Hi again Folks! I'm really starting to like this story…even if my spelling needs work. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this story, and thank you again for reading!
Side note: I headcannon Haoyu to be about 16, and Fiona to be about 17
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Emma opened her eyes first, them widening at the sight of the green grass, and the little puffballs creatures. Balan senses her amazement. "Those little creatures are called Tim's, and they feed mostly on happy tears that look like gems.* She nods. "May I go…pet them?" he nods, and sets her down, her running over "this is probably a weird dream…" she mutters " I'm probably sleeping in a theatre chair…" she figures this is too good to be true. She sits down in front of the Tims, who squeal in happiness, and move to love on her. She grins "…I'm in heaven!"
Leo stirs at the sound of her voice. Apparently, he fell asleep. He looks up, sees Balan holding him. Immediately, he pushes the other away, and Balan gently sets him on the ground "w-where did you take us?!" he muttered. Balan simply chuckled "I took you somewhere far safer then the alley, please, join your friend in the Tims' valley." He smiles. Leo eyes him suspiciously, but runs over to join Emma "…are these Tims?" he asked Softly. She nods "…we gotta be sleeping…or one something, cause…these don't look real.." he sits down. About two of them jump into his lap, peeping and cooing. Despite his best efforts, he ends smiling "so…you think we're sleeping too?" Emma asks. Leo nods. ".. it's too…nice here… I mean…this is best place I've been in in a couple weeks. I mean this field, not.. Wonderworld, or whatever."
Emma looks up "Rough luck with you too?" he simply nods. Emma sighs *..me too. I had to leave home…it wasn't safe." Leo's eyes widen "my home wasn't safe either…do your have shelter?" She nods "yeah, I live in my mom's old Place! What about you?"
Leo sighs, and pets a Tim's ears "I live in the alley by the tea shop downtown." He looks up, and Emma looks a bit shocked "oh…Leo.." he hugs him, and he freezes...but he slowly hugs back, and Emma sighs "..I promise when we wake up I'll Take you back to my place...I have a ton of guestrooms."
Before he can deny her offer, he notices something. A small boy is watching them from behind a bush. He has white hair, and soft blue eyes. Emma notices too. Balan smiles "Isiah, dear child, hiding the bushes has it's place, but please, let our new visitors see your face." Isiah smiles, and walks out "hi!"
Leo blinks "..h-hey!" the kid runs up, holding…a box of something. "Momma made this for you, and told me to deliver it! She'd come herself, but her and my daddy are looking after my baby sister." Emma smiles. "W-well, thank you…Isiah, right?"
The kid nods "yup!" he sits in front of them, Petting the Tims. Leo opens the box, Revealing cakes balls, dipped in vanilla sugar. He tries one…"oh my god- Emma, try one, this is amazing."
Isiah grins, as both kids dig into the food "Momma's Pretty much famous for that recipe!" he smiles "so, what are your names?" Leo wipes his mouth ".. I'm Leo, she's Emma" the little boy nods "well, I'm also supposed to lead you guys to dinner…I think it's being hosted in Fiona's stage tonight!" he sits up, ruffling the Tims hair once before leaving."
Leo and Emma look at Balan, who follows after the boy "I would hurry, dears…unless you want all the food to be gone by the time you appear?* Emma pulls Leo Along, until the arrive at a floating island, with a blue, stained glass door, with the number two on it. Isiah pushes the door open, and Balan walks in. Leo follows Emma in, and suddenly, they're standing on a beach. It's a beautifully lit place, with fairy lights seemingly floating without connecting to anything, the waves are a clear, pale blue, and as Emma walks up to the table…she realized She's never been so hungry in her life.
Leo is a bit more suspicious, eying the food shakily "..think it's poisoned?"
"It can't be." A voice behind Leo startles him, and her turns, facing a dark skinned woman, with purple dreads, beads on them for decoration, and bright blue eyes "I made that soup your looking at, and I watched Iben, Cal, Eis, and Lucy make the other dishes.* She smiles.
