Part 2: The Magic of Memories

 Far away, in a place known as Nocturne, a man with bright purple robes and glasses was counting some trinkets on his table. His apartment overlooked the city centre, a balcony allowing him to see far over the crowds of people and bustling streets, to the point that he could even see the local cinema in the distance. The man stared down at his ornate little playthings, which appeared to be some sort of thimble bearing musical notes, and gave a smile, speaking out loud despite living alone. “Well, I think I’ve sorted it out. Now let’s see if we can do this correctly!” he grinned, lifting his hands to make the thimbles shine. He’d only remembered this bet from a visit to the council. The meeting was just a regular discussion of the current state of affairs, but to be frank the man found it hilarious he was invited. Hilarious, and ironic all at once, considering he didn’t particularly like politics, but getting to see the master and his brother had reminded him of this bet, so he made the thimbles shine and got them to begin playing a melody, a soft little tune that he’d been taught as a boy. However, one was out of place, and thus played a wrong note. “Oh not you again! Confound it, we were so close! Well, guess I’m not winning this bet anytime soon, eh? However, I must say, running into both the Master and Ambrose the other day…not that I wasn’t expecting that when summoned by the council, but it really makes one remember how time flies by…” he mused, before grinning at himself when he realised he was speaking aloud, catching his reflection in the mirror. “Oh Percy, always chattering away, someday you’ll lose that voice of yours if you’re not careful, it might run away!” he spoke to himself, before hearing a tapping at the window and turning. It wasn’t raining, so he wandered over to his window and opened it, but there was no one around- though it may have been more concerning if there was anyone about since he lived several stories up. “Okay, that’s not actually funny! Is there a ghost about? And if there is you had better leave, I do not want to be spooked at night!” he spoke, before something flew out of nowhere and smacked him in the face, Percy groaning and rolling his eyes. “Just my luck, eh?” he muttered, before pulling it off his face and moving away from the window, sitting back down at his table and using his thimbles as paperweights to read the letter. “Oh, OH! Looks like that wasn’t just a catch up meeting…seems the Master wants to see me about something…hmmmm…” he mused, before giving a giddy grin, actually pretty excited. He hadn’t visited the old place in some time, nearly 15 years in fact, and he wondered what could have changed, and what this huge revelation could be about. Nevertheless, he grabbed a large empty suitcase, and slammed it down onto the floor, using magic to pull practically everything in the small apartment inside. With a salute to nobody, he made his final announcement. “I’m on vacation! Keep everything neat and tidy whilst I’m gone, and no raiding my freezer for ice cream cake!” He grinned, before clutching his suitcase tightly and snapping his fingers, turning into a light ball that streaked across the sky like a rainbow.

A few days had passed since the superbroom incident and memory spells, and everyone had recovered and had the time to process what they had been shown, both of themselves and each other- all except Golden. Everyone was keeping her in the dark, but she tried not to mind. She just wanted to know why everyone was being so much gentler with her now. Even Oswald wasn’t teasing her as much, which was completely uncharacteristic of him. Despite her profound insistence that they treat her as normal, it seemed everyone was acting differently, and she only wanted to know the reason. They all acted like she was made of glass and could shatter at any second, like she was the most delicate lily in the world. Okay, perhaps she did actually mind and was more than a little frustrated by everyone. As she got into her regular red robe, a painting idea came to her mind, so she hoped there would be time to practise that day. She loved it when Yen Sid would put spells on her paintings, making them sing and dance to rhythms and songs they’d make up out of nowhere. Though she wasn’t the most brilliant painter, she still enjoyed the craft and wanted to learn more, so she could be as good as Aero and Mickey someday. Heading downstairs, she knocked on Scout’s door to wake her up, as she had a bad habit of staying up too late and sleeping in, and then went further down for breakfast, meeting everyone on the way except Scout. Just as Oswald was about to sit down on his chair, though, her big sis teleported in, taking his chair for herself and Golden immediately sitting next to her, Oswald giving her a glare as she giggled. “Good mornin’ everyone.” Scout chuckled, everyone wishing her the same except the grumpy bunny. “I need coffee before good mornings exist in my system, thank you.” he replied, just as Yen Sid walked in with a smile, sitting down and looking at each of them in turn. His gaze eventually landed on Golden, his face turning slightly more wistful, and she pulled a face at him in response, the old wizard shrugging. “I’m trying to treat you as normally, silly.” he smiled, Golden rolling her eyes. “And you’re doing a WONDERFUL job.” she retorted, everyone giving slight snickers at her sass. Yen Sid smiled too, Golden letting herself dissolve into giggles as she wasn’t really angry. No point spoiling a nice day with her temper for the second time. Yen Sid waved his hands, and a procession of food came from the kitchen, serving each child with their favourite.

“Oooooh!! Cheese!” Mickey squeaked, picking up an entire platter and beginning to munch on it, whilst Julius grabbed some toast with blueberry jam, along with a few chunks of fish, giggling at how obsessed his brother was with cheese. Oswald meanwhile took three cups of coffee, being the opposite of a morning person, and aggressively began to drink them. “I don’t need food, give me ALL the coffee!” he demanded, the dish running back into the kitchen to fetch him more. Scout smiled and grabbed some toast, along with beans and a whole pitcher of juice, whilst Golden was given a chocolate croissant, which she happily ate. Everyone continued to munch, but Golden knew Yen Sid was watching her, and pulled a face again at him. “Dad, I’m really okay. No need to watch over me or treat me like a baby.” She spoke, Yen Sid giving a shrug and nodding, before turning to see Scout and Oswald bickering over what drink was better. With a slight chuckle, he turned back to Golden and sighed. “Well, you’re still our baby, but you’re right. You’re still you, Golden, and we treat you just like we do with everyone else.” he smiled, Golden trying to raise her voice in protest but being suddenly startled as a voice outside got louder and louder, yelling “INCOMING” at the top of his lungs. A smack at the window was heard, everyone yelping, and Oswald spilled his coffee by jumping, being pretty frustrated about it. Julius had jumped into Scout’s arms whilst Mickey was under the table, and Golden had shrunk down into the folds of her robe, so only the top of her head was visible. Yen Sid gave a sigh, before turning to Golden. “Let him in.” 

Golden ran toward the door, slightly hesitant, but everyone was recovering from their fright so nobody else would be able to get to the door in time. She turned the handle, and then suddenly an energetic ball of light zipped through, leaving a sparkly trail behind and causing her hair to fly about, startling her again. “WELL HELLO APPRENTICES!” He called, Golden feeling as if she knew the voice, and Yen Sid giving a sigh and drinking water. “You do realise you interrupted breakfast?” He spoke, his stern voice coming through that made all the apprentices shrink back ever so slightly. The light ball was unfazed, though. “Perfect. I’ll take some too, thanks. Do you still make scrambled eggs?” He replied, Yen Sid facepalming and looking over as Golden walked back toward the table, seemingly lost in thought, whilst Scout stood and walked over to where Percy was hovering. “Percy my man, what’s good?” She grinned, the light flying all around her. “Just the usual, trying to make thimbles sing so I can win a bet. But apart from that! How’s your apprenticeship going? Still working hard and taking it more seriously?” He asked, Scout giving a firm nod. “I’m learning all the rules of music magic,” she started, before lowering her voice so Yen Sid wouldn’t hear. “After all, it’s the only way to break ‘em.” she giggled, Percy laughing too. “Well there’s always more ways than one to complete things. Perhaps your little experiments will lead to something larger than we’ve ever seen!” he replied, before Scout felt someone tug at her robe slightly and looked down. Now at her side was Golden. Percy hadn’t yet noticed her, and continued to chat. “By Jove, I bet you’re making the master so proud! Perhaps we’ll even see a smile from him one of these days, eh? Oh, just one moment so you can see MY smile…” he trailed off, before the light suddenly spun around, creating a bright whirlwind that seemed to reflect rainbows off the walls, turning into a man with purple robes, a hat, glasses, and a huge suitcase.

“Ahh, there we go! Now, could you boys do me a favour and take my suitcase from me? Thank you!” He spoke, Golden taking a peek at him. She’d never seen anyone like him before but…his voice sounded familiar, and his name. She wondered why she could be feeling like this, and if it had anything to do with her amnesia that she so despised. Oswald and Julius took the suitcase, but it was so heavy that it caused both of them to fall, Yen Sid being the final one to stand and approach Percy, his arms in his robe as usual. “A suitcase? Percy, I do not recall saying anything about you staying over.” he spoke sternly, Percy just giving a goofy grin. “Oh, only for a little while Master? It gets lonely in Nocturne. Besides, I miss the old place, I’d love to just stay and catch up for a bit to see how everyone else is doing.” He admitted, before turning and watching the boys go up the stairs, holding the suitcase between them and rubbing his head slightly. Mickey moved next to Golden and Yen Sid, waving up at Percy. “Awww, it’ll be okay Master! Plus, I actually tidied the guest rooms the other day, just in case!” he smiled, Yen Sid reaching down to pat his head. Percy beamed. “That’s so kind of you, Mickey! Now, Yen Sid’s not giving you an earful, is he? Those cauldrons get heavier every time he scolds, I’m sure!” The light man giggled, Mickey giving a chuckle as Percy reached down to rub his ear playfully, tickling him. “Hahaha! That tickles, Percy! But no, he’s been fine, heehee!” He batted Percy’s hand away, who gave a hearty laugh. Yen Sid couldn't help but smirk at the antics, he’d never changed. “Well, since you’re here you might as well stay.” the old sorcerer smiled, Percy’s eyes lighting up with glee. Yen Sid then approached him and touched his shoulder, whispering in his ear. “Besides, if there’s anyone who might know something, it’s likely you.” He murmured, Percy wondering what this could all be about. Nevertheless, he gave a smile down to the others, Yen Sid now standing beside him and Percy leaning on him slightly. “Oh but Yen Sid, the pleasure’s all mine! I’d never abandon someone who needs me, so who’s the little apprentice? Mickey, Scout? Oswald perhaps?” He tried, Yen Sid shaking his head as Golden peeked out from behind Scout’s robe.

The moment Percy caught sight of her, he raised his eyebrows and his eyes went starry, staring down at the tiny seven-year-old in front of him in awe. “Oh…my…” he started, seemingly breathless, before his hat jumped off his head and he practically leapt forward, right in front of Scout and Golden, Percy bending down to greet her. “When did you get so big?! Time goes so fast, oh my goodness! You were so tiny when we first met, though I doubt you recognized me since I was a ball of light at the time, perhaps you remembered my voice though? Ah no matter, you’re here now, and you’ve gotten so big!” He rambled, Golden a little taken aback and sticking close to Scout’s side, though she didn’t feel frightened by Percy. Yen Sid couldn’t help but give a slight smile, though he didn’t want Percy saying too much, as there was much he clearly didn’t know. At the very least, it was confirmed that Percy was the one who had guided her all that time ago, which made him quite pleased. Golden tried to speak up, but she was a bit nervous. “Um…hello…” she stuttered, Percy’s eyes going even wider than before. “Your voice is just as cute as your face! Yen Sid, why didn’t you tell me the glitchy theatre kid was your apprentice? I would’ve visited far more if I’d got to see this little cutie all the time!” He giggled, pinching her cheek and making Scout snicker, while Golden just looked positively confused. “Percy, please. That’s enough.” Yen Sid spoke, not wanting to expose Golden to unwanted memories or confuse her. Percy was startled but stood up straight, looking wholly apologetic. “Oh, I do hope I haven’t done anything wrong, I do apologise Master! She’s just so…so precious!” he giggled, Yen Sid’s stern face melting away into a smile. It was very hard to stay angry around Percy, the light man could brighten up anyone’s life with his presence, so Yen Sid just gave a chuckle. “We have much to discuss, but there is no reason to apologise.” He spoke, Percy giving a grin. He turned back to Golden, who was coming out of her shyness, and gave her a smile.

“Hey…it’s a pleasure to meet you?” She tried, liking his eccentric personality and friendly demeanour, even if his words confused her quite a bit. Percy gave a wide smile and bent down again to her level, holding out his hand for her to shake. “Well, if we are talking meetings then I suppose this may be classed as our first proper one. I am Percy Symphonus, a master sorcerer who specialises in counselling and music, and it is a pleasure to meet you properly!” he grinned, Golden shaking his hand and smiling, his enthusiasm was infectious. “I’m Golden, I’m seven and one of Yen Sid’s apprentices, hehe!” she replied, Percy unable to get over how cute her voice was and looking very starry eyed. “Well, once upon a time I was Yen Sid’s apprentice too! He taught me a lot of things about music and power, and he used to tell me all SORTS of stories! Me and him go waaay back! And also-” he was cut off by Scout, who snickered. “It’s ‘him and I’, Percy.” she giggled, Percy frowning at her and standing up. “I’ll have you know I say what I want, miss know-it-all. You’re always correcting me, and time may fly but a leopard doesn’t change its…stripes? Is that it?” He flushed red, Yen Sid and Scout laughing behind their hands at him, while Golden looked up at him with a smile. She already liked Percy a lot, and she barely even knew him! “Anyway, as I was saying before I was RUDELY INTERRUPTED, Yen Sid and me go very far back! In fact, I believe the Master used to visit me when I was a baby, if I’m not wrong?” he pondered, Yen Sid giving a nod to confirm. “He taught me how to play music, all about my light powers, everything! And he’s my papa, so does that make me your brother?” he pondered, Golden chuckling a little. “Well maybe I’m more like an uncle though…eh, whatever! I’m going to take a shower, so see you soon!” Percy grinned, before turning back into a light ball and zipping upstairs, already knowing his way around. “Don’t use all the hot water!” Mickey called, before noticing Golden wandering off toward the art room. “Oooh, going to draw, Golden?” he asked, Golden nodding. “I got a painting idea, can you help me?” she asked, the two of them running off and leaving Scout and Yen Sid to chat.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen Percy in person, hehe! So, what’s the plan, Pops?” Scout asked, Yen Sid giving a little shrug. “As you know, Percy is a knowledgeable man with a great deal of power. Based on little’un’s memories, I think he saw what happened firsthand. He may be eccentric and silly, but he can be serious and observant when need be. If we want to identify the person who tried to harm her in the past, Percy is our best bet.” Yen Sid explained, Scout nodding and thinking about the memory they had seen. The brutality of that kidnapper had shocked her, much less the scar, and it would be best for Golden to be kept unaware for now, as there was some serious adult business afoot that she needed to stay out of.

Golden and Mickey had begun to paint, mixing brown and blue to create a dark green and covering a black canvas in it, drawing the outline of a theatre with intricate curls and swirls. From there, they made a green background for the stage, and blue curtains, added some lights, and then Mickey let Golden take over, drawing whatever fun magical being she was thinking of in her head. She started with a black and white top hat, then some pink lips, and then one half of a face, a mask in fact, green with a pink tint for rosy cheeks and a friendly face. She finished the other half of the face, making it a lot lighter, and gave him a bowtie, which he could use instead of hands to point, the ribbons being long enough. She moved over to the other side of the canvas, drawing three marionette faces in the same style. The first was pink with blonde hair, a green tie and ribbon atop her head, the second purple with white curls and pink tie and ribbon, and the final one was a peach colour, with brown hair and yellow ribbons. Mickey wondered what sort of creation she had made, but remembered the spell Yen Sid had taught him to make paintings move, and figured they’d do the talking. He snapped his fingers, and the little masked gentleman started to move, giving them a wave with one of his ribbons and tipping his hat. “Hello there little lady! Time to hitch your wagon to a song, ‘cause a song is the one and only thing to take you over the rainbow, to the land where music is king.” he winked, Golden and Mickey giggling at his voice- it sounded like it was coming out of a gramophone. He waved his ribbons around, spinning in circles midair, and motioned over to the lovely little ladies held up by strings on the other side of the canvas. “Come on in and join the fun, there’s something here for everyone!” he smiled, acting much like a showrunner or master of ceremonies. “You’ll find rhythm and romance, reason and rhyme, something ridiculous, something sublime! After all…” he chuckled, the three marionettes coming alive and beginning to sing a ditty for both of them. “Oh, you can’t go wrong if ya swing along, with melody, harmony, come to the jubilee…it’s melody time!” they finished, before going inanimate in dynamic poses, Golden and Mickey both clapping for the caricatures. “I should remember that song, that was fun!” Mickey giggled, both of them putting the painting up to dry and running to go find some sheet music, though the thought of theatres and shows still lingered in Golden’s head. She hoped to learn more about that photo, but for now she was content to let masks and marionettes dance around in her mind, and help her to forget her troubles.

A few hours passed, Percy now had his whole room set up. It looked like the little home he had in Nocturne, which wasn’t surprising given how much he had packed into his suitcase. He dusted his hands and sighed happily, admiring his decor skills. “Ahh Percy you old fox! You know where everything goes to your liking! I’ll be right at home here, just like before. Honestly, why didn’t I visit more? Ah well, no point in dwelling! Time to shimmy to the master and talk some things over…” He went over to his door and opened it, upon leaving the room, he saw Yen Sid and Scout were quietly talking to each other, right outside his room. Percy raised an eyebrow as they became quiet suddenly, looking at him with a stare that signified something serious. “Oh enough with the intense stares you two!” Percy protested softly, “Oswald’s the best at that, anyway. So, master, what do you need?” Yen Sid took a deep breath, getting all his thoughts together and scripting in his mind all he needed to say. “Let’s walk.” he said, taking both Scout and Percy to his side as they began walking, making an ascent among the stairs. “Percy, I called you here as I know you have some knowledge, or perhaps a lot that will be of great value to us, regarding Golden. And her past…” Scout remembered Golden’s memory from the previous day, and slowly rubbed her arm. She felt a little uncomfortable knowing something rather terrible was happening that day, it made her hold her little sister closer after the memory experiment had been completed, and seeing that scar too. Yen Sid and Percy continued on with their conversation, making their way up to the master’s office. “You see, she doesn’t have any memory prior to arriving at my workshop all those years ago.” Yen Sid went on. “Although I tried several methods to help, none have given me any leads. Despite that, I still cared for her and treated her as one of my own. I did mention a little experiment in my letter, Percy, one about a memory spell, you remember?” Percy gave a nod, smiling at the mention of what Yen Sid had written to him. “Yes! That you did!” he said, before turning a little more serious. “And I could tell, before even meeting up with that, what you said was important. I could hear your voice while reading your letter. I suppose, given everything you found out, this experiment left you with more questions than answers?” Yen Sid returned with his own nod, looking a little down, but trying to keep it calm as they all got to his office. “Yes, in a way. We found out what… happened. But there are things I couldn’t put my finger on.” Percy looked a little taken aback by that. “Really?” He said, “But you’re Yen Sid! I daresay there’s nothing you couldn’t fix!” Yen Sid smiled softly, offering Percy and Scout a seat by his office table, which was covered with books, a few candles floating above like a ceiling lantern, and a mortar and pestle beside a skull lamp. “You would think so, and I do like a good challenge.” Yen Sid responded, taking his own seat. “However, you cannot complete something without having all the pieces of the puzzle.” He looked at Percy and Scout, and the latter knew what he was thinking. “For example, the man who…attacked her.” Percy’s eyes went wide, and he bit his lip as he noticed Yen Sid’s fist curl, the whites of his knuckles showing. The spectacled man cleared his throat, giving a small smile to help calm the situation. “Well…” He started. “Now that you mention it, I think it’s a good time to talk about it. I saw a man going after a child, there was a small commotion but something in my gut told me I needed to find out. I saw from above as I was in my light form, there was a crowd of people, as it was by a movie theatre. I saw her, Golden running for her life from this man, I think it was a man…” Scout looked a little perplexed at the last part, surely Percy would have seen this person’s face. “Percy? Did you manage to see who this person was?” she asked anxiously. “Did you catch a glimpse of their face?” Percy shook his head sadly. “No, unfortunately not the whole face.” he answered briefly. “This attacker had their hood up, but if I remember correctly, they had a male voice, and very scruffy attire. Bah, you wouldn’t catch ME wearing such an outfit, that’s for sure! But anyways, I had to get her away from him, and when I noticed it looked safe, I led her inside the theatre to hide.” He looked down at his hands on his knees, his expression becoming solemn as guilt washed over him. “Once back outside, that…that attacker was nowhere to be seen. If I was just a bit quicker, I would have done something, perhaps even asked for help. But I was too late, besides I didn’t want to cause a panic in the crowd.” Yen Sid nodded slowly, standing up from his chair and feeling calmer. He approached Percy, placing a hand on his shoulder. Percy looked up a little, the gentle smile of his old master and father made him feel better, and he smiled back. “Thank you Percy.” he said, he took Percy’s hand and made him stand up. He then put an arm around him, feeling proud of him. “There’s no need to blame yourself, what you did was more than noble. You saved Golden from a terrible fate, she’s safe thanks to you.” A small blush filtered on Percy’s face, and he shyly adjusted his glasses, a quirk he did when he felt a little sheepish. “Oh, come on…” he giggled. “I mean, it was the right thing to do! Who wouldn’t have wanted to help a little girl from someone who…wanted to potentially harm her. I actually went back inside after a few minutes, just to see how she was doing. I didn’t find her, I presumed she was hiding, but then I saw she had vanished. And…here she ended up.” Scout stood up, playfully clapping Percy on the back as she too congratulated him. “Nice work there, light man!” she cried happily. “Remember the day she got here, Pops? She was tiny! And much different to how she is now.” Yen Sid thought back for a moment, nodding. She was only five, and a confused and frightened five year old at that. She was much like a baby, only knowing her name and age and not much else. Yen Sid had spent many days and nights teaching her many things, though she was a fast learner, which always surprised him. She loved to read all sorts of stories about heroes and wizards, about sorcerers who were sent down great roads, and did things that were larger-than-life. Her big imagination would dream of the day she would do the same, when she would be called for a greater purpose, hopefully to be a master sorcerer just like her papa, and the one she loved to read about in her book on music. It had a beautiful illustration of the silhouette of a sorcerer, surrounded by music which cascaded and shone all about, creating a swirl of magic and sound. That same book had a picture of Yen Sid and even Master Grey, too! Indeed, Golden was an imaginative little girl, and that imagination had grown into an enthusiasm for learning, to become the best sorcerer she could be. A quick study, she tried her hardest at all times, save for the few she was grumpy, and liked to read all sorts of things outside of class, whether it be for homework or just for fun. There were a lot of myths and legends out there, and Golden wanted to know each and every one.

