Goddess' Wish

Xxxxx

Prominous

Xxxxx

"I can't take this anymore!" Nabiha roared as he sat up from his seat, causing Khayru and Hilal to snap up from the thoughts and their eyes towards their brother, "It's been two days since Shiro went missing and all we're doing is sitting on our asses and-"

"Nabiha," Hilal frowned, stopping the Swordsman in mid-sentence, "I know how concerned you are for our brother. Khayru and I feel the same way however..." He hesitated for a moment, "We can't just leave the children here, at least, not alone."

The Moon Lord paused, his blue eyes staring into his brother's lighter colored hues.

Right after Aoshiro had been taken by IIarion, Nabiha had ran back towards the Haven and reunited with Hilal and Khayru minutes after they had made it home and told them what had occured. Though they want to venture out and find Aoshiro as soon as they can, it wasn't possible, at least, not yet. The trio had at first, decided that when Xithyl awakens, they'll leave him and Xsayara in the care of the elves and leave. However, when the younger cleric awoke, he burst in tears, unable to stop until he was soothed back to sleep by the Saint. Seeing this, Xsayara fell into a spiral of guilt, believing that it was his fault that his cousin was in such a condition and as such, it was up to Khayru to calm her son down.

Currently, the two boys were resting in Hilal's room, where the three adults are currently seated on chairs that Khayru had found during their stay.

Staring for several more seconds into his younger brother's eyes, Nabiha heaved out a sigh before seating himself back onto his chair, crossing his arms as he did so, "Why can't I just go by myself? That way you and Khayru can-"

"And wonder into an enemy base alone?" Hilal interrupted, his eyes narrowing even further, "Sorry Nabiha, I know you are a capable fighter but remember, if Shiro was taken down easily then what makes you think that you can go in there and get back out yourself?"

Frustrated, Nabiha opened his mouth to retort however, stopped when he realized that the Saint had made a good point. Though Aoshiro lacks the attack damage capability of other classes, he still deals more damage than Nabiha himself and even then, the warrior does not have the high defenses of the Guardian. "But we just can't sit here and do nothing!," Nabiha growled, "Like I said before, it's been two days. Who knows what they're doing to Shiro right now."

Leaning back in his chair, Hilal heaved out a sigh as he brushed his fingers through his hair, "I don't know but we just can't leave the boys, not like this anyways." He nodded his head towards the sleeping figures on his bed, "We have to wait until they get over the events that had happened to them and then we leave to find Shiro."

"But by then, it could be too late," Nabiha stood back up, "By the time they're well, it could be too late for Shiro."

"Then what do you expect us to do?" Hilal pushed himself out of his chair, "Leave our children here in an unstable emotional state under the care of the elves with the chance that they might take away Xsayara from Khayru and abandon my son out in the streets?"

"Then what can we do?!" Nabiha cried, "We just can't sit around and do nothing!"

Heaving out a frustrated sigh, Hilal flopped back down onto his seat, rubbing his temples, "I'm sorry Nabiha, I really want to go out and find Shiro as much as you do but right now, Khayru and I can't leave our children's side, not in the state that they're in anyways."

"Then I'm going by myself," Nabiha stated as he picked up his sword from the wall beside him and sheathed it onto his back, "Don't try to stop me." With that he turned and started to head towards the door.

"Nabiha, wait!"

Coming to a sudden halt, Nabiha turned and stared into the eyes of Khayru whom stared at him with concerned eyes, "You don't have to go alone."

Hilal stared at his sister with wide eyes, "You're going with him?"

The Tempest shook her head, "No but I know someone else who can."

"Someone else?" Nabiha repeated, "Who?"

Khayru released a stiff smile, "You should know her quite well Nabiha, after all, Shiro had fallen for her before we even have met him."

Staring at the Elven Queen, Nabiha's eyes widen as it dawned upon him, "You don't mean..."

Khayru nodded, "Of course, War Mage Prominous."

Xxx

"Father Shiro."

The Guardian felt something pat him several times on the side of his face, "Father Shiro, time to wake up."

Slowly pulling himself out of unconsciousness, Aoshiro stirred before blinking several times, his vision slowly clearing to the point where he could see the ground in front of him.

"I'm right here, Father Shiro."

Feeling hands grabbing the bottom of his jaw, Aoshiro felt it being forced upwards, only for his pale blue eyes to gaze into crimson.

