Kiara opened her eyes as she fell through the never ending darkness she had sentenced herself to. Her crime? She had lost control of her power. Even if it was for a brief moment, that was all that was needed to destroy an entire reality. Still, falling through an empty darkness, not knowing when or if she'll hit the ground wasn't nearly enough of a punishment for the magician. Not after what she had done.

As she fell, Kiara remembered the previous events in heart wrenching detail. From the fear she saw on everyone's faces to Chadwick's warmth slowly dissipating into her own. The tears from her eyes fell up and away from her as the young princess reminisced on all the happy times she had with her grandfather.

Their meeting, 14 years ago and 1 year into isolation for the then young princess, squeezed her heart to a painful memory. She was only used to seeing one particular person, so she freaked out when the old man walked into her room with a bag of toys and books and a smile she could not remember. Frightened, Kiara ran behind her bed, seeking cover from the stranger, but he followed her right behind her bed, scaring the 3 year old.

She shut her eyes and thrusted her hands directly in front of her in desperation. Thud. She slowly opened her eyes at the sound. Was that him? Was he hurt? Oh no. She hoped he wasn't hurt as she peeked out from behind her small metal bed. "No, don't look." Don't look? What if he was hurt? But Kiawa couldn't disobey an adult. But what if he was hurt? Kiara's worry overtook her obedience as she peared beyond her bed.

"I'm fine." he claimed as he lay against the stone wall with a trail of blood running down the side of his face. "I'm okay." He was lying. Blood means pain. That's what she had been taught. He was in pain. The 3 year old rushed over to him with her blanket and tried wiping the blood away, but the lying man insisted he was fine. Not satisfied with his answer, she dropped the blanket and placed her warm hands on his head.

She closed her eyes and focused on healing him, just like she had been taught. A head with no blood on it. Sana. She felt a small rush of power emerge from her chest and race to her hands as she continued to concentrate, just like she had been taught. "Wow." she opened her eyes at hearing the man's words and broke her concentration. Luckily for him, she was already done, and the wound on his head was closed. Still, the man stared at her with a weird look in his eyes.

It wasn't like everyone else's. It seemed happy and warm, but not like his eyes. The lying man's eyes were filled with ~wow~. What was wrong with this man? "I'm sorry for staring, but your hands." Her hands. They looked fine as she examined them. Were they weird? "No, not at all. They're just so beautiful. They were glowing, but they were also shrouded in darkness. It looked as though the entire universe had been placed in your hands. I was just amazed."

Kiara lit up at the sound of a compliment coming out of someone else's mouth. She had only heard Jule's, so the man's words made her happy. Jule! Oh, no. She had broken his rule. "Never use your magic unless I say you can," she heard his voice echo in her head. She looked at the man's not bleeding head, and backed away from him as he reached out to grab her. The 3 year old, however, tripped on one of the man's stuffed toys, and fell to the floor.

She tensed up as he reached out to grab the princess for using her magic. She was sorry. She really didn't mean to. Please, forgive her this once. "Why do you fear me?" he asked her with a soothing tone in his voice. She liked his voice, but she remained away from him. "Do I look like a … monster!" he jumped towards her, and the child simply crunched up into a ball on the floor and cried.

She was sorry. She didn't mean to be a monster. She didn't want to be. Jule said she wasn't a monster, but everyone else kept saying she was. She didn't want to be a monster. She just didn't- Huh? H-he- T-the man! He was h-hugging her? Why? What was wrong with this stupid man? Why would he hug a monster like her? What if she hurt him? "Do you want to hurt me?" No, not at all. Kiawa never wanted to hurt anyone. It hurt to hurt other people.

"I don't think you're a monster." Huh? "I think you are the most beautiful little girl I know." Really? This strange man sounded just like Jule! Maybe he knew Jule- "Don't ever tell anyone about me." Right. She wasn't allowed to tell anyone about Jule, especially strange men like this one. "Who is Jule?" the man asked. She wasn't allowed to tell him. No matter how much he asked, she would never ever tell him.

"Is that your papa?" Papa? The word sounded familiar to the princess, but she didn't know why. What she did know was that Jule wasn't her papa. He was Jule. What was so funny? Why was the man laughing? The strange man finally released the confused child from his embrace, still smiling so warmly. He held her little hands and looked straight into her eyes as he asked, "Can I be your papa?"

Papa? Him? Kiawa didn't understand what was going on, but the little glow in the man's eyes was captivating. They seemed so soft as he stared at hers. They were just like Jule's eyes. Would the man look at Kiawa with those soft eyes if he was her papa? In that case, she loved to have him as a papa? By the way, what's a papa? "A papa is someone who loves you and takes care of you." Even if she hurt them by accident? "Especially then."

