Chapter Two: An Old Friend
Dawn Nomura had grown over the years, despite her father treating her like a defenseless little girl. She was taller than her mother, but shorter than her father. Her hair was still very long, braided with a ruby red bow at the end holding it taut and the spikiness at the front growing slightly more severe despite her attempts to calm it. The hair was draped over her now full-length dark-violet hooded cloak that could drape around her clothes to hide them, clasped at her throat by a single, scattering Rose. She wore a well fitting, similarly colored, short sleeved jacket with a pair of red straps over her chest that crossed over beneath a black copy of her father's Crown emblem. She wore black leggings beneath a short black and red combat skirt, then red and dark violet shoes of the same style her father once wore. She dressed like she was ready to fight, a style learned from having warrior parents.
Her eyes slowly opened, memories sluggishly moving through her mind as she found herself alone beneath an endless black void only broken by the glowing Light that seemed to come from above and below her all at once, and only on the huge, circular surface she stood upon. She bent down slightly and placed a hand on the stained glass beneath her feet, feeling the thrum of energy within it, then stood up and cast a glance across all of it. It was a woman, dressed much like her. A long cloak, this one red, flared out from her back like wings. Her closed eyes trailed glowing silver tears, flickering and floating away to make her seem so.. sad. She wore black combat pants tucked into red and black combat boots, as well as a loose white sweater beneath black and red combat garb. In her left hand, the one not hidden behind her body, was a long Keyblade shaped like a folded up Scythe. Her family was in the circles closest to her face; Dawn saw her own features there. The outer edge of the ring featured smaller, but just as bright images of various men and women her Heart had touched over the years. Dawn walked slowly towards the center of the platform, towards the brightest point of Light, to get a better look at her mother's features.
And then, a figure appeared in front of her, silent and stoic. This... person wore a simple, long black coat, the hood up and obscuring their features completely. You're looking for things you shouldn't.
The voice seemed to echo all around and even within Dawn, giving no indication as to the figure's identity. Gender, age, accent, all hidden by the internal, soundless echo. No, that wasn't right... She could hear the real voice behind –
The figure took a step towards her and summoned a Keyblade to their right hand, the weapon a deep black and red, formed from a simple, straight body covered in dense, crisscrossing chains of black held tight. The chains and body melted slowly into a white, angling back at a diagonal to form the teeth, almost perfectly overlapping white and black circles hidden with the angle and looped into the tight chains. The guard of the weapon only existed over the front half of the weapon, a sharp semi circle with the jagged cuts of a weapon made from Obsidian. Connected to the hilt by what appeared to be a braid of white hair was a blue, cat like eye overlapping another venn diagram made from a black and white pair of circles. It felt... heavy, just to look at.
Dawn swallowed and took a half step away from the warrior, only for her back to slam into something. She turned hurriedly to find an altar of simple gray, a glowing weapon above it. Careful. If you make this decision... you can't turn away. The echoing voice said again. The figure stopped and raised their Keyblade to point it at Dawn, whose hand had frozen near the hilt of the weapon.
"Will I find what I'm looking for?" Dawn asked, casting a glance at her mother's face on the pillar.
The figure just stared at her for a few moments, the featureless hood betraying nothing. Finally: … Yes. You will.
"Then I have to." She grabbed the hilt of the glowing weapon.
And the world shattered beneath her, the weapon flying away from her grip as she tumbled. The figure in the coat stayed where they had been, just watching her fall from far above. Dawn turned her attention to where she was falling, looking for any way to slow her descent to another pillar. This one had a young woman, with sharp ears and long blonde hair. A young man with a green hat was in her largest circle. Dawn threw her hands up in front of her face as she approached the pillar, unable to slow.
And then she was suddenly standing again. She opened one eye slowly, confused, and looked around. She was on the top of the Keyblade Academy, her home as long as she could remember. The sky was clouded, gray and hidden from her. "It's going to rain..." she muttered sadly. She turned her gaze down and looked around at the statues of Keyblade Wielders that guarded the building, one facing in each Cardinal direction. And at their bases, doing different things, were four people. Dawn looked out at the sky again before approaching the nearest one.
Oscar stood at the east edge of the building, gazing nervously at the ground below. Ever the scaredy cat, Dawn supposed. His white work shirt had a loose collar with the chest held together by ties. Bandages wrapped around his neck beneath. Orange suspenders held his brown adventuring pants, tucked into brown combat boots, up. His gloves were orange, too, with green 'X' across the back of the hands and the same green material at his wrist. In his pocket, his only memento of his home, a multicolored towel he had reclaimed on his first chaperoned mission to overcome the Darkness in him.
Dawn plopped down beside him and let her feet dangle off the edge and kicked them softly, one then the other. This drew a nervous glance from the boy. Instead of worrying about her, he asked, "W-what are you... a-afraid of?" He took another glance over the edge before sliding back a step.
Dawn stopped kicking her legs as they dangled and stared at the ground. She thought of her mother, kidnapped for being a Princess forced to the center of events. Her father, driven to grief by the monster who had kidnapped her and before that by a man who had destroyed everything he held dear. Their pain, all because they had been chosen to fight evils that weren't their fault. "Getting what I want..."
Oscar frowned, then sat beside her. He put his hands beside hers and stared out at the sky. "If you want it... why a-are you afraid of i-it?" Dawn turned and he gave her a comforting smile before slowly vanishing. She stared back at the sky for a moment before pushing up to her feet. After a moment, she moved to the next figure.
