Dawn's Dream:

A shadowy figure stands next to Dawn. Dawn is in a pure black dress that drops down to her feet. Her pale skin looks like snow against the dress and the shadow. Her blonde hair is now just a pure blonde. She feels small, insignificant, but tries to look strong and tall, bold and brave. Her eyes filled are with fear.

The strong deep voice of the shadow speaks to her. "You stand in my domain, thinking that you can save this world. What will you do when it all comes crumbling down on you? When your so called friends abandon you? What then little princess? What then, oh Golden one?" It seems to bring about thoughts of fear whenever it speaks.

"If that is what happens, then that is what happens. I will accept my fate and do what I can to alter its design for me and my friends." She looked older, and wiser, and yet her form could not have been more than that of a teenager. "I'll not go down without a fight." Her eyes stared on through as though she was blind.

"Oh, is that so? Well what if I were to tell you that one of your little friends knew you from before, and they were keeping quiet? Hmm? I can bring them here as well if you want." If Dawn could see a face, she was sure it would be smiling wickedly.

The shadow swirled in front of her and when it released Mandy seemed to fall to a nonexistent ground in front of Dawn. Dawn ran over to Mandy and helped her up. "You okay?"

"Yeah, what is this?" Her cold, coal like eyes were filled with a little worry. "I've been to hell and back, as well as other worlds, but I've never seen anything like this before."

"It's just a nightmare. All you have to do is concentrate on waking up." Dawn encouraged her friend as she noticed she was trembling. "Just wake up and I'll follow right behind you."

"Oh, that's rich. You aren't even going to ask for your name? Or at least what kind of person you were? She holds the secret to your past, and you're just gonna…"

"SHUT UP!" Dawn's shout interrupted the shadowy figure's train of thought. "If she does know who the heck I am, then she might just be saving me from doing something stupid. I've got a fresh slate because she won't tell me. If I'm clean, then I'll make it without a problem, if I'm dirty, who the heck cares! I'm going to fight no matter what you do to me." Just then another little girl appeared. She was wearing a costume that was surrounded by thorns and black roses. She held a black shield and a sword in her hand, Dawn's sword. "What the…?"

The child's mask and cape were made of something that could only be described of as black rose petals. She raised the sword to the air and the thorns around her spread enough to show her outfit was also made of rose petals, but of dark red rose petals. Her eyes were as grey as the arctic tundra in a snow storm. Her hair was as black as midnight's shadows in a canyon. "I won't let you hurt them! I am Black Thorn, the dark side of the darkest rose, of the Dark Rose! Fear my sword of Blackthorn as it will silence your senseless prattling!" The child was no more than a five year old, and yet she seemed to command as much respect and power as a general in a powerful army, or a great king from his kingdom. "I am Black Thorn!"

An eruption seemed to come from the child and her sword. All at once a bright red light came from her.

"NOOOO!" Mandy cried out as she saw the child implode with power.

"Ah, you remember this scene, Mandy? She did it for you all those years ago. Young Dark Rose was the name of that little super hero, though, as you probably noticed, she wasn't exactly Dark Rose, now was she?" The shadowy voice chuckled at Mandy's scream. Dawn held the shaking Chimchar in her hands and pulled her into her embrace. "No, something had her worried that day, didn't it? I do believe that you and another friend were in trouble that day, weren't you? My, my, my, Black Thorn is quite powerful."

Just then the color erupting from the little girl's light changed colors. It went to a softer red, and then into a pink, then a white. The girl then stopped glowing and seemed different. Her hair was a soft whitish blonde, her eyes were now a soft watery blue. Her outfit was no longer surrounded by thorns, but by roses instead. Her shield was a red rose now, and her sword now had a rose on the hilt as well. "No… can't hurt anyone… gotta think…" She now sounded like a scared little girl.

The girl then faded in a wisp of silvery smoke. Mandy was trying to break away from Dawn to go to the little girl's aid. "Let me go, please, let me help her. Dark! Dark Rose! A! A… A… Aurora!" Mandy broke down crying right there, and all Dawn could do was hold her friend and hope that she could get her out of here. "not again… not again…"

"Let Mandy go! If you have a problem with me, than leave her out of it." Dawn was trying to be tough for her friend's sake. She didn't know what about that girl had scared her, but she was certain that it wasn't good.

"I'll be back for you, young princess. You won't last long with your honor guard feeling shattered as it is. One of your ladies in waiting is already cracking down, and with just your captain of the guard and your advisor left with you, you won't manage very long young lady." The voice started to turn into a whisper as the whole dream started to fade away. "You will fall…"

End of Dream…