"All right," Ia huffs under her breath after Mayu hands her the last of their bread rolls. She puts it in the bag and ties the string into a knot to close it off. "I think that's it for food supplies."

The group finishes up their final preparations for the journey. Miku looks up from her bag and scans the room of people.

With the nine following Miku in her shadow, she started to feel more secure than afraid of the prophecy. Her friends she counted on the most wouldn't allow her to continue an adventure like this by herself. If Miku was to head out there alone, it was like she was surrendering her life to step up and be the Messiah. If that were to happen, they would never forgive themselves.

So to make sure their journey works out, Miku suggested they'd bring three bags. No more, no less. If they were going to each take their own, she knew they'd all be glutted with the same materials as everyone else. Instead, she decided three people would be the bag carriers for the supplies, except each bag would contain different items.

Miku assigned Ia to be in charge of the first- food. Since she was the main baker and the eldest of the sisters, Miku believed she held more of a responsibility. And if Mayu was going to oppose to this notion, the tealette vowed the two of them to look after it rather than one.

Second was for health, which she proposed Kaito be the leader of. He was cautious and, as one of the oldest of the group, probably the most experienced to take precautions in medical situations.

Last was for practically anything else they thought they'd need (at least, that was Miku's way of viewing it). If there were going to be any steep cliffs, rope would be brought. In case Gumi needed something to keep her busy at stops, a minimum of two books were packed for her. Also, so Miku could refer back to the scroll, she hid it away in that bag she'd taken leadership for. She hadn't quite finished reading the rest of what was written on there and she assumed she could catch up when they took shelter at the end of the day.

"Bandages, ointment, blankets..." Kaito mutters to himself and says, "We're good for health."

"Miku?" Gumi asks approval for her bag.

The tealette rapidly goes over each of the items. "Done for miscellaneous."

"So we ready to go?" Rin smiles, setting her crook to the ground with a plonk.

Miku opens her mouth to reply but something grabs ahold of her wrist. She whips her head around and sees Meiko looking at her genuinely. She turns her direction so that they're facing each other without their attention focused on anything else.

The swordswoman takes Miku's hand and squeezes it between two of hers.

"Miku... for whatever happens from here onward, let us be brave. No matter what goes on on the journey or in the tower, we'll trust and rely on one another through thick and through thin. So, Miku... try as hard as you can out there until you beat your heart out, and go get yourself those blessings... and save this world."

Miku watches Meiko's expression lighten. Although she spots a hint of sorrow in the look she's giving her- that fiery red passion she was so used to seeing, right now it seems like a dying ember. But she reassures herself it was merely a frivolous manner concerned for everyone's safety. Miku nods. She slowly closes her eyes and intakes a deep breath.

This is finally her moment to shine and let the world know she can alter Earth's devastating future for the better. Even if it means leaving the comfort of the village to take a three day hike by foot, so be it.

She reopens her eyes and the whole group is still skirted around them from Meiko's speech.

"I'll do my best," Miku speaks and gestures a hand to the door. "Well, let's get a move on."

She moves through them all to get to the front and be the first out the door. Everyone else follows behind her, except Kaito in the very back. He has a hand to the doorframe, staring into the house as if it was the last time he'd see it, turns around, and closes the entrance. He catches up with the rest and adjusts the bag on his shoulder.

"Hey, Rin." Luka walks by the twins' side.

Rin blinks when she hears her voice and looks to her left. "Yeah, Luka?"

"So what's gonna happen with the sheep? Since we're going to be out for three-" the dancer hesitates for a moment; Rin knows where she was getting at and looks away, "days... And you two won't be there for them, what'd you do?"

"Well, first, Len here suggested we kill them all."

"Wha... I-I did not-!" he intervenes.

She brings her crook over her shoulder and raises an eyebrow to him.

"Kidding," she lightly remarks, shifting her attention back to Luka. "But yeah, seriously, you know Yukari? She volunteered to watch and tend to the sheep... while we're away..."

Rin fixes on Miku trudging through the grass straight ahead. Her teal pigtails like two sparkling waterfalls cascading down her blue knee-length dress. Rin always envied that girl: the beauty within herself and out, her job as a seamstess, the outfits she'd sew from scratch. And who was Rin? A shepherd who worked with sloppy sheep alongside her brother.

