Up, up, little monster.

My eyes open to reveal the ceiling above me; the room painted a pure white. The pain and fatigue of before had passed, with only the minor irritation of the bandages wrapped around my head. I sit up, seeing that the bed I was lain in was covered in a pearly silken sheet; a comforting, yet firm stuffing providing support to me as I sit. Around me is a curtain of blue fabric, hung from poles afixed to the bed. Feeling up around the bandages, I'm a bit shocked to find my shoulder length hair has been cut; shaved even, with half inch pricks of fuzz having grown in its place...

How long have I been out?

A woman in a blue opens the curtain before sudden pulling away; seeing me up and about. "Oh, someone get the Red Hood! Her charge is awake."

Not long after, I see Cilla pass through the curtain. She pulls a stool from beneath the bed, and seats herself at my bedside.

"You're well, it seems." She says.

"As are you." I reply; about to stand when I realize that I'm currently undressed beneath the covers of the bed.

"Here, some spares." Says Cilla, pulling a pair of trousers from her cloak. "I haven't been able to adjuster your shirts for your wings yet, sorry."

"Its fine... where are the others? Is Zana..."

"She'll be fine. She just need to rest, and... adjust, for now."

"Damn it! Would just tell me what's wrong!?"

...

Cilla stays silent as she helps me to my feet, and guides me past the curtain. There are two other curtains, with one open, and the other closed.

"Ashes is already healed; hasn't slept well, however... and Zana..."

Cilla opens the pulls the last curtain slightly to the side; showing what at first seemed to simply be the sleeping form of our mousey mage, with not a mark on her. But on closer examination...

Her right arm, just past the elbow... just like mine, after the crash...

I grasp my own arm, breathing heavily. "Who... who did this?!"

"Shhh... she's resting." Says Cilla, putting a finger to my lips.

I swat at her hand. "Who."

"I don't know who exactly; all I know is that it was ordered by someone called 'The Boss', and seeing as the Emissaries were a duo, I don't think it was them. I just... I don't understand why they would do this to her, but not to anyone else."

My eyes are affixed to the missing arm of Zana, the grip on my own tightening.

To send a message to me. One only I could understand.

I hear another person enter the room, barely catching sight of Ashes as she silently heads over to Zana's side. On her shoulder sits a familiar little stone golem, who slowly waves his tiny hand at us as his ride dashed to his creator's side. Holding a measuring instrument, she lines it up with Zana's left forearm. From how quickly she finds the correct place to measure, I can assume she's been doing this for some time. After a few seconds of readjusting, Ashes rises; with bags under her eyes.

She nudges us out of the curtains, saying quietly. "Good to see you up, big guy. You two should get something to eat. I'm bad at working with people watching... love you guys!"

Ashes hugs us both, one arm wrapping around each of us, before shoving us off and closing the curtain.

"Come on." Whispers Cilla. "Let her work; besides, there's someone who wants to meet you."

We walk through a short, white hallway; past doors bearing elegant engravings depicting the waves of the ocean.

"A temple to Maiyo?" I ask, receiving a nod from my hooded companion.

"I imagine you're famished... three day's without waking. They provided water, but priests of the Goddess of the Sea are a bit... particular, about solid foods."

Patting my gut, I feel no hunger at all; rather, only a the swelling heat left over from my visit to Zana.

"Where are we exactly?"

"Back in Bounty, I'm afraid. We're near the docks, as you'd expect from sea worshippers."

Before any other questions can be asked, we pass into a room with a welcoming site to behold. Ariel, Gabbie, and Scott; all in good health, with two plates in front of the priestess and tailor, mostly cleaned of food.

"Oh, hello chap!"

"Brother, he's awake!"

"..."

Ariel, for once, is silent. He seems shocked at first, then blank of thought, only to suddenly shout out. "Oh hey pal! You look... less hairy! Congrats on the new dew!"

"His head was shaved to stitch his gushing head wound." Says Cilla, holding the bridge of her nose between two gloved fingers. "Where is..."

"Hey! I dig it! Fresh outta the healer kinda look." Says Ariel, flocking over to my side as he disrupts Cilla's words. "So, big man. Pal. Guy. Friend. Dude. Amigo..."

"What language was that?" I ask, the sudden familiarity of the last word humming in my mind.

"Too much interdimenional entertainment is what that was, my bad. So... you know how I said we'd have to do that big trip, go to Hoctin, nab an airship, and..."

"Yeah, yeah. The plan. I know."

Tipping back and forth on his toes, Ariel stutters slightly. "Well... uh... nevermind! This explains it better!"

In a flash of golden light, with feathers floating to the floor; Ariel ceases his material form.

"... What?"

The door to this little lunch room opens once more, and a gentle voice speaks. "Hello? Are you 'Monster?', my old friend here kept telling me to come meet you."

I turn, and my heart stops. A woman standing six feet, with flowing blonde hair, sea-blue eyes, and fair skin stands in then doorway. A golden tiara adorned by a single ruby sits atop her head, matching the red and gold armored dress; which is decorated with flowing white silks, that darken to the same sea colored hue as her eyes. In her left hand is Gabriella's staff; which seems to have been recently mended from some sort of damage at its center.

Her pointed ears twitch, and she freezes as she locks eyes with me; as though, in that moment, she had seen a ghost.

Ariel materializes once more, presenting Tomoko as though she were a prize in a competition.

"Tada! Aren't I awesome?"