Footsteps slowly descended down the staircase as a sizzling sound and delectable smell permeated the air.
"Sunny?"
Jet made her way down, her hair slightly glistening with water and her government uniform tucked beneath her arm.
"Hey."
Meeting his gaze with a small smile, Jet walked up to him.
"You're back! Did you seriously forget to get into your sleeping pod?"
"...Yeah."
Sunny was currently frying some eggs, preparing a simple meal for the two of them.
"So, how was your trip to Ravenheart?"
"It was alright. I met a couple interesting people."
Nodding, Jet pulled up a chair at the dining table and sat.
"Like who?"
"Oh, you know… princesses, zombies, vampires…"
Sunny felt Jet's bewildered gaze on his back.
"And… What did you do with these princesses, zombies, and vampires?"
Having finished cooking, Sunny turned to her with a grin, a plate in each hand.
"I beat them up for several hours a day and got paid for it, of course!"
Jet nodded seriously, her expression unfaltering.
"I don't doubt that."
Sitting across from her, he slid her a plate as they both began digging in.
'Ah… This is so much better than the food at Ravenheart.'
He had been stuck eating mostly meat the entire time he was there!
'Why do those beautiful monsters have to have such strange diets?'
It did not take them long to finish their meals, with both of them acting like they had been starving for days as they ate.
"So, has Cor returned yet?"
"Not yet. My damned workload has been terrible because of that bas-.. that guy! Ah… I just want to sleep for a couple weeks."
Sunny snickered at her words.
Jet glowered at him.
"So then, how's your work been? Is beating up princesses fun?"
"Hm. Maybe? I'd really rather not but, these girls are just too weak! How are they supposed to survive in the Dream Realm when they can't fight a simple Awakened like me?"
Jet stared at him with a dark look.
"There's nothing simple about you, bastard!"
They had sparred in his basement a few times, and every single time it had ended with Jet's crushing defeat.
Sunny leaned back, laughing loudly. It was nice to be able to speak freely after having been surrounded by potential enemies for two entire weeks. He couldn't slip up even once when talking to the members of Song.
"Well anyways, I've been tasked with teaching some of the princesses of Song how to fight, and it hasn't been so bad. All of them are diligent and rarely complain! All we have to do is fight, and they can learn on their own most of the time."
Jet nodded, seemingly thinking about something.
"Say… those princesses of Song, what are they like?"
Sunny met her curious gaze, remembering how the Jet of the past had once mentioned that she felt a certain kinship to the Song Sisters.
"Most of them seem alright. I don't know about their mother though. Did you know that some of them were actually like us?"
Jet's eyes widened at his words.
"Us? What do you mean?"
"I mean that they're from the outskirts, of course! Well, they were from the outskirts before Ki Song adopted them. So I don't know if we're too similar."
"I see… What about that new girl? Suming?"
Sunny grimaced.
"They… seem like a brutal character."
Jet tilted her head slightly.
"Brutal? How so?"
"Well, Suming doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the sisters, and they also show no mercy in spars. This one time, they nearly broke Song Seishan's nose in the middle of a spar! What a brute…"
Jet nodded in deep thought. This was valuable information to her, after all. Not much information was known about Suming besides her sudden appearance at the Category Three Gate. And from that appearance, her fearsome power was shown.
There was little known about her personality, background, and motivations. Every bit of data about her was a treasure to someone like Jet.
Giving Sunny a grateful nod, Jet stood up.
"Thanks for the info, I'm off."
"Later."
Giving her a small wave as she left, Sunny made his way to his sofa. Sitting comfortably, he did some much needed weaving as his shadows roamed the world.
As Rain was currently sleeping, he decided to pay the Immortal Flame clan a visit instead.
The lazy shadow silently left Nephis' and made its way to Calida.
Merging with the old woman's shadow, Sunny waited until she was alone. She was currently speaking with a retainer in an office of sorts, so Sunny simply waited.
After a while, the retainer stood up and left. And as they closed the door, Sunny appeared from its shadow.
"Have you given my suggestion any thought?"
Sunny noticed a near imperceptible jolt run through the old woman's body.
