Chrono's Secondary Magic Training [Private]

There was once a man who anonymously appeared in Chrono's whereabouts. His movements were so agile, so fast, that the Sand King could not catch up. The man reminded Chrono of the wizard he had been hunting for eons, though his presence was opposite to that wizard's darkness - it was light. Though instantaneous with his magic, Chrono could hardly keep up, and until he finally had to catch a breather, he could recall feeling something of great power against his chest. As soon as the power and Chrono's body met, the power became one with Chrono. At first, the Sand King thought he had been cursed again, though judging by the sand that endlessly followed him, this new power was nothing that would seemingly harm the male. This man before Chrono appeared to only be in the scene for this one connection before disappearing into the light, never again to be seen since that moment.

Since that day, Chrono had to live with this second power inside him. It strangely blended perfectly with Chrono's flow of magic, and became one with it, in fact. However, while the potential of Chrono's sand was under complete control, this newly acquired strength was untrained. Even now and then, a random aura of light would encircle Chrono, not letting itself vanish until it could be seen by at least one person. However, while Chrono was secretly frustrated to be the victim of such cases, the sand always remained calm and confident. "If the sand feels comfortable with you..." Chrono thought aloud, "I trust you."

Still, everything referred back to that day. It was so sudden. A wizard with such expertise choosing him to be his opponent, just to give him this sort of power. He tried to remember the vibe he felt from the Mage whenever he could read his movements, but he was far too quick on his feet - possibly the fastest wizard Chrono had ever encountered. So, what was Chrono to do with this newly found power now? Train it, he assumed? He supposed so, but if it caused any harm to his body...Chrono wondered if this acquisition of power was reversible. "On that day, I saw light..." He told himself.

1/30

Yes, that was it. Essentially, during that fight, Chrono saw nothing but light, and now felt it within him, wherever he set foot. On this day, Chrono vowed to recall every detail of that day, and use it to his advantage. Alas, there was still a spot Chrono needed to find. This spot would be somewhere private, away from one's sight, yet in the remains of Terra Ignis. Nobody outside of the area, nor anywhere else would find out about how Chrono acquired this strength, because he did not know much about it either. All he intended to do, in fact, was train it. This was when he felt a strong surge in his core. He grabbed his shirt and almost shouted, yet held it in. The only way to describe this feeling was pain, but why? Why was this hurting him? Again, the aura appeared. "The light..." Chrono described, "It's trying to call out to me again."

Chrono did not feel out of control at all, thus there had to be an alternative source to this call; something else within him that was creating this aura. Even the sand was becoming eager at this point, frustrating the male. "You're a separate identity, aren't you?" He questioned. Normally, Chrono would keep all of these thoughts in his head, though he supposed if he used his voice, it would be a better action than to just communicate with this light in his mind. It was untrained, after all. The aura became bigger, welcoming some more interest from the sand king's mind. He kept moving so his whereabouts became more privatized, all the way to a location where it would take something that could travel with high altitude such as an aircraft to notice him. He had willingly exhausted himself to get up here, but for a good cause. The more he seemed to dedicate himself towards unraveling the source of this light, the more the light appeared to cooperate with him - even in the slightest.

This was when the second stage appeared, and a floating ball of light formed just meters away from Chrono. So it seemed this was just a fragment of the source's identity, but also to confirm its identity was separate, after all - that it was not entirely blended with his sand by now.

2/30

So, of all forms, why did this light choose to form into a ball? Chrono dared not to touch it for a bit, but rather to observe it, and see if there was more to this light that had suddenly appeared than just a ball. Firstly, he would walk around it and see if the light was dimmer on one side than the other. Naturally, if light was different in any way on a supernatural structure like this, then Chrono assumed it would be some sort of gateway. Sadly, there was not. Every inch of this ball was identical to the next, and ultimately, there were no differences seen on this ball to the naked human eye. However, just as he stopped observing the ball for a second, the ball chose to observe him. Not moving, the sand king allowed himself to be examined by the ball. It did not touch him, just as Chrono promised to himself not to touch the ball for a bit. On the contrary, just before it distanced itself from Chrono again, it did touch the center of his chest. When it did though, Chrono felt that recent pain fade away. How was it doing this?