“It seems so long ago.” Yen Sid mused, a warm tone in his voice. “And yet, she’s still my baby. It’s…difficult knowing she went through what she did, despite how carefree and innocent she remains. I…won’t let her go through it again.” Percy nodded, agreeing with that statement wholeheartedly, he thought that now Golden was older, she was wiser and more wary, he turned to his master as they all headed toward the hallway. “That you won't!” he said. “You HAVE taught her not to talk to strangers and be careful around new people?” Yen Sid led them through the hall, back to Scout’s room so she could rest and relax. “Of course.” said the old sorcerer, he scowled slightly at the idea of any stranger wanting to snatch her from him. “I just…hope she does listen and remember. She’s an enigma, if I’m honest.” Percy smirked as he thought of an old memory of when he was younger, snickering as he leaned against Yen Sid as they all came to a stop. “Oh goodness, you remember when I was stuck in the Capsule? Compared to little Golden, who seems so calm, I downright panicked!” Yen Sid rolled his eyes as remembered too, giving a little shake of his head, though Scout looked rather amused and curious. “Don’t remind me.” Yen Sid sighed, the two youngsters giggling among themselves. “I was on broom duty ALL day! I’d say that’s a severe punishment, master! How could you?” Percy whined, almost on purpose. “But…on a different, more important note, are you going to reveal what those memories were to her? I do know it’s in your capabilities, so you could…” Yen Sid paused, he felt a slight pain in his chest at the idea of Golden in distress, should these memories be traumatic to her. He wasn’t sure if he should reveal them to her or not, knowledge was a burden to bear. “I…I don’t know, yet.” he answered softly. “It’s a big thing, and after not having known what happened for so long…I think it is imperative that I think and consider the outcome before making a decision.” Scout tilted her head, reaching out to touch Yen Sid’s arm gently. “Are you sure, pops?” she asked, a hint of worry in her voice regarding her little sister. Yen Sid knew just how much they all cared for Golden, and she was no exception, Scout was a natural big sister figure, even to Julius, Oswald and Mickey despite being younger than them. He touched her hand and patted it in a soothing manner. “Well, Scout…I don’t want our little one to react negatively to those memories, that might have a bigger effect than we thought, and might harm her brain…” he stated with a tone of warmth and concern, as he tried to reassure Scout and himself on the situation but not hiding behind any facts that could be the outcome of the memory revelations. “Or there is the case of her searching for her parents or even the assailant. She’s got a good heart, but her brain is a little impulsive to say the least, what are the chances of her running away without letting us know? It would be hard to track her down, though…there is the muse I suppose.” Percy went into deep thought, thinking about the effects of memories and the consequences. A light popped up above his head as he perked up with a slight smile. “You know, master,” he said, “I did psychology during my apprenticeship, remember? I know it’s often distressing for people when they are met with repressed memories. The mind often hides them at the back of the brain in defence, it’s almost like hiding an embarrassing photo…but then again…” Percy looked a little solemn again, but also a little hopeful. “You do have the power to give her her entire childhood back. She is missing half of her life, and if she was given it back this could be a major step forward. There’s likely so much you haven’t found out yet, and it would be useful to you both; lessons she’s learned in the past, bonds she holds with others, and so on and so forth. Are you sure you want to keep these locked away?” He asked, Yen Sid looking down slightly. But then, he gave a reassuring smile. “We all clearly have much to discuss. But for now, since you’re here for a few days, I think you should get to know little’un, properly. Now you have more context, you should be able to know what to say and what not to, yes?” Yen Sid offered, Percy giving an enthusiastic nod. “Of course Master! May I go and see her now? Ohhh this is so exciting!” he giggled, Yen Sid chuckling. “Yes, you’re excused. Her room is just through there.” He pointed at the door opposite Scout’s, one with a small swirl shaped like a heart on the handle. Percy nodded and walked toward it, whilst Scout and Yen Sid entered her room, where she crashed down onto her chair, looking up at him with her hat askew.

“Child, there is something on your mind. Penny for your thoughts?” Yen Sid offered, Scout leaning her elbow on the table and resting her face on her palm. “Mmm…not sure if you knew, pops, but I found something crazy out the other day. After we did those spells, I was brushing Golden’s hair and found…a scar.” She admitted, Yen Sid’s face immediately shifting from jovial to concerned. “A scar?” he questioned, Scout nodding. “Yeah, like a cut that had healed over badly, like the one on my arm I got from trying to skateboard. Thing is…it was in the exact spot that the bottle hit her in the memory. That…that cruel man…” she seethed, Yen Sid gently putting a hand on her shoulder. “Easy, Scout. Thank you for telling me, I see now why you were on edge. Rest assured, we have much to ponder now.” He began, Scout looking up at him as he gently fixed her cap, and stroked one of the tendrils of her long hair. “Please, dear. Don’t let these discussions weigh you down. You are as much a child as Golden is, and…dare I say, an awesome big sister.” he winked, Scout smiling and quite literally letting her hair down, pulling on her headphones and switching on her tablet, deciding to play a game they would all play together. She was determined to beat Oswald’s high score, after all. But as she played, she overheard the sounds of Percy’s voice, and began to ponder his words. On the one hand, she was missing her childhood, her parents…and that alone hurt Scout, as she couldn’t imagine forgetting her mother, even if things hadn’t worked out well in the past years. But on the other hand…would her little sister still want to live with them? Would she worry about the kidnapper, or be traumatized by the event? And…would she still be the same sweet apprentice she was now? Scout huffed and played another level, distracting herself by linking together items, and connecting them up to make them disappear.

Percy, meanwhile, entered the room, finding the little girl playing with some dolls, babbling to herself. The scene was set up like a mountain, where a little doll was standing atop it, and she’d used some spare felt to make water, propping up a dragon borrowed from Oswald nearby. She was using magic to make little bursts of music, both playing a song and making it look as if they were fighting, eventually handing the hero doll a sword, and moving it forward. “You may think you’re so powerful, but this is MY dream!” She proclaimed, before picking up the sword and making a whoosh noise, pretending it had slain the dragon, just like the story Mickey had told her. And then, she finished the song, and was met with…applause? Percy was clapping. “What a brave hero he is, hmm?” The light man giggled, Golden being very startled and going crimson, realizing he’d heard her silly game. “Um…I didn’t hear you come in!” she jumped, Percy stepping back but hiding a giggle behind his hand. “Oh, I didn’t mean to frighten you- my presence doesn’t usually make people jump, but here we are.” he smiled, before turning into light and approaching her, spinning around her as if looking her over. Since it had been two years since their last encounter, she’d grown a bit, and seemed to have become a fine apprentice, if not the cutest one he’d ever seen! He gave a little giggle and then settled on her bed, rolling on top of the felt until he was like a burrito. “Well now, what do you say we get to know each other a bit? As an old apprentice to the Master myself, I reckon you and I will get along quite nicely, especially when we discuss the things he’s taught us, and the…gruelling things he’s put us through…” he muttered, Golden raising an eyebrow just like Yen Sid would. “Gruelling? What do you mean, mister?” she asked, Percy now bundled in the felt and going up to the top of the mountain playset, settling on top and making her giggle. “The labour! Goodness me, I’m a ball of light- how do you expect me to sweep floors, clean gutters, carry all that heavy water down to your cauldron- oh have mercy on me old boy! And ohhh boy, don’t get me started on when I talked back to him, he did NOT like that, mm-mmm!” He ranted, Golden giving more giggles. “You’re a funny ball of light! I think I like you!” she replied, Percy rolling down off the mountain and landing right in front of her. “You…like me?! By Jove! Who knew I had such an impression on the little’uns?!” he crowed, spinning around her head and Golden chuckling, though she wasn’t sure she appreciated that nickname. She was suddenly transfixed, though, as Percy transformed again, creating another light whirlwind that nearly knocked down all her toys, but luckily everything stayed in place. He sat down beside her, and gave her a little smile and wave, before turning to talk to her.

“Phew! Well now, I guess that means it’s your turn! Tell me, what does the old grump make you do? Wash the bathtub? Fetch ingredients from the forest? Re-write his notes like some mediaeval monk?” he chuckled, Golden giving yet another giggle and shaking her head. “Well…sometimes we go to the forest together to get stuff for his potions or spells…we like going together because it’s a little outing, and Yen Sid says the forest can be really dangerous if you’re alone.” she explained, Percy stroking his chin in thought. “Ahhh…I see. Anything else?” he asked, Golden nodding. “Well…he’s always really patient during our lessons, and he teaches us together and one at a time, and he can be a bit firm but he’s very kind underneath, I wish I could tell myself that more! And…he likes telling us all sorts of stories at night time, sometimes he reads to us, sometimes he tells us without a book and makes pictures with his magic…I love hearing the ones about special wizards or his adventures! And…well, he’s my papa, so if I need anything I just have to ask him. He’s like a dad to us all, hehe.” she explained, Percy giving a soft smile. He remembered his time as an apprentice, how he and Astra had got up to so much mischief with the other three…how Mercurio had spilt all the potions, Izin had created a staff made of glass, and how Alphi had created a potion that changed all their voices! He couldn’t help but chuckle at the memories, before remembering a specific one and turning to Golden.

“Well, I can tell you’ve spent a considerable amount of time with him, that’s Yen Sid to a T! Makes me think though that I didn’t quite behave during my apprenticeship…oh, I will never forget that dreaded jar!” he groaned, Golden unable to hide her laughter at this. “A jar?! What’s wrong with a jar?” she giggled, Percy rolling his eyes dramatically as he adjusted his glasses. “Oh, you wouldn’t understand because you aren’t a ball of light, but dear lord when I misbehaved he’d throw me in a jar, pop on the lid and put me on a shelf!” He crowed, Golden bursting into laughter at this, wheezing to the point of tears at the image of Percy inside a jar, tapping and giving muffled yells, all whilst Yen Sid just smirked at his tantrum. “Well…t-that sounds like dad!” she laughed, Percy chuckling too. “Yes, those were the days…” he smiled, nostalgia filling him, before a light appeared above his head. “Hmm, how about I show you something?” he offered, Golden turning in curiosity and nodding. “Alright then, you tidy away those toys and I’ll go and get it!” he zoomed away as a light, Golden putting the felt back in her craft box and the doll in her toybox. The little mountain playset went in her closet, and then she ran upstairs to Oswald’s room, who was on his computer. She took a peek at what he was doing- he had some special earphones tailored to his ears, and seemed to be coding something. On closer inspection, it looked like he was trying to add some more functions to his special remote, so she quietly moved through his room, not wanting to break his focus. There was his bed, surrounded by photographs and posters, and then his shelves, the furthest one having his dragon collection he’d been making for years. The Nation was his favourite realm for a reason, after all. She quietly put the toy back, and he noticed her, giving a tiny wave before going back to his work, Golden heading downstairs and finding Percy holding a book, one he’d decided to pack at the last minute.

“What’s that book about?” the little girl asked, Percy startling slightly as she walked in, and the two of them leaned against her bed as they sat on the floor. Percy opened the book, the shimmery paper on the inside making her curious. It glistened as if enchanted, and shone and sparkled with gold. “This is a photo album I made throughout my life! It has sooo many pictures!” he giggled, opening it to a random page. There was him as a boy, a little scruffier than he was now, and dressed in yellow. And then even further back, on the first page, were some photos of a boy Golden thought she found familiar, as if she’d seen an old picture of him before. Percy pointed down. “That’s your father.” he smiled, Golden looking down in surprise. NOW she saw the resemblance! The boy’s auburn hair was strikingly different to his grey hair nowadays, but he stood beside two other boys, and an old, grumpy-looking wizard stood behind them, alongside other children. “Who are all those people?” Golden whispered, Percy giving a smile and going from left to right. 

“Well…that’s Airia. They collect relics from everywhere, and normally give them to the council. They’re a professor.” he explained, pointing down at a little freckled apprentice, who was dressed in the same orange robes as everyone else in the photo. “That’s Lufte, who went travelling all around the world. She wrote a lot of books, I wonder if the library has any?” he pondered, before moving along further. “There’s your father, who’s obviously a teacher, and that’s Master Ambrose, who works on the council.” he explained, Golden nodding and smiling. “I met him, he’s really nice!” she giggled, Percy nodding in agreement. “That’s Master Chiria…he studied all the stars and charted them- oh, I do believe he made the star charts I have! I love looking at those beautiful things, thinking about the universe makes you feel oh so tiny, though I suppose that isn’t hard for you.” he winked, Golden pulling a face at him, not appreciating that comment. “And that’s Selvenus, who paints and takes photos. He has some works in a gallery, but I think compared to the others he’s quite normal. And behind them all is their old teacher, Master Grey.” he finished, Golden remembering the portrait in the office and the one in her book- a perfect match, though the man’s stern frown gave her the creeps- perhaps his real name was Bastard Grey! “You see, Yen Sid gave me all these photos and such when he was cleaning out his office some years ago. He didn’t want to keep them, he already had the important ones and many were duplicates anyway, but he also had several memories he didn’t wish to recount.” He explained, Golden thinking back to the photo now hidden under her bed. She wouldn’t give that up for anything, even if she had no memory of the night. Percy gave a slightly sad smile, before Golden looked down at the photo again. “So…who’s that one, then?” she asked, realizing Percy had missed one on the left of Yen Sid, and Percy shifted slightly. “That’s…Vidor.”

“Vidor?” Golden asked, wondering why Percy’s tone had suddenly changed, but Percy just turned over the page, where there were more photos. Some of the young apprentices of the past, and then another group photo, where one of them was missing. Vidor had vanished. But Percy just kept going, and there were photos of a graduation ceremony. Golden noticed there seemed to be something missing in Yen Sid’s face as he stood next to Master Grey, and wondered what could have made her father so sad. But they kept going, and there were some more graduations, qualifications Yen Sid had obtained, and then a group of new apprentices standing close to Yen Sid, Golden staring down at them. “That’s Master Hiro, he’s a composer. There’s Xari, she’s a historian…Ley who owns a bookstore in Nocturne, where I live. That’s Chris, he made all our wands, and Master Dawn, who you might have seen working in the Capsule. She manages all the tech and stuff up there.” he explained, Golden staring at each and every former apprentice. They all looked so happy, and Yen Sid looked far happier too…though that image of him at graduation was burned into her mind. She wanted to make her father happy, at all costs, and hated the idea of him suffering or being in distress. Percy turned the page, and revealed a photo of another cohort, where Yen Sid looked even happier. He again went left to right. “That’s Master Izin, he made all sorts of weapons, that’s Aphi, she teaches now in the alchemy school up North, there’s the best person in the picture.” he winked, pointing down at himself, and then continued. “That’s Astra, or Dr Astra, since they do medicine now, and that's Mercurio, who lives in the Fairytale Realm and makes beautiful dresses and outfits for all the people who live there.” he explained, Golden staring down at everyone in wonder. So many apprentices had come before her, apprentices who had seen, done and accomplished so much…conducted songs into the realms, created spells nobody had ever seen before, and who had all made Yen Sid proud. 

Percy turned over the page, showing a photo of himself and Yen Sid looking out at the stars from the observatory. “Astra took this one. We…were having a serious discussion. It was the night that…your father learned of Master Grey’s passing.” he lamented, Golden giving a little gasp. “He was over 900 years old, and had done so much in that time, so it came as a shock to your father when he got ill. But that night…he told me all about his past, about his fellow apprentices, and gave me the photos so he could move forward.” he explained, Golden staring down at the image in both wonder and sorrow. “So…he lost his papa?” she asked, Percy shrugging. “I’m not sure if you could consider Master Grey his papa, more like a teacher who he was close to, or a mentor, since they did have their fair share of fights and quarrels, but he definitely cared for him and admired him. Losing him was one of the saddest days of his life.” the light man explained, Golden feeling incredibly sorry for her papa. Percy, though, put a finger on both corners of her mouth and stretched it into a smile, giving a cheeky grin. “That was some years ago. And now…” he turned the page, revealing a photo of the council meeting, and a little doodle Percy had done of the current set of apprentices, as Yen Sid had described them to him. “And now, we are here, and I believe he’s happier than ever. Yes, he went through struggles and strife, but your father is so happy now. I think you all are the best thing that ever happened to him.” he smiled, before putting an arm around Golden, who flipped through the album on her own, looking at all the other students and teachers she could see, and how amazing they all were. She wanted to be as good as them someday, and believed in Yen Sid to teach her, just how he’d taught everyone else. He was her favourite whale for a reason, after all.

Percy smiled down at the young apprentice, before gently plonking her on his lap, to her surprise. “He really loves us all, doesn’t he?” she giggled, and Percy nodded eagerly. “I can see that in his eyes, that sparkle of joy…my dear, there is nothing he wouldn’t do for you all, just from the way he looks at you I can see that! Apart from peeling one of those large oranges, oh trust me I’ve seen that in action- he almost threw it at Astra!” he giggled, Golden chuckling. “Really?” she wheezed, Percy winking to confirm. Golden got up, balling her fists, and gave a giddy smile, skipping toward the door. “Hey, you know what? I’m gonna go give dad the biggest hug attack in the entire world, just to show him how much he means to me!” she smiled, Percy giving a giggle at the sweet gesture. “I appreciate everything he’s ever done for me…well mostly, ehehe! I want to show him!” she grinned, before running out the door and toward the office, Percy getting up and stretching, and calling after her to say hi to Yen Sid for him. He then had an idea, and went over to the balcony, hanging upside down off it like a bat, something he found very comfortable. He decided to flip back through, and ended up on the first page, seeing the seventh apprentice, the one they tried not to speak of. The disgrace…Vidor.

Golden skipped toward the study where her dad often stayed during the day, humming the little tune she had in her head from the game she was playing earlier, before Percy entered and spoke to her. She was in a much brighter mood, and was eager to give Yen Sid the hug she wanted him to have so much. She stopped at his door, which had four stars and a moon engraved into the wood, as well as a moon shaped handle. She gave the door a light tap with her tiny knuckles and said. “Dad?...Are you in there?” There was a silent ten seconds, so she tapped again, a bit harder this time. “Dad! It’s Golden, you know!” She heard a rustling of papers behind the door and grinned. There were footsteps approaching, and the door handle turned, revealing Yen Sid behind it, he looked a little surprised but chipper to see Golden had knocked. “Yes child?” he asked. “What is it you need?” Golden gave a small shuffle with her foot, and placed her arms behind her back in an almost shy gesture. She felt a little guilty after being angry with him despite having reason to, but she knew and could tell he really loved and treasured her, and everyone else at this workshop. She looked up at him, staring into his eyes. “Are you okay, dad?” she asked gently, Yen Sid’s response was a small shrug, in his mind he was still worried, about the memories and the repercussions they might hold. His desk was laid out with books, a few of them open to several pages and bookmarked in other ones. It was difficult to try and rationalise the situation at hand, but seeing his youngest apprentice made him feel a tad better, she looked happy too. “I’m…doing alright child, just a lot of research, but that’s not unusual haha! Why do you ask?” He was suddenly jumped on by her, giving him the biggest, tightest hug she had given him in a long while. He was a little taken aback but immediately returned the hug, holding the little girl close to him, never wanting them to part. “Goodness, little one.” Yen Sid chuckled, getting up and holding her in a better position so she was comfortable. “What’s this about?” Golden giggled silently and nuzzled into his beard, but careful not to fall into the pocket dimension she and her siblings joked about him having inside it. “No more sad days!” she said, “Only smiles! And you gotta be happy too, so please dad…you need to be okay and I will be too!” Yen Sid put a hand on her head, gently stroking her blue and purple locks, they were so soft and vibrant, he loved her hair colour. He chuckled again as continued nuzzling into him, taking in what she said to him. She wasn’t wrong about any of it, especially in regards to him. “Hmm, you know…” he said. “I think a break would do me some good. It’s tiring when you’re working all the time. Why don’t we go up to the Observatory? You always loved that place, didn’t you sweetheart?” Golden smiled widely, and nodded vigorously. “Yes! I love the stars and the planets! There’s SO much you can see! And, and we can see the realms too! Can we go? Can we?” Yen Sid laughed at her enthusiasm, she was, in many ways, like him in his youth. He ruffled her hair again, making her giggle and wriggle. “Of course! I asked, didn’t I?” He gave a smirk, and took her out of the study and up a nearby flight of stairs, up to the Observatory. 

