Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One: Sea Salt Ice Cream and Struggle Matches

Another day, another beautiful afternoon in Twilight Town. Lea chuckled softly as he walked down the street. It was always afternoon in Twilight Town; Isa objected to this description, citing the way their shadows moved proved there was a day-night cycle and “You’ve eaten ice-cream and watched the sunset on the clock tower literally hundreds of times.” Eh, whatever. Isa may have decided to be a stick-in-the-mud with his recompilation but he was Lea’s stick-in-the-mud. 

He had a life in Twilight Town, a genuinely fulfilling life. Lea had been born and raised in Radiant Garden. There, he had known relative peace and kinship with Isa, his best friend. But Lea hadn’t had purpose. Neither of them had had purpose, but really, what teenager did know what their purpose? 

That might have been one of the reasons Lea and Isa had spent so much time trying to sneak into Ansem the Wise’s castle. There, they had met a strange girl, one of the subjects of Ansem’s experiments, who couldn’t remember anything about her past. But Lea and Isa had become her friend and resolved to rescue her. But when they finally had formed a plan to try, she wasn’t there. And they were caught by Xaldin and Vexen. And taken to Xemnas and Xigbar. And then Xemnas had summoned his Keyblade…and Lea had his heart ripped from his body.  

And then the Garden had fallen. Darkness took the world over, dooming thousands to become Heartless, a few lucky ones cast off to other worlds, and countless others to permanent death. And Lea had been among them. But then he wasn’t Lea anymore, he’d become Axel. A Nobody. Number VIII in the Organization. The Flurry of Dancing Flames. A lethal and remorseless assassin. 

Rather than continue their operations in the fallen Garden, or Hollow Bastion as it was then called, they had relocated to the World That Never Was, taking residence in the castle. A fitting name if ever there was one—beings that should not exist must live in a world that did not truly exist. 

The Castle That Never Was had been lonely for so long, so dark and dreary and evil-y. And not to mention, all the horrible memories—especially watching Roxas and Xion become more and more distant while Xemnas plotted to use them for his own evil schemes.  

But Twilight Town with its sleepy streets and quiet hills, the little bistro and open-air theater that Donald’s uncle owned, the sandlot and trams. The sunsets and the trees and everything else: Xion with her little job at the ice-cream shop. Roxas skateboarding in the alleys. Isa readjusting to being a person again, even if he had decided to be a stick-in-the-mud. Ice-cream on the clock tower—with those other kids, Hayner, Pence and Olette. This was a world where a life could be built. Lea and Isa and Roxas and Xion could be a family. Lea had his big brother back, and his little brother and his sweet little sister—that was his purpose now. 

Lea was home. And if there were a better way to spend an afternoon (or was it morning?) than walking through peaceful streets where people knew him by name and didn’t ready themselves to attack him then Lea couldn’t think of it. Well, maybe one thing—he could use some lunch. But he wasn’t terribly hungry, so maybe he’d just get some ice-cream. And Lea knew the best place in the world to get one.

xxxx

“Welcome, welcome to Twilight Treats! How can I help you today?” Lea felt he might burst with pride watching Xion wait on customers. She looked so cute in her little apron and hat, dark blue that contrasted with her black blouse and gray skirt. Back and forth Xion darted from the freezer to the counter, making all sorts of deserts. She had turned sundae-making into a science. Watching her do something she loved, something that suited her perfectly, it warmed his heart.

“One…chocolate…ice-cream…bar…please,” the next customer asked. Lea recognized the little boy with the big hat, What was his name again? Vince? Xion smiled sweetly at the boy as she handed him his ice-cream. 

“Here you go, Vivi.” Ah, yes—Vivi. “Here’s some napkins too.” 

Vivi paid for his ice-cream and scampered off. How he could see anything underneath his big hat, Lea had no idea. Whatever, it was his turn now.

“Welcome, welcome to Twilight Treats! How can I—hi!” Xion’s grin looked like it might crack her face in two. “It’s so great to see you, Ax…er, Lea. I missed you!”

“Xion, it’s only been a few hours since breakfast! How can you have missed me that much?”

“Um…” Xion ducked her head, so all Lea could see was her black hair. “I just missed you, I guess. Sorry about almost calling you Axel.” 

Xion was hardly the first to slip up and call him “Axel,” instead of “Lea.” Frankly, Lea preferred it when it was her or Roxas or Kairi addressing him. “Axel” just seemed to fit better coming from someone smaller than him. But in public, when there were other people around, who only knew him as “Lea,” it was best to err on the side of caution. 

“Ooooh, Xion!” The little old grandmotherly woman who actually owed the ice-cream shop shuffled over. “Why didn’t you say Axel came to visit? It’s been ages! You want sea salt, right? Same as always.”

Oh…words that Xion was not allowed to use. This could be trouble—Lea had promised King Mickey and Ansem the Wise they would keep a low profile. If the granny who ran the ice-cream shop could figure things out, then others might too. Lea wasn’t sure how big an issue that was, in the grander scheme of things. Twilight Town tended to be pretty quiet as worlds went, but there was still the matter of the Order…

“Er…um…Granny,” Xion stammered, her face reddening. “His name is Lea. Axel is his…cousin. See, Lea doesn’t have those weirdo teardrop tattoos.”

Nice save Xi…hey! My tattoos were not weird! 

“Oh, well. It’s nice to meet you, Lea.”

The ice-cream granny knew. She totally knew, despite Xion’s not-half-bad attempt to lie. But she was apparently willing to help keep a secret. Even if she didn’t know the ramifications of it.

“Here you go, Lea,” Xion mumbled, her hands trembling as she handed Lea his ice-cream. Mmmm…salty, but sweet. The best ice-cream flavor in all the worlds. 

“Here’s the munny,” Lea offered. “And are you allowed to get a tip?”

“No!” Xion blurted. “You’re family; I’m not allowed to take tips from family! I’m not even sure I’m allowed to serve you!” Xion turned her attention to the ice-cream granny. “Granny, I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry.”

Ooh boy. Xion still wasn’t entirely over her tendency to panic. How could he calm her down? 

“Xion, dear,” ‘Granny’ patted the small girl on the shoulder. “You’ve done nothing wrong. If your family wants to give you a tip, I will allow it…how exactly are you related?”

“I’m her step-brother,” Lea answered. Maybe it wasn’t technically true, but he wasn’t old enough to be her dad, and being “step-siblings” allowed for a bit more leeway in how neither Xion nor Roxas looked a darned thing like him. 

“Ooooh, how nice. I think it’s very sweet came to visit your little sister. It reminds me of how used to visit my brother at his first job. Oh, that was so long ago…”

Lea left the counter while Granny went on and on about her own experiences. Xion seemed to ease back into casual conversation. Good, good—she’d do just fine once she calmed down. Xion had been a little jumpy lately, Ever since Sora had…vanished. Riku will find him. Sora always comes back to his friends.

Lea took a seat in the back of the parlor. Far enough away where he could keep an eye on Xion without actually calling attention to her. After a while, he started to read an old newspaper that’d been left behind from a previous patron. Maybe there would be something good in the job listings. Lea made most of his munny from killing Heartless in the woods surrounding Twilight Town, but sometimes the odd jobs were easier. But those were really for teenagers. Lea was a grown-up…mostly. It’d be nice to find something steady.

oooo

Roxas dismissed Oathkeeper and Oblivion and looked around the empty lot. He wasn’t sure exactly what the landlord who had hired him was planning to do with it. Or why it had been so full of scrap metal and lumber in the first place. Hayner and Pence were more enthusiastic about it. 

“That was amazing, Roxas!” 

“Not really,” Roxas shrugged. 

“I’ve never seen the lot so spotless!” The landlord, Mister Yanushi, exclaimed, walking up from the street.  “Roxas, this is remarkable!”

“It was nothing, sir. Piece of cake.” 

It really hadn’t been that hard—the vacant lot had been filled with enough debris that it would have been difficult to walk through. But smashing the largest pieces of the debris with his Keyblades had made it much easier. Hayner and Pence had collected most of the smaller pieces, and then a few well-placed Water spells, while Pence used a hose, had gotten the last bits of garbage away. 

“Son, this would have taken me two full days. You and your friends did all this in only a few hours?”

“We, er,” Hayner answered. “We got into a groove and we didn’t want to stop. Figured we might do as much as we can.”

Roxas turned to Hayner and Pence. Pence wiped sweat from his forehead and Hayner gave him a thumbs up. 

“Is there anything else you need our help with, sir?” Roxas asked. Might as well get as much done as possible—there was still quite a bit of day left. 

“No, no. You’ve done plenty. I don't want you getting over-tired. But I may ask you back later this week. I’m getting in some special troughs and soil.”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, I didn't mention?” Mister Yanushi chuckled. “This lot is going to be a garden to grow fresh vegetables. I’ve made a deal with that Scrooge McDuck character. Odd fellow, but he’s got the sharpest mind for business I’ve ever seen.

“Now, for payment. You’ve done far more than I expected and did it in much less time than I expected, so let’s see…I think a thousand munny each sounds fair.”

Roxas tried not to stagger. A thousand munny was a ton of munny. Enough to buy forty ice creams. Or a skateboard—but he had one already. Behind him, he could hear Hayner and Pence gasp with excitement. Roxas could already hear Hayner planning out the next beach trip. 

“Thank you, sir.”

“Don’t spend it all in one place, now.” 

Mister Yanushi strolled away and Roxas turned to his friends. Excitement bubbled in his stomach.

“We can buy a watermelon at the beach with this!” Hayner exclaimed. “This is gonna be the best trip yet.”

“We should celebrate! Hayner, Roxas,” Pence said, “Lunch! Ice cream’s on me!”

“Yeah,” Roxas agreed. “We can go visit Xion.”

Hayner and Pence looked at each other and grinned. It was an odd sort of grinning. Roxas wasn’t quite sure what it meant. Come to think of it, it looked kind of like the way King Mickey would grin whenever the subject of Riku and Naminé came up. But Roxas wasn’t exactly sure what that really had to do with him and Xion. Even if Xion was his best friend.

xxxx

“Welcome, welcome to Twilight Treats! How can I serve you today? Hi guys!” 

“Hey, Xion. Three ice creams!” Pence handed her the munny. 

“Shouldn’t it be four?” Xion asked. She craned her neck to look behind Roxas. “Wait, where’s Olette? I thought she was with you guys.”

“I think she said something about having to find that little pouch she made,” Hayner scratched his head. “But that was this morning, so who knows?”

“Weird,” Xion said. “Okay, take these ice creams, and then call her and check in. My shift ends in thirty minutes, so I can join you then. Oh, and Roxas—say ‘hi’ to Lea.”

Roxas turned and grinned. Axel was sitting at a table in a far corner. He had a half-eaten ice cream in one hand and the classified section of a newspaper in the other. A small plate with a pile of ice cream sticks lay in front of them. Axel waved them over when he saw Roxas.

“Don’t you guys usually eat in that little clubhouse?”

“The Usual Spot? Sure,” Hayner answered. “But Roxas wanted to visit Xion, so heh, you know.”

Roxas wasn’t sure he liked the smirk on Axel’s face. Lea’s face. Darn it, he still wasn’t used to calling him ‘Lea.’ Even after nearly four weeks, ‘Axel’ just sounded more natural. Axel, for his part, didn’t seem to mind too much, at least when they were alone. But Isa was insistent that Axel be called by his birth name in public.

“So what’s the plan for dinner tonight, Roxas? I’m thinking maybe fried chicken. I don’t think you’ve had that yet.”

“You’ve never had fried chicken before?” Hayner asked, looking horrified. “But it’s delicious!”

“We didn’t have a lot of cooking options back…in our old home.” 

Roxas shuffled his feet and Hayner seemed to realize that it would probably be a good idea to change the subject. Roxas thought the upcoming Struggle matches might be a good divergence but a sharp cry caught his attention. 

“Give it back!” 

That sounded like trouble. Roxas ate his ice cream in two bites, bolted from his seat, and ran out of the ice cream parlor. 

Seifer, one of the neighborhood kids, was holding a bar of chocolate ice cream high in the air. His two friends, Rai and Fuu, were holding onto the arms of a flailing Vivi, desperately trying to free himself to get to his ice cream. 

“Please Seifer…I want…my ice cream…back!”

“Vivi, I’m the leader of the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee,” Seifer gave an long-suffering sigh. “I need this ice cream so that I can make decisions.”

“Seifer!” Roxas snapped. “Give Vivi back his ice cream.”

“I need it more,” Seifer retorted. “What’s it to you anyway?”

“Give it back now!”

Roxas gritted his teeth but Seifer wasn’t backing down either. Roxas curled his hands into fists, careful not to summon his Keyblades. Seifer was a real jerk, but he wasn’t kill-it-with-a-Keyblade bad.

“I don’t think we’ve met,” Seifer sneered, swinging the ice cream bar for emphasis. “This is my town and this is my Disciplinary Committee. Since that weirdo with the strange sword isn’t here anymore, I’m the toughest guy here. These are my streets. Now mind your own business.”

Roxas was clenching his fists so tightly, he thought he might have cut himself. To dismiss Sora like that…rage bubbled inside him. He hadn’t thought it was possible for the Seifer who lived in the Digital Twilight Town to have had better manners. He took a step forward.

“You want the stupid ice cream so bad?” Seifer snapped, flinging the ice cream bar back. “Catch!”

The ice cream sailed through the air but before Roxas could reach out to grab it, Seifer punched him in the side of the head. Roxas shook his head, just in time to see the ice cream splatter on a nearby storm grate. 

“Noooooooo….” Vivi blubbered as Rai and Fuu knocked him to the ground. “My ice cream…”

“Now look what you made me do!” Seifer taunted. “You made me spill my ice cream!”

“What are you talking about? You started it!”

“We’re warriors, ya’ know? We just got back from a trip to get strong, ya’ know?” Rai cracked his knuckles menacingly. 

“Enough! All of you!” 

What the heck? Roxas turned his head and saw Xion, still in her ice cream apron, stomping towards them. Xion stormed over, bypassing Seifer and the others entirely and then knelt next to Vivi. “Vivi, are you alright?”

“My ice cream…”

“C’mon,” Xion soothed, helping the smaller boy to his feet. “I’ll get you a new one, on the house.” 

Xion took Vivi’s hand and walked him back into the shop. She nodded briefly to Roxas as she passed, her blue eyes glowering with righteous anger.  

“What? Another outsider messing things up in my town?”

“Leave her alone,” Roxas snapped. “She’s off-limits.”

After everything they had all been through—the missions for the Organization where they had, unknowingly, nearly doomed the worlds; the horrific abuse Xion had suffered at the hands of Xemnas and Saix; Xion having to be destroyed to help Sora. Nobody was going to hurt her again—least of all a stupid bully and his monosyllabic, moronic bodyguards. 

“Is that a challenge?”

“Roxas!”

Roxas turned around; Hayner and Pence were running towards him. Hayner looked like he was itching for a fight. Memories from his week in the Digital Twilight Town pricked at the back of his head. He’d fought the Digital Seifer a couple of times in Struggle matches…if he had done it digitally, surely he could take Seifer on for real.

“Yeah, I’ll take you on. Meet me at the sandlot in an hour.”

Seifer smirked and Roxas had to resist the urge to punch him in his stupid mouth and knock out all his stupid teeth. He’d get his chance to do it fairly before the sun set. 

oooo

Xion walked Vivi back inside the ice cream shop, set him down in one of the chairs, went to the back of the freezer to get him a bigger, better, deluxe chocolate ice bar (the kind that crunched!), filled the cash register with her own munny, and then handed Vivi the ice cream. And a napkin. 

“Thank you…Xion.”

“You’re welcome, Vivi,” Xion answered. After a moment she added, “Seifer doesn’t deserve to have as good a friend as you.”

“What happened?” Granny asked, walking over and taking Xion’s hand. Xion felt the tension in her shoulders ease a bit. She could never be mad at Granny. She was furious with Seifer though. 

“A mean boy, Seifer, took Vivi’s ice cream and threw it down a storm gutter. I gave him a new one. Don’t worry, I paid for it.”

“Oh, I never did like that boy,” Granny tutted. “Terrible manners and he’s a bully to boot. Him and his two ne’er-do-well friends like to call themselves the ‘Disciplinary Committee.’ Pah, he’s the one who needs discipline.”

“I guess…” Xion mumbled. “Thank you for not being angry, Granny. I shouldn’t have left my post.”

“Nonsense—I heard the commotion, I can hardly fault you for wanting to know what’s going on. Your shift is over in ten minutes anyway, and the only other person here is ‘Lea.’ Speaking of which—”

“Ugg..” Axel groaned, rubbing his stomach. “Maybe six ice creams was too many…”

Xion blushed and darted over to help Axel out of his seat. His face was smeared with melted ice cream. 

“Lea!” 

“Uggg…maybe we’ll just have salad for dinner instead.”

“Poor…Lea,” Vivi waddled over, with a napkin in his hand. “Here…you…go.”

“You all run along now,” Granny smiled. “I’ll close up the shop.”

Grateful for a chance to leave gracefully, Xion hurried out of the shop, Vivi at her heels. Lea took a minute to finish wiping his mouth and followed, catching up to them with his long legs.

“Roxas…” Vivi said, his little yellow eyes darting across the street. Xion looked left and right, but she saw no sign of him. No Pence or Hayner either (And she hadn’t seen Olette all day). No sign of that jerk Seifer either.

“I don’t think he’s here, Vivi. I heard him yelling at Seifer, but I don’t know what they actually said.”

“Roxas…fight…Seifer.”

“What?” Xion wasn’t surprised, really. Roxas—and Hayner for that matter—had mentioned (In Hayner’s case, ranted) about Seifer before. And she had Sora’s memories too; Sora had fought Seifer a bunch of times in Struggle matches (and won every single match too). But even if Seifer was a bully, he was still a person…who could bleed. And would be no match for a Keybearer. Roxas was tremendously powerful.

“Huh,” Axel said thoughtfully, “So Roxas is taking on the school bully. That brings back memories.”

“I’m worried…” Xion bit her lip. “What if Roxas hurts Seifer?”

“Heh, heh…” Axel’s chuckle trailed off. “Sometimes a bully needs to be knocked down a few pegs, but I don't think Roxas is gonna hurt him that badly…he wouldn’t…” Axel grabbed Xion by the arm. She felt Vivi grab her free hand with both of his. “But then again, I’ve been wrong before!”

Axel broke into a run, yanking Xion and Vivi behind him. Maybe it was because Axel was just so tall, but Xion found her shoes just grazing the tiles beneath them. Vivi dangled freely from her hand.

“Which way did they go?”

“Seifer…fights at…Sandlot.”

“Thanks Vivi!” 

As Axel dragged them along, Xion saw a glimpse of the bistro Mister McDuck owned. Then the shop the three little ducklings owned—Huey, Dewey and Louie. Who apparently did not age, if the stories Ventus told were anything to go by. 

The sandlot was empty, except for Roxas, Hayner and Pence. No Seifer or his goons. No Olette either—where was she? Roxas waved when he saw them.

“Ax—er, Lea, you’re hurting me!”

“Oops, sorry kiddo.” Axel let go of Xion and she dropped like a load of bricks. Vivi yelped as he fell backwards, his hat inexplicably staying on. “Roxas, what do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m putting Seifer down, Lea. It’s time someone showed him who’s boss. I'm sick of him picking on anyone smaller than he is.”

“Hmmm, well in that case,” Axel raised his hands up. “Don’t let me stop you. Just remember that Seifer's just a stupid guy. He can't do half of what you can do. Got it memorized?”

“Roxas, don’t hurt him,” Xion whispered. “Please.”

“We’re not gonna hurt him,” Hayner said quickly. “We’re just gonna make him see that if he stops picking on smaller kids, he won’t have to face us.”

Xion thought the best thing to do would be get some ice cream and get up the clock tower to watch the sunset, but she didn’t see a point in arguing—Hayner and Roxas clearly had their minds made up. And making sure that Seifer never bullied anyone else didn’t seem to be such a bad thing—provided nobody actually got hurt. 

Axel had taken a seat on one of the benches and Vivi was sitting on the ground next to him. Xion had eased herself next to Axel when she felt a soft hand squeeze her shoulder. Xion turned her head. Olette was standing there, pale as a ghost. Her green eyes were watery. Where had she been? Had something…bad happened?

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s…” Olette swallowed hard, and her grip slackened. “I need to tell you something. You and Roxas, both.”

“What’s wrong?” Xion repeated and she felt a knot form in her stomach. She knew that Olette knew, at minimum, the gist of Sora’s adventures. And she also knew that Pence had helped Ienzo and Ansem the Wise recover the data necessary to mold a Replica vessel to be suitable for Roxas. That meant Olette probably knew at least a bit of what happened in the year Roxas and Xion had worked for the Organization. And Hayner, Pence and Olette had all been at Destiny Islands when Sora…

Xion felt the knot in her stomach grow tighter. It had been almost four weeks since Sora had used the Power of Waking to rescue Kairi. But it had apparently cost him his own life. Seeing Sora fade into nothingness had been awful…

“You can tell me when you’re ready,” Xion whispered. Sometimes bad things were easier to talk about alone, instead of in a group. “It doesn’t even have to be both of us at once.”

Olette nodded and shuffled so that she could sit next to Xion, breathing deeply as if she were trying not to cry. Hayner was patting Roxas on the shoulder and pumping his fist. Still no sign of Seifer.

“So you decided to show up, loser.”

Never mind. Seifer and his two friends were coming from the far side of the sandlot. Each was holding a Struggle bat.

“Thought you weren’t gonna show. Your days of being a bully end here,” Roxas’s voice seemed almost uncharacteristically harsh. But it didn’t sound mean, really. Not like Saix or Xemnas—they had been mean. Roxas sounded more like he wanted to stop Seifer from being able to mean. He actually sounded a little bit like Riku.

“There aren’t any of those stupid balls, since this isn’t a formal Struggle match,” Seifer continued. “So if you think you’re so tough, then I say you have to take us all on.”

“When I win,” Roxas growled, “then your little Committee stops. For good. And you have to buy Vivi ice cream every day for a month.”

“Go…Roxas…” Vivi cheered in his little voice, clapping his hands. Xion couldn’t help but smile. He was so cute with his little hat. 

“What happens if we win, ya’ know?” Rai stomped his foot in emphasis. “I wanna know what we get, ya’ know?”

“If we win, then you get out of my town, if you can even walk afterward,” Seifer smirked. “And If you don’t get lost, then that freaky ice cream girl is next.”

It was subtle, and if Xion hadn’t known Roxas so well, she might have missed it. But he was her best friend and his shoulders tightened and his hands curled into fists. She could feel Olette stiffen and hear Axel grind his teeth. Pence glowered at Seifer and handed Roxas a Struggle bat. 

“Okay,” Hayner snapped. “That’s enough of that. You focus on each other, got it? Now, when I count to three, you can start. One…two…three.”

Seifer charged towards Roxas swinging his sword, but…wow, Seifer’s technique was terrible. Roxas parried the blow and began attacking, showing no mercy. Again and again, he swung and Seifer’s attempts to protect himself became increasingly desperate. Finally, there was a loud crack and Seifer fell to the ground. Rai and Fuu charged in, trying to protect the leader of their gang. Rai tried to hit Roxas in the head but Roxas slipped to the side, and whacked his bat against Rai’s so hard, it went flying out of the larger boy’s hand. Fuu tried to hit Roxas in the side, but he parried and she was knocked off her feet.

Xion checked her watch. The fight had lasted less than a minute. Wow. He’s so strong. 

Seifer struggled to his feet. His Struggle bat was broken, the ‘blade’ hanging on by a thread. He looked furious. Rai’s bat was bent in two, and Fuu’s was badly chipped. 

“A deal’s a deal,” Roxas said evenly. “You can’t pick on anyone smaller than you anymore.”

“This…this will be remembered,” Seifer shouted, stomping his foot like a toddler. He turned on his heel and ran off, Rai and Fuu at his heels. 

“Seifer! Wait for us, ya’ know!”

Xion ran up to Roxas and grabbed his hands in joy. He had done so great against Seifer. Pence and Hayner were whooping with joy. 

“I’ve been wanting to do that for years, Roxas!”

“You…did…great,” Vivi walked up to Roxas and held out his little hand for Roxas to shake. “Thank…you, Roxas.” 

“You sure showed him,” Axel chuckled. “Nothing like showing a bully who’s boss.”

Olette was the last to join the little circle. She still looked really upset, but she gave a small, almost shy smile.

Roxas didn’t say anything, but he did smile. That made Xion feel even better—if Roxas was happy, then she was happy too. Nothing could stop them, if they stuck together…

Chapter Text

Chapter Two: Social Workers and Sephiroth

Growing up, Lea had despised and detested bullies. All bullies. Anyone who was bigger and pushed around smaller kids just because they could. It had been one of the reasons he and Isa had snuck into Ansem’s castle to try to free the girl… He could acknowledge the irony of his deeds as Axel being the epitome of bullying, but right now he had more pressing matters.

A social worker was coming to pay a house visit. Roxas had taught that jerk Seifer a lesson, and what did Seifer do? Cry to his father, who was apparently rather wealthy. And Seifer’s jerk father had made more calls about how his precious boy had been badly beaten by a strange boy living with adults who he wasn’t related to. And of course Seifer was in no trouble whatsoever, despite having started the fight.

So for the last three days, Axel and Isa had led Roxas and Xion on a cleaning binge. Vacuum the carpets, scrub the kitchen floor, sanitize the bathroom, dust every shelf and windowsill. Their house was small and they had only been living there about six weeks altogether, but it was still remarkable how quickly it could get dirty.  That had been an advantage to the Castle That Never Was—lower Nobodies did most of the grunt work.  

“Roxas! Your rooms better be clean!” Lea called. “The social worker is going to be here in half an hour! Isa, is that lemonade ready yet?” 

Isa was fixing a pitcher of lemonade; Roxas was putting the finishing touches on the smaller bedroom; Xion had gone into town to pick up a fresh apple pie from the bakery. 

It was going to go absolutely perfectly. It had to. The social worker was going to see that Lea was an awesome parent and Roxas and Xion belonged here, with him. And they’d all live happily ever after. 

Knock knock knock! 

Oh, words that Roxas and Xion weren’t allowed to use! The social worker was early. Darn, darn, darn, darny-darn. Okay, he could do this, he could do this, he could do this. Lea opened the front door. 

Oh wait, it wasn’t the social worker at all. It was Hayner and Pence. Both had large backpacks with them, filled with stuff.

“Hi…Lea,” Hayner pumped his fist. “Roxas home?”

“Yes,” Lea answered. “But I’m afraid he can’t come out and play. The social worker will be here very soon.”

“We’re not here to play—we’re here to loan you guys some stuff.”

“Pardon?”

“It was something we noticed a while ago,” Pence explained. “You guys don’t have a lot of stuff. So I brought some books and a jigsaw puzzle and my old computer.”

“We haven’t exactly lived here long enough to accumulate much stuff,” 

“Yeah, but the social worker might think something’s off if it looks like your rooms look more like barracks.”

Okay, that was a fair point—Roxas and Xion had very few personal belongings of their own. Other than Xion’s sea shell collection and Roxas’s skateboard. Oh, and that weird tiki-head tissue dispenser Roxas bought.

“You don’t have to keep any of it,” Hayner added. “This is just to help you guys look, well, normal.”

“Alright, alright, alright!” Lea interrupted. “You both get inside—having a couple of friends over might help Roxas anyway. Roxas hadn’t said much, but Lea could tell that the boy felt it was his fault they were getting a visit from the social worker in the first place.

Hayner and Pence darted inside and Lea took a moment to look down the street. No sign of Xion, but she was probably being as careful as possible. Neither she or Roxas had ever had pie before, much less a flavor as good as apple. Irritation prickled in his stomach—it was supposed to be over. Roxas and Xion had suffered so much—they deserved a chance to live regular lives and be regular kids. 

Lea closed the door behind him and walked into the kitchen. Like every other room in the house, it was rather small. Small stove, small pantry, small cupboards, small fridge. Isa nodded at him and went back to stirring—hey, wait a second, that wasn’t lemonade!

“Wheat-grass juice?” Lea was aghast. What were they, a bunch of rabbits? “Isa, seriously?!”

“It’s high in vital nutrients,” Isa responded. “ You know, the things children need to grow big and strong. The things you deprive the children with your addiction to ice cream.”

“Addiction to ice cream?!” Lea groaned. “We have one bar each a day! And you eat it too!”

“Yes, and now I want the children to enjoy wheat-grass juice,” Isa smirked. “In any event, this will leave a better impression for the social worker.”

Well, it was clear Isa was adamant about being a stick in the mud—and maybe lemonade would be too tart to eat with apple pie anyhow. Whatever. Lea could handled this. Definitely. Not a problem. 

Knock! Knock! Knock! 

Oooh boy, that had to be the social worker. Xion had a key, so she wouldn’t need to knock. Lea inhaled deeply. He could do this, he was awesome. He was awesome and the kids were awesome. Everyone was awesome. 

The social worker was tall and broad-shouldered, almost like Aeleus. If Aeleus was bald and had dark skin and wore shiny black sunglasses. Nice suit though—way nicer than anything Lea had seen any of the other grown-ups wear in Twilight Town. Thought it was not as nice as his awesome sleeveless coat, but definitely cooler than Isa’s jacket. 

“Good morning,” The social worker said, in a deep voice. “Is this 358 Oceanside Lane?”

Oh, right. Being the grown-up means talking to the social worker. Who was really big. With the deep scary voice and—did his knuckles say Cobra? That was either really cool, or really terrifiyng. Lea wasn’t sure whcih. Never mind that, Cobra was just a guy. Lea was tall too, and had much better hair, and he could use a Keyblade…most of the time. He could handle a really big, kinda scary social worker.

“Yes, my name is Lea. I believe we spoke on the phone. You must be Mister Kazoku, was that it?”

“Actually, Mister Kazoku is an associate of mine.” Cobra the Social Worker stated plainly. “However, given the initial reports my organization for your situation, it was decided that I was the best suited to analyze this household.”

Lea took pride in the fact he had not so much as flinched when Cobra the Social Worker had said “organization.” But why would Cobra be sent here instead of Kazoku? It probably had something to do with Seifer’s father accusing Roxas of hitting his son. But what was so special about Cobra, specifically?

This could be trouble. Not as much trouble as having lost his heart. Or working for a psycho named Xehanort who was pretending to be Ansem and calling himself Xemnas. Or losing his best friend to the psycho Xehanort-Ansem-Xemnas. Or becoming so lost, he’d murder Vexen with a literal snap of his fingers—regardless of the fact that Vexen did get better. Or egging on the Riku Replica to destroy Zexion—even though Zexion got better too. 

Or losing Roxas and Xion. Or Xion asking him to kill her so that she could rejoin Sora. Or fighting her so that wouldn’t happen, but then it happened anyway. Or forgetting that Xion ever existed. Or fighting Roxas in the basement of the Mansion—or was it the basement of the digital mansion? 

Or knowing that Roxas was walking to his demise. Or kidnapping Kairi to goad Sora into turning over to the Darkness. Or fighting Saix and getting too injured to rescue Kairi. Or coming back to being a person only to realize that Isa had already been lost again. Or losing his Keyblade, if only for a little while. Or watching Xehanort slice his Keyblade through Kairi’s spine. Or watching Sora vanish to get Kairi back. And then watching Sora fade into nothing after he did get Kairi back. Or the sounds Kairi made after, the deep sobs too horrible for a small teenager to make.

Lea had failed. A lot. He had failed ten ways to Sunday. He had let down a lot of people who had been counting on him. But he could make this right at least. He could prove that he could take care of Roxas and Xion. 

So now, time to deal with the social worker. And remember his manners. Never Lea’s finest point. He’d have to work on that—to set an example for Roxas if nothing else. Xion had excellent manners, at least around strangers—she took after Kairi that way. 

“Please come in, Mister…I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”

“Bubbles.”

Cobra Bubbles? Was this some kind of joke? Lea suppressed the urge to laugh. Making fun of people’s names was mean—Xion said so. 

“Bubbles, alright I will get that memorized. Right this way, Mister Bubbles.” Lea said politely. “I assure you that you have absolutely nothing to worry about, Mister Bubbles. I keep a nice home for the children.”

“I think I will be the judge of that. And you and I may well have different definitions of the word nice.”

Ooookay, Cobra Bubbles the Social Worker was officially on Lea’s Jerk List. Right next to that Seifer jerk who tattled to his father after he lost that fight, fair and square.  

Lea led Bubbles through the small house. The small hallway with the small closet; the sitting room with two chairs and one small couch; the small kitchen where Isa was finishing the wheat-grass juice. 

“And who, may I ask, are you?”

“My name is Isa,” Isa looked from Lea to Cobra Bubbles and back again. “I am Lea’s roommate. Please, have a seat.”

Cobra took one of the chairs and for a fleeting moment, Lea worried that it might be too small for him. Isa poured Cobra a glass of wheat-grass juice. Cobra downed it in one gulp.

“So, tell me—are either of you related to the children in question? Roxas and Xion?”

Ooh, this was going to be the tough part, remembering exactly how to describe their situation, without outright lying. Lea had already described himself as Xion’s step-brother, but that required knowing who their parents were. Lea’s parents had died when Radiant Garden fell. Roxas had originally been born from Sora releasing Kairi’s heart from his body; Xion had been a Replica, created by Vexen. 

Now they were both using Replica bodies…so describing Vexen, or Even to be accurate. Fair enough, but there was still the issue of who their mother was, since they certainly couldn’t write down Kairi. 

“Um, my mom married their dad,” Lea explained. “But she died about a year and a half ago, and my step-father sent them to live with me.”

“And where do you fit into this, Isa?”

“Lea invited me to help them…start over,” Isa recited his lines like he was giving a speech. “Their mother was very ill for several years, before she succumbed to that horrible illness. The children needed discipline and support and I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do.”

Ugh. Next time, I write the lines we have to tell the government. 

“And what of their biological mother?” Cobra’s deep voice seemed almost sympathetic. “Was this truly the best fit for them?”

“Their biological mother died in childbirth,” Isa said. He produced a tissue to blow his nose. Lea thought that was overkill. But Cobra didn’t seem to be that skeptical.  

“And they wouldn’t go anywhere else,” Lea said firmly. “They don’t want to go anywhere else. We’re not exactly a big family, so there really isn’t anywhere else for them to go. And more to the point, I want them.”

“I understand—my only concern is whether this is truly for the good of everyone,” Cobra scratched his chin. “Now I still have some issues…are the children being taken care of? Do they get all of the vitamins and minerals they need? All the fiber and protein?”

“Oh yes,” Isa poured a second glass of wheat-grass juice. “I make sure they get all their nutrients.” 

“And what happens when one of them is injured or ill?”

“We have a first-aid kit,” Lea answered. “It’s in the hallway. It’s a little large, but better safe than sorry. And if one of them is sick, I sleep in their room, in a chair.”

“And are they happy?”

Not nearly as happy as Lea wanted them to be. He wasn’t sure whether or not they knew he knew, but more than once he had heard one of them wake up crying. The trauma from the Organization would last a long time yet.

“They…have good days and bad days, just like any other teenager. But they’re loved.” 

“And where are they?” Cobra asked. “I would like to speak with them.”

This was working out better than Lea could have expected. If it all went well, then this would be a memory before he knew it. And Cobra seemed quite reasonable, even with his spooky voice. All he had to do was get his kids to talk to the social worker, and it would all be over.

“Um, right this way…”

Lea led Cobra up the small staircase to the bedrooms. Roxas and Xion shared one, out of necessity. Roxas was with his friends, Hayner and Pence, hunched over the computer Pence brought over.

“Now, you’re sure this will allow us to talk to each other? Like our phones?”

“Yeah,” Pence answered. “It’s not that complicated, really. With a little luck, I might even be able to fix it so we can talk to Ienzo.”

“Excuse me,” Cobra cleared his throat. “Which one of you is Roxas?”

“Me. You must be the social worker.”

“Yes…my name is Mister Bubbles.”

“And you’re here because I beat Seifer up.”

“Yes…you used violence against another boy and two of his friends.”

“Sir, Roxas didn’t actually start that fight. We were there too,” Pence started to argue, but Cobra held up a hand.

“I have spoken to Seifer already. And I have spoken to the man who owns the property that little sandlot is on. I also wish to speak to you, now.”

“Um…alright,” Roxas shuffled his feet. But at least he was keeping his temper. Lea and Isa positioned themselves behind the social worker. Perfect position to give Roxas a signal if he strayed too far in the conversation

“I understand that you are relatively new to this area. And I know from experience that it can be hard to adjust. But in your old home, did you get into fights often?”

“Um…yeah, I used to get into a lot of fights, but not with people,” Roxas scratched the back of his head. “There were a lot of…stray dogs and stuff that lived in our neighborhood…it was kind of rough.”

Not bad, Roxas. But Lea wasn’t sure Cobra quite bought that explanation. There were plenty of “stuff” that lived in the woods outside of town that were quite fierce. Roxas was more than a match for anything but the very strongest of Heartless, but try convincing a social worker that.

“Well, perhaps we may find a safer environment,” Cobra suggested gently. “If you are still getting into fights, here. Perhaps we need a change.”

“I like it here,” Roxas said firmly. “I’m not going anywhere. I do not want to leave my friends. I will not leave Xion or Lea. My life is here; my job is here; my family is here.”

“Excuse me, your job?”

“Yes, my job!” Roxas insisted. “Xion and I work to help provide for our family!”

“What?!”

oooo

“Um,” Roxas looked from Axel to Isa to the social worker. “Oops?”

“Am I to believe that two fifteen-year-olds are the breadwinners in this household?!” The social worker’s jaw set dangerously. It reminded Roxas of Aeleus. The knuckles that spelled “cobra” cracked. “Is that true?”

“Axel, what’s a breadwinner?”

“It’s a word that means you make most of the munny for the bills for your family.”

“And I repeat,” The stranger said again, “Are the breadwinners of this household the two fifteen-year-olds?”

“No, no—I just do odd jobs to help out. The food Xion and I like, Isa and Ax, I mean Lea, don’t like. So we pay for our own food. It’s not that odd for fifteen-year-olds to do, right?”

Technically, Xion’s a Replica of a fourteen year old boy’s memories of a fourteen year old girl, and she's only like fourteen months old…actually our new bodies aren’t even two months old. And Xion didn’t grow at all during the year in the Organization…do Replicas grow at all? Am I going to be only this tall?

“Paying for your own food…” The social worker shook his head. “That is not acceptable. They are children.”

“Mister Bubbles, I can explain!” Axel stuttered. Bubbles?! “They only pay for their own cereal and snacks, ice cream mostly.” 

“Is that true, young man? Most of what you pay for is treats? These two do actually provide for you?”

“Um, that’s right.” 

“And where precisely do you two fit in?” The social worker asked, turning his head towards Hayner and Pence.

“We’re his friends,” Hayner said, and Roxas could just hear the edge in Hayner’s voice. “Roxas is our best friend. Xion and Axel are our friends too. And Isa.”

“Excuse me, Axel? I believe you said your name was Lea.”

“Axel was a nickname I made myself a really long time ago,” Axel said quickly. “Ten, eleven years—it was since I didn’t like being called Lea.” Axel shrugged. “I eventually got over it a while back, but the kids knew me as Axel, and it’s weird hearing them call me anything but Axel, so you know, it’s just one of those things?”

“I do understand that,” The social worker still looked concerned. Roxas stiffened—what would happen if that man said that he and Xion had to leave? He didn’t want to leave, not after everything they’d been through. He didn’t even want to be separated from Isa, which was something he never would have believed possible.

Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock! 

Somebody else was at the door? Someone in a big hurry, from the sounds of it (or maybe a very lost woodpecker). Who could it be, Xion? Roxas brightened at that—if Bubbles could see how happy Xion was, and how happy she made Axel, then everything would be fine.

Before Roxas could leave the room, he heard the sound of the door being yanked opened and then slammed shut. Whoever was at the door began crying. Deep, heaving sobs.

“Is everything alright?” Roxas called as he went into the hallway. Olette was curled into a ball, hugging her legs, shaking with fear.  

Oh crud. Comforting crying girls was not something Roxas was particularly good at. He was never sure of which buttons he had to avoid pressing…which still didn’t make any sense. Olette had buttons, but Xion’s clothes had zippers. 

“Olette?” Pence ran over to them. “What’s the matter? What’s wrong?”

“It’s my fault,” Olette trembled, “All my fault.”

“What happened?”

“Well…we were at the bakery…and then…”

oooo

“Thank you for the pie,” Xion smiled at the baker as he wrapped it in a small pink box. “It smells delicious.”

She’d have to hurry to get this home. Axel said that pie was best when it was warm. Xion wouldn’t know—she’d never had pie before. But if it meant that much to Axel, it would be awful to let it get cold. Olette was waiting outside the bakery with a backpack full of books.

“How’d it go?” Olette asked. “Oh, smells good.”

“We don’t have a lot of time. Axel says the social worker will be here in less than an hour.”

They walked from the bakery to the train station where, if they were lucky, they would be able to make the next train before it left, or else wait fifteen minutes for the next one. Xion eased the bakery box into the crook of her arm and began searching for her pass to use the train.

“Hold it right there, young lady. You can’t ride the train.”

“Sorry ma’am, but I thought my pass was good for another week.” Xion raised an eyebrow curiously. “I can’t ride?”

“Not with food you can’t.” The attendant, a pimply-faced teenager with a ring in her lip (Wouldn’t that make it hard to eat ice cream?) jabbed a finger at the sign near her window. “Can’t you read? No Pets. No Food. Shirts and Shoes Required. Where were you when they were handing out brains?”

“Oh…I’m sorry.” Xion felt horrible. How could she have been so stupid? Why did she go to the bakery? The bistro was closer to her house—she didn’t need the train to get there—and it sold desserts. She could have gotten a pie there and then just walked home in five minutes. 

“That sign wasn’t here when the train dropped us off!” Olette argued. “And if the food is in a box, I don’t really see what the problem is.” 

That was odd. Olette was usually really eager to follow the rules, at least compared to Hayner or Pence.  

“If she’s too stupid to read the sign,” the older girl retorted, “then she’s probably too stupid to get off at the right stop. She’d get lost.”

“It’s fine, Olette.” Xion cut off Olette before the latter could reply. “Really…rules are rules.” 

“She didn’t have to be so rude.” Olette murmured as they walked out of the station. “I don’t understand why some people like to lord having power over others. I mean, all you and Roxas ever wanted was to be normal…”

“How am I going to get this pie home?” Xion asked, trying to change the subject. “The social worker is going to be here soon.”

“The Underground?” Olette suggested. “I’m pretty sure Sora used to run around down there with Donald and Goofy, and it’s actually not that easy to get lost—the corridors have numbers displayed in neon lights.”

“Are there any Heartless down there?” Xion asked. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’m sure it’s going to be fine. We’ll get through the Underground in about the same time as if we missed the train and had to wait for another one, anyway. We can get the pie home and I can get these books in your room.”

They walked down the steps into the Underground and Xion waited for her eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness of the tunnel. 

“But those are your books. Why put them in our room?”

“And I want to let you borrow them—at least until the social worker leaves. Hayner and Pence have a couple things they want to lend Roxas too.”

Lending things to each other…that was what friends did, right? Xion frowned; she didn’t have anything she could lend Olette. The only things that were “hers” were the sea shells, and those were rather fragile.

But friends lent things to each other and they didn’t keep secrets from each other. And that reminded Xion of something she had meant to ask.

“You said there was something you wanted to tell me?” Xion asked, chewing the inside of her cheek. “The other day, you looked ill.”

“I…” Olette hesitated. “I promise I didn’t mean to. I was looking for my knit pouch, the one I keep the beach fund in…”

“Yes…” Xion had a funny feeling she knew where Olette was going with this, but she also knew that asking too many questions often made you less likely to actually get answers.

“It was near the mansion, in the woods. I think i dropped it there the day we met Ansem. So I went back to find it…and I did find it…but I also found…”

Olette produced a small book, badly burned. Xion gasped, even thought she had almost been expecting it. Her diary…she had kept a personal record of everything she had seen that year in the Organization. It had everything she’d done…the good and the bad. But she thought she dropped it when she fought Axel, in front of the mansion, and that it had burned up from one of Axel’s fire balls. Guess it wasn’t fully burned.

“I promise I stopped reading it as soon as I realized what it was, as soon as I saw the name Roxas,” Olette looked like she was going to be sick. “I promise, I would never, ever snoop on you on purpose.”

“Okay…” Xion’s face flushed. Roxas was mentioned on almost every page of her diary, and even if there wasn’t much of it left, there was stuff she wasn’t sure she was ready to share. 

“I’m really, really sorry. I should have respected your privacy. I know that Hayner and Pence and I always look for the Wonders of Twilight Town and all that stuff, and we helped Sora all those times but…it was so exciting, like something out of a story. Even the scary stuff was still exciting.”

Xion wasn’t sure she had read any stories before—there hadn’t been much time for anything other than missions in the Organization. Other than eating ice cream with Roxas and Axel, the only other thing she did was collect sea shells. And in the last month, she divided her time between eating ice cream and selling ice cream for Granny. 

“And seeing Sora fade away like that…” Olette’s voice was hoarse and Xion felt her throat catch. “It’s not exciting anymore…and finding your diary…it finally hit me just what you and Roxas must have gone through. You were gone, and nobody even remembered.”

“It was worth it,” Xion whispered. “I would do it again, if it meant helping Sora.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Olette said. “Don’t ever say something like that. You matter too. You’re a hero, one of the Keyblade’s chosen. To think of all the things you’ve done!”

“Um…thank you,” Xion said. She wasn’t sure what else she could say. Clearly, Olette had only just glanced at her diary, if her impression of Xion was that she was a hero. They were deep into the Underground, probably halfway through. The pie still felt warm through the bakery box. For a few mintues, neither of them said a word. For a moment, Xion actually kind of liked the quiet, but soon the air felt heavy and Olette still looked really upset.

“Olette,” Xion said. “There was something you said earlier—why did you want to lend Roxas and me this stuff?”

“Xion,” Olette shrugged. “Your room looks almost too neat and tidy. It doesn’t really look like you live there. It looks like something out of a real estate magazine.”

She seemed almost relieved that Xion had changed the subject, however abruptly. But her answers only gave Xion more questions.

“What’s real estate?”

“It’s a term that means houses and apartments and property that’s for sale.”

“Oh…sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Olette countered. “I really don’t mind—my cousin’s a realtor. See the problem is, your room doesn’t really look like you live there. I know it’s only been a few weeks, but it doesn’t look real.”

“That’s appropriate,” A strange voice said, from the next tunnel ahead of them. “Given that she isn’t real.”

Xion froze and put out an arm to block Olette from going further. A chill went up her spine. Something wasn’t right. The air reeked out powerful Darkness. 

“She is too real.” Olette blinked as she realized what she said. “Er, Xion’s as real as I am.” 

“Oh, I highly doubt that. A Replica, not even a properly functioning one at that. When are you going to stop pretending?”

“Show yourself!” 

A man stepped out from the shadows. He was very tall, taller than Axel or Isa. Silver hair hung down to his knees. Xion felt her breath catch. It couldn’t be Xehanort. He was gone for good—Sora saw to that. The stranger’s eyes were sharp, alert, blue. Not the gold of Xehanort or any of his copies. A black wing stretched out from the stranger’s shoulder, and two smaller blue-ish ones stuck out near his waist. Black and purple clothing, not like Axel or Isa’s. Their coats were “cool” or so Axel said. But the half-robe the stranger wore were the garments of a warrior. 

“Who are you?” Xion whispered. How could he know about the Replica Project? Barely twenty people in all the Worlds knew she was a Replica, and most of them didn’t live in Twilight Town. 

“I think you know.” 

Xion did know. She didn’t exactly remember everything she saw when she was within Sora, but she did remember this man. Sephiroth. The embodiment of Darkness from the heart of a man named Cloud. Cloud was a friend of Sora’s. Sora had fought Sephiroth, to a stand-still. And then Cloud had fought Sephiroth. Sephiroth and Cloud had vanished in a flash of light, leaving no trace at all. Even out of everything Xion had seen and heard about, that had’t made much sense. 

“There’s not much light in you,” Sephrioth nodded at Xion. He turned to Olette, and unsheathed his sword, a blade long enough to slice them both in half in a single swipe. “But you, you possess a tremendous amount of light. All the more to stomp out.”

“Olette…run.” Xion summoned her Keyblade. “As fast as you can. Go.”

“I can’t leave without you,” Olette protested, her eyes wide. Sephiroth looked dismissively at Xion. 

“Another Keyblade wielder? Why would it choose you? You don’t look half the Master that boy was. The one with the spiky brown hair, and his pet duck and dog.”

“Those weren’t his pets. They’re people too—Don-”

“No names! He’s a stranger!” Xion snapped and then immediately felt really guilty—she didn’t have to be mean to Olette. “Go! Run! Tell the others Sephiroth is here.”

“I can’t leave without you! I won’t!”

“Go!” 

“Ah,” Sephiroth smirked, as Olette turned and ran down the corridor. “You do know me. Did that other one mention me?”

You have no right to dismiss Sora like that, you monster. 

“Yeah, it’s hard to forget the giant chicken-man my…brother beat up.” 

The smirk vanished from Sephiroth’s face and a look of pure hatred replaced it. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

Xion felt her knees knock together and stared down Sephiroth as he raised his sword. Her grip on her Keyblade shook as she struggled to control her fear. She had to buy Olette time to get to safety. Xion braced herself. She was vaguely familiar with how Sephiroth fought. He hit hard and fast and…oh…his sword was so long and sharp. 

Xion summoned her energy and darted at Sephiroth, smacking her Keyblade at his back—black feathers flew everywhere. Sephiroth sent a ball of purple fire at her—Xion deflected it and it hit one of the walls. She pressed herself against the floor, her boots digging into the tiles. Sephiroth charged her, swinging his sword wildly. Xion tried to parry, but Sephiroth took advantage of his sword’s longer reach and sliced at her legs. Xion leapt backwards and Sephiroth forced her down the corridor. He raised his hands into the air and pillars of flame, purple and black instead of orange, erupted from the ground. Xion summoned as much energy as she could and leapt backwards. 

“You cannot hope to stop me.” Sephiroth stepped over the flames as if they were nothing. “To think that you could ever pretend to be human. You are nothing. Less than nothing. A puppet, a shadow of a puppet. You are Darkness. A tool for evil.”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”

Xion screamed in anger and slammed against Sephiorth’s sword. She wanted to smash him. Destroy him. End him, once and for all—so he couldn’t hurt anyone else ever again. Again and again she struck and he blocked every blow. The corridor filled with light and then everything seemed to explode. Xion screamed in pain and desperately tried to cast a healing spell but then Sephiroth was coming at her again. She desperately tried to parry and sent a beam of light from her Keyblade just as Sephiroth’s sword began to glow with an aura of Darkness.

Something different had happened. The roof to the Underground was gone, and her hand was gone. In its place was a shiny metal arm, black and silver. Armor? 

“How…interesting.” 

oooo

“You gotta help, please!” Olette begged, tears flowing down her cheeks. “It’s my fault. I said we should go down the Underground—I thought it would be safe. But there was a man, really tall and he had a…really long knife. And he…had this ugly costume, with this ugly black wing sticking out of his shoulder.”

Isa froze and Lea felt his own throat constrict. There was one man, a tremendously powerful warrior who fit that description. Axel had seen him once, in Radiant Garden, during that invasion of armies of Heartless. Sephiroth. Swifter than Larxene, stronger than Lexeaus, smarter than Zexion, and an absolute master of the sword. Said to have slain ten thousand men. Possessed such an affinity with Darkness that he could freely summon meteors from the sky. 

“I think Xion said his name was Seffiroff or something like that. I didn’t really hear…she just told me to run. And he knew things about her…” Olette curled into a ball. “It’s all my fault.”

Xion. Sweet Xion. Kind Xion. Gentle Xion. Xion had placed herself between Olette and Sephiroth. And was out there all alone. Lea resisted the urge to throw up.

“This man is stalking the children?” Cobra had a cell phone out. “I’ll call the police.”

“Sir, you mustn’t. The police can’t help with this,” Isa answered weakly. “You’ll only doom them.”

“We need to call the police,” Cobra pounded his fist into his palm. “I’ve a license to carry a pistol, but we need eyes on the streets. I thought you wanted to provide a safe home for these children.”

“Mister Bubbles,” Hayner pointed out an open window. “I think this is too big for the police.” 

Lea ran to the window. A spiral of purple clouds had formed halfway across town. And above the clouds, enormous purple meteors. And he could feel the wind picking up. The shutters began to bang against the walls. Oh dear God…

“Dark magic?!” Cobra shouted. “This is all from that one man?! You children, get away from the window! Debris could fly in!”

“There’s no time! Xion, I’m coming!” Roxas shouted. Roxas summoned both his Keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, in one motion and charged out of the house. Cobra looked as if he had been struck with Thunder magic. 

“He’s a wielder?!” Cobra bellowed, but even that was barely audible over the blowing wind. And has two Keyblades?! How?”

“Honestly, I have no clue. Didn’t get it memorized,” Lea shook his head. “Wait a minute you know about Keyblades?”

“Of course, I do but I hadn’t heard there were any wielders on this world!”

“Explain later!” Hayner shouted—the wind was blowing harder than ever. “Roxas needs your help!”

“Isa! Get them away from the windows! And see if you can contact the King! I’m going to help them!” 

Cobra helped Olette to her feet and began shepherding the kids, and Isa, to the back of the house. 

Lea thrust out his hand, summoning his own Keyblade, Flame Liberator, and yanked open the door, nearly pulling it off its hinges in the blowing wind.

His kids were in danger. This couldn’t be happening. Not again. Xion was strong, tough, tenacious. But she was also too kind for her own good, and she didn’t have the stamina Sora or Riku had—did either one of them stop for even a power nap back at Castle Oblivion? Or storming the World That Never Was? Xion was still so small—she barely came up to his chest. When he was Axel, he'd had beaten Xion twice…but the first time had been a cheap shot at her head, when she was distracted and the second had been when Xion was trying to get him to kill her, without hurting him too badly. 

He had to get to her before Sephiroth…no, the thought was unthinkable so he would not think it.

Where were they? The Underground? Confined quarters, that could make fighting difficult. But that worked both ways—Sephiroth might get his oversized sword stuck in a wall if he wasn’t careful down there. And then Lea could roast him alive—fried chicken had been a favorite meal growing up, and come to think of it, Roxas and Xion still hadn’t gotten the chance to eat fried chicken yet. 

Lea charged into the subterranean tunnel, turning his Keyblade into his chakrams. How far had Olette and Xion managed to get through the tunnels before they ran into Sephiroth?  There had been nothing out of the ordinary in the first few tunnels—which made sense, as Xion had intercepted Sephiroth after she entered at the other end—but as Lea turned the corner, his stomach lurched.

The corridor was not large, but it was absolutely filled with black feathers. There had been a fight here. A bad one. Scorch marks the size of dinner plates and gashes an inch deep lined the walls. Axel had been an assassin for the Organization, the Flurry of Dancing Flames. He knew a fair bit about tracking. There were small footprints matching Xion’s boots all over—how hard had she been stepping to leave marks in the tiles? Some of the tiles were pulled up too. Had one of them tripped or skidded against them?

Lea shook his head; he had to keep going. He had to find Xion and Roxas, too. Of course, Roxas had a head start. And always seemed to know where Xion was. Lea tore through another corridor—here, there were gaping holes in the floor and ceiling in perfect alignment, as if pillars of fire had been raised. And a smashed pink cardboard box, in the corner. That seemed odd—though Lea thought he might smell cinnamon. 

The third corridor was completely destroyed, with a tremendous hole in the ceiling, maybe twelve feet high. Lea cleared it in one jump. He looked left and right—he wasn’t far from the bistro but he still had no idea where Xion or Roxas were. He ran down one street and then a second. Still no sign of his friends. 

Think! Sephiroth was practically Darkness personified. Where was the darkest place in Twilight Town? Where the Heartless and Nobodies were strongest? The Old Mansion? Maybe…the woods were filled with Heartless and an occasional Nobody. The Underground didn’t seem likely—not with the hole he’d jumped out of. Think! 

Lea’s concentration was broken when he saw a large purple cloud on the horizon. Had to be right over the Sandlot, not far at all. There were loads of Heartless that were dark purple—that could be it. Lea tore into a run, Flame Liberator pulsating with the power of fire. 

Now, he knew where to go. A few Heartless emerged from the shadows, whether drawn by Sephiroth or Lea’s own bloodlust, he wasn’t sure. They were mostly runty Shadows and Soldiers. He struck them down all the same anyway, the denizens of Darkness bursting into flame. One more turn and then he’d be there…He’d be able to help his kids. He’d be able to fight. 

Sephiroth was lunging through the air, his sword extended with wide strokes. A tiny person made of metal was matching him stroke for stroke. Sephiroth rose higher into the air and sent a tremendous ball of purple and black energy. The little metal figure threw their weapon like one of his chakrams and destroyed it. The weapon soared back to the figure’s hand—a Keyblade.

Huh?! That couldn’t be Xion? But the metal…had she learned how to use Keyblade armor? Like Terra or Aqua or Ven? And where was Roxas? 

Roxas suddenly sprang into the air, Oathkeeper and Oblivion in his hands, beams of light erupting from his weapons. Again and again he struck at Sephiroth, blasting meteor after meteor into nothing. 

Sephiroth surrounded himself in a pillar of Darkness and sent it spiraling downwards. Towards Roxas. Lea responded with twin pillars of flame. He flung them towards the swordsman, engulfing the beam. Sephiroth shouted something that Lea couldn’t hear and then the entire sky filled with Darkness. 

Xion glowed with light and hurled herself at Sephiroth. Her Keyblade slashed and Sephiroth raised his sword expectantly. There was a tremendous flash, blindingly bright. Lea blinked his eyes and saw both Sephiroth and Xion fall to the ground. For a horrible moment, neither moved, but then they began to stir.  

Sephiroth staggered briefly as he got back to his feet, but then he stumbled slightly. Lea gritted his teeth. Sephiroth looked from Lea contemptuously to Roxas with barely a glance to Xion’s crumpled form. Her armor was vanishing and she looked like a little girl again. She was barely stirring. Sephiroth looked at her as if he were a teacher and she were a particularly aggravating student that had unexpectedly made a halfway intelligent remark. 

“You’re much stronger than you look, puppet. But then I suppose you’d have to be. As it is, this no longer interests me. We may or may not meet again.”

Sephiroth rose into the air, much more gracefully than before, and then vanished in a gleam of light. Not even a single black feather was left.

Good—Lea didn’t care if he ever saw that stupid chicken-man ever again. He had more important manners at hand—his kids could be hurt. 

oooo

Xion gasped for air. Her armor dissolved back into her Keyblade. She wasn’t sure how she’d even managed to summon it—the last time she had used it had been when she had absorbed so much of Roxas and Sora’s strength. And maybe Ven’s strength too, come to think of it. But Roxas was far stronger than her now. 

Sephiroth glared at her, like he hadn’t expected her to do so good. It reminded her of Saix and how he would be surprised when she hadn’t broken down in the field. And then Sephiroth flew away and there was a gleam of light and Xion shut her eyes tight.

Axel was running towards her, dismissing Flame Liberator. Axel, her best friend. He’d always taken care of her. She loved Axel. Xion reached for him, but her arms felt heavy and didn’t want to work. Roxas was running too, and oh, when did he get so fast?  

“Xion!” Roxas knelt beside her, holding her hands. “Xion, please! Not again! Don’t leave us!”

Xion shuddered; she didn’t want to leave. Not her friends, not Roxas and Axel. She loved them, so much. Her body ached. Her heart ached. She wanted to sleep.

But it didn’t hurt the same way it did when Roxas…had destroyed her. She hurt everywhere, but she still felt whole. She didn’t feel like she was breaking into a million little pieces. So she wasn’t dying, just sore? Or maybe she was dying for real and not just going into Sora’s heart this time. She was sore…and tired…so tired. 

“Roxas, I’m sorry. Axel…”

“Shhh…easy, easy, Xion. Cura!ˆ:

Xion didn’t really see the glowing green magic above her body, but she felt it. It still hurt. really bad, but the throbbing wasn’t so bad now. She could focus, maybe, if she concentrated.

“Don’t leave, Xion. Axel! Help her, please!”

“She’s gonna be fine.”

She was? Right, Roxas had just healed her. But she was still really dizzy. Xion groaned weakly and felt Axel’s strong arms scoop her up. He was so strong and his arms were so warm. Axel had carried her a couple of times before, but they’d had those heavy Organization robes. Axel didn’t have sleeves anymore…he was warm and it made her even more sleepy. 

“I’m always going to be there to bring you back,” Axel brushed a bit of hair away from Xion’s face. “Always. That’s a promise, Xi.” 

“She’s really going to be fine?”

Was it a trick of the light or did Axel’s eyes go completely green for a second? Oh yeah—Scan. Xion was tired—even the twilight light hurt her eyes. 

“Yes—she wasn’t mortally wounded, and you had time to cast healing magic on her.” Axel turned his attention to Xion directly and she thought he smiled. She leaned into his chest, just a little. She could hear his heartbeat. 

They had started walking, slow but steady. Roxas led the way, both his Keyblades still out. A few Heartless sprouted up, but Roxas destroyed them before they even knew what happened.

“You’re gonna be really, really sore tomorrow.” Axel told her gently. “And the next day. And probably the day after too. My prescription? Lots and lots of ice cream.”

Ice cream…salty but sweet…yummy…oh! Xion’s insides lurched with guilt. 

“Axel…I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? For what?”

“Roxas…Axel…I’m so sorry. You wanted me to bring a pie home for the social worker…but I dropped it in the Underground and I think it got smashed. I’m sorry…”

Axel began to chuckle; then he laughed; then he roared. He laughed so hard he had to actually sit down on a bench. From her somewhat awkward position, Xion found herself somewhat in his lap, looking up at the sky—oh, what a lovely sunset. There was a shuffling of sneakers on tile and Xion found herself looking up at Roxas. His eyes looked worried, but he did have a hopeful smile. Axel was still laughing so hard and trying to stop that he was shaking.

“Um, Axel…I didn’t mean to tell a joke.”

“It’s not that,” Axel gasped. “It’s just…Cobra Bubbles—that’s the social worker—wanted to speak to you in person. And then Olette burst in, crying, saying that you were fighting Sephiroth. And then Roxas and Isa and I were all worried sick and Roxas and I came running all the way here. By the way, the Underground is totally destroyed. And I’m getting all these flashbacks to the icky times in the Organization. And then we see you fighting Sephiroth and he’s throwing all sorts of icky magic at you, and Roxas and I try to help and you two fall to the ground and we think you’re hurt. But you’re actually totally fine—just completely exhausted, and the thing you’re most upset about is the pie I asked you to buy—and I completely forgot about it—got squished.

“I used up five potions too…sorry?”

That just made Axel break into another fit of laughter, and once he started, he wound up shaking Xion, which made her laugh, and then Roxas started laughing too. Oh, Xion wasn’t sure she had ever enjoyed laughing this much. 

oooo

If Roxas hadn’t known better, leading the way home while Axel carried Xion five paces behind him, he might have thought they had just gotten back from a Struggle match and Xion was simply overtired. They took their time getting home—they had to go the long way, since the Underground was all smashed up, and none of the trains were running.

As it was, Roxas felt more excited than he thought he had a right to and he wasn’t sure why. There was still the issue of Mister Bubbles to figure out, but after fighting Sephiroth, that was nothing. He had realized right away that Sephiroth had been a real threat. They turned one last corner and came to the end of the street, to their little house. 

Before Roxas could even knock on the door, Isa opened it quickly and shoved him inside. Axel and Xion were right behind them and Isa closed the door and bolted it shut. Olette darted towards Roxas, pale as a Dusk, and flung her arms around his neck. She wasn’t crying anymore, but from the way her body shook against him, it seemed she might start again soon.

“I’m so, so sorry. Is Xion alright? Oh!”

“Fine,” Xion groaned sleepily. “Axel says I broke my everything and the next week is a day off. Olette, I’m sorry I snapped at you…and I’m so glad you made it back here safe.”

“That man…he hurt you…”

“He would have killed you,” Xion steadied herself as Axel set her down. “It was all worth it. I would do it again.”

Olette’s mouth trembled and she hugged Xion tightly. Xion patted her gently on the back. They both looked like they were about to start crying. Awkwardly, Roxas patted Olette on the shoulder and found himself pressed up against both girls. Hayner had slammed into them and Pence was on the other side. Roxas felt smooshed. He felt Axel pat each of them on the head. 

“We managed, no worries. Got it memorized?” 

“Got it,” Olette and Xion whispered at the same time.

“Good,” Axel ran a hand through his hair. “Now, where’s Mister Bubbles? I figure I better explain things.”

“That will not be necessary.” Mister Bubbles sounded like he was near the door. “The outside interference of that gentleman was an unforeseeable circumstance. However, knowing that you three work in tandem to fight against denizens of Darkness has convinced me that any action that would result in your separation would be negligent for the fate of this world.”

Roxas felt his heart jump into his throat and maybe it was his imagination but he thought Hayner and Pence squeezed even tighter. Now he was really smooshed. 

“I’ve seen my share of catastrophe, and although there are things in my past that I cannot change, I take solace in knowing that there are those such as you who are willing to risk their lives to protect others.

“On a more professional note, I have also been given contact with a former case of mine,” Mister Bubbles looked down at a small phone—wait, where’d he get a Gummiphone? “One who acted as a character witness for you, Lea. They praised your abilities as a parental figure.”

Axel blinked in surprise. Roxas poked his head out. 

“Um…who?”

“Sorry, but that is classified information,” It sounded like it was something that was supposed to be serious, but Roxas noticed that Mister Bubbles was smiling, like it was a private joke that only he knew the funny part of. Whatever—so long as he and Xion got to stay here, that was all that mattered. 

“I will be in touch, possibly through a collaboration with my contact for your cause. There may be some paperwork to iron out. Given that three of you are Keybearers, we may well encounter one another again. Good day.”

And then Mister Bubbles left, closing the door gently behind him. Weird, but it was hardly the weirdest thing Roxas had ever seen. 

Hayner and Pence were the first to break the group hug and then Olette, but Roxas didn’t want to let go of Xion. 

“I think I need to lie down…the room’s spinning.”

“Then let’s get you to your room.

“We’ll be seeing you guys,” Hayner clapped Roxas on the shoulder. “Let us know if that creep with the sword shows up again.”

“Got it,” Roxas nodded. 

Roxas walked Xion to their room as Hayner, Pence and Olette left for their own homes. He felt his stomach twist into a knot. Sephiroth was gone…for now…but part of him wanted them to stay. Heck, the time in the Organization was mostly bad, and often lonely, but it had never actually been quiet. The time Roxas had spent in Twilight Town had been good, and Hayner, Pence and Olette were a big part of it. He wanted them safe.

The room Roxas shared with Xion, like most of the house, was small. Two small beds, two small dressers, a medium sized desk with two small chairs. The desk had been piled with books and Pence’s old laptop. Roxas helped Xion to her bed. Memories of the Organization, when Xion had collapsed into a coma for weeks, came back uncomfortably. It was silly, really. Their rooms in the Castle That Never Was had been cold and surrounded by white marble; their room in Twilight Town was warm and orange. 

“Roxas…” Xion looked up at him. “You’re my best friend.“

“Wait, what?” Why would Xion say something like that? “Did Sephiroth say we weren’t?”

“No, no—I just wanted to say it.”

“Oh…Xion?”

“Yes?”

“You’re my best friend in all the worlds and through all time.”

“Heh, you’re sweet.”

Xion’s eyes fluttered shut and her breathing got stiller and slower. She looked happier and more peaceful than she had in weeks. Roxas wasn’t sure he’d seen her this content since the day on the clock tower when she had first ditched the Organization cloak for her dress. She looked…cute. 

More importantly, Xion looked peaceful. Peace was something that none of them had had a whole lot of, even in the last few weeks since the Keyblade War. 

It wasn’t quite nightfall—which was a relative term in Twilight Town, where even after the sun set, it was rarely dark enough to need so much as a flashlight. But all the same, Roxas suddenly felt exhausted, too tired to even change into his pajamas. He wondered if he had been struck with by some sort of sleeping magic. Perhaps he’d rest his eyes for just a moment.

oooo

Lea walked into the little room Roxas and Xion shared and began to chuckle. They were both fast asleep, fully dressed, completely dead to the world. Roxas snored—heh, that was new. Lea felt a great warmth in his chest. He felt remarkably at peace. 

Little did any of them know that the skirmish with Sephiroth was only the very beginning. War was coming once again.

Chapter Text

Chapter Three: Nightmares and Early Morning Musings

The girl was slight, dressed in short pink robes. She was much smaller than her companion or your partner, but taller than you, if only just. Her companion was very tall, with a wild mane of red hair. There is an air of familiarity about him…but all you know is that he betrayed the Organization. And the girl…she is one of the Seven New Hearts.

You are one of the thirteen chosen for the Keyblade War. Here, in the Keyblade Graveyard, you will fight to help Master Xehanort forge the X-blade and plunge all worlds into eternal Darkness. As it is written, light shall expire.

You charge, Keyblade in hand, and the girl summons hers. It's far more ornate than yours but her fighting stance is far less aggressive. You clash, and although that in itself is enough to forge one of the thirteen blades for the X-blade, you continue to fight. She lacks experience but radiates light. Again and again, you cross blades, pushing each other back. Occasionally, you strike against the tall man, whose blade appears to be made of fire.

Again and again you clash, none of you showing weakness, none of you showing an edge. Even when a third Guardian of Light steps in, calling out "Kairi! Axel!" The girl is called…Kairi. Again you all begin fighting, and even with their new ally, the Lights are still not able to beat back the Darknesses.

Saix, your partner, summons a great magical blast from his claymore and knocks Kairi and the boy…Sora…to the ground. The tall man with red hair tries to intercede, shouting an unfamiliar name. And then Xemnas appears, from a Dark Corridor and walks slowly towards them. He knew the tall man, hated the tall man, for his betrayals, and states plainly his intent to strike the man down then and there.

" You kidding? Do you know how popular I am? I got loads of people rootin' for me. Sorry, boss. No one axes Axel. Got it memorized?"

Something stirs in you as the tall man jumps up to cut down Xemnas, but Xemnas catches his Keyblade like its nothing. Even though it's made of flames, Xemnas is able to grip the blade. He banishes it into nothingness. And then Xemnas summons dozens, if not hundreds, of laser beams, a barrage of hot plasma to attack the man. The man stumbles onto his knees.

Xemnas prepares to strike the tall man down then and there, but you hold up a hand and grab the blade. It burns hotter than any fire the tall man produced.

" We need him alive," you say. There is no emotion in your voice, only duty. "You know that."

"We only need his heart to forge the key. We do not need his soul," Xemnas says, his voice filled with contempt. Dismissing his weapon, he continues, "Oh, but that's right. You were 'friends.' Then…you take his life."

You get back up on your feet, but the man with red hair…he remains on his knees. He's already near death and barely able to look straight ahead as you raise your Keyblade at him.

" Who are you?" His voice is barely more than a whisper. Your hands shake but then become steady. A beam of light emits from the edge of your Keyblade and the man screams, louder than you would have thought possible. Light surrounds him and then…Axel shatters into nothingness.

Sora and Kairi scream in horror and you turn your Keyblade on them. Axel is now nothing. And they are nothing. Nothing but tools for forging the X-blade. Sora tries to stand up but he is badly injured and stumbles. From your Keyblade beam of light shoots out, hitting him square in the chest, and then he screams. It sounds unnatural coming from him…and then Kairi is screaming and then…"

xxxx

Xion woke up stifling a scream, trying to suppress it from becoming a sob. She gasped with pain as tremors ran up her arms. Nausea caught in her throat and she stumbled out of her bed. She made her way to the small bathroom, across the hall, and only just managed to make it inside before she was sick to her stomach. Xion hated it when she got sick. Her throat burned and she fought to keep from crying.

She failed. Tears poured down her cheeks and she shook with exhaustion, pain and embarrassment. The pain made sense—her back and chest and arms still throbbed with pain from her duel with Sephiroth…if you could call it that. Why she was embarrassed, Xion had no idea. She was by herself. Nobody else seemed to have been woken up—but then again, Axel snored, so it was possible nobody heard her to begin with.

Acid burned at her throat—she had eaten dinner with the rest of her family and enjoyed it…but tasting it again was awful. And ice cream, there would always be ice cream. Xion crouched in a corner of the bathroom while she waited for the nausea to subside. She shivered and brought her legs to her chest, trying to alleviate the pain. She pressed her face into her knees.

Another nightmare. She had had nightmares before, often even, during the year with the Organization. But those were usually about being turned into a Dusk after failing a mission. Or else dreaming about Sora's life, which were usually more confusing than scary. But in the last few weeks…since Roxas and Sora had brought her back…she had had nightmares of the Graveyard.

Not every night, and some nights she didn't even remember what she dreamed in the first place, but they were horrible. Horrible dreams, sometimes more than one dream a night. Usually they ended with her either striking down her friends, or failing to protect them…over and over and over, she would watch Axel or Roxas or Sora or Kairi or even Riku get killed. And then Xehanort's awful laughter and the spread of Darkness and monsters all over the worlds.

And what was the worst thing was that the dreams were true…or true enough. She might not have finished Axel off in the Graveyard, but she had fought him. She had hurt him badly. And she had fought Kairi; she hurt Kairi. And Xemnas had taken Kairi away and Sora had run after her but Xion had just stayed behind. She could have helped…but she didn't. And then Xehanort…she had helped Xehanort kill Kairi. And then she had told Sora that Kairi would be alright…and he had gone on to find her. But then Sora couldn't return to them…

It was her fault, all of it. Xion had been at the Keyblade Graveyard and she had hurt her friends. So why should't she dream of striking Axel down, of striking Kairi down. It might not have been what exactly happened but it was true all the same. Xion wasn't sure if there would ever be a way for her to make up for the bad stuff she had done. Ansem the Wise and Even had used the word atone. She wanted to atone…but how? She had no idea where to look for Sora, even though she could still sense his presence. Her connection told her that Sora was still out there…somewhere, but was it some place he couldn't return from?

She wasn't sure how long she'd been huddled in the corner, maybe an hour, but Xion slowly got to her feet. She wasn't quite sure how late it was—or early…was it morning yet? She got a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Except for the hair, she looked just like Kairi had a year and a half ago. That made her feel even worse—looking in the mirror and seeing the face of an innocent girl that she, Xion, had helped kill. And her eyes…her eyes were the exact same shade of blue as Sora's. The second person she had gotten killed…

If she had anything left in her stomach, Xion was certain she'd be sick again. As it was, she felt fresh tears pour down her cheeks. She ducked her head and crept back to her room. She could hear Axel's snoring as she passed his room. For a moment, Xion wanted nothing more than to wake him up and tell him what happened. Axel had comforted her after a nightmare before. And he had barely left her bedside the first day after the fight with Sephiroth.

But she didn't want to wake him up—Axel and Isa had bunk beds, of all things, and Axel slept on the top bunk. She would almost certainly wake Isa if she went to Axel for comfort. That wouldn't be very nice. And besides, she wasn't sure she could climb up the ladder to Axel's bunk without putting too much stress on her arms anyway. And there was a bigger part of Xion that didn't want them to know she'd been crying. She shuffled across the hallway, her bare feet barely brushing against the carpet, and opened the door to the room she shared with Roxas.

Miraculously, Roxas was still asleep, snoring lightly. She hadn't woken him, thank goodness. He looked so peaceful, so relaxed—it would have been awful to have taken that away. Xion stepped lightly back into her bed, brushing away the tear stains. She squinted at the little clock on the stand between their beds…it was only three o'clock. Three hours until morning then—Axel would not hear of anyone getting up before six. Or at least, Axel himself wouldn't get up before six. Or more likely, seven or eight. Xion couldn't fathom sleeping in that late.

It was awful, trying to sleep after waking up and then being up so long your brain didn't want to go back to sleep. And her throat and eyes still burned. And everything else was still sore from strain. Xion tossed onto one side, but that only made her stomach hurt worse. She held out her hand and her Keyblade materialized. She hadn't meant to summon it, but still…it made her happy to see it.

Her Keyblade…it was just like Sora's. The Kingdom Key. Roxas used Oathkeeper and Oblivion, but Xion liked using Kingdom Key, even if it was just a replication. It felt like having a piece with Sora with her all the time. Sora…so good and so brave. She missed him…they had only talked that one time, and she still missed him. There had to be a way to get Sora back. Ideally a way so that she and Roxas and Sora could all co-exist…

Xion checked the clock again and shook her head weakly. It had only been a few minutes. She'd lose her mind if this kept up. She dismissed her Keyblade.

Roxas's snoring grew somewhat harsher and Xion wondered whether it might have woken her up, even without a nightmare. What could he be dreaming about? She hoped it was something good—maybe traveling to a world that was made of ice cream!

Roxas had nightmares too, but he rarely spoke about them. Xion could tell they bothered him: Every now and then, Roxas would hug her at the breakfast table instead of just saying "Good morning." And he would sometimes hold her hand when they would run down the streets. She understood though—after everything they'd been through, she'd be more surprised if Roxas didn't get nightmares.

Xion closed the door to their room as quietly as she could. Through the hallway and down the stairs and finally the living room. The chairs were really Isa and Axel's. But she and Roxas usually shared the couch. Xion curled into a ball, pressing one of the cushions to her chest.

Maybe now she could get some sleep…maybe now…she wouldn't have a nightmare. Or at least, she wouldn't disturb anyone. Hugging the cushion eased the pressure on her stomach, and that helped her throat too. She was so tired…but maybe she didn't need to sleep if she could just have a little peace and quiet in the early hours… she could…

Thump!

Get scared half to death from something big thumping down the stairs! Xion peered over the top of the couch. Isa was trudging down the hallway. He walked over to the sink and poured himself a glass of water. She watched as he drank it in seven sips.

