*Tetsuya*

No matter where I went, I heard murmurs from the city folk. Word had spread like wildfire between my initial waking up and me regaining consciousness from the torture.

I raised the hood of the black hoodie that Setsuko had given me. Though people still seemed to know it was me somehow. Why was it hard to blend in? Was it so apparent to them who I was?

Soon after leaving the palace, I had set off to the armor store where Kohri worked. I needed to buy new armor as had I left my old one back there, a place I didn't even want to think about returning to. At least not until I could prove my innocence.

"There he is!" someone screamed. The next thing I knew, I felt blood gushing out of my forehead.

"Hey!" I screamed as I wiped away the blood with my right hand.

"Die, you scum bag! How dare you have done that to the princess!" a woman yelled as she threw another rock. She was joined in both others, including young children.

"Stop it!" I yelled, deflecting the rocks with my shield.

Surprisingly it had reverted back to its original form. Or maybe it wasn't much of a surprise, given what had happened between Rosalba and I. It was as if Agnes knew... the broken hearts she and I carried. Would it regain that form if everything went back to normal? If so then I wished dearly to see that shape again.

"I didn't do it!" I yelled. "I didn't do what they accuse me of!"

"Monster, leave!" a man yelled.

"Go find a hole and die in it!" the woman who initiated the stoning yelled.

I turned around and rushed into the crowd, Agnes in front of me. Rocks pelted my back and I simply ran for it. Hands reached out toward me, grabbing my arms and others attempting to yank Agnes away from my right arm. Horror struck as the mob overwhelmed me to the point that I felt I was about to be trampled over at any moment.

"Let me go!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as burning tears escaped. Though tears weren't the only thing that did. A wave of darkness sent everyone flying away from me, including some children.

I closed my eyes and ran off as more people started to appear to help the injured out.

I let out a cry. "I'm... sorry." Blood covered their face. "I..."

I shook my head and ran over to the closest person and knelt down to heal her but the woman struck the back of my head a glass bottle, tearing my hoodie. "Stay away from me you monster!"

I got up and spirited away once more. Though not before sneaking a quick glance at the injured, I saw that the other members of the mob were opening their eyes. They were dazed by what happened. Except for one of the children who remained with his eyes closed. A little boy with a toy sword. Seeing him reminded me of someone... of the one who I thought that I could trust to always be by my side no matter what.

I snickered quietly. Serrano... he didn't believe me. If even my best friend didn't trust my word, then who would? Was I to be condemned for a crime that I never committed? And if I was then how would that make things better? The true culprit would still remain free.

Tears continued to stream down my bloodied face. I wanted this nightmare to be over, for the pain and tears to fade away. I wanted to cry out to someone, but who? Who was there? I was alone, with no allies.

The only possessions I had were the clothes Setsuko had given me and my backpack from home which for some reason was outside the castle. I wasn't sure if someone left it there to be thrown away with the garbage, or if they did it with well intentions.

After what felt like an eternity, I came to a stop in front of the armor shop I had visited with Rosalba and the rest of my team many days ago.

The armor store clerk glared at me as soon as I stepped through the royal-purple banners serving as a door. "What are you doing here? You better not steal anything," he warned.

I laughed weakly. "I won't..." I shook my head in disbelief. Never in my life had I been accused of being a thief. Usually I was the one capturing them. "I don't have it in me." I put money down. "Give me the cheapest armor you have."

"I'm not sure about this...selling to someone who would do what you did to the second princess, it feels wrong. You're better off going to the abyss and dying."

I smiled cynically and looked at him straight in the eyes. The words of the woman and the faces of the injured flashed before my ears and eyes. But the one that most haunted me was of the child, the one who hadn't opened his eyes.

Did I kill him? No, right? I... couldn't have... I can't actually be that monstrous. Can I?

I lowered my head and closed my eyes shut. "Perhaps I am..."

The blacksmith sighed. "Your words are odd...do I sense guilt?"

"I didn't do it," I snapped, gripping my head with both hands. "Why won't anyone believe me? I am not trash! I'm..." I crumpled to the floor, tears streamed down my cheeks. I watched as they splattered against the pale ceramic tiles. "I would never dare her her...I'm innocent..."

