Part 7: The Ferryman's Toll

November, typically regarded as the most boring month of the year, or so it would seem. All had been prepared for by now, and Uh-Oa’s prophecy still rang clear in the mind of Golden Symphonus as she went about her daily life, though for the most part she tried to ignore it. How could everything fade to white anyway? That was impossible…but she did live in a magical family, so maybe she shouldn’t be too surprised. After such an amazing trip to space camp, she found herself bored, and hoped something exciting would happen, wishing something new or interesting might begin within the castle walls. That was, until Yen Sid spoke up at the breakfast table one morning whilst she was eating a pastry, giving her a bright smile. “Everyone! We have a special guest coming later today. Can you guess who it is, Golden?” he smiled, Golden putting a hand to her chin in thought. Since Dawn, Xari and Hiro had just visited, and now Dawn was very busy with her Space Camp since she’d got signups from all over the Kingdom of Lumos, not least Ley’s daughter!, she’d be likely to be too busy to visit, and it would be odd to have them over again so soon. Perhaps Yen Sid had tracked someone from his childhood down, like Uncle Selvenus or maybe even Uncle Vidor, who she really wanted to meet someday, but it didn’t seem such a grandiose occasion, whereas when the Wayfinders had come over for the first time they’d made it a big deal…hmm… “could it be the Wayfinders?” she asked, curiously smiling as he raised his eyebrow as usual, though a playful smile told her she hadn’t quite got it right. “Not quite, but later on, Aero is coming to visit with Star!” he grinned, Mickey looking excited at the idea of seeing her again, it had been a while and he loved when he got to spend time with her! “Ah, it does feel like it’s been forever, doesn’t it master? Oh, it’ll be wonderful, I’m stoked!” Percy grinned, before promptly biting into an apple and a little bit of juice landing on Oswald’s nose, who flicked it off with a grimace. “Ugh, I’m just hoping you girls don’t get loud again.” he huffed, Scout looking offended and mockingly putting a hand to her chest in shock. “Excuse me??? I’m not the one who spends his nights talking into a camera!” she retorted, Oswald snickering. “That’s because you spend it journaling about Tyyy- ack!” he couldn’t finish his sentence before Scout had ran to the other side of the table and aggressively noogied him. “CEASE.” she smiled, but it was more like a warning than a joke, which made him squirm. Mum laughed from the other side of the table. “Oh, you two! Whilst we are waiting though, why don’t we get ready?” She smiled, Mickey nodding enthusiastically. “Oh, this is gonna be great! I can’t wait to tell her all about my little holiday I went on with Minnie, haha! We visited the most beautiful island, oh it was so lovely!” he practically swooned, it was true that Mickey had only recently come back from a short holiday in the first week of the month, and the broomies were still off on holiday, since they’d deserved a break and Yen Sid was glad to let them rest for a while, they’d apparently gone to look for comics relating to something called Topolino, which was quite amusing considering they had no eyes, and brooms buying comics wasn’t exactly commonplace even in a place like Fioritura. “Oh, I want to tell Aero about where I went with Fanny too!! It was so much fun when we went to the Nation together, even though that’s usually Oswald’s thing, hehe!” he chuckled, the group smiling and looking forward to the afternoon as Yen Sid whisked away their empty plates to be washed in the sink. “Alright you lot, get cracking! Get dressed, washed and ready for tonight, because I’ve got a little movie night planned with one of my favourite childhood movies!” he winked, all of them looking at each other curiously. “Hmm, Goldie? Would you put on that new dress I got you the other day? The blue and pink one?” Yen Sid smiled, Golden thinking back and nodding. “Yeah! It’s on my closet door, I’ll go put it on now!” she cheered, Yen Sid watching fondly as she clambered up the stairs in her starry pyjamas, she was so grown up now compared to when she toddled around as a 5-year-old with her infantile mind, and he glanced down at the photo he’d been sent by Dawn of them all on the moon, smiling and feeling that the future held some great things for all his children. And in due time, everyone came down in different outfits, most in their usual robes, but Goldie definitely stood out in her pretty little outfit, which had a few layers of contrasting colours. “How do I look?” she smiled, Yen Sid giving an approving nod. Percy zipped by. “I’ll be making tea! I will fight anyone otherwise, only I make the best tea!” he giggled, heading into the kitchen and Yen Sid shaking his head in amusement. And through a crystal ball, two men were keenly observing, one hand covered in ash from a certain bad habit, the other armored and fiercely gripping the glass. It had been given to them by an ally, and they needed it more than ever to observe what was to come. And as Percy switched on the radio in the kitchen, a third hand joined them, waving a hand and then retreating into the shadows, just as it always would. And as the broadcast seeped in, Andrew and Vanitas watched, and couldn’t help laughing at what would transpire. “All happy and carefree… not for long. Soon you’ll feel the essence of their disdain for you, and how unloveable you are deep down…little Symphonus brat.”

As the hours passed, Golden had set herself up to study, borrowing a few books from the library, some on various master spells, including one she was learning to crystallise objects and another to create a powerful wave of energy. She sat down in the study and began making a few notes, though she couldn’t lie that some of the words used were a bit complicated. One such word was ‘deliquescence’, and so she moved to find Yen Sid, who was busy reading himself, and Golden could hear Percy and Mum chatting over tea as she moved over to his office, whilst it sounded like her other siblings were playing a game. She wandered up the stairs and knocked on the door, seeing her father sitting at his desk and flipping through a few different books at once. “Um, dad…?” she spoke softly, Yen Sid looking up and giving her a warm smile in return. “Yes, my dear? What can I do for you?” he chuckled, Golden showing him the page and the word she’d underlined. “What does this mean?” she asked, Yen Sid taking it into his hands and looking over it. “To dissolve or melt away. In this case…oh, you’re learning flamura fracturis! That is a complicated spell, little one.” he smiled, Golden nodding but looking confident, lightly patting her chest like her brothers would. “I got this! So…it’s talking about the idea that if you're not careful, the item would melt?” she asked, Yen Sid nodding. “Indeed, it can be either because of your fire being too much, or in some rare cases, it can be affected by water in the air and dissolve, but that’s unlikely unless we had Delphis over, haha!” he chuckled, Golden nodding and making a little note with her pencil. Yen Sid smiled to himself. She was so hellbent on being a master, it really was her greatest wish, and she seemed so excited to be one small step closer. “You know, that spell was often used by Keyblade Masters. I remember myself, Eraqus and Xehanort all practicing it together…hm, isn’t it funny how things work out?” he started to muse, Golden closing her book and sitting down in the chair opposite, she always enjoyed listening to his stories and ramblings. “And now Aero lives in that very same tower…” he spoke aloud, Golden gently tapping one of his hands, indicating she’d like to hear the story. “Well, Lunula, after I graduated from Master Grey as a sorcerer, I went down the path of the Keyblade for a while. I can’t summon it on command any more, but if I trained I’d likely be able to regain the power, but in any case, I trained with Master Eraqus and Xehanort after finding my first home, a tower, which I later gave to Aero after I moved here and started teaching the others, like Dawn. Us three would practice all sorts of spells together, usually master spells like that one, and we were close friends, though not without our disagreements. Eraqus believed in the sovereignty of light, Xehanort the sovereignty of darkness, and myself in the balance of both, as Master Grey always taught me. Without light, we wouldn’t know darkness, and without darkness, we wouldn’t know light. So, we split ways, and I decided to focus on becoming a master sorcerer alongside honing my Keyblade skills, and now here we are.” he smiled, Golden thinking hard about this and remembering what Aqua had told her about Eraqus. “Why did you all believe different things?” she asked, Yen Sid sighing as he stood up. “Well, dear, life is full of thousands of viewpoints. Usually, keyblade wielders are called on for certain purposes, like how the Wayfinders were called to protect you, but during that time, we didn’t have a real goal. It was like something was missing from all of our lives, so we went down different roads. I still wonder sometimes…” he trailed off, Golden reaching out to take his hand, her hand was so tiny in comparison to his, and he stroked it gently with his thumb. “In any case, I’m no longer without my goals, and it seems your goal is pretty planned out. So we aren’t lost.” he smiled, nodding to politely dismiss her. But just as she was about to walk out of the room, Yen Sid’s radio crackled, startling her, and he gave a pained gasp, reaching up to touch his head. 

Golden turned around, noticing Yen Sid was now bent over and hissing in pain, and ran to his side, hearing a clatter from the other room and Percy shouting an expletive, likely having burned himself with the tea. And the house was soon full of a chorus of tired and sickly sounds, Golden helping Yen Sid up to bed. “Papa?” she whispered, Yen Sid holding onto his head and looking down at her, he looked pale, which worried her, and they ascended the stairs together, though of course she couldn’t provide too much support due to his weight and her size. As they entered Yen Sid’s room, he practically flopped onto bed, looking quite fragile, and it scared the little girl, who gently plucked off his hat and put it on the nightstand, and then went to find him some things, including a little lamb plush he’d had as a child, and wrapping him up in blankets and surrounding him with pillows. “Hm, you brought me Lambie…” he smiled, taking the little plush into his arms and stroking a few tendrils of his daughter’s hair between his fingers, letting it gently fall as he did. “You’re a good girl, Golden. Don’t fret, I’ll be okay.” he whispered, Golden nervously nodding and hoping she wouldn’t glitch, but she was feeling a little overwhelmed. “Papa…? Will you really be alright?” she asked, deciding to play the role of ‘Doctor Golden’ just as she had when she was little, and get everyone medication and drinks. “I promise, Lunula. Would you be good and check on everyone else for me? They’ll need a master sorcerer.” he lightly giggled, Golden squealing a little as he pinched her cheek. “Daaad! I’m not a master sorcerer!” she snickered, Yen Sid looking up at her with a small smile. “Not yet, but you will be…” he then yawned, curling up under the bedsheets and holding his little plush close. “I promise you will be…my Lunula…” his mumbling grew quiet as he drifted off, Golden giving a soft smile and turning off the light, giving him a kiss on the head and then going downstairs to see everyone else. “Sleep well, papa.”

After leaving him some medication and water for when he awoke, she found Percy in the kitchen, angrily muttering to himself as he washed his hand under the sink. “Can’t believe the broomies chose NOW to go on holiday of all times, I can’t cook everyone food if I’m feeling so terrible, no pasta a la Percy for them! No sir…” he grumbled, Golden giving a little knock on the doorframe and the light man turning, though he looked rather irate and peeved. “Oh, lumen. Can you believe that silly old Percy burned his hand? Not that it’s out of character for me…” he gritted his teeth, Golden simply giving a small smile and finding the first aid kit, wrapping Percy’s hand up just as Yen Sid had taught her. “Oh Lumen…thank you dear. I don’t know how I’m supposed to cook for you all tonight, I feel so…so tired, perhaps we should order food…?” he mused, Golden just shaking her head and helping Percy up the stairs, both of them being careful to avoid his already pained hand feeling any worse. “For now, you just sleep. I’ve got you water and medication, so hopefully you’ll feel better!” she smiled, Percy huffing but taking it, despite the fact he didn’t enjoy taking pills. And upon clambering into bed, he got cosy under his seven blankets, Golden giving him a kiss on the head and a small smile. “Don’t worry light man, Doctor Goldie has it all under control!” she giggled, Percy playfully rolling his eyes but thinking a certain friend of his would come in useful right about now, though they’d likely have their own clients… “Doctor Goldie, eh…alright Lumen, take care now.” he smiled, turning over and falling asleep as she exited the room, giving him a little wave before closing the door.

She then stopped by Scout’s room, holding a tray now that was full of water and painkillers, and a little coffee for Oswald if he wanted any. “Scout? You in here?” she called, hearing the door unlock, presumably due to magic, and entering to find Scout sprawled in her hammock, comfy amongst pillows and one huge blanket she put over herself whilst inside. “I’m just resting, like geez, where’d this headache come from?” she moaned, Golden looking up at her and handing her water and tablets, just as she had for everyone else. “Dad and Percy are also a bit sick, I don’t know where Mum is but I’m assuming she went to her room, and I’ll check on the boys after this.” Goldie explained, Scout nodding and passing down the now empty cup to her little sister, who put it back on the tray. “Hey Goldie? Could you maybe put on some music and pass me my headphones? I have a playlist that Tyke made me called like…sunset vibes or something? It’s relaxing.” she explained, Golden using Scout’s computer and finding it with ease, it was clear that Scout and Tyke often collaborated online since they couldn’t meet too often, but that they’d become close friends, especially since Scout constantly wore the necklace he’d given her. Passing her the headphones, Scout’s tension laxed slightly and she lay back, getting comfortable and drifting off, Golden smiling at the sweet sight of her sleepy older sister and shutting the door behind her, walking upstairs past her own room and up toward the boys, not liking how sick everyone was and thinking this would be a long, tiring day.

Golden knocked at Oswald’s door, noticing he had it shut which normally meant he was busy on his computer vlogging, busily working away on his videos or in one of his games, for which he could not under any circumstance be disturbed, so knocking was a requirement. There was a soft sound on the other side of the door, which told Golden she was free to enter. “Boys?” She whispered, turning the door handle and peeking in. Oswald’s laptop was off, and his chair was swinging a little. He had hopped off, going over to his bed with a little help from Mickey, who was helping his brother get into bed and started to tuck him in when they both saw Golden had come in. “Are you two feeling alright? Papa and Scout are feeling under the weather…and poor Percy burnt his hand when he got a fever!” Mickey and Oswald exchanged looks, finding it odd that three people in the house had gotten sick all of a sudden, and they weren’t the only ones. “I just got a headache all of a sudden!” Oswald said, leaning back onto his pillow as Mickey fluffed it up. “My eyes started to hurt, I had to shut off my computer…it’s all very…uh…” Golden cut in with a little humorous quip to finish his sentence. “Weird?” She giggled, making Mickey grin and Oswald point his finger in agreement. “Yup! That’s the one!” He said, suddenly feeling strained as he laid back in bed, shivering as he tucked himself up in his blankets, leaving his ears sticking out. Golden strolled over to him, giving him a quick pat on the head, making him grumble in slight annoyance. “Not to worry!” She smiled. “It’s probably a bug or something, weirdly I feel fine, but oh well…Doctor Golden is here to take care of you all!” Oswald just rolled his eyes, and stuck his tongue out as a foul taste suddenly overtook his taste buds, resulting in him just burying himself in his blanket. Mickey chuckled at both Oswald’s reaction and Golden’s comment, he reached out his head to ruffle her hair. “Doctor Golden, huh?” He grinned, getting to his feet and wobbling a little. “Haha! That reminds me of when you were a little younger, you liked playing doctor and lookin’ after us, whether we were ill or not!” Mickey rubbed at his temples, looking a bit tired. He yawned, which gave Golden the cue to take his hand and gently lead him to his own room. “C’mon sleepyhead!” Golden giggled as they reached Mickey’s bedroom, helping him into bed as he slumped down on it. “You boys need to rest, just leave it all to me, okay?” She wanted to sound confident, though inside she couldn’t help but worry, why was everyone suddenly feeling under the weather? They were all fine when they woke up, and showed no signs of illness prior. She pulled up the blankets and tucked them around Mickey while giving him his Duffy plushies, making him all comfy and warm. “Aww, Golden, you’re a real sweetie.” Mickey blinked sleepily, snuggling with Duffy and Shellie May under his arms. “Are you gonna be alright? I don’t feel too bad, just sleepy…if ya need any help I can offer some?” Golden politely shook her head, leaning down to kiss Mickey on the forehead before heading back to the door, giving him a bright smile. “Thanks Mickey, but no need! I’ll be fine! Just rest up, okay big brother? I’ll go get you guys a drink of water, and then go check on Julius, I hope he’s alright…” She waved him goodnight, even though it was still early in the day, Mickey simply waved back, giggling after being kissed and settling down in his bed as Golden dimmed the lights with a spell, giving the room a more cosy atmosphere. She ran to the kitchen, filling up two glasses of water for Oswald and Mickey, and a third for herself, running up and down seeing to her sick relatives was a workout for a ten year old, even with high level sorcery. She went and delivered the drinks to her brothers, who quietly thanked her before she went to go see Julius, crossing her fingers that he’d be up and about and not looking run down. “Julius? Hey, it’s me, Golden.” Golden called softly, tapping at the door with her knuckles. There was no response, she gently twisted the door handle, Julius never locked his door so it would be easier for her to see into his room, this had once led to a rather startling incident for the young cat as he had been wrapping her birthday present one year and didn’t lock his door when she came in, luckily for Julius he had time to hide it under his bed and gently shoo her out, not wanting to make her feel bad for coming in without asking, she was just a little kid then so he didn’t mind. Golden looked in, the curtains were closed slightly, and Julius was curled up in his bed, fast asleep and making little mews as he snored. His sorcerer robes were folded on his bedside chair, meaning he had gotten back into his pyjamas to rest. Deciding not to disturb him, Golden quietly stepped back and closed the door, sighing a little. “Looks like Julius is in the same situation…” She said under her breath as she paced the halls, lacing her fingers together nervously. “What is going on? Oh, I shouldn’t overthink it, I need to take care of everyone, I gotta be responsible like my papa! He always takes care of us when we are poorly, so I should too! I DO have some housework to take care of, oh and Aero is coming over, that’s another thing on the list…OH! Silly broomies, on vacation when everyone is poorly, talk about your timing!” She gave a huff, marching toward the stairs to begin work in the kitchen and living room, before she noticed someone coming up the stairs and didn’t register to stop until she bumped into them. “Oof! Oh, mama!” Golden cried, staring up at a dazed Sonatina. “Are…are you alright?” Sonatina stumbled a little, but maintained her balance while Golden took her hand. Sonatina looked down at Golden, noticing her worried expression, and offered her a soft smile, the kind of smile a mother would give. “Golden, hey darling…I’m afraid I feel a bit light headed.” She told her, rubbing at one of her eyes as tiredness began to seep in. “Goodness…I heard everyone was feeling a bit unwell? I was going to check on them myself, but now I’m starting to feel like…” Golden held up a finger to silence Sonatina, pumping at her chest much like Oswald would and led Mum through the hallway to her bedroom, already knowing the routine of helping a sick family member. “Say no more, mama!” The young girl grinned, despite feeling a bit concerned for Sonatina she kept her bright, cheery demeanour just for her. “Come on, let's get you into bed. You should be resting too!” Sonatina giggled at Golden, carefully getting in her bed and starting to get warm under the covers. She gave Golden a thankful smile, and patted her gently on the cheek. “Thank you sweetheart.” She whispered kindly. “I hope this isn’t too serious and it’s just a minor step back, but it's good to see you being everyone’s little caretaker! Could you be a dear and bring me a cup of tea, please?” Golden nodded as she leaned down to hug Mum, kissing her cheek before she fixed her bed covers slightly. “Of course I can!” She said, “Nothing to worry about, I’m here to help you all, I’m Doctor Golden today!” Sonatina laughed at Golden’s childlike yet sweet antics, happy that Golden was still well and wanting to help kept her spirits high. “That’s wonderful, Golden. You’re just what we need, hehe!” Sonatina yawned, laying her head down fully as she settled down for sleep before she looked back up, one more thing was on her mind for Golden. “Oh, Goldie, Aero is coming over right?” She asked her in a dreamy voice. “Listen for when you hear the door, and maybe Aero can help you out today, if she doesn’t mind…” And with that, Sonatina closed her eyes and drifted off to the world of dreams, her soft breathing filling the room. Golden acknowledged her with another nod, being careful to shut the door with a tiny click to not wake her. As the young girl toddled her way downstairs, picking up a feather duster from the shelf as she did so, there was the sound a radio, the unmistakable crackling could be heard from upstairs, it made Golden swallow a little, but the crackling from earlier was rather loud to make her jump, perhaps it was broken and just needed fixing. She went to the cabinet, hoping to get some bottles of medicine out before making Mum’s tea, the sound of the crackling still in her ears, until it stopped suddenly, right as there was a knocking at the door.

Goldie ran toward the door, brightening up a bit when she realised who it might be, and opened it with a grin. “Aero!!” she yelled, Aero immediately greeting her young friend with open arms, picking her up and twirling her around as Star covered them both with stardust, which tickled quite a bit. As it excitedly squeaked, Golden felt her mood improve by a thousand percent, and all her worries seemed to be brushed away, which made her feel a lot happier. “Hi Golden! It’s great to see you, how’s everything been?” Aero chuckled, Golden leading her through to the living room and magically shutting the door behind her. “Good, good! Well…everyone’s a bit under the weather today, so I’ve been a doctor, but apart from that we went to Space Camp for a week! It was so cool!” she squeaked, Star moving around and curiously looking at her, unsure what that entailed. “Oh, well, Master Dawn, one of our big sisters? She had this huge competition and had to win, so she got us to help her do some research! And it was soooo fun! We saw baby stars, cool planets, oh, we even visited the moon!” she giggled, Aero chuckling behind her hand at how her little eyes sparkled, and smiling as Star made a little picture of the heart-shaped moon with its stardust, drawing Golden’s own tiny heart near it, and blinking in surprise at how similar they were, having not really made the connection before, and then cheekily exploding the little creations of stardust in Golden’s face. “Ack! Hey!” she pouted, reaching out to grab Star and tickle it on her lap, Aero laughing and joining in. “Stay still you little rascal!! Haha!” Aero laughed, as Star wriggled and squirmed, trying to get away from their tickles but unable. “As for me, we’ve been spending our days researching some new stars! There’s been a few new developments on, ah- Star!” Aero laughed, as it flew up to her and splattered on her face like a blobby pancake. “Haha! Naughty thing!” The master continued, pulling it away as it comically left a little bit of a red mark, but both of them just giggled. Despite that, it did feel a little quiet in the house, and Golden wondered if they could do something together to make it less lonely. “Hey, Aero? Why don’t we go out together? I hope our laughing hasn’t woken anyone…” she cringed, but it seemed nobody was bothered, so they felt relieved. 

Grabbing their travelling cloaks, the two of them set out, Golden’s was the same one she’d used on the travels for the Wicked Nine, it had only been a month or so but it felt far away now, like a dream, and she was glad for how good everything had been since then, she felt that never again would she have to worry about any villains, since they were all trapped in the light realm, or in Allura’s case, at the bottom of the sea. Taking Aero’s hand, they decided to head to the old town, where Angelique sometimes visited when she wasn’t decorating somewhere or sleeping in the Beast’s castle, and Azurine also often visited, so they hoped they’d see her too. Heading out, Golden felt nostalgic, remembering how she’d come around here with Mickey when they were finding Sonatina, and noticed a familiar person on the path… “Oh, Miss Mirai!” she called, the foreteller engaged in conversation with another, she was talking to someone with several eyes surrounding them, much like her own, but these weren’t on their robes. “Mirai…I expect you home at least before it gets dark. I don’t want you getting hurt, my dear.” A man spoke, the eyes all moving a little closer to Mirai, and Golden noticed that his hat was unique, it had a ring on it and there were eight little balls inside, which she realised were moving with the exact pattern of the eyes all around him. “Aero, look…” she murmured, the master and Star both taking a peek, despite worrying it might be a little rude to stare, they couldn’t help but be intrigued at the strangers with eyes all over their clothes, and veiled faces… “Yes, Leader. I won’t be out late, I just need to make sure of something.” she murmured, the Leader giving a troubled look. “Do not stray from the path we follow, little one. If you wish to become a Leader, you have to take the vow to do what’s right. I sense your heart is troubled, and yet you haven’t told me anything.” He warned, Mirai looking down slightly. “I’m…not troubled. I am doing what’s right.” she mumbled, the man, albeit gently, tilting her chin up to look at him. “Let us not discuss this further in public. But please, my door is open if you ever wish to discuss anything. I don’t like what I see…and I see a lot.” he warned, walking away as the eyes all continued to stare at Mirai, who huffed and leaned back against a tree, finally noticing Golden, Aero and Star all watching the exchange. “Oh, it’s you, little girl.” Mirai spoke, sounding oddly cold, which made Goldie feel a bit nervous. “Um…we didn’t mean to pry…” she replied, moving a bit closer to the foreteller, who sighed. “Don’t worry. He’s looking out for me, that’s all. We foretellers stick together in tough times, since we’re all we have.” she said, an expression on her face indicating she really was okay, and yet there was also an air of unease to her. “Oh, I don’t think you’ve met Aero, have you?” Goldie smiled, tactfully switching the subject as Star flew over to Mirai, waving hello. “Oh, and Star!” Mirai was almost enchanted by the little creature of light, reaching out a finger to touch one of Star’s stubby hands, which it giggled at. Aero gave a little wave and smile, Mirai returning the gesture with her usual demure expression. “Good to meet you, Master Aero. I had a feeling we might.” she playfully spoke, Aero gawking and looking at Goldie in confusion. “Ah, Mirai is a foreteller! I met her when we found Mum, hehe, she’s nice…” the little girl trailed off. She liked to think Mirai was nice, but she also felt an odd uncertainty around her, perhaps it was the fact that she could tell futures and Golden had a similar ability. “Oh, so you tell the future…that’s pretty amazing!” Aero smiled, Mirai nodding. “Yes. That man you saw, he’s a Leader of our Church. I won’t…tell you where it is exactly, since we are a private group, but he and the others take care of me. There are about five leaders, and twenty subordinates.” she explained, Aero scratching her head. “That’s not a whole lot…and I don’t see foretellers often…” she mumbled, Mirai looking down slightly. “If you’re looking for Angelique and Azurine, they’re in the tavern.” she spoke, meeting Golden’s eyes, who shrank a little as all of the eyes on her clothes and hat stared at her. “And Golden? I only have one piece of advice. Remember what is fundamental.” she finally spoke, turning away and walking off as Golden stood there, confused. “Fundamental…? Ah…she always speaks in riddles!” the little girl whined, Aero chuckling and lifting her up onto her shoulders. “But she said Azurine and Angelique are in town today, that’ll kill time until evening!” The master cheered, both of them setting off toward the tavern, though Golden couldn’t help but watch as Mirai headed off down a secluded path, hoping the foreteller was okay.

Once they arrived at the tavern, they found Azurine seated alongside some other Crystalmasters, ones who came from other parts of the kingdom, perhaps in some sort of meeting? But as time passed, she eventually moved away from them, and sat near Aero and Golden instead, Angelique spotting them from the rafters and moving down toward them too. The barmaid recognised Aero and Golden from their time at Yen Sid’s, and gave them both a big smile. “Oh, look how big you are, Aero! You’ve grown so much, and become so mature!” she giggled, Aero going pink and hiding her face behind her hat, Star giggling and encouraging her to come out. “And you, little Golden! Still as cute as ever! Oh, water for you, right?” she smiled, Golden nodding and everyone ordering drinks, except Angelique and Star, though Star would likely just steal whatever Aero was having anyway. “So, you said everyone else is a bit sick, Goldie?” Azurine asked, Golden nodding. “Yeah, they all came down with a sort of fever…it was weird, but I guess I just gotta be a good doctor until they all get better! Hehe, I might not have a fancy box, but I do have my magic!” she giggled, Azurine chuckling. “Oh you! Always so positive, it’s nice to see you haven’t lost that spark. Oh, and speaking of sparkly things, where’s Starlight?” she asked, Golden putting a hand to her chin. “Honestly, I think she’s probably still asleep. I don’t know if she got sick too, but if she did then she’ll probably do twice as much sleep talking!” she laughed, Star squeaking enthusiastically and hoping to see its little friend whenever Starlight did emerge. “As for us, we also saw Asha a few times, didn’t we Star? She’s been helping us chart those new stars I was telling you about, and Valentino loves messing up my tower, thank goodness for cleaning magic!” the master chuckled, Golden giggling at the thought of the baby goat wreaking havoc, it was completely in character for him. “Well, I managed to contact some fellow crystalmasters. We’ve been a little separated throughout Lumos, but we were hoping to reconnect, since it’ll be a great opportunity to form a little group together.” Azurine explained, and then remembered something else. “On top of that, Prisma’s adjusted back to living in prison, and she really is sorry… I just hope she’ll change this time.” Azurine sighed, Golden reaching across the table to take her hand. “It’ll be okay, and I’m glad she’s fine.” the little girl smiled, Angelique brightening up a bit. “We’ve been preparing for next month! I’m assuming Yen Sid will want his annual visit, hmm? And the Christmas party will have even more guests, oh!” she sighed, Golden chuckling but also feeling excited at the thought of another Christmas party in just over a month, she loved Christmas, which is why November felt so endless. As the hours ticked by whilst the group caught up, Golden saw something pretty outside, watching as the first snowfall of the season began, and moved over to the window, watching the flakes drift down toward the ground. Everything would soon be blanketed in white, how beautiful… and as the streetlights all magically turned on, the evening mist made the night look picturesque, peaceful. Setting off toward home, Golden felt for once that everything was fine, and looked forward to the days ahead, whatever they might bring. 

A few street lights lit up with little magical flames that showed the path home, helping the two girls back home, but Star provided the most light by floating ahead in front of them, moving its stubby little hands like a tiny, glowing Olympic swimmer. Golden and Aero held hands, staying close to one another, enjoying the fact they had a good day out with each other. Golden glanced up at Aero, noting the older girl’s content expression, and feeling a tad guilty. “Hey Aero?” Golden spoke up, her voice cutting through the silence. “I’m sorry you didn’t really see anyone you might have wanted to see, I probably stole the spotlight…if I did I’m really sorry!” Aero looked down at Golden, confusion now etched on her face, but when she saw how nervous and apologetic Golden looked, her expression softened. “What? Aww don’t worry about that!” She soothed, “It’s no big deal, I’m more than happy just to have gone out for a little bit with you, we don’t do that a lot, given that I can only visit when I don’t have a busy schedule at the tower, haha!” Star squeaked as it called out to them, telling the two they had made it home. Aero opened the door, greeted by a dark room before using a quick magic spell to turn the lights on, which appeared to delight Golden upon seeing Aero do some of her magic in action. “What?” Aero grinned, finding Golden’s smile rather contagious. “You’ve seen this before! It’s nothing new, besides, you’re a true sorcerer now too.” Golden snickered, her face turning a soft pink, she was unable to resist jumping at Aero and pulling her into a hug, which was gratefully returned by Aero. “I can’t help it!” Golden squealed, clinging to Aero’s robes like a koala on a tree. “Whenever I see you do magic, it just…it makes me so happy! You’re so incredible and…and I aspire to be just like you!” Aero tightened her arms around Golden a little more, patting the young girl on the back as Star squeezed itself in between their embrace. Aero looked her eyes down, feeling a burst of warm energy in her chest. “Golden…” She whispered softly under her breath. “You might not see it, but…at the same time, I wanna be like you…” She said it quietly enough so her younger friend couldn’t quite hear, unsure if she could really tell her. Star suddenly flinched as a sound rang out from above the ceiling on the upper floor, it caused Aero to drop to one of her knees. “Oww…! What the-ooohh…my head hurts.” Golden was startled by Aero’s sudden fall, and used all of her strength to hold her up. Even Star tried to help her stand. “Aero! Are you alright?” She cried, reaching for Aero’s hand, the one clutching at her forehead. “Oh gosh…I hope I didn’t do anything to you…!” Aero heard how frightened Golden sounded, and rubbed at her eyes to look at her. She caught a blurry glimpse of Star’s glow, managing with a slight wobble as she stood back up. “Do…anything?” Aero mumbled, feeling her head become heavier, and her feet becoming lighter, she wanted to sit down, but needed a more comfortable place. “No no…I just…need to lie down. Sorry Golden…I think I should sleep.” Golden and Star looked at each other with worried expressions, deciding they needed to help Aero upstairs, the guest bedroom was a bit far to walk in Aero’s current condition. “Come on, Star, wanna help me get Aero upstairs? She can rest in my room tonight, it’ll be better than the guest room for now…I hope you won’t mind the small bed!” And so they headed up to Golden’s room, the little girl tucking Aero in and giving her Mr Tiger to cuddle, noticing Starlight was fast asleep in her hammock, perhaps she hadn’t even woken up, or the sickness had affected her too? Nevertheless, she got her pyjamas on and brushed her teeth, before noticing Star awaiting her by the stairs to the next floor. With a grateful smile, she let it sit on her shoulder, noticing how it almost perfectly matched her starry pyjamas, and since it wasn’t sick either, it seemed they’d be working together until everyone was better. As she collapsed into the guest room bed on the third floor, she watched Star flicking stardust around, making it look as if the walls were covered in stars, and the sight made her feel calm, watching as they bobbed around and twinkled, and soon she curled up, taking Star into her arms like a plushie as she fell asleep- Doctor Golden’s services would have to wait until morning!

As Andrew and Vanitas watched the scenes through the crystal ball, Andrew couldn’t help but be slightly confused. “So they’re all sick… but what’s that gonna do?” he asked, Vanitas turning to him with a slight smirk. “Sometimes I forget you’re just a weirdo, but since we’re training you up in magic, does that make you my apprentice?” he chuckled, Andrew folding his arms and rolling his eyes, not particularly liking how Vanitas was talking down to him. “It's not my fault I can’t do magic naturally. Someone I know can, but…not much I can do about that.” he grunted, Vanitas now being curious, but Andrew just shook his head. “You wouldn’t know him. Anyway, what is the point of this?” he repeated, Vanitas tracing a hand over the crystal ball, where it was fixed as Golden slept soundly, with a face of pure peace and innocence, not a single nightmare plaguing her. “Well, let’s just say this is how it starts. When morning comes, the spell will start its actual work, and then you’ll get a show.” the Keyblade wielder grinned nastily, Andrew raising an eyebrow and sitting down nearby. “Can we turn in for the night then?” he asked, Vanitas nodding, and then turning as he heard someone walk in, someone in a hood. “Oh, you’re here.” he remarked, the person nodding, features all but obscured. “They’re assembled. Some of them…brought extra hostages, you could say.” they spoke, Vanitas smirking. “Oh, do tell…I have all night.” he smirked, patting a seat next to him as Andrew moved into another room to rest, still feeling the effects every so often of the aches Yen Sid had given him all that time ago. Well, revenge was about to be sweet, and it seemed he wasn’t the only one with a vendetta against that family, by the sound of it. “I also managed to get another…” the hooded person spoke, Vanitas listening as they explained everything, pleased by their work. “You really are diligent. I hope he rewards you.” the boy replied, the hooded person simply nodding and walking out. “I’ll depart for the night… you won’t see me for some time, but I’ll be watching.”

As the sun’s rays shone in through the curtains, Golden yawned and stretched, brushing sleep out of her eyes and rubbing at them to wipe away any tired tears. To properly wake her up, Star chuckled and sprinkled dust into her face, making her sneeze and squeak in surprise. “Star!! You and your wake up calls, you naughty thing!” she laughed, not quite wanting to leave the comfort of her blankets but also knowing she should get up and ready for the day ahead, which would probably be full of jobs if everyone was still sick. She grabbed a brush and started straightening out her hair, as well as getting dressed in her usual robe and brushing her teeth, Star performing a little dance on the faucet of the sink as she did, and then they headed out into the hall, where she heard some rustling from Scout’s room, indicating her big sis was awake. “Oh, Scout?” she called, wondering if she was feeling better since she was up now, and opened the door, finding Scout fiddling with her headphones, sitting at her desk and looking a tad agitated. “What? What do you want?” Scout turned, looking rather irate, which made Golden step back. “Um…good morning? I was just coming to see if you were better.” she explained, Scout sighing and Golden realizing she was still in her pyjamas, as her big sis pulled at a wire on her headphones. “Fine. All peachy, actually.” Scout replied through gritted teeth, Golden feeling a knot in her stomach, since she never usually saw Scout acting like this. “Hmm…well if you want, I’ll make breakfast. You can come down when you’re dressed and ready.” the little girl smiled, trying to stay optimistic but deep down not liking how Scout was talking to her, and one look at Star indicated it was irritated by the teenager’s attitude. “Whatever, Golden, I don’t care! Just get out of my room and leave me alone!” Scout suddenly cried, practically jumping up to slam the door as Golden stepped back, and soon was met with a door slammed in her face. Immediately, Star squeaked and tried to open it, but Scout locked it with magic, leaving the little star to jiggle the door handle with no effect. Golden looked down at her feet, feeling a bit of a lump in her throat, Scout never ever spoke to her that way, even when they were younger- in cases when she’d got sick of Goldie, usually she’d just climb a tree and jokingly tease her, but she was never mean to her. “Wow…maybe she swapped bodies with Oswald?” She joked, but it was forced, and Star looked at her rather sadly, not wanting the little girl to feel upset or lonely. “Hmm…maybe Ossie is up, though. Let’s go see him.” she breathed, taking Star onto her shoulder once again as it squeaked encouragingly, Golden climbing the stairs to the second floor and knocking, as she always did. “Ossie?” she called, knocking on his door. With no response, she knocked again, and the door opened, Oswald looking as if he’d just jumped out of his skin. “Ah, oh, I didn’t hear you! What do you want?” he huffed, looking as if he needed about twelve cups of coffee right then and there. “I just came to check on you. Is anyone else up?” she asked, Oswald groaning and clinging to her arm a bit, which reminded her of how she used to do the same to him. “Mickey is…I think Julius is rolling around in his blankets or somethin… ugh, coffee please.” He whined, Golden nodding and helping him walk downstairs. Upon reaching the kitchen, she started up the coffee machine, Oswald directing her ever-so-slightly due to her young age, usually she wasn’t allowed to make the hot drinks, and took the mug as soon as it was ready, downing it all in quick succession. As Golden headed back upstairs, she suddenly heard the distinct sound of Percy yelling, Star zipping over worriedly and pointing for her to follow it. Running up toward the stairs to the third floor, it turned out Aero was standing near the top of the stairs and Percy toward the bottom, both of them pulling a blanket. “Let GO Aero! This is my blanket, I had it first!” Percy insisted, yanking at it as Aero carefully made sure not to slip down the stairs, pulling it back. “I don’t see your name on it, light man!” she growled, Golden running toward the scene and watching them angrily fight, looking as if the blanket might shred into pieces before their eyes. “Hey, hey! Knock it off! Stop fighting!” Golden insisted, but her childish protests were all but ignored. Star tried to get Aero’s attention, but she shooed it away with one hand like it was a mere fly, to its absolute indignation. “You took my blanket, it’s mine and you bloody know it, you tower-dwelling four eyes!” Percy shouted, Aero looking peeved at the insult and scowling. “Oh, you just want to hog it to yourself, you Yen Sid suck up! All you do is go around looking for affection, can you not sit with yourself for five minutes, you overgrown baby?!” She retorted, Percy looking as if he’d blow his top, Golden watching in fear and alarm as both their magic began to flare, Aero looking like she could form a hurricane with a single sentence and Percy almost ready to grab his halberd. Golden sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I know one way to settle this.” she huffed, raising her hands and whispering an incantation. “Doppler duplicato” She spoke, and in a flash, the blanket split in two, leaving both Percy and Aero with one. Aero pulled a face, but wrapped it around herself, almost checking it, whilst Percy folded his arms, discarding his with a haughty flick of the wrist. “I don’t like it. Hers is better.” he said, turning up his nose and causing Golden to pout and put her hands on her hips, whilst Aero turned with a smirk. “You’re just jealous!” she jeered, Percy turning red and looking as if he’d lunge at her, Golden panicking in the moment and putting them both on freeze with stopza, glad Aqua had taught her. She balled up her fists. “Stop fighting like a pair of kids and get downstairs! I’m making breakfast, and I’ll make you sit together and behave whether you like it or not!” she insisted, putting a hand over her mouth immediately and turning crimson, she hadn’t meant to have an outburst, or worse, sound just like her father! As soon as the spell wore off, the two of them brushed themselves down, glaring at her with such frost and intensity that they could freeze the sun, but opened their mouths at the same time to give her their final word- “FINE!”

Heading downstairs once more, Star followed and helped Golden pick out what everyone liked by drawing rings around the ingredients she needed and drawing pictures with stardust of each person- Julius had sardines on toast, so it drew a cat, Mickey had his toast with blueberry jam, so it drew a mouse, and on and on they went, Golden finally having prepared enough for everyone who was up. Mickey and Julius had trundled down by now, Julius being buried in a hoodie and looking withdrawn, though he did at least eat a little bit of his food, and Starlight sat with Mickey, looking rather out of it and a tad frowny. “Morning!” Golden forced herself to smile as she cheerily greeted them, though all of them practically ignored her as they ate. The little girl tried not to feel hurt, and then a thought occurred to her. They’d done this before, on her birthday, though not as harshly…and they had reassured her. She reached a hand to her chest, tugging on her robe slightly, and remembered Yen Sid’s words to her, that she was unforgettable, and a wondrous piece of creation… she sighed, and turned, spotting Mum’s door, which was on the ground floor since it was in the room directly below Scout’s. Golden wondered if she might be up, and noticed Scout finally come out of her room, pulling her headphones on and turning them up full blast, as if trying to drown something out. She slammed her door with incredible force, stomping down the stairs, and poured herself juice, looking frustrated and practically grinding her teeth. Gulping, Golden hurried over to Mum’s room, hoping the ever-calm woman would know what to do about her wolfish daughter, befitting Scout considering what her spirit animal was! Gently tapping at the door, Golden heard a soft, stirring moan from inside the room, indicating Mum was awake. Looking in, Goldie saw her sitting up in bed and stretching, she looked refreshed, perhaps even feeling better? “Mum? Are you feeling alright?” Golden asked in a little voice. Mum opened her eyes, which looked tired and groggy, she rubbed at them to see more clearly, and noticed Golden stepping into the room and stopping at her bedside. “Oh, Golden, it’s you…of all people” Mum murmured, her tone rather deadpan and quiet, already setting off alarm bells in Golden’s head, she hoped it was just the last shred of tiredness that made Mum talk like that, and Star was also a little put off. Mum finally got a better look at Golden once she sat back against the pillow, finally managing a gentle smile. “Hello dear, how are you?” She asked, Golden recognised that manner of speaking, and immediately relaxed, moving her hand to take hold of the kind woman’s own. “Oh, I’m fine! Everyone is downstairs having breakfast.” Golden answered, Star nodding beside her. “Do you need anything? Something to eat or drink at all?” Sonatina smiled as she considered her options, before frowning slightly as she rubbed at her forehead and eyes, achiness overtaking her in the moment. She let out a small groan, making Golden and Star huddle up a little. “Goodness, got this headache all of a sudden…” Mum hissed softly. “Oh, I’m still not quite well enough then…I’ll have a cup of tea, please Golden. It always helps soothe me when I’m a little run down.” Golden’s eyes widened, it seemed Mum wasn’t quite better, but she was at least not snapping or talking down to her! Turning to the door, Golden quickly sprinted out, Star clinging to her shoulder so as not to fall behind from her sudden momentum. “And Golden? Ask Percy, Yen Sid or Aero to help you! I don’t want you handling hot water by yourself, it’s tricky for small hands and I don’t want you to get burned…” Mum called out sleepily, before zoning out and falling back asleep a little. Golden simply rolled her eyes, but was feeling quite positive. She could be trusted with making something as simple as a cup of tea, she was a sorcerer now! And she was growing older, she liked the idea of having more responsiblities and independence with the housework, though there were times where she might as well be eating her words…upon entering the kitchen, everyone had just about finished their breakfast, leaving their plates and silverware on the table instead of putting them in the sink, so Golden quickly did it herself before getting to make the tea. Star kindly got her a fresh mug to use, but as Golden began the brew, there were several voices in the house calling her name, Julius called for some water, Percy and Scout wanted fresh pillows and blankets, Aero wanted a humidifier? Star noticed Golden looked a little overwhelmed by the amount of requests all at once, so it went to get some of the things that were asked, managing the tasks by itself with ease for the most part, but dragging a long blanket up the stairs was a slight hassle! Once it was done, it wiped at its brow and went back down to the kitchen to join Golden, plopping itself down on top of her head and making a soft, squishing sound as it landed panting. “Oh Star…” Golden smiled sympathetically. “What a morning it’s turning out to be, eh? And please don’t exhaust yourself, I don’t want you getting ill too! Though you did look a little funny carrying all those things at once, you looked like a little glowing porter, haha!” The tea was done, Golden started to carry it on a saucer carefully up the stairs to Mum’s room, feeling pretty pleased with herself that she made it by herself. “Mum! Here’s your tea!” Grinned Golden, stepping into the room where Mum was now once more awake. “I made it all by myself while Star sorted out everyone else’s things! Enjoy, and I hope it helps you feel better.” She slowly handed it out to Mum, who graciously took the mug into her hands, the heat from the mug warming her palms up nicely. Blowing away some of the steam, she began to take a small sip of the beverage, her eyes shooting open immediately as she began to spit it out, almost dropping the mug in great surprise. “This tea is SCALDING! Are you trying to burn me?!” Mum yelled, suddenly glaring at the young girl, who jumped upon hearing Mum’s loud voice, Star was also startled, falling from Golden’s head and into her hands, making her cuddle it like a comfort toy to calm herself. “I…I’m so sorry…!” Golden muttered with great effort, almost losing her voice in fear. “I didn’t mean…I only made it the way it was…I should’ve warned you…!” She couldn’t find the words to make a complete sentence, merely staring wide eyed at Mum’s glaring face. The older woman put the mug down on the bedside table with a grimace, disdainfully turning away from Golden. “You should know better, or at least know how to make something with the correct temperature.” She said coldly. “I specifically said to ASK one of the adults, and you ignore me. That’s the thanks I get?! Just get out, now Golden.” Golden made absolutely no hesitation to obey, turning on her heel with Star and leaving the room, giving Mum a nod as she did. Once the door was closed, Star sprang up from Golden’s hands and started squeaking angrily at the mean and horrid words it had just heard, shaking it’s tiny little hands in disapproval, yet at the same time not feeling angry at Mum, just confusion and sadness. Golden felt the exact same, swallowing another lump forming in her throat as she clutched tightly at her robes at her chest, her heart starting to glow and flicker softly as she tried to force back tears. Star saw her face, and sympathetically reached out to touch her cheek, letting out a soft squeak in pity. “Oh Star…” The young girl sighed, sniffling as she took the little creature into her hands and nuzzled it gently, a bit like how Dawn did back at Space Camp when she held a baby star, Star’s soft, smooth skin was comforting to feel and it’s warm glow soothed her achy heart. “It seems that…I can’t really do anything right, huh?” Star shook a no at Golden, disagreeing heavily with her on that, and nuzzled against her more with a bit more pressure, making Golden smile as it tickled. Putting Star back on her shoulder, Golden noticed the rest of the house had gotten quiet, seemed like no one was in great need of anything right now, which was a small relief on Golden’s part, there was something else she was more worried about right now, and walked slowly to the room of the person she had yet to see today, yet was the first in the family to have fallen sick the day before. “Come on, Star…let’s go and check on dad…”

Golden trundled through the halls, and climbed up the stairs to Yen Sid’s room, knocking on the door as Star floated beside her, gently nuzzling her cheek to give her some encouragement. “Dad…?” she whispered, turning the handle and peeking into his room, he was up and about, fiddling with several books on his shelves and flipping through some of them. “Hmm?” he turned, he looked quite pale and almost dropped the book he was holding, but nevertheless he didn’t seem angry. “Oh, it’s you.” Golden nodded, giving a small wave, and looked at the books he was reading. They were all sorts of complicated books that were post-master level, so a level the child wouldn’t be able to understand even if she tried. “Uh…are you okay? How are you feeling?” Golden tried, Yen Sid shrugging and brushing her off as he moved toward his shelves again, seeming to be organising. “I’m fine. What do you want?” he answered, Star feeling how tense Golden was, how her shoulders had creased up and she was making herself as small as possible, her mouth hidden beneath the folds of her oversized apprentice robe. Gently patting her cheek, the little Star stayed close to her, and Yen Sid finished putting away his books, picking one out and leafing through it, almost aimlessly. “I…just wanted to see if you were better. Um, Aero and Percy were all cranky, Scout was moody, the boys were all sleepy and…Mum was…” she faltered, Yen Sid turning to face her, a stern look on his face indicating he had no interest in her words. His signature glare etched across his features, he closed his book with a snap, one loud enough to make the little girl jump, and sat down at the small desk he had in his bedroom. “Well I am. Now leave, I’m busy.” he replied curtly, with a nod and wave of his hand indicating she was dismissed. Golden felt pretty hurt, but also angry, curling up her little fists. “Ugh, not you too. Stop being cranky, why are you all being mean?!” she demanded, Yen Sid merely looking at her with a displeased expression as he placed the book down, looking disinterested in her entire presence. “I’m not acting cranky, girl, I’m just busy. You know not to disturb me.” he continued, beginning to pace in his frustration and ignoring her as he rummaged around in his drawers for a few items, seeming very agitated. Golden gritted her teeth. “I don’t care! You always make time for me! I’ve been running up and down the house like some goddamn scullery maid, Star too, and all of you are acting like ungrateful brats!” she pouted, folding her arms as Yen Sid glanced over his shoulder at her, still ignoring her but his glaring eye almost piercing through her. This did little to quell the child’s frustration, and she was only further aggravated when he brushed past her to sit down again. “Child. Get out. Now.” he repeated, opening his book and starting work with a mortar and pestle, creating potions he remembered from his childhood to prevent the children getting flu. “No! Stop being a jerk, look at me!” she insisted, fighting back angry tears at being ignored and treated cruelly, this was reminding her of the sorrow she felt on her birthday, and how alone she was that day, despite being surrounded by people and having nice experiences nonetheless, and a small part of her was hoping Yen Sid and the others were just playing a trick, though it seemed very unlikely. “Child. Out.” he seethed, Golden stamping her foot as she once again heard the same words, feeling a burning anger and fury. “Dad, LOOK AT ME! Stop being so mean! For once in your life, stop being so SELFISH!” she yelled, cupping her hands over her mouth and shrinking as soon as she realized what she said. For a moment, it was silent, until Yen Sid suddenly stood up, slamming his hands down on the table. “Golden. Get out. Get out of my room, out of my house, out of my LIFE! You are dismissed, forever!” he suddenly yelled, Golden feeling her heart drop to her stomach like a stone. As his magic flared around him, she felt herself glitch involuntarily. “Dad…what?” she breathed, barely having the ability to form a coherent sentence due to her shock, but Yen Sid simply narrowed his eyes, seething with every breath he took, the faint outline of his phoenix appearing behind him, just as it had the last time they’d had an argument this severe. “Leave my house at once. You are not welcome here. I am not your father, and you are not a Symphonus, it’s over. Now GO!” He roared, Star squeaking angrily before Golden caught it in her hands, silencing it. “Okay…”

For the next few minutes, Star watched as the little girl pulled her hood over her face, trying to fight back the tears as she packed everything she could think of in the same bag she’d taken to find the Wicked Nine. She took her journal, warm clothes, pyjamas, photos…hat, muse, wand… she stared at the picture of everyone together on her nightstand, the one that constantly expanded, now including Azurine and Sofia, and traced her hand over Yen Sid, over his smile… sniffling, she put it in her bag, along with Mr Tiger, and slung it over her shoulders. “Come on Star…let’s go.” she practically cried, Star giving a sad squeak as it looked like it might cry itself, cuddling against her chest to try and soothe the crack that had started in her heart, though to no avail. As they approached the door, not one person said goodbye to her, most of them wouldn’t even realize she was gone. Bitterly, she opened the door and stared outside, where the snowfall from the previous day had become a blizzard, howling winds threatening to bring down trees, and the little girl shivering in her robe, boots crunching in the snow as she walked forward, turning back to look at the castle she called home, now more like home-no-more, where she’d play with the broomies and spend every Christmas and birthday, where Yen Sid had taught her everything she knew and where her family lived, the Symphonuses… was she really being stripped of her surname? The thought made her feel sick, as whilst she may have had a previous surname, this one was signifying something bigger, something more, a legacy of Masters and apprentices, and if she was to be forced out of it… she wiped away a few hot tears rolling down her cheeks, and turned to look at Star. “Where do we go…?” she shivered as she spoke, breath hitching from the sobs and cold alike, and Star wiped away one of her tears, making a smile gesture with its little hands. Despite everything, she gave it a weak smile, as it glowed against the white, like a little lantern, a beacon of hope. “Well…if nothing else, at least I’ve got you.” she smiled, holding out a finger for Star to touch, so it could light up her heart even just a little. As a thinking bubble appeared above its head in stardust, it pondered for a bit, and then finally a lightbulb appeared above its head, as it zipped ahead and motioned for Golden to follow, so she did. They walked for miles, past fir trees and through the blizzard, heading the general direction of Fioritura city, but taking a different turn and a new path, though Star knew the way. And after an hour, they finally reached their destination, a home with white, shining turrets and a castle-like exterior, though it was modelled much like a cottage, as if it was harmonizing both styles to create something akin to a manor. Star giggled and knocked on the door, the house seemed very Rococo-esque, and it had a grandiose feel that excited the little creature, whilst Golden had long stopped crying, but her eyes were still a little red and puffy. “I’m coming, I’m coming! Hold on!” A familiar voice echoed, making Golden look at Star in surprise, who gave a little signature wink to confirm. And then, Asha opened the door, dressed in a pretty purple uniform with a bow and puffed sleeves, clearly having been in the midst of a lesson. The wand in her hand confirmed this, but she almost dropped it upon seeing the state of her little friend, who looked down at the floor sadly as she fiddled with the straps of her backpack. “Oh, both of you! I didn’t expect this, how are you Star? And Golden…?” Asha faltered, offering a hand for the little girl and inviting her in, noticing how frozen the child felt. The interior of the home was just as beautiful as its exterior, with tiled floors decorated in flowery patterns, blue walls and gold trims, and even a small chandelier in the foyer, a living hatstand tipping its hat at the visitors and Golden giving it a shy wave, despite how she was feeling. And upon being led into the sitting room, Asha gave a smile. “Make yourself comfy, I’ll light the fire-!” she started, but then Valentino trotted through. “Asha, remind me what happened last time you lit the fire? Oh wait, no, I recall! You burnt a scroll.” he chuckled, Asha pouting and bending down to pick him up, giving him a playful glare. “Oh, like you could do any better.” she remarked, before a small giggle silenced everyone. “I’ll light the fire, child. Oh, hello dear! I wasn’t expecting you to visit, but it is a lovely surprise.” the Fairy Godmother smiled, her rosy cheeks standing out amongst the blue of her outfit, she wasn’t in her usual cloak, but instead in a teaching outfit, with a little apron and rolled up sleeves. “I was just teaching Asha, we’ve been practicing a particular spell, it’s a staple of the Fairy Godmothers, and fairies in general!” she chuckled, using her own wand to light up the fire as Golden moved toward it, still feeling a bit awkward and standing around holding her backpack, whilst Star playfully teased Valentino. “Now, look at me rambling! How is everyone else? Yen Sid? Sonatina? Please, tell me everything…!” the older woman smiled, Golden turning to look at the flames as they danced and spun, feeling a little lost and unable to form words, simply feeling tears pooling in her eyes. “U-um… things are…” she started, swallowing a lump in her throat and turning around tearfully to look at the Fairy Godmother, a look of despair seeping into her eyes, “not okay.” 