Xion ducked behind the couch and held her breath. Isa hadn't said anything so she didn't think he noticed her. But he probably wanted his privacy, and she would not disturb him. Things with Isa…well, they were pretty good all things considered but she wasn't sure she wanted to tell him about her nightmare. Besides…Saix had been with her at the Second Keyblade War. Isa wasn't Saix and she would not bring that up. To be reminded of that horrible day…Isa would find it terribly upsetting.

Isa yawned again, washed the glass he used for his water, and then walked back up the stairs and into the hallway. Xion tried to stay as still as possible. Isa trudged back to the room he shared with Axel and Xion eased herself back onto the couch.

It would be morning properly before too long…and then she could go back to work. And Roxas would be able to do odd jobs with Hayner and Pence…things could start going back to normal…

oooo

Hayner woke up early, but he did it on purpose, having set his alarm clock accordingly. He didn't linger in the space between sleep and actually being awake. That had never made much sense to him. If you were awake, then why not get up? There was always stuff that needed to get done. And Hayner had stuff he had to get ready for.

Hayner had gotten word from Mister Yanushi yesterday. The shipments of the special troughs and potting soil were in, and if Hayner and his friends were willing, Yanushi was more than happy to have them back to set them up for his gardens. For which they would be generously compensated.

That would be a good thing; the money was great, but besides that, Hayner liked working with his hands. It wasn't something he had really expected, but there was something real about physical labor compared to, say, delivering mail, even if it was much harder. And even then, with Roxas helping him and Pence, it hadn't been hard at all. A job that would have taken them the entire day was done in just a few hours. Roxas was really a great friend. And he, Hayner, wasn't…

That day, when the sky turned dark…he had hidden away when danger came. And Xion, his friend, had gotten badly hurt. Roxas and Xion didn't blame him, would never blame him, told him that there was nothing to forgive, but that didn't change the fact that Hayner was useless.

Over and over again, whenever there was real danger, instead of just Seifer and his pack of bullies, Hayner failed his friends. He had barely put up any fight when Axel had kidnapped Kairi. He had gotten knocked out in like ten seconds when those white, whisky things attacked him and Pence and Olette when they went to look for Kairi. He had run like a scared rabbit when those other monsters, the shadowy black ones with yellow eyes, formed a giant tornado, but Sora had stared it down with no fear.

The closest Hayner had ever come to actually fighting danger was when he had tried to attack that creep Ansem. Er—Ansem, Seeker of Darkness that is. Hayner had helped save Ansem the Wise, who was different from Ansem, Seeker of Darkness. But "save" was a relative term—Pence had distracted the Seeker and Olette had grabbed Wise Ansem's hand and pulled him to safety. Hayner had tried to drop-kick the Seeker and had nearly gotten killed. And he put his friends in danger.

Two photographs hung on Hayner's nightstand. One, a photograph of Hayner, Pence, Olette that had been taken in front of the old mansion in the woods. The second, a photograph of Hayner, Pence, Olette and Roxas. The second photograph, from the Digital Twilight Town, had originally been Sora's, but Hayner had kept it when they had been looking for Roxas.

Roxas had joined up with his group seamlessly, as if he had known them for years, instead of just a few weeks. It was weird in some ways, but hey, friends were friends. Things could be funny that way—Hayner had befriended Sora, Donald and Goofy right away. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had known Sora, which was of course ridiculous.

Turns out, they hadn't met Sora before, but they had met Roxas—just the once, about a year before his becoming their friend for real. And he, Hayner, had been a jackass, only coming around once Roxas proved to be excellent at being a Grandstander. He had known Roxas and he'd forgotten him entirely. Forget jackass, Hayner was a creep to forget somebody like that.

And Xion! She was just as new to the group as Roxas, newer even, since Hayner was darned sure he hadn't ever met her in the last year. Xion had protected Olette, who friend or not was still more or less a stranger. Xion had summoned her Keyblade and placed herself between Olette and some sicko with a huge sword. Who could apparently summon meteors out of thin air. Xion had barely known them a month, but had been willing to die to protect Olette. And it had been a pretty damn close thing, judging from how Axel fussed over her.

The last few days had been rough. Really rough. Xion had been confined to bed rest for two days—even after like twenty of those weird healing potions, she'd been too sore to move. Or even talk—apparently she'd been running on adrenaline when she first made it back home and all the pain hit her at once. Xion wasn't much of a talker, compared to Olette or even Kairi, but she'd been almost unnaturally quiet these last few days. It'd been scary.

He had to get stronger. It was the only solution. Hayner had to get stronger so he could help protect his friends. Protect the people he cared about, the ones who mattered. To be like Roxas and Xion and even Axel. He didn't care about getting a Keyblade. Sure they were really cool and could shoot awesome fireballs, but Hayner had read a few of Pence's comic books and there were plenty of heroes who didn't have magic powers. He could be like that, if he learned how to fight. He wouldn't have to run and hide from danger. He'd be able to face it head-on.

Hayner pulled on his shirt and pants. He'd worry about doing his job for Mister Yanushi first, since it was what he had agreed to. Maybe he could talk to Roxas about getting some pointers in fighting. He'd learn to fight…if it was the last thing he did. He would never flee from danger again. He would be strong enough to fight and destroy any threat. Roxas and Sora and Xion…they'd given so much. It was long past time for Hayner to step up.

oooo

Lea snored. Lea had always snored. Lea would always snore. That was why Isa insisted that Lea sleep on the top bunk of their bunk beds—and no, they were not too old to have bunk beds. Sleeping on the top bunk allowed the sound of Lea's snoring to travel up, and Isa to get some semblance of a good night's sleep. In any case, because of Lea's snoring waking him up in spite of said "preventive measures," Isa insisted that it was Lea's turn to do the grocery shopping.

But it was too early to go shopping now, and if he were going shopping anyway, might as well make it worth it. So that meant a big breakfast, made up of everything they had left in the fridge: eggs, leftover sausage, apples, cheese…milk, toast, jam…mmmm. Maybe the best thing about getting his heart back was now Lea was able to eat full meals again and actually enjoy them. He had just started the stove when he heard a small noise in the living room.

Xion was curled up on the couch, still in her pajamas, a pillow hugged to her chest. She was stirring, as if she were just waking up. Lea felt a now familiar warmth in his chest, looking down at Xion's small, sleepy form. She'd come a long way from the days in the Organization. All of them had, though they still had quite a ways to go.

"Axel," Roxas called, his voice edged with worry, as he jogged from his room. "Have you seen Xion? Her bed was empty, but all her clothes are still in her half of the closet."

"Hey kiddo," Lea chuckled. "If you're looking for Xion, you're getting warmer."

"Huh?"

Still so clueless. Don't ever change, neither of you.

"Look down and to the left," Lea gestured towards the couch. Roxas smiled when he saw Xion's stirring form.

"Alright, Roxas," Lea tossed him an apple and began cracking eggs on a pan. "I've got grocery duty today so everything in the fridge is fair game for breakfast."

"Thanks," Roxas took a bite out of the apple. "Is there anything else?"

"I'm thinking sausage and cheese omelets," Lea answered. "You're gonna need protein to make you big and strong."

"Protein?" Roxas wrinkled his nose in confusion and took another bite of apple. "Is that a kind of food? Isa said something about the social worker asking whether we got enough protein. I've seen it on those labels on our food, but i don't really know what it means."

"It's a nutrient in milk and meat and stuff and it helps make muscles strong," Lea groaned. "One of these days, I'm going to buy you a dictionary so you don't have to ask me a bazillion questions."

"I thought you liked answering all our questions," Roxas argued, in between bites of apple. Not that it was really arguing at this point.

Okay, if Lea was being honest with himself, he did like answering all the questions they asked. Even now, Roxas and Xion still had an air of discovery about them. It reminded him of when he was a kid, and badgering Isa with questions. Though he now had a sneaking suspicion that when they'd been growing up, Isa hadn't answered all of Lea's questions truthfully.

"Okay, okay. Truce. Any questions you got, you can ask me. Anything I don't know, ask Isa. If it's something he can't answer, then Ansem the Wise probably knows. If it's something Isa won't answer, then…we'll tell you when you're older."

"Whatever you say," Roxas finished his apple and turned his head towards Xion. "I think she's waking up."

"Ugg," Xion clutched at her head. "Morning. Did I oversleep?"

"No, it's barely seven," Lea answered. "You feeling okay, Xi?"

"Fine," Xion yawned and shook her head. "I better get ready for work."

"Are you sure you don't want to take another couple days?"

"No, Axel! I've already had three days off," Xion shook her head fiercely. The look of defiance on her little face was almost comical. "I owe it to Granny to help out."

"Alright," Lea said reluctantly. "But if you start feeling overtired, call me and I'll bring you back home. That's an order."

"Yes sir," Xion mumbled. "I promise to call if I do not meet the conditions you've set out."

Okay, that was a little too close to some rather painful memories that Lea was all to eager to replace. More than a little too close. Lea gripped her shoulder."

"Don't call me 'sir,' Xion. I hear 'sir' and I look around for my old teachers. I'm your best friend. I don't want you to over-exert yourself."

"Can I ask one more question?" Xion looked up at him with bloodshot, slightly teary eyes.

"Go ahead," Lea squeezed her shoulder gently. "Any question you want."

"When did you change your name to 'Your Best Friend?'" Xion's face lit up with an unrepentant smirk and she scuttled off to her room before Lea could react.

"What?! I didn't change my name to…You little sneak!" Lea chuckled. Things weren't so bad if Xion could sass him like that. "Heh, where did she become such a smart-mouth?"

"Axel!" Roxas shouted. "You left the stove on, again! The eggs are on fire!"

Lea said a very bad word and ran back into the kitchen, while Roxas roared with laughter. Okay, so maybe cooking was beyond his abilities to provide for his friends, but they didn't have to laugh at him! And this, right before he was going to do all the grocery shopping too! Lea still had quite a handle on fire magic and with a snap of his fingers, the fire vanished.

"Okay, emergency everted!"

"Lea, mind the stove! Roxas, you have a bit of egg in your hair," Isa strolled into the room with a good natured grimace. "I can't believe we let you do the cooking."

"You said it was my turn to do the shopping," Lea argued. "Roxas! Xion! The omelets are almost ready!"

"A decision which I am currently second-guessing," Isa countered good-naturally. "I didn't realize charcoal was a common flavor for omelets."

"Har, har," Lea scowled. "Plates are ready. Get some glasses for water."

Xion appeared a moment later, fully dressed, though still with a bad case of bed hair. She slid next to Roxas, who was scarfing down his omelet so quickly, Lea set a plate down for Xion and she began eating much more neatly than her friend.

"Eat as much as you want, since we need to clean out the fridge."

"Yes Axel," Roxas and Xion spoke in unison. Heh, that was never going to get old. Nothing was quite like breakfast with the family. The food was helping Xion especially as she became more alert with each bite. Before Lea knew it, their plates were clean and Xion was washing her dishes. Roxas joined her a moment later. They had to be the only two teenagers in any of the worlds (except, maybe Kairi), that willingly did dishes.

And then they were getting their shoes and bags and getting ready to go to work. Xion waved good-bye and Roxas was already calling Hayner and Pence.

"Lea, keep an eye on Xion," Isa whispered, barely audible over Roxas and Xion's loud chatter as the young teenagers left for their jobs. "She spent half the night in the living room."

"Found her there this morning, so I figured something happened. I told her to call me if she gets too over-tired," Lea murmured. "Did you two talk?"

"Part of me wanted to, but from the way she tried to make herself inconspicuous, I suspect she didn't want to bother me. I'm not even sure she knows I was aware of her presence."

"Ah, man. Why didn't you just let her know?"

"A month of relative pleasantries doesn't undo a year of transgressions," Isa answered after a moment's hesitation. "Before you say anything else, yes, I would consider myself her friend, Lea. But the bond between us will never be as pronounced as what you have with either of the children. Xion and Roxas like me, but I wouldn't say they trust me. At least, not completely."

"Not yet," Lea countered. "But they will…someday." He just hoped it was someday soon.

Chapter Text

Chapter Four: Work and Revelations

Roxas grunted with effort as he heaved the large bag of potting soil from the flatbed. Balancing it gingerly, he pulled it over his shoulder and marched it back to the empty troughs. It was much harder work setting up the vegetable troughs than it had been clearing the lot in the first place. Beside him, he could see Hayner and Pence struggling with their bag.

“You guys need a break?” Roxas called. Hayner’s face with red with exertion and Pence was panting. Neither one of them responded at first. They shuffled down the steps from the street to the lot before heaving their bag onto the ground next to one of the wooden troughs.

“We got this,” Hayner grunted. “Not a problem.”

It didn’t look like it wasn’t a problem. Keeping an eye on his friends, Roxas walked more slowly as he carried his bag down to the lot. He set his neatly between two troughs and went back up to the flatbed. There was still quite a few bags of potting soil. Hayner and Pence dragged one of the bags off the flatbed and heaved it to the ground. 

“Maybe, if we lift with our legs, it won’t be as bad!” Hayner suggested. Pence nodded and crouched at one end. “Alright,” Hayner pumped his fist, “we’ll lift on three. One, two, three!”

Awkwardly, not really working as closely together as they probably should have, Hayner and Pence lifted the bag slowly. They seemed to have a better handle on it this time, but there was a tear on one of the corners, and soil was coming out. 

“Whoa!” Roxas called, darting over to hold the burst seem closed. “Easy does it. We can do this together.”

“We got it,” Pence tried to protest, but he let Roxas stand next to him anyway. Together, the three of them managed to carry the bag down the steps to the waiting troughs. Roxas directed the bag towards one of the troughs and poured it in. The potting soil spilled far more quickly than Roxas would have expected, but he thought he saw Hayner look disgruntled.

“Is everything alright?” Roxas asked as he walked back to the flatbed, testing one of the bags for tears. “You’ve been acting kind of off the last couple days.”

“Fine,” Hayner barked, avoiding his friend’s gaze. “Everything is just fine, Roxas.”

Roxas considered this, since it was probably not fine, and wondered whether it was worth pursuing. But then he remembered how much he hated it when he and Axel and Xion kept  secrets from each other. And how badly things had turned out for everyone, how he had nearly lost them both for good. Friends shouldn’t keep secrets from each other.

“I know that!” Hayner shouted and Roxas blinked in surprise. Had he actually spoken that last bit out loud? Oops. 

“It’s never gonna be enough,” Hayner said grimly as he and Pence dragged a bag off the flatbed. “Roxas, we keep letting you down!”

“What are you talking about?” Roxas picked up another bag and hoisted it carefully, trying to find an easier way to carry it by himself. “Hayner, you’re a great friend.”

“No, you’re the great friend,” Hayner said, his voice bitter. Catching the bewildered look on Roxas’s face, he continued,“Roxas, you’re the one who always does the lion’s share of the work for the beach money. You took down Seifer when he was picking on Vivi. You were the one who ran to help Xion the other day. You’re the one always risking your neck.” 

“I don’t mean to show you guys up,” Roxas muttered as he poured his bag into an empty trough. “I just…want to do my part. And the thing with Xion…a while back, um…”

“We know,” Hayner interrupted, taking full control of the bag he and Pence had been carrying and flinging to the ground. “You don’t have to say it. You and Xion saw some really messed up stuff.”

Roxas looked over his shoulder as he picked up another bag and carried it down. It wasn’t quite as heavy as the others had been. There was nobody but the three of them present. Good—so far, no one had overheard them. But that didn’t change Hayner’s feelings.

“I’m supposed to be your friend, Roxas. And half the time, I treat you like dirt.” Hayner grimaced as he picked up the last bag of soil, alone. “Remember when we first met? Way before any of this, before Pence and Olette and I even met Sora? The Grandstander thing?”

“Oh yeah! You’re still upset about that?” Roxas asked. He had nearly forgotten that had happened, though that was probably due to his memories of the Digital Twilight Town affecting things. Definitely not the time to mention that.  

“Of course, I’m still upset about it! I was a jerk, for no reason!”

Gasping, Hayner staggered and would have fallen had Pence not darted over to help him with the bag. Roxas ran over to help and together, they carried the bag down to the last wooden trough. 

“Pence?”

Pence hadn’t said anything throughout the entire exchange but now, with both Roxas and Hayner turning their attention towards him, he had no choice but to speak.

“These last few weeks have been great, Roxas. Really, really great. But…Hayner has a point. You’ve helped us in a bunch of ways, but lately, we really haven’t helped you much.” 

Okay, that wasn’t even close to true. 

“You guys…helped bring me back.” Roxas ducked his head and tore the bag of soil open. He had to make sure that he was careful in how he worded this. They were still alone, so he decided the truth was the best option. “Ienzo told me he couldn’t have gotten it done without your help. If I hadn’t come back…some really bad stuff would have happened.” 

That wasn’t even the half of it: Sora and Xion and Axel would have died…the Keyblade War would have been lost. Everyone and everything would have been destroyed. Roxas wasn’t sure if they really realized it, but Hayner, Pence and Olette had been crucial in saving all the worlds. 

“If we’re keeping score,” Roxas added, “then I’d say I owe you guys, pretty much everything.”

Neither Pence or Hayner said anything for a long time. Roxas felt his stomach jump into his throat. He hadn’t hurt their feelings, had he? 

“My goodness!” Mister Yanushi’s booming voice made them all jump. “Again, you boys surprise me. The garden troughs look wonderful! Hayner, Pence, Roxas—have you three ever considering doing this as a career? When you become of age, you might want to consider going into business together.”

“Er…” Roxas hesitated. The fact of the matter was that he hadn’t given much thought at all for what he wanted to do when he got older. A career…was that like a job? Roxas hadn’t really thought about what he would do in a few years. He was strong and Mister Yanushi seemed to think he had done a good job. But cleaning out vacant lots and heaving bags of soil…would he want to do that every day? He clenched and unclenched his fists…he was a Keybearer…how much longer would it be before he would be called into duty?

“I just want to do something that lets me help my friends. Do my share,” Hayner muttered under his breath. 

“I want to work with computers,” Pence answered. “Maybe develop something new, something nobody’s ever seen before. Or maybe work with those Moogles, the ones on Tram Commerce”

“Computers are the wave of the future,” Mister Yanushi agreed, walking down to their level. “Whatever you boys do, be sure to stay together.” He smiled warmly at them, and Roxas felt his ears burn. “Please,” Mister Yanushi repeated, and there was an almost despairing tone in his voice. “Make sure you all stay together.

“Now then, as agreed, your base pay for this job, and you’ve done it more quickly than I thought you were…so, I think this is fair, wouldn’t you say?”

Roxas tried not to gasp as Mister Yanushi handed him fourteen hundred munny, and then hastily added as many sincere “thank yous” as he could. It was more munny than he had ever earned in one day through odd jobs. Images of what he could possibly buy with this sort of munny flashed through his mind. A second skateboard, that way he and Hayner could race each other. Or maybe something for Xion…she’d been so upset lately, she could use something to cheer her up a bit after everything that happened.

Maybe having something crafted from the Moogles…Pence had mentioned they’d set a shop up in Tram Commerce…

oooo

The Underground was marked off with yellow tape, there were scorch marks in several streets, two lampposts had been knocked down completely, though Xion wasn’t sure if that’d been her or Sephiroth’s doing. But there were still plenty of people walking through the streets, Xion could see Olette delivering letters, the trams were running, and most of the shops and restaurants looked fine. On the whole, Twilight Town had decided to get back to normal. 

I can do this. Xion exhaled deeply as she walked up to Twilight Treats. Three days off was far too long a vacation. No matter what Axel said, Xion was going to go to work today. She owed it to Granny, and she needed to do her share. She was actually an hour early, but that was only fair. Xion’s stomach still twitched now and then, and her head throbbed, but that was normal for her after a nightmare. Put on a happy face for Granny. 

“Good morning, Granny,” Xion called as she opened the door to the ice cream shop. “I’m sorry I haven’t been here much, but I thought I’d come in early to help with inventory—oh!”

“Xion!” Granny scurried over and flung her arms around Xion’s neck. “Oh, my dear, sweet Xion. Thank heavens you’re alright! I was frantic with worry when I saw you fighting that horrible man.”

Granny knew it was her who had fought Sephiroth?! And she had seen it happen?! Oh no, Xion had not wanted this…could Granny get in trouble if she knew that kind of stuff? Would His Majesty, King Mickey, be upset? Or Master Yen Sid? Master Ansem? 

“And when Axel called and said you were sick,” Granny continued, squeezing Xion as tightly as she could—which wasn’t very tight, all things considered. “I knew you’d been hurt! I was so worried! Oh, you poor dear.”

“Granny…I told you…” Xion mumbled, tears stinging at her eyes. “His name is Lea. He doesn’t have the tattoos.”

“Now, don’t you go be lying to me, dear,” Granny admonished gently. She released Xion and then patted her hand. “You’re not at all good at it, and it doesn’t suit you at all. The truth is I know…just about everything, I suppose.”

“What?!” Xion gasped. “Granny, I’m not sure what you mean. Lea is my step-brother, and he—“

“However much I agree with the sentiment,” Granny chided, “You can’t fool me. Do you remember how I keep a record of receipts?”

“Yes…” Xion hesitated. What did that have to do with anything? The receipts were used primarily for inventory purposes—how many sea salt ice creams were bought, how many chocolates, how many mints, how many cups of soda, cups of coffee, how many winner sticks were turned in, and so on. 

“Axel’s handwriting didn’t change even after he started calling himself Lea again. And teardrop tattoos or not, I know my customers,” Granny explained. “And you, dear. I had your receipts but for the longest time, I couldn’t remember you. Just Roxas and Axel, but the inventory showed that there was always a missing sea salt ice cream.” 

Xion chewed the inside of her cheek to keep from responding, since she was fairly sure she’d start crying if she did. Roxas and Axel had said basically the same thing, now that Xion thought about it. They knew they had watched the sunset and eaten ice cream together, but they couldn’t shake the idea that someone else had been there, and Isa had told her that Axel had bought three sea salt ice creams the evening before the battles in the Keyblade Graveyard. 

“And the tills were never short of money, so someone had to have bought one,” Granny continued. “I had your receipts, honey, but I couldn’t remember your face or your voice. I couldn’t even remember your name, even though you signed several of those receipts. And then, a few weeks ago, all of a sudden, I did remember you. I can’t even begin to tell you how ashamed of myself I was. To forget the sweet little girl in the black coat, who always said please and thank you, one of my very favorite customers…”

“I…oh,” Xion blushed. “Granny…I’m sorry I worried you. But…can you please not tell anyone about this? I…don’t want anyone to get in trouble.”

“Now, now, no need to fear,” Granny squeezed Xion’s fingers. “Dear, I have been running this shop for a long time. I have seen many strange things, some of them quite terrifying. That horrible swordsman for instance, who summoned dark clouds.”

Xion was no stranger to ‘terrifying things’ and images of the worst things rushed through her mind: rampaging Heartless bent on consuming hearts;  shadowy orbs of concentrated Darkness; Organization XIII. Xemnas and Xehanort and Saix. Sephiroth. A knot formed in her throat. 

“And I also saw some truly wondrous things. A tall man with frankly not the best attitude became kinder and kinder over the course of a year, while he was in the company of two small children. Two small children fought the shadows that kept popping up. And another boy with a magical sword fought monsters and tried to make everybody happy.” 

“You…knew Sora?” Xion asked. This was the first time Granny had ever mentioned Sora. “How did you know we knew him? I don’t think I’ve mentioned him.”

The prickling in her throat grew worse. She couldn’t start crying now. Not in front of Granny. Xion felt a warm, wrinkled hand cup her cheek. Granny was staring at her. Did Granny know what had happened at the Graveyard? That Xion wasn’t a “sweet little girl,” but a killer? Tears brimmed at her eyes and Xion raised her hand to brush against Granny’s.

“Dear, you and Roxas came here hundreds of times,” Granny said gently. “How could I not notice you? And then, you two went away and then Sora showed up. Not that long ago, Pence told me Sora and his friends were looking for Roxas, and lo and behold, you and Roxas came home. And more to the point, dear, you and Roxas have Sora’s eyes. I’m not sure how you’re connected, or whatever it is you call it, but I do want you to know that after everything, I think he'd be very proud of you. I know I am.”

Oh…that explained quite a bit. Xion felt the knot in her throat lessen as she rubbed her eyes dry. Talking to Granny made her feel a bit better. Sora would be proud of her? Granny was proud of her? What exactly did that mean? Xion knew what “happiness” was—being with her friends, watching the sunset, collecting sea shells, Granny telling her she’d done a good job. Was that it? When a grown-up liked the work you did. 

Xion liked the sound of that. She thanked Granny and ran to her station behind the counter, yanking on her apron and hat. Granny had talked so long that there wasn’t going to be much time left to run inventory, but she would do it anyway. Anything she could do to help, she would, if it made Granny proud. 

oooo

“That hi-potion costs how much?!” Hayner half-shouted. “Are you sure this is all we can get?”

“Well, hi-potions are more expensive, kupo, that’s just how it works!” The Moogle answered, showing no discernible emotion. “If you want top-quality items, then you pay top prices. But if you’re just sparring, then standard potions should be fine. But armor and weaponry will cost you a lot more.”

“This is a rip-off!” Hayner clenched his teeth. “Can you guys believe this…what is he anyway? Some sort of flying cat?”

“Er, sort of,” Roxas stepped forward, placing himself between Hayner and the Moogle. “Is there a problem?”

“No problems here, kupo!” The Moogle assured him. “Wait a moment, you look familiar! I’m new to Twilight Town but I think we’ve met…Can it be?”

Roxas startled, he had met a Moogle before. One named Goomlex had run a shop in the Organization…and charged him a lot of munny for his equipment…but he hadn’t seen Goomlex in ages, not since he had left the Organization and fought Xion. Though Goomlex had come with him, so he (or she) wouldn’t have been new to Twilight Town. This must be a different Moogle…

“Kupo Sora!” The Moogle squealed—it sounded delighted, even without facial features. “Oh, it’s been ages! Haven’t seen you in the forge since Traverse Town! Oh, kupo! Did you find your friend, kupo? That’s a nice haircut, kupo. Your old hair was way too spiky.” 

Sora…this Moogle had known Sora? That made sense, of course. The Moogles made special armor and even weapons out of rare ores. Sora had traveled to so many worlds and slain so many Heartless, it would have been weirder if he hadn’t met a Moogle somewhere along the line. 

“Um, I’m not Sora,” Roxas admitted. “I’m a friend of his…”

“Oh, a friend of Kupo Sora! Well, this is great! Where is Kupo Sora, anyway? I miss him.”

This is gonna suck…

“I hate to tell you this,” Roxas said, his voice catching. “But…the truth is that Sora died about six weeks ago…I…I miss him too.”

The Moogle seemed to shrink and it sank down to the counter. It turned its head from Roxas to Hayner and back again. 

“I’m so sorry to hear that, kupo. Kupo Sora was good and kind. And he always brought in all sorts of ores and items for us Moogles. He made many great armors. He was a good friend.”

“He really was,” Roxas agreed. His eyes prickled but he tried to ignore them. “I hope I can live up to his memory.”

“I’ll try to do that too, kupo,” The Moogle agreed. “You seem reasonable kupo, would you like to open an account? We can turn your rare items into valuable armor!”

“Um…I sort of have one already,” Roxas hesitated. He looked over his shoulder—the marketplace was filled with shoppers but Roxas, Hayner and Pence were the only ones at the Moogle’s shop. Though a few passerby seemed interested in the commotion.

“It was a long time ago…” Roxas lowered his voice to a whisper. “I was a customer of a Moogle named Goomlex. Do you know him?”

“The one who wears that stupid black coat? Yeah, he’s in the back of the forge. Working with an old technique called panels—but nobody uses those anymore, kupo. It limits the user’s strength on purpose.”

“I didn’t realize that,” Roxas muttered, though he wasn’t terribly surprised. He pulled out his munny pouch, “I was hoping to purchase some goods…maybe an accessory.”

“What sort of accessory?” The Moogle asked. “I can synthesize a moon charm in less than an hour. Or maybe a hunter’s earring? What’s your element—a nice armlet could absorb fire or ice magic, if we have the right materials.” 

“Um…” Roxas rubbed the back of his head. “Well, this isn’t for fighting. I don’t have many items. But it’s meant to be a gift…maybe a charm bracelet?”

“Oooooh,” The Moogle perked up and clapped its little paws together. “Is it for a girl, kupo? Ooooh, this brings back memories! Kupo Sora had a lovely little friend, Kupo Kairi. She was very nice, and Sora asked us to make her such a pretty ribbon.”

“I…err…um,” Roxas stammered, feeling his ears turn red. That had been happening more and more often whenever the subject of Xion came up. Xion was so sweet and kind. She deserved something shiny and special. “Yeah, I guess it’s for a girl.” 

“Her name is Xion!” Pence added stepping forward. “This tall, black hair, same blue eyes as Roxas. She might have known…Goomlex too?”

“Xion?” A second Moogle appeared from the back of the shop. “I remember Xion, quiet kupo but she paid top price for my panels, made a bundle. I remember once, she gave me ten thousand munny for an elixir panel. And it was expired!”

Hayner and Pence made appalled nosies and Roxas winced at the memory. Xion had gotten a terrible stomachache from the bad elixir  

“Ten thousand for an elixir?” The first Moogle sounded horrified. “That’s far too expensive! And it was expired?! She could have gotten sick! Back to the forge, Goomlex!”

“Alright, alright!” Goomlex fluttered away to the back of the shop and the first Moogle turned its attention to Roxas and his friends.

“Now…you said a charm bracelet. And you don’t want it to be combat capable, just as a present? We can do that, and for a discounted price.”

“That sounds fair, we already have the gems we want to use…they’re just not really synthesis material.” 

Roxas reached into his pocket and pulled out a small blue glass ball, not much larger than a marble. Sleek and shiny and great for reflecting the glow from the sunset, the orb had come from a Struggle trophy. 

“Just this one gem, kupo?” The Moogle rubbed its chin. “I think a necklace would be better than a bracelet. But this is a nice little orb…I’ll go get a nice little chain. You said she had black hair? So a nice little black chain…”

“That’s right,” Roxas answered. “Black hair and blue eyes and…wait a moment.”

A boy with spiky brown hair and black and red clothes was at the edge of the marketplace. It can’t be… The boy gave a cheerful wave and then stretched his arms behind his head. He used to do just that. The boy beckoned at Roxas and tore into a run. 

“Sora?” Roxas scarcely dared to breath. “Wait up!” 

“Kupo, where are you going?”

Roxas had no idea where he was going, and he wasn’t sure what Sora was thinking—not that that was new, exactly. From what Roxas had been able to glimpse through Sora, he did stuff without thinking all the time. But why run away? Didn’t Sora realize how much Roxas had missed him?

“Sora!”

Sora looked over his shoulder and grinned so widely, Roxas could nearly count his teeth. Sora started running backwards and if anything seemed to run even faster. Past the marketplace and down an alley and through the sandlot.

“Come on, man! Stop being a jerk!” Roxas pressed harder and Sora tore down another alley and the next thing Roxas knew they were at the usual spot under the tram rails. The same place where he had spent so much time in the Digital Twilight Town. The same place where Roxas had first rekindled his friendship with Hayner, Pence and Olette in the real Twilight Town. The same place where Kairi had entered through a dark corridor, with Axel hot on her heels.  

Sora turned around and cocked his head. He walked around the usual spot, not lingering anywhere in particualr. 

“What was that about?” Roxas asked, his hands on his knees. He was faster than any of his friends (he would beat Riku next time they raced), but after the morning working in Mister Yanushi’s lot, Roxas was exhausted. 

“Sora!” Roxas panted and then reared back his fist and punched Sora in the face. “That was for leading me all the way down here!”

Sora didn’t so much as flinch when Roxas punched him. It was as if he hadn’t even felt it. How?! 

“Come on, say something!” Roxas shouted. “Stop being such a jerk! We’ve all been worried sick!” 

Sora still didn’t respond. When had he ever been this quiet before, ever? Normally, Sora never shut up!

“Roxas?” 

Roxas turned his head. Pence was standing at the curtain they used as a door to the usual spot. He looked very worried. Roxas turned his head back.

Sora wasn’t there.

xxxx 

“Could I have been dreaming?” Roxas asked as Pence walked him back to the marketplace. It had been so real. He could have sworn that Sora had been there. He had seen him—ran after him—punched him.

“I don’t know…I didn’t see anything,” Pence answered. “I’m not sure I’d call it dreaming, though.”

“Could it have been a ghost then? I didn’t think this world had ghosts.” 

“Not sure,” Pence said. “I did read somewhere that after losing a loved one, people can think they see them…but whether that’s because they’re seeing ghosts or they just miss them that much, I can’t say.” 

“I wouldn’t say I loved Sora. I’m still not really sure I even know what love means.”

“To be fair, I’m not sure anybody really knows what it means,” Pence shook his head in frustration. Hayner was waiting for them at the corner, and Pence greeted him with a brief nod. “Nobody our age, anyway.”

“Sora loved Kairi,” Roxas muttered. “Enough to…”

“Sora loves Kairi,” Hayner corrected as he directed them back to the Moogle. “He’s not gone forever, so quit referring to him in the past tense. Sora’s coming home. We’re gonna get him back, Roxas. That’s a promise.”

The Moogle was waiting for them. The Struggle orb had already been pressed into a ring of leather, and the chain fitted on either end. The orb glimmered in the sunlight. 

“That was faster than I expected,” Roxas said. “Thank you…um, I’m sorry, I don't think you told me your name.”

“My name?” The Moogle hovered in place. “It is Mizu, kupo! Thank you, kupo.” 

“Right…well, thank you,” Roxas repeated, picking up the neckalce. “I think my friend will like this a lot. I hope we can do business again.”

“Looking forward to it, kupo! Tell me what the girl thinks!”

Roxas let Hayner and Pence lead him away from the marketplace. Roxas felt very dizzy. Sora had been there, right in front of him, he had, he had, he had. 

Hadn’t he?

“Roxas, let’s get something to eat,” Pence encouraged. “Let’s go see Xion. She’s back to work today, right?”

“Yeah, c’mon Roxas!” Hayner pumped his fist. “Let’s go see Xion and you can give her the necklace.”

“Why did you say it like that?” Roxas asked. “Xion’s my friend, and I think this will make her feel good.”

Hayner and Pence looked at each other and grinned. They weren’t mean smiles, but they were a little sneaky. It reminded him a bit of how Axel would revel in explaining something that Roxas and Xion didn’t know…

oooo

The ice cream shop was busier than Xion had been expecting, but she felt good about being able to do so much work. Maybe that wasn’t quite the right word, “felt.” Maybe the word she wanted was eager. In any case, all the work kept her mind off her queasiness. There was already a line forming, but that was alright. It was no different than fighting Heartless, really, she just had to take them one at a time. And this was better—now Xion was helping people, instead of hurting them. 

Ding! Ding!

Vivi waddled up to the counter and blinked his bright yellow eyes back at her. He still looked so cute.

“I would like…one bar of…chocolate ice cream please,” Vivi stammered. Xion smiled at him. Once you got use to his stutter, Vivi was a nice boy. She couldn’t understand why Seifer treated him so bad. 

“Here you go, Vivi,” Xion handed him his ice cream and his change. “Thank you, and come again.”

Vivi scurried over to a table in the back and sat by himself. Ice cream in one hand and a coloring book in the other. Nice…but Vivi always sat by himself. Now that she thought about it, Vivi never came in with anyone. Xion hated that someone so little would be alone. She frowned, and her brow wrinkled in worry.

Xion didn’t have a chance to worry for long though. There were more people wanted ice cream, in cones or cups or ice cream bars. And some people wanted milkshakes or floats. And others wanted sundaes. Scoop of ice cream, spray of whipped cream, squirt of syrup, spoonful of sprinkles. 

“Here, you are,” Xion handed a heavily-laden dish to the man with the funny purple cape, Setzer. “One Neapolitan sundae.” Why it was called “Neapolitan” Xion had no idea—it was one scope each of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Colorful though—the strawberry ice cream reminded her of Kairi and the vanilla ice cream Naminé. Ice cream as friends…What sort of flavor, other than sea salt of course, would remind her of Roxas or Axel? 

“Thank you,” Setzer said politely. “This proves to be most satisfactory.”

A few minutes later, Xion made three shakes for Donald’s three nephews, with straws and flavors matching their hats and sweaters. Strawberry for Huey, blueberry for Dewey and mint for Louie. They said something about “ice cream for fuel” for their Gummi Ship. Xion grinned as she saw the three of them run out the shop.

Granny was walking up and down, collecting cups and trays. Xion quietly wondered why didn’t anybody clear their own tables. Then again, maybe she was just weird—Axel said that she and Roxas were the only teenagers ever who liked doing dishes. 

Well, enough dwelling on her own weirdness. There were still more customers to serve. Scoop, scoop, spray, squirt. Soda, sundae, milkshake, ice cream bars. 

Ding! Ding!  

Augh—there were even more people than before! An entire tram’s worth of people! Focus! She couldn’t lose her head now—it was just the same as before. She could only wait on one person at a time, regardless of how big the line was. But an uncomfortably familiar sense of guilt tied a knot in Xion’s stomach. She couldn’t fail, she couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t. She mustn't let Granny down, who was so nice to give her this job, so Xion could earn munny for her family. She couldn’t let Roxas down either, her best friend. Or Axel…her other best friend, who took such good care of her. And the idea of letting Isa down…he wasn’t Saix. He wasn’t, he wasn’t, he wasn’t. But he was still mostly Axel’s friend—Xion didn’t have much in common with him. 

Xion pressed a double scoop of peanut butter fudge and handed it to the customer, the man who referred the Struggle matches. He thanked her and left the shop without lingering. Why was she so nervous? Xion had served in the Organization for a year. She had fought dozens of giant Heartless. What was a few extra customers? Okay maybe it was a little more than a few…

Xion didn’t try to keep as close track of time as she would have done on a mission for the Organization. Eventually, the crowd did start to die down. Vivi had finished his ice cream and thrown away his wrapper ages ago. Setzer had finished his sundae and departed shortly after him. She hadn’t seen Roxas or Axel or any of her other friends yet, but that didn’t mean much. 

Ding ding! 

Xion looked down. A duck wearing a blue coat and black top hat walked into the shop, leaning heavily on a cane. Scrooge McDuck, Donald’s uncle.  

“One bar of sea salt ice cream, m’dear,” Mister McDuck requested. “And if I may speak with the owner of this fine establishment?”

“Xion, do you mind?” Granny asked. “I’m sure this will only take a few minutes.” 

“Not at all, Granny,” Xion smiled. “I can handle things myself.” 

“Right then,” Mister McDuck walked off to a far table and Granny shuffled over to speak to him. Xion wondered what they could have to discuss—Mister McDuck ran an ice cream shop himself, in Radiant Garden. Maybe he was hoping to get some recipes from Granny? Or offer to sell some of Granny’s ice cream at his bistro? 

A trio of teenagers came in a few minutes later, and after placing their order said they were expecting their tray of ice creams and drinks to be delivered to them. Xion frowned—strictly speaking, that wasn’t something that was against the rules, but it would mean having to leave the counter. There was nobody else in line at the moment…hmmm. Three strawberry sundaes with raspberry syrup and caramel sauce, three bowls of candied cherries, and three hot coffees. Xion chewed her lip; it’d be easier to take two trips, but…

“Waitress! We want our food now! Can’t you do anything right?”

Oh, that was just perfect. The same teenager who had been in charge of the tram station and wouldn’t let Xion on the train was at that table. She seemed to have even more lip piercings, and Xion still couldn’t help but wonder if that made eating ice cream more difficult.  

“I’ll be there in just a moment,” Xion took the heavily-laden tray and as carefully as she could walk over. It was simple, really. Get the food over as efficiently as possible and then she could get back to the counter. If they weren’t going to get it themselves, then might as well just get it done…

Something caught her ankle and she started to fall. Panic turned her blood to ice; she couldn’t let anything spill. Xion pushed the tray out as far as she could, it clattered onto the table but nothing tipped over. The ice in her veins melted—Xion hadn’t failed after all. That had been much too close.

“You idiot!” One of the teenagers, a girl with blonde hair that was almost yellow, looked furious. “You got ice cream all over my new blouse!”

Xion squinted. There was a tiny blob of strawberry ice cream on the girl’s blouse, next to one of the buttons. If she hadn’t been told it was there, she wouldn’t have noticed it. Who on earth would wear a white blouse to an ice cream parlor? 

“I’m sorry this happened,” Xion answered, forcing herself to keep her manners. “I can get you some napkins and we can fix it.”

“No! It’s ruined!” The girl smiled, but it wasn’t a nice smile. It reminded her a bit of Larxene. Larxene had not been nice. “But I understand that you might not be able to see. Here, let me help you. I think you have something in your eye. Let me wash it out!”

The blonde girl yanked the lid off her coffee and threw it at Xion, splashing her in the face. 

“Ow! Ow! Ow ow ow ow ow ow!”

“Xion!” Granny called. “What’s happened?”

Xion covered her face as the coffee seared her skin, trying to wipe it off, but it just made her hands hurt. A sob caught in her throat. It burned. It wasn’t the same as Axel’s fire magic, but this hurt. Xion couldn’t start crying—not in front of the customers. She needed to remain professional. She needed to get back behind the counter. 

Ding ding! 

Augh! The door! Another customer had just entered the shop! And she wasn’t at the counter to take their order!

Xion stumbled and bumped into the table and then another of the coffees spilled, splashing onto her boots. One of the teenagers swore at her. She felt something cold and sticky be pressed into her hair. The strawberry sundaes…ew…

“You’re getting a bill for my ruined blouse,” the blonde teenager sneered as she stood up to leave. 

“You will do no such thing!” Granny shouted. “I have never been so disgusted.”

“I’m…I’m so sorry,” Xion spluttered. She had failed Granny…she was going to get fired, she knew it. And then Axel would be so disappointed in her and Isa would be angry…

Xion fumbled blindly for a towel to wipe her eyes. Her fingers tightened around a small set of napkins and she began dabbing at the coffee. As she rubbed the coffee from her eyes, she could see Granny looking at her. Olette was behind the counter, near the sink—had it been her who just entered? The blonde teenager and two others—one the girl with the pierced lip and a tall boy with broad shoulders were all standing up at their table.

“Xion, was it?” Mister McDuck was seething, his cane gripped tight in his hands. “You are a friend of Sora’s yes? I trust you are familiar with my nephew’s temper?”

“Um, sorta.”

“You’ll want to stand back, dear,” Mister McDuck’s cane glowed so bright, it made Xion cover her eyes. “My nephew isn't the only Court Magician who has served King Mickey.” 

The ice cream shop filled with light…

oooo

Lea walked as quickly as he could down the streets of Twilight Town without actually running. Apprehension twisted in his chest. He’d gotten a phone call from Donald Duck’s uncle, ol’ Scrooge McDuck. He wasn’t quite sure what was wrong though, what was it with talking ducks and their funny accents? Something about how Xion gotten ill and needed to go home. 

Poor kiddo—he should have insisted she stay home at least one more day. Even healing magic and potions had their limits. If you didn’t take them quickly, then they weren’t as effective. And healing magic took a lot of energy to cast in the first place. Even in a best-case scenario, they could heal the physical trauma, but the pain often lingered. Whatever. Lea would worry about that later; right now, Xion was sick and needed to go home. 

He turned a corner and startled. The ice cream shop was completely deserted. Weird—he had visited Xion a bunch of times over the last few weeks, but he didn’t think it had ever been this deserted. The grandmotherly lady who ran the shop opened the door and pulled him inside. Scrooge McDuck nodded at him at the door, his staff glowing gold in his hands. In the chair nearest the counter, a small girl with red hair and pink clothes was sitting with her head down. 

Wait a second, what was Kairi doing in Twilight Town? Lea gave a small, sad smile; they hadn’t seen her in over a month, with Sora vanishing and Riku following shortly thereafter. The way Kairi had cried…it was one of the worst things he’d ever heard. And there had been nothing he could do to help her…which was a situation that Lea had found himself in far too often when it came to his friends. Ah well, Roxas and Xion would love the visit. There was a question of where she’d sleep—maybe she could share with Xion if Roxas used the couch, or maybe Lea could pick up some sleeping bags—but still, it would be nice to have her.  As he got closer though, Lea’s grin vanished. It wasn’t Kairi sitting in the chair. It was Xion, completely covered in pink ice cream and red candies.

Oh, crap…what could have happened? Nothing good, but this would require a delicate touch if Lea was going to get answers. 

“Xion? What happened to you?”

“I’m sorry…” Xion’s lip trembled and she darted forward, tripping as she ran. Lea caught her just as she stumbled into his chest, his arms wrapping around her. Xion’s body trembled and she began crying. From the sounds of it, she had been holding it in for a while. Lea patted her gently on the back and tried to smooth her hair. Half-melted ice cream stuck to his fingers. Ugh…Xion was getting doused with a water spell as soon as they were out of sight of the rest of the people. 

“I messed up an order…and I…tripped.”

Hoo-boy, Xion was a lousy liar. Really, really lousy. Lea wasn’t sure he had ever met a lousier liar in his life. Which actually made his job as as a guardian much, much easier come to think of it. So now, time to get to the bottom of Sad Xion. 

“And?”

“I…I…it was my fault…”

“It wasn’t!” Olette appeared from behind the counter, with a damp washcloth. “Hold still, Xion. You’re supposed to place this on the burns.”

“Burns?” Lea frowned. “What sort of burns?”

“Somebody splashed her with hot coffee,” Olette mumbled. “I have some aloe in my bag and you’re welcome to it, but I think you should take her to a doctor.”

“Someone splashed her with coffee?” Lea groaned. “Oh, Xion, kiddo…let me take a look.”

Spilled ice cream was one thing—nothing a nice shower wouldn’t fix. But hot coffee? Axel took Xion’s face in his hands. There were splotchy burn marks all over her little face and neck. Oh, Xion…

Xion ducked her head, pressing her face deeper into the washcloth. Olette gently lifted Xion’s head, whispering something about not pressing too hard, or she’d aggravate the burns.

“Axel?” Granny approached them, her eyes sad. “I’m so sorry this happened. I never would have expected it.”

“Er…my name’s Lea. Axel’s my cousin,” Lea stammered. Regaining his heart had ruined his own ability to lie. Xion blinked watery, red eyes at him. 

“Don’t even try that nonsense with me,” Granny tutted. “Now, I’ve already told Xion that I won’t stand to be lied to and that I was able to figure out everything. I don’t want to have to explain all that again. Now, I’ve watched you for months: Your mannerisms, your demeanor, your voice—you’re as surely Axel as I am Granny. And Xion and Roxas…I don’t know everything but I recognize my three favorites when I see them.”

“Oh…” Lea scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I guess that would be…kind of weird, wouldn’t it?”

“For what it’s worth, laddie,” Scrooge spoke from the door. “The three of you are far from the most unusual things I’ve seen, even in this town.”

A talking duck with a funny accent would be pretty near the top of the list. Axel thought to himself. Really, we were concerned about revealing too much when the town’s most popular restaurant is run by Scrooge?

“Now that that’s settled, Axel,” Granny clapped her hands. “Please take Xion home so she can lie down. And I agree with Olette, I think a trip to the doctor’s office would be a good idea. And when you’re done, come back in—I’ll have your sea salts ready for you.”

Olette scooted out of the way, washcloth in hands, and Lea took a closer look at Xion. Ugly, angry, red splotches covered her cheeks and chin. Her eyes didn’t look like they’d be hit…but you couldn’t be too careful. 

“Okay…doctor’s it is…um…Olette, do you know where there’s a clinic where we can walk in?”

Before Olette could respond, Scrooge McDuck waddled over. He turned to Lea and Xion, staring at them from behind his glasses. 

“I have a contact, lad. An associate of an acquaintance of mine runs a small, private practice near my bistro. I’ll escort ye. You too, lass.”

Scrooge took the head of the line, while Lea felt Xion slide her hand into his. Maybe she was a little old, at least to a stranger’s eye, to hold his hand, but she was still shaking like a leaf. He wouldn't begrudge her this. After everything, he doubted he’d ever begrudge her affection or support. Olette trailed behind them, not looking them in the eye.

The walk from the ice cream shop, Twilight Treats, to the more open marketplace where Scrooge kept his bistro, was not long but the pace was pretty slow. Lea squeezed Xion’s hand, wincing when he felt the burn marks on her fingertips.

“Xion, what are we going to do about the,” Lea hesitated. Using the words he wanted to would likely make Xion more upset. “The people who hurt you?”

“Oh, they’ve been dealt with, my boy,” Scrooge called from the front. “A simple spell really, if I’m right and I’m always right, they won’t be bothering your little friend again.”

“Pardon?” Lea blinked. “What do you mean they won’t bother Xion? You didn’t hurt them, did you?”

“No, no, no—nothing so dramatic. I simply cast a spell so that those three will never be able to enter that shop again. A security measure of sorts. I used the same magic on a much larger scale for me own home and bin some time ago. Kept out all sorts of ruffians, and worked like a charm. I haven’t so much as seen a Beagle boy in years.”

“Oh…well, I guess that’s alright. Thank you, Scrooge.”

“Xion!”

Lea turned around and saw Roxas running towards them, his eyes wide. Behind him, Lea could see Hayner and Pence, panting to keep up. 

Roxas caught up to them and Lea felt Xion tug her hand free from his grasp. Roxas took her hands in his and looked Xion in the eye. Xion didn’t say anything, ducking her head again. Roxas pressed his forehead against hers. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Xion’s breath became harsher, as if she were about to start crying again. 

Pence and Hayner reached them a moment later, but hung back with Olette when they saw Roxas holding Xion’s hands. For a few minutes, nobody said a word, and they eventually began walking in silence.

“I hate to interrupt,” Olette said quietly, “But we’re at the doctor’s clinic now.”

Scrooge bid them all good-bye and waddled over to his bistro. Lea and Roxas walked Xion up to the clinic. Lea figured that the others might want to go to their own homes, but they filed in behind Lea almost immediately. 

The doctor’s office was small, with light blue walls that made it an outlier in Twilight Town, where most of the buildings were various shades of orange, outside and in. Oddly, even though there was a large desk with a lot of paperwork on it, there did not appear to be a receptionist, but there was a little set of wind chimes that ringed when they entered. Several tables were decorated with vases filled with sunflowers. 

Lea exhaled sharply and eased himself into a chair; he didn't have the best experiences with doctors’ offices. Xion sat between him and Roxas, gripping each of their hands tightly, trembling. Hayner, Pence and Olette sat in chairs off to the side, pretending to read old magazines. Lea wasn’t fooled, especially since Hayner’s magazine was upside down. 

The doctor showed up a few minutes later, a tall man with dark skin, though a few shades lighter than Cobra Bubbles had been. He also had the warmest smile Lea had seen in a very long time. Compassion and joy seemed to radiate from him. It reminded him a bit of Sora.

“Hi there,” the doctor bent down to look Xion in the eye. “You must be my patient. Those burns look like they hurt pretty bad. Mind telling me how you got them?”

“I got splashed with coffee at work,” Xion mumbled. “Granny…um, my boss wanted me to come in to make sure nothing got infected…Doctor?”

“Name’s Sweet,” the doctor shook Xion’s hand—or more accurately, shook her whole arm with one of his hands. Sheesh, Roxas and Xion were tiny. “Joshua Sweet. So, what’s your name, kid?”

“Xion.”

“Oh,” Doctor Sweet’s eyes lit up with delight. “Those are positively beautiful flowers. Or were you named for the tides?”

“Erm…both?”

“Lovely!” Doctor Sweet nodded at Roxas. ”You have the same eyes…you must be her brother. Hmmm, is your mom or dad here?”

“I’m here for her,” Lea answered. “Name’s Lea. Got it memorized?”

“Lea?” Sweet looked from Lea to Xion to Roxas and then to the others in the back of the room and back again. “You’re her…brother?”

“Step-brother…look, I got the paperwork that says I’m their guardian if you need to see it,” Lea answered. “It’s kind of a long story.”

“Well, I love long stories,” Doctor Sweet looked wistful for a moment. “I remember the tales my uncle used to tell me. Arapaho…and then there were those times with my friends. I’ve had some adventures, if you’d like to hear them.”

“Maybe some other time,” Lea answered. “Can we get on with this? I want to get Xion home.”

“Right, right. This won’t take long,” Sweet took an odd little flashlight Lea recognized as being used for looking inside eyeballs and held it over Xion’s face. “Hold still now, this won't hurt a bit. You like the sea, Xion? There’s some lovely beaches not far from here.”

The doctor pulled on a tongue compressor. Xion looked completely bewildered as he placed it on her tongue. It occurred to Lea that this was the first time that had ever happened.

“Is that really necessary?” Roxas asked. Lea forced himself not to grimace. Roxas and Xion had never been to a doctor’s office before. Or at least, not a regular doctor’s office—Ansem’s laboratory had its share of medical equipment. A tongue depressor would be something they'd never seen before. 

“I like to be thorough, son. Fast, but through. Now, Xion, where you all from? I’ve been here a couple years now, and I don’t think I’ve seen any of you three before.”

“Uhhh…we’re from out of town,” Lea said, hopefully not too quickly. “New to the area. Still getting settled.”

“Keep it close to your chest? I understand that. Seen some stuff I wish I hadn’t, even if it did all work out.” 

Doctor Sweet examined Xion’s burns a second time and Lea felt her squeeze his fingers. It couldn’t be too much longer now. 

“Alright, well you were lucky, Xion. No burns in your nose, eyes or mouth. No signs of infection, it was good of you to come in right away. Oh, and when you go to sleep tonight, don’t use too many blankets. You don’t want the burns to get irritated. And I’d recommend a nice aloe for treatment.”

“Yes sir,” Xion mumbled, still not looking the doctor in the eye. “Thank you.”

“We have aloe at home,” Olette chirped from her chair. “Salves and bandages too.”

“Excellent!” Doctor Sweet shook hands with Xion again and then with Roxas and Lea. “Feel free to come back anytime. It was a pleasure to meet you.”

“Right,” Lea said. “Now, about payment—I don't have insurance but if we could work out some sort of plan…”

“Never liked insurance companies,” Doctor Sweet scowled. The look of disgust looked alien on his face. “Far too much paperwork. Fiddlesticks, I’m a doctor, not a linguist. No charge, I don’t need the money. And besides, you were here for what? Twenty minutes? Twenty five if we count how long you waited before I got here?”

Doctor Sweet walked over to the desk and picked up some papers. Lea gave Roxas a nod and the younger boy helped Xion to her feet. Hayner, Pence and Olette shuffled out of their chairs as well.

“Now, before you leave,” Doctor Sweet handed Lea the papers. “Look these over, Lea. There’s some pamphlets that I think you may find useful. Take care, now.”

Lea led them outside and down the street. Roxas was patting Xion on the back and Pence said something about getting the sea salt ice creams. Lea took the chance to look over the papers Doctor Sweet had given him. One on proper diet for development, one on healthy sleep patterns, and…hello, what was this?

The envelope itself looked ordinary enough, but the seal made Lea raise his eyebrows. Three solid, interconnected circles. 

The King’s emblem? 

Chapter Text

Chapter Five: A Final Night in Twilight

Axel…sorry to drag y’all back into this, but I don’t have a choice. War’s comin’ again. I need ya to come back to the castle with the others as soon as possible. Before it’s too late. We need you. 

Roxas exhaled sharply as he read the letter for the third time. Beside him, Xion stared numbly at the sunset from her seat at the top of the Clock Tower. Her ice cream, half-eaten, dripped down from her hands to the ground far below. On his other side, Axel was finishing his ice cream and looked…thoughtful wasn’t the right word. More nervous…maybe pensive? 

The sunsets in Twilight Town were more beautiful than any that could be seen on any world. The red and orange and gold were stunning. But Roxas couldn’t enjoy it this time. Not with the weight of this letter. 

What could be wrong? What war? Master Xehanort is gone, completely, and he’s not coming back. 

“It’s not fair,” Hayner grumbled from the end of the platform. “You guys just got back. And now you have to go away again.”

“We don’t really have a choice,” Axel shrugged. “Part of the package deal of getting a Keyblade. It’s your job to go and save the worlds and keep the Order.”

“It’s our job to light the darkness…” Xion murmured. “And make everyone happy…”

Make everyone happy…that sounded like something Sora might say. Roxas chewed his lip. It did feel good to help others—Mister Yanushi had been delighted with the work Roxas had done in the vacant lot. But there was something in Xion’s tone, Roxas wasn’t sure was it was. It almost sounded like she felt guilty for not doing her job well enough. Yeah, that was it—she sounded like she had just failed a mission. 

“Does the King’s letter even say how long he’s going to need you to help?” Hayner punched his leg in frustration. “Or why he can’t call the other guys with Keyblades?” 

It was a fair enough question, Roxas realized. Master Aqua and the other active Keybearers, Terra and Ventus, were all supremely powerful, and skilled in “traditional Keyblade techniques,” as Aqua put it. Roxas frowned—those three would be very helpful in a fight. But Mickey’s letter didn’t say whether they’d be coming. Or maybe this new war was something that only Roxas and Xion and Axel could help with. Though what that was, Roxas couldn’t imagine.

“Could…” Roxas hesitated, glancing at Xion. “Could Sephiroth have anything to do with this?”

Xion cringed and drew her shoulders up sharply. Roxas felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't wanted to make her feel bad. How could he have been so stupid as to bring up Sephiroth so thoughtlessly?

“Doubtful,” Isa interjected. When the others turned to look at him, Isa shrugged before continuing. “We encountered Sephiroth several times over the years in the Organization. Xemnas took an interest in him early on, but after nearly three years of sending each of us to investigate in turn, we came to the conclusion that despite Sephiroth’s great affinity for darkness, he has no interest in conquest and only a passing connection to Heartless.”

“There’s actually a bad guy who doesn’t want to take over everything?”

“Correct, Pence.” Isa took a bite of ice cream. “From what we were able to determine, Sephiroth fixates on people struggling with the darkness in their hearts and exploits it, goading them into fights so that he may strike them down and claim their power as his own. A supremely dangerous foe, but one who is not a great risk to the safety and stability of the worlds at large.”

Roxas took another bite of ice cream. Isa’s explanation made sense, more or less. But that didn’t answer any questions about the threat King Mickey wanted to them to fight. 

“Then…I brought him here,” Xion whispered. She sounded as if she were about to start crying. “The darkness in my heart…it drew him here. I’m sorry…”

“What? No, no, no,” Isa spluttered, dropping his ice cream, oblivious to it tumbling ten stories down to the ground. “Xion, I didn’t mean it that way!”

Xion drew herself into a tight ball, looking like she wanted to just disappear. Roxas reached over and squeezed her shoulder. 

“You beat him, though!” Roxas said, hoping it would brighten her spirits. Xion had gone blade-to-blade with Sephiroth and won. Reminding her of what she was capable of had to cheer her up! 

“Yeah…but maybe he let me win. Really, we kind of tied. We both hit each other and we both fell down. And if you two hadn’t been there…”

Roxas reached down and took Xion’s hand. It was soft and warm. It felt nice to be able to hold her hand when they weren’t wearing gloves. Reminding her of the fight hadn’t worked after all. There had to be something he could do. Think! She’s your best friend! 

  ‘C’mon, kiddo,” Axel called from Roxas’s other side. “You beat him. Roxas and me just came in at the end. And you got your Keyblade Armor! Not even ‘Master’ Riku can do that!”

Xion didn’t say anything, but Roxas noticed that her shoulders eased up a bit. He began tracing a circle into the back of Xion’s hand with his thumb. Her breathing grew slightly more relaxed.

“Maybe…”

“Xion,” Roxas murmured. “Look at me…look in my eyes.”

Xion turned to him, her eyes sad and her lips pressed together in worry. A generous amount of aloe had been applied to the burns on her cheeks and forehead to soothe the burns from the coffee splashed at her earlier that day. Olette had gotten most of the ice cream and syrup out of Xion’s hair, but her clothes were still stained pink. 

“You’re my best friend, Xion. Always, through all the worlds and through all time. Remember?”

“Yeah…” Xion ducked her head away but she did ease herself out of the ball she’d curled into. She dangled her legs off the edge of the tower. 

“No matter what happens, I’m always going to be there to help you. No matter what. No matter where King Mickey wants us to go, I’ll be right there beside you. You don’t have to be alone anymore.”

Xion raised her head and sat up straight, looking directly at Roxas. She didn’t say anything. Her blue eyes brimmed with tears, but she didn’t look like she was about to start crying.

“Xion?” 

Xion said nothing for a moment, inhaling and exhaling deep breaths. For a moment Roxas wasn’t sure if she’d respond at all.

“Thank you, Roxas.” 

Xion’s eyes weren’t sad anymore, but shiny and bright. Almost like stars—but not the kind that were in the sky above the World That Never Was. Nice ones, like the ones above Destiny Islands at nighttime. But it made Roxas feel warm inside to see Xion like that. No matter what it was that King Mickey wanted, Roxas would be there at Xion’s side. Nothing would ever separate them again. 

oooo

Hayner took a particularly large bite of ice cream while Roxas and Xion made goo-goo eyes at each other. If it weren’t for the fact that they really had no idea how obvious they were, he might have been annoyed.

Actually, he was still annoyed. Not at Roxas and Xion—well maybe a little at Roxas and Xion, because seriously, they were starting to drive him nuts. But really, what made him angry was that they were going away. Again. Who even knew how long they’d be gone? Sure, from the few stories Roxas had told, most of his “missions” had been relatively short term, and Sora had apparently been just about *everywhere* and done *everything* in just a couple of months. But what if they were gone longer?

And what if something bad happened? Roxas and Axel were trying to cheer Xion up about it, but what if that Sephiroth guy was still out there? Or someone else with a sword who wanted to hurt them? Sure, they could hold their own…but not knowing, that was the worst part of it. Not knowing if his friends were in trouble and not really being able to help set his teeth on edge.

That was it—he wasn’t doing enough to help. He, Hayner, wasn’t doing enough. There had to be something he could do to help Roxas and Xion. 

“Hayner,” Axel turned towards him. “What’s on your mind? Speak up for the ones in the back.”

Hayner repressed the urge to stiffen. However decent a guy he wound up being, first impressions were hard to shake. Hayner wasn’t sure he’d ever be completely over his first impression of Axel—what, with his kidnapping Kairi. Even if Kairi had forgiven him already, Hayner wasn’t sure he would. Which wasn’t fair, since Axel did do a lot of good stuff. And he took good care of Roxas and Xion. 

“I just…we…the thing is,” Hayner sighed. He had to be careful in how he phrased this—Axel and Isa would most likely object if Hayner offered to come with them, so he could help his friends. “It sucks that you guys are gonna be gone. What if this is the last time we get to be like this? Eating ice cream, watching the sunset. Mister Yanushi said this morning that we should always try to stay together.” 

“C’mon Hayner,” Roxas said, turning away from Xion’s goo-goo eyes. “You said yourself that even if we can’t be like this forever, we can always remember everyone.”

“I said that?” Hayner asked, frowning. “I don’t remember saying that. When was this?”

“Back in…oh…right,” Roxas scratched his head. “That was back in the…Digital Twilight Town.”

Oh, yeah—the Digital Twilight Town was a replication of their world that Ansem the Wise had set up a while back. Roxas had lived there and been friends with Hayner’s digital counterpart. Hayner still wasn’t entirely sure how it all worked—he wasn’t as clueless on computers and stuff as Sora was, but he wasn’t as good at that stuff as Pence was either. How exactly Twilight Town could be replicated to the point where Roxas could live in it, he had no idea. And it was all real, not holograms, since Sora could take stuff out of it, like the Struggle trophy orb.

“Well…” Hayner said slowly. “It sounds like Digital Me had a good head on his digital shoulders, even if he does sound like a bit of a dork.”

That made everyone laugh. Good, Hayner could recover the conversation. And maybe things weren't so bad after all, if they could all laugh. There was still the question of what he could do though. The drive to help his friends, to contribute, to do his part. It gnawed at him. 

“Any idea how we can help you guys? You know, in case you’re gone for a long time? I wanna help and Pence has that computer thing with Ienzo settled.”

“Vivi,” Xion said, before anyone else could respond. “It would be really great if you could keep an eye on Vivi. I think he’s going to be sad if I’m not there at the ice cream shop.”

Babysitting Vivi wasn’t exactly Hayner’s idea of a productive way to spend his time. But the little guy did look up to Roxas and Xion, so Hayner wasn’t exactly in a position to say “no” either. And if it made that much easier to help his friends, it’d be worth it. 

“Of course we will,” Olette cut in, taking Xion’s other hand. “You don’t even need to ask. I promise we’ll take care of Vivi.” 

Hayner had grown up with Olette. When she set her mind to something, there was no changing it. He’d better get used to the idea of hanging out with Vivi. 

“So, it’s settled then,” Pence said. “I’ll work on the computers with Ienzo, and Hayner and Olette can keep an eye on Vivi. You guys go on your trip, and then when you get back, 

“Great!” Xion looked almost perky for a moment, before frowning again. “I’ll have to talk to Granny…”

“Hayner can take over for you at the shop,” Olette said. “And I’ll keep an eye on Vivi until you come home. I can take him to the library!”

“What’s a…never mind,” Xion blushed. “Thank you, Olette. For everything.”

“What are friends for?”

His path had been set for him, Hayner realized. Fine. He’d be sure to keep an eye on the ice cream shop, for Xion’s sake. And when he wasn’t working, he’d be training. He might not have a Keyblade…but he was going to learn to fight.

oooo

The sun had set though the sky was not quite dark, the ice cream was finished, and the general tone had turned quiet. Hayner, and Pence went north, which turned into a race in about three seconds; Olette walked south, slowly; Axel and Isa walked east, towards their small home, to pack what they needed for their journey. They’d be leaving for Disney Castle first thing in the morning with Scrooge McDuck.

Xion walked slowly towards the ice cream shop, trying to keep her pace steady, Roxas a few paces behind her. The night air was pleasantly cool with a gentle breeze, but that only made the knot in her stomach tighten. Granny had been so good to her…and now Xion was letting her down.

“Granny?” Xion called into the shop. It was empty—no surprise there, as it was over an hour past closing. She slipped inside, Roxas right behind her. Granny lived in the little apartment above the shop, but she’d probably be finishing up any last minute cleaning.

“Xion!  Roxas! There you are!” Granny shuffled over from the back of the shop and took Xion’s hands. “You look like you’re feeling better!” 

“I am feeling a bit better Granny,” Xion tried to smile. “But there’s something I need to tell you.”

“You’re leaving, aren't you?” Granny tutted. “I knew it, you know. I knew from the start that you would have to leave.”

“Please don’t be mad, Granny,” Xion whispered. She wasn’t sure if she could stand it if Granny were angry with her. “Promise?”

“She wants to stay,” Roxas added. “But…a friend of ours might need our help, and he lives out of town.”

“In a different world, you mean,” Granny nodded. “Scrooge mentioned that he had to go back to his own home when he was in earlier. You’re going to see King Mickey?”

“Um…yeah,” Xion admitted. “We’re going to see King Mickey.”

“I thought so—do tell him hello from me. He’s been here a few times, but it has been a while. And really, sweetheart, mad? Oh, Xion, you are far too hard on yourself. I’m not mad at all. I’m happy for you.”

Happy?

“I think you’re destined for great things, Xion,” Granny continued, patting Xion on the hand. “Great things, indeed. Please sit down.”

Xion did as she was told, easing herself into one of the small wooden chairs as Granny took a seat across from her and Roxas sat beside her. 

“Now then, to be more specific, you two be going off with Axel, on an adventure, I suppose.”

“Yes, we are,” Xion answered. There was no point in her lying to Granny now, not after everything she’d done for Xion. I will never let myself be separated from either of them ever again. 

“And you’ll be gone for a while?”

“Not really sure how long…” Xion admitted weakly. There was no way of knowing how long they’d be gone without more instructions from His Majesty, King Mickey. “Could be just a few days, but it could a while longer.”

“I’ll miss working with you, Xion.”

“Granny, I did find someone to take my place,” Xion said quickly. “Remember my friend Hayner? And Olette?”

“The loud boy with the big mouth and the sweet girl with braids? I know them very well,” Granny sighed as Roxas snickered. “Ah, I remember when they were just little ones, getting their first ice creams.”

“They said they would fill in for me, if that’s alright?”

“Oh, yes. I’m sure that’s going to be fine,” Granny squeezed Xion’s fingers. “But that doesn’t change that I will miss you, little one.”

“Granny…” Xion shook her head and she felt her face grow red. “I wasn’t very good at this job…I kept messing up…like today.”

“Xion!” Roxas took her other hand. “For the last time, that wasn’t your fault so stop blaming yourself.”

  “I agree with Roxas—you mustn't let one bad day ruin what has been several good weeks,” Granny said, much more firmly than usual. “Especially since those three miscreants deliberately sabotaged you. Sweetie, in all your time here, you made no mistakes that couldn’t be corrected.”

What’s a miscreant? Xion wondered to herself and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Roxas look confused at the unfamiliar word too. She’d ask Axel later. She thought about what Granny said. Short of messing up today—and as much as Roxas and Granny and even Olette said otherwise, it was too her fault for bending the rules to serve the coffees and ice cream in the first place—it had been a very nice job. And dwelling on her failure would not make Granny happy. Or Roxas, for that matter.

“I’ll try and remember Granny,” Xion said. “And I really did love working with you, Granny.” 

“And I loved working with you, Xion. You brightened up the shop, you did. It’s not going to be the same without you.”

“Thank you…for everything,” Xion let go a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. “I promise we’ll stay in touch.”

Granny insisted on hugging Xion and Roxas good-bye, wrapping short arms around them in turn. They both returned the hug somewhat awkwardly; neither Xion nor Roxas were really used to hugging people shorter than they were. Granny also requested that they write occasionally, preferring it to phone calls.

Roxas stepped out ahead of her and Xion closed the door to the ice cream shop. Together, they started to walk home. Their curfew wouldn’t be for an hour yet…they could linger a while if Xion could convince Roxas. She loved Twilight Town at night, with its low-light lamps and the way the clouds didn’t darken into black like they did in so many other worlds.

“Race ya!” Xion slapped Roxas on the back and running down a quiet street. Roxas tore after her, but she had a head start. Her face still tinged with lingering pain, but her legs worked fine. And racing with Roxas, it was just fun. Unfortunately, Xion was wearing boots and Roxas was wearing sneakers and had longer legs to begin with. He blew past her after less than a minute, looking back with an unrepentant smirk. 

“Slowpoke!”

“No fair!” 

“You run like a girl!”

“You chug Elixirs!” 

Xion pushed herself as hard as she could, but she still couldn’t catch Roxas. They ran down the street, together. After a few blocks, Roxas began to slow down, allowing Xion to run level with him. Xion looked up the street. The houses in this part of Twilight Town were much bigger than the ones in their neighborhood.

“Ever been here before, Roxas?”

“Once, about two weeks ago, when I was delivering some mail. I think Olette lives here with her family.”

“Roxas? Xion?” 

They looked up towards one of the windows in the house nearest them. A figure in dark clothes, only vaguely visible in the low light, stood on the balcony.

“Hey, I was right! Hi, Olette!”

Olette gave a small wave and went back inside her house. Xion heard the click of a lock and Olette opened the door.

“You want to come in for a minute? My father’s not home, and there’s something I wanted to show you.”

“I think we can stay a little while,” Roxas said as he checked his watch. “We need to be home in half an hour.”

“This will only take a minute…please,” Olette pleaded. There was an edge to her voice. She was worried, almost timid. Roxas shrugged and walked inside, Xion at his heels.

Xion had never been inside Olette’s house before. Just the opening hallway was much larger than the one at home—a full closet at the side instead of just a coat rack. And there were paintings on the walls, much fancier than the art they had at home, though Xion loved the drawings Naminé had sent them. She hadn’t realized Olette’s family was this wealthy. 

Olette stood in front of them, barefoot but still dressed in her street clothes. She had undone her braids, her hair falling to her elbows. She held a small item in her hands and looked from Roxas to Xion and back again, as if unsure what to say. 

“I know we’re seeing you off tomorrow,” Olette murmured finally. “But I…just wanted to let you know that I’m going to miss you both. A lot. You’re my friends and I care about you.”

“We care about you too, Olette. And you don’t need to worry,” Xion forced herself to swallow her fear and smile. “We’re coming back.”

“Xion…you saved my life.”

“I thought we kind of settled that,” Xion said, feeling her face turn red. “And besides…I’m not the Keybearer who set the standard. Sora would have saved you just the same.”

For a moment, none of them said a word. The silence made the air feel almost heavy. Xion could hear the chiming of a clock at the end of the hallway. 

“What’s that in your hand?” Roxas finally asked in a really obvious attempt to change the subject. 

“It’s an electric candle. I was going to put it in my window.”

“Why?” Xion and Roxas asked in unison.

“Kairi told me about it,” Olette explained. “It’s a tradition on the islands, you know where they all grew up. When you hang a candle in the window, it lets travelers know that your home is open for a place to rest. A sanctuary. So…I decided to put it up for Sora and Riku…and for you guys, too, I guess. To lead you home.”

Xion felt her heart lurch and she wasn’t quite sure why. All of a sudden, she felt she didn’t want to leave Twilight Town at all. Stay here forever with Roxas and Axel and Isa and Olette and Hayner and Pence and Granny and Vivi. 

“Thank you, Olette.”

Olette gave them a small smile and led them back outside. The night air felt cooler than it had just a few minutes before. Cooler and heavier, too. 

Wordlessly, Roxas and Xion began walking home. They still had about twenty minutes before curfew. Xion felt Roxas take her hand and they began walking together. It felt nice. Peaceful. Xion liked peaceful things, and with a prickle of fear she wondered whether she’d ever feel this peaceful again.

What could King Mickey want?

Chapter Text

Chapter Six: Departure At Daybreak

For some reason, the mornings in Twilight Town were never as nice as the afternoons. Of course, this may have had more to do with Isa setting his alarm clock for five o'clock in the morning. It wasn't that Lea wasn't a morning person; he wasn't an alarm clock person. There was a difference, no matter what Isa said.

Regardless of what Isa said, it didn't change that Lea was very rudely awoken from his wonderful dream of being hand-fed ice cream by some very pretty girls. And falling off the top bunk of their bunk bed didn't help matters, however valid the logic of getting a bunk bed had been. The house was tiny, having a bunk bed was more economic for their limited space. But now Lea didn't feel particularly economically-minded, with his ears ringing from the blaring alarm and his nose pressed against their carpet. Ugh…he should really vacuum more often.

Isa, the jerk, immediately got out of bed, muttering something about needing to shave. He accidentally stepped on Lea's hand as he walked into the bathroom. Okay, ow!

Lea groaned dramatically and called Isa a word that would have gotten Roxas or Xion grounded for a week if they'd said it. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure they knew any of those sorts of words anyway. Best to keep it that way—it should be physically impossible for those two half-pints to curse.

Lea stalked over to his half of the closet and paused. He still had his Organization robes, which could come in handy if what King Mickey wanted from them was a combat mission. Both it and the sleeveless jacket he wore were magically enchanted against the powers of Darkness. But his robes had additional enchantments, relating to enhancing his fire magic. After getting Roxas and Xion and Isa back, getting his family back, Lea hadn't intended to ever wear the Organization robes ever again. Too many bad memories…memories that were best put in the past. Lea pulled on his new jacket and pants without a word.

Grrrrmmrrm…

Ah, that'd be his stomach. Lea contemplated what he could eat…he'd only gone grocery shopping the day before. Whatever he and the others left in the house would be stuck here for however long they were gone. Ugh, he'd spent quite a bit of munny on good food and it'd probably go to waste now…

Xion was already in the kitchen, sitting in a chair, wearing her old robes. Not surprising, given her blouse was effectively ruined, stained pink with strawberry ice cream and syrup. Lea wasn't sure it'd ever come clean.

"Hey kiddo, you're up early," Lea said as he walked over and ruffled her hair. At least she'd been able to get that gunk out of her hair. Xion giggled and smiled at him. Lea frowned. Behind her grin, Xion looked very tired, with deep bags under her eyes, almost looking like a blue-eyed raccoon.

"Hi, Axel."

"You sleep alright?" Lea asked, trying to read Xion's face. She was a bad liar, always had been. But Isa had said she'd been up half the night just yesterday (Augh, had it really only been a day since all that had happened? And it wasn't even a week since Sephiroth. Lea figured as soon as they did their little mission from King Mickey, they were getting a vacation). It looked like she'd barely slept last night either. Lea paused, could she be having nightmares?

"I slept okay. You?" Xion's eyes were rimmed red, as if she'd been crying. Yeah, definitely nightmares. Poor kiddo. Most of the coffee burns on her face had healed—far more quickly than they should have, but Isa had demanded Xion treat them with healing magic before they had all gone to bed the night before. But she still looked exhausted, and there was a trace of fear in her eyes.

"Yeah, I slept great," Lea sighed at the happy memory of his wonderful dream. "Wish I could sleep some more, you know?"

Xion shook her head. Lea felt a twinge in his heart. Xion looked down at her feet and for a moment, Lea was certain that she wasn't going to answer him. Keeping secrets from one another had turned out horribly last time. Lea wasn't going to let it happen again.

"I…I had a nightmare…" Xion admitted, the grin slipping from her face. She took several deep, shaky breaths and wouldn't meet his eye.

"About?" Lea asked gently. He couldn't press her too hard—that would only push her away. But if something was bothering her, he had a responsibility to help her. She was his friend. Best friend. More than a friend. She was his little sister. You took care of your sister.

Xion opened and closed her mouth and then shook her head rapidly. Lea tilted her head so she'd look up at him, and the small girl blinked back tears. It didn't take Lea long to realize what the nightmare had been about.

"Xion," Lea drew himself up to his full height and pulled Xion up out of her chair into his arms and pressed her to him. She was so tiny, she barely came up to his chest. But she needed his support, and darn it, this time he was going to be there. Lea wrapped one long arm around her shoulders and rested the other at the back of her head.

"Axel…"

"I'm right here. And I promise I'm not going anywhere," Lea murmured, squeezing her slightly. He ran a hand through her hair, scratching his fingers lightly against her scalp. "There is nothing to be afraid of. Didn't you get it memorized? No one axes Axel."

"No one axes Axel," Xion repeated weakly, squirming out from his chest. She looked a little sheepish. "Sorry."

