"I really missed you." Queen Kiki smiled at Mitsuhide.

"Kiki, where are we? Where is Zen?!" Mitsuhide panicked.

Queen Kiki turned towards the window and leaned against it, overlooking the valley. "He's around somewhere. But let's not think about him." Queen Kiki turned back to Mitsuhide. "We are finally alone, without any responsibilities at all. Zen can handle himself."

"Are you sure you are the real Kiki?"

"Of course. Who else would I be?" Queen Kiki spoke in the usual tone. Even in this world, she still spoke the same way.

"If that is true, then tell me something that only Kiki would know."

Queen Kiki smiled flirtatiously and drew close to his ear. She whispered something and then turned to watch his expression grow wide in surprise.

"KIKI?!"

Morning came and Miko woke, giving a big stretch. Her eyes landed on Kat who was keeping watch. Miko gazed longingly at Zen's peaceful figure as he slept by the fire pit, that once was their only source of light. 'You're my Father… I never thought possible…'

"How are you feeling, Miko?" Kat turned to Miko.

Miko smiled and stood up. "Better. I am going out for a while. When they awake, inform them to return to camp."

"You're going out there, by yourself?! Are you mad?!" Kat's voice woke the others.

"I know what is at risk, but if I should hope to keep my strength, I need to get stronger." Miko explained.

"Then we are coming with you." Zen stood up after letting out a yawn.

"Please rest. You will need it." Miko pleaded.

"That won't be possible as long as you are out there alone." Zen expressed concern.

Miko's eyes watered as she saw his sincerity. 'He cares about me?' She tried her best to gather her emotions. "Very well." She led them out of the caves and towards the horses. She held out her hands and summoned a portal.

"I will return to camp and carry out your orders." Apollo turned his horse away from them and rode off.

The others rode into the portal and on the other side was a wasteland.

"You come here to train?" Kiki asked.

Miko smiled. "Yes."

"But there isn't anything here." Zen observed.

"Not yet. But there soon will be." Miko turned away from them and focused her energy.

"Why did we come here? You could have literally trained anywhere!" Kat retorted.

"There is something that I have noticed as of late. My powers aren't affected as strongly, the greater the distance. If I want to be stronger, I can't allow myself to wear out." Miko explained. "Kiki, would you stand in as my training opponent?"

"As long as I don't have to wear a dress." Kiki retorted.

"Deal." Miko held her hand out to her swords and then infused one with a flame and the other with an ice. She swung them around in mid air and dazzled my audience, then position them for an attack. "Are you ready?"

Kiki's eyes widened. "And what am I supposed to do?"

Miko's lips curved into a smirk. "Dodge." Miko slammed her ice sword into the sand and out from it, the ice spread around them. Then she struck it with the fire blade and the water collected on the ice, and formations burst forth. Suddenly they were no longer in a wasteland, but inside an ice palace. The combined water and ice training field was going to make it harder to maneuver and focus. The blades had returned to normal and then Miko focussed her attacks on Kiki.

Kiki dipped and dodged as the strikes came down on her, but she found herself sliding.

"What do you hope to gain, by practicing in this unfamiliar environment?" Zen asked.

"As you have seen before, the Evil Queen always sets the stage. I need to be one step ahead of her." Miko then dodged Kiki's strike, when Kiki finally managed to get close enough. Miko struck down her sword again and Kiki had to roll to get out of the way in time.

Kiki was completely drenched but as soon as she emerged, the water from her clothes and torso evaporated immediately.

"How does the ice not melt?" Kat asked no one in particular.

"Because it's magic." Miko dodged another attack. Then their swords clashed and Kiki knocked them both away. Miko renewed their enchantment and they returned to defend her.

"Why don't you give it a try, Prince Zen?" Kat smirked.

"No, thank you." Zen leaned against a wall of ice and just watched them train.

"I need another opponent to split my focus. Kat, join in, will you!" Miko slammed her sword into an ice pillar missing Kiki by a splinter.

"Alright. I won't go easy on you." Kat engaged in the fight and started to dip and dodge at the incoming blade.

"That's what I was hoping for!" Miko now had to fight Kiki with one flying sword and fend off Kat with another. With them being swung through mid air, made it easier for her to defend against them both at the same time.

Once Miko was confident that her two opponents were more comfortable with these fighting conditions, she took it up a notch. "Time for the real practice." Miko swung the swords with more precision and accuracy. The speed increased and so did Miko's own movements. While she was fighting with her swift levitating swords and keeping her opponents busy, she started to climb the ice palace. It was very difficult to do, because of how slick the ice was, which is why it made it such a challenge for her to have to split her focus soo much. "I need to get stronger." She spoke under her breath.

Miko's determination grew and even though she slid down the jagged walls many of times, she persisted to climb it. It took many of tries, but finally after a long time, she grabbed the tip of the tallest peak of the ice palace.

"Now for the fun part. LOOKOUT BELOW!" Miko ran down and then positioned herself to slide down the palace roof. She was quickly gaining speed.

Zen was alerted to her descent and knew she was going to fly off the edge. He quickly darted to her drop point and reached out to catch her.

Miko flew off as predicted and did a perfectly executed backflip and then landed in Zen's arms. Miko looked up to see his expression of shock. "You caught me? Why?"

His expression turned to disapproval. "You need to be more careful or you will get yourself hurt." He put Miko back down on her own feet.

"I need to push my limits." Miko explained but could see the concern that he had for her well being. It was nice to see that he cared. "Let's get back to camp." Miko summoned a portal and they walked through it.

