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Chapter Text

Prologue: Story of Aurora

Centuries ago, in a world long since forgotten, there was a kingdom blessed by the stars. In this kingdom, every citizen possessed abilities that people today would call “magic” for lack of a better word. One person’s abilities were unlike those of any other, so they deemed her their first queen. The queen was a figure of immense beauty and grace along with her supernatural (even by this kingdom’s standards) abilities. Her name was Aurora Nova, and she ruled with honor and benevolence.

As the most powerful person in her kingdom, Aurora had a few rivals who envied her power. But none of them stood a chance against her magical might. One day, a young man came from another world, searching for a new home after the loss of his old one. He knew nothing of Aurora’s power, but was taken aback by her beauty. He couldn’t even introduce himself at first. (He did eventually, as Victor Lux.)

Victor had no desire for power, he only wanted a home for himself and his people. However, when he caught sight of Aurora, he knew he had found his new home. Aurora asked Victor what he could offer, and Victor took some time before he could come up with a satisfying answer. He had no magical abilities, and any labor he could do, Aurora or even one of her subjects could do much more easily. But there was one thing Victor’s people could do that Aurora’s could not, at least not before Victor’s had arrived on this planet.

Even with all of her magical prowess, Aurora had no means of leaving her homeworld. She had enjoyed stargazing every night and always wondered what it would be like to commune with the stars at a closer distance. She had believed the life could exist in the vast night sky, but until Victor and his people arrived, she had no proof.

So Victor gave Aurora rides on his “starship” as he called it, and they both learned a lot from one another. Before meeting Aurora, space travel seemed mundane and ordinary to Victor. But Aurora painted such a concept in a new and imaginative light, and made Victor realize just how wonderful it truly was. Traveling from planet to planet, star to star, moon to moon, it was like nothing Aurora had ever dreamt before. Even if Victor’s birth planet no longer existed, he felt at home with Aurora.

After visiting many planets, Aurora decided to return to her homeworld, and give it a name. She decided to call it Feria, for in her language, “Fe” meant “Spirit” and “Ria” meant “World” and that’s just what her planet was: a world of spirit. Victor and Aurora held a union ceremony that would later be regarded as the first interplanetary wedding. A history-making moment, to be sure.

They had a beautiful half-Ferian daughter named Lucilia Nova, whose radiance rivaled even her mother’s. Lucilia was a friend to many people and beasts, including the legendary Ursa Major. She had attracted many suitors, among whom were two jewelers, brothers named Theodor and Nicholas. Each of them made her various pieces of jewelry: Crowns, rings, gauntlets, and, Lucilia’s personal favorite: amulets.

Theodor had made a particularly fancy amulet for Lucilia, one with a silver chain and a rainbow-colored gemstone pendant. Aurora had warned Lucilia about Astral Diamonds, the rainbow-colored rocks from outer space. They were beautiful, but they also possessed dark magic. Lucilia ignored her mother’s warnings and donned the amulet. As soon as she did, she was no longer in control of her own body. Theodor had taken control of Lucilia through the power of the amulet.

Seeing what his brother had done to the princess, Nicholas used an ancient spell to turn Theodor into a cloud. The spell broke Theodor’s hold on Lucilia, but Nicholas didn’t realize that the spell would be permanent. He only wanted to disarm his brother temporarily, not alter his form forever.

Lucilia was grateful for what Nicholas had done, to have chosen her freedom over his own brother’s selfish desires. Lucilia knew something had to be done to prevent future villains from harming the royal family. She decided to study the craft of jewelry-making. She would need to find the most powerful stones in the entire kingdom of Feria, and make amulets for them. She would need to craft six amulets to embody the Seven Forces of Magic. Each amulet would correspond to one Force, and the six of them together would summon the seventh Force.

Lucilia and her parents scoured the globe for the most powerful gems, and after years of searching, their efforts finally paid off. Lucilia crafted the gems into heart-shaped pendants and named them after her mother, and thus, the Hearts of Aurora were born. They were the Hearts of Passion, Desire, Joy, Hope, Trust, and Clarity. When their powers were combined, they formed the Heart of Love, the most powerful magical relic ever created.

Lucilia took Nicholas’s hand in marriage, and they had children of their own, and they fell in love and had their own children, and so on. Many generations later, the Hearts of Aurora are still Feria’s most valued treasures. Now you know the story of Aurora. If anything happens to the Hearts, the entire kingdom may well fall into ruin. Only a team of six who all know the story can properly wield the magic of the Hearts. If you are reading this, there’s a small chance you might be one of the six. Good luck, and may the stars forever light your path.

Chapter Text

Chapter I: The Guardian Angel

Simon Devlyn looked up from the book as he had finished reading it. Only a team of six who all know the story can properly wield the magic of the Hearts. If you are reading this, there’s a small chance you might be one of the six. Good luck, and may the stars forever light your path. Simon reread the words to make sure he read them correctly. His father, Brevenius, gave both him and his older brother Theodore a copy of the Story of Aurora before leaving for the Ferian War.

Are we supposed to wield these “Hearts” or something? Simon wondered. And why is my brother named after the villain of that story? I know it’s spelled different, but if my father had this book when he was younger, it can’t be a coincidence that he named my brother that. Maybe there’s more to the story than what’s written here?

Simon put the book down and took a deep breath. He paced a few dozen steps around his attic bedroom, and sat on his bed. There must be some reason our father gave us this book. Simon mused. We’re just two ordinary boys. How could we be a third of this alleged team of six?

Simon realized that wasn’t entirely true. Theodore wasn’t a boy anymore. He was a man now, ever since about a year and a half ago. Simon would be joining Theodore in manhood on his next birthday, just a few days from now. Maybe then I’ll be able to go to another planet. Maybe even the one mentioned in that book. I wonder what it’s like after all these years. What happened to Theodor after his own brother turned him into a cloud of smoke? How long ago were the Hearts of Aurora crafted?

Simon had so many questions and no idea whom to ask them, nor when or even if he would meet such a person. He decided to go downstairs (or downladder, as it were) and take a walk outside. Summer wasn’t exactly his favorite season, but daily walks gave him a chance to clear his head. There were loads of tiny creatures to find, flowers to admire, and, at night, a few stars to gaze at.

While leaving the house, Simon’s brother Theodore (with a silent e, unlike the person in the book he read) stopped him.

“You’re leaving without eating again, Si?” Theodore asked.

“I’ll be back in less than an hour.” Simon mentioned. “If I’m hungry then, I’ll let you know.”

“You always say that and never actually do.” Theodore pointed out. “Everybody gets hungry, Si. I’ll make something for the both of us while you’re out and about.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Simon told Theodore as he walked out the door. He couldn’t go ten steps without spotting a silver-winged butterfly. They’re not usually that color. Simon thought. He inched towards the butterfly, careful not to startle it. Upon closer inspection, this butterfly had six wings instead of the four he was used to seeing. Is this some kind of mutant? Simon wondered. Nature is strange and beautiful.

To Simon’s delight, the butterfly landed right on his forehead. It then fluttered a bit and landed on a small orange flower nearby. Simon watched as the butterfly sipped nectar from the flower. I wonder what it would be like to see the world through a butterfly’s eyes? Simon thought. Or any small creature. Shapeshifting would be a neat ability.

Simon was so busy admiring that butterfly that he didn’t notice the hours passing. He looked to the sky and noticed the sun was setting. That giant orange ball of fire told him roughly what time it was when he wasn’t near a clock, and summer days being longer meant sunset was later in the day than it would have been in any other season. Probably around nine or so . Simon thought. That means if Dore made us dinner, it would probably be cold by now.

Simon hurried home and came back to the smell of roast duck and potatoes. To Simon’s surprise, it smelled fresh, as if Theodore knew Simon would be out for longer than he said. Theodore served himself and Simon each a plate, and explained that Simon had done this sort of thing before.

“You do this every summer, Si.” Theodore explained. “You say you’ll be back in an hour and then you judge time by the sunset, almost assuming it will be around six or seven. What you need is a nice watch or something.” Theodore covered his mouth as he finished that sentence.

“If I need it this badly,” Simon replied, “and my birthday is coming up, why don’t you just buy me one?”

“You are aware that birthday presents are supposed to be a surprise, aren’t you?” Theodore asked. “Even if I did, you wouldn’t be allowed to know until the day in question. Anyway, speaking of buying, I spent a fortune on that duck. Eat up, pen-birthday boy.”

“You can’t just use ‘pen’ as a prefix for everything that’s almost true.” Simon remarked.

“I can and I shall.” Theodore rebutted. “Now eat.”

Simon took a bite out of the duck, and the potatoes, and then tried dipping the duck into the potatoes, and smiled. Even if he can be kind of a stick-in-the-mud sometimes, my brother does care for me. If we are meant to be heroes on a journey, I could see him risking his life for me, and I for him.

After Simon and Theodore finished their meal, Theodore put the rest of the duck in the fridge to be eaten later. Simon went up to his attic bedroom, despite not being too tired. He saw a few stars outside his window, and then marked another X on his calendar. July 17th is practically over. Simon thought. So there are basically three days left until my birthday. I wonder what will happen then?

Simon thought about his previous birthdays, before his father left for the war. On his twelfth birthday, Simon learned how to fly a starship. He wasn’t technically old enough to do that, or at least legally, so he was told to wait another five years to put those skills to use. That day would finally come sometime this week, and Simon was beyond ecstatic for it. I just hope I can remember what my father taught me. Simon thought. And that one of my birthday presents is a ship. But if my brother could barely afford a duck for dinner, how could he afford a ship?

Simon battled his thoughts until he finally dozed off. Then he began to dream. In the dream, Simon saw the butterfly from earlier that day, sipping nectar from orange flowers and pollinating them. After a few minutes of pollination, the butterfly transformed into a being unlike anything Simon had seen before.

Simon heard stories about creatures like these, ones that could shapeshift into smaller creatures, but he wasn’t sure what this one was. It appeared to resemble some figure of a woman, with a golden waterfall of hair, a silver ring above her head, and three pairs of silver wings protruding from her back. Simon thought this must be either a fairy or an angel, but he had no way to tell which.

“One of your guesses is correct, my child.” The figure spoke. “My name is Celeste Montclair, and I will be your guardian angel for your upcoming journey.”

“An angel?” Simon asked. “And not a fairy? If you were a fairy, you’d have to tell me you are one, since fairies can’t lie. So I will choose to believe you.”

“Very good, my child.” Celeste praised Simon. “And if I were a fairy, how would you introduce yourself?”

“I would say that you may not have my name,” Simon answered, “ but you may call me Simon Devlyn.”

“You know how to protect yourself from the fae, it seems.” Celeste remarked. “But do you know why I am here?”

“To guide me on my quest for the Hearts of Aurora?” Simon asked.

“Not just that, my child.” Celeste replied. “I am also here to guide you on your journey into and throughout your adulthood. Ideally that would be your father’s duty, but he is missing in action. He sent a prayer to the Stars, who then relayed it to the Angels, so here I am.”

Celeste acts like she’s surprised to be here. Simon thought. I thought the Angels were supposed to know everything the Stars knew. How could they be surprised about anything.

“The Stars only tell us what we need to know,” Celeste explained, “Everything else, we learn along with our charges.”

“Charges?” Simon asked.

“As in, people entrusted to our care.” Celeste explained. “But what I don’t understand is why the Stars sent me. I’m only nine hundred and twelve years old, one of the youngest Angels around, and I’ve never had a charge before. They should have sent a more experienced Angel instead of me.”

“Well you’re leagues older than I am.” Simon pointed out. “Not in a bad way, I just mean even as a newbie Angel, you still have more experience than any human could hope to have.”

“Sixteenth century history is hardly relevant to anything in modern day or the time of Aurora.” Celeste mentioned. “Aurora has been dead for two dozen centuries, and I have only been around for nine.”

“We’ll figure out why the Stars sent you together.” Simon reassured Celeste. “What do you know about Aurora that I don’t, and can’t learn from another source?”

“Aurora used the magic of the Seven Forces to create the Hearts, as you know.” Celeste reminded Simon. “What your little book doesn’t mention is that while only a team is meant to use the Hearts, an individual can wield them, but they would go mad with excess Force magic. Several have tried, and all who survived the madness would never become sane again.”

“So the Hearts are best used by a team, got it.” Simon replied. “Do you have any idea who the other four members of our team may be?”

“The Stars told me that your team is two-thirds royal, one-third common,” Celeste explained, “so that narrows the search down to kings, queens, princes, princesses, and other sorts of Royals.”

“And it also means my brother and I are the only ones from our planet, since it’s not a monarchy.” Simon pointed out.

“ Your planet may not be a monarchy,” Celeste mentioned, “but Feria is. And lucky for you, it’s in the same solar system as yours.”

Simon had no idea that the planet in the Story of Aurora, the one on which his father went to war, was this close to his home planet. If he were to get a ship for his birthday, he could start the journey then. Maybe I can find my father there too. Simon thought.

“Your father will not be able to join you on this adventure.” Celeste mentioned. “He is bound to the planet’s conflict and cannot leave until it has ended.”

“I never said anything about my father,” Simon mentioned.

“And here I thought you knew Angels could read thoughts.” Celeste remarked. “Anyway, with the war going on, it will be difficult for you to convince Queen Aryana or her daughter to aid you on your journey. But this is a matter in which Angels cannot interfere. If Angels took sides in mortal wars, there would be no civilization left within the next decade. And in terms of history, a decade is a very short time.”

“Right, no divine intervention, got it.” Simon replied. “So what should I do then? Just show up on Feria during the war and ask the queen and princess if one of them wants to join me on a quest for their ancestors’ relics?”

“You will need to conspire with your brother to come up with a plan.” Celeste pointed out. “If I did anything, it would be divine intervention.”