The Fairy Godmother was momentarily lost for words, exchanging a worried look at Asha before Golden made her move, slumping against the Fairy Godmother’s shoulder and clinging to her like the last shred of comfort in existence. “...I don’t know anymore…” Was all Golden could muster before she burst into fresh tears, the weight of the situation once again crushing her like a two ton weight. The Fairy Godmother slowly wrapped her arms around the child, petting her hair as she held the girl, Asha covered her mouth with one of her hands, feeling a great sense of concern and sympathy for Golden, but unsure of how to even ask her what was wrong. “Child…whatever concerns you, my dear?” Asked the Fairy Godmother softly, her voice as warm as honey and carrying a feeling of safety, where one could forget all the world’s sadness and dangers. Golden was trying to find a spot to explain through her cries, but it was currently too hard to even attempt it, nor did she have the energy to talk about it right now. Star watched as Asha knelt down at the Fairy Godmother’s level as the young teenager tried to help comfort Golden, it floated over to her, sitting carefully on her shoulder to whisper into her ear, giving her the rundown of everything that transpired before she arrived at the house. Asha’s jaw dropped, she was speechless, almost in shock and denial at what Star had told her. “They couldn’t…” She whispered, her voice almost lost in her throat. “A mistake? Surely there must be…?” The Fairy Godmother agreed, once Star had finished telling her the same thing, almost completely as stunned as Asha, yet something was telling her that not everything sounded reasonable, making her overwork her brain to try and figure out what in Fioritura was going on. “How could this be?” She muttered, still holding Golden’s shaking form in her arms. She continued stroking the girl’s hair, keeping her touch gentle and maternal. “I know Yen Sid…that’s not the way he’d act, I know it. Now child, don’t fret…Whatever is going on, I’m more than certain it’ll be fixed. These things always have a solution, and you must keep your faith, my dear.” Golden finally lifted her head up, her eyes tired and swollen with tears, her cheeks were flushed and she was overall in a very sad state, this was more than a big red flag for the Fairy Godmother and Asha, who knew the situation was as bad as described. “I don’t know what to do anymore…” Golden said, her voice croaky and low. The Fairy Godmother offered her a warm smile, one of genuine love and concern and not forcing one for her sake, she gently wiped away the remaining tears on Golden’s cheeks, soothing her with her touch. “You don’t need to do anything, child.” Said the Fairy Godmother, slowly standing up and helping Golden to her feet, who managed with only a bit of effort, probably the most she could manage all day. “You’ve had a very strange and emotional day, not to mention hard working…let yourself relax and take your mind off things. You’re free to stay here for a while with me and Asha, until I clear things up, okay?” Golden struggled to believe much at this point, feeling like her heart had lost it’s glow, much like how she had lost her family now. “I don’t know…” She sniffled, the Fairy Godmother gently holding both of her hands. “What’s the point, Fairy Godmother? It’s all over…” But the Fairy Godmother simply shook her head, squeezing the girl’s hands with reassurance. “I know it seems that way, sweetheart.” She said, “But nothing is truly over unless we try, and while I don’t know everything right now, I’ll make sure I can clear it up for you.” The fairy lifted Golden into her arms, taking her over to Asha and passing the little girl to her. Golden wrapped her arms around Asha, who carried a similar warmth to the Fairy Godmother, it was true that the teen apprentice truly cared and had a lot of love in her heart. “I’m guessing you have a plan, Fairy Godmother?” Asked Asha, looking inquisitive. The Fairy Godmother nodded. “Yes dear, it’s a small one, but a plan is better than no plan. I’ll go over and talk with Yen Sid first thing in the afternoon. But right now, we need to help get this little one relaxed and settled in, it’s only right we make her feel at home here.” Golden clung a little closer to Asha, resting her head on her chest to listen to her heartbeat, the sound of a close friend or relative always having a profound sense of comfort for her, especially during moments of feeling upset. She remembered how Yen Sid would just hold her like this with her just laying on his chest, his heart in her ears while his arms provided the warmest blanket for her, how that felt like a thing of the past now, days gone by within seconds. “I don’t know if you can…” Golden said sorrowfully, her voice still slightly croaky. “D-dad…would he even listen?” The Fairy Godmother gave her a small nod, her smile not even faltering. “I’m sure, my dear.” She answered. “I’ve settled council meetings before, even when they got tough. Talking with Yen Sid should be an easy task, and if he doesn’t listen, I’ll be sure to give him a good whack with my wand, hahaha!” This made Golden smile a little, appreciating the Fairy Godmother’s humour and feeling at ease at her confident answer. “Until then, let’s get you out of those cold clothes and help you settle, child. Asha, will you run her a bath, please? I’ll find something much warmer but just as pretty for her to wear.” Asha nodded, happy to help Golden with the task of helping her feel at home with a more peace of mind, even if the young sorcerer was finding it rather hard, everything was still so fresh and raw right now. Asha went to go run some warm water for Golden’s bath with the help of Star and Valentino, who bought some soap bottles with added sparkles and bath towels respectively for her. Once it was ready, Golden spent a few long minutes just watching the soap bubbles float around her head, they were a good distraction while she let the warm water soothe her and eliminate the freezing outdoor temperatures she had endured earlier. A happy memory occurred in her mind, one of Scout making animal shapes in bubbles when Golden was rather little, to entertain her during bathtime when Golden was nervous about getting shampoo in her eyes, and Mickey would provide her all kinds of bath toys while trying to avoid getting splashed by the cheeky broomies, who Golden would sometimes run from after bathtime deliberately for them to chase her with a towel! She sighed, a soft smile now etched on her face as she finally got out and dried off, reaching for a pair of soft, wooly pyjamas to wear that the Fairy Godmother had made with the flick of a wand. They were warm and gentle on her skin, and were pink with little white hearts adorning them. Golden chucked the towels into the nearby hamper as she left for the sitting room, which now felt very warm from the fireplace now fully in flame, while Asha was helping the Fairy Godmother cook a meal by the stove, there was a large flow of steam coming from the pans. “I’m finished!” Golden called out, sitting on the sofa cushions in front of the fireplace where Star and Valentino were snuggled up together. “What are you cooking? It looks like it’s burning…” The Fairy Godmother quickly removed a pan from the hob, letting the steam settle and cool off, she gave a laugh as she gently wafted it away. “Oh goodness me!” She giggled. “Haha, cooking was never one of my strengths, I always ended up burning things or forgetting I had something else cooking! It embarrasses me to say I once ended up setting ice cream on fire…luckily with Asha here, she’s been helping me keep the cooking and baking from becoming a disaster, albeit a magical one, haha!” Asha opened the stove after a little ding, she placed on some oven mitts and took out a tray of fresh cookies, they had little chocolate chips and bits of raisin in them. She placed them on the nearby counter, the sound making Star and Valentino immediately look over and jump down from the sofa as the smell reached them. “It’s no big deal, Fairy Godmother.” Asha smiled, removing the oven mitts and putting them back on the rack. “I just love to help! And when it comes to baking, I’ve really grown fond of it! My friend Dahlia is the best baker I’ve ever known, seriously! She’s taught me a lot about it and her cookies are just like heaven, hahaha! Ahh, baking is an art…” She stopped when she noticed Golden, Fairy Godmother, Star and Valentino all looking at her, the latter two giving a mischievous side eye to one another as Asha blushed deeply. The fairy in training chuckled softly, trying to brush aside her bashfulness and casually pushing some of her braids behind her head. The cookies soon cooled, Asha piled a few of them onto a plate and carried them over to Golden and placed them on the table, Star taking a big bite out of the one it had taken. The Fairy Godmother had also brought over the meal she had finished making for Golden, who had finally gotten her appetite back, now feeling refreshed and relaxed. “Thank you, Fairy Godmother.” She said, taking a spoonful of the warm food and savouring its sweet flavour. “This is so yummy! It’s just what I needed, and these pyjamas are so cosy, I love the colour!” She felt Valentino push his head under her arm, nuzzling against her jammies and laying on her lap. “Naturally cosy! My mother’s wool is the best for providing an outfit of the greatest in feel and fabulousness, just ask Star and I!” As Golden continued to eat, she felt a little more at home, and began to try and push her troubles out of her mind a bit, though of course a thousand questions were still plaguing her mind. And despite it being only midday, after her meal, the Fairy Godmother led her to one of her guest rooms on the second floor. They passed paintings of old, depictions of many apprentices before Asha, and even some of Cinderella, and a small one of Sofia! Golden stared at each and every one, looking at how they were painted, and saw a small twinkle in the Fairy Godmother’s eye. “Who painted all these?” she asked, the Fairy Godmother smiling. “I did. I learned a great deal about art and craft, since it comes with being a fairy godmother. And Asha already knows a great deal too, so we often spend our afternoons painting or sketching together. She’s very good at drawing people, maybe you two should draw together!” she rambled slightly, chuckling when she caught herself as they finished ascending the stairs, which were lined with gold banisters and marble that reflected a thousand Goldens back at her. They entered one of the doors along a long hallway, where a small room was set up with a large window, looking out across the forest, blue and gold curtains, and a bed with small blue drapes, reminding Golden of Cinderella and the pictures Yen Sid had shown her, as well as her encounter with the princess not long prior. The room seemed to come to life before her eyes with magic, the bedsheets being drawn back by magic to allow the little girl to clamber in, and the curtains falling shut as naturally as a feather, leaving the room in darkness. Apart from that, Golden could see a fireplace with several trinkets atop it, and even in the darkness, the room had a painting of several creatures, fawns, doves, peacocks, all basking around a pond of lotuses, whilst a grandiose palace was sighted in the distance, and a crystal cave not far beyond. Golden found herself staring at it as she fell asleep, what she wouldn’t give to explore a castle such as that, and yet she prided herself that she hadn’t fallen for Vor’s manipulation all that time ago. And so, even if she struggled now, she remembered just how much she’d accomplished thus far, and hoped this would all come to pass, even though her heart still felt heavy with the weight of rejection. With a final sigh, she fell asleep, and the Fairy Godmother closed the door, walking down to find Asha was now scribbling in her journal, and chuckling when she noticed a pile of raisins sitting on Golden’s plate…clearly the little girl had discreetly picked them out! As the older woman descended the stairs, she gave her young student a nod. “Asha? Why don’t you get changed out of your student outfit for now? I’m going to talk to Yen Sid, so I’ll be getting changed myself, and we wouldn’t want you all smeared in graphite!” she joked, Asha nodding and brushing some of her braids behind her head. “Alright! I’ll just be a minute!”

Soon, both of them came out in their respective outfits, the Fairy Godmother wearing a cloak similar to her usual, but with the council’s white and blue diamond pattern, whilst Asha was wearing a turquoise pinafore, with a blue shirt underneath and some tights, a little different to her usual style, but the Fairy Godmother enjoyed crafting her different outfits, as was her specialty! And as the Fairy Godmother departed, she turned to Asha, gently putting both hands on the girl’s freckled cheeks, causing them both to chuckle. “Child, I won’t be long. I’ll return in two hours at most, and I’ll have Yen Sid in tow. If Golden wakes up, take care of her, won’t you?” She smiled, Asha nodding warmly, and giggling a little as the Fairy Godmother’s hands were very warm. “I will! You can count on me!” she playfully saluted, the Fairy Godmother smiling as she stepped away. “I always do, my dear apprentice. See you soon!” she cheerily waved, walking away with little more than a small bag over her shoulders, as Asha waved her off, Valentino also yelling goodbye in the loudest voice he could muster, and Star having to shush him as it waved to make sure they didn’t wake Golden up.

One thirty PM, Golden’s eyes opened up slowly, still heavy from the sleep she had just shifted from. She tried to sit up, but was still rather tired and groggy. She felt like she had slept for hours, though the day was just beginning. “Ohh…if only…all that happened this morning was just a dream…” She mumbled softly and sadly to herself, pushing off the bed sheets that adorned elaborate and  “I guess I could…play with Star for a bit…Oh, I wonder what Asha’s up too…” Golden trundled over to the door, eyes half open as she returned to looking at the beautiful portraits in the room, the scenes depicting moments of beauty of a forest filled with animals, fairies, running rivers, how calm it all was. How she so wished to be in a world like that. Going through the hall and descending the stairs, Golden spotted Asha in the main sitting room, tapping her wand in her palm as a way to activate it to work, sprinkling stardust across the room which flew into the air, causing Valentino to try and catch it in his mouth. “Mm, Asha?” The young girl said quietly, her eyes still adjusting to the daylight. Hearing her name, Asha turned to see Golden. “Ahh, you’re up!” She said smiling. “Did you sleep okay? Fairy Godmother left a little while ago, I guess she was expecting you to be asleep for a little while longer.” Golden reached the bottom of the stairs, Star floating over to her and checking her over, hoping she was feeling a lot better. Golden held out her hand, letting Star plop itself onto her palm. “Oh, alright…” She said, gently petting Star affectionately. “I hope dad won’t be angry with her…” Asha could see Golden was still a bit unhappy, glancing down at Valentino, who leaned his head toward Golden to encourage Asha to try something for her, the fairy in training winked and gave her wand another quick tap on her hand. “Aww, I’m sure he won’t be!” She grinned positively. “Fairy Godmother is pretty persuasive, and never lets anything stop her, even grumpy sorcerers like your dad!” She giggled as she stated that, which was enough to get Golden to smile a little, Star too also smiled, giving Golden its signature nose boop as it flew back over to Asha. “Hey Golden?” She continued. “I’ve an idea that’ll cheer you up; let’s show each other some of our magic spells! I’ve been practising for days to try and get a certain spell right, I think I’ve managed to master it…” Golden lifted her head slightly, she felt intrigued by the idea, it wasn’t often she’d get to watch Asha in action when it comes to magic, she knew very well the older girl was very passionate about her magic skills and practices, which also extended to her singing and her artistic talents, she reminded Golden very much of Scout in a way. “Okay, why don’t you go first, Asha?” Golden offered, taking a seat on a plush, lilac stool adorned with little star patterns. “I wanna see what you can do!” Asha bounced on her toes, almost giddy with excitement to show off her magic, she calmed down a little to try and focus her mind and get into the zone of spellcasting. “Alright then…see this flower?” Asha smiled as she went to get a small pot, containing rosemary flowers. She set it on the table directly in front of Golden. “I’m gonna try something with these flowers. It’s a little tricky, but I think I got the hang of it…” Asha gave a smirk as she gave her wand a quick flick, several sparkles fell from the tip as it lit up. “Valentino, drum roll please!” Valentino answered by rapidly tapping his hooves on the stone tile floor as Asha prepared her spell, aiming it at the pot of flowers, she focused her eyes on it, like it was her mission to succeed with the magic spell. “Bibbidi…bobbidi…BOOM!” A burst of bright light suddenly shot out of the wand, and began zooming around the room at high speed, bouncing off the walls and household objects like a pinball. “Oh no! I said the spell wrong!” Asha cried as she ducked to avoid getting hit by the spell, which was bouncing around out of control. Valentino also ducked his head as it whizzed past him and quickly jumped into Golden’s arms for safety. The magical missile finally came to a finish when it smacked straight into Star, forcing it to fall backwards in a spin. “STAR! Oh, I’m really sorry!” Ashe cried, startled at seeing her little friend get hit. “Are you alright? I didn’t mean to do that, really!” Star shook its little head, shaking off several bits of stardust. Despite the hit, it appeared okay and gave Asha a reassuring smile. More stardust suddenly fell from Star as it began to shake involuntarily, it gave a confused look as a small glow suddenly emitted from it. “Star…? What is it?” Asha’s question was answered within the second she asked, Star all of a sudden burst into a large size, about the size of a full grown horse, the new sheer size of Star almost knocked Asha off her feet, but she landed on the sofa next to Golden, who’s eyes were sparkling with astonishment as she and Asha gaped like a pair of amazed fish. “WOAH!! Star you’re huuuge!” Golden cried in delight, jumping up from her seat and letting Valentino hop down, who looked just amazed at the girls. “Not fair!” The goat kid moaned, stomping one of his forelegs. “I want to be big too! Asha, what was that spell? Can you do it again?” Asha got up, not so subtly putting her wand in her pocket to avoid another spell potentially going rogue. She approached Star and inspected it, just to make sure it wasn’t at all injured. “Woah…haha! I didn’t expect this to happen!” She giggled, patting Star on his cheek gently, which felt warm and soft. “I guess that’s what one can call…a starburst?” Star gave a little squeaky giggle and all of a sudden and without warning pulled Asha, Golden and Valentino into a tight bear hug, it’s stubby arms now big enough to wrap all the way around them. Still as soft and squishy as before, the three of them all sank against Star’s round form, like a bed made of marshmallow. “Ahaha! Okay, okay!” Golden laughed, kicking her legs under Star’s arm. “Now you know what it's like to hug people like we do!” Asha and Valentino managed to squeeze out from under Star while Golden remained squished against it, almost imprinting her whole self into her celestial friend and making an indent while wiggling in it’s grasp playfully. Within that moment, the spell wore off and Star soon shrank back to its regular size, falling down in Golden’s hands as she caught it, giving it a little tickle for good measure. “Well, that was quite a fun spell!” Golden chuckled. “Okay, it wasn’t your intentional spell, but still, it was fun!” Asha giggled, her cheeks going a little darker as she pulled her braids forward, gently stroking them between her fingers. “Hehehe…I guess I still have a bit more to learn!” She blushed. “That’s Fairy Godmother’s signature spell. It’s meant to transform one object into another. She perfected the spell herself and I really hope I can perform it the way she does.” Golden gently petted Star once more before sitting it on top of Valentino’s head, stroking the young goat’s ears as she turned back to Asha, eyeing her wand with curiosity as an idea came to her mind. “I think you’ve got it.” She said in a kind, soft voice. “Hmm…but I think you might have gotten a word wrong…Isn’t it bibbidi…um, bibbidi, bobbidi boo?” Asha’s eyes widened as well as her smile, she clutched at her wand and gave it another quick flick in her excitement. “OH! That’s what I missed…alright then, let’s try this once more. Valentino?” Asha prepared her spell once more as she focused her attention on the rosemary, Valentino’s little hooves again providing a little drum roll. Raising her arms, Asha swished them down, pointing her wand with precise movements. “Bibbidi, bobbidi, boo!” A gentle, airy light shot out of her wand’s tip, swirling delicately around the rosemary plant and transforming it into snowdrops. Asha almost leapt in the air with joy, Golden clapped for her, while Valentino and Star bleated and squeaked respectively for the achievement. “Bravo!” Golden cheered, “See? You’ve really gotten the hang of it, Asha!” Golden then laced her fingers today, cracking her joints as a small smirk adorned her face. “Now, you wanna see a spell by a master?” She quipped, Asha snorted humorously at Golden’s cheekiness, crossing her arms. “A master spell, you say?” She asked, lifting an eyebrow. “Well then, go ahead! You little show off.” Golden snickered at Asha’s sass, which she rarely showed off. Rolling up her sleeves, she rubbed her palms together, making them warm up. She gazed at the snowdrops, briefly admiring how pretty they were in the light of the windows, and hovered her hands over them, a delicate air of magic descended onto the petals. “Flamura…Fracturis…!” Before everyone’s very eyes, the snowdrop slowly began to crystallise, slowly turning into a beautiful figure like a stained glass. It shimmered in the light like a fresh crystal. Star lit up its face with a bright smile, completely amazed by the enchantment spell it had seen. Valentino too was amazed, though he was a tad disappointed he couldn’t sneak a bite of the snowdrops now. “Wow! That was AMAZING!!” Asha beamed, her eyes sparkling like a galaxy. “I’ve never heard of that spell. What did you do?” Golden smiled as she stood by the crystalised flower pot. “It’s a little trick I learned a while back, Uncle Ambrose gave me some tips to help me learn. It’s from the way you rub your hands together, if you can make enough heat in your palms, you can create a tiny flame, just barely visible to your eye, look, see?” Golden rubbed her hands together again, picking up a bit of speed as she did, creating a tiny white flame that glowed in the centre of her palm. “And then you can use it to make things like flowers morph, you can change its very essence with just your hands and mind. Oh, but never do it on living beings though, haha! Hehe…Uncle Ambrose said it’s a pretty good way to get rain to turn into sleet like crystal, and then crystal snow!” Golden felt proud she’d mastered the spell, especially since it was one she’d only been studying the day before, when she’d first sought guidance from Yen Sid and he’d come down with something… she tried not to feel sad whilst thinking about him, and turned to Asha, who still looked pretty amazed at what she’d just seen, gently tracing a finger over the stained glass and feeling how it felt a little warm, likely still cooling off from the fire. “That’s pretty incredible! I’ll have to ask the Fairy Godmother if we have any spells like it!” Asha giggled, before Star suddenly flew toward the clock, Valentino chasing after it with a small smile. “Ah, right-o Star! I see you pointing at the clock, and if my math skills are anywhere near as good as my vocabulary, the time is now exactly six minutes to four in the afternoon!” Valentino called, Golden and Asha looking at each other in slight confusion, time really had flown away with both Golden’s little nap and their spell practice… “Fairy Godmother isn’t back yet…” Golden mumbled, tugging at her pyjama sleeve slightly, Asha reaching a hand to reassure her. “Hmm, you’re right, she said she’d be two hours at most…” the teenager replied, touching one of her braids as she thought, a little nervous tic. “I suggest we go on a search! And as my mother always said, if someone falls, leave them!” Valentino chortled, Star giving it a disapproving shake of its little features, hands on hips as it flew over to Asha, indicating it was coming with. “You, mister, are staying right here. The house needs a big, strong goat to take care of it!” Asha smirked, Golden heading off to change into her robe and running up the stairs, past all those portraits… she heard Asha preparing downstairs, and quickly changed, folding up the pyjamas neatly, and looked at her backpack. They wouldn’t be gone long, so she decided to leave her things in the house for safekeeping, briefly looking into her backpack and pulling out that big photo, depicting all her friends and family. She stared at it for a moment, curling up a fist. “I’m coming to get you, dad. You, and everyone else. I promise, I’ll save you all.” she whispered, unsure why she felt the need to say this declaration aloud, but if it would reinstate her in the house, and make sure she got her family back, then it was a good thing to do. Breathing deeply, she put the picture safely back in, clipping her backpack and leaving it on the bed, and met Asha at the bottom of the stairs, the two of them heading out with Star as the kindly hatstand adjusted their travelling cloaks for them.

As they wandered through the snowy woods, Asha couldn’t help but admire how the afternoon sun was reflected off the branches of the fir trees, twinkling with the fallen powder as their footprints became a trail. “Asha…I’m a bit nervous.” Golden suddenly spoke, sticking close to Asha’s side as they headed toward the castle she would usually call home. “Hey, I’m sure it’s got a simple explanation! Maybe she was so busy having a date with Yen Sid that she forgot to come home?” Asha teased, Golden giggling at the thought of her flustered father whenever he was with Fairy Godmother. “I sure hope so, maybe she’s got him to dress up all nice in a tuxedo and they’re having tea and cakes?” Golden chortled, Star pulling out some yarn and quickly whipping up a bowtie, strutting around and making a stardust beard in order to resemble Yen Sid, waggling its little eyebrows in a rather flirtatious manner, which made both of them giggle. “Excuse YOU, no dates for you until you’re twenty!” Asha giggled, pulling Star down into her arms as the small creature pouted, looking jealous at the idea of having to wait so long whilst Asha could theoretically date anyone she wished now that she was a teenager. “We’ll be here if it gets tough though, right Star?” Asha smiled, Star squeaking enthusiastically and making a little yarn heart, giving it to Golden, who took it between her fingers gratefully and smiled. “Thanks Star…and Asha. You’ve been kind to me today.” she sighed, gently squeezing Asha’s hand and the older teen squeezing back. “You’re our friend, Golden. That’s what friends are for, to help each other.” Asha smiled, before gently lifting the girl up onto her shoulders to save her feet for a short while, Star perching on top of Asha’s head and making little shapes for the girl to guess with its stardust as they walked, to entertain her. And after an hour of walking, they finally made it to Yen Sid’s workshop, Asha knocking at the door. “Knock knock! Anyone in?” she called, Golden trying the door and to her absolute surprise, it swung open. “What…?” she whispered, nervously lacing her fingers together and Star settling on her shoulder, the house was incredibly quiet. No sounds of Yen Sid pacing his office or a flipping of pages, no music from Scout or Mum, no Oswald yapping into his camera…nothing. Percy wasn’t narrating something or other, Starlight and Mickey weren’t playing together, Julius wasn’t watching TV or snoozing…everything was dark, as if the residents had simply dissipated altogether, it almost reminded Golden of a show she’d seen Mickey watching once, where five people got into an elevator and were never seen again, transported to another dimension. “Fairy Godmother? Yen Sid?” Asha called, Golden soon joined in as Star zipped into each corner, lighting up the halls and flying all the way up to the ceiling, but there was nobody, not even Aero…where had they all gone?! “I-I can’t find anyone…no Scout, no Mickey…no Dad…hello???” Golden tried calling one last time, Asha getting down on one knee and looking at her with a serious expression. “Golden, I don’t mean to alarm you…but there's nobody here.” Asha quietly spoke, Golden looking fretful as her fears were confirmed. “But how?! Where would they be…where could they have gone…why would they leave? Fairy Godmother was meant to meet dad here, we should’ve been practicing potions and spells…aaah!” the little girl suddenly glitched, Asha drawing back, it didn’t harm her, but it felt a bit funny. “Goldie, shh…” Asha coaxed, tracing a hand down the little girl’s cheek, Golden taking her other one as Star moved onto her head, patting her hair in an attempt to help her calm down. “It’ll be okay…but maybe we should inform the council, they’ll know what to do.” Asha suggested, Golden thinking hard. “If something’s happened to them all, I’ll get whoever’s done this! I won’t rest until they’re defeated!” she declared, almost growling in anger, but it was mainly her child brain in panic mode, declaring herself a hero despite the fact she felt too small to do anything in reality. She was the youngest after all, always in a catastrophe, always needing protection…what sort of hero was she? The glum thoughts began to cloud her mind as she clambered upstairs to the Observatory, noticing Yen Sid’s map had fallen off the wall…even when she put it back, it wouldn’t track anyone, making her suspicious. “Weird…” she muttered, before seeing the muse floating on its stand. “Hello again, old friend.” she chirped, though it was a weak attempt at being cheery. “Last time I had you, we went to some pretty cool places, even if it was a bit scary. And now I need you to help me again.” she continued, whispering to the ball as if it could hear her, she felt a bit silly but also needed a friend, she didn’t even have Mr Tiger to cling to at the moment. Reaching Asha, she looked up at her and held out her hand. “Ready? Star, hang on to my shoulder.” Golden practically commanded, Asha taking her hand and the three of them being whisked away in a flurry of light. “Take us to the Council of Wizards!”

Upon arrival, the muse transported them to a temple-like building, gold lining the edges of the white walls and marbled floors, reflecting the trio back at them. Golden was the first to brush off the after-effects of teleportation, having become used to it by now due to her glitch, and Asha and Star quickly recovered too, leaving Golden to gently hold the muse and everyone to get their bearings. It seemed they’d arrived in the council’s teleportation deck, inside a small pod that would automatically open up for them. The council was ingenious in this way, anything that was thought of was immediately accommodated for, whether it be an indoor and outdoor teleportation station, a library with thousands, if not millions of books, and enough teaching facilities to hold ten times the amount of children under their care. The council was almost always expanding in some way, there was so much to discover within its walls, and Golden didn’t go very often, only when Yen Sid had something minor to do and she’d be clinging to him, for instance, she wouldn’t follow him to meetings and would instead be minded by the broomies. The memory made her smile a little, she remembered eating all the ice cream one night whilst he was out and the broomies panicking, her tummy had not appreciated that decision the next day, but it did teach her consequences and responsibility, which were fundamental for a sorcerer… her thoughts drifted back to Mirai’s words, and she almost got stuck thinking, until the pod opened like a flower, allowing them all to leave once their decompression from teleporting had ended. “Phew, we’re here!” Asha grinned, pulling down the hood of her cloak and pushing her braids behind her head, Golden doing the same and feeling how her hair was sticking out as usual, flicked out at the ends just as it always did. “Yeah…let’s go find someone to help!” Goldie spoke up, Star pointing to a door that led them out toward the main halls. The colour change was a stark contrast, the main area was darker and had wooden floors, likely due to being used as a school area, and indeed, there were many children about, and some parents too, all in their uniformed white and blue. Golden stared at them all, all of them had been taken in by the council for various reasons, and the council refused to deny anyone a home, as long as they would atone for any past mistakes and uphold the values of a sorcerer, they were thus welcome within its walls. Golden watched as a little girl with a pacifier stared up at her, large eyes looking up toward her in curiosity, and she gave a shy wave, the little girl being approached by her mother and picked up dotingly, a sight that almost felt like a sword twisting itself through Golden’s heart. However, whilst she was gazing down at the others, Asha had noticed someone familiar, and Star gently squeaked to get her attention, drawing her out of her mind a little. “There, look!” Asha called, the two of them noticing Merlin wandering through the halls. “Ah, Merlin!” Golden yelled, dashing down the stairs and barely holding the banister, the old wizard finding himself holding several books he needed to return to the library and almost dropping them in surprise, peeking round past them and levitating them all so he could adjust his glasses. “What?! Who?! Why?! Oh, ah, ohhh! It’s you!” he chuckled, his beard getting a little stuck in one of the books and needing to be pulled out, so for a moment the wizard took on an appearance of a rather frazzled white dandelion, though he quickly brushed himself down. “Why are you here, little Golden? Ol’ Yen Sid need something? A trim? A book? Goodness knows I’m your man!” he proclaimed, Golden finding it hard to stay sorrowful when presented with such an amusing sight and giggling slightly behind her hand. “No, um, it’s actually bad news…” she admitted, looking down at her feet slightly as some of the council children tried to listen in, Merlin raising an eyebrow at them all, and then noticing Asha and Star had come up beside her. “Ah, you two are here too, that’s rather unusual. Now, hold on just a moment.” he smirked, pulling out a large megaphone from nowhere and the council children all scattering. “Will all whippersnappers in the vicinity kindly vacate the area, or I’ll give you all double, no, TRIPLE homework!” he yelled, Golden quickly covering her ears, Asha following and Star diving into Asha’s cloak, all of them startled by the noise but it was indeed effective, as most of the prying council kids ran off, whilst those too young to understand were just amused, giggling at the old sorcerer’s little trick and clapping their hands enthusiastically, including that little girl from before. “Ahaha! Thank you, thank you. Now, you were saying?” he peered down at Golden once more, who laced her fingers together. “Um…Yen Sid, Fairy Godmother, everyone…they’ve all gone missing!” she blurted out, Merlin blinking and taking a second to process the information, before he jumped back. “They’re WHAT?! Oh, and on the one day Ambrose takes a day off, confound it! But I do have an idea, oh yes!” he started mumbling, flipping open one of his books and pointing a finger over certain words, Star and Asha exchanging glances at the eccentric wizard and certain they were thinking the exact same thing. “Alright, Asha, Star! You two, come with me. And you, little Golden? Please, stay here for just a few minutes.” Merlin commanded, Golden almost wanting to complain that they were leaving her out of something so important, but unable to quite bring herself to argue. As she rubbed one of her eyes, it occurred to her that she was still quite drained even after her nap, walking for an hour and using up magical energy with the muse’s teleportation was a little tiring. “Oh, if you’d like to rest, there’s a small area just behind that curtain. We won’t be long, tally-ho!” Merlin pointed, already wandering off and Asha and Star followed behind, trying to keep up with him. Meanwhile, Golden noticed the red curtain, which moved as if by, well, magic, moving aside to let her in. She walked through the doorway, feeling slightly peeved that she wasn’t allowed to join in and help, but noticed the room was deserted, the curtain gently fluttering down to grant her some privacy. There was little more than a few chairs, but the floor was carpeted, it seemed the council almost constructed each room without coherence, as if each room was its own little dimension, but yet all fitting together like puzzle pieces, ingenious design. She wandered around, seeing some portraits on the wall, a few paintings of birds, including a particularly beautiful one of two lovebirds, locked in an embrace, reminding her of their family crest. Moving to the other end of the room, there were more portraits, paintings of past cohorts, including a small pen sketch of Yen Sid, Ambrose and Vidor as boys, dated as Christmas Day nearly 300 years ago. And in the center of everything, there was a large portrait, framed in gold and encrusted with little orange gems. Master Grey, his likeness perfectly captured within the artwork, beard long, robes pressed, but with an unmistakable kindness in his eyes. She looked down at the plaque. “Master A. Grey-Symphonus. Co-founder of the council and teacher of over 50 apprentices. Dearly beloved father, caretaker, and sorcerer, forever in our hearts.” she read aloud, tracing a finger over the inscription of the last name they shared. “I…I’m a Symphonus too, Master…or I was.” a sob clogged her throat, it seemed silly to talk to the portrait, but she was alone, and needed to process her thoughts, so this was the best way. “I wish I could see them again… Mum, Dad…Starlight, and Mickey, I miss them…I miss them so much…” She couldn’t speak for want of crying again, sniffling and trying to avoid the tears, though they felt like an inevitable flood, just waiting for the dam to spill over, the chalice to crack ever-so-slightly, letting out one drop, then a hundred, then a hundred thousand. “They don’t like me anymore… they…they said mean things…and they think I’m a burden…” she hissed, her lips trembling with restrained cries, “Why do they all hate me? What did I do wrong…?” she finally burst into tears, literally falling to her knees in front of the portrait and crying into them against the wall, making herself small. For a few moments, she just stayed like that, staining her red robes with tears as her cheeks became flushed, crying like a baby as she’d once again lost a family, was she really destined to always end up alone, or in the hands of evil? A sudden feeling startled her, though, as a soft, wispy presence filled the room, a sunbeam streaming through a small gap in the drawn curtains, Golden feeling it and turning around. “Child.” a voice spoke, but she couldn’t see anyone, at least not for a moment. She hastily got to her feet, trying to wipe her eyes in case someone had seen her sobbing, feeling a little embarrassed to be caught like a deer in headlights. She looked all around the small chamber, but there was nobody… “who’s there?” She spoke, putting her mouth under her robes and talking in a small voice, a little intimidated by the presence since she felt vulnerable at the moment, and didn’t particularly want to be interrogated about her tears. Sniffling, she looked around once again, and slowly, something came into view. First, an orange robe, a deeper orange tunic atop it, and then the hat, that unmarked hat he’d had since he was young, before he was a Symphonus…slowly, the beard and hair, and finally, Master Grey’s face appeared before her, his translucent form staring down at her with a pitying eye. “It is I. Surely you remember me? I have heard you say several…unorthodox things about me, including a particular nickname?” he teased, Golden realizing just what he meant and going crimson. “I’ll let you off with a warning for now. You are clearly distressed, whatever has happened? You mentioned your father…?” he inquired, bending down on one knee as if it was nothing, despite the fact in life he had lived to over 900. Golden sniffled, wiping a stray tear with her fist, trying to deny anything was wrong. “Nothin…” she murmured, Master Grey giving her his signature glare, the stern one she’d seen in the memory spells and Yen Sid’s portrait alike, clearly Yen Sid had inherited more than just his last name from his teacher! “Don’t you “nothing” me, little sorcerer! I’ve watched you and your father for a long time, I know you’re lying straight to my face.” he spoke, very matter-of-fact, but could see she was about to crumble right in front of his eyes, and gently held out his hand. Upon taking it, he pulled her into an embrace, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder, where she fit quite comfortably due to her size. “Do you remember your three fundamentals, Golden?” he spoke, Golden raising her head slightly to look up at him, uncertain as to why she might need to know them at a time like this, but there was a twinkle in his eye, so she sniffled and nodded. “Knowledge…understanding, and a-application.” she recited, Master Grey looking pleased, and reaching one of his hands to wipe away another one of her tears. “Good. But clearly you weren’t paying full attention in class…you’ve missed one.” he smirked, Golden balling up her fists, feeling conflicted as to whether she was being comforted or lectured, or even teased, the thought of being jeered at as she cried reminded her of Maleficent and the Evil Queen, how they’d been cackling like harpies when she was whipped senseless by the Coachman, and at only eight years old. “There’s only three, like you said! You’re not making sense!” she pouted, Master Grey having to suppress a little chuckle. “You’re completely incorrect there. You’ve missed the most important fundamental of all. It drives us, compels us to exist, it is why we are on this earth to learn and to teach…” he mused, Golden curling her fists. “Then what is that, Mr Know-It-All?!” she retorted, Master Grey giving a small smile and picking her up, sitting down with her on his lap on the nearby chair. Ghost physics were a little odd, since they had a glimmer of corporealism, and some ghost sorcerers could even do magic and traverse between realms that only the dead could access. “It is love, my little granddaughter. We are on this earth to love and to be loved, and that is what you must remember. Love is the fundamental thing everyone needs to survive. Without love, there is just a void in your heart, a coldness in your soul. And that is where evil festers- where love dies.” he spoke, Golden looking up at him and the wisdom in his old eyes, they were so full of knowledge, and yet held that unmistakable kindness. “So…to get my family back, I just have to use what I know and keep loving them?” she asked, Master Grey raising an eyebrow. “I can’t say I know. But there are many types of love, and I have a feeling you’ll someday have them all. And I know that darkness will never enter that little heart of yours, you’re diametrically opposed to it, so you have to be a warrior of the light, and fight for everything that is good and true. That, little Golden Symphonus, is what you exist to do.” he smiled, before gently putting her down on the ground and giving her forehead a small kiss, and then disappearing in a small flurry of sparkles, leaving Golden alone to ponder what had just happened. And yet, somehow, she felt renewed, as if he’d reignited her hope, given her back her lost name…and that she’d gained a grandfather. 

Golden stood still almost like time had, like everything around her had completely frozen. She stared back at the portrait of Master Grey, not even realising her hand reaching out to it, her finger tips once again gently grazing the inscription on the bottom. She heard a distant echo, calling out to her as she stared into her grandfather’s eyes, the echo repeating the words he had told her about the four fundamentals, they seemed to stick in her mind like a vivid memory, and to her heart as well. Her name followed the echo, which grew louder and louder, eventually triggering a reaction that snapped her out of her thoughts. “Golden? Hey, Golden! Helloooo?” As if woken from a deep sleep, Golden blinked rapidly as she spun round, turning on her heel as Asha stood beside her, Star curiously watching from the teen’s shoulder. “Asha?” Golden muttered softly. “Sorry, I…kinda zoned out there.” Asha’s eyes looked up at the portrait in the room, her expression softening a little into a smile. She knew of how important Master Grey was, even more so to Golden. She took the younger’s hand, gently leading her out as Star slid down her arm to place itself on Golden’s shoulder. “No worries. C’mon, Merlin has gathered the sorcerers, the whole council is here!” Asha gleamed, tightening her other hand over her chest and pulling a few of her front braids forward. “I’ll admit it’s a little overwhelming…you can tell I don’t go to the council very often, ahehe…!” They ushered out of the room, back into the main hallway past a few more paintings, stone busts of many different sorcerers that had been part of the council, many of which still were there years after the place had been founded. A few desks surrounding the hall had a few young trainees sitting at them, many were gathering up papers and quills, putting them into folders to make a clear space on their desks. In the middle of the hall, Merlin stood by a cauldron, placed atop some cloves and sticks. He sprinkled in a powdery essence, which caused the top of the cauldron to bubble and steam, creating a sort of mist with a bright green hue. “Merlin?” Golden and Asha noticed a presence make himself known as he approached the cauldron, it was Master Fildor, one of the oldest and most well known members of the council. His short white hair and beard matched perfectly with robes, which were white and silver with blue trimmings. “Looks like everyone is gathered. Care to tell us what is going on?” He asked, Merlin adjusted his glasses to get a better look at him. “Well, I did tell you Fildor, there is a matter of most impotence afoot!” Merlin answered, wafting away some of the mist as if it were an annoying fly. “Or didn’t you hear me, old boy?” Fildor gave a soft huff, choosing not to follow through with Merlin’s cheeky quip about his age and instead took his side as another sorcerer came around the other, each of them now standing beside Merlin. “You did. But you didn’t explain what it was that was so important.” Fildor finished under his breath, a small smile adorning his lips for a moment. The other sorcerer, Master Elderflower, who watched as Merlin and Fildor bantered, stood silently for a moment as the mist from the cauldron grew larger. Elderflower also wore bright white robes, they were longer than Fildor’s, yet carried the same air of great experience and contrasted brilliantly with her dark skin. “I believe I know what is going on, Fildor.” She said, her eyes shifting to her left. “The students of Yen Sid, and Fairy Godmother are standing before us in the room.” Golden and Asha both saw the older master had noticed them and did not address them directly, making them both shrink a little. Golden hid slightly behind Asha, her small hands clasped tightly onto the back of her cloak. The two of them slowly made their way up to the cauldron, hoping to talk to Merlin, they stepped back a little upon seeing more council members had now gathered. “A meeting?” Said one of them, he was carrying something wrapped in a warm towel in his arms, Golden was curious about it and wanted to take a look, but it was too obscured. “Ahh, Pendragon!” Exclaimed Merlin. “About time I saw your face! You’ve been absent from the council for some time! I’ve had to cover some shifts…” Pendragon stiffened, his face flushing slightly, though it could have been from the towel. “Well, I’ve been busy, haven’t I?” He retorted. “Plus I needed some time off from realm jumping lag, as well as studying the eggs…” Eggs? Golden’s eyes lit up, those must have been the eggs of something large, they were just a little bit bigger than Starlight, and much more weighted from the looks of it. “Well, regardless…” Said Elderflower calmly. “It is good to see you again, Pendragon. Anyone else have something to say?” A hand shot up, it was another elderly woman sorcerer, her hair was light and wispy in comparison to Elderflower’s dark, midnight hair that was kept tied back. “Monroe?” Elderflower addressed the woman, beckoning her forward, Monroe approached them, a slight dance in her step. She was followed by a shorter figure, who was completely obscured by white robes, including her head. “Merlin…” Monroe uttered, smirking widely at him. “You call that a potion? You need to add some zazz and skadash to it! Look, it’s all smokey!” Merlin’s deadpan scowl could have cut through solid stone, he added another ingredient of chopped up blackthorn into the cauldron. “I’m not making soup, Monroe…” He sighed. Monroe hid behind a chuckle. “It might as well be, looks like one of those recipes you bring back from the future! Haha, I jest Merlin! You’re clearly a bit agitated, why the big frown?” Merlin’s eyes softened as he turned them toward Asha and Golden, now beckoning them over. “Young Asha here informed me that something is very amiss. And by that, I mean some of our own have disappeared.” Golden felt a chill and swallowed, her hands clutching onto Asha’s cloak once again, feeling fearful for her family and their whereabouts. “Papa…and the Fairy Godmother…and my brothers and sisters!” She spoke, a lump forming in her throat but trying to stay composed in front of all of the council, feeling a little overwhelmed by how tall and imposing they appeared. “Huh? How?” Said the figure in the hood, her face obscured until she began to pull it back, revealing a pair of fox ears atop her head, and the back of her dress suddenly lifting to reveal a bushy tail with a white tip. Golden gasped softly, she had never seen this sorcerer before, it was a surprise, but in a way not unexpected, given how her brothers were also animal toons. “Disappearing? Where would they go?” Ruby continued, nervously fiddling with the string tie around her robes. “And without telling any of the elders?” She spied Golden looking at her with wide eyes, the child almost obscured behind Asha and among the older sorcerers. She smiled and waved down at her. “Oh, hello there!” She chuckled sweetly. “You’re not new here, are you? Sorry, I haven’t kept up much! I’ve only been in this position for a little while.” Golden shuffled her feet forward, feeling a little braver as Star gave her a small nudge. “I’m Golden.” She answered meekly. “Yen Sid’s daughter…i-it’s a pleasure to meet you. Um…where’s my daddy? And my siblings?” Her question was soon answered, the mist from the cauldron began to shapeshift, it began to project an image, which started to move and become alive, small figures danced along the wispy phenomenon. “Show us where Yen Sid and his cohort are.” Merlin spoke, the mist responded, it was much like the Beast’s mirror, creating a view of the person in question. Once the image began to clear up, all eyes were on it, it was a mountainside, or at least a steep, upward cliff shrouded in fog. It was daylight, and several figures could be made out from the fog’s blurriness. Merlin adjusted his glasses, peering at the image along with Fildor and Elderflower, the former looking a little alarmed. “Yen Sid? That’s not him, surely?” He said, his eyes fixed on the sorcerer in blue, who wasn’t alone, another figure in blue was beside him, walking uphill at the same slow pace. “Fairy Godmother?” Asha uttered, covering her mouth as a small gasp escaped her, Star squeaked worriedly as it sat itself on Golden’s shoulder. “Wait…may I take a better look?” Golden asked, her voice barely audible, but Ruby kindly stepped aside to let her go in her place, ensuring Golden could see the screen. Golden felt she needed to blink a few times to clear her vision and make sure her view was crystal clear. “Wait, is that…” Asha noted the nervousness in Golden's voice, almost increasing each time she spoke. “Golden, what is it?” She asked. “Do you know where they are?” Golden wanted to shout the answer, it bubbled in her throat like hot water as her fears spiked, once the image panned to what Yen Sid and Fairygodmother, and now the rest of her family that had appeared behind them, were making their way toward, her worries all came true all at once. “I KNOW THAT PLACE!!” Golden’s voice echoed off the walls as she shouted, immediately hushing herself afterware, with Star clamping its tiny hands over her mouth before letting her speak again. “We need…we need to go fast! They’re in danger! That’s the evil fairy lady’s fortress!!” There was an ushering of voices, many of them were drowned out as Golden zoned out, her mind racing with a hundred thoughts. She spotted Scout in the projection, who looked sluggish as she ascended the mountain, it pained Golden that she couldn’t dive inside the mist and pull them out, where they’d all be safe and sound. “Just a moment, my dear. I know you’re worried, we all are.” Merlin told her, in the calmest voice he could, considering what was going on, his two closest friends were heading straight into danger. “We will need to formulate a plan, we have everyone here apart from the Blue Fairy, and Ambrose is off work today…hmm, could really do with him here right now.” No sooner had he spoken had a twinkle lit up the room, transforming into the Blue Fairy, her wand in hand, her expression calm and serene. “Oh, and speaking of!” Asha smiled, relieved to see her. “You’re here, Miss Blue Fairy! Something is going on and it is CRAZY!” The young student’s smile faded slightly as she started to play with her hair, her eyes shifting back to the mist where she could just see the Fairy Godmother, who was helping Yen Sid, who looked a little fatigued. The Blue Fairy approached the crowd of sorcerers. “I am aware of what’s happening, child.” She said to Asha, gently touching her shoulder to ease her. “In fact, I overheard everything, Merlin. And fret not, Ambrose has been informed. He will be arriving as soon as he can.” Merlin gave her a thankful nod, and finally put an end to the spell and dispersed the mist, knowing what they knew now, it wasn’t worth keeping it and further frightening the younger members. “What’s the plan then?” Asked Monroe, crossing her arms in thought. “Bring the storm to those sinister foes?” Merlin shook his head, though he wasn’t completely opposed to the idea, knowing how straightforward Monroe always was. “I like your thinking,” He told her. “...but I’m afraid there’s something more underfoot here. You saw how they all looked in that projection, I’ve a very, very bad feeling about this.” Ruby gulped and brought her bushy tail up to her chest, using it like a comfort object and running her fingers through it. “Bad feeling? How so?” She asked. Merlin’s look gave a dreadful air. “They’ve been cursed.” He said, not sugarcoating it. “If we band together and combine our magic, I’m certain we could all find a chance to break it!” The very word caused Golden to freeze, Asha almost lost her footing, her thoughts immediately turned to think of what had happened to one of her friends, Simon, before. “Curse?!” They both cried in unison. Merlin continued. “Most definitely, I recognised it by their movements, but it seemed…a little more unusual. But have no doubt, my dears; this is a very dark curse we are dealing with. It’s been more than a millennia since it had been put to use by such evil.” His words made Elderflower and Fildor ponder, the furthest part of the library contained a section of dark magic and accounts of evil in the past, but no one was allowed entry without the escort of one of the elders like themselves, for safety precautions. It wouldn’t be possible for anyone to have reached the area without their notice, surely not…but their own worries began to build, worries they needed to shrug off for the sake of the present issue. “Well, if it is a curse this terrible…” Spoke Elderflower bluntly, “Then we mustn’t waste time. Plan or no plan, with all of us here, we’ll take whoever is behind this down a level. We are the Council of Sorcerers, we’ve been unmatched since the founding, and we’ve witnessed great magic put a stop to evil before…” Her eyes moved to Fildor, whose stare back at her was full of memories from long ago. “Mm, let’s go.” He said in a quiet tone. “Let’s rescue our allies, we’ll bring them back, and end this act of unspeakable evil. Remember to stay calm and focused everyone, and keep your guard up. This might be difficult, but we have each other’s back at all times. Sorcerers, move out.” From out of Golden’s robe pocket, the muse floated out and drifted to the middle of where all the sorcerers were assembled, with Yen Sid and everyone in their minds, the muse gathered the information it needed to take them, following its guiding lead, the whole council teleported away in a flash like white lightning, where they were greeted by the cold breeze of the mountain beneath the formidable fortress. 

Upon arrival, Golden couldn’t help but gulp as she sighted the fortress, which was now high atop a mountain, the same mountain Chernabog had summoned in their previous fight at this location, and she silently curled her fists, both nervous and anticipating whatever was to come. The council had her back, they always protected others and were there for them, it was what they were founded upon, and so she had faith in them to get her through this ordeal, even despite the fact she was still full of anxiety. And it couldn’t be helped either, considering even the adults around her were on edge, and being the littlest, she still noticed these feelings and tried to stick close to Asha, holding her hand as they looked up the mountain and surveyed their surroundings. She thought she spied something behind the mountain, but couldn’t quite see it in the shadows cast by the large looming structure, so she tried to ignore the nagging feeling inside and instead replaced it with determination, remembering Master Grey’s words and the importance of finding her family, and getting them all home, no matter the cost. A squeak snapped her out of her thoughts, Star was buzzing around her face, and drew a ring in front of her, pointing to a certain part of the mountain. “You’ve seen them?!” Golden gasped, Star nodding and miming walking up, indicating they had to move fast if they were to rescue them. Taking the muse into her hands, Golden kept a hold on Asha. “Come on!” she yelled, as the magic surrounded them, Merlin almost reaching out to stop her before only the twinkles of the muse were left. “Confound it! Golden Symphonus, get back here!” He crowded, but his call went unheard as she teleported halfway up the mountain, Asha being dragged along with her and Star creating a trail to show the rest of the council where to go, who were all a little slower due to being much older than the energetic kid. As soon as they arrived halfway up, they were greeted by a rather terrifying sight- there was her family, but they were slouched, lifeless, almost like zombies. Golden felt the colour drain from her face as one of her hands involuntarily glitched at the sight. “Papa…? Mama…?” she whispered under her breath, seeing them leading the group. There was Percy, head down, so much so that his hat might slide off if he wasn’t careful, and her brothers were all pulling each other along, as if it took their entire strength to climb, which wouldn’t surprise Golden considering how rocky and unstable the terrain was. She wondered if they’d walked the entire way here, and dreaded to think of the blisters that would cause, but tried to shake off her anxieties. “Golden?! What were you thinking?” Asha demanded, grabbing her wrist and keeping the little girl close to her, trying to prevent her from going any closer. “I just wanted to see them…! We have to get them to listen to us, please!” she begged, clinging tightly to Asha’s dress as the older girl looked down sympathetically, but felt worried herself at the sight of her mentor Fairy Godmother looking so limp and lifeless. “Are you sure we can wake them?” she whispered softly, Golden nodding with a fire in her eyes. “I’m sure! We just gotta remind them how much they love us, right?” she smiled, Asha feeling the infectious optimism and nodding, regaining some of her confidence. “Alright then. Let’s get to it!” she cheered, the two weaving amongst the sluggish family members until they finally got to Yen Sid, who had his head down and eyes lacking their little light that he was so known for. “Dad?! Dad, are you alright?” she cried, trying to reach for his hand, but he didn’t move to clasp his around hers, leaving her to essentially be pulled along, letting go of Asha to keep her balance. Yen Sid shifted slightly, looking down at the little girl holding his hand with a stern eye, though not without confusion. “Who…who are you?” he mumbled, Golden feeling her face drop, almost comically, though it went pale at the same time. “What?! It’s me, your daughter? Lunula? Don’t be weird!” she pouted, Yen Sid looking undisturbed by her words and simply staring blankly, though there was a hint of puzzlement in his eyes, as if he was trying to put everything together, but was missing a fundamental piece. “Why don’t you remember me? Dad, look around!” she persisted, but Yen Sid just stared. “Dad…? I don’t have children, little girl.” he replied, flatness in his tone that made her shiver slightly. “Oh, come on! Do I have to list off every kid you have?!” she replied sarcastically, Yen Sid simply raising an eyebrow, Golden resisting an eye twitch at the thought of how confusing and irritating this situation was, though deep inside feeling a new fear begin, the fear of being forgotten. Oswald often discussed it; she'd sometimes hear him talking into his video camera late at night, or talking to Yen Sid or Percy about it when he was really stressed, and Golden couldn’t imagine feeling so lonely and lost without anyone…it made her shiver. “I live alone in my workshop, little girl,” he continued, “I haven’t had any apprentices. I’m likely the loneliest man alive…” he dryly chuckled, but there was a hint of sorrow, and she held his hand tighter, even when he tried to shake her off gently. She got the sense he didn’t want to harm her, but he was being stern, so she tried to reason with him. “Dad, listen to yourself! You’ve had so many kids! Like Dawn, the best inventor ever, Percy the silly light man who we all love, Julius who bumped his head when you found him, Mickey who you taught about the keyblade and who made all the broomies come alive, Oswald who has all his bunny children and makes those silly vlog things, Scout who makes the most amazing music in the entire world, and me! Remember us?!” she tried, noticing a small light appearing in Yen Sid’s eyes, as if something small was slowly coming back to him. “I…I…” he stammered, feeling a headache begin anew, and it felt as if his mind was fogging over, like breath on a mirror. “I…I never had children, I never will! Now move it, I’m going!” he roughly shoved her back, Golden almost stumbling on some rocks but managing to keep her balance, only sliding slightly. She turned, Asha was doing her best to reason with the Fairy Godmother, but the older woman looked unusually stiff-lipped, and she could see how frustrated and nervous alike Asha was getting, stroking several of her braids at once as she tried to talk to her, but was getting nothing. Golden watched as the fortress doors began to come into view at the top of the incline, and nearly growled at the sight, moving up to Yen Sid’s side once again, though he was now frowning at her. “What’s even up there, old man?! Care to tell me?” she retorted, Yen Sid rolling his eyes at the petulant child and glaring down at her. “I’m compelled to go to it. It’s none of your business, little girl.” he practically spat, Golden curling her fists. “It’s every bit of my business, DAD, and I’m going to destroy whatever’s in there!” she growled, turning to Asha as the older teen registered just what the little girl was planning. “Asha, take care of them! I’m going up there to give them a piece of my mind!” she yelled, storming up toward the doors as she kicked any rocks out of her way, looking like a ball of rage as she stomped up the incline, even faster than any of the other members of her family. Despite Asha’s attempt to grab her wrist, Golden shook her off and continued upward, feeling a multitude of things all at once- fear, sorrow, but mostly, pure unbridled rage. She felt a pathway with her glitch that took her right up to the doors, so she glitched, saving some strength for whatever foe she’d confront and marching right up to the double doors. And with a deep breath, she put both hands flat against the wooden panels, steeling herself and gritting her teeth. With every ounce of power in her body, she flung them open, stepping into the fortress and staring at the shadows beyond. “Who’s in here, and what the hell do you want with my family?!”

