Azure's POV

I opened my eyes to see the sky. A dark vast void, filled with energy, and the call of unknown territory. I sat up and winced. I felt pain here, like how I did back in what I was sure was the real world.

I was dreaming, and I w so sure, because I was lying in a field. I stood slowly and looked around. It would have been pitch dark, and colorless if it had not been for the moon's rays. There were fireflies flitting in the field around me, and I could feel the tickle on one on my arm. I moved slowly, and circled the field, looking for a sign of anything useful.

I finished the lap and looked around. All I could see was the boarding trees, the fireflies, and the reeds I had bent, and crushed in my path. My head was fuzzy.

Did I get my dosage wrong? Did I overdose? Ooh I know. Is this heaven?

"You won't find anything here." I whirled around and clutched my stomach in pain.

"Geez, you scared the French Toast out of me!" I exclaimed and looked up at the figure.

They were a fuzz of light, the same blue light. Unlike the other dreams, the light had taken a form. I shielded my eyes a little but held my ground.

"You know me." The light said, and I nodded.

"I guess, but you're awfully glowy. Turn it down a notch?"

The figure hovered for a moment, and then spoke again.

"You know me." The voice was gender neutral, and I was not sure what kind of sentient being I was speaking too.

"I don't." I persisted.

The lighted dulled into a very faint glow, and I had to catch myself to keep from falling back.

I saw ivory skin, rose red eyes, and a head of milky white hair. I was staring at my brother, a perfect copy, a stature of serenity in this mysterious place. The blue glow radiated from his skin, and I put a shaking hand over my mouth.

"You know me." He said again and lifted a finger to my forehead.

I waited for the warmth of his touch, but it never came, instead I fell. My eyes flew open, and I tried to grab something, anything. I could not turn to see where I was falling but I hit the ground which swallowed me up. I stared at the amber water all around me, and I hauled myself up onto the banks of a vast expanse of marsh lands.

"You know me so well, as do many others." I looked around for the voice that now belonged to Cosmo.

It was disembodied, and he was nowhere to be seen. There was a scream, a horrible scream of fear. I started and looked around. The scream had come from one of the many pools of water. I got to my knees and searched. I was met with a face, my face. My eye eyes pulsating with a glow of fear. I threw myself forward as metal doors closed over Entrapta. I coiled back and looked around at all the other pools.

I cautiously approached another and peered down hesitantly. I saw myself in the Horde uniform, back in Pulmaria. Bow was next to me, and Glimmer, Adora, and Faust were there too. I stood in the too tight uniform, looking fine. I pinched the Horde uniform, and wiggled my arms in circles, trying to loosen up the suit, and myself.

"A little tight, don't you think?" I asked.

My voice was blunt, and now that I thought about it, I sounded like I was reaching for attention. Bow looked at me, and then closed his eyes.

"Oh, I umm... I think its fine." He coughed.

I saw his face turn red, and his eyes looked a little sad. His hands fiddled with the gloves. I had never seen that part. The memory replayed, and I moved on.

I looked in various pools, finding scenes I recognized, and ones I was not sure off. I saw Lupin in its full glory as I had a picnic with my mother, who wore her floral sundress I loved.

There was one of Petra laughing, her hair cut short, and uneven. Her skin was darker, and she had an eyebrow piercing. Petra had never pierced anything as long as she lived, and I was not sure she would ever, let alone her eyebrow.

"You know who I am." Cosmo's voice echoed around again.

"Everyone knows me."

I racked my brains, only coming back to the same answer every time... Time. I looked up at the sky.

"Time! Isn't that it, Time? That's what you are." I called to the pale sky above me.

"You've always been so smart, Azz." I turned around at the proximity of the voice. Cos stood behind me, smiling down at me. My lip trembled, and I shook my head.

"You're not really here. I know what happened to you." I said shakily and sat down my legs dipping into the memory of Lupin.

I was playing with Alizarin, and Fern while they lay swaddled in blankets, making sock puppets while they say in bed, sick. It was a bittersweet memory. They were so young, and I barely knew them, but I did not want to lose them when I was just getting to know them.

