A Digimon Frontier Fanfic
By Sakura Martinez
Author's Notes:
Well, here we are once again for another Rabbit on the Moon update. I seem to be forgetting my Chronicles of Time: Cyber World fanfic so I may be updating that after this (a day or so later) since I owe that much to my friends, the readers of that fanfic, who are waiting for a new chapter for it. Sorry about that.
Anyways, I have a week left before my final term before my graduation comes so I decided to enjoy it. Don't really know what I would do within that week, but… well, that'll eventually come when it does. But I do hope that it won't be too late (meaning that I still have a couple of days of vacation left).
Anyhow, enough about that. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter because you're in for one heck of a ride in this one.
End of Author's Notes
The Rabbit on the Moon
The Ruins and the Curse
"Must you really go so early? Can you not at least wait for your brother to wake up?" An auburn haired woman in her late 30s asked.
"Mother, if I do that then I would surely be unable to make it in time." A young man answered.
It was almost four in the morning and the sun had yet to rise covering the room in a light-grayish color. The voices of the two people in that room were the only thing that could be heard amidst the silence and the constant barking and howling of the dogs. Their silhouette were the only things that could be seen for neither wished to open any of the lights in their house in fear of waking anyone else up – something that the young man obviously did not want.
"You do realize that when he wakes up he would really be angry at you for breaking your promise." The mother said, evidently not wanting her son to go at all.
"That may be the case, mother but still…" the young man trailed off. "I'm sure he'll understand this one day and if not, I'll be sure to explain it to him once I return."
Silence filled the room with uneasiness. Neither was good at saying goodbyes.
"This is such a dangerous mission." The mother finally spoke after a short while. "I have asked Hiroaki to reconsider sending you but he insists that there is no finer man for the job than you. And even though I hate to admit it, your father is right, Shinya."
"Mother, it will be alright. I promise to return home safely along with father." Shinya reassured his mother. "Father's right, if none of us were to go on this mission, he might suspect something of our family and it could put Takuya's life, as well as your life, in jeopardy. I can't risk that, and neither can father."
"I know. Just… be sure to be careful." The female Kanbara replied. "We don't know anything about that newly discovered island. Who knows what lies in wait for you there."
The young man, Shinya, could not help but to let out a chuckle as he said, "You worry to much mother." Then, when his laughter subsided added, "Well, I better go. Father may end up being furious with me again should I be late."
With one final hug, and with one final whisper of "Be careful" to her eldest son, she let go of Shinya. She knew that this was meant to happen as he was a proud knight bearing the name of Kanbara and the weight of that name along with it. She cannot, however, dismiss the strange feeling that something was wrong. She doesn't know what it was yet, and that troubling feeling would not go no matter how many times she tried.
The moment that the oaken doors closed and her son was no longer in view, she decided to check up on the youngest of her sons. Climbing up the wooden steps and turning a right at the corner, she opened a door leading to young Takuya's room, there she found him peacefully sleeping. The sight of her youngest son made her feel content and made her smile, driving her worries away momentarily. Deciding that she would sleep better with company, she went to her son's bedside and lay down beside him, wrapping Takuya in a motherly hug with Takuya snuggling back for warmth and comfort.
"You're late, Shinya." A man in his 30s wearing a silver armor with a red cape that holds the emblem of Frontiria said as he welcomed the young man.
"Sorry about that, Father… I-I mean, Captain." Shinya replied as he saluted his superior and joined the ranks of his fellow knights. "Mother held me back for a while asking me to wait until Takuya wakes up."
"I figured just as much." Hiroaki Kanbara said crossing his arms as he did. "You do realize that Takuya will probably be angry with you for ditching him."
"That's precisely what mother said." Shinya sighed. "I'm sure that Takuya will understand. But that's beside the point, Captain. Any news of what we'll be dealing with in that island?"
"Drop the formalities, Shinya. Everyone here in this platoon knows that you're my son." Hiroaki scolded his eldest before answering his query. "No word of it yet except that we're supposed to be investigating the ruins in that island. The King believes that it has something to do with you-know-what."
"Isn't it a bit dangerous for me to go along with this mission? I might blow our cover." Shinya said in a hushed and worried tone.
"That's why you have to be extra careful. Any sudden tingling feeling that you have, report it to me immediately."
Shinya nodded. "Understood, father."
"Well, it seems like you two are ready for this." Said a blond haired young man who was as old as Hiroaki Kanbara, and also wearing the same outfit signifying that he too was a Captain of a platoon.