"Why have you chosen me?" Chrono asked the floating ball, "For eons, I have only been bonded with sand. Nothing extraordinary like yourself has dared to touch me until your owner - that wizard. Have I been absent of anything else until now?" The floating ball of light reformed itself constantly as soon as Chrono finished speaking, restructuring itself to its third stage. Now, the light was an astral form of one's body, but whose? Whose body was this reflecting? "You talk too much..." The light remarked, "I ask that you  allow me to talk for a bit, okay? I am yours now, after all. Perhaps I'll let you master my power if you just stay silent for a bit." Chrono had no choice but to obey now, didn't he? Well, he assumed so, at least. All he could do - and did do - was nod for now, allowing the light to talk, just as its astral form advised. Surely, it was reflecting the image of someone familiar, but Chrono could not yet recall who it had belonged to.

3/30

"My name is Atem." The light began, "One of the legendary Sages of this continent." Sages? Was there such a thing? As much as Chrono could recall, the most powerful wizards of them all were the Wizard Saints. Furthermore, the boy had lived for eons, and was quite sure he had never heard of such a name before, but for some reason wanted to. "You are eager to wonder what one of my power is capable of doing?" Atem asked. Chrono looked over, and noticed that the aura of light had reformed itself into patterns that covered his body. Was this some sort of identity spell? Was Atem now reading his mind? "Stop thinking so hard." Atem advised, "You will only hurt your brain. In fact, allow me to tell you a story. I'm sure it'll calm you down." Chrono found it absolutely amazing how soothing Atem's voice appeared, and how peaceful his presence made matters seem. His posture had not changed one bit, nor his thoughts, attitudes towards Chrono, or personality.

"Just like you, I was born in the First City." Atem continued, "Throughout my lifetime, every ounce of freedom I had became war. The endless cycle of conflict between the First, Second and Third City continued until ones of immeasurable wizardry decided to eliminate the selfish. However, Desierto only consisted of one city while I was alive, so this was the war that made it into three. Astonishing, isn't it?" Just what was this speech intended for? What was Chrono supposed to make out of it. He had to be careful with his actions, considering he was still questioning if Atem could still read everything about him. "Those who did not want to live in the First City, nor in poverty became the Second City, while those who desired complete reform became the Third City. This is your current Desierto." Well, at least this part of the story sparked some interest.

4/30

"Sages are godlike wizards throughout landscapes unrecognized by Fiore; the home of magic. Initially, I was a Light Mage and Dragon Supremacist, using these enormous beasts to conquer all who defied our city: First City. However, my Dragon Supremacy Magic didn't last for long. Such power cannot be controlled for so long, so it was only a matter of time before the dragons were no longer under my command, and began destroying everything in their path. Luckily, the thought of protecting First City was still embedded in their minds. Furthermore, one dragon - even controlled - recognized my magic as an element that matched his own: Light. We made a team together, and in the end, ran these dragons out of Desierto. It took Memory Magic, Construction Magic, and many other powerful forms of magic, for a total of twelve to restore our great land of Desierto, and rid of fear. I was the only one from Desierto who restored the cities; the rest were from other countries. Together, to be recognized by the wizards who could somehow recall these times." Such a long story Atem told, but thankfully he finally ended with "You may speak in a moment."


Atem never mentioned what made him a Sage, but Chrono bet this was something he wanted him to find out for himself. Albeit, Chrono figured Atem would be the person to teach him a thing or two today, but what? He had gotten as far as revealing the identity of someone with seemingly masterful knowledge of the magic implanted into Chrono, but was this also the wizard who attacked him? No, that wouldn't make any sense. Astral bodies were normally afterimages of the deceased, right? "I was that wizard." Atem confirmed, "Long ago, there was a wizard who possessed various forms of dark magic - multiple, in fact. He cursed me with both a curse and this Dragon Supremacy magic. I can make myself appear anywhere as an astral figure, and I am immortal. This dark wizard gave me Dragon Supremacy Magic in hopes to see my inner darkness consume me, and ruin the world with dragons. Little did he know, with this power of controlling dragons, I learned how to slay them, as well. Actually, I believe it was that dragon I mentioned who taught me. Oops!" Atem was laughing, but honestly, Chrono still had no idea what was going on. "Your turn." Atem concluded.

