The girl stands in front of Kaito, with one hand out to him, pointing. The girl looks him over curiously. Kaito sits motionless while he looks at her with a calm and relaxed expression. For some reason, when he looks at her, he can't help but feel relief. This feeling is weird to Kaito, as he is sure he has never met this girl before. The girl is dressed in what seems to be some sort of armor, dark silver, a full plate covering her torso. Underneath her armor is a white tight-fitting shirt, along with a matching skirt as the bottom. Her blonde hair is in a ponytail and is decorated with a green leaf near her left ear. Neatly decorated sandals, resembling caligae, cover her feet. The girl takes a second to see if Kaito responds, then asks her question again.
Girl: Are you Kaito? Kaito Akiyama? Is that you? Aww man, I hope I didn't mess it up again…
Kaito looks at the girl, still staring, still dumbfounded by what is happening. He then nods, finally answering her question.
Kaito: Yes ma'am.
The girl smiles.
Girl: Good, then it worked!
Kaito looks at her as she smiles excitedly, then speaks. His brain is still unsure of what is even going on. He thinks of the first question that comes to mind in his head.
Kaito: Umm… who are you?
The girl stops in her moment of excitement, then clears her throat.
Girl: Ahh, sorry about that. You don't know how hard it's been trying to get you here. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Abi, a guardian angel of the Angel's Accord.
Kaito responds, now even more confused.
Kaito: An angel?
Abi: Yep, your guardian angel to be precise.
Kaito looks her up and down, then presses her with another dumbfounded question.
Kaito: My guardian angel?
Abi: YepC! You had just recently passed away. I brought your soul here so I can guide you!
Kaito is astonished. His very own guardian angel, but then he frowns, thinking about what she had said. He had recently passed away, and again he felt an overwhelming sense of dread start to build within him. He looks down at the grass, and at his own hands and legs.
Abi: What's the matter? Did I not present myself in a good way?! Is it the armor? Maybe the fields we are in? Too much to take in all at once? I'm still new to this, sorry!
Kaito responds quickly.
Kaito: What? No, no, it's not that, don't worry about it. I'm just trying to wrap my mind around what you said. I'm dead now, and you're my guardian angel cord or whatever?
Abi: Guardian angel OF the Angel's Accord! And yes, I am here to guide you along the path to Heaven!
Kaito: Guide me to Heaven? I thought when you died you just go to Heaven or Hell?
Kaito thinks for a moment. With not ever being very religious, he never really put much thought into it. He always thought if you believe in God and lead a good life, you go to Heaven. If you don't believe or lead a rotten life, you go to Hell, plain and simple. Though they never said anything about a beautiful angel meeting you in a field to ask where you want to go. So at this point, he figured what he previously thought was now nullified.
Abi: Not exactly. First off, if you were going to Hell, you'd already be there, so don't worry about that.
Kaito nods, inside he feels relief at the elimination of that option.
Abi: Second, by guiding you, I'm asking what you wanna do.
Abi comes closer to Kaito and sits down in front of him. Her legs crossed as she sets down a long silver pole-like object next to her. The end of the pole is decorated with some sort of glowing rock that emanates a soft yellow hue.
Abi: Basically, the choice is this. Do you want your soul to go to Heaven where you will live peacefully in the realm as long as it should exist? Or join me?
Kaito: Join you? What do you mean? And as long as it should exist?
Abi sighs and shakes her head, then smiles at the young man.
Abi: I can see that you humans really are out of the loop right now. Well then, let me tell you.
This is all so strange to Kaito. First, a beautiful girl who claims to be an angel is his guide in this world. She has just told him that he has passed away, and he can only assume that this is the afterlife. She claims to be his guide, but she still has yet to explain very much to him at all. He thinks if he should even trust all this. Hell, for all he knows, he could be in a coma and this is all a dream, but he is curious to hear what this "angel" has to say.
Abi: By joining me, you pledge your soul to Heaven's guard, and become a war angel.
Kaito: A war angel? And Heaven's guard? Why would Heaven need those? I thought you said it was peaceful?
Abi: The realm itself is peaceful, yes, but that doesn't mean it isn't in danger. The balance of every realm is in danger right now, you might even have seen some of it back on Earth.