"I-IIarion?" The Guardian murmured as he blinked several more times, earning himself a grin from the Crusader.

"Nice to see that you're finally awake," IIarion chirped as he released his grip on the Guardian's jaw, causing Aoshiro to shake his head several times to straighten out his vision, "Thought you were never going to awaken." He took several steps back, "After all, I wanted to see your reaction in this kind of situation."

Staring at him through half lidded eyes, Aoshiro was at first puzzled at IIarion's words, that is, until he tried to move his arms.

"What..?" The Guardian attempted once more, only for realize that his hands had been bound behind his back, "IIarion!" Aoshiro coughed, causing the Crusader to crouch down and place a hand upon his father's shoulder, "I wouldn't over exert yourself, Father Shiro. Your body is still trying to recover from our last fight." He grinned, "In other words, don't try to escape."

"E-Escape?" Aoshiro repeated as he attempted to stand, only to see that his feet had been bound as well.

IIarion patted Aoshiros' cheek several times, "We don't want you to run away Father Shiro, especially it took us this long to bring you here. "

The Guardian blinked several times, "We?"

IIarion laughed, "Have you already forgotten Father Shiro? Besides me, there are other clerics who have sided with Goddess Vestinel." He then grinned, "And we have never felt more alive." The Crusader took several steps back as he continued, "Come on Father Shiro, Vestinel wanted you on her side for years. Why would you not accept her when the Sleeping Goddess hasn't even answered your prayers once?"

Shaking his head one final time in an attempt to straighten out his vision, Aoshiro replied, "It is because thanks to Vestinel, I lost almost all the people I had considered precious to me..." The Guardian then lifted his gaze and glared at his son, "and I was there to witness their deaths."

Staring at his father for several seconds, IIarion tilted his head to one side, the smile still upon his features as he responded, "Well then, it was their fault for being so weak and succumbing to death so easily."

In that instant, anger flared in Aoshiro's eyes as he attempted to jump onto his feet, only to feel his restraints keeping him on the ground.

"Ooh, first time I've seen you so angry, Father Shiro," IIarion's eyes seem to gleam as he knelt down to face his father, "I wonder if this is how you really are inside."

"IIarion," Aoshiro hissed as he struggled against his restraints, "what has Vestinel done to you?"

The Crusader's eyes glimmered once again as he stood back onto his feet, "She has done nothing but opened my eyes, Father Shiro. She helped me realize that she is capable of answering our prayers unlike her sister, the Sleeping Goddess."

"She's using you," Aoshiro snapped, his eyes narrowing, "she found you in your moment of weakness IIarion, she's using you to her advantage."

A sudden force to the Guardian's face caused his head to snap to one side, his sight going black as he heard IIarion roar, "Don't say such things about Goddess Vestinel! She helped me during my time of need! Not used me!" A grim smile faded onto IIarion's features, "She promised me if I serve her well, she could bring 'him' back. Bring back my brother! The brother you killed Father Shiro!"

Kneeling down, IIarion grabbed the Guardian by the front of his armor, pulling him closer to his face as Aoshiro's eyes blinked several times to refocus from the hit, "Zahan could come back Father Shiro." The Crusader released a small chuckle as he added, "You can have your second son back."

Slightly dazed, Aoshiro turned his pale blue eyes into the crimson of the Crusader's and murmured, "The dead are dead IIarion. Once they're gone from this world, they can't come back."

Anger flashed over IIarion's eyes, "You're refusing to bring Zahan back!? He's not only my brother but your son too! You considered him your son didn't you!?"

"Of course I did!" Aoshiro pulled himself away from his son's grasp, "I raised the two of you like as though you were my flesh and blood."

The Crusader narrowed his crimson eyes, "Then why don't you want him back?"

"I do want him back," the Guardian's eyes saddened, "It's just not possible."

"It is possible!" IIarion retorted, pushing himself back onto his feet, "Goddess Vestinel promised! She promised she'll bring him back!" Another small smile faded onto the Crusader's onto his features, "Maybe if you join her, Father Shiro. You could not only have your Brother and sister back but also..." IIarion paused, licking his lips as his smile broaden, "Brother Jacob back too."

