Duster's warning and words made sense to Lucas.

Basically, he wasn't allowed to tell anyone about what he could do, even if right now he was just having prophetic dreams. The idea had occurred to him the next morning that perhaps, one day, he would be able to summon fire just like his brother. Maybe one day Claus would be able to have prophetic dreams, or their power would even grow. Right now, though, the idea that Lucas could one day have full powered Magic scared him. If Wess would tattle on Princess Kumatora, would he tattle on Lucas if he ever found out what he could do? Just the thought, just the idea, that, because of what he could do, he would be taken from his parents, scared him.

He loved his mother very much, and he loved his father, too. His brother and his dog were his best friends. He didn't ever want to leave them. He didn't ever want to move out of the house like Duster did. He didn't ever want to. He wanted to stay in his mother's hold forever.

However, even though the words made sense for Lucas, it didn't exactly mean that Claus had completely understood them.

The morning brought dew to the grass and Hinawa had made omelets again, but there were no complaints from her three men, as she loved to call them. The dog barked out at the sheep as Flint tended to them, and Hinawa was embroidering a blanket on the front porch in her chair. The twins were playing with their best friend Fuel, who they hadn't told about their Magic, as Duster has asked them.

Fuel's father was helping Flint by making a new fence, as the old one had been broken by an angry sheep the other day. It was generally peaceful for the two separate families, up until Wess arrived, appearing to be in a hurry. The three boys stopped their games and watched as the elder rushed to Hinawa, Flint and Lighter.

"Wess?" asked Flint, a slight frown appearing on his face.

"Yes, I know I'm here!" barked Wess, before he swiftly turned to Hinawa, raising a finger at her. Flint sidestepped closer to his wife. "Do you know where that moron is?! I stopped by his house today, and he's gone! The medicine's gone! His brace is gone! His rags for clothes are gone! His food is gone! He's just GONE!"

Hinawa stuttered for a moment, before she finally shook her head. "I haven't seen him since I left your home yesterday, Wess. I'm sorry."

Wess turned around, so he was facing the boys, but Lucas realized that it was possible that he didn't see them there. His eyes had a faraway look and his expression had changed drastically from the angry one to a... to a sorrowful one. It didn't suit the angry and ridiculing personality and idea that Lucas had grown to associate with Wess as a whole. He had never seen this side to the man before and it slightly scared him.

The entire group watched as the old man crumpled to his knees. "... Where did he go...?"

Lucas then had to watch a very hard scene of Wess just... breaking. The old man weeped lightly for a moment, before he suddenly just bawled, punching the ground repeatedly until he managed to recompose himself. The adults were hesitant to approach him, scared that he would strike them or completely lash out. Finally, he stood up and Lucas feared the look in his eyes - anger and hatred with a tad bit of remorse. Wess then turned sharply toward the path, before he said something.

"... I guess I have no choice but to wait for him. He'll come back eventually for his old man, I know he will."

Wess then took his leave.

The group was silent for a moment before Flint decided to say something.

"How many of us actually believe that Duster cares what happens to Wess?"

"I know for sure that he doesn't really," Lighter pointed out, before turning back to the fence. "But even I know that somewhere in their hearts, those two care for each other in their own odd way."

Lucas hoped that was true. He didn't have much time for hoping for something else or even to think, as at that time Fuel and Claus suddenly began brawling across the grass, both yanking at each other's tunics and Fuel even grabbing hold of some of Claus' orange hair. Hinawa rushed forward to stop the fighting, when suddenly a burst of flame came from Claus' palm, straight at Fuel's own hair, setting it on fire. The boy flailed about in fear, until Lighter grabbed hold of a convenient bucket of water, and dunked his son's head into it. Hinawa gave Claus a disapproving stare, and at that moment, the visit was over.

When the boys had to sit at the kitchen table, and it wasn't meal time, they knew they were in trouble.

Today, it was Claus' turn, while Lucas had been sent to their room to give his brother some privacy. He didn't know what was being said, he couldn't hear a single word. All that he could hear was silence. It unnverved him. He peered out the window, seeing the vast world outside of Tazmilly. Something in him wondered where Duster was now. Was he past those trees? Did he maybe hit the next town and stop there? Maybe he was in Eagleland, or Phoenix! Maybe he was visiting the mysterious country of Dalaam.

