Part 8: Lost, Found and Loved

Two weeks had passed, and Mickey was strolling about the halls one morning, quite early. He noticed a couple of the brooms lolling about, they didn’t look to be getting to work, so he rubbed his hands together. “Chop chop, brooms!” he cackled, the brooms suddenly jerking up and running off in a panic, Mickey giggled mischievously, he wasn’t above teasing them, especially since they’d caused such a mishap all that time ago. He heard his brothers get up, they were wearing their pyjamas and Ossie had a nightcap over one eye, which Mickey gently adjusted. “Morning!” he whispered, Julius giving a little mew and smiling sleepily, Oswald turning on the coffee machine and making himself a mug. “What’s got you so chipper this morning?” Oswald murmured groggily, stirring a spoon in his mug. Mickey could only giggle. “Well, it’s not usual for just us three to be up first. What do you say we go see dad? He might be too tired to scold us if we go and tease him, and we’d get off scot free!” Oswald paused on sipping his coffee, which was still dark since he was too impatient to add in the milk, his eyes pondering over to Julius, who couldn’t hide his grin. “Really Mickey? On poor ol’ dad?” he snickered, Mickey gave him a playful wink. “What’s the worst that could happen? He’ll likely just make us do all the broomies’s work for a week, which wouldn’t be fun considering my birthday is coming up…hmph! Regardless, I think we ought to have a laugh, like we used to when we were younger!” Oswald put down his third mug, already finished and refreshed. He held up his hands with a perfectly curved smile.” You won me over, I never say no to mischief.” he stated, following behind Mickey and Julius as the former giggled softly as they tip-toed up the stairs and toward Yen Sid’s study. The old sorcerer’s door was once again ajar, he must have forgotten to shut it since he was in a bit of a hurry to get here after bedtime. Peeking in, the boys leaned on each other and poked their heads through, seeing Yen Sid asleep at his desk, fast asleep with his head in his hand, which looked to be slipping from underneath. Julius was worried about his dad’s posture, but Mickey and Oswald were trying not to burst into giggles as they crept in. Reaching his side, Oswald started thumping his foot on the floor at a rabid fast speed thanks to his toon logic, while Mickey had built up enough breath to holler. “WAKE UP DAD!!” Yen Sid’s eyes snapped open immediately as he jolted awake and almost slipped out of his chair, luckily grabbing onto the arms to steady himself but not before knocking off an empty mug from his desk that Julius sprung in and caught dramatically, and placed it delicately back on the desk. “Boys…what are you doing?” Yen Sid groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as he finally awoke and feeling a little stiff. “Go back to bed, this instant!” But the boys just laughed again, Mickey began to clamber up on Yen Sid’s lap and wrapped his arms around his torso, holding him in a hug. “It’s morning, you silly goose!” he grinned, staring up at his mentor. “Hmm, wait…morning?” Yen Sid faltered, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes and looking down at Mickey, smiling as he began to cradle the cheeky mouse. “So it is. Goodness, I must have been up for hours last night…Ambrose shall surely reprimand me.” He started to nuzzle his beard on Mickey’s forehead and lightly tickle his tummy, making him laugh and pull at Yen Sid’s beard. “Hehehe! Dad!” Mickey giggled, wriggling in his father’s gentle arms. “Hehe! What were you even doing up so late, anyways?” Yen Sid sat up a little, letting out a tired yet content sigh. Mickey noticed his eyes had some circles under them that weren’t a sign of age. “To tell you the truth, I was…looking back at some of the memories.” Yen Sid told him. “Julius’s in particular, he asked me if I would take a look when I have a moment.” Oswald frowned suspiciously, tapping his foot and crossing his arms. “Hmm, a moment that almost became a whole night!” he huffed. Yen Sid reached his hand to Oswald’s head, pacifying his mood by slowly scratching his fingers between his ears, making his rabbit son thump his foot from the stimulation. Julius shrunk his shoulders a little. “Did you find anything, dad?” he asked, playing with his sleeve out of nervousness. Yen Sid looked at him with a warm smile, letting Mickey get down from his lap and offering him his hand to hold. “Well Julius, I can assure you there’s some good news.” he said, earning a bright eyed smile from Julius as he bounced on his feet. “Let’s all have breakfast first, and then we’ll talk. We will need the energy for today, if you all fancy a little excursion later?” The boys all let out gasps of excitement with Oswald punching his fist into the air and whooping, running ahead of Yen, Mickey and Julius, who was slowly walking behind the master of the house, fidgeting nervously with the front of his dressing gown as he looked up at him with hopefulness in his eyes. “Where exactly are you going on this excursion? Does it…relate to my memories?” Yen Sid turned back to Julius, using his free hand to pet Julius and make him purr happily. “Perhaps it does…” he chuckled softly. “I recognised the forest where you two went in one of them, and I thought we’d go look around there later today. There may even be clues out there that might help us find your friend.” Julius felt a mixture of emotions, excitement, worry, curiosity, all stirring inside his chest as they reached the kitchen, where the broomies had swept the floor clean and made it sleek and shiny in the morning sun and were preparing a variety of breakfast meals on the stove. Percy was standing by the window, looking dishevelled for he hadn’t long gotten up, he was still in his pyjamas, as well as his dressing gown and slippers and his sideburns were uncombed. He tried to pour the water from the kettle into his cup, but his hand was shaky and he grunted as it almost spilled. The boys all took their seats at the table, while Yen Sid moved to Percy’s side and took the kettle from him before he could accidentally burn himself. “Let me do that, Percy.” he chuckled. Percy looked as cranky as a lion with a thorn in its paw. “Master, I did NOT sleep…” the light man glowered, taking the now brewed tea from Yen Sid. “And I’m Percy! I always manage to get eight hours of sleep until now. I saw the sun rising and I swear it LAUGHED at me!” The boys all exchanged glances of amusement, Oswald held himself back from snickering as a broomie handed him a cup of coffee. “Huh…and I thought I was cranky in the morning…” he whispered to Mickey and Julius as they all giggled, Percy rolling his eyes as he downed his cup of tea in one gulp. Oswald continued to speak to Julius. “Y’know Julius, I think a little adventure in the forest sounds fun! I’m up for it!” Julius’s ears twitched, he felt a little uncertain still. “Fun…I don’t know. It’s been a long time and…” Mickey reached out to pat his brother on the back, giving an encouraging smile. “Aww, I’m sure it’ll be alright. Ya just gotta have hope, I’ll be there, Oswald will be there, we’ll all be there! We’re a family in the end and we’ll stick by each of us!” Julius began to feel a little relaxed, returning a smile to each of his brothers as Yen Sid and Percy took their seats. The soft sounds of slippered feet came down from the stairs as Scout ascended to the kitchen, holding onto Golden’s small hand, the younger girl was keeping her shoulders wrapped up in her bedsheets. “Golden…hey you okay?” asked Julius, turning in his chair and focusing all his attention on her. Golden lifted her weary eyes. “I had a scary dream…” Everyone’s eyes were now on Golden, her hair was  still a sharp white, standing out from the rest of her. Scout helped her to walk over to the table, where she lifted the girl and sat her on Yen Sid’s lap. “She ran into my room in the early hours of this morning.” Scout explained, sitting down beside Oswald. “I let her stay with me after I helped her calm down. I’m glad…she still sees me as me…” she whispered the last part softly to herself, feelings of guilt still swam inside from that dreadful night, she feared Golden would no longer see Scout as the cool, warm and talented big sister she always was to her, she was glad those fears were nothing but bad intrusive thoughts. Yen Sid started stroking Golden’s white hair and parted it behind her neck. “What was your bad dream about, Lunula? It might help you if you tell us.” Golden looked up at him, leaning gently against him as she gently scratched his beard. “I kept seeing that night.” she whispered sadly, her shoulders tensing. “I see them and…it just repeats. As if I’m there again.” The air in the room shifted, even the broomies stopped what they were doing to look at Golden. Oswald sighed softly and took Mickey’s hand, who could only look at his sister sadly, while Julius became quiet. Yen Sid gave Golden a gentle yet protective squeeze as she recalled her nightmare. “Shh, at ease my love.” he hushed, continuing to stroke her white hair. “You’re here, at home with us, all safe and protected from any danger. That terrible night only remains in the past now, and won’t torment your dreams anymore.” Golden nestled further into Yen Sid’s robes, keeping as close to him as possible to feel his warmth and forget her nightmare. Percy straightened up his sideburns, trying to not let his heart ache from the thoughts of that night and what Golden had to endure, the past few nights she seemed herself, yet she couldn’t avoid the nightmares that would unleash, sending her back to being a quiet, docile girl who jumped at the sound of a door opening, it was terribly unfortunate. He beckoned over one of the broomies and whispered it to, it quickly zipped over to the bread basket by the stove and took out a chocolate croissant, placing it on a plate next to Golden on the table. “Here, Lumen. Nothing a little breakfast can’t fix.” he told her kindly. “It’s one of your favourites! The broomies know you all too well, don’t they?” Golden lifted her head up a little to see the croissant on the plate, at that very moment her stomach gave a soft rumble, making her turn red in the cheeks as if she had given her thanks. Everyone chuckled softly at this as she reached for the croissant, taking a tiny bite and savouring the sweet chocolate taste. “Mm, thanks Percy…and thanks broomies! Umm…I was wondering and…y’know what you said about helping Julius, Percy?” she spoke in a small voice, both Percy and Julius perking up at her question. “Yes, I remember, Lumen. I said…we’d give it two weeks to think about?” he couldn’t help but grin, Golden’s memory was sharper than ever. She nodded to him. “Well, I wanna help him too, he deserves all the help he can get! He’s always been there for me, so I wanna be there for him, I…I don’t wanna think he’d be alone, I know how that feels…” Their hearts sank slightly at hearing Golden’s words, but Yen Sid gave a more encouraging and warm smile as he continued brushing his fingers through her locks, smoothing it out from her bedhead. “Golden, I think that’s very brave of you to want to help you brother, it’s just like you to do that.” he told her, gently and playfully tapping her on the nose, making her smile a little. “Remember, if there’s something you don’t want to do or somewhere you don’t want to go, it’s up to you, no one is making you do anything. And if you want to, then we will be right there with you.” Golden looked up at her dad, putting her tiny hand over his big one that rested on her cheek. “Dad…I would be glad to help Julius, and take the adventure.” She turned to smile at Julius, who felt a deep warmth in his chest. He turned his eyes down slightly as they began to well up. “Aww, Goldie…” he whispered as softly as he could. Percy stood up, sounding triumphant. “Alright! Today is the call to adventure! Everyone, we set off after a hearty breakfast! Then we must get prepared in our best travel gear, let’s go broomies, chop-chop!” He clapped his hands, the broomies scattered, leaving the kitchen broom free! Percy was almost lost for words at what just happened and that he might have to finish making breakfast for everyone now. Mickey burst into giggles and slapped his forehead at what he just saw. “Oh Percy!!” he laughed joyfully. “I already did that this morning, you can’t say chop chop to the broomies, haha!” 

By mid morning, everyone had their fill of breakfast and were letting themselves settle before going to get their travel clothes and other items, the broomies were washing the dishes and cleaning up the rest of the kitchen. The light of the sun was now bursting through the window and lit up the house. It was a rather beautiful morning, with some clouds hiding a little bit of the sun and a gentle breeze made the remaining autumnal leaves dance. Rubbing the light from her eyes, Golden sat next to Julius, who was looking a bit full from all he had eaten, but he would have enough energy for the day’s outing. Golden gently tapped his arm. “Today’s the day we find your friend!” she grinned enthusiastically. “Aren’t you excited?” Julius’s eyes lowered, but not in a sad way, more of an appreciative shimmer in the highlights of his eyes. “Awww, Goldie…I feel so grateful, even though it’s scary. I’m just glad you’ll be there.” he said in a soft voice, Golden shot him a sly smirk. “Ha, I can handle a little adventure!” she proclaimed bravely before her grin faltered slightly. “As…as long as no villain is trying to kill me again, hehe…” She gave a quick side eye to Yen Sid, who was unfolding his travelling cloak and looking right at her, his signature eyebrow lifting in response to her. He gave a soft chuckle as a way to lift any tension in the air. “Villains, Lunula?” he smirked. “Now where in Lumos would you get an idea like that?” Golden rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips in a mock stance, much like her father would do at times. “Golly! I wonder where?” she gasped in a dramatic fashion. “Maybe it’s the fact that last time I caught I was-” Her bed blanket was suddenly swiped from her, Julius suddenly wrapping it around and rolling her up in it despite her small protests. Once he was done, he stood above her as she lay all bundled up in the blanket, grinning cheekily. “Hahaha! You look like a little burrito, Golden!” he giggled, Golden glaring up as she peered over the blanket. “Hehe, and who are you calling ‘little?’ eh?” Julius leaned down a little closer, his grin widening. “Why you of course! You’re the smaaallest, teeeeniest tiniest little baby bean we’ve ever had! Ever since you were five and lived here with us, you were always such an adorable little bean that melted our hearts!” Golden burst from the blanket and wrapped her arms around Julius, pulling him into the blanket with her and rolling on the floor so they were both in a ‘blanket burrito’, Golden gently kneading her knuckles into Julius’s head, making him laugh as he mewed. “Just you wait, big brother!” Golden giggled mischievously. “One day, I’ll be the tallest member of the family, even taller than daddy or the Christmas tree last year! And then if anyone ever called me small I’d show ‘em! I’ll be a superhero sorcerer, mwahaha!” The two of them rolled around on the floor until they stopped at Yen Sid’s leg, to which he bent down to unravel the two of them from the blanket, it put a warm smile on his face to see Golden and Julius playing together and looking joyful. Percy stepped into the kitchen, fixing his hat as the broomies were brushing down his neatly pressed travelling coat and trousers, both a deeper shade of purple from his usual robes. “A superhero, Lumen?” he grinned, having heard the playful proclamation a moment ago. “Well, every superhero needs a good name, just like the ones in our favourite storybooks!” He gave the two youngsters a hand to help them up, just as Yen Sid slipped on his own travelling cloak. The master sorcerer gave a tiny smirk as he looked down at Golden, reaching to pat her on the shoulder. “That’s true, Percy…what kind of name would best suit you, Golden? When it comes to heroes, their names sometimes tie in with their powers.” Golden tried to think of a name, tapping at her chin as her brain itched with possibilities for a superhero name, it was a little comical as she always tried to copy the adults when they were in deep thought. Julius suddenly perked up and raised his hand. “Ooh, I got one!” he exclaimed in excitement. “What about Super Heart?” Golden, Yen Sid and Percy all stared, making Julius shrink a little, but he carried on with his reasoning. “Y’know, because you’ve got a very powerful heart? One that’s not only strong and mighty against all odds, but…it’s also super kind. You’ve got a heart of gold, Goldie! Hehe, quite literally too…” Julius hadn’t realised he had been rambling a little, his little chuckle met with a profound hug from Golden who held onto her brother tightly, just in time as Oswald, Mickey and Scout walked down and entered the kitchen, all dressed up for the day’s trip, the three of them looking at Yen Sid and Percy, both of whom looked to be melting with sentimentality. “Uhh, did we miss something?” inquired Oswald, tilting his head in confusion. Yen Sid shook his head in a good natured manner. “No Oswald, it’s alright. Golden and Julius just lifted each other’s spirits, I believe they both really needed it right now.” Julius returned the hug to his sister and patted her back, hearing her sniff a little. “I love the name!” she beamed. “Thank you Julius!” Julius gave her a quick squeeze before they parted, he looked a little teary himself, while keeping a determined smile. “Then it’s settled!” he said to her. “Okay, Super Heart, your first mission has begun, you and all of us are gonna work together and find my friend!” 

Once everyone was out the door, they were met with the warm sun on their faces, the clouds had parted now and the autumn breeze was picking up. Golden turned around to see Percy standing at the door entrance with the broomies all lined up like they were facing a captain of the guard. “Alright you planks! You’re in charge of the workshop while we are gone! Only answer to the postman and don’t let in any oddbods who might want to steal from us!” The broomies all saluted and shuffled in response, before scurrying off to get their work done upstairs. Percy chuckled at them, locking the front door of the workshop and joining the rest of the family, Golden giggled quietly behind her hand as her beloved broomies stood and listened intently to Percy’s quirky yet brilliant way of commanding them to listen, they seemed to be listening to him a lot more, if he could master that with the thimbles, it was no surprise the broomies would follow suit. Everyone walked out of the garden gates and made their way to the path toward the town, which was filled with the sound of songbirds and rustling leaves that fell from the tips of the tree branches. Once they reached the sign that signalled the entrance to the old town, they noticed several market stalls were now opening, a few people were walking about doing their morning walks and setting up work, even a few sorcerers from the council were taking their trainees and apprentices to gather groceries and ingredients for potion brewing and medicine. Upon seeing the amount of people in the town, Golden quickly grabbed her hood and pulled it over her head, not wanting anyone to see her hair, her cheeks were already burning with anxiety. “Lumen?” Percy whispered, gently patting her on the shoulder. She looked up from her hood briefly to meet his eyes. “S-sorry…I just…” She felt him squeeze her shoulder reassuringly and he smiled understandingly. “Hey, it’s alright. You don’t have to fear anything, no one in the town will judge. They all know us, and we know them. But if you’re uncertain, just stay behind me and hold my hand, okay?” He offered his hand to her, Golden slowly taking it and hid behind Percy a little just behind his leg. As they walked, Golden kept a hand on her hood to keep it up, yet couldn’t help notice that Julius looked just as nervous as he had been this morning, and felt the instinct to comfort him. Letting go of her hood, she reached out and slipped her fingers between his, rubbing her thumb gently over the knuckles. He turned to her, seeing her tiny smile from the shadows of her hood, he returned a smile to her and began to purr, which vibrated down his arm so Golden could feel it too, it relaxed her. “So, any idea where the campsite is?” Oswald asked, putting his arms behind his head casually as they walked, Julius fumbled with the collar of his puffy jacket, trying to think. “Hmm…I don’t really know if it’s still there,” he answered. “It has been a long time and…who knows if people might have cleaned it up and built new property? We might not find anything.” Yen Sid slowed down slightly, steadying his pace to walk beside Julius, his expression turning a little concerned as he felt the uncertainty in Julius’s voice. He began to pet him on the head and scritched his fingers across his soft fur, further strengthening Julius’s purring and making him paw at Yen Sid’s travelling cloak that flowed behind him. “Now Julius, there’s no need for worry.” he soothed, running a thumb over Julius’s pointy ear. “The chances of the campsite still being there is about fifty fifty, I’d say. But we will see once we get to the outskirts, I’m more than certain I recognised the area from your memories. And even if it’s not, there will be clues, a good mystery always has plenty of them.” Julius felt more at ease, continuing to purr contently under Yen Sid’s touch. He did like a good mystery, having read some with his father when he was a small kitten, remembering how not long after Yen Sid had taken him in, he’d curl up on his knee and snuggle against his stomach as Yen Sid would read to him to sooth him to sleep by the fireplace. Percy winked down at Julius, coaxing Golden out from behind his leg a little as nodded. “I have to agree! It’s an adventure! One can never say no to adventure, the world is full of mysteries, and many clues to find them. I wonder if we can solve them all…?” His inquisitive positivity brightened the air around the group, the sun emerging from behind the clouds at the exact time, making the town look a bit more lively. They passed a few houses and some shops, including the flower shop that Ambrose regularly visited, the shopkeeper was putting out a few hanging baskets on the outside of his window when he spotted the family, waving at them all and saying good morning. The smell of fresh coffee wafted from a shop two houses down, ‘The Morning Glory’ cafe that Elderflower would frequent, Oswald was often tempted to try all the flavours of coffee they had. Peeking out of her hood a little, Golden’s eyes were upon a woman hiding in the shadows, her face shrouded, yet the eyes were visible. The little girl gasped slightly, she knew the woman from before when she and Mickey once wandered through the town to search for Mum…The woman’s face appeared as she turned their way, making Golden duck away inside her hood and grip tighter to Percy and Julius’s hands, who hadn’t noticed the woman a few feet away looking at them. “Sis, you okay?” Julius mewed softly, Golden nodded her head. “Yeah…sorry Julius, the sun was a bit bright in my eyes, that’s all.” Percy sniffed indignantly, looking up at the sky and shielding his vision from the sun’s brightness, it was still low in the sky as morning turned to day. “Hmph, rude sun…” he huffed. “There can only be ONE sun and that’s me!!” Scout had to hold back a laugh, leaning forward a little down to Mickey and Oswald, who were swapping confused glances as to why Percy was seemingly declaring war on the sun. “Is he serious? You can’t fight the sun!” Scout giggled behind her hand. Mickey merely shrugged like this was a common occurrence. “It’s just Percy being Percy. We just gotta roll with it!” 

They walked further and further on, passing the inn that Yen Sid and Ambrose went alongside the rest of Master Grey’s cohort around Christmas and for little get-togethers, the very place he had met a young, lost and hungry Scout. A pang of nostalgia hit Yen Sid as they walked by, the smell of vegetable soup wafted from the window and the soft, jolly sound of music was heard from inside, it seemed like all time had stopped in there and everything was peaceful and lively. They all eventually came to a hill, it led out to the outskirts that was barricaded by the large forest, much bigger than the one not far from the castle workshop. Walking uphill, Oswald and Mickey ran ahead, playfully running through some leaves as Scout picked up a twig and inspected it, before tossing it aside to look at the growing foliage, the flowers in the bushes weren’t blooming a lot at this time of the year, but the evergreen trees looked just as beautiful and young as they were in spring and summer. By the time they were far into the forest, they stopped to take a break by a large tree, which was covered in several ropes for climbing, a tall yet empty treehouse sat atop the higher branches, and near the base was a circular wooden entrance hole, it had almost come away from the hole with age. Golden sat down next to it, curiously examining the entrance hole. She didn’t want to touch it too much and accidentally break it, not knowing exactly what was inside the lower half of the tree, though her ten year old mind couldn’t help but feel curious, maybe she, Scout and the boys could go treasure hunting down there one day. “Phew…” she sighed, relaxing against the tree, letting the weight off her feet. Julius sat down at her side, nuzzling his face on her shoulder while she petted him softly on the head. “You alright? You look tired.” he purred, massaging his paw on Golden’s leg a little. “A bit, yeah…I just need to sit down, that’s all.” Golden answered as she continued to pet him, making him purr louder as she scratched at a particularly sensitive spot on his head. Yen Sid stood beside the two, leaning against the tree. “If you like, I can carry you, Lunula.” he offered sweetly, smiling down at his young daughter and son. Golden’s mouth curved into a small smile at the thought. “Aw, thanks dad…I’m alright for now though, guess I’m not used to walking this far out after a while.” Yen Sid nodded at her answer, she looked to have felt a little better than this morning since the walk began, and felt the courage to pull her hood down and leave her white hair exposed. The fresh autumnal breeze and lush forest air filling her lungs gave her the ease and comfort she needed and helped to ease her mind. Yen Sid watched Oswald and Mickey chase each other around the area, throwing leaves at one another and laughing joyfully, Scout had begun to climb the tree and see just how high she could go, the teen hoping she could reach the very top of the treehouse. She took hold of a thick branch and hoisted herself up onto the landing, which despite its age and weather-beaten appearance remained hard and sturdy. Tilting her cap back, Scout peered out to the distance and the further end of the forest, she squinted as she spotted something further out, but it was too blurry to clarify exactly what she was seeing. “Hello!” said a familiar voice coming from uphill. Sonatina waved to the group, wearing a thick, woolly green coat over her dress and a navy blue scarf and brown walking boots. Everyone turned their heads toward her, Golden getting to her feet and quickly running over to her, Yen Sid slowly following behind. “Mama!” Golden cried as she took her hands. “We’re out on an adventure! We’re gonna find Julius’s friend, and-” Sonatina put her hand on Golden’s shoulder, giggling as she quieted the excited young girl. She knelt down at Golden’s level and gently fixed her hood that had become rumpled from leaning against the tree. “Settle down, dear.” she smiled. “I was on my way down to see you all, actually. The snow had been heavy here, and I had been working hard to clear the forest, and make sure the tree-” Sonatina’s eyes met the large tree, and her heart jumped to her mouth as she set them on Scout, who was making her way down to meet up with her. “Mum! Hold up, I’m coming! WOAH!” Scout suddenly lost her footing on a small wet patch on the tree bark, she tried to reach for one of the vines but kept sliding down. Yen Sid and Sonatina looked ready to intervene and help, but Scout leaned back and found her balance again, she looked like she was snowboarding down the tree, and with a jump, she landed on one of the roots and leapt up into the air, performing an accurately timed backflip, she spread out as she came down, with Percy rushing forward to catch her in his arms before she could hit the ground. “Woah! Careful there, little missy!” Percy playfully chastised, holding Scout bridal style as she fixed her cap that had become askew from the jump. “That was extremely dangerous, you know!” he added. Scout lifted the brim of her cap and turned it around, smirking with confidence at the light man as he began to lower her down. “Please, it was no biggie!” Scout laughed, brushing down her coat. “I can handle that stuff, danger is my middle name!” Yen Sid gave a soft shake of his head as a smile crept onto his face. “Still the same as when I met you, Scout.” he whispered softly, so only he could hear. Sonatina marched up to her daughter, inspecting her to see if she scuffed or hurt, a typical motherly reaction. “Percy IS right, young lady.” she sighed, her hands on her hips. “I’m not going to tell you what to do, but putting yourself in danger is irresponsible.” Sonatina averted her eyes, staring up at the tree Scout somersaulted from, her expression softened into a warmer, lighter smile that seemed to glow fondly, like she had just seen or tasted something nostalgic, like a home cooked meal or climbed into a warm bed on a winter’s night. “Then again, I know who you get it from.” Sonatina mused with a little chuckle, Scout arched an eyebrow in response, confused as to what her mother was talking about after she had just scolded her, she thought about it, but chose to leave it aside in exchange for what she had observed from the top of the treehouse. “Okaaay mum…Well, at the very top I was able to see quite far ahead of the forest! I think I saw some kind of…patch? I’m not quite sure how to describe it.” she explained, looking to Yen Sid who stroked his beard questioningly. “Hmm, further ahead you say?” he said in a low voice. “Perhaps if we traverse there, the scenery could match up with the pictures from Julius’s memories. Let’s not waste time, the sun should be at its highest point by now.” 

They all set off, with Julius helping Golden to her feet and taking her hand as they walked together. Scout walking beside her mother while Percy stayed close to Yen Sid, staring up at the sheltering trees as the rays of the sun shone down on the dry forest. Mickey and Oswald ran ahead once more, seeing more dry leaves to run through as they laughed and spotting unmelted snow in small crevices by the roots of trees and by large rocks where the day’s light hadn’t reached them. Some bushes appeared alongside their path, looking slightly dewey and brown, in the summer they would grow lush berries, perfect for a pie or tart to bake with Sonatina, Golden hoped she could do that once they were ripe for picking, it felt like forever since the last time she spent a day baking with Mum and Percy. They soon reached an end to the path, where several plants had overgrown and looked unmaintained for nearly a year, it was a curious sight, definitely one far out in the sticks away from the main town. “Goodness, so much foliage,” said Sonatina. “I haven’t been around these parts in a long time. Does anything here look familiar, sweetheart?” she turned to Julius, who nervously stepped forward as he let go of Golden’s hand. Shrubs, moss covered rocks, remnants of ice and frost around the trees on the ground, it seemed like there was nothing at first glance, yet the area seemed so familiar to the young cat sorcerer. “I remember the path…” he uttered, his small black eyes darting in every direction. “I think…this is the campsite! Or where it used to be.” There was a hint of sadness in his voice, slowly processing the fact that the one little place he and his friend were once staying at was now no more than an overgrown area with little greenery, though that was likely due to the season. Stepping forward, Julius began looking around, focusing his eyes on everything as his family joined him, the dirt under his feet was hard and dry and surrounded by brown leaves. He started to sniff, trying to pick up anything as his eyes scanned the area, until something of a brighter colour caught his attention, he thought it was a flower, but the longer he stared, he felt something twist in his stomach. “What…?” Once he was close enough, he reached into the bush, hissing slightly as his arm caught on a twig, he pulled out something long, but worn and faded, his ears drooped and he almost fell to his knees. Sonatina approached him quickly. “Woah, careful dear!” she said, catching him before he slipped. “S-sorry! I…I found something…” Julius looked down at the item in his hands, waiting until everyone was close enough to see it. “What is it, Julius?” Yen Sid asked, kneeling down and putting an arm around his cat son, who appeared to look very small the longer he stared at the item. “It’s…her ribbon.” Julius whispered sadly. “She was wearing it when…we set up camp. You think that…?”  Yen Sid held up his hand, looking a little stern before his expression softened, effectively stopping Julius from saying anything further. “It is best we don’t jump to conclusions, my boy.” he stated, folding his hands into his sleeves upon standing back up. “I know there was a struggle here with those…things. But we don’t know for sure what happened after you ran. Her ribbon could have snagged if she fell, or maybe fell off. Don’t overthink things too much, it’ll only stress you.” His words were comforting but not convincing, at least not to Julius as his ears remained flat and his hands started to shake a little. “You’re only saying that, dad…” he croaked sadly. “She couldn’t have survived that…she was just a kid, like me! We didn’t have any magic or hand to hand combat skills! It would be stupid to think-” He was quickly pulled into a tight hug, he blinked in surprise as he saw it was Golden who initiated the embrace, her bright blue eyes were watery yet hopeful. “No Julius!” she whimpered, looking up at him. “We said we’d find her. I’m Super Heart remember? And…and Super Heart doesn’t give up! And daddy is right too, we don’t know anything yet! So please don’t give up, please?” It took everything in Julius not to start crying, he returned the hug slowly and exhaled, keeping the ribbon clutched in his paws, like he was worried it would slip away in the wind. “I don’t wanna give up.” Julius sighed with a sniffle. “It’s just hard…! I hid my feelings away for so long out of guilt, how do I find hope when it seems so lost?” Percy knelt down beside the two, bringing them a little closer to him, he gave Julius a slight ruffle around the ears, making him purr. “To start, you’re not at fault for feeling that way.” he began, his voice gentle and honeyed, very much in his therapy mode. “I felt lost before didn’t I? And we all felt the same when…ugh, that crazy witch was causing us grief, don’t remind me of her, haha! But what I mean is, hope can feel far away, but that doesn’t mean it’s gone. And we always stick by one another and make sure we reach the conclusion of what’s affecting us and fix them. We’ll find out what happened to your friend, Julius. Even if it’s not right now, maybe tomorrow or next day…But we will. And if you want to cry or vent it out, that’s fine too, okay?” Julius wiped at his eyes, deeply inhaling as he began to settle his emotions. He held Golden a little tighter and started making biscuits on her hair again, straightening some of the stray hairs that stood up after having her hood on. “I’ll…be okay. Thanks Percy.” Julius mewed. “And thanks, dad…but where do we go from here? I don’t see anything else.” Oswald stepped forward with a small smirk. “Leave that to me!” he said, hitting his chest confidently as his ears began to spin like a propeller, lifting him off the ground. “Lemme fly above, I’ll see if there’s anything around we can’t see yet!” He soared higher, reaching the treetops and barely scraping to miss their branches. He looked ahead, hovering above the tallest of the leafless trees and scanning for anything in the near distance, which looked to be nothing but a rocky footpath with various overgrown vegetation, tree stumps and a small brook. The footpath appeared to carry on, likely toward the next town, and there were no stops or houses ahead, a single bench for respite rested at the side of the path. Oswald scratched at his forehead, curious as to why there were seemingly no signs of property, unless it was overshadowed from view by a larger, more lush looking forest completely untouched by the month’s season. Lowering back down, Oswald shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head with a curious, questioning look. “Nothin’ but a long path!” he told the family of sorcerers. “I dunno if there’s anything up ahead from here, we won’t know until we start walkin’ though!” Julius looked down again with disheartenment. Mickey gave him a gentle pat on the back, giving a sympathetic smile to help comfort him. Yen Sid stroked his beard, peering up at the sky as it reached a darker shade of blue. “The sun is lowering,” he said. “Hmm…we should head back for now, otherwise it will be dark while we are out here in the forest. It’s not wise to be out here too late, and we’ll need our rest.” Percy gave a chuckle, using a bit of magic under his feet to look like fairydust, he began to hover a little as it sparkled at his shoes. “Well, if we need to rest up, I can make us all float! I’ve enough strength to carry you all!” Scout laughed at him, playfully punching Percy on the arm. “Oh please, I can handle it!” Percy gave her a quick punch back. “Haha! Well, we have been walking a while, it would save our feet some work!” Yen Sid smiled softly at their banter, before looking at his smaller and younger cohort, seeing that they were all a little tired and in need of a rest and something to eat. He turned back to the path behind them toward the town, beckoning them to follow. “Alright then, let’s head back. At least for today, we’ve found something. We’ll continue our search again tomorrow.” Julius sighed again, a little quietly to not draw attention to himself and tucked the ribbon into his pocket, closing the button to keep it safe. “Now Julius, don’t fret.” Yen Sid hummed gently, petting him on the head once again. “We’re one step closer now, and I have hope we’ll find her. We can’t search without energy and sleep, so we’ll head back for now, before it gets too dark.” Percy leapt and transformed into light, zipping to and fro around the family of sorcerers. “If it does, I’ll light the way! Haha, oh what would you do without me, eh master?” Yen Sid chuckled, letting Percy sit in the palm of his hand for a moment, gazing at him with a fatherly smirk. “What would we do indeed? Alright my boy, lead the way. The sun will set soon, we better mosey on.”

They started off back to the town, Percy floated ahead twinkling brightly, Sonatina stayed at the back with Scout and Golden, holding the latter’s hand as they trekked back. Golden didn’t pull her hood back up as they headed back to town, hoping with the light dimming no one would see her hair, she was a little bit peeved that her natural hair colour hadn’t returned yet, if it ever would at all. Something flickered in the corner of her eye, she turned her head toward the darkness on the other side of the forest, where in the deepest blue corner, a small light shimmered. Golden kept walking, but fixed her eyes on the light, it looked familiar, like she had one in her presence once before. Then it hit her, during her travels with two unsavory individuals on the hunt for the Wicked Nine, she had seen one of these before: A wisp, and yet this was her first time seeing one out in this very area where she had been before. “Ah, look!” she cried, pointing toward the wisp, everyone stopped. “Golden? What is it?” Yen Sid asked, he noticed her pointing out toward the dark trees ahead. “Did you see it? It was…a wisp! A little light thingie or creature!” Golden asserted, but as she looked back the light appeared to have faded. She looked concerned, did she frighten the little wisp? Part of her wanted to go and see if it was still there, but at the same time she wasn’t keen on going somewhere with not much light, her father would surely not let her either. “I don’t see anything.” said Scout as she tried to look. “A wisp, did you say?” Golden nodded in affirmation. Yen Sid hummed softly. “Hmm…perhaps it was. They are like fireflies, and there’s legends of them in various parts of Lumos. Some say they guide lost travelers, some say they are an omen, while others say they are just playful little beings akin to fairies and pixies, however if they could be caught and perhaps tamed, we’d learn much more about them.” Percy slowly crept up behind his master, mischievously tapping him on the shoulder which made a twinkling sound. “Am I a wisp, master?” he asked jovially. Yen Sid chuckled at him. “Unlikely, my dear Percy. Though wisp and fairy magic are a lot alike, your magic definitely comes from the Blue Fairy, and your other elusive family, whoever they are…you are quite an enigma.” Percy shook with a jolly giggle, floating ahead again to provide them with a beacon. “Aren’t we all?” he laughed. Yen Sid nodded. “Quite right. We believe you, Lunula. Perhaps we’ll come across them again tomorrow.” Golden pouted slightly that they didn’t see it, but glad they believed her nonetheless. Sonatina gently squeezed her hand. “We certainly will! Maybe even up close, I do live out here in these parts, so I’ve had my fair share of seeing mysterious little creatures.” Golden smiled back at her, and turned back to where she saw the wisp, wondering where it might have gone, and if there were anymore. The little one she saw last time was incredibly friendly. “I hope so, mama.” she whispered. 

From behind Yen Sid, Mickey gave a loud yawn, he was walking a little slower than Oswald and Julius beside him. “Oh, you okay there, Mick?” Oswald asked, taking his hand to help him keep up. “I’m…a little tired.” Mickey replied sleepily, rubbing at his eyes. “Are we…nearly home yet? Or is there a place to stay?” The town was just a few steps ahead, but they had to walk through it quite a bit to get back to the castle, it would be very late by then. Yen Sid contemplated on what they would do for now, and smiled as an idea clicked in his mind. “Lets stay at the inn.” he told them all. “It’s not far from here, plus we can get more time in the forest tomorrow if we are to take that other footpath. Come here, Mickey, I’ll carry you and you can rest your little head awhile.” He knelt down and waited for Mickey so he could pick him up. Mickey reached his arms up and let himself rest against his dad, snuggling closely into his shoulder and closing his eyes. “Thanks…” he smiled quietly, ready to just doze off in Yen Sid’s arms. They all walked on once more, Oswald now taking Julius’s hand, who appeared to have gone a little quiet, though the smallest of a smile appeared on his lips. Sonatina smiled too, looking down at Golden. “Golden, do you want me to carry you too?” she asked her, Golden shaking her head with a gentle motion. “It’s okay, mama. I’ll be okay.” she answered, her eyes shining in Percy’s shimmering light as she held Sonatina’s hand a bit tighter for comfort. “But thank you, I’ll…tell you if I’m sleepy…” Sonatina nodded her head, she wondered if Golden was being honest and was feeling fine or just trying to hide it, for what reason the older woman didn’t know, but hoped it wasn’t for Golden feeling bad or guilty about needing help. She wanted to ask further if she was alright, but soon they were all out of the forest, reaching the town once again. By now, the mighty light of the great moon hovered above them. “What a fascinating place this forest is.” said Percy, stopping in midair as he looked back at the dark trees, his voice soft and wistful. “I do hope we can explore much further sometime. It feels familiar, though I can’t quite place my finger on it.” Yen Sid nodded in understanding, his instinct told him exactly what was going through Percy’s mind. “Yes, it’s all quite interesting, Percy.” he hummed. “The forest is home to all sorts of mysteries, and many of the old stories take place in them, including one about two women who never believed they’d cross paths, and things changed greatly afterwards.” Golden looked up with interest, as did Sonatina, who looked awestruck almost. “What is this story, exactly Yen Sid?” she asked, curiosity etched in her voice. Yen Sid chuckled. “A humble wanderer with wit and a spear, and a lady with a noble heritage, I hear it was a true story. I believe the book is somewhere in the council library, it was one of Master Grey’s personal favourites, he said it reminded him of himself and an old friend.” Julius stepped ahead of everyone else, and walked beside Yen Sid, trying to avoid his own paws aching as they neared the inn. “Could you tell us once we’re inside, dad? It could be a bedtime story before-Ahh!” He collided with something suddenly, or someone. Julius toppled backwards against Yen Sid’s leg, who bent over to steady while keeping a hold of Mickey. “Julius, you alright?” he asked, urgently checking that his son wasn’t hurt. “I-I’m fine!” Julius yelped, getting up and seeing exactly who he had bumped into, Percy quickly navigated over to help shed a little light on the situation. Julius continued as he took the other person’s hand. “I’m so sorry, I got distracted and I…wait…Fanny?!” Rubbing her head, a tall and pretty rabbit blinked in the light, seeing Julius staring back at her. She quickly forgot about falling over and smiled at him. “Julius, long time no see!” she grinned, offering him a hug, making Julius mew and purr in response. “Y-yeah, hadn’t seen you since our Nation date after Goldie’s birthday, hehe! What are you doing out here so late?” Fanny released from the hug and pointed toward the inn, which was only a few steps away. “I was going to the inn, I have a friend who works there and she offered me to stay whilst me and the girls are working on our new shop! She was very kind to let me stay, and it’s closer so I don’t have to travel too far…are you all doing the same?” she gestured toward them all, noting Yen Sid carrying a now sleeping Mickey in his arms, the sorcerer nodded in confirmation. “Indeed we are, my dear. We are out in search of someone, a friend of Julius. Our clues are out there in the forest, we’ve found one so far.” Fanny saw the look in Julius’s face as he put his hand over his pocket where the ribbon was tucked in safely, he almost looked lost, the thoughts of what happened to his dear friend continuously playing in his mind. Fanny felt her instincts stir, and she took Julius’s hands into hers. “Come inside.” She led them to the inn, gently pulling Julius along much to his surprise, his cheeks were warm before they even passed the doors to the inn. Fanny turned back to Julius. “If you need help, let this be the first thing I offer, you can stay here! I’m sure Hilda will find a room for you all!” The inside of the inn was warm and glowed in a cosy, yellow light, as if Golden’s heart was lighting up the whole building. Fanny marched up to the reception, which still looked as old-timey as ever with its wooden walls and desk, behind it, a large yet kindly hippo lady stood with a book full of people’s names who had checked in and out, adjusting her glasses she spotted Fanny at the front of the desk. “Hmm? Oh Fanny, you made it!” she greeted, putting her book down and handing the young rabbit a quill. “I was gettin’ a little worried with how late it was gettin’.” Fanny wrote down her name, smiling gratefully at her friend before turning to the others waiting behind her. “Of course, I’m very thankful Hilda. Yen Sid and his family need to stay here tonight too…is there a room for all of them together?” Hilda looked over Fanny, looking at the family of sorcerers and counted them off as she began to think, with Julius giving a slightly shy wave to her. “Hmm, I might just have a room for you all!” smiled Hilda. “Just sign your name and check in, okay? Then I’ll lead y’all upstairs to your room, just leave it to ol’ Hilda.” Yen Sid nodded and gave his thanks, turning to Scout and handing her Mickey as he went to the desk, checking them all in until the next morning, as well as booking a breakfast table for them. Once he was done, Hilda opened a drawer and took out a key labeled with a door’s number, and gestured for them all to follow her. Golden kept her hand tightly onto Sonatina’s as they went up the stairs, lit up with gentle candles that gave it a homely feel, perfect for the comfort of the guests that stayed here. The walls between each door were decorated with paintings, some of figures of history, storybook characters, one that stood out the most to Golden was a painting of the great moon, her eyes fixed on it as she walked, eventually bumping into Oswald as they halted at their door. “Oof! Watch it!” he scolded gently, whispering to not wake the guests in the other rooms, making Golden scowl at him. Hilda handed Yen Sid the keys to their room, A113, and wished them a goodnight before heading back down. Fanny took Julius’s hands again and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll be in the opposite room, see you all in the morning! We’ll start off first thing after breakfast!” As she skipped off, the others couldn’t help but notice Julius’s expression, how his white fur had turned bright red within an instant. Golden snickered softly behind her hand, while Oswald and Scout were holding back everything not to laugh. “Are you blushing, Julius?” Oswald laughed, unable to hold it in. Julius gave him an irritated side eye. “You look like you’ve seen catnip!” giggled Scout as she held tightly onto Mickey, who wasn’t disturbed by her giggling, he was clearly very tired. “Oh be quiet, you two! Oswald, you’re married and Scout? I’m preeeetty sure you’ve got a crush yourself!” Julius retorted, smirking widely at his sister. “Tyke, was it?” Scout’s cheeks turned bright themselves. “H-hey! Not so loud, Julius! Besides we’re…just friends, okay?! Jeez…” Sonatina chuckled quietly and ushered the young ones inside the room. “Now now…” she soothed. “Come on, let's get inside and get ready. I’m starting to feel tiredness seep in myself…” Yen Sid watched as they all stepped inside and closed the door behind him, setting the keys on a hook by the door. Percy transformed back into a man and flopped back onto the bed which he bounced on like a trampoline. “Wheee haha! This is fabulous!” He laughed like a child. Oswald raced Golden to another one of the beds, trying to force her off with his foot until she pulled off his tail and threw it at him. Scout gently set Mickey down on the bed closest to the door, he stirred a little and woke up, blinking in confusion at his new environment. “Huh? Is it morning?” he asked blearily, Yen Sid affectionately petted his ear. “No, just the town’s inn, Mickey.” he said gently, watching Mickey yawn. “This is our room, quite cosy isn’t it?” Mickey looked around, rubbing his eyes and getting a better look at the place, to which he nodded in agreement and proceeded to flop back onto the bed, already very comfortable, it was a sight that made Yen Sid chuckle lightly. Golden sat beside Oswald having finally pushed herself up onto her bed and settled, wanting to fall asleep as soon as possible as she leaned against her brother who started petting her white hair. “Hmm…there’s only six beds.” she said, looking across the room. “How will we all sleep?” Percy stood up from his bed. “Not a problem!” he chortled. “I’ll simply sleep upside down, like I do in the Observatory! In fact, I prefer it that way, at least when I can use my seven blankets.” Scout couldn’t help but snicker at his eccentric comment. “Seriously, doesn’t sleeping upside down make all the blood rush to your head? It sounds super uncomfortable.” Percy just shook his head, keeping his smile. “Ohoho my no! In fact, I read it’s good for the brain, all that blood rushing around makes you think harder and remember more! Why do you think I do it?” Oswald gently nudged Golden in the ribs, getting her attention. “That sure explains a lot, eh?” he whispered to her, making her giggle. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that, young rabbit!” Percy retorted, floating up to the ceiling and already getting into a sleeping position, he quickly reached into his robe pocket and took out a bag the size of his palm, using a bit of magic to resize it back to normal and letting it float down to Yen Sid. “Everyone’s things are packed away in here! Yes, I always come prepared. Take a look inside.” Once it was its normal size again, Yen Sid unclipped the top and opened it, and out flew several pairs of pyjamas as well as Gelatoni who landed safely into Mickey’s arms, pleasantly surprising him and gave his little cat teddy a hug, while something else rose up that caused the pyjamas to scatter. “Wah! It sure was dark in there, and so many pairs of sleeves!” It was Starlight, who stretched and flexed her arms back into shape as she noted her new surroundings. Golden gasped at her appearance. “Starlight!!” she cried, reaching up to grab her. “You were with us the whole time! I thought you were up in the skies?” Starlight shook her head, nuzzling into Golden with great affection, nothing beat being held by her. “Where you go, I go!” she beamed. Percy chuckled warmly. “I did say I came prepared, and I wasn’t going to leave little Starlight. I was going to wake her, but she was in such a deep sleep in her hammock that it proved difficult, so I simply placed her in the bag ready for the journey!” Golden held Starlight closer, patting her hat gently as she felt a sense of home and familiarity from just hugging her. “I’m glad, my bed wouldn’t be the same without you.” Golden cooed, Starlight gave her an affection boop on the nose. “I always have been, haven’t I? I’ll always be there to give you comfort to help you sleep better.” Yen Sid chuckled warmly at their interaction. “I understand your feelings, Lunula…” said Yen Sid in a soft tone. “Being away from home can feel a little strange at times, I used to feel that way at times in my youth. A better way to look at it is thinking of it like a little holiday or an adventure, knowing you’ll have plenty of fun before you are ready to return home.” Golden looked at her father intently, before looking around the room of the inn as his words sank in. Things felt so uncertain for a while, but not now, it felt warm and hopeful, and she wanted to achieve what this outing started for in the first place. “You’re right, dad…it’s strange but, not terrible! Do you think it could be fun?” Yen Sid gave a nod. “More than certain, I’ve had my fair share of adventures that turned out fun.” He winked at her, passing everyone their newly folded pyjamas. “Indeed! And what would an adventure be without family and friends by your side?” grinned Percy, taking his pyjamas and transformed into light, swiftly jumping into his pyjamas and de-transforming back into himself, fully clad in his nightshirt and cap. He waited for everyone to come out of the washroom at the corner of the room to dress for bed, Sonatina and Scout shared a bed with one another to make up for the amount of beds, the chance to spend a night in each other’s presence was always welcome between them. Mickey held Gelatoni as he took the bed closest to Yen Sid, while Golden was sandwiched in the middle between Oswald and Julius, wanting to be close to Julius, who was staring up at the ceiling as he settled into bed, his mind still very much awake, unlike Starlight who had quickly fallen asleep in Golden’s arms. Percy clapped his hands and the lights all went out. “Well, goodnight! And sweet dreams everyone!” 