'I probably shouldn't scare her too much… What if I give her a heart attack or something?'
"Sunless."
Calida set her communicator aside and lowered the screen before her. She seemed to have been waiting for him to show up for quite a while now.
Calida then sighed, rubbing her face.
"Maybe. I'm not fond of the idea of using my people as bait though."
"That's fine. But just so you know, I'll be leaving for the Nightmare within a month."
Calida was silent for a moment, her eyes widening.
"Nightmare? As in your Second Nightmare?"
"That's right."
She seemed stunned at his words.
Under her breath, she muttered:
"Kids these days… monsters…"
Sunny smiled slightly at her words.
"Once I'm a Master, I should be able to fight back against them somewhat, so don't worry too much."
Calida nodded seriously, not doubting him even in the slightest.
"And… how has Nephis been?"
The old woman sighed, staring at her desk.
"Worse. Although I've told her countless times it is not her fault, but she won't listen. Could you talk to her?"
Sunny nodded and motioned to the door. Calida stood up, leaving the room and making her way to Nephis.
Entering her room, she dismissed Nephis' teacher and left the room. And as she closed the door, someone appeared from behind it.
"Hey, kid."
A small smile lit up Nephis' face.
"Sunny…"
She remained seated, unable to hide her sullen mood.
Silently walking across the room, Sunny sat down next to her.
He was quiet for a bit, not knowing what to say.
So he just decided to just be honest.
"Nephis."
Nephis met his gaze.
"Do you remember the day we first met?"
She was silent for a moment, recalling the event.
"Yes…"
Sunny nodded before continuing.
"When your grandmother asked me why I was here, do you remember what I said?"
Nephis nodded, now looking at him curiously.
"You said… because I was the future."
"Yes, but that wasn't the real reason."
Nephis stared at him with slight confusion.
"I only said that to convince your grandmother, I was here for something else. I can't actually see the future, you know?"
The girl was silent, waiting for him to continue.
"I came here because I saw this."
Her eyes widened ever so slightly.
"...This?"
"This. Seeing a young girl like you have to suffer so much for such a terrible reason, I simply couldn't allow it."
Nephis mouth trembled slightly.
"To me, you are not Changing Star, you are simply a child that needs to be protected. Your parents died unfairly, your clan's going to ruin, and there are people after your life. Why would I sit still?"
Nephis lowered her head with every word, dark hair shrouding her face.
"I know it's hard. I know it's unfair. I know you don't want this. And that is why I fight. My wish is that one day, a kid like you can simply live happily, make friends, and go to school."
Nephis' shoulders shook slightly.
"Then… what should I do?"
Sunny put a hand on her frail shoulders.
"Be strong. If you continue wallowing around like this, you only make their jobs easier."
"I meant, what should I do about 'them'?"
Sunny gave her a small smile and her shoulder a slight squeeze.
"Leave that to me."
Nephis turned to him, her eyes wet.
"Leave it to you…? Weren't you the one who said you were far too weak?"
Sunny smiled darkly.
"I did. But I didn't say anything about staying weak, did I? You know, in just a few weeks I'll be leaving for my Second Nightmare!"
"You're leaving for the Nightmare…?"
Her voice sounded slightly panicked. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, not letting go.
"No! No, you can't go! Not to the Nightmare…"
Sunny froze at her actions, before slowly wrapping his arms around her.
"Nephis… It'll be fine."
She cried into his sleeve, staining his shirt.
"That's… that's what dad said too."
"...Oh."
He hadn't thought of what leaving for a nightmare would mean for Nephis. Her last memory of her father was likely of him telling her he was leaving for the nightmare…
"Neph… I could never die from a mere Second Nightmare."
Sunny was not being arrogant, he had already thoroughly planned his second nightmare, and he was sure of his limits.
"Liar!"
"Liar? I would never lie to you…"
"I don't believe you! I don't believe you!"
Nephis shook her head as her voice got louder and louder.
"Neph… You're speaking to the most honest man in the world, you know? Two worlds even!"
Sunny did his best, but his words didn't help at all.
