AN: And here's chapter 2. Sorry for the wait. Thanks to Ghost Drive and Kiyutsuna for the comments and suggestions! It means a lot! I'll be sure to keep the advice to heart and try to improve more. Okay, so this chapter introduces three more Vocaloids. Kudos to those who can guess who these three are before reading. I'll give you a pie :)

Hymnia
Chapter 2: Grand Terra

Everything was black once again. Len could hear sounds nearby as his mind floated in the darkness. For awhile, he wandered about in his own consciousness, but eventually he began to wake up from his sleep.

"Hey, I think the kid's waking up" A voice new to Len's ears spoke as the boy slowly opened his eyes. Color immediately filled his view, and the first thing that came into sight started to register in Len's brain. It was a face - a strange looking face with a body comparable to a doll. Its hair was pigtailed in a light blue color, and its white, large circular eyes started into Len's own.

"Good morning" The doll-like creature chirped with a cheerful yet shy voice. A stunned silence passed for a few seconds before a surprised Len instinctively smacked it with all his might. The defenseless doll flew straight to a wall with a great thud.

"Wh-What the hell?" The teen exclaimed, realizing shortly after that there were people inside the room with him. To his right, Rin hurriedly walked over to the pained doll and started stroking its head. The other person in front of him was yet another new face. A somewhat tall man with dark blue hair casually gave the boy a friendly wave.

"Did you sleep well, yellow tail?" The man said, confusing Len at the last word he'd used.

"Yellow...tail?" Len repeated, making the man point at the back of his head as if describing something. It was then that Len became aware of the man's topic. The blond teen never liked it, but he'd been stuck with a few pointy strands on the back of his hair for as long as he could remember. Whatever he did to bring it down, it would always disobey him like a stray dog. "I dare you to say that again..." Len gritted as an eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"No need to be so negative about it. Relax" The man laughed. "My name's Kaito Shion. I'm sure you've already met Rin, and the little doll you smacked over there is Hachune. She's a little odd, but for the most part she's harmless. Well then, let me officially welcome you to the world of Grand Terra"

It wasn't long ago when Len had heard the name 'Grand Terra'. It felt like an average, everyday morning but he really was in a different world now. Len slightly frowned at the sudden thought. To him, it was more serious than just moving to a different city or even a different country. As odd as it may seem to him, he'd transferred to a world that was distinct altogether.

"I know you're feeling a little down, but it'll blow over soon. Trust me" Kaito said wholeheartedly. An unusual aura could be felt from the man. At first glance, Len actually didn't have much of a negative impression of Kaito. From any angle, this person seemed to have a certain spark - at least, Len couldn't exactly pinpoint what that 'spark' was.

Feeling widely awake now, the blue-eyed young man tried to move out of his bed, but a sharp pain on his chest abruptly stopped him.

"Oh, please don't move around too much right now" Rin suggested, gently putting Hachune on a chair and walking over to Len. "You still haven't fully recovered from the 'unlock'. You're what's known as an 'Engraved' now. We all have marks as our proof, and now you have one too" she concluded, pointing at Len's chest. Unzipping his jacket, Len clearly saw an array of red patterns that almost reached his neck.

Kaito added, "And once you've rested up a little bit, We're gonna start with your 'orientation'. Our schedule's been a little tight as of late, and because of that we're slightly rushing things. Well, I've got a few errands to run so I'll be excusing myself. Take care of the rest, alright, Rin?" That said, the blue haired man picked up the petit Hachune and exited the room.

Rin began, "Hachune looked a little sad. I think she wanted to be friends with you"

The idea of being all friendly with a half-inanimate object struck Len as strange. After all, there weren't any dolls back on earth that could actually pick up a conversation unless a ventriloquist pulled its strings.

"I'll pass..." Len squinted. "So who was that guy, anyway? Is he one of you?"

"One of us. You're part of the group now too" Rin corrected with a smile. "Kaito's one of the senior members here, and also one of the strongest in my opinion. He's even got a nickname that I'm sure a lot of people in Grand Terra know by now: The 'Azure double'. You'll find out why soon enough"

Len thought the nickname came straight out from a video game, but putting all comments aside, the boy was at least curious to see what his own power was. He remembered Rin's special firearm and wandered if his was the same. "How am I supposed to...you know, summon my Hymnia to begin with?"