Kiawa loved the thought of having a papa as her papa picked her up and swung her high up around the room. She felt her heart tighten at the thought of this man not being scared of her. At the thought of her papa stopping the people in the white capes from taking her. She thought of how fun her birthdays were with Jule and papa. What was the word the man said? Love. Jule used that word too. They both loved her, and she loved them

The tears increased as Kiara thought of what she had done. She made papa go away for good. Her papa, whom she loved so, was gone, and it was all her fault. Even with all the power she has, she knew would never see him again. She couldn't reach him ever again. To protect everything the Creators made, she could never see him again. Only the dead could see, speak to, or even hug the dead. It doesn't matter if they are in Eustraria or Abyssus.

The pain in her chest returned as she eased into another dream. She didn't need to sleep, so she didn't do it often. It always felt as if she would fly away and never wake up every time she closed her eyes, but now? Now, she wished her eyes would never open again. "Who taught you how to do that?" papa asked 5 year old Kiara as she showed him how she could move the currents of all the seas to her will.

She wanted to tell him. She really did, but Jule said she couldn't tell him no matter what. "Do you love Jule more than me?" What? She could never! She loved them …. the same. "Will you tell me if I give you …. this!" A puppy! Wait a minute! This was a bribe! He was trying to bribe the answer out of her. Hmph. As if that would work on her. "But look at her little eyes." He was doing the thing where you make the puppy stare into your soul, but she didn't budge at all.

"Here. Try holding her." Kiara eyed her papa up and down as she slowly let him place the small newborn in her lap. She tried her best not to express it, but Kiara adored the bribe as she gently stroked her soft fur. She was so small and cute, but something was wrong. The heat from her little body was so low, and it was dropping too! She tried holding the pup in her arms, but the temperature just kept on dropping.

"What's wrong, Ira?" The puppy! She was dying! How old was she? "I got her a few days ago after her mother had given birth, why?" That was just it. She had been separated from her mother at too young of an age for her to properly survive on her own. The princess had read about it in one of her books, but actually watching the small creature die in her arms felt different from reading about it.

She looked so peaceful in Kiara's arms. She was thankful she was able to give the pup her warmth as she left Wisteria for her journey to Eustraria. She moved her head around a bit, as if she knew what was about to happen and started yapping. She was scared, but there was nothing to worry about. Everything looks scary until you finally get past it.

Papa and Jule always kissed her head and hugged when she was scared, so she thought it would help. The little pup stopped stirring as she closed her eyes one last time. Good night, puppy.

She wrapped her small friend in her blanket before placing her in her basket, and handed her back to papa. She wanted him to bury the puppy for her, since she wasn't allowed to leave her tower. She hoped it wasn't too much trouble- Why was papa crying? Don't cry, papa. Puppy was going to be just fine. "Oh, my poor child. How could I let them do this to you?" Do what to her? Who did?

Papa didn't answer Kiara's questions. Instead he asked her, "Why don't we go bury it together?" Huh? Kiara wasn't allowed outside the tower. She was too dangerous. How could she do that? Where would she even go anyway? "Home, Ira. We can go home." Home? She was home. The tower was her home. There was nowhere else to go. There was nowhere else she could go. The tower was all she had known and he wanted to take her away to a different home?

"Do you not want to leave this prison cell?" Prison? Kiara wasn't in prison. Prison wasn't a place for princesses anyway, but why did papa want her to go so badly? Was he going to leave her if she didn't go along? What about Jule? Wouldn't he look for her if she just left? He would find her, though, with his magic, but what about papa? She looked up at him as he reached out his hand to her. Would papa leave her behind?

She found herself getting lost in his brown, soft eyes as she remembered what he said. He said he loved her. That was what a papa was supposed to do. What was outside anyway? Wasn't it just water for miles like the view outside her window? Wasn't the world just water? Did papa live in the water? She wanted to see his water home. She wanted to see everything with papa and Jule.

"Come along." But wouldn't she be called a monster like before? Would the people with the needles be there? They wouldn't do anything with papa there. That's right! Papa would be there to protect her. Papa said he would protect her, so taking his hand, maybe it wasn't a bad thing. Maybe everyone was like papa, but what if they weren't? The only way she could find out was by taking his hand and leaving her little world behind.

"Well?" Kiara grasped onto her papa's hand and their smiles lit up the dark staircase as they ran to the bottom of the tower. The little one felt her heart race faster and faster with every step. She was really doing this. She was really leaving! By the time they got to the door, her heart was ready to burst right out of her chest. All that stood between her and the world outside her window was a piece of wood. That was all.

"Ready?" Ready! She imagined a world under the sea with all kinds of people and fishes and buildings just like she had read in all her books. She imagined herself skiing down an underwater mountain or racing papa and Jule on an underwater beach or just lying down on an underwater hill as they looked at the clouds flying away in the sky above. Yes, that was what she wanted most. To see the clouds with no barriers limiting her view, with papa and Jule right beside her.

She imagined the bright sun, warming her face and chest and arms and legs as she stood in its happiness and warmth as the door knob turned.

The outside was beyond what the five year old could've ever imagined. The sky seemed bluer on this side of the tower as the green hills of the island rolled over and over. The unkept, wild grass was almost as tall as she, and it felt like a dream as she ran through the blades to the top of the hill. The world was green! She couldn't believe her eyes as she ran back to her papa, and pointed towards the beach below she had never seen from her window.