Her father stood like a sentinel, glaring out at the northern horizon with the Master Keeper held in front of him, tip touching the roof and his hands resting one on top of the other atop the base of the hilt to keep it from falling. He was in his combat uniform, a tight red jacket and black hakama pants, the belt adorned with his silver crown necklace. The Keyblade Armor pauldron on his left shoulder glimmered in the sunlight, and his prosthetic arm sent a red glare into the air. His eyes shut as she approached and he seemed to steel himself. Without opening his eyes, he asked, "What is most important to you?" His voice was resolute and hard, but hollow, like the noise made when you hit a metal sheet placed over a hole that had not been repaired.
She stared at his back and tried to reach out for him. Then, feeling like it wouldn't help, she let her hand fall to her side. "My family. I don't want them to have ever been hurt."
His eyes opened slowly, tears streaking down his cheeks. "Doing what you think must be done for those you love... can hurt them," he explained. His gaze turned slightly to her and the hardness of his blue eyes softened with sadness. "Have you asked what we want?" And then he disappeared as well.
Dawn stared at the ground and felt her own tears welling up at the tear stains he had left there. She looked straight up and let the tears drain into her eyes, fighting the emotions roiling within her as the sky darkened. She shut her eyes for a moment, then turned south.
Dove watched her walk up and smiled sadly, hopping down from the pedestal the statue stood upon to land in front of Dawn. Her white capelet was fluttering in a wind that didn't affect Dawn herself. "What do you want out of life?"
Dawn glanced behind her, where her father had been, then to the east where Oscar had sat with her, before turning back to Dove. "I want to make it so no one cries again."
Dove shook her head slowly. "But... doesn't it feel good to cry, sometimes?" she wondered. The rain began to fall, and the older girl raised her hand to catch the water falling from the sky. "The world smells best after some rain, after all." The rain continued, but Dove slowly faded away. Dawn thought about what her cousin had said, but still wasn't sure. She pulled her hood up and glanced to the west. It was Dusk, now. Dark, violet streaks filled the sky while the sun, visible once more, dipped past the horizon. A figure stood there, alone and cold.
Dove felt apprehensive as she approached the figure. "What would you sacrifice?" a smooth, woman's voice began. She pulled down the Darkness and revealed long, white hair in six buns. She turned, pale skin melting into her hair if not for the black veins like tendrils beside her black and red eyes. "What would you sacrifice for what you seek?"
Dawn stared at the woman and her Heart sank into her gut. Still, she answered with, "Everything."
The woman's gaze turned from her, and she remained silent in the pouring rain for some time. Soon, the sun dipped completely behind the horizon. "Even yourself?" the figure finally inquired when the last Light vanished. "Even if it means you will never see those you love ever again?"
"For them..." Dawn stared at the back of the woman's head. "Everything."
The woman turned around completely, revealing her dark dress, and she smiled. "Very well." And her shadow extended, swallowing Dawn up. "Then sacrifice it." And the shadow surged upward, becoming a river of Darkness that Dawn began to flounder in. "Sacrifice it!" Dawn struggled against the Darkness but it kept rising. Rising. Rising. And then it swallowed her despite he struggles and screams, her desire to get free. And she was falling again, plummeting through the Darkness.
She woke up on her feet once again, standing atop yet another pillar of stained glass. On this one were simply three Hearts in a row, silhouettes within them of different women. In one, the shape of a young woman jumping with tented fingers. In another, a woman with wavy, dark hair in a ponytail smoked a cigarette in a huge smirk. And in the last a short woman with a serious stance and an invisible thing held in her hands. So you kept going.
Dawn whirled on the figure in the Black Coat. They stayed where they were, Keyblade held loose at their side. But it wasn't lazy. It was ready to swing at a moment's notice. Deadly. Unbidden but very appreciated in the moment, the weapon that Dawn had tried to grab earlier appeared in her grasp. A simple longsword, her father's Crown at the center of the crossguard the only embellishment. She quickly turned it on the figure. I told you there's no turning back.
"I'm not turning back!" Dawn spat at the figure.
The hood of the coat glanced down at the silhouettes. I know. Then the figure flew at her, Keyblade crashing into Dawn's hastily constructed guard. Dawn cried out in surprise and pain, knowing her training was sorely lacking despite her best attempts to learn on her own. She was good, but this person... was great. The weapon slashed a dozen times in a third as many seconds, and Dawn could barely keep up. Worse, she could tell the figure was holding back.
Her longsword struggled to keep up with the figure's assault, each attack pushing her further and further out of her stance until, finally, the figure performed a flourish and sent it flying away into the air. The sword tumbled and landed blade first in the center of the platform, perfectly between the three Hearts. You aren't strong enough. You won't survive like this. The figure raised their Keyblade to her throat. But you can't turn back. You'll wish you could turn back. The figure twirled the Keyblade into a backhand and stabbed it downward. Dawn's eyes widened in surprise when the platform shattered again and the figure watched her fall once more. You'll always wish you could turn back.
Dawn grunted when her back slammed into the next pillar. She hissed in pain before opening her eyes. She yelped and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the longsword that landed blade first in the pillar where her head had been a moment before. She scrambled to her feet and stared at the weapon, then up at the figure above. They were still watching, but the echoing voice was silent. Dawn glared at them for a moment, then sighed and marched over to the sword. She yanked it from the ground, then moved past the sleeping, dark skinned woman in a green dress that adorned its surface. She came up to the edge of the platform and stared out into the Darkness.
