When Fiendish Gargoyle was forced to disband, the members have gone their separate ways. Tsubasa was out on his own now. As he sat by a campfire and used a rock to sharpen his sword, he thought about what he was going to do now. He stared down at his sword and looked at his reflection. It caused him to think about what happened during the battle with Phoenix Flame.
"That guild certainly was unlike any other I have met." Tsubasa said. He thought about what he was going to do, but then he heard something through the woods.
"Let's go. The magi-mobile is just up ahead." Tsubasa went to check out what was going on. He looked and spotted the three that attacked Azule Beach with them having Aster.
"Aster Vinch?" Tsubasa said with him wondering what could have happened. The three of them made it to a magi-mobile and tossed Aster in.
"What does Celina want with him?" Lick questioned.
"It doesn't matter. Let's get to Willow." Vedalus claimed. All three of them got on and drove off.
...
Maru's Team
"Hurry! It looks like they went this way!" Maru called. They tried to track the assailants down, but they were getting further and further away without them knowing it. "Sandy, maybe you can fly up and spot them."
"I'm on it!" Sandy called. He flew up and tried to get a better view.
"Where could they have gone?" Yukina said. "What do they want with Aster?"
"I'm not sure, but we'll get him back." Gin said.
"If you're looking for the ones that took your friend, they already got further ahead." All of them saw and were surprised to see Tsubasa.
"I remember you, you were in Fiendish Gargoyle!" Mary said with Yukina a little on guard.
"Tsubasa was your name, wasn't it?" Maru said.
"I get it now! You guys sent those goons as payback." Mary accused.
"I have done nothing of the thing." Tsubasa said. "I was camping near here when I saw suspicious people carrying your friend away. Now that Fiendish Gargoyle has been disbanded, I al on my own."
"Guys!" Sandy called as he came back down. "I can't see them anywhere."
"That's because they got a magi-mobile and drove off." Tsubasa informed. "I overheard them talking and said they were heading for Willow."
"Willow? That's to the west." Gin said.
"You don't really believe him, do you?" Yukina said. It was a little skeptical, but Maru spotted something. He looked and spotted tracks in the ground.
"Look. Tire tracks going west." Maru said. "Tsubasa is telling the truth. We got to get going." They all agreed and wanted to go, but Maru thought about Tsubasa. "Tsubasa, you should come."
"Me?" Tsubasa questioned.
"Him?! You can't be serious!" Mary said.
"Tsubasa, you're not like the others from your guild." Maru said. "You've got a good heart. I can tell. You're one about honor, right? Well, the honorable thing to do after everything that happened would be to help us." Tsubasa certainly agreed, and he did feel bad about what he put them through.
"Wait. We're really taking him with us?!" Yukina said.
"I agree with Maru. Tsubasa surrendered when I fought him." Gin said. "He's not like the others, and we're going to need help if these guys could take Aster." The girls certainly didn't like this, but there were valid points.
"Very well. I do wish to atone for my past actions." Tsubasa agreed. Now that he's a part of this, all of them headed west to save Aster.
...
Aster
Aster was finally pulling himself together and felt his strength returning. When he had that come back, he saw his hands were bound and in a vehicle.
"Good. You're awake." Joe said with Aster seeing he was captive. "We just arrived in Willow."
"Willow?!" Aster said.
"Get up and start walking." Lick said. He pulled Aster out of the vehicle and was outside now. Aster looked around to see he really was in Willow. He recognized the tower anywhere.
"I can't believe I'm really here." Aster said. "I heard you mention someone named Celina. She's the one that sent you?"
"That would be correct." Vedalus claimed. "Celina Shiner is the one that has taken over this whole town. She would love to see you again." Aster looked quite shocked and confused. They pushed Aster to start walking and he had to oblige. As they walked around, Aster looked around Willow and saw there wasn't a soul. It was a complete ghost town.
"Where are all the people?" Aster questioned.
"They cleared out long ago. Celina was nice enough to let them all go, at least because she didn't need them anymore." Vedalus said. "You don't have to worry about the Brusards. They're long gone. Celina took care of them."