This is what the world was like. And she could finally see it all with her papa by her side. They ran down the hill, hand-in-hand, and danced in the meadow. She hadn't felt this happy in months, and it felt like she was just pouring out all the energy she had stored in her tower. She wanted to race her papa on the beach just like she had imagined, so she tried pulling him along, but his hand suddenly went cold.

"Ira," The world suddenly turned to black tar as Kiara clung to her papa in fear. His body was covered in blood, but Kiara couldn't use her power to help him. To make the pain go away. "Ira,I-" No! Please, don't! She could save him! She knew she could! She had the power to, the power he said didn't make her a monster! "Ira-" No! She wouldn't let him finish his sentence, not now, not when she knew she could help him.

She concentrated as hard as she could, but her power wouldn't surface to her hands. It remained dormant somewhere she couldn't find. Her heart? No. Maybe her brain. She focused on her brain, but all she could hear was one woman saying, "Monster." Who was that? "Monster." One voice became two, and two became four as they chanted that cursed word over and over and over again. "MONSTER! MONSTER! MONSTER!" No! She wasn't a monster! She wasn't!

"Then save him." She was trying, but she couldn't. Her power was gone, and she didn't know why. "You are not a monster! You're just a coward!" What? No. How could she be a coward when she was so powerful? They were wrong! "COWARD! COWARD! COWARD!" No. No! NO! "Ira," No, not papa. Please, not papa. They could have her life, her soul, her power, anything they wanted. Just leave papa, please!

She couldn't lose him in her dreams too. Not now. Not when she needed him most. She needed him to live. Without papa, Kiara would really become a monster. "Ira," No, please. Not her papa. "I" Stop. No please. "Love" PLEASE! LEAVE PAPA! PLEASE DON'T TAKE HIM. "You."

She jerked herself up on a bed and held her chest as she tried to calm herself down. The beating of her heart was so rapid, she thought it would stop. That wouldn't be so bad. If it did stop. Maybe then she could- No! Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts. That's what papa always said-

The princess got up and stretched wearing a nightgown she had no recollection of putting on before walking over to her window and peering at the world in front of her. She crossed her arms and leaned on the window sill as she looked at the crowded streets below her. Every passerby was a different colour, shape, size. Some blue, others bright yellow, and the rest all different shades of the rainbow she had so often seen in her childhood.

Clouds took the palace of where cement roads would be on Wisteria as well as where the walls of the buildings were supposed to be. The cars, the bicycles, the skyscrapers. All of them were made of clouds. Every building except the one residing in the middle of the city. That building was made of quartz and marble and rose up to the heavens, above everything else. Magiterra really hadn't changed much since the last time she had visited.

"Good Morning, your Majesty!" a small, round, green-blue Magi declared as he marched into her room. "I, the servant Galinthius, have been instructed to lead her royal Majesty to the Palace of Divine and Eternal Creation for her Majesty's Council hearing!" She smiled as she turned to the small Magi and greeted him with her normal, warm expression. That's it. If she just kept smiling, everything would somehow be alright. She couldn't worry everyone like that.

She walked to the middle of the room with her arms outstretched as Galinthius circled around her, humming an unfamiliar tune. "Oh! I'm sorry about that, your Majesty. I sing out of habit" but Kiara didn't mind at all. In fact, she found it quite adorable, really. Galinthius blushed at the compliment as he spun rivers of golden sparkles around the princess until she was draped in a magnificent ball gown.

Its flowing, elongated red velvet silk skirt excentricated her slender figure, while the corset-like top lined with golden flowers on top of the silk that wrapped around her petite figure in an enchanting way. A dress indeed fit for an Empress. Did she deserve to wear it after losing control like that? She didn't even know at that point, but she had to keep smiling. She just had to.

*****

The empress stood outside the palace as she was mesmerized by its beauty every time she saw it. The quartz that made up the outside of the palace seemed so seamless and uncut as it stretched higher than Kiara's eyes could see. By the rails on the stairs, the golden stream of magic flowed down into the city and beyond to places still then unknown to her. She slowly walked inside admiring the continued spotless and harmonious interior.

Magis bowed as she passed them by to the courtroom, and she politely acknowledged all the deities present in the palace. She was used to it. Slightly bow her head and smile. She knew the procedure. Papa had- Nevermind all that. She had to smile as she walked down the hallway. She had to! She had to! She had to! She had to as she entered the splendid courtroom, which seemed to rise like a colosseum as the Celestial Council resided all around the top.

With galaxies shining above her, Kiara had to keep smiling. She couldn't slip up twice in the same day! Determined, the empress bowed in the center of the room as the Galinthius introduced all the Council members present. "All rise for the Council Members: Andromeda, Gaea, Theia, Cassiopeia, Norma, Pyxis, Mnemosyne, Jupiter, Ra, Sun Wukong, and Glitche Manitou." One seat around the room for each of them.