"Xion, please stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault. And if you ever need to talk to me about anything," Lea emphasized as much as he could without shouting, "I'll be there if you want to talk to me. I don't care if you wake me up at two in the morning because you had a bad dream—I will be there. Got it, kiddo?"

"Got it…" Xion chewed her lip, but she did look a bit more at ease. At least a little. Lea would count that as a win.

"Good," Lea ruffled her hair a second time and Xion giggled, a light chirping laugh almost like a bird's song. Good—as long as she could laugh, things couldn't be too bad.

oooo

Roxas ran a hand against the wall of the room he shared with Xion. It was going to be rough leaving, if only for a while.

"Roxas?" Xion stepped into their room, dressed in her old Organization robes. Roxas felt a twinge of what he thought might be satisfaction. Xion's blouse was stained pink so she couldn't wear it to see King Mickey. Instead of his street clothes, Roxas was wearing his old robes too, so Xion wouldn't feel so awkward. They weren't very comfortable, especially compared to his jacket and jeans, but it did make him feel good to know that he would be helping Xion.

"Just making sure we have everything, Xion." Roxas said as he picked up a knapsack. It wasn't really heavy, even if it did have most of his stuff. "We might not be here for a while, so I thought, better safe than sorry you know?"

"That makes sense…but we might not need everything," Xion said, unfastening the strap of the knapsack to check its contents. "I'm not sure we'll need my seashells."

"I packed those to remind you of home…here and Destiny Islands. In case we're gone a while, and you want something to remind you of…" Roxas trailed off, realizing he was repeating himself.

"That's sweet of you," Xion said, a bright smile spreading across her face, contrasting sharply with the heavy bags under her eyes. She looked very tired. "Wish you had something like that."

"I don't really care where I am, if I'm with you and Axel," Roxas assured her. He did love Twilight Town, but he wouldn't mind living on Destiny Islands or . "Wherever you guys are is home."

Xion flushed pink, especially noticeable against the healing burns on her face and her smile became much shyer. Roxas felt his own ears reddening and he wasn't sure what to say next. He didn't want to embarrass her.

"Oh…um…Axel sent me to get you," Xion said very quickly. "Isa's made breakfast…something called oatmeal. Not sure what it is exactly, but it smells good. And he said it's not as filled with salt or fat as the sausage omelets were, so it's really healthy."

Roxas blinked. Xion had a habit of either talking really quickly or becoming totally silent when she was stressed out, so he better try to stop it now. The easiest way to do that would be…just eat breakfast, actually. Excellent, he was hungry. Roxas pulled the knapsack closed and patted Xion on the shoulder.

Roxas led Xion down the stairs and into the kitchen. Isa was spooning the oatmeal into bowls. Roxas and Xion sat next to each other. Isa had a habit of insisting on preparing especially healthy food and not all his attempts had been successful, so Roxas took a small bite cautiously.

"Mmmm!"

"Thank you, Isa. This looks wonderful," Xion said politely. Isa gave her a small smile and gave her an extra spoonful of food.

"Both of you be sure to consume it entirely. We'll be meeting up with Mister McDuck as soon as you two finish your food. We are on a strict schedule."

"You don't want us to do the dishes?" Xion asked. "But it needs to get done. That's one of my chores, I can't just leave it till later. That's not fair to you."

"Your work ethic is commendable, Xion," Isa said. "But rest assured, the dishes are not an issue. Lea has agreed to take care of them in exchange for my cooking."

Isa gestured towards the back of the kitchen, where Axel had filled the oatmeal pot with water. As he watched Axel scrub the pot, Roxas took another bite, and then another. Was that honey mixed into the oatmeal? And raisins and apples? Mmmm, this was pretty tasty. Why hadn't they ever had this before?

"Isa," Xion spoke up. "What will you be doing while we're away? Helping King Mickey in his castle?"

"Although my combat skills are not at the level of yours," Isa said in his formal voice, "I will be accompanying you in this journey, as much as my abilities allow."

"We don't know what it is though," Roxas said between bites of oatmeal. "What if it's something that you can't fight? Something that you need a Keyblade for?"

"I don't want you to get hurt, Isa," Xion gasped. "It would be awful if you got hurt trying to help us."

"You are sweet, Xion and I appreciate your concern," Isa took a long sip from his cup of coffee. "That being said, if I leave Lea alone with you, the three of you will mostly likely not be successful. And in any event, even without a Keyblade, I do offer some skills, unrelated to combat, that Lea does not posses and that you two have not yet become acquainted with. I, for one, have some training in piloting inter-stellar vessels, or as you would say, Gummi ships."

Roxas shrugged and began scraping the last bits of his oatmeal. It was a fair point. Isa was smarter than any of them. Roxas could admit that, especially since Isa wasn't Saix. He took his empty bowl to the sink, where Axel was drying the pot the oatmeal had cooked in. Xion joined him a moment later, their shoulders touching. Axel glanced at them and smirked, though why he did that, Roxas wasn't sure.

oooo

Xion inhaled deeply as she walked down the street with Roxas, Axel and Isa. Maybe the cool morning air would be enough to help keep her awake. Even after a hot breakfast, she was exhausted. Another night of bad dreams…this time, it hadn't been of the battles in the Graveyard. It'd been her fight with Roxas at the clock tower. When she drove him to destroy her. Only this time, she'd hit him too hard, and killed him instead. She'd woken up crying, but she hadn't disturbed Roxas, thankfully.

As Xion walked, she felt her fingers brushing up against Roxas's, but resisted the urge to hold his hand. She didn't want to throw off his balance—Roxas was carrying the knapsack with their stuff—and they tended to walk slower when they held hands. As Isa said, they were on a tight schedule. Her heart felt heavy at the idea of leaving home. Twilight Town was But it was her responsibility. She was a Keybearer. She had to protect other people, light the darkness.

And really, this could be her chance to start making up for the bad stuff she'd done. All the horrible things she had done with a Keyblade while in Organization XIII and then again in the Graveyard. This might be her chance to start to atone…even if it was dangerous, she'd do it. There were people in trouble and they needed help.

Mister Scrooge McDuck was waiting for them when they arrived at the Sunset Station, dressed in his nicest blue coat and top hat. He waved them over and tipped his hat.

"Good mornin' to all," Mister McDuck said. "It is a pleasure to be among ye, Keybearers."

"Good morning sir," Xion said politely. "Thank you for allowing us to come with you."

"Think nothing of it, miss. I needed to return to me own world anyway. I have important business to attend to, and I also need to attend to me bin. In any event, I'm glad for the company."

"Well, when do we take off?" Axel hoisted a duffel bag over his shoulder. "This thing's heavy."

"Any moment now," Mister McDuck pulled out a shiny gold pocket watch. "Me pilot left on a little errand, but we'll be a taking off just as soon as he gets back. Said he wanted some refreshments."

"Roxas! Xion!"

Xion turned and smiled. Hayner, Pence and Olette, despite the early hour, were running towards them. Olette had said they would see them off, but Xion wasn't sure they would have been able to get here in time. It was nice, having friends who would get up so early to see them. Xion wondered if they were as tired as she was.

"We made it!" Pence panted, hands on his knees. "Early morning runs…aren't my…strongest point."

"We haven't left yet. We're waiting for Mister McDuck's pilot," Roxas told him, helping Pence stand up straight. "You didn't have to run all the way here, guys."

"Yeah, but we had to see you off," Hayner crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "You're our friends, aren't ya?"

"Yeah," Roxas grinned, which Hayner immediately returned. "You've been with us through a lot."

"'Til the end of the line," Hayner pumped a fist and Roxas met it with his own. Xion smiled. Roxas

"Xion," Olette placed a soft hand on Xion's shoulder. She locked eyes with Xion and chewed her lip nervously. "Please…both of you, come home."

"We will," Xion nodded briefly, locking eyes with Olette. "I promise."

Olette hugged her, pressing her face into Xion's shoulder. Xion patted her lightly on the back. She felt Roxas press against both of them and wrap an arm around her waist. And then Hayner and Pence were hugging them too. Just like before, when she'd fought Sephiroth, the five of them were hugging, all together. She wished they could do so under happier circumstances.

Something tall thumped into them and caused them to break the hug. Xion turned her head and saw a tower of pink boxes? Oh, somebody carrying a tower of pink boxes. Bakery boxes, actually. Xion could smell something sweet.

"Got the stuff, Mister McD! Enough cinnamon rolls, donuts and fritters for the trip," the stranger holding the boxes said. He peaked around the tower of bakery boxes and blinked in confusion. "Hey, you're not Mister McD!"

Xion blinked back; the stranger was a duck, like Donald and Mister McDuck, only much taller. He was even taller than Goofy.

"Launchpad, you daft feather-brain. I'm over here, boy!" Mister McDuck called. "Bakery goods? That's what you were up to? I told ya we were on a tight schedule!"

"Aw, c'mon, Mister McD! We missed breakfast, and look at it this way: It's your chance to cheat on your diet. Mrs. Beakley isn't here to tell us no!"

"Hmmm…" Mister McDuck tapped his beak. "You raise an excellent point, Launchpad. An excellent point, indeed."

"Xion…" A tiny voice squealed. Xion looked down and saw Vivi waddling towards her. Oh! She didn't think she'd have a chance to say good-bye to him. "Are…you…going…away?"

"Yeah, Vivi. Me and Roxas have to go away for a while," Xion crouched down so Vivi wouldn't have to look up at her. "We need to go on a trip with Mister McDuck."

"I…will…miss…you."

"I'm gonna miss you too," Xion put a hand on Vivi's tiny shoulder. He blinked bright yellow eyes back at her. "But Hayner and Olette are gonna be your friends while Roxas and I are gone. Okay?"

Vivi shuffled up to her and wrapped his little arms around her. Xion hugged him back, unsure of what else to do. For a moment, nobody spoke, or at least she couldn't hear what anyone was saying. Vivi nuzzled into her shoulder. Xion felt a knot form in her throat, helped by her own tiredness. Sure, Vivi would have Hayner and Olette looking after him, but he liked her, in his own little way…

"Here, little fella," the pilot was sniffling, handing Vivi one of the bakery boxes. "A dozen yummy donuts, just for you."

"Thank…you."

"Don't eat those all at once, Vivi," Xion said. "You'll get a tummy-ache."

"Yes…Xion. Not…all…at…once."

"Alright, that's enough of that now," Mister McDuck cleared his throat. He checked his watch again. "We're on a tight schedule. Launchpad, get the ship."

"You got it, Mister McD!"

The pilot ran off with most of the bakery boxes still in his hands. He darted behind the station, and the next thing Xion knew, a Gummi ship was hovering on the horizon. It wasn't nearly so blocky as the *Highwind* model that Sora had flown with Donald and Goofy. It was more slender, looking much more like a regular jet plane—she had seen a couple models Pence made.

"Let's go, half-pints," Axel herded Roxas and Xion over to the ship. A ramp descended from the cockpit and they walked up together.

Xion turned her head at the last moment. Hayner, Pence, Olette and Vivi were standing at the edge of the station, waving good-bye. Xion raised her hand, feeling as her heart might burst and beside her, she could feel how frantically he moved his arms as Roxas waved back. The ramp pulled up and the Gummi ship warped off past the world boundaries of Twilight Town, the orange-gold skies fading away in favor of the black-blue of open space.

"All aboard the Sunchaser," the pilot called. "Fasten your seat belts! Next stop, Disney Castle!"

A/N: And with that, the adventure begins!

Chapter Text

Chapter Seven: Isa’s Interlude In Outer Space

Isa looked around the inner chambers of the ship. It appeared that this particular vessel was of a considerably higher quality than the “Highwind” ship that King Mickey preferred. Rather than the cockpit having just three chairs large enough for a single person to recline in—which made traveling with a larger party very inconvenient—here there were enough furnishings to fairly call it a house—chairs, tables, benches, couches and several ornate statues and carvings. It was doubly curious, given the ship having a far more aerodynamic design than the Highwind.

“I got the donuts! Plenty for everyone!” The pilot boomed in a tone of voice that implied his worldview steered far younger than his countenance would suggest. “And cinnamon rolls!” 

Isa frowned slightly. He had never been one for sweet treats so early in the day, as the quick energy they provided usually burned off too rapidly to be effective. Furthermore, such snakes had meager nutrients that would have otherwise justified their consumption. Lea, of course, had no such qualms, and immediately took out several cinnamon rolls.

“Aw right, the icing on the cake to this way-too-early morning,” Lea grinned, handing two of the pastries to Roxas and Xion. “Cinnamon’s even better than sea salt!”

Isa mused that had it been made by anyone other than Lea, such a declaration would certainly have been considered blasphemous by the children. As it was, Roxas looked bewildered, which was typical, and Xion cautious. They looked at one another with confused expressions and then back to Lea.

“Axel, what’s a cinnamon roll?”

Lea groaned far too dramatically, and Isa smirked. There was still quite a lot of knowledge the children were largely unfamiliar with that he and Lea took for granted. It made it all the more amusing when Lea had to explain basic things to them. The children didn't usually go to Isa for information.

“It’s a type of pastry,” Lea answered in a tone that betrayed his own amusement. He had always had a softer hand with the children. “Like a biscuit, but with cinnamon and sugar.”

“Like apple pie?”

“Actually, yes. Only without the apples…come to think of it, you half-pints never did get to try that pie the other day.”

“Oh yeah…” Xion mumbled, her head down. “I dropped it…and it got squished.”

Isa winced and turned his head, as Lea consoled the small girl. Xion was still blaming herself for the encounter with Sephiroth. When is she going to start recognizing that wasn’t her fault? When will she begin to accept her worth?  

Isa felt resentment, mostly towards himself. After everything he had done to her, how could she not resort to self-blame whenever there was even the slightest trouble? When the threat of execution for failure had hung over her head for a year, the entirety of her life, why shouldn’t she be so fearful? How could she not be hesitant to accept even the most basic of compliments or reassurances when he’d spent so many months deriding and degrading her at every opportunity? That wasn’t you—it was Saix. You are not Saix.  

“Oh, Axel! This is so yummy!” Xion’s exclamation broke Isa from his sulking. Her face lit up, and despite the exhaustion lining her eyes and a smear of icing on her lip, for a moment, she was as radiant as the sun. 

“It’s sweet…but not salty at all,” Roxas chewed his roll curiously. “And this sprinkly stuff is called cinnamon? It’s good, but it doesn’t taste like breakfast. It tastes like dessert.”

Perhaps there was a certain charm in the children’s ignorance. No…not ignorance, innocence. They’d been alive barely more than fourteen months, and most of that was in the Organization. It wasn’t such a bad thing for them not to know certain things. What did it matter, really, that Roxas and Xion were still learning things?

It was rather curious. Despite her near continuous self-blame, Xion had forgiven Isa everything, refusing to even talk about his misdeeds. Fair enough, both she and Roxas were quick to point out that he, Isa, was distinct from Saix. Furthermore, Roxas was adamant that he was not Sora. Also a reasonable conclusion, given Roxas having to develop his own identity independent of Sora’s memories.  Despite this reasoning, they continued to call Lea ‘Axel.’ 

“Plenty more where those came from,” The pilot boomed, shoving an entire donut with pink frosting into his mouth. “Mrs. B isn’t here to tell us that we’ll spoil our dinner.”

“No, thank you,” Isa declined. “I find that too much sugar upsets my stomach.”

“Well, if you change your mind, there’s plenty more where that came from,” The pilot nodded towards a table, nearly covered in confectionary-pink bakery boxes. 

“Launchpad!” Scrooge McDuck waddled over and jabbed the pilot with his cane. “You daft dullard! If yer here eating sweets, then who may I ask is piloting the ship?!”

“Gah! Ohmygosh!” The pilot darted towards the controls. “I am so sorry Mister McD! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Let’s see, the little switch here and the whirly-bob there, and this red button, and this green button. Not the yellow button, never yellow.”

“Hey Scrooge, how long till we land?” Lea called, as he finished a third donut. “The King’s letter sounded like things were urgent.”

“Approximately six hours by our perspective, assuming Launchpad does not cause any further distractions. We’re not on the most direct path, but I programmed this ship’s code to travel with the least amount of contact with Heartless vessels or debris. I find that a safer path is worth the extra time. But you needn’t worry about keeping King Mickey, no sir.”

“Great!” Lea tipped an imaginary top hat and walked over to one of the armchairs. It was large enough that it could have fit all four of them easily. 

“Forgive my ignorance, Lea,” Isa said, “But I do not understand what your intentions are.”

“Simple!” Lea drawled, stretching his arms in an exaggerated fashion. “You woke me up at an ungodly early hour. Six hours till we land? Plenty of time to sleep, sleep and turn over and sleep some more.”

“Axel, are you feeling alright?” Xion shuffled up to Lea, wringing her hands. “You’re not sick, are you?”

“I’m fine, kiddo. I had such a good night’s sleep last night, that I want to have it again. I work hard and certain really tall jerks with too much hair set the alarm clocks for really stinking early. ”

“If you hadn’t gone to bed so late, Lea, you wouldn’t be in this situation now. One mustn’t burn a candle at both ends.”

“What’s that about a candle?” Roxas asked. “Olette has some candles, but they’re electric.” 

“It’s just an expression, Roxas. Don’t think to hard about it,” Lea reached up one long arm and pulled Xion down next to him. 

“Aaaah!”

“You look like you could use a little extra sleep too, Xion,” Lea wrapped his arm around Xion’s shoulders and squeezed her to his side. Now that was comical—Xion was so much smaller than Lea, she almost looked like a stuffed animal pressed against him.

“Axel! Let me up…please?”

Even Isa could tell that Xion’s protests were half-hearted, especially after Lea began to snore. Isa smirked—Lea had always been able to fall asleep at the drop of a hat. Xion was more or less trapped, but Isa caught the shadow of a grateful smile on her face as she leaned into Lea’s chest. She was asleep in less than a minute. 

Isa turned his head again, and found he was sharing a table with Roxas. Who was staring up at him. It occurred to Isa that this was the first time the two of them had been alone together since his restoration. This…might be trouble.

xxxx

Roxas, for his part, seemed content to spend the trip consumed in his own world. The pilot had a rather large collection of comic books. Despite his decision to wear his old Organization robes, Roxas for the most part appeared like any other teenager. All the better, Isa reasoned. Yes, his relationship with Roxas and Xion had improved, but there was a difference between the cordiality they shared and the devotion they had for Lea. Perhaps, one day, they may be warmer towards one another, but for now, amicability would suffice.

But that smile was unsettling. Roxas was not nearly as morose as he used to be, and was often quite cheerful, especially when he was in the company of his friends. Or Xion, for that matter—Isa had to agree with Lea that those two were most certainly developing romantic feelings for one another, if they hadn’t already. But even so, he usually kept a relatively reserved expression. Seeing him smile so widely, it was as if he were aiming to swallow one of the pastries whole, or else attempting to imitate a piano.

“Roxas…dare I ask why you are making such facial expressions?”

“Sorry Isa,” Roxas responded, still smiling broadly. “But Gummi ships run on happy faces. If I’m not smiling, the ship won’t run. It’d be easier if Axel was awake, but Xion’s with him, and she didn’t get much sleep last night so I don’t want to wake her.”

“Roxas,” Isa took a deep breath. The children’s ignorance had its charms, but he would have to put his foot down here. “I am quite certain that the ship’s fuel being ‘happy faces’ was merely an attempt by Donald and Goofy to raise Sora’s spirits. You cannot run a ship on happy faces; it’s physically impossible. The trams in Twilight Town are electric, but most vehicles run on various types of fuel. I am certain that Gummi ships are no different in this regard.”

“Oh, you’re quite mistaken there, lad,” Scrooge spoke up from a second table, where he was pouring over a stack of papers and gold coins. “Donald was right, actually, the original Highwind model does run on smiles and happy faces.” 

“What?!” 

“Oh yes, there’s actually quite a story to it,” Scrooge jabbed the floor with his cane for emphasis. “Now, it all goes back to many, many years ago when I first was making me fortune, I was selling supplies for a gold rush in the Yukon. But I was tricked by a scoundrel and found myself stranded. Took quite a bit of doing to get myself home, and not one of the vehicles I used held up to the pressures of the environment.”

Roxas made a motion with his hand, but Isa, in no mood to hear him ask what the Yukon was, brushed his arm back down. Scrooge did not appear to have noticed. The little duck was gripping his cane eagerly, completely spellbound by his own recollections.

“In any event, I resolved that I must have me own method of transport, and that it must be wholly reliable, but only to myself. That way, if I were ever separated from my wagon or ship, no ne’er-do-well would be able to use it for his own ends. And it was no different all those years ago, when I realized that the only avenues left for me to expand my fortune were the ones in the stars.”

“And how does that work with a Gummi Ship running on happy faces?” Roxas asked. “Er, sir?”

“Well, you’ve met the King how many times now? Three, four? And my own nephew and Goofy, how many more times? They’re always smiling, they are. And goodness knows Sora was a smilier, if ever there was one. Developing a way to convert that into fuel was pricey at first, but goodness knows the savings on fuel have paid for themselves a hundred times over at this point.”

"But how does it actually work?"

"Trade secret, lad. That's strictly need-to-know information."

“See? Told ya, Isa,” Roxas was grinning too widely for Isa consider his smile “cheeky,” but the look in his eyes betrayed more than a little mischief. “I was right, and you were wrong. Gummi ships run on smiles.”

“Oh, this ship doesn’t run on happy faces, lad,” Scrooge shook his head.”That’s only the Highwind models. The idea was that the ships run on the traits of their original occupants. This ship runs on my most noted trait. My ships run on gold.”

Isa pursed his lips. Even after all he had seen in the last decade, it was clear that there was far more to the ways of the various world than he had thought. Certainly, he had given Gummi vessels, and more specifically their fuel, precious little thought in his years in the Organization. Perhaps he could benefit from some research into the goings-on at Disney Castle. 

“Isa, what’s gold?”

xxxx

The explanation of what gold, and what other precious metals were and why people found them valuable, was thankfully one that Isa had been spared from having to deliver. Scrooge was delighted to be able to explain at length, the nature of “commerce and fortune, gold and stocks, wealth acquisition and market manipulation.” Apparently, none of Scrooge’s extended family had heard the entirety of the lecture before, but he was determined that, to use the duck’s own words, “the young’n get a proper education in economics.”

Isa took the opportunity to excuse himself, politely, and walked towards the back of the cockpit, if only to stretch his legs. Though he intended to never use Dark Corridors again, Isa had to admit that they had a certain convenience in their expediency. The use of Gummi vessels allowed one to travel the stars, but nearly half a day’s travel was still quite a journey, given the monotonous of the route Scrooge had set a course for. Though, Isa reasoned, however extended and drawn-out, this peaceful route was preferable to the more accelerated routes through more dangerous pathways that Riku had taken them on, when he picked them up from the clock tower. 

That had been one of the most pleasant afternoons Isa had known, but also one of the worst evenings. Playing with three-way with Lea and Ventus, using Lea’s old frisbees had been wonderful; Isa had nearly felt like a teenager again. It was as if the last ten years had never happened. And he had kindled friendships with those he had had only the most limited of interactions—for one, he had never met Terra before machinations from Xehanort had twisted both their hearts. But then the sun had set and Sora had faded away…

Isa felt a rush of shame. What was a few hours of monotonous travel compared to that night? Or even compared to their return home? The ride back to Twilight Town had been the longest of his life, with the somber tone of a funeral. Xion and Olette had both cried, without reservation. Roxas, Lea and Hayner had sat in stunned silence—Roxas was generally fairly quiet and contemplative, but Hayner was something of a loudmouth and having grown up with Lea, Isa could count on one hand the number of times Lea had been at a loss for words, but that had been one of them.

For want of a better option to occupy his mind, Isa turned his attention to the only other two residents of Twilight Town. 

Lea was still sleeping, with Xion snuggled to his side. Though he wouldn’t admit it out loud, Isa could agree she looked adorable. Isa felt a certain gratitude in Xion's slumber—there was no denying she had suffered from more than her fair share of nightmares of late. Isa’s stomach twinge; perhaps he should have made more of an effort to comfort her when she had stayed up through the night in the living room. But then again, Isa still was not sure what, if anything, he could have said to her. He was not particularly skilled at offering comfort. He was a far cry from a “big brother,” as Lea fancied himself. 

However much their interactions had improved, there was still a wedge between he and Xion, and it was likely that it had increased. He had most certainly hurt her feelings the evening before, even if he hadn’t meant to imply that the darkness in her heart had attracted Sephiroth. The very idea!  Complicating matters further, he’d done a far from sufficient job at apologizing. But how exactly he could make amends for that, Isa wasn’t sure. Words were by their nature hard to take back and injured feelings tended to scar as harshly as any flesh wound. 

More to the point, Xion had beaten Sephiroth. Isa wasn’t sure whether or not he would have survived, if it had been he at the edge of the swordsman’s blade. But Xion, tiny little Xion, had fought him, unlocking her Keyblade Armor in the process, and had beaten him. Xion insisted it was a tie, that they had both fallen down at the same time, but Isa had seen what Sephiroth was capable of. 

It had been a mission nearly three years after Isa had first lost his heart. On assignment for Xemnas, as Saix, he had tracked Sephiroth to an isolated forest in the Olympus Colosseum. A black-haired young man, barely older than Saix, had clashed with Sephiroth. A fierce battle had ensued, and Saix had nearly been caught in the crossfire several times. Eventually, the young man had been killed, and Sephiroth had walked away. 

Isa shook his head to clear his mind. Most of his memories from the Organization had muddled together, the repetition being such that they were difficult to distinguish one from another. But that particular memory was very distinct and having regained his heart, it was one of his more haunting. 

The question then remained—how could he reconcile with Xion? The bottom line was that she did not like confrontation. Isa sighed deeply as he looked outside one of the windows. At the rate the ship was going, he could see stars and constellations zipping by. Each of those stars was another world…so how did constellations fit into the equation? Something to discuss with the King, if the opportunity presented itself.

xxxx

“Isa!” Roxas staggered over, looking frazzled. He threw a glance over his shoulder, “Tell me we’re almost there, please!”

“Scrooge would know that far better than I would, Roxas. He is, after all, the one who chose this route.”

“Yeah…but…I don’t want to ask. He keeps talking about economics and stocks and bonds. I thought bonds meant connections. But stocks are like munny, right? But you can’t buy ice cream with them. Um, anyway, I don’t want to ask, since I don’t think Scrooge would answer.”

“Then ask the pilot,” Isa nodded. “I’m certain if anyone would know this route, it would be him.”

“I’m not sure the pilot knows the route either,” Roxas scratched his head, further ruffling his hair. “Are Axel and Xion still asleep?”

“It would appear so,” Isa answered. “I suspect that Lea will attempt to continue extending his sleep cycle until our arrival.”

He turned around again, and then felt a sudden blast of searing heat at the back of his neck, followed almost immediately by a burst of ice. 

“Gah!”

“Appearances can be deceiving, Isa.”

Isa whipped his head around, and Roxas flashed a cheeky smile. One of his Keyblades, the one the children called “Oathkeeper” was gripped in his hand. Isa turned around again, just in time to see Lea dismiss his own flaming Keyblade. Beside him, Xion was…most likely awake, but still pretending to be asleep.  

“Why do you insist on tormenting me so?”

“It’s fun,” Lea chuckled. “Some things just never get old Isa, even if you’re an old killjoy, Isa. Got it memorized?”

“I told them not to, but I got out-voted,” Xion piped up, opening one blue eye. “Sorry if Axel spooked you.”

Isa straightened up. He was not the least bit frightened. The very idea was inconceivable. Laughable really, that he could be scared of a fire ball and a blast of ice. He was a powerful warrior, skilled with many kinds of magic.

“Uh-oh, the steering thing-y broke! Brace yourselves!”

“I will concede that is quite an impressive imitation of the pilot’s mannerisms, Lea,” Isa said. “But you cannot seriously believe I will fall for that.”

“Fall for it? But you’re standing up?”

More cluelessness on the intricacies of language from the children wasn’t unexpected, and a small part of Isa was looking forward to Lea’s response to that. Lea didn’t respond, or if he did, Isa did not hear him, because the ship began to shake violently. Isa fell head over heels as the ship began to spiral. Again and again, they twisted and turned. Isa found himself on the floor, and then against a window and then on the ceiling and then tumbling back towards one end of the ship and then the other. And they were going faster and faster now—but why weren’t any of the others reacting?

Back and forth, up and down. The ceiling, the floor, the wall, the window, the table where Scrooge had placed stacks of gold coins—how hadn’t those fallen over? Isa cringed as he slammed into the stacks, sending gold coins everywhere. And how hadn’t his friends fallen out of their seats? 

The ship didn’t feel like it was slowing down. Or was it? Isa wasn’t sure. He thought he was upside down—his hair obscured his vision. Then there was a lurching and then a screeching sound, like a high-pitched whistle. And then a—

CRASH!!!

“Ugh…”

Isa was lying on his back, but he didn’t feel as if he were injured. A moment to perform Scan magic on himself confirmed this. Uninjured, but very, very dizzy. He could see Xion and Roxas peering down at him and they were fading in and out of focus. And were they replicating? Ow…

“Isa, are you alright? You said you weren’t going to fall but you did! You fell everywhere!”

“Roxas, that’s not what the phrase means,” Isa groaned. Very dizzy and very tired. The thought of emulating Lea and his continual napping had never been so alluring. Maybe Isa could get at least a little rest in before—

“We have arrived!” The pilot called from the cockpit. “Disney Castle, here we are!”

"Ugh..."

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight: The King’s Court

Xion had only flown in a Gummi ship twice before, having usually travelled through worlds using Dark Corridors. The shaking—Axel said it was called “turbulence”—they experienced as they neared Disney Castle had taken her by surprise, but since Axel had insisted she wear her seatbelt, she managed to keep her bearings. She felt sorry for Isa though—he had been standing up to stretch his legs, and had gone flying all over the ship. 

“Thank you, sir,” Xion bowed politely to the pilot. It hadn’t been the smoothest landing, but it was the thought that counted—Xion couldn’t fly a Gummi ship and neither could Axel or Roxas. This nice pilot had been their best method of transport. And she should show respect to a pilot who served King Mickey.

“Sir? My name isn’t sir! It’s Launchpad, weren’t you listening?” The pilot scratched his head. “Mister McDee, I think the little one might be Gummi-sick.” Mister McQuack turned around towards the end of the cockpit. Isa stood on shaky legs, his scar particularly pronounced against his pale face. 

“Oooh, you don’t look so good,” Mister McQuack groaned sympathetically. “I think you might be Gummi-sick too. Maybe you should sit down, Mister Issac?”

“It’s Isa, sir,” Xion corrected automatically. She felt a tiny twinge of guilt at being so rude, but Isa deserved to be called by his own name. Still, being called “Isaac” was better than being called “Saix” at any rate. 

“Go,” Isa waved them away. Axel made a motion to go and help him but Isa shooed him off. “Leave it, Lea. I’ll catch up.”

Isa staggered back into a chair as Mister McDuck and Mister McQuack opened the door and lowered the ramp to allow them off. Xion thought she heard snoring as she walked off the ramp. That made her feel a bit better. Getting a little extra sleep had made her feel much better. Isa deserved the chance to have a nice nap. 

The garage was far more crowded than Xion had expected, filled with half-constructed Gummi ships and mechanical equipment and more workers in one place than Xion had ever seen before. Huge gears turned and Mister McDuck led them through the garage, nodding to various workers. He seemed to know just about everyone. 

“Mister McDuck!” A very tall, very skinny duck…no, not a duck, his beak wasn’t shaped like Mister McDuck’s. It was much shorter and pointer. A chicken, maybe? Whoever he was, he had short hair, as red as Axel’s, and wore a little yellow hat. And he looked a little frantic. Was there trouble?

“Gyro!” Mister McDuck took a step backwards and collected himself. He stamped his cane to the ground to assert himself. “What’s happened?”

“The new helmets are fully operational!” The stranger, Gyro, wasn’t so much frantic as he was giddy. “You’ll be able to walk out of the ship and mine the asteroids freely, now!”

“Capital news, Gyro!” Mister McDuck pumped his fist. “I want a full set outfitted onto the Sunchaser as soon as possible.”

“It is wonderful news” Gyro clapped his hands. “Think of the scientific discoveries just waiting to be discovered! New ores, new alloys, maybe even a new element!”

Gyro scurried off, while Mister McDuck chuckled heartily. For a fleeting moment, Xion thought she saw golden dollar signs in the duck’s eyes. Huh, that was strange.

It took a long time to get to the end of the garage—Xion counted thirteen completed Gummi ships and twenty others in various stages of mid-completion. Mister McDuck stopped to talk to three other people—all of them bringing news of some new technology he could use to get richer. A very tall horse, taller than Goofy even, wearing overalls nodded politely as they finally approached a large staircase that, presumably, would bring them into the castle proper. 

“King Mickey’s waitin’ for youse in his readin’ room,” the horse said in a loud voice. Whether he was shouting to make himself over the noise of the garage or he had a naturally loud voice like Donald or Goofy, Xion couldn’t tell. “Ya can go up whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Horace. Here, a token for your work,” Mister McDuck tossed the horse a gold coin.  “There’s a good lad. Come along, we mustn’t keep His Majesty waiting.”

The stairway didn’t lead to the castle after all, but it did lead out to some very nice gardens. Xion squinted as the sun shone down bright. After weeks in Twilight Town, with its perpetual orange skies, the bright blue was a striking contrast. And the garden itself was filled with beautiful flowers and shrubs, as different as could be from the woods surrounding Twilight Town. And there were lots of bushes carefully trimmed to resemble some of King Mickey’s friends. It was really quite lovely; Xion hadn’t ever seen gardens like these. 

“Come along now, don’t dawdle,” Mister McDuck beckoned them forward. “Worse lolly-gagers than me nephews you are. The whole lot of them. Didn’t think that was even possible, after Gladstone.” 

Who was Gladstone? Before Xion could ask she found herself jogging to keep up with Mister McDuck and the others, fighting to keep a blush from spreading across her cheeks. Down several hallways and through a half dozen corridors, Xion was thankful Mister McDuck was leading them, since she was certain she’d have gotten really lost. Maybe King Mickey could be talked into setting up some maps to work as directories. 

Everything about the castle seemed to be alive—there were walking broomsticks holding buckets of water; the paintings, far larger than the ones at Olette’s house seemed to breathe, somehow. 

Eventually, Mister McDuck brought them to a set of wooden doors, with the King’s emblem carved in the center of each door. Mister McDuck knocked firmly and the doors opened, almost by themselves. 

“Your Majesty,” Mister McDuck called out. “I have brought the bearers from Twilight Town.”

The room was large, filled with bulging bookshelves. The floor was checkered black-and-white. The most prominent furniture was a heavy-looking wooden desk and chair. More prominent than the furniture was the sovereign of the castle, King Mickey. A wise and powerful monarch, and an exceptional Keyblade Master, Mickey was currently hunched over his desk, looking through a large book. 

King Mickey looked up as Mister McDuck called out, and broke into a grin that was as wide as his entire face. He closed the book, leapt down from his chair and walked up to them, his hands clasped. 

“Gosh, it’s great to see you all again. Axel, Roxas!”  

“Your Majesty,” Xion bowed as deeply as she could. Beside her, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Roxas nod politely. Axel gave a cheerful wave. Oh…should she not have bowed? But King Mickey was the King, weren’t you supposed to bow to kings? 

“Oh, yes. Xion, hello.” King Mickey walked over to them, holding out a gloved hand. “How have you all been?”

“Fine, your Majesty,” Xion said as she shook Mickey’s hand. It was probably best to just keep things simple. “Thank you.”

“It’s great to see you all again,” King Mickey repeated as he shook hands with Roxas and Axel too. “I’m glad to hear you’re doin’ so well. Now, if you’re not too tired from the flight over, there’s some important things we need to discuss.”

King Mickey walked back to his desk and pulled out another book. He turned a few pages and it began to glow. A shimmering image of Sora emerged from the pages. King Mickey looked at it sadly and then looked at Axel, Roxas and Xion in turn.

“I really wish we were meetin’ under better circumstances,” His Majesty said sadly. “The last thing I wanna do is send you to fight. But we might not have a choice. Things have taken a strange turn since the Keyblade War.” 

“Strange how, sir?” Roxas asked, his voice sounded slightly hoarse, like he was catching a cold. “Things have been fine in Twilight Town.”

Xion blinked but didn’t contradict Roxas. Things hadn’t been what she would call “fine” in Twilight Town. Assuming he hadn’t just threatened her friend to goad Xion into fighting him, Sephiroth would have killed Olette and goodness knew how many others who would use the Underground tunnels. But that might have just been a threat. On the other hand, Isa had said himself that Sephiroth had no interest in taking over everything…and they hadn’t seen so much as a black feather in the week since…but still…whatever Isa and Axel and Roxas said to the contrary, Xion wasn’t convinced that it hadn’t been her darkness that had drawn him there. And she didn’t like the idea of not telling King Mickey what had happened…keeping secrets like that…it would lead to trouble.

oooo

“I’m glad things are alright in your home, but there’s trouble brewin’ elsewhere,” King Mickey sighed. “Master Yen Sid can probably explain it better than me. He’ll be here in just a moment.”

Lea let out a low whistle. If things were bad enough that Master Yen Sid had left his tower—something that Lea had only seen him do during the Keyblade War, then things must be really bad. 

“Man, had we known that, we would have been here yesterday,” Lea scratched the back of his head and then glimpsed Xion glaring at him. Oh, right--manners. “Your Majesty.” 

“Well, I didn’t want to bother you, if it turned out that this might be something that we could handle ourselves.” 

“A noble endeavor, Mickey, but prudence and the fate of the worlds at large would dictate otherwise. Hesitation to act may well lead to our downfall.”

Xion and Roxas gasped as Master Yen Sid, the most powerful wizard in existence of all the worlds, walked into the room. Right behind the wizard were Donald and Goofy, Sora’s best friends and most frequent companions. 

Master Yen Sid walked slowly, purposefully into the room. He was taller than Axel or Isa, and rigid in his posture. His robes and wizard’s hat were deepest blue, emblazoned with pale gold crescent moons. His beard was still the same as always. Donald waddled over to one side of the table and Goofy strolled over to stand beside him. 

“Master Yen Sid!” Xion gasped and immediately bowed even lower than she had for the King. “It is an honor to see you again.”

Wait, what? Come to think of it, Lea realized that Xion hadn’t ever met Master Yen Sid before…unless you counted the times when she was stuck in Sora’s heart. Huh, he’d thought she’d have met him by now.  

“Rise up, child,” Yen Sid said firmly, his tone grave. “We have much to discuss.”

The aged wizard looked from Lea to the two half-pints. His expression betrayed no emotion. Lea wasn’t sure that was better than the constant glares the kiddos had received from Saix and Xemnas way back when.

“Mickey, is this room secure?” Yen Sid asked, a hint of concern in his voice. “It would not be wise to allow delicate information to be revealed.”

“Yes, Master,” The King nodded enthusiastically. “We haven’t seen any signs of any who might listen in, and the Cornerstone glows as bright as ever.”

“Let us begin then,” Yen Sid waved a hand dramatically, and the book that had been on the King’s desk flew towards them. Hovering in midair, the book opened and began to glow a pale yellow-green. An image of the old bastard Master Xehanort projected itself from the pages.

“Many years ago, a renegade Keybearer, Master Xehanort, began taking steps to re-create the legendary Keyblade War, and summon Kingdom Hearts, ” Yen Sid said. “In doing this, he sought out to plunge the worlds in darkness and remake it in his own image.”

Lea looked out the corner of his eye. Xion was biting her lip and Roxas’s gaze was fixed on the image of Xehanort. He had figured this would come up—wars didn’t just start out of thin air, so it made sense for whatever the new one was to be connected, somehow, to the last war they’d fought. But that didn’t mean he had to like hearing about it—it was an insane amount of really icky information that Lea had already memorized anyhow. Nor did Donald or Goofy, their expressions especially somber.

“Through the years, he tried several methods—shattering and splitting the heart of our young friend, Ventus. Deliberately becoming a Heartless and collecting the Princesses of Heart while his Nobody gathered others who had lost their hearts to use as vessels for darkness. They called themselves Organization XIII.” 

Oh yeah, Roxas and Xion were definitely becoming more uncomfortable. Xion’s shoulders were shaking and Roxas’s eyes were glossed over. Lea exhaled sharply, hoping this little lecture would end soon. This wasn’t new material for him. And as charmingly clueless as Roxas and Xion were about regular life, they knew far more about this sort of stuff than any half-pint should ever have to know. 

“And so,” Yen Sid continued in his gravely professor voice, “It came to pass that the seven lights we gathered, and the thirteen seekers of darkness clashed. And the darkness prevailed, only for Sora to use the Power of Waking to rescue the fallen's lost hearts and reset the conflict. And the lights and darknesses clashed once more, and this time, the light prevailed. 

"But not without cost: One of our lights, Kairi, a Princess of Heart, was injured by the seekers of darkness and then struck down by Xehanort. And Sora abused the Power of Waking to restore her, at the cost of his own existence. Riku set out in the goal of restoring Sora, and it is unknowable whether either of them will return.”

Okay, Roxas was almost in complete zombie-mode and Xion was half a step away from bursting into tears. Lea could see the tension in their little bodies. He took a step forward. 

“We know that already,” Lea interrupted, fighting to keep his voice level. Manners for the King’s Court be damned, he wasn’t going to let this go on any longer than it had to. His kids were hurting. “We saw that happen, Mickey. You don’t need to explain it, so knock it off.”

The reaction from the others was immediate: Xion broke out of her funk, though Roxas still looked like a zombie; Donald and Goofy looked horrified, their eyes nearly bulging from their heads. Yeesh, you’d think he’d have cursed out the King and Yen Sid directly. Which he hadn’t—though he had thought it a couple times back when he was first training in that weird garden Merlin had set up.  

“Axel!” Donald stomped a foot and shook his fists. “Where are your manners?” 

“I just don’t see what’s the point of repeating everything we already know,” Lea retorted. “I’ve got it all that stuff memorized. We got your letter. You said you needed our help. We’re here now. So can we get on to the new stuff already?”

Donald looked like he wanted to pop Lea upside the head. Lea growled and steadied himself. He didn’t want to fight Donald, but Lea figured giving the duck a sucker punch would be enough to settle things. 

“Enough!” Yen Sid said sharply and Lea felt the words as if they had physical force of their own. The wizard’s eyes were cold, sharp, alert. “Lea, Donald: Apologize to one another.”

“I’m sorry,” Lea mumbled, feeling Yen Sid’s piercing gaze bore into him. The aged wizard pursed his lips but didn’t press the issue. Donald was less accommodating.

“But Master Yen Sid!” Donald protested, looking from Yen Sid to Lea to King Mickey. “Axel started it!” 

“Donald!”

“Fine! I’m sorry too!” Donald sighed and looked down at his feet “I…just…miss Sora.”

“You think we don’t?” Lea asked, and he wasn’t entirely surprised when his voice caught. He swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat. 

“Ah…oh…” 

“That is enough,” Yen Sid raised a hand. “Let us continue. Take heart, my students. A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

The glowing book burned bright white and the image of Master Xehanort was replaced by one of Sora, dressed in his red-and-black clothes. Yen Sid smiled at the image. For a moment, he looked almost whimsical but his expression began far more serious immediately afterward.

“When Sora embarked on this path, using the Power of Waking to restore Kairi’s heart, and that after using it to restore the fallen Guardians, in a manner of speaking, it tore holes in reality.”

“You mean there’s holes in the worlds and the Realm of Darkness?” Lea asked. Huh, that shouldn’t be too hard to fix. Back in his days in the Organization, he had used Dark Corridors to travel between worlds. Holes in worlds didn’t sound that much different—he may not even need his Keyblade. 

“If only it were that simple, Lea. But alas, it does not appear to be so. These holes are not doors or corridors, so to speak, though they bear some similarity. Rather, given their location, we believe the barriers between life and death appear to have been crossed.”

“Wait, what?” Lea asked. “You mind explaining it for someone who didn’t graduate high school?”

“I thought you said you wanted the new information,” Yen Sid said wryly. “You are aware of course of what happens when a heart is lost to darkness. A Heartless is created from the lost heart. However, when a heart is lost, the body is not necessarily harmed. When Xehanort cast your heart out Lea, your body was left behind and became the Nobody who took the name Axel.”

“Yeah, I know,” Lea smirked. “I was there.”

“Yes, but you didn’t actually perish, you remained on this plane,” Yen Sid countered. “When a body and heart die, rather than being lost to darkness, neither a Heartless nor a Nobody is created. Which leads us to our current situation.”

“We’ve been seein’ folk,” Goofy said, speaking for the first time since they had entered. Axel raised an eyebrow—usually Goofy wasn’t nearly so reserved, even in the King’s presence. “Folks who died a long time ago. They’re there one minute, and the next they’re gone. And that kind of stuff ain’t supposed to happ’n here.” 

“One week ago,” The King spoke in his squeaky voice, “We started getting strange readings from one of the worlds Sora, Donald and Goofy visited. One where the dead don’t leave.”

What kind of world is that? The dead don’t leave? There’s a realm of the dead? A world of…

“It’s Olympus, isn’t it?” Xion asked in her little voice. “Your Majesty, your mission for us involves Hades and his Underworld?”

“Indeed, Xion,” Yen Sid nodded. “We believe that there may be strange going-ons there. Strange events that are tied to the emergence of these holes. That part of the magic in that world is blurring into the magic of ours.”

“Um, how do we know the strange stuff is new, and not stuff that’s always been in that world?” 

“A fair question,” Yen Sid said. “The answer may not yet be revealed, but you may well discover it. And in any event, Sora visited that world many times, and he formed a strong connection there.”

“So ya need us to go down to Olympus, see if that Hades guy is causing these ‘barriers’ to be broken down, and beat him up until he stops?” Lea counted off on his fingers. “We can finish that in time for dinner. What do you say, Xion?”

“I’m in!” Xion bowed to Yen Sid and King Mickey. “I would be happy to help you, your Majesty.”

“Roxas, how ‘bout you?”

Roxas was still standing and staring out into space. He hadn’t said anything during any of the outbursts either. Concern prickled inside Lea’s stomach. This might be trouble.

“Roxas?”

Still no response. Lea made a motion to put his hand on Roxas’s shoulder, when suddenly, Roxas took off. He barged out the door and then he shouted something.

“Wait for me, Sora!”

oooo

A/N: Another chapter done! Sorry this took so long, especially considering how it isn't particularly long, but turns out, writing dialogue for King Mickey and Yen Sid is much harder than I thought. I was trying to convey that although they're friendly with them, the Sea Salt Trio is not nearly as close to Mickey, Donald or Goofy as Sora, Riku and Kairi would be. 

I thought of expanding this chapter, but Roxas's exit seemed an excellent stopping point.

But don't worry, we'll be picking it up again really soon! 

Thank you for reading! I appreciate each and every one of you.

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine: Statues and “Tie Chee”

Roxas tore down the halls of Disney Castle. Sora was way ahead, but Roxas figured he could catch him. He was way faster than Riku or Terra, and Riku was faster than Sora, so Sora couldn’t be faster than Roxas. And when he did catch up, he’d take out his Keyblades and use time magic so Sora wouldn’t get away this time. Sora was going to stay this time. Roxas wasn’t gonna let him vanish into nothing. He’d freeze Sora in place and then they could find a way to make him stay for good. 

Sora turned and waved and began running backwards. And then he started whistling. Oh, come on! This was getting ridiculous! Sora was really beginning to get on his nerves. Had he always been this annoying, or did he simply get more annoying the longer he was away from everyone? 

Roxas chased Sora down the hallways, passing a dozen fancy paintings of King Mickey, wearing weird clothes—one had the King dressed in a fancy cloak with fur, another had him in a funny suit and feathered hat. They ran past a bunch of those magic broomsticks that didn’t talk, but they seemed to be able to see them, because they moved out of the way when Sora and Roxas got near. 

“Hold on, Sora!” Roxas shouted. He realized his voice sounded whiny, but he didn’t care. He couldn’t lose Sora…Sora was counting on him. Why else did he keep showing up? First Twilight Town, and now here in the castle? Roxas had been “born” when Sora released his heart to free Kairi’s way back when. And then when everyone else said that Roxas had no right to exist, Sora was adamant that Roxas had the right to be his own person. If Sora was in trouble, how could Roxas refuse to help him?

Sora turned another corner, and Roxas found himself in the gardens. Where was Sora trying to lead him to? The Gummi garage? That would make sense—Sora loved Gummi travel. But no, Sora began turning cartwheels through the flowers and the funny bushes trimmed to look like King Mickey’s friends. 

“Come on, Sora! Talk to me, please!” Roxas pleaded. But Sora simply smiled that stupid, goofy grin of his and kept cartwheeling. They left the gardens and it occurred to Roxas that nether one of them had been in this part of the world before. The castle, it turned out, was on top of a hill, with a winding path leading towards a town. Oh yeah, Ven had mentioned there was a town near the castle. And apparently something called an amusement park was either attached to the town, or else the town had been built around it. Though Roxas wasn’t entirely sure what an amusement park was. 

Down the path and over a little stone bridge, they were nearing the edge of town. Sora was way ahead, and the worst part was, it didn’t even look like he was trying. Roxas pushed his legs harder, which was easier said than done. Why had he decided to wear this stupid Organization robe again, Roxas asked himself as he ran past a small flowerbed filled with with light purple flowers.  

Oh, right—he’d done it for Xion, who had to wear her Organization robe because she had nothing else that wasn’t stained with ice cream. And it had felt good to help Xion, so she wouldn’t feel so awkward and out of place. It always made Roxas feel good to help Xion. But it was much harder to run in his robes than his pants. Which was probably why he hadn’t been able to catch up to Sora yet—Sora was wearing those red-and-black clothes that the good fairies had made him. 

They were nearing the town now, and even at this distance, Roxas could tell the streets would be very different than the ones in Twilight Town. On the unfamiliar paths, he may be able to catch up. Or, he may get really, really lost. The unfamiliarity didn’t seem to phase Sora though. He had started to jump up and punch the air. Roxas could see him, maybe a hundred paces away. Roxas continued running, not daring to stop. 

The streets and buildings may have been unfamiliar but they weren’t unwelcoming. There were brightly colored banners and placards hanging from every window, red and yellow and blue. And people were bustling about too—ducks like Donald and Scrooge, horses like the one from the Gummi garage, cows and chickens, even some mice like King Mickey. Roxas groaned under his breath—it’d be a lot easier to lose sight of Sora in this crowd.

Roxas ducked under the arm of a very tall goat just as Sora turned another corner. Roxas rounded it and found himself in a plaza. There were a bunch of people standing around an opening, where three pigs were playing instruments; there was a pig with a flute, a pig with a little violin, and the third was sitting at a little piano that looked like it had been built of bricks…somehow. And all three pigs were singing:

“Who’s afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf? Big, Bad Wolf? Big, Bad Wolf? Who’s afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf? Certainly not I!”

Roxas blinked in surprise; he’d never heard of a big, bad wolf. There were some Heartless that looked like dogs, so in theory it made a lot of sense that one could take the shape of a wolf. And bragging about not being afraid of it…either it was a really weak Heartless or these pigs were much stronger than they looked, which would make a lot of sense given King Mickey, Donald and Goofy were all very good fighters. 

Sora began dancing to the tune the pigs were playing, and Roxas began fighting through the crowd. Sora leapt onto the stage and began dancing a jig, the exact steps the pig with the flute and the pig with the violin were dancing to. Back and forth and this way and that. When the pigs took a moment to stop their song and play some notes on their instruments, Sora jumped into the air and flipped a somersault, before landing on his hands. But the weird thing was, nobody else seemed to have reacted to his interruption. It was as if…

Damn.

It’s happening again…just like before, when he was at the market. I could see him and Pence couldn’t and then he just…vanished. 

“Sora?”

Don’t fade away again, don’t fade, don’t fade…please. We want you back, Sora. Axel, Xion, Isa, me.  

Sora gave a little wave and then dove off the stage. Roxas tore after him, apologizing to the various people he bumped into. Sora stepped this way and that, never once bumping into anybody else—which was remarkable, given how clumsy Sora could be. Sora broke into a leisurely stroll, but he was still way ahead of Roxas. How could Roxas run so fast, even in his stupid Organization robes, and Sora be strolling so slow, and Roxas still not be able to catch him? 

A sudden gust of wind came in, and Roxas was knocked off his feet. He shook his head roughly. Wind? From where? The air had been still just a minute ago. Roxas groaned—Sora would surely be long gone by now, or else faded away in nothingness…again. His heart lurched in frustration and fear—that couldn’t happen again. There had to be some sort of way for Roxas to be able to stop it. Sora had saved him, showed him the way back to Axel and Xion. Why couldn’t he do the same for Sora? 

Roxas struggled to his feet, and a shadow obscured the sun. He looked up, warily. Sora was standing over him. 

“Sora?” Roxas asked. “Is it really you?”

Sora shrugged, then linked his fingers together, behind his head. He looked annoying casual, not even a bit out of breath. Roxas grunted and inhaled deeply. Stupid Sora with his stupid lung capacity who could run halfway across a world and not get the least bit tired. 

“Can you talk to me? Please?”

Sora smiled brightly, as joyful as Roxas had ever seen him—which admittedly hadn’t happened often, now that he thought about it. But this…Roxas felt nearly frantic. Sora couldn’t fade away this time, he couldn’t, couldn’t couldn’t. 

“Are you in my heart, Sora? Is that it? Like before, only the other way around?”

Sora smiled again, softer, not as broadly. He pressed a gloved hand to Roxas’s chest and Roxas suddenly felt very warm. He felt his eyes burn and the next thing he knew, Roxas was staring at nothing. 

“Not again…” Roxas whispered. He turned around slowly and began the long walk back to the palace.  

oooo

Xion’s stomach leapt into her throat as Roxas ran out of King Mickey’s chamber. Had he seen Sora? Could Sora be here? Was Sora finally home? Or was it like Master Yen Sid had said, that this was due to the tearing of the lines between life and death, and Sora wouldn’t be able to stay.

But Sora didn’t really die, did he? His heart was strong and healthy and full of light, and his body didn’t break like hers had. It had just faded away, like it was going somewhere else. Xion clenched her teeth together. Sora had to still be alive, she could feel it, just like she had with Kairi. Tears burned at her eyes, but Xion forced herself not to cry. Her connection to Sora was stron and it couldn’t be that way if there wasn’t any hope to see Sora again. 

Xion looked around the room: Axel looked taken aback, but not entirely surprised and also a little tired; Donald and Goofy looked shocked, their mouths opened almost impossibly wide; King Mickey shook his head sadly; Master Yen Sid’s eyes widened slightly, but he didn’t say anything. 

“Should we go after him? Roxas, I mean,” Xion asked, a quiver in her voice. “Your Majesty? Master Yen Sid?”

“Gosh…we might want to wait just a minute,” King Mickey said quietly. “See, like Goofy said, we’ve been seein’ folks who died. But it wasn’t just flashes, they’ve been able to talk to us. I didn’t see Sora myself. Did you Donald? Goofy?”

Donald shook his head sadly and Goofy pulled off his hat and began to wring it in his hands. The knight looked absolutely devastated. 

“We didn’t see anythin’, your Majesty,” Goofy said. “Not a trace of Sora at all. Sorry, Xion.”

“Hmmm…then, this might be somethin’ different. Almost everyone who’s been seen was seen by at least six or seven people,” King Mickey said. “None of us but Roxas saw Sora. But if Roxas just saw him, then I’d say it’s still worth lookin’ into. If Sora’s back, then one of us should be there to welcome him home. And if not…at least one of us definitely oughta go make sure Roxas is okay.”

“I’ll go, your Majesty,” Xion said quickly. “I’ll find him…”

“You go ahead,” Axel nodded. “I have a couple things I wanna ask these guys, first. Go and find Roxas.”

Xion brought her legs together to stand at attention, bowed to King Mickey and Master Yen Sid, gave Donald and Goofy a small wave, and left the chamber as quickly as possible. Her boots clicked against the tile, almost unnaturally loud. Her face flushed and she closed the door quietly behind her.

Where had Roxas gone? He had such a head start, there was no sign of him in the hallway. Xion wasn’t sure which way to go, much less whether or not she’d be able to catch up. even if she ran. As it was, it probably wasn’t a good idea to run in her boots—she might end up scuffing the nice floors of the castle, and that could upset King Mickey. Or, Xion thought, she might slip and fall and then, in addition to not being able to find Roxas or Sora and the floors being scuffed, she’d be hurt.

Best to just walk it then. Xion began walking down the corridor, trying to find any sign or Roxas or Sora. There was nothing, though, at least not that she could see. She put a hand over her heart. She and Roxas were connected. Even when they couldn’t see each other, they could sometimes still feel each other. You could feel your friends when your hearts were connected. But that didn’t really change that she couldn’t actually see Roxas or Sora.

Sora had to be here. He had to be here…he just had to. Xion took a deep breath to calm her nerves. So many of her nightmares were about him—Sora getting ripped limb from limb by swarms of Heartless. Sora being blasted to pieces by an assault from Xemnas and his beams of plasma. Sora being killed by Master Xehanort, by Saix, by her. Sora screaming for mercy as Xion put her Keyblade through his chest. Sora fading into nothingness, over and over and over. 

But if Roxas had seen him…if Sora were truly back, if Sora were home…maybe some of the nightmares would finally go away. And they could finally talk to each other—Xion wasn’t sure she had actually said “thank you” to Sora for freeing her heart. Or keeping her heart safe in the first place. Even better, Sora would be able to be with Kairi. But Xion had to see him for herself first.

It was warmer in the castle than it was in Twilight Town, Xion realized. Kind of stuffy, too. Maybe, if she could find her way outside, she’d be able to find Roxas that way. Or at least find a better angle to search for him. So all she had to do was find the door.

She asked a passing duck in a light purple gown for directions and got lost. She could feel her face burning as she asked a cow wearing a blue dress for directions and got more lost. Embarrassment threatened to overtake her as she asked a third person, a stout mouse wearing a purple suit and cape, for directions. The mouse chuckled heartily and pointed to the end of the hallway, where bright sunlight gleamed in through a entryway.

“Oops…sorry,” Xion apologized sheepishly. “This is my first time visiting here.”

“Goodness, there’s no need to apologize,” the stout mouse said politely. “It took me quite some time to get used to the layout of the castle myself.” He held out a gloved hand. “My name’s Magical Mouse, and you are?”

“Xion, it’s nice to meet you,” Xion said. An idea struck her—if this mouse knew his way around the castle, then maybe he’d seen her friends. “Mister Mouse, have you seen a boy named Roxas? Or maybe a boy named Sora?”

“I don’t know a Roxas, I’m afraid, but I do know a Sora!” Magical Mouse exclaimed. “There’s a Sora down in the front courtyard, near the North Tower. Maybe a five minute walk. It’s never very crowded over there either. Shouldn’t take you long at all to find him.”

“Thank you, Mister Mouse!” Xion exclaimed and walked down the hallway, breaking into a run the moment she crossed the threshold. This had turned out to be easier than she’d thought. Sure, she’d gotten a little lost, but she’d found her way outside now, and had met a friendly stranger. She should figure out a way to help Magical Mouse…maybe King Mickey had an idea there. Or maybe Roxas could help her think of something, or even Sora! Sora was only a few minutes away, and Roxas had to be with him. 

Excitement bubbled inside her. Roxas was with Sora! Maybe Sora could even help them with this problem. If the lines between life and death were being blurred, and ghosts were appearing where they shouldn’t, then it sounded like a pretty big job. But she’d done loads and loads of missions for the Organization, way back when. She’d survived most of those…she’d gotten hurt a few times. But with Roxas and Axel…the three of them could do anything. And if Sora was with them, then the sky was the limit.

Oh, and Isa too. Xion would not do anything to make Isa feel left out. It felt awful to be left out of things. She hoped Isa would be feeling better from the motion sickness he’d gotten from the flight over. So, it’d be the five of them then: Axel and Isa and Roxas and her and Sora. Xion darted around the corner—surely, Sora would be there.

The courtyard was wide, spacious. No bushes cut into the shapes of King Mickey’s friends here. Instead, there were statues, at least a dozen of them, though she only recognized a few. A silver statue of the King wearing a long cloak and wizard’s hat; a jet-black statue of…its ears were much too long to be like the King’s, a rabbit maybe? One really odd looking stone statue that looked vaguely like a witch. And there were two statues, solid-gold, of King Mickey and Queen Minnie. And Sora was there!

Sora was there. But it wasn’t the Sora she knew…a lump the size of a golf ball formed in Xion’s throat. It was a statue and it almost seemed to breathe. Sora was staring straight out, a wide grin stretched across his face. The statue was very shiny, a rich warm brown that gleamed in the sun. Like a lucky penny…or maybe like a shiny teapot. And the eyes, they were so clear. The clothes weren’t quite what Sora had worn when Xion had last seen him, so it had probably been built, or at least designed, a while ago…which meant that Sora had never even gotten to see his own statue. The lump in her throat grew bigger, the size of a jawbreaker. She couldn’t breathe. 

There was a plaque at the base of the statue. Xion wasn’t sure how she hadn’t noticed it earlier, but she didn’t have much experience with statues. The plaque was the same shade of brown the rest of the statue was, with gold letters.

“He traveled the worlds both far and wide 

With key in hand and a happy stride. 

We asked so much of the boy so good, 

Complain or deny he never could. 

Victorious, he saved us from end. 

But first and foremost, he was our friend.”

Xion cried.

oooo

Lea exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as Xion scurried off after Roxas. As far as Sora was concerned, Roxas and Xion had a connection to him that Lea didn’t, or at least not nearly to the same degree. Sora was the reason those two half-pints even existed in the first place, and even if the kiddos didn’t realize it, Lea was fairly sure they had picked up a few of Sora’s mannerisms too. Though if it went pear-shaped, which was possible, he’d be the first out the door to get to his kids. As it was now though, he still had questions.

“So…this is awkward. But I do have some more questions. Let’s start with these ghosts you keep seeing. That’s not supposed to happen here?”

“Well,” King Mickey said, “That’s the funny thing about this. Usually, when someone dies, they’re supposed to go to heaven. They don’t come back. We have ghosts, but from what I can tell, they’re not like ghosts other worlds. A while back, Donald, Goofy and I ran into a few ghosts in a haunted house, but they weren’t dead really. They’d always been ghosts.” 

“Ah phooey, don’t remind me,” Donald muttered. “That molasses took forever to get off.”

Lea didn’t care to know what sort of events had transpired that involved both ghosts and molasses, and resolved to not ever ask, and to never mention this to Roxas and Xion. Ever. 

“Let’s move on from that,” Lea said quickly. They were getting into some icky stuff. “What about Sora? Sounds like he might be back.”

“Do ya think it could really be Sora?” Goofy asked Donald. The diminutive duck shook his head.

“I don’t know…”

“I don’t see why not,” Lea retorted. “I’ve seen Sora do stuff that defies logic before. More than once, in fact. I can’t even imagine what you’ve seen him do. And you should have seen the stuff Roxas and Xion could do back in the Organization.”

“Sora could do anything!” Goofy agreed while Donald nodded enthusiastically. Lea could feel more pleasant memories of Sora’s heroic feats evaporate any lingering tension between them. 

“So where does that leave us then?” Lea asked. “This whole thing sounds pretty bad, but why it’s gotta be us? Why not the others—Master Aqua and Terra and Ven? I’m sure they’d be a bug help.” 

“Well…” King Mickey hesitated. “To be completely honest with you Axel, I didn’t want to tell ‘em about this. I didn’t wanna worry them.”

“Anything else?” Lea asked. “I get playing your cards close to your chest, but believe me, keeping secrets will only make everything blow up in your face. I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Your concerns are valid,” Yen Sid said quietly, “But there’s an element of risk we must take into account. Getting too involved in this conflict may prove too strenuous for Master Aqua and her friends.”

“Are you sure about that?” Lea scratched the back of his head. “I mean, I get it. Aqua and the others haven’t been active for a bunch of years, and that complicates matters. But even so, they’re about as strong as you can get.”

“This is not merely a matter of physical strength,” Yen Sid said quietly. “Master Aqua and her friends are also readjusting to life after more than a decade torn asunder, whether being forced to reside in the Realm of Darkness or through Xehanort’s manipulations. Imagine Lea, if you found yourself thrown into a world that had advanced so far, while you remained in near-constant stasis.”

Lea nodded slightly. There was a bit of logic there. Even after losing his heart, time had passed for him normally in the Organization. But that would mean…

“Returning from stasis didn’t stop you from sending Sora after the Organization after the whole Castle Oblivion thing. Sora slept for practically a year.”

“And we had been keeping tabs on Organization XIII for just as long,” Yen Sid said. “Though I admit, that is a fair point—had there been a way to more naturally integrate Sora back into the world, I would have done it. But as you know, the threat Xemnas posed, with his artificial  Kingdom Hearts was immense, but we had precious few fighters. This time, we have far more wielders who are willing to fight.” 

“There are other justifications we have,” King Mickey said. “The very nature of your friends, Lea. Xion and Roxas are special, since they were granted life through artificial means.”

“There’s nothing artificial about either of them,” Lea protested. His kiddos were not just puppets. “They’re as human as anyone else. You should see Xion work the counter at the ice cream shop. And Roxas helped build a community garden last week.”

“That is not meant to imply their lives are worth less, Lea,” Yen Sid said. “But the fact remains that they are rather unique, due to how they were created. They were not reared under natural circumstances. By inhabiting replica bodies, they are alive, and yet they were not born. Their position between life and death is unique among the remaining Keybearers and it may prove crucial to understanding the true nature of this threat..” 

Okay, that was sort of a point, and as far as Keybearers went, it was arguably a pretty good one. Lea had seen his fair share of icky stuff—Vexen had hardly been the only mad scientist who wanted to create artificial life. Whatever the circumstances that brought Roxas into existence—Sora casting out his heart and Roxas being the body left behind—he was a technically a replica now. 

What was the line between life and death, anyhow? Lea had lost his heart, and become Axel. But his body still drew breath as a Nobody, even if he hadn't felt human anymore. A Heartless had been formed—and slain by Sora, not that Lea remembered any of that. And then as Axel, he had sacrificed himself, getting his body destroyed. And then he had come back, and then there was that weird stuff that had happened at the Keyblade Graveyard…but that was different than dying. 

“Besides,” Goofy said,  interrupting Lea’s train of thought. “Didn’t Master Aqua and her friends visit Olympus a long, long time ago? But they didn’t age nuthin’ on account of her being lost in the Realm of Darkness and Ven losing his heart and all that stuff. So if they went to Olympus and everybody noticed they didn’ get any older, then that would be bad for the world borders right?”

“Order!”

“Alright,” Lea said. “I get it. We’ll take care of this life-and-death thing. You can count on us, King Mickey.”

“Gosh, that’s really great to hear,” King Mickey clapped his hands. “I knew we could count on ya.”

Huh. It was a funny thing, Lea realized. Even after all that had happened, he still wasn’t used to getting orders from people who actually appreciated his efforts, much less from people he actually respected. But that made Lea think of something else.

“So it’s Olympus? That means that Hades guy is probably involved,” Lea tapped his temple. “If memory serves, and it does, he was in league with Maleficent way back when. That old banshee have anything to do with this?”

“An important question, Lea,” Yen Sid answered, “And a reasonable theory, as well. Alas, it is not one we can bring conclusive proof towards. Maleficent has not been seen or heard from in several weeks, but she is not to be under-estimated. She still commands many Heartless. And if nothing has changed in the time between her most recent conflicts with Sora, her last known actions were searching the worlds for a box. Though what the box is, and why she wants it, I’m afraid have no idea.”

“Whatever, if we run into her, we’re take her out,” Lea shrugged. “And if we don’t, we don’t.”

“Do be careful, Axel,” King Mickey said. “I don’t want to have to say good-bye to any more of my friends.”

Lea stole a glance at the clock. It’d been nearly half an hour since Xion had run off after Roxas. She’d probably have found Roxas by now, hopefully. If not, Lea’d track her down and help her look for him. Or possibly, he’d find Roxas and then they’d find Xion. Heh, just like old times.

oooo

Xion wasn’t sure how long she’d been crying. A few minutes, maybe? Or maybe longer, an hour? She kicked herself. It was her fault. It was, it was, it was. She could lie to herself all she wanted, but that didn’t change the truth. Sora was gone, and it was her fault. Her throat ached, her head throbbed. Sora was so good and so brave and his statue was really very pretty. But the statue wasn’t the real Sora. The real Sora was gone, far away. And it was her fault—she’d fought him, she’d hurt him. She’d hurt him and Kairi. She had hurt Kairi and then Xemnas had taken her away… She could pretend otherwise all she liked, but the truth was the truth. 

Xion crouched in front of the statue, brought her knees to her chest. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, splashing against the shiny gold letters on the statue. Her vision blurred and she couldn’t 

“Sora, I don’t know if you can hear me…but I’m so, so sorry,” Xion whispered. “You’re so good and brave, you can’t even imagine how sorry I am. You’re good and I’m bad…” 

The statute didn’t respond. Xion hadn’t been expecting it to, but given that puppets and computer programs and even bad replicas like her could grow hearts, maybe statues could too. Either way, now that Xion was actually talking to Sora, or at least a statue of Sora, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop. Xion hadn’t really had a chance to talk to Sora—just the one time, to encourage him that Kairi would be alright. He had smiled at her…he had looked so hopeful. 

“Sora, I’m trying to be better, I really am,” Xion murmured, her voice hoarse from crying. “I wanna be like you. You’ve always, always helped people, protected them, made them happy…”

Xion wiped her face, wincing when she brushed one of her gloves against her eyes. Ouch! Stupid gloves! 

“What are you doing?” Xion asked, half to the statue and half to herself. Oh, right. She’d been looking for Roxas. Who was…somewhere in the castle. But she didn’t have any idea where. Xion’d been crying for so long, Roxas could be anywhere. Not that she’d actually had any idea where he’d been in the first place.

Xion slowly got to her feet. She’d lingered here long enough. She should be getting back to searching for Roxas. Or maybe she should go back to the King’s room to get Axel and they could search for Roxas together. And then get ready to do whatever it was that King Mickey wanted—oh, right. King Mickey needed them to go to Olympus, where the Underworld was, and see if something there might be causing the funny stuff that was happening here. 

Xion placed a hand on the statue’s shoulder. This was as close as she’d ever come to really interacting with Sora. “Sora…” Xion whispered. “I will finish what you started…I promise.”

And then something slammed into her from behind and knocked her to the ground again. Something was pinning her, something big! Xion gasped and reached out her hand to summon her Keyblade, but something pressed on her hand, pinning it to the cobblestone of the courtyard. 

What was it? A Heartless? No, a Heartless wouldn’t just pin her. Depending on the type, it would punch with a giant fist or slash her with six-inch claws. Blast her with ice or shoot fireballs or beams of darkness. But nothing like that was happening—she was pinned to the ground but that was it. A Nobody, maybe? 

Her physical heart beating hard against her chest, Xion squirmed and was surprised when whatever was pinning her didn’t try to stop her. That was odd—wasn’t she being captured? She twisted herself around, ready to kick herself free of her captor—who wasn’t doing a very good job at taking her prisoner. When she finally managed to get herself upright, her vision was immediately obscured by—a giant, pink tongue?

Lick! Lick! Lick!

“Rar rar roo!”

A dog?! A dog…a dog! A dog was staring down at her. A big, yellow-furred dog with long ears was staring down at her, panting. And licking at her face. Aaah! Xion got to her feet. The dog nuzzled her hand, like he wanted her to pet him. Xion petted the dog on the head, and then tugged off her gloves so she could pet him properly. His fur was very soft and he was warm, like a cinnamon roll you could pet. Xion scratched the dog under the chin and then behind his ears. The dog was wearing a collar—so he had an owner. The dog leapt up, put his paws on Xion’s shoulders and began licking her face again. 

“You’re soooo cute!” Xion squealed. She jerked her head up, away from the dog, to look around the courtyard. “Is there anybody there? I have your dog!” When nobody responded, Xion turned back to the dog. “Where’s your owner, boy? Er, or girl?”

The yellow dog didn’t respond to that. He pawed at her hand though, like he wanted to shake it. The dog rubbed against her leg. Xion knelt down so she could get a better look and his collar, bright green against his yellow fur. Maybe there was a tag with the owner’s name on it. 

Lick! Lick! Lick! 

“Gah! Haha,” Xion giggled. “Puppy, you’re making me laugh! C’mon, hold still! Your owner misses you, we need to get you back…”

The puppy wasn’t a very good listener, and kept pawing at Xion, licking her face and nuzzling her. It made Xion lose her grip on the tiny dog tag over and over, but all the same it felt wonderful. Xion had never had a dog before, much less one as nice as this dog. Finally, she was able to grip the tiny tag as tightly as she could. But he wasn’t her dog, he was…the King’s?

“You’re King Mickey’s dog?” Xion asked, scratching the dog behind the ears again. “Okay, why don’t we go back and find him?”

The dog didn’t say anything but bounded back around the corner of the courtyard. A moment later, he was back with a leash in his mouth. Xion hooked it on and gripped the leash.

“You want a walk? Alright, Puppy.” Xion couldn’t remember what King Mickey’s dog’s real name was, but Puppy worked well enough as a nickname. “Let’s go back to King Mickey’s room. You can meet Roxas and Axel!”

Puppy barked loudly and bounded off. Xion grabbed the leash with both hands and found herself being pulled forward. Whoa, the dog was considerably stronger than he looked. Not back into the castle though. Puppy pulled her back across the courtyard and down a grassy hill, towards town. 

This was probably not the way back to King Mickey.

oooo

Roxas kicked a small stone off the path, and it bounced against the cobblestone and into the grass. He sighed deeply. Just like last time, Sora hadn’t said a word. If he was being honest with himself, despite Pence’s reassurances, Roxas hadn’t been sure whether or not he had imagined the whole thing. But Sora had appeared again, here, in a completely different world…and that, right after Goofy had said he had seen someone he’d cared about who’d died. 

Could Goofy have seen Sora? Roxas rubbed his cheek thoughtfully. It would make sense, wouldn’t it? Sora had so many people’s hearts connected to his own, why wouldn’t others be able to see him? But then, why not just say that he had seen Sora? And Pence hadn’t been able to see Sora in Twilight Town. So maybe only Roxas could see Sora…

Roxas still felt a connection to Sora, something tangible, more than mere knowledge and memory. It was something that felt…real. He could feel Sora. There had to be a way to get him back, there just had to.

Roxas walked slowly back into the town. The streets were busy still, and he could hear those three little pigs singing their song in the courtyard. He couldn’t make out any lyrics though. He couldn’t really hear anything specifically. His head felt fuzzy, almost like the times when he first began siphoning Sora’s memories.

“Why am I the only one seeing him?” Roxas asked. He didn’t expect an answer, but he needed to speak it out loud. He could appreciate quiet, but talking out loud soothed the twinge of pain in his chest. What was it? Loneliness, maybe? He missed Sora, he could admit that. But how could he actually be lonely? He had Xion and Axel and even Isa. But he’d kept this from them…he never should have kept this from them, especially with this new mission from King Mickey…whatever it was. Roxas couldn’t really remember the details. 

But the worlds were in trouble. And that meant that someone would have to go fix it. It wasn’t that different from the missions in the Organization. 

But is it what you want? A voice whispered in Roxas’s ear. Really, all you ever wanted was a regular life. Working with Hayner and Pence and Olette. Are you gonna give all that up? And what if it’s you who fades away this time? Do you really want to sacrifice your own existence again?

Roxas rounded another corner and found himself near a small garden. This one didn’t have any fancy bushes. The only structure was a little round wooden room with no windows. Curiously, in contrast to the crowded streets, this garden was almost completely deserted, except for one man. Roxas blinked—this guy was actually human, not a mouse or a duck or anything else. And he was old, really old, almost as old as Xehanort had been.

The man was dressed in simple robes, standing on a light blue mat. His eyes closed, he held his arms out at odd angles and moved them to his chest. After a moment, he raised them above his head and took a step forward, bringing his arms back to his side. Roxas didn’t have a clue what he was doing. 

“Are you just gonna stand there?” The old man asked, opening one eye almost cheekily. “Care to join me in a little Tai chi?” 

“Uh…no, thank you, sir,” Roxas answered. This man seemed off. He wasn’t quite sure what it was. He wasn’t sure what “Tie chee” was either—some sort of dance? Roxas frowned; he didn’t like dancing much.

“You must be the hero Mickey mentioned. Roxas, right?” The man continued, straightening up. “Mickey said he was calling in a hero to save us all from this weird mess between life and death.”

“You mean the King,” Roxas answered, startled. Other than Yen Sid, he didn’t think he had ever heard someone call King Mickey by his name without his title. Oh, wait—Axel had snapped at King Mickey earlier, when he’d been recounting what had happened at the Keyblade Graveyard. Sora…Kairi… Who was this guy that he was so casual about it? And if he knew that stuff about the barriers between life and death being broken, then why wasn’t he in the conference room with everyone else?

“Right, right, the King. Course I knew him way back when, before any of this stuff,” The old man grabbed Roxas’s hand and shook it rapidly. His grip was firmer than Roxas had expected. “And now, I’ve just met you, the hero.”

“Erm,” Roxas hesitated. “Yeah, I guess I’m the hero.” He had fought in the Keyblade Graveyard. He had saved Sora and Axel and Xion from Xemnas. That was pretty heroic, wasn’t it? 

“Never understood that myself,” the old man continued, waving his arms in that funny “tie chee” fashion as if Roxas weren’t there. “Why should it fall to you, to fix other people’s messes. It’s not your the one who made the mess.”

“It’s gotta be done, though,” Roxas retorted. He wished he sounded more…determined? 

“Sure, it’s gotta be done. A mess is a mess, no matter who made it. But why does it have to be you?” The old man insisted. “What has the world ever done to you? That doesn’t seem fair to me.” 

“Does that really matter? If the world gets messed up, then people who didn’t do anything are gonna get hurt,” Roxas swallowed. He tried very hard not to think of how hard it had been in the Organization. “And that’s not right. If the worlds are in trouble, and if I can help, I should.”

“But c’mon, aren’t there other things you want to do? Hang out with your friends, eat ice cream, watch the sunset?” The old man asked. “You didn’t make this mess, Sora did.”

