While those events happened outside, inside Setsuna’s house sat himself, Kuro, and Hikari and Shana. They were guests and, naturally, Setsuna had assumed their hunger and prepared food. The day the villagers had learned of his cooking ability was a shocking one. He was good with a knife in the kitchen, as much as he was with a sword on the battlefield, thanks to his dearest wife.

Setsuna’s beautiful wife was a master of her own league in the kitchen. She was ab;e to turn anything into a tasty meal with ease, surpassing even him. Both were the perfect pair, and both loved each other dearly.

Then sadness fell.

On the day she passed away, everyone’s hearts sank. Though, none more so than Setsuna himself. It broke that man who began to shelter his heart from the world. Then, a miracle occurred. Seeing his children’s faces drew bits of his former self to the surface once more. Cooking, the thing that she had taught him, he passed onto his two sons.

Setsuna offered baked bread and vegetable soup to the two ladies, yet Shana remained somewhat wary of the meal prepared before them. She knew it likely wasn’t poisoned as she could not believe him capable of such a thing. He seemed, to her, a man who would rather fight head on than with trickery. Not to mention the fact that the royalty of Alas held him in high regard.

It was simply her duty as the personal knight of her princess to remain forever cautious. To protect Hikari with her own life if the need arose. To that extent, though doubtful of mischief, she took the first bite of the meal and her difficult expression loosened.

She gulped down.

“. . .it’s good,” She praised.

Hikari took a spoon and sampled the soup with etiquette radiating off of her every action. She, too, was pleasantly surprised.

“Wait. . .” She murmured, “This tastes just like—”

The familiar taste triggered her taste buds, resurfacing memories from long ago. She wrung her brain dry, tracing thoughts and images until she stumbled on the name of the individual who had once presented her with a similar meal.

“. . .Yuki.”

The table was momentarily silent. Kuro eyed his father.

“. . .my wife,” Setsuna spoke, voice less cold than usual. Warmth lingering in his words.

Kuro nodded, mentally giving the princess a thumbs up. She had remembered his mother. That was noteworthy. After all, the worst thing that the dead could face was being forgotten.

Hikari produced a soft smile, the pleasant memories of her time inside the village ten years ago swimming in her mind thanks to the meal.

“Yes, she was always kind to me,” She spoke as softly as she smiled. “Setsuna, would it be alright to visit her grave later? I wish to pay my respects.”

Setsuna nodded. “I’m sure Yuki would very much like that.”

There was nothing more fearful to the dead than being forgotten. Nothing else.

At that moment, Shana snapped back to reality. The memory of where she heard such a thing ignited in her mind. It was that day Hikari returned from Silva all those years ago.

“ . . .I remember. It was the time you returned to the castle.”

Hikari placed her hands together, smiling brightly at the realization that Shana had remembered her ramblings of stories she had spewed under the moon that day. She laughed.

“I told you for hours about how kind and caring she was!” She laughed. “About her tasty cooking and her gentle words! My time in Silva. I will treasure it always, my time here.”

“Indeed.” Shana glanced at her. “And if I recall, you stayed up late.”

“You promised to keep that a secret!” Hikari responded.

“My apologies,” Shana spoke as she turned her gaze to Setsuna, Kuro, then back to the princess. “I do wish I could have met Yuki to convey my gratitude. Wherever she lays, may she rest in peace.”

Kuro smiled.

“You stayed up late, eh, Hikari?” He asked. Then teased. “What is Kira going to say?”
Hikari’s face turned bright red.

“Don’t tell him that!” She said.

Shana sighed. “He’s merely joking, Hikari. I can tell Kuro wouldn’t do anything like that, believe me.”

Kuro chuckled as he nodded. “She’s right.”

Hikari pouted.

“I knew that. . .” She muttered.

Kuro laughed.

“What?”

Shana smiled.

“What?!” Hikari asked.

“Nothing. . .”

“You’re both laughing though!”