“One more thing,” Simon asked, “do you know what I’m getting for my birthday?”

“Of course, my child,” Celeste answered, “but wouldn’t you rather find out on the day in question? When you awake from this dream, it will only be three days away. That gives you three more dreams to speak with me... or whoever else the Stars send.”

Simon thought about that last line Celeste stated. whoever else the Stars send. What could that mean? Did Simon have multiple guardian angels? Would there be a guardian demon as well? Why didn’t Celeste tell Simon herself?

Whatever the case, Simon had a long journey ahead of him, and only three days left until it began. With Celeste gone from his dream, Simon wasn’t sure how long he slept. He only knew that it was still dark out when he woke up. Through his window, he could see a faint twilight, signifying a near-future sunrise. It’s summer, so this means it’s roughly five in the morning. Simon thought. I’d have to go downstairs to check the clock and be sure, but I don’t want to wake up Theodore.

Simon slowly and carefully climbed down the ladder, checked the clock, and slowly climbed back up. Five twelve. I was close. Simon thought. Forty-eight minutes until Dore usually wakes up. Forty-eight minutes until I can tell him about my dream. I think I’ll reread the Story of Aurora while I wait.

Chapter Text

Chapter II: A Day in Town

As Simon reread The Story of Aurora , he noticed there were far fewer pages than a typical amount for a book of that thickness. Only four pages, Simon thought, but the book appears to be a three hundred page novel. There must be some sort of Ferian magic involved. I wonder if this book is enchanted so I can’t read all of it unless I use some sort of spell? Maybe Celeste would know something? If she’s supposed to be guiding me, I guess I’ll see her in my next dream. Maybe I’ll ask her then.

Simon decided to check the clock again, so down the ladder he went. Five twenty. He noticed. Only eight minutes since I last checked it. And still too early to wake up Dore. I guess I should just go back to bed. But I’m not tired! I already slept a decent amount last night. Simon looked out the window. The sun was beginning to rise and Simon had nothing to do for the next forty minutes. He had already read as much of the Story of Aurora as he could read twice, and didn’t know how to access the full story. He thought about reading it a third time, then decided not to. He decided even though he couldn’t sleep, he should lie down for a few minutes and think about the upcoming journey.

As soon as my birthday arrives, Simon thought, we need to begin this quest. I wonder what advice Celeste can offer me, if I’m her first charge. Why wasn’t I assigned a more experienced Angel? I wonder if there’s a way to contact the Heavens without dying, so I can lodge a complaint. 

Simon thought about how Angels could read thoughts, and if they were currently checking on his, they would have smitten him. I guess they’re not omniscient. Simon thought. They’re not the Stars after all. Still, I wish I could choose which Angel would guide me. I would have chosen Gabriel.

Simon heard stories about the Angels from his grandfather, who was named after one of them. Grandpa Gabe was a starship engineer who designed starships for Hart Industries, the greatest starship company in the Adventine. The stories of his adventures had lulled him to sleep for a few years until Gabe eventually passed on. Simon didn’t know much about his mother, but if her father told her the same stories he told Simon, she must have grown up with a sense of adventure.

I wonder what kinds of adventures my mother went on, and why her father never told me about them. Simon thought. And now it’s too late to ask either of them. After Simon was lost in thought for a while, he decided to check the time again. Down the ladder he climbed, and the clock read six oh two. Simon decided now was a good time to wake his brother. Maybe Dore knows more about our mother, or about how to read the full version of that book.

“Rise and shine, Dore!” Simon told Theodore. “It’s past six!”

“Give me a minute to get dressed, Si.” Theodore mumbled. Simon forgot that most people don’t sleep in their regular clothes like he does. 

“I’ll make breakfast this time,” Simon offered, “since you did it last time.”

Simon went to the kitchen and whipped up some eggs. Not exactly glamorous but it was what they had. And at least this time he didn’t burn them. Simon also served himself and his brother each a glass of water. The brothers ate their breakfast and had a conversation.

“I saw an Angel in my dream last night.” Simon mentioned. “Her presence made me think of another Angel, the one our grandfather was named after.”

“May the Stars rest his soul.” Theodore bowed in respect. “But which Angel was this? Michael? Uriel? Raphael? I hope it wasn’t Azrael.”

“No, none of them.” Simon answered. “It was a newbie named Celeste.”

“That’s not good either.” Theodore pointed out. “Newbie Angels only show up when there’s a quest that the pre-existing Angels are incapable of guiding mortals on. This quest will be more dangerous than any quest that has previously existed. What was this Celeste’s last name, if you know it?” As Theodore asked that question, he took a sip of water.

“Montclair.” Simon replied.

Theodore spat out his water. “The ancient composer?” He asked. “I’m a big fan of her music. Especially the soundtrack for Time Crusade .”

“What’s that,” Simon asked, “another play?”

“No, Time Crusade is an old type of game called an arcane game.” Theodore clarified. “They’re of Ferian origin. I read about them in the Story of Aurora.”

“So you KNOW how to access the full version of that book?” Simon asked. “Can you show me?”

“After we finish breakfast.” Theodore replied. “And after you tell me more about your meeting with Celeste.”

“She told me that we would have to go on a big journey in search of the Hearts of Aurora.” Simon mentioned. “And that we would be a third of a bigger team, the rest of which is all royalty.”

“Probably princes and princesses,” Theodore deduced, “since the kings and queens wouldn’t be too keen on helping people from enemy planets. The youths are generally less jaded.”

“And Feria is right next to our home planet.” Simon mentioned. “So that should be our first stop.”

“All we need to do now is wait three days.” Theodore mentioned. “We can’t go off befriending royalty if we’re breaking the galactic laws.”

“Fine,” Simon replied, “we’ll wait until I’m seventeen. But what do we do until then?”

“I can show you how to read that book.” Theodore offered. “But that’ll take less than one day. Not sure what to do for the other two.”

The two brothers finished their breakfast and headed up to the attic. Simon pulled out his copy of the Story of Aurora from under the bed. Simon handed it to Theodore, who then placed his index finger on the cover and drew a symbol with it. The symbol was some kind of curve that went up and down.

“This symbol is called the Ferian Wave.” Theodore mentioned. “I learned about it from Illusions. And THAT, before you ask, IS a play. The Ferian Wave can reveal the truth behind all but the strongest illusion spells.”

As Theodore finished drawing the Ferian Wave, Simon’s book began to glow. When Simon opened it, he saw the same text he saw before... at first. Around the third paragraph, the text showed something unfamiliar to Simon.

“ Victor’s introduction to the kingdom was met with confusion  and anger. ” Simon read out loud. “ Aurora’s people had never seen the strange contraption by which Victor arrived on their planet. He called it a ‘Starship’ and said he and his people were searching for a new home. Aurora feared that welcoming Victor’s people would end poorly. Aurora attacked Victor in what she felt was self defense. When Victor saw Aurora’s display of magical might, rather than screaming in pain, he bowed in respect. ”

“The story is different from you remember it, isn’t it?” Theodore asked. “You can read the rest on your own time, I have work to do. I’ll be back around seven... postmeridian.”

Simon checked the clock. Twelve and a half hours. He thought. No play is THAT long. What does Dore do in town after he finishes performing? Maybe I can ask him tonight. If he doesn’t answer, it’s probably something related to my birthday.

Simon decided to return to his room and continue reading the full version of the Story of Aurora. In that book, he learned something interesting, that a prophet foresaw the reincarnations of King Victor amd Queen Aurora along with a few others, battling the immortalized dark spirit of Theodor and finally putting him to rest. The book called Theodor’s spirit “Teneber” which was Ferian for Darkness.

So we have a name for our enemy, Simon thought, but which one of us is the reincarnation of Victor? And which one is the reincarnation of Aurora? Are these questions Celeste would know the answers to? She wasn’t around when Victor or Aurora were alive, so I can’t imagine she would be able to enlighten me on this.

Simon continued reading the book, but no names were given to these “future” heroes, so he had no clue which one he was supposed to be. Nor were the events of or leading up to the battle described in detail, so he had no clue how to train for it. Maybe THAT’s what Celeste can teach me. Simon figured. Angels are meant to deliver justice, and sometimes the best way to do that is through violence. Maybe Celeste can teach me how to fight.

Simon finished reading the book and hoped the prophet who predicted his victory was right. But at the same time, hoped parts of the prophecy were false. Simon didn’t want to have a child, he found the process of producing one to be disgusting. And neither did he want to fight someone he loved, even if it were while they were possessed by an ancient demon lord. Apparently my brother has also read this, Simon thought, but maybe the prophecy won’t come to pass. Or maybe I’m misinterpreting it. I would rather kill myself than my brother.

Simon decided to throw his book under his bed and never think about it again. The words of that book nearly drove him mad, so he decided to take a walk to town and see how Theodore was doing on his play. Simon followed the path, over the hills and along the road, until he saw a sign that said St. Quinn’s Town.  

At the town, Simon saw the familiar buildings, some taller than others, and walked down another road until he could see the amphitheater. There on the stage, wearing a costume of one of the characters from some play or other, was Simon’s brother Theodore. Simon had no idea what play Theodore was performing, (he had no interest in theater whatsoever) but he decided to watch anyway, to see what his brother would do after it was over.

During the play, Theodore was standing next to another costumed actor, whose only facial feature Simon could see was his ebony hair. He wore a red dragon mask, while Dore wore a green one. The two “dragons” were shouting in some forgotten language or something. It turned out that these shouts were a battle of some sort, and the red dragon actor fell on his back. People cheered for the green dragon actor, for Theodore. The red one got up again and the two of them bowed.

I guess I got here just in time for the finale. Simon thought as he saw his brother come downstage, and then jumped off the stage. Maybe I should say something to him. But what can I say when I know nothing about theatrics? Do I just say the battle looked cool?

“Fancy seeing you here, Si.” Theodore mentioned. “I thought you had no interest in the theater.”

“Well I know for a fact that plays are supposed to be two or three hours, not twelve.” Simon replied. “I wanted to see how you would spend the rest of the day in town.”

“Well there’s the afterparty, that’s another couple hours.” Theodore pointed out. “Everyone involved in the play is allowed to bring one other person with them. I usually go alone because you have no interest in plays, but the party has nearly nothing to do with the performance most of the time. Would you care to join me in some festivities?”

“This close to my birthday?” Simon asked. “No thanks. Two parties so close together would take too much energy out of me. I’d collapse from exhaustion!”

“Nobody’s forcing you.” Theodore mentioned. “If you don’t want to go, I can give you a cut of my earnings and you can explore the town. How’s that sound?”

“Fine. But don’t make fun of me for what I buy with it.” Simon asked of his brother.

“Deal. Here’s twenty percent of what I earned today.” Theodore handed Simon a small stack of bills that looked impressive until he noticed they were all singles. He quickly counted them. Twenty-three dollars . Simon realized. If this is twenty percent, that means Theodore makes a hundred and fifteen dollars a day performing in those silly plays. I thought we barely had any money! If he earns this much, and we can barely afford food, he MUST have been saving up for something big, like a starship.

Simon took the money and explored town until he stumbled across an antique shop. He saw an odd rectangular thing that caught his eye. It had hinges, two glass panels, and some odd looking buttons labeled A, B, Y, and X. He asked the shopkeeper about the item and the shopkeeper told him “That’s a rare one, young man. It’s an old device that allows the user to play arcane games. One hundred and fifty dollars. It’s still in working condition, and I’ll even throw in a free game.”

“I don’t have that much.” Simon told the shopkeeper. “Do you have anything interesting for twenty three or less?”

“I have these dice.” The shopkeeper looked in their desk drawer and pulled out a bag of plastic polyhedral dice. “Roll them and see what happens.”

Simon rolled the D10, and it landed on seven. A fraction of a second later, seven small firecrackers exploded from the die. Simon wasn’t a fan of firecrackers, their noisiness always outweighed their prettiness.

“No thanks,” Simon answered, returning the dice to the shopkeeper. “Anything else? Something flashy, but not noisy?”

“Wait right here.” The shopkeeper told Simon. “I’ve got something that will catch your fancy.”

The shopkeeper went into the closet, and when they came back, they were carrying a silver staff. If that were REAL silver, it wouldn’t go for as low as twenty-three dollars. Simon thought.

“Do you know any words in Ferian?” The shopkeeper asked. “This is a Ferian artifact, said to summon whatever it hears about.”

“I know one,” Simon stated, “but it’s not pleasant. You wouldn’t want the staff casting a spell of darkness on your store, would you?”

The shopkeeper shook their head. “You are one difficult customer.” They told Simon. “Flashy, not noisy, and something within your price range? Do you know how little of my inventory covers that? If you’re gonna be this picky I would suggest you take your business elsewhere.”

“If it helps, I really was interested in the arcane game system.” Simon mentioned. “And my birthday is fairly soon. Perhaps I’ll ask my brother to buy it for me.”

Simon wasn’t sure if Theodore would buy him an arcane game system and a starship, but he didn’t want to tell that to the shopkeeper. He left the shop and looked for another one, perhaps one with a less expensive and more interesting palette of items. In the end, he couldn’t find anything he liked, and he got hungry walking downtown, so he got himself a nice meal. Better than anything he or his brother could make, and he still had seven dollars left. There were even fewer things affordable with this amount, so Simon decided to return home and put the money somewhere safe. He checked the clock when he got home. Five sixteen. Less than two hours before Dore’s supposed to return. Maybe then I’ll ask him about that game system.

Chapter Text

Chapter III: Reality and Fantasy

When Simon fell into slumber, he saw that familiar landscape that told him he was dreaming. He was in a forest clearing, with a few small boulders in the middle. He sat on one of the boulders and waited for Celeste to arrive. Sure enough, the silver butterfly came to the orange flowers and landed on one of them. A few seconds later, the butterfly transformed into her angelic appearance and hovered in the air above Simon.

