Ava ran her hand along the edge of the fountain, granite rough against her fingers. The sun burned directly overhead, its light dancing in the rippling water. Not long ago, this place would have been filled with the chatter and bustle of keyblade wielders going to and from missions, meeting up with friends, and swapping notes. Now Aced had pulled his union out of Daybreak Town entirely, positioning himself on the edge of the badlands. The other union leaders had consolidated their forces in strategic positions throughout the city. Even her Chirithy was elsewhere, guiding the Dandelions through a particularly complicated training maneuver. She stood alone, a single cloaked figure in the deserted square. A gust of wind lifted the dust from the cobblestones, settling it in a fine layer over the nearby buildings. Ava didn't move, letting it coat her.
Then, nearly lost in the wind, she heard a noise.
Instantly she snapped into motion. Springing onto the roof of a nearby house, she steadied herself against the gable. Her gaze swept across the neighboring street. Her eyes narrowed beneath her mask. Footsteps noiseless, she padded down the line of rooftops. She paused at the end, listening again for the faint sound on the wind. There. Crouching slightly, she launched herself onto a roof on the other side of the street. She pulled herself over the ridge, and froze.
Great holes had been torn in this street and the surrounding buildings, as if a beast had come through and taken mouthfuls out of wood and stone alike. Some of the houses crumpled in on themselves, while other stood with interiors exposed, gaping holes in their sides. Deep furrows scarred the road, cobblestones piled on either side or half-buried in the dirt. The wind picked up into a howl, and Ava felt a shiver go down her spine.
The sound again. Ava leaped down from the rooftop, fingers brushing against the cobblestones as she landed. She could hear it more clearly now, a faint mewling, and there, under a pile of rubble, she could just make out something moving.
She loped towards the collapsed front of the building. The second story had caved in, wooden supports giving way and nearly burying the entrance. Her steps slowed as she neared it. "Is anyone there?" she called, voice loud in the silence. "Are you all right?"
Another squeak, and one of the beams on the edge of the collapse shifted, sending a cascade of rubble clattering around her boots. "Okay," she said quickly, scanning the pile. "Hold on, I'll get you out." She wedged her hands under the topmost beam. "Try to stay still, okay?" Bracing her feet, she shoved.
For all her diminutive size, Ava was still a Master. The wood creaked, groaned, and lifted, allowing her to peer deeper into the mess. Through the dust and debris, she could just make out a patch of striped fur. She dropped the support to one side, panting, and rolled up her sleeves. "Hold on."
She dug, dust and sweat clinging to her face. Knuckles scraped and bruised, she finally shoved the last boulder aside and sagged against it, breathing heavily. At the center of the pile, curled in a dirty ball, lay a Chirithy. Still catching her breath, Ava fell into a kneeling position, and reached out a careful hand to touch it. It gasped softly when her fingers brushed against it, but didn't resist. She pried it free. It had lost its purse and cape, fur so caked with grime the Dream Eater symbol was barely visible. A better look revealed a rip running down its side, bits of stuffing poking out between torn stitches. The Chirithy made a small, distressed noise, and its embroidered eyes squinted open.
She tutted to herself, trying to brush some of the dirt out of the fur. "You must've been in a pretty big fight to end up like this."
It squirmed, righted itself in her hands. "Master Ava?"
"It's all right." She smiled down at it. "Who's your wielder?"
It shrank. Her grip tightened instinctively, and she had to force herself not to squeeze the little creature. "Never mind," she said quickly. "It doesn't matter."
"But Master Ava–"
"It doesn't matter," she repeated sharply. Picking herself up, she set off back towards the intact part of town. "Let's get you cleaned up."
...
She'd moved without a particular destination in mind, but found herself in a familiar alleyway, the barrels and boxes of the nearby warehouse providing a convenient shelter. She set Chirithy on a barrel. After a few minutes of rifling through the crates, she emerged with a triumphant exclamation, holding a sewing box. She sat down cross-legged in front of the barrel, investigating the sewing kit. Sure enough, it held a needle and thread, along with various other small implements. Chirithy had pushed itself into a sitting position. She studied it. "Your wielder must be worried about you, especially when they couldn't find you after the battle."
It looked down at its paws. "It was dark in that building. Everything happened so fast, I… I just hope he's okay."
She paused, halfway through threading the needle. "I'm sure he's fine. You're still here, aren't you? He's probably out there looking for you right now."
"Maybe." Chirithy twisted its paws. "There's a lot on his mind right now. I just hope he's safe." Ava scooted closer, the tip of her tongue emerging as she examined the rip in the creature's side. Carefully, she tied a knot in the end of her thread and began sewing the tear up. Chirithy gazed up at her. "Why are you helping me?"
