His Wonder was exactly as he'd left it, for better or for worse. When he arrived, he was met with the refreshing smell of fresh earth and clean air. He was far enough out that he didn't even feel unwanted, yet. He knew it would be short lived, if this visit was anything like the last.

But he had done the hard part and worked up the will to make it here. That was a better start than last time.

The Wonder still seemed strange and foreign but he could feel it calling to him. He shifted the weight of the bag he held and closed his eyes for a moment to collect his thoughts and emotions. A cool breeze blew through, and for a moment he was certain he could hear a faint whistle. It was gone after only a second, before he'd had time to pinpoint where it had come from.

When the breeze calmed, he opened his eyes and tried to will the ball of anxiety in his stomach to just disappear.

It didn't work, but he pushed himself forward.

Back through the familiar door, across the familiar ground, down the familiar stairs.

It was all a course he had taken before--only, this time, he wasn't looking to explore his Wonder. He was looking for Newgrange.

Perhaps only five moments had passed before he felt a cold shiver run down his spine and had the distinct impression that he was being watched. He turned, glancing over his shoulder, and swallowed the freshly formed lump in his throat.

His Ancestor was there, stony faced and unimpressed. He was leaning against a wall, arms crossed over his chest.

There was a look of annoyance in his eye.

What bothered Newgrange the most was the silence.

This Ancestor apparently had no issue with the silence that drew between them, but it made Arias shift uncomfortably and turn to face him. It prickled at his nerves and made his mind rush to think of a topic for conversation.

Perhaps his Ancestor took sympathy on him; he spoke before Arias had to. "I thought we agreed you'd leave and stay gone."

"I agreed to leave," Arias confirmed. "Though I don't recall any promise of staying gone."

The Knight across from him was unreadable but Arias caught his eyes narrow just slightly. "Wishful thinking, then. What are you doing back? You didn't lose the ring, did you?" he asked sourly.

"You have such little faith in me?" Arias asked, instinctively raising his hand to show the ring still snug on his finger.

"You can't blame me. Are you back for your yearly visit to ask something else of me?"

There was bitterness there, and Arias found himself offended and apologetic. He had only stayed gone because he had considered himself unwanted, and now he was made to feel guilty about being gone? He pursed his lips and willed himself to remain calm. "The opposite. I have something for you."

Arias' attention went to his Ancestor's eyes, as strangely captivating as they had been the last time he'd been here. He watched as they flashed, as his brows narrowed. His Ancestor was interested, even if he was pretending not to be.

Good.

Arias moved to the bag thrown over his shoulder and drew it in front of him. He reached in and fished around for a moment until he removed the plate. It was faded in some ways, but uncracked and still vibrant. The crest featured a green, edged shield; in the center of that was a black tree with coiling roots. It had reminded Arias of the triple spiral necklace he had tucked under his uniform. The spirals covered the lower portion of the shield and were easy to get lost in. Protruding from just behind the top of the shield, two black antlers extended past either side; a necklace made of golden chain hung loosely around the base of the antlers, and from the center dangled the Earth emblem. This emblem rested over the image of the tree, framed by the barren branches. Several gold and black dahlia shaped flowers rested within the crooks of the antlers.

Arias looked at it one last time, eyes glancing to the matching symbols decorating the room.

The ghostly Newgrange lifted his chin a bit when he laid eyes on the plate. "Where did you get that?" he asked.

Inquisitively, and without gratitude, Arias noted, but answered politely, "A Knight found it in some ruins."

The Knight across from him lifted his gaze, more readable now, if only for a few seconds. Disappointment? Grief? It was fleeting, but Arias recognized that the news pained him in some way.

"I see," he replied, and took a step forward. It was the first time Arias had not felt like the movement might have turned into something hostile so he held out the plate. He half expected it to pass through this other Newgrange's fingers, but the ghost gripped it tightly and held it up to examine.

If he had not been told that the Ancestor's were spectres, he might not have believed it. The man in front of him seemed alive in all ways. The wind touched his hair, he blinked, he even seemed to breathe. Now, Arias watched him hold something he probably hadn't seen in--what, a thousand years?

He was holding his breath, watching the other man examine the piece. Perhaps the other was satisfied; he lowered the plate and nodded. "Thank you. I will find some place for this."

Arias nearly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "I thought it belonged here."

"Mm. Yes, but you wouldn't really know, would you?"

Arias' lips pursed and he resisted the urge to defend himself, instead saying, "I think, perhaps, we got off on the wrong foot. I never properly introduced myself."

The other Knight watched him, cold expression returning. "I didn't really care to get to know you, so I think everything went as well as should be expected."

Arias bit the inside of his cheek; he had the opportunity to back down, but he didn't. He extended his hand. "My name is Arias."

Once more, the nameless Knight's eyes narrowed; he looked from Arias' face to his hand and didn't move to accept it.