"Innocent, huh?" a familiar voice called out. I glanced up and saw a red haired boy around my age. Though his hair was the color of fire his eyes were as cold as snow. His face was covered in smog and sweat.

"Kohri... Why are you working here? Wait, when did you return"

He tilted his head as he handed me a wet rag. "Here, use this to clean up."

I hesitated at first to take it but after awhile I took it.

Kohri leaned against the counter and smiled slightly. The guy was always smiling it seemed.

"I returned earlier today. As for why I'm here... you forgot that I'm his apprentice? Now, stay here. I'll be right back!" he said in his usual tone.

I felt a ping of hope bubble up inside me.

Does Kohri perhaps trust me? Or, it that he has been so occupied with the restoration of Shirayuki that he doesn't know what we speak of? Though the news is fresh. Then again, everyone in town seemed to know about it.

I watched as the future Grand Duke of Kuroyuki no San walked to the back. The place had even more armor than the front, as a wide range of weapons, ranging from three-inch knives to swords that seemed too big for one to actually use. In addition to the weapons were a couple of blacksmith furnaces, and a half-shaped molten sword.

He picked out some armor from a bag. "This isn't much, but I think it'll keep you safe." He threw me a metal chest plate and a pair of purple guards for the arms.

"Why are you giving these to me?" I asked in disbelief.

He banged his silver hammer against the forming sword. "It's connected to why I'm working here...I seek to support future heroes... more people like the guy that armor belonged to," he said, continuing to look down.

Though he held his face down, I could tell there was pain in it. It reminded me of the face he had made on our way to Shirayuki, when he learned I was in possession of Hanketsu's angel tool.

"That armor is built for speed," he continued. "Hmm, perhaps it's not the best for a defensive fighter like you're supposed to be. If only I could recover your old armor, then I could fix it up like I promised."

I shook my head and smiled. "No, it's alright. I appreciate your attention."

Kohri glanced over and grinned. "No need to thank me. I should thank you."

"It seems the young master trusts you," the blacksmith said. "If so, then the least I can do is sell you stuff."

Kohri, he must be a man of high regard and of good judgment. Compared to his brother he truly is laid back and aloof. Yet, I sense a greater awareness of others. That must be what his mother sees and likes about him. He is different...from most of the the other nobles I've met...

"Come, let's get that new armor fitted," Kohri said as he swung his steaming hammer over his back. It was surprising that he wasn't burnt. The guy didn't seem afraid of fire despite it being his elemental weakness. In fact, I could barely recall him being afraid.

The heir of Kuroyuki no San took me to a dressing room in the back and helped me get my armor fitted.

"It's amazing," Kohri said as soon as we were done.

"What is?" I asked as we returned to the front of the store.

Kohri's face was solemn once more. "You are taller than he was and not to mention older, but now that I look at you closer, you look a lot like him." He snickered lightly. "Then again, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised."

Him? Wait, didn't he mention something about someone when we were heading toward his home all those days ago?

I assumed that same person was the original owner of this armor. What kind of person was he...

"Thanks again," I said before heading toward the exit.

Suddenly Kohri grabbed my arm and gave me a slight smile. "Wait, a sec, bud. I'm coming with you!"

I shook my head vehemently. "No. It's fine... I rather not drag your reputation down..."

He put a hand on his hip and scoffed. "Nonsense. I know better..."

I raised my right hand, shutting him up. "Think about it for a moment. If you join my side then people will start to tarnish your name. I wouldn't be surprised if Hyosetsu uses it to steal the throne from you."

Kohri crossed his arms over his chest. "Ya know, I don't really..."

I stepped away and turned my golden eyes toward the orange stone ceiling of the shop. "If you still feel that way when we next see each other then I'll allow you to join me again."

"Alright," he said, putting his hands behind him back. He flashed me a large grin. "I'll keep you to your promise, buddy!"

Nodding, I turned around and walked outside. Making her way toward me was Rosalba.

"Rosalba!" I said, smiling. "I need to talk to you about what..."

