[Kouya wakes early. There is only so long she can make her body rest when there are so many things she could be doing, so many things she needed to do...

But no, she mustn't think of those yet. There was something even more important that she had to do first, as necessary for her as any sustenance ever could be. Kouya needed to know.

Among the possessions that had been stacked neatly outside the clearing she had arrived in and the clearing she had spent the night, Kouya had found her school uniform and the cellphone that Nagisa-san had given her for communication purposes. The day before, the Vine had distracted her from checking it. Or rather, if she were to be honest to herself, she had kept herself from checking it.

Now, Kouya reaches for it, unable to keep the tremble from her hand as she picks it up and slowly flips it open. The screen is black. Kouya closes her eyes as a feeling of nausea comes over her. No! She squeezes her eyes shut, taking a deep breath, two. Gradually, the nausea subsides for a bit, still not quite suppressed. But manageable. She will continue.

Kouya summons the icy-cold demeanor she used when talking to other people (other people who were not her). She steels herself, steeling her features into one of cold blankness. She's good at it. Her fingers move to the phone's power button. Presses. She waits. The screen remains blank, dead.

The breath she's been holding comes out slowly. ... She should have expected it.]

... Yamato.

[T-there were other ways! Other things that could have happened! But Kouya's mind was already supplying the worst situations for her.

'What if she's not here?! What if they really were separated?! Her other half, her other self, her lo--']

NO!!

[She stands abruptly, shakily. She must calm herself, no, there was no use in panicking-- But she swoons, staggering. The nausea is overwhelming. Kouya has enough presence of mind to make for the bushes at the edge of the clearing before she crashes down, throwing up. It's at moments like these that she hates herself for being so weak.]

This is the strangest-- well one of the strangest things I've ever seen! I never thought I would see a megaphone sprout out of vine like this!

I wonder if... [she speaks softly to the vine, asking for some way to show herself to those who are listening]

[and then there's a bright smile of a young girl]

Oh! I guess everyone can see me now right? That's pretty amazing!

Ah! I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Minako Arisato. [she lifts up her hand in a polite greeting]. I am a bit confused though... [she rubs the back of her head sheepishly] How did we get here? I remember going to sleep and having a pretty weird dream-- Though I guess it wasn't a dream after all, seeing as how I'm here. I am worried though, considering what's been going on back home.

Maybe someone out there knows something more? I'd really appreciate the help!

[ video ]

[The mirror opens on a pink-haired girl, standing in a clearing and fidgeting a little awkwardly with her hands. She hurriedly sets them at her side, straightens her shoulders, looks into the mirror, and begins to speak, her eyes shining with determination.]

Everyone, this is Estelle, and I'd like to offer the services of the guild Brave Vesperia. One of its members, Yuri Lowell, has arrived in the Gardens, and he...um, she will take care of your problems. I know Yuri, and--if anyone can find the Queen and convince her to send us all home, it's him! I mean...her.

Thank you very much for listening to me! Please rely on us, and we'll all be home soon.

[She turns slightly and starts to gesture for the Vine to stop recording, then pauses, a faintly guilty expression on her face.]

Yuri...maybe I should have asked her first...

[She hurriedly gestures to close the feed, and the mirror goes blank.]

[Action-ish...]

Other people were showing off their creations - like that nifty house of the samurai girl - and Tenshi sure didn't want to fall behind. The reasons for her recent trips to the fringes were for that purpose, and she had created something as discussed with a mod, though less trollish.

It is a floating island. The main features of the island - other than a small grass covered floating island itself being a feature on its own - are several peach trees and a sakura tree to the side. Next to it, taking up the main part of the island, is a shrine resembling, say, the Ise shrine in japan. Left of that is a small lake, which never seems to run out of water, despite a waterfall going down the side of the island.

And in front of the "shrine", finally, is a Torii. The Torii is a bit odd, however, it's filled with evershifting mist and odd images of faraway places (mountains, a lake, a river, a japanese-y looking village...). There is a small plaque on the torii, reading
"I shall arise in the heavenly world, which is possessed of the state of bliss.".

Sadly, whereever the supposed gate leads to is unknown, as it's cruelly positioned too high in the air - close enough to the ground to be visible, but too far to jump up for most.

The island isn't big at all, but it's visible. Why? Who knows. Well, now it exists. And Tenshi has archived her small goal. Whatever it went through her mind, anyway...

[Action]
Of course, going out as frequently as she did could not go without getting hit by a wild card. Specifically, she was being followed by a small thundercloud that would zap random people within 20 feet of it, including Tenshi every few minutes by small lightnings that would hurt about as much as, say, touching a cat's fur and getting hit by the static.

It seemed to annoy the celestial, though, who was moving through the forest, trying to lose the cloud.

"Go away, you stupid thing...what is this supposed to be, some stupid joke? It's not even painful!" She grazed a lightning that shot out of the cloud, hitting a rabbit. The rabbit looked at Tenshi accusingly, before hopping off.

"Oh come on, I didn't try to attack you...where'd be the point..."