For a second, it was silent, and Golden’s eyes darted around, sighting several dancing shadows in the lowly lit abyss, almost like it was calling her, but she stood proud and tall, curling her fists and keeping her back straight as she stared down the darkness, awaiting whoever would make themselves known. There was a metallic sound against the floor, as if someone was dragging something, and it grated her ears, being rather loud and unexpected. “You know, there’s this little thing we civil people call knocking. Maybe you should try it sometime.” a familiar voice spoke, as a pair of glowing yellow eyes suddenly appeared in the darkness, Golden almost gasping but managing to keep herself from jolting in fear, simply standing up taller. “Vanitas! I knew it, show yourself!” she demanded, but instead he just cackled, and another voice joined him laughing from the other side of the darkness, Golden turning her head and feeling a chill down her spine, hearing as the same person began to slowly clap. “Congratulations. You want a medal? Or maybe a trophy? Take your pick, little prize.” Andrew spoke, Golden feeling goosebumps erupt on her skin, though neither of them showed themselves quite yet. “Oh, indeed, it’s nice to see that little bit of buried treasure hasn’t lost that sparkle…” a sinister voice continued, Golden immediately recognizing the voice and audibly gasping. “How are you…?!” she tried, she’d know Allura’s voice anywhere. “Oh, such a simple little mortal… so easy to destroy.” another person chimed in, Golden’s head now on a swivel, feeling her former confidence dry up as she recognized yet another villain from her past escapades. “You were…you were trapped!” she practically cried, feeling an involuntary sob clog her throat, though not from sorrow, but from fear. “Only a temporary tempo…” a final voice spoke up, Golden raising both hands to her chest as her heart began to faintly glow in fear, and a shimmer of green music flew out from the darkness, the girl glitching to avoid it. And then, out of the shadows, every single villain she’d faced appeared, Golden feeling herself drop to her knees. She knew it was over. From Vor, Forte, and Allura, to members of the Wicked Nine, Golden was confronted with pure darkness, and felt the little flame in her heart start to waver, like a candle in the wind. “What a shame…because of your stupidity, your family has to suffer! When they arrive, we’ll pick them off one by one, and you’ll be there to watch like a good little prisoner.” Vanitas smirked, picking his keyblade off the floor and balancing it on his shoulders, Golden gritting her teeth and turning around, though a small part of her didn’t want to take her eyes off the foes ahead of her, but also wanting to see her family were safe. As the tip of Yen Sid’s hat came into view, she felt her heart begin to pound, and turned back to Vanitas with such speed it was as if she was pulled by a magnet. “And I think I know who to start with, don’t you my sweet little apprentice?” he smirked at Andrew, who folded his arms, irritated. “Don’t call me that, you little sprog. But…yes. I think we start with that old coot. I’ll have fun recreating all the hell he put me through…how would your dear old papasid look as a pile of roaches?” he spoke, a sickly sweetness to his tone making Golden’s stomach do somersaults. Right as Golden was about to talk back, she was suddenly picked up from behind, by the collar of her robe, which almost felt suffocating, and she tried to wriggle free. “Hey!!!” she called, writhing round to see who had grabbed her, and to her shock and horror, it was none other than Yen Sid himself, holding her with a face hard as stone. “Wait, wait!” she cried, Vanitas and Andrew looking up at her with almost identical smirks, both looking satisfied at their plan and their intentions for the Symphonus family. And as Asha and the council stepped over the fortress threshold, any intention of saving them left their mind, and they fell under the curse, leaving Golden to wonder why she wasn’t affected. “Oh? Have you grown a conscience, little girl?” Andrew chuckled, Golden staring down at him from her vantage point, and considering her options. It was reckless, it was impulsive…but when wasn’t she? The youngest Symphonus, known for her insane ideas and endless faith that things would always turn out as they should…she had to believe in everything she’d accomplished thus far, if she was to stand a chance against all these foes and whatever would come next. “I…I have a proposition.” she breathed, Yen Sid slowly lowering her down to the ground so she could speak, and she felt rather small with all these foes towering over her. Trembling, she curled up her fists, and looked Andrew straight in the eye, forcing herself to maintain eye contact with the man who made up one of her greatest fears, and who had stolen so much from her. “Hm? Let’s hear it then, hikari beacon.” Vanitas chimed in, Golden gulping and forcing herself to keep looking at them, digging her nails into her palm. “I’ll…I’ll stay here. I’ll stay here in their place, and I’ll let you do whatever you want, if you just spare everyone else and let my family go. Please…” she begged, unable to sustain her position anymore and literally collapsing to her knees, holding her hands together as if she was praying for respite. Andrew turned to Vanitas, raising a surprised eyebrow. “Did you hear that?” he murmured, Vanitas nodding. “It’s a good deal…though we had an inkling…” he smirked, Andrew nodding. “Yes, we did. Alright, little one. You’ll stay with us right here, then. But we’ve got our own terms we want to add to this deal.” he grinned, motioning with one of his hands and Yen Sid robotically picking up Golden once more, holding her close to his chest with one arm as she squirmed to be free, though she didn’t kick him as she didn’t want to accidentally harm him. Realizing the gravity of what she’d just done made her heart sink like a stone, and she almost wanted to curl up in Yen Sid’s arm, wishing he’d just comfort her and tell her it was all okay. Subconsciously, she reached out a palm to touch his heart, and then they began to walk, the entire family and council following the troupe of villains, who passed several cells where one could spy other figures lying in wait. Maybe they really had known she’d be this foolishly selfless, but Golden was left clueless, and simply clung to the shell that remained of her father, remembering several things all at once, and praying there would be a time when all this would come to pass, and life would go as normal… As they approached the dining hall, Golden recognized it from their fight previously, remembering how all her siblings had been so heroic, how they’d saved her from her prison inside Magnifico’s staff, and how she’d found herself saving them in turn, and then again with Vor…she held back tears, burying her face into Yen Sid’s shoulder and keeping a grip on the middle of his robes, which were as soft as ever, and even if he didn’t remember her, this feeling of being held reminded her of home, even if it was just for a moment. Not wanting to look at the villains, she held tight and blinked back the tears, and clutched his robe even tighter…and then, there was a flash.

The wind was cold as she found herself outside, but still somehow clinging to Yen Sid…they were alone, the coldest snow had begun, and she shivered as he held her closer, before running his free hand through her hair gently. “Dad…?” she whispered, turning to look up at him. That light in his eyes had reappeared. “Lunula…I’m…I’m resisting it. You need to run, they’ll destroy us…” he wheezed, Golden reaching a hand up to trace his cheek gently. “No, papa…it’s okay. I’ve made a deal…” she admitted, Yen Sid’s face changed into that of a thousand emotions, first confusion, then understanding, and then a deep rooted fear. “Golden…” he whispered, lips trembling as he tried to hold back the emotions, as well as from the cold. “I can’t let you get hurt, I love you…!” she cried, trying to hold back the sobs as he held her close to his heart, as if he was cradling the tiniest little light. “Lunula…oh, my little one.” he murmured, both of them on the verge of collapsing into cries but trying to be strong for one another, not wanting to fail each other right at the last moment. “You’ll be free, nobody will come after you…it’ll be okay, it has to be…” Golden rambled, Yen Sid kneeling down and looking into her eyes, a sort of compassion and sorrow entangled in his eyes. “You have to trust me, dad…I-I promise, I promise that one day after this, we’ll have a normal day, the most normal in the entire world, where nobody will be hurt or sad, nobody will feel alone, we’ll all be together, and we can do whatever we want, whenever we want, wherever we want…I promise.” She bit her lip, trying not to cry, and held out her pinkie finger, Yen Sid feeling touched by the gesture and nodding, though Golden swore she could see the glimmer of tears starting in his eyes. “I promise…too.” he gave a weak smile, and then clutched at his head, letting out a yell as he returned to his former zombie-like state, gripping her wrist and dragging her all the way back to the fortress, where only horror awaited her.

Approaching the building once again, his grip was an iron shackle, and the little girl could do little to free herself, simply trying to pull away and tug at her own arm, but to no avail, and soon they were inside, Golden simply looking down at her feet as sorrow and fear overcame any bravery she had left, it took all her strength not to burst into tears, but she didn’t want Yen Sid to see her cry, she wanted him to remember a smile, or at the very least not be in pieces… she gulped, and looked down at her little red boots, which went in and out of focus like a blurry camera due to the tears swimming in her vision, little glistening gemstones that threatened to spill like melting glaciers. She curled up her fists, and slowly raised her head, bitterly taking in the sight of Vanitas and Andrew, who were both smiling sinisterly, causing her heart to pound even faster. “And our deal begins…now.” Vanitas grinned, snapping his fingers, and two odd glows began in their own chests, revealing strange, snake-like chains emerging from their own hearts, Vanitas’s being red whilst Andrew’s was black. Instinctively, Golden tried to step back, but she was held fast, and the chains almost seemed to slither toward her, before her own heart was pulled out of her chest as if by a magnet, the two encircling it and squeezing it tightly, which caused her to actually resort to biting her palm in an attempt not to scream. She didn’t want to give them the satisfaction, but it felt as if she’d been put in a compressor and squeezed, shaking as she looked up and saw two shackles now on her heart, binds stretching back toward Andrew and Vanitas, before they disappeared, and her aching heart was thrown back into her chest, causing her to stumble back. She almost fell, but a painful tug on her arm kept her upright, which she was conflicted if she should be grateful for. Vanitas cackled at her pitiful state, almost looking as if he’d been given a power rush, and swung his keyblade, pointing it right at her chest. “So, kid. That little spell I just cast? Hehe, it does a lot more than just make some little binds…” he chuckled darkly, Golden putting a shaky hand on her chest, hoping to protect whatever strength and magic she had left. “I…I don’t care! Just leave everyone alone, you promised!” she seethed, Andrew raising an eyebrow. “Ah, but we have some terms to complete first. You know how contracts work, don’t you?” he smirked, Golden feeling rage mix in with the rest of her emotions, resisting the urge to have a full on meltdown, and was shaken out of her rage when she was suddenly thrown to the ground. “We’ll let them go soon…but they have some business to complete first. After all…you’re no longer a Symphonus, so you’re an enemy.”

With that, Golden turned, now against a wall, seeing how the villains were forming a crescent around her, closing her in. And in the center of them all was a sight to make her heart sink, even despite its restraints. Yen Sid stood there, slowly building up power into his palms. She didn’t recognize the spell, but Andrew had his eyebrow raised, so perhaps he was familiar with it… she didn’t particularly want to know at the moment, a thousand thoughts and questions filling her mind as she shook, though also found herself frozen, stuck against the wall in complete stillness, only able to watch as the orb in Yen Sid’s palms grew brighter and brighter, whiter and whiter, until it was almost the size of his torso. With no words, he crossed his arms into that familiar X shape, the one they’d learned for combat, and raised them up to the sky, shooting them up above where the phoenix formed, Golden noticing it too was bound, by the same chains that bound her, except the bird had them on its neck instead, though it struggled to shake them off. Only when it felt the power build was it subdued, and instead let out a mighty cry, a fire burning in its eyes as it turned from orange and blue to white, almost blinding her. She couldn’t pull her eyes away, though, or even move a hand to shield them, she was just frozen in absolute terror, feeling the fear of death that she’d felt so many times before, from Maleficent and her posse, to Vor, and now…her own father. She tried to stay strong, but she felt a single tear trickle down her cheek, trying not to heed it, but then there was another, and another…and finally she was able to move, pulling her hands up to her head and putting it in her knees, not wanting to look. And then…she felt the blast, as it rained down on her, burning her skin and tearing it apart inch by inch with the fire, a worse burn than she’d ever felt in her life, even when she’d done spells wrong and needed her hand running under the sink. “Please, please, stop!” she begged, her voice hoarse as even her throat burned, but she tried to scream, trying to get him to hear her. Still stuck like a statue, she stayed still, hands pressed between her knees and face as she was practically torn to shreds, Yen Sid not tearing his gaze away, his eyes blank and empty, and the phoenix letting out another anguished scream, before being dissolved back into him again, leaving just the shell. As the fire went out, there was a thud, and Golden, or what was left of her, collapsed. She almost looked unrecognisable, little pieces of hair scattered across the floor from where they’d been torn off, her arm reaching out for nothing as her vision blurred, the last sight being those empty eyes from the empty shell she called her father. Her fingers twitched…she wanted to hold his hand, but couldn’t reach him, and then she was gone, Andrew and Vanitas slowly moving closer to survey the scene in front of them.

It was dark, cold, and lonely. There was a lack of sound, and seemingly sight. Golden opened her eyes, groaning wearily…and felt the floor, the weightlessness. She tried to look around, but noticed her heart glowing in her chest, holding those same two chains. “Does this mean…?” she breathed, managing to stand fairly easily, just as she had the last time she’d been brought here. She bit her lip as the sobs began, and couldn’t stop herself from falling to the floor, putting her head down as she despaired, crying into her arms now she was alone, and nobody would laugh at her tears. She just wanted to go home, but how would she now? Her family didn’t remember her…and her father, the one who had protected her from all things frightening and any adversary, even time travelling to save her life…he’d just killed her with his own magic,  the realization making her feel as if she wanted to be sick. Rubbing at her eyes, she noticed her tears were glowing as they hit the ground, golden tears, just like her name. The sight made her sob more, until she was overcome, unable to stop the tears and simply wailing into her hands, feeling how sore and exhausted she was after such a horrible day, and now it had ended with her actual death…the child felt herself unable to process it fully, the stress overcoming her, she debated if it could be a dream, a trick, something…she just couldn’t bear for it to be reality, even as it was staring her in the face. In a sudden moment, though, she heard a snapping of fingers echoing throughout the space, and turned, wiping her eyes hastily and looking for the source, having a momentary hope that someone had come to her rescue…until her lungs, heart, hands…everything started to burn. The sensation was back, that awful pain that caused her to drop to the ground, and she couldn’t help but yell as every fiber of her seemed to be reformed, feeling how her hair was reattaching itself, her skin repairing, her heart once more pumping blood as her entire body was kickstarted, and she closed her eyes, feeling how even they were burning, causing them to water, and then…she was back. 

For a second, she was completely still, unable to even open her eyes, before a rush of sound overwhelmed her, hearing a snap of the fingers. “Oh, he dished that out, didn’t he?” Andrew laughed, his voice grating Golden’s ears, but she hadn’t the strength to even plug her ears, Vanitas watching as she blearily opened her eyes, weakly looking up at him. “Yes, that was a brilliant start, but I wouldn’t expect any less from that old man.” The Keyblade wielder replied, turning toward Golden fully and surveying her. Still in the exact position she’d died in, she was face-first on the ground, one arm outstretched, but she’d completely reformed, a small smear of drying blood beneath her on the ground the only remnant of what had just transpired. Her vision was blurry, but she looked toward Yen Sid, he was backing up robotically. “Dad…” she whispered, her throat almost closed as her larynx had only just reformed, and her hand only twitched, unable to reach him once more. “It’s weird, isn’t it?” Andrew murmured, Vanitas smirking. “Yeah, but useful. He said he’d read up about another person who could do this…quite a few. No matter what happens, we can bring her back with just a snap.” he chuckled, Andrew grinning sadistically and dragging a chair over from the dining table with magic to sit and enjoy the show on. Golden weakly pushed herself up from the ground, her hair falling around her face as she pushed herself to sit on her knees, looking up weakly at the villains and slowly coming to realize just what they intended to do with her. Maleficent stepped forward, noticing the realization forming on the child’s face, and giving a smirk. “So, one probability in a million? Next time, don’t be so cocky.” she snarked, Golden almost feeling her ears hurting at the witch’s voice. She barely even registered the remark, though, as the realization was still dawning on her. Just what would they do…and for how long? Surely everything has an end, but when? Golden couldn’t answer, but she didn’t want to find out, though she knew deep down she didn’t have a choice anyway. 

Andrew cracked his knuckles, anticipating the next candidate for the showdown, his eyes scanned the Symphonus family, when Vanitas stepped forward wearing a particularly smug grin as he held up his keyblade, aiming it at one of the family members at the front. “Her next…” He grinned, his voice low and raspy. Golden’s heavy eyes drifted to where he was pointing, she felt like she swallowed a rock as her whole body ached, her heart more than any part of her as tears spilt from her eyes, cascading down her face as she came face to face with the one she came to adore so much as an older sister. “Scout…no…” The teen stared down blankly at her, her eyes half lidded in an almost zombie like state. Their eyes met, while Golden’s were sad and hopeless, they contained a love that couldn’t be wavered, despite her despair. Scout’s eyes however, were ice cold, and there was no sign of warmth or love in them, they twitched, perhaps a flicker remained. “You should never have come to the workshop.” she sneered, sending a wave of chills down Golden’s back, making her tremble. “W-what? What are you…saying?” Golden whispered, her voice was croaky and quivered, it hadn’t quite returned to its former state yet. Scout opened out her hand, a few notes danced around her palm in a dark blue hue, almost black, unlike Scout’s at all. “Exactly what I mean.” Scout continued, her voice growing more and more venomously. More notes appeared around her, she was starting a cue, the notes surrounded her head as she opened her other hand to unleash more, Golden could just see through her blurry, teary eyed vision that Scout resembled a dark angel, with the cue resembling a halo. “Everything was fine at the workshop, heck, even at my old place. We were happy, we had no problems, no villains on our tails all the time…we didn’t have to live in fear of getting hurt, until you…YOU came along and changed all that!” Scout swung her hands forward, and clapped, the sound echoed off the intricately detailed walls, a portrait or two was knocked slightly off angle. Golden’s ears rang, blocking out any sort of noise completely, which had only distracted her with enough seconds to avoid seeing the music shot hurtling in her direction, she caught a glimpse of it just as it made the impact. She didn’t know which direction she fell over in, her vision now obscured as the attack had hit her in all directions possibly, she felt the pain, but didn’t scream, not that she could. “Scout!!” she uttered, her voice barely audible from the music spell, it was loud enough to punctuate her eardrums and made her head feel like it was being split open. “Please…Scout…!! You have to fight it…!” Scout kept up her spell, gritting her teeth as if she was in pain and her eyes twitching again until she shut them tight. Raising her arm, she swung it down as if throwing a burning stone, causing all the cues to rain down on Golden like bullets. The girl had no time to act, no time to flee or speak, the least she could do was cover her head with her arms in a futile attempt to lessen the blow of the attack. The spell felt like it had lasted hours, even for a few seconds Golden couldn’t even breathe, as she tried to steady herself and catch her breath, she couldn’t even find a second to do so as Scout prepared her next move, she wasn’t done. “Go on, Scout…” Vanitas chuckled darkly, his yellow eyes shimmered menacingly as they set on Scout, watching her power up her last spell, the crescendo… “One more time.” Raising her arms again, Scout built up her spell, the song cue glowed in the light of the chandelier at an almost blinding rate. She was ready to unleash its power upon Golden, yet paused for a moment, something Andrew and Vanitas noticed, the latter growling when he saw her face, which looked hesitant to the notion to commit the act. “What are you waiting for, girl?” Vanitas sneered, lifting his keyblade onto his shoulder and approaching her slowly. “Go on…she’s the enemy, remember?” Scout hissed as a shot of pain made her flinch involuntarily, putting her back into focus. Her eyes were as cold and emotionless as before, except this time, there was no sign of holding back. “I must destroy you.” With the attack at its ultimate limit, Scout wasted no time in unleashing it. The spell shot out of her hands and circled in every direction, she punched out push cues with all of her might, all of which hit Golden and ignited into one huge blast. Golden collapsed, feeling a pain much like when she had been hit with several music cues from the time Yen Sid had punished her for thinking foolishly, despite it being in the past, the feeling of the pain was still as fresh as ever. Tears fell from her eyes, and they quickly evaporated as Golden disappeared, her whole form disintegrating into nothing, she couldn’t cry out or see anything, nor hear anything as much as she just wanted to see her family one more time. Scout stepped forward to the spot where Golden once was, and all there that remained were little glittering specks of golden dust. Vanitas snickered at the sight, side stepping to Scout’s left and slowly curling his arm around her shoulder, grinning at her blank, non-expressive look of emptiness. “Good girl, Scout…” he grinned in an oily tone. “Who’d have thought someone such as a mere girl would possess the ability to destroy? Heh, guess they aren’t as useless as they seem.” Andrew watched as Scout moved away to join Yen Sid a little far off from the group, standing in a zombie-like manner not far from the door. Vanitas noticed the look of slight confusion on the cigarette scented man’s face, smirking back grimly as he snapped once more. “Vanitas…don’t tell you’ve never seen a woman battle? These fine ladies, Maleficent, the Evil Queen and Vor, have done pretty well in their methods to rid us of Golden. Vor even succeeded if I recall?” Andrew stated matter-of-factly. Vanitas scoffed, not looking convinced. “And that worked out, didn’t it?” he said. “Our little friend clued us in on that, but this…this is even better. So…you want to pick out the next pawn, my most humblest of students?” Andrew sneered at Vanitas’s condescending remark, he clearly had ignored his last warning, but Andrew wasn’t in the mood to argue, nor fight. His eyes darted to the spot where Golden once was, awaiting her to make her appearance for round three…

Golden’s eyes peeled open. Darkness, once again clouded her surroundings, she couldn’t feel any pain in her limbs, yet the sensation of aching was all over her. “Ow…Scout…what did they do to you?” she whispered sorrowfully, gritting her teeth as she felt her body return to its former state, feeling the muscles in her arms and legs contorting in agony. Despite the pain and the burning in her throat, Golden continued to whisper, the darkness around her fading. “Just…wait…” she croaked lowly. A light was starting to appear, the very same light from the dining hall. “It won’t…last forever…as long as I keep…my…promise…” 

As the void faded, Golden pushed herself up, looking to see who was ahead of her. Her eyes first spotted the fuzzy purple hues, moving up to see those rosy red cheeks, the spectacles… then the various moons, stars and sparkles decorating her favourite light man’s hat. She could’ve sobbed right then and there. Percy…her hero, the one who had saved her from Andrew, Forte, used Rocket against the sirens, and even from Vor when he found Azurine. And yet now here he stood, her adversary, Andrew slowly moving up to his side. “Oh look, it’s everyone’s favourite light man. Such a kind soul without an ounce of evil, right?” he grinned darkly, glancing over at Golden, who glared back with icy eyes, pushing her hair out of her face and moving to sit up on her knees, palms balled up. “Percy, don’t listen to him!” she spoke, her voice croaking slightly as she recovered her larynx once more, coughing slightly. “He doesn’t have a choice, light brat!” Vanitas sneered, moving toward her as if he might do away with her himself, before he was gripped by the wrist. Percy’s eye twitched as he reached for Vanitas, holding him back, and his lips parted softly. “Lumen…I’m…sorry…” Percy whispered, his once cold eyes regaining a little bit of sparkle, that twinkle that so defined him as their light man, and they filled with tears as his face flushed, coming alive before her eyes. Golden felt her face falling, as if she’d crumble and crack like a geode, though she tried to stay strong and not cry in front of them. All she wanted was to stand up and rush into Percy’s arms, his hugs were always so comforting and warm, and if she had the courage or strength she would never let him go. But alas, Vanitas turned, sneering at Percy. “You’re sowwy, so sowwy?? You’re pathetic for a 30-year-old, but I guess abandonment has its consequences, right?” he smirked, Andrew raising an eyebrow at this new information. “Don’t you DARE talk about him that way, you monster!” Golden screamed, Vanitas roughly escaping Percy’s grip and promptly giving him a harsh smack across the face, causing his glasses to go askew and Golden to freeze. Percy looked momentarily shaken, before Vanitas curled his fist and increased the hold he had on Percy’s mind, dimming down his joyful and agonized thoughts alike, and leaving him a shell. As he gazed upon the girl who called him her hero, he felt absolutely nothing, just a cold emptiness, which was soon replaced with the anger and frustration of Andrew and Vanitas, their rage to rid the world of this child who couldn’t die, and the irritation that simple fact caused them. A thousand questions streamed through his head as he righted his glasses, and his empty eyes grew furious, his teeth clenching tightly as he suddenly held out his hand again, though not to catch Vanitas, but instead to summon his halberd. It was almost as if his previous anger toward Andrew had been reversed, blaming the victim instead of the villain, and now he was ready to absolutely destroy her in the exact same way he’d destroyed Andrew, though Golden had nothing to defend herself. Percy simply spoke one word as he pointed the halberd in her direction. “You.” And as his light tendrils came out of his back like tentacles, Golden felt fear enter her heart yet again, and tried to stay calm, but she was simply left kneeling. “Percy…please…” she begged, but the man merely shook his head, glaring down at her. “When I look at you…all I see is a mistake. A pencil smudge or an inkblot that shouldn’t be there. A thief, a liar, a glorified object. Someone who makes the world dimmer every day, and who brings ruin to every heart you touch. Everyone would be happier if you just disappeared forever, because then everything would be as it should be. So…let me take care of it.” he snarled, bringing all the tendrils close to him like a cluster of tiny suns, heating up until they would blister at the slightest touch. They flickered like a billion tiny candles and swirled like magma, bubbling just below the surface before they ultimately erupted, and shot toward her at lightning speed, piercing the skin on impact like a third-degree burn and causing her to immediately yelp, being pushed back down onto the floor and against the wall, a couple “oohs” being echoed amongst the villains who were eagerly watching with gleaming eyes. Forte especially was impressed, curling his lips into a smirk of sickening approval, almost as if he was congratulating the light man in the most twisted of fashions. “Finally…” he chuckled, Percy standing up straight after the attack, Golden wheezing and putting a shaky hand on her chest, as a reminder as to what all this was for and for whom she had made her promise, for the very people who were now her adversaries, though of course she’d never see them as such. Despite all the fear, pain and anguish, her heart held too much love to withstand the hatred that threatened to penetrate it, even despite her hatred for the current situation. She gritted her teeth and looked up at Percy with a fire in her own eyes, equally as bright as his light, almost as if she was trying to connect with him from afar, even though it was as if they were across a chasm now, and in between them was only pain and suffering, but Golden was willing to forge that bridge, if it meant she could finally go home and be with the people she loved. All she had to do was wait. And it was that resolve in that moment that would carry her through everything, even as Percy reared up his final attack and gave everyone a show, ending the agonizing burning with an attack so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes. And as Golden fell to the dark void once more, she found herself not quite despairing. If there was one thing Percy had taught her, it was the power of light and hope. For him, she had to bear that torch, and stay strong, just as he did. And so, as everyone clapped, and Vanitas snapped his fingers, Golden picked herself up faster than before, glaring and raising her eyebrows at what was to come. “Wasn’t that dazzling?” Forte gloated, Golden looking up at him with an angry but stoic stare, one that rivalled her father’s. “Indeed…I wouldn’t mind seeing it again.” Andrew smirked, placing a hand on Percy’s shoulder once more that made Golden involuntarily flinch- usually Percy would slap that hand away and give him a backhand for good measure. “Well, I’m no genie, but your wish is my command.” Vanitas chuckled, giving one of his sinister grins as Golden retained her stoic stare, simply mentally preparing. She had to be strong… even if they repeated it a thousand times, the night would lead into the dawn, and the comfort of home would soon reappear, she was sure of it. “Get it over with.” she mumbled, though a slight tremor entered her voice as she noticed Percy powering the same attack up. She closed her eyes, and remembered how he’d led her through the streets of Nocturne that very first time with the same light, and how she’d eventually make her way to the workshop just as she had done, if she just kept her faith and love close… she breathed out a final, choked breath as she slipped away again, landing on that floor that was just as cold and dark as ever, and instead of standing, just sat there and curled up into a ball. “Don’t worry Percy…this won’t last forever.”

Percy unleashed the attack once more, the same blinding light, the same intense heat, all done in the blink of an eye that could barely handle the intensity of the blast. Golden was gone, nothing but speckles of glimmering dust that glowed like burnt coals. Vanitas almost cackled, finding the sight to be more comical than tragic. He sneered gleefully as Percy dragged his heavy feet away from the circle, looking like he had been completely drained of his emotions, and yet his cheeks had tear tracks going down to his chin. “Ahahaha! Oh ho did you see the look on her face?” laughed Vanitas mockingly. “One flash and she’s out!” The other villains all murmured between them, some of them were talking quietly, yet they all spoke on the same topic, just what was this power? Nonetheless, many of them looked eager to exploit it in their own, corrupted way. “Oh…now I cannot wait to give us a showstopper.” Forte purred, the Evil Queen shooting him a vicious glare with her cold eyes. “Wait your turn!” she spat. “It’s a game of fairness, after all. Well, fairness, except for one.” Her turned her gaze back toward the spot where Golden once stood, the smoke clearing as Andrew and Vanitas readied who would be next for the job, Andrew ran his eyes over the group of Golden’s family, wanting to use them all first but the rest of the villains dished out all they had on this one girl. “There, that one is next.” Andrew giggled, pointing out one of them in the middle. “If our dear Golden thought her beloved light man was a blow, wait until she sees who is next…” 

The burning pain lingered, yet it wasn’t as bad as the feeling she had in her chest from what had just happened. She wanted to curl up and cry, but time wasn’t on her side, nor was luck or hope. She knew within minutes she’d be back in that dining room, a light hung over her head like a spotlight as the next victim in this cruel game would take her life, she dreaded to think who, and could only see in the dark, black void, the friendly smiling face of Percy, her beloved light man. “Percy…I…” A sob was caught in her throat, she was unable to continue talking, even if it was just her alone. She went to speak in her mind, as her sobs clouded her ears and her head hurt from the overwhelming sensation of fear and dread, and the inevitable attacks from each member of the party back at the manor. “Everyone…please…” she murmured internally, her hot, burning eyes now opening a little. She saw nothing except the dark. “...please hold on…dad…daddy and I m-made a p-promise…I must…keep it. I swore to…” The dark floor beneath began to wisp away, back to the brown floorboards she crouched on before. She was back, a sharp pain in her ribs forced her to wince and clutch at them, it appeared the feeling of her body reforming once again time after time was still something she wasn’t used to. She lifted her heavy head to see who was next, and she almost collapsed. Tears built in her eyes once again, she blinked them away to clear her vision, and the sight before her was even worse. “No…it can’t be…” she wept softly. “Mum…” Sonatina stood a few feet away from the small girl, her once warm, maternal eyes were now like a bitter void, they fixed onto Golden, who didn’t know whether to cry further or cower against the wall, seeing Mum like this was unsettling, horrifying to say the least. There was no shimmer of soft radiance, comfort or care in Sonatina’s demeanor, something she’d always offer with open arms to Golden, Scout, and the boys whenever they needed it; her touch was like Yen Sid’s; inviting, protective, gentle and warm. “You…Golden…?” Sonatina spoke, almost robotically. “No…you dare show your face here? After everything…” Sonatina gritted her teeth, almost like she had a pain in her temple, she rubbed gently at it before stepping forward, fixing her sight on Golden once again. “You disgrace…?” A light, with hues of white and cyan began to form on her fingertips, before it spread up her arm and all over her body, creating an ethereal, heavenly glow from the woman, behind her, a unicorn gracefully reared up on it’s back legs, letting out a loud whinny as it revealed itself. The unicorn was as beautiful as it was dangerous. “Mum…please!” Golden’s words just about fell on deaf ears. Sonatina raised her head, the unicorn turning in unison. The horn on the stunning creature’s forehead began to glow and burst, Mum summoned every bit of power and strength into her upcoming attack. Andrew, Vanitas and the rest of the villains grinned maliciously, watching in disturbing glee at what was about to happen. “MUM! NOOO!!” Golden screamed with all the strength she could currently muster, her voice could barely contain much with how much it hurt to even speak, the effort itself was mammoth. “I’m not your mother. You are no daughter of mine.” Mum said, her tone dark and vicious. The unicorn changed its stance, it looked ready to charge forward. Sonatina went on. “Don’t you ever dare mention me as your mother. You have some nerve even calling out to me after all this…look at us! You’ve destroyed us all…!” She shot her arm out, and the unicorn suddenly changed off into a gallop. Golden shut her eyes, the light from the spell was bright enough through her eyelids. She let more tears fall as she shielded her face with her arms as the unicorn closed in. Sonatina watched as the impact ignited into a blast of blinding light, yet she couldn’t look away, something in her mind and chest suddenly felt heavy, her arm still extended as she tried to desperately reach out before she fell limply to her knees. “Nghh…n-no…! GOLDEN…!” Her mind went blank, and her upper body fell to the floor like a sack of flour. The unicorn disappeared, leaving behind a fading light that dimmed into nothing, there was no sign of Golden either, except a small, glowing heart shape that slowly flickered, and vanished without a trace.

As the room spun, Golden once again was forced back into her body, seeing many things at once like looking through a blurry kaleidoscope, like seeing the walls spinning whilst she stayed static, though of course that wasn’t the case. A dark, small figure stepped toward her, then multiplied in the kaleidoscope, becoming three, three little figures shrouded in darkness, towering over her as her insides ached and screamed for respite, though none came. And as Golden managed to reach a weary hand to rub her eyes, there was no doubt in her mind as to who these little glass figures were, clothed in red, blue and green. Her brothers, standing before her with eyes as glassy as the very comparison she was making in her mind, no patterns dancing in their vision, no lights shining in their irises as they spun her around or played hide and seek. There was only a void, much like the one Golden herself was transported to, over and over. She counted for a moment. Yen Sid, Scout, Percy, twice, Mum…she’d died five times. Her heart shook in her chest at the fresh realisation that her own mortality hung in the balance of this sick test, and though she knew deep down there must be a cause, the only reason right now was revenge. Revenge for how she, a mere 10-year-old, had foiled the plans of so many evildoers, merely through some sass, wit, and of course a little bit of magic. Her thoughts spiralled. Where had that got her now? Facing off against the ones she loved the most, though it could hardly even be called a fight considering she was simply sitting there, begging for her life as the glass dolls she called her family didn’t hear her, or if they did, it was no use. She stared at her brothers for a moment. “My brothers…why?” she croaked. Julius’s ears were back and he was trying to appear small, looking fluffed up in his robes. There was a semblance of Oswald’s signature glare etched on his face, though his eyes were empty, and Mickey…Mickey looked lost, like he wasn’t sure where he was, and she noticed he was clinging to Oswald’s arm slightly. “I think these three should go together. After all, don’t they do everything together, little Goldie?” Andrew smirked, turning briefly to see that Sonatina had got to her feet, and despite the void in both of them, Scout was supporting her with an arm around her shoulders. “Ah, good idea my little apprentice!” Vanitas grinned, Andrew glaring and looking as if he was ready to deck him. Golden just sat there, her hair falling around her face like a mop, tangled and ragged from her beating, and she clutched her ribs, feeling as if she was in a kaleidoscope herself, splintering into a thousand pieces and withering away…until someone touched her hair, gently. She looked up, and saw Julius had moved over to her, and was gently making biscuits on her hair, smoothing it out as if it was being brushed. Oswald came next, putting his arms around her, though neither of them spoke, it was all they could muster right now, and Mickey bent down next to her, taking her hands in his own, Golden trying to hold in her cries but feeling their hugs, it was the most she could ask for in this current situation. Vanitas rolled his eyes. “Wow, what a load of saps!” he snarked, reaching for something that Mickey had dropped…his paintbrush. “If you ask me, it’s a load of RUBBISH!” he cried, the boys involuntarily being flung out the way by their own captors, landing in a rubberhose ball against the wall as Mickey’s sorcerer cap fell over his eyes. Vanitas wasn’t done, towering over Golden, and glaring down at her with those scorching yellow eyes. “If they can’t do it, I WILL.” he growled, facing the paintbrush right at her face, a cruel smile slowly appearing across it. “Always wanted to try this thing out…what if I just- oops!” he grinned, a splash of thinner ejecting from the brush. “Ow…!” Golden involuntarily cried, putting her hands up to her face to try and shield it from further attacks, it burned like a blue flame or acidic substance, making her wince as she tried to wipe it off like she would the sirens’s slime, though to no avail as it seeped through her features. “That was fun! Let me do that again…” Vanitas continued, flicking splodge after splodge at her, until she practically melted to nothing. Golden, groggily, turned her head, and saw Mickey trying to push up his hat. When he finally managed it, his eyes met hers for a moment, and they weren’t a void, they were full of pity and yearning to be by her side, to hug her again and hold her until all of this was over, though he couldn’t move. As Golden succumbed to the injuries, she held Mickey’s gaze, and slowly moved her pinkie from side to side, indicating she hadn’t forgotten. Though Mickey didn’t understand her gesture, he found an odd sort of comfort in her eyes, and as his control slipped away, he only whispered one thing: “Good luck, baby sis.”

“I was hoping to have a demonstration of the power of three, but don’t they say that if you want something done right, just do it yourself?” Vanitas snarked, Andrew shrugging and forcibly grabbing each of the brothers, practically throwing them back toward the crescent with no ounce of gentleness in his touch. “If we use too many, though, would that stop her from coming back?” Andrew replied, Vanitas shaking his head. “It’s powerful enough that it’ll sustain…even if she escapes, we’ll still be connected. It’s a pretty clever trick, huh?” he grinned, Andrew raising an eyebrow, impressed. As they snapped again, Golden came to again, still feeling achy, but as each time passed, it seemed she’d grow more and more numb, maybe until she stopped feeling anything at all. That thought did little to help her, and she turned to look up at the crescent. Six down…who knows how many more to go? She took a small breath. ‘Don’t worry, everyone. Soon you’ll be safe, and we can go home…’ she thought, putting a hand on her sore chest and feeling her heart beating, the heart so many people wanted to take from her, but she wouldn’t let them, no matter what. Footsteps interrupted her thoughts, and she stared up blearily at who was next, noticing first the pretty cyan robe, then the hair, which she often would bury her face in when she sat on her shoulders…then her glasses…Aero. “Not you too…” Golden whispered, Aero’s eyes looking cold, like a mechanical figure, almost as if she’d been replaced with a doppelganger, perfectly imitating her features but not holding her essence. Nothing could ever replace Aero in Golden’s mind, nor anyone else for that matter, but the moments they shared together, all those laughs, those quiet moments of happiness, even in sad or scary times, their bond stood as strong as a monolith, and it wasn’t something Golden could ever give up on, even in the present situation. As Aero towered over her, Golden stared up at her, remembering the last time this had happened, when the villains had taken over Aero’s mind and tried to get her to attack, but Golden wasn’t sure any amount of singing would help this time. Under her breath, she hummed their song, though, quietly hoping it might reach her… but there was nothing. Aero flicked her wrists, forming a tornado out of nothing, and Golden watched as it whirled from a small bit of wind, like a breeze in summer, to a monstrous gale, spinning so much that it looked as if Aero was struggling to control it, though she gritted her teeth and kept building it and building it. “A weakling like you couldn’t handle this magic, Golden.” she practically spat, glaring down at the little girl, Golden just feeling her heart pound at the display of power. Usually she adored seeing Aero doing magic, it was a treat as she didn’t come over too often, but now it felt like a nightmare, one she wished she could wake up from. Golden turned her head to look at Vanitas and Andrew, silently giving them daggers with her gaze, but knowing it wasn’t true what Aero was saying…she’d handled magic, she handled that glitch monster when she’d accidentally released her power, and she’d beaten the most powerful sorceress in history…with a little help. “Hurry up Aero, stop being so slow!” Vanitas rolled his eyes, Aero almost looking so incensed she might snap out of her state. “What, want to join her, edgelord?!” she retorted, Andrew whistling under his breath and smirking. “Oho! Feisty, I might just keep her.” he grinned, Golden scowling. “Shut it you sicko!” she cried, Andrew’s face falling into a deadpan stare at her words. “Quiet, brat. If you ask me, children should be seen and not heard.” he growled, Aero finally firing off the spell. It whirled and curled around the kid, and she couldn’t see or hear anything, just the loud, inescapable sounds of wind. As Golden was picked up by the spell, she felt herself becoming dizzy with every spin, until she was finally thrown against a wall, hard. As she slid down onto the floor, her gaze became blurry again, and she couldn’t find the strength to lift herself, her body weight was too much for her weak hands to fight. Aero cast a gaze down onto her, and then turned to Vanitas, who looked impressed. “See?” she smirked, Vanitas holding up his hands in mock-surrender, before snapping his fingers as a small creature zipped forward, a glowing little star. Golden barely had a second in the void before she was ripped back into her body, though the ache was dulling each time. She raised her head, and noticed Star summoning a beam of energy, like when it glowed to light the way. Its usually expressive face looked quite blank, and its glow was dimmer, almost like when Magnifico had put it in his staff, leaving it defenceless to his whims. As it powered up brighter and brighter, Golden looked at it, it almost looked like a little twinkling light…and it seemed something faint was reappearing in her mind, a memory that she couldn’t quite piece together, like a dream. Despite that, she almost felt as if she had been scooped up and hugged, a feeling she attributed to Star’s magic being light magic, and thus it was harder to harm a fellow light warrior… though in fact, this feeling went far deeper than she could have ever imagined. As it cast its beam of light toward her, Golden felt warm, it wasn’t an attack, not exactly, it felt like Star was trying to be as merciful as possible, bathing her in a warm light and letting her slip away peacefully, as its star magic encompassed her being, encasing her heart in a cluster of sparkles, gently dissolving it away in a way which felt light and freeing, rather than painful or degrading. As Golden slipped away, she saw Star’s face, it looked remorseful and sad, but there was also a bit of relief on its face, perhaps relief that she wasn’t in any pain, she was at peace…and Golden gave a little smile. “Thanks…Star.” And then she slipped away, Star’s magic ceasing and leaving trickles of glittering white and gold dust, gentle and slow as they were blown away by what remained of Aero’s wind, circling around each other and eventually trickling away altogether. Vanitas was shielding his eyes. “Ow, stupid little thing! Watch where you aim that blast, little spec!” he growled, Andrew huffing. “Please, don’t be so dramatic, it’s just a bit of light!” he retorted, rolling his eyes and Vanitas muttering under his breath for a moment, watching as Star flew back toward Aero, landing in her hands and snuggling up to her, Aero drawing it close even despite their robotic motions, they still wanted to be together and hold each other throughout this frightening time. Vanitas rubbed his eyes one last time. “Brr…where was I? Oh yeah! Hmmm…this one should be delightful.” he grinned darkly.

As Golden heard the resounding snap, she felt little pain this time, still feeling a little more peaceful after being treated so gently by Star, but any comfort was immediately ripped away the second she realized who was in front of her. Starlight was facing her, looking at her from afar, but she zipped over, Golden kneeling but feeling her heart starting to shatter. This was a friend she’d known since before she could remember, her BEST friend…but seeing her like this, so void and doll-like, it intimidated the little girl. As Starlight drew out her wand, Golden held her gaze, and reached up one of her hands, stroking Starlight’s cheek, who looked surprised, her mouth turning into an ‘o’ for a second. She looked puzzled for a second, but reached up her own hand to touch Golden’s, holding it there as if she liked the feeling, and wanted Goldie to stay. Golden swallowed, praying this would work, the thought of being forgotten even by Starlight terrified her, especially when Starlight was the first person she’d go to when she was scared or sad, and there were plenty of nights where she’d hold her close and all her nightmares would be warded off. “Goldie…?” Starlight croaked, her previously darkened eyes returning to their blue hue, little sparkles in her irises looking like stars as a small redness returned to her cheeks, almost if life was flooding back through her. “What are you doing, light brat?” Vanitas growled, Starlight’s features furrowing when she heard that voice, though it almost felt far away, as if both of them were in a dream, and the only thing that mattered right now was their friendship. And so, with a wave of her wand, Starlight cast a spell, summoning a vortex of galaxies and stars, and building a little dome around them both, a shield to keep out everyone but herself and Golden, time seeming to slow. “Starlight…what is this magic…?” Golden whispered, her speech slowing and Starlight giggling as it sounded a bit funny. “It’s mine, Dream Sentry magic. It’s used to put people to sleep…” Starlight admitted, Golden feeling her eyes fluttering and a yawn overtaking her. “You’re making me fall…asleep….” Golden mumbled, Starlight smiling. “You might as well. You’re in boring company, with those inkstains!” she laughed, before softening and moving herself toward Golden’s chest, who put an arm around her as she curled up, Starlight strengthening the spell. “Come on…come on…” she whispered, hoping it would work in time before the magic wore off, she could feel Vanitas and Andrew trying to invade her head once more… but she resisted, and watched as Golden slipped into dreams, filling her head with thoughts of the broomies, of Ambrose, of Yen Sid and her family, and especially of both of them, happy memories turned into dreams that she could escape to, if only for a moment. “Goodnight…Goldie.” Starlight whispered, before something started breaking down her spell, the glowworm growling when she noticed Vanitas with his keyblade, casting a spell to try and break through. Raising her wand, she prepared an attack, hoping to at least delay the inevitable, and as a beam of darkness shot through their little haven, Starlight retaliated, summoning stars, planets, anything and everything, pushing back with all her might against Vanitas, but not quite having the strength to knock him down, merely holding her own until they both grew tired, and fell back, Andrew moving over to help the armored keyblade wielder up. “Damn…she’s stronger than I thought.” Vanitas growled, Starlight glaring and trying to get back up again, but Vanitas raised his keyblade toward Golden instead, firing a spell, though Golden didn’t feel it, lost in a world of dreams, where she was playing in a playground with Starlight and…two other people, her parents, and her entire family. Perhaps it wasn’t so impossible to have them both, someday? Golden smiled in her sleep as she pushed Starlight on a swing, and then the dream faded to nothing, leaving her to wake up in the void, rubbing her eyes and feeling no pain, just knowing deep down how much Starlight adored her, and how their bond would never, ever break. And as Starlight lost her energy to fight, she squirmed as Andrew picked her up and put her back under the spell, lazily handing her over to Sonatina. “The woman can have the baby…thing.” he snarked, Sonatina’s features creasing slightly, but one of her fingers traced Starlight’s cheek, who held it there, trying to hold onto what semblance of herself she had left…and holding onto how much she loved Golden.

As Vanitas snapped, he brushed off little bits of stardust that had covered his armor, looking irritated by the glowworm’s mere presence. “Who’s next?” he muttered, Andrew pointing to a certain girl in the group, one who was standing rather quietly, but who had a hand tracing her braids, a little nervous tic. “Ohhh…I see.” he smirked, pointing toward Asha, who stepped forward, a slight look of worry on her face. “Does this look familiar to anyone?” Vanitas giggled, a certain king in the group making a face. “Irritably familiar.” he replied, Asha registering his voice and turning slightly, though it wasn’t enough to break her out of the spell she was under. “Yes, I thought so. I can’t wait to see what you’ll do, your majesty.” Vanitas said the last words with a hint of sarcasm, indicating he had zero respect for the proclaimed ruler of Rosas, though he wasn’t much of a ruler now anyway, just a king without a throne. “So…here we have Asha. You know some call her the ‘matriarch of the villains’?” Vanitas continued, Vor slamming a fist against the nearest wall. “I take deep offence. Don’t you repeat that again, or I’ll do away with her myself. That’s an order.” she commanded, Vanitas rolling his eyes. “Some…certain people, think little Asha here isn’t a good person. Let’s put that to the test, and prove them right, with a little magic of my own!” he continued, almost as if he was a showman putting on a performance, though the only audience were the sick and twisted. “Aren’t you just proving them wrong, though…if you need dark magic to make her mean, doesn’t that make her a good person by nature?” Andrew murmured, scratching his head in slight confusion. “Nah, don’t worry. People won’t think too hard about that, if they even think at all!” he cackled, snapping his fingers and bringing back Golden once more. Asha started building up power on her wand, looking like she wanted to resist the control at all costs, but it was no use, she was being forced to go against the very thing she was known for, her pure heart and unwavering kindness, now being used against her. As her hand shook, she stared down at Golden, who looked relatively unafraid, considering everything. She hadn’t been broken, not yet, thanks to Star and Starlight showing her their strength, and even Yen Sid’s phoenix hadn’t wanted to harm her, it seemed nobody did, and she knew this deep down. Even despite the feeling of being unloved clouding her mind, in her heart she knew that she had a promise to keep, and that her family would be waiting for her at the end of this, somehow she knew that. “Asha…thank you for being my friend…and for giving me a place to stay. And…it was funny when you made Star all big, hehe…!” she managed a chuckle, Asha’s features softening. “I…I think your cookies were good too, even though I don’t like raisins, and it was cool showing you spells…so…thanks.” Goldie continued, Andrew rolling his eyes. “Ugh, you girls are SO sappy…” he groaned, Golden glaring at him. “What? Just saying it like it is.” he replied, Golden watching Asha’s power grow stronger, but it wasn’t dark magic, she couldn’t muster such a spell…it was fairy magic, and it twinkled on the end of her wand. As she cast it forward, it wasn’t warm or gentle like Star’s magic, but there was also a feeling that Asha had held back, that this wasn’t the full extent of her power, though there was an unmistakable intent in her magic at the same time, this was the equivalent of a lethal injection for a fairy godmother, a pinch of pain, and then nothingness. It was likely the spells they were trained to use for situations with their enemies, so Golden could see it wasn’t a cruel spell, her mind thinking about what spell it could be and slipping away with thoughts of magic filling it…she really did overanalyze and overthink at the worst times, but it distracted her from the very real thought of her friend killing her in cold blood, which was a welcome relief. “Hm…interesting choice, Asha. Certainly doesn’t bring you hope, though, which is what a Fairy Godmother does. Guess you really aren’t cut out to be one…maybe you are the…hehe…” Vanitas trailed off when he saw Vor’s face, warning him to shut his mouth before she sent him into a locket for eternity. “Don’t you say it or I will squeeze out your insides to the point they become blackberry juice.” she whispered, Andrew looking a bit repulsed, it reminded him of those few years as a cockroach. Vanitas looked unfazed, though, and just shrugged. “Well, so much for relying on them! Who needs an old woman’s guidance though, that’s for babies anyway!” he remarked, Andrew just shrugging his shoulders. “Looks like it's the turn of a few interesting individuals…and since we can do more than one, let’s let the oh-so-wonderful Wizard Council give in to their bloodthirsty ambitions.”

Golden sat in the void a moment, bringing her knees up to her chest and laying her head down on them, feeling her messy hair falling around her face. She tried to brush it as Julius had, but it was too tangled, and she’d only hurt herself. It reminded her of how little she really was, Scout had only recently taught her how to brush her hair herself, and her hands were clumsy and struggled to reach the back, so she still relied on her big sis and even occasionally Yen Sid, even though he didn’t know much about girls’ hair. She felt the ache of returning begin, and sighed. No moment of peace would last forever, unfortunately. As she came to, she opened her eyes to see the council staring down at her. Most of them looked stoic, but a few of them looked remorseful, Ruby in particular hiding behind Elderflower slightly. “Did…Master Grey never teach you manners…?” Golden muttered, the Fairy Godmother looking down at her in slight surprise. Now definitely wasn’t the time for jokes, but she didn’t care, it was all she could do to not lose herself, rely on what made her who she was. “Quiet.” Elderflower spoke, but Golden barely registered the words. She turned to look at the Blue Fairy, knowing she was Percy’s mama, and the one who had helped her during one of the most frightening times of her life so far. Golden stood her ground, looking at Merlin. “Aren’t you all ashamed…? You’re meant to p-protect sorcerers! I’m one of you, what makes me any different?” she continued, Pendragon looking down at her in slight confusion, whilst Monroe looked unusually stoic, considering how Golden had seen her so energetic earlier. Merlin stepped forward. “She said not another word.” he spoke, his voice unusually flat and devoid of any of that silly energy he carried, simply holding a cold tone. “I don’t care.” she replied, turning to look at Andrew and Vanitas. They had taken everything away from her, once again she’d let Andrew steal yet another family from her, but she was determined not to let him win, not again. As the council silently deliberated who should strike, both the Blue Fairy and Fairy Godmother moved toward Golden, Vanitas frowning as he noticed they were trying to break out of their spell. “Keep your faith, little one.” the Fairy Godmother whispered, the Blue Fairy continuing. “Let your conscience guide you.” The two of them stood up, casting remorseful gazes down onto her, and Golden looked up, seeing the rest of the council were infusing their power together, forming a large ball of pure magic, formed from all their inner hatred, fury and despair that constantly having to fight off villains left in them. As the two fairies joined in, the ball burned like a little sun, almost reaching into the Blue Fairy’s heart with a small memory of Percy, but it was no use, whatever mercy they had was gone, and they all cast it together, sending the spell forward as it cast like a beam, almost like a laser, which struck Golden with such force that it broke her body up into several pieces and left them smoldering. “Hm…” Andrew inspected the burning remains as the council stood in formation. Only one of them hadn’t actually attacked, little Ruby, who was cowering behind Elderflower and had managed to resist the spell, feeling Fildor reach out to pet her ears. “Don’t worry, my dear,” he murmured, “it’s almost over.” Vanitas followed Andrew’s gaze. “All that glitters is not gold, eh?” he snickered, Andrew rolling his eyes at the awful joke. “Still got some worth in it, though.” he murmured, knocking around one of Golden’s arms with his foot, almost like it was a football. 

There was darkness once more, Golden not even bothering to get up, feeling like she was being stitched back together each time, like a ragdoll. Her hope was dwindling, even though she was holding what they said close, it felt like empty words, actions always spoke louder. What she wouldn’t give to be a normal, happy girl right now, just going on trips to the beach or even attending school, if only to get away from this madness. What was wrong with her? She felt cold, odd since the void was inherently cold, but a shiver ran through her, as her thoughts spiralled down, down, deeper down. What if she never got out of here? What if, when all this was done, they just left her to rot in the void? What if her family hated her, cast her out forever, what would she do? Her hope continued to dwindle, like the last embers of a dying fire, and something appeared, a little drifting spec in this endless space, which surprised her. She raised up her hand, and a snowflake drifted down onto her palm. “Huh…?” she whispered, her voice echoing throughout the expanse. She watched as it melted in her hand, the water pooling and eventually evaporating, a cycle perfectly reflecting her own predicament. Snowflakes were fragile, beautiful, but also dangerous…and she couldn’t hold in her tears any longer, bringing her head into her knees and crying yet again. Even though she was holding on, it was wearing her thin, she just wanted to go home, to get into her starry pyjamas and lie in her soft, warm bed, where the moon’s rays shone through her window and the stars answered her wishes, and where Starlight would sleep talk all night long in her hammock, or in her arms. “I want to go home…” she whispered through her sobs, trying to remember any guidance to help her, and remembering what Master Grey had said. Love drives one to live, and her love was what was driving her now, so she had to hold onto that. As she clung to her little robe, she sniffled and balled up her fists, renewing her resolve again. “I won’t fail you. Not now…not ever.” she whispered, feeling herself reviving with that same ache, though at this point it was more of a small pinch. She’d grown so used to her own pain that it barely hurt anymore.

As she got her bearings, she looked ahead…noticing something that surprised her. There stood the spirits of the sea and sky, held fast by the tentacles of the three sirens, and next to them, Azurine, her face hard and cold. She stepped forward, cracking her knuckles, and Goldie shivered, wondering where on earth they’d come from. “Confused, little one?” Allura crowed, her face contorting with a sickly sweet smile, “We brought some more little friends! It’s like a happy family reunion.” she cackled sarcastically, Golden turning her face slightly to give her a glare, though she wasn’t particularly happy to see her favourite dolphin-man being restrained by a bunch of slimy women, it made her feel, well, weird! Azurine prepared an attack, looking angrier than anyone she’d seen thus far, save perhaps Mum or Scout. “You took everything from me.” she began, Golden looking confused for a moment, before Azurine continued, building up a small, pointed object in her palm. “You sent my sister astray, on some wild goose chase because it was all foretold to you in your dream, and now she’s rotting in prison because of what, fate? You sicken me.” she growled, Golden looking momentarily stunned by the choice of words, but knowing Azurine was twisting what had happened around, and deep down she had put Golden’s wellbeing first, being a child who was being manipulated at the time, though here Azurine was painting her as the manipulator instead. Without another word, Azurine swung her hand forward, and several pointed crystals tore through the floorboards, Golden not even having time to run before they struck her from all sides. As they pierced through her, they started to freeze her in place, sharply penetrating her skin and striking her over and over, Golden being raised up in place with only a foot touching the ground, a small pool of blood cascading below it as she lost sense of time with each attack, simply shaking in place as her vision turned more and more dead, until Azurine was merely impaling a husk. “UUHGH…!” As the crystals retreated, a horrid sound filled the room, and Golden collapsed after wasting her last breath to cry out, leaving her body to thump against the floor as everything went black almost immediately. “Very powerful…I’m honestly surprised she didn’t die sooner.” Vanitas muttered, Andrew nodding in agreement and grimacing as he examined her remains, she almost looked like a smashed mirror, limbs splayed out in an unrecognisable fashion and holes through several parts of her body. 