5/30

"So you're a victim of that wizard too, I see." Chrono replied, "Fair enough. I shall ignore asking why you chose me for this magic then. It'll probably be another long story anyways." It was about time some training was done between the two, now that Atem was here, but Chrono just needed to verify when that would be. "If Sages are capable of restoring cities to such states I can imagine, and control beasts as extraordinary as dragons, show me this magic you harness. Clearly, this aura and its feelings tell me it needs another host." Atem grinned to this comment as if he was expecting it. Atem raised his hand, and from it released an astral body of the light dragon he described. "This dragon and I share the same name." Atem explained, "It told me one night that there would be somebody with potential greater than mine to visit. I would have to fight him, and forcefully give him power focused on eliminating creatures of his kind - dragons. Chrono, you are that person."

The dragon launched itself forward towards Chrono, becoming one with his white aura. However, as a result, the current light Atem possessed became dim. "Those who are named Sages are also beyond human." Atem added, "It was discovered later in my time that my Dragon Supremacy Magic also made me half-dragon." White scales began to cover this astral Atem's body as Atem deactivated his ability, and made his real self appear. "Chrono, this is a test to see if you can slay a dragon - by killing someone both human and dragon. Shall we begin?" The light surrounding Atem became more dim, probably meaning the curse within him was awakening. He was in full control of his curse all along, wasn't he? "Is this to cease you of your existence?" Chrono figured.

"If you win." Atem responded, "Or else the existence ceased...will be your own."

6/30

The battle began, but the location of it was beyond Chrono's expectations. The dragon that had become one with his aura escaped it, and ate both Atem and Chrono. However, the purpose of eating the two was not to kill them, but rather to bring them to another dimension; an empty dimension of light. "This is my battlefield." Atem introduced, "Here, you have no environmental advantage, meaning you are absent of rock or earth to manipulate. I, on the other hand, am capable of using whatever surrounds me to my full advantage. Let us test with each other's lives if you are truly capable of becoming a Dragon Slayer!" Atem disappeared in a flash, and reappeared behind Chrono, but too quickly for him to read. A solid roundhouse kick sent him flying meters to his right, but in this dimension, there were no walls to break his wall. Instead, it was like space. This occurred another two times, making Chrono wonder if the harnessing of this power was truly his downfall. He smirked. "I can read the light." Chrono remarked, "That previous battle was to help me note your tactics, wasn't it?" Atem stopped and nodded. "Even if you know my past tactics, it's not like I'm not going to fight identically to our previous battle!" Atem announced, "If you remember correctly, I only fought you to the point where I could connect that Lacrima to you. Had I wanted to kill you, you would've been dead in that instant!" Atem disappeared again, but Chrono noticed something. This speed Atem was traveling at - it reflected the speed of light, yet the aura encircling Chrono at the moment allowed him to see almost all of it happen. Chrono crossed his arms before his chest, and noticed Atem's foot pressed against it, Atem's body midair.

"All I need to do is predict where you're going to be, and I may guard you as such!" Chrono cheered, "Sand! Take him away!" Just like that -- wait, what? Why wasn't his sand working? "Chrono...there was one more thing I didn't mention..." Atem commented, "In this dimension, only light is used for battle." This was bad! Until now, Sand Magic was the only magic Chrono used to defend himself against other Mages - Sages were a completely different issue, and on a completely different level, as well. Instead of sand, light pushed Atem away for now. "Simultaneously, for you to win, you must master Dragon Slayer Magic and defeat me." Atem concluded, "And only one of us can escape this dimension, by the way; the other is devoured by the light, and becomes one with it for all eternity." An interesting set of rules, but nevertheless rules that left Chrono worried - a rare emotion of his.

7/30

MP: 100%
HP: 170%

Chrono was at a major disadvantage. In this realm of light, only light was accepted. If only it could take in all of Fiore, for Heaven's sake, the country would be an utopia - even the slightest fragments of darkness would be non-existent; living or non-living. Albeit, thinking of an element was irrelevant for now, seeing as only one was usable. Atop of the rules here, there wasn't even a type of terrain for Chrono to manipulate, meaning this was all true. In order to defeat Atem - let alone keep his life - Chrono would have to master the magic Atem desired out of him. However, there was a big problem at stake. How was Chrono supposed to learn such a magic while in the middle of such an intense fight? He would have to act as if he had two minds here; one concentrating on processing magic, while the other to concentrate on battle tactics.

