"Neola, please forgive grandma… You will be grandma's next heir," said an old woman with a wrinkled face to one little girl.
"Ehh? Why me, grandma? I don't want to!" Neola replied with a frown.
Her age at this time was seven years old. How can her grandma decide that she was the next heir?
Both of them were in a small lovely house decorated with plants and bricks. This was Neola's grandma's home. As for her home, it was just beside her grandma's house in the same style.
"Grandma can feel you are the most fit to use grandma's power. Not only that but you're also chosen by this stellar spirit." Neola's grandma shows her a chain with an emblem hanging around her neck.
Neola stares at the emblem. Her eyes shone brightly. The emblem was so beautiful and it was carved in half-human and half-horse with wings on its back. The creature also was holding a bow and arrow. She already knew long ago that the carving was indicating Sagittarius Stellar. It's just…
Neola's feelings were divided because first, she does want to become her grandma's heir, but she will inherit the curse that her grandma had experienced when she first gained power. Second, she was afraid to have that power because she already knew what duties she would hold once she became the user of the emblem.
And the last one, the emblem was very pretty and definitely her favourite. If given a choice, she wanted the chain emblem without the power stored in it of course but that would be impossible. Her grandma laughed when she saw her contemplating and confused expressions.
Neola, who noticed her grandma was laughing at her, puffed her cheeks with air.
"Neola doesn't want to, grandma!"
She stubbornly decides not to be the heir to the power. It's not like she doesn't have other jewellery. Better be safe rather than work hard for the spirit in the emblem. So, not wanting to hear her grandma telling her stories about the reign of Queen Siarah again which she had heard many times, she ran away from there.
Her grandma sighed but there was a small smile on her lips.
"She's still young ..." A being like Sagittarius appeared on her right shoulder.
She nodded in agreement.
Two years later…
"Grandma!" Neola screamed when she arrived at her grandma's bedroom.
Tearful eyes saw her grandma being surrounded by her parents and relatives. In fact, her grandmother looked awful, unlike her cheerful expression. She looked so sick.
"Neola… Come here, child…" Her grandma called weakly to her after realising she was there.
Neola's mother immediately brought her to sit next to her grandma.
"Grandma, don't go! Don't leave Neola!" Neola cried out in tears. Her hands reach for her grandma's hands.
Her grandmother gave a small smile even though it was very hard for her to do that. She pulled Neola's hand and placed the Sagittarius emblem chain on her hands. After that, she clasped Neola's hand.
"My heir..."
She said her last word before releasing her last breath. Her face blossomed with a smile of relief after she saw Neola there and gave the chain emblem to Neola herself.
Neola, who felt her grandma's static body, cried more loudly. After her grandma died, she was depressed and didn't leave her room for several days. Not even have an appetite to eat for a while.
Neola loved her grandmother very much and always cried every time she remembered her. The emblem her grandmother had given her was placed on top of her mirrored cabinet. Her parents would always come to check on her condition.
Neola was a cheerful and naughty child but when she looks so bleak and gloomy in sadness, they start to get restless. One day, Neola finally came out of her room and went to relax by a creek. She wore the emblem and looked at it with a frown.
"Grandma's heir..." He repeated his grandmother's last words. "Sagittarius ..."
As soon as she mentioned the name, her emblem emitted a small light. Her eyes opened wide when the Stellar Spirit Beast of the Sagittarius appeared in front of her. She had absolutely no intention of calling Sagittarius out and gasped when it happened.
"Sagittarius...?" She called him slowly.
Sagittarius appeared in its original size that was bigger and taller than she imagined. His body was the colour of milky white mixed with blue, covered in protective plates all over his body, even his four hooves have striking metallic shoes. His hair waved like the fire and his gold eyes watched her gently. Sagittarius in her eyes was like a half-human half-horse where the top body was human-like.
"Yes," Sagittarius smiled. "Are you ready to accept my power and become my vessel, Neola?" He asked her.
"Erm..." Neola was contemplating and looked a little scared.
"Don't worry. It doesn't hurt and you don't have to be afraid of my power." Sagittarius comforted her with soft words.
"Erm... How did grandma feel when she got your power before?" Neola said a moment later.
"I don't know..." Sagittarius chuckled.
"Eh?" Neola was dumbfounded at his answer.
"I don't know but maybe you'll understand when you become my user..." He smiled mysteriously at her.
"Oh... Erm... Then, I want to think first?"
"Okay. Take your time, Neola. I'll always be here and waiting for you." Sagittarius nodded before he disappeared from view.
Current time…
"Pegasus! Where are the chips I bought last night?!" Agi asked Pegasus angrily.
If he was a dragon, he would let out a fire from his nostril right now.
Pegasus who was crossing his arms over his chest grinned.
"Oh, I thought you gave it to me."
Agi pulled Pegasus' front shirt roughly.
"You eat all of them?!" He yelled.
"No..." Pegasus looked away.
He suddenly remembered the feeling he had when he kissed Agi before. Looking at Agi's face closely makes him tempted to do it again. He chided himself silently and reminded himself that Agi was a man. He shouldn't think otherwise.
Yet, can a man's lips feel soft like a woman's? He was a little confused.
Agi released his grip a little. His face was just about to change to relief but disappeared once he heard Pegasus' next sentences.
"I left the chip crust? Didn't you see it?"
Agi gritted his teeth before pulling Pegasus' body while lowering his body. Pegasus, who realised Agi wanted to use a shoulder throw on him, immediately hugged Agi's waist while his legs wrapped around Agi's legs as well.
