Stanley
*Dado woke up, then immediately phased through his bed. That's when he knew he had to be dreaming.*

*He fell deeper and deeper into the world until he saw a pink, crystalline, pulsating heart in the black void. Not a human heart; it was the shape of a "Heart" Symbol. It had a misty, purple growth winding around it maliciously. This abstract sight unsettled him.*

*After falling for hours, the heart slowly moving up into the void, the world beneath him slowly got brighter and bluer. Eventually, the void has disappeared entirely, replaced by a bright blue sky and reflective water below. He twisted in the air and looked out to the horizon, but all he saw was the sky kissing the sea on all sides.*

*Surprisingly, the water wasn't cold when he fell in. In fact, it didn't feel much different from the air prior; it was only wetter. As he descended deeper into the ocean's abyss, less and less light reached his eyes.*

*His feet gently landed on a hard surface, and he was spontaneously aware that his eyes were closed and he was no longer descending. He opened his eyes.*
_ _

*Dado was on a stained glass platform, bearing an image his eyes refused to focus on. He could make out individual parts, including the tower from the fairy tale, a Lucky Emblem, and a gray eye. Whenever he tried to focus on anything beyond an individual symbol, however, he simply couldn't.*
Stephanie
"Welcome to your Awakening." *A voice echoed through the void.*
Stanley
*Dado found the voice familiar. He couldn't place why.*

"What is this place?"
Stephanie
"You've much yet to do, and little time to do it. Follow my instructions. I'll guide you through this."
Stanley
*Seven stone platforms slowly rose up from the ground. Upon each floated a different object.*
Stephanie
"Choose well. May your Heart be your guiding key."
Stanley
*Dado investigated the platform directly before him. He grabbed the Dream Sword, then investigated it.*
Stephanie
"The power of the Warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction.

"Is this the power you seek?"
Stanley
*Terrible destruction wasn't his style. He set the sword down, then walked clockwise.*

*Upon the next pedestal lay the Dream Rod. He picked it up.*
Stephanie
"The power of the Mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin.

"Is this the power you seek?"
Stanley
*Something about the Dream Rod resonated with Dado. He wasn't fond of ruin, but inner strength and wonder sounded like him.*

*Filled with wonder, he set it down and walked clockwise.*

*Upon the next pedestal lay the Dream Shield. He picked it up gingerly.*
Stephanie
"The power of the Guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all.

"Is this the power you seek?"
Stanley
*Friends... Yeah, he didn't have those. He hadn't had IRL friends for a while now. It was too much work, keeping up with others' social needs and drama.*

*He set down the Dream Shield and walked clockwise.*

*Upon the next pedestal sat a pair of ice skates. He examined their blades.*
Stephanie
"The power of the speedster. Resolve to Blitz through life. Skates to escape your problems.

"Is this the power you seek?"
Stanley
*Escaping his problems sounded nice. Deep down, though, he knew he wasn't fast. He could adapt well, but that was by necessity.*

*He set the Dream Skates down and walked clockwise.*

*The next pedestal, interestingly, was entirely empty. He studied it curiously.*
Stephanie
"The Neutral path. No advantages to weaponize. No weaknesses to protect.

"Is this the path you seek?"
Stanley
*That sounded the least like him so far. He walked clockwise.*

*Upon the next pedestal floated a D20. He grabbed it, then started tossing it up and down in his hand.*
Stephanie
"The path of Chaos. Luck to bypass fate. A die of great uncertainty.

"Is this the power you seek?"
Stanley
*He had never been big on RNG in his games. He tossed it back to the pedestal, then walked clockwise.*

*The final pedestal simply held a red X. He reached his hand out to it.*
Stephanie
**"Don't pick that one."**
Stanley
*The sudden commanding tone caught him off-guard. He paused, then considered. What if he did pick it? What was the worst that could happen?*

*Deciding he didn't want the dream turning into a nightmare, he walked back to the Dream Rod.*
Stephanie
"The power of the Mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin.