Emma walks over "it all looks amazing, miss, but.. can I ask your name?" Leo nods "..yeah, who even…are you?*
The woman smiles "Name's Sana! Nice to meet you both…Balan, get out of those cookies!" she Huffs at the maestro, who blushes, cookie crumbs oh his face "forgive me, dear lady" she smiles "it's alright, Hun, but ya gotta wait. Yuri, Jose, and Erin aren't here yet.*
Leo looks over to the beach, and sees a small group of people. Two older gentlemen snuggling on a blanket, a kid with brown hair holding a taller, Dark-skinned man's hand as they walk into the water, a white haired woman, holding a baby girl…it seems this is Isiah's mom, if his snuggling her is any indication. Her husband is talking with Cal, who Leo immediately runs to "Sir?!" he smiles, and Cal Grins "hey, you're the kid from earlier!" he walks up, and ruffles Leo's hair "welcome to Wonderworld!"
He smiles "…it's a pretty cool dream." Cal chuckles "the dreamy feeling will go away with time." They talk for a few minutes, and Balan walks up to Emma "so, Little one, how's your night? Having fun?" she chuckles "very much so…thank you for bringing us here…I hope I'm not going to wake up soon."
Balan giggles "think you're dreaming, then? Despite seeing many new friends? My girl, if you're not convinced, try the food, that should lead you to sense. After all, nothing has taste in a dream, so, now that you're here…get me an ice cream." He smirks, and gently pushes her to that section of the table. She giggles, and while Sana watches the man and the boy near the water, gathers two scoops of ice cream into a bowl. Sana spots her, and sighs "Balan, are you trying to ruin their dinner?"
Balan giggles "a little ice cream won't spoil anything!" he takes a bit, and Emma does too. Her eyes widen "…oh my goodness…this is the best ice cream I've ever had!* She smiles…maybes she's not dreaming
~*TIMESKIP because Fanfiction keeps eating all my section separators *~*
Eventually, the dinner table is slowly gathered around, with everyone eating and Talking. Emma is very excited to see Lucy, and they both start talking about her and Leo's trip
Leo looks up from his food, at a green haired boy a few feet away from him. The other boy looks up, smiling before wiping his face free of bread crumbs "hey! Leo, right?" the other nods his head "h-how did you?" the boy shrugs "I heard you and Cal talking. I'm Haoyu Chang, by the way. "Nice to meet you, then…do you live here?"
The boy nods "yeah! I call Lance 'dad' but I'm emancipated on paper.* Leo tilts his head "Lance?"
Haoyu blinks "oh…oh, he's not here yet! He's going to Be a bit late, but he'll be on time for the show Fiona puts on." He smiles "she's the girl with the ponytail. This is her stage, as I guess you've gathered.*
Leo blinks "…what's a stage?"
"May I provide this description? Haoyu, you're father's here, he asks about your condition." Balan smiles.
Haoyu nods, and stands up, running over to a white haired figure. He was dressed similarly to Balan. The green haired boy hugs him, along with a black haired girl.
Balan chuckled "a stage is a piece of Wonderworld, designed just for you, so, on it, you decide what to do. It's yours to design to your taste, I'll take you to yours after dinner, posthaste!" Leo nods. He's already suspicious though. This was the second time tonight he's been offered free shelter…and doesn't even have a reason to trust Balan. He settles back down into his dinner, a plate with steak, potatoes, a small cup of gumbo, and a side of Mac and cheese on it. He hasn't had a home cooked meal in forever, so he's going to savor it.
~*Timeskip*~*
Leo was sat on the beach, next to Balan and Emma. After everyone had eaten, the girl with the ponytail, Fiona he guessed, had gone to get ready for her show. Everyone had sat out blankets and towels, watching the water eagerly. He looks over to Haoyu, who's looking at a sand crab with his adopted sister, Yuri.
He also looks at Haoyu's guardian, who was talking with Balan. Lance was a rather intimidating figure, with black hair, tentacles, all with strange rainbow features on them. He smirked at Balan "you know, you don't have to rhyme when you speak because a couple new visitors are here?"
The maestro sighs "My dear Brother, you have no eye for showmanship." He didn't finish the rhyme, so Leo guesses he was taking a break.
