章 14: Chapter 13: The Shadow of Hope
~Third Person P.O.V~
Its been a few days since the incident had occurred during Krystal's class. Leo and Ashley have already begun to properly adjust to their new surroundings, taking it as a second chance at life. They never found anyone willing to adopt them, so maybe the Equilibrium is all the family they need.
Though one question that has surprisingly been left unanswered is.. what exactly is the Equilibrium. Apollo had promised the pair an explanation and today he was going to give them one.
"Good morning, Master Apollo!" The students greeted the elderly man as he made his way through the cobblestone halls.
"Good morning, my dear." Apollo replied, a smile on his chaffed old lips. His voice was tender and endearing, like the voice a grandfather would use with his youngest grandchild.
Apollo stopped in front of a door, looking up at the sigil. He presses the tip of his cane against the wood, knocking on it gently.
"Give me a second!" The boyish voice called out from the other side of the door.
"Yeah! Just a few more rounds." Another voice called out, sounding more.. intense than the last.
Apollo raised a brow, turning the knob and peering in to see Leo and Colin both boys seated on the edge of Leo's bed, controllers in hand their eyes glued to the T.V which was currently running Mortal Wombat: Farmageddon.
"Hey!" Colin said, raising a hand to cover his eyes, Leo doing the same as the light from outside filled the otherwise dark bedroom. His tone immediately shifted, seeing who it was at the door.
"M-master Apollo!" Leo exclaimed, throwing the controller in the air out of surprise.
"Good morning boys." The older man said in a calm voice, closing the door behind him. "I can see you've been using your credits productively." He said with a smile.
"Oh gods, we aren't in any trouble, re we? I swear I wasn't the one who hid a mini confetti blaster in Jared's underwear drawer!!" Colin shouted, flying up, his arms pulled towards his chest, hands clenched into fists.
"No no," Apollo said, a laugh accompanying his words. "Nothing like that-" Apollo paused, his gaze landing on Colin. "You did.. what now?"
"Aha.. ha.. Forget about that sir" Colin said, flying past the man and circling back.
"Yeah! You did sound like you were going to say something important." Leo chimed in.
Apollo sighed, a gentle smile on his lips. "Partners in crime.." he sighed, rubbing his eyes.
"Sir! it's not-" Leo was cut off as Apollo raised a hand.
"Relax, son. I didn't come here for that. I'm actually here because I wanted to bring your group out into town." Apollo said
"Town, sir?" Colin asked.
"Yes, into Ravencrowne. I think you should all experience a normal breakfast for once, at a local diner." Apollo said, turning to leave. "Put on something causal, miss Krystal is already getting your sister and Hope." The elderly man said, turning the doorknob. "We'll wait for both of you by the entrance to the male quarters" he continued, closing the door behind him as he left the room.
"Isn't this exciting?!" Leo said, opening their shared closet, sifting through the clothes.
"What is?" Colin asked, turning from the door to look at Leo who had his back turned to him. His eyes going wide, as the other boy dropped his pants to the floor, leaving him in his gray boxers. Colin's mouth dropped open, eyeing the boy's pale legs.
"We're actually going to see Ravencrowne up close!" Leo said, lifting his shirt over his shoulder and turning to face his roommate.
Colin immediately averted his gaze and closed his mouth, for once grateful he didn't have any blood in him because no blood means no blush.
"You mean, you've never actually been in town b-before?" Colin tried his best to speak naturally though little stutter managed to sneak through his defenses by the tail end of his sentence.
"I mean, we did grow up in an orphanage.. field trips weren't exactly big back in Sunnysmiles.." Leo said, straightening his plain dark blue button up shirt and throwing on some jeans.
"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot." Colin said, still in his ethereal form.
"Hey, why aren't you.. you know, less.. less see-through yet?" Leo asked, putting on his black converse shoes.
"Oh.. about that" Colin smiled mischievously. "I kinda need a kiss from a cute boy to help me disguise."