Golden counted for a moment. Yen Sid, Scout, Percy, twice, Mum, the boys, but it was Vanitas, Aero, Star, Vanitas again, Asha, the Council, Azurine…her head felt foggy, but she was sure it was at least 12 deaths at this point, and she rubbed at her head in the void, still feeling cold and lonely now she was back, but at least it gave her a moment to collect her thoughts whilst she felt nothing. If she wasn’t in pain, she could think a bit more clearly, which was a small bit of comfort. As she felt herself being brought back, she prayed this would end soon, and that she’d go home, or at the very least her family would, and wouldn’t have to witness the terrible events that were unfolding. 

Landing in the dining hall, she watched as the spirits stepped forward, noticing Frill, Mako, Cody, Luma and Mantra all trailing behind Delphis, whilst Bee, Flutter and Bluebird followed Aurora, Bee almost clinging to his protector, whilst Delphis’s arms were being held by Frill and Mako respectively. “Don’t do this, dad…” Mako whispered, Delphis’s eyes looking glassy, but he gave a whistle, the same exact whistle he’d use to comfort his little son whenever he became afraid. “Mi amor…” Delphis murmured, the spirits communicating in their own little way, through subtle hand gestures and motions, indicating to each other just what they were planning. Merlie caught all of Aurora’s spirits in her tentacles, whilst Stelle and Emilie grabbed Delphis’s, and the two leaders of sea and sky stepped forward, each raising a palm. As wind and water appeared from nowhere, it pulled Golden in like a current, encasing her in a pod of ocean and air, and at first it was rough, moving her round and round, but it evened out. Neither Vanitas nor Andrew could see inside, and Golden floated for a moment, feeling the waves were far calmer, the wind gently making them sway back and forth. She realized…this was Aurora and Delphis’s way of communicating with her, reassuring her of the dawn that came after the storm, and that patience would pay off. As the pod filled with water fully, Golden didn’t feel herself drown, not exactly, she simply felt as if she was floating in space, like she was on a cloud or on top of the IA 2000, and perhaps that was due to Aurora’s intervention, but regardless, she didn’t feel the moment she lost her air, until she was in the void once more, and the pod disappeared, revealing her waterlogged body, Mako turning to Delphis in a mixture of fury and horror, expressions which the sea spirit felt should never appear on his son’s face. In a quick movement, he freed Mako from the bind, and took him into his arms, whispering three simple words that only he could hear, in the hope of earning his forgiveness- “it was painless.”

Vanitas turned to the spirits, watching as they huddled around their leaders, scoffing. “What weaklings, needing their mummy and daddy.” he grimaced, Mako shooting him a tearful glare as his face looked overwhelmed, though he didn’t hold it against his parents, more against their captors and how they had forced their hands. It was no secret the sea and sky alone claimed thousands of visitors a year, simply due to the natural occurrence of things, but for the spirits to be shackled in such a manner? Mako was furious, burying his head into Delphis’s shoulder and holding him tight, both for his own comfort and to hope that the gesture might comfort his father, since he was undoubtedly feeling a thousand emotions right now, even if his robotic shell wouldn’t express them. Andrew scoffed along with him. “Reminds me of how I was thrashed around.” he remarked, Vanitas snickering behind his hand at what he recalled of Andrew’s little story, the man had actually told him one evening when they were first getting to know each other, and now it was a bit of a humorous story for Vanitas, though Andrew didn’t like to talk about it, both due to how embarrassing it had been, and also due to his distaste for the family. As the men snapped again, Golden landed back on the floor of the dining hall, making a mental note of the number 13, aware of the irony. She glared up at Vanitas and Andrew, who returned her gaze with mockingly sweet smiles, Vanitas actually reaching down to pat her head in a condescending manner, making her flinch and push his hand away. “So, little girl, it’s time to say bye-bye to that little family of yours! Why don’t you give them all hugs and kisses because it’s home time for them!” he spoke, batting his eyelashes as he put on a fake sing-songy voice, almost like a preschool teacher. Golden huffed, but obediently got to her feet, looking at her family as Vanitas pulled out his keyblade, opening a keyhole directly to the Symphonus home. She moved toward Yen Sid instinctively, wrapping her arms around his legs. He didn’t move, but he didn’t push her away either. “I love you, daddy…” she whispered, Yen Sid’s fingers gently twitching and stroking her hair for a moment, though it went unnoticed by the villains, luckily. Golden felt it though, and the rest of her family frowned at her, all except Starlight, who looked lost. Reaching for her, Golden pulled the little glowworm toward her, and pressed their foreheads together. “I’ll be back soon, promise.” she whispered, Starlight closing her eyes and internalizing those words, even if she felt herself slipping back into that robotic trance again, she tried to stay present for Golden, knowing deep down that the little girl needed her right now. As the family started moving toward the keyhole, passing through it, none of them looked back, and it hit Golden that they were leaving her here, that not one of them cared enough to try and drag her with them, even if it was likely futile. “Wait, don’t go!” she called, feeling her vision suddenly swim with tears, it felt like she was being abandoned, the same feeling she’d gotten five years ago when she couldn’t find her family, and was crying to Percy that she needed them, that she didn’t want to be alone or die. As that same feeling settled in her mind, she almost felt like she was back in that theater, glitching, and as her glitch sparked a bit, she couldn’t help but start to panic, wanting to be with them and flailing her arms, Andrew grabbing the back of her robe to stop her from running off. “Please, don’t leave me!” she sobbed, her voice distorting as the glitch overtook her again, it felt like she was trying to move through water, slow motion distorting her movement as she flailed relentlessly, and as tears swam through her vision, it felt as if she wasn’t reaching for Yen Sid or her current family anymore, but her old one, like she was trying to reach out for one last hug with her mummy and daddy. “Don’t go…!” she reached, and only one person turned. Mum. She looked…a little saddened, but mainly angry, almost as if she knew who Golden was crying out for, and feeling furious that it wasn’t her, wanting to be needed, wanting to be loved, but she could never truly replace Golden’s own mother, and that fact brought her endless anger. “Die.” Mum muttered, unleashing a wave of magic that knocked Golden back, bringing sense back into her and confronting her with the reality that two families had left her, two didn’t want her, and now she was at the hands of evil yet again, and there really wasn’t a way out. As Golden curled up on the floor, she watched Vanitas wiggle his fingers, almost like he was doing a magic trick, and pluck the hat off Yen Sid’s head, just as Maleficent had done, and administering a kick to Yen Sid for good measure, the keyhole closing behind him. “One last little trick…” Vanitas smirked, waving his hand as the keyhole twinkled out of existence, and Golden succumbed to her despair, seeing that hat atop Vanitas’s head was wrong. That hat was a mark of sorcery, of leadership, of everything else the art stood for. And yet here it was, tarnished in the most twisted way possible. Yen Sid stood for possibility and hope for all that came after him, the generations he’d pass his knowledge down to, and  he’d sworn an oath to always keep wishing and dreaming, keep believing that the impossible could become possible. And yet…he wasn’t here. Nobody was. Golden was alone, and scared, and nobody would save her. So…she decided to save herself.

Yen Sid woke up in the workshop, remembering nothing but a bright flash that had interrupted his morning. He sat up, spotting everyone around him, lying down in various states on the floor. Starlight rubbed her eyes, barely having the energy to float off the floor, leading to Mickey yawning and stretching, and bringing her into his arms like a baby doll. “Ugh…I feel weird…” she groaned, Star looking woozy as it tugged at Aero’s hair, squeaking in a rather dazed way. Percy adjusted his glasses, rubbing at his temples and righting his hat, but feeling an odd sense of guilt. He felt heavy, oddly, and like a sob was rising in his throat, though he had no idea why. Yen Sid noticed how lost he looked and moved over to him, putting an arm around his shoulders as they knelt together. “Percy…? What troubles you, my boy?” he whispered, Percy looking at him with rather misty eyes, a look of confusion on his features. “I…don’t know, Master. Something has come over me…something odd. I feel like I’d…like to cry. A-and this odd feeling of guilt…” he replied, Sonatina looking over in worry. “Percy? What could you feel guilty about? You haven’t done anything, except maybe sleeping in!” she giggled, Percy snickering slightly through his tears, feeling Yen Sid squeeze his shoulders. “It’s your mind playing tricks on you, remember? What did your therapist tell you?” he smiled softly, Percy nodding. “Yeah...okay.” he mumbled, Yen Sid rubbing his eyes as tiredness overcame him. “Tell you what. I’ll get these lot settled in guest rooms, and then you can come and join me in my room. Bring all your blankets, we’ll have a small sleepover just like we did with Astra when you were a boy.” he smiled, Percy nodding at the idea and giggling slightly as Yen Sid stroked his sideburns. “Alright Master…!” He cheered, turning into light and zipping upstairs. Sonatina smiled, helping Scout and Julius up, whilst Aero helped Mickey and Oswald. The Council were also there, Azurine, Delphis and his troupe…luckily they always had plenty of guest rooms due to the castle’s ability to magically expand- just as Scout always said, the house was bigger on the inside! “Anyone want to bake cookies?” Sonatina offered, Aurora looking curious. “I…can try? I’d like to, I’ll fold down my wings for convenience.” she shyly spoke, Azurine also looking intrigued. Delphis smiled, feeling the atmosphere become more aquatic, Sonatina giving him a wink indicating she was doing this for him. The sea spirit felt something odd, almost as if this had occurred before, frowning slightly, but it soon passed, and he joined his little troupe in the living room, since Oswald and Julius were teaching Cody and Mako how to play Mario Kart with them. Scout went upstairs to draw in her journal, and Mickey and Aero did a race upstairs, Star clinging to Aero’s shoulder to avoid being swept away. And as Yen Sid prepared his room for a sleepover, he moved toward his closet, and noticed in the mirror that his hat had disappeared. He didn’t have the energy to find it, though, and instead took out something, a little music box he’d used in his youth to help him sleep, sure it would have the same effect on Percy, since he didn’t have the strength to even sing to his son right now. Right as Yen Sid got into his pyjamas, Percy trundled in with his blankets, laying them out on the bed so that they could share them, and Yen Sid picked up Lambie, holding her close to his chest. He didn’t remember getting her out, but it didn’t matter, and the two of them snuggled up, planning to take a small rest until the evening, Yen Sid putting his arm around Percy as he wound up the box, playing the beautiful melody of a magic winter. “What song is that, dad…?” Percy yawned, Yen Sid smiling softly at a memory. “It’s one Master Grey used to sing. He made that box for me so that whenever I got scared, I’d be able to listen to it and remember my family’s love, just like I wrote that lullaby for you when you were a boy.” he whispered, Percy’s eyes drooping sleepily, but he liked the sound of passing down a lullaby to one’s children. Perhaps…if he ever had a baby, he’d write a song for them too. And as they both fell asleep, Yen Sid let the music box slow to silence, and felt himself drift into a dream, one he hadn’t had for many years, but one he recognized all the same. “It’s been a while, buddy.”

Finally free from the grasp of Andrew, Golden fell forward onto the floor, her hand still reaching out to where the entrance of the Symphonus family once was. It was now gone, her family completely out of reach. The last remnants of the portal twinkled like the keyblade as it vanished out of sight. “No…NO!!!” she yelled, her open hand now clenching into a fist she pounded against the floorboards. She felt a mixture of emotions as the realization of being alone set in. Her family had left her behind, once again, and she was all alone with these villains who all wanted her dead. When would it end? Would there be a limit? Would she even return after a certain death? “Well well, looks like the end of the line.” Vanitas snickered, grabbing Golden by the back of her shirt and forcefully pulling her to her feet, which dragged across the floor as the dark keyblade wielder brought her back to the circle. Andrew stood at her side, glaring down at her with an imposing grin, it was clear he was going through quite the power rush now that Yen Sid and the Symphonus family were now out of here and back at home. Golden was all theirs as far as he was concerned. “Everyone gathered here tonight!!” He cried out, his arms extended like a host at a large showcase event. “Tonight is a night we won’t forget. It’s time we all get a little payback, a little…revenge on our very special guest…this…” He reached down, grabbing her by the hair, which was almost pulled out of her scalp. “...little wretch. Heheheh…now, you ALL will get a piece, but ah ah ah! One at a time, now.” Andrew gave a wag of his finger at the villains, almost like a teacher disciplining a group of naughty children, making them all roll their eyes with a grimace at his condescending attitude. “You first, your majesty…” He gave a somewhat ironic bow, turning toward the Evil Queen, who approached with a menacing step. Golden fell from Andrew’s hold, landing with a loud thud as she lifted her head and massaged the top, the man’s tight grip was nowhere near as soft nor gentle as Julius’s, nor Yen Sid’s. “M-majesty?!” Golden yelped, her eyes meeting the deadly monarch’s. The Evil Queen kneeled at Golden’s level, even though she felt the position should definitely be reversed. “Yes. Your true queen.” The Evil Queen smirked darkly, her long fingers grasping Golden by the chin, Golden tried to pull away, even frowning hard to try and keep her cool, the queen’s hold was too tight. “Where’s your strength and confidence now, child?” The Evil Queen went on, she felt her own power rising from elation of the moment. “The mighty fall hard, don’t they? No little butterfly for you to fight with, no grand speech, no family to protect you. Your end is now.” The Evil Queen stood, her figure now looming over Golden at a much higher frame, Golden’s heart sank, she hated how she felt the queen’s words affect her like a knife to the chest. “I-is it…?” she whimpered, the Evil Queen simply nodded. “Indeed it is!” She raised her arms, the ceiling lit up with an array of flashing lights, lightning shot across the chandelier and down the adorned walls. Golden knew straight away what was going to happen, she closed her eyes, trying to think of her family’s happy faces as the thought of her promise kept most of her fear at bay, and the fact that once she returned again, the pain would not be as terrible. “Go on my dear, give us a show!” Andrew cried, clapping his hands above his head, his eyes shifted to the villains, the members of the Wicked Nine were all lined up, anticipating their turns, Ursula seemed to enjoying the Evil Queen’s spectacle, gleefully elbowing her large arm in Jafar’s ribs as he twirled his staff in his hand, Iago watching from his shoulder, his eyes showing interest and concern. “You thought you were so strong before.” The Evil Queen shouted over the booms of thunder as the lightning shot down at her command. “I have news for you, you arrogant worm, you were NEVER strong! Not without a boost from power may be watching, where are they now?! You’re nothing, nothing but a weak infant!” The bolts of lightning struck the circle, Golden almost missed the cue, but there were so many at once that she didn’t have any time to register. Blinding white surrounded her, there were burns from all sides, but they were brief, and darkness slipped in quickly. Lightning was a powerful phenomenon, able to burn in seconds, one might not even notice until they woke up with a scar. The dust began to clear, but the heat remained. Vanitas coughed and waved his hand in front of his face, trying to clear his view to see the wreckage, the circle was now a blackened crater of floorboards and rubble, and a small speck of golden light, which disappeared as Andrew approached it and blew it away as if it were a small flame. “Well, that was quite exciting!” he cheered, giving the Evil Queen a quick applause, to which she slightly bowed like a performer who had just finished entertaining. “For me, even moreso.” she smiled. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited for that, my fine fellow.” Vanitas scoffed at her comment, speaking to Andrew like a young lady with a buttery soft voice. He stuck his finger in his mouth to indicate he felt like vomiting, while nonchalantly using his keyblade to scratch his shoulder blades. “Yeah yeah, anyhoo, my dear apprentice!” he cried, turning up the volume of his voice to make sure he was getting everyone’s attention. Andrew snarled at the dark keyblade wielder, his top lip curling with annoyance. “You are walking on thin ice everytime you call me that, you edgy little welp.” Vanitas gave a cheeky eye roll, not deterred at all by Andrew’s threat. “So touchy, unlike myself. Now…why don’t you stop being so petty and bring her back? The others are waiting, and one mustn’t forget their bargain, no?” Vanitas leaned on his keyblade, smirking with smug giddiness at the taller man, Andrew wanted to argue with Vanitas, but he felt his mood would be lifted if they continued with their plan, so he looked away, giving his fingers a snap. Golden’s form began to appear, what looked like a charred body now coming back to its original look, a broken, frightened girl. “Hello! Back already?” Andrew taunted in a high voice. “It’s sooo good to be back, isn’t it?” Golden scowled, she was already feeling dead inside, the last thing she needed to hear was Andrew’s mocking words, she’d rather be in the void if it meant escaping their intentions. A figure from the line stepped forward, Golden shrank back a little as she sat up, her heart ached from being torn apart and reattached so many times over. Mother Gothel took a dagger from her belt, giving it a little spin between her fingers as the blade shimmered in the light. “Hello there, dear.” she said in a low voice, unlike the one she’d normally use to sound sweet. “It’s been a while, some time since we last met. Some time since you stole my flower.” Golden gritted her teeth as she slumped back, her body finding the energy to back away, but Gothel was quick, she lunged forward and grasped Golden by the arm, pulling her forward and forcing her to face the crone at eye level. “You took everything from me…” Gothel whispered into her ear. “So now, I will take EVERYTHING from you!” Gothel pushed Golden onto her back, stepping onto her stomach and forcing the air from her lungs, though dazed, Golden managed to see Gothel staring her down with the dagger raised above her head. In an instant, Gothel brought the dagger down, aiming for Golden’s throat, the villains behind the two all expected the sound of cut flesh and a splatter of blood, but it didn't come, to their surprise, Golden had gripped Gothel’s wrist in her own tiny hands, effectively holding her off. The amount of sudden strength surprised both Gothel and Golden, but perhaps the instinct to survive surpassed any weakness Golden might have felt in that moment, she wasn’t going to go down easily again after the Evil Queen. “Give up, child.” growled Gothel, the knife shaking in her hand. “I’ve won, I ALWAYS win!” Golden didn’t let up, her eyes watered from not blinking as they fixed themselves on the blade above her. Vanitas chuckled under his breath, slowly raising a hand, and pointing a finger at Golden’s struggling form. “Stopza.” he whispered. Golden felt her energy drained, her body went ice cold, dread filled her head. Gothel pulled her hand out of the girl’s hands, and hastily plunged the dagger into her chest. Golden wanted to scream, but her voice was not found. Gothel giggled, twisting the knife deeper into Golden’s chest, it had narrowly missed her heart. “Oh, now that was fun!” The old crone smiled, her voice returning to that sickeningly sweet tone. “Now then, how about round two, deary?” Gothel pulled the knife out, only to plunge it back in and give it another twist, with more effort this time. Golden gave a raspy gasp, the pain was only numbed by the fact it was the second stab, the first was worse. As blood seeped down Golden’s mouth, she tried to speak, say anything at all, but her lungs were deprived of any air, her throat clogged as her whole body weakened. The stopza spell began to wear off as Golden let her arms fall to the floor, limp and lifeless. “Agh…” the smallest voice was caught by Gothel’s ear, who chuckled at the girl’s wincing. She pulled the knife out as she watched Golden’s eyes stop twitching, and stood up, away from the girl. Golden knew one thing before she fell back into the dark void, these people, no…these villains, were not just out to kill her, they were out to destroy her. That thought alone was enough to make her lose any hope of seeing her loved ones again, and them seeing her the way they used to.

“Wow, that was something.” Vanitas snickered, Andrew nodding his head. Though he was one for the spectacle, he couldn’t deny the inherent grimness of a kid lying in the middle of the room and bleeding, not that he cared. “I do like her insatiable bloodlust…” he murmured, Vanitas raising his eyebrows in agreement, both of them reaching a hand to snap and bring Golden back yet again, who was trying not to succumb to her despair, but it was so difficult. Even the void, which was somewhat of a sanctuary, had grown colder, like a manifestation of her own pain and suffering, not least amplified by how that snowflake had appeared out of nowhere. Upon being brought back, Golden just lay there, in the exact same spot as before, feeling her robe being stained yet again by remnants of her previous assailant, it would likely be dyed a deeper red by the end of all of this, just because of the amount of blood that kept seeping into it over and over. Feeling a faint pain, she couldn’t move and simply curled up one of her fists, remembering how at nighttime she’d often suck her thumb as a form of soothing or comfort, trying to resist the urge to do so know, mainly with the thought of how much they’d all laugh at her. Gritting her teeth, she put her fist in her hand instead, trying to act braver than she was, though deep down all she wanted was to be with her family, who didn’t laugh at her for her childish acts or ways of comforting herself, even after many years of needing to do so. Her thoughts were interrupted as a staff slammed down into the floor, a caped vizier staring down at her with an intimidating expression. “To think you, such a small little pest, beat us before, and now look at you! As my dear friends said, how the mighty fall.” he cackled, Golden putting her hands over her ears and groaning as his voice grated at her eardrums, making them ring slightly. As he lifted his staff, he smirked down at Iago, who whispered something in his ear. “I love how your twisted little mind works…everyone? May I put on a bit of a spectacle for you all?” Jafar smirked, Andrew giving him a nod to indicate he was permitted. And with a dark grin, Jafar levitated Golden off the ground, who became surrounded by a sparkly red magic outline. It moved with her, but didn’t let her go, trapping her and forcing her to flail about pointlessly. As he aimed the cobra's eyes toward her, the swirling soon hypnotised her, and Jafar looked through her memories for a moment, finding an attack he considered suitable. And finally, he came across one, one he knew would upset her deeply due to what it had last been used for. “Hm, do we remember how your daddy once called you arrogant and expendable?” he grinned, Golden looking numb due to the hypnosis, but her lips parting slightly in surprise, indicating she’d heard him. “Why don’t we re-enact that little performance, hm?” the vizier continued, before forcefully slamming Golden into the ceiling, holding her in an odd grip that she couldn’t escape, especially with her mind compromised, leaving her to be helplessly smacked around like a porcelain doll. And with another snap, Jafar struck again, turning into a snake and hissing at her, Golden coming back to her senses and trying to wobble to her feet, stumbling slightly and trying to reach for the wall…until that wall moved. With a gasp, she realized it was no wall, but his scales, and he’d caught her in a trap, coiling higher and higher around her as his head stretched taller and taller, causing her to shrink in fright, but in this circle, she had no idea where to run. She tried to run up against the side and bash it, but he just moved in, and she realized he was constricting her, the circle getting smaller and smaller as she moved her hands in, then her legs, trying to make herself as tiny as possible…and Jafar put his head down on his own coiled-up body, blocking out the sunlight as a crunch echoed throughout the room, indicating he’d managed his plot perfectly. One final time for the vizier, a snap resounded, and a very achy Golden watched as the snake slithered away, feeling her skin crawl at the sight, before his skin transformed into a mass of clouds and red smoke, turning into a genie before her very eyes. Trying to think of a plan, Golden noticed the blackened lamp, remembering Mickey’s stories about his dreams of similar things. Maybe if she just rubbed it and wished he’d go away, maybe he’d be stuck in an itty bitty living space? It seemed unlikely, though, but she reached for the lamp, rubbing it…and nothing happened. Another came into view, and then another…mirages, illusions. Someone in the crowd stifled a chuckle, Jafar casting an eye toward whoever it was that had helped him, but Goldie couldn’t see in time before she was suddenly picked up, held fast in one of Jafar’s huge fists. “Thought you could defeat ME? Think again, clearly luck isn’t on your side today, but I’d wager that considering your very lucky brother isn’t here either!” Jafar cackled, rubbing salt into the emotional wounds that she already had, as she resisted the urge to just have a meltdown in full view, though her own insecurities prevented that, which was debatably lucky. As Jafar threw her up into the air, he sent an attack flying toward her, which exploded like fireworks, attacking her from all sides until she stopped feeling, and finally fell to the floor with a loud crash, Jafar de-transforming and inspecting his handiwork, the rest of the villains applauding. “Yes, thank you, thank you! I know, I’m wonderful…” he smirked, before a tentacle flew over his mouth. “Ah, shut your mouth vizier. Let’s let a real professional show how it’s done, and with only one go to boot! I’ll bet you seven clams I’ll do more damage in one go than you could do in three!” Ursula cackled, earning a few wolf-whistles and ‘ooohs’ from the crowd, who were eager to turn this torture into a game, being the sickening beings they were. “You’re on. If I win, seven diamonds. If you win, seven clams.” the vizier smirked, Ursula grinning at the challenge and indicating for Andrew to snap, who resisted the urge to join in on the fun and make his own bet, though his terms would likely be riddled with his own twisted ideas, ruining the banter between the two foes. Instead, Andrew turned to the place where Golden’s body had lay, now being reduced to a pile of white dust thanks to Jafar’s genie magic, and smirked. “Never mighty, were you? Just a stupid kid who got it into your head that you were something special, because people told you over and over that you were. Now you’ve got no guardians, no family, and nobody to protect you from them…and me.”

With yet another snap, Golden was brought back to her body, the villains watching as the dust blew away and her same form reappeared, robe no longer stained due to everything being completely reversed, as if time was moving back and forth with each snap. Golden felt dizzy, likely due to the fact that her brain had just come back from being powder, and she shook her head from side to side, watching as a mass of tentacles came toward her. Glaring, she looked up at Ursula, remembering how the sea witch had once attacked little Starlight and Star, she seemed the type to pick on the weak and vulnerable. “What do you want, sea hag?” Golden muttered, Ursula making a face of mock-offence. “Don’t upset Auntie Ursy!! I might cry…” she pouted, before glaring at Golden, “and then I’ll get angry…” With a snarl, she revealed several little jars and bottles held in each of her tentacles, only two of them free, which shot toward Goldie at the speed of missiles, binding her torso and legs. “Hey!” she squealed, trying to break free, but her hands were stuck at her sides and her legs squeezed together, almost like a mermaid tail. “Remember that feeling?” Ursula smirked, Golden immediately getting a flashback to what had happened with Vor and when her voice had been stolen, speaking of which, Ursula’s necklace glowed, forcing Golden to feel a tugging at her throat yet again, almost like she might throw up, before her voice left her, leaving her to scowl and thrash fruitlessly. “Ahhh, that’s better.” Ursula sighed with contentment, before opening one of the potion bottles. “And the punchline is, we won’t be able to hear the screams of pain, but I can enjoy the expressions! Since we all know the power of body language, ha!” As Golden tried to flail yet again, she felt a tingling on her skin suddenly, as if it had been touched by thinner, but instead of melting, little sections of it began to itch and ache, an irritant having been spread on her skin. “Ahh, look at the little angelfish here, squirming to escape.” Ursula chuckled, raising Golden up above her head like a trophy, before throwing another potion point-blank at her, which hit her head, creating a cloud of mist that blocked her vision and made her cough, even without her voice. As it settled, it began to create little droplets, which felt like acid rain, Golden closing her eyes as they splashed down on her face, each burn even more painful than the last. Ursula became bored of the child’s play, though, and brought her down to her face, holding her upside-down by the legs and smirking. “Hello sweetheart…oh, you want to be put down? With pleasure!” she chortled, before freeing Golden’s torso and pulling her tentacle back like a pitcher about to throw a ball, promptly slamming the girl into a nearby table and dragging her along it, causing her to hit vases, plates, cutlery… “why do I bother?” Vanitas murmured, looking a bit peeved that his display had been ruined, but it was in exchange for another display, one he couldn’t help but find amusement in. As Golden reached the end of the table, she now had fresh cuts all over her face and torso, looking worse for wear and tired, but the sea witch still wasn’t done, intent on winning this self-imposed competition against the vizier. As she coiled four of her tentacles around Golden’s limbs, she suddenly pulled, Golden feeling her face contort as if she was screaming, but there was no sound, like she was trying to scream underwater. Ursula’s necklace began to glow, indicating the voice in there was trying to yell out, but the child’s face said enough about the agony she felt, she almost looked like a sad theater mask with how much her mouth had contorted, a sight that wasn’t without its amusing side for the likes of the Wicked Nine and their friends. Coiling another two tentacles around Golden’s torso, she reached for the heart inside and stole it, “accidentally” breaking a rib or two in the process, before making a show out of juggling the heart with her two remaining tentacles, and then finally grabbing one last potion, pouring it on and turning the heart’s colour from gold to black. “Since little Symphonus here doesn’t have an ounce of darkness within that heart, let’s add some! It’ll be a fun little experiment…” Ursula cackled, watching as the dark ooze dripped down like the poison of the sleeping death spell, before it finally seeped in and Golden’s heart began to react accordingly, resisting the darkness with such force that it exhausted itself, and dissipated into nothing again, Ursula feeling Golden’s body go limp in the process and dropping her, wiping her hands. “I think we have our winner.” Andrew smirked, Jafar looking irritated but promptly summoning seven clams, Ursula sidling up to him to rub it in and the vizier flicking her off when she tried to put her head on his shoulder, it truly was little more than a game for these twisted individuals.

Golden’s hands clutched tightly over her chest, feeling her heart racing as it slowly began to reattach itself. She closed her eyes again, counting in her head of the deaths she had been through thus far, the rest of the Wicked Nine were to come, and the very thought of it made her sick. And it wasn’t just them, there were more villains assembled for this cruel, twisted game. How many more would she suffer through? What were Vanitas and Andrew planning for themselves? She could only hope that whatever was coming, it would be over quickly, and she’d be free, if that was the case, or she’d be imprisoned within their hold forever… A snap. Golden was wishing she had stayed in the void longer, it felt her time spent there was getting shorter and shorter each round. Her hands clutched at her aching ribs as she mentally cursed the sea witch for the tactics she used against her. She flinched as something suddenly pressed into her cheek, it was the end tip of a cane, her eyes slowly turned upward as she followed the length of the cane, stopping at Dr Facilier’s dark yet eccentric smile. “We meet again, lil darlin’.” he said. “The last time was when we made a deal, and you made off with my hat.” To further accentuate his point, the voodoo doctor gave a little flick to the brim of his hat, making it tip back a little. “But now, I believe we oughta make another deal, one of my choosing. But don’t you worry, lil lady, this will be worth every cent, trust me. A done deal is a done deal, well, for me that is.” With a swing of his cane, Dr Facilier summoned several creatures of darkness, his ‘friends’ appeared at different angles, surrounding Golden as they jumped from the walls, several were grabbing at her already fragile limbs. Golden grunted as she tried to pull away, but it felt as if her arms would tear off from their tight grip. She tried to scream at them, but yelps of anger and pain came out instead. “Someone’s getting feisty.” Jafar snickered quietly from the crowd. Dr Facilier grinned at his ‘friends’ for their efforts, to which they returned his with nasty, gleeful ones, they looked like ghoulish masks. “That’s part one, now onto the next part, which is my favourite.” He finished his sentence with a raspy sneer, reaching into the pocket of his vest. He took out a small voodoo doll, which wore a robe of red, and its hair a vibrant mix of cyan and lilac. Golden’s eyes widened with shock and terror, how did he get that she wondered, and when did he get it? “What?! H-how did you…?!” Facilier looked at her in amusement, holding the doll up for her to see. “I know, I’m just full of surprises, ain’t I?” Out of nowhere, he revealed a needle, and promptly jammed it into the doll’s head. A sharp pain spread across Golden’s head, causing her to cry out, it was only a weak cry as her throat remained strained. Even with the shadowy creatures covering her mouth to keep her quiet out of their own amusement as Facilier gave the doll a few more jabs to the head, the pain caused Golden to limply fall to her knees. Weary, Golden lifted her head to look at Facilier, her expression grim yet angry, she didn’t want to show anymore fear or weakness to these villains, especially not Andrew or Vanitas, no matter how long this ‘game’ of theirs may last. She watched as Facilier retreated the needle back into his pocket, and took the doll’s head between his thumb and index finger, he began to twist it. “Wait…what are you doing? Stop!” Any defiance Golden had held briefly had depleted as she watched the voodoo doctor twist the head, her already pale skin went white with horror. “NO STOOOP!!” She found her voice just as Facilier gave a tougher pull, the doll was pulled in half, the head hanging limply from the shoulders. The shocked eyes of everyone in the room went straight to the girl, who all expected a body to be torn in half, to their surprise, and the relief to some, she was intact, the tension lifted. Dr Facilier chuckled softly. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to cause a panic. But I get why you’d think that. No, this is merely the next part of the act.” He reached into the doll’s lower half, and took out something, it looked like a bean from where Golden was standing, sweat trickled down her cold face as she tried to make out what he was holding, her eyes widened further as he turned it over, it was inscribed with the word ‘lungs.’ “Wait a minute, oh no…!” It happened within seconds, Facilier crushed the tiny lungs between his fingers and they crumbled into dust, a sudden urge overcame Golden as she threw her head forward, spitting blood out of her mouth and coughing harshly. The taste was vile, and she growled in fury, cursing the doctor and all who watched. Another crush, likely her stomach, Golden once again threw up, it wasn’t painful but the vomiting was an incredibly unpleasant feeling. Finally, Facilier took out a little golden heart, Golden felt dread and somewhat relieved, if this was the one to take her, she’d be momentarily back in the void. With a final crush to the voodoo doll’s heart, Golden spat out the last of the blood and fell as the doctor’s friend released her from their grip. Golden blacked out, quite literally as the void embraced her once more. Golden didn’t know how long it was in there, but she had enough time to get her bearings and feel around her body, her organs were back to normal, but they ached and she undoubtedly had bruises everywhere. Another hellish snap, she was really starting to detest that sound, once her eyes reached the light, she tried to stand up, her defiance returning somewhat. She looked over at the group of villains, the remaining Wicked Nine in particular. “S-so…which one of you is n-next?” she hissed, she only got a couple of chuckles in response. “Ah, getting used to the routine, are you?” He turned to his left, bowing as the next figure stepped out of the group to face Golden, who only squinted blankly at the tall witch in black, the young girl’s knees shook, and her clenched fists were cold, but she didn’t flinch. “Hello again, little fool.” smirked Maleficent, bending down to Golden’s level, lifting her chin up with her staff that Diablo would so often perch himself on. He was sat on Maleficent’s wide shoulder this time, his eyes contained as much malice as his mistress. “Oh, look at you, speechless I see!” Maleficent continued. “One always becomes speechless and mesmerized in my presence, often in fear! Too bad for you, you don’t have your papa here to protect you, nor that insufferable ball of light or that mouse, or even your little four eyed windbag of a best friend.” Golden managed to hold back a small laugh, though the corners of her lips turned up. It was clear from the witch’s words she was still sore about being bested by Aero after the sorcerer had swooped in and rescued Mickey from her clutches. Golden was about to take a risk, but it wasn’t like it would matter, if the void was waiting for her, all she’d have to deal with was a few bruises and scars to remind her of this terrible night. “Too bad for you…” she said, glaring up at the witch. “I might not have my family here right now, they are safe…the only shame here is that they aren’t gonna whoop ya. I was hoping to see you fall flat on your sorry behind again.” Maleficent seethed, the other villains mumbled among themselves, curious if Golden was being extremely brave right now, or just extremely daft, it mattered not, Maleficent flew open her cape, the green magic oozing from her staff in fury as Diablo cawed. “Insolent brat, typical of one of that Yen Sid’s…!” Maleficent glowered, pointing down at Golden. “No matter, even if you feel brave or strong, I’ll beat it all out of you in mere seconds! I do hope you’re prepared, you fool…You have ME to deal with, and all the powers of my own strong will!” The ring Golden was standing in was suddenly engulfed in bright green fire, stones shot up from the floor, narrowly missing Golden as she stepped back quickly. She clutched at her head out of an instinct to protect herself, her breath hitching as she whispered to herself. “I promised…I HAVE to keep my promise!” She shot her head up at Maleficent, glaring with a fiery gaze, much like Yen Sid’s. “And I won’t let YOU or ANYONE of you stop me!” Maleficent appeared amused by this sudden spark of confidence and desire not to lose, but knew she couldn’t possibly keep up the appearance forever. She waved a hand, summoning a small green flame that transformed its shape, becoming a butterfly. “Ahh, I can sense it.” she grinned, “That same strong little will you displayed the last time we fought. You had a butterfly last time, quite majestic, I’ll admit.” She toyed with the butterfly, letting it flap in her palm before she quickly snapped it shut, the butterfly disappearing into a puff of green smoke in an instant. “It’s just unlucky for you to not have that creature back you up this time, and no more grand speeches either!” The witch rose up into the air, her form becoming encased in a black smog that electrified the arena. Appearing from the darkness, a long, scaly arm emerged with sharp talons that slammed down in front of Golden, almost knocking her down. The dragon’s great head appeared, smoke rising from her open maw as the flames inside built. With great speed, Maleficent’s claws hand grabbed Golden and gave her a momentous swing, slamming her into the wall that almost cracked from the impact. The heat from Maleficent’s burning breath was close, and Golden felt her hand stung with great pain from the fire, yet she tried to withstand it as she lifted herself up from where she fell. “I won before…” she wheezed bravely, though she felt incredible fear right here before the witch. “I’ll…never give up!” Maleficent lowered her head, growling and blowing more heat toward Golden, who winced and covered her face. “Brave words, child…” The evil witch spoke, her voice vibrating from her enormous form. “But in any case, it’ll just make your death more satisfying to me. It’s time to end it here.” As if hit by a burst of adrenaline, Golden sprinted to the table and grabbed a chair by its legs, holding it above her head with as much might as her frail, vulnerable form could, Vanitas looked ready to perform another Stopza, but Andrew held his hand out, halting him. “Watch…” he whispered in a sinister voice. Her arms ached and her legs wobbled, but Golden managed to throw the chair directly at Maleficent with a precise aim, learning sorcery required the utmost precise focus. The chair smashed right in the middle of Maleficent’s face, the wood splintered and hit her scales, but one landed in her eye, making her scream. “Ahhh!! That does it…this child’s play ends NOW!!” Wiping down her enraged face, Maleficent reared up on her hindlegs, preparing to give her a fiery blast. Golden held up her hands, trying to summon the butterfly with every thought she could, but it didn’t come, all Golden could see were the flames that Maleficent unleashed, Golden swiftly shielded her head with her arms, and then dived to her left side, rolling across the floor with only a bit of her robe singed. Maleficent looked furious, inching further toward Golden and getting closer to her face. Golden shrank a little, somewhat regretting avoiding the blast, she was in for it now… “Insolent, disgraceful little fool…” She lurched her head forward, effectively grabbing the back of Golden’s shirt with her teeth, once again slamming her into the walls and letting her drop. Golden fell among the spikes, which cut through her clothes and kept her effectively pinned in place, her widened eyes stared up at the dragon, who gave a mighty roar as a burst of flames ignited like an explosive. Maleficent reached down, plucking Golden from the spikes and held her in a tight grip, her talons heavy on the girl’s fragile form. Golden felt herself slipping again, and held her breath as the evil witch tightened her hold, before striking her with the speed of a flying sword with her talon, it plunged into her, right through her heart. Everything went black, and while the pain was awful and harsh, it soon ebbed once Golden was back in the void, only her fear remained. De-transforming, Maleficent held the limp girl in her arms before her body slowly faded away, and with a swish of her cape and a malicious smile of victory, she earned a round of fervent applause from the watching crowd. “Bravo, mistress of all evil!” Andrew cheered, clapping the most to make himself look like the most loyal, but it seemed someone else was trying to best him at the back. “What a spectacle that was, wouldn’t you agree, Vanitas?” The boy nodded, slyly adjusting Yen Sid’s hat on his head, returning a smug look at the older man. “Indeed, my apprentice.” he snickered. “I daresay, it looks like Percy has a worthy opponent, after all…” 

Golden felt a chill down her spine, gently touching a few locks of her hair in the void, and twirling them between her fingers, they were still so untidy and it hurt a bit, but it was a form of comfort, it reminded her of how Scout and Yen Sid would brush it, and how she’d snuggle up to Yen Sid’s beard when she was small. “Don’t worry…I’ll get home soon. Promise…” she whispered, before another snap echoed throughout the expanse, bringing her back to her body. She lay for a moment, feeling herself aching, before something splattered onto her cheek. Confused, she reached a hand to rub at it, but it was a little sticky, making her grimace. As another splodge fell on her, Golden rubbed again, and then looked up to find the culprit. But as soon as she did, every single hair on her body stood up on edge, and goosebumps cascaded down her skin. Staring down at her was a giant creature, with fur covering every inch of its body, and a scar stretching over one eye as it stood almost 13 feet tall, reared up on its hind legs. Within seconds, the realisation came to Golden as to just what she was staring at. A giant bear. Mor’du. She barely even had a second to gulp before Vanitas drew out his keyblade, Golden realizing the bear’s feet were chained momentarily with crystals, keeping him in place. In that split second, she activated her glitch, but it couldn’t take her far due to her weakness, and she could only glitch about a foot away. Vanitas smirked, undoing the crystals. “Are you ready, you big beast? Go.” he grinned, and Mor’du immediately lunged, Golden trying to glitch again and managing to get up on the dining table, running across it as the bear sighted her, she jumped down onto the other side to try and create distance, but the bear reared up, and took a running start, jumping over it and lunging toward her again, Golden barely managing to glitch again before he got her, but landing right in front of Vanitas, who picked her up by the back of her shirt. “Put me down!” she squealed, trying not to let her terror overtake her, but her fear was already showing to the extent that her heart was glowing. “Come and get her! Tasty snack right here!” Vanitas laughed, finding the entire situation amusing as Golden struggled and kicked, but it did little to free her, she looked pathetic and small in this state. Mor’du slowly turned, sighting the glowing heart with his wild eyes, his jaw opened as if he couldn’t resist, and he darted round the table, some of the villains stepping out the way as he charged toward her, Vanitas stepping back and dropping her on the ground just in time. “Ow…” Golden squeaked, raising her hand to rub her head and looking up, now seeing the bear above her again, and feeling her body shake. To her surprise, Mor’du bent down, looking at her, as if he was examining her, and he momentarily stopped, just for a second, as if he was doubting what he was about to do. Golden crawled back slightly, pulling her knees close and keeping her nervous gaze on the bear, Vanitas rolling his eyes. “Don’t tell me you’ve gone soft! This is your enemy!” he snarled, Golden remembering the tapestries in the ruined castle she visited, hoping she might be able to reach out to his humanity, if he had any left. “Y-your majesty…” she squeaked, the bear blinking in surprise, but fury filled his eyes, she’d said the exact thing to trigger his memories, and his wild rampage began anew, filled with a fury as to her insolence and audacity to use his old title, the one he never acknowledged. With a mighty roar, he raised up his paw, and slammed it toward her, knocking her down and toward the wall, where she hit her head, everything blurring for a second. She barely had a moment to register the blow before she was suddenly caught between two giant jaws, but her head was clouded, giving her a confused impression as to what was going on. She tried to clear her head, but in the end all of her thoughts came to an end when Mor’du shook his head like the rabid animal he was, traces of blood and slobber splattering all over the floor. “Ouch…” Andrew murmured, smirking, and Vanitas nodded, folding his arms. “That’s gotta hurt. I mean, magic is one thing but being attacked by a raging animal? Let’s just say I wouldn’t want to be on the gruesome receiving end…” he chuckled, the villains watching in various states of disgust and amusement, before it finally ended with a crunch, Mor’du taking a swing at what remained and Andrew stepping back, grimacing slightly as pieces fell by his feet. “I wonder if anyone would make out who she is like this…hardly even looks like a human.” he remarked, Vanitas eyeing the fragments too, before they faded away as if taken by a warm summer breeze. “Yeah…you made short work of her Mor’du, that was particularly savage.” the keyblade wielder replied, bringing his keyblade up and aiming it at the bear’s feet, encasing him once more in the crystals and leaving him to give little enraged growls and whines, not liking how he was being treated anymore than Golden. Perhaps, deep down, she reminded him of another.

As another snap resounded, Goldie’s eyes already burned with tears. That was horrible, everything hurt more than before and she felt sick, looking visibly nauseous upon returning to her body, but also feeling an apathy growing, despair slipping through the cracks of the promise she’d made, she was trying to believe in it but it was so difficult. Her lips parted, though, and she whispered a small reminder, one which Vanitas caught wind of. “Still jabbering about that promise, girl? Do we have to beat it out of your skull or something?” he groaned, Golden just curling up into a ball on the floor again, ignoring their words as they made her ears hurt. “In that case…let me.” a voice echoed, Golden not recognizing it but not even having the strength to look up, just putting an arm over her face as if she was going to sleep. Well, considering death and the void were a kind of sleep, she might as well be. From the ground below her, though, black tendrils of dark energy emerged like vines, grabbing her tightly and not letting up, like Ursula’s tentacles. Golden looked a little floppy, almost like a ragdoll, she wasn’t sure if she had much fight left within her after the previous attack, but she also had something calling her to keep going, no matter what. Whether it was her desire to complete the promise or something else, not even she knew, but it drove her to survive all of this, just as she had survived Vor, the sirens, the previous villain fights, Andrew, the glitch monster…everything. Finding a bit of resolve, she looked up, seeing the glare of Lady Tremaine looking back at her, and gave her own petulant glare, pouting like the stubborn child she was. “Aren’t you small?” the matriarch remarked, Golden raising an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” she replied, Lady Tremaine moving around the binds to examine her for a moment. “You’re very little, you’d do well as a scullery maid if you asked me. Maybe you could follow in that rodent’s footsteps and haul water from the well for me…” she grinned, Golden scowling at the talk about her big brother. “Don’t call him that, you old hag!” she retorted, Tremaine’s expression suddenly changing from a wicked smirk to downright enraged. “Oh you have made a grave mistake, little girl. Let me teach you why you should respect your elders…” she murmured, reaching toward the dining table, where the crystal ball that Andrew and Vanitas had been using earlier now lay, held on a small golden stand, decorated with eyes and celestial images. Golden frowned upon seeing it, but looked curious at the same time, a few thoughts racing through her head upon seeing the size and density. It looked about the size of a beach ball or football, but was far heavier, as evident by how Tremaine had to bend down slightly to pick it up. “I won’t respect any of you. You’re all murderers!” Golden retorted, Tremaine scoffing. “Murder is a relative term. You’re fine, aren’t you? And what evidence do you have that we actually killed you? There’s not a scratch.” she smirked, Golden biting her lip and trying not to get overwhelmed by the way the woman was talking to her, it felt like she was getting told off or scolded, but she wasn’t sure what she’d even done wrong, apart from maybe stealing a key, but they’d paid for it anyway! With a sigh, Golden watched as Lady Tremaine put a hand on the crystal ball, murmuring something quietly, a few of the villains catching her remark and snickering, some giggling in surprise at what the woman planned. “I know I won’t be able to kill you the same way as this lot…” Lady Tremaine started, Golden feeling momentary relief at the idea this wouldn’t be particularly violent, especially considering she was an old woman, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t have my own ways of inflicting pain… I mean, if you think back to Cinderella, my girls tore that beautiful dress she made to shreds, all for a laugh, and I will say it was quite the amusing sight.” she smirked, Golden remembering how Yen Sid had told her this story and glaring at the matriarch, hating her actions now just as much as she had the first time she’d heard the tale. “You’re sick!” she yelled, Tremaine just rolling her eyes. “If you don’t stop being so arrogant, I might have to be cruel…” she warned, Golden pulling and wriggling at the binds, trying to escape, but her little feet couldn’t even touch the floor, being held like this. “You know, Symphonus…you had a name before that, didn’t you?” she suddenly spoke, cutting through the silence with the sharpness of a blade, Golden blinking in surprise. “How did you…?” she breathed, Lady Tremaine shrugging. “It’s obvious. I mean, genetically I don’t think that old man you call a father would have your hair colour, or eye colour. So you’re an adopted little brat.” she snarled, thinking back to when Cinderella had been in a similar predicament after her father died, only because of the societal values had she kept the young girl, not out of love or a desire for another daughter, much less treated her like one. “But before that old man…you had parents, didn’t you? And I bet they loved you, I bet they’d hug you and kiss you goodnight, and read you all sorts of books…” she trailed off, noticing how Golden’s skin had gone a little paler at the thought of her parents, she hadn’t expected them to be brought up in this way. She almost didn’t dare ask, but despite her hesitation, she raised her trembling little voice. “D-do you know where they are?” she breathed, a little twinkle appearing in Lady Tremaine’s eye, but it wasn’t kind, it was full of malice, only making Golden worry what might have happened to them. “I don’t…but this does.” she smirked, a small sigh of relief coming from Golden as she could at least have faith they weren’t hurt or worse, kidnapped like she had been. As the crystal ball fogged up, Tremaine held it out for Golden to see, mist swirling inside it before finally becoming clear, like a snowglobe. Andrew moved up behind Tremaine to take a look himself, he’d never seen her parents but he knew of a lot of reported cases in Nocturne for this exact predicament, though there was certainly a reason why Golden had never been reported in the same way… and finally, the image revealed itself. There were her parents, it almost looked like they were suspended in time, her mother’s hair colour had changed a little but her face was still recognizable, if a little older. Her dad looked almost the same too, it looked like they were waving at her, for a second she felt happy, could they see her? But no, was that possible? As they waved, her dad nodded his head and reached out a hand, taking whatever was capturing them off a stand, and then Golden realized they were looking into a camera. “Let’s get another one with her.” her mother spoke, her dad repositioning the camera so it faced down, and another face came into view…a little baby, with blue hair. Golden blinked for a second…was that her? Was she looking into the past? But it didn’t make sense, how could she look into the past and things be different…and at the same time, the hair colour of the baby wasn’t the same as her own, either. A feeling of dread slowly washed over her, a lump forming in her throat as her once smiling face looked like it would crumble, like she was holding the weight of a thousand stones. “Ohhh, that is interesting…” Tremaine murmured, breaking Golden’s silence, who looked up at her with a lost expression, despite them being enemies she looked confused, needing an explanation, but also knowing deep down what she was looking at, she just didn’t want to admit it to herself. “They know you’re alive, Golden. They even know where to find you. They just won’t. Do you know why?” the old woman smirked, moving the crystal ball away as it settled on an image of her parents with the baby for a second, until it faded away into the mist and she placed it back on the stand. “Why…?” Golden croaked, Tremaine turning round slightly to meet her eyes. “Because they don’t care. They’ve got a new little girl to love. And unlike you, she won’t be stupid enough to get kidnapped or fall for a trick. I mean, it was very obvious he didn’t want to help you, but clearly you were just as much of an idiot then as you are now. And because they have a new baby, they don’t need you anymore. You’re expendable, Golden.” she snarled, Golden’s heart thumping like a drum in her chest. Was it true? Did they really replace her with another daughter? Did they not love her enough to report her missing? Did they abandon her? As her thoughts raced and raced, her arms started to glitch, and Tremaine tightened her magical binds, almost crushing her arms that were already feeling like they’d split apart with her panic. More thoughts. Would her new family be able to do the same? Could they leave her and get another apprentice in her place, could someone else graduate just like her? What was even special about her? Golden’s breath hitched, she couldn’t breathe, she needed to escape, all she wanted to do was run, whether it be to Yen Sid, or to her old parents and demand answers, or even to the void, she just wanted to get out. As her panic overcame her, Lady Tremaine smirked. “I told you I have my own ways of inflicting pain. I think I broke your heart into pieces. Can I get a round of applause?” she cackled, before raising a finger, one of the tendrils shooting right through Golden’s heart, literally breaking it. As a tear trickled down from one of Golden’s eyes, she felt like she was falling, landing in the void in a state of disorientated confusion, her breathing still uneven. But as soon as she realized she was alone, she put her arms up to her face and started weeping, turning into agonised cries of sorrow and despair, as she remembered yet again that she was worthless and alone.

“They’re…alive…” Golden barely spoke above a whisper, her voice unable to talk above all the sobbing. The images of her parents stuck in her mind, along with the baby who she now knew was her sister, there was no way that was a flashback. “But…they didn’t w-want me! It…it’s no wonder they didn’t look for me!” Her heart in her chest glowed faintly, flickering once or twice as the thoughts raced through her head, literally going through heartache. The images of Golden’s second family were in her mind, Yen Sid looking stern yet carrying that warmth and tenderness in his eyes, how he’d offer her his hand or to pick her up and indulge in her childish antics not minding if he was busy or not. Scout was smiling, the girl who carried so much energy and was the girl Golden strived to emulate, the ideal big sister she didn’t know she needed until they met. The boys, Julius, Mickey and Oswald, Golden wished so much she could join them at their side, Julius would put his arm around her and purr into her ear to ease her. Oswald would dig his knuckles into her head, as much as it annoyed her, but he’d stop at nothing to protect her. Mickey always joined her for a game, helped with homework or just to spend time with her playfully commanding the broomies, who she also missed dearly, the two little ones were almost like twins in a way, and his kindness helped her to believe in many things, like how being small has its advantages. Then there was Percy and Starlight, her closest little friend who had always been there, no matter the distance, Percy too had always been there, even if she didn’t know at first, but was incredibly grateful to him. Sonatina, the mother figure that she and Mickey had brought into their lives, she’d trade all this just to hug her. Aero and Star waved at her in her mind, her best friend, who’s doting and empathetic heart and skill for magic enchanted Golden from the very beginning…it felt that within the few hours of the day, it had all been torn away from the child with no possibility of returning, just like before. “Just like my second family…I love them all so much…but they just didn’t want me…or even l-love me…! B-but…” The darkness lasted for the longest time since she kept coming back to it. A very bad feeling set in her stomach at what this could mean, was this the point of no return? Was it finally over and this was her eternal resting place? Her eyes and mind became clouded, before a light shone through without warning, and she felt herself being pulled back into reality. She sat on her hands and knees, staring down at a pair of dark, black boots. Something sharp and cold touched her chin, and held up her head, Golden blinked hard as the lights from above made the sword of Shan Yu glimmer brightly. “You…your turn, huh?” Shan Yu smirked, giving a small nod in response to her question. “Yes…what better way to start than you kneeling at my feet. It’s just like the rest of the vermin I’ve killed in war. Tell you, are you going to beg?” Golden’s eyes narrowed, her face turning red with fury at the large man, she had just about had it with everyone’s mocking. She sat up a little, turning her lip up at the weapon pointed at her. “No, I won’t.” she hissed. “Do what you will, and get it over with.” Her words didn’t exactly strike a nerve in Shan Yu, but he was silent for a moment. He leaned on his sword as he stuck the tip into the floor, grinning at her. “Ahh, there’s that bravado again,” he said. “How long is that gonna last this time?” His expression changed in an instant, going from a villainous smile to one of wanted revenge, he grabbed Golden by the collar, lifting her up from the floor and forcing her to look directly at him. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten the last time we clashed.” he growled venomously. “I don’t lose fights, and I will claim victory here. Once you throw away this little act of bravery, I’ll run my sword straight through you, and I will savour the moment, unlike last time. Now, little soldier…give up.” Golden’s eyes went dry and still, the feeling of a cold, sharp blade struck her at her shoulder, she was dropped to the floor, and Shan Yu looked furious, he hadn’t intended to miss. “Ouch…maybe if-ow!” Golden cried as she clutched at her shoulder, attempting to close off the wound with her hand to slow the bleeding. “Maybe if you didn’t focus on grand spiels, I’d be dead right now! And you…owie…you call yourself a leader of the huns?” Golden might have been a little in over her head, a grin plastered on her face as she returned the favour of mocking to her adversary. Shan Yu gave the sword a swipe, splattering some blood onto the floor behind him, making the Evil Queen and Vanitas squeak and yelp at the idea of getting their outfits even so much as tainted by anything dirty. Shan Yu aimed the sword at Golden once again, driving forward at full speed to strike her, she dodged again with a roll, and the end tips of her hair were cut off. This was enough for the hun, he reached forward, grabbing Golden by her head and slamming her down onto the floor, knocking the wind out of her. “No more of your filthy tricks.” he sneered in ire, lifting the sword just above his level. “It’s done. It’s finished!” There was another sharp sting, and Golden was still, frozen like a stone statue before the darkness took her again, embracing her from the world where evil currently thrived. Her eyes closed, her arms and legs went limp, and she disappeared again, leaving behind nothing but a crimson blade, which she had left a handprint on. “Oh wow…” Vanitas spoke, almost impressed by what he witnessed. “Don’t tell me, she actually wanted to escape that? And I thought her resolve was completely shattered.” 