"T-Tetsu.." Rosalba said in a extremely low voice. She rushed to hide behind some of the members of Eiichi's group. Her lip quivered as she wrapped her arms around herself and gasped for air.

"Calm down," I said, taking a step toward her. "It wasn't me."

"Please, don't get too close!" she cried out, shaking her head.

"Please, listen..."

The girl she was hiding behind raised her weapon at me. "Do you not see that you're making things worse for her? Now get out!" she commanded.

Rosalba. This isn't the right time... I'm just causing her more pain. I have to find out the truth on my own.

I looked to the side and saw Eiichi. The Spear Knight was with the rest of his group which consisted completely out of women. Along with them was none other than Kohri's brother.

"What's wrong?" Eiichi asked, eyeing the frightened Rosalba. He glanced over to the front of the store. His jaw dropped.

"Excuse me," I said, walking past them, avoiding looking at Rosalba to avoid having her break down further.

Eiichi's eyes widened. "You...you're supposed to be dead!"

I stopped and looked into his crimson eyes. "What?"

Eiichi slapped himself. "I mean my suggestion back at the dungeon. I still can't believe they let someone like you run free."

Kohri chuckled as he stepped out of the shop. "That coming from you?"

Eiichi glared at Kohri. He grabbed his arm and pulled him away. He looked furious.

"That armor, my brother gave it to you?" Hyosetsu muttered as he looked me up and down. He laughed. "Brother usually has good judgment when it comes to people but not always. I see in addition to hanging out with street beggars, he now wishes to hang around a rapist?"

"What's so wrong about street beggars?" I snapped, narrowing my golden eyes at him. "They might be poor, but they're people too! They're just trying to make a living. Though I'm certain that's nothing a spoiled brat like you would know!"

Hyosetsu gave me a cold look though I didn't flinch. If he wanted a fight then I would give him one, same with Eiichi. The duke though didn't draw his weapon. Instead he walked on ahead without uttering another word.

"Wow, I was right about you," Kohri said, running up to me. "Anyone who can get my stuck up big brother to shut up is good in my book."

I laughed. "You should get a better litmus test for people to trust. I'll see you around!"

I touched the armor he had given me. It felt odd, wearing it. True its original owner was younger and thus shorter than me when it was made, but that wasn't it...

Suddenly the rosary beneath my chest plate glowed dimly as it touched the armor. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to know, who was the armor's original owner? And why did Kohri say that I resembled him? Could he have been a relative?

***

I walked across the dark streets in the rain. This time everyone moved away from me, avoiding me like the plague. I closed my eyes and paid them no mind. I needed to find members soon...even one would be enough. Though who would want to be the partner of someone accused of...the crimes I was accused of?

I opened my eyes and saw that I had somehow made my way into a dark alley.

Suddenly I heard a girl's voice. "Save me...please. Save me angels of good."

I turned around. It was then that a shadowy hand touched my shoulder. I swung my shield at the figure but it jumped back.

Glancing around, I found no little girl. Instead all I saw were scared eyes from those around me peering back.

"What in the world was that?" I said, lowering my shield.

I took a deep breath and continued on my way. After traversing past a ghetto at the corner of the city, I arrived at the edge of town. I took a final look back at the city that I was leaving behind. The capital wasn't the paradise that I had imagined it. The only good parts of it were around the castle and the main streets that lead to it. Everything else was falling apart.

Though it wasn't my concern. It was like Serrano once said, the people of the city weren't very kind at all.

I snickered upon thinking of him. He had been like a second brother to me. When we were little, it was me who would watch out for him. He usually made sure to repay the favor. Never did I think that he would misjudge me like he had today.

I looked up at the dark sky as thunder echoed in the distance. Serra, I thought that I could trust you to have my back through thick and thin. Whenever there was a time in which people doubted me, you trust that I was telling the truth. You who knew me... Why... Why did you not beleive me now? 

Tears streamed down my cheeks. I shook my head and ran into the woods outside of town.

There's no point in thinking of that now. You must learn to depend on only yourself... Serrano himself once said that.