"I could say the same for you, Ishige… and may I add that you seem to be excited about it as well." Hiroaki said with a grin.
"Of course, you know that explorations excite me. What's more, I hear that it's an ancient ruin of some sort." Ishige Orimoto said returning the grin. "I bet we could find loads concerning that which has been troubling both our families for a while now."
"I heard the same thing, I was just telling Shinya to be careful while we're out there, and I could say the same to you if you were ten years younger." Hiroaki said, making fun of his friend.
"And I could return the same advise to you." Ishige answered back, leading the two to laugh out loud and to Shinya to think how childish his father and his friend were being.
"Are you sure that you're not just jealous at how easy-going they are being about this mission?" Said a voice in his head, a voice that Shinya had grown accustomed to. It was the voice of his Spirit Guardian, Flayhm.
"What are you talking about this time, Flayhm?" asked Shinya telepathically acting like he did not know what his Spirit Guardian meant.
"You know you can't hide anything from a Guardian Spirit. You're jealous that they get to act like normal people despite having the same powers that you have when they were younger." Flayhm stated a matter-of-factly.
Silence was all Shinya could answer to his Spirit Guardian which told Flayhm that he had hit right on the mark of what Shinya was thinking. Despite saying that he knows everything there is to know about the young man, having only awakened a week before meant that it was just a bluff… sort of. He, Flayhm the Fire Guardian, would have to bond with his master more to be able to reach that level of mutual understanding. Of course, he wasn't about to say that out loud and let his secret be known.
"It's just… can't you at least explain why Father and Lord Ishige no longer have their so-called ability?" Shinya finally spoke after a while as Ishige Orimoto and Hiroaki Kanbara began assembling their men to board the ship that would take them to the newly discovered and yet to be named island for their mission. "You're supposed to be some kind of ancient guardian spirit or something, right? You should know these things and be knowledgeable about them since they are 'ancient'."
"Just because I introduced myself to you as the reincarnation of the Ancient Spirit of the Flames does not mean that I am ancient." Flayhm retorted. "It's just a title that we have to bear. Anyways, you should ask your father that directly."
"As if he'll tell me about it. He'll just say that the less I know the better."
"And he's right about that under such circumstances that you and everyone like you are in right now. All I know is that it's part of a limitation made by the Dragon Gods."
The tone of voice that Flayhm used gave Shinya the impression that he should drop the subject, in which he obliged with, after all, he would need his Spirit Guardian's full cooperation in this mission should he wish his secret to be kept. 'Who knows what lurks in that island' he thought to himself.
Soon, the large vessel holding 30 knights along with their two Captains finally set off. Their 7 days of journey to the unnamed island had finally began. Four days went by with nothing uneventful happening except for Lord Ishige and Lord Hiroaki's constant shouts of giving orders and the likes to their subordinates and their constant banter that even confuses the Captain of the ship.
However, it was on the sixth day of their journey to the island when things began to get problematic as the Captain of the ship told Lords Ishige and Hiroaki of an unavoidable storm that was set to hit them within an hour's time.
"Is there no way to avoid it?" Ishige Orimoto asked calmly despite what lay ahead.
"Unfortunately, there isn't. It would be too late to turn the ship around and find another route to the island, Lord Ishige." The Captain of the ship replied.
"What is the estimated damage on the ship should we continue moving forward?" Hiroaki asked.
"Quite honestly, Lord Kanbara, I would rather not brave this storm. There is a high possibility that we will all survive, however, the ship may not." Came the captain's reply.
"Then full speed ahead." Hiroaki said as he turned around to leave the Captain's Cabin. "We can always repair the ship once we set foot on the island."
"Hiroaki, are you insane? Can you not see the intensity of the storm?" Ishige asked, surprised at his friend's discussion. "Even when we are still hours away from its eye, the storm is already this powerful, what more when we hit the middle of it?"
"You heard the Captain, Ishige." Hiroaki retorted. "There is a high possibility that we will survive. That is enough of a gamble for me."
And with that Hiroaki left the dumfounded Captain and Ishige in the Cabin. Outside of the cabin however, his son stood to face him.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, father?" Shinya asked, uncertainty etched in his face as much as in his voice. "To be quite frank, this is a bit reckless of you."
"There is no need to worry, we can and will make it to the island and back home safely, Shinya." Hiroaki said, not bothering to stop walking towards the deck. "What's important is the mission, and nothing else."
"You do realize that I made a promise to mother that we will both return safely." Shinya called out, but Hiroaki did not bother to turn around or reply.
