Thanks to those that have taken a read of Chronicles of Eos. As I said, this will be a sequel in the Chronicles series and connect to more of Roni's story in the first story. And as the description says, this is an Eos where there's no Chosen King or Adagium, but the world is still in danger.

If you pay close attention to the names, you'll find out who is who. And why their names are changed, you'll see soon.

As usual, all characters and ideas belong to their respective properties.

-miano53

Chapter One: The Leiden Little League

"Do you think this is a good idea?"

"Better than having that thing that looks like Dad end the world."

"Regi…"

"Stella, if we succeed, then we can reverse all this…"

"Yeah, but…what if it doesn't work?"

"Then, at least we can say that we tried."

"Yeah. Better to do something than nothing."

Waking up to an oddly quiet morning, the eleven-year-old Nero Callum groggily saw the sunlight peeking from behind the curtains. He stared at the ceiling, trying to gauge what day it was. His mind was trying to catch up after having the oddest of dreams, one where he saw an older man in black, standing outside of the palace in Insomnia.

The man looked sad as if he was about to do something he was going to regret. Three others, all dressed in military uniforms in all black, stood behind him. They were saying their farewells and bowed after the man did a salute. It was the old Lucian salute, where they crossed a single arm over the heart. After the man did that, determination was on his face and he left, heading inside of the palace. The retinue he left behind turned to face off against the monsters summoned by the darkness and they began fighting.

The dream then went to the man in black inside a dilapidated throne room and sat on the throne. Something in Nero wanted to yell, but since he was dreaming, all he could do was watch. Figures in light appeared and the dream ended before the boy could see what happened next.

"What was that all about?" Nero thought aloud.

Sitting up, the eleven-year-old looked around, seeing his rather messy room. Dirty clothes were everywhere and schoolbooks covered the computer desk he had on the west wall, near a blinds-covered window. On the east wall were the bedroom door and closet. The north was where his bed and wheelchair were located and the south wall had another blinds-covered window that allowed for more light to enter.

The door opened and the boy saw his foster brother, a rotund blonde named Pietro Avanti. The glasses-wearing boy, fully dressed for the day and looking as if he was about to head for batting practice, grinned and said, "You awake yet?"

"Uh, what?" Nero asked.

The eleven-year-old stared and said, "Today's the first game of the season! Why aren't you ready yet? Dr. Callum's waiting outside. And you missed breakfast!"

"Okay, okay. Let me get ready. Sheesh…" Nero said.

Pietro left, shutting the door and hoping that they wouldn't be late for their first game…for the second season in a row.

"Whoa…So, this is the place?"

"Yep. Dad said something years ago about it being in Ravatough. And this is the only ruins in this area. So, I would say this is the place."

"You seem very sure of yourself, Regi. What if we can't find it?"

"Better than sitting around and watching everything get destroyed."

"Hello, baseball fans! Reporting to you live from Keycatrich Parks Department 5, I'm Locke Cole and we're here for the first game of the Gestahlian Little League: Leiden Division. For today's game, we got the Longwythe Cactuars versus the Lucian Knights."

Reginald Callum, sitting in his car and listening to the game, sighed as he drove from their home in Sophiar to Keycatrich. And they were nearly late getting there. Nero just had to sleep in and didn't wake up the three times Reginald tried to shake him awake. He knew his family had a penchant for sleeping in, but the boy had it in spades. Then he slept in the car and…well, they barely made it on time.

The man in grey and black stayed in the car, not wanting to deal with the rowdy parents of the little leaguers. Many of them were vicariously living through their children and he didn't want to deal. All he wanted was for Nero and Pietro to enjoy playing the game. And he figured that they wouldn't take it up as a profession, especially not Nero. The boy was to become a senator and possibly prime minister of Gestahl, serving under the emperor and restoring the status of Lucians to their rightful place in the empire. Or so that's what his family hoped.

Personally, he wanted Nero to enjoy whatever profession he put his mind to. And if he was a baseball player in the future, despite his disabilities, even better. But Nero's grandfather wouldn't be too happy about it. Neither would his cousins.

"AAAWWW!" the crowd screamed, scaring Reginald.

