The Age of Fairy Tales:

The Lost Apprentice

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Everyone watched as it writhed in the air before falling back down to Remnant, becoming impaled on a nearby mountain that collapsed under its weight. The body began to dissolve, flooding the valley below with a black deluge and a poisonous fog.

And from it came a single glowing figure that leapt up into the air and landed back on the beach.

"Aqua!" Ambroise called out, having fallen to his knees while leaning against his scepter.

Aqua looked to see where her old friend was and was about to move towards him when she paused, her body becoming transparent. 'Oh no…'

She fell to the ground; her strength being sapped away from her as she felt herself becoming less solid.

Was Ozma about to die again?

She had just returned, and she was about to vanish again?

She wanted to say something.

She wanted to look him in the eyes and explain.

She barely could see as her vision became blurry.

She couldn't even make out the strange shapes coming into view before she finally blacked out.

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"…qu…?"

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"..t….is…u."

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"Da…y?"

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"My…my children…"

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"Daddy!"

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"She looks younger. A few years older than you when she found you."

"Yeah."

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"After all these years, you've come back…Master."

"Ugh…" She finally managed to open her eyes, light shining down upon her.

Her eyes took a moment to adjust before she found herself in very familiar surroundings.

The Land of Departure.

Or rather, the copy of her home in the Land of Departure she made with the Staff of Creation.

"Aqua?"

She turned her head, following the sound of the familiar voice and gasped slightly when she saw the source. "…Poppy?"

The woman smiled. "It's been a long time, Aqua. Only now it seems things are revered for us. I'm about the same age as you were when you disappeared and you're back to the age you were when we first met."

Her hair traveled down her shoulders, and she wore black clothing under a suit of armor and a white robe, much like the one Aqua wore when she was Poppy's mentor. Her face had matured but showed the same freckles that she had when they had first met.

Aqua looked astounded but Poppy didn't give her the chance to speak as she jumped out of her chair and wrapped the now young master in a tight hug. "…I missed you…So much."

Aqua slowly raised her arms and hugged Poppy back. "I…I didn't think I would see you again."

"Neither did I." Poppy admitted, a tear slipping down her face as she buried it in Aqua's shoulder. "When I watched you disappear…It was like watching everyone in my village dying again."

Aqua was saddened to hear that, not meaning to put her former apprentice through such pain.

She knew she couldn't have helped it, since her Heart was now linked to Ozma's through the Power of Waking she had gained from awaking Terra's Heart, but she still felt remorse all the same.

After what felt like so long, Poppy pulled away and smiled at her. "You need to see all that we have done here."

Aqua raised an eyebrow but allowed Poppy to pull her out of the bed. As she was pulled out of the room, she finally realized it was her room, or rather the copy of her room she had made when she created this place. Poppy led her out and she was stunned to see the many people now living here. Young children in what looked like classes, listening as one person read to them an old story, likely a fairy tale.

"After you disappeared, we opened this place to more refuges who had lost their homes to the Grimm." Poppy spoke as they walked through the halls of the monastery. "Many people came to seek shelter here and it reached a point we had to do a little…expanding."

She led Aqua out onto a balcony and the blue haired woman gasped when she at what she saw. The mountain on which the monastery had been made now had what appeared to be a city built into it, levels with buildings and houses on the sides leading all the way the down to the bottom with the waterfall that had been left as a natural part of the mountain flowing into a village built at the bottom. In the surrounding cliffs, she could see houses built into the walls, traveling both upwards and inwards into the cliffs.

"Aqua, welcome to our new kingdom."

Remnant
Mistral
Haven Academy
62 AFG

Professor Leonardo Lionheart had always considered himself a practical man, even in his younger years. A brave and valiant Huntsman and a Lion Faunus, Leonardo had been a role model to the following generations of Huntsmen and Huntresses in Mistral. His office overlooked the kingdom he had sworn to protect and provided him with an amazing view of the courtyards surrounding the monastery that had become Haven Academy. More than once, Leonardo would walk the grand halls of the academy, taking in the grand architect that broke away from traditional Mistralian customs but at the same time incorporated the ideals of art and beauty that kingdom had worked so hard to create in its numerous cultures.

