We have a bit more fanart :3

First, some from ConstellationCat! Just a wholesome moment :3

Once again from GoldenFogFury! Love this one, and I wonder who that second person could be :>

I was originally gonna add a lot more scenes to this, but this chapter is already super freaking long (11,773 words-) and I need to update things, so I guess some of the stuff I planned is gonna be flashbacks later in the book =v='

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"Really?! That's wonderful!" The Professor says excitedly as he finishes writing down some notes.

"Yeah, I might as well since I've been here for so long." Sabre replies. "M kept talking about it for two hours after I told him."

"Not a surprise, unity ceremonies are a big deal." Professor Red continues, setting down his clipboard on the desk and turning to Sabre. "I'm probably going to be hearing about this from Carmine for the next week."

"You think he'd be that excited about it?"

"He's already excited about it! You should've seen him when he stopped by this morning, he wouldn't shut up." The Professor laughs. "Anyway, do you mind if I test something that'd involve using your blood today-? We've only been using scans and observations until now, and this would yield a lot more information."

"As long as you don't try to dissect me or something, I'm fine with pretty much anything." Sabre replies, smiling.

"Ha ha. Very funny."

The Professor then picks up a very small syringe from a tray on the desk, and Sabre holds out his arm. The Professor is surprised that Sabre is already prepared when he turns back around.

"Oh, are you used to getting your blood drawn or something?"

"It happened a lot where I was from. Dunno what they were using it for, but they called it a bimonthly health check."

"That's weird."

"Well, now I know it was."

The Professor carefully takes some blood, and when he looks at the now filled syringe, he's surprised to see a dark crimson color.

"Your blood is red-?" He mumbles.

"Yeah? What were you expecting, beige?" Sabre laughs.

"Yes, actually. I was. I'm used to someone's blood being a darker version of their main color." The Professor says, also laughing a little. "Although you are an entirely different species, so I shouldn't be too surprised."

The Professor turns back to his computer and picks up a corked vial, sticking the point of the syringe through the cork and into the bottle, then transferring the sample from one container to the other. Taking the syringe out, he examines the vial for a moment before setting it on a different tray on his desk.

"Seriously, if you disguised yourself or something you could trick people into thinking you're a Red Steve." The Professor laughs a little, still a bit surprised.

"Really? Well, the fact I don't have powers would probably give me away." Sabre replies.

"Eh, not really. A common disability among Steves is being born without any abilities. We don't know why it happens, but we're still trying to figure out solutions for it."

"Wait, are you serious-?" Sabre asks, visibly confused. "That's a thing??"

The Professor just stares for a moment, his casual smile dropping, as his expression conveys figurative gears turning in his head.

"...I'm guessing the other Chromatics held it over your head and made a big deal about it instead of providing proper accommodations and information?"

"Man, they didn't even let me fight because of it! It was always 'You hang back, you have no abilities', or 'You have no powers, what can you do' and it was always so frustrating! They brought it up outside of fights, too! Most of the time I was always treated like I was made of glass or something-"

"How bad are we talking here?"

"Once I 'wasn't allowed' to help with a cave spider issue because they thought I was going to be weaker to poison or something because of it. If they had asked or at least let me explain, I would have been able to tell them that cave spider venom isn't lethal to me."

"Oh those sons of- they really just assumed?!"

"Yes! They did that a lot! Like when-"

"What's all the shouting about?"

The two turn to see the Red Leader coming down the stairs, looking concerned.

"Oh, hello again Carmine!" Professor Red greets him. "We were discussing something and Sabre realized some stupidity happened."

"I didn't know it was actually sort of normal for someone to not have powers, I was never told it could happen." Sabre continues, lowering his voice. "The other Chromatics made a big deal out of me not having abilities like theirs, and didn't let me participate in some things because of it."

The Red Leader now has a look that's a mix of disgust and anger. It makes Sabre laugh, while the Professor continues ranting.

"My reaction exactly! You think you've heard it all, but then something else comes up showing how ignorant they've become! I honestly can't believe-"

"Alright, alright, calm down Professor." Sabre says. "I don't have to deal with that anymore, it's in the past."

The Professor mumbles something and crosses his arms. Sabre then turns to the Red Leader.

"Sorry for getting so loud. I was just sort of upset about it, and-"

"No no, you don't need to apologize." The Red Leader says, descending the rest of the staircase and walking over to the two. "It's actually good that you were angry about it."

"It is?"

"Mhm. It is." The Red Leader says with a softer, smiling expression. "It means you understood what they did to you was wrong."

Sabre, surprised, is silent for a few moments. His expression is one of confliction.

"Oh, hey Carmine, check this out!" The Professor says, holding up the vial he had set down earlier. The Red Leader looks confused for a moment before Professor Red points at Sabre and continues. "This is his."

"Your blood is red-?" The Red Leader says, turning to Sabre, looking surprised.

"That's exactly what he said!" Sabre says, motioning to the Professor and smiling. "And I said 'Oh what were you expecting, beige?' and you guys actually expected it to be beige?"

"If we had the same reaction, I'm guessing the Professor already explained why." The Red Leader says, laughing.

The research session has turned into a casual conversation, the three of them discussing similar topics happily.

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"Hey Sabre?"

"Yeah, M?"

"Do you... ever miss your home?"

It was a fairly chilly night, Sabre and M standing on Sabre's room's balcony and watching as the town below settled down and became quiet. The leaves in the trees started turning various shades of rusty orange, deep red, and golden yellow, and rose petals were no longer falling through the air as the season for roses ended. M shudders a little before pulling his coat closed, the incoming wind making the air colder.

Sabre looks at M, who has a slightly guilty expression.

"What do you mean?" Sabre asks, confused.

"Y'know... where you came from. You were just pulled out of your world without any warning and dropped into this one." M explains. "I... I feel bad about that, even though I had nothing to do with it. Didn't you have any friends there? Anything you miss?"

There was silence for a moment, but it was quickly broken by Sabre.

The last thing M expected to hear was laughter.

"What?" M asks. "What are you laughing for-?"

"M, the absolute last thing that place was is a home." Sabre says, still smiling. "Sure I had friends, and I do miss them, but... I never want to go back there again. And I'm glad that I very likely never will."

Sabre looks back to the town, watching the few people still out as crickets start to chirp.

"Besides..." Sabre continues. "This is home. Being brought to this kingdom is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Even though a lot of things happened to me in this world, I wouldn't change anything about it if it means I get to stay here."

There's a silence between them for a little while, until Sabre looks back at M.

"Wh- Why are you crying? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm not crying, shut-"

"Yes you are! Why are you crying, dude?"

"Shut up, no I'm not-!" M says, starting to laugh a little.

"Lies."

Sabre laughs too, putting one arm around M and bringing him closer in a hug. They continue to watch the town below them, smiling as the moonlight begins to climb past the mountains and fall over the area.

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"So you want your unity ceremony to be during winter?"

"Yeah. I've always liked winter... it's peaceful."

"Me too. I can bundle up in warm pajamas and have like five blankets without being judged."

"Ha, true."

Sabre and M walked through the kingdom, M carrying a few books he borrowed from the town library. Sabre only had one, although it was clear from his expression that he was excited to read it. He had gotten a bit bored of history books, so he was glad that M let him join him on his trip to the library.

