Children of the Cosmos

Chapter Two

Lucrezia watched her young son frolic in her gardens. The babe, whom she had loved dearly with all her heart, was growing into a fine young boy. However, there was something oddly different about him: the boy could shape shift into whatever animal he fancied and would often times exhibit inhuman strength, something her husband had delightfully termed as "bestial wrath." At first she was terrified by her son's powers but after consulting with a Priest from Elarian, a high order of people who were considered decedents of the First Children of Gaia, assured her that as long as the child remained pure of heart, he would be alright.

Lucrezia knew the sweet nature of her child and embraced his odd strengths with an open heart, knowing that he would make her proud.

As the years passed, Duo grew into a fine young man. He received the highest education possible, was very mannerly, and hardly ever got into trouble. Well he never hurt anyone but he was always playing pranks not only on his parents but members of their staff and guards as well. Yet no matter how many distractions there were during all their courtly affairs, Duo was almost always looking towards the sky. Milliardo and Lucrezia indulged into his hobby and asked for engineers from the Land of Zin to make telescopes for Duo, and Duo in turn would design his own for them to make. It never ceased to amaze Lucrezia at her son's ability to map out the sky and remember which constellations would be visible during the time and season.

One day, at the age of eight, Duo sat in the observatory with his closet friend and cousin, Quatre. The two boys had spent many hours that day learning archery and swordplay from their castellan before they were ushered off to their tutor to continue with their lessons in arithmetic and history. Now the two young boys were enjoying their leisure time during the twilight hours before their nanny sent them to bed.

Duo sat casually spinning around in his chair, his telescope zooming all across the sky until it locked upon the star of Terra. Duo watched as the blue star came into view, its blue rays lighting up the violet sky. The star had just appeared a few weeks ago and its sudden appearance was fascinating to Duo.

Quatre whistled, "You were right, Duo, it is beautiful. I'm glad you showed me." Duo merely nodded. Quatre was rather surprised at the silent-ness of his cousin. Normally he was threatening to sew the other boy's mouth shut but for once Duo was quiet.

All of a sudden the Earth began to rumble and from the Mountains of Vox, a bright light shot from it. Their heads turned to see the distant hills light up in a spectacular display as a large beam of light shot from the mountains and into the heavens.

"What was that?" Quatre asked releasing his grip from the chair he had grabbed ahold of.

Duo shrugged, "No idea. Father says a bunch of exiled sorcerers were to have lived in those mountains, maybe it was them." Duo sat back down in his chair and aimed his telescope back towards the sky, "The star's gone!"

Scyren was rather disappointed: in the last eight years he had only been able to recover three fragments of his scattered soul and had failed to find the Lightspur. His mortality wand his powers were diminishing fast; he could feel the fatigue settling in.

A storm raged on outside as Scyren sat in an inn in the rundown city of Fuu, nursing his ale. He was enjoying the quiet that was until a stranger approached him. The man, robed in dark layers that billowed around him, presented his hand towards the Sani. Upon the stranger's bony finger laid a ruby in a bronze setting. Looking closer Scyren could see that upon the stone a map was etched of the Cosmos. "I know who you are," the man spoke in a raspy voice that came out almost in a hiss, "Sani."

Scyren's hand reached down towards the hilt of the Sword of Luna, "What do you want?" His voice was low and the tone showed no desire to deal with this man.

"I know what you search for," the man sat down across from Scyren and waved the barmaid to bring him an ale. "We too, search for the Lightspur."

"And what would you do with it?" Scyren inquired.

The man grinned from beneath his hood, "That is our business."

Scyren glared daggers at the man as the barmaid presented drinks to them. After a few swigs from his glass the man continued, "You are weakening. We, in the Surion, are willing to help you that is if you agree to help us."

"Why should I?" Scyren's dark bangs fell in front of his blue eyes, the eerie glow from the Sani sent chills down the stranger's spine.

"We want to harvest the power of the Cosmos, and we believe the way to do that is with the Sword of Luna, one that I can currently see is in your possession."

Scyren's hand snapped shut upon the hilt of the sword, weary as to what this strange man might do. The man continued, "We can extend your life here, where you won't have to give up your immortality, and you won't have to return to your father as a shammed man." Scyren's ears twitched at these words. "The Sword of Luna has the ability to traverse between the plains. It has the ability to give those that wield it extraordinary powers. If you can share that with us, we in turn will help you find the Lightspur. We also know where the last piece of your soul is."

Scyren laughed, yet those in the bar cared not to notice, "You know where the last fragment is? How is it that you mortals know of the power of the Cosmos?"

Stroking the ring on his finger the man merely continued, "Surion has been watching the Cosmos for a long time, for he too fell, many years ago. We need you Scyren. We need you to return our leader to his former glory. We need a new Star to do it though. With you, we can use the Sword of Luna to bring a new Star to Gaia. Surion is willing share his strength with you, as long as you help.

"We have tracked your last fragment and know who it has been born into. They are still weak and the powers inside of them are growing stronger every day. Soon that fragment will not be able to return to you if the child remains pure of heart."

"This fragment's life could interrupt the Cosmos and the New Order," Scyren stated, "My father, the West Star, is sealed for his punishment for destroying the child of the South and North and sending the Lightspur here."

"We have heard such news." The stranger finished his ale and waved for more. "That is why we come to you. For our leader Surion, is known to you as Aelius." Scyren's eyes widened at the recognition of the name.

And so Scyren joined the Surion Organization. Soon after his recruitment into the Organization, they were able to reap the power of the Sword of Luna and use it to knock a new Star from the Heavens.

Those in the Cosmos have two bodies, those you can see when you look towards the sky on a clear night, and the other would remind you of Gods sitting upon their clouds. It was here that Luna was, lying in her birthing bed struggling to bring the Suni into the universe as the other members of the Cosmos celebrated the time of the Harvest Moon, which signified the start and end of a season. Many of the others bustled about the place, their footsteps creating music upon the marble floors.

Luna had hardened herself towards the others in the Cosmos after she had been deceived by Ambrose a second time. In an attempt to restore what little control over the Order she could, she broke tradition and asked The Great Star of All to give her another child.

However, this child was proving to be a struggle and she knew that something bad was going to happen during his birth.

And she was right. As she held her new babe in her arms a few later she felt the halls around her begin to tremble. She looked down at her babe to see his cobalt eyes shining brightly at her. She felt his Cosmic energy beginning to fade away. Throwing her legs out of bed she ran to the Western Hall that overlooked the planet Gaia. A dark energy was coming barraging itself against her new child's planet. She had to do something and she had to think of something quick!

"Gaia!" She called to her sister, the one that she was sworn to protect and watch over. "Hear my plea and save my child." She whispered the last part as she kissed her son's forehead. This was her only hope, her only chance to save the new baby. She would have to hope he could take a mortal form in time to save himself. With one last long look at her baby, she pulled the remnants of his Life Light out of his small body and tossed it to Earth. She could feel the others in the Cosmos were fast approaching as they could feel too what was happening. Luna broke into heart wrenching sobs as her child faded into stardust in her arms.

She could only hope that her baby's Life Light could make it to Earth in time.