What Miku had was everything Rin wanted. Even being the Messiah. She yearned for that feeling of dependence from the world and being the one and only who wouldn't let everyone down.

But here Miku is.

That delicate and fragile girl- the porcelain doll of their ten that everyone wanted to protect- the Messiah. And somehow right now, Rin's more proud of her than Miku is of herself. What she's done for the group... what the group's done for her, what every one member struggled since the tragedy of their village. Everyone still remains even with loss in their hearts. The friendships they'd created empower her to do more today... and now...

"I'm gonna miss them," Rin utters to herself quietly.

Luka perks up, "Miss who? The sheep?"

The elder twin shakes her head and pauses in her tracks.

She surveys the group, smiling, "Yeah..."

- × * . * × -

For the first day of their journey, the group had ventured quite far from their village, but where they were was certainly farther away from the Tower of AI than anything.

Along the way, they'd noticed the terrain hadn't changed a lot when they left. Stuck with the continuous grass hills, fields, and the occasional mountain off in the distance. Nonetheless, Ia pointed out that up ahead, the land had finally died down on plain emptiness, and instead there were more trees- exactly where they needed to be heading (according to the beginning of the scroll for directions).

"Gakupo, can I ask you something?" Kaito inquires alongside the monk.

"What is it?"

"Do you think Miku will be okay?"

Gakupo nearly stops for a moment of disbelief. Their circle of friends had trusted one another since their first meeting; thinking Kaito's just doubting her now is as absurd as it sounds.

"Of course she's gonna be okay. We may be traveling for three days, but of course we're going to protect her over th-"

"Gakupo, that's not what I meant," the blue-haired male sighs. "I'm not talking about the journey. I know she'll be safe on the way to the tower, I'm only wondering if... when we..." His sentence fades into the air, unable to continue any longer. Fortunately his friend understands the unspoken remainder clear as day.

"Yeah... she's going to be fine." Gakupo attempts to reassure them both, but the two know that the matter isn't going to be as shallow.

As they walk, Kaito looks to the ground, and clings the red gem on his wrist tightly.

The tealette lags behind the group, who- unbeknownst to them- are forming a cluster.

For having a tragedy sashay into their lives moments ago, they all seem to be getting along well. One of the children, a girl she learned was named Gumi, is talking with a pair of blonds, Rin and Len, that the tealette can assume are twins. Then there were sisters, Mayu and Ia, chatting it up with some of the older children, Gakupo, Meiko, and Luka.

On the other hand, the boy who helped pick her up is walking next to the rest, quiet.

She's looking at his back and is contemplating all the reasons he's been so silent- especially after he bravely sauntered up to her crippling body just like that and invited her to live with them.

She picks up on how long she's been staring at him because he turns around and notices her gaze. She laughs awkwardly and rubs the back of her neck. Maybe she shouldn't have made him feel like he's being watched- perhaps he felt the hairs rising on his neck and whipped his head around from the uncomfort.

"Miku, you okay?"

"I'm fine, Kaito." She's still left with the remnants of her faux laugh.

"Then, come on." He gestures a hand for her to come over. "You're gonna continue to fall behind if you don't join the rest of us up here."

She warmly smiles and rejoins the group.

✧

Once Miku asked about Kaito's silence, he responded that, regardless of his courage to her when they encountered, it was hard to grapple with the fact they were all that's left of their village. To survive as long as they can, holding the hands of those who'd shared the same events as the ones next to them, and believing unconditionally.

"It's hard to let loss go," she remembers him saying on their way back to the half-burnt village.

She sits on the floor of one of the intact houses, recollecting her thoughts while everyone else is gathered around Gakupo on the other side of the room.

'My house is gone, my mom and dad are gone...' Miku thinks to herself and almost bursts into tears. 'My old life of love and support... gone.'

"Miku," Mayu's voice grabs at her train of thought.

The tealette glances at the girl over her shoulder, then turns her body her direction. Mayu's smiling and is holding up a necklace with her two hands. It's an oval-shaped red jewel in the center of a long loop of black string. Looking past her, Miku regards the opposing eight with their soft smiles.

