Rushing home from headquarters, Noble barely had time to make it before her appointment in the Dream Realm. As a Master, she could leave from anywhere in the waking world.
But Noble was hesitant to try it for the first time.
If that were not enough incentive, she needed to place her tether where she wanted to return, otherwise the professor would end up back at the site of the closed gate.
If she had to guess, the massive walls encircling the gate were already being torn down to make way for other construction. Space in the NQSC was more scarce every day, and people would jump at the chance to regain even a little bit of it.
Either way, Noble didn't want to appear again at that point. She much preferred to come back where she always had—to the safety of her dojo.
Entering the small room, Noble felt a wave of nostalgia.
She had honed her skills in this dojo after having the twins. It felt like a lifetime ago.
As Queen Bee, she had practiced with Sarai here before they debuted in the Dreamscape. After all that she had been through with the red-headed baker, Noble could not imagine life without her friend.
Finally, she had trained Rain in this room. The lessons had been rewarding for both of them.
'Perhaps Rainy would consider sparring with me again so I can see how much she has grown,' Noble felt a small pang at how distant Rain had been since their reunion. Maybe a little close-quarter combat would help them reconnect.
Not everything in the dojo was as Noble had left it. Her pod was pushed into one corner. That was fine. She wouldn't need it anymore anyway.
Where it had been a mundane cot was set up instead. This is where Lena had been sleeping while staying at the family's house. The grandmother had not once complained about the situation, happily stepping in to fill the gap.
Now the bed was stripped of its sheets and all other signs of Noble's mother were gone. She had moved back to her own home, to resume her own life.
'I owe her more than I can ever repay.'
Abandoning that thought, Noble returned to the task at hand: heading to her new anchor in the Dream Realm.
Summoning a set of armor to cover herself, Noble prepared to depart. With a deep breath, she focused on tethering herself to her dojo. It came more naturally than she expected. All it took was a conscious effort and her anchor in the waking world was attached to a new spot.
'Interesting.'
Noble wondered if there was anything else she was missing before leaving. She tried to think. As far as she knew, everything was in order.
'The Academy offers a course for new Masters. Perhaps I should consider taking it.' She mused with a smile.
But not now. Right now, she was already running late. Again.
Thankfully her destination was barely a thought away.
Noble focused on the anchor she had just made and then the tether connecting her to the Dream Realm.
Suddenly she was no longer in her dojo.
She was...Where was she?
Looking around, Noble found herself next to a large shimmering gate. It was mesmerizing. If not for her strange entrance into the nightmare, this is where she would have found the seed to begin that strange journey.
All around her, grey stone walls rose quickly to a vaulted ceiling. Looking up at a beautiful stained glass window above two imposing doors, Noble knew exactly where she had been relocated.
"The Palace!"
Noble had spent hours staring at the colored glass over the past many weeks. It was exactly as she remembered. Only one piece was missing: the one she had taken and put in her room.
"But how?"
"How indeed?!" A feminine voice echoed. "I thought you said this was all rubble!"
Sarai appeared beside her suddenly, seeming to materialize from thin air. Which, technically she had.
The young woman hugged her friend before looking around with similar wonder. "The whole building is intact and looking better than when we left it."
Noble nodded. It was very strange.
"I guess the Spell put it back together. I wonder if the whole kingdom is like this?"
"No. Just the building and not even all of it. All of the passages that led underground are either blocked off by stone walls or missing entirely." Nickel's voice echoed in the large hall, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere.
Noble flinched. She hadn't sensed him coming at all.
"Laundry!" Sarai's face brightened as the man in question strode in from the far side of the hall.
The friendly redhead ran forward and gathered the librarian in a crushing hug.
"You were gone before I could leave my room at the Academy Hospital and no one would tell me where you were. I was worried something might have happened."
"I made sure to slip out of the Academy before anyone was even aware that I ascended." Nickel cut his eyes toward Noble with a smirk. "Unlike some people who crash through gates to seek attention, I prefer a more subtle approach."
"Subtle, my foot," Noble arched her brow. "You just didn't want to do your interview."
Sarai nodded, wrinkling her nose. "Yeah, you left us to stumble over who Mr. Cellio was and why he was in the Nightmare with us."
"It's just an alias. We all have them. You told of my exploits, then? I hope you did me justice." The librarian brushed back imaginary long hair.
"I might have done too good a job," Noble hummed, drawing a glare from her black-clad companion. "I now have to get Master Cellio's autograph."
"There are worse things," Nickel shrugged, but Noble could feel his satisfaction that he had made a good impression. "I will send you something to keep you out of trouble."
"Very generous of you," Noble smirked. Then she thought of how thrilled Teddy would be. "Thank you," she added more genuinely.
"Noble and I just arrived." Sarai looked at the third member of their group. "Have you been waiting long?"
"Not long," Nickel chuckled. "I have only been here more or less since yesterday. Other than letting Ren know I'm not dead and messaging the two of you, I've been exploring to see if there is anything worth finding."
"By the disappointment in your voice, I'm guessing the treasury is empty." One corner of Noble's lips tilted upward.
"Everything is empty," Nickel corrected her. "Not a piece of furniture or decoration in sight."
"I guess the Spell didn't feel the need to fill in the details." Noble shrugged.
The fact the building was here at all was bizarre enough without all the extras. If it had just rebuilt what was still there, then it would make sense why only the stone and glass were present. Everything else would have rotted away with time.
Nickel led them through all of the most notable rooms. Sarai got to see the great hall in all its glory for the first time. The original Emira had melted the stone with her fury.
"It would be wonderful for a party!" She clasped her hands.
"I agree. Can't you imagine all the magnificent dances that took place right here?" Noble pictured an orchestra in the corner and a table of food along one wall. But before she could conjure up an image of her husband in all his finery, the third member of the group cleared his throat.
"Uh, I don't know about you, but I didn't come here to dance. Shall we get down to business?"