(GS3) Home Field: Espoir Mansion

[Cherry]

"About the disappearances of clans, including Kagero", finally speaking with Haruka about it would remove some of her lingering isolation. She wouldn't be the only one who remembers, someone would understand... That, and the details surrounding Overlord's aftermath were sort of sketchy. The Empire's number one set fire to his own lifeforce to charge in the civil war in the Sanctuary to help give it an ending. However, as far as the Sanctuary was informed, none of them understood what happened. The nightmare was the last time Yukino even saw the dragon.

"How much do you remember?"

[Jello]

Haruka's mood takes a nosedive.

His face warps from sheepish and sleepy to dark and depressed. He turns away for a moment, staring at the wall, somewhat sulking. "I was actually wondering if you knew. Overlord was suddenly gone... I woke up to a deck, with a clan called Gold Paladins." Haruka takes a deep breath, trying to explain what he knows without being too much of a baby about it.

"All I know are the last things Dragonic Overlord told me." He turned back to Yukino.

"This isn't the End." Haruka grinned a little, remembering how much Overlord was kind of nerd. "But I think it meant something. I'm not sure what... But I believe him. That it really wasn't the end." Haruka's grin waned, but he tried to keep up a decent front.

"I remember the fight, I remember Exculpate the Blaster, I even remember the way the fight ended. That night itself was a bit fuzzy..." Haruka trails off with a yawn.

"And that was it."

[Cherry]

"So you remember everything as I do..." It was obvious bringing this up hurt him, but it made her happy to know she truly wasn't the only one who missed their friends. She missed Ahmes and Yunos, he clearly yearned to meet with Overlord again. Giving a wry smile, trying to let him know that he isn't alone... the queen did find a detail odd. The Air Force Division of Narukami had the incarnation of lightning: Dragonic Kaiser Vermillion. If whoever changed their decks wanted to keep something close to what they had before, wouldn't it make sense for Haruka to have that?

Though, maybe it was better this way, she thought. Less painful for him and Vermillion if they ever came together.

"This isn't the end..." Yugure repeated. Of course it wasn't, the civil war's end wasn't the last of Cray's troubles. However, it possibly had deeper meaning than that. Meant solely for Haruka in fact.

"So judging by Seph's words, you - the Seraphim - got connected to Kagero more than anyone else."

Actually, now was a good time to ask Haruka about that.

"Why are you the 'Seraphim' anyway?" The queen inquired, also considering to finally ask about those burns of his too.

[Jello]

Seraphim.

The name rung in his ears for several seconds. He heard a resonating "cling" over and over.

"Se-ra-phim." Haruka gulped at it. He had no idea what it meant. Nothing about the name was important to him by prior events. However the name was all too familiar.

A seraph was an angel, sent from heaven. Seraphim was something very similar, however it had a different connotation. A darker angel. He felt his heart pound a little.

"I don't know what that means. Or what I am. What does that mean to you?" Haruka was answering questions with questions. He felt bad at first, considering he was now filled with more questions than before.

"I'm not sure. Maybe I have a connection to Kagero? A real connection, not just through the cards. But... I feel like you know just as much as I do." Haruka cradled his legs in his arms, staring back at Yukino, using his knees as a rest.

[Cherry]

Haruka's reaction wasn't pleasant to watch, believing in a tinge of fear covered by a blanket of confusion. That was only her guess by how he gulped, repeating it. Perhaps it was best to pursue another topic about him then, seeing as this wasn't a good one.

"What about those burns?"

They were probably unrelated, honestly. Yugure would make an attempt to rationalize that they have something to do with his title and connection to Kagero. However, it was more mere curiosity of his person.

[Jello]

Instinctively Haruka grabbed at this neck to cover up the lightly showing marks. Probably his number one insecurity.

"They're from.. Well." He wasn't sure how to go about all of this. Was it appropriate? Probably not. But the story would be too hard to believe otherwise.

Let's do this.

Haruka untied his tie, and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his chest and the burns that sprawled from the top of his abdomen, all across his chest and towards the edges of his collarbones.