"Stop thinking so hard!" Atem shouted, "You've lived for over 4000 years now, Chrono! For the extraordinary amount of time that you've lived for, are you going to let one new magic end it all here? Will one of your tale allow actually concede to a Sage?" Just as Chrono's magic sometimes increased itself based on emotion, Atem's appeared to boost himself, as well. His timing was becoming much faster, forcing Chrono to predict Atem's attacks at a more rapid pace. Even so, if Atem happened to connect shots with Chrono every now and then, they appeared to hurt twice as much as before. "I know my way out of this..." Chrono replied, "But how appropriate is it to repay someone who repaired my homeland by killing them?! Explain!"

The fight stopped momentarily.

8/30

"Explain?" Atem repeated, "I see. You really are a citizen of Desierto; a country of respect." Chrono nodded his head. It had not been until now that he considered who he was fighting. Perhaps you could say the acquisition of new power was getting to his head for a bit. "Sages are only meant to live for so long, Chrono. We live performing godlike actions; we are born to maintain peace, and to give everyone the idea that an utopia is possible. However, once these tasks are complete, we are to hand our tasks over to someone we believe will do even better than us." Chrono heard the word 'call' shortly after this brief explanation, seeing two strands of sand he had initially restricted moving over to Atem's side. "Aki...Mizael...I plan to join you both if your son wins. On the other hand, he will join you if he doesn't." The sand disappeared, giving Chrono the idea that Atem might have just disposed of his parents.

"Chrono!" Atem continued with a shout, "I have just ceased the existence of the voice within your magic! Still wish to hold back?" Chrono became very upset, a light aura covering his entire body before the young man charged towards Atem at an extreme speed. Atem gasped, seeing himself flying backward after a solid connection to the stomach by Chrono's fist. The fist had an orb of light attached to it, but it was mastered. "Light Etherions..." Atem remarked, "He's learning." Chrono attempted to do the same move, but from the opposite side, though Atem was too fast. On the contrary, Atem noticed something else. "This magic isn't from your reserve..." Atem thought aloud, "You've made a spiritual bond with Etherions, I see..." Chrono suddenly dashed with a kick immediately after Atem stopped talking, his speed improving even more. "Not bad." Atem laughed, "I suppose now that you're in your beginning stage, it's time for me to get into my final stage." Atem grinned as per usual, yet his form began to grow giant, but into that of a...

9/30

"Dragon?" Chrono questioned. There was no way he was picturing this correctly? How on earth could a wizard become a dragon like this one? Chrono knew there were various forms of disguising magic in this world, but none this genuine. Additionally, becoming a dragon only made Atem's signature multiply to the point where it appeared infinite. No, it was infinite! "Chrono!" Atem the Dragon shouted, "This is my newest form! Dragon Arts!" Just how many forms of magic did Atem possess? It was unbelievable.

The tail of the light-elemental dragon swayed, aiming for Chrono's head. The tail was shaped like a giant sword, hence any contact with the human body, and one would suffer an enormous stabbing. Chrono had to avoid this, or else his life would end right here. "Self-contact!" He declared. Light shot at his side, pushing him over, yet out of the tail's range. Being hit by his own light unleashed a giant pulse in Chrono's heart. He could feel the light within him trying to obey his calls, yet the light was too untrained to use properly in this instance. Chrono swore he was half as well as he used to be at this point, whereas he had only laid a couple strikes on Atem thus far. Albeit, Atem had only gotten stronger during this fight, whereas Chrono was like a baby learning how to walk.

"Etherions..." Chrono muttered, "Find your place within me." The light scattered within Chrono's body, brightening his aura, yet it would take time for the Etherions - now that they were acknowledged - to find a better home than Chrono's current magic reserve, where they didn't work. The tail came around again, though this time, Chrono jumped above it, landing on it, and using it like a staircase to get to the head of the dragon. "Atem!" He shouted, "This is for taking my parents!" At his fullest speed, Chrono dashed towards the top of Atem, then struck downwards on his skull from the very top, forcing the dragon by impact to descend. The tail came swinging again, but Chrono only used it once more as a platform to utilize another strategy.

