A collaboration between me and one of my good friends from Deviantart, SonicStar21. :) She did a comic to commemorate the one-year anniversary of Balan Wonderworld being officially released into the gaming world and asked if I would put the comic into a story, which I am more than happy to do. :)

Balan Wonderworld belongs to Square Enix. Hannah belongs to SonicStar21.

Her New Family

Hannah was sitting at a table with her laptop open, quietly browsing the internet, but her mind was on a lot of things and she was so deep in thought that she didn't sense someone coming up to her nor hear his footsteps until the person spoke.

"Hello, my dear!" The person said cheerfully, smiling at her warmly.

Thankfully, Hannah had gotten used to the person appearing like that suddenly and she recognized the voice to be from Balan, the maestro of the theater she had been staying in for the past year. She glanced over to see the tall being was kneeling beside her chair, his golden ringed eyes standing out from the red hatband that was not only part of his hat, but his mask too.

"Oh, hey, Balan," she said. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much," he admitted. "Just came in to check up on you." He stood up, still smiling. "After all, we need to prepare for our one-year anniversary of you being here in the Wonderworld theater. It's such a treat!"

Hannah looked away. "Yeah, right," she said, sadness creeping into her voice. "Even after what happened last year...I'm not sure I want to be part of it."

Her reply surprised the maestro, whose smile fell as he looked to see the young girl was sad, tears starting to build up on her eyes, which concerned him greatly. "But Hannah, I thought you would be happy about this?" He said, his voice filled with worry. "You were talking about it all week and now you're full of tears." He felt his heart ache at seeing her so sad. "What's the matter, my dear?"

Hannah looked away from him. "I-It's nothing, Balan...," she said softly.

"But you're not normally like this," he gently protested. "What happened?"

She looked up at him, tears streaming from her eyes. "You want to know what happened so much, Balan?" She asked, some frustration seeping into her tone. "This year has been the worst year of my life and on top of that, I've lost so much this year as well."

Balan's face took on a sad look, feeling Hannah's heart was hurting, but he was quiet as she continued to speak.

"At the beginning of the year, things were going just fine just like any normal day," she began. "Then after the most heartbreaking birthday of my life, I thought things couldn't get worse. Boy was I wrong!"

Balan began to look sadder as he recalled all that had happened, but didn't stop her from continuing.

"My grandmother died from Alzheimer's and then my grandfather passed away that same year. And I thought again that things can't get any worse. But it did. I lost those who I considered friends when they made false information about me, called me a liar, and blamed me for things I didn't want to be part of! And I tried to give them a second chance, but they blew it and threw that away like they didn't care how I feel or even let me explain myself!"

Balan winced as he recalled this horrible time, how hard it had been for Hannah when that had happened. Her heart, which had already been hurting from her grandparents' deaths, broke even more when she had been betrayed. He had hated to see that she had been hurt so badly. Even Lance had been disgusted to hear what Hannah's former friends had done. Sniffling brought the maestro back to the present and he saw fresh tears falling down the girl's face as her voice took on a sadder tone.

"Then I wonder why...why do people hate me so much after all I did? I did nothing but support them...helped them...be there for them...and comfort them in hard times." She sniffled again. "And all I get in return is heartbreaks and betrayal...it's not fair." She paused again. "I never wanted to be the victim of all of this, but it seems to come to me whether I like it or not."

As more tears fell down her face, Balan gave her a sympathetic look, showing her he was still listening as she laid her feelings out bare, her voice now sounding depressed as she couldn't stop crying.

"Maybe I should give up," she continued. "There's no point for me to make things right. I tried so hard to not get into trouble, but all I want is to never feel alone again." Her voice began to break now. "I-I'll never have trustworthy friends who truly care about me...no one cared about me because they only pretend they cared just to use me."

Balan was now getting worried as she said that. "Dear...," he said softly, reaching a hand towards her, but she didn't notice as she was hurting so much and her voice continued breaking.