The whole inn was quiet, aside from the few soft snores from some of the guests. Starlight occasionally talked in her sleep, mumbling something about a warrior trying to slice a banana split dessert with a sword, or about the broomies stealing everyone’s shoes, why would they even need them? Mickey made soft snuffles as he slept, dreaming of something delightful that was making him titter. Golden slept through it all, all the walking and traversing through the forest had worn her out. Despite her fear of any impending nightmares that might occur about that night, she at least had her family around her, and Starlight right beside her would ward off anything scary, so sleep came easy to her. Soon, the dreams started, but it was surprisingly pleasant, it was the forest. The trees were lush and green as it was summer, and the air was cool on Golden’s face. There was just the sounds of leaves, and bird song, and also a voice. A voice Golden knew too well. “Hello?” Turning her head, there was someone before her, confusing a little bit at exactly who it was. “A wisp?” she uttered, the little creature twinkling at her in reply. “You sounded like…Julius. What’s going on?” Then the voice of her brother called out again, more alert and afraid this time. “Hello?! Anyone!?” The wisp twinkled again, signalling for Golden to follow it, leaves crunched under Golden’s feet as she went after it, quickening her pace as the wisp became faster. “Help! Please help!” The voice of Julius got louder, worry bubbled in Golden’s chest as she ran. Tall, foreboding trees replaced the fresh, brightly coloured green ones the further she carried on after the wisp, with a terrible feeling of dread that made the hairs on her neck stick up, the feeling of being chased by something, yet Golden dared not look back. “Julius? Julius it’s Goldie! Where are you?!” She kept running, and out of impulse she turned around to check if there really was something behind her, to her surprise, there was nothing, not even in the other directions. She stopped in her tracks, feeling a sense of relief wash over her knowing there was nothing on her tail, unfortunately, upon looking forward once again, the wisp was gone. “Uh-uh, uhh…little wisp?” she uttered quietly, looking about for it. “Where did you go? This is no time for hide and seek!” She stepped forward, and instantly lost her footing and tumbled down a steep hill, yelping as she rolled down, the dirt catching on her hair and pyjamas. “Ow! Urgh, now I’m dirty…” she fumed upon stopping, she wasn’t hurt so she quickly got to her feet again. She soon realised that being dirty was the least of her worries once she set her eyes on a distressed Julius reaching out for her, an unknown black plant holding him back around the leg. “Julius!!” Golden cried out and immediately reached her hand out to grab his, but Julius pulled back. “No! Golden, run! Before it gets you!” Golden stood still, despite her fight or flight mode. “Julius…I can’t, you’re trapped! Let me help you, magic can-” The plant pulled Julius further back, the black weeds were almost encasing him, the sight of him was sending Golden into a panic, she had forgotten all her magic! “I’m not leaving you!” she shouted, unbeknownst to her, a vine reached forward and gripped her ankle. “Ahh!!” She was dragged to the ground again, being pulled in just like Julius, where was Yen Sid and the others? Why weren’t they here to help? And why was there a plant so sinister it looked like dark magic? “Help!! Julius!!” Golden yelled, using the last of her voice before she was forcibly pulled into the darkness, her face hitting something hard and solid. “Owww…!” Her eyes were open, and once they adjusted, she could see dark mahogany, her face was pressed against the floor while her legs were still tangled up in the bedsheets. “Ohh…not again…” she groaned, rubbing at her chin as she sat up on her elbows. Starlight was still muttering quietly in her sleep. “What a crazy nightmare…hadn’t seen something like that before…what…” Her low whispering went unheard, but the sound of distress was in the bed in front of her. Julius was still deep in his sleep, whimpering and grasping at his pillow, digging his claws into it enough to almost see feathers coming out. “No…no Golden…not you too…!” he wept softly. Golden leapt up and went to his bedside, sitting beside him and giving him a gentle shake by the shoulders. “Julius? I’m right here. Julius!” She managed to wake him, Julius gasped upon opening his eyes, looking like a deer in the headlights, his tail twitching in fright. “Huh? G-Golden?! How did…?” Golden smiled sweetly at him, helping him to sit up a little in bed and nestling beside him. “Nightmare, huh?” she whispered, Julius nodding sadly, his cheeks glowing with embarrassment. “I know…I’m sorry, I…shouldn’t be fretting over a darn nightmare, but after everything…” He reached up to wipe away a few tears from his eyes, Golden laid her head on his shoulder as he continued. “...I hadn’t seen that part of the forest for so long and…it brought back everything so clearly. I didn’t think it would affect my sleep pattern but…well, here we are.” Golden took his hand and stroked it with her thumb, a gesture Yen Sid would often do for her when she was smaller, a small yet loving sign of comfort and love. “I know that feeling all too well.” she said, thinking of her own nightmare she had just witnessed. “I’m sorry you got scared Julius, but it’s okay! There’s no need to be sorry, and besides, Super Heart will keep you safe and sound from any danger! Here, want to hold it?” Before he could answer, Golden carefully took out her heart, its glow and colour was warm in the dark, and its rhythm was strong and steadfast despite all the pain and destruction it had been through countless times, super heart indeed. Julius smiled softly as he took her heart into his paws, caressing it lightly with his thumb. He held it to his cheek and began to nuzzle it, purring contently as the warm glow and heartbeat began to soothe him, it was much effective thanks to it being the heartbeat of one of his relatives. “Wow…Mickey was right, sis…you really are extraordinary.” he purred, making Golden turn red and shrink a little, even if her face colour wasn’t as visible in the dark, even by the light of her heart. “Oh, ahh…oh my gosh, am I?” she stuttered, getting cosy under the covers beside her brother. “I thought I was just a regular little girl with a target on my back for some reason…” she pouted almost petulantly, as if being held prisoner and tortured and killed several times over were a minor inconvenience and she just wanted to get home and have dinner. Julius laughed, gently kneading on her hair to soothe her. “You’re way more than a regular girl, Super Heart!” he giggled. “You’re always there to help others, you make us smile and feel better, and you’re just as good at kicking villain butt as say, dad! And you’ve already helped me tonight. I feel a lot better now just by holding and feeling your heart, it’s like your heart has healing properties too. Thanks sis, you’re the best.” Golden smiled brightly and pushed her head into Julius’s hand, enjoying his touch. “It’s okay big bro, it’s the job of Super Heart after all! Can I sleep here tonight? I think I can keep away your nightmares for you, like a…like a soldier!” Julius giggled at her, pulling the covers up further and bundling her up like a burrito, while he snuggled up next to her with his arm over her. “I’d appreciate that, thank you. As much as I miss my friend and how crazy it was being back at the campsite today, well…former campsite…I think it’s gonna be okay, don’t you?” Golden shifted a little, going quiet for a little bit as Julius continued to make biscuits on her hair. “Well, I don’t know, I mean I do hope so but…it can be hard too. Ever since Magnifico took my wish and…he…um, ever since then I feel like I’ve been searching. Searching for someone to fill in the void and make what I’ve been trying to do feel meaningful again, I can’t remember the old thing, whatever it was…even at my age now, can I still look for something new?” Julius winked at her and gave her a playful ruffle on the head, making her giggle into the covers. “You’ll find it! Anyone can find a wish, a dream, a heart’s desire…it applies to all things, friends, family, and even the most abstract things…” He noticed that Golden looked a little zoned out as he went on, he wondered if he might have rambled a bit, or that she was so engrossed in what he was saying that nothing else mattered. He paused his kneading of her hair and gave it another quick ruffle. “Eek! Julius!” Golden laughed as she pushed at his paw, he took it and began to softly stroke it with his thumb now, the smooth silkiness of his fur caressing her knuckles, it was comforting to the touch. It was like he was returning the favour from a moment ago. “I have one more question…” she continued, whispering to him. “What was your friend like? The more Super Heart knows, the more Super Heart can help in finding her!” Julius looked off with a small smile as thoughts flooded back to him of the older days, they didn’t seem sad at all as he thought of them, for they were some of the most joyous memories of his life. “She…she was kind, funny, brave and imaginative. A typical little girl really, kinda like you Goldie, hehe! She loved cats, and I guess that’s why she liked me a lot, hehehe…She loved to play games like we were pretending to be characters in storybooks, we even put on these little pretend plays and she was like an actress! We did those nearly everyday, it was how we played together and…heh, weren’t those the days?” Golden nodded in agreement, enjoying Julius’s description of his old friend. “Woah, she does sound like me! I think if I met her, I’d like her a lot.” Julius nodded to that statement. “Oh, you two would be fast friends, off the bat! She was also a very mature kid for her age, always knew what to do and what to say, a problem solver! I’d always follow her lead.” Golden smiled at Julius with soft, shimmering eyes. “You’ve become a really good leader yourself.” she grinned, beaming at him. Julius looked unsure. “Oh…well I’m not really the leader type, haha…I uh…”  Golden giggled quietly against the bedcovers. “Oh yes you are! Trust me, I’ve got several big brothers and sisters to look up to, that includes you! I have faith in you, so you have to have faith in yourself.” Golden recalled her time up in the cosmos with Mickey, he too had doubts about himself, but had the courage to open up to Golden about them. Golden’s words had moved him and completely averted his bad mood from before, and his sadness within the moment had vanished, it was possible Golden didn’t realise the impact her words had on her siblings as much as they had, and were always grateful to her. She yawned sleepily as Julius started to nuzzle her forehead, keeping her tightly close to him as he held her in his arms, his paws gently kneading the fabric of the bedding. “Thanks Super Heart, I’ll try…” His whispers were as soft as a gentle kiss. “I feel better now, and…with enough faith, hehe, as well as trust and pixie dust, I’ll find her. I’ll need you all to help me do that though…goodnight.” He closed his eyes, purring as sleep set in and Golden gently brushed her fingers through his fur. “We will, and she’ll be so happy to see you…goodnight.” she delicately kissed his cheek, not wanting to wake him after he had just fallen asleep again. Laying her head back down, she fell back into sleep again as the warm security of being close to her brother was enough for her to fully let her guard down and sleep for the rest of the night, not a stir or a single nightmare disturbed them from their peaceful night’s slumber, the room was once again quiet aside from the gentle sounds of soft breathing. 

Golden opened her eyes to a soft yellow hue on the cream coloured walls of the room, blinking away her sleepiness as she turned over to see Yen Sid, already up and dressed and stirring a spoon in a cup he had just filled, the kettle in the room still steaming. “Mmm…daaad?” she droned, sitting up and stretching, Yen Sid turned to see her yawning. “Ahh, morning Lunula.” he greeted warmly, sitting on her bed with the tea in his hands. Starlight was curled on Golden’s pillow, still snoring soundly despite the movement from the bed. “I see you slept beside Julius last night.” he continued, his features softening. “Difficult night?” Golden nodded, swinging her legs over the bed and facing her dad. “Little bit. Julius had a nightmare, but…then we spent a few minutes talking and he began to feel better. In fact, I think he’s getting more confident about this little mission!” she gave a determined little pump with her arm, making Yen Sid chuckle. He reached over to pat her on the head, smoothing out her bed hair a little. “I’m glad to hear that. I’m proud of you both, and I hope that confidence boost will do Julius some good today, we’ve got quite a way to go today.” There was a twinkle from the ceiling as Percy leapt down, twirling in the light and casting a rainbow effect in the room. “Morning you two! Ahh, I slept so well last night.” he grinned, stretching his arms up above his head and giving his back a quick crack as he adjusted from his upside down sleeping position. “Phew, I could use a fresh cup myself. You didn’t perhaps make one, did you dad?” Yen Sid nodded, hovering a cup up from the nearby table with a bit of levitation magic and floating it over for Percy to take. “Indeed I did, Percy.” smiled Yen Sid. “I figured you’d want some morning tea. Umm, don’t tell Oswald but there’s no coffee.” He whispered the last part just so Percy and Golden could hear, the little girl stifling a giggle. “Oh dear…” Percy muttered humorously. “Well, we can get some at breakfast! That will fix that little problem.” Yen Sid chuckled softly, stroking his beard. “It would, but breakfast doesn’t open until eight, we have an hour left. Until then, we have some time to get up and get dressed. Golden, could you wake the boys for me?” Golden nodded, turning back to Julius to gently shake him by the shoulders. He pulled the cover up over his face a little, prompting Golden to giggle and she ruffled his head as it poked out from the top. “Wakey wakey, Julius!” she said in a sing-songy voice. Julius made a sleepy moan as he started to wake up. “Mew’ning….” he meowed, yawning widely. “Help me wake Mickey and Oswald!” Golden grinned as she took Julius’s hand and hopped off the bed. “Then we’ll see who can get dressed the fastest, race ya!” Golden went to Mickey’s bed, noticing him smile as he slept, not even disturbed by the sound of the others talking in the room just a few feet away. She gently rubbed him on the shoulder and gave his ear a little squeeze, making him squeak softly as he was roused from his sleep, Gelatoni was still tucked under his arm as he rolled over and sat up. “Mm, morning Goldie.” he said sleepily, rubbing at his eyes and seeing Oswald sit up in the bed ahead of him, who looked his usual grumpy morning self as ever, his ears looked as dishevelled as his head. “Please tell me you brewed a coffee…” he groaned, looking at Julius who merely shrugged shyly and shook his head. “Sorry Os, only tea in this room.” he giggled. Oswald let out a disgruntled moan and flopped back onto the bed, crossing his arms. “I getcha, Ossie.” said Golden as Mickey got up and went beside her. “I don’t know how anyone can stomach tea, bleh!” Percy looked ready to burst like a firework. “LUMEN!! Tea should be considered a sacred drink! I cannot believe I just heard something so…preposterous!!” Golden merely smirked, not convinced and sticking to her thoughts regarding tea, Yen Sid simply chuckled at the fact it was something that could offend Percy, but he was a tea fanatic. While Oswald laid in bed for a little bit looking slightly bothered over the lack of coffee, Julius and Mickey raced each other to the washroom and grabbed their toothbrushes, Golden took hers and glitched her way in before they could, she giggled as they both playfully accused her of cheating. “Hey! You never said anything about glitching while racing!” howled Julius. Golden shrugged as she squeezed her toothpaste onto her toothbrush. “Exactly. I didn’t say it wasn’t allowed either!” While that was going on, Sonatina got up and slipped on her dressing gown as she began to fix her hair, while Scout stayed under the warm covers, not wanting to leave the comfort of them yet. “Scout, are you awake?” asked Sonatina, who had now tied her hair into its signature bun. Scout gave a nod, tucking the covers under her chin and remaining snug, she looked like she was wrapped up in a soft cocoon. “I’m awake, but the bed has chosen me, I’ll be here awhile.” Sonatina grinned and rolled her eyes at her daughter, putting her hands on her hips. “Come on, it’s a lovely day! Don’t be a stubborn teenager, dear.” Scout cracked open an eye, seeing her mother standing above her and wondering if she should further push her or simply get up. She chose the more risky route. “I AM a stubborn teenager so I’ll act like one.” she smiled, closing her eyes again. The bedcovers were suddenly yanked off of her, surprising her and forcing her eyes to open once more and yelping with laughter as Sonatina gave her a quick tickle to the ribs. “UP child!” Sonatina chuckled, it didn't take a second for Scout to finally leap out of bed and escape her mother’s antics, almost toppling over as her feet started to get used to the weight of standing moments after waking up. Oswald was soon up himself, going in after Golden, Julius and Mickey had finished and were now dressed and ready, he himself followed by Scout and Sonatina and finally Percy, who had helped himself to a second cup of tea in the meantime. Yen Sid stood up from the bed and took the keys from the hook. “Everyone ready? We can have breakfast and meet up with Fanny before we leave.” he told the group, everyone lined up behind him, with Percy staying at the back, waving his hand with a smile. “You all go on ahead, I’ll just pack everyone’s things away in the luggage bag and I’ll join you. Save me a crumpet!” he chortled, earning a warm look from Yen Sid who handed him the keys. “Very good, Percy, see you downstairs. Come along then, everyone, our table ought to be ready now.” The group of apprentices all exited the room as Yen Sid opened it for them, shutting the door behind him and following them downstairs. As they descended the stairs there were voices and the sounds of plates and drinks clinking slightly. Upon reaching the breakfast, there were a few patrons already eating their breakfast, Hilda was having a cup of coffee as she sorted out the papers by her desk as she spotted the family come down. “Ahh there you all are!” She greeted them sweetly and approached them. “Your table is ready! My cooks will be out with your food soon…hmm, wasn’t there eight of you?” She noticed Percy’s absence, Yen Sid cleared his throat. “Ah yes, my son Percy is upstairs packing, he’ll be down in a moment to check us out. Miss Hilda, we are highly thankful to you for your hospitality, you’ve been a great help.” Hilda gave a gentle wave of her hand before putting it over her heart as she led them to their table. “Think nothin’ of it, it’s why I work here, anyone and I mean anyone is welcome here under my roof. Here you are dears, and have a wonderful day.” They all took a seat on the plush cushioned chairs and sorted out the cutlery that was in a small pot, placing them on napkins. Golden squeezed between Mickey and Julius with Starlight sitting in her lap, who was sniffing the air as the smell of freshly cooked food wafted from the nearby kitchen. “Where are we headed today?” asked Scout, settling against her mother’s shoulder. “The forest again? That path looked way far out! Maybe we’ll find more clues out there?” Yen Sid chuckled warmly at her excited, rambunctious attitude, an adventure always put Scout in good spirits. “Yes, we’ll be going down there, it’s important we scour the entire area for clues if we are to locate the whereabouts of the young girl, I can’t say we’ll find them all at once, but I’m determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, especially for Julius’s sake.” He looked over to his aforementioned son as he quietly played with the string on his jacket’s hood, his tail twitching in amusement, he hadn’t seemed to have noticed Yen Sid talking about him. “It’ll be okay, dad.” Golden whispered. “I’m glad we’re all together in this, and that Julius doesn’t have to deal with this on his own anymore!” Julius’s ears perked up as he heard his name, looking toward Golden curiously as his little sister simply gave him a smile. The kitchen door opened with a couple of cooks carrying trays of food and drink, they set them neatly on the table for the family and poured them their beverages, handing each plate to them that contained their favourites. “Thank you!” said Mickey as he hastily started tucking into a cheese sandwich, making them chuckle. Golden took a chocolate croissant and was going to say her thanks but her mouth became full as she bit off a particularly large bite. “Slow down sweetie, that’s too big for your mouth!” laughed Sonatina, making Golden blush out of embarrassment as she forced down her pastry bite with great effort. “Sh’morry…” Golden tried to speak with a stuffed mouth. “That’s bad manners, Lumen!” Percy zoomed down into the room, catching the attention of all the patrons as he took a seat between Yen Sid and Oswald, turning back into a man as he did and fixed his hat and glasses. “Ahh, perfect! Now watch everyone, that means double for YOU, Lumen…this is how you eat at the breakfast table.” He lifted a freshly poured cup of tea and held out his pinky finger while holding a saucer under it with his free hand, he took a sip and suddenly slurped loudly, once again catching everyone’s attention. He blushed bright red and pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes. “So sophisticated.” snickered Scout, Percy shot her an embarrassed glare. “NOT intentional missy! And you’re one to talk, you’ve got the table manners of a raccoon!” Scout simply rolled her eyes and giggled at his comparison, waving it off with her hand. “Please, raccoons are adorable! And they have good eating manners as far as I know.” Percy scoffed at her and crossed his arms indignantly. “Scout…they eat with their hands and out of the RUBBISH…good manners my foot!” He went back to sipping his tea, making double sure he didn’t slurp again or make any noise. Scout kept a sly smile on her face as she tucked into a slice of white toast with blueberry jam, Mickey was finishing up his extra cheese, not leaving a crumb in sight, Golden pulled off a few pieces of her croissants and handed them to Starlight for her to nibble on. Oswald was looking as fresh as a daisy after having his third coffee cup and leaned back in a relaxed state as he helped himself to some grapes. “Not bad…maybe I’ll bring Ortensia and the kids here for breakfast one day, their menu is packed!” As everyone finished, they sat and waited for their food to digest as the waiters came and took away the trays of empty plates and glasses, hoping that they enjoyed and wishing them a good day, Golden waved them off and hoped they would also have the same. “Hello!” called a voice from the right of their table, it was Fanny, dressed in a little blue cloak and fuzzy hat. “How are you all doing? I hope you slept well, and that you’re feeling prepared for today?” Julius slipped off his seat and sidestepped the table to reach Fanny, he rubbed his arm as he looked a little nervous, his mind swimming with possibilities of what today would bring. “I…had a decent sleep, thanks Fanny.” he said, and she offered him a sweet smile of reassurance. “And I am prepared for today, I…I’m gonna find out about my friend! Are you…ready to go?” she nodded to him, taking his paw into hers. “When you are.”

By the time the sun was at its height in the morning, the family left the inn, with Yen Sid giving one final thank you to Hilda and the workers of the inn. He turned to his family who all looked eager to begin day two of their journey. “The inn is quite lucky to have Hilda and everyone else there…Ever since I was a lad, the inn has had so many wonderful contributors. It’s become quite a landmark in this little town, whether you’re a weary traveler or a neighbour who needs a place to stay for a while, it’s never been one to turn a blind eye.” The forest lay ahead not far from the inn, they all took one last look at it before they finally set off, Fanny watched as Julius held his tail, stroking it between his fingers to soothe himself, she smiled as she kept his paw in hers, and met his eyes, which caused him to blush brightly and let go of his tail which allowed it to swish with delight and begin to purr. “Dad’s right, isn’t he? The inn sure was a good idea! I…hehe, like to thank you too, Fanny.” he said, his voice soft as he looked for the right words, rubbing his neck as his face turned a further pink. Fanny giggled and her face turned pink as well, the sight of Julius making her want to pull him into her arms and give him a big cuddle, it was almost too hard to resist and she knew the result would leave him melting into a flustered puddle. “You’re just adorable.” she teased lightly, making his ears stick up straight like perfectly accurate triangles. This earned chuckles from Yen Sid, Mickey, Oswald and Sonatina who found the moment before incredibly sweet, the boys whispering that Julius and Fanny would a good pair and that their brother had found someone who understood his shyness and help him step out into a new territory he might have found unnerving at first. Once they reached the forest, Percy lifted up Golden and sat her on his shoulders as he used his light to glide around the trees like a magical surfer, making her laugh jovially through the air as Starlight held onto her hat as while clung to Golden’s shoulder, feeling the strong breeze on her face that almost blew her off. Scout ran ahead of the adults, Mickey and Oswald at her heels as they chased her, Julius and Fanny choosing to walk at a steady pace beside Yen Sid and Sonatina as they reached the old treehouse. Sonatina gave it a look again, one of warmth and dreamy nostalgia, the outside was fairly well maintained which Yen Sid guessed from her fixation on it as they passed it, was down to her care of it. He made a mental note to ask her about it later on and why she’d always hold a fond look every time. “A warm memory, Sonatina?” he uttered, her focus didn’t break, but her eyes softened as she smiled. “Yes. That treehouse…has been around for a very long time.” As Percy and Golden came back down and caught their attention, they soon arrived at the bank where the remnants of snow remained, the same leaves and rocks from yesterday, the same trees that appeared to reach the clouds. The path was ahead, and along with it, the old campsite. Fanny had questions bubbling in her chest, yet somehow knew the answers as she saw Julius’s eyes, and how they looked at the overgrown shrubs and stones with a peaceful expression. The passed the site and started along the footpath, the gravel under their feet was a different texture from before, it was stony and gritty, which annoyed Oswald a little so he took to flying with his ears until they reached softer soil, which didn’t take them long as the footpath straightened off into a wider area of forest, it seemed closed off from everywhere, including the weather and the current season, there were flowers of a few colours growing, not at all touched by the frost. “How odd…” murmured Scout, bending down at one of the flowers and gently brushing her fingertip on one of the petals, it wasn’t even cold. “Dad? Do you know these parts? It’s like we stepped into a different world! Kinda like one of the stories you’d read us when we were little.” Yen Sid was also intrigued, stroking his beard as his eyes took in what was around them all, yet he had an air of familiarity on his face. “Hmmm…strange. I have been through these parts before, but not in many years.” he explained. “The last time I was here…was probably when Percy was just a young lad, some of the forest has changed for definite. The flowers spark a sense of magic in the air, they don’t seem naturally grown.” He stared down at the flowers on the ground, wishing that Ambrose was here to explain what they could potentially be, he could tell a flower from its root to its stem. Fanny began to smile a little, her fascination for the area peaking as Yen Sid mentioned magic, and pulled Julius closer to a small orange one that looked to have just blossomed. Scout bent down on one knee as Golden and Mickey sat down, the area was peaceful enough for them to take the weight off of their feet and take it easy as they looked around, some small mushrooms were growing on one of the trees, glowing a cyan hue while pollen floated through the air, making Golden’s nose tickle. “Achoo!” She sneezed, brushing her nose with her finger and leaning against Mickey, holding onto him like she used to when she would refer to him as ‘Teddy’. “Gesundheit!” he chuckled, patting her lightly on the shoulder. The group, in all their wonder of the place, hadn’t noticed one of them had wandered a little further, until his voice cried out as he came back into view suddenly from behind the trees. “Master! Everyone, follow me!” panted Percy, his glasses had slipped down his nose in his hurry, and they all got up to follow him, sensing urgency, Golden felt a little uneasy and reached for Yen Sid’s hand and Mickey took her other as he was nearer. “Yo, what the big ol’ emergency, Percy?” asked Oswald, his ears spinning like a propeller as he took flight again. Percy pointed ahead, excitement rising in his voice. “The old town! It’s nearby!” he answered, he skidded to a halt as they all reached another opening in the forest, an old worn out sign, the writing on it barely visible anymore, yet there was enough to make out it located the old town of Fioritura. “Master, do you remember? I’ve been here, and so have you! We collected ingredients here, some of the rarer ones. You know, for potions! Come come, I should recognise a little bit of the old town.” Percy began to lead them down the next narrow path, it felt long but the town ahead was becoming visible the closer they walked, Golden keeping her hands tightly held onto Mickey and Yen Sid’s, Mickey gently gave her hand a squeeze. “Looks like we’re headin’ to the old town, Goldie!” he said encouragingly. “This will be great! I hear the old town is still a lot like it used to be back years ago!” Golden nodded softly, she hadn’t seen the old town, or at least she couldn’t remember if she had. It looked quaint, old-timey and big, the new town looked similar but was a little more advanced in some areas such as the machines and the technology for phones and the inside of the Observatory. Overhead along the path, several trees casted dark shadows on everyone, blocking out the sun with only parts of it peering through the branches of the treetops, the atmosphere grew cold and made Golden shiver. “This is…a little spooky!” she quivered at the unfamiliar area, she clung tighter to Yen Sid and hid her face in his robes, prompting him to pat her on the head with Mickey following his lead in trying to soothe her. “Now now…there’s nothing to fear here.” Yen Sid eased. “It’s just the trees trying to be big and scary, pay them no heed.” He kept stroking her hair and smoothing out her white locks, it was still difficult to get used to her new hair colour, her bright, vibrant hair would have stood out in the dark woods. Mickey, Julius, Oswald and Fanny all stood beside Yen Sid, keeping a small barrier around Golden to help calm her as the carried on, Percy looked jubilant as he stepped ahead, Sonatina and Scout pacing behind him at a slower rate to be on standby in case anything might jump out of the shadows at them. “Ahh, thought I recognised this place! I think…yes, there might be a house nearby! That is if it is still here!” Percy chuckled, charismatically marching along ahead carefree. “A house?” asked Yen Sid, Percy nodded. “Don’t you remember? There were an old couple that lived in these parts that used to run a little tea shop in the old town! They weren’t the happiest pair and could be grumpy as you on a bad day, but they were still very friendly, surely you remember?” Yen Sid wasn’t sure if wanted to be reminded of how grumpy he would be on some days and frowned slightly, normally Oswald was the grumpy one in the morning, but then again it was Percy who often poked fun at his old master. The idea of an old couple owning a small shop drew back some vague memories to him, and as he thought, a soft voice called out from the dark shrubs. “HISO HISO!” Golden stopped, but everyone else kept moving, her head snapped in the direction of the voice, it was high pitched and quick, was it even human or toon? “Huh? D-did you hear that?” Mickey stopped, noting his sister’s suddenly startled voice. “Hmm? Hear what?” he asked. “Did ya hear something, Goldie?” Golden only grew more curious and nervous, Mickey’s ears were very sensitive and could easily pick up sounds, yet he hadn’t heard that voice that was as clear as day. Golden was wondering if she was going a bit mad, maybe it was a grinning cat like in one of the storybooks she had at home? “I…thought I heard a voice.” she trembled, looking back at the shrub, Mickey went to her and lightly patted her back, he could tell she was still a bit frightened. “Hey, it’s okay. It was probably just a critter, there’s gotta be lots of them living in these woods. Don’t you worry, just stick by us and you’ll feel all better, kay?” Golden gave a nod, shifting closer to follow Mickey out of the woods as he went to catch up with Yen Sid and the others, who were making their way out into a lighter patch away from the trees. “HISO!” There it was again, and Golden halted, again no one appeared to have heard the voice. Clenching her fists, Golden’s curiosity had gotten the better of her, pulling up her hood she skipped over to the shrubs, where there was a dark and dirt filled land behind them. “Alright, stop scaring me!” she growled in the darkness. “Come on out! Where are you?” Climbing over the rock behind the shrub, she wandered into the gritty dark section of the wood where the voice seemed to have faded, annoying Golden now that she was there and it appeared to be gone. “Hey, where are you? Come here!” She got down on her hands and knees and started to crawl as the area became a tight space completely overgrown with twigs and leaves, clearly the area was unmaintained. A snap caught her ear and she followed it, keeping a low profile so as to not scare off whoever was hiding. “Stranger?” It was the voice, in plain English. Golden halted again, a little unnerved by how close the sound was. “W-who are you?” she shivered, something was near. “Heart?” said the voice, Golden felt her heart begin to thump in her chest, she turned her head to the right where the voice was inches away, and met a pair of bright glowing eyes staring back at her. “AAACK!!” Golden shot up, hitting her head on large twig and causing it to snap from the impact and her hood to fall back, the creature was startled and shuffled back, but several others began to appear and come to their friend’s aid, all of them forming a mass around Golden’s feet and hissing at her. “AHHH DAD! PERCY! OSWAAALD!!” Golden yelled as loud as her voice would allow it, her hair was as white as a snow covered hilltop which stood out once again in the dark. Twisting around, she began to crawl furiously through the tight crawl space until she clapped her eyes on the light, she was digging so much she left large finger trails in the dirt that looked like they were done by a bear. Once she was out, she spotted Yen Sid with Oswald and Mickey, and immediately sprinted to them. “DADDY!! WEIRD UGLY BUG!” she screamed, crashing into his chest as he caught her and almost knocking him backwards. Mickey and Oswald formed a circle with Yen Sid as they gathered around Golden and started to hug her, feeling her shake and breathe heavily under them. “Golden! What were you doing in there? You could have gotten lost, and we don’t have the muse on us!” scolded Yen Sid, though there was a gentleness in his voice, he saw how frightened she was and held her a little tighter. “Shhh…calm down. What was it, again?” Golden lifted her head a little, pointing a very shaky finger back at the shrubs just as a shuffling was heard behind them. “I-in t-t-there…! WEIRD!!” Mickey and Oswald shared a confused glance, the latter shaking his head in total perplexion and shrugging. Mickey patted Golden on her pointed hand and took it between both of his own. “In there? Aww, you must have seen a little insect! There’s probably lots of them in there building a nest.” he assured, but he began to feel concerned himself knowing that Golden was almost separated from her family once again, and that she wasn’t normally scared of bugs or anything, she always had a childlike fascination for them, especially butterflies. “N-no…it was HUGE Mickey…!” she quivered nervously, moving to cling onto him and hold him like he was her comfort teddy. “It was as big as me!” By now, Sonatina and Scout had come back, with Percy, Julius and Fanny not far off, they had heard Golden’s scream and looked just as confused and worried as Yen Sid, Oswald and Mickey were. “Please wait…” the voice said, it sounded so little this time. “We don’t harm…can’t you hear?” Golden could hear it again, yet it seemed to pass over everyone else as if there wasn’t a voice at all. Gulping, Golden slowly managed to find her words to answer it. “W-what’s your name…?” she asked, earning another perplexed look from her father. “What? Nothing is there, dear…” he hushed, pulling her a little closer. “B-but…” Golden whispered, but then a sound from the trees caught everyone off guard and they quickly turned the attention upward, something was shuffling in the trees and moving about the branches. “What’s going on?!” yelped Julius, holding tighter to Fanny’s hands and looking to see if anything might drop down and he could swiftly push her behind him. Percy lifted an eyebrow, his eyes following a shadow that jumped from branch to branch, completely obscured by the leafy shield they hid behind. “Show yourself.” he said, a smirk curling on the corners of his lips. “I know you’re watching me.” There was silence, not a shuffle nor a fallen leaf from the skies, until there was. Something large leapt down with precision, and landed on Percy’s back, gripping onto his shoulders as he stumbled and flickered his light like a beacon. Everyone else jumped back, Sonatina and Yen Sid stepped in front of the younger sorcerers and immediately fired up their magic, with Mickey at the back summoning his keyblade for extra help now that he was on alert, his instincts telling him that something more than a hive of insects were near. “Caught you!” cried the person on Percy’s back, a person!! Percy leaned back and gave a silly shake as if trying to loosen their grip on him. “Very typical entrance of you!” he laughed, and the person pulled off his hat and began to dig their knuckles into his bald scalp, making him yell and squeal as he tried batting at their hand and shaking violently again. “NYEH! Knock that off! That feels so wrong!! OFF OFF OFF!!” He reflexively grabbed their knee and squeezed it, causing the person to squeak in a high voice and drop off, landing on their back with an oof. “Oww! Really? My one weak spot, Percy?” they frowned, yet smiled at the same time. Percy offered them a hand to help them up, his eyes shimmering with delight as he put his hat back on. “Of course, I know you too well.” He helped pull the newcomer back up onto their feet, and they brushed down their long white coat and dark navy skirt, their hair was bright, fiery red, their eyes a bright green and atop their head a white pointed hat that was adored with a small pin of a snake coiled around a winged staff. Yen Sid and Sonatina calmed a little, with the older sorcerer staring wide eyed at who was standing in their presence, and felt his heart flutter at realising who it was. “Well, I’ll be. It’s been a long time, Astra.” he said, lowering his hands and his magic as he approached them. Astra turned to Yen Sid and almost fell over from excitement, leaping forward and drawing him into a tight hug. “Masteeeer Yen SID!! Oh my Kingdom Hearts, where have you been! It’s been like, AGES! And you’re still a handsome devil and OOH! Are those your new apprentices?!” Astra rambled with giddiness as a huge grin appeared on their face, looking over Scout and the boys, Golden ducked behind Oswald, feeling a little shy and taken aback by Astra’s wild behavior. “Well, they are graduates actually, Astra!” Yen Sid chortled warmly. “They’ve all done well in their magic lessons and earned their titles as sorcerers. Then again, they are still apprentices in my heart, and that’ll never change.” His hat began to move, and out popped a bleary eyed Starlight, sleep bubbles popping around her face as she slid out, landing in Yen Sid’s hands with a soft plop. “Huh? Wassat? I heard Goldie yelling! Where is…” she murmured, looking confused as she spotted Astra kneeling down by Golden and the three brothers. Yen Sid chuckled softly, whispering down to the sleepy Starlight. “We’ve met an old friend, well, a new friend to you and them. That’s Astra, a former apprentice of mine, don’t worry, they are always a bit eccentric.” He watched as Astra looked over Oswald and squished his cheeks, making him look like an angry marshmallow, and then did the same to Mickey and felt his soft ears, making him giggle and find this new friend interesting already. Astra then petted Julius on the head and took Fanny’s hand, who shook it graciously. “Oh my goodness…!! Ahh you’re all so little!!” Astra squealed, their voice reaching several decibels, practically melting at the sight of them. “I could just eat you all up! That’s just like my old man Yen Sid to take in not only talented but adorable little magic makers!” Golden poked her head around Oswald, just peeking out of her hoodie to catch a glimpse of Astra, who had just noticed her. “Ohh…hello there! I didn’t see you there, little one.” Their voice became softer, Astra immediately knew they were addressing someone who felt scared and shy right now. “Were you the one I heard cry out when something spooked you? I hope it wasn’t because of me! I wasn’t going after you, I was going after silly billy over there, ha!” They pointed a finger at Percy and laughed, the light man himself curling his lip in amusement. “Pot calling kettle, my dear Firecracker!” he quipped, crossing his arms as he chuckled. “That’s Golden, or as I call her Lumen, she’s like a tiny little light! And then there’s her heart, which I think you’d be most interested in.” Astra’s curiosity peaked further as they stood up, allowing Golden some room to step out, she wanted to keep her hood up and hide her hair, but at the same time felt it a little rude not to show her face fully. Breathing deeply, she slipped off her hood and revealed her white hair, watching Astra’s face closely for any signs of discomfort, but they seemed to pay no mind to it, instead offering Golden their hand in a gentle manner. “See? Nothing scary about me.” Astra smiled. “I’m actually a doctor, and a potions master on the side! But I do brew up some really useful medicinal potions! Ooh, why don’t you all come to my clinic? It’s not far from here, and we can all sit down and become a bit more acquainted, sound good?” It didn’t take a moment for Percy to agree to their suggestion, Yen Sid and Sonatina following with a nod of their heads, the old sorcerer gently sitting Starlight on his shoulder as she became more awake. “That sounds lovely, Astra. I think these munchkins here would love to get to know you as well. Don’t dawdle now.” His voice seemed to turn a little sweeter, his gentle, fatherly mode appeared to have set in. Oswald seemed to roll his eyes at the nickname of ‘munchkin’ but said nothing, Julius and Mickey simply smiled brightly, especially Mickey. Scout gave a laugh and walked behind them all, keeping an eye on Golden who was getting a bit more comfortable, the teen was feeling a little giddy from the adventure they were all having. “This is so cool, and so inspiring!” she beamed, putting her hands behind her head as they all walked together behind Astra and Percy, leading them out of the shadowy grove and into an open path where a small clinic lay ahead. “I’ve seen so much on this little trip, I NEED to doodle all the things I saw in my journal! Maybe I’ll write a ditty too when I’m home? Time out, Scout, don’t overload your brain!” 

The clinic was not far, and once they stepped inside, the Symphonus family were greeted to a gentle, herbal atmosphere, the main sitting area was a conjoined room of a workshop, a lounge and a doctor’s office, Astra clearly liked to relax as they worked. Everyone took their seats on some plush, white furniture, Yen Sid sat in the middle between Sonatina and Percy, with Mickey on his lap. Oswald sat beside Scout on a smaller sofa and playfully leaned against her, almost pushing her while Julius and Fanny sat on the other end of the large one opposite Yen Sid, Percy, Mickey and Sonatina. Golden wasn’t sitting, instead looking around the place with great curiosity while Astra heated up a kettle and poured everyone a drink. Golden looked around the workshop table, it had a box of papers on it, with names and numbers that she couldn’t quite make out, they were likely Astra’s patient details. There were a few quills and an inkwell, a photo of what appeared to be a group of children, Golden’s heart warmed as she realised it was a young Percy with Astra and the other apprentices of Yen Sid’s cohort at the time. Golden then set her eyes on a large open bag, they sparkled as she saw the equipment inside, a thermometer, a stethoscope, a pen torch, a blood pressure monitor and a roll of bandages, typical doctor stuff that reminded Golden of when she’d play pretend doctor when she was very little with her siblings! Her eyes turned up to the selves above the window that were lined with bottles containing things like plants, grasses, herbs and liquids, they must be the medicines Astra mentioned from before, Golden noticed one bottle had sea salt and vinegar it in, and she grimaced hard at the very thought of pickled medicine, she was so disgusted she didn’t notice Starlight waving a small hand in her face to get her attention. “So, how’s your lattes?” asked Astra, taking a seat in their own chair as everyone settled with their drinks and a few biscuits on the table. “It’s tasty!” smiled Scout, who lapped up the chocolate sprinkles on hers. “I’m not usually a coffee person, but this is the best tasting coffee I’ve ever had!” She looked down at Oswald, who looked like he had just seen Ortensia in a beautiful, ethereal dress that radiated with wonder, he was almost tearing up at the taste. “So…GOOD!” he cried, chugging it down as Scout laughed, gently smacking him on the back. Golden watched in great amusement as she watched her brother shake like a tin of jumping beans, he looked eager for another cup, Golden side-stepped around the chair and quickly tapped Oswald on the shoulder. “Hey big bro…!” she smirked, Oswald almost fell out of his seat. “What?!” he cried, eyes almost popping out comically. “I have another cup of that special coffee behind my back! Say I’m the best and I might-” Golden’s sentence ended abruptly as Oswald leapt up to try and grab the cup, but she was really holding Starlight behind her, who giggled at her little joke. Scout held onto Ossie to keep him from launching himself while Golden kept her foot on his forehead to hold him away from her. “GIMME THAT COFFEE!” Oswald yelled as he waved his arms, he was as looney as Julius when he tasted catnip. “Oh, I’ve never seen anyone react that way to my latte before!” laughed Astra as they watched the scene. “It’s actually Chris’s recipe, remember when he’d make us warm drinks in the winter when he came down for the holidays? He gave me his recipes for Christmas one year!” They summoned a small glass of water from the kitchenette, gently floating it across the room to Scout who let it land in her hand, she held it to Oswald’s lips and he started to drink, slowing down a little as he took it from her. “A glass of water will help calm him down!” Astra continued with a bright smile. “The water here is taken straight from the stream outside my clinic, it’s so clean and fresh, it’s perfect as a little remedy when you need to calm down from plenty of excitement!” The drink began to take effect as Oswald started to relax though he was still a bit twitchy, he shot a glare at Golden as she revealed there was no coffee she was keeping from him, he looked ready to noogie her and hold her neck in a headlock. “Big mistake, I’ll get you for that, snowylocks!” he frowned. Golden glowered back, looking ready to take him on should he put up his dukes. “Oh yeah, big butt? Try me, I’ll take you on!” she retorted, she looked ready to pounce and steal his ears from his head, but a quick magic spell lifted her off the ground and pulled her toward Yen Sid, who was using the spell to put an end to their quarrel before it even started. “Behave you two.” he said gently, sitting Golden on his other knee next to Mickey, she pouted quite pronouncedly, and crossed her arms. “We’re guests here and I’m sure Astra wouldn’t want us to be causing mayhem and chaos, agreed?” Yen Sid continued, glancing to both Golden and Oswald to get his point across, Percy chuckled softly as he found Golden’s pout rather amusing, while Oswald simply curled up with a pout of his own, receiving an affectionate pat on the head from Scout he didn’t bother to shrug off. Mickey smiled at Golden and offered her a fist bump, which she gently reciprocated. “Haha, aww it’s alright! They are young, after all!” chuckled Astra, waving a hand as they put down their now empty cup on the coffee table, their expression turned a little more serious as they looked back at Yen Sid. “Sooo…let’s get to the big question! Master, what brought you to these parts, along with all your little darlings? It’s quite scarce out here in the forest, and the old town is going through a small restoration process right now so there’s not many visitors.” Yen Sid nodded and placed his hands on Mickey and Golden’s heads and gently massaged them, making them feel relaxed and rest against him, their hands taking each other's as they appeared to start drifting off with dreamy expressions on their faces. “Well, Astra…” Yen Sid began. “We have been out on a little adventure, all of us, in search of someone. This is actually our second day, and we were hoping to find some clues in the forest and the old town based on Julius’s memories, for you see, the ‘someone’ in question is a dear friend of his that he…sadly lost contact with.” He looked briefly at Julius, who looked slightly downcast as he stared at his knees. Fanny kept her arm tightly around him, and let him lay his head on her shoulder. “His friend…is still out there!” she exclaimed. “And we won’t stop until we find her, I want Julius to be happy, and he deserves to have his friend back, it’s just…we need a little more help, and since you know these parts, doctor Astra…could you perhaps…lend us a hand?” Astra smirked softly under their white hat that adorned a tiny smiling snake, rising to their feet and rolling up their sleeves. “Say no more my darlings! I, Astra, the enby firecracker with a medical licence, am on the case! I’d never turn anyone away, especially family! Alright, so…where do we start?” 

