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🎵: Ludwig Goransson - Con La Brisa (Instrumental)
Sol wakes up after that beat down, but instead of the bright lights of Luminata City, he's... underwater? Well, there is certainly A bright light directly below him... or above him... or in front. He's not even sure where he is, but his worries are far dire than that. He gains a sense of direction and swims to the surface. There is an intense amount of pain in his movements.
"Luna? LUNA?!?", he yelled desperately.
It wasn't any use. She was nowhere to be seen, neither was the area of Link-N Square Park where he was last. He's in the middle of a lake in a quiet forest. The trees are illuminated by the lake's glow and the mist carries a soothing warmth. The lake is accompanied by a small waterfall, bringing in water from who knows where. This place may be unknown, but it's comforting. Maybe he died in that street fight and this is what the afterlife looks like. Weirdly, he appears here stripped down to his underwear though. Maybe the dead are always naked? That sentiment changes when he spots his clothes sitting next to the lake. Okay?
A blinding light then appears out of nowhere, but Sol is completely unaffected by its intensity. A familiar face emerges from the light... A face he's glad to see after the night he's had, his legal guardian, Sake Orouku.
"Papa-san!", he said in relief.
"Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?", Sake asked.
Sol moved again, but this time, the pain he felt equaled that of soreness after a workout. It was truly bizarre, considering the beating he took.
"Better. Soooo, am I... dead?"
Sake laughs, "The place does kind of feel like heaven, doesn't it? No, you're not dead... but, in that state, I found you in, you're lucky not to be."
"How did you know where I was?"
"Find my phone... a very useful app. Buggy though. I had Rain modify all three of your phones to boost the signal, so now the location is precise 24/7. You honestly think I would let you two run around the city without knowing where you are? I wouldn't be doing my job very well.", Sake explained. "Imagine my surprise when you stopped moving, but Luna kept going until she disappeared off the map. Trouble, indeed. Anyway, you were in an awful state, so I brought you here to heal your injuries."
Sol is absolutely in awe. A lake with healing properties? It makes sense, his devastating injuries and pain just vanished as he was in there. He wonders why this is the first time he's been here or even heard of it. This water could have so many positive effects on medical health.
"This is incredible! Why isn't this place a famous location? This could really help people.", Sol said excitedly.
Sake laments, "Healing water in a seemingly unlimited supply? If the world knew about this place, there would be more war for it than there was for oil."
Sol knows how unbelievably true that is, "You're not wrong there, Pop."
"Besides, its effects are untested. For me, the Glowing Lake has only been able to heal minor injuries at best. It mainly replenishes my stamina, which is already useful as a Light user." Sake said as he dipped his feet into the water.
"Light user?"
"For you, Sol, it's a completely different story. The lake heals you completely, but it does more than that, which is why I brought you here tonight."
Sol's eyes grow large and the world around them goes still as anticipation builds. Why? Why does the lake treat him differently?
"Sol... You are a Light Superhuman."
"A Light... Superhuman?"
The area around them now goes quiet aside from the leaves blowing in the wind. Sol had known the word "Superhuman" from the comics he read, but that was just fantasy... right? What the hell could that even mean in real life?
"Light runs through your body just like the blood through your veins. Some humans are born with superb abilities, allowing them to do great things. These are a subspecies called Superhumans. Light Superhumans are, additionally, a subclass of Superhuman." Sake realizes how much of a Science lesson this turned into, but continues to elaborate, "A Superhuman's power has a strong potential to remain dormant as yours did for most of your life. I also brought you here because I felt it was time to manifest your powers."
That last word hit Sol like a truck into a brick wall. He remained still for minutes. The silence was deafening. Sake was just waiting for the inevitable to happen.
"YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!", Sol screamed into the night, so loud it might've shaken the world.
"I figured this might've been much to take in", Sake said with a smile.
Sol freaks out, realizing his dream has come true. He's a real-life superhero, or at least, he has the gifts to become one. He goes back and forth, wondering what cool powers he has. Sake clears his throat, trying to bring him back down to Earth.
"I know this is all you've ever wanted, but don't let the fact you have powers go to your head. Remember that with great power, comes-"
"Great responsibility... Yeah, yeah, I know, but holy shit, Papa Sake!"
"SOL!! Enough."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any disrespect. It's just too good to be true, you know."
Sake chuckles, "I do."
"So, tell me, that power you used... are you also a Superhuman?", Sol asked.
"No, I'm just human. Light power isn't exclusive to Light Superhumans. For non-supers or all other subclasses, it takes extensive training that could last years. For you, it comes rather naturally. Of co- What are you doing?"
Hearing that it comes to him naturally, Sol instantly attempts to shoot light out of his hands... to no avail. What he fails to realize is that he still needs training himself, much to the annoyance of Sake.
"Come on, how do I manifest things out of light?", he asked Sake, doing multiple poses like an idiot.
Sake facepalms, "It isn't 'manifesting things out of light'. Now, get dressed."
Sol puts on his athletic gear, which is torn to shreds and covered in his blood. He feels tremendous guilt because his powers weren't there to protect Luna. It's all fun and games when looking at this with his boyish dream. The reality is that with these powers, he has the capability to go after her... and maybe, get a little payback on the "Gray Man". Still, she could be anywhere now. He was out for an unknown amount of time.
"So, how long was I out?", he asked in a somber mood.
