The Struggle

The Struggle is the 12th episode overall in Tales of Dawn and the Season 2 finale. In this episode, Esa has been imprisoned while Dawn continues living with her new family. However, the redheaded goddess carries great guilt and self-blame from her past treatment on her mother. It is going to take someone, anyone, to help her resolve her inner troubles.

Characters

 * Dawn
 * Leon
 * Pallas
 * Savantia
 * Triton
 * Neptune
 * Anastasia and Anasterian
 * Esa

Plot
The episode started off with Esa beginning to be sent to the Island in the Sky to be imprisoned for her actions in the previous episode. As she was about to be sent away, she gave Dawn, who just showed up to witness her departure, a sad smile as if to say goodbye. A guilty Dawn tried to return the goodbye verbally, but the older goddess was already taken away before she could reach her.

A few days passed, repairs being made to any buildings destructed by Esa, while everyone rejoiced over the birth of the twins. However, Savantia and Triton noticed Dawn keeping to herself most of the time, barely talking to anyone. Pallas noticed that she did not visit her, and Leon found himself alone without him resting on her shoulders as he always did. They all at one point tried to make her join in a family swim through Atlantis, only for her to decline.

Neptune visited the family to keep in check with the twins, and it did not take long for him to notice Dawn's isolation. He immediately realized that the reason she was acting like this was because of her mother's imprisonment, referring to his memories of the aftermath of locking his son away. Mentioning this to Triton and Savantia, the couple immediately thought of a solution, one that Neptune did not see coming (nor want to do).

Later on, a reluctant Neptune joins Dawn on the balcony of the palace in the late afternoon. Even though the younger redhead denied anything was wrong, she eventually gave in and told her grandfather that, ever since her mother was imprisoned, she felt she was to blame for her actions and that she never even got the chance to apologize to her for her resentment. Neptune, feeling sympathy, told her how he felt the same way when he banished his son, isolating himself. He also explained that, even though she took it too far, Esa regained her memory, traveled the entire ocean just to look for her, and stopped her from harming Savantia when she saw her, unconscious, on the ground, proving that she loved her and that no amount of resentment against her could ever change that.

As he explained everything, Dawn finally understood, tears in her eyes. The sea god comforted his granddaughter as she cried, letting her pass out in his arms. She later woke up in bed, Triton and Savantia checking on her. They explained that Neptune left earlier and asked if she was feeling alright. Dawn smiled softly, sitting up and replying, "Everything's alright now," much to her parents' relief.

However, in the Island in the Sky, two male soldiers guarding a sleeping Esa were suddenly knocked out by an unseen force, the goddess waking up from the noise and seeing a silhouette of a male. He forced the lock off and set her free before asking, "How would you like to help me help you get your hubby and kid back?" before the screen went black.

Trivia
TBA