Shinya sighed. His father was once again being stubborn.
Takuya was angry, and he did not bother to hide it from his mother. He had been sulking ever since that morning when he learned that his brother did not even bother to wake him up to say goodbye or to allow him to see him off. And no matter what his mother said, it did not change anything.
"Come on, Takuya, your brother really wanted to wait for you but if he did he would have missed the ship and he would have gotten in trouble with your father." His mother had said.
"But he promised!" Takuya insisted. "He said he won't go without saying goodbye, but he broke that promise! Like every single promise he made…"
His mother sighed. "Takuya, you're brother Shinya has a duty to the King and to the Kingdom. You cannot blame him for prioritizing the Kingdom above all else."
"Father said that the most important thing is family!" Takuya continued to pout. "Father thinks that way and he's already a Captain of the Knights, so why can't brother follow that way of thinking?"
"Well, are you not mad at your father for not saying goodbye?" She asked.
"That's different."
"How so?" the mother continued to ask her son, hoping to make him see how foolish it was to stay mad at his brother for so long. "Your father left much earlier than Shinya did, and he did not wake you up as well."
"Dad didn't make a promise with me that he will wake me up before he go. Brother on the other hand did."
The female Kanbara sighed. She really could not win against his son when it comes right down to it. She smiled inwardly however at how young Takuya seemed to value the importance of keeping promises. Her smile however became one that bears sadness when she remembered what they have done to keep Ishige's daughter and Takuya safe.
"I hope that when you find out about it, Takuya… that you'll forgive us." She thought to herself.
The waves crashed with the ship, churning it around as the wind howled and thunder roared. Such was the fierceness of the storm that they were braving. Should it have been any other smaller vessels, they would surely be in much more trouble than they are now, thankfully, the ship that they were on were larger and much sturdier than any smaller vessels.
"I hope you're really prepared to take responsibility for this, Hiroaki." Ishige shouted over the roar of the thunder, the waves and the wind.
"Lighten up, Ishige." Hiroaki shouted back. "We're safe in this ship and with someone as skilled as the captain commandeering it, then there certainly is nothing to fear."
"You're really enjoying this ride, aren't you?" Ishige sighed earning him a laugh from Hiroaki.
Shinya on the other hand sat far from the two men who were busy drinking and sitting out the storm. He could not understand how they could be so calm about it when he could practically hear the creaking sounds of the ship being torn in two… or was it just his imagination…?
"You should really lighten up, Shinya." Flayhm said as he materialized in front of the young Knight. "It is as your father said, there is nothing to worry about."
"Easy for you to say, you're just a spirit. You can't be hurt by anything, and you can't die in a storm." Snapped a very stressed Shinya.
"That's not entirely true. We Spirit Guardians have our own weaknesses you know and we can die as you humans can as well. Besides…" Just then, whatever Flayhm was about to say, it was lost, for he suddenly had a strange tingling in his senses. Like someone was beckoning him, calling him and it came from the direction of where they left off from.
Shinya obviously noticed the sudden change in expression of his Spirit Guardian and immediately asked in a worried tone, "What's wrong? Is something the matter?"
"No, i-it's nothing… I just felt woozy that's all." Flayhm lied as he thought of what that strange tingling might be.
In the Kanbara residence in Shore…
"Mother, I don't feel so well…" Takuya said trotting to his mother's side who was currently busy preparing dinner.
Worried that her son was catching some diseases, his mother immediately touched his forehead and gasped at how hot his son's temperature has become. "You're temperature's hot, Takuya. Come, lie down in your bed."
Takuya could only nod and take his mother's hand as they walked back to his room where his mother made him lie down and rest.
"That's odd…" Takuya's mother thought as she checked his temperature again which had gone off the charts making her more worried than she was before. "He was feeling well before…"
But before she could ask what Takuya had been doing, Takuya had already fallen asleep. Believing that this should help him feel better, she let him be.
They had braved the storm and had emerged triumphant. And just as Hiroaki had expected, they had made it safely to the unnamed island which was their destination with minimal damage on the ship and no casualties on their men.
Hiroaki grinned as he jumped off of the ship and landed upright on the sandy beach of the island. He then turned around and gave a victory sign to his friend, Ishige who obviously was finding the way the young Captain was acting childish.
"I told you we can make it in one piece, Ishige!" Hiroaki laughed.
"I've already said that I concede. You were right, do I need to keep on repeating that just to stop you from making a fool of yourself in front of your men?" Ishige replied.