“Greetings, my child.” Celeste greeted Simon. “Did you enjoy your day in the town? Have a nice meal? Did you find something you might like for your birthday?”

“All three of those.” Simon answered. “But from what I gathered, Dore’s already picked a present for me. And now I need to act surprised. I’m not an actor.”

“You have two days until the big day arrives,” Celeste mentioned, “in case you forgot your own birthday. It’s the twenty-first of July, whereas today’s date, after you wake up from this dream, will be the nineteenth.”

“I know that.” Simon mentioned. “What I don’t know is how I want to spend those days. If I go into town again, I’d only have seven dollars.”

“Your brother earns money daily from his plays, does he not?” Celeste asked. “You might be able to ask for more.”

“I don’t really want to go to town again for a while.” Simon told Celeste. “It was fun, but it was exhausting. I’d rather stay closer to home.”

“Let’s work on some training for your adventure, my child.” Celeste mentioned. “If you’re exhausted by a jaunt in town, you might fall asleep at a critical point in a real adventure. One of my duties as your guardian angel is to ensure you will be ready for your adventure. Let’s try a little something called channeling.”

“Channeling?” Simon asked.

“It’s the process of gathering magical energy and storing it for a spell.” Celeste explained. “Magic takes a lot of energy to use, so all the best mages channel the energy they need. Now I want you to think about everyone you love. Everything you will be fighting for.”

Simon thought about what Celeste had said. I’m doing this for Theodore. Simon realized. And for myself. And far all the new friends I will meet on this journey, whoever they may be. This thought process would be easier if I had already met them, I guess.

As Simon was thinking, he began to glow bright orange, a similar hue to that of the flowers Celeste landed on in her butterfly form.

“Well done, my child!” Celeste exclaimed. “Now concentrate your energy on one of those boulders.”

Simon did as he was told, and within seconds, the boulder lifted itself out of the ground. Seconds later, when Simon lost his magical grip on the boulder, it came crashing down into the ground again.

“You truly do possess the blood of a Down.” Celeste giggled.

“Something about my magic connects me to my mother?” Simon asked. “Down was her surname.”

“As well as that of her father’s.” Celeste pointed out. “The two of them were great mages. You will be one as well, with the right training. But remember this, my child. Magic is more difficult to perform in the real world than in dreams. You will need to channel not only your own energy, but that of an arcane focus. One of the Hearts of Aurora should do nicely as your focus. Find one, and use it well, my child. Until then, we will train on channeling in every dream.”

Simon tried lifting another boulder. He thought about his love for his brother, himself, their parents, and grandparents. All the people he had met, and some that he never could. His magic lifted the very boulder he was sitting on, and both he and the stone were floating a meter or so in the air.

“Well done, my child.” Celeste mentioned. “Your grandfather would be proud.”

“How do you know him?” Simon asked. “I thought you said I was your first charge.”

“He became an Angel when he died.” Celeste mentioned. “Having two Angels named Gabriel would be confusing if one of them weren’t a former human like me.”

“If what I needed was a newbie angel,” Simon asked, “why couldn’t it have been him? Someone I already have a connection with?”

“I haven’t the slightest clue,” Celeste admitted, “but I imagine I’m here to teach you how to make non-familial connections. Think about it. Have you ever bonded with anyone outside your family?”

Simon thought long and hard about this. His best friend was his brother. He had always heard stories from his mother, and father, and grandparents... but he never went to school, or really connected with anyone outside his family. “No.” Simon answered. “But why does it matter? I have plenty of love for and from my family.”

“If you’re going to be a hero,” Celeste mentioned, “You’re going to need to collaborate with other heroes. That means friendship is important. I have made many friends in my human life... unfortunately none of them became Angels like I did. But I’m here. You’re not alone, my child.”

“If I need friends,” Simon asked, “Can I consider you one of them?”

Celeste nodded. “I can be your friend,” Celeste answered, “but I cannot be one of the heroes. I am already dead, and have been for centuries.”

“And where do we find these heroes?” Simon asked. “All I know so far is that they’re royalty, and one of them might be on a neighboring planet.”

“That’s all you need to know about them for now, my child.” Celeste mentioned. “And you have practiced magic enough for tonight. Tomorrow... or I guess technically today, you’ll need to try making some connections. Maybe talk to the actors your brother acts with?”

With that, Simon woke up. That conversation couldn’t have been more than ten minutes, but when he awoke from the dream, the entire night had already passed. I guess time flows differently in dreams, Simon thought. Will I ever have an ordinary dream again? One that doesn’t feature a guardian angel telling me I’m destined to stop the impending darkness? Why can’t I just dream about eating all the cakes in the Adventine? Or riding a dragon? Or dancing with a princess?

Simon had so many ideas for better dreams he couldn’t count them on his hands, or even his feet. But try as he might, he had no ability to choose what he dreamt about. His journey hadn’t even started and he was already sick of it. Why do I have to do this again? Simon wondered. Why couldn’t it have been someone else? Would Celeste answer these questions if I asked her?

When Simon awoke, the sun was already so high in the sky that he couldn’t see it through his window. It must be around noon or so then. Simon thought. He climbed down the ladder and checked the clock. One forty two. Why am I so bad at guessing the time?

Simon decided to take another walk outside, not to town this time, just to the yard. He saw that same butterfly he saw before, pollinating those orange flowers. This is supposed to be Celeste, isn’t it? Simon wondered. Can she only speak to me in dreams? I wonder what kind of flowers those are? It’s not like my brother can tell me. He’s not a botanist or a florist. I suppose I could ask Celeste tonight. It’s not like she can return to her true form in broad daylight. She wouldn’t want to cause a scene.

Simon kept watching Butterfly Celeste pollinate the flowers, accompanied by more butterflies as time passed. He wasn’t sure whether these butterflies were actual butterflies or other angels like Celeste. What would it be like to be a butterfly? Simon wondered. Spreading pollen and searching for nectar? Flapping my wings and causing chaos on the other side of the planet?

One of the butterflies that wasn’t Celeste landed on Simon’s nose. I guess that answers the question of whether they are real butterflies or not. Simon thought. A real butterfly wouldn’t land on a human being. I wonder which Angel you might be? One of the Gabriels? Uriel? Michael? Azrael? Maybe you or Celeste could tell me in a dream tonight. He knew which Angel he wanted to see. Ever since he found out his grandfather had become one, Simon wanted to see him again.

After watching the butterflies for who knows how long, Simon dozed off in the field. He saw the same forest clearing, with the same boulders in the same places, and sitting on one of them was Celeste again.

“Fall asleep again so soon, my child?” Celeste asked. “It wasn’t anywhere near nightfall this time.”

“Those other butterflies you were flying with in the waking world,” Simon mentioned, “was one of them my grandfather? You told me he became an Angel. Why did you come to me and not him? Wouldn’t it make more sense for my guide and guardian to be someone I have a connection with?”

“The Stars chose me, my child.” Celeste answered. “They gave me no reason for their choice.”

“Wouldn’t it make more sense for the Angel to be someone who lived during the foundation of Feria?” Simon asked. “That’s around the time the Hearts were crafted. What event in history did you live through?”

“When I was alive,” Celeste answered, “it was a time of unprecedented peace. There were no wars and all the planets of the Adventine lived together in harmony. The few peoples we didn’t get along with simply kept to themselves and left us alone. I’m just as much in the dark of why the Stars chose me as you are.”

“What did you do while you were alive?” Simon asked. “Maybe that would be some kind of clue as to the reason.”

“I was a composer of arcane game music.” Celeste answered. “Best known for a game called Time Crusade. ”

Simon slapped his own face with his palm. “My brother mentioned that game!” He exclaimed. “I should have remembered! I also saw a device for playing arcane games at the antique shop. Not sure if a centuries-old contraption like that would even still work.”

“It is imperative that you play that game, my child.” Celeste mentioned. “Not just to hear my music, but that game shows its players how to be a hero throughout time and space. When you awake from this dream, return home and ask your brother about it. Tell him it’s important for becoming a hero.”

“The way he talked about it,” Simon pointed out, “it seemed like he has already played it himself. Or at least heard the music.”

“That is good news, my child.” Celeste mentioned. “If your brother has a copy of the game and a device to play it on, he will not have to purchase them. He could just give them to you for your birthday.”

“Not like you’d get any money for the music you made if you’re already dead.” Simon pointed out. “No offense.”

“None taken, my child.” Celeste replied. “Angels have no need for money anyway.”

“What time will it be when I wake up?” Simon asked.

“That is for the Stars to decide, my child.” Celeste answered. “No one but Them will know until you awake. Farewell, my child, and may the Stars forever light your path.”

With that last sentence, Celeste vanished and Simon woke up to a bejeweled ebony sky. Simon could see many Stars, though he didn’t know any of their names. I hope to learn at least a few of their names while traveling. Simon thought. It would make prayers a bit more personal, knowing exactly which stars to pray for for which blessings. I guess I should go back home. Though given how long I slept during the day, I might not be able to sleep tonight.

When Simon made it back home, he saw his brother sitting at a dining room chair, with two plates of food on the table. Simon took a bite out of his meal only to find it was cold. I guess I was gone for too long. Simon thought.

“Where were you?” Theodore asked. “I made this meal three hours ago!”

“Sorry,” Simon apologized, “I fell asleep looking at the butterflies. One of them reminded me of Grandpa Gabe.”

“Grandpa Gabe’s dead, Si.” Theodore replied. “The only way you could have seen him is if he became an Angel, and Angels only show their true forms in dreams. If he were one of the butterflies, you’d have no way of knowing it were him.”

“I just thought it would be nice to talk to him again.” Simon replied. “To hear his stories again.”

“I miss him too, Si.” Theodore admitted, “but we don’t even know for sure if he became an Angel.”

“Celeste told me he did.” Simon mentioned. “And Angels aren’t exactly known for lying.”

“Even so, he’ll only speak to us when we need him most.” Theodore mentioned. “And apparently that’s not now. Anyway, since you won’t be able to sleep tonight, just go hang out in your room. Read that book, or maybe see how many Stars you can count out the window. I don’t care. Just don’t wake me up.”

“Fine,” Simon replied, “I’ll go do my own thing.” Simon checked the clock before climbing up the ladder to his attic bedroom. Twelve-oh-seven. Simon thought. Just after midnight. Today is officially the twentieth. Less than twenty-four hours before my birthday. After he got into his bedroom, he looked out the window and counted the stars. One hundred and forty-two. I feel like there must have been more than that last time. I’ll count again tomorrow night and compare the numbers.

Simon decided to lie in bed and try to sleep, despite knowing that it might be impossible. He wasn’t sure how he did it but he found himself back in the Dreamscape. Stars, or Celeste, or whoever controls when people can sleep... Thank you. Simon thought. This time, it wasn’t Celeste who greeted Simon in the dream world. It was someone else entirely.

Chapter Text

Chapter IV: Simon’s Childhood Ends

In Simon’s dreams, for the past few days, he saw an angel named Celeste. This time, he was visited by someone else. This visitor was someone he had never seen before, a woman clad in a faerie green dress, with hair that shone like golden flames, and eyes that glistened in the sunlight, bearing an indiscernible hue, not quite blue or green. Atop her head was a silver crown, adorned with six heart-shaped jewels of various colors.

“Hello, my love,” the queen spoke with a voice that could lull demons to sleep. “At last I have found you, after centuries of searching. You may not remember me, but I could never have forgotten you.”

“Who are you?” Simon asked. “Beautiful though you may be, I don’t appreciate being called ‘my love’ by a stranger.”

“Apologies,” the queen stated, “I am Queen Aurora, first Queen of Feria.”

“I read your story,” Simon commented, “It mentioned potential reincarnations of King Victor and Queen Aurora. If I had to guess, I must be a reincarnation of King Victor?”

“Sharp as ever, my love.” Aurora remarked. “I mean... stranger. I realize that you probably don’t have any memories of your past life. But I have faith that you will find my future life in your present. Though I haven’t even found her myself yet, so I’m not certain who she is, or rather, who I am meant to become.”

“Why are you here now?” Simon asked. “You said you’ve been searching for centuries.”

“When you...” Aurora answered, “I mean, when King Victor passed away, I decided to take my own life and join him. I became a ghost, only capable of materializing in dreams, and I spent the past twenty four centuries, give or take a few years, searching for a reincarnation of King Victor. There was no ghost of the king to aid me on my search, nor was I aware of my own reincarnations. But now that I finally found you, I can look for my own future life.”

“Let me know when you find her.” Simon mentioned. “Then let me know her name so I can find her too.”

“It won’t be that simple, my love.” Aurora told Simon. “Whatever planet I’m reborn unto might not welcome your kind.”

“While you’re here,” Simon replied, “Can I ask you a few questions about the Hearts? A book about you mentioned them but I don’t have the slightest clue where to look for them.”

“One is held by one of my descendants, in the kingdom of Feria.” Aurora mentioned. “And one of them should be with the Dream Kingdom of Luderia, as they were a close ally of ours. As for the other four, those were held by various heroes throughout history, and I wasn’t exactly keeping a close watch on them.”

“Are there any other kingdoms that might be worth searching?” Simon asked. “My guardian angel told me that I was supposed to befriend royalty.”

“There’s the Starlight Kingdom of Stellaria.” Aurora mentioned. “There are millions of gems there, so the Heart would be well hidden. And there was the Chaos Kingdom, born after my son-in-law went mad trying to protect my daughter. He was a good man until the Darkness got to his heart. One of the Hearts might be there. But you might lose your sanity visiting that kingdom.”

“That’s four.” Simon pointed out, “which is more than half. We might be able to find the other two without your help. Maybe your reincarnation will know something you as a ghost don’t know?”