"Huh? You've never had to do that before.."
"Oh, but it's true. Thank goodness you're here." Colin said playfully, now floating beside Leo, a mischievous smile on his lips.
"Hahahaha, dude! You crack me up sometimes." Leo stood up, heading over to the door. "Now come on! We don't wanna be late." The boy said, leaving the room.
"Haha... yeah." Colin sighed, rubbing his nape, biting his lower lip. "I'm glad I make you laugh, Leo.. but..." Colin sighed, as the glow disappeared, soon he appeared in his more human form. Following Leo out the door.
"Ah, there you boys are." Apollo said, waiting in the hallway separating the male and female quarters. Ashley already by his side.
"Mornin' sis." Leo greeted his sister.
"Hey, Leo." She greeted back, seemingly fixated on whatever book she was reading.
"Boy, aren't you a ray of sunshine in the morning." Colin jabbed sarcastically.
"Colin." Ashley acknowledged.
"Are you sure you're the one who should control fire? Because that was pretty.. cold." Colin winked.
Leo laughed sweetly at the boy's joke "That was terrible." Leo said between laughs.
"Good morning." Hope greeted the boys, walking beside Krystal down the steps apparently having fixed something beforehand. The students walking noticeably away from her as near them. Ashley still not having asked her why that is.
"Good morning, Hope." Leo and Colin greeted.
"Ah, Miss Krystal. There you are." Apollo said, watching Krystal behind his res shades.
"Master Apollo." Krystal greeted. "Are you sure this is the wisest course of action? My scouts report minor Remnant activity within Ravencrowne and-"
"Relax, old friend. I'll be fine." Apollo assured her.
Krystal sighed, her composure softening. "Alright. You'd better be, or it'll be me you'll have to watch out for." Krystal smiled behind her mask, her arms crossed now, her glowing blue eyes seemed to reflect her emotion in them more vividly than anyone else.
Apollo chuckled "now I'll make certain to keep safe." He waved as Krystal walked back up the stairs, arms behind her back, hands clenched into fists.
"Wait, aren't Piper and Ezra coming?" Leo asked
"I'm sorry, Leo but they are both too busy to come today. I think Ezra mentioned he's working on a special project." Apollo answered, the boy nodding in response. "Now, shall we?"
Apollo tapped the ground thrice as their shadows began to morph beneath them stretching and forming into a large shadowy dome, wrapping around them before vanishing before melding back into the ground.
~Short Time Skip~
The early morning sun had just begun to peak over the mountains, bathing Ravencrowne in warm orange light. The city's many skyscrapers catching the light and allowing it to reflect back onto the streets, though one building stood out in particular for not only towering above the others but also for its bold and catching architecture, the Dark Industries tower.
Leo, Ashley, Collin, and Hope found themselves standing in a dark alley between two apartment buildings near the western wing of the city. Apollo stood now at the edge of the alley where it gave way to the sidewalk gracing the edges of the large road, the palms of his hands resting on his cane.
"Dark Industries... huh..." Leo began, looking up at the massive building visible even from where they are. "That doesn't sound ominous at all." He continued.
"Dark Industries is actually one of the major backers of our Order, Leo" Hope spoke up, catching Leo's attention, her pink eyes meeting his warm brown ones. "It's actually headed by the Dark family, thus the name."
"The Dark... family?" Ashley questioned, raising a brow.
"Yeah! Dark like, a surname. You know how there's like John Johnson or like Smith Smithson?" Colin chimed in, leaning in between the three. His playful smile never leaving his lips.
"Neither of those sound like plausible names." Ashley replied bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight to one foot.
"Yeah... well, Dark Industries is currently owned by Daendakian Dark." The specter said, leaning back from, he was about to continue when Apollo's voice caught their attention.
