AN: Sorry for being gone for two weeks! Fricking writer's block is a BITCH lol. But I am past it now! Sooo onward! Also have to get this Skuld chapter outta the way lol...not my favoritest character. xD I had to make her arc more unique because she shares the same backstory as Lauriam and the other Union Leaders lol. Can't just write them all the same, you know? :D

'I don't know about the other Masters, But Lady Ava would never have gathered the Dandelions just to throw us away like that!' The boy with silver hair was saying.

'I'm not leaving you two here,' declared the dark-haired girl...

More memories...

She was with Ventus, and her other friends, fighting a dark entity in a dimly lit study room...

The woman of now returned to awareness. She watched with a heavy Heart, as Ventus and Namine left together through the portal that had been created by Master Terra.

Skuld knew now who she was - where she came from. And what she was: a Keyblade wielder...from a very long time ago. Once, she'd only had the vaguest of scraps of the idea - of four friends and a key.

But now...

She had so many memories sitting in her head. She had information. Knowledge. She even had some of those friends at her side again - Ventus and Lauriam...

But her mind itself still seemed to refuse to cooperate with her. Her body, too. Why was it still so difficult to get the words out? To convey her thoughts, feelings, and intentions? Why was it a challenge to get dressed every morning, or to brush her hair? To make the simplest of choices? She had to make a choice.

Skuld focused her mind, turning and crossing the grassy park on the edge of the city, heading over to the tree that Lauriam was laying beneath.

"Skuld," he said warmly, sitting upright immediately. "Do you need something?"

The woman gazed at him, struggling with herself. Wrestling with a mind that kept straying, and a mouth that wouldn't move. She wrestled with it, pushing at it, willing herself... "I want to...leave."

"Leave...? To go where?"

"Where Ven went."

"This world is beautiful - but they do say beauty fades with time," Lauriam replied, nodding. "If what you want is a change of scenery, I'd be delighted to help you with that." He paused, shaking his head as he added ruefully, "I've been contemplating the same thing myself lately, to be honest. Though, not just for myself; why don't we find my sister and we can all go together?"

Skuld gave a nod, watching the man climb to his feet. He shook his head and smoothed out his hair before setting off across the city. She followed him silently, but eagerly now.

They made their way through the winding streets, up many stairs and then passing through narrow alleys - until they came to a fountain square. It was here that they found Strelitzia: the girl was sitting on the edge of the fountain, her arm dipping into the water. She had a contented, yet dreamy expression on her face.

"Ah, there you are," Lauriam called out happily. "Strelitzia - Skuld and I have decided it's time for a bit of a change-up in the daily routine. I thought you might want to be included in that. It's getting a little boring here, isn't it?"

Strelitzia hopped down from the fountain, striding up to meet them, her long twin ponytails swaying behind her. "W-well, I mean, I wasn't gonna say anything...but you're so right - I'm sooo bored of Scala! There are so many worlds out there now, and the best part is I won't have to spend my time getting chased around by dark monsters now! They're also going to be the real deal, not just projections or data versions this time around!"

Lauriam raised his eyebrow, laughter escaping him. "You want to explore the worlds, then? Why didn't you say something earlier? Honestly..."

"D-doesn't matter - let's just go already!" the girl exclaimed, blushing.

"All right." Lauriam summoned his Keyblade, turning to create a blue portal in the square. "Ladies first?" he added.

"P-please, I'm nowhere close to being a l-lady yet!" Strelitzia responded. She ducked her head and ran through the portal (probably to escape Lauriam).

Skuld eyed the portal, herself, with...a moment of hesitation. Doubt. Caution? Then, she drew herself up and strode into it, a light smile coming to her lips.

She had made a choice for herself.

No more sitting in a dark cell waiting for rescue - no more sitting in a room, being constantly cared for by another. And no more sitting around in Scala Ad Caelum now, just experiencing more of the same.

It was time to seize her own destiny - take her fate into her own hands again. Like way back when, when she'd fought beside her friends with all she had against the ones who had meant to guide her down the destiny they saw for her...the fate they had wanted for her. For all of the Dandelions...

When she emerged from the portal again, she immediately walked right into Strelitzia's backside.

The girl gave a little oof and stumbled. She hastily took several steps out of the way of the portal's exit, her face pink again. "S-sorry, sorry! T-that was my f-fault! I j-just..." She fell silent, and she took a long look around herself.

Skuld did the same, frowning intensely as she took in their surroundings.

Lauriam emerged from the portal a moment later, vanishing his Keyblade - and the portal. He stopped, looking around just the same. A frown on his lips, too.

"What kind of world is this...?" Strelitzia whispered.

"One that's hurting - and in desperate need of fixing," Lauriam replied. "Ven's told you already that Radiant Garden doesn't exactly live up to its name anymore..."

"I k-know," Strelitzia stammered. "I just didn't expect it to be t-this..."