He would stop and look in one of the classes, seeing the white walls, golden beams, windows, and ceiling arches, as well as two fans at the top. He especially liked the ones filled with bookcases. The entire academy was meant to be an example of the great beauty that Mistralians sought in their works as artists and architects and a place of refuge for those seeking a home and a place to train the future generations of warriors to defend Remnant from evil.

And yet, Leonardo felt nothing like the defender he was believed to be.

Truth be told, he found himself envying people like Ozpin and Qrow for being brave enough without relying on their Semblances. Okay, Qrow has always complained about his Semblance being a bad luck charm but he hasn't let get in the way of being the best Huntsmen he could be…

Unlike Leonardo.

What was the Semblance of the Headmaster of Haven Academy?

It is called Braveheart.

It allows him to forget all his doubts and fears, allowing him to become a bold force against any opponent. It boosts his morale and makes him brave, even in the face of overwhelming odds. That is what earned him his reputation as the bravest of the Headmasters of the Huntsmen Academies. Say what you will about the fighting prowess of Headmaster Theodore of Shade Academy, the passive wisdom of Ozpin of Beacon or the armies under the command of General Ironwood but Leonardo's Semblance made him as brave as a true lion. In his prime Leo would throw himself into fights with the Grimm, his Semblance combined with his skills and weapon making him a cunning and valiant warrior to the point that Ozpin chose him to be the new headmaster of Haven Academy.

Sometimes though, Leo wondered if Oz truly knew how insecure Leo was with his role.

A Faunus, leading a kingdom.

An attempt to smooth relations between Humans and Faunus that had soured in the last few decades.

While Menagerie may be the unofficial fifth Kingdom on Remnant, the fact is that some people were not happy with this decision. Leonardo picked up his favorite book and read over the first few pages.

The Founding of Mistral began with a simple dream.

A dream of finding sanctuary from the Grimm. It was in that dream; a single monastery was built into a mountain close to the Great Lake that would become Lake Matsu. It was from this monastery that a great kingdom would be born into the mountains and cliffs, protected from the Creatures of Grimm. No one knows how this Great Monastery was built in ancient times when the land was uninhabited, but some believe it was made by a single person, carving the grand temple out of the mountain with a single sword.

A sword of great power and ruin.

Leonardo once mused that the sword in question was actually the Sword of Destruction, but he knew now that was not true.

"Professor?"

He turned to the door that he had left open and peeking her head in was a young woman with short light blue hair and emerald-green eyes. "Ah, Miss Maia. Good to see you and right on time. Are you ready?"

Sighing, he put the book down and walked out of his office, followed by Maia. Despite the schedule he was on, Leonardo found himself taking some time to walk around the Academy before he and Maia came upon the Grand Hall. The area was quite spacious and covered in golden ornaments, with large stained-glass windows lighting up the place, and a single throne could be seen towards the top.

That's right, Haven Academy was once the palace of Mistral's ruling class.

It was not too grand but still a place you expect royalty to be found in.

Leonardo stopped at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the throne, staring at the statue of the woman seemingly holding up to the balcony where the throne was located with golden chains wrapped around it. Making sure no one was around; Leonardo took out his pocket watch and inserted it into the lock of the chains.

(Kingdom Hearts II OST Cavern of Remembrance)

The reaction from Maia was amazement as the statue was lowered down along with the central circular floor of the balcony, revealing it to be a hidden elevator. Leonardo stepped onto the elevator and Maia quickly followed, and it went down. For several minutes, there was silence before the elevator finally came to a stop. The doors opened and the two stepped out into what appeared to be an immense, beautiful crystalline cave, containing many ledges, stalactites, and stalagmites which can be ascended to reach an ornate door.

Only a handful knew its name: The Caverns of Knowledge

Leonardo walked up to the door and stared at it for a moment before he used his pocket watch to open it.