"I'm sure you'll meet Master Daendakian soon enough, maybe then he can introduce himself properly." Apollo spoke, flicking on his red-tinted shades, his kindly old smile never leaving his face. "Now, are any of you hungry?"
~Short Time Skip~
Leo, Ashley, and the others found themselves seated in a cozy little diner a short distance from Merikh Rest, a large park situated near the heart of Ravencrowne. the diner seemed somewhat busy despite the early hours. its patrons ranged from people in cheap business suits to people so poor they barely had any clothing at all, the latter of whom were being given free breakfast buns, courtesy of the elderly man seated with the 4 teens.
"Woah...." Leo let out a small sound of awe as the large breakfast portions were brought to their table. Plates of sunnyside up eggs, pancakes, bacon, and breakfast sausages graced their table.
"Even I have to admit this place smells.. nice." Ashley spoke, a hint of a smile by her lips. "The food doesn't look like it could hurt either.
"Well, this is one of Apollo's favourite diners in the city." Hope began, a cup of warm tea in her hand. Picking up a nearby tea spoon, Hope began to stir the cream and sugar into her tea, looking down into the dark liquid, watching it turn a dark brown color, the way it swirled as she stirred its contents.
"He used to bring me here all the time when my father was too busy." Hope looked up, into the eyes of the man who felt like the grand uncle she never had.
"Mhm. Sadly, Hope's father is normally too busy to be around any of us, even his own daughter." Apollo spoke, hiding the emotion in his words. "That's not to say he doesn't love her though."
"Mm... Well! While you guys are gonna just like.. sit here and gawk at the food.. I'm going toooo... induldge myself." Colin said in a playful tone, stuffing a few strips of bacon and an egg between two pancakes, the sausage held ontop by his fingers.
"Colin.. please. We just got here. Don't make me lose my appetite." Ashley said in an irritated tone.
"Hey, why don't you relax for once, sis? Colin's just eating how he wants. While Hope eats all prim and proper... Colin eats like uh... Colin. What's the harm in that?" Leo asked, poking his sister's cheek with a small piece of the egg.
Ashley rolled her eyes, swatting her brother's hand away and wiping the small wet spot off her cheek. Stabbing into a pancake with her fork.
Colin couldn't help but smile at that, trying to thank Leo with his mouth still full. "Thfank mnch khcu Mnleo"
Apollo let out a hearty laugh, as he watched the trio interact. "At this rate, you kids will make me want to do this every other week." Wiping a tear from his right eye, he spoke again. "Though, truth be told, breakfast wasn't the only reason I brought you four out here."
"I suspected as much, are you planning to divulge information which specifically only we should know? Or perhaps, you aim to teach us something which we can only learn while in Ravencrowne?" The firebrand raven-haired girl spoke.
"The latter, actually." Apollo spoke, wiping his lips with a napkin, his gaze turning to Merikh's Rest. "But we can discuss that after you're done eating."
The group made their way to the park, Apollo's steps were slightly faster than usual, his eyes seemed to glance around them every so often, though only Ashley noticed, choosing to not ask just yet.
"Do you two remember what our Order's mission is? What we represent?" Apollo spoke, the sun now shining brightly overhead, wiping a bead off sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
"Actually... no one ever told us." Leo's words were quiet and withheld as he spoke.
Apollo stopped dead in his tracks, the three nearly bumping into him. He turned around, a look on his face as his gaze switched between Hope and Colin.
"I've told Ashley a few of the basic points, although I expounded more when she asked." Hope spoke up, her dark black hair a sharp contrast to the bright sunlight.
Apollo's gaze switched to Colin this time.
"Aha... you see- well, actually! I did.. I did... uh.. I.. didn't tell him anything." Colin fumbled over his words, giving up after not finding a suitable excuse.
Apollo sighed, rubbing the red gemstone embedded into the top of his cane. "Very well, I suppose this is a good a place as any." Apollo straightened his composure, extending his arm outward, and opening his palm a great number of glass looking shards appeared around them, taking Leo and Ashley by surprise.
