The Aura is With Us

Chapter 1: Open Thy Eyes The World Needs You

The burning slowly faded, while he laid there panting heavily. But the body wide ache was determined to hold a tight grip on him. Suddenly cold was inside of him, his bones freezing over and blood crystalizing. Shivers rack him, and what felt like a stomach rolled and twisted into a ball of ice. Out of instinct, an arm reached over to cradle his cramping abdomen. The movement didn't feel right, it was shaky, tingling, out of touch, like the limb had fallen asleep.

Eyes opened to a bright, blurry world, which slowly cleared to reveal a jagged stone ceiling. His breathing had slowed to a pace that could be considered normal, and the pain coursing through him dulled lightly. He swallowed down rising bile, as he slowly sat up. Once more, the movement felt unsure, like if he had just broken a fever. A wave of dizziness nearly knocked him back to the ground, but he shut his eyes and breathed through the sensation.

He was in a body. His body. His arms, his legs, and even his hair if the shank of black, almost navy, hair that hung in front of his face was anything to go by. Clothes also seemed to be retained as well, because he was fully dressed in his usual blue and beige uniform, cape and all. Though his gloves were still missing. Which probably wasn't all that strange as he hadn't died with them on.

"Mew, Mew!" Squeaked a familiar pink creature who quickly flew in front of him.

"Mew?" He rasped, before coughing to clear his voice. His mouth was still wet but the throat felt raw, and the sound it made was weak.

The small pink Pokémon at first looked a worried, but after a moment squealed in delight, flying around him. Sir Aaron softly smiled at the Pokémon, clearly, she was happy to see him. But that begged the question how was she seeing him?

How was he alive?

He was still in Mew's Chamber. A quick glance at his surrounding all but confirmed that fact. He pressed a hand against his chest, amazed to feel his own heart still beating. He was supposed to die. He should be dead. How could his heart still beat? How could he hear his own breath? How could he still feel his own aura, flickering and flaring inside of him? This wasn't possible.

Sir Aaron remembered what his own master had taught him, that aura could never be destroyed only used. It was part of the being it inhabited, and could only be freed from the body in two ways. By natural death, when the borrowed life returned to Arceus' hold, or given up. A user could give up their Aura, to bring an end to their lives, causing their bodies to slowly fade away from reality. Choosing to end their time in this life, choosing to pass on; to put it simply, suicide. Even if it was for the greater good.

He sighed; he didn't want think of his possible death like that. He had no choice. Sir Aaron shook his head. No time to contemplate that. He needed to understand how he was here.

He felt alive, but he remembered the pain, the fading of death. Where was that paradise he had been in? How did he end up here? Perhaps, he didn't give up all of his Aura, rather, most of it. Leaving him to collapse and sleep until his Aura restored itself. Bringing him close enough to death to glimpse the afterlife.

If so, then there was another question, how long had he been unconscious?

The chamber had changed from the one in his memory. A few more crystal clusters here and there, and some rocks seemed more worn. Both of these suggested it had been some time since he was last awake. Slowly he rose to his feet. He would need to return to the palace, and explain his actions to Lady Rin, and...Lucario. He needed to free the Pokémon from his staff. Locking Lucario away was supposed to protect him. Now that there was no evident danger and he wasn't dead, the knight needed to free his partner and explain his actions before any more damage was caused.