[Munil- Outside]

Setsuko, Hyosetsu, Hideo, and I exited the tower and ventured out to the small town. It consisted of white brick-houses, each one decorated with strange silver plants with tiny cyan flowers.

Hideo rubbed his eyes and grumbled. "There's barely any color here. It's mostly all white or gray."

"This universe truly is as disorienting as Abyssia," Setsuko said.

"You! Who are you?" a voice rang out. We all glanced around the gray cobblestone road we were standing on. There was no one around us.

"Another demon?" Hideo asked, transforming Donato into its gun form.

"Who are you calling a demon?" the voice rang out again. Suddenly, a gray blob with angel wings jumped out of the tree.

I raised my shield and blocked its attack. The thing bounced away and glared at us.

"A blob!" Hideo yelled.

"What is that thing doing here?" Setsuko asked.

"Step aside, I'll kill it!" Hyosetsu said.

"Wait!" I turned around and saw a blond, green-eyed man rushing toward us. He wore a red and white robe. In his right hand was a cherry wood staff crowned with agates. "Don't hurt him!"

Hyosetsu stopped a few inches from the blob and turned to look at the man. "Who are you? Is this your pet?"

The man shook his head. "No, that one is my child."

"Your... child?" Setsuko asked, giving the blob-- er kid-- an odd look. "Is this how the inhabitants here look as children?"

"Yes, but he's old enough to manifest a form similar to my own," he said, placing a hand on his chest.

"Are you natives of this realm?" I asked, staring at the slumbering blob.

The man walked over to his child and pulled him into his arms. "Yes. You creatures, you're like Master Halim, are you not? You're beings from Zionia."

"That's right, we're Zionians," Setsuko said, her brown eyes focused on the child's wings. "Are you winged beings too?"

He shook his head and touched the wings. "These, he inherited from his mother, a daughter of Master Halim and Mistress Aquarina. He's... one of the few things I have to remember her by."

Setsuko gasped. Her eyes darted to the floor. "That's... so sad. I... know how it feels to lose one's mother."

The man shook his head. "She isn't dead. You see, this realm is lethal for those who aren't native to it. That's why this little one struggles. Likewise, he will struggle in any of the others, for he's a being of nothingness. His mother tries to visit whenever she can to see her beloved blob.

I smiled slightly. "At least she visits..." My father couldn't even do that...

"So, did you four come here with Master Halim? If not, then how did you make it here?"

"He was the one who brought us. He was training us but had to attend to Eiichi who fainted, again," Hideo said with a snicker.

"Training, huh?" he said, turning around. "I can assist you with that, but first I must care for this child. He shouldn't have left on his own. He knows that his health could fail him at any time."

His health?

"What does he have?" I asked.

He petted his son's soft head. "Like I said earlier, he struggles in this world due to being half Zionian. I have to feed him special medicine to keep his form stable."

"Is there no cure for him?" I asked, staring at the kid. A pang of guilt bit me. I could've blocked that attack with my bare hands.

"Sadly, there's none. At least, none that exists in this world. My wife is looking for one, but has yet to find one."

"Papa?" the blob said, opening its red eyes. Tiny hands formed from the edges of his blob like body as he gripped his father tightly. "Daddy! You're here! Make these meanies pay!"

He petted his son's head. "These people were brought here by your grandfather, Master Halim. They aren't enemies."

"No," Hyosetsu said, crossing his arms. "Those enemies have yet to arrive here, but should we fail then this world will also fall to them one day."

Setsuko shook her head. "We won't allow that to happen. We mustn't."

"Hmm, could the abyssmals even survive here?" I asked, glancing around. If not, we could trap them here... but that would come at the cost of the residents' lives.

***

The father and child led us into a small house made out of what happened to be a bunch of branches growing around one another to form an upside-down nest. There was however a bent in the branches, forming an arch for the circular door.

"Please, enter," the father, whose name was Kaliq, said as he opened the door. We all filed in after him into the small house which had a mud-brick floor with few furnishings and seemed to have only three rooms. The empty living room, a room with a chimney which I assumed was where they cooked, and the third being what I presumed to be the bed room.

"Thanks for volunteering to train us," Setsuko said, bowing slightly.

"No need. I am happy to help the friends of Master Halim. Let me just put Kassim to sleep and we'll start your training." He looked down at his sleeping child and walked into the third room while the rest of us remained in the living room.

"This world sure is odd. This area is like an island in a sea of nothing," Setsuko said. "Even the sky itself is blank."

"Could this world be incomplete?" I asked.

Hyosetsu closed his eyes. "Why concern ourselves with the affairs of other realms? We should focus on saving our own first."

"You must have realized by now that we have a better chance of surviving with the help of our extra-universal allies," Setsuko said, raising a hand into the air.

"True," Hideo said, putting his hands behind his head. "I gained some powerful new allies." He glanced over at me. "Actually, come to think of it, peasant boy here started off with some of the stronger players."