"Not you… you can't go too…"
Sunny said nothing for a while, cradling the back of Nephis' head.
After a while, she calmed down slightly.
"Nephis…"
"W-what?"
"I need to go… The Nightmare will help me grow stronger."
"But… but…"
"It's just the Second Nightmare, you know? Something like that could never stop me."
Nephis swayed slightly at his words, but still seemed unwilling to relent.
Sunny wanted to mention that her father had not died in the nightmare, but rather other people, but… he decided that was probably a bad idea.
"Neph… can't you believe in me?"
She said nothing, her face still buried in his arm.
"I'm very hard to kill, you know? Many terrifying things have tried to kill me, and yet not a single one has succeeded."
Nephis only reacted by hugging him even tighter.
"Nephis… I don't want to die either, you know… And if that is my will, who can stop me?"
She gripped him even harder, her nails failing to dig into his skin.
"I'll never leave you, Nephis… I promise."
Nephis spoke in a muffled voice.
"...mise..?"
"What?"
Letting go of his arm, Nephis looked up at him with teary eyes.
"You promise?"
Sunny met her gaze with a smile, offering her his pinky finger.
"Of course."
Sniffling, Nephis interlocked her pinky with his, solidifying their promise.
Wiping away her tears, Nephis tried to hug him again, only for Sunny to push her away by the forehead.
"No way kid! Go clean your nose first!"
Still red faced, Nephis sniffled before giggling slightly, running towards the bathroom.
Sunny sighed in exasperation.
'Just what am I going to do with you?'
He hadn't expected her to react so strongly at him entering his Second Nightmare. It had completely derailed the conversation he was trying to have with her.
'I still need to grow my strength quickly to face Valor…'
Once he was an Ascended, he'd be able to move around far more freely. With an increase to his personal strength, he could also spare more shadows to monitor the areas around Nephis and her clan. There would also be no need for him to be near them personally, as he'd be able to use his shadows as a conduit for his shadow manifestation.
If he could preserve the Immortal Flame clan, he was sure it would benefit him in the future.
Sunny sighed again, trying to wipe the snot off of his sleeve with a handkerchief.
Nephis left the bathroom with a small smile, her eyes still red.
"Sunny…"
She addressed him somewhat nervously, her hands behind her back and her feet curled together.
"...What is it?"
"You're pretty good in a fight, right?"
"I am."
"Then… Can you teach me how to fight?"
Sunny was slightly stunned at her request. He had bragged many times about his strength to Nephis. Most of the time he spoke in a joking manner, as he knew he wasn't truly strong just yet, but when Nephis asked whether or not he would be able to beat Thrain, Sunny answered honestly.
Thrain wouldn't stand a chance.
Although he was a direct member of Immortal Flame, and one who knew Broken Sword's style no less, he still couldn't beat Sunny. Sunny knew the ins and outs of Broken Swords style, and no matter how skilled Thrain was, Sunny would be able to match him.
And even though Sunny had bragged about his strength in a joking manner, Nephis seemed to take him seriously. Though she already had plenty of teachers, having one as skilled as Sunny wouldn't hurt.
However…
'I can't believe I'm saying this.'
With a bit of reluctance, Sunny said:
"Maybe when you're older."
Nephis' jaw dropped at his words.
She immediately started to punch his waist with her tiny fists.
"Wha… What do you mean when I'm older! I'm plenty old now!"
"Tch, don't kid yourself, brat. Aren't you like… seven or eight?"
Oblivious to Sunny's thoughts, Nephis did not respond, only hitting him harder.
Sunny did not resist, so Nephis ended up hurting her own hands.
Watching her cradle her own hands, Sunny sighed.
"Once I'm back from the Nightmare, I'll show you some moves."
"Really?! Okay!"
Suddenly her ire was gone, a beaming smile on her face.
Sunny sighed once more, sinking into the shadows and merging with hers.
Nephis looked at her shadow with a smile before leaving the room.
Although she tried to hide it, Sunny could see it clearly.
Her smile was somewhat forced.
***
In the light of the evening, Sunny returned home.