“You know what? Just stop,” Roxas snapped. He’d said his piece, so why was this old man still going on about it? What, was he willing to let others get hurt? Sora screwed things up, even if he hadn’t meant to, and now Roxas had to fix it, but so what?! “This isn’t just a game! There’s more important things than ice cream and beach trips! I’ll restore the worlds myself and then I’ll guide Sora home, if I have to collect driftwood and build a stupid raft!”

“That is exactly what I wanted to hear, Roxas,” the old man said, and the gleam in his eyes was halfway between mischief and pride. “I think the worlds are in excellent hands with you.”

“Huh?!” Roxas said. “Wait, what? All that, wait, what was that even about? Was that a test?”

“You might say that, my boy. I’ve heard a fair bit about you, Roxas,” the old man continued. “Some from Mickey and some from others. A strong heart for justice and fairness, willing to stand up to any bully. It’s a great regret that I never had the chance to meet Sora but I’m glad to meet you. Name’s Whitmore, Preston B. Whitmore.”

“Um…it’s nice to meet you, Mister Whitmore?” 

“Likewise my boy. Now, you sure you don’t want to join in on some Thai chi? Could come in handy in dodging Heartless.”

“Um, no thank you,” Roxas repeated. 

“Suit yourself,” Mister Whitmore said. “Oh, and brace yourself.” 

Before he could respond, something big knocked Roxas to the ground and in a flash he summoned his Keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, to his side. Stupid Heartless! Why did they always attack from the shadows like that?! He rolled onto his back and readied himself to fight. Mister Whitmore was an odd man, but he almost certainly had no way of defending himself against Heartless.

Roxas blinked. There wasn’t a Heartless, just a large yellow dog. With a leash? 

“Row ror roo!”  The dog barked happily and lunged forward. Roxas dismissed his Keyblades and petted the dog awkwardly on the head. He wasn’t sure what else to do—he’d never had a pet before. And none of his friends had pets either. 

“Puppy! Come back! Oh, you found Roxas!”

Roxas couldn’t help but smile as he saw Xion running towards him. His smile slackened when his friend drew closer. Her eyes were extremely bloodshot. She’d been crying, and judging from how the sun reflected off the tear lines on her cheeks, she had only just stopped. 

“Hi, Roxas,” Xion’s eyes were sad but she still had a smile brighter than any star. Roxas felt his ears begin to grow very warm. 

“Hi…”

“You’ve met Puppy,” Xion knelt down and scratched the dog behind its ears. Roxas noted that she’d taken her gloves off as she dug her fingers into the dog’s fur. “He’s King Mickey’s dog, but I don’t know his name. But he’s very friendly. Is that your name, boy? Friendly?”

From what little he could recall from having once had Sora’s memories, Roxas couldn’t quite remember what King Mickey’s dog was named. But he was fairly certain it was not Friendly. 

“Hello there, Pluto,” Mister Whitmore pulled a small biscuit out of his pocket and handed it to the dog, who gobbled it up eagerly. “Good to see you again. And you must be Xion.”

xxxx

“He’s not like any of the grown-ups from Twilight Town,” Xion said as they watched Mister Whitmore continue his movement exercises. “But he does seem kind of nice.”

“Let’s stick with odd,” Roxas said. He still wasn’t sure what to think of Mister Whitmore. So bizarre…

“Normalcy is overrated!” Mister Whitmore called. “I may be old, but I’m not gonna be boring!”

“Oops!” Xion flushed red. “Roxas says he’s sorry he called you odd!”

Roxas and Xion walked down the path, about a hundred feet, until they were out of earshot from Mister Whitmore.

“So…how did you find me?” Roxas asked. “Neither of us really know our way around here. Was it luck?”

“Um,” Xion bit her lip. “I got kind of lost, and Puppy, er, Pluto pulled me here. Are you alright Roxas?”

Roxas hesitated. He could’t lie, not to Xion. Never to Xion. And she was connected to Sora too. She had the right to know, he should never have kept this from her in the first place…

“I…I’m not sure. I thought I saw Sora,” Roxas rubbed the back of his head. He glanced over his shoulder to make sure Mister Whitmore wasn’t listening. “But he’s gone now.”

“I kinda figured that,” Xion took Roxas’s hand. “From the way you shouted and ran out of the room. I’m sorry it took me so long to find you. Did…did he say anything? Do you think it was really him?”

“I’m not sure…it was so real. But the way he faded away,” Roxas placed his free hand on his chest. “It was like he was never hear in the first place. Like it wasn’t real.”

“Maybe it was real,” Xion said. “You’re connected to Sora, even more than me. More than anyone, except Kairi maybe. But I can feel that Sora’s gonna be alright, just like I felt it for Kairi. So it makes sense that you’re able to see him, I think.” 

“It’s not just that I saw him,” Roxas exhaled deeply. “It’s…I guess, I guess I just…miss him.”

“I miss him too,” Xion said sadly, squeezing Roxas’s fingers. For a moment, she looked like she was about to start crying and shame filled Roxas’s insides. Xion took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes before she continued. “Not having Sora, it’s like there’s a missing piece to me. Like a charm bracelet with a missing charm. Or a necklace or something.”

Or a necklace. Roxas nearly bit his tongue in surprise. He had almost forgotten the necklace he’d planned to give Xion. It was still in a little box in his knapsack. Would it be appropriate to give it to her now? No, probably not. He’d give it to her after their mission for King Mickey. Yeah, that’d be perfect. They’d complete their mission and help King Mickey, and then Axel and Xion and him would all go for ice cream. And he would have a present for Xion to go with the ice cream.

“We should get back,” Roxas said after a long moment of neither of them speaking. Xion nodded but neither of them moved. 

“Yes you should,” Mister Whitmore said. Roxas jumped. He hadn’t realized the old man had followed them; there was something in the tone of his voice that made Roxas think he’d said something like this before. “C’mon now, my boy. Rise to the challenge. The worlds are waiting.”

“We’re ready. We’ll do it, together.”

No sooner than he had finished speaking did a swarm of Heartless appear. Roxas summoned Oblivion and Oathkeeper to his hands, and Xion summoned her own Keyblade. 

“Huh, usually I do my pep talks without visual aids,” Mister Whitmore walked over to a second wooden structure, identical to the first. As soon as he stepped inside, Roxas saw a magical barrier form at the door. 

“Roxas, Xion—show ‘em what you got.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten: Battle in the Antechamber

It was just like old times really. Back when they were in the Organization together, Xion would accompany Roxas on many missions, whether to take out a giant Heartless or merely for collecting hearts. Defeating Heartless, but this time releasing hearts instead of capturing them, felt almost comforting in its familiarity. Or, as comforting as it could be when one was fighting monsters that consumed hearts.

"Thundra!" Xion shouted. Bolts of yellow lightning erupted from her Keyblade and blasted away several of the Heartless, most of them Shadows and Soldiers. Roxas nodded as the monsters faded into nothing, their captive hearts fading into the sky. From there, they might eventually be restored.

"Nice one, Xion!" Roxas called. She really was terrific at using magic, of all sorts. Roxas parried a blow from a Soldier with Oblivion, knocking it aside. He shot a beam of light out of Oathkeeper and it pierced through three of the remaining Heartless—two Soldiers and one Large Body. Their bodies destroyed, their hearts were released. Roxas grinned in determination. He had realized just how much he missed this. A handful of Shadows still remained; Roxas hurled Oblivion towards them. The black Keyblade spun on its side, struck hard against the Heartless, destroying them instantaneously. It reached the end of its arc and then returned to his hand.

"Great work, Roxas!" Xion ran up to him, her hands clasped around her own Keyblade. "Is that all of them?"

"Yeah, I think so," Roxas lowered his weapons, but didn't dismiss them just yet. One couldn't be too careful when it came to fighting Heartless. Sometimes, they could be sneaky, hiding in the shadows, waiting to ambush their victims.

"Impressive, for beginners," The old man, Mister Whitmore, called from his little wooden shelter. "What else ya got?"

"Mister Whitmore, sir," Xion called, "I'm not sure you should be doing that. If we continue to fight, it might attract more Heartless."

Xion was too polite for her own good, Roxas chewed his lip. What was this, another one of Whitmore's stupid tests? He and Xion had fought Heartless and won and they hadn't even broken a sweat. So what if it had only been a band of flunkies? It was better that way—sure, he and Xion were strong, but they couldn't be everywhere at once. If you didn't put down the Heartless fast, then bigger ones would be right on their heels. And if they got caught up fighting a big Heartless, then others might escape their notice and other people could get hurt,

"Rest assured, I hate the Heartless more than you know, son," Whitmore said, walking over from his little shed. "It isn't a test, at least not from me. I've seen what chaos happens when worlds come under threat, more than you realize."

Can this guy read minds?

"No, I can't read minds, son," Whitmore's eyes glimmered with a hint of mischief. "Goodness knows that skill could have come in handy. That being said, when you've lived as long as I have, you tend to get a pretty good reading on people." The old man's tone grew more serious and his eyes alert. "But since you mentioned it, then why not give you a quiz: Why is this happening?"

"What do you mean?" Roxas asked. "Why is this happening? Heartless are attracted to the darkness in people's hearts. They're predators, like wolves or bears. But instead of deer and rabbits, the Heartless prey on people"

"But they're not normally seen in this world, right?" Whitmore scratched his chin. "As you might have guessed, I'm not from around here, but I do have a few friends on the Court. And from what they tell me, this world is one of the very safest. Heartless attacks are exceedingly rare."

"Yeah…" Roxas said, trying to choose his words carefully. Disney Castle was protected by some weird artifact called the Cornerstone of Light. The Cornerstone, and how it worked, was probably something King Mickey didn't want to be public knowledge, even if he'd freely brought it up back in the council room. "That's because there's special magic here. I think King Mickey cast some special spells."

"So, if there's Heartless here that shouldn't be," Whitmore continued, "then maybe something's undoing King Mickey's magic. A powerful sorcerer with a grudge?"

That would make some sense. Even with Xehanort being killed and the rest of the Organization being defeated, it wasn't out of the question that there might be other bad guys who wanted to hurt innocent people. King Mickey had traveled to all sorts of places and had to have made some enemies along the way.

And even if it wasn't someone who had a grudge against King Mickey, it could still be a bad guy. That Sephiroth guy might not be interested in conquest, but he was definitely a bad guy. And there certainly could be others—Sora had wound up crossing blades with evil swordsmen or wizards in just about every world he visited, and as traveled as he'd been, there were still dozens, if not hundreds, of other worlds. Which may well mean there were that many more bad guys willing to hurt others…

"I think it's worth checking out," Roxas said. "What do you think, Xion? Xion?"

Xion had already taken off, running back towards the castle as fast as her legs could carry her. The dog, Pluto, was at her heels, barking his head off. Roxas tore after her, leaving Whitmore behind.

"Wait for me, Xion!"

oooo

Lea looked down the hallway, one way, then the next. Not so much as a trace of either Roxas or Xion. Drat. Where were they?

The meeting was over, the mission plans laid out for the most part. All that remained for Lea was to get his kids back, and then they'd be on their way. Or to be more precise, get his kids, get the tools they needed in order to get started on the mission, and then they'd be on their way. Lea figured their stock of potions and ethers could use refilling. Oh, and scrape Isa off the floor of Scrooge's Gummi ship, and get him some airsickness medicine.

The logical part of Lea's brain said that there was almost certainly nothing to worry about. That Roxas and Xion were fine. That they were likely strolling through the streets of the nearby town, trying to find an ice cream shop that sold sea-salt flavored ice cream. That they were sitting on a bench, trying to find which building had a tower tall enough that they could watch the sunset from.

The emotional part of Lea's brain liked to panic and liked telling him that Roxas and Xion might be hopelessly lost, in the spooky woods near the town. That they might be hurt, crushed by a fallen tree, or caught in a hunter's trap! That they could be eaten by bears! Or Heartless! Or bears! His kiddos might be being eaten up by grizzly bears with big, sharp teeth!

"Ya know, Axel," King Mickey piped up as he followed Lea down the hallway, "I respect ya being cautious, but ya don't have to worry. There's no place safer from Heartless than my castle or our town. Even if Roxas and Xion are lost, they're not gonna be in any danger. Oh, and you don't have to worry about bears either."

Lea winced and he felt his face flush with embarrassment. Stupid emotional part of his brain.

"How much did I say out loud?"

"Not a lot, I don't think. Just the stuff about Roxas and Xion being eaten by grizzly bears," King Mickey looked up reassuringly. "I'm telling ya, ya don't have to worry."

"It's been an hour, your Majesty," Lea answered, shaking his head. "And I know it's stupid, but…it's hard to explain. After everything that's happened to them…you weren't there for most of it, it got icky…I can't help but think they're in trouble."

"I know you care about them. They're my friends too," King Mickey said kindly. "But worrying like this isn't gonna help anyone."

"Yer Majesty," Goofy spoke up, "I don't mean to interrupt but I can see where Axel's comin' from." He looked from Lea to King Mickey and back again. "And it's not that you don't care, 'cause yer about the nicest person I ever met," Goofy held up a finger and stepped forward, ahead of Lea. "It's that when yer a parent, you care all the time. You don't stop carin' and worryin,' not matter what your head says, your heart worries and loves all the time."

That was the most Lea had ever heard Goofy say at once. It was a little odd—Goofy was normally rather quiet, though that might be because Sora and Donald never shut up. And since when did he know what it was like to be a parent?

"I didn't know you had kids," Lea said. "Wait, you're not counting Sora, are you?" It would have been reasonable—Donald and Goofy had traveled with Sora for even longer than he'd been friends with Roxas and Xion. If those two little clueless, amnesiac zombies could worm their way into his non-existent heart, and then make a new heart grow from it, then Donald and Goofy wouldn't have stood a chance against getting attached to Sora.

"No, silly," Goofy chuckled, and for a moment, he sighed, lost in memory. "Sora's one of my best buddies, but I was actually talkin' about my boy, Maxie."

"Ah phooey," Donald muttered. "Here we go again…"

"You never mentioned a son," Lea said. "In all the time I've spent here, I don't think anyone's mentioned you had a family."

"Well, it's not really surprisin' really. Max's all grown up now," Goofy said, with surprisingly not even a hint of sadness. "He's always gonna be my boy, but he's still grown-up now, he's even finished college. He's doin' some travelin' now, with another buddy of mine from a long time ago. Haven't heard from Maxie…in a quite a while now…but no matter what, he's always gonna be close to my heart."

That was actually pretty sweet. Sappy, but sweet, Lea smiled. Was that it, then? He wasn't just Roxas and Xion's big brother figure but their father figure? Ehhh…he wasn't sure that was right. Sure he'd done most of the work taking care of them—he had shown Roxas the ropes when the little guy had first joined the Organization; he had taught him how to eat sea-salt ice cream; he had given the kiddos advice on what to do when Xion had lost the ability to use her Keyblade; he had answered every single question that any normal teenager would have known the answer to…before and after they'd been able to start their lives in Twilight Town.

But none of that really really made him a father, right? Right? What did make someone a father anyway?

"You might not believe me, Axel," Goofy called, "And I know I'm not a smartypants but you're a papa whether ya like it or not."

"Yeah, yeah," Lea scratched the back of his head. "Whatever you say. Anyway, as nice as all that greeting card stuff is, it doesn't actually tell us where Roxas and Xion are."

"Hmm…" Goofy tapped his oversized nose with one gloved finger. "Now that's a toughie…maybe that Heartless over there's seen 'em."

Gah! A Heartless?! Sure enough, a Shadow Heartless was scampering Lea summoned his Keyblade and immediately sent a ball of fire hurling towards it. The Heartless seemed to realize it was doomed, because Lea could have sworn its little yellow eyes grew in fear, right before it burst into flames.

"Oh my gosh!" King Mickey squeaked, summoning his own Keyblade. "This is not good, this is not good at all!"

"That doesn't usually happen here, does it?" Lea's brow furrowed. If there was one Heartless, there were probably more. Damned little buggers.

"It can't happen here!" King Mickey insisted. "The only way for there to be Heartless in my castle is if the Cornerstone is under attack! Come on, all of you!"

The tiny king tore down the hallway, leaping off the walls to increase his momentum. A few Heartless sprouted up, only for King Mickey to immediately strike them back down. Lea ran after him, his long legs enabling him to keep pace with King Mickey. Donald and Goofy were far behind after less than a minute.

"Down these steps, hurry!" King Mickey cried, darting down a staircase through an opening that Lea was fairly certain hadn't been there a few minutes ago. He launched himself down the stairs three at a time while Mickey dove into the air, landing at the bottom in a single bound.

"There!"

Lea followed Mickey into a huge, white antechamber that reminded him more of Castle Oblivion than he would ever admit. There were a handful of pedestals with busts of people Lea didn't recognize and a large, ornate doorway—where it led Lea had no idea, and he wasn't planning to find out. A huge, glowing orb radiated on a pedestal in the center of the room, illuminating more Heartless and a tall hooded figure was trying to grab on to it.

"You there! Stop!" King Mickey cried out. "You don't know what terrible things will happen if you hurt the Cornerstone!"

"Talk later!" Lea encouraged. "Fight now!"

He charged forwards, towards the Heartless. He might not be an old hand at being a Keybearer—that was Roxas and Xion's job. But he did know how to kill Heartless, and he was darned good at it. He summoned his magic and sent out fire ball after fire ball. Most of the Heartless were quickly dispatched, not even realizing what had struck them. King Mickey darted forward, blasting a few of the Heartless, but his focus was on the hooded figure.

"Holy!" King Mickey shouted. A glowing beam, brighter than the Cornerstone, brighter than the sun, shot out of his Keyblade. The hooded figure was blasted backwards, sliding against the floor and the handful of remaining Heartless disintegrated.

"This is my palace! This world and everyone living in it is under my protection! As long as I'm here, this Cornerstone will not be moved!"

The hooded figure began to chuckle, low and gravely, and rose to his feet. Lea shifted his stance defensively. That was one of King Mickey's strongest attacks—heck, it was enough to kill stronger Nobodies—and this stranger just shrugged it off? He either had power in spades, or was doing a mighty fine job of faking it.

"As long as you're here?" The stranger spoke in a harsh, hoarse voice. There was something almost primal about it. "Then I need only wait a few days, then. You, little King? Why, you're gonna be gone in a cuppa days. You never stay. And then this world…will be mine."

"That's not gonna happen!" Lea stood in front of King Mickey. "I'm not sure we've met, but let me tell ya, from someone who's been there, you don't really look the part of a bad guy. That hood looks like something out of a comic book.

The hooded figure stood up straight and took a deep breath. Lea wasn't sure what happened, but the next thing he knew, he had been blown clear across the antechamber and slammed against a pedestal. Owww…

How had that could have happened? Lea hadn't heard the figure cast a spell, or even wave a wand…or staff. To cast magic soundlessly, this guy was tougher than Lea'd thought. To blast him across the room like that…had that been wind magic? Ugh…that was always really hard to fight against.

"And now," the hooded figure growled, "I'm gonna huff and puff and blow this whole crummy castle in!"

The figure inhaled again, and then they inhaled again, and then again. Their head was still covered, but their chest had swelled dramatically. Lea felt himself being dragged forward and he could see King Mickey hopping from pedestal to pedestal, trying to regain solid footing agains the figure's strange magic. The entire antechamber was in disarray, portraits yanked off their hinges. The strange archway seemed unaffected, but even the Cornerstone was nearly off its pedestal.

Lea got to his feet again, just in time to see a black Keyblade hurl itself towards the hooded figure, striking them in the chest and knocking the figure backwards. The hooded figure yelped in pain and a great burst of air expelled from their chest. Two small teenagers ran into the room, followed by a large yellow dog.

"Not if we can't stop you!" Xion shouted and the dog woofed in agreement. Roxas held out his hand and summoned Oblivion back to his hand.

"Fira!" Roxas snapped and twin balls of flame shot out from his Keyblades, merging into a spear of fire and slammed into the hooded figure.

"Yeee-owwww! Oh-hoo-hoo!" The figure stood up again, only this time their hood had fallen completely off, and Lea was able to get a proper look at them. The figure was very tall and thin and covered in thick, dark fur. A long snout seemed to constantly be inhaling air. And the snout was nothing compared to the figure's enormous jaws and sharp teeth.

"The Big Bad Wolf!" King Mickey shouted. The yellow dog leapt in front of the King and growled, baring his own teeth.

"Yesssss…how nice to see you again, little King. So small, a morsel really," the figure, the Big Bad Wolf, leered.

"Oh my gosh, this is not good!" King Mickey said. "How did you even get back here?"

"Aggg…" Lea groaned. "Your Majesty! What part of Talk later, fight now did you not get memorized?!"

At these words, Roxas and Xion charged, working in perfect tandem. They jumped at the same time, landed at the same time. The stranger, the Big Bad Wolf (Who names their kid that?) lunged for Xion only for her to hit him in the snout with her Keyblade.

"Raaaaaaarrrr!" The Wolf snarled in anger and pain. "You're gonna pay for that you little brat!"

"I don't have any munny!" Xion retorted. The Wolf sent out a gust of wind and Xion was blown away, back towards the wall at the end of the antechamber. Lea's heart leapt into his throat—it hadn't even been a week since Xion had fought Sephiroth. What if there was an injury they missed, and the Wolf hurt her badly? What if she still wasn't fully recovered? Xion, oh sweet, little Xion…

Lea darted to her side as Roxas and King Mickey engaged the Wolf. Again and again they sent spell after spell, and again and again, he managed to blow the spells off course. He dodged the yellow dog too, dancing just ahead of the biting dog's teeth. What was that guy made of?

"Xion?" Lea asked as he helped Xion to her feet, as gently as he could, in spite of his shaking arms. "You alright, kiddo?"

"Fine…" Xion mumbled. Her claymore dissolved and her Keyblade returned. "How are we gonna fight him—he blows us away whenever we get too close."

The Big Bad Wolf was apparently listening, because he took the time to huff and puff and blow Roxas all the way towards them. Roxas flipped his hands and drove the points of both his Keyblades into the floor, preventing him from spiraling out of control. Mickey continued to hop around, more like a rabbit than a mouse, really. Either way, he stayed out of range of the Big Bad Wolf. It helped that the big yellow dog was running alongside King Mickey.

"He's strong…" Roxas muttered. "But he's gotta have a weakness. He gets us when we get too close…if we hit him from further back, I think we can get him."

"Leave it to me," Lea encouraged. "I got this." He might not have quite the control of fire magic he had had as a Nobody, but he still had a few tricks up his sleeve. If he couldn't get close, then he'd strike from farther out. Lea summoned his Keyblade and then transformed it back to his old, trusty chakrams. He sent them at the Wolf, one after the other, and the villain yelped in pain as flames burst at his feet.

"Yeee-owww-hoo-hoo, oh-hoo!" The Wolf howled in fury and pain. He charged towards Lea, teeth bared. Lea called his chakrams back to his hands and reformed them into his Keyblade. He held it up defensively, just in time for the Wolf to bite onto the long end of the blade. Lea could smell the Wolf's tongue and cheeks begin to burn.

Lea leapt backwards, just barely dodging the flailing Wolf's sharp claws. A great gust of wind was expelled from the Wolf's lungs, but the aim was off. They were getting there, they were getting there.

A short figure clad in Keyblade Armor charged, Keyblades in hand. For a moment, Lea thought it was Xion. But wait, the color wasn't right. Xion's Armor was black and silver—he'd only seen it once, but he'd gotten the pattern memorized. This armored figure was colored gold and grey and a little bit of red around the shoulders. And he held two Keyblades—Roxas? Since when did he have Keyblade Armor? Lea didn't have time to dwell on this though, as Roxas closed the distance against the Wolf and began sending out beams of light, far more quickly than the Wolf could defend himself.

The Wolf howled in pain as Roxas struck him and backed away. He began inhaling more air, huffing and puffing. His chest swelled farther than it had ever done yet. The Wolf was huge. Lea tightened his grip on his Keyblade.

Roxas sent out twin beams from Oathkeeper and Oblivion, followed almost immediately by King Mickey's balls of light. At that exact moment, Lea sent out a wave of flames from his own Keyblade and Xion joined in with jets of water. The flames and water spiraled together, a dual beam of opposite elements. The flaming current blasted into the Wolf's lower back and he gave a howl even louder than before, jettisoning itself into the air.

And through the ceiling—ouch, that was gonna hurt. Lea dodged a few stray bricks that fell to the floor. He could still hear the Wolf's howling, but it grew fainter and fainter. It was done.

oooo

Xion let go a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The Wolf had been really tough and kinda scary, with his big teeth and jaws. But they'd fought him off and they'd beaten him and best of all, Roxas had managed to use Keyblade armor! That was really, really cool! Xion watched with awestruck eyes as Roxas examined his armor dissolving back to his Keyblade. It was funny—Ven and Aqua and Terra could use Keyblade Armor, but theirs never completely dissolved; they had those funny shoulder pads instead.

"You were amazing!" Xion exclaimed, taking Roxas's hands. "Really, really amazing Roxas!"

"You did great too," Roxas said. "You weren't just amazing, you were terrific!"

That was a wonderfully nice thing to say, but Xion didn't think she'd done that much. She'd gotten blown all the way across the room, but Roxas hadn't. Neither had King Mickey, either. And Axel had been able to use his chakrams to strike at the Wolf from far away. She hadn't done much at all in comparison.

"Well, you were…remarkable!" Xion beamed. "Roxas the Remarkable!"

"While those two munchkins try to think of more adjectives to describe each other," Axel said, turning to King Mickey, "Who was that guy anyway? You called him Big Bad Wolf? Who names their kid that?"

"Don't know if that's really his name," King Mickey shrugged, extending his hands out wide. "He's part of the old crowd. He used to cause all sorts of trouble, but nobody's seen him for years! He used to blow down houses and try to eat people. I don't know why he's here now though. It's not like him to go for somethin' as big as the Cornerstone."

"Right…think he'll come back?"

"After that?" King Mickey shook his head. "I doubt it. We hurt him pretty bad. I don't think he's destroyed, but I think he's learned his lesson."

"Hmmm…well, okay. Guess that explains that," Axel muttered. Xion wasn't sure whether or not Axel was completely convinced that the Wolf wouldn't show up again. Maybe he would…but maybe he wouldn't. If this was his mission—getting the Cornerstone—the Wolf had failed. And unless the Wolf was his own Superior, then there would be consequences. The Big Bad Wolf would be in big, bad trouble and he might even be destroyed by whoever was in charge of him. Xion suppressed a shudder; the idea of failing to live up to orders…was uncomfortably familiar.

"Well, the Cornerstone's safe now," King Mickey nodded. "Thanks for your help, Axel. And you too Roxas—I can't believe it, though. When did you learn to get Keyblade Armor?"

"I'm not sure how it happened," Roxas admitted. "But when Xion got hurt, everything seemed to slow down, and I just…wanted to protect her, and the next thing I knew, I had my Armor."

"That's really, really great!" King Mickey said. "Now, I never used it myself, but back when I was his apprentice, Master Yen Sid did tell me it's a really special power. I should ask him more about it."

"And it was remarkable!" Xion beamed, but she felt her ears grow hot and she wasn't quite sure why. "Thank you for saving me Roxas."

Roxas opened his mouth, and for a moment, Xion was sure that he would reveal that she had gotten her Keyblade Armor and that she'd fought Sephiorth. She didn't want that let out, not just yet. Especially since…

"Well, now that that's settled," King Mickey said, "I think it's best that we get ya back on your way. There's still a mission for ya to complete!"

"Right then, our mission," Xion said, before either Axel or Roxas could reply. "Thank you, your Majesty. Can we go now?"

xxxx

King Mickey led them back through the chambers and corridors of Disney Castle, towards the garage where he kept his Gummi ships. Xion was grateful for it, since she was pretty sure she'd have gotten really, really lost. But she had Axel and Roxas by her side this time, so that made it even better. And Pluto was there too. Xion liked King Mickey's dog—Pluto was very friendly and his fur was soft and he liked to jump around and nuzzle her hands.

The garage was just as crowded as it had been when they had first arrived. Mickey led them down the pathway, until they came to a small crowd gathered near a control pad. Xion recognized the horse, Horace, and the two chipmunks Chip and Dale. They exchanged pleasantries with King Mickey and that made Xion smile. It was nice that King Mickey was friends with the people who worked for him.

"Whew…what did I miss all the fun?"

"Mister Whitmore!"

The old man leaned on a cane as he walked into the chamber. He was dressed in a fine suit, instead of the simple robes he'd been wearing when Xion had first seen him. Xion frowned. She wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about Mister Whitmore that made her think that cane wasn't there because he actually needed it. She felt a little guilty feeling that; Mister Whitmore was odd, but he wasn't bad.

"Hello, Mister Whitmore," Xion said politely. "You feeling alright?"

"Hi there, children. I must say, you impressed with me with those Heartless. And that wolf fella, too."

"It was nothing," Roxas shrugged. "There was a bad guy, so we beat him up. Sorry about running off like that, you must have been worried."

"On the contrary son, I was very impressed with you. Very impressed indeed, with both of you," Mister Whitmore said, nodding at Roxas and Xion in turn. "You've got a fire in you that I haven't seen in a very long time."

"Mister Whitmore's an old friend of Scrooge's," King Mickey explained. "And a while back, he helped revolutionize some of our Gummi ships."

"I was merely in charge of financing," Mister Whitmore chuckled modestly. "It was my master mechanic that helped build these ships."

"So you want us to take one of these ships on our mission?" Xion asked. That made sense, taking one of King Mickey's extra ships. And that way, they wouldn't put Mister McDuck out of his way either.

"Can we take that one?" Axel asked, gesturing towards…a very large, bright orange, perfectly round ship that looked something like a frisbee. Xion giggled. That was the perfect ship for Axel.

"Actually," King Mickey said, "I have one planned special for you, Axel. You and Roxas and Xion are probably the only ones who can use this one."

He led them a little bit further down the garage, and then turned a corner. There was a very large Gummi ship suspended in the air. No, not just large—Xion figured this thing had to be bigger than the clock tower where they watched the sunset…which was weird, because the garage hadn't looked that large from the gardens outside. It was white, almost ivory, in color and looked almost like…

"Is that one of the ships that was guarding the paths to the World that Never Was?" Roxas asked. He looked up at the Gummi Ship uncertainly, as if he wasn't sure whether it was planning to drown his goldfish or give him ice cream.

"Oh yes, it is," Chip…or maybe it was Dale…squeaked. "We recovered it a few weeks ago. It's proven hard for us to work on, but now that you're here, we might get a breakthrough."

"That sounds nice…but why isn't it in with the others?" Xion asked. "I mean, thank you Mister Chip, this is very kind, but why save it for us?"

"Oh," the little chipmunk squeaked. "It's simple, really—you guys were all part of Organization XIII, and this ship belonged to the Organization, so you'd be best to pilot it."

Thinking of it that way, it seemed really obvious, Xion realized. Come to think of it, it was surprising that Chip and Dale and King Mickey had been able to work on the ship at all. She wouldn't have been surprised if Xemnas had set up defensive measures that would have hurt any outsiders who tried to commandeer the ship.

The ship opened up its door and lowered a ramp. Cautiously, Xion and Roxas took a few steps forward, but Axel strode up first. Xion scooted closer to Roxas and reached for his hand. His fingers were warm against hers.

The interior of the ship was very much like the Castle the Organization had lived in, with plain walls and furniture. There was also a large computer, or at least something that looked a bit like a computer. It was a bit blockier than the rest of the ship, and was colored neon blue.

"That's one of our scanners," King Mickey said, answering Xion's unasked question. "It scans the people who are gonna pilot the ship, and it matches an appropriate fuel for the engines."

"You mean the whole Happy Faces thing?" Roxas asked. "Scrooge mentioned that earlier."

"That's right! It'll match to a fuel that best suits you three!" King Mickey walked over to the scanner. "And, activate!"

A green light emerged from the screen of the scanner, buzzing slightly. It turned into a wave, and ran up and down Xion and her friends. She giggled throughout her scanning and she was certainly she could hear Axel straining in an attempt not to laugh.

The scanner spoke in a very technical voice: Primary fuel source for pilots…sea salt ice cream sticks…

"This ship is gonna run on sea salt ice cream sticks?!" Roxas asked excitedly. "Then that means…"

"We're gonna have to eat lots and lots of ice cream to go on our missions," Xion finished his sentence. "Huh…usually we have it afterwards…"

"That's for real?" Axel asked. "It's not just a gimmick? This is a joke, right?"

"No joke, Axel. Looks like you'll be eatin' quite a bit of ice cream," King Mickey said. "But it's not that much odder than runnin' on happy faces, is it?"

"Guess not," Axel muttered. "Hoo boy…this is gonna get expensive…and salty…."

After figuring out how many ice creams they were going to need to make the trip (thirty seven bars, which meant buying eight boxes), and gathering a few more supplies (Potions and Ethers, mostly), King Mickey was ready to see them off. Xion and Roxas waved good-bye as Axel started piloting the ship. They left the garage and slowly ascended into open air and then into outer space. They were on their way now and Xion felt a strange mixture of excitement and dread, though she wasn't sure why. They were about to be off on a mission for King Mickey, to help people! And seeing how they had handled the Big Bad Wolf, if they worked together, there shouldn't be anything to be afraid of.

An hour later, Xion realized they had left Isa behind on Scrooge's ship. Axel said a very bad word, turned the ship around and returned. Isa had apparently not even known they had left—he had been that disoriented, but when they picked him up, he immediately fired Axel from being in charge and took over control of the Gummi ship. Isa was also not particularly pleased to learn that the official fuel of the Gummi ship was sea salt ice creams. Xion didn't mind—that meant more ice cream for her and Roxas to share.

They were on their way…

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven: Lost In Thebes

In all his years with the Organization, Lea had spent very little time in the Colosseum. There wasn't much in the way of work on this world for the Organization's assassin. Warriors competing against one another, or grappling with beasts was hardly subtle.

As it was, Lea was beginning to sweat through his coat, and he was thankful for the short sleeves. It was much warmer here than the temperate climate Twilight Town offered. Roxas and Xion must be sweltering in their old Organization robes.

Lea squinted against the sun as Roxas led them down a crowded street. Technically, this world was called Olympus Colosseum, at least by world travelers. The city itself was Thebes…come to think of it, why wasn't this world named after the city? Lea shrugged—that kind of thing was above his pay grade. As it was, Roxas seemed a little taken aback himself; apparently, although he had trained at the Colosseum before, he hadn't actually spent a lot of time in the city.

"I think it's that way," Roxas said, pointing vaguely. Lea suppressed a smirk. "Or…maybe that way?"

That way led down a winding path. Near as Lea could tell, it led to…more crowded streets. And a bunch of buildings, but none of them were particularly large. Nothing that looked like the Colosseum.

"Um…" Roxas looked left and right and back again, and there was a edge of desperation in his voice. "I'm sure that it's around here somewhere."

"Face it, kiddo," Lea said, reaching out to put a hand on Roxas's shoulder. "We're lost."

Not that that was a bad thing in itself—it was barely noon, in a crowded city, so it wasn't like they were in any danger—but it wasn't beneficial for their goal. Having said that, making a big deal out of this wouldn't be helpful. Roxas, for his part, looked equal parts embarrassed and angry, his face turning into the shadow of a scowl. Lea tightened his grip, slightly.

"C'mon buddy, no use getting mad at yourself," Lea said. "Let's take five and then we'll figure something out."

"If I may make a suggestion," Isa spoke up, "We should split up. We could cover more ground if we traveled separately, and perhaps one of us may find a more expedient route. None of you can say there isn't logic in this."

There was a certain logic in that, Lea had to admit. Roxas was really the only one who had spent much time here and even then, he was lost. If they split up, they might find the Colosseum more easily—or perhaps find someone else who might know more about the situations going on here. But Lea didn't like the idea of being separated from Roxas and Xion if they weren't certain of the specifics of the threat.

The lines of life and death had blurred—but what did that mean here? Goofy had mentioned they had seen glimpses of folks that had passed away long ago. But there was an Underworld here—a place you could travel to, even if you were still alive. And it was ruled by the Lord of the Dead, Hades.

"Tell you what, Lea—you take the children and go down that path," Isa suggested, pointing down a third path, where from what Lea could tell, several peddlers had set up little stands to sell their wares. "I'll go that way, towards the temple," Isa continued.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of us splitting up," Lea answered. "We don't know what we're facing."

"I understand that, but as it is, we're not getting any closer," Isa said. "Lea, as it is, we're lost."

"Every time I was here before, I used the corridors," Roxas hissed. "I don't see you coming up with solutions."

"What, then, would you define 'splitting up' as?" Isa said cooly. "It would be beneficial for us to gather as much information as possible about the task at hand. As it is, we would learn more if we split up."

Lea inhaled deeply. They were here on a mission. It would be bad if they started fighting amongst themselves now. And if he was the one who would be the voice of reason, then things were even worse than they looked.

"Um, guys," Xion piped up. "There's a street sign right over there. That's the Colosseum, right?"

Lea turned his head, away from where Isa and Roxas were glaring at each other. Xion gestured towards a small sign, and not far from it was a brick wall, with a mosaic of two warriors locked in combat.

"Bless your eagle eyes, Xion," Lea reached out and ruffled her hair. "The sign says it's only about a mile away."

Xion blushed and squirmed out of Lea's grip. Her eyes shined and it did Lea's heart good to see her like this. Poor kiddo had had a rough week—gah, had it really only been a week? Not even! In any event, a chance to get out and do something was definitely doing Xion some good.

They walked for a couple of blocks and came to an intersection. The streets weren't quite so crowded here, or at least the streets were wider, so it wasn't quite so cramped. In the distance, Lea could see the Colosseum…and he felt pretty stupid for not noticing before—the building was friggin' huge.

"It's not bad here," Roxas said as the four of them walked along the path. "Different than Twilight Town though. It's noisier."

"Hey Mac!" A short man with a big nose and grey skin—somebody clearly did not get nearly enough sun—stepped in front of them. Roxas and Xion took a step back cautiously, and Lea could feel Isa stiffen. Lea's eyes narrowed. From the way the stranger held his cloak against his chest, he could be concealing a weapon. Lea held his hand casually to the side, but he twisted his wrist so that he'd be able to summon his Keyblade if need be. "You wanna buy a sundial?"

Or not. The guy had…like fifteen different sundials attached to the inside of his cloak, plus a few more on his wrists. Yeesh, a couple of them were bigger than the guy's face…which come to think of it, with that big nose actually looked a lot like a sundial. That was…kinda weird.

"No, thank you," Xion said politely. "Have a nice day, sir." Good for her for remembering her manners. In any event, they had no use for a sundial. Despite its name, Twilight Town did, technically, have a day-and-night cycle, but it was hardly discernible enough for a sundial to be practical. Besides, they had a perfectly good clock tower at home, and Roxas and Xion had a little clock in their bedroom too…though now that Lea thought about it, their Gummi ship didn't have a clock. Though a sundial would be even more useless there, come to think of it.

"It's not much further," Isa said. "But as it is, I'm still not sure it's necessary for all four of us to go to the Colosseum. Why precisely are we going there, again?"

"I trained there with a guy named Phil," Roxas answered. There was still an edge in his voice, but it was much softer than before. Good, that was progress—sometimes it took him longer to calm down. Lea wasn't sure if that was because there was still tension between him and Isa, or if Roxas was just being a teenager. "He trained all sorts of heroes—he was a friend of Sora's. If there's anything funny going on, I'd think he'd know about it."

"That does make sense," Xion agreed. She smiled brightly. "Good idea, Roxas."

"And even if he doesn't know what's going on," Roxas added, "He may know someone who does."

That wasn't a particularly detailed plan, but Lea had to admit it was better than nothing. Come to think of it, the last time they had spent some time with Ven and Terra and Aqua, they had mentioned a tournament at the Colosseum. Maybe this was one of those central places that world travelers always ended up at—and if so, then this would be an excellent place to start investigating.

"I still think that there's merit in investigating the temples," Isa said, his brow furrowed. "But I'll agree to visiting your friend for now."

It was probably the best they could hope for at the moment. Lea wasn't positive, having not had the opportunity to take Isa aside, but he was fairly certain his friend was still annoyed about the whole "being left being on Disney Castle" thing. He'd have to figure out how to fix that before tempers flared up again. And while he was at it, it'd serve Lea well to muse on what might be going on here that required their services.

oooo

Roxas bit the inside of his cheek, trying to keep his temper in check as they walked down the path towards the Colosseum. So he had gotten them a little lost, Isa didn't have to rub it in like that. And it wasn't as if Isa had ever been to this world in the first place—back in their days in the Organization, he couldn't remember a single time that Saix had even gone on a mission.

Isa isn't Saix, a voice in his ear whispered. He's annoyed but he isn't being cruel. You need to forgive him.

Roxas grunted lightly. He'd show Isa, once they actually got to the Colosseum and met up with Phil. Phil knew a lot about just about everything that went on in this world. If there was anything funny going on, if Hades were interfering again with the natural order of things, Phil would know.

This world…it had been one of Sora's favorites. And one of his too, even if Roxas hadn't realized it at the time. His access to Sora's memories wasn't quite like before, it was more that he had the knowledge locked away, but it only really got clear when the situation was closely tied to his connection with Sora. Fighting Seifer in the streets of Twilight Town was probably the best example—Roxas could clearly remember Sora's Struggle matches with Seifer as if he had fought them himself.

Roxas stumbled slightly and he heard a small "oof." He looked down and saw a small golden statue looking back up at him. Wait a minute, what?

"Excuse me," Roxas said politely.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!" A small boy with chestnut skin and dark brown hair apologized. "I was moving my figure collection to another stand."

"Figure collection?" Roxas asked. He tilted his head. He knew what action figures were—Pence had a bunch of them and he had seen Vivi playing with one a couple weeks back. But he hadn't realized this world had them.

"Yeah! My action figures!" The small boy said. "I got five regular Hercules actions figures! And two silver ones! And five golden ones! And some of Phil too!"

"Those are very nice," Roxas said politely and beside him he could see Xion give a warm smile.

"Here, I think you dropped this one," Xion said. She knelt down and Roxas could see her shoulders tighten. "Sora?"

Roxas nearly did a double-take as he looked down. Xion was holding a small plastic toy, and it looked…well, a bit like Sora. The spiky brown hair was pretty close and the little clothes were okay—the black jacket and shorts and shoes. The arms were a little long though, and not even Sora's feet were as big as the figure's looked. Kind of freaky really. Roxas looked over his shoulder—Axel looked surprised but kind of satisfied. Isa looked a little bit afraid.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you Nice Lady!" The boy gave a gap-toothed grin. "Sora's my newest action figure, but he's my favorite!"

"I didn't…I didn't realize they'd made an action figure out of him," Xion said quietly as she handed back the toy. "Roxas and I…Sora's a good friend of ours."

"Oh, he's brand-new. Just came out! He's a real hero!" The boy said excitedly. "He found all my golden Hercules figures when I dropped them the last time I had to move my figure collection!"

"He's always been so kind," Xion said. She sounded like she had a cold, as if she were about to cry. The boy didn't seem to have noticed.

"I wanna be just like Sora when I grow up! I've seen him fight in the Colosseum a whole bunch of times! He even beat up Hercules!"

The boy shifted his armful of figures, so that the Sora Action Figure was resting on top of his pile and scampered off. Roxas and his friends watched him disappear into the crowd.

"Hmmm," Axel said. "Well, that was something. Don't see that every day."

"I agree it is peculiar," Isa said. "I was not aware that this world had advanced to the point where they were freely using plastic and rubber to craft such luxuries as children's toys."

"That Sora action figure's kinda cool," Axel grinned. "You think if we help sort things out here, they may make action figures out of us?"

"Um…sure?" Roxas said. "I mean, they might." It would be kind of cool to have an action figure of himself.

"I'd rather we just figure out what we have to do," Xion said quietly. "I want to help figure out what's wrong here. And make sure people like that little boy stay safe. He reminds me of Vivi."

They walked on for a while longer, passing a bunch of little stands where people were trying to sell stuff. Axel gave a particularly rude retort to a vendor who offered "a magic medallion" that would keep them safe from "the monsters of this world." Due to the size of the crowds, it was nearly half an hour before they finally reached the Colosseum gates. Roxas frowned slightly…it had been a very long time since he'd been here…and Phil had told him not be a stranger.

Roxas recognized Phil immediately. The short, stout satyr, the trainer of heroes, the first person apart from Axel or Xion who had ever shown him compassion. The old trainer had his back to the gates, and was going over a scroll, probably the rules for the next batch of games.

"Er," Roxas began. Last time they'd spoken, Phil had asked him not to be a stranger. Roxas wasn't great at figures of speech, but he'd been able to figure out that Phil would want him to visit. And Roxas hadn't, and that last time they'd seen each other had been months ago.

"Great, you're here," Phil said, not looking up from his scroll. "Do me a favor and unload that wagon for me."

Roxas blinked in surprise; Phil had always been a man, er, a satyr of few words, but that was still a little blunt. Either way, if it needed to be done, then fine. Really, it was to be expected. Phil could be stern with expectations, but he was also quick to say he believed in someone. Roxas looked around. There were a couple of wagons at the edge of the yard. One was filled with barrels—the same ones that Phil liked using for training. Alright then, Roxas shrugged. He could lift gardening troughs easily enough, a bunch of training barrels would be nothing.

Roxas walked over to the wagon and lifted one of the barrels. Oh! They were heavier than they looked! Maybe these weren't the training barrels after all. Roxas staggered and he felt a soft hand brush against his as Xion darted over to help. Together, they began to unload the wagon. Axel strode over and began pulling on it from the other end.

"This is absolutely ridiculous," Isa said. He said something else as well, but Roxas couldn't quite hear him over Xion's yelp of effort. Roxas ground his teeth. If Isa was so upset about it, then why didn't he try to help him move the stupid barrels?

"Sir! I must protest," Isa snapped at Phil. Roxas cringed. This was gonna get ugly. "This is far too much work."

"What? Too much?! C'mon, that wagon would be nothin' to you, Herc. You've gone soft—" Phil turned around. "What? Oh, wrong guy. You ain't Herc."

"No, I am not! And neither are any of my friends," Isa said cooly. "Now, Roxas has a question for you, and if you would be so kind as to actually answer, instead of use him for menial labor—"

"Now there's the pot calling the kettle black," Axel muttered. Roxas wasn't quite sure what that meant, but—oof!

"Rookie!" Phil flung his arms around Roxas's neck, "You're alive!"

This was not what Roxas had been expecting.

oooo

Far below the surface of the world, but not so low as to reach the mantle or core of the planet, there was the Underworld. It was quite large, spacious really, if one could get past the gloomy haze that passed for an atmosphere. Caverns and canyons were the primary landmarks of this barren landscape—no trees or flowers or even grasses. Some claimed to have seen pomegranates growing in a few isolated ares, but this was never confirmed. There was no ocean in the Underworld, just the River Styx, where the souls of the undead lingered. There were further regions, but they were rarely visited and little was known.

Hades, Lord of the Dead, reigned over the Underworld and he was fuming. The flames adorning his head were edging into red with his barely suppressed rage. The imps Pain and Panic were hiding behind his brimstone throne.

"Every time," Hades said in a harsh growl. "Every! Single! Time! All my efforts come crashing down! I put how many years of planning for the uprising at what happens? Wonder-boy and that stinking brat with the Keyblade mosey on in and wreck everything! Yeeeeeeaaaawwww!"

Hades sent out pillars of flame out of his hands in his rage. Normally, this would be a concern, but everything flammable in his throne room had long ago been incinerated. His own throne was an exception, which was why Pain and Panic used it for their hiding place. Not being able to burn anything did not help cool Hades's fiery temper.

"It's been six weeks—how long do you think he's gonna go on about this?" Panic whispered, barely moving his limbs. "He's running out of things to burn.""

"I have never! Ever! Been this angry!" Hades bellowed, throwing balls of molten sulfur around. "Augggh! Lousy, rotten luck! We were so close! We tripped at the finish line!"

"Maybe we can think of some new hobby?" Pain hissed. "Something that doesn't involve fire? Maybe model ship building?

"Wonder-boy showed up on his Wonder-Horse and that Wonder-brat with his Wonder-blade, raaahg!"

Hades stalked over to his throne, his smoky legs brushing aside the soot. His fingers thumped against his thigh.

"Pain! Panic! Get out here!" Hades barked. The imps stepped out from behind his throne, trembling. Hades ground his teeth. His servants were terrified of him, but how could he harness that fear and let it spread? His realm, his domain, the Underworld…it wasn't enough. Not nearly enough. Not with Zeus, Mister Hey-You-Get-Off-My-Cloud lording it up on Mount Olympus.

"We need a new plan, boys. A bigger, better plan. Zeus is gonna fall, and then I'm gonna be in charge!"

"But that didn't work last time!" Panic protested, cringing as he realized he had just contradicted the Lord of the Dead.

"I know! I know it didn't work last time! I was there!" Hades thundered, flaring up red again. "Now, do either one of you two idiots have anything remotely resembling a suggestion?!"

"I might be able to help you there, hot-head," A familiar voice sounded. Hades looked right and left, and then back again. His chambers were empty, save him and the two idiots. But that voice…it could't be.

"Show yourself," Hades snapped. "I'm in no mood for games."

A dark portal emerged out of nowhere, and a large figure in red and blue armor stepped out of it. He vaguely resembled a cat, only more obese than even Hephaestus. And stupider than Ares. Pete, Maleficent's lackey. Maleficent's lap-cat.

"What do you want?!" Hades spat. "I told you before! I do not! Want! Any! Heartless! Every time I use them, that blasted brat shows up. Sora! Grraaah! Let me you if you find something that can get rid of that kid!"

"Didn't ya hear?" Pete chuckled. "That little goody-two-shoes ain't around no more. He's caput! Swimmin' with the fishes!"

"Wha?" Hades raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, he's gone? 'Cause I sure ain't got him!"

It didn't seem possible, as welcome as the news would have been. Hades was Lord of the Dead. Dead people were his specialty. Nobody who died in Olympus escaped the clutches of the Underworld. Even people who were from Somewhere Else, like Auron, would wind up floating forever in the River Styx, provided they fell in Olympus. And more than once, Hades had felt the demise of people in far-off worlds.

"Well as happy as I am to hear that Wonder-brat is no more," Hades snapped, "that doesn't actually solve my problem. So get out of my throne room."

"Perhaps, we can help one another," a second voice called. "More than once, we have helped one another." Hades groaned. More regal than stupid ol' Pete, and much more of a powerhouse, Maleficent. The old witch walked through the portal, her robes black as pitch, her face the same pale grey-green. While what she said was true, Hades was not in the mood for any more deals.

"Every time we work together, it backfires," Hades growled, the flames on his head prickling ominously. "Every time. Your Heartless, they're nothin' but trouble. And they don't work! So unless you got something better, some other sorts of monsters that can replenish my army, I don't want any part of this! I don't want any other world! I want this one!"

"That's not why we're here, Lord Hades."

Hades blinked as a third figure emerged from the dark portal. Hades didn't recognize this one. He wore a cloak, almost like the ones those creeps from Order XIII wore. Wait, was it Order XIII, or something else? Organization Something Something? Eh, that didn't really matter. Hades hand't seen one of those losers in ages.

"Oh yeah?" Hades said quietly. "Then enlighten me! I'm in a bad mood, and I'm running out of things to take it out on."

"You seek conquest," the third figure said. "So do we."

"Yeah, I gathered that from the Invade All Worlds And Flood Them With Darkness thing," Hades scowled. "Tell me something I don't know."

"Hmmm," Pete said, tapping his massive chin with a fat finger. "Well, that shrimpy squirt Sora's not here no more, but there are other runts with Keyblades running about."

"Yeah, yeah—that Riku kid that used to help us out got his hands on one," Hades said. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, you said runts. That's plural. How many of them are there?"

"Let's see…there's that Riku and the Princess, and them three from way back," Pete began counting on his fingers, while Maleficent clenched her teeth. The third figure, whose name Hades still did not know, grimaced. Or at least, he appeared to—it was hard to tell with that stupid hood over his face.

"The ones you must concern yourself with are Roxas, Xion and Lea. They have come to this world."

"Never heard of 'em," Hades said. "I hardly need a reason to take out a Keybearer, but why are they here?"

"Yeah," Panic said in his squeaky little voice. "Why are they here? Hades hasn't done anything in ages."

"Lines have been crossed," Maleficent said. "Lines between the living and dead. And this world, it may well be the key."

"What?" Hades scoffed. "Nobody can physically leave the Underworld. No exceptions, once you're here, you're stuck. I can pull a soul out of the River, but that's as far as it goes. If you leave here, you vanish. I'm not even sure what happens to someone then."

As it was, Hades never had seen that loser Auron in ages, ever since the runt had gotten Wonder-boy out of his funk. Darned shame too—Auron had nearly gotten rid of Jerkules for good.

"Let us, if you will excuse the expression, cut to the chase," Maleficent said. "We require your assistance in this world, and in return for your services, we will grant you your wish."

"What I wish is for you to get outta my face!" Hades retorted. "Go on, vamoose!"

"We have something that you may find quite valuable," the third figure said. "This may well be a tool you find most valuable."

The figure held out his hand, and a whirling ball of darkness, purple and black with a thread of silver, emerged. A moment later, and he held out a sword. A long lethal blade, with a curved edge, almost like a sickle.

"A sword?!" Hades shouted. "You know how many swords I have down here?"

"Not many," Pain whispered. "On account of most of them got melted."

"Given your current state of affairs, I will ignore your outburst. This is not just any sword," Maleficent said. "This weapon will allow you to take advantage of the thinning of the veil between life and death. This blade will allow you to take charge of your own destiny and remake this world in your own image."

"How so?" Hades asked. 

"That sword is made of a substance long lost to this world," Maleficent purred. "It is made of mordite."

"Mordite?" Hades was stunned. He hadn't expected this. How very, very interesting. "This does change things. You know what, you guys are alright! I'm in. I'll be in touch."

Maleficent gave a sinister smile, Pete chuckled to himself, and the third figure gave a brief nod. The three turned around and walked back through their dark portal, closing it being them. Once again, Hades was alone in his throne room with Pain and Panic. And his sword of mordite.

This was something! This could change everything! Oh, Wonder-boy was in for it now!

"That's an awfully nice-looking sword boss," Pain said. "Um…but what's so special about it?"

"Oooh! I know! I know," Panic squealed. "Mordite's an ancient metal, and weapons made from it, they have special properties."

"Bingo!" Hades shouted. "This will allow me to finally get one over on Zeus-y. This will allow me to…kill a god."

ooo

Chapter Text

Chapter Twelve: Training and Tempers

Xion blinked in surprise, but a smile spread across her face as the little goat-man Phil hugged Roxas. How nice that Roxas had made such a good friend here. When she was in the Organization, she’d never been allowed to talk to any of the locals of the worlds she visited. But Roxas had made a friend, someone who had apparently really missed him. Come to think of it…apart from her and Axel, and the group hugs with Hayner and Pence and Olette, she wasn’t sure anyone had ever hugged Roxas before. 

“Er…hi, Phil,” Roxas said awkwardly. He rubbed the back of his neck as Phil released him. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too, Rookie!” Phil grinned and pumped his fist. “You never came back after you won your tournament, and then, well, a lot of bad stuff went down. And I figured you got caught up in it.”

“Stuff?” Roxas asked. “What sort of stuff?”

“Where should I start?!” Phil grunted. “A few weeks after you left, Hades attacked the Colosseum with the Hydra! Herc had already been run ragged, and then…it was messed up. Hades tricked Herc into running to the Underworld, and then the Hydra ran rampant. The Colosseum was leveled and hundreds of people were killed!”

“Hundreds?!”

“And then Hades tried to open up the Underdome—his own personal colosseum—and that was a mess too. And just a couple months ago, not even, Hades attacked the city with swarms of those blasted Heartless!” Phil began jumping up and down, caught up in the moment. “Turns out that was a distraction for an even bigger plan of his, to take over the whole world with the Titans!”

What are titans? Are what’s a hydra, some sort of dragon? Xion turned her head—both Isa and Axel looked a little ill. She couldn’t blame them. The very idea of hundreds of people having been killed. It had been bad enough when it had just been twenty people fighting in the Keyblade Graveyard…and what happened to Kairi. 

Don’t start crying…this is your chance to atone. To do good things. And make people happy…

“Hydra? Titans? Hades…he’s the ruler of the Underworld, right?” Roxas asked. “How did you guys fight him?”

“Well, Herc’s the best hero I ever seen,” Phil said thoughtfully. “He’s the greatest of all time, but even he needed help with that one.”

“Did…did Sora help him?” Xion asked, a lump forming in her throat. This could be what they’d been searching for. If Hades were interfering again…and Sora wasn’t here to help, then she’d do it. It was only fair. It was her turn to help people. 

“You know Sora?” Phil asked. “Heh, stupid question, who doesn’t know Sora? Yep, that half-pint’s tougher than he looks, and he helped Herc out quite a bit.” 

“He…helped me out a while back. I was…ill and Sora got me some medicine,” Roxas explained, scratching the back of his head. Xion nodded, mostly to herself. She didn’t like the idea of lying, but that was more a half-truth. Sora restored Roxas to having a body again, and that was sort of like giving him medicine. 

“Haven’t seen him since that last time with the Titans,” Phil said. “But it really is great to see ya, Rookie. Now, whose your friends?”

“Oh…um, this is Xion and that’s Isa…and Lea.”

“It’s nice to meet you, sir,” Xion said politely. Isa gave a curt nod and Axel—We really should be calling him Lea, if we’re not at home—waved as he hoisted the last of the barrels down.

“Bah!” Phil grunted, and for a moment, he almost sounded like a goat. “Don’t call me sir! Ain’t nobody that calls me sir, capiche?”

“Oh!” Xion felt her face redden. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you!” How could she have been so stupid?

“Huh, forget about it kid. It’s not like you knew. And lighten up, you’re not in trouble,” Phil scratched his little beard thoughtfully. “Now, if you’re a friend of Rookie’s, then I’m betting you like training too.”

“Um…sort of, I guess…” Xion said. A half-forgotten memory itched at the back of her mind. In the Organization…they’d been allowed a single vacation day. Axel had spent the entire day napping. “I did spend my vacation training to get better at fighting.”

“You spent your vacation training?” Phil’s mouth fell open and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “Not even Herc’s that devoted these days.” 

“Er, anyway, Phil, we had some questions,” Roxas said. “And it’d be great if you could tell us…”

“First thing’s first, Rookie! You’ve missed a whole bunch of training!” Phil grinned wickedly. “I’ll answer your questions but first, you’re gonna run a few laps around the arena. All four of you!”

“What?!” 

“You can’t be serious!”

Xion nodded quickly and turned towards the arena. It was a perfect square, with tall pillars lining the perimeter. Roxas took off into a sprint on the path between the arena and the seats. Xion pushed herself as hard as she could to keep up with him, Isa and Axel protesting as Phil pushed them towards the path. In no time, Roxas was pulling ahead of all of them, while Isa and Axel—Lea—brought up the rear. She wasn’t quite sure how this was helping their mission, but maybe Phil would be more willing to answer questions if they were cooperative too. It was only fair. 

The thought occurred to her that Phil might not actually know what was going on—or whether Hades was even taking action at all, if he’d been so recently beaten by Sora. Still, it did feel pretty good to run. Roxas was way ahead, as usual. 

“C’mon slowpoke!” Roxas called. “Can’t catch me!”

Xion’s eyes narrowed. She was not a slowpoke—Roxas was just really fast. Or maybe Isa and Ax—Lea were the slowpokes. She turned her head for a moment—they were way behind. Xion was surprised. While Roxas was faster than her, she didn’t usually beat Lea at running.

After a while, but Xion wasn’t quite sure how long, Phil began waving his hands, motioning for them to stop. Roxas came to a stop easily. Xion skidded to a stop, digging the toes of her heels into the dirt. Owww. 

“Alright, Rookie!” Phil jumped up and down, “That’s what I like to see! You got forty laps in! And you, girl—Xion was it? You tied with him!”

“Forty laps?” Xion panted. “Is that good? We met your expectations?”

“Good?” Phil scratched his beard. “Of course, it’s good! You know, Rookie was just the same, asking weird questions like that. Do they even have compliments from where you two are from?”

“Thank you, Phil,” Roxas said quickly, before Xion could say anything else. He walked over to Xion and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Glad we could measure up.”

“Augh…my heart…” Lea crumpled onto his hands and knees while Isa leaned against a pillar, wheezing. “My legs…my lungs…mostly my heart…”

Dread filled Xion’s insides, icy cold. This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t. Lea—Axel—Lea couldn’t be hurt. How could he possibly be hurt? Could something have struck him? An unseen attack from some Heartless or Nobody? Lea was pale, too pale.

“Hey, don’t go dyin’ on me!” Phil shouted.”Do you have any idea how bad that looks?!” 

The little satyr reared back and kicked Lea in the back of his leg. Lea made a noise that was somewhere between a yelp, a shout and…a whine. Maybe he wasn’t as badly hurt as Xion feared. The dread in her gut lessened considerably. 

“Yow! Watch where you’re kicking!” 

“Well, stop being so melodramatic!” Phil snapped. “Who do ya think you are, ya big softy? Sophocles?” 

“You’re really okay?” Roxas asked. “If you’re tired, um, Lea, you can take a rest.”

“Stop? C’mon, you just started!” Phil protested. “And if Rookie can go forty laps without breaking a sweat, and the little one can keep a decent pace with him, you two have no excuses! Rule Number 13: If you wanna be a hero, then you’re gonna have to be willing to put work into it!”

“But we didn’t come here for training,” Lea argued. “And what about answering our questions?”

“Hmmm…alright, fine,” Phil said. “Okay Roxas, fair is fair. I’ll answer a couple questions, but then you’re gonna have to get some more work in before I answer any more. Got it?”

“Alright then,” Roxas looked over his shoulder to Xion and his voice dropped to a whisper. “What should we ask?”

Xion chewed her lip. They’d have to be careful in phrasing this. Phil seemed to really like Roxas, but if he didn’t know anything, it might not be a good idea to worry him with a poorly phrased question.

“Phil, we were wondering,” Xion began. “You mentioned that Sora helped you guys out a while ago. Um, has anything else bad been happening since then?”

“As a matter of fact there hasn’t been,” Phil said. “Clean-up’s been pretty rough, but we’re getting pretty close to being done there. And just in time too! The next round of tournaments is starting up in just a couple days!”

“Next round of tournaments?” Roxas and Xion asked in unison. Phil blinked in surprise but then shook his head.

“Ah-ah, both of youse, push-ups,” Phil said. “Then I’ll give more details.”

Roxas and Xion looked at each other, and shrugged, before dropping to all fours to start doing push-ups. If it got the job done, it got the job done. Hades wasn’t planning anything, according to Phil, but that didn’t mean there still wasn’t a threat. The tournaments might give Hades an opening…they’d have to be prepared.

oooo

Phil, or Philoctetes as he was known to his mother, was not an idiot. Sure, he wasn’t that great at counting out words, but he knew people. Knew how to read ‘em like others could read scrolls. It came with the territory when you trained heroes—you had to know who was in it for the right reasons. Phil had trained a whole mess of heroes, or at least a whole mess of would-be heroes. There hadn’t actually been a lot of them who’d been worthy to be called “hero.”

In any case, maybe it was because so many bums had let him down that Phil finally got his own head on straight about hero stuff. In between Achilles, who had gotten taken out because of that furshlugginer heel, and Herc, there’d been quite a few scrubs that Phil hadn’t even bothered with. Most had come along thinking that because they’d won a few practice bouts in their hometowns, that somehow made them hero material. Pah! There was a heck of a lot more to being a hero than just waving a sword around. You had to have heart and care about people. 

Herc had proved himself worthy of being trained when he ran in to help protect people from some monsters. Another kid, Zack, had only been a few seconds behind Herc, but fair was fair. How long ago had that been? Ten, no, had to be closer to eleven years? Yeesh, Phil was gettin’ old. Wouldn’t be long before he wound up in that blasted Underworld…

After Herc, Phil hadn’t trained anyone else. Not for years, until Sora and his friends showed up. Now that had been different. At first, it seemed that Sora was just another rookie with a big head. Sure, he was good with his Keyblade, but he hadn’t been the first one of those Phil had seen—heck, the first one of those he’d seen had been before Odysseus was born, and Sora was sure as heck not the most humble either. Waltzing in with Donald and Goofy, saying he was a hero who’d fought a bunch of monsters. But the kid had heart, and courage to spare. He’d run in to face Cerberus, and then competed in a whole mess of tournaments and stared down Hades and he finally began to realize that a true hero got his strength from his friends.

And then something weird had happened. Phil had forgotten Sora entirely. For a whole year, he couldn’t remember any of those “junior heroes.” It had been the darnedest thing. Not long after Sora went “poof” from his mind, Roxas had shown up. 

Now, Roxas had been interesting. People coming to him for training were rarely “interesting.” Here was a kid who did everything Phil told him, barely questioning him at all. And as happy as he’d been to finally have a trainee who didn’t talk back to him, there were a few concerning things. Phil couldn’t stand it when people got a big head, but Roxas was almost weirdly humble. Always wondering if Phil were angry with him, if he made even the tiniest mistake.

Roxas had straight-up disappeared not long after winning his first tournament. Which had been a real shame. He had a whole bunch of potential. Easily “junior hero” at the very least, and Phil had a hunch he could go a whole lot further than that. 

After Roxas vanished, Phil had feared him dead. He wouldn’t have been the first to fall. More than once, a promising rookie had fallen. Achilles had been one of the best and even he had fallen young. That guy, Zack had vanished just a couple years after Phil had started training Herc.

But Roxas was back now, with friends. Which was weird, since before Phil had pegged Roxas as one of the loneliest kids he’d ever seen. Not so much now though—he was a lot more cheerful, well, relatively speaking. The girl—Xion—seemed pretty similar to Roxas, apologizing for things that weren’t her fault. But she was spunky, bouncing up from push-ups like it was nothing. She was a little bit of a thing, even smaller than Roxas. 

It was incredible, really. Roxas had always been diligent, if cautious, in his training. But now, he seemed to be much more enthusiastic, even eager. And Xion was right by his side, matching his every move. They did the same number of push-ups in perfect harmony  and the same number of sit-ups finishing at the exact same time. Phil hadn’t seen synchronization like that since Castor and Pollux, and that had been ages ago, and they were twins besides. The glances they kept stealing at each other were a bit more worrisome though. Last thing Phil needed was for one of his rookies to fall to the spell of Goo Goo Eyes. 

There were two others with Rookie and Xion, and neither one of them looked like much. They were both very tall, practically as tall as Herc, but they were scrawny. As scrawny as Herc had been the first time Phil had met him. But the hair might mean something—one had hair red as fire, and the other blue as the sky. Phil stole a glance towards Mount Olympus and then back at the two tall guys. Stranger things had happened…

“Alright then, Rookie. You and the girl can take five,” Phil trotted over to Roxas and Xion who both eased themselves to the ground. “Now, I’m thinking you two are gonna be just the ticket for the next bout of tournaments.”

“You want us to compete?” Xion asked. There was a note of caution in her voice. And it wasn’t the normal kind either—every now and then there was some greenhorn who was actually honest and wasn’t sure whether they were ready for the big-time. This seemed different, like she was afraid to even be allowed to do it. She really was just like Roxas had been. “Would that make you happy?”

Rookie, just where did you two come from? 

“Of course I want ya to compete!” Phil said, raising his voice for emphasis. “You two could do a real good job! And besides, this tournament’s gonna be bigger than ever!”

“Bigger how?”

“Well for starts,” Phil rubbed his hands together. There was nothing like an audience. “Ir ain’t just combat this time. You know before how it was waves of Heartless? We’re not gonna do that this go ‘round. We’re holding real games this time. There’s gonna be chariot races and wrestling and boxing and shows and sword fights. It’s gonna be a real show for families! Herc’s even bringing his parents! We’re calling it the Zeus Cup!”

“That sounds like fun!” Roxas said and the girl, Xion, was practically bouncing with excitement. Behind them, Phil could see those two tall guys that came in with them look more cautious. Well, actually, the red-haired whiner looked eager, but the guy with blue hair did look more serious. Pah, Phil had never liked sticks in the mud like that. Phil glanced back at Roxas—the kid was looking a little pale. 

“You know the rule, Rookie—you gotta eat something,” Phil said firmly. It wouldn’t do his reputation of Trainer of Heroes any good if his rookie keeled over halfway through a session. “Can’t be a hero if you don’t got fuel.”

Roxas looked back at Xion and shrugged. The girl pulled out a little bag from her cloak pocket and then took out one of those weird Potions. Phil tutted to himself. He never liked those Potions—they tasted like ragweed. The bottles themselves weren’t half-bad, though. And—oh!

“Kid, you’re holding out on me!” Phil waddled over to Xion. “I can smell the pork biscuits!”

The kids stared at him like he had two heads, but Xion handed over her bag. Phil began rummaging through it—yeesh, did she and Sora shop at the same store? There had to be a hundred of those potions and ethers, plus some shiny stuff Moogles might like…and ah-ha! A bag of pork biscuits!

“Thanks kiddo!” Phil took a handful, then handed the bag back. Mmmm…breaded pork biscuits. The girl blushed as she took the biscuits and shoved them back into her bag. 

“Um, Xion,” the tall guy with red hair—the kids said his name was Lea? Probably wasn’t his real name, from the way they hesitated, but whatever. “Where did you get those?”

“The King gave them to me,” Xion said quietly. “I was holding on to them, to share, but I…”

“King? Which one?” Phil asked. If Roxas and Xion were friends with a king, then they might be able to convince him to attend the Games. That could be good or bad, depending on who showed up. King Midas was a hospitable fellow, but Phil had seen his share of lousy kings in his day. 

Phil licked his lips. Nothing quite so tasty as pork biscuits. He ate the lot of them in one swallow, and rubbed his stomach. That his the spot. Now, back to training. Roxas had it in him to be a hero, and Phil was gonna see to it, if it was the last thing he ever did. 

Over the heads of Roxas and Xion, Phil could see the tall guy with blue hair whispered something to the guy with red hair. He gave a curt nod and turned away, back towards town. Phil shrugged, that wasn’t his problem. He turned his attention back to his rookie. 

“You have any other questions about what you’ve missed since you’ve been gone, Rookie?”

“Er, right,” Roxas said. “Have you seen anything like a ghost or something? Like something from the Underworld being around in town?”

That was definitely not a question Phil was gonna answer any time soon. As fond of Roxas as he was—Phil was hardly a hugger—dwelling on the Underworld was asking for all sorts of trouble. 

“Why would you wanna get mixed up in that kind of stuff?” Phil shook his head. “Nah, you don’t want to get mixed up with the Underworld. Hades ain’t to be trifled with. Now, how ‘bout we work on your discus?”

“Sounds good,” Roxas said. “Um…what’s a discus?”

Oy vey…

oooo

Isa walked out of the Colosseum  purposefully, his jaw set tight. While the theory that Philoctetes would be a valuable resource for this mission had not been without merit, the excursion had been almost entirely frutiless. Nearly two hours spent just on training exercises, and not for combat but for frivolous games?! The nerve! It was annoying, no, irksome, that it appeared that he was the only one who seemed to remember what they were here in the first place. 

And so Isa walked. He moved fluidly through the crowded streets of Thebes. People were bustling about this way and that, but Isa was able to side-step most of them. He had never cared much for crowds, but he would manage for today. He winced when he felt something pinch at his neck. A wasp? Blasted little creatures, Isa had always hated them. 

“Get your action figures here!” One vendor called from the open doors of a large store. “A little hero of your own! The Mighty Hercules can be yours!”

Isa would most certainly not be purchasing an action figure. Not The Mighty Hercules nor whatever moniker the denizens of this world had granted Sora interested him. Isa had never liked those kinds of toys—the unblinking eyes were unnerving. 

Back to business then. Their mission from the King dealt with the line between life and death. That meant the Underworld. Isa frowned—the last time the Organization had conducted investigations in this world, Demyx had reported that traveling around the Underworld was very difficult. The land was cursed, draining the energy of living beings, even their life force. Eventually, those who ventured too far into Hades’s domain would forfeit their own lives entirely. The only exception to this was when one carried a powerful artifact called the Olympus Stone. A piece of the Overworld protected you in the Underworld, so to speak. As a non-resident of this world, Isa wasn’t sure whether or not he would be risking his own life if he ventured into the Underworld, but he wasn’t inclined to risk it. 

“Oof!”

Isa turned around quickly and bit back a curse. He hadn’t realized he was being followed. Isa’s expression softened when he realized it was Xion, who had stumbled onto the cobblestones in her haste to catch up with him.

“Hi, Isa!”

“What are you doing here?” Isa asked, as Xion pushed herself back up. “I was under the impression you had decided to partake in that training.”

“Well…Phil was really Roxas’s friend, and I only just met him…and besides, Axel—“ Xion looked over her shoulder, “I mean Lea, er, whatever. We decided we shouldn’t split up. I read in a hiking book, you’re always supposed to have a buddy in case you get lost, so here I am.”

Isa frowned but then wondered why he was frowning. There was definitely logic behind this decision. Certainly, it was a good thing that Xion had come to her senses about the banality of those training sessions. Training in itself was all well and good, but there was work to be done. 

This little brat is just trying to kiss up to you. She doesn’t really want to be with you. She just wants you to spoil her like Axel does.

Where in the world had that come from? Isa shook his head sharply. While it may be true that Xion didn’t necessarily choose to accompany him, she wasn’t a brat. And hadn’t he just yesterday pondered on how to more firmly establish reconciliation between himself and the children?

“Isa? Is everything okay?” Xion’s eyes clouded over in concern. “Listen, I’m sorry about the whole left-you-behind thing. You deserve to be angry about that…”

You deserve to be angry at a lot more things than just that. This little witch stole Lea. He abandoned you and her to be with this pathetic thing. This disgusting creature has brought you nothing but betrayal. 

Isa shook his head again. Xion peered at him, her expression pensive. She wasn’t a witch. She was a child, no more pathetic than any other child. 

“I am not angry. I am…let’s say tense. Come along,” Isa said shortly. “If you’re going to accompany me, then you mustn’t dawdle.” 

xxxx

Isa bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snapping. It was blindingly apparent that Xion did not know what the word “dawdle” meant, and as such, had done almost nothing but. Every hundred feet, she had stopped to help somebody: a child who had gotten a kite caught up on a roof—Xion had climbed up the side of a wall in order to reach it; a young woman who had dropped a brooch down a well—Xion had cast Magnet to fetch it; a stout man with a wagon filled with urns and vases had gotten himself lost and Xion had scurried to the nearest store to purchase him a map. 

This was getting ridiculous. When they had arrived in this world, it had taken them nearly half an hour to reach the Colosseum after encountering the boy with the action figures. It had taken them nearly twice that to go roughly the same distance. 

“Xion! That is enough,” Isa growled, rubbing the back of his neck—the wasp sting was very painful. The very nerve of this. They had somewhere to be! There was a mission to be completed! 

“I’m just trying to help,” Xion responded curtly, though Isa noted an edge of disrespect in her voice. “Besides, I was able to buy a second map for us. Mount Olympus is that way, about two miles…”

She turned on her heel without a word, walking quickly, almost rapidly. Isa tore after her and before he knew it, they were in the outskirts of the town.

“Where do you think you are going?!”

“Don’t you listen?” Xion asked. “Mount Olympus. If anyone would know anything, it’d be the people who live there.”

“And why would we go there?” Isa snapped. “That’s the exact opposite of where we should be going! The last time we had dealings in this world, Demyx stole one of their artifacts.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” 

“You’re wearing Organization robes, foolish girl!” Isa blurted. “For all you know, they will attempt to apprehend, if not outright attack you, on sight! Use your common sense, Number XIV, for once!”

Xion’s lip became very thin and she didn’t respond.

Good, now you can have some peace and quiet. It is a complete inconvenience that you be saddled with Number XIV. 

Her name is Xion. Isa shook his head fiercely, as if he had water in his ears.  What was going on? Why was he so snappish? Isa stared up towards the sky, his brow furrowed. What was going on? He has wanted reconciliation. He wanted to properly become the children’s friend, hadn’t he?  

Isa’s concentration was broken when he heard what sounded like wood falling on rocks. But it wasn’t like a tree falling. This was more like—

“Look out!” 

A wooden wheel hurled towards them, and Isa had to jump down to protect himself. Isa cursed under his breath and tilted his head upward. 

“Oh my goodness! Are you both alright?”

A short old man with a hunched back and a long white beard walked over towards them. He looked so frail, the slightest gust of wind might blow him over.  

“We’re fine,” Isa said tersely, biting the inside of his cheek. He could feel anger bubbling up in his gut. 

“I’m not sure what happened,” The old man looked from Isa to Xion and back again. “But ol’ Penelope…oh my, oh my…”

“Do you need some help?” Xion asked, holding up the wheel. Isa chewed the inside of his lip—the wheel was nearly as long as Xion was tall. “I can help you put it on, sir.”

“You’d do that?” The old man asked. “Why, that would be wonderful.”

“Sure!” Xion chirped. She scurried over towards a wagon about two hundred feet away. It was leaning ajar on its axis. A plump woman with grey hair was consoling a donkey. The old man walked up behind her. Isa stayed behind, the pain in his neck increasing. 

“Poor Penelope,” The woman murmured, patting the donkey on the head. “It’s alright, now. Oh, thank you for helping us dear.”

“Of course,” Xion answered in a nauseatingly sweet tone. “It’s my job to make others happy.”

“How can we make sure the wheel doesn’t fall off again?” The old man asked. “Someone could have been hurt.”

“I think I can help with that too,” Xion took a few steps back and summoned her Keyblade. She pointed it outward and a beam of light extended from the edge of the blade. The beam connected with the axle of the wheel, and for a moment, the entire wheel glowed white. As it faded, the axle appeared darker. Magic must have sealed it, rendered it unbreakable.

“I think that should make sure it doesn’t ever break off again,” Xion said. “So, you won’t have to worry about it falling off. Do you like it?”

“Like it? This is wonderful!”

Xion beamed and for a moment, Isa could see how Lea was drawn to making her happy. It was very pleasant. 