Xxxx

"She's still alive?" Nabiha asked, following the Saint through the Commons, ignoring the looks they were recieving from the crowd around them, "but I thought-"

"Just because one is alive in one world dosen't mean that they're dead in another," Hilal interrupted, causing the Moon Lord to go silent, "but I guess it shouldn't be unexpected that was your guess about Prominous." He paused for a moment, "Since half the people you know are alive here and...well... you know." Hilal shifted uncomfortably as he walked, "I'm just not sure how Prominous will handle the news that we're sending her with you to save Shiro?"

"H'm?" Nabiha blinked once, "What's wrong with that?"

"Well..." Hilal hesitated, "After Shiro and...your death, Prominous fell into an emotional wreck." He sighed, "Though she claims over and over again that she hates Shiro, it turns out that she held him close as a brother so when he died..."

"It was a devastating blow, wasn't it?" Nabiha asked, gaining a nod as a response.

"After she had recieved the news of Shiro's death, Prominous isolated herself from the rest of the Haven and after blasting some of the people that-"

"She killed people?!"

"-got too close, she was called a 'witch' by the civilians and no she didn't, she just sent them to the infirmary for several weeks." He then stopped in his tracks, Nabiha following suit, "here we are."

Blinking several times, the Moon Lord turned his azure eyes towards the area where his brother was gazing at only for his eyes to widen, "You're saying that she lives in there?"

He nodded his head towards the area which was a dark corridor, the end unseen as darkness covers the halls.

"In order to deter people to stay away, she burnt out all the torches and lamps in this section," Hilal explained as he turned his eyes towards his brother, "otherwise, you're going in blind."

Hesitant, Naibha turned his eyes towards his brother, "Do you have a torch or something?"

The Saint shook his head, "Taking a torch is the last thing you wanna do. The last person who did it...well...let's just say he's not around anymore."

Nabiha gulped as Hilal gave his brother a single nod, "Good luck, I wish I can go with you however, Xithyl needs me at the moment." The Saint turned, walked a few paces before pausing and turning his head around, "Once I know for sure that Xithyl is alright and you're still not back, I'll come in after you." With that, the Saint ran off.

Watching his brother disappear through one of the many doors of the commons, Nabiha turned his attention back towards the dark corridor, gulped once more, before slowly making his way into the darkness.

The instant the swordsman entered, nothing but black filled his vision. Blind, the Moon Lord reached out his arms, his hands desperately waving about in the dark air an attempt to find the end. Several moments passed and right when he was about to give up and turn around thinking that the hall was endless, his fingers brushed a hard rough surface, immediately recognizing it as wood. Slowly realizing that it could be a door, the Moon Lord pressed himself it, his hand desperately trying to find the knob, his hand eventually grabbing hold of a handle. Then with one swift shove, Nabiha felt himself fly through the door and land with an 'oomph' onto the earthy floor. Coughing through the small cloud of dirt that he had created, the Moon Lord pushed himself back onto his feet, his azure eyes examining his surroundings cautiously as he brushed himself off.

Immediately, his eyes caught walls of books reaching to the ceiling, having gaps in between for lamps to alight the room. Curious, Nabiha took several steps forward, only to jump as the door behind him shut with a 'Slam!'. Twirling around, Nabiha eyed the door warily before a chill ran up his spine. Someone was watching him.

"What are you doing here?"

Jumping once more, Nabiha swiftly turned, only to freeze as his eyes came into contact of copper hues.

Pink hair brushed over her left shoulder, the woman in front of him had let small strands of hair fall in front of her eyes which were brushed to the left as well. She was dressed in robes that were black and lined with a dark crimson as a metal head dress fitted on the side of her head matches the colors.

"Don't make me say it again," she raised her hand, releasing a black-purple orb from her palm, "What are you doing here?"

Staring at the sorceress, stunned, Nabiha stuttered, "Uh-uh I-I need your help."

Narrowing her copper hues, the sorceress released the spell from her hand, letting her arm fall back to her side, "Help? Why do you need my help for?" She turned around, picking a book from one of the shelves before she continued, "Nobody had asked me for help since..." Her voice faded, her eyes downcasted before she added, "Leave before I force you out."

"J-Just hear me out, Prominous" Nabiha placed his hands out in front of him, almost like as thought to place a barrier between himself and the mystic, "I need you to help me save Shiro."

"Shiro?" Prominous repeated, turning around to face the Swordsman, her copper hues narrowed, "Are you talking about Guardian Aoshiro?"

"Erm..." Nabiha hesitated, "...Yes."