10/30

MP: 70%
HP: 100%

Enraged, the dragon responded with a deadly roar, sending Chrono flying off Atem, and onto the floor of this dimension. He could feel pain in his head, meaning the Etherions certainly did not like concentrating their potential on his brain. Over and over again, Chrono suffered maximum damage, while Atem was only facing minimal. "I have only been using my tail, yet you appear defeated already, Chrono." Atem commented, "Aki and Mizael are gone now. Are you willing to join them?" Chrono still had a hard time believing they were gone, to be honest. How could someone just pick out two souls and have them vanish in an instant? There was no way Atem was capable of doing all of this in one vessel.

"No matter how defeated I appear to be, I will still win." Chrono announced, "Atem, I know there is a trick or two in this dimension. If your explanation of Sages is true, they do not kill the innocent. Also..." Etherions began to appear in both of Chrono's hands, this time in bigger orbs than before. "I will beat you, then carry on your legend!" Charging in, Chrono shot one orb at the tail, forcing it down, and treating it yet another time as a step towards the more vital points on Atem's body. "Futile!" Atem shouted, roaring again. This roar echoed ladder, though Chrono held on via Atem's own dragon scales. His light aura also fought against the dragon's, causing a catastrophe over the dragon's body. "Pierce!" Chrono commanded, the other orb in his body striking through the dragon. This time, the dragon descended quickly, clashing against the ground, yet luckily taking the fall for the sand king. "NOT YET!" The dragon screamed, carrying itself airborne, away from the male another time. "If you think this cheap tactic of using my tail is going to defeat me, you are thinking far too highly of yourself!"

11/30

MP: 60%
HP: 80%

If only the one of the sand had enough concentration built inside these Etherions, he could form this light into the exact type of magic he needed. He knew there was much more to this than even a fight to the death between human and dragon. Speaking of which, why did Atem choose to become a dragon? Was he prepared for Slayer Magic? Should Chrono find it so quickly, after all, it would produce especial damage on the other male for being the kind of creature made weak against such magic. So again, why?

"How many times are you going to forget that I can hear your thoughts?" Atem questioned in anger, "Mind Magic. Dragon Arts. Light Magic. Are you belittling my capabilities, student?" The dragon expelled a strong echo, powerful enough to weaken Chrono's sense of hearing. "Does that clear things up?" Atem asked, "In this dimension, Chrono, I can roar so ferociously that you will lose your sense of hearing, or release light to the point where you will go blind. Despite our circumstances, I'm still granting you conditional mercy. Shall I take it back?" Chrono shook his head. He had indeed looked upon himself too highly for succeeding in hitting a Sage once, forgetting that while the hit was vital, Atem was far from being defeated.

"Just how long do you expect me to learn your magic?" Chrono complained, "Fusion of Etherions and spirit--" That was it! The merge of Etherions and the spirit. This was the source that would awake greater power. "Behold, Atem! My newest form!" The light coated Chrono's body so his hair and attire both became pure white. "Shall we proceed, Sage of Desierto?"

12/30

"Let us continue, Magi." Atem demanded. Magi? Didn't that describe someone who was approaching a status beyond the typical Mage? Did Atem really sense that vibe from him. Chrono almost took a hit from one of Atem's claws due to overthinking these questions, but for some reason, he did not hear an immediate response from Atem, just as the human-dragon hybrid tended to. Now that Etherions had merged with his spirit, there was no doubt in his mind that this particular magic was growing within him. It was more than just your standard Light Magic now, but rather Slayer Magic. "Sage, you are about to witness your defeat." Chrono spoke before the white aura began to grow wildly.

The male disappeared, then reappeared above Atem. No, he had not actually disappeared, but rather found his way up in an instant; this time without having to use the dragon's vessel. "This is power" Chrono shouted before he stomped over the dragon with his foot. The light energy underneath his foot stuck to the dragon after contact, refusing to permit the dragon from recovering until he faced the entirety of the pain. "Don't you dare underestimate me!" Atem raged, "This is the ethereal form of all magic I possess. Just as you have reached yours, and though I have reached mine, we both hide a lot of potential. Behold more of it, mongrel!" Atem released a breath of light, which nearly covered the entire dimension. He indeed controlled this environment, and moreover, proved that spells controlling a large area almost assured a victory here.