Right, he knew what I know now. This is a world of intrigue. One can't survive within it if they are so willing to open themselves up to others. That too must be the reason as to why Hyosetsu looks down on Kohri. A good ruler must be wary of those around them at all times. No such thing as trust exists in the world of nobility...

I walked into a forest and looked for a nice spot to set up a tent. Luckily it didn't take long to locate a meadow. All around me were tiny purple flowers. If it weren't for my situation, I likely would've taken more time to appreciate them.

I sat my backpack down and pulled out an orange cylinder. It contained the tent that Nico, Kohri, and I used during our travels in Kohri's lands. I quickly opened the cylinder up and pulled out what looked like a closed umbrella minus the stick.

I yanked on the rib tips, further expanding the tent outward. Carefully, I hooked the tips to the ground, making sure that they were sturdy so that it wouldn't be blown away.

Once done, I removed my new armor, stuffing it into my backpack.

I sat my head down inside on the orange fabric and crossed both my arms over my eyes and shut them tightly. The desire to to cry continued to well up inside but I couldn't allow myself to do so. I had already cried too much. Crying more would mean to give up. I had to continue to do my best, for Rosa and myself.

I quickly sat up and looked at my new armor once again. What was that strange light that I had seen?

My suddenly stomach growled, mixing with the sound of the rain hitting the tent's nylon walls. I pushed my armor deeper into the bag and pulled out a small pillow.

I put it over my head in the hopes that it would drown out the sounds. Though it didn't quiet work out.

"Seems Serrano was right. Here you are," a voice called out. I sat up and saw that it was Setsuko. She put a hand inside the tent. The hand held a bowl of ramen. "I thought that you might get hungry since no one wants to sell to you."

I lowered my head. "Take it, I don't want any piece of it! I don't need the help from you!" I glared at her light brown eyes. "I will survive and prove my innocence on my own. I have no need for your or my cousin's aid."

A rusted blade joined the ramen. "Be more respectful. Setsuko is offering you some nourishment and here you dare to reject it?" Serrano's voice rang out.

"Speak of the devil," I said, my voice dripping with venom.

He laughed cynically. "Devil? The only devil I see here is you."

I snickered. "Come on, lighten up. It's only an expression." A smug smile crossed my face. "Such a stern and literal-minded persona is sure to be why Setsuko finds you... Uh, well dull. Anyway, I look forward to having you beg for forgiveness once this is all settled, cousin."

Serrano entered completely, his eyes completely cold. My heart ached staring at the cold eyes of the cousin I once cherished as a brother.

"You dare ask for an apology?" he asked, clenching his sword. "You should be apologizing to Setsuko and most of all to Rosalba!"

I transformed Agnes into its shield form and raised it over me. To think that I would face the prospect of being cut down by my father's old sword and in the hands of my beloved cousin too.

"Lower your weapons," Setsuko said as she entered completely. She placed the bowl on the floor and stepped away. "Actually... My sister asked me to bring you this. To be honest, I am still perplexed by her attitude toward you, but it's not my place to judge. For the time being she's a part of my team until you're cleared of any wrongdoing."

I lowered my shield. "You mean that you'll give me a trial?" I asked, perhaps a little too happily.

"Not yet, but if you help us defeat the forces of the abyss then I will talk to Father about the possibility," she responded as she turned around. "Also, don't pretend that you know anything about Serrano and me. It is not your place to speak. Let's go, Serrano. We should head back to the castle."

I look closely at the two of them and noticed gashes on their armor.

Shivers ran down my spine. While they were no longer visible wounds, the gashes and dents in the armor signaled that he had gotten heavily wounded. Last time I had seen him get that wounded in a fight was when we were ten, since then he became too good at fighting to be wounded, or even hit for that matter. Though I did hear that his body was crushed by Reno's djinn. Though he was deprived of his powers, plus that djinn had almost taken down Kohri who did have his powers.

"Is the abyss that terrifying?" I asked, my head down. The only experience with it I had was the dark void inside the castle those beings had built in the north.

"It is," Serrano responded calmly as he reverted his sword back into its earring form. "You would be wise to gather at least one member before setting off to that alien realm. That is if you seek to come back in one piece. But perhaps it would better if you didn't."