Number XIV is a spoiled rotten brat who is constantly undermining you! 

“Come along, Xion,” Isa said, articulating every word more carefully than he otherwise would have. He could feel the tension in his shoulders but snapping at her—telling the truth and saying what needed to be said—would not be a good idea, especially in front of people she had just helped. 

“Oh, do let us give you a ride into town,” The woman said. “There’s plenty of room for you and your sister in the back of our wagon. And Penelope will hardly notice.”

SISTER?!  

Before Isa could object, that they had just come from town, and that he had no intentions of going back into the crowded streets of Thebes so soon, Xion immediately answered for him. 

“That would be very nice, thank you.”

The tension in his shoulders increasing, Isa took a seat in the wagon, as far away from Xion as he could. Part of this was due to his disgruntlement at her insolence, but there was also the not-insignificant factor that he was much taller and the wagon was clearly not designed for someone with as long legs as his to sit comfortably. Xion—little midget—did not have such concerns. 

“We’re on our way to the Colosseum, to see our son,” The old man said. “It’ll be very nice to see him again.”

“Son?” Xion asked curiously. “Is he competing in the Games?”

“You might say that,” the woman answered. “Our boy’s come such a long way.”

Leave it to Xion to strike up an entirely pointless conversation with two effective strangers. An absolute waste of valuable mission time. She was clearly using this as an excuse to get back at Isa for his well-founded concerns about how investigating for their mission. 

“Oh, we should introduce you, dear. I think you and our Hercules would make quite good friends.”

HERCULES?! 

Perhaps this wasn’t such a waste of time after all. 

oooo

High above the streets of Thebes, or the dirt roads that led into town, there were many cliffs and mountains. Looming over the city and countryside, Hades, Lord of the Dead…was not throwing a tantrum. Accompanying him as always were his imps, Pain and Panic. He stood before another immortal, one whose services he would need if this little plan were to be even halfway successful.

The immortal was very tall, though not quite as tall as Hades. While Hades emitted blue flames from grey skin, the second immortal had green skin and hair. Neither of them liked each other—frankly, neither of them liked anyone. 

“You want to take over Olympus, again?” The immortal sighed deeply. “Doesn’t it get old, trying the same thing over and over and over? It hasn’t worked.”

“I know! I know it hasn’t worked! Why do ya think I came here?” Hades snapped. “Look, isn’t this something you want? You feed on discord, Eris! Think of the discord that will spread all over the world once I finally get rid of Zeus!”

“That is true… “ Eris said thoughtfully, though her expression betrayed no emotion. “I do enjoy discord….”

“I need a favor,” Hades said. “A favor that only you can provide. So whaddaya say we help each other out? You scratch my back, I scratch yours.”

“Ugh…” Panic whispered. “I hate it when we have to scratch his back.” 

“We have helped one another before,” Eris said. “Goodness knows, nobody else on Olympus will have anything to do with me after the incident with the fairest apple.”

“Yeah, who’d have thought a little spat over that apple would turn into a ten-year war. Not that I’m complaining,” Hades said. “I mean, that was the one time I got the best end out of everything—tens of thousands of souls wound up with me, thanks to that.”

“Yeah, and I hear the apple didn’t even taste good!” Pain said, grinning stupidly. “I mean, who fights a war over a crummy apple?”

“What are you insinuating?” Eris asked, raising an eyebrow. “I worked hard to grow that apple.”

“Oy! What did I say back in the Underworld?” Hades snapped. “If you’re not gonna behave, then you get to be target practice for the mordite!”

“Gah! Pain didn’t mean anything by it,” Panic squeaked. “He was just…um…er…Hades rules?

For the briefest moment, Eris looked almost astonished at the mention of “mordite.” But you didn’t become the Goddess of Discord by collecting bottle caps. She quickly composed herself and locked 

“Very well,” Eris said. “For the next forty-eight hours, you’ll have my services.”

“Perfect,” Hades said. “I’m gonna need you to shoot your little arrows at a few little yahoos, and get them out of my hair. You think you can handle that?”

“Is that all? That is nothing!” Eris said loftily. When she was defending herself, she had a tendency to speak in more old-fashioned ways. “I can create such divisions that even the closest bonds will be forever broken. A man would raise his sword against his brother if I will it.”

“Yeah, yeah—see that’s all well and good when it’s Etocles and Polynices,” Hades said rapidly. “But I’m talking about some brats with Keyblades. Think you can handle them?”

Hades strode over to the edge of the cliff. Far below them was the city of Thebes. Down there were his targets—Roxas, Xion, and Lea. Hades ground his teeth—those Keyblade brats always wound up with the weirdest names. He’d have Eris shoot her arrows down. Spread the discord. Those little interlopers wouldn’t know what hit them—and it would give Hades just the in he needed to strike down Zeus once and for all. 

“What’s my first target?” Eris asked, drawing her bow and cocking an arrow. 

“There—the little one and the one with blue hair,” Hades scratched his chin thoughtfully. He had kept taps on those Organization yahoos, though Maleficent had known more—and hadn’t shared her information. He recognized the runty girl as one of the Keybearer brats—yeesh, even runtier than Sora that one was. The blue one would make quick work of her, once the discord set in. That brat—Xion, was it? Whatever—point was, she’d be dead, and in his clutches by dinnertime. 

Chapter Text

Chapter 13: Parents, Pleading and Plots

Roxas twisted his wrist and sent Oathkeeper flying towards the barrels he had helped Phil set up. His Keyblade whirled about, as if on an axis. It collided into a barrel at the far end of the arena, and then returned to his hand. 

“Not bad, Roxas,” Axel smirked, balancing his Keyblade in his left hand. Axel flicked his wrist and it glowed briefly before taking the form of his old chakram. “But check this out.” Axel sent his chakram flying, and it spun through the air, hitting a target dummy set up on a pillar in the center of the Coliseum. 

“Now that’s more like it!” Phil pumped his fist. “I knew there had to be somethin’ special about ya, Tall Guy!”

“The name’s Lea,” Axel said smugly. He pointed a finger to his temple. “Got it memorized, Goat-boy?”

“Who ya callin’ Goat-boy?”

Roxas chuckled. This felt good. It had ages since he had been able to come back here—ages since he had last trained with Phil. It was funny, in a way, seeing Axel—Lea—whatever get some training too. If they didn’t have this whole realm-of-death thing hanging over their heads, then they might even have been able to compete in the games.

According to Phil, Hades hadn’t been involved with things lately. Of course, “lately” was a relative term. Phil also changed the subject when Roxas had asked if there were such things as ghosts. Roxas knew he didn’t know everything—but, c’mon, he didn’t ask nearly as many questions as he used to. And he knew that Phil wasn’t telling him everything. If there was one thing that Roxas absolutely hated, it was having secrets kept from him. 

“So whaddya say, Rookie? You and your friends gonna compete?”

“I would like to,” Roxas said. “But…look, Phil, I know I haven’t been around for a while, but I know we’re not really that close, but—“

“Hey Phil, you got a couple new trainees? Good to see…wait, Ven?”

Roxas turned around in surprise. It hadn’t been the first time he had been mistaken for Ven, but he hadn’t been expecting it here. At the entrance to the arena was a young man with thick chestnut hair and thicker muscles. He wore a bronze tunic, with a blue cape. Roxas had never formally met him, but there was no mistaking the sudden burst of joy in his chest. This man was one of Sora’s closest friends. This… was Hercules. 

“Ven, is it really you?” Hercules broke into a run, his sandaled feet pounding against the dirt. “Oh, man—it’s been years!”

Oh, that was right. Ventus and his friends, Terra and Aqua, had been to this world before. And it stood to reason they would have met Phil and Hercules.

“Herc, I don’t know what olives you’ve been eating, but that ain’t Ven,” Phil grunted. “He’s one of the rookies I mentioned a while back.”

Hercules blinked twice and then shook his head rapidly, like he had water in his ears. He held a hand against his head.

“Man, I don’t know what I was thinking—I mean, Ven was older than me back when we first met, and that was ages ago.”

“Er, it’s alright,” Roxas said, scratching the back of his head. “Ven’s a friend of mine. A lot of people get us mixed up.”

As it happened, this was actually quite true. They had only gotten together with Ven and his friends a handful of times since everything went down in the Keyblade Graveyard, but nearly everyone had called Roxas by the wrong name at least once. Aqua and Xion were the only ones who hadn’t called Roxas “Ven” at some point. Riku and Terra had suggested they could wear name tags. Kairi…hadn’t been able to attend the gatherings.

“Well, a friend of Ven’s is a friend of mine,” Hercules held out a large, calloused hand and took Roxas’s gloved hand. Yeesh, he had a strong grip. “Phil’s mentioned you before, Roxas. He training you to be a hero?”

“Um, sort of,” Roxas said. “Most of what I can do, I learned on my own, but Phil was a big help.”

“Oy! Roxas, ya forgetting somebody?”

“Oh! Sorry, Axel,” Roxas grinned sheepishly. “Phil’s met him already, but anyway, this is Axel. He’s my best friend.”

“And your mentor, half-pint,” Axel reached out and ruffled Roxas’s hair. Why did everyone taller than him do that? Axel nodded at Hercules with a wave of his chakram. “And expert in chakrams.”

“And a novice in Keyblades,” Roxas retorted. Hercules’s eyes widened slightly, and then narrowed quickly. His lips pursed into a small, almost sad, smile.

“A very good friend of mine fights with one of those,” Hercules said. “Sora’s the only guy I know who can beat me one-on-one. Didn’t know there were any other guys with Keyblades these days.”

“There’s actually quite a few of us now…” Roxas said. “Sora helped me out quite a bit a while back.” He chewed his cheek. Somehow, talking about Sora didn’t hurt quite as badly as it had back in Disney Castle, or even back home in Twilight Town. That seemed a little peculiar…maybe it was because Sora had liked this world so much. Roxas still had Sora’s memories, though it was mostly emotional connections now, and Sora’s connections to this world had been strong. 

“Glad to hear Sora’s doing better. He wasn’t in the best place last time we saw each other,” Hercules said quietly. His eyes lit up and he looked around the arena. “Wait, did Sora come with you? It’d be great to see him.”

Roxas’s stomach squirmed. Maybe it wasn’t quite as easy talking about Sora as he thought. 

“Sora couldn’t make it this time, but we’ll tell him you said hi. But how about we go one-one-one?” Axel taunted, transitioning his chakram back into his Keyblade, Flame Liberator.

“We’ll have to take a rain check—Axel, was it?” Hercules nodded. “I actually came here to check in with Phil. I just came from my parents, and they’re going to be here by tonight. Father’s putting on a show for the people.”

“Your father?”

“Sora didn’t mention?” Phil asked, tilting his head slightly. “Figures, he always forgets everything. Herc here’s not just a genuine hero, his father is Zeus, King of the Gods.”

“King of the Gods?” Roxas asked. Weird. Hercules was certainly big and strong, but he wasn’t the biggest person Roxas had seen. “Does that mean you’re a prince?”

“Well…you could say that,” Hercules said thoughtfully. Beside him, Roxas could see Phil roll his eyes. “But I chose to forego immortality in order to spend my life with the ones I loved here on Earth. Life without the ones I loved would be empty.”

Roxas ducked his head, his eyes prickling. How similar was that to how much he had wanted to stay with Axel and Xion? A life without Axel…without Xion…so long ago, he had deserted the Organization, when it felt like had nothing worth staying there for. Roxas chewed his lip. What about Sora, and everything he had done to save Kairi…at the cost of himself? 

Before Roxas could give further thought to this, there was a shuffling at the entryway to the arena. Xion was walking through and she didn’t look happy. Wait, what? 

“Hello there,” Hercules said, holding his hand out in greeting. “Are you a friend of Roxas’s?”

“Mister Hercules?” Xion asked politely, though Roxas thought he could hear tension in her voice. “Your parents are here and they asked me, to ask you, if it was alright if Penelope has some of Pegasus’s food?”

“Penelope’s here?” Hercules said eagerly, his smile becoming much wider. “Oh man, Mom and Dad! I didn’t think they’d be coming!”

Hercules broke into a run, excitement practically radiating off him. Xion smiled slightly, but she held her shoulders tight. Roxas frowned. Something bad had happened when she was in town—and where was Isa? They hadn’t even been gone for an hour yet.

Xion walked over to the stands at the far end of the stadium. Roxas turned his head and locked eyes with Axel. His friend gave a brief nod and Roxas walked over to talk to her. If there were something bothering her, then he was going to find out.

oooo

Xion inhaled sharply, her hands clenching into fists. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or scream. She was fairly sure she wanted to get as far away from Isa as possible, with how he was acting. She had gone out there to help him. And if the chance to help others came up, then why shouldn’t she take it? She was a Keybearer. That meant she should help others and make them happy. That was her job.

But she hadn’t made Isa happy, oh no, she had never been able to make Isa happy. No matter what she did, how hard she tried it wasn’t good enough for him. The way he had snapped at her for thinking they should go to Mount Olympus was awful. She had been trying to help! 

Xion glared at her hands. Gloves. Black gloves that matched black robes. Organization robes. Organization XIII.

Okay, maybe Isa had a point that wearing her robes had been stupid, especially since Demyx had done so much damage in this world…but she really didn’t have any other options. Robes were what she knew how to fight in, and there hadn’t been time to buy anything else after her blouse got ruined. But Isa hadn’t had to be such a jerk about it…she was trying…

Xionexhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves. It wasn’t all bad really, she had met Hercules’s parents, so that was helpful, in its own way. They seemed very nice. Hercules’s mother reminded her a lot of Granny, sweet and gentle. And their donkey Penelope had nuzzled her, almost like Pluto would. Xion had never met a donkey before. That had made her feel a bit better, all things considered.

“Everything alright?”

Xion blinked in surprise as Roxas sat down next to her, so close their legs were almost touching. That made her feel very warm and Xion suddenly felt self-conscious. She didn’t want Roxas to realize how upset she was. 

“Um,” Xion hesitated. She didn’t want to upset Roxas, but she didn’t want to lie either. Lying wasn’t going to help anything. But getting Roxas angry at Isa wouldn't help matters and it’d probably make things worse. 

“Did something bad happen?” Roxas asked gently. He placed a hand over hers and a lump formed in Xion’s throat. “I’m here if you wanna talk about it.”

I’m here if you wanna talk about it… Roxas was here and he wanted to help. Xion tried to return his warm, gentle smile. 

“I’m…I…Isa and I had a fight…” Xion said quietly. True enough, she had been pretty snappish, so one could fairly call it a fight. An argument at the very least. And she wasn’t exactly blameless, even if Isa was a jerk. “He called me a bad name…”

Roxas’s warm smile was replaced in a heartbeat with one of the fiercest glares Xion could remember seeing. Memories from their days in the Organization, where Saïx would call her horrible names came rushing back. Puppet. It. Make-believe. Not good. Xion placed her free hand over Roxas’s and squeezed gently. 

“It was nothing like that,” Xion said quickly. Too quickly. And that wasn’t true, anyway. It was like that. Isa had called her Number XIV.  Why would he have done that in the first place? Isa hated it when stuff from the Organization came up. 

“Then what was it like?” Roxas asked, a hard edge in his voice. He looked ready to summon his Keyblades but that wouldn’t be helpful. That wouldn’t be helpful at all. “After everything he put us through? Put you through? He uses your name Xion. He calls you by your name or he doesn’t get to talk to you at all. Where’s Isa, anyway?”

“He’s just outside the arena’s gates,” Xion admitted. “He wasn’t feeling well…I think he might be sick.”

Actually, now that she thought about it, it could very well be the case that Isa was sick. He still looked very pale. He had gotten so disoriented on their flight to Disney Castle that he had missed just about the entire trip, since he had to lie down. And he hadn’t eaten any of the sea salt ice cream bars for their own Gummi Ship. So, yeah…that could be it. The reason Isa was being such a jerk was ‘cause he was sick and he was probably still a little bit angry, or tense, or whatever, about being left behind. It didn’t justify calling her that name, but it did explain some things. Xion felt a little better, and the lump in her throat loosened somewhat.

Without a word, Roxas thrusted himself off the seat and all but charged towards the opening of the arena. Xion was on her feet in a second, and ran after him. This was bad, this was bad, this was bad. She entered the tiny lobby just as Roxas was exiting it on the other side, back towards the city. She covered the distance and pushed the door back open, just before it closed. 

“Roxas, stop!” 

Roxas was on the bottom of the steps, seething. The courtyard was nearly empty. Hercules was speaking with the nice older farmer and his wife. The donkey, Penelope, was eating out of a trough with.…a magnificent white horse. And the horse had wings! Oh! Xion had to stop herself from rushing over to pet it. She turned back to Roxas, who was staring dead ahead. Isa was standing in a corner, slumped against a very large, golden statue of a warrior with sword and shield. 

“Roxas, please!” Xion begged, reaching out to grip his hand. “Don’t—he’s sick, I think from the Gummi Ship. He’s not thinking clearly.”

“What he said to you was wrong.” Roxas said quietly, and Xion noted that he didn’t jerk his hand away. “He knows how much it hurts your feelings.”

“Roxas!” Xion bit her lip and Roxas locked eyes with her. Intense, protective, bright. Dark blue, just like hers. Just like Ven’s. Just like Sora’s. Sora…

“Who hurt whose feelings now?” 

Roxas and Xion both jumped, and immediately yanked their hands back. Hercules had come to see what was going on. He crossed his arms and even this simple action made his muscles flex.

“Er…” Roxas and Xion said in unison. Hercules was a friend of Sora’s, one of his best friends. But that didn’t mean he was their friend—he was plenty friendly but that wasn’t the same thing.

“Has someone been giving you a hard time, Roxas?” Hercules asked. He frowned slightly and turned his attention to Xion. “Sorry, but I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.”

“Oh, um…my name’s Xion,” Xion said. “It’s nice to meet you, Mister Hercules. Your parents gave me and Isa a ride into town. They’re very nice.”

“From what I hear, they wouldn't have been able to get here in the first place, if it weren’t for you,” Hercules said. “They say that you fixed their wagon after one of the wheels went flying.”

Behind Hercules, Xion saw the old farmer tip his hat and the lady smile and wave. Xion waved back. 

“You’re welcome,” Xion said. “It was the right thing to do.” It’s what Sora would have done, Xion thought to herself.

“Those are your parents?” Roxas asked. He sounded more than surprised—thunderstruck might be a better word. “I, Hercules, should Xion and I bow?”

Hercules looked at Roxas like he'd grown a second head, but then he started laughing. Xion wasn’t sure what was so funny, but she wasn’t sure why she and Roxas would have to bow to Hercules’s parents. They were very nice, but they weren’t the king and queen of Thebes. Or were they? You never knew—King Mickey certainly didn’t look very much like a king. 

“You think that, oh man, that’s a good one,” Hercules said. After a minute, he stopped laughing and looked puzzled. “You two aren’t from around here, are you?”

“Um…we live in a town really far away,” Xion said, ducking her head. It probably was against the rules to elaborate further and she didn’t want to get caught in a lie. “And I know that Roxas has been here a few times, but this is my first visit.”

“Well, welcome,” Hercules said with a chuckle. “See, I have two sets of parents, my mother and father, and my mom and dad. You’ve met Mom and Dad already, and if you and that Axel guy stick around till tonight, you’ll get to meet my mother and father.”

“Er, sure…” Roxas said, and he still looked as confused as Xion felt. “Now, Phil mentioned your father a few minutes ago, but um…if you don’t mind my asking…” He trailed off, and Xion thought that was probably for the better.

Think! Xion silently told herself. Sora had loved this world—so many trips to visit Hercules and compete in the tournaments. Xion squinted at Hercules and she had a sudden image in her head of a being much larger than anyone else she knew, with very thick white eyebrows and beard, with a big purple toga. Oh! That’s right! On his last visit here, Sora had gone up Mount Olympus, to the realm of the gods…and had met their King? 

“We found our Hercules when he was just a baby,” the old farmer said, walking up to them. Xion frowned. He looked very tired. “He was lost and scared and alone, so we brought him home.”

“And we raised him as our own,” the nice lady added. “We had always wanted a child of our own, but we never did have any. For so many years, we thought we’d never have a chance to have any. He was a gift.”

“Oh, Mom,” Hercules blushed. “You and Dad are the greatest parents anyone could have.” 

So that was it? Hercules’s mom and dad had raised him but his “mother and father” had given birth to him. And they were all coming for the Zeus Cup? Xion smiled. That was actually very sweet. 

“Augh!” 

Xion whipped her head around, and felt a surge of guilt. She had nearly forgotten Isa, who had dropped to his hands and knees. Xion’s stomach leapt into her throat and she hesitated only a moment before walking towards him. She pulled a Potion out of her pocket—something told her that Isa was going to need it. 

“Oh my goodness!” 

Hercules’s parents looked horrified; Roxas glowered in annoyance and Hercules looked alarmed. 

“Hercules,” his father said quietly. “Do you know that man?”

“He’s a friend of ours,” Roxas said. He followed Xion and crouched down beside Isa. “Mostly Axel’s, but also ours.”

“He doesn’t look so good,” Hercules said, walking forward as well. “Was he with you earlier with Phil? Could have overdone the training. It can be harder than it looks, and if you try to do too much at once, you can get sick.”

Roxas and Xion looked at each other, and then back down at Isa. He was breathing heavily, but something was different. It wasn’t ragged, not like how it’d been in the Graveyard when Saix had been destroyed. It reminded Xion more of how she’d feel after her fainting spells, back in the Organization. 

“Isa…” Xion said quietly, biting her lip. “Isa…I have a Potion, if you need it?”

“It’s no good…” Isa groaned. “Xion, it’s not going to work.”

“Er, I think it’s okay,” Xion said. “I got it back home, and I made sure it wasn’t expired. Take it, you’ll feel better.”

“Not what I meant, foolish, sweet, foolish girl,” Isa growled. He shook his head fiercely. “Something’s wrong…you need to leave before I…”

“Before you do what?” 

“Raaah!” Isa shouted. “Are you so completely devoid of intelligence that you lack the ability to self-preserve?” 

Startled at his outburst, Xion leapt to her feet. Isa jerked his face towards Xion and she felt her blood turn to ice. His eyes were flickering. No…this couldn’t be happening. Stay green…stay green…stay green…

“Raaah!” 

Isa held out a hand and he summoned his claymore. The blade was longer than Xion or Roxas was tall. Xion screamed and jumped backwards, summoning her Keyblade. Kingdom Key felt warm in her hand, like an old friend. Her knees trembling, Xion raised her Keyblade and pointed it towards Isa. She didn’t want to do this. Please Isa… 

Isa charged forward, raising his claymore above his head. Xion parried his first blow and the force of their collision knocked them both back. Xion dug her heel of her boot into the dirt, slowing her slide to a stop. Ow. Isa stood back up and turned his claymore to her again. Xion braced herself to defend herself as Isa charged. In a flash, Roxas leapt in front of her and blocked Isa’s claymore with his Keyblades. Gripping Oathkeeper tight in one hand, Roxas twisted his wrist and sent Oblivion flying. Rather than trying to deflect it back at them, Isa threw himself onto the ground. 

“What are you thinking?!” Roxas shouted. “Don’t even try this. You know we’re way stronger than you!”

“Run!” Isa shouted. “Xion, Roxas, I implore you! Leave now before I lose control comple—“

The rest of his warning was cut off by Hercules punching Isa in the face. Isa shouted out in pain and dropped back to his hands and knees. His claymore clattered to the ground and then vanished. 

“Back off the kids,” Hercules snapped, his massive muscles bulging and his fists clenched. He stepped in front of Roxas and Xion protectively. “Or I won’t hold back next time.”

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Herc!”

Xion blinked in surprise, and glanced over her shoulder. Hercules’s parents were standing at the doors to the lobby, and Phil and Axel were rushing towards them. 

“What’s going on here? Isa?!” Axel darted forward, Flame Liberatror in his hand. He glared at Hercules. “Why did you hit my friend?”
“He was right to do it Lea,” Isa panted. “I keep trying to tell them something’s wrong, but they won’t listen.”

“Isa…” Xion whispered. She lowered her Keyblade but didn’t dismiss it. Not yet. She took step forward in trepidation, before Roxas threw a hand protectively in front of her. Isa raised his head and Xion flinched, and then punched the side of her leg for flinching. Whatever had happened—Isa needed help and he needed it now.

“What do you mean, something’s wrong?” Axel asked, through clenched teeth. “You were fine when we got here.”

“It’s come on all at once. It began when Xion followed me into town, and began to divert from the path.” 

“I was trying to help people.”

“I know, I know. I know…but that’s definitely when it began. It feels like there’s something that is trying to tear me apart. A rabid wolf in my stomach, hungry for anger and feeding off animosity. And my neck…it’s killing me, like a vice,” Isa groaned. “Idiots the lot of you, deviating from our goals.”

“Stop it,” Axel snapped. “Isa, you’re not thinking clearly.”

“You say it’s your neck that’s bothering you?” Hercules asked, raising an eyebrow. “Hmm…”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Easy, Roxas,” Hercules said, holding up a hand. “I think I know somewhere we can take your friend where he won’t be able to hurt anyone.”

“Yes, please,” Isa croaked. “I must be contained before I lose myself completely.”

Axel froze and Xion felt her legs begin to shake involuntarily. Hercules helped Isa to his feet and half-dragged, half-carried him back through the lobby and then the arena proper. At the end of the arena, there was a small opening in one of the walls. It was almost like a tiny room. Hercules pushed Isa inside and then pulled down a set of bars, shutting him up inside. 

“A prison cell?!” Axel shouted, raising his hand to summon Flame Liberator again. “That’s your idea of help?!”

“Not a prison cell,” Hercules explained quickly. “This is just one of our chambers where contestants wait their turn for tournament. The bars are for protection from outside projectiles. Your friend will be safe here until we can figure out what exactly happened to him.”

“While I cannot say that I find this situation particularly comfortable,” Isa said in an even tone, “I can acknowledge the practicality. Thank you, Hercules.”

oooo

Lea ground his teeth and tried to keep from lashing out at everyone. The six of them—the Keybearers plus Isa—and Hercules and Phil, formed a loose circle, near Isa’s chamber-that-totally-was-a-prison-cell. Hercules’s parents, or at least one half of his parents (Lea was fuzzy on the details there) were resting at a far end of the stadium, out of earshot. 

“Okay,” Phil scratched his weird little beard. “Now this came on, all of a sudden? And it’s like something clawing at you from the inside?”

“We’ve been over this already,” Isa growled. “I appreciate that you did not hear the prior conversation but I only repeat myself because the others lack the ability to remember and articulate to you the situation at hand.”

“He always this grumpy?”

Lea shook his head ‘no,’ perhaps too fiercely. Isa was serious and a stick-in-the-mud in the best of times, but this outright hostility wasn’t his style. It was Saix’s, a voice in his ear whispered. Isa isn’t Saix.  

Much to his chagrin, Roxas gave a not-particularly-convincing shrug in response to Phil’s question and Xion…ducked her head and gave the tiniest little shake ‘no.’ Lea exhaled sharply. Clearly, the issues between them were deeper than he had thought. Maybe Isa had been right—a month and a bit of pleasantries did not undo a year of abuse.

“I’m sorry,” Isa whispered and Lea was stricken by how contrite he sounded. “I did not mean that. I was wrong to say it. Please, forgive me.”

Okay, something is seriously wrong. 

“Mister Phil? Mister Hercules?” Xion asked, and Lea noted that both Phil and Hercules looked taken aback to be addressed so formally. “Could something be controlling Isa? Like hypnotism or something?”

“Well, sure,” Phil said, putting his hands on his hips. “Just a few months back, Hades was able to bind the soul of a friend of ours to a little statue. It was a mess, and he nearly did in Herc. Sora was able to help us out of it though, got dubbed a ‘true hero’ for it too.” 

“So is that it? Somebody bound Isa’s soul into a statue and they’re using him like a puppet?” Lea asked. The moment the word puppet left his mouth, he realized it was a mistake. He could see the color drain from Xion’s face. Dammit, he’d think of something to make up for that later. 

“No, this doesn’t seem to be quite the same thing,” Hercules put his hand on his chin. Next to him, Xion made a similar motion. “When I fought Auron, he was soundless, emotionless. It was like someone was leading him on a plow. But Isa’s been loud and trying to stop himself and he told Roxas and Xion to run a couple of times. If your friend is being controlled, it’s not with a soul-bounded statue.”

“Maybe it’s poison,” Roxas suggested. “There’s loads of Heartless that can poison you and make your mind go fuzzy.”

“I did feel something like a wasp sting,” Isa grunted. “But Roxas, you of all people should know that if it were Heartless, then it would have attacked outright. They’re pitiful, mindless. And they would have gone for Xion first anyway, she’s the Keybearer. The rage of the Keyblade is both their greatest allure and the means to their destruction.”

“Well, have you got a better idea?” Roxas asked. “‘Cause Ion and I are the ones making all the suggestions. This is all new to us!”

“Foolish boy!” Isa snapped from his cell. “I did not wish to be dragged into these shenanigans in the first place!”

Roxas gave a particularly rude reply with a word Lea was fairly sure he hadn’t taught him. Isa snapped an even sharper retort and then Roxas suggested they let him out of the chamber so he could punch him. Isa seemed almost ready to accept the challenge. Lea wasn’t sure how much of that was genuinely Isa and how much of it was whatever was influencing him, but regardless, it wasn’t good. Isa had already raised his claymore on Roxas and Xion once today, though Lea had missed most of that confrontation. He had helped break it up, but Lea wasn’t sure what he’d have done had he gotten there earlier.  

“Stop it!” Xion shouted, so loudly it made Phil and Hercules do a double-take and even Hercules’s parents looked up from where they had been tending to their donkey. Xion clutched the sides of her head, looking rather sick. “Shut up all of you! Isa’s hurt bad and we don’t know why and there’s still the stuff with the Underworld we have to figure out and we’re tearing each other apart!”

She gave a small scream of frustration and looked from Lea to Roxas to Isa and back again. Xion began shaking. Lea wanted to reach out a hand to comfort her, but she was sitting directly across from him and he couldn’t reach.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have yelled like that,” Xion apologized. “I’m sorry…I’m just…we’re falling apart and we only just started…and there’s so much strife.”

“Hmmm…” Phil tapped his chin. “Hold on a minute kid, I think you’re on to something…strife.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re from out of town,” Phil said. “You might not have heard, but there’s more creeps out there than just Hades.”

“Right,” Hercules agreed. He turned over towards Isa. “Hold still a sec. This is gonna hurt a bit.”

Before Lea could object, Hercules seized a fistful of Isa’s hair and pulled it upwards. Isa gave a shout of pain and Xion and even Roxas yelped in protest. 

“There! Look, at his neck!” Hercules shouted. “Phil, you were right!” 

Lea darted over and sure enough, there was a large, perfectly round mark on the scruff of Isa’s neck. It glowed an eerie green, but it had been completely obscured by Isa’s long hair. Lea ran a hand through his own mane of red hair. 

“What is that?”

“A mark,” Phil grunted. “From Eris—the goddess of discord. You must have gotten shot with one of her arrows—that was your so-called wasp sting.”

“Never heard of her,” Lea said, pinching the bridge of his nose. Isa gave a sound somewhere between a groan and a whine. 

“Not surprised,” Phil said. “Basically, she likes spreading trouble everywhere she goes. Starts fights, starts wars. It was ‘cause of her that half the cities in Greece went to war with the Trojans.”

Lea had no idea what any of that meant, but he hoped he was able to keep his face straighter than Roxas or Xion, both of whom were wearing identical expressions of cluelessness on their faces. 

“So, is she in league with Hades?”

“Could be,” Phil said. “I mean, Isa here nearly cut Xion in two with that sword of his. Hades would probably love to get his grimy hands on a Keybearer. But then again, Eris may just be in it for herself.” 

“What can we do though?” Xion asked. “Is there a cure? A Potion or maybe we can get a Moogle to make him an elixir?”

“There is a cure, but those won’t work,” Hercules shook his head. “It’ll take a god or goddess to cure a curse from a goddess. I can go up to Mount Olympus and check with my father.” 

“Um…is it alright if I go with Mister Hercules to Olympus?” Xion asked. “I don’t know if Isa would have gotten hurt if it weren’t for me, so it’s only fair that I help get the cure. And I still don’t think it’s a good idea for any of us to go off alone.”

“I’m happy for the company,” Hercules said, “if it’s alright with your friends.”

“Alright,” Lea said. “Xi, you go with Hercules and get the cure. Roxas and I will figure out what else might be going on.”

Yeah, that would work. Lea had an inclination that going to the Underworld itself might be the best option. It was why they were here in the first place, after all. And Hades had to be up to something. Righteous anger burned inside Lea’s belly. He would find Hades and this Eris witch and they were going to pay for what they did to Isa. 

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifteen: Descent to Death's Domain

The sun hung low in the late afternoon sky, casting much of the Coliseum in shadowy half-light. Roxas grimaced. He usually loved sunsets, but not this one. The setting sun matched the dimming mood, and his Organization robes felt hot, especially around the collar. He clenched and unclenched his fists and exhaled sharply.

Xion trembled weakly, looking from the gods of Mount Olympus to the old farmer and his wife, the ones who had actually raised Hercules, to Phil and the lady with brown hair, Megara. She barely held her gaze to Axel and Isa, who was still stuck behind that gate. She wouldn't look Roxas in the eye. She had just finished explaining what had happened: how she and Hercules had gotten to Olympus without any problems; how Hercules had gotten his father to allow Harmonia, the goddess of harmony, to provide an antidote for Isa's curse; how everything had been going so well, only to come crashing down when Hades had attacked and despite Xion's best efforts, she had accidentally wounded Hercules which had led to Hades capturing the hero.

"I am so, so sorry," Xion said, so shakily Roxas had to strain his ears to even hear her. "This is all my fault."

"Don't go blamin' yourself," Axel said and his voice sounded husky, like he had a cold. "Xion, you said Hades teleported away from your shot and it got Hercules instead. It could have happened to any of us if Hades attacked."

Xion bit her lip and ducked her head down. She rubbed her arm awkwardly and winced in pain.

It wasn't her fault! Roxas's insides burned with rage. Every time something bad happened, every single time, Xion always blamed herself. And it was never her fault! Why couldn't she see that?!

"But it's Hercules…and he asked me for help and I hurt him," Xion croaked, her voice on the edge of breaking. She turned her head towards Zeus and bowed her head in shame. "Your son, your Majesty…"

"And I'm the one who should have been helping him. He's my son," Zeus chided gently. "You're only a child. This shouldn't have been your responsibility."

"Responsibility…" Xion nodded weakly. "Then it's my responsibility to fix it. I'll get Hercules back. Promise."

"You're not going in there alone!" Roxas declared. If Xion was going to do something, then he was going to help her, no matter what. "What's mordite, anyway? That's what you said that sword was made of Xion, but I've never heard of that metal before."

"Neither have I," Xion agreed. "Not even from Moogles. Hercules knew about it though."

"Rookie, you gotta be careful with that," Phil waddled over. "Mordite's an ancient metal and the weapons made from it have special powers."

"Like?"

"It's the only substance in this world that can harm a god," Zeus said. "If we're hurt badly enough, it's enough to kill us."

"It's how our son Hephaestus lost his leg," Hera added. "That was so long ago…Oh dear, I thought we had gotten rid of all the mordite."

"So had I," Zeus murmured. "Which makes me wonder who else Hades has aligned with."

Maleficent. Roxas inhaled sharply. This was it then—the fraying of the line between life and death. If Hades had gotten his hands on something that could kill a god…they had to get this sword and destroy it. Roxas wasn't sure what would happen to Hades, but they'd figure that out later.

"We'll get Hercules back, and we'll get rid of the mordite sword too," Roxas nodded at Zeus and Hera. "Piece of cake."

"Rookie, you're a strong one, I don't deny that," Phil shook his head. "But you're forgettin' something."

"What?"

"Two words!" Phil held up his fingers for emphasis. "The! Underworld! Curse! It drains your strength! And even if you had the Olympus Stone, which you don't, Hades is probably gonna be waiting for ya! It's a trap!"

Roxas chewed the inside of his cheek. He had forgotten that part. Most of the others present shared similar expressions of nervousness. Roxas glanced at his gloved hands. Because he'd nearly been tricked by those two little creatures, he hadn't gotten the chance to test whether or not a Dark Corridor could act as a counter to the Underworld Curse. And besides which, Hercules needed help now. Hades, and possibly Maleficent, were a threat now.

"We don't exactly have time to go all the way back up to Olympus and back to get the Stone," Roxas shook his head. "I don't think we have any other option. We're going in."

"You could get hurt!" Phil argued. "Or worse! Look, I'm not much for mushy stuff, but this is serious stuff! I don't want that to happen!"

"Mister Phil," Xion smiled, but the smile didn't match her sad eyes. "You've worked so hard training Roxas to be a hero, and Sora too. And it's wonderful that you want us all safe. But isn't that the most important part of being a hero? Sacrifice? Being willing to do whatever it takes to help others?"

Roxas felt a twinge of satisfaction as Phil's mouth fell open in surprise. The satisfaction turned to guilt almost immediately, since pretty much everyone else looked horrified.

"There's nothin' I can say that's gonna stop you, is there Rookie?"

"No," Roxas answered. Over Phil's shoulder, he locked eyes with Axel. "There's people in trouble."

xxxx

In his year with the Organization, Roxas had visited several worlds, and within Sora, he had glimpsed quite a few more. From what little he had seen, some worlds were rather interesting in their technological advances, others striking in their magical atmospheres. Twilight Town would always have a special place in his heart. By contrast, the Underworld would be a place he would go out of his way to avoid as soon as they got Hercules back.

The air was thick and heavy here. It wasn't like the humidity at the Destiny Islands where there were cool breezes of the shore. This was more like the air itself felt heavy. Roxas wondered whether that was just an effect of being underground—he hadn't spent that much time in caves so maybe that was a possibility. But he doubted many caves stank the way the Underworld did. It smelled wrong here—it was most similar to a batch of tofu Isa had made the month before that had wound up shoved in the back of the fridge.

The water was bad too, sickly green and thick like tar. A far cry from the striking blue of the waters off the shores of Destiny Islands.

It wasn't all bad though. Axel and Xion were with him—Axel had refused point-blank to be left behind this time. That was alright though. Roxas felt more confident with Axel by his side. There didn't seem to be anything the three of them couldn't face, even in the face of an Underworld Curse.

"Something feels off here…" Xion said as they walked down a steep path, ducking under low-hanging stalactites. "I'm not feeling any weaker…Roxas, are you feeling alright?"

"What do you mean?" Roxas asked. He felt fine himself, but that didn't necessarily mean much. Phil had mentioned there'd be a drain on his power. Roxas wondered about that. Before, in the Organization, Xion had siphoned his powers—completely unintentionally—mind you. Regardless, the end result had Xion draining him while making herself stronger. And Roxas had felt himself growing weaker and weaker all during that time. But he felt fine now. A little nervous maybe, but he'd felt a lot worse before.

Which…actually made him even more confused. Granted, they hadn't actually come across any Heartless yet—which was itself a little unusual—but Phil had been adamant about the existence of the Underworld curse.

"Yeah…I feel fine too," Roxas said. "Something doesn't add up."

"Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth," Axel said. "If we're all feeling fine now, we don't want to jinx it."

Roxas had no idea what a gift horse or why someone would want to look one in the mouth (wouldn't it bite?), but Axel had a point. Even if they didn't feel weaker, they were still at an inherent disadvantage—Hades knew they were coming.

"The question then is, how do we turn that around in our favor?" Axel said. Roxas blinked and Axel chuckled. "You were thinking out loud again, Roxas."

"Oh, oops."

"Don't worry about it," Axel smirked. "I got an idea. Listen up, and get this memorized…"

oooo

In the depths of the Underworld, Hades stood in his throne room. He would have sat down, but doing so would have made it harder to look his captive in the eye. He'd finally done it. After all these years, he'd finally captured good ol' Wonder-boy! Hercules strained against the chains binding him, but it'd be no use—specially enchanted to be completely unbreakable by whomever was bound with them.

"I have to say, I like that little raven," Hades sneered, scratching his chin. "What was her name again? Zero-on? Whatever. They must be pretty desperate to use that pathetic thing as a Keybearer. She can't measure up to Sora the Wonder-brat."

"Leave. Them. Out. Of. This," Wonder-boy growled through clenched teeth. Ugh, what horrid manners. He'd wreck his teeth that way.

"Little late for that, Jerkules," Hades grinned his toothiest smile. "If the Keybearers didn't keep making trouble for me, then I wouldn't make trouble for them. Tit for tat. They chose to come to this world, and get in my business."

Wonder-boy didn't look very surprised at that little reveal that his new "friends" weren't from around these parts. Figured. There wasn't exactly a shortage of glory hounds and posers who pushed their way pass the boundaries of their own worlds to fight in that stupid Colisuem. Wonder-boy would have had to meet at least a couple of them over the years, even if it weren't for the brats with the Keyblades.

"They'll beat you," Wonder-boy growled as he strained against his chains again. "They're stronger than you realize. They're like Sora. If they believe with all their hearts, there's nothing that can stand in their way."

"Again with the Sora!" Hades flashed red in frustration. "I got news for yah, Wonder-boy! Sora's gone! Caput! Finished!"

"Liar," Wonder-boy spat. "I'm not falling for that, Hades."

"Eh, hey, nobody believed Cassandra and look how that turned out," Hades shrugged. "No skin off my nose, Wonder-boy. Point is, this is the night when you become ancient history!"

Hades turned his back on Wonder-boy—the yutz wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, so no need to be careful about that. He'd sent Pain and Panic off to grab that brat Roxas and they should be back any minute. Ah yes, Roxas. The Keybearer who'd been stupid enough to work for the Organization, all 'cause he didn't know better. An extremely powerful brat to be sure, but also the one who was arguably closest to Sora. For crying out loud, they had all the same letters in their names. So Roxas, being the closest to Sora, would probably be the most like him—a colossal pain in the neck, but also insanely easy to manipulate. Having Pain and Panic take the form of the Wonder-brat would be just the lure Hades needed to trap Roxas. After that, taking his life would be a piece of cake and Hades would have a Keybearer in his grip permanently.

"You're wasting your time with those two little losers," A voice Hades knew all too well called out. A moment later, Eris appeared from a cloud of green mist. She sat down lazily on his throne—hey, that was his throne! Eris needed to go find her own! And he didn't need her right now—she'd already gotten the tall, blue guy. Who should be killing the little raven any moment now. In retrospect, Hades probably should have killed her then and there, but making her live, for however short a time it'd end up being, with the knowledge that she'd doomed Wonder-boy was pretty sweet too.

"What do you mean I'm wasting my time?" Hades asked. He wasn't in the mood for Eris's mind games, "I'll have you know that those two have…well, they'll get the job done."

"If it makes you happy, you can keep telling yourself that," Eris retorted. "But when it goes south, and it will, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Why are you being so argumentative?" Hades snapped. "You were on board with this earlier!"

"Goddess of discord, I make strife wherever I go. It comes with the territory," Eris rolled her eyes. "And they should be coming into the chamber in three…two..one…"

"Boss! Pain blew the mission!" Panic shouted in his reedy little voice, scuttling up to Hades. "I had Roxas in a perfect spot to get ambushed, and then Pain messed it up.

"What?!"

"Me? No, no, no—it was all Panic's fault!" Pain yelled as he waddled on his short legs. "He's the one who flubbed everything! He's the one who blurted out Wonder-boy's nickname!"

"Well, you were the one who kept on talking after we were cut in half!"

Hades glowered as his two imps began to argue with each other in increasingly high-pitched voices. Pain and Panic were no match for virtually every other immortal being in this world, but in close quarters, they could be rather tenacious. They were more than a match for most of the underlings of the denizens of darkness Hades had worked with in the past. But of course, they couldn't handle leading a gullible Key-brat into his Underworld.

"I gave you one job and you two yutzes couldn't even handle that?!"

"Hehe," Wonder-boy chuckled from the corner. "Some things never change, Hades. Good always beats evil. Your minions can't do anything. And my friends will stop your plans, I believe in them!"

"Nobody asked you, Jerkules!" Hades flared up, the flames on his head turning orange in his rage. "I got a good mind to burn you up, here and now!"

It would be pretty simple to just off Wonder-boy now and be done with it, but Hades was never one for the simple stuff. There wasn't any glory in it. Besides, if he did that, then it would remove any and all reason for the brats to hold back against him. Which could be trouble, if they got their mitts on the Olympus Stone.

"I'm the leader!" Pain shouted, slamming Panic's face against the ground. "Say it! Say it!"

"Bug off!" Panic twisted himself free and charging towards Pain. Pain wailed in pain when Panic's horns imbedded into his flesh.

Yeesh, it was not like those two to keep at each other's throats like that! Hades could barely hear himself think with them going on like that! And wait a second! Hades squinted—on the back of Pain's head was a small, bright green circle. Panic had a similar one on the inside of his elbow. Eris…

"Why, may I ask, did you decide to shoot my minions?" Hades growled, flaring red. Eris didn't even look up. Hades was beginning to regret aligning himself with her—nobody had even died yet!

"I'm the goddess of discord, what can I say?" Eris shrugged. "It's not gonna last more than an hour on them and it amused me."

Hades scowled and turned his back. He'd have to think of something else then. With Roxas uncaptured, that left three brats to have to worry about. But that was alright, so long as the Underworld Curse was active. It would drain their strength, make them too weak to fight. Those so-called "heroes" would be "zeroes."

"Oh, come on Hades," Wonder-boy called out from the corner. "Why are you surprised? Everyone you ever try to get to work for you eventually betrays you. Or did Sora hit you hard enough you lost your memories of that?"

"Raaah!" To the deepest, darkest depths of Tartarus with glory! Wonder-boy was dying now!

Hades flared red and formed a ball of fire from his hand, pressing so much heat into it, he could feel it himself. Wonder-boy grimaced and Hades could practically taste his fear as he reared his arm back. At long last!

A beam of light shot out of the entrance of his throne room and blasted his fireball into pieces.

"Hands off our friend!"

Hades whipped his head around and snarled. All three Key-brats were in his throne room!

"Roxas, Xion! Let's get what's ours!"

oooo

Xion darted forward, gripping her Keyblade tightly, just as Hades gave an inhuman roar of frustration. He sounded like a wild animal and sent out jets of fire from his hands. His throne room was small, or at least cramped, with them crowding the entrance. The flames were on them almost instantly.

"Reflega!"

The translucent barrier emerged from her Keyblade, in front of Xion. In front of her friends. The ones she cared so much for. Hades's flames pressed hard against it, and Xion felt the heat of the fire through the shield. Beads of sweat flicked from her forehead. The flames against the shield made it hard to see, but Xion glimpsed a tall, regal figure with a green aura. Was that Eris, the one who had hurt Isa? And in the corner, she could see golden chains. Her view was obstructed

Hold the barrier. Don't let it fall. Everyone's counting on you. Hold the barrier…hold the barrier…hold the barrier…

Hades was shouting something, but Xion couldn't hear what it was over the roar of his flames. He cast another fireball and then another. They smashed hard against her barrier, so hard that Xion could see cracks begin to form. No. She couldn't let that happen. She needed to hold the line.

"Reflega!"

The second barrier formed just underneath the first, reinforcing the shield. Behind her, Xion felt Axel place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Knowing Axel was behind her, and from the feel of it, absorbing some of the heat from Hades's flames reassured Xion and fortified her strength.

"Now Roxas!"

Roxas pulled out Oathkeeper and Oblivion and shot twin beams of brightest light from the edges of the blades. The beams soared over Xion's barriers and then looped around one another. The twin beams clashed against the chains restraining Hercules and in a moment, the chains fell away. Hercules stumbled briefly—he probably hadn't expected the chains to vanish quite so suddenly, but then he was on his feet. And for someone so strong, he was very fast on his feet.

Hades roared in anger and sent a larger fireball than ever towards Hercules, who dodged it easily and threw a punch at Hades, smashing his face in. Xion gagged and took a step back. Hades had turned completely red, and the flames on his head were an inferno in their own right, and he directed a renewed burst of flame towards Xion's shield.

"You spoiled everything, you brats!"

"That's our job!" Xion shouted, grinding her teeth. The Reflect magic wasn't fool-proof. If something strong enough pressed against it, then the shield would break. And then…Xion forced the idea out of her head. She couldn't fail. She pressed a foot deeper into the ground, bracing herself.

"Raaah!"

Roxas slashed Oathkeeper and Oblivion, sending waves of light against Hades, knocking the Lord of the Underworld backward. Hercules and Roxas lunged behind her faltering shield. Hades sent out still more jets of flames and Eris was screaming something that Xion couldn't hear. A green arrow bounced harmlessly off her shield, but that was enough for Xion. And enough for Axel too—she felt him grip her shoulder and begin to steer her away from the throne room—most of which was smoldering, though not actually on fire.

The path immediately leading up to Hades's throne room had been relatively easy to ascend, provided one didn't look down towards the abyss that was full of the sickly green tar-like water. Walking down it was a bit harder, though this was largely due to Xion having to walk backwards. She wasn't nearly good enough at Reflect magic to keep a shield up behind her continuously.

"C'mon, let's get out of here!"

"You're not going anywhere, Wonder-boy!" Hades shouted, storming towards them. In his grimy, grey hand, he clutched the blade of mordite. Even through her shield, Xion could see it. Her eyes narrowed. That awful sword had caused so much trouble already. Xion and her friends were halfway down the hill, on a larger plateau, when Hades vanished. Augh! He teleported! Xion tilted her head. Hades would probably jump up in front of them, but she didn't want to risk breaking her shield, and leaving them open to another attack from the back.

Clank!

"Hands off!" Roxas shouted, parrying the mordite blade with Oathkeeper and trying to stab Hades with Oblivion.

"I've had just about enough of you brats!" Hades shouted. "I am Hades, Lord of the Dead!"

"And I'm really sick of you!" Roxas snapped. "No wonder nobody in this world wants to die, if they get stuck with you!"

"Rah!" Hades shouted. "You think you're so smart, don't ya! Well, feel the heat!"

"Watch out!"

Hades sent pillars of flames shooting out of his fingertips of his left hand—the mordite blade still gripped tight in his right—but the flames arced over even Axel's head. That didn't make any sense, why would Hades not try to burn them up? Roxas and Axel yelped in alarm and Xion dared to turn her head. Hades had burned off a huge swath of the path, cutting off their escape.

"No!"

"Yes!"

Hades descended upon them, his yellow eyes wild with fury. Axel parried his first blow but Hades knocked him back. Roxas charged forward but Hades teleported again and Roxas was going too fast to stop. He yelled in alarm and Xion screamed as Roxas tumbled off the ledge, into the sickly green water, surfacing after just a moment.

"I gotcha!"

Hercules took a flying leap off the ledge and dove into the water after Roxas. He…didn't make any splash at all. But he was in the water with Roxas and if anything looked more confused than scared.

"Go on!" Hercules called. "We'll catch up!"

Xion lunged herself towards Hades just as he was about to strike Axel with the mordite blade. Without thinking, she grabbed the blade and gasped in pain. Aaaugh! It was so, so sharp. And it felt as if it were made of darkness itself. Tears obstructed her vision; it felt like the sword was alive, and biting into her hand, through her glove. Blood began to drip from where she gripped the blade. Owwww…

"Get off, you little schmutz!" Hades seized Xion by the throat with his free hand and lifted her up again. Xion squirmed but didn't let go of his sword—oh, it hurt so bad! All of a sudden, there was a peculiar fuzzy warmth on her hand. Like the kind she got from holding her Gummiphone too long. Hades's fingers tightened around her throat. And his breath was rancid. Xion began to choke and raised her Keyblade at Hades's chest.

"Blizz—augh"

Her spell fizzled, but it was still enough to make Hades loosen his grip. Xion gasped for breath and tried to wiggle free but Hades seized her again, roughly by her upper arm, pressing so tightly, Xion thought her arm would break.

"Tell ya what, little raven?" Hades snarled, hoisting Xion up by her arms, glaring into her eyes. "Let's see if you can fly!"

Xion hated the feeling of weightlessness as she flailed through the air. She caught a glimpse of Axel shooting fire out of his hands, tremendous flames that reached nearly to the ceiling of the cave. The heat scorched her face but it was nothing compared to the sharp piercing of her back hitting stone.

Crunch!

Falling was worse than flailing, Xion realized. Whatever cavern Hades had knocked her into opened up quickly and then led to a steep, steep drop. Falling was worse than flailing, but landing on a hard ground was worst of all. Xion groaned weakly as she struggled to get her bearings. She wasn't sure where she was exactly. Somewhere in the Underworld, and she hadn't fallen for that long, so she couldn't be too far from Axel. But she couldn't be sure where, exactly. The map she had bought earlier was only good for the city and the surrounding mountains.

She had to get to Axel. She needed to help. Axel was strong but Hades was still so, so dangerous.

Xion took a shaky step forward and winced. Painful, but not too bad. She could use a Potion…but it'd probably be a good idea to wait until later, if she had to fight Hades. It'd be a bad idea to waste any healing items early. Her hand hurt way more than her leg, and it was still bleeding. Xion hesitated only a moment before taking a Potion from her bag. She drank half of it and then poured the rest onto her hand. She winced as the cuts began to close, though most of the pain still lingered. It hurt a lot but Xion didn't have that many Potions with her. She should ration them until they were really needed.

She took another step and then another. Okay, this was more manageable. Xion still had no idea where she was exactly, but if she could keep walking, she could get back to Axel. Shame filled her insides at the thought of Axel facing Hades all by himself.

Please, please, please let him be alright. She never should have lowered her shield. She should have tried harder. If Axel got hurt because of her, Xion would never, ever forgive herself.

And what about Roxas and Hercules? They were stuck in that horrible green water, and who knew where the current would take them! Of course, Hercules was away from Hades now, so that was a big plus, but still, they weren't together. That being said, Roxas was so, so strong, and Hercules actually came from this world, so if they stuck together and didn't get separated, they'd probably be okay, at least for a while.

Focus. It's Axel who needs help most right now. Probably. At least he's the easiest you can get to.

As she neared a corner, Xion heard something growling. A Heartless, perhaps? She readied herself for a fight and took a deep breath. The breath died in a gasp as she rounded the bend.

It wasn't a Heartless. No yellow eyes. Staring back at her were three pairs of red eyes. Three pairs of red eyes for three heads. Three heads of an absolutely massive dog.

oooo

Lea roared in fury when Hades threw Xion across the cavern, smashing her through a wall. Xion's shrieks of pain and fear pierced his ears like nails.

This couldn't be happening. Not again! Why was it always Xion who was getting hurt by saving his neck? Lea summoned flames from his fingertips. Hades wasn't the only one gifted in Fire magic.

"Feel the heat!"

Flames shot out of Hades's hands and Axel responded in kind. The flames didn't even tickle, and if anything Lea felt like they increased his stamina and strength. Fire had always had that effect on him when he was part of the Organization. There was something almost comforting in it still applying now.

Unfortunately, while Lea couldn't be hurt by the flames, it appeared that the same logic applied to Hades. And as much fire and heat as Lea put out, even tossing Flame Liberator and then his chakams at the flaming god seemed to make much of an effect. Lea's eyes narrowed as he spied the damned mordite blade in Hadess' hand. The same blade that could kill a god. The same blade that Xion had sliced her hand open trying to block. Lea grit his teeth—oh, how he wanted Hades to pay for that.

He swung his Keyblade towards the damned mordite sword. Hades blocked it just in time and set another pillar of flame shooting out, towards Lea's chest. Naturally, it didn't affect him at all.

"Pain! Panic! Get out here and make yourselves useful!"

The two little…imps? Goblins? Whatever. The two little pests that had been in Hades's throne room came stumbling forward, manic glee clear in their faces. Lea morphed his Keyblade into his chakrams again and sent them, one after the other, at Pain and Panic. Who were hit dead center and knocked back and then into each other. Ugh. Lea had swatted flies in Twilight Town more menacing than them.

"Uggh…just you wait, Keybearer! I'll make sure you won't make it till morning!"

Hades glided back towards his own throne room, his disgusting yellow eyes blazing with hate. He yanked his two whatever-they-weres by their forked tails (wait, could those be demons?) and pulled them up with him. A moment later, the door to his throne room sealed itself shut.

Lea wasn't sorry to see him go but he wasn't sure what had exactly had made Hades retreat like that. Neither one of them had really shown weakness one way or the other. While Lea would have loved the chance to smite Hades, he still had some satisfaction. Sure, Lea couldn't hurt the smoky, immortal bastard either, at least not with fire, but hey, Hades couldn't ax Axel. Or Lea…whatever.

He had to get to his kids. Roxas was with Hercules. Hades hated Hercules, so Roxas was a sure target. But wait a moment…while Hades might go after him first, Roxas had backup with the hero. Where exactly the river went, Axel had no clue, but they were together. Xion, on the other hand, was all by herself. And probably hurt really bad—she had grabbed that damned sword with just her hand. Just like when she grabbed that damned Etheral Blade when Xemnas had nearly axed him back at the Keyblade Graveyard. How the hell hadn't her hand been burned to ash?

Right then, Lea had his mission. Find Xion. Give her a really big hug, and then they could go look for Roxas.

As soon as he figured out how to jump the gap that Hades had burned into the path.

Chapter Text

Chapter Sixteen: Ascension

Isa dug his fingers deep into his knees, inhaling through his nose and exhaling slowly through his mouth. Deep, controlled breathing exercises were keeping the rabid wolf from taking control. It burned in his bones. The hatred, the fear, the rage…it was threatening to consume him entirely. 

What does it matter if that happens? Everything you have ever done for these people—you give and give, sacrifice all your wants for their little whims, and for what? You should leave these fools to their well-earned destruction. 

No, he couldn’t do that. He was Isa, life-long friend to Lea. Intellectual peer to Ienzo and Even. Companion to Keybearers, Guardians of Light, though he himself was unworthy of such a title. They needed his support. Ugh!

The Keybearers have never assisted you. They have tried to destroy you at every opportunity. You cannot trust them. They are nothing to you. Especially that disgusting Replica. It is a demonic creature, you would do well to destroy it. 

“Xion is not an ‘it!’” Isa protested. “She’s a child!”

“My goodness…this is worse than I thought.”

Isa groaned weakly, and looked up. Staring at him through the bars of the chamber was a tall woman with glowing skin, nearly bright yellow. She had long flowing hair, done up with what appeared to be golden tassels and berries. And strange though it may sound, she seemed to radiate peace. 

“I don’t dare to hope that you have managed to develop the cure for this…wretched…affliction?” Isa asked, gritting his teeth. 

“You can’t rush these sorts of things,” Harmonia said gently. “Now, hold still, please. I need a sample of your selfness for the potion to work most effectively. As your affliction is unique to you, so should the cure be.”

“The only reason I became afflicted at all is because of that stupid, useless puppet,” Isa snarled, and then shook his head rapidly. He winced as Harmonia reached a hand through the bars to yank out a few hairs. The sudden sharp pain brought Isa back to his senses. “No, no, it isn’t her fault. It isn't her fault…she needs to know that.”

“The girl, Xion was it?” Harmonia asked. “Yes, she was most eager to help you. She seems drawn to you, in a way.”

“Nice kid,” the satyr, Philoctetes, grunted. “She definitely has a better handle on what it means a hero than most of the grunts I see. It’s about caring about others.”

“She is…very concerned with the suffering of others,” Isa grimaced. “She’s always been desperate to protect those she cares about.” 

The blasted puppet only behaves that way because it wants to avoid punishments that it rightly deserves for its own incompetence. Just because it lacks any sort of common sense does not mean it lacks the bare minimum of self-preservation. It doesn’t know how to feel. It’s too stupid to even know what emotion is!

How many times had he coldly, cruelly dismissed the poor child? Mocked her for having emotions that she didn’t fully understand? Used her as a tool for cruel machinations? And now he had brought that all up again, and worse, he had actually raised his claymore, Lunatic, against the children. There would be no forgiveness for this, no chance at reconciliation.

Isa looked out through the bars of his chamber and out into the Coliseum arena. It had been nearly two hours, by his estimation, since Lea and the children had left. The sun had set, and stars were beginning to come out against a purplish sky. It had been some time since Isa had had the chance to see the beauty of a starry night, with the recent weeks residing in Twilight Town. It had been longer still since he had had the chance to actually enjoy one, after so many horrible years in the Organization. 

  “It won’t be long now,” Harmonia was saying as she mixed strange elements that Isa had never seen before into a small vial. “Once this vial gets exposed to proper moonlight, it should get the last of the magical energy it needs.”

How appropriate, Isa mused. Can you feel it, the moon’s power? With some good fortune, he may finally be rid of this rabid wolf, before even the return of his friends.

Isa shook his head again and placed his hands on his knees, again. He inhaled through his nose, as deeply as he could. He could still hear the conversations of the others gathered around.

“I’m worried about the children,” The farmer was saying to Zeus. “Surely, there must be another way.”

“Amphytryon, your concern is touching, but these are Keybearers we’re dealing with,” Zeus responded. “Hasn’t Hercules told you anything about them? As I understand it, he’s fought alongside several over the years.”

“Well, of course,” The farmer—Amphytryon—took off his hat and rubbed his hand against his bald head. Isa chewed his lip. The farmer looked very nervous. “Hercules talks about the friends he’s made all the time—he’s especially fond of that Sora boy.”

“Exactly! Sora’s a genuine hero,” Zeus chuckled heartily. “And if those children are anything like him, then there’s nothing to worry about.”

How dare you be so nonchalant! Xion was despondent with despair and guilt over your son! Isa felt a new, different anger prickle inside his stomach. Yes, Roxas and Xion were powerful, deceptively so, given their small bodies and mannerisms that often leaned towards children even younger than their adolescent bodies would suggest—Xion held Lea’s hand when they crossed busy streets, among other habits. 

“But they’re only children,” Amphytryon’s wife said worriedly, gripping her hands tightly. “I remember what it was like when our Hercules was their age. He tried so hard, but he struggled so much trying to control his strength.”

“Yes…we watched him. Watched you take care of him,” The pink goddess, Hera Isa believed her name was, said gently. “You were very good with our son.”

“We were glad for the chance,” Amphytryon said. “Alcmene and I had so wanted to have children of our own.”

“And Hercules is as much yours as he is ours,” Zeus said firmly. “And I know our son, and I know that he chooses his friends well. It takes a very special person to be chosen by the Keyblade.”

More special than you realize…

oooo

Deep within the bowels of the Underworld, two figures had managed to make it to a gravely shore. No, not a shore—more of a riverbank. 

Roxas swiped his hands against his sleeves, trying to get as much of the green sludge off as he could. His robes were supposed to shield against the corrupting powers of darkness, but apparently, they could get dirty. He’d forgotten that particular detail from the Organization. 

“I have to say, I wasn’t quite expecting this.”

“What do you mean?” Roxas looked up at Hercules. The hero looked bewildered. And soggy with the green sludge—was some of it in his hair—but mostly bewildered. 

“The river,” Hercules said. “This is the River Styx. It’s where the souls of the dead go when they die.”

Souls go here when they die?

”And it’s not supposed to be this way?” Roxas asked. It seemed fairly obvious, really—the sludge was thick, like the worst bits of grime from the vacant lot he had cleaned out for Mister Yanushi. If this was what awaited people after they died, then he could understand why this was a problem. 

“I’ve never seen it that thick,” Hercules shook his head as if trying to shake off a bad memory. “And whenever something living falls inside the River Styx, it’s supposed to rot away and join the dead…we shouldn’t have come out of the River just covered in…whatever this stuff is. This is all wrong.”

“I’m not sure I like the other way,” Roxas murmured to himself. Stuff like this was what they had been sent to fix, but the way the River Styx was supposed to be sounded pretty messed up. If someone fell in, they would die? Roxas winced, as he remembered Xion goading him into killing her. Axel expending all of his strength into one final desperate attack to protect Sora from an army of Dusks. And they had both eventually come back…hadn’t Phil said that someone had only come back from the Underworld twice in the history of this world? Did Hercules know anything about that?

“Now that I think about it,” Hercules said thoughtfully. “Didn’t you and Xion ask about whether or not there was anything wrong with the Underworld? I didn’t know it at the time, but it looks like you two were on to something.”

“Well…” Roxas answered. “We did have some questions about that. But I didn’t think it’d be anything like this.” Now that he thought about it, he wasn’t sure what he had been expecting. “At first, I thought it was just the weird mordite sword, since it doesn’t seem like it should be here either.”

“Well, you’re right about that,” Hercules said, wiping the last of the grime from his hair. “Man, I wish we had been able to destroy that thing earlier. But Hades got the better of us.”

“Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Hercules shook his head. “We weren’t exactly in the best place for combat with Hades. There was barely room to fight in the first place.”

“Yeah…” Roxas shook his head. He still could have done better though. The last he’d seen, Xion and Axel had been fighting Hades, but it didn’t look like they’d been winning. “There’s something else you should know though, I still feel mostly fine. I’m not sure the Underworld Curse is working.”

Hercules blinked in surprise and then flexed his own muscles, as if he were only just realizing that himself.

“I feel fine too, now that I’ve got those chains off, but I thought that might be because I’ve already used the Olympus Stone before, and it was still affecting my heart.”

“Think this is all because of the mordite sword?” Roxas asked.

“Probably,” Hercules answered. “It’d make the most sense. I bet if we destroy it, then everything else will go back to the way it was—if Hades is using strange magic, then getting rid of the strange magic’s source makes sense. Or at least, I bet you and your friends will be able to restore this world to the way it’s supposed to be. I’ve seen Sora do some crazy stuff with his Keyblade.” 

“Um…right,” Roxas said. “Well, I think we should try to find our way back to Xion and Axel. They’ll need our help.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Hercules said, pointing towards one path. “Let’s move on out.”

They walked on for a while, Hercules making them stop frequently to check whether or not Roxas was feeling fatigued. Roxas shook his head no each time. He felt as strong as he had  back in the Coliseum, training with Phil. Well…maybe not quite that strong, Roxas felt a little tired, but it’d been a few hours since then. 

Roxas glanced at the cavern walls and paused. They weren’t grey and crackly anymore. They were more of a burnt orange, but it wasn’t like Twilight Town either. As they went further down the passageway, the walls became smoother and smoother, and the burnt orange became closer to a golden color. Had they already reached the surface? It didn’t seem so—Roxas looked up. There was the top of the cave, but no trace of the sky. And even then, it was far too bright. Roxas wasn’t sure what time it was, and he didn’t think it’d be a good idea to pull out his Gummiphone next to Hercules to check, but even then, it had to be at the very least early evening, and probably closer to nightfall. And further ahead, he could see a glowing golden light.

“Hercules, what’s that light up ahead?”

“I’m…I’m not sure,” Hercules said. “I have an idea, but I’m not sure. Might be a good idea to get your Keyblades out, just to be safe.” 

Roxas nodded and summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion. The familiar warmth of his weapons was a comfort in the unfamiliar location. Beside him, Hercules unsheathed his own sword.

They walked on ahead, and as they passed through the passageway where the glowing light was, Roxas gasped.

It was one of the most beautiful places Roxas had ever seen. The sky itself was golden, and there were grassy meadows and beautiful fruit trees everywhere. There were courtyards too—in the distance, Roxas could see what almost looked like a gated arena. A shadowy figure at the top of the gates waved at them. 

“Hey, wow! Herc! Ven! It’s been years!”

The figure at the top of the gates gave a whoop of joy and bounded towards them. Roxas readied his stance to defend himself, but Hercules gasped as the figure drew nearer. A moment later, standing before Roxas and Hercules was a young man who was probably Terra’s age. He had short, dark spiky hair and looked near beside himself with excitement.  

“Zack?” 

oooo

Xion wasn’t sure how long she had been staring at the gigantic three-headed dog. Maybe an hour? Maybe a little bit longer. But the dog was like nothing she had ever seen before. It was impossibly large, as big as one of the Behemoth Heartless, if not larger. How could it have gotten here? Had long had it been here?

Three heads, each of them staring at her. Axel had said once, on the clock tower, that you didn’t want to stare a dog in the eyes, because it would take that as a challenge. So far, Xion had followed that advice—though the only dog she had ever really spent time with was Pluto, King Mickey’s dog. Pluto was so friendly, it was hard to imagine him attacking anyone. She kept her eyes on the dog’s feet instead. 

This three-headed dog didn’t seem nearly so friendly as Pluto, but it hadn’t attacked her yet. So that was a plus. She was in its territory, so it was fair that it might be angry, but all she wanted to do was get out. It was darker here—there weren’t quite so many lanterns or torches—so that made it harder to see where the paths and passageways might be.

Slowly, not taking her eyes off the dog, Xion inched her way against the wall. She supposed she could try to go back through the first chamber, back to the wall that Hades had thrown her through, but she didn’t want to turn her back on the dog, now that it knew she was here. The three heads still glowered at her, baring teeth that were long and sharp enough to bite her in a dozen little pieces. But as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the chamber, Xion frowned. How long had this dog been down here, anyway?

“Why isn’t there anyone here to take care of you, boy?” Xion murmured. She didn’t like it in the Underworld. It was dark and grimy and kind of lonely, with nobody to talk to. She’d gotten used to being around others. What must it have been like for this dog, to be trapped down in these caverns? Nobody to talk to it—him. She wasn’t sure why, but it seemed like this dog was a boy. But he had nobody to take him on a walk—he was too big for that. And she doubted that anyone had scratched his ears or given him a dog biscuit.

Dog biscuit…maybe…can’t think of any better ideas…

Xion still had a bag of dog biscuits—she had bought them back at Disney Castle, while stocking up on Potions and Ethers. She had given several to Pluto, who had barked very happily and let her rub his tummy. Since arriving in Olympus, she had given a biscuit to the beautiful horse Pegasus and the friendly donkey Penelope too—and Phil had taken a huge handful for himself. As carefully and quietly as she could, Xion pulled the bag of biscuits from her pocket. 

The three-headed dog growled deeply and moved closer to Xion. Its paw was very large—almost as long as Xion was tall. Pluto had been strong enough to knock her over, and his paws were only about as large as Xion’s face. Without meaning to, Xion shuddered at the thought of this dog pressing his paws against her. Several biscuits fell out of the bag and the dog lunged.

Xion dove to the ground and curled into a ball. As the dog landed, he sent shockwaves across the chamber. It nearly felt like an earthquake and that made Xion curl up tighter. More biscuits spilled out of the bag. Xion could feel the dog’s heavy breathing, hot against her hair and coat. Ugh, the dog’s breath was almost as bad as Hades’s. 

Crunch! Crunch!

Xion peaked out just enough to catch a glimpse of the dog eating up the spilled biscuits. Each head seemed to be eating some of them. Xion glanced at the bag—it was nearly completely empty now. The three-headed dog turned towards her again, and Xion braced herself. She summoned her Keyblade. She really didn’t want to fight this dog, but she would if she had to. 

The three-headed dog took one massive step and then another and another. It gave a lower growl that didn’t really sound like a growl, but it didn’t sound like anything else either. The middle head began sniffing deeply. A moment later, a giant, leathery tongue licked Xion from the bottoms of her boots to the top of her hair. Blech! She got a face full of dog-tongue! 

Lick! Lick! Lick! 

“Aaaah!” Xion yelped, but there was a trace of laughter in her cry all the same. The giant three-headed dog nuzzled her—or at least one head nuzzled her. With enough force to knock Xion to the ground so hard she saw spots.

“Okay, doggy,” Xion said as she got to her feet. “I need to find my friends, Roxas and Axel. Oh, and Hercules. Can I go now?”

The three-headed dog didn’t answer, not that Xion had really been expecting him to. In any case, he let her go down the passageway. A moment later, Xion felt the tongue at her back, through her robe. 

“Aaah!” Xion turned around. The three-headed dog was panting happily at her. Was he trying to follow her?

“I guess you can come with me,” Xion said. “I don’t really have any reason to say no. It’d be nice to have company. Have you got a name, doggy?”

Pluto had had a collar, and Xion looked and looked, but it didn’t look like any of the three heads had a collar. She’d have to come up with a name of her own then.

“I saw spots when you knocked me over,” Xion said thoughtfully. “So, I’m gonna call you ‘Spot.’ Do you like that, Spot?”

Spot responded by licking Xion again. Giggling, Xion walked down the passageway and Spot followed alongside her. She felt a bit better now, having somebody by her side. She walked down one passageway and came to a small cavern that had two other entryways. 

“Hmmm…” Xion wasn’t sure which was to go. Or, if she needed to, how to double-back. She glanced back at Spot.

“Spot, do you know the way to get back to Hades’s throne room?”

Spot nodded and bounded down the passageway on Xion’s right. He took such huge steps that Xion had to run to keep up with him. After a few minutes, Xion was out of breath, but Spot was sitting and scratching one of his ears. Xion looked around—there was another passageway with steps going up to, well, somewhere else, but the only other landmark was what looked like a chair. It was large, with carvings all along the sides. Xion took a step forward to sit for a moment and rest, but Spot bit down on the back of her robe and yanked her back.

What was that about? Why would Spot not want her to sit down? Xion looked more closely at the chair. Those carvings…they looked almost like snakes. And for a moment, it looked like they moved! Ick…what if they were really alive?

Xion took a few deep breaths to get her focus back and then went up the steps. Some of the torches were starting to look a little familiar. She rounded a corner, and felt a chill at her spine. Xion summoned her Keyblade and as if they had been expecting it, several Heartless sprouted up. Shadows. Xion slashed her Keyblade and struck them down one by one, but she thought she could still hear fighting further down the way. Somebody might be in trouble! Roxas? Hercules? Axel? Xion tore after the noise, her replica Kingdom Key grasped tight in her hand. 

Terra?! A tall figure in red and gold armor was fighting Heartless with a ferocity Xion hadn’t seen since the Graveyard. What was Terra doing here? As far as Xion knew, he was supposed to be back in the Land of Departure! 

“Burn!” The figure roared, and a wave of fire cascaded from his Keyblade. A moment later, the Heartless, a Large Body, exploded and its captured heart released. 

Wait a moment, fire magic wasn’t really Terra’s style. It was Axel’s! She’d found him! She’d found him!

“Axel?”

“Xion!” The figure shouted. “Oh, thank God, I’ve been looking everywhere for—kiddo, don’t move. There’s a giant, monster-dog standing behind you…”

“Oh, you mean Spot? Don’t worry, he’s friendly!” Xion darted forward and hugged Axel around the middle—his armor pressed against her cheek but that was okay. She had missed Axel. She felt his gloved hand press against her hair. “When did you get armor?”

“Armor? What are you talking about? I don’t have,“ Axel looked down at his hand. “Oh, would you look at that?”

“You’re just now noticing?” Xion began to giggle. “I’m so happy I found you! And I think Spot can help us find the others!”

“Spot?”

“Yep! He’s my new friend! I know we can’t keep him at home ‘cause he’s too big, but he’s been a big help.” 

“Uh…right…a big help…”

oooo

“So…you’re not Ven?” Zack asked. He looked at Roxas and scratched the back of his head. “But you look just like him.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Roxas said. “Some people say that we should wear little tags with our names on them, so they can tell us apart.”

“Huh,” Zack said. “I see what they mean. Sorry about that though, I bet you get tired of having to correct people all the time.”

“Yeah…Where exactly are we?” Roxas asked, looking around. “Hercules and I got lost in the Underworld, and we’re trying to find our friends.”

“Strictly speaking, you are still in the Underworld. These are the Elysium Fields, under the domain of Zeus,” Zack explained. “Far beneath the slopes of Mount Olympus, but still in their borders. This is where heroes go to rest after they fall in battle.”

“Wait, fall? This is still the Underworld?” Roxas asked. “So…then you’re dead?”

It was the strangest thing—Zack didn’t look dead. He looked downright vibrant. Roxas paused. He had seen plenty of Nobodies fade away into nothingness, but this…was something different. Zack gave a small shrug and tugged up his shirt. There was a long, ugly scar across his stomach. 

“Zack….” Hercules whispered. “How did it happen?”

“I was traveling through the forest,” Zack explained. “Had to be about four years after we met, Herc. And I got in a fight with another warrior, one who deeply identified with darkness. I remember what it was like, when Aqua and Terra and Ven were here, and how they fought those creatures, what were they called, Unversed? Well, this warrior was a real creep, he reminded me of them, and he kept going on about how I should embrace darkness and how might made right.”

Roxas paused and put his hand to his chin. There was something eerily familiar about that. It…couldn’t be. 

“And so we fought—and man, he was so, so strong. He could summon meteors out of thin air—I didn’t think anybody other than Hades could do that.”

“What was his name?” Hercules asked, and there was steel in his voice. Roxas blinked in surprise—it was scary hearing Hercules growl like that. 

“Sephiroth,” Roxas said, before Zack could answer. “It was Sephiroth, wasn’t it? He went after a friend of mine a while ago, but…well, she says it was a tie, but I say she beat him.”

“You know Sephiroth?” Zack asked curiously. “Yeah, it was him. Tough son a gun, I’ll tell ya. Glad to see you made it out of there.”

“She beat him…she…ah, man. Was it Aqua?” Hercules asked. Before Roxas could protest, Zack blinked in surprise—oh, right, he must have known Aqua, if he knew Ven. Hercules shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry this happened to you, Zack. I wish I had been there to help.”

“Don’t be sorry for me,” Zack said firmly. “I mean it, Herc. I fought a good fight—and it was on my terms, I didn’t call forth darkness. I had a lot of adventures, and most important, I helped a lot of people before that happened.That’s the most important part of being a hero, isn’t it?”

Neither Hercules nor Roxas responded to that. Roxas wasn’t sure what to say in the first place. Refusing to call on darkness…even when it could save his life? Zack had died a hero…these Fields were where heroes went after they died. Could…could Sora be here? Surely, he was a hero among heroes. 

Roxas bit his lip. There was no way he’d be able to ask that question with Hercules around. But maybe…he could find Sora himself. “If it’s alright, I’d like to take a look around.”

Hercules nodded and turned his attention back to Zack. Roxas looked left and right and walked slowly to a fountain a hundred feet away. A tall figure was crouched down beside it and he stood up as Roxas drew near.