Snarling erupted from behind her, and Dawn turned, holding the sword in one hand beside her head, other hand held out in front of her. Grimm and Heartless melted from within the pillar. Dawn snarled and charged the Shadows and Beowolves, bringing her sword around and carving through them. The silvery blade flashed with every movement, slamming into but failing to kill the creatures that attacked her. When her blade bounced from Beowolf's bony carapace, she threw herself to the ground and slid behind it, narrowly avoiding its counterattack. Her next slash carved off its arm before it turned and slammed its other claw into her chest. Dawn went flying with a pained grunt, rolling across the pillar for a moment before she stopped. She groaned at the pain blossoming across her chest, then forced herself to her feet, ready once more. She slammed the sword into a Shadow that came her way and rushed forward again, blocking and redirecting a Beowolf's attack into another's. The two monsters carved each other to bits while she spun, a tornado slashing Shadows apart. She hit the ground running and charged the big one again. It raised its remaining claw and slashed at her, but she slid beneath the attack, sliding back up to her feet and going into a backflip. She flipped from behind the monster and flew into the air above it, a shadow blocking out the Light. Its gaze went up, just as the sword was buried in its bony mask.
The monster let out a horrible cry of pain for a moment, then began to fall apart into Dust that flew into the Darkness around the pillar. Not bad. But shadows like that aren't real Darkness. Dawn's gaze flew up. The figure was still there, floating and watching her. Then the ground beneath her shuddered, and the pillar began to slide onto its side. Dawn yelped and sprinted for the edge that was going to become the top, trying desperately to reach it before she fell. Remember, you wanted this. Dawn leaped for the edge, arm outstretched, brushing against it with her finger tips. But then she fell, and her chance at staying where she had been vanished.
She tumbled through the Darkness, the Light from above growing dimmer and dimmer. She angled her gaze downward, knowing her only chance was down there. The last pillar was of a sleeping, porcelain Doll. Her eyes were shut, but there was a pain on her face that was very deep and broken. Her hands were folded in her lap, and there was a horrifying moon rising above her, blood red and Dark. The shape in one circle near her head was shifting, the face changing and changing and changing between a thousand people. The other was a very tired old man, who seemed to be in horrible pain from within his Heart. Pain he had caused himself.. Dawn's own Heart stung at seeing that, and she knew the Doll had tried and failed to help him.
And then the image vanished, swallowed up by a wave of Darkness that began to roil and rise towards her. No one is the same when they start the journey as when they end it, the echoing voice began again. Do you already regret who you're becoming?
And then the Darkness swallowed Dawn.
Another voice began to whisper within her, different from the figure's voice but spoken in the same internally echoing way. Your Journey begins beneath a cloudy sky. You won't start it on your own, but with a familiar Light to guide you. Together, you will travel on a path you believe you know the end to already. But both the allies and path depend on the sun. Is it Dawn now? Or Dusk? Will your journey end at Midday, or Midnight? Will those that walk it with you do so to the bitter end? Or will they be the ones that end it?
Do you already regret who you're becoming?
Dawn screamed and shot up in her bed, drenched in sweat and her heart beating in her chest like a drum. Sunlight streamed in through her windows, but she barely noticed. She was too busy checking her room with wide eyes. It had been a... a dream? A dream where... She swallowed. That's all it was, then... A dream. A nightmare bad enough to make her wake up screaming. Even she knew that couldn't be the truth, not entirely. Her eyes widened. "Oh, no!"
Despite knowing it was coming, Dawn still yelped in surprise when her father burst through her door a moment later, his Keyblade at the ready. "You screamed, what's wrong?" he asked, vigilantly looking around for anything that could be wrong. As he had every time she'd screamed since her mother had – since that night.
"It was just a bad dream, Dad," she said sullenly. She leaned back into her bed. "It's nothing. I don't even remember it..." A lie, but she knew he wouldn't press it.
His blue eyes locked on her, then he dismissed the Keyblade and walked in, closing the door behind him. He walked over and sat at the end of her bed. "I know it still hurts, Dawn," Sora said as he stared at her wall, ignoring the posters of Huntsmen and Keyblade Wielders she had hung everywhere. She wanted to be a hero, he knew. "It's been a long time, and..." He sighed when he was interrupted by his Scroll ringing in his pocket.
"It's fine," Dawn said, features softening. She patted her dad's shoulder and motioned at the door. "Go."
He sighed and stood up, running a hand through the brown spikes of hair on his head. "Could you take care of Chalcedon for a while today?" he asked after a few moments. "I know you do it a lot, but... It looks like it's going to be a busy day."
Dawn frowned, but realized there was nothing better to do today. Or any day. Outside of tutors in boring, normal topics for normal, boring jobs, she was stuck inside the academy almost every waking moment. She was banned from the training areas, but she'd managed to sneak in on Qrow's swordplay classes. He might have known she was there, but he didn't say anything. She could only hang out with Oscar when he didn't have classes, and as a Senior Apprentice, he would be busy until way later. And Dove... who knew where she was? A newly minted Keyblade Master had places to go, people to meet. At least she always brought stories back of the things Dawn's dad would never let her go out and do. Besides, there was only a limited amount of time she and Donnie could be like this, right? In a couple years, she'd be eighteen and free, unless her dad figured out something stupid.