“One can only hope.” Aurora sighed. “In the meantime, how has your life been treating you? I want to know about the man Victor became.”

“Well I’m not a man yet,” Simon replied, “my seventeenth birthday is tomorrow.”

“That’s a big day.” Aurora remarked. “The laws haven’t changed much regarding ages in the past millennia. When one turns seventeen, it will finally be legal for them to fly to another planet. One can engage in courtship rituals and copulation...”

“I get it, it’s a big deal.” Simon interrupted Aurora. He didn’t want to think about having to strip naked and mash his body against someone else’s. The “courtship” part wasn’t so bad though. It would be nice to have someone to share mutual trust with. Someone to tell about his worries and fears, his life goals, his hopes and dreams... it’s not like his brother would listen to all of that. But at the same time, he didn’t want to tell someone who was essentially a stranger how he felt about that sort of thing, so he didn’t mention it.

“Apologies.” Aurora stated. “If I made you feel uncomfortable we could change the subject.”

“How did you know?” Simon asked. “I didn’t say anything.”

“It’s written all over your face,” Aurora mentioned. “The rosy hue that adorns your cheeks, the way you placed your hands over your eyes... have you never noticed your own expressions?”

“It’s not like there are mirrors everywhere I go.” Simon pointed out. “And my brother doesn’t exactly tell me what expressions I’m wearing. And I haven’t left the house enough to make friends.”

“What a deprived childhood you must have had.” Aurora commented. 

“I still go out sometimes,” Simon mentioned, “but we live so far from town I usually just stay in the yard and look at Stars or butterflies. One of the butterflies came to me in a dream and revealed herself as an Angel. Her name was Celeste. She was after your time.”

“I think I might have met her husband once,” Aurora mentioned, “centuries ago. I thought he was Victor’s reincarnation but I was mistaken. He was a charming gent by the name of Thorne. From Draconia, the kingdom of Dragons. Being Draconian, he might have been able to live as long as a dragon, and still be alive today. He might have some knowledge on the whereabouts of a fifth Heart.”

“It must be lonely for him,” Simon commented, “only being able to speak to his wife in dreams, and even then, not all of them because she’s busy appearing in mine.”

“They’ve been together since Celeste was alive,” Aurora mentioned, “and you know that was a very long time ago. A month of absence is nothing to them. Still, you do need to prepare for your search. The Hearts my daughter crafted won’t find themselves. One more dream after this one and your birthday should be here. After whatever festivities your brother has planned for you, the two of you can set off for Feria, where you will look for the first Heart.”

“And there we’ll find your descendants, the Queen and Princess?” Simon asked.

“Precisely.” Aurora answered. “And you will ask the Princess to join you on your quest. By Ferian tradition, the Queen will give you a series of tests. Listen to what she has to say and do as you’re told, then she should give you the first Heart and directions to find the second.”

“Didn’t we just establish where five of them might be?” Simon asked.

“Even I don’t know where they are for certain,” Aurora admitted, “They very well may have moved since the last time I saw them.”

“If you don’t have anything else to say, can I just wake up now?” Simon asked. “I want to spend at least part of my last day of childhood awake.”

“Very well,” Aurora stated, “but we will converse again after you meet my descendant.”

“Looking forward to it.” Simon replied, though he wasn’t sure if he meant it. And with that, the dream faded, and Simon was back in his bed. The Sun was high in the sky, so it must have been past noon already. Simon climbed out of bed and down the ladder to check the clock. Twelve thirty. Simon thought. So I have less than half the day left. My brother must already be in town. Should I visit him there? Or just hang out here?

Before waiting for his brain to answer himself, Simon made the decision to leave. He snagged some trail mix, brought the seven dollars from last time he went out, and headed to town. On the journey there, he saw no butterflies this time. No Celeste, or Gabriel, or any other Angels. Or if they were watching him, they were taking on other forms.

When Simon made it to the stage, he saw several costumed actors, but he knew right away which one was Theodore. He had a mask that was silver on one side, and gold on the other. The design bore similarity to that of a crescent moon on the right, with three stars on the left. Theodore spoke about this character before, a hunter named Dilunius.

When Theodore aimed with what was presumably a toy bow and arrow, he shot at someone dressed in a fox costume. When Dilunius killed the fox, he was cursed by the Sun, for slaying a sacred beast. Simon thought. Under this curse, Dilunius would have his head split in two, but still survive the blow, having to live with a disfigured head for the rest of eternity. But Dilunius had no IDEA that fox was sacred. Nobody told him until after he had already received his punishment.

When the actor who played the Sun came down and told Theodore of his curse, Theodore wailed in pain so convincingly it was as if he were actually cursed to have his head split. The special effects were so quick, Simon knew at least one stagehand must have been a mage. Theodore was given a new mask, with two smaller crescent moon shapes instead of one big one.

Too much happened in the play for Simon to keep track of, but it was one that Theodore had told him about before, so he knew the general story. The other hunters thought Dilunius was a monster, so they shot him with their bows. Dilunius met his demise in the same forest where he killed that fox, and his remains were eaten by the other foxes. Why would Theodore agree to play a role that suffers such a gruesome fate? Simon wondered. I get that it’s all just fiction of grandeur, but even knowing that, I wouldn’t want to play such a character. I would prefer my character to get a happy ending.

After the play was over, Theodore removed his mask and hopped off the stage to greet Simon. “Wasn’t expecting to see you here, Si.” The actor spoke.

“I just didn’t want to spend my last day of childhood alone.” Simon admitted. “Plus a little butterfly told me to make some friends, so I was hoping I could meet some of yours.”

“Alright, then.” Theodore replied. “I’ll introduce you to some of the other actors here. This little man over here,” he gestured to the left of him with his right arm, “is Jacob Marx. He’s from another planet but prefers this one for its peace and tranquility.”

“Aren’t we literally at war with Feria?” Simon asked.

“That’s not happening on our soil though,” Theodore answered. “Plus I don’t think any fighting will go on here. The Ferians have a stronger connection to their gods on their homeworld, so if they’re anywhere else, they might not have access to magic.”

“Anyway, Jacob’s an interesting kid.” Theodore continued. “He’s older than the rest of our troupe combined, and he’s part of Draconia’s royal family.”

“How old is he exactly?” Simon asked.

“He hasn’t said,” Theodore answered, “nor do I think he would.”

“Well if he’s a prince,” Simon mentioned, “maybe he’s one of the heroes for our upcoming quest? Celeste said they would all be royalty except us.”

“He’d rather stay on Terra Nova as an actor.” Theodore mentioned. “Anyways, another member of our troupe is this young lady behind me.” Theodore didn’t even look behind him, he simply knew she was there. “Her name is Mora Winters. You can tell by the silver skin that she’s Ferian, but she has no interest in fighting us.”

“Hello, Dore’s brother!” Mora exclaimed in a booming voice. “Dore told us so much about you! Is it true that the legendary Celeste Monclair spoke to you in a dream?”

“More-a than one,” Simon clarified, internally chuckling at his pun. “But I haven’t played Time Crusade so I’m not sure exactly what made her legendary.”

“Mora named herself after a TC character.” Theodore told Simon. “She didn’t like her old name. I don’t even know what it was, nor do I care to. It’s more respectful to call her by the name she chose anyway.”

“Ferian law refuses to call me Mora, so I left my homeworld and came to a more welcoming planet.” Mora explained. “I guess it’s thanks to their rudeness that I made friends with your brother. But that doesn’t make it OK. If I ever were to fight in the Ferian war, it would be on the side of Terra Nova.”

“I just want the war to end,” Simon mentioned, “So I can see my mother and father again. But for all I know, they could have been killed. I haven’t seen them as ghosts or Angels in my dreams, so I’m choosing to believe they are alive.”

“For your sake I hope they are.” Simon heard a voice he hadn't heard before. He turned around to see Jacob uttering the words. Jacob’s pale skin and blood-red eyes spooked Simon a bit, but not enough for him to scream or say anything about it.

“Anyways, since you’re here, I’ll give you a cut of what I earned.” Theodore mentioned to Simon. “More than last time, since it’s closer to your birthday.” He counted some bills and handed Simon sixty-five dollars. So I have seventy-two now. Simon realized. 

“I’ll go downtown again, see you in another hour or two.” Simon bade Theodore and his friends farewell.

“Let’s all go together.” Theodore proposed. “I want to see that antique shop you stumbled upon. Also this will give us all more time with the man of the hour.”

“My birthday’s tomorrow, not today.” Simon mentioned. “You of all people should know that, Dore.”

“Fine.” Theodore sighed. “ Future man of the hour. In any case, lead the way.”

Simon tried to remember which way he went to reach that shop. All the buildings looked the same from the outside except for a few signs showing what was inside. He couldn’t remember the name of the antique shop so the signs didn’t help. Eventually he saw some familiar items through a window: A silver staff and a gold-lined black velvet pouch, which Simon presumed must contain the firecracker dice that merchant failed to sell him.

“This is the place!” Simon exclaimed. “I wonder if they still have anything interesting? Like something that would make a good birthday present? Wink, wink.” Simon and friends walked inside.

“Birthday presents are supposed to be a surprise.” Theodore mentioned. “However, your birthday is only...” he checked around for a clock, then found one on the wall, “nine hours and forty-seven minutes away, so I guess it’s fine if you know one thing you’re getting. But I won’t tell you all your presents.”

The shopkeeper who greeted the group was not the same person who tried to convince Simon to buy something two days prior. This one wore a green tunic, and on their back there was a quiver of silver arrows. “Hiya,” they greeted the group. “Did you find anything you like?”

“The other shopkeeper,” Simon mentioned, “from the eighteenth, they showed me an arcane game system. Is that still in the shop?”

“A gent who looks a lot like you, but slightly taller, purchased it yesterday.” The shopkeeper replied. “He appears to be among your group now. Said it was a present for his brother.” The shopkeeper placed their hands over their mouth as if they said something they shouldn’t have. “You must be the gent’s brother. Sorry for ruining the surprise.”

“It’s fine,” Simon mentioned, “Worse fates could have befallen me. I could have been drafted into the war, or the Sun could have gone out, or some other thing.”

“I’ve lived many terrible fates,” the shopkeeper mentioned, “and seen many more. Just know you have more than one potential fate. How your life ends up depends largely on your choices, and those of others that involve you.”

“You’re a lot more friendly than the other shopkeeper.” Simon remarked. “They were obsessed with sales.”

“The Sunday shopkeeper isn’t the friendliest,” the shopkeeper replied, “but they own the place and pay us well... as long as there’s some semblance of profit. Speaking of which, could I interest you in some dice? I know you like games.”

“As long as they don’t explode like the ones the owner showed me.” Simon responded.

“These ones don’t explode.” The shopkeeper mentioned. “They project holograms of whatever number you roll.” The shopkeeper rolled the D12 and it landed on 9, which Simon didn’t even need to look at the die to see. A large pentagon with the number nine appeared in the air above the dodecahedron.

“How much for the dice?” Simon asked.

“Thirty dollars.” The shopkeeper mentioned. “Deal?”

“Deal.” Simon handed them the money and they gave him the dice, wrapped in a black velvet bag lined with silver threads. “What about you three?” Simon asked Theodore, Jacob, and Mora.

“We’re mainly here for you, Si.” Theodore mentioned. “If we see something we like, we can get it with our own money. None of us have birthdays approaching.”

“Technically your birthday is always approaching.” Simon retorted. “But I know what you mean. I guess if it’s several months away there’s no point in shopping for it.”

“This flower pot looks neat!” Mora exclaimed as she showed Simon the pot in question. “What’s the history behind it, O Shopkeeper?”

“That pot belonged to a legendary gardener named Delilah Wright.” The shopkeeper explained. “Delilah could cultivate anything, be it native or foreign, as long as she had her magic pot. She used such fruits to feed herself and her sister Olivia in times of drought, when no other plants would grow.”

Olivia Wright? Simon thought. Wasn’t that my maternal grandmother’s name? Nobody told me she had a sister. If I see Grandpa Gabe in my dreams I’ll have to ask him.

“On second thought, maybe not.” Mora decided. She then turned to Simon and whispered. “ My telepathy picked up something suspicious. I think while some of the items in this shop may be legitimate, others, like this pot, aren’t actually magic. I don’t remember reading about a gardener named Delilah Wright, or any sort of magic flower pot, anywhere in history. At least we know the dice work as advertised. ”

Simon wasn’t one for whispering, nor did he want to reply at a normal volume, so he simply nodded. Telepathy would be cool. Simon thought. I’d be able to know what other people are thinking, and I’d be less likely to fall for lies and tricks.

“If everyone who wanted something has found it, let’s all just pay and leave.” Simon stated. “I’m ready to go home. I already got my thing.” He shook the dice bag.

“I think I’m good.” Mora mentioned. “The only thing I thought might be interesting turned out to be fake. At least Simon’s dice were real.”

“I’ll get this lyre.” Jacob stated. “Doesn’t matter if it’s magic or not. I need an instrument. And lyres are associated with the Sun, an important character in many of our plays.”

“You only say that because he’s your character most of the time.” Theodore mentioned.

“If any of your characters played an instrument you’d want one too.” Jacob retorted.

“Fine, but you’re paying for it with your own money.” Theodore mentioned.

“How much?” Jacob asked the shopkeeper.

“One hundred and eighty-four.” The shopkeeper replied.

“Keep the change.” Jacob gave the shopkeeper two bills and they gave him the lyre.

Simon and Theodore walked out of the shop, and Simon saw a street corner food truck with a sign that simply said Burgers, $6. Simon bought two, one for himself and one for his brother. Jacob and Mora can get their own, if they want. Simon and Theodore ate in silence and returned home. By the time they made it back home, the clock read five-sixteen.