Including herself, 3 of the seats were vacant. How strange, but Kiara paid the empty seats no mind as the head of the Council, Andromeda spoke, "You may all be seated. Empress Kiara Elesius of Magiterra, you have been charged with murder of Cosmic Candidate: Chadwick Amon Kiara. By law, Cosmic Candidates are to be protected at all times until Vita decides to end their mortal existence. Did you know this when you abruptly ended his life on Wisteria?"

She knew. "Then how do you plead, Empress?" She was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Kiara had killed her papa with her own two hands. She deserved to die for such treason. "You dare mock us?" Sun Wukong asked as he grew brighter at every passing moment. She hadn't realized what she had said, and immediately apologized for it. She wasn't smiling! Quick! She looked around to see if anyone had noticed as she shifted her gaze upwards to the Council members.

"For a crime like this," Norma said, "you should be banished to Abyssus for 3 eternities." "However," Pyxis intervened, "we need our Empress here in Magiterra." "True," Cassiopeia added, "She won't be much help if she's serving that sadist." "Cassiopeia," Gaea pleaded, "Please don't talk about someone if they're not here to defend themselves." "Oh, please! He probably does the same to me."

"We're getting off topic." Mnemosyne reminded them, "What do we do with the Empress?" They all sat in silence as they thought about Kiara's punishment. She was ready for whatever they had planned. After all, she deserved it after what she did. "How about we have an evaluation?" Jupiter suggested, "We can punish her and figure out what went wrong at the same time. Two stones, one star."

"It's two stars, one stone," Theia corrected, "But I do agree with this plan." The Council members all looked to each other before agreeing with this plan of punishment. "Who will the Empress fight?" Jupiter asked. "She's already defeated Hercules." Mnemosyne reminded. "And Tiger as well." Theia added. "Since it was Chadwick Myra she killed," Sun Wukong said with a smile, "Why don't we have her fight Prometheus?"

Papa's Magi? She couldn't. She couldn't defeat him. "How arrogant." Cassiopeia remarked, "Seems like the Empress thinks she can take Prometheus down." "But," Norma said, "He's not in any condition to fight without losing control." "I agree," Pyxis added, "Two unstables fighting is a recipe for disaster." Ra, Glitche Manitou and Jupiter all agreed with Cassiopeia and Sun Wukong, while Theai, Gaea, and Mnemosyne sided with Norma and Pyxis.

Kiara looked to the tiebreaker, hoping Andromeda would show her mercy she didn't deserve. "Empress Kiara Elesius," Smile. "You will fight the Magi Prometheus in a duel," Smile! "As forfeiture and as an evaluation of your power." SMILE!

*****

The rules were fairly simple to the young Empress. All she had to do was fight Prometheus and win. That's all she had to do. Defeat papa's Magi, whom he had shared most of his life with. That was all-

She couldn't do it. She couldn't bring herself to fight him, or beat him, but she had to get back to Wisteria. She bet everyone was worried about her. She had been gone for weeks now. She had to get back and smile for them. She had to defeat- Prometheus? Why did he look so weak? He looked as though he would collapse at any moment as he was led to the middle of the colosseum. What had she done?

Kiara's heart shattered into even tinier particles as she realized what she had done. By killing papa, Prometheus didn't have enough time to remove all the magic he had placed in him. It was all gone. He had lost his power. Why? Why did he agree to the fight if he knew he was too weak? Why? She couldn't bear to watch the tired Magi as he struggled to stand up straight. She didn't want to fight him. She wouldn't fight him.

"The rules of the duel are as follows: you will both fight until one of you is declared unfit to fight or concedes." Andromeda announced, "In the case of conceding, the losing party's concession must be allowed by their opponent. If it is declined, the fight continues until one of you is unfit to fight. Any and all magic may be used here, and you will begin when Gaea beckons. I wish the both of you the best of luck."

Kiara wasn't paying attention to the announcement. She was too busy trying to figure out what other punishment the Council would give her after she forfeited to Prometheus. She didn't mind serving in Abyssus, but it couldn't be for an eternity. Everyone would be gone by then. She wondered what they would do with her as the Magi Gaea ascended to the floor of the fighting ring and tossed a coin in the air. The then naïve empress was too focused on giving up immediately, she forgot the rules for conceding as the coin hit the floor.

Prometheus immediately started to glow as he stretched his hands out, lighting two fires on top of them. Kiara guessed he wouldn't have much power, and so didn't even try to stop him as he slapped his hands together, making a giant sphere of plasma. Huh? How was he able to conjure up so much power? Didn't he lose most of it with papa? Kiara's mind raced as the blast got closer and closer to her.

She jumped straight up and dodged the blast as it put a crater in the place she was just standing in. What was going on? How was he so powerful? His eyes! She finally noticed the look in Prometheus's eyes. She had seen it before in Britney's eyes after Python was killed. He must've felt the same way. He wanted to kill her himself. The Magi conjured up more plasma in his hands as Kiara reached to grab a spear from the weapons the Council had provided.