One thing was for sure, Duster was very lucky to get to see the outside world. At least he could leave town whenever he wanted, or even venture into the forest without permission like Lucas had to. It didn't change the fact that the outside world was very scary, mainly because Lucas had never really left Tazmilly before. He thought a few times that maybe he had seen the retreating back of his older friend, but then remembered that Duster was probably long gone by this point. He was probably in the next town by now.

The door to his bedroom opened and Lucas looked over to see his mother standing in the doorway, a sorrowful look on her face. For a moment, Lucas panicked. Was he going to be in trouble, too?

"Lucas..." started Hinawa, stepping forward and sitting on the edge of his bed. "Lucas, is it true? You have Magic, too?"

Lucas gave a small, hesitant nod. "... Are you... Are you mad?"

Hinawa's reply was a small giggle. "No, no of course not. Actually, I'm scared. All these rumours and stories of Magic Users disappearing... I don't want that to happen to my sweet boys. I cherish all of you. To know now that I can have you taken away from me... It scares me."

"I won't be taken away, Mother!" Lucas said somewhat quickly. "I'd never use Magic! Ever! I won't learn how to use it! At all!"

"Lucas..."

"I promise! I won't use it!"

"Lucas," Hinawa said somewhat sternly, his words stopping as soon as she said it. Hinawa took a deep breath and shook her head. "Lucas, don't worry. Your father and I aren't angry, and we won't ever stop loving you because of something that you can do. What I wanted to say was just because you can use Magic, it won't stop me from caring for you and loving you."

... Just as Duster had said last night. Lucas blinked as Duster's words became true, and a pain of guilt appeared in his heart as he recalled Wess' reaction. It was his fault that his friend left. He had failed to stop him. He had failed to use his powers to their full potential.

"Now, Lucas," Hinawa began again, and Lucas looked up at her immediately. "I want you to promise me to be careful about where you use it, okay? I don't want you taken away."

"Is Fuel okay?" Lucas asked immediately.

Hinawa giggled somewhat. "Lighter stopped by after we were done talking to your brother Fuel had to get a hair cut, but he's fine now. A little shocked, but he's fine."

"Is Lighter mad? Is Fuel?"

"Fuel was more confused. Lighter just said we have gifted boys," Hinawa explained simply, running a hand through her son's hair. "But, I want you to promise me, Lucas. Be careful with your Magic, don't tell anyone, okay?"

For the second time, Lucas promised. "I will." He even crossed his heart, something he only ever did for his mother.

Reassured, Hinawa got up from the bed and headed for the door with a smile. "That's my boy."

Sadly, things didn't work out, as Lucas quickly discovered.

On the way home from shopping, Flint and Claus had been attacked by men in black suits. Flint managed to fend off for himself, but Claus had vanished sometime during the fight, and Flint wasn't sure where to. He deserted their purchases, scouring through the streets of Tazmilly, even banging on neighbours' doors to see if they had seen them. It was terrifying.

He went home that day, without their supply of material, and announced the news quietly to his wife that night, who cried. Lucas, from the second floor, kneeling by the banister, heard everything and looked down at the wood floor by his feet, Boney whining next to him. Nothing made sense anymore.

The omelets tasted wrong that night, but Lucas knew that they were made the same way as they always were. Maybe it was the missing warmth next to him, where his brother usually sat. Maybe it was the fact that his mother had been crying when she made them, and her tears fell into the mixture. Maybe it was just his dulled senses getting the better of him as he tried to piece together what had happened. Was this Wess' fault, too? But he hadn't been there when Claus had set Fuel's hair on fire, had he? He had already headed home.

It was possible that maybe it wasn't Wess. Maybe it was... Maybe it was Lighter. But Lighter wouldn't betray Flint, would he?

... Nothing made sense anymore.

That night, Lucas made Boney sleep in Claus' bed so he could fool himself into believing it was all just a dream. It didn't work, as he quickly discovered. There was no point lying to himself that everything was okay. There was no point pretending that Claus hadn't been snatched. There was no point lying about anything when you knew the truth and so did everyone else.

There was no point in anything anymore without his brother there beside him to help him through it.

Walking around town the next day, Tazmilly appeared to be a dark shade of grey rather than its usual white. The grass was duller. The sky wasn't blue anymore. Nothing was the same without Claus there next to him.

Lucas was currently thinking about the dream that he had the night before. Another one of his prophetic dreams. The same Magypsy from before, s/he appeared, too. It's memory was still firm in his mind, and just the idea of it... it haunted Lucas. He wanted to forget all about it.