The Observatory was a wide, beautiful room and the highest in the whole house, there were planets floating, stars twinkling in the great blue yonder, and several little areas that looked like gateways to places, specifically worlds and realms, all of which Yen Sid was tasked with taking care of. Among these floating orbs was Percy. Hung upside and not looking the slightest bit dizzy, he walked like a tight-rope walker along the rafts of the ceiling, giving Golden a little show. He then hopped down and quickly transformed into light, floating down toward the two and turning back into his human form as he landed and giving a little bow. Yen Sid and Golden gave him a round of applause, with Golden gasping happily. “Oh dad!” she cried. “Percy says hi! He was telling me all about his days as an apprentice, and when you were an apprentice too! You had a master called Master Grey, and…wow, I can’t believe how you’ve all changed!” Yen Sid smiled and gave another little smirk to Percy, who winked at him. “Did he now?” Yen Sid grinned, “Well, he always told a good story. I should tell you more about my life back then, the adventures I had with the other apprentices, and Master Grey…” Percy gave a grin of his own, now sharing a wink with Golden as he straightened up, looking at the nostalgia on Yen Sid’s face.”Haha indeed! And many stories of my apprenticeship, after all I WAS a prodigy, one of the very best there was! I’m sure the little one here would love to hear them!” Percy smiled as he thought back to his early days of his training as a young boy, he looked quite whimsical until a sudden memory came into mind that made him cringe slightly. “Oh but do NOT mention broom duty, I swear the master would play all sorts of silly tricks on me with those darn brooms, he made it seem like a game! And he said I had a job to do so he can’t blame me for not getting it done on time." The spectacled man gave a huff and crossed his arms, making Yen Sid and Golden giggle. The master sorcerer eyed a single dormant broom laid against the wall, and an idea popped into his mind that was sure to be a laugh. He placed his finger to his lips, giving a shushing gesture to Golden, he then pointed at the broom and slyly animated it, bringing it to life and making it march toward Percy, who opened his eyes and got startled by its sudden appearance. “What on earth?” he cried, “Master what is the meaning of- EEK!” he was suddenly overcome with laughter as the broom grabbed hold of him and started to tickle him, he squirmed and giggled about hysterically but couldn’t escape the broom. Golden found the whole thing to be quite amusing, and started laughing herself, and Yen Sid felt rather proud of himself, this was always a sure way to make Percy happy again, and bring him down to his more humble side. After several minutes of non-stop mischief and laughter caused by the broom, Yen Sid de-animated it, and it flopped down with a light thud. Percy quickly brushed off the tingles and stomped over to his master, who was still smirking. “Master!!” he yelled, his cheeks glowing like a beacon. “What was that about? What pranks are you trying to pull?!” Yen Sid and Golden gave a little giggle, Percy now flushed and crimson, and the three of them gazed through the observatory doorway, where a brilliant sight awaited them.

From floor to ceiling, there was light. The walls were a dark shade of blue, but covered in shining golden stars and moons, ones which sparkled and reflected the light to create rainbows off each and every wall. There were bookshelves full of information on astronomy and astrology, about stars and light and every single planet, even Pluto. And then, two sets of cascading stairs leading up to a large red curtain, one Yen Sid pulled aside with magic to reveal…the realms. And what a sight they were! Endless flowing clouds decorated with the brightest white, and below there sat whole other worlds, some discovered, others left unknown. The Hollow flew beneath them, Golden watching it turn to darkness and fill with a thousand sparkling fireflies, like the stars were reflected off the terrain itself. And above the realms was the heavens, where a familiar moon was just coming into view over the horizon, a sight they didn’t see too often from their own home. Surrounded by the sparkling rainbows of the aurora borealis, there was Kingdom Hearts, the beacon of light for all the realms and worlds that lay beyond. Occasionally, on a very clear night, you could make out the far spires of the Fairytale Realm, and even the Magical Kingdom if you squinted enough. They all stared up at the wondrous sights as Saturn passed over them, over Luminosa, the third planet of the cyclical solar system. Kingdom Hearts filled the room with the light it reflected, the hearts contained inside causing the stars to shine even brighter, before it passed overhead and disappeared behind the hordes of clouds, everyone staring at the heavenly spectacle in front of them as the aurora borealis continued to shine. “Breathtaking…” Percy gasped, Yen Sid nodding. “Yes…this is a sight to behold.” he smiled, before looking down at Golden, who seemed to be zoning out a little. Though for some reason, she felt as if her soul was filled with love, hope and possibility, and the stars themselves seemed to sparkle in her eyes as she looked up at Yen Sid, and gave a nervous smile. “Master…? Thank you…” she whispered, Yen Sid now attentive as she rarely used such formalities with him, or at least not in this tone. “For what, lunula?” he asked, Golden giving a slight giggle. “For everything. Even if I don’t have any memory of before…I think you’re the best papasid I could ever ask for.” She finished, Yen Sid feeling his eyes go slightly misty. “Then…you’re welcome.” He smiled, turning back to the realms as the two gazed out at the stars.

From behind, a very melodramatic sob was heard, Percy giving a grin. “Ohhhh I daresay you’re all warmhearted and tender now Yen Sid. Perhaps I should get you a box of tissues and a cookie?” he winked, Yen Sid using magic to pick up a book and throw it at him, Percy barely dodging. “Ah I’ve never seen the master so emotional, Golden. You’re like a little light, a lumen!” he giggled, Golden giving a bright smile at that. “Hehe, well I guess gold is shiny!” she replied, Percy giving her a grin and all three of them looking up as the realms shifted below them, stars and planets creating a spectacle of space for them all to enjoy. Golden stood right against the railing, and couldn’t help but outstretch her hand. She wanted to do what so many apprentices before her had done, conduct a song from the cliffs up into the billions of sparkles of life and creativity up there, and though it seemed just out of reach, she’d never stop trying to make that wish come true. 

“They’re truly sights to behold, aren’t they?” Percy marvelled, Yen Sid nodding and reminiscing about when Percy was young. He was a star, that little boy, and he loved everything about astronomy and the heavens, for reasons only father and son knew. “I remember coming up here with Astra once…not long before graduation. It felt like we were one with the stars…” he said, dreamily, Yen Sid hiding a slight smile. Though Percy hadn’t seen Astra in many, many years, he still clearly thought about them, and that made the old sorcerer wonder if their lives were all written in the stars. The tapestry of chemistry was woven before any of their lives were conceived, after all, and they were all born of the same beautiful, astral dust that connected their existences. Perhaps that was why Yen Sid was surrounded by so many stars- because they all made up a profound solar system of learning and wonder that would lead to many miracles under the sun. And though there would be a day when the sun would collide with the worlds, or the moon’s light would be their only beacon of hope, Yen Sid couldn’t help but marvel at their tiny existences amongst the stars, and have faith that everything would turn out as fate and destiny had planned, as long as he allowed his children to be guided by their hearts. And what of his littlest? Not knowing her birth parents nor her past, and yet the smallest little thing, a dazzling comet that crashed into their lives and brightened them all up. It was why he couldn’t bear to let the shadows take her, and why he had to remove that arrogance before it festered. No, she didn’t know all there was to know or understand everything, but someday she would. He trusted as much. He would trade every unborn heart in that bright, dazzling moon just for a chance to be with his apprentices, and that’s why he’d protect them, at all costs.

Eventually, Golden stifled a yawn, Yen Sid noticing and picking her up, the girl leaning against his chest and feeling as if she could hear his heart. It had a strong, steady beat, but there was so much love inside that it would sound more like a piano, or perhaps even a glockenspiel, to represent his softer side. He’d told her that when he was a boy he used to bring in all sorts of injured baby animals and nurse them back to health, to the chagrin of Master Grey, and then he and his brothers would release them back into the wild, where they would flourish. Golden’s eyes began to droop as she imagined this, and she snuggled into Yen Sid’s robe, falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat. Yen Sid gave a small chuckle, Percy smiling too at the sight- though it wasn’t quite bedtime, Golden was still young and needed rest, so he was content to let her sleep in his arms, and dream the night away. They walked down the stairs together, Percy stealing a glance down at the sleeping star, and then looked up at Yen Sid, seriousness once more clouding his gaze. The spectacled man couldn’t help but worry, but he still hoped there would be a way to return those precious memories without harming the sweet girl he’d come to know. He was a psychologist, so he could always try and find information, but ultimately nobody could predict the future. 

They walked into Golden’s room, Yen Sid staring at all the decorations, the star-themed room being a haven of childhood and innocence. The shelves were decked out in various little toys, from princess bracelets that he’d enchanted with sound to huge fairy playsets. She had a little chest full of dress-up items, and a toy box that was far bigger than her, and craft boxes for all sorts of bits and bobs, or as she’d call them, ‘lost things’. There was a mirror and all sorts of drawings stuck up on the walls, and an old tapestry she’d found some time ago that he’d given her, one that depicted Kingdom Hearts and all the worlds, and various musical emblems. Apparently it had belonged to Master Grey at some point, and he’d left it, amongst many other things, in his will for Yen Sid. That had been surprising, but between himself, Ambrose, the other apprentices, and even the council, they’d shared out the relics between them, and Yen Sid had put most of his in the attic or given the photos to Percy. He still kept the portrait of his mentor in his office though, out of both respect and admiration. Though he’d grown up a little afraid of the scowling grump he’d come to learn from, he still had plenty of good memories with his master, and treasured his boyhood with his brothers. He hoped that under his guide, his apprentices would come to do the same, and tucked Golden into bed, who stirred slightly. Both of the men exited the room, leaving her to sleep, and the gentle moonlight seeped in through her curtains, blessing her with good dreams.

Once outside, Percy looked at Yen Sid, and gently curled his hand into his old master’s. “I can tell you’ve been deep in thought. Have you made a decision?” he asked, Yen Sid sighing and shifting uncomfortably. “It’s incredibly difficult, Percy. You know I’d do anything to help her, and though it’s not like me, I am afraid that I might make matters worse…” he confessed, Percy putting a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve no doubt it’s frightening, but I know you have her best interests, I can feel that much, and I know you’ll do what’s right because of that. You’re her world, Yen Sid, and throughout anything that may happen, I know that will never change.” He smiled, Yen Sid taking in what he’d said and both of them walking toward the office, not noticing the three boys above quietly listening in and wondering what may come of these discussions. “We need to consider our options carefully, Percy. I’ve studied every book I can think of.” Yen Sid began, opening the study and revealing a wreck of papers and pages. “And twice over, clearly!” Percy retorted. It seemed the rustling earlier was Yen Sid tripping over a large pile of documents. “You could build a monument with all these books!” Percy giggled, before picking one up from the desk, one which had several marked passages. They included sections on repressed memories, amnesia, magical cures…it seemed Yen Sid was truly trying everything. Percy sat down in the chair opposite him, and Yen Sid put his hands together. “Let us discuss this, then. Give me your honest, truthful perspective, and I will do the same. Together we will more easily reach an agreeable conclusion.” he spoke, Percy clenching his fist slightly. He wanted to help lumen, so he would.

Outside, Oswald had crept closer to the office, popping off his ear so he could hear better, despite Mickey and Julius trying to drag him back. He wanted to know what was being said! Meanwhile, Percy and Yen Sid were deep in conversation, Percy noting some of the passages in the books he was being shown, the contents becoming more and more drastic. “This page speaks of…recreating memories with false ones. Master, you aren’t serious?!” he cried, Yen Sid sighing and shaking his head. “No, it wouldn’t be right…I just considered it after going through the books on psychology. I don’t dare to think what could affect her, or how, and I know it was drastic to find these, but I want to find a solution that won't harm my starshine.” He admitted, Percy nodding and looking down at the passage again. He couldn’t imagine being given false memories…and if Golden ever found out, she’d likely never forgive either of them. He shook his head. “I don’t think there is a third option, but we will keep looking. Oh, and do you have any more questions for me, Master?” he asked, Yen Sid pausing and nodding, though he looked slightly uncomfortable. “Just one. Did you…ever find her parents?” he asked, Percy going quite still at this, his eyes unfocused for a moment. Immediately, Yen Sid looked away, but Percy just blinked a few times and met his gaze, before sadly shaking his head. “No… I promise I tried, but I couldn’t find anyone panicking about a lost child in the crowd…I found it very upsetting, honestly. Especially after she disappeared and I couldn’t find her at the theatre, either. I wondered if the poor thing was alone and lost, or…far worse.” he cringed, neither man wanting to imagine the fate that could have befallen the child had that kidnapper succeeded. There was a lot of darkness out there, a lot of danger, and in that darkness was where careless realism festered, costing the souls of the innocent and destroying all fantasy. Neither man wanted that bright spark of imagination in Golden’s eyes to go out, that twinkle of idealism that persisted even in the worst times, and thus they had to defend it. That dearly beloved child…no shadow would snatch her, no douter would snuff her, and no spell would quell her. She would shine just like the metal her name derived from, and her heart would light up the world, bringing hope and magic to all who met her. After all, tempus fugit, amor manet. And so much love she had, and she would be loved in return. Percy sighed, and met Yen Sid’s eyes, who couldn’t bear to imagine the distress the memories could cause his little girl, but nonetheless sighed. “Master, there is a problem here. Even if you refuse to give her the memories back, what will happen if Golden wants to know herself, which I’m sure she would eventually. And if she wants to know, I’m sure she’d find ways to seek the truth.” he explained, standing up as he spoke. Yen Sid seemed to sink further into his chair at this, not liking the idea either way. The two men locked eyes, and remained in deep thought for a moment, neither breaking the silence.

“Oswald, get back here! We’ll get caught!” Mickey whisper-shouted, Oswald turning to him and miming zipping his lips. “No way, this might be super important!” he replied, before footsteps startled all three of them. “Hey boys!” Scout grinned, chipper as usual. “Scout, SHHHH!” Mickey whisper-yelled, Scout immediately clapping a hand over her mouth and crouching down beside the other boys, hoping she hadn’t messed up whatever was going on. Luckily, she wasn’t that loud. “Sorry! Wait…are you guys listening in on Yen Sid?” she gawked, all three boys nodding. Mickey quietly whispered what Ossie had relayed to them, Scout turning from calm to a mixture of both confusion and anger. “Okay, keep listening Ossie! We gotta know what they’re saying.” she whispered, her usual spunk appearing as all four of them awaited, three behind a large pile of books that concealed them and Oswald by the door, planning to hop out of the way if it suddenly opened. And inside, the men had resumed their conversation. “Don’t stress, master.” Percy coaxed, putting a hand on Yen Sid’s shoulder and calming the older man. “Am I going about this the wrong way, Percy? What would another mentor do…?” he mumbled, Percy shrugging. “Well, if you ask me, there are plenty of bad mentors out there who would have just thrown the memories back into someone’s head and shaken up their system. But…you’re more like a parent. You care so much about all of them, they are your stars and moon, and we are going to get through this together, or I’m not Percival Symphonus!” he smiled, Yen Sid managing a smile too. He waved his hands, and the books and papers flew back into their regular places, the door swinging open and Oswald managing to get out of the way and avoiding being pummelled by several leatherbacks. Everyone ducked behind the remaining stack outside, no longer needing Oswald to relay as the door was open. “I think you have swayed me, my son.” Yen Sid spoke, a smile in his voice that delighted all the apprentices. Internally, Percy was glowing, loving whenever Yen Sid called him that, and he gave a gleeful grin. “Heh…glad to be of service, master. Tomorrow morning, you and I will talk through this again with this perspective, as we still have much to discuss, and then you can cast the necessary spell whenever you need. No matter what happens to little Golden, we are a family, and we’ll take care of her. I’ll be waiting!” he grinned, tipping his hat and turning into a ball of light, flying up into his room, and barely missing the rest of the apprentices, who were scampering away so they wouldn’t be spotted.

Morning came around, beams of sunlight filling each floor of the castle they called home and reflecting through star-shaped windows in each room, the Observatory filling with the light of day as it swept over the realms. Fireflies went to rest, stars went to sleep, and one very old and wise sorcerer was up early, entering his youngest’s room and spotting something open on her bedside, a dream journal he’d given her some years ago, back when she was young and suffering with strange, indescribable nightmares. The scribble of words and phrases was jumbled, but he made some things out, and did not particularly like those things. He bent down and gently picked up his snoozing child, who stirred slightly but did not wake, truly lost in dreamland. He gave a slight smile, slipping the journal into his robe pocket, and headed up a flight of stairs, into Percy’s room. It was a little messy, but organised just like his home, and the window was ajar, Yen Sid closing it as it was letting in a cold draught. Percy was curled up in his seven blankets, like a little cocoon, and his nightcap was over his eyes, a sight that made Yen Sid chuckle, even despite the anxieties that were now twisting up inside him like a coil. Could he really go through with the spell? He looked down at his sleeping daughter, who looked so calm and peaceful, undisturbed and unburdened…and then he tapped Percy’s shoulder, who shifted in his sleep. “Percy. Wake up.” he spoke, Percy giving a little snuffle and starting to babble a little in his tiredness. “No... my ice cream cake, gimme!” he mumbled, Yen Sid rolling his eyes. “PERCIVAL!” he yelled, Percy’s eyes snapping open as he almost transformed back into a ball of light from the shock. He pushed his nightcap up, his messy hair and sideburns gently being stroked by Yen Sid, and he frowned up at the master. “Goodness Yen Sid…you haven’t called me that in a long time! Makes me want to clean my room…” he muttered, rolling his eyes and quickly casting a spell to put anything that may have been out of place back. His bed made itself when he clambered out, and within seconds he was washed and dressed, spirals of light helping him make sure his teeth were shiny and his hair perfect behind his little room divider. And popping out all perfect with a hand on his hip, Percy gave a grin. “So, are we ready to discuss?” he winked, Yen Sid pausing and looking down at his daughter again, who had stirred due to his yell but was only burying further into Yen Sid’s robes, as if he was a pillow and blankets. The sight made the old wizard chuckle, and he met Percy’s eyes. “Actually…I have made a decision. I know what the right thing is for my little girl.” he spoke, hope forming in Percy’s eyes. Yen Sid reached down to stroke Golden’s locks, and gave a soft smile. “I won’t cast the spell.” 

Within seconds, Percy’s hat flew off his head in a flurry of light, ejecting itself all the way up to the ceiling and floating back down with a plonk on his head. Percy’s jaw had practically dropped to the floor, Yen Sid doing little more than fondling the apprentice in his arms, all whilst the light man was frozen. “Am I still asleep? Say that again.” Percy demanded, a surly tone appearing in his voice. “I said I won’t cast the spell. I won’t do it, nu-uh.” the old sorcerer replied, a smile crossing his face. Percy looked as if he was about to explode into a thousand tendrils of light. “Now just a minute! Please tell me you’ve thought this through! There are still a great number of things to talk about and it’s only been one night! We were meant to discuss it today, don’t be rash!” He demanded, the faint spark of hope in Yen Sid’s eyes worrying him. “Percy, that won’t be necessary, but thank you. I truly appreciate all you’ve done so far.” the old master replied, Percy feeling like he wanted to sink into the earth at this. Nothing would be resolved at this rate! He wasn’t sure if the master could be joking, but one look at that genuine smile from Yen Sid was enough to prove he was serious. Yen Sid turned and left, holding onto Golden and heading for his office, Percy balling his fists. “Are you MAD, MAN?! I came all this way, and…and it’s a mess now!” He cried out, Yen Sid turning on the stairs and looking up at him. “Well, you’ve enjoyed your time here, haven’t you?” he replied, Percy rolling his eyes- that wasn’t the point. He was about to retort when Yen Sid cut him off with a final smartass remark, as he was known for doing. “Oh, and the mess? That may be your doing, my friend! Haha!” he laughed, his signature smirk appearing as he continued to descend the stairs. Percy threw his hat to the ground, summoning his sparkles of magic and ranting to himself, eventually even turning on the radio and replacing the words with his own rant. And the cry that awoke everyone was a very vexed final note- “THIS IS HOW IT PAYS OFF?!”