"Lord Ishige is right, father. Can you tone your hyper-activity down just a little bit." Shinya said, almost ashamed to be associated with the older Kanbara at the moment.
Hiroaki could only laugh, but then returned to his more serious self when he saw the forest that lay ahead of them and the large ruins in the not so far off distance. "Well, I guess you two are right. Time to get to business. "
Ishige then turned to their men and called out, "Alright, everyone. Time to march for the ruins, we'll go into three groups with eleven people each. Shinya, you go with one group and lead it, Lord Kanbara will lead another group and I'll take on the lead of the last group."
Everyone nodded and Ishige Orimoto continued giving them instructions. It was decided that the three groups would tackle the island grounds from three different directions and that they should report anything out of the ordinary or anything of interest upon meeting at the ruins which was situated at the middle of the island. Once everyone had agreed on it, the three groups went off their separate ways.
Takuya's fever had yet to go down, and he had began breathing hoarsely which made his mother all the more worried. So worried in fact that she resorted to the only means she could think of – calling for help.
"I'm sorry to have to call you at such an hour, Lord Kimura." She apologized as she led the Commander Kimura to Takuya's room.
"Don't worry about it." The older man said as he followed her. "Without Hiroaki and Shinya here, I know how much of a burden this is to you."
"Still, I appreciate all the help you're giving Lord Kouta." She said, truly thankful for the older man.
When they got to Takuya's room, Commander Kouta Kimura immediately went to his bedside and placed a hand on Takuya's forehead. Sure enough, he was burning up. Lord Kimura could not help but think how fortunate it was that he had once studied medicine before in his Knight Academy days.
He continued to check up on Takuya, he could not help but think how peculiar his fever was. There were no signs or symptoms at all that could tell them exactly what was wrong with him save that of his temperature. Just as Lord Kouta was about to check Takuya's back, he caught sight of something that surprised him to no end…
"The mark…" He gasped.
"This place really is amazingly huge." Shinya muttered to himself as he, along with the two other groups entered the ruins to start their search. The sooner their investigation was done, the sooner they can get off of the island and get back home.
"Stop gawking, Shinya." Hiroaki said. "Keep your eyes and your senses peeled. Who knows what kinds of traps there are in here and…"
"I know, father." Shinya cut his father off from saying any more. "I am on my guard. Still, what exactly are we looking for in here?"
"Anything that could give the King an idea regarding the Chosen Ones and that Ancient Manuscript that was dug out." Ishige replied.
"I cannot believe I am actually doing this mission." Shinya sighed. "After all, I am a…"
"No need to say it." Ishige stopped the young man from saying anymore. "And I understand where you are coming from Shinya, but if we did not do this, we might put ourselves in a whole lot of trouble with the King."
Shinya sighed.
Just then, he caught sight of something. A silhouette moving along the eastern wall. He immediately reported this to his father and Lord Ishige and the three of them, leaving their companions behind, immediately rushed to the scene.
When they arrived at the room where they saw the silhouette enter, they were surprised to meet an old man sitting on top a large boulder.
The old man seemed not to have notice the three men who had entered into the darkened room as he continued to puff on his pipe.
Wondering at what on old man could possibly be doing in the ruins of an uncharted island which had previously been reported to be uninhabited, Hiroaki called out to the old man.
"You there, old man, what are you doing here?" He asked, his voice that of an officer.
"Should I not be the one asking that of you, Lord Hiroaki Kanbara?" the old man replied without turning to face them. "What brings you, Lord Ishige and your son as well as thirty of your men in this lone island?"
"H-how did you know who we are?" Shinya asked, taken aback with the old man. He then asked Flayhm, "Do you feel anything weird about him? Is he like a spirit or something?"
"No, he doesn't feel anything like that. I can't say for certain, but there is something about that old man…" Was the Spirit Guardian's reply.
"That doesn't matter much as to why you are all here." The old man replied. "If you are looking for something to connect the dots between your so-called Chosen Ones and to whatever your King wants, then you have come to the right place, however, I must insist that you leave at once."
"Sorry, old man, but we cannot do that." Hiroaki said. "But perhaps we will leave if you agree to come along with us and meet our King. You seem to know a lot about Chosen Ones."
"Oh, I know a lot alright. For starters, I know that you three hold that kind of power, but only one of you can access it." The old man said, his back still turned. "However, I cannot leave this place and I do not wish to either."
"How do you know about that?" Ishige asked, he was amazed at how the old man knew of their secret.
The old man did not reply as he only continued puffing smoke from his pipe. They could not see him clearly thanks to the darkness of the room.
