Hateko looked down at the teen before her; she could only let out a smile that was both full of love and pain. Today was the day she would be free from the horrors that had kept her down. She was finally waking from the never-ending nightmare that was her life as she gently carried the boy, whom she would one day call her father. He felt light in her arms as she carried the seventeen-year-old version of Sora into an abandoned house, gently placing him on a bed as she looked outside, seeing the pouring rain amongst the dark skies of Traverse Town.
Hateko hated seeing the rain; it was always a reminder that death was nearby and that nothing good would come without sacrifices. The deaths of her family and friends, the students she cared for until that horrible war. But this time Hateko smiled, as she knew that tonight the rain wouldn't stop her; she had her father, and soon things would be better for both of them; all they had to do was make it to Raccoon City and find her mother, and then the ominous clouds that hanged over their lives would disappear.
Hateko wondered how long it had been since she had seen her father. Years, centuries—does time even matter when you're not even human? Did humanity still have a place for her? When she had lived in both the past and present, seeing her father's face once more made her feel like she was back home, back to a time more peaceful, where the only threat was the bioweapons that destroyed the lives of others but were still livable compared to the horrors of the heartless and the machines that followed down the line.
It made Hateko miss the days of her parents coming home from work, those nights where her babysitter Moira would have a sleepover, or the times when her mother simply gave her a thumbs up before school just to assure her that it was a good day.
Hateko took a deep breath as she began lightly patting her father on the cheek. She just had to be strong; she used to be the foreteller Ava, a member of the Yorha. Surely she could have a simple conversation with her father and not break the fabric of space and time by telling him that she was his daughter from the future and that a bioweapon was going to affect every single world in existence.
It had taken a moment, but soon she could see those calm blue eyes that she used to run to every night, running to those eyes that comforted her when the nightmares came and when the monsters came to their house and attacked them. Oh, how Hateko missed seeing her father's eyes. They were as peaceful and comforting as her mother's green eyes, which assured her that everything was fine. She could only watch, gazing at her father slowly coming to her with her own blue and green eyes.
—--
"What's going on? What happened to my home, my island, Riku, Kairi?" Sora let out a sigh as Hateko stood silently next to the teen as she looked at him, wondering what to say and what to do. She hadn't planned on how she would greet, let alone talk, to her father without it feeling like a crazy info dump on his mind. But Hateko took a gulp as she prepared herself for what was probably the craziest conversation her father was about to have in his whole life up to this point.
Your friends are going to be fine, Sora! Please take a deep breath, and I'll see if I can help you find them. You all got sent to other worlds when your island was swallowed up by those strange black monsters. So I need you to calm down and understand that they're okay; we'll find them as soon as you're better. You're probably tired from surviving the island, and your clothes are still soaked from the rain. So let's take a minute to rest and go from there, ok?" Hateko said, fishing out a ball of foil and handing it to Sora, as she looked outside, realizing that they were in the third district of Traverse Town and could get Sora into some warmer clothes and supplies quickly.
Sora wasn't sure what to think at the moment; everything was moving at a mile a minute. First, those bugs overtook his island, then Riku was sucked up by a dark portal, and Kairi flew right through his body and vanished. The next thing he knew was that he was ending up in a rainy city with a girl who seemed to know his name, his friends, what he was thinking about, and probably more. But for now, he couldn't do anything except lay in bed, as the feeling of wet clothes stuck to his body like glue. The only thing he could tell was that the mysterious girl was friendly and had handed him what looked like a cinnamon roll, allowing the teen to let out a small grin as he gently opened up the foil to see the sweet treat as he dug into the sugary delight. Sora could feel his body slowly relax; the news that Riku, and Kairi were safe had finally reached his mind, and the roll only helped to keep him calm as he looked at the girl before him.
She had short brown hair that was a little spiked, a small, golden crown, green kimono black pants as well as a white bulletproof vest that had medic written on it. The mysterious girl had a pistol that was being carried in a hip pouch, and a shotgun that was resting on top of a black, and red jacket that had golden buttons, and a checkered design on the inside. She also had a pink backpack laying on a massive sword right by the entrance of the house, whoever she was seemed to be planning ahead for something. But Sora took another bite as he began to wonder what else did the teen know, did she know of the weird sword that appeared in his hands? Sora decided to start smaller, realizing that maybe he could talk about her sweet treats, and then see about the blade.