"Sure, Dad. I'll play with Donnie, but you know he likes the War Room," she agreed. A half lie, this time. Donnie did like it there because their dad was there, but she wanted to go there to hear the little action and stories that came over the comms sometimes. "We'll be right there until you need us gone."
Sora tensed, but knew he wouldn't get out of this once she brought it up with Donnie. Which, of course, she would. Despite him telling her not to. "Fine. Just be good," he told her.
She grinned and ran a finger over her chest in an 'X.' "Cross my Heart."
He sighed but nodded and left her room, closing the door behind him. She grinned and bolted, rushing through a shower then pulling on her usual clothes in a flurry of motion before pulling out her cloak and smiling sadly. She ran a hand over it, then threw it around her shoulders, clasping it tight. A quick braiding of her hair, and she was off. "Donnie!" she shouted as she drew near to her younger brother's room. She slid to a stop and yanked the door open, finding a smiling four year old with smooth brown hair drawing on the ground. He was in a bright blue shirt and jeans, and white sneakers. "Wanna go to the War Room?"
"Daddy!" he shouted, grabbing his markers and the paper and stumbling at full speed out of the room. He waddled, nearly tripping and falling multiple times if not for his sister jumping in at the last moment to keep him up. "Sit with Daddy!"
"We're going to have to keep drawing in there, you know," she laughed. She rushed up when he nearly hit a corner and grabbed his hand. "Jeez, at least let me run with you, Speedy."
Donnie laughed at her and held her hand tighter before waddling off at full speed, more assured now that he had someone holding him up continuously. Dawn laughed and jogged after him, keeping pace with his tiny, rapidly moving legs. It wasn't long before they were in the War Room, their father giving orders to Keyblade Wielders as he and Qrow reviewed mission reports together at the main table. "The scouts came back nearly dead from Yharnam," she heard Qrow saying as the door opened. "Two pretty strong warriors."
"... Send Jaune and Yang, if they're up for it," Sora responded after a moment. He glanced over and smiled at his kids, waving at Donnie before turning back to Qrow. "The report says this world has its own Darkness that has shoved away the Heartless. I want to know why and, if its evil, I want it gone. We can't risk it getting anywhere else."
"'Kay," Qrow muttered, marking it down on his Scroll. He swiped for a moment. "Winter says that the newest model of Gummi is ready and the first will be delivered today for the next Journey. She says it has a few features to make it easier to learn how to fly, and she's looking forward to our data. Also, she asked if you're doin' okay."
Sora sighed and tapped his hand on the table. "Qrow..."
Qrow continued without missing a beat, as if he hadn't even voiced the question. "Dove got in last night and'll be ready for her next mission today. Going to tell me what it is?"
Dawn sighed and continued to the other end of the room to sit down at a smaller table with her brother. She grabbed a few thick books and placed them on the chair, then hefted him up on top of those. He gave her a big kiss when she picked him up, then yanked her hair when she put him down. She didn't know whether to love him or hate him sometimes...
She moved over to the other chair and sat down, taking the paper and markers he had shoved towards her and drawing, too. She idly scribbled on the paper, doodling Keyblades, Scythes, Crowns, Roses. The Keyblade that figure held in her dream. She flipped the paper over when she saw that and began to draw something else for her brother. A Gummi Ship – he loved them. Had a big book of them and they were basically all he ever wanted to draw or talk about. Which, of course, their father loved. He hoped he'd have an easier go pushing Chalcedon into a field without adventuring. Dawn thought that was dumb, since he was only four.
He took the ship she'd drawn. "Wings are wrong," he said, and he began to color over what she'd done to fix it.
"... Thanks," she grumbled, but he ignored her.
Dawn huffed and put her chin on her head, leaning against the table and watching her dad and Qrow talk about where they were sending the Keyblade Wielders. The grand adventures, the struggles for success and power. The outer world. Light, Darkness, heroes, villains. Stories just beginning or reaching their end. "What's wrong, Dawn?"
Dawn yelped and turned, seeing Oscar walking up. He fiddled with his thumbs as he walked over, pulling up another chair to sit beside her. "I'm not that scary, you know..."
Dawn resisted the urge to slam her fist into his shoulder. "I wasn't scared, Oscar. That's your thing," she retorted. She stuck her hands in her jacket pocket to keep from hitting him anyways.
He chuckled at that and leaned forward in his chair. "You okay?"
"... Why?"
"You hate being up this early," he pointed out. She didn't deny it. She took after her parents. "And you aren't usually this quiet. You okay?"
"I had a nightmare. It's no big deal," she said, already knowing he'd make a big deal out of it.
And he did. "A n-nightmare!" Oh, great. He was already scared of it. "Wh-what happened? I mean... d-do you want to talk about it?"
She looked over at her friend. He wasn't scared of the dream, she knew that much despite her jokingly mocking thoughts. He was scared of asking, of 'intruding' on her Heart. Given his Semblance, he had been worried about ever 'awakening' someone's past self again, to the point he tried his best to avoid using the ability, and it carried over to his confidence in helping people with private issues. The last time he'd used it on accident, he'd made the stealth instructor Emerald think she was a guy. Her co-instructor tried to kill him for that. And the time before that, Sun Wukong had started crying about the time he had... 'eaten' someone he cared about? That had been enough for Oscar to beg for his gloves, which blocked his Semblance from activating through his hands. But it wasn't a problem to her for him to hear her problems. She trusted her best friend. "I fought monsters, and this... person. I couldn't see their face, but... they were familiar," she explained. She leaned on her knees and cupped her face. "You asked me a question. And so did Dove, and Dad, and... someone else." She glanced away at the memory.