Downstairs, Yen Sid reached his office, using a spell to open the curtains, which reflected light off the shelves, and smiled down at Golden, who was still sleeping. He reached into his robe and grabbed the journal, reopening it to the page he found. He wouldn’t let such a fate befall her, his daughter would never be alone. But…he believed that there was a possibility of him regretting this someday. He’d do anything to keep that smile, that spark he saw in her, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it would ever be lost as she grew. Though, he was reminded of himself. There he was as a boy, adopting strays and small creatures, and now he’d done the same with a lost little girl. There were many important factors surrounding the situation, such as where her parents had gone and who the assailant was, but he reasoned that if Golden never retrieved those memories, then they would no longer be important. Though it may be selfish, he wanted to protect that fragment of light he held, and began to sing to her as she slept, the same song he sang to all his apprentices, and had created for Percy. “Promise as one does…I will protect you…at all costs…” he started, Golden opening her eyes sleepily and rubbing at them, giving a tired smile upon hearing him singing. “I like that song, papa…” she yawned, Yen Sid smiling down at her. “Oh, good morning. I know you do, I wrote it many years ago…” he trailed off, eyeing the open door. She leaned against him, before playing with some of the erasers on his desk that were shaped like stars and planets. He smiled down at her and summoned a hairbrush, humming the melody as he brushed her vibrant locks. Soon, he found the same scar that Scout had spoken of, and gritted his teeth. He didn’t want her to relive that ever again, so he wouldn’t let her.

Scout lay in bed, on her tablet. She and Oswald were up early and playing online together, building houses and fighting monsters together, on a game they would all play together. She wondered if Percy would like to join, since it seemed right up his alley, and decided to ask Golden if she might like to play too, putting down her tablet and opening the door to her room. But as soon as she did, she noticed Percy in there instead of Golden, subtly going through her sister’s belongings, looking for anything and everything that may constitute a clue. “Percy…what are you-” she began, before he used magic to put a light over her mouth, silencing her, despite her muffled protests. “Scout, shh!” he demanded, gripping her by the shoulders as he withdrew the light, Scout now very suspicious and concerned all at once, her eyebrows furrowing. “What’s the big idea?” she demanded, Percy’s eyes full of fear and sorrow all at once, something he didn’t usually ever seem to deal with. Gently, she gripped his wrists, and awaited his explanation. “Yen Sid refuses to give Golden her memories back. He won’t tell her anything!” he cried, Scout raising an eyebrow. “I understand his reasoning, though…why should we force her to worry about the past?” she replied, a sudden fire appearing in Percy’s eyes. “BECAUSE IT ISN’T FAIR!” he screamed, before pausing a second to catch his breath, eyes wide in shock that he would actually yell, and at Scout of all people! “My apologies, my sincerest apologies, Scout…” he fumbled, flapping his hands around as she rushed to steady him slightly. “I…I just can’t bear the thought. It’s not fair that everyone else in this household, including me, has the ability to look back on their entire lives, their parents or lack thereof, their hopes, dreams, old wishes and wants and wonders…but the Master won’t allow Golden the same luxury. How is it fair for her to live a life missing half of herself, as a human being with memories precious as well as painful?” 

Both of them paused for a moment, before Scout finally gave a long sigh. “Think about it, Percy. Golden doesn’t seem to be that bothered, and really…wouldn’t it be more unfair to make her unhappy with those awful memories…” she trailed off, shuddering, “rather than let her live how she is right now? Happy and carefree?” she offered, but Percy’s gaze changed once more. “Scout, this is a struggle for me too!” he yelled again, Scout stepping back slightly. “Okay, dramatic much? It’s not that big of a deal, is it?” she retorted, Percy meeting her eyes and then averting his own again. “It IS, Scout. Because she is living life not knowing how she was when she was young, when she was with her parents or whatever other guardian she had. During that time when she had no worries, only carefree happiness…whereas now, she’s a shell in comparison. A seemingly joyful and happy shell, but she’s still missing so much of herself. Even if she’s happy, even if this revelation might crush her…isn’t it better in the long run?” he replied, Scout looking at him and tilting her head slightly. She wasn’t aware Percy had so many deep thoughts- she previously thought he was merely a goofy ball of light, but…here he was, so profound, philosophical, practical…it almost made her admire him more than she already did. No wonder he was a prodigy and a master. 

“I suppose we should ask what Golden wants, then.” Scout answered, after a long pause that made Percy look up at her. “I don’t know what little’un wants, but what I do know is that someday she’ll discover it for herself. She’s not just your ordinary child, she’s a glitch and that’s why she’s so different! Imagine not being able to recount your mother, or Yen Sid, simply because someone doesn’t want you to remember one bad thing! That would crush me…a life without remembering Astra, or Izin…or any of my other friends…. Ugh, my voice gets really high when I cry!” He whined, brushing away the tears that had formed. But something had stuck out to Scout. “Woah, woah, back up! What did you say? Something about Golden being…a glitch?” she put a hand on her hip, and Percy went stiff for a moment, wiping his eyes. “I…oh dear, sorry, I did get a bit dramatic like you said, Scout!” he sniffled, but Scout just stepped in front of him as he turned to leave. “Time. Out. You said something about a glitch. I thought I heard you say something like that yesterday, so SPILL.” she demanded, Percy looking flustered for a moment and nervously adjusting his glasses, flapping his arms about and wringing his hands. Scout put both hands on her hips, her usual determined frown appearing, and Percy sighed in defeat. “Alright, you’ve got me beat. I’ll tell you.” 

“That day I found Golden, she was…glitching. It’s like a reaction that some people can get when they’re afraid, though it only triggers as a protective measure. They aren’t born with it, it develops as they grow if they are afraid or threatened, and it can give them the strength to harness great power, and in some cases, develop special abilities. Some examples include teleporting using a glitch wormhole network or seeing the future through dreams, though exact specifics are hazy and have been the interest of many psychologists, including myself. It began long ago, with a warrior wizard who was blessed with great power after the strength of his heart was tested during battle. Though he was frightened and even lost an arm during that fight, he refused to die, and his survival instincts gave him a new power, the glitch, which led him to win. Since then, many more glitches appeared, and they’ve mostly just become a part of wizard society. You might see them around when you go to Fioritura city, but glitching is usually harmless, unless it's directed at an assailant. However, if used too much, there is an issue with it known as “overloading”, where a person’s body might not be able to withstand the amount of shockwaves, and will collapse from the amount of pressure or stress on their brain and heart. That is another reason why I thought she deserved those memories back, so we can teach her the dangers and how to control her power.” he finished, Scout looking at him in disbelief. “Percy, why didn’t you say?! This changes everything! I thought the memory glitches were just a problem with the spell!” she replied, Percy giving a tired shrug. “It wasn’t my place to say in front of her. I planned to discuss it with Yen Sid today, but…well, that idea’s out the window.” he groaned, Scout raising an eyebrow. “Speaking of dreams, though…I know she keeps a dream diary around here. Maybe we can see if there’s anything in there? It’s normally on her bedside table.” She murmured, but was unable to see it, narrowing her eyes. “Weird.” Breakfast was then called, Scout and Percy rushing downstairs, but both now very wary of what could be going on, and how to move forward with the spell.

In the office, Yen Sid had summoned some plates full of food that Golden liked. She saw this as a treat- he never let her eat in the office with him!- but the master saw this as keeping her well within his sights. Whilst she munched, lost in her own little head, he took the opportunity to reach beneath the folds of his robe, picking out the dream journal from the inside and looking down at the latest entry, careful not to disturb Golden and alert her of his plan. He frowned as he read it over again. ‘I was in a dark place. I felt funny and I was all alone. There was a hand reaching out for me, and lots of red and yellow. There were loud noises and bright lights.’ He gave a sigh, closing the book and replacing it, looking down at his daughter, who turned to look up at him with a bright smile. Though his expression softened, he couldn’t quite hide a scowl as his fist clenched. Gently, though, he stroked his daughter’s hair as she came out of her sleepiness, and picked her up in his arms, taking her to the dining room, where everyone else was getting up. He had to protect her now, and make sure whatever happened in the dream wouldn’t happen in reality, at all costs.

Everyone was quite bright this morning, save for Percy and Scout, though they chatted as usual. Mickey and Julius were dragging a half-asleep Oswald down the stairs, propping him up at the table and quickly making him some coffee. “I’m still asleeeep…” he moaned, nearly dunking one of his ears in the drink as he lay his head down on the table, his brothers unable to hide a chuckle. Yen Sid giggled too, seeming a lot brighter now they were all together, and gave a smile down to Scout, whilst trying not to look at Percy, the light man having a slight glare on his face. “Good morning everyone. I trust you all slept well?” he asked, everyone nodding and giving a smile, or at least their best attempt in some cases. Oswald helped himself to toast when the coffee kicked in, and Mickey and Julius were sharing sandwiches, one with cheese and one with little fish chunks. Percy took some french toast, before gently being tapped by Julius and giving him a warm smile. “Morning Percy! Say, did you hear singing this morning?” he mused, Percy looking confused for a moment before going slightly red. “Umm! Singing? Haha, that certainly is odd! I mean, I do enjoy the radio in the morning but…I…” he trailed off, fumbling over his words, Julius looking at him slightly but believing him. He then turned to Mickey as Scout began to chat to Oswald and Percy, and lowered his voice. “That was the angriest singing I’ve ever heard!” he hissed, Mickey nodding. “Tell me about it! I think it shook the entire house!” he replied, both boys turning slightly to look at Percy, who avoided their gaze. That is, until Golden spoke up, now properly awake. “So dad! What are we doing today? Are you and Percy gonna show us some magic? A lesson? Please not geometry! But I’d like to see some of the stuff you learned Percy!” she smiled brightly, Percy staring up at Yen Sid, who raised an eyebrow. “That would certainly be something, love. I’m sure Percy would be on board to show you some spells, especially the light ones he learned as an apprentice. I haven’t forgotten those days…” he smiled, nostalgia overcoming him as Percy frowned slightly. “Hmmm, lucky you.” he remarked under his breath, Yen Sid looking up at him sharply, not quite catching what was said. “Pardon, Percy?” he asked, Percy cringing slightly and just turning to Scout. “Nothing, master.” 

After a little awkward silence, Mickey put his hand up. “Oh, how about we all go on a walk! It’s sunny outside, a beautiful day, and you can show us some spells outside, maybe even in the park?” he offered, Yen Sid raising an approving eyebrow. “Good idea Mick!” Scout crowed, “The park will be great for playing and using magic all together in a wide open space! Oh, and you two can talk for a bit whilst we apprentices practise!” she grinned, pointing at Percy and then Yen Sid. Instantaneously, both men looked at her incredulously. “What?!” they both said, in union, and Scout just gave a smile. “Can we? Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?” Golden giggled, Yen Sid looking down at her. There was no danger in the park, so it wouldn’t be unsafe…he gave a nod, as did Percy. “Well, I suppose it would be alright.” he admitted, Golden cheering and Scout pumping a fist, before turning to watch Yen Sid, who was following Golden with his gaze as she went upstairs and into her room to get ready. He really wasn’t letting her out of his sight…Scout frowned. It might be hard to get Golden alone, but she needed to talk to her, and find out what she dreamed. She headed upstairs herself to the room opposite Golden’s, and threw on a yellow robe and denim jacket, as well as some black leggings and a couple ties and patches to make herself look as cool as possible. Golden beamed when she saw her big sis, and Scout gave her a smile in response, gently taking her hand. Her little sister still held the banister, which Scout found pretty cute. Following behind her as they headed downstairs, Golden noticed that Scout’s jacket even had a Chernabog embroidery on it! She wanted to be just like that someday, wear what she wanted no matter the circumstances, and gently tapped Scout, who knew exactly what to do, lifting her up on her back and spinning her around, a game they often played together that they called ‘Whirlwind.’ However, Yen Sid walked over and quickly stopped the game, Golden being comically quite dizzy even so, and Scout folding her arms. He really was being controlling, and she didn’t like this side of him. Even Golden looked disappointed, but reluctantly did as she was told. Everyone was now at the door, dressed in various robes and outfits for going out, Mickey wearing overalls and Oswald in hoodies, whilst Julius had a comfortable tracksuit. Even Percy was dressed slightly differently, wearing jeans and a robe that was much more like a jacket, though his signature purple hat still stayed. They were about to head out, when Yen Sid turned to Golden. “Do you want me to carry you, lunula?” he offered, but she just looked at him in confusion. “I do have legs, dad.” she retorted, Yen Sid nodding hesitantly. “Alright, that’s true. Just hold my hand, then, okay?” he replied, Golden nodding and taking it, albeit reluctantly. 

The forest air was crisp and cool as they walked through, passing a few paths that led to various towns, and eventually reaching the park, where there were several people around. Whether fellow wizards or just regular people, they all knew Yen Sid and his little gaggle of apprentices, so they greeted them all, though Yen Sid wouldn’t let Golden talk to them. The rest of the apprentices mingled, though, Scout chatting to a DJ she was friends with, and Mickey and Oswald talking to some of the council trainees, who were out on a visit to try and find certain types of herbs for their labs. Julius was quite shy, though, and stuck close, though he did watch enthusiastically as Scout was playing with some of the DJ kit, the two young musicians hanging out together. They sounded good together, too, so Percy hoped this could be the start of a fun collaboration. Perhaps Scout could even venture into mixing, she already had a knack for switch cues and composition spells, but that was her choice. Though, it would be nice if this slightly older DJ would train her up! He stopped his thoughts when the apprentices returned, Scout buzzing about how sick the tech had been, and Golden wishing she could’ve seen it up close, but Yen Sid kept a tight grip on her, much to her chagrin. Eventually, though, the time came for a lesson, Yen Sid instructing Percy to show them the simple spell he used to illuminate trees. Percy demonstrated, the trees brightening in a beautiful display of pure light, everyone staring in wonder and the nearby townsfolk clapping for him. Percy gave a tiny grin and a bow, before the rest of the apprentices tried, some managing the first time, others needing a little more help. Scout observed how closely Yen Sid watched when Golden tried, but it just resulted in a beautiful display of light, just as Percy had done. The older sorcerer ruffled her hair, before a tiny smirk appeared on his face as Yen Sid watched, as if to say ‘told you so, master!’. Now convinced, Yen Sid sat back and watched as Percy created shapes with his light, everyone trying to copy him and ending up with their best wonky light creatures, from giraffes to snakes. And when the lesson was done, the boys began a game of magical catch, leaving Scout and Golden on the grass to chat, with their backs to Yen Sid. Percy approached the master, and a discussion began.

Golden looked up at Scout, who met her gaze and gave a slight wink. “Hey Scout? Have I been bad?” Golden suddenly piped up, Scout raising an eyebrow. “I don’t think so? What makes you say that?” she asked, Golden sighing. “It’s dad. He’s being so clingy…I wanted to see that DJ too!” she whined, Scout giving a tiny snicker but agreeing. “He is, isn’t he? Like a remora!” she giggled, Golden nodding. “Do you know why?” the smaller girl asked, Scout cringing for a second since she definitely wasn’t allowed to say the real reason, but…she sighed. “You could say he’s…stressed. He’s outputting all that stress into being overprotective. Putting 200% into taking care of you so he doesn’t have to think about the other thing.” she tried, Golden pouting and folding her arms. “But I like normal dad! Not lovey-dovey weird dad! Even though he’s strict sometimes, at least he’s normal!” she complained, Scout shrugging, before being slightly startled as Golden leaned on her. “I want to go home…or at least away from dad. I’m tired of this…” she sighed, closing her eyes as Scout looked down in confusion, but stroked her hair. “What do you mean?” she replied, Golden just shrugging. “I’m so tired of being left out. I know you and especially dad are all worried about me. If you just told me what’s wrong, or if there’s something wrong with me, I’d at least feel better knowing I can change it or at least try…” she trailed off, Scout just continuing to stroke her hair, her fingers accidentally brushing the scar. “Well…if I’m honest, there’s nothing you can really do. We don’t want you to change, and there isn’t anything wrong with you either. We just…don’t want to hurt you.” she explained, putting an arm around Golden, who leaned into her, eyes closed and slowly relaxing. If she really couldn’t do anything about it, then they should just tell her. The confusion she felt was overcoming her, but she simply tried to relax. Maybe soon she’d join in with magic catch, but for now the feeling of the sun on her face was nice. And Scout gave a slight smile at feeling the tension cease, both of them enjoying the nice weather despite everything else.

Yen Sid watched the girls talk as he sat himself on a bench by the play area, with Percy taking a seat beside him. He sighed a little, watching as Scout helped Golden to her feet, seeing that there was a game of catch starting, with the older girl making little magic butterflies for Golden to try and grab as they fluttered around her, with several landing on her hair and face. Golden’s well-being was weighing heavy on the old sorcerer’s mind, and it was as plain as the nose on his face. Percy watched as he looked increasingly anxious, and reached out to touch his shoulder. “Master, you see now why you must make a decision?” he asked, his tone was quiet but serious, and it made Yen Sid become quite agitated as more and more thoughts ran through his head. “I do.” he answered, his voice low. “But…Percy, think rationally, do you have any idea how this would affect her?! She’s just a child, a child so full of joy and innocence! She-” Percy’s hand squeezed Yen Sid’s shoulder in an attempt to relax him, it appeared to be having an effect. “Master, please calm down…” Percy soothed, Yen Sid turning his head a little to make eye contact with the younger sorcerer. “You remember what I said about stress, don’t you?” he went on, giving a slight smile to his master as another sign of reassurance. Yen Sid gave a small sigh, feeling a little foolish despite his feelings of justification about keeping Golden safe and protected. “Sorry Percy. I just…I promised her I would always protect her.” he vowed, looking back a little as Golden was now huddled with Scout and the boys, seemingly talking about a team game and discussing the rules. Percy’s hand moved down from Yen Sid’s shoulder and to his hand, gently rubbing his thumb over the fingers. “I know you did.” he spoke gently. “And I know you will too. You don’t break promises Yen Sid, she knows that! She’s got a good dad, so I implore you to have faith in yourself! She knows you do, they know you do, and I do too.” Yen Sid turned back to Percy, his spirits feeling quite lifted, and he smiled warmly. Percy was always such a good man, and knew there were ways to help Yen Sid feel better about given situations, whether they seemed bleak or not. Rubbing at his temples as if to chase away the stress, Yen Sid nodded slightly and squeezed Percy’s hand back. “Alright. If you say so.” Yen Sid grinned, “And thank you Percy. Perhaps I should think more clearly about this. I do…want what’s best for my little lunula. We all do…” 

There was a sudden cheer of joy as the two men looked toward the group of young apprentices. Mickey and Julius were lined up at one side, while Scout and Julius were on the other. Golden seemed to be playing referee, and held in her hand a small ball of white and pale blue light, she made it grow bigger to the size of a basketball. “Okay boys, Scout, get ready to catch!” she cried, and threw the ball high into the air, and positioned herself to punt it toward her siblings. Yen Sid and Percy watched as the ball came back down, and as it did the ball began to spark and glitch, as if it was surrounded by bolts of electricity, it came down faster, and glitched much more intensely as it fell toward Golden, and she didn’t seem to notice! Panic suddenly struck Yen Sid as he jumped to his feet and began to hastily teleport. “GOLDEN!!” he shouted, and he reached her just as the ball of light struck them and exploded into sparks that flew around the area. Scout quickly covered Julius with herself and shielded her eyes, as did Oswald and Mickey, all of them startled and confused about what just happened. Once the sparks disappeared and everyone’s vision settled, they all saw to their right, Yen Sid was curled up on the ground in a foetal position, and held tightly in his arms was Golden. Everyone ran toward the two, and Percy also got to his feet quickly as he sprinted up to the group. “Master!” he cried, everyone surrounding the two as they slowly got up, Scout gently approached them, steps slow as she moved closer. “Golden, pops…are you two okay?!” she asked nervously. Yen Sid sat up, his face expressionless. Golden was surprised to find herself in the arms of her dad, she was about to hit the ball, but something else caught her attention as well; a slight bump on her head that she softly rubbed at, muttering a small ‘ow.’ “Are you two alright?” Mickey asked, hiding behind Oswald a little, “What in the world happened?” Golden’s bump was eased of the pain as she rubbed at it, giving a small giggle. “Aw I’m fine!” she smiled. “I think the light ball hit me on the head, hehe! I guess I didn’t hit it quickly in time.” Oswald made a face, that bump looked a little nasty in his eyes. “Does it…hurt?” he asked, Golden shaking her head. “Not really, it did a second ago. It might bruise though…whoops!” Yen Sid stood up, still holding Golden closely to his chest, even a little tighter now that he was up. He looked over at everyone, who were all a little taken aback by how serious he appeared, it was the same feeling he gave when he was not in the mood, or even strict. “Come, my apprentices. Home.” he insisted, turning around and walking toward the park gates. “Now.” The apprentices all gave looks of confusion at each other, but didn’t hesitate to follow their master. Percy frowned, catching up a little to Yen Sid, but not entirely as he walked slowly behind him. “Yen Sid…” he sighed. “I know how you feel, really I do. But time doesn’t wait…!” he suddenly felt his heart skip as Yen Sid turned his round, glaring deeply back at him. Shrinking a little, Percy walked slower until he was next to Scout, putting a gentle hand on the small of her back. “Thanks for trying kiddo.” he whispered to her, the teenager giving a sad nod. Looks like any chance of soothing Yen Sid’s protectiveness of Golden was currently out of the window. They were all silent as they walked home, this time there weren't that many people around, the boys quietly waving at those who did greet them. Golden looked up at her dad, noticing his scowl, it made her feel agitated too, she just wanted to play. Was she not allowed to do that now?! Was he going to put her in a bubble?! She crossed her arms, refusing to look at him the entire time until they reached home. 