No, a spear would hurt him. Perhaps- Boom! Unlike the empress who had underestimated her enemy, Prometheus took every opportunity he saw to blast the empress with plasma, but she was able to dodge the blasts. Her body was at least. It had separated from her wandering mind as it tried to keep itself safe. She knew there was no limit to Prometheus's power in his current state, and if she didn't use magic soon, she would lose.

But that's what she wanted, right? She wanted to lose because she deserved to after what she had done. It was only fair for her to lose everyone she loved because she killed papa. She broke Prometheus. She deserved to die! "I do not remember you being so weak, Kiara." a voice said in her mind. She was weak? How was she weak? "Look."

Her brain finally went back to its role of governing her body, but Prometheus's attacks had gotten faster and sharper while she was drowning in self-pity. She had cuts on her legs and arms. The uniform Galinthius used his magic making was covered in blood. Blood papa spent her whole life trying to protect and love. How dare he! How dare this lowly Magi draw out the precious blood he gave his life for!

How dare he! Kiara flew towards the Magi in a rage and he tried blasting her to slow her down, but the plasma was nothing more than a water balloon being pierced by a bullet to the enraged empress. Prometheus managed to get out of the way as the spear made contact with one side of the arena, destroying the entire wall in the process. She didn't care about a wall! She had to kill this Magi!

She sprung from the crater and flew at Prometheus once more as he poured all his power into one final blast. "This is for Chadwick." How dare he speak papa's name! Kiara's anger exploded as she completely dodged the blast and held the Magi by his neck. He had to die! HE NEEDED TO DIE! Tighter and tighter she squeezed his neck as he desperately flailed around like the pitiful fish he was. He had dirtied papa's name, therefore he had to die!

"That's enough." Andromeda commanded, "He is unfit to fight. The empress wins. Now let go." So what if he was unfit to fight? He was unfit to live. Kiara didn't let go of the Magi's neck as everyone yelled for her to stop. Stop? He was going to kill her. She saw it in his eyes, so why couldn't she return the favour? He deserved it-

She suddenly couldn't feel her body. "You ought to listen, Empress." Sun Wukong said as he bound Kiara by her arms and legs to the floor below. How dare he! Who did he think he was, getting in her way like that? He was going to die as well- "What a vulgar manner of speech, Empress." Pyxis remarked, "You may be the Dark Creator's magician, but do remember the power restrictions in your contract. You will only have about 2% of all the power for 20 years. You are still weaker than us."

Then why did they need all of them to bind her? They feared her power! However little it was! She knew it! They were afraid of her and her power, and they had every right to be! Everyone should've feared her! Everyone! "Gaea, Norma, hurry up and put her to sleep." Casseopeia said as her fellow Council members walked up to the bound Empress. That's right. A little closer and she could kill them both! Just one more step- "So very weak."

*****

Kiara woke up in the backseat of an old truck. What had happened? Where was she? Ow. Why did her head hurt so bad? She got up and saw a green-blue little boy driving the truck through what looked like the countryside. She had never seen him before, at least she didn't think she did, but he still felt familiar to her. She reached out her hand towards the little boy as he drove, but she quickly retracted it, confused.

What was going on? Why couldn't she- "Oh, you're awake, your Majesty." She recognized the overly cheery and polite way of talking anywhere. "Council member Andromeda wanted to apologize for sending you away from the palace, but she decreed your punishment following the evaluation." Oh right, the duel! What happened? "Well, your majesty, Council Members Gaea and Norma placed you in a slumber, but I'm not quite sure what his majesty did."

He showed up, huh? She must've messed up big time if he came to Magiterra to help the Council subdue her. What had happened to her anyway? Why did she go so ballistic over a name? Kiara almost killed Prometheus. Prometheus! Was he alright? "He was being transferred to the med bay when we left the palace. Don't worry, he's powerful. The Magi Prometheus's power is on the same level as Hercules and Tiger. He'll be okay." She hoped he would.

What had gotten into Kiara anyway? She had never lost control of her own mind like that before. To make matters worse, she threatened Council members, and disobeyed the head of the Council as well. She could only imagine what sort of punishment was waiting for her at her destination as she propped her head in the open window, allowing the wind passing to cool her head down a bit more.

The cool air that rushed against Kiara's face as the starry night blended into a warm sunny day was a feeling she could never get tired of. The air in Magiterra always seemed clearer and fresher than the one in Wisteria. It may be because of the magic constantly flowing freely in the air, but Kiara had no way of knowing. She closed her eyes and thought of the relaxing breeze paired with the glowing stars in the sky, but she refused to let herself fall asleep again. She simply couldn't.

She detested the feeling that immersed her as she fell. She wanted to avoid it if it was the last thing she did, but her worries were cut short when the car came to a stop and the engine shut off.

She looked at the small house in the middle of nowhere there had arrived. Though solitary and lonesome, the small brick house, seated in front of a mountain and surrounded by fireflowers, put Kiara's busy mind at ease as she stared at it. She wondered why she was there as she wandered her fingers through the flowers all around. It was strange. She had always loved starlight poppies, but these fireflowers warmed the remaining pieces of her heart.