Miko's eyes widened at the sight. The camp was overrun by massive growing thorny vines. The tents were shredded and the buildings were lodged in large vines and completely ripped apart. The farmlands were covered in glass shards that were covered in crimson liquids and killed all the crops. "No...no… please no…" Miko felt a fear rising in her and quickly tried to shake it as the darkness tried to seep into her. She took a deep breath and rejected the temptations. "OBI?! APOLLO?! It can't be…"

Zen pulled her into his arms and she cried.

"Miko?!" Apollo ran towards them, coming from nowhere.

Miko shot out of Zen's comforting embrace and ran towards the man who called out to her. "Thank goodness! What happened here?!"

"It was your Evil Twin! I don't know how she does it, but she can sense your presence." Apollo grabbed her arm. "You can't afford to stay here, they will come back for you."

Realization struck and Kiki gasped.

"What is it?" Zen asked her.

"I could sense the Evil Queen. That was how I knew she was there. It must have something to do with our likeness." Kiki tried to explain the best way she knew how.

Miko pulled away from Apollo. "I can't go with you. I will put everyone in danger."

"You can't stay here!" Apollo shrieked.

"Go! They need a leader." Miko placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Not without you. You are more important than they are." Apollo reasoned.

"I won't be alone." Miko turned her attention to Zen and the others.

Apollo marched up to Zen. "I swear, if she suffers anything and I do mean ANYTHING, I will personally kill you."

Zen was taken aback by Apollo's display of loyalty and determination to protect her. "Understood."

Apollo gave them one look over and then turned to Miko. "Don't be reckless." He pulled her in for a farewell embrace. Then he left her side. "Get out of here. I will cover the exit if they should return."

"Apollo! Take care of everyone. Move the camp to the north of Lucso. There is a deep valley that is well hidden. They will be safe there. I will create a portal gate for you in the cave near Treden." Miko gave a last smile. "Goodbye my friend. Please tell Obi, I'm sorry."

"I will."

Zen reached out his hand to welcome Miko into following them.

Miko accepted and they were off. This time they were on foot.

Kiki stopped for a moment. "I think we should go back."

"Are you crazy?! You saw what the queen did that camp and you want to go back?!" Kat shrieked.

Kiki just remained composed. "Not to the camp. I think we need to go back to our world."

"Why? What's wrong?" Zen slightly panicked.

"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling they might be in danger." Kiki explained.

Zen whipped around to Miko. "We need to go back."

Miko understood their concern. "The mirror in Wistal was a lucky break. I don't know if we will find another one."

"Then we need to go back to Wistal Castle." Zen locked eyes with Miko.

"You heard what Apollo said. If she has followed me to the camp, then she will have followed me to Wistal. We can't risk going there."

"It doesn't matter. I need to go." Zen urged.

Miko then formed a portal. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

Zen turned towards the portal and ran through with the others behind.

The mirror was in the room in which they appeared.

Miko then activated the mirror with her magic and the portal to the other world formed in the glass. "There isn't much time. Will you be returning?" Miko was a bit sad to think this might be the last she saw of him.

"No. I will be back. Please keep the portal open." Zen requested.

"I will. Please hurry."

Zen signalled for Kat to stay with Miko. Then he made eye contact with Kiki. "Let's go." They then darted through the portal and into the courtyard of Wistal Castle.

"Prince Zen!" Ryuu came running out. "Where did you go? The chief has been looking everywhere for Princess Shirayuki! Do you know where she is?"

Zen's face flushed. "She would be with Amari!"

"But she's not and Prince Amari isn't there either!" Ryuu finally caught up to Zen, panting profusely.

"THEY'RE GONE?!" Zen and Kiki shrieked in unison.

"I haven't seen Mitsuhide either. Where did… pant… you go?"

"Sorry Ryuu, but we have to go. We can talk to the chief later. But for now, you will need to manage without her." Zen turned to Kiki. "Let's go."

Kiki followed Zen back towards the portal.

Desti came running towards them. "Zen! I am going too. Please permit it!"

Miko held her hands out towards the mirror, trying to hold it open the best she could. Miko could smell something raunchy and then a thick greenish sludge started to flow in through the cracks in the walls and fill up the floor. It was already coming towards Miko and Kat's ankles. "Please hurry…" The sludge started to touch the mirror and the portal started to short out. Miko continued to reignite the enchantment, but the sludge was starting to drain her own magic.

Kat placed her hand on Miko's shoulder. "You can do it."

Finally Zen and Kiki ran back through the portal in urgency. They were accompanied by Desti.

Miko suddenly dropped her hands to her side and felt faint. "Save the mirror…" Miko blacked out.

Kat caught her before she could fall into the sludge.

Desti was just trying to take it all in.

"What is going on?" Zen panicked at the sudden realization of their current situation.

"I think the sludge is draining her magic. We need to keep her away from it." Kat informed.

Zen took Miko into his arms. "Kiki, grab the mirror. It might be our only way back to our world. We need to protect it."

Kiki did as directed and Kat helped. It wasn't a small mirror.

Zen pushed against the door. "We're trapped. If the sludge is pouring in through those cracks then it is overflowing on the other side."

"... no I didn't do it…" Miko muttered in her sleep. "...please not my books… no…"

"There is no way out!" Kat shrieked in terror.

"I know one way." Kiki's eyes landed on Miko. The others followed. Kiki clenched her fists. "Let's see if this works." Kiki closed her eyes and focussed her energy and held out her palm. Nothing happened. After trying a few times Kiki just clenched her jaw. "That was a waste of time. It would seem that I am not the product of true love, like Miko hoped." Kiki was reflecting back on her parents. She shouldn't be that surprised.

"Step aside." Kat did the same as Kiki, but alas it failed too. "Oh, COME ON! This is so useless!" Kat punched the wall as the sludge had reached their knees.

"What are you doing?" Desti was completely confused.

"Not now!" They stared at Miko.

Their noses were suffering just as much. The stench was making their eyes water.

"MIKO!"