Once they were inside, Scout took her headphones and slipped them onto her head, heading up to her room to relax. Percy pointed out the living room to the boys, preparing a kettle for some tea for them as he invited them to chat and joke about some of his adventures after graduating. Yen Sid took Golden up to his office, placing her down on a chair- she made no effort to quickly leave his hold but she felt quite angry at him now, staring at him as he opened his cabinets, looking for some ointment and bandages. “Dad…you don’t need to baby me.” she seethed quietly, “It’s a bump on the head. It’s nothing! Heck I’ve had scraped knees before.” but he seemed to ignore her, almost deliberately. Golden growled, standing up from her chair and balling her fists. “You…you’re acting really weird!” she said, and Yen Sid seemed to pause, but he continued searching, placing down two bottles of ointment and taking out swabs of cotton and a roll of bandages. Golden grew more and more frustrated at him ignoring her on purpose, and stomped her feet angrily. “Dad!” she cried out, and Yen Sid paused again, slamming his palms down on the table underneath him. “WHAT?!” he yelled in aggravation, his voice echoing off the walls. Goldens’ eyes went wide, and she almost fell back into the seat of the chair. She trembled as her voice lowered back to its normal pitch. “What’s wrong with you, dad?” she asked in a nervous tone. “You…you’ve been acting very odd, why are you suddenly clinging to me like I’m a fragile doll? You’re like a moth to a flame with how clingy you are! What’s wrong?” Yen Sid’s hands curled, and his fists began to clench. He didn’t look at her, being in no mood to discuss this. “I’m protecting you.” he said plainly, closing the cabinet door. Golden stomped her foot again in a typical childlike manner. “From what!?” she shouted, “Nothing’s tried to hurt me! Not since that nightmare glitch thingy anyway, is that what you’re afraid of? Seriously, all I got was a bump on the head from the ball! It’ll go away in what, a day?” Yen Sid still didn’t turn to her, but his aura was beginning to show as his anger grew. “QUIET.” he snarled, although it startled Golden, she refused to back down from this, she needed an answer from him now. “NO! I’M TIRED OF BEING QUIET!” she shouted back, pointing a finger at him. “YOU NEVER TELL ME ANYTHING AND NEITHER DOES ANYONE ELSE IN THIS HOUSE! IT’S NOT FAIR!!” Golden suddenly thought back to the other day, when Yen Sid conducted the memory spell experiment on everyone, and saw how quiet and shaken they were after she woke up, though no one told her what her memory really meant, they were hiding something from her, and it made her feel left out again. “You saw something, didn’t you?” she went on. “When you looked into my memories…tell me, what did you see?! What was it? Did it scare you? Was…was that the reason you asked Percy to come over? And why you didn’t want me to hear anything? This…this is all about me and my memories isn’t it? But you’re not telling me anything.” Yen Sid stood back up straight slowly, his aura was still radiating from him. “It’s not for you to hear.” He spoke, but to Golden it clearly was. “It’s about MY memories!!” she yelled, sounding slightly desperate now. “Wasn’t this whole thing to help me with that photo? But you haven’t done that yet! Instead you’ve just either pushed me away or held me close! Make up your mind!” Yen Sid’s fist balled tighter, his aura glowing brighter. “I SAID QUIET!” He yelled, Golden stomped her foot again and her voice became louder as she retorted back. “NO!!! You’ve not asked me what I think, what I WANT, this whole entire time!!! And I’m TIRED of being left out and stuck in the dark. I WANT to know the answers, but you’re keeping them to yourself like a selfish IDIOT!!” And with that, Yen Sid swiftly turned around, his face angrier than she had seen before as his magic and the phoenix flared around him, making him appear almost like a monster in Golden’s eyes. “THAT’S ENOUGH!!!!!” He shouted, his voice booming like thunder, the flames from the candles on the wall blowing out in the wind. Golden’s heart shook, so much that it began to glow faintly in her chest. Her breath hitched, and she held herself back from crying as she remembered the last time they fought, that time he picked her up with his magic and slammed her around the room, using it against her, and calling her a word she grew to despise, “expendable.” It was almost like he would repeat that very day right here. Golden ran to the door, her eyes stinging with fresh tears. The door slammed behind her, leaving a very dumbfounded and horrified Yen Sid alone in his office. The phoenix calmed, and disappeared. Yen Sid covered his mouth with his hands, realising what he had just done. Guilt washed over him, and he sat down in his chair, beginning to collect his thoughts. 

In her room, Golden had crawled under the bed, breaths frantic and shallow. She reached into her robe pocket and pulled out the photo, finding herself wondering where it could have been, some theatre…but she slowly was overcome by what she just went through. An expendable, a novice, a mere apprentice…she felt like absolutely nothing in comparison to someone like Yen Sid, a master she so admired, but these arguments made her wonder if he even felt the same about her. Maybe she was just another child in the grand scope of the apprentices he’d had. There were ones who’d done incredible feats, like composing or weapon-making…and yet she hadn’t amounted to anything in the two years she’d lived here. All she ever did was cause trouble. Her hands suddenly felt funny, the girl looking down at them in shock as they started to glitch. Her chest was pained, reminding her of the glitched monster. Was she a monster now? But…it had felt right for the creature to enter her heart, like her power was restored. She felt a headache coming on, crawling out from under her bed and trying to reach the door, before turning in fright as her arms flared up, noticing a glitching gateway had appeared in her room. On the other side, there was nothing but darkness, frightening the child, who tried to escape, but it felt as if she was compelled to enter, and thus her feet moved faster than her brain, everything glitching and landing the girl on the other side of the wormhole, in the middle of nowhere.

It was dark here, the floor plush and carpeted. She turned around, wary, and held on tight to the photo, pulling up her hood and disappearing slightly into the folds of her robe. She bumped into something, a chair of some sorts, and tried to find a door. Eventually, her hand traced the gilded frame of a door handle, pulling it as it creaked. It was lighter in this corridor, posters lining each wall with different depictions of characters- one even had Mickey on it! Curious as to where she was, but equal parts cautious, she moved toward the final, giant red door, framed by gilded gold which sparkled in the lamplight from above. She pushed at it- it was heavy!- and was greeted by a flood of sounds. A crowd before her, everyone chattering and laughing together, and then rain, the girl shoving the photo in her pocket to try and stop it being damaged, and then the blaring lights and loud honking of car horns, all of it far too overwhelming for the lost little girl. She turned, accidentally bumping one or two people, and her heart sank. She was back at the theatre. She’d glitched back.

She turned as another woman bumped into her by accident, whacking her hard with her purse. She merely raised an eyebrow at the child, who mumbled a frightened apology, and further pulled the folds of her robe over her face. She spotted several sorcerers wearing different attire, but no members of the council she recognized, nor any members of her family. She had no idea where in the realms she was, but it frightened her, so she began trying to ask people. “Excuse me!” she called, a man turning and merely huffing at the sight of the little girl, before another man bumped into her. “Hey! Watch where you’re going, kid!” he muttered, Golden once again giving a shaken apology, squeezing through the crowd. “Dad?! Scout? Percy! Anyone? Where are y-?!” she started, before almost stepping into the road and a car blaring its horn at her. Fioritura city in comparison was far quieter, typically everyone walked or teleported, and cars weren’t as loud, Golden pressing her hands over her ears as the driver shouted a very rude response at the frightened child. Cars breezed by, people pushing into her and Golden trying to avoid falling into the road again. Once it was safe to cross, she darted across the road and found herself on another street, turning and taking the photo out under an overhang. It was the exact same theatre as before, the girl trembling. “What…is going on?” she whispered, stepping back. The entire time she’d wondered if it could be a dream, but this felt far too real for that. The wind was cold, water from the fabric overhang suddenly splattering down onto her, her robes now soaked and the girl shivering. She needed a place out of the rain, somewhere she could try and find help, and put the photo back in her pocket, spotting an alley just out of the way of the crowd. It seemed safe enough, so she darted toward it and ran down, unaware of just what type of monster dwelt there.

Yen Sid had his head in his hands, completely livid. He’d just yelled at Golden once more, and for what? There was no reason for his frustration and stress, and that look in her eyes…he groaned, silently promising never to raise his voice or harm another apprentice. He couldn’t imagine how angry or upset she’d be, despite what was said, words did hurt, perhaps even more than sticks and stones. Unlike broken bones, emotional wounds weren’t as easily healed, and he knew his treatment toward Golden was bound to affect her. He sighed, before resolving to apologise, standing and stepping out of his office. “How could I have yelled at you, starshine…?” he lamented, before heading up the stairs. It was likely she’d fallen asleep, perhaps she was even hiding under the bed from him. That behaviour always upset him, but this was a time for a constructive, reassuring discussion. He opened the door, and the room was dark. “Golden? Are you awake, lunula?” he whispered, but there was no reply. She was asleep, then. He reached under the bed, expecting her to be hiding there, but…there was nobody. He turned on the light and checked her wardrobe, toy box…anywhere else she could be. But the room felt empty, and Yen Sid felt panic arise in his heart. Surely she hadn’t absconded like Scout? It wasn’t in her nature to run away, or at least not far. He left her room and listened. There was Percy, talking and laughing with the boys, he couldn’t hear her. He checked upstairs, trying to scan each room, even the guest room, until he was down in the laundry basement. He became frantic, she was nowhere to be seen! The last place he could check was Scout’s room, since perhaps Golden had run to her big sister for comfort…he opened the door without knocking, startling the older girl. “Oh hey pops! Just drawing…wait, time out. Are you okay?” she asked, pulling her headphones off and putting her journal down, hopping off the bed and moving toward him. “Woah, did you run a race with Percy or something?! You’re shaking…” she muttered, Yen Sid feeling panic and tension swirling inside him like the coils of a galaxy. “Where…is Golden?” he demanded, his voice barely more than a whisper. Scout stared at him a moment, before becoming suspicious. If he wanted to mollycoddle her again, he wasn’t getting anything- not that she knew where her little sister was anyway. “Pops, she’s not in here. She knows you’re super worried about the memories and all that, but please don’t overwork yourself about it, you’ll only upse- EH?” she gawked, as the old master suddenly wrapped his arms around her. Guilt washed over him like the strongest of tides, the sorcerer wishing he’d never initiated the memory spells, that the glitched monster had never appeared, that he and Golden had never fought…he squeezed his daughter tightly, tears now spilling from his eyes. “She’s gone, Scout. She’s disappeared…” he forced out, Scout standing up straight and reaching out to pat his back, now feeling her own worries. Yen Sid was actually…crying. He never cried. Not even when she’d left, or when they did something wrong. Even when he was upset he stayed stoic, at most shedding the occasional tear of happiness. The only time he’d ever cried as an old man is when Master Grey had died, and that was because the one support he’d had consistently was now gone. His pillar, rock, it had disappeared, and that grief had consumed him. But now, these were different tears. These were tears of guilt, remorse, of pain. And Scout needed a plan.

Gently, she gave his back a final, firm rub, before leading him to sit down on her bed. “Yen Sid, Percy and I can take it from here, okay?” she offered, the man looking up at her in surprise. “I can’t lose another child. No, Scout. No.” he protested, but they were weakened when he looked at the bright, determined spark in Scout’s eyes. That spark had dulled only once, when the young 10 year old had decided she didn’t need to learn anything and had run off into the realms, trying to fix her own problems, which had only created the Noise. Though, thanks to her brothers and a little intervention from Yen Sid, Scout had learned her lesson, and managed to subdue the mess back into a mere page of sheet music. And from then on, she’d been a determined little learner, more than two years having passed since those days. And since then, a new little member had joined the family, one Scout was determined to protect. And protect her she would. Scout headed downstairs, before turning on her heel to look back at Yen Sid. “You aren’t losing anyone today, that’s a promise.” she replied, clenching her fists and running downstairs, leaving Yen Sid to rest as she gathered her brothers and Percy, standing before them with a sense of urgency.

“What on earth is going on, Scout? Where’s the master?” Percy asked, everyone sensing the rise in tension as they stared at the older girl. “He’s in my room. He’s very upset guys…don’t bother him.” she sighed, before fiddling with one of the patches on her arm. “Golden went missing.” she muttered, everyone freezing for a moment. “But…how?! Geez, that kid always gets into trouble!” Oswald groaned, Scout turning to look at him and shaking her head slightly. “This time is different, Ossie. Yen Sid…dad…he cried.” she replied, everyone being taken aback, especially Percy. “He…he cried?! Is he alright?” Mickey suddenly gasped, Scout shrugging. “He’s…I’m not sure.” she admitted, before turning as Julius raised his hand. “Do you know what happened, Scout?” he asked, Scout shaking her head and trying not to be overwhelmed by all the questions. “No idea, I had my headphones on and I was drawing. We were all busy doing other stuff…” she mumbled, Percy standing and gently placing a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. “I believe I saw him take her into his office…but after that I didn’t see anything else. I don’t recall seeing her leave, either.” he mused, before Scout took a deep breath, pointing up at the observatory where the muse and map were stored. “Alright gang, we’re using the muse.”

Everyone was shaken for a moment, they weren’t allowed to use that without permission, and even then it could be relatively temperamental- there were times that if you messed the movement up even slightly, you’d end up somewhere completely random! Heading to the Press could easily land you in the Shoal if you weren’t precise enough…and nobody knew where Golden was! “But…Scout, we aren’t trained enough for that!” Mickey insisted, Oswald nodding. “If it breaks or something, we’ll get stuck in whatever realm we’re heading for!” he crowed, Julius timidly moving beside Oswald. “And Yen Sid says it’s really dangerous…” he finished, all three of them looking at Scout in concern, who sighed slightly. “We aren’t going to the realms, not unless we need to. I’m using it as a locator. Golden can’t have gone far if she’s run off, she wouldn’t even know how to use the muse properly, so she won’t be in the realms. Chances are, she’s hiding in the park or something.” She finished, all three looking a bit relieved at this. Percy gave an approving nod- he was proud of how far Scout had come, and seeing her lead the others like this was a sight to behold. “Hey Percy?” she turned to him, and he nodded, giving a reassuring grin. “Can you use the muse? You’re probably the best at it after Yen Sid.” she smiled, Percy giving a wink. “I remember that old trick. Though if it were up to me, I wouldn’t let you little ones near it, but it’s not up to me is it? Regardless…” he clapped his hands, and the muse flew toward him, floating above his palms and wowing everyone, “let’s get the master and go.”

Golden ran down the alley, why did it feel like it stretched on forever?! She worried if she should turn back, but the hordes of crowds frightened her too- she didn’t belong with them nor in this alley. This place…it felt weirdly familiar, though, despite how afraid she was. She looked forward again and continued down, the streetlights disappearing and leading to shadows that crawled up the walls, reminding the girl of scary stories. She burrowed down further into her robes, before hearing someone. An empty glass bottle rolled toward her, hitting her foot, and she jumped back slightly, looking in the direction it came from. She felt her head starting to hurt slightly, believing she could hear something that sounded like Percy, but he wasn't here…confused, she looked up as a foot appeared from the shadows, then a body, then a head, covered in a hood and with messy brown hair. “Oh, hello again…”

Everyone was standing outside of Scout’s room, all pretty nervous and anticipating what Yen Sid would say. Scout opened the door, Mickey entering first, and clambering up onto the bed where Yen Sid was lying down, buried under Scout’s warm blankets. “Master?” he whispered, gently shaking his shoulder as Yen Sid stirred. It took some effort but he opened his eyes, propping himself up and spotting Mickey, desperately hoping the previous events had just been some horrible nightmare. “Mickey…is…?” he started, but the little mouse just shook his head, Yen Sid’s previously hopeful face crumbling into despair, tears coming to his eyes. “Oh Mickey…this is all my fault. She’s gone…and it’s because of me!” he groaned, Mickey reaching to give him a hug, and gently touching his cheek with his gloved hand, wiping away one of his master’s tears. Usually it was the opposite, but Mickey didn’t mind. He simply gave a calm, comforting smile. “Shhh, master. It’s alright. We’re going to get her back. We have a plan! If you want to call it that, hehe…” he giggled, before Oswald and Julius popped around the door. “Granted, it’s a fairly terrible plan…” Julius admitted, Oswald grinning. “And almost certainly won’t work!” he replied, Julius glaring at him. “I was fine with fairly terrible, Ossie.” he retorted, Oswald rolling his eyes. “Sorry…” he grinned, Yen Sid looking down at Mickey with a slightly stern look. “And that plan is…?” he demanded, Scout and Percy finally opening the door properly. “This!” Scout called, Percy waggling the muse in his hands and giving a cheeky smile- he’d never been allowed to play with this as an apprentice, but it had always looked so much fun! Especially when Master Dawn had shown him how to do it. Upon seeing it, Yen Sid stared at Scout and Percy with a raised eyebrow, reaching up to wipe his eyes. “Now, you two know what I said about that muse, right? It’s dangerous to use if not handled by the highly trained… you have training ones for a reason!” he exclaimed, Percy giving a grin. “Master, I am OFFENDED! You assume I haven’t been practising? I’ve been dying for a chance to use this ever since I learned it! I can’t believe you even let the little’uns have training muses! You never gave me one!” He giggled, Yen Sid feeling his spirits lift as he looked upon Percy’s enthusiastic confidence. “And that’s why we need you, and Percy. This will be tricky, but with your teleportation and the muse’s locator skills, we’ll find Golden for sure!” Scout whooped, Oswald grinning. “HECK YEAH!” he yelled, before covering his mouth upon realising just how loud he was. “Now I know why Yen Sid clung to her like a mother hen! She won’t stay still for five minutes!” he giggled, Julius turning to look at Percy. “Where do you suppose she is?” he asked, Percy bending down slightly, activating his magic. “Show me Golden.” He coaxed, the muse starting to glow faintly and…glitching? He increased his hold to subdue it, Scout trying to help him stabilise it. As they worked, Mickey noticed something glowing in Yen Sid’s chest. “Master, your pocket!” he pointed, Yen Sid looking down at the dream diary and pulling it out, it was now glitching, Yen Sid flipping to the earlier page. “Glitching…alone…oh no…” he groaned, everyone looking at him in confusion, all except Percy, who was focused. Yen Sid looked down at the book, and then everyone else. “This all happened…because of me.”

For a moment, everyone was silent, before Oswald looked up in confusion, staring up at him. “What do you mean?” he demanded, Yen Sid holding up the dream diary to show them the entry. “She had a nightmare…and since that glitched monster, I’ve been hypothesising something about our lunula. We…had a fight, and that dream…it says about her being alone and…glitching. When someone is a glitch, they can access special powers, like future-sight or teleportation, so I wondered if this could be a product of her seeing the future. But…if so, that means I caused it by trying to prevent it.” he sighed, before clenching his fist, everything was coming out quite muddled. “We had a fight, like I said. I raised my voice and magic against her. Though we’ve fought in the past, she…she looked so terrified. She looked at me like I was a monster…” his voice trembled, Julius moving closer. “You didn’t mean it, surely?” he whispered, rubbing against Yen Sid’s robes and purring slightly as Yen Sid put a hand on his head to pat him. “Well…she was asking all sorts of questions, finally talking back and expressing what she truly wanted. And…I tried to silence her. And now, because of my actions, we might never hear her voice again.” He couldn’t continue any longer as tears were now rolling down his cheeks, Julius leaning into him and giving a slightly sad meow. Oswald and Mickey were clasping hands, Scout fiddling with her sleeve and unable to look at Yen Sid properly, but Percy…he met Yen Sid’s gaze, and then exploded. 

