…
Ikuto wasn't sure where he was exactly.
The last thing he remembered was falling asleep by the still unconscious Amu's bedside and waking up in this…cave. It certainly looked like a cave, but it was eerie enough to be mistaken for a cemetery.
The twenty-year-old glanced around cautiously, his sapphire eyes landing on an unpleasant-looking mud puddle the size of a lake. It took the prince a few moments to realize that it was a lake he was staring at. It was filthy and polluted lake, but a lake nonetheless.
Feeling oddly drawn to it, Ikuto slowly approached the lake. He stared into the opaque water and was startled to see his reflection in it. Was it possible to see his reflection in mud, he wondered, baffled.
"It's sad, isn't it?"
Ikuto, not used to having others sneak up on him, nearly jumped out of his skin. Being startled was not pleasant and he made a note to be more courteous of others with his cat-like presence, as well as a note to apologize to all the maids he had spooked as a child.
Pushing those thoughts aside, the prince turned around and came face-to-face with a beautiful young woman. Her deep, chocolate-colored ringlets reached the floor and Ikuto vaguely wondered it was like to maintain such long hair. However, it was her eyes that caught his attention; they were a deep sapphire blue, exactly the same shade as his and his father's eyes.
"Who are you?" Ikuto demanded after realizing he was staring and that the woman had not spoken since her question to him quite a few minutes ago. "And where am I?"
"Who am I?" The woman repeated. "That's a question I haven't had to answer in centuries…quite literally. I am much older than I look, darling, but that's for later. You are in what we old-timey spirits call the Cave of Destiny. It's not only pathetically unoriginal, but also dampens the mood quite a bit, doesn't it?" A rather playful smile crossed her lips. "Say, darling, care to find out your destiny? Know the secrets of the universe? Want to know what your sweetheart's thoughts about you are?"
"No, what I want is to know who you are and why I'm in this 'Cave of Destiny', as you put it," replied Ikuto, irritated. Although that last question did seem appealing…
"Are you sure? I can show you such wondrous things…" The woman sang.
"Oh, stop playing with the boy," came another voice.
Ikuto couldn't help but be surprised when a woman appeared out of thin air next to the first. She looked like a young girl with her fair hair and skin, but gave off the impression of being much older.
The first woman pouted. "Oh, Willow, you're no fun. There's no need to be so serious."
The newcomer, Willow, had a grave expression. "Opal, we are running out of time and you know it. We can't waste anymore time fooling around. I've done my job; now you do yours."
Opal's playful smile dropped and she nodded.
Willow turned to Ikuto, who had been stunned into silence, and she stared at him hard for several moments. Finally, she said, "You take care of her, you got it? She's had enough tragedy as it is." And then she was gone.
Ikuto, confused, turned to other mysterious woman for an explanation though he did not receive one. Opal no longer looked as jubilant as she did before. The two stood in silence for several moments, unsure of what to say.
Eventually, Opal took a deep breath. "As I'm sure you've figured out by now, my name is Opal; the surname is irrelevant. Who I am exactly is also irrelevant for the moment; just let it be known that I am trustworthy. You are here because there is a dangerous threat approaching your kingdom; you cannot defeat this threat without knowing certain things."
She gestured towards the lake. "And I am here to teach you those things. This lake right here used to be so beautiful; it's connected to time itself, you see. If the future is clear, the lake is restored to its former beauty. However, when a new danger approaches and throws off the balance of time…the future becomes unclear and the lake takes on this form."
Ikuto raised an eyebrow. "And what does the lake have to do with me learning this new material necessary to defend my kingdom?"
Opal flicked her wrist and the lake became crystal clear.
"I believe I said that it is connected to time itself, young Ikuto," she said, looking ruefully over at the now beautiful lake. "The future may be unclear for now, but that does not mean the past has been rewritten. Let me show you of a simpler time, though it's not exactly simple either."
"What?" Ikuto asked, perplexed, only to shut up once an image appeared in the water.
…
"Scram, get lost!" A man shouted, chasing off several handsome young men from his cottage. When they were gone from his sight, he sighed and felt his wife appear by his side.