Kaito: What can be so threatening to Heaven that it would need people to guard it?
Abi: The Scourge, and the allies it carries with it.
Kaito: The Scourge? What is that?
Abi: A group of many different beings and spirits, all allied together to dethrone the leaders of the highest realms. Essentially, they aim to become the rulers themselves. They believe the thrones have been held too long and now want to control it for themselves.
Kaito thinks to himself. He knows that story has unfolded in humanity one too many times, funny how it isn't any different here.
Kaito: Alright, so if they win? What happens?
Abi looks down, now playing in the dirt and grass with one of her fingers.
Abi: I'm not exactly sure, but I know I'll most likely lose everything I love. From what evil deeds they have done so far, their leadership can't spell good news for anyone, not even themselves.
Kaito: What have they done?
If Kaito is to truly believe anything she says, he wants to pick her brain for as much information as she'll give.
Abi: Horrible things. They have killed millions of innocent creatures. They sweep through realms, looking for the most powerful beings and objects they can find. They take life and power with them, leaving nothing behind but a decayed land.
Kaito: That does not sound good…
Abi: Yeah… not good at all…
Abi stares at the ground, looking as if she wants to say something, but then she looks at Kaito, and smiles.
Abi: But now I have you! And with me as your guardian angel, we can both figure out a way to stop this!
Kaito: Whoa, whoa; slow down, lady.
Kaito puts a hand out in front of him, motioning for a stop in her excitement.
Kaito: I'm not some super god or demon slayer, I'm a human from Earth who just died. I don't know what calls for the norm around here but it sounds WAY above my pay grade. I have no powers, just knowledge about my world, that's it.
Kaito stands up, then starts to walk away from the spot he was sitting at. His mind is too clouded and confused to process the information that he is being given.
Abi: Wait! You can become powerful though! I promise!
Abi stands up quickly to follow him. Kaito stops walking away, then turns to face her.
Kaito: How?
Abi: You can grow your Soul Carn. It's what everyone here does if they wish to grow more powerful!
Kaito: My what?
Abi: Your Soul Carn! Everyone has one, it's down here.
Abi's hand falls to the middle of her chest, Kaito's eyes following with it as she points to the location of her own Soul Carn. He then shakes his head before looking back at her face, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. Abi then looks at him with a smile.
Abi: Your Soul Carn is what gives you the power to control the energy within you. If you train it and grow it right, you can even control the energy around you as well.
Kaito: And how would I go about doing that?
Abi: Well first, I gotta check yours to make sure it is there. I hope it is, or you might only have one option after all. If it is there, I may have to light it. I don't think you can control energy where you are from, can you?
Kaito thinks to himself, trying to remember any instance where he has controlled energy before. He has never seen it happen physically, but when he trained, he could always feel it happen to some degree.
Kaito: Not really, at least not in the way you are describing it. It sounds like magic to me.
Abi: Not magic, energy! The stuff that makes up the universe, the cosmos, life itself! Now hold still, I have to give it a little zap to wake it up.
Kaito: So what, jump-start me like a car or something?
Abi: Jump over what?
Kaito sighs.
Kaito: Don't worry about it. Just do what you were gonna do. I want to see proof of this soul thingy you talked about, 'cause it's been nothing but crazy talk from you since I woke up.
Abi frowns at his comment. She then walks over to Kaito, and places her hand on his chest, feeling around for something specific. Kaito turns his head away as she does this, the situation for him turning from feeling clueless, to being caught off guard.
Kaito: You find it?
Abi takes a few moments longer, then stops.
Abi: Yep, I think so, now hold still. You might feel a little sting from this.
Abi's hand glows golden yellow before a bright flash comes from her palm. Kaito's body jumps back, hitting against the ground a good six feet away from Abi. A loud burst of what sounds like wind chimes comes from her hand and his chest. Around them, floats what looks like tiny golden embers. Then, as quickly as it happened, the golden particles disappear. Abi's expression turns from confusion to absolute excitement.
Abi: Whoa!! Your Soul Carn is so big!
Kaito looks at her with a stern expression, thinking to himself, "She doesn't even hear herself does she". He picks himself up, then wipes the grass and dirt off his clothes.
