Somewhere far out in the dark city - far away from the Bright castle were 5 men. All 5 of them were decently armed their attire showing a group equipped for battle in the case of a nightmare creature. Their memories seemed to give them an heir of righteousness and power
Unfortunately, their words made the ill intentions they held clear
The biggest man of the group, the one that literally emanated short temper, and domestic violence spoke as his little group made their way towards a particularly run down well that was surrounded by a broken-down gate - that seemed sturdy enough to withstand a siege ram and the grated lid on the well mouth
" Kai, just give us your memories and you'll get food. Maybe we might even free you"
Perhaps his size took most of the growth from his brain, because his lies were as obvious as the moon in the clear night sky - even without the laugh that he let loose.
From the depths of the well an echoed response arose. The response came in the form of a charming almost melodic voice
"I'm not a fool you know - I'm well aware that you will kill me when i hand over my memories, so why not prolong my death for a little while"
The voice in the well was naturally from the charming archer - Kai
"You annoying piece of crap just give..."
The large man had just continued to talk but suddenly stopped as a spurt of blood muffled the words that came from his mouth. His head and eyes lowered looking at his chest where a hand was protruding. It was a midnight black gauntlet that seemed to glow an eerie dark purple on the wrist claws.
Pulling his hand back Sunny watched with a cold gaze as he the spell announced his kill and the corpse fell to the ground a thud echoing in the now stunned silent surroundings.
Turning around slowly sunny couldn't help but praise inwardly when he saw the remaining men already in a fighting position.
Dismissing his helmet his deep gaze locked onto a set of eyes before scrolling to the next - "May I ask why you people have my friend Kai locked in a cage?... and are threatening him no less"
Realization dawned on their faces, a spark of memory blazing in their minds yet caused their bodies to grow cold. It was a gaze they knew, a face they recognized and a voice all too familiar. The man who had just arrived, traveled with the seer and last daughter of the Immortal flame. A sleeper with a True Name
"Star.... Sir star of darkness you've returned. How wonderful we thought you'd di..."
This one too was cut of before he spoke. Sunnys already bloody hand stabbed into his neck. Blood flowed as sunny watched the mans eyes glaze over.
Once more Sunny removed his hand the body collapsing backwards as the thick blood oozed gown his fingers tricking drops onto the ground.
" I asked a question...." - he focused on 1 person - "... And I expect an answer"
It was clear that the man sunny focused on and even the other 2 were currently racking their brains trying to choose their words wisely.
A futile effort
"it's... It's not Kai. It's a nightmare creature that killed him and stole his voice. I assure you why would us pathfinder of the bright castle commit such an act"
Kai's voice rang out once again. Familiarity dawning in it - "Sunny they are lying. They trapped me in here for my memories"
Sunny chuckled - "I know Kai I heard the idiots talking. Just hang tight I'll get you out in a minute"
Kai's voice echoed once more. A tone of worry and concern present - "Sunny it's fine don't cause problems with these people - they're dangerous, I'll be fine"
A wide smile pierced Sunnys face - 'Ever still the kindhearted man'
He couldn't help but riminess of the old days, before he rebirthed, and before he was forgotten.
Sunny smiled lightly but in the same instant the remaining 3 charged at him their weapons moving to attack him. All aimed at vital spots.
His skull. His neck. His heart
Sunny didn't even bother to dodge. The helmet of his Armor reappeared in the fury of sparks. His weight was altered with the mantle of the underworlds attribute as the external Armor was enhanced by gloomy and happy.
The memories aimed at him all broke disappearing in a flurry of sparks.
Sunny lightly shifted to begin his retaliation and soon all of them lay dead.
A momentary movement and sunny had killed them all, a head lying to the left, a torso lying to the right, in front of him lay a corpse with its spine broken bent at an unnatural angle.
Sunny walked towards the well slowly - "Kai?"
"Sunny why are you still here. Leave quickly please"
"don't worry everything's fine. How about you come up and we go to my place for a bit"
"w..."
"just come up"
Sunny didn't give Kai the chance to speak any longer, enhancing himself with the power of 7 shadows he grabbed on to the steel gate with one arm and tossed it aside.
The gate in question was launched several meters away and crashed into stones and other stuff in its way - 'Did...did I over do if. Maybe 7 shadows was too much... I'm pretty sure I could lift it myself'
Sunny was pulled out of his thoughts when a figure ascended form the depths of the well. His auburn hair was messy and there was dirt plastered on his clothes and face. Yet the man maintained every ounce of appeal - His beauty unmatched.
Sunny smiled at his friend - his gorgeous black abyss like eyes meeting the beautiful lime green ones of Kai - "hi there"
Kai looked at sunny his happiness barely concealed. It was natural since he was trapped for who knows how long.
