"You might want to hold on to something," Skuld said.

Obediently, they gripped the copilot's chair. Then it felt like they were being warped as the ship flew at incomprehensible speeds for a long two seconds.

It happened so quickly and was over so fast that it took Sora a moment to realize what had occurred. When his mind processed it, he stumbled back and leaned against the wall. Cookie seemed to feel similarly. Kairi looked stricken, Riku was stiff, Candace was disoriented, Pixie had fallen down, and Dawn was shivering fearfully as it clutched Riku's wrist.

"Still alive?" Skuld asked.

"Y-yes." Sora stammered shakily in reply.

"I think that was worse than when we took off." Kairi murmured.

She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I keep forgetting you guys aren't used to this."

"I thought it was a bit like a roller coaster!" Candace declared, taking a step forward but nearly tripping over herself. "Whoopsie daisy! I'm okay!"

"Hopefully the sight will be worth it." Skuld nodded, her gaze fixed on what was outside the window.

Sora blinked, exiting the ship and swiveled his head towards the sight.

The view was even better up close.

People walked on clean streets, chatting with one another and laughing. There was a clock tower in the distance that rang merry greetings that almost sounded like it was directed towards the new arrivals, as if to say, "Welcome, welcome!" The pristine citadels and polished homes glittered like stars.

The others got out of the ship and Skuld smiled, "Follow me."

"Wow..." Kairi breathed. Pixie walked beside her, constantly swiveling its head to keep up with the demand of the busy scenery. "This place is beautiful!"

"I think I'd get lost here," said Sora, holding Cookie in his arms.

"You'd get lost even if you had a map." Riku scoffed.

"I'm gonna pretend not to be offended."

Skuld shook her head affectionately, "I wouldn't be surprised. About eighty percent of non-emergency police station visits are from lost children who got separated from their parents."

"Hey, Sora!" Riku smirked, "You're a little kid whose mother is in another world. You need to go to the police station?"

"I'm not lost, moron. But I think your mind is!"

"Both of you need to go to a mental hospital." Kairi rolled her eyes, giving Sora's shoulder a light push. Pixie saw this and trotted over to Riku to shove the latter's arm. Hard. Riku stumbled in shock at the strength of it. Dawn zipped in front of Pixie and flapped its wings with unintelligible, angry squawks.

"Hey, calm down, you guys." Skuld said, surprisingly tranquil.

Dawn huffed and perched on Riku's shoulder. Pixie returned to Kairi's side, tossing its colorful head. Sora piped up, "So, where are we going?"

"The clock tower." Skuld pointed at the glittering, magnificent building. The sounds of chimes and bells flew across the air, but most of them came from that place in particular.

"What's in there again?"

"The Foretellers."

"Who?"

She laughed, "Right, sorry. I'm so forgetful. The leader of Scala Ad Caelum and Daybreak Town is known as the Master of Masters. He has six apprentices, and they are known as the Foretellers: Ira, Aced, Invi, Gula, and Ava, who is Sora's Master!"

"Oh, wow!" He grinned, then paused, "Wait, Master Of Masters? Is that, like, a legit title? Do you even know his real name? Or is it 'of Masters'?"

She coughed, clearly stifling a laugh. "Please, don't. The Master of Masters enjoys being...mysterious." The way she put emphasis on the last word implied that this guy's 'mystery' wasn't completely serious.

He muttered a consent.

As they got closer to the clock tower, Sora was able to grasp how large it really was. From far away it stood grand and tall, but up close, it was extremely daunting. He returned his gaze to what was in front of him.

There were two people- both male- who were in front of the clock tower's decorated doors. They were talking to each other and nodding, their expressions pleasant.

Skuld grinned, and called, "Ephemer! Brain! Great to see you guys!"

The two young men stopped their conversation and looked over, puzzled, before they lit up. One of them, who had somewhat curly grey hair and glittering blue eyes, ran up, closing the distance between them. "Skuld! You're back! How was your patrol?"

"Find anything interesting?" The other one walked over. He was wearing a black hat with a large feather sprouting from it.

"Actually, I did." Skuld gestured to those behind her. "This is Sora, Kairi, Riku, and Candace. Guys, this is Ephemer and Brain. They're members of the Dandelions like me." She pointed to the respective people as their names came up.