"When I was younger, I lost my parents, yeah?" He was mostly saying as a reminder. "I lost them in a freak fire.... Earlier that day, my father came home. I never got to see him, because my mother came up screaming, telling me to stay in my room. He was... wailing in pain. I don't really remember a lot of it, not that I want to. After a while, everything was quiet."

Haruka gulped hard, touching his chest where the burns are. "The house was on fire. I didn't even know for a bit... I went to touch my door knob and it burned my hand. I had to bash it down, the door I mean. The first thing that greeted me was..."

Smoke. Heat, smoke and flames. Everything was suddenly becoming surreal for him He remembered it all a bit too well, despite saying he doesn't. He could remember the hues of the fire and the intensity of the heat. Everything was coming back to him all at once.

"Smoke."

Guh. This sucks.

"I thought they escaped through a window, so I went out too. But... they weren't there." He breathed hard.

"The cops picked me up and helped me out of the building. I was safe I thought, so they told me to sit down for a minute, relax. I sat in the grass, vacantly. I was horrified. And then, the most unexpected part."

He revealed the remaining burns and scars. Haruka would be blushing at the insane amount of top-side showing, but he was too busy telling a story. He was pretty air-headed sometimes.

"The house, well... exploded." That was the best way to put it. It was a moving burst of energy and fire at a rapid pace. "The fire spread across the grass and reached me, only for a moment... but they got me bad." A moment was an exaggeration. Four seconds of fire burning across Haruka's body. They centered on his tattered shirt, getting most of his upper body.

With one more long powerful breath, he puts his hands in his lap and nods. "That was that. They were gone, and my Uncle and Aunt took me in. Now I'm here, after they offered to let me live alone here in the inner city. Kind of them, eh?"

This was Haruka's coping. He tried hard to stop thinking about it, but he was already about to break down again. He simply gripped his slacks in his lap and bit his lip.

[Cherry]

This had nothing to do with Kagero or Cray, not even Seraphim. So that only made Yugure feel awful to see him relive everything with his mind's eye. Listening to his story, her eyes closed, illustrating everything she could mentally. The tragedy played out in her mind... a boy sitting in his room, lost in confusion and isolation. Mother telling him to stay, and a man's agonizing wails from the outside. Then, the boy cries when he touches a scorching doorknob. Breaking it down, the sight of flames was burned into her mind. An endless storm of heat razing the household, and leading a poor kid to escape from a window alone.

Parents gone... Subsequently, Yugure cringed when the image of the explosion occurred.

Making sure he wasn't left unscathed physically, leaving emotional scars too as a constant reminder.

The feelings Haruka carried through his life must've been unimaginable. Never mind her own despair, she couldn't even sympathize. Saying "I'm sorry" wouldn't help anything, so those words didn't come out of her mouth.

After a few moments... Yukino moved over toward Haruka, crawling to him. Instinctively, the girl hugged him, squeezing her friend in a gentle embrace. Words probably couldn't soothe the pain, but, still yearning to help him cope somehow, silently holding him was her choice of action.

[Beryl]

Seph sighed. His purpose was to relay information and not necessarily take in anything from these two, but he couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the Seraphim. A boy, surrounded by flames, touched and abused by their dance. A boy who should be dead, and yet rose up from the flames anew. Standing once again...that must be why Dragonic Overlord picked Haruka as his champion.

He smiled a bit. Satoshi was in good hands with these two, even if he wasn't to know anything...at least, for now. Seeing the two embrace, Seph thought about what they would look like together. After all, while their nations clashed, there was some Earth saying he remembered hearing Satoshi's father say long ago, when the boy was young. Something about how "opposites attract"? He had posed this question to Lox of Great Nature, who had explained magnetic fields in response. Perhaps these two had a magnetic field that bound them tighter than their bonds with his own champion.

He chuckled a bit, then whistled. "Hey, not to ruin the moment or anything, but...I'm still right here."

[Jello]

"H- uh.." Haruka felt Yukino's arms wrap around him. He wasn't exactly sure how to respond. The nerves on his chest were numb due to the burns, be he felt warmth surround him everywhere else. He dug his forehead into her shoulder and reciprocated the embrace. He wanted to cry a little.