Looking at sunny he could barely recognize the boy he spoke to in the castle. Long black hair cascaded down his back neatly kept with a band of some kind holding it together. He had already dismissed his battle Armor and slipped into something more comfortable. Lacking a garment that had just ended up being the puppeteer's shroud
"Thank you sunny..." - Kai had just began to speak but his eyes fell behind Sunnys small frame
His eyes widened and he gulped at saliva he didn't know he had since he had been dehydrating down there.
Looking back at sunny he shivered slightly at the nonchalant look he got back.
Sunny sighed slightly inwardly knowing Kai was not the same as he was back when he had been a part of the government - Through all the hardships Kai had maintained his kindness but lost the naivety - "Kai, the moment they tried to kill you they should have been prepared to be killed. The strong survive and the weak perish... Most of the time"
Turning around sunny began to walk. Moving his head back slightly to look at Kai who still stood there
"Come, we are going to my place, get you cleaned up and fed"
Kai didn't know what to do.
It was true back then and even now sunny had only ever spoken the truth. And that they had a slight friendship between them. So he wanted to trust sunny fully and go with him.
But that was before he knew sunny could lift such a giant gate alone. Before sunny went missing for 5 months. Before he knew sunny could kill 5 people and not care in the slightest.
Looking at sunny walking away Kai took a step, and another, and another, before he was slowly trailing behind sunny - 'He saved me. It's wrong of me to doubt him'
With that thought the archer and shadow made their way through the streets towards Sunnys 'home'
...
Soon Kai and sunny made their way to the ruined cathedral standing outside the magnificent building.
Sunny looked at the charming archer and pointed his hand towards the roof. Kai could not understand what sunny meant or perhaps it was just odd that he wanted to enter through the roof rather than the extremely large door a few steps away.
"Come, let's go up there, It's where I stay"
Already resigning himself to trust this eerily perfect boy Kai slowly rose from the ground and held out his hand to sunny a gesture of help
Sunny smiled at Kai as 2 large onyx black wings appeared on his back. The wings seemed to be modeled after an extremely beautiful and powerful bird - 'Beautiful my foot. Birdy's appearance still horrifies me"
Giving his wings a light flap it took sunny and Kai an almost negligible time to reach the opening to enter.
Looking around his eyes glazed over with memories old and new. When he resided here alone after being gutted and nearly going completely insane - To the much nicer times he spent speaking with Cassie and Nephis. Where they shared meals and Nephis snuggled into him.
Kai's voice took sunny out of his reminiscing - "sunny where... Are we? "
"Oh, this is something akin to my home you could say. I stayed here for a while"
"And you brought me here because...?"
"Well, many reasons in fact... Honestly I don't know where to start"
Kai looked at him. His face confused.
"Okay let's start easy.... Where were you for the past 5 months."
"Oh? I thought that would be obvious. I spent some time here in the dark city and then left to hunt in the sea"
"Yeah, many thought you were in the dark cit...." - The auburn-haired man suddenly paled his eyes widening cartoonishly - "HUNT IN THE DARK SEA ?!"
Sunny shoved his hand onto Kai's mouth covering it and muffling the screams coming from him - "Shush there's a fallen devil right down there. Do you want to fight it?"
Sunny used a hand pointing downwards towards the dark knight.
Kai held his hands over Sunnys possibly in an attempt to be a 100% sure the devil didn't hear him. The poor lad whisper shouted so loud it seemed like a regular conversation
"you're staying with a fallen devil!?"
Sighing deeply sunny withdrew his hands from Kai and held his own head - "By the dead gods where to start"
The 2 sat still awkward silence permeating the air. Sunny contemplating where to being while Kai was scared of being hunted by a fallen devil.
"Sooo... I think I know the best place to start. It will make a lot of things significantly easier"
Looking up and lowering his hands Kai hesitantly asked - "What is it?"
"You see my dear Kai I'm somewhat of a seer someone who can look into the threads of fate and see the future to come" - All of that was technically true. The vast web of fate did encompass the future and sunny had a method to see it. He just couldn't really do it without almost dying.
Kai looked at him slightly shook. It was natural after all the short little boy in front of him had an unholy amount of abilities
"it's natural to be a bit skeptical. But to make it easier you tell me what your flaw is in the near future. Being a walking lie detector and all"
Kai didn't understand why it was but speaking to sunny he seemed to enjoy speaking to him. This powerful entity that could kill people without moving an eye seemed so... Well let's just say he didn't seem like a murderer
"... I believe you so... If possible, can you tell me of my future"
"I can reveal some of it. We don't want to future to change into something worse now do we"
Kai chuckled nervously - "No we do not... But if you can't tell me a lot, what can you tell me... Do..."
Kai stopped speaking his mind telling him not to ask a question that he had the answer to. The answer that caused him to be living in this hell hole for so long
"Do we make it out of here? "
The wolfish smile returned to his face.
"Of course, Kai. We don't only escape the dream realm together but even the second and third nightmares... Though I wouldn't say TOGETHER for the third"
For the 10th time Kai's eyes threatened to fall out of his sockets - "I... I become a master... Wait I become a saint?!"