Oscar frowned and put a hand on his chin, his eyes glazing over as he cast his mind back through every book he'd read. "That sounds... familiar. Wait! Questions! I think -"
"Sunrise!"
And then his concentration snapped and he began to violently stutter. Dove ran up, dressed in her black and white outfit and combat heels, just like every Schnee learned how to fight in. She slowed down as she got near, waiting for Dawn to surge to her feet and hug her tight. They separated a moment later and Dawn frowned. "You look exhausted," she told Dove after a moment. She glanced past Dove to glare at her own father. "You aren't getting over worked, are you?"
"No! It was just a late night, Sunrise," she replied, patting Dawn's shoulder. She turned from her and walked over to her other cousin. "Oh, that's a pretty Gummi, Donnie."
He looked over and scoffed. "It's cool, not pretty."
Dove looked like her world shattered and she collapsed her head into Dawn's shoulder. "Why does my cousin not love me..!?" she sobbed, barely held up by Dawn.
"You know how he is with those things," she said in a vain effort to calm her cousin.
"HI DOVE!" Oscar finally managed to squeak out – well, scream out – surging to his face with a beet red face. He stuffed his hands in his armpits to hide them and began to shift awkwardly from side to side.
Dawn sighed and released her cousin. "Just a sec," she told her still slightly sobbing cousin, propping her up on her own feet. Then Dawn marched over to her best friend to slam her fist into his shoulder. "Dammit, Puppy!"
"Ach!" he shouted, floundering and falling back into his seat. "Dawn, come on!"
She sighed and turned back to Dove, who had recovered from the deadly blow Chalcedon had dealt. "So, what stories did you bring back for me, huh?!" Dawn asked, plopping down into her seat with wide eyes and bated breath.
Dove bit her cheek and tapped her chin while the two teenagers leaned forward, waiting. "Well... There was this time that I fought... a Dragon." The four eyes watching her widened with excitement, having only heard of a fight like that from Sora's old stories about Maleficent or the preparation for the fight against Salem. Dove smiled at the two, knowing she had them hooked. "Well, there I was, delving into the depths of a mountain kingdom with dwarves, a small hairy man, and..."
The pair listened to her stories with increasing, rapt attention. Soon, even Chalcedon abandoned his drawing, having said he perfected his ship – hers, Dawn wanted to point out – to listen. Dragons, Mummies, Heartless, Nobodies, Evil Wizards, Monsters. Even with his fear of fighting and of what might be out there, Oscar couldn't help but be enamored. Probably because it's Dove, Dawn thought with an exasperated growl. Note to self, punch his shoulder and call him Puppy after this.
"... and then, I helped the group seal the new, evil god in another dimension where he couldn't hurt anyone directly," Dove said, fighting off a frown. They had lost people in that fight. She smiled. "I'll head back one day to find the Keyhole and lock it. Maybe one of you will come with me!"
Dawn's eyes widened with excitement. She couldn't help it; she wanted to explore the worlds and see what was out there. Even if Sora would never let her go. "Y-y-yeah!" Oscar stuttered excitedly. Dawn shook her head and held back slamming her fist into his shoulder. She was still in a good mood from hearing all those stories.
"Dove!" Dove stood up and sighed, turning to see her father and Sora walking over.
Dove sighed and turned back to her audience. "I'll be back," she promised before smoothing her outfit and walking over to the two men. "Yes, Master Sora? Father?"
"It's Mister Branwen, when you're getting missions, Twerp," Qrow growled. He was ignored. "Ugh, you take after me too much..."
She didn't ignore that. "I do not!" she snapped. She glanced over at Sora's bemused look and coughed nervously. "I mean... Of course, Mister Branwen."
"Teacher's Pet," Dawn whispered to Oscar, mocking her cousin. He shoved her reproachfully. "Pfft... Puppy."
"Dove, it's been decided to put you through the next phase of your Mastery training," Qrow said, his fatherly pride leaking through his voice slightly despite his best attempts. "You'll be heading out tomorrow morning with a Senior Apprentice to show them the ropes and get them used to traveling."
Dove stiffened. "I... would rather not," she explained coolly. The young Keyblade Master looked around nervously in an effort to communicate exactly what she meant."... There's still so much I wish to explore alone!"
"Unfortunately for you, there isn't anyone else that isn't on assignment," Sora explained, leaving no room for her to argue with him. Not that she would, Dawn knew. She loved her cousin but what she'd said stood: Teacher's Pet. "And the test is as much to see if they can overcome something with your help. A test of your ability to teach."
"Oh, you look jealous," Dawn said as she glanced over at the increasingly angry looking Oscar. "Someone and my cousin in a Gummi Ship alone? For months?" His eye twitched and she laughed at him. "Oh, come on! It's not like anything would happen with her anyways. I love Dove, but she's not all you think she is."
"In fact, your partner is someone you already are friends with," Sora said, and his hand came up to gesture... at Oscar.
Immediately, Dawn and Oscar's attitudes swapped completely. Dawn's eyes twitch with rage as Oscar surges to his feet. "R-r-real-lly?" he asked, bouncing up and down excitedly on the balls of his feet.
