"What causes you all to pause?" Astral asked gently. They all stared at him and glanced at James. "I get that us humans can sometimes be different, it should be a growing pain for all parties."
"I think they are processing the fact that I am your child." James looked at them as a few stepped forward through the crowd. "If its not that. I would love to hear it and have us adapt and learn. Is that too much to ask?"
Four of them stepped forward through the crowd. Errol, Sanguine, Bitsy and Evelin all looked at Astral as if they were staring at a mirage, a deity on the battlefield. "Is it true you are the two's father?" Errol asked right away without hesitation and drew his blade. Resting it on Astral's neck as Astral let it happen.
"Yes, at the time I didn't realize it. It took a godly event that reunited us. Even then, I wish I could have been there for them." Astral held still as his clones all looked at Errol. Astral held his hand up as they held back.
"What happened when you attacked the Queen's?" The lady with the red orange hair raised her bow at Astral as she held her bow at him.
"We snuck in and started the revolution. It is not fake as Angel set all of it into motion, sadly, I doubt most of you trust me for what happened during the attack. I faced off versus the four Queens as Angel was hypnotized to kill James. I managed to figure out a way to kill them as James kept defending Tina. Our little mage elf. She exhausted herself and saved James who had several deep wounds at the time." Astral looked to all of them as he scanned them all. They listened closely as no one disturbed his speech.
"It is all up to you on your actions. If you choose to not believe me, you can kill me where I stand. If not, then follow the one who can lead you to glory." Astral rested his hand on James as James nodded. They all looked to him. A prodigal son for one to lead as James felt speechless at Astral's praise.
"I couldn't hurt my sister, every bone in my body refused to strike at her and wound her no matter the pain she caused me. I have always been the one to defend her to my last breath." James shivered as he saw into his past on two separate occasions. "With Astral's raw power he can take the four of them down. But we just need to bide time and reteach ourselves of old habits." James smiled as he looked behind and up. Sora and Lilac were on the cliff face far above them.
"We shall intermingle with the humans? Do they know of the dangers pressed to them?" Bitsy asked as Astral shrugged.
"They do not have a choice. They know to treat you with respect. A bond of cooperation not fear. Get to know them. Find out who they are as a person. As four you four. I have several questions." Astral pointed at the four of the front of the pack as he lifted off the ground landing on the cliff next to Sora and Lilac.
James sighed as he smiled and gave a soft chuckle. "He is by far and away the most powerful person in the universe. Bar none." The masses of hybrids all looked at James as if he was crazy. "Even someone who I couldn't defeat, he made childs play. Angel doesn't remember much and I haven't spoken about our past due to those queens." James waved for them to enter the city as he lead the way to the bluff above.
They made it to the cliff above as James looked in front of him having nothing but them. "Even on all of the grand adventures. Some pieces feel missing. Astral." He paused for a moment as he looked at the man who guided him so far. "How much access do you have to your pocket dimension?"
Astral stood still as he held his hand out with closed eyes. He flipped between fifteen different melee weapons as that's all he could muster. "Its still limited. But compared to the way you have told me in my past. This is a shame."
"I think once we find something that triggers your memory that will come back." James laughed. "What were your questions for them? I caught them up more up to speed with your natural talents and how you found the way around the barrier that no one else did."
"You four are all talented. I would like to assign you four to protect this child as she is on the battlefield. Of course she will be sticking to the back line for supporting with the spells she can use." Astral giggled a bit. "It may be a precaution but I'd rather be safer than sorry." They all nodded as Tina stepped in front of Astral.
"Shall we resume training?" Tina interjected as they all looked at her.
"Sure!" Astral nodded as the two dashed away. Sora looked at the four of the hybrids standing there as they entered a cold stare.
"We should introduce you to the humans and start the appropriate procedures for when the demons attack again with their full might on Midsummers Night." Sora stood up straight as the hybrids nodded and went down the path with James following them, Astral gave the thumbs up to James on his way down as the rest of the day was spent training between Astral, his clones and Tina.