Almost immediately, the Moon Lord leaped back, narrowing dodging a fireball landing in front of his feet.

"Shiro is dead!" Prom growled, conjuring another fireball in her hand, "How can I save him when he's dead!?"

She launched the second fireball right at the Moon Lord once more, causing him to dodge to the left.

"J-Just listen to me!" Nabiha cried as he rolled to the side to dodge another fireball once more, "This is a different Shiro! We are not from this world."

"Different Shiro!? Why I ought to-wait." Prominous lowered her hand, the small sparks of flames disappearing from her fingers,"We? Don't tell me that you're..."

A sheepish smile flashed onto the Swordsman's features, "Yeah it's me, Nabiha."

Narrowing her eyes once more, Prominous stared at the Moon Lord before crying out, "Quick! What's Shiro's favorite food?"

"Hp Potions!" Nabiha quickly replied, "Since he's a tank, he hardly gets to drink them." He paused, "He claims it tastes like cinnamon if I remember correctly."

"...You really are Nabiha," Prominous crossed her arms, "only the slow-minded warrior could know that."

"Hey!"

"If you really are from a different world, then that would explain your difference in hair color," She pointed at Nabiha's blonde strands, "cause the Nabiha I know has blue hair."

"Blue hair is my natural color," Nabiha muttered, "I just dyed it."

The War Mage raised an eyebrow, "That would make more sense but in all honesty, you look more smart with your other hair color."

"Hey!"

"So you said that you need help saving Shiro?" Prominous continued on, turning around as she fngered through some of the books shelved along the walls, "the 'different' Shiro, am I right?"

"Erm...Yes," The Swordsman replied, "He was captured by IIarion after we saved Xsayara and Xithyl from him."

"IIarion was the one who captured him?" Prominous twirled around, her copper hues showing confusion, "I thought that son of his died years ago."

Nabiha stayed silent for a moment, giving Prominous a moment to process, "Oh I see, IIarion from your world? and I am guessing this one got corrupted by Vestinel's influence."

When the Moon Lord nodded, Prominous sighed, placing a hand on her face as she shook her head, "This is gonna be harder than I thought. Is he specialized?"

When she recieved a blank stare from the warrior, the War Mage shrugged, "I'm taking that you don't know. Well, that only makes things a bit more difficult."

She turned and started looking through her books once more, "How long ago was Shiro captured?"

"Two days."

"I see," Prominous frowned as she unshelved a book and flipped through the pages, "That's plenty of time for him to be influenced by Vestinel."

"Woah! There's no way Shiro would be influenced by the Jealous Goddess," Nabiha suddenly snapped, causing Prominous to glance towards his way as he continued, "he had been serving the Sleeping Goddess ever since I first met him. Shiro won't be swayed to join her so easily."

The pink haired sorceress stared before she sighed, shelving the book she had removed before she turned and narrowed her copper hues at the blonde haired warrior, "It is true that Shiro had been serving Goddess Althea for many years but have you already forgotten his bloodlines."

The Moon Lord gave the War Mage a confused look, "Bloodlines? What does Shiro's bloodlines have to do with this?"

Giving him a blank stare, Prominous shook her head, "Even after all these years, you are still the same hard headed warrior."

"Hey!"

"To help you refresh your brain, Shiro is not completely human," Prominous reminded, "He has the blood of a Dark Priestess flowing through his veins."

Nabiha stared at her with impatience, "So?"

"He is not only a man of light but he is also a man of darkness," The pink haired mystic snapped, "in other words, if my hypothesis is correct, Vestinel would have an easier time influencing him with her nightmares."

No sooner had the War Mage let the words flow from her mouth when shock overwhelmed the Moon Lord's senses, causing the swordsman to gawk at the mystic.

"You're joking," He finally spoke, his eyes showing doubt, "even though Shiro has the blood of a Dark Priestess flowing through him, that doesn't mean that Vestinel would have-"

"I said it was only a hypothesis," Prominous snapped once again, causing Nabiha to jump, "it maybe true or it may not. But for now..." She turned and headed towards a corner, causing the Moon Lord to glance over her shoulder, only to see her pick up an orb and a staff before she sheathed them onto her back and turned to face the swordsman, "let's go and save that idiotic cleric."

How long has it been since I've last updated a story? _
Well, here's the next chapter for Goddess' Wish, enjoy :D

~123arcalas