“He’s not here,” The tall figure said. Unlike Zack, who was young and wore armor almost like a knight, this new figure was much older and wore a long, scarlet robe, and had his arm bound to his chest in a sling. “The one you miss, he does not rest.”

“What are you talking about?” Roxas asked. “How do you know who I miss?”

“I have fought alongside a Keybearer before. He connected to my heart. Something that I believe you know quite well,” The man sighed quietly. “It is good to finally meet you, Roxas.”

“Whoa!” Zack called. “You got Scarlet Cloak to talk! That’s the most he’s said since he got here!”

“My name is Auron,” The man said without a trace of emotion. “If you wished to speak to me, you might have considered calling me something other than ‘Scarlet Cloak.’” 

Auron?! Wait a moment, Roxas knew that name. Auron…Auron…Auron had been a friend of Sora’s! And Hercules had said something about Hades binding his soul to a statue before! And now, here Auron was…in the Ely-seem Fields? 

“Auron!” Hercules said, a wide smile stretching across his face.  “It’s great to see you!”

The man, Auron, gave the smallest of smiles. “Likewise, Hercules.”

“Auron, how do you know Roxas?” Hercules asked. “I only met him this morning, but he’s a friend of Sora’s.”

“Yes…Sora…” Auron nodded. “I knew him…though not as well as I wish I did.”

“Oh, next time he comes to visit, I’l be sure to bring him here,” Hecules nodded. “Sora will love to see you! And I bet he’ll get along great with Zack.”

Sora would have loved this…wouldn’t he?

“Roxas…what is wrong?” 

“Um…nothing,” Roxas fibbed. “But Hercules, I think we better get going. My friends might still be in trouble.”

“You’re right,” Hercules said. “Zack, Auron, it was great to see you both again. But Roxas and I have somewhere we need to be.”

“Well, do you need any help?” Zack asked eagerly. “Any friend of Ven is a friend of mine, and c’mon, Herc! It’ll be just like the old days!”

“I dunno,” Hercules said, scratching his chin. “It’d be great to have an extra pair of hands, but there’s some really strange stuff going on.”

“Like that’s anything out of the ordinary,” Zack scoffed. “I can handle anything…well, except Sephiroth, but I can handle anything else!”

“I dunno—some really weird stuff is going on with the entire Underworld. Hades got his hands on a sword of mordite!” 

Auron’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open in alarm. Zack looked bewildered but still eager. Roxas wasn’t sure which reaction should scare him more. 

“Never heard of it,” Zack shook his head. “But I wish you both the best!”

“I have…” Auron said. “Once, a long time ago, when I was still in the Styx…”

“Aah!” Roxas clutched at his chest. Pain! Sharp, stabbing pain. The same sort of pain he’d felt when Axel had been destroyed. 

“Roxas! What’s wrong?”

“They’re…they’re in trouble! Axel and Xion! We need to go now!”

oooo

Deep in his chambers, Hades was struggling to keep his composure. The flames on his head were flickering between blue and orange. He’d nearly had the blasted Keybearers, but he’d missed his chance! He had known that the tall guy—Lea—was skilled with fire magic, but that was okay. It had actually been a little pick-me-up. Fire couldn’t hurt Hades—Lord of the Dead, Ruler of the Underworld. Fire came with the territory. 

But those other two brats—the little raven and Double Blade Brat—Roxas, was it? Whatever! They were like cockroaches! No matter what Hades tried, he couldn’t snuff them out! It had to be a Keybearer thing. Though Hades had to admit, he hadn’t expected the little raven to grab his mordite sword like that. The kid had guts…though he doubted she’d last long against Cerberus. He hadn’t fed his dog in a couple of weeks now, so she’d make quite the tasty treat. 

Hades pressed his fingers against his thigh. The biggest thorn in his side was losing Wonder-boy. But Wonder-boy was still just that…a boy. A weak, mortal loser who happened to have super-strength. But he couldn’t be everywhere at once. He couldn’t be back at the Coliseum if he were still in the Underworld. 

“Pain! Panic! Eris!” Hades shouted. “Get your rears in gear, and get moving!” He grimaced as the two imps pushed and punched each other up as they walked towards the highest point in his domain. Tonight, the dead would walk again. 

“If the Keybrats want a show, then I’ll give them a show!” 

oooo

“Alright now, Isa,” Harmonia said gently, reaching through the bars of his horrid prison. “This tonic should be cool enough to drink. Drink all of it, please.”

Isa scowled. He was in no mood for ingesting anything these unnatural beings had used their otherworldly magic to create. This had to be an attempt to poison him. It would hardly be a surprise that any ally of that despicable thing would be willing to conspire with it to eliminate him.

No, no, no! This was neither trick nor trap. This was an attempt to alleviate the bloodthirsty, rabid wolf snarling in his chest. And Xion was not an it. 

With trembling fingers, Isa took the vial the ethereal being offered him. This was his only chance to alleviate the ferocity bubbling inside his stomach, blackening his heart, his soul. Isa tugged off the stopper and forced the vial to his lips. The tonic was unlike anything Isa had ever tasted. All at once, he felt his senses be exposed to that which he had always found most pleasurable. The smell of pine needles, the scents from the flowers of the Garden, the feeling of yellowed pages from an aged tome, the taste of…sea salt ice cream? Isa chuckled lightly, but then bent over in pain. He felt heat, blazing heat. As if he had been stuck inside a blacksmith’s forge to be refined. Isa yelled in agony as he felt the anger every irrational slight, everything that had fueled his rage for these last horrible hours, burn away. And then at last…peace.

“Ah…ah…thank you,” Isa croaked. “And forgive me, for every horrible thing I may have said to you. That wasn’t me…”

“Oh, honey,” Harmonia smiled, and Isa had to wonder just how old she was, given that she appeared to be of an equivalent age with himself and Lea. “Think nothing of it. Eris and I have opposed one another since very near the beginning, eons ago. Where she brings out the worst in people, I bring out the best.”

“Thank you,” Isa repeated. He felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. And an urgent desire to find Lea and Roxas and most especially Xion and tell them how sorry he was. Xion’s face flashed through his mind, small yet strong, blue eyes refusing to yield to the hurt she carried. How badly had he hurt her? To regress to the old ways—calling her an it? Isa ground his teeth. He would never allow that to happen again. This resolve burned in him as hot as fire.

Wait a moment…was that sulfur he smelled? If the discord had been dispelled from his body, then why did his body still feel the burn of flame?

“Harmonia…I think there may be trouble.”

“Trouble, whatever do you mean?”

Before Isa could answer, a tremendous fireball cascaded over the wall of the Coliseum. Haarmonia dove out of the way, and the fireball slammed against the bars of Isa’s chamber. Isa flinched and braced himself for impact, but the bars held true. Isa grimaced—he was secure, but the others were not. Through his bars he could see everyone who had gathered in the Coliseum: Zeus, Hera and Harmonia, as well as several other deities from Olympus who had come down to attend the upcoming festivities were running about, trying to get an angle on whomever who was producing the fireballs; Amphytryon and Alcmene were clutching each other and their donkey, Penelope; Philoctetes and Megara were…alarmingly professional, the satyr shoving several barrels together into a barricade and Megara producing Potions and Ethers from a chamber much like the one Isa was standing in.

“Zeus-y!” A voice thundered from far above. “I believe introductions are in order! It’s time for you to meet your death!”

An impossibly tall pillar of flame erupted from the ground, and at the top of the pillar was an imposing figure. Isa was acquainted with Hades, having sent half a dozen of the Organization to this world in the past, as well as visiting it himself. But this…was something different. There was something primal, something animalistic in the sadistic glee in Hades’s manic expression. 

“Yow! Grumpy!” Megara darted towards the gate of his chamber and yanked it up. “Hercules and your friends aren’t back yet! Can you fight?”

Isa held out his hand, and at once, his claymore appeared. He inhaled deeply, feeling for the balance in his weapon. For so long, he had used this weapon as a means to intimidate and oppress. How many of Xion’s training sessions had he cruelly interrupted, attacking her while she attempted to better herself? He had stood against Roxas when the boy had sought to leave the wretched Organization. And when Axel had sought to free Kairi from her prison…he had gravely injured his old friend. Again and again and again, he had used his claymore to hurt others, so many of them children.

No more. Now…it would be a tool to defend with. To protect the innocent. Isa was no match for Hades in a straight fight. He would have to be more careful. 

Isa charged forward, harnessing every ounce of strength he could muster. To his shock, he found himself face-to-face with a creature the likes of which he had never seen before. Not a Heartless, though he could see several of those sprouting up from the ground. The being in front of him had once been a man, but his skin was a pale grey-green. And so, so wrinkled. Isa swung his claymore and the being screeched before dissolving into mush. 

“What on earth are these things?” Isa shouted. As soon as he felled the first, two others sprouted up from nowhere to attack. The same grey-green skin, though both of these wore some sort of antiquated armor.

“Two words,” Philoctetes called from his barricade of barrels, “You don’t wanna know!”

Isa scowled, but with one swipe of his claymore, the two ghouls—he didn’t know what else to call them—were quickly destroyed. He looked around the Coliseum—there were ghouls all over the place, as well as Heartless. And above it all, was Hades, sending flames from his fingertips. The brilliant orange and red fire contrasted heavily with the starry night sky. Above the Coliseum, the full moon shone bright.

Starry night…

“I call on the moon’s pale light!” Isa shouted. As Lea favored fire magic, and the children utilized light, so he drew power from the moon. Isa rose into the air far more elegantly than Roxas or Xion could leap. The moon began to glow a pale green, matching Isa’s eyes. He dove forward, slamming his claymore into the ground, sending a great shockwave across the ground of the Coliseum. As many as twenty of the ghouls were destroyed and more came upon Isa, only to meet their end at the edge of his claymore.

Hades gave a howl of rage and descended down from the pillar of flames he had been hovering in. His yellow eyes fixed in on Isa. In his hand was a long blade made of black and purple metal. Mordite. 

Isa grit his teeth and raised his claymore. Let him come…

oooo

Lea charged out of the Underworld, Flame Liberator in hand, Xion by his side. Weird things had started happening not long after they had met up again in the Underworld. Well, not that any of this wasn’t weird, but even so, Lea was pretty sure that undead beings coming out of the ground and trying to take his head off was weirder than normal weird.  

This wasn’t the apocalyptic chaos Lea had seen when Radiant Garden had fallen. There were broken down wagons and turned over tables, but no fires or running animals. It wasn’t like any of the countless worlds that had been swallowed up by darkness, taken by the Heartless, either—no giant orb of darkness hovering over the horizon. But it was eerie—the sky was pitch black but that just seemed to further illuminate the glowing grey-green of the undead approaching them.

“This is a lot closer to what I had in mind when they said the barriers between life and death had been blurred,” Lea said, blasting one undead…thing into nothing with a well-timed Fire spell. Another one lunged at him, but his own Keyblade Armor proved to be an effective weapon in its own right, and he banished the creature just by blocking its attack.

It was strange. Lea had never really been one for wearing armor of any sort before. In the Organization, his black coat had been protection against the corruption of darkness. And then his awesome jacket had worked even better. In terms of actual combat, as Axel, he'd been an assassin. The Flurry of Dancing Flames had snuck in from the shadows, fought fast and hard. That kind of icky stuff didn’t really mesh well with armor. Even after getting his Keyblade, Lea hadn’t used armor. Yen Sid had said started to say something about how it was “one of the most refined acts of Keyblade use,” but Lea couldn’t remember the rest—he’d been kind of distracted by having to face Kairi again. 

Still, there was no question to its effectiveness in battle. And if anything, it seemed to fortify his strength. Several larger Heartless had sprouted up in the melee, and Lea was able to beat them back without breaking a sweat. Sure, Large Bodies weren’t the toughest out there, but when there was a group of them, they could be trouble. Unless you were Lea, and had awesome Keyblade Armor and the best control of Fire Magic out of any wizard in the universe. 

Xion didn’t say anything as they fought their way back to the Coliseum. She’d gone strangely quiet soon after they had reunited in the Underworld. Maybe something to do with Roxas—Lea was worried about how they hadn’t managed to find him yet too. Or maybe something to do with Sora, which was always a possibility, but right now they had more pressing matters. 

“Seriously, though,” Lea shouted as he cut down yet another undead solider, “Does that Hades guy ever take a break? Who’s the god of Not Using Monsters? Think we can get him to curse Hades for us?”

“Axel!” 

Lea chuckled to himself as Xion summoned a replica of Isa’s claymore and began using it against three grey-green…they might have been horsemen at one point, however long ago that was. She wasn’t quite as proficient with the claymore as Isa would be—she was much shorter and couldn’t flick her wrist quite as sharply for one. But still, it seemed to suit her well enough, keeping the monsters at bay. 

As the last of the undead was vanquished, Xion ducked her head to catch her breath. Lea reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. Through his gauntlet, he could feel her shaking, though he wasn’t sure whether it was from fear or fatigue. 

“Let’s hurry and find the others!” Xion chirped. “Last one to the Coliseum is a…um…the last one there!”

Xion switched her claymore back to her Keyblade and darted forward as fast as her little legs would carry her. Lea took advantage of his long legs to keep pace with her. He sent a blast of fire at one lunging undead solider and it was destroyed as quickly as he could blink. Excellent.

They worked their way back into town—Lea kept Xion in his sights at all times. He wasn’t going to risk losing her, not again. Xion, for her part, was attacking everything left, right and center. Anything that came near her, Heartless or undead…thing, would meet its end at the end of her Keyblade.

They came to a vaguely familiar courtyard and Lea wondered whether this was where they had met that little kid with the Sora action figure. Lea winced. He had a hard time imagining the kid surviving long against any of these creatures. He hoped that kid had gotten somewhere safe. 

The Coliseum was still standing, which was nice to see. Lea recalled that it hadn’t been that long ago that it had been completely leveled. As it was, there were dozens upon dozens of undead. Not just soldiers and horsemen but priests and farmers and shepherds and who knew what else? And more and more Heartless and even some Nobodies were sprouting up from the shadows and broken wagons. 

Inside the arena, Isa was fighting Hades. Isa moved fluidly with his claymore, matching Hades blow by blow. Lea shifted Flame Liberator into chakrams and ran to help. But before he could get there, two tiny…things…slammed into him. 

“Going somewhere?” One of the things asked. It was short and fat and pinkish. Lea recognized it from Hades’s chamber. His little blue friend was there too. Lea grit his teeth. He didn’t have time for this. He spread his arms out as far as he could and gave a great war cry. Flames leapt up from the ground and surrounded the two little monsters. 

“Yaaah!” 

“Yee-ouch!”

Lea grinned in satisfaction and side-stepped the circle of flames, squeezing his fist to draw the fire in closer as he passed. The delay had cost him though—Isa had gotten knocked to the ground and Hades was looming over him, manic glee in his eyes.

Hades cackled and raised his sword against Isa. Lea tore towards them, pushing himself as hard as he could, but he was too far away, he wouldn’t get there in time. A tiny figure blurred by him, running faster than any human should be capable of. 

Xion leapt in front of Hades, her Keyblade in hand. In a flash, her Keyblade vanished, and in its place was an exact copy of Hades’s mordite sword. The twin black blades met one another and then, there was a tremendous flash of black lightning and it filled Lea’s field of vision completely.

oooo

Xion gasped as waves of pain travelled through her arm, but she stood her ground. She couldn’t yield to Hades. To make even the tiniest mistake now would mean her death. And Isa’s death too—maybe jumping in front of him wasn’t the smartest option, but there hand’t been time to do anything else. And she couldn’t, she wouldn’t allow Isa to get hurt anymore than she had already had.

Her sword was the exact copy of Hades’s sword. Mordite, black and purple and curved, almost like Riku’s old Soul Eater. Xion had been aiming to use her replicated claymore again, but the mordite sword seemed to be working well. Xion nodded to herself—she had felt that strange fuzzy feeling when she had grabbed the sword to stop Hades from hurting Axel. That must have been when her body had recognized the sword’s data and been able to replicate it…yeah, now she thought about it, summoning Isa’s claymore had that same fuzzy feeling compared to the warmth she felt when summoning her Keyblade.  

Hades shouted, and Xion wasn’t sure she’d ever heard anyone that angry before. Or afraid. Their swords were pressed against each other, and lightning the likes of which Xion had never seen before was shooting out of it. The lightning was black and then white and then black again. And then there were cracks in their swords, thick and jagged, traveling up the lengths of the blades, where the black met the purple. 

Hades snarled something, Xion couldn’t quite hear. The wind was blowing so, so hard—or was it coming from the mordite swords. Xion pressed harder and dug her heel into the ground, trying to get steadier footing. Hades flared red—Xion could feel the heat radiating off his skin and through their swords and then the white cracks became brighter and sharper. As bright as a beam of light from her Keyblade and then the blades shattered. Xion winced and bit back a cry as shards flew everywhere. Sharp, stinging pain in her shoulder and on her arm and knee. 

Xion grimaced and fell back to the ground, landing hard on her side. Behind her, she could hear Isa groaning. Had she struck him by accident? Oh, she hadn’t wanted that to happen! Xion leapt back to her feet, staggering. Everything ached so, so badly but she couldn’t yield any further. But that was easier said than done—both her sword and Hades sword were destroyed. All that remained of her blade was one large jagged edge—barely longer than a steak knife. Hardly a suitable weapon to face off against the god of the Underworld. 

“Raaaah! My sword! You broke it! Destroyed it!” Hades flared red-hot and he grabbed Xion by her arms, cutting her off from a decent angle to use her sword. Not that it would have helped much, given the state of it. Xion dismissed the sorry remains of her mordite sword and summoned her Keyblade in its place. “Feel the heat, you little brat!”

Hades sent waves of fire from his arms and Xion screamed in pain. She squirmed in Hades’s grip, but he was so tall and her legs were too short. She could still use her Keyblade though and aimed it as best she could at Hades’s chest.

“Blizzaga!”

The ice crystals shot out of her Keyblade and the burning heat Xion felt through her sleeves vanished as Hades staggered. She dropped to the ground again and she felt terror race through her veins. Hades was still looming over her, so tall and strong.

“I’ve got a place for you—aaah!”

Twin beams of light struck Hades in the chest and he backed away in surprise and anger. Xion’s heart leapt in joy when Roxas darted in front of her. Roxas was here! This was great—they gave each other strength. Nothing could stand against them when they were together. Not Xemnas, not Xehanort, and especially not Hades. 

“Raaaah! Why won’t any of you Key-brats stay dead?!”

“Why won’t any of you creeps leave my friends alone?” Roxas snapped back. “Stay away from Xion!”

Hades charged towards them, not even bothering with a weapon. Xion braced herself, holding her Keyblade against her body. Roxas held Oathkeeper and Oblivion outwards, And then, they clashed. Again and again, Hades tried to punch and kick and burn them, but Roxas and Xion blocked every blow. They weren’t losing, but they weren’t really winning either. And even though she was getting really tired, Xion didn’t want to risk giving Hades an opening by stopping to take a Potion…she wasn’t sure she even had any left.

The fight continued—Roxas was still going strong with Oathkeeper and Oblivion, hurling ice magic and light magic at Hades repeatedly. But Hades seemed to have endless energy, which made Xion mad. Why were the bad guys the ones who never needed to rest? Hades rose into the air, far above them. Probably planning another one of his fire bursts, since he didn’t have his sword.

“Reflega!” 

The translucent barrier erupted from the end of her Keyblade, but it was blurrier than it had been the last time Xion had tried it. Hades shot flames from his fingertips and it crashed against her shield. Xion bit her lip—she wasn’t sure how long she could keep the barrier up. Reflect magic could be very taxing. 

“Atta girl, Xion!” 

Axel. Xion smiled—she had her friends with her. Axel and Roxas…and Isa too. She couldn’t turn her head and check, but she was pretty sure he was still mostly okay. Which was good—she needed to apologize to him properly for taking so long to help. And wait a moment! If Roxas was here, then that might mean…

“Don’t get too comfortable Hades!”

An enormous boulder slammed against Hades from behind, forcing him directly against Xion’s barrier destroying it. Xion yelped—it was not a scream—as Hades fell against her. Roxas grabbed her arm and pulled her back and then Axel leapt in from of them. Hades got back to his feet—smoky legs…whatever—but behind him, Xion could see Hercules running towards them. 

“Hercules! You’re alright!”

“Raaaaaaaaaah! Every time, Wonder-boy! Every time!” Hades shouted. “This time, I’m gonna take you out for good—omph!”

“You talk too much,” Hercules snapped, punching Hades in the head. “Give up Hades, you’re finished!”

“Finished?!” Hades shouted. “Wonder-boy, I’m just getting started!”

Xion readied herself for a fight but a bolt of lightning sailed over her head and struck Hades in the chest. 

“That’s enough nonsense, Hades!” Zeus pounded over, a lightning bolt in each hand. “Stand down, now!”

“No! No! No! No!” Hades argued. “I’m not gonna—yaaaaah!”

Zeus lifted Hades up off the ground, not unlike Hades had done to her. Xion grimaced. Hades was in big trouble now. 

“You have a responsibility to your Underworld! Look around,” Zeus growled. Xion did so. There were still a ton of of those…ghosty people standing everywhere…but now that Hades wasn’t really fighting, they weren’t either. “It’s time for you to go, Hades. Keybearers, come along. I believe I’ll need your assitance. ”

Zeus marched Hades back towards the Underworld, as Xion followed him with Roxas and Axel. Hercules came too, he had gotten ahold of those two little creatures that Roxas kept glaring at.

Right at the edge of the Underworld, there were two figures just coming out. Two men with swords, one a few years older than Roxas and Xion, the other much older. 

“Ah man!” The younger man said, his grin almost contagious. “We missed the whole thing! They already got Hades!”

“I apologize,” the other man said, his voice quiet. “We would have been here earlier if it hadn’t been for the Heartless.”

There was something almost familiar about him…Xion wrinkled her forehead in concentration. Had they met before? Or…did Sora know this man?

“Yeah, it could have been real trouble if that dog hadn’t come to help us!”

“Dog?” Hades growled. “What dog?”

“You know the one—size of a temple, three heads…much friendlier than he looks?”

“Oh,” Xion brightened up. “Spot helped you out?”

Wait, why were Zeus and Hercules both staring at her like she had three heads herself?

oooo

Roxas stumbled back as he, Xion and Axel walked out of the Underworld. It had taken a long time to clear the way back to the Underworld, using their Keyblades to restore regions of the River Styx as they went. The sun was rising over the horizon. 

Hades had been taken to this really weird throne in the middle of the Underworld. As soon as Zeus had thrown him on to it, snakes had sprouted from its arms to tie Hades there. It had been…weird. But apparently, it was the best option to keep Hades actually down there for a while. 

“He can stay there and think about everything he’s done, until he cools off,” Zeus said. “So, he won’t be bothering you anymore Hercules. You, or your friends.”

“That sounds…really great,” Roxas said. “Thank you, sir.”

“No, no my boy—I’m the one who should be thanking you,” Zeus chuckled heartily. “I’m always having to thank Keybearers lately, now that I think about it. But you and your friends saved countless lives these last two days. And using your Keyblade magic to sort the Underworld back to the way it’s supposed to be, it’s wonderful. I don’t want to think about what might have happened to this world if Hades had managed to use that mordite to…well, it’s best not to dwell on what might have been, instead of what is.”

“Right…” Roxas groaned. He felt very tired. Relived beyond words that Xion and Axel were with him—and Isa had come to his senses too. But now that the threat had been fought back, things were still swimming around in his head. They had taken Hades down, but there was something bugging him. They hadn’t caught Maleficent—strictly speaking, they didn’t even have proof she had given Hades the mordite sword in the first place.

Roxas wasn’t really aware of his surroundings as he walked, though Xion held his hand as they traveled back into the city. Even Axel was quieter than normal. There was an advantage to it though—it didn’t seem to take nearly as much time to travel to the Coliseum as it had the last few times…though that might be because Roxas was getting more and more acquainted with the streets of Thebes.

“Wonder-boy!” 

Roxas winced and braced himself to have to start fighting again, but it turned out, that was apparently a universal nickname for Hercules. A tall woman with brown hair and a purple dress darted to Hercules and flung her arms around his neck. She stared at Hercules and he stared back at her.

“Hey Rookie!” Phil waddled over slowly and pounded his fist triumphantly. “That was incredible. You and Xion and the tall guy were out of this world! I think you’ll be great in the games, but those aren’t gonna be for a while.”

“They aren’t?” Zeus asked before Roxas could respond. “But why? What’s wrong with the Zeus Cup happening now?”

“Two words: EVERYONES EXHAUSTED!” 

“Indeed…” Isa stood up and glanced down at Roxas, smiling. “By my estimates, Roxas and Xion have been awake for nearly thirty-six hours. With due respect, I think we need to be getting home. Though we will come back to visit.”

“Everything does seem to be in order,” Hercules grinned. “If you guys have to leave now, it’s alright, I think.”

“Yeah, and seriously, Roxas, don’t be a stranger.”

xxxx

Roxas leaned back in his seat of the Gummi Ship. Before they left Olympus, Hercules’s parents—both sets—had insisted they stay for a proper meal. Roxas had been so tired, he hadn’t realized how hungry he was, and they had eaten so many apples and pomegranates, he’d lost count. After that, it had been a collection of promises to return as soon as the tournaments were back on.

But now they had to return to Disney Castle, to report their findings to King Mickey. And that meant eating sea-salt ice cream, to use the sticks to fuel their Gummi Ship. Salty, but sweet…it was nice to know that hadn’t changed. 

“After we report to the King,” Axel said, taking a huge bite of his ice cream, “I’m gonna sleep for the next week.”

Roxas chuckled. Good ol’ Axel and his sleep habits. He polished off his ice cream and rubbed his stomach…he’d eaten six bars already. Xion was finishing her fifth and talking to Isa at the other end of the ship in hushed tones. Roxas frowned to himself; Isa had apologized to all of them already, but Xion still wanted to talk to him privately. He hoped she wasn’t trying to apologize for allowing him to get hurt in the first place. Xion had been through a lot the last few days…she deserved something special…oh!

“Hey, Xion,” Roxas called. “Could you come here a sec, there’s something I want to give you.”

Xion blinked in surprise but Isa gave her a gentle nod and ushered her back to where Roxas and Axel were sitting.

“Everything alright, Roxas?”

“Everything’s great, really. But…um…there’s something I want to give you. I meant to give this to you ages ago, but we got the message from the King and then I kept forgetting. Um…this is for you.”

This was a lot harder than he’d thought it’d be, but Xion was looking so curiously at him. Roxas reached into his pocket and pulled out…a Potion?

“Thanks, but I still have a few of those. That’s sweet of you Roxas.”

“What? No, no, no—it’s not a Potion, it’s a…hold on.” Roxas reached into his pocket again and pulled out the necklace with the blue orb. “I had the Moogles make this for you. You’re really special so you deserve something special…”

“Roxas, it’s so pretty!” Xion’s eyes shone like stars. “Oh, thank you! But…I don’t have anything for you…”

“Gift-giving doesn't necessarily have to be reciprocal,” Isa said. He paused for a moment, “That is to say, it isn’t wrong for you not to have something for Roxas, Xion. And that necklace will look radiant on you.”

“Radiant? Like Radiant Garden? It doesn't look like flowers or a castle,” Roxas said. “It’s really pretty though.”

“Lea, you are buying these children a dictionary.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Seventeen: Return to Twilight Town

Hayner felt his eyes burning as Roxas and Xion got onto the strange orange plane and departed, vanishing from sight. This wasn’t right. His friends were risking their necks doing who knew what. He should be with them. 

“Hayner, I’m gonna miss them too,” Pence said, shaking his head. “But it’s like Axel said—it’s the package deal of getting a Keyblade. You have to go and fight the darkness. With great power, comes great responsibility.”

“And you know how Xion is,” Olette murmured, rubbing her arm. “She hates it when other people get hurt. If there’s a way to stop it, she’s not going to stop until she finds out how to help people.”

Hayner grit his teeth. They were right. They were right. But that didn’t change how friggin’ unfair this was. Roxas and Xion, and okay, Axel too, were missing out on stuff. And Isa…but Isa didn’t actually join in for anything except ice cream on the clock tower. But stuff like skateboarding and Struggle matches and those classic video games ol’ Scrooge was sponsoring. They still hadn’t had a chance to set up Pence’s old computer for Roxas and Xion to use. And they didn’t have any movies or books either. Hayner didn’t even like reading that much, aside from some of Pence’s comic books, and he didn’t like how Roxas and Xion didn’t have fun stuff to read. 

Hayner knew that he was stupid to get so upset—that saving the world and keeping the Order and fighting monsters was more important than, well, anything else. But it still irked him. They act like if they don’t do it, they’re wrong. It isn’t wrong to want to live a regular life. 

“Do you think…they’ll ever…come back?” Vivi asked. Hayner winced. He had nearly forgotten the little guy was there. “They’re…very nice.”

“I’m sure they’re coming back,” Pence said assuredly. “They just have to go away for a while.”

“But don’t worry, Vivi,” Olette knelt beside him and straightened the little guy’s giant hat. “We’ll be your friends.”

“Until they…get back?”

“Until forever,” Olette insisted. She blinked her bright green eyes at Vivi, meeting his weird, Heartless-y, beady yellow ones. “That’s a promise.”

“Okay…want a donut?” 

Vivi looked up from Hayner to Pence to Olette, his beady eyes wide, hopeful. Hayner felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach. He had resented this little guy? Who hadn’t actually said a mean word in…ever? And was offering to share his donuts? 

I’m a slime ball, Hayner thought to himself as he picked up a donut. Chocolate with sprinkles….his favorite. Pence and Olette each took a donut and then Vivi took two for himself before closing the donut box.

“Thank you,” Olette said. Vivi blinked at them. Hayner scratched the back of his head. He wasn’t sure what to say now. He took a bite out of the donut. Ooh! It was fresh and it was so rich, it was almost like cake. 

“It’s still…early,” Vivi said. “Not much…happening now. I will see…you later. Bye bye!”

Hayner blinked in surprise as Vivi waddled off, his giant hat leaning lopsided. He was out of sight in moments, but he lingered in Hayner’s mind.

“Roxas and Xion have gone…” Pence muttered, taking a bite out of his own donut—glazed, with white cream frosting. “Now what do we do?”

“There’s got to be something we can do to help them,” Olette said. “And I promised Xion I would watch out for Vivi.”

“I think he’s gonna be alright for a little while,” Pence said. “He’s got plenty of donuts. And again, I ask, what do we do?” 

“I need to get stronger,” Hayner said. He looked down at his hand and flexed his fingers. Nothing happened. No Keyblade materialized out of air. Not even a magic staff or shield, like Donald or Goofy. “I need to learn how to fight.”

“That does sound like a good idea,” Pence agreed. He took another bite from his donut. Olette clenched her hands together, saying nothing.

“I understand that you want to fight,” Olette said. She hesitated before continuing, “But…how would we even learn in the first place? We don’t have magic.”

“Sora said that the Struggle matches weren’t that much different than the play-fighting he would do with the kids on the Islands,” Hayner nodded. “Struggle’s not much but it’s a start. And besides, there’s other ways to fight than with magic.” 

“I guess,” Olette said. “We can split it up. Practice something practical to help Roxas and Xion, and then we can do something else for them. Maybe get some flowers for their house?”

Hayner rubbed his chin. Yeah, it would be like Olette to do something like that. Flowers didn’t make much sense themselves—they might wilt before Roxas and Xion got back, but maybe they could use…well, something to make his friends’ house homier. It still looked like a military barracks. 

“Yeah, I guess we can do that. But we should do the…practical thing first.”

“I wish we knew what might be going on,” Olette said quietly. “Hayner, how can we help them if we don’t know what they’re facing?”

Hayner grimaced, that was a good point. The problem seemed bigger than just “hit the monsters with a Keyblade until they go away.” 

“It’s not like we have camera recordings of all the bad guys they have to fight,” Olette said. “But maybe we ask somebody—“

“Cameras…recordings…I got an idea!” Pence said triumphantly. He tore off down the street. Weird. Pence wasn’t usually one to start a foot-race, at least not when he still had half a donut to eat. 

Hayner ran after him, catching up in moments. Olette trailed behind them, but when Hayner looked over his shoulder, she was close enough that Hayner could see the tears in her eyes. But with that wide smile…was she laughing or crying?

Down the streets of town, through the tram station and then down the path adjacent to the Underground. The Underground itself was still closed off, but there were still ways out of town and into the woods. After a few more minutes, Hayner saw they were encroaching on the grounds of the oldest, most mysterious building in Twilight Town, the old mansion. 

Now this…this could be something. 

oooo

Computers were Pence’s specialty. He wasn’t as good at Struggle as Hayner. Olette could clean his clock at cooking and read faster than him. Roxas and Xion were ridiculously strong and could outrun a cheetah and could do wonderful magic. But computers were what Pence was good at—Xion was good at it too, but she tended not to actually like using them.

And there was no computer that Pence loved more than the one in the old mansion in the woods outside Twilight Town. That computer was magic in its own right. It was that computer that Pence had used to open a door to the Other Twilight Town so that Sora could rescue Kairi after Axel had kidnapped her. And there was the data they had used to help Ienzo, Even and Ansem the Wise build Roxas a new body. 

It also was likely their best option to find out if there was anything else strange going on in Twilight Town. At the very least, there could be some sort of security footage of anything out of the ordinary. Twilight Town was strange in the way everyone was willing to go with the flow. Stuff that didn’t make sense was normal here: Urban legends like the “Seven Wonders of Twilight Town” (six of which were bogus); a talking duck ran a bistro and an open-air theater, Heartless and Nobodies were treated like raccoons or stray dogs. Dangerous if cornered, but all in all not a threat if one wandered into town. 

Even the big stuff—that giant tower of Heartless that Sora had destroyed, for example, or those shadowy orbs that popped up on walls and alleyways (or Sephiroth)—was stuff that people treated as normal. But maybe, maybe there was a chance that bigger stuff, serious stuff, stuff that might be tied into what Roxas and Xion had to deal with had been caught on the surveillance cameras attached to Ansem’s computer. Or maybe something related to Sora.

“I don’t like this,” Olette said quietly, and even though she hadn’t raised her voice, it still echoed throughout the room. “I don’t think we should be doing this.” 

“C’mon, Olette,” Hayner said, as he leaned over Pence’s shoulder. “This is our best option. We need some answers, and this is where we can find them!”

“But it’s an invasion of privacy. Roxas and Xion don’t like talking about the bad stuff that’s happened to them…we should respect that. They’re our friends.”

“Exactly!” Hayner half-shouted and Pence took a deep breath. He had a feeling Hayner was about to go on one of his rants. “They’re our friends, Olette! And what does being a friend mean? It means helping people when they’re in trouble!”

Yep. Definitely a rant. Pence sighed—those tended to last quite a while.

“How many times has Roxas done all the heavy lifting with those jobs we do around town?” Hayner began pacing around the little computer room and counting off on his fingers. “The poster set-up, the mail deliveries, the catering for McDuck, the clean-up for Mister Yanushi? Again and again and again, he’s doing all the work, But Roxas doesn’t do computers—Pence does do them. Think about it! And what about Xion? She risked her neck for you down in the Underground. None of us have magic like Roxas or Xion, but if hacking the computer is how we can help, then we owe it to them!”

“I know…” Olette said, her bright green eyes hardening resolve. “I know that. You don’t need to bring that up Hayner. But…getting involved in this…Roxas and Xion want to be normal. They want to live regular lives…I think we owe them that. To help them in ways they want.”

“I think,” Pence said quickly. “I think we all owe them our lives, all things considered. Sora saved us from that Heartless tornado thingy, and Roxas and Xion fought the Heartless too, so…um…oh, I’m in!”

The screen on the computer glowed bright and a moment later, Pence could see live footage of a young man, only a few years older than him and his friends, dressed in a laboratory coat. His hair was blue-ish grey, and long bangs obscured half of his face. His visible eye, bright blue, widened in surprise.

“Pence?”

“Good morning, Ienzo,” Pence said politely. “Excuse me, it is morning there, right?”

That was the funny thing about communicating across other worlds: you could never be sure what time it was, what when it was, in another world. Way back when, Kairi had plopped through one of those weird Dark Corridor thingies around lunchtime, but for her it had been early evening (ironic, given the whole twilight thing).

“Well, actually it’s nearly mid-day,” Ienzo said pleasantly. “Though I must say, this is a welcome surprise. How are all of you?”

“Um…fine,” Pence said. It was true enough, at least. They all had their health. “We were wondering, if it were alright with Master Ansem, if he would allow us to access the security footage on the computer grid for Twilight Town.”

Even if Master Ansem said no, Pence was fairly sure he could handle getting access to the security system himself. As it was, 

“Ienzo, is there a problem, oh! Hello, children,” A very deep voice sounded out and a moment later, Pence was eye to eye with its owner, Ansem the Wise. Master Ansem was the ruler of Radiant Garden, though Pence and the others had met him just outside the mansion. He’d been abducted by…some other dude calling himself Ansem—Pence was still a bit shaky on the details about that.

“Good morning, Master Ansem,” Pence said politely. This would go one of two ways—either Master Ansem would give them permission to access the security footage, or he wouldn’t. And Pence wasn’t sure if Master Ansem wouldn’t tighten the firewalls and make unauthorized access to his files harder. 

“Good morning, Pence,” Master Ansem responded. There was a knowing tone in his deep voice. “I suspect this is not merely a social call.”

“Er…no, not really,” Pence admitted. “See…we were wondering if it would be possible to access the security footage for the computers in the mansion?”

“It isn’t possible,” Master Ansem shook his head solemnly. “Nothing personal, mind you, children, but I cleaned out the majority of the data i had stored on those computers. Upon…that is to say, upon Sora’s awakening, I found it unnecessary to continue the majority of my computer’s operational system. As I was no longer residing in the mansion, there was little need to maintain security footage of all things.” 

“We were able to use it to get to the alternate Twilight Town to send Sora to rescue Kairi,” Hayner countered. “Is it really gone?”

“That is not to say the systems themselves are inoperable,” Master Ansem said thoughtfully. “I do still have the majority of data from my time there. What I mean to say is that anything more recent has not been documented.”

Drat. Pence couldn’t fault Master Ansem’s reasoning. If you weren’t using something anymore, then why keep it in the first place? It was one of the reasons he’d been willing to set up his old computer for Roxas and Xion.

“Why would you want to access that sort of information anyway?” Ienzo’s face came back into view. “Has there been any unusual activity going on in Twilight Town? I should point out that the security footage available would likely have a range limited primarily to the mansion and the immediate surrounding areas. Anything within the town itself would likely not have been recorded in the first place, even if the cameras were functioning.”

“Er…well…the others probably aren’t gonna like me telling you,” Pence began. He’d have to be careful in how he worded this. He felt a twinge of guilt in his belly. Xion had been really upset the previous evening…she’d had thought it was her fault that Sephiroth had even come to Twilight Town in the first place. The last thing she needed was for Master Ansem and Ienzo to confirm her suspicions. 

“Then you shouldn’t tell them in the first place!” 

“Is that Olette?” Ienzo asked curiously. “Is everything alright? As I understand it, Roxas and Xion were recently summoned by King Mickey for a…well, a mission of sorts. Master Ansem and I will soon be meeting with the King ourselves.”

  “Um…well, I guess…” Pence rubbed the back of his head. This was harder than he’d thought. Roxas and Xion wouldn’t like this—Axel really wouldn’t like this…but Hayner was right. The three of them needed some answers and with their friends gone, there was nobody left to keep Twilight Town safe from monsters. Master Ansem’s data could give them a real leg up against the Heartless and Nobodies and whatever other monsters that might be lurking out there. 

“This is taking too long!” Hayner snapped. “Look, a week ago, Olette and Xion were jumped by some freak with a giant sword. Had a big black wing, could summon meteors. Said his name was Sephy-roff or something like that?”

“WHAT?!”  Ienzo shouted, so loudly Pence almost thought he was in the room with them. From the transmission, it sounded as if several others had cried out in alarm too. Oh, those must be Master Ansem’s other apprentices. Pence really only knew one of them—Even, who had saved them after they had saved Master Ansem in the first place. 

“Please tell me you’re joking!” Ienzo begged. “Do you mean Sephiroth?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much how Axel and Isa reacted with Olette burst into the room,” Hayner said. “It was really messed up. Half the sky was dark purple, and the wind was blowing like a hurricane.”

“Hayner! Please!” 

“I would like to hear more of this myself!” A taller figure with a lean, gaunt face and long blond hair filled the screen, crouching uncomfortably. Even, one of Master Ansem’s apprentices, and a brilliant scientist. “Am I to understand that you were assaulted? Is Xion alright?”

“That’s not exactly how it went down,” Hayner admitted. “But really, i wasn't there for all of it. Olette was though…”

Olette looked down her shoes, rubbing her arm. For a moment, she didn’t say anything. It was so quiet in their chamber, Pence was certain he could hear the clanking of machinery in Radiant Garden. He wondered what sort of device that might be—surely something wondrous and useful.

“Olette, I would like to hear more of this,” Even repeated, his voice firm. “What happened?”

“We…” Olette hesitated. “I…it was my fault.” Olette crouched down next to Pence and looked up at Even and Master Ansem. “See, they wouldn’t let Xion onto the tram, because she had bought a pie at the bakery, so I thought we’d use the Underground for a shortcut home. And while we were there…we ran into Sephiroth. He said…things about Xion, he seemed to know things he shouldn’t…and he pointed his sword at me, and said I had a…tremendous amount of light. And Xion summoned her Keyblade and told me to run…”

Olette swallowed hard, like she had a bad cold, and Pence felt as if he’d been kicked in the stomach when he realized she was crying. This hadn’t been a good idea after all. He glanced back at Even and Master Ansem. Even’s face betrayed no emotion, but Master Ansem looked mortified. 

“And I ran…I just ran…I could hear Xion screaming,” Olette whispered. “But I didn’t go back to help her…Xion fought Sephiroth off, and she even summoned her Keyblade armor, which I guess not even Sora has? But she got really hurt.”

“Hurt?” Even asked. “How badly was she injured?”

“Not sure,” Hayner interrupted before Olette could respond. “Axel force-fed her like forty of those Potions that the Moogles sell, but she was stuck on her bed for three days. And anyway, she keeps saying that Sephi-roff, roth…whatever. Xion thinks he might have been holding back, to test her strength.”

“Indeterminate,” Even said. “We did a fair bit of research into Sephiroth’s methodology and he does covet combat. To find opponents and strike them down and steal their strength and claim it as his own. It is not impossible that he might have sought a fight just to have a fight, though,”

“Right,” Pence said. “Isa said the same thing, more or less. Well…that’s why we were curious about the security footage in the first place. There’s a saying in our world that birds of a feather, flock together.”

“Pence, that phrase is near universal.” 

“Er…right. Well, anyway, where there’s one bad guy, there might be other bad guys. And I know that Sora destroyed that Xehanort guy and all his friends. But there’s this new threat that Roxas and Xion have to fight. And we want to help them…they’re our friends. I understand that there’s no way to go back for the last few months, but I 

“Your logic is not without reason,” Master Ansem said quietly. “Upon our return from visiting King Mickey, and gaining further knowledge of this new threat, Ienzo will assist you in analyzing the data of previously recorded information.”

“I would be happy to begin now,” Ienzo said. “I believe there is merit in your efforts, Pence.”

“That sounds great!” Pence said and beside him, he could hear Hayner whoop in triumph. “What do you think, Olette?”

No response. Pence looked from his left to his right and back again. Olette was nowhere to be seen, but he could hear the sound of somebody going up the stairs to the ground floor of the mansion.

“Oh boy…”

oooo

Olette ran a hand against the door of the house where Roxas and Xion lived with Axel and Isa. It was at the end of the street, near the edge of town. Far from her own family’s house. Far from the woods and the mansion. Far from Roxas and Xion, wherever they were now…

And the worst part of it was that it hadn’t even been a full day since they’d left. But there was fear. Fear that the last meeting at the station this morning would indeed be the last time she’d ever get to see her friends.

“Please…please…let them come home safe,” Olette murmured in a voice barely above a whisper. A prayer.

Olette choked back a sob. She was an awful friend. How could she have done invade her friends’ privacy like that, again? Let Hayner and Pence convince Ansem the Wise to allow them access to the old security footage and data from the mansion? It was wrong! This was just like when she had snooped at Xion’s diary. Xion had been so ashamed, she couldn’t look Olette in the eye—Olette hadn’t blamed her. 

And after everything Xion had done for her…she’d fought that horrible Sephiroth. She had almost died fighting Sephiroth. That horrible, terrible sword was long enough to have sliced them both in half without even trying. And Xion hadn’t even hesitated to summon her Keyblade. And the last thing Olette had done…had been to run.

Like a coward.

A phrase, memorized years ago for class, tickled in the back of Olette’s mind. Greater love hath no one than this, that they would lay their life down for their friends. Xion, even if she didn’t realize it, was like that. Sora was like that. Olette wished she could be like that. 

She glanced over her shoulder and saw that there was no one behind her. The streets were quiet. Not unnaturally so, but quiet enough. Right, it was still very early. That was alright. A little quiet could be nice, now and then. Olette jiggled the door handle. Locked.

With a household that had three people who could wield Keyblades, one would think that Roxas and Xion didn’t keep an actual key to their house. But they did—taped to the bottom of the windowsill. Roxas had showed it to her and Hayner about a week after they had first moved into the house.

This was not breaking and entering! This was letting herself into a friend’s house. And besides…this made her feel closer to her friends. Kairi had described what it was like before, back when they’d first met, but Olette hadn’t realized just how much. her heart would ache at how much she missed them.

Olette sympathized with Hayner’s desire to help Roxas and Xion, but she was also aware that she wasn’t a fighter. She could outrun Pence, but that was it. She had come in last place in the Struggle tournament last summer. And manipulating the elements—she wasn’t sure whether she’d call what Roxas and Xion were capable of “magic,” in a traditional sense at least—was far beyond her abilities. 

But one thing she had been good at was helping people. Helping her friends with their homework—or, to be more precise, helping Hayner with his homework and making sure Pence didn’t get distracted. Assisting the younger students in the tutoring program. Organizing the canned food drives. 

So how could she help Roxas and Xion with that sort of thing? There wasn’t much she could do there. But maybe she could make their house a bit homier. Now that she thought about it, Olette was pretty sure that Xion hadn’t had a chance to read any of the books she’d meant to lend her. What else could she do to help her friends?

Maybe laundry. She’d see what she could do to fix Xion’s blouse. The one Xion had been wearing when that those teenagers had splashed hot coffee and poured ice cream all over her. Ugh…it never made sense to her, the way people could be so mean to each other. She’d been teased before, mostly by Seifer and his gang, but she also knew what it was like being teased by those three. The girl with piercings who had dunked her ice cream into Xion’s hair was Molly; the blonde girl who had splashed the coffee was Sage; the boy who had knocked Xion over, so that she would bump the table, was Kent. As far back as Olette could remember, those three had loved pushing others around, and for no real reason—even Seifer usually had a reason to justify his “Disciplinary Committee.” 

Olette shook her head to clear her thoughts. Whatever their reason for doing it, that didn’t make it right. Nor, she thought sadly, was it really that surprising. Darkness existed in every heart—or nearly every heart. Isa had once described Kairi as a “Princess of Heart,” and Roxas had had to explain precisely what that meant—and boy had he looked excited about explaining something. Everyone had darkness, and thus, people would hurt one another…and in some cases, people would fall to darkness and lose themselves in the hurt. 

That wasn’t the sort of stuff she was good at, light and darkness and fighting. Investigating mysteries around town, sure…but only to a point. Olette shook her head again. Back to laundry. It took her only a few minutes to find Xion’s ruined blouse. No, not ruined. There was a chance she might be able to salvage it—though in this light, she could see what Axel had meant when he had mentioned mistaking Xion for Kairi. There was a lot of stained ice cream on the blouse. Check the settings on the washer—this blouse was probably delicate—and make sure not to use too much detergent. 

Olette busied herself by trying to tidy the rest of the house. It was not difficult—Olette suspected Isa was behind most of the cleaning, and of course, they had only just left this morning. The house Roxas and Xion stayed in was not large. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, the kitchen, and the living room—really, more of a den—and the laundry room and that was it. Olette grimaced. Her own bedroom was probably three times the size of the room Roxas and Xion had to share, and she had it all to herself. 

The books she’d lent Xion were neatly stacked on a coffee table in the den. They looked like they hadn’t been opened. There was a small sticky note on one of the books, with tiny handwriting written on it. 

“Dear Olette. Figured you might show up. Sorry I didn’t get a chance to read any of these. Don’t know how long the trip is gonna be, so I decided it’d be better to give these back to you. I can borrow them again another time. And maybe find something of mine for you to borrow. Your friend, Xion. P.S. Roxas says ‘Hi.’

“If it’s the last thing I do…you two will get the lives you want…”

Ding!

That would be the washing machine. Olette walked back to the laundry room to check Xion’s blouse. Most of the stains were fainter than before…maybe one more rinse cycle, just to be safe. 

Olette sighed. Things never seemed to go right for Xion. Or for Roxas. And when it did, it didn’t seem to last. 

Knock knock knock!

Olette walked back over to the front door. She smiled when she saw it was Hayner and Pence. No matter what happened, they were still her best friends.

“Hi guys…sorry I ran like that. It just…”

“We know,” Hayner shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“If anything, it was our fault for putting you on the spot like that,” Pence said. “Ienzo said he’d call back later, on the Gummiphone.”

“It’s not your fault either…I get that you want to help. I’ve had nightmares,” Olette admitted. “I keep dreaming about what happened down there. And what could have happen. And what didn’t happen. It’s not even Sephiroth all the time either—last night I dreamed about Axel kidnapping Kairi…”

Hayner held up a hand to shush her. Olette rubbed her arm and looked at Hayner. She saw determination in his eyes. Determination and compassion. 

“Let’s forget the last hour ever happened,” Hayner said. “Forget the data and the cameras for the moment. You said you wanted to…do what exactly? Tidy the house?”

“Fix Xion’s blouse before anything else,” Olette corrected. “And as it turns out, there wasn’t much else to clean. I know it’s kind of silly, but…it felt like a way to say thank you.”

“I can get behind that,” Hayner said as he walked over towards the small kitchen. He opened the fridge. “Hey, there’s still perishables in here. If Roxas and Xion aren’t going to be back for a while, we might want to clean this out. It’d be a shame to let it spoil. Milk, sausage, butter, eggs…ice cream?” 

Olette broke into a fit of giggles—of course, there would be ice cream—and soon Hayner and Pence were laughing too. Perhaps things weren’t quite so dire as she thought. But this, friendship and fellowship, this was something she could get behind. And she wanted Roxas and Xion to get to be a part of this too. 

Soon…one day, soon. And she would make sure she did everything in her power to make sure they got to enjoy every second. 

Ding!

Chapter Text

Chapter Eighteen: Diplomacy at Disney Castle

Roxas awoke slowly, blinking in the bright light of the Gummi Ship. He had dozed off not long after they had eaten enough ice cream to use the sticks for fuel for their Gummi Ship. He had wound up eating twelve bars—Xion had eaten thirteen. After everything that had gone down in Olympus, he'd been too tired to concentrate on anything other than ice cream after a while, and then when the ship finally had enough fuel, he'd fallen asleep.

But he wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep. It didn't feel like a long time—he still felt exhausted and his neck ached. Their Gummi Ship was simpler than the Highwind; the seats were large, but firm. More like benches than couches. Roxas blinked again. He felt a weight on his shoulder. Turning his head slightly, Roxas smiled. It was Xion. Who had a really bad case of bed hair but looked like she was finally getting some decent sleep. She opened one eye and smiled. Faker. She hadn't been sleeping after all.

"You finally up, kiddo?" Axel asked. He was still wearing his Keyblade Armor. "Let's get moving, we don't want to keep King Mickey waiting."

"We've only just docked in the garage," Isa countered from the computer at the other end of the ship. "It's not as if the children could have hastened our return any further. They haven't inconvenienced anyone."

"Speak for yourself, you have any idea how hard it is to get a nap in with this armor?" Axel spread his arms wide. Roxas blinked. Why did Axel still have his armor on? Roxas had only worn his armor once, and once the fighting had been over, it had dissolved back into his Keyblades. Weird, when he thought about it—Terra and Aqua didn't have Armor that behaved liked that.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong," Axel continued as he walked back and forth, pressing his hands together. "I was able to get the helmet off. Wasn't any harder than pushing back a hood, but the rest of it…" He gestured towards his arms and chest. Armor. Red and gold, kind of like Terra's, but more streamlined. And there was some black too, especially on his arms, almost like a gauntlet.

"I'm sure that King Mickey will be able to help you, Axel," Xion said. "Or maybe Master Yen Sid."

"Yeah yeah, let's get a move on," Axel tousled her hair. "We're burning daylight."

Isa pressed a button on the computer and the hatch to their Gummi Ship opened up slowly, clanking when it hit the ground. Through the gap, Roxas could see the blue steel floors of the garage of Disney Castle. The four of them walked in two groups, Axel and Isa ahead, while Roxas and Xion trailed behind them. Xion clutched her new necklace and smiled shyly at Roxas.

If anything, Roxas was fairly certain the garage was even more crowded than it had been when they had first arrived at Disney Castle. Two of the Gummis that had been mid-way through construction had been finished—one of them resembled the Highwind, but blue and white, the other was shaped almost like a wayfinder, with long bars of green blocks sticking out the sides of its cockpit. And all around, workers were rushing about—Roxas thought he recognized the horse at the foot of the stairwell.

"King Mickey's waitin' for youse up in his library," The horse said. Yep, this was him all right. "You can head on up…whoa, deja vu. Eh, never mind. You remember where the library is, tell him I say hi."

"Thank you, Horace," Xion said politely. Roxas nodded as well—he had forgotten the horse's name.

The walk to the castle's library was not particularly long, but at the same time, there seemed a certain tension in the air. Roxas wasn't quite sure what it was though. They passed by a goose in a knight's uniform, but he didn't say so much as hello in response to Xion's "Good morning." Had more things gone wrong here? Goofy had said before they had seen glimpse of people they cared about. People who had died. His chest tightened—it was awful, seeing the spectra of Sora and trying to get him to talk, only for it to fail over and over. If that was the reason why the goose hadn't responded, Roxas could hardly blame him.

Sora…where are you?

Or maybe people were just scared of Axel's Keyblade Armor, which wasn't unreasonable, all things considered. Axel's armor was intimidating, and its colors—red and gold and black—clashed hard with the paintings and potted plants and sculptures lining the hallways in the castle. And several residents were visibly intimidated.

"Really, if I could take it off, I would!" Axel said, in a tone of voice that seemed more annoyed than concerned. Roxas wondered whether it might be a more effective argument if Axel hadn't been having it with a walking broom.

"Perhaps we should have left you back on the ship," Isa mused. "It would have been considerably more polite."

"Ha ha, at least I didn't get air-sick," Axel countered. "You spent half the flight sick to your stomach."

"That is due in no small part to my having an actual digestive system that is designed to eat actual food. You, as I recall, ate twenty-two sea salt ice cream bars."

"Hey, I wanted to make sure we had extras! You know you really don't pull your fair share with those! You only ate three!"

Beside him, Roxas could hear Xion breaking into a fit of giggles, and he could barely suppress a grin himself. Isa seemed to be in a far better mood than even his usual self—Axel liked to call him a stick-in-the-mud. Maybe it was that Harmonia's antidote had been too powerful and he was overly cooperative, or maybe it was just relief at finally being able to think clearly. Either way, it was better than him being a jerk.

"Ah, I believe we've arrived at the library," Isa said. He was right—Roxas recognized the wooden doors, adorned with the King's emblem. Isa knocked once, and the door opened up.

It was a lot more crowded in the library today than it had been just a few days earlier. Besides the King and Master Yen Sid, and Donald and Goofy, there was a mouse wearing a pink dress and tiara and a duck wearing a purple gown.

And there was also two men…human men. One quite tall, with graying blond hair and beard, and the other had blue-gray hair and was not much older than Roxas. They wore long white coats and the elder man had a long, red scarf wrapped around his shoulders….

Ienzo. Ansem the Wise.

He helped you. He used the data to sculpt this Replica body for you to use. And he did the same thing for Naminé.

It was unfair, Roxas knew, to continue to hold onto hurt feelings. Ansem had sought to sacrifice Roxas in order to awaken Sora. Ansem had been brutal in his methods, calling Roxas "a tool" to be used and then discarded when no longer needed. And the way he had abused Naminé…but he had also wanted to make up for the bad stuff he'd done. If it weren't for Ansem, then Roxas wouldn't even be here right now.

His jaw clenched and Roxas grit his teeth. He couldn't lose his temper like this. Ansem hadn't even said so much as "Good morning." He could hold his tongue…for now at least.

oooo

"Master Yen Sid," Xion bowed as deeply as she could. "It is an honor to see you again. And you as well, your Majesties."

King Mickey smiled at her and Xion felt a rush of warmth in her belly. It was almost like having to give a mission report for Saix back in the Organization, only not scary. King Mickey and Master Yen Sid had high expectations but that was okay, since their mission was all about helping people. And this was her chance to prove that she could help others.

Ansem the Wise and Ienzo gave friendly nods, though she noted that Ienzo was holding his coat close to his chest. That seemed a little odd—it wasn't cold in Disney Castle. Why wear a coat in the first place?

"Hiya Xion, Roxas, Axel, Isa…" King Mickey took a breath and Xion was glad they were the last to arrive—they'd be here forever if the King had to say everybody's name. "Did everything work out in Olympus?"

"There was indeed a crisis there," Isa said, before Xion could open her mouth. "And Roxas and Xion, in particular, performed remarkably. I would not be standing here before you if it weren't for their courage and resolve."

"Is that so?" Master Yen Sid said quietly, scratching his beard. "And what of the cause of the conflict? The breaking of the barrier between life and death?"

"Er…it's indeterminate, sir," Xion said. She wondered how she should word this—she didn't want Isa to get into trouble. "Hades attempted to betray Zeus and usurp the throne. And he called forth undead souls from the Underworld as he made his assault. But I do not believe he is one of the chief…er…ringleaders in this crisis. I think whoever is in charge simply took advantage of Hades's spite for his brother."

"Some things never change," Donald muttered, folding his arms. Xion blinked—oh right, Donald had traveled with Sora. Of course they would have fought Hades together.

"We weren't able to see Maleficent, sir," Roxas added. "We're not sure if she's playing a part in this or not. But Hades did get help from somebody outside his world."

"And how, may I ask," Master Yen Sid said, "do you know this to be true? I doubt that Hades was forthcoming with such information."

"He wasn't sir, but he was using a strange weapon," Xion continued. "He said it was made of a metal called mordite."

Goofy and Donald looked at each other and shrugged. King Mickey put a gloved hand to his chin thoughtfully. Master Yen Sid began to tremble.

"Are…are you certain?"

"Yes Master," Xion said. "Hades attempted to use a sword made of mordite in order to kill Zeus and claim his throne. Judging from statements he made…I think Hades would have stolen Zeus's powers too."

That would have been very bad. Hades was supremely powerful to begin with, especially with Fire magic. Xion didn't want to think about how tough he would have been to fight with Thunder magic as well.

"Yes, that is most likely," Master Yen Sid said. He looked around at the gathered warriors and royals. "Children, I don't think you quite grasp the gravity of what you've prevented. Mordite is a cursed weapon, of the foulest darkness. Completely unnatural in the Realm of Light. It corrupts and kills magic itself. Not even Xehanort was so fool-hardy as to dare to obtain such a horrific weapon. No doubt Hades, and whomever he was allied with seek to destroy what fragile peace remains. And if they have mordite weapons, they will be dangerous foes indeed."

"Gosh…I've heard of mordite, on account of my training with ya, Master Yen Sid," King Mickey said, a quiver in his voice. "But I never thought I might have to face it in combat. It's an incredibly dangerous metal."

Xion's knees began to knock together. It made sense, in a way—mordite was supposed to be able to kill gods. And if it could break magic like that…then yeah, it could probably kill just about anyone. That was scary stuff.

"No kidding. And…um…we're sorry, about not getting more information on whoever it was helping Hades," Roxas said. "I mean, I'm pretty sure it was Maleficent, but we didn't even see if she was actually involved."

"It is unfortunate that you were unable to obtain additional information about the motivations of the interlopers who seek to take advantage of crisis. But a crisis was indeed averted, and that is certainly something dignified. From what you report, it appears that your actions prevented a catastrophe that would have cost many their lives."

"Gawrsh, it sounds like they did great!" Goofy spoke up, a grin wide on his face. "I mean, beatin' Hades is tough! And he had a super evil sword, too! And Axel, ya got your Keyblade Armor!"

Next to Goofy, Donald smiled at them and gave them a thumbs up. The mouse and duck wearing gowns gave approving nods.

"Yes," Axel said through a gritted smile. "I'm awesome. We all know it. And I would really like to get it removed, please. Nothing seems to be working."

"Oh? It's actually rather simple, Lea," Master Yen Sid gave a slight smile. "You merely press your right hand against your left shoulder, and dismiss it the same way you would dismiss your Keyblade."

"All the trouble I had summoning it in the first place and now I can't take it—" Axel's remark was cut off as his armor dissolved, leaving him in his sleeveless coat and trousers. "Huh, well, would you look at that?"

"That will do, Lea. That will do," Master Yen Sid said. "Now…Roxas, Xion—there is a pressing matter that must be addressed. Were you able to destroy Hades's sword of mordite?"

"Oh!" Xion gasped. "Yes, yes I was!"

"That is a relief the likes of which can scarcely be expressed," Master Yen Sid said. "Though I fear there may be more, the knowledge that one was able to be destroyed is something we may learn much from. How were you able to do it?"

"It was kind of an accident, actually," Xion said. "See, Hades was gonna kill Axel, but I grabbed the sword to stop after that, we got separated and Hades tried to kill Isa. Axel tried to intercept but I was faster and I was able to use my sword against Hades's sword, and they both wound up shattering."

"What have you done?" Master Yen Sid whispered. "You mean to tell me, you actually created one of those accursed swords?"

"I replicated it…but it's broken so it should be fine…right?" Xion held out her hand. She only had a little bit left with the hilt, so showing it to Master Yen Sid shouldn't hurt anything. She felt the fuzzy feeling of summoning a replicated weapon, and then a moment later, a long purple and black blade emerged. Whoa! She hadn't thought it'd be unbroken—weird.

"Oh my!"

"Whoa," Roxas said. "How did that happen? I saw it shatter!"

"I'm…I'm not sure. Er…Master?"

Master Yen Sid looked furious. He rose to his full height—he was so very tall, he had to be even taller than Aeleus. He could destroy her with a flick of his wrist if he were so inclined…and it looked like he was considering it. Xion glanced at the sword and then back at Master Yen Sid, who finally found his voice.

"Dismiss that weapon at once, foolish child!"

"What's she done wrong?"

Xion wasn't sure who yelled that—Isa or maybe Ansem the Wise. Her face felt very hot and a lump formed in her throat. She'd messed up. She'd messed up really badly. She felt tears burning at her eyes. She dropped the mordite blade to the floor and it clanked hard. Xion winced. That was stupid. She could have hurt someone. She glanced back up at Master Yen Sid. He still looked really, really angry. Xion flexed her fingers and dismissed the weapon. It vanished in a shimmer of light.

"Outside of the Power of Waking, that is perhaps the most dangerous thing any of my students has done!" Master Yen Sid snapped. "You are never to summon that blade again, ever!"

"I'm…I'm sorry," Xion whispered. It took all her concentration not to start crying. "I didn't know…I'm sorry."

Master Yen Sid opened his mouth and then closed it again. For a moment, he didn't speak. Nobody spoke. The only sound Xion could hear was her own ragged breathing. Tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Don't cry, Xion," King Mickey looked up at her. "You didn't know. You're not in trouble."

"At ease, child," Master Yen Sid said, his voice stern, but there was a flash of concern in his eyes.

He couldn't be angry with her, could he? Of course he was, why wouldn't he be? Xion swallowed hard. Her arm hurt and she began to rub it with her other hand. This was bad. Making Master Yen Sid angry…and what about the mordite sword? If it were bad…then did being able to replicate it mean that Xion was bad?

Of course, you're bad. You're an awful, evil person. Why else would Xehanort have chosen you to be his thirteenth vessel? You're evil, darkness incarnate. You helped kill Kairi. You helped kill Sora. Yen Sid should do the world a favor and kill you where you stand.

Xion fought the urge to throw up—to do that in King Mickey's library would be awful. Absolutely awful. She couldn't do that. Couldn't, couldn't, couldn't.

King Mickey was talking, but Xion couldn't hear what he was saying. And then Axel said something. And then Ansem the Wise…what were they talking about? She had to pay attention. She had a responsibility to do so…she had made mistakes and now she had to listen so she could make up for them. But her head ached…

Xion felt a hand, a little bit bigger than hers, squeeze her fingers gently. Through teary eyes, Xion glanced to her side. Her eyes met a pair the exact same shape and color as hers. Roxas.

"C'mon…we're dismissed…they're gonna discuss some more stuff but we can go."

Xion nodded and then turned back towards King Mickey and Master Yen Sid. She steeled herself as best she could and bowed in respect. She turned around and began to walk towards the library's exit. She was running halfway to the doors, and as they swung shut behind her, she could hear Isa begin to raise his voice.

oooo

Goofy, Cap'n of King Mickey's Royal Guard, stared at the two Keybearers. Just kids, smaller than Sora even. Roxas was fuming, makin' fists. And Xion was doin' the thing kids do when they're tryin' not to cry. Bobbin' her head up and down and bitin' her lip. And she was shakin' like Pluto did when he was out in the rain too long.

"Alright…you're dismissed, Roxas, Xion. You can go too, Axel," King Mickey said. "I need to discuss things with Master Yen Sid and then we can give you your next mission."

"I'm not going anywhere," Axel said, and ooh-boy, he was not happy. Not one wee little bit.

Goofy watched as Roxas led Xion outta the library. He was holdin' her hand and looked like he wanted to throw something. Little Xion looked like she was gonna be sick, especially with the way she started running. Isa glowered really spooky at Master Yen Sid but said he weren't movin' for nuthin. A minute later, Ansem the Wise's buddy Ienzo took a few steps forward.

"Master Ansem," Ienzo said, "I request leave so that I may accompany the other children."

"Very well, Ienzo," Ansem the Wise said. "You may leave…do take care."

Ienzo bowed to Ansem the Wise and then he turned around and walked outta the library. He gave a funny sort of half-nod to Axel and Isa. Oh yeah, they'd all been in the Organization together.

After he left, the only visitors were Axel and Isa and Ansem the Wise. Everyone else, apart from Master Yen Sid, was one of Goofy's oldest friends. Gawrsh, he couldn't even remember a time when King Mickey and Donald weren't his best buddies. And Queen Minnie and Daisy too.

"Well…that could have gone better, I suppose," King Mickey said, with a nervous little laugh in his voice.

"It's not funny."

"You were too hard on her," Axel growled. He stared real hard at Master Yen Sid, almost like he wanted to set him on fire. Sometimes Goofy forgot that Axel used to be a bad guy. Now, not so much. He and Isa looked more like wolves than people. Not that he really blamed 'em—they was just being papas. It was just one o' those things. Goofy remembered how angry he'd been once, years and years ago, when Maxie had come home with a black eye. Why, he'd been so angry, he coulda fought a million Heartless.

"Axel, I'm sorry about how things went down," King Mickey said, and this time he didn't laugh. "Really…Xion isn't in trouble, I want to make that clear."

"Not with you, maybe," Axel retorted, "But you can be sure she'll be taking this out on herself!"

Golly…when he put it that way…Goofy had to admit that Axel had a point. Xion had looked awful upset. Goofy suddenly felt like his helmet was on too tight and then it got itchy.

"However clear I wish acceptable boundaries to be made, I acknowledge that using a softer tone would have been more ideal," Master Yen Sid said. "It seems that even I am not immune to allowing panic overcome common sense."

"Is that your way of saying you screwed up?"

"That's enough, young man," Queen Minnie said. She walked primly up to Axel. "I understand that you are upset, but Master Yen Sid has everyone's best interests at heart. I'm sorry your friend was hurt, but I can't say I approve of her summoning such a weapon in our castle either. Had she not done so, Master Yen Sid would not have raised his voice as he had."

That didn't seem real fair to Goofy. It almost seemed like she was makin' it Xion's fault that Master Yen Sid had yelled. Which might be true on a techn-y-cal point, but it still weren't real fair. But then again, Queen Minnie was one of the nicest people Goofy had ever met. She'd never be mean on purpose, ever. But Queen Minnie didn't have kiddos of her own, and she hadn't spent much time at all with Maxie or Donald's nephews, so maybe she just didn't know how to talk to 'em very well.

"Ah, Queen Minnie, it's not like she did it on purpose," Donald said. Goofy smiled—good ol' Donald always lookin' out for little ones. He looked back at Axel and Isa. "You just need to make sure she never ever does it again."

"In all likelihood, that is not going to be a problem," Isa said. He didn't look happy at all. "After that, I fear that she may never use her replication powers again."

"That would be most unfortunate," Ansem the Wise said quietly. "They're a unique gift. In all my years, I've never seen anyone else with such magical power as that."

"Whether she does or doesn't is her business," Axel said. For a moment there, he looked almost like he wanted to cry. "Now, you mentioned that you had another mission for us? Can't say I'm surprised. So what do we have to do next?"

"Er…perhaps it would be best if we continued on then," King Mickey said. "Well, we've still had sightings, I guess you could call 'em. And we're gettin' more readings from other worlds. We need you to go to one of 'em and figure out what's goin' on."

"Sure. Whatever," Axel crossed his arms. "We'll take care of whatever it is. But ya got anything more to go on? Like, what world it is? And we're gonna need to get some more supplies."

"Rest assured, if you are in any need of additional resources," Ansem the Wise said. "I would be happy to assist."

"Um…if it's alright with you, King Mickey, could I leave now?" Goofy asked. "I think I forgot to feed my goldfishies."

He could hear Donald snickerin' and Axel and Isa looked mostly confused. But that was okay, since King Mickey gave him permission to go on out.

xxxx

Goofy walked out of the library as quietly as he could. Which weren't easy, with all his knight armor on. Ya think he'd gotten used to it by now, but then again, he hadn't worn it regular-like for a long time—it was far too bulky to wear on the adventures he'd have with Sora.

The excuse he'd given about needin' to feed his fishes was a lie. He wanted to check in on Xion. And Roxas too. It wasn't fair, the way that Master Yen Sid had snapped at her and then not said he was sorry. Sure, Xion shouldn't 'ave summoned the evil scary sword like that, but she didn't know it was wrong to do so. She said herself she thought it'd be busted. And she said she was sorry, she even started cryin' on account of how sorry she was. Even after King Mickey said it was okay and she weren't in trouble, she'd still been cryin'. And then after King Mickey dismissed them, Xion had practically run away like she was on fire.

Which was why Goofy was gonna check up on her. Just to see if she was okay. A good cry could help ya out of a lot of stuff, but to be honest, the more he thought about it, the worse it got. Goofy was worried. Real worried. The kind that he hadn't been in a long time. Cause Xion, she'd been scared. Scared of Master Yen Sid and King Mickey. It was no fun being scared of stuff, but to be scared of yer teacher and yer King? Nuh-uh, there weren't nuthin' good about that. It weren't like King Mickey was gonna hurt her. But…had Xion thought he was gonna?

It'd make sense, wouldn't it? Xion had been part of the ol' Organization and from what Goofy had seen, Xemnas had been a lousy boss. And then she'd been part of the second Organization and Master Xehanort was an even worse boss. A while back, when he had been explain' who she was, Axel had said that Xemnas was actually gonna kill Xion with one of his weird laser swords. If all she knew from the people givin' her jobs was getting hit and kicked and being told she'd get killed if she failed, why shouldn't she be ascared of the new people giving her new jobs now?

Xion reminded Goofy of someone he hadn't seen in a long, long time. His son, Maxie, had had a real good buddy PJ when they was kids. PJ was a good boy, always quiet and helpful with whatever Max wanted to do. They played together and did their homework together…well, if he was bein' honest, it was more listening to their music while they were supposed to be doin' their homework.

But one thing Goofy had noticed was that PJ was afraid of folk. Teachers and the principal and most of all, his father Pete. It was strange—Pete was always causin' all sorts of trouble, but PJ never hurt nobody. But it got to a point where PJ was afraid of just about everythin' there was. And people who were in charge were what he was most scared of!

PJ was a good boy, but he'd also been a scared boy. And he'd gotten hurt a bunch of times. Sometimes even by Pete.

It wasn't somethin' Goofy liked to talk about. But there had been times when PJ had been scared to even go home. He had slept over a whole bunch of times, so often that Goofy had gotten King Mickey to set up an extra bedroom just for PJ. It had all worked out for the best. PJ had gotten all grown up and now he weren't scared of much at all.

Goofy searched and searched and searched. He searched the hallways and the garden and the courtyard—he stopped to say howdy to the Sora Statue. But he couldn't find Roxas or Xion anywhere. He needed to find 'em and let them know it was okay.

Hmmm…where had Maxie gone to hide whenever he wanted to be alone? He'd mostly hold up in his room and listen to his music. But Roxas and Xion didn't have a room here in the castle. Hmm…they'd been stayin' on their Gummi Ship, but theirs wasn't that cozy. They liked to watch the sunset in Twilight Town from their tower though. Hmm….

Goofy walked and walked and walked up a whole bunch of stairs until he got to the top of the balcony of the tallest tower in the whole castle. You could see all sorts of places from this high up. And…there were the two he was lookin' for! Roxas and Xion were sitting, side-by-side. Their legs were danglin' off the edge. Ienzo was on Xion's other side, standing up and writing down somethin' with a pencil.

"It's not your fault," Roxas said. He patted Xion on the back, gentle like. "They don't know what they're talking about."

"Roxas…I'm sorry I got you in trouble."

"What are you talking about? You didn't."

"I did! Master Yen Sid is so angry!"

"I assure you, Roxas is correct. Even Master Yen Sid says that his reprimand may have been too overbearing."

"You didn't," Roxas repeated. "And even if you did, so what? You're my best friend, Xion. My best friend. Through all worlds and all time. That's never going to change."

"Awwwwww…"

Roxas and Xion both jumped and then turned their heads around real fast. Ienzo yelped, and he dropped a pencil and it fell all the way down to the ground below. Oops. Guess he had spooked 'em. Roxas looked a little grouchy.

"Er…Mister Goofy," Xion said. "Are we not allowed to be up here? We can leave if, what I mean to say is…"

"No, no, no—you're not in trouble. This here is the balcony. Being up here and looking real far is what it's for!"

"Oh…yeah," Xion went pink, all embarrassed. "Er…did Master Yen Sid want us back? Does King Mickey have a mission?"

"No, well, maybe. But I wanted to check in on ya," Goofy said. "I think you got yer feelings hurt and I wanted you to know it was alright."

"We're not in trouble?"

"Of course not," Goofy said. "Not with the King and not with Master Yen Sid, but I meant it was alright if you was upset."

"I'm…I'm alright," Xion whispered. Goofy looked at her eyes. They was red and puffy and she had shiny tear lines on her cheeks. "Really…"

"Okay, but there's something else you should know. Yer safe here, Xion. Nobody's gonna hurt ya if you make a mistake. Not now, not ever. Okay?"

Xion didn't say nothin' but Roxas seemed relieved. His grouchiness went away and he patted Xion's hand.

"C'mon, let's take a little walk," Goofy said. He held out his hand. It was much bigger than Roxas's hand or Xion's. Big enough for 'em both to take it and let him help 'em to their feet.

xxxx

The four of 'em—Ienzo had come along—were sitting at a picnic table. They had just finished their lunch. It was the first time Roxas and Xion had ever eaten hot dogs before. They had good table manners, better than Sora's anyway. As she tapped her napkin to her lips, Xion frowned.

"Do I look dumb to you?"

"Oh, Xion, you're not dumb," Goofy said. An idea tickled in his brain—but it weren't the kind of tickle that made you laugh. This was a lot like what happened with PJ as a kid. It was almost spooky. No, not really spooky, but Goofy didn't know what adjective fit. Oh well, if it worked before, then maybe it would work now.

"This here is dumb," Goofy held up a small, spiky ball, not much bigger than the perty gem in Xion's necklace.

"What's this?"

"I believe," Ienzo said, "This is a seed of Castanea dentata."

"Ah-hyuck!" Goofy chuckled. "I don't know if this belongs to a Castanee, but this here's a chestnut."

"Oh," Roxas said. "What's a chestnut?"

"It's a food," Goofy said. "Hyuck, I know it don't look like much now. All spiny and dull-looking."

"That doesn't sound very tasty…" Xion bit her lip. "But I guess looks can be deceiving."

"Well sure!" Goofy said. "See, come the right time, the shell will fall off and…walla!" The shell of the chestnut fell away, leavin' just the yummy part left. "See, it's chock-full of good stuff. And it's handsome too! Ah-hyuck, ya know what i mean?"

"I…I think so," Xion said and she smiled real bright. She had a very nice smile. Roxas had a nice smile too…for a moment, they both looked a lot like Sora. Goofy missed his buddy, a whole bunch. But it was nice to have some new friends too.

"Now that we've eaten," Ienzo said, "Perhaps it would be wise if we returned. It's been nearly two hours since we left the library."

"Sounds good to me!" Goofy said. "Let's go!"

He got up off the bench and started back towards the castle. It felt great to give some advice to Roxas and Xion. They seemed to be doin' much better now. But Goofy couldn't help but think that maybe he forgot somethin'. But what?

"Goofy!" Xion called. "You forgot your shield!"

Oopsy. Xion scooped up his shield and handed it to Goofy. He noticed she clung it tight for a moment before handing it back to him. Roxas grinned at him.

"Thank you," Roxas said. "It…means a lot."

"Aww, yer welcome," Goofy chuckled. "Now let's get on goin'."

Roxas and Xion took off ahead of him and even holdin' hands, they were faster than Ienzo. Goofy chuckled. He'd let them take the lead. Whatever adventure King Mickey had for 'em, he had a good feelin' they was gonna be okay.

"Yeah, they're gonna be okay," Goofy said to himself. "I got a good feelin' about it."