It was a much colder day, winter clearly just on the horizon. The heavily overcast sky provided no sunlight to help keep everything warmed up. Although there was no snow yet, everyone was bundled up in coats, gloves, scarves, and various other clothing items to keep out the sudden chill. M had a fluffy coat, earmuffs, a scarf, and mittens, while Sabre just layered on another sweater on top of his normal one. This one was a normal wool sweater that was a bit darker than his usual one.

"I'm sorry we still haven't had the time to get you proper winter gear yet. It got colder a lot faster this year." M says, guilt in his tone. "I promise as soon as we can, I'll ask the tailor to make some for you. He's just been really busy since all of the kids in the kingdom are quickly outgrowing theirs..."

"Don't feel bad about it M, it's fine. And not your fault, either." Sabre smiles. "I don't mind waiting a little longer. If anything, it gives me an excuse to keep staying inside."

"Oh, that reminds me. We also really need to find something for you to do while I'm out with my studies." M continues. "I know you've been getting really bored recently while waiting for me to come back home. Again, I could have gotten you more folktale books from the town library since the castle's one is mostly archives-"

"It's alright. I can manage with this for now." Sabre replies, holding up his book. "That, and the Professor said he's going to teach me more about how redstone works. We're gonna use that beginner's guide he got me."

"That's just more incentive to find you something else to do." M sighs, jokingly rolling his eyes. "The kingdom can't handle two crazy redstoneers."

"Well screw you too then." Sabre laughs.

A rumble of thunder interrupts the conversation, and before anyone knows it, freezing cold rain is pouring down. The duo quickly rushes under the awning of a nearby shop, holding their books close so they don't get wet.

"Of course a storm starts while we're on the other side of the kingdom..." M groans, frustrated. "Here, put your book in my bag. It'll keep it dry."

"Thanks." Sabre places his book in M's messenger bag. "Think we could get home quick if we duck under enough awnings on the way back? Your dad will probably be worried sick in a few minutes."

"Maybe... I don't want him sending someone to find us again. But we might slip... and the cold will affect you more..."

"I'll be fine, don't worry. You're the one that should be more careful."

"What if we get separated?"

"I know the way back."

"Hmm... alright. But at least take my scarf so you'll be a little warmer."

"Okay, okay."

After quickly exchanging the scarf, M and Sabre dart out into the rain, both quickly finding places to take cover for a few moments before continuing. Although, just as M worried, they were eventually separated by the crowd trying to quickly get to their homes and out of the rain. Sabre continued on, remembering the way that the Red Leader had taught him to head through in order to get back to the castle.

Using the scarf to cover his head, Sabre ran through the streets until he spotted someone; It was one of Ruby's friends, Berry. He was huddled under a tree, trying to use his small mint green shawl to cover his head, fumbling pulling the shawl's hood up. Despite the rain, Sabre notices he's crying while looking around.

He quickly runs over, Berry looking a little relieved the moment he sees him approach.

"Mister Sabre!" Berry shouts as he wraps his little arms around Sabre's waist, crying into his sweater. Sabre protectively wraps his arms around the little boy, using a soft tone to talk to him.

"Hey, hey there Berry. What's wrong? You okay?" He asks. Berry lets go and looks up at him, wiping away a few tears with his shawl.

"I-I was playing hide and seek with Cherry before the storm started, a-and I got lost, and I don't kn-know where Cherry and dad are..." Berry explains between short cries. "I-I wanna go home..."

"It's okay, Berry. I'll help you get home, alright?" Sabre replies, helping Berry pull up his shawl's hood. "Here, c'mere."

Sabre opens his arms and Berry climbs into them, Sabre carefully lifting up and carrying him. Looking around for a moment, he sees one of the street signs and recognizes the block named as the one Berry lives on. Dashing through the streets, he makes sure to be extra careful as Berry grips his sweater tightly, pressing his face into his shoulder.

When he gets to the twins' house, he sees their father searching for his lost son, umbrella in hand. Once he sees Sabre, he immediately rushes over.

"Berry! Oh, thank goodness!" He calls out.

Upon hearing his father's voice, Berry looks up and smiles, reaching out for him. Sabre hands Berry to his father, who holds his son tightly and moves his umbrella over the both of them.

"Thank you so much. I was so worried about him..." Berry's father says. "Cherry, too. He's been waiting in the house while I've been looking for him."

"N-No problem. He got lost w-while playing hide and seek with his brother, apparently." Sabre explains. "Found him under a-a tree."

"You should get home quick. The storm's picking up." Berry's father says, holding on tighter to his umbrella as the wind tries to rip it away. "And I'm sure Amaris and the Leader won't be too happy if you get yourself sick."

"W-Will do, seeya later!" Sabre replies, quickly waving as he begins to run off back home.

When Sabre finally arrived back at the castle, he was soaked to the bone and shivering. He didn't even need to knock on the door, as it opened and M quickly pulled him inside.

"And where have you been?! Origin above, Sabre, you're dripping wet and it's freezing out there!" M says, seeming like he was scolding him if it wasn't for the obvious worry in his voice. "Get over to the west common area, there's a fire going- goodness! Just what on earth were you doing?!"

"S-Sorry, M. I-I found Berry l-lost out there on m-m-my way back a-and helped him get h-home." Sabre explains as M leads him through the hallway. "I-I came r-right back after, th-though."

"You- I- ugh, I can't even be mad! Just- Sabre, you know exactly how risky it is staying out in the cold like that!"

"H-Hey, I-I've done riskier."

"Sabre."

M takes him into a room with two armchairs placed around a fireplace on the back wall, a couch against the right wall, and a large soft rug in the center of the room. There were a few bookshelves on the room's left side, half filled with books and half filled with various decorations.

Sabre is immediately taken to the couch, M making him sit down on the side close to the fire. He takes a throw blanket off the back of the couch and hands it to Sabre.

"You stay right here and I'll be back with another blanket and I'm going to go tell dad that you're back, okay? And then as soon as you're warmed up a little more, go change out of those soaked clothes."

"A-Alright."

As M leaves, Sabre takes off the soaked scarf and places it next to him, feeling bad that it could be ruined. Staring into the fire, he wraps the blanket around his shoulders and pulls it over himself, trying to stop himself from shivering.

A while later, once he's taken a few minutes to go to his room to change, Sabre returns to the common area and takes back his place on the couch. Although he now also has another bigger, warmer blanket that M brought him, he still shivers. M has taken notice that Sabre hasn't improved and checks on him a few times, sometimes joined by the Red Leader.

As Sabre adjusts the blanket again, M walks into the room, concern clear in his expression.

"Hey. How're you feeling?" M asks, sitting down next to him.

"Bad." Sabre replies, groaning.

"Still? Is there anything specific other than being cold, or just generally bad?"

"It's both hot and cold and I'm still shivering." Sabre says, moving part of the blankets for a moment to extend his hand, showing how it shakes uncontrollably. He quickly puts the blanket back.

"It's starting to sound like you actually did get yourself sick." M sighs. "I can call one of the town healers to come and take a look at you, although they might need a little of the Professor's help since he's the only one with understanding of your biology at the moment. I just asked one of the attendants to bring over some tea for you, too. Once you drink that, you should head to bed."