"Shinya, why don't you light this place up so that we can get a better view of the old man?" Ishige whispered over to the young man.
Shinya nodded and within moments, the entire room was lit. The moment that the room brightened however was also the exact moment when the old man disappeared.
"Who was that old man?" Hiroaki asked the question that was on everyone's mind at that moment. However, their suspicions on who the old man was suddenly disappeared as they heard a voice echo through the room, which they have realized was far larger than they had first thought.
"You should not have done that young Shinya." Came the old man's voice.
"Where are you, old man?" Shinya called out.
"I am right here." Was the reply, albeit he did not show himself to them. "I will give you three one final chance. Decide now on whether you leave this place as it is or stick to your mission that the King has given you. Which will it be?"
"Why do we need to decide on something that is rather obvious?" Ishige asked. "We came here in search of knowledge regarding our kin, the price we will pay for returning without the knowledge of the Chosen Ones is far greater than you can comprehend, sir."
"Oh, but I think you are mistaken Lord Ishige Orimoto." The old man's voice continued to echo. "The price you will pay is beyond YOUR comprehension. You see, before you lies the Gates of Gaia. Perhaps you have heard of it, correct?"
Just as the old man's voice echoed through the air as he said 'Gates of Gaia' the sound of electricity flowing through the room erupted and for the first time, all three of them saw with much clarity a portal-like space floating in the middle of a round archway.
"The Gates of Gaia?" Shinya asked, oblivious to what was in front of him.
"The one from the ancient manuscript?" Hiroaki asked, dumfounded that he was face to face with what the King desired the most. "This is what the King is searching for."
"That can't be. The manuscript states that all ten powers must be present for it to be summoned… but the only power here is Shinya's." Ishige reminded him.
"The knowledge you all want lies beyond the portal, the portal that your beloved King has decided to get his hands on. However, you must know that by taking this portal you will be responsible for what happens to the world whose balance in it depends." The old man explained. "Chosen Ones were meant to keep that knowledge and to keep the balance, however, it seems that deep within your hearts there is something that you yearn for more than what was intended for you and your destinies."
"Why are you telling us and showing us this?" Ishige asked, suspicious all of the sudden. The old man was being contradictory to what he had earlier said about not giving them any information of what they were searching. Is it a trap? What is it that the old man intends for them to do? For them to decide?
"To make things interesting." Was the old man's answer which the young Captain did not buy. "The Dragon God of Darkness seems intent on showing you humans that which needs to be hidden, which is the Gates of Gaia. Now that the Gates of Gaia is in front of you, what will you do? Take the knowledge and the power that resides within it and destroy the balance or walk away and tell your King that what he wishes for cannot be attained."
"Hiroaki, I don't think we should proceed any further." Ishige whispered. "Something is definitely wrong here, and I am not just talking about the old man nor this so-called Gate."
"You worry too much, Ishige. The answer to all our problems lie before us. With the Gates of Gaia, we no longer need to fear the King. We can make sure that our families are both safe, and Kousei's sacrifice will not be in vain."
"That is besides the point, Hiroaki. This may be a trap set by the old man. We know nothing of the gate, there is no record of what it can accomplish in the manuscript or in what the King has told us. Who knows what danger awaits should we step anywhere near it." Ishige tried to reason with his friend. "I believe the old man is warning us but at the same time taunting us. It is not wise to not think this through and to act rashly on the matter."
"And you are being too careful on this, you are worrying over nothing. Even Shinya cannot detect any form of malice with his power." Hiroaki said, then he faced his son, "Am I right, Shinya?"
Shinya nodded. "There is nothing dangerous in here, or so my senses and Flayhm's senses says. Lord Ishige, I understand your reservation on the matter, but this is our chance to finally be free of the King. If he gets his hands on this now even without the Chosen Ones, then he will believe that he no longer needs them. "
"Still, we should think this through…" Ishige said but was cut off once again by the old man's voice.
"So, what will it be? What will you choose?"
Ishige stepped back. He had already made his decision to just walk away from the room and he had made this known to the old man, whoever that old man may be.
"What about you Lord Hiroaki and Lord Shinya? Which path will you take? One fraught with sorrow or one fraught with regret?"
"Walk away, Hiroaki." Ishige pleaded. "Just walk away, whatever promise the King has made you think not of it. I feel that this is beyond what we should be dealing with, beyond our comprehension."