"Not yet..." Chrono muttered. The light extracted from the dragon's core began to find itself fueling the sand king's vessel. "As of this moment, I am more than just the Prince of Desierto." He remarked, "From this point, I approach more than just a king of magic, but rather something beyond." Chrono sent that light back, but just as strong. The dragon evaded it, though the impact afterwards still forced it forward, finding Chrono again with an enormous amount of magic encircling his fist. "Bear the truth of this fight!" Chrono commanded, unleashing the punch. The sound of clashing light echoed throughout the dimension until it began to break, both Chrono and Atem finding themselves pushed back beyond normal expectations.

But...this had not all gone to plan. Chrono was finding himself getting drained yet again of energy and mana; stamina running low, in addition. Why now? The brawl had just gotten far more intense, yet his body was almost forcing him to rest. "I am a Magi." Chrono remarked, "Even against a Sage, I will ach--" Chrono noticed the dragon was no longer a dragon, but rather Atem returned to normal form. No, this was not his normal form. He was covered in dragon scales, light energy equivalent to the potential of his inner lacrima visible too. "I lied." Atem mentioned, "The dragon was my final transformation, but not my final form. Chrono, this is where your defeat becomes evident, for I am far worse than an average Slayer; I am a Third Generation Dragon Supremacist." Just Atem standing there began to make the dimension break further and further. It would not be long before the two would have to make an attempt to escape this place, or rather be transported somewhere else in this dimension.

"Fear?" Chrono began to feel.

13/30

"That's right. A Third Generation Dragon Supremacist." Atem repeated, "I was taught by a light dragon to learn Slayer Magic, then killed a dragon in the same family, absorbing his essence into a self-enhancing Lacrima. With both a Lacrima inside me and the teachings of an actual dragon, here I am. Not to mention I know how to control dragons too." This magic signature Atem possessed began to grow to a point where it could no longer be read. Chrono swore he was about to be killed, hence his new sense of fear, but something inside him said there was an escape route. Well, not necessarily an escape route, but an evasive maneuver.

"If I just concentrate all of this light on one point." He muttered. He could see just how much magic Atem was putting into this as well. This dimension was becoming too fragile to keep wandering inside, while Atem had already mentioned the consequence of being trapped in this dimension - death. "Everyone's light is different. I have to hope on this." He continued. The light began to craft itself into an arrow, though by the time it finished crafting, Atem had completed the preparations for his spell. "A white hole?" Chrono questioned Atem. "That's right!" Atem replied, "This thing is capable of taking out an entire country with one strike, and encasing another. Here we go!" Atem threw this gigantic orb of light, though just before, Chrono launched his arrow.

The two forms of light collided, this 'White Hole' completely vanishing. "I...don't believe...it." Atem remarked, "How could I...how could I lose?!" As he thought - concentration. It was true that this White Hole was far more greater in size and power than Chrono's work with light, but with raw emotion and nothing else but concentration within it, something even like a small arrow would blast through it. Evidently, Chrono had struck a vital area with that arrow, but where? He could see the scales begin to break on Atem, but a grin was on his face. Atem opened his mouth, and all light that had dispersed returned to his body. The dimension broke, causing the two to thankfully not die, but return to Terra Ignis.

14/30

HP: 10%
MP: 5%

"You lied..." Chrono commented in disappointment, "You said the winner of a fight in that dimension would survive, while the other would die. Even if that was true, you broke the dimension. Why?" Atem began to laugh, his form instantly recovering to a fully replenished state. "Well, it appears I underestimated you, Chrono." The dragon supremacist began, "For two reasons, I had to break the dimension; firstly to eat its light, and the other to prevent my loss." What? He hadn't won yet? No, surely he hadn't. Just look at Atem, after all. He was right back to his scaled - yet still human - form, his magic signature unreadable once again. "Chrono, I can tell you're almost done here, whereas I am fully restored. There are just some wizards you cannot beat." It appeared true. Even with that highly concentrated arrow, just on the brink of death, Atem had brought himself back to the way he was now. The power of a Sage was unbelievable!