Mayu continues, "We all made this one for you."

She extends the necklace for Miku to get a close-up inspection.

"For me?" the teal-haired girl wonders aloud, touching the central gem.

"Gakupo said there were ten red jewels that survived the damage of his house," Len states.

"We decided to split them among the ten of us," chirps Luka.

Miku examines each of them. She was right. They were all visibly wearing the precious stones somewhere on them: as a bracelet, on their clothing, in their hair, around their neck. Now this one for her.

"Let it be a reminder that no matter where we are, we'll always be together!" Rin pumps a fist in the air.

'No... that life of love and support isn't gone-'

"Whenever and wherever we are, we'll share pain," Gakupo says.

"... and we'll share joy," Miku whispers and accepts the necklace.

'It's still here.'

- × * . * × -

Thanks to half of the scroll and their basic knowledge, it was said that the nine elements that made up the world were sealed in the Tower of AI: ocean waters, candle fires, light, darkness, earth, thunder, wind, ice, magma. Miku idles along the path they were following, thinking back on those elements.

'Those must be the nine blessings then, huh?'

She's heading to the tower for a reason- they're heading to the tower for a reason. But her especially to receive those blessings once she's forgiven. Miku begins to ruminate on each one, branching into the idea of how it'd feel when she accepts them. Or better yet, what the blessings ought to give her.

"Hm?"

Something cold splashes her forearm. She sees a wet trail run down her bare skin and she immediately suspects the sky. Another droplet hits the bridge of her nose with the pitter-patter of rain pouring to the ground.

"Ah!" The tealette uses her arm as a shield. "It's raining! We can't continue on like this."

Ia keeps her left arm up but pushes past the forest foliage with her left. "Hey, everyone, over here! I found covering!"

She points to an opening under a mossy ledge. At first, it gave off the impression of a cave, except they could easily make out among the shadows that it didn't go in as deep. Being the only shelter they had, they retreat inside.

Despite looking small, it turned out to be roomier than Miku expected; the ten were able to hug the walls with still a foot separating them from another. Miku slides her bag off her shoulder and toys with the leather strap. She can't but think that the rain's here for the purpose of letting her concentrate on the task at hand. It's giving her time to reflect back on why she left the village for this.

She went on this journey just because she trusted her gut- she didn't think it all through after the acception.

"Hey, guys?" Miku's voice quivers. She doesn't check to see if anyone was paying her attention, and resumes, "Are any of you... scared?"

Her eyes shoot up to the group, now quiet like they're pondering on her question. She broods on the subject before she says anything more and grips the jewel of her necklace.

"Haven't you all thought that maybe... the prophecy might not work. What if I go to the tower and I'm not forgiven? What will happen then? Maybe it was all a mistake and I'm not actually the Messiah. It could've been either one of you or somebody else entirely... What if none of this works and Earth is still in jeopardy?"

Pitter-patter.

Pitter-patter.

"That's for us to find out," Len informs monotonically. "The Messiah is born every fifteen years and whatever happened to the last one we'll mostly likely never get to hear. It's the Messiah's responsibility to go to the Tower of AI and plead forgiveness. Miku, you're the Messiah and that means you're going to be responsible. Whatever happens at the tower happens. If something goes wrong, we'll find out," his sister takes his hand and squeezes it, "... together."

His address stuns Miku, making her feel foolish for bringing up the topic in the first place.

She's put her faith in these people for more than ten years. Lived with them, survived with them, comforted them when they needed a shoulder to cry on. They'd joined hands for the sole purpose of being thankful they met and were still breathing to this day. Everything they did, they were in it together.

Outside, the noises die down. It's quiet.

The rain finally stopped.

A/N:

Mmm, thank you all for the very nice comments on the last chapter. I feel so motivated to finish writing this fanfic now~. There's also a special little thing I added to "Chapter 1: The Messiah" that's in the A/N, so check that out if you wish. (And I plan to make more for the rest of these chapters, too.)

I have nothing else to say but expect some extra character buildup to make you feel more angst and anguish during the tower scene. ^u^ (Unless someone's reading this blind without watching the song first. Um-)