World of Advent Chapter 11
Author's Note: Here we are, chapter eleven. It's been a while, but I think it's time to set aside the hiatus. I will make a deal with you, fans of this story. For every five well thought reviews (ie not "Cool story bro") I will crank out a new chapter. I am in college now, and have many other pressures from life, so updating can be a little difficult without your support. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to everyone who reviewed these past two weeks. Your words have been inspiring- it's also nice to hear that this story is in fact appreciated.
Light tossed and turned for what must have been the sixty-seventh time that night. Not that he was counting, of course. The sky outside was clear and tranquil, an exact contrast to how he felt right now. Ever since they were old enough to tell how corrupt the world really was, the three of them had stuck together, had watched each other's' backs. Then, one day, she left. The girl that meant everything to Chaos, the one who he had learned to think of as a sister. It had shaken up everything Light had believed in.
On one hand, they had sworn to protect the world as best they could, but on the other…
"It's okay," the girl said. "We're your family now."
They had sworn to stick together. They were, for a time, a family. And families stuck together, whenever possible. But she left. And now, not for the first time, Light began to doubt his convictions. Was the world really worth their capability for happiness?
Light turned over to his side again. Sixty-eight, he thought absentmindedly. Outside, the moon cast soothing light into their room as Light sat at the edge of his bed. Yes, she had left them. But it didn't mean that she was always right. Strong willed and stubborn, Light's makeshift sister had always been the paragon of strength to Light. Whenever the group was down, whenever they felt like they weren't making a difference, she was always there to cheer them up. Whenever they stayed from the path, she set them straight. They were close, Light remembered. But not as close as Chaos was to her, he recalled. They were inseparable. Or so he thought.
One day, she was there, Light thought back. We were a family. We were… happy. Happy. What a strange feeling, Light reminisced. When was the last time he felt truly happy?
Ah, but that was the thing. He could remember. Just last evening, with Mist. Never had Light been so happy to spray the walls of Mo's Mocha with spaghetti sauce then with that girl- Leviathan's daughter. Light clutched his head. Why did things have to be so complicated?
On one hand, he could be happy again. Maybe, just maybe, he could have a family again. The thought was inconceivably appealing to him, he admitted. But what about Chaos? Surely it was his duty as an Advent- no, as a friend, to stick with him to make the world they had been born in a better place.
But, as Cara had told them, sometimes it wasn't the world that needed saving. Light closed his eyes, finally able to appreciate what she meant. They had given everything so that the world could continue spinning without major incident.
'And for what?' the small voice in the back of his head replied. We gave up everything- Chaos, his lover and myself, my family. All for a world that hated them the moment they had been born. Would it not be better to find some small corner and keep it pure? The people of Area Zero were so friendly, so free of the prejudice that warped the lands of Arcadia and its surrounding colonies.
Light sighed heavily. That was impossible, of course. No place, no matter how small could resist the entirety of the world forever. Sooner or later that hatred would come for them. It was for that reason that they fought so hard to ensure that Kai and Crux didn't have their way.
Moonlight flicked against the walls as a cloud blew by overhead. Its peaceful glow lit up the walls and the sleepless Advent now standing next to them. Light pulled over his shirt and a coat as he passed the threshold of his cabin. A walk was in order, Light decided.
As he made his way to the plaza, however, he couldn't help but notice that he wasn't alone. A girl with blue hair wearing a matching kimono was looking up at the sky. Light's heart gave a surprising lurch as he realized who it was.
"Couldn't sleep either?" Mist asked. "I always get restless at nights like these."
"Yeah," Light said casually. "You'd think it would be relaxing, wouldn't you?"
"It's strange," Mist agreed. "I don't know why it isn't."
Light took a seat beside the girl on the bench she was perched on. "I guess I'm reminded of my childhood. My earliest memory was a night like this one."
"Oh?" Mist asked. "Shouldn't that be a comforting one, then?"
