I forgot to mention, the ages are a bit skewed in this. They won't be true to actual history or canon, due to certain aspects of the story, and such. Sorry about that!


About two weeks after the strange dream, Arthur was stretched out on his bed, reading a book on magic by a shaft of moonlight falling across the room. He had reached a particularly interesting passage when he heard muffled footsteps coming from outside. Narrowing his eyes, he tried to pinpoint where they had come from.

Step. Step. Step.

There they were again. Arthur scowled as he peeked out of the window. What he saw nearly made his heart stop.

Right there, on his front lawn, was a real live lion. Just sitting there, gazing at the house expectantly! Arthur quickly jerked the curtain shut, not willing to believe it. He had never had a companion. Why would one come now?

A sharp rapping sound penetrated Arthur's thoughts. Someone was at the door.

Arthur hesitated. He usually didn't open the door to anyone, but something told him that this was important; this was something he had to do. Against his better judgement, he pulled open the door.

"J'aime ce que je vois~!"

"Kesesese! He's kinda scrawny. And short."

"Shut up before I have to own another cooking utensil with an imprint of your face on it!"

Standing before Arthur was the most bewildering sight he had seen in a long time. A tall boy with silver hair and red eyes was trying to wrestle a dented frying pan away from a girl with long, brown hair with a little orange flower in it, and green eyes. A boy with long, blond hair and sky blue eyes was standing off to the side, laughing at them, making no indications that he was going to stop the fight. Egging on the two fighting was a grey-brown hawk and a chocolate-brown wolf, while a red fox was shaking its head.

Arthur stood stock-still for a full minute, taking in the unbelievable scene before him. Finally, he regained his sense of rationality and slammed the door shut with a bang.


"Oh, great, you scared him," Elizabeta hissed.

"I scared him? You were the one waving around your crazy weapons!" Gilbert insisted.

"Mes amis, we should be calm. We will just knock again and actually speak to the poor boy!" Francis stepped up placidly and knocked on the door with a few elegant taps. No response.

"Excusez-moi, monsieur," the Docte called. "My companions and I are sorry for that rather undignified scene, but we would like to talk to you."

"Shove off, frog," came the muffled reply.

Gilbert sniggered as Francis' face flushed slightly, unused to being addressed so impolitely.

"That was rather rude, you know," Francis fumed, his accent becoming more pronounced.

The door shot open. "You know what's rude?" Arthur snarled, his own accent intensifying. "Knocking on an innocent stranger's door and thoroughly ruining his evening! What did I ever do to you?"

"You're our leader!" exclaimed Gilbert cheerfully, only to be forcefully smacked again by Elizabeta.

"He doesn't know that yet, bolond!"

"What does that even mean?" complained Gilbert, finding himself once again rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"All you need to know is it's an insult in Hungarian," she growled.

"It means fool."

Elizabeta glanced at Arthur in surprise.

"I actually studied my languages," he said, folding his arms. "I know at least eight."

"Including French, the language of love?" Francis purred.

"Je sais assez pour vous dire de se taire, frog," Arthur snapped.

Francis put his hand on his forehead exaggeratedly. "I am wounded, mon ami! We just met! Why are you so mean to me?"

"I don't have a lot of experience talking to people," Arthur muttered.

Elizabeta narrowed her eyes. "Explain."

Arthur frowned deeply, pausing. "I don't have to explain anything to you," he mumbled eventually.

"Look, let's stop standing here on your doorstep, which is rather rude, and talk this over inside. Let us in," Elizabeta commanded.

Arthur scowled. "Why should I?"

Finally, the lion cub bounded up. He sat directly in front of Arthur and opened his mouth, as if he was going to speak.

"Wait, it's not going to-" Gilbert started, but Elizabeta slapped a hand over his mouth.

"I am your animal companion. Please, let us come in and we will inform you of everything," the lion meowed.

Arthur stared in shock at the big cat. Several thoughts rushed through his mind as he tried to process how the animal had talked, and what it said. He settled on one detail.

"You're...my animal companion?" he croaked.

The lion dipped his head again. "Yes. I have come to you at last, and you have a great destiny to fulfil."

Arthur opened the door fully. "I guess you guys can come in, then."

After everyone walked in and more or less made themselves comfortable, Francis sat on the single chair near a big fireplace, casting a critical eye around the house. "You live here?" he asked, slightly scornfully.

Arthur flushed faintly. "No one asked you to come. If you don't like it, then leave."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong, mon ami. I was asked to come here," the Docte declared.

"Why do you live alone?" Gilbert interrupted. The hawk on his shoulder tilted his head in a questioning way.

"My entire family is dead." Arthur answered bluntly.

Elizabeta gasped quietly and Gilbert looked sympathetic. Francis walked up to Arthur and threw an arm around his shoulders.

"Worry not! We will be your new family!"

Arthur mumbled something darkly as he threw the blond boy's arm off.

"Okay," Elizabeta began. "First of all, have you learned about the legend of the Goddesses of Terra Deaeque?"

"Yes, of course."

"Good. So, as you know, the Shadow God challenges them every hundred years. They choose six heroes. This is that year, and we are four of the six heroes."

Arthur was silent. The look in his eyes was troubling the three.