Kaito: Gah, be a little more gentle with that next time please, damn. So, what does that mean? Is that a bad thing?
Abi: It means you can start gathering the strength needed to get your powers, we can get stronger together! This is great!
Kaito: Wait, wait, hold it. How do I get them? I don't feel any different.
Abi thinks for a second.
Abi: I have absolutely no idea.
Kaito proceeds to face-palm, then looks at her.
Abi: I was born with my powers. When I was made, my purpose was to be… a guardian angel. So, a little bit of combat skills, basic needs, instincts, and behaviors, along with the skills for healing the injured and the sick. The only thing I had to do was learn how to use those powers, and I had mentors for that.
Kaito: Weird way to put your birth. Anyways, so I'm basically still the same?
Abi: No, not exactly, you now have the ability to find out what powers you can use. You know what being human means in this case, right?
Kaito: That I'm weaker than most people here probably?
Abi looks at him firmly.
Abi: It means you have a clean canvas. I'm not really sure what humans are capable of here, but it would be interesting to find out.
Abi looks down after she says this, obviously lost in her own thoughts. Kaito himself does the same. If he really can learn to use energy and gain powers, then he might be up for this, it beats sitting around in Heaven doing nothing. This way is a little more exciting at least, and, if what Abi says is true about saving Heaven and the other realms, then doing nothing is as bad as causing the crisis itself. Kaito looks up at Abi, who looks at him curiously, waiting for a response. She gives him almost puppy dog eyes as a desperate attempt to win him over. Kaito makes his choice, then gives the angel his answer.
Kaito: Alright, I'm in.
Abi's face lights up with joy, then she jumps up, motioning her hand into a fist and saying "Yes!" to herself. She then clears her throat and walks up to Kaito.
Abi: I promise, you won't regret it!
Kaito: Part of me doesn't believe that, but I'll take your word for it. However, there a few things I want to ask you.
Abi: Anything!
Kaito: First, how did I get here? And second, am I still mortal? Because dying wasn't very fun.
Abi: Well, I summoned you here.
Kaito: Summoned me here?
Kaito thinks for a second, wondering if she knew anything about his death, or maybe she even knew that he was GOING to die that way in the first place.
Kaito: Did you have something to do with me passing away? It sounds to me like you had some control over this.
Abi quickly shakes her head.
Abi: No! Definitely not! I simply picked you is all, then I summoned you here after I made my choice.
Kaito: Picked me?
Abi nods.
Abi: Yep, I was looking for the right candidate. I have been searching for a while now, but then I found you!
Kaito looks at her in disbelief, but again, how does he know it's not true? After all, he can remember vividly that he died, then woke up in this place. His body shudders at the memory of what it felt like to die. That cold feeling still lingered within him. His body felt as if it were being dragged underwater.
Kaito: Alright, so why did you pick me?
Abi: You fit the bill. Aware, energetic, and driven. Not to mention your love for life, that is the most important trait of all.
Kaito: I don't think I'm quite following what you're saying.
Abi: To put it simply, you'd make a good war angel, even when you were alive.
Kaito: Speaking of that, am I still technically alive? When you did your weird explosion thing against my chest earlier, it hurt a little, which would mean…?
Abi: You are mortal, to an extent. It's not the same as how you were on Earth. Here you have the ability to use the powers I've talked about, but you can still feel pain, still bleed, and still die, much like the people who have been harmed in the current war with the Scourge.
Kaito: Ah, I see… and what about you?
Abi thinks for a second to figure out her wording, then responds.
Abi: I too am mortal. The only difference between us is that I have the ability to reach Heaven without dying first.
Kaito: Reach Heaven?
Abi: Mhm, Heaven isn't like this place, it's not on a mortal plane of existence. It requires being a soul to reach. Think of it as a dream world in a sense.
Kaito: Hmm, OK, I think I got it, but why would you be mortal too if you had the option? Doesn't that mean you are in danger of getting hurt or dying?
Abi looks at him, stretching before responding to him.
Abi: Yes, it does, but if I did choose to be a soul, then I couldn't be here with you, fighting on the front lines. Besides, that's not going to happen. I summoned you so we can stop the Scourge, and put an end to the suffering in all of the realms. I'm giving it my all, as a guardian angel, to protect you, myself, and the people of all realms from any evil creatures that try to harm those who cannot protect themselves!
