Chapter 19, The Heroes' Graveyard

When I had come to, I was on the ground, a clear blue sky above. I was on a stretcher, Rose beside me, Storm giving out orders.

"Ugh... where am I?" I asked trying to get up.

"She's up!!" Sky exclaimed as she came running. "Geez, you had me worried sick!!"

"Sorry." I answered. "Where are we now?"

"We're at the path that splits, right after you cleared the tests, the nine magical gems on each path lit up and revealed a new path." Alexander answered. "We were waiting for you."

"Let's go then!" I said as I got up.

"Okay then, but slowly, you're still exhausted." Yue said and I nodded my head.

We walked deeper into the now bright forest, it was actually beautiful now, the flowers that grew by the path, the crumbling pillars and pavements, the gourds that hanged on the vines of the tall, tall trees. We eventually reached a tall gate overgrown by the ivy and vines and decorated by flowers, a brick wall stretching for who knows how far. As we trued to clear away the ivy, the vines glowed and slowly the gate began to open.

We walked in and we saw an extremely beautiful sight. The stone path that leads into the walled world have flower beds beside them. The flowers look beautiful, hydrangeas and flowers I've never seen before are planted in them. Straight ahead a beautiful fountain, to the left a gazebo decorated with flowers and vines. To the right, a pond with what appears to be lotuses and all sorts of fishes I have never seen. A water canal seperates the flower beds from the green grass, the water is flowing and is clear blue. Further ahead, you could see a tall tree, a cherry blossom I think. Beside it was a pool and to the other side of it, a picnic table with seats. The way there is lined by maple trees and about a few meters away from the wall are juniper trees with bushes of brightly colored flowers surrounding its base. A pathway seperates it from the wall which has beautiful vining flowers on it.

We all stood in amazement at the sight of the beuatiful area. What snapped all of us back into reality was the giggling of a girl. We all turned our heads to the side and we saw a woman with long greenbhair, a blue colored right eye and a yellow colored left eye, with beautiful white skin. Dressed in a beautiful dress, a sleeveless black dress with flowing black sleeves hanging on her upper arms, a beautiful gem on her hair, she sat at the small bench that was underneath the maple tree's shade, sipping tea.

"Beautiful isn't it?" She asked with a smile.

"You are... Mizuki?!" Lita exclaimed.

"Ar~a, how do you do, Lita-sama." She greeted and we turned to Lita.

"She is Mizuki the Moon, the seventh generation Hero." She said and we were all in shock. "Why are you here? How are you here?"

"This is the Hero's Forest but it also the place where the souls of the countless generations of Heroes and Heriones sleep." She giggled. "If you're looking for Haruki I think he was in the pool with the twelfth and thirty-first generation."

"He's here?!" We all exclaimed.

"Of course. Our memories and everything are here." A man with golden brown hair, white skin and chestnut eyes answered, he wore brown trunks and was dripping wet.

"Ar~a, Takumi, done swimming?" Ms. Mizuki asked.

"Yeah." He answered. "I was about to change when I heard you talking to people."

"Haruki is changing, why don't you wait a bit." Another woman offered, she had scarlet hair, sunset eyes and white skin, dressed in a beautiful gown with lots of ruffles. "Twenty-ninth Hero, Akira the Dawn, he is the seventy-seventh generation, Takumi the Capable."

"Hahaha!" We heard a familair voice laugh and we turned to it's direction. Haruki! Laughing so brightly and vividly as he walked with two people, one a woman with short brown hair and sapphire eyes with white skin and another a man with silver hair, white skin and gray eyes. Both dressed in cloaks.

"The twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh, Asahi the Morning Fire and Mangestu the Full Moon." Ms. Akira said.

"Haruki!!" We all exclaimed and he saw us and smiled. He walked to our direction and smiled.

"Welcome, to the Heroes' Graveyard." He smiled. "If you want me to go back to my real body that's fine."

"Haruki!!" We all ran for him.

"Hehehe, sorry for worrying you." He said as we hugged him.

"Well, time for you to go back dear." A woman, with flowing brown hair, golden eyes and white skin said. She is... Haruki and Haruka's mother!!

"Okay." He answered. "Bring my body here."

"Understood." Capricorn said as he appeared with Haruki's body.

Haruki lead us down the path and to the fountain. Soon, countless people had gathered by the fountain. One, a man with short black hair, brown eyes and white skin came to the edge of the fountain with a golden chalice adorned with gems.

"Tohru?!" Lita exclaimed. "How are you here?!"

"My body may have ascended but my soul is still here. My mories and everything." He answered Lita with a gentle smile and I put it together. He must've been the First Hero.

"Haruki, go on." A man, with silver blonde hair, golden eyes and white skin pushed Haruki into the water.

"Okay, Grandpa." He said and he stood at the edge of the water.

"Undine, Spirit of Waters, ye who presides over the water, by the waters of this fountain of Mnemosyne." The First Hero held the chalice to the sky. "By the blue Ceres and Astrologia, return it, to this vessel, Memoria."

Haruki started to glow and as the First Hero held the chalice to the sky as blue moon appeared, Haruki became an azure glow. Haruki's light faded upward towards the light and slowly, slowly, a blue gem shaped like tear a dear descended from the moon. In the chalice the gem began to turn into water and the First Hero made Haruki's body drink it.

"It's done." Voices said.

"He'll be fine now." A man with deep blue hair, white skin and black eyes said as he patted my shoulder. "Do look after our son, he may be a handful but he loves all of you so much."

"Haruki's father?!" I exclaimed.

"Do look after our precious descendant and tell him, if he ever wishes to speak to us, he is welcome here, in the Graveyard of the Heroes." The First Hero said. "You are welcome here as well."

They all glowed and disappeared to the azure moon above. We all thanked them then we heard Haruki starting to stir. We looked at him and he just smiled at us as he opened his eyes.

"I'm home, everyone." He smiled and we immediately burst into tears.

"Welcome home!!" We all exclaimed.