"Is this the power you seek?"
Stanley
*Dado's mind was made up, but before he could nod yes, the pedestals sank back into the ground.*
Stephanie
"You've gained the power to fight. Use this to defend yourself and, eventually, your friends."
Stanley
*A pack of ink-black, ant-like creatures with beady golden eyes crawled out of the stained glass platform.*

*Dado clutched his weapon, then swung it underhanded, beaning one in the face and sending it flying. In response, another Shadow clawed at his calf.*

*He winced, but felt no pain. Another helpful reminder that this was only a dream.*

*The Heartless surrounding him, he crouched down and spun with the Dream Rod outstretched. All but one evaporated.*

*He walked up slowly to his last aggressor and performed an uppercut, hitting it into the air above him. As it returned to his shoulder level, he wound up with both hands, then swung the Rod. The Shadow was sent flying into oblivion.*

*A pinkish double door appeared at the far edge of the Station. Dado walked up to it and through.*

*The world was a dark, soothing gray. A line of text appeared before him.*

*Confused, he looked around. He saw nothing else but the gray void. He tried lifting his hands up, but found them glued to a keyboard. He looked down. There was no keyboard. There were no hands.*

*Formless yet still feeling, he stared at the line of text. Its characters blurred, shifted around, swapped places, changed forms, and occasionally outright disappeared. Understanding without knowing, he typed an equally incomprehensible response.*

*After doing so, a familiar three dots alternated in and out of existence. He waited for a response, then typed one back. He smiled, comforted.*

*One final response later, his vision filled with shifting text that eventually faded into the dull gray background.*
Stephanie
"Your journey begins past midnight. The beginning will test you harshly, though you won't have to walk far to find more light."
Stanley
*The gray faded back to black. Dado realized he was looking up, then adjusted his view. He was back on the stained glass.*

*He looked around, and a spotlight shone from the empty heavens. He walked towards it.*
Stephanie
"The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow will become."
Stanley
*He looked down, then turned around. His shadow slowly enlarged into an unfamiliar silhouette, then pulled itself out of the ground.*

*The emerging monster bore similarity to the creatures he fought earlier, with its ink-black form and haunting yellow eyes. That, however, was the only similarity that existed.*

*It was gargantuan and humanoid, with short legs and a massive, triangular torso. Most distinguishable were the fleshy "Scarf" Covering the lower half of its face and the wild hair that seemed to move on its own.*
Stephanie
"You don't need to be afraid."
Stanley
*The voice was right. It was just his shadow. His reflection. It was only equal to him.*
Stephanie
"Use your light. Defeat the encroaching darkness. Then, you will be granted the means of your Happily Ever After."
Stanley
*Dado's weapon changed shape, taking on a new form he didn't recognize before. Like the stained glass form, his eyes refused to focus on it, but he could make out the colors. It alternated between a silver rod with a golden handle, and a white rod with a blue tip and green handle.* 

*He focused on the monster before him. It had a heart-shaped hole in its torso, and thin strands of flesh connecting its top to its bottom. Those thin strands were surely anatomical weak points. He readied his stance.*
Terrance
*The monster slammed a hand down next to him, creating a pool of darkness below it. He jumped up onto the back of its hand, climbed its forearm, then grabbed onto a single strand of 'hair'.*

*He wrapped the tendril around his forearm, letting himself dangle at the same height as the hole in its torso. Then, he slashed back and forth across it, cutting through its form repeatedly. With each cut, it immediately healed.*
Stephanie
"Ha! Nice, the classic. I mean, *Ahem*. An interesting strategy, but plunging yourself directly into darkness is risky."
Stanley
*Other hair tendrils descended to Dado's level and started biting at him, like a family of snakes.*

*He sliced off his own hair tendril, and it melted off his arm. He fell a few feet safely onto the platform before noticing the monster do something strange. It was hunched over, as though in pain. Had he defeated it?*

*It arched its back and thrust its arms out, sending several orbs of energy flying out of the hole in its torso. The orbs homed in on Dado with ease.*

*He knocked one, then two out of the way with no problem, but he miscalculated the speed of the third. It hit him in the torso, sending him to the ground. The rest of the orbs then hit him while he was down. While not painful, the cold darkness was uncomfortable. He closed his eyes, bracing himself through the situation.*

*More cold darkness splashed around him in his fetal position, and he clenched his eyes further shut in discomfort.*
Stephanie
"Don't be afraid.

"You hold the mightiest weapon of all.