“MASTER! STOP TALKING LIKE THAT AT ONCE!” he yelled, everyone jumping and staring at him, shocked at his conduct, the muse just floating in his palms. “You may have made many mistakes, but she isn’t gone. Now that you talk about glitches, I have a proposal. If Golden wanted to find her memories, could she have glitched back to the theatre? Because if so, I am the perfect man for this job!” he grinned, Yen Sid surprised at his optimism, but then again, it was Percy. He nodded, it seemed feasible, so as Percy got the muse under control, he looked up at the master. “Take us to Nocturne!” Percy insisted, a bright flash of light enveloping them as Yen Sid teleported them, and the muse began to glow, ready to lead them to the little girl.

As they arrived, the rain surprised them all, everyone pulling up their hoods and Scout glad she wore some layers. A few people recognized Percy, giving him smiles and waves, and were curious about who he was with. “Be careful, everyone. I’ll keep a hold of this.” Yen Sid spoke, sliding the dream diary back into his robes to avoid it being soaked, and they joined the flow of the crowd, Percy leading them to a crossing. Scout took the muse into her hands, Percy helping her handle it, and they looked down at it. “Take us to Golden, muse!” she spoke, before stepping forward. Immediately, though, someone pulled her back, as a car came breezing by. “SCOUT!” Mickey yelled, having managed to stop her before she got run over, and the muse became jumbled amongst the crowd, but they soon reached the other side of the street, and it calmed again. “Gosh, Nocturne sure is busy. But I’m used to it, so I’ll lead us wherever.” Percy insisted, everyone nodding as he gently calmed the muse in Scout’s hands. They needed to find somewhere with less people, Percy spotting an alley and suggesting they try to search from there, Yen Sid just hoping his little girl was safe.

Golden moved back as she got a full view of the person, before falling over a garbage bag behind her, landing on her side. “Ow…ah, dang it!” she muttered, the man giving a slight chuckle and lighting a cigarette. “Well, that was clumsy.” he giggled, Golden glaring up at him. “Shut up! Who are you?” she demanded, the man raising an eyebrow. “Don’t you remember me?” he mused, Golden nervously shaking her head. An opportunity…the man gave a smile, but it was cold, calculating. “My name is Andrew. I’m an old friend.” he replied, before extending a hand to the girl, who accepted, the man helping her stand. His grip was incredibly firm, and he didn’t let her go upon aiding her, but merely swung her hand back and forth. “I’m surprised you don’t remember me.” he remarked, Golden looking up at him as if she was lost. It made him wonder… “What do you remember, kid?” he asked, Golden being a little uncomfortable, but also trusting him, at least somewhat. Maybe he could help her get back to Fioritura… “I remember a lot from when I was five. I live with Master Yen Sid and the other apprentices in Fioritura! Can you help me get back, Mr Andrew?” she asked, the man giving a nod. “Of course I can help you. I actually have a van right over here, we can drive back.” he offered, Golden now trusting and nodding. Andrew couldn’t believe his luck. Lightning strikes twice, clearly, but he wasn’t letting go of this little prize. They walked further down the alley, but then a sharp pain began in Golden’s head, and she suddenly felt nervous. Was this right? “Um…actually, Mr Andrew. I think I can find my way alone…thank you though…” she tried, but he squeezed her hand tightly, Golden glitching all of a sudden and him being forced to release her, to both of their surprise. Andrew’s eyes narrowed. “I only want to help you, kid. Don’t you trust me…Golden?” he grinned, Golden going pale. So he really did know her…but who was he? 

“I wanted to take you back to your parents, but that mean old sorcerer snatched you away from me! He stole you from your wonderful mother and father.” Andrew mocked, Golden backing up as her glitching began again, this time with even more intensity, shockwaves cascading through her body. It couldn’t be true! But…was that why Yen Sid hadn’t told her anything? Had he really…? Tears started spilling down her face, Andrew bending down toward her. “Don’t worry…even if you’ve technically trespassed onto my property, I won’t tell a soul…if you’re good.” he coaxed, Golden wiping her eyes as he offered her a hand. “I promise…you’ll go exactly where you’re meant to be. Trust an old friend…” he whispered, Golden wondering what she should do. Should she trust this man, a man who clearly knew her…or trust Yen Sid, who had just yelled at her…? Despite that, though, another pain in her head, feeling like she shouldn’t be here. Sensing hesitance, Andrew subtly reached for a bottle from the floor, remembering he’d had to subdue her last time, and moved toward her, Golden stepping back. “You know, a lot of bad people exist out there. But I’m a good man, an Honest John.” he tried, but the small girl was shaking her head now, feeling as if she’d made a mistake. She turned on her heel and started to run, Andrew immediately giving chase. She darted down the alleys, but took a wrong turn, ending up at a dead end. As Andrew approached, like a predator hungry for prey, she shrank down into her robes, a shaking ball of trembles. He gave a cruel grin, and swung the bottle, the girl suddenly remembering everything and glitching out completely- overloading from stress and falling unconscious. The man smiled as he picked her up, holding her exhausted form in his arms, before trailing a grimy hand down her cheek, blowing cigarette smoke. “Good child.” he whispered, throwing his cigarette down to the ground and stepping on it, now having much more enticing things to focus on.

The muse suddenly began to convulse and glitch so much that it nearly fell out of Scout’s hands, Percy taking it and staring down at it in concern- it looked as if it could shatter into pieces. He stabilised it, and it went still, but rang out in peals of sound which increased with every step they took. “By Jove, she’s got to be close! Hey, I have an idea!” Percy grinned, before turning into a ball of light and using magic to keep the muse close to him, zooming up high above the buildings, trying to spot that purple and blue head he was so familiar with by now. But as he looked around, he couldn’t help but wonder… “Hmmm, not many people in that direction, I must say. Golden must be alone, and if anything, that last time I saw her she was being followed by some cigarette-holding maniac. Hopefully this time she’s avoided that fate, wouldn't want the master turning into an overprotective mother again. Hang on…” he muttered, looking down and noticing a familiar hood, a stagger that was out of place, drunk and odd. He couldn’t help but remember it, and immediately his guard went up. What was this maniac still doing here? And then he noticed something else. On the man’s shoulder, something…no, someone, was leaning. And upon realising just who was being held, he almost fell out of the sky.

“I know I’m not supposed to use your name in vain but FOR THE LOVE OF ASTRA GET AWAY FROM THE CHILD!” he screeched, zooming down faster than lightning and swirling all around the kidnapper’s face, Andrew trying to swat him away. “WHAT THE HELL?! Get away from me!” he yelled, Percy sending up a beacon of light to alert the others as to where they were, a trick he’d learned a long time ago. He then sent several more beams toward Andrew, who tried to block but was stunned, dropping Golden on the hard concrete, though she didn’t even stir. “What the hell are you?!” Andrew demanded, picking up yet another discarded bottle and holding it up, threatening to bash the light man, though he was completely undeterred. “I’ll kill you!” the drunken man screamed, waving the bottle frantically and Percy having to dodge. “Wow, I was told alcohol obscures the aim, I would not want to see him sober!” Percy giggled, able to dodge the man despite his accuracy. Andrew growled, before watching in both fear and alarm as Percy transformed, tendrils of light coming off his body like tentacles. “Oh you have messed with the wrong family!” he chuckled, using one of the lights to lift Golden away, though she still didn’t wake, which worried him. Andrew pointed the bottle once more, a rage overcoming him, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out a switchblade. He used his lighter to heat it, Percy raising an eyebrow. “Got yourself a brand?” he smirked, Andrew glaring. Nevertheless, the man rushed toward Percy, brutally knocking him over and giving him little time to react, though he quickly blocked the swipe of the blade with his light. Due to his distraction, though, his protective hold on Golden was loosening, something Andrew would take advantage of the second he had his opportunity. Nevertheless, Percy shifted the shape of his light again, turning it into a halberd, Andrew now taking defence against the larger weapon. “Compensating?” he remarked, Percy rolling his eyes. “If you ask me, creeps like you shouldn’t have one at all!” he grinned, pushing Andrew back and down onto the floor, the man staring up in fury at the much more powerful sorcerer. He wondered what the man’s weakness could be, but seeing the way he looked at that kid, likely a sister or niece of some capacity…perhaps even a daughter…but ultimately, bonds that weren’t blood could be easily severed. Andrew picked himself back up and stared Percy down, putting the switchblade back and dropping the bottle, and the two glared at each other, Percy keeping a protective spell over Golden and just hoping Yen Sid and the others would arrive soon enough. 

“So, you care for that little girl?” Andrew asked, Percy looking at him with a protective fury. “Yes, of course. She’s like my little sister.” he hissed, Andrew shrugging. “Just not sure you’d care so much if you knew who she was…” he grinned, Percy rolling his eyes. “Oh yes, and you surely know that from the five minutes you’ve spent beating her up?” He hissed, Andrew giving a malicious chuckle. “How much do you know about me, specs?” he asked, Percy once more just sighing and refusing to listen. This man was a predator, he wanted to hurt his sister, no doubt, and someone like that wasn’t worth listening to. He gently lifted Golden into his arms with magic, his halberd disappearing, and she stirred slightly, Percy hoping she wasn’t having any bad dreams. “I don’t know you, and I cannot be bothered to get to know you. How about you crawl back into whatever hole you came from?” He muttered, starting to walk away. But Andrew’s stupid giggle made him freeze, the man coming up behind him and Percy realising he wasn’t going to let them get away as easily as he hoped. “How much do you know about this little girl? You know she’s valuable?” he whispered, Percy turning with a stern glare on his face, one that nearly matched Yen Sid’s. All of a sudden, he raised his hand and backhanded Andrew, practically knocking him off his feet. “Money doesn't matter to me. Lumen is valuable in more ways than whatever twisted thing you’re thinking of. Get out of my sight.” he hissed, Andrew just laughing once more, a drunken, cruel laugh with no amount of compassion. His eyes seemed to sparkle with malice as he met Percy’s gaze once more. “I’ve been in this business a long time. And I don’t let them escape twice. Hand my merchandise over.” he threatened, Percy looking absolutely disgusted at the choice of words. But then, the familiar footsteps stopped Andrew in his tracks, the man backing off slightly as five more people came into view. 

Yen Sid, shadow stretching the entire way down the alley, had his arms folded and an incredibly angry look in his eye. Instantly, Percy moved closer to him, holding Golden tightly, and the old sorcerer stepped forward. “I hope Percy didn’t give you too much of a beating?” he started, Andrew hissing and giving a glare toward the light man, who smirked slightly. The rest of the apprentices looked confused, but Yen Sid understood the gravity and depravity of the entire situation. He stepped closer to Andrew once more. “Your stupid…son, or whoever he is, he beat the living daylights out of me! He even had a freakin’ axe or something! Get him under control, he’s like an animal!” he screeched, Yen Sid trying to hide a slight glimmer of a smirk. “Yes, that wasn’t a nice thing to do, Percy. Bad, bad Percy.” he turned, giving Percy a wink, who tried to avoid giggling. “But the reason I asked…what Percy did to you? That’s NOTHING compared to what I’m about to do. You touch my children, you die.” 

Yen Sid raised his hand toward Andrew, who felt frozen to the ground as a bright blue light emerged in the centre of the sorcerer’s palm. Then within a second, Yen Sid closed his hand again, and the drunken kidnapper felt something around his body, as if he was being grabbed, he felt a shock as he was lifted off the ground, his boots leaving the dark and wet concrete. As he rose, so did Yen Sid’s arm as he lifted the man high. “You…you monster!! Put me down right now! I swear I’ll destroy you, I’ll destroy ALL of you!!” screamed Andrew, trying to pull free from the invisible strings that held him up, he could only kick his legs a little, but the force of the magic was too strong to break free of. “You’re calling me a monster?” Yen Sid snarled, his fury was low and calm, but it was clear just how angry he was at this horrible man, and everything he’d done. “I am no monster, I am a master. A master who protects his children. If anyone is the monster around here, it is YOU!” Yen Sid clenched his fist tight, the blue light glowing brighter, like a sudden flash. Andrew felt something over his throat, as if he was being choked, he tried to rid the feeling with his own hands over his neck, but to no avail. He struggled to breath, but he didn’t have time to focus as he was thrown down to the concrete with such force that something inside him broke. Andrew tried to scream out in pain but his throat was too tight to even make a tiny squeal. Yen Sid’s eyebrows furrowed deeper as he lifted Andrew back up with another ascent of his arm. “I did this one and regretted it.” he said, twisting his hand as he prepared another beating of the man he held in a magical chokehold. “But I won’t make the same mistake again.” he swung his arm left, and Andrew flew left, crashing against the rubbish bins that lay in front of the group. Yen Sid swung his arm right this time, and Andrew was sent hurtling toward the brick wall, slamming hard against it, losing several teeth in the process. “From here on out,” Yen Sid continued, his teeth baring as he looked at his daughter’s kidnapper with rage and undying hatred. “I only use this against those who HURT MY CHILDREN!!” The sorcerer crossed his arms into an X shape, and Andrew came to a still in the centre of the alley, floating in suspension as his mouth, nose and arms bled, he could now breathe again but now something else, something worse was creeping up his spine. Unleashing his arms and holding them out straight, Yen Sid sent Andrew backwards, toward an empty car, slamming against the windshield and smashing it, the man’s face and shoulders now had shards of glass sticking out of him. Scout cringed but found it pretty awesome of her dad to fight against this man. Crossing his arms again, Yen Sid brought Andrew forward, and waved his arms once more, until he ended it with a clap of his hands. Andrew gasped and his entire being exploded into a thousand black roaches, all of which fell and scattered onto the ground, scurrying under the garbage cans, through the alleyway, into the cracks of the wall, until not a single one was left in sight. 

Yen Sid felt a sense of relief it was over, but his body and his mind were tired, and he fell on one knee, panting heavily as the magic and the force of the battle took its toll on him. “Dad! Hey, take it easy okay?” Mickey cried as rushed to his mentor’s side, and Scout appeared at the other, gently patting him on the shoulder as he tried to ease his breathing. Yen Sid slowly lifted his head, seeing his apprentices around him, his mouth curled into a small smile, seeing that they were all okay. “I’m…I’m alright.” Yen Sid breathed, trying to get back up with Scout supporting him. “Sorry you all had to see that.” Scout just giggled, brushing some of the dirt from Yen Sid’s robes. “Nah, it was cool! You sure showed him! Hope we’ll never see him again.” Julius shuffled over, squeezing in beside Mickey and Yen Sid. “I had my eyes closed.” he mewed softly, looking a little shaken. Mickey put his hands over his brother’s shoulders, giving him a small hug. Oswald moved forward too, taking Julius’s hands. “It’s okay, Mick and I did too.” he assured with a wink, the boys all turned toward Percy, who was now kneeling down, with the unconscious Golden in his lap. “Master, she’s…she’s faintly breathing.” They all gathered round Percy, looking at Golden. She didn’t look scared, but instead peaceful. They grew worried, Oswald held out his hand and began brushing away some wet locks that had stuck to her face, whispering softly to her. “Hey, Golden?” he said. “Can you hear me? If it helps I won’t tease you for this!” Golden looked like she was about to stir, but didn’t wake up. Julius nuzzled his head against hers, being extremely careful not to rub against where her head had been hit. “Golden, wake up! Please!” he pleaded softly, tears building in his little black eyes. Yen Sid reached out to take Golden’s hand in his own, squeezing it between the two. “Golden…my sweet child.” he croaked, his own tears beginning to spill down his cheeks. “If I…If I didn’t…This is all my fault.” Percy and the apprentices felt their hearts break for Yen Sid, and for Golden. Neither of them deserved this, and it wasn’t fair on such a father and daughter who despite being at odds at times, loved each other to the stars and the moon. “Master…” Percy sighed, trying to sound comforting despite feeling an intense sadness building in his stomach. “Please, not this again. You shouldn’t blame yourself.” Yen Sid couldn’t shake the feelings of guilt and anguish, he felt he could lose his child and it was due to his selfish actions, Percy’s words couldn’t reach him. “I was a fool…Golden!! I-I’ll never do anything like this…ever again.” Scout wasn’t sure what to do, or say at this moment. Though she wished she could hold her little sister close in her arms until she woke up, if she ever did…she noticed something sticking out of Golden’s pocket, and pulled it out. It was the photo. “Hey…look everyone.” she said, Percy looked over at her, as did the boys. The photo of Golden, looking so chipper and carefree as she stood in front of the theatre, not a care or thought of the dangers the world had. The theatre…Scout looked up, and saw it just across the road, the very same one. “This place…” Scout whispered. “The theatre is still here. Percy? You remember what happened last time?” Percy thought back to those past two years, his eyes twinkling as he remembered. “Yes! I took her inside, she was glitching there too…why do you ask, Scout?” Scout stood up, a confident smile on her face, and that look of determination she carried was on display. “Let's take her inside the theatre!” she instructed, her hands on her hips as she stood tall. “I have an idea guys! It’s a stretch but, maybe it’ll work!” 

Everyone got to their feet, with Percy handing the limp Golden to Yen Sid, who held her close, this time as lovingly as he did before, before he knew the knowledge of her memories and became overprotective. The boys followed behind Yen Sid and Percy as they followed Scout toward the theatre, there were less people around now and less traffic too, the sun was setting. Scout pushed open the ornate doors of the theatre, gazing at the beautiful decor inside and the intricate design of the lobby, and marvelling at how huge it was on the inside. There was a light behind one of the doors, the projection was flickering, a movie was playing. They all went inside the room, in the middle was a large open space, where an orchestra would sit and play, with a stage and screen for performances behind them. Percy had been in here once or twice to watch movies, but it had evolved over the years. Mickey looked up at the screen, before a slight smile crossed his face. “Hey, this is one of my favourites!” he cheered, watching as an angelus bell chimed, dispelling the darkness currently onscreen. Scout couldn’t help but smile as the blue light appeared, sending Chernabog back down into his slumber, as a chorus of monks appeared, singing softly and holding lights, bringing hope and faith to all who saw them. Approaching the ruins of a painted cathedral, the screen suddenly changed, one of the lights becoming brighter, and everyone watched in awe as the music itself began to shift, changing from a simple hymn to something grander, something with flutes, violins, every stroke and whistle a new sound, a new composition. And then…new images.

It started very slow, beginning with a young Golden awakening in the workshop. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, with the curiosity and confusion of a baby, before a sparkling flow of music notes appeared before her. She bumped and bashed around slightly, hearing someone approaching, and eventually came out from hiding, meeting Yen Sid for the first time. She touched the flow of music, both watching in wonder as it turned from a bright white to gold, and then Yen Sid asked her what her name was, saying she had great potential. From there, Scout was harmonising two polarising genres, before hopping down off a balcony and landing perfectly, amazing the young girl. They became fast friends, creating music together, and Golden followed her around, copying her every move. Then the three brothers, who she found entertaining for multiple reasons. Julius was sweet to her, Oswald teased her and nerded out about dragons a lot, and then Mickey, who comforted her when she was afraid and played games with her. The two loved to do magic together, as the smallest of the bunch, and had fun spending days together learning new spells or painting techniques. Then meeting Aero, who was surprised at the little girl, eventually being granted a trainee hat. Golden enjoyed reading all sorts of stories, especially ones about heroes and wizards with special powers, she loved to play games like Whirlwind or Whales, and she liked to try all sorts of food, though she could be a little picky. Regardless, her memories with her family were strong, and full of light. Then came along Percy, who was pleasantly surprised to be included, showing the photo album and Golden’s interest in history, and what secrets the past could hold. Every single realm was there, from the first echo of the Shoal to the final whirr of the Capsule, and all sorts of memories were held inside. Stargazing, exploring the caverns of the Hollow, which was Golden’s personal favourite, floating around in the Capsule, trying to avoid all the little robots in the Press…it was all there.