Outside, the air was much crisper and fresher now that it was the afternoon. Everyone was rested and were now ready to embark again, following Astra out of the clinic where they stood and smelled the air. There was a look in their eye that told the family of sorcerers they knew a few tricks for this very quest in search of Julius’s friend. “I know this forest pretty well, and it’s thanks to a little buddy of mine that you might have heard of!” Astra smiled, giving a quick swish of their hand which appeared to conjure up something within. “When I was a wee little thing, I followed these little darlings around these parts, it was like we were playing tag with each other! Sometimes we went into deeper areas of the forest, but they did always lead me out when it was time to go home, you remember, don’t you Percy?” Percy looked a little light on his feet, and with no pun intended, his feet left the ground as he floated up for a moment, being brought back down by a gentle tug from Yen Sid. “Ohh I remember it like it was yesterday.” he swooned dreamily. “Why I was telling everyone here about the tea shop in the old town! You and I would sneak off to go and try their delicious beverages! We used the last of our pocket money there, and the old pair that worked there weren’t always happy to see us.” Astra started to laugh as Percy recounted his tale and reminisced about his shared youth with them, they placed their free hand over their chest as they felt the flutter of butterflies tickling at their ribs at the nostalgic memories. “Ohoho how could I forget?” they chortled happily. “I bet they must have thought we were troublemakers! I mean, to a degree we were, but we were children, it was fun and gave us quite the laughs! And a warm drink on the go!” As Percy moved toward Astra with gentle precision, Yen Sid gave a small roll of his eyes at what he had just heard, but the affection in his voice remained as plain as the nose on his face. “No pocket money, eh?” he smirked. “Well, that explains a lot, you two rascals…” he gave a chuckle into his hand as he continued. “But it’s also understandable, given the special link you two have with one another.” He looked down out of instinct as he noticed Golden tense up a little, holding her precious friend in her arms and hiding half of her frightened face, the mention of a link and connection was still a very raw one, he quickly cleared his throat as he started to rephrase. “What I mean is…the connection you share is a special one between close friends, one that is to be treasured. You two have been together since your early childhood after all.” Astra opened their hand, where something small and fiery was slowly waking up, everyone stared intently, with Golden almost dropping her jaw as well as Starlight but kept a tight hold on her as to not let her fall to the ground. “A WISP?!” she gasped, it was noticeably a different colour, a bright green this time instead of a faded yellow or blue, it was just as pretty and mysterious as the ones she had seen the night before. “A Willow Wisp, darling!” Astra exclaimed cheerily, showing off the small wisp as it started to glow. “They are very friendly, and perfect travelling companions so you don’t get lost, all you have to do is ask them a question, and they’ll help you! Sooo…why don’t you ask it, Julius? I’m sure if you ask it to find your friend, it will give you the answers you need.” Julius was surprised at how this was possible, though maybe it was to be expected, he had seen a lot of stuff up to now that was either strange or whimsical. Fanny gave him a small nudge on the back and ushered him forward, offering a gentle, encouraging smile. “Go on, I believe in you.” she said softly, her voice kind and tender to his ears. “You’ve got this, just use your words.” Julius’s face became warm as his cheeks lit up brightly and a tingling in his chest made him pause for a moment, a smile forming on his lips as his eyes spoke for him, thanking Fanny and turning on his heel to Astra, but keeping his fingers wrapped tightly around the bunny girl, wanting her to stay close to him. Astra lowered the wisp down to his level and he watched as the little fiery creature blinked up at him with a curious tilt of the head, leaning up as Julius took a deep breath and spoke quietly yet clearer to it. “I want to find my friend, the one I…lost, years ago…Will you help me, please?” The wisp blinked again, it looked a little confused and appeared to shrug, shaking its small head in a ‘no.’ Astra quickly noticed that Julius began to appear downcast, his hopeful expression had fallen in an instant, Astra cleared their throat loudly, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Hey, it’s okay! Maybe the wisp just needs an extra bit of info?” they asked. “Something a little more…specific? Why don’t you say her name? Ask for her that way, and see what happens?” Julius slowly lifted his eyes, he looked unsure still, like there was a knot in his stomach that was holding him back. “I…I-I haven’t…really said her name in…so long.” he sighed sadly, gently fiddling with the cuffs of his sleeves. “It…doesn’t feel right, knowing what happened…it just stirs up the…bad memories.” Fanny’s expression softened, feeling sad for Julius and starting to massage his back to comfort him. Yen Sid also approached, bending down next to Julius which made the wisp shrink a little from his towering height. “It’s alright, you don’t need to hide it anymore.” he told him reassuringly, reaching to stroke his soft head and making him purr in quick response. “This might just be the thing that changes things, Julius. Don’t be afraid, we are all right here.” Golden also went to his side, her eyes gazing at him from under her hood that she once again pulled up over her head, she seemed small, but gave a look of encouragement at her brother. “You don’t need to feel ashamed anymore, remember?” she whispered, he turned to her, and felt the knot untie itself. He remembered their conversation from last night, and how much better he had felt, enough to fall back into a deep sleep with no more nightmares with a ray of hope inside. He then looked at Yen Sid, and then to Fanny, pushing his hand into his father’s hand like a happy, affectionate kitten and taking her hand in his, squeezing it in confidence. “Take me…to see my friend, Alice.” he told the wisp, and then it lit up, almost sparkling. It leapt out of Astra’s hand and started to drift through the air much like how Starlight or Percy would, and started toward the forest, slowing down so the others could catch up. Astra went straight ahead first along with Julius and Fanny, who remained hand in hand. Golden took Yen Sid’s as they walked, keeping a tight hold on Starlight in her other arm, the forest area looked more overgrown, like the deep thicket she had just had a scare in, and slowed her pacing a little as her nerves began to catch up with her. Percy became a light and followed the wisp close behind, Oswald stayed by Sonatina and Scout, the latter playfully digging her knuckles into his hand after they bantered from moments that she was cheekily reminding him of while Mickey took Yen Sid’s other hand, staying to his dad’s side and keeping an eye on Golden. “It’s okay, Goldie.” he assured her, looking past Yen Sid’s to see her partially hidden under the hood. “It might look dark and spooky, but we’re all together now! We’re tight knit, and if there’s some weird looking bug or somethin’ out there, you won’t be alone.” Starlight added to his reassurance by patting Golden on the arm, she could feel the warmth of Golden’s heart emanating from her chest, her worries beginning to waver thanks to Mickey, who really knew the right words when providing comfort, like it came naturally to him. Starlight snuggled up sleepily against Golden, ready to nod off from the soothing motions of her walking. The wisp was leading them under the large growth of trees before they strayed from the first path to a narrower one, which was slightly overgrown with old weeds and sticks from birds that were dropped from above, causing a snapping sound whenever any of them stepped onto them, Astra slowed down their pace a little, until they were right beside Julius and Fanny, their small, toony eyes were fixed on the floating wisp, who was drifting ahead in complete concentration. “Sooo… Alice, huh?” Astra asked, side-eyeing Julius as their face remained forward, a smirk was appearing on their lips subtly. “Yeah, it’s Alice.” Julius answered in a hushed tone. “This…feels kinda weird, if I do meet her…what will I say? Would she even remember me?” He felt something flop over his head, it was Fanny’s ear as she leaned her head against him, her presence easing him as they carried on. “Thanks Fanny…” he mewed gently. “I…just haven’t thought of what I wanna say…if she’s out there.” Astra cleared their throat, slipping their hands behind their back and entwining their fingers. “I’m sure she is.” they said. “Wisps are usually never wrong! I’ve studied them for a while since I’ve lived out here! There’s loads, and they are fun to watch at night! I once caught this little one here in a jar and watched it just move around slowly, studying its movements and actions. That way I think I’ve learned quite a lot about such a wondrous and whimsical creature.” Percy’s light shook with great force and halted in midair, and even without a face Astra could tell he was turning slowly to face them with a glare that could burn through the toughest of metal. “Astra…you kept that little fellow in a jar? A JAR?!” he glowered, light specks bouncing off him like giant hailstones. “That’s why…eternity in the deepest part of the Underworld! What made you think of doing such a thing?!” Astra just burst into giggles, holding their sides and laughing as they recalled the memory of what Percy was referring to, and covered their face with the brim of their hat. “Of course, Percy!” they giggled uncontrollably. “I know you’d know how that feels! I’m sorry, I just remembered and oh my goodness, I didn’t expect to laugh so much!” Percy was almost lost for words, but he began spinning erratically around Astra’s head like an angry sun and batting himself against their hat. “ASTRA BEAM!! I have terrible memories of shouting in a jar trying to get out!! This is no laughing matter, what is wrong with you?!” He continued to bat against their head, but the medical sorcerer just kept laughing and grinned mischievously his way as they plucked the little snake from their hat, it lit up in their hand with a shimmer like a comet’s tail, and extended in size and shape into that of a staff, the snake appearing at the very end like a caduceus and hissing lightly, as if it was saying ‘hello.’ “Batter up, Percy!” Astra cried as they lifted the staff behind their shoulders and gave a great big swing of their arms, the staff collided with Percy with a soft ping and he was suddenly sent flying up through the trees and into the sky like a homerun. The sound of Percy screaming in a high pitched voice while likely cussing at Astra was what followed and became quieter and eventually silent until he was almost like a star from the ground view. “And he’s outta here!” Astra chuckled, they soon spied him coming back down like a shooting star as the light man made a whooshing sound as he yelled on the way back down, landing with a poof in Astra’s arms as he turned back into a man, his hat and glasses were greatly skewed and his sideburns were a windswept mess. With an indignant pout he reached up and pulled Astra’s hat down over their face, only to make them laugh again and almost drop him. “Astra, you little traitor!” Percy cackled as he wriggled out of their grasp, his feet touching solid ground once more. “Of all things to use your staff against, and it’s me? Like a sportsball?! Ohohoho, you never cease to amaze me you little fairy firecracker, hahaha!” Everyone else caught up with Percy and Astra once they had finished their playful shenanigans, Golden was a little worried something had happened to Percy, but was relieved he was just as silly, and wasn’t in any trouble. Mickey giggled at their antics, while Oswald’s attention was drawn to that of the wisp, who had stopped at a tree and looked more like a video game character that was stuck on an invisible wall. “And that’s supposed to help us?” he snarked, pointing his thumb at it. “It can’t even move around a tree!” Astra took note of the wisp and immediately facepalmed before going to aid the little oblivious creature. They took a deep breath and gently blew at it, moving it slightly to the right and the wisp was soon back on track. Astra gave a slightly exasperated sigh. “That’s not the first time they have done that…ahh, do I need to fine tune it again? I thought I trained it to not get distracted by nature! This might not be helpful since we are…going into a deeper, deeper part of these woods…” The deepest forest was covered with overgrown vines, where Astra had to push out of the way to follow the wisp. To help with the matter, Yen Sid used a bit of magic to part the trees, and made the path much wider for them all to walk through easily. By the time they all walked far enough out of the overgrowth, it appeared clearer, and much suited for a picnic, though it didn’t seem as pretty as the place with all the mysterious flowers that carried an ethereal atmosphere. “Hmm, looks like it knows where it’s going now, see?” Julius said regarding the wisp, his smile widening. Fanny pulled on his arm gently and her eyes noticed something that seemed off. “Julius, look! The wisp is...” The wisp stayed in one spot in the center of the forest, its form becoming transparent and clear, and evaporated with a bright flame, leaving behind a glowing puff of smoke. Astra gave a small gasp. “What? Hold on, that’s only supposed to happen after it has fulfilled the request, but…I don’t understand. There’s nothing here…?” The air changed, something sent a chill down Yen Sid’s back, and he quickly closed his young cohort in against him. Mickey also felt something different, and circled around Golden protectively along with Oswald and Scout, the young girl squeezed herself between them to look smaller, holding Starlight to her chest like she was a lifeline. “Dad?” whispered Scout, glancing over her shoulder. Yen Sid frowned, his face turning very serious. “Something’s wrong…” he uttered, immediately putting everyone on the defensive. The trees rustled, as did the bushes at the exact moment, it was too coincidental to be a small critter passing through. Everyone turned their heads in unison as all of a sudden, a small, black creature with antennae and bright, glowing eyes scuttled out from behind the bush and was followed by several others in the back. “Heartless!!” Mickey cried, summoning his keyblade without a second to lose, Yen Sid stepped forth with him, keeping an arm extended behind him like a shield toward Golden, who remained squeezed between Scout and Oswald. She sighted the Heartless over Oswald’s shoulder and gasped. “Wait…it’s them!!” she cried out. “That’s what I saw! Those creepy bug eyed…bugs!!” More and more emerged from the thick foliage, moving at a slow and sluggish pace. They were Shadow Heartless, the most common type around, they were the most harmless in terms of power, but carried a greater strength in numbers. “There’s a lot of them, stay alert Mickey…” Yen Sid told his youngest son, who gave a confident nod as he gripped his keyblade. “And everyone, stay close and don’t let your guards down!” continued Yen Sid, addressing the others as Sonatina stepped into the fray, ushering a frightened Fanny behind her as the bunny girl looked all around at the shadowy creatures. “I’ve never seen so many in one place…!” she said, feeling a little upset about her lack of combat, wishing she could help defend her group of friends. Astra gave a cry of delight, confusing Percy as he stood back to back with them. “And I’ve never seen one up close before!” they proclaimed with great enthusiasm. “Ahh they are so…COOL!! And rather adorable! Could I possibly take one back for research?” They were swiftly elbowed in the back by Percy, which knocked their hat forward and forced a chuckle out of them, as if they were aware of how absurd they were talking. “For the love of Kingdom Hearts ASTRAL BEAM!! Now isn’t the time to act like a mad scientist with a kooky laugh and added lightning effects! We must defend Lumen, and drive off these fiends!” Percy hollered, his palms igniting with a flash of light as they stood forth, appearing large and defiant as he faced the marauding hoard of Shadow Heartless. “Oh, you’ve made one big mistake here, Heartless…For you see, I’m not just Percival Symphonus, I am also known as the LIGHT MAN! And for good reason!” With one burst of light and a flash like lightning from the darkest clouds, Percy lit up the forest like a human sized sun, his hands, feet, chest and eyes illuminated like giant beacons, effectively silencing the Heartless as they stopped in their tracks, all their eyes on Percy as he hovered gently off the ground, his robes flapping behind him, he looked like a superhero. “Percy…” whispered Golden, half shielding her eyes from the light and half staring at him with great adoration. No matter what, he was always a hero, and a saviour to her. “Please be careful!” Hearing her call out to him made Percy feel a sense of pride, he winked her way, smiling at her to assure he’d be alright. The Heartless were all staring at him, like a whole group of tiny statues, they didn’t appear afraid, or even ready to fight. “Wait…” said Mickey, scanning the Heartless’s moves, he knew how they worked and had fought them countless times, when there were hearts to grab, they did not hesitate for a moment. “Light repels Heartless, yet…why aren’t they running? Are they stunned? No…!” He sighted one Heartless at the front, creeping toward Percy slowly in an almost curious manner, looking up at him like a lost animal. Another followed, and Percy found himself feeling concerned as to why so many Heartless had their eyes set directly on him like they were ready to attack. “Uhh…you wanna try something you lot?” he said, trying not to show any nerve to them. “I can defeat you all, with light alone!” His hands emitted a spark and a flame ignited in his palms, his power amplifying with the desire to protect his family as the Heartless closed in, but the dark creatures were not even deterred, and the one at the front reached out one of its clawed hands, touching Percy’s foot, the light didn’t even hurt it upon contact. “Ahh, get off! Begone!” Percy cried, he tried to kick it off but the Heartless was now climbing up his leg, and so was its partner close behind, and clear as day, it began to speak only in a voice that Golden could hear. “That light…that flame…” said the Heartless, its voice tight yet hopeful sounding. “Let it be…” Golden wasn’t sure to cover her ears or yell, why was the Heartless speaking? It made no sense in any capacity to her. “Why are you talking?!” she yelled out, grabbing at her white hair and almost falling to her knees, questions swimming in her head like a tank full of fish. Oswald, Scout and Yen Sid stared at her blankly. “What? Who?” asked Oswald, tapping his foot amidst the dangerous situation. “Who are you talking to, kiddo?” Golden was either stressed out or feeling greatly annoyed, but the fact that no one could have plainly heard the Heartless speaking was crazy. “The. Heartless. Is. Talking!! Does anyone else not hear it or am I going insane?!” Her question of the century was unanswered, as the hoard of Heartless jumped at Percy, who lost his balance and fell to the ground. He let out a yelp as they all gathered around him and sat on his chest, he expected them to swipe at him, but the two that sat together were knocked off by Julius, who gave them a sudden hit with his hand and caused them to topple off into a ball. “Hey, get off of him!” the cat shouted, suddenly freezing as he realised he had a sudden burst of courage. Behind the pair, another Heartless jumped at Julius and knocked him backwards, pinning him like they all had just done to Percy. “Ahhh!! Get off!” Julius shrieked, the poor cat covering his face and trying to push it off, but it was a lot stronger than it looked. “Julius!!” Mickey cried, readying his keyblade and going to his brother’s aid, but the rest of the Heartless were forming a barrier between him and Julius, some of the others were still on Percy who was struggling to his feet. “Hang on, I’m on my way!” Mickey batted several Heartless with the teeth of his keyblade, instead of disappearing like usual, they simply flopped over like sacks of flour, not even putting up a fight, but each smack sounded like a hard punch, which made Astra cringe a little. “Ooooh that’s gotta hurt!” they grinned, feeling both amusement and pity for the Heartless that had just been knocked aside. With several swings from Star Cluster, Mickey managed to part a space between the group of Heartless to see Julius still pinned by a curious looking Shadow Heartless. “Release him!!” Mickey demanded, raising his keyblade for another strike, but the creature quickly scurried off before it could be sent flying like its ally. “Thanks Mick…” Julius huffed, taking Mickey’s hand as his little brother helped him up, thankful he was unscathed. “No worries, Julius…These Heartless are an odd bunch. They aren’t actin’ like your regular run of the mill Shadow Heartless. They seem…like they have more intelligence?” The boys turned their heads to the sound of irritated grunting, Percy wasn’t having as much luck trying to free himself of the Heartless climbing on him like he was a jungle gym. The pair that were knocked down by Julius had recovered and had resumed their inspection of Percy, sniffling him as they got closer to his face. “Oi! Get off! My face is not yours to sniff at!” Percy retorted, scowling at their blank faces. “Boys…we can have a philosophical conversation about the Heartless later, but right now would you mind helping a fellow chap up?!” Mickey and Julius watched as Percy pried off the two Heartless without much effort, holding them under his arms as if they were plushies. Their arms wiggled in the air as if worried he’d drop them. “Wait…please heed us.” one of them said, unnoticed by Percy as he flung them back to the overgrowing herd. “Impudent scallywags!” he whined, brushing down the front of his robes. “Since when did I become the Heartless variant of catnip?” Julius groaned internally at that statement, not wanting to be reminded of how he was once he smelled catnip. Mickey giggled behind his hand at his brother’s reaction, before preparing his keyblade again to take on the rest. “We’ll figure that out later, I’m sure Astra might have an idea!” he smiled cheekily to Percy. “But as of right now, we gotta deal with the rest of ‘em!” To their surprise, the remaining hoard had disappeared from Mickey’s line of sight, including the two that were inspecting Percy. A cry sounded out, which became a scream as they all began to surround Golden, pushing past Scout, Yen Sid, Sonatina and Oswald with their rushing momentum. “AHH!! Dad help!” Golden called out in a panicked voice, clutching Starlight tight enough to make her eyes pop out. “Not again! Get away, you can’t have my heart, it’s mine!” She was quite sick of others trying to take her heart and use it against her at this point, when she got home she was going to write her signature on it. “LUMEN!” shouted Percy, igniting his light once more and sprinting to her aid, leaving spots of light in his path from each step. Mickey and Julius followed suit, the latter gasping sharply as he set his eyes upon his sister being overcrowded by the Heartless, he couldn’t move, and then it hit him as to why what he was witnessing was so terrible. “It’s…them!!” he cried, clasping his head with his hands. “Those things that appeared all those years ago that attacked Alice and I…it was the Heartless!! They took Alice! I can’t…NO!!” he began a charge, his own magic flaring angrily in his eyes as a pure white cat loomed through the area, colliding with the Heartless like one giant stampede and separating the majority of them off of Golden, knocking over Oswald and Scout with the ferocity of it, thankfully they landed in the arms of Yen Sid and Sonatina who stayed close. “Julius, behind you!” Yen Sid shouted, but he was already pounced on, they surrounded him and tried to pin him, but his determination proved stronger as he knocked them away with another blast. “I’m not letting you take another, not my family!!” he snarled, he managed to free himself, but one stayed on his back, reaching around and trying to claw at his chest, but it wasn’t having any luck. “Do not hurt mine!” A voice echoed from the angry Heartless. “You aren’t…the only one who has something to protect…!” It squeaked in fright as something was wrapped around its torso, a pair of arms, and with a great swing it was sent flying through the air, and Julius was once again rid of any Heartless around him. “You mess with him, you mess with me!” shouted Fanny, angrily pointing at the airborne Heartless as it landed elsewhere in the forest, she helped Julius up as they both scrambled toward the Symphonus family. Julius whispered a soft thank you into Fanny’s ear, making her blush lightly in the cheeks. Yen Sid, Oswald and Sonatina stood at the front for the first line of defense, while Mickey was standing in front of Golden, keeping Star Cluster ready for any pre-emptive strike. “Don’t let your guard down…” said Yen Sid, standing first before everyone in an act of protective instinct. “They are likely to attack together next…I doubt they’ll hold back.” Scout gritted her teeth, anxiousness creeping up on her over the outcome. “Dad…they’ll want Golden’s heart the most! Can’t we just teleport away?” Percy’s light shimmered, and the hoard of Heartless once again were staring at him, the two leaders set to approach him again, much faster this time, and soon the rest followed, outnumbering the family of sorcerers. “Heed us, we want answers!” they all cried out, it was so loud Golden had to cover her ears, their voices had drowned out everything else, including a shout from above that had cast a fireball, igniting a net around all of the Heartless and effectively stopping them dead in their tracks. “Hold it! Hoooold it!” A figure appeared, landing with a spin on the ground, leaves flew across the ground everywhere. It took everyone a moment to register exactly what had happened, but once the fire died down, everything was a little more visible. The fire was magic as it had not set the forest ablaze and was calming down in a controlled technique, summoned by a young girl with curly blonde hair, dressed in a white dress and pink jacket and shorts, and a pink beret adorned with several colourful pins. She stood ahead of them, she looked just a few years younger than Scout, and held something in her hand, it shimmered like a bright flame and emitted a gentle warmth like a fireplace on a chilly autumnal evening. “Phew…you pesky Heartless! These lot are guests here in the forest, show some hospitality, why don’t ya?!” she scolded, almost like a teacher telling off a group of rowdy school children. The Heartless began to scurry away, scattering back into the trees and the thickets, escaping before another could strike at them with a keyblade. The girl held up hers and allowed it to flicker away in a burst of light, she turned around to face the group of sorcerers, looking a little flushed as her gentle, earthy brown eyes met them. “Sorry about them, they just keep appearing here! They aren’t your typical Heartless, they just roam around being silly little things, just staring at you like a deer in headlights, they must have thought…oh, sorry, I haven’t even asked your names…you are…?” The Symphonus family just stared, completely wide eyed and still at the little girl, making it seem slightly awkward until Golden stepped forward to get a better look, and fell forward as she lost her footing. “Ouch!” she whined, keeping Starlight close to her as she almost slipped out under her arm, the young keyblade wielder quickly ran to her, offering her a hand. “Oh! You alright, there? They didn’t hurt you, did they?” she asked politely, offering Golden a kind smile, but the youngest sorcerer gasped in fright and pulled away from the girl, dashing under Yen Sid’s robes for security, and shyly peeking out between the gaps. The girl with blonde locks looked downcast. “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean…” Yen Sid held up his hand, gently silencing her, his expression softening to help reassure her. “Easy, my dear…you’ve done nothing wrong.” he told her in a warm voice. “You arrived just in time, and helped us. This is my daughter, Golden. She’s…shy among new people.” He gently patted Golden on the back, trying to coax her out of her hiding spot to meet their new friend. She didn’t budge at first, but slowly looked as Yen Sid gave her a tiny push. “Come now, Lunula…see? She’s friendly.” Golden emerged from her father’s robes, Mickey and Oswald staying close to her to help her stay relaxed, she felt the urge to take their hands for extra protection, but their smiles spoke a hundred reassuring words at once and helped her pluck up the courage to speak, she felt she had lost her voice again for a moment. “You…saved us…?” Golden squeaked softly, petting Starlight’s hat for comfort. The girl nodded with a smirk, holding out her arm again to summon her heated, flame flickering weapon. “With a little help from my trusty keyblade, Sparky!” she beamed, giving it a quick twirl and spin before putting it over her shoulder. “I saw a bright light and figured I ought to check it out, never know who’d be in trouble with Heartless roaming around. So I went and…oh…” She stopped, her eyes meeting another’s, and she dropped her keyblade which disappeared in a flash of light before it hit the ground. Slowly approaching the girl, Julius stared with a soft expression, a light gleaming in his eyes as he carefully held out his shaky hand, in turn, the girl stepped toward him, all excitement in her eyes had become that of surprise. “Is…is it you?” she asked. Julius tried to answer, but his words caught in his throat, he once again fiddled with the cuffs of his sleeves, his cheeks flushing brightly. “It’s me…a-and…it’s you, r-right?” he managed, mewing quietly. Finally, they held hands, the girl started rubbing her thumbs over his knuckles, the sensation brought back a flood of memories, that same feeling of soft, silky fur that used to soothe her and help her and her best friend fall asleep together under a moonlit sky on a summer’s night, tears pricked in her eyes as she looked back at Julius, she was so overcome with warm memories she hadn’t noticed them. “Hey…you.” she uttered, unsure of what to say herself. “It’s…been a long time, you could say? I…don’t know what to say…Julius.” With that, Julius threw himself at her and held her as tightly as possible, feeling that if he let go she’d disappear again. A tear sparkled down his closed eye as he embraced her, it was just like the hugs they had shared once before. “Alice!!” he wept, overcome with pure joy and relief, he had never been so happy to say her name than now. “I knew it! I knew I’d find you again. I’m so glad you’re alive! I…I missed you SO much!!” 

Alice let her own tears run down her cheeks as she held her oldest and dearest friend, gently scratching her fingers through the fur behind his head affectionately. “I knew it too, Julius.” She responded lightly. “I missed you so much too, I could never forget the first best friend I ever had, could I? That wish I made on a star that night came true…” Astra sidestepped around Percy, pretending to adjust a pair of glasses on their face as they got a better, closer look at the girl, their eyes widening in realisation at what just occurred to them. “Hold on…Wait a minute WHAAAAT?! YOU’RE Alice?!” They gasped, hunching their back comically and looking completely flabbergasted. “How did I not put two and two together?! You’re…you’re that kid that came into my office years ago, granted you’re a bit older now, but I remember back when you first arrived! You were a little shaken up but not too hurt, and… you were with a man with spiky red hair, were you not?” Alice looked up from her long embrace with Julius, wiping the tears off her face with her arm and keeping her other hand held tightly with his, she gave Astra a small smirk as she recollected the memory. “You’re correct!” she winked cheerfully. “I remember you now, you’re that sweet doctor that helped patch me up, I don’t think I ever got to thank you but, I was incredibly grateful! And yes, there was a man, he’s my master, and he goes by the name of Lea. Got it memorized?” She demonstrated by tapping her temple which made everyone start to laugh, having known who Lea was, a fellow ally and keyblade wielder himself that had aided them in the past and remained close to many such as Xion, Roxas and Sora, and even Mickey himself. “Oh gosh, that’s Lea alright!” chuckled the young mouse. “Who would have thought he’d be training Julius’s old friend here to be a keyblade master too? I guess he’s really come a long way since the beginning…come to think of it, we hadn’t seen or heard from him in some time, have we? I guess…this kinda explains it, don’t you think, dad?” Yen Sid stroked his beard, his typical tic when going into thought. He nodded with a low hum. “Yes, it does seem possible. Lea isn’t really the reclusive type, but he is also not one to leave a young one in need behind. Perhaps this is something he considers a right and noble path, and I think his work has paid off. Alice here does seem like a bright and talented keyblade wielder, there’s no doubt about that.” He turned to Astra and Percy, tilting his head back to the path they came, indicating they should now go back, their mission was completed. “Let’s go back to your clinic, Astra.” he said. “We’ll talk and learn more about Alice once we are settled down in a safer place, I’m sure you have much to tell us, dear.” Alice gave a small nod, and took Julius’s hand in hers as they all set off back, Julius was slightly stunned, he wasn’t sure he if should pull away, but he hadn’t, he looked toward Fanny, who smiled at him with an assuring and proud look, her eyes shimmered as he felt his cheeks heat up and looked back toward the path they were walking on. Everyone was quiet for a while on the way back, with only Oswald and Mickey making small comments to Golden to help her keep calm, she seemed to relax a lot more with her brothers chatting to her and sat Starlight atop her head as they walked. Julius finally broke the silence. “Alice…? I’m…so sorry…” he sighed, looking down away from her. Alice watched him curiously. “Hmm? Why Julius? What are you sorry for?” she asked. Julius stiffened slightly. “For…running off like…a coward? You don’t think I was, do you?” Alice seemed almost lost for words, she looked to Yen Sid, asking with her eyes for any adult wisdom on how to respond. Yen Sid looked over his shoulder, he looked gentle and understanding, and Alice felt a warmth in her chest suddenly, and watched as he interacted with Golden, his hand sitting on her shoulder, just softly and paternally, neither pushing her forward or holding her back a bit. Alice released Julius’s hand from her own and performed the same gesture as Yen Sid, sitting her arm around her friend. “C’mon Julius, I never blamed you.” she said. “I was worried for you, and wanted you safe! Those Heartless were EVERYWHERE, mind…they wanted us both it seemed, but I’d rather it be me then you, y’know? I was scared for a long time something happened to you, and I kept thinking what if those wild Heartless got you? Well, sure thing, Lea was the right person to snap me out of that, and showed me that if I could learn how to use a keyblade, I’d be stronger and could protect people! No way was I turning that opportunity down, and now look…we’re here together again! And we can protect each other now, no matter what happens.” It took everything in Julius not to cry again, even out of joy, his anxiety washed away in seconds, he could only hope it wouldn’t return now. He leaned against Alice, and exhaled sharply, hoping no one else had heard him and drew attention to him, not wanting to be upset any further. “Y-you’re right.” he said, sniffling slightly. “We’re stronger together now! I’ve got so much to show you, and what I’ve learned! And you’ll love my family, all of us! And you can be a part of it too, if you want to…” They all soon reached Astra’s clinic, the sun was low in the sky now, creating a warm, autumnal hue over the forest. Astra led them all inside again, getting them to their seats on the sofa and preparing yet another batch of drinks, they seemed to be working hard and fast at their tasks. Percy watched them with a look of delight, he was eager for Astra to meet the broomies, they’d really help them with their work so Astra could put their feet up! Julius led Alice to Golden, who was once more seated on Yen Sid’s knee. “Hey! Sorry about the start, I’d be glad to get to know you!” Alice said to her enthusiastically. “You know, I really like your hair, it changes colours! What do you call that ability? I think the turquoise and lilac mix is much prettier than the white but, that’s just preference! No offense on my end.” Golden took a moment to register with Alice talking quickly, almost lost in her own world, until the mention of the colours of her hair, everyone else set their eyes on her in response, Scout and Sonatina gave a soft gasp, while Mickey was bouncing on his heels. “Goldie!! Your hair!” he squeaked excitedly. “It’s back!” Golden reached up to touch her hair, it was softer and less split ended, her fingers easily raked through it. “Huh, what? What’s happening, daddy!?” she cried, he summoned a small compact mirror into his palm, and held it up in front of Golden, her jaw almost dropped to the floor, her once pale, winter snow hair that had been damaged, from looking much brighter and shinier, the colours of blue and purple standing out beautifully from her red robes, just as they had always been. “My…my hair!! It’s back, it’s finally back!” Her eyes welled up as she felt around her head, Golden always loved her hair and felt it was an important part of her, she never wanted it to be taken away from her, it was still here, it finally gave Golden the peace of mind she had craved for days. Yen Sid stroked her vibrant locks, how he missed this feeling and the love it carried. “I’m proud of you, Lunula.” he told her approvingly. She leaned in to hug him, followed by a teary eyed Starlight who had squeezed in between them. The rest of the Symphonus family followed, and formed a tight, group hug around the youngest member, Alice even initiating that everyone else join in. Astra stopped at the doorway, smiling softly as they pushed a trolley of tea and coffee into the room. Percy opened an eye to see them, standing alone, not about to leave them out of the family embrace, he opened his arm, extended it welcomingly. Astra didn’t hesitate to jump in, and rushed to their best friend, completing the hug. The sun shone through the window at that very moment, each beam hitting each member of the family, encasing them in its warmth, as if it too was part of the embrace. Yen Sid spoke up first once they all released. “Well, everyone…I say this has been a grand success. We found not only Alice, but also Astra too, it’s been too long…This calls for a celebration. Let’s all go home, we’ll have a party, and we’ll contact Lea to come along, as well as Aero, she’s got a lot to catch up on I say!” Golden was the first to respond with an energetic nod of the head, and tapping her chin in thought as she turned to Julius, who curiously noted her sly expression. “Well, a celebration sounds great! We’ve got so much to celebrate, and…haha, an upcoming birthday, but shhh!” She whispered softly to Yen Sid, who gave her a little wink. Golden continued. “And Julius! Before we do, I’ve got an idea I think you’ll enjoy!” She beckoned him over, and he leaned over for her to whisper her plans into his ear, his head bopping with each idea she had, his tail started wagging faster each time. “Now that sounds like a great idea, Super Heart!” he cheered, holding up his hand for a high five, which she gleefully returned. “But first, ahh…we should head home! It’s getting late, look at the sun! It might be dark by the time we get to the town…” Julius pointed to the window, where the sun was now just on the outline of the treetops, it was lowering, Yen Sid rubbed at his beard in thought. “Hmm, you are correct, Julius.” he said. “I hadn’t been keeping track of the time today, with everything that was happening…If we head back now we…hmm, I’m not sure if we’d make it in time. Unless we teleported.” Astra clapped their hands, and proceeded to jump onto the coffee table to strike a triumphant pose. “No need! While teleporting is fairly straight forward, it still takes a great amount of energy! You’ve all done so much today and deserve a rest, I insist you take the carriage instead. Doctor’s orders!” Everyone except Yen Sid and Percy looked puzzled. “A carriage?” asked Sonatina. “I don’t recall seeing one here. Do you have one, dear?” Astra nodded their head. “Yup! It’s pulled by unicorns! Though they aren’t mine, I borrowed them from Pendragon, saves walking when I gotta get to the old town to see patients who call me, plus there’s plenty of room in it for you all to rest! Alright, grab your drinks and come outside, I’ll just get them set up.” Astra quickly swept outside and disappeared from view. Yen Sid lifted Golden up and set her back on her feet, taking her hand as they departed from the clinic, a brisk breeze greeted them as the sun began to set, the sound of a gentle stream filling their ears. The boys yawned, and even Scout and Fanny were looking exhausted. “Hey, Mr Yen Sid?” asked Alice, gently tugging at his robes. “I can stay with you, right? I’m more than happy to get to know you all, and Lea would flip if he saw I made some new friends.” Yen Sid was quiet, but his demeanor hadn’t changed, he gently adjusted the hat on Alice’s head so it was a little better positioned, he smiled at the amount of pins that were decorating it. “You can live with us for as long as you wish, you’re just as much of a Symphonus as any of us. This family grows bigger and better each time, that I know for certain.” Alice grinned up at him, feeling incredibly grateful and slightly overwhelmed at how unexpected things had turned out today, and for the better. She took Julius’s hand once more as a large carriage pulled into view, two unicorns, coloured a pastel blue and pink each were at the front, Astra was sat on the seat holding the reins. “Hop aboard!” they cried, gesturing to them all to enter. “There’s room for everyone!” Yen Sid nodded to them, and took the initiative of getting on first, followed by Percy and Sonatina who all helped the younger sorcerers inside. The back of the carriage had blankets and pillows, and rows of herbal plants lined the walls, adding a gentle aroma to it. Yen Sid and Sonatina sat beside Astra, seating them in the middle as they signalled for the unicorns to start walking, their hooves making soft, clipclopping sound on the leaves and dirt across the long path. “Pendragon has had these two since they were foals!” said Astra gleefully. “Helped look after them and their mama when they were born! Apollo and Artemis are very relaxed and chill, and they love a carrot reward after a day's travel! Say, dad…you still live near the new town, don’t you? That’ll give these two a nice, long exercise!” Percy watched as his friend chatted away with Yen Sid and Sonatina, talking idly of their home and their little living area of the town, it created a serene, cosy atmosphere as the carriage moved along through the forest as the sun began to set. Percy took the large blanket and carefully positioned it over the youngsters, Golden, with Starlight in her arms, snuggled up closely between Mickey and Julius, who both looked ready to doze off under the blanket’s warmth. Alice wrapped herself up near Julius, her arm tucked around him, she set down her hat to the side as she laid her head down. Fanny at her opposite side, making sure both her and Julius were warm with enough blanket covering them. Scout sat near the doors of the carriage, watching as the clinic disappeared from sight beyond the trees, the blanket covering her legs and feet, and also Oswald as he flopped his head down on her lap, sleep taking over him completely. The way home was calm and tranquil, even as darkness set in, a light provided by the great moon that watched them from above, and no Heartless hiding among the shadows. They reached the calm, vibrant parts of the forest the family had passed through earlier, where timeless flowers grew. Astra pointed a finger up, and to the family’s amazement, the trees, plants and flowers all parted their way like a silk curtain, the bright bioluminescent colours made the young siblings stir, and Golden, Mickey, Julius and Alice awoke to see the shimmering lights dancing before them, it’s like there were several fairies going about the trees, even taking each others’ hands and spinning a pirouette, it looked enchanting, and just like a storybook come to life. “Wow…that’s very pretty…” uttered Golden, holding a snoring Starlight to her glowing chest. “Oh…Mickey, look! Stars.” she pointed to the skies, and there they were, hundreds of stars dotted the dark sky, twinkling a small greeting to those below. Mickey rubbed at his eyes to rid the drowsiness, as an equally sleepy Julius leaned on his shoulder, his round ears twitched with excitement, waving his little gloved hand at the stars. “Wow…it’s like the Cosmos! Gosh, it’s all so beautiful here…I gotta bring Minnie here one day for a date!” He crawled a little closer to the carriage doors, leaning out a bit to watch the stars and dancing fairies. Golden followed him, clinging to his arm as she watched the sights with him. She spotted above a pair of fairies that were circling in a pattern, their hands entwined, their faces reaching each other’s until their lips locked. Golden couldn’t help but watch them, she felt something stir inside her heart that she couldn’t quite place, her mind wasn’t processing much else, her eyes were fixed on the pair, and then a nudge to ribs brought her back to her senses as Oswald elbowed her. “Hey zoner, what’s got you in a daze?” he jested, Golden shook her head. “N-nothing! Just…watching such a pretty scene! What’s it to you?” Oswald smirked at her, affectionately ruffling her newly reformed hair as it shimmered in the lights, which looked like twinkling stars on her cool coloured blue and lilac locks. Mickey chuckled and allowed Golden to lean on his shoulder as the carriage finally exited the forest, leaving a trail of brightly hued leaves behind from the wheels. Oswald yawned loudly, enough to catch the attention of Yen Sid and look behind him, watching as his small rabbit son curled up back under the blankets beside Scout, instantly falling into a tired slumber, Yen Sid smiled whimsically as he reached over to stroke Oswald’s ears, making them twitch softly at the tips, Golden crawled over to him, followed by Mickey who helped tuck her in, Yen Sid felt his heart flutter at the sight, just watching as his children looked out for each other and trusted one another as they let sleep take over once they were soundly wrapped up in the warmth in the back. Turning forward with a proud grin, the lights of the town were soon coming into view as the unicorns pulled the carriage through down the small thicket near the brook, just past the old campsite. Golden opened an eye slowly to see Alice and Julius bundled together alongside Fanny, they were like their own little trio, and Golden was looking forward to watching their growth. Unable to stay awake any further as the carriage reached the town, the young sorcerers had drifted off into a soundless slumber as the town lit up with lights, Yen Sid gave small greetings to those they passed by, as did Astra, who tipped their hat and the little snake staff embedded onto the band hissed delightfully. Several folk were heading back indoors after a day at work, while some others were just starting out on the nightshift, already well rested. Yen Sid looked back over his shoulder before they reached the path home, there was the small cottage where he had sighted Mirai before, the lights were off, unusual for a house in the night. His first instinct led him to believe she was in bed, but he knew the young woman carried an air of mystery that followed her everywhere. He appeared to let his distraction of her get the best of him as he hadn’t noticed the carriage finally stop, and only blinked out of his thoughts after Percy had patted him on the shoulder. “Master? You were in a daze…seen another wisp? Haha!!” he chortled, his glasses shimmered in the light of the lantern Astra had lit up, and exited the carriage. “Hmm…ah, sorry Percy. My mind was elsewhere.” Yen Sid answered, coyly adjusting his hat back on straight to avoid looking distracted. “It’s alright, let’s get inside, and put these youngins’ to bed.” He smiled as he turned to see them all wrapped up in blankets, smiles of peace etched on their lips, clearly in a world of happy dreams, it almost pained him to move them from their spots. Percy leaned into the carriage and scooped Golden, who held Starlight close to her chest in her arms, Mickey and Oswald into his arms, the three of them immediately snuggling into his warmth, their light man was almost like a bed that moved and spoke. He chuckled and watched as Yen Sid lifted Scout onto his back, it was effortless on his end and he didn’t even struggle with her, his paternal instincts overrode any strains and struggles. Sonatina took Julius, Fanny and Alice into her arms, unable to resist giving them each a small kiss, and Astra took the two unicorns around the back, unhooking the carriage and petting them each on the nose for their efforts in getting them home. “Very good you two!!” Astra giggled, reaching into their pocket and taking out a carrot each. “Here you are! You’ve earned these, and you must be tired too. Well, I’ll have you both home soon, but first I too need to rest up! Goodnight Apollo, Artemis!” They giddily sidestepped back and went to the door, following Yen Sid inside and blowing out the flame in the lantern as Percy used his magic to bring the lights in the house to life. Sonatina gave a yawn herself, and proceeded to make her way up the stairs. “Phew…what a journey these last couple of days have been…Yen Sid, do you have a room set up for Alice?” Yen Sid gave a soft smile and shook his head, stiffening a little as Scout let out a loud snore near his ear. “Well, I thought it’d be an idea to have Julius and Alice stay together for the night, it’s their first one in many years. And of course, Fanny will join them, she’s been vital in helping Julius…I think it’s best he stays with his girls tonight, it’s what he deserves.” The three sorcerers went and placed the youngsters into their beds, Yen Sid performed a quick spell with the clap of his hands, transforming their clothes into their pyjamas so they wouldn’t have to wake up and get dressed. Removing his hat, Yen Sid ran his thumb over the brim, tracing over the embroidered stars and the moon, a warm, tickling sensation coursed through his chest that made him feel fluttery, yet there was a sense of bittersweetness he couldn’t quite place. He remembered the day he first received his hat, every thread and fiber was lovingly stitched together, each one carrying a stream of magic, and it was his. He looked up, Percy was in his light form, still full of energy somehow as he flitted across the ceiling, if only Starlight was wide awake enough to race him. “You should be in bed too, youngin’.” said Yen Sid in jest, Percy had completely stopped to a halt. “Ahem!! Took the words outta my mouth, MASTER. You’re old, go to bed right now.” he retorted. Yen Sid wasted no time putting his hat back on and glaring his usual stare at the light man. “You know…I have the power to withhold your ice cream cake privileges, Percival.” He sounded way too calm about that statement, and Percy wasn’t sure if it was his tone, withholding ice cream cake or the use of his full name that scared him the most. “Okay FINE!! I’m on my way up, ohh…and can I have…the thing Astra and I used to have? When we were wee ankle biters…? Please?” Yen Sid chuckled, placing a gentle hand on Percy’s shoulder. “You mean bunk beds? Of course, I’ll have it sorted in minutes. Goodnight, son, have a pleasant night.” He leaned in and gave a small kiss to Percy’s forehead, making him giggle in a rather giddy manner before he trotted up the stairs to his room, where Astra was already waiting for him, ready to catch him up on so much since their last meeting. With a yawn, Yen Sid removed his hat once more and made his way to his own room, ready to end the night and sleep it away until the morning church bells.   

His eyes opened, and he mewed softly as he let out a yawn, Julius’s vision adjusted to the light of the morning, the sound of birds and bells were enough to say it was time to get up, yet he didn’t for a moment. His bed was warmer than usual, and he almost gasped when he realised…at one side, Fanny was still sound asleep, not even disturbed by the morning chorus outside or the shifting of Julius, and on the other side of him, Alice was just waking up, rubbing her small fist against her eye. “Hmm? Ha, hey there you.” She smiled, Julius promptly curled up against her. “Hey…good dream?” he asked, unsure of what else to say, yet it seemed natural. “Brilliant! Though I kept seeing fairies…Don’t know what that was about, but anyways, you and I are finally back and we’re gonna have a flippin’ good time! What say you and I go wake everyone up? We’ll make it a race on who wakes up the most!” Julius’s ear twitched, he turned his head to his door, there was an unmistakable sound behind it. “Heh, probably won’t need to! Goldie’s up already.” he said, grinning at the fast paced patter of her feet across the floorboards. Sitting up and stretching, Julius began to slip out of bed, careful not to wake Fanny and letting her sleep in a bit longer. Alice crept closely behind Julius as he opened the door ajar, seeing Golden across the hallway, she appeared to be holding something in her arms, their first thought was that it might be Starlight, but looking closer, it was much bigger and bulkier, confusing the two best friends. “Goldie? Hey sis, what are you up to?” Julius asked, which immediately startled the girl, not out of fear but more of a sense she was caught doing something that she shouldn’t. Turning, Golden grinned sheepishly at Julius. “Ahh…hey, good morning!” she uttered, hiding her hands behind her back hoping that he wouldn’t notice. He did. “Sis, what are you doing? It’s literally dawn! And I don’t mean our friend!” Julius laughed, Alice chuckling behind him. “What’s with all that stuff? You’re not playing a prank on dad, are you?” Golden shook her head, and instead showed Julius and Alice what she was holding, it was a box and party items and circus gear, balloons, juggling balls, outfits, everything one could imagine from a carny world. “Julius? You remember what I told you yesterday?” she smirked proudly. “Well…we are gonna show everyone our wondrous magic show today! I went into dad’s room while he was still sleeping and got everything we need! That and the broomies helped me too, hehe!” Alice snorted with laughter, while Julius looked a little concerned about her taking something from Yen Sid’s room, he was glad she hadn’t touched the fireworks though. “Oooh, I see what you’re getting at!” piped Alice. “You’re a party planner, eh? I can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned! When’s it starting? Wanna give us a headstart?” Golden giggled at Alice’s enthusiasm, right as one of the broomies shuffled up to her and ‘whispered’ into her ear, Alice side-eyed Julius at the very thought, the cat sorcerer merely shrugging in his own ignorance. “Ooh, the living room is set up!” giggled Golden, clutching at the box of party favours and circus items. “Nice work, number 5! Alrighty, Julius and Alice? Can you go wake the others? Maestro Golden is gonna put on a show!!” Julius smiled at his sister and held out his balled hand for a fistbump, which Golden gladly returned. “You’ve got it, Super Heart!! C’mon Alice, I’ll race you!” The two friends, now siblings, dashed down the hall leaving Golden alone with the broomie and the box, she glanced another smirk at the broomie, whispering to it once more. “I’ll meet you and the others in the living room in ten minutes!”

