-Monday Night, Ishida Residence, Jake's Bedroom-

Tina sighed as she listened to Jake recounting the Radiant's recent experience. The idea of being in an unfamiliar place and facing a malevolent entity sent a shiver down her spine.

"That manuscript thing has given me an idea to run by Kite." She smirked. "He might like it."

Jake grunted. "I'm so glad I am improving your fictional quest for the Holy Grail."

"We're finding a mythical staff tied to dreams next week." She formed a cheeky smile. "My skill is Burning Punch, sorry bro."

"I think you stole from me; I'll sue!"

"Nope! Anyway, you have been through some adventures. That raging old lady, the masked jerk, and Mirror Dimension. Now you are about to face the Tyrant soon."

"That's IF he comes back, I doubt he will. All we are doing is fighting his essence that infects people or other chaotic things." His face faltered. "Or he is around and just biding his time."

"In our group, Kite had us face a cult trying to kidnap people in the name of Faceless Joe."

"Huh, he could not think of a better name than that?"

"Eh, he wanted a lame name for a powerful being. Valcron sounds like a robot."

"Ha, it does! I should tell the others. Ryu would find it hilarious."

"He would! Ya know, I haven't been to the Hub in a while. I'll stop by and see the others. You guys might need your spirits lifted."

"Amy and Christina want to do something. Call them. They would be happy to see you."

"I will; I have not spent that much time with Jack and Line, plus there is Blair." She frowned. "You all are strong; you know that?"

The boy's face fell a bit. "We are like this because of Guardian. If it was just us and without their guidance, I doubt any of us will continue." He scratched the back of his head. "They have experience, kept an eye on us while we fight. I don't want to think about the Temple and the Mirror Dimension situation without Reinstar and Selen-ja." He sighed. "We owe them."

"Return the favor by learning. Knowledge is Power, as they say."

"Right," He exhaled roughly. "That still creeps me out." He closed his eyes. "I might be having nightmares about it for a while, but it did leave an impression."

Not liking the boy's withdrawn demeanor, the young girl leaped at him, embracing him. He yelped as he lost his balance, and the two fell on the floor with a loud thud. He winced in pain, then glared at her. "Why?"

"You need a reminder that I'm your loving, supportive, super awesome sister who has your back. No matter what happens, I will stand behind you all and cheer for you all. Though you may have been a blockhead to jump into this, you chose to take the fire crystal and responsibility when you could have rejected it. I'm proud you stepped up, whether or not you were the ideal person." She flashed an encouraging grin. "You're the best brother. I wish I could give you more support in the battles ahead. But know that I will always be roaring in your ear." She stood up and crossed her arms, beaming supportively. "Clear?"

"As crystal."

The boy felt warmth in his heart at his sister's uplifting words. Still, lingering unease and weariness clung to him. He knew once the five-day ban was lifted, he must train harder. Guardian taught him well: fear may persist, but he won't be paralyzed by it. There were negative feelings suggesting him to quit, but he ignored it, refusing to surrender to fear's temptation. As the Fire Radiant, he vowed to become stronger - to protect his family and to explore the world of Galvania. He imagined majestic mountains, vibrant cities, ferocious beasts, and tenacious warriors. He shivered in both excitement and fear for the road ahead.

"You okay?"

Jake reassured his sister with a thumbs up and a smile. "Uh, yeah."

"You had the face of a buffoon. I know that face." She narrowed her eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

He chuckled as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Anticipating when we are allowed to venture into Galvania."

"Don't you let your mind wander about that," She picked herself up. "You might be disappointed or overwhelmed. Remember the last few adventures?"

"I know." He sighed as he stood up. "I'll try not to overhype myself."

"Great." Tina took out her phone. "Now then, I'm going to everyone to see when we can meet one-on-one. Oh, what's Blair's number or email or line or whatever."

Before Jake could respond, there was a knock at the door, sending their attention to the door. It opened to reveal their mother, Keiko.

"Are you kids alright?"

"Yep." Jake smiled at her.

"Good." She glanced closely at her son. "Jake, how are you feeling?"

"Feeling great."

"Really? Nothing wrong?"

"I'm fine. Someone sent me a text about what goes into hot dogs. I don't know if I should eat them again or not"

"I should let you watch a video." She smirked. "Will make you not want to eat pork again."

"Eh, there is always chicken."

"Speaking of chicken." She turned to leave. "You all want curry? I know a place we can order from."

"Curry sounds great!" Tina cheered. Suddenly, she heard a bell sound from her pocket. She reached into her pocket to pull out her phone and saw a few messages. "Ah, can we order now? I'm meeting someone later."

"Yes, tell me what you want in a bit." Their mother left the room.

"You going out?" asked the fire warrior

"I got a few messages from the others. Amy wants to see me in a few hours. The others later. You still haven't given me Blair's."