"Maybe they're right," she said, referring to the ones that hurt her. "Maybe I'm just the bad guy even though I'm really kind and respectful to others." Her voice finally began to give out as her tears continued running down her face, unable to be stopped. "I-I deserve to be alone...I-I...,"

She was surprised when a gloved hand gently cupped the left side of her face. "Hannah...," Balan's voice broke through to her. "Hush now," he commanded gently.

The brown-haired girl looked up at him, tears still running down her face as his glove caught some of her tears, but he paid that no mind. His gaze softened more as he began to speak. "Calm down now, my dear. Your dark thoughts are clouding the truth right in front of you."

Hannah was quiet as she looked up at him, seeing he looked sad too. "Indeed, this year hasn't been...pleasant since the pandemic happened a year go," he continued. "I don't blame you for feeling isolated by this." His face then brightened and a gentle smile came to his face as his tone turned more comforting and uplifting. "But think of it like this," he said, holding his other hand up in a gesture of 'take a look'. "You made friends and still have your closest friends to help you through this! They care about you as much as you care about them!"

Hannah was quiet as Balan pointed that out, but knew he was right. She had made new friends and her closest friends hadn't abandoned her. Even the friends of her closest friends had come to show their support, becoming her friends and standing up for her. Seeing she was starting to calm down more, the maestro continued.

"I know it's hard to lose those you care about and that don't understand it was a misunderstanding and you were just caught up in a situation that was only caused by fear and stress." He now gently grasped her shoulders, making her look up at him as he smiled again. "But I know that your heart is made of pure gold cause of your kind nature and a diamond in the rough. No one can replace that or cover it up in a fog of lies they made about you. Don't let this corrupt you and anyone who truly cares about you."

His kind words made her tears stop falling, though her eyes were still brimming with tears as she began to feel better, having gotten all that stress off her chest. She now felt a gentle hand grasp her chin and tilt her head gently upwards so that she was looking into Balan's golden eyes as he continued smiling at her. "Now, no tears for your doubting fears," he said, his voice becoming encouraging and upbeat. "I want to see that radiant smile of yours that shines like the stars!"

Hannah looked at him, his upbeat personality and voice starting to help the last of the hurt to go away. She then felt gloved fingers gently squeeze her chin encouragingly. "Come on," Balan cooed to her, his tone becoming a bit playful. "Let me see it!"

Okay, now she was having a hard time not smiling because he was doing that and her mouth twitched upwards a little at the corners, which Balan noticed and took as encouragement. "Come on," he said, giving her chin another gentle squeeze.

She gave in as a genuine smile came to her face and Balan's own smile brightened. "Ah, there's that smile that brightens the room!" He said, glad to see she was starting to feel better. His gloved hand then gently rested on her head, gently ruffling her hair. "Never lose that adorable smile of yours, Hannah." He then chuckled, which made her smile more, her earlier upset gone as she felt a lot better now.

Balan suddenly perked up again. "Oh, almost forgot," he said, reaching behind his back and pulling out a medium sized box that fit in the palm of his hand. It was purple in color and had a red ribbon tied around it, ending in a perfect bow on top of the gift. "Here," the maestro said, giving it to her. "For you, my dear."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What is it?" She asked curiously, her tears drying up.

"Just a little gift Lance and I made you," Balan told her, still smiling as he placed the gift in Hannah's arms.

She gazed at the gift, still curious. "But for what occasion?" She asked. It wasn't a holiday that she was aware of and her birthday had already passed.

"Call it a late birthday gift," the maestro said. "Now, I must attend to the preparations and need you to get ready. I'll see you at the Isle of Tims when you're ready and don't dawdle now, Hannah."

He said the last part gently as he walked away from her and she gazed at his retreating back, curious. I wonder why he wants me to be ready, she thought to herself before looking at the gift and curiosity won over as she began opening it. Maybe it's some kind of watch or necklace?

She opened the gift and peered inside.

What she saw made her gasp softly as her eyes opened wide with wonder at the gift.

One hour later...