"Nice to meet you." Sora said, smiling meekly when he realized these two were also part of the elite wielder group. Cookie let out a happy squeal of greeting.

"Hi," Kairi and Riku said. Candace waved merrily.

The one named Ephemer grinned at them, "Nice to meet you guys, too. Don't think I've seen you around."

"They're Keyblade wielders," Skuld explained. "From the world I went to. There was a Heartless attack."

"What? Oh no!" His brow furrowed, and Brain frowned worriedly. "A Heartless attack? Is everything okay over there?"

"Yeah, I fixed it. And I found these guys in the process. And the children didn't know they were wielders until just yesterday when they summoned their Keyblades. Sora here was the first to do so. Long story short- surprise, surprise- we found out that Master Ava was the one who passed down the Keyblade to him."

"Oh, okay, that makes sense- wait, what?!" Ephemer shrieked.

Brain's eyes had shot open. "Master Ava has chosen a successor?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Go ahead and scream it to the whole wide worlds, Eph." Skuld snorted. "Yeah, I was surprised too. But Master Ava replaced his memories, locking away the real ones with a seal that would break when the darkness came and he needed to defend himself. So, now I want him to meet her. Can you take us inside?"

Ephemer shook his head rapidly, getting over the shock. "Uh, r-right. But if you're looking to talk to Master Ava, you might have to wait a little bit because she's in a meeting with the other Foretellers right now."

"We can bring you inside, though." Brain smiled at them, "Follow us."

Everything about the clock tower was amazing. The walls and floor glittered like gemstones, the large gears turned and ticked in a soothing, repetitive way, and most of the furniture looked soft and comfortable. The decor, too, was aesthetically appealing. There were banners and potted plants that complemented the gold, silver, and white of the building.

Dawn crooned and flew up, up, up, playing by itself in the air. It dove and flapped in spirals and twists, enjoying the wide open space. Pixie would occasionally rear up on its hind legs and playfully interrupt one of the Komory Bat's dives, while Cookie seemed to like bouncing on the chairs and rolling around on the clean floor.

However, Sora decided to hold the Dream Eater in his arms after it jumped off of a particularly bouncy chair and ended up on Ephemer's head. Kairi thought it was hilarious and snapped a picture of it.

Soon they stopped in front of a large doorway. Sora could hear faint, muffled voices talking inside. Pixie noticed that, despite being closed, the doors were more than big enough for it to fit through. The Pegaslick whinnied softly, and attempted to nudge them open.

"Not yet," Kairi soothed, stroking her Dream Eater's neck. Pixie snorted and leaned into her hands.

In Sora's hands, Cookie squealed and wriggled excitedly, escaping his grasp. It jumped up and down, attempting (and significantly failing) to reach Dawn's varying heights as the latter continued to flap around and dive.

Skuld shook her head fondly, then turned to look at Ephemer and Brain. "How long have they been in their meeting, and what's it for?"

"I think they're just discussing some events that have come up in Daybreak Town and Scala Ad Caelum," Ephemer replied. "I didn't keep track of how long they've been in there, though..."

"Half an hour," snorted Brain.

"Half an hour! Right! That sounds accurate!"

Kairi giggled and tapped a couple things on her phone. A second later, Riku's phone vibrated. He cocked an eyebrow at her and checked it, before snorting and texting back.

Sora pouted, "Hey, if you're gonna tell secrets, don't do it in front of me!"

Candace leaned over Riku's shoulder curiously, her eyes flickering across the screen as she read it. She grinned at whatever she saw.

"Guys, no fair! What'd you say?"

"I'll tell you later," Kairi waved her hand dismissively.

"Tell me now!"

"Shh." Skuld hushed them, "I think they're almost done."

Sure enough, the voices had died down. Sora made a face, but didn't say anything as he listened to what was near silence.

The doors opened. The first person that walked out was probably two or three heads taller than Sora. He paused, and looked down at the young wielder. The man wore a bear mask that hid the features above his nose. He gazed at Sora for a moment, who swallowed at its intensity, before looking at everyone else. He also seemed to notice Dawn performing flippant loopty-loops in the air.

"...What is this?" he grunted.

"Visitors," Skuld said politely, giving a small bow. "I was bringing them to speak with Master Ava."

