*Setsuko*

"You sure that you'll be able to close the gateways of Xeleria by yourself?" I asked, glancing at my doppelganger.

My other self nodded and smirked. "I have been handling things on my own thus far."

"You can get the High Priestess of Xian to help you at least. You did say that those with strong spiritual pressure can close the portals."

She snickered and walked toward the elevator. "True."

"Say. Why are you the only Taiyang adult around? Did something happen to the rest of your clan?"

She stopped. "Well, there is another that I know about, but she abandoned her responsibilities long ago."

Abandoned her responsibilities? Did she mean her predecessor? It sure sounded like it.

"Why not look for her?" I asked.

She curled her hands into fists. "You might be my doppleganger, but it seems you aren't aware of my feelings."

"That's why I'm asking. We share the same soul, but not the same mind and body."

Her eyes lowered to the floor. She chuckled. "That said, you are as nosey as yours truly." She took a deep breath. "If you must know, it's because-"

"I abandoned him," a voice called out.

I gasped as a woman in a tight-fitted white dress stepped out of the elevator. Her long, swaying hair and golden eyes were just like those of Ny's mom.

"Wait, did she say 'him'?" I asked, glancing at my double. She looked and sounded like a girl. She even had a child.

"Mother," Ny's mom said, glaring at her.

The woman crossed her arms. "I left behind a son, but seems I returned to find a daughter."

Wait, so my double in this world was actually a 'he'?!

Ny's mom turned to look at me. Her body glowed bright red. Standing in front of me was a handsome looking guy. He was as dashing as Serrano and his doppelgangers.

"Eh?" I said, taking a step back.

She, well he, looked down. "This is the body that I was born with. But this tower here changed my biology after Mother abandoned Father and me." His body changed back into that of a woman's. "I can't maintain my original male form for too long."

So, my doppelganger was Ny's biological 'mother' after all.

Ny's grandmother took a step forward. "This tower always was a strange place. Despite studying it since I was a little girl, I still don't know all of its secrets."

Ny's mom rushed at her and pointed her long nails close to her mother's jugular. "Regardless, you should leave, Mother. You're not welcomed here. Not since you left us!"

She grabbed her child's hand and pushed it away. "I know that what I did has no justification, but you need my help right now. At least let me do this much."

"No! I rather die than depend on the likes of you. Now scram before I have the tower attack you!"

The previous matriarch of the Taiyang sighed. "My foolish son. Don't you know that pride will get you nowhere?"

"I'll find others to help me."

"She has me," I said, taking a step forward.

Ny's grandmother smiled. "Oh? That's interesting. You two share the same soul. Seems my suspicions about you were right, my child."

"What suspicions?" Ny's mom asked.

She turned around. "Your soul is Zionian in nature. And not sure any old Zionian either." She got inside the elevator and waved.

"Hey! You can't leave me hanging you old hag! Come back here!" Ny's mom said, rushing toward the elevator. "Ugh! Was that woman always this infuriating?"

 Seemed I wasn't the only one with an annoying parent. But at least Dad hadn't physically abandoned us. He was emotionally distant, but he was there when we needed him. At least for Rosa. And while he strayed away from it, in part thanks to the whispers of Mammon, he had desired power to protect Rosa and me. 

*Serrano*

"Con," I said, smiling as my brother finally began to stir.

"Mommy shiny," he mumbled in his half asleep state.

"Seems your plan worked, Piedad!" Xime said, grinning.

Piedad smiled slightly. When she first put Con to sleep, she was sweating as if uneasy about something. We asked what was wrong, but she wouldn't answer. Thankfully, her expression had eased midway.

"What are you guys doing over there?" Hideo asked, walking over.

Nyima yelped and squeezed her dad's right arm. "It's him! The green-eyed meanie! Let's go, Daddy!"

"Okay," Ohanzee said. He glared at Hideo as he walked away. 