"There are two Fortis, two Bellator, one Docte, and one Omnes," Gilbert reminded him. "Mein bruder and I are the two Fortis, Elizabeta here is one of the Bellator, and Francis is the Docte. The Goddess of each of our respective clans came to us in a dream, telling us to follow that lion cub-" he gestured to the animal in question- "to find our leader. The lion led us to you, so you're our leader," he finished simply.

"You're mad," Arthur said quietly.

"Sorry, mon ami," Francis chuckled. "No one is crazy here. We are deadly serious."

The Omnes glared at Francis. "You expect me to believe you? If this is true, why didn't I get a dream?" Even as he said the words, he remembered his confusing dream from before. A mysterious voice had told him something about leadership and destiny.

The lion raised a paw slightly. "You are the Omnes. The Great Angel tried to send you a dream, but she is growing ever weaker. That is why she sent me to you at last."

"So how come you can talk?" interrupted Gilbert, who was lounging on the floor.

The big cat looked pleased. "We have always been able to talk. It is the humans who have not been listening."

"You got that right!" piped a voice.

Gilbert started and stared at his hawk, who was looking delighted with himself.

"Kralle, you can talk!?" whooped Gilbert.

"I've talked to you since you met me! You've never answered back, though!" Kralle sang as he flew around Gilbert's head.

Eros shook her head. "Boys," she commented to a incredulous Elizabeta.

"Girls," retorted Beau, looking at an equally disbelieving Francis for support.

"Wait, wait, wait." Francis held up his hands. "They have been talking to us this entire time, and we have just not been able to hear them?"

"Yes, pretty much," confirmed the lion cub.

"What is your name?" asked the ever cordial Arthur, trying to get back on track.

"I don't have one, but you can name me. I am your companion, after all," the lion purred.

Arthur hesitated slightly. "Uh...I always dreamed that when I got a companion, I would name him Spirit," he admitted.

Gilbert stood up. "From this day on, this lion cub will be known as Spirit!" he commanded in a ringing voice. "Let the Goddesses look upon and approve of this decision."

Noticing Arthur looking at him strangely, he explained, "It's the naming ritual. I've seen it done a lot."

Spirit nodded again. "Now, to business," he said, and his ears twitched. "Ah, I believe your patron has now scraped together enough strength to give you a short message."

He had barely finished speaking before a glowing rainbow light permeated the room, filling it with a cacophony of colours. In the middle, a shape formed into an angel. The light sparkled faintly and faded.

"Hello, my children," Matris Magnae, for of course it was she, said happily.

The four kids stood to attention. Gilbert, Elizabeta, and Francis saluted the Great Angel respectfully, but Arthur looked down at the floor, his face burning.

"Arthur, salute in the Omnes way!" hissed Elizabeta out of the side of her mouth.

"I don't know how!" Arthur whispered back, dismayed.

Matris Magnae walked past each child, murmuring, "At ease," to each one as she passed. When she came to Arthur, she smiled gently.

"I know you have not interacted much with the outside world. I understand why, my child, but it is time to leave this place and embark on a journey to save this land," she stated. "You will have to learn to salute the Omnes way."

She made a three clawed gesture with her hand. Showing Arthur, who copied her, she put it over her heart.

"The three clawed gesture is for warding off evil, so it is the sign of the Great Angel," explained Spirit.

Arthur did as she had done, looking up at her in awe.

"Why did you choose me, my lady?" he asked respectfully, albeit a bit bitterly. "I'm not special in any way. I'm just a recluse with an overly tragic past."

"No!" said the Great Angel sharply. "I chose you because you have the potential to change the world."

The gravity of the statement sank in for a moment.

"Change...the world?" Arthur asked, frightened by the prospect.

"Maybe that was a bit dramatic," the angel sighed. "I must defeat the Shadow God once and for all, so that he plagues my land no longer. I am growing weak, however, as I am sure you have heard. If I fail, you must vanquish the Shadow God in my place."

"That's bloody ridiculous," Arthur said vehemently, evidently forgetting who he was talking to.

The other three winced, but Matris Magnae just smiled tiredly, suddenly looking her age. "I know it seems that way, Arthur. I myself have questioned many of my own decisions. But on this one, I am sure. I have complete faith in you and your team."

"But why?" Arthur was almost yelling now, his pent-up emotions spilling over the surface. "I'm not a leader! I can't do anything!"

"On the contrary," the angel spoke in a serious voice, "You are Omnes. You can do anything."

As her voice rang through the room, commanding, yet full of honesty, Arthur relaxed. The words had an undeniable truth to them, and it was soothing to hear her voice confirming it. He finally believed that maybe he could make a difference; maybe he could do it! The others, too, felt reassured by her voice.

"You'd best pack," the Great Angel advised, fading out of sight.

Arthur started to nod, but froze as a memory flashed through his mind.

"You'd better pack soon."

"I know, dude. Geez, stop nagging!"

"So...when will you come back?"

"I...guess I don't really know. Don't worry, bro! We'll see each other soon, I promise! Hahahaha!"

"Arthur? What's wrong?" asked Elizabeta, noticing his expression.

"Just some memories..." mumbled Arthur. "He promised, but..."

"He?" echoed Gilbert. "Who's 'he'?"

Arthur started up the stairs. "No one. Not anymore," he sighed, disappearing from view.


Another chapter! Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited, or reviewed! Also, I apologize if the languages that aren't English aren't up to par. I'm not fluent, so I probably made a mistake. So for now, arrivaderci!