All the villain’s eyes turned to a certain individual in the room, they had saved the best of the Wicked Nine until last, and yet she wasn’t the final. Some of the villains were even chattering about who had done the worst, even quietly arguing over a few disagreements. Another snap, Golden lay in the middle of the room, grunting as she sat up and feeling every part of her aching, it was a struggle to even sit down. “Hello there, little runt.” There was no mistake in whose voice this was. Golden’s slitted eyes glared at the witch, the reason behind that journey she was manipulated into, and her whole family got involved. This witch was to blame. “Vor…” Golden wheezed. “Catalyst…!” She let out a snarl, hating the tall witch who was relishing in this very moment. “Indeed it is, little girl.” Vor giggled, bending slightly in front of Golden. “Glad to know you remember me. Just like I remember how you left me to be claimed by the locket’s power, oh, how I LOATHED being restrained like a pathetic prisoner. No more…” Vor opened up her hands, summoning two mirrors that glazed in the light. The room began to change, like it was being rearranged, Golden tried to keep steady, but the floor gave way and she began to fall through a crevice. She cried out as she slipped through, and as she fell at a slow pace, everything began to look deeply familiar. Sweat trickled down her forehead, her eyes darted in all directions as each side lined up with mirrors, and the evil witch’s voice began to ring out. “Mirrors, mirrors, on the walls!” she cackled in delight. “Who’s the most pathetic, worthless being of them all…?” All at once, the mirrors on the walls began to change, their surfaces fragmented, they began to reflect everyone Golden knew and loved, past and present…they were yelling her name in unison, but it wasn’t cries of joy or a reunion, they were voicing their disdain, their disgust, their hatred…Golden’s eyes watered with tears, and she shut her ears with her hands, combined that with the revelation that she perceived, namely that she had been replaced, she tried her hardest to hold back her grief. “No…it’s not true!” she whispered, her breath hitching once again. “It’s not!” She was met with the cackles of Vor once again, then the voice became closer, like it was right beside the girl’s ear. “Why don’t we prove it, then?” The mirrors began to crack, around the eyes and hands of her loved ones, they burst into shards, illuminating with the brightest glow within Vor’s chamber of darkness, they all floated like dust in the air until they all turned, twisting their glowing ends into Golden’s very direction. Vor’s voice rang out again, it was a sinister giggle, which echoed around the broken mirrors with a sinister essence. “It’s like I said the last time we fought, little girl.” Vor said with a high pitched giggle, “It is very easy to break a person, all you have to do is strike them in the right place. Lucky for me, I know ALL of your weak points.” A million voices shouted out at once, Golden couldn’t react as the lights from the shards overwhelmed her senses, the mirror frames fell apart as the glass shot down, dissolving and turning into the darkest of night, like knives from the worst nightmare imaginable. “Go.” Vor’s command was somehow audible as Golden heard the shouts of disdain and anger scream through one ear and out of the other. They were words she didn’t want to hear from her family and close friends, after what she had been told from them earlier when they were all under the early influence of the curse, it was like reliving that all over again, but from each of them at the same time. She recognised everyone who was yelling, and it hurt to hear just how hateful it all sounded. “SHUT UP!!” Golden screamed, her voice was just barely a decibel higher from the mirror’s shards. “That’s enough, you horrible witch! I HATE YOU!!” The darkness faded, a small glimpse of the room’s light hung over Golden, Vor could see her, her elation rose greatly from the intensity and passion in her voice, the witch was happy to hear how much Golden hated her, she wanted to hear those words directly from her. “Oh, dear child, you have NO idea how much I’ve waited for this.” she snickered cruelly. “Ever since the last time! All those voices you heard that encouraged you…where are they now? Oh, that’s right, they are at home! Away from you…AHAHAHAA!” The shards attacked again, a brief glimpse at them had Golden reliving the nightmare from before, all her favourite people were attacking again, she saw Mum, Percy, Aero…all of them bringing in their strongest attacks all at once, working as a team. The sight of them staring down at her with hate, leaving her to rot as they ran away, leaving her behind just like her parents before, it was all too much, and yet Golden couldn’t react proper anymore. Her light body was flung across the dining room table, knocking over some neatly placed glasses and tableware, napkins stuck to her arms and her face, almost covering her completely. “Oh, you're still here after all that?” Vor snarked, looming down over the bleeding girl. “I’d say you’re stronger than you look, but I’d be lying. In fact, you’re honestly pathetic, and you survive much longer, but don’t worry, I will give you a heads up when I’m done beating you.” Her smile was gleeful, but infuriating to look at. Golden wiped at her brow, cleaning off a fresh cut on her forehead, likely from one of the utensils, and glared at Vor with a stare that rivaled her dad’s. “Try it.” she snarled. “You…want to make me scream? You’ll…get…nothing. T-that will…be my victory…!” Vor rolled her eyes in an almost playful fashion, not wanting to appear deterred by the child’s displays of resistance. The witch let out another high giggle, leaning herself down a little and gripping Golden’s chin. “Well then, you’ve signed your own death warrant, haven’t you?” she said. “Well, I’m a pleasant woman, I’ll give you a few warnings before I finish you off here. Know this, the final blow I’m about to initiate isn’t a quick one, nor is it painless. You will be kept alive long enough for me to listen to those screams until you can scream no more!” Golden gave a small, subtle nod, not caring how bad the final act of this would play out, she was simply ready for it to end and be over. Vor raised a hand, already initiating her final attack, a ball of light and darkness formed, it contained the shards of the many voices who screamed hatred at Golden, who started to shake a little upon hearing the muffled voices. “Your doom will be the manifestation of all the hatred from them, and I mean absolutely EVERYONE.” And then the swirling mass of light and dark hit her, Golden was once again listening to the disdain and disgust in everyone’s words. The light was painful, like a burn, and yet she refused to yell out, not wanting to give Vor the satisfaction. All she wanted now was for it to end, she hoped with everything inside that it was finally over, the Wicked Nine, the most powerful artefacts attached to evil, they all sought revenge and now they had gotten it, what more could these villains want? Golden held her head, as much as everything hurt, she just wanted to push the voices out of her mind, the physical attacks were mere scratches compared to what she was hearing, a spark of small hope that they’d all fade once she was back in the dark void was one of two things she could currently cling to, the other being her promise, the promise of a normal day, with everyone she loved, and they loved her. Surely, it wasn’t too much to ask, to have both her parents and her Symphonus family, together with her on that normal day of joy and happiness, if she didn’t hold onto this, what other hope could possibly be left? “Are you done?” Golden whispered. “Get it over with, it’s done.” She realised she was alone at last, in that same old dark void, the one that had become a place of comfort instead of fear, which was an odd turnout, it was like a station platform, waiting between two points, a transitional holding space between her life and whatever came next, though that train would never arrive, she’d just be waiting endlessly. As she felt herself being brought back, she took some comfort in the fact that they were finished, the ones she considered the most terrifying villains, she took a moment to count, it added up to 25, her maths wasn’t brilliant but she was sure it was right. Rubbing at her temples, she sighed, preparing for whatever might be next…only to realize she was surrounded from all sides by ten pairs of shoes…well, save for the crystallised bear paws, so more like nine. Curled up on the floor in a foetal position, she didn’t want to look. “Over, darlin’?” Facilier snickered into his hand, Lady Tremaine and Jafar sharing a smirk and a wicked glint in their eyes, and the hags looking positively giddy. With the weight of a mountain, Golden raised her head, glaring at them all. “How many times do you have to do this?” she muttered, Vor kneeling down to examine her, seeing how tired and dead her eyes looked, and yet despite that, they still held that flicker of fear. “There are still more of us waiting, little brat. You’ve caused a lot of destruction in your three years on the battlefield. Unleashing a glitched monster? Almost getting kidnapped again? Fighting a pipe organ, for Pete’s sake!” Vor cackled, Pete almost stepping forward to protest his name being brought into this, but Maleficent shot him a look telling him to stay put. “Not to mention…fighting four powerful villains, and many others. Beating up sirens, and even dying by my hand…needing time travel. Oh yes, we learned about this, too. Let’s just say we have a few friends on our side, but that’s none of your concern. The bottom line is, you have so many enemies, little Golden. So why not pay your dues?” Vor smirked, and then waved her hand. All at once, the villains reared up their strongest attacks, it was a blur of blasts, wounds and aches for a while, but each one felt fresh as salt in a wound, and it wasn’t pleasant for even a moment, when one attack ended another began, a chain of choreographed casualties that would break even the strongest of wills. And as Golden was finally met with a moment of reprieve, she felt her cheeks being gripped, and stared up into the face of her biggest foe, the one who knew everything she feared, the real matriarch of villains…Vor, yet again. And she looked so smug to have won, it wasn’t her first time being beaten by a child, but this one hadn’t won, not now. Golden took a shallow, shaky breath, her lungs were injured and it felt like every part of her was burning, like she was standing on the edge of a deep chasm, where all that lay below was despair and sorrow. And yet, something kept her holding on, no matter what, she still didn’t know what, but it was something. And she’d follow that something, even as her sore, red eyes looked into those of Vor, they were half-lidded and tired, she’d long had enough and just wanted to go home. She felt herself slipping, and Vor took her chance, plunging her hand deep and grabbing Golden’s little heart, holding it between her hands. “This old power source…I don’t understand it, but it’s there. Let’s see how much it can withstand.” With that, Golden flopped down onto the ground like a ragdoll, and Vor held it up, taking a look from a few angles. Holding it in one hand, it floated in her palm for a moment, and she used her other hand to summon several spears. “Now if you thought pins were painful…” she smirked, watching as the kid just brought up her knees to her chest, hiding her face. As the moment of impact came, everything went white, blindingly so, there was nothing but light and a fuzziness that clouded her vision. Golden felt herself become slow, as if all time had ceased, she found she could move, and stood up in this place, there was paper all over the floor. Reaching down for one of them, a pencil dropped and clattered, rolling along the floor. She caught it, and knelt down. What to do? What did Vor want? She wrote those questions down, in small, shaky letters. It was almost like she was in a dream, in this white place of nothingness, but she continued to write, feeling a sense of urgency. Pages became scribbles, thoughts she couldn’t say aloud, but now was screaming, thoughts she couldn’t bear herself to think but in this moment, they were inevitable. As the spears twisted deeper and deeper, images started flashing in the white place, and the pages became stained, the pencil had become a pen, bleeding with ink over and over, staining the pristine white in splotches and splatters, remnants of what was left behind. As the frantic scribbling ceased to mere nothingness, Golden looked up, lying on her back in despair, she couldn’t do anything now, and above her, it looked like everyone was standing, as a white light shone down. They were all staring down at her in such disappointment, such hatred, they didn’t have to say anything, the look in their eyes was enough. Tears swum in her vision. Was it all a lie, when they told her they loved her, that she was unforgettable? Was it all fake? She almost felt like she was sinking, the pages around her were long blackened, what she wouldn’t give right now to just disappear… and then she felt it. That moment of pure, unbridled pain, as Vor twisted the spears one final time. Everyone’s faces contorted in this reality, as it flashed between her mind and the floor, Golden felt herself spitting out blood even involuntarily, and found her voice one last time, she just wanted to leave, for it all to be over. “NO! NO STOP IT! NO MORE!! NO MOOOORE!!!!!” She screamed, feeling her throat burning as she did, it was all she could do in this moment not to lose herself, not to fall into nothingness and bleed forever, it felt like the wound was everlasting, her heart was fading and cracking with every moment, fragments of it breaking off and falling, crumbling into dust and flying away. And yet, she was stuck alive, stuck in between life and death, a mere object for their amusement. And as the stress overwhelmed her, suddenly, something happened. A little bit of her hair, just a few strands, changed from their vibrant blue and purple, as a white hue shot through them, as white as a snowdrop. And right as that happened, Golden finally felt herself give in, and Vor breathed the final word, hissing it right at her. “Die.” And then there was nothingness, once again, but maybe that was better. Because right now, dying was all Golden wanted to do.

For a minute, there was silence. Golden’s body had once more disappeared, the villains were all a little quiet, except Vanitas who was trying to rein in Mor’du again, eventually resorting to just using stopza. Vor took a moment to catch her breath, using up so much power wasn’t normal, but she felt satisfied, watching that moment of pure despair, it had been positively delicious for her. She turned to her fellow villains, looking at Andrew and Vanitas in particular. “What now?” she smirked, Vanitas shrugging as Andrew pulled out several chairs from the dining table with magic, he’d gotten a bit more skilled in kinetic magic, it was useful for a few things, though he disliked that Vanitas would often force him to do chores as “practice”, it couldn’t be helped… he sighed. “Just rest, all of you. We wouldn’t want you being too exhausted to watch the rest of the spectacle. And…I should write down what we discovered, eh Vanitas?” he smiled, Vanitas nodding and summoning a quill and paper for him. “Let’s…wait a few minutes. It’ll make her think we got bored, and that’ll be a fun sight when she comes back.” he finished, before writing down several notes, casting a slight eye down onto where Golden’s body once was, and how little fragments of golden dust were all floating there now, like echoes of a symphony. Meanwhile, Scout found herself doodling in her journal, unaware of the horrors taking place outside of their idyllic home in Fioritura. She found herself sketching several things, like finches, and robins…their family crest held a lot of birds, and she couldn't help but wonder why. Lovebirds, she sketched a pair, cuddling together in an endless embrace, and then smiled, following it up with a moth, swan and phoenix, all circling round them. These types of natural drawings were challenging, but rewarding when finished. She took a darker pencil to shade them, thinking of showing Tyke when she was done. He always liked her drawings and it made her blush a little. She'd drawn him more than once, but he found it sweet. She wondered what his spirit animal would be, she imagined something small, like a raven, but not a cruel type, a gentle one. She’d heard ravens and wolves would forage together in winter, it was a survival strategy, and thinking of a raven with his cap on was quite humorous to her, she started to sketch it, alongside a mouse, cat and a rabbit…and then, for some reason, her hand moved instinctively, getting the odd sense to draw a butterfly. She blinked as she started it, but quickly erased the sketch, though it left an odd gap… “Why doesn’t it look right…?” she muttered, but instead filled the spot with her mother’s unicorn, and Percy’s stag. It still felt odd though, it bothered her a little, she didn’t usually get spontaneous sketch ideas like that, they were usually planned… “Scout, don’t overthink it. Butterflies are pretty.” she huffed, but still…ugh, she could throw her pencil! Too much thinking hurt her mind. Instead, she started shading the animals she had drawn, and added some little stars, and then a moon, like on her dad’s hat, a little moon. The phrase stuck out to her, she tapped the desk with her pencil irritably. “They say drawing is relaxing. And yet here I am, the complete dang opposite!” she cried, Mickey poking his head in to look at her, Star squeaking as it was perched atop it. “Scout? You okay?” he smiled, Scout just plopping her cap off her head and over her lamp. “Yeah, sorry Mick. I dunno, I guess something’s on my mind.” she sighed, Mickey perching on the edge of her bed and Aero following him and Star in. “Hey there Scout. You alright?” she smiled, Scout just huffing, she looked a little childish folding her arms like that. “I dunno, something’s not making sense. You know how I usually plan all my drawings? It’s like…my hand wants me to draw something, but I don’t want to… ugh, it’s confusing.” she grunted, Aero chuckling slightly behind her hand. “Art block is a beast! But sometimes…it’s good to look back on your old stuff. You can see your progress, and how far you’ve come since you started. Maybe that’ll ease your mind?” the master suggested, and Scout nodded. “Alright, thanks…” she mumbled, Aero reaching out to touch her chin. “Chin up, kid. You’ll figure it out, I mean, you’re Scout Simons-Symphonus! You’ve got it in you!” she cheered, Scout going a little pink and grinning at the comment. “You believe that, Aero? I mean, we are graduates now! And I thought I’d never see the day, not after quitting…” she gave a half-smile, Aero taking one of her hands. “You know? If there’s something I’ve learned from dad, it’s that we never really give up. We kinda think we do, we can think the journey’s too hard or it’s too unfair, but that’s not true. As long as we keep believing in ourselves and our gifts, we can do anything.” she grinned, before going a little pink. “Ah, look at me, I sound like dad! C’mon Mickey and Star, we’ve got stuff to do, haha!! I’m sure Scout wants to be left alone, and not listen to one of my lectures!” Aero laughed, sheepishly picking up Mickey under her arm and running out, Star flying after her and squeaking goodbye before closing the door, Scout giving it a wave. “My progress…huh?” Scout smiled, going to the start of her journal. She’d begun it not long after her apprenticeship, it was the first gift Yen Sid had given her, along with some fancy pens to write with, and she loved it to bits, it was full of good memories. “Hmm, oooh, those hands aren’t it, little me!” she giggled, looking back at the blobs for hands she’d drawn when she was 10, then the sketch of Yen Sid, he was looking at something with a magnifying glass, and it had made one of his eyes look enormous, something she found hilarious and needed to draw. Then there were some notes, stuff on music, some rants about not wanting to learn theoreticals, and the drawing she’d done of her beloved cap before making it a reality, Yen Sid found it unique and interesting, he’d never seen an apprentice stylize their hat like that before, but he thought it suited her. But then…she accidentally unleashed the noise, and caused a disaster. That wasn’t her proudest moment, but it was like Aero had said, she’d come back, and managed to fix her song, even adding some lyrics… and whilst it wasn’t perfect, none of their muse songs were, it was a part of learning to be a sorcerer, to make an original piece that only they could, neither her brothers nor…her brothers hadn’t perfected theirs, yet. But they would, in due time. Thinking back to how impulsive she’d been back then, as just an 11-year-old with a temper, what had changed? She’d grown up, that was true…but it felt like there was a gap. Maybe she was just sick, and her mind was a bit foggy. But finally, she gave in, flipping back to her usual page, and drew the little butterfly next to everyone else, in the gap where it belonged. And then she headed downstairs, wanting to show everyone. 

Sonatina was in the kitchen with Aurora and some of the others, just finishing icing some cookies with various designs, like roses and love hearts, but Scout ran in and distracted Aurora for a second, who was happy to talk to her. “Hey! I did a drawing, check it out guys!” she cheered, Aurora staring down at the intricate depictions of birds, she always loved artists drawing her kind, it made her incredibly happy, and once she’d spotted a similar young artist painting lovebirds, it reminded her of these sketches. “These are magnificent! The anatomy is perfect, and the shading is wonderful. My highest commendations, little artiste!” she winked, Scout blushing a little and rubbing her neck, but feeling really glad Aurora liked them that much. Sonatina finished decorating the cookies, and took a peek herself. “Oh, that’s beautiful dear! Look at us all!” she chuckled, Scout smiling and knowing she understood what she was depicting. “I even included dad’s stars and little moon, hehe.” she pointed out, Percy flying over to take a peek, followed by Yen Sid, who looked a little worn-out despite having a sleep just a moment ago, in fact, he didn’t look rested at all, a little irritable. “Oh, I love these, Scout! They’re positively marvellous!” he cheered, Sonatina giving a subtle smile that he was clearly feeling better, he always loved being with Yen Sid and his father never failed to cheer him up. Yen Sid wandered over, taking a look of his own. “Oh, you’ve been drawing?” he spoke softly, with a small smile on his face. Scout nodded, showing him the illustration, and whilst he smiled, there was something missing in his eyes, he looked tired and worn down even despite his rest. Yes, he smiled and complimented it, but there was something absent. There was a look in his eyes, an odd look. “Forgive me, everyone, I’m still a little tired. I might put my feet up, hehe.” he smiled, going to sit on the couch. Julius came up to him, sitting down on his lap as he covered himself with a blanket, and pulled the blanket over himself too, burrowing under it like a little playful kitten. "Hello there Julius." Yen Sid chuckled, Julius rubbing up against Yen Sid's stomach momentarily and then popping out to peer up at him, a little smile on his face even despite his quiet demeanour. "Hey dad, is there a reason why I'm thinking of butterflies? Have we seen any recently?" Scout piped up, Julius thinking of butterflies and how he liked to bat at them and chase them when he was younger. "I believe some caterpillars made a chrysalis on the garden seat recently. Maybe you'll see them unfold their wings soon." Yen Sid suggested, there was a tiredness about his words that made Percy look at him in surprise. "You didn't sleep well, master? I swear, I slept like a baby, just dreaming of my Mama and a wonderful place past the second star, I wish I could bring you all into that dream!" he chuckled, wheezing over as a light ball and settling on Yen Sid's lap next to Julius, his light twinkling and dusting the little cat's black fur, which made him smile. "I suppose I just...have something on my mind. I had a dream too, but it's not one I've had for a long time..." he began, feeling a chill go down his spine at the thought. "A nightmare? What about...?" Julius peeped, Yen Sid reaching a hand to gently rub his head. "Oh, it's just something I was scared of as a boy. This...creature, it used to follow me around in my dreams." he explained, Percy twinkling. "A creature? Like… Maleficent or Chernabog, a monster, master?" he asked, but Yen Sid shook his head. "Oh, it's silly really..." he murmured, a slight redness entering his cheeks. "A...snowman." 

As the snap occurred again, Golden fell from what felt like a tall building, slamming down onto the floorboards with a groan. That white streak of hair remained, though she hadn't noticed it, but there was a tiredness in her eyes, she didn't want to be here, she didn't want to be anywhere at the moment, even at home they didn't want her, that's what was overtaking and clouding her mind. "You really don't know when to give up, do you?" she murmured, Vanitas snickering behind his hand. "Guilty as charged! But you know what they say, if it brings you joy, you keep doing it! And killing you is really fun, the most fun I've had since beating up those so-called guardians of light. Oh, if only they were here to watch, but such is life." he lamented, putting on a mocking pouting face as Golden glared at him. "Thought it was over, huh? We took a break since we got a little sleepy... everyone here is really proud of themselves though, you should be applauding them! You're the center of a spectacle." Vanitas continued, Golden scowling. "They're tired?! Imagine how I feel!" she retorted, Vanitas rolling his eyes. "Objects don't get tired. So, shut your mouth and keep dying! That's all we ask." he smirked, Golden resisting the urge to get up and try beating him, but she knew it would only end the same way as everything else. Apathy took over, she just lay down again, and Andrew strolled over. "Looks like we're ready for the next set." he spoke, Golden looking down. "Next part?! Just end it already, I'm so tired of this..." she groaned, wishing they'd just knock it off and give up already. "It was merely an interlude, my dear girl. But now, let's see who's next, how about some friends from the deep blue sea?" Andrew smirked, Golden's heart pounding at the thought of Delphis having to do this again, but her thoughts were answered instead by the dragging of several harpoons along the floor, which grated against the boards and reminded her of nails scratching on a chalkboard, sending goosebumps erupting up and down her skin. "Hello there, little treasure..." 

A smooth, scaly voice sent a chill down Golden’s spine, one she hoped she’d never hear again, a voice from the abyss. Allura stood high on her tail, several other sirens lined up in a bow behind her, including the three sisters that Golden had first encountered on her kidnapping to Atlantis, Stelle rubbed her palms together, her smile swelling at the thought of revenge, Merlie looked eager to move past Allura, but didn’t dare despite her desperation for her turn, and Emilie just giggled in amusement at the sight of Golden’s pale face looking in shock and despair at the monsters from the deep. Golden felt her instincts switch on like a lightbulb, as soon as the siren’s eyes lit up with a menacing glow, the girl quickly shut her eyes to avoid their petrifying gaze. “Oh no no no, dear, that would be cheating!” Merlie snickered in glee, tentacles rising above her and swinging down toward Golden, grabbing her and wrapping around like a thick rope, much like Ursula’s before, but it felt stronger than it had been from the sea witch. “Get…off me…!” Golden hissed, slowly struggling against her grasp, Merlie snickered again, squeezing Golden’s face and forcing her to tilt her head up, Golden was forced to open her eyes once again, and met the siren’s eyes, in that instant, Golden turned ice cold as her body gradually turned to stone, rising from her feet and going up to her head, all while her eyes were completely locked in with Merlie’s, whose glowing blue eyes were like something out of a nightmare. “You just can’t resist the eyes of a siren, now can you?” she smirked, seeing the girl now frozen like a statue, nothing but solid stone, and a look of fear. Andrew gave a casual snap of his fingers, causing an echo, and Golden to quickly remerge on the spot. Golden looked shocked to be back already, looking down at her hands and seeing they had turned back to pale, pink skin. “W-what…” she whimpered shakily. “The void…I wasn’t there…what happened? It must have happened so quickly I-” Her words were cut off suddenly once again, she was grabbed by several slimy tentacles that wrapped around her again, they squeezed her tightly as her eyes now met Stelle’s, whose sharp teeth were barred as she prepared to unleash her fury on the girl. “My turn…” she hissed in a low voice, her tone oozing poisonously. “I’ve heard of a flying fish, my dear…how about you?” Golden swallowed with effort as her form was held by the vicious siren, not wanting to think about where this was heading. “Why don’t YOU learn to fly too?” Stelle lifted Golden high above her head and began to spin her like a helicopter propeller, Golden felt her head rush all over the place, becoming so dizzy she couldn’t focus on anything as her whole vision became a blur. She was hit by a sudden blast of air as she was thrown through the air, and disappeared out of the window, leaving behind hundreds of shards of glass behind as it smashed behind her. “Oh my, that was dangerous, Stelle.” Allura smirked, lifting the younger siren’s chin up gently with her taloned fingers. “Watch for glass, the queen could get hurt.” Stelle gave an apologetic little bow, backing away and joining Merlie as Emilie slunk forward, eager for her turn. “Hooray! My turn, my turn, my turn!!” she squealed, clapping her hands like an enthusiastic child. Vanitas rolled his eyes, but not in annoyance this time. “Ahh, but one must be patient.” he said slyly. “My apprentice must bring her back, and he better make it snappy.” he gave a wink to Andrew, who looked so fed up he looked ready to deck Vanitas into the floorboards. With a snap, Golden reappeared in a matter of seconds, looking extremely dazed and dizzy, the light from the room was enough to make her disoriented. “Oww…” she wheezed, trying to steady her vision. “What…happened? Hope I didn’t lose count…” She was lifted from the floor again, hoisted up by a pair of taut tentacles, Golden could only catch a brief glimpse of the siren below, seeing that it was Emilie, who looked hysterically giddy in the worst way. “I’ll show you what happened, but this time it'll be the worst one yet!” With a hard swing, she slammed Golden down into the floor, dust flew everywhere and pieces of wood splinters went up into the air. The other sirens leaned in for a look, just to see how badly damaged their victim looked. “Ohh…that hurt.” Golden whispered in a barely audible tone, the dangerous monsters of the deep sea were stunned in surprise that she survived that, with Emilie looking enraged that it even happened to begin with. “WHAT?!” she hollered in ire. “Merlie and Stelle killed you in one blow! Why couldn’t I?!” Her sisters giggled amusingly behind her, not trying to even hide it as a way to further tease and infuriate her, Allura slithered up to the irate siren, leaning down to whisper in her ear. “If you fail…” she began. “...do it again, and do it BETTER.” Keeping her tentacles wrapped firmly around Golden, Emilie growled furiously as she once again hoisted her up and brought her down with a destructive impact, planks of wood and chippings flew among the dust, obscuring the fate of the girl in the siren’s grasp. Once it cleared, Emilie let the light weighted body flop down onto the broken floor, leaving a crevice in the middle of the room. “Success…!” Emilie sneered, giddiness filling her core. “I DID it! Hahaha!! I knew you were pathetic, and I’m SO glad I managed to finally eliminate you since the last time I faced you in Atlantis…” The other sirens giggled with a high tone, snickering at the form of Golden lying there on the ground, where a small groan emitted from the beaten girl in the ground. “...T-try again…” Golden uttered breathlessly. “...sushi breath…” If Emilie could define fury, she’d be a personification of it. Refusing to let Golden utter another word or move a single finger, as well as the sirens laugh at her mockingly, Emilie repeated her actions from before, slamming Golden into the wooden floor over and over, sending splinters and chipping into the air. The feeling of each slam felt like getting hit by a vehicle at high speed, but the pain numbed each time, as Golden grew weaker and weaker. “...it hurts…” she wheezed quietly, just enough for herself to hear. “...promise…” The light faded, and Golden was grateful, it was over for this part, though Allura hadn’t attacked yet, which left a terrible feeling in Golden’s stomach, with the dark void that encased her in a place of safety for some time, until the next snap. Vanitas stepped out from the assemblage of villains, standing out like a sore thumb as Yen Sid’s hat remained perched on his spiky head. “Marvellous ladies…” he grinned, his yellow eyes shimmering in the room’s light. “You were all quite impressive, I imagined that level of power is what those three toons would measure had they had it in them to attack…after all, three is a very powerful number.” Merlie gave a quick boy to the boy, signalling for her sisters to do the same, minus the queen herself. Emilie was feeling almost too excited to concentrate, but did as she was told nonetheless, and thankful she wouldn’t endure any wrath from Allura, who was looking pleased under her long hair as her fanged mouth stretched into a small grin. “Should you bring her back, my dear…” she hummed, “Allow me to have the next turn. After all, as the queen of Atlantis, the people had every reason to respect me, not out of love, but of fear…shall I remind everyone why?” 

Golden lay in the dark, the shock had worn off and she had stopped aching, for now at least. She reached up to touch her hair, it felt hard and flaky, as if she hadn’t brushed it in many days. Everything felt so confusing now, she was surprised at herself for remembering the promise, and even the number of times in which the villains had killed her, only to end up back here in the endless void. She wanted to question why she wasn’t just slipping away and turning into nothing, except maybe a ghost like her grandfather. As Master Grey slipped into her mind, she remembered the four fundamentals, it strengthened her hope a little more, and it warmed her inside as she remembered why Yen Sid looked up to his old master so much, and she’d do the same once she was out of here, whenever that may be, how much time has even passed? “Knowledge, understanding, application…” Golden held her hands over her chest, feeling its faint warmth as it weakly glowed. “...love.” There was the dreaded snap, Golden felt herself being pulled back to reality, her body distressing as it reformed back onto the floor in the middle of the ring. “I have a promise…” she muttered, shielding her eyes from the glaring lights. “I must…keep it.” There was a scoff to her left, Andrew approached her, his large boots echoing off the walls as he marched up to her, Golden flinched, but refused to feel intimidated, to her he was nothing but an oversized cockroach. “Promise this, promise that…sheeshed kid!” he groaned, hauling Golden up by the arm and forcing her to her feet, which could barely support her, she hissed as he pulled her up. “You keep holding onto this promise as if it makes a difference!” Andrew went on. “It’s getting old, and it’s STUPID. Nothing is going to get you out of this, you are staying here until we decide on something else, or…someone higher and mightier does. But for now, I’m enjoying this little game.” His voice went quiet a little, almost in a suppressed, annoyed tone as he mentioned a ‘higher and mightier’ being, who did he mean? Golden didn’t care to wonder at the moment as Andrew continued his spiel, turning to Vanitas. “Oi, scallywag, there was a spell this here kid used before, correct? You’ve got the hat, why don’t you show us, as a little demonstration?” Vanitas leaned on his keyblade, eyeing the older man with an indignant look from under the brim of the sorcerer hat. Straightening up, he held up his keyblade as Andrew held Golden out with his arm, like a target. “Request granted, apprentice.” he said, the teeth of his keyblade lighting up a sharp, white glow. “Flamura Fracturis.” Golden let out a gasp, this was a spell she knew well, her father’s hat lit up, shimmering as sparkles of magic surrounded it like an orbit. Vanitas aimed his keyblade at her chest, directly where her already defeated heart faintly thumped. “You’re crazy!!” Golden shouted at the teenage keyblade wielder, “You can’t use that spell on people, it will never work!” But then she went still, her whole form frozen on the spot minus her eyes. Everything blurred and became stiff, and her hands and feet became numb as they began to solidify, her limbs and even clothes became a shiny crystal, drawing the attention of a new villains like Ursula and Dr Facilier, both who couldn’t say no to something that could earn them riches or attention. Golden felt a pain shoot from her chest and up her head and down to her feet as another horrid snap echoed in her ears, like it had all been reversed. Andrew chuckled, dragging the disorientated girl from the circle and toward Vanitas. Golden didn’t want to believe it was over just yet, there were more villains now that Golden was up close to their group, all of them staring at her with interested yet sinister looks. Vanitas stuck his keyblade back into the floor, Vor’s hand on his shoulder like a proud mentor, it was ironic given the situation for Golden, who was at their mercy like a terrible villain defeated by the righteous hero. “Now listen here, you little dullard…” Vanitas spoke in a mocking, sing-song fashion, getting on one of his knees to level with Golden. “You’re going to forget that little promise, okay? It’s fake, nothing, won’t come true! Don’t be as gullible as my previous foes were, especially that boy…Wanna know why you should forget that adorable little promise? Because you’re bound to us, yeah, that’s right!” Golden blinked tiredly at Vanitas, listening to him with great reluctance. He went on. “Your little heart is shackled to us, and as long as you are, you’ll die, revive, die, revive all over again!” He stood up with a hearty chuckle, nearly looking to address the villainous group, snickering as he slowly paced, watching Andrew shove her back into the ring, where Golden now had to await the next one, she didn’t think twice as she spotted Allura not far, looking eager for her turn. “You know, something, Andrew?” Vanitas questioned, readjusting the hat after it had become askew from the crystalling spell. “This truly is a fun AND interesting little test. It’s going better than I thought, don’t you agree?” Golden’s eyes snapped open as she stared at the floor, she didn’t hear Andrew by now, her mind was racing again at the words of Vanitas that echoed inside. “A…test?” she mumbled quietly. “Was this all a test? But…” She shivered, all voice now drowned out, except her own. “But who…? Which of these villains could…wanna test me like this…!?” But her thoughts were silenced when Allura stepped forward, her sandaled feet approaching the girl in her nymph form, though her blue eyes weren’t warm, they held a disdain and coldness, whilst a hint of a cheeky smirk played on her lips. She was pulling at one of her hair strands as usual, her vanity clearly reflected, and she turned her eyes down onto the pitiful girl looking up at her. “We meet again, little treasure.” she smirked, Golden gritting her teeth. “Don’t call me that.” she snarked, Allura’s eye twitching slightly, reminded of how sassy the child really could be, it was an annoying memory, their last encounter. “Quiet. Unfortunately for you, I still remember our last fight, in which you and your little dolphin friend humiliated me in front of my subjects. But know this…a queen is only as strong as her subjects allow her to be.” she grinned, and several other sirens all stepped forward, holding their weapons at their sides. Even the purple mermaid that Delphis had encountered was among them, but now in a humanoid form like the rest, which was slightly unnerving, they weren’t quite human, their sharp teeth and scathing glares gave them an unsettling feel, like a poisonous apple. “Now, let me begin.” Allura smirked, her features contorting and changing as she turned into her grey siren form, her tentacle hair violently erupting and going to entangle Golden. She combined all of the attacks from the previous sirens, first slamming the girl down a few times for her own satisfaction, squeezing her all the while, and then bringing her up to those shining green eyes, the one Golden had never quite gotten out of her mind, how they towered above her and seared through the darkness. Gripping the girl’s throat, Golden felt her air being squeezed out of her, almost like she was drowning, and then the petrification began as she locked eyes with Allura, feeling her heart change first, and those few seconds between life and death were agonizing, every blood cell freezing in place and every vein ceasing movement, feeling like she would burst, until she was contained in those stone atoms, her being squeezed and compressed until it felt nothing at all. And then, Allura smirked, raising the same harpoon she’d used in their last fight, and plunged it into the now stone chest, destroying it and shattering the stone into thousands of shards, which scattered in a row, sharp stone falling into place as it formed a pattern similar to that of a flame, expanding outward and little pieces falling by the siren sisters and Allura’s small army, who all moved back instinctively, as if they’d be dirtied. Almost immediately, these pieces disappeared as the snap echoed, and Golden was brought back, but she was weakened significantly, her arms were too weak to even hold her up for long, she just lay there in a foetal position, feeling as if her head might explode from all the voices and thoughts rattling around inside it, but she’d rather explode than be compressed into stone, given the choice. Allura waved her hand dismissively, indicating she’d had her turn, and stepped back, the rest of the sirens all crowding around Golden. “Now you may all have a turn…be sure to treat her savagely.” the queen’s voice echoed, Golden barely having the strength to even register those words, her head was still spinning and if she’d had the strength, she’d put her hands up to it and hit it to shut it up. Looking up, she heard the footsteps again and found herself surrounded by sirens, all of them staring down at her with a mixture of delight and disgust, the two emotions that every villain seemed to feel in her presence, though the little girl couldn’t understand what she’d done wrong. As her thoughts swirled and spiralled, she wondered if she was even fighting for the right side, if she and her family were actually the evil ones…it made her mind spin and contort, she didn’t have the strength nor the energy to think of morals at the moment, especially when surrounded and cornered by those she considered her enemies. And yet, there was also a small defiance in her mind. Even if she felt so lost and alone that she doubted everything upon which her life had been built, what reason was there for her to go through literal torture? Was there any justification for hurting an immortal a thousand times over, even if they revived over and over again? As the rage bubbled inside her, her hands jerked forward, and she pushed herself up. “You all wanna take me on?! All you powerful warriors of the sea against a mere CHILD WHO CAN’T EVEN STAND?! Fine! Do it then, you cowards!! I SAY BRING IT ON! You don’t have the backbone to take me on at full strength, so you’ve whittled me down and-” She was cut off as the sirens suddenly hurled their harpoons. As she turned to stone due to their eyes, she felt her resolve dwindle again. She was confused, terrified, there was nothing in her mind other than that faint light of a promise, a twinkling light in the distance like a star, one she couldn’t reach but still clung to for hope and guidance. As her body turned to stone again, the sirens took out their harpoons from where they had impaled her, and then started smashing up the stone until she was mere grit on the ground. “Oooh, terrifying. And little missy thought she was so brave.” Vanitas snarked, Andrew nodding slightly in agreement. “She won’t last forever. That resolve will dwindle, I know her. Scare her enough…she’ll do anything.” he smirked, Vanitas turning his head slightly in curiosity, and Andrew shrugged, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. “We can keep this up all eternity. After all, we’ve got some great information, and I have to say, an entertaining display!”

As Golden came to again, thanks to one of those hellish snaps, she watched as a new group of villains prepared for their turn, aching and sorrowful. She didn’t even try to get up, or even curl up, she just lay there and closed her eyes, almost as if she was trying to doze off, like she would when being held by Yen Sid or Aero, sitting on their laps and watching them reading tomes or spellbooks, and eventually she’d get confused or bored and just give up, falling asleep in their arms instead, which they never minded. The memories brought a tear to her eye. She remembered painting that painting of two hearts with Aero, the first time they’d met when she was just six and still had a bit of an infantile mind. As it trailed down her face, she gritted her teeth, promising once again to get back to them, no matter the cost or how many times she’d have to die. It was as if she was a candle, pieces of wax dripping down every single time, but still being reignited with hope the second she threatened to go out. She wouldn’t ever completely despair, and a little light appeared in her eyes, she curled up a weak fist. “I won’t…burn out.” she croaked, closing her eyes again, pretending she was at home, and that they were all having that normal, beautiful day, just as father and daughter had sworn. Andrew and Vanitas were murmuring in the background, but in her mind their voices were reduced to ash, nothing but mere hums, like the ticking of a clock that one wouldn’t notice. The two of them had been discussing the next set of villains, but had noticed something strange upon turning their eyes onto Golden. “Is…that normal?” Andrew whispered, Vanitas raising an eyebrow. One side of Golden’s hair had turned completely white, the strands almost dead and missing her usual bounciness and flick at the end, they lay limp like puppet strings, as the girl they belonged to sat there, like a wind-up toy without anyone to crank her, or a broken porcelain doll that had been thrown away. “That’s new…” Vanitas replied, wondering if it could be magic, but there was no sign that Golden could, or was, doing anything. He raised his keyblade, plonking it over his shoulders. “As long as that brat can still be revived, I don’t care what she’s doing. After all…I assume our deal will be kept?” Vanitas murmured, Andrew nodding and giving little more than a slight grunt to confirm. “Yeah, yeah. If she does anything we’ll just blast her. I’ve seen the tricks this little brat can pull, but she’s weak underneath.” he remarked, before striding over to the crystal ball and looking at it, where an apparition of the family soon came into view. Curious, Andrew watched it, finding himself lingering on Scout, who was once again drawing, though there was something…off.

Scout was sitting at her desk again, sketching more creatures, but kept lingering on the thought of that butterfly. She found herself doodling it, iridescent hues that reminded her of when Yen Sid would form them, and they’d all laugh, especially… they’d all laugh. She tapped the desk with her pencil a few times, and then noticed the door open slightly, a little purple hat peeking round…Starlight flew in. “Hey, Scout…” the little glowworm sighed, looking quite drained and a little lost, unsure what to do with herself. “Oh? Usually you don’t come in here.” Scout smiled, holding her arms out for Starlight to land in them, like a plushie. “Yeah, I’m just kinda bored. I played with Mickey, Aero and Star for a bit and then tried baking with Sonatina, but I got stuck under a bowl so I was kinda useless…” she giggled, Scout snickering and gently rubbing her soft hat, the glowworm keeping a grip on it to make sure it stayed on. “Aww, well why don’t we draw something together?” she offered, Starlight nodding and peeping at Scout’s journal, waving her wand and looking through the pages by making them magically flip. But then she settled on something. A drawing of a little girl, surrounded by fairies and a bright smile on her face. “Wait…I don’t remember drawing this…” Scout murmured, taking a look as Starlight sat on her shoulder, a look of puzzlement coming over her face. Oswald suddenly came in, hanging off the door with a smirk, indicating he’d been listening in. “You made a cringe self-insert, Scout?” he snickered, and she waved her hand, sending him flying and closing the door behind him, which made herself and Starlight laugh. As they stared back at the page, though, Scout started flipping through, noticing how this girl was all over her journal. “Weird…” she muttered, and then caught herself as a small feeling stirred in her mind. There was someone there, fuzzily, laughing as the older girl knocked over a pile of cardboard boxes and fell on them, the person laughing, calling the entire thing ‘weird’...but in a playful way. Scout rubbed her eyes as stars danced in front of them, there was something she was forgetting, something off… Starlight looked dazed too. “Weird…” she repeated, the word hanging in the air like a raincloud, both of them meeting each other’s eyes and indicating they were thinking the same thing. Scout reached for her journal again, and began to flip through it, there was a drawing of a giant broom, and the entire gang running away from it, it looked like a kaiju monster, but that little girl was there too, face obscured by a book she was frantically reading, it looked rather comedic. Then a drawing of her again, red flowing out of one side of her head and chromatic aberration she’d drawn all around, reminding her of glitches, there was the Christmas party, in the center of it all was a little girl, Star and Starlight by her side, dressed in purple, then the day the villains had attacked, someone was standing atop the clouds, the moon silhouetting her…their holidays, the day Vor had attacked them, going to space…something was coming back, rushing through her mind. Scout burst out of her room suddenly, Starlight having to grab onto her shoulder, and rushed to the room close to her own, barging into it…finding it well-furnished, star blankets and a tapestry depicting the moon, toys…a small hammock that Starlight drifted toward, and instinctively sat in. Both of them stared at each other, and at the same, spoke aloud. “Something’s wrong.” 

Andrew frowned down at the crystal ball. “That will never do.” he muttered, Vanitas turning to face him and smirking, raising a hand and casting it toward the crystal ball, leading to the sound of a thump as Scout fell over and Starlight tried to steady her, but both of their heads began to ache, as if something was splitting their memories apart into thousands of tiny shards. Golden heard that sound, the sound of her big sister and best friend in trouble, and pushed herself up immediately, turning toward Andrew and Vanitas at a speed that she was astonished she could muster. “Stop it, leave them!” she croaked, Andrew rolling his eyes and all but ignoring her plea. “That will suffice to stop them meddling, especially that…insect.” he smirked, Golden almost wanting to deck him, nobody insulted her best friend! But right as Andrew was about to put the crystal ball back on its celestial stand covered with eyes, he instead had a sick idea. “Hmmm, why don’t you look at this again, little Symphonus, oop…Golden…” he smirked, moving over toward her, towering over her like a beast from a fairytale. Yes, she tried to remember that he wasn’t important, just a big roach in a hoodie, but he did scare her, she couldn’t deny that. As he bent down to show it to her, the crystal ball fogged up, revealing images of Oswald playing with his dragons, the family baking, Julius snuggled up asleep on Yen Sid’s lap, who was gently petting him, Mickey, Aero and Star all hanging out, Frill playing a videogame with Delphis, who was trying to get to grips with the controller… all so happy, all smiling, because she wasn’t there to bring any ruin to them. Golden felt one tear, then two…she closed her eyes, trying to stop more from falling. Were they really so much happier without her? And yet, she remembered Master Grey’s words. As she closed her eyes, she imagined she was back in that little chamber, where he’d held her amongst all those beautiful paintings, as the sun streamed through the curtains… and he’d reminded her just what was so important about being a sorcerer. Golden felt that hope reignite again, it almost hurt with how often she was pulled back from despair, though it was almost the same as how she was brought back from death, though she was unsure whether it was a blessing or a curse. “Look how much happier they are without you, little Golden…” Andrew smirked, but Golden looked up at him. “Tempus fugit, amor manet.” she whispered, Vanitas raising an eyebrow incredulously. “Excuse me? That’s Greek to me, kid.” he snarked, Golden glaring at him, and then defiantly looking at Andrew again. “Time flees, love remains. Dad taught me that. I don’t care if they look happy, there’s a me-shaped hole in the house right now, and until I get back, they’re missing something, I know it! So shut it cig breath, I know where I belong!” she declared, managing to stand up and face him head on, Andrew glaring down at her. Unamused, he suddenly swung the crystal ball, knocking her off her feet and sending her crashing into the wall, Vanitas sighing at his apprentice’s impulsivity and snapping his fingers, Golden not even getting a chance to see the void before she was pulled back to her body. “Don’t you dare go all heroic on us. There’s still more for you to deal with yet, and I’ll see to it personally that any hope you have left crumbles. After all, once we’re done and…he has no more use for you, you’ve got a crate with your little number on it.” he grinned, Golden looking up and groggily wondering what on earth that could mean. And then, being sure to keep her alive, Vanitas came up behind her and knocked her out with a spell, as someone nearby started to prepare his materials.

When Golden finally regained consciousness, she found herself standing up, blearily opening her eyes and trying to steady herself as she felt herself slip forward, but something instead caught her. Her arms were trapped behind her, caught against some big plank of wood and crossed over each other, causing her wrists to rub against the plank and give her a splinter. She tried to move her feet, she could kick and stamp, but it didn’t do much to free her, struggling felt a bit futile. She tried to take a look round, but a voice stopped her from trying to find anyone, it seemed that during the time she’d been knocked out, Vanitas had probably used his magic to summon whatever structure she was now attached to. “How clever, that a witch such as yourself can come back from death, only to die again… such a disgusting craft to defy the ways of the holy mass.” A man spoke, and Golden immediately recognized the voice of Frollo, minister of justice in the palace of justice, a place she’d read about in a book, and the contents of which had given her so many shivers that she’d ran to Oswald immediately. And yet here she was now, no Oswald to protect her, unfortunately, because if he was here he’d probably give Frollo a piece of his mind, and a whacking with his electric remote for good measure. She craned her neck to try and spot the judge, he was standing behind her, with a smirk on his face. “What?! What are you even talking about, you weirdo?” she retorted, Frollo finally stepping in front of her, starting to circle her like a predator, which made her rather uncomfortable. “I, one of God’s servants, should be the one to rid our licentious world of demons. Without my intervention, creatures like yourself will merely slither back into the mortal realm, infesting the immortal soul with sin and temptation. You will taint the world with unholy carnage and destroy those who follow the path of righteousness, taking them down the road until they burn alongside you.” he continued, Golden feeling a shiver down her spine at these words, she didn’t understand what he meant, but the fervor in his eyes showed that he believed every word, and that alone was enough to terrify her. She curled up her bound fists though, and tried to move toward him again, resulting in another splinter, but it barely hurt amid all her other aches. “Oh really?! It’s not my choice to keep coming back! It’s those two over there, those two who you’ve sided with and keep bringing me back! You’re a hypocrite!!” she yelled, Frollo stepping up toward her, and only then did she realize she was surrounded by wood, but there was also something above her, casting a shadow. It almost looked like the crescent of the moon… “Disgusting little wretch…no matter. I will personally see to it that whoever lies beyond for you will greet you into their arms…whether that be a god, or a demon.” he whispered those last lines, sending prickles of goosebumps erupting up and down her skin. For Golden, the only thing that lay beyond was the void, she knew that, but the thought of whatever could be beyond that was quite frightening, especially as he loomed over her. Feeling her heart thump, she noticed his hand trace at a lever, just inches away from her, and one look at Vanitas proved he’d rigged this whole thing up, he looked sadistically excited to see what would come next. As Frollo reached for a torch, Vanitas raised his keyblade to light it, where a glowing burst of fire erupted atop it. As the flame rose and built in strength, Frollo smirked, staring at Golden with a wicked eye. He knew how torture affected the mind, the fear and agony of anticipation was often worse than the moment of pain itself, after that moment, the person was gone, presumably burning in hell as they deserved. "This technique is one we use in the Palace of Justice. We use it on those known as heretics, people who disobey the sacred rites of the Father, such as yourself. Fire is a particularly useful tool, it melts tin and various other metals, but it also melts the flesh of a sinner, condemning them to hell in the most befitting way. What is above you, little girl, is a crescent pendulum made from tin. As it melts from the fire, it will swing, burning you with each strike, but each piece of molten metal will fall on you and the wood, igniting it with each movement. And in a final blaze of glory, the Lord himself will send you back where you belong." Golden could feel her heartbeat in her ears, swallowing and looking down at her feet, she didn't want to look, and more strands of her hair visibly reacted to her terror, Vanitas watching the change with an interested eye and realizing just what might be happening to her, giving a sadistic grin. Frollo finally pulled the lever, and a metallic creaking began, he raised up his torch and let the metal aflame, it ignited brightly and sent the pendulum off-balance, causing it to swing faster and faster. And as Golden felt the first sting, she imagined herself contorting like the metal, if she was tin, she'd contort and twist under the heat, and all that would be left would be just a little tin heart. In terror, she watched as the ensuing flames began to light the wood just as he had said, and the smoke surrounding her caused her eyes to burn and distort the scenery, so the entire group looked even more monstrous than before. And as her consciousness slipped away, in part thanks to the smoke inhalation, Vanitas used a spell to make the apparatus disappear, leaving nothing but a misshapen pendulum now in the shape of a heart, and in the center, a warped, burnt body.

Golden didn't even have a moment in the void to recollect herself before she was brought back, and instantly felt like she was struggling to breathe. It turned out, as she soon realized when she opened her eyes, that a large boot was on her chest, preventing her from breathing properly. And upon turning up her eyes, Golden almost groaned. "Well, I know those pretty sea lasses spoke of some treasure, now what have we here?" Captain Hook started, motioning to his bumbling first mate. "Smee! Hand me the cutlass, now." he commanded, Smee rushing toward it and picking it up, but then pausing. Smee was rather kindly, everyone knew that, and he remembered how this little girl's brother had been sweet to him. "Cap'n? Are y-you sure you want to do this? I m-mean...she is that kitty cat's sister..." he muttered, but Captain Hook merely snatched the sword, rolling his eyes. "If you've gone soft, Mr Smee, why don't you JOIN HER?" he suddenly roared, Golden curling her fists. "I'm not scared of you! Everyone says you're just a big ol' codfish wearing a hat! I mean, you're scared of an OCTOPUS!! How pathetic can you get?" she snarked even despite her struggle for breath, Hook tightening his grip on the cutlass. "Oh really? Everyone says that? Go on, what else do they say about me, lass?" Hook smirked, batting his eyelashes playfully, though Smee could tell how agitated he already was. "I-I'd tell you if I could...breathe!" she wheezed, Hook rolling his eyes but removing his boot from her, allowing her to cough and breathe normally again. "Well...e-everyone says you're as dangerous as a plastic coat hanger! You're all talk, apart from when you're screaming about a ticking crocodile!" she continued, Hook narrowing his eyes but trying to hide his agitation just a little more, he wanted this to be worth it. "Please continue, my little dear. I want to hear it all!" he waved his arms around, turning the cutlass in a circle on the edge of his finger like a performer wielding fire. "With pleasure, then! Everyone knows you get seasick, you're terrible at sailing, you always get bested by a bunch of children and-" She was cut off, literally, by Hook suddenly pushing the cutlass forward. "You know...in piracy, we have ways of dealing with people who talk too much." he spoke, suddenly a lot more sinister and dangerous. As the pain set in, Golden felt a trickle of blood cascading down from her mouth to her chin, but she was frozen, too shaken by the sudden action to wipe it away. He held her there for a moment, just letting her feel that pain, and then finally drew back, taking her voice with him, almost like Ursula. "You won't be needing that anymore, haha! I bet I could put you to work scrubbing my deck though, and you'd not be able to complain!" he chortled, throwing the cutlass aside and appreciating the silence. "Smee! Pistol!" he suddenly barked, Mr Smee had been quietly observing and hiding behind his hat, not quite wanting to see the brutality despite the fact he was a pirate. Wordlessly, he threw the gun to his captain, a small part of him knowing at least she'd be out of her misery, as Golden reached up a sleeve to wipe away the blood, glaring at Captain Hook all the while. He flashed her a sinister grin, and twirled his moustache as he loaded the pistol, before pointing it at her forehead. "Maybe next time you decide to challenge villains like us, remember that we always come back stronger, lass. And since we spent so long in that light realm, believe me when I say we've been planning this for a long time." he spoke, before the shot rang out and Golden fell back, but once again she didn't even have time to realize she'd died before coming back. They clearly were being purposefully merciless.