Seemed they were still distrustful of him despite Setsuko's best attempts to clear the waters. Not that I could've blamed either of them. I probably would've reacted like my counterpart too if someone threatened to hurt my brother. Especially if it was over something was insignificant as spilled juice. But, I did understand why he reacted that way too after hearing his side of the story. Dan had given him that cape as a birthday gift a year earlier.

Hide gulped. "Hey, weren't those two..."

"Yeah, the ones you threatened to shoot during the games," I said, sighing.

He lowered his head. "I really messed up back then, didn't I?"

I scratched my head. "We all did, to be frank."

He furrowed his brows. "Frank?"

"Uh, to be honest."

"Oh, right. Well, I think that I should probably start heading off to Vandavale."

"What for?" I asked.

"I'll like to survey the landscape. Like Grandpa once told me, knowing ones surroundings is key to winning the battle."

"Uncle's logic is sound," Uncle Osamu said, walking over to us. He glanced at me. "Think it's almost time for you and the others who are going to be engaged in the home front to return home."

I nodded. "I think so too. I'll go see if I can find Setty. I want to say bye to her in person."

Ximena looked around. "It's odd that she went off on her own."

Uncle scoffed and rubbed the side of his neck. "No, that's typical Setsuko."

Rosa giggled as she helped Con stand. "Yeah. Sis would usually wonder off as a kid. Only times she didn't was when I was tagging along, and even then, I almost got lost as she would be a distance away from me."

Uncle shook his head. "That girl is a hectic one to care for."

Dad laughed as he joined us. "Wonder if Dad or Mom ever thought that of me."

The king sighed. "I sure did, Big Bro. I sure did."

"Well, I better go message my team and tell my family where I'm off to," Hideo said, running over to his where his siblings and parents were. The kids were playing with Kun. Or at least I assumed it was Kun based on his orange clothing. Yen and Lei were by the beach, gathering seashells with the High Priestess of Xian. The woman was as good with kids as Xime was. Then again, the High Priestess was a mother of three.

"Con, take it easy. Okay? I'll be back in a bit!" I said, waving.

"Okay," Con said, squinting. He must've felt sleepy after going to see Mom.

I held out my hand and summoned Mr. Bun. "Here."

"Mr. Bun!" Conrad said, snuggling it.

"Conrad's plushie?" Piedad said. "Wait, are you sleepy?"

"A little drowsy."

Rosa summoned her Bear-woof. "Plushie buddies!"

Con chuckled as he moved his bunny around. Both my cousin and brother were big plushie fanatics.

"Bye," I whispered before running off. I headed for the cliffside. I hadn't seen Setsuko walk across the beach, so she and Ny's mom must've stayed close to the cliff.

"Hey, if it isn't my adorable nephew!" a voice called out.

I turned around and saw a man with shaggy white hair and blue eyes smiling at me.

"Uncle Mason?" I exclaimed. Hadn't expected to meet the grown up Mason again. Well, at least anytime soon.

He stood up from the rock he was seated on. "So, have you decided whether or not to become the Tiger Pillar?"

"Like I said before, I won't." Although, I came close when fighting that trio of demons...

He picked up a coconut from the ground and stabbed a stick through. The fruit must've fallen from one of the palm trees against the cliff's edge. "Your expression tells me you might end up using it after all." He smirked.  "In that case, I think I'll let you keep it a while longer."

I gasped. "Wait, you plan to take it back?"

He shrugged. "I might." He snickered. "Or I might have you give it to my younger self."

My brow furrowed. "Won't that create a loop where the power of the tiger pillar is forever gone."

Uncle Mason laughed. "Or maybe not!" He smiled slightly. "If anything, it'll be stuck in time rather than gone forever."

True. But why was he telling me this? Did he want me to bury the power of the Tiger Pillar in the sands of time? Or did he have an ulterior motive?

He threw the stick away and leaned his head back, pouring some of the coconut water into his mouth. He smiled and wiped his lips with the sleeve of his white shirt. "Ahh! That sure hits the spot!"