Half an hour passed, and everyone was now awake and had dressed for the day. The broomies all offered the family of sorcerers a cup of tea and cocoa, and at least five cups of coffee for Oswald. Yen Sid looked around the room, eyeing the banners and the circus themed items that filled the room, he scowled a bit knowing they had been taken without permission, but nevertheless let it slide since he also knew there were likely good intentions behind it. He also noticed that one member of his beloved family wasn’t in the room with the rest of them, leading to him questioningly curiously with a lift of his eyebrow. “Hey, pops? You seen Goldie?” asked Scout as she came up behind him, her starry cap askew on her head, which Yen Sid fixed with a grin. “I haven’t actually. Perhaps she is the mastermind behind all of this?” he chuckled, and Scout giggled in response. A voice called out from within the room. “Take your seats, everyone!!” Golden cried through what sounded like a megaphone, making a few of them jump slightly. Yen Sid took a seat next to Scout, putting an arm around her while Sonatina was holding the boys close to her, Oswald was squirming slightly while Mickey was relaxed on her lap, cuddling up beside her, Julius was just under her arm next to Alice and Fanny, Percy was beside Astra on the end, and was squeezing Starlight like an excited child would with a toy. “A homemade circus performance!!” he cried out, bouncing giddily in his seat. “What fun! It’ll be just like when we were small tots watching amazing displays when the celestial circuses came to Fioritura!” Starlight squirmed harshly in his hands as he squeezed her a bit more, she managed to pull herself free and zipped under Yen Sid’s hat once again to hide. “Ugh! You’d think I’d try to break the world record for holding my breath.” she snarked, crossing her arms and pouting. There was a click of the lights, and everything in the room darkened sans a single spot under a spotlight, with a clap of a pair of hands, Golden appeared in a burst of confetti and streamers, many pieces of which landed on the watchful family. “Ladies, gentlemen, enbies, toons and glowworms!!” She called out, posing and speaking in an eccentric way much like a show magician, her little sorcerer hat had changed shape while still adorning the moon and stars, looking much like a top hat now. “Welcome to the Cirque du Golden!! Prepare yourself for a show of wonder, amazement, and best of all, magic!! Hosted by yours truly, the one and only ringmaster herself!” She gave a quick bow, and everyone applauded her entrance, she really had brightened up and was more like herself than ever. Yen Sid’s eyes lightened up a little at her title of ringmaster. “Just you wait and see what we have in store, we’ve got a double feature for an extraordinary lineup, the sea and sky are joining together for the first show, then a magical DJ that you all know well! And there’s many more afterwards, we know you’re in for a real treat! And someone very lucky might come up here to join us!” She looked around the audience in front of her, pretending to seek out someone random from within a large crowd, with a grin she pointed to Alice. “You! You’re the lucky girl, come on up here!” Alice was surprised, albeit pleasantly as she rose from her seat, approaching the stage with Julius behind her. “Ooh, this is so cool!” exclaimed Alice. “Are you really doing all this magic? Or is it pretend?” she gave a wink, and Golden smirked. “Not quite, there’s some pretend, but it’s ALL to do with magic! You are in for the greatest show in Fioritura! Alright, places everyone! The show is about to begin!” Golden clapped her hands above her head in a quick rhythm, and pointed her fingers in Julius’s direction. “Alright, Julius, hit it!” Julius winked and shot a finger back at her, his tail swishing in excitement as he spun his hands in fast, circular motion, stars shot out from his palms and burst like fireworks of stardust that rained down on the audience, Percy held out his hand to catch some while Scout took off her hat and smiled at the patterns it had made, Mickey and Oswald giggled and chuckled at the dust landed on their heads and ears, making them look sparkly. Julius smirked as he gave a clap of his hands too, showering himself in stardust. “Okay guys, now go!” From behind the curtains, several rings were lined up, glistening in a golden glow. Delphis, followed by Mako, Cody, Mantra, Frill and Luma, leapt through each ring and floated in the air, performing several kinds of poses and positions. Yen Sid found himself mesmerised by their performances, which surprised him a little, but he was happy to see it was his good friends acting out the show for him. Starlight watched from under the brim of his hat, clinging to it as her eyes circled all around, taking in the scene. “Wow, they sure are talented!” she beamed, her eyes shining with stars. “They never fail to amaze us with their performing arts! Maybe I can join them in the next round?” Yen Sid chuckled quietly, lifting his arms to take Starlight into his hands and placing her in his lap, the little one cuddling up in his gentle hands. He sighed softly, yet amused by the show Golden and the spirits of sea and sky were putting on for them. “Now this...is what I call a stellar circus act. It is fun, and mesmerising! Befitting you, Lunula. You’ve certainly done it best.” Golden giggled with giddiness at her father’s complimentary words, taking off her top hat and giving a bow to him, making him clap his hands for her that gave her an extra boost of support. “Ohh it’s going to get better dad!” she cried cheerfully, bowing at each side this time with a playful exaggeration. “Their performances are fantastic, but it’s missing just one important thing. Hit it, DJ!” She pointed enthusiastically to her left, where Scout had set up a music stand, she tipped her starry cap and gave Golden a quick finger gun gesture before music blasted out of the speakers, filling the room with a colourful, bopping beat that bounced off the walls. Oswald jumped up from his seat, pumping his arms in the air to the sound of the music taking over and making him dance to the rhythm, Mickey grinned up at his brother’s antics while silently wishing Scout could turn it down a little as he placed his hands over his ears. Golden noticed him trying to enjoy the show but getting a little overwhelmed by the sound, she tapped her chin, a light bulb suddenly popping up from the top of her head. “Mickey?” she called out, a light yellow magic appearing in her hand behind her back. “Here you are! Use these!” She showed him what she had just magically conjured up, a pair of noise cancelling headphones, they were red with little white stars decorating them, Mickey smiled brightly, red was his favourite colour. “Aww, thanks Goldie!” The younger sorcerer winked sweetly at her brother, patting him on the arm as he adjusted the headphones on his head and sitting back to watch the rest of the show, moving his hands back behind his head. Returning to the stage, Golden clapped her hands and motioned toward Aurora and her cohort, who all posed elegantly and swiftly as their attention was called to. “Alright! Are you all ready? We’ve got a showstopper to perform!” She called out, waving her arm back with great energy like a ringmaster at a show’s climax. Aurora closed her wings around herself as Flutter, Bee and Bluebird circled around her, moving in a slow yet mesmerising pattern like sunbeams accompanied by the sky spirit’s beautiful rainbow shimmer. Delphis leapt up, splashes of water droplets falling down around him, followed by his cohort, Cody kept his hands out to catch Delphis and balance him if needed, while Luma and Mantra circled around in a pirouette, making beautiful movements as they danced beneath the two spirits. Golden looked to Percy, winking with a signal, with a grin and a burst of light, he zipped ahead and joined the group in their final performance, shining as the water fell below, casting a rainbow prism across the whole room. “That’s it!! Bravo!” cheered Julius, clapping with great speed and delight, the colours bouncing off his dark black eyes. With a final move, Aurora lifted Delphis high and threw him into the air above her, he spun, and swung his arms like angel wings, before taking a final dive as he began to ascend, much like he would in his dolphin form, and landed perfectly in the pose best suited for it, bridal style in Aurora’s arms. The family watching burst into applause, and Scout finished the song on her record with a triumphant crescendo. “Guys…that was…well, AMAZING!” cried Alice, her hair and clothes a little wet from Delphis’s splashes, not that she minded at all, she wasn’t even afraid of dirt, despite not being a full on tomboy like Scout. “You lot really are talented to the bone! Gosh, makes me look like I’m just playing pretend with a wooden sword. Maybe you guys can teach a lass a thing or two, eh?” Julius grinned, a blush adorning his face, he felt lost for words until Fanny gave him a gentle nudge in the ribs, ushering him on with a soft smile of her own. “N-nonsense Alice, you’re plenty good already!” he said coyly. “Besides, not everyday we get a keyblade wielder around here, aside from Aqua, Terra and Ventus…but you surprised us all to be honest with you.” He felt a slight tap on his shoulder, turning around just in time to see Mickey summon Starcluster, and swinging it by the hilt on his finger. “You’re not forgetting your brother, are you?” he said, a slightly smug tone to his voice. “I may be a sorcerer, but I can use this old friend whenever the situation calls! After all, why wouldn’t I? Me and Starcluster go way, way back, hehe!” Mickey held Starcluster to his chest, giving it a hug like it were Duffy, making a soft hum as he did so. The young mouse suddenly flinched a little as two hands touched his ears, but instantly relaxed as they started to gently massage them. “I’m in the same boat when it comes to the power of the keyblade.” said Yen Sid, bending down on one knee so he could reach Mickey’s height a little better. “Whenever we call to it, the keyblade will always be there. The great moon shall grant anyone that power to use, for the greater good, to protect and love their friends and family, to become stronger. There’s no exception to who.” Mickey squeaked softly, lightly patting at Yen Sid’s hands as the sensation tickled his ears, but the older sorcerer just rubbed a little firmer, enjoying the sight of his little son’s precious smile. Golden tapped her chin as she grinned, and gently nudged both Julius and Oswald in the ribs and laid a hand on Mickey’s shoulder. “Mickey, I think we should show everyone how much our training has paid off!” she giggled in excitement. “Come on, let’s use your keyblade! You two, follow us up onto the stage, let's finish this with a bang!” Oswald gave a snicker, and held out his hand, balling it into a fist, Golden gave him a firm bump with her own. “Think I’m ready? I was born ready!!” With a smirk, Golden sprinted ahead of her brothers and made it to the stage first. Julius almost tripped over his tail as he raced after her and Oswald, Mickey graciously helped steady him and walked with him to the front of the stage, at a slower and easy pace. “Let’s go!” smiled Mickey, noticing the water from Delphis and Aurora’s performance was still in play, a rainbow continuing to shimmer brilliantly as Percy summoned his light, casting greater shapes and colours all across the room. Raising Starcluster, Mickey created a soft beam of white magic and star particles that shot across like shooting stars in a midnight black sky, yet this was a sky with over a million splashes of colour. Julius rubbed his hands together, and opened them wide as small, figure-shaped magic creatures appeared, dancing out of his palm and into the air, they looked very familiar, and Yen Sid instantly knew, they were in the appearance of his dear apprentices, much like the ones he’d make back in the early days when Golden was very small with her infant state mind. He would create these dancing magic figures as a way to calm them before bed or after a bad dream, showing them that they were always safe with him, they were his stars, he was their moon, and at times, their universe. Scout turned the volume up on her music machine, the song became more triumphantly and victorious, taking out his remote, Oswald pushed the button, several sparks shot out like fireworks over the castle, and exploded with a bang as Mickey struck a pose, pointing toward the sky, the sparks burst around him, the music came to a stop, and the watching family burst into a loud, vibrant applause. “BRAVO!!” Astra shouted, clapping their hands with such vigor that they might burst into flames at any moment. “That was totally WICKED!!! You kiddos knocked it out of the park! Wahoo!” Yen Sid gently pulled them back down to sit on the sofa, grinning a little sheepishly as he attempted to ease them, but he knew how excitable Astra could be, and he’d never change that about them. Julius’s tail twitched shyly between his legs as he scratched the back of his head. “Haha…well, we have learned a lot and…we just had to put it to use! We’ve learned a lot because we’ve got the best mentor and papa around.” He gestured to Yen Sid, smiling sweetly at him as the older sorcerer looked like he was thinking deeply, just barely noticing Percy transform back into a man and give him a quick finger gun move, or even Astra patting him firmly on the back in a congratulatory way. He eventually took off his hat, lightly running his finger tips over the brim as his face lit up with a soft flush. “Ohh, come now…I’m only just doing what a good master does.” he sighed wistfully. “It’s…nothing unusual. To you kids I might be the greatest person ever, haha! But I’m just…well, a typical old sorcerer.” Percy looked like he could set things ablaze with his glare as he grasped Yen Sid by the shoulders, staring intently into his eyes as hard as he could muster, taking his master by surprise. “Now, get those thoughts OUT of your mind!!” Percy scolded, not firmly nor gently. “We are not saying that because we are being nice or just your sweet dumplings, we are saying that because it’s TRUE. I mean, for goodness sake dad you’re like no other! You ARE the best, and you could never let us down, not through caring for us or teaching us, or anything! You’re enough, father…and we see that true beauty around you.” He was met with nods of agreement and enthusiasm from the smaller sorcerers, with even Mickey looking adoringly at his mentor, there was no mistake with the love in his eyes. “It’s true, dad! Truly it is!” he sing-sang happily, bouncing on his heels eagerly. “Besides, would we ever lie to you? Haha!” Yen Sid’s cheeks grew a brighter red, and he slowly placed his hat back on his head, adjusting it back to normal. He felt a small sense of wonder and whimsy in his chest that no one but they could deliver. Alice tapped him on the hand, gaining his attention as he broke free of his thoughts. “They’re right y’know, you’re their teacher and dad, and not only that, you’re so cool looking!” she complimented as she bounced on her tip toes, being considerably smaller than him even while he was sat down. Yen Sid smiled warmly as he patted his newest family member on the shoulder. “Thank you.” he beamed softly. Julius shuffled his feet, looking toward Golden as she gave him a quick little smirk, their show hadn’t quite finished yet. “Yen Sid…um, dad, is our teacher, master and father!” Julius perked brightly, his ears and tail sticking out upwardly. “He’s taught us incredible feats of magic, and it shows with how even someone like Golden could learn so much in just five years!” Golden looked up at the lights that remained flickering above the stage, her brother’s wondrous words went unheard as her vision was fixed on them, she wondered why it looked unstable, maybe Percy was controlling it and he let it go by mistake? Regardless of reason, Golden felt it would be wise to fix it, extending her hand as she started to cast a spell, but her range was too far out. With a small huff, she went to the back of the stage, where a set of ladders were lined up. These ladders were used by the spirits to help up on the higher ledge of the stage and to give them an altitude boost. Golden wasn’t normally fond of climbing ladders without assistance, yet her worries were elsewhere as she felt determined to fix this little light issue. She reached the top, and crawled toward the end of the very top of the tent that was set up around the circus’s higher level, the light just inches away from her reach. “Come on, you silly thing!” she muttered, putting on an accent similar to Percy’s. “Stop flickering like that, you’ll draw attention away from the show! And I don’t want any problems happening he-” A flash, like lightning in the darkest sky, it caught everyone off guard, including Julius mid speech, he stopped and glanced up, where his eyes met with the after burst of the flickering light beam. “We…all live in the workshop…right? Huh, w-what’s that?” he mumbled, losing track of his thoughts and quickly trying to gather them again. Golden wasn’t at his side, the light bursting in a bright flash all of a sudden, nothing made sense, until he finally realised what was happening before him, Golden was falling from the balcony, her eyes were blank and she wasn’t even crying out for help. Everything felt like slow motion, the eyes of Yen Sid and the eyes had just seen her descending, yet their movements were so still, they were moving, but only barely. Despite the panic rising in his chest, Julius did the only thing he could think of, and summoned a trapeze within seconds, he pictured it in his mind, and propelled himself upward as magic manifested under his feet and exploded with enough force. He grabbed the swing of the trapeze, clutching on as he got higher, and higher until he had the momentum to swing forward, and as he let go, the light consumed him and his falling sister. “GOLDEN!!” He couldn’t see, the brightness forced his eyes shut, yet his instincts were heightened, he reached out, hoping and daring to open his eyes to the glaring light just to see if he could see her. He didn’t need to, a weight landed in his arms, forcing him to close around it and hold tight, he was now spinning, gravity was all over the place as his mind was unable to grasp exactly where he was, until his eyes finally opened. He spotted a shape in the light, it was another trapeze rope, he reached out his hand, but missed within inches of it, his tail hadn’t though, and he was once again swung through the air, through the rings, and finally landing on a tightrope, by which then the light had finally faded, and everything came back into view. Blinking wearily, Julius glanced down, Golden was tightly held against him, his grip on her protective and warm. He began to purr, nuzzling against her forehead to rouse her. “Hey, I…I gotcha! You alright, Goldie?” he asked softly, shaking her a little, she didn’t stir, her mind was not bathed in light, but in darkness. Her feet were running suddenly, despite her being in midfall moments ago, she couldn’t help it, she hoped that if she kept on running, something would happen to get her out. “Love, love, love…that’s what he said…!” she whispered, out of breath as she carried on at her fast pace, not slowing down for a moment. She put her hand over her heart, trying to find a sign or anything amidst her panic. “Find a way out…! Find a way out!!” And then it happened, her hair began to lose its colour, the sickly, pale white seeped in from the roots, forcing her to grab her hood and pull it over her head despite the impending darkness. “Why? Why is this happening again?!” she groaned, her legs finally giving way as she fell, yelping as she hit the hard floor. “I…I have to get out…why did I end up here? I want my daddy…” She began to curl up on the floor in a fetal position. The last time she was in the void was when she was constantly sent here via the villains and their horrible misdeeds, but the very last time was not completely terrible, for she had seen her grandfather there, his words of wisdom never left her mind, and she’d definitely regret it if she did. The words replayed in her head, and she steadied her breathing as a result, becoming calmer. Another familiar voice, with familiar warmth, but it wasn’t Master Grey, who should have been here…was it someone else? The voice echoed softly in the atmosphere of the void. “I’ve got you…you can open your eyes now.” Golden did open her eyes, but the dark void remained. She tightened her grip on her hood to keep it up, looking around to try and see anything. “Julius…?” she uttered softly, her voice shaking a little. “Where are you?” The voice answered back, just as warm and loving, it answered from above. “Goldie…please, please wake up! You’re okay.” She wobbled as she found her balance, slowly rising back on her feet. Golden looked up to where the voice had answered, there was a gentle glow, it was green, it shined on her skin as it brought her slight comfort. Then the glow’s colour mixed with another, a dark, yet welcoming shade of blue. “Golden? It’s alright, Lunula. You can wake up now.” Yen Sid’s voice, Golden felt she could cry. She let go of her hood and reached up, desperate to touch the glowing lights above, it felt like there was nothing she could do but try, but she was determined, anything was trying. As both glows began to swirl with one another, they felt closer, and warm and safe like a hug. “Come on, Super Heart! I believe in you! I’ve always believed in you!” Golden could feel his presence nearing, her heart began to glow in return as brightly as a beacon, the green glow was within her reach, it filled her with a fresh and calming sensation, like a beautiful spring day, where the air was finally moving away from winter, even with the last remnants of snow remaining, could that have been Yen Sid’s? She wasn’t to know, for both the lights were now fading, replaced with daylight, and a soft weight around her body. She blinked, seeing the walls of her surroundings, they were the familiar wallpaper, and the windows had clouds and the same fir trees that stood out before the forest. And then she saw a familiar pair of eyes, it could only belong to one. “Julius…!” she smiled, a tear running down her cheek that her older brother promptly brushed away. “Hey Goldie!” he beamed back at her, before his expression began to shift slightly. “Oh sis…just WHAT were you thinking?!” Golden would’ve been startled by the sudden change of tone, but she felt uncharacteristically relaxed, Julius’s paw was right under her head, supporting it and massaging biscuits into her hair, the young girl leaned into the touch, it almost made her feel sleepy quite readily. “Um…I was trying to fix a light.” she answered sheepishly, smiling awkwardly up at her brother. “I thought it would be easy, but…somehow I ended up…there…” Yen Sid watched and listened, noting his daughter’s expression twitch and falter as she carried on, he could tell what place she was talking about, he could only breathe a sigh of relief as he watched her come back to her senses and that she wasn’t hurt, at least on the outside it seemed, yet the troubling notion of the villains still having a sense of control over her heart didn’t go by unnoticed. Seeing her back in his arms, staring at him with soft blue eyes that began to well up, Julius pulled her close to him, tenderly massaging her scalp with his paws and making the sweetest biscuits he’d ever made, her arms slowly coming around him and holding onto his robes. “Oh sis…I’m so glad I caught you. I thought I would've…oh, it doesn’t matter, I caught you!” Julius said, sniffling quietly into her shoulder. Golden closed her eyes, warmth radiating from her embrace. “Thank you Julius.” she sighed happily. “You caught me, and brought me back here…! I heard you, you…saved me. You’re a hero!” Hero. Julius felt his heart skip a hundred beats, he felt he could never live up to a true hero before, even after he had achieved so much there was always something missing. And he found it, he had fixed something important that was once missing, his self importance that like Alice, felt so lost from him before. Everything and everyone he cherished, it was right here, and he too was cherished by all the surrounding, happy faces that stared at him with pride. He wasn’t lost anymore. “Thank YOU…Super Heart.” he whispered, his throat tightening as he spoke to his little sister, and then a spark, a light…Julius stepped back, letting go of Golden as a bright hue engulfed him, it was warm and inviting, like a hug from Yen Sid or a ray of sunlight on a summer morning. As Julius stood up, his robes transformed, and to his surprise, it was like something he once envisioned himself wearing a long time ago if he ever achieved mastery, could this be…? “W-what?! Dad, my clothes are alive!!” he cried, pulling at his sleeves and his leggings, they were comfy and suited him well, he almost felt like showing off. Yen Sid chuckled warmly, a small tear glistening in the corner of his eye. “No Julius, don’t you see?” he said in a honeyed tone. “You’ve done it, you’ve reached something you’ve been meaning to earn, and you didn’t realise it was right there until you got it. That’s the journey of a sorcerer, my sweet boy, you’ve earned your mastery…I am so proud of you, Julius.” As Yen Sid kneeled down next to him, Julius was still, silent…it was like he couldn’t register the words, until it hit him like a thunder clap. His shoulders hunched, his arms wrapping around himself as he felt his eyes well up once again, he would have cried and jumped into Yen Sid’s safe arms, had he not already been tackled by the overly excited Alice, who squeezed him tight with great zeal, kicking her feet as they lay on the floor. “Ahhh you did it!!” Alice cried, laughing with her oldest and dearest friend whose tail thumped against the floorboards. “I knew you had it in you, but…I also knew you were already a master, you just had to open your eyes, silly! But anyways, you did it, you did IT! Wow, I daresay this calls for another celebration!” Alice leapt up from her hold on Julius, performing a flawless backflip as she summoned Sparky, holding it up high as several tiny fireworks burst into life and showered everyone with confetti that resembled tiny flames. Astra reached out their arms, letting several pieces fall into their palms before flinging them at Percy. “Wow, there certainly seems to be a lot of celebrations happening here! What lies ahead, huh Percy?” they giggled as the light man smirked fondly and took off his hat, brushing the confetti off and onto the floor before placing it back on his head. Astra turned to Julius, admiring his flowy green robes, his slightly floppy hat that resembled a night cap and the necklace that sat over his chest, it was heart shaped. “Seriously though, you do look adorable, and truly magical! That’s what I call a master sorcerer!” Julius felt his eyes well up, placing his tiny paws over his heart and breathing deeply. He was a master, a true master…for the first time in what felt like forever, he felt so proud to be Julius the Cat, his past mistakes, his flaws, his insecurities, they didn’t feel like a weight anymore, but simply part of him, his shame turned to strength, he felt he could move down a path filled with light and never look back at the dark. His eyes turned to Golden, who was reaching out to him, to touch his robes, they were like fine silk, a gift bestowed from the world of magic. Julius took her hand, squeezing it softly. “I couldn’t have done it without you, Super Heart…thank you.” He pulled her closer, wrapping her in his arms and making the biscuits on her hair, a feeling that always made her feel so safe and loved, her hair shimmered in the most vibrant shade of blue and lilac as she threw her arms back around her brother, feeling her feet leave the floor as he carefully lifted her. And then there was a firm but loving pat on Julius’s back, Oswald was glowing as he joined the embrace, as was Mickey, who alongside Alice took his other side, bringing Julius and Golden into a circled group hug. Fanny squeezed into the front, and without hesitation placed a warm kiss on Julius’s forehead, his cheeks flushing red like they’d been exposed to several suns. Percy clapped his hands together, gaining the attention of everybody in the room as a wide grin grew on his face. “Since we are celebrating…” he began, his voice low and full of suspense. “I think the next thing is…DINNER!! In honour of our newest little master and by far going to be the BEST historian Fioritura has ever seen, thank you, don’t argue with me now! I am making everyone my own recipe, Pasta A-la Percy! Look sharp everyone, I know you look hungry, so let's get gathered in the kitchen while I prepare…” Scout and Mako rushed forward first, knocking Percy into a spin before Delphis settled him, the light man’s eyes were still spinning and he couldn’t find the floor. “Ohh, you bloody hooligans, I wasn’t finished!” Percy moaned. “And where’s the floor, Delphis is that you? I want to get off this ride…!” Delphis chuckled and grinned, giving Percy a wink and a gentle pat on the shoulder. “You better hurry, my friend!” He said, pointing to the kitchen door. “I think Goldie’s little broom friends will beat you to your recipe!” Percy’s head turned like a door was about to be slammed shut by the wind, all seven broomies were already marching to the kitchen, grabbing their aprons and chef hats, number five was even carrying a pasta bowl. Percy tripped on his robe yet still had enough adrenaline to haul himself up and speed toward the kitchen, completely forgetting to turn into light. “OI! YOU PLANKS HALT!!” he cried like an army sergeant, his voice rising in tune but lowering in pitch. “It is MY RECIPE KEEP YOUR SPLINTERED MITTS OFF OF IT!! MASTEEEERRR!!!” Yen Sid could only laugh, all the excitement and silliness was getting to him! He let the crew of Delphis and Aurora go ahead first to get their seats for dinner, while turning back to his smallest children, giving them a nod of his greatest approval. Mickey and Oswald gave each other a fist bump, followed by Alice and Fanny, the latter turning her head back just to see Yen Sid take both Golden and Julius’s hands and walk them to the kitchen, the smell of cooking already reaching their noses. Yen Sid blinked back a tear as he watched Julius smile brightly, and Golden looking so well and ready to carry on, much like her brother was now as a master. He sighed contently, and a small voice in his head said, and not for the first or even second time, these children, all of them, past and present, were the best things to ever happen to him.

The air was crisp and frosty, a typical morning in the middle of November, but on a day everyone was gearing up for weeks to celebrate. Yen Sid was in office, a bright smile on his face as he stirred the warm cocoa he had prepared, he wasn't normally up this early at 6:30 in the morning, but there was a lot to be ready for by the time his children were awake, and he was more than determined to make sure it was absolutely perfect. Although nothing was really perfect, he always wanted to make sure his children had the most memorable birthdays. He glanced out the window as he took a sip, noticing a movement along the path to the home, he smiled and gave a wave to the young person dressed in cyan and purple, who was carrying an enormous blue sack covered in glittery stars, it was like if Santa was carrying a whole galaxy on his back. Aero waved enthusiastically all while trying to keep from toppling over from the weight of the sack, Star was propped on her shoulder, snoozing soundly like the sorcerer it was riding on wasn't struggling to keep her excitement in. Yen Sid trundled slowly down the stairs making sure he wasn’t making too much of a sound, reaching for the front door and opening to an overly enthusiastic, leveled-up-on-coffee-looking Aero. “Morning my dear…” Yen Sid hummed under his breath, leaning forward a little to not talk too loudly. “Were you…up all night preparing?” Aero chuckled as she nodded, setting her sack down on the porch. “Almost all night! I had Star help me, but the little guy is all tuckered out! C’mon, Star…it’s morning.” She gave the little celestial baby a small tap on the head, gently flicking stardust. Star gave a dazed, confused squeak and shifted up onto its small hands and rubbed its face. Aero turned to Yen Sid with a soft wink. “There’s…a lot in here, haha!” she chuckled warmly. “I’ll need some help getting everything prepared, could you lend me a hand, please? I also need to check the list, make sure we’ve got everything…days like these need to be perfect!” Yen Sid held up his hand, giving Aero a slow, reassuring nod. “Say no more, my dear.” he hummed gently. “I’m your father, things like this are no trouble at all. Come in, I’ve made some tea on the side. I’ll start with the biggest parts of the preparations, and then we’ll go over them together. I’ve already sent out every invitation, so don’t worry yourself with them, okay?” Aero’s eyes twinkled behind her lilac glasses, smiling gratefully at Yen Sid as she stepped over the threshold, making sure she didn’t make much sound with her sack. She picked up a warm mug of tea, the steam gently tickling her face as her hands took in the heat. Beckoning Star over, Aero closed her hands over the tiny creature and whispered a task to it, Star nodding and rubbing its tiny stubs together in eager anticipation. The room lit up with a soft glow of blue and white as Yen Sid prepared his magic, opening the sack with ease and letting all its contents fly out like presents soaring from Santa’s Christmas sack, balloons, streamers, a table and several items of carefully packaged foods all flowed out and were placed in their designated spots, one of the bigger items, which was a banner that read a name and a birthday shout out, Aero was struggling to contain her excitement. With a job given to them, Star whizzed up the stairs in a flash and into the hallway of doors, tapping on each of them and almost getting distracted by how mesmerising the knocks were until Julius opened his door, his fur slightly dishevelled while Alice from behind him looked more awake and had already fixed her hair despite still being in her pyjamas. “Star…?” murmured Julius sleeping, rubbing at his eyes to wipe away the tired blurriness. “What…are you doing here? Where’s dad?” Star answered with a delighted squeak, gesturing them to go downstairs and imitating something exploding like a party popper, Julius’s ears instantly perked and he almost yelled out loud about what today was. Alice giggled. “C’mon Julius, no time like today! Race ya there!” She quickly sprinted past him before he could get a head start, Julius only laughed in response as he chased after his best friend, his paws pounding on the wooden floorboards. “Hey, no fair, Alice! Haha, get over here!” Star wandered over to the next door to awaken its occupant, giving a cheery tap to each one and passing on the same message, every room door except two…Inside her own, Golden slept soundly until she almost slipped out of her bed, taking her pillow with her so she landed on the floor safely. She stirred, opening her eyes to see the legs of her bed rather than the morning rays above the curtains. “Ohh, not again…” she groaned, rubbing the sleep from her face and grunting as she sat up. “At least Oswald didn’t find me in a silly position this time! Heh, one time he called me starfish, and another time a cuttlefish…weird!” She pulled herself up to her feet and saw upon her rumpled bed a story book, it was open to the first page of a story of a toy soldier and a ballerina. A sense of warmth filled her chest as she read the title. It was her all time favourite and the first story Yen Sid had read to her when she first arrived here, despite her fuzzy, childlike memory at the time where everything was big and new, it was a moment in time that stuck with her all that time, a core memory that was one of the first moments where she felt so welcome to the home of the Symphonus’s, she hoped deep down that feeling of welcome was still strong and alive. A series of footsteps and the unmistakable sound of Percy’s enthusiastic laughter caught her attention, she set her book down and hurried to the door, opening it to see her siblings all running to the end of the hall, everyone minus one…Curiosity overtook her as she dashed out the room and reached out a hand, tugging on Scout’s coat. “Hey!” Golden cried. “What’s going on? What’s the rush?” Scout slowed down, turning to face her little sister, giving her a big, toothy smile. “Hey kiddo! We’ve been tasked with an important mission downstairs…you remember what day it is?” Her words left Golden with a small look of confusion, the younger girl crinkling her nose momentarily until it hit her exactly what the excitement was about, and why exactly one of her siblings was likely still asleep. “OHH! I know!” she squealed, her eyes sparkling with joy. “I’ll go get him, just hold on!” Upon turning on her heel, Golden quickly found herself facing the broomies, who were all carrying goodie bags of their designated colours, each bag showing a different picture, like a balloon, present or food item. They shuffled past her and whispered a coded sentence to her that she quickly understood, but couldn’t help puffing her cheeks and stomping her foot in response. “Awww…why do I have to stay up here?!” she protested, her cheeks glowing a soft shade of red. In his light form, Percy spun around her in a playful whirl, landing by her shoulder. “Lumen…you have the most important job of all!” he declared, twinkling so much he was almost shaking with excitement. “You have to keep the birthday boy from seeing the surprise early! Sooo…you and Mickey always find ways to keep yourselves entertained, it’ll be enough time for everyone to set everything up! Think you can do that for us, pretty please?” Golden sighed, still not overenthusiastic about staying out of the fun, but the idea of spending the morning with Mickey wasn’t something she thought of passing up, he was probably still asleep, and it gave her an idea of how to go and wake him up on his big day. “Okay fiiiine, I’ll go Percy…BUT…” she stood up defiantly as she pointed a stern finger at him. “I expect this little party planning you’ve got going to be PERFECT, and this goes double for Percy and Oswald! But I’m sure dad and the broomies will keep a close watch on you all, so behave!” Oswald simply gave an eyeroll as he followed Julius and Alice down the steps to the kitchen. Percy was muttering under his breath about having to be watched by the broomies of all things and hoping Yen Sid wouldn’t get any funny ideas, much to the humour of Scout whose laughter sounded over his frustration. Golden tiptoed past the other rooms, seeing Starlight in hers sleeping in her little hammock, mumbling something about banana bread and the planet Mars, and something about a scooter…Golden cracked a small smile, Starlight and sleep-talk never got old. Reaching Mickey’s room, Golden gently opened the door, peeking through the crack to see a bundle snoring softly in a bed of sheets and plushies, muttering quietly about something that sounded like ‘waffles’ and ‘pancakes’. A smirk crept onto Golden’s face as she snuck in, determined not to give herself away until she pounced, once she was close enough, Golden braced and started a run before launching herself up and landing on Mickey’s bed, the mouse’s eyes flickered open and to his great surprise, his sister was sitting above him with Stella Lou, Shellie May and Gelatoni in her arms with a look of mischief that rivaled his very own. “Wake up! Wake up lazy bones or I’ll steal all your plushies!” She laughed in a pretend evil fashion, Mickey smirked back, ready to counter her back. “You think so, thief?” he replied in jest. “Well, guess what! No one steals my plushies, not even little sisters!” He reached behind and grabbed his pillow, gently whacking her and knocking her back a bit, she was forced to drop one plush to block the pillow with her arm, a happy giggle escaped her lips as he tried to hit her again, but she glitched away and landed in the far corner of his room with Gelatoni, Mickey jumped from his bed and took his pillow with him as his ‘weapon’. “You’re not escaping, thief!” he cried, unable to hold back laughing as he chased her, they circled the room in quick paced steps until Golden leapt back onto the bed, only to be tackled by her brother as pulled her into a tight hug, ensuring she couldn’t escape even with a glitch. “Well, Goldie…a surprise but a welcome one on my birthday! You cheeky little sorcerer, haha!” Golden giggled and tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but his hold on her was tight, it was as if she was a plushie and he was giving her a big ol’ hug. “Mickey!! Haha! Well it is your birthday but that doesn’t mean I won’t be a plushie thief! Gelatoni is miiiine!” she cackled again, before Mickey began tickling her under the arms, forcing her to drop Gelatoni as she giggled and tried to squirm away. “Noooo! Mickey, please have mercy!! Look he’s back on your bed, see?” she gasped between giggles, but Mickey didn’t let up, gleefully tickling his younger sister until her face was red and tears were forming from her laughter. “That’s what you get when you steal my plushies, haha!” he chuckled, finally letting up and helping her sit up as she caught her breath, wiping away some tears of laughter. “Okay, okay…heeheehee!” Golden giggled, bending over slightly as the laughter overcame her again, Mickey supporting her as he also caught onto her contagious laughing. She hoped she’d wasted enough time that everything was set up, and decided to distract Mickey in order to check. “Hey, big bro! Why don’t you pick out a special outfit for your special day! Your closet is huge so there’s gotta be somethin’, right?” she smiled, Mickey putting a hand to his chin in thought, and then perking up and nodding as an idea came to mind for what to wear. Golden opened his bedroom door and stepped out, shuffling her feet in a particular pattern in order to catch the broomies’ attention subtly. Number two appeared, moving to her side as she whispered. “Is it all done?” she asked, the broom putting two thumbs up. “It is done, small broomling! Is the birthday mouse ready?” it asked, Golden closing the door behind her and smiling. “He’s just getting dressed, we’ll be down soon, okay?” The broomie shuffled in acknowledgement and left, Golden waiting for Mickey to appear, which he soon did at her side. “Okay, Mickey… Can you do me a big favour?” she giggled, Mickey tilting his head curiously. “Hmm? And what’s that, sis?” he asked, Golden smiling and putting her hands over his eyes playfully. “Keep ‘em closed!!” He obeyed, allowing his little sister to gently lead him forward by the arms. She was careful on the stairs, guiding him slowly and letting him hold the banister with one hand and her hand with the other, but then she pulled him into the center of what he recognized from the flooring as the workshop, Mickey’s ears twitching slightly in anticipation and becoming curious as she let go of his hands. Suddenly, she clapped twice loudly, and grinned. “Open your eyes, Mickey!”. And when he did, his vision was flooded with light, as his eyes took in the garlands decorating every inch of the workshop, all in a baby blue colour, with little spangles of red, yellow and black, and little white stars pinned up to support them all, making every balcony sparkle and shine. There was a pile of presents in the middle of the room arranged somewhat like a star, and a table with all of Mickey’s favourite foods. And then, Golden did a little trick of her own, and clapped her hands, making all of Mickey’s plushies come out from his room like a little marching band, parading down the stairs and around his feet as if serenading him, and Scout began playing some music to match the moment, the little plushies ending their performance by all jumping up into his arms thanks to Golden’s magic, Mickey catching them all with the biggest smile any of them had ever seen on his face. “Woah…is this…all for me?! WOW!!” Mickey beamed at the sight, it was like a galaxy of gifts and food, the assortments were beautiful, and all arranged with love. The plushies in his arms all nuzzled him, making him giggle and hold them close to his chest, his entire self feeling the cherishing feeling of adoration rise up inside him like a flame in the winter. The plushies all jumped down and led him over to his pile of beautifully wrapped presents, Mickey was almost tempted to not open them given how lovely the star shape they formed looked, but everyone was eager to watch him open them. He picked up one particularly big one, it was soft and squishy under the paper, a tag flopped down loosely and he took it to read, his eyes eagerly reading the writing. “To Mickey…with love from Sonatina, aka Mum.” The end was adorned with a little heart drawn on. “Ooh, this is from Mum! Thanks!” He quickly started to unravel the ribbon wrapped around the present, and gently removed the wrapping paper, wanting to keep it neat and not tear it. His eyes widened again with wonder as he held up a large teddy bear, it was Christmas themed, a white and red bow-like ribbon around its neck and a lovely, welcoming smile etched on its face, Mickey gave it the tightest squeeze he could, and ran to Sonatina to give her one in return, his heart beating with gratitude. “Mum! I love it so much!” he grinned, holding the bear up for her to see. “He can be like a big brother to Duffy! Hmm…I think I’ll name him…Wonder! Like Wonder Bear, haha!” Sonatina knelt down so Mickey could hug her around her shoulders, her eyes almost welling up with pride as she held him. She almost lifted him from the floor, blinking back tears she leaned back, her face was glowing as looked down at the young mouse she saw as one of her own, and one who, along with Golden, had brought her back to her Scout. “It’s my pleasure, Mickey.” she smiled, running a finger down his cheek. “I know you love your plushies, and teddy bears in particular! I instantly thought of you when I saw this sweet bear. Happy birthday, my precious little one!” Sonatina then pulled him a little closer, pressing her lips against his cheek and blowing a soft raspberry, making him squeak and laugh in her arms, he leaned into the touch as he kept a tight hold on his new teddy. “Open mine next!” came the voice of Oswald, who sounded a touch impatient but held a smile for his brother, he leaned over to Mickey and not so subtly whispered into his ear. “It’s the big red one at the top, with glitter and a gold ribbon, you can’t miss it.” Mickey laughed again, patting his older brother on the shoulder as he went to go and open his present from him. The next few minutes of Mickey receiving all his new gifts were met with awe and surprise, Oswald had gotten his brother a red and black coloured dragon figure, it was smaller and not as scary as the ones Ossie had, maybe it reminded him of Mickey. Percy and Astra had given him a book on herbal and home remedies, some that Astra had even made themself, with Percy even improvising some with his light magic. Scout had given him a book of sheet music with her own songs, Julius and Alice gave him twinkling fairy lights, they were shaped like Mickey and Minnie, complete with a bow. As Mickey was inspecting the lights, and trying to not get his feet tangled, Yen Sid approached him with his gift, the old sorcerer could have sworn he saw stars in his son’s eyes. “Happy birthday, Mickey.” said Yen Sid in his warm, honeyed voice he’d always use to soothe him, it sounded like home. “From your loving dad.” Mickey couldn’t help but take Yen Sid’s hands as he was given the gift, and leaned up to touch their noses together. Yen Sid chuckled, rubbing his nose with Mickey’s, he thought he saw tears in the mouse’s eyes, but they seemed to have disappeared as he blinked and Mickey was already through the wrapping paper, inside was a deep blue robe, it shimmered in the golden light, Mickey’s head tilted with slight curiosity as he opened it up and put it over his shoulders, it was like his original red, but it was thicker and shinier, and of course blue. “Woah, it’s fantastic, dad!” Mickey said as he gave a quick spin. “It feels so nice…and in blue! Now I look more like you!” Yen Sid chuckled again, standing back up and watching as Mickey tried out his usual Yen Sid inspired magic gestures, pushing his sleeves up and frowning deeply as he threw his hands about, like he was casting spells to and fro across the room. “Well, Mickey…I know how much you look up to me, even want to be just like me, that one time at Halloween was quite the giveaway! So I thought, why not? Now we can match.” Mickey laughed as he swished his hands up into the air, suddenly sending out sparks of fireworks and making them pop and burst into sparkling particles, making the broomies duck behind Percy, who gave a quick, snorty laugh at their reaction. “Hehe, thanks dad! I really love it!” Mickey giggled, taking some of the robe and snuggling into it. He looked back at the table of birthday gifts he had gotten, but noticed that there wasn’t anything from Golden or Aero, or so he thought… “Mickey?” a small voice asked as a finger tapped him on the shoulder. Golden was stifling a giggle as she stood with her hands behind her back, next to Aero. “Hehe~ Me and Aero…we devised this one together! Ta-daaa!” The two girls parted like a show curtain and presented what was behind them, it was a big model steam locomotive, it was just like the Lilly Belle, the bright green and red shined like polished metal, there was a star decorating the base of the funnel, and behind the engine were several open carriages. Mickey’s jaw almost dropped as he froze, he’d never seen a model steam loco so big, it was almost a real thing! “Well…what do you think?” Golden asked, a little nervous. “Do you like it…? Or are you just speechless, Mickey?” Her question was answered by a sudden yet wholesome embrace from Mickey, he clung to her and spun her around in his arms, he almost stumbled and fell over, but found his balance again as he laughed and set Golden back down. “Goldie…this is amazing! This might be the largest model train I’ve ever had! Haha, y’know…it reminds me of when you were little and you used to ride on my other model train, you used to play the conductor, and I was the driver! Remember that?” Golden nodded, thinking back to that memory, she couldn’t talk much then, but the moments she shared with Mickey were ones she could never forget, even if she got amnesia again. “I do! And now we can do it again, except…all of us now! Can we take a ride, please?” she gave him that pleading look that she’d often use on Yen Sid, who often managed to say no, but Percy could never and would always give in. Mickey smiled at his sister, taking his hand and leading her to the cab, helping her step up onto it, Golden was slightly surprised by this. “Really? I thought I was going in the carriage!” she grinned, Mickey winked at her. “Well, Goldie, I’ll need my twin by my side again for this special birthday train ride! There’s no one else I’d have.” Golden’s heart almost flew out of her chest, she felt incredibly special in that moment, he needed her, and she was important to him. Behind Mickey, Aero lifted him up into her arms and gave him a hug, swaying softly as she cuddled him in her arms and stroking his ear. “Thank you Aero…” Mickey whispered to her, curling up as she gave him a light kiss on the forehead. “I love you all…and you deserve something for this!” Aero gave him one more hug, pressing her cheek into his that he could feel her love radiating from her touch. Reaching behind her, Aero revealed a little train driver hat and placed it delicately on his head, snuggly between his ears. “You’re welcome, Mickey…happy birthday, little guy. We love you so much too, every single one of us!” She carried him with a maternal air, setting him down inside the cab of the engine and skipping over to the carriage, taking her seat next to Yen Sid, Star sat in her lap, looking over the seat ahead to see Golden waving at it. “All aboard!” Mickey announced, waiting for all his family members to take their places in the carriages, he smiled down at Golden, who took his gloved hand in hers and used her free hand to sound the whistle. As Mickey started the locomotive, magic appeared from under the train as several new tracks appeared ahead, allowing the train to travel further on ahead to the large, open space of the room where they once held their biggest Christmas party. Mickey and Golden gasped when they saw who were standing at the opposite of the tracks, Ambrose was standing with Brooke and their children, Goofy, Donald and Daisy, and Felicity and her sons, Morty and Ferdie, the sorcerers of the council, Fildor, Elderflower, Merlin, the Fairy Godmother with Asha and Valentino at her side, Sora, Riku, Kairi, Aqua, Terra, Ventus, Xion and Namine, Delphis and Aurora and their cohorts, all dressed for the birthday party! They all waved to Mickey and the whole Symphonus family as they rode past, and in one shout like a chorus of voices, all cheering “HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY!!” Aqua lifted her keyblade high, and just as the train passed by, a light emitted from the very tip of the key, encasing the locomotive and everyone inside in a warm beam of light, making them appear again in an almost heroic manner. A barking sound caught Mickey’s ear as he began to see clearly again, where a friendly face was beside him and Golden right there in the cab. “Pluto!!” cried Mickey as his faithful pup gave his cheek a big lick, and Golden too despite him almost knocking her down, but Pluto was being gentle to her, he always was since he met her when she was really little. “Hahaha! Oh, did you hop on too, boy?” Mickey continued, patting Pluto playfully on the head. “Hehe, we’re almost there everyone! We are approaching…MINNIE?!” Everyone’s heads suddenly leaned over inside the carriages to get a better look, at the end of the tracks, Minnie was stood waiting in a pink, sparkly sequin dress, she gave a gentle wave to Mickey as he applied the brakes, the locomotive slowing down to a gradual stop, right where Minnie had been waiting for him. She held out her hand and helped him down from the cab, with Mickey helping Golden down in turn. Taking his hands, Minnie looked bright, glowing, like a warm candle as she locked her eyes with his. Mickey’s heart skipped a beat and his cheeks flushed a sunset pink. “Hehe…h-happy birthday, Minnie.” he giggled. Minnie leaned forward, placing a kiss as light as a dove’s feather on his cheek. “Happy birthday Mickey…I have a present for you. But…” she looked over to the entire group of guests and family, her mouth was curving into a smile as she saw they were mostly occupied with departing from the train, though Golden, Aero and Percy had their eyes on them with curiosity, noting Minnie leaning a little further in toward Mickey. “Come with me, I’ll show you.” She led him over to a small, secluded area of the living room away from the group. Mickey’s smile widened, he wondered what his beloved had for him, but he also had a gift for her hidden in the pocket of his shirt. Percy was almost ready to follow them, but Aero reached out a hand to his shoulder, slowing him down a little, her expression was soft and understanding. “Just give them a moment.” she said kindly. “Come on, light man, let's get the cake ready for them, did you get all the candles?” Percy smirked widely, taking some brightly coloured candles from his robes, showing them to Aero. “Did I get all the candles? I’ve had these ready and waiting! Okay, you and dad get the cake, I’ll assemble all the candles, they will be ready by the time the birthday mice return!” By now, everyone attending was surrounding the table, Delphis pulled out a seat for Aurora to sit at, with each member of their cohort sitting beside them. Even Marina had joined them, and was currently trying to prevent Mako from taking a salad wrap from the plate, much to his annoyance. Asha was having similar trouble with Valentino, but instead of the food, the young kid was trying to munch on the table cloth instead. “Val, don’t eat that!” she scolded gently, pulling him into her lap and trying to take the cloth out, he bleated in protest. “And I thought there were free samples here!” The cake was in the center of the table, Percy had laid out all the candles in colour coded order, placing them all delicately into the cake that read ‘Happy birthday Mickey and Minnie Mouse’ it was a beautiful blue colour, with golden stars adorning each layered tier like garlands, and sparklers that stood out from the sides, Percy was tempted to have a piece already, but his mind was too occupied by the craftwork of the dessert before, it looked too good to eat! “Master…I have to hand it to you, this cake you made is extraordinary!” he chortled proudly. Yen Sid chuckled humbly. “Well, it wasn’t just me. I had Lunula help me too, I don’t do designs much, at least with desserts and other baking treats, but she knew exactly what to do. I’m proud of her for that, and I thank her too.” He eyed her over at the table, winking his eye in her direction. Golden smiled at her dad and gently rubbed at her neck in slight embarrassment, until Oswald elbowed her in the ribs and made her cough, and glare at him. “Don’t do designs?” Oswald scoffed. “Says the sorcerer who designed Wasteland! Give yourself some credit, man!” Yen Sid snickered lightly under his breath, he was ready to answer back to his bunny son with a quick witted response, but everyone’s attention was now on Mickey and Minnie, returning with their fingers intertwined, and Mickey looking renewed, beaming, yet his eyes were dewy and didn’t go unnoticed. “Mickey?” Golden spoke in her soft voice, she almost called him ‘Teddy.’ “Are you okay?” Her brother looked to her, taking a deep breath as a large smile stretched across his features, he took a seat beside her and took her little hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckles in a gentle, caring motion. “Sis…I think…this might be the best birthday ever.” he uttered to her, blinking away the remaining moisture in his eyes. Although curious as to why her brother looked teary, she didn’t press on, he looked happy enough especially when he gazed at Minnie, who had taken his other hand and held it close to her middle. By now, the cake was ready with all the candles, and with a flick of his fingers, Percy shot out a burst of light and lit each one up with a white flame, the sparklers included. Rising up, Percy turned into light himself and hovered above the party, his light shining and bouncing off of everything like a disco ball. “Well everyone, I hope your tastebuds are whet, after such a big day, I know mine are! The cakes, the pastries, the pies…they are all ready! Tuck in everyone, and I call DIBS on the ice cream cake!!” All at once, Oswald, Golden, Mako, Astra, Star and Valentino reached for the ice cream cake, Percy’s scream almost shattered all of the windows, even the broomies were getting in on trying to steal the pieces. By now, the banquet of party food and drink was being served all around, joined by laughter, banter, stories of the past that some might not care to hear again, like when Merlin spilled his tea on Master Grey’s robes because the teapot was being too rebellious to listen to him, the bespeckled wizard was close to bonking Monroe on the head for retelling that story! Mickey and Minnie were tucking into their cake, even sharing some pieces with each other from their forks, their minds were away from the crazy interactions of the others as they gazed at one another. As Mickey picked up the last bit of his cake, he felt a presence behind him, a familiar presence that he knew too well…he put his fork down, and he felt something touch his shoulder, it wasn’t threatening or cold, but warm and safe. He turned his head around, and he gasped silently, it was only there for a moment before it vanished, but it was undeniable whose face he saw, the face of an old friend, one that was near and dear to him and so many others. His throat tightened a little, but his smile remained, the warmth from the hand that he felt on his shoulder also remained, he only wished he could hold it. “Mickey…?” said Minnie quietly, breaking him away from his thoughts for a moment. “You…felt him too?” Mickey was taken aback slightly, but then it was clear that his old friend watched over his beloved too, he loved them and his friends so much, perhaps on this day, it was meant to be that he visited them and give them his birthday wishes. “Yeah…” murmured Mickey, folding his fingers around hers. The two mice looked back again, instead there was no smile from a friendly face, but a bright glowing star in the dark sky, brighter than any of the stars above them that evening. “Thanks, old friend. Glad you could be here today…! We miss ya, but I’m thankful for you, always.” They turned back to the sight of everyone eating, talking, having fun and living their life at the party. The rest of the evening was quiet, but still kept the light and wondrous atmosphere, it was a success, and one day none of them would forget. By the time everyone had fallen asleep, Yen Sid was the only one awake, making sure everyone was comfortable as they stayed the night. He found Golden curled up by the fireplace, with Starlight tucked under her arm, both fast asleep and tuckered out. With a soft, fatherly smile, Yen Sid lifted them up into her arms and took them over to the sofa, where the sleeping Mickey and Minnie were curled up under the former’s old childhood blanket, next to Aero as she cuddled the two, there was just enough room for one more. Yen Sid carefully settled Golden down next to the three, making sure the blanket was secured over her and kept her warm. A tiny smile appeared in her dreamy state as Yen Sid took one last look at everyone, his heart full and proud. “Goodnight everyone, I love you all. I’m…so lucky…to have all of you.” He wasn’t sure if anyone heard him, but it was certain that through the entire house, someone did.

It was a bright, sunny morning, odd in the middle of November, but the youngest Symphonus felt her mood brighten, it was different to usual, no thick snow on the ground nor freezing temperature to bring her mood down, much less her hair. As she yawned and stretched, she got an odd feeling as she looked at her bedside table. It was still relatively early in the day, only 9:30, and yet she didn’t feel like getting up or going out, but instead like staying in. There was a squeak and shuffle outside her door, and she gasped as something squeezed under the gap between the door and the floor, Star had turned itself into a pancake in order to get in! The sight made her giggle, and it brushed itself off, turning back into its regular round shape, squeaking happily when it saw her. “Good morning Star!” she yawned, reaching for her robe from the closet and putting some slippers on her feet, momentarily ducking into the bathroom to get dressed. She struggled to tie her robe properly, so Star helped, knowing how to tie a knot from how it loved playing with yarn. Golden shook off her tiredness, and once again had a funny feeling as she looked at her bedside table, seeing Mr Tiger, and then a book, one she knew all too well. “Well… Star, it’s a lovely day, but I don’t really feel like doing anything outside, not after we trekked through the forest looking for Alice.” she sighed, before realizing Star had disappeared from her line of vision. She turned around to look for it, before it suddenly dropped down from above onto her face, making her giggle and flail around, landing on her bed with a loud laugh. “Oi, cheeky thing!! Sneaking up now, are ya?! Man, you’re just as bad as Jack…” she giggled, Star looking confused as to what she meant. Golden noted the confused expression, and tapped her chin. “Have you never read the steadfast tin soldier, Star?” She asked softly, and Star shook from side to side, clearly that was a no. Golden gave a small smile and reached for the book, opening it to a page where there was a menacing wooden jack-in-the-box, with a purple and blue hat almost matching her hair, looking down from the shadows at a beautiful ballerina in a white dress. “See? That’s Jack, he’s annoying. I bet I could defeat him!” she proudly proclaimed, Star chuckling and putting a jester hat on with stardust, pretending to be Jack. “Hehe! I’m the soldier, I will defeat you! But I think since I don’t feel like going outside, maybe we could read this instead together?” She offered, Star nodding and finding a corner of her blanket to snuggle in, all whilst Golden made various little hand movements to indicate that she was pretending to be the soldier with his bayonet. “HAHA! See, I win! And now I get to live happily ever after with the beautiful ballerina, naughty Jack!” She laughed, settling down to read the story, and tracing her hand momentarily over the picture of the little ballerina on the cover, she really was picture perfect, and Golden sighed slightly. “Oh, if only that was real… but no, I’m stuck here, hehe! No being a soldier for me, especially not with all those annoying villains around!” she huffed, finally opening the book after Star tapped her to try and get her to stop talking to herself. “Okay, okay!! I love the ending, I can’t wait for you to like it too…” she smiled, moving to the first page and beginning to read. “Once upon a time, there was a little house with a playroom. Inside that playroom, there was a box of five tin soldiers, carved from the same tin spoon. However, the last of them was missing half a leg, for there had not been enough tin for him. Nevertheless, he was the most steadfast of them all…” Upon reading the word ‘steadfast’, though, something caught her eye. The word was illuminated with a golden shimmer, something Star also noticed not long after. As Golden touched the word in curiosity, there was a bright glow, and her vision was filled with light, as she and Star felt themselves falling. “Hey, whaaaat?!!!” 

The descent was fast, right up until Golden felt herself turn upright again. She wanted to open her eyes and see where she was falling, but the glow was still too bright, she could feel it through her tightly squeezed eyelids. She could feel Star clutch to the front of her shirt, feeling her heart suddenly glow faintly, like a warm flame. The fall slowed down, and became slower and slower until she felt the ground under her foot, and the light faded enough for her to open her eyes once again. She started to look around, disorientated and a bit wobbly. Once she started to become accustomed to her surroundings, she realised quickly it was no longer her bedroom, the walls were darker, wood brown and there was a table and fireplace, like a playroom. It was warm and cosy, and there were several toys adorning the walls, but they weren’t any that Golden had owned. A sudden light filled her vision, followed by the frantic squeaking of Star. “Ahh!! Star, quit it! What’s…going on?” She took Star into her hands, looking behind her, there was a bed with a baby blue cover, and books lined up like a tower, it led up to the table. Golden felt a twinge of confusion at why the books appeared so large, even Yen Sid’s largest magical encyclopedia wasn’t her size. She took a step forward, and suddenly stumbled and flailed her arms in a frenzy as she tried to find her balance, unintentionally throwing Star into the air, who huffed in annoyance, but then the little star gasped in fright at her, and Golden noticed as well, a scream escaping her throat. “AHHH!! WHAT-WHERE’S MY LEG?!” she yelled, clutching at her hat, her…hat? She found her balance again, half expecting blood to seep out in an exaggeratedly rapid speed and she’d collapse any moment, but there was none to her relief, but something else had made her frown like Oswald had stolen her favourite toy. “AND WHY AM I SO SMAAALL?!” She growled harshly, instinctively wanting to stomp her foot, but unable to. Her hands let go of the hat on her head, it was tall and red, and her eyes scanned the rest of her outfit now that the shock had worn off. Her shirt was a red uniform, with two white sashes in an X shape, and gold epaulettes on the shoulders, her bottom half was white trousers with a single black boot. It was almost like the soldier in the story, complete with a single leg. “Wait a minute…just a magical minute …Uhhh…STAR?! Look, lookie!! I’m the tin soldier!” Star looked her over, its own eyes sparkling with wonder at her new appearance, her skin appeared slightly different, Star gave her cheek a little tap to confirm, she was indeed tin. “This is crazy! But how is it possible? I didn’t do anything, not even some kind of advanced spell, how could I? Unless I didn’t mean to, I-” Star placed it’s tiny stubs over her lips, silencing her before gesturing to the table, it squeaked softly to indicate that’s where they should go. Golden nodded, taking a deep breath and prepared herself to hop, she took a leap and landed with a thump, glad she hadn’t fallen over. She sighed softly, repeating the process. “This might take me a moment to get used to…bear with me, okay Star?” she said, Star nodding into understanding, it helped by taking her hand and helping to control her upright balance. She made it to the books, they were all lined up spine first, the names written in bold letters, Golden recognised them as fairytales, like Rapunzel, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. She heaved herself to the first book with ease, pulling up her bottom half wasn’t much of a struggle as she had anticipated, her eyes eventually seeing the table in reach. Star squeaked in excitement as it hovered above the top, and beckoned her up, squeaking continuously at her and boosting her morale as she climbed up further on her own. “Phew…made it! Knew it, hehe! What’s up here Star? Could it be…” The area of the tabletop was wide, like a sportsfield in her perspective. There were toy blocks, buttons for clothes and yarn, crayons and paper…it was a child’s room. There was something larger further on, but Golden’s gaze turned to something else she couldn’t avert from, the story played in her mind as she caught the sight of something, or someone, the ballerina. She stood in an elegant pose on one leg, her hands gently clasped around her stomach, her brown hair formed in little ringlets and tied at her back, half out and half in a bun shaped much like a rose, her eyes closed and her cheeks a soft blush that stood out from her pink skin, her dress flowed like swan wings around her legs, tied with a blue ribbon. She was porcelain instead of paper, and she looked absolutely beautiful, in Golden’s eyes, even perfect. She was standing atop a glass platform, a mirror, reflecting her beauty back at her, and then around her were bunches of roses, lined in little bushes decorated with gold netting, and on an even lower platform, a line of swans, reminding Golden a little bit of Ambrose. Behind her, a large pair of doors belonging to a castle, which was a mix of pink and purple, a large clock mounted atop it as gold turrets gleamed overhead. As Golden took it all in, she couldn’t stop staring at the ballerina ahead of her, how elegant she looked, and she almost wanted to think that the ballerina too had only one leg, though of course it could not be so. Despite this, Golden got this odd feeling that they were somehow the same, and stood there in awe, before something started pushing her back. She turned, and there was Star, shoving her forward with a sly little smirk. “Star, quit it!!” She hissed, but the little Star wasn’t letting up, and just kept pushing her, until she stumbled and whacked face first into a rose bush. “Owww!” There was a soft giggle, and Golden turned up her head, discovering two soft brown eyes looking down at her, they looked playful. “Oh my, hehe… are you alright?” It was the ballerina, offering her hand for the soldier to take and steady herself. Golden was almost too stunned to speak, but nodded, shyly using the offered support to regain her balance, as Star giggled from behind the bush, putting its little hands together as if it had plotted the entire thing. “I’m okay… t-thank you…” Golden stammered, the pretty ballerina nodding and moving back, Golden realizing she’d dropped something in her attempt to steady herself, and picking up a fallen rose. “Umm… here, as thank you for your help…” she whispered, the ballerina looking at it in surprise but taking it from her, smelling the sweet fragrance and peeking over it, giving a grateful look to the shy soldier ahead of her. “Are you from that box over there, little tin soldier?” She asked, pointing at a group of other soldiers which were climbing up a xylophone, and Golden nodded, remembering this detail that she was one of five, just like in real life. “Mhm… oh!” Star suddenly surprised her as it emerged from hiding, sprinkling stardust on the ballerina and making her sparkle even more in the light, almost dazzling Golden with her beauty. “Hehe… that’s Star, they’re a silly little one.” She explained, the ballerina reaching out a hand to hold Star, who plopped into her palm and gave an innocent wave, momentarily flashing a smirk at Golden as if to say ‘I know what you are’. As Star flew once again, the ballerina gazed down at the pretty pink rose, and slipped it into her blue sash around her waist, doing a spin for good measure, and Golden found herself unable to look away. “Thank you.” said the ballerina, smiling serenely as her soft auburn eyes met Golden’s sparkly sky blue ones. “It’s very beautiful, I love it! You’re very kind, dear soldier.” Golden’s hands flapped at her hips, her face feeling hot and flushed, she hoped her tin skin wouldn’t burst. She was a little embarrassed at having lost her words, but managed to find them again as she swallowed, coyly pulling on the collar of her uniform. “Oh, aha! You’re…you’re welcome! Hehe, no big deal…” She felt a nudge in her ribs, Star was staring up at her with a face so smug it could rival Percy’s when he was quarrelling with the broomies. Golden frowned slightly, her cheeks still flushed and Star started to pucker its tiny lips, making kissy noises and drooping eyes, Golden lightly batted Star with her hand and made it spin. “Shhh stop it!” she said in a hushed tone, Star merely giggled in response. “Star, come on! I’m just playing the role, you know? The tall, tough steadfast tin soldier and the graceful…beautiful…ballerinaaa…” she trailed off, the ballerina paused for a moment, and giggled at Golden as she squabbled slightly with Star, the two friends exchanged glances and watched as she straightened up and pushed back her hair. “You needn’t be so humble!” she smiled, her eyes slowly lowering as her cheeks began to look a little darker. “Well, kind soldier…since you have given me such a sweet gift, I think it’s only fair I do too.” The ballerina took one step forward, and leaned in toward Golden, who wasn’t sure what she was doing right away, but the three of them were startled by a loud sound above them, it was the chiming of the clock, both hands pointing at twelve. “Midnight?” whispered the ballerina, whose demeanor suddenly changed as she looked back to Golden, her face pale. “I can’t believe it…I thought there was still time! Dear soldier, you need to leave now!” 