"She did?" Aster said. He was finding this hard to believe and didn't understand how this could have happened. The three of them brought Aster to one of the buildings and placed him in there. They hoisted his arms up and had him hang there like it was a prison cell. "What is this? I thought you were going to take me to Celina."
"Don't you worry about that." Vedalus said. The three of them cleared out and left Aster alone. As he was left alone in that place, he looked around and knew exactly where it was. It figures that he would be left in this place out of all of them in town. That was right when something began to form right in front of him.
"A thought projection?" Aster said.
"That's right, Aster." Aster couldn't believe who it really was. It was a young woman wearing a blue jacket with the hood up with her wearing grey pants and boots with a white blouse underneath with black gloves. She removed the hood and revealed her blue hair parted with a long straight tail. "Hello, Aster. It's been a long time."
"Celina?!" Aster said as he was quite shocked. He didn't expect to see her, at least not like this. "What's going on? You actually know how to use magic?"
"Of course. You know I was dabbling in it before you left, and I've become quite splendid in it. I'm far more powerful than even I thought with it." Celina said. "I'm so sorry I can't be there in person, but I have my reasons. I must say that the past seven years have done well for you. You do look rather great." Normally, Aster would have been glad to see her, but there is so much wrong with this picture. "I thought you would like to be in this old store. Certainly brings back memories, doesn't it? That all seems like a distant memory."
"Enough!" Aster called with him sounding serious. "Are you really Celina Shiner? The Celina I remember isn't you. She certainly never would have sent people to attack my friends to get to me. She also wouldn't have caused Willow to become a ghost town. The Brusards might be gone like those three said, but that doesn't explain you. Even though you are a thought projection, I could tell by looking at those eyes that you aren't how I remember. Your eyes are...insidious."
"Is that so? Well, I promise you that I am the very same Celina." She even pulled out something that proved it. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a figurine of a turtle dove, just like the one Aster had. Aster was really surprised to see that she had that with her. "I still have this, after all. I'm sure you still have yours. After all, we got them in this very store." Aster couldn't believe this was happening. Nothing was matching up with what he knew and now he doesn't know what to think.
"How? Celina, what's going on?" Aster questioned.
"Don't worry. All will be made clear soon enough, but you should know that a lot has happened in the seven years you've been gone." Celina said.
...
Later
Maru and the others continued to go after Aster, but they had to go on foot. It took them until morning, but they eventually made it to Willow.
"There it is." Tsubasa said. They all looked and could see the town wasn't that far from them now. "That's Willow."
"Are you sure?" Gin asked.
"I am. Willow is known for that large tower there." Tsubasa said with them pointing right at it. "It's known as Arcane Tower."
"Arcane? Does it have something to do with magic?" Yukina questioned.
"I'm not sure. I've heard of it, but I've never been here." Tsubasa claimed. "What I do know is that this town was soon abandoned. No one lives here anymore, so I don't understand why those people would bring him all the way out here."
"Well, Aster is down there somewhere. We better find him." Maru said. Since their friend is down there, they need to get him out of there. However, they don't know is how Aster is tied to all of this. There's so much more than they know.
...
Aster
Aster hung against the wall after talking to Celina. Nothing about what just happened made any sense to him. None of this did. He also couldn't figure out what was going on.
'Celina... Was that really her?' Aster wondered as he couldn't really believe that might have been her. It wasn't only that. He could see images of so many great memories. Memories that happened at this very place. He felt so confused, anxious, and uneasy. He doesn't understand what's going on, but he isn't going to get answers here. Luckily, those binds don't stop him from using magic. He formed a crystal shard and used it to cut himself free. Once his arms were free, he hurried out. "Celina, what happened to you? You're not at all how I remembered."
...
Celina
Celina remained up in the tower, but she was already made well aware that Aster escaped. She wanted to keep a very close eye on him.
"I see that your reputation proceeds you, Aster." Celina claimed.
"Celina, I don't understand." Vedalus claimed. "Why go through all the trouble of bringing him here and letting him escape?"