The man hummed a little, as if interested. Sora was extremely tempted to take a step back- he didn't think it was worth suffering a crick in his neck just to try and look this guy where his eyes were supposed to be.

"Aced, what's the holdup? You're blocking seventy percent of the door's length." A young man's voice rang out from behind.

The tall man- apparently Aced- turned around to send a disapproving look at whoever it was. "A polite request to move over would have sufficed, Gula."

A boy with a leopard mask appeared when Aced stepped away, "Yeah, that's not how I roll." He gazed at the newcomers curiously, going over to and leaning against the wall opposite them.

Aced snorted and walked down the hall, apparently deciding to leave it at that. Two others came out wearing masks as well. One of them seemed to be wearing that of a snake, and the other looked like a unicorn. Sora tried to keep a straight face, still intimidated by these people.

They, too, stared at him. The one with the unicorn mask looked at the Dandelion members present, "What are they here for?"

"They want to speak with Master Ava." Ephemer chirped.

The other one spoke, her voice feminine and aloof, "What for? Complaints?"

"No." Skuld replied.

"That's new," she snorted, taking a moment to stare at Sora before deciding that he wasn't a threat. She waved her hand and turned to leave, "Don't let your Dream Eaters break anything. Come on, Ira."

The man with the unicorn mask- addressed as Ira- stole one last look at them before following her. Riku glanced at Dawn in a way that suggested he wanted the Komory Bat to come down. As if sensing this, Dawn fluttered onto its owner's head, content with its perch there.

One more person came out. He was wearing a black coat with the hood pulled over his head, completely hiding any features he had. "Hello," he greeted pleasantly, not seeming to mind the new people.

"Master Luxu," Skuld dipped her head in acknowledgement, with Ephemer and Brain following suit.

His posture suggested he was smiling. He turned his head towards them, curious, before inquiring, "I heard you're here to talk to Ava?"

"Yep!" Candace chirped.

"Well, I hope you all are enjoying the sight of the clock tower." He nodded before going down the way they had entered, probably to leave the building.

"I think that's it," Skuld said. "Come on, let's go inside."

Entering the room, Sora took a moment to drink in the sight. The room was a little less spacious than he'd expected- most of the furniture was close together, with the tables and even some of the stray chairs having stacks of books, papers, and strange glowing potions on them.

There was a table in the middle of it all that reminded Sora of that strange place: his Dive To The Heart. It was made of stained glass and, unlike a regular table, had no legs. Instead it resembled a short pillar. It was mainly blue and green with floral patterns that ranged in color. He saw tints of indigo and rather liked it.

But then he saw the woman who was still seated there.

She wore pink robes lined with gold, which rippled in the breeze coming from the open window. Little blue gems dangled from the top layer of the robes. A mask that resembled a fox concealed her eyes, and the hood pulled over her head had two silver ears protruding from it. She was leaning over a book, whose pages were yellowed and delicate. Bathed in sunlight, she looked like something straight out of a fairy tale.

And Sora recognized her instantly.

"Master Ava?" Skuld approached her, "There are people here to see you."

"Hm?" The woman looked up. She seemed no older than she was in Sora's memory. "Oh, really?" She turned her gaze onto the newcomers and smiled sweetly. "Greetings. Please, take a seat." Her voice was flowing and kind, a bit like sunlight or honey.

Still rather surprised, Sora sat down directly across from her. Cookie yipped and declined the polite invitation by leaping onto the table, barely making the three feet height, bouncing over to the youthful woman and trying to instigate a wrestling match, bopping her shoulder with its head.

Instead of turning annoyed or startled, Master Ava seemed delighted. "Oh, a Dream Eater!" She picked Cookie up and stroked its head. "How adorable! Whose is this?"

"Uh, m-mine," Sora said, not really knowing the proper reaction for this situation. "S-sorry about Cookie, I think it likes you."

"It's quite alright. I think Spirits are wonderful creatures." Gently she placed Cookie back on the table, and the Meow Wow bounded back to Sora's side. "Now, what was it you wanted to speak about?"

"Well, Master Ava." Skuld nodded at Sora and Cookie, "We found your successor. That's his Dream Eater."

Immediately she got to her feet, shock and horror flashing across the visible parts of her face. She whipped her head around to look at Sora, and clasped her hands together. "...so that's why you were familiar..." she murmured. Her emotion had melted into deep worry.