Balan giggles "how are you two liking Wonderworld so far?" Emma grins " it's really nice, I can't believe this is…real?!" she points the water, which was now glowing bright blue…a wave formed into a geyser, and Fiona jumps out of it, waving at the others before landing in the water. The water spouts up again, and Fiona is dancing on top of it…she spots Haoyu near the shore, and has a dolphin pull him over "C'mon, Skygazer, dance with me!* He blushed "t-this is a bit much, Fi!" still, he takes her hand, and she proceeded to hold up over the water, .
Leo is amazed, and not just cause of the two of them. he can see creatures of from the water dance around the spouts of water, almost as Back up dancers.
Erin giggles, taking her husbands hand " remember when we were like that?"" Jose chuckled "yeah…they sure do remind me of us, sweetness." He kisses her cheek, and she snuggles Against him
Aaron nudges his daughter, Sana "so, when are you and Mister Fireman going to go dancing like that-" she blushed "D-dad!!" she huffs, and shoves him lightly, while her mother giggles.
The show continues on, Fiona just barely brushes her lips against Haoyu's, before gently pushing his dazed form back onto a seal. She continues her act, doing flips, spins, and morphing the water around her, the whole show ending as she jumps into the splash, and an array of Fireworks go off.
The audience erupts in cheers, as Fiona swims to shore. Balan grins "wonderful as always, my Seagazer." She bows "heh, thank you, Maestro! I'm really glad everyone came tonight!"
The group breaks off into little sections, though some leave quickly after thanking Fiona. Jose leads Erin out, Fiona hugging them both before hand, Lucy was escorted by a blushing Cal to the door. Michael and Bruce walked the exit after Talking with Yuri for a bit, Bruce giving her a little bit of candy. Eis carried a sleeping Cecil out, and Aaron lead Savanna out after they both finished Teasing Sana. Lance just smirks and ruffles Haoyu's hair as he takes Yuri out. Cass and Attilio are staying behind to help clean up.
Leo volunteers to do dishes. "Sure! There's a stream I designed for that…Cass, can you show them?"
"Of course!" a young woman with green hair down to her back walks up. She looks to be about twenty, with a wedding ring on her finger "hey! I don't think we met properly earlier. I'm Cass, and that's my Husband, Attilio!" she points to a man with mint green hair, helping Sana and Fiona put away tables.
Emma smiles, and waves Leo over. Cass guides them to a stream with soap bar nearby
Leo looks up as he starts cleaning "so…how long have you been living here?" he looks at Cass, who starts washing up too "About…three years? Me and Attilio moved in right after we married." He nods "..so…is there any.. requirements for living here?"
Cass giggles, and shakes her head "no, not really! We basically bothered Balan until he let us live here. We act as sort of guardians for people who come in, as in...we work with Balan to help them fix their hearts I handle children, and help them get their hearts sorted. Yuri works with middle schoolers, and Haoyu takes on Highschoolers. Adults are a special case, usually going to Cal If they're incredibly logical, Iben if they're lonely, she's Isiah's mom. Lucy if they're creative, Sana if they're adventurous, Eis, he's the fire man from earlier, if they're brave, and if they're particular kind or Charming, Attilio takes them in," she mentions her husband with the softest of smiles, "Bruce actually works with Elderly Visitors, and usually helps make things smoother with them.
Emma smiles "so, Everyone has a job to do?" she dries a casserole dish. Cass giggles "sort of. Most of us brought outside family, and still have jobs in real world, so.. Wonderworld is kind of like volunteering!"
Leo nods ".. interesting…what do you mean by fixing hearts?" Cass smiles "..you might wanna ask Balan, he's a lot better at Explaining then I am." She smiles softly.
"Cass? Are you ready to go?' a soft, male voice calls out. Cass is about to answer, but Leo places a hand on her shoulder "you can go, Miss, if you want. We can handle this." She looks up
"Are you kids sure?" Leo nods, and looks at Emma " I'm positive." The woman nods.…but not before hugging them. She gets up, and calls back "Coming, Love!"