"Nice..." The sand king remarked, "To make a fool out of me in battle. You did well." Atem grinned, but surprisingly laid off his guard. "Mizael...Aki...return to him." Atem commanded. Two sand trails were expelled, climbing into Chrono's sand gourd once again. "This was a test of stamina." Atem explained, "If you couldn't sustain your environment, then yes, you would've died in that dimension by my command. But, you never gave up on the light. You never gave up based on the situation. You just continued to fight, even though I only grew in power." Atem's aura grew brighter and brighter, his scales worn off. "You have successfully fused Etherions with your spiritual reserve. Next, we must collaborate that light with the sand." Chrono forgot about the sand, actually, which was a first considering he was the king of it. Albeit, he figured if he owned one form of magic, that the other would have to agree. It all made sense now. "Rest." Atem concluded. At an untraceable pace, a hint of light struck Chrono in the center of his chest, and continued to grow until it covered his whole body. Immediately, he fell asleep, just as Atem planned.

15/30

"Chrono, get up!" An intimidating, yet familiar voice demanded, "We have much to do today. You know that!" He sat up, rubbing his eyes a little to get a better view of where he was. What was this? He looked beneath himself. He was seated atop a beautiful mattress, a size that could fit two people with ease. It rested over a nicely crafted frame, the entirety decorated to look luxurious. No, it wasn't just the bed. The closet, the drawers, the bedside tables - everything in this room altogether looked like it would cost more than a million jewels altogether! "Where am I?" Chrono asked. He had just looked up to notice who this intimidating, yet familiar voice belonged to. How! There was no way this face was still here - alive and well. Why wasn't he sand?

"Dad?" He questioned. A slap came across his face, shocking him beyond his own comprehension. Why had he just done that. "Are you trying to act amnesiac just to avoid our little trip, son? How offensive! You did live through a phase like that earlier in your life, you know? If that were the case, you wouldn't have been woken up this morning!" Morning? Chrono could've sworn he was doing something in the afternoon. Was he going blind? Was he delusional? Was the world becoming too overwhelming for him to understand? Well, it shouldn't.

Out of curiosity, Chrono followed this other male to a stairwell, which descended another four floors; 48 steps. "You must be wealthy." He remarked. Another slap came across his face, this time from the other side. "Have you lost yourself, boy? We're at home! For goodness sake, go to sleep earlier so you're more awake at a time like this! Honestly..." This had to be the most confusing experience Chrono had ever experienced in his life, and so far, it had only lasted roughly ten minutes. "Today, we do some training. Training only fit for a man! You will be exhausted. You may feel like passing out today, but you are my son. so you'll live, right?" Son? Well, he knew exactly who this fellow was now. Father Mizael. Just what was going on here? "A-Alright." He replied.

15/30

"So, where are we headed to, Father?" Chrono asked. Mizael persuaded him with what he had in mind, though his description was vague. Training only for a man? What was that supposed to mean? Was this only due to there being men in the vicinity? Was it about strength, because if so, that would've been quite a sexist remark. Albeit, Chrono just gave his dad the benefit of the doubt, and followed him. Well, followed him until he knew where the two were located. "The Tower of First City." He confirmed, "Are you crazy, Father? If one of us falls from here, w--" Chrono felt two fingers against his forehead. "You worry too much, Chrono." Mizael interrupted, "Recently, I've come to notice your emotions get the best of you. Also..." The fingers withdrew, though not without finding something quite odd on them afterwards.

"White sand?" Mizael questioned, "What happened to you, Chrono?" This was just as absurd to him as it was to his father. However, if he recalled, a forgotten voice requested that he blend his new form of magic into the same reserve. Was this the result? No. Chrono wouldn't be here if the problem he remembered was this easy to solve. Heck, it wasn't even him who would've solved it for himself. "Chrono!" Mizael yelled, "Explain yourself!" This raise in voice helped Chrono remember where he was before all of this happened, but he still asked himself how he got here. "Atem; a Sage of Desierto." Chrono replied, "He taught me how to form light in my hands. Perhaps that --" In a flash, Mizael appeared before his son. "Perhaps? So you do not even know what this 'Sage' did to you?" Why did that title sound so weird to him? Was 'Sage' an illegitimate title? "Father, I know not of what is occurring right now, but allow me to see if I can at least control what you have extracted." Mizael nodded.

Chrono attempted to conjure sand within his left hand, but the only magic released was light. The father became furious, while the younger male was dumbfounded.