"Darling, you can't keep scaring them off," she said, resting her head on his shoulder as she let out a slightly exasperated sigh. "Our daughter is nineteen; girls her age are already married and have bore children."
The man, a handsome young man with long blonde hair and dark brown eyes, frowned.
"That is because their fathers were foolish, marrying their kin off to some untrustworthy man - at a young age too!" He exclaimed.
His wife rolled her eyes. "You are being ridiculous, my dear dragon. We were already married at nineteen as well, weren't we? Are you calling my father foolish?"
"What? Of course not!" Her husband sputtered, realizing he had dug himself into a hole.
Just then, a young woman approached the cottage, a spring in her step. A large smile was on her face, her dark brown tresses dancing in the breeze.
"Hello, Mother," she greeted cheerfully as she stopped in front of the couple, quite obviously her parents. "And Father, scare off any more suitors?" She added, her tone changing to a rather bitter one. "You do not even have enough modesty to look ashamed, do you? Is it your wish for me to remain alone and bitter all my life, hm, Father?"
The couple's daughter huffed and brushed past her parents, into the house without saying another word.
"Does she not understand I am only trying to protect her?" The man asked, staring after her.
"Darling, she knows," assured his wife. "But that does not mean her feelings are not justified; every father is protective of his daughter and wishes her to remain his little girl forever, but that can never happen. My dragon, she is an adult; you cannot keep treating her like a child. If you will not select a suitor for her, then at least give her the power to choose who she wishes to spend the rest of her life with."
Her husband pretended to think about the situation like that.
"I still say no," he said, frowning. "She is too young."
His wife huffed, frustrated. "And you are too old!" She poked him in the chest, standing on her toes so they were face-to-face. "You are stuck in old traditions and although you believe that you are protecting her, you are the one hurting her! You will always love her, that is not a concern, but she will grow to resent you if you continue to treat her in this manner! You need to stop and think!"
The woman pulled away, sighing. "Now, I should go and prepare supper. You can come back into the house when you are less annoying."
She turned and slammed the door in her husband's face, ignoring his flabbergasted expression.
…
"I don't understand," said Ikuto. "What was the point in showing me this?"
Opal froze the image. "To fix the future, you must learn from the past. These people are related to your future and the impending doomsday. This man, the one who has chased away his daughter's suitors, goes by the name of Drakon – which means dragon in Yuninian, the language of the people in Yuno."
"Drakon?" Ikuto repeated. "It sounds familiar."
"Hm," said Opal. "He ran from the kingdom of Yuno because of his abusive older brother, who raised him after their parents' deaths. He ran to a nearby kingdom and was found by a little girl, who ended up being his wife. Her name is Helia. They had a daughter together after many failed attempts at having a child. To them, their daughter was a miracle." She paused. "Her name is Lily, but she was more likely to respond to her middle name – Opal."
Ikuto raised an eyebrow. "You?"
Opal nodded, her tone solemn. "Yes, that is me there you see in the water. I was never a grateful child, nor was I particularly kind towards my father, but I did love my parents dearly. I wish I could tell them that now, but this is not about me…well, not entirely at least. Shall we continue?"
She flicked her wrist and the image in the water changed.
…
Opal peered out her bedroom door, straining to hear her parents' even breathing from their room. Sensing they were in a deep slumber, the young woman crept out of her room, grabbed her cloak, and left her home.
She strolled through the empty village until she came to a large cottage that was decorated quite flamboyantly.
Looking around her cautiously, Opal gently tapped on the wooden door. A moment later, it creaked open and a handsome young man stepped out. Without saying a word, he grabbed her hand and quickly led her out to a clearing some distance away from the village.
When they arrived at the clearing, the young man swept Opal into his arms and kissed her quite passionately. The young couple smiled at each other as they broke apart, though they did not leave each other's embraces.
"Lily," he said breathlessly. "How I've missed you."
"I've missed you too," replied Opal, smiling sweetly as she placed light kisses all over her lover's face. "How can I not miss somebody I love ever so much?"
…
The lake suddenly became filthy and muddy again.
Startled, Ikuto turned to Opal with confusion.
The young woman looked stricken with grief as she lowered her hand.