Jet had not returned, so Sunny made himself comfortable before he returned to weaving. Now, he could weave and refine at the same time, so as he had essence he could weave indefinitely.
But Sunny was still human, so he got bored sometimes.
So as he was weaving, he decided to turn on the entertainment system.
Sunny spotted a movie that had recently been released.
Its name was 'Tales of the Shore'.
"Better than 'A Song of Light and Darkness' at least…"
It was a movie made about the events of the Forgotten Shore, with Aria being the main protagonist.
Sunny snickered at the thought.
'They sure work fast…'
Sunny had only returned to the Waking World for five months, and the movie was already done. This time, the movie had no romantic subplot, and it had been marketed as an adventure movie with tales of bravery and camaraderie.
Splitting his mind, Sunny weaved and refined absent-mindedly as he watched the movie.
The movie began with a speech.
"We will begin our siege of the Crimson Spire in two months!"
A beautiful woman with shiny black hair stood in front of a crowd of sleepers, a red gem gleaming on her forehead.
'Hm? She didn't have the Dawn Shard by then…'
The woman continued her passionate speech as the sleepers were all seemingly inspired with passion and bravery, cheering at her every word.
As the scene ended, three characters were brought into focus. A man with yellow eyes, who Sunny recognized as Caelum, a slender woman with curly hair, who Sunny remembered as Charlotte, and lastly… a woman with stormy gray skin, who Sunny recognized as Seishan.
'Huh, they're actually including her?'
In a Song of Light and Darkness, Seishan had a very minor role, but here she seemed to be one of the major characters. It was a strange choice to Sunny, as he did not really remember her playing a major part in the siege.
'Whatever…'
The movie continued, showing the initial forming of Aria's Oath of Camaraderie. Rather than Sunny being the first member, it was just some nameless brave Awakened, who was more of a symbol or event than a person. It was a young man with curly brown hair and freckles, and he had an unremarkable face.
The scene showed the oaths of the first two major characters, but Seishan seemed to have been left out for the time being, as she was not part of the first group to join the siege.
After the oaths, it moved on to the first hunting party gathering together, journeying out into the Dark City. It showed them slaying all sorts of monsters, with moments of friendship, bravery, and sacrifice.
Afterwards, there were more scenes of hunting parties forming, many people forging unbreakable bonds together.
And after that… It showed the many different perspectives of how the sleepers fought and hunted, many different storylines branching outwards, with some being about friendship, some about having each other's backs, and some about survival.
Eventually, the storylines converged after an hour, all of them merging together as the siege began.
The movie portrayed the siege as horrifying, a truly terrifying mass of nightmare creatures charged towards them, held at bay by the mysterious echo that had joined them towards the end.
As the fighting began, many heartbreaking scenes happened, sacrifices, people being left behind, and the warriors fighting desperately. After a while, the tides turned as the nightmare creatures seemingly began to run, no longer wishing to battle the sleepers.
And the last scene was the sleepers running into the spire, following the terrifying steel raven to the gateway.
As all the sleepers escaped from the Forgotten Shore, the scene faded to black as the raven shot upwards towards the peak of the Crimson Spire, aiming to finish the Terror.
After that, it showed the aftermath of the siege, with many tragic losses and sacrifices. And yet even still, the scene had a sense of hope and joy, as if everything had been worth it in the end.
And as the movie ended, a final scene was shown of Aria reuniting with her parents after five years of being stuck on the Forgotten Shore, the camera following a single tear as it dropped to the ground, fading to black.
Sunny was…
"The hell was that?"
…Not impressed.
'That whole thing was just a damn jumbled mess! They couldn't have made this a series instead or something?'
There were so many branching plot points that he doubted a normal viewer could keep up!
Stopping his weaving for a moment, Sunny took out his communicator to look at the movie's reviews.
"10/10… 9.5/10… 10/10… What! People actually liked this crap?!"
The movie received countless praises, with many people praising its message and emotional moments. Many raved on and on about how impressive the fight scenes were to film too, and how the set they made to recreate the Forgotten Shore was phenomenal.
'Ah… What the hell…'
Although perhaps not as popular as A Song of Light and Darkness had been, Tales of the Shore was still a resounding success.