Her tongue was still protruding slightly as she concentrated. "Hm?"
"Well…" Chirithy shifted uncertainly. "You don't know if my wielder is part of your union or not. Maybe we're enemies."
The wind had died down now, the gentle gurgle of the river the only sound. The creature sitting before her hunched its shoulders, paws clasped, eyes averted. She hesitated, then tucked the needle into her palm. Careful not to stab herself, she scratched behind the Dream Eater's ears. "You're not my enemy."
Chirithy shook its head, voice tiny. "What if you're mine? I think… I think the unions are going to fight each other."
She tensed, and felt the needle prick her palm. She quickly resumed her work, tiny stitches sealing the gap in the velvety fur. "I know." She took a deep breath, forced her voice to pitch cheerfully upward. "But right now, I just want to help you." She forced her hands to be steady. "I always thought of myself as a cat person, you know."
Chirithy tilted its head curiously. "Huh?"
"It's true!" She knotted the thread and snipped it short. She brushed the fur smooth around her repair. "I was so excited when the Master showed you to us. You were adorable! I knew immediately I wanted to protect you, and keep you safe." She smiled. "I guess you could say it was love at first sight."
The Dream Eater stood, twisting to try to see her handiwork. Its head was too large to really allow a proper vantage, and after a moment it gave up, and settled for trying to brush the rest of the dirt off itself. Ava did her best to help, scritching at the worst spots to loosen the caked grime. After a moment Chirithy shook itself, and straightened. It hopped off the barrel and bowed, its proportions making the gesture almost comical.
Ava's smile widened, and she dipped her head in return. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
The Dream Eater hesitated, eyes falling. Her smile faded. She leaned forward, cupped its oversized head in her hand. "I wanted to protect you," she said softly, almost to herself. "To keep you safe." Chirithy raised its paw to her hand. It hesitated, then gently freed itself. Ava forced another smile. "Right. You need to get going. Go find your wielder."
It took a few steps away, stopped, turned. "I'm sorry."
Ava swallowed, nodded. "Me too."
It hesitated a moment longer, then turned and plunged into the mist rising off of the river.
Ava sat unmoving in the alley, hands open in her lap. A thin trickle of red ran from the center of her palm down her wrist. Slowly she closed her fingers over it, knuckles whitening as she stared at the place where Chirithy had disappeared.
...
It took a while for Chirithy's small paws to carry it to a dark-paneled room on the edge of town. It shoved the door open, panting with exertion. A leopard-masked figure stood in one corner of the room, deep in study of a black-bound book. "Master!"
Master Gula glanced up from the Book of Prophecy, reflexively reaching for his keyblade. He relaxed as he recognized the creature, mouth curling into an incredulous smile. "Chirithy?"
The Dream Eater tottered up to him. Gula set the book down and scooped it up, running quick fingers over it. "I thought I'd lost you after that fight with Aced. What happened to you?" He brushed the seam on its side, and turned it over, examining the row of small, even stitches. "Ah. Who did this?"
"Master Ava," Chirithy said uncertainly.
Gula stiffened. He set the little creature down. Straightening, his hand traveled to his own side, and under his wide sleeve Chirithy could see a hint of bandages. "Did you tell her you were from another union?"
"No." Chirithy clasped its paws in front of its stomach, looking down. "But I think she knew."
Gula shook himself. Crouching in front of the Dream Eater, he curled his fingers around its ears. "Well, I'm just glad you're back."
"Master?"
"Hm?"
"What's a cat person?"
The corner of the boy's mouth twitched upward, and he sat back on his heels. "It's a person who likes cats. Like you." He tapped Chirithy's nose.
"Or you?" Chirithy pointed to the leopard mask.
Gula's smirk turned rueful. "I guess. Why?"
"Master Ava said she was one."
Chirithy couldn't see its master's eyes, but it saw his jaw clench. Silently, Gula stood and moved back to the desk. He picked up the Book of Prophecy and thumbed through it, turning his back to Chirithy. "Go and get some rest. We have a lot to do."
"But master, don't you–"
"I said go!" Gula snapped. His grip on the spine of the book tightened. "I need to be alone."
Chirithy backed out of the room. His gaze lingered on the Foreteller as he swung the door closed. Gula stood in the corner of the room, fingers stilled between the pages of the book. His gaze seemed to be fixed on the wall. His other hand rested, fingers splayed, over his bandaged side. Slowly, Chirithy shut the door, leaving him in solitude.