Golden stared, taken off guard by the ballerina’s change of tone and how she grasped her hands tightly, her voice was frightful and higher than before. Golden gently pulled her hand away and set it delicately on the ballerina’s shoulder. “Why? What’s wrong?” she asked kindly, Star squeaking behind her empathetically. “Where do I need to go?” The ballerina glanced up at the clock again, she looked more worried, the magic was beginning to set in. “Anywhere!” she answered, grasping Golden’s hands once more. “Just…hurry and go, it’s not safe! If he sees you, you’ll be in big danger!” The clock chimed again, something occurred on the table, a rattling in the corner caught the sound of their ears, several small dolls sat lined up suddenly jerked their heads toward the large box a few feet away and hastily retreated behind the building blocks. Star tugged at Golden’s hair gently to get her attention, its face looked worried for what was about to happen, they all knew the story, and Golden more than anyone. “He…you mean him?” she asked, moving in front of the ballerina slightly as the box suddenly burst open, music rang out and several odd little goblins all bounced out, giggling and running around in a frenzy. Some of them tried to frighten the dolls, but they kept their barrier of blocks up against them. When they all laid eyes on Golden, their expressions changed, from giddy excitement to confusion, and then to a sly smirk all together once they saw the ballerina. Running back to the box, they jumped together in a frenzy, and there a spark of light, like a lightning bolt had struck the room, momentarily blinding the three who were witnessing it all happen. Golden rubbed at her eyes, feeling slightly disorientated, but her memory didn’t fail her as she finally set her sights on who was in front of them. “Oh, it’s you!” she yelled, shifting her arm out defensively to keep the ballerina behind her. “Great… what do you want, Jack?!” Star squeaked in surprise as it too saw the enormous wooden figure before them, with the purple and blue hat as Golden had shown illustrated in the book. It towered over the castle, the poor ballerina hiding behind her hands in fright, and Golden felt something in her chest. She wasn’t sure what it was, but it felt tight, as if she’d seen this exact thing happen before, and couldn’t bear for it to happen again. As shadows danced on the face of the clock, it occurred to her that Jack resembled someone she knew and despised all too well, and in a moment of instinct, she brandished her bayo… no, it was a sword, a shining, golden sword. Different from the book, but that didn’t matter at this moment, she had a weapon and would use it to protect her new friend. “Oh, what’s all this rabble??” the large jack-in-the-box roared, the goblins quickly ducking behind the box so they remained unseen. He set his large eyes down on the three little people before him, and leered down, his long purple spring extending like a neck down, so that his face came to their height. “Hello there… my dear.” he grinned, the ballerina further moving behind Golden, trying to avoid his watchful eyes, but to little avail. “And who might this be? Some new gentleman caller in the way of our union, my beloved?” Golden was undeterred, staying still and keeping the sword steady, but her face turned into a frown. Beloved? That hardly seemed right, especially with the ballerina’s reaction. She might’ve only been ten, but she knew love when she saw it, and this didn’t seem particularly loving. Almost shamefully, the ballerina brought her hands to her stomach again, and wrung them in nerves, not quite able to meet Jack’s eyes. “Please, not now…” she pouted slightly, looking down and sullen, Jack’s eyes narrowing at her response. “Don’t tell me this little soldier has taken a liking to you as well? It’s only got one leg!” He retorted, Golden’s cheeks darkening, though she tried to hide it under her hat. “E-excuse me…?” she muttered, Jack moving back slightly and surveying her, his spring retracting ever-so-slightly. “I’m just saying what I observe, she doesn’t usually refuse me. What ideas are you putting in her head?” he hissed, Golden swiping the sword side to side to ward him off. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size, ugly?!” she groaned, the ballerina giggling slightly behind her, which made Golden smile a tiny bit in amusement. But the moment of delight was interrupted when all the goblins suddenly emerged, having snuck to different parts of the castle and looking as if they wanted to ambush both the soldier and the ballerina. Golden felt a hand around her arm, and turned to the side, the ballerina had crept to her side and was clinging to her, she looked small and scared, and something stirred in Golden, knowing she had to protect her. “He…he keeps trying to bring me into his box, it’s… dark and scary in there, I don’t want to go in...” she whispered, Golden simply putting her own hand on top of the ballerina’s, giving her some reassurance. “Don’t worry, I’ll defeat him! The only one going in a box is me, and that’s for a nap afterwards!” she smiled, the ballerina blinking in surprise, but looking glad that someone was willing to stick up for her, it seemed she usually had to fight these battles alone, and without much avail. Despite this, some courage had begun inside her, and she turned, watching as several of the goblins jumped at once, Golden letting go of the ballerina and seeing they were holding matchsticks, makeshift swords that were dangerous near tin if lit, due to how it reacted to fire. Nevertheless, the steadfast tin soldier hopped forward, and started clashing with them, picking them off one by one. As soon as their matchsticks were disarmed, the goblins would cower and run, making it a relatively easy fight for her. 

Meanwhile, the ballerina had moved toward the dolls, who had picked up a little red ball. Grateful, she took it and subtly moved toward Jack, who was distracted by yelling at the goblins for their poor performance. Taking the opportunity, she threw the ball right at him, making his nose spin as it hit him in the face, and Golden just happened to look at that moment, letting out a laugh at Jack’s lopsided appearance. The ballerina had a small grin on her face for a moment, glad to be of help, but this came to a standstill when the enormous jack-in-a-box grabbed a glass and put it over her, leaving her defenceless and like a rose in a bell jar. Though she tried to push it off and bang on the side, she didn’t want to risk cracking her porcelain. It was an unfortunate thing, how delicate she was, for it made her vulnerable. “Let me out!!” she cried, and it caught the attention of her soldier, as Jack just gave a malicious laugh at her plight. Seeing this turn of events, Golden grew very angry, and Star started picking off the goblins instead, using its stardust to make their matchsticks float, and in turn, them! The little creatures were so flustered and frightened that they ran off, hiding inside Jack’s box for safety, which only made the large puppet more and more enraged. He got an idea, though, and once again extended his spring, moving over to where the dolls were hiding and scaring them off, taking all of the blocks and starting to hurl them at the soldier. Golden ducked and dodged the first few, but one of them knocked her onto the windowsill, the soldier sticking her sword into the wood to avoid slipping down, the window being open and a breeze hitting her back. Managing to get herself upright again, Jack threw yet another block, but this time, Golden hit it back at him with her sword, knocking his hat off and revealing his bald head, causing the ballerina under the glass to burst into giggles, replacing her worried gasps. Even Golden struggled to stay upright with how she had begun laughing, but everything came to a halt as the enraged puppet had another idea, grabbing a wooden boat and flinging it right at the soldier, who tumbled with it down onto the rainy streets below. There was a ringing in her ear and the muffled cry of the ballerina as her new friend disappeared from sight, and then a clatter as Golden landed harshly into a gutter with a thunk and a splash. She was submerged for a moment, her vision clouded in darkness, she was scared she couldn’t breathe, but managed a short one through her nose, it must be one of the magical elements of being a toy tin soldier. “Blargh! Eeww, gross!” she spat several droplets of water out of her mouth as she began to move slowly through the dark and damp tunnel. She was thankful she couldn’t smell right now, yet her location was the least of her worries as she and the ballerina were now apart, and stuck with the menacing Jack. “Ohh…I hope I can get back there…” Golden sighed to herself, struggling to kick under the water a little with just her one leg, a memory occurred to her from when she was very small and amnesiac, where the broomies would give her a bath in a large wooden tub, she would pretend to be a mermaid like in the storybooks Yen Sid would read her. Collecting herself, Golden began to steady herself in the moving water, keeping her upper body above the surface and swaying her leg like a mermaid’s tail. “Hmm, wish Star was here to help provide some light…but I’m glad it’s with the ballerina rather than me, Star could help protect her! I hope…” Something bumped into her side, startling her out of her thoughts and to her relief it was the wooden boat that Jack had hit her with, she scrambled to the top of it while clutching at her sword, not wanting to lose it in the dark waters. Once she was up on deck, she laid on her back and took deep breaths, slightly exhausted from the battle with that awful jack-in-a-box and her journey through the gutter. She growled slightly as she pushed her hair out of her face and sat up. “Hmph, c’mon Goldie, you’ve faced worse than this!” she proclaimed loudly. “I gotta be brave! No, I AM brave! I’ll get out of here, and I’ll help save the pretty ballerina! After all, no story is complete without an ending! Well, that’s what Percy says, hehe!” A sudden hissing sounded, it echoed aggressively on the cold, wet walls. Clutching the hilt of her sword, Golden rushed back onto her one foot and watched as several eyes appeared, all belonging to a group of rats lined up and looming down at her, hissing and snarling at their intruder. Being a toy, Golden was considerably smaller than they were, but she refused to show fear, despite it stirring in her chest she didn’t back down, not while there was a hint of a light in the far distance of the tunnel. “I’m not scared…I’m not scared!” she declared, pulling out her sword from the sheath on her belt, wobbling slightly but steadying her balance as she faced the onlooking group of rats. “So this is what Jack sent? Mortimer’s ugly cousins? Ha! I could get past each and every one of you, because I will make it back to Star, and I will make it back to the ballerina!” A few rats jumped down from the pipes and onto the small boat, being a toy boat it could only withstand enough weight, Golden almost toppled overboard and fell back into the water, but managed to hold onto the side of the boat. “Come on!” she cried as she swung her sword, just slicing off one of the rat’s whiskers and startling it, the other two weren’t at all pleased at their ally being attacked and immediately got on the defensive, only for Golden to swing her sword back and forth again, effectively making them back away. To her surprise and dismay more rats were jumping into the fray, preparing to gang up on her all together, yet the young tin soldier was as steadfast as the one she always read about. “I’m not scared of you!” she snarled, provoking the rest of the rats to jump down, several of them landing onto the boat with the impact of so many forcing her up into the air, waving her arms like they were wings but not once letting go of her sword. The light at the end faded away as she hit the water, landing with a harsh splash that made her feel slightly achy, and she couldn’t tell which way was up. As she struggled to swim in the cold, dark pipe, light suddenly flooded her vision as it poured out of the end like a small waterfall, where Golden now floated aimlessly underwater in a wide lake. She felt her head pounding, and forced her arms to swim despite how stiff they felt, she needed to reach the surface. Air filled her lungs as she finally made it, but the water didn’t stop, it was dark and grey in the sky as rain fell down heavily, it was a somber scene, and Golden felt completely isolated and alone, the thought of getting back to the little room with all the toys in one piece, where Star and the ballerina were waiting for her had all but vanished, replaced with memories of before, the day her life changed in that busy street, where the rain fell and despite the large crowd, Golden was still alone, her parents nowhere in sight. Why was that memory occurring now of all times? She silently berated herself for pitying herself right now and not staying on track of saving her new friends, but she felt empty, hollow, and forgotten. She let herself fall back under the water, all she could see was her sword and the lingering light that barely showed through the dark, thundery clouds above. “Daddy…Ossie…Percy…Teddy…” she muttered softly under the water, her eyes closing with little effort. “Where…are you…?” And then there was nothing, nothing she could see at least or even hear. A small fish swam by, collecting small bits of plant that was floating about in the lake for its meal, scooping Golden up in the process, and merely swimming ahead until a small boat arrived, where it was met with several others and quickly made its way into a net, a small tin soldier residing inside its mouth none the wiser, simply asleep, and dreaming of the home she longed for.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but slowly, her tin eyes peeled open. A tiny little wheeze escaped her throat, but she looked up, seeing a kind face. For a moment, she almost thought it was her Mama, and the corners of her mouth turned up, thinking she was at home, but then her vision cleared up, and the face was in fact unfamiliar, the face of a mother nonetheless. She peered down at the toy soldier and shook her head playfully, calling out a name and making the toy’s ears ring. There was a clattering of footsteps as someone ran downstairs, and a holler, and Golden was passed to another pair of hands, a smaller pair, and they gently wiped off a droplet or two from her face. There was a giggle, and a pair of eyes looking down at her, a little blonde boy missing a tooth when he grinned. “Can you believe he was inside the fish, mamma? That’s so strange, hehe! Maybe he wanted to swim, my boat is gone too!” the child spoke, the mother giggling slightly and just shaking her head. “Perhaps your boat will end up with us again, in the belly of a whale! If your soldier could do it, your boat can too.” she gently reassured the boy, as he laughed and took the stairs two at a time. “And into your house you go!” he cheerfully smiled, placing the tin soldier down in her slot in the box, once more touching her face with his thumb to feel her smooth tin cheeks, making sure there was no water left. Golden felt tiredness envelop her, but her mind started to puzzle it together, she’d been swallowed by a fish, the same fish the little boy would now enjoy for dinner, and had ended up at home. It really was a miracle, and her eyes grew heavy, hoping that the ballerina would hang on, and making a mental promise to rescue her, no matter what. As night set in, little hoots of an owl permeated the air, and a tree branch had begun knocking on the window, causing the soldier to stir. There was the familiar chime of midnight, and the box began to shake as, one by one, the soldiers leapt out and stood to attention. But Golden’s attention was elsewhere, and from this vantage point she could see the palace, and something that made her blood boil. There, standing on the glass where she always stood, was the ballerina, folding her arms and pouting as Jack towered over her, trying to sweet talk her and tempt her with a rosebush, which she promptly pushed away. And then Golden gasped as he rushed forward, trying to lunge at her, but she luckily ducked just in time, and Jack had become rather dizzy, retreating into his box and closing the lid. Golden curled her fists, unwilling to allow his treatment of the ballerina to continue, and tried to jump forward, but immediately began going into freefall, causing her arms to flail and flap about. “Aaah!! No!” she squealed, but right before she hit the ground, she landed on something soft and squishy. As she shook her head, she noticed it was stardust, and gave a bright smile as Star zoomed toward her, almost knocking her over as it flew into her arms. “Star!! Aww, I’m so glad you’re okay! Did you fight the goblins? What was all that about with Jack and the ballerina?” she asked, Star looking overwhelmed by how to answer all the questions, especially without a mouth, but had an idea, moving its stardust into shapes. First, it donned a tutu and became the ballerina, making a glass out of dust and showing the goblins had taken it off her after some time had passed, and then created a stardust Jack, showing he had continually tried to flirt and charm the ballerina, which made Golden’s stomach do flips, though whether from fear or jealousy was anyone’s guess. “Hmph… he thinks he can take her against her will? Oh no, I’m tired of seeing that happen! Come on Star, we’ve got a rescue to complete!” she cheered, Star nodding and picking her up, being tin she was a little heavy, but it wasn’t often that Star got the opportunity to pick up its friend, so it revelled in it as they flew up to the tabletop. They hid behind some books, looking round at the ballerina, who was once again being harassed by the enormous jack in the box. “Leave me alone, Jack!! I won’t forgive you, what you did to my friend was cruel, just like you! I-If you think I’d ever love you, you’re delusional!” the ballerina called up, but the words fell on deaf ears as he simply continued to try and grab at her arms, eventually managing to grab one of her wrists and forcefully twirling her. “Just because I’m a doll doesn’t mean you can treat me like one! Let go, it hurts…!” she shrieked, Jack just giving one of his booming laughs, which made Star duck behind Golden slightly, reminded of a certain king. “Enough, ballerina! And enough about that pathetic little redcoat. What’s more important is that you’re with me, and I will be your one true love! You are mine, after all…” he sneered sinisterly. And then, Golden had finally had enough, and drew as much breath in as she could, Star knowing to cover its ‘ears’. “She doesn’t belong to ANYONE!” And she stepped into the light, brandishing her golden sword and Star squaring up and puffing out, quite literally turning into a square for a moment. The ballerina turned her eyes upward, they went from downcast to delighted almost immediately, and sparkled with relief that her friend wasn’t hurt, and was alive! “It’s you! Oh, thank goodness, you’re safe!” she grinned, before she was cut off by something slamming down into the wooden table, a huge golden cutlass, and she jumped back in fright. “Not you again, you pathetic little thing! Give up! Or would you rather me arrange your demise?! I think a fiery pit would serve you nicely!” Jack snarled, Golden momentarily remembering something, the ending of the story, and how when she was little she would throw the book off the bed as if she was sending Jack flying! “Oh, you think I’m afraid of you, you big old blockhead?! I’ve faced far, far worse, so come on little Jack, let’s see what you’ve got.” she challenged, giving a brave, confident and undeterred grin. Jack took the bait and grinned like a madman, his rows of teeth sticking out of his wooden jaw, looking a little like a voodoo mask. “Oh, eager to perish are we? Gladly, let’s see which one of us is stronger, tinfoil!” And with that, he lunged forward, over the ballerina, who ducked her head down to avoid getting hit by his enormous box, as the handle spun erratically round and round. Landing in front of Golden, she tried not to look worried by his words, and instead decided to rile him up further, glancing back every so often. “You think you can just come in here and take what belongs to others?! To ME?!” he roared, Golden standing her ground and keeping the sword pointed up. “That’s funny, aren’t you doing the same thing?” she retorted, Jack snarling and inching closer, pointing the cutlass at her, it was almost three times her size. “NONSENSE! She is rightfully mine, the beautiful ballerina, and always has been! I will not let her be taken by some small, weak, broken, PATHETIC little toy, now DIE!” he yelled, leaping at her and clanging swords. Though hers was small, it was mighty, and she kept him locked in place against her blade. “You wanna see weak?! Look in the mirror, Jack! Stop being such a baby and COME AT ME!” she grinned, moving back one final time. With his anger at its peak, Jack snapped, and charged forward, before a sudden light blinded him. “NOOOO!!!” He cried out, flapping his arms erratically, wanting nothing more than to win. However, Star had shone at its brightest, and Jack simply continued moving forward through the air, falling into the flames of the fireplace with an explosive light of ash and ember, and all of the dolls came out from hiding and cheered loudly with joy that their abuser was no more. Golden, meanwhile, had disappeared from the tabletop, causing Star to look around worriedly. It squeaked once, then twice, looking behind the books, before discovering a fallen red hat right at the edge of the table and gasping. For a second, Star’s eyes became larger and appeared to well up with little starry tears, assuming the worst, before something snapped it out of its sorrow. “Ummm… a little help?” There, hanging onto the edge of the table by the sword she had stuck into the wood, was Golden, looking a little sheepish and tired out, but relieved it was all over. Star squeaked joyously and lifted her up with its dust once again, flying into her arms and making her sparkle, as well as using its little stubby arms to dust off some ashes that had landed on her red uniform, causing her to look pristine once more. It finished off the cleanup by popping her hat right back on her head, where it belonged, and straightened up the feather, giving an approving nod. She looked perfect… and ready. “Phew… hehe, that was close! Sorry if I scared you, the handle of the box knocked me off cuz it was spinning like a teacup!” she giggled, Star miming wiping its brow but looking happy as Golden petted it in her arms. A voice made her jump, though, and there, on her glass pedestal, was the ballerina, tears in her eyes that she was now safe, and free… “Soldier!!” she cried out, her voice as musical to Golden’s ears as one of her father’s greatest symphonies, and the youngest Symphonus couldn’t help but grin brightly, happy for her. “Hey!! I’m fine, not hurt, doing well, hehe!!” she giggled, Star smirking and Golden putting it on her shoulder, ignoring it once again as her cheeks reddened slightly as she wrung her hands. “Sorry, I-I really didn’t mean to scare you, if I did, hehe, but you’re safe now! Things got a little bit heated, uhhh… literally!” Golden cringed, wanting to curl up, she was fumbling this whole interaction, but why? Usually she’d be the one to reassure everyone, give them the words of comfort they needed most, but for some reason, she just couldn't stop looking at the beautiful ballerina… 

“Oh, it’s okay! I’m just glad you’re alright, not hurt… you saved me, and defeated Jack!” she smiled sweetly, Star pushing Golden forward, who avoided smacking her head on the rosebush again and instead hopping up, the ballerina offering her hand to help and not letting go once Golden was on equal level to her, simply moving her soft fingers over the tin, feeling the metal that represented her steadfast nature. “Haha, well… yeah. He was a jerk anyway…” Golden felt she couldn’t quite meet the ballerina’s eyes, looking down, but the ballerina caught her chin, taking it and tilting it up so they were looking into each other’s eyes, which made Golden feel all warm for some reason. This feeling wasn’t helped by Star nudging her in the side and rubbing its hands together, smirking at the tension, amused. “Quit it, Star…!” she hissed, but then, the ballerina took her other hand, and the soldier became very still, and very, very rosy cheeked. “A-ahhh…” she stammered, but the ballerina shook her head, silencing her, and asking with her eyes that she listen to what she was about to say next. “You are the bravest, and most wonderful soldier I’ve met. No other toy in this room ever had the courage to stand up to Jack, but you’re different, somehow.” She smiled, Golden flushing and looking away slightly, but still keeping her eyes on the ballerina despite her bashfulness. “I-I am…?” she whispered, the ballerina nodding firmly, earnest. “Yes. I have never met anyone quite like you, tin soldier. Maybe it is your kindness, generosity, or steadfastness, but you have proven yourself to me by protecting me from him not once, but twice. And as my thank you, let me give you this.” The ballerina smiled brightly, and then leaned forward, planting a small kiss on her left cheek. Golden was frozen, but swore her golden heart was about to burst out of her chest, she could feel it beating, almost like it was sparkling in the moment, lit by a warm flame, a flame of love. Her face was as red as a freshly ripe tomato, and she couldn’t speak, even when the ballerina drew away, her own cheeks a little darker. “Oh dear…” she giggled, Golden blinking but stiff as a board, “are you alright…?” And then, Golden said the first thing that came to her mind- “YES YOU TOO!!!” She cupped both hands over her mouth, going an even deeper shade of crimson, and Star facepalmed, but the ballerina just gave an adorable little giggle behind her own hands. “I-I-I mean…YES! I’m okay and… and thank you for that…v-very much…” she swooned, flustered but putting a hand over her cheek, feeling as if golden love hearts were going round and round her head, but maybe that was Star’s stardust teasing, she really couldn’t tell. “Hahaha! Oh, you’re welcome! And that’s not all, I really want to show you something else, if you’ll wait here?” she smiled, Golden nodding and moving back as she began to pirouette and dance, her dress looking as if it was adorned in a thousand sparkles, perhaps again thanks to Star, and the rose around her waist bobbing with the movement. Her dance was perfect, she was perfect… and Golden felt a new feeling, something she’d never felt before, but had read about plenty of times in books… she felt herself falling in love. The ballerina spun around in a quick circle as her performance came to an end, bending her knee and bowing elegantly to her rescuer. Golden clapped her hands as her eyes remained wide and sparkly, fixated on how beautiful she was, how kind she was, someone she always liked from this story and wished she had known in real life, had that wish come true? Or was this just another fairy tale? “Bravo!! What an incredible dance! You’re amazing!!” she applauded, Star clapping alongside her with its little stubby arms, also in wonder at the dancing. The ballerina giggled and pushed a strand of curly hair from her face. “Thank you. Both of you, hehe!” The top of her head was then covered in tiny sprinkles of stardust, making her hair glimmer in the soft light of the room. Star quickly gave Golden the same treatment, and also causing her to sneeze as some of it landed on her nose. “Achoo! Star!” she giggled, brushing it off with her hand as Star squeaked, its attention suddenly drawn to something else, a bright light. Golden shielded her eyes, it was as bright as the light she had once heard in the void after Julius had saved her, his voice guiding her, and once her realisation set in, Golden gasped, her eyes looking back at the ballerina, who looked back at her with an expression of confusion and longing. “Ohh, um…this is it!” Golden told her, stepping forward to her. “It’s the end of the story! And…I have to go.” The ballerina’s face fell a little. “Go? We don’t get to stay together? Happily ever after?” Golden felt her chest sink, this was not how the story was supposed to end, yet she couldn’t stay. She too wanted a happily ever after, it felt so close, and still so far. Golden took the ballerina’s hands in her own small ones, lightly rubbing the porcelain knuckles with her tin thumbs. “I wish we could.” she spoke softly. “Even though I have to go, I’ll never forget you. I could never forget you! And I'm really, really happy we had a chance to meet, and I thank you!” The ballerina looked back up at Golden, blinking away the soft flurry of tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, and instead putting on a brave smile instead and not wanting to ruin Golden’s going away. “Oh brave soldier…I am happy we met too, you were so wonderful…I hope I can see you again.” Golden felt a flutter in her tummy and her cheeks felt warm, her hands unable to pull away from the ballerina’s. The young sorcerer soldier turned her head away, a smile curling on her face that did not go unnoticed by Star. The light began to work its magic, the page starting to turn, Golden felt her feet leave the ground as she began to leave the world of fantasy in the storybook and back into the real world. She took Star into her arms and held it close, nuzzling it against her cheek and squished its soft face against hers. She looked down to see the ballerina waving up at her, and began to call out to her. “Oh, before you go! Please tell me, what’s your name?” she called. Golden tipped her hat a little, curtsying to the lovely ballerina. “It’s Golden!” she answered cheerfully, and began to wave goodbye. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before!” The ballerina smiled serenely, she looked like she was glowing in the light, she was like a beautiful porcelain doll. “Golden…oh, it’s a lovely name! A name as gold as your heart…Stay safe Golden, be strong and brave as you always are! I hope I can see you again soon!” With the hope in both their hearts, Golden and the ballerina bid each other farewell as the light took them home. Golden held Star and softly petted its small form as they drifted through the warm ray of light, like a gentle feel of the sun on their faces as it peeked over the clouds, bathing them in the light of life. 

They both found themselves lying down on something soft, Golden quickly realising it was her bed as she started to sit up, Star curled up in her lap. They were back in her bedroom, the birds outside were singing, and there was the chatter of Mickey and Oswald outside, the two were likely collecting herbs and roots for potion making in the garden. Golden and Star shared a glance at each other, grinning with a euphoric feel like they had just awoken from the most beautiful dream they’d ever had, perhaps it was all just a wonderful dream, until Star squeaked and pointed at the open book that lay beside Golden, who instantly went as red as her robes when she saw the illustration on the final page. It was not unlike the page she had known all her life, yet it seemed different in a way it stood out with one major change, instead of the tin soldier embracing the ballerina who was giving her rescuer a kiss, it was Golden herself all decked up as the soldier, complete with one leg and her vibrant blue and lilac hair, it was no doubt her. Golden picked up the book, gently running her thumb over the page, she couldn’t tell if this was temporary or not, regardless, she could tell from looking at the two in the illustration, they were so incredibly happy to be with each other as they locked in their kiss. Star giggled at such a sweet drawing of them as well as Golden’s warm, flushed smile until a loud, almost ringing voice hit their ears as they turned to see the door being flung open by an overwhelmed Percy. “LUUUUUMEEEEEN!!” he cried, slamming it behind him and pushing his back against the door, his own cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “You have to help me, Lumen! The master is teasing me with those silly broomies again! He said I need to lighten up this morning, how could he say that?! I AM THE LIGHT MAN! I LITERALLY LIGHTEN UP EVERYTHING! Does he not see that?! Well clearly not if he’s making me do the waltz with those cheeky planks of-” His ranting was suddenly cut to a halt as Golden slammed her book closed and promptly sat on it like it was a seat, and looking as if nothing was wrong. Percy being Percy, could clearly see there was something off about her behaviour. “Uhh, Lumen? You alright? I didn’t startle you did I?” he asked, much softer now. Golden shook her head. “Nope! Nothing’s the matter, I’m okay!” she said with a slight stutter. “Where’s the broomies, light man? I’ll tell them off for you.” Percy’s mind was no longer on the broomies, something else about Golden caught his eye, he couldn’t ignore and inched closer to her, inspecting her cheek which made Golden freeze as she realised what he was staring at. “Oh, were you playing with makeup, Lumen?” Percy asked innocently. Star clasped its hands over its mouth to stop itself from bursting into laughter, Golden wasn’t sure how to reply to him. “I don’t recall any of us having make up in the house…unless Scout lent you some? No, that can’t be right, Scout’s a tomboy, she wouldn’t wear makeup even if her mother made her. But how do you explain that little lipstick mark on your face? Unless we…OOOOHHHHH!!” He almost ascended, light flaring off his entire form as stars sparkled in his eyes. Golden leapt off the book and pushed Percy down onto the bed, her hands pressed against his mouth as her blue eyes bulged. “SHUSH! Don’t you even dare, light man! Or I WILL shave your sideburns while you sleep!” She threatened, Percy just smirked behind her hands, his eyes shifting toward Star who was still trying to hold in its laughter. “Star? If you would be so kind?” Star nodded, sprinkling a touch of stardust from its body onto the book, making it levitate inside a sparkly wave of dust. The book flipped to the final page, Golden sighed at the betrayal and awaited the taunting that would come from Percival, who was already giddy with utmost excitement. “My my Lumen, aren’t you full of surprises?” he grinned smugly, his eyebrow lifting slowly, mirroring Yen Sid’s. “At ten years old, and you’ve already found yourself a girlfriend? Haha, why didn’t you say so sooner?” Golden almost combusted with how red she became. “Wha-It’s NOT like that! Don’t make assum…assa…assumptuations? Oh forget it! Don’t think like that, Percy!!” Percy’s face darkened and his smile grew wider. “Lumen. Dear. There is no straight explanation for any of this. At all.” That was enough for Golden, she threw herself onto the bed and buried her face into the pillow, letting out a loud, groaning scream that came from the deepest pit of her gut, kicking her legs and pounding her fists on the bed like a small child throwing a tantrum. Golden felt embarrassed in a lot of ways, she forgot about the breathing exercises that Mickey once taught her a while when dealing with emotions, the same type of exercises he’d done with Donald. Star moved to her side and started to pet at her locks, which Golden didn’t object to, screaming seemed to help, though she should practice a healthier alternative for next time. “Ohoho Lumen! This is such a joyous occasion! Wait till the master hears~ Oh will he be-” He stopped mid-walk as the book thumped hard at the back of his head, stunning him only momentarily, the smile never leaving his face for a second. Golden sat with her arm extended from having thrown the book, her glare could burn holes in the back of Percy’s head. “Light man, don’t you DARE.” She jumped down off the bed to get to the door, Percy swiftly turned round and summoned several ropes of light, quickly binding her together and making her fall, but thankfully not hard onto the floor. She looked like a glowing caterpillar. Golden was fuming, she struggled against the light ropes with as much strength as she could muster, seeing Percy zip out of the door in a ball of light, and already calling out their dad’s name. Golden managed to free her legs, and pushed them against the floor as she attempted to make chase and catch up to Percy, yet she knew her efforts were feeble. “PERCY!! Wait till I get my hands on you! Grrr… Star help me!” While Star went to help Golden with her tangled up predicament, and absentmindedly playing with one strand of rope, Percy was already down in the study, where Yen Sid was leaning against his desk looking out of the window, watching a family of birds in a tree and sipping his freshly brewed tea. He grinned as he saw Percy transform again before his eyes, noting his giddy expression. “MASTER!!” Percy cried, bouncing on his toes as he marched over to him. “I have fantastic news, no, the GREATEST news of all time!!” Yen Sid chuckled, ready to take another sip of tea. “Great news, Percy? Let me guess, you managed to get the better of those cheeky little broomies? Did you out perform them with your dance moves?” Percy shook his head, giggles pouring from his lips as he couldn’t maintain his excitement any further. “Oh, it’s even better than that!” he exclaimed bouncily, his hands balling with pure joy. “Our little lumen…she’s found herself a girlfriend!!” Yen Sid lurched forward, spitting his tea like a projectile missile onto the window in front of him, creating a sort of shimmery rainbow effect in the sunlight. Taking a paper towel from the rack that was conveniently placed beside him, Yen Sid wiped at his lips so as to not look messy as his confusion built further from Percy’s response. “Wh…what?” uttered the older sorcery quietly. Percy nodded, grinning all his teeth widely. “Yes! I know I was AMAZED as well! I didn’t quite put it together at first but BOOM! That kiss mark said it all! I wonder who the lucky girl is, ohh I just have to meet her!” Yen Sid was silent as he listened to his son ramble on with great avidity, his eyes darting slightly at the possibility of who Golden was seeing, he’d never gotten an inkling she had met someone he hadn’t yet, and hoping that it was someone genuine and not another malicious plot by the villains. His thoughts were cut short by the sound of the door opening, Mickey and Oswald were re-entering, baskets of freshly picked herbs and vegetables for dinner and potions brewing in their arms, their ears twitching at the sound of Percy’s excitable rambling. “What’s going on, dad?” asked Oswald, handing the basket to Yen Sid, who gently took them. “Is Percy on another one of his kooky antics?” Yen Sid only snickered as Mickey followed up, noting his dad’s silly grin behind his hand. “Yeah…something about Goldie, dad?” asked the little mouse curiously. Percy held onto his hat in case it flew off his head with a magical combustion. “It’s the BIGGEST news of the YEAR!!” Percy practically yelled at the top of his voice. “Lads, hurry, this can’t wait. Get Scout, Mum, Julius and Alice, they MUST hear this, and I’m the one to break the news!! Ohh it’s just stupendous, but also a sign our little Lumen is growing up! Ohh I think I’m going to tear up!” Everyone’s eyes flew to the top of the stairs as a growling caught their attention, a small, multicoloured-haired caterpillar was performing roly-polies down the stairs, unintelligible but angry swears leaving her lips as she tumbled down, though Percy could swear he could hear his name among those swears, unsure if he should be proud or worried. “PERCY.” seethed Golden, pushing herself forward and getting to her feet, but losing her balance within a second and landing on the floor with a loud thump, ultimately loosening her binds in the process. “If you…tell anyone…what you just heard…I’ll keep my promise.” Percy smirked, pulling up the brim of his hat, casting a shadow over his eyes. “Oooh, you will? Then that must mean you know I’m telling the truth.” he said in a low, sing-songy voice. Golden almost burst into flames. “PERCY SYMPHONUS!! I oughta…say goodbye to your sideburns because you will NOT see them tomorrow morning!!” she sneered, pointing a very angry and glaring finger at him, her eyes almost popping as she noticed her father hiding his face behind his hand, his undeniable chuckle escaping him very clearly. “Daaaad…” Golden pouted and sat her hands on her hips. “It’s not funny you know, this is serious!” Julius practically leaped forward as he entered the room, his tail wagging side to side in enthusiasm from hearing a secret was being shared. “Oh SPILL it!! Don’t keep us on edge, Goldie!” He cheered, as the youngest Symphonus blushed a bright red and hid her face partially in her robe. “It’s nobody’s business, okay?!” She cried, Yen Sid hiding another small giggle and standing up, folding his arms in his robes. “Oh Golden, it’s very sweet to hear, dear. I didn’t know you were into romance right now…” he smiled, Golden’s cheeks burning as she hid her face even more, blushing crimson, as if all the blood in her body was being funnelled right to her cheeks. Julius perked up as his ears twitched. “Wait, romance?!” and a hand pressed against the doorframe, as three heads popped around, Mum, Scout, and finally Alice, all of whom were grinning ear to ear. “Do my ears fail me, father… or are we talking about Golden and the purest form of growing up… aka my little sis having a crush?” Scout winked, Oswald snarking under his breath with a smirk- “you’d know all about that wouldn’t you Scout?” to which he promptly received a whack from Mickey that sent his head spinning all the way around. Golden, meanwhile, frowned as she peeked her eyes over the folds of her robe, looking very disappointed in her big sister. “Scout, not you too…!” she groaned, as Alice chuckled and summoned her keyblade. “Sparky here says you’re full to the brim of signals of infatuation~” she teased, Golden groaning and trying to move to grip ‘Sparky’ and give it a piece of her mind, before Alice put it above her head and smirked playfully at the younger, flustered girl. “So… is it true, Goldie? Are ya really… hehe, crushing on someone?” Mickey giggled, Golden looking over at him as if to say ‘help me!’, and he moved over to put a hand on her shoulder, though he couldn’t stop chuckling at her red-faced embarrassment. “You met a girl, didn’t you, my dear Lumen!” Percy spoke gleefully, moving and pointing at the lipstick mark on her cheek, smushing her cheek whilst he was at it and making her swat him away with a hiss rivalling Julius’s when he took a bath. “Ugh!! Percy, just… get these binds off me please, and I promise I can explain, but… w-well I can try very poorly, OH! Just get these off me dammit!”

A few seconds later, Percy had obliged and was playfully turning the ropes into little stars, which he moved up toward the floating candles in Yen Sid’s office, brightening the room up considerably. “Well, where’s our explanation, Lumen?” he asked, feigning innocence despite the smirk tickling at the corners of his mouth. Golden’s eye twitched, and she balled up her fists as she took a step toward him- “Why don’t you take your explanation, PERCIVAL, and shove it up your-” she was cut off as Yen Sid cast a spell, causing her lips to turn into a zipper which promptly was shut, making her look rather silly. He smiled brightly and mischievously, remembering using this spell on Oswald back when he first arrived, and when he wouldn’t stop cursing at Mickey. “No need for foul language, little lovebird…” he smiled, gently patting her head as she gave him a glare to freeze the sun. Mum stepped into the room, sitting down on one of the chairs and taking Julius into her arms. “Oh, I understand it though! Falling in love is a strange, confusing thing, I would know.” she smiled, scratching between Julius’s ears as he purred. Yen Sid turned to her, momentarily forgetting about Golden’s stuck mouth, and nodded. “As would I, and even my father before me, I’m sure. He often mentioned how flustered he got as a young man… what I wouldn’t give to see that.” He looked almost misty-eyed, but shook it off, and waved his hand, allowing Golden’s mouth to return to normal, though she still frowned and folded her arms even with Mickey patting her shoulder. She took a deep breath, and Star flew into her palms, looking up at her with a smile, encouraging her to tell everyone. “So… Star and I were reading the steadfast tin soldier because it had never read it before, and it’s my favourite story. But when we were reading, the book started glowing and we somehow ended up inside! I became the tin soldier, and so I had to act out the story, which… y’know, includes the ballerina being all romantic, and well… I did everything right and we left the story! Boom, THAT’S what happened!” she surmised, Yen Sid looking thoughtful, wondering what sort of magic could be infused into her book that he’d never noticed himself. “Interesting…” he mused, before turning to Percy, who beckoned Star closer. “Now, let’s hear the REAL version, without Golden making everything platonic like a good ol’ historian!” he giggled, as everyone whispered amongst themselves about Golden’s tale. Star, meanwhile, zipped out of the room to get the book, donning a stardust tutu and blowing kisses for good measure, making Golden muffle a squeal of irritation in her hands. “You guys are making this IMPOSSIBLE!” she cried, Yen Sid shaking his head gently in amusement. “We aren’t doing anything, my dear. The evidence is simply astounding. Our littl’un in love, eh?” he smiled, Golden blushing once again. “I am NOT in love, dad!” she growled, Yen Sid rolling his eyes slightly. “Whatever you say…” he smirked, Mum clearing her throat to catch his attention as she shook her head at him, playfully disapproving of his teasing. “Oh Yen Sid…” she smiled, Scout moving to pick up Golden from behind and putting her on her shoulders. “So… when’s the wedding?” she teased, Golden almost falling off but being luckily caught by Oswald, who flew up to steady her. “Hehehe…” he snickered, “You look lovesick.” She whacked him gently as she frowned, annoyed that her entire family had seemingly turned against her, when she really was telling the truth! Star suddenly reappeared, opening the book to the final page with its magic, Yen Sid gratefully taking it and showing everyone. “My my…” he murmured, as he flipped through the pages, seeing how even the words had changed to reflect the story as Golden had seen it, it was not magic he’d ever encountered before, and it made him reflect on how he’d received the book himself as a young boy, along with many others, and from whom exactly. Golden, meanwhile, glared at Star. “I thought you were on my side…” she groaned, Star giggling a little nervously and zipping behind Percy for protection, who was smirking as he took the book into his hands. As he looked down at the illustration of the sweet little ballerina, something seemed to stir inside him, he wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but an idea came to him. “Everyone, let us go to the workshop! I have a brilliant idea that I’m sure you all, and especially darling little Lumen, will NOT want to miss!” he crowed, Golden dropping her shoulders and seeming to sulk, reaching for Mickey’s gloved hand and practically needing to be dragged to the workshop as she leaned back dramatically on her heels with a sigh, which the small mouse was kind enough to comply with. Percy moved to a table and set down the book, reaching for one of Yen Sid’s spellbooks as the master raised an eyebrow, curious and cheeky all at once. “What are you doing??” Golden whined, looking very irritated by this being kept a secret from her, and a small part of her wanting her favourite book back, not only because it was her favourite book, but in case she got to go inside again and see the ballerina, not wanting to risk Percy doing the same thing and making the poor porcelain girl afraid of yet another big guy. “You shall see, Lumen. But let’s just say it very much involves you.” He smirked, Golden pulling her cheeks down as her eyes bulged. “This is SO mortifying!” she cried, Yen Sid putting a hand on her shoulder. “Oh lunula, it can’t be all that bad. You don’t have to be nervous about any of this, that I can promise you.” he smiled down at her, Golden looking up at him, remnants of blush still fresh on her face. “I-I can’t help it though! I mean… me?! And romance?! Those two things do NOT… usually… MIX!” she seethed, as Percy found just the incantation he was looking for, and recited it aloud- “Surgo Liber!” And with that, the book shimmered in iridescent colour, and the pages flipped at an alarmingly fast rate, a light emerging from the pages like a small star, glowing in Percy’s palms for a moment before elongating into a white silhouette, and seeming to jump straight out of the book and spring to life right in front of Golden. First, a pair of ballet slippers came into view, then a beautiful white skirt with a blue belt and rose resting on her waist, brown ringlets, and finally a pretty face, a youthful, beautiful face with bright brown eyes looking eagerly at the familiar face ahead of her, the one who had rescued her, and whom she had promised to meet again. Golden was stunned for a second, blinking, and then her jaw practically dropped to the floor. “Oh my…” the ballerina murmured, blinking herself and looking curiously at her surroundings, everyone was a stranger, except the soldier, Golden, the one she dearly remembered. Time moved faster in the book, so despite it having been only a few minutes, it had felt like days since the porcelain figure had seen her companion, and had hoped to see her again, though these circumstances were a little jarring to say the least. “It worked! Master, did you see that?!” Percy grinned, looking very proud of himself, just as proud as when he had successfully unwrapped a scroll for the first time with magic, it brought a smile to Yen Sid’s face as he gave an approving nod to his former student turned master. “Yes, you did very well. And… who might you be?” he got down on one knee and looked at the ballerina, she looked a little taller than Golden, and moved to her companion’s side nervously, wondering who the larger man might be. Golden took note of her nervous demeanour, and put an arm around her, despite still being crimson, and looked at Yen Sid, almost seeming a bit lost for words. Oswald moved closer. “This is… her? The girl from the book that kissed ya, sis?” he smiled, Golden glaring at him and warning him to shut his trap with her narrowed eyes. Mickey looked amazed, peeking past Oswald. “It worked, Ossie! Gosh… you sure are pretty, miss!” he smiled, the ballerina looking at the rabbit and mouse with curiosity, the only mice she knew were the ones from mouseholes, the ones the boy’s mother shooed away with a broom to keep them away when he was playing with his toys. The ballerina shyly took Golden’s hands. “Is it… really you?” she whispered, holding Golden’s now human hands in her own soft, human fingers. Before, it seemed they were separated, tin and porcelain are hardly a pair, at least not normally, but now, both as humans, there was a wholeness present, as if they completed one another, and this was exactly how it was always supposed to be. “It’s me.” Golden finally whispered, managing a small smile, and then, suddenly, the ballerina threw her arms around her, hugging her tightly. “You’re truly the brave soldier from before, I can really feel it! We really did meet again! I missed you so much, Golden… that’s correct, right?” she asked, drawing back from the hug and looking at Golden directly, who swallowed and tried to keep her cheeks from going red as her robes yet again. “Yeeeeessss hehe,” she cleared her throat, “I-I-I mean… Yes, you’re right! That is in fact m-my name… teehee.” Once again, she was fumbling the entire interaction, and it made her want to scream. She came to her senses, though, and looked the ballerina straight in her eyes. “Do you have a name? I didn’t get to ask last time.” she asked, the ballerina shaking her head. “No, I’ve never had a name. I was just ‘ballerina’. Or… the ten thousand pet names that ugly jack-in-a-box gave me.” she groaned, Golden sympathetically rubbing her shoulder, trying to ignore the fact everyone else was watching on. An idea came to her, though, and she turned to everyone. “Well, if you’d like a name, we should all think of one together!” she smiled, the ballerina looking excited. “Can I really have one? One of all my own?” she gasped, eagerness suddenly sweeping her. It was as if her personality was growing, one emotion at a time, and possibly influenced by everyone around her, perhaps her enthusiasm came from Percy? “Of course you can! What should we name her, everyone?” Golden asked, looking around the room as people began to think. Oswald smirked. “You should call her ‘mine’.” he suggested, Golden looking very confused. “I should call her ‘mine’?” she repeated, unsure if she’d just misheard him. The ballerina giggled. “Then I’d be yours! Your one and only!” Golden facepalmed, realizing she’d just walked straight into one of her brother’s traps as he fell on the floor cackling, watching her blush and stutter, unsure how to reverse this unconventional naming ceremony. Finally, after a moment, Scout clicked her fingers, making Golden jump slightly in the process. “I got it! What if we name her Porsha… y’know, cuz in the story she’s porcelain?” she offered. There was silence for a second, making the teenager brace on having to backtrack, say it was a joke, or making her wonder if she’d spoken out of turn, but then the ballerina rushed toward the bigger girl, giving her a huge hug. “I love it! Thank you! My name is Porsha! And yours?” Scout was taken aback, but knelt down and gave the new member of the family a hug, Golden watching on with a tiny smile that melted her big sister’s heart. “I’m Scout, kiddo. And you’re welcome. Welcome to our family.” The teenager gave the shorter girl a quick ruffle on the head without getting a ringlet out of place, making her giggle and feel homely already upon being introduced with a new name, and a place to call home. Golden fidgeted with her ribbon belt, her fingers twisting in knots. She tried to keep her excitement from bubbling out though it was obvious from the growing smile on her lips, she froze once again as the ballerina, now Porsha, locked eyes with her and softly skipped toward her. “Well, I’m Porsha now.” she said softly, her voice as gentle as vanilla. “It’s so good to be here with you again, my brave tin soldier…” Golden almost flinched back as if hit by a small electric shock, balling her hands and bringing them up to her chin as she let her hair fall over her eyes, obscuring her face from Porsha, who stared curiously. “Y-you too…” she whispered in a hushed voice. Porsha giggled softly. “Why are you hiding? We’re not playing hide and seek, silly!” Her voice was as playful as it was elegant, it made Golden flush much redder and brighter, she almost glowed like Percy. Yen Sid chuckled, patting Golden lightly on the shoulder to coax her out of her thoughts. “Come out, child…she wants to see you.” Golden didn’t reveal herself right away, instead slowly took her time in making eye contact. Upon seeing the ballerina’s soft features again, Golden felt her chest flutter, like a thousand butterflies had risen from inside her stomach. Slowly reaching out, she took Porsha’s hand and gently ran her thumb over her knuckles. “Well, Porsha, you know me, but you haven’t met the rest of my family properly yet, have you? If you’re going to live here, I should introduce you!” Porsha giggled behind her hand. “Oh please do! I think I know some of them somewhat, the little mouse with the round ears called me pretty! And the little bunny is funny!” Oswald’s shoulders sank a little as he gave a quizzical expression while Mickey grinned at him, gently nudging him in the side. “Little? Please, Golden’s the little one!” he retorted. Golden simply rolled her eyes and watched as Star flitted about around their hands and landed on her shoulder, perching itself perfectly beside her head. “Well, you’ve met Star! Sometimes it visits us whenever it wants, or when Aero comes over as it’s her little companion! These three are my brothers, there’s Julius, Oswald and Mickey!” She gestured to the three toon brothers, who all waved and smiled in greeting, Ossie going an extra mile with bowing. “You’ve met Scout, she’s like the coolest big sister ever! And there’s Percy, he’s like my uncle though he’s really my brother, so like an uncle-brother! Or…bruncle, maybe? I dunno hehe!” Percy shimmied between the two girls, kneeling at their level with a cheeky grin. “And I’ll also be the organiser of your wedding!” he snickered, which became very muffled once Golden pulled his hat over his head, making him look a bit like a purple scarecrow. As he struggled to remove it while laughing under the material, Golden looked back at Porsha, the words ‘wedding’ and ‘married’ replaying in her head and making her turn a brighter shade of pink that was a deeper shade than her robes or even Alice’s hat. Speaking of which, Alice peaked over Julius' shoulder, and leaned over him to get a proper glimpse of the new girl. “Sooo…heard you’re staying?” she asked, grinning all her teeth. “Smashing! It’s nice having another girl in the house, and you seem quite demure, hope you won’t mind getting your hands dirty with a bit of rough and tumble, after all I wield a keyblade and I can show you a thing or two!”  Porsha looked almost mortified, she didn’t want to get dirt on her silky white dress, and especially not after the scuffle she had faced with Jack, now was a time for her to have a bit of freedom, to make choices and follow a path she choose, whether or not she’d have to get her hands dirty at any point she wasn’t sure she wanted to think about, but within the moment, her life had already changed, and likely for the better, especially when she stared back at Golden’s soft eyes that held an ocean of a thousand stories. Golden blinked and pulled at her robe slightly, feeling rather warm and nervous even still, but she looked at all of her family, their encouraging smiles, and wrung her hands with a tiny sigh, though it was far less emphatic and upset than her previous outbursts. “I have a huge family…” she spoke softly, Porsha nodding and giving a tiny smile, “I love them all. They are my world… a-and… I’m very glad you’re going to be a part of it too…” she admitted, before being startled as the slightly bigger girl suddenly (and rather forcefully) wrapped her arms around her and embraced her in the tightest and warmest hug Golden had ever felt in her life. “I’m glad to be one of you all! And since it’s so big, I’m gonna meet everyone and they will all know me as your one and only ballerina girlfriend!” she cheered, Yen Sid wheezing behind his hand at the colour Golden turned, she was already red, but he needed to find a colour picker for the exact shade in that moment, it was unlike anything he’d ever seen, and greatly amused him. Percy approached, giving a kindly smile to Porsha, he seemed to have calmed considerably even despite his occasional smirk at Golden. “Oh Lumen… it’s so lovely that you speak about us like that! We all love you too, dear, and especially this little one…” he smiled as he looked down at Porsha, who giggled and nodded. “Hey! What if we give her a tour?” Scout suggested, Porsha looking eager and smiling. “Ooh, yes! I’d love one, this castle is huge and I don’t want to get lost when finding Golden!” she admitted, taking Scout’s hand and then Percy’s as they led her to see the house, some of the others trailing behind them and pointing out things they liked. Yen Sid shook his head slightly at the scene, and then turned when he felt a tap on his back… Star, it was pointing at the door, which was ajar. With a soft sigh, he noticed a pair of wellies were missing, as well as one of the coats that hung on the rack, and shook his head once more. “Stay here, Star. I’ll talk to her…” he reassured, the little Star looking worried now that it might have done something wrong by egging on Percy. Yen Sid took it into his palms, and smiled. “Between you and me… this might be just what she needs, actually.”