Dawn felt her nails begin to dig into her palms as her anger and disbelief grew and grew. Her best friend was leaving. That was all Dawn could think. Not that he finally got to go explore. Not that he was so excited about... anything. She could only think that he got to train, he got to learn, he got to do anything. And now he was going to with Dove and be an adventuring Keyblade Wielder, when she would be kept here, alone, with just her father and brother to keep her company? Stifled on a single island on a single world?!
"When do I get to train!?" she snapped, interrupting the conversation.
Sora froze and turned to her, the entire room going silent to join him. "Dawn..." he muttered, his tone a 'suggestion' she shelve this for now.
Qrow glanced between them, then placed a hand on Sora's shoulder. "Kiddo -"
"I'm not a child, Qrow," Sora muttered quietly, cutting him off. Qrow shrugged and removed his hand. Sora didn't look away from Dawn as he said, "Don't suggest I should train her. I've made this clear. I don't want her to be put in the same danger that -" He froze and tried to force his memories of that night away.
"Yeah, because leaving me defenseless so someone can kidnap me is way better!" Dawn snapped at her father, slamming one foot into the ground. She glared at him even as his eyes widened in terror at the idea. "You don't even care that it isn't what I want!"
"... Maybe he's right, Dawn. Going out there is -" Dove began, only to freeze when the silver eyes locked on her, daring her to continue. Dove took a deep breath and did as her father had done. She backed out of the conversation that didn't involve her.
Oscar was fidgeting and glancing between his master and best friend, unsure which side to take and unsure of how best to affect any change in the room's tension. Dawn stepped past him. "Why can't I train?"
Sora narrowed his eyes. "Dawn..." he warned quietly.
Dawn pushed her father's chest. "Why can't I do anything?" she growled, throwing her hands up in disbelief.
"Dawn," he growled back.
"If you aren't going to go out there and find Mom, why can't I?!"
"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" he snapped, slamming his foot into the ground and summoning a glow of Light around him, caught up in the moment as much as his daughter was.
Dawn glared at him, then turned and sprinted away, barely even thinking until she slammed her door behind her and shoved anything she could against it to keep it closed. Without a word, she threw herself into the bed and muffled an angry scream into the pillow. Why? Why didn't he just let her go out there? She only wanted to help, to do something! She only wanted to help, because he just spent his days at home, now. Avoiding going out to explore and fight and save people and...
And bring her mother back.
She screamed into the pillow again and slammed a fist into her bed. He didn't get it, and he never would. And now Oscar and Dove were leaving together without her. She would be alone in this academy with her brother and her dad and a bunch of kids for the next two years. With no one to talk to Dawn would be alone with herself. She curled up on her bed and fought off a sob, turning it into anger while she glared at the wall. Then that anger into... a dream. Then that dream, into a plan. Then that plan... into action. She ignored her father's knock at the door, and Oscar's request to speak with her, and Dove's attempts to get her out, while she worked on the plan.
In the middle of the night, Dawn quietly unstacked the things she'd put in front of her door. She put her ear up against the door, waiting to see if any of the patrols were nearby. Satisfied they were gone, she slowly opened the door and moved to quietly creep through the academy, her violet hood pulled over her head so she could melt into the shadows. She moved silently through the academy, carefully avoiding the patrols to get to where she was going. She ducked around a corner and finally got where she was going.
Dawn grinned and stared up at her oldest dream and promise.
Now, for phase two...
χ χ χ
Oscar was giddy with anticipation as he made his way to the Gummi Hangar. He was going to get to be going out into the world. Okay, less giddy now. That scared him... But... He'd be going with Dove! She'd saved him all those years ago, and now she was so... pretty... Her nice white hair, her pretty red eyes... A-and her skill! She was one of the best rising Keyblade Masters out there, made a master younger than anyone since Sora and Ruby themselves! He'd be more than safe with her there to teach him how to fight. And he could show off all the magic he'd learned while she tried to show him– he meant while she did show him how to fight with a weapon. Maybe he wouldn't be completely hopeless once he came back.
He froze at that outside of the Hangar. Came back... He turned around and sighed. Dawn. He wished he could have said goodbye to her. It wasn't fair how she'd acted the night before, but... it wasn't fair how Master Sora treated her. Honestly, he always thought she was more of a fit for the Keyblade lifestyle. Adventurous, courageous. He couldn't help but think of their first real meeting, when she'd charged in to get beat up by a bunch of older kids, all to protect him. She was good. Better than him.
He steeled himself and turned back to the hangar. But he had the Keyblade, and that was just the way that it was. So he'd go out and adventure for the both of them! He pushed the hangar door open and walked in, seeing a brand new Gummi Ship. All for his mission. His eyes grew wide and he shifted the backpack he was carrying nervously. The huge, fighter jet shaped ship was gleaming in the early morning sunlight. It was freshly polished black, with green lines and highlights giving off an even greater feeling of speed and danger. Massive weapons were connected to the wings, ready to tear through any ships that attacked, be they Nobody, Heartless, or otherwise. The ramp was down, just waiting for him to get in. He looked around for his new partner, and briefly thought about waiting for her... but he was too excited. He charged up the loading ramp with wide, excited eyes, sliding to a stop in the sleeping quarters. He picked out the smaller bed and placed his bag on top of it – the big one was for the teacher, right?