It felt as if I were talking to Uncle Shi. Which worried me. They were both cats. I wasn't going to grow up to be like them, right? Mom had told me when I was very little that I was similar to Uncle Shi. I didn't want to become some sadistic, immoral guy! Not that Uncle Mason had shown himself to be either of those things. At least not to the extent Uncle Takeshi had. But both were certainly enigmatic.

A rumbling sound came from the side of the cliff. Someone was moving a giant boulder.

"Well, I better get going," Mas said, smiling as he waved. He walked over to a woman in a white dress. She was the spitting image of Ohanzee's wife. "Things didn't go well, did they, dear?"

The woman pressed a hand close to her face and sighed. "Sadly, no. That boy is too stubborn."

Boy? Had a boy gone with Setsuko and the leader of the Taiyang?

She turned to look at me and smiled. "My, so your nephew is the doppelganger of my son's best friend. How ironic."

I narrowed my eyes at her. This woman gave off the same vibe as my uncles. "How did you figure that I'm his nephew?"

"Well, you give off a similar vibe. You can turn into a tiger too, right?"

Eh? She figured that out?

She chuckled. "Don't look so surprised. I am the true matriarch of the Taiyang, after all." Her golden eyes seemed to glow. "I've developed the ability to read abysmals. Although, you're a hard one to figure out. Maybe as you're mostly part angel with some human in the mix."

She could tell that too?

"Your height also helps give that away. The children of angels and humans are said to be taller than either one. Wonder why the Sky Father didn't wipe you out like he did the Nephelium of our mutual neighbor."

Mutual neighbor? There was a realm between Xeleria and Zionia? Wait, could it have been the one where Uncle Shi obtain those rocks he used to make Alma?

"Come back here, old hag! I'm gonna get ya!" a voice yelled from deeper in the cavern.

Mas grabbed his wife and chuckled. "Think we should get going! Bye, Serra!" Space warped around them, causing the two to disappear into thin air.

"That guy was here too?" Ny's mom said, gritting her teeth.

"Calm down," Setsuko said.

She spun around. "How can you expect me to? Huh? That woman came here to taunt me! She even brought her lover with her! The same guy she left Father for!"

Eh? Uncle Mason did what?

"Hmm? This is where I tracked my future self too. Seems he disappeared," a voice said. I turned around and saw kid Mason standing behind me. The kid couldn't have come at a worse time!

"Hmm, who's the kid?" Ny's mom said, blinking.

My uncle grinned and pointed at himself. "The name's Mason! I'm here to look for my future self!"

Setsuko sighed. "Kid, run."

Mason blinked. "Run? Why?"

Ny's mom put her hands on her hips. "Wait, this kid is that guy from the past?"

"Actually, Mas is from the present. That guy you just saw is the time traveler," I said, as I inched closer to my uncle. He might've grown up to be a homewrecker, but the current Mason was just a kid.

She took a deep breath. "Relax. I won't kill the kid."

Mas gasped. "Kill me? What did I do?"

"Nothing, yet," I mumbled.

Ny's mom knelt down and patted his head. "If I do, I might lose little Ny."

What did she mean by that? Why would she lose her daughter if she were to kill Uncle's kid self?

Mas blinked. Seemed he was as confused as I was.

"Did I grow up to be a loser or something?" he whispered.

Huh? Why was he asking about that all of a sudden?

"Uh, I'm not sure how to answer that. You can do some pretty neat things, but on the other hand, seems you're a bit scummy," I said.

He sighed. "So a mixed bag." The kid swung his arms behind his head and grinned. "Well, I'll try to be a swell guy!"

Setty stared at her doppelganger and then back at Mas with sad eyes. Was something supposed to have changed?

"I feel out of the loop here," I whispered to her.

"It's okay. You don't need to know," Setty said.

Hmm, that didn't exactly make me worry less. Sounded like Uncle Mas would go on to play a significant role in her doppelganger's life. Or at least have an oversized impact.