Through the door was a purple, deep, and winding pit cave which is crisscrossed with pipes across multiple 'floors'. In the past, as the royal palace of Mistral, this place functioned as a fortress meant to the last line of defense if Mistral was ever invaded. A cart with Gravity and Wind Dust was in front of him that allowed him to cross the first chasm, bringing him to another ornate door, as well as a passage leading to an upper cubby of the Depths. Once this door was opened, Leonardo stepped out into what used to be a Dust mine, a complex area of pistons, vents, and engines that were inert.

Good thing too or the steam and conveyor belts would make their lives very difficult.

Dust was once found abundance deep in the mountain that had been mined. Of course, there was more than just a mine down here. Leonardo had learned that the royalty of Mistral ordered a prison to be built down here, deep inside the mountain and far below the surface, that it was almost impossible to escape, even if the prisoners ever escaped their cells. Leonardo followed the path through the mines, noting that the mines were still shut down, having been used up since the end of the Great War.

At the end of the path, the walls were now blue with another pair of doors waiting for him. Leonardo opened the doors, and he was now in the Engine Chambers. Like with the mining area, the Engine Chamber filled with conveyor belts, pistons, scalding jets of steam that would burst from pipes if it was on. The Engine Chamber processed the Dust and the had forges used to create the weapons that would use the Dust.

It was crazy that he had to navigate this maze of machinery, but it was all part of the multi-layered system meant to guard what Haven Academy had been built to protect. If the academy was ever breeched, the enemy would have a hard time navigating this place and even if there was no more Dust, one wrong move could cause a cave in…or an explosion if the machinery in the mines were turned back on. He could only sigh in relief when he reached the next doors at the end of the caverns and opened them, coming into the Transport to Knowledge. Despite its grand name, it was little more than a long balcony hallway with water falling on the right side, showing that this place was built close to Mistral's waterfall.

The walls were colored silver-white, making Leonardo feel out of place as he continued his trek down the hall.

Another pair of doors awaited him and Maia, and he opened them.

What lay on the other side was their destination:

The Vault of Haven Academy.

It was an ornate platform surrounded by a circular wall which was itself ringed by more waterfalls inside the cavern as part of the water system of Mistral. If someone were to fall off, they would be swept away by the water and likely drown long before they came out the other end. At the end of this mall was an elaborate orange doorway situated in a rock wall. Behind it is a large tree with glowing orange flowers.

Next to the tree was a glass case and inside was a female mannequin wearing the most beautiful kimono the two had ever seen.

"Wow." Maia walked up to the mannequin, closely examining it. "It's beautiful."

In another world, this would be known as a jūnihitoe, having several silk layers colored mostly blue, white, green and purple, giving it a running water pattern. The outermost layer was a robe-colored light blue on the top and changing colors on the way down to leg section with silver wave lines sewn into the dark blue sections, shining enough to see even from a distance. There were even silver stars with blue jewels sewn in at the bottom to give off not just an ocean theme but also both a bright and night sky as well.

A representation of a night sky to light blue to dark blue ocean.

A golden crown band rested on the head with a blue tear shaped jewel, representing a water droplet.

Resting in the mannequin's hands was a large fan that was currently closed.

In Leonardo's eyes that was perhaps the most expensive outfit he had ever seen in his entire life. It would have cost a fortune to make but given that this was the dress of an Empress, it was to be expected.

His Scroll beeped and he immediately took out to answer it. "Yes?"

"We're ready, Professor Lionheart. Are you?"

"I am here." Lionheart nodded, taking his attention away from the mannequin and turned to the door. "It is safe to enter."

The person hung up and a moment later, a red and black swirling vortex appeared several feet from Leonardo. The first to come out was none other than Raven Branwen herself, having been the one to create the portal.

"Mrs. Branwen." Leonardo greeted.

"Drop the 'Mrs', Leo. You make me sound like a housewife." Raven remarked, stepping away from the portal.