He got out of his custom-made car, nicknamed the Regalia, and saw the many parents/fans yelling as if someone had made a home run. Curious, Reginald approached and saw the one that had done so was Pietro. The kid, despite being rather hefty, was a fast runner and practically flew through the bases. The Lucian Knights cheered and it was Nero's turn at bat.

With Nero…

Dressed in the grey and red uniforms of the Lucian Knights, the pre-teen was in his custom-made chair and went to the plate. Those that didn't know him thought that someone like him couldn't possibly play sports. But those who did know he had certain…abilities that helped. And one of them greatly aided him in baseball.

The pitcher of the Longwythe Cactuars grinned, seeing the kid in a wheelchair. There was no way he could hit the ball and get to a base. Not in all that sand. It'll just get in the wheels and slow him down.

Nero smirked, sensing what the little pitcher was thinking. Getting into his stance and readying his chair, the dark-haired pre-teen kept his eyes on the pitcher. He was going to throw the ball at him, trying to throw a left hook. If he angled himself correctly, then…

The catcher behind him snickered and muttered, "Doubt you'll get to first base, kid."

Ignoring her, Nero sensed that the pitcher had changed his mind. He was going to toss a slow ball. Yep. That's what he was going to do.

Everything seemed to slow down as the boy waited for the pitcher to finally throw the ball. He could hear the crowd in the background. He felt the sun coming from the clear skies above and realized that the air was windless. So, that meant that he should…

"Please don't hit!" the pitcher muttered, throwing the ball.

Nero swung with his upper body weight and hit the ball. It sailed over the pitcher's head and the boy immediately took off, quickly rolling his chair to first plate. He stopped, seeing that the opposing team had grabbed the ball, which landed at the fence in the outfield. Proud of himself, Nero grinned widely, with the first basemen staring in disbelief.

With the coach…

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" the coach, Carlo Amici, cheered, seeing his team was up by two.

He checked the list and saw his players. Two of them were sons of his friend, Reginald Callum, and wondered if the doctor had opted to sit in his car. He really didn't care for the jeers of parents that were using their kids for glory. He didn't blame him as he saw his share of parents that went from supporting to hecklers. And some tried to start fights with the umpire, him, and his young charges.

Seeing a certain someone was up to bat next, Carlo sighed. He looked to his daughter, the youngest member of the team, and said, "Oh no…Iolanda…Please, remember to head for the right after you hit the ball…"

The six-year-old, brunette named Iolanda Amici hopped off the bench and gave a small salute. She smiled, holding her Moogle plushie, and said, "Moggie and me, we'll make a home run!"

"You sure? Like, you're holding Moggie and you need to hold the bat too," one of the kids told her.

Iolanda glowered and Carlo knew it was futile to get her to release the plush. She would hit better if she just left it at home. But she was afraid that her older brother, Giovanni, would toss it, as he had his disdain for the old plush. Sighing, Carlo said, "Just…hit the ball and run to where Nero is."

"Okay!" Iolanda said.

She went up to bat, had many of the kids on the other team laughing, and causing her teammates to be ashamed. The Moogle plushie needed repair and it looked pretty bad. The parents on the side of the Lucian Knights said nothing while the others stared at Carlo, thinking he got her an old doll due to poverty or cruelty.

"C'mon, hit the ball, Iolanda…" Clarus said, his hopes pretty low.

A swing and a miss and the umpire shouted, "Strike one!"

Iolanda repositioned herself, clutching Moggie. Another swing and she barely made contact with the ball, making another strike. From the distance, Nero slapped his forehead, figuring that she would strike out. The children started taunting her and Iolanda's face went bright red with anger.

A final pitch and a swing and the girl surprisingly struck the ball. Everyone gasped as it went high into the air and she took off, seeing Nero rolling to the next base. To everyone on the Lucian Knights' side, the pitcher went under it, catching the ball and causing an out for Iolanda. He then threw the ball like a missile, with the 2nd basement catching the ball and tagging Nero.

The dark-haired child sighed loudly and yelled, "Oh come on!"

Heading back to the dugout, the two saw a disappointed Carlo and he said, "At least you hit the ball this time, Iolanda. We'll just have to practice more…and say the rosary with some 'Hail Ramuhs' on the ride home…"

"Oh hey! Can I say something coach?" a parent said.