"Sounds good to me." Sabre yawns.

He rests his head on the arm of the couch, once again staring into the fireplace. The warmth of the fire is soothing, its soft orange light radiating throughout the room. He can still hear the rapid taps of freezing rain hitting the castle roof, making a constant rhythm.

There's a knock on the door, and M gets up to answer it. After a quick exchange with the attendant in the hallway, he brings in a small tray with a teapot and a teacup placed on it. Setting it down on the table, he carefully pours some of the steaming tea into the cup and hands it to Sabre. Sabre says a mumbled 'thank you' and begins to drink the tea.

He and M look up when they hear another knock, seeing the Red Leader in the doorway as the door had remained open. His expression is one of worry.

"Hey, you two. Everything alright?" He asks.

"M'fine-" Sabre starts.

"No, you're very much not." M interrupts, turning around to face Sabre for a moment, then turning back to the Leader. "He got himself sick, turns out. I was planning to send for a healer tomorrow morning to check him over and see if it's just the result of him staying outside in freezing rain or something else. For right now, I'm making him have some herbal tea and sending him right to bed once he's done."

"Ah, good. I can send for the healer tomorrow for you, actually." The Red Leader says. "I'll go ahead and notify the Professor that they'll need some of his research."

"Oh, thanks dad."

"No problem Amaris."

The Red Leader then looks at Sabre.

"And you better listen to what Amaris and the healer tell you. You need to have better focus on your health, and I'm not going to have you neglecting it while you need to recover."

"I know, I know..." Sabre says quietly, yet still smiles a little.

The Red Leader smiles back, then walks down the hallway. Sabre and M sit on the couch for a little while longer, enjoying the warmth of the fire and each other's silent company.

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Sabre had been stuck in his room for about two days. The doctor that visited had recommended he rest until his fever goes away, and his Red Steve companions in the castle took that recommendation very seriously. Not that he really minded, though; He was happy having them around, and with how he was feeling he'd rather just stay in bed anyway.

It wasn't like he was getting bored either. He still had his sketchbook nearby, and M had taken it upon himself to bring Sabre all of his favorite books from the castle library to keep in a small stack next to his bed so he wouldn't have to get up. On top of that, the attendants that would occasionally come in to check on him or bring him food often struck up conversations. It was interesting for Sabre to hear about their various jobs around the castle.

However, the fact that he was sick still made him feel awful. The fever had brought a pounding headache with it, and usual other symptoms like weakness and fatigue showed up soon when he woke up the morning after the storm. He found a small amount of comfort in the fact that it could have been worse. In the healer's words, he was lucky he didn't get pneumonia.

Hearing a knock on the door, Sabre sits up in his bed and gives permission to come in. The Red Leader opens the door, giving a comforting smile.

"Good morning, Sabre. Just wanted to check on you." He says, closing the door behind him and walking over. "Feeling any better? Or do I need to have doctor Cardinal visit again?"

"No to both, I feel about the same as yesterday. I appreciate your concern, though." Sabre replies.

"Alright. Let me know if you need anything or if anything happens, okay?" The Red Leader asks. "I'm just as available as any of the attendants is you need me."

"No, it's okay, I know you're busy. I've seen your schedule, remember?"

"Oh, that's more of a to-do list if anything, most of the time. You're more important to me than something like going through paperwork or meetings."

There's a beat of silence for a moment, Sabre not knowing how to reply and the Red Leader not having anything else to say. After a few seconds, Sabre smiles and speaks up.

"Y'know, you don't really have to knock every time you come in now. I'm okay with you being in my room." Sabre says.

"Wh- really?" The Red Leader says, surprised.

"Yeah. I was all anxious and jumpy before, but now... I'm comfortable with you being around. It's okay."

The Leader is shocked, but soon a warm smile appears on his face. He seems almost overjoyed.

"I'm glad, Sabre. Thank you."

"Oh, it's nothing to really thank me for, sir-"

"Please, just call me Carmine. You've been living here in the castle for so long now, there's no need to use formalities with me. You're... almost family at this point."

There's another bout of silence, before the Red Leader notices one of the books on the pile that M brought into the room.

"Oh my goodness, is that Mythos and Tales of the Realm? That's one of my favorites, do you like it too?"

"Oh- Yeah! Your people's myths and legends are so interesting. My personal favorite myth is the one of the Orchid Soldier."

"Oh, that's a good one. Mine is the Poet and the Serpent."

"That's a good one too! What'd you think of the Spirit Guardian?"

"The legend of the Spirit Guardian is wonderful, such a nice story too."

"My people actually have something similar."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's called the Church Grim, although it doesn't have an owner it reunites with every solstice. It's a dog that's first to be buried in a graveyard, its soul residing in the graveyard and taking a new form of a big black dog, becoming the one to protect the graves from evil spirits."

"Ooh, spooky. Kind of like the Lanternbearer?"

"Sort of."

As they talked, they continued to share stories of their people together. It was fun for both of them, a nice break for the Leader and some welcomed company for Sabre.

Amaris had almost walked in while they were talking, but noticed and watched them from the hall. He smiled as he saw them bonding, glad that they finally weren't being so anxious around each other.

"It's a good start." He says to himself, still smiling, as he heads towards another part of the castle so the two can talk in peace.

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The room was still and quiet, yet to Sabre, it was far from peaceful.

It wasn't only his body that was plagued; his mind was stuck on the past like an insect trapped in honey. Even as he tried to rest and recover, it still made old scars resurface from the depths he had tried so desperately to push them down into.

He thought it had ended. But it's not that easy to fix what had been broken.

...

He tried his hardest not to let them see that their tactics were working, but he could still feel the tears gathering in his hidden eyes. He could still feel the sting on his skin from the strikes. He could still feel the shock and following adrenaline from the first hit, but it wasn't enough to make his weakened body move. He could still feel the gnarled swirl of emotions from when he first realized what they were going to do to him, for the sake of information.

...He could still feel. But it was as if they had forgotten he could in the first place.

He could still feel before Void had found a way to infect him. He could still feel before his closest friend was taken from this world by the greed of others. He could still feel before that same friend had left him for their enemy. He could still feel before he watched the cosmos fall to the abyss before his very eyes, separating into new life. He could still feel before he saw what once was just another child in a war-stricken world turn into a fellow martyr. He could still feel before the nightmarish king ripped his soul from the earth, only for it to be returned at the cost of itself. He could still feel before he was roped into an ancient battle of a world that was not his own. He could still feel before he fell into unfamiliar lands.

Sabre wished they would finally realize this truth. Except now, he didn't know whether it was because he wanted them to recognize him again, or if it was because he just wanted them to stop.

Left alone in the cell once more, he slowly returned to his usual corner, curled up with his back facing the guards in white as he stared at the stone brick wall.

More than anything, he could feel that he was tired.

...

Footsteps.

Familiar footsteps accompanied by the sound of moving armor.

Followed closely behind by less familiar but still recognizable ones.

Both seeming to almost radiate an aura of danger.

Don't look them in the eyes.

Don't look at them at all.

Whatever you do, don't give them a reason to do it again.

They've entered the cell.

Sabre jolted awake, his eyes fixated on the ceiling above him, it just barely visible past the semitransparent canopy of the bed. His eyes darting around, he quickly realizes it was only another dream. Relaxing, he releases the tight grip he had on the covers he didn't even notice he had.