Kiara wondered what was awaiting her as she walked up to the door of the Fireflower house and knocked on the door. "Who are you?" Kiara turned around to face a cranky, elegant, elderly woman whose eyes were too breathtaking to look away from. How did she move without her noticing? Not that it mattered to the empress. Why did her eyes seem so familiar? It was as if she had seen them before in so many faces.

The woman grabbed Kiara's hand and twisted it behind her back, before asking her, "Who are you?" in a more threatening tone, of course. "Cosmic Candidate Elesius Myra! You cannot address the Empress in this manner!" Galinthius said as he walked up to them with two briefcases. "The Empress must be shown the utmost respect-" "Of course~ Especially after her little fiascos on Wisteria and in the palace."

She was mocking her, but Kiara didn't care. She was being held captive by the Former Queen of the Kingdom of the South, and first monarch of the South. Her great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grandmother, Elesius Myra.

"I do hope you learn a bit more respect during our stay here." Wait, she was staying with her? How? Why? I mean, she didn't hate it, but wasn't she supposed to be punished? "Yea, no. Sorry, you got the wrong Elesius Myra." What? "But the head of the Celestial Council, Head Magi Andromeda said it herself. 'The Empress is too unstable to remain in the palace, therefore she will spend 5 days with Cosmic Candidate, Elesius Myra. If she is not stable by then, she will remain under her instruction until she is deemed stable enough to return to Wisteria.'" Galinthius explained.

What? "I never agreed to that." Please. She had to help Kiara. "Nope. I don't have time for weak, snot-nosed brats like you." Kiara didn't give up so easily, though. She begged and pleaded with her ancestor. She had 2 and a half years before she had to begin her duties as empress, and she couldn't carry them out in her current unstable state. She needed her guidance. She stared into her deep brown eyes as she realized where she and papa had gotten theirs from.

She stared into Kiara's eyes in return as the sound of the wind filled the quiet they left between them. It was as if she was studying her soul with every passing second. "I think I know what the problem is, but there's only one way to figure it out." How? "You'll see when we get there, but in the meantime, let's go." "Go where exactly?" "Up there." She pointed up the 180,000 meter tall mountain in front of them and told them about a "marvelous training spot" she often used.

*****

Climbing the mountain wasn't difficult for Kiara, but what awaited for her at the top was nothing she could've expected.

The "mountain" was actually a volcano. Whether or not it was dormant was unknown to all three of them, but the Former Queen used the flattened, earthen mouth of the volcano as a place to practice her combat skills as well as train for her Stellar Assessments. It hadn't erupted then, so they would "probably" be fine. "We'll probably be fine as long as we don't exude immense amounts of power while we're here." Galinthius remarked as Elesius turned to Kiara and placed her hand by her face before saying, "Adolebitque."

A small, regal purple star popped up on her hand and it was followed by a ginormous blast of purple fire. The Empress was sent flying backwards by the fire, and she felt the blood come out of her mouth as she landed back-first into the side of the volcano's mouth. "As I thought, father sealed away your contracted power, didn't he?" Was that why she couldn't use her magic because- Elesius blasted Kiara again as soon as she saw an opening.

It hurt. The flames burned. It felt as though her skin was melting off, along with her bones. It felt as though her very soul was on fire as she tried to get up to break the blockage. She raised her arms, but she couldn't find the Dark Creator. It was gone, and so was all her power! What was she supposed to do? The flames. They hurt so bad. Please. Someone, anyone please make it stop!

Why was she fighting it? Isn't this what she wanted? To die? No! She just- she just- Just what? What did she want? What did Kiara want? She wanted- "Ira." Papa? What was he doing there? Wasn't he supposed to be gone? She had killed him. What was he doing there in the flames? "My poor Ira. Come here." Go there? She had to! Or else the flames were going to hurt him! They were going to kill him!

She reached out to grab papa, and wrapped her arms around him, clinging onto him as tightly as she could. "Forgive me, Ira, but you must learn to walk without me." What? What did he mean walk? No! He was leaving her again. "Ira, I'm right here. I've always been right here." She squeezed him tight as the flames started to cool down. They felt numb. The ground felt numb. She felt numb. Everything felt numb as she opened her eyes and cried in the middle of the frozen flames.

"Your mask has finally cracked, my pupil."

*****

"Are you alright, your Majesty?" She was alright. She actually felt a whole lot better after bawling her eyes out for the first time in years. She hadn't even realized how long she had worn that mask nor how heavy it had become. Now it was gone, she wondered how she ever carried it for so long. "You've been wearing it for 15 almost 16 years," her teacher said, "It'll take time for you to adjust to living without it."

How did she do it anyway? How did she destroy Kiara's mask so easily? "I didn't destroy it. I just gave you the little push you needed. That's all, but on a more important note, it is late, so let's all head to bed. Stress Ball, you get the guest room, and you get the attic." Alright- "Her Majesty should sleep in the guest room. I will sleep in the attic, and my name is not stress ball. It's Galinthius." "I don't know how you run things at the palace, Stress Ball, but I make the rules here."