"I forgot how painful it is…living and feeling emotions," she said softly, wiping her eyes as she forced a smile. "I'm already dead; I shouldn't be crying, you know? Man, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Do you mind if I just tell you what happened, rather than being forced to live it all over again?"
Ikuto figured there was no harm in it so he shook his head. Opal looked greatly relieved.
"That man…he was one of my suitors. My father thought he chased him off but he really didn't. He pursued me and we fell in love, meeting only in secret. We were young and foolish; we went off to get married one day with my mother as a witness. I was so stupid; I decided I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him."
Opal chuckled darkly.
"I told my mother my plans and made an excuse to my father about going on a trip with some friends to the mountains. My husband and I left right away. Soon enough, I became pregnant. I was overjoyed. However, my husband did not feel the same. He shouted that he was too young to be a father, he did not sign up for this sort of commitment, and ran off. I was left bearing a child without a husband. I was left heartbroken."
Opal smiled grimly. "What a fool I was…"
"And then?" Ikuto prompted.
Opal glanced over at him. "Right. Well, I was left in the care of some lovely women in a nearby village. When I gave birth to a beautiful girl, I became terrified. I could not raise a child on my own and my father would kill me for being so idiotic. So as I travelled back home in a carriage with my newborn, I came across a young man and begged him to take care of her for me. It's stupid I know, leaving my newborn with a stranger, but like I had said…I was a stupid girl in my youth."
The spirit sighed.
"When I returned home, I revealed everything to my mother and begged her not to tell my father. My father, Drakon, was a warlock after all; he'd kill my former husband in a heartbeat. As much as I hated him too, I did not want to see him killed."
"Well, eventually, my father did find out. My mother and I are terrible liars after all, so he was able to tell something was off about us. It took him nearly fifteen years, but he found out. Naturally, he was outraged; the three of us had such a shouting match. He ended up storming off and drinking his sorrows away at the local pub."
Opal shifted awkwardly, and she looked her age for a moment.
"Well, while he was away…our house was burned down to ashes. My mother and I did not survive."
Ikuto's eyes widened in surprise. Opal took a deep breath.
"Who burned down our house, you ask? Well, it was none other my then-teenage daughter," she said. "I did not learn about this until after my death, but evidently, the young man I passed off my daughter to was the royal advisor to the king in a faraway kingdom. The king and queen there were unable to bear a child so they adopted mine, making her a princess. Years passed and she remained oblivious to her true heritage. It was only when she turned fifteen – the proper age to marry – did her 'parents' tell her the truth."
"She was nothing less than outraged; she inherited my spitfire, which I admit I received from my father. She felt angry and betrayed to have been essentially abandoned by her parents. My daughter hunted us – me – down and took revenge for what I had done to her. My father was called out of the pub by a neighbor, who told him what had happened."
Opal wiped her eyes. "I do wish that our last words hadn't been of hatred…if I could see him again, I would tell him how sorry I am and how much I loved him…" She sniffled.
"But this is merely the beginning of your story, Prince Ikuto. My daughter was a princess, eventually a queen. She moved on with her life and got married, had her own children and grandchildren before passing on with old age."
Opal turned to the lake and made it clear once more so that a new image could appear.
Ikuto saw smoke and fire everywhere with crumbling buildings. He recognized the landscape as the village Opal and her family had lived in. From the wreckage, a young man suddenly emerged and thrust his sword into the air.
"That's my descendent – a descendant of my daughter, the queen," said Opal softly.
"In my ancestors' name, I declare this land as my own! This ruddy kingdom has been defeated! I will take over and be king of a new kingdom for this new era!"
The people around him cheered.
"I shall name this kingdom after the day it was born! Today, we become citizens to the great and powerful kingdom…Easter!"
Ikuto's eyes nearly popped out of his head and he turned to Opal, who still had her eyes on the lake. She flicked her wrist and the image changed to one of a woman giving birth.
"You need not show me anymore," said Ikuto, his sapphire eyes on Opal. Still, he could hear what the people in the water were saying.
"What do you wish to name your beautiful son, Your Highness?"
"…Aruto. Aruto, yes, will be my son's name."
"I said you could stop," said Ikuto, a bit harshly. Opal nodded and the lake returned to its previous, filthy form. "What is this about?"