"So don't forget:

"You are one of two who will close the door."
Stanley
*Dado listened to the voice and relaxed his muscles, sinking gently back into the darkness of sleep.*

*When Dado opens his eyes, he's somewhere vaguely familiar. His vision refuses to focus on any of the iconography below his feet. It's all blurred and refracted, save for one object at a time.*

*Dark smoke fills the stained glass platform, choking him.*
Thomas
*[The darkness coalesced into a familiar form... But corrupted and altered like that of his keyblades...](<

*The dark form set foot on the stained glass platform, the ground corrupting beneath its feet as it stood, before its silhouetted head turned to look at Dado.*

"Greed is very unbecoming of you, Daedalus of Toy Box. In your bout of heroics, it seems as though you tried to borrow a power that wasn't yours to use."

*The dark figure took a step forward, and began to approach Dado.*
Stanley
*Dado shudders, weighing his surroundings. The... Person? Before him knows his name and world of origin, and is speaking cryptically.*

*The last thing he remembers is fighting Maleficent. Mod saved him from an attack. He felt so much sorrow. His vision went red, he called on himself to fight for his fallen friends, jumped towards Dragon Maleficent, and-*

*Oh.*

"Am I dead?"
Thomas
"Not yet, you're not."

*The figure stopped moving.*

"But I am."

*The figure's darkness washed away... Revealing the form beneath.*
Walter
*The pale man that stood before Dado resembled that of a lost and broken friend... His face full of sorrow, stained by tears.*

"Ikazuchi is no longer with us."
Stanley
"Ika..."

*Dado reaches out, hesitates, then withdraws his hand.*

"I'm sorry."

*He lets the silence breathe for a moment, a dozen things he wants to tell his lost friend on his mind... Then settles on the most pressing one.*

"If I'm not dead, then... Where are we? And how are you here?"
Walter
"Your heart... Likely."

*The figure who resembled Ikazuchi noticed the hesitation and withdrawal, and took a step back, the stained glass beneath his feet still mishaping and curling to darkness as he did so.*

"You called for a connection. And The Darkness answered. I believe you would know him as... Inaxuma. The equal yet opposite of The Beacon of Hope, the Eternal Abyss."

*The figure created a ball of light and a ball of darkness, before merging the two together. The light shone brightly, before being swallowed by the darkness entirely.*

"As for me... You could say I'm what's left. Perhaps even what existed before... I'm here because of the bonds that connect you to Ikazuchi. Your bonds chain him to this world, and keep him from being fully submerged in the darkness... You called upon those connections, his power, and unknowingly let the darkness, and myself, in."
Stanley
*So Inaxuma's alive, and he absorbed Ika? He followed his Heart, only for it to open up that connection, exposing him directly to the darkness, but...*

"You say my bonds keep him from being fully submerged. If... If I keep you here, will I save him from being fully absorbed by Inaxuma?"
Walter
"..."

"You would willingly risk your heart for this?"

*The figure looked... Shocked. He stopped to think for a moment.*

"You could, but darkness may quickly overwhelm you. On top of that... The Eternal Abyss would likely come to reclaim that with which you hold."

*He shook his head.*

"A decision you should not make lightly. As you may know... The Beacon of Hope would be very cross with this option. Sacrificing yourself for his sake."
Stanley
*"If anything bad happens to me, just promise you'll get fiora out safely, please?"*

"He planned this. I'm pretty sure he did, at least. The way he was talking about Fiora..."

*"As few as possible is the least we could do. It's a good start."*

"He had all these expectations placed on him. All these obligations. He refused to think about himself, even for a moment."

*"Being a 'Guardian of Light' isn't simply about fighting the darkness. It is about protecting those who can't protect themselves... But above all else, it means following what your heart believes is right..."*

"I-"

*Kingdom Key materializes in his hand, then points directly at the center of his own Heart. A beam of light shoots from it, pushing the dark clouds outwards. Dado feels a pressure enveloping him as he does so. It's clear his Heart can't sustain this powerful a Darkness and Light together.*

*If he lets the Darkness in, he'll have to let the Light out.*

"I'm... I'm sorry. You're right... Ika wouldn't want this. "

*Dado has a job to do. He needs to seal the Door to Darkness to stop the Heartless. If he can't do that, it won't matter if he temporarily saves Ika from the darkness... It'll soon retake him regardless.*

*Kingdom Key's beam strengthens, pushing more darkness from his Heart.*

"But I'm not giving up! Now that I know that Ika can be saved, I'll be coming for Inaxuma! I'll get you out of there, Eternal Abyss be damned!"