"Not really," Light admitted. "I was one of the test subjects from Umbra all those years back. The night he decided to write us all off was a clear night like this. All I can remember was looking up at the sky for the first time while we were all shouting, trying to get clear of the fire."
Mist looked shocked. "Oh… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"It's fine, it's fine," Light said. "Perhaps I said too much. Maybe it's a good memory after all. We were free that night. Many of us lost our lives when Umbra tried to cover up the evidence, but we couldn't help but stare at the night sky. Imagine, to our surprise when we saw stars for the first time. Real stars. It was almost like seeing the world for the first time."
"What about the others?"
"I never gave them any thought," Light admitted. "Once we were free, Umbra's lackeys started shooting. For whatever reason, Umbra pulled the plug on his own work. When I heard the first shots, I started running. I never stopped until I realized how far I had gone."
Light gave an awkward laugh. "Normally I don't talk about this kind of stuff to someone I just met. Sorry about that."
"Don't worry," Mist said. "We all have something we need to talk about every once and a while."
"So what about you?" Light inquired. "Have any deep, dark secrets hidden in a closet somewhere?"
Mist shook her head. "If I did, the rest of the world would make it their business to know about it. Ever since I was young, the reporters would swarm over us. Nothing was personal. I remember one day when a reporter snuck past security just to get a picture of the Royal Advents sleeping."
"That sounds… rather creepy," Light said. "I guess being a Royal Advent really isn't all what it's cracked up to be."
"Not really," Mist said with a humorless laugh. "Tell me about your family," Mist said. "You mentioned you have two brothers. What are they like? All I have is three annoying cousins."
"Well," Light said, leaning into the bench. "They're both smart, but can be pretty stupid sometimes. My youngest brother seems to think he's immortal and the other one is so obstinate he can't see what's plainly obvious half the time. But they're family, so it's my job to look after them."
"I see," Mist said. "That sounds like my cousins. Except Flare really isn't that smart. He's more of a musclehead if you ask me."
"He's Fefnir's son, right? The hothead?"
"Exactly," Mist said. "Hothead is right. He can't go through any situation without thinking with his fists first. At least Venti and Specter had half a brain, when they were still around."
"That must be pretty tough," Light sympathized. "Having two of your cousins suddenly disappear like that."
"It wasn't so sudden," Mist said quietly. "Venti said she was going to leave for a long time. We just never believed her. She and her father don't get along very well, you know."
"I wonder what that's like," Light said, "to have a parent and not get along very well with them. What's your father like?"
Mist looked down, crestfallen all of a sudden. "He left when I was born. His sister died giving birth to me- female reploids can't bear children themselves after all. Mom's all I have."
"He must be a fool then, to leave someone like you," Light said.
Mist gave him a small smile. "Thanks."
The two shared a moment of comfortable silence. Light wondered what was wrong with him. Here he was, spilling his life story with a girl he just met! And weirdest of all, it felt natural, almost as if he had known her for a long time.
"So what about you?" Mist asked.
"Hm? What about me?"
"Your parents," Mist elaborated. "What are they like?"
"I don't really know," Light said. "More than anything, I want to be with them, to be part of the family, but I guess it's too late for that now."
"Of course not," Mist reprimanded Light. "Never think like that. Just because your mother hasn't seen you in a while doesn't mean she doesn't still love you."
"Hey Mist," Light asked. "What's it like? To have a mother?"
"Well," she said. "Leviathan's pretty distant most of the time, and she's usually really busy with work, but whenever I really need her, she's there for me. I'm sure yours would be too," she said. "After all, she spent five years looking for you."
"What are you talking about," Light feigned ignorance. "Five years? Who?"
Mist scoffed but then gave him a gentler look. "Listen," she said, "I don't know what reason you have for hiding that the son of Ciel and Zero is alive, but no one can keep a secret like that forever."