"He's not going to leave Willow. This place holds too many memories for him. He'll want to know what is going on and won't leave until he gets answers, especially now that he saw me." Celina said. "There isn't anywhere in Willow he can hide that I won't be able to find him. He won't get very far." Something was quite off about all of this. What exactly is she plotting? "Besides, it looks like we're going to have other guests to deal with."
...
Aster
Aster ran around Willow to try and find where Celina might be. As he looked around, he couldn't believe that this was the same place that Aster knew. With how deserted and abandoned it was, Aster couldn't believe that it was the same place he remembered. Nothing matched up with his knowledge, but that might be a good thing. As he wondered around the streets, he soon found himself at a vacant lot surrounded by a metal fence. Aster felt like he was staring at a gateway of darkness. This vacant lot would have been big enough for children to play in, but the only memory Aster had, no matter how hard he tried not to remember, is something far worse. As he can still picture it in his mind, he gripped the metal fence and gritted his own teeth as he tried to hold back the misery he felt.
"How? How could it come to this?" Aster said.
"Aster!" Aster was surprised to hear that voice. He looked down the street and spotted them. He spotted his friends coming for him. "Aster! You're okay!" Maru called.
"We should have known you would have escaped!" Gin called.
"You're all here?!" Aster said as he certainly didn't expect to see them so soon. "How did you all find me?!"
"Part of it is thanks to Tsubasa here." Mary said with Aster noticing Tsubasa.
"Fiendish Gargoyle?!" Aster said.
"It's rather nice to see you again." Tsubasa said.
"He saw the guys grabbed you and knew you were here." Yukina said.
"We were worried when those guys grabbed you, but we should have known you would have escaped. As if those punks could take you." Sandy said. All of them were glad to see Aster again, but with how Aster was feeling...
"What are you all doing here?! You need to leave now!" Aster shouted. That wasn't what they expected. "This isn't your fight! All of you leave now while you still can! I alone have to handle this!"
"What? Where did that come from?" Maru questioned.
"You're lucky we're here, and I say we get while the getting is good and get out of here. You included." Mary said.
"Why are you upset with us? We came here to save you." Gin said.
"And who were the guys that kidnapped you?" Yukina questioned.
"Just leave! I'll handle this!" Aster said as he turned away from them.
"This is odd. I don't remember you acting like this when we met last time." Tsubasa claimed.
"Aster, did something happen?" Yukina asked.
"We're not leaving since we came all this way to help you." Maru claimed. "Whatever is going on, we've got your back. Those guys came after you for a reason. If there's something going on, you know we will help you. You would do the same for us." Aster knew all of that, but still...
"Leave." Aster said as he was making this more difficult than it should.
"Why? Aster, what's wrong?" Yukina asked.
"You're starting to freak me out. This isn't like you." Gin said. "Whatever is going on, you know we can help. Master told us that even the strongest of wizards have their limits and weaknesses. One can make it farther with others than they can on their own." As a Phoenix Flame wizard, Aster knew all of that. He turned to them, but they were surprised to see tears were forming in his eyes. They've never seen Aster cry before.
"I know." Aster said as he cleared away the tears. "I'm sorry, but this is really personal for me."
"Why? What's going on?" Sandy asked. All of them were getting concerned now.
"I suppose after coming all this way, I might as well tell you." Aster said. From there, he shared his story. "This town is called Willow. This was my hometown, where I'm from."
"Say what?!" Mary said as they were all surprised to hear that.
"You lived in a ghost town?!" Sandy said.
"No. It was filled with people back when I lived here over seven years ago." Aster said. "However, it all changed when the Brusard Core came in and managed to take over everything."
"What's that? A guild?" Mary asked.
"No. It's a crime syndicate." Aster said. "Their power was in money, not magic. They were deplorable. They managed to take over this entire town when I was just a child. However, that doesn't appear to be the case anymore. When I was brought here, I was told they were gone. The men who grabbed me are working for a young woman named Celina Shiner."
"Who's that?" Maru asked. That was when Aster reached in his pockets and pulled out the bird once again with him revealing his connection to this Celina.
"She was my childhood friend, and my best friend back then."