*His light shines brighter as he speaks these words.*
Walter
*He squinted and held an arm up to shield his eyes from the brightening light.*

"Ikazuchi was prepared to sacrifice himself. He knew the worlds could not carry on with his Master still resting within his own heart. Although the outcome was unexpected... I can say with certainty that this is not the end of either of your journeys. Death is not the end, but the beginning. I was dead once... Lost long ago when thunder and lightning were separated. But your friend, Ikazuchi, came from my death."

*[The figure's form would begin to fade as Dado's light grew stronger.](< *

"Very well, Daedalus of Toy Box. You have given your answer. I will sever this link and help evict the darkness."
Thomas
*It would return once again to being a silhouette of darkness, standing before Dado.*
 
"But just because the link is severed, know your bonds are stronger than destiny... Your allies are always with you."

*The remnants of What's Left would be completely wiped clean from Dado's heart, unable to stand to such pure concentrations of light.*
Jenna
*The light continues to flow from Kingdom Key, filling the area and blinding Dado. When he reopens his eyes, he'll find himself in his prior position...*
Stanley
*Dado wakes up, back in his Heart. He's still unable to perceive it in its entirety, save for the filled cracks running through it.*
Jenna
*The filled cracks in Dado's heart would glow brighter than his normal light, despite him being a pure light now. Dado would get a familiar feeling from the light, and feel warmth from them. Across from him, what seemed to be a light phantom of Fiora would stand, facing away from Dado.*
Stanley
"...Fiora? Is that-" 

*No, he's gotta be dreaming. This feels too trippy to be real.*
Jenna
*Dado could see the phantom Fiora seemingly doing something. Fighting? No, she doesn't have her keyblade out. But he could clearly see her being thrashed around by something. Dado wouldn't know it now, but he was seeing Fiora's confrontation with Inaxuma. While he couldn't see Ina or the location, he could feel Fiora's feelings and see how hurt she was.*
Stanley
*Dado winces from the secondhand pain. Whatever's fighting her, she doesn't want to fight back.*

"Guess you already got all your anger out, huh...?" *He purses his lips, his feelings too mixed to allow any other facial expressions.*

*He puts a hand out, and a green casting circle appears over the phantom Fiora. Just as she taught him, he lets cooling healing energy slowly trickle outwards, trying to heal her through time and space.*
Jenna
*The healing energy from Dado seemed to enter into Fiora's phantom, seemingly causing her wounds to heal. But then, the phantom would seemingly begin to get color, and change into Fiora's normal look.*
Nicole
*She looked around slowly, confused and a little scared.*

"D-dado...? Is this...? Am I... Dead? Are we...?"
Jenna
*While imperceptible to Dado, Fiora's able to see the stained glass image on the ground in its entirety without issue. It's Dado, sitting against an invisible wall on an equally visible floor. Kingdom Key and Ever After both lean against the wall next to him.*

*Several circles show portraits of people important to Dado. Faint outlines of faces can be seen in three of them, but one of them is clearer: Fiora.*

*Much of the Heart Station is cracked and filled with a bright light she recognizes as her own.*
Stanley
*Dado blinks, surprised. She's here now?*

"No, you're not dead." *He chuckles.* "I asked the same thing when I first came here, actually."

"This is my Heart, and I'm pretty sure I'm dreaming. Either that, or our Hearts are connected now."

"Are you okay? Who were you just fighting?"
Nicole
*Fiora looked around more. This was similar to when What's Left appeared to her, but this feeling was the same as when she...*

"So these platforms are Hearts..? So that's where she locked me during our-......"

*She paused, realizing she was standing in-front of the man she nearly killed.*

"Dado I'm... I'm..."
Stanley
"Hey. It's okay, this one's on me. I'm the one who told you to go all out." *He chuckles, shaking his head.*

"That said, though..." *He frowns.* "We need to get you to Master Aria. As long as you've got that angry ice ghost in you, there's a chance you'll..." *He lets the thought hang in the air.*
Nicole
"No it's not okay! I nearly killed you, I nearly killed those kids! What if you didn't interfere? What if I couldn't regain control?!"

*Dado could feel a flood of emotions from Fiora, but could also feel a flood of strength from them. It seemed like her power responded to her emotions and feelings whether Fiora means it or not.*

"I'm... Dado I'm a failure. I tried to be helpful and all I did was hand the enemy the last piece they needed and nearly kill my friend. I couldn't even save Ika and nearly died... Ina nearly killed me for contronting him about Ika, but instead of fighting, I decided to try to talk and be friends with Ina... Now i'm trapped on a strange world with no where to go. My stupid keyblade brought me here and I don't know how to leave..."
Stanley
"Hey. Hey, it's okay."

