-"The Realm on High. At the top lies the goddess with her children of most pure light."

✫Kun✫

"Where are we?" I asked, looking around. Before me stood a majestic city with buildings whose surfaces glimmered like silver and whose windows shone like top rate gem-quality quartz.

"Kun?" Sarah said, turning the corner of a building. "What are you doing here?"

"Same goes for you," Eien stated, taking in the view. "Seems like we were taken to the realm of angels." He smiled. "Being here brings back memories."

"Hello," someone called out. Walking toward us was a five-year-old girl donning a silver-blue fur coat. Along with her was a boy dressed similarly.

"Isn't it too warm to be wearing fur coats?" Hal teased them.

The girl glanced up at him and kicked him.

He rubbed his leg. "Ow, what's your issue?"

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't take nicely to teasers like you."

I chuckled. The girl reminded me of my little brother, actually, they were the same age. Though Shandian was way more kind and adorable.

"Sorry, we're late!" yelled a green-haired girl. She was dressed in a black summer dress. Following her were two boys and another girl.

"It was Aerkain's fault, wasn't it?" the fur coat girl suggested.

The green-haired girl nodded. "Yup, like always."

A blond-haired boy without shoes on grumbled. "I was hungry!"

"Should little kids really be roaming the streets alone?" Mr. Suzuran questioned, tilting his head at them.

"Don't worry, we got our angel tools," the last boy said, pointing to his sun shaped necklace. He was dressed in shorts and a button-up shirt. He had bright red hair and blue-green eyes that contrasted with his fiery aura.

I side-eyed Eien.

"What?" he asked.

"That boy and you... what's your connection?"

Eien shrugged. "He's my cousin." He waved at the boy. "Hey, Kaede."

Kaede smiled. "Hey, Eien."

"We're missing three, hopefully they didn't get lost," said Mr. Mizu no Kin, our proctor, as he glanced around. He was a man with long cyan hair and blue eyes. He was our Zionian teacher. Maybe that fact was why we were chosen to come here. We did speak the best Zionian out of the first-years.

"They're later than us," Aerkain said, snickering.

The fur coat girl shot him an unamused look.

"I think I'll partner up with the blonde," Hal said, chuckling.

"I'll take the icy-eyed girl," Sarah said, nodding to herself.

"Sorry we're late," yelled a raven-haired girl with deep violet eyes. Accompanying her was a blue-haired boy who resembled our proctor.

"There's my other cousin," Eien said, waving at her.

The boy bowed. "Sorry, gramps."

'Gramps? Just how old is our teacher?'

Mr. Mizu no Kin patted his head. "It's fine, kiddo. I'm sure that you had your reasons. Well, everyone is here. Now for your group pairings."

Before teleporting, Mr. Mizu no Kin had taken the time to tell us about this part of the test. He told us that we had to partner up with a kid and tutor them. Though I didn't see how that was possible considering magic and angel powers didn't exactly work the same way.

"Eien, you're partnered up with Izotz."

Eien's smile fell as he glanced at the blond and light blue-eyed kid who had accompanied the raven-haired girl and Mr. Mizu's grandson.

"Ohh, I see," he said before letting out a chuckle. "That's fair. I am a fire angel, tutoring an ice one will give me a challenge."

Mr. Mizu nodded before glancing over at me. "Next up is Kun's group. Kun is paired up with Kaede. Hal is with Aerkain. Sarah is with Ivonne."

"So I didn't get Hielo," Sarah said, looking down in disappointment.

"Are you saying you would've preferred being paired up with Hielo instead of me?" Ivonne asked, pouting.

Sarah laughed nervously. "Of course not..."

"Xue is with Hielo," Mr. Mizu no Kin continued. "An is with my grandson, Nahuatl. Nahimana is with Sierra. Miwa is with Keiko."

"Hello, nice to meet you," I said, waving at Kaede. "I'm Kun Lan but my friends sometimes call me Nuk."

"Isn't that just upside-down?" he asked, blinking.

I snickered and put my hands behind my head. "Oh, you got me there! I'm not very creative with names."

Kaede giggled. "You sure aren't."

"Y-you could've been nicer about it."

"Ahh, I thought it was fine since it seemed you were self-depreciating."