For a moment, Rin paused in thought. There were actually many methods of summoning a Hymnia, and these ways varied from person to person. "You've heard of the human psyche, right? That's mainly where your Hymnia comes from" She explained, creating her weapon from a blue light. "By definition, a hymnia is the manifestation of the human psyche in physical form. Basically, it's a part of you, and you have to be able to find your own way to summon it. In my case, simply thinking of a certain song is enough. What matters is the value of that thought or action to yourself"

A thought or action that was important. In all honesty, Len didn't find much value in a lot of things. Whatever the case, however, a person couldn't be human without something to hold importance in. Searching his memories, Len drew closer and closer to his answer.

"Hey, Len…Have you ever wondered why the horizon exists?"

Those words passed through his mind once more, and to his surprise it was just what he needed. Suddenly, a red light shone brightly on his left arm, revealing a large and fine crimson blade mounted on a gadget that was tightly fastened to his limb. Upon closer observation, there were a few parts on it that were oddly shaped.

At the same time, a soft whisper in Len's mind uttered a single word – a name. "…Adagio" the teen repeated.

"That was your weapon communicating with you" Rin interrupted. "Adagio…it's a nice name actually"

Len wasn't a genius, but he could see where Rin was coming from. His psyche had just called out to him, and Adagio was its name. It was rare, but Len actually found himself without any negative remarks about the name.

The Engraved consisted of wielders and non-wielders of Hymnia, all working under one goal. In total, there were 4 branches of Engraved divided among crews. As of today, Len was now part of the 'Razenwald' crew, taking its name from the airship they stayed in.

There were a few similarities between the two worlds. The first: their years were just about the same. The second: based on research, there were a few places that 'overlapped' each other. For example, the Grand Canyon existed in both worlds, though its name differed and its location was slightly misalligned. The third: Some pieces of technology was the same.

And then there were the differences. On the technological aspect, Grand Terra was actually clearly superior although it was the same in age. The airships were a clear example of this. Government systems also varied, but there was no doubt that the biggest difference was the existence of the Keii. Because of them, some areas in Grand Terra had already become inhabited. It was a cruel irony to the level of technology it had to offer. Unfortunately, the best way of combating the Keii rested in the Engraved. Basic weapons had an effect, but only to a minimal.

"So, why are we here again?" Len asked the red-clad Rin. A couple of hours after their talk, the two Engraved proceeded to a large dome within the ship. The dome was practically located on the opposite side so Len was able to see a few places already.

"We're gonna start with your training. Your sparring partner should be here any minute" Rin replied. The dome had a reasonable size for training, capable of fitting a whole building of people. Just as Len had begun to look around the circular structure, a voice had caught his attention.

"So you're the new rookie?" Looking over his shoulder, Len noticed a familiar looking pigtailed girl. Familiar in the sense that the doll walking beside her was pretty much a tiny version, save for the girl's eyes that took a blue-green shade. "Name's Miku, Miku Hatsune. I'm sure you've already met Hachune, right?"

With a shy smile, Hachune waved at Len who still wasn't quite sure how to react. He thought to himself that maybe he just needed a little time to adjust to this odd creature.

Miku continued with a spunky demeanor, "Alright then! Let's start the training!" A green flash appeared near Miku's hand, displaying a short and thin sword with an elegant design. Len recalled the requirements of summoning a Hymnia, however it wasn't the time to inquire about his sparring partner's weapon. Focusing on his thoughts, Len summoned the large red blade on his arm.

"Good luck, Len" Rin cheered before picking up Hachune and pacing to a safer area.

Before he even entered the dome, Len was told that simply having a Hymnia gave him physical attributes much more superior than an average human as well as combat instincts. But as he pondered on these things, his opponent was already starting to act.

"Hey, no spacing out, now!" Miku grinned, dashing straight for her sparring partner and attacking with a quick thrust. amazingly, the boy's relfexes acted accordingly, lifting the sword to defend at the right moment. Miku's purpose for the sudden attack was to simply give his body the time to adjust. Now, she could put just a little more effort.

"That's good! Keep it up!" The pigtailed Engraved instructed as she struck in predictable patterns to steady Len's defense. Somehow it felt easier each time to block, and when the right moment came, Len tried out his own attack. It was well-timed, and Miku was forced to leap back. Watching from afar, Rin was impressed by how quickly the rookie was catching up.

As the two continued to fight, Len found himself focusing more and more on offense. He knew that he probably wasn't a match for this person in a real battle, but as long as she allowed him to attack, then that was exactly what he would do.

"Alright, now it's time for lesson 2!" Miku exclaimed with a swing of her sword. "Every single Hymnia is unique. Just because both our weapons are close-ranged, doesn't mean we're gonna battle it out the whole time with continuous swordplay. Watch and learn!" At that, a dim light shrouded her left eye as well as the blade in her hand with a refined aura. "I've just released the first 'lock' of my Hymnia. Normally, a Hymnia is filled with energy, and this helps me focus all that energy on a certain spot, or in this case...a single strike!"