He took a deep breath, then rushed to the cock pit. He wanted to get to know it before he got a chance to fly it! He heard that the Keyblade Apprentice did most of the flying unless things got dicey, so this was all his! He couldn't wait to impress Dove!"
And then he saw someone sitting in the pilot's chair. "Oh! D-" She turned and smiled at him wickedly. "D-Dawn!?"
Dawn surged to her feet, grinning at her best friend. "What are you doing here!?" he hissed at her, marching up and shaking his finger at her. "Dawn, this is a Keyblade Journey! For a Keyblade Apprentice!"
Dawn shrugged. "I know that..." She held her left hand out to her side and flexed her fingers. "That's why I'm here!" There was a bright, golden flash in her hand... and a simple, golden key with a silver basket was in her hand, the chain trailing down to a simple set of three circles in the shape of a head. Her silver eyes were glowing, like angel wings of Light extending from her face. "I... am a Keyblade Wielder."
Oscar stared at her, eye twitching. "I... was feeling bad for you!" he growled in disbelief.
"Aw, thanks, Buddy," Dawn said, giving her old friend a pat on the shoulder.
He felt his eye twitch again. "Y... You stole the Kingdom Key D!?" he hissed. He grabbed Dawn's shoulders and shook her to try and get through to her. "Dawn, your dad is going to kill you! And me! He'll think I helped you if he finds you here!"
Dawn scoffed and pushed his hands off of her. "It's a good thing he won't then." She raised her finger and pointed at the controls. "Did you know this ship has all sorts of features for new pilots? It'll basically fly itself until you learn how to do it."
Oscar's eyes shot wide. "D-Dawn..."
She grinned evilly at her best friend. "And, I mean, all the buttons are so clearly labeled! Aunt Winter really outdid herself this time."
"Please..." he warned, sliding himself into position to summon his Keyblade. He may not be good at close combat, but she wasn't trained at all, and she just got a Keyblade. Stole it, but it was enough. He could handle this.
"Like this button sends you to a random world within a certain radius," she said, gesticulating just close enough for him to freeze. "It could take us anywhere at any moment!"
"D-Dawn... th-this is a bad-d idea..." he warned her. Her dad would go insane if she ran away like this. Oh, God, he'd kill Oscar. No, he'd make him a Heartless and a Nobody, kill both of them, then kill the recompleted Oscar! There's no way her best friend wasn't involved in this!
"Oh, calm down, I'm not going to push it," she said, leaning against the main console. "I'll just hide until Dove gets back and... inject myself into this mission. You'll still get a chance to act like a stupid puppy."
Oscar deflated, relief flooding his mind. "I... I'm not a puppy," he protested before she tapped him in the shoulder with her fist, the Keyblade dismissed.
"Scared you, didn't I?" she joked, grinning wide. She put more weight on the console. "Come on, you know I wouldn't risk this being your fault."
"But Dove's?"
"Ah, she'd cave to me anyways," Dawn replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. Oscar glared at her, unsure if he agreed with that statement. She loved her cousin like a sister... but more than being the greatest Keyblade Apprentice ever? No way.
Dawn pointed at herself with her thumb. "Besides, unlike you I know it's way better to ask for forgiveness than permission."
"Because you know he'd say no if you didn't?" Oscar supplied dryly.
"Hey!" Dawn snapped, even though she smiled at him. She sighed. "Besides... I couldn't stand the thought of you out here without someone to help protect you from the big kids."
"D-Dawn!" he stammered, face bright red. He sighed and sat down dejectedly. "... Yeah..."
Dawn frowned. "It was a joke, Oscar. You're already almost a first class mage, I bet you barely even need me around," she remarked, smacking his shoulder. He looked up and smiled weakly at that. "But it can't hurt, right?"
Oscar sighed. "I guess," he said, finally coming around. It'd be nice to have his best friend around on this journey.
"DAWN!"
"SHIT!" she screamed, her father's shout throwing her off balance. Her arms flailed and Oscar felt time freeze as her hand, floundering wildly to keep her from falling face first into the ground, smacked into the button she'd been pointing to earlier. He reached out, barely moving, and tried to stop it. But it was too late. Her hand smacked the button, and the ship shot into the air, entry ramp slamming shut.
Dawn surged to her feet and looked at her friend, who was glaring at her now. "Shit." She leaped for the seat, barely strapping herself in before the ship shot into the sky at full speed.
"DAWN!" Oscar shouted at her, filled with rage despite his inability to get out of the ship. "You... You..."
"I know!" she snapped back. "Now smile so we don't crash and die!"
"I'll be thinking about killing you the entire time!" Oscar snapped as he forced a grin.
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Shut up!"
χ χ χ
Sora knew his daughter was rebellious. She was strong willed like her parents, and he himself had learned responsibility the hard way. He had hoped to impart some of those hard earned lessons, had even thought he might have done so. She may have snuck into Qrow's combat classes every so often, and he knew that the old man had given her a few pointers on the rare occasion Sora himself was away from the Academy to converse with the Kingdoms. And Urahara... that man couldn't resist giving anyone more than they could handle. But all of that... was expected. He had hoped it would keep Dawn from doing something too stupid if he let her have all that. He'd even put himself in Ozpin's mindset to figure it all out!
And then she'd stolen King Mickey's Keyblade!