“I only smiled,” Shana corrected.

“It’s the same thing!”

Setsuna simply watched the trio.

‘They remember you, Yuki. Your soul lives on in everyone you’ve touched. Though I wish Kira remembered as well. . .’ He thought, ‘Then we could all share this scene, together as a family like those years ago.’

 

The once pleasant turned serious as Setsuna set out to accomplish the other reason for this visit. His eyes sharpened as he narrowed them at the princess.

“Hikari, I shall get to the point,” He said. “There is another reason for this visit. The king has something he wanted to give me.”

Though they had a request of him, he had turned them down, over and over. Yet, the king of Alas never took no for an answer. This time, perhaps he would win him over.

“Yes. . .Shana, do you mind waiting outside?” Hikari took on his words and asked her knight. “Please, father told me you’re not allowed to know of this.”

With a tone that serious, and the king’s name used, Shana could only accept her highness’s request reluctantly. She wished to stay by her side, yet she had no choice but to leave. She nodded.

“Very well, I shall be near if you need me,” She spoke.

Then she left the room, standing guard. Yet, in her mind, she wondered why. Why did the king ban his daughter’s knight from listening to the exchange?

Hikari placed a tattered, once fancy, banner onto the table as the sound of metal rung. Then, she retrieved a letter handwritten by the kind, with the royal seal proving its authenticity. Finally, the ring on her finger was the third item she placed onto the table.

“Please, Lord Setsuna!” She spoke, pleading once she finished, “I, princess Hikari, first to the throne of Alas, request this of you!”

Setsuna nodded.

“Very well. I shall listen to what you have to say.”

“Thank you.”

Kuro sat by and watched the two.

Hikari lifted the ring know as a jewel of Alas.

“The first thing is my ring. . .I was wondering if you could ask the Sacred Blacksmith to have a look.”

Setsuna raised a brow. “What seems to be the matter with it?”

Hikari passed the ring to him and allowed him to inspect it more closely. At a glance, he seemed to notice the problem.

“Hmm. Very well, I shall as them both to have a look,” He said, “It will take time, however.”

Hikari nodded, grateful, and moved onto the second matter at hand. The letter. Though Setsuna accepted it, he merely perused it for a moment before returning it back to her.

“Hikari, I cannot offer my assistant to your father. Tell him my apologies.”

He was blunt, but sincere. Always, Alas’s king requested he lent his service to help subdue the forces threatening the kingdom. Yet, Setsuna had never offered a hand. Or, more so, his hands were forever tied by other matters.

Hikari slumped.

“Why. . .why won’t you help us? If you did, we could stop the approaching war!” She pleaded. “Lord Setsuna, I implore you to reconsider!”

“It’s not that simple,” Kuro entered into the conversation at that moment. “If father could help, he would. But our hands are tied and we cannot move.”

Setsuna nodded and addressed the princess.

“War is an ugly thing. It causes death, destruction, and famine. Affecting all races, not just humans, but they are one of the more guilty parties. Humanity craves power. No, it hungers for it. And because of that truth, war, forestalled or not, is forever inevitable.” He paused, then sighed. “If I deployed what the man I served entrusted to me, what do you believe will happen?”

Hikari knew the answer.

“It would cease but not without a cost.”

Setsuna found himself surprised.

“I’m impressed. You’re correct. Something similar to the ‘Great Darkgress War’ would return. With the other realms at each other’s throats, we are spread thin. . .” He explained. “Furthermore, Akira is in charge of that part of the world. To issue such an alliance, only our lord could approve what your father wants. Only then will the others listen.”

He stared directly at the princess.

“I don’t do this because of the hate some of us harbor towards humans,” He said, “I do this because I hold the current responsibility on his steed.”

Kuro nodded, joining in once more. “Please understand it from our perspective.”

Hikari could only sigh at that point.

“I do,” She said, affirming herself, “I will try to make my father understand.”