Using one arm for support, he pushes himself upright into a sitting position and sighs, running his free hand through his hair. He used its new length as a way to ground himself to reality, reminding himself that the dream wasn't real; Before he had joined the Red Kingdom, he kept his hair short so it couldn't be grabbed on in battle. Now that there were no fights, there was no need to keep cutting it.

He looked at the palms of his hands. They used to be covered in gashes and cuts constantly, either from being knocked down or having to stop some sort of blade from hitting a more vital part of his body. He remembered how he used to wrap his hands in bandages to keep anything from getting into the cuts, and to help prevent new ones. Now, everything has healed over, even the worst of the injuries reduced to fading scars. There wasn't any more use in wrapping bandages over them.

Looking over at the mirror on the other side of the room for a moment, he caught a glimpse of the scar on his neck. It has healed too, being a muted reddish color when he first arrived, but now has turned into a light, dull pink. It hasn't ached in months. People barely even notice it unless he turns his head.

Speaking of, Sabre realizes his headache has gotten worse again. He carefully slips out of bed, grabs a blanket and wraps it around himself like a cloak, and exits his room, making sure to be quiet so he didn't wake anyone up.

He remembers it being difficult at first to remember where everything was, but now he can navigate the castle easily, soon making his way into the kitchen. Sabre walks to the cupboards and opens one, grabbing a glass from one of the shelves and turning to the sink.

"Kid-?"

Sabre whips around and throws the glass in the direction of the voice, it practically flying across the room. Jasper catches it with ease, at first looking surprised, but his face quickly reverts back to his usual unconcerned expression. They stare at each other for a few moments as Jasper just stands there in the doorway.

"...Nice throw." Jasper shrugs, walking towards Sabre.

"Nice catch." Sabre replies, his voice quiet and hoarse. He clears his throat for a moment. "Sorry about that."

"Eh, don't worry about it."

Jasper reaches him, and he hands the glass back to Sabre. He leans on the counter, using one arm to prop himself up while the other remains loosely at his side.

"So... what are you doing in my kitchen in the middle of the night?" He asks.

"I was just going to get some water..." Sabre mumbles. "Woke up with a headache bothering me."

"You have a nightmare or something?"

"...Yeah."

Jasper sighs, pushing himself off the counter and over to a different cupboard.

"Go ahead and put that back, kid. I'll make something that'll actually help with your headache." Jasper says, opening the cabinet and looking through it. "If you want, you can tell me about that nightmare over it. If you don't, we can just talk."

"Oh, thank you sir." Sabre says, surprised.

"Don't have to call me 'sir', kid. I was never any authority or nothin'."

"Sorry."

"Nothing to apologize for. How about a snack while I'm at it? There's still some double chocolate fudge cookies in here."

"That'd be nice, actually... thank you."

"No problem."

Jasper takes a few minutes to make some tea, then places two mugs of it on the kitchen island next to a plate of cookies. He takes a seat in one of the tall stools next to the island, Sabre sitting on another one next to his. They both take a minute to try some of the tea before they start talking.

"So... what was bothering you, kid?" Jasper asks. "It's okay if you don't want to tell me, I've just heard a little bit about your issue with nightmares. My little brother used to have nightmares too, so I might be able to help you with yours."

"It's just... stuff that happened while I was captive." Sabre replies, taking a cookie. "I don't really want to bring you down with explaining it-"

"Kid, you gotta remember you're not the only one that's been at war. I promise, I can handle whatever you need to get off your chest."

Sabre quietly just stares for a moment, before taking a breath, switching his gaze to the floor.

"When they thought I was still corrupted, they..." Sabre starts. "They wanted information on what Void was doing. Plans, areas attacked, anything. From what I was able to hear, all of the refugees were sick of being in the Hub, and it was running out of room. They wanted to know if there was an area that was safe for them to go to. Since they thought I was corrupted, they... thought I had that information."

Sabre takes a bite of his cookie, not looking up. Jasper looks at him, his expression slightly changing. Softening.

"...They do something?"

"They did a lot of things..." Sabre replies, placing his free hand over the opposite arm. "Things that have healed, but... haven't really gone away. Just like what Void did to me. I had a bad dream about the first incident."

"The first-? Don't tell me..."

Jasper gave him an almost pleading look. All Sabre could do was give a solemn look back. After a while, Jasper quietly groans and shakes his head.

"Idiots... Bet they feel real stupid about it now."

"I wouldn't know, and I don't really want to." Sabre says, taking another bite.

"Fair enough."

There's a few minutes of silence between the two. Then, Jasper finishes the last of his tea and sets the mug down.

"Can you think of anything that might be causing you to have these nightmares?"

"What?"

"Nervous about anything? Anxieties?" Jasper says, taking a cookie from the plate. "I can tell from how Amaris has been visiting you at night more often that you've been having more of these bad dreams recently. You being sick could even be a contribution to the uptick."

Sabre thinks for a moment.

"Well... it is about me being sick, sort of. Do you know about how I was when I was first captured by the others?"

"Yeah. You were horribly ill and they didn't do anything about it."

"That's... what I'm worried about." Sabre explains. "This is the first time I've gotten sick since then, and... I just have this worry that I'm going to get that bad again. That I'll end up too weak to even just move, and I'd be... vulnerable again. I know that nothing bad is going to happen to me here, but I- I just- I don't know."

"It's alright, kid. I get it."

Sabre looks up.

"You- You do?"

"It makes a lotta sense. The last time you were in poor health, people took advantage of it to hurt you. You're having a response to that memory and fearing the worst. But the thing is, there's nothing to worry about; Cardinal said this morning that you were already recovering, remember? You've already gotten through the worst of it, and it's all going to be fine. We can all promise you that. I know it might not be the best comfort, but..."

"No, I... really appreciate it. Thanks, Jasper." Sabre says, smiling at him.

"...You're welcome, kid."

Jasper smiles back.

They sit in silence for a little while, finishing their tea and cookies. As Jasper goes to pick up the empty mugs, Sabre speaks up a little.

"H-Hey, I... I didn't get to say this before, but... I'm sorry about what happened. I didn't know..."

"It's okay, Sabre." Jasper replies. "It... It's not your fault you had to face him. You were doing what you had to so you could protect so many others. I accepted that he wasn't coming back a long time before that."

"...Spark was a good kid before then, believe it or not."

—————————————————————————————————————

It was early morning, and Sabre was awoken to M excitedly knocking on his door.

"Sabre! Get up, c'mon!"

"I'm up, I'm up..." Sabre smiles, sitting up and quickly adjusting his blindfold, stopping it from slipping off. "You can come in, dude."

M opens the door in a flash, a wide smile on his face. He rushes over and grabs onto Sabre's arm, pulling him up out of bed.

"Hey, what's got you all wound up?" Sabre asks as M lets go.

"Have you looked outside?!"

"No? You woke me up."

"Well go look, then!"

M starts pushing him to the large window of his room, which is at the moment covered by a heavy curtain to keep out the cold seeping through the glass. The temperature had been dropping more and more over the past few days, and people were taking precautions to keep their homes warm.

Sabre laughs and playfully shoves M's arm away, then goes over to the window and pulls the curtain back.

