After the meeting had concluded Sky left the building and found himself walking on the new main street, now lined with stones and giant wooden buildings on either side. Despite it being dark outside, the street was lit up brightly and roaring as people ran around, shouting sales and shopping for dinner.
Sky smiled as he walked forwards, taking in the new sight, being reminded of Eagles Nest wherever he looked. "Kronos and Atlas are brothers after all…" He murmured as he approached the giant fountain.
It was a simple yet large one with three levels. The one closest to the ground was the largest with the one above being smaller and the final level being smaller than the second. On top there was what seemed to be a sword stabbed through the fountain, from the pommel was a powerful stream of water that sprayed above.
Sky smiled as he watched children leap up, trying to catch the mist while their parents pulled them back. Quietly, he continued walking past the fountain, until the roar of the street died down and the lights faded. Soon he had left the large buildings behind and entered the dark woods. He walked through them as an eerie darkness settled, quickly opening up into a large field full of overgrown grass.
Sky paused and watched the wind blow through, allowing the grass to dance and mirror the motion of waves. Everything had been beautiful since he'd returned, the complete opposite of how it was when he left. He started walking again and found the tombstones of fallen warriors, now more than before. He continued walking until he found the one he was looking for.
"Yo… Lucy, it's been a while." He said as he stared at the words etched into the stone.
The scorch marks from burning the shroud had disappeared and in its stead was now a large tombstone. He looked around, making sure no one else's grave was nearby and sat down, bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them.
A silence filled the air as Sky stared at her name, in the strangely clear, moonlit night.
"I knew I'd find you here." Said a voice from behind Sky.
Sky turned his head. "Well, if it isn't Mr.Guard!" Sky smiled.
Walking towards him was Don. He had cut his orange hair and had it swept to the side and his red eyes no longer danced with mischief and trouble but rather glowed with happiness and comfort. He had fixed his crooked nose, allowing it to come down straight yet his smile remained crooked. He was wearing a white t-shirt with a blue jacket over it and beige pants. As he walked closer Sky saw that the two of them were now the same height.
"You shrunk." Sky said while grabbing his arm and shaking it.
"No, you just turned into an overgrown cotton ball!" Don replied by shaking Sky's arm.
Sky noticed that Don's scarf was gone and that there was someone clinging to his leg.
"It's Sky, go on, he still remembers you." Don said.
A child revealed itself from behind Don's leg. He had blonde hair that had been cut short and spiked upwards with blue eyes. He looked to be fifteen years old and was wearing a green t-shirt with black pants and boots with a white scarf that was too large for him wrapped around his neck.
"Matthew?" Sky asked as he crouched down.
Nervously the child took a step forward.
"Hey! It's me Sky!" Sky said happily.
Suddenly the child leaped forwards and clung onto Sky. He looked up to Don who explained that he had told Matthew all about Sky, his journey and how he and Lucy had been close.
After the hug, Sky stood up and Don and him talked, catching up on what Sky had been up to and what Don had been up to.
"It's hard being a parent… especially a stand in one but," Don said as he ruffled Matthew's hair, "It's something I wouldn't trade for the world."
Sky smiled. "I'm sorry, for suddenly throwing that on you." Sky finally said.
Don paused for a moment, looking at Lucy's grave then at Sky. "Don't be, it's the best thing that could've happened, besides I'm sure Lucy's happy too." Don said.
Almost on cue, a gust of wind blew through the field. "See." Don smiled.
"I think that was anger, after all her son was raised by a thief." Sky laughed.
"A FORMER thief!" Don clarified.
The two laughed some more before Matthew started yawning.
"Bed time." Don said as he started pulling Matthew away, "I'll catch you later!"
Sky smiled and nodded, watching the two walk away and disappear into the woods.
After they had left Sky sat down once again and started talking, telling Lucy about his quests and what he'd learned along the way. Once he'd finished he assumed it to be very late into the night.
"I'll come back to visit again one day." Sky said as he started walking away.
Once again he followed the trials through the woods back to the city, this time going to the left of the fountain and finding himself standing on the training grounds where he'd once learned from Atlas and been beaten to a pulp by Leeds.
He looked at the large building to the left which upon closer inspection was just a two story storage for practice dummies, weapons and other tools for training.
As he looked at the grounds that lay before him, now covered in craters, arrows, and all sorts of signs of heavy training a dark mist started settling in. This was unlike the mist that normally appeared in the woods, Sky could feel it was different.
Slowly the scenery in front of him darkened as the mist grew thicker and thicker. Whispering started, making Sky turn his head left and right, trying to determine where it was coming from. Suddenly someone touched his shoulder.
Violently he spun around, seeing no one there.
"The time is near…" Hissed a voice from behind Sky.
Again he violently spun around, catching a glimpse of black cloth.
"The string thin…" This time it hissed in his left ear.
Sky drove his right fist into it. He kept looking at the ground while breathing heavily. He saw white feet standing there, pointing at him. To their left and right was a black cloth. He followed the legs up, seeing the start of a black dress, continuing to follow them, the dress tapered in before getting bigger as it wrapped around a femine body. Going through the center of it was his fist, as if he'd just put his hand into a wall of mist. He kept looking up until he saw the face. That was when all strength faded from his body. The women had bright white eyes and pitch black pupils. Her nose had been pushed into her face so that the bridge was barely visible, showing only two holes for nostrils. Her mouth was torn from the corners to her jaw, tied together with strings. She had snow white hair, whiter than Sky's and was wearing a black, misty cloak. Her pale white hands floating near Sky's ear.
"What is stolen shall be reclaimed, endless blood will flow until the thrones disappear, those that have vanished shall emerge and with their last breaths you… shall disappear..." She whispered.
She pulled her hands away and took a few steps backwards.
Sky swallowed hard for a few seconds, wetting his dry throat before speaking. "You're Delphi aren't you?" He asked.
"So what if I am?" She said ominously.
"Why have you come here?" Sky asked.
She walked around, taking a look at the trees through the mist. "Beautiful city isn't it? Full of beautiful people." She said turning back to Sky.
"You look like someone who has come to accept their destiny." She said.
"It's what I have to do." Sky answered, standing back up normally, as the fear faded.
"Then what about those whose destiny is tied to yours?" She asked.
A puzzled expression grew on the face of Sky. "If it is yours to bring back the gods, is it not someone elses to stop that?" She asked.
"If that is the case then whose is the correct one? Whose purpose is the correct one?" She asked.
"Stop speaking in riddles!" Sky shouted.
She smiled, tightening the strings. "Sky… have you ever wondered what would happen if the Gods came back…" She started to fade away.
"Wait, what?!" Sky said as the mist started disappearing.
"WAIT! WAIT!!" Sky shouted as she disappeared, "COME BACK!!"
Suddenly Sky was left alone again on the training grounds, with nothing but the trees surrounding him.
"Yo." Someone touched Sky's shoulder.
Violently he spun around. "WHAT!!" He shouted into the surprised face of Leeds.