Balan and Lance were at the Isle of Tims, waiting for Hannah, but the Maestro of Positivity was getting anxious. "I'm worried about her, Lance," he said, making his counterpart look over at him. "She doesn't take this long to get ready," Balan continued, feeling more worried now. "Maybe this was a bad idea to tell her-."

Lance glanced behind his counterpart and smiled slightly. "Hold that thought, Balan," he requested.

The green-haired being looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Lance continued to smile. "Because our guest of honor has arrived," he said.

"Our...," Balan repeated before turning around quickly. "Guest?!"

But it wasn't a new guest. "Um, hey, guys," said Hannah as she stood before them wearing a beautiful black dress that was accented with gold and a bit of purple and gold shoulder straps. A red off-the-shoulder wrap that was also accented with gold was around her while she wore black leggings and black heeled boots also accented with red and gold. She wore gold hoop earrings and a pair of star glasses with purple lenses completed the outfit. "Sorry I'm late," she said, her face a bit pink in embarrassment that she had made them wait for an hour. "The outfit was hard to put on," she admitted.

"Not at all, little one. You're just in time," Lance said forgivingly, still smiling a little.

Balan, on the other hand, was surprised and he got stars in his eyes. "Hannah...," he said before a huge grin broke out on his face. "You look amazing, my dear!"

He had hoped the outfit he and Lance had made for her would fit and it looked like it not only fit Hannah perfectly, but made her shine. "Look at you! You look lovely in the outfit, my dear!" The Maestro of Positivity gushed, his smile huge as he picked her up and lifted her up as a parent would when they were proud of their young child.

"R-Really?" Hannah asked, looking a bit shy. In truth, she loved the outfit, feeling it was special since the two maestros had made it for her.

"Of course, my dear! Come here!"

Balan pulled Hannah into a warm hug, happy that she liked the outfit and that she had come to the Isle. She looks so lovely, he thought to himself, feeling proud of the girl who he was fond of. I'm glad she can come out of her shell to join us. I hope she likes what's to come soon.

For he and Lance had a surprise for Hannah, one he knew his counterpart hoped the girl would like. "I'm glad you can join us, my dear," the green-haired maestro said, still hugging her.

Hannah hugged Balan back, enjoying the feeling of fatherly love and comfort the hug gave her. This feels...amazing, she thought to herself as she didn't want to leave the warm hug, tears starting to come to her eyes again. I wish this can last.

She felt a finger gently brush against her face under her eye, wiping away a tear. "Huh?" She said quietly.

"Now why shed tears, little one?" Lance asked, a gentle smile on his face. "You've been through so much and have a lot of weight on your shoulders."

Hannah looked at him, his gentle voice helping her to feel a bit better before she heard him speak again. "It's time for me and Balan to take those weights off of you so you can feel light and relaxed." A gentle clawed finger wiped away another tear from the girl's face, making her smile a little as the Maestro of Negativity's tenderness. "Now, dry those tears and smile. We have a celebration to go to."

"Lance is right, my dear," Balan said, gently pulling away from the hug to look at Hannah. "It's time to celebrate." He adjusted his hold on her so that he was holding her with her back to his chest so that she could watch what he was about to do. "But first, let us get the set ready! What do you say, Hannah? Ready for the show to start?"

Hannah was quiet for a moment before replying. "I don't know, Balan," she said honestly. "My Balance is still damaged from what happened last year...sure, the inhabitants are nice and nice to hang around with...,"

She looked down. "But I feel like I got it all for granted and a feel like I don't deserve it," she continued. "I'm not trying to sound selfish, but is my kindness good enough for anything?"

At her question, Balan smiled gently, seeing that the girl was being insightful while at the same time acknowledging that she was still hurting a bit. She also didn't want to take the happiness she had been given at the theater for granted, but also wanted to know if it was possible that her kindness was truly worth it in the end. "Heh," he chuckled lightly, reaching up to his hat brim and removing his hat, though Hannah didn't notice. "Indeed, kindness alone is not enough to make it far, let alone healing a wound," he said, his tone gentle before he began adjusting his hold on the girl, surprising her a bit. "But I believe that the actions of one's kindness are more than enough to get you far and to a better path."

