"About that..."

"What do you mean? Did you not plan on coming back with me?"

She looked to the others.

"Sorry, guys, could you let me talk with my sister. Alone."

They nodded and went downstairs.

"Akira, listen. Heaven and Hell will always both be home to me."

"Then what's the problem? Can't we just all go back together?"

"Let me finish. The thing is, this place is my home as well. There are things I still need to do here, Akira."

"What're you saying? Wait, don't tell me, I already know. It's just...what am I supposed to do now? You're the heir, you're supposed to be the one to take back the kingdom."

"Come downstairs with me, we need witnesses for this?"

She stood, took my hand, and pulled me along with her. I almost tripped going down the stairs and trying to keep up with her.

"You guys," she said, "you're the witnesses for this. I, Mizu, heir of Heaven and Hell, hear by give all rights to my kingdom to Akira."

The world froze. No one said anything as Mizu smiled at me. she stood on my toes and kissed my forehead.

"I know you'll be a much better queen than I'll ever be."

"You can't do that!" I yelled.

"I just did."

"No-but, you are the rightful queen."

"Not anymore."

"I'm not fit to be a queen."

"Akira, look at what you've done. You've united Demons and Humans together in you're little group. You've led them this far. You've found friends who're willing to die for you. If anyone's unfit, it me. While you were out fighting and searching for me, all I could do was run and hide. I've spent the last twelve years here doing nothing. Okay, not nothing, but I haven't done anything for my, your kingdom. Akira, you were always meant to be queen. Wait here."

She ran upstairs and quickly ran back down. In her hands was a cloth wrapped around something. When she unwrapped it, the portal stone in her hand shone a light blue. She took my hands and handed it to me.

"Akira, go get your kingdom back."

I could see I couldn't argue with her anymore. When she decided something, she was set in what she did.

I took the stone and tucked it into my pocket. I wrapped my arms around her.

"I promise I'll come back," I said.

"You'd better," she replied.

We left the little hospital, but not for the last time. That I would make sure of.

"Are you okay with that?" Jessica asked.

"With what?"

"Just...leaving."

"Yeah. Besides, it's not like she'll change her mind. Once she decides something, that's what's going to happen."

"That's the first person I've met whose more stubborn than you," Peter said.

"Oh, shut up."

"Where to next?" Haru asked.

"First of all, I'll need to call everyone I've formed a contract with to a meeting place. Haru, are there any portals around here?" I asked.

"A few miles away," he said.

"Good, then we'll be going back to Flora tomorrow night. Tonight, however, we need to get to that portal."

"Wait," Luke said, "how's getting to the portal going to help us get to Flora? Aren't they in opposite directions? And how are you going to call everyone you formed a contract with?"

"Well, I can call everyone I've formed a contract with by using a type of magic specifically for Angels and Demons. After that we'll use the portal to get to Flora and a meeting place where we can meet my army. Haru, lead us to the portal!"

We found our cart and hopped in, besides Haru who flew overhead, directing Zero. The problem was, he wasn't entirely sure where the portal was, so we wandered for a while. After we found it, though, the others looked in awe.

A portal was generally made of blue crystal, like the stone. If the stone wasn't with us, it would've looked dead. But, because I had the stone, the portal resonated with the same dull blue glow. It had a basic platform that was about a foot off the ground. On one end of the platform was an arc that would act as the transporter.

"Doesn't this act as a signal?" Peter asked. "The glowing, I mean. Won't people want to know what's going on?"

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Haru said. "Most of the people here tend to stay away from anything supernatural. Especially after the species war. Besides, the glowing is really dull, so I don't think anyone can see it unless they really looked for it."

I sat down in the cooling sand. By now, the stars and moon were already out.

"Guys," I said, catching their attention, "I'm gonna be...gone, for awhile. I'll leaving everything up to you."

"Where're you going?" Luke asked.

"I'm not going anywhere physically, but mentally I'm gonna be gone. See, what I'm gonna do is use that magic that I talked about earlier. I'm gonna contact all of the people I formed a contract with."

I sat up, crossing my legs, and concentrated. Taking a breath in, I let my wings out, and let my own magic flow. I was a little rusty after not using it for a while, but it worked like I needed it too. When I opened my eyes, I wasn't looking at the deserts of Savannah, I was looking at the forests of Flora. More specifically, the girl I formed a contract with that one night a while ago. Wow, I didn't think she's still be alive.

She was leaned back on her behind, looking at me, eyes wide. In one of her hands, she held what appeared to be her dinner.

'Hello,' I said, smiling. 'It's been a while, hasn't it. I take it you haven't forgotten me?'

She shook her head.

'Good. The only reason I'm here is to give you a message. If you want to fight for Heaven and Hell, in one week, meet me by a portal between the towns of Hiksberg, Engi, and Lach. Alright?'

She nodded.

'Good, bye.'

I made my way around, giving the same message to everyone who I formed a contract with. The portal I was talking about was the one I had came here on. I knew exactly where it let off. It was in Heaven, in a more deserted place where we wouldn't be seen.

When I finally went back to my body, I was exhausted. Well, for you to understand this let me tell you how my traveling by works. My body stays in one position while my mind or soul or whatever you wanna call it, travels around to where my feathers were. The only one who could see me was who I gave the feather too.

I collapsed on the sand.

"It's about time," Peter's voice said. I looked over to see him leaned against the platform of the portal. "We were starting to get worried."

"Yeah, well, time works differently when you travel like that. How long was I gone?"

"Four hours."

I sighed and laid back in the sand. I closed my eyes and let the cooling night lull me to sleep.