*Dado walks up to Fiora, hesitates, then hugs her.*

"You didn't kill me. You didn't kill those kids. You listened, and you stopped."

"And about Ika... You're not the only one who failed to save him. I did too. I had him in my Heart; all I had to do was keep him there, and..."

"And I let him go. I let him go back to Ina. You're not alone."

*He steps away from Fiora, summons Kingdom Key, and holds it pointed towards the sky.*

"Here. Mimic my motions. I'll help you get out of there."
Nicole
*Fiora looked into Dado's eyes before he hugged her, which surprised her.*

"Dado... I.."

*She hugged back, tight, practically crushing Dado.*

"I want to go home..."

*She let Dado go and watched his movements.*

"Okay."

*She follow Dado's movements, summoning Oathkeeper and raising it at the sky.*
Stanley
"Good. Now imagine the line between this world and the next. An arbitrary, impossibly strong barrier."

"It's actually another door. And like all doors, it can be opened. Fire a beam from your Keyblade to open the door in the sky."
Nicole
*Fiora focused, thinking about a line between worlds that is just 2 doors. It was strange for her to think about, not really understanding the how of it. Instead she decided to try and shoot a beam, the beam firing off within the heart station.*
Jenna
*The beam shoots into the sky, culminating in a... Pink, crystalline object. That's strange. Normally, it results in a swirly portal to the Lanes Between.*
Stanley
"Err... Yeah, that's never happened before. Let's not touch it until Master Aria tells us what it is."

"Either way, I think you should be able to do that wherever you are to open up a portal. Next up, we gotta put some armor on you."

*Dado looks up, closes his eyes, and in a flash, white and silver cat-eared armor appears around him.*

"I dunno how it works, really. Keyblades are weird. I wonder if the Tower has a book on it...?"
Nicole
"I... Don't want to touch it. After what I did before, it could hurt you..."

*Fiora watched as Dado put on his armor, and she ended up giggling a little once she saw the cat ears.*

"I never thought you to be a cat boy. That's so cute. But how do I get armor?"
Stanley
*Dado's armored head turns wordlessly towards Fiora, holds its gaze for a moment, then turns away, as though embarrassed.*

"I don't get to decide how it looks..." 

"I'm honestly not sure how you get armor. I just threw my Keyblade into the air, made it return as a flying machine, and the armor sorta appeared. I actually have no idea what mine looks like."

"Here, try transforming your Keyblade into a flying machine." *Dado throws Kingdom Key into the air in a Raid. It passes the pink Portal, then boomerangs back as a trick scooter. He kicks onto it, spinning backwards into a stop.*
Nicole
"If you don't get to decide how it looks that means you are a catboy deep down?"

*Fiora teased a but before focusing again. Preparing to do the same as Dado.*

"Okay, i'll try... I think I remember my keyblade turning into a bow once... So random transportation, here we go."

*She focused hard and Dado could feel his connection with her increase as she threw oathkeeper into the air. She mimic'd his exact movements, down to the smaller details of them. Not only that, he could feel his own experience within her, as if she was feeling the same he did just moments ago. As soon as she let go of the keyblade she became enveloped in light, the keyblade flying high into the air.*

*In an instant, her body was covered in white and gold armor, with a blue trim to it. But also a pair of... Fox ears. But then her keyblade seemed to disappear above her, becoming ethereal light and rushing down to her. It flowed around her before reaching her legs, the light making her float before attaching to her feet like a pair of roller skates.*

"...Okay so I may have been thinking about roller skating around my town when I said that..."
Stanley
*Under his mask, Dado grins. Roller skates? That's awesome.*

"Looks like you're a fox girl, then."

*His Glider vibrates, then jumps forward, flying laps around the edge of the station.*

"Heeere!" *He calls out, his voice stretched by his speed.* "Come practice!"
Nicole
"What?!"

*Fiora yelled as she began to check herself and realized she got fox ears.*

"But whhhhhy."