A second person stepped out of the portal, surprising Leonardo. She wore a one-piece red dress with white frills under the skirt and exposed shoulders, separate black sleeves with red and black bracers and a separate black skirt that covered most of the red one underneath. She wears a white cloak with a red inner liner, which was secured by a pair of black leather straps with leaf-shaped pins that attach to the cloak at the shoulders before crossing above her chest and eventually attaching to a set of thick black belts around her waist. Covering her legs were a pair of grey leggings and on her feet is a pair of black high-heeled boots with red highlights.

"Summer." Leonardo was still surprised to see her, even though this was her idea from the start.

"Hello, Professor Lionheart." Summer greeted him with a kind smile. "You and Maia have been holding up well?"

"Y-Yes." Leonardo nodded, clearing his throat. "None of my staff are aware and currently as you know, Haven barely has any students because we are on break. By the time classes start up again, we'll be long finished. Even Lady Tsukuyomi is not in, dealing with council members working on improving travel between Anima and Sanus."

"Good." Summer nodded before looking to Maia. "And you are comfortable with this?"

"I have thought it over and I understand why but I don't like that we're doing this behind Ozpin's back." Maia answered, shifting a bit.

"Neither am I but hopefully he'll understand once we're done." Summer replied, noticing Raven crossing her arms.

Summer then noticed the mannequin, eyes widening a bit before she walked over to it, stopping to catch a falling leaf from the tree. "This is her?"

Maia had watched Summer as she approached the mannequin. "Who is she?"

"She was the last Empress of Mistral. Officially her name was Izanami but according to Ozpin her identity was crafted and forced upon her by Salem." Leonardo answered. "Her robes were housed down here as a tribute to her hard work in shaping Mistral as it is now. The academy and this entire place were all once the grand palace from which she and her predecessors ruled."

"Ozpin keeps a similar mannequin down in the vault at Beacon." Raven commented. "Looks like she really was both Empress and leader of his old team."

"I grew up reading the few fairy tales about the Silver Knight." Summer admitted as she walked around the glass case, staring at the robes the mannequin was wearing. "I would have liked to meet her."

"Well, according to Ozpin she is meant to reappear one day but it's hard to tell." Leonardo admitted. "He has been very tightlipped on this, even for him."

"Maybe we should use the second question to find out who she is and what the big deal is." Raven suggested.

"No." Summer shook her head firmly, stopping at the front of the mannequin. "We agreed to only use one question and that was it. So, let's hurry and get this done."

(Kingdom Hearts II OST Cavern of Remembrance Ends)

Maia nodded, turning to the door and slowly walked up to it. She took a deep breath and placed her hand on it. The door shimmered before the 'fans' starting to slowly retract, opening up to reveal a vast desert on the other side. The four were left looking stunned, watching the doors to reveal what was literally another world on the other side.

And on a path leading several feet away from the door was an alter where a golden ornate lamp was resting.

Summer managed to steel herself as she approached the lamp, picking it up softly and hearing whispers coming from it. "And you remember the password?"

Maia nodded.

"Okay." Summer looked at Leo. "We should ask it inside here, just to be safe. I don't want this activate outside of the Vault."

Leonardo glanced at Raven who considered it carefully and nodded, walking into the vault, followed by Maia and Leonardo being the last.

They all approached Summer as she held out the Lamp and whispered the password. "Jinn."

Time literally froze but in that frozen moment, everything changed.

Keyblade Monastery

'Present' Time

Aqua couldn't believe how much had changed.

The place she had made to be a home for her was now a becoming a kingdom of its own, given the many people now living here.

"Aqua?"

She looked over to see Poppy next to her, looking concerned. "Oh, sorry. Did you say something?"

"Are you all right?" Poppy asked. "I know this must be shocking."

"I just need a moment to take it all in." Aqua admitted.

"Come on." Poppy gently took Aqua's hand and pulled her away from the balcony. "Let me show you everything."

Aqua could only let herself be pulled along, wondering what else has changed and how much she'll have to get used to this feeling.