I laughed. "True."

***

After being partnered up, we were allowed to look around town. The place was enormous, but the biggest building in it was the one in the center.

"Woah, it's huge!" I yelled, running up to a palace with four towers that seemed to pierce the heavens. One could see it even from where we had first been teleported to, which was three blocks away from the center courtyard in front of the ivory palace. "Is this where the real earth angels live?"

Sierra nodded. "This is my home!"

"Your home, if this is your home that would mean that you're..." Sarah started.

"Thank you so much for caring for my daughter," called out a brown-haired woman as she exited the castle. She was dressed in a simple white dress. "Sierra, be a good girl and don't give these kids a hard time."

Sierra gave her mother a smile. "Don't worry. I won't!"

"Long time no see," Eien said, waving at her.

The woman tilted her head. "Who are you?"

"Tsk. Don't remember me? I guess it has been years." He summoned a white orb. "Maybe now you will?"

The woman gasped. "Ah, Eien?"

He smiled. "Yup!"

She chuckled. "You've grown so much, please come on in. You all must be hungry."

✾Mayu✾

"We're almost there," I stated, leaning against a tree. I took in a deep breath, my lungs felt like they could burst at any moment.

"Rest," Yuuta advised, tapping my shoulder. "We're finally here, you're back home."

I glanced up at the walled off castle at the center of town. He was right, I was finally home.

After the destruction of the camp, we had taken turns teleporting toward the capital. Besides Ren, Yuuta, and I, the others had stayed back to recover their prana.

"So you've returned," called out a familiar voice. A boy wearing a tanuki mask approached us. "What do you need from me? A hiding spot?"

"Brother," Yuuta said. "I need you to tell the king something."

Yuuto crossed his arms. "What would that be?"

"Our camp was destroyed by shadows," I responded.

He gasped. "Shadows?"

"Dark beings," Ren explained. "The ones we saw were bird and lizard-like creatures. When you kill them, they reform."

Yuuto looked down. "These beings... I recall Father talking about them. He said that our cousin fought something with that description."

Yuuta's eyes widened. "So you think that they're the same creatures she fought over eight years ago?"

"Eight years ago?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow. Something about it sounded familiar... but it was almost as if my memory had been blocked. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't recall it.

Yuuto nodded. "Our cousin was born in another world, the same world our father was born in. The shadows were attacking that world too. Her friends and she managed to keep them at bay by striking them down at the source."

"And what would that be?" Ren asked.

"I have no idea where in this world it would be. Koukyuu also fought these creatures when she was around our age."

He gasped. "You mean they've invaded before? Why haven't I heard of this before?"

"That's because the queen wanted to keep it a secret," Yuuta responded. He glanced around to make sure that no one was overhearing. "Let's go someplace else."

I summoned my house key. "We can go to my place."

"Where do you think that you're going?" called out a voice. "Aria, Ry, apprehend the idiots who caused this mess!"

A white-cloaked girl charged at us with a single sword at hand.

Ren stopped her blade with his psychic magic. "Who are you people?"

"Read our minds if you want to know!" yelled a short boy. He was also donning the same style of cloak. "Fulgur Avis." His hands became embedded in yellow lightning prana which danced around him, taking the shape of a bird. "Attack them!"

Yuuta and Yuuto blocked his attack with walls of sand.

I glared at the older boy who simply stood by. He removed his hood, causing his long, black hair to fall over his shoulders.

"Tahoma?" I asked, eyes wide.

"Come with us peacefully. We'll help you fix your stupid mistake."

My left hand curled around the tree's trunk. I channeled what little prana I have left into it. "First, tell us who you are."

"Don't try that," the young man said seconds before he vanished. His hands were around my neck. He was fast... dangerously so. "Now..." He turned toward the others. "Come with us if you care for her." Light surrounded the cloaked trio and me. "I'll be waiting for you on top of Kin Tower."

**Solar Note: Did you think that introducing the kids so close together was too much? Please let me know. I'll try to space them out some more if so ^^. Btw, what did you think of Mayu and Co returning? :3

The song used is 'One Day too Late' by Skillet. Yes, I used this song during Novus Magus too xD. I just find it fitting for Mayu...**