"You still don't understand don't you, Ishige?" Hiroaki finally said in a monotonous voice as if he was being pulled by the splendor of the portal and the promise that had echoed in his mind – the promise that the King has made to those who would give him information on what he desired the most. "To King Seraphim, power is everything. Shinya and Takuya deserve a future where they need not fear if, on Shinya's case, his secret is revealed to the King and in Takuya's case, the safety of his brother. Do you not wish to free Izumi from the burden she may carry as your daughter? As one with the same blood of a Chosen One as you?"
"I would rather walk a path of sorrow than of regret." Shinya voiced out. "I don't want to continue living while hiding my true identity to those around me. Even on those times when my power could have saved a person's life but I was not allowed to use it. I want to be able to use my power when I want to."
"So, what will it be? Step forward should you wish not to turn back."
And so they did. They stepped forward.
"You have made, the wrong decision." Said the old man as he materialized before them. Separating the two Kanbaras from the Gates of Gaia. "You should know better than to sacrifice the world for the sake of a select few. For that, you only prove that you deserve not the power of a Chosen One nor the name and title that goes with it."
And with a blinding flash of light, the old man disappeared leaving a stunned Hiroaki and Shinya on a dark room. Just then, both suddenly fell to the ground writhing in pain as if their skin were being burned.
"Hiroaki! Shinya!" shouted Ishige, then just then, all around the ruins, pained screams could be heard. Screams of their subordinates as if they were feeling the same pain that the two Kanbaras were feeling. "What's going on?"
"Shinya, I don't like this…" Flayhm spoke, "I feel strange, as if I'm being sucked out of you… argh.."
"F-Flayhm…" Shinya could only breathe out the name of his Guardian Spirit. "What's happening? Why is this happening?"
"Darn it, hold on both of you." Ishige said as he tried his best to raise both of his companions up and drag them out of the room. The moment that they were out of the room, the ground began to shake and rumble. "Old man! Where are you! Show yourself?"
"Are you certain you wish to save their lives?" the old man's voice echoed once again this time in the crumbling hallway of the ruins. "This is what they have chosen, yet you are willing to risk your life for them?"
"They are my companions, my allies, my friends. I do not abandon my friends, old man." Ishige spoke as he continued to drag Shinya and Hiroaki out of the ruins. "What did you do to them and to my men?"
"I gave them what they deserve." The old man said as he showed himself once again to Ishige. "They have chosen the path of regret, whilst you the path of sorrow. That young Captain, your friend Hiroaki has chosen to continue being the dog of the King who has become but a shadow of his former self, a puppet of the Dragon God of Darkness and for that he will be cursed to continue following his master's voice, yielding to his every command. He will lose those that he care for the most, and he will learn to regret the decision he has made on this day. While that young man, Shinya Kanbara, would never attain which he so desperately desires. Like his father, he too will lose everything starting with his flesh and he will be but a spirit in need of a vessel."
"Why!?" Ishige could not believe what he was hearing. "Why must be punished like this? Would this also stretch to their family?"
"I have given them a choice, to turn from the beckoning of the Dark One or to follow him. They have chosen the later." The old man explained, sadness visible in his eyes. "I did not curse them, it is he who did, all is moving according to his plans, Ishige Orimoto. This will be but the start of a string of events that will bring down chaos to the world. I have tried to fight his plans, but apparently, human's earthly desires are strongly pulled by him."
"What are you talking about? Who is it that you speak of?"
"King Luca, however, you must not fret. For I promise hope to you, though at the same time despair for your friendship." The old man said. "Shinya's powers is no longer his but his brother's. You must not let that knowledge be known to his father no matter the cost. This place will vanish until the wheel once again turns and the chance for salvation arrives. Until then, be vigilant for the forces of King Luca."
"I-I don't understand, what do you mean, old man?"
"You will learn of it when the time comes."
And with that the old man vanished, never to be seen again.
"I fear that something had happened to Shinya." Lord Kouta said, ready to break the news to the female Kanbara.
"What do you mean, Lord Kouta? How would you know of such a thing?" she asked.
"The Kanbara bloodline is one of the bloodlines whose power as a Chosen One is given to the first born. Should the first born perish, it will be transferred to the next child in the family so long as the next child has yet to bear his own child." Lord Kouta began to explain his findings over the years. "That was the reason, as I have come to know, why Ishige and Hiroaki, as well as myself, have lost our powers once we had children of our own."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because, the mark of a Chosen One has appeared on Takuya's back. That mark could only mean one thing, that Takuya had earned his power as a Chosen One of Flame which also means that…"
"T-that can't be!" She said trying to fight back tears. "Shinya cannot die in an expedition. There must be some mistake. Perhaps you are wrong with your findings, Lord Kouta."