"yes. One of the most powerful in fact we'll aside from a select few monsters... Myself included"
Sunny looked into Kai's eyes and made a decision - "We can continue this conversation in a while right now..."
He paused taking out cooked monster meat from his bag that seemed to smell amazing even without seasonings. The endless spring was situated next to it
"eat as much as you want I have plenty. Same with the water it's endless. Take a nap when you're done and we'll continue when you wake up"
It was too much information to digest in a short time. The fact that he would become a being in top of humanity. And even find genuine people was the least shocking thing.
Rather it was the fact that he gave up his music career to fight - willingly
...
Kai ate like a beast and chugged down an unhealthy amount of water - yet somehow managed to keep a level of decorum
An entire 10 hours later the archer awoke to find sunny standing there - a basin and the endless spring in hand. Insisting he take a bath while he goes to hunt
'why would he need to hunt he already has so much food stored"
After Kai freshened up the duo resumed their conversation. Most of it flowing much more smoothly perhaps because Kai had time to clear his mind to digest all of it.
"So... I guess we're going to become friends, well better friends - Mind telling me about our other companions if we have any"
"Oh, we do. Aside from myself and you there is also Nephis who is like the leader and Effie as well as Cassie"
"You know I would be shocked about being in a team with lady Nephis but after everything I've seen from you... It's not that surprising anymore. But also, Effie as in the glut.... Pathfinder from the outskirts?"
"Yes, the glutton" - Sunny laughed
Kai smiled
"And your powers. I believe that's what you wanted to tell me"
"Well, I guess it's true. Archers have good senses"
He paused - "The first thing you should know is that my aspect is of the divine rank"
"divine.... I thought those don't exist!?"
"it's rare probably only myself Nephis and... Someone else"
Sunny began to explain things about what was really happening in the world that regular people had no idea about.
First, he spoke about his abilities in rough details. His upbringing and other minor details, the same was done for Cassie, Nephis and what little he knew of Effie including her situation in the real world
Probably the hardest part for Kai to accept was that there are Supremes that exist and they don't care for anyone but their selfish desire for power.
Sunny had finished his part about how he could turn echoes to shadows and grow them and had last spoke about how the linings of a divine aspect worked. With multiple cores and all.
"is that why you left? To form your cores".
Kai had spent hours listening to everything. His young cheerful eyes somehow more mature as if a great weight pressed down on him.
"yes. That and I needed soul shards for other reasons."
By now there was no barrier in trust. Sunny and Kai were best friends. Brother's, Even - though much of what they would experience had yet to happen. A sense of drive pushing them both.
And this was leaving out many details. Including the fact that sunny became a sovereign. And the exact details of their nightmares before that. Or the fact that he was forgotten.
"Kai. I told you everything that is going to happen. So I'll ask you now. Will you join us or not. It's your choice and I'll respect your decision"
Kai seemed to think for a while. To sunny it was mere moments but to Kai time seemed to slow.
Looking at him, Kai smiled. - "we've fought many battles together... Or... Well, we will. I would like to experience that with you all"
Sunny looked at him deeply. His eyes shining happily - "good. I have. A few gifts too"
"you've already given me shards back them I can't..."
"I'm not really asking"
Kai stopped talking. A soft smile appearing after a while of gaping like a fish.
Sunny first gave him the bone bow - then he managed to find someone to give of the Spire messenger echo to, even an Armor he got from one of the ants - similar to his own, just without the upgrades he made to his own
"I think that echo suits you better as a flyer yourself - the bow is a nice white that airs decently with your skin and the armor is black with a bit of orange streaks - those dammed ants were like a rainbow I think the color of their blood had something to do with the strength of their poison - anyway the orange in the armor fits with your hair and if we're being real black fits with everything so..."
"you're handing me ascended memories with an echo and... Worrying about fashion"
"Well yeah, I guess. I have plenty of memories and echoes. Even a few transcend..."
Kai interrupted him. Shaking his head.
"I'd prefer if I didn't know."
"Suit yourself, I guess. Anyway, you see another reason I invited you here is for some training with a new ability"
"Training... You want to use me as a fighting dummy?" - Kai looked mortified
"No you idiot. You're getting a new ability"
Before Kai could speak sunny had already grabbed his forearm gently. A cold feeling spread to Kai as a miniature serpent appeared on his hand. The serpent coiled around Kai's hand as the head came down to his wrist. The tail coiling around his bicep
"what the..."
"it's an ability I got from my aspect legacy. I have one too. Though yours will be a lot weaker ..."
Sunny began to explain everything about the mark of shadows as well as Kai's new friend. And his abilities like shadow sense.
After Kai ate and got himself cleaned up Sunny had already been waiting. He held a blind fold made from one of the dresses in the ruined cathedral.
When He floated down after getting ready sunny smiled at him.
However, unlike all the last times. This happy smile made Kai shiver
"We have 1 month to make you stronger and grasp your new abilities. Then we go to visit our friends"
"... This is going to be hell isn't it"
"yup"