Hannah felt him turn her around to face him and to her surprise, she saw him looking at her in his true form. She knew that he never did that unless he felt it was necessary or had something very important to say. "Those who take your kindness as being naïve and an easy target are never true. Your love for your friends is much stronger than you think."

He pulled her into another hug, one hand gently resting on her head. "Never forget this, Hannah," he continued, his voice comforting. "We are all here for you no matter what cause we all love you."

The kind words brought more tears to her eyes and Hannah snuggled more into the hug, closing her eyes as her tears fell down her face, but not in sadness this time. This time, they were the tears of someone that was touched by the kindness of the two maestros and the fact that they wouldn't abandon her and accepted her. She then heard Balan speak again. "No matter what happens, we'll stay by your side," he promised.

"Balan is right, little Hannah," Lance spoke up, to which Hannah opened her teary eyes to look at him, showing him she was listening. "You have us and your friends to protect you from those that want to hurt you." The tendriled being smiled more. "After all, what kind of parental figures would let this happen? Surely not Balan and I, little one."

Hannah blinked, Lance's words confusing her a little as she lifted up her head to look at the green-haired maestro who was still holding her in a hug. "Balan, what does Lance mean by parental figures?" She asked in confusion and curiosity.

"Well, I was hoping we could tell you after the show, but better now than ever," Balan said, gently wiping away her tears with his gloved thumb as he continued speaking, his voice taking a very gentle tone. "Hannah, we know you had challenging life struggles, so Lance and I decided to take you in and help you improve your development and skills in a calm environment."

Lance came closer to them, reaching a hand towards Hannah's face and gently wiping away her tears too. "But to simply put it if you wish for it to be...," he trailed off.

"Hannah, will it be alright...," Balan began before he and Lance spoke in unison, their hands gently cupping the girl's face.

"Will you let us be your fathers and be our little Maestro?"

A look of surprise came to Hannah's face as she processed the question. They saw her as a daughter and wanted to be her fathers? "Balan...," she said in surprise. "Lance...,"

Tears came to her eyes again before she felt the two pull her into a comforting hug and she managed to answer through her happy tears. "Y-Yes! Y-Yes! A million times yes!"

Her tears fell down her face again, but this time in happiness. "T-Thank you," she managed to say.

"You're welcome, my little star," Balan replied in a fatherly tone as he continued hugging her.

"And welcome to your new family, princess," Lance said, his tone also fatherly.

The three sat together for a photo, which a photographer, who looked like a tan humanoid camera wearing a black fendora, was already there. A blue time with purple eyes and cat ears jumped up into Hannah's lap and she held it in one arm while she sat in Balan's lap, her right hand holding onto his left hand as his right hand was gently wrapped around her right shoulder. Lance sat beside Balan and his left hand was gently wrapped around Hannah's left shoulder. The photographer took the picture and gave it to them. "Congratulations," they said with a smile.

"Thank you," Balan said to them before he, Lance, and Hannah headed off to the performance and celebration that the two maestros had planned for their new daughter.

The photographer smiled before removing the fendora and magic swirled around them before someone stepped away from him. A young woman, who was holding the black fendora, smiled at the humanoid camera, who smiled back. "She looks so happy," he said, referring to Hannah.

"She deserves it," the young woman said, still smiling. "I think she's going to be okay from now on."

"With those two as her fathers, I have no doubt you're right."

"Annalise! Snaplens! We need you!" Came Ladderman's voice a bit urgently.

"Coming!" The purple-haired woman called back with a smile before looking back at her companion. "Well, come on, my friend."

"Right behind you," the humanoid camera said, both smiling as they were happy Hannah now had a new family who would not only keep her safe, but make sure she felt loved and never felt lonely ever again.

Annalise and Snaplens belong to me. :)

Please leave a review for SonicStar21 and myself, but no flames! Any flames will be removed and reported.

If you'd like to read the comic, go to my page on Deviantart, CrazygirlAuto5, and look up this story on there. You will find the link to the comic there. :)

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