"I wish that was so, but…" Lord Kouta said.
"Please…"
Lord Kouta could not help but hold his tongue. The look of a grieving mother was enough to only allow him to mutter a small 'I am sorry' before leaving and checking up on Takuya one final time. It was then that he saw the marking on Takuya's back glowing a faint orange glow, proof that he had indeed inherited his brother's power.
His eyes showed no emotion as he watched his son's body slowly being eaten away by fire. They were back at the ship, in Shinya's cabin. Shinya was still unconscious and his flesh was slowly being consumed by blue flames. Ishige noted that it was as the old man had said.
"Which would also mean that Hiroaki is no longer himself… that he had succumbed to the darkness that was beckoning us all." He thought.
"How could this have happened?" Hiroaki asked in a lifeless manner. "My son…"
"Hiroaki, there is nothing we can do about it now." Ishige said, picking his words carefully. He has no idea what this 'new' Hiroaki would do.
"What am I to say to his mother and to his brother?"
"The truth of what happened."
"There is no way that I can say that it was because of what we have both decided. That old man tricked us. That has to be it!"
"Hiroaki! Snap out of it!" Ishige shouted. "It is not the old man's fault. You were… you were blinded by some other force."
"Perhaps that is easy for you to say since you were saved by your being too careful about everything!" Hiroaki shouted back. "I think you planned this… perhaps you have heard of what the King had offered me… perhaps you were jealous and wanted to get rid of us both."
"You're being delusional, Hiroaki." Ishige retorted. "If I had planned on this happening, I would have left you in that ruins while it was collapsing. You are my friend, Hiroaki and I could never betray you."
"Enough!" Hiroaki said. "Leave us be."
"Hiroaki…"
"I said go!"
The moment that Ishige had left, Hiroaki heard a strange voice which instructed him to chant words of which he knew not the meaning of. When he did, Shinya disappeared and in his stead was a knight in dark armor.
"That should keep your son alive for a while longer, a payment if you will for choosing to side with me." Said a voice out of the air. "Keep working for me and I will revive your son…"
That was all Hiroaki needed to hear for him to agree. He was certain of it, it was the voice of his King… and a voice that holds a promise that he would do anything to be fulfilled.
A day has passed since Takuya inherited his brother's power. At that very morning, Lord Kouta Kimura returned to the Kanbara residence and told her what he had learned from Ishige via the use of the Messenger Bird.
"So what you were telling me yesterday was true…" She said, the happiness and life was drained out of her voice. "Shinya is really gone…"
Kouta nodded. "I am sorry. It appears that Hiroaki is even more determined to get his hands on the Chosen Ones as well. According to Ishige, he had already fought with Hiroaki regarding handing over his daughter to the King. Which is the reason why he had asked me to send her off to a different city, far away from Hiroaki and to ensure that she remembers nothing of her powers. To start anew as Ishige said."
"Why are you telling me Ishige's plan when Hiroaki is my husband?" She asked.
"Because, he had also asked me to hide Takuya away and do the same to him that I would do to Izumi." Kouta explained. "I am here to ask you permission to send him to a safer place until the time that he himself can hide his ability."
"Are you saying that Hiroaki would hand Takuya over to the King when he learns of Shinya's powers transferring to him?" She asked. "But Takuya is also his son!"
"The man you once knew as Hiroaki Kanbara apparently no longer exists. I fear troubling times have finally arrived at the Kingdom. I am sorry, but for the sake of Takuya and your safety, I have to seal his memory as well and modify it. So that he will never remember living in Shore nor that his mother is still alive. That he will not remember that he had a brother. Nor of anything that had happened. That is, until the time that he himself is able to unseal his memories."
She thought for a while. If what Lord Kouta was saying is true, then Takuya's life was in peril and so was her life, and the lives of every single person who knows of Chosen Ones. She had no choice but to concede and allow Lord Kouta to do what was necessary.
"I will agree on one condition. That you will allow me to tell Takuya everything , so that when the time comes that he does remember, he will know what I have told him." She said, and this Lord Kouta agreed to.
Soon afterwards, Takuya's memory was sealed once more and he was sent to Harim, where Lord Kouta instructed the elders to give him false information whenever he asks of the marking on his back or of his family.
"But tell him the truth of his father," he had said. "Find a way to hide that mark and when you manage to do so, I will inform Hiroaki that his son is in Harim so that he will allow young Takuya to train in the Knight Academy with my grandson."
And the elders of Harim agreed.