"You always had a way with children, Goofy."

Goofy turned around. Standing in front of him was someone he hadn't seen in…a long time. Someone who had a pink sweater and brown hair and long gold hoop earrings. Goofy could hardly believe his eyes…but then…she weren't the first he'd seen in the last two weeks.

"I don't know how long I'll be able to talk," Peg said. "But Goofy, I want to say thank you. For what you did for those kids. For what you did for my son. For being his parent when I couldn't be."

"Yer…yer welcome, Peg."

Peg Pete smiled and kissed Goofy's cheek. A minute later, she faded away.

Chapter Text

Chapter Nineteen: Within the Lanes Between

Isa pursed his lips together as he watched Goofy stumble out of the King's library. He had spent little time with the knight, outside of their encounters from his time in the Organization. Even at the final gathering before Sora's…departure, he hadn't spent much time talking to Goofy. Despite their relative lack of acquaintance, it was quite clear to Isa that Goofy's excuse of "forgettin' to feed my goldfishies" wasn't the truth. And in spite of it not being any of his business, Isa found himself wondering what it was that Goofy truly had in mind.

Curiosity would have to wait however. Most unfortunately, checking in on the well-being of the children would have to wait as well. As much as Isa's heart ached for them, especially for poor Xion, he did not know whether he would be the best to comfort them. Roxas, especially, might take it as confrontation. It would probably be better to let them cool off, before confronting them. What was most expedient was obtaining as much information as possible for their next mission.

"As Lea asked, is there any additional information that you might be able to tell us about the next world we need to visit?" Isa said, with as much formality as possible. "In our years with the Organization, there were several worlds we studied that had…shall we say unorthodox boundaries between living and dead beings."

"Oh, right," King Mickey said. "Well, it's a world originally fell to darkness, back when Xehanort's Heartless was trying to seize Kingdom Hearts."

"That doesn't exactly narrow it down," Lea said crossing his arms. "Look, Olympus was tougher than I thought it'd be. The kids took it like champs, 'cause they're awesome, but I'd like to not walk in blind."

"I don't want that for you either, Axel," King Mickey said, the earnestness in his voice almost tangible. "It's called Land of Dragons, though I'm afraid of

"The Land of Dragons…" Isa murmured. "Yes, I am familiar with it."

"I never went to that one," Lea said. "Sora did his stuff there, of course."

"Oh yeah," Donald Duck, the magician, quacked. "We went there a couple of times. Our old friend Mushu lives there."

"Mushu?" Isa asked. That was a peculiar name, though Isa supposed he was hardly one to judge in that matter.

"Yeah, he's the guardian for the family of another friend, Mulan," Donald explained. For a fleeting moment, Isa thought he saw something of a smirk on the duck's face. Peculiar…Isa wondered whether the magician knew something more of Mushu, or perhaps Mulan, that he was wanting to keep secret.

Regardless, if this were a world that Sora was acquainted with, and had made friends with its denizens, then this would be to their advantage. Roxas and Xion had a connection to Sora, and this connection appeared to make it easier for them to make friends in Olympus. Logic would dictate that this would carry on to other worlds.

"Heh," Lea said. "Well, a friend of Sora's is a friend of mine. We'll get it done, whatever it is."

"That really is great to hear," King Mickey said. He walked over to the Queen, Minnie, Isa believed her name was. King Mickey took the Queen's hands with his own and turned back towards Isa and Lea. "We're really counting on you."

"Rest assured, it will be done."

xxxx

An hour later, Isa and Lea walked through the streets of the town adjacent to the King's castle. Their departure for the Land of Dragons would be very soon, and that necessitated the acquisition of more supplies.

The streets of Disney Town were not particularly different than those in Twilight Town. A wide variety of shops with their assorted shopkeepers, calling out for passerby to sample their wares. In this respect, the two worlds were nearly indistinguishable. But that was not to say there were no differences. Here, the shops were more colorful—vibrant blues and reds and greens were plentiful, and the shops themselves, while more numerous, tended to be considerably lax in terms of their actual stock.

"Is all that you carry…oversized fruits?"

"Yep!" The vendor, a overweight chicken wearing a bonnet, clucked happily. "Absolutely perfect for fruitball, and you can eat it too!"

Isa mulled it over. The apple alone was wider in diameter than Roxas or Xion was tall. Goodness knew that the children were in desperate need of proper nutrients, after an inordinate amount of ice cream. But where on earth could they store this much fruit?

"I don't know," Lea said, scratching his chin. "Do we really need this much? It's not like the Gummi Ship runs on compost."

"Isa. Lea."

Isa and Lea turned around slowly. They had both recognized the voice. Ansem the Wise walked up to Isa, his expression solemn. Lea nodded in greeting and Isa felt his mouth become dry.

"Please…let me assist you. I would be happy to provide funds if it—"

"With due respect sir," Isa interrupted. "As sovereign of Radiant Garden, your first responsibility should be to the denizens of your own world. We can handle our own affairs, well enough."

"Forgive an old man's ramblings, but to my understanding, you are denizens of my world," Ansem the Wise raised an eyebrow in what might have been amusement.

"He's got a point," Lea muttered, turning back to the vendor. "Would it be possible to get this cut into smaller pieces? Whaddya mean, it can't? No, I know what it means!"

"Master Ansem," Isa cleared his throat as Lea argued with the vendor. "I'm sure that Ienzo is looking for you by now."

"Ah, I'll let him linger with Roxas and Xion a while longer. As it is, I do not think Ienzo spends nearly enough time with peers his own age."

"Yes, I suppose that is true."

Isa's conscience irked him for his rudeness. Ansem's experiments had unintentionally led to the ruin of so many lives. And as DiZ, he had intentionally ruined more lives, among them Roxas and Xion's.

How long ago it was, when Isa and Lea had been barely older than the children were now—from a physical standpoint at least. It was then when they had snuck into Ansem's laboratories. And found her. The girl. His friend. The one who could not remember her name, branded with the impersonal "Subject X." Who could remember little of her own life, but could remember the mantra, "May your heart be your guiding key."

Knowing she had been imprisoned by Ansem's apprentices, including the vile Xehanort, Isa and Lea had sought to free her. And it was this that had led them on the path that would cause them to lose their humanity. And Isa had lost her.

"I am sorry, Isa, but I still have found no trace of her," Ansem's voice was very soft. Gentle. Almost paternal. "I've gone through all my files. I've had Tron search the databases. I've searched every inch of my library, and my laboratory."

"I understand," Isa said. He exhaled sharply. He was hardly without sin in regards to matters of the heart. And what Ansem had done to Subject X was a far cry from what the other apprentices had done, even before the Organization had formed.

"You are allowed to ask for help," Ansem said quietly. "After everything I've done, it would be an honor."

"We…thank you sir, but I believe that we have things under control at the moment. If we do get to a point where we need help, then rest assured, I will let you know."

"Very well," Ansem said. "However, if you're ever in the Garden, you have rooms waiting for you In our castle."

"Thank you," Isa said quietly. It had been years since he had walked the streets of Radiant Garden as himself. It would be nice to return…

But first, he better help Lea. Who had forgone the apple in favor of a watermelon that was nearly as large as Aeleus.

oooo

Outside the King's library, Ienzo panted, bent over in exhaustion. He had had to run to keep pace with Roxas and Xion, but physical activity had never been his strongest suit. Neither of the children had even broken a sweat and both looked at him with concern.

"You alright, Ienzo?"

"Of course," Ienzo said, regaining his composure, straightening his tie. "Thank you, Roxas. I assure you, that I am fine…and you?"

Roxas gave a brief nod, but his smile didn't seem entirely sincere. There was lingering tension still. Ienzo sighed, it wasn't entirely surprising. While Goofy's intentions had been pure, they didn't actually undo what the others had said. And Goofy, with his easy-going nature, was more of a peer than he was an authority figure. With Roxas and Xion's upbringing in the Organization, where their authority figures regularly threatened them with destruction…it may take a while yet before the children completely came to terms with the new dynamics. And this was hardly an area with which Ienzo was well-acquainted.

"You never did get a chance to elaborate on your trip to Olympus," Ienzo said. It was a reasonable question. What information they had already divulged was little more than a mission report, but Ienzo recalled that Sora liked talking about his adventures. The same logic would likely apply to Roxas and Xion.

"Oh!" Xion smiled. "You want to hear about it?"

"Yes," Ienzo said firmly, and to his surprise, he found that he truly meant. He was curious to hear what had happened. He wanted to know what had made them happy. Xion's smile stirred something inside him. He felt a desire to protect her, to make sure she was always able to smile.

Roxas and Xion looked at each other and shrugged. Roxas took the initiative and began to explain the full extent of their recent journey. How they had arrived in the streets of a very large city called Thebes, and had gotten lost. How they had eventually found their way to the Coliseum only to immediate be set upon manual labor by the satyr Philoctetes, and then upon Isa's objections, they were set to intense training. How Xion had assisted several passerby with their various needs—including a farmer and his wife who had raised the mortal demigod Hercules.

"I beg your pardon," Ienzo asked. "You say that Hercules was not raised by his parents?"

"He was," Xion said. "He calls Zeus and Hera 'Father and Mother' and he calls Amph..Ampie…the parents who raised him 'Mom' and 'Dad.' He says he has two sets of parents."

"A touching sentiment," Ienzo said. He could see the sentiment. His own parents had passed away in an accident when he was very young. He remembered very little before Ansem the Wise took him into his patronage. The days of research in the laboratories with Even…the daily walks with Ansem as they ate sea-salt ice cream…tending the gardens with Dilan…watching Aeleus cook…

"Ienzo?"

"Forgive me…I was reminiscing."

Roxas smiled at him and Xion patted Ienzo's hand gently before they continued their recounting of their experiences in Olympus. Of Isa's poisoning by the goddess Eris, the attempt to gather reinforcements that had ended in Hercules's capture, the rescue mission that had resulted in Axel obtaining "Keyblade Armor" and Xion befriending a three-headed dog and then another grueling fight where Xion had destroyed Hades's mordite blade—all in total, the adventure had lasted for almost an entire day.

"And then it was morning, and they canceled the Zeus Cup so then we left," Roxas said. "Oh, I almost forgot. Both of Herc's mothers wanted us to eat something before we left, so we had breakfast."

"My my…that was quite the experience," Ienzo said. He looked from Roxas to Xion and back again. "I will take careful notes and add this to the database at home. I will be sure to send word to Pence and the others as well."

"You've talked to them?" Roxas asked, his eyes widening in surprise. "I didn't think that'd be allowed."

"Yes, they've been researching as well. Don't look so surprised, Roxas. Those three, in spite of their mundane upbringings, possess copious courage and compassion. They're worried for you both."

"That's so kind of them," Xion whispered, and for a fleeting moment, her eyes were shiny with tears.

"Yes, as it happens, they have exchanged messages with myself and with Even."

"Oh!" Xion's mouth formed an almost comical 'o.' "Even! That's right…um…could you tell him I say 'Hi,' please?"

Ienzo nodded in affirmation, though why Even, of all people, would be the one that Xion would want to a message relayed to, especially since her friends in Twilight Town were so anxious for news.

"Yes, of course. I will relay messages to Hayner, Pence and Olette as well."

xxxx

It was early evening when Ienzo stood with Master Ansem as they watched the ship Roxas and Xion were using—a repurposed vessel from the Organization of all things. Ienzo felt tension in his shoulders and realized that he was worried for his friends.

"I hope they'll be okay," Ienzo murmured, more to himself than to anyone else. "Please…let them be okay."

"They have more power than you realize," Master Ansem said gently. "I like to think they'll surprise us. I acknowledge your concern though—as powerful as Roxas is, I do believe that Xion inherited Sora's temperament. She's far too nice for her own good."

"Be that as it may, Master…" Ienzo said. "Part of me wonders whether…is it truly necessary for this to be the job of Keybearers? Could not we seek to rectify what is wrong ourselves?"

"I would like nothing better. I did horrific things to those children, and forgot half of them besides," Master Ansem said solemnly, closing his eyes. "But I admit this conflict is outside my area of expertise. The nature of life was among my studies, but I avoided dwelling too far into the realm of death."

Ienzo said nothing. Master Ansem did not generally like speaking about the past, though he was aware that Master Ansem had spoken with Isa and Lea earlier that afternoon.

"May their hearts be their guiding keys."

oooo

As their Gummi Ship soared through the stars in the Lanes Between, Roxas was keenly aware that he was sulking. He knew that he shouldn't be sulking, but he also knew that he didn't want to stop sulking.

It was unfair the way Master Yen Sid had spoken to her. It reminded him far, far too much of those awful times in the Organization when Saix, the jerk, would tear into Xion for the slightest failures. She tried so hard, and she could never live up to his expectations. And now it was just like before—Xion had risked her life in Olympus, a bunch of times, and in Twilight Town too. But now, it was like none of that even mattered.

It matters to me. She's a hero, one of the best. Brave and strong and kind and pretty…

Okay, maybe "pretty" wasn't actually something a hero should be measured by. Riku was a hero and he wasn't pretty at all. Roxas tightened his fingers into his arms, pressing them deeper into the folds of his coat.

Was it bad that Xion had replicated that weird sword that Hades used? Maybe it was. Killing an immortal god seemed to be a pretty bad thing no matter how you looked at it. But it wasn't like she was going to use the sword again! And why single her out like that? It wasn't like she was the only one who'd done bad things! Axel had been the Organization's assassin, and even though he didn't like talking about it, Roxas knew he'd done a bunch of bad stuff—like kidnapping Kairi. Isa had been a jerk to everyone back when he was Saix. And speaking for himself, Roxas knew plenty of ways to hurt Heartless—if he had wanted to, he could hurt people just as easily. Back in Twilight Town, he'd destroyed Seifer and his punks in that Struggle match.

But…that wouldn't be the right thing to do. He was a Keybearer. He had a responsibility to protect others. He was a Guardian of Light. And there were people in trouble now—that was why they were going to…well, Roxas couldn't remember where it was they were going, he'd been distracted when Isa had mentioned their destination to him and Xion.

There was still a hollow feeling in his stomach though. Xion had been hurt, emotionally, and as hard as Roxas had tried, he didn't think he'd done a very good job trying to make her feel better. How could he help others, complete strangers, when he struggled so much to help his best friend? Xion had needed him and he had floundered it—no matter what he said, he couldn't get through to her.

But Goofy had been able to talk to her. Talk to them both, really. Saying they were like chestnuts that weren't ripe enough to eat yet. Goofy's explanation made sense, well mostly—Roxas didn't want to get eaten by anything and he didn't want to eat Xion either. But the talk had definitely made Xion feel better, and Roxas was grateful for that. But they had had to leave so soon after that, and Roxas wasn't sure that Goofy's advice had really had time to set in.

Xion, for her part, seemed to be trying to force the unhappiness away from her. Barefoot, she walked from one end of the Gummi Ship to the other, a bar of ice cream in hand. She had rolled up the sleeves of her coat and set her gloves on one of the uncomfortable couches. Roxas thought she was trying to modify her coat so that she could pretend it was her blouse. As if she were trying to pretend they were back at home.

Roxas could see where she was coming from, but he wasn't sure it was working as much as Xion wanted it to. At home, the couch was comfortable and they had a nice table to eat meals at. Roxas grimaced; he didn't realize just how much he'd wind up missing Isa's cooking. He was starting to get tired of eating so many sea salt ice cream bars. His gloves were getting very sticky with melted bits of ice cream.

There was something else bothering Roxas though, as fatigue from the last few days began to truly overtake him. That had very little to do with Master Yen Sid's rebuke or too much ice cream. And now that there wasn't any danger to fight, and there was still so much time before their next mission, as his mind began to cloud with upcoming sleep, Roxas thought about Sora.

Sora, the Keyblade's chosen one. The boy who had saved the worlds from ruin time and time again. Everybody's favorite.

This divide, throughout the worlds, the breaking of barriers between life and death…Sora had abused the Power of Waking and that had cost him his existence. But from what they'd been told, that was supposed to be different than dying. Roxas bit the inside of his cheek. He had seen Sora twice…and he thought he had seen him a third time, but it had been a trick from those rotten little…he still wasn't sure what those creatures were.

Was it really all in his head? The visions of Sora that never lasted nearly long enough. That never had Sora actually respond with words, just his stupid, goofy smile. The visions that nobody else could see?

No…Roxas couldn't accept that. Just like he couldn't accept people being cruel to Xion. Just like he couldn't accept being told that he didn't have a heart of his own, a right to exist. And even when he had come to agree with that, Sora had been adamant that Roxas did have the right to exist.

" No. Roxas, you're you. We're not the same. I wanted to tell you that. That you deserve as much as I do to be your own person."

Sora wanted him to be his own person. That they could co-exist. But they had barely had that chance.

I don't know if you can hear me…but Sora, I owe you one. You led me home. Owe you two, really, with Xion. You led us both home. I'll find you. Our connection has to mean something! I'll bring you home myself.

oooo

The air is hot and dry. Arid. Lifeless. It is fitting. This is the Keyblade Graveyard, where millennia ago, countless wielders fell in the Keyblade War. They fought one another, over the great light offered by Kingdom Hearts. And now history is to repeat itself. Seven Guardians of Light are to clash against Thirteen Seekers of Darkness.

Your opponent stares you down. She is the youngest of the Guardians, the smallest, the meekest. How foolish, how desperate were they to bring forth a Princess of Heart. Her light shines brighter than a thousand suns, but it is futile to think that she may fight.

She summons her Keyblade and it is laughable, the frivolity of its design. Flowers and sea shells adorn the hilt and teeth of the blade. How childish! A fool's weapon, how fitting a match for a fool's warrior.

You summon your weapon. A Keyblade, copied from the Hero's blade. You charge towards the Guardian, and she blocks a blow that would have cost her her head, had it struck. She grunts with effort, though it is far more a whimper than a battle cry. This pathetic creature will suffer for her insolence.

She runs towards you, swinging her Keyblade in wide arcs. Her technique is weak. You parry and counterattack and the girl ducks away, yelping in distress. She is distracted and you gain the advantage. Again and again, you bring your Keyblade down and she is only just able to Her fear is so great, it is almost as if you can taste it.

The girl runs and you pursue. She darts behind a boulder and shoots out balls of light from her Keyblade. You evade each one in turn and she sends out a ball of fire in desperation. You smirk and from the point of your Keyblade, you send forth a great jet of flame, completely consuming hers.

She runs from her feeble shelter and you continue to follow her. The sheer pathetic nature of what your match has been thus far is not nearly sufficient enough to count as a proper clash to forge the X-blade, to unlock Kingdom Hearts. Darkness shall prevail and light shall expire.

You twist your wrist, sending your Keyblade in a spiral. It spins as if on an axis, and the Guardian darts around. She holds her Keyblade across her chest, and it is only by the slimmest of margins that she is not cut in two. The teeth of your Keyblade imbed themselves into the edge of her own. She desperately scrambles to gain hold of your Keyblade, stealing it, claiming it as her own.

She raises both Keybaldes against you, and for a fleeting moment, she appears triumphant. But appearances can be deceiving. As a Seeker, there are powers you possess that this feeble Guardian can scarcely comprehend. You raise your hand and call back your Keyblade, knocking your opponent off-guard. You raise your other hand and summon a second weapon—a blade of mordite.

You charge forward, both blades ready to strike. The Guardian, the Princess, blocks your Keyblade with her own, but she is off-balance, and you bring down the mordite sword. It destroys the head of the Guardian's flimsy, pathetic, ugly Keyblade and then it shatters. Shards of the Keyblade fly everywhere, cutting into the sleeves of your black robes. But pain is nothing to you.

Your opponent is not so fortunate. She cries out, and there are cuts along her bare arms. And there is nothing between you and her now. You strike out and she has no weapon to defend herself. She falls to the ground, skidding hard. She looks up at you, her blue eyes wide, fearful. She tries to back away as you descend upon her, but it is too late. You strike her again and again. With Keyblade and mordite blade, you knock the girl down.

The Guardian tries to scream, but she makes no sound. You press your boot against her arm. You raise your Keyblade—a true Keyblade, not like the Guardian's sham of a Keyblade—and then you slash it down. The Guardian makes a tiny gasp and then, like her blade before her, she shatters into nothing.

xxxx

Xion jerked awake, cold sweat dripping from her face. She wasn't in the Keyblade Graveyard. She was…somewhere in the Lanes Between, in a Gummi Ship. And she wasn't serving Xehanort—he wasn't her Master. Master Yen Sid was her Master. King Mickey was her Master. Even Master Aqua would be her Master before Xehanort.

A nightmare. Another nightmare. Where she relived the horrible battle. Brought back those awful, terrible days where she was a Seeker of Darkness. Where she helped Xehanort kill Kairi. Which led to Sora's doom. But this was worse. This was new. Never before had she dreamed of using the sword of mordite against Kairi.

Kairi…poor, poor Kairi. How much had it hurt? When Xehanort had put his Keyblade through poor Kairi's spine? Xion wished she could take it back. Take Kairi's place…that would have only been fair.

Xion felt sick, but she didn't want to cry out for anyone. Not this time. Not after everything that had happened in the last few days. They had spent so much time in Olympus and then on the Gummi Ship, that none of them had really gotten a proper night's sleep. She didn't want to take away what little rest Axel or Isa or Roxas—especially Roxas—could be getting.

As it was, Xion wasn't even sure what time it was—the Lanes Between weren't really a world, so it was harder to tell the passage of time looking out the windows. There were stars and funny colored clouds and very large rocks—Isa said they were called "asteroids," and bits and pieces of metal that might be the ruins of other ships.

She figured she should let her friends sleep—or at least get as much sleep as possible. Their Gummi Ship had simple furniture, nothing really like a bed with blankets. Xion lowered herself from the low cushioned couch she'd been resting on to the floor below. She still wore her Organization robes, but she had taken off her boots and gloves earlier in the…evening? Night? Whatever. The floor was cold and hard but there was also a sort of comfort in that it felt sturdy. And quiet. And that helped her remember what had happened back at the castle.

It is a weapon of absolute darkness. A terrible, most evil weapon. It kills magic itself. You must never use it again.

Master Yen Sid's words rang in Xion's mind just as loudly as they had back in King Mickey's library. And it really made her stomach hurt. Part of her wondered if this was strange—she had only met Master Yen Sid a few times, so she really didn't know him that well, but she knew had known him as King Mickey's wise Master. And because she served King Mickey, that made him her Master too. But the fierceness of his rebuke…she had failed his expectations very badly, and now she needed to make up for it.

The solution was simple really, to make up for her failures to Master Yen Sid and King Mickey. Xion would never, ever use the mordite blade again. It's what they wanted, so it's what she would do. Really, it wasn't going to be that hard—she hadn't really intended to replicate it in the first place when she had grabbed Hades's sword, and even when she clashed swords with Hades, she had meant to summon Isa's claymore.

Xion wiggled her fingers. Her Keyblade appeared, its warmth spreading from her fingers all the way up her arm. This was a good weapon. The Keyblade was forged to protect the Light. To shine a light through the darkness and make everyone happy. She had made people in Twilight Town happy—Vivi and Granny and Hayner and Pence and Olette. She had made people in Olympus happy—Hercules and Phil and Zeus and…Hercules's other mom and dad. And now she was going to do more things to make more people happy.

Xion thought about what else had happened at Disney Castle. Goofy had been so kind, treating her and Roxas to lunch. She had never eaten a hot dog before, it was like a sausage but tastier! And Goofy had given that little speech about chestnuts, and how they were ugly at first but then the icky shell fell off, and a yummy nut was all that was left. Xion guessed that Goofy meant she was like a chestnut and that one day her icky stuff would fall off.

The scars on her heart from the Organization, from Xehanort…the horrible things she'd done. Or what she could have stopped but had been too selfish to do so. The darkness in her heart that had attracted Sephiroth to Twilight Town—no matter what her friends said, Xion knew that was true. The darkness that allowed her to wield such horrible weapons as the moridte sword…could that darkness one day go away, and Xion be good? Could she atone of her mistakes?

She concentrated and felt the familiar fuzzy feeling of a replicated weapon being summoned. A flash of light and a copy Goofy's shield was in her hand. It was curious. It felt warmer, more comforting that wielding a replicated claymore did.

A sudden grumbling jolted Xion out of her trance. Axel was awake now, and walking towards her, yawning. She dismissed her shield and got to her feet. The floor of the Gummi Ship suddenly seemed much colder under her bare feet.

"Morning, kiddo," Axel's grouchy expression softened and he ruffled her hair in greeting. It made Xion giggle, and that made Axel smile.

"Hi, Axel."

"Boots on, squirt. Isa's checked the figures. We'll be arriving in the next world…actually, I think we are in their boundaries now."

Axel walked back to the edge of the ship to wake Roxas up and Xion pulled her boots and gloves back on. She summoned her Keyblade again, for assurance. She had her Keyblade. That hadn't changed. This was the key to her atonement. The way to light the darkness and make everyone happy.

Her heart would be her guiding key.

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty: Slopes and Soldiers

Lea didn't think he'd ever wind up missing his Organization robe—which had far too much icky baggage, and was too worn out to wear anymore besides—but given that the world they had landed in was a lot colder than he'd been anticipating. There wasn't much snow on the ground. And windy. The short sleeves of his jacket might be awesome, but they didn't do much against a chill.

It wasn't all bad though. Even nestled on a mountain, Lea could see they weren't very far from a village—maybe an hour's walk, at an easy pace. From what he could tell, the buildings were simple and wooden, but they appeared well-cared for. What it had to do with a breaking between life and death, he wasn't sure, but it was as good a place to start as any, Lea thought to himself as a gust of wind sent a chill down his arms.

"Um…Axel, where are we?" Roxas asked, as he looked around. Xion shifted from one foot to the other, trying to get her bearings—poor kiddo seemed a little Gummi-sick.

"Were not paying attention?" Isa asked, incredulously. "I told you before we departed that we would be coming to the Land of Dragons."

"This is one of the worlds Sora visited," Xion murmured. "I think I…I think I remember."

"Oh yeah, say, you've got Sora's memories right? He ever visit that village?"

Roxas and Xion both frowned. Roxas scratched his chin and Xion grimaced, as if she were trying to remember.

"I'm not sure…" Xion said, after a moment. "It's weird. I know that Sora was here…and that we were within Sora when he visited this world but…it's fuzzy."

"It felt stronger in Olympus," Roxas muttered. "But that made sense. He was good friends with Hercules and with Phil, too. But here, it's like there's nobody here that Sora was friends with."

"In all likelihood, that's quite possibly the case, at least for this particular mountaintop," Isa nodded. "There's more to a world than just one mountain after all, children. Donald informed me that Sora was friends with a man named Mushu, who guards the family of another friend, Mulan. It's quite likely that they're connected to this conflict. If we find them, then we will find what it is that is causing this problem."

"Something about that doesn't feel right," Xion said quietly. "I'm not sure what it is though."

"Let's worry about that later," Lea said. "We might be able to find someone to talk to over in that village."

They set off together and although they kept a steady pace, Lea couldn't help but worry. After Yen Sid's outburst the day before, Xion had retreated into herself. Badly. And for some reason he couldn't fathom, he hadn't gone after her when Roxas had led her away. At the time, it had made sense to actually get the intel they needed for the mission. But Isa had been there anyhow—should he have gone after her? Xion had been crying, which wasn't really new anymore but it still sucked. Should he have done like he did back at the Graveyard? Take his little sister in his arms and let her know that it was alright?

Lea wasn't sure whether they'd have been better off or not. They were here now, though. Something was wrong here in this world, and he'd find out what.

They continued down the path and for the most part it was quiet. They didn't have much to say at the moment, at least not to each other. The only noises came from the calls of the various critters that lived on the mountaintop. An eagle cried as it flew overhead and a small, red, fuzzy thing darted in front of them at one point, a bamboo shoot in its mouth. Ah, a red panda. Cute.

"So if this is the Land of Dragons," Roxas asked, as they got closer to the village, "Where are the dragons?"

"Never did much recon in this world," Lea answered back. "Can't say where they are or aren't. Might be a reference to Heartless, though—remember the Dustflier?"

Judging from the look of absolute horror that flashed through Roxas's eyes, he most certainly did remember the Dustflier, and had no fond memories of it.

Lea chuckled, more to himself than anything else. As icky as it had been at the time—Xemnas trying to orchestrate Roxas's destruction by making him fight six giant Heatless—looking back on it, it was a little funny that Roxas had beaten them at their own game by destroying seven giant Heartless.

"That's enough," Isa called. "We're nearly at the village. We can ask for directions there."

The village was smaller than Lea had thought it'd be from higher up the mountain. And the buildings were wooden, but they also seemed to be very new. A few weren't even finished being build yet. That seemed odd to Lea.

There were people wandering about, chopping firewood and tending to livestock. Lea didn't recognize what they were, just that they were some sort of cattle. And a few soldiers too. That seemed a little odd to Lea, since this village seemed really remote, but it was as good a place to start as any.

"I'm telling you," One solider carrying a bow said to another soldier, carrying a sword. "There was a monster in that cave!"

"You're seeing things!"

"It was huge! It had armor and sharp teeth! Red and blue armor!"

Monsters with armor? It didn't quite sound like Heartless but it was probably still worth looking into. It might not be related to their actual mission, but it was still a problem. Lea glanced down at Roxas and Xion who gave identical, affirmative nods.

""Scuse me!" Lea called out. The two soldiers turned towards him, the archer apprehensive and the swordsman stern.

"What's going on down in the cave? A monster?"

"A huge one!" The solider with the crossbow insisted. "Blue and red armor, it was like something I've never seen before!"

"Was it a Heartless?"

"Bigger! Way bigger!"

"Red and blue armor….I wonder…" Isa shook his head briskly. "My associates and I have experience fighting monsters. If you get the villagers to safety, then we'll go into the cave and dispatch this monster."

"Yeah, alright!" The archer nodded vigorously. "It's in a cave not far from the village, just around that bend! We'll lead the villagers to one of the towns further down the mountain. But…the children!"

The archer's protests fell on deaf ears as Roxas and Xion had already taken off. Lea and Isa nodded at one another and followed them. The archer followed as well, but only to start herding villagers down the slopes.

Roxas and Xion volunteered to go into the cave, but Isa objected to going in, as he wasn't sure he or Lea would fit if the walls got much smaller and instead volunteered to guard the entrance. The kiddos agreed and in a moment were gone from sight. Lea wasn't sure what was down there, but as he held out his hand and summoned Flame Liberator, he wasn't overly concerned. They already had handled Hades easy enough. What could be worse than that him?

oooo

Roxas waited until they had already passed the village gates before he actually summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion. It was gratifying to have his Keyblades back. The cave itself was nestled against the mountainside. Had he not been told it was there, Roxas wasn't sure whether he'd have noticed it.

Others might have found it creepy, but the cave wasn't that much different from the Underground. And there had been places he'd gone while in the Organization that were more unnatural—Halloweentown still gave him the creeps.

Xion walked next to him, her Keyblade summoned. She still used a replica of Kingdom Key. The same weapon that Sora used. Almost like Sora was here with them…Roxas glanced down at his own Keyblades. Oathkeeper and Oblivion. For him, they meant his connection to Xion and Axel. In a way, his Keyblades were a connection to Sora himself.

Sora. You've been to this world. Why can't we feel you as strongly as we did before? At home, at the Castle, at Olympus?

Roxas grunted as Xion threw a hand in front of him. She was in front of him and from the way she held her shoulders, Roxas realized she was very frightened. Roxas squinted. They were a ways into the cave and almost to a larger opening. Roxas crouched down, behind a broken wagon.

There were three figures in the center of the opening in front of them, and Roxas realized the opening wasn't naturally occurring. It had been carved out deliberately. A handful of lanterns hung from the walls, giving off green light.

"Now you sure this is how it's supposed to go?" One of the figures said in a guttural voice. The figure was very large, and wore red and blue armor. This must be the monster that solider with the crossbow had mentioned earlier. Wait a moment…he had seen that guy before. Ages ago, in Agrabah. Though that had been so long ago…

"Silence, fool!" The second figure said. Completely surrounded in shadows, and wearing a dark robe, Roxas couldn't get a good look. "This is precisely how the ritual is supposed to go in this world."

"I'm just saying we didn't have to try this hard last time! And what about when youse brought back that Oogy guy?"

"Shut up!" The second figure snapped. "Your sole contributions to our efforts have been to be as obtrusive as possible and undermine me since we arrived in this world."

"I don't know what you said," the first figure growled, "but I don't like your tone. Why don't we make something of it?"

"Enough!" The third figure said, and this one sounded more like a girl. And it also sounded like she was in charge. She stepped forward, and Roxas got a good look at her. Tall and regal, with pale grey-green skin and long black horns on top of her head. Roxas held his breath. He had never seen her before, at least not with his own eyes, but he knew that that had to be Maleficent.

"But Maleficent," the first figure whined, "He started it!"

"And I am ending it!" Maleficent shouted, raising a long staff and slamming it down. "You fools, if we are to have any hope of success in our goals, we cannot afford to argue amongst ourselves!"

"Very well…through cooperation, we will succeed," the third figure said. "I submit to your authority, Maleficent."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Shrimpy Sora says that sort of thing all the time," the first figure said. "But it's not like we gotta worry about them pipsqueaks with Keyblades now! They're not on this world! No one's gonna get in the way of Pete and his business!"

Anger burned inside Roxas's belly. How dare he, how dare he talk about Sora like that. He made a motion to move from behind the wagon and show that fat, ugly, stupid Pete a thing or two about "pipsqueaks with Keyblades" when he felt himself unable to move. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xion, crouched behind a large rock, her eyes wide with fright, her hand extended in his direction.

Wait, what? She'd cast magic on him?! Why would she have done something like that? He needed to get down to that cavern and put a stop to whatever Maleficent was planning. What was Xion doing, this was their chance! They could end it, right now!

Maleficent held her staff out in front of her, and the green stone at the top began to glow. The ground began to glow too in strange looking patterns. A fourth figure, one that Roxas hadn't noticed before, stepped out of the shadows. Unlike his companions, he looked human, well, mostly. And he didn't wear robes either, instead favoring a simple grey tunic. Ashen grey skin and nearly bald, with a long nose, he had a book in one hand and a bow and quiver.

"It is done."

"As we arranged, you help us, and we will grant you your wish."

The book glowed green as well and flew out of the man's hands and into the center of the glowing patterns. And then it began to flip pages on its own. And the form of a man began to emerge from the pages, glowing in the pale green light.

The glowing man was huge. He had the same grey skin as the man with the book and shaggy black hair. He stepped on to the ground and flexed his fingers. A moment later, a long sword with a weird curvy blade appeared in his hand.

"Shan Yu, Lord of the Huns," The archer greeted warmly as he bowed to the large, glowing man. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, Zhemo. I never thought I would see you again," The large man—Shan Yu—said in an eerily quiet, husky voice. For a moment, Roxas thought he might have a cold, but then he realized that wasn't the case. "Tell me, how are the others?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself?"

At his words, the hanging lanterns began to glow brighter, and the green glow became a harsh yellow, the same yellow as a Heartless's eyes. There was a brilliant flash and the lanterns were gone. In their place were four men. Three of them of them resembled Shan Yu, large and strong and fierce-looking. The fourth was more like the archer, lightly build with waist-length black hair. Shan Yu looked astonished.

"My friends, how is this possible?"

"Hey now!" The loudmouth Pete shouted. "You wanna know who to thank? Maleficent!"

Shan Yu turned towards Maleficent. He scratched his chin thoughtfully and then gave a firm nod.

"Well, it appears that I am in your debt. Tell me, why return me to life? The last thing I remember is crossing blades with…that boy. That boy with a Keyblade! I'll destroy him!"

"As it happens, that is not necessary," Maleficent said. "Through his own hubris, that boy has lost his right to exist. But our goals still align. You seek conquest. So do we."

"I do not seek to conquer China," Shan Yu shook his head. "I seek to topple it. Decimate the army and ravage the villages and when I find the Emperor, I will show him what I have done."

"I'll have use for you, yet," Maleficent said. "As it is, your goals are in alignment with mine. As you can see, the barriers between life and death have been narrowed. We'll seek to—"

"Hold fast!" One of the large men from the lanterns, who wore furs and an iron helmet, raised a hand. "I smell something. Or several somethings…we're not alone."

Roxas heard Xion make the tiniest of gasps and she turned around and began to back away. Roxas felt her spell cancel, but it still took him precious seconds to get his bearings. He backed away as quickly as he could, but this made noise. The broken wagon he had been hiding behind creaked, and in the cave, it might have well been a clap of thunder.

"Hey, it's the runts from Olympus!"

"Seize them!"

Roxas broke into a run and dared to look over his shoulder. Xion was right behind him, with her Keyblade pointed at the entrance to the opening. What was she doing? Pete and two burly men with no shirts were charging towards them. And the others weren't far behind. There were too many to fight in such tight quarters.

"Reflega!"

Pete bounced off of Xion's shield and fell backwards with a loud grunt. The two bare-chested men began pounding against the barrier with their fists. Xion shirked in fear and turned back. As she passed him, Roxas pushed the broken wagon further into the path. As they got closer to the cave's opening, there were more old wagons and what looked like a rocket of some sort. Roxas and Xion tossed them back into the path. Roxas wasn't sure how long Xion's barriers would hold, but he didn't want to take any chances.

"Aeroga!"

The twin whirlwinds shot out of Oathkeeper and Oblivion and swept up not only the debris, but also several stones. As they all whipped around against the roof and sides of the cave, more rocks began to fall. Roxas was propelled backwards and the next thing he knew he was out of the cave, flat on his back.

"Roxas!"

Roxas blinked into the sun and he found himself staring into a pair of green eyes. Green eyes surrounded by a mane of flaming red hair.

"Axel!"

"What happened down there?"

"Maleficent! She's down there, with that guy we followed in Agrabah and some other guy I didn't see. And she had this guy with a bow and arrow and he had this weird book and—"

"Roxas, slow down," Axel said, helping Roxas to his feet. "Start over. Maleficent's down there?"

"And she has a whole team of bad guys," Xion gasped. She was hunched over, her hands on her knees. Isa patted her gently on the back. "It's almost like an Organization of her own, with bad guys that should be dead."

"We need to get out of here!" Roxas insisted. "I'm not sure how much longer Xion's shields will hold, if they haven't already fallen! Have the villagers been evacuated?"

"Yeah, they have," Axel clamped a hand on Roxas's shoulder. "Let's go then!"

Roxas panted in effort and began to run. Xion was already beside him. Turning his head, Roxas saw Isa stand at the head of the cave and swing his claymore down. More rocks fell at the head of the cave, trapping anyone who was inside.

"Alright, Isa! Good idea! Now let's roll."

It had been a good idea, but Roxas wasn't sure how long it'd last. Even without Maleficent, that Pete guy was bigger than Aeleus and Shan Yu and the others didn't look like slouches. But right now, all that he could think of was putting as much distance between himself and the cave as possible.

oooo

Xion gasped as they paused to catch their breath after running as fast as they could down the mountain as far as they could. She wasn't sure how far they'd run. There weren't any trees or foliage here, but they could see far in the distance in both directions.

"Okay, so Maleficent brought some bad guys back from the dead?" Axel said. "Spooky stuff, but why?"

"I…I don't know," Xion admitted. "They realized we were there before we could figure out why they were here. One of the bad guys is called Shan Yu…I think his friend said he was leader of the Huns? Does that mean anything?"

"There was some minimal intel gathered here regarding them," Isa said. "But I'm afraid I don't know very much. Did this 'Shan Yu' say anything?"

"He wants to kill the Emperor," Roxas said. "Says he wants to destroy the whole empire and show the Emperor what he's done and.…well, even I can guess the rest."

"Well, then we have to warn him!" Xion said. "Something about this feels familiar…I think Sora helped the Emperor when he visited this world."

"Alright, alright," Axel walked over to the far end of the cliffside, where in the distance, Xion could see a city surrounding one ginormous building. "With a building like that, I bet that's the palace. It's probably where the Emperor lives."

"We need to keep going," Xion said. "Maleficent knows we're here. If she isn't chasing us, she's probably trying to find another way to get to the Emperor faster than just running."

She paused. Dark Corridors were a very efficient way to travel. Back in the Organization, they'd used them to travel from the Castle That Never Was to…well, whichever world they'd been assigned to for the day. They could use them to get to the Emperor in no time and warn him of the danger. Maleficent was probably going to do the same thing anyway.

Xion looked at her hand. They could do it…maybe…but Dark Corridors were powered by the power of darkness. The name kind of gave it away. She'd have to use darkness if she wanted to use a Dark Corridor. And from there…she'd be risking letting darkness into her heart. Xion swallowed hard. The memory of Master Yen Sid's stern rebuke from when she had summoned the mordite sword.

" The most dangerous thing any of my students has ever done. You are never to summon that blade again, ever."

Most dangerous thing…it was through darkness that she had summoned that horrible sword. And that had been on accident, mostly. The idea of what Master Yen Sid or King Mickey would do if Xion used darkness of purpose…she bit her lip. They'd be so furious with her. But there might not be a faster option…but it was a bad option. How could she hope to atone for the wicked things she'd done, if she were willing to use darkness again?

I'm not a Seeker of Darkness. I'm not, I'm not, I'm not. I stand with the Guardians…what do I do?

"Don't think of using a Corridor," Isa shook his head and tightened the grip on his long coat. "It's too risky. This jacket's wasn't made for it."

"Even if you did have a proper robe," Axel said, nodding at Xion, "I doubt she has enough darkness in her heart to do it in the first place."

"But we have to get down there…" Xion said, biting her lip. "We're still hours away on foot

"Gummi Ship?" Axel suggested.

"Too difficult to orientate," Isa said quietly. "Besides, we don't know how close we'd be able to land it in the city without attracting attention."

"Um…" Xion grimaced. "I don't know what to do. I'm sorry."

"Sora…" Roxas muttered. "I got an idea…"

"Pardon?"

"Sora used to be able to jump off of trees and boulders and stuff and use magic to push himself forward way faster than he could run. I think Aqua and Ven can do it too."

"I recall Sora having skills in these sorts of acrobatics," Isa agreed. "But I'm not sure if I'll be able to do so myself, as I lack a Keyblade."

"Better than nothing, though," Axel said. "Go for it, Roxas!"

Roxas took a deep breath and then jumped—far higher than Xion had ever seen him jump before. He lunged forward and bounced off a boulder—and then Xion realized he was glowing. The same bluish-white glow that appeared when he did especially advanced magic with Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Roxas soared to a ledge over a hundred feet away.

"Roxas, you're brilliant!"

"It worked! Just imagine you're summoning your Keyblade and then use that to jump!"

Xion nodded and flexed her fingers. Concentrating on what it felt like to summon her Keyblade, but then imagining trying to bounce off the boulders and ledges leading down the mountain. She could feel magic gathering in her belly, the good kind of magic that came from her Keyblade, not the darkness that came from the mordite sword.

Xion leapt and even after everything she had seen and done, she was still surprised by how far she was able to jump. She landed next to Roxas and he smiled at her.

"Great idea, Roxas!" Axel called. "Be right there!"

"Wait a moment, I'm not sure if—yah!"

Axel grabbed Isa by the back of his jacket and leaped. Isa screamed—screamed?!—as they soared through the air. Axel landed a moment later, looking very pleased. Isa…well, it was hard to tell. His hair got in the way of his face.

"Alright!"

"Ugh…I do not like this," Isa groaned. "I do not like this at all!"

"Let's get moving then!" Roxas said. "We can dive down the mountain this way, and make it to the capital way faster than just running."

It wasn't a perfect solution by any means, and it was sometimes tricky to aim it right, but Xion and Roxas were able to lead the way diving from ledge to ledge. Roxas seemed especially skilled at it—his aim was perfect. Axel was doing alright too, though Xion felt a little sorry for Isa. She recalled from experience that it wouldn't be fun being yanked around like a doll like that.

But it was still working. In less than ten minutes, they covered easily more distance than they would have in an hour of walking—probably more, given that some of the slope was very steep.

There was no sign of Maleficent, or the other bad guys though. And that made Xion nervous. So far, they hadn't even come across any Heartless or Nobodies. While that would normally be a good thing, it was unnerving. It almost felt like they were walking into a trap…which was a legitimate possibility.

But there were people in trouble—the Emperor for one, and whomever might be in charge of protecting him. Even if there was a trap, or if Maleficent and the others were already at the capital, their priority had to be for the people who were in trouble.

As they grew closer to the base of the mountain, there were fewer ledges and boulders to bounce off of, but it also wasn't as steep. Roxas made it to the ground first, though Xion thought she might have landed a touch more gracefully. Axel and Isa brought up the rear, and Isa looked very dizzy.

"Ugh…and I thought those infernal Gummi ships were uncooperative with my equilibrium…"

"Don't talk like that," Axel scoffed setting Isa down. "I still haven't bought the half-pints a dictionary."

"Isa?" Xion asked. "Do you need a Potion?"

"Yes…thank you," Isa took the tonic Xion offered him and downed it in one gulp. Almost immediately, his color improved and he didn't look nearly so nauseous.

"Let's keep going," Roxas said. "The city doesn't look too far."

Please let everyone be alright. Please…

oooo

Lea grunted as they neared the gates of the palace. The Emperor lived there, and from there, they could warn him about Maleficent and this Shan Yu guy. The journey through the city hadn't been too tough, since the palace was not only smack dab in the center of the district, but also way, way taller than anything else. In a way, it was almost like the clock tower back in Twilight Town.

"Finally, we made it!"

Just had to get past the soldiers who were stationed at the door—weird that there was only three of them. They wore slightly more fancy armor than the ones up the mountain had, with colorful tunics beneath their leather padding.

"Where do you think you're going?" One of the soldiers asked. Lea bit back a laugh—this guy was one of the shortest soldiers Lea had ever seen. He had to be shorter than a Dusk—smaller than his half-pints even. And yeesh, what had happened to his eye?

"We'd like to see the Emperor, please," Xion said politely. "It's very important."

"Really? The Emperor?" A second soldier, who was so scrawny a solid gust of wind could blow him away, sneered. "Well, he's very busy. Way too busy to talk to some runty kids!"

"Please," Xion said, and Lea noted there was an edge of desperation in her voice. "We need to speak to him."

"First you want to see him, now you need to? Not interested, girly. You go on home now."

"Listen!" Roxas snapped. "The Empreror is in grave danger! If you're not stupid, you'll let us pass!"

"Danger?" The third solider—whoa, now this was a solider, as tall as Lea and much more heavily built—asked, looking from Roxas to Xion and back again. "What sort of danger?"

"A witch named Maleficent has raised a man named Shan Yu—"

"Shan Yu?! Pah! That's a good one!" The short, fat soldier burst out laughing. "Aw man, tell me another!"

"Shan Yu's history! Sora—I mean, we! Yes, we finished him off ages ago!" The scrawny solider said. "For we are the mightiest soldiers in the entire Chinese army!"

Okay, hearing Sora's name was all Lea needed to hear. Annoying as they were, these soldiers probably were on the level. Not bad guys really, just cocky and self-important while others did the heavy lifting.

Ugh…it was like Demyx was back with them again. Lea wasn't sure where Demyx was and he wasn't in a rush to find out.

"Out of the way," Lea barked and tried to push past the short solider and the scrawny one. Roxas did the same, while Isa looked annoyed and Xion looked cautious.

"Ouch!" The short one said. "Hey, you're not getting in and that's final!"

"Please, can you at least give the Emperor the message?" Xion asked. "There's not much time left—it's a miracle Maleficent isn't here already."

"There's no way we're gonna waste the Emperor's time with some stupid kids playing some stupid game!"

The short, fat soldier looked ready to fight and Lea was so annoyed, he was ready for it as well. Nobody—nobody—called his kids stupid.

"Yao!" The large soldier rebuked. "There's no need for that kind of talk."

"Well, come on, Chien Po!" The scrawny solider whined. "You heard 'em, they say that Shan Yu's running around. He's history—we were all there!"

"Yes…but…well, stranger things have happened. Remember the dragon that was turned into a Heartless?"

"Let's get out of here," Roxas said, through gritted teeth. "We can find a better way to the Emperor."

"Yeah, go on and run. Chicken-boys!"

Chicken-boys?! That did it!

Lea swung a punch at the scrawny soldier. He yelped in fear and dove behind the short soldier. The short soldier was tougher than he looked, and he cheated—kicking Lea hard in the shin. Ye-ow—was that a soldier or a mule?!

Lea had been in his fair share of scrapes growing up, though it had been a long time since he had fought someone he wasn't intending to kill or kidnap—or force re-completion in Isa's case. Roxas slammed into the scrawny one and managed to get him in a head-lock. Isa was shouting at them all. Xion…mostly just stood there and Lea was pretty sure she was begging them to stop.

Punches and kicks flew everywhere and even Isa got into it, trying to break them up. The short soldier—Yao, was it?—got a good kick in the gut and Lea felt the wind get knocked out of him. He staggered back and summoned his weapon, Flame Liberator appearing in his hand. Beside him, Roxas summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Isa was glowering, his claymore gripped tight. The soldiers drew swords—well, the large one—Chien Po—didn't, but Lea glared at him anyway.

"SOLDIERS!"

Two figures were at the palace doors—a tall, broad-shouldered man wearing ornate armor and a scarlet cape and young woman who held a sword and looked ready to use it. The three soldiers all bowed before them.

"They started it, Captain!"

"Did not!" Roxas protested. "You called us chicken-boys!"

"You fought my soldiers? Why?"

"Well, the wimpy one didn't fight us at all," the scrawny soldier admitted. "She mostly just stood around."

"Quiet, Ling!" The captain turned to Lea. "Are you the leader of these troops?"

"We're not troops," Lea growled. "Look, we have a message for the Emperor, it's very urgent."

"You claim to have a message for the Emperor, and yet you fight my troops and summon magical weapons against them? Why should I trust anything you say?"

Er…when he put it that way, it did look kind of bad. For her part, Xion looked like she was going to be sick.

"Those swords…They almost looks like a Keyblade," The young woman looked fierce, but also curious. "Do you know a boy named Sora?"

"Yes! They are Keyblades! We're friends of Sora!" Roxas shouted, and the earnestness in his voice sounded almost foreign. Ah man…

"Sora has helped us in the past," The captain said. "So…I will let you speak to the Emperor."

"Really? That's great!"

"However," The captain said, holding up a hand. "I will not allow you in, as you assaulted my soldiers."

The captain jabbed a finger at Xion. The smaller girl looked startled at being singled out but the larger soldier nodded kindly at her.

"You didn't fight my men?"

"No sir," Xion shook her head and then added a quick "Ma'am" at the woman with the sword.

"Very well. The emperor will speak to you, and only to you. Now come along. The rest of you may stay outside—but no fighting."

"Captain," The woman said, "I think your presence might be needed to ensure compliance."

Yao and scrawny Ling had both been making faces, but turned more professional as the captain moved down to stand between them.

"Very well. Chien Po, take my post in the Emperor's chambers. Escort our…guest."

Chien Po nodded and herded Xion up the stairs—he was comically larger than she was—where the woman with the sword was waiting. He smiled warmly at the swordswoman and the next thing Lea knew, the doors were closing again.

Hoo boy…

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty One: Xion and the Emperor 

Xion swallowed hard as she walked in between the two soldiers. The hallway to the Emperor’s throne room was very long, lined with small sculptures on stone pedestals. There were banners too—scarlet with gold tassels. The banners looked nice, and part of it reminded Xion of the portraits and statues back at Disney Castle. Emperors were like kings, but fancier, if she remembered correctly. Hopefully, he would listen to her. Hopefully. 

She was nervous. She would have to talk to the Emperor alone. Xion bit her lip. Talking to the Emperor was probably going to be a bit different than talking to King Mickey or even Master Ansem. This really seemed like the sort of thing Isa would be better at. Xion glanced at the soldiers leading her down the hallway. Maybe it’d be easier to talk to the Emperor, if she understood his soldiers. 

The soldiers leading her were comfortable with one another, as if they had fought side-by-side before. The large, friendly man was called Chien Po, though Xion didn’t know what the swordswoman’s name was. And there was something familiar about this. But she couldn’t figure out what. It had to do with Sora, but for some reason, the connection they shared felt weaker here. Why was that? Xion winced and placed a hand over her heart. She didn’t like her connection to Sora feeling weaker. 

But…Sora knew the swordswoman. She had said his name earlier and recognized Keyblades. Surely, it wouldn’t hurt to ask a couple questions. And maybe she could find out a little bit more about Shan Yu, who apparently Sora had fought before? One of the soldiers at the gates had started to say that Sora had beaten Shan Yu, only to try and take credit for it himself. 

But maybe that would best be asked later—there was a fierceness in the swordswoman’s eyes. Xion wondered whether she had fought alongside Sora, against Shan Yu. If so, then it might not be a good idea to ask too many questions about what might have happened before. If she weren’t careful, she might wind up implying that the swordswoman hadn’t fought as hard as she could. That…would be a terrible thing to say to someone. 

Xion didn’t say anything until they reached the end of the hallway. The doors were bright red, with a golden dragon insignia. When Chien Po knocked firmly on the door, Xion turned to the swordswoman. 

“Um…so?”

“Tell the Emperor exactly what you told us,” The swordswoman said, not unkindly as Chein Po pushed open the door. “Don’t leave out any details.”

The throne room was very large, and perfectly square. Pillars as tall as trees rose up from the floor. There were more banners hanging from the walls—and again, all of them depicted dragons. 

The Emperor himself sat on a short throne. Or at least, Xion was pretty sure he was the Emperor. He wore bright yellow robes, lined with red and black. He was very old—probably as old as that Mister Whitmore back at Disney Castle. He had a long white beard and mustache so long, it looked as if he were constantly frowning. Beside him, there was a thin man wearing blue robes and a funny blue hat. In his hand, he clutched what almost looked like a clipboard, but longer and thinner. 

The two soldiers bowed to the Emperor. No, they didn’t just bow. They stooped down onto their hands and knees and pressed their foreheads to the floor. Xion had never seen someone bow like that before, but it made sense that she should do the same. The floor was hard, even from beneath her gloves.

“Your Majesty,” Xion said, tilting her head upward, and she wondered whether her voice was shaking. “You must listen to me. You’re in grave danger. Shan Yu is alive and he seeks to kill you!” 

“Impossible!” The man in blue robes scoffed. “That Hun was slain months ago!”

The Emperor started hard at Xion and his eyes hardened. She felt her throat grow tight. If he didn’t believe her, then he’d be in danger. Shan Yu was coming here—Maleficent and the others might be coming too, and then who knew what might happen?

“You speak of this as if you know,” The Emperor said firmly. “Tell me, how you came into this knowledge.”

Xion paused, wondering how she could articulate this without divulging information that the Emperor shouldn’t have. Hmm…he was basically a king, so there wasn’t much that should be secret all things considered. She had already told the guards at the front gates that Maleficent was the one who had raised Shan Yu from the dead. Best to be honest.

“In the mountains north of here, my friends and I were visiting a village. We overheard a soldier saying he had seen a monster in a cave. We decided to take a look…and in the cave we saw a witch use a strange spell to make a book glow and then Shan Yu came out of the book. He agreed to help the witch…and that he was coming to kill you.”  

“Your Majesty!” The man in blue robes protested. “You cannot tell me you honestly believe the tripe this…this…person is spewing.”

What’s that supposed to mean? Xion gritted her teeth but didn’t respond. It would not be a good idea to protest. She was a guest here, so she should be on her best behavior. Besides, even if he was being a jerk about it, she couldn’t exactly blame him for not believing her. 

“Chi Fu, please,” The Emperor raised a hand to silence him. “Some time ago, I witnessed Shan Yu fall at the hands of two of the most noble warriors I have ever known. One is Fa Mulan, one of my personal bodyguards, and the other was a Keybearer named Sora.”

Xion bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying. Sora had been here. He had been here. And he had helped the people here by stopping Shan Yu (She hadn’t believed the soldiers at the gate anyhow). But Maleficent, that witch, had brought Shan You back and basically undid all of Sora’s hard work. 

“You knew Sora,” The Emperor said. It was not a question. Xion blushed, but didn’t dare to break eye contact.

“Yes…yes I knew him. Know him,” Xion corrected herself automatically. Beside her, she could see the swordswoman flinch. 

“He rendered me a great service, twice in fact. In addition to crossing swords with Shan Yu, he helped save my people from a tremendously large and powerful Heartless.”

“He did?” Xion murmured. That did sound exactly like Sora. “Yes…of course he did.”

“Yes…I do not wish to believe that Shan Yu has returned. But I will not dismiss it out of hand. Was there any others in the cave, besides this witch?”

“There was, sir,” Xion said. “The witch is called Maleficent. She is assisted by a…being called Pete, and at least one other. Shan Yu is assisted directly by several other…Huns? I think that whatever magic is sustaining Shan Yu is sustaining them as well.” 

“I see…Fa Mulan!” The Emperor said sharply. Beside Xion, the swordswoman raised her head. Xion blinked in surprise, but said nothing. 

“Yes, your Majesty?”

“What do you say of this child’s story?”

“I…do not know, your Majesty,” Fa Mulan said. “I saw Shan Yu fall myself. Having said that, I do find her to be of sound judgment. When her companions let their tempers get the better of them, they engaged in combat with Yao and Ling. She refused to do so.”

“But you did not fight?” The Emperor asked, and Xion felt his eyes boring into her. She dared to peek upward. The Emperor’s expression was nearly unreadable, though his aide looked at her very dismissively. 

“No sir,” Xion said, and she felt her ears burn red. Why was the Emperor carrying on like this? “We wanted to warn you of the danger, but I…I didn’t want to hurt anyone.”

“Hmm,” The Emperor pressed his lips together. “This must be considered.”

“Ridiculous!” Chi Fu protested waving his clipboard back and forth. “This is an absolute ludicrous story. You cannot believe the inane ramblings of that…that…”

“We have no reason to doubt her credibility,” The Emperor said sternly. “It would be unwise to dismiss it out of hand so completely.”

“No reason to doubt her credibility?! That Hun is dead! This woman child is out of her mind! Completely hysterical!”

“Forgive my interruption, your Majesty,” Fa Mulan said. “But child, you said that you saw Shan Yu in the cave in the Tung Shao pass?”

“Er…I didn’t know what the name of the mountain pass was, but I guess so?” Xion answered lamely. “It was a few hours from here—not too long, I guess? The village looked like it was pretty new. There were still a few buildings that weren’t finished. Shan Yu said he wanted to destroy villages too, but we had soldiers evacuate the people.”

Fa Mulan’s eyes widened in alarm and even Chien Po looked concerned. Xion pressed her lips together and waited for them to continue.

“Your Majesty, that is the same cave that Shan Yu used as a base camp when he made his first attempt on your life,” Fa Mulan said, and Xion thought she heard panic in the soldier’s voice. “He summoned powerful Heartless there as a distraction while he and his Heartless ravaged the village.”

“If this is true…then I find your story more credible, miss. Deeply disturbing, but still…credible.”

“Your Majesty!”

“Enough,” The Emperor said. “I will heed your warning, child.”

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Xion said. “We can set up a defense around your palace at once, your Majesty!”

“No…” The Emperor shook his head. “I will not allow this course of action.”

Xion paused, confused. He believed her, but he wasn’t going to allow them to help? That didn’t make any sense! 

“In the past, Shan Yu ravaged the countryside and attacked my people. In response to this, I sent my soldiers to protect them. Some were successful, others were not…”

Oh right…and Shan Yu had even said he wanted to destroy villages. So, were they going to bring the fight to him instead? 

“Sire, you cannot hope to fight Shan Yu yourself!”

“I have no intensions of doing so,” The Emperor said assuredly. “What I want is for Shan Yu to come to a place of my choosing, and trap him there. If I stay in the palace, Shan Yu will surely pillage any number of villages. It is my responsibility to protect my people!”

The Emperor rose to his feet, and though he was not nearly as tall as most of the grown-ups Xion had met, he was still very impressive.

“Chi Fu, have my wagon prepared!” The Emperor declared. “We are to leave the palace!”

“But sire, where…where will you be going?”

“If it pleases the Emperor,” Fa Mulan said reverently, “I offer my family’s estate for sanctuary.”

“Let it be done,” The Emperor said. “Indeed, Fa Mulan, it would be a comfort to me to ensure your family’s security. I am not the only one with whom Shan Yu has a quarrel.” 

oooo

Roxas grimaced as Xion walked up the steps to the palace. She looked very small next to the swordswoman and the fat soldier—wait, Chien Po was his name, wasn’t it? The captain glared at Roxas, Axel and Isa, while his soldiers stepped back in line. 

“Troops, I expect better!” The captain said cooly. “You are China’s finest troops. You stood against Shan Yu and his army of Heartless. And I expect you to behave in a manner fitting your stature!”

The captain gave a curt nod and turned back around. The short, fat solider—Yao—and the thin soldier—Ling—stuck their tongues out at him. Roxas thought that was odd; Yao, especially, seemed to be about Axel’s age. He couldn’t imagine Axel doing that kind of disrespect to Master Yen Sid, or at least not when Yen Sid was standing only twenty feet away.

“Never mind them,” Isa said. “Do you think that Xion’s alright? I don’t like the idea of her being in there alone.”

“What? You’re worried about the wimp?” Ling asked. “Come off it! You can’t think our friends would hurt her?”

“She’s not a wimp!” Roxas snapped. “I bet she could beat you with both hands tied behind—wait a sec, the lady with the sword’s Mulan?”

“Yeah, Fa Mulan, China’s greatest hero, who’s a girl!” Yao boasted. “What do you live under a rock?”

“No! I just didn’t know she was a girl?”

“I thought you said you were friends with Sora,” Ling argued. “What, he didn’t tell you about Mulan?”

Sora is more than just my friend, you idiot. 

“As a matter of fact, he didn’t get the chance,” Isa interrupted. “An acquaintance of ours named Donald told us that he and Sora befriended Mulan on a previous journey here. He deliberately withheld any further identifying information.”

“Donald?” Yao scratched his beard and he broke into a wide grin. “Wasn’t that the duck who beat you up, Ling?” 

“I was letting him win to get his guard down!”

Roxas bit back a laugh. Okay, if they were this comfortable contradicting each other, then they couldn’t be entirely bad. A bunch of jerks, sure, but…well, Roxas had handled a lot worse than these jerks. 

“Settle down!” The captain called from the top of the stairs, though he still didn’t turn around. “May I remind you that all of us were led to believe in Mulan’s deception concerning her identity?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ling muttered. “Of course, Captain’s real happy that Mulan turned out to be a girl!”

“I can hear you, and I have no idea what you’re talking about!” The captain said. There was an edge to his voice, but he sounded more nervous than angry. 

Roxas paused for a moment. The captain was nervous? Why would that be? There wasn’t any danger at the moment—though if he were worried about Shan Yu, then Roxas could understand that. But it seemed different, like he was a bit embarrassed too. It was almost like…oh!

“Does the captain want Mulan to be his girlfriend?”

“Gaaah!” 

“Well, that’s a ‘Yes,’” Axel chuckled. “Guess some things are universal.”

The other soldiers were laughing too, and even Isa had a shade of a smile. The captain recovered his composure but said nothing further. Roxas smiled to himself, but then something got caught in the back of his mind. 

“Axel, what happens if the Emperor doesn’t believe Xion?”

“Well, I’d say we take the fight back to Shan Yu,” Axel rubbed his chin. “A fight’s a fight, really. Doesn’t matter where it happens. I just want to know how it happened in the first place. From what you said about the cave, it’s nothing like I’ve heard of before.”

Roxas thought about that for a moment. Maleficent had that archer with her, and he had that weird glowing book. There had been lanterns too, but those had more or less taken the forms of Shan Yu’s men—er, they were called the Huns right? Roxas wasn’t sure whether that meant the Huns had been trapped in the lanterns or if they were shape-shifters. But the book could be a clue.

Back in Olympus, their focus had been on that weird sword of mordite. Hades had tried to use it to kill other immortal beings and the Underworld itself had gotten really weird—though Roxas still wasn’t sure if he preferred the way the Underworld was apparently supposed to be. Then again, Roxas wasn’t sure how things were supposed to work in this world either—he’d never even been here for regular missions back in the Organization. 

Roxas looked around the palace. For such a large courtyard, it wasn’t very crowded. There were a few other soldiers besides Yao, Ling and the captain, and further down the way, he could see somebody with a small wagon selling goods. But on the whole, it was pretty quiet. There were usually more people at the Sandlot back in Twilight Town on any given day, even without a Struggle match!

Far above the courtyards of the palace, Roxas saw a bird flying overhead. Too small for an eagle, but maybe it could be a falcon. That was actually pretty neat. He looked back down at the courtyard. Hmmm…maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing that the courtyard wasn’t very crowded. Roxas didn’t think that the falcon would have shown up if there had been more people running around.

“Roxas!”

Roxas turned around and smiled. Xion was running down the stairs, a grin spreading across her face. At the doors were the solider Chien Po, the swordswoman—who must be Mulan—and two other men. One wore fancy yellow robes—that was probably the Emperor. Beside him was a thin man, who looked very grumpy. 

“Such behavior is so unseemly,” The man in blue robes scowled. “Your Majesty, I urge you to reconsider.”

“My decision has been made,” The Emperor said sternly. “Chi Fu, I ask again that you see to the wagons.”

Roxas watched as the Emperor stepped down the stairs. He moved more fluidly than Roxas would have expected—the Emperor was one of the oldest men he had ever seen. The Emperor nodded at the captain and the other soldiers.

“Prepare supplies for a journey. I must leave the palace, and I will need you to accompany me.”

“Yes sir,” The captain said. “Where will we be going?”

“To Fa Mulan’s family estate,” The Emperor said, stroking his beard. “It was prudent, given the nature of this threat, as it is not only I with whom Shan Yu has quarrel with. There is also the not insignificant factor that you have not spent nearly enough time with Fa Mulan’s parents.”

“Well…I….er…move out!”

oooo

The courtyard is sparse, with neither solider nor stranger is drawing close or truly apart from one another. Few soldiers. Fewer civilians. It would be hardly sporting to attack now. He will wait. He has waited for a very long time. A few more days are hardly a hindrance. 

The younger Keybearer stands alone, though he knows from experience that even a youth gifted with such a weapon is not to underestimated. Indeed, by his own folly that had caused his original demise. Such a mistake would not be repeated this time. There will be a fight and it will be one for the ages. And the Keybearer would fall. 

Over the courtyard now, above the palace properly. Here resides the Emperor. Who dares challenge you, with his foolish Wall. And among his guard is the solider from the mountains. A formidable foe to be sure. After he destroys the Keybearers, he will face the one called Mulan. He looks forward to the challenge. She destroyed his 

Again, over the courtyard. There are others with the young Keybearer. A Keybearer with an affinity for fire. A man who draws his power from moonlight. And a second child Keybearer, this one a girl. Many in this realm will dismiss her out of hand. That is a vulnerability that can be exploited.

The Emperor is leaving the palace. This is an attempt to draw him out into a trap. In this, he will not succeed. The Emperor is expecting confrontation, so in that regard, it is hardly a trap. 

With two guards, three soldiers of indeterminate strength, and four outsiders, his men are outnumbered, though with the assistance of the ones who brought him back to this realm, they have equal footing. 

He longs for the thrill of battle, the chase. The desperation in fighting when they know they cannot win. He can almost taste their fear now. The arrogance of those he opposes, how deluded they are, convinced in their superiority. It will make it all the more satisfying to destroy them. 

xxxx

Shan Yu opened his eyes as his falcon, Hayabusa, flew back to mount his shoulder. He held a hand to his temple to let his thoughts clear. It always took a few minutes to regain his bearings when he relinquished control of his body to see the world through Hayabusa’s eyes. 

Shan Yu and his men were gathered around a small campfire in the center of the village. It had been completely abandoned. A shame really, he would have liked the chance to stretch his muscles. 

“Do you think that we can trust the others?” Bulag asked. Despite the chill of rain and his lack of a shirt, he betrayed no emotion in his countenance. “The last time we drew on the powers of Heartless rather than our own strength, it was not successful.” 

“They brought us back to this reality,” Ükher, Bulag’s brother, said. “That cannot be overlooked.”

“Indeed, without their aid, I doubt I would even be alive myself,” Zhemo said with a nod. “I’d been traveling alone, without any aid, for weeks when they found me. I was half-starved. But  Maleficent found me, and offered me help in exchange for my services.”

Shan Yu paused and set his gaze upon Zhemo once again. His most trusted archer had always been small for a Hun. Weaker than most of his countrymen, though still far stronger than any peasant under the Emperor’s rule, Zhemo had been drawn to the bow as an equalizer of sorts. But he had been alone, following Shan Yu’s fall. The last of the Huns, Zhemo he had been fending for himself for months. 

Zhemo was thinner now and gaunter in the face. It was almost striking, and yet Shan Yu was very proud. Zhemo was alive. And he had brought Shan Yu back from the dark places. For that, Shan Yu would be forever grateful. 

And it was not just Zhemo that Shan Yu must be grateful to. There were the ones who had saved Zhemo. The sorceress Maleficent, the warrior Pete, and the shadowy figure who said little and kept a hood over his eyes. Shan Yu appreciated secrecy, though he admitted he wasn’t sure he trusted a man who wouldn’t look him in the eye. Perhaps the man simply did not have eyes with which to look. 

Either way, Maleficent had explained that there were Keybearers in this world. What was more, there were other worlds across the skies. The knowledge of other worlds was not surprising in itself. Shan Yu had seen much in his years. He had seen a red-eyed, white-furred stag when he was just a boy. He had seen an eagle kill a bear when he was nearly twenty. He had seen dragons that swam and serpents that soared. And less than a year ago, he had seen a boy who held a weapon that was more incredible than even the wildest of legends. What more was out there could scarcely be thought of. 

What to say of the Keybearers, as it turned out there was more than one? They had run from Shan Yu and caused a small cave-in. Ironic, in a way. Shan Yu had once trapped the Keybearer Sora, and the warrior Mulan, in that same cave. The cave-in, and the girl’s strange magical barriers, had been a hindrance, though hardly an insurmountable one. They were clever, she perhaps the more clever. Shan Yu would have to be careful when dealing with them. 

Shan Yu inhaled sharply. He was back. His brothers in arms were back. This was their chance to get it right. The Emperor’s grip on his country, heh, it was a charade. All living things should be free…and freedom had its price. The natural order was disorder, where one’s loyalty was bound only to those whom had earned it, and it was through disorder that the true nature was brought out. The Emperor…would fall. As would the Keybearers…

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Two: The Journey Through the Valley

oooo

Lea squinted into the sunset as they marched through the countryside. Being drafted into protecting a member of the royal family was not what he expected, especially since there was only one member of the entire family. Which was really begging for trouble, considering the issues of inheritance and heirs. The Emperor had no children of his own, so who was going to inherit the kingdom when he died?

Actually…now that he thought about it, Lea knew quite a few monarchs who didn’t have heirs. King Mickey didn’t have any children—Goofy would have mentioned it otherwise. Heck, Mickey didn’t even have any nephews like Donald. Ansem the Wise didn’t have an heir either, though that wasn’t Lea’s problem given that he didn’t live in Radiant Garden anymore.

The Emperor, for his part, seemed alright, as emperors went. He had believed Xion’s story, which was a point in his favor. Poor kiddo had had a rough go at it back in Disney Castle. Bad enough he snapped at her enough to make her cry, Lea didn’t like that Yen Sid had never actually apologized to her for doing so. 

The Emperor rode in a drawn wagon with one of his…councilmen? Lea wasn’t quite sure of the connection there. The man kept a tight grip on his clipboard, but Lea had to admit the man was effective in keeping the supplies well-stocked, and also practical. Bedrolls, tents, a chest of scrolls, plus rations for everyone. The councilman had everything counted down to the last apple. 

Lea was less impressed with having to travel with the three soldiers from the gates. They weren’t bad, really, but they really seemed the types who had survived previous battles due to luck. Or more likely, Sora had done all the hard work and they managed to sneak into getting the credit for it. Well, Yao and Ling at least—the third guy, Chien Po didn't seem that bad. But the others, with their bragging, irked Lea. Sure, he could be a show-off, but he wasn’t too proud to admit that Roxas and Xion—and by extension, Sora—were old hands at Keyblade stuff. Taking credit from them, people who earned it was wrong, even if they were shrimpy half-pints.

On the subject of his half-pints, they were walking at the head of the group, or nearly so. Captain Li Shang and Fa Mulan, the Emperor’s bodyguards were at the very front on horseback, then his kiddos on foot, then Chien Po drove the wagon with the Emperor, with the braggarts Yao and Ling trailing behind, and him and Isa in the very back. 

The trek was long—it had been several hours since they started the march. It had been mid-morning when they first landed on the mountainside, a bit after noontime by the time they made it to the capital. Now, it had to be nearly suppertime. Lea placed a hand on his stomach. He hadn’t had a proper meal since the hot dogs he had for supper on board the Gummi Ship right after they first left Disney Castle. He’d missed breakfast and lunch. 

“Your Majesty, I believe we should stop for the evening,” Lea called out. “It’s getting close to dark!”

“I agree,” The Emperor answered back. “That would be wise. Chien Po, bring us to a halt.”

Setting up camp took less time than expected, with so many hands helping, but that was when Lea noticed that his initial impression of the councilman was wrong. There were plenty of supplies, but there were only enough tents for the Emperor, his councilman, and the soldiers. 

“This was an oversight that should not have come to pass,” The Emperor said, frowning deeply. “Chi Fu, I expected better from you.”

“With due respect, your Majesty, I did not envision that we would be responsible for so many hands. And I trust that the…outsiders have their own means of taking care of themselves.”

“It’s fine,” Lea said as politely as he could. He was annoyed, but still…well, he could keep an eye on his kiddos well enough. “We are at your service, your Majesty.”

“We should divide night watch into shifts,” Fa Mulan said. “I can take the first shift, the horses need attending.”

“I can do it with you. I like horses,” Xion offered. “There’s seven of us fighters, so we can divide it into…four shifts?”

“That sounds reasonable,” Fa Mulan said. “Help me with the horses, won’t you.”

Lea watched as Xion scurried off to help Fa Mulan with a bag of grain. Fa Mulan’s horse, a large black one, nuzzled Xion on the head. Cute. 

Lea turned his attention towards the others. Roxas and Isa had gathered stones for a fire pit and were arranging small sticks into a loose pile. 

“Let’s keep it small,” Lea muttered as he crouched low and ignited the kindling with a snap of his fingers. “I’ll keep it burning hot, but we don’t want it too big. It’ll attract attention.”

“Oh, that’s very nice,” Chien Po walked over, his arms full of larger pieces of firewood. “It’s been chilly the last few nights.”

“Right then,” Lea said. “That should be enough firewood for a while, but what are we doing for supper. Is there actually enough food to go around?”

“There should be,” Chien Po said, rubbing his stomach. “You can’t lead an army on an empty stomach. I can make plenty of millet for everyone.”

“Axel, what’s millet?”

oooo

Xion patted the black horse on the nose. He was huge, even bigger than Pegasus had been, which was kind of surprising, all things considered. As far as Xion could tell, he was just a normal horse. 

“He’s pretty,” Xion said. “I know it sounds kind of dumb, but…I’ve never seen a horse like him before. He’s really big.”

“His name is Khan,” Fa Mulan said, holding up a bag of grain for the horse to eat from. “I’ve had him for as long as I can remember.”

“That’s a nice name…and what did Captain Shang name his horse?”

“That’s Captain Li to you…Xion wasn’t it?” Fa Mulan said and then she dropped her voice to a whisper. “You mustn't call the Captain by his given name so informally. It’s extremely disrespectful.”

“I’m sorry!” Xion blurted. “I didn’t know! I thought…wait, wasn’t his first name Li?” Xion asked. That didn’t make sense. People had first names and then last names, which they shared with their families. Not that Xion had a last name. Or Roxas. Come to think of it, most of the people she talked to didn’t seem to have last names…Master Ansem, Master Yen Sid, Ienzo… “Um…sorry, I’m confused.”

“That’s his family name,” Fa Mulan explained. “How…oh, that’s right. You’re from Sora’s village, aren’t you? I thought you had the same eyes.”

Close enough. 

“Yes…our village does…strange things with people’s names,” Xion bit her lip, trying to figure out how to explain this without lying too much. “Our…family names come last.”

“How peculiar,” Fa Mulan said. “Well, you may call me Mulan, if you like. ‘Fa’ is my family’s name. My father is Fa Zhou.”

“Oh…” Xion said, feeling her face redden. “Sorry for the confusion. Sora didn’t mention that.”

“You needn’t apologize for that,” Mulan assured her. “There’s a lot more to the world than even the Emperor’s kingdom. It would be silly of me to think that our customs were the same.” 

“Thank you,” Xion murmured. “So the Captain’s horse?”

“Oh, his name is Koi,” Mulan chuckled. “He’s named after a type of fish.”

“He’s nice-looking,” Xion said. Koi was cream-colored, with a few grey spots. Why he would have been named after a fish, Xion had no idea.

There were two other horses, attached to the wagon that the Emperor rode in with his aide Chi Fu. Unlike Khan or Koi, they were brown and somewhat smaller than either of the riding horses. They didn’t have names either. Mulan unhitched one and led it around the meadow to unwind its muscles. Cautiously, Xion held up the bag of grain, and the remaining horse ate out of it eagerly.

“There’s a good boy,” Xion murmured. “Be sure to leave some for your friend.”

After a few minutes Mulan was back with the first horse. Xion took over feeding the first horse while Mulan unhitched the second to lead it around the meadow. By now the sunset was almost finished and it was getting dark. Against a purpling sky, tiny stars began to twinkle. Each of those stars was another world…Xion wondered whether any of them were Twilight Town. One star was especially bright—could that be Destiny Islands, with Kairi?

Kairi…you helped kill Kairi. You helped kill Kairi and Sora got himself killed getting her back. 

“I’m trying to atone for it…” Xion whispered. “I wish it had never happened. Sora…why do you feel so distant now? Sora…”

“What was that about Sora?” 

Xion flinched. She hadn’t heard Mulan return with the second horse. It was getting hard to see now. With the sun fully set, the only light was the campfire. It illuminated Mulan’s face in the dark, her dark eyes warm. 