"Right, right."

The fire warrior gave Blair's contact information. As Jake left the room to see their mother, he reminded himself that this is why he became a Radiant, to protect his family. The malevolent entity left a chilling impression, a dark reminder of sinister forces out there like Valcron's legacy still lurking. He was determined to prevent those sinister forces from spreading.

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-2 hours later, Freeze Scoop-

The bells on the door jingled as Tina entered the Freeze Scoops Ice Cream Parlor. She walked through the restaurant, scanning the booths for the Radiant of Light. Spotting Amy, Tina smirked and approached her booth. The cheerful girl was devouring a giant sundae loaded with seven different flavors, six syrups, and marshmallows. Colorful syrups and sprinkles dripped down from the mountain of ice cream as she ate with childlike delight.

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"You going to eat all that?"

"I need the calories." She chirped. "Being a living light bulb makes me hungry... plus training keeps me fit."

"You can be a pig as much as you want. Ha! You got some dripping from your face. People are watching."

"Hmm." Amy pouted, then glanced at the restaurant. "From one point of view, it wouldn't look appropriate." She gazed down at the ice cream with a big grin, eyes dancing with delight. "But from this point of view, this is sooo good, it’s easy to forget where you are!!"

"Right, right," Tina observed the girl. "You are one of the nicest people I know. Don't change."

"Thank you!!! But please don't flatter me further. My head will be filled with hot air."

"Amy," Tina spoke softly, her features softened as she solemnly stared at the Radiant. "I wanted to do something to cheer you up... with what you and the others saw today, I want to see if you are good."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." She sighed. "The truth is that it did scare me, and it almost felt like I went in over my head." Her eyes lowered as a deep frown marred her features. "It felt more intense than Margaret's rage. It promised pain to me and others around me." She placed a hand on her chest. "It tempted me to give in to my fear. I wanted to hide but felt at ease when the Light Crystal broke through the void, yet still held my guard." She twirled a strand of her hair. "Hiding does not mean Valcron will spare me. It felt like it would delay my suffering if I gave up. It was very frightening, Tina."

"Despite it leaving an impression on brother, he wants to continue."

"Good, if he wants to, then I want to. I don't want to delay the inevitable or just run away from responsibility. I need to be there for my friends. I want to lift them up. Even if life has some bad times, there should be smiles through it. Sounds ignorant, but that's how I feel."

"Okay, cool." Tina smiled warmly. "And you got over it?"

"It's not something to get over after a day." She closed her eyes and pressed her hand against her heart. "However, I can't crawl in a ditch and wait for it to strike. Valcron will try to kill me if I am a Radiant or not. I need to support my friends."

"Then I will support you all somehow. I wish I could go."

"Maybe when we visit the city and see the shops." Her eyes twinkled with delight. "I wonder what kind of fabric shops there are? I can probably update from using leather to Kevlar or something else!"

"Seeing a new world will be amazing."

"Yes!!! Reinstar mentioned clear moonlit skies, tranquil fields, soft breezes, and other wonderful spots that were romantic."

"Romantic." Tina leaned in. "Do you have a boyfriend yet?"

"No, I'm not in the mood right now."

"I get it, but I'll be rooting for you both

"Uh, what are you talking about?

Tina wiggled her eyes. "You and Jake."

"Ah!! No, no! Stop teasing!" A light blush developed on her cheeks. "We're friends! It's going to be awkward the more you tease!"

"Okay, okay." The young Ishida snickered. "I'll stop. Geez, you freaked out."

"Listen! Jake and I are friends." She frowned. "Even if I was interested, Jake is not interested in dating, and I don't think the mindset is going away."

"Eventually, he will. He doesn't want a lot of drama when it comes to relationships. Same way I think you don't want a boyfriend."

"Partially, but I just want to have fun with everyone and not worry about a serious relationship. Someday, but not right now."

"Got it, the weight of romance is a bad thing."

"Not what I am trying to say." Amy sighed

"Whatever." Tina eyed the giant sundae. "Now, to bring up an earlier point. Are you going to eat all that?"

"Yep!!" Amy stuck her tongue out. "Get your own."

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-The Hub, Saturday afternoon.-

Stepping from the Teleporting Room, Tina reflected on her week counseling the Radiant one-on-one. She sought to raise their spirits, knowing she could not beat the beast for them. Ryu boasted of shocking Valcron into oblivion, then solemnly confessed about wanting his friends not to give in to fear and expressing his disgust in the entity's heartlessness. Christina shared the feeling it manipulated her faith. Tanya felt the entity played with her pride and belief in family. Sam resentfully voiced feeling judged worthless. After probing, Jack eventually stated the entity wanted to cast off his morals. Lina expressed her anger at having her psyche invaded. Blair stated feeling more lonely.