"You mean Kohri and my sister? Yeah, that's true," the princess said, smiling. "Though, I had Serrano in mine."

"Yeah, Serrano is stronger than those two. Plus, you're on the same level as him," I said. "So, you had the most powerful army."

She glanced at the mud floor and grimaced. "We aren't as strong as you think we are. Though sometimes, I think that he would've made a better knight of prophecy than us."

I glanced at my shield and nodded. "Yeah, that crummy father of mine should've given this to him instead of having him choose its wielder. It would've prevented a lot of issues."

"Honestly, what was Serrano thinking, giving one who never used an angel tool such an important weapon," Hyosetsu said, putting a hand on his hips. He turned toward the door that Kaliq had gone through. "I hate to admit it, but even the rest of us might have been bad choices. Zafir would've also been a better choice if King Osamu and the Seven-Hills hadn't chosen to limit it to only us Kuroriku clansmen."

Setsuko sighed. "Yeah, but he is one of the Seven Seas, so he wouldn't have been one. Same goes for Serrano himself. But one of their caliber would've worked just as well. The Seven Hills were unwise in choosing us. I wonder if they regret their decision after seeing us together. Father shows few signs, and the only one he does is toward the one he dislikes."

I scoffed. "I'll show that father of yours a thing or two."

I need to end this war so that I can finally start to restore honor and live out my true dream of being a literary teacher and writer. But most importantly, to get justice for Rosalba.

"I'm back. Kassim has gotten his medicine and is sleeping soundly," Kaliq said, stepping out of the back room. "How about we begin our training?"

"Yes," we answered as one.

He smiled. "Good, then come with me."

The four of us followed Kaliq to his backyard which had a single albino tree and a few patches of silver grass. In one corner was a small garden with herbs of various kinds protected by a light blue barrier.

"Now, you four are angels, so you must know how mana works, correct?" Kaliq asked, his arms crossed over his chest while his right hand kept a firm grip on his agate staff.

"Yes," Setsuko said. "Mana is the power of creation. We borrow the power of the outside world which when internalized connects with our Angelus Organum. That energy can then be converted into attacks or used for healing powers. But normally, most of us use our inner energy which resembles the 'prana' which the beings of Xeleria use. That is, energy which is drawn from the soul. But our inner energy's usage is limited due to how most of it is used up by our bodies. Those who have no or lesser angel blood are better at using said inner energy."

"Drawing forth the power of creation?" I asked, staring at her in awe. "How does one do that? I only know how to draw forth my inner mana."

Setsuko stepped away from the four of us and took a deep breath. Each muscle on her body seemed to relax as she remained as still as a tree. "The creation here is weak," Setsuko said, staring up at the white sky. "I only managed to draw but a fraction of what I usually can." She turned around. "That's how you do it. It's basically meditation. The more one can synch with nature, the stronger one is."

"Then there are those who are said to be capable to link with higher powers," Kaliq said. "But such people are few and far between."

"Higher powers?" Hideo asked, leaning forward. "What do you mean?"

"You have a goddess called the Earth Mother. She is the one who reigns over the physical realm. Once you achieve a high enough synchronization with the powers of nature, you'll be able to borrow some of her power. But even then, she isn't willing to give it to just anybody. Those whom are haunted by negative emotions will have a difficult time tapping into her powers."

Setsuko nodded. "Yes. Mother mentioned it to me once." She grimaced as if recalling a sad memory. "She said that one who is 'pure of heart' will be able to do so. One who loves nature with great intensity."

Nature with a great intensity?

I snickered. I could guess as to who might be able to do it with a bit of training.

"Then there's the Sky Father. He who rules over the spiritual realm. His power is closer to that of the inner power. A truly powerful angel can mix both the inner and outer forces, and create a harmonious dance between the two. One who can perform such a feat is none other than the Queen of your realm, Saya no Mikoto Amadeus."

"Saya?" Hideo said. "We saw that woman fight, and she wasn't very impressive at all."

"She didn't fight, she was shielding us. Plus, she did so while carrying a child in her womb," Setsuko said. "Striking that balance is made difficult by pregnancy. The child's movements within the womb must be taken into account."

"Right, their movements disrupt the meditation, don't they?" I asked.

She nodded. "Exactly. So, one needs to get to know their child well in order to efficiently tap into the outer energy."

Kaliq nodded. "Yes. All of you knights of course don't have to deal with it."

Hideo scoffed. "Of course not, only one of us is a girl." He glanced over at Setsuko. "Uh, Serrano and you haven't..."

"Of course not! You're forgetting that we aren't married yet," Setsuko yelled, her face deep red. "What do you take me for?"

"I was just wondering," he said, wringing his hands.

I snickered which caused Setsuko to direct her eyes at me.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Oh, nothing," I said, returning to my stoic-self.

"Hmm," she said, narrowing her eyes before finally turning back to face Kaliq.

"How about we start the meditation?" Kaliq asked.

"Sounds good!" Hideo said, raising a fist toward the sky.