Opal turned to him, her sapphire eyes – so much like his own – glistening with tears as she looked at him solemnly.
"There is a prophecy," she began. "A prophecy that involves Drakon and a powerful witch named Fortuna." She looked around the cave. "I do not have time to tell you in full detail, but your fiancée will be able to."
"Amu?" Ikuto asked, confused. "What does Amu have to do with any of this? In any case, she's still unconscious. All of this is completely random."
Opal wiped her eyes. "It will make sense when you two are reunited. Amu will explain it all to you, I am sure. Find my father; I know he is out there somewhere. Although the prophecy was originally about him, it is now centered around you and Amu. My father will help you. You two are in great danger. Please be careful and take care of each other. Do not make the same mistakes that your ancestors did."
She looked up and smiled at Ikuto as she slowly faded away.
"Goodbye, my how-many-greats grandson," she said.
"Wait!" Ikuto called, reaching out to her though he only met air.
Suddenly, the cave began to shake violently and fall to pieces all around him. He looked up to see a large chunk of the cave's ceiling hurtling towards him.
Then he saw only black.
…
"Ikuto…Ikuto, wake up…"
Ikuto groaned lightly as he slowly opened his eyes, only to meet the bright topaz ones of his betrothed. He sat up fast, only to grimace at the immense pain he felt in his head. It was worse than a thousand headaches.
"Amu," he exclaimed, reaching out towards her and gripping her by her shoulders. "When did you wake?" He looked around and saw all of their friends and family around them in the clinic. "What am I doing here?" His parents looked relieved as they appeared by his bedside.
Kukai chuckled. "You spent so much time worrying about Amu that you forgot to eat and sleep; a maid found you passed out in the garden."
"Don't feel too bad; Amu pretty much did the same thing when she woke up a few days ago, only to find out you're unconscious as well," added Emiko.
"Ikuto, are you alright?" Amu asked softly, looking at him worriedly.
The odd dream, Opal, his mixed feelings for Amu, everybody crowding around him in concern…it was all so overwhelming.
"Amu…when you were unconscious," began Ikuto, deciding to get straight to the point. "Did you have any odd dreams?" If they really were in danger, then there was no point in beating around the bush. "Anything about a prophecy or a witch named Fortuna?"
Amu's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"I had a similar dream about a warlock," replied Ikuto truthfully. "I was told you'd be able to tell me about the prophecy and everything about Fortuna."
Amu made to answer but was interrupted by somebody appearing in the clinic.
"Fortuna?"
Everybody turned towards the door and Ikuto inhaled sharply.
"Drakon?"
…
I do not own Shugo Chara.
ERGH! I am horrible, shitty person; I apologize.
I totally meant to update sooner, at least by the end of August, but that clearly didn't happen. And then school started this week so blargh…that means less updates for a while! So sorry about that…
I don't really have time to do my usual rants and rambling so I'll sum it up as best as I can…
SCHOOL IS STARTING SO PLEASE DO NOT EXPECT A BUNCH OF UPDATES ANYTIME SOON
THIS STORY IS FAR FROM OVER
I MEANT TO MAKE IKTUO AND DRAKON'S PAST STRETCH OVER THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS BUT THEN THOUGHT MEH AND SUMMED IT UP IN ONE INSTEAD. I KNOW IT'S CRAPPY AND LAZY COMPARED TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME DONE FOR AMU AND FORTUNA. I APOLOGIZE.
I STARTED WATCHING NEW ANIME:
FAIRY TAIL
BLACK BUTLER: BOOK OF CIRCUS
FREE! ETERNAL SUMMER ((episode 10 though…anyone?))
SAILOR MOON/SAILOR MOON CRYSTAL
Um…yeah…I also started reading The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare, though I haven't had time to read it recently. It's the first week of school and I'm already majorly stressed…
Nothing else to say for now so…I hope you all like the chapter; again, sorry for not updating sooner…oh! Orlando was fine; I had a pleasant birthday, by the way. Just in case you were wondering…
If you're reading any of my other stories, sorry if I haven't updated them either. Please be patient!
Please don't be afraid to leave a review and tell me what you thought, or if you found any mistakes! The last part in particular was put together a bit sloppily…