He's surprised to see the Red Kingdom covered in a thick layer of white. The long-barren trees have snow gathered on their empty branches, some falling to the already covered ground below.  Birds left small tracks in the powdery landscape, looking for anything buried under the frost. The roofs of every building in town had all of their red covered by the snow, icicles formed on their edges. Most of the townsfolk were having fun making snowmen and throwing fistfuls of snow at each other, a few of them letting themselves fall backwards onto the ground to make snow angels. Others went about their daily routines, watching those that were playing with bright smiles. Everyone was bundled up in warm, fluffy coats and scarves, most having scarves or mittens or both, similarly with hats and earmuffs.

"Woah..." Sabre gasps.

"Right?! It's so pretty!" M exclaims. "Hurry up and get dressed and get all of the winter gear we just got you, we're going outside! I have enough time to mess around for a bit before my lessons!"

"Don't have to tell me twice, you hurry up too!" Sabre replies, turning to M as he quickly rushes back to his room.

Sabre swiftly changes out of his pajamas and into his usual outfit, then taking his new winter clothes and putting them on over it. He had received a muted red coat, light grey gloves, basil-colored boots with a white fur trim, matching earmuffs, and a scarf with a coral and mint zig-zag pattern. The Red Leader had them made shortly after he recovered from his sickness a few days ago, saying he wanted Sabre to be prepared for the next time he decides to go out when it's cold.

He exited his room, and at the same time, M exited his. He had a maroon coat similar in style to Sabre's, except it was more worn and had darker accents. He also had black boots with the same white fur trim, bright red gloves that almost matched his hair, mahogany-colored earmuffs, and the same pastel red scarf he wore the day of the freezing rain. It hadn't been ruined after all, just needed to properly dry out.

The two rush through the castle, headed to the grand front door. However, just as they're about to open it and run through, they're stopped by the Red Leader.

"Hold it, you two!"

Sabre and M stop abruptly, almost running into each other. The Red Leader walks over and puts a knitted wool hat on each of them, smiling.

"There, that's better. Now you can go." He says, stepping back.

"Dad, we don't need the hats." M argues, about to take it off, but the Red Leader pushes his hand down.

"Ah-ah-ah, yes you do. It's extremely cold out there and you both need as much protection from it as you can get." He says in an authoritative tone. "I don't want either of you freezing."

"I can understand being worried about Sabre since he was just sick, but why do I have to wear the stupid hat?"

"Hey-"

"You wear the hats or you don't go outside."

"Fiiiine." Sabre and M say in unison.

"Good. Now you can go out." The Red Leader smiles again, stepping aside.

The two rush past and hurriedly open the door, closing it behind them as they run out into the snow. The Leader watches as they go, glad they're going to have some fun. He suddenly hears a very familiar voice behind him.

"Worrywart."

"Goggles, shut up and install your stupid machines." The Red Leader says, turning around to see the Professor looking at him with a jokingly teasing expression while carrying what looks like a metal box.

The Professor had been working with Sabre to figure out how to build things from his world, the one he's currently installing all around the kingdom being a home heating system.

"You're not gonna be calling it stupid when it's heating up most of the castle!" The Professor grins. "And these are just one finished machine from Sabre's world! The rest are still in the prototype stage, but they're gonna be amazing! How did I never think of any of these myself-"

"And you waited until now to finish making all of these 'heaters', because...?"

"You try having to freeze your cheeks off when you need to work in an observatory for a few hours."

"Alright, alright."

Outside, Sabre and M have just arrived at the town. Quickly finding an untouched spot, they get to work building a snowman together, chatting as they go. Soon, they've almost finished.

"Man, we should have thought of getting something to use as a nose." Sabre says as he packs the last of some snow around the snowman's head. "Oh well."

"I found a bunch of rocks! Maybe we can use the biggest one?" M asks, holding an armful of stones he collected from the ground.

Just before Sabre walks over, someone walking by quickly shoves a carrot in the center of the snowman's empty face. Looking up, Sabre and M recognize the passerby and smile.

"There you go." Amaryllis laughs. His cat, riding in the hood of his thick, beige-colored wool coat with multicolored flowers embroidered all over, peeks over his shoulder at the two boys.

"Thanks Amaryllis! Why'd you just have a carrot, though-?" M asks.

"I was going to make a snowman too, but I forgot I have an appointment this morning until I was already out of the house." He explains. "I was just going to have it as a snack, but this seems like a better use for it."

"Ah, that sucks. You could probably make a snowman later, though." Sabre replies. "Thanks again, and hope your appointment goes well!"

"No problem, and thank you. I'll seeya later." Amaryllis smiles.

Amaryllis walks away, and the two go back to putting the final touches on their snowman. Collecting twigs for arms, placing the small rocks for buttons, eyes, and a smile, and using some lichen growing on a nearby tree for a scarf, they take a step back to observe their creation.

"Using the lichen was a great idea." M says with a joyful grin. "Makes it look more complete."

"And now, nobody has to sacrifice an actual scarf for it." Sabre laughs a little.

"True." M laughs as well.

"Hey guys!"

Sabre and M turn around, seeing Ruby waving at them with his friend group behind him. They're all bundled in various combinations of winter clothes, just like the rest of the town. Sabre and M walk over to the grinning Ruby.

"Heya Ruby, what's up?" Sabre asks.

"Wanna have a snowball fight with us? We've already got snow forts set up and everything!" Ruby excitedly explains, his friends behind him, nodding.

"And a bunch of pre-made snowballs for each side!" Penn adds. "We're not allowed to put rocks or anything in the snowballs through, that's too dangerous."

"I've been working on my throwing arm, so you better watch out!" Brick exclaims with a smile.

"Hmm... what do you think Sabre, should we join?" M asks, turning to him with a jokingly conflicted expression.

The group of children all look at Sabre with hopeful looks.

"Don't see why not." Sabre smiles. The children excitedly cheer.

The duo is quickly dragged along to a much bigger open spot nearby, split into two sides by a slightly raised line in the snow. Small twin walls of snow were on each side, along with a pile of snowballs between them.

The children argued between each other about who would have them on which team, but M and Sabre each split off into one team each, evening the number of players. They hid behind their forts and quickly talked among each other, waiting for someone to throw the first projectile.

"Sabre, you know how to make a snowball spin midair?" Cherry asks with a grin, looking at him as they sit next to each other.

"Uh... no. Actually, this is my first time being in a snowball fight." Sabre chuckles, rolling the snowball around in his palm.

"What?! You get first throw then!" Pepper exclaims, sitting on his other side.

"Yeah! You get first throw!" Ruby smiles, Scarlet nodding behind him.

"Oh- okay! Does it work like dodgeball, or-?"

"Snowball fights are a game of endurance, it doesn't matter how many hits you take, you just gotta outlast the other team."

Ruby then makes Sabre sit up, turning him around to look at the opposing team. M giggles with Candi and Rose as they stare at them, Brick holding a snowball with an excited grin. Penn stands behind him, ready to hand him two more.

Sabre can't help but laugh a little as he feels a little hand on his shoulder, and Ruby says in a completely serious voice;

"Strike fast. Throw as hard as you can. Dodge what you're able to. It's a fight to the death."