Switching off his entertainment system with a sigh, Sunny continued weaving until it was time to join Saint Tyris on the Chained Isles.
Leaving out a meal for Jet, Sunny retired to the Dream Realm for the night.
***
Appearing within the gateway plaza, Sunny looked around.
The bustling activity from tomorrow had grown even more fervent. Many Awakened were here, doing the tasks that White Feather had assigned, and many others were trying to make a couple shards off the people here.
Ignoring them, Sunny made his way to the northern part of the island. Approaching the White Feather compound, Sunny saw that Sky Tide was already outside preparing to leave.
Once he was out of view of anyone, Sunny sunk into the shadows, gliding towards Tyris.
As he merged with her shadow, he felt Tyris tense ever so slightly before turning around.
"I've arrived, Lady Tyris."
Looking down at her feet, Tyris noticed the transient shadow hiding within hers. Her expression still impassive, she responded:
"You're here. Good. You will be remaining with me at all times during our hunt. Is that fine?"
"...Of course."
Sunny had no real problem with that. Although his freedom would be restricted, building a better relationship with Sky Tide was definitely something needed. And besides, he could just leave a shadow with her before going off to do his own thing, he doubted Tyris would even notice the difference.
Sunny stared at the Ivory Tower in the sky, lost in thought.
…And after waiting around for a while, the culling began.
Large parties of Awakened left the Sanctuary of Noctis, the symbol of White Feather adorned on many of them. With the Leader of White Feather becoming a Saint, their prestige had surged, with many new Awakened joining their ranks and being brought to the Chained Isles.
Several Ascended were among the Awakened parties, and a single Transcendent flew overhead, the shadow of a steel winged thunderbird cast upon the Awakened below.
The parties all crossed the heavenly chains, each heading for a place designated to them where powerful nightmare creatures had been spotted. A few select groups dove off the island, aiming for the underside.
Sunny watched atop Sky Tide's back, feeling a little uncomfortable with how high they were flying.
'Is she not worried about the crushing?'
Although Sunny did cross the Chained Isles on Shrike often, he never flew this high up. As he flew under the cover of night, he preferred to usually stay near the ground, or even below the islands as to avoid the crushing. And with Shrike's attributes, he wasn't too worried about surprise attacks.
But what was Sky Tide's method? He did not know. Perhaps she could sense the crushing through the wind, or even through the skies. Sunny could only hope the Saint knew what she was doing.
'No… she definitely does.'
Tyris had been on the Chained Isles far longer than he ever had. In fact, he was pretty sure she was the one who had discovered the Sanctuary of Noctis in the first place. He didn't know for certain, and he wasn't sure if asking was a good idea as Tyris wasn't the conversationalist type.
Sunny watched below as the groups of humans marched across the islands below. The first few islands were mostly cleared of nightmare creatures, courtesy of Sky Tide — but many of the islands further in were teeming with all sorts of horrors. The goal of the current hunting parties was to clear as many islands around the Sanctuary as they could, making sure absolutely no nightmare creatures were even near the Citadel.
As the humans crossed more chains, Sunny saw the swarms of nightmare creatures begin to emerge. Coming out of the skies, the underside, and all sorts of burrows, swathes of nightmare creatures seemed to be attracted by the scent of human souls. Sunny watched the glorious raid below, telling Sky Tide of any dangerous nightmare creatures he had spotted.
"Lady Tyris, down there! From the underside!"
A Corrupted Tyrant had emerged, its hideous body coming out segment by segment as it slowly crossed its currently empty island. Having felt the fighting ahead, it had left its nest in search of prey.
But it never would, as crushing wind and lightning descended upon mere seconds later. Sunny became submerged himself into the shadows, avoiding the fury of the fight as best he could. Through his shadow sense, he carefully observed how the Transcendent fought, wishing to learn her secrets.
Sunny had nothing against Sky Tide and no plans of using this information against her of course, but learning everything he could about how a Transcendent body worked would only bring him benefits.
'A chance like this doesn't come often…'
Sunny continued to closely shadow her, observing her essence in the process.