The bright Sakura glow from the Celestial moon was dimmer than usual as it sat in the void above Castle Celeste. The usual dimness reflected the state of Ardent's mind, but only her closest companions knew this, it was also something Àskériàn was learning rather quickly.

Under the cover of the shadows, Rain carried the encased crystal up the exterior of the tower, the glass case dangled from the golden handle as she held it with her sapphire beak. She evened the pace of her wings, so they made less noise, almost like the soft whisper of the wind that only existed on certain islands in the realm.

Her tiny birb form was almost the same size of the fluorescent stone that she carried and it casted a pearlescent glow over her feathers with each pulse of color that shifted within its glossy bodice.

Tiny fox paws fidgeted with the window lock and finally, Amateurasu pushed the door like pane open just in time for Rain to perch herself on the sill.

They silently went to work in search of a hiding spot. They had to hide the stone so their leader didn't see it and once she awoke and started with her daily duties as the realm's queen, they would retrieve it. Rain found a spot atop the canopy that hovered Ardent's bed. The thickness of the scarlet fabric that curtained the four posts would be good enough to block out the stone's glow.

After dropping the stone in place, she gave her signal to Ama before darting out the window. Ama pulled the window shut with his paws locking it once again, almost as if nothing had happened.

When the day cycle came, Ardent rose from her sleep, unaware of the stone that lay above her head. Dressed in her ruffled pink, silk pajamas, she went to the wooden cabinet that was her wardrobe to pull out her armor.

Ama stretched in his spot on her desk, avoiding the stack of books she left out. "Good morning miss." He called out, hoping she could hear him from the other room.

“Good morning.” She replied, he could hear the sleep still in her voice.

"Did you sleep well ?" He inquired.

There was a moment of silence and then, "It was fine. Thank you for asking." Her response was accompanied by the squeak of wood as she shut her wardrobe doors.

She walked into the study and glanced at her desk, groaning at the amount of paperwork still undone. She then moved to the chamber door, the golden hinges creaked under the weight of the auburn wood as she opened it. "I'll look at that later." She mumbled to no one in particular.

With her white armor and metal pieces in her arms, along with her sword, she darted out the door and into the labyrinthine build of the castle.

"Have a nice shower milady." He called after her as she left to make the journey to the royal bath house, which was under the castle, close to the public storage.

With the door closed once again, Amateurasu jumped down from the desk and transitioned into his humanoid form. "Alright, time to get this before she gets back." He mumbled as he made his way through the curtains that separated the two rooms.

He stretched his hand out as far as he could over the canopy. Grunting at the strain "Darnit Rain, why did you have to put it back so far?" He grunted. "Maybe I should have stayed in my familiar form." He grumbled, but then he finally managed to grab the enclosed stone. "Aha! Got it."

Rain sat on the bench in the long corridor, awaiting Amateurasu's rendezvous. I hope he can reach it... She pondered to herself.

Àskérian fidgeted on his feet. She watched the tall knight pace back and forth over the purple aisle runner that dawned the quartz floors.

"What happened on Gaia?"

Her voice broke his train of thought.

"Mmhh.. What do you mean?" He knew the answer, but he didn't want to betray Ardent.

"The day you brought her back, what happened ?" She questioned further.

"That is something I cannot share." He wondered if his actions were even justifying his loyalty to the queen. When did he even become loyal to her, heck coming to this realm was of pure chance. He knew the answer, but it was something he was starting to forget.

Taking a stone and recording her memories didn't seem like something an honest and loyal subject would do. However, he too wanted to know why she had tried to kill herself, but he wasn’t about to relay that information to her friends, not until he uncovered the truth for himself.

As Amateurasu approached them, Rain's eyes widened. "Amy! You're in your human form!"

The fox familiar laughed at her words. "Why do you always get surprised by this?" He held out the stone to Àskérian. "Here. It was really hard to get." he said glaring at Rain who pretended to observe the tapestry hanging from the wall. The dark knight accepted the crystal.

The kitsune shot Rain a playful look as she turned around, pinning her with his stare. "You did that on purpose didn't you?"

Stunned, Rain shook her head. "I was trying to hide it." He chuckled at her flusterment, the sound carrying down the corridor.

Down in the Research Department, Àskérian met with Renfred and Lady Seraphina. "Are you ready for this?" She asked.

He nodded. "We will keep care of the stone until you come back." She reassured him.

Lady Zoe removed the stone from the box and placed it on a pedestal, right next to the one holding up the mysterious bowl of flames.