Yen Sid took a path around the side of the house, passing the wishing well that looked much like his hat, and finding the back garden, where Mickey and Oswald had been gathering herbs. There were few flowers at this time of year, and it was rather cold, especially with the snow that drifted in, as it had a few weeks prior, coating the world in white. At least there was no snow today, though it was rather chilly, and Yen Sid looked up at the sky, seeing grey clouds blocking out a sun that was shining rather feebly. He shrugged and continued on, there was a small alcove at the back of the garden where there was a pond that often had tadpoles, when Golden was little she had been enamored by them and their little black forms as they swam to and fro, and he often worried about her staying outside too long and catching a cold. Near the pond, there was a little garden seat he had set up, a place he would often sit as he watched his children play, sometimes they would do wheelbarrow races or hide and seek, and it was always nice to sit back with hot chocolate and watch his kids grow. But today, the garden seat was occupied. There, with her head in her knees and arms wrapped around them, was little Golden, and he could tell she was flushed from a mix of both blushing and trying to hold back confused tears. Wordlessly, he just sat down, and didn’t say anything for a few moments, letting her register he was present. “Daddy…” she spoke, it sounded like her lip was quivering, and he reached a hand to stroke her back, the small girl raising her head to look at him. “Yes, my little moon?” he smiled, Golden wiping one of a few tears that subsequently fell. “I feel… really weird.” she said it plainly, Yen Sid raising an eyebrow. “Weird, hmm? A word you often use, though I believe you’re using it a little differently today. Would it be more apt to say… you feel ‘queer’?” He asked, Golden tilting her head slightly in surprise. “Queer?” she asked, innocently looking up at him, it was a word mainly that she’d read in old books, and it didn’t seem to be used as much anymore. “Yes, queer. In the past it was used as a term to describe those considered odd, or different…but now, it’s actually used to describe anyone who doesn’t align themselves with the very old and outdated concept of romance- that it’s just between a man and a woman. We know that’s not true, don’t we, Lunula?” he smiled, Golden tilting her head. “We do?” she asked, Yen Sid stifling a chuckle. “Yes we do. Your book, the steadfast tin soldier… it doesn’t necessarily just have to be about falling in love. It’s about bravery, kindness, finding safety and security. None of those things are only given by men, right?” he spoke, Golden putting on a thinking face, amusing him. “No… Well, Scout’s a girl and she’s brave, Mama’s super kind, and Alice’s keyblade gave us a lot of safety from all the heartless!” she replied, smiling slightly as she spoke about her family, though she still wasn’t sure what he was quite getting at. “You’re right. And thus, I don’t think the steadfast tin soldier has to be a boy. It doesn’t even really need to have one leg, that’s not part of its name. It’s just a name, saying someone is brave, made of tin, and a soldier. It has nothing to do with gender, does it?” Golden blinked, it had never dawned on her before that the soldier could be anyone, and it made a little smile form at the corners of her mouth. “No… it doesn’t. It’s just a story about lots of different things…” she replied, looking down at her feet as she relaxed her posture and let herself sit properly, there were lots of little bugs in the grass that she liked watching. “You know, Golden? I understand you feel like there are a thousand butterflies fluttering around in your tummy right now, and you’ve never felt this way before with anyone. But that’s not necessarily bad, is it?” he asked, Golden meeting his eyes and shrugging. “I still feel weird, though… I just… wish I could be normal around her! But it’s like my brain gets turned upside down, my tongue is so tied that it’s formed a ribbon, and my heart is so warm I think it’ll literally fall out! I swear, Percy is NOT seeing his sideburns tomorrow, all he’ll see is the broomies waltzing with him till he drops! Why on earth did he think that was okay, to go “oh, imma embarrass Lumen!” I know he’s not a malicious guy but c’mon, tying me up is crazy!!!” she ranted, Yen Sid shaking his head with a grin. “Oh don’t you worry, Percy’ll get his comeuppance. But first… I just want to keep talking with you. We have a lot to discuss, and I want to hear more about your feelings toward Porsha.” Golden summoned her spirit butterfly onto her finger, looking down at it as its iridescent wings flapped. “I guess… Well, when I look at her, I feel really happy to see her, and I want to make sure she’s smiling because when I met her, she found it hard to smile. And she’s got such pretty hair, I always want to touch it because it looks like when you curl up paper to make ringlets, and her dress is really nice on her, I like the blue, and especially the rose in her belt because I gave it to her… oh, her eyes sparkle when she speaks, she’s got a cute laugh… oh my Kingdom Hearts I went off track!” she cringed, blushing brightly as Yen Sid snickered softly. “No, dear, you were perfectly on track, I believe. Why don’t you walk with me, hmm?” he asked, Golden watching her butterfly take off and nodding, following him as some of the nearby trees and bushes parted, opening a small passageway in the garden. “Love is a very complicated thing, Golden. There are times when you will love someone, and they will never love you back. Or times when unfortunately, you and your lover are separated. It is a commitment to choose to care for someone that deeply, and it can hurt. My old man knew that well, he missed someone dearly, and even I, as you know, have felt the trials and tribulations that love can bring…” he trailed off, the two of them walking through the passage of bushes as Yen Sid guided her, holding her hand and bringing her through the shaded corridor of plants. “Despite it all, though, I have never given up on love. It is such a wonderful thing to have and to hold, and there are times when our heart flutters, even without us asking it to. Sometimes… The bravest thing you can do is admit you’re in love, and live that to the fullest. You don’t have to hide or suppress that feeling, you just live it, each and every day. You adore the person you love, whether quietly or out loud, and you make their days better with your presence. It doesn’t have to be grand, romantic, or whatever else is in fashion these days… it just has to be real. And it just has to come from right here…” he pointed at her chest, “right within your heart.” Golden took his hand, entwining her little fingers amongst his big ones, and looked up at him with both trust and vulnerability. “So… you’re saying that even if I’m not sure about it all, I’m allowed to be whoever I want to be, because the soldier can be anyone? And that love is messy, but that’s okay?” she asked softly, Yen Sid nodding and bringing her out the other side of the passage, which had taken them back around to the garden seat, and Golden noticed that somehow, it had begun blooming with roses. “Of course. And if you ever need any help finding the words to describe yourself, you ask me, alright?” he smiled, Golden nodding and promptly sitting on his lap. “I don’t know if I’m certain of it yet… but is there a word for being in love with a girl?” she asked. “Yes. There are two, actually. One is lesbian, the other is gay. Feel free to choose whichever you think you best align with.” he smiled, Golden tapping her chin. “Hmm… I think ‘gay’. Because it also means happy…” she blushed slightly, “and… Porsha makes me happy.” Yen Sid grinned proudly, this wasn’t the first time he’d had these sorts of conversations, and he was always so happy whenever one of his children had the courage to open up. “So… you’re going to experiment, then? See how it goes with her? She’s got great big feelings for you, you know, so I believe you two will share many great, big, beautiful things.” Golden nodded eagerly, and took Yen Sid’s hand, who watched her spirit animal butterfly flit amongst the roses… whether she knew it or not, her magic had a profound effect on the world- he’d noticed it with the broomies, how she’d apparently heard heartless speak, and how even nature seemed to react to her sometimes, it was remarkable, and another reason why he had so much pride and faith in her. “So… daddy? Can we kill Percy now?” she smiled, looking up at him with a face that feigned innocence. “No, dear. But we can absolutely humiliate him just as he did to you. And I promise… it will include broom kisses. But no razors, I like his hair.” Golden pouted slightly, but eventually giggled. “I think broomie kisses are more than enough punishment… bleh!”

As they headed back inside, Golden seemed far more relaxed, coming out of her shell slightly and smiling when she saw Porsha, who was excitedly looking at Oswald’s remote as he described all the amazing things it could do. “Your siblings are all so COOL, Golden! I love them so much, I love this house, all of you… oh, I’m so happy to be here!” she cheered, Golden giggling slightly, Porsha’s emotions, new as they seemed to be, really seemed to gush out when she was excited, and it was very cute, at least in Golden’s eyes. She approached her brother and newly-discovered girlfriend, moving to his side and putting her arms around him, a gesture they shared when she was very small and became frightened. She would often hide behind him due to how big he appeared when his ears were up, and he gave her a sense of security when he let her cling on, whether for minutes or hours at a time, he really didn’t mind. As she held him now, Porsha peered over at her. She looked a little small and bewildered even now, but there was a tiny smile on Golden’s face, and it reassured the ballerina that her lover was fine. “Your big sister showed me some very cool magic, she made everything float!” The ballerina continued, Golden remembering the spell and how Scout had tried to use it to cheer up Mickey that one time. “Nice job, Scout! That’s great!” she cheered, Scout sitting on the sofa with her Mum and tipping her cap playfully. “Of course kiddo, what am I here for? Gotta make your little companion feel at home, yeah? She’s one of us now after all!” The older girl smiled, Golden nodding firmly and smiling at the declaration. “Porsha…? Would you want to have our last name?” Golden offered, Porsha putting a finger to her chin in thought. “Hmm? Last name?” She asked, Golden nodding and moving to take Porsha’s hands, letting go of Oswald as he continued fiddling with his remote. “We’re the Symphonus family, some of us have little other last names, like Scout is Scout Simons-Symphonus, or Mickey’s is Mouse-Symphonus, but… if you want to be a Symphonus too, I’d really like that!” she smiled brightly, Porsha blinking in surprise. “Porsha… Symphonus, huh?” she tried, testing the name, before nodding and smiling at the way it trailed off her tongue, much like music. “It’s a beautiful name… I-I would love to have it! Thank you, my dear tin soldier! Wait… if I take your last name, does that mean we’re married?” Porsha’s barrage of questions barely registered, that last word just spun round and round in Golden’s mind. “PERCY I KNOW THIS WAS YOUR IDEA!!!” Golden shrieked, pointing a finger at the light man, who was feigning innocence as he sipped his tea. “SICK ‘EM, BROOMIES!!!” she called, summoning a megaphone and all seven broomies running into the room, one of them punching its palm threateningly at Percy, who put down his teacup and put his arms up in surrender. “I’m… sorry?” he grinned sheepishly, and then he was gone as all seven broomies picked him up and took him into the kitchen, the light man yelling angry British swears as they went. Yen Sid giggled, and gently touched Porsha’s shoulder. “We’d be more than happy to have you as one of us, dear. Though between you and I, I think marriage should wait until you’re much, much older. My old heart isn’t ready to plan for such a big event.” He smiled gently, Golden folding her arms. “We should just hope I'm still alive by then, considering my track record…” she snarked, Yen Sid ruffling her hair and giving her a warm smile. “Well, you’ve got a little partner of your own, and you two should look out for one another. That’s the basis of any good relationship, is it not?” he coaxed, Golden nodding and looking over at Porsha, who smiled innocently. “I’ll always protect Golden, she’s my world! And I…I know I came from a book so I’m gonna have to learn a lot of things, but that’s one thing I always knew.” The sentiment made Golden’s heart sparkle so brightly that it literally shone under her robes, making her flush as Porsha stared curiously at the light emanating from her. “What’s that, Mr Yen Sid?” she asked, the old sorcerer motioning for Golden to show, and the little girl put both hands on her chest, drawing out her heart with the simplest of gestures, and holding it in her hands. “This is… my heart, Porsha. It’s golden and… well, it shines when I feel very happy. It’s a bit fragile and it’s been through a lot, but-” She was cut off when Porsha suddenly, yet gently, took the heart from her hands and held it close. The sensation was strange, it was a hug Golden couldn’t physically feel, but it felt so warm and sweet that she might as well have been being hugged by ten thousand people. “It’s beautiful…” Porsha spoke softly, looking down at the floating heart in her palm, which almost seemed to twinkle as if saying ‘thank you’, “it… really fits you, my steadfast tin soldier. You’ve got a heart of gold.” she smiled, looking over her shoulder at Golden, whose eyes had practically turned into hearts. “I-I…. ummm… thank you, Porsha…” She managed to stutter out, and Porsha held out her hand gracefully and elegantly, standing en pointe and presenting her heart back to her lover, who stepped forward and allowed Porsha to push the heart right back in, slotting it in back where it belonged. The room had practically held its breath, Golden didn’t often let others touch her heart, let alone hug it, it took a great deal of trust for her to show it to anyone, and to present it to Porsha like this was unheard of to any of them, it showed just how strong their bond was, even on the first day of their meeting. Porsha came down from being en pointe and stood normally, watching how Golden seemed lost in the moment for a second, eyes closed and an innocent little smile on her face, before she suddenly blinked as a realization came to her. “Dad! Porsha needs a bedroom, doesn’t she? I…I mean unless she wants to stay in my room?” She fretted, Yen Sid kneeling down and nodding. “Indeed, though I understand she would want to stay with you for most of the day, you two do need your own space, especially with the amount of toys you’ve got, Goldie! And yet… I believe we have plenty of guest rooms.” he smiled, Golden raising an eyebrow. “But the guest rooms are full! Delphis and his friends have one, Aero’s… Azurine and the Councillors? Me and Julius cleaned them the other day, they’re full to the brim!” she protested, Yen Sid subtly waving his hands as if to wave away her concern, though in reality he was casting a spell. “I said…” he spoke softly, taking Golden’s shoulders and turning her 180 degrees, so she was looking up the stairs toward where her bedroom door was, opposite Scout’s, “we have plenty of guest rooms.” And with that, a white outline suddenly appeared on the wall in between the two girls’ doors, the outline of a door. Golden, without hesitation, ran up the stairs, Porsha taking her hand and the two grinning as they ascended the stairs together. “You want to see what’s inside?” Golden smiled, pointing at the door handle, engraved with a rose. Taking a breath, Porsha nodded, and touched it, the door glowing as the room appeared, altering itself to her preferences and revealing a beautiful pink and white room, little rose wallpaper decorating the walls, the light above also being shaped like a rose, whilst the bed was a four-poster bed with pink curtains, much like the one Golden had on the exact same wall, almost like they were side by side. There was a vanity unit with a heart-shaped mirror, and a little pink closet full of beautiful dresses, Porsha’s mouth turning into an ‘o’ as she gazed at them all, pulling out a beautiful blue one with purple feathers, little green orbs much like eyes being stitched into the fabric. Another gown was a white dress reminding her of a swan, with pink and purple feathers, and a red dress with orange tulle that looked a little like flames, but a blue underside and some cyan embroidery. “Wow…” she gasped, looking at everything in amazement, it was a perfect room just for her, and the girl smiled as one last burst of magic gave her a poster on the wall, of a ballerina doing a perfect pirouette, something she mimicked. “You’re an amazing dancer, Porsha…” Golden sighed, she sounded almost wistful as she struggled quite a bit with dancing. “Oh, I’ll teach you some moves if you’d like!” Porsha exclaimed cheerfully, taking Golden’s hand, “we’re in this together, aren’t we?” Golden blushed slightly, but nodded, moving over to Porsha’s vanity as the slightly older girl sat down, looking in all the drawers and pulling out makeup, including a set of brushes with stars and moons and one that almost looked like a broomie, they were truly a pair. As Porsha looked in the mirror, Golden moved behind her, putting her arms around her and leaning on her head, nuzzling her slightly. “Together… or not at all.”

Dawn broke over Fioritura one morning, early December. After finding Alice, there had been many celebrations and late nights, and Golden was back to her old self now that her hair had returned to its vibrant colour. One day, though, she got out of bed and came to a realisation- it was Aero’s birthday in a few days!! Panicking, she immediately threw off the covers, Starlight being taken with them but luckily the fall being softened by the mere existence of the blankets and how they bundled around her like a burrito, and Golden bolted out of the room, still in her pyjamas, running straight to Yen Sid. Yen Sid’s birthday had come and gone, she’d made him his annual card and bought him a hoodie decorated with stars and one little moon, she’d seen it and asked Percy to help her buy it with her pocket money. Though it had been a quiet day, it was perfect for Yen Sid, he’d just enjoyed it in the company of his family, friends and the council, who all came over to visit throughout the day bearing gifts for him. But what to get Aero…? Golden couldn’t help but fret as she knocked on Yen Sid’s door, who gave a sleepy groan and opened it. “Oh, hello starshine.” he smiled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as she hugged his legs, looking up at him with a slightly worried expression. “Did you have a nightmare?” he asked, but she shook her head. “I have nothing to give Aero for her birthday!!!” she whined, Yen Sid’s lips curling up into a smile, then a smirk. What a little thing to fret over, it was so Golden, being the little person she was. “Oh darling…tell you what, how about you ask Percy to take you into Fioritura city, then? I’m sure you’ll find something, especially with the market that’s always changing its wares.” he suggested, Golden nodding and running to find him, Yen Sid shaking his head. “Remember to get dressed and brush your teeth first, young miss!” he called after her, leaning on the doorframe with a smile. She was finally back to normal.

“Lumen!! I’m still in my nightcap- I can’t see, give your ol’ light man a moment won’t you?!” Percy cried, Golden pulling him behind her and causing Percy to smack into the doorframe due to his nightcap falling over his eyes. Despite muttering an expletive under his breath, he wasn’t injured and was rather looking forward to going out with her, even though she was dragging him out of his room without either of them being dressed. And upon realizing this, Golden just looked back at Percy, a sheepish giggle escaping her. “Meet…in five minutes by the door?” she stammered, Percy raising an eyebrow. “Race you.” he grinned, Golden squealing as she ran to her room, there was no way she’d make it!! Grabbing a robe, she threw it over her head and set to brushing her teeth, Starlight grumpily using her magic to straighten out the bed and then flying back into her hammock, that was enough work for today, she decided. As Golden rapidly brushed her teeth and hair, she pulled on her little boots and checked herself in the mirror, grabbing her little moneybox (conveniently shaped like a sorcerer hat) and running to the door. “I WIN!!” she called, loud enough to wake the entire house, but Percy zipped down, applauding her in his light form. “Congratulations Lumen!! Alright, are you ready to go?” he smiled, Golden nodding. “Better get out of here fast before Oswald kicks my as-” Percy put a light over her mouth. “Alright!!! Where to go?” He cut her off, Golden giggling under the light as he de-transformed, lifting her onto his shoulders as he did on her birthday. “Fioritura city, here we come!”

The marketplace had not long opened when they arrived, but the stalls were all set up beautifully, there were some clothing stalls, others for handmade jewelry, and some travelling merchants were in town, which was always exciting. They often brought magical artifacts or cool wares from outside of the Kingdom of Lumos, and often had tales to tell about the heinous foes or misadventures that they had encountered whilst acquiring them. One such merchant was dressed in a blue satin tunic, decorated with golden curls, he looked rather princely. His hair was dark and he had a mustache and beard, and a hat atop his head with two feathers, one gold, one blue. “Hello there.” he spoke, he hadn’t turned around but knew the little girl was staring at him, Percy taking Golden off his shoulders so she could approach the merchant. “Who might you be, little one?” he smiled, Golden giving a curtsy. “I’m Golden Symphonus. Nice to meet you, sir!” she piped up, holding a hand out for shaking. The man accepted, he had a firm handshake but it wasn’t too tough, he seemed gentle. “Good to meet you, Golden. As you might have guessed, I’m a travelling merchant. I sell my wares far and wide, to travelers or to townsfolk. Tell me if you see anything you like.” He smiled, the little girl nodding and browsing. There was so much stuff all over his table, he’d lined it with shining red fabric with a golden trim, and other layers of tulle and muslin, it looked like something straight out of the Fairytale Realm, like Aladdin’s world, as her father had told her the tale. There were so many wares, though, that it was hard to tell which one caught her eye the most. Percy bent down. “Oh look Lumen, isn’t that darling?! It’s a little theater…!” he giggled, it reminded Golden of the one she’d been given for her birthday, though this one was smaller, it had little china figures that one could use to act out scenes. “And over here’s a pretty lamp!” she replied, it was a lamp with a lampshade that had all sorts of little painted details and tassels on it, like roses or fairies, and it was very pretty. Golden steadied herself, though, reminded of what and who she was looking for a gift for, and searched amongst the wares, until she finally saw something. It reflected the sun, the glint making her squint her eyes to try and see against the glare, but it was a beautiful glass bubble mounted atop a stand, like a bauble. “What’s that…?” she breathed, peering closer and Percy following her gaze, there was a figurine inside, dressed in red, looking as if she was spinning, but had halted mid-spin. Her dark hair was flowing, the red leotard she was in looked very elegant, and attached all around her was a tulle train that spun with her, exposing her and shrouding her at various points, creating a mysterious allure. The seller turned, noticing her interest, and smiled. “That once belonged to a wonderful girl I knew. She was extraordinary, truly her father’s daughter. Full of imagination and awe…and she gave me this to pass on to someone with a powerful mind. If I give this to you…” he began, but Golden shook her head. “No, it’s for my best friend, Aero! But she’s got a big imagination too, it’s amazing! She thinks of the most amazing magic spells and ideas, and she’s always so kind, her ideas are so unique too, I want to be like her when I grow up! And I think she’s really brave too, she’s smart and funny, and I want to give her something for her birthday, and come to think of it…” the little girl’s voice trailed off as her hand traced the arabesque, it looked quite a bit like Aero, suspended mid-spin as if caught up in one of her tornados… “Well…if I can trust your judgement, I’ll sell it to you. It also comes with a plaque and some sheet music.” he explained, reaching under the counter and picking them up. “The original plaque is here.” he began, holding up a silver plaque with a few words etched on it. “G Em?” Percy inquired, the man nodding. “Yes. Her name was Gem, named after the chords. I will write you another plaque, though. I have an idea.” he smiled, Percy taking the original silver plaque and looking down at it with intrigue. Naming a child after chords? How extraordinary…sounded like something his master would do! The merchant engraved some letters with one of his etching tools onto the silver, it was soon decorated with the notes A E, and then ro. “A…E rondo. A. E Müller’s rondo. A rondo is a piece that always has the same refrain, but the musical structure changes as it loops back to the refrain each time. Your description of your friend reminded me of that.” the vendor spoke, before totalling up the money. Golden counted out her money from her moneybox, and handed the coins to the vendor, who smiled and wished them a good day. And so, Golden set off with a grin, looking over her little plaque, sheet music of the rondo, and the beautiful arabesque in its bubble, excited for the coming days to see Aero’s face when she opened it. 

The morning of December 6th came, and Star awakened Aero in her tower bedroom by squeaking happy birthday, creating an array of images with its stardust, like birthday cakes or party hats. Aero rubbed her eyes, before a smile played on her lips, and a letter appeared. She read it with a smile, it was her family, wishing her the best day they could, and a few wrapped parcels came behind it like a parade, some gifts from them. Stretching, she got up and opened them, they were an outfit!! It was a puff-sleeved black dress with sparkles all over it to look like stars, with a teal collar and blue edges, five stars lining the front of it. She held it up against herself, it was beautiful, and Star enthusiastically whizzed around it, seeing the bows on the sides and the stars decorating it. It felt so happy whenever it saw celestial imagery, which is probably another reason why it loved to be with Aero. Leaving her to get ready in her new dress, Star found a gift of its own it had made for her, a little yarn hair bow that matched the outfit, being a pretty teal colour with a star in the middle, and squeaked excitedly as she came down for breakfast, giving it to her immediately. “Oh, thank you Star!! It’s beautiful…!” she squeaked, Star helping her to tie it into her hair and subsequently slipping down her hair and hanging off one of her curls. She picked up her wand and tapped a hairbrush, which set to work straightening out her hair. Fairy godmother magic really did come in helpful sometimes for things like this, and her pots and pans started making her porridge. Aero sat down at the table and pulled out her phone, scrolling through it and seeing an array of messages from Minnie and the girls, all wishing her a happy birthday and sending her well wishes. Then, a message chimed through from Yen Sid, who offered for her to come over. Liking the idea, Aero responded that she’d fly over in an hour, and started eating her porridge, Star sneaking some raspberries from a bowl and munching on them.

An hour passed, and Aero powered up some winds, which picked herself and Star up in a flurry of clouds. Wanting to save some energy, she sat down on the fluffy clouds and overlooked Lumos, the beautiful kingdom established almost a thousand years ago. And what a beautiful place it was, with its many cities and traditions, and a rich history full of trials and tribulations, but also magic, dreams and wonder. Flying over toward Yen Sid’s grandiose castle, with its many towers, she noticed Golden looking out of her window, whose face became delighted as she registered her best friend was here. Aero could hear her yelling for Yen Sid even from above, which made her giggle. Clearly the little girl was excited to see her best friend, and couldn’t wait to celebrate her birthday alongside her. As the family gathered in the doorway, Aero floated down softly off the cloud as it lowered her to the ground, Star sitting atop her head and squeaking excitedly, both of them wondering what the day might entail. 

Stepping over the threshold into the house, it had been decorated in banners of teal and gold for Aero, reminding her of her graduation ceremony when Yen Sid had done up the house in much the same way. Smiling, she felt someone take her hand, and looked down. “Hi Aero!” Golden sang, and Aero grinned, picking her up and holding her on her hip. “Hey there kiddo! Care to share what you’ve got planned for me?” she winked, Golden giggling slightly. “It’s a secret! I did get you a present, I used my pocket money on it!” she cheered, Aero feeling touched and holding her a bit closer. She sometimes forgot Golden was just a ten-year-old girl, considering the extraordinary things she said and did for her age, but moments like these made her tighten her grip ever so slightly, reminded of how much she adored small things and felt the need to protect them. The same could be said for any other child, or really anyone smaller than her, like Mickey, because Aero felt a true protective and maternal instinct toward them all, and it was what so many admired about her. As she was led into the living room by everyone, she was pleasantly surprised to see a pile of presents, all arranged into somewhat of a wizard hat shape, Star giggling amusedly and flying over to them, sprinkling stardust all over them and picking up a small one, trying to guess what might be inside by gently shaking it. “Star!! They’re for Aero, not you!” Golden giggled, hopping down and quickly grabbing the present before it got damaged. Reaching up a finger, she tickled Star, which squeaked an adorable little laugh and eventually moved out of the way of the gifts, allowing Aero to approach as everyone sat around. Kneeling down, she picked up one of the smaller boxes, and shook it to her ear just as Star had done, making Yen Sid smile behind his cup of cocoa. “Open it, dear. That one’s from Percy.” Smiling, Aero unwrapped the gift from its shiny paper, it had a little logo with ‘forever friend’ on it, and showed the silhouette of a child and a teddy. Underneath, it had the words 'special edition nuigurumi model’, making her even more curious as to what it might be. As she reached into the cardboard box, Aero’s finger felt the softness of a small plush’s head, and she lifted it out gently, revealing… a little NuiMO of herself!! It had the brightest cyan eyes she’d ever seen, dark brown hair styled into little plush ringlets, and a cute robe, as well as a magnetic hat and glasses that could be placed atop her head. “Oh… my… GOSH!!” she squealed, hugging the little plush close to her chest. “It’s like the ones they make of you Mickey! And Ossie!! I LOVE it!!” she grinned, both brothers glancing at each other. Julius pouted slightly, but it was playful, and he moved closer to Aero, picking up a gift from all three of them. “Us boys got this for you! It was Mickey’s idea, Oswald did the colour picking, and I made a lot of the design!” he giggled, the gift itself was rather squishy, making her wonder what it could be. As she opened it, a huge smile started on her lips, she recognized the gold trimmings, the confetti-lined edges, the white fabric… “I know how much you loved this look, so I thought a birthday robe would be a swell idea!” Mickey cheered, it looked like his 90th birthday outfit, white and with confetti cascading down it in a magical, neverending fashion, until it reached the gold edges lining the neck, arms and bottom of the robe. “It’s… fabulous!!” Aero giggled, before getting an idea and grabbing her wand out of her pocket, raising up the robe and giving her wand a flick, resulting in a sparkle of stardust raining down on her much like when the Fairy Godmother had done this for Cinderella, it was clearly a spell learned in her training. In a bright flash, Aero’s outfits switched places, allowing her to change clothes in an instant from her celestial tulle ensemble to this birthday outfit, and she gave a twirl, the robe spinning out around her like a princess dress. Even her hair had changed to match, now being held up in two space buns much like Mickey’s own ears, and Star quickly plonked a party hat between them, so now she really looked ready to celebrate her birthday! “Wow!! I mean, you looked lovely in that dress too, but now you look like a birthday cake!” Mickey chuckled, Aero giggling behind her hand at all the compliments as she blushed slightly, it wasn’t unwelcome and she really was enjoying herself, but it was still a little hard to get used to. Kneeling down by the gifts again, she picked up another small box, which was decorated with fish, clueing her in on who it was from. There was a card attached, so she opened it first, and read it aloud. “Dear Aero, happy birthday, I hope it’s as good as when I go surfing, which means it should be the best! I will challenge you again to a dance battle when I next see you, but unfortunately I’m grounded in my wreck right now because I tried to bite off Dad’s tail and swallow Frill last week… oops. But anyway, I managed to find some cool things lying around, like some treasure, so I hope you like what I made you! Lots of love, Mako. PS: SHARK WIN!” Aero grinned and snickered at the endearing little shark’s message, it seemed he considered her a new best friend after their escapades, and she hoped to visit him whenever she next went to Kookaburra Cove, maybe she could go again with Percy to make his memories of the place even better? She reached for Mako’s gift and opened it, it was inside a small bag, clearly wrapped by someone on land to keep whatever was inside safe, possibly Sonatina. Reaching in, Aero felt something hard, like coral or rock, and gently pulled it out, not wanting to break what Mako had made her. But as soon as she saw it, she got another one of her grins stretching across her face. It was a necklace, a lot like the one Mako had gifted to Goldie, but with more charms than just the wooden orca tail. It looked like he’d carved this one with his teeth, perhaps, since it was a much more rough design, but resembled a seahorse, and the rest of the necklace was lined with little gold coins and medallions, and small seashells and coral pieces, a little like the one worn by Moana. Reaching behind her neck, Aero put it on, struggling with the clasp a small bit until Star came and did it for her, which she was grateful for, and then she touched the seahorse, wondering if Mako had chosen it because of her foal or because of what they symbolised, being strength, power and perseverance, as well as their links with magic throughout folklore. No matter what, though, Aero couldn’t help but smile as she looked at it, and how neatly he’d managed to engrave it despite being a clumsy little shark, and in a lot of ways they were alike, adoring their fathers and clinging to them as their rocks, so she was truly glad to have such a wonderful best friend, and someone who understood her. There was a light tap on her back, and she turned, seeing Alice had picked up a gift of her own. “This one’s from me!” she giggled, Aero gladly taking it, it was a little bigger than the necklace box had been, and she tore off the paper, revealing a wooden box that rattled with whatever was held inside. “You can decorate the box with paint, I found it in a DIY store!” Alice explained, Aero nodding and then opening the clasp, which was golden and decorated with some pretty swirls. Lifting up the lid, inside were several buttons and pins, much like the ones Alice had on her hat, but all with different sayings and pictures. There was one of a snowflake, a sunflower, and another with a pink heart, maybe Golden had helped to choose that one. A smaller button had a sorcerer hat on it, no doubt to represent Yen Sid, and there were a few enamel pins too, like stars and sparkles, as well as some larger ones with pictures of pegasi and unicorns, all cuddling together and playing under a rainbow. Giving her thanks, Aero pinned one of them to her shirt, before noticing one last button at the bottom of the box, with a little saying on it, ‘Vince in bono malum’. Looking up in curiosity at Alice, wondering why she might have chosen that one, Alice raised an eyebrow in response. “I don’t remember buying this one…” she murmured, but Yen Sid moved over, taking a look. “My old master used to say that phrase to us, especially my brother Vidor. It was a proverb, said to remind us where we come from, and what we must do. It means ‘Overcome evil with good.’” Aero looked down at the badge once more, it was orange in hue, and a little smile tugged at her lips, wondering to herself… but she brushed off the silly thought and moved on. “Thank you for all the badges and pins, Alice, and I’ll definitely paint this with Star when I get home!” Aero grinned, Alice smiling and moving away, allowing her to reach for more of the presents, as the hat-shaped pile slowly shrunk in size. Reaching for one of the larger gifts, she had to beware she didn’t topple the pile, but the kids were quick to step in and stop it from falling, Goldie fretting slightly as her gift was delicate. “That one’s from me, dear.” Yen Sid smiled, it was decorated with paper covered in stars and moons, matching his hat, and she reached for a corner, removing the wrapping and revealing a canvas, depicting a starry night and several galactic swirls, framed by a distinctly heart-shaped moon, every part of the canvas in vibrant, warm colours, accentuating the blueness of the sky. And there, in the center of it all, was Aero and Star, sideways on, looking at each other with adoration and joy, as two stars twinkled brightly above them, heralded by the constellations and the North Star beaming down. Aero felt her eyes fill with tears, this was just as gorgeous as the painting Yen had gifted to Dawn and Fred, and carried that magical quality due to his occasional use of metallic paint. The way Yen Sid saw the world, so much whimsy and joy, it almost made Aero wish to step into his past for a moment, meet the little boy her old master had once been, and discover what had made him see life with such light and beauty, as he shone as brightly as a star. Carefully propping up the canvas, Aero was lost in her own world for a moment, just looking at the painting and every single detail, he’d lined the bottom of the image with flowers, and the top was speckled with stars… closing her eyes for a moment, she imagined being there, in a field of flowers as the stars shone far above, it would be a warm night, with speckles of a breeze, and not a cloud blocking the brilliant stellar view, whilst those two stars twinkled on, and the constellations arranged themselves for presentation, as stories were told of old… and then Aero felt another light tap. “Hey there dreamer!” Someone chuckled, and Aero didn’t even need to open her eyes to know who was behind her, the voice alone made her giggle. “I’m assuming you want attention, Scout?” She quipped, Scout reddening slightly. “Time out, I didn’t say THAT!” she retorted, Oswald giggling behind his hand until Scout pulled off one of his feet and threw it onto the balcony of the first floor, causing him to use his ears to retrieve it with a grumble. Scout reached for another box, it was toward the middle of the pile, and she had to steady the few smaller ones above it. “Here, THIS is what I wanted, to give you a gift!” She smiled, sitting down by Aero and crossing her legs as she handed her the present, Aero taking it, she had so many gifts she couldn’t even count! Opening this one, it had a techy box, with a lot of different soundwaves plastered all over it, and she got an idea as to what it might be. Reaching in the box, she almost cheered when she found out she was right, as it was exactly what she had needed, a new pair of headphones!! They were a metallic blue, but held several cascading soundwaves, all in warm colours like pinks, reds and oranges, gradients that made them stand out against the shiny blue. Trying them on, she was surprised at how quiet everything became, deducing they were noise-cancelling, which would be perfect for long days spent reading at the tower, as despite it being rather far out, there were some local houses and a small village nearby, where she occasionally heard children playing outside or music drifting through the windows. Turning them on properly, they linked up to her phone and she tested them, they had really wonderful surround sound as they played some of her favourite music, and everyone watched in amusement as she started bobbing her head, unable to help it with how catchy the song was. Eventually, she gently took off her new headphones and reached for one of the other presents in the middle, Astra perking up. “That one’s from me! I was thinking about what the master told me about you, hope you like it!” They smiled, taking a sip of some lemonade as Aero opened the present. By now her lap had several little streaks of wrapping paper all over it from the many gifts. Opening this one, it was quite heavy, making her wonder what it might be, she hadn’t known Astra long and so was curious what they might give. As the paper fell away, Aero smiled, realizing it was a box set of books, all bound in leather, they must have been quite expensive and rare, but she peeked closer, and realized these were encyclopaedias about each of the realms, there was one about the Press, another about the Cosmos, even one about the Fairytale Realm, each detailing the myths and legends that built each realm, the creatures within, and the folklore they held. The box set was almost as large as Aero’s torso, which made hugging it close to her a little difficult, but she managed, feeling gratitude and thinking she’d have fun rearranging her shelves later to fit the set and some of her presents on them. Turning, she realized there remained only two presents, and reached for the largest one first, giggling when she noticed Golden hovering near hers, like a dragon guarding treasure, it was clear she wanted hers to be last, perhaps because it was the best, or needed an explanation? Maybe she was even a little shy about it, nevertheless Aero pulled the larger gift onto her lap, which she opened to reveal another wooden box, except far larger, a lot like an artist’s box with different tiers and drawers for materials. “This is from me, Aero. I thought long and hard, and considering how much you love to draw and customize, I couldn’t help but think it would be perfect.” Sonatina smiled, Aero grinning and reaching for the clasp, causing the box to spring open and reveal five different tiers, three going up like stairs and two springing out to the sides, it wowed everyone in the room. On each of the tiers, there was something different, different materials and fabrics, Aero puzzling what all of them might be for. Sonatina knelt down beside her, steadying the large box, and opened an unseen drawer in the bottom of the box, containing instructions. “Magical brewing box… allowing for hat and wardrobe customization on a whim…?!” Aero gasped, gushing as she read over the instructions. “I had worried it might be a redundant gift considering your Fairy Godmother magic, but I consulted her and she explained that the boxes are often used to enhance powers, unlocking new crafts and dyes you can use within your wand! Think of it as helping you transfigure your clothes without needing to shred one of them like Cinderella first!” Sonatina chuckled, Aero getting a grasp at just what this box could do. Looking at some of the ingredients, she discovered fragments of garnet, which could be mixed in with pearls and some blue dye to create a design for mermaid scales, or pieces of legatian gold which would be melted with coloured crystals to create celestial designs. “With a bit of experimentation, I think you’ll surely be able to use this on any outfit, and come up with designs that nobody has ever seen before!” Sonatina smiled, Aero looking once again at just how many possibilities there were here, and Star looking curiously at the fragments of unicorn hair. “Oh, and as a bonus, everything here was sourced ethically, it’s council-certified, and apparently Monroe often uses a box like this for her own clothing patterns, Merlin too!” Mum finished, Aero closing the box with a flick of her wand and loving the idea of experimenting to create unique and beautiful outfits and hat patterns, since as much as she loved her regular robe and hat, they could sometimes appear a little plain. Perhaps she’d dye it red and add moons, or purple with flowers all over it, and since it was a temporary design and easily removed, she’d be able to store all of the combinations in her wand forevermore, without needing to brew everything every single time, it was the magic of being a Fairy Godmother! And then, Aero turned to the final gift, Golden shyly moving over and giving a smile as she handed it to her, Aero holding it in two hands, it was unexpectedly heavy. “Percy helped me find a box for it, since it didn’t come with one when I got it.” she explained, before watching as Aero opened the paper and the box, it was red to match the gift inside, and Golden felt a tingle of excitement as Aero opened the flaps and revealed the arabesque inside. “Woah…” Aero whispered, pulling it out and gently holding it, Star looking at it in fascination. “Is she a dancer? An ornament?” she asked, Percy briefly turning into light and zipping over. “It’s an arabesque, Aero! We got it from one of the merchants in Fioritura, and look, it has your name on it!” he cheered, Aero looking at the plaque. “Oooh! But why’s it A E ro…?” she asked, Golden reaching into the box and pulling out the sheet music. “Because it’s a music thing! A E Müller’s rondo, so your name is super similar! Originally the plaque said G Em for a girl called Gem, but now it’s for you!” she explained, Aero examining the sheet music and then having a small idea. “Golden? Would you play this for me?” she asked, Golden looking a bit nervous but getting a little nudge on the shoulder from Starlight, who had come in just in time. “Okay…” she conceded, moving over to the piano that currently rested on the bottom floor of the house, since it was mostly open-plan apart from the kitchen. It had been moved downstairs in the most recent magic lesson, because they were practicing tunes and using piano strings to make magic. Golden approached the giant wooden instrument, her feet too little to reach the pedals, but it didn’t matter. As her hands danced over the keys, she felt her imagination sparking as she played the melody. She'd practiced just in case Aero had asked her to play, since she wanted it to be perfect for her big day. The melody went round and round, but changed each time before arriving at the same refrain, sometimes it resembled a circus in her mind, cascading in harmonies like trapeze artists vaulting from place to place, tightrope walkers gently swaying before bowing as they made it to the other side. Then back to the refrain, which was as jolly and joyous as Aero, until it became a waltz, like a dance, she imagined a pretty dancer in red, surrounded by pirouetting dance girls, an ensemble like those one would see onstage, alluring and intriguing, with a hint of playfulness. Back to the friendly familiar melody, before it changed once more, now it was a wheat field on a summer day, calm and tranquil, the type of place one would love to play with the sun overhead, and then once more round and round, the piece coming to the end as everyone clapped. However, the clapping all but ceased when the door suddenly flung open, causing Yen Sid to rush to close it as a swirl of snowflakes flurried through the room, and a cold breeze sent a chill in the air, moving the music from its stand on the piano and causing it to fly about. As the sheet music swirled above, Golden hastily stood on the stool to try and grab it, not wanting it to blow away. She stood right on her tiptoes, catching all but one piece of music in her hands, but the stool suddenly lurched backward, causing her to almost fall back before Aero managed to catch her, though causing the arabesque to be knocked over in the process, and the glass bubble shatter into pieces. “No!!” Golden cried, reaching for it and trying to piece it together, but Percy quickly moved her away, not wanting the little girl to cut herself on the glass, as all the sharp pieces had been flung across the floor. The rest of the family moved away too, as they were paranoid about being barefoot with glass around, and nobody wanted to be hurt on such a special day. “Oh Lumen, it’s alright…” he murmured, noticing how Golden’s breath had started to hitch and she was welling up, “we can fix it, I promise.” he smiled, Aero nodding and reaching for her wand, reciting an incantation and the pieces of glass floating, fixing themselves and the cracks smoothing over, as if it had never been damaged. “Oh!” Golden squeaked, hastily wiping her eyes as Aero held the reassembled arabesque, smiling down at it. “There, see? All okay. No harm done!” the older girl giggled, going to sit on the sofa and Golden snuggling up next to her. “I was really worried for a sec! Sometimes… haha, sometimes I forget we have magic!” she giggled, Aero reaching to put an arm around her. Yen Sid finally moved to join them, but something had changed in his demeanour. He looked a little paler, Golden worried it was because he’d seen the almost-disaster that had just unfolded, but he sat in his armchair, Mickey moving to sit on his lap. “Dad?” Golden asked quietly, Yen Sid almost coming out of his trance to look at her. “Oh, yes dear?” he smiled softly, Golden feeling her worries alleviate and shaking her head. “Nothing.” 

As the presents had all been opened, Sonatina went to the kitchen, the broomies parading out with refreshments and a huge birthday cake, four tiers tall and containing little marzipan figures of the entire Symphonus family. “Woah!! Who made THAT?!” Aero gawked, Percy and Astra high-fiving. “It was us!! Percy did the baking, I did the decorating, and the broomies did the constructing!!” Astra cheered, broomie number 5 comically wiping its brow to show how much of an effort the creation of such an extravagant cake had been. At the very top stood Aero, holding Star, and surrounded by little stars and planets, as if she was the center of a beautiful solar system, and everyone was orbiting around her. The broomies lined all the plates and refreshments up on the table, allowing everyone to take what they wished in a style much like a buffet, there were little shaped cakes that resembled butterflies or bugs, and small sandwiches full of tuna, cheese, ham or cucumber, and little finger foods like sausage rolls or cocktail sausages, and plenty to go around. As everyone put their food on little purple plates decorated with yellow stars, they sat once more in the living room, Golden and most of the other kids on the floor all chatting, while Aero wedged herself between Percy and Astra, talking to Sonatina and Yen Sid about all the thousands of designs she had planned with her new dye box. And as the day came to a close, they finished it with a film, a classic Mickey movie he often recounted to Golden as a bedtime story, a tale of a prince and a pauper who had switched places. Aero opened the door to the outside, ensuring this time there was no strong wind, and summoned a cloud, piling her many presents atop it and then Star, who sat comfortably and almost seemed to tuck itself into the fluffy fronds, letting itself drift off into a dream after such a long day, which appeared above its head in a thought bubble of stardust, revealing it was flying with Aero. As the birthday girl had a group hug with all the Symphonuses, she held everyone tightly, glad to have spent such a wonderful birthday with them all, and treasuring each one of the gifts she had been given, knowing just how much they cared for her. Hoisting herself up onto the cloud, the rays of a sunset serenaded her as she floated off, waving goodbye to everyone, and watching as the castle got smaller in the distance, but feeling her love grow even so.

The sun shone over Lumos one morning as Ambrose made his way around the house, whistling while he worked. He'd heard the news about Alice reappearing and Golden's little girlfriend, prompting Coral to ask why her big cousin by only a few months was allowed a partner and she wasn't. Ambrose chuckled at the memory as he put on his gloves and went to tend to his orange amaryllis, watering them with a can that Caspian and Coral had painted when they were far younger. He smiled to himself. Today was the day, finally. After months of secret planning, putting in names and casting votes, they'd finally arranged it all. And only with a few weeks left until Christmas, it had been a miracle. A letter flew through his garden, and he picked it up with one of his gloved hands. With a smile, he read it and then headed indoors, to dress for the day in his uniform and wake up his children. It was time for the Cultural Festival to begin.