With one swing, Miku created a large wave that struck the guarding Len with a powerful force that sent him flat on his back.

"Umm...maybe you're going just a tiny bit too far?" Rin commented, but the dextrous swordswoman cared to differ.

"His Hymnia's built like a rock. There's no way it can be broken so easily" Unfortunately though, it wasn't the Hymnia Rin was talking about, but the welfare of the wielder himself.

"Darnit...she's really trying to mess with me" Len thought as he stood up to his feet. Thinking back, he'd noticed that Miku was deep in concentration when the 'lock' was released. So far, his instincts hadn't failed him, and there wasn't anything to lose in testing lady luck once again. Focusing both mind and body into his psyche, Len aimed to step up his abilities. "Come on! Adagio!"

And without warning, red line patterns spread themselves through the blade-arm's exterior, changing it from its former dullness in color. There was only one thing left to do to complete its activation, and that was to test out whatever had arose in Len's Hymnia.

"Len! Keep your guard up!" Rin yelled, pointing at an airborne Miku that dove straight for her opponent. At the very last moment before the impact, Len's weapon abruptly changed its shape. A shield sturdy enough to counter the entire attack appeared before Len's surprised eyes. A loud clash filled the whole dome with an echo, and in retaliation, Len's Hymnia let out an invisible but strong force that pushed the swordswoman away.

Miku analyzed what had just happened and smiled as she sheathed away her weapon. "Bravo! The bond between you and your Hymnia is stronger than I thought. A Hymnia with the desire to protect the user and act as his sword at the same time is a good sign"

From those words, it occurred to Len that his own psyche tried to protect him. He'd heard from his teacher before that the psyche was supposed to be the non-physical aspect of the human being related to the mind and soul. It was strange to think his soul had protected him, but he'd already seen many things that would make any scientist question his life research.

But as much as he wanted to contemplate more about it, fatigue had started to kick in. Taking a seat on the floor, the boy breathed deeply.

"You alright, Len?" Miku started, "You pushed yourself a little too hard there"

"Tch...you're the one...that forced me...to push myself"

Rin and Hachune approached their fellow Engraved, with the latter holding a small water bottle in its hands. With a shy face, the round-eyed doll handed the bottle to Len.

"uhh...thanks, I guess" he replied a bit bashfully before taking in a sip.

With a grin, Miku interrupted, "Aww, looks like Lenny's made a new friend!"

"I'm not a pre-schooler" the agitated Len fired back, but not before choking on the water he'd just drank. "And why do you people keep giving me nicknames?"

Resting in his room, Len began to reflect on everything that had happened that day. Lifting up his left arm, the teen pictured his Hymnia, Adagio. Somehow, it felt like the Hymnia was a separate entity although it was in fact his own soul. In the middle of all that thinking, he wondered what would happen if he'd told anyone on Earth about what he'd just been through.

"Rinea would probably be laughing right now..." he mumbled. He wouldn't blame her though, as something as bizarre as that couldn't possibly be real - not in his former world, at least.

Then, a knock on the door caught his attention. "It's Rin. Can I come in?" And just as he'd been thinking about Rinea, the very person that looked like her enters his thoughts. Sometimes, coincidences were just surprising.

"Yeah, the door's open" the new Engraved said. Entering the room, Rin held out a simple plant to the boy.

"I thought this might make a decent enough welcome present" she said with a smile. "It's called a Tourmaline plant. Can you see the tiny crystals attached to it?" Looking a little closer, Len did see a few shards connected to some parts of the small plant. They glittered with the colors of a prism. Walking over to the table, Rin gently rested the pot before turning back to her friend. "By the way...I just wanted to say thanks"

"For what?" Len replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Actually, I'm not really sure, but it just felt like I needed to say that. I know the decision you made had to be tough for you, but you still chose this path anyway. So, thank you"

He had mixed reasons for going to Grand Terra, but Len didn't think he deserved a 'thank you' for them. However, it did make him feel a little better. "Well...don't thank me just yet. It's not like I volunteered for this, you know"

"But still, I'm sure everyone's happy to have you on-board. I'll give you a proper tour tomorrow so you can meet the other crew members" And bidding the rookie goodnight, Rin exited the room.

Meeting the whole crew wasn't something Len was excited about, but he had a feeling it wouldn't be so bad. With Kaito, Miku and Hachune coming to mind, he wondered what the rest of the members would be like.