He stood there, staring up at the empty spot where one of his oldest friend's Keyblades had been enshrined for almost twenty years, ever since Jaune and Yang had saved it from OJ. It was special, and he'd... honestly, he wasn't sure what he had meant for the Keyblade. Who would receive it, the only Keyblade of its kind not in use. He hadn't really considered anyone since his daughter had cried it would be hers one day when she was five. He honestly hadn't even considered the Keyblade that much since Ruby had been kidnapped, as everything had started taking a back burner to keeping his daughter and son safe and close.
"Master Sora!" Dove shouted, running up to him with wide eyes. "What did you shout about?"
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Dawn stole it," he told her. She looked up and her already pale skin became nearly translucent. "And, I'm fairly certain, your Gummi Ship and Trainee." God, he felt tired. Without Ruby there, he could feel the tired anxiety she'd always helped him fight off begin to settle in his muscles and bones. He had no idea where they were, and despite how much he wanted to follow them – to the point he was more than willing to chase down and drag the two teenagers home by their ankles – he knew he couldn't. Jaune and Yang were not present on Remnant at the moment, and were about to be sent to Yharnam for a preliminary examination of the world's issues. Issues that could grow to be very dangerous. Qrow had stepped back his hours considerably, understandable in his age. He was nearly seventy, now, even if his Aura made him seem younger. He would retire soon, he and Winter taking a long sabbatical to themselves when it happened. And... Chalcedon. Sora could not leave his other child here, with no parents, to find his daughter. He had to find someone he trusted.
So Sora turned to Qrow's daughter. She was capable, intelligent, hard working, family. And, if he was going to let the slightly angry part of himself have a moment, at fault. "Find them. Bring them back here," he commanded, and she snapped to attention. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes again to glare at the now empty location where the Keyblade had been enshrined. "If you see Salem, you contact me. If you hear about Salem, you contact me. If you think about Salem... contact me. I don't know if she came after Ruby for personal vengeance, or if it is because Ruby is a Princess of Heart, but it doesn't matter right now. She will attack my daughter to get to me, so I need her safe."
"Of course, Master Sora," Dove responded coolly, bowing slightly as she did. "I'll be off and bring them back."
"Collect a Keyblade Armor set and go." He stopped and scratched his chin, the stubble catching against his prosthetic fingers. "... Did we collect the tracker before launch?"
Dove shook her head. "I am unsure, Master. I will check in with the hangar technicians before leaving and reply via Gummi Scroll," she explained. She stood up straight, hands clasped in the small of her back beneath her cape. "... If I may play devil's advocate?"
Sora shut his eyes and forced himself to let go of anger at the question. "Yes?"
Dove fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment. Then: "Have you considered that your daughter may be best able to find your wife?"
"... Every moment they get further away," Sora said, deflecting from her question. He turned his gaze up at the missing Keyblade. "Please, hurry, Master Schnee."
χ χ χ
Archer crossed his arms and glared down at the young woman standing over the now unconscious form of what had been just minutes earlier a dying high schooler. His silver eyes narrowed at the now muttering child with little more than a scar on his chest. "Why did you do that?" he asked.
"Oh, calm down. This is one soul so boring you wouldn't get any chance to drag him in anyways, Satan," the young woman replied. She pushed herself up and tossed her waist length black twin tails over her shoulders, then slid her hands into the pockets of her long red jacket. She turned around, aqua eyes meeting silver and smirked. "So really it's like a no loss game for you, Luci-Goosey."
Archer growled at the unconscious boy. "I highly doubt that, Rin..." he grumbled. He glanced back at her. "He is not a magus and has seen magecraft. The rules you follow say he should die..."
"You're Satan, since when did you care about rules?" the girl wondered, pushing past him.
He felt a pang of annoyance. "I'm not Sata – Wait, are you just leaving him one the ground in the middle of the school?" he wondered when she passed. "You just healed him and –"
"I already wasted a family heirloom on the Ginger Wonder over there," she muttered, growing almost as annoyed as Archer. She let out a sigh that purged those emotions and shrugged. "But, hey, I've got my perfect record, Saber."
"Archer, I'm – Never mind," Archer grumbled. He tossed another glare at the unconscious boy and turned away. He grumbled and clenched his hands on his red sleeves. "So, Master, to where should we head now if we aren't going to hide the existence of the Moonlit World?"
"Moonlit World? What are you, eighty? It's the Murder Magic Microcosm, Saber," Rin responded mockingly. "M.M.M. At least, that's what my stupid teacher gets angriest about hearing me call it, so that's what I'm calling it!"
"... You are a uniquely grating girl."
"Coming from Satan, that has to be a compliment!"
Archer didn't bother responding that time, instead just falling in step behind her. "So where are we going?" he asked again, growing more annoyed as time went on.
"We're going to find the Servant that did this to him and you can drag their soul to Hell!"
"... I wouldn't mind trying," he agreed before stopping. He looked out the window, catching sight of a shooting star streaking across the sky. Suddenly, images flashed through his head. A girl and a boy that looked around Rin's age, one taking the lead in physical confrontations and the other casting magic to support from behind. A Servant and Master pair on a journey separate completely from the Holy Grail War. And then he saw one of them die, murdered by the other.
He turned from the window and faded from view, becoming an ethereal presence connected to his master. He didn't know why he was suddenly thinking about all of that. He'd given up on trying to fix other people's problems a long time ago. He had his own stupid, grating problems to worry about, now.