Tina listened attentively to them express their experience. After listening to them and seeing them vulnerable, she urged them not to lose hope or give up. They all expressed gratitude; even Jack cracked a small smile. She realized that Valcron's essence probably touched a personal aspect to unsettle the teens. If that was the case, then it probably wanted to make them think it was beyond them. A chill went through Tina as she wondered what personal aspect could be used against her. She hoped never to encounter something like that anytime soon.

Tina came to the Hub to visit her off-world friends, feeling guilty for not visiting often since joining Kite's group. While her fantasy adventures were fun, she missed the regular times with Guardian. From what she learned, Selen-ja, Pilot, and Reinstar have not returned yet. So Tina wandered into the Living Quarters, seeking whichever of the three available: Jin, Javo, and Luka were available.

"Hello?"

She heard the sound of the door opening. Her eyes drifted to the Lab where Luka walked out. The avian doctor looked surprised before shifting to a warm smile.

"Tina, it's been a while. How are your studies and fictional quests?"

"School is a bit icky sometimes, but I enjoy LARP." She looked around once more. "I wanted to talk to one of you. Where are they? I know Jake said he would be here."

"Javo and Jin are in the Training Room with the Radiant. Selen-ja and Reinstar should be back in a few days. Do you need anything?"

"I just wanted to talk to someone... maybe you can help."

"Of course, shall we sit?"

The two of them sat on one of the couches in the Living Quarters. Tina sighed as she stared ahead, her expressions softened. "So... I talked to the Radiant about that manuscript. They each say something different about it, like how it resonated with an aspect of them.

"It reaches a person's insecurities and uses that against them. From reading the archives, when it truly desires an acolyte, it continues to drown their insecurities with the promise of renewal."

The human girl narrowed her eyes. "That's frightening. Are there those who resist?"

"Some do resist. Only a few managed to resist the temptation for a lifetime. Others give into the madness, be it to a disciple or go their way. Mistress M and the Count followed their own path." The physician scowled. "Even if they pursued their desires, they were used for sowing destruction."

Tina frowned deeply. "That sounds sad. It seems like they were in a losing battle."

"It is depressing, but those who continue to defy it have given us insight into how Valcron's Manuscript operates." Luka turned to the child. "Helpful for the battle and in the scenario of Valcron's return."

"Do you think he will return?"

"It's a possibility. We must be ready for every scenario." Luka lowered her eyes. "I...I have been through an event that may have heralded his return or something like him, an experience that drove me to join Guardian and my path as a healer."

Tina appeared sympathetic. "I'm sorry."

"Don't." Luka smiled sadly. "I don't want to bring it up, but all I can say is the people behind it were cruel. They sacrificed my family and had plans to force me to join their cult. Luckily, Guardian arrived to stop it."

"Your family is gone? I'm so sorry."

"I appreciate it." Luka sighed. "The memory has made me stronger, but my heart still aches. It's not easy to forget, but it drives me to heal and protect in memory of my flock."

Tina thought about what she had learned, realizing that things can be complicated. She wanted to lift their spirits somehow. She might have understood their feelings if she had been exposed to the tablet. There had to be something she could do other than stay on the sidelines, but she was stuck as a supporter. She would be the best cheerleader for them.

"The only thing I can do is cheer."

"Not the only thing, just be one of the reasons they are fighting." Luka smiled. "When they came in today, they were more angry than scared."

"Brother did look angry today."

"As the children described it, only delaying the inevitable demise if they give up and hide. There is no promise of power; just give up and await their deaths. That route is not for me either." Luka placed a supportive hand on the girl's shoulder. "It's okay to be scared, but don't let yourselves be consumed by fear. They mentioned your counsel boosting their resolve."

She smiled. "It did?"

"Sometimes being reminded of what you are fighting for can give a person a reason to keep going. Even if you think it was not much, it boosted them to keep going."

Tina smiled. "That's great!"

Luka nodded. "Right, your company gave them another reason to move forward. Hearing from you, an outsider, is different than just talking to us.

"An earthling with no power... so that means?"

"You ground them. That's how important you are to them."

Tina nodded. "That's too flattering."

"It is what it is." She hugged the girl. "It's beneficial for you to have company to keep you grounded. Isn't that what you decided when you wanted to use the Control Room?"

"Yeah."

"Whether you support in or out of the field, they know you are here as a confidant." She smiled. "When they return from Galvania, become their grounded rock."

"Right, a reminder of home." She chuckled. "I will do the best I can."

Luka nodded. "Is there anything else?"

"No, you helped me understand a little." She smiled. "Luka, you're the best!"

"Hm." The doctor nodded, and a twinkle flashed in her eye. "I'm flattered."

Tina nodded. "I will stay here until they are done."

"They will appreciate it. Javo and Jin will be delighted to see you.

She wanted to do more, but she did all she could do during the week. For now, she will be in their company, cheering them from the sidelines.