After she leaves, Leo looks at Emma "C'mon, now's our chance!...this place.. it's too…nice. Maybe they've been brainwashed?'
Emma looks back "..they don't seem to be…still…if you wanna leave, I'll come with you! I don't wanna leave you alone again." She smiles. The take each other's hand, and both start towards the door.
Balan's back is turned, and he's still talking with Haoyu and Fiona. Leo leads Emma through the door, as they land on the Isle o' Tims. "You okay?" he looks over, and she nods "yeah…hey, I think that train is available!" she motions to the train. It's somehow floating in mid air, but Leo decides not to mention it. They both sneak on to the back of the train, giggling a little "this should take us to the lobby…Leo, I can't wait to show you around my house!" Emma smiles. Leo nods "Maybe we can see Cal and Lucy later?" he watches the Isle fade from view as they fly off.
They spent a few good minutes talking…only to be completely surprised when the train pulls back up to the Isle. "…what?" Leo mutters, getting off the train. Balan is standing on the platform, smiling "welcome back, little one. Did you have fun?"
Emma gapes "what…how did you know we'd be here?!" she huffs. To be honest, it hadn't…been a really desperate escape attempt, but…still! Leo glares "..we were quiet.." he Huffs, and Balan ruffles his hair.
"I run the train, it's schedule is completely in my Domain." He steps away, gently taking their hands and leading them to the Isle itself
"Surely you two are very tired from your adventure. I think it's time you saw your stage" he smiles, and leads them to a set of doors labeled 13 and 14. "Leo, your in in the 13, and Emma is in 14. Your stages are yours to design, so, I would imagine the place you'd most like to rest in."
Leo steps up to his door, and opens in, closing his eyes. Suddenly, before him is a small bedroom, with pale blue wallpaper with stars on the wall. The bed is a large, fluff thing with white sheets, big pillows, and a myriad of plush toys. The floor is made of soft carpet. He touches the bed.. it's real. It's all real. He feels a soft smile come to his face, and he walks over to the closet by the bed. Finding some soft PJs, he changes into those, and sits at the foot of the bed, too amazed to sleep.
Emma's room is a little different. When she opened her eyes, she saw a soft pastel purple room, with a princess bed in the middle of it. There's a vanity, and a closet, and the doll house she's wanted since she was four. She giggles "oh my gosh…it's real, and.. it's mine?" she asks, walking in. She pulls out some night clothes, and after changing, is surprised by a knock "h-hello?"
Balan answers "..may I come in, dear? I have something to help you rest." She nods, and opens the door.
Balan smiles, looking a little bit tired himself. He hands her a cup of milk "here, dearest…is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"
She takes a sip of the milk. It tastes like honey, and she smiles "..this my be silly, but…can you sing to me?"
He smiles "of course, love."
She drinks the cup, and settles into bed. He starts singing, his voice soft
"when, we're Together,
things are alright,
when we're together,
it's nice"
He smiles, and slowly lowers his pitch, as she drifts off to sleep.
Balan chuckled softly, and stands up "goodnight, my dear."
~*Timeskip*~*
Balan walks up to Leo's door, knocking softly. He's surprised when it opens suddenly "oh, dear child, you're still awake?" Leo Huffs "yeah…can I help you?" Balan chuckled "I've just brought something to help you rest, relax, little one, there's no test." Leo looks at him "..not poisoned?"
Balan simply hands him a mug of milk "not at all. Please, it's there anything I can do the help you sleep?"
Leo drinks it…a little too fast for Balan's liking. Now that he thinks about it, at dinner, the boy had been slightly possessive with his food.
"…I'm good…well, unless you wanna..read to me?" he blushed, embarrassed "I know it's a little kiddy thing, but-"
"Nonsense! Stories are good for everyone." Balan ruffles his hair, and selects a book while Leo crawls into the bed.
He ended picking a book about the constellations, and started reading, describing the myths around the constellations in great detail, Petting Leo's hair sometimes
Leo was out by the start of chapter two. Balan smiles "rest, my little one, your new life as just began."
End of Chapter 3
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Thanks for reading, everyone! As usual, read and review, please, and if you wannaake suggestions or requests, please let me know!