"You are right, but he died doing what he knew to be right... Protecting his family and Protecting his little sister."

I nodded slowly and smiled to myself. "He would have loved Entrapta, he had copious interests that included science." I said, and Life nodded.

"I thought you might like to see his face. It might make what comes next easier." Life said and held out a hand to me.

I took it hesitantly and stood.

"It's not my turn to leave, right?" I asked worriedly, and Life shook his head, milky white locks falling briefly in front of his eyes.

"No. But time for the other's is running out, but I play favorites. Horribly enough." My brows raised.

Did Life just make a joke? He smiled himself.

"You are immensely Powerful, Azure. Not because you were born powerful, because you made yourself powerful." Life said and closed his eyes.

"Use it well." I stared as hard as I could as Cosmo's face on Time, savoring the moment.

"Please?" I whispered, my eyes brimming with tears I had failed to keep away.

Time knew what I wanted without words. He nodded before holding out his arms and wrapping them around me. I buried my face in the crook of his neck, eyes screwed tight, feeling the subtle warmth of his snowy skin. I got to hug my brother, or at least his image one last time.

The light pulsed outward stronger, and brighter every second, until everything went white...

I sat up in bed and looked around. I was in Bright Moon, on my bed, my bandages were tinted with the puss of the infection. I lifted a hand to my shoulder and felt the blood text was still under my fingers. I could feel energy pumping in my body, and I got out of bed. It did not hurt nearly as badly as before, and I quickly took off the bandages. I stared into the mirror. The cut was almost finished healing, and the stitches were loose almost. The wound was just a scab now. I stared in shook and flexed my hands.

"Petra!" I practically howled.

It took only a moment, but Petra came in through the door. She panicked a bit when she did not see me in bed, and rounded the small corner, and looked at me.

"What happened?" She asked walking over, and I turned to face her, my hands held up a little as I did not know what to do with them.

Petra stared at my stomach.

"I'm sorry, was I out for three weeks, what the heck?" She asked and inspected the scab.

"Two more weeks, and you be shifting perfectly." She marveled, and I nodded.

"Are Noah, and Faust still hunting?" I asked, and Petra nodded, but jumped on her toes.

"Yes, but we can go show Glimmer, and Bow." She said in a sing song tone.

She grabbed my hand, and I rushed out of the room, only feeling the slight internal sting.

I was unable to speak of Time, and his appearance as Cosmo. I felt like that information needed to be kept secret, like it was a sacred time I had spent in my dream.

Arriving at Glimmer's room took less time than I had initially thought. Petra knocked briskly, and the door opened for only a second, but it was enough for Bow to sweep us inside.

"Okay, Glimmer is really starting to panic. So, no one mention Adora." Bow whispered hurriedly.

"She's back from dinner with her mom?" Petra asked, and Bow nodded.

Wow, a lot happens when you are dreaming about your dead brother's body being used as a slipcover by Time itself.

"Got it, no mentioning Adora." I nodded back calmly.

Before we could speak, I heard Glimmer talking.

"Is it Adora?" Glimmer asked hopefully, and ran over, glitching as she came.

"No, just the veteran, and the fiancée." Petra teased nudging me.

"What if she ran into the Horde?" Glimmer asked, pacing.

Bow sat on the window seat, and I sat on the floor, looking though the book Glimmer loaned me.

"Noah, and Faust are out there, I'm sure they'd sense her if she were in any danger." I informed Glimmer.

"But shouldn't she be... ugh, back by now?" Glimmer asked, pacing, and glitching every few moments. "She said she was... ugh... going to get training... ah... Fix me? How long is that going to take? Ow! What kind of monster puts a chair here?" Glimmer ranted and walking into her puffy chair that resembled a cupcake.

"It's okay, I'm worried too Glimmer. But taking it out on the furniture isn't going to help." Bow said comfortingly.

"We can't just sit here, hoping she comes back eventually. We have to do something." Glimmer argued.