Six hours and forty-four minutes left. Simon realized. At that point I might just go to bed and we can celebrate my birthday when I wake up.  

For the rest of the day, Simon stayed close to home. He went outside again, hoping to see the Angels in their butterfly forms, but they weren’t there. Simon decided to reread the Story of Aurora just in case he missed something the last time he read it. 

The volcanoes of Pyronia boast a powerful magic that can forge gems in an instant. Using this special lava and a forgotten technique, Lucilia crafted the Hearts of Aurora. If this technique were to be rediscovered, then new gems equal in power to the Hearts could be forged. Though this would be impractical, as no mere mortal could survive the heat of Pyronia long enough to craft such jewels.

I wonder if I have that knowledge buried in my memory? Simon thought. I mean, if I’m a reincarnation of Lucilia’s father, maybe half of the things she knew are encoded in me? I should keep Pyronia in mind in case we can’t find all the Hearts, or one of them breaks or something.

Simon wasn’t sure how long he read the book for, but he fell asleep before he could finish it. This dream was the last one of his childhood. And it began with neither Celeste nor Aurora. This dream portrayed someone Simon had been hoping to see for a while.

“Grandpa Gabe?” Simon asked. The Angel nodded.

Chapter Text

Chapter V: Man of the Hour

“You’ve grown since I last saw you,” Gabriel told Simon.

“That’s what happens after five years.” Simon pointed out. “People who haven’t finished growing continue to grow.”

“Another Angel told me she came to you in your dreams.” Gabriel mentioned. “Said you might be a reincarnation of an ancient hero.”

“Not just any hero,” Simon clarified, “King Victor himself. Though Celeste didn’t tell me that. I heard it from Aurora’s ghost. I’m not even sure if Celeste knows.”

“The reincarnation of King Victor, hmm?” Gabriel asked. “You will go on to do greater deeds than he ever did. I hear you’re searching for lost relics, starting tomorrow? I hope you have a splendid birthday.”

“My only friends are my brother and a few dead people that can only contact me in dreams.” Simon pointed out. “And maybe Theodore’s friends too, but I barely know them.”

“Friendship is a strange phenomenon.” Gabriel mentioned. “Placing your faith and trust in others, and hoping they do the same for you. But if it’s reciprocated, it can bring about the best of memories. Your grandmother and I started as friends. We would work on starship designs together, forging friendship as well as starships. In fact, when we-”

“That reminds me,” Simon interrupted. “The shopkeeper at the downtown antique shop said my grandmother had a sister, is that true?”

“You should know not to interrupt an elder, let alone an Angel.” Gabriel pointed out. “But no, I have no memory of my wife having a sister. That shopkeeper was lying in order to sell you something.”

“It wasn’t me who was interested in the item.” Simon mentioned. “It was my brother’s friend Mora. And other items in the shop really did have magical properties.”

“Magic or not, the stories that person told were lies.” Gabriel growled. “And I don’t want my baby girl’s baby boy getting swindled. Or anyone else.”

“Mora seemed to know something was wrong.” Simon clarified. “She had this power called telepathy.”

“That is an ability all Ferians possess, to varying degrees.” Gabriel mentioned. “An ability that resides in you and your brother as well.”

“But we’re not Ferian!” Simon exclaimed. “We’d have silver skin if we were!”

“There is a reason you were never allowed to see your mother without makeup.” Gabriel mentioned. “We didn’t want you knowing of your heritage until you were both of age. That day has finally come. You mother is from Feria. She fled to Terra Nova because the war turned her against your father.”

“Wouldn’t that mean you’re also Ferian?” Simon asked. “Why isn’t your skin silver?”

“I am an Angel, Simon.” Gabriel mentioned, “I can take any form I choose, and I would rather not look like a citizen of such a disgraceful planet. I can tell you’ve seen what the Ferians do to their own kind when they don’t fit the mould.”

“They refuse to call Mora by her chosen name.” Simon nodded. “That was enough to make her flee to our planet.”

“There is little hope for Feria.” Gabriel mentioned. “But even a little hope is still hope.”

“Hope is one of the Seven Forces.” Simon mentioned. “We will need all of them to save the Adventine. Both from itself and its monsters.”

“What I was going to say,” Gabriel emphasised, “before you interrupted me, was the source of that little bit of hope. Feria’s princess is young, and doesn’t seem to share her mother’s views on her people. If she can make it to queenship without being corrupted, Feria might become a better kingdom.”

“One of my Angelically assigned tasks was to befriend a bunch of princes and princesses.” Simon mentioned. “Celeste told me Feria’s princess especially would be an important one.”

“And how do you plan to get to Feria?,” Gabriel asked. “I mean, Angels and ghosts don’t need to breathe, but you’re still alive and wouldn’t become either of those upon dying if you died in the vacuum of space.”

“Weren’t you literally a starship designer when you were alive?” Simon asked? “I thought it would be obvious I’d be using a starship.”

“And where would you get one?” Gabriel asked. “The nearest factory is on Luna Nova, and any starship on your planet would already belong to someone else.”

“I was kind of hoping that would be one of my birthday presents.” Simon admitted. “But I guess I shouldn’t have assumed that. Have you spoken to my brother yet?”

“I came to you first, Simon.” Gabriel replied. “I will visit your brother at a later point. I know you’re trying to figure out if you got a starship for your birthday, but I don’t know the answer. And if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Why are you here then?” Simon asked.

“I’m here because you wished to see me.” Gabriel mentioned. “So you tell me, Simon.”

“I haven’t seen you in five years,” Simon mentioned, “and I was wondering if you knew anything about my mother. All I know is that she was from Feria and she had to keep her identity hidden from her own children for some reason.”

“It was to protect you.” Gabriel clarified. “Your mother broke the law when she fell in love with the enemy. If you and your brother knew about her identity, you would have tried to go on some insane rescue mission, fly underage, and in doing that, become criminals yourselves. At least now flying is legal for you.”

“A rescue mission would still be illegal.” Simon pointed out.

“True,” Gabriel agreed, “Though the Queen might at least listen to adults, whereas she wouldn’t give any children other than her own the time of day.”

“Wouldn’t the Queen hate us for being half-bloods?” Simon asked.

“The Queen will give you a series of trials.” Gabriel answered. “Clear them all and you will earn her trust.”

“Like the Heart of Trust?” Simon asked.

“That and trust with a lowercase t.” Gabriel clarified. “She may tell you where to find the other Hearts.” Gabriel looked through Simon and gasped, as though he had seen something Simon hadn’t. “We’re running out of time. In a few seconds you will wake up and your birthday will begin properly.”

“Thank you for showing-” before Simon could finish his sentence, he woke up. He was back in bed, only the attic bedroom was decorated with streamers of various hues. They were in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. All the colors of the rainbow. Simon thought. Dore remembered my rant about indigo from my last birthday. It was only added so people could use the number seven for the rainbow, so it could be seen as a holy symbol. There’s no scientific basis for indigo as a primary or secondary color.

Simon shed a few tears at the notion that his brother cared enough to remember a thing like that from a year ago. He wiped them off his face before descending the ladder. Downstairs, the living room was decorated with more rainbow-colored streamers, plus a big banner that read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIMON” with hand-drawn decorative flames on the edges. This was the fifth time Simon had seen that banner, ever since Theodore started planning his parties instead of his father. Sitting in the living room were Theodore and the two acting buddies Simon had met the day before.

“Happy birthday, little man!” Mora exclaimed in her usual cheeriness and boomingness.

“Creatures of your type only get about eighty or so of these on average,” Jacob mentioned. “So you’d better enjoy it.”

“How long do Draconians live?” Simon asked.

“About twelve centuries, give or take three.” Jacob answered. “I’m six hundred and sixteen, in case you care.”

“You’ve lived through so many wars.” Simon stated.

“I’ve lived in the times of many wars,” Jacob corrected. “but Draconia and many other planets hardly have any traces of war. Closest I go to taking part in a war is having a friend who was born on a planet that’s at war. But neither Mora nor I are currently on  Feria.”

“Have you ever lost a friend to war?” Simon asked.

“No,” Jacob answered, “but I have lost friends to old age. Being Draconian is both a blessing and a curse. I can live for a very long time but not many people can keep up with me, unless they’re from the same planet as me or they become ghosts or Angels upon death.”

“That reminds me,” Simon mentioned, “my Guardian Angel mentioned her husband was Draconian. Do you know of a Draconian named Thorne?”

“That would be my older brother.” Jacob answered. “And that Angel, Celeste, died young even for a Stellarian. They live even fewer years than Terrans.”

“Do you know the average lifespan of Stellarians?” Simon asked.

“Fifty-three years.” Jacob answered.

“My grandfather lived longer than that.” Simon mentioned.

“And so might you,” Jacob stated, “but why are you asking these questions about other people’s lives when you should be living yours?”

“Yeah, let’s all just have fun!” Mora exclaimed. “Here’s an idea! Let’s have a big breakfast! Dore made Star Cakes!”

“My favorite!” Simon exclaimed. He knew it didn’t need to be said. Theodore knew Simon like the back of his hand. Simon enjoyed nothing more than a nice, sweet, fluffy confectionary on a Sunday morning. Of course, today is a Wednesday, Simon thought, but it’s not like that really matters when it’s my birthday.

Simon served himself a plate of seven Star Cakes out of the seventeen that were on the serving plate. He knew it was well more than a quarter of them but he didn’t care, since it was his birthday. The other three didn’t seem to mind how many Simon took, so it was no big deal. Theodore took four, leaving three each for Mora and Jacob. When Simon took his first bite, he thought about the Angels. If they ever ate anything, Star Cakes would be one of those things. Simon knew Angels didn’t need to eat, but he wondered if any of them ever chose to.

When everyone finished their breakfast, Theodore banged two pot lids together. All eyes were on him after that. “Beloved friends,” Theodore opened, “we are gathered here today to celebrate a young man’s coming of age. My brother, Simon Trebonius Devlyn, is seventeen years old as of today. This marks the beginning of his adulthood, and the first arc in a new saga of his life. We are here to honor my brother, but we are also here to see him off for a new adventure. The two of us will be traveling throughout the Adventine to search for the lost Hearts of Aurora. You are of course allowed to come along, but I know neither of you would be very happy going to Feria. It is for that reason I decided to have this party in the morning, so that by the sun’s peak, we can leave and begin our journey. But before we conclude this wonderful celebration, it’s time for the gifts!”

Jacob and Mora cheered at Theodore’s speech, but Simon didn’t make a sound. He was both ready and not ready for this upcoming adventure. And unless one of those gifts is a ship, how are we even going to reach Feria? Simon wondered.

Jacob fished under the sofa with his hand and pulled out a box wrapped in aluminum foil. More creative than wrapping paper, Simon thought, but what’s in it?

Mora opened up the ottoman and pulled out an ornately wrapped box with red, green, and gold wrapping paper. Which one should I open first? Simon wondered. Obviously I’m saving Dore’s for last.

“Go on,” Theodore stated, “Open them.”

“I’m trying to decide which one to open first.” Simon explained.

“Roll one of those magic dice you bought.” Theodore offered.

“I’ll have to go back to my room and get them.” Simon replied, then he went up the ladder to do just that. When he returned, he rolled the D20 and it landed on seventeen. What an interesting coincidence, Simon thought, but since it’s a high number I’ll do Jacob’s gift first, since his age is a higher number.

Simon unwrapped the foil, trying not to tear it so he could save it for later... he failed to save the foil, but that mattered little compared to what was inside. Inside the foil was a clear plastic box containing a hand mirror. Inside the mirror, Simon could see his own reflection, his sky-blue eyes, his ruffled chestnut hair, and his painted smile. Simon took the mirror out of the box and grasped it with his hand. He rotated it around a few times, then set it down on the ottoman.

“Thank you.” Simon stated, trying to mask his confusion. What do I need a mirror for? He wondered. I already know what I look like. But I can’t let Jacob know I’m not that excited about the gift.

“It’s a magic mirror.” Jacob explained, obviously having seen through Simon’s fake smile. “Say the full name of a person who also has one of these, and you can see their reflection instead of yours. I use mine to communicate with my brothers and sister over long distance. Instead of glass, the mirror has the same kind of crystal used in crystal balls.”

Actually that is kinda cool. Simon realized. Maybe Jacob and I can become friends during this adventure, even if he’s not coming with us.

“Now for my gift!” Mora exclaimed. “Dore helped me pick it out! Open it! Open it!”

“Just give me a sec,” Simon replied, “I like to save wrapping paper so I can use it to wrap other gifts in the future. And I already ruined Jacob’s.”

Simon carefully removed the tape from the wrapping paper, then slowly unfolded the paper until the present was unwrapped. This box wasn’t clear, so Simon had to open it to find out what was inside it. Inside the box, there was a badge shaped like a hexagram, made of silver. Engraved on the badge was one word: CAPTAIN. Simon pinned the badge to his crimson T-shirt. He knew what this meant. In order to be captain, Simon realized, I need a ship and crew. Theodore said he had at least two presents for me. One of them was already spoiled for me, but the other one... it must be a ship. I’ll try to at least pretend to be surprised.

“How does it feel to have a title, Captain Devlyn?” Theodore asked. “I guess I’ll be your first mate, since there’s... literally nobody else on our crew?”

“Where’s the ship?” Simon asked.

“Follow me.” Theodore answered as he led Simon outside to the field of orange flowers. “Hidden amongst these Aurora Daisies, one flower is not like the others. Use your mirror to discern the outlier.”

Simon tilted the mirror in such a way that the Sun would shine upon it, then deflected that ray of sunshine onto the flowers. After a minute or so, one of the flowers burst into flame, and amongst the ashes there was a silver key. Simon picked the key up off the ground and showed it to Theodore.

“I’m guessing this is the key to the ship?” Simon asked.