Startled by her reaction, Riku and Kairi glanced at each other. Master Ava spoke up, "I suppose this means that you have summoned your Keyblade, and the darkness has encroached onto your world."

"Shadows attacked my school yesterday." Sora said, shifting uncomfortably.

Se wrung her hands. "Oh, no. I was hoping this wouldn't happen..." she sighed, her shoulders falling low. "Well, I suppose now would be the time for new wielders to emerge. Heartless sightings have been getting more frequent lately, especially in places like the Land Of Departure. The balance is getting disrupted."

She looked over at Sora and smiled, her posture softening. "I didn't ever get your name, young man."

"Sora." He managed not to stammer, and respectfully dipped his head as he remembered her high status.

"No need for formalities. You may just call me Ava." She looked over at the other three. "And you all are?"

"I'm Riku. This is Kairi and my Master, Candace. We're Sora's friends." Riku explained. He was holding Dawn in his hands, stroking the content Spirit's fur.

"It would be safe to assume that everyone here wields Keyblades?"

Instead of a verbal response, Candace, Riku, and Kairi summoned their special weapons. Ava smiled and nodded. "That's wonderful. Three young Keyblade wielders and a Master. How ever did you find them?" She looked at Skuld, Ephemer, and Brain, who had stayed mostly silent throughout the entire ordeal.

Ephemer replied, "It wasn't Brain and I. Skuld found 'em."

"I was assigned to Radiant Gardens yesterday," Skuld explained. "But I decided to check out Destiny Islands, too. And it just so happened that the Shadows had just attacked the school. I went to the principal's office, these four were in there, and I showed my Dandelion symbol. Candace recognized it." She nodded at the Chemistry teacher.

Candace hummed, "My parents were actually from here, but I was born in the Land of Departure."

"That's...quite a coincidence, actually." Ava laughed a little, "Well, I'm very pleased to have all of you here. Although, I would like to know- who is Kairi's Master?"

"We're still figuring that out, actually." Skuld chimed in, "Apparently Candace could sense she was a wielder, which means she was familiar with Kairi's Master. So we plan on going to the Land of Departure as soon as time allows. If that's alright with you, of course."

Master Ava nodded. "That will work out just fine. Before then, I can finally train my successor." She smiled at Sora.

"Am I going to have any part in this very interesting ordeal?"

Their heads snapped up and swiveled towards the sound of the voice. The man in the leopard mask- Gula, is Sora remembered correctly- was leaning in the doorway with a small smirk on his face.

"How long were you slinking in the shadows, Gula?" Ava asked.

"I wouldn't say 'slinking'." Gula replied, "More like hiding in plain sight while all of this goes on." He waved a hand towards them.

"You didn't answer the question."

He shrugged, "I've been watching ever since the people who I've never seen before came inside to talk to you."

"I appreciate your concern." Ava smiled, "Could you notify the Master about our new guests?"

"What if he already knows?"

"...You have a point." She shook her head fondly. "Alright, could you just tell the other Foretellers?"

"Sure, sure," Gula cast an amused look towards Sora. "See you around." Then he left.

"Skuld, Ephemer, Brain. You're dismissed."

"Yes, Master Ava." The three Dandelions bowed and walked away. To where, Sora figured a patrol of some sort.

Ava turned to them, "Now, then. Shall I show you to your rooms?"

"Um, yes, please." Sora scooped up Cookie, who yipped gleefully. "That'd be great."

The guest rooms were fancy and reminded Sora of a hotel. They were staying in the clock tower, which he was grateful for. He didn't think that, if he stayed in a hotel and went anywhere else, that he'd be able to find his way back.

Master Ava said that they could train tomorrow. "Unpack your bags and relax for the day," she'd told them. "Get used to the clock tower, and let me know if you need anything."

So here he was, in the room he'd be staying in for at least a few days. He put down his belongings and looked around. Cookie hopped onto the bed and entertained itself by jumping on the dark red blankets. Sora laughed and went over to the window. The curtains, which were a pleasant sunflower yellow, were blocking the glass, so he pulled them aside.

The sunlight streamed in, dappling the carpeted floor with its warm glow. And the view was beautiful: the people below, no bigger than pencils; the shining citadels in their splendor; the flowers hanging from them, so healthy that from far away they looked like gems. It certainly took first place for all the places he'd ever seen.