Yen Sid sighed slightly as he looked down at the girl in his arms. They were wonderful, good memories, but he knew the truth. Without frightening, sad, or worrying memories, nobody would learn anything, and…he couldn’t deprive her of all the knowledge she’d gained. He gently placed his hand on her forehead- she was a little cold, but her mouth curled into a tiny smile. Perhaps she was feeling nostalgic. He couldn’t help the tiny smile forming on his own face, the rest of the apprentices chatting about the memories and smiling whenever they appeared on the screen. The sequence ended…with Golden standing up and deciding to go and hug Yen Sid, enveloping him in that hug attack he so adored. Everyone couldn’t help but smile as the image froze, looking back toward the old sorcerer and his youngest apprentice. That is, until a blue light shone once more, and flew over to them, curling around the curtains and dwelling on the plush seats for just a moment, before hovering over Golden’s head, much like the muse had done in Percy’s hands. Golden seemed relaxed now, as if she was coming out of it, and everyone became curious as the light elongated, transforming…into a little white sprite. It had no face, merely eyebrows and little tufts of hair, but wore a grey robe similar to hers, and did a little happy dance. And then, from behind the curtain, a shadow emerged, both standing in front of the limp girl. Yen Sid stared at them in surprise. Happiness and sadness, perhaps? The world held unexplained mysteries, but regardless, everyone listened attentively as the shadow began to speak. “We are…memories. Fragments of her.” it explained, the silhouette morphing as it pointed down at Golden. The little sprite squeaked in agreement, a little smiley face made of stardust appearing above its head. “How do we…help you?” Yen Sid asked, the shadow bending down, whilst the short sprite just lay its head on Yen Sid’s arm, surprising him slightly. “You have to…choose. You can keep us both, or destroy one of us. But if you do, you also have to choose whether to dispel her amnesia. Without it gone, we may not be…complete.” it admitted, Yen Sid frowning slightly. “We are formless, not fully whole. There are parts of us locked away, but if we had those, Golden won’t just be a fragment of herself. She’ll have memories of life before, and with you. But know this…” it trailed off, looking down at the little white sprite, who created a thumbs up as its eyebrows raised. “She loves you all very much. And in that love lies loyalty, and faith. If you choose to keep us both, Golden will be restored, and if you dispel her amnesia, she will be whole. But we cannot make that decision for you.” the shadow finished, Golden’s heart floating out of her chest as if responding. The sprite gave a cute giggle, before looking to Yen Sid for approval. “I assume you are the good memories?” he asked, the sprite giving more joyous laughs, as if created from complete positivity and wonder, all those things that sparkled in Golden’s eyes. Yen Sid smiled. “You may go.” he whispered, the sprite giving a cheer and putting a hand on Golden’s heart, disappearing into fragments and being reabsorbed, a wider smile stretching across the sleeping girl’s face. He turned to the shadow, who tilted its head slightly, awaiting a response.

“And you are the bad memories.” he lamented, the shadow nodding. “You have to choose. But all I ask is that you think of her.” it spoke, Yen Sid looking down at his little girl, then back up at the sprite. “That’s all I’ve ever done.” he replied, the shadow agreeing. “Then to wake her, you must show that to her.” it replied, awaiting a command. “Return.” Yen Sid sighed, the shadow facing him for a moment before touching the heart, entering in. Instantly, Golden’s face changed, creasing up slightly in worry, before becoming peaceful again. “Show her…” Yen Sid mused, before looking back up at the screen, which had returned to playing the movie, going through corridors of darkness, the sky lighting up with a bright sunrise, which it rested on for several moments. And as Yen Sid stared down at the heart, he felt it also carried that bright quality, and placed a hand on it. Everyone else followed, and it sparkled slightly, before floating back down into Golden’s chest, who glowed herself, bright as the sun. The glow faded, and Yen Sid thought for a moment that he heard a happy little squeak, and a slight ‘thank you’, from two distinct but equally as important voices. He smiled, and then…in the darkened auditorium, a pair of eyes opened.

For a moment, it was fuzzy, but the image became clear. Everyone was looking down at her, Golden’s turquoise eyes giving a sleepy blink. She felt something, well, many things, things she couldn’t quite describe. Happiness? Peace? Relief? Even though she remembered both good and bad all at once, she still felt calm, as if she was sitting in the rays of the sun, just as she had done previously. “Hey…” she smiled, Scout gently ruffling her hair. “Hey yourself, munchkin.” she replied, Golden giving a slight smile before turning to Yen Sid, tears already spilling down her cheeks as she sat up properly. “I…I didn’t…” she started, but was cut off as he threw his arms around her, lifting her up onto his shoulder, where she buried her head into his robes. “What matters now, lunula, is that you’re here, and safe. And I am so, so sorry…can you forgive me?” he whispered, Golden leaning back to look up at his face, wiping some tears with her oversized robe sleeve. “Yes, of course I can! I…I never blamed you for anything. The glitch brought me here…but…..” she looked down at her hand, focusing…and then it glitched, to her delight. “I think I’m getting in control of it!” she grinned, Yen Sid raising an eyebrow. “Really? How so?” Percy asked, tilting his head in curiosity as both a psychologist and a brother alike. “Well…I feel calm. And I don’t think I need to be afraid of it anymore. It’s just…power.” she smiled, Percy giving a warm smile in response. “Well, that’s fine and dandy! But…there’s also something else.” he admitted, turning to Yen Sid and the rest of the apprentices following his gaze. Yen Sid sighed, and nodded. “Whatever choice you make concerning those memories of yours, I’ll support it. I promise you.” he smiled, taking her small hands in his own, sincerity in his tone. “You really mean it?” she asked, Yen Sid nodding. “All of it. Even if those memories hurt, or you remember something that might make you sad, it's your decision. And no more secrets, no more lies. We’ll work through this together, as a family.” he whispered, Golden feeling her eyes fill with happy tears. Oswald leaned on her slightly, grinning. “What would we do without ya? We wouldn’t be family if we didn’t support you!” he smiled, Mickey nodding. “All of us will support you! All for one, and one for all!” he cheered, Julius nodding. “I won’t make you choose either way, it's up to you!” he smiled, rubbing against her. Scout winked, Percy beamed, and then Golden glowed with happiness. “All of you…I love you all so much. And…you know what? I think I know.” she smiled, Yen Sid raising an eyebrow. Golden looked into his eyes, they shone like stars. But you can only see the stars if there’s darkness. “Papa, cast the spell.”

As soon as Yen Sid spoke the incantation, it was as if fog had cleared from her brain, like mist clearing a forest. Golden’s eyes went slightly cloudy, but her face stretched into a smile. “I see…” she whispered, memories flooding her from all sides, like reams of sheet music flowing all around, just like the illustrations in her favourite book. And then…it became clear. Two people, a man and a woman, dark haired, smiling, playing all sorts of games. A bubble machine, a recorder she was playing for the first time, a little red, white, yellow and blue playhouse, having far too many dolls to count…a toy kitchen, a television with Pinocchio playing, a white blanket. Everything was coming back. A dog far bigger than her who adored her, a Christmas tree, a lollipop drum, a little purple friend…birthdays, christmases, playing dress-up as an astronaut and wishing to go to space, pretending to cast spells like a fairy godmother…and hugging both of them, her mum and dad, who she loved so much. Then, a shining, gilded theatre, decorated with the most ornate interior. Posters lining the walls, a marquis with the word ‘FANTASIA’ shining above, lighting up the entirety of Nocturne…and then, a photographer, a kind man offering to take her photo, the excited little girl agreeing. She’d never seen this movie before, but found herself entranced by it all, centaurettes, dancing flowers, and a particularly mischievous little mouse making all sorts of magic. Deep inside her heart, she wanted to do that someday, and made a secret wish to be able to. And though it wasn’t spoken aloud, that wish would lead her to someone in her time of need. As the bad memories began, Golden stiffened slightly, but allowed them to play. Yes, that “cig man”, Andrew, he’d confused her, tried to kidnap her, but then…that bright beacon of hope, like a little star- Percy had come to her rescue. And thanks to that, she’d found a home with Yen Sid, and even though they had fought, and she’d even accidentally sent her glitch powers out of her system in anger, she still felt a love toward her new family that she couldn’t quite explain. And that same love was there for her parents, wherever they were now. She wondered if they’d miss her, or if they could’ve forgotten, but she wasn’t ready to seek them out just yet. For now, she leant into Yen Sid’s arms, and hoped they were happy, wherever they could be.

She looked at the photo Scout was holding, and whispered something. “Bye bye…” she smiled, before sniffling and trying to hold back the tears. Yen Sid put his arms around her, then Julius, Mickey, Os…Scout and Percy, Percy squeezing the entire group with his bear hugs. After what felt like an eternity, they moved back, and Golden looked at each of them in turn, a smile on her face. “My memories are both good and bad, but…I have to keep going. And I’m grateful to all of you for taking care of me. You’re my family as much as them.” she smiled, looking up at Yen Sid in admiration as usual, though her gaze was also full of so much love. His little moon, the final piece to his cohort of 5, just like the stars and moon that made up that hat, the hat that brought so many people comfort and wonder, as it belonged to a master. Master was a promise, after all. A promise to take care, to aid, to teach, and to pass knowledge and wisdom down to the younger generations. But in equal parts, father was also a promise. A promise to love, to provide, to cherish, and to nurture one’s children, at all costs. He gently stroked Golden’s hair, her vibrant locks, and she smiled up at him. “Let’s go home.” He whispered, Golden nodding, before suddenly perking up. “Wait, first I have an idea!” she grinned, taking Yen Sid’s hand and pulling him along, Percy flying alongside her as everyone else followed. She approached the photographer, who was just setting up for the day, and he gave her a cheery wave. “Hey! Long time no see, who’s this new crew?” he smiled, Golden giving a giggle and asking him to take a photo of them all. As the sun rose over the theatre, no longer was the picture one of loneliness on a frightening night, but now a marker of companionship, of home, as the light conquered the dark. Golden took the printout, thanking the photographer, and he waved them off as Yen Sid teleported them all home, everyone going to sleep away the day after one heck of an adventure.

Days passed by, everything seemed rather ordinary; Yen Sid teaching spells to his apprentices, making potions that often exploded in Oswald’s face, doing daily chores…the only difference now was that Percy was staying over for good now, making the workshop very lively with his own antics and magic spells, and often peeking around corners in his light form to play little pranks on the master and the students. It seemed…too ordinary for Golden, and she wanted to have a bit of fun, perhaps even test out her new glitch powers and get it fully under her control. One morning, when she was wide awake and thought to herself what to do. She recalled Scout’s birthday was coming up in a few days, and she hadn’t gotten her anything, but what? She thought back to a few days ago during the memory spell, one particular moment in Scout’s memory stuck in her mind, she immediately jumped out of bed and ran to Mickey’s bedroom door, knocking on it rapidly. “Mickey? Mickey!! Wake up I wanna talk to ya!” she called out, unable to contain her excitement and continuing to knock, a slight shuffling was heard behind the door, as well as a sleepy groan. “Hold on…I’m coming!” came a tired call from Mickey, who soon turned the doorknob and greeted Golden. He was wearing a red dressing gown with two gold Ms etched onto the chest over his baby blue pyjamas with white stars on them. “Morning Golden…” he yawned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he was a little surprised seeing how awake she was and bouncing on her toes. “You're already dressed?” Golden nodded, leaning a bit closer to him, a mischievous look in her eye. “Yup! You and I are gonna go on an adventure! It’ll be lots of great fun!” she giggled, taking his hand and leading out of the room. “An adventure?” Mickey asked, not sure if he heard her properly. “Hold up sis, does Yen Sid know?” Golden averted her eyes slightly, letting out a cheeky giggle. So that was a no. Mickey sighed. “Okay, first of all, where are we going and why?” he asked, now playing the “big responsible older brother” role. Of all the roles he took on, this one was the most boring, but it couldn’t be helped. He had to take care of his family, and would prefer to keep them out of trouble. Regardless, he looked down at Golden, who had a big grin on her face. She clearly had a plan.

“Well…Scout’s birthday is coming up!” she smiled, rocking back and forth on her heels in glee. “Oh yeah! You wanna get her something?” Mickey replied, wondering if she wanted him to take her into town, but this was strange considering she could just ask Yen Sid. “Well…more like…find...” Golden mumbled, a slightly guilty smile overcoming her. Mickey was extremely confused, didn’t they mean the same? “Aw Goldie, if you need ideas I got her some new art supplies. We can go to the craft store and find some different ones for you?” He offered, but Golden shook her head rapidly. “You’re not getting it!” she pouted, Mickey giving a frown and trying to work out what she meant. “Well, can you explain it a bit more clearly?” he replied, bending down slightly so he was at her level. Golden looked down, though she was still smiling slightly, and then raised her eyes. “I want to find Scout’s mama for her!” she grinned, Mickey being taken aback a second. There was good intent, truly good, but possibly really bad consequences. “Golden… are you sure? How do we know she even wants to see her?” He whispered, Golden thinking back. “Because Yen Sid said so, remember? Wouldn’t it be so cool to help find her? We’d be like adventurers!” she giggled, Mickey still feeling uncertain. “How would we even find her? Where do we look?” he fiddled with his dressing gown sleeves, Golden thinking once more. “We can try to find her from the clues in the memories, and we at least know what she looks like. Plus, I can practise my new teleporting stuff!” she smiled, taking Mickey’s hand. “That’s not what I’m worried about, have you even come up with a plan?” He continued, Golden giving a guilty grin. Still a no. He made a face, but one look at Golden showed just how determined she was to do this for her big sister. He sighed. “Okay, where do you say we start?” he asked, defeated. Golden cheered and explained she was thinking of the old town on the outskirts of Fioritura, since the taverns looked similar in that area. Mickey thought back, it sounded about right from his past visits, so he nodded. “I think I can help ya there. Let me just throw something on!” he smiled, Golden pumping a fist in celebration. 

After about ten minutes Mickey came out looking freshened up, wearing his red robe over a darker t-shirt and blue jeans; Golden quietly led him down the stairs, and tip-toed down each step as to not wake anybody, though Golden’s shouting and pounding on the door might have already achieved that. It seemed no one had heard them, but Mickey still had a look of concern on his face. “You sure you wanna head out now?” he asked softly. “Without telling Yen Sid? He might worry about you again…” Golden thought a little about that, and not wanting a repeat of him mollycoddling her, she went and took a quill from the counter and a small piece of paper, writing on it that she and Mickey had gone for a walk in the town and they would be back with a “surprise.” Smiling at her note, Golden placed it on Yen Sid’s old chair, the one he’d sit by the fireplace while he read a book, sometimes a story to his apprentices. “Alright!” Golden grinned, skipping back over to Mickey. “If he gets worried, at least he’ll know we’re together!” Mickey felt a tiny bit more at ease, it always was safer in numbers, and it wasn’t like they were going to go too far. “Okay Golden, you wanna head out?” he asked, his hands behind his back as he rocked on his heels. Golden nodded, enthusiastic about her next adventure and being able to teleport thanks to her new power. Taking hands, Golden put her focus into her glitching, and searching for a network portal, found a spot to teleport to. The two ended up teleporting to the outside of the old town, landing in a chicken coop, their sudden appearance caused the chickens to panic and scatter, Mickey and Golden immediately hopped the fence before the owner came out to see two young sorcerers amid the frantic clucking and chaos. Once they were far away enough, they both began to laugh, Mickey leaning on his knees as he bent over. “Phew! Wow Golden, your teleporting is…is pretty great!” Golden brushed her little robes down, and pulled a feather from her hair as she giggled. “ Well, hehe! I AM a genius after all, and they aren’t that hard to master.” She said, pretending to be smug and all powerful, Mickey gave her a playful punch on the arm. “Haha! Okay okay, ya sound like Oswald!” Mickey giggled, Golden staring at him as if she was offended. “You WHAT?” She cried with her hands on her hips. “I’m nowhere near as good as he is!” She watched as Mickey gave a little smirk. “Well, you’re as good at magic, but not at his level of teasing yet.” He winked, and placed an arm around his little sister as they started to walk, with Golden doing the same with Mickey.

They reached a signpost pointing north, toward the old town. Golden looked up at Mickey with bright eyes. “This way, Goldie!” he smiled, Golden leaning into him slightly as they walked together. “Alrighty! Ooh, this is super exciting! Me and my big bro having a little adventure!” she grinned, both of them giggling a little. Mickey reached down and ruffled her hair, giving his signature happy smile. “Always a pleasure to hang out with you, pal! Just remember what Yen Sid said, okay? Always stick together and don’t go anywhere dangerous.” he grinned, remembering the rules from the lectures he used to get when he misbehaved or strayed too far off the path. Golden nodded. “I’m gonna stick to that! After what happened last time…well I learned my lesson, ehehe!” she cringed slightly, but was smiling all the same. They’d explained that the naughty man had been turned into a bunch of roaches, so she had nothing to fear anymore, and her head was all patched up, but she knew now to be wary of strangers, more than ever. The two of them thought back to the memories, trying to get a picture of what Scout’s mother looked like. She had long hair, brown just like Scout’s, and shining brown eyes. She looked warm and beautiful, and that kind of prettiness would definitely stick out in a crowd. The two found themselves in the middle of the old town, where there were several sorcerers and citizens alike just going about their days. Many gave the two a friendly wave or greeting, as they recognized them from the times Yen Sid brought them here. Mickey was especially familiar with some of the residents, but there was someone there that neither of them recognized. Her robes faded from blue to purple, a little like Golden’s hair, and she was relatively pale, though her hair was a dark brown. Adorned on her robes were ribbons and patches alike, but the most striking thing was the presence of several green eyes, each of which followed their every move. Golden shrunk down slightly, it was a little creepy, and both siblings stared at each other as they passed her. She suddenly spoke, startling both of them, and leading Mickey to step protectively in front. “You are looking for someone.” the woman stated, both children wondering how on earth she knew. She merely gave a smile, though, and bent down to their level. “I am a foreteller. My name is Mirai. Hello Mickey, and Golden.”

In shock she knew their names, both siblings clung tightly to each others’ hands, not sure what to make of this stranger. Regardless, she just adjusted her glasses, and brushed several dangling strings out of her face, ones that made up a veil stretching down and around her hat. “Be not afraid. I have no intention to harm either of you, rest calm. I am merely an observer. I know you two are seeking someone, so let me guide you.” she offered, both children looking at her, and then each other, unsure whether to trust the stranger. Regardless, Mirai gave a smile, and it was then that Golden noticed a particular patch on her chest, a brightly burning heart, a symbol in the centre and flames all around. It made her shrink further, she didn’t like the idea very much. Nevertheless, the many eyes on Mirai’s robe continued to stare down at her, so she ducked a little behind Mickey, who felt his courage emerging. “Tell us whatever you can, and then we’ll get out of your hair…” he offered, Mirai just giving a good-natured chuckle. “Oh, neither of you are a bother, I assure you. At least not yet. I merely predicted you would arrive around here, so I felt as though I should assist. Now, the woman you’re looking for…if I’m not mistaken, she has passed through here many times. I believe I have even foreseen her once or twice. She seems as if she may have an important purpose. For what reason do you seek her?” she inquired, Golden peeking out from behind Mickey a little. “Well…she’s the mother of my sister, Scout. A-adopted, hehe. We’re all Yen Sid’s apprentices.” she explained, Mirai raising an eyebrow. “You’re in the care of Yen Sid…that is interesting. Regardless, you are closer than you think. There are many old houses just to the west. Perhaps it would do you well to search there.” she offered, Golden giving a shy nod, Mickey a little smile. “Thank you for your help, miss Mirai!” he chuckled, Mirai giving a little giggle. “Of course. Oh…and one more word of advice.” she spoke, all of the eyes looking directly at Golden, along with Mirai’s own. “I believe power sleeps within you, child, but it has been awakening. Take caution, for you may have a greater purpose than you could ever dream.” she warned, before walking away into the crowd, leaving both of them utterly confused. 