"Hey Hateko? How did you make these cinnamon rolls? They're so good; they're almost like the ones my mom makes at home. I'm just shocked at how good these are; you must be a perfect cook." Sora said, flashing Hateko a big grin as he quickly finished the roll.
"Oh, I was a baker and worked as a pastry chef in my father's shop. It was a pretty sweet job; people would come from miles away just for a taste of our treats. Well, until things changed, and then our baking stopped, and more important matters had to be dealt with. Sora, I'd like to change the subject if you don't mind; I still haven't come to terms with the shop closing down. So let's talk about your key blade for a bit. I'll start with the basics, if that's ok." Hateko said it with a hint of sadness in her voice. Sora could only nod as his hand was engulfed in a flash of light, and a moment later, a gold and silver blade that looked like a key was in his right hand.
"I see that's your key blade, the weapon capable of slaying the darkness and offering people a chance to feel the light once more. Sora, I know you probably have plenty of questions, but for now, I'm afraid we must venture out into the rain. Those monsters that you fought that aren't from your world, the only way to stop them is with the key blade, so kindly stand; we've got to find a man called Cid and get off this world." Hateko declared, feeling her hands shaking. She was worried; her father was new to the key blade, and soon the harder and darker evils would rise to make their lives a living hell.
No, she would protect her father no matter the cost—no longer the scared little girl who cried into her parent's arms as the world was ripping into pieces, leaving her to live in war zone after war zone. It didn't matter the place or time, but Hateko knew that this time would be different. She wouldn't let Ava or 22B impact her father's future any more than needed; she was her own person and would help her father in her own way. That way, things could be normal, so that the bakery could be a reality once more.
"I see. Well, well, do you at least know how he can help us get off this world, and are you going to be ok in the rain? All you're wearing is a kimono, and some pants, please tell me you brought a hoodie or a raincoat, I don't want to see you catch a cold later?" Sora said, looking at the android with worried eyes. Hateko wanted to respond, telling her father that it was pointless for an android to worry about the rain, as her skin was akin to a human, and her normal attire was decent enough to deal with the rain and needed minimal cleaning. But she knew that her father would make a big deal out of this, so that meant next was the Duck's shop to get her a jacket.
"Ok, Sora, we're going to the duck's shop that's across the plaza, and I'll get something to deal with the rain." Hateko said, sighing, that she couldn't talk her way out of this one. So the android did the only thing she could do: open the door, look at her father pull up his hood as he stepped out into the rain, wait for her to run over to the shop, and buy a hoodie.
—--
Hateko, and Sora made their way over to the small shop, entering the door, taking a second to allow some of the rain to fall off their clothes into the soaked doormat. They could see the shop was overflowing with items, clothes and goods, as there were three small ducks, each wearing a different color for their shirts, and a small baseball cap on their heads.
"Welcome to our humble shop; what can we get you today?" Luey shouted as Huey quickly closed his brother's mouth. As Dewy looked at Hateko, quickly noticed that the brown-haired girl was more soaked than the other brown-haired teen, knowing that they had to get her something for the rain.
"Guys, we've got a fine for her, a jacket; she'll be soaked to the bone if she goes outside again! Quickly grab the black one that Yuffie keeps behind the counter; we'll give her that one." Dewy declared, as the other duck dove under the counter, fishing out a black jacket with a sliver pocket, placing it onto the counter, as Hateko silently took the clothing, wrapping it around her body, noticing that it was a little small as it failed to cover most of her figure, allowing her kimono to sweep through the jacket, but it was hopefully enough to keep her father happy?
"I guess it'll do unless we find something better here or in a different world; wouldn't you agree, Hateko?" Sora said, flashing his daughter a grin as he tried to hold back a laugh at how the busty woman was too small for a jacket for a person his age. Hateko looked like she was in her early twenties, whereas the jacket looked like it was made for a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old like him. But at least it was a good enough start. As Sora looked around the shop, fingering the few big orbs of money that his mom gave him for the day, all the jackets around the shop seemed too small for Hateko, so it seemed like they'd have to go elsewhere until bigger ones came in, as all the bigger coats were sold out.
Nevertheless, Hateko didn't seem to mind, and Sora knew that if he kept pressing, he'd probably make her mad, so he kept quiet about the jacket. So now all that was left was to find a way off this world. All that was left was meeting Cid, and then seeing if the mysterious man had a way off this world and then onto Raccoon City.