Ashton wakes up to the feeling of warmth against his chest and a slight weight on his arm. He blinks his eyes open and sees Aria snuggled into him, her dark hair splayed out on the pillow. He can't help but smile at the sight of her, feeling content and at peace.
Carefully, so as not to wake her up, he peels her off his chest and gets out of bed, stretching his limbs. He walks to the kitchen and starts making coffee, the sound of the brewing machine breaking the stillness of the morning.
'Ahh, the sense of normalcy. How I missed it.' Ashton mused inwardly as he basked in the atmosphere.
As he waits for the coffee to finish brewing, he walks over to the window and looks out at the world outside. He's taken aback by the changes he sees - the world seems to have grown and expanded in the ten years he's been gone. He sees towering skyscrapers and sleek vehicles whizzing by, evidence of technological advancements he could barely have imagined before.
As he sips his coffee, he reflects on how different everything feels now. It's as if he's returned to an entirely different world, one that's both familiar and foreign at the same time.
Despite the sense of disorientation he feels, Ashton is grateful to be back. He's missed this world and the people he loves, and he's determined to make the most of his time here.
Feeling energized by the warmth of the coffee and the beauty of the world outside, Ashton takes a deep breath and notices even more subtle details about the world he left several years ago.
The living conditions of humans have changed enormously since his disappearance. With the technological breakthroughs that happened while he was gone, there were a lot of things that he didn't understand anymore. And he'd be lying if he said that he didn't feel affected.
As Ashton sips his coffee, he can't help but feel a sense of disconnection from the world around him. Although he has returned to his home after a decade of being away, everything feels foreign and unfamiliar.
Like those ships, he saw just a few days ago...
Those ships that Humanity uses to preserve the sanctity of their airspace. The ones they used to also defend against the forces of the invaders trying to land on their world.
Ashton noticed that those were being powered by ARC Cores but as for how they exactly worked, he had no clue. He knows that it requires at High-Evolutionary to be the pilot for those ships but how to control them properly was something that he also didn't know.
As he stares out the window, lost in thought, he feels a warm hand on his shoulder. He turns to see Aria, his lover, standing behind him. She smiles at him and wraps her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Good morning," she whispers, her breath tickling his ear.
Ashton smiles and turns to face her, pulling her close for a kiss. He feels a rush of love and tenderness towards her, grateful for her presence in his life.
"I still can't believe I'm back," Ashton says, breaking the embrace. "Everything looks so different."
Aria nods in agreement. "It's been a decade, love. Of course, things have changed. But you'll get used to it."
Ashton takes a deep breath and nods, feeling slightly better. He knows he has a lot to catch up on, and a lot to learn about this new world he has returned to. But with Aria by his side, he feels like he can face anything.
Together, they spend the rest of the morning exploring their new world, marveling at the technological advancements and the beauty of Fantasia. As they walk hand in hand, Ashton can't help but feel like he's finally found a place where he belongs.
In the middle of their tour, Aria mentioned to him that the Qliphoth and Laguna were no longer around. That somehow answered Ashton's inquiry as to why the energy of the world seems so clean.
He can't help but feel a sense of relief knowing that the invaders who once threatened the safety of the Blue Marble Planet are no longer present, well on the surface at least. He remembers the sacrifices and efforts of his friends who bravely fought against the foreign races, risking their lives to protect their homes.
Thanks to their efforts, the planet now belongs solely to humans, and Ashton feels a sense of pride and gratitude towards his fellow humans. He knows that their victory over the invaders was hard-won and that they must continue to work together to keep their world safe.
But the fight against the Demons and Angels is far from over. Even with the expulsion of the foreign races, they still haven't given up in their attempts to annex this world. Hell, they even decided to join forces according to what Arai told him and Ashton knows that he must be ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.
As they continued with the tour, he thinks about his friends and their heroic efforts. He knows that they are still out there, fighting to protect the world they love.
While Ashton steps out into the world, he can see that the healing process has already begun. Nature is thriving, and the air is fresher than it has been in years. The plants and trees have grown taller, and the rivers and lakes are crystal clear. Ashton takes a deep breath, reveling in the sense of renewal that surrounds him.
He knows that the absence of the Demons and Angels has allowed the world to start healing, and he's grateful for it. The bounty of resources available to humans has increased, and he can see the potential for even more growth and prosperity in the future.
As Ashton walks through the city, he sees that the people around him are also taking notice of the changes in the world. They seem more optimistic, more hopeful for the future, and more willing to work together to build a better world.
Ashton feels a sense of pride in his fellow humans, knowing that they have been able to overcome incredible obstacles to protect their world and start the healing process. He knows that there is still much work to be done, but he feels a renewed sense of determination to do his part.
When he felt that he had seen enough for now, he told Aria that they will stop by the Mystic Guild's headquarters. Some people have been dying to see and he felt that it was inappropriate to make them wait longer so he decided to finally show his face to them.
Alice, Blake, and Mary were all gathered at the Mystic Guild's headquarters, waiting for Ashton to arrive. They hadn't seen each other in years, and they were excited to catch up on old times.
As Ashton walked in, Aria by his side, the group erupted in cheers and hugs. It was good to see each other again, and they quickly fell into an easy conversation, filling each other in on what they had been up to since they last saw each other.
Ashton briefly described how the past couple of days have been for him.
Aria spoke up, "And I've been helping Ashton acclimate to the new world. It's been exciting for him to see how much has changed since he disappeared."
Ashton nodded, "Yes, it's been quite an adjustment. But I'm glad to be back and to see how far we've come. You three did an incredible job leading humanity in my absence."
Alice grinned. "It was a team effort, Ashton. We couldn't have done it without each other."
The group fell into a comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Ashton knew that there was still one thing they needed to discuss: his disappearance.
"I know that my disappearance was sudden and left a lot of questions unanswered. I just want to say that I'm sorry for the worry I caused you all," Ashton said, looking at his friends.
Mary shook her head. "There's no need to apologize, Ashton. We understood that you had to leave to deal with personal matters. What's important is that you're back now, and we can work together to protect humanity."
Blake added, "And it's not like we didn't have any warning. You told us ahead of time that you would be gone for a while."
Alice nodded in agreement. "Besides, we managed to hold things down while you were away. But it's good to have you back, Ashton."
Ashton smiled, feeling grateful for his friends' understanding.
"But if you don't mind us asking...where exactly did you go?" Blake asked, unable to hide his curiosity. "It just feels rather strange for you to disappear so abruptly like that. And to think that you spent 10 years there...what exactly happened?"
"You don't have to tell us if you're not ready or if it's not okay." Alice added, "We're just merely curious that's all. We'll respect your privacy if you're not ready to say anything just yet."
Ashton waved his hand and said: "Nah, it's fine. It's not like it's a huge secret anyway."
And just like that, Ashton began telling them about his journey to the past.