“What else?” Theodore asked. “Anyways, all you have to do is say the name of the ship three times while clutching the key.”

“How am I supposed to know the ship’s name?” Simon asked.

“It’s our mother’s name.” Theodore mentioned.

“Alright.” Simon replied, then he took a deep breath. He clutched the key tightly. Then he shouted “Felicity! Felicity! Felicity!”

Out from the ground rose a giant holographic ship. Once it was a few decimeters above the ground, the hologram became solid and the ship made a loud thud, crushing a few hundred Aurora Daisies. The hatch opened, and Simon went inside. A few seconds later, Theodore followed suit. Inside the ship there was another present, wrapped in the same type of wrapping paper as Mora’s. Makes sense, since Dore helped pick out Mora’s present to me. Simon realized.

Simon opened the present and saw a familiar rectangular item. The arcane game system! Simon realized. Next to the system was a small plastic cartridge labeled Time Crusade. Simon placed the cartridge into the system’s slot and opened the system. He was greeted with a swinging pendulum and the words Time Crusade on the screen. Alongside the visuals was a beautiful melody the likes of which Simon had never heard before. So this is the music that made Celeste famous in her lifetime. Simon thought.

“Thank you Dore,” Simon thanked his brother, “for both of the gifts. You must have spent a fortune on the ship.”

“Sixteen million, seven hundred and fifty-four thousand, two hundred and eighty-nine dollars and thirty cents.” Theodore clarified. “One of my plays had a princess as a patron, so the money was no object.”

“Which princess?” Simon asked.

“Well she possessed magical abilities,” Theodore answered, “but I wouldn’t call her a witch. Jokes aside, it was Lana Fei, princess of Feria.”

“Part of our quest is to befriend her.” Simon mentioned. “That should be easy if she already likes at least one of the plays you acted in. Anyway, Celeste told me to play this game and hear the music she made for it. So far I’ve only heard the title theme and I’m already hooked.”

“You’ve got until two postmeridian.” Theodore stated. “It’s roughly noon now, so that’s two hours.”

Simon played the game and it asked him to name the main character. He decided to keep the default name, “Thyme” in order to save time. The game began with Thyme being woken up by his mother and given an allowance to spend at something called the Centennial Fair. The kingdom of Protectra had survived a hundred years without war, and that was something worth celebrating.

Simon guided Thyme through the fair, played some games within the game, and basked in the music. About fifteen minutes in, Thyme’s new friend Maria got sucked into a Time Door and Thyme had to go in and save her. Simon found his character in the year sixty, forty years before the events of the game’s beginning. Thyme battled through several monsters and learned a new skill. Simon was enamoured by this beautifully crafted game. Out of all the songs he heard so far, the battle theme was his favorite.

Around the one hour mark, Thyme had reunited with Maria, only for her to have vanished into thin air. Thyme’s childhood friend, Lucah, came to the rescue and the two of them searched a chapel for clues. They found a pipe organ and played a few notes on it, causing a secret door to open. They met a talking toad who was named Toad, and the three of them searched the inner sanctum of the chapel. There, they found a monster who was impersonating the prime minister, and defeated him.

By that point, ninety minutes had passed. Simon knew that if he continued for another thirty minutes, he would probably end up at a point where he couldn’t save the game and it would require him to get there all over again, so he stopped playing early. Simon closed the game system and placed it in his pocket.

“Let’s kiss this planet goodbye!” Simon exclaimed as he got in the pilot’s chair and pulled a lever. Within a matter of seconds, the sky went from bright blue to star-studded and black. Simon and Theodore were officially in space. “Now which way to Feria?”

“See that violet and silver orb?” Theodore asked. “That should be it. Lana told me about it.”

“So she knows we’re coming, right?” Simon asked. “Does her mother know? Based on what I know about her, she’s not someone I want to be around.”

“As far as I know, she doesn’t.” Theodore mentioned. “But that might have changed since the last time I checked.”

Simon turned the ship towards the planet Theodore described. As they grew closer, Simon noticed that the grass was silver. What would the violet part of the planet be then? Simon wondered. After a few hours, Felicity finally landed on Feria, right near the palace. Within the next few hours, Simon knew he would have to confront the Queen and the princess.

Chapter Text

Chapter VI: Adventure’s Beginning

When Simon and Theodore landed Felicity on Feria, they landed within walking distance of the royal palace. It was an artisanally designed building, three stories high, each decorated with floral designs of various hues. Whoever painted the palace must either be incredibly tall or capable of flight without a ship. Simon thought. Bringing a ship this close to the palace would risk breaking it.

“Looks like this is our first stop.” Theodore mentioned as he clutched the key, making the ship holographic again and making it sink into the ground so nobody would find it. “We must find the Queen and negotiate with her.”

“Best case scenario,” Simon mentioned, “the trials are easy and nobody gets hurt. Worst case scenario, we die by the Queen’s hand.”

“Or by one of her beasts.” Theodore pointed out. “Ferian Queens have access to the Adventine’s largest menagerie. At least ONE of her trials must involve an animal of some sort, if not all three of them.”

“You know I’ve never fought a monster before!” Simon shouted at his brother. “What if I die?”

“You can’t die yet,” Theodore pointed out, “The prophecy states that Queen Lucilia will be reincarnated, born to the reincarnations of her parents. Yeah, Grandpa Gabe relayed what you told him to me.”

“So this adventure has no stakes?” Simon asked. “That makes it easier, but boring.”

“No stakes that risk your life or that of Aurora’s reincarnation.” Theodore clarified. “At least not until Lucilia’s reincarnation is born. But I could still die.”

“I’ll make sure you won’t.” Simon reassured Theodore, but he wasn’t entirely sure of this himself. “Let’s just go inside.”

The two brothers went inside and were greeted by three royal guards. It was unclear whether they were male or female, but that didn’t matter to Simon. They were in a military position on an enemy planet, which was enough to make Simon shake a little.

“I humbly ask for an audience with the Queen.” Theodore stated, bowing to the guards.

“Terrans are not welcome in Feria’s palace except as prisoners!” One of the guards exclaimed. The guards waved their arms and levitated Simon and Theodore, carrying them over to the dungeon. They were searched for magical items and thrown into separate cells. The guards managed to take Simon’s magic mirror away from him, but having left his copy of Time Crusade on the ship, they didn’t get to it.

“You two sit here and wait.” One of the guards told the brothers.

“Wait for what?” Simon asked.

“I’m not required to answer questions from prisoners.” The guard answered.

Simon did the only thing he knew he could do with no possessions: He fell asleep. The cell’s cot was lumpy and uneven, but that didn’t matter. Simon only wanted to sleep long enough to contact someone. Anyone will do. Simon prayed to the Sun, and the other Stars as well.

By the time Simon finally fell asleep, he was relieved to see his familiar forest clearing. Sitting atop one of the boulders was Aurora again. She greeted Simon with a smile.

“Hello again, my...” Aurora stopped herself for a moment. “...friend.”

“You were about to say love, weren’t you?” Simon asked.

“Guilty as charged.” the fallen Queen admitted. “I see the guards threw you in the dungeon. They claim to uphold my will, but they don’t even know me. My descendant is nothing like me. She changed so many laws, it’s a miracle she hasn’t been excommunicated. The only reason for that is that there’s no one with a higher position of power than her.”

“Can’t you like, haunt her or something?” Simon asked.

“I’m not frightening enough.” Aurora admitted. “If I showed up in her dream, she’d spin it as me supporting her, no matter what I say to her. It has to be someone alive who shows her the error of her ways. Her daughter might be a good candidate for that.”

“My brother said he saw her in the crowd of one of his plays.” Simon mentioned. “The princess, I mean.”

“She is far more generous than her mother.” Aurora commented. “But anyways, why are you dreaming in the middle of the day?”

“Nothing else to do,” Simon admitted, “plus, to tell you the truth, I wanted to learn more about your reincarnation. How we’re destined to meet, fall in love, and have a child.”

“The specifics of the relationship are unknown even to me,” Aurora admitted, “but I have found out her name and identity since we last spoke. She is a princess in the present day, and will become a queen like me soon enough. Her name is something I will not spoil for you, but she lives on the planet Stellaria.”

“The same planet Celeste is from.” Simon pointed out. “Maybe I can ask Celeste what that planet was like.”

“Ah, yes, that Angel.” Aurora mentioned. “The second-to-last one to join the divinity. I also know the most recent one was your maternal grandfather, who hailed from my homeworld. Being half Ferian, you possess innate magic. However, being only half Ferian means you cannot tap into the magic without drawing from an external source... like one of those gems my daughter crafted and named after me.”

“And I can’t acquire one of those gems without completing three of your descendant’s trials.” Simon mentioned. “And I can’t speak with the Queen to ask for the trials while I’m locked up in here.”

“This is quite a predicament.” Aurora admitted. “I can lend you a bit of my magic for a short time. It will only last eleven and a half minutes. The timer will start when you awake from this dream.”

“Why such a specific amount?” Simon asked.

“It’s a holy Ferian number.” Aurora answered. “Anyway, the method of this magic transfer is something you might not agree to, given that we barely know one another.”

“You’re not gonna inject it into my blood, are you?” Simon asked.

“How utterly barbaric!” Aurora replied. “No, this method is not painful... but it’s a bit... intimate. Especially if it’s someone’s first time.”

“Are you going to ‘copulate’ with me or whatever you called it?” Simon asked.

“It could be more or less intimate than that, depending on your point of view.” Aurora mentioned. “I only need to dance with you.”

“Is that all?” Simon asked. “The way you worded it, it was like you were imagining me as Victor or something. Dancing is something I can handle. I’ve danced with my brother before.”

“Very well.” Aurora stated. “I’ll lead, since it’s me giving the magic to you.” Aurora turned herself away from Simon before beginning the dance. She then twirled a number of times, Simon didn’t need to count to know that number: eleven and a half. She grabbed Simon’s hand, and hers was surprisingly solid for a ghost, (thought this might be because she was materialized in the Dreamscape) and she placed her other hand on his waist. Aurora’s presence towered over Simon. He let her carry him into the dance, and the two of them glided across the clearing.

When Aurora dipped Simon, he could see into her eyes, an emerald shine of stellar magnitude. Aurora’s height no longer intimidated Simon. He was in awe of her beauty. If her reincarnation looks even remotely similar to the original, Simon thought, then this path set out for me by the Stars can’t be all bad.

When the dance was over, Simon and Aurora bowed to each other. “My reincarnation is one lucky lady.” Aurora proclaimed. “But anyways, you have a bit of my magic within you now. There’s no timer in the Dreamscape, but once you awake, you will have eleven and a half minutes with which to break out of your cell and help your brother get out. I will not be able to give you more time with my magic until your next dream.”

“I need to practice the magic before I wake up.” Simon stated.

“Very well.” Aurora replied. “Concentrate on your love, and who it’s for, and you will be able to cast spells. Think about the spell you want to cast. Here’s a simple one: Lucem Facio. It literally means ‘I Make Light’ in Ferian.”

“How is light going to help me break out of a cell?” Simon asked.

“You forget that every source of light is also a source of heat.” Aurora mentioned. “If this ball of light is bright enough, it can also be hot enough to melt silver.”

“The bars looked more like they were made of iron than silver.” Simon mentioned.

“Iron is dangerous for Ferians,” Aurora clarified, “so we use silver bars for the dungeons instead. We put a spell on them so they look like iron.”

“And why do you want your prisoners to think the bars are iron?” Simon asked.

“Because that’s what they’re made of in other kingdoms.” Aurora answered. “If anyone manages to sneak in a magic mirror, and the bars weren’t enchanted, the person on the other end would know the prisoner is on Feria.”

“OK, I’m gonna try that spell you told me about.” Simon mentioned. “Lucem Facio!” Simon shouted. A small ball of light appeared in front of Simon’s face.

“Now move your arms around,” Aurora instructed, “and channel all your love into that spell.”

Simon thought about his brother Theodore, how much they have done for each other, and how he would do anything to keep him safe on this journey. He thought about Jacob, the ancient-but-young-for-his-species prince-turned-actor, and how he played the Sun in that one play Theodore was in. He thought about Mora, the easily excited actress who wanted nothing more than to be loved and respected. He thought about his mother, whom he had never met past infancy, yet longed to see again. He thought about Gabriel, who went on crazy adventures in his youth just for the sake of the one he loved. He thought about Celeste, who promised to train him in the arts of magic, and Aurora, who actually was training him. Simon thought about all the people he loved, and how their presence affected him.

The ball of light grew brighter and warmer, until it was too hot for Simon to handle... he burned himself with this magic. He knew if he did this while awake, he would die. It didn’t matter that his fate was set in stone regarding his future wife and child. At this point he knew the threads of prophecy could be broken... and he didn’t want to risk that. Simon collapsed on the ground.

“Apologies, my friend.” Aurora apologized. “I suppose a fire spell would make more sense than a light spell to generate heat. Any light spell bright enough to generate heat would be lethal to its own caster outside of the Dreamscape. Try this one: Ignem Facio! It’s the same one as before, but with fire instead of light.”

“Ignem Facio!” Simon shouted, repeating the channeling process from earlier. He produced a violet flame that sliced through one of the boulders. This is a dream, so that boulder will be intact again in the next one. Simon reassured himself.

“You’re ready to wake up now.” Aurora told Simon. Within seconds, Simon was back on the dungeon cot. Eleven and a half minutes. Simon thought. Not much time. Time to break out.

“Ignem Facio!” Simon shouted, aiming his right hand at the silver bars. They melted easier than the boulder in his dream.

“Where did you get access to magic?” Theodore asked. “I thought half-bloods needed magical artifacts to use magic.”

“That or a magical patron.” Simon replied. “Aurora came to me in a dream. Anyway...” Simon placed his hand next to Theodore’s cell bars and shouted “Ignem Facio!” again, melting them.