Lucas stood in a field of sunflowers.

Just before him, was his brother. With a sharp exclaimation, Lucas tried to rush towards his brother. But Claus kept running away, until they were running on water, out toward the vast sea to an island off of Nowhere. Just the sight of it brought to mind "Tanetane".

Was that where his brother had been taken, or was being taken? To Tanetane?

"Lucas."

Lucas turned around immediately, seeing the same Magypsy, or so he figured. He could see hir more clearly this time around. Dressed all in red, this one was Aeolia.

"Aeolia, right?" Lucas asked.

"Hohohoho! You remember my name, sweet Lucas," Aeolia giggled. "It's been so long since we have seen each other in person that I feared you didn't remember me."

"We spoke the night before," Lucas brought up, before he looked down. "I failed. I couldn't stop Duster from running away, and I couldn't stop Claus from getting captured."

"The sad thing about prophetic dreams, Lucas, is that they are just that... prophetic," Aeolia explained with a dark town in hir voice. "There is always the chance that you can change the future, but sometimes you can't. And, what I'm about to ask you is going to be a lot harder than what Duster asked of you."

Lucas stayed quiet.

"Lucas, my dear sweet Kumatora was taken from her bedroom. Her best friend, Duster, left to go after her. Then, your brother was taken after setting fire to his friend's hair, leaving you, also a Magic User, behind. Lucas, I want you to awaken your true power, and go after your brother. Go on a journey, save all Magic Users such as me and yourself."

The very idea filled him with fear.

"Lucas, your mind and heart are telling you to go after Claus, and you're going to find him in Tanetane. Will you not listen to your heart's desire, and instead, reject what it wants?"

"I'm not saying that I want to do that, but I do want to go after Claus, somehow," Lucas admitted, twiddling his thumbs. "But, I don't want to leave my parents. I don't want to leave them all alone without their sons."

"Sometimes the heroes need to leave their families behind for the greater good. Doing so for you, Lucas, will save many lives. Your parents will be fine. They won't be targeted, this I can assure you."

"What makes you so sure of that?"

"Well, for one thing, my dear sweet Lucas, they're not Magic Users. They're as plain as a piece of bread, with their hearts as big as a Drago's. They'll be fine."

"No they won't! If I leave them, they'll get sad! They'll cry, just like they did for Claus!"

"So you'll leave your brother all by himself on Tanetane, frightened and alone, with no idea where he is or what is going to happen to him?"

Aeolia's wrods were mean, that was the first thing that came to Lucas' mind. The next thing that did was his sorrow and shame. No, he would never leave his brother hanging like that, but he was scared. He didn't want to leave the safety of his mother's arms, ever. He didn't want to leave her behind, or his father. He didn't know what to do or where to go for help, or even where he was going in the first place. Where was Tanetane?

He noticed that Aeolia was quiet for a long moment before, finally, s/he spoke again. "Lucas, dear sweetie Lucas, please understand. You are the one destined to fix all of this, but have no fear, sweetie! You won't do it alone. Do you need help? I can offer it for you. Come visit me tomorrow, please, sweetie pie. I'll tell you where you need to go."

... The dream had ended then.

Just remembering Aeolia's words gave Lucas a new resolve. He sprinted forward, toward Osohe castle with determination. He had to speak hir! He had to!

The guards at the gates of the castle were quiet and dark, with one making light snoring sounds from his armor. Lucas wondered for a moment just how he was going to get in when the drawbridge opened itself...

... and standing there was another Magypsy, Ionia. Lucas always liked hir best, and approached hir instantly.

"Sweetie pie, Aeolia told me you'd be coming today," Ionia greeted with a smile and a slight wink. "Come with me, please, and I'll lead you to her."

Lucas did so, and Ionia led him through the vast halls of Osohe castle, stepping through chambers and doors and going up a flight of stairs until they reached the throne room, where, seated in a big yellow chair was Aeolia hirself. Lucas cautiously approached, stopping by the steps that led up to the chair, and bowed respectfully. Surrounding him where the other Magypsies, each of them looking down on him with smiles, except for Doria, who simply crossed hir arms.

"... Lucas, Chosen One of Three," began Aeolia, before s/he took a sip of the drink s/he was holding. "I have expected your arrival today. I am glad, sweetie, that you decided to accept my offer of meeting me today."

Lucas only nodded.