Carlo recognized them as Jack Garland, foster parent to another player named Zidane Tribal. The blonde told the team, "Listen up, doesn't matter if you win or lose. As long as you're having fun…is what all losers say. So, when it's you guys' turn, don't be afraid to get into the dirt. And please, for the love of the Six, use two hands when you're catching fly balls!"

"Okay, Mister Garland. I think they get it," Carlo said, seeing the blonde-haired Zidane sink down in embarrassment.

"Okay, there's the sigil Dad told us about."

"Uh…I thought it was supposed to be glowing red."

"It's not nighttime yet, Cato. Dad said that Solheim ruins only activate at night."

"So, we wait for nighttime? That's not a good idea."

"I didn't say that. Did you forget about my powers?"

"…Oh…"

"That was…" Nero started.

"Painful," Pietro added.

The two, sitting in the back of the Regalia, discussed in disbelief how they lost so horribly to the Cactuars. First, it started with Iolanda getting angry at the other team for making fun of Moggie. She lunged at the pitcher and started fighting with him in the third inning. Then there was Zidane, who nearly died from embarrassment as his foster dad started yelling and screaming at the umpire from the bleachers. He could barely concentrate on the game and didn't bat properly until Mr. Garland was kicked out of the game after the sixth inning after making fun of the umpire and the umpire's wife. Even then, they started trailing 2-4.

The score got worse as Pietro missed a few and Nero tired out. The two were among the few that carried the team, but even their efforts didn't help. Then another kid, Vivi, tried to swing, but nearly swung off the plate every time. After all that, the Lucian Knights lost 2-8.

"Well, it was only the first game of the season, Nero," Dr. Callum told him.

"Yeah, but the first game always sets the pace of the season. And if we lost like that, then I don't know how we'll get to the championship," Nero said.

Pietro nodded and said, "We were so close last time. And I'm sure those Galahdians were cheating! Like they had to have had kids that were at least 17!"

"They were the same age as you all, Pietro," Reginald said, continuing the drive back to Sophiar.

"You sure? That Lloyd Ostia guy looked about 17. And then that Nico Umbria looked like he was 16," Nero asked.

"The Ostia boy was just a hefty kid. And that Umbria child had a haircut that was far too old for him," Reginald said, pretty sure that the Galahdian Hunters didn't have overaged teens on their team as it would be against regulations.

The boys were still disappointed, still trying to figure out what went wrong. They would be fine, the man thought. Carlo was their coach and he would help them find out why they lost so…spectacularly.

Driving through Sophiar, Nero, and Pietro saw the dusty town, a place that sprung up after someone with the last name "Sophiar" established a rest stop for drivers headed to larger towns and cities like Lestallum and Keycatrich. Those that didn't want to live in the Crown City in the east, or in Keycatrich in the west, settled there and that was how the town was born. Residents terraformed the place, creating greenspaces that had various houses and other properties. Water came from the Crestholm Waterways in the east and was operated by the Imperial Family, giving water to the towns of Sophiar and Longwythe as well as military bases in the region.

The largest of the properties in Sophiar was the manor of the Callum family. One of two properties on the continent, the large manor served as both a home and laboratory for energy research. After the incident in Balouve, the lab was moved to Sophiar and Dr. Callum was the head researcher.

Pulling into the gates, Nero started feeling sleepy. The game was long, tiring, and disappointing. Hopefully, his team would win the next game. The car went into the brightly-lit garage and Nero dozed off, unable to keep his eyes open.

"Whoa…"

After heading down a stone elevator shaft with odd reddish sigils, a trio in black found themselves in a darkened dungeon that fit the description their father told them. During his travels, he told them about a place he and his retinue had stumbled upon. It was said to be the nexus of many worlds and was called the Pitioss Ruins. The entrance was sealed by Solheim tech and refused entry for any who attempted to access the place during the day. And even entering, you had to be of the Lucian Royal line as well.

Seeing red barriers everywhere and ancient statues of what looked like the Six, the male blonde of the group, Cato, looked to his sisters, another blonde and a raven-haired young woman. He then asked, "What is this place, Regi?"

The dark-haired Regi, or Regina, looked around herself and saw the many places where falling would be a bad idea. Good thing her powers had returned to her after that…incident. The incident where she was betrayed and her mind sent to a place that was like her Eos, but not.