When Simon and Theodore got out of the dungeon, they found their way back up to the ground floor. They had no idea where to find the throne room, nor did they want to get locked up again. They snuck around the halls, eventually finding the throne room. Simon could feel Aurora’s magic leaving his body, and he couldn’t acquire more of it until the next dream he saw her in, which would most likely not be the very next dream he had. He found the Queen sitting on her throne, and two empty thrones next to it. Those must belong to the King and princess. Simon realized. I wonder where they are?

“Apologies for the intrusion, your highness.” Theodore bowed to the Queen. “We come here on behalf of your ancestor, Queen Aurora.”

“What proof have you of your claims, Terrans?” The Queen asked... “no... half-bloods. I detect trace amounts of Ferian magic in the two of you. I will give each of you three trials. I can only assume you want the Heart of Trust my kingdom guards?”

Simon couldn’t produce any words from his mouth, he could only nod. Theodore did the same. “What kinds of trials?” Simon asked. “And when you said each, did you mean we’d be doing the trials separately?”

“If you two were to assist one another,” the Queen explained, “the trials would be easier to complete.”

“Lay them on me.” Simon replied. “I’m ready for a challenge.” He lied.

“I will send six of my guards for the trials.” The Queen stated. “One for each of the six trials I will arrange. In the meantime, have a feast.”

“I’m not accepting food offered by a queen whose guards threw me in the dungeon.” Theodore stated firmly.

“Not a very trusting fellow are you?” The Queen remarked. “Even if you had the Heart of Trust in your possession, its magic wouldn’t work for you. But I will still give you the chance to earn it. Perhaps your brother could find some use for it.”

“Let’s just get to the challenges.” Simon stated. “Though I could go for some Star Cakes.”

“Ah, yes,” The Queen remarked, “a Luderian delicacy. The Kingdom of Sweets and Dreams, as well as a neutral party in this war. If there’s one thing Terrans and Ferians can agree on, it’s that Luderia makes the best desserts. But unlike our kingdom, they have their royalty doing servants’ work! Imagine a King making breakfast for peasants! I shall have our royal confectioner bake a few Star Cakes for you... and your brother if he changes his mind.”

After about an hour or so, the Star Cakes were ready. Simon decided to cut one in half, then place eleven and a half of them on his plate. Maybe this can prove my connection to Aurora. Simon prayed to the Stars. Simon ate every last one of the Star Cakes on his plate, including the half one. Theodore was hesitant at first, but he ate the remaining half and three others.

“The tests will begin when the bell tolls three.” The Queen proclaimed. “You will have an average of one hour for each trial. Finish the first or second trial early and the time can be carried into the next one.”

Simon and Theodore both looked at the grandfather clock, two fifty-six. Simon noticed. No time to dawdle. “We’re ready.” The brothers stated at the same time.

Chapter Text

Chapter VII: Your First Step

Four minutes left, Simon thought as he glanced at the clock. Four minutes left until the first one of these trials begins. I need to do as I’m told, lest I get thrown in the dungeon again. Before he knew it, the bell tolled. Three of the six royal guards led Simon down one hall, and the other three led Theodore down another hall. Simon did not know where his brother was being taken, nor what kinds of trials either of them had to face, but he knew he needed to obey the Queen.

“Your first trial is in this room here.” One of the nameless royal guards told Simon. The guard led Simon into a large room with several gates on all sides. The floor was circular, and surrounding this circle were hundreds of empty seats.

This must be a colosseum. Simon realized. I’m gonna have to fight something, aren’t I?

“Your first trial, young half-blood,” the guard mentioned, “is to secure one of the Ursa Major’s fangs without slaying the beast. This magnificent bear will be released upon the count of three. One!”

The guard did not shout two, at least not immediately. Simon used this time to search the arena for tools. He found nothing of use, and nothing of interest except a few rocks. If I had access to magic, I could levitate one of those rocks and throw it at the bear, knocking out at LEAST one tooth. Simon thought. But this isn’t a dream, so I can’t use magic without an artifact.

“Two!” The guard shouted. Simon wasn’t sure how much time passed between one and two, nor did that matter. He knew it wouldn’t necessarily be the same amount of time between two and three.

Simon picked up the smallest boulder he could find, and even still, he could barely lift it. What I would give for some magical ability. Simon thought as he strained his legs to lift the boulder.

“Three!” The guard shouted, and they pulled a lever. One of the gates opened, and a large, iridescent, violet bear came out of it. Simon threw the boulder at the bear’s jaw, and off came three fangs. Now I just need to pick up at least one of them. Simon thought. I can keep the other two as a trophy of this fight. Simon dived under the bear and grabbed the fangs, then deftly lunged left.

The giant beast was slow to turn, making Simon’s escape all the easier. He zigzagged over to the guard and showed them the fangs. The guard gave a thumbs down and stated. “The test was to bring me an Ursa Major fang. What you have there are three fangs from the Ursa Minor .”

Simon knew a thing or two about the difference between major and minor, and he knew that meant there was an even bigger bear to find. One whose cub Simon had just injured. Seconds after Simon realized this, he saw his real target, The Ursa Major, charging straight at him. He picked up the boulder again and threw it, but it didn’t make a dent in the beast or knock out any of its fangs.

The Ursa Major swung its claws at the air near Simon, not hitting him even once. I guess I must have blinded this beast. Simon thought. Killing it now would be an act of mercy, but then I would fail the trial. It’s only a matter of time before this bear uses its other senses to hunt me down, but the blindness should slow its attempts.

Simon bolted to the right of the beast in an outward spiral. The bear couldn’t find him or land a blow on him. He then picked up another boulder and threw it at the bear. Direct hit! Simon thought as he saw two fangs fall out of the bear’s maw. Yoink! He took the fangs and headed back to the royal guard, handing one to them.

“The half-blood has cleared the trial!” The guard proclaimed. “You have until the bell tolls four to prepare for the second one. I will give you one clue about the second trial. It involves a perception known only to a certain few. Roughly one percent of the Adventine’s population possess this perception. The trial is still possible for those who lack it, but it is considerably easier for those who possess it.”

Simon checked to see if the colosseum had a clock. There was none to be found anywhere. So I have no clue how long I have until the next trial? Simon thought. How will I prepare if I have no idea how long I have? Simon decided to examine the Ursa Minor and Ursa Major fangs he procured from the trial. On the top of each of the Ursa Minor fangs, there were seven rings. If these fangs were anything like the common tree trunk, those rings would indicate the beast’s age. On the Ursa Major fang, (the one Simon didn’t give to the guard) there were twenty-four. A seventeen year age gap between parent and child. Simon thought. That bear was the same age as me when she gave birth, assuming each ring means a year.

Simon didn’t want to think of this bear as a mother with a child, after he had forcibly removed fangs from both of them and blinded the mother. Killing them both would be an act of mercy. He thought as he shed a single tear. It was all that would come out of him. He cleared the trial, but at the cost of his own morality. Suddenly, he heard four bells ring. Time for the second trial.

“I will now take you to the room wherein you will attempt your second trial.” The royal guard told Simon. “And don’t worry about the Ursas. Their eyes and fangs regenerate. They’ve been here for centuries, and used as test subjects for countless trials before yours.”

Simon followed the second guard to another room, which was considerably smaller than the colosseum. This room was all white. Simon couldn’t tell where the floor became walls. He heard a faint buzzing noise coming from the other side of the room and instinctively headed towards it.

“Your second trial is to bring me the Silent Spirit.” The guard mentioned. “Named because only one percent of the Adventine’s population can hear its cries. Its hide is white like the floor and walls of this room, making it difficult to find if you can’t hear it.”

Before the guard even finished their sentence, Simon already caught the Silent Spirit. I guess I must be in that one percent. He realized. Welp, on to the next one. He handed the Spirit to the guard.

“You have until the bell tolls five for the next trial.” The guard mentioned. “Which is... a fairly long time. I am not at liberty to reveal the exact number of minute you have, but it’s somewhere in the fifties.”

Simon decided to take a nap in this room, and see who contacts him in a dream this time. When he fell asleep, he was greeted by Celeste this time.

“Well done, my child.” Celeste congratulated Simon. “You cleared that trial in record time. When I was still alive, Queen Maria had one of her guards give me the exact same trial, and I solved it quickly as well. But it wasn’t as quickly as you, my child.”

“Queen Maria?” Simon asked. “Was Maria from Time Crusade named after her?”

“Every character in Time Crusade was named after someone important from Ferian history.” Celeste mentioned. “Either a Ferian ruler or an ally or enemy thereof. Except Thyme. His name is a play on time travel, one of the game’s main themes. Anyway, with this time you are given, you chose to fall asleep and contact someone in the Dreamscape. What would you like to discuss?”

“I would like to learn a few more Ferian words.” Simon mentioned. “Facio is a pretty important one, as it means ‘I make’ which is the basis for many spells. But I would like to know a word for destruction.”

“The Ferian word for ‘I destroy’ is ‘Destruo,’ my child.” Celeste mentioned. “But promise to only use it when the situation calls for it.”

“Lucem Destruo!” Simon shouted as he waved his arm towards the Sun, and the sky grew dim. “Lucem Facio!” he shouted, and the Sun didn’t return. Instead, it was the same small ball of light he created last time he used that spell.

“The Ferian word for Sun is Sol.” Celeste mentioned. “So the accusative form of that would be Solem.”

“Solem Facio!” Simon shouted, waving his arms toward where the Sun once was, and it returned.

“Very well done, my child.” Celeste congratulated Simon. “Of course, actual Stars wouldn’t fall so easily to mortal magic. The Stars are the very creators and embodiments of magic, and can only be snuffed out by a force of equal or greater power. Like the Dark Lord Teneber. You have read the Story of Aurora, have you not, my child?”

“I have.” Simon mentioned. “Teneber was once Queen Lucilia’s brother in law, Theodor. When his love was rejected, Theodor lashed out in anger and became a god of darkness named after the phenomenon itself in Ferian.”

“It was not love, my child, but lust.” Celeste clarified. “A twisted desire for a wife as an object, not an equal partner. Lucilia was right to reject Theodor, but even the righteous will suffer the wrath of the injust.”

“What a horrible fate,” Simon stated, “to be hated by everyone, even his own brother. Even though he deserved the hate, I still can’t help but feel sorry for him.”

“He doesn’t want your pity, my child.” Celeste mentioned. “He will kill you just for having ties to Aurora and Lucilia, even if you haven’t done anything to him in this life. As Victor, you were part of the reason Lucilia married Nicholas instead of Theodor.”

“So what you’re saying is I need to acquire a Heart so I can have magic with which to defend myself?” Simon asked.

“Precisely, my child.” Celeste answered. “When you awake, it will be closer to the time of your trial. Good luck, my child, and may the Stars forever light your path.”

With that, both Celeste and the Dreamscape vanished, and Simon was back in the white room. He heard five bells, meaning it was time for his third and final trial. He followed the second guard, who then handed him over to the third guard, who led him to another room. Inside this room was a large boulder with many small holes coming out of it. A meteorite? Simon wondered.

“Inside this geode lies a crystal known as Astral Diamond.” The guard told Simon. “Your task is to fetch me some of this mineral without breaking the geode’s outer shell. This is child’s play to someone who knows a lick of Ferian and has magical capabilities... but let’s see how a half-blood can handle this without magic.”

Simon examined the geode, but none of the holes were large enough for him to reach his hand through. He had no magic outside the Dreamscape without an artifact, so he had to do this physically somehow. He decided to try pushing the geode, and to his surprise, it moved. While it was rolling, the part that was formerly the bottom became the side, and Simon saw the crystals. What a beautiful iridescent shade he thought. He pulled on some of the crystals, and a few of them came loose! He then handed one of them to the guard and kept the rest for himself.

“Well done, champion.” The guard congratulated Simon. “I shall inform the Queen of your success. For now let us return to the dining hall. We’ll have the chef prepare a feast for you, after your brother concludes his final trial.”

Simon followed the guard back to the dining hall, where he saw the Queen. He bowed to her, and she bowed back.

“Congratulations on your victories, half-blood.” The Queen stated. “Your brother is still in the middle of his final trial. He’s cutting it close, though. He has twelve minutes left.”

About thirty seconds after the Queen uttered those words, Theodore came out of the hall, covered in a silver liquid.

“Fairy tears,” Theodore explained. “I put on a performance so grand an entire colony of fairies cried all over me. What about you, Si? I see blood on your shirt.”

“I’m not going to ask how you saw bloodstains on a red shirt, I’ll just chock that up to actor’s analysis. As for the source of the blood, a giant bear attacked me.” Simon answered. “And then an even gianter one tried, but I blinded it before it got the chance. I got these fangs as a souvenir.” Simon showed Theodore the Ursa fangs, as well as the Astral Diamonds. “And these were from the last trial. Despite having diamond in the name, they’re not that tough.”

“If you’ve had enough bantering,” the Queen remarked, “it is now time for the celebratory feast.” Several dishes appeared on the dining room table, filled with various meats, veggies, bread rolls, and other things. Simon took a bread roll, some kind of bird that sort of resembled turkey, and some mashed potatoes. He cut the roll in half and made a turkey and mashed potato sandwich, then munched on it. It reminded him of his family dinners back on Terra Nova, back when his parents and grandparents were still with him.

Theodore fixed his own plate and dug in as well, and the brothers enjoyed their meal and each other’s company. The Queen didn’t seem like a tyrannical dictator in this moment. She didn’t seem like the kind of person who would punish people for changing their names or dating people from another planet. If not the Queen, then who made these awful laws? Simon asked himself. Were they made by a previous Queen and it just... didn’t occur to this one that these laws were injust?

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” Simon spoke to the Queen. “How do you feel about names? Like your own name, and those of your subjects... or ours?”