Why do I get the impression that he will have the hardest time with this?

"You're thinking what I'm thinking?" Setsuko whispered.

"Yeah," Hyosetsu and I said, sighing.

Hideo glanced back at us and gave us a puzzled look. "What's wrong? Why are you three looking at me like..." He gasped. "Wait a minute! That sigh! You three are doubting that I can do it, aren't you?"

"N-no," Setsuko said, waving her hand. She laughed. "Not at all. You can do it, Hideo!" Her fist rose to the air, but it was rather obvious that she was forcing herself.

"Liar!" He puffed up his chest. "Hmph. You jerks are forgetting that we Makkuroyama are closest to nature out of all the houses of Kuroriku," he said, grumbling.

"There's a difference between going out in nature and connecting with it," Setsuko said. "Actually, I doubt that Hyo and Tetsu will do much better."

"Say what?" Hyosetsu asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I mean... you're talented and all, but you don't really give off the aura of someone who can connect with nature. You aren't even the outdoor type of guy."

"What about me?"

"Serrano said that you tend to overthink things. Your stream of thoughts will get in the way. Now calming his thoughts is one area where Hyo does excel in."

I sighed. "Guess this won't be easy for any of us."

"Yeah," Hideo said, lowering his head.

"I can show you. I have experience," Setsuko said, grinning.

He scoffed. "Huh? You really expect us to believe that a princess who grew up in luxury can do it, but the peasant and me can't?"

Setsuko glared at him. "I mean it."

"Are you sure?" Hyosetsu asked.

"Yes!"

I chuckled. "Then show us, princess."

She leered at all three of us. "Come to think about it, I'm starting to doubt I'll be able to do it with you three watching me."

"Huh, why?" Hideo asked, smiling. "Or are you just making an excuse for when you fail?"

"It's distracting!" she snapped. "It requires more focus than you think!" She sighed. "Though if you do manage to do this, it'll help you control your second Heaven form better."

He jumped. "It will?"

The princess nodded her head. "Yes. Same goes for Tetsuya here."

"Right, when I first awakened it, I managed to lower its output by taking a deep breath and relaxing my thoughts," I said.

"Yeah and it flared up again during your battle with Eiichi. Emotions are powerful things."

"They are," Hyosetsu said, putting a hand over his heart. "They can rule over you, if you're not careful."

He was right...

"Tapping into one's feelings isn't bad either. It's good to know what one is feeling," Kaliq said, staring at his staff. "Not knowing one's feelings is like walking blindly. A truly wise person knows them but can control them. Think of it like fire. It's a force of great power and benefit."

"Yes, like a fire. One which can burn you," Hyosetsu said, taking a deep breath.

"If left unchecked. If one is mindful of what is going into the fire then one can expect to know how well and how long it'll burn."

"Ahh, like wet wood. It burns slower but lasts longer!" Hideo said.

The robed man nodded. "Exactly, young one. Various kinds of wood burn at different rates. Every person and situation are like the various kinds of woods in the world. Some burn fast, others but slowly. It's best to burn slowly and softly. Sometimes, its others who add wood into our fires. Some of them rudely so."

"There is no fool like the one who can't control his emotions," Setsuko said, looking straight at the man. "That's what the ancients said."

He chuckled. "Yes, indeed."

A fool... Did that mean that I was the worst of fools? I... continued to let my emotions get the best of me. Often without noticing until it's too late...

"But many take that to mean that they should hide them," Kaliq said, turning his back to us. "That is foolish. It is merely containing the fire with a dome of glass. One day, that glass might shatter, sending shards and embers in all directions. Burning those near it."

Hyosetsu averted his gaze.

"Do not turn away, young man. Know your emotions and channel them. Do not let them run astray, but neither seal them for that seal will eventually shatter. Douse the excess heat. Remove some of the fuel. Those things will weaken a fire which is growing too massive."

"H-how does one do that, sir?" I asked, stepping forward.

"Good question, young one. That however, is up to you to find out. Like I said, every person is different. Use the method that works best for you."

"What about someone who can't control their own desires?" a voice called out. We all turned to see Eiichi, accompanied by Halim.

"You're back, that didn't take long," Hideo said.

Eiichi walked up to the man. "How does one stop their desires?"

"Desire, that is an emotion. Not all desire is bad. Without desire there would be no will to live. But a desire that has grown too big for its vessel will inflict burns on its owner and those around them," Kaliq said. He spun around and stared at Eiichi. "You've been scared by the flames, haven't you?"

"Y-yes..." he said, averting his gaze. "I... have."

He put a hand on Eiichi's cheek and smiled. "Now is the time to heal. We mustn't allow those ugly marks to scare us from living life."

My father...was he also ashamed of those self-inflicted emotional scars?

**Character Section**

Kaliq- Sex: Male Age: Unknown Species: Munilian Titles: Zen Sage

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter :). If so then click on that star! So, thoughts? Theories? Predictions?**