In the new world, apparently beyond the mirror were lush green gardens, trees, the sound of a river in the distance. All the same the tranquility was off setting and Damian abruptly sat up in alarm as he processed the change in scenery.
"Heh heh, it would be bad if my parents decided to come home for the first time in almost a decade," Damian chuckled nervously as he looked at his surroundings.
Pouting next to him was a cute middle school age girl with a pale blue dress on. Her brown hair neatly pinned up in a braided bun. The pale blue sweater looked familiar with the small pink bows near the top. Though her green eyes reflected a whirl of emotions, none of them good -
Wait a minute.
"Lotte?! Lotte where are we?" He demanded grabbing her shoulders and shaking her slightly. "I have a confession to make," Lotte said, no longer angry and instead suddenly nervous.
"Come to think of it, you're not wearing your school uniform anymore," Damian noted.
"I'm a Guardian of the beautiful world you see before you," she declared. "This is Terravalonia,"
"You a guardian? Lotte, you're fourteen! Hell, you won't even do your homework without me watching to make sure you don't wander off and make chaos in my room-" Damian protested.
"I'm a lot older than I look, this year I turn 74" she firmly stated.
"You look a bit young for a seveny three year old-" Damian commented.
"The little sister thing... It's... It is an act. She hesitated slightly. "We are adopted, remember Damian?" She asked.
"I couldn't forget something like that." Damian flinched then glowered. 'I was affected the most by mom and dad leaving - vanishing right in the middle of their divorce.'
Lotte squared her shoulders. "This isn't a hallucination or dream, or you indulging in my fictional fantasies like when I was seven."
"This is real. I'm a guardian, one of dozens. My job is to protect this world. Every so many years I was supposed to select a warrior and observe their Abilities. Then I was to guide them to a proper trainer. I specifically had to take my warriors to special trainers,"
"Trainers?" Damian parroted. "Training for what?" He asked coolly.
"Of course when I really understood, I didn't want to. But I have my obligations. This is my entire life!" Lotte rambled.
"Training for what?" He tried again to get attention over Lotte losing it.
"Aftet I adjusted I realized I'm doing what made me happy for the longest time, until recently with all the surprise complications -" she continued.
"Training for what, Lotte?!" He demanded.
"Training to be made a murderer, ." She sniffled. He stared at her blankly.
"You're training warriors for this world just to kill them?" Damian asked incredulously.
"There's a prophecy... A prophecy that a guardian would bring a warrior of change and be able to wield the Evil half Sword of Destiny. We already had a King to wield good half of the Sword of Destiny! The newcomer- He would obviously become a tyrant of Evil! Our world couldn't have that! I was trying to find a replacement, so I wouldn't lose someone I cared about if I was wrong again, I really tried." Lotte sobbed, grabbing her brother's hand. He just stared blankly at her, although not pulling away either.
"I didn't want you to think less of me," she tried weakly.
"You... Inserted yourself in my life,"
He thought of that memory of the time they went to the aquarium. When Mom and Dad hadn't yet divorced, and four year old Lotte ran around, wanting to see the dolphins only to trip and start crying. His younger self wanting to cheer her up and getting her a stuffed toy dolphin.
"...Pretended to be a part of my family all so you could throw me to the guillotine because you could say 'sorry it's your job'?" He asked.
Lotte nodded miserably. Damian exhaled slowly, the anger in his eyes vanished. "Okay," he said calmly.
He inhaled sharply and wiped her tears.
"It's... It's okay. What you attempted isn't okay, any more than you choosing to leave me in the dark about your real life. But you tried to make amends. I can work with that, for now," he said coolly.
"I want a real explanation when the time comes up but I can wait until I deal with the pressing matter for the time being," he clarified. Lotte flinched.
"I'm not some prophecied monster who's going to throw away my life so some other guy looks good," Damian decided. 'Disappointed older brother tone..!' Lotte tensed.
He held out his hand, picturing a nice mirror or doorway to take him home, similar to how he got there.
Instead, now in his hand, being gripped tightly as if to test it was real, was a sword. It startlingly resembled the sword from his dream. The enormous black longsword. In length it was almost four feet. The blade should have felt heavy, but it felt light which was a concern in itself. The front and back of the blade had a red line down the center with three interlinked circles. The inside of the circles matched the pitch black of the rest of the blade. The jagged cracks down one side indicated the blade had been split.
In the dream it hadn't done anything, now the sword glowed, brilliantly pulsating a violet light.
"Uh--" he looked at Lotte for help. Swords didn't usually answer his beck and call. Especially since he wasn't trying to call anything. Lotte however had the look of someone who's worst fears had been confirmed.
He blinked. 'This sword wasn't seriously the way they identified if someone was evil or not, was it?'
"Are you fucking serious right no-" he started to complain.
"We need to get away from people before too many passersby gather from the light of the Sword." Lotte exclaimed, grabbing his arm.
"Yeah I'm sure no one saw that," he said sarcastically.
Following his sister they ducked behind a building, hiding in the sidestreet. Well Damian tried his best to make the sword as subtle as possible. Draping his jacket over the faintly glowing weapon.
"What is this place? Besides obviously a town of Terravalonia?" Damian asked.
Lotte looked at him," currently this is the Village of Seoul-Mundele in the city state of Montonui,"
Damian rubbed his eyes. "That's a lot to remember,"
Damian looked at someone who seemed jarringly familiar. The formal clothes were a bit of a throw off , reminding him of a scholar of magic, like in a storybook.
A navy blue coat with a thin grey undercoat over a navy blue blouse reminiscent of a fancy robe. It had puffy sleeves, decorated with the various gold star patterns and was long enough to touch the tips of the brown boots he was wearing. The robe was secured by a dark brown belt with a gold buckle and on his hands a pair of dark brown and navy blue gloves.
Loosely around his neck was a purple sheer scarf weighed down with platinum gold sparkling star decorations. Sitting down like an old man, the person was watching him with a curious gaze.
He was baffled at the clothes but recognized the face.
"Hi Nico," Damian said impassively. Next to him Lotte however went stiff as a board in horror. "Nico?!"
"Hello Damian." Then Nico did a double take, as did Damian and both were dumbfounded to see the other.
"How are you here?!" Damian asked.
" I should ask you that! How are you -?" Nico started to ask then rested his gaze on Lotte who was trying to make herself even smaller and looked embarrassed.
"... Oh," Nico remarked.
"'Oh'?" Damian parroted confused.
"Lotte why is my friend, your brother here in the land of Terravalonia?" Nico asked coldly.
"Listen; It's not what you think, it was an accident." Lotte protested.
"I should hope so, mages can't easily tell lies," Nico commented.
"Oh so you knew about the villain for hire thing too. Or should I say villain for slaughter?" Damian deadpanned at him. Lotte bristled.
"Yes I knew." Nico admitted. "But I didn't know she was actually going to pick you, I assumed her feelings for you were genuine,"