"A few hours. Your injuries were severe, so they needed some extra time to heal." Sake feels his downed mood, "You're feeling some guilt, aren't you?"
"I couldn't protect her. And now, she's... I don't know where."
"It's not your fault. You did what you could, but unfortunately, you weren't ready for what came.", Sake assured him warmly. "We'll get her back. That's a guarantee."
Sol knows his guardian is a wise man of his word. If he says they will get Luna back, they WILL get her back. As soon as he was dressed and ready to go, Sake placed his hand on his shoulder as if he was going to tell him something else. Instead, he simply raised two fingers and both were instantly at another location. A very familiar location... their home, the Solar Dojo.
Solar Dojo, Luminata City - June 3, 2035
"That really wasn't just 'manifesting out of light', it was teleportation!", Sol remarked in awe.
"Light Speed Teleportation, to be exact. Probably our most powerful ability, but quite exhausting... especially when teleporting two people.", Sake noted. He is noticeably sweating.
He had teleported them both inside Sol's bedroom. It has the look of a room inside an Azunese dojo, but very Luminatanized. He has a wall of posters featuring all his comic and manga heroes surrounding his TV. In this same place, he has his game consoles both retro and modern. Sake was quite the gamer of his time, handing Sol most of his games. He kept his Nintendo GameCube though, that's still his favorite after 30 years. Sol's bed lies in the corner by the window. He couldn't deal with the tatami mat, so a platform bed did nicely. Directly next to it, the large poster of his celebrity crush, Sydney Sweeney, did nicely as well.
Sake grabs his training robes from his dresser and tosses them to him.
"Change... And then, come to my quarters. We have more to talk about.", Sake said before leaving.
Sol takes his gear off one last time, a reminder of a disastrous night. He throws them away, knowing he won't be off doing any free running without Luna. He quickly dresses in the training robes of the dojo. Being one of Sake's children has its perks though, rather than wearing the regular students' yellow robes, Sol has his signature blue robes. Suddenly, he hears a knock on his door as he's about to head over. He opens it to his other best friend, Sake's adopted son, Rain Orouku. He's clad in his signature purple robes.
"I was told something bad had happened! Are you okay?", he asked.
"Better now. The Glowing Lake does wonders for your health", Sol jokes while motioning him to follow.
"I heard. He said you went for a swim to recover. I thought he was just talking crap, but guess not." Rain gets serious again. "So, Luna... she's gone?"
Sol walks in silence for a moment, "Yeah... I'm heading to Papa Sake's quarters now to, most likely, talk about it. Join us and I'll tell you more there."
Rain nods and the two continue on their way. The Solar Dojo is not a place you'd expect to find in Luminata City. Well, it isn't technically IN Luminata City. To the southwest, over the cliffs that tower over the Sapphire Coast, this place stands overlooking the metropolis from across the bay. It is like stepping into Azunoshi from afar. The place was like a fortress, or a temple, made up of Eastern architecture.
Sake, himself, emigrated from the country when he was a young man. He never disclosed how he had come to own the place, but it was all his. He opted to turn it into a haven of discipline and betterment of the soul. Few students have come and gone over the years. At this time of night, the students are just going about their things or calling it. The masters, who also live at the dojo, nearly equal the amount of students. They too go about their evening, mainly card games and gambling... lots and lots of gambling.
Sol and Rain make it to Sake's quarters, which resemble a medium-sized house. They both enter his room, where he has set up a chakai, a tea gathering. He had done this many times when any of the kids were in major distress, or simply just a time for bonding.
Sake smiles at both, "Ahh, Rain, good of you to join us. Come... Sit, both of you."
Both sat on each open side of the table. Sol is suddenly ambushed by a dog after sitting down. Sake's pet dog, Echo, a Shiba Inu.
He laughs, "Hey, girl. I missed you too."
The three sat on each side as Sake prepared their tea. These were normally enjoyed by a party of four and the three men very much miss their fourth. Echo soothes the mood by sitting in Luna's place, tongue out and tail wagging. Sake finishes each cup of tea and hands them to both boys.
He says as he hands Sol his cup, "Now, Sol, tell us everything."
Sol stares at his cup of tea, steaming into the darkness of the room. He takes a sip of tea before looking back up. He recounts everything that happened tonight. Where they went... Who they encountered... What they said. Sake and Rain were taken aback by these descriptions. A "Gray Man" and a hooded figure flanked by a trio of mafiosos... Luna being referred to as "the package"... He thinks about it and believes he might have an idea, but they have no solid leads to work with.
"I don't want to waste any time. We have to get after her as quickly as possible.", Sol asserted.
"I agree, but you're not ready. This "Gray Man" made short work of you. And if the Mafia is mixed up in all of this, we could have some serious trouble on our hands.", Sake responded. "We need to begin your training. Both of you."
"Training for... Papa-san, you don't mean?", Rain asked in awe.
Sol confirms in excitement, "Light Power... you knew about it?"
"I'm a curious guy, so I've done my snooping on this type of information."
"And you didn't tell me? Awe..."
"You didn't want to tell me you were a Light Superhuman?"
"I didn't even know until twenty minutes ago."
"Alright, boys. We begin tomorrow. Go get some rest.", Sake said. "And from this point on. I'm no longer Papa Sake or Papa-san to you. You will refer to me as Master Solar. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Master!", they both said in tandem.