I put a hand over my heart and watched as he walked away. I wanted to rip my heart out, to bury all these emotions which threatened to drown me in despair.

***

[Years ago]

"I know it's been awhile since you've last seen each other, so maybe you've forgotten who this is," Mommy said as she nudged a little boy forward. "This Tetsu, is Serrano. Serrano, this is Tetsuya. Do you remember him?"

"Y...yes. I do," the scrawny blue haired boy said, stretching a hand out toward me. He was dressed in a navy blue sweater vest and khaki shorts. On one of his ears was a crystal earring.

I accepted his handshake and grinned. "Hey, long time no see, cousin! Sorry about last time," I said, laughing.

He averted his gaze "D...don't mention it, please."

I chuckled. "Alright, I won't! Say, can you use angelic powers yet?"

He nodded shyly.

My eyes glimmered. "That's so cool!" Though soon my grin became a pout. "Wish that he had left me something..." My golden eyes shifted toward the thick emerald pasture. "I... have nothing to remember father by."

He put his hand on my shoulder and smiled. "You got a cousin."

My lips curled into a smile once more as I glanced up. "Yeah!" I pulled his arm and nudged him forward. "Come on! Let me show you our alicorns! You've ever ridden one?"

"Uh... no," he responded timidly. "Hey. Slow down!" Cousin nearly tripped over his own feet from trying to keep up with me.

I laughed loudly. "Sorry about it. I guess that you still need to work on toning your body. Seems that I got to train you. You won't survive here if you can't keep up with me."

***

['Present']

I kept my eyes on the orange tent guarding me against the drizzle. I could barely make out its color, though. It wasn't due to the darkness... but the tears.

Serrano... he had been my first guy friend. We used to share our secrets with each other, well except for who we liked. Though it was obvious that he liked Ximena... Or at least I thought he did. He somehow managed to keep his feelings for Setsuko hidden from me. That two timer... I would've given him a scolding for leading Ximena on if I had known.

But still, we were nearly inseparable. Even when he went to the city during all three of his high school years. During those years he would send me letters on how he was doing. Yet... now...

I closed my eyes and tried to wish the sensation away yet again. The feeling of abandonment and thoughts of further desertion. How would the rest of my family react when they heard the news? Because if Kohri was back, then surely Teresa and Ma wouldn't take too long to return.

Wiping the tears away from my arm, I sat up. The bowl that Setsuko had brought remained there, miraculously still warm. I used the accompanying small fork that was inside to devour the noodles, they tasted a tad off. Had they put something in it or perhaps it was only the noodles? Or perhaps I was losing my sense of taste? It couldn't have had something to do with the shield, could it? I mean the food at the castle was also rather tasteless despite its appearance.

I shook my head and devoured the somewhat flavorless food. I planned to set off the next day to look for a new member once more. If that failed then I would depart the capital for newer lands. Newer lands...

Though surely the news would travel there before long, if it hadn't already. Perhaps Tere, Taku, and my ma already knew.

I curled my hand around the plastic fork, wishing the thought away. 'Do they and my friends think of me as trash?' my inner voice insisted. The utensil snapped into tiny shards which pricked my fingers, drawing crimson blood out.

I had to get my name cleared but to do that I first needed to help those who had accused me. Ha... what a world I lived in...

Yet how would I do that by myself? Like Serrano said, I needed to find someone. If not then I would need to go there by myself. Having almost died at the hands of Satoru over a week ago, I knew that my chances of survival were super low. Then there were those marks on Setsuko and Serrano's armor... whatever caused those had to be trouble.

Kohri, I should have accepted his offer of rejoining my group. Damn, at the rate that I was going, I was gonna die!

But the search would have to wait for the next day, I was too tired to continue the search. I reached into my backpack and pulled out some pain numbing herbs to cover my wound with before returning to sleep.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Fusing two chapters (from my second draft of RoaGA) to make this one resulted in one far longer than I expected xD. Do you think that Tetsu will have luck finding a new member? Or will he need to rely on Kohri to stick with his decision to join him?**