"Y-Yukino.... Thank you." This was probably the only thing he'd be able to say right now, considering the backlash that telling the story he just told was making it difficult to breathe even. His breathing slowed and calmed. Yukino's consolation made it a great deal easier to keep it together at the moment.

The warmth spread across his shoulders and back, as well as up his neck and face. Oh, he was blushing.

"Mmm... This probably wasn't very pleasant to hear?" Haruka felt sort of bad, as if he were tugging at Yukino's heartstrings. Talking about himself or his past was usually not the most entertaining activity, but she had asked and he felt like she should know.

Then the whistle. "E-Eh..."

He turned his head, the blush became a full red across his face and neck. He didn't know what it was, but due to the fact it sort of took Haruka by surprise, he ended up hugging Yukino a bit tighter.

Sorry! I, uh, I hope she's okay.

[Cherry]

Honestly, Yukino wasn't sure how to continue from this either. She remembered back during her Shadow Paladin rampage when the clan stabbed her with glares... Those that expected the best, nothing but furthering the insatiable hunger for power. Yet, they weren't satisfied, and blamed it on her. Yunos didn't, however. Yunos embraced her too... yanking all the swords out one at a time. The girl's hands rubbed Haruka's burns, unconsciously trying to spark warmth from her own gestures like Yunos did.

"It... was really sad", she responded. Of course it wasn't pleasant to hear, but she didn't expect anything that brought burns like those to not be. Holding him tighter, doing everything in her power to make sure he felt even a little better... that was the only thing in mind until Seph spoke.

Right, they were talking about Cray.

Yugure blushed some, letting go of Haruka, but staying next to him. "S-Sorry...", an apology was given to the both of them. Invasion of personal space and completely forgetting the spirit was even here... Awkward barely described her current feelings. Yet, she was happy she went to Haruka anyway.

"A-Anyway... Haruka, clans have been locked away by some monster that appeared on Cray... It seems prominent figures were targeted first, as I saw Overlord float away... and then Ahmes and Yunos too", Yukino got back on topic, explaining her dream.

[Jello]

Haruka felt the warmth run through him for a moment longer until Yukino suddenly let go. He was relieved, as he wasn't sure how to progress, yet also suddenly a little empty.... He missed the feeling immediately.

"Right... So what monster? And what happened to Overlord? He... Floated away?" This struck Haruka as odd considering Overlord was capable of flying. He must have had some sort of binding upon him.

The dream wasn't at all familiar to anything Haruka knew, but he felt as though it made sense. Ahmes, Yunos, and Overlord were taken away, and maybe others too. He nodded his head, taking in the information presented. Whole clans disappeared. This, he was sure of.

"So, how do you propose we go about getting them back?" Haruka wanted to get back on topic as quickly as possible before embarrassment struck him again. He was genuinely interested in the safety of Cray, but at the same time he felt the echoes of the feeling of Yukino's hands on his back and shoulders.

It was pleasant, but it was awkward to think about when a serious topic was brought up; this was his way of pushing the earlier attachment away for a moment and to keep focus.

"Any plans?"

[Cherry]

Yugure visibly trembled, the fear that this beast instilled into heart was something that just wouldn't creep away. It feels as if she's bothered every minute of the day now. "I... I don't know what it was... it was some mechanical... thing... Orbs hit and people flew away in bubbles..." explaining it only replayed the horrific scene over and over again. The hissing roar that it let loose, taking away the knights that finally reconciled their relationships. It almost took her... it almost got her and sealed her away... this thought made her shake even more...

"I don't have any ideas... Father told me the War of Liberation began, but I don't know what that is... Gold Paladin is scrambling to get control of the Sanctuary after its mass panic still, according to Garmore..."

[Jello]

"Hey, hey! Here, calm down." Haruka kneeled in front of her, placing his hands on her shoulders to help her stop shaking. He wanted to help her as she helped him, but this was different. It wasn't a faint memory of a scorched past. Its a fresh problem, a wound that had yet to heal. It was happening now, as they spoke.