*She whined, but soon just let go as she took a moment to remember how to use roller skates. She stumbled at first and nearly fell a few times, but the light skates adjusted to keep her up. After a few tries, she began skate next to Dado's glider, struggling a bit to keep up.*

"T-this is weird! This feels really strange!"
Stanley
*Dado's laughter at Fiora's whining echoes throughout his Heart. He slows down his Glider to be just barely in front of Fiora, matching her speed while also urging her to go faster.*

"Alright, you're getting it!" *He performs a corkscrew, going upside-down for a moment before realigning himself.*

"So, traveling between worlds like this is wayyyyy faster. But you can also use this to travel normally! I've used this to race through Traverse Town before." *...He probably shouldn't elaborate on that example.*

"You might need to fight Heartless like this." *He speeds up and widens his arc, increasing the horizontal space between him and Fiora while riding parallel to her.* "Here, try throwing out a few kicks!"
Nicole
"Fight like this? I'm good at shooting, not with my legs... But I can try..."

*Fiora attempted to do some kicks and tricks while trying to keep up with Dado, however she would promptly fail and fall on her but on the heart station. Thankfully the armor absorbed the fall.*
Stanley
*Dado drifts inwards, spiraling around Fiora to a halt.*

"Ahh, yeah. That happens sometimes." *He chuckles, holding an arm out to help her up.*

"Hey, remember how when we first met, I had a bit of a limp?"

*An electronic looking screen spirals down around the edge of the station, settling in front of Fiora and Dado. It begins playing a video: 

*Dado laughs as he gets hit in the leg by his own transformed Keyblade. Hopefully, the memory provides some amount of comfort to Fiora.*
Nicole
*Fiora was a little confused why Dado brought up that moment, almost as confused as when a screen suddenly appeared. She assumed this place was like a dream, sorta. When she saw Dado hit his leg, she bursted out laughing. She grabbed his hand to let him help her up.*

"Well good to know i'm not the only screw up."
Stanley
*Dado helps her to her feet, dismissing his armor to reveal a grin.*

"Here. Once you, uhh... Wake up? Are you even asleep right now? Heart stuff is weird."

"Anyways, once you return to reality, know that you've got the tools to reach Traverse Town. I... Might not be able to meet you there just yet. I have to go fight another villain."

*He considers asking her for help, but... The risk of the ice ghost coming out and attacking their allies is too strong. They need to get that sorted before she can help with anything.*

"After I come back, we'll throw you that birthday party. Sound good?" *His smile has turned wistful.*
Nicole
*Fiora listened and nodded along, thinking about what she would do while she waited. She was about to speak up when told about the villain but stopped herself, not wanting to ruin their plans again. Past 2 conflicts she hasn't been much help. But she may have issues in Traverse town... However she began to cry the moment Dado mentioned a birthday party.*

"No! I-I don't deserve that. Please don't. After all I did..."
Stanley
*Dado walks up to Fiora and hugs her through the armor.*

"Hey. Hey, it's okay. If you feel like you don't deserve it, then it can be a shared party, okay? After all, both of our lives got fucked up on our eighteenth."
Nicole
*Fiora's eyes widened at hearing that, hugging back even tighter. Luckily Dado has armor on right now.*

"O-okay... A party for the both of us... But please don't get hurt. I can't be there to heal you. Not yet..."
Stanley
*Having dismissed his armor two posts ago, Dado winces at the hug. He doesn't think he can sustain physical injuries in this metaphysical space, but if he could, he'd definitely have a few scrapes.*

*At her request that he not get hurt, he sighs.*

"I can't promise that. I can only promise to do my best."

*The dream begins stretching, distorting, and fading, as Dado begins to wake up.*

"See you soon, Fiora."
Nicole
*Fiora had been stressed ever since Dado had went to defeat Pira. She knew she should have been there, but wasn't sure if she should be using her power... She could have endangered the mission. However, now, she feels like something is wrong. Despair, anger, sadness. These weren't her feelings...*

*Before leaving for Traverse Town, she decided to meditate and think, and ended up thinking about Dado, going into a trance like state.*

*Once again, she was here, in Dado's heart. She looked around, wondering if she could use this to get directly to Dado or get Dado to her.*
Tomi
*A spectral image of Dado shimmers into view. He's kneeling with grit teeth, shaking as he channels energy through Ever After.*

*With this spiritual proximity, a torrent of emotions spirals around the Station. Desperation, resentment, fear. The cracks in his heart filled in by her essence have begun to tense.*
Nicole
*Looked at him, rushing over to him and trying to see if anything was wrong. She could feel everything, which made her worry even more.*

"Dado!!! What's going on? Are you okay? Where are you?"
Tomi
*His head turns swiftly towards her, his eyes darting back and forth.*

"Fiora? Is this another... Please." *He breathes heavily.* "Tell someone. Anyone. The Dark Kingdom Key must be reforged. Tell Aria. Maybe Mod's library has something. I can't... The Door to Darkness. We have to seal it."