Upon being brought back, Golden was groggy for a second, but felt several hands on her, some putting something on her feet, others piercing her hands and knees with what felt like sewing needles, pinpricks piercing through her skin and going taut. As she felt something hoist her up, she finally opened her tired eyes, feeling her arms suddenly start moving by themselves, then her legs...her legs got faster and faster, she was dancing uncontrollably, twirling and whirling around as her arms were pulled to match the rhythm, her knees aching as they were strung along. Blearily, she began to make sense of the situation, and realized she was attached by several strings, which made her shake. A booming laugh startled her out of any sleep she had left, and she looked up to find herself being pulled to and fro by Stromboli, the puppet master forcing her to dance faster than she could keep up. Though she tried to pull her arms down, it hurt too much, and he resisted by pulling harder, lifting her frantic feet from the ground and making her discover she was wearing a pair of red shoes. As her feet burned with blisters, they still continued to move, as if controlled by the shoes themselves, which tightened on her feet and caused them to burn with pain. "Don't you move, little ragazza! You dance, make me big money! We put you in costume of roses, like circus ladies, arabesques!" the puppet master chortled, his face contorting with a wicked grin at the thought, and Golden trying to pull again, but it stung, despite the fact she had felt pain so many times before this, and still had residual aches. "I'm not your puppet, leave me alone! I'm not yours, not...not anyone's..." her voice dwindled down to a whisper, as the slight break in her resolve momentarily affected her ability to talk or resist his control. He gave a harsh pull, causing her to yelp and try to resist again, but the shoes and strings made it feel impossible, her feet were burning and her hands felt like they were tearing with the way the strings had been attached. "Bah, you are of no use now! To the firewood with you!" he roared, taking an axe and chopping the strings, causing Golden to drop to her knees, though her feet still insisted on dancing. "Ah, your little feet won't stop. Bah, let me get those off, they cost me big money!" the puppet master spoke, moving round as Golden inched away from him, but he grabbed her knees and held the strings taut in her hands, making her unable to move. Try as he might, though, Stromboli couldn't pry the shoes off her feet, either by magic or the sheer amount of swelling, they were held fast. He tried and tried, but upon hearing a disdainful yawn from the Evil Queen and a muttered remark about his incompetence from Stelle, he had another idea, gripping the axe tightly in both hands and swinging it down, where there was a sickening crunch. It took a moment for her to register, but the most surreal thing of all was that her feet still continued to dance, dancing to and fro in their own little pattern despite no longer being attached. As the pain set in, though, she felt Stromboli pick her up by the back of her shirt, and through some handy magic from none other than Maleficent, she was thrust into a blur of green flames and ash, where she once again became nothing, until she didn't. “Ooh, seems like some of you have a particular favourite.” Andrew mused out loud, readying his fingers for the next snap. “That’s someone else who used fire…but nothing is worse than the intense heat of a smoldering fire.” He felt a smack on his back, almost knocking him forward and off balance. He met the eyes of a stout, squinty eyed man in red who was staring impatiently at the tall man who smelt worse than the cigars he smoked. “Enough chatter, I didn’t come here for badly structured poetry!” he growled, his balled hands sat on his hips in contemptment. “Get on with it and bring her back! You promised me a good payment, my dear bloke. I don’t like when others don’t hold up their end of a deal.” Andrew merely scoffed, not liking the man’s tone, he wasn’t in charge, and had no right ordering him around. Regardless, Andrew stood up straight and snapped his fingers again. “Know your place.” Andrew sneered through gritted teeth. “You’ll get yours, now wait. She’ll be ready soon enough.” 

Golden’s feet felt limp, like she had lost all nerve feeling. She rubbed delicately at her knees as they hurt quite immensely from the forceful pulling of the strings, her wrists were no different in how they were feeling. “Oww…stupid, ugly jerk!” she mouthed quietly, furious at the humiliation Stromboli had put her through. “I hate them all…so much! Especially that gross cigarette man and that Sora copycat edgelord, and that evil witch, those sirens, I HATE THEM ALL!!” She hadn’t realised she was back already, despite hearing the unforgiving snap. She was so caught up in cursing the villains that she only noticed once she saw a shadow towering over her. Turning, she felt her blood run cold at the sight of the nightmarish grin of the man in the red coat, the formidable Coachman. He wasn’t alone, but instead of Maleficent and the Evil Queen backing him up like he did for them prior, there were instead several small donkeys at his side. Golden was confused by their appearance, were they hidden before? Where did they come from? “Been some time, hasn’t it, lass?” The Coachman smiled, taking his cigar out of his mouth and tapping some of the ash out at Golden’s feet. “Y’know, it’s not everyday that one of the more stupid children escape their fate. You might have made a nice worker in the dark mines.” Golden backed up a little on the floor, she didn’t want to feel afraid of him, especially after the last time they fought, but he seemed to have the power here, right now the butterfly wasn’t awakening in Golden’s hour of need, and at no fault of her own. “Not you…” she whispered. “I was hoping you were just another nightmare, another…who fell at my power.” Golden silently scolded herself, this sass wasn’t getting her anywhere, and only strengthened the villains’s desire to send her back to the void in their own cruel ways. The Coachman leaned down on one knee, getting a closer look at Golden with an amused smirk, his intimidation was on hold for a moment, his eyes scanning the girl as he rubbed at his chin, like he was thinking about something to say to her. “You know, lass…” he began, his voice thick with fake affableness. “...maybe you don’t have to die here again…perhaps I could offer you a lifetime trip? In the salt mines perhaps? Or maybe even the circus?” Golden rose to her feet, wearily stumbling back away from him, the Coachman smirked at her, casually twirling the thick whip between his fingers. “As if!” Golden cried. “I wouldn’t go anywhere with you! Geez, what is it with every bad guy and wanting to kidnap me?!” The Coachman let out a low chuckle, rubbing his chin in thought. The small donkeys behind him slowly peering around to take a look at the girl. “You’re saying no? Oh wow, what a shame.” His smile faded as he shot a glare at the donkey boys, forcing them to step back into his shadow. “Doesn’t change the fact you’re just as stupid as the little boys who wound up on Pleasure Island!” He went on. “And we all know what happens to dumb little children who don’t listen…and you’ll make a fine worker for me. I’ll let you go first by pulling my carriage.” Golden shook her head, trying to glare back at the large man as she refused to relent to his words. She wasn’t sure what to do, though her eyes were darting back and forth to the crystal ball, she seemed somewhat drawn to it as it flickered with different images of her family, and flickered at the same pace as her heart. Something stepped out in front of her, the little donkeys stood before her, one of them in a sailor suit, and the other in a blue coat and scarf. They looked frightened, their ears drooping at the sides and their tails between their hind legs, yet they stood up tall, and gave a brave look at the Coachman. “What…in blue blazes are you two boys doing?” sneered the Coachman grimly, tightening his grip on the whip and snapping it on the ground. The donkey boys flinched, but did not move from their spot. “We…won’t be afraid!” said the donkey in the sailor suit, it was Alexander, one of the donkeys that were held back from working with the others as he retained the ability to talk. “You’ve gone far enough, you horrid old man!” The Coachman rolled his eyes, shooting his furious gaze at the boys as he towered over them. “Don’t you act all innocent and pure-hearted.” he growled. “You do remember why you boys are here and why you ended up as donkeys? You are in no place to play heroes.” Alexander looked at his friends, Eddie, who cowered slightly at the Coachman’s tone of voice, then at Golden, who was stunned at their actions, this was the first time someone tried to protect her, she was thankful, and felt the same towards Mr Smee for trying to gently talk his captain out of attacking her, even if it was in vain. “Well, then…” Eddie quivered, lifting his head and closing in to shield Golden a bit more. “Let this be our first good deed!” Alexander nodded in agreement. “We might have been naughty and didn’t listen, but…those times are over, we’ll be good now! And the first thing we’ll do is protect another kid from you, we’re not afraid!” Golden clasped at her robe at her chest, hiding the glow that was glowing brighter. Tears pricked in her eyes, touched by the two boys and their proclamation to protect, even if there was nothing in it for them. With an irritated scoff, the Coachman loomed threateningly over them, the unsettling green glow in his eyes was starting to show which sent a shiver through Golden, who felt uneasy as her instinct to glitch began rising as the crystal ball flickered once more. “Ugh, very annoying!” grumbled the Coachman. “Whatever, if you daft boys wanna play the hard way, it’ll be your fault! After all, I can always get more and more stupid brats to send to the darkest mines! In fact, next time I’ll make it DOUBLE!!” His glowing eyes rivaled that of Dr Facilier and King Magnifico, with his whip raised, he brought it down in a swift swing of his arm. It came down, right towards the kids until there was a sudden spark and static, Golden had glitch jumped right in front of Alexander and Eddie, landing in a heroic stance with his arms extended to each side, providing a safety net between the boys and the Coachman. “No wait!! Please don’t hurt them! It’s not them you-!” A devastating cracking sound snapped through the atmosphere, echoing off the walls as the whip came down on Golden, surprising the Coachman briefly, and stunning Golden who had fallen backwards from the whip’s contact. It should have hurt, sent her writhing, yet Golden simply fell back as her body lit up, slowly disintegrating into several sparkles of light, leaving her heart to weakly shine as it was the last thing that appeared to remain for a while. Before she left for the void again, she caught a quick look at the two donkey boys, smiling warmly as the tears finally flowed. “You two…t-thank you…” Golden whispered as her soft voice carried over to them. “Maybe…maybe there’s hope for me…y-your efforts won’t be for nothing…” Once the sparkles of light had disappeared, her heart floated away until it became nothing. The Coachman stood back, a smirk on his face as he rubbed at his round nose with his finger. “Blimey. That was quicker than expected.” he grinned, staring down smugly at Alexander and Eddie, who huddled together in fright, the terrifying man now seemed more imposing than before. “Well boys, you certainly made my job easier, congratulations! Maybe I’ll let you off the hook for working in dangerous conditions…and I mean maybe!” with a booming, arrogant laugh, the Coachman clapped his hands in the air, and a windy, wispy wave of magic shot in through the broken window, it twisted and turned around the two boys like a miniature tornado of white and gold dust, surprising them as it took them away from the manor, back to their previous destination in the salt mines. The Coachman was hoping for an applause, and looking childishly petty when he didn’t receive any, and stomped back to the group of villains, where he squeezed between Stromboli and Frollo, muttering about a lack of respect that Andrew had just happened to hear. “You were quite the show.” He said, keeping the atmosphere to his liking. “I must say…that crack of the whip was quite vicious, most expected from you.” There was a loud groaning from behind him, causing Vanitas to glance over his shoulder too. The crystal ball was still flickering to several images, all showing various scenes of the Symphonous family at play. Mother Gothel had covered his face in a dramatic fashion, and Jafar looked just about ready to smash it with his staff with how irritated he looked. “Andrew, sweetums, would you PLEASE do something about all that flashing!” moaned Mother Gothel in a pathetically sweet voice. “It’s simply doing a number on my beautiful eyes and I don’t want them damaged or blurry! Hurry, such wonderful beings like myself don’t have all day!” If Andrew had been a simpleton, he’d have rushed to Gothel’s aid immediately, yet he stared with contempt at her whining. Choosing to shut her up, yet also intrigued thanks to his own curiosity, Andrew picked up the crystal ball, looking it over as it showed all of Golden’s family, even several at once. “Very odd of such an item.” He murmured to himself, turning the crystal ball in his hands. “Then again, the artefacts of magic have always been strange, they aren’t one to tell us what they mean, but…I could always use it as a reminder that our friend, Golden, is still all alone…!”                          

As Golden found herself in the void once more, she sat up and looked around, hugging her knees to her chest. Of course there was nothing, there was always nothing. She almost chastised herself for being a Sherlock, considering it was called a void, but she didn't have the energy to even laugh at her own idiocy. Lowering her head, her hair fell around her face, and she reached up to touch it and brush it back, when she noticed something. On the left...it had turned white! She turned to look at the right, but it was normal, those blue and purple hues that were so beloved by her family, how they'd brush or plait it... she turned back to look at her hair again, it looked dead, and felt cold to the touch, like snow. Running her hands through it, it felt tangled and matted, clumps sticking together and hurting her as she tried to pry them apart with her fingers, but it only resulted in more knots. Taking it into her hands, she stroked her hair, it didn't feel as nice as usual, compared to if she stroked the other side... She put her head in her knees, overwhelmed by everything going on, whitening hair was the least of her worries. "Why...am I changing?" she whispered to nobody, imagining this is how a butterfly might feel in a chrysalis, confused and scared, and considering they couldn't see their wings, they would merely be trying to exist whilst others admired their beauty, even despite them being unable to see it. That metamorphosis they underwent felt particularly pertinent for Golden at this moment, with her whitening hair and pale skin, her bruised pride and feelings of isolation and loneliness, ones that couldn't just be alleviated by a pat on the back. Even going home, she wasn't sure how long she'd be able to act normal, she'd got cracks now and could feel them tearing her apart inside, and she wasn't sure if they'd ever be filled in or fixed. Tired of the thinking, she put her head in her knees and heard the snap, bracing for whatever would come next.

"Heh, look at her... those strands sure are ugly." Vanitas chuckled, his voice grating Golden's ears and making them ring. Trying to ignore her words about her appearance, she turned to look at him, and sat up on her knees. "So...who's next, huh?!" she challenged, before a sudden roar of sound answered her question, so loud that it almost deafened her, and she felt her ears bleed, like when her glitch monster had attacked and roared in the same way. "Toccata and Fugue, in D minor." A familiar voice spoke, Golden recognizing the tune as one her father would often use for their music training spells, it had been the first one she had played with him back when she was harnessing her magic. "Ah, that look...the look of one who once preached of hope and love, now falling to despair... how sad, utterly PATHETIC!" the organ cried, slamming down his keys and creating another roar of music, so much so that Vanitas used his keyblade to cast a muting spell to save the rest of the villains' ears, leaving Golden and Forte to be the only ones with hearing, not that Golden was particularly happy about it. Turning to face the giant organ, she gave Forte a glare that could freeze the sun, wishing Scout was here to find her and Percy would once again give him a piece of his mind...but there was nobody, just as always. Curling up her fists, Golden faced him head on, and out of his pipes erupted a barrage of green music, just as before. Covering her face, Golden tried to move out the way, but it entangled her faster than she could react, and began to squeeze her tightly, as apparitions began all around, feeling herself fall to the curse of the music once more. Golden found herself alone in that same old crowded street, no home, no family...she crouched, covering her ears to try and block out all the loud noises of the traffic and the echoing laughter of the maniacal organ... she felt her vision blur with tears, she didn't know what to do or where to run... she picked herself up, though, and started running, finding herself back at that old theater, except now it was a wreck, nothing left. Turning all around, she noticed something, then. There was a couple, pushing a pram as they walked along the sidewalk... Golden felt her heart in her mouth, and tried to approach them, but they didn't seem to recognize her. "It's a lovely day, isn't it?" the woman spoke, looking down into the trolley at the little baby inside, and then glancing across the street where the theater sat, needing to be demolished. The man huffed. "Yes, especially lovely since we don't have to deal with that..." he lowered his voice, but Golden could hear all the same, "burden, anymore." The woman nodded in agreement, and they both smiled down at their new daughter. "Indeed. You'll be a much better girl for us, won't you dear? And then we won't need to abandon you to some...cig man on the street." She smiled, Golden feeling as if her heart had been crushed into a thousand pieces. "It's not real...they...they wouldn't..." her voice barely above a whisper, she felt an awful feeling in her gut and turned round, running the other direction as fast as she could, tearing through the streets until she came to someone else...Yen Sid. Upon seeing him, she ran straight toward him, trying to embrace him, but he turned round before she could, with an icy glare and raised his palm, freezing her in place. "You." he spoke, Golden already sensing his aura rising and remembering their fight from so long ago, the atmosphere was largely the same. Even his words were echoing through her mind- “Your muse is gone, and you’re as helpless as before. You can’t possibly think of defending yourself with magic now. And with your power source stolen, that means one thing, doesn’t it? Any wizard who steals your power can use it against you, you’d have no means of defence. And with this power, they can and will easily hurt you! That’s not all, they could have more they wanted to do. With you so weak and vulnerable they wouldn’t stop at one attack. What if they combined it with their power? What if they broke your arms? Or your legs? What would you do then? Aren’t you going to answer me? No answer? Well there is a reason why; you DON’T know. You still don’t know all there is to know. You still haven’t learned everything a sorcerer must learn. There are pages of things that must be done that you simply haven’t accomplished yet, and until you do, you’re expendable, just another apprentice, another novice. Someone who thinks they know everything when in reality they don’t, and you will never understand unless you continue your training, learn everything and get rid of that arrogant mentality that is plaguing your mind.” Though Golden had her hands over here ears and was internally begging it to stop, she felt the words get louder, louder and louder until she was suddenly back in reality, and Forte had now built up his power enough, turning his music into an enormous phoenix, just like the one her father would use. Covering her head and cowering, Golden felt it hit, and was once again thrown into darkness, feeling as if she was an expendable failure, and nobody would answer her SOS this time. Sitting in the void again, she curled up as the tears built up. Every time she had hope, it was just crushed. Putting her head in her knees, she whispered something. "If...I'm an object, then I'll be a vessel...I'll hold that promise for you, daddy. And maybe when we meet again, you won't...hate me." 

Once the darkness faded, Golden didn't even look up, she barely even registered she was back, she was far too distraught to even think straight. She sat there for a moment, watching as her white hair mixed in with her regularly coloured hair, just staring at nothing all curled up like this, it reminded her of when she was little and would lie on the bed watching her mobile, which Yen Sid had made with music magic and would play many songs for her to soothe her, sometimes she'd just sit and watch it rotate, and watch the little stars and moon spin in its rings, like a hypnotic charm. A voice soon cut through the silence, though, and it took all of her willpower not to rip that voice right out of the throat it belonged to. “Excited your turn, miss?” Vanitas snickered, a cackle being stifled behind the person’s hand, she clearly wanted to make an impression. “Oh indeed, darling. You know, my name isn’t Cruella for no reason!” she laughed, Golden getting an impression of just who was next and rolling her eyes. “I literally don’t care.” she mumbled, Cruella picking up on her words and her demure expression contorting into a scowl. “Huh! Like some impudent child would know what she’s talking about! I mean, you’re literally named after a colour! What does your name even mean? Shiny? Not so shiny now you’re all white!” The lady ranted, Golden rolling over to face her, though still lying down and looking largely apathetic. “You can’t take my name from me.” she quietly spoke, and Cruella raised an eyebrow, snickering. “Because that’s all you’ve got left! No parents, no family who loves you, no home, nobody! You’re alone…and let me show you just how nasty little things like yourself are taken care of!” Golden almost talked back, nothing she hadn’t been through before, but she was suddenly grabbed by the back of the shirt and swung, landing with a crash on the floor that caused her to yelp. Who knew this thin and fur-obsessed woman was that strong? Blearily rubbing her eyes, Golden then noticed her heart had fallen out of her chest, and rolled over toward Cruella. Silently cursing her odd ability for its occasional inconvenience, she glared up at Cruella, who smirked and picked it up, pretending to dust it off, and then throwing it down again, which hurt Golden as it struck the ground. The woman subsequently put her heel on top of it, piercing it and splitting it into shards, causing Golden to writhe and press her head into the ground in agony, even hitting it a few times to try and make it stop. “Ugh, stop it!” she cried, turning her face in fury, causing the fashion designer to laugh at her anger. “Oh, don’t you look so funny when you’re angry! Picture perfect, your heart is once again in splinters, and look at you! Not so much of a “golden” child anymore, not like your dear old daddy wanted you to be! No, you’re as white as a sheet of paper!” Cruella mocked, Golden staring at her side-on from her position lying down, looking furious all the same. “So white, I wonder what would happen if I shaved all that pretty hair and wove it into a weave? I could make myself a shawl to go with my fur coat…” she pondered, one of her long nails scratching at her chin in thought, disconcerting Golden. She already didn’t like it when Scout would have to untangle knots from her hair and sometimes Yen Sid had to cut it, she liked her hair and the thought of it all disappearing was pretty terrifying. Frowning as a shudder passed through her, she bit her lip in nerves and met the villainess’s eyes again, who grinned. “I usually work in black, white and a little red… can’t say I mind the colour on you, darling! Perhaps it’ll be a permanent change!” she tittered, Golden managing to push herself to sit up on her knees, her arms ached with every movement. “What’s happening to me…?!” she croaked, touching her ever-changing hair again, Andrew laughing behind his hand. “I agree, it’s much better suited…it does make you look like a bit of an old crone though!” he leered, causing the little girl to instinctively cover her head. “A fitting colour for your demise…let’s watch the gold fade yet again, little wretch.” Cruella smirked, bending down onto one knee as her fur coat draped around her, and she pulled out one of her long cigars, lighting it and subsequently pushing it into the shards. Getting an idea, Andrew followed with his own cigarette, Golden blacking out upon feeling the burn and yet knowing she couldn’t lose her heart, it held all that love she had inside, despite everything. Her head ached with conflicting thoughts yet again. She hated the villains, she just wanted to disappear, but at the same time she had a future, a wish she wanted to complete. If she lost that…then all hope would surely be gone, but it wasn’t, not yet.

The snap was almost immediate this time, she awoke with a slight gasp, sitting up and looking…her entire scalp had turned that awful white colour now. She gently touched it with her fingertips again, before a voice snapped her out of it. “Oh, admiring yourself? Join the club, my fanclub!” Gaston laughed, Golden flinching slightly. She hated this villain especially, remembering how kind Belle had been to her when she was wounded, how she’d wiped away her blood and held her gently, and yet all this man wanted was to turn her into a good little housewife, a thought that made Goldie feel sick. “Leave me alone…” she whispered, her voice was barely coming to her now, but one look at the crystal ball made her remember what she was fighting for, that promise she had to get home, if only for Yen Sid, to give him the normal day after how hellish this one had been. “If we did that, all this walkin’ would be for nothin’, and I’d have worn holes into my soles for no reason!” LeFou piped up, Gaston giving him a knock on the head to shut him up. “Quiet, you. Turn around and face me like a man.” Gaston spoke up, Golden having half a mind to make a joke about how she was a girl and therefore didn’t have to listen, but she was too tired to think about funny things. “I’m not gonna humor you.” she spoke dryly, enraging the hunter, who drew something out from behind his back. “You know, in hunting, we often decorate whatever we kill. You could call it a form of seasoning.” he smirked, flicking something in circles on his finger, like a child would spin a hula hoop. “I’m not food.” Golden spoke plainly, Vanitas coughing a name into his hand and getting a whack from none other than Andrew, likely being an offhand jab at his “apprentice”. Gaston was tired of her talking back, so in a sudden move, LeFou grabbed her, though she struggled and he left one of her arms free, allowing her to flail and punch him on his large nose, which made him comically fall over. “Oh! Feisty, are we?” Gaston grinned, grabbing LeFou to pull him up by the shirt collar and sending him flying into Golden as if she was a bowling pin and him the ball, causing them to fall over and LeFou to pin her. Seething, she actually tried to bite his hand, but narrowly missed. And then, she felt the hunter push something down onto her head, something which hurt a hell of a lot. Stuck looking up at him, she scowled, Gaston raising an eyebrow. “That was a request from the big boss. Said it would look pretty on you! After all, a princess deserves her crown, eh?” he smirked, pulling her up by the collar of her robes despite her flailing. “What…ow…what’s on my head?” she demanded, Gaston pulling out a mirror to show her. A crown of brambles and daisies, no wonder it hurt so much. “Now…my turn. I brought my trusty rifle. LeFou!” he hollered, and the bumbling assistant pulled out a bag, looking through it. “No rifle.” he quietly spoke, Gaston turning to him with such speed it looked like he might snap his neck. “Did you forget to pack it…?” he spoke through gritted teeth, LeFou chuckling in a guilty manner and backing up, ready for a clobbering. “No matter.” Gaston sighed, instead deciding to make this fun for himself. With precise aim, he chucked Golden up at one of the chandeliers, where her robe caught and hooked her onto it. “Hey!! Put me down!” she called, but he was having too much fun. “Everyone stand back! We’re about to play a game of target practice, right out of my old country! Anyone here ever seen Phantom of the Opera?” the charismatic huntsman smirked, pulling his bow from the bag and trying to shoot down the chandelier. But with each miss, Golden felt her confidence grow, and on his fifth shot, found herself giggling at his incompetence. “No wonder Belle didn’t want you! I think you take the expression ‘shoot your shot’ very badly, huh! I’ve seen you miss the mark five times now!” she cackled, Gaston gripping his bow so tightly that the wood started to crack. With a frustrated yell, he reached into the bag and pulled out a long, sharp antler, throwing it like a javelin and watching as it struck straight through the rope holding up the light. At long last, the chandelier crashed down, taking Goldie with it, and sending her to the void once more.

Golden felt like she had fallen, but as she steadied herself up on her knees, she realised she had just gone through another horrid attack from those villains, shivering at the thought of being struck by the arrows or crushed by a falling chandelier. “Don’t focus on it Goldie…” she whispered, hands shaking a little as they felt her hair, it was still dry and matted, some parts of it in knots. She sighed distraughtly, even in the dark void she could tell her lovely vibrant hair was still the same white, clumped together hair from earlier, she could practically hear Vanitas mocking her inside her head. “How many deaths now…?” she muttered, trying to distract herself until the next snap. “Surely…it had been over 30 by now…how many more must I endure…?” A horrible snap made her feel a cold chill down her spine, her vision filling with light. She looked around, trying to see who would be standing over her this time. “That was fast…who’s next?” It sounded like she was genuinely asking a question, it was soon answered as someone from the back rear of the room was shoved forward toward the circle, a lumbering form that seemed to struggle to stand up correctly. Golden tilted her head, and her mouth almost dropped. “You?” she squeaked, watching Pete stroll up to her, showing his biggest attempt to post intimidatingly. “It is I!” he announced, his eyes wandering to Maleficent for approval, who simply said nothing, merely stroking the back feathers on her loyal pet Diablo. “Figures…” Pete muttered grumpily. “Anyways, uh…looks like you gotta deal with me now, eh dandelion?” Golden scowled, throwing her arms over her head as she blushed brightly, still harshly embarrassed about her newly whitened hair, which she instantly knew that’s what Pete meant when he referred to ‘dandelion’. “Shut up.” she spat. “You couldn’t do anything to me, you’re…not a real villain!” Pete gave a huff and reached down to grab the girl’s shirt, holding her up menacingly, he looked pretty offended by her remark. “Silence missy! What would you know about villany?” he yelled back and dropped her to the floor. “I may be a bit slow, but I’m still competent! I’ll show you what a real villain does around here!” Andrew nudged Vanitas in the ribs, the latter looked a bit bored, while Andrew appeared to be chuckling. “I do hope so!” he called out to Pete. “Otherwise the only death you’ll cause around here is death by boredom!” He gave Vanitas another nudge, almost playful in nature, until the key bearer shoved him off, clearly fed up and wanting it over with. “Be quiet, noisy apprentice!” he commanded, part of him wanting to get under Andrew’s skin once more with his use of words, which appeared to have an effect. Vanitas turned back to the scene in front of him. “Hey, if you’re not gonna off her yourself, you overgrown fleabag, I’ll do it myself! Again!” Pete frowned at Vanitas and his petulant attitude, starting to feel fed up himself and finding him not as good of a leader as Maleficent, more of a bratty teenager than anything, he was almost sympathising with Andrew…Pete’s ear caught the sound of shuffling, and he looked down to see Golden trying to crawl away, her eyes set on the flickering crystal ball the villains were trying to shield among themselves, acting quickly, Pete reached down to grab her, holding her up by the ruff of the neck. “Hold it! You’re not leaving that fast, are ye?” he yelled, holding her at arms length as she tried to free herself, kicking her legs furiously. “Let go of me!” Golden yelled back. “Come on, Pete! You can’t do anything to me! You’re no different from last time, you’re not a big villain, you’re just Maleficent’s little boytoy!” Pete almost dropped her out of sheer embarrassment and being stunned. Several villains burst into loud, hysterical laughter, including Maleficent herself! Andrew was cackling as he smacked Vanitas on the back, who was laughing before, but found the slaps from the older man to be most annoying. “BAHAHA!! Okay, I have to admit, Golden is actually entertaining! Just for very different reasons!!” Andrew boomed, almost raising the pitch of voice to higher than that of everyone else. Something hard and pointy suddenly lodged in his jaw, ceasing his laughter. Vanitas glared at him, holding the keyblade up with the wheel shaped teeth between Andrew’s very own. “Keep smacking me, and I’ll give you two black eyes to go with any missing teeth, ignoramus.” the boy snarled, earning a returning glare of anger from his nasty subordinate. Pete was flaring from the jeering behind him. “Enough! You will be silent, you little brat! I’ll show you what a real villain is capable of!” He chucked her into his other hand, and then somehow bounced her onto the floor, as if she was a basketball, he bounced her in between his legs, and then back into his hands like a professional player, the villains all stared, several jaws had hit the ground at just what they were witnessing. “You’re no villain!” Golden cried out, feeling delirious from being bounced and rebounding like she was made of rubber, much like her brothers would be during their antics at times. “You’re just a bumbling-ow! Knock it off!” Bouncing her one more time, Pete held her back up again by the back of her shirt, she looked pretty worn out, and Pete knew he could do more, perhaps far worse than he did just now, yet something stirred in him, and despite not realising it right away, he felt he couldn’t bring himself to do more damage to her as she struggled to catch her breath. “Y-you’re a…a bumbling goofball.” Golden breathed, her eyes straining to look at him. “You’re no baddie, Pete…aren’t…aren’t you tired? You don’t…need to do…this. Ahh…!” She clutched at her arm as it stung as she had landed on it. Pete felt a shiver, one he didn’t like at all. Thoughts of someone he loved drifted into his mind, someone who looked up to and adored him. He almost dropped her out of shock, and something told him that this must have been what it was like for Golden to look up to someone like Yen Sid. “Are you stalling?” Maleficent said silkily. “Or are you planning something? I’d rather you didn’t disappoint me, minion.” Pete was frozen, yet he felt no fear from the mistress, just emptiness and confliction, he ran out of options on what to do, right up until he met Golden’s eyes once again, they were pleading, and scanning for any trace of goodness in the toon’s soul. “Please…? Pete…you don’t wanna…d-do this.” she sounded so weak, her heart was clearly losing its light again, before she would wind up back in the void for temporary safety. Pete remained still, and stood his ground in not attacking, even though he knew it would greatly annoy Maleficent and Andrew, and Vanitas might as well finish the job. “How…could I bring myself to this…?” Pete asked himself, not realising that he was bringing Golden closer to him, and holding her in his arms in a protective manner. “I’m a father, yet I hurt…yes, you might be the enemy, but lookin’ at ya…you’re just a little older than my Pistol…” Golden felt a cosy warmth, feeling herself wrapped up in his arms. Peering her head up, she met his eyes again, they weren’t cold, just sad and full of conflict. She reached a weary hand up, placing it on one of his larger ones, and whispering her thanks to him in the same volume as his voice, so only they’d hear each other. “You FOOL!!” Maleficent shouted, green firing soaring up from behind her, swishing her cape and almost knocking Smee and LeFou over. “Have you gone soft?! Where is your villainous resolve, traitor? Hurry up and finish her! NOW!!” Pete tightened his hold on the young girl, his head turning over his shoulder slightly, just enough for him to see the seething dark fairy. “No.” he uttered. “I don’t think so.” This earned a scathing scoff from Maleficent and Vanitas, and murmurs of disappointment from the other villains. The dark keybearer stepped forward, holding his keyblade with precise aim as a sadistic grin etched on his face. “Well then, you can go with her, be my guest, you overweight meathead.” Seeing Vanitas behind him, Pete finally started to act, he pulled out something from his back pocket, it was larger than the average deep pocket item, a treasure chest. Captain Hook looked behind himself, searching frantically as there was no chest behind him. “Egads! You pinched me treasure chest, you scoundrel!!” he shouted, stomping his foot immaturely and waving his hands, the Evil Queen had to cover her face with her cape to avoid his flailing hook. Opening the chest, Pete stuck Golden inside of it, he wasn’t exactly gentle, but it was a matter of time rather than malice. “Sorry kiddo, I can’t guarantee the outcome, but it’s all I got.” Shutting the chest, Pete lifted it with one hand and held it high above his head, aiming for the broken, open window, he put his strength to throw into his whole arm, but as he threw the chest, a sharp stunning spell had struck him and he toppled over into the ring, dread filling him for various reasons. “Well, that was a mistake.” Vanitas grinned, blowing some smoke from the tip of his keyblade and giving it a quick spin, almost mocking the way Sora would do it. “You should have stayed in your place, idiot.” Pete paid him no attention, his mind caught on the shattering treasure chest as it hit the wall, just inches away from the windowsill, watching as Golden flopped down among the pieces and landing with a thud. “Owie…!” she grunted, feeling a weight leave her body. She opened her eyes, and her stomach dropped, her heart had fallen from the place in her chest once again, flickering dimly with the golden glow fading. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, and weakly reached her hand out, her heart just inches away from her, as were the villains so they couldn’t catch her, or so she had thought. The heart in front of her suddenly exploded into hundreds of pieces, making her gasp sharply as she collapsed, her hand still extended. Now all that remained were several golden dust particles, and a single arrow that had hit its precise target and narrowly missed her, if not nearly grazing her hand. “Well, I didn’t miss the mark this time, did I?” smirked Gaston, his bow being slung over his shoulder like a proud hunter that caught the biggest game, and at this moment, that game was Golden herself. 

She awoke in the void in the same position, yet her heart had returned to its previous state inside her chest, despite it feeling weaker and weaker each time. She could hear Vanitas’s cruel laughter, echoing through her mind after the previous kill. She cringed, this night felt endless, just death and trauma one after the other, and yet she couldn’t help but think of how Pete and the donkey boys tried to save her, the boys had a conscious after their ordeal, but Pete had straight turned from what she had witnessed, it gave her that small glimmer of hope, one that kept her heart beating through it all. The light emerged, and something held her up from the back of her shirt, clearly a favourite grasping position for these villains. Squeezing her eyes shut, Golden refused to look at the light and see who it was here. “Stop it.” she wheezed, covering her face with her hands. “Just leave me alone, haven’t you done enough…?” She was dropped, hitting the floor that forced her to soften the landing with her hands, she kept her eyes shut though, wanting to get it over with quickly. “Open your eyes, you’re missing out on the best of the best.” She recognised the voice, opening her eyes just slightly, turning her head, a swish of stars on a flowing cape caught her view, which belonged to the cross-armed figure in white and blue, his eyes shimmered with a cruel smile in shades of green. “The former king of Rosas?” Golden shivered, sitting herself up. “I…didn’t see you in the group…I was hoping you’d still be in the staff!” Magnifico gave a playful huff, brushing his hand on his face as if pushing locks of flowing hair behind him, the air around him didn’t last long as he grinned down at the girl, eager to get to his part in this twisted game. “Now, I’m sure you’ve heard, I mean, WHO hasn’t?” he began. “But people give their wishes to me, willingly, and I choose whether I want to grant them or not…and let's face it, so many citizens had terrible wishes, I mean they didn’t benefit me in any shape or form, so why bother?” He leered over Golden, his eyes staring at her frightened form as a shimmering light of blue and purple began to appear, his terrible grin etched on his face as he thrusted his hand forward, pulling the light from her. “Ahh! Hey, what are you doing? Knock it off!” Golden’s heart was pulled out, pulling her forward in the process and making her yelp. Her heart was glowing a different colour, the blue and purples hues were emanating from it, likely a trick from Magnifico, who was looking quite curious about the nature of the heart and what was inside. “Right. Lemme see here…” he hummed wickedly, his rush of power was building, and with a clench of his hand, a small sphere appeared, it was warm and pretty, and had a sense of self inside that Golden immediately felt, it was her wish, and Golden couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. “Hmm, so, this is your wish?” Magnifico asked, examining it thoroughly, he seemed quite fixed on what was happening in the visuals it showed. “Awww, it’s awfully noble, and I daresay…beautiful. But eh, it’s not about anyone in particular except yourself. That’s kinda selfish, don’t you ever think about others?” Golden’s wet eyes stared up at her wish, and she saw the pictures play out, it showed her among the cosmos, dressed in the most beautiful starry outfit, a robe and hat, and a little bow adorned the brim. In her hands, a song floated around her palms in the shape of a wonderful star, her feet perched on the edge of a cliff to the heavens. She could see her father, her siblings, friends, other people, the council perhaps, watching her with pride as she cast the star up into the sky, making it burst into light, she received an applause from her loved ones as the star spread across the cosmos, reaching each and every soul that existed, and to the Golden that stood watching in her master robe, it was a wish worth making. “My wish…” Golden peeped softly, reaching a hand up. “Give it to me, it’s mine.” Magnifico placed his boot on her face, keeping her out of reach, it wasn’t a hard forceback, but he seemed more interested in looking at the contents of the girl’s wish. “Hmm, look at you…standing up there with everyone applauding you and thinking how wonderful you are…” he chuckled, putting on his facade of a warm leader, who wanted the best for everyone, it was as fake as could be, yet it was enough to manipulate the masses. “Ahh yes, ‘all about meee!’ That's what your wish tells me, nothing I haven’t seen before, kids these days only care about themselves.” Golden gritted her teeth, furious tears spilled harshly from her eyes as she launched herself up from his foot, getting up and standing face to face with the fallen king. “You’re wrong!!” she cried out, straining her voice almost. “Every wish is pure and selfless! They are the truest part of us, what we hold deep inside that makes us who we are!! You wouldn’t know anything about that because you don’t care! Wishes aren’t selfish or pointless, they are a longing, a discovery…they…are us! If we don’t have our wishes, what are we supposed to grow into?” Magnifico pretended to be moved, hoping to catch Golden off guard slightly, but she wasn’t fooled as he had hoped, so instead he rolled his eyes, keeping an angry grip on the wish, small cracks appeared to be showing around his finger tips. “Drivel…” he sneered distastefully. “I’ve heard this kind of nonsense before, from a certain brat whose name I won’t mention, grr…BUT anyway…wishes are actually good for one thing, they are a power source, a very high one at that…I am a little sore I didn’t discover this potential sooner, but hey, at least I can exploit it right here! How fun it’ll be to see a weakling like yourself lose something so important…” His grip on the wish tightened further, and then the wish shattered into shards, a blue wispy energy was thrown to the air and disappeared. Golden yelled out as she felt an intense ache inside her torso, enough to echo through the long corridors of the manor and fell clutching at her chest, her tears began to spill again as she felt the pain of losing something so precious to her. Her beloved wish, her essence, the very best part of her soul, was now gone. She lost all strength to keep herself upright, and curled up in a fetal position at Magnifico's feet, a position she wanted to avoid and not give them the impression they were winning against her, which all seemed futile by now. “After all, you don’t have a future. What a pity…” he mocked her with that last sentence, putting on a fake, pitiful voice as he dusted off the shards of the wish, which left behind only dust now. Golden clutched at her head, Magnifico’s words falling on deaf ears as her system overloaded, parts of her body starting to twitch and glitch out involuntarily, she almost control of her breathing as the reality of losing her most wonderful and important possession had now been ripped and destroyed right in front of her, combined with the reality of losing her family, her home, her freedom, and even her own mortality thanks to Andrew and Vanitas and the villains’ worst ever scheme. All in one day, in the span of a few hours, she’d lost everything. “No…no future?” she whispered, her face contorting as it glitched and making her head hurt, her legs then glitched, and so did her hands, she had no way to stop it. Her anxiety was out of control as her brain came to the result of her wish shattering, with it asking the same question over and over again, what was her future? Just WHAT was it? “What is…” she said, her voice faltering and glitching as her whole body finally gave in and glitched out completely, almost sparking in and out of existence. “NOOOOO!!!” Even her voice became a buzzing, electrical sound as she dissolved into a distressed mess, she was left without anything to live for, so to her there was only one thing for it; to disappear and become nothing, just like her wish…Magnifico on the other hand, stared at her in stunned silence. There was no possible way she could use magic, was this even magic? But it gave him a rather unpleasant reminder of when he became trapped inside his own staff a while ago until he was freed. “What…WHAT IS THIS?!” he bellowed, stomping his foot into the floor with enough force to crack the wood. “How is that even possible? You don’t have any magic, not with your precious wish gone…! And…and I didn’t even use MY own magic yet…!” Giving a cold hearted grin, to revealed his staff from behind him, he waved his hand over the tip, where a shimmering green light engulfed it in a type of dark magic, his own eyes turning a sharp green in the process, the wind picking up around and making his cape flap silently behind him. “Oh Golden, it was nice and all, I mean for me, hahaha! But playtime is over, see ya next time.” Magnifico’s own magic powered up to a point blank range attack, hurtling down toward Golden and shattering her glitching form to nothing but particles as her pained voice echoed. Andrew tapped at his chin, watching with great interest at what just transpired before him, something he knew he’d have to keep in mind for later, so long as Vanitas didn’t open his mouth before him, the attention seeker that he was. “Very good, dear king.” he smiled, giving a small round of applause for Magnifico. “You’ve studied magic quite well, do forgive me, I’ll be sure to keep you near incase we need to blast anymore annoying pests that might get in the way.” He rubbed his hands, and gave his fingers a quick warm up before he snapped them once again, the sound caused hundreds of glitching, uncontrolled particles to reassemble, though it took them a couple of seconds to truly become whole again, and even as they did, Golden herself was not. She lay there, flat on her stomach, her eyes staring down at the floor inches away from her vision, the hopeful, sparkling highlight that once adorned her eyes was now gone, she looked lost  and empty, she couldn’t even speak, cry or make any sound, or even acknowledge whoever was next in the line of villains. She could feel something hot and smokey approached that momentarily clouded her eyes, making her blink and turn her head up just to see, but even then she struggled with feeling so incredibly hollow inside. “Weren’t you taught any manners?” Vanitas taunted, the boy could never hold his tongue when it came to it. “Lift your head up and greet your guest! It’s rude to keep a guest waiting, right?” Despite how heavy she felt, like the weight of a mountain on her shoulders, she sat up on her elbows and blinked away the smoke, where a hand had lowered down to her level, not to help her up, but rather to shake it like a greeting. “Hey there, Hades, Lord of the dead, how are ya?” spoke the dark, flaming figure above her. His voice was welcoming and charming, which was his usual outward appearance that he often displayed. Golden had no answer, merely staring up at the god, not even a reaction from her, which annoyed the god somewhat as his smile faded. “Okay, this is the part where you say ‘hey there Hades my good man, how’s it cooking?’ Hahaha! Because uh, y’know…I’m, lord of the dead, where…it’s hot.” Again, there was no reaction from Golden, except she seemed to be losing strength to keep her upper body up right as her elbows began to slip. Hades continued on. “Okay seriously…Pain and Panic are at least entertaining, aren’t you gonna at least put up a fight?” Andrew found Hades’s little conundrum rather amusing, ultimately concluding to the idea that Golden might be completely broken after having her beloved wish shattered, somewhat glad he had saved Magnifico until now to destroy the girl, it wouldn’t have been nearly as fun nor would he had seen the effects that the power of the glitch would have on her, making him take more mental notes for later. “Oh dear, my lord…” he tutted sadly. “I don’t think she will. In fact, I don’t know if she even has any fight left in her.” Golden had laid her head back down on the floor, her eyes were heavy and tired, the only strength to speak that she managed to find was in her head. “I need…to be destroyed…” she thought weakly. “...just get it over with…” Hades threw an angry, burning glare at Andrew and Vanitas, and toward every other villain who were silently watching. “Oh great! When it’s my turn she looks like she’s just ENTERED the Underworld, and I’m stuck with the most boring version of her?” He threw his arms up above his head, looking very annoyed as his blue flaming hair turned a bright orange. Maleficent giggled softly, stepping out a little from the group right next to Magnifico, who looked at her irritably at how close she was. “Watch the cape.” he sneered, Maleficent ignored him. “If you want, I could finish her off for you. It would be my pleasure, dear Hades. After all, I never grow tired of dishing out a bit of evil.” Hades began to cool, lowering his arms as he side eyed the evil fairy. “Ahehe…ah, appreciate the offer babe…but seeing how you all have had a turn here, heck even Mr ‘Princess Jasmine is hot’ over there got at least three. And need I remind you I’m stuck with the most depressing and mind numbing position in Olympus? I think I deserve a moment to shine, don’t ya think?!” Maleficent smirked, bowing gently to Hades as she backed away to the group. “Very well…” Magnifico rolled his eyes with a scoff, brushing down his cape as Maleficent slid back. “Whatever…” Out from the group, a fist shot up with a great cheer from LeFou. “Shine on you crazy diamond!” The small man was immediately bonked on the head from Gaston’s knuckles, a warning to stay quiet and not look like an idiot. Hades smiled, turning his eyes back down on Golden. “Good answers.” he said as his fingers began to ignite. “Now, let the games begin!” A flame of the Underworld burst into life in his hand, in one strike, he blasted a hole into the floor where Golden lay, sending her flying across the room. She flopped over as she barrel-rolled across the floor, as if she was a lifeless sack. There was nothing running through her mind, at least nothing that previously brought her hope, the thought of being destroyed was the only thing, it was an impossible subject to avoid focusing on. “Heeey how about a round of applause for the man himself? No one better than myself to dispose of you, aren’t you honoured, kiddo?” Hades side-stepped around her, hovering over her with an air of flightiness. Golden gritted her teeth, choosing to ignore any pain she might have experienced from the strike. “End it…must end…” she huffed, her voice barely audible at all. Hades stopped, his interest now peaking a little further. “Oh look, some speech! And here I thought you lost that as well, but good to know you’ve still got it in ya, maybe things will get a little more interesting now!” He summoned a second fireball, and sent it blasting her way, in an instant, Golden’s eyes snapped open at the sight of the fireball and disappeared before it could hit her, leaving a crater of burnt wood in her place. The glitching was unstable, making a loud bang as she reappeared on the other side that left her ears ringing. “Ahhh…my head…ouch.” she winced, rubbing harshly at her white hair, which felt dryer and scratchier at the touch now. She almost snapped back to normal, but the negative thoughts still lingered heavily on her mind. “Saaay…now that’s interesting.” snickered Hades, who was slowly wading his way back to her, Golden almost found the energy to snark back at him. “How…? I’m not interesting…I’m not…not…NO ONE…!” With that thought, she started to glitch externally, just like before, but more erratically, her limbs splitting into several blocky, electrical particles that made it hard to move, she knew she wouldn’t glitch away as easily as before. It hurt as she tried to focus her mind and control the glitching, but her attention diverted to a hot flame a few feet away from her. “In-COMING!!” An enormous fiery blast blew up beneath her, sending her up into the air again, before she hit the ground she managed to glitch away to the left, but Hades was just as quick, and aimed another fireball at her as she caught his eye, the blast had hit her this time, leaving her burned and hitting the ground with a crack, her arm was likely broken and began glitching out of control again, just as erratically as earlier. “Shoot…” She heard Hades approach again as she felt the heat, trying to ignore her arm and burnt chest as her glitching continued to spiral, easier said than done. Hades kneeled down in front of her. “Well it’s been great fun knowing ya but my job is never done, and I’ve got souls to collect, yours included…” the villainous god snickered as he summoned a pair of glasses and a smokey legal document, quickly skimming over the letters and nodding before letting it disappear in a puff of smoke. “Soooo lets save the paperwork and legal transactions for now and I’ll just take your soul here and now, I’ll even give ya a nice spot in the river, call it my thanks for a good night.” Vanitas slammed down the teeth of his keyblade onto the ground, not harshly, but enough to turn Hades’s attention away from Golden to him, much to the immortal’s chagrin. Vanitas slowly strolled forward. “Not quite, Hades, we aren’t quite done yet. But you’ll be given your part of this bargain. Rest assured, I never go back on my word.” Hades merely rolled his eyes, crossing his arms at the boy and lifting an unamused eyebrow. “Hmmm, eh…whatever you say, babe. You’re the oh so grand leader of this whole la maison, but the lord of the dead knows when souls aren’t given over.” Hades ignited his final fireball, ready to finish the fight. He looked down at Golden, who was now looking up at him with a piercing look, her pupils seemed to have shrunk, Hades smirked as he met her eyes. “Remember that.” Before the blast of red fire could hit Golden again, she bolted up and blocked it with her hand. No one was sure about the outcome of what Golden was thinking, she had blocked it, but it left her palm quite burnt. “Oww! Grrr…!!” she snarled, trying to brush off the pain and tucking her hand under her armpit. “I’m…not…giving in! I won’t!!” Golden’s wish may have been destroyed, but something in the back of her mind was telling she hadn’t lost everything, she had a promise to keep, even if she felt uncertain, but something about the flickering crystal ball brought her out of a comatose state. Hades was amused at her feisty response, her resolve appeared to have returned. “Oooh! Chilli’s got spice!” Golden felt she had her glitch back under control, but knew she couldn’t summon the butterfly or even try to get one over the villains yet, this fight was not like last time. She turned her eyes toward Vanitas, eyeing her father’s hat on his head, slightly askew and bent, she seethed underneath, how dare that little punk take something so valuable and precious from her father and use it against her. She had one final plan in mind, take the hat and glitch out of here, she had to be precise, calculating, but her feet were quicker than her head as she went toward him. She wanted to stop, but something made her halt before she could, Hades had come up behind her, snatching her by the shirt and holding her in place, the final fireball at the ready in his right hand. “Woah woah woah, hold up now.” he said with a sly wink. “You know I want your soul, right? Whatever you’re planning, ehhh it’s a little late for that now, eh? Sooooo yeah, laters, see ya, bye-bye!” He flung her into the air, holding to hope that in the moment she wouldn’t glitch away, given her look of surprise. With a mighty swing the fireball  hurled up and blasted her, turning into a small explosion, a few villains averted their eyes from how bright it was. Golden fell to the floor, her arms falling limp at her side, dizzy and delirious. She wobbled to her knees, watching as everyone gave Hades an applause despite her still being alive and just horribly scarred by the flame, her hair being white was bad enough, but should she come back after this one, she was praying her face wouldn’t be permanently marked. She fell sideways, exhausted and closing her eyes, Hades turned her way and strided to her side, getting down on one knee and reaching into his chiton. Andrew prepared to snap his fingers. “The deed is done, my lord.” he said. “You may step away, she’s about to fade, anyway. And I’m sure…” the man stared up at a large, imposingly dark figure behind him, which he felt was best suited for the grand finale. Hades held up his hand to silence the cigarette man, withdrawing a pair of coins from inside his black garments. “I know, my good man. But y’know, I am the lord of the dead, and gods have commitments in their domains. Who would I be if I give our guest one more little sendoff, that is…IF she doesn’t come back this time, hehe…if is good, as my minions put it.” He turned her onto her back and tilted her head up, making it face the ceiling. Taking the two drachma coins, he carefully placed them on her eyelids, a small insect adorned the front of them. “If ya don’t come back, at least you’ll be able to go to the underworld, and hey, maybe I’ll even see ya there and we’ll talk and laugh about this for old times sake.” 

Her head was heavy, as well as her arms, she felt she had slept for ages in the same spot, leaving her limbs to stiffen. Golden sat up slowly, the coins falling from her face and onto her lap, she took them and placed them in her robe pocket, in case she might need them for anything. “I can’t believe it…my wish…” she sighed, her eyes prickling with tears as she felt for her heart. “It’s gone, but…my promise…I don’t even know how I remembered…” The void was a comfort at this point, and she was glad to collect her thoughts, and keep her plan to take back her father’s hat and get out of there, she wasn’t leaving the manor without it. A soft, orange hue appeared in her line of sight, out of the darkness, there was something. “Wha…is that…?” In reality, she had no idea who it was or who it might be, if it was a person. She got to her feet, with great effort from how weak she felt, even her hand still pained from the fireball she had blocked. “You feel warm…what’s your name?” The hue brightened, but its form was still a blur, something stretched out from its side, like a hand… “You silly girl. We met earlier…did we not?” The voice was all too familiar, a gruff yet kind voice that gave security. Golden’s eyes widened as the tears ran down her face. “Grandad…?” The orange glow stopped, almost shrinking. “That’s still hard to get used to.” he joked, stepping forward and finally emerging. He wasn’t a ghostly form this time, he looked whole. “GRANDAD!” Golden cried, dashing toward him and throwing herself into his arms as he caught her. Master Grey held her carefully on his lap, sadly noting her snow white hair and reaching up to pet it. “Young one…I apologise, I’m not usually late. But when I am…the worst tends to happen…” He sounded so sad, Golden worried it might have been because of her. Her wet eyes turned up to look at his, his thumb brushing away some of her tears. “Grandad…am I dead? Being here…maybe I won’t return. But…at least I’m here with you!!” she buried her face into his beard and clung tightly to his robes, as if scared another snap would drag her away from him. Master Grey continued petting her white locks, twirling them between his fingers, they seemed to soften at his touch. “No child…you’re not dead, and thank goodness. However…something was not able to reach you, so they sent me.” Golden froze, who sent him? Was it Yen Sid? The council? Or was everyone still slightly warped from the curse? Whoever it was, she’d thank them later, right now all she wanted was her grandfather, and for him to come home with her. “Good thing it was I they sent…as I am the one that has to remind you of your four fundamentals. Haha, child, you need to work on remembering them.” His tone was light and playful, easing her a little from the pain and grief she had felt before. She finally smiled genuinely after a long time, even though no one could see it, it was there. “I didn’t forget!” she replied. “I just…well, oh…it hurts so much. I thought I could put up with dying so many times, and I never thought I’d say that! But…what am I now? Without my wish I’m nothing, I’m nobody! How can I remember those fundamentals if I am nobody…?” Master Grey pulled her back a little, lifting her chin up a little. The darkness was not enough to prevent them from seeing their faces, Master Grey held a warm, understanding smile, one that soothed Golden’s inner being. “Be yourself.” he answered, Golden’s face changed slightly, half frowning half saddened. “How can I just be myself, if I don’t know who I am?” her chest ached at the sentiment, but Master Grey kept her head held up, his gentle auburn eyes meeting her bright ocean blue ones. “You’ll find it. All you need to do is go home, I believe in you child.” He gently parted a few white locks from her face that stuck from her tears before continuing. “You have the ability, you have the skill and the mind, but most importantly, you have your heart. Follow it.” There it was, those two words etched onto Golden, her hands slowly covering her chest as her heart faintly glowed, like it was renewed. The snap was heard, and Golden felt herself drawn toward the dreaded light of the manor, but fear did not cloud her mind, but her resolve, it had returned fully. “Grandad, I won’t forget! And I will follow!” Once in the light, she landed on something soft. No longer was it the ring they kept her in like a tormented creature, but something almost akin to skin and fresh, except rougher…heat surrounded her as she sat up and took in her surroundings, eventually meeting the face of those palm she sat in, the glowing, demonic eyes nearly sent her heart to her mouth. “Chernabog…” she glowered, her own fist clenching. The god of the mountain replied with a growl which turned into a roar, everyone’s eyes were on Chernabog, but none as eager as Andrew and Vanitas. “Now this will be interesting.” the former muttered, leaning down a little to Vanitas, who pondered at Golden’s change of character. “That bravado back again, snow white? Or are you just being really dumb for the sake of it? This is the king of bald mountain you’re up against.” Golden shook her head, standing up in Chernabog’s hand and facing him, despite her fists shaking her heart was still glowing, giving her the last bit of strength she would need to make this work, if fate was on her side, after hearing Master’s Grey’s words, she couldn’t doubt it. “You can keep talking, keep killing me and gloating about it, whatever…I don’t care anymore, I’m going home!” Vanitas responded with a facepalm, she was reminding him of Ventus, surely no one was this optimistic and pure, it sickened him. “Again, your heart is bound! We could kill you anytime we wanted, no matter how far you might be! The old coot would-” Vanitas stopped as a harsh hand squeezed his shoulder, Andrew stared at him with a hard glare, getting him to shut up. “Regardless…surely you want to let ol’ Chernabog have a go, don’t you? If you went home now without him having a turn, it would hurt his feelings!” Andrew’s spiel made Chernabog roll his eyes, he wasn’t fond of being talked down to, so rather than waste anymore time, he got straight to it. He folded his fingers in and held her between them and his palm, the air was closing off inside his giant fist, Golden felt herself get crushed up a little, the gaps in his fingers were her only opportunity at escaping him. “I’m…getting out! You can’t stop me from going home.” She suddenly slipped through, but only because Chernabog opened his hand, causing her to fall forward. He brought her closer to her face, his wide, demonic smirking gazing down as smoke bellowed from his open jaws. Bringing his free hand up, he sent crashing down to her, the girl throwing her hands up out of instinct to prevent it. But the brute force of Chernabog’s power was too great, the pressure of his hand crushing her, eventually flatting her with a sickening crunch, making a few of the villains on the ground cringe, a surprising but not unexpected reaction. “Is she home now?” snarked Vanitas, garning roars of laughter from the others as particles of gold left Chernabog’s hands. Brushing his palms off, Andrew gave one more snap, immediately reassembling the particles into Golden’s whole being and letting her land once more on the god’s large hands, Chernabog was expected to let her back down, but Golden shot up again onto her feet, her white hair flaring as she began to yell. “HEY!! Big ugly demon guy! Think I’m afraid of you, or any of you down there?! Forgot it! DO YOUR WORST, I DARE YOU!!” Andrew crossed his arms, smirking darkly, what would another round do to hurt? “Girl has a goddamn death wish.” he muttered, Vanitas nodding and snickering behind his hand. "And yet can't die." he smirked, both of the men chuckling as Golden turned toward them momentarily, her eyes looked a little tired, but they weren't hopeless, rather bright and energized, like when she’d first gotten her glitch back all that time ago. She'd counted up, 45, this would be the last, the 46th death, and then it might be finally over. Chernabog stared at her with a look of contempt as he snarled down at her, but she simply held his gaze, her strong glare almost rivalling his despite her being a fraction of his size. With a growl, he threw her into his other palm and held her fast, raising up a hand and the floor cracking below them. "Really. I just fixed that from last time." Vanitas facepalmed, Andrew snickering as they watched an abyss opening up, and Golden felt the sensation that they were falling, Chernabog's large wings unfolding as he sent them flying down into what was effectively a trench passage to hell. As smoke and bright flames began to rise, Golden felt their heat on her face and closed her eyes for a second, fear overtaking her as the ground shook, he'd landed, it looked like they were on a dark cliff above moats of lava and rivers of fire, his little minions and creatures all clambering up his large body to take a peek at what he'd brought. Harpies, succubi, they all raced toward her and tried to intimidate her, but Golden's resolve wasn't breaking, and an idea came to her. As the creatures breathed fire from their mouths and let out wicked cackles at her predicament, a shine came from Chernabog's palm, causing him to avert his eyes and some of the creatures ducked away. Golden, balling her fists as tightly as she could despite being held in a fist, was willing her heart to shine as brightly as possible. She imagined it shining as brightly as the moon above, which sent out its glow to all the worlds across the universe, and the light spread across all of the darkened cliff, it almost looked like a sunrise after the darkness of the night. Trying to put a stopper on the light, Chernabog held her tighter and tighter, but she just became brighter and brighter, like a beacon, a hikari beam, a lumen. Yes, she was their light. And even when she blacked out thanks to being squeezed to the point of constriction, she didn't stop shining. Indeed, her hands in the void shimmered with a much brighter glow, she felt her cold white hair, though it felt a little better after Master Grey... she curled up her fists. Time to go home.

