A/N: After taking a month to relax (and to finish up classes), here is the beginning of a collection of one-shots taking place after the events of With You Unto Dawn!
Chapters will possibly be a bit shorter than the main story and updates will come when I have an idea that I like. I've already got two other ideas after this one to plan out, but just like WYUD, chapters will come when they are ready.

And if you haven't already, it's strongly recommended to read WYUD first before reading these one-shots.

I'm also in the outline phase of my next big story, though it won't be OneShot related. I'll be working on that as well as these one-shots so I've got my hands pretty full for this month so keep your eyes open.

As always, reviews are always appreciated, and don't forget to leave a favorite/follow if you enjoyed reading. Enjoy!

With You Unto Dawn: Aftermath

Story Theme: Children of the Sun (Alexander Theatre Sessions) - Poets of the Fall

A New Kind of Normal

My eyes opened to see the ceiling of the guest room. Confused, I looked over at the nearby alarm clock that sat atop the bedside dresser.

5:42 AM.

"Again, huh...?" I sighed and sat up while I rubbed my eyes. This was the fifth time I had woken up either super early or, if I was unfortunate enough, in the middle of the night. Knowing I wasn't going to be able to fall back to sleep, I threw off the covers and got dressed. While I did so, my gaze drifted over to the calendar that hung over the desk close by.

It's been two weeks since Niko and I came back from the World Machine. Two weeks since I left my own world. I silently creeped out of my room so as to not accidentally wake anybody up, but I stopped outside Niko's room and peeked through the door to check on her.

She was curled up on her bed with her hat hanging off one of the bedposts, sleeping soundly while her arms were wrapped around her owl plush. "Mr. Banana Bread", as she so eloquently called him, was buried underneath the weight of the child that I was certain that if he were real, he'd be suffocating right now. On the far side of the room, I could see her crayon drawings of the people we had met back in the World Machine. Silver, Calamus, Alula, Maize, Plight, Ling, Rue, Proto, Cedric...

It was nice to see that we wouldn't forget about them anytime soon.

I made my down the hallway, passed through the living room, and made my way into the kitchen. Before, I never really had the opportunity to try coffee. Now, it's fair to say that I can hardly wake up without it. While I waited for the kettle to heat up, I looked out the window. The sun hadn't risen past the horizon, but the sky was beginning to brighten with reds and yellows as the moon said its goodbye. There were also some other people that were leaving their houses; early risers to get ahead on work they had to do for today.

I frowned. I knew I couldn't just sit around and do nothing all the time, but I was so used to being on the move that I had no clue how to hold a job or even knowing what I would be good at. There was so much to figure out now and none of it was familiar to me.

The kettle whistled. I grabbed an empty cup and some cream and poured myself a nice steaming cup of coffee. I held the cup up to my nose, letting the smell work its way through me while I went out onto the porch and sat down on the steps. The air was still chilly but the warmth provided by the coffee was enough to help me ignore it.

"Up early again, Alan?"

I looked over my shoulder to see Dahlia standing in the doorway. She was back in her usual outfit while her hair was out of the ponytail and draped over her shoulder and back, exposing her cat-like ears to the chilly morning air.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

She shook her head, "I usually get up around this time." Her smile fell, "Had trouble sleeping again?"

I shrugged, "Not really."

She walked over and sat down next to me, "Well, I'm not going to act like something isn't wrong."

I sighed, "It's just a bad habit that I'm still trying to deal with."

"A bad habit?"

"Yeah..."

We sat in silence for a bit. The soft wind washed over us, disturbing the peace of the wheat field that surrounded the village as the horizon continued to brighten.

"...Do you want to talk about it?"

I glanced over at her. Her eyes, illuminated with golden light just like Niko's, had darkened slightly. Yet another thing that I wasn't used to having: someone to listen.

"I guess...I'm still not used to this world just yet."

"What do you mean?"

My eyes fell to my coffee, "...When I was still in my world, I always forced myself to sleep lightly so that in the event that someone ended up finding me, I could be ready to make a getaway." I chuckled solemnly, "I don't have to do that anymore, but I guess old habits die hard."

I took a drink, feeling my body finally start waking up, before I heard Dahlia speak again.

"What was it like, if you don't mind me asking?"

Memories of curling up in a dark corner, trying to sleep under the pelting of rain, and bolting out of the city once the sun came up flashed through my mind.

"...Lonely."

I flinched slightly when I felt her hand fall onto my shoulder. I turned to her to see her smiling at me.

"You won't have to worry about that anymore. You know that, right?"

I smiled, "...Yeah, I do. It's just something I still need to get used to."

She let go and we fell back into a peaceful silence as the first rays of light started to shine past the horizon. I took another drink and glanced over at her again, "...I know I said this already, but...thank you for letting me stay here."

"You're welcome. Niko would probably raise a fuss if I didn't let you," she giggled.

"That she would."

"...What would I do?"

Dahlia and I looked back to see Niko standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes as she struggled to open them while holding onto her plush.

My smile grew, "Mornin' Niko."

"Mmm...good morning..."

"Did we wake you up, honey?" Dahlia asked.

"...Kinda," she mumbled as she sat down next to me and rested her head against my arm, prompting me to wrap it around her, "You woke up early again, Alan."

"I know."

"Are you alright?"

"I am now."

One of her eyes peeked open as she smiled before closing it, "Good."

I ran a hand through her hair as she melted into my side. I chuckled. Even if I wasn't quite used to this world yet, I could easily get used to this.

"Oh, before I forget, I did have some errands today I was hoping you could run for me, Alan," Dahlia said.

"What do you need?"

"Nothing much. I'll tell you over breakfast. Speaking of which..."

"Pancakes!" Niko beamed as she bolted up, now completely awake at the prospect of Dahlia's hazelnut pancakes.

Dahlia laughed, "I'll get started on those right away." She stood up, flashing me one last smile before heading back inside.

I peered down at Niko, "Well, nice to see you fully awake now."

Niko blushed, "I can't help it when it's Mama's pancakes."

"Does this mean I can bribe you with pancakes at any time?"

"Maaayybe..."

We both burst into giggles. Once we calmed down, we stayed with each other as we watched the sunrise. Its rays illuminated the wheat, shining its golden colors through the fields until it morphed into a sea of yellows, reds, and oranges.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Niko asked.

"Well, there's the errands your mom has for me. Want to help me out with those?"

"Yeah!"

I smiled and wrapped her in a one-arm hug, "I knew you'd say that."

She returned the hug with fervor before bouncing to her feet, "C'mon, those pancakes aren't gonna eat themselves!"

"Right behind you," I chuckled.

I started to follow Niko back inside, but not before taking one last look at the sunrise over my shoulder. Dawn never felt so refreshing to see and I'm glad I could savor it now.

My new life starts now.