Sabre focuses, still smiling, and calculates what he should do. Only a few seconds later he stands up, aims, pulls his arm back, and tosses.

Bullseye, right into Brick's face, making him drop his snowball and tumble backwards into Penn. Ruby laughs.

And then, snowy chaos begins.

The children are tackling each other and vaulting snow at each other, some not having the patience to make a snowball and just picking up an armful of snow and catapulting it at their nearest opponent. M quickly looks around, snowball at the ready, looking for Sabre.

However, he doesn't see Sabre because he's dug himself into a snowbank behind M. He waits for a while, then suddenly jumps out and tackles him from behind.

"ELEMENT OF SURPRISE!"

"ACK- Sabre!"

The two laugh as they tumble to the group, each group of children throwing snowballs at the older child that's not on their team. It just ends with both of them being buried in snow, though.

They don't mind.

—————————————————————————————————————

Sabre was with M in M's room, the two sitting on beanbag chairs in the corner while M reads from a history book.

"Okay, we can take a break." M says, noticing how tense Sabre looks. "You okay?"

"Mhm. Yep. I'm doing good on the practice, right?" Sabre asks, wringing his hands. "Have I messed up too much?"

"No, no, you're doing great." M smiles. "Nervous about the ceremony?"

"Of course I am! Yes I'm excited but also- so many people, and it'll be so embarrassing if I screw up what I'm supposed to say- what if I don't get anything right?! I don't want to disappoint the Red Leader-"

"Sabre, calm down! It's alright." M laughs. "Even though it's really nice that our culture means so much to you, you don't need to be too worried."

"I know, I know." Sabre sighs. "It just seems so official-"

"It's really not. Unity Ceremonies only have the actual ceremony as the official part, and then it's just a big party. All you have to do is walk up, say the few words you practiced, let Dad place the rose crown on your head, and then boom, it's party time."

"I know... I'm still nervous."

"Hey, at least you won't mess up like I did. I tripped and fell flat on my face while walking down the aisle to the platform."

"You were also like, 6."

"...Fair. Still, you're not gonna mess up. I know you won't."

M stares at the book for a moment, then closes it and gets up.

"How about we get some snacks and cocoa from the kitchen to help your nerves? Then we'll come back in an hour or so and go through it one more time." M smiles. "Y'know, just to help it stick."

"Alright..." Sabre replies, also getting up.

They exit the room and walk through the halls, soon arriving at the kitchen, where Jasper is talking with one of the castle attendants as he works on a stew boiling on the stove. The attendant leaves to go back to his task, letting Jasper notice the two boys as they approach.

"Oh, hey you two." He greets them in his usual relaxed tone. "Lunch will be ready in about twenty minutes, maybe thirty."

"Wait, already? Have we really spent all morning practicing?" M says, looking to Sabre. Sabre shrugs.

"Practicing for what?" Jasper asks as he adds a spice to the pot.

"My ceremony..." Sabre says nervously. "I'm really worried about doing well, so M is helping me memorize the oath and stuff."

"Oh, that's wonderful." Jasper smiles. "You really don't have to be so worried, though."

"But I am! I don't want to mess up!"

Sabre and M each take a seat at the kitchen island, continuing to talk with Jasper.

"You're not gonna mess up, Sabre." M laughs. "I've told you a million times already, you're gonna do great!"

"How can you be so sure, though?" Sabre replies.

"Even if you do mess up a little, it's going to be fine." Jasper says. "There's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah well, you're not gonna be the one standing up there."

"Fair enough. But you're not gonna mess up royally, I know that for sure. Y'know there was a guy that set a curtain on fire during his ceremony?"

"Really?" Both Sabre and M ask, surprised.

"Yeah, it was a while ago, about... hm. Well, now I feel old." Jasper chuckles.

"C'mon, tell us, how long ago was it?" Sabre asks.

"About sixty years ago."

"Sixty?" Sabre says.

"Wow, that was a while ago." M adds.

"Yeah, I know it seems like a long time to you two, but you just haven't grown yet. I was still doing what I am now, nothing was really different." Jasper replies, smiling. "Then again, I don't go out much."

They laugh. They continue to talk, Jasper and M helping Sabre feel better about being nervous.

Meanwhile, the Red Leader is frantically talking with the Professor as he works on a machine with the Assistant. Professor Red stops the Leader from pacing back and forth as he asks a question.

"Okay Carmine, calm down before you make a hole in my floor." He starts. "Why is this ceremony making you so anxious? You've done so many for years, what makes this one different?"

"I don't know, it just- is. And I'm nervous about it." The Red Leader answers. He doesn't notice the Assistant roll his eyes.

"Why?" The Professor asks again, tired of not getting an answer from the last seven times he's asked. "For crying out loud, you're as nervous as you were on your coronation."

"I know. And I know I've done so many of these and I have everything memorized because of that and I just- Rrgh! It's still a month away and yet I can barely get through the opening words! Why can't I just do this?!"

"You're asking me like I know. Why don't you ask yourself that?"

"Oh- whatever. I'm going back to my office." The Red Leader says, waving a hand and walking away. "By the way, please don't blow anything up. I can't have a giant hole somewhere in the kingdom when Sabre's Unity Ceremony happens."

Once the Leader exits the room, Professor Red and the Assistant just stare at the doorway for a moment. 

"...Is he anxious because he thinks of Sabre as another son?" The Assistant asks, looking to the Professor.

"Perhaps, but I don't think he's admitted it to himself yet. Let's just wait and see."

—————————————————————————————————————

The day was approaching faster than Sabre expected.

It had already been a few weeks, and now the ceremony was only a week away. He walked out of the Red Kingdom's tailor shop with the Red Leader, smiling a bit nervously as they talked. They had set up an appointment that early morning to do one final fitting with his Unity Ceremony attire, a traditional outfit made for him. He noticed how excited the Red Leader was when he decided on the traditional design a few weeks ago.

Walking along the street, they were heading back to the castle, talking as if he had just joined the Leader on one of his morning walks again.

"So, are you excited?" The Red Leader asks, turning to Sabre as he adjusted his scarf.

"And nervous." Sabre replies. "M's been helping me though, I'm pretty sure I've got it down."

"That's good."

"I've been reading about the background of Unity Ceremonies, too."

"You have?"

"Mhm. I was curious about the different symbolisms behind it, and it's just so... amazing. I was especially interested in the meaning behind the traditional clothing for the ceremony being white... new beginnings and a blank page, for the newcomer to write their own story with."

"I thought of that when I was told you wanted to take part in a Ceremony..." The Red Leader says, looking to him with a warm smile. "I'm so glad you chose to go through with this."

He then puts a hand on Sabre's shoulder as they stop, standing under a tree covered in the previous night's light snow. Sabre looked up at him.

"We love having you here. We all do." He says. "You understand that, right?"

Sabre smiles.

"Of course. It'd be more difficult not to, with how often everybody reminds me. I just..."

He stops for a moment, taking a deep breath.

"Thank you for letting me stay here in the first place, si- C-Carmine. I know I've said it a lot, but it really is the best thing that's happened to me. And I'm just glad that you guys really do want me here."

The Red Leader smiles back, sharing Sabre's joy. Then, completely taking the Red Leader by surprise, Sabre hugs him. For a minute, he just stands there, but soon returns the gesture.