"That's tyrannical!" "Says the servant." Kiara was fine with sleeping in the attic. She was fine sleeping anywhere that would stop the argument before it turned into a fight, no matter how funny it was. As her pupil, Kiara had to do everyone her teacher said. That was what was expected of her, after all. "Your Majesty, you can't be serious!" "Is it now customary for servants to argue with their masters?" "Only when their teacher's demands are outlandish."

Kiara couldn't hold back her laughter anymore, and cracked up at the argument they were having. "I'm shocked about how different you look when you're truly happy. You shouldn't let just anyone see a smile like that." Her smile? Kiara was always smiling, though, everyone would worry if she didn't. "Why should you care?" Because they- she- why did she care? "Figure that out by tomorrow, that's your first assignment. Now everyone goes to sleep."

*****

"Are you really okay with this? Because I can sleep on the floor if you'd like-" Galinthius, it was fine. Kiara wasn't going to die if she slept in an attic. Though clearly unsatisfied with the rooming arrangements, Galinthius returned to the guest room after leaving a suitcase with Kiara. She wondered about her assignment as she opened the door. Why did she smile all the time? Why did she constantly need to make everyone happy-

She dropped the suitcase onto the floor as she stared at her room. How? How was her tower right in front of her? She ran to the one solitary window and peered out of it. In the place of endless seas of water, stood endless oceans of grass and fireflowers as she gazed at them in the moonlight. Did Elesius do this? Had she been watching her for all those years? She really wasn't alone all those years, was she?

Why did she want to please everyone when she had all she needed in that tiny little prison cell of hers? She didn't! She shouldn't have cared when she was called a monster! She would never care about what others aside from those she held dear had to say. They called her a monster and looked at her with fear in her eyes no matter what she did. They walked all over her and her kindness because she was so scared of becoming the monster they feared!

She wasn't scared anymore as her teacher blasted her with her purple flames. Kiara closed her eyes and focused on the path of the flames before stopping the blast and getting to Elesius for the hand-to-hand combat. Arm. Leg. Leg. Sweep. Leg. She knew her teacher would go for her weak spots as she always did. She blocked each blow, and with each Clack. Clack. Clack. She got closer and closer to victory until she swept Kiara, dropping her on her butt.

Ow. "Good. You're improving." She had said that 8 times, and 8 times the pupil had been dropped to the floor by her teacher. It wasn't enough. She needed more training. "It's not good to overwork yourself, Your Majesty." She didn't have time to worry about that. It was only 3 days until Andromeda and the rest of the Council would come to evaluate her once more. "Which means you've been working for 3 days straight, and need to rest! Besides, we're not getting anywhere."

Huh? "We have to unlock all the power you blocked inside of yourself, but something seems to be holding you back." Really? She couldn't think of anything as they brainstormed while walking down the mountain. She really couldn't think of anything aside from how Prometheus was doing. She had been worried about him the whole time, but there hadn't been many updates.

"That's it!" her teacher declared, "Let's go!" She grabbed them by their arms and ran to the truck, throwing Kiara in the back seat as they drove the truck back to the city. Where were they going? "He may have gotten it from Noem, but I was told your grandfather was a very mysterious man, who loved to bring people together." Who told her that? "You'll see when we get there. Now, step on it, Stress Ball!" "My name is not Stress Ball!"

*****

Kiara stood in front of the Vita and watched in awe and wonder as infinite amounts of marbles were shot in the air by a trumpet's bell at the top and cascaded down all the sides of the cylindrical part of Vita. They fell down into a bottomless pit, transported to all different worlds. Each and every soul is different and experiences different difficulties throughout their material life. Even Kiara.

"Your duty comes before any of your emotions. Remember that my child, and don't you forget either." Prometheus said as he walked closer to the mesmerized student. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. She had no right to after everything she had done to him. Words couldn't describe how-"I'm sorry." What? Why was he apologizing? "I lost control in a depressed rage, and attacked you. I'm sorry."

"Always apologize when you've done something wrong." That's what papa always told her. She was sorry. She was so sorry. She killed papa and she almost killed Prometheus. She was so so sorry. The friendly giant hugged Kiara as she cried. His embrace was so warm. "Chadwick's last words before left me for judgement were: I'm sorry you will have to experience such pain after this, but thank you for all you've given me."

Prometheus held his hand out and a single wick laid on top of it. "He asked me to hold onto this for you." Oh, papa. He could've never known just how much Kiara loved him so.

She reached out and when she touched the wick, she felt power she had long forgotten rush into her all at once. It wasn't scary. It wasn't surprising. It rushed in like a river down to an ocean. This ocean pooled up and soon filled the young Empress's body with a euphoria she had long forgotten. With power she had locked away. With the serenity she so longed for.

She turned to her papa's Magi and embraced him as Galinthius and her teacher looked on with pride. Kiara finally had all her power, every bit he had stored away since she first released it and destroyed a mountain. She finally had it all back. She couldn't thank Prometheus enough for what he had done.