The moon rose as Tina went into her tent and began to read the texts once again. Astral stared at the moon basking in its light as James laid next to him outside. Neither of them hearing footsteps sneaking into Tina's tent. "I said I would come back." Seraph whispered as she sat down. Tina crawled into her lap as Beacon provided light for her.
James looked over to Astral as he smiled at his father being by his side. "How much of Jaimie and Adam do you remember or is all of the past a blur?" Astral looked into his child's eyes. He gave a crude chuckle as he looked back to the moon.
"Adam was an incredible man, clumsy as much as a person could be. His coordination was improved but he never cleared his final hurdle of athletics. He didn't need to either. With Jaimie and I on the ground to lead he was able to provide all the support in the world and be unstoppable and untouchable. Even when we had to protect him. He was almost unstoppable. He used his greatest designs and even as a young kid and high schooler. He had something neither of us did, a run away passion that couldn't be contained. My love for history and Jaimie's love for helping culminated into him and how hard he worked."
"He never deserved the position he was put in at the end. His death, it feels like he lingers on by a thread. He was the one destined to be behind the scenes and be the one to take over if Jaimie and I were to die. He was the one to be saved. And I think we failed him. Otherwise, he would have found me and we wouldn't be here for this adventure."
"Jaimie will never be replaced in my life, her memories are foggy after the moons exploded. As much as I could see the two of us being reunited, it's nigh impossible other than through a miracle. She treated you and Angel like she was your mother, without hesitation, always wanting what was best for the two of you. She was like that forever. Always wanting to help people and show people that she would be the last one she worried for. Her abilities to overcome what would be normally a cursed ability made her stronger than anyone else. However."
"No one can replace her mind, or her beauty. The shine on her hair, her curves, her beaming emerald eyes and her perfect pearly smile." Astral laughed. "Even though none of these humans or hybrids will know their greatness, nor replicate what we had. We can take these demons out to the end of the earth and kill them all. After that, maybe we can get back to the path we were at, learning history and saving the masses."
"Once we get back to the point, I can't wait to be there for you like how you were for the two of us. Its a shame Dante may never come back, but it went well for the two of us, you saved all the hybrids and we have another chance to save them for the goal of all humanity. Let them join the lifeboat isolated on their own." James beamed, his brightness and happiness more than the shining moon.
"Heh, you are right. Once we get back to our habits, we can gladly do that. I already think us getting several of them to be closer to us than just having Sora is already a step in the right direction." Astral sat up. "Ah, tomorrow is the night. It felt so far away months ago. But now, with it on our doorstep. We should rest and think of a battleplan in the morning." Astral got to his feet as he went to his tent. James followed suit as Sora hid below them and listened in.
'Astral knows more about his past despite my blockers on his memory. You are supposed to be stronger than he is. How is he breaking it?' Sora dug deep into himself as he walked through the emptiness of camp. Heading to the top throne room to rest as Seraph left Tina's tent to follow Sora. "Her indoctrination is going well I take it?"
"She will allow us to keep up with him. All it means is just to find a few people to stall and brainwash so either of us can land the killing blow one day." Seraph commented as her voice was cold and cruel. "He will be with the demon army. The more he is around James the more his seal breaks. I fear when he sees the mirror. He will be free of his bindings. Even as a part of him, we still aren't stronger, just his chunks of refinement." Lilac opened the door for the two of them as the three entered and looked at the battlescape.
"No help from you. You need to be kept a secret from him as long as possible." Sora pointed to Lilac as he saw what could be done. "Astral and James are going to let them scale the wall and using his mobility let them splash like a wave on a beachhead." Seraph merged back into Sora.
'But I want him to become himself again, he can be the universes savior and the purest man in existence. I just fear his change to the other side. Thats why we are to kill him. To save all of us from that.' Seraph thought to herself as Sora laid down in his massive bed. Lilac lay next to him as they waited for the sun to rise.