"Omph!"
The unbalanced Agi slumped forward and Pegasus crashed into his body. Pegasus then positioned his body to sit on top of him.
"Get off me at once!" Agi shouted while struggling to reach Pegasus.
He wants to kick Pegasus away but their position makes it hard for him to move.
"Don't want to." Pegasus stuck out his tongue.
"Pegasus! If you don't get off me right away, I'll ruin your room completely!" Agi warns him.
Pegasus went silent for a moment in confusion before realising something from Agi's statements. His eyes immediately snapped wide. He quickly got up and ran to his room. After he opened the door, he was surprised to see a small tornado was messing and ruining the furniture and other things in his room.
"Agi! Stop your power right now!" He finally screams out in anger too.
Agi who heard him behind another building replied with 'don't want to' like the latter said before. Their arguments were so loud, that even the guards and their friends who were walking around heard them.
"What are they doing this time?" Virgo sighed as he facepalmed.
"Heh! If you don't hear them fighting once a day, it's not normal." Hartina chuckled.
"Exactly!" Gemini agreed.
The three of them had just returned from another city after buying some room appliances. Because most of their belongings were destroyed during the war with Revioryx three weeks ago, they lacked essential items such as clothes and bathroom utensils. Their room has been built again and looks very new. Each of their rooms now has a small living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom.
"Huh?" Virgo and Hartina were startled when they heard the sound of a lively ringing near them.
"Oops! Sorry!" Gemini said and took out a brown mushroom-shaped tool and put the mushroom's bottom to his ear.
He pressed the small glowing green button that was flashing on the mushroom's head. The ringing dies and the green light turns yellow.
"Yes? Oh, Brother Ceilius! Hm? I'm fine! Brother? Good!" Gemini chats with the person behind the line.
The mushroom was their latest communication device made by Kage. Virgo and Hartina look at each other.
"I hear Ceilius is closer to Gemini now," Hartina told Virgo.
"Woah! I didn't know that. How come the cold and wicked Ceilius got along with Gemini?" Virgo was confused.
"I'm not sure but their relationship was very good after some combat in the arena before the war. Ceilius fought with Gemini at that time. Since then, I have sometimes seen them talk to each other. I think Ceilius likes children..." Hartina explained.
"Seriously?! But Gemini was in his teenage form? How come Ceilius thought they were children when they looked like that? I didn't expect it."
"Well, everyone knows Gemini is the form of two children. Maybe what Ceilius saw wasn't the Gemini but Gem and Ini instead. During the battle with Revioryx's army of monsters, Ceilius was helping Gemini out with Amilia and Kage. That happens after the rescue group returns from saving Tucana."
"What…? You know, I still feel strange about this. Is there any of his past with children around him before?" Virgo asked since Hartina can glimpse into other people's memories with his power.
"... He has younger siblings that are twins. Unfortunately, both died in the training between Dark Akron and Dark Fulex twelve years ago. It was not anyone's fault actually. The twins came to the training field and got attacked by the blast during their fight." Hartina's eyes turn sad.
Virgo was shocked to hear it. Gemini, who had finished his conversation with Ceilius, also became paralysed when he heard Hartina's story. Hartina continued to tell.
"When Ceilius noticed his younger siblings were not around in his room, he checked everywhere and found them buried under the damaged wall… He was so angry at that time that he immediately killed both of the users instantly. Since then, Ceilius would always look at children, especially a twin, with a gloomy atmosphere. Maybe he remembered his siblings."
"God, that was so awful. Why did his siblings stay with him?" Gemini went pale but still wanted to know the reason.
"Because their parents passed away in the battle between us. So, Ceilius took in his siblings and cared for them."
"No wonder… I think I saw a new him now." Virgo commented.
Gemini agreed. If Ceilius saw the shadow of his siblings in him then he would try his best to be. Though he was not the replacement, he was someone who could cheer up Ceilius.
"Pegasus, you dare!!!"
They were startled when they heard Agi's scream.
"Let's ignore that…" Hartina shakes his head.
"Yeah, ignore, ignore…" Virgo and Gemini agreed.
Then, they continued on their journey to their respective rooms which were on the East side of Antonia palace.
As for Agi, he only finds a glimpse of Pegasus who has disappeared from his side. He wiped his mouth roughly because Pegasus had kissed him again, then, running away so fast that he didn't have time to hit the latter. He screamed in madness once more.
"Pegasus, if I see you again, I'll kill you!!!"
Pegasus, who was on the roof of a palace building, grinned at Agi's screams. He wiped his lips. Before this, he was stunned that his head moved faster to capture Agi's lips. It was because Agi looked like a hot dumpling and was cute when he was angry. He also looked so tempting to him.
"Did I accidentally like him? Since when…? Shit!"
He felt like he understood a little about his feelings toward Agi but the latter was a man. So, it confused him a lot. He then turned away by jumping to another building. As he descended into a small and dark alley between two buildings in Antonia City, he felt his complete heal wounds ache again.
He groans in pain and mutters a curse. The bite from the monster on his left side can still be felt by him. It happened while he was protecting the portal. A monster that suddenly came out of his shadow, bit and pulled a chunk of meat from him.
Agi couldn't heal him fully at that time because of his overused power. Pegasus thought he would be fine after Kairi healed him but the pain still followed after. Now, he sometimes felt the pain and it interfered with his movements.
He leaned against the wall of one of the buildings and breathed rapidly. He stood paralysed there while waiting for his pain to subside before exiting the small alley to the area where people were passing by.