"Like what?" Petra asked flatly. I looked up at the door, as a knock jarred into my senses.

Glimmer answered the door, that opened to frame one of the palace guards.

"Princess, there is, uh... something here to see you." She said nervously, her heart hammered, and I cursed myself for not paying attention to it before.

"Do you mean someone?" Glimmer asked, and the guard shook her head.

"No something." I sensed a beat that did not belong to a human but another animal.

The guard stepped away, and we looked out into the hall. Though the shaded walk, a snowy white horse with tangerine mane, and feathered with of multiple hues shook its flowy mane in the sunlight that peaked though a window.

"Our horse." Bow said in awe.

The horse had a horn protruding from its forehead.

"I am my own horse. Call me Swift Wind." The mutated horse reared and spread its wings dramatically.

"Swift Wind? That sounds like gas on the go or something weird." I droned.

Glimmer, and Bow burst into a screaming frenzy.

"Our horse can talk!" Bow pointed.

"I can speak my mind now, pretty crazy, so I'm thinking..." Swift Wind said walking into the room past us.

"He's a talking horse!" Bow gaped, cutting him off.

"And I can be twice my size, in the form of a predatory animal that can tear you apart in three seconds flat, but yeah sure, freak out at a Unicorn." I said sarcastically and shifted on my feet.

"As we've established. Now-" Swift Wind, or whatever didn't get a chance to finish as Glimmer exclaimed again.

"He has wings!" She pointed out.

"Alright, I'll give you a moment to freak out, then we can talk." Swift Wind said bluntly.

Bow, and Glimmer stare up at him in awe, wheezing.

"Great! I think Adora needs our help. Ever since she transformed me, I have been able to feel where she is at all times, it is like instinct. But now I feel a pull, as if I'm being summoned to her side." Swift Wind retold, dramatically.

I have been around Bright Moon for so long I felt like surprises were getting out of hand. Swift Wind was looking at himself in the mirror and turned to us again.

"As part of Adora's heard, I need your help. Will you come?" Glimmer tensed as a glitch shook her, and I stood protectively next to her.

"Of course. Lead the way." Glimmer said, and I shook my head.

"But Glimmer your glitching-" Bow started, but Glimmer turned on him.

"-Is what got us into this. Adora left to save me, now it's time for us to save her. You in?" Glimmer asked looking between us.

"Always, but I don't think your mom is going to like us leaving so soon, after our mission." Bow pointed out as Glimmer walked to the door. I could feel a presence growing near.

"She doesn't need to know. We'll sneak out and be back before my mom even realizes were gone." Glimmer said, and I exchanged a look with Petra as she reached for the door

Queen Angela stood outside, poised to knock. Glimmer jumped back and gasped with the electrical crackle of a glitch.

"Ah mom! What are you doing here?" Glimmer hurriedly asked, trying to remain calm, and failing.

"Coming to see why my guard was escorting a horse into your room." Angela said coolly, as Swift Wind leaned over to her.

"I like to think of myself more of a role model for horse kind." I rolled my eyes at this.

"I mean uh- what talking horse, what's happening?" Swift Wind said sheepishly and moved away.

"You should get going if you want to track down Adora." Angela said, moving aside, and gesturing out the door.

"You're not going to stop us?" Glimmer asked, and Angela gave a found smile to Glimmer.

"Glimmer, I told you I regretted giving up after your father died. I will not condone you to the same regrets."

I watched this motherly exchange, and thought of my own mother, and I felt a warmth spread inside my chest.

"Commander Glimmer, I order you to continue your mission to find Adora and bring her back home." Angela said, and Glimmer saluted.

"Right away, Your Majesty. Come on." Glimmer turned to us and ran out the door.

We took suit, and I stayed mostly behind Petra so no one could stop me, and we headed though the hall. I was quicker than I was during my recovery, and for that much I felt grateful.

"I'm a little mad they didn't notice your obvious improvement." Petra remarked under her breath, and I shrugged.

"Its fine, they'll figure it out." I looked back at Bow, who was talking to Swift Wind.

"Maybe..."