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"So you've decided to change your power..." Mizael assumed, "In that case, allow me to show you why you should stick with the sand..." A mighty hurricane of sand formed itself around Chrono. It was far too wide to dodge, and thick to break through. Additionally, the strength behind it was so incredible that the sand king found himself defeated in one attack. "You used to do much greater than this against me..." Mizael remarked, "However, look at you now. You are nothing but a defeated Mage, who set his natural magic away for light! How dare you!" Both the sand and light within Chrono were absent at the moment, not wanting to show themselves out to Chrono's father.

"Father, my strength is at an imbalance." Chrono complained, "The Sage of Desierto taught me this elaborate form of Light Magic called Light Dragon Slayer Magic. Do you not recall the day I was cursed?" Mizael stood there for a moment, crossing his arms and thinking about this Sage for a minute. "You do know who you're talking about, right?" Mizael tried to confirm, "The Sage of Desierto only stuck around to restore our country. After this, he departed." Chrono tried concentrating on his magic to reveal something to his father, but it just was not working. His body was in too weak of a state to attempt using magic. "Are we done here?" Mizael asked, "I was hoping to help you advance in your magic abilities, but instead, you have fallen in one hit. Do you honestly call yourself my son?"

This Mizael was far too mean to be Chrono's father. Normally, Mizael would not attack Chrono after noticing something strange, let alone question him so brutally afterwards. This current day, in comparison to the good old days with Chrono and Mizael were far from the same. "Well, what can I say?" Mizael questioned, "Pack your bags. You're living with someone else in First City until you return not just stronger than you were in this instance, but better than any other Chrono I've seen in the past. This man here is nowhere near the son I used to have!" A pool of sand found itself slid under Chrono's defeated body, flying him back to Mizael's house. "Just what have I done..." Chrono wondered miserably, "Have I honestly dishonored my family this much?"

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"What a shame..." A new, yet feminine voice began as soon as Chrono entered the house, "I really thought this training would've worked out for you, but your father clearly sent you here unimpressed. He does that with all he disrespects." The owner of this feminine voice revealed itself as Chrono's mother, Aki. She sounded more sympathetic than Chrono's father, but her feelings still reminded Chrono of his current pain. "Something's changed about my father." He informed, "He's not as nice as he used to be, and believes I've betrayed my family with the acquisition of a new magic." The mother became more curious instantly, so she decided to check things out.

"Light?" She questioned, "But, this light isn't yours. Have you come across something called a Magic Lacrima?" Just what exactly was that? Chrono had never heard of it, but swore he felt an object give him this magic back then. Even through his words, he immediately asked about what Aki was talking about. "A Magic Lacrima is used to seal various forms of magic. Usually they cost a lot though. What made you purchase this, Chrono." It appeared she didn't understand the issue, but to be fair, nobody else did either. "Someone forcefully put this inside of me, and it isn't any regular Light Magic." Chrono explained, "This was given to me by the Sage of this country, and it is called Light Dragon Slayer Magic. Father wouldn't listen to me, so I hope you can." Aki laughed for a bit, her face seeming sorry on behalf of Mizael's ignorance. Unlike Chrono's father most of the time, Aki understood the more emotion side of Chrono more. "So you've discovered that there is more than meets the eye to you in this world, I see." She replied, "Has this magic caused any issues?"

Indeed, this magic did. Firstly, Chrono had no idea how to utilize it. Secondly, it didn't cooperate with his usual magic, and lastly, Chrono had to find a way to stabilize its power within him while fighting against the legendary wizard of this magic. "Mother, do you know the Sage of this country? His name is Atem." Atem was all that he mentioned, unfortunately. A last name would've been useful, but alas, some chose not to give every detail about them away - especially to a stranger. "Atem controls several distinct forms of magic, and attempted to teach me--" Wait. How did Chrono remember all of this so suddenly? Was his memory beginning to return back to him? "He attempted to teach me this magic while supporting a fight to the death, Mother. We tied in the end, though Atem had the ability to restore himself after the fight. I haven't seen him since the end of that fight." Hold on again. Just what were his parents doing here anyway? Chrono was sure they were two special strands of sand in the present time, so why were they like this? As human beings? It all appeared impossible, yet this world appeared too realistic for Chrono to jump to any conclusions.

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