Seconds ticked by.

Possibly a moment.

Arias kept his hand out, determined to get somewhere with his Ancestor. Just as his arm started to feel the effect of being outstretched, he found himself surprised by a cold grip.
His Ancestor had taken his hand, and was giving it a firm shake. "...I have gone by nothing but Newgrange in many years."

Arias waited to hear, expecting that he would be instructed to call this Knight Newgrange, knowing that he now held the title. He was surprised then, when the Knight across from him admitted, "My name is Aldwynn."

"Aldwynn?" Arias repeated, testing the name. When the man across from him--Aldwynn--nodded, Arias smiled. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Aldwynn attempted to ruin the mood by dropping his hand and instructing, "Don't be so friendly."

"Does it offend you?"

"You being here offends me, yes."

Arias lowered his own hand, finally. "Why?"

Aldwynn's lip curled but he didn't immediately answer. "I told you before. I can take care of this place."

Arias watched him for a moment before nodding. "I can tell. I've heard that most Wonders out there are nothing but ruin. This place...looks like it's in good shape. All things considered."

Aldwynn's expression confirmed to Arias that he was at least curious about the world--the universe--around him. Despite his gruff exterior, if Aldwynn hadn't desired conversation, he could have left at any time. Aldwynn did not ask, but Arias could see the question in his eyes.

He was no expert on the last thousand years of history, but he could relay some information. Perhaps, at least, if Aldwynn understood how important it was for Arias to get stronger--to protect Earth--they might come to some peace between one another.

-

Ultimately, it had taken Arias a little less than an hour to explain the situation on Earth--to explain the Negaverse, the plight of Senshi and Knights alike, and to expand on what he knew of all the other Homeworld and Wonders. Aldwynn seemed to take it all in--quiet, Arias noted, but he couldn't fault a man who seemed to have spent the past thousand years in solitude.

They had moved to a windowsill; Arias had sat upon it and Aldwynn remained standing, arms crossed over his chest. He displayed very little emotion, and Arias wondered if that was either practiced or because he'd forgotten how to. When he finished, his mouth was dry--but he had come prepared. While he let Aldwynn process, he sipped from the water bottle he'd brought with him.

For a time, the wind was the only sound in the Wonder. Even then, it was little more than a faint echo. Finally, Aldwynn shifted positions. "That is most unfortunate, then," he said, finally. "...But I care little for the state of the universe. Or the people in it."

Arias frowned. Aldwynn had seemed like he cared, at least to some extent. "Why?" he prompted.

Aldwynn shrugged, seeming annoyed at the question. "I haven't been a part of this universe for a long time. It's moved on without me. Why should I care?"

It was a question Arias had no difficulties answering for himself. "...Didn't you ever have anyone you wanted to protect?"

Judging by the way Aldwynn's eyes shot towards him, he did.

Before the other Knight could get angry or demand he leave, Arias continued, "I do, I mean. Have people I want to protect. That's why I'm here. I want to get stronger, for them. For the people they care about. It's not just my friends, or my generation, or anything. If the Chaos continues to grow, I don't know how far it will spread. It will consume Earth if we do nothing--and from there? ...If it gets strong enough, it could disrupt the whole Universe. It could stop the flow of life altogether. Everyone in the Cauldron, waiting to be reborn, waiting for a new chance at life--it'd all be gone. Certainly, if you've lost people, they're waiting to be reborn?" he chanced.

Aldwynn's eyes were cold, but there was a spark in them. He didn't interrupt, so Arias continued, "You're stuck here, I understand. Because you have to protect Newgrange. You don't have to move on--I'm not asking that--but eventually, they have to find their way back to you. Don't they? I mean--friends, love. I've heard that they transcend lifetimes. Just because they're gone now doesn't mean they stay gone."

Arias was quiet, still watching the man before him. "...Right?"

Aldwynn scoffed and drew his gaze away. "You are idealistic and annoying. Do not speak of things you know nothing about."

...But he had not dismissed Arias. He had not yelled, or disappeared. Instead, he kept his gaze off to the side, staring at some locked door. Arias could see him chewing his lip and for the first time in a while he felt like there was a chance they could be on the same page, working towards the same goals.

"...Perhaps we can help each other?" Arias offered weakly.

Aldwynn glanced back at him. "What would you want from me?"

"To get stronger. I have magic, but I don't know how to use it to its full potential. I don't know how to make use of my weapon."

Aldwynn glanced over his form and asked, "What weapon?"

"Oh," Arias held out his hands. "These, I assume. The gloves."

Aldwynn looked at them for a long moment before his gaze slowly raised to Arias'. "Those aren't weapons."

Arias' brows narrowed a bit and he returned Aldwynn's gaze. "These are what appeared before me."

"Those aren't weapons," Aldwynn repeated, as though he were speaking to a child.