“My name is Aryana,” the Queen answered, “and my daughter’s name is Lana. Our departed King’s name was Trebonius.”

“Interesting.” Simon mentioned. “That’s my middle name. Anyway, I’m asking because one of your subjects fled from Feria due to an injust law about name changes.”

“Si, please don’t freely give that kind of information.” Theodore whispered to Simon. “We don’t want the royal guards hunting down Mora.”

“Who is this ‘Mora’ you speak of?” Aryana asked. She didn’t even need to hear Theodore’s whispers. She had telepathy. All Ferians had this ability.

“Since we know we can’t hide from a telepath, we might as well tell you what we know.” Simon mentioned. “Mora is one of your subjects. I don’t know what her name was beforehand, and I don’t care to. I just want her to be safe and happy.”

“I don’t remember any girls leaving our homeworld since your mother.” Aryana mentioned. “There was a boy once, who wanted to be an actor, but he would always request to play female roles. You said this ‘Mora’ changed her name, could it be that she was originally this boy?”

“Maybe?” Simon replied. “She never mentioned anything about being a boy beforehand. And even if she was, that boy is dead. She killed him with her bare hands. But anyway, do you really want to be Queen of people who would rather exile or kill themselves than exist under your reign?”

“What my subjects do of their own free will is none of my business,” Aryana mentioned, “unless it causes harm or detriment to my kingdom. I see no harm if this boy is happier as a girl. I will do something about these archaic laws.”

“I’m glad we could be civil about this.” Simon stated. 

“Of course,” the Queen replied. “Thank you for voicing your concern. To tell the truth I wasn’t aware we had a law like that. You have cleared my trials, and proven your trust in me. I hereby award you this.”

Aryana gave Simon a necklace with an orange crystal heart pendant. When Simon placed it around his neck, the heart began to glow. This must be the Heart of Trust. Simon thought.

The other Hearts are in other places, but you have the right idea as to the general areas. Simon could hear Aryana’s thoughts using the power of his newfound gift. Take care of yourselves and each other. I will send my daughter along with you to assist in the hunt for the remaining Hearts.

“Let’s use spoken word for now.” Simon mentioned. “Theodore still lacks telepathy. Basically the Queen told me she would send Lana to aid us on our search.”

“I have met Lana once before.” Theodore told Aryana. “She bought a starship for me to give to my brother because she liked my acting so much. Now where is she?”

“Patience, half-blood.” The Queen told Theodore. “Why don’t you give your brother a full account of your trials?”

Chapter Text

Chapter VIII: Fight or Flight

Theodore followed the guards to the room wherein the first trial would take place. When the four of them got there, the other two guards headed further down the hall, presumably to the locations of the other two trials. I hope Si is doing okay. Theodore thought. He hasn’t really done anything on his own before. I guess I’ll find out in another three hours.

“Your first trial, young half-blood,” the guard told Theodore, snapping him out of his thought process, “is to retrieve that winged silver chalice. You may use any means or environmental surroundings to your advantage.”

There were swarms of tiny flying humanoids roaming the skies, surrounding a large cup with wings. Fairies. Theodore thought. And their wings look strikingly similar to those on the chalice. Theodore had an idea of how to retrieve the flying chalice, but it was gonna get a bit messy.

Theodore found a rock small enough to carry, but big enough to leave an impact when thrown. He picked it up and threw it at the fairies. All of them dodged the rock and headed straight towards him. When one got close to him, he ripped off its wings. These are too small to help me fly. Theodore thought. Maybe a couple hundred more will help? Then I can make giant fairy wings that are more human sized?

One by one, Theodore ripped off the wings of the fairies. When they caught on to what he was doing, some tried to attack and others tried to flee. Theodore squashed them like mosquitoes, making them shed their silver blood. After he had acquired enough wings, and there were no more fairies to stop him, he got to work on the crafting. It’s just like designing a costume , he told himself.

By the time he had fashioned the human sized fairy wings, Theodore had already heard the bell ring four times. I hope the second or third trial is a bit quicker than this, or I’ll run out of time. Theodore worried. He used the wings to fly up to the chalice, trying not to think about all the fairy carnage he caused to make them. And then he finally acquired the flying chalice and handed it to the guard.

“Just so we’re clear,” Theodore asked, “I’m not disqualified for finishing late, am I?”

“You’re not late until the bell tolls six.” The guard answered. “But having less than two hours for the remaining two trials will make them all the more difficult.” The guard led Theodore to the room with the second trial, where another guard began instructing him.

“In this trial,” began the second guard, “you will be tasked with opening this chest.” The guard showed Theodore an ornate hexagonal treasure chest with uniquely shaped keyholes. “The keys are hidden somewhere in this room, but they are the same color as the surfaces on which they hide.”

The floor was plastered with an unholy assortment of colors in various places. Theodore looked at the chest for clues. Each of the six sides was a different color, and listing them in clockwise fashion, they were red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The same colors as the streamers I used for Si’s last few birthday parties. Theodore thought. Those must be the colors of the keys I must find.  

Theodore began to search every patch of red flooring until he found the red key. He did the same for the orange, yellow, and green keys, and tried that method for the blue one but he couldn’t find it. Then he noticed there was a strangely shaped lump on a blue patch of wall. He used the fairy wings he crafted for the first trial in order to reach it. The violet key was somewhere on a violet patch of ceiling.

When Theodore found all the keys, the bell hadn’t rung five times yet. But why would that guard give me that hint? Theodore wondered. Did they want me to succeed?

The guard looked at Theodore and gave a smile and wink. I forgot all Ferians have telepathy. Theodore thought. I should be more careful what I think around them. If I could hear YOUR thoughts, maybe I could ask why you’re helping me, but since I can’t, I guess we’ll just head to the third trial now.

“The third trial begins when the bell tolls five.” The guard mentioned. “Or later if you took too long to finish the first two trials.”

Theodore had nothing left to do but wait, and it was killing him. He wanted to begin the third trial now and go see his brother again. He tried doing what his brother would do, but couldn’t fall asleep. That young man can fall asleep anywhere, anytime, no matter how tired he actually is. Theodore thought.

After who knows how long of just sitting in silence, twiddling his thumbs, Theodore finally heard the bell ring five times. The second guard led him to the third one, who led him to the room wherein the third and final trial would take place. When he got there, he saw something familiar, yet strangely different. It looked like one of those fairies from the first trial, but it was closer to human size.

“You wear the blood of my children on your clothing.” The creature spoke. “For all the pain you have caused, you will pay the price a thousand and one fold! The Ferian Queen arranged a trial for you to face, involving a dancing contest. But now, this dance shall be your final performance.”

The fairy queen charged at Theodore, who quickly dodged and punched back. This fairy was much larger than the other ones and wasn’t as easy for Theodore to kill. Theodore knew he had no other option but lethal force. He knew he would be hated by fairies for the rest of his life for what he was about to do to their queen, or for what he had already done to over a hundred others. He knew that those who loved fairies would hate him too, but he didn’t care.

Theodore realized something. The giant fairy wings made from hundreds of smaller fairy wings might count as a magical artifact. He remembered what Gabriel told him, about channeling one’s emotions in order to use magic. He thought about his love for his brother, his friends, his parents, his grandparents... channeling all that love gave him strength, and with it he flew faster than before.

“Ignem Facio!” Theodore shouted what he remembered his brother say to melt the bars of that dungeon cell. The fire flew from his fingertips and straight at the fairy queen, burning her wings.

“You think you can stop me with Ferian magic?” The fairy queen snarled as her wings grew back immediately. “I have existed before the very first Ferian Queen. Aurora used to pray to me for her powers. If you kill me, I’ll come back. All my children will come back. And we will torment you for the rest of your natural-born days.”

“You think you can lie to me like that?” Theodore asked the fairy queen. “I know reincarnation happens only once per soul. I only need to kill you twice and you’ll be gone forever.”

“One of my children will become the new fairy queen!” The fairy queen retorted. “She is in another world far away from here where you will never find her.”

“In other words,” Theodore remarked, “somewhere she can’t reach me either. Your empty threats don’t work on me.”

With no weapons, and facing a foe who was immune to magic, Theodore had no hope to emerge the victor in this fight. No matter how well he could dodge, if he couldn’t land a meaningful blow on her, none of that mattered. The fairy queen wasn’t the one who issued the trial. Theodore remembered. The Queen of Feria issued the trial, and for it to be a dance contest. I don’t need to kill the fairy queen, I just need to outdance her and survive.

Theodore kept dodging, trying to add grace and style to his moves. No matter what happens, all I need to do is dance. He realized. Even if this isn’t the ideal scenario for dancing. Theodore danced to the left and right, up and down, forward and backward, taking advantage of the third dimension that fairy flight offered.

Eventually, Theodore found himself positioned behind the fairy queen, and had her in a chokehold. With this queen pinned down, Theodore snapped her neck. The queen bled silver blood, and Theodore knew the deed was done. The queen had another life, but it would take time for her to be reborn. Time that Theodore could use to escape.

“Theodore has cleared all three trials!” The guard shouted. “The fairy queen was lying about the dance. The trial was to kill her.”

“I thought fairies couldn’t lie?” Theodore mentioned.

“Maybe in your world,” the guard stated, “but here, fairies will use all manner of deceit. Aurora never got her magic from the fairy queen either. She was born with it.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Theodore asked. “I thought pure bloods didn’t get along with half bloods.”

“Now that the trials are over I suppose I could tell you.” The guard spoke. “I am Dariel Magnus, a descendant of Feria’s greatest mage, Saturn Magnus. Saturn believed that all beings should be able to use magic, regardless of how much Ferian blood they have, if any. He was from a time when surnames were a new thing, and was given the surname ‘Magnus’ meaning ‘The Great’ because of his great deeds for not just our own kingdom, but many other kingdoms as well. You have proved yourself formidable in battle. Your brother has as well. I have been all six of the guards in charge of the trials this entire time.”

Theodore didn’t know what to say. He looked at Dariel’s guard uniform, and right before his eyes, it changed from a guard uniform to a mage’s robe. The robe had several silver stars on it, along with the shape of a circle surrounded by a bunch of rings.

“This is the Saturn Robe.” Dariel told Theodore. “If you’re wearing this, you will be able to travel forward or backward in time at will. However, it can only take you to a point in time you can live to see without it. So you can’t go to before you were born or after you’re fated to die.”

“So the robe KNOWS when I’m going to die?” Theodore asked. “And it will tell me by denying me passage to any moment after?”

“If you so wish, you can learn when the robe believes you will die.” Dariel explained. “But it can be wrong. It’s only been wrong once in a thousand and one times, but it has happened before and might happen again.” Dariel removed the robe to reveal another mage robe that looked exactly like it but with gold star patterns instead of silver ones. Dariel handed the Saturn Robe to Theodore, who immediately put it on.

Saturn Robe, Theodore prayed to the article of clothing, or perhaps to its long-dead original owner, Take me to the end of my days.

Theodore saw himself covered in liquid shadow, attacking his own brother as well as several other people he didn’t recognize. Simon cast a spell without uttering it, and a big ball of light hit Theodore’s future self. Future Theodore fainted, and the light subsumed his body. So I’m going to be corrupted by Teneber and my brother will have to kill me? Theodore thought. I hope this will be the second time the Saturn Robe’s prediction is wrong. I didn’t look older than twenty-five in that vision. That means I have roughly seven years to live, give or take.

Theodore removed the robe and placed it in his pocket, then Dariel disguised themself as a guard and led him to the dining hall. When he saw the clock, it was five forty eight and thirty seconds. Exactly eleven and a half minutes until six. Theodore realized. So these trials were blessed by Aurora. Theodore saw Simon dining with the Queen. Theodore joined the two of them and had some turkey.

Theodore conversed with Simon and the Queen, who told them her name was Aryana. They discussed Mora’s name change and gender alignment... Theodore didn’t want Simon to bring attention to that in case Aryana would send guards after her or something, but the Queen seemed appalled by her own kingdom’s law and mentioned that it should be changed immediately. Theodore wasn’t entirely sure that Aryana was telling the truth, but he didn’t want to accuse her when he was in no position to use magic against her. He didn’t want to reveal that he had the Saturn Robe, or it might be confiscated.

When Theodore wanted to see Lana again, her mother told him to be patient. Patience was never one of Theodore’s strongsuits, but he would wait an eternity if it meant he could see Lana again. Not only was she his biggest patron by far, but she bore a countenance that could rival the very Sun itself, even when rising or setting. Theodore longed to see that silver face again, to hear the lilt of her dulcet tones, to play with her waterfall of midnight-blue hair... he dared not say any of this out loud though. Ferians can hear my thoughts, so I wouldn’t be surprised if she already knows how I feel about her. Theodore realized. Maybe even better than I know.

Aryana told Theodore to recount the events of his trials to Simon, so he did. And Simon recounted his own trials to Theodore.

“The Ursa Minor was how big?” Theodore asked.

“About twice as big as me.” Simon answered. “And the Ursa Major was even bigger. She was about as old as the kingdom of Feria itself as well.”

“One of the oldest mortals to ever live.” Theodore mentioned. “Not even Draconians live that long. I’m just surprised you didn’t kill either of the bears.”

“Part of the quest was to avoid killing.” Simon mentioned. “But those fairies you killed in your trials... why were you allowed to kill and I wasn’t?”

“I can only guess Aryana wanted those fairies dead to begin with, but she wanted to keep the Ursas alive.” Theodore proposed.

“Well, we’ve earned the Heart of Trust.” Simon stated. “Let’s meet Lana and go to the next planet.”

The bell rang seven times. We’ve been dining for the past hour, Theodore realized, we do need to get a move on.

“Very well, half bloods.” Queen Aryana mentioned. “My daughter is waiting outside for you.”