"Okay, so we're going to have to make a lot of precision jumps or fall to our doom," Regina said, looking down.

"So, you can't fly over it?" Cato asked.

His sister and twin, Stellamaria, or simply Stella, gave a questioning look and Regina channeled energy, red in color, to her hands. She started floating but it was only for a few seconds before she was forced back down. Shaking her head, Regina told them, "I guess I can only use flight for maybe a moment or two. But that should be enough time to get to the other side."

"Didn't Dad say he had to puzzle solve? Like in those 'Fable of Delta' games?" Stella asked.

Cato nodded and Regina said, "Okay, start thinking like nerds, people."

"Hey! There's nothing wrong with being a nerd. You're still a jerk, Regi," Cato said, offended.

Regina smirked and said, "I wasn't making fun of you. Calm down."

The environment around them started to distort with darkness and Stella said, "N-no. How did he find us here?"

Summoning a barrier where the elevator shaft was, Regina hoped to give them more time before a certain someone came in with his army from the darkness. If they failed to find that statue or if they found it and he destroyed it, then…all hope would be lost.

Dr. Callum, looking at the computer screen in his office, looked at Nero's vitals and the data that was coming from the sensors strewn about in the boy's room. They were detecting his oxygen levels, heart rate, body temperature, the temperature of the room, and even the REM waves from his sleep. The sensors could also detect the boy's brain waves while awake and would alert the man if they were off…such as times when Nero had migraines or blacked out.

Due to his condition, Reginald couldn't risk Nero blacking out or worse. He also had other reasons, ones that came from the boy being the sole survivor of the Balouve Incident. Reginald lost his wife, Aure Callum, from that attack by sleeper agents, but gained Nero, though worse for wear. He vowed to ensure that Nero could live out his life, no matter how long or short it would be and to make sure that the disabilities he had wouldn't limit him.

Rapid beeping on the monitor and Nero was tossing in his sleep. His breathing went ragged and Dr. Callum was ready to rush in and help. If Nero was having a seizure, he would need to…

"What in the…?" Reginald said.

Nero's vitals suddenly went back to normal and the boy sat up. He looked dazed and looked around the room, as if not knowing where he was. Reginald went straight for his room, saw Pietro standing in the hall, worried, and opened the door.

The air in the room was still and stifling, as if an odd power filled the place. Pietro was right behind Dr. Callum and he whispered, "What's going on?"

Reginald said nothing and Nero was staring off at the west window. The window was covered with blinds and some of the light from the outside came in. But that wasn't what provided the room with an odd amount of light.

Carefully approaching, Reginald could see the veins on Nero's arms glowing with a reddish light and his eyes were glowing the same color. The boy didn't seem to notice that his father and friend were in the room and continued to stare at the window. The energy that was in the room came from Nero and Pietro asked, "Nero? You okay, buddy?"

Nero started speaking in an echoic voice and he wasn't speaking the modern language. His voice caused the pair headaches and a ringing in their ears. He looked at Reginald and Pietro and his eyes widened. Quieting down, he shut his eyes and the glow from his veins disappeared. Opening his eyes and looking around in a panic, the two saw Nero's eyes back to normal.

"Wh-What…? What happened? Are you…?" Nero stammered, unable to remember.

Reginald shook his head and said, "Um…We-We'll talk about it in the morning."

"But Nero started acting weird and starting talking and nearly broke our eardrums!" Pietro said.

"Go back to bed, Pete," Reginald commanded.

Grumbling, as he was worried for his friend, Pietro left, slamming the door to his room when he arrived. Turning his attention back to Nero, Reginald told him, "Try to go back to sleep. We'll speak on what happened in the morning."

As he turned to leave, Nero piped up, saying, "I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't…"

Reginald shut the door and shook his head. Things like that happened quite often, but never to that extent. If it got any worse, then…Nero risked getting turned over to the authorities. And Reginald refused to let that happen. Nero was all he had left of Aure and the empire would have to go over his dead body before he let them take his son.

And there's chapter one. For those that read the previous story, you would know who Regina, Cato, and Stella are. They'll be really important for this story, but unlike the previous version, the story of how they are connected to this one will be slowly revealed in flashbacks.

Anywho, review?