*His speech is manic and irregular.*
Nicole
"H-hey slow down! I don't understand. What do you mean? I thought that is what you were going to do."

*Fiora's memories of before Agrabah were very much clouded due to some issues. She did her best to remember but the best she could do was remember that they had a meeting at the tower.*
Tomi
"Brad killed Sir Icidro." *Anger fills the air.* "He shattered the Dark Kingdom Key. I couldn't seal the Door. Not without it."

*His speech accelerates.* "One of each. A Heart of Light, a Heart of Darkness. A Keyblade from our Realm, a Keyblade from its opposite. Without both, the Door can't close. I need to seal the Door. It's my job. My only job. I have one job. I had *One* Job!" *He wheezes in a spell of dry laughter, unaccompanied by a smile.*
Nicole
*Fiora tried her best to follow along. But the best she got was Brad killing his friend and the door not being able to be sealed. Which is the important part at least.*

"D-dado... Please relax... You're scaring me."

*Dado's feelings begin to spill into her own heart.*

"I-it's okay, we can go find a new way. Help the worlds and then seal the door. We can do it!"
Tomi
"The Keyholes, the Keyholes." *Dado looks to the side angrily.* "Can't anyone see they're less important? What ever happened to the big picture? The darkness is only a problem because of the Door! They want to distract us! That's the whole plan!"

"Fiora. Fiora, *Please*. Tell Aria. Tell Xion. Tell *Someone*. The Dark Kingdom Key must be reforged. You're my only hope. The only one I can talk to."

*The spectral image of Dado slowly strengthens, and the atmosphere of the Station changes. It's a silvery void with reflective windows, save for one. Beyond it is a massive white door, pushed open beyond what its hinges should allow.*
Nicole
*Fiora got a little upset at hearing that. Big picture? Darkness is only a problem because of the door?*

"Dado... Why don't you come back and tell them yourself?"

*She noticed the giant door, and understood now why Dado didn't return. But it wasn't a good answer for her.*

"Come back! Tell them, help us! Traverse town is flooded in darkness, all those people who lost their homes already are being hurt again! What if this is happening in other worlds? What if we have to plan a new way?! The original plan failed, what makes you think we can fix it and just try it again?!"

*Fiora grabbed Dado by his shoulders and stared into his eyes.*

"There is still hope, Dado. Please..."
Tomi
*As she grabs his shoulders, gold strands snake across the edge of the Pocket Dimension. Dado shudders, his strength slowly renewing.*

"What makes you think we *Can't*?" *He drops Ever After, lifts his hands and holds Fiora's to his shoulders. She begins to feel slightly shakier, slightly weaker.*

"Master Mod mentioned someone once replicated the powers of the Keyblade." *His speech is clearer, more confident... With a manic tone nonetheless indisputably present.* "I now see why she brought it up. To prepare us, just in case."

"I," *He grins.* "Just need to hold the fort long enough for it to be reforged. With me on this side, and everyone else on the other, we *Can't* Fail!"

"*Think about it.* This is the best way! The *Only* Way. We don't need to split our forces across two sides. We just need one good moment. And then, *We win.*"
Nicole
*Fiora stared back at Dado. To her, he's gone insane. It would be no use.*

"Dado... Fine. I'll go do all your work, fix the worlds, and find your mystery person who only Mod knew about and can't tell us more about. I'll go carry on and give hope to the people dying and in need. I'll go clean up all the mess just so you can come in at the end and say you did good. I'll go be the guardian you're supposed to be!"

*Fiora ripped herself away from Dado and began to tear up. Taking a few steps away.*

"I won't let my own despair get in the way of doing what is right..."
Tomi
*The howling emotional winds freeze in place within Dado's Heart. A single feeling replaces it, slowly saturating the air. The first step to understanding a mistake, the predecessor to correction.*

*Recognition flashes on Dado's face as he looks up at Fiora. That look of resolve. That burning need to help others.*

*He looks back down, hard-blinking away tears, then brandishes a splayed hand. A wind slams into Fiora, rocketing her out of his Heart.*