She awoke to the sound of Vanitas and Andrew clapping. "Well our party is over. Pay Hades now, everyone." Vanitas grinned, everyone rolling their eyes but giving Hades a coin or two, or three in Jafar's case. Andrew counted up the remainder, he was used to dealing with money for various reasons, and made up the difference with what he needed to pay in the Symphonus charges. "Thank you everyone for your cooperation, we hope revenge was as sweet as you wished, and our data gathering has been...useful. Now, with a hold on that puny brat's soul, contact us anytime you want to have a little fun..." Andrew continued, a villainous grin on his face. Hades took the money and bagged it, giving a playful salute as he and Chernabog descended down through the hole in the floor, whilst the rest of the villains departed through the same doors Golden had slammed open. Speaking of which...where was that little wretch? Vanitas turned, trying to spy her, he'd definitely snapped, right...? He muttered something to Andrew, who snarled and also started looking around, he didn't want to miss out on his own side of the deal, watching her die had been fun, but he had his own plan for what to do next, people would pay for an immortal, it had its benefits. He'd wager at least a thousand, if not more... he turned, also trying to spot her...when all of a sudden, there was a crack, and Vanitas fell down, clutching his head as a crystal ball rolled next to him, with a little dent in it. The hat bounced a couple times, sliding across the floor, and then a little hand picked it up. Slowly, Andrew watched as she picked it up, challenging him with a glare rivalling her father's, and a little snarl escaped her lips as she put it on her head, it was so big that it cast a shadow down onto her eyes as she readied herself for a fight. One thing was for sure: Golden Symphonus would be their prisoner no more. Rolling up her sleeves, she didn't flinch as Andrew stepped forward, Vanitas recovering and using his Keyblade to stand, Golden paying him no mind. As Andrew met her eyes, he scoffed slightly. "Ooh, big brave Golden, always gotta ruin a good time." he muttered, Golden being undeterred and challenging him, simply giving him the silent treatment, despite the fact Andrew had always terrified her the most out of any villain, simply because of how ordinary he appeared, and yet he was the worst kind of monster. Reaching up a hand to hold the brim of the hat steady, she counted down from ten in her head, just as her father had taught her, and upon finally reaching zero, she whispered one single word. "Glitch." And then, in a flurry of sparks and particles, she was finally gone. Vanitas let out an angered shout, slamming his keyblade onto the floor and cracking it, dark energy drifting around him like a horde of Heartless. He was ready to go after her, aiming for the door, but Andrew held him by the shoulder again, his expression dark and cold. “Not to worry, I’ve planned a little punishment for her, and her family will have to bear the brunt of it too. Just give her a few minutes, it’ll be worth it.” 

The outside, the air was fresh and crisp, Golden thought she’d never feel it again and it felt amazing. Turning around, the manor was at the top of the mountain, a light from the window was the only thing that kept it from being unseen in the dark of the night. Golden began to run, holding on to the brim of the hat tightly as her feet carried her off, wanting to avoid being seen in case Andrew and Vanitas might give chase. To further her chances of getting home, she activated her glitch and teleported further ahead, landing in a cold bank in the forest, she shivered, it was snowing and already covered half of the forest. The sky lit up a little, where the giant heart moon shed some light in the dark, Golden’s eyes fixed on the beauty of the celestial moon, the way it appeared out of the heavy snow clouds like a beacon of hope. The way out of the forest was shone, Golden was on a path she recognised from several walks here with her family, where’d they picnic when she was a bit younger. “Thank you…” she uttered, starting her run again with the snow crunching under her boots. The cold wind and snow was beating on her face, but she ignored it, spying the lights of several homes up ahead as passed the last tree, and the sign that pointed to the village, where underneath, as it was sheltering from the cold, a single snowdrop was blooming. 

Inside the home of the Symphonus family, the atmosphere was cosy and warm, perfect for a cold, winter’s night. It was full of cheer, chatter and laughter, and warm from the stove with the broomies cooking up delicious meals and Sonatina baking cookies, which were almost ready to be dished out. Small, aquatic animals made of water were pouncing through the air, with Delphis and his friends chasing them along with Mickey, Oswald and Julius, Yen Sid having provided an oceanic water spell to let them roam free inside the workshop. Merlin was chatting with a few of the council members over tea, alongside the Blue Fairy and the Fairy Godmother, and Percy had at least three cups of different flavoured tea. Scout was playing a few video games with Aero and Ruby, while Star and Starlight were curled up asleep next to Asha while she drew inside her book, doodling the various people in the room. “Everyone, the cookies are ready!” Sonatina called from the kitchen. “Be careful, they are still hot!” Everyone stopped doing what they were doing and got up, putting their games on pause as well as the water animals disappearing, allowing them to go into the kitchen. Asha carefully picked up Star and Starlight, carrying the sleepyheads in her arms, with Aero getting a similar idea upon seeing her and picking up Mickey, cradling him playfully while she floated to the kitchen, Oswald and Julius pouted slightly, with Oswald being more pronounced, upon seeing the two, Percy and Scout picked up Oswald and Julius respectively and followed behind Aero and Mickey. “Wouldn’t want you to be left out!” smiled Percy, winking at Ossie, who cheered up a bit. “Thanks! Wow, those cookies smell amazing, mum!” Sonatina presented a large tray of cookies, each with different fillings depending on everyone’s tastes, chocolate chip, raisins, cherries, oats, and plenty more! As the boys were put down they all raced ahead to get first dibs on the cookies, almost tripping over Merlin and Yen Sid. “Slow down, boys.” Yen Sid told them softly, patting Oswald on the head as he took a raisin cookie. Percy zipped by and took one midair, doing a clever transformation in and out of his light form midair, and Julius almost tripped over his tail trying to reach for one, prompting Sonatina to hand him one shaped like a fish for ease. And as everyone settled down with their cookies, the room was full of light and laughter, just as it should be. The council members were laughing about something as Percy indignantly blushed, it was clearly a little story about him, and Scout sipped some hot chocolate, clinking mugs with her dad, who gave her a wink as he magically mixed in some cinnamon. For a while, everything was calm…until Andrew’s curse finally took effect. That same bright flash from before was back, interrupting their meal and causing Scout to actually drop her mug as she jolted in surprise. Their heads filled with images, images of a figure with white hair and wearing red, none of them recognized this figure, but were forced to watch as they died over and over again in their mind, like a record playing on repeat. Percy was the first to react, moving to Yen Sid’s side. “Papa? Do you…see it too?” he whispered, Yen Sid putting a hand to his mouth and nodding, what was going on? And amid the fervor of murmurs and the occasional yelp, nobody heard the sound of two little fists banging on the door, begging to be let in and come home at last. So, in desperation, she glitched inside, landing in the middle of the room as her hood fell from her head, revealing snow white hair and a dazed, tired expression. Her eyes moved around the room, she was a bit disoriented, but when they landed on Yen, she gave a smile. Everyone took a moment, it was all so much to process, had she caused those images? Just who was she? But there…she had Yen Sid’s hat in her little arms, it was almost the size of her torso, due to him being several times as large as her. “I’m home…” she sniffled, reaching up one of her hands to rub her eyes, despite her smiles she couldn’t help but feel a tear or two, whether it be relief or sorrow mattered not. Yen Sid held onto Percy as he rose from his chair, putting down his mug safely and looking at the stranger ahead of him. “I have your hat!” she piped up, acting as if this was completely natural, and the man gently plucked it from her and put it on her head, bending down. There was a glimmer of something, but it was like a dream he couldn’t touch, like a passing sense of deja vu, there one moment and gone the next. Yen turned to see Aero holding onto Mickey and petting his ears, Ossie clutching Julius, who was clearly quite frightened by what had appeared in their minds but had now stopped, and Sonatina was holding Scout and Starlight, who both looked a mixture of puzzled and saddened. And yet, Yen could see that the stranger looked happy, there was hope in her eyes that twinkled like stars, she looked comfortable and safe, and yet was visibly bruised despite that. He couldn’t help but wonder, bending down and reaching out a hand for her, she took it, and he asked the question that hung heavy over everyone- “who are you, child?” And then, he watched her face change. First, there was surprise, her lips parted slightly, pupils became smaller. Puzzlement, her brow creased and her lips turned stiff, she was thinking. Disbelief, sorrow, then a look mixing all of them, a melancholy understanding, but disbelief all the same. It looked as if her entire world had shattered, and Yen Sid felt an ache in his heart, he felt as if he had done something awful, but he was also equally as puzzled and lost as her. As she held onto his hand, he watched as some tears fell from her eyes, she reached up the other one to rub them away. “Are you… pretending?” she whispered, Yen Sid blinking in surprise and reaching out to try and wipe away one of her tears, but she jerked back, away from his hand. “Child…please, you look exhausted. Let me get you a guest room or-” “NO!” she yelled, balling up her fists and looking absolutely drained. “Dad, it’s me!” she continued, Yen Sid looking at her in surprise. “Dad…? Oh, my dear, you’re clearly confused… Did you hurt your head?” he tried, but the girl looked like she would crumble, her knees were shaking and her little fists were clenching over and over. “Master…?” a voice piped up, the girl looked up and some recognition appeared on her face again. “Percy! Percy, it’s me! Lumen, remember?” She tried, but the light man looked lost. He scratched one of his sideburns and adjusted his glasses, trying to hide facing the fact he hadn’t a clue. Scout turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. “Who are you, kid?” she asked, the girl turning to look at her. “Scout, please remember me! It’s me, your sister!” she begged, Scout turning to look at Sonatina, a slight playfulness entering her expression. “Mum? Is there something you need to tell me?” she asked, the girl clenching her fists. “This isn’t a joke!!” she yelled, shocking the room into silence with her shriek, Yen Sid taking both of her little hands into his. “Little one…please, you seem distressed. I’ve had my fair share of children run in here, let’s go find your parents-” but he stopped as soon as he noticed her only start to cry harder, she put her hands over her face and just let herself sob, there was nothing. They didn’t remember her…how could she go on now? As she took a moment to try and calm down, she looked up at Yen Sid again, she had the biggest, most innocent eyes he’d ever seen, those bright turquoise eyes that were so pretty, and contrasted with his old, grey, wise ones. But at that moment, something happened. In her chest, something began to glow, a last resort at getting them to remember, though she hadn’t even triggered it, something did. Something that wanted to help. Yen Sid drew back in shock. “Child…your body! It’s glowing!” he gasped, the little girl looking down and putting a hand gently on her heart, which came out of her chest, it was bound by two cuffs, but whole and shining nonetheless. She held the little thing in her hands, and Yen felt entranced, it almost reminded him of something, something long ago that stirred in his memories on occasion… he moved closer again, still kneeling down at her height, and held out a hand, asking for permission with only his eyes. And the little girl seemed to understand, gently placing it in his palm, where he held it close. There was the warmest of feelings, like the sunshine or a hug, it spread through his body and made a part of him feel healed. Yen Sid felt his mind clear, that bright flash came back, but now it was more like a sunrise, like a moment of peace and clarity. Flickers of memories glowed like candles, lighting up the blank canvas in hues of blue, purple and gold, reminding him of days playing with baby animals, watching small mushrooms dancing and tumbling after the rain, days of teaching spells like the bat and the butterfly spell, even the first day, that day a small girl had popped out with no memories and yet with a heart of gold. Taking a breath, Yen Sid felt it spread, the glow affected everyone, it bounced around like a young fawn, from heart to heart, colouring their memories in the perfect shades, reminding them of how one small light had entered their life and changed them forever. And finally, Yen Sid took her hand with his other, and gave the smallest smile, albeit with tears falling down his face. “Is it you…Golden?”

Golden didn’t process the words right away, but as soon as it hit her, she sobbed loudly, unable to keep it in anymore, and pressed her forehead against Yen Sid’s shoulder, though softly and lightly, throwing her arms around his neck and engulfing him in a hug she’d wanted since the day had begun. Gently, he returned a hand to her back and then stroked her white hair, rationalizing this was his daughter. Even if it seemed impossible, there was nothing that told him otherwise. Percy soon piped up, joining them in the hug. “L-Lumen?!” he gasped, Golden looking up with her mouth in the shape of an o, Percy taking off his glasses as his eyes became misty, he touched her cheek and smiled. Mickey and Aero ran over, wanting to take a peek at their sister, and soon everyone was crowding Yen Sid, Starlight joining in the hug by slotting herself perfectly between Yen and Golden, who pressed their foreheads together. “What’s happening…?” Azurine murmured, Scout blinking and thinking back to her previous confusion, how she’d been fixated on butterflies…because one of their missing members had been a butterfly. With a small smile, she breathed a sigh of relief and touched some strands of Golden’s whitened hair. Even if it was a different colour, she understood just how much she cared for this little person, how she’d brush her hair and gave her a tiger plushie, how she’d helped her choose outfits and would create music with her, and how much Golden looked up to her and wanted to be like her. And as the memories spread around, Scout pulled out her journal. “This is you, yeah?” she whispered, Golden nodding and sniffling as she tried to talk, wiping her eyes. “Mhm…! Scout…you drew a picture of me. We’re…I’m…you’re my…family!” she finally said, and it finally clicked into place. Whilst the room went quiet, there was a small feeling of acceptance and joy spreading around, as things slotted into place at last. Delphis reached down to take her hand, giving her a smile, and Mako hung off his arm, his toothy signature grin welcoming her back. And as everyone crowded around her, Yen Sid gently pulled her back from the hug and into his arms, slotting the heart back into her chest, where it was a perfect fit, just like she was in their family.

A few minutes passed, there were quiet murmurs, little questions, but for the most part there was just relief. Golden was home, where she belonged, and everyone felt at peace. Until…they were suddenly bombarded by another flood of memories, this time far more painful. Yen Sid felt his arms drop to his side, Golden almost rolled out of his grip but managed to steady herself, Starlight fell to the floor with a thump, her little hands over her mouth in shock…everyone looked horrified. And then it dawned on her…they were all unable to meet her eyes. “Everyone…?” she whispered, but her speech broke them, they all crumpled into tears and gasps alike, everyone was unable to sustain their previous peace, it was like a crack had begun. Aero rubbed at her head, Mickey being the second to turn and look at Golden, succeeded only by Starlight, who had thrown herself at Golden’s chest, burying her face in it. “Goldie!!” she cried, Golden raising a hand to touch her head and stroke her hat, Mickey rushing to her side and steadying her, but also looking at Yen Sid. “I…I don’t…” he stammered, Golden raising a hand to touch Mickey’s cheek, watching how his eyes filled with tears. “You didn’t do anything…” she whispered, Yen Sid looking lost as he raised his eyes to look at her, Percy off to one side sobbing into his arms, he suddenly burst forward and picked up Goldie, engulfing her in the tightest hug he could muster. And as he did, Yen Sid fled the room, shocking everyone with his actions, but nobody dared go after him. Instead, Golden just set to comforting them all, knowing their memories had clearly returned. “Everyone… it wasn’t your fault!” she cried, most unable to look at her, but some turning, like the Fairy Godmother, Asha, and Sonatina. “I-I did…I did it TWICE, Lumen!!” Percy gasped between his tears, he was holding her so close, like he was trying to bring her into his heart just as Yen Sid had once done, but nevertheless she felt his warmth, how he’d protect her just as he did all those years ago. “Were…we all involved…?!” Sonatina whispered, Scout leaning on her and wiping her eyes, “yeah… looks like it.” she murmured, Oswald moving to Percy’s side. “Sis…what…happened to you?” he whispered, Golden reaching down a hand and entwining it with his, she loved being held and despite it all, despite the fact everyone was crying, especially her, she felt how their love was passing between them, and knew she could never even dream of hating them for what they did. She knew the truth, a truth they needed to hear judging by how harshly they were talking to themselves and amongst themselves. “Everyone…it wasn’t your fault, you were cursed!” she yelled above them all, causing all of them to finally look at her. “Cursed…?” Merlin murmured, Golden nodding and wiping her eyes, trying not to sniffle amid her sentences. “Yes… Andrew and Vanitas, somehow they put a curse on you, it was like a reverse spell, making you act all opposite!” she spoke, everyone getting a picture as to what had transpired, and yet it still didn’t change the fact they did it… so Golden had to say one more thing. Motioning for Percy to put her down, she stood up on Yen Sid’s chair, making herself taller, and put a hand on her chest. “Everyone…my family…friends…all of you. I love you, I always have and I always will…no matter what any villain does, no matter how many deaths I go through…I love you. And I forgive all of you, it wasn’t your fault, please don’t blame yourselves… it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t. You’re all I want, right here and now.” She managed a tiny smile, and everyone brought her into their arms, Percy initiating the hug as they had the biggest group hug they’d ever had…all except one, who was in the Observatory.

Yen Sid stood there, amid all the stars and planets. His eyes were full of tears, throughout the house Golden's declaration had travelled, he'd heard every word loud and clear, and put a hand on his chest. Closing his eyes, he felt how his phoenix was raging to be free, a mixture of all his anguish, sorrow, hatred, everything he was feeling at the thought of not only breaking his declaration never to harm his children again, but he'd actually murdered one of them in cold blood, the memory replaying over and over in his mind, it was like torture. As his fists curled, Yen Sid's eyes snapped open, and he rushed toward the balcony railing, clutching at it with all his might, staring up at the stars in a moment of pure desperation, as the moon rose over the millions of worlds he saw before him, the realms he'd sworn to protect, and the ones beyond. His eyes settled on its golden glow, how it was shaped exactly like his daughter's heart, his little lunula... he sighed. It seemed so silly, but he had to try. Placing a hand on his heart, he raised the other up to the moon. "Please... great moon. I don't ask you for much, if you or anyone out there might hear me, but... we've had a horrible tragedy today. My little girl, my lunula, Golden... she was imprisoned and tortured, she died forty-six times in one night and... please, give me something, some way I can prevent such an occurrence...from EVER happening again. To her, and to anyone else. Nobody deserves that pain, and nobody deserves our burden of knowing what we've done, of feeling so torn up as to if we can forgive ourselves. I'm begging you... send me a sign, a light... anything." he finished, he was laying his prayer and soul bare, his arms outstretched, and he closed his eyes, sending it up to the stars, imagining the moon had accepted his wish... and then... there was a flicker of light. It fell from the moon, and he opened his eyes in time to see it fall, it was a fragment, the tiniest little fragment, it looked like moon dust, but fell like a comet, flying toward him in an erratic pattern, Yen Sid's eyes opening wide as he rushed to catch it. It elongated, and he raised his arms forward, grabbing it between two hands, and in a bright beam of light, it transformed... At first, it looked purple, it formed patterns like flames, a beautiful curve of stars, a bright crescent for a moon, two curls snaking around the length of the blade and culminating at the teeth of the keys... and a little hat charm hanging off it, identical to his, and the one he shared with all his apprentices as they trained. A keyblade. Yen Sid's breath caught. It was beautiful, it shone in the moonlight, decorated with a rainbow of cool colours, cyan, purple, blue, even pink, and accentuated by a beautiful bright gold. He smiled, and looked at the moon, feeling his spirits lift. It had answered him, by giving him back the power he'd lost, a power he believed he no longer needed, but which would now serve him well. Holding it in one hand, he decided to go downstairs and give Golden the apology and love she deserved, putting a hand on the banister as he descended, but looked back right before he went downstairs. "Thank you, Kingdom Hearts."

Golden turned as soon as she saw Yen Sid descend the stairs, she gave him a small smile and he brought her into his arms, giving her a hug all of his own. She looked down at his keyblade, her mouth stretching into a look of awe and amazement, and he just gave her a wink, everyone else was so busy that they hadn’t noticed, so he simply let it sparkle away, putting a finger to his lips playfully and making her giggle behind her hand. “Come on now…let’s get you to bed, little one.” he smiled, before someone suddenly burst through the door, panting and having unlocked it with magic. “THERE you are! Oh my Kingdom Hearts, I thought we got ransacked or something, where have the lot of you been?!” A voice rang out, Yen Sid turning and Golden also following his gaze from in his arms, where a tousled master stood, adjusting his glasses, his panting indicating he’d used up a lot of energy teleporting. “For goodness sake, council! We’re meant to be busy, why are we all hiding at Yen Sid’s?! We have orphans to protect you know, honestly, what would Master Grey think?!” Ambrose cried, the council turning and looking amongst themselves, a slight look of guilt on some of their faces, but they mostly looked lost, proving to Ambrose that something was terribly amiss. “Alright… explain.” he spoke, Yen Sid looking down at Golden, who looked at her uncle with a bit of a saddened expression, he’d missed everything and nobody could predict how he’d react. And then, there was a clinking and clanking behind him. All seven of the broomies popped out, one popping out from under Ambrose’s robes, making him wonder how the heck he hadn’t noticed it huddling under there, but Golden’s face brightened up upon seeing them, and they all rushed toward her. “Broomies!!” she squealed, all seven of them running over and Yen Sid putting her down so she could have a big group hug, all of them embracing her and waving their newly acquired Topolinos high in victory. One of them touched her hair, pointing at it and mimicking hair dye, but Yen Sid shook his head. “Come on…bedtime, missy. You can stay there for about a week.” he smiled, lifting Golden up again and walking up to her room, signalling everyone to stay put, all but Starlight and Percy who flew alongside him. As they climbed up the stairs, Golden gently tugged at Yen Sid’s beard. “Papa…? Do you remember what we said, after all this is done?” she whispered, Yen Sid stroking his beard as he thought, a lot of things were still coming back to him, but when he smiled, Golden knew he remembered, and couldn’t help but smile too. “We said that after all this, we’d have a normal day. A day of peace and calm, where nobody would be hurt or sad, a day where we all do whatever we like. A promise.” he smiled, Golden nodding as her eyes filled with relieved tears, it hadn’t been for nothing, she’d made it home and they all still loved her, relief filling her heart. “That’s right…!” she grinned, the two sitting on her bed alongside Percy, who de-transformed and put an arm around her, and Starlight snuggled in her lap. By magic, the Fairy Godmother sent Golden’s things into her room, having opened a portal to collect them, and most of the council decided to depart to process things in their own time, though Fildor and a few others stayed. It was understandable, just as Ambrose had said, they had duties, and keeping themselves busy was a way some members of the council coped, it had always been that way. Nevertheless, Yen Sid reached into Golden’s bag and pulled out her pyjamas, the little girl going to get washed and dressed for bed in the bathroom, and Starlight snuggled up under Golden’s covers, getting comfortable, whilst Percy fetched her favourite book, the Steadfast Tin Soldier. “Hmm…what a soldier Lumen has been tonight, hmm, master? Almost makes you wonder…” the light man smiled, looking at the brave soldier depicted on the cover, though he was missing a leg he was the most courageous of them all, and he flipped to the end, where the soldier was standing, the beautiful ballerina having her hands on his shoulders and looking at him with so much love. Percy couldn’t hide a grin, and handed the book to Yen Sid, who took it gratefully as Golden entered the room. Though her hair was pale, Yen Sid gently summoned a brush and tried to tame it, tying it in two little bunches to make it more comfortable, and tucked her in. But right as he was about to start reading, Golden clutched at her chest, she felt a pain suddenly, and then flopped over like a ragdoll, Yen Sid managing to steady her. “Golden…?” he whispered, but she didn’t respond, he gritted his teeth. Surely it was those two, whatever mischief they were getting up to wouldn’t end that fast, and a small feeling of dread arose in Yen Sid’s heart that this was only the beginning. He turned to Percy, who took his hand. “Master…?” he whispered, Yen Sid looking at him and holding Golden in his other hand, who was gently being nudged and prodded by Starlight, the little glowworm trying to wake her up. “Percy… What should I do? What should I feel…?” he whispered, Percy putting an arm round him fully and leaning his head on his shoulder. “Dad…you feel however you need to. Just like you told me. This was a hard, hard day for us and for little Lumen especially, so we have to be there for her, but we also have to be there for each other.” he spoke, Yen Sid nodding and looking down at Golden, her white hair stood out in the moonlight, it looked like snow or an unpainted, blank canvas, no inch of personality or vibrancy like her adorable purple and blue hair that she normally had, the colour Yen Sid loved so much. “Master…that hair is said to be caused by stress, something called Marie-Antoinette syndrome. It’s said intense amounts cause your hair to turn white prematurely, but in Lumen’s case it might just be temporary, only time will tell. For now… all we can do is show her how much we love her, and keep our hearts close.”

Golden awoke once more in that void, she almost wanted to curse, though it had been a place of comfort in her plight, now it was a stark reminder she was once again dead, clearly however Vanitas and Andrew had managed it, even from afar. Curling up and bringing her knees to her chest, she let strands of her white hair fall around her face, and waited until however long it would be till she woke up. Until…someone appeared to keep her company. “I wasn’t late this time.” a voice spoke, Golden lifting her head and unable to stop a slight smile as she recognized him. “Grandad…” she whispered, Master Grey nodding and sitting down beside her. “Yes, of course. My my…here we are, down in this dark place again.” he spoke, putting an arm around his granddaughter as she lay her head in his lap, Grey twirling his fingers in her hair and making it feel less cold, less alien. “Yes…it’s their fault, it always is…I just want to be home, safe…I’m TIRED.” she sighed, Grey just stroking her hair and letting her get it out. “I know…little one, I know how it feels to be in darkness, to be so exhausted that all you can do is cry. But there’s always light. I know that, and you know that too, deep inside.” he smiled, Golden turning her face to look up at him, he smiled down at her sideways on, his face was so trustworthy and kind, despite how stern he appeared sometimes. “There are ways to escape this place…you have to find a connection to those you love, deep inside your heart. Think of someone you hold dear, and connect…” he coaxed, Golden sitting up and closing her eyes, thinking of Yen Sid, how much she wanted to be there for him, how much she loved him, there were so many things she wanted to tell him… and then she saw something appear in her vision when she opened her eyes again. A twinkling light, faint, on the horizon, but she could almost reach for it. Smiling, Master Grey helped her up, and she turned to him. “Love you, grandad.” she whispered, giving him a wave. “How sentimental…definitely Yen Sid’s daughter.” he replied sarcastically, Golden giggling. “Well you would know, wouldn’t you!” she laughed, the two holding hands for just a moment longer before parting them, and Golden disappeared in the light, looking up to see Yen Sid looking down at her, so much love and adoration in his eyes, despite the fact they were brimming with tears. She reached up to wipe one of them away, though, and gave him a small smile. “Hey…you went away for a moment.” he whispered, Golden sitting up and receiving a bap on the head for Starlight, who clearly disapproved, and yet it made them chuckle. “Sorry…but I found a way back. I always will…because I’ll always love you.” Golden smiled, Percy turning into light and being held in her arms, he was really just like a little sun, and she a little moon. Yen Sid tucked them in, Percy insisting he stay for storytime alongside Starlight, and set to reading, knowing he’d never trade his little starshine for anything in the world. The greatest magic, the greatest knowledge, nothing could compare to his children, and nothing would ever change that. And finally, when he was done, she cuddled up with Starlight. Yen Sid kissed her head, and smiled. “Golden…I’m so grateful you’re my daughter, more than anything.” he whispered, Golden yawning and sleepily nodding, her words trailing off as she drifted off. “More…than anything.” She was finally asleep, the sound of her gentle, rhythmic breathing filled the room, it all seemed so peaceful. Percy took his master’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly as they exchanged small looks of tranquility. Percy used his free hand to stroke Golden’s hair, slowly enough to not disturb her. “Lumen, I knew you’d find your way back.” he whispered, “Even when you are lost, you always find a way of coming back. Your love will always lead you home.” The two masters watched Golden for a few minutes, her sleeping form looked calm, resting serenely in her warm bed with Starlight tucked under her arm, as fast asleep as the young girl, her favourite book placed on the bedside table that was guarded by her faithful Mr Tiger. Yen Sid patted Percy faintly on the small of his back, nodding gratefully to him. “Thank you Percy. You’ve been a real anchor tonight, a ray of light…you really do live up to your nickname.” he told him. Percy felt a sense of giddiness, and eagerly hugged his father, wrapping him in a tight hug that Yen Sid quickly returned. The hug was as warm as the morning sun. “Come, my boy. Let’s let her rest.” Yen Sid led Percy out of the room, looking back at Golden one more time before quietly closing the door. 

Breathing a sigh, Yen Sid trundled down the stairs with Percy at his side, who kept a soothing hand on his master’s shoulder. They entered the sitting room where everyone had been told to wait, where they all sat or stood around in silence as the heavy atmosphere of the night weighed on them. Scout sat beside Sonatina, her head leaning on her shoulder as her mother kept her arms securely enveloped her, both of them looking despondent, Scout was holding her cap in her lap, staring at it with her eyes filled with sorrow. The boys weren’t far from them, sitting on the other side and huddled together, Mickey was sat in the middle, Oswald at his right and holding his hand, their eyes were tired and puffy, having clearly shed some tears earlier on, while Julius looked like he was trying not to cry as he was snuggled up on Mickey’s left, his tail wrapped protectively around his little brothers as his paws played with the fabric of his shirt. Delphis and Aurora sat in the corner by the window alongside their cohorts, Delphis looked like he was struggling to hold it together like Julius, it was an uneasy sight. He was bundled in one of Aurora’s wings with Mako clung to his arm, looking quiet. Luma and Mantra were curled up together, their heads laying against each other as they looked to be falling asleep with Flutter right beside them. Bluebird was gently combing the feathers on Aurora’s head, a comfort and distraction for them both. Fildor was moving about the room, offering some of them tea, Frill and Bee took a cup each, giving the elder sorcerer their thanks, while Cody was dozing off under a blanket beside Mako, he didn’t want to sleep though, afraid of any impending nightmares that might occur. Ambrose took a cup from Fildor, previously being distracted by the broomies who were showing him their new souvenirs. The Fairy Godmother, who had stayed behind, was draping a warm blanket over Asha, Aero and Azurine, her student holding little Star close to her face as it tried to comfort her. Aero clutched at her arms, looking lost. Azurine was looking toward Yen Sid and Percy, desperate for answers. Yen Sid sighed again, he felt tired and his chest heavy still, he wanted nothing more than to keep his family close, in his arms. “Everyone…” he began, all eyes in the room turning to him. “As you all know, today has been…a tragic day that has affected us all greatly, especially our littlest…I’ve been informed by Percy about her change in appearance; her white hair, known as Marie-Antoinette syndrome, is caused by the amounts of intense stress she endured from the entire ordeal with…them.” He shuddered, trying to block out the horrible images that would replay in his head again and again, making him lose all focus and concentration. Ambrose rose from his chair and put down his cup of tea, moving to Yen Sid's side and offering him a one-sided hug of support, keeping him steady whilst helping him to calm himself and get back on track to speaking to his family. “You can relax, little brother.” Ambrose hushed, the soft aura of a white swan illuminating the dim room. “You’re not alone, and neither is Golden.” Yen Sid’s eyes shifted to his brother momentarily, nodding his head in agreement and gratitude. He turned back to the others as he spoke. “Yes…Her change in appearance may be temporary, but that I am not certain of. Aside from her hair, physically she appears okay, but emotionally she will be scarred for a very…very long time. Due to this,  her trauma is likely to have a lasting, life-long effect that’ll make her react to certain things differently than before and we might not always understand, however, we all must be vigilant, and act as a united front for her, our youngest and s-smallest member…no matter what happens, we’ll support her, through and through.” Everyone else began to rise, first Aero and Asha, followed by a sleepy Azurine. Then Sonatina and Scout, the former supporting her daughter as she stood up, and the three boys, all keeping close and watching Yen Sid, taking in his fatherly words. Sonatina spoke first. “Of course we will.” she stated. “She…she is…my daughter. Sh-she could never not be…” Oswald nodded in agreement, perking up a little to boost the morale in the room. “Yeah, and our sister too!” He meant to say more, but Julius’s sniffle caught his attention, his older brother turned his back to them, he felt concerned as he still kept a hold on Mickey’s hand, who had fixed his eyes on Yen Sid. “Our best friend…” Aero whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek that Star quickly brushed away with its tiny arm. Yen Sid went on to finish his speech to them all. “And so, it’s agreed. She needs us more than ever now, so we all must be there for more than we used to…for now though, let us all rest. We are all very tired, and it’s getting later by the minute. We need to sleep this off and heal the pain we feel in our hearts. Oh, and if any of you need to talk or express your emotions and what you’re feeling, please do so, don’t try to ignore or suppress how you feel, this family looks after one another. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved.” He stood aside with Percy, bowing to his beloved family as they began to split into groups and make their way upstairs. Scout and Sonatina naturally went together to the teen’s room, their arms tightly entwined. Scout motioned her head at Golden’s door, and held her mother closer as they passed it, their hearts ached terribly even with the tiny sense of relief that Golden was in her room, safe and sound and fast asleep with Starlight. Ascending to one of the higher levels of the castle, Delphis and Aurora and their cohorts went inside a guest room Yen Sid had set up especially for the spirits with everything to accommodate them, including an area of water and a wide ceiling filled with clouds that made it comfortable and capable of housing them. Fildor reached his hand out to Yen Sid, patting him on the shoulder with a tender touch. “I’ll take my leave here, Yen Sid.” Fildor told him, his voice and eyes sympathetic. “I’ll come back tomorrow to check up on all of you. It’s not much but, I wish you all a goodnight, and that things will be alright. I hope little Golden feels better soon…” Yen Sid’s tired eyes lit up with appreciation for Fildor, patting the hand on his shoulder and squeezing the old knuckles. “Thank you Fildor, we’re grateful for all you’ve done. You’ve never let us down, and have always been so kind.” This made Fildor smile, his hand moving to squeeze Yen Sid’s own. “Kindness…It’s one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up. I know a lot of the little ones in our care want the same. Goodnight Yen Sid, may the dawn bring you a better tomorrow.” He summoned a portal to the council, right in the entrance hallway where the lights were all still on, and stepped through, the portal closing in a puff of light purple smoke. Ambrose lowered his eyes as a smile crossed his face, despite everything he had been told that night, and how it horrified him, he felt strangely at peace. The idea of his little niece being held captive and tortured, dying repeatedly again and again, almost caused him to shut down. No child, his niece, his own two, any should not at all go through what Golden did. As he gazed up at the stairway that led to the first floor where Golden’s room was located, he couldn’t help but admire her, in so many ways she reminded him of Yen Sid, it was almost uncanny. Ambrose had so many years of experience with his younger brother, that he knew exactly how to pacify him when his mind was in a state. “Yen Sid…” the older sorcerer reached behind Yen Sid, laying a hand on his back as he whispered to him. “You’ve done so well for Golden…for all of us. You and your children always find ways to uplift one another, and…we always have as well, haven’t we, brother?” Yen Sid said nothing for the moment, his eyes were glossy in the tiny light the room provided, but his smile was stronger, with a nod, he pressed his forehead on Ambrose’s, the two of them sharing a moment of closeness from a simple gesture they had since childhood, when they were there for each other while missing their beloved brother. “I have an idea, Yen…for little Goldie…hehe, but um…the guest rooms, third floor, yes?” Yen Sid held back a chuckle, shaking his head fondly at Ambrose. “Yes, the third floor. The broomies can show you if you want a reminder of where to look. Have a goodnight Ambrose, and thank you for staying.” The two of them parted from their own embrace, Ambrose slowly strolling up the stairs to his room, followed by the seven broomies who all gave a bow to Yen Sid before hurrying after their guest, simply out of politeness. Yen Sid and the Fairy Godmother both wished each a pleasant night as she led the three tired girls up to their rooms, all of them looking exhausted and needing to rest, with Star providing a tiny glow of comfort as it kept a little smile on its face, hoping to encourage them even by a little. Oswald took Julius’s hand, leading his brothers up to his room where he’d let them stay. “C’mon…” he whispered tenderly, only for Julius to remain silent. Percy watched them leave, sighing heavily as he took off his glasses and hat, scratching at his sideburns before looking to Yen Sid, there was a hint of liveliness in the highlights of his sleepy eyes. “Goodnight, dad. And remember, tomorrow is another day.” And with that, he transformed into light, zipping up all the stairways and up to the highest floor, the Observatory, where he could calm himself mentally and reminisce for the night, watching the mesmerising movements of the planets and realms, helping to push away the awful thoughts of what happened to Lumen until sleep took over at last. As the light from Percy twinkled away, Yen Sid found that he wasn't alone in the sitting room, there was one member of his family who hadn’t gone to join the others, and was instead looking up at the old sorcerer pensively. Yen Sid bent down onto one knee with a sympathetic expression. “Come here, Mickey.” he said, opening his arms and offering him a hug, the little mouse immediately ran into them and held onto his father and mentor, burying his face into his shoulder and beard as he began to cry softly. Yen Sid stood up, cuddling Mickey close to his chest and stroking his ears in a soothing manner and shushing into them. Turning on his heel, he went upstairs to his office, holding Mickey protectively as the little mouse snuggled against him, he gave a small, gentle smile, having Mickey with him was always a comfort, even when Mickey needed him like he did now. Sitting down, Yen Sid sat Mickey in his lap, keeping his arms securely around the young mouse as he looked up at him, his eyes looking tired and teary. "You alright?" Yen Sid asked in a soft, honeyed voice, his hand moving to Mickey's cheek. "Well...I'm worried about Goldie..." Mickey answered, putting his own hand over Yen Sid's. "The poor thing...I can't believe she went through all that by herself...!" Mickey looked over at the study door, like he was thinking of leaving the room and going to see his little sister, yet he didn't want to get down from Yen Sid's knee yet, wanting to stay in his loving embrace, he only wished Golden was sitting on the master's other knee, much like how the two of them used to back then. Yen Sid gently turned Mickey back at him, his thumb stroking his cheek affectionately once again. "I know, my little prince." Yen Sid said dotingly, his eyes softening, moving away from their previous sadness. "It's been a tough night for us all, and it's still quite raw at the moment, but...you remember what I told you a while back, don't you?" Mickey thought back, he knew exactly what Yen Sid meant as he thought of his dear friend, one from many years that he knew and missed, but kept a strong memory of that still made him reminisce with happiness. "Time heals...right?" Mickey answered, Yen Sid nodding. "Correct. And Golden will get better, stronger even. I know her, and when she looked at me...I could just tell. But Mickey, we will need to support her greatly and be her shield, her pillar of strength, to help her through this difficult time. You know you can do this, don't you, Mickey?" Mickey gave a small nod, his smile reappearing slightly, even if it was just a little smile, it was still as contagious as ever to Yen Sid. "Yes...and even when we are being there for our Golden, it doesn't mean we can't show our emotions. We're all feeling quite upset, and it's okay to be. Remember, I'm right here." Mickey nodded again, reaching his arms up around Yen Sid's shoulders, who gently returned the hug. Mickey was told all he needed to hear, and openly let his tears fall as Yen Sid held him close, rubbing his back slowly and gently, his touch warm and fatherly. Yen Sid moved his hand up to Mickey's head, caressing the silky fur between Mickey's ears, eventually rubbing the edges of them with his thumb. "Aww, there there...it's gonna be alright, Mickey." he consoled, staying sat in the chair with Mickey for a few minutes, eventually feeling Mickey pull away and lean back a little, now just sniffling as he wiped at his eyes, he looked back up at the sorcerer, nestling into his arms as Yen Sid slowly rocked him, like he would do whenever Mickey would curl up in his lap when he felt sleepy, or uneasy during a thunderstorm. There was something about being held in someone's arms that Mickey always loved and took great comfort in, no matter how old he got, he even loved lullabies still, which Yen Sid always found quite endearing about his little son, it showed how much of a sweetheart the little mouse with such a great sense of wonder always had been. "Feeling better, my boy?" asked Yen Sid, to which Mickey responded with a nod, his small smile still etched on his face. "Yeah, I am a little. And you're...you're right...! I'll be there for Goldie, all of us will, and a-and I'll protect her! After all, she's our little Goldie, and she loves us very much! I know she sees that too...tomorrow, let's give her a day where she knows she's not alone, and sees just how much we love and care for her, I know we'll make her smile again, no matter how long it takes!" Yen Sid chuckled at this, his pride showing for Mickey and once again rubbing at his ears, which made his eyes twinkle as he remembered a little something. "That's the spirit, Mickey!" he beamed. "It's like I told you before, you are truly special, and you make us all feel so lucky and cheerful knowing you're here, especially Golden. Hehe, you know...I recall whenever you felt a little sad, there was always one thing I would always give you that would cheer you up, do you remember?" Mickey gave a quiet murmur as he went into thought, tapping his chin a little. He looked up at Yen Sid, a grin stretching on his face. "I know. You'd always rub my ears, wouldn't you? You still do!" Yen Sid chuckled and gently took Mickey's ears between his fingers, feeling how soft they were to the touch, which made Mickey scrunch up his shoulders in response. "Of course I do." Yen Sid said with a smirk. "You love it very much, and it always tickles you, it's no wonder I still do!" He started to rub Mickey’s ears a little more firmly, gently tickling them and making Mickey laugh, the young mouse wriggling in his lap to try and escape the sensations, even as he found the playful interaction enjoyable. Mickey’s contagious giggles were like music to Yen Sid’s ears, and he found his heart starting to heal as he began to laugh along with him. “Aww…and who’s my little mouse, hm? Who’s my little mousey boy?” he teased with a lilt, circling his thumbs on a particularly sensitive spot that made Mickey squeak as he laughed. “Meeehehehehe!” Mickey leaned forward and cosied up closer to Yen Sid, pressing his forehead against his beard as he giggled and held his sides, sounding like his cheerful self once again. Yen Sid chuckled a little in response and lovingly wrapped his arms around Mickey, noticing him yawn as his laughter finished. “That you are…” he said affectionately. “Why don’t you stay here tonight, Mickey? I think it would be better to have some company. I’ll keep you safe and warm, here in my arms. It’ll be like when you, your brothers and Golden were a bit younger and you’d all fall fast asleep on my lap on some evenings.” The memory of those days were fresh in their minds, how things were different yet so similar when they were young, Golden especially with her innocence, Mickey giggled as he recalled a time when she was five and they all played out in the snow when they were called in for hot chocolate, kicking off their wet boots and hanging up their coats, and snuggling up in front of the fireplace while Yen Sid told them a story, about legends and folk heroes, mythos and fairytales, and even his own adventures from his youth. “Those were the days, huh? Haha!” Mickey grinned as he let another yawn. “And yeah, I think I’d like a lot, thank you.” He shifted a little to get more comfortable, laying his head down on the cushion that had been hidden under Yen Sid’s arm, and pulled out for him. Yen Sid made sure he was holding Mickey securely, and held out his hand as magic wisps and dust formed as he began to summon an object, it was a blanket, covered in several little orange and yellow stars. It was one they both knew, Mickey especially with his eyes lighting up and taking it into his hands, nuzzling his cheek softly on the fabric, he never forgot his old comfort blankie. “My ol’ blankie! Aww, you remembered?” he asked, his eyes shining softly in the light. Yen Sid gave a good natured chuckle. “Of course. I always knew that you kept your childhood mementos, Mickey. Here, allow me…” Taking the blanket, Yen Sid carefully tucked the little mouse up nicely in it, making him all snug, the bottom end was draped over the sorcerer’s waist, giving them both a warm covering for the night. “There, now you’re all bundled up. Right, now I think it’s time we went to sleep. I’ll be glad to have you here, and if you want, I’ll give you a little tickle in the morning like I used to.” he jested, gently poking Mickey in the tummy and making him giggle and curl up further under the warm blanket. “Hehe! Oh, you’re making me all nostalgic, dad!” Yen Sid rolled his eyes as if he was none the wiser, it had been sometime since he was this playful, even as sleep threatened to take over him within minutes. “Oh, I’m just remembering the very best things in our lives. Ahh, speaking of, there’s one more thing I think you might need, one moment.” He opened his hand again, repeating the action to summon an object into the room, a little sparkle of light illuminated the room and out popped a small stuffed bear straight from Mickey’s room upstairs and flopped into his arms. “Duffy!” Mickey hugged his beloved bear tightly, straightening his little sailor suit he had put on him previously, and finally settled, with everything he needed, he closed his eyes and began to slowly drift off to sleep. “Thank you dad, goodnight. I love you.” With Mickey finally falling asleep, Yen Sid breathed a quiet sigh of contentment, lowering his head down a little to kiss Mickey’s forehead and whisper to him. “And I love you, Mickey. Goodnight, and pleasant dreams, sweetheart.” His eyelids lowered as he looked back at the study door, he felt he could at last sleep without any troubles for the night, but for extra measure, he began to activate a calming sleep spell, drawing his hand across the room as a soft, blue magic started to flow through the house, covering it like the cloak of Morpheus. With the air lifted by the spell, no one should be plagued by any nightmares, the last bit of comfort Yen Sid needed as he closed his eyes, and dozed off at last within moments.

Oswald closed the door to his room, he could hear the sounds of laughter downstairs from Yen Sid and Mickey, the corners of his mouth turning up a little, they were at least finding ways to cheer one another up. He was a little worried when his little brother hadn’t followed him up, but was at ease knowing he was with their dad for the night. Turning around, he could see Julius on the verge of tears, he had always been sensitive, and anything concerning Golden always affected him greatly. Going over to reassure him, Oswald put his arm around his older brother and patted him on the shoulder. “Julius? Hey, it’s okay…it’s all okay now.” he spoke soothingly, but Julius just buried his face into his hands, seemingly crying harder which surprised Ossie. “It happened again…! Why didn’t I try to save her?!” Julius cried and shook his head. Oswald pulled him into a tight hug, feeling not only his brotherly instincts but also his inner father emerging, letting his older bro cry out his emotions into his shoulder and immediately set to comforting him to the best of his abilities. “Julius…it’s not your fault, it’s no one’s but those evil jerks! It’s okay, just let it all out, okay? Dad always said it's better to let it all out…” Julius wiped his eyes on his sleeve, holding onto Ossie as he finally regained enough control to speak, hiccuping as he did. “I don’t…feel like an older brother…” he sniffled sadly. “I’m the oldest but…what happened tonight! I did nothing! I’m supposed to protect all of you, my little siblings, I’m supposed to protect you and do what’s right and think what’s best for you! I-I have to be the one you all turn to in the worst times! It’s what I have to do!!” Oswald’s ears lowered a little, taking Julius by the shoulders as he listened to him rant, he could already feel the pressure from the weight his big brother was carrying. “What? Julius, I know you’re the oldest of us, but…you don’t have to do all this by yourself. We’re all in this together, and we’re all here to protect Golden. Don’t beat yourself up, alright?” But Julius just shook his head, stepping away from Oswald a little and moving toward the bed to sit down. “It’s…it’s not the first time I didn't stop to help!” he sighed sadly, sinking down on the bed. “Ossie…I haven’t…explained this in much detail before, because…it hurts to think about! But I lost a friend back when I was younger because I was too afraid to do anything! I still don’t know what happened to her, and after that I swore that I’d never let anything happen to any of you or let you down! But now I have…” Oswald was stunned for a moment, there were times Julius had openly been vulnerable with his feelings, but he never said a word about this until now. The events of the night were enough to bring up this terrible memory of losing someone he cared greatly for, no wonder he was feeling so guilty. Oswald stepped forward, approaching the bed and sitting down next to his sorrowful brother, lightly patting him on the back. Julius blinked away his tears to see Oswald looking at him with a warm expression, it was understanding and inviting. Oswald used his thumb to brush away the tears from Julius’s face. “I think you’re putting a little too much pressure on yourself, don’t ya think? No one is perfect, Julius, I mean look at me! Hahaha!” Oswald chuckled and scratched at the back of his head as his white cheeks flushed red, Julius pulled his knees up so he could rest his head on them, his focus on Oswald who cleared his throat. “What I’m trying to say is, even older siblings can make mistakes, I’ve made plenty, I can tell you that…especially when I was in the Wasteland and I let my grudge cloud my brain…but once we fixed the mess, Mickey and I became closer than ever before! And I can guarantee that Golden will be exactly the same, no matter what happens.” Oswald sounded so wise somehow, there wasn’t any hint of humour or sarcasm that he usually held, yet it was still the same young rabbit that played the role of the loud, mischievous member who more so than often led his young sibs into trouble with his shenanigans. Julius felt calmer yet still sniffly, touching Oswald’s hand and taking them into his own, Oswald used his thumbs to slowly caress Julius’s in a comforting manner. “Ossie…heh, you must have picked up a lot of wisdom from dad.” Julius whispered jokingly, Oswald couldn’t help but grin back, feeling slightly elated from the compliment. “Well, I AM a dad too, haha! I guess it’s only natural!” Oswald pulled Julius a little closer to him, giving him a one sided hug with his arm. “But seriously, I think being part of this family after being alone for a long time, it made me realise some things I wish I knew sooner; never hold a grudge against others, and never hold a grudge against yourself either.” Julius brought his sleeve up to his eyes again, wiping away the residue of tears that lingered on his face and taking a deep breath. The two of them sat together for a few minutes in silence, listening to nothing but their slow breathing. Oswald kept his arm around Julius, who in turn rested his head on his younger brother’s shoulder, his mind running away with thoughts of his own friend, he wondered how long he had kept it to himself after all this time. “Sorry…I should have said something, but I think I…I felt so bad about what happened I…pushed it away from my mind.” Julius explained further. Oswald titled his brother’s head up by the chin. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it! I just had no idea you were carrying all this on your shoulders, bro. Hmm…say, when all this slows down a little, and Golden begins to feel better, maybe we oughta tell dad? I’m sure he can help ya, and maybe he can help find your friend?” The idea made Julius’s ears twitch, yet his eyes were uncertain. He patted Oswald on the back lightly and leaned away, holding his hands in his lap. “I dunno, Os…it’s been so long, and…I don’t even know if she’s…and dad is always so busy, he’s been looking for Goldie’s parents this whole time, as well as Percy’s and…then there’s the other orphans at the council…I don’t wanna pressure him further!” Oswald responded with a soft shake of the head, his mouth curling into a small smile as he reached up to stroke Julius on the head and making him purr, much like Yen Sid would to comfort the little cat. “Aren’t you forgetting our dad is Yen Sid?” he grinned. “Yes, he’s got a lot of work with family finding and caring for us all, but that’s what he WANTS to do. He told us he’s more than willing to do what it takes to look after us all and make us happy, at all costs! I’m sure one more wouldn’t hurt, and besides, we all want to help each other too, so you wouldn’t be all alone, see?” If his heart could glow like Golden’s, it would, Julius let out a sigh of relief, his hands clasping over his chest as newfound warmth spread through his system, helped out from Oswald covering him with the bed cover and getting him to lie down comfortably. As he climbed into bed beside, Oswald continued petting Julius around his ears and sides of his face, his fingers combing the soft fur. “Let’s sleep it off, okay? We’ll find a time to tell dad about this, and it’ll all be alright. We need our rest now, and…I’m getting tired. What a night it’s been…” Oswald gave a big yawn, giving his typical ‘wawawawa’ sound as he slumped down on the pillow, closing his eyes almost immediately. It was amusing to anyone who knew Oswald well enough to know how quickly he’d fall asleep and how angry and loud he’d be in the mornings before he had his coffee. Julius kept an eye open a little bit, gently pulling Ossie closer and snuggling against him, he was glad he wasn’t alone tonight or he might have cried himself to sleep with no words of support from anyone, he needed what Oswald told him tonight. “Thank you, Os.” he whispered, finally closing his eye and awaiting sleep, purring quietly while his mind drifted to calmer thoughts of the next day, where things would at last renew. As the two slept, Oswald was muttering faintly in his sleep, his hand reaching down to take Julius’s, holding it firmly yet lovingly as their fingers entwined. “I promise…to make things all better…”

The curtains in Aero’s guest room remained open. The cold, icy blizzard that buffeted the town earlier was all but gone, leaving nothing but a blanket of snow everywhere that was only visible in the light of the kindly moon, which hovered over the dark forest in the distance, lights from various houses were turning off and smoke ceased to rise out of the chimneys, seemed everyone was in for a peaceful night, but some weren’t so sure. “There you are, dear. Is that more comfortable?” asked the Fairy Godmother, tucking Azurine into her bed, the young woman nodding with bleary eyes and a tired smile. “Yes, thank you…” yawned Azurine, burying into the bedsheets. “I’m so sleepy, but I can’t help but worry…will Golden be okay in the morning?” The Fairy Godmother’s face fell a little, her heart ached just as much for the little girl, who she took in and consoled while giving her place to stay when she was so distressed, only hours ago. The Fairy Godmother held nothing but kindness inside, the very thought of Golden going through what had happened to her at that manor struck her harshly, even as she tried to avoid it. Petting Azurine’s hair to lull her, the Fairy Godmother spoke in a quiet, soothing voice. “Of course, my child. Try not to fret anymore, okay? You’ll see her tomorrow and I know you’ll give her plenty of love and support, that of which I’m sure she’ll appreciate. We just have to remember what Yen Sid told us, don’t we? Now get some shut eye, things will look up, you’ll see…” The Fairy Godmother then turned to see her young student staring out of the window, Star perched upon her shoulder and stroking one of her braids between its tiny hands. Asha was once in this position awhile ago, lost and without answers, yet desperately seeking them to the point she turned to the stars as her final option, how things in her life changed after that. Maybe Asha was once again making a wish? “Asha, dear?” The Fairy Godmother said as she reached the young teen’s side. “I know, it’s beautiful isn’t it? The moon right above us, surrounded by all those stars…maybe they are all staring back at us?” Asha turned a little toward her teacher, looking at the warmth in her eyes. Even Star felt its energy return a little from her words and floated around the two of them, eventually landing in Asha’s hands as it nuzzled against her chest, right where her heart was. “It’s a wonderful thought.” Asha smiled, stroking the top of Star’s head. “I always felt that the stars were looking down at us. I never forgot what dad told me, the stars…are always there to guide us, and answer our calls…” She lifted Star up and gave it a little nuzzle, making it squeak and hug her back. Looking over Asha’s shoulder, Star spotted Aero sitting on her bed, her crestfallen eyes staring down at the floor. “Aero? What’s on your mind, child?” asked the Fairy Godmother, approaching the younger sorcerer along with Asha, who took a seat beside her. “I’m…a horrible friend…” Aero muttered sadly, tears prickling in her eyes. “Aren’t I?” Star flew from Asha’s hand and up to Aero’s face, taking her by the chin and shaking a ‘no’ at her sad question, it wiped away a tear that rolled down her cheek to try and sooth her while it hugged her and squeaked. Asha and the Fairy Godmother both exchanged uncomfortable glances. “No…no Aero, don’t say that!” cried Asha, taking Aero’s now loosened hand. “You were cursed! We all were…”  The two stayed at Aero’s side while Star continued to try and calm her to the best it could, Aero felt appreciation for all their efforts, yet couldn’t shake the pain of what happened out of her heart. “I just…” she began, her voice already cracking. “Sometimes I don’t see what Golden sees in me, she’s always thought so highly of me and what do I pay her back with? I…I went and destroyed her in that sick twisted game that…disgusting creep and that edgelord that annoys the living DAYLIGHTS out of me, both hosted!! Ugh…!! I’m not even that great, I haven’t even achieved my full power yet. I’m not strong enough to protect Golden…at all…” It was hard enough everyone was struggling at the moment, but no one knew what to say to Aero, knowing she had a lot of insecurity inside and found it difficult to speak out, yet no one saw her as a bad friend or even a bad person. Telling her otherwise wouldn’t be easy given her current mental state. “Oh, Aero…don’t say that.” soothed the Fairy Godmother, patting the younger on the arm. “If Golden looks up to you, it’s clear you are a truly wonderful friend.” Asha nodded in agreement, putting her arms around Aero from the side. “Yeah, that’s right. And we care too. A lot of…awful things happened but…none of us are to blame, and neither are you.” It was a simple way to comfort her, and all they could do, it was better than saying nothing and all that mattered was that they were there for each other. Star glowed a little brighter and brought Asha and Fairy Godmother’s hands over Aero’s as a gesture of companionship, and keeping them all tight knit as they allowed themselves to free their emotions and feelings. A small whinny caught everyone’s ears, on the bed behind them, a little winged foal glowing in a white hue trotted up to the trio, pushing its head under Aero’s arm and rubbing it softly against her ribs. Asha and the Fairy Godmother were a little taken aback, they hadn’t seen this little creature before. “Is that your…” Asha whispered. Aero nodding. “Yes. As you can see, it’s still a baby. I have yet to reach its full power. Maybe if I do, I can…protect Golden better…” Star gave a sympathetic little squeak and hugged Aero once more, the tiniest of tears in its little eyes. The pegasus foal shimmered in the dark, providing a light along with Star in the room, as well as the great moon from the undrawn windows. Looking at the foal, Asha gave it a little pet on the head as it rubbed against her hand, she could feel the little creature held great power within, despite its size, and wondered how Aero could even doubt herself at all. “You’ve always been there for her, right Aero?” she said kindly, reaching for her friend’s hand again. “And you will continue to, she loves you and you love her. As long as you continue to, that’s all that matters, right?” Aero’s eyes slowly shifted to Asha, appearing to highlight a little. The pegasus whinnied again, flapping its diminutive wings and snorting, as if to encourage Aero as well. With a gentle sigh, Aero lifted her tired head, thinking of her and Golden on the day they met, how Golden was only six at the time and had the biggest eyes Aero had ever seen when she showed off a bit of her magic. She followed Aero around that day like a duckling and didn’t want her to go back to the tower, making a fuss when she did. Aero was so taken with the little girl that felt she couldn’t leave either, and instead stayed the night here with everyone, telling stories and playing with Golden until they both fell asleep, Yen Sid found them on the sofa the next morning with Aero holding Golden in her arms. Knowing how easy it was for the two girls to form bonds with others, who knew it was fate that they’d become best friends. “I won’t…ever let my best friend down again…” Aero said softly, closing her eyes and looking slightly peaceful. “I won’t try…I’ll do.” Star carefully perched itself on top of Aero’s hair, holding on like a headband as he nuzzled against her locks. Asha and Fairy Godmother exchanged a soft glance of relieved smiles, thankful that Aero had managed to find a little bit of her resolve, and hope that she’d never lose it again no matter the hardships she might face. “You never did let her down, my dear.” said the Fairy Godmother in a hushed tone. “Remember, you are not alone.” 

