"Welcome." It was difficult to tell if the Memory Keeper was smiling or not. His beard- longer than his body- obscured much of his facial features, and his eyes were hidden with a black blindfold.

"I have been expecting you." The ancient man finished.

Yuuki stepped forward in front of the other five.

"Then you will tell us." He asked. "About the door, that is."

The bearded man tilted his head, but otherwise gave no response.

"Probably ought to keep this short and sweet then…" Aran said with a rather serious face. "What made the door open?"

"I do not know." The Memory Keeper answered. The faces in the group displayed varying levels of surprise.

"Inquiry…" Xenon began, displaying the least amount of surprise. "Rather than asking the exact cause of the door opening, would it be more appropriate to ask a more basic question regarding its status?"

"Huh?" Tear asked, confused.

"What I think he means…" Liuva clarified, "…is that instead of asking him why the door is open, we should be asking something else. Something more simple."

"Perhaps the question we should ask…" Hayato's eyes narrowed. "Is there something wrong with the door?"

"Hmm…" The bearded man's eyes seemed to twinkle behind his blindfold, but it was impossible to tell if they were even open. "That I will try to answer to the best of my ability…"

The Memory Keeper took a deep breath, and began.

"As I said, I do not know what has caused the Door to the Present to open. I additionally do not know what has caused it to open publicly rather than to a specific person. Nor do I know what is behind it. But, there is something more, something odd."

"Something odd?" Asked Aran. "With a dramatic pause?"

"Indeed. I do not believe there is a connection- in fact I pray there is not- but regardless, there is something."

"And that is…?" Yuuki asked.

"Are any of you aware of the 'Erdas Flow'?"

"Er...das...flow?" Tear asked, puzzled.

"Yes, the Erdas Flow." The Memory Keeper looked up at the sky; a timeless sea of blue on which floated a sparkling aurora and shimmering illusions of non-existent heavenly bodies.

"The Erdas Flow is the energy that makes up the world. Far more primal than simple magic or life force, it is the essence of the world itself. Erdas are like a living energy, undergoing a constant cycle of creation and destruction. They are the link between Maple World and other worlds, being the most basic building blocks of reality."

"That…sounds super important." Tear mumbled.

"Indeed." The Memory Keeper continued. "Without the Erdas, nothing would exist. Which is why I was terribly concerned to discover that the Erdas seem to be slowly…disappearing."

The group jumped back at the statement.

"Maybe I'm hearing things…" Liuva started. "…but I swear you just said the things that literally make up things are FRIGGIN' DISAPPEARING?!"

"Indeed." The Memory Keeper confirmed.

"That sounds…problematic." Hayato rested his hand on his katana and began to fumble with the handle in a nervous habit.

"S-scary…" Tear whimpered.

"…concerning." Xenon said bluntly.

Aran spoke up. "So what do we do? Ya' think whatever's happening to the Erdas is related to the door?"

"Perhaps…" The man stroked his beard. "…although it may be easier if you all know what we're dealing with."

The Memory Keeper held his palm towards the group. "Relax your minds. I shall connect you. Let you see the world for what it is."

The group did as instructed, each member closing their eyes, relaxing as a web of invisible power flitted around them.

"Let you see…the Erdas Flow."

"Hey, um, anybody? Can anybody hear me?"

Yuuki's eyes snapped open, only he wasn't awake. He felt like he was floating in some inky black expanse. He seemed unable to move his head, or if he was moving his head, he couldn't tell. He couldn't feel his body; he knew he was there, and yet, he was not there.

The inky blackness faded into a soft blue. Trails of lights that didn't glow so much as they simply existed inside a void. Spots like stars drifted within the river of power, swirls of green occasionally mix with the teal to give it substance.

Finding that despite his lack of existence, he could still speak, Yuuki took a deep breath.

"H-hello?" He ventured, trying to answer the voice he heard earlier.

"Oh yay! It's somebody!" The voice answered back.

"W-who are you?" Yuuki managed.

"Oh, um…" The voice hesitated. "So…hi! I'm the…er…we're the Erdas! Me and my friends make up everything in the whole wide world! Isn't that neat? We used to flow through the World Tree like syrup…but now that the World Tree is kinda gone, the Black Mage has been stealing us away, little by little."

Yuuki wasn't quite sure if he was surprised that the Black Mage had something to do with this. The whole 'talking to the building blocks of reality' seemed to be deteriorating his world view at the moment.

"It's super scary!" The voice- the Erdas- continued. "There's like, this big hand that comes out of a giant door and it's all 'RAR IMMA TAKE YOU AWAY!'- I mean, it doesn't say that…'cause it's a hand. That's just the vibe I get. You gotta help!"

'Ok,' Yuuki thought, 'so the Door to the Present is definitely involved…'

"Um…" Yuuki hesitated. "Well…let's start off with something basic then…what are you, exactly?"

"We're energy!" The Erdas answered enthusiastically. "Pure, formless power, propping up the whole wide world. Everything comes from us, animal, vegetable, or mineral, and returns to us when it's…y'know…done."

Yuuki thought about this. "Then, why is the Black Mage trying to take you?"

The Erdas seemed to hesitate. "I'm pretty sure the Black Mage wants to use us to create a whole new world. I forgot how long things have been super scary, but if it keeps up we're all gonna be gone soon! And that means your world goes bye-bye too!"

'Yep.' Thought Yuuki. 'Not good. Not good at all."

Suddenly, Yuuki felt a tug on his being, trying to pull him out of the void.

"Aww nuts!" The Erdas exclaimed. "Out of time already?"

"W-wait!" Yuuki shouted, the tug getting stronger. "How do I accept your power?"

"Just believe in yourself! Think happy thoughts" The Erdas shouted back, as Yuuki faded back into being. "And talk to the goddess of your world! She's super helpful!"

Yuuki's eyes opened to reality this time. The other members of the group were doing the same.

"Do you see now?" The Memory Keeper asked. "Do you understand the importance of the Erdas?"

Yuuki remained silent; breathless.

"I…talked to them." He finally said.

The Memory Keeper seemed shocked. "You spoke to the Erdas? Can this be true?"

"I-is that a problem?" Yuuki asked.

"I have observed the Erdas my whole life…" Said the Memory Keeper. "…but never have I communicated with them in any way."

"I heard them too." Aran mused. "They were kind of…"

"Childlike." Hayato finished.

"Beautiful." Tear commented.

"Not exactly what I expected." Liuva added.

"Beyond my comprehension." Xenon stated.

"If the Erdas spoke to you…" The Memory Keeper stroked his beard. "…then you have a grander fate than I suspected. The Erdas wish to give you their power, so that you can protect them."

"That sounds sweet." Liuva grinned. "How does it work?"

"According to legend…" The Memory Keeper began. "…in ancient times, after the fall of the 365 gods, the goddesses used the Erdas to sculpt the world into being. Supposedly there have been a select few…human, elf, demon, and dragon…who have learned the art of manipulating the Erda Flow from the goddesses themselves."

"So…" Aran crossed her arms. "We find a goddess who can shape the Erdas, and get them to teach us."

"Great." Liuva said, sarcastically. "Just call up a goddess, who doesn't have one of them on speed-dial?"

"Actually…" Yuuki mused. "…I think I might know someone who can help."