"You can enter whenever Àskérian. Please keep in mind that if she's hiding these thoughts from us, then something bad must have happened. Our leader is an open book about most things. However, she may still be keeping something hidden. Something you yourself may not want to see." Lady Zoe warned.

Grunting, he walked over and laid his hand over the stone, the black leather a stark contrast against the pearlescent gleam. Instantly, his vision shifted and he found himself in the world of Gaia once more.

He stared in horror as he saw himself surrounded by the familiar scene before him, only then did it click that it was Alexhand.

Buildings stood in a crumbling manner. Bricks splayed about here and there in piles, along the cobbled streets. Parts of roofing and glass covered hedges, the black Victorian lamp posts, snapped in half, well some of them. Flames still danced about the ruins; smoke lifted like snakes towards the sky. Charred earth slept beneath his black boots. Bodies were strewn about between the damaged fortifications.

A shrill scream broke through the thick air. His heart sank when he recognized the owner. And then he was her, stumbling through the wreckage. As she fell to her knees, he noticed she was clinging to an object. In her arms was a golden helmet that was shaped like the head of a bear. "I'm so sorry." She cried. "It's all my fault." She sobbed.

Heart sinking, he watched her leave the warzone as she stumbled numbly through the forest, the chaos disappearing behind her. When she reached the familiar field, only the smoke could be seen beyond the trees, giving off the false look of a smithery at work. "Ae-Difi-Caté." She whispered so low; he almost didn't hear it.

The ground below her feet shifted and rumbled as stone began to lift itself from the earth beneath the grass.

The stone came together and formed itself around her until a tall tower stood before him, blocking her from his view. And then it hit him, it was the tower he had found her in.

His vision shifted again as the world around him rippled and he found himself back in the research lab.

Lady Seraphina, Lady Zoe, Chancellor Varier and Renfred stood eager to know what he had seen. But he wasn't ready to tell them anything. He needed to see her first, to apologize for his harsh words. If only he had known before what had happened, he could have spared her some pain.

He spent all day looking for her. The strange castle was like a maze you could get lost in. His chances of running into her should have been high, considering he went through her usual places.

But then again, he could sense it. No doubt she had begun to distance herself from the world around her. He knew she was replaying the memories over and over in her mind. It was something he had done when he had lost his sister, Ainzy.

He blamed himself for his current physical state. He decided, one way or another, he would end Etah. No one else would. He would take back everything, for his sister, for Ardent, for his home, for himself.

He finally found her. She had spent the day on the balcony outside her room. Alone and away from everyone.

"How did you...." She said in shock as she stared wide-eyed up at his tall frame.

"It's not hard for a dragon to locate an angel." He chided, crossing his arms over his chest which resulted in a pout from the angel.

"I'm sorry." He spoke. She gave him a confused look. "What have you done this time Lorn?"

He smiled, taken aback at her usage of his first name. It was something he was trying to keep private. "How did you figure that out?" He asked as he slunk down beside her and leaned back against the window pane as she was.

She chuckled, it was a low sad sound, and glanced over at him. "Angels know more than they let on." Her brown gaze shifted back to the voided sky.

"Don't blame yourself for what happened on Gaia." He said.

She grew stiff. "How...? I..... What?!" She jumped to her feet and backed away, her wings flaring out behind her, ready to take flight. She fought back tears that threatened to break loose in angry current, not ready to face the truth.

Before she could lift herself off the stony floor of the balcony, he grabbed her wrist, locking her in place.

"This." He said as he revealed the Star Crystal. "This is how I know."

Her eyes widened. "What is that?" She demanded, steeling her composure, not willing to give away her fascination with the stone.

"I'll tell you on one condition." He bargained. She swallowed the lump her throat, she needed to know how he found out her secret, so hesitantly, she nodded for him to continue.

"Don't fly away. Not right now." Her features softened and she gave up the fight, pulling her wings in behind her back. He was going to make her face it, she knew he was and yet, she was going to let him. All to know how he found out her secret.

"They call it the Star Crystal currently. It actually has recorded all of your memories. And the best part." A wide grin stretched across his face. "I'm the only one who can read it."

"So you know then?" Her voice was calm. "You know that I'm a danger to these people? I killed my own husband. My people who I was given guard over. I made this realm, abandoned them and now they are all dead. And it’s my fault." Her voice broke, she couldn't hold back the tears anymore.

He his hold on her slip, her arm fell away and rested against her side. "Don't cry. It is true that some people did die. But did you ever recover his body, the king's ?" He questioned.

"No." She answered.

"Then, it is only logical that he is still alive." Her face lit up with a glow of hope shimmering in her eyes. "You really think so?"

He nodded. "Your people may also be alive, and I'm going to help you find them."