"Woah! I thought we weren't supposed to publicly use our magic?"
Leo questioned, taken aback by Apollo's sudden display.
"Don't worry, Leo. I'm a mirror. My Order is capable of manifesting great illusions, ones able to trick the mind into not hearing nor seeing things." Apollo reassured.
"Ah, this is for privacy then?" Ashley questioned.
The elderly man nodded. "As you know, the Equilibrium is made up of fragmented remains of the old Orders." He paused, rubbing the gemstone.
"Though, I never explained why the Orders ended up this way." Apollo spoke, seemingly grabbing something above his cane, throwing it outwards as images of great ruins, glowing violet torrents of energy and massive cracks on the surface or the land appear as images above them.
"The great sundering. A cataclysm so catastrophic it left the world broken and drained of magic, the ley lines were left barren and dry, the sigils were broken and sundered, the other races went missing and finally the Orders were left in ruins, the secrets they once held lost to time immemorial." Apollo created visions for the group, allowing them to view scenery matching his words.
"It was the end of the world.." Ashley chimed in, her mouth agape at the destruction she was witnessing.
"Precisely." The elderly man spoke. As the visions disappeared. The glass shards around them having vanished, the group finding themselves atop a rocky cliff. In front of them was the golden-marble statue of a man overlooking the park, the palms of his hands resting on the hilt of his sword which pointed downward, from which a large waterfall seemed to grow out off, turning into the river that flowed through the park. The statue had several offerings left by its placard which read 'The Golden-Heart's Vigil.'
"Our Order seeks has 3 main objectives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"To find the cause of the Sundering."
"To preserve and ensure the growth of the remaining magic."
"To reverse the effects of the Sundering."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Reverse the effects..? As in-" Leo spoke to ask but Apollo cut him off.
"Yes. Reinvigorate the ley lines, reawaken the power of the sundered sigils, allow the resurrection of the dead races and... lastly... to save the orders." Apollo finished.
"How could we possibly hope to achieve that?" Ashley questioned.
"Through him." Apollo gestured to the statue behind them.
"The.. statue?" Ashley asked
"No, the man it represents." A smile inched onto Apollo's face. "Merikh the Golden-Heart. He was a hero, a sigil of the lost order of the Blessed Magitrix." Apollo looked up to see the statue better. "In time you two will learn what he represents.. for to summarize who he was... who he could still be? Sacrilege."
Apollo turned back to the trio, placing a hand on Leo's shoulder his gaze seemed to be able to focus on all three of them at once. "In time.. I know that people like you three... you are the hope of our Order. You are the hope of the world." Apollo spoke, conviction in his voice, the three spent a moment with each other until.
*HHHRSHHHRSHHHRSHHHRSHHHRSHH*
The sound of swirling winds grew loud as a large puff of smoke launched itself at Apollo, slamming into him.
Apollo had the wind knocked out of him as he felt the sudden impact pus him off the edge of the cliff, sending him plummeting down to his death.
"MASTER APOLLO!" Colin's voice tore through the air as he leaped off the cliff after him, his liminal bindings vanishing as his form turned an ethereal blue, the specter desperately trying to catch up to the old man.
"OH GODS!" Leo blurted out, not knowing what to do. He seemed frozen and in shock.
The smoke that remained after pushing Apollo off the cliff began to morph and take the shape of the man. "And so falls the devil himself. Hmph. good riddance." Its speech was raspy and seemed to lack voice till the smoke took solid form. Then the voice sounded confident and egotistic. The man wore a grey suit and blue tie, his hair was wild and black, a gruff beard on his chin.
"And we've got a couple of whelps too." The man spoke, his arms turning into smoke, wrapping around the throats of the siblings. Pulling them in close, they turned back to arms of flesh choking the life out of Leo, he spoke.