As Sabre steps back and they let go, they hear a group of familiar voices as small footsteps approach.

"Sabre! Sabre!"

Sabre turns his head to see Ruby and his friends running towards him, smiling, all bundled up in their winter gear and carrying a bookbag each. He smiles back as they stop in front of him, one or two of them grabbing onto his sleeves and jumping up and down.

"Woah, hey guys! What are you doing here?" He asks. "Your school's the other way."

"Well duh, we know that. But we saw you and wanted to say hi!" Ruby replies.

"We're excited for your Unity Ceremony next week!" Cherry exclaims. "And we made something for you!"

"Hey, I wanted to tell him!" Rose says to Cherry.

"Whoops, I forgot. Sorry."

"Both of you calm down, I have it right here." Brick says, holding something in his hands. "Sabre, gimme your hand."

Sabre obliges, and Brick takes a few moments to put something in his wrist. When he finishes, Sabre looks and sees a colorful bead bracelet in various shades of red, a fabric flower secured to the top of it. Sabre looks up at the group, happily surprised.

"You guys made me a bracelet? That's so sweet!" He says.

"Mhm! We all helped make it with our own hands." Penn smiles back.

"And look!" Berry exclaims.

All of the children each hold up an arm, and they have similar bracelets, but they don't have flowers and are one variation of the crimson theming each. Sabre notices each child has a bracelet matching the shade of red they usually wear, Ruby having a coral one.

"Coral had a matching bracelet idea and we went with it!" Scarlet smiles, pointing at Coral, who happily grins.

"You play with us all the time so you're one of us!" Ruby says.

Ruby then hugs Sabre's leg, grinning.

"You can't escape us now." He giggles.

Sabre laughs. The Red Leader laughs as well, then speaks to the group of children.

"Alright, that's enough now. You all need to get to school." He says. "You don't want to get in trouble just before the Ceremony, do you?"

"Nope!" They all reply in a chorus, Ruby letting go of Sabre.

The group starts to run off, giggling with each other as they talk.

"Bye Sabre we'll see you later!" Candi says, waving.

Sabre waves back, smiling. He and the Red Leader return to their path, back to the castle to get out of the cold.

"They all really like you." The Red Leader says.

"Heh, yeah. Me and M play with them all the time." Sabre replies. "They're nice kids. Chaotic, but nice."

"Probably because Ruby is pretty much their ringleader."

"Maybe. Ruby would be one to get others to join in on stuff they probably shouldn't be doing. He does keep them from doing anything actually bad, though."

"True. Cerise raised a good one."

"Yeah."

—————————————————————————————————————

Sabre waited nervously in the middle of the main hall, fidgeting with his robe's embroidered sleeve as he faced the door.

He could hear the chatter of the crowd from the other side of the big door, towering over him. The kingdom's event hall had always intimidated him with its large size, but being in the inside was entirely different. He felt like he was in a room meant for people much bigger than him.

He glanced at the mirror on the side of the room. His ceremonial outfit had turned out perfectly, just like the history books he and M had read together had pictured.

(Ignore the eraser mistake on the left sleeve, this art was done on a different device issued by my school and by the time I noticed it, it was too late to fix it because I had to turn in the device TvT)

Noticing his headpiece was a little off center, he fixed it before turning back to the door, waiting for his cue. He heard the Red Leader's speech starting to end, almost counting off the seconds in his head before he heard the right ones.

"And now here we stand, ready to welcome another into our Kingdom. May he find refuge within our sanctuary, and just as we do, call it home."

The doors opened.

Inside was the ceremony room, deep red curtains partly covering stained glass windows picturing roses, wrapped around a red globe. A similarly colored carpet stretched throughout the room in a straight line, reaching to the other side where a few steps were placed, leading to a raised section where the Red Leader stood, M standing off to the side holding a rose crown. Ornate rows of benches were on either side of the long carpet, the people of the Red Kingdom taking their places in the seats. Some Sabre recognized, some he didn't, but they all looked to him with a smile. He saw the Professor and the Assistant somewhere in the crowd, the Assistant standing out among the sea of red making it easier to find them. Cerise and another Elite stood at the doors, being the ones to open them. They gave him similar friendly looks.

Sabre smiled back and stepped through the doorway, walking down the path the crimson carpet lay out. Though he saw everyone watching him as he made his way through the room, all of the worry and fear he felt beforehand seemed to melt away as he approached the end.

Reaching the steps, he walked up the small stairs and stopped in front of the Red Leader, who seemed to be beaming with joy. The Leader, still smiling, took a breath before continuing.

"You may have come here through outside means, but you have turned into a delightful part of the Red Kingdom, as if you were always here. You stand here today because you have decided to become an official citizen of this kingdom, and we welcome you with open arms into your new home, as a wonderful friend, and member of our family." The Red Leader says, his voice echoing throughout the room. "From this day onward, you will be a permanent part of our community, and part of our lives. Do you promise to keep the existence of our Kingdom a secret from the people of outside Kingdoms?"

"Yes, sir." Sabre replies. "Not a soul will hear of our home from me."

"Do you vow to live within our walls in harmony with the people?"

"Yes, sir. No harm will come to the people by my hand."

"Very well then." The Red Leader smiles.

He turns to M for a moment, taking the rose crown from him. M watches excitedly as the Red Leader turns back to Sabre, Sabre bowing before him.

The Red Leader carefully places the rose crown atop Sabre's head, it resting perfectly above his ceremonial headpiece. He then gently grabs Sabre's hands, helping him stand up as he turns towards the crowd, as it grows more and more lively. M is barely containing his excitement behind him.

"Everyone..." The Red Leader announces. "Welcome Sabre, the newest citizen of the Red Kingdom."

And the crowd erupts into cheers as Sabre smiles to them.

M rushes up to Sabre and the Leader, hugging them both. Sabre can see all of his new friends going wild in the mass of people; the Professor is, as usual, losing his mind while the Assistant just slowly claps. Ruby and his friends are throwing rose petals and pieces of colorful paper around, their parents clearly not knowing beforehand that they would do this. Amaryllis, with his cat Spotty in his arms for some reason, cheers louder than most as Ruby runs up to him and hugs his leg. Cerise joins soon after, picking up his son and cheering with Amaryllis.

Sabre, M, and the Leader walk down from the podium, as everyone heads into the building's main hall to begin the celebration.

—————————————————————————————————————

Music could still be heard from across the kingdom, but as the hours grew late, everyone was winding down.

The Ceremony's celebration was big and loud, but most of all so much fun. After all of the dancing, food, games, talking, and other activities, Sabre now sat with M and the Leader on a couch in one of the castle's common areas, a fire in the fireplace keeping them warm as the winter air blows through the starry night sky outside.

Tired from the festivities and all of the socializing, Sabre looked over the Red Leader's shoulder at a book they were all reading together... or at least they were, until M fell asleep. He still has his head resting on his father's shoulder.

However, before he could stop himself, Sabre was also drifting off. By the time the Red Leader noticed, he was already asleep as well. The Leader didn't mind, though. Lowering his book for a moment, he carefully moved one hand to lift the rose crown and gold headpiece off Sabre's head, knowing how uncomfortable it is to fall asleep while wearing something like it, and places it down on the coffee table in front of them.