Arias's lips pursed, a bit exasperated. He opened his mouth to protest, but Aldwynn had already turned away and gestured for him to follow.

Arias did not hesitate.

Aldwynn lead him down the dark staircase, to the door that Arias couldn't open before. Whatever lock on it seemed to lift, though it was too dark for Arias to see just what Aldwynn had done. Suddenly though, light filtered through the staircase. As Arias had expected, there seemed to be far more to his Wonder than he had seen so far.

In this new room there was a statue of a man Arias unsurprisingly did not recognize; Aldwynn seemed to ignore it and walked around the statue. This room was as large as the one above though had less weeds and more doors. There were a few windows to shine light into the room, but they were small. He would have liked more light to examine the rooms, but Aldwynn did not wait. He moved to a door on the right side of the room and placed his hand on it; with a groan, it opened.

Arias cast one last glance at the statue in the room--of a handsome man with a proud stance. He must have been some sort of royalty; he wore a crown and it seemed as though someone had spent a significant amount of time and effort on it. He wore something around his neck--something that seemed like it was placed over the statue instead of carved into it, but Aldwynn was getting impatient that he was dragging his feet so he hurried forward.

This room had no windows, only strange runes adorning the ceiling and the wall. They glowed dimly, like a light at the end of its days. Aldwynn seemed soured by this fact and tried to push a few strange blocks by the door. The lights brightened, only just slightly, but it was apparently the best that could be done.

The room was smaller than the last; it had an open ground between the door and the other side and was circular, just as all the other rooms had been. The only difference was that, instead of bare walls, each wall here was adorned with some weapon. Swords, maces, lances--some things that Arias didn't recognize.

"These," Aldwynn announced, "Are weapons."

"I see that," Arias said after a moment; there must have been a hundred different pieces, easily. Many seemed worn with age, but Aldwynn seemed proud of them all the same.

"You should take some of these, to help you. If you don't have them back where you came." Aldwynn shrugged. "I don't need them."

Arias cast him a glance from the corner of his eye. "No? Why not?"

Aldwynn scoffed and rested his hand atop a sword at his waist. Arias had not noticed it before. "I am well prepared for anything that would threaten these halls."

Instead of questioning what a ghost could do, Arias simply nodded. "...I am grateful for the offer, but I don't know how to wield any of these," he confessed.

Aldwynn seemed startled and gave him the most earnest expression Arias had seen from him yet. Naturally, Aldwynn was judging him. "How can you have no experience? You have no training?"

Arias shook his head. "No. I bake, back home."

The judgement intensified, but Aldwynn could not bring himself to expend the energy to criticize the man. He sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair. "...Fine," he said briskly. "Then I will train you." As if afraid that sounded too kind, he added quickly, "If only to get you out of my hair."

Arias resisted the urge to smile; instead, he nodded. "Please."

"Your magic," Aldwynn paused. "You channel it through your...gloves?"

Arias nodded so Aldwynn continued, "I could, once. Anything crafted at my Wonder, I could use in tandem with my magic. But I had been training nearly all my life before I got here. Your magic, the Earth shakes?"

"Yes. When I hit the ground, with my gloves, it sends shockwaves out, around me."

"...How inconvenient."

"Yes, I suppose." Arias had not used it enough to learn if there was some way around the inconvenience of being trapped in the center of an Earthquake--so he simply had not used his magic often. Which left him with gloves that apparently didn't count as a weapon, and magic that caused him just as much trouble as it did his enemies.

Aldwynn nodded, skimming the weapons in front of him. He held his hand out, grazing over wooden swords and training weapons. Everything he touched he lingered on for only a few seconds before moving on. He was contemplating, putting serious thought into what he was doing.

Arias would have appreciated it, if he'd known just what he was doing. Instead, he just watched as Aldwynn's hand passed through some of the weapons. That was more in line with Arias' expectations for a ghost, but Aldwynn was likely full of secrets and Arias did not know what to expect from him--or any Knight's ancestor.

It was a moment more before Aldwynn turned around, holding something coiled. Arias tilted his head.

"A whip," Aldwynn explained. "For training purposes, only. I made these," he gestured toward the wall of practice weapons, "With the intent of training my successor. Only, I imagined I'd be an old man, and he'd be a bit younger than you. Quite a bit younger," he added grimly. "You've already wasted too much time to be absolutely proficient in all of these. But you'll start with this."

Aldwynn tossed the whip at Arias, who fumbled to catch it. "--A whip?" he asked, not certain that the unconventional weapon would be in any way a good starting point. It was not as heavy as he had expected; despite it seeming like it had decent length and a heavy handle, the actual whip was light. He touched it curiously, seeming perplexed by the almost foam like quality the braided leather had.