"I promised to explain to you where you needed to go and what you needed to do in order to save your brother," Aeolia continued, sitting up properly and placing hir drink onto the nearby end table. "First and foremost, I wanted to do one more thing before we got to that. I wanted to teach you some special Magical spells that will serve as important in ensuring your safety before you met the next of the Chosen Three. The process is very simple, so please have no fear."

"I... I trust you," Lucas spoke finally, nodding once more.

"The first of these spells is very simple, it is a spell known only as Lifeup Alpha, so please approach me."

Standing up, Lucas stepped up the steps and knelt down before Aeolia, who placed hir hand to his forehead. A flash occurred, and for a moment, Lucas felt a sudden, throbbing headache and everything sounded ten times louder than usual. He faltered backwards and stumbled into a sitting position on the first step, holding his aching head.

"He's taking it rather well," muttered Mixolydia, to Lydia, who nodded.

Just as sudden as it had appeared, the aching in his head was gone. Aeolia continued.

"The next spell is known as Healing Alpha. While Lifeup brings back strength, Healing recovers from things such as burns. Please, sweetie pie, come back to me."

"U... Um... Okay, Aeolia..."

Lucas did as Aeolia asked, and approached hir again, once again kneeling down before hir again. Once again, Aeolia paced hir hand on his forehead, and another throbbing pain occurred. This one was softer than the last, and he didn't fumble backwards this time, keeping steady and even managing to stay in his kneeling position.

"Oh, such a brave boy!" cooed Ionia.

As soon as the pain was gone, he looked up at Aeolia, who was wearing a grave face.

"This last one will be harder," s/he explained. "It was once, a long time ago, the very spell that represented this entire island, up until Giegue's destruction of the country of America. In one word, it describes the Song of the Ancients, which has been lost with time. I will now teach you the Magical Spell of Love Alpha, which will protect you in your journeys."

S/he placed both hir hands onto his head and an intense, mind crushing, throbbing pain wracked his brain and skull as she downloaded the spell into his brain. He cried out slightly from the pain, resisting the urge to just hold his head steady. Ionia and Mixolydia sighed in fear and he could hear Doria's worried hums. Aeolia then suddenly let go, and Lucas fell to the ground in a crumbled heap, holding his head in pain.

S/he very patiently waited until Lucas could sit up to continue her words. "Lucas, I have taught three spells that will help you for the first leg of your journey. As you use them and grow, your spells will grow with you, and you will even learn more as you go along. The people that you will meet will help you along the way, and your party will grow as you save more and more people from the terrors that Giygas is causing.

"The first person that you will meet will find you. Continue forth from Tazmilly to where your friend had been headed, into the next country. The first person... will find you."

And with those parting words, s/he waved hir hand and Ionia escorted Lucas out.

From the front gates of the castle Osohe, Ionia smiled down at Lucas and gave him a big hug.

"Oh, my sweetie, sweetie Lucas, I'm so glad that you were able to pull through all of that! I'm so proud of you for being so strong! Don't test your Magic out here in the open, okay, sweetie?" Ionia cooed, hugging him harder and harder. "Oh, Lucas-poo, I'm so happy that you decided to do this. Why don't you go talk to your mother before you go? Don't want to have her all worried, right?"

Lucas say her point. "Yeah, I think I'll do that. It's all so... startling."

"Going on an adventure is a big step, Lucas," Ionia said proudly, walking him down the path that led to his house. "It's a big step to take to manhood, you know."

Lucas looked up to see hir winking at him.

The two chatted and updated each other on their lives, before suddenly Ionia stopped, causing Lucas to as well. He looked up the path to see his mother already waiting at the front steps of his home with a very worried and upset expression on her face. Suddenly, the world came crashing down around him as reality occurred to him. He was leaving her. He'll be leaving her today to go find this first person.

"I should probably go now, Lucas," Ionia said to him, placing a hand on his shoulder and winking once more. "I'm sure this will not be the last time we see each other on this journey! I'll be traveling myself, you know. I can't trust Duster to even do my gardening, so... I'll be going after the Princess, too."

Ionia turned and headed down the path once again, and Lucas gulped.

"Mother..." he started, but he was cut off when she suddenly hugged him, crying into his shoulder.

"I know," she said, through her tears. "I know, baby. You have to go on your own, after your brother, don't you?"