“Er…I guess…I miss Sora, it’s been a while…” Xion hesitated. She wasn’t sure how well Mulan knew Sora, and whether or not she could tell if Xion was lying. They had made a connection back at Olympus, but the same logic might not apply here. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”

“He does seem to travel every which way but home,” Mulan agreed. “He never stayed for long when he visited us. I miss him, and I know Mushu does too.”

Who’s Mushu? Isa had mentioned that name earlier, and that he was connected to…Mulan’s family! Right, if Sora knew Mulan then he probably knew Mushu as well. But there was something else itching at the back of her mind. For some reason, even when she concentrated hard, Xion couldn’t picture Mushu’s face. 

“So how do you know Sora, anyway?” Mulan asked. “It’s hard to tell now, but I noticed you have the same colored eyes. Are you his sister?”

“Sort of…we’re…um kind of related, but we’re not sure how exactly,” Xion could feel her facing reddening, but she was fairly sure it was too dark to tell, even with firelight. “I just call him ‘brother,’ because it’s easier.”

It wasn’t strictly the truth, but it was what she had said to Hercules back in Olympus, to say nothing of saying it to Sephiroth. And Sora had always been so helpful and kind to her. That was kind of like a brother. What would happen when, if, when Sora finally made it home? He’d probably stay on Destiny Islands…but maybe he could visit?

“Hmm…well, I can understand that,” Mulan said kindly. “I think that’s it on the horses. We’ll take the first shift for night watch.”

“Have there been any Heartless lately?” Xion asked. She glanced at her hand, and a moment later her Keyblade appeared. 

“A few, here and there,” Mulan said. “Shan Yu used them in the past, so it would make sense to expect that again. But for night watch, I was more referring to keeping the others safe from beasts and bandits.”

“Beasts and bandits?” Xion asked. She paused. She had never used her Keyblade against regular humans. The thought wasn’t pleasant. “I’m not that worried about thieves, but beasts, you mean like wolves?”

“Or tigers or bears,” Mulan agreed as she unsheathed a sword from the back of the wagon. “They might be attracted to whatever the others are cooking for supper.” 

“Tigers…” Xion murmured. She wasn’t sure she knew what a tiger was, and she didn’t think it’d be a good idea to ask. Dragons she knew. Monstrous dogs, sure, and wolves were like really big wild dogs. But not tigers...

There weren’t any tigers or bears that came to the campfire. Nor wolves nor bandits. There was a falcon that Xion didn’t get a good look at, and it was gone before Mulan could see it. But other than that, there was nothing. It would have made for a really boring mission report, but Xion didn’t mind too much. It gave her more time to talk to Mulan, who explained what her family’s estate was like.

“Father’s favorite spot was the stone bench under the tree. We raised chickens, and Khan of course,” Mulan said. “And I had Little Brother.”

“You have a brother?” Xion asked. “Did he train with a sword too?”

“Hehe…no, he’s too little for that. You’ll see, I think he’ll like you.”

“That sounds nice…there’s a little boy in our…village…that I look after sometimes,” Xion said. She rubbed her arm. “I miss Vivi.”

“Well…when you get to go home, I’m sure he’ll love hearing you tell stories of your adventures here,” Mulan said. “I just hope we can make it have a happy ending.”

A while later, Captain Li walked up to them, the stout solider Yao trailing behind him. Captain Li looked strong and imposing. Xion could see why he was the leader of the soldiers. 

“The shifts are changing, Yao and I are taking over. Both of you, go get something to eat.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Alright, Shang.”

Xion blinked in surprise. Mulan had told her that calling the captain by his first name was disrespectful, but maybe…did the captain want Mulan to call him by his first name? Hmm…

oooo

Roxas rubbed his hands between his gloves and shivered into the warmth from the fire. The dinner, millet with fermented fish pieces, had…not been very tasty. Very salty, and not sweet at all. But he’d been too hungry to care. 

He was sitting on a rock, while Chien Po knelt in front of the fire. Most of the larger pieces had burned down to embers. Small, but hot, just like Axel had suggested.

“Thank you for supper,” Roxas said politely. The large soldier, Chien Po, hummed over his cooking pot. 

“Oh, you’re quite welcome!” Chien Po said. “If there’s one thing I know better than anything, it’s food. And my tea should be ready in just a few minutes.”

That was certainly something to that, Roxas thought to himself. Chien Po had had four helpings of the millet before turning his attention to the teapot.

“Yes, very nice soldier,” The Emperor’s aide, Chi Fu, said. It didn’t sound much like a compliment though. “Now, we’ll have to throw the rest away.”

“Wait, what? You can’t get rid of it!” Roxas protested. “Xion and Mulan haven’t eaten yet.”

“I have to agree,” Chien Po said. “It would be a shame to waste the millet before they had the chance to eat any.”

“That is not my problem. This food could attract wild animals that could threaten the Emperor or his horses.”

“But the kid’s right,” The scrawny soldier, Ling, argued. “Mulan’s got to eat something. Her turn at night watch will be over soon! You can’t make her go hungry, or the other kid either!”

“Well…that’s just too bad. Fa Mulan and this ‘Xion’ should have had the foresight to prepare rations for themselves.”

“But—“

“I am the leading official here, I outrank all except the Emperor himself! And as he has retired for the evening, I am in command!”

Before Roxas could argue the point that he, himself, was not under the Emperor’s command, Chi Fu poured the remaining millet into the embers. The millet ignited and burned. The stench of burning fermented fish hit his nostrils and anger burned in his gut. 

Roxas bit his cheek, thinking of several words that he would like to use, but wasn’t sure the meaning of, and he was pretty sure Axel would object to his using anyway. 

“Is that…our dinner?”

“Oh my…” 

Roxas exhaled sharply and turned around. He hadn’t heard Xion or Fa Mulan approach. Even in the low light the fire offered, Roxas could see the bags forming under Xion’s eyes. She looked exhausted.

“Well, i hope this serves as a lesson, Fa,” Chi Fu said. “You women must learn to be prepared if you want to work alongside men.”

With that, he stormed off, towards his tent. He didn’t say a word to anyone else. A sudden flare of the fire catching on fermented fish illuminated everyone’s faces. Roxas blinked in surprise. Xion looked upset—and very hungry. Mulan looked…resigned. Ling and even Chien Po looked mutinous. 

“I hate him so much,” Ling said through gritted teeth. “We tried to stop him Mulan.”

“Every day it’s something with him…it’s been months now,” Chien Po sighed. “I would hope that in the time you’ve spent serving the Emperor, Chi Fu would have started to see sense.”

“Whether he does or doesn’t,” Mulan said, “I still have my duty to my Emperor. I serve him to the best of my ability. Chi Fu’s actions are just that—Chi Fu’s. See that his actions do not interfere with your own.”

“I don’t understand,” Roxas said. “Why would he have done that?”

“Your village does things differently, doesn’t it?” Mulan asked, as she crouched by the fire to warm her hands. “In China, tradition has long held that women do not serve in the army. I am the first to serve in the army, and the first to be among the Royal Guard. There are those, even among the Emperor’s council, that object to this.”

“That’s…not fair,” Roxas said quietly. It didn’t make sense. What did it matter that Mulan was a woman? Xion was a girl, and she was exceptionally skilled and brave and fast and strong and smart and special. Among the other Keybearers, Master Aqua was probably the strongest, or at least the most skilled in magic. And Kairi was really strong too—she had managed to break through Xemnas’s guard back in the Keyblade Graveyard. 

Chi Fu was clearly a gigantic moron who wouldn’t know which end of a Keyblade to hold even if someone glued it to his hand. Roxas scowled—that particular thought conjured an image of Chi Fu attempting to fight Heartless. A dozen images flashed through his head of Chi Fu being set on fire by a Red Nocturne, slashed by an Invisible, pushed around by a Large Body, and finally being stepped on and squished by a Darkside. The thought was rather funny. 

“It’s alright, Roxas,” Xion said, sitting down next to Roxas. The rock they were sitting on was barely big enough for both of them. Roxas reached for Xion’s hand. It was cold and shaky. She must be exhausted. “How are the others?”

“Isa wanted to get some sleep before his turn on night watch,” Roxas answered. “Which is weird…because he draws strength from the moon.”

“Your friend’s a mage?” Chien Po asked. “Fascinating!”

“What? Oh…right, everyone in our village has some magic,” Roxas said quickly. “It’s nothing special where we’re from.”

“And Axel?” Xion asked. “Where’s he?”

“Somewhere around…” Roxas looked left and right. Where was Axel, anyhow? “I think he said he was going for more firewood.”

“Hmmm…”

“Well, when he gets back,” Chien Po said. “Your friend can have some tea. Chi Fu may decide what gets eaten and when, but I’m the keeper of the tea pot.”

Before Roxas could say another word, Chien Po handed a small cup of tea to Mulan and then one to Xion, who accepted it with a quiet “thank you.”

“Here you are, Roxas,” Chien Po said. “Ginger tea, which I’ve found to be a great help in hard times.”

“Thanks,” Roxas said. He sipped the tea cautiously and felt immediate warmth down to the tips of his fingers and toes. Oh, this was good!

It wasn’t filling though. Roxas glanced at Xion, who still looked very hungry. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a Hi-Potion. He handed it to Xion, who took a long drink and then decided to share the remainder with Mulan. Color returned to her face right away.

“So Mulan,” Ling called. “We should be back in your village tomorrow?”

“By tomorrow evening, if everything goes well,” Mulan said, between sips of tea and Hi-Potion. “It will be easier for us when we’re at my family’s home. There’s plenty of room for everyone. And I think my grandmother, especially, is eager to meet all of you.”

“That does sound nice…” Xion said. She took a sip of tea and her head began to droop. Roxas finished his tea and placed a hand on her knee to steady her. Xion smiled weakly at him. A moment later, her eyes fluttered shut. Roxas wasn’t sure whether she even noticed she had fallen asleep. 

oooo

Lea rubbed at his eyes as the sun peaked over the horizon. It was early. Way too early to be awake. It was four o’clock in the morning for crying out loud. He should be asleep right now. Back in Twilight Town, on his nice warm bed, and his warm blanket and pillow. He couldn't wait for this to be over, so he could sleep, sleep and sleep some more.

He glanced to the makeshift shelter he and Isa had set up—a single tarp over a branch. Xion and Roxas were snuggled against each other, though neither one of them was going to get anything close to a good night’s sleep. Anger burned in Lea’s belly. Xion had already nodded off when Roxas had explained why Xion hadn’t been able to eat supper last night, but Lea knew from experience that an empty stomach usually meant troubled sleep. And Roxas had stayed up for his turn on night watch. He’d only turned in an hour ago. 

Lea glanced at the tents where the soldiers were sleeping. No discernible movement, and there hadn’t been for the last hour. There wasn’t even the sound of snoring to break up the unsteady stillness. That was alright, then. It gave Lea time to think. 

What to make of this then, their newest mission? Roxas and Xion had seen some sickos call forth previously-dead bad guys. In all his time with the Organization, Lea had seen his fair share of really icky stuff. But nothing like what this was. Or wasn’t. Lea hadn’t gotten a good look at whatever had gone down in that cave. But old dead dudes with swords had charged his kiddos. 

First Hades and his evil god-killing sword, and now Shan Yu and his…zombie Huns. When was this going to end? Lea grimaced. This seemed a lot ickier than even the messiest jobs in the Organization had been. And was this truly connected to the mess Sora made with the Power of Waking? It hadn’t just been rescuing Kairi, but Sora had also used the Power of Waking to revive Lea, and the rest of the Guardians of Light. Lea couldn’t remember the details, only that things had gone pear-shaped. 

Lea blew out a puff of hot air. He should have gone down into the cave with the kiddos. Maybe the three of them working together would have been able to stop Maleficent and whatever it was she was planning, before it even started. 

And just what was she planning? Calling up the denizens of the dead didn’t make a lot of sense, when Lea stopped to think about it. What was wrong with just using Heartless in her conquest? Aside from the whole Heartless-steal-hearts thing? Lea wasn’t sure he wanted the answers. 

They’d get the Emperor to Mulan’s family and then what? Wait for Maleficent and the Huns to come and get them? Spring an ambush? Lea frowned to himself. As Axel, he had been an assassin. Ambushes weren’t really his style. And what if Shan Yu sprung the trap on them instead? There were nine of them who could fight—the Emperor was far too old and Chi Fu was…Chi Fu. Up against six Huns, plus Maleficent…and who knew how many Heartless Maleficent was willing to use…He’d faced worse odds before. 

A sharp snapping of twigs broke him out of his contemplation. Lea summoned Flame Liberator to his hand and then shifted it into his chakrams. Lea darted around and saw…the large soldier, Chien Po prostrating himself in front of the rising sun. Lea took a step forward, but then stopped. He was just…meditating. Lea would leave him be. 

Minus Chien Po’s murmured chanting, the valley was still quiet. The loudest noise was the caw of a falcon flying overhead. Lea smiled at that—there were owls living in the woods outside Twilight Town, but this was the first time in a long time that he had seen a falcon. 

After a few more minutes, Chien Po stood up and walked from the log he’d been meditating in front of back to the pit where last night’s campfire had been. He looked very peaceful.

“You’re not like the other soldiers,” Lea muttered, more to himself than to Chien Po. What? It was a fair thing to point out. Yao and Ling were loud and rude. Chien Po was far more soft-spoken and friendly, even gentle. 

Okay, if Lea was being honest with himself, he probably had more in common with Yao and Ling, but when you had to travel to a different world—one set hundreds of years behind yours to boot—you tended to get along better with who made your job easier. So, Lea could take the gigantic soldier chef who didn’t fight at all rather than the two soldiers who he had gotten into a brawl with. 

“Nobody is like anybody else, we are all unique,” Chien Po said. “That is perhaps the most beautiful aspects of humanity. Nobody is like anyone else.”

Now that was a sentiment Lea could appreciate, even if it was kind of cheesy. Lord knew that Roxas and Xion had had to fight like hell just to be seen as individuals, and even they had at one point been willing to give it up. How many times had he heard members of Organization XIII call out to Roxas within Sora? Or Xion, who was designed to siphon power away from Roxas and become Sora.

I’m sorry, Axel. Please…let me go. I have to do this, or else— Just look. Please, Axel. You have to take care of Roxas. Please! 

Lea shuddered. Xion wearing Sora’s face. That was a memory he’d just as soon forget. Though ironically enough he had forgotten it entirely…due to having forgotten Xion entirely. He glanced back over at their makeshift shelter. Xion was snuggled against Roxas, who had tossed an arm around her in sleep. They looked peaceful. Maybe they were finally sleeping without being haunted by nightmares. Maybe.

“I’m going to make sure your friends get to eat, by the way,” Chien Po said. “Chi Fu may be second to the Emperor on this journey, but rest assured, I am the master of the hearth.”

What? Oh, right. He had cooked the dinner last night, after all. Next to Xion and Mulan, Chien Po had the most right to be upset that the food had been wasted. Lea gave a firm, appreciative nod.

The sun rose higher over the horizon and Roxas and Xion were the next to awaken. They rubbed sleep from their eyes and then went to stand guard again. Both summoned their Keyblades, and smiled identical smiles at Lea. In the early morning light, the sun caught off Chien Po’s cooking pot, and for a fleeting moment, Roxas’s hair looked darker and Xion’s looked almost red. For a moment, he didn’t see Roxas and Xion. Lea was looking at Sora and Kairi.

The moment passed almost as quickly as it had come. Lea blinked his eyes quickly and then Roxas and Xion were looking up at him. 

“Axel, is everything okay?”

“Axel?” Chien Po asked. “Wait a moment, didn’t you say your name was Lea?”

“Nickname from when I was a kid,” Lea said quickly. “Yeah, everything’s fine guys. Completely under control. Got it memorized?”

“Got it memorized,” Roxas and Xion said in unison, in the exact same enunciation. Chien Po blinked. 

“Do they always do that?”

“You’ll get used to it.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Three: Journey Through The Village

Shan Yu held his hand out and his falcon Hayabusa dove down to perch on his arm. He opened his eyes slowly, regaining his senses to look the sorceress Maleficent. She was taller than even he, which made her quite the anomaly. Witchcraft by its nature was not something that Shan Yu was very familiar with. But she had restored him to this world and for that, he was in her debt.

"Well…what did you see?"

"They continue to march towards Fa Mulan's village," Shan Yu said. "They've passed through the Lǜsè Valley. We are a half-day's journey from them, if we walk a steady pace. Less if we use mounts."

"Well I says we attack now!" Pete grunted. "Let's pound these little runts into the ground."

"No…we do not yet have a point of advantage," Shan Yu said. "They're moving as we're moving, so overtaking them is not so simple a matter. And they're in the lowlands. Ambushing them would be difficult, unless we were to strike at nightfall."

"Aw, you're just being a big chicken!" Pete argued. "I say we take 'em now. Those brats have been ruining things for me forever!"

Shan Yu did not particularly like being compared to a chicken, especially since the implication was that he was cowardly. Furthermore, as he had been struck down by a "brat" with a Keyblade, it was hardly as if he were ignorant of what was at stake. He took three steps towards Pete and gritted his teeth.

"Make no mistake. It is not cowardice that prevents me from engaging with your enemies. It is prudence. With your Heartless, we have them outnumbered, but they can flee just as easily as we can follow. Don't question my strength!"

Shan Yu glowered at Pete. After a moment, the…well, actually, he wasn't quite sure what Pete was, beyond his not being human. Some foul creature granted sapience to serve Maleficent perhaps? Regardless of his origin, it was apparent that Pete was the true "chicken," as he cowered under Shan Yu's glare.

"Enough," Maleficent's cool voice sounded off, and Shan Yu felt his ears burn. Reprimands were not something he was well-acquainted with, as he had led his men for years.

"We are, after all, on the same side," Maleficent said as she stepped between Pete and Shan Yu. "We will need to work together, if we are to be successful."

"Yes, Maleficent," Shan Yu said. "I believe that the Keybearers and the others escorting the Emperor will reach their destination by the next sunrise, if they maintain their current pace. We may strike at dusk, if they stop to rest."

"No…not just yet," Maleficent said quietly. "These outsiders who work well together. They have fought alongside each other for most of their lives."

That almost sounded admirable, to Shan Yu's eyes. He and his fellows had all been raised together. As children, they played together and trained together. They had been brothers, raised by the community. They had learned together and hunted together. And they had been together for their first kills.

Shan Yu exhaled. From what he could see from Hayabusa, he had not been much younger than the two children when he had killed his first man. At the age of thireen, Shan Yu had killed for the first time. A farmer who had intruded on their land. His crops had failed and he had sought to steal their game, with a bow he had no right using.

Shan Yu and Zhemo had stumbled upon him quite by accident, and the farmer's end had come quickly and bloodily. And it had been absolutely glorious. The farmer had screamed and begged for mercy, and it fueled Shan Yu's urge for the battlefield for years afterward.

Pete and Maleficent advised that the Keybearers, especially the children, not be underestimated. They fought in perfect tandem. They were the bundle of branches that could not be broken. But that in itself might be a weakness—if they fought so long together, then they might not be strong by themselves. The bundle itself may be unbreakable, but separate one branch from the bundle, and it would be broken easily.

Shan Yu would have to converse with his friends. They too had unbreakable bonds, but they were rods of iron. They were strong in their own right, alone or together.

The Keybearers would fall. Fa Mulan would fall. The Emperor would fall. And Shan Yu would once again taste blood.

oooo

Isa stared straight out, as they marched through the edge of the valley. They were still several miles from Mulan's village. Possibly another day's journey. He exhaled gently. This was not a particularly enjoyable venture. It was downright balmy through this valley, and the roads were not as well-maintained here as they had been in the city. Isa grit his teeth and felt a rush of shame. It was unfair to hold the standards of one world to those of another, given the profound differences in technological development.

And more to the point, this may not be pleasurable, but it was necessary. The Emperor's life was at risk, and if he were to be killed, then the world would surely be thrown into chaos. The soldiers, even the more…immature ones, revered the Emperor. Removing him, without an heir, would cause a power vacuum and risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocents.

Isa glanced at Roxas and Xion. With their much shorter legs—and in particular, Xion's heeled boots—they were hardly suited for these sorts of marches. But they didn't complain. They even seemed to greatly enjoy the trip. There was some logic to this. Neither of them had traveled to this world in their year in the Organization, so everything they saw in this world was novel: the food, the horses, the animals—a falcon soaring overhead, a wild dog with orange fur that Lea took a liking to, a small creature that Isa took for a tanuki darted in front of them at one point—Xion squeed at it.

"Harruph! Such undignified behavior should invite consequences!"

Isa grit his teeth even more harshly. As it happened, not everything in this world was novel. Some things were depressingly familiar. The advisor, Chi Fu, displayed a concerning lack of regard for anything that opposed his worldview. Apparently, his disdain was rooted in Xion, and Fa Mulan for that matter, being warriors despite being women. Isa was something of a traditionalist himself, but Chi Fu irked him. He would have been far more sympathetic if Chi Fu's skepticism toward Xion had been due to presumptions regarding her age—goodness knew that Lea could coddle both the children. He'd been furious when Xion admitted Chi Fu had deliberately destroyed food stocks in order to prevent her from eating.

"You may be second to the Emperor sir, but I am her most immediate superior. Xion will answer to my reprimands," Isa said cooly. "If I find her behavior to be unacceptable, then rest assured, I will not hesitate to correct her."

Cooing over a small, furry creature was hardly such behavior that warranted correction in Isa's eyes, and he was not going to berate Xion for taking joy in one of the beauties of nature.

Chi Fu humphed again and Isa was willing to let the matter settle. The advisor closed the curtain of the wagon with a final look of disdain.

Isa did his best to ignore it. They were making decent time, all things considered. But Chi Fu's behavior still bothered him, and there wasn't much Isa could do to actively remedy the situation at hand.

"Ah, ignore him," One of the soldiers said. He was of average height and a build that would be generously called "lean," but was honestly more accurately described as "scrawny." This was the solider called "Ling."

"I beg your pardon?"

"He's just a stupid jerk," Ling insisted. "So, ignore him. He's just jealous that he can't keep up with us warriors."

Jealousy was certainly one of the most vile vices, Isa would readily attest to, or at least attest to away from strangers' ears. And taking in Chi Fu's general lack of physical prowess, compared to the rest of the soldiers…Isa could see Ling's point. That didn't excuse the behavior, but it did explain it.

"Perhaps you are right, but in the interest of maintaining civility, especially with your officials, I suggest a change in the subject."

"Well fine," Ling said. "You're right you know. It's a long trip, and I don't wanna waste it thinking about stinkin' Chi Fu."

Then why don't you changed the blasted subject already? I don't want any trouble.

"Ya know what makes it easier for me to march for a really long time?" Ling asked. Before Isa could answer, Ling shouted out, "Thinking about, a girl worth fighting for!"

"Hehehe," The short soldier, Yao, strode up to match pace with Ling. "Just like he said, a girl worth fighting for!"

"Oh no…not this again…" Captain Li muttered, at the head of the line. Isa felt a chill go down his spine.

"Isa, what's going on?" Roxas asked, trailing back to walk beside him. This was the first time in several days that Roxas had specifically sought out Isa's company. Isa wasn't sure whether he wanted Roxas to hear what Ling and Yao had to say.

"Think about it, Isa!" Ling said. "You help save the Emperor, and I bet you could get any girl in your village!"

There had only ever been one girl that Isa had ever developed romantic feelings for. Her. The girl in Ansem the Wise's laboratory. He and Lea had stumbled upon her one day, and they had become friends. Despite the holes in her memories—she could recall only being part of a group of friends and the phrase "May your heart be your guiding key."

It had been in an attempt to free her that had cost Isa his humanity, and all for naught in the first place. She had vanished without a trace. And as Ansem the Wise had said, despite pouring over his files and having Tron, his sapient computer program, search the archives, not even the tiniest clue to her whereabouts had been found.

Perhaps…when this was over, Isa might have the chance to search for her himself. They had a connection in their hearts. Surely, if he could devote himself to finding her properly, make good on his promise to protect her.

Her hair…it had been so shiny, even in the dim light of the laboratory, Isa had been able to see that. And her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky. Her laugh…

Isa blinked rapidly. Roxas was staring up at him, looking perplexed and concerned. The idea that Roxas would be concerned for his well-being was still something Isa was getting accustomed to. Given the recent events at Olympus, Isa wondered whether Roxas was especially concerned.

"I am fine, Roxas," Isa said firmly. "I feel no ill effects whatsoever. I was just…reminiscing about things long past."

"Someone's got a girl," Ling taunted, though unlike their interactions at the palace gates in the city, this did not seem malicious. "Come on, man! I'm sure a tough guy like you will have no trouble getting a girl. And let me tell you, ladies love guys who have scars."

Isa paused. This was what passed for compliments in this world? He loathed his own scar. It was a brand of his failure—he had attempted to protect Lea, fought back against the higher-ups in the Organization and it had cost him dearly. Adding to that, his scar was actually a sigil and it allowed Xemnas, and later Xehanort, to track him…

"What about you, short stuff?" Yao clapped a hand on Roxas's shoulder. "Do you have a girl back home to impress?"

"I'm not helping the Emperor to impress a girl," Roxas said, frowning. "I'm doing this because helping the Emperor is my mission."

That was a bit too close to comfort and though a part of Isa wanted to object over Roxas giving away too much information, he remembered that the soldiers assumed they were from another village. This was not necessarily a breach in the World Order.

"Yeesh, what a goody-goody!"

"Helping the Emperor is my mission!" Roxas insisted. "I help people who need it! It's what Sora did, so it's what I do!"

"Definitely a goody-goody," Ling agreed. "But some girls do like that!"

Roxas opened his mouth but then closed it again very quickly. He glanced further ahead, where Xion was walking with Fa Mulan and Chien Po. Xion turned her head for a moment and smiled brightly at them. Roxas gave her a small wave in return.

"Ooh, looks like someone does have a girl worth fighting for!"

"I'm supposed to fight for Xion?" Roxas shook his head. "She's my best friend. We've been best friends since forever. And I care about her a lot…but she can fight too. She's strong and smart and…"

Roxas trailed off, listing more of Xion's virtues. Isa noted that Roxas said "strong" and "kind" twice. Yao and Ling elbowed one another, grinning wildly. Roxas looked more confused than anything else and strode ahead to walk with Xion and Fa Mulan. Xion smiled brightly at him, and even from fifty paces, Isa could see Roxas's face flush.

Perhaps the notion that Roxas and Xion might develop romantic feelings for one another was not so far-fetched. But Isa would let Lea handle that particular life lesson when the time came to discuss it.

oooo

Roxas shook his head to try and clear his thoughts. The other soldiers were being awfully silly going on about "girls worth fighting for." As if the only reason to serve the Emperor was to get a girlfriend!

Roxas wasn't a complete idiot when it came to girls. For one, he knew that girls had "buttons" and you had to be careful not press them, or they'd get mad. He still wasn't sure what Axel meant by "buttons," since Xion's robe had zippers. Maybe it was one of those weird metaphor things. Roxas also knew that when a boy liked a girl, he tended to act kind of weird. Sora turned into a complete goofus wherever Kairi was concerned. And Captain Li got all nervous whenever Mulan was around.

Roxas should ask Xion what she thought about all this. She was his best friend. Axel was his best friend too, and Hayner was also his best friend…but Xion was special.

"Hey Xion, Mulan," Roxas nodded at the girls and blinked in surprise. He hadn't really realized it before, but Mulan was much taller than he was. "Er, Ling and Yao were going on about a girl worth fighting for, and well, I decided I wanted to walk with you guys instead."

"Again?" Mulan rolled her eyes but Roxas noticed she looked like she wanted to laugh. "They'll never change."

"Is that really so strange though?" Xion asked. "Roxas, you've fought for me. And I've fought for you. We fight for each other…like Sora and Kairi."

Sora and Kairi…Roxas wondered what exactly that meant. The entire reason he had been brought into existence in the first place, was Sora releasing his heart to free Kairi's own captive heart. Sora had been willing to sacrifice his own existence to save Kairi. It was circumstances that were strikingly similar to those that had transpired when Sora used the Power of Waking…

Roxas glanced at Xion. She looked radiant with the sun shining off her necklace, a brilliant orb of blue. Radiant…shining and pretty.

Once…long ago, but not such a long time ago…Xion had been willing to sacrifice herself to preserve Roxas's life. She had willingly let herself be destroyed…and then forgotten…and then Xehanort had gotten ahold of her heart…

Roxas knew in his heart of hearts, that he would be willing to do the same for her. Sacrifice. And now, after everything they'd been through, after everything that had happened—and everything that had almost happened…the bond he shared with Xion was stronger than any weapon. Through all worlds and all time, she would always, always be his best friend.

Roxas hoped that he could figure out a way to say this to Xion without it being too weird. He felt a little sorry for Captain Li, who stuttered and got nervous when he spoke to Mulan. He liked being able to talk to Xion.

"Kairi…she's a friend of Sora's, right?" Mulan asked. "I think Donald mentioned her a few times. Apparently, Sora turns into a complete idiot whenever she's around, and he's always trying to show off for her."

"Donald shouldn't say things like that!" Xion protested, her face reddening. "That's mean!"

"It's kind of true though…" Roxas chuckled. "Sora would do anything for Kairi."

"How is Sora, anyway?" Mulan asked. "It's been quite some time since he's visited. And Donald and Goofy?"

Roxas's chuckle died in his throat. Of course Mulan would ask about Sora. She was his friend. Friends asked about one another. They checked in on each other to see if they needed help.

But Sora…was gone. Tears prickled at Roxas's eyes. It had been one thing, in Olympus. There, the connection he felt had been so strong. And Sora loved that world, had fought there and played there and made so many friends. Left a legacy. Sora had been to this world too, but why, why was Roxas's connection to him weakening? Had something happened? Or maybe, it was something to do with this world?

"Is everything alright? Was it something I said?"

Roxas blinked. Mulan was peering at him, her expression concerned. Roxas shook his head rapidly,

"It's…um…Sora couldn't make it. He's…um…sick."

"Sick?" Mulan asked. "Sick how? He doesn't seem the type to catch a cold."

"Er…um…er," Roxas stuttered. He felt his face grow more flushed. And Mulan was staring right at him.

"Is there something wrong? I know that you know Sora, and Xion, you did mention that it's been a while since you've seen him. Did…something happen to…your world?"

Oh crap.

"What, er, um…" Roxas stammered. How much did Mulan know? He looked over his shoulder. Ling and Yao were still pestering Isa, and it almost looked like they were trying to get him to sing a song with them. Axel was talking to Captain Li. Chien Po was leading the horses drawing the wagon that the Emperor and his stupid advisor Chi Fu were riding in. If they were careful…they might not be overheard.

"You don't have to pretend," Mulan dropped her voice to a whisper. "Mushu's told me…stories."

"Mushu?" The name sounded familiar. Isa had mentioned it earlier, when they first arrived in this world.

"He was a friend of Sora's, and one of my family guardians. See, I don't really remember, but about a year and a half ago, there was this terrible storm. Darkness…the kind i had never seen before…but then when the darkness cleared away…and I felt better than I had in a very long time. And about a year later, after Sora showed up and fought Shan Yu, Mushu explained a few more things. He had traveled with Sora, across the worlds. And helped him fight Heartless. Did something else happen?"

Roxas didn't know what to do. Should he keep quiet? That didn't seem practical. Mulan knew there were other worlds. And she knew Sora. And this Mushu guy, whoever he was, knew Sora too. Would it really be so wrong to just…let her know? Not everything of course—Roxas couldn't imagine anything justifying telling Mulan about the Organization, or the Keyblade Graveyard. But admitting that Sora was somewhere that he, Roxas, couldn't reach…as awful as it was…having someone else to keep an eye out, their heart out, for Sora…that couldn't be too wrong, could it?

"Nothing happened to our world…but Sora's…lost somewhere," Roxas whispered, trying to keep his words as vague as possible. "He's stuck and we don't know how to get to him, or bring him home."

"That…sounds horrible," Mulan placed a hand on Roxas's shoulder. "You must miss him very much."

"More than I can say," Roxas croaked. "It's been hard. But I'm trying to live up to him, and do the things he'd do. That's one of the reasons I'm here—to help you."

Xion hadn't said anything. Roxas glanced at her and with a pang in his chest, he saw her eyes were full of tears. Mulan turned towards her and took Xion's hand.

"I think that Sora will return to you…" Mulan said. Her voice was equal parts gentle and resolute. "And I think he'll be proud."

Xion wiped her eyes and Roxas took the chance to do the same. He glanced around—they were out of the valley now. The sun was high overhead. In the distance, he could see a town in the distance. Maybe a mile or two away.

"Is that…your village?" Roxas asked. "It's a lot bigger than I thought."

"Almost. My family lives on the far end of the other side of the town," Mulan smiled. "It's been quite some time, since I've been home."

Home…

Roxas felt his thoughts go back to home. Twilight Town. Racing down the sleepy streets with Xion—who totally chugged Elixirs; working for Mister Yanushi with Hayner and Pence; eating ice cream and watching the sunset…he had eaten a ton of ice cream in the past few days, but he hadn't had a chance to watch the sunset…

Roxas felt a pang of homesicknesses and then a surge of guilt. It had only been a few days since he had left Twilight Town, though it felt like a whole lot longer. Mulan had been stationed at the capital for weeks, for months! Was this the first time she had even been allowed to go home? Well…if that were the case then, Roxas would make sure that Mulan would be able to enjoy her time with her family. She had been friends with Sora, so that meant he would be her friend too.

Sora…wherever you are…if you can feel me at all…please know that I'm trying…

oooo

The town that Mulan's family lived in was much smaller than the city of Thebes, Xion noted. And no massive buildings—nothing like a castle or a clock tower either. It was still nice, in its own way. There were a lot of people, most of them walking on foot. A few wagons here and there, and some vendors selling wares. Xion noticed someone was selling little wooden cages with crickets living inside them. That seemed peculiar—couldn't someone just go into the fields and find their own crickets?

"It's not further," Mulan said. "Less than a mile. We can discuss things further there. And my family will prepare tea for you, your Majesty."

"That sounds most excellent," The Emperor said from within his wagon. "Thank you, Mulan."

They walked a little further, and Xion glanced over her shoulder—Axel had joined Ling and Yao in singing some sort of song and all three of them were trying to get Isa to join in too. None of them sounded very good—Xion had heard a few songs on the radio in Twilight Town and there was also the musicians in Disney Castle—but they looked like they were having fun.

"Rah! Surrender Huns!"

Xion blinked in surprise and almost summoned her Keyblade when she heard the word "Huns." But then she saw something up ahead in the street. A little boy with a little wooden sword was running across the street. A moment later, a second little boy ran at him with his own wooden sword. They hit each other a couple of time and both began laughing.

"Heh, looks like they've started their training."

"Yeah…" Xion wanted to smile. The boys had to be about six or seven, maybe. They were smaller than even Vivi, or the little boy with the collection of figures back in Thebes. But there was something in their own laughter…it didn't seem very happy. It sounded kind of mean.

"Yah!"

One of the boys ran down the street, to where a small girl was playing with a little doll. He grinned widely and yanked on the doll. The little girl gave a cry of protest and tried to take her doll back, but the boys began tossing it back and forth. She was smaller than either of them and the boys began laughing louder. One of them hit her with his wooden sword.

Hot anger flared in Xion's belly. They were bullies. Memories from before…back when she had been working in the ice cream shop in Twilight Town, with Granny, rushed through her head. Xion winced at the memory of being splashed with hot coffee…having a sundae pressed into her hair…the humiliation had been horrible. Xion started towards the boys. They could play their little game, but they wouldn't take things that weren't theirs. And they would not hit someone who wasn't fighting back.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

Xion looked up. One of the soldiers, Ling, charged past her. Yao right behind him and then Chien Po. Wait a second, wasn't Chien Po supposed to be driving the wagon? Xion glanced behind her. The wagon had stopped in the middle of the street, and Chi Fu was getting out of it, looking very irritated.

Ling got to the boy holding the doll and grabbed it out of his hand. He held it high above the boy's head, to prevent him from jumping up to get it.

"Hey, give it back!" The little boy said, in a squeaky voice. "I'm like you! One of China's mighty soldiers!"

"What kind of soldiers are you?" Yao said, glaring at Squeaky and the other boy. "You think it makes you some sort of tough guy to steal a dolly?"

"We're soldiers! Soldiers are supposed to be tough and strong and everyone does what they say!"

"Soldiers are supposed to protect women and children!" Ling argued. "Only bad, evil meanies take things from people smaller than them! We do not bully others!"

"We're just playing!" The other boy whined. He stomped his foot in protest. "You're not being fair!"

"Fair play does not come at another's expense," Chien Po said firmly, and Xion was surprised how serious he sounded with his soft voice. "You will return this doll to the girl it belongs to, right now."

"I don't wanna!"

"Well, you're going to!" Mulan said firmly. Xion blinked. She hadn't seen Mulan cross the street to the others. She held the little girl's hand. "Return Mei's doll, right now."

The boys looked at each other and scowled, but they took the doll back from Ling and handed it back to the little girl. She tucked her head behind Mulan's leg.

"Can we go now?"

"Yes, you are to go to your parents and tell them what you did today."

The two boys looked up at Mulan and the other soldiers and then at each other. They stuck their tongues out at Mulan and then turned and ran down the street. The little girl sat down with her doll and began cuddling it. Mulan patted her gently on the head, and walked back to the wagon, Ling and the others a step behind her.

"That was great of you, to stand up for her like that," Xion said. "I think you've made her very happy."

"Humph! A tasteless display of force against two small children," Chi Fu scowled. "Those two boys, so young, yet they still show a desire to serve in

"They would make absolutely awful soldiers, completely unfit for the Emperor's army!" Mulan protested. "That sort of behavior cannot be tolerated."

"Well, they are only children," Chi Fu sneered. "You wouldn't know this, but boys will be boys, and boys like to play soldier."

"I played 'Soldier' plenty when I was a kid, but I never took any girl's dolly!" Yao said, glaring at Chi Fu. "And I got into a bunch of scrapes—there was a boy who stole my sister's doll, so I tossed him in the prickle bush."

"That will do," Captain Li said firmly. "Now, all of you, let's keep moving."

Chien Po got back into the front seat to drive the wagon, Chi Fu slammed the wagon door shut, and Yao and Ling began walking between Mulan. Xion found herself at the back of the group, with Axel, Roxas and Isa.

"That was…unexpected," Isa said. "Pausing an escort mission to curb bad behavior is…better than I thought of them."

"You doing okay, kiddo?" Axel placed a hand on her shoulder. "You look a little pale."

"I…I don't like bullies," Xion said. "I…should have tried to help the little girl. I should have done more…"

"You're doing fine…and we're still in a position to help these people. All of them, got it memorized?"

"Got it memorized. Still…I wanted to help the little girl…I think Mulan said her name was Mei…but the others…"

"Beat you to it?" Roxas asked. "I think that means you're better than you realize, Xion."

Xion smiled at Roxas and he grinned back. He always knew just what to say to make her feel better. And Axel and Isa too.

They hadn't been walking for that much longer, when they came to a stop at the edge of town. They were near a set of gates made of red wood, and the wall they were a part of went all the way around. The walls were tall enough that Xion couldn't see over the top. Was this all for Mulan's family?

A very short, very wrinkly old woman peeked out of the gates. Xion was immediately reminded of Granny.

"Hello, Grandma," Mulan said. "Are Mother and Father home?"

"Mulan! You went to war, and you brought home a man!" Mulan's grandmother said joyfully, looking at Captain Li. "How wonderful!"

"Gah!" Captain Li said. "It is…a pleasure to meet you, ma'am…er…"

"Lots of men!" Mulan's grandmother said, seeing the other soldiers. "Which one's mine?"

"Grandmother!"

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Four: Fa Family Supper

The Emperor had seen much in his time. He had seen the sun rise on the Eastern Sea. He had seen late snowfall blanket the ground, covering the flowers in his royal garden, killing most of them—though the ones that hadn't sprouted yet ended up being the most beautiful that year. He had seen a brown bear share its kill with a wolf. And some time ago, he had seen a boy with a Keyblade fight and destroy an enormous Heartless, which had once been one of his land's beloved dragons.

But one thing he had not done, to his own shame, was spend much time among the people themselves. He was the Emperor of China, but it had been years since he had left the capital. While this was hardly without precedent, it plagued his conscience—as Emperor of China, the people of the towns and villages, they were more than just his people. They were his family. He had no children of his own and his wife had passed on from an illness many years ago. His most constant companion was Chi Fu.

And as Fa Zhou reverently led the Emperor and Chi Fu into the chamber where they would be staying, it struck him just how large the room was. And well-kept.

"The most comfortable room assuredly, my Emperor," Fa Zhou said, his head bowed in deep respect. "If there is anything you need, I would be honored to provide it."

"Thank you, Fa Zhou."

The old soldier prostrated himself to the Emperor and Chi Fu, before rising and leaving the chamber. Fa Zhou grunted weakly—the Emperor recalled Fa Mulan telling him that Fa Zhou had been badly injured, many years before, and that the injury never fully healed. As he walked down the hallway, the Emperor could hear the heavy footsteps from Fa Zhou's limp fade away slowly and the *clunk* of his cane hitting the wood floor.

"Humph," Chi Fu scoffed. "This is the best they can provide for us? Hardly suitable to a man of my caliber, to say nothing of you, your Majesty."

The Emperor looked around the chamber again. It was fairly large, though sparsely decorated. There was a single bed, low to the ground. A wardrobe in the corner appeared to house old armor. It would take the Emperor less than a minute to walk from along the perimeter of this room.

It took him less time to realize that this was Fa Zhou's own bedchamber. Such a willing sacrifice on such short notice touched the Emperor's heart. And Chi Fu's own tactlessness caused his brows to furrow.

"That is enough, Chi Fu."

"But your Majesty," Chi Fu protested. "You are the Emperor, a divinity among mortals. To provide you with such meager accommodations is sacrilege!"

"Chi Fu," The Emperor said, his voice hardening. "You will show the utmost respect to the Fa family while we are here. They are showing great hospitality and placed themselves in danger."

"You said yourself that because of that wretch's behavior against the Huns, her family would have already been targeted."

"Fa Mulan is not a wretch!" The Emperor snapped, his eyebrows furrowing even deeper, to the point where it was difficult for him to even see Chi Fu. "You will show humility to her, and to the other soldiers going forward!"

Chi Fu bowed his head in deference to the Emperor. Whether or not he was truly remorseful, and whether he would actually begin to treat Fa Mulan and the other soldiers with due respect, remained to be seen.

"Your Majesty, are you certain that you are safe here? You trust that…child who reported Shan Yu's revival? She wears the robe of that…Organization. One of them put you into great peril not long ago."

"And another who wore their robe, despite his rudeness, risked his life to warn me of the machinations of the Organization. We will have to trust them, Chi Fu. And now for a more pressing matter, we must help attend to the preparations for the evening meal."

"I beg your pardon?" Chi Fu sputtered. "You, your Majesty? Subject yourself to cooking?"

"I will not be a rude guest," The Emperor said simply. "I will earn my keep for this family. And you shall as well."

oooo

"That's the last of the supplies," Xion said as she and Roxas set the last chest from the wagon down. "Is there anything else we can do to help, sir?"

"Thank you, children," Captain Li said. "I do believe that everything is order."

"Right…" Xion said, her eyes lingering on the 'cannons.' They didn't look like any cannons she had seen before—there were a few on the ramparts of Radiant Garden's bailey—large and heavy and with long barrels for the cannonball to go through.. And the weapons on some of the Gummi Ships she had seen were similar, once you got used to the funny shapes and colors. The weapons she and Roxas had helped stack were much smaller than those, tubes with dragon heads on one end.

Still a weapon was a weapon, and if these were 'cannons,' then that meant they probably were for long distance fighting. Xion paused a moment—unless she counted her magic, she didn't really do much long distance fighting. But it could come in handy later. She glanced at her hand…she'd replicated the mordite sword without really meaning to. And Goofy's shield…she had only held that as long as she had because holding it had been like holding Goofy's hand; replicating it hadn't really been a goal, but it wasn't something she was surprised by.

But the cannons…could she replicate a cannon? That might be a good idea, since they seemed to be the kind of weapons you could only use one time. Being able to get an extra could come in handy.

Xion placed a hand on one of the cannons as best she could without drawing attention to herself. She felt the now-familiar fuzzy feeling of her body recognizing a new weapon to summon. She wasn't sure when, if ever, she may need to use one of these cannons, but you never knew.

"Now that we have the cart unloaded," Chien Po said, "if it pleases you, Captain, I suggest that I might help Fa Li with tonight's meal. And ensure there is plenty for all our us."

"Very well, Chien Po, if Fa Li agrees to your request, then I feel that would be a most appropriate use of your time," Captain Li gave a brief nod and Chien Po scurried off towards the Fa's house. Xion bit back a grin. Chien Po was much faster than she would have guessed.

"Now as your friends have agreed to take the first turn on guard," Captain Li continued. turning his attention to Roxas and Xion, "I suggest you find some ways to assist the Fa family."

"Yes sir," Roxas and Xion said at the same time. Captain Li nodded at them and then went to take care of his horse, Koi. Behind him, Xion could see Yao chopping some firewood. Mulan was tending to her horse, Kahn.

"So…now what do we do?"

"I'm not sure," Roxas said, rubbing the back of his head. "The grounds here are…well-maintained."

That was certainly true. Xion looked from one end of the grounds to the other. Everything was taken care of—the bushes, the stables where the horses were being kept, the chicken coop, the blooming trees. In the distance, far from the rest of the house or stables, Xion could see a small building set up on a hill. Curiously, though it was set away from the rest of the buildings, it seemed the best maintained, though Xion couldn't see the inside of it.

"Bar-rar-bar-rar-rar-bar-rar!"

Xion blinked in surprise but she couldn't help smiling. A small dog came bounding up to them, barking his head off. He was so…cute! Small and bark-y and he had ears that stood up and a stubby little tail and short little legs. Xion giggled—Mulan hadn't mentioned having a dog.

"Ah! Little Brother, come back!"

Mulan was running towards them now, looking somewhat frantic. Xion knelt down and the dog bounded up to her, tripped over his own little legs, and then got back up. He put a paw on her knee and began to lick her face.

"Nice doggy!" Xion giggled. She pulled off her glove so she could scratch the dog behind the ears.

"I see you've met Little Brother. I was right, he does like you!"

Little Brother?

"Wait a second," Xion said. "You said that…"

"I said that Little Brother was too little to train with a sword," Mulan said with a smile. "And he is. Aren't you, smart boy?"

Little Brother tilted his head back so Mulan could scratch him under the chin. Xion smiled—Mulan looked so happy with her dog.

"Er, Mulan," Roxas said. "Captain Li asked if there were anything we could do to help. And…well, we weren't sure what needed to be done."

"Oh," Mulan paused. "Actually, I think it would be a big help if you could herd the rest of the chickens into their coop. And help me gather the eggs too, for tonight's supper."

Xion grinned as a chicken wandered by, pecking at a few bits of wheat. This was definitely something she could help with. How difficult could gathering chickens be?

xxxx

Gathering chickens was not easy. Not one bit. The chickens weren't very strong, but they were very wiggly and whenever you grabbed one, another ran away. And they ran all zig-zaggy, every which way. At least most Heartless ran *towards* her when she was fighting them. And Little Brother was running and barking everywhere and scattering the chickens all over the place.

"Little Brother!" Mulan scolded, as she struggled with a rooster, "Lie down!"

"Rar-bar-bar-bar—zzzzz!"

Xion couldn't help but giggle—Little Brother had fallen asleep on command, and he was snoring. It was…cute.

"He's not much of a guard dog, I take it," Roxas said, as he herded two chickens into the pens.

"No…he isn't," Mulan said. "We intended him to guard our chickens and the estate as a whole…but he didn't really meet our expectations."

"He's kind of like you, then," Xion said. "You broke all sorts of expectations to become a hero."

"Well-played," Mulan said. "I suppose that's how it works more often than not. And it's for the better, I think. Had I stayed here, and kept to what was expected of me, my father would have gone to war."

Xion had only met Fa Zhou briefly, as he had led the Emperor and Chi Fu to a room for them to stay in. But she had noticed he walked with a cane. He looked too old to have to go to war. Sure, people like Master Yen Sid were older, but Master Yen Sid was a powerful wizard. Fa Zhou didn't have magic powers…or at least she didn't think he used magic. And with the cane…he would have almost certainly have died. Xion's throat caught, and she forced herself not to think about that.

"You wouldn't have met Sora, then. Or Donald and Goofy," Roxas said. His voice was quiet. "And if you hadn't been there to fight Shan Yu, who knows what might have happened."

"Fair point," Mulan said. She placed another egg from a chicken nest into a basket. "I think that's it for the eggs. And I think there's…only two more chickens left to fetch. Now, where'd they go?"

"There!" Xion said, pointing. "They're over by that little building on the hill."

"The altar?" Mulan said. "Oh yes, of course. Where my ancestors lie."

"Pardon?"

"Does your village do things differently?" Mulan asked as they walked over to the building. As they got closer, Xion could see shiny black slabs in the building. One chicken was pecking at a worm at one end, and Mulan scooped it up without a word.

"Er, I'm not sure, exactly."

"Xion, you said you saw Shan Yu return from the dead, right?" Mulan asked.

"We both did," Roxas said. "And that's supposed to be strange, here, right?"

"Yes. When someone dies, their soul separates into two pieces. One piece, the hun, ascends to Heaven and the other piece, the po, remains at the altar. Those slabs are the tombstones of my ancestors, and that is where their po reside."

That sounded very, very different from what Xion had seen in Olympus, but she said nothing. The last chicken was inside the altar, and Xion scurried inside to fetch it. As she grabbed the chicken as gently as she could, she saw several statues lining the walls. There was a monkey, a rabbit, a bull, a goat, something she couldn't identify and finally a small, skinny dragon. That was somehow…familiar.

"Xion! The chicken!"

"Oh, right! Sorry," Xion apologized as she stepped out of the altar. "The statue of the dragon…it was familiar."

"Heh," Mulan gave a soft laugh. "I'm not surprised. That'd be Mushu."

"Wait, what?" Roxas asked and Xion was certain the surprised expression on his face matched her own. "Mushu's a dragon?!"

"Sora didn't mention it?" Mulan asked mildly. She bit her lip, as if trying to hide her laughter.

"We didn't…get the chance to talk to him about it," Xion said quietly. Really…when she thought about it, there were many, many things that she didn't get a chance to talk to Sora about. The only real conversation they had ever had was when she had told him that she could feel that Kairi had been alright.

I should have gone with him. I should have told him to rest, and found Kairi myself. But I didn't…because I'm selfish…

"Tell you what, come with me after supper, and I'll see if I can get Mushu to talk to you," Mulan offered. "I think he'd like hearing from a couple friends of Sora's. Now that we've got all the chickens, and the eggs, we can help my mother and Chien Po prepare supper."

oooo

It wasn't just Chien Po who was helping Mulan's mother prepare the evening meal. Roxas was surprised to see the Emperor chopping vegetables with Mulan's grandmother.

"Cucumbers and soybeans," Mulan's grandmother was saying as they walked in. "They may not be fancy, but they get the job done."

"I've always found them to be a most delectable option in a meal," The Emperor said. "And I most enjoy being able to help."

"We have the eggs," Mulan said. "Roxas and Xion helped gather them, and we were able to take care of the chickens as well. The coop is strong enough to keep out the foxes, so we won't have to worry about that either."

"Excellent," Chien Po said, from the corner, where he worked at the stove. "And with the rice and tofu, we'll have quite a lovely supper. Far better than the millet we had in the valley. And everyone is going to get helpings."

"Thank you, Chien Po."

Preparation for supper took a while longer, but the resulting stew smelled wonderful. Roxas didn't realize just how hungry he was. And Mulan and Xion looked close to starving. The memory from the previous evening—of Chi Fu deliberately pouring the pot of millet into the fire so that Xion and Mulan would have to go hungry—flashed through his mind.

"Alright then, everyone tuck in and I get the others," Mulan's grandmother said. She poked her head out the door and shouted out, "Oy! Dinner's on the table, get it while it's hot, or it's going to the dog!"

Roxas heard a series of assorted yelps from the soldiers, and Axel and Isa, and barking from Little Brother as they rushed into the room.

"Most amusing, ma'am," The Emperor said with a small smile. "I am certain that this will be quite a meal."

With everyone pressed into the room together, there wasn't a lot of elbow room. Roxas didn't mind though—he got to sit next to Xion. She smiled brightly at him when Chien Po poured stew into small wooden bowls for them, and then pulled out a large bowl of rice for everyone to share.

"Aaah, a most excellent meal, given the circumstances," Chi Fu said. "Soldier, your services continue to meet satisfaction."

"Well, now that we have a moment's peace," The Emperor said. "Why don't we all tell us a little bit more about ourselves? Now, I understand that the four of you all reside in the same village?"

Oh…this was going to be difficult. Talking to Mulan about Sora was one thing, but Roxas wasn't sure elaborating much further would be a good idea. But then again, if they were too vague, the Emperor might grow suspicious of them, and that could put his life in danger.

"That would be correct," Isa said. "While our community is not quite as communal or familial-centric as yours, we do maintain a comfortable lifestyle between the four of us."

"And what is it you do for a living? Forgive my impudence, but while you are all clearly disciplined, none of you have the organization of professional soldiers."

"I work with some other boys doing odd jobs around town. Moving heavy boxes, clearing woodlots…that sort of thing," Roxas said.

"Well…I do have a job in town too," Xion said. "We have a saleswoman who sells...desserts, and I assist her."

Nice work, Xion. Roxas had noticed that since this world didn't appear to have electricity, they probably didn't have ice cream. Or at least not ice cream shops. But pretty much everywhere had dessert.

"And I'm certain that you do a most excellent job," Chi Fu said. Roxas frowned. That certainly didn't sound like a compliment.

"I'm sorry, but have I said something wrong?" Xion asked. Unlike…every other time she'd said she was sorry over the last week or so, Roxas couldn't help but think that Xion sounded more bewildered than remorseful, even if she kept her tone level. He could see the tension in her shoulders. "If I have offended you, Chi Fu, I apologize."

"Hmmph, if that's what you call an apology, it leads much to be desired."

"Please, sir," Xion said, her voice catching. "I want to help everyone as best as I can. If I've done wrong…"

"Well, it's not anything *you've* done," Chi Fu said. "I can't imagine you would know better, if what you describe is typical of your village. I mean you no disrespect, but—"

"I beg your pardon, and with due respect," Isa said, before Roxas or Xion could say anything, "In my experience, those who say they mean no disrespect only to immediately follow with a contradiction tend to mean great disrespect."

"I must agree that a change in discourse would be most appropriate," The Emperor said. "Chi Fu, that's quite enough."

"Please, Isa, your Majesty," Xion said. "I appreciate your concern, but I think I would like to hear what Chi Fu has to say. I find that…keeping secrets, even if they're just secrets of opinions, tends to prevent missions from being able to be completed properly. Sir?"

Roxas paused. He felt his insides begin to twist. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what Chi Fu actually thought of all this.

"Very well," Chi Fu said. "I do not think it is appropriate for a girl to be a warrior."

"You just haven't seen her in action. Sure, she's a pipsqueak, but she's a lot stronger than she looks," Axel said. "And we have a tradition in our village—if you have a problem with someone, then don't beat around the bush. Say what's really bothering you."

"Well, if we're being honest," Chi Fu said, "Know that if I had my way, women would not fight."

Mulan was sitting exactly across from Roxas

"I'd love a world where women didn't have to fight. Or where men didn't have to fight either," Xion said. "But that's not the world we live in, sir."

"I should make my meaning plainer then. It is my view that the ideal is if a woman were to hold the weapons of a man, it would mean its execution."

"She's not an it!"

Chi Fu ignored the outburst, which came from Roxas, Axel, Isa and Chien Poi, while Xion gave a small cry of outrage.

"Perhaps not," Chi Fu said. "But I must say that looking at this…child, I don't see there's anything that she could accomplish. She hasn't the mind for a merchant, nor the strength for a soldier. She knows nothing of holding her tongue. I doubt she'd even make a decent concubine."

xxxx

Roxas didn't know everything, but judging from how Mulan was leading them back to the altar, Chi Fu must have pressed all of her buttons at once. And Axel had nearly toppled the table over. And the Emperor was furious. Helping Mulan with gathering the chickens again, even though they'd already finished that, was as good an excuse as any to get out of there.

"I knew he was insulting me, er, us," Xion said, through gritted teeth. "I probably should have just let it go. What was it he called me, exactly?"

"Never mind," Mulan said. "Chi Fu has many opinions about what is the proper role for women. Needless to say, his views do not align with yours. Or with mine. Now, I said I would see if I could introduce you to Mushu. After that spectacle, I can't think of a better time to see an old friend."

Mulan stepped up to the altar and bowed before the shiny slabs. This was the first time that Roxas had gotten a proper look at them. They were…tombstones. Roxas couldn't read the writing on them—it didn't even look like letters really.

As Mulan raised her head, Roxas could see that she was frowning. Nothing appeared to have changed, so Roxas wondered what was wrong.

"I had hoped that would work," Mulan said. "I met Mushu for the first time because my ancestors sent him to help me. I thought if I asked them to send him again, he would awaken."

Bang!

"Ow!" Xion said, rubbing her head. "Sorry! I think I hit my head on the…what is that anyway, some sort of lamp?"

"Oh, yes, that's where we hang a—what on earth?"

The writings on the largest slab began to glow shiny white, and then it was almost blindingly bright, and a figure emerged from the lab. The figure was very large with a thick beard and holding a staff. He was chalky white and light blue. Okay, now this, Roxas could believe was a ghost.

"First Ancestor!" Mulan gasped, bowing deeply. "I did not think that you would awaken!"

"Oh, should we bow too?" Xion asked, crouching down next to Mulan. Roxas shrugged and knelt beside Xion. He could feel her trembling beside him and wanted to reach out a hand to comfort her, but he didn't think moving would be a very good idea at the moment.

"Arise, you are not of my bloodline," The figure—First Ancestor—spoke in a deep voice that seemed to echo, even though he hadn't shouted. "How is it that I have awoken?"

"I do not know, First Ancestor. I only sought your guidance to awaken the guardian Mushu."

"You wish to speak to Mushu? Guardians only awaken when the Fa family is in danger! It is not a matter of casual conversation!"

"Please, First Ancestor, the Fa family is in danger. Shan Yu and the other Huns are indeed alive and seek to destroy us and the Emperor!"

"Please," Roxas said. "Mushu was friends with Sora and—"

The statue of the dragon began to glow, and shimmering golden light encompassed it. And the next thing he knew, Roxas was staring at a living, breathing dragon. Not a Heartless, but an actual dragon.

"I LIVE!" The dragon shouted, so loudly that Roxas and Xion covered their ears. Roxas could see First Ancestor roll his eyes. The dragon was tiny but made up for his lack of size with a very big voice.

"That's right, I live, Honorable Ancestor! Who dares threaten our family? Let me tell you, vengeance will be mine!"

"Mushu!"

"You'd have thought the bad guys would have learned their lesson after the last time! Well, no matter! I, the might Mushu, shall destroy them, every last one!"

"Mushu!"

"As I helped Mulan so long ago, so too will I any and all Fa family members! Now tell me, who is it who needs my aid?"

"Mushu!" Mulan said firmly, picking him up. "It's only been a few months! I'm still alive!"

"You are? Mulan, oh, I missed you!" Mushu squirmed out of Mulan's hands. "Man, it feels like it was just yesterday that you kicked Shan Yu's butt!"

"Yes, Mushu, well we're going to have to do it again," Mulan said. "Shan Yu is alive…somehow."

"What?! How?!"

"An evil witch named Maleficent—"

"Wait, her too?! Awwww, maaaaan. Sora, Donald and Goofy were supposed to have kicked her butt already. I should have known better than to think those three knuckle-heads would have made anybody stay dead. Sora, Sora, Sora, you can't help but love him, but man, does he get into trouble."

Roxas felt a prickle of annoyance in his belly, but it went away almost as quickly. Mushu was complaining about Sora…but it was good-natured. Mushu really had been friends with Sora, hadn't he?

"And hey, who are you? More new friends! Well, get in line, 'cause Mushu is the Fa family guardian!"

"Mushu…you were really friends with Sora?"

"Well, of course I was, kid! I got that boy out of a whole mess of trouble that he got himself into! And did he ever once learn not to run into trouble, Keyblade swinging, not even pausing to think about the consequences, no he did not! Now what's it to you—"

"Well, this is Roxas and Xion," Mulan said. "And they knew Sora from—"

"Know them, no that's not it! Look at 'em Mulan! They have Sora's eyes! And the buddy-boy, he's got Sora's face. I have no idea where the hair comes from, but with your faces and your eyes…there's only one logical explanation. Sora and Kairi got married and you're their babies!"

"Er…"

That wasn't the truth. Far from it—Roxas had been brought into existence when Sora had released his heart to free Kairi's…So he had come from Sora and Kairi…and Xion was a Replica of Sora based off his most precious, powerful memories, and took on Kairi's appearance because the memories of Kairi were the ones which were the most precious to Sora…

But that wasn't the same as Sora and Kairi being married and them being his parents. C'mon, the idea was just ridiculous…it was, it was, it was, it was! If they ever got Sora back, Roxas would never, ever mention this misunderstanding to him, ever.

"Sora and Kairi got married! Sora and Kairi got married! Sora and Kairi got married! Hey, wait, why wasn't I invited to the wedding?"

"Mushu! It's been less than a year! Sora and Kairi couldn't have gotten married!" Mulan said.

"Well, how would you know?" Mushu said. "Sora hasn't been around to tell us otherwise, has he? Or has he, and you didn't bring him over to visit!"

"Mushu!"

The little dragon hopped up to the platform he had stood on as a statue. In the process, he knocked over the same tray that Xion had bumped her head on. It clattered to the floor and then more of the slabs' writings began to glow. More of Mulan's ancestors emerged, most of them elderly men and women.

"You!" First Ancestor barked at Roxas. "Take Mushu for a walk, while the other ancestors and I discuss…things."

"Er…yes sir."

"That's right, Honorable Ancestor, I'll make sure Sora and Kairi's kids don't get into any trouble!"

xxxx

"So why didn't Sora come and visit? He gets married and then he doesn't have anymore time for his friends?"

They were standing a short distance away from the altar where Mulan knelt before all of her ancestors. Mushu had had to carry the little gong that had woken everyone up, and had gotten tired of walking after less than two minutes, suggesting (demanding) they stay in the shade of the blossom tree.

"We're not his children!" Xion protested as Roxas ran a hand through his hair. "And Sora and Kairi didn't get married! They just shared a paopu fruit!"

"Paopu fruit?! With Kairi?! And he beat Riku to it?" Mushu asked. "Oh that's even better! Sora's been wanting to do that for ages! And he beat Riku to it, haha!"

"How well did you know Sora, anyway?" Roxas said, checking over his shoulder. The lamps were still lit in Mulan's family's home, but he couldn't hear what was being said.

"Well enough," Mushu said. "Fact is, I saved his neck from Heartless a whole bunch of times. But I told you all that already, Rocko."

"It's Roxas."

"Right, right, right. Roxas," Mushu said. "Well, I probably know Sora better than just about anyone."

"Um…do you feel him?" Xion asked quietly. "Roxas and me…our connection to Sora is weaker here and we don't know why."

"Hmmm…" Mushu shrugged his little shoulders. It looked kind of silly on a dragon. "Couldn't tell ya. That kind of cosmic connections wasn't my speciality."

"Mushu…do you know how to wake up the dead?"

"Well sure," Mushu said, hopping up onto a large rock. "I used to ring the gong to wake up the ancestors. I could wake up anyone."

Xion glanced at Roxas and locked eyes with him. Among the many things they shared were their eyes. They had the same eyes as one another. The same blue eyes as…Sora. Roxas knew exactly what Xion was thinking. It was a long shot. The longest of long shots. But out of everything he had seen, was it really that outlandish?

"Could you, please, Mushu," Roxas whispered. "Could you call Sora back?"

"Back? Wait, what?!" Mushu blurted. "You mean…but Sora…he can't…he can't die!"

"He's not dead exactly…he's lost somewhere…and we haven't been able to find him," Xion whispered, her eyes shiny with tears. "Please, Mushu. If you can wake up the dead, maybe you can wake up Sora, and he can tell us where he is, and as soon as we get rid of Shan Yu, we could find him and bring him home."

"I'm…I'm not sure that would work," Mushu said. "My power's tied down to this world…but…if I have something of Sora's…anything of Sora's that can act as an anchor…maybe…"

"I…I'm not sure I have anything of his," Roxas groaned. It was a wild chance, the slimmest of all chances…and even Mushu wasn't sure that it would work. But…he had to know. He had to try…but if he didn't have anything to serve as an anchor…

"My necklace!" Xion gasped, yanking it off her neck. "This orb…it was Roxas's, but then Sora held onto it for ages!"

"That's right!" Roxas said. "That won't hurt the necklace will it?"

"Pbbft!" Mushu snorted. "Of course not, none of the Ancestors get hurt do they? Except for Fa Deng…but that wasn't my fault!"

Xion set her necklace down gently on a stone bench and Mushu held out his gong and began to bang it. Nothing happened at first, so Mushu began to bang the gong more loudly and more rapidly.

It happened slowly at first, and if Roxas hadn't been paying attention, he wasn't sure if he would have actually noticed. But a figure began to take form. Unlike the ancestors from the altar, who were shiny white and blue, this figure was more like an outline. The colors were there, but only just. The outline of a boy just a teeny bit older than Roxas looked. His hair was thicker and spikier, though Roxas could see through him. But the eyes…the same blue eyes that he and Xion shared…

I'm not the only one seeing this, right? Please, please, please let this be real.

"Sora?"

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Five: Familiar Friend, Old Enemy

Roxas could hardly breathe. Sora was here. He was faint, shimmery. He wasn't solid. He looked like the slightest gust of wind could blow him away. But he was here, really and truly here. Roxas wasn't hallucinating. After the times Sora had appeared in Twilight Town and Disney Castle…appearing exactly as he had the day he vanished only to fade into nothing. And then in Olympus…when those two little creatures had masqueraded as Sora…

But he was really here. Or nearly so. Sora was here, he was back, he was practically home. Roxas felt that his heart might snap in two.

"Can you hear me Sora?"

Sora nodded, and then tried to speak, but no words came out. From what little of Sora that Roxas could see, he looked confused. Sora tried to speak again, but again no words came out. Or if there were words, Roxas couldn't hear.

"Mushu, what's going on?"

"I'm not sure," Mushu said, and for once, he wasn't cracking a joke or bragging. "I can call back spirits of my family's ancestors, but I've never seen anything like this. You said he was stuck somewhere, lost. That might be it…if Sora's not anywhere on this world…then this is the best I can do. What happened?"

"Oh…Sora…" Xion whimpered, and she sounded sadder than Roxas had ever heard her. "I'm so, so sorry…"

Sora gave a small shrug of his shoulders. Roxas swallowed hard. They couldn't communicate—or at least couldn't hear anything that Sora was saying. But he was still here. This was real. This wasn't a dream or a hallucination or a trick. Sora was back.

"Sora…I guess you can hear us, even if we can't hear you. So, okay, I guess…I don't think I ever got a chance to say thank you."

Sora smiled and placed a hand on Roxas's shoulder. Roxas didn't feel the tightening of fingers or the pressure of a palm, even with factoring in the thick leather of his robe. But he felt warmth. A gentle warmth, halfway between a beam of sunlight and a late summer's breeze.

"Sora…" Xion took a tiny step forward, her hands clasped together. She looked small, frail, fearful. The same way she had looked in the Keyblade Graveyard. When they had all had a chance to catch their breaths. Sora had run after Kairi…Roxas and Xion had cried into Axel's chest.

Sora grinned at Xion, but she wouldn't meet his eye. Roxas could see the tension in her shoulders. He heard take a deep breath but it ended in a sob.

"I wish you were here with us, for real," Xion whispered. "I miss you so much."

Sora took a shaky step forward and grinned wider. He took another step and put a hand under Xion's chin. Roxas walked over towards them and took Xion's hand. He tried to give a reassuring squeeze, but they were both wearing gloves, and he wasn't sure it really worked. But he could see the teeniest smile on Xion's face.

"Sora, you can hear us, but we can't hear you," Roxas said. "But maybe…can you nod your head yes?"

Sora nodded and Roxas realized that was probably something of a stupid question. But it was still an answer on Sora's end. So they could communicate. And that meant…

"Can you tell us where you are?" Roxas asked. "Er…wait, is it a world that you've been to with Donald and Goofy? Could we find you with the Gummi Ship and bring you home?"

Sora shook his head slightly and raised his hands up to his shoulders in a defeated gesture. Roxas felt a knot form in his stomach. Sora was somewhere he didn't know. He was lost and wherever he was, they might not be able to find him, not even be able to really talk to him.

But Sora was alive. Or near enough. He was here, in front of them, in front of Roxas and Xion. That had to count for something at least. Roxas's heart ached. He had missed Sora so much.

"Oy! Down here!" Mushu leapt up onto the bench and began tapping his foot impatiently. "Remember me?!"

Sora knelt down so he could look Mushu in the eye. Right, they had known one another before. Probably really well, if Mushu could recall memories the way he did.

"Sora! You shared a paopu with Kairi!" Mushu shouted. Or said. Everything the little dragon said seemed to be a shout. "And ya didn't tell me?! What took you so long?"

Roxas couldn't help but laugh. Even after everything, he could still laugh. It hurt to laugh, but he couldn't stop. Sora seemed to be laughing too. This felt good, this felt peaceful. But then, Roxas felt a sharp pain in his heart, almost like a bee sting. No, no, no, no…

"Sora…" Xion put a hand on her chest. "You can't stay, can you? You can get hurt here…"

Sora shook his head but reached out to grab onto Roxas and Xion's intertwined fingers. Roxas felt a rush of warmth. Like the best rays of light from the sunset. Sora locked eyes with him. Even though Sora's body was blurry and see-through, Roxas could still see Sora's eyes as clearly as could be. Blue, a deep, rich blue. The same blue as the sky at the Destiny Islands. The same blue as the sea. The same blue as Roxas's eyes. The same blue as Xion's. Roxas didn't dare to look away.

"Sora! Wherever you are, we will find you! I promise!"

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Roxas tightened his grip on Xion's fingers as Sora looked away, back towards the town. Roxas bit the inside of his cheek. Slowly, he and the others began to walk towards the doors to Mulan's family estate. Back towards the direction of the noise whatever it was. Sora led the way.

"What's going on?" Mulan asked, as she descended from the altar. Behind her, Roxas could still see the spirits of her ancestors, apparently in the midst of an argument, though he couldn't make out the words. Mulan smiled warmly when she realized Sora was there. She too had missed him.

"We're not sure…" Xion whispered. "But something bad is happening…I can feel it."

Mulan walked with them, and Mushu hopped up onto her shoulder. After a few minutes, they came to the gate. Roxas poked his head out, and his stomach leapt into his throat.

Shan Yu was standing there, with the other Huns. Huge, imposing, all of them armed to the teeth. Long, lethal swords. Clubs and spears. In the back, Roxas thought he saw the archer with a bow and arrows. Their gray faces were illuminated by the fires of two burning wagons, and even from here, Roxas could see their gold eyes. They were all impelled with the powers of Darkness.

"Emperor!" Shan Yu shouted and for some reason it was almost odd to hear him raise his voice. "Surrender yourself! Keybearers, I challenge you!"

Roxas inhaled sharply. He and Xion were nearest. They were outnumbered, but surely, they were both stronger than any one of the Huns…weren't they? And they had Mulan and Mushu with them too. He was not going to allow Sora to fight. Even if Sora were able to, which Roxas doubted, he would not allow Sora to come to harm. Not after everything Sora had done for him.

"Again I say, old man!" Shan Yu shouted. "Come out! Face me!"

"He's baiting us…" Mulan murmured. "This could be a trap."

"Of course, it's a trap!" Xion said. "He wants us to fight him, so he can kill you. But Roxas and me can fight the Huns. You get one of the horses and get the Emperor to safety!"

"If you think for even a minute that I'm leaving any of you…"

"Cowardly old fool!" Shan Yu bellowed. "You would leave this village to my mercy?"

Shan Yu was holding something in his hand. Something that was not a sword or a club. Roxas squinted and then the smoldering wagons flared up. And Roxas realized what Shan Yu was holding—the little girl with the doll. The one that Yao and Ling and Chien Po had defended from bullies earlier that afternoon. She was crying and trying to squirm away, but Shan Yu's grip was tight.

"Aaaaaaah!"

"Come out, or she dies!"

oooo

Xion couldn't breathe. This was awful, so awful. If they didn't do anything, that little girl would die. She couldn't let that happen.

Xion despised bullies. And she was a Keybearer. It was her job to bring light to the worlds and make people happy. She summoned her Keyblade. The shadow of Sora smiled at her and, though it was hard for her to tell, it looked like he was pointing at his own heart and then at her heart. She felt a tiny bit of warmth on her chest.

Roxas crouched beside her and Sora pointed a finger at his chest too. Even in the dim light, Xion could see Roxas's eyes widen, and she could practically feel the warmth radiating from his chest too.

Is that your way of telling me that you'll always be with us? Even after everything I did to you? Oh, Sora…you're the most wonderful person ever…

Sora smiled at them, and it was a smile that wasn't really tranquil. If anything, it was almost joking. He pressed one hand to her shoulder and the other to Roxas's. Xion felt another surge of warmth. A moment later, Sora faded away. Xion felt like she wanted to throw up. Whether something had happened to Sora's body, wherever he was, or whether Mushu simply couldn't maintain the connection she wasn't sure. But there was no time to find out. There were bad guys out there. And it was time to fight the bad guys. She would do it for Sora.

Xion swallowed hard and began walking towards the Huns. Heartless began sprouting up, whether brought on by Shan Yu and the others, or else attracted to her Keyblade she wasn't sure. For some reason, they hadn't attacked yet…so they were probably under Shan Yu's control It was so dark out. But the fires illuminated her targets. And the little girl, squirming in Shan Yu's grip, sobbing.

"Let her go!"

Shan Yu smiled as Xion stepped closer. Xion could hear small stones crackling along. Roxas was right behind her. That made Xion feel a little bit better.

"Ah, children of the Keyblade, how nice it is that we finally meet," Shan Yu grinned. "So, have you come to face your doom?"

"You're the one who's doomed, you undead freak!"

Shan Yu scratched his chin, almost thoughtful. He grinned widely and took a step forward, the little

"Such courage is admirable, in one so young, Xion."

Xion glared at Shan Yu. She wasn't entirely surprised he knew her name, but she didn't care what he had to say. He didn't seem to have such qualms.

"You know children, the two of you and I, we are somewhat alike," Shan Yu said. He pointed at them with his sword almost casually. "We are warriors, are we not?"

"We're not the same!" Roxas shouted. "You're out of your mind."

"Nonsense," One of the large Huns said. Despite the chill of the night air, he wasn't wearing a shirt. "Keyblades are weapons of tremendous power. Only the mightiest can wield them."

"We fight to protect people!" Xion argued. She glanced behind her. The oil lamp was still on in Mulan's house, but so far, nobody else had come to see what was gong on. Could the others hear their conversation? "You're just a bunch of bullies, a pack of wolves."

"Indeed, that description is fairer than you realize Keybearer," Shan Yu said. "The wolf by itself is strong, but its true strength comes from the pack. Many, united as one. We draw strength from each other and give strength to each other. You might say…our friends are our power."

How…how dare he…how dare he! Xion began to shake with anger, but she couldn't strike at Shan Yu. Not just yet. She couldn't risk hurting the little girl in the crossfire. She had to find an opening…or get him to put the little girl down.

"Face me, then," Xion said. "Let the little girl go and face me!"

Shan Yu smirked, and if anything, Xion thought his grip on the little girl's collar tightened. The girl's sobs became gasps for air. She had to do something and fast.

"I'll handle this!"

The tiny dragon Mushu darted ahead, crawling onto Shan Yu's shoulder. Shan Yu grunted in confusion and then roared in pain when a burst of fire struck him in the ear. Shan Yu dropped the little girl to the ground. This was Xion's opening. She darted forward, Roxas a half a step behind her, and parried Shan Yu's sword. Rushing in from behind, Mulan scooped up the little girl, Mushu hopped on her back and then Mulan carried them both away. But then the Huns struck.

Roxas called out lightning bolts from Oathkeeper and Oblivion, destroying the Shadows and Soldiers that were prowling around. Xion pressed her heel into the ground. Shan Yu pressed his sword against her Keyblade. Xion grit her teeth and pushed back.

"Get them!"

Two of the Huns—the bare-chested one who had spoken earlier and another who could only be his brother—charged. Roxas dove in front of them and sent beams of light from his Keybaldes, knocking them back. A third Hun, Xion couldn't get a good look at him, ran at them, screaming. Roxas slashed at him with Oblivion and knocked him over, but he got right back up again.

Shan Yu was a much better swordsman than Hades, and it was all Xion could do to keep up with him. He struck blow after blow, and there was no hesitation in his methods. Like he wasn't the least bit afraid of getting hurt. Xion bit her lip. She wished she were stronger. If she could get an opening…

Another Hun, this one smaller than Shan Yu, but still much bigger than Xion charged at her with a long, curved sword. The wind blew his long hair around wildly. Xion screamed and slashed her Keyblade. There was a flash of light and a cry of surprise. The Hun was clutching his arm. Xion almost threw up—his arm had been cut clean off at the elbow. His hand lay on the ground, still clutching his sword. Xion felt a rush of adrenaline—she'd hurt him badly! He was out of the fight, there was no way he could last much longer! But wait a second…there wasn't blood. Why wasn't there blood?

"Hmmph! Nice try, Keybearer!"

The Hun picked up his own hand and pressed it back to his arm. His skin began to glow green—the same green as the lanterns from the cave! It was the same magic from before! The Hun grunted with effort and then gave a sinister smile.

"Get them!"

Xion took a step back and felt herself pressed up against Roxas. He was here. He was still fighting. And Mulan and the others were safe. That was something to be happy about. But how much longer could they fight against enemies that could revive themselves from lethal injuries?

oