pierced him in the neck with a needle, attaching it to some suction device which drew blood out of him and collected it into a glass tube.
"W-what the hell is this! What are you doing! Get off of me"! He was trying to flail out, but they were keeping still on him.
"Hey"! Michael and Victoria had stumbled onto the scene, quickly shouting after them as they chased them off. They hurried over to Christopher who was still on the ground, half conscious with a bit of blood still coming out of the spot where he was pierced with the needle.
"Professor! Are you alright?! Michael shook him, attempting to get a response while Victoria kept a look out for anymore suspicious figures.
A shock had startled both Michael and Christopher, they could both hear the roaring waves of the ocean, but they were nowhere near the sea. Michael was quickly blinded with a vision, a pair of glowing blue eyes staring back at him from the dark depths of the ocean, he had no clue whose eyes were the ones staring at him through the vision, but it all quickly disappeared and he was left to stare back at Christopher.
*What was that*? He thought to himself, the whole vision had felt too real to the point where he thought the water was really touching him.
"Y-yeah….I'm fine, thank you, both of you". He sat up, lightly placing his fingers over the bloody spot on his neck, it had stained with red, throbbing uncontrollably with pain.
"What was that about"? Asked Victoria, crossing her arms as she looked on with curiosity.
"I don't know". Mumbled Christopher and Michael, both males referring to two different topics.
Nyla had appeared before Christopher, "I think you found him, your next king".
In just one moment, one feeling, you know who to pass your knowledge and wisdom onto, they will become your legacy, and they will travel further into greatness.
(Several days later/Genesis Castle)
Celeste looked down at the letter that had been delivered to Hector only a few days ago, "So you're getting married". She responded, not as a question, but just to properly understand the situation he was in.
He nodded, "Yes, well actually Levy will decide who she wants to marry, but I will be leaving with my brother and her tonight, how long…...I don't know, but I wanted to tell you because…."
She knew what he meant already, stopping him before he could say anything else, she handed him back the letter and stood up, making her way to the window where she looked out and gazed at the endless fields of flowers on the land, there she managed to find Asher and Mira hanging out with the triplets, Valentine, and Mercy.
"You want me to tell Asher and Iria when they realize you're gone".
Terrible, that's how he felt at the moment, knowing he couldn't have the nerve or courage to tell both Iria and Asher that he was leaving to possibly get engaged, possibly ruining the future for them all, but he had no choice, this was something he had to do.
"I think if they hear it from you, they will be a bit more calmer in reacting".
"You're an idiot, you know that"? He was taken aback by Celeste's response.
"What"?
"You nearly tore Iria's heart not too long ago, literally, and now you want to break it by pulling something as stupid as this, she's been through enough already, I'm not going to be your scapegoat for this, if you really care about her, then you'll tell her yourself and let her know you still support her".
The door had creaked open, they both quickly looked back, finding the same face they were talking about, "Iria". They both said her name.
She had overheard, now coming out from hiding as she confronted Hector, "I'm here…...tell me".
He was still in a bit of shock, being caught off guard that he could only stammer, "I-iria-".
She slowly made her way into the office, being helped carefully by Celeste who sat her down on the couch, "So it is true…..you and Harvey are brothers…...and now one of you might be marrying Levy".
Celeste knew this wasn't her business, she left them alone in the room to talk about it.
He couldn't look at her, but he did nod, "Yeah….it's true…..I never knew who my brother was, who would have thought he was this close all along".
"What…...what are you going to do"? She asked, standing up and taking baby steps as she was still in no condition to be exerting so much on her body which was still recovering.
"Both families are meeting at the Sigfreid mansion, Harvey, Levy, and I are going back home where she will give her decision of who to marry, once she does, the preparations will begin and both families will start planning the merger and wedding".
"Wait…...you're just going? Like that? You're not going to protest, or fight"?
He was all too calm for the situation, she didn't understand, he should be angry, furious, fighting to get out of it, but he wasn't, "I can't…..Harvey isn't my biological brother, I was adopted, his parents….my parents, they gave me everything, they took me in when no one would…...I owe them everything, and if they want me to be a part of this marriage race, then I will do it, it's the least I can do".
She scoffed, "Do you hear yourself? This isn't some debt to be repaid, you were adopted because they saw you and fell in love as parents, you have nothing to return back except love, you don't have to feel obligated".
She flinched when he whipped his head over to her, it was that same menacing look in his eyes from before, "You don't understand, I had nothing! Nothing! My parents died and I was abused in the orphanage! Everybody hated me! But they…..They saved me! I owe them everything! So if they want me to marry someone for the families well being then I will do it! So stay out of this"!
He stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut which matched with Iria's body jolting from fright, so much so that her body couldn't take the stress and she dropped on her knees in exhaustion. She thought he had left, but he couldn't, he still wanted to be close by her, so he stopped at the other side of the door, leaning back against it as he slid down onto the ground, taking a seat on the floor, with a sigh, he closed his eyes and softly whispered her name out, "Iria".
(Eira/Harvey)
"Wow…...so Hector and you were brothers all along"? Asked Eira, still bed ridden, though her condition had gotten better.
"Adopted, but yeah, we're brothers". He replied, sitting on the edge of the bed as he informed Eira of what had been going on during her slumber.
"And now Levy has to choose which one of you to marry, has she said who"? He shook his head, noticing the frown on Eira's lips.
"I don't agree with this". She answered, folding her arms in protest, something Harvey found amusing.
"It's not really up to you now is it". He chuckled, flicking her lightly on the head, she frowned even more.
"Are you really going through with this"?
He took in a deep breath, nodding his head with his lips rolled in, "I am".
She couldn't stop thinking about his words, the words he whispered into her ear before he gave himself up to his kidnappers that day, everything had changed for her after hearing that, and now, she didn't know how exactly to react around him.
"Knock Knock". The door opened wide, Eira's eyes shot open, being followed by a squeal of joy.
"Candace"! She was tackled into a hug by the pig tailed gym leader, grunting from the pressure of her relative but not really caring.
"Oh Eira! I'm so glad you're ok, I almost had a heart attack when I heard what happened to you"! She was suffocating Eira in her hug, causing Harvey to laugh as he found the reunion warm and comforting.
"H-how did you find out"? Asked the glasses wearing girl.
"Your friend Harvey, who by the way is a hunk!, called me and informed me of what happened, he wanted me to come and be by your side while you continue to recover, so he pulled some strings to bring me here".
"You….you did all this for me? Why"?
He shrugged it off, "Family is the best cure, and I didn't want to leave you alone through your recovery".
She was now confused by his words. "Alone? What do you mean, I have you".
No she didn't, she saw how quickly his expression turned dark and serious, "I'm not going to be here, I'm leaving champion's tonight, Levy and Hector will also accompany me, we'll be gone for a while, I didn't want you to be alone".
She didn't know how to respond to that, it was too sudden, her heart told her to cry, but her brain told her to keep it in, she was aching deeply inside, she didn't know what to do, she didn't know what to say.
He took notice of her silence, and so did Candace who looked back and forth between the two, "I guess…..I'll leave you two alone, so this is my goodbye".
"Yeah, goodbye". Was what she mumbled out, unable to look at him directly, instead she faced to her right.
Candace had hugged him instead, "Thank you, Eira's lucky to have a friend like you".
Before he parted from the hug, she had made sense of the words he whispered out, "I'm not a friend".
(Blake)
They all watched from afar as Blake sat under a tree, pulling his knees in as he buried his face in between them, "How is he"? Asked Karen, looking up at her brother who shook his head, telling her that it was bad.
Leonardo sighed, "He hasn't talked to anybody since he told us what happened to Rosebella".
They all remained silent, remembering the details about what happened from what Blake told them, but it was all interrupted by Russell's scoff.
"We're his friends, we can't just let him be alone and sob about Rosebella, we have to talk to him and let him know we're here for whatever he needs".
"Russell's right, Blake thinks he's alone but he's not, he has us". Ari answered.
"Hey"! He was tackled from behind by Victoria, she glomped onto him, giggling as the others watched curiously.
"V-victoria". He laughed nervously.
"What are you up to?" she asked, looking at the others who gave a weary smile.
"W-we're just talking, nothing else". He answered.
"I'll see you guys in a bit". Said Russell, heading over to Blake.
"So Victoria, Leonardo….." startd Karen, bringing the attention away from Blake and Russell to give them privacy.
"...Tyler tells me you two have a match very soon, are you two pumped"?
Leonardo stayed quiet, looking at Victoria head to toe, she did the same however her gaze become more aggressive, "Honestly, you should quit while you still have time, you might have been able to defeat Charlotte, but the streak ends there".
"My only goal is the shield, so be careful because I'll step on anything in my path, including you". She got closer into his face, though not entirely because he was taller, more like face and chest.
"Just try". She hissed, being pulled back by Ari as Leo interfered in between.
"Alright you two, break it up and save it for your upcoming match".
"He's right, I'll see you then". Smirked Victoria, grabbing Ari's hand as she took off with him.
Karen had held her breath the entire time, being tense from the vigorous interaction between Victoria and Leonardo, "Phew, even that girl gives me the jitters, she really seems like she's not playing around".
"Neither am I". answered Leonardo, walking away with Leo chasing after him.
"Was it something I said"? Asked Karen, being hugged by Tyler who chuckled, finding the whole scene amusing.
"Blake". Russell sat next to him, staring up at the sky before speaking another word.
"She could be anywhere, they could be doing horrible things to her right now…..and I can't do anything, I'm useless, I said I would protect her, I would help her…..some help I was, I saw her slowly drowning in envy over that stupid regalia and I didn't do anything".
"Don't blame yourself, none of us saw this coming, especially you, you did your best, you were always by her side, she came to you of all people and you listened, sometimes things don't turn out as you think, Rosebella being taken is one of these things".
"What do I do, I can't just keep going on like this, there has to be a way for me to get her back".
"There is". Russell stood up, extending his hand down to Blake who took it, being helped up on his feet.
"Where are we going"? He asked, following Russell from behind.
"Not where, but who, and it's the only person who knows Rosebella better than you".
(Frontier's quarters)
"You're going to tell me everything you know about the regalias, the past kings, current kings, and all of their secrets, got it"?
"Yes". answered the young boy, unable to go against Yun's threatening tone, both him and Rika had been forced to sit on chairs facing directly at the king.
Charlotte stood quietly by Yun's side, being his right hand man while Michael and the other frontier's were still out, Rika shook her head, "This is a bad idea, you shouldn't get involved with the tower and regalias, haven't you seen the type of destruction it brings"?
Yun smirked, "All the more reason for me and my team to get our hands on them".
"Should you really be sticking your nose where it doesn't belong"? Chuckled Celeste, leaving the door open as she signaled Mark, Rika, and Charlotte to leave, something which the three complied in doing.
"What do you want"? He asked, not in the mood to see her.
"I came to give you this". She handed him a folder.
"What is it"? He didn't grab it, he didn't want to, at least not until she explained what it was.
"It contains names and information on students here who I've watched, they've been chosen by a road, get to them first and get them on your side".
He grabbed the file, though found it suspicious why she was giving it to him, "Why are you giving this to me"?
"Because I'm leaving, and I can't let Luciana get to them first, if she does and they get persuaded to join her, it will be harder for me, I would rather have to face you in the end than my own sister, so take it, use it well, because when I come back, the real battle will begin".
She got up, now heading out only to stop, "By the way, thank you for saving me back at Dawn's templar's headquarters".
Papers were falling all around, there was a slight thump as the lamp on the table fell off, both of them were now on the couch, Celeste underneath with her wrists pinned down by Yun, "You've changed a lot, and I hate it…...you act like you have no feelings or no soul, but when it comes down to your sister you let it out, when are you going to stop acting and show the real you".
She was unfazed of the situation, though her eyes became sharp, "This is the real me, it just took a while for me to realize that, all the heartbreaks, all the pain of losing people close to me, I didn't have anymore feelings to spare, there were no more".
"Lies, somewhere inside you still feel something for me, I know you do".
"I don't".
"You do". He pressed his lips down on hers, slipping his tongue in to meet hers, she couldn't fight it off, he was on top, holding a tight grip on her hands and had much more strength than she did, but the feeling she was getting was what worried her the most at the moment.
"Mmn-Stop!" she yelled in between only to be stopped when he continued kissing her.
"Admit it, you're feeling something right now". He bit down on her lower lip, moving down to her neck which made her accidentally let a moan out.
"Why do you care so much what I feel, you're the one who left"! He stopped, lifting his head to face her, a small space just separating in between.
"Because…..You're the only one who ever cared about me, you said you loved me….no one ever showed emotions like those towards me, you were the first, and the only…...so I want to believe you still feel that way, you just don't want to show it".
She said nothing, but the mood quickly changed when he went in for another kiss, this time letting go of one hand, she used it instead to take his shirt off, he followed along with slipping his hand under her shirt.
(Later that night)
"Um…...Yun". Michael was facing away, waiting to hear a response from him.
He was waking up, seeing the first thing was the window showing it was night time, "Hmm". he sat up, finding Michael standing in front but still looking away, it was then that he realized that he was naked, the folder Celeste handed him earlier was neatly collected and now placed to cover his private area.
"Where is she"? He looked around, but it was just him and Michael.
"Who"? Asked the Joker, picking up Yun's pants and handing them to him.
"Celeste". He answered, snatching them and putting them on.
Michael's jaw dropped, "Wait…..you and her?! H-how"?!
He didn't answer him, instead he continued asking the same question, "Michael, Where is she"?
"I don't know". He shrugged.
"She wasn't here when I came in, it was just you, naked and alone, but I guess you weren't technically alone earlier". He chuckled.
Yun sighed, burying his face in his palm as he threw his head back, "She left….she's gone".
(Elites quarters)
Eric, Mika, and Celebrant were sitting around in silence, but the quiet atmosphere was broken when Mika decided to speak up, "Celebrant, she's not coming back, Troy and Luciana haven't been seen since that day and everybody thinks she's still locked in her room, you know what we have to do".
Celebrant took in a deep breath, sighing as he nodded, he didn't want to accept it, but there was no choice, Mika was right, Luciana and Troy left without a word to any of them and haven't been back, things had to change, and it was all up to him to decide.
"What does this mean"? Asked Eric, looking back and forth between Mika and Celebrant.
"It means…." started Mika, taking in a deep breath.
"...with Luciana fleeing the school, she no longer holds the title of champion".
He was shocked, "Then who becomes the new leader"?
Celebrant stood up, "The next best fighter, me…..I become the new champion".
Mika nodded, "With Celebrant stepping up as the new champion, I rank up to the new ace, leaving open spots for a new Sword, Rose, and Bell".
"Mika, get the word out that effective tomorrow, a tournament will be held to fill in the new Elite positions".
She complied with his orders, being followed out with Eric who volunteered to help spread the word.
He waited to hear the door slam shut, finding relief in being left alone, the pressure was on now and he knew it, he was the King of the Elites, the champion, Luciana left the school while it was in ruins and it was now up to him to fix things and bring Champion's back to its former glory.
"Things would have felt much more better if I had you by my side, Dakota".
~~0~o~0~~0~o~0~~0~o~0~~0~o~0~~0~o~0~~0~o~0~~0~o~0~~0~o~0~~0~o~0~~0~o~0
"Tsss-Ha"! Ryder hissed when they drew blood out from his arm, glaring at the tech who was performing it.
"Suck it up". Scoffed Ramona, flinching when they stuck her with the needle as they also began to draw blood out.
"I got it". Adrian walked into the lab and handed the scientist two small viles of blood.
"And where have you been"? Asked Ryder, hissing again when they pulled the needle out.
"What do you care for"? Smirked Adrian.
A man in a white coat approached the dark road ruler, "Good work adrian, you not only brought us Xavier and Alice's daughter but you even managed to steal some of Yun's blood and the current neo queen's blood".
"It wasn't hard, they bother tired each other out and so when they were sleeping pricking them wasn't a big deal".
"Excellent work". He was patted on the back by the same man. This man was exceptionally different from the others, not only from the aura he carried around himself, but by his appearance, slicked back copper hair with short hairs hanging down the front, a strongly sculpted jawline, tall stance, and straight built shoulders, his left eye was a piercing green which stood out with the help of his sand like skin tone but the right was covered with a black eye patch.
"Thank you Professor Hunt".
"Boss"! One of the scientists had rushed over, pointing back from where he came.
"The subject is waking up"!
Without another say he took off, sparking Ramona, Adrian, and Ryder to follow along. They all stopped in front of a pod like machine, a single small circular window was in the front, a hand had stamped over it, causing the door to creak open and allowing for a green liquid to spill out followed by clouds of steam.
"What did you guys do"? Asked Ramona, taking a step back for caution, a gut feeling inside kept telling her that nothing but evil was coming their way.
Professor Hunt chuckled, "My beautiful creations, the first of you failed, but not this time, my army will be perfect, starting with you".
She held her gasp, watching as a foot stepped out from the pod, then a second, followed by the door creaking even wider, before them stood a naked boy, wet shaggy platinum blonde hair dripping and clinging to the sides of his face, he was tall, medium fair skin tone, and electric blue eyes that stood out amongst all his light features.
"Who's this"? Asked Ryder, quirking an eyebrow to the boy who kept staring at them, quickly sharpening his eyes into a venomous glare when he met eyes with Ryder.
"Meet Lucian, created from the blood of the current pledge queen and the second fang king, he's a blood thirst legacy".
Say goodbye to the past, A new chapter begins, The best is yet to come.