The highest guest room, right under the Observatory which held several different features to accommodate the current residents, was not bursting with life as much as it was earlier before Golden’s return home. It was comfortable and cosy, it could house the creatures of the sea and the sky, water, clouds, rocks to sit on, even parts of trees that included a small bed and sitting area, much like a treehouse. Delphis went over to one of the beanbags, which was decorated with little kelp patterns, slumping down dejectedly. He hugged at his arms, remaining quiet as Aurora went to his side, enveloping him in one of her colourful wings. “Well…this whole day sucked.” grunted Mako, kicking at a beach ball that sat on the floor and knocking it under a table. Frill rolled her eyes, turning her head and making the tentacles on her head swish, she crossed her arms at Mako’s attitude. “No kidding, moron.” she frowned. “What gave it away?” Her reply made Mako turn on her, snarling and baring his jaws, he wasn’t far from threatening to eat her whole like he would do to tease her often, this time he looked serious. Seeing the tense situation, Flutter stepped in between them, forming a barrier between the two angry youngsters. “Woah, cool it!” she cried, her voice nervous. “Don’t fight, now isn’t the time! We’re supposed to be looking after one another, and also sleeping…” The teenage shark and the small moon jelly didn’t say anything further, Mako turned away, looking a little hurt. Frill sighed deeply, she hated arguing with Mako and loved him dearly, like an older brother. She was about to apologise when Delphis cut in. “He’s…not entirely wrong. Today…it was not a pleasant experience…after I saw those…those flashes I couldn’t help but…” he tensed up. As if the small quarrel hadn’t happened, Mako and Frill dashed over to Delphis, the former going over to hold onto the sea spirit’s arm, embracing him in gentle way that was much unlike Mako’s rough exterior, it was a hug more like how Delphis would hold the little shark when he was much littler and clingy, always needing reassurance even when he boasted about how big and tough he was. “Dad…?” he spoke in a small voice, Aurora followed. “Mi amor…what is it?” Delphis lifted his head, moving his hand up shakingly to her wing and running it through the feathers. “This isn’t the first time I’ve been used to hurt others…I could never intentionally hurt innocent lives…I may not understand those that are from the land all the time, but all I wanted was to make them smile with wonder at the ocean and keep them safe from its dangers…! And yet there are those who…have this power and they use it on me, having this evil hold over me that I just…lose everything and I’m no longer me!” He sounded so broken, everyone was stunned and surprised by his words, all except Aurora, who felt her beloved’s pain on the exact same level. “I understand, my love.” she said in a soothing tone. “But all is not lost. We will find the trident and scepter one day, we will finally be free of those vile bunch, and everyone and everything will be safe…I promise.” Delphis’s hand on her wind tightened as he looked up at her with tearful eyes. “But how many more are going to suffer…? How many are going to drown because I was too weak? How many children? This won’t be the last before someone…anyone else dies because of me!” He hid his distraught expression in his hands, his shoulders shaking as he broke down. Mako clung tighter to him, while Luma and Mantra approached from the other side along with Cody, and then Bluebird, Bee and Flutter all moved in, embracing the sea spirit in a strong group hug. Seeing their king like this was an uncomfortable sight, he was always so jolly and caring, always bringing life and excitement to the Nothing Reef, playing with Marina and all his young friends, and now all that was snuffed out with tears. Aurora motioned to Bluebird, giving a gentle nod of affirmation. “Bluebird, please help the little ones get ready for bed. We won’t be long, we’ll join you all soon.” Bluebird gave a bow, though she didn’t need to, but it was more of a habit these days even when she was unhappy. “Yes, your majesty. See you soon, and I hope you’ll both be alright.” Aurora stood up, her wing still around Delphis as she helped him walk out of the room and toward the open balcony, where the cool wind of the night could clear the air. Frill helped Mako stand up in turn, softly whispering her apology into his finned ear and receiving a forgiving pat on the back from him. Everyone went to their respective beds, climbing in and curling up in their warmth letting go of the weight in their feet and wings. Luma and Mantra shared a bed, cosily pressing their heads against one another, while Flutter shared a tree bed with Bee, whose bed looked like a honeycomb. Poking out from under the covers, Frill stared at the balcony curtains as they moved calmly in the open breeze, she could hear the distant weeping from Delphis. “I-I hope he’ll be okay…” she said, trying to keep herself from also crying. Cody turned over, facing the balcony also. The breeze and the soothing light of the moon were healing him inside, he loved being under the moon at night while the waves splashed around a rock he’d sit on, the flowing curtains reminded him of them. “He will, he just needs a moment. He’s got us, and we’ve got him.” he told Frill. Mantra nodding in agreement as they stroked Luma’s smooth finned hair. “You must remember, this was no one’s fault, except those horrid, wicked men and their gang of villains, right?” Flutter sat up in her bed, her usual sweet demeanour morphing as she pounded the bed with her fist, but it wasn’t very hard. “Those cruel fiends!” she said, her angry frown turning into a sad one. “I just don’t know why they’d do such a thing…” Mako too felt angry, he may be feisty and scary looking at times, but there was no way he’d harm anyone, especially not when someone like Golden was outnumbered. “Oooh, if I could I’d go right over there at this very moment and rip them all to tiny shreds!” He gnawed at his pillow, making vicious noises as he shook it between his teeth, forcing Bluebird to go and calm him before he tore the pillow and cause feathers to fly everywhere. Luma opened her tired eyes, she felt so comfy in Mantra’s arms. “Bueno…but we can’t. But we can be there for our king.” she whispered, instantly falling asleep again as her crush kept stroking her head. “And our queen…” mumbled Bee. The breeze outside calmed, and so did Delphis, despite the tears on his face, he didn’t feel the cold on his cheeks, the spirits were somewhat immune to temperatures. Keeping her wing around him, Aurora and her beloved Delphis looked up at the moon, its great appearance of the heart was like a symbol for them both, how long they’d been together and how their bond only strengthened every day, month, year through their immortal lives. “Tesoro mio…” said Delphis, leaning on Aurora a little. “Would you…still love me if I was no longer who I am…? I am a spirit, I know I have the power to be destructive…Sometimes I get scared that the forces of evil will take hold of me again, I don’t want to hurt you or anyone else…” Aurora frowned a little, reaching to cup his cheek and make him look at her, into her eyes as they melted with kindness. “Mi amor…if there’s one thing that would save you from that, it is my love for you. You don’t think I’ve gone a hundred millennias just to think otherwise? You are you, Delphis, and nothing could take that from you, not even evil. You’re enough, and that’s why I’ll always love you.” She brought him closer, her lips connecting with his as they embraced each other, the sky and sea sharing their pain, their love, their connection under the heart moon. Love was a powerful thing, not even being apart in another world, a distant realm, or even death could break it, it was taken with whoever held it inside. 

Scout sat on her bed, slowly flicking through the pages of her journal. She felt her guilt rising as she looked down at all the drawings she made, how they all connected now. Knowing she had hurt Golden, her younger sister, the one she always wanted to have, yet she couldn’t remember who she was to begin with in that time frame. If she had known, if she broke away from the curse, she’d fight a thousand enemies to protect her, at all costs, no matter the dangers. “Scout?” Sonatina spoke softly, snapping Scout out of her thoughts, the teen closed up her journal and placed it on her bedside. Sonatina was dressed in her nightgown, and slowly sat herself on the bed beside her daughter, her expression naturally regretful. “Yes, mum?” asked Scout, trying to read her mother’s face. Sonatina couldn’t look back at her as she spoke again. “I don’t…know how I can forgive myself…I’ve done the unforgivable!” She hid her face in her hands. Scout sighed sadly, she tried to comfort her mother, but found it hard to find the right words. “Mum…” She touched her shoulder, but it seemed to go unnoticed by Sonatina for a moment. She looked at her young daughter with an urge to shift away out of shame, yet she couldn’t bring herself to. “Scout…I just feel like I’m unfit to be a mother.” she sniffled. “I abandoned you, in our house, all alone. You must have been worried sick about me and constantly wondered where I was! And then I said…all those cruel things to Golden, and then…and t-then I…!” She would have sobbed further, but was caught off guard by Scout throwing her arms around her, hugging her mother and refusing to let her go. “I never blamed you.” Scout stated. “Not once. You came back and that’s all that matters to me.” Sonatina swallowed the growing lump in her throat and returned the hug to Scout. She seemed to calm a little, her thoughts coming back, yet still filling her with all sorts of raw emotions. “S-Scout…oh, my sweet girl…I know I’m probably being very silly, but…I haven’t felt worthy of…being a mother since the day I left you…I’m finding it so difficult to even forgive myself, and for what happened to Goldie, what if…” Scout patted her on the shoulder, compassionately silencing her as she slowly pulled away from the hug, looking up at her mother with a warm smile. “Stop that. Golden needs you, I need you, we ALL need you. And as long as you’re here, there’s nothing to feel unworthy about. Besides, you’re super mum, you bake cookies, you whoop villain butt and read us all really cool stories! I don’t care how old I get, mum, I’ll always enjoy them! There’s nothing unworthy about any of that.” Sonatina didn’t respond, instead staring at Scout with a look of awe, her cheeks heating up as they turned a bright red, something stirred within her from the moment Scout told her those words, how confident and strong she sounded despite her own hurt. “Scout…” Sonatania said quietly, “...y’know, ever since I met Golden, back at my house in the woods, she’s felt to me like my very own child, like I had given birth to her. I know, that’s probably the mother in me talking, but…I’ve always looked after children and being a mother was something I had always wanted. But since I’m not her ‘birth’ mother, I don’t know if Golden feels the same…” Scout was still for a moment, Sonatina never spoke of other children before now, and wondered what she meant by it. The thought soon passed out of her mind as she set back to hugging her mother, resting her head against her chest and listening to her heart, a sound that could never not be comforting. “She does, I can tell!” Scout smiled, feeling her mother’s hair brush against her face. “You should tell her, just so you can know too. I’m sure it would mean everything to her, and to you too.” Sonatina fought back tears as a smile crept slowly onto her face, her hand delicately brushing through Scout’s thick, boyish haircut and parting it to the side. After letting go of the hug once more, Scout continued to speak highly to her mum. “Blood related or not…it’s never mattered, because I’ve learned a family is what you have and how you can make it your own. You’re my mother, Yen Sid is my old man, Goldie is the cutest little sister I could ever ask for, Mickey, Oswald and Julius are my big bros who seem like little bros, but I’m still their little sis, Aero’s a cool big sister with plenty of smarts, and Percy is the big brother I always spar with, whether it be verbally or if I’m beating him at video games! That’s the kind of family I didn’t know I wanted until I got it, and I know Golden feels the exact same about us, she just needs us to remind her when she’s upset, I swore to protect her and I’ll never go back on my word.” Sonatina’s anguish had melted away, she looked radiant as she smiled, glowing like her beautiful unicorn. She leaned forward and placed a small kiss on Scout’s forehead. “Scout, Golden is the luckiest girl in the world to have you as a caring older sister, to have this whole family for her…and I know…she would have loved you…” She didn’t realise she had carried on speaking until she had finished, Scout raised a very Yen Sid-esque eyebrow at her mother and grinned, making Sonatina laugh at her expression. “Oh look at me, I’m rambling! I’ll tell you another time, I promise. But for now, let's get some shut eye. Go get into your pyjamas now, I’ll wait for you.” Scout snickered, almost pushing her mother back playfully as she got up, grabbing her pile of baggy, loose pyjamas and heading over to the dresser. “Yes, muuum.” she crooned sarcastically. After a minute, Scout was dressed for the night and sat her star and moon cap on her bedside, right next to her journal, and climbed under the covers, letting Sonatina tuck her in and bring her closer to her. Sonatina closed her eyes and kept her arms wrapped around her daughter, reminiscing of the times when she’d do this at night Scout was smaller, how far yet so close those times felt. 

Some time had passed, the clock striking either 2 or 3 in the morning, she didn’t seem to know or care, but Golden rolled out of bed, taking her bedsheets and a fast asleep Starlight with her. Standing up, she felt wobbly and groggy, yet sleep was so hard to reach. She turned on her light, putting it on a low setting so it wasn’t blinding, and headed over to the mirror. “Ugh, my head…so tired.” she muttered. As she stood in front of the mirror, she flinched back a little, her hair was still as white as the blankets of snow outside, she touched it, hating how it felt and looked. She turned around, not wanting to stare a moment further, and spotted Starlight snoozing in the bundle of sheets, she went and picked up the little glowworm, rocking her back and forth like a baby doll, wondering somewhat how Starlight could sleep so easily and without stirring, and gently put her in her hammock to allow her to sleep. She trundled softly to the door, hoping a little walk might help, once entering the hallway she was greeted with a soft air of the dream spell Yen Sid had initiated, it caressed her cheek like a summer’s breeze and eased away the headache she was feeling, her eyes watching the twinkling of little stars that danced off the walls. She walked past the workshop, where the broomies were all lined up together, their arms crossed as they were leaned against the table in ‘sleep mode’. She giggled, hoping to play with them again after missing them. She continued on, looking at Scout’s closed door, and the stairs that led to the empty sitting room, being barefoot, her footsteps made less of a creaking sound on the wooden floorboards, she didn’t want to wake anyone. She made her way up the next floor, seeing the lights from the Observatory and spying Percy upside down on one of the balconies. He looked very cosy all bundled up in his several blankets and also a bit silly, he reminded Golden of a bat as she grinned up at him. Eventually, she came across Yen Sid’s study door, it was open ajar and she peeked in, seeing Yen Sid asleep in his chair, with Mickey wrapped up in his starry blanket on his lap, clutching at Duffy. Golden slowly crept in, making her way over to Yen Sid and Mickey. She so wanted to cuddle up on her dad’s knee and next to her brother, but she knew if she did she’d wake them up and felt like she would be a burden, instead opting to sit at Yen Sid’s feet, taking the end piece of the blanket and curling up in it, though she felt a little cold sitting there, she managed to fall asleep, she was so exhausted at that point that she didn’t recognise another familiar presence in the room. “Honestly, I thought he’d have taught you better than this.” A low voice chuckled jokingly, the ghost of the old master shook his head and stroked Golden’s hair again before lifting her up into his arms and placing her on Yen Sid’s other knee. No one stirred, all looking peaceful and warm with one another. Master Grey carefully tucked Golden under Yen Sid’s arm and let her rest against him, bringing the blanket over her legs for extra warmth. He felt he ought to resist at the moment, but he couldn’t help himself, with a small smile, Master Grey put both his arms around them all, and curled his fingers between the back of Yen Sid’s hair, then stroking Mickey’s ears and tucking a small loose lock behind Golden’s ear. He gave a satisfied sigh, and went to sit on the desk that had been pushed aside, closer to the window. If he had been younger and one of his apprentices sat on his desk, he’d probably have sternly told them to scoot off and call them ‘whippersnappers.’ “Sleep, my son.” he beamed softly. “And sleep well too, little ones. I’m so very proud of all of you.” He turned to the dark sky, giving a smirk and a wink to the great moon that appeared to twinkle back at him. He remained there, waiting and watching them until the birds finally sang, signifying that the morning, and a new day was here at last. 

Ambrose awoke the next day first, wandering the halls and finding himself in the living room, where some of the broomies were just getting up. He spotted Scout's shattered mug from the night before, and smiled gently, picking up the pieces carefully and summoning a little bag to put them in. Giving a grin to the broomies, who looked at him with confusion, he pocketed the pouch and glanced up toward the rooms, sitting on the sofa and one of the brooms bringing him tea. "Thank you. Could I have some toast and jam, too, little broom?" he asked, and the broom, number 3, nodded and ran off to make it, signaling the rest to get cracking. And as everyone started getting up, Ambrose heard them all stirring, and glanced in the direction of Yen Sid's office with a small smile, hoping today would be brighter for them all. As the sunlight streamed through the curtains, Golden blinked once or twice, finding herself in Yen Sid's lap, who was stirring slightly. Discovering she was under a blanket, she took a corner of it and nuzzled it up to her face, looking up at her dad, and then across, seeing how Mickey was snoozing, his little mouth open slightly as he gave little snuffles and snores, he was leaned against Yen Sid's shoulder, and she gazed at him with love in her eyes. Gently, she reached out a hand to tug at Yen Sid's beard, she'd often do this as a little girl when she had little memory, and it brought her comfort to snuggle against it, or sometimes even hide behind it or pull it over her eyes like an eye mask, when she couldn't bear the morning sunlight. This morning, though, she was glad to see it, so glad the horrific November night was over and it was now day again, a new dawn. Just as Oswald had once said, there really was a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day, and this tomorrow was one she was grateful to have woken up for. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she tugged at a strand of her hair, still white, oh well... and then Yen Sid opened his eyes, adjusting them to the sunlight just as she had. He saw Mickey first, since he'd been leaning down toward him slightly, and smiled, and then turned, seeing Golden, and she swore there were little tears forming in his eyes. "Golden, good morning." he smiled, leaning down to kiss her forehead in such a gentle motion it felt like little more than the brush of a flower petal. Mickey yawned loudly, and rubbed at his eyes, but instead of opening them properly, he merely pulled the blanket closer to him, which made a little of it slide off Golden. He snuggled closer into Yen Sid's chest, putting his beard over his eyes just like she would, and murmured- "mmm...five more minutes..." He still clearly wanted to sleep. Yen Sid chuckled slightly, and tried to coax him out. "Mickey, it's morning. Don't you want breakfast?" he asked, but Mickey sleepily shook his head, and Golden could see a cheeky smile forming. "Mmm...it's okay, I'll eat it here." he grinned, Yen Sid smirking and reaching under his beard, grabbing Mickey by his pyjama shirt and yanking him under his arm, so the little mouse was trapped in between Yen's arm and his chest. "Oh no you don't, you're going to get up and eat at the table like the rest of us!" he laughed, Mickey wiggling and trying to get out of it, Golden hopping up onto Yen Sid's desk and watching as Yen started to tickle his little son, and blow raspberries on his tummy, it was a sight that made her smile a tiny bit, and a small bit of colour enter her cheeks. "Hahaha! Dad, no fair!! Alright, alright, you win!!" Mickey forced out between his peals of laughter, they were such a lovely sound and Yen Sid couldn't help but laugh with him, Mickey finally being fully awake and pushing Yen Sid's hand off his tummy, sitting up and noticing Golden swinging her legs on the desk, Yen Sid smiling and holding out an arm, scooping her up and putting her on his lap again, so now she was cradled next to her big brother, and both of them noticed how she rested her head against his chest, as if she might fall asleep again, but also the little smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Percy suddenly zipped in, twinkling as he did and flying rings thrice around the group. "I heard laughing first thing this morning and no one called me?!" he exclaimed, de-transforming with his robes pressed and his hat perfectly pointed, he always was an earlybird. "Morning Percy, we were just about to get up. I'll help the brooms with breakfast." Yen Sid spoke, Percy immediately shaking his head haughtily. "Oh no master, please, allow me! You still look a little tired, but rest assured I'll make it and ensure those silly planks and I make everybody's absolute favourites! After all, lots of mouths to feed, eh?" he grinned, turning back into light. From outside of the room, Scout suddenly piped up- "You'll burn the toast, twinkletoes!" and Percy was quick to reply- "I heard that!!" And then he was off, zooming to the kitchen and waltzing in as a human once more, ready to direct the brooms just like he would for his thimbles. Yen Sid meanwhile began to take the children downstairs, Mickey hopping down and going to join Oswald and Julius at the table, the former looking irritable without his coffee and the latter a little sad, but nonetheless both well rested. Despite the mismatch of some being dressed and others in their pyjamas, everyone was there, and those who weren't sitting at the table had taken up spaces on the sofa and armchairs. Yen Sid, using magic, transformed his seat at the table to be much more comfortable, now a plush armchair, and he continued to hold Golden, gently stroking her white hair and avoiding where it had clumped, as she simply sat there leaning against his chest and listening to his heart, the sound soothed her and she felt a glimmer of hope that not all was lost, even if she felt sore and tired, she had her family again, and they were truly all she wanted. Yen Sid looked down at her momentarily, she had a little more colour now and a brightness in her eyes, but she hadn't said anything yet, and he wondered if she would. Nevertheless, as platters of food appeared from the brooms and light magic alike, everyone took theirs and tucked in, Golden jerked back from the magic ever-so-slightly though, but either nobody noticed, or nobody minded. She looked down at her meal, Percy had done her some pancakes with chocolate spread, and added sugar and strawberries, which made up eyes and a mouth, and a dollop of whipped cream was a big nose. It made her smile, so she started to eat up, and realized just how hungry she was, becoming ravenous and gobbling it up, which made Yen Sid smile. He chuckled when he saw a little whipped cream on her nose, though, and plucked it off with his fingertip. She turned, though, and noticed Julius was picking at his toast and sardines, and tilted her head curiously. "Julius...?" she whispered, and he perked up, squeaking slightly and turning to face her, both of them jumping a bit at the sudden movement. "Are you alright...? You look a bit sad." she continued, Julius wringing his hands and then sighing, averting his eyes and looking down. "I was just thinking about something last night... you remember when we did those memory spells a couple years ago, and we saw that little girl in my memories?" he asked, everyone nodding, Golden remembering her. "I...I want to find her again. I feel like I messed up, like I failed to protect her..." he whimpered, his little black eyes meeting those of his sister's, feeling as if he'd failed in just the same way with her, and almost seeing her when he looked at his sister, how similar they both were. The thought of her going through anything remotely similar to Golden made tears well up in his eyes, it felt selfish to say but he was so glad it wasn't her, and that made him feel even more guilty, it felt mean to be glad that it was Golden in pain and nobody else, since she always ended up that way. Undoubtedly, every time, she was fine, but... Julius put his head in his hands and started to cry, Golden getting up from Yen Sid's lap and putting both arms around him, as he held her. "I'm sorry!! I don't...I just..." he wheezed between his tears, standing up and hugging her properly, her head barely came up to his chin and he rested it atop hers, careful with her white hair. "Tell me, brother... I want to listen." she whispered, Julius sniffling and wiping his eyes, squeezing her hand and gently putting her on his lap now, making biscuits on her head. "Okay...when I was a little kitten, I knew this girl. We were the best of friends, we'd always play together and go on all sorts of adventures, sometimes she'd bring her three friends along too, they all seemed so cool and loved to play with me, but we played together most of all... even when those three moved on, I was there for her. We'd pretend to be sailors, cowboys, we'd run hotels or act out stories like the pied piper or the three bears... oh, and she loved cookies, Laugh O'Grahams were her favourites! But one day...Ali- I mean, the girl...she was gonna move away with her family. She didn't want to go with them, and I didn't either, I loved my old man but he understood, so we said we'd run away together..." he trailed off, Mum frowning slightly. "You ran away, two children? But where did you go? Did you have a safe place...?" She asked, Julius continuing to make biscuits on Golden's hair, which felt quite nice and soothed her a bit. "We went into the woods north of the house, we said we'd be campers and live in the woods, but I think we were too naive... we stayed over that night but..." he suddenly stopped his motions and held Golden's hand, who stroked her thumb across his paw to try and soothe him. "We came across some scary creatures, they were all in the woods, shadowy things that chased us and separated us... She tried to protect me and told me to run away, and I did, they kept swarming us, trying to hold onto us, our clothes, one of them even grabbed my tail... I should've stayed to protect her too!!" he couldn't hold it in, and wept slightly, a few tears trailing down his cheeks that Golden reached up to wipe away. "Julius, I had no idea...! And what happened next?" Percy asked, Julius turning to look at him and wiping his eyes for a moment. "I ran...further and further, till those horrid things left me alone, they kept making noises and trying to chase me, but I got away... I hid in a bush the whole night, I couldn't sleep, but when the sun came up they all hid, and I went back to our campsite...but she was gone. And the only thing left was... a couple wrappers of those cookies she liked... I couldn't find her, soo I kept trying to search, but even after a whole day of looking I couldn't see her, I didn't know the woods. And then...well, I didn't give up, but...I slipped down a muddy slope and-" Yen Sid perked up. "Yes..." he murmured, looking down into his cup as if the memories were playing inside. "You slipped right into my garden, right by our well, I'm glad I saw you when I did...! Julius, you were such a tiny little thing, you were so frightened that you didn't speak for a few months, and I taught you sign." he smiled gently, his cheeks flushing slightly as he reminisced, and Julius purred softly at the memory of speaking to Yen Sid for the first time, saying his name without his hands and the look of pride and joy on the old master's face upon hearing his voice for the first time. "If I could've spoken, I'd have told you everything...but over time, I grew really ashamed, ashamed of running like a coward instead of protecting my friend...! I've always been that way though, Mickey and Oswald are so much braver than me, I go all still and hide...!" he once again was weeping, Golden moved back as Mum, Yen Sid and Percy all moved around Julius, sandwiching the little feline boy between them. "Oh sweetie, that's so awful..." Sonatina whispered, she really empathized with his pain and stroked his fur, making him purr and paw at her dress a bit. Yen Sid and Percy also rubbed his head. "Now Julius, don't think that... you're not a coward, you didn't fail to protect your friend, in fact it was very brave of her to stand before them and protect you, likely without anything to defend herself. She clearly valued you deeply, and that shows you had a true friendship." Yen Sid whispered, Julius sniffling and nodding, rubbing his eyes. "It's just that...after Golden, I-" he quieted when he realized what he was saying, seeing her standing there awkwardly. "After...yesterday, I could only remember how I didn't step up then and protect one of the few people I considered family, aside...from my old man, of course. But...even though I felt like I failed, Oswald helped me see it in a different way." he admitted, Golden catching Oswald's eye and giving him a little smile, mouthing a small 'thank you', which he returned with a subtle wink. "Julius, thank you for telling us this. I'm glad you could get this all off your chest, and I understand how it feels to carry things for a long time, trust me. But telling people your feelings is in itself brave, so I don't see a coward." Percy grinned, Julius looking up at him in surprise and giving a smile. "Percy's right, Julius. You've done a good thing by telling us this story, and now I can use some potions and spells to try and see more of those memories of yours, and get more details so we can try and find your friend again. I'll be in my study." Yen Sid finished, standing up and sending everyone's plates over to the sink, smiling at Golden as he passed her and patting her head. She turned to her brothers. "Can we play outside...?" she whispered, and all three of them paused for a second, but then rushed to get dressed, putting on their hats, coats, and Golden put on a little red pinafore dress instead of her usual robe, she wanted something light even despite the colder weather, something that wouldn't restrict her from moving about or make her feel too hot or uncomfortable. Buttoning up her coat, she put her hat on her head, and Percy smirked. "Why, it's the Union Jack! Star-Spangled Starshine! Tricolour titch! Lumen takes Luxembourg!" he proclaimed, Golden raising an eyebrow at him. "I don't know what any of those things mean." she spoke, Oswald smirking. "He means you in red, white, and blue! Because you've got snowylocks!" he chortled, Golden rolling her eyes and just summoning a ball to play catch with. She didn't look angry, she took the joke rather well and smirked slightly, and then they all raced out into the snow, Scout sidling up to Percy. "For once, that was quite funny." she smirked, Percy grinning gleefully. "Really?! Oh, I am quite the talented comedian, if you remember how I made the master laugh like a hyena?" he giggled, Scout rolling her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, you and your thimbles... hmmm. I might stay in, looks a bit chilly and I want to draw." she spoke, Percy putting an arm around her and simply holding his little sister for a moment. "Can I draw with you? I'm not amazing at it but I like to doodle, perhaps we could make something together?" he suggested, Scout shrugging. "Sure! Meet me in the art room... oh, and I have a great idea for later!" she winked, both of them going to grab their supplies.

As the four sorcerers played in the snow together, Oswald had the idea of building a fort, and enlisted his siblings in helping him, whilst they occasionally took breaks to play little games of catch with the ball Golden had summoned. As they built up the snow fort, Oswald took to chucking snowballs from behind it, prompting the others to break off into their own group and rebel against him, chucking snowballs back. "You have betrayed our trust, brother! We poured our blood and sweat into that snow fort, and you have usurped my rightful throne!" Mickey chirped dramatically, before falling right on his butt as Oswald hit him square in the face. Julius giggled and then clambered up the fort, continuing the dramatic monologue. "Yes, brother! You have done such evil, I will have to tell our father of your machinations, and you will be sentenced to do eternal penance in the basement, aka cleaning!" the feline boy laughed, ducking right as Oswald chucked one. Golden giggled at their words and set to throwing the snowballs from her side, but got stunned as she was hit in the face by Oswald accidentally. It was cold, and it made her feel quite sore, and she felt her lips trembling, whether it be from how cold she was or the fact that for some reason she wanted to cry... she ran inside, no longer wanting to continue the game, and up to her room. "Aw shucks, Goldie...!" Julius gasped, Oswald looking nervous that he'd upset her and Sonatina calling them all inside. "Hot chocolate here for everyone... where's little Golden?" she asked, Oswald tugging at his robe sleeve nervously. "I think I upset her... we were having a snowball fight and I got her in the face, and she ran off..." he explained, Sonatina sitting down and pulling him to sit next to her. "Oh Ossie, it's not your fault. Like Yen Sid said, she'll react to things differently, but all we can do is be there for her. Hehe, you playing a little roughly might even be a bit of normalcy for her." she smiled, Oswald looking up in surprise. "What's that meant to mean, Mum?!" he joked, and she just rubbed his head, leaning her own down to rest on it. "It means you're doing well."

Ambrose spotted Golden rushing into her room, and shook his head slightly, there clearly had been an incident, and he overheard the conversation between Sonatina and Oswald from the balcony above. Time to put his plan into action. He headed into her room, where she had her face in her pillow and Starlight was stroking her hair, but it was clear Golden was crying. "Little one?" Ambrose murmured, Golden tensing and realizing he was there, hastily wiping her eyes and sniffling. He gently passed her a hankie, and wiped away a stray tear. "You don't have to hide your sorrow from me, dear. I heard what happened... no doubt you're a bit cold?" he continued, Golden nodding and Ambrose reaching for a red jumper from her closet to go over her pinafore, it was a cute one with an iris on it, like the insignia of a musketeer. Perhaps she'd borrowed it from Mickey? It looked as if it had shrunk in the wash some time ago, but perfectly fit her now. He gently helped her pull it over her head, her little hands adjusting it and making sure no hair was caught under the neckline, and he moved some of her hair out of her face with the same gentle touch as her father. "I-I didn't mean to..." she trailed off, Ambrose shaking his head. "You've done nothing wrong, sweetheart. Tell me...how do you feel right now? About yourself, I mean." he asked, Golden looking down and Starlight gently crawling over to rest her head on her knee, Golden patting the soft fabric of her hat, it always brought her so much comfort having her best friend beside her. "I...well, you probably know but Magnifico took my wish, I can't remember where I'm headed or what I want, add that to my ugly hair and I feel like...like all broken!" her sudden forced yell stunned Ambrose for a moment, not that he hadn't expected it, but it saddened him to see a child of her young age already thinking she was broken. His eyes were full of pity for her small form. She'd been tormented by magical bullies, essentially, and forced to feel small and worthless, weird and wrong in many ways, but all Ambrose saw was his beautiful niece, in so many ways she couldn't. He saw her bravery, her strength, and despite how small she was, he saw a small bit of wisdom in her, she'd learned a lot throughout these adventures and he saw it most when she expressed it in play. Sometimes she'd play with her cousins and introduce the most mature concepts to their pretend games, like heroic acts of sacrifice or the idea of escaping bullies or scary people, she always approached those games with humility and respect, which Ambrose observed from afar as he watered his plants. He took a breath, and then gently took her small hands in his. "Dear...just because something is broken now doesn't mean it cannot be repaired." he smiled, reaching to take the pouch and emptying the broken contents of the mug on her bed, Starlight moving back to avoid getting cut. "Tell me, Golden, have you ever heard of kintsugi?" he asked, and she shook her head, turning to look at the broken mug with an interested eye. "Scout dropped that yesterday." she remarked, and he nodded, taking two pieces and finding where they fit together. "Puzzle race?" he offered, Golden remembering the games from being with Percy, but knowing to be careful with these sharp pieces, it looked as if Ambrose had given her the much more curved ones for this reason. As they assembled the pieces, Ambrose put them together, there were a few chinks here and there that were missing residual pieces in the pouch, but it looked like a mug again. And then he smiled. "Kintsugi is the practice of lining broken areas of pottery and ceramics with gold, so that when they're put back together they're even more beautiful than before." he explained, summoning a little spell and placing it into Golden's hand, it looked a little like the balls of light Percy would create, and she tentatively touched the mug with her palm. It shone brightly and began to seal the newly repaired areas, etching them with golden swirls and curls, looking as if it was bathed in moonlight, and the sight made her gasp, it was just as Ambrose had said, far more beautiful than before. Ambrose slotted in some of the remaining pieces, and then put a final one in her hand, it resembled a heart. "Like I said...just because something is broken now doesn't mean it cannot be repaired. Trust me." he smiled, and Golden slotted in the last piece, the mug shimmering as it was fully repaired, the previously black sheet music design turned gold too, it shone brilliantly against the white ceramic mug. "Why don't you give this back to Scout?" Ambrose smiled, Golden nodding and gently taking it, it was as if it had never been broken. Heading toward Scout's room, Ambrose gave a little smile down at Starlight, who looked relieved to see her best friend feeling better, and gently was lifted into the old master's arms. "Come along, let's go find the boys." 

To Golden's surprise, Scout wasn't in her room, but instead Sonatina was standing there, looking out the window. She heard the door open, though, and turned, giving Golden a warm smile. "Hi dear. How are you?" she asked, Golden giving a little smile, she felt a bit better now thanks to Ambrose. "I'm okay... me and Ambrose fixed up Scout's mug." she explained, Sonatina stepping toward her and bending down, examining the beautiful technique used to fix it. "Wow, it's beautiful... you did really good, Goldie." she smiled, putting the mug down on Scout's desk so she could find it later. Sonatina sat down on the edge of Scout’s bed, and gently patted her side, indicating for Golden to sit by her. “Golden…I know Scout usually does this for you, but would you like me to brush your hair for you?” she offered, picking up a hairbrush from the vanity unit as Golden pondered. She liked the feeling of having her hair brushed, but it was all clumped right now, it would probably hurt…but the thought of Sonatina doing it made her smile, the two often didn’t get moments alone, since usually Scout or one of the boys would spend time with her. “Okay…” Golden mumbled, Sonatina smiling and moving to sit behind her, starting slow with the top of her hair and Golden feeling how smooth and soft her strokes were, she was being deliberately gentle and slow with her. A while passed, the rhythmic brushing being the only sound, and then Sonatina began to hum. It was a slow song, but it spoke many things, a place where there was peace, a distant shore and realm where many thousands of adventures could happen, and the only thing necessary was a bit of faith, trust, and pixie dust. Encountering a knot, Sonatina didn’t try to wrangle with it with her brush, merely used a spell to untangle it, making Golden’s hair feel a lot smoother. As she continued to brush she also kept humming, it comforted Golden to hear singing from such a warm person, despite them not being blood related, both of her mums had sang to her, and she loved every song they sung, their voices echoed throughout her memory and reminded her of home, whether it be her birth mum or her new one, it didn’t matter. Once she’d completely brushed through Golden’s hair, she summoned some magical flowers and began to weave them in, like Rapunzel’s braid, and they were bright against the pale hair, giving it life, like the first flowers after a cold winter. “There…have a look.” Sonatina smiled, using a mirror to show her, and Golden gave a smile. “I like it…thank you, Mum.” she whispered, and Sonatina almost welled up, the sincerity with which she said the name hadn’t changed. “Little one…you really do see me as your mum now, don’t you?” she replied, taking Golden’s hands into her own. “Well…I was told that…my parents have a new baby…” she admitted, Sonatina’s face changing as the realization dawned on her, and she reached up to touch Golden’s cheek as the little girl welled up with tears, and wiped them away gently when they fell. “So right now, more than ever, you need me.” Sonatina finished, and Golden nodded, unable to stop the tears and just crying into her shoulder, Sonatina bringing her onto her lap and holding her close. “Golden…I know how grief feels, I know how it feels to lose people you love. But know this, no matter where you go, or how far away people might seem, we always hold our love for them in our hearts. That’s how we’re all connected, not by blood, but by the love and adoration we keep close.” she soothed, Golden feeling the words touch her heart. “I don’t know why your parents haven’t found you. But there isn’t a world in which they don’t love you anymore. They are forever holding you in their hearts…as am I.” she finished, Golden feeling her tears stopping and resting her head on Sonatina’s shoulder just a bit longer, because she felt warm and safe in her motherly embrace.

Percy and Scout had finished their art, and were now milling around the balconies, seeing various people wandering around, but nobody was really socializing in a group, and they wanted to change that. They noticed Star and Starlight flying by, playing a little game of chase, and beckoned them over. “Hey, you two, come here!” Percy whispered, and they obeyed, Percy telling them his grand plan and the two grinning mischievously, Star rubbing its little hands together in anticipation. Meanwhile, Yen Sid was in his office, searching through the memory spell and noting key details, like the girl’s hair and eye colour, as well as trying to figure out what the shadows Julius had spoke about were…he had a suspicion, considering Julius’s size and the fact they were known for working in groups, so the height would make sense…until he was suddenly seized by all seven brooms, who picked him up and marched out of the office in a rainbow, bringing Yen Sid along with them. “Oi! Hey! Whoever’s idea this was, let me go!” he called, the room being rather dark, but it was soon illuminated by Percy, who summoned a few of his lights, and Star lit up too, indicating it had a role in whatever was going on. Percy grinned, and pulled out his bell, battering it so everyone came running, there were a few groans as some people bumped into each other, Delphis swore he heard Mako crash into a chair and curse quietly, but soon everyone was assembled. “Pop quiz everyone! What is one of the best ways to relieve stress?” Percy grinned, Star illuminating Oswald, who raised his hand. “Coffee! Always helps me!” he winked, but Percy shook his head. Sonatina and Asha raised their hands. “Reading?”, “Drawing?” they asked in unison, but Percy once more shook his head. “No, no and no! But the best way to alleviate stress is…DANCING!!” he cheered, and the room suddenly lit up. Scout was there with her DJ kit, and Starlight beckoned Star forward, challenging it to a dance off, which it gladly accepted, the two dancing in rings as Percy sent up a light to act like a disco ball, and using some coloured light fixtures to turn the room pink, yellow and blue at different intervals. The two dancers finished their dance with a burst of stardust, which scattered across the room, and everyone was brought into the circle. “Me and the master next!!” Percy challenged, Yen Sid rolling his eyes. “Percy, no-” he muttered, but the Fairy Godmother came up behind him, and in two seconds flat he was there, making a fool of himself with a vigorous enthusiasm, a sight that awed everyone except very few members of the council. “Get it, Yen!!” Ambrose giggled, Yen Sid shooting him a look and casting a spell his way, so Ambrose was forced to start doing the charleston. “YEN!!! You’ll put my back out, you bloody ogre!” he yelled, both Yen Sid and Percy laughing at the sight, like father like son. The rest of the sorcerers and apprentices joined in, Mako swooping in and grinning at Aero. “I challenge you!” he smirked, poking her chest as she put her hands on her hips. “What?! Why me?!” she demanded, the little shark boy giving a toothy grin. “Because you’re a coward, you’re a lil minnow!! Blub blub Aero!!” he cackled, Aero grinning and humoring him. “Oh it is ON, baby shark!” The two began to dance in intervals, Mako using clownish moves and Aero being a lot more stylish, but Golden was clapping for both of them, her white hair actually made her stand out against the lights, and it looked as if it was changing colour with them, so she turned pink, yellow and blue too! Mickey started teaching Azurine and Asha his famous hot dog dance, whilst Oswald was having a blast shaking his butt despite Yen Sid giving him a warning look, whilst Julius was dancing with Sonatina, who was bending down and spinning around with him, much like Snow White and the dwarves. The Blue Fairy twirled Percy around, which made him giggle like a little boy, and Merlin was absolutely killing it, though it was likely his knees would regret it the next day. Aurora and Delphis crossed the dance floor, Delphis giving Frill and Luma spins, and Mantra and Bee serenading their queen with her own spins, until they finally came face to face. “Ciao bella…let us dance!” Delphis smirked, waggling his eyebrows and causing the spirit of the sky to blush, despite their years together, he still melted her heart with his stupid flirting. Pulling a rose out of nowhere, he put it between his teeth and they began to dance, Scout changing the music to something slightly more romantic to fit the mood. She learned into the microphone on her kit. “Oh yeah, you guys are killing it, sweeping that dance floor even cleaner than the brooms on National Cleaning Week! No offence everyone, you’re all super!!” she cheered, everyone clapping for their talented DJ, she’d clearly learned a lot from Tyke, and it made them wonder if perhaps the two of them might find themselves dancing one day just like this. Scout then turned, feeling a tap on her shoulder, Yen Sid stood there, grinning. “Hey kiddo, why don’t you join them for a bit? Let me take the reins of DJ?” he offered, Scout almost snorting at the thought. “YOU?! As the DJ?! Ha, you really think you can handle it?” she challenged, Yen Sid smirking. “Trust me, your old man knows…a thing or two about dance parties. With a wave of his hand, Yen Sid’s blue robes transformed into a teal 80s suit, stars and moons all over it and a pink feather boa around him, as well as a feathery headband rivalling Aurora’s and star-shaped glasses! Scout felt her jaw drop, and Yen Sid took her chin, gently pushing it up. “Told ya.” he grinned, and gently nudged her aside, Scout unsure whether to cringe or cheer at this point. “Hoookay…did NOT see that coming…” she huffed, blowing all the air out of her cheeks and going to join Percy, who was swaying side to side and she matched his moves. “What can I say? Our master’s been around many years! He’s bound to know many things!” he replied, Scout nodding. “And still surprise us, clearly!” Sonatina walked over, and started up a little boogie dance back to back with her daughter, Percy casting a spell on the room to forever seal the scene into his photo album, he spotted his little lumen dancing with her brothers, she was twirling with both hands above her head, mimicking a ballerina, and there was an adorable smile on her face, it looked for a moment like her hair was back to normal in the light, though of course it was just a trick of his lighting, but he was happy to see it, and happy to see her happy. Aero bumped into him, making them chuckle, and then turned back to Mako. “See, what’d I tell ya? I’m brilliant! I’m no coward!” she grinned, the shark rolling his eyes playfully. “Okay, I’ll give your boogie credit, but your shimmy? Meh, it could use a little work.” he smirked, Frill poking his back and making him jump slightly. “Well then why don’t you try it out then, mister ego-so-big-it-could-explode-the-sun?” she giggled, Mako putting a hand on his hip at her sass. “Nah, it’s not my thing! I’m more of a rumba guy, you wouldn’t catch me doing any- Oh COME ON, NOT FAIR!!” he yelled, as Star sprinkled some stardust down onto him and he moved to the center of the dance floor involuntarily, and immediately shimmied. All eyes were on him, and there was a loud ‘oooooh’. “Ugh, fine!! I’ll do this one time! Might as well bring this party to a whole new level.” he smirked, everyone giving him a round of applause. He did a flip, and Delphis grinned, turning to Luma, whose dress was illuminating beautifully in the lights, as well as her face. “Luma, you should get him to perform at one of your concerts!” he yelled over the music, and she nodded. “I’m on it, that was MAGNIFICENT!!” she whistled, Mako going a little red but giving his signature toothy grin. “Shark WIN!!” He cried, raising a fist in the air and Delphis coming up behind him, so he fell into an embrace in his arms. Oswald had by this time had a bit too much coffee and was knocking into Julius repeatedly. “Quit it Ossie, you’ll knock me down ya idiot!!” he giggled, Oswald picking him up and over his back, causing Julius to squeal as his bent-over brother started spinning him around. Mickey gave a wave to Yen Sid and mimed a piano, and took Golden’s hands, Yen Sid changing the music slightly to be a little softer and slower, as Mickey led her to the center of the room. She felt their eyes on her, but looked at Mickey instead, into his big black orbs which she so trusted, and allowed him to lead her into a gentle waltz, she was a bit clumsy and so he let her stand on his feet, so they were dancing together, and Goldie felt her heart shine at the way he was so gentle with her, she could feel how much he cared for her and loved her, and Yen Sid signalled to Scout, moving down to join in and take Golden, supporting her and sweeping her off her feet, twirling her around and allowing her to spin him by bending down for her, it was a sight that brought tears to some of their eyes, seeing father and daughter, and brother and sister, a family who had been through terrible things, just enjoying this moment of pure bliss amid the colourful lights. Percy welled up, sniffling as the Blue Fairy took his hands and brought him into the waltz, and Aero took Mickey’s hands, soon everyone had paired up, either with a friend or family, and were all dancing together, spinning and twirling, even Scout was swaying and grabbed a photo on her phone, she saw little tears of joy in Golden’s eyes and it made her heart warm. She then laughed, though, because she saw Ambrose had been paired up with one of the brooms, and that broke the calm mood, so she changed the music back and everyone formed a conga line. Yen Sid watched as Golden left his hold, but gave him a smile, indicating she was okay, and he let her head off, deducing she was a bit tired out. Signalling Scout, they switched again and he changed the music for the little girl, letting her hear some of her favourite songs even from afar, and reminding her she was never forgotten or alone.

The party lasted for around an hour more, and then everyone went off in little groups for an early night, all except for Percy, who was still slightly giddy from the energy of the party and how much serotonin it had released in everyone, and stumbled about as if he had drank, but he had refrained from any alcohol entering the mix, it was never a good idea in his experience. Nevertheless, he noticed some of the broomies in ‘sleep mode’ in the living room, Ambrose gently snoring in one of the armchairs, and the rest of the house was quiet, but he noticed one light on from under the door. Zooming in as a light, he noticed Golden reading, and transformed. “Oh, being a night owl, little Lumen?” he asked, startling her awake as she’d just been dozing off, reading that same book about the soldier and the ballerina, it truly was one of her favourite stories, evident by how well-thumbed the pages were. “Huh?! Wha- WHO’S THERE?!” she yelled, before Percy de-transformed, gently putting a hand on her shoulder. “Oh, Lumen! It’s alright, only ol’ Percy! I’m so sorry if I startled you.” he whispered, Golden looking down slightly, and Percy smiling, climbing onto the edge of the bed. She’d just reached the end of the book, and put it down on her nightstand, snuggling up under the covers. She was already in her pyjamas, and she’d kept her little plait, but the flowers were now on her bedside, having been carefully plucked out by Starlight before the little glowworm had fallen asleep. Noticing she was looking a bit ashamed, Percy put his big hand over hers reassuringly. “Aww Lumen, I didn’t mean to frighten you, I can see you’re a tad jumpy.” he spoke, Golden nodding slightly. “I’m…so tired, Percy… whenever I close my eyes I see all their faces…I want them to go away…” she shuddered, Percy looking pitiful and moving up next to her, careful to avoid knocking Starlight’s hammock with his head. “Lumen, oh I know it hurts, but you’re not alone, we all love you… would you like a hug?” he offered, Golden peeking up from the blanket and nodding, leaning over to him and looking a little sad, but she always loved his hugs, they were warm as a summer day, and made her feel safe and secure. He wrapped his arms around Golden, and gently patted her head. “Aww…it’s okay. Things are going to be much better now, I promise. We’ll have a new adventure, we can help Julius together, eh?” he encouraged, Golden rubbing her arm and looking a little guilty. “Hmm…I don’t know anymore… I mean, I wanna help Julius but…I don’t wanna go through any of that again, I’m still so scared!” she cried, Percy taking a breath and holding her hands. “Okay, okay, calm down…sorry, I’m probably being a bit too quick. We’ll give it…two weeks, okay? What do you say? We don’t have to do anything you don’t want, and if you don’t want to go anywhere even after those two weeks, nobody will force you. We don’t have to leave anywhere yet, we’ll all be right here and we’ll have our new adventure whenever you’re ready.” he coaxed, Golden looking down. “I don’t know when I’ll be ready again…” she admitted, but Percy just gave his usual understanding smile, tilting her chin up to look at him. “You’ll know in your own time, my dear. Now, let’s get some sleep, you need it now. You’ll soon catch up again to how things were, I promise. Even miracles take a little time.” he smiled, ruffling her hair and making her giggle slightly, thanks to Sonatina it was no longer cold nor sore, and she felt at home again. Percy gave her a small kiss on the forehead, and tucked her in, waving her goodnight and zipping up to the Observatory like a little comet. There stood Jiminy awaiting him, he looked a little tired but happy all the same, and Percy felt fond of the place, he felt like he was one with the stars here, and fancied he could spot Dawn on the horizon, with a little group of Space Campers. “A lot has happened, Jiminy.” Percy began, Jiminy nodding and sitting down on the edge of the balcony, swinging his legs. “But I’m okay. My feelings exist here and now, as they should, but letting them sit has helped. I’ve felt such a love for her since the day we met, and I’m so glad she’s back with us. My little lumen…” he smiled, reaching a hand out for the stars as if he could touch them, as if she herself was amongst them, his bright little star. “I wish…for everyone to be happy.”

In another room, Star gently nudged Aero awake, who groaned and stirred slightly, culminating in it plopping on her face like a blobby pancake over and over, and sprinkling stardust until she awoke with a sneeze. “Huh…Star? Is it morning or somethin’?” she groaned, but Star shook its head, nuzzling her cheek with a tiny squeak. “Thanks…” Aero yawned, getting up and putting on her dressing down, wandering through the halls with Star as a little light to guide her. Peeking into Golden’s room, Aero rested her head on the doorframe, she looked so peaceful now, and the sight made Aero smile. “Sleep well, bestie.”