"Aeolia told me that I was one of the Chosen Three, but I don't know what that means," he explained to her, as she let him go and wiped away her tears. "I don't know what I think about that. I've never even heard of the Chosen Three before."

"Long ago, Lucas, there were four kingdoms. One was named Eagleland, one was named Dalaam, one was named Osohe, ours, and one was named America. The four existed without incident until over eighty years ago, when the King and Queen of America suddenly disappeared and America was destroyed."

"... Aeolia said that Giegue caused it," Lucas brought up. "She also mentioned a Song of the Ancients."

Hinawa nodded. "It was supposed to have been a very beautiful song, and it was passed down in the American Royal Family for ages, but with the destruction of the country and the loss of its King and Queen, with them was lost the Song. Back to the story, however... Eighty years ago, the Queen of Eagleland had a terrible vision after the destruction of her fellow country. She spoke of three young boys who went on a perilous journey through the country to save the royal families and purge the world of the evil of their enemy."

Lucas gulped. "... How do you know this, Mom?"

His response was a smile from his mother. "Oh, Lucas. I've known ever since you were born. A few days after you and your brother were born, one of the Magypsies, Ionia, came to visit. She told me everything then, about how one of you was one of the Chosen Three. I suppose... I suppose she wanted me to prepare. But how do you prepare yourself for that?"

Lucas could only shrug. He didn't know, either.

A heartwrenching goodbye from his family later, Lucas stared out at the gates of Tazmilly. He tried to bring his trusty dog, Boney, with him, but, as both his father and his dog reminded him, Boney was needed to herd the sheep. His mother, however, let him take his stuffed rabbit, so that was good. The rabbit itself was stocked away in his backpack with all his supplies. His brain was ready with his new spells. His heart was ready to find his brother. His feet were not.

"... So I guess you're leaving, too, huh?"

Lucas looked behind him to see Wess standing there. He had a frown on his face. In Lucas' mind, the memories of his breakdown after realizing his son left flashed before his eyes.

"Um... yes sir," Lucas replied, gripping the handles to his backpack. "I'm going after my brother."

Wess nodded, clearly understanding what he meant. After Flint's frantic search for his son, everyone in town new of Claus' disappearance. "I see. Can you... You see... your mother asked me to give this to you. She forgot about it."

He held out a small envelope. Written on it in his mother's writing was the name Duster. Lucas took it carefully.

"I think it's more instructions about the mo... I mean, about my son's leg," Wess spoke. Lucas looked up at his sudden shift in term and noticed how sad he looked. "I... I also have something I want you to give him, that is, if you catch up to him at one point. Your mother seems to think that you will."

Lucas nodded quietly as Wess handed out another package, this one a small box wrapped somewhat quickly. Lucas stored them both carefully into his backpack next to his stuffed rabbit. As he prepared to leave again, Wess stopped him once more.

"Listen, I know what my son told you. I may be mad at the Magypsies for what they did, and I may dislike Magic, but I did not rat out Princess Kumatora. I would never stoop that low," he told him. "And before you go about blaming me, I didn't rat out Claus, either. I do, however, know who did."

Lucas' heart flared. "Who did it? Who told on the Princess and my brother?"

"It was Fassad, that newcomer," Wess explained. "It was him. When I was out there, watching you and your brother, I noticed that strange newbie wandering the streets with a big smile on his face, as if he had just heard the best news of his life. When I went to go see what it was, Claus mentioned what he could do."

So Duster was in the right to worry about Fassad's claims. But he had been in the wrong, too. It wasn't Wess who told on the Princess. Just the idea made Lucas' heart search out for Duster so he could tell him, tell him everything. That his father could be trusted.

"Please, Lucas. Find my son."

"I will, Wess. I promise." He even crossed his heart.

The walk was long. Lucas wondered how anyone could walk from one country to another.

Step, step, step.

The sun beat down.

The wind blew.

Step. Step. Step. Step.

The dirt path eventually turned to a grass one, and trees began to create shade for him, which he appreciated.

Lucas wondered how Duster did this. Lucas wondered how Fassad traveled to Tazmilly.

Lucas wondered how Claus was transported to Tanetane. Lucas wondered how Princess Kumatora was.

Step, step. Step, step.

Where was the next country? Was he in it yet?

... His throat was dry. He didn't know what to do. He was already out of water.

Lucas wondered what he should be doing, when he remembered that Aeolia told him the next person was to find him.

Well, where was he?

Where was this other person?

... Lucas collapsed.