He opened the window and allowed the chatter of the people and the fresh air to enter his room. He took a deep breath, admiring the sight for another few minutes before remembering something. He took out his phone.

Hotel4Hearts: You guys there?

SilverLining: Yup.

PaopuGirl: So pretty from up here! What's up?

Hotel4Hearts: When we were waiting to talk to Ava, what did you tell Riku?

SilverLining: Ha. That.

PaopuGirl: Ohhhh riiiight

PaopuGirl: I said that u and Ephemer are similar

Hotel4Hearts: What?

SilverLining: You're both funny, weird, and oblivious most of the time.

Hotel4Hearts: For ur sake, I'm taking that as a compliment since I'm being compared to a Dandelion

SilverLining: Believe what you want.

PaopuGirl: Looool

Later that day, as the sun was beginning to dip in the sky, Sora, Riku, and Kairi were walking around the front of the clock tower, engaging in idle chatter. But then, Brain went up to them, frowning.

"Excuse me, you three. Can I ask you something?"

"What's wrong?" Riku inquired.

He was looking around, concerned. "There's a Dandelion pair who went on patrol this morning. They haven't called in yet, though, and I'm getting worried."

"How are we supposed to help?" As much as Sora was worried, he didn't see what they could do.

"Well, if you see them, let me know. Their names are Lauriam and Strelitzia."

"What do they look like?" Kairi questioned.

Brain took a picture out of his pocket. "Here. This is a group photo we did a while back. Here's Lauriam, and this is Strelitzia." He pointed to a man with spiky pink hair, and then a shyly smiling girl with orange pigtails. "You can keep this. Give it back to me once you've found them."

Sora took it. "Okay, Brain. We'll keep an eye out."

"Thank you." He turned and left.

Not two hours later, the trio was heading back inside the clock tower. But then a loud commotion from the people on Scala Ad Caelum's streets alerted them. Startled, they whipped around and tensed, expecting a fight. But that wasn't what they got.

Instead, a man stumbled out of the confused crowd, panting heavily. His clothes were torn and dirty, there were bruises and cuts on his face, and his spiky pink hair was messed up and all over the place.

The man from the photo: Lauriam.

"Master Ava!" He yelled, "Anyone who's a healer! I need help!"

Sora, Riku, and Kairi were horrified at what- or rather, who- he was holding.

Clutched protectively in Lauriam's arms, unconscious and in worse condition than him, was the girl with the orange hair.

Looks like they had found the two Dandelions Brain had been worried about.

And now, they had every reason to panic.

Minty220: I loved the Dream Eaters in 3D so much because they were adorable, and I'm a sucker for cute things and I have no self control in that respect XD. I couldn't resist adding them. Thank you soooo much!

verdance: I like writing Riku ngl. XD I honestly can't thank you enough for your reviews! But, thank you! :D

*headdesking multiple times*

Is it Brain or Blaine? Should I stop at where I had prewritten, or extend it more? sHOuLd i eVEn uPdAtE?

My brain two days ago: Nah, we still have a few days before it'll have been two weeks since my lazy self updated. :D

My brain now: WHY DID I PROCRASTINATE OH CRUD

Also my brain: *blasting songs I never asked for in my head*

I AM SOOOO SORRY. ;-; This is shorter than normal, and I can't promise if the chapters will go back to what I hoped was their regular length. But I hope everyone reading enjoyed!

Does anyone listen to openings or music that's from a fandom you don't even watch? Well I do. I've been getting really obsessed with this one song that came up on a YouTube ad for the game it was from. Never been happier to see an ad lol.

After like the tenth time it came up, I caved and searched up the music because I really liked it. XP And hey! I found it! Yay!

I listen to it all the time now, sooo... :D

Buuuuut nevermind that. From this point forward I'm probably just gonna be like: i hAvE nO iDEa wHaT i aM dOiNG hAHaHahAHa

I would REALLY hate to put this story on hold, especially since I'm only on the sixth chapter and it makes me feel pathetic. I at least want to make it to the part where they get to the Land of Departure. I'm excited for that arc. :3

But again, I hope everyone enjoyed! What happened to our Dandelions here? I barely know, so your guess is as good as mine!

somibel, OUT!