"It is a shock," Lauriam said softly. "But everyone here is dedicated to repairing the damages. Even Elrena and Namine have begun helping the people here. Naturally, it's about time we joined in the efforts as well."

"R-right!" Strelitzia agreed, in a high, squeaky voice. "Of course! If Ven's been helping, too...so will we!"

Skuld stepped forward, past the brother and sister pair. Her eyes roamed the buildings, the construction equipment. Her gaze fell to her feet, taking in the central square around her that was set into the ground. The ramps on all four sides leading back up onto proper street level. Ahead of her, there was a familiar gate, leading up a set of stairs to a massive, ruined castle...

This very place, this square, was where she had first appeared, over nine years ago now...

Appeared in this...era of time. Come from the distant past, aboard a machine called the Ark, she now knew.

At first, she'd been a guest up at the castle - given a room, help and aid. But then, when that young man with the silver hair had begun to set those brown eyes on her...giving her his attention...

Things had changed.

She'd gone to bed one night, grateful and warm, and had next woken up in a cold, dark, cramped prison cell.

All she'd had, then, was that Xehanort and his...attentions...

The relentless questioning, the threats, the pain, the rage and those eyes burning at her with insatiable hunger...

Skuld felt a tremor run through her body, and she sucked in a sharp breath of air as her fingers curled at her side.

Golden light flashed, and warm metal filled her grasp.

"Skuld?" Lauriam spoke, tentative. "Are you-"

"No!" The word burst from her lips, strong and true and definitive. Like the girl she remembered herself as. Not this lost, tattered woman clinging on by her fingertips in an alien world and time period. "This was a mistake-"

"It's you..."

Skuld stopped, turning at the sudden, new voice. She stared at the young man who had entered the square - just as he was staring at her with those familiar green eyes.

The man swallowed audibly, looking suddenly, incredibly nervous. A flushing red had crept up his neck now, beneath his long, flowing blue hair. "N-no, I'm sorry, this is clearly a terrible time for me to- goodbye. Apologies..." he murmured swiftly, turning on a heel and starting off back across the square.

Skuld opened her fingers, letting her Keyblade hit the stone with a clattering noise before it vanished away. "Don't leave me alone again, Isa!"

The man stopped instantly. He turned back to her, the expression on his face one of anguish and...amazement? "You - still remember me...?"

Skuld smiled, stepping closer to him. "You- you and- him- the other boy-" She struggled again, and her smile left her as she fell into frustration. She dropped her head, her hair hanging.

"Lea...his name was Lea. He and I visited you in the night," Isa spoke. "We'd been working on a ridiculous plan to rescue you, like the childish fools we were, but all we succeeded in doing was failing you-"

"You did- save me," Skuld got out painfully. Pulling her own teeth. "You...gave me hope. Your visits...were all I had."

Isa looked startled. Then, he smiled too, nodding. "That's very kind of you to say." He paused, looking uncomfortable and uncertain again. "So...what brings you to Radiant Garden?"

"Just...restless," Skuld murmured out.

"Understandable." Another long silence. Then- "Would you like to take a walk?" Isa asked hesitantly. "I could...get you some ice cream?"

Skuld tried again to tell the man how much the gesture meant to her. But she couldn't. So she smiled, and she nodded, and she closed the distance between them even more.

He blinked at her, then smiled back again. "Well, this way, then..." He started off, then cast a glance at Lauriam and Strelitzia. "Feel free to go wherever you like - not even the castle is off-limits, at this hour."

"How gracious of you," Lauriam responded, with something of an amused smirk on his lips now. "We'll be sure to do that." He looked to his sister, beckoning her and striding off in the opposite direction of Isa and Skuld. "Come along - we'll see if we can't find Ventus and the others..."

"I was...a Keyblade wielder."

Isa glanced at her as they walked through the city streets, ice cream sticks in hand. "I'm...aware of that now," he said awkwardly.

They hadn't spoken much - only Isa had, trying to explain the different districts and other workings of the city to her. He'd apologized to her at one point with, "I'm sorry, I'm not the best at entertaining others - that was always Lea's specialty."

"It was all for- others. For a plan. But...now..." Skuld tried to go on, but her words eluded her again. Snatched away, right out of her mind!

"You feel lost. You don't know who you are anymore, or what you should make of yourself in life."

Skuld looked at him in shock. "Yes!"

"Believe me when I say I know exactly how that feels," Isa said quietly, gazing at her for a very intense moment.

Skuld bowed her head, holding the ice cream in both hands and taking another firm bite out of it. "My problems - make it worse. Namine helps me, Luxu helped me before, keeping my...journal helps now...but...it's still- blocking me. Here."

"It will take time, but I'm sure it will...get better," Isa attempted to comfort.

"Thank you."

"It's nothing."

"Not- to me."

"Hmph. Fair enough, then."