Abi stands proud. Her hand lays across her chest on her heart, her staff now planted firmly in the ground beside her. Abi then looks at Kaito and smiles.
Abi: Understand?
Kaito nods and chuckles a bit. Like with Khan, he just can't seem to take her seriously. He then thinks of his brother and feels something gut-wrenching hit him. Kaito thinks about what his brother had to watch, having to witness Kaito's death, having to go through all that to see that his brother couldn't protect them both as Kaito had promised. Kaito thinks of his parents, on how they would feel about losing him, and how he wouldn't be there to grow old with them or protect them anymore. Abi notices Kaito's sad expression, then breaks the silence.
Abi: You're thinking about your past life, aren't you?
Kaito nods, almost tearing up, but he holds it back, not wanting to put on a show for someone he had just met, let alone the first person being a pretty girl.
Kaito: Yeah, just thinking about my family and friends…
Abi thinks about what to say, nodding in affirmation before holding a hand out to Kaito.
Abi: Well, if you want to protect them, you still can, Kaito. When we defeat the Scourge, your family, friends, and even Earth will be safe again. The Scourge's destructive influence affects all of us. So, will you stand by my side, and help protect everyone?
Kaito thinks again about his family, his friends. He doesn't want any further harm to come to anyone, especially the people he loves. Kaito looks at Abi, then nods and grabs onto her hand. Abi pulls Kaito in her direction quickly. "Quite strong for her size," he thinks to himself.
Kaito: Alright, where do we start? You're in all this armor, have that weird staff thing, and you have all these crazy powers; I have nothing and I'm wearing a T-shirt and jeans.
Abi looks him over, then puts her hand on her chin. Her expression is one of visible thought.
Abi: Right, well first we'll have to get out of this field. The closest realm to this one is the woodland realm of Foritia, so we'll have to start there. Maybe we can get you some gear and some clothes?
Kaito: Alright, sounds good to me, but can't you just take us to where you are from?
Abi: Yeeeaaahhh… about that… I can't do that. I uh… can't take us that far.
Kaito: Why not?
Abi: Well you see, I'm not a grand angel or anything, I don't have the skills for that ability, YET, and even if I did, I don't have enough energy left.
Kaito: So you need to what, recharge your batteries or something?
Abi: If food and sleep count, then yes. Traveling here, then summoning you has drained me a good bit.
Kaito: Why didn't you summon me where you were from?
Abi thinks for a second, trying to give him an answer on the spot, one that will satisfy him for now.
Abi: Well, I uh, can't use techniques other than healing at the capital, and even if I could, this place was on the way to where we needed to go next. That place is Foritia, so there, we get two things done at once, not bad planning huh?
Abi smirks, impressed with her own explanation on the spot. Kaito then shrugs and walks towards her.
Kaito: Alright then, let's go.
Abi nods while walking past Kaito and pulling her staff into the air. Kaito then watches as her staff lights up, and with it, she draws a circle in front of her. The same golden energy from before appears out of the staff, only this time, drawing a circle from the ground to a little over Abi's head in height.
Abi: Alright, that's what I could manage, let's hurry before it fades away. You first!
Kaito looks at her, then the portal, then back to her.
Kaito: Why me first?
The angel girl suddenly snaps at Kaito.
Abi: Kaito! Just quit with the questions and get in already!
Kaito is taken aback by her sudden outburst, and without further hesitation, he quickly walks up to the portal. The young man then pokes the surface of the portal with his finger to see what happens to him. It is warm to the touch, but not enough to burn him. He then starts to stick his leg in before being pushed into the portal by Abi.
Abi: Go! Or it'll disappear!
Kaito yells out before disappearing into the portal, his voice getting cut off as he travels through the yellow and gold energy. Abi starts to climb into the portal, before looking back at the imprint in the grass where Kaito was lying. She then sees something on the ground and walks over to what appears to be a silver pocketknife. Abi picks up the knife, folds it, then puts it in her leather satchel. The angel looks to the portal and hastily makes her way to climb inside. Before she travels through the now closing portal, she speaks, muttering to herself "I finally found one". Abi goes through the portal. The door to this realm closes, sending them to their next destination.