"And, thank you, Empress, for loving my magician as much as he loved you. Even at the very end."

*****

That night, Kiara lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling above her, the one thing out of place in the room. It didn't scare her, or at least she didn't think it did, but this room baffled her. The only memory she had before her tower was the day of her contract. She couldn't remember her banishment, but she did remember the times she scribbled on the stone walls with the little mice family and got scolded by Jule.

She thought of him and how he reacted to her power. He was indifferent. He wasn't scared or worried or angry. He was just … "Meh, I've seen better." That was the first time someone wasn't scared of her or her power, and Chadwick was the last. Kiara thought to herself how her own friends reacted to her power. The shock. The horror that painted their faces. Their terror as they ran for cover and braced for impact.

Monster. She sat up on her bed at hearing that word, and looked out her window. The cool, night breezed cooled her mind as the fireflower meadow below calmed her mind. She climbed up to the window, and jumped out, landing feet first. She elegantly crouched down and moved her dress in front of her knees as she let the fiery smell of the flowers fill her nostrils. She twirled the soft petals in her hands and between her fingers, careful not to break them.

She stretched her legs in front of her as she stared up at the purple, starry sky that lit up the world around her. She observed the constellations before pointing out an especially bright star and commenting aloud how she'd never seen it before. "That's because that star died a thousand years ago." her teacher replied as she brought her pupil a cup of warm milk and a blanket. "What are you doing out here?"

Kiara thanked her as she told her how she was trying to clear her head by looking at the stars. Her teacher raised her hands and gently swished them around the sky as she narrated them. "This is what the sky looked like on the day I was born. This is how the stars twinkled when I became my own person and decided to lead my fellow magicians into a war for their lives. It was us against the world until I left him behind."

What about Kiara? Had her sky been set? "Not with all the worry you have in you, at the moment. Relax, you're going to pass the evaluation and get back to Wisteria." That's not what she was worried about. "What are you worried about then?" Faces. Scared, horrified, terrified faces. People's reactions to her and the Dark Creator's magic flowing through her. Faces of her family, friends, acquaintances, strangers. All she had to do was let it go.

"You shouldn't care for what others think of you." She knew she shouldn't care, but it was difficult to not care when the faces are everywhere. "Stop forcing your smile to appease those who fear you. It is their choice for them to fear you, and it is your choice to hurt yourself, trying to appease their nonsensical phobias. You are the Empress of Magiterra. You are the Dark Creator's magician. You are the future queen of the kingdom I built."

"People are going to love, fear, and hate you, no matter what you do. You can ignore it or acknowledge it, but never let it get to you. Now, get to bed, you have a tough day ahead of you."

*****

It was finally Kiara's evaluation day in Magiterra, and the Council had gone to the volcano to judge her performance with Elesius. For the last four days, she had been blasted with purple flames to the point she felt as if her bones had melted away. Regardless, she continued on with the grueling lessons every day.

Galinthius even started giving her tips on how to use her magical power like he did. "The power shouldn't be forced. It must come from a place inside of you that accepts and acknowledges the magic. Once you find that area, let it spread throughout your body as you open yourself up to the power within." And so she did.

"The trial of her Imperial Majesty has begun." Andromeda announced as Kiara's teacher lifted both of her hands this time and even let her eyes glow her regal purple aura as she unleashed all of her magical power onto the young pupil. The flames engulfed the entire mountain's mouth as she did not hold back in the slightest. Kiara remained calm as she had been taught and let the flames engulf her body.

They weren't hot. They were numb to her. The pain they once brought was nothing but a memory, slowing fading away as the Empress opened her eyes. The flames suddenly stopped and began to circle around Kiara as she felt herself absorbing all of its power into herself. The circle of fire became smaller and smaller around the monarch until all that was left was the steady stream from the source.

Kiara felt the surge of power inside her, dying to be released, but she refused. "Impressive, young Empress." Norma said as he congratulated her. "Indeed." Pyxis added. "What do you think, Cassiopeia?" Theia asked, poking fun. "Not what I wanted, but I have dibs on fighting her next." "Nope, I already took that spot." Sun Wukong interrupted. "No, you don't." "Yes, you do." "You two are just like siblings." Jupiter laughed.

"No, we're not!" the similar Magis yelled in sync, warranting giggles all around. "It appears you are ready to go home, your Majesty." Mnemosyne said, but Kiara wasn't sure of what laid ahead of her as the Magi signalled her to a doorway of light. Galinthius cried as he said goodbye, but he was called "weak" by Elesius for doing so. However, he knew she would miss Kiara, too. She was simply "too proud to admit it". Kiara embraced the two in the middle of their argument and they hugged her back as they wished her luck in Wisteria.

Right before Kiara left, she asked Elesius to tell her more about the Great Magicians' War and more stories about him. "Don't set your expectations too high, kid. He really didn't do much." Elesius replied as she waved her descendant off.

Kiara took a deep breath as she walked through the doorway of light, unsure of what was to come, but ready for whatever lay ahead. On the other side, she was welcomed back to Wisteria with, "What took you so long?"