In a similar vein, Yen Sid awoke to a letter stuck in the slit of his window, which he pulled through and read with a smile. Heading downstairs with a yawn, he watched as his children traipsed downstairs in various tired states, and smiled upon seeing Porsha holding Golden's hand and bringing her sleepy girlfriend to the breakfast table, where the broomies had already prepared their food and were ironing their clothes. "Good, broomies. Good morning everyone. Are you ready for today?" he smiled, everyone looking at him in confusion as they started eating their food. "What's today?" Alice piped up, Yen Sid sitting down with a smile and everyone noticing he was still in his pyjamas, which was unusual for him as he was typically dressed by the time they got up. "We have an event to go to. I wanted to keep it a surprise, but Ambrose has informed me of something very exciting on top of that. We are going to the Cultural Festival today!" he grinned, everyone looking at each other in curiosity. "What's that, pops?" Scout asked, Oswald downing his coffee and looking equally as intrigued, Yen Sid pausing for suspense. “Well, it’s an event we’ve put together to celebrate 1000 years since the founding of Lumos, our kingdom. Today marks the anniversary, and we’ve been planning this event for some time. It’s a showcase of all our cities and their cultures, and how we are all bound together by the beautiful stories and legacies that make our kingdom what it is.” he explained, Mickey smiling. “That sounds swell, dad!” he cheered, Yen Sid nodding. “Indeed, Mickey. I have no doubt you’ll all love this event, which is why I got you some gifts.” he smiled, waving over the broomies as they finished their ironing. “These are traditional Fiorituran clothes. They were worn during the time of the great leader Ezareth, and I thought it might be a treat if I dressed you all for the occasion. Many children will be wearing clothes from their districts, and Aero will be wearing these types of clothes too.” he explained, the group all oohing and aahing at their outfits, which were traditional wizard clothes, hand stitched. They had a hue that bordered between orange and brown, and a tie for the waist, as well as custom hat coverings that would turn their hats the same colour, that traditional deep orange, though would also disguise the markings, as Fiorituran hats used to be plain before the stars and moons became popularised by Master Grey for the apprentices. On top of this, they also all had necklaces bearing their family crest, the same heart-shaped one that decorated the flag they had put on the moon. “These are so cool, dad!” Julius piped up, taking his and putting it against himself, they all looked like they’d fit perfectly. Porsha excitedly rushed to find hers, which was styled as the traditional robe, same with Alice, except without the hat. Until, a small voice piped up. “Dad…where’s mine?” Golden peeped, Yen Sid bending down to ruffle her hair. “Don’t worry, you’ll see.” he smiled, Sonatina appearing, as well as Percy in his light form alongside her. “Good morning everyone!” Sonatina smiled, Scout running to show her the new outfit and wondering how she could style it ever so slightly to fit her own look. Yen Sid slipped off to his room to get dressed, leaving Golden to talk to Percy as the rest of the children ran off to get ready, and Sonatina ate her breakfast, wearing an outfit that resembled a kimono, with long flowing sleeves and a tie around her waist, decorated with a little feather charm. Noticing Golden looking at her curiously, she beckoned her and Percy over, who transformed out of his light form and revealed his council robes, which were white with those blue diamonds. “Everyone’s dressed so cool today, mama!” Golden smiled, Sonatina nodding and pulling out her chair to let Golden sit on her lap. “Yes, you’re right. I’m wearing Lega’s traditional dress, since that’s where I grew up before I had Scout.” she explained, Golden turning curiously to look at her mother, whose hair was out for a change and had a bit of a wistful expression. “Oh, and I’m dressed in my official council robes, because I’m an official! Hold on, does that mean I can boss you lot around?” Percy grinned, Golden reaching across the table to bap his hand. “So will dad also wear his white robes?” Goldie asked, Percy nodding. “And Ambrose too! We all have to be at the festival grounds by 11, so we have a few hours to get ready. And if my information is correct, the Master might have a little surprise for you, Lumen!” he winked, Golden smiling slightly. Porsha came barrelling in, dressed now in her little robes, and joined Golden on Sonatina’s lap, who didn’t mind her two girls squishing together and simply giggled at their antics. Starlight rubbed her eyes as she finally got up, landing on Golden’s shoulder and peering at everyone’s outfits in curiosity. And finally, everyone was ready, all except Golden, and spent their time chatting in the living room. Alice and Mickey were playfully keyblade fighting, and Golden realized that everyone was wearing different clothes underneath their robes, since these were the sort that had a split down the center, like Ossie’s. Yen Sid clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention, and smiled at how lovely they all looked, their hats looking just like Master Grey’s except in a darker shade, and their robes perfectly pressed. He turned to Golden, and reached out a hand to beckon her forward. “Everyone, please go and get whatever you might need- cameras, water, suncream… make up little backpacks and bring everything. Golden? Can you come into my office a moment?” he smiled, Golden obediently jumping off Sonatina’s lap and taking his hand, her grip was soft and he held her hand gently. 

Heading into Yen Sid’s office, everything looked relatively normal, except for something covered by a drape. “Little one? I know it might have felt odd that I gave everyone else new clothes this morning, but it was because I had to ask you something first. Uncle Ambrose put your name forward for a role known as the ‘torchbearer’. At the end of the cultural festival, we wanted to have someone perform a little dance for us, and summon a torch that was used long ago by Ezareth himself, which will then be used for something called a pilgrimage. It might sound like a big ask, but you don’t need to prepare anything, and there will be grown ups guiding you the whole time. What do you say?” Yen Sid smiled, bending down to her level as Golden considered. “It might be scary…” she mumbled, Yen Sid nodding and gently touching her shoulder. “It might…or it might not. You won’t know unless you try.” he encouraged, Golden gently touching her hair and twirling a few strands of it between her fingers, lacing her hands together. “So…I do a dance and…hold a torch?” she asked, Yen Sid nodding. “Something like that. The council will better explain it, but I can promise you it will be easy, and if you make a mistake it’ll be fine, there’s no pressure.” he assured, Golden getting a feel for the idea and nodding. “Okay…I-I’ll do it…” she spoke, entwining her hand with his as he looked at her with such pride, it almost looked like he might cry with joy at her answer. “Thank you, my big brave girl.” He kissed her forehead, making her go a little pink, and he lifted her into his arms, using magic to lift up the drape and reveal a beautiful robe underneath. It was white, with a unique necklace in the shape of the omega, and shoulder pauldrons with the image of Kingdom Hearts. On top of that, it had gold trims and a white and gold striped overlay over the skirt, as well as some beautiful shoes and accessories adorned with laurels. “You’ll put this on in the evening, okay little one? For now, you can join your siblings and wear one of those little robes, I got an extra one just in case you wouldn’t accept the role anyway.” he smiled, using magic to fold up the pretty robe into a secure bag, neatly and tidily so it wouldn’t be spoiled before the night. With glee, Golden took the robe he’d given to her and joined her siblings getting ready, and Sonatina had even crafted Starlight a little dress for the occasion, in the exact same hue as everyone else’s. As Golden put on her hat in the mirror, she watched as it changed thanks to the magic, becoming a new colour and the stars and moon disappearing under the overlay. “Magic…” she whispered, Starlight smiling enthusiastically and twirling in the mirror, which made Golden giggle at how she was admiring her reflection. “Goldie, are you excited?” the little glowworm asked, Golden nodding and gently putting Starlight on her shoulder. “Yes, I’m a bit nervous too, though. Dad asked me to be this thing called a torchbearer at the festival…what if I fail?” she whispered, Starlight shaking her head. “Missy, we’ve been over this! Did you fail with Vor, or Dawn? Nope! So you won’t fail this! Heck, you even escaped a bunch of villains all on your own and rescued a ballerina from a jack in a box! You’re talented, don’t forget that.” Starlight smiled, Golden taking her into her arms and hugging her. Being reminded of the event she called ‘the 46’ was hard, it still hurt her to think about and she preferred not to, but Starlight was right. She’d escaped it, and she was braver from it, if a little more withdrawn sometimes. But today was about fun and celebrating her home, so that’s what she’d do.

As the group arrived at the festival grounds, which were all around the beautiful council building, the place was buzzing with energy, as if the air itself was electric. Families were lining up for different events, and Percy and Yen Sid were immediately greeted by their fellow councillors Monroe and the elf medic Saorlaith, who Percy found odd were hanging around together considering their contrasting personalities. They looked pretty in their customised robes, though, and some of the council children were handing out pamphlets and maps for the event, which had a large space and many different events, though thanks to magic and a cleverly planned day, there wouldn’t be any overcrowding. Taking one of them, Golden glanced down at what was on offer, but soon became captivated by what was ahead of her. It almost looked like a circus, with different tents and arenas all sprung up by pure magic, easily dismantled the next day by a simple spell or two. People were dressed in beautiful outfits, there were more Legatians like Sonatina milling about, wearing those beautiful dresses adorned with flowers and charms. “You know something? Legatians are given these charms when we turn 10, usually by our families or friends. A dear friend of mine gave this one to me.” Sonatina piped up, and then they saw some other people, Cerosians, who wore many layers and some wearing headscarves. They all had faces painted with curls or dots, as was traditional in their city, and their vibrant fabrics stood out as they moved, revealing patterns like peacock feathers or hydrangea. Finally, Nocturnians, who wove flowers into their hair and wore tunics and dresses, reminding Julius of a cuckoo clock he’d seen once in town which had a dozen little figures inside, these people looked as if they’d popped right out of it! As they continued walking around, they came to their first stall, it was brightly painted and offered face painting. “Oh, do we have to pay anything?” Sonatina murmured, but Yen Sid shook his head. “Everything’s free, the council provided it all and these volunteers get compensated at the end. We have more than enough funds to pay them all, hehe.” he smiled, Porsha looking at all the pretty colours. “Mama? Can I get my face painted?” she smiled, Alice also looking enthusiastic, and Julius too. “Go on, knock yourselves out. How about we split into groups?” she offered, Yen Sid liked the idea and split them up. “Okay, how about you take Alice, Porsha and Julius to get their faces painted?” he smiled, Oswald whispering to Scout about something he’d spotted and Scout subsequently tugging on Percy’s robe, Yen Sid splitting them off into a group too. “So, that leaves you two.” he smiled, looking down at Golden and Mickey, once more looking like twins in their dull orange robes. “Yep, guess so!” Mickey chuckled, Yen Sid taking their hands. “Where to first, Goldie?” he smiled, Golden looking down at her pamphlet. “Oooh, in a little bit there’s a craft workshop! We can do drawing and origami!” she giggled, Yen smiling at her infectious enthusiasm and nodding. “Alright then, lead the way!”

Scout, Oswald and Percy headed over to the tent they’d seen, which had a sign for a local Nocturnian flower showcase. Curious, they stepped inside to see what it was about, and found themselves surrounded by the sweet fragrances of various flowers. And leading it was none other than Ambrose, who was helping the Nocturnians keep the buds well-watered and out of the way of the entrance and exit. “Hello Ambrose!” Percy cheered, and then Brooke, Coral and Caspian all emerged too. Brooke was dressed in Cerosian getup, and the kids in the council’s white robes, and waved at their big cousins. “Ossie! Scout!” they cheered, Caspian clambering up onto Scout’s shoulders and Coral going to hug Ossie. “Hey munchkins! How’s it going?” Ossie smiled, both of them giggling and pulling them to look at the flowers. “Papa said we can help for a bit and then go look around! Can we come with you?” they pleaded, Brooke looking at Percy for confirmation, who gave a smile and a nod. “The more the merrier! Feel free to join us when you’re ready!” he grinned, Scout and Oswald moving with their cousins to take a look at some of the flowers. “What are these ones?” Scout asked, pointing toward a beautiful array of white flowers. “These are ghost orchids. They are rare, and typically only bloom in the summer months in hot climates. Luckily, we found some in Nocturne and through magical intervention, we’ve been working to make them more resilient through the duplication spell.” Ambrose explained. A local Nocturnian woman approached Oswald, who was curiously looking at some blue flowers, and smiled. “These are blue poppies. Also rare.” she explained, Oswald’s ears perking up as he looked at them, Coral now on his back and peering past them so she could see too. “They’re beautiful.” he smiled, the woman giving him a warm smile in return. “Indeed. They’re hard to grow, but I’m proud to say I started a small stand in Nocturne that sells rare flowers, since I managed to grow some that no other Nocturnian has managed yet.” Oswald was impressed, and spent the rest of the time with his cousins and sister, looking around the various displays of orchids and flowers, and eventually decided to buy one for Ortensia, since he planned to go see her at her own stand later on.

At the craft workshop, Golden was getting help from one of the instructors to make little paper hearts, since she found more complicated things like cranes too hard, so instead she was threading hearts in different colours, writing little messages on them and making a garland for her room. Starlight bobbed by her, colouring in a little sheet by using her magic to control the crayons, and Mickey was making all sorts of little paper creations, like cranes, boats, and even a little bouquet of paper flowers that he subsequently gave to Yen, who was sketching his kids and Starlight as he watched over them. Some of the council kids were also crafting, there were so many of them in those white robes with blue diamonds, but they all looked happy. She even noticed that little girl she’d encountered at her last visit to the council, she had her pacifier and was watching her mother making some origami ducks, her mother looked only a few years older than Scout, but she looked happy all the same, the little girl was clapping and playing with a few of the little paper creations. It made Golden smile a little, and she got back to making her hearts, creating a blue one and writing about Yen Sid, and how much she loved him.

Soon, Porsha, Alice and Julius all arrived, with Sonatina not far behind them, dragging someone else by the collar, who was dragging someone else by the hand. “Look who we found sneaking around trying to scare us!” Alice chortled, Astra sheepishly entering the tent first. “Okay, okay! We got here early and spotted them doing face painting, it was funny!” they protested, Sonatina jokingly ruffling their hair. Astra was dressed in typical Fiorituran wear too, they perfectly matched the rest of the group, even their hat with the snake charm had changed colour! Aero stumbled in after Astra, also being dragged along with Star, who were dressed similarly. Star even had a little orange tie on made of yarn! “Of course, my troublemakers are making trouble.” Yen Sid smirked, before one of the staff clapped for attention. “I think the craft market’s about to open, everyone! Exhibits include Selvenus Symphonus, the Fairy Godmother and her apprentice Asha, and many others! Please enjoy, and if you’d like to come back later, we have many other activities throughout the day!” She gave a bow and sat back down, Yen Sid looking at his children, who all looked enthusiastic to check out the craft market.

Arriving at the area, it was under a large arcade that made the sun stream through in beautiful rainbow patterns. Each wall was decorated with various works of art, and Yen Sid smiled softly when he noticed Selvenus, now aged considerably from when they were apprentices together, but he’d know his older brother anywhere. Approaching, Selvenus recognized him almost immediately, throwing his arms around him in excitement. “Yen Sid, brother! It’s been far too long!” he cheered, Yen Sid gently patting him on the back and returning the hug. “Indeed, I have missed you, Sel.” he smiled, Ambrose appearing out of nowhere and joining the hug. “Sel!! How long have you been here?! Okay, who didn’t tell me?” he insisted, setting his sights on the Fairy Godmother, who merely giggled as Asha spoke to some visitors about her sketches. “I thought it would be a nice surprise!” she replied, Selvenus moving his arms around both his brothers with a chuckle. Mickey and Golden timidly approached, and soon everyone was admiring Selvenus’s photos and paintings. There was one of a beautiful winter scene, another of swans and cygnets, which Ambrose took a liking to, and a pretty one of some flowers and butterflies, which Astra admired, picking up Goldie so she could see better. They moved along to Fairy Godmother’s stall, Yen Sid staying behind so he could purchase the winter one (despite Selvenus’s insistence he would give it to him for free), and Asha greeted Golden with a hug, the group sitting down to have their portraits sketched by her, resulting in a beautiful page that they took home with each of their faces in Asha’s style. They even encountered Minnie, Ortensia and Fanny, who were showcasing their newest business venture, the Fiorituran Bowtique! They had a wide range of clothes on offer and they were all so pretty, it made Golden feel excited knowing she’d have a new place to shop for pretty outfits, and Oswald of course gave his wife the flower he’d bought her. Passing by various other artists, including a sculptor who painted pottery depicting some of the historically significant moments of Lumos, and a wire artist who created sculptures of trees and flowers with little more than her hands, they reached the end of the arcade, and found themselves wandering the fairground. “Alright, let’s take a break for some water and a sit-down.” Yen Sid suggested, the group sitting on the grass in the sunshine, listening to the chattering and laughter of the rest of the citizens, whether Fiorituran, Cerosian, Legatian, Nocturnian, or anyone in between, all dressed in their beautiful traditional dress and amicably spending the day in harmony. Golden drank out of her flask, it had just turned 12:30, and there would be a show starting soon that she wanted to see. “Papa? It says here that the Foretellers are doing a show in 15 minutes, can we go see?” she begged, Yen Sid smiling and taking a peek at the brochure, and then becoming distracted by the sounds of Scout and Oswald, Percy zipping alongside them whilst Brooke held the hands of her children. “Oh, Brooke. Hello Coral and Caspian, how are you two?” Yen Sid smiled. “Uncle Yen!! Daddy said we could spend the day with you, can we?” Caspian begged, clinging to Yen Sid’s arm, who chuckled and nodded. “We’re just taking a little water break and then we’ll be going to the Foreteller show. It says here that it lasts 45 minutes, and under council orders no photos or videos are allowed, as the Church of Foretellers prohibits any images of its members, for their protection.” he read aloud, Astra tilting their head in interest. “That’s quite specific, but I know there aren’t many of them, so it’s clearly for safety.” they mused, Aero nodding in agreement and tickling Star, who flipped in midair and giggled. “Sounds fun though, maybe we’ll see Mirai! I only met her recently but she seemed nice.” the master spoke, Golden nodding and everyone taking one last swig before walking to the little building where the Foretellers were held. On the way, Alice and Julius showed off their look to their siblings, they had little mushrooms and butterflies painted on their faces, which looked nice alongside the dark orange of their outfits. Porsha, meanwhile, had her cheeks and forehead decorated in little roses, and some ribbons that looked to Golden like ballet shoes. As they walked, Oswald began kicking a stone, but was soon stopped by Porsha, who realized how pretty it was. It almost looked like a geode, shining in the light, and the little girl put it in her backpack, before running to catch up with Golden again.

Upon arriving at the building, it was clearly designed to be protected, there were coverings over every entrance and window, and everyone had to go through a magical scanner before entering. The inside was dark, but there were chairs to sit on in front of a stage, and the Symphonuses found themselves quite close to the front, which was nice as usually Golden struggled to see past people. Sitting down, she found herself sitting next to Porsha on her right, and on her left, next to three small people. At first she thought they were fellow children, but they appeared more pixie-like. One of them turned, she had short brown hair and one eye blue, the other green. She was wearing a pink and blue outfit, and some high blue shoes. Golden thought she looked very pretty. “Hi there!” the girl piped up, Porsha peeking past Golden to see who she was talking to. “Hello…” Golden waved, Porsha also waved and the two girls next to the first were looking to see what was going on. “I’m Yuna! This is Rikku,” a blonde girl with a pretty yellow and orange outfit sitting next to Yuna waved, “and this is Paine!” The third girl waved, she had silver hair and a dark outfit in a similar style to the other two. Golden reached a hand to shake Yuna’s, she had a soft voice and seemed sweet. “I’m Golden, Golden Symphonus, and this is Porsha!” she replied, Porsha grinning. “Hello! Oh, I love your outfit Rikku!” she cheered, Rikku lighting up and standing to give a twirl on her seat. “Thanks! Wait, are you guys dressed in Fiorituran traditional outfits?” she asked, Golden nodding. “Yep, my dad got us all these outfits, they even changed our hat colour!” she explained, Paine looking interested. “Reminds me of dresspheres! Wait, do we still have our Festivalist ones?” she asked, Yuna nodding. “That’s a great idea, they’re perfect! Just a second, watch this!” she cheered, the three girls suddenly being encased in a shining light and subsequently changing clothes, Yuna now wore a yukata, Rikku a kimono top and some shorts, and Paine wore a happi, shirt and shorts. “WOAH!! How did you do that?!” Golden gasped, this was a new type of magic she’d never seen in her life, Yuna just giving a wink. “The Gullwings never reveal their secrets!” she giggled, gently reaching up to boop Golden’s nose, who looked amazed and delighted at their new outfits, Porsha looking equally as fascinated. “Gullwings?” the little ballerina asked, Rikku nodding. “That’s us! Treasure enthusiasts! Say, you wouldn’t have anything on you, would ya?” she asked, Porsha thinking and reaching into her backpack, pulling out the little pretty stone she’d found on the floor. “Would this work?” she asked, Rikku taking it and inspecting it as the girls conferred amongst themselves, before nodding. “It’s so pretty! Thank you Porsha!” she cheered, Porsha giving a smile and feeling glad to have been generous, Golden squeezing her hand and giving her a grin.

The venue filled up soon and the lights dimmed, resulting in the new friends going quiet. A group of people filled the stage, five standing in front, twenty behind, all with their heads bowed. One of them stepped forward. “Good day, all of you. Thank you for joining us today. We are the Foretellers, a group of people with the gift of foresight. Thanks to the power of Kingdom Hearts, we have been granted this ability, and we would like to demonstrate it for you all today.” The lights on stage became brighter, revealing the people. Golden recognized the man who was speaking from the conversation outside the tavern, he was clearly one of the Leaders. Their faces were covered by beaded veils, though, and in the low light it was hard to decipher their facial features, clearly another safety precaution. They wore those same clothes, though, with eyes all over them, and the Leaders were surrounded by their array of eight eyes, which coordinated with the balls inside the rings on the leaders hats when they moved. “If you’ll allow us, we need ten volunteers. Please, raise your hands.” The man spoke, Porsha putting her hand up, alongside the Gullwings, and even Scout and Astra joining in, as well as Oswald after a nudge from Mickey. Several children were chosen, as well as Brooke and Caspian after Coral egged them on. Oswald and Yuna were then picked, as well as Astra and Porsha, and finally, Golden poked Yen Sid, who reluctantly put his hand up and was chosen. And then, the demonstration began. Several of the subordinates stepped forward, and Golden recognized one of them as Mirai, before being startled as Rikku and Paine moved closer to her now that the seats next to her were vacant, not that she minded the company. “This is so cool!” Rikku whispered, Golden nodding, and the group watched as the subordinates stood behind each of the volunteers, Mirai ending up in front of Yen Sid. “In order to show you the visions we see, we must cast a spell on these ten people. Rest assured, it is completely safe, it merely looks like a mist.” the Leader explained, and each of the subordinates cupped their hands together, being given a bit of powder by another one of the Leaders. They then raised their hands together and blew, the mist coating each of the people and one of the council children onstage letting out a slight gasp, which made some members of the audience giggle gently. Brooke was first in line, so her foreteller, a young man with a serious face, took her hands, and told her to close her eyes. Reciting an incantation, the mist hung in the air, and began to take shape above her head. First, there was a garden, full of flowers, and a man tending to them, who they all recognised as Ambrose, giving a bright smile. Then there was a vision of nighttime, Brooke got out of bed and walked downstairs, where a figure in a hood and holding a backpack stood in her living room, Ambrose embracing them tightly. There was then rain, and Brooke was holding a bouquet of flowers, standing there alongside Coral and Caspian, but soon she was smiling all the same, she was looking at something, or someone, and her eyes were full of love and adoration, and also tears of happiness. As the mist faded, Brooke opened her eyes, and looked in surprise at the foreteller. Everyone clapped, and then they moved on, Caspian looking excited that it was his turn. At first, it was mostly the same as Brooke’s, but then there was a new moment, a picture of a submarine and Caspian at the docks, clambering onto it and beginning a new adventure. As they passed through the group, some of the children were shown on adventures or exploring new lands, Oswald saw himself surrounded by stars, something that reminded him of the escapades in the Capsule, Yuna was standing with a boy with blonde hair, he was quite a bit bigger than her and she was perched in his hands, the two looking at each other happily as a new friendship began. Astra was standing by Percy, which made them happy to see, and then there was a flash of magic as they stood together, hand in hand, it looked like a little light ball or a little star, and spun around them, encasing them both in light as the scene faded. Porsha was up next, and closed her eyes, holding the foreteller’s hand, who was one of the younger ones and seemed quite friendly, giving the little girl an uncharacteristic smile. As the mist shaped above Porsha’s head, at first there was a scene of her dancing with Golden, which made Rikku and Paine start teasing the little girl as she blushed bright red, and earned a few hushed “awws”. Then this transitioned into two unfamiliar girls dancing together, and the light of the moon above them, Porsha was standing by them and watching them happily, and then there was a light in her hands as something started to form, though it disappeared before it could. And finally, it was Yen Sid’s turn. He looked a little nervous, but Mirai took his hands. As she recited the incantation, the mist formed for a final time, and the vision began, starting with a scene of him and his children, all happily together and perched atop him as he held his arms out to hold them all. Then there was a battle, where seven stars spun around him. He reached out to hold one of them, holding it close to his chest, and then flowers surrounded them both, but he kept a hold on the light, refusing to let it burn out. And finally, there was the screech of his phoenix, and he sent it toward a figure clouded in darkness, and there was a burst of light, one Mirai recognized from her previous visions of this event. As the mist died away, though, everyone burst into applause, and the volunteers returned to their seats. “Did you see that, Golden?! I was dancing with you, it was so beautiful!” Porsha cheered, Yuna chatting with her friend and cousin and wondering who the mysterious boy could be, Rikku immediately teasing that she’d have a boyfriend. Yen Sid sat down, looking deep in thought, and the Leader stepped forward once again, the eyes all spinning around him. “We have two more demonstrations planned. For our first, we would like to show you our traditional fighting technique.” he spoke, two of the Leaders stepping forward in his place as an upbeat tune began, played by some of the subordinates on instruments they’d grabbed from offstage. As the lighting turned red, they began to incant, and the eyes all around them disappeared, turning invisible. “When we Foretellers attack, we use our eyes to see our opponents from all sides. Navea and Wei will demonstrate.” Navea, a girl dressed in the Leader uniform, stepped forward and bowed, before raising her hands. Wei stood by, before suddenly being attacked from behind by what looked like nothing. As he continued to be attacked, he fell down and looked defeated. “Though Foretellers are usually known as weak, our eyes can bludgeon a foe in twenty seconds tops. Combine that with the powers of weapons like spears or keyblades, and we are stronger than you’d think.” He continued, Wei standing up and dusting himself off, he clearly wasn’t hurt. Picking up a wooden keyblade prop, Wei demonstrated his own fighting technique. He jumped up onto nothing and manoeuvred himself, but one look at his hat proved it was his eyes, Golden could see how the little balls moved in their positions just as Wei moved. Wei attacked Navea this time, who fell down herself and looked defeated, and the two stood again, demonstrating their techniques in combat together. Navea knocked the keyblade out of Wei’s hand with her invisible eyes, and Wei manoeuvred his eyes so he floated higher than her, resulting in a chase that took them higher and higher above the audience, standing on invisible supports. “It is possible for the eyes to hold 2000 pounds. They may look small, but they are mighty.” The demonstration finished with the two of them performing an elegant flip once at the highest point, going into freefall but being caught invisibly right before they would hit the ground. “They also provide soft landings where necessary. Adapting based on the situation, you should be wary of fighting one of us.” The Leader finished, the audience applauding at the demonstration. Oswald even whooped, but Scout put a hand over his mouth, both of them giggling. The Leader gave Navea and Wei a moment to bow and receive their own deserved applause, before stepping forward a final time. “For our last demonstration, we’d like to show you a power that foretellers have long had, and it is how we interact with objects. Veasna?” He asked, and the friendly subordinate that had told Porsha her future stepped forward, giving a curtsy to the audience. “Foretellers have always had to survive in difficult situations. This is why we are so protective of ourselves and our young. But, we have adapted a spell that, where necessary, lodges a piece of our consciousness into an object we have spent a long time with. For example, that might be…a hat, a piece of jewelry, a brooch, a book, anything that is capable of holding a Foreteller’s spirit. As long as the object isn’t destroyed, it will hold a piece of their soul forever. The other piece, we’ve theorised, joins what is known as the eternal choir. In our Church, we are most closely connected to them when we venture to the catacombs underneath. There, we hear their voices, their song of faith through the ages, that every one of us will sing when we are gone.” The Leader explained, Julius and Alice glancing at each other in curiosity and Percy adjusting his glasses, watching as Veasna held out the wooden keyblade. “Obviously, for our demonstration, we can’t show the exact process of soul splitting, but we have a substitute. Those of you most in tune with the frequencies will hear the song when Veasna casts the spell. It will look as if she’s disappeared into the keyblade, which is exactly what it would look like when we do it.” he explained, Veasna speaking the incantation and disappearing just as he had said. And at that moment, Golden’s ears were flooded with music. Several other people in the crowd gave slight murmurs, but nobody could hear it as loud as she could, she raised her hands to her ears slightly. It was a sorrowful song, the song of past Foretellers singing out with broken dreams and empty lives, it needed no translation, but it conveyed their pained and persecuted existences perfectly. But just as soon as it started, the song stopped, and Veasna reappeared, having merely used an invisibility spell. As the entire church bowed, everyone whistled and cheered for their amazing demonstration, before being greeted by the harsh sunlight once more, which blinded them momentarily as they stepped through the scanner again and back out into the daylight. 

“Wasn’t that amazing, Goldie?” Yuna cheered, Golden nodding, before Porsha tugged at her arm. “Tinny? You’re crying…” she whispered, Golden reaching up in surprise and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I think…the song got to me.” she giggled, Rikku pouting. “What?! I didn’t hear a thing!” she protested, Yuna touching Golden’s shoulder. “It was a pretty song, wasn’t it? Sad, but pretty.” she smiled, Golden nodding. Oswald was boasting that he’d heard it too to his annoyed siblings, and Percy was trying to interpret what he’d heard, trying to convey it to Astra and Aero, who had only heard faint whispers of music. Their conversation was cut short, though, by Master Fildor. “Hello everyone.” he smiled, Yen Sid and Percy giving him a wave, Percy straightening his sideburns as he did. “Golden, dear? Would you come with me? I want to teach you what you have to do before tonight.” he explained, Golden immediately perking up and walking toward him. “I brought her outfit with me too. It’s here.” Yen Sid smiled, handing Fildor the bag and the old master using magic to levitate it. “Elderflower will help you get ready later, child. Come to us after the Ceros demonstration, I imagine you all plan to see it?” he smiled, Mickey and Alice nodding enthusiastically, the two of them had been reading the pamphlet momentarily and were very interested in what the city had planned. “Alright, run along Goldie. Have fun!” Yen smiled, Golden giving a little wave as she was led off by Fildor, equally nervous and excited to learn her rites for the evening, all whilst Yen Sid decided it would be time to give everyone a break before the film festival which would be in an hour and a half, by giving them time to wander around the other smaller stalls and eat lunch if they wanted, whilst the Gullwings departed to go and look for treasure, promising to meet up with the group later. 

Golden was led inside the council building, where Elderflower greeted her, taking the outfit and using the reverse of Yen Sid’s spell, so the robe landed on a mannequin without crease and neatly arranged. “Are you nervous, little one?” Fildor asked, Golden lacing her fingers together and nodding. “What do torchbearers do? Why are they important?” she asked, Fildor smiling and leading her to sit down, where something was bundled on the sofa near him, they were in the deserted library since everyone was enjoying the festivities outside. “Well, a torchbearer has the important role of restoring Lumos’s unity. Back when the Kingdom first began, travellers would light torches in their camps to find people, this is how the settlement of Ezareth came about. You know about him, yes?” he asked, and Golden nodded. “A little.” she admitted, and Fildor smiled warmly. “Worry not, you’ll hear his story tonight. We’ve got a show of our own before your little ritual.” He smiled, gently patting her shoulder. “Anyway, the torch was a symbol in Lumos of unity, since it brought people together and kept away the forces of the night. But not only that. Before the torchbearer can carry the torch, they also must bear the flag of Lumos.” he explained, reaching behind him and pulling out a flag. It looked old, with a crown symbol and the Kingdom’s name on it, as the background faded from blue to pink and then back to blue. “It’s beautiful…” Golden smiled, Fildor nodding. “Torchbearing is an old art, but this flag, it was used in what is now known as the dance of the reflected moon. That dance was performed at Lumos’s 500th anniversary for the first time by Master Grey, so we’re continuing it. And by luck of the draw, one of his descendents is here to take up the mantle.” he smiled, ruffling her hair and making her giggle. “I can’t promise to be able to teach you everything, especially with my old bones, but I’ll try to teach you some of the dance.” he offered, Golden taking his hand as he summoned some music magic. It was a lively tune, starting with piano but becoming more frenzied, adding drums, guitar and strings. “So, what you need to know is that in the arena where we will perform, there will be a pool of water. If the moon allows it, you will be able to stand on the surface and dance, and if you are deemed worthy, the torch will rise from the bottom of the pool and light. Obviously we cannot determine this outcome, but worst comes to worst, you’ll just carry the flag for the last step and we will use fire magic to light the last torch.” Fildor spoke, Golden scratching the back of her head and trying to retain the information. “So…if I summon the torch, I have to light another?” she asked, Fildor nodding and being pleased she understood. “We’ll be making what’s called a pilgrimage, to a place of great importance. Your torch, the torch of unity, will be used to light a larger torch known as the torch of the moon, and it will act as a beacon to light up the night. It is able to be seen throughout the entirety of Lumos.” he explained, Golden feeling her nerves melt away as the scope of what she’d be doing dawned on her, it sounded more exciting now. “First, the dance. You have to be quite vigorous, I remember my old master, despite being over 400 years old, was able to dance in a very agile fashion. I wonder…could it be because he was reminded…?” Fildor trailed off, Golden gently tugging at his sleeve and snapping him back to reality when he didn’t speak for a few moments. “Ah, very sorry my dear, I got a little lost in my head. Come, let me teach you the steps.” he smiled, and then Golden was lost in a frenzy of music and movement, her feet absorbing her newfound training as her hands manoeuvred the flag, and a small part of her was very glad that Porsha insisted that they dance together.

As the time passed, the children all returned to Yen Sid’s side. Scout, Percy and Ossie had gone to get food for the group and had picked up some pastries for Golden when she came back, since she’d no doubt be hungry. Alice was teaching Porsha and Julius a hand clap, and Coral and Caspian were playing chase with Mickey and Starlight, who were happy to entertain them. Brooke and Aero were conversing about weather magic, as due to her husband she was quite knowledgeable and able to give Aero some tips, and Astra was playing with their snake, which they’d summoned off their hat and was tickling under the chin, whilst Sonatina tentatively tried giving it a pet, despite worrying it might bite her. Though Astra had been reassuring, Sonatina didn’t necessarily love snakes, since they’d often stalk the undergrowth when she was younger and she had always taught Scout to be wary of them for that reason. And Fildor soon reappeared with Goldie, her face was flushed but she looked happy, and Porsha immediately jumped up to greet her. “Tinny! You’re finally back, you were gone forever!” she spoke, Golden rolling her eyes playfully. “It was like an hour and a half, Porsha.” she prodded Porsha’s cheek, who pouted. “That’s forever, like I said.” The small ballerina insisted, earning a slight chuckle from Fildor. “Enjoy the afternoon. I’ll meet you all later for the show at nine, except Golden, you’ll be with us from eight.” he smiled, Golden nodding and Fildor giving her a wave as he departed. And then they lined up by a large building that reminded her of the theater from Nocturne, fitting as the next event was a Nocturnian film festival. “In we go, kids.” Yen Sid smiled, the Gullwings reappearing and joined them to take their seats, and Golden noticed other familiar faces in the audience, like Princess Sofia or even the Wayfinders, who had managed to make it for the afternoon, where there were more performances to come. An announcer came to the front, and Golden noticed the photographer from her childhood setting up video equipment. “Come one, come all! Welcome to the showcase of some snippets of Nocturne’s best films! As you all know, we are the liveliest city, with our bustling roads and streets, and we take great pride in our theater, which I’m sure a great number of you have visited. After an unfortunate fire many years ago, it became our duty to restore it, and with the restoration, new filmmakers and talent arrived and brought us incredible and timeless classics. Whether it be a beloved animated musical, a gut-wrenching romance, or a side-splitting comedy, we have something for everyone! So, here are some of our greatest hits, starting with our most famous film of all!” he cheered, everyone clapping and cheering, some enthusiastic Nocturnians giving out whoops of excitement. Percy sat next to Golden, Porsha on his lap, and gave her a smile. “Alright, Lumen?” he whispered, Golden nodding, she recognized the overture music that the announcer was talking over, it was the same music from the film she’d seen with her parents all those years ago, and the film that had brought her back after she’d had her second encounter with Andrew. She shuddered a little and snuggled up to Percy, but reminded herself that today was a happy day, and she was enjoying it thus far. “Oh, and please stay when the films end! We’ve got something important to show you all.” the announcer smiled, whispers being passed around the crowd at what could be so important. But soon, everyone settled, and the film began, colourful animations spreading across the screen and Golden smiling when she saw her brother and father and beloved broomies make their appearances. This was the film that had inspired her to… there was something she was forgetting, but what? She shook it off, though, and enjoyed the film, and then the next movie was a tragic story about a masked man who fell in love with a beautiful opera singer. Then there was a comedy that made Astra and Percy cry laughing, an epic musical about the journey of a man to reach his home after many years, and the final film was a homage to Nocturne itself, telling the story of how the city was founded from mere camps and grew into the hubbub of culture and cinema that it was today, just like the rest of the cities that had been established. And after a standing ovation, the announcer came forward again. “Alright, I hope you all enjoyed those films! If you want to see them in their entirety, come to our theater and watch them in full, it would mean so much to so many of our talents!” he grinned, everyone applauding once more for all the people who had brought those incredible movies to life. “And now, we have an important presentation. As you all know, in the coming year we have our governor elections, and it is absolutely crucial that you cast your votes if you are over the age of 18. These governor candidates work alongside the council to help enact laws, they are the highest authority of the land and work in conjunction with us to ensure our lives here in Lumos stay safe and happy! So, with all that said, I am happy to present the four candidates for this year’s election!” he grinned, everyone cheering as four people came out onstage. Their faces were covered by masks and hoods, and their robes stretched all the way down to their feet, even their hands were covered. “Each of them will give a short speech explaining what they want to do and their past philanthropies. The reason we have covered their appearances is to avoid any prejudice or biases, we want everyone to have a fair chance, so we won’t tell you their gender, age, real name or anything. They will be known by names they have chosen, and only that for the duration of their time as candidate, and even as governor. Even their voices will be changed through magic.” he explained, murmurs going around the room, but being silenced when the first candidate stepped forward. They had a diamond covering their face, wearing a blue robe and outfit, and stepped up to the microphone. “Greetings. I am Sapphire, the Fiorituran candidate for the election. I was elected due to my work in the hospital sector. I have helped fund many independent clinics, as well as ensuring the best healthcare in the MMI, or Magical Medical Institute, which was established in my city. On top of that, I am responsible for funding the toon hospitals alongside the council, to prevent permanent damage from thinner or dip attacks, and I am pleased to report that in the last year, we have had zero fatalities in Toontown due to this, as the emergency care provided is top-notch. With all that said, I hope you’ll agree with me that safety and healthcare are of great importance in our world, and will support my run for Governor of Lumos.” they spoke, and everyone clapped as they bowed and stepped down. The next candidate approached, wearing green, they had a white mask on that looked like a flower, and were a little smaller than Sapphire. “Hello everyone, I am Orchid. I represent Ceros, a city once known for its riots and destruction, but under my jurisdiction, is now known for its stellar education and extracurricular activities for children. Ceros is a beautiful city, and after hearing stories of children who were taken too soon within its walls, whether it be from rioting towns or barbaric acts of cruelty in the early days of my home, I felt a great sense of responsibility to care for the children that were now growing up there, and set about establishing a stellar school system, with counselling services and extracurricular activities provided for free, all of which benefit the mental health and wellbeing of the children in the city. A survey I did in seven schools proved that the children feel safe, happy, and secure, so those are the values I wish to uphold if I am elected.” they spoke, also being given a round of applause at the end. The third candidate, Hawthorne, stepped forward, they wore a rose mask and red robes, and on the end of their hood a little hat charm hung off, decorated with roses. Presumably, just like Astra’s staff, it would extend full size to be functional if necessary. “Good afternoon, everyone. I am Hawthorne, the Nocturnian candidate. I will be the first to say that my belief has always been in prioritizing the safety of my people, just as my fellow candidates have agreed with me. With the recent, awful events concerning villain attacks that I have been informed about, even on sorcerers such as Yen Sid or forcefully involving the council through a curse, it seems to me that the biggest priority of all is to ensure safety and security. If I am elected, I will focus on scouting out the perpetrators of each attack and bringing them to justice, and will keep my focus on what is most important, that being leveraging my power in a way which will grant us the best outcome possible." They finished, bowing and being met with applause, but also a few whispers and odd glances being thrown Yen Sid’s way, who ignored them, looking at Hawthorne and wondering where they had got their intel from about the attacks. Maybe they really were just that concerned about safety. The final candidate stepped forward, though, and took the mic. They had a gemstone covering their face much like Sapphire, and were dressed in purple. “Hi everyone, I’m Amethyst, you can use Ame as a nickname though, hehe! I’m a candidate from Lega, and I grew up there my entire life. As a kid, I was part of a band of kids who all worked together, since our financial situation was less than ideal. But through that hard time, I learned the values of family, hard work, and most importantly, never giving up. That is what I want to impart on each of you, even if I don’t make it as governor in the election outcome. My goal would be to prioritise helping fund projects in the council, to take in more orphans and keep our current state as it is, the council have already done so much for so many, including myself in my youth, so I’d love to ensure the future is just as bright for the current children in their care as it was when I was a child. Thank you!” Amethyst stepped down, giving a quick bow, and the announcer smiled. “There you have it, everyone! And now, I encourage you to get yourself some food, and get ready for a parade! Lega has organised a most wonderful spectacle, so I encourage you all to watch! And for families with small children, the events of the evening are a Cerosian Keyblade performance, and the Fiorituran show in the evening where they will retell how our Kingdom came to be! If you don’t want to stay after the parade, these events will be recorded by this lovely cameraman you see here, and will be available to view shortly after. Thank you all for attending our film festival, and have a good rest of your day!” he called, the entire audience clapping and then heading outside, where the sun had now started to set, dousing the entire fairground in orange. And then, as everyone got into two lines in a walkway that the council had created, there was a chime. Golden noticed the Wayfinders and Sofia were nowhere to be seen, and tried to look for them amongst the crowd, all whilst keeping a hold on Percy’s hand as the Gullwings hovered nearby, but couldn’t see them. The chime sounded again even louder, and then…the parade began.

It started as just a swell of music magic coursing throughout the parade route, several children reaching out to try and touch it as it flew by, but the melody was sweet, and then…a figure appeared. A Legatian, dressed in white, similarly to the robes Golden was to wear that evening, representing a mythical figure in folklore of Lumos- the sage of time, the great moon…Kingdom Hearts. He stood tall amongst the crowds, and turned to look at them all. “Upon this great eve, the eve of which the Kingdom was founded 1000 years ago, we remember the dreams and legacies of those who came before us. We rejoice in their creations, and how their decisions and hope for the future has led us to where we are today. A symphony of heartbeats, a rhapsody of rhythms, and a tapestry of nations and dreams alike, which is what our parade celebrates.” With a smile, the Legatian reached down and opened a slit in his robes, he was on stilts and there were a few people crouched underneath the drape. The first stepped out, he had white hair and a gaudy yellow robe decorated in sequins and mismatched ribbons, causing Golden to gasp and look up at Yen Sid in delight, who gave a smile, knowing how validated she felt in that moment. The Legatian gestured to the first figure. “It is said that the spirit of Lumos exists in three forms, the first is discovery, invention, and genius. This is no better represented by Leonardo Columbus, a figurehead of pioneering and invention who represents people like Master Grey and Master Fildor, and the many brave and talented engineers and creators who came after them.” The person portraying Leonardo gave a bow and a wave to the crowd, and then another person popped out. She was beautiful, with iridescent clothing, wings like a butterfly, and bright red hair that made her look like a pixie. “The next form is nature, magic and emotion, something we all specialise in, whether as ordinary people or sorcerers. We all have a role to play in keeping our Kingdom beautiful, secure, and clean, and this is what Elfin represents.” The girl playing Elfin gave an enthusiastic wave, and Porsha grabbed onto Golden’s arm. “She looks like you when you get your wings and look all fancy!” the ballerina squealed, making Golden blush as some of the crowd giggled at Porsha’s happy outburst, and Elfin caught wind of the talking and waved in their direction with a smile. And then, the final person emerged, dressed in blue with a spiked helmet. “The last form is space, and the unknown. Sorcerers have long been fascinated with the stars, the cosmos, and of course, the moon. And the unknown, despite often harboring existential terror, is also filled with so much beauty, which is what Cosmo here represents.” The actor playing Cosmo did a cartwheel and made some robotic sounds with a smile, before the sound of drumming began. “Now, I want you all to think about your deepest dream and greatest desire. Hold on to it, and keep it right there in your heart. With this parade, we will weave all of the dreams of Lumos together, and create unity that will last throughout the night, from the moment of magic until the torch of the moon burns out!” he cheered, everyone clapping as spectacular rotating drums came into view, floating on their own by magic as Legatian drummers pounded at them enthusiastically, creating a rhythm that the Legatian performers couldn’t help but dance to, alongside the crowd. As Golden bopped along, she noticed Leonardo approaching and gave him a wave, he walked over to the family and gave them all a grin. “Having fun, explorers?” he asked, the kids all cheering and nodding, he gave them all high fives and ran along. As more parts of the parade came into view, Golden noticed some spectacular floats, they all looked like puppets and seemed to be handcrafted by the Legatians, with a person underneath each of them donning them as if they were a costume. One in particular caught her eye, a beautiful kaleidoscope of white, green, red, yellow and blue, polygons arranged to form a marionette- who was holding a smaller marionette! “So cool!” she gasped, the operator giving her a wink as they walked by, before it was followed by a concave character, a disc man with orange and white colours that seemed to stretch up to the sky, as the operator gave a twirl and a little click of his heels. So many beautiful, colourful and handcrafted floats went by, like angels, birds, even humans depicted in unique ways mounted atop the shoulders of their performers, all as the drummers continued to drum and move along the route. The entire thing truly was beautiful, and Golden found herself holding onto both Porsha and Percy as she watched. She then noticed some familiar faces, and realized there were floats full of all her friends, sharing the culture from their respective homes! There was a float representing Enchancia, with paintings of mermaids and the mystic isles, and Sofia and her family were on it, waving at the crowd. “Sofia!” Goldie called, the little princess hearing her and waving extra enthusiastically, both of them waving until their arms hurt. Then there was a float for the Land of Departure, where Aqua, Terra and Ventus, alongside several other pupils of their school, waved at the crowd, and upon noticing the Symphonuses, they all cheered and waved their way, which made Yen Sid smile. There was a float for the council, with several council children being shepherded by Pendragon and the Blue Fairy, a float for Rosas with who Golden presumed were all of Asha’s friends and even the queen, seated atop a grandiose throne and followed with wreaths of white flowers woven by her subjects, who followed the float in an elegant flamenco dance, and the entire thing ended with the performer of the Great Moon looping back round, and looking upon them all with such pride and joy. “May peace flow with you forever and ever, as you celebrate the future hand in hand.” he smiled, the drums giving a final crash as the sun went down, and the stars began to come out, the Legatians leaving the parade grounds. And then, it was onto the Cerosian Keyblade show.

As the group entered the arena, Golden became acutely aware that after this, it would be her turn to perform, and she moved over to Yen Sid, taking one of his big hands and placing it on her head, prompting him to stroke her hair and understanding she was feeling a bit nervous. “Don’t worry, little one. Let’s just enjoy this show, hmm?” he smiled, Alice piping up. “Ohhh, this is gonna be so cool! I’ve heard from Lea that Ceros has this thing called the Keyblade dance, it’s this thing that kids there often do after school, like a club! They learn this elegant dance and it tells the world’s story!” she gushed, Mickey looking equally excited. “That sounds awesome!” Rikku spoke up, everyone taking a seat. They were quite high up, since the open-air building had several floors of seats, and were overlooking the stage, where a young teen, at most 14, stepped out. She had auburn hair, wearing a halo in orange and yellow, and her outfit was layered, she had a sash over an orange tunic, and a robe with a belt depicting the sun, and several layers of fabric overtop. “Good evening everyone! My name is Xiresia, I am one of the top students of the Cerosian Keyblade Dance Union, and I am so privileged to be standing before you today. If you’d have told little Xi that I would be standing here today, about to perform the traditional keyblade dance on the 1000th anniversary of our kingdom, in front of hundreds of thousands of people, I don’t think she’d believe it for a second! And yet, here I am. It is truly my honour to be your Sun tonight. May I introduce Nimeau, who will be playing the Moon,” a boy stepped out, with darker skin and a half-halo in shades of blue, shirt crested with a crescent moon in purple over his blue outfit, and wearing high boots and sparkly blue trousers. He even donned a sparkling purple cape, it made him look elegant, “and Trizia who will play the Star”, a girl walked out, she was wearing a headscarf and several layers just like Xi, with a long robe in shades of yellow and gold, and a headband that made her head almost look like a dazzling, eight-pointed star, “and finally, Callixin who will be playing the Cloud.” The final person to walk out was a young enby with blonde hair, dressed in a blue outfit and a skirt that looked a lot like a puffy cloud, as well as curly-tipped shoes and a hat that matched their skirt in terms of design. As all four of them stepped forward and bowed, they raised their hands to the sky, and lights appeared in each of them. They looked to be regular keyblades. “These are our typical keyblades. They may not look like much, but when we use these keychains…” all the students pulled out a keychain from their pocket, and suddenly, their keyblades transformed into ones representing each of their roles, a bright orange one with sun motifs for Xi, a darkened one with the crescent moon for Nim, a starry one for Triz, and a puffy one that looked like clouds for Cal. And then, music began, and the story started. The first strike came from Xi, who spun around elegantly and attacked Nim, who retaliated with his own spin. Triz and Cal repeated the same moves, and all four of them put their keyblades into the center, before backflipping and landing crouched, each person pointing their keyblade to their right at their opponent. Something lowered from above, a small spinning globe, representing Luminosa, their planet. As each of them set their sights on it, Nim was first to move, shooting forward and using his keyblade to hover, Aqua and Terra cheering at the technique. Representing the moon, he began to fight Xi in midair, as both of them battled for dominance over the planet they hoped to conquer. Xi created a flame spell, indicating her destructive intent, but was tackled midair by Triz, who pulled her down and away from the globe, star restraining star. At the same time, though, Cal appeared and grabbed Nim, holding him tight as the moon flailed for escape, trying to shine past the clouds and give life to the earth. And eventually, with a masterful escape by shoving the keyblade in the space between himself and Cal, Nim managed to jump out of their grasp, creating a spell in his hands that created a thousand rainbows, clearly a spell giving life to the entirety of Luminosa. As little figures appeared all over the globe, Xi, Triz and Cal all stood up, and Nim floated down to them on his keyblade, all of them bowing in respect to him. And then, Nim raised his keyblade to the sky, and the moon appeared at the perfect time, bathing him in its holy light as he was proclaimed the victor. Xi smiled and took the microphone again. “The CKDU taught us this dance as it was performed all those years ago by Ezareth’s knights themselves, and they refused to let it die out and be forgotten. It is a sacred part of our history, and we are so glad to be able to share with you this artistic rendition of how our world came to be.” she smiled, everyone applauding. And then, Golden ran off, sighting Fildor waiting for her on the outside of the arena.