"Yes," Aldwynn replied, once more in a tone that made Arias feel like a dull child. "Is it not a wise choice, with magic like that? A short distance weapon means you are stuck in the center. A long distance weapon means you can both attack from afar and avoid your own magic. Once you are proficient with that, perhaps we can move to something else."

Arias rolled the whip over in his hands, examining each inch of it carefully. "...And you're going to teach me to use this?"

Aldwynn lifted his head up; Arias could see that he was still very much a prideful man and suspected that he wasn't going to give up his Wonder any time soon--but there was a sense of duty he felt obligated to meet. Or, perhaps, the longer Arias stayed alive, the less Aldwynn had to worry about another Knight waltzing in to claim his Wonder. At least Arias could stay distracted in Destiny City.

"There's no one else here, is there?" Aldwynn asked. "Now, stop asking stupid questions. You came here to get stronger, didn't you? ...So stop wasting time. I'll make you stronger. Just pay attention."

Arias' stomach flipped; he had butterflies. He was nervous, but excited. He nodded eagerly, gripping the hilt of the whip in his hand and letting it uncoil. "You have my full attention."

Aldwynn nodded. "I would accept nothing less."

-

Arias lost track of how long they practiced, but by the end of it, his muscles ached. Aldwynn had shown him stances and movements, coached him and criticized him. Given him a target and watched as he learned to aim and put power into his whip. He had been told not to use his magic yet--not to even think about it, yet. A wise thing, considering he wasn't certain that using his magic in a place so worn by time would have ended well.

There were hours where Aldwynn did nothing but nag him, and then there were hours when he watched silently and nodded. The conversation had died between the two, and while Arias had formed a list of questions he wanted to ask, they were both too focused on this task.

Until Arias started messing up. He'd hit himself twice in a row, in the face, and while the whip was not strong enough to break skin, it had stung. Aldwynn uncrossed his arms and commanded, "Stop," then.

Arias froze, apology on his lips, but Aldwynn didn't seem mad. He wore the same stoic expression, but Arias felt no hostility. "That's enough," Aldwynn continued. "We'll take a break. Or, in your case, you should probably go home and sleep. You look like your body's waiting to give out on you."
"I can go on," Arias protested, but Aldwynn was having none of it.

"Know your limits. You'll do no one any favors by hurting yourself. Training weapons or not, it's the same rule."

Arias nodded for a moment and lowered the whip. "All right." He was tired, now that he was thinking about it, it was all he could think about. He wanted a warm meal and to crawl in bed--and was suddenly wondering how close it was to dawn at Destiny City. He had work in the morning and had been so engrossed in his training that he'd lost all track of time.

Aldwynn seemed pleased. He was not one for many words, it seemed, but he managed to say, "You're picking up the basics, but you have a lot to learn. Take that with you," he nodded to the whip. "It would just be wasted here, collecting dust. You'll need time to recover and join me here again. A week, is it?"

Arias blinked, wondering if he was understanding this. "Yes, I think."

"A week, then. Practice when you can. I expect you to show improvement."
"...Are you sure?" Arias chanced, glancing at the whip. He wasn't sure if he should even try to take it, but Aldwynn seemed like he'd made up his mind.

"Should I not be? You won't get any better if you're practicing once a week, here. You can't expect to get better with that kind of work ethic."

"Oh--no, I meant--"

Aldwynn interrupted, "Yes, take the whip with you. If you're feeling up to it, practice channeling your magic through it. I suppose it will be too much for you, but it should be a goal you aspire to. One week," he repeated, in such a way that Arias almost suspected that Aldwynn wanted him there--for some reason other than just out of obligation.

They weren't at any level of friendship where he felt comfortable enough to ask, but he had hoped that by being the rank of Knight he had in some way proved himself to Aldwynn. He had a long way to go, though--and he knew he was going to have to keep practicing with this whip if he wanted to continue staying in the Knight's favor.

"One week," he promised. "Shall I bring you anything?"

Though Aldwynn seemed to consider it, ultimately he scoffed and brushed his braid over his shoulder. "I need nothing. Don't waste your time."

Arias could not decipher if it was the truth or if Aldwynn was too prideful to ask for anything so he simply nodded. "All right. Well think about that, the offer still stands."

Aldwynn nodded but did not speak. He had crossed his arms over his chest again.

There was a silence again, less uncomfortable than their first had been, tonight. Arias wasn't certain if he needed to say goodbye or if there was something more to the way Aldwynn was looking at him. He coiled the whip and tucked it into his belt. "...Thank you for this."

"Mm." Aldwynn shrugged. "Goodnight."

Arias waited for a moment; when he looked up from his belt towards where Aldwynn had been standing, he was met with only empty space and a cool breeze. Aldwynn had seen himself out but he could still feel the man's presence. He smiled; the stress and anxiety he'd come here with was gone. Now, he was filled with only hope and determination.

"Goodnight," he repeated softly.