"I can't let two untrained powerhouses like you go free... too bad you've already been brainwashed." He said with a smirk tightening his grasp on their throats, frost creeping up his left arm and onto his neck, though he didn't seem to even notice.
"Ice, huh? What about you? Or are you already dead?" He asked Ashley, a smirk on his lips.
"unhn mn br..u..dr" Ashley's voice was quiet and seemed muffled, her eyes were clenched tightly shut, a certain look on her face.
"What's that, sweetpea? You'll have to speak up. Oh wait. You can't." The man let out a hearty laugh, the sound of sizzling snapping him out of his thoughts.
"UNHAND. MY. BROTHER." Ashley growled with the fury of a dozen phoenixes. Her face manifested cracks of bright orange, her eyes burning a pure yellow, her hair catching flame as pure fury given the form of torrents of flame exited her open mouth, charring the man's face nearly to ash, his grasp on both of them suddenly vanishing.
"Hhnn.g .hhng..... hn... guehh.. guah..." Leo choked out, grasping at his throat, tears streaming down his cheeks as he knelt down.
"Leo... oh gods are.. are you...." Ashley's flames went out just as quickly as they had appeared. the girl suddenly falling limp beside her brother.
"A-Ashley..? Ashley? oh.... oh no gods.. no please no.." Leo spoke through teary eyes and pained breaths.
"Damn... that bitch has one hell of a mean streak." The man reformed from the smoke, his face seemingly brutally scarred.
"You on the other hand." The man ran the short distance before lunging himself at Leo as a cloud of smoke, Leo raised his hands before the smoke was blocked by a massive wall of shadow. Melding and morphing into a wave of crashing arms and faces rolling down the side of the mountain, the man being thrashed within.
Leo looked up to see... Hope knelt down, writhing shadowy tendrils and jagged spikes rising up around her.
"H-hope?" Leo spoke, unsure if it was her.
"Take her and run!" Hope shouted out, her dark tattoos seemed to now glow with a violet aura. "I'll hold them off." She spoke as the man, having just recovered was joined by one other individual. A man in a dark brown greatcoat, brandishing a flintlock pistol.
"Bu-"
"JUST GO!"
Leo finally relented, nodding, he picked up his sister and jumped off the cliff, forming a trail of frost down the side of the mountain, sliding down, he saw Colin shifting and morphing into different nightmarish forms, fending off two other individuals from Apollo's motionless body.
"What's this now? A martyr? For what cause. one shrouded lies and secrets. pain and suffering." The second man spoke, aiming the gun deadset on her.
"Just shut up and fight." Hope spoke in her own voice at first, though by the tail end of her phrase.. she sounded.. dark, almost.. demonic.
Leo leapt off the ice ramp into the air, kicking downwards onto where Collin was fighting the two women, burying them in a thick layer of snow. Effectively incapacitating them before landing gently onto the snow.
"How is he?"
"How is she?"
the two asked in unison.
"Not good." They both replied.
"We have to get out of here." Colin blurted out.
"We can't yet. not without hope!" Leo shouted, Colin immediately nodding in agreement though he suspected that Leo has no idea how right he was.
Colin grabbed Leo, flying the pair up back to the cliff, leaving Ashley and Apollo encased in a protective dome of ice.
"NO god.. PLEASE NO. NO MORE! NO MORE!!!" The indistinct screams coming from the cliffside filled the air with terror.
"HM? WHAT'S THE MATTER? AFRAID OF THE DARK?" Hope spoke in a voice that one could describe a horrific as her tendrils pulled the second man towards her, seemingly having crawled away. The man with the smoke nowhere to be found.
"H-h-h Hope..?" Leo's voice was shaky as he called out to her.
Immediately, Hope turned to face him. The shadows around them suddenly rushed to Hope, bathing Leo, Colin, and the second man in darkness she leaped off the cliff in a tide of shadows slamming onto where Apollo and Ashley were bathing the area in black before the shadows rushed away, revealing the group to have vanished.
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