In the Organization secret base…
"You seem to be lost in thought yet again, Yuriko…" Lord Kouta Kimura said as he entered the Leader's room and saw her standing by the window, her auburn hair being blown by the wind and her eyes held the look of sadness in them.
Yuriko was surprised to hear the General's voice. "Oh, Lord Kouta, you surprised me. I did not hear you come in."
"I am sorry for surprising you, but may I ask what it was you were thinking about? Perhaps this old man and old friend can help ease your thoughts."
Yuriko smiled. "Thank you, Lord Kouta. You have always been there for me and my family ever since I could remember."
"Of course, our families seem to have quite a bit in common, don't you agree?" Lord Kouta said with a smile. "Now, what is it that has been bothering you?"
"I was just thinking, remembering that day when it all changed." She replied. "Did we really do the right thing in sealing Takuya and Izumi's memories as well as your grandson's memories, Lord Kouta? I cannot help but think that nothing really changed… Hiroaki and the King still managed to end up victorious. We are all still fighting and this whole thing had exploded to more than we can handle."
The General listened as a good friend would and said. "We have changed what we can. Your son and the rest of the Chosen Ones are still alive, although we do not know where he and Izumi are at the moment, but that is still a big change, a big difference should we have failed to do what we did. However, what I would like to know is how Hiroaki learned that Takuya had the power of a Chosen One. None of us told him that and the elders certainly did not."
"Then perhaps one of the Chosen Ones did." Yuriko Kanbara guessed.
"Well, I suppose we could ask Hiroaki at the final battle." General Kimura said. "Tell me, Yuriko. Are you going to tell Takuya the truth of his mother? When we sealed his memories you asked me to completely erase his memory of you being alive and to make sure that even though he had broken the seal that he would still not remember you, why is that?"
"I have felt, at that time and even now, that it would protect us both." Yuriko replied. "It would only pain me to see how much Hiroaki had transformed and I fear to know what he would do once he learns that I am still alive."
"But he will learn eventually, both your husband and your son will certainly know." The old general said. "You will have a hard time explaining it to them, especially to Takuya."
"Then perhaps I could be of assistance when that day comes." Ishige Orimoto joined in.
"Are you sure about that, Ishige?" Lord Kouta asked.
Ishige Orimoto nodded. "Yes, it is, after all, partly my fault."
To be Continued…
Post Author's Note:
Well, this certainly is much longer than any of my uploaded chapters. I would have broken these chapter into two, but decided not to do it.
Anyhow, a little bit explanation is necessary since this is quite long and may be confusing to some, so here it goes.
This whole chapter starts as a flash back on what happened years ago and explains how things ended the way they were. Hiroaki and Ishige had been friends for so long and were both Captains before they fought. Though it was not explained at the main story above, Hiroaki earned the tile Commander upon his return to the Castle while Ishige earned his on merit.
Takuya was not originally a Chosen One. He got his powers off from Shinya when Shinya was 'cursed' as mentioned. Of all the Chosen Ones, Takuya is an original one (this is an AU fic, after all, so I decided to do that).
When Takuya was sent to Harim as a precaution, his memories were sealed and modified. He never knew that Yuriko was his mother. However, at this point however, Takuya had already moved from Harim to Shore, but he was sent back to Harim to hide him from his father momentarily while the elders find a way to hide his identity as a Chosen One from Hiroaki.
Also, the scene where Lord Kouta Kimura saw the mark on Takuya's back was the exact same time that Shinya was being eaten by the Blue Flames.
Izumi never lived in Shore, though. Just to clarify that. Also, if you guys haven't guessed the mansion of the Organization is also the same house that the Kanbara family used to live in.
Another thing, I have already let it out. Yuriko (aka the Organization's Leader) is Takuya and Shinya's mother. I think it was already apparent at the start of this chapter but I absolutely sealed it in on the last part.
The old man here is Valthoria (aka Daichi) as well, and this chapter (minus the Yuriko-Ishige-Kouta conversation) is basically the explanation that Daichi gave to Takuya and Izumi, more on this on the next chapter of course when we get back on our heroes.
Now, if you guys are still confused or have some questions or clarifications, you can ask that and I will answer your query (except if they are still to be answered on the succeeding chapters) on the next update. Just click on the review button and send me a note and I'll get back on you on that.
Well, there are still some missing pieces here and there, which would be answered to on the following chapters. So until then, this is a very tired Sakura Martinez saying "PEACE" and signing out!
Until next time!
Take Care, Everyone!
End of Post Author's Notes