“I thank you,” Kuro said.

They smiled at one another, a pleasant atmosphere returning to the room.

“And the third item?” Setsuna asked.

Hikari unwrapped it. Setsuna’s eyes widened. The weapon underneath the rags was a rusty, two-handed sword used by knights. On the blade were engravings in Latin. Only Setsuna knew what it said.

“I found this two weeks ago,” Hikari began her explanation, “It was stabbed in a rock beside a lake where I thought I saw a lady.”

She focused on Setsuna then.

“My father thought you might know what this sword is as the symbol on the stone where it had laid matched, somewhat, the insignia of the Sacred Guardians,” She said.

Setsuna regained himself.

“Hikari, who was the one to pull out the sword?” He asked.

“I was the one,” She replied.

“And who else knows about it?” Setsuna emphasized.

“Myself. My father,” Hikari paused. “And the elite knights under his direct orders.”

Setsuna sighed with relief. “Good. Very good. Hikari, I shall take this. Don’t tell another soul about this weapon, nor what you witnessed.”

Hikari looked at him, realizing that even the man had something he hungrily desired.

“You know what it is. . .don’t you?” She asked.

“I have an idea I pray is wrong,” Setsuna replied, revealing little of his actual thoughts, “However, if I am right. . .it will be more than a war between Avilion and Alas. It will be a bloodbath.”

He watched her face flicker into puzzlement and then fear.

“Hikari, keep your guard up. Tell Shana to never lower hers. I fear we may have found ourselves inside a game.” He narrowed his eyes. “A game of chess.”

Hikari nodded quickly.

“very well, I shall keep it a secret,” She spoke as she stood, “I will spend some time with Kira now. Kuro, do you want to join us?”

Before the two left, Setsuna took Kuro aside privately, seriousness engulfing his every words.

“Kuro. Me, you, and Kira shall enter the forest shortly. I want you to keep an eye on him,” He said. “I fear a war will soon happen and the intruders have three targets: Hikari, Kira, and this sword.”

Kuro nodded. “Very well, father, I will see you out there.”

Setsuna smiled.

“I shall be, shortly.”

The matter finished for now, Kuro left.

 

In the silence of a room left only to himself, Setsuna’s eyes lit with an icy blue. A visible representation of his power manifesting, chilling the room down several degrees as he remained seated.

“Can you hear me?” He asked.

Yet, the response came directly into his head.

“I’m here, what’s the matter?” Questioned a cheerful, youthful, voice that sounded as if it belonged to a young lady.

“Notify the guards of our treasures. Raise security to the maximum. And prepare anti Darkgress countermeasures. I want a containment seal to store this item.” He demanded. “Only I and the guards should be allowed to enter.”

“Right away, Lord Setsuna! Will we be receiving the said item post-haste?”

“Indeed.”

Setsuna stood and tensed his muscles as a gate to another place appeared. An icy blue portal with light radiating from the other side. His personal portal to a Sacred Place outside of reach. A place which none was allowed to enter without permission.

Setsuna picked up the rusty sword, hand tightening around its hilt.

Then.

The air blasted, shattering like glass, as he threw the object and watched its tip pierce through the portal. Its full body disappeared within and came out into a well-lit room. The room was fancied with white and golden etchings with a banner handing of both crimson and white.

The sword screeched to a halt as if compelled. It floated with holy light before impaling the ground, lighting the markings the iridescent colors of divinity.

Once secured, two giant swords crossed together and the portal closed.

A trail of sweat sliding down his cheek, Setsuna’s eyes flared and he spoke.

“Lord, my old friend, on that day you were betrayed by allies who fought beside you. . .I swore that I would never allow another to fall into Lord Dark’s hands! Especially not this.”

With a face unshaken by the forthcoming war, he hid his nervousness and pondered.

“Now then, Lord Dark. . .what is your next move?”

 

'Plot by Lord Atem, Written by LotsChrono'