He took her hands in his. "Look, its okay. War of Liberation, right? Freedom. Its a war to free the clans, obviously. And if the Gold Paladin are in charge, its probably their job to put everything right. Trust in them." Haruka himself didn't trust Vortimer all too much, but what did he have to lose? If he wanted to save Overlord, Ahmes, Yunos, and everyone else, he needed to believe in his own units as well.

"Garmore. So that's the name of your new unit I assume? After the Royal and Shadow Paladins were..."

He didn't finish that last sentence.

"So that's who Vortimer was talking to... I guess he can hear your guys too." Haruka pondered the idea for a couple of moments, forgetting he was holding Yukino's hands.

"Do you know if the Gold Paladins are split into factions or anything like that?"

[Cherry]

Having Haruka comfort her immediately helped in calming her breathing. The sheer terror of the fact that she could have been one of those people sealed away was enough trauma to last a lifetime. Ahmes and Yunos threw themselves into harm's way, taking the fate she should've had instead... It was a mixed feeling of how Ahmes and Yunos must feel, and how she would've felt if they hadn't. Nowadays, fear was just... just so prevalent in her mind. What happened to the proud queen who stared fear in its eye?

At least, after he made sense of her words, she relaxed some. Of course she trusted Ezel and Garmore. It was a bit unfair to Gold Paladin to focus her attention entirely on saving Ahmes and Yunos, considering these people are her allies too. These warriors born from trust united in the Sanctuary thanks to her. While they didn't blame her, the lion and wolf were glad to see her think like this. Even if they had a mission to save those they've lost, they want nothing more than Yugure to be at ease with this clan.

"Garmore and Ezel..." adding the other knight's name to Haruka's inquiry about the heroes. Hearing his question of other factions, she asked Ezel.

"Ezel says... there's the Red Lion corps, the Black Chain forces who are also the Black Steed, the White Hare faction... and the Blue Falcon aerial squads."

[Beryl]

Seph closed his eyes. Yeah, he really should've said something a while ago.

"Okay, look. The War of Liberation is a directive Ezel made when he came into power as the representative for Gold Paladin on the Council. As a clan, they're seeking the Beast Armors to acquire enough power to save Cray. The Beast Armors have unnatural levels powers that spike the potential of those who wear them beyond their normal limits. Ezel has the Red Lion's armor, Garmore has the Silver Wolf's, and Vortimer has the Black Dragon's. When they assemble the Beast Armors together, the goal is to be powerful enough to break the seal."

He waved an image of a dark, ebbing bubble. "This is the Rift, the place that we currently fight against. A great power was freed alongside the long-gone Aqua Force, and the Rift is its domain, utilizing its power to seal Alfred, the Blasters, Pacifica and Dragonic Overlord. Our goal is to, hopefully, defeat this power. With Ezel at the helm, this should be quite possible, and we will be able to avert a crisis on Cray." He nodded curtly to Yukino. "Yugure, you were chosen by Ezel to be his champion. Once again, you are the human being who must lead the other champions to fight against the forces of the Rift. But you will need as much help as you can get this time."

Seph smiled a little. "To support the Gold Paladin's path to success, all of the clans have stepped forward with their own champions, those who have also surpassed their limits. And with those champions..." He bent the energy of the dark bubble into a more pleasant, soothing, green energy. "I stand as the protector of Neo Nectar. Many know me by my human form, Seph. But extending beyond my limits...I am Arboros Dragon, Sephirot." He ceased the bubble of energy. "With time, I will assist you all by means of Satoshi. But I must know that he can handle my full potential, first. Such extensive power of Limit Break is staggering, you know."

He nodded, then dipped his head in thought. "Be careful, however. While this quest does seem to end in our victory...Amaterasu says a darkness will linger. There are more shadows behind the figure we know that sealed away the Chosen Ones; we just can't feel their power at this point in time. As for what to do in the meantime..." He scratched his chin, then nodded. "Search for the bearers of Metatron and Vermilion. I most recently felt their presences by you all. And...I know this may be hard, but keep all of this a secret from Satoshi. I will tell him everything when it is best to, I promise."