As Elderflower did her hair, Golden bit her lip, she found herself even more nervous than before, despite knowing all the steps. Elderflower sensed this, and pinned her hair up in a bun, gently stroking it as she did, knowing it calmed the child. She adorned Golden’s hair with gold laurels, and looked at her reflection in the mirror, checking she looked alright. “Young sorcerer, do not fret. You are a student of Yen Sid, and you carry his legacy on your shoulders, and the legacy of many people who have bore both this flag and this torch before you. Laurels symbolise victory, after all.” she spoke, Golden taking comfort in her words. “You can sit and enjoy the performance next to me.” the elder sorcerer continued, helping Golden put the other robe over her clothes, just as she’d done with the first one. Her hat had been taken off her head for this ceremony, and Elderflower had neatly tucked everything into the bag Yen Sid had provided. Staring at herself in the mirror, Golden couldn’t believe she was wearing such a beautiful dress, she looked like a princess, a warrior princess considering the shoulder pauldrons. A warrior princess sorcerer, she liked the sound of that. Picking up the flag from its resting place on the couch, Elderflower excused herself for a moment, and then Golden felt a soft, wispy presence enter the room. There he stood, Master Grey, the same man who had performed this dance 500 years ago. He gave a smile. “Hello, Golden.” he spoke, bending down on one knee, and admiring how beautiful she looked. “Hi grandfather…” she murmured, she hadn’t seen him since ‘the 46’, but she didn’t feel too sad either, more like a wistful feeling that she couldn’t see him more often. “So, you’re the next torchbearer…” he mused, before noticing the flag she was holding and his gaze becoming soft, even a little sorrowful. “There’s a story as to why I chose this flag for the dance of the reflected moon, Golden.” he started, Golden looking up in curiosity. “It belonged to someone I loved dearly. He, to me, represented the ideals that build up sorcery, the fundamentals, if you will. Knowledge, Application, Understanding…he used those skills time and again, and yet the most bountiful thing he had was his Love. Just like you.” he smiled, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Let me teach you something before you go.” he continued, raising his right hand up to his left shoulder and patting it twice. “Fiorituran salute for bravery.” he finished, Golden copying the movement. “If you ever need to feel brave, just do that salute, and you will feel the bravery of a legion, the bravery of those who built the council, built barricades, but most importantly, built our family. I created that salute to remember him, and now I am passing it to you, to provide you the strength to overcome your sorrow. Good luck, child.”

The time finally came for the show to start, in the same arena as the CKDU’s show, with Fildor stepping up to the microphone as a diverse cast and crew assembled. “Hello, everyone. You all surely know who I am, as the oldest member of the Council of Wizards and the one responsible for organizing today’s showcase. I hope you have all enjoyed yourselves!” There was a loud cheer from the crowd, which made Fildor smile. “We now have the Fiorituran showcase. This is a show dedicated to showing you all our history, in all its detail, the story of Ezareth brought to life thanks to astounding technology from our very own Dawn Symphonus.” The master stepped forward with a wave, and Fildor gave her a warm smile. “Not only that, but we will showcase two of our other traditions, the dance of the reflected moon and torchbearing, both done by little Golden Symphonus, a girl of only ten years old. Golden was chosen by luck, but I find it appropriate, as not only is she the descendent of our previous dancer, Master Grey, who performed the same flag dance 500 years ago to the day, but she has also gone through many hardships, and I do not believe they are commemorated enough. Consider today, Golden, the day where we give you all our strength and courage, as you have given us all of yours.” he smiled, Golden rubbing her cheek and going red, hearing Elderflower giggle slightly at her tendency to become flustered. Fildor turned his eyes up to the sky, though, and took a deep breath. “I would like to take this moment to recognize what sacrifices were made to build Lumos. As one of the oldest people alive in this Kingdom, I know loss more than anyone. My cohort, my father, my mother, my older siblings, and even my biological parents. I have seen people come and go, and many lives that have started and ended even within my own lifetime. I want to take a moment to commemorate all who have died in the name of democracy, who died fighting for what they believed in, and for those who will undoubtedly make those same sacrifices one day. To fight for Lumos is to fight for the people living within its walls, and it is the highest honour to fight for. Thank you to all who could not be here today, we remember you well, and on this anniversary of 1000 years of our Kingdom, we want to thank you again for your bravery and ingenuity in making this place what it is today.” Fildor smiled, but there were tears falling from his eyes. And then, he did that salute. Golden responded, Elderflower too, and it rippled across the entire arena, Porsha and the other children copying out of respect even without knowing exactly what it meant, they didn’t have to. “And now…let the show begin.” he stepped down from the mic, and the stage went dark.

The room around everyone became a flood of projections, like stepping out of a time machine, clearly thanks to Dawn’s visualizer that won her an award so many years ago. They travelled back into the past, until they finally arrived in a humble encampment. Just as Fildor had said, they were using torches to light up the night, until a young man stepped out of one of the tents, with dark red hair and dark skin, one eye turquoise and the other brown. He wore tattered clothing, clearly having been travelling for a long time, and took one of the torches. “I’m going on patrol, Jaynieen.” he spoke, a woman popping her head out of the tent, she had much fairer skin, and a little mixed girl followed suit. “I want to come with you, daddy!” she spoke, the man bending down and kissing her forehead. “Stay with your mother, Bannae. I won’t be long.” he smiled, putting his necktie over his face like a balaclava and going to survey the area. As he waved his torch in various areas, there was suddenly a mighty roar, and the man tensed up, moving closer slightly to see what could be hiding there in the shadows. But upon approaching, he instantly regretted the decision. In front of him, there was a monster, ten times the size of his frail form and with bright yellow eyes. Staring him down, it was a muscular figure, strength and size far outweighing anything the man could hope to muster. Blowing out his torch, he turned it round so the end of it, which was rather sharp, would act like a blade, hoping the darkness might hide him. Several members of the audience recognized the enemy as something akin to the Darkside, including Alice, perhaps this was the ancestor of all darknesses? But watching the man backing up, slowly trying to figure something out, as the monster slowly adjusted its eyes to understand what it was seeing was an opponent, it was a pretty scary sight. The man was ready to fight, though, even with what little weaponry he had, there was a clear resolve in his eyes to protect his family and the other people in the camp, people he loved and cared for, and whom he had led to this point. The monster suddenly slammed its fists into the ground, knocking the man off his feet, but he didn’t drop the torch and resumed his stance quickly. “Get back, I won’t let you harm them! Not Jaynieen, not Bannae, nobody!” he cried, some other people at the camp being alerted by his yell and coming to see what the commotion was. The man stood tall, though, and even when the monster roared and began to fire blasts of dark energy, he dodged and evaded each one. As the beast became more and more frustrated, it began to try and close the gap between them, and the man quickly had to try and take the offensive, swiping at it with his feeble torch and managing to land one or two blows, a strike to the monster’s chest being particularly effective. At this, it became even more enraged and suddenly grabbed the man in its grip, knocking the torch out of his hands and standing on it, leaving him helpless. A gasp echoed through the crowd at this, Golden had put her hands up to her eyes in case she needed to hide, and Julius was huddling by Alice, who was petting him to calm him down. As the man struggled in the creature’s grip, the rest of the camp came alive to try and help him, with makeshift spears and clubs made with little more than tree branches. But worst of all, someone had snuck out of bed, someone young. “Leave my daddy alone!” Bannae called curling up her fists and trying to appear brave, though she was obviously very scared, even shaking as she tried to speak. The man turned, a look of horror on his face, and then the monster attacked, ripping his arm from him with its bare teeth, and dropping him on the ground like a ragdoll. Then…silence.

It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop in the audience. Until…there was a quiet groan, and the man was translucent, outlined in gold. This earned a quiet gasp from Golden, though it went largely unnoticed, and the man was standing in a void. He coughed, weakened, and stared at his arm, though it was repaired, he knew he was dead. “Child.” a voice spoke, and the man turned, looking every direction in search of the source. “The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes. Don’t forget, you hold the mightiest weapon of all. You are my chosen one, and you will bring forth the light.” the voice spoke, the man rubbing his eyes as the void around him disintegrated, and brought him to a place made of sky and stars, where he found he was standing on water that perfectly reflected the sky. “What is this place…who are you? Where are you?” the man breathed, almost too captivated by the stars to speak. Then, a presence appeared behind him. It appeared much like a seraphim, with an elegant robe resembling the sage of time from the parade. “I am the great moon, protector of this world. You may know me by many names, but please, call me Kingdom Hearts.” the creature spoke, it was bathed in light and looked angelic, almost blinding the man with its presence. “K-Kingdom Hearts…? The moon? I don’t understand…” the man stammered, but the seraphim merely smiled, approaching him. “Let doubt fall from your mind. You are not dead, just sleeping. I have brought you here to inform you of your purpose, which is to bring light and establish the kingdom you have dreamed of for so many nights, young one.” it spoke, the man lacing his hands together in nervousness. “You know about my dream?” he asked, the seraphim nodding. “The dream of uniting the world’s people. It’s a noble dream, and proves the light in your heart. But if you want to accomplish it, what are you doing waiting around here?” it asked playfully, the man giving a slight chuckle. “I will provide you an advantage against your foe, a weapon, and an army I have elected, in exchange for just one thing. A promise.” it spoke, the man blinking in surprise. “Anything.” he replied, the seraphim giving a smile. “Keep following the light.”

With that, the man awoke, finding his little girl was weeping on his chest, and several of his soldiers were trying to fight the foe that was so easily overpowering them. But as soon as Bannae felt her father become warm again, she looked up in shock at him. “Don’t cry, dear…” he whispered, and they watched as a light began in his chest, it almost looked as if he was engulfed in flames, as from the heavens the great moon’s light shone down, and presented him with a sword. His cheeks almost felt as if they lit on fire in that moment, sparkling with three stars under each eye, resembling the seraphim, and his eyes burned a glowing gold, as he took up the sword and stood up, his arm regenerating out of golden sparkles of moondust. The monster, confused at how his foe had suddenly recuperated both his life and strength, gave an enraged roar once more, but this time, the man wasn’t alone. From the sky, several comets emerged, landing in the arms of each man who fought alongside their leader, changing their weakened weapons into beautiful, shining keyblades. And as the man looked upon his legion, he smiled at his little girl, who had regained that hope in her eyes that she had looked to be losing only moments ago. As the monster tried to swipe at the man, though, instead of dodging he merely stood still, as right before the hit struck him, he simply was transported away in a flash of light. He was now a glitch. “To you, harbinger of darkness…let it be known that I refuse to die by your hand. I have a dream I must accomplish, and with my people and our children by my side, our light will overpower all the darkness in the world!” he roared, raising his sword and his army raising their keyblades, all striking the monster in quick succession. Though the battle raged on for some time, eventually, the creature fell to submission and dissipated into nothing but flecks of dark energy, and the man took his little girl into his arms. “Come now, Bannae. We have a job to do.” he smiled, going into his tent for a moment to embrace his wife, before pulling out a flag. It was makeshift and hand-stitched, clearly Bannae had helped him due to the wonky look, but he smiled nonetheless, putting it into the ground in the center of their feeble camp. “Today, I, Ezareth, the chosen one of the great moon, establish a new kingdom. It will be founded on love and unity, and a marker of hope and peace for all who live here. Let its name be sung on the lips of all who are good hearted, for today this is the birth of a new land- the Kingdom of Lumos!”

As the scene froze on that majestic night, where Ezareth was silhouetted by the moon, plunging the flag into the ground, a small panel opened in the floor, revealing a pool of water. “Are you ready?” Elderflower whispered, Golden nervously nodding and taking a deep breath, before stepping over to the water. She prayed it would work, and put a foot forward, where instead of falling in, she stepped on it like it was made of glass, to her delight. Unfolding the flag she carried, she heard the music begin, noticing how the moon was reflected below her feet at its point in the sky, just as the name would suggest. Looking up for a moment, she got into position, raising up one foot over the other and putting the flag up behind her head, arms outstretched and elegantly poised…and then it was time. She twirled and whirled just as Fildor had taught her, sweeping the edge of the flag occasionally against the water and dragging her foot through it, creating ripples. These ripples were soon manipulated by the energy of the moon, causing them to be pulled upwards and around the girl, a spellbinding sight that only was amplified by how she performed the steps, her eyes closed as she became lost in the music. It was almost as if she was doing it all naturally, despite only having learned it today, she could almost feel Master Grey guiding her, doing the exact same actions 500 years ago. And then, there was a creak. The torch below her feet had come undone. It daintily floated to the surface, and she reached out a hand to grasp it, it was almost as big as her. And upon touching it, everyone in the crowd cheered, and she swore she could hear Yen Sid cheering the loudest, which made her blush with pride. And then, the torch lit up in a flurry of flames which danced in the wind, illuminating the arena with how bright it was. Grinning, Golden stepped off the water and turned to Fildor, who looked prideful. “Everyone? We hope you’ll join us for one last event. We are making a pilgrimage to the tomb of Ezareth, to light up the torch of the moon in his honor, he who founded the kingdom all 1000 years ago.” Fildor announced, before pointing for Golden to walk alongside him, carrying that torch whilst he took the flag, gently waving it to and fro. Dawn turned on a button on her remote, which lit up the area past the arena, an array of trees leading down a path, each tree sparkling with little heart lights that they had put up, all symbolising the myriad of hearts that had come together to create Lumos. And as they walked, Golden felt a sense of deep pride. She’d done this, danced the dance her grandfather had once done, summoned the torch and stood on the water since the moon had deemed her worthy, and now she was ready to light the torch of the moon itself, the one made in tribute to the chosen one, Ezareth. No doubt there were other chosen ones scattered across history, but Ezareth’s story had been told time and again to children all over Lumos, it was a story of hope and magic, and the story of how their beautiful home had come to be. As Dawn lit up the sky every so often with little drones, which became hearts all spinning around the moon, the enormous crowd led by Golden and Fildor finally reached the tomb. It was on a small mount, where if one stood at the point of the torch, they could see the center of each city from afar, as well as the council, and several smaller towns. Truly, this was the torch that united Lumos, which filled Golden with an immense pride. “Are you ready?” Fildor whispered, gently pulling out a small stool for her to stand on in order to reach the giant torch. Nodding, he helped steady her as she stood atop it, and held the flag over his left shoulder, a memory coming to him that quickly brought him to silent tears, ones he tried to hide. And then, Golden lit the torch, which came alive in a burst of light and magic. As its heavenly light spread across Lumos, she found herself staring up at the moon, which almost seemed to reflect that same light back down onto the earth. And she, too, was enveloped, but it didn’t burn, merely made her glow as if she was an extension of that unity, filling her soul with light, hope, possibility, and most of all…love.

When the night came to a close, Yen Sid watched as the citizens departed, having made new friends. Golden said goodbye to the Gullwings, who promised to write her letters, and then turned to Yen, who simply looked at her with pride. “You have done an incredible thing tonight, Golden. I am so, so proud of you.” he smiled, Golden feeling joyful tears brimming in her eyes. “Come, let’s go home.” he continued, taking Mickey’s hand and picking Golden up with the other, who looked over his shoulder and saw a wispy figure. Master Grey, picking up the flag that Fildor had left lying around after the ceremony and holding it close, almost as if he was having a moment of solace. Golden caught his eye, though, and put her right hand on her left shoulder, patting it twice, and the Master returned the gesture with tears in his eyes, that wonderful salute to bravery of which she and many others were most deserving. And in that single moment, for the first time since the villains had set out to destroy her, Golden felt whole again.

With December having flown by after the Cultural Festival, Porsha woke up one morning to discover all the Symphonus kids were deep in discussion, sitting at the table in their pyjamas with pieces of paper. “What are you doing…?” she yawned, walking down the stairs dressed in a cute pink nightcap and dressing gown, which looked very fluffy and had little darker pink roses all over it. “Oh, Porsha!” Golden greeted brightly, patting the seat next to her and smiling, “We’re writing our Christmas lists!” Porsha perked up, she’d heard everyone discussing Christmas and thought it had sounded wonderful, she’d never experienced a Christmas before and was rather eager to learn more, especially with how much her girlfriend loved it. “Oh…okay. Can I join?” she asked, Golden nodding and sliding a piece of paper toward her, upon which Goldie had already written her girlfriend’s name, Porsha smiling slightly upon seeing how Golden wouldn’t leave her out. “It’s only three days till Christmas kiddo, so we thought we’d better get cracking! Santa needs at least some advance notice!” Oswald giggled, busily writing down everything he wanted, he’d even taped an extra sheet of paper to the bottom. “What do you all want?” Porsha peeped curiously, Mickey eagerly looking over his list. “I’d LOVE a new camera! And one of those cute Lil Helper things I’ve seen before, they could sure come in handy!” He winked. Oswald tapped his chin. “For me… I’ve of course got some limited edition dragons again, since Santa can always seem to find them even if they’re sold out, but I’d also like a remote kit. I've seen Dawn’s and I got super inspired to add more cool stuff and functions to mine!” He grinned, pulling out his trusty old remote, pointing at where he could add new little buttons and dials. Julius looked at Alice, who shrugged. “Probably some new pins for my collection… though…” she seemed shy all of a sudden, and held her list close to her chest. “You alright, Alice?” Julius asked, patting her on the arm, but she nodded and grinned brightly. “Yeah… how about you? What do you want, Ju?” Julius’s ears twitched as he thought, and he purred as he thought of the one thing he wanted most. “I’d really like a play structure for my room! Now I’m a master, I thought it might be good to train with… and also keep me busy so I don’t catnap all the time, hehe!” Secretly, Golden thought it was a great idea, and hoped he might let her go in some of the hidey holes if they were the right size for her, since they seemed pretty comfy. “As for me… new colouring pencils, definitely! Mine are wearing a bit thin!” Scout confessed, swivelling her cap, “And I’d also really like some new videogames! Aero’s been telling me about these really cool games recently that she loves playing at the tower, and I kinda wanted to try them out!” Porsha nodded and looked to Golden, curious about what she might want, and Golden showed her list, which had new dresses (as usual), soft toys, and a cute badge that she’d seen at the market, one which depicted a little shining star. “Oh, they’re all so YOU, Goldie!” Porsha sighed wistfully, tapping her pencil pensively against her paper. “Can I ask for anything?” she asked, Scout putting a finger to her chin in thought. “Within reason, yep. As long as it’s something you really want and not weird or somethin’, you can ask Santa for anything!” Porsha looked down at the empty page, and thought about the dresses in her closet, deciding to ask for matching ballet slippers in the respective colours, and also for some new makeup. “Oh, and we’re also all going to go out to the city to find something for each other today!” Oswald chimed in, Golden nodding enthusiastically. “We all usually exchange gifts, it’s a super nice thing we love to do and… aaah, I can’t wait to find the perfect thing for you!” She practically squeezed Porsha, who giggled eagerly and hugged her back, Julius melting slightly at the sweet scene. “Awwww… such a pair.” Scout sighed softly, Golden looking in her direction. “Are you gonna get something for Tyke this year? And you boys, your partners?” Everyone nodded, already thinking of what would be perfect for those they loved, the giving of gifts was sometimes even better than the receiving. “Well, Mama won’t take us to the city in our pyjamas!” Mickey giggled, pointing up the stairs for his siblings to get moving, Golden sneaking an apple and throwing it at Porsha for her to munch on as the gaggle ran upstairs, getting ready to change into their warm winter clothes and start a beautiful day of gift hunting!

They set out not long after, all dressed in little fuzzy clothes, Porsha wearing a little blue fuzzy muff she’d bought with pocket money and Golden smiling as she put on her favourite winter hat. “It’s snowing again!” she cheered, Mum nodding and giggling as she held out a hand to catch some of the flakes on her glove. “Indeed, Lumen!” Percy spoke up, suddenly appearing in light form, he clearly wanted to come along for the ride. “I do love the snow! It twinkles so beautifully in the light, and there’s nothing like being cosy by the fire whilst it falls outside…” he sighed wondrously, and promptly sat on Golden’s shoulder. They headed to the same market as Golden visited for Aero’s birthday gift, but there were many different merchants this time, selling thousands of different wares from all parts of Luminosa, fascinating all of the Symphonus children. Percy de-transformed, revealing he was wearing a pretty purple coat overtop his robes, lined with little golden snowflakes and white fluff, and he held out his hat, presenting it to all of them. “Alright kiddos! Take your pick! Whoever you get, you have to buy a gift for! That’s how we’re doing the gift exchange this year!” he gleefully cheered, everyone taking a piece of paper from inside and gasping delightedly as they found out their assigned family member. Percy grinned and took Golden’s hand, who sneakily showed him her assigned person, whilst Sonatina did the same with Porsha, and Alice held her other hand. “Who wants to come with me and Lumen?” Percy called, Oswald, Julius and Scout all nodding, whilst Sonatina took Mickey, along with Alice and Porsha. “Come along then, let’s go and get everyone their gifts!” Percy smiled, watching as one or two remaining pieces of paper floated up in the air, magically enchanted to go and find whoever they were assigned to. He knew for a fact that Astra was out and about Christmas shopping, whilst the Master was with Ambrose, but he’d hinted he would take Coral and Caspian to choose something with a little bit of money he’d been saving for both of them. As for Aero, she was in her tower with Star, but had already planned to visit, so perhaps she’d pick up something on the way. 

As they split into two, Percy led his four into a covered area of the market, bustling with children and parents alike this time of year. A sight caught their attention, especially Golden’s, as Jules was once again doing a Christmas show, except this time instead of being behind a curtain he was on a little stage with all his friends, Rouge helping with the technical side whilst Zuri was reminding the little performers of their choreo offstage. The sight made her smile, and she couldn’t help but wave at Jules as they passed, who brightly smiled and winked, he’d once again been invited to their annual Christmas party and was excited as ever to help with the caroling. “Right then my little lads and lassies, what are we all looking for?” Percy asked, looking down at Golden, Oswald, Julius and Scout, who were all thinking about their respective recipients and what they might like. “I’d like to get mine some clothes!” Oswald piped up, Scout scratching the back of her head. “Mine…I think they’d like some tech.” Julius’ ears twitched. “I don’t know yet, can we keep looking?” and Golden nodded, holding onto his hand to indicate she also wasn’t sure. Percy nodded and took them over toward the clothing stands, where Oswald went looking, Golden sticking to his side. “You wanna tell me who you got?” she giggled, Oswald faking outrage by putting his hand dramatically on his chest. “Abso-toot-ley not! It’s a secret! But… I might need your help.” he admitted, wondering what his recipient might like. “If you were to buy something for the girls in the house, what would you get?” Oswald asked, Golden tapping her chin. “Well… all of them like florals, even Scout though she hates to admit it. Maybe something floral would be nice? Or if it’s one of the younger girls… they like playing dress up with me.” she grinned, Oswald suddenly jumping up as if an idea had just come to him. “That’s it, Goldie! Let’s buy her some costumes!” He pulled her along, Golden giggling and getting an inkling as to who he might have, but running after him and helping him choose a box of clothes for his mystery recipient. Meanwhile, Julius had come up with an idea and was whispering it to Percy, and Scout was checking out some of the other clothes herself, finding a checked shirt she thought would look really nice on Tyke. As some of them paid, they progressed further through the stalls, Julius picking up his mystery gift and Golden knotting her hands together, still unsure of what to get her recipient, but wanting it to be the absolute best it possibly could be. 

On the other side of town, Sonatina had led Alice, Mickey and Porsha to some of the high street shops of Fioritura city, looking in at the magical wares on offer. “Do all of you have some ideas as to what your recipient would like?” Sonatina asked, Porsha shaking her head nervously, and Alice tapping her chin in thought. “Can we do some window shopping, Mum?” she asked, Sonatina nodding eagerly and taking them toward the large shopping mall where they had found everything for their first Christmas party together. “Can me and Mickey go for a wander?” Alice asked, Sonatina worriedly scratching her cheek. “Well… it is rather busy here, I wouldn’t want either of you getting lost.” She spoke softly, reaching a hand down to stroke the middle of Mickey’s head, in between his ears. “We’ll be fine Mum, promise!” The little mouse cheered, taking her hand off his head and holding it between his two little gloved palms. “Last time we went Christmas shopping, we chose a place to meet. Why don’t we do that now?” he suggested, Mum putting a hand on her chin and nodding, convinced. “Alright. We’re going to meet by that small shop that belongs to Ambrose’s friend by nightfall, okay?” she smiled, and everyone nodded, they knew the location and Mickey wasted no time texting Percy. As they split off into two groups again, Sonatina took Porsha’s hand, who sighed. “I want to choose the perfect gift, Mama! I really do!” she fretted, Mum just squeezing her hand. “Trust me, we’ll find some great presents here! And even if not in this mall, I guarantee you that we’ll get your recipient something lovely.” she smiled, ruffling Porsha’s hair, making her squeak and straighten up her bun by tightening her hair ribbon. “I sure hope so…” the little ballerina smiled, wringing her hands slightly but looking more optimistic, and holding Mum’s hand as they went inside the first of many stores. Mickey and Alice found themselves in one of the magical gadget stores, they were common across Fioritura, but had a special offer on for Christmas, and several new gadgets! Mickey peered at some of them, wondering what to get his recipient, he had a small idea as he looked over the aquatic magic area, spying just what he needed. “I got it! Check this out, Alice!” He cheered, showing her a magical cauldron which mixed itself, along with having a handy compartment full of magical materials, some of which had only been recently discovered. “Oooh, fantastic!” the little blonde girl cheered, looking at the contraption in awe, and opening the drawer to see all of the shiny rocks and potions hidden inside. “I can guess who you’re getting this for…” she grinned, Mickey rubbing his head shyly. “That obvious? Well, he’ll love it, don’t you think?” he smiled, Alice nodding eagerly, and Mickey paying for the item, happy he’d found something already and Alice starting to dream up ideas of what her recipient would love.

As the day progressed and the hours ticked by, Scout got what she wanted, Alice got what she wanted, even Sonatina and Percy managed to find something or other for their respective recipients, but neither Porsha nor Golden had found anything! Sonatina had the idea of taking Porsha through the town, they still had a few hours left and Porsha was sure to find something, whilst Golden was looking through each and every market stall, and growing slightly upset that she couldn’t find anything for her person, to the point Percy lifted her up on his shoulders and offered she take a small nap, since he thought she looked rather tired and didn’t want his little Lumen to feel too bad. As Sonatina and Porsha wandered through the snow-covered streets, the little ballerina actually bumped into someone familiar, Ambrose himself! “Ow! Oh, sorry Ambrose!” she fretted, the older sorcerer turning around and shaking his head, smiling as he bent down to her level. “Not to worry my dear, it’s quite alright! You’re not hurt?” he asked, concerning filling his voice, but Porsha shook her head with a smile. “I’m fine, thank you! What are you doing?” she asked, looking at what he was holding, it was a toy, but still brand new in the box. “Ah, myself and the council, including Yen Sid actually, are doing a Toy Drive today! It’s where we ask the public to donate brand new toys to children in our community, usually the council children, or in some cases those under our care who live outside of the building. We’ve got stands all over each city, and from what I hear we’ve got a record amount of donations!” he grinned, Porsha looking eager. “Mama! I want to donate a toy!” she grinned, Sonatina looking touched and smiling down at her. “Alright, you go and choose something.” she nodded, Porsha running over to the nearby toyshop and deciding to buy a ballerina plush for the drive, writing ‘From Porsha’ on the tag in large letters. As she held it, she smiled to herself. “If I get famous one day, this tag will have my first ever autograph! And I hope whoever gets this dolly takes good care of her!” she grinned, taking the plush outside and handing it to Ambrose, who took it gratefully and placed it in the large toy bin, Porsha waving goodbye to it. “That was a very kind thing to do, Porsha.” Sonatina smiled proudly, Porsha giggling gleefully and glad she could help her community, even if she was fairly new to it, she adored Lumos, even more so after the festival, and getting to give back was always a nice thing to do. Coral and Caspian popped out from behind the toy bin, grinning ear to ear. “Dad! DAAAD! Uncle Yen Sid gave us Christmas money! He said we can choose something special!” they cheered, Coral noticing Porsha and waving. “Hi Golden’s girlfriend Porsha!” she giggled, Porsha laughing at the moniker and waving back. “What are you doing here? Did you donate something?” Caspian asked, Porsha nodding. “Yep! Oh, I should also ask! Do you guys have any ideas for Christmas presents?” Caspian tapped his chin. “Hmmm…well if it’s not for anyone in particular, a lot of them really like wands and stuff. Maybe something like that?” he tried, but Porsha looked unconvinced. “A train!” Coral piped up, Caspian putting a hand over her mouth and looking sheepish. “Coraaal! A train was on YOUR Christmas list, silly!” he giggled, Coral shrugging. “More people should like trains! Cousin Mickey likes them! They’re really cool!” she pouted, Porsha smiling slightly. “I think they’re cool! But I don’t think my recipient would want one…” she sighed, Coral nodding understandingly and the two of them moving back behind the toy bin. “Daddy, we’re going with Uncle Yen to buy stuff, okay? We won’t be long!” They called, Ambrose nodding and waving them off. Sonatina smiled, taking Porsha’s hand. “We best be off again too, Ambrose. See you tomorrow?” He nodded slowly, confirming, and Sonatina took her leave, Porsha waving goodbye as they walked through the snow again.

Golden woke up to the sounds of singing, she hadn’t realized it but Percy had brought them outside the marketplace, to a small fairground that had been set up for little children. Despite this, Oswald, Julius and Scout were all on carousel horses that looked a little bit small for them, but were having the time of their life. Percy, meanwhile, was holding Golden like a baby, keeping her wrapped up and away from the cold as they sat on a bench together. “Light man…?” she murmured, Percy looking down kindly at her, she looked very cute all bundled up. “Yes, lumen?” he smiled sweetly, Golden yawning and blinking as she registered the new surroundings. “Are we in town still?” she asked between yawns, Percy nodding and sitting her up so she could see the attractions, there was a helter-skelter, carousel, and some little games where you could win prizes. Nearby, there were also some toon carollers singing their harmonies, Golden thought they sounded amazing. A town crier stood nearby, waving a small cup around for donations. Tiredly finding her feet, Golden stood up, moving her coat around herself a bit tighter, since it needed adjusting after her nap, and rubbed her eyes, shrugging off the last of the tiredness. “Excuse me, sir?” She asked, the town crier bending down to her level with a smile. “What are the donations for?” The man stood up straight again. “Well, we’re collecting money for the toon hospitals in Toontown! Every year we choose a different charity, but the toon hospitals can do a lot of procedures that places like the MMI cannot, so we thought raising money to help their service keep functioning was very important.” he explained, Golden thinking about what Yen Sid had told her about the toon hospitals and how they were important for people like her brothers. “I’ll give something!” she smiled, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her little moneybox, shaped like a sorcerer hat. Taking out some coins, she put them in the cup, one of the carollers- a cow toon- approaching her. “Would you like to request a song, my dear?” the tall lady asked, she was dressed in a green bonnet with a bow on top, and a very pretty green dress, even having a cowbell around her neck. “Oh, yes please!” Golden smiled, “can you sing ‘As Long As There’s Christmas’? It’s my daddy’s favourite!” she asked, the town crier nodding for the toons to begin their song, and it was only then that Golden noticed another small family watching nearby, Goofy, with his son Max and… a little girl, with the cow’s horns and her dad’s floppy ears. She smiled slightly, and waved at the girl, who shyly waved back as she held onto Max’s hand. As the song began, Golden moved back to sit by Percy, the sun making the ground twinkle in the light as it slowly began to set over the horizon, Percy putting an arm around his little lumen and holding her close, so grateful to be here with all his family, and always feeling in his heart just how much they adored their light man. 

Across town, Porsha and Sonatina had encountered a few more of their friends in their quest for the perfect gift. They had decided to stop at a cafe for hot cocoa, and coincidentally, Asha and the Fairy Godmother were also there. “Hello there, what a lovely surprise! Good to see you my dears, we’re spreading some Christmas magic across the town as always!” The Fairy Godmother chuckled, offering both of them a seat at the table, Porsha looking curiously up at Asha. “Hi there! I’m bringing some of my culture along too, Christmas in Rosas is very different to Fioritura, so it’s a bit like extending the cultural festival, hehe! Those flowers on our Rosas float were actually our winter wreaths!” Porsha thought back to the float in the parade, the one that held Asha’s friends and the queen, where her subjects had followed holding the white wreaths of flowers. “They’re called ‘Amaya’, white roses that bloom in the winter! We don’t get a lot of snow over there because of the climate, so fields of Amaya flowers are exactly like it, and when we present them to each other, we use it as a reminder that generosity is the true essence of Rosas, and of Christmas too!” she explained, both Sonatina and Porsha lighting up at the idea of giving wreaths to their family. “That sounds lovely, Asha!” Sonatina smiled, Fairy Godmother reaching into a magical bag that rested on the table, and putting a wreath around Porsha’s neck, who looked as if she’d burst with how sweet and nice the roses smelled. “Would you like to keep this? It’ll cost you my dear! Aha, only joking! Like my Asha said, giving and receiving are the most important part of this holiday!” Sonatina smiled warmly. “We’ll put it on the door. You are both coming over tomorrow, correct?” Both of them nodded, and Asha looked especially excited. “I wouldn’t miss it! Symphonus Christmas parties are the BEST!” Porsha was playing with the wreath, the flowers reminded her so much of Golden, and she had a soft smile on her face as she felt the petals. “Oh… they do remind me of my Tinny! I’m still looking for a gift for her… but I might have an idea now.” she whispered, the Fairy Godmother nodding. “I’m glad, dearie. I can already tell you two are very important to each other, so I know you will find something perfect.” As they bid the fairy godmothers goodbye, Porsha took Sonatina’s hand again, before suddenly being startled as some figures whizzed over her head. “Eek!” she cried, spooked as one of them landed rather roughly in the snow. “Ow!! Aqua, you did that on purpose!” Terra fumed, Aqua jumping down off her Keyblade glider, Ventus following. “Smooth landing.” the younger boy grinned, Terra sitting up on his elbows with an annoyed glare. “Oh shut up Ven, you’re such a kid you probably can’t even SPELL landing!” he smirked, jumping to his feet as Ventus tried to tackle him, but was quickly caught in a headlock. “I can SO, Terra!!” he fumed, Aqua giggling at them as they bickered, before turning and noticing their small audience. “Oh, hi Mum! Good to see you!” She grinned, Sonatina giving her a friendly wave and approaching, Porsha staying back because of the rough-housing. “Booooys…” Aqua frowned, both of them suddenly standing up straight and saluting. “Ma’am yes ma’am!” they chorused, Sonatina chuckling as she greeted them. “Merry Christmas you three! Seems like you’re having fun.” she teased, Terra brushing the last of the snow from his hair. “Yeah, haha…” he meekly put two thumbs up, grinning awkwardly as Ven took some snow from the ground, moulding it into a snow mickey in his hands. “I’m so glad it’s this time of the year again! It feels like Christmas takes forever to get here, but… I always keep it in my heart all year round!” he gushed, Aqua ruffling his hair affectionately. “Wait…so you’re Aqua! That big nice lady that Tinny likes?” Porsha peeped, thinking she recognized her from the Cultural Festival, Golden had definitely pointed her out when she and her friends were on the float. “Tinny?” Aqua asked, Sonatina nodding. “She means Golden, Aqua, Tinny’s Porsha’s little nickname for her. And you’re right, Porsha, this is Aqua!” Mum smiled, gently pushing Porsha forward slightly as Aqua held out a hand for shaking. “It’s lovely to meet you, are you Golden’s friend?” Aqua asked, Porsha nodding, and then shaking her head. “I suppose? I’m actually her girlfriend, which I guess is a type of friend, right? I’m on a Christmas mission to get her a present!” she cheered, Aqua blinking in surprise at the revelation of all that had happened. “What did I miss…?” she stuttered, Sonatina rolling her eyes slightly. “Quite a lot, but it’s for the best if I’m honest. Though, Golden would be more than happy for you to visit again.” She smiled, Aqua rubbing the back of her head and going a little red. “Awww, she still likes me that much? Sure, I’ll come round sometime. I’ve got a new thing to tease her about, after all.” she chuckled, winking at Porsha, who giggled behind her hand, already liking Aqua too. “We should get going, Aqua. The Christmas cake won’t eat itself, and we gotta munch it all before tomorrow!” Terra spoke, Ventus pulling out a spare slice from his pocket, it was a vanilla sponge with white icing and strawberries all throughout, and looked delicious. “Here ya go, Porsha, enjoy! It’s Eraqus’s recipe!” he smiled, Porsha looking down at it and taking a bite enthusiastically, her cheeks flushing with euphoria as she tasted the heavenly sweetness. “Oh my…. I-It tastes like if all my love for Tinny was compressed into a cake!” she swooned, Sonatina catching her as the Wayfinders giggled affectionately. “Well, see you lot tomorrow then! And be careful of crashing, Terra.” Sonatina winked, Terra rolling his eyes playfully. “Yeah yeah… alright, back to keyblade snowboarding we go guys!” he cheered, the trio zooming toward a nearby hill that looked perfect for racing, Sonatina waving them off. As the sun set over the horizon, though, Sonatina began looking worried about the time, and moved them back into the main area of the town. “Dear, are you alright? Your feet are dragging…” she murmured, Porsha stifling a yawn and Sonatina gently picking her up. “I just… wish I could find the perfect gift. I have an idea but…I don’t know if it’ll speak to her…” she spoke, putting her head on Sonatina’s shoulder as she was carried along. “Oh, Porsha. Any gift, as long as it comes from the heart, I’m sure she will love. The most important thing about Christmas is that you show your love. That can be shown in effort, which we know you’ve put in, or acts of kindness, like your donation… just because your gift might not be 100% perfect doesn’t mean she won’t feel how much effort and time you spent choosing it.” Porsha nodded, nuzzling Mum for a moment before turning her head, seeing the place everyone had decided to meet, and sighting something curious in the shop window. “Wait a second, mama! I think I know exactly what to do!”

As everyone went home that evening, they all took turns entering the living room and handing the broomies their gift, who neatly put them all in small sections where the person’s other presents would be situated on Christmas Day. They really were like Santa’s helpers, and then took their time making sure everyone was dressed and ready for bed, tucking little Golden in as she fell asleep, moving her arm around Starlight rather than leaving it dangling off the edge of the bed. Porsha, though, opened the door just a crack, and blew a kiss to Golden, smiling at how peaceful her girlfriend looked, and hoping she’d chosen right, but knowing in her heart that she’d done her best, and that was really all that mattered.

Most of the house slept in on the day of Christmas Eve, Yen Sid ensuring all the invites had been sent out properly and looking forward to the Christmas party that was to come, but being more than happy to let everyone rest for most of the day. He spent it sitting on his chair, the broomies refilling his cocoa whenever it got too low, and one or two of them flicking through the channels on TV, looking at the different Christmas movies on offer. And as the family all stirred and rose, one by one, they joined in the watch party, Golden curling up next to Oswald and Mickey as she sucked her thumb in tiredness, sitting in her pyjamas and watching one of the movies she loved very much. But when night came, Yen Sid had a trick of his own, Angelique decorating the castle just as magnificently as she did every year, and an even taller tree gracing the workshop, it looked like a bit of an effort for Star to fly all the way to the top, but it happily did. Astra was drinking a bit too much Christmas punch, and to get everyone in the mood, Yen Sid had crafted them all matching Christmas sweaters, the kids all running to put them on, along with the adults, even Yen Sid and Ambrose themselves! Tyke had offered to DJ, and his little sister Amelia was present, playing with Coral and Caspian, whilst more guests arrived, including that caroller from before, Clarabelle Cow, who was holding the hand of herself and Goofy’s little daughter, a girl named Mina Moobell who was Max’s half-sister. She looked to be only about three, and was shyly clinging to her mama, but also looked rather entranced by all of the decorations, wearing a red dress that looked similar to her mum’s. “Wow, Mina, look! Do you see the star at the top of the tree? It’s moo-arvelous, right?” Clarabelle whispered, Mina looking up in curiosity and nodding. Goofy entered behind them, and smiled at Mickey, who greeted his old pal enthusiastically. “We’re so glad you could make it this year, Clarabelle!” he cheered, Minnie and Daisy both turning and greeting her with some excited, girlish squealing, though Mina wasn’t deterred this time as she knew her mama’s friends very well. As the Symphonuses socialized, Mina approached Golden, who was trying to play the piano as Jules watched on from atop it, giving her pointers. “Excuse me?” the little girl stuttered, she had a slight lisp, and Golden turned upon hearing the unfamiliar voice. “Oh, yes?” she asked, getting up off the piano stool and meeting the small girl’s eyes, who gave a little ‘moo’ of contentment. “Are you that big wizard’s kid?” the toon asked, Golden nodding. “Yes! That’s my daddy, Yen Sid. My name is Golden, what’s yours?” she asked, holding out a hand for shaking. “I’m M-Mina… Mina Moobell! I’m a fairy!” she giggled, Golden putting on a look of awe and intrigue. “A fairy, huh! I’ve met a few fairies before, but none as pretty in red as you!” she smiled, twirling Mina, who giggled and gave her new friend a hug almost instantly, despite only having met her moments ago. “You are a cool wizard!” Mina grinned, Golden blushing slightly at the compliment, it was said in earnest and genuine. “Aw shucks… Thank you! And your mama is a great singer, hehe!” she smiled over at Clarabelle, who playfully tipped her bow. “I thought I recognized ya, you’re that girl who donated to the toon hospital! Mighty kind of ya.” Clarabelle smiled, shaking hands with Golden in an introduction. “Of course, and it’s nice to meet you at last! I knew of you before but… we’d never met, hehe!” 

As the party continued, Jules conducted the carols, Angelique proudly singing harmony with him, and some of the Beast’s castle staff were present again, though this time the broomies were shooing Cogsworth and Rouge away from the custard, being rather possessive of the desserts they had so carefully crafted. Astra was eating some specially prepared Pasta A La Percy, sharing it with him, and Yen Sid clapped his hands, allowing the gift exchange to begin. From Mickey, he received a magical cauldron, which he was very pleased about, actually picking up Mickey and giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek in gratitude, which made Mickey hug him back. As for his gift, he threw a bag of Julius’s favourite treats his way, causing the cat to get very excited and begin munching immediately, so much so he almost forgot to give the bottle of lavender he’d bought to Oswald. When asked why, the young cat explained he’d hoped his brother would get better sleep in the new year, but had also bought him a new data card for his video camera, just in case. As for Oswald, he’d bought his recipient, who turned out to be Alice, the box of dressing up that Golden had suggested, giving the girl so many ideas for new adventures she could play at with Julius. Alice in turn had bought Sonatina a comb, decorated with lots of little gems, whilst Sonatina had bought Aero a purple cardigan, decorated with lots of little star patches that had been embroidered in different colours. Aero had given Scout a bracelet-making set, Scout had given Mickey another pair of noise-cancelling headphones (the best ones on the market in fact) in red, yellow and black, and Percy and Astra had given each other a star map and snake fidget respectively. That left only two members of the family, who reached for their gifts at the same time, settling down on the sofa. Porsha went first, smiling. “I bought you this, it can be put on your favourite winter hat like the feather in Peter Pan!” she smiled, Golden looking suddenly rather shy and handing her own gift. “I got you this, you can put it on your blue muff!” Porsha accepting the gift rather tentatively. As both of them opened the gifts, they discovered they’d each got one another a crystal, iridescent rose. Golden sighed as she held it, it was a beautiful bloom, and it took Porsha a moment to realize they seemed to be a pair, bought from the same flower shop at nearly the exact same time. “I…oh Goldie, it’s lovely… but I actually traded my muff to get you this rose… Since I donated my money to buy a toy for the council, I didn’t have enough…” she confessed, Golden blinking in surprise. “And I traded… my favourite winter hat to give you this. I also didn’t have enough after donating to the toon hospital.” she also confessed, both of them looking down at the blooms in a mix of sorrow and awe. “You… both traded your things for each other?” Yen Sid whispered, bending down to look at both of them, a small smile on his face, though his eyes threatened to water from the profound display of love that they shared. Minnie leaned on Mickey slightly. “Ah, sacrificing something for love? That’s the making of true love, right Mickey? My sweet music?” she winked, Mickey putting an arm around her and leaning his head atop hers. “Yes, yes it is.” he murmured, Golden looking at Porsha with a very sweet smile. “You know what? I’m actually okay with giving away my hat… because my heart is always warm when you’re with me. Merry Christmas Porsha.” she spoke, leaning in and gently kissing Porsha’s forehead, who subsequently threw her arms around her girlfriend in gratitude. Before they drew away, Golden moved toward Porsha’s ear, and whispered a nickname, one she’d been secretly planning since being called ‘Tinny’ for the first time… “I love you, my Rosie.” Yen Sid suddenly scooped them both up into his arms, holding them close, and they snuggled up in his arms. “My girls…wise as magi. Merry Christmas, you silly billies.” he grinned, before the door suddenly slammed open and a hooded figure appeared. “Is the fire on?! Oh man its cold, even with fire magic! I swear, when the old man in red asks me to get something, couldn’t he have picked a slightly warmer day?! I mean, what the heck was it doing in Arendelle anyway-” the voice, belonging to a male, was cut off when he stopped and noticed Golden and Porsha, clinging onto each other in what looked to be a rather romantic moment that he’d gone and interrupted. “Did I pick a bad time…? I mean, they do say ‘don we now our gay apparel’, I suppose.” Alice suddenly hugged his legs, and he took off his hood, grinning ear to ear. “Lea!!” She cheered joyfully, Lea putting a finger to his temple, “Dang kid, got it memorized?” And with that, he reached into his jacket, pulling out something that looked far too big to have fit in there, but anything went in the magical family. Lea grinned and gave the gift to Alice, who looked down at it curiously, setting it down on the carpet. She opened a small door on the end of the plastic gift box, and inside… the tiniest ginger kitten she’d seen in her life, huddled in a corner and holding a small bauble cat toy. Alice’s heart melted, she reached in and beckoned the kitten forward, making little ‘pspsps’ noises. It looked rather wary at first, but perked up and met her eyes with its own large green ones, creeping closer as its ears twitched, until its head nuzzled gently against her hand. “Oh…my gosh, Lea! You got me a cat…?” she gasped, Lea nodding to confirm. “Little guy needed rehoming from Arendelle, and since it was on your list, Santa had me go get him for ya! Whatcha gonna name him?” He asked, sitting down on the carpet as everyone else tried to get a closer look at the cat, Tyke moving up next to Scout and looking as if he was melting at the sight of such a tiny baby creature. Alice managed to get the little kitten to settle in her arms, and smiled down at him as he began batting the bauble plush. “I think…Oscar. Yeah, you’re Oscar.” she grinned, sweetly holding him close as he let out a tiny ‘mew’ of contentment and purring, Julius also purring as he moved next to Alice, Percy snapping a picture and turning the night into a memory for his album. “Sentimental, much?” Scout giggled, Tyke brushing his brown hair out of his face and taking off his white cap, adorned with music notes. He was already wearing the shirt she’d given him. “As if you wouldn’t cry over a kitten too, Scout.” he quietly snarked back, but there was no malice in it, and he silently entwined hands with her, a small acknowledgement of their mutual feelings. That is, until Tyke’s sister, Amelia, appeared behind them with mistletoe. Tyke rolled his eyes. “Screw it.” And then, to everyone’s surprise, Tyke swept Scout off her feet and gave her a kiss, something that had been a long time coming for both of them. Scout felt like she froze for a second, but luckily her teleportation didn’t activate, instead she just wrapped her arms around him and smiled as they parted. Turning her head, all the boys looked infuriated and Golden was smirking deviously. “You owe me 50 each, boys.” she spoke, Scout going crimson. “You made BETS?!” she squealed, Golden giggling. “I said Christmas, Oswald said New Years, Mickey said Valentines, and Julius said your next birthday! Pay up, fellas!” Despite the grumbles and groans, they were all very pleased for Scout, who looked up at Tyke. “So… does this mean we’re official?” She asked, Tyke shrugging. “If you’d like. I’d be honored to be your boyfriend.” Sonatina watched the scene with a smile, moving to Tyke’s side. “Scout, dear? If you love him, I won’t stop you. And Tyke? Don’t you go disappearing on her.” she winked, Tyke blinking in confusion. “What’s that meant to mean?” He gawked, Sonatina just giggling behind her hand, Star flying down and landing in her palms, causing Mum to stroke it gently. “Nothing, dear. I’m happy for you two.” With that, both of them ran up to the DJ stand, putting the party in Christmas party, and by the end of the night, Yen Sid was carrying all his children to bed with magic, even the broomies had fallen asleep right on the floor amongst the gift wrapping. He decided to be slightly cheeky and took both Golden and Porsha to Golden’s room, Starlight having fallen asleep under a scrap of wrapping paper which Yen Sid tactfully replaced with Golden’s arm and the blanket. He smiled as they looked so peaceful sleeping next to each other, with the faces of angels, and summoned a vase for the two roses, putting them on Golden’s bedside table right next to her favourite book. “Merry Christmas, girls.” He whispered, closing the door. And as Christmas Day came and went, Golden opened all her gifts, and a feeling glowed in her heart- though she’d felt so lost before, and there was still so much left to do and fix, right here, right now, she was loved, and found.