Light cursed inwardly. There went years of undercover work, all toppled by a midnight conversation with a pretty face. "How'd you guess?"
"Well," Mist said, "It's pretty obvious. There's your fighting style for one, your look, your oversol; even your name gives it away."
"There are plenty of 'Light's running around Light said cautiously. "What makes you think I'm the one?"
"Most don't have two other brothers," she said, "and most don't have that oversol of yours. You look just like Zero when you have it on."
Light sighed exasperatedly. Well, that was one way to ruin one's secrecy. It was only a matter of time before his mother sent the entire might of the Resistance's recon force after him. "I know it's a lot to ask," he said, "but can you keep that a secret? I can't expect you to know why, but they can't know just yet."
Mist looked up at the sky, apparently in deep thought. "Very well," she said. "But on one condition."
"What?" Light asked.
"You tell her yourself. I don't expect you to do it today, but soon. Okay?"
Light shrugged. "I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
Mist shrugged as well. "It's better than nothing." She leaned in closer. "Can you keep a secret as well?"
Light was about to ask what it was, when Mist kissed him on the cheek. She jerked away, blushing madly.
"Can you stay?" she asked. "I've never really felt like this with a boy before…"
"I guess I can manage," Light said. The two shared an awkward silence, as they looked up at the stars- anywhere but each other. "Beautiful," Light said. "The stars I mean. Not that you aren't, because you are. Pretty. Very. I should shut up now, shouldn't I?"
Mist laughed, a soft reserved one, but one that seemed infectious to Light nonetheless. She pointed towards the sky, specifically towards a small cluster of stars. "That's Aries," she said. "I had to take astronomy when I was home schooled."
Light leaned in closer to see where she was pointing. Guiding her hand now, he pointed to another group. "That's Orion. I may have looked into a little astronomy myself."
Mist nodded, pointing to yet another group of stars. "Over there, that's..."
The two talked like this for quite some time until they at last fell asleep.
When the morning came, the sun rose, making Light open his eyes. Much to his surprise, Mist's head was across his shoulder, still sound asleep. And in front of them, casting a large shadow, Chaos.
"Having fun, are we?" Chaos spat.
Light frowned as he gently woke Mist up.
"What is it," she yawned.
"Meet me in the forest," Chaos said. "I'll be waiting."
Mist leapt to her feet in order to escape the compromising position they found themselves in. "Who was that?"
"My friend," Light said shortly. "It seems he and I need a good old heart to heart."
"Okay," Mist said. "Just don't do anything rash."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Light said, images of the two blowing over half the forest racing through his mind.
Light made his way to a clearing in the forest, where he saw Chaos at its center, almost fully in oversol.
"What are you doing," Light asked him. "Using full oversol like that."
"We haven't sparred in a while," Chaos said. "Let's change that."
"What are you, crazy?" Light asked. "In full oversol?"
"It's simple," Chaos said. "If you win, you stay here with the girl. If I win, we continue what we're supposed to be doing. And not getting sidetracked by one stupid girl!"
"She has a name," Light snarled. "And what we were doing is none of your business." Soon, Light was unable to stop the blood red sheen of his oversol spreading across his entire body.
Chaos wasted no time getting into the fight, sending massive walls of violet energy Light's direction, which the latter barely avoided.
"Sanctum left," Chaos roared." She LEFT for this wretched world. And you want to just ABANDON IT?"
"So that's it," Light told his friend. "You're jealous."
The fight seemed to go out of his friend's eyes, his oversol receding. In a broken whisper, Chaos said "Why did she leave me?" Chaos let down his arms, chaotic energy wavering.
"I can't answer that," Light said quietly. "I don't know why she left. But I've found my place. It's here, in Area Zero. With Mist. Maybe it's time you found where you belong now."
Chaos said nothing, just walked towards the black shadows of the trees behind them.
There was no answer. As darkness enclosed the back of his old friend, Light wondered if there ever would be.