"I see. Well, I just wanted to see where you'd gone off. Think we're going to be departing soon. If not tonight then tomorrow." There were a few things I wanted to do before heading back to Zionia.

Setsuko smiled. "Well, then we better spend this little time together. Huh?"

My face warmed up. "O-okay."

Mas chuckled. "Seems my nephew is suave with the ladies."

Eh? Why was he talking like that?

"N-not really," I mumbled.

Setsuko snickered. "Your nephew here is very shy. Yet, also a bit of a player."

Mas looked at me. "Nephew, teach me your ways!"

No, no! If I did that, I would've been responsible for him becoming a homewrecker!

I shook my head. "You'll be better off asking your dad for advice."

He sighed. "Okay. Well, not like I want a girlfriend right now. I'm gonna go back home! Need to train some more if I want to grow up to be a strong adult!" The space warped around him and he was gone.

"Is he strong?" Ny's mom and Setsuko asked in unison.

I scratched the side of my face. "Yeah. Even though I defeated him, I get the sense that he was holding back."

"This is the second time I've met seen him since Mom eloped with him, but between these two meetings and your view of him, I sense his loafing is an act. That man is dangerous under that friendly façade."

Setsuko sighed. "If he's an abysmal, we might one day have to fight him."

"Leave that to me. I'm the one who owes that guy a can of ass whooping."

"Aren't the Taiyang the defenders of Xeleria? How did your mom end up running away with an abysmal?" I asked.

She took a deep breath. "It's a long story, one I don't know all of the details about. But from what I could understand as a preteen, Mother grew bored of Father. He worked a cooperate job so he had little time to spare. The little time he did have, after his at home projects, he spent playing with me. Eventually, she began seeing one of her students at the university she worked at. He had a bit of a bad boy image. Mom originally tried to help him out, but seems he corrupted her instead. Not that she doesn't share any blame. Mason didn't force her into the affair."

Setsuko brought her in for a tight hug. "It must've been tough, growing up without a mother."

Ny's mom hugged her tightly. "It was, but I got an even better one." She smiled. "My dad eventually married a maid at a café he frequented and had a few more kids. She's a great and caring woman." She looked down. "If not for her, I might've developed a deep seated dislike for them after Mother left us."

Even though she was a woman herself?

Setty stroked her crimson hair. "Think your mom helped you become a better person than your birth mother probably would've."

Ny's mom wiped away her tears and smiled. "Maybe."

I looked up at the cliff and saw Ohanzee with a sleeping Nyima on his back. He smiled slightly at his wife.

"Think your family is waiting for you," I said.

Ny's mom turned around and quickly turned away. "I'll be right there, Ohanzee. Wait a moment."

Ohanzee jumped down, walking on stairs made via his water magic. He took out a blue handkerchief from his pants pocket and offered it to her. "Here."

Ny's mom grabbed it, without turning to look at him. It reminded me of when Mom used to cry. She didn't like me seeing her tears. I should've asked Mas how Mom was after her trial.

I turned around. "Let's give them some space, Setty," I whispered.

Setty nodded and followed me. She took my hand, holding it tightly. I turned away. Ugh, I was so lame. Even holding hands was enough to get me all embarrassed. If only I could've been as daring at Yuko.

She leaned on my shoulder. Was this a date? It certainly felt like one! Relax Serrano. Play it cool!

"Ryonoko with Amira, and those two certainly are cute, huh?" Setty asked. "It makes me a little envious."

Did she mean she wanted us to be closer.

I clenched her hand, causing her to straighten her neck. "Serra?"

"Uh. Y-you want to be closer, right?" I asked, covering my mouth with one hand.

She giggled and leaned on my shoulder again. "You're so adorable!"

Ugh. There she went, teasing me again like she always had. I smiled. Although, the kind of teasing had changed. Hopefully, one day, I could be carrying a bunny girl or boy of my own on my shoulders. Or maybe a tiger or lion loving one.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the episode ^^. Those of you who read AttH might understand Nyima's mom a lot better now.**