As he lifted his book back up, going back to reading, he simply whispers as a small, warm smile crosses his face.

"Welcome home, Sabre."

—————————————————————————————————————

Sabre was with M in the castle rose garden, sketching as M read a book.

Spring had come quite a bit earlier than expected, but everyone was glad to be out of the cold. As the weather thawed and seasonal plants returned, the beginnings of roses could already be seen in the many trees and bushes around the Red Kingdom. It was almost time for the shower of petals to begin again.

However, for now, Sabre and M were content with hanging out in the garden together. They talked about how their day went with each other, Sabre curious about M's lessons and what he does when he's outside. As there was a break in the conversation, M turned to Sabre.

"Hey, is there anything you want to do lessons for?" M asks. "You seem bored of being cooped up in the castle most of the time, and with how much you ask me and read in the library, there's probably something you want to do, right?"

Sabre takes a moment, then puts down his pencil as he looks at M.

"Okay, but you gotta promise not to start worrying." He says, smiling awkwardly.

"What, why? Why would I need to?"

"And there you go doing it."

"Hey, you made it sound concerning!" M laughs.

"Okay, okay, seriously this time." Sabre laughs as well. He then calms down, and looks to M with a slightly nervous smile.

"I... want to start lessons with the Red Elites-in-training at the academy."

M stops what he's doing and just stares for a few minutes.

"...Uh... M-?"

"I'm not judging you or anything, I promise, just- wow that was not what I was expecting." M replies, snapping out of it. "Are you sure? From what I know about... y'know, I thought you wanted to give up fighting."

"Well, now I have a real reason to fight, one that isn't just someone pointing at something and telling me what to do." Sabre smiles, looking down at the grass. "I want to learn how they fight, and maybe keep my skills sharp. So I can protect you guys, and my home. Besides... I've always found a little fun in it. And who knows, with how many opportunities it can lead to, I might find something different that isn't just fighting while training. Plus, Cerise is a nice guy. He seems like a wonderful teacher to have."

"Well... If you're sure, I'll tell dad and he can start making arrangements." M smiles back. "Just promise you'll be careful, alright?"

"Of course! Do I look like the Professor to you? I'm not gonna do anything stupid dangerous."

"You better not! Kicking dummies and showing scrubs how it's done only, got it?"

"Pft, sure man."

—————————————————————————————————————

M ran up to the castle, excited, entering and seeing Sabre talking with the Red Leader.

"Sabre!" He exclaims, running up to him and giving him a hug. The Red Leader chuckles as Sabre hugs back.

"M! What's up?" Sabre says, beaming.

"What's up? What's up with you, how'd the entrance exam go?!" M asks. "Did it go well? Was it fun for you?"

"Yeah! I was just telling the Leader about it!" He replies. "Everyone was super nice, and my entrance exam was just showing Cerise what I could do while the rest of the Elites watched."

"He shocked the entire academy." The Red Leader smiles. "Cerise could barely get one up on him, apparently. Didn't win a match once against him!"

"That's so- wait. Sabre." M says, quickly realizing something then grabbing Sabre's shoulders. "You said 'the rest of the Elites'. Did- are you-?"

"In training, like most of the rest of the guys, but... yeah." Sabre laughs. "I'm in the academy."

"OH MY- Sabre! That's wonderful!" M shouts, ecstatic, hugging Sabre again. "I'm so happy for you, I knew you could do it!"

"I know, I'm excited too!" Sabre exclaims, hugging M back. "I met some of the others today and they seem really cool, and once I actually start taking lessons in two weeks I-"

"Hold on hold on, you can tell us about it in a second! I'll go get Jasper to make your favorite cake to celebrate!"

"Aw, M, it's fine! I don't need-"

"Sabre, this is definitely a reason to celebrate." The Red Leader smiles. "Come on, let's go to the kitchen and you can tell us all about it there."

"Guys... alright, alright. Let's go." Sabre chuckles. "Hopefully Jasper isn't busy."

"He isn't, I was talking to him before you got home." The Leader says.

"Okay, now come on! I wanna tell you guys everything!"

As the three head further into the castle, they talk excitedly as Sabre recounts his day at the academy.

"No way, did you really?!"

"Yeah, I did! Cerise totally wasn't expecting it, and it showed! He asked me to teach him how to do it once I'm officially enrolled."

"Wow. That's how you know it's a good move, Cerise knows pretty much everything about combat there."

"Wait, really? ...You don't think he's mad I wiped the floor with him so badly, do you?"

"Nahh, he's not really one to get mad. It just sounds like you really impressed him! Also, I'd be surprised if any of the other Elites-in-training mess with you after today."

"Heh, yeah... Y'know that 'wiping the floor' part was literal?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah... turns out I'm a lot stronger than I thought I was, and he ended up on the floor a lot..."

"Dude, that's cool."

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Far outside the walls of the Kingdom, another city of stone and color stood in the center of a large clearing.

Within the highest room of the city's center, a completely white figure covered in armor stood in a meeting room, spear in hand. Next to him stood a violet royal, holding a few papers.

"...And with the coming of spring, the Darkness is starting to rise in number again." The Violet Leader explains. "Winter protected us since the Darkness froze so easily, allowing us to build this Kingdom, but what can we do now that we don't have that advantage anymore?"

"We could reinforce the kingdom walls and start enforcing a curfew to keep people from going out of the Kingdom when night starts approaching, keeping people from being snuck up on in the dark." Light Steve replies. "We should also finish moving all of the refugees still in the underground Hub into the kingdom, so our supplies isn't stretched across two areas."

"Alright. Have Elemental or Time Steve reported anything else?"

"Not since the uptick in Darkness, no. But they're still keeping an eye on it."

"Good. We can't afford to be taken by surprise with so little people left."

The Violet Leader then flips to the next paper, but then stops. He stares at it for a moment before continuing.

"And then, there's... the issue about Sabre." He sighs. "Neither the Shadow or him have been spotted for almost a year, the last time he was seen being when he was teleported away from the Time Dimension, apparently... people are wondering if he's... still alive."

Light stays silent, looking at the one-page record in the Violet Leader's hands. His own shake a little, remembering his former friend... wondering if what they had done was right. If they had even done it to the right threat, or done it to the wrong innocent person.

"I know you've been putting it off, we've both still been hoping he was still out there somewhere, but... Light." The Violet Leader continues. "He couldn't have survived the winter on his own. Especially if that really was him injured."

"...I know." Light says quietly, lowering his head. "So... what do we do? Do we just presume him... dead? Or do we try to find something that could have been left?"

"We can't spare any more soldiers. The best we can do right now is just... leave him to rest."

The two are silent for a moment.

"You knew him a lot better than I did, so..." The Violet Leader says. "I think you should be the one to tell them. But I... I'll leave you to mourn for a while. I'll work on restocking our medical supplies in the meantime."

"Thank you... I'll get started on the reinforcements as soon as I can." Light answers. "I'll announce the curfew later today-"

"No, I'll do that. It's alright."

"...Thank you."

Light turns, then leaves. The Violet Leader goes back through the papers in his hands, making a mental list in what to do as he goes down a different hall.

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Did you have fun with the fluff? Good.

Hold on to your hats, because next chapter you're getting slam dunked into the drama.