“Um…what was with that last part?” Golden whispered to Mickey, clinging to his arm a little, Mickey was just as lost as she was on that. “I don’t know…” He answered, scratching at his head a little. He turned back to Golden, and took her hand to reassure her and continue walking, in the direction that Mirai had instructed them too. “But, I think she was good at heart! Come on Golden, let's go this way. I think there are some old houses in the west of here, near the woods. I thought they were all old and unoccupied though…” Golden’s mind trailed off a little as she and Mickey walked toward the woods, at the far end of the old town, they passed a few taverns, where a few people were eating and drinking outside, some of them even dancing and playing music. It was definitely a lively part of the town, some of the patrons of the tavern gave a wave to the two, with Mickey waving back and smiling. He looked at Golden, nudging her gently. “Hey Goldie, those people are saying hi.” He said gently. Golden looking up and getting back on track with what they were doing, offering the people a quick wave back. “Hi! Hehe…” She giggled and went back to focusing, but couldn’t help but notice something familiar about the tavern they were passing. “Hey…Mickey, is that the tavern that…” Mickey looked up at the building in front of them, and the realisation hit him too. “The one Scout was in during her memory…we might be close, come on!” The two sorcerers picked up the pace, soon coming across a sign that pointed toward the woods. It was dark but dry and cool, giving an atmospheric feel. Mickey and Golden slowed down, looking at some of the houses, some had their windows closed over, while others had a few occupiers, usually an older couple, or a few animals had used as a little nesting ground, Mickey and Golden slowed down as they spotted a young doe with a fawn as they peered out from behind a house, using it as their little shelter. “Mickey?” Golden said quietly as they began to walk on a little pebble path. “Are we any further? None of these look like somewhere Scout’s mum would be…” Mickey sensed a little sadness in Golden’s voice, as if the young girl was starting to give up on finding this woman, and Scout wouldn’t have her mother back in time for her birthday, another year without her. Mickey couldn’t help feeling bad for her, and let go of her hand to hug her one sided with his arm, although they were a similar height, Mickey tried to make himself a little taller so Golden would feel more secure with him as he hugged her. “Aww, chin up Golden.” He smiled kindly, giving her a pat on the back. “We probably don’t have far, and…I believe what Mirai said was true! Say, why don’t we ask a few of these places? Maybe they’ve seen something…” He pointed to a house at the end of the path, which had one of its lights on, indicating there was a homeowner. They reached the door, with Golden giving it a little tap. They waited, but nobody answered. “Huh, that’s weird.” Mickey mused aloud, “I could have sworn someone was here.” Golden nodded in agreement, until something in the window caught her eye; a shadow by the curtain, who quickly closed it and turned off the light. “Huh? What’s that about?” She said, and knocked at the door again. “Hey! Can you open the door?” Mickey slowly took her shoulders, trying to keep them both from making too much noise. “Goldie…not so loud, it’s okay if they don’t answer.” Golden turned to him, her eyes were wide and shone with newly found excitement. “Mickey, there’s a woman in the house!” She cried out. “She…she looked familiar, could she be…?” But when there was no answer at the door again, Golden grew a little frustrated, as shown before with Yen Sid, she didn’t take kindly to being ignored by those older than her. She got an idea, and looked at Mickey with a little smirk. “Well, there’s no answer.” She said, taking his hand. “Let’s teleport in!” Mickey’s jaw could have dropped, he tried to protest but Golden was too quick, and she had already glitched him and herself inside the house, as there was a jump portal just on the other side of the door. “GOLDEN!” Mickey cried, aghast at this behaviour, he might have disobeyed orders before, but entering someone else’s house without their permission was not up his alley. “Are you crazy? This is trespassing! This is…oh.” The house was empty, or at least this room was. It was the living room, with seats and bookshelves high toward the ceiling, and a fireplace at the far end of the room, it was turned on. “Wow, this place is like a library!” Golden grinned, twirling around to get a good look at the place. “This beats my room when I’m studying haha!” There were some books already laid out, along with sheets of music, they contained songs that they both recognised. Golden smiled eagerly as she looked at the music sheets, quietly humming the little notes as she read them out. “Wow! Hey Mickey, when we get back, let’s conjure up some fun music together!” Mickey giggled at the idea, and nodded as he neatly laid out some sheets, seemingly forgetting they were in someone’s house. “Sure thing Golden!” He replied with a wide grin. “I know a few composition spells to use, so if you’ve got something in mind, we can try it!” He didn’t notice a large book on the floor, and almost tripped on it, but quickly caught himself. He saw it was a large brown book with a big treble clef on the cover. He picked it up, and looked over at the book shelf, an empty space where the said book belonged. “Look Golden!” He said, walking to the book shelf and peeking through the space. “I think…there’s something behind here.” 

Golden stood up, still holding onto several sheets of music that she wasn’t so subtlety thinking of taking home with her, she approached Mickey as he began to slide the book back into its slot, and something activated, a mechanism that caused the bookshelf to turn around, it was a hidden door! Inside, it looked like a playroom, or a nursery. There were musical instruments in a little toy box, some small chairs, a carpet that looked old but well loved, and a rustic mantle shelf where a lone photo frame sat. The young duo walked inside, with Mickey approaching the photo, and ever so carefully picking it up and taking it down from the mantle shelf. “Oh my goodness…” he said in astonishment, staring at who was in the photo. He quickly showed it to Golden, who had replaced a few sheets of paper with a large green and gold book in her arm. Upon seeing the photo, Golden gasped a little, it was of a mother and a young daughter, they looked really happy and full of life, even in such a still moment in time. “It’s…it’s her.” Golden spoke, eyes widening in amazement, recognising the young girl as Scout, the mother was no doubt hers, and they were in her old house. The two were suddenly startled as footsteps approached, becoming louder and heavier. They hastily ducked behind one of the chairs and out of sight, but the homeowner was soon in the same room, looking for who had entered. “If all else fails, I’ll teleport us outta here!” Golden whispered nervously into Mickey’s round ear, him giving a quick nod in response. They both shrank into their shoulders as an unfamiliar voice called out. “Who’s in here? Show yourself!” Golden clutched the book to her chest, looking down at it. She wondered, this woman was surely Scout’s mum, she wouldn’t be mean or scary would she? Maybe she could be spoken to. Golden gulped, and whispered back to Mickey. “Hey um…I’ll, I’ll try talking to her. No one can resist this cute face! Surely…” She peered out from behind the chair, there was a tall woman in a teal dress, her long brown hair flowing down her back, and some on the top was wrapped in a bun. There was a sense of warmth from her, and despite her voice being a little demanding as her house was broken into right now, it carried a gentleness that could calm a child. “H-hello?” Golden squeaked, getting the woman’s attention, her face softened when she saw the person in her home was a little girl, slowly moving her hands up to her chest. “A young child…?” The woman said softly. “But…what are you doing here? And how did you get in?” Golden didn’t want to mention Scout yet, and although it was wrong she thought she ought to lie first, and wracked her brain trying to think of one that wasn’t dumb. “Ummm…I…I got lost! Yeah and…I was looking for shelter, I thought nobody was here!” The woman tilted her head, and began to approach Golden, who slunk back a little behind the chair. “But you must have seen me in the window.” The woman replied. “That was you knocking, was it not? And I don’t think you’re alone.” Golden swallowed, knowing she was caught. She hung her head a little, and came out and stood up, Mickey following her. The mouse looked up at this lady, she was very pretty, and didn’t seem angry, just confused at the whole idea of a little girl and a young mouse standing in her home. “I’m sorry, I don’t usually allow visitors into my home.” The woman went on, lowering herself down onto her knee so she was at their level. “But I can tell you want something, tell me what it is, then please, you must leave.” Mickey lifted his head a little, and pulled his hands out from behind his back, showing the photo to the woman. Her eyes went wide, and instead of coming up with another lie, Golden knew she had to be truthful now. “Miss, are…are you Scout’s mum?”

The woman stared down at them for a moment. “How do you know who that is?” She asked, both children looking at each other, then back up at her. “She’s…our sister. Well, adopted, hehe. We all study under Yen Sid, I guess you’ve heard of him?” Mickey explained, the woman raising an eyebrow. “I see…my Scout.” her heart felt heavy, and she put a hand on her chest for a moment. “Scout is…someone else’s child now?” she whispered, feeling tears brimming in her eyes. Surprisingly, though, Golden slowly shook her head. “I know she still thinks about you, every day! She told me all sorts of stories of when she was little and you were together…” she explained, the woman looking down slightly as her face fell. She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, and looked up at both of them. “So…you came to find me? To bring me back to Scout?” she asked, Golden giving a firm, excited nod. “Yes! Oh, and, hehe, sorry for lying. I just…” she stuttered, the woman giving a tiny smirk. “Well, I don’t like liars, but I’ll let you off this once. What are your names?” she asked, Mickey giving a smile. “I’m Mickey Mouse-Symphonus! Apprentice of Yen Sid, but you knew that, hehe!” he giggled, before gently nudging Golden, who gave a little wave. “Golden, also an apprentice of dad, hehe.” The woman smiled, standing up, and put the photo back on the mantle, turning back to them. “Sonatina Simons, a pleasure to meet you. Though, if you’d like, you may call me Mum.” She beamed, Golden feeling a sense of warmth growing as she looked up at the sincere lady. She was beautiful inside and out, and for some odd reason, Golden could envision her as a harp, making beautiful ripples of sound. She closed her eyes for a second, imaging it, and then was playfully nudged by Mickey, nudging him back. The two continued for a moment, before Mum turned. “So…you two can take me to my little girl?” she asked, Golden outstretching a hand. “Yes.” she smiled, and Sonatina nearly took it, but…then she looked sad. “Wait…I’m…not sure.” she admitted, both looking confused. “Huh, why?” Mickey asked, Sonatina sitting down and offering for the children to do the same. “Well, you don’t know the full story. How do we know she’ll…really want to see me?” she whispered, her voice breaking as she prepared to tell them everything.

“I’ve fought many villains and foes over the years, some more powerful than others, but…once, there was a dark force that seemingly appeared from nowhere. I felt the stars calling for help, and knew I had to do something, so I set out, and though it was irresponsible, I left Scout alone. She was ten, I’d taught her the basics of self-care, but she was still a child…” she sighed, meeting both their eyes. “I tried to explain everything before, about the monsters and the Noise, stuff like that, but I think she was too young to understand. I used my muse to open a gateway, though, and ended up in this bright realm made of clouds, where hundreds of thousands of stars were gathered, the dreams of children all over the world. There were castles, houses, an entire city of stardust and magic, but it was all being attacked by some sort of thorny creature, made of withered flowers and darkness. It was attacking one little creature in particular, a little dream sentry with a wand, one who was doing her absolute best to fend it off, but she was struggling. I joined in the fight, but it didn’t like my interference, and opened up a gateway to a dark, cold realm, one I’d never seen before. It locked us both in there, and for a long time, we were separated and alone. Eventually, we did find each other, but by the time we escaped…neither of the people we cared for were there anymore. And I don’t know where she’s got to, either.” Mum finished, Golden feeling tears spilling out of her eyes and clinging onto Mickey’s arm, who looked saddened by the story. 

“That’s awful…” Mickey croaked, Mum nodding and not quite able to meet their eyes. “I believe Scout left because she thought I’d never return. She probably assumed the worst…and I don’t want to disturb her if she’s moved on. After all…I did abandon my little girl…” she sobbed, her voice breaking and the woman putting a hand over her mouth, Mickey turning to Golden, who put a hand over her eyes, wiping the tears. “It’s not too late…” Mickey tried, but Mum just shook her head. “I can’t. I can’t see her now…not after all this time.” she cried, Mickey moving over to gently pat her back and try and comfort her. Golden, though, was frozen. She knew this pain, it was how she felt whenever she thought back. Though she wasn’t ready to see her parents just yet, as there were too many unknowns and worries, she still missed them sorely, alongside all her little friends and things of the past, the things and people that had been taken from her by Andrew. She shook a tiny bit, but looked up, becoming determined. One way or another, Sonatina would see her daughter again, because it was the least she deserved. “You should tell her.” Golden whispered, Sonatina looking up in surprise. “What?” she whispered, Golden’s eyes becoming fiery. “You need to tell Scout what you just told us. She’ll understand, she misses you every day…” she spoke, once again holding out a palm and approaching Sonatina, who sniffled. “Yeah…yeah! You have to come home with us! It’ll make Scout sooo happy! Especially before her birthday!” Mickey grinned, Mum feeling their infectious enthusiasm, though noticing a particularly strange look in Golden’s eye, one she wanted to ask about, but felt it wasn’t the right time. Mum sighed, before also becoming resolute. “Alright. Let’s go.” she smiled, taking Golden’s hand. And with a deep breath, Golden glitched them back, to both Mickey and Mum’s surprise.

“Huh?! What was that?” Sonatina shook her head slightly, warding off the dizziness, and looked down at Golden in surprise. “Ah! Sorry, I should've warned you. It’s…something I’m still practising, hehe. But it comes in useful!” She grinned, Mum rolling her eyes slightly but nodding. “And this is our home! Scout should be inside…!” Mickey grinned, before peeking through the door. Nobody about- the boys were upstairs, likely playing with Scout, and Yen Sid and Percy were in the kitchen, discussing pasta recipes. Golden grinned, and led Mum into the art room. “Stay here you two! I’ll get everyone!” She giggled, running into the kitchen. “Come on now Percy…the broom wants a kiss!” Yen Sid laughed, holding up a broom toward Percy, who grimaced. “Master, get that THING away from me! I’m perfecting a recipe, not playing a dating show!” He laughed, both men chuckling, before smiling as Golden entered. “Hi dad! Hi Percy!” she grinned, both of them giving a slight wave. “Golden, thank goodness! A moment later and our father would have made me very embarrassed, he’s been teasing me all day!” he laughed, Golden giving a little giggle. “Oh, Percy, you just lack a sense of humour. Now, how was your day in town with Mickey?” Yen Sid smiled, holding up the note as Percy muttered under his breath about that ‘sense of humour’ comment. “It went great! I got what I needed, hehe, and you all need to meet me in the art room, like…right now!” she grinned, both men looking at each other in surprise but nodding. Some of the brooms were sweeping the library and followed, incredibly curious about what could be going on, and the rest of the apprentices all gathered in the doorway of the art room, Mickey and Golden closing the door so they didn’t see what was inside…or who. She’d assured Mum it would be fine, but Sonatina had claimed to be holding her to that, so the girl gulped slightly at the thought, almost comically. Nevertheless, she walked forward and took Scout’s hands. “We’ve got a huge surprise everyone, you’ll never believe it!” Mickey exclaimed, Oswald and Julius looking at each other slightly. “If by surprise you mean you spilt thinner everywhere again, I wouldn’t be surprised.” Oswald retorted, Mickey going red and cringing slightly. “It’s not that you…you old timer!” Mickey huffed, Oswald raising an eyebrow, though he didn’t exactly appreciate being called old. Julius gave a slight giggle at their antics, before turning to look at Golden, who looked like a swirl of nervousness and excitement all at once. “I hope you like the surprise, Scout…!” she grinned, before taking Mickey’s hand. The two touched the door handle to the art room, before throwing it open, slightly surprising Sonatina, and revealing her to everyone, a few gasps echoing. Scout, though, was silent. Was this…a photo? But not quite, not a portrait, too realistic…she put a hand on her chin in thought for a second. “Is it…could it be?” She whispered, hardly daring to hope as Sonatina’s eyes filled with tears at the sight of her beautiful little girl, a lot bigger than the last time she’d seen her, but still with that spark of wonder she so adored. Sonatina approached her, brushing a few stray hairs out of her eyes and adjusting her cap- it suited her. “Mum…is that you?” Scout whispered, looking up at her, and Mum gave a bittersweet smile, trying to ignore the tears falling down her cheeks. “Yes, sweetheart. It’s mum.” she replied, Scout’s eyes going wide.

She stepped back, in slight disbelief at this, but also feeling many things all at once. “It’s…been ages.” she whispered, Sonatina looking down slightly, feeling sorrowful. “Yes, I know. I know, it’s not fair whatsoever, you had to endure my absence for so long, you were all alone…I understand if you won’t forgive me, but please, I didn’t mean to-” she was cut off suddenly by Scout throwing her arms around her, embracing her in a tight, warm hug. Though she was startled, Sonatina did the same, cradling her baby girl in her arms after 3 years apart, 3 years full of pain and loneliness and misunderstanding, but which would all be healed now. “It’s been so long since I heard your voice! I thought I’d forgotten, but I didn’t! I don’t care what happened, that all can wait…I’m just so glad you’re here! I searched and searched but didn’t find you, but none of that matters, I…I love you, Mum!” She cried, burying her head in her mother’s shoulder as happy tears began, Sonatina already crying but trying to hold back, stroking Scout’s hair. “I’m here, Mum’s here, baby…” she whispered, the two glad that this hug was possible, after believing for so long that they’d never hold each other close again. Everyone watched, feeling warmhearted and happy. Julius was tearing up and had to hold Oswald, who nudged him slightly, though he felt very glad for Scout, he understood just how it felt to reunite with a loved one. Percy was starry-eyed, emotional and dabbing at his eyes, though he clung to Yen Sid as his own heart was hurting ever so slightly. Yen Sid had an approving smile on his face, and looked down at Golden and Mickey, Mickey having a huge grin and Golden a soft, slightly bittersweet smile. “I don’t know how either of you did it, but you’ve done such a profound and incredible thing for Scout today. Well done to you both, I’m so proud of you.” Yen Sid whispered down to them, both of them giving smiles of varying enthusiasm. “Aww gee, hehe. Well, it was her idea!” Mickey grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head and nudging Golden, who giggled. “Well, I couldn’t have done it without you, Mick!” she replied, putting an arm around him and the two having a hug themselves, truly feeling proud. And then Golden remembered something, and ran over to Scout, tugging at her robe slightly. “Do you like my birthday gift to you?” she winked, Scout’s eyes going wide. “Wait, time out. This was a birthday present?” she squealed, picking Golden up and spinning her around, the little girl laughing. “Oh this is the BEST birthday surprise in the history of, like, ever! This means so so much!! Gosh, you got me emotional, hehe!” she wiped a tear from her eye, putting Golden down and laughing as the dizzy girl shook her head to get rid of the stars above it. 

“Oh, mum, you have to meet everyone! Julius, Ossie, Yen Sid, ahhh, Percy the light man! And you know these two munchkins!” Scout smiled, Mickey and Golden standing next to her as she rubbed both of their heads. Sonatina looked at everyone, and gave a warm smile. “Goodness, these are your family? Brothers and sisters?” she asked, Percy taking his hat off sheepishly. “Well, I’m kinda the oldest brother. Or am I an uncle? Whatever I am, I’m the eldest, Percy Symphonus!” he smiled, reaching out to shake her hand. Sonatina took it and smiled, glad to be introduced to such a seemingly kind man, and then turned to Yen Sid, who gave a respectful bow, a twinkle in his eye. “Pleasure to meet you, at last.” he smiled, Golden and Mickey turning to each other. Yen Sid did sometimes seem to know what might happen, so perhaps he’d known all along. They smiled up at him, and he winked at them. “Your daughter is a wonderful apprentice, and without her around things would be much different. Now, I know it’s a little early for your birthday party, Scout, but I do have some cakes and tea, would that be enough before the big day?” he winked, Scout nodding gleefully and leading her mother to the dining room, where the procession of plates began at Yen Sid’s command, the brooms joining in and doing a funny little celebration dance for Sonatina. And she got to know everyone quickly, Julius immediately taking a liking to her and cuddling up beside her, whilst Oswald and Mickey chatted about their past adventures. Percy told her about life in Nocturne, offering to show her the sights, and Yen Sid deduced that she was a powerful sorcerer, Scout telling her all about the things she’d learned and Sonatina teasingly testing her knowledge. All was well in the household, until Yen Sid realised one of them wasn’t at the table. Sonatina just smiled, though, and made her way to the art room, where Golden was hiding and watching a living portrait move, one of two figure skaters and some rabbits. She was so entranced by the pair that she didn’t hear Sonatina come in, the way they looked at each other…she loved watching people feel happy. Even when they had their ups and downs, there was always love that flowed between them, and she smiled as the lady gave the man a kiss on the cheek, the two of them riding off into the distance in a sleigh. 

“Excuse me?” Sonatina whispered, Golden jumping and realising she was there, the portrait going static as she lost her focus on the spell. “Ah, sorry. I thought you might be hiding somewhere!” Mum giggled, offering to help her up. Golden took her hand and stood, sitting on one of the stools so she was around the same height as the older woman. “How’s everything with Scout?” Golden asked, Sonatina smiling. “Surprisingly, it’s all gone really smoothly. I’ve told her what happened and she’s been telling me all sorts of funny stories. I really have to thank you and Mickey.” she smiled, before reaching to brush back a hair from Golden’s eyes, who went a little red. “It’s fine. Everyone deserves that happiness, hehe.” she smiled, before something changed in her eyes, that strange look. Mum gave a soft smile. “Yes, everyone. So why don’t you join us?” She offered, but Golden looked a little shy at the suggestion. “I…um. Thanks but…I’m having fun in here, hehe!” she giggled, Mum looking surprised. “All by yourself?” she asked, now concerned if the girl was isolating on purpose, Golden fiddling with her sleeves. “Well…I like watching the paintings, but…I’m also thinking a bit. I’m wondering if I had an imaginary friend as a kid.” she admitted, Mum raising an eyebrow. “An…imaginary friend?” she mused, Golden nodding. “Yes, I remember this little purple star…creature. She had a pointy hat and was covered in stars, and her chest had a cloud. She liked to sing and play music, and even had a little lamb friend called Baa-baa…but…I guess she wasn’t real, because she disappeared one day and I was only little.” she explained, Sonatina thinking for a moment, before her eyes widened. “What was her name, child?” she asked, Golden thinking back. “Um…I think I named her…Starlight. You know, after the wish rhyme? She taught it to me.” she smiled, Sonatina feeling a smile creep onto her face. “Starlight, hmm? Well, perhaps she’ll show up again. You never know.” She giggled, Golden looking up at her in confusion. “Hmmm…maybe.” she shrugged, before looking down again, Mum gently touching her shoulder. “This might be personal, but I have a question for you. Do you miss your original parents, even just a bit?” she whispered, Golden looking up in surprise, with a bit of a sad look on her face. She nodded slightly, Mum gently touching her head. “Well then…I have a proposition. If Yen Sid is like a dad to you, would you let me be your mother? I may not be your birth mother, but I would take care of you. And I’ll do everything I can to be there for you.” she smiled, Golden blinking in surprise. “You…really mean that? No lies?” she asked, Sonatina giving a warm smile. “You know I don’t like liars. If you're Scout’s sister, then you’re my daughter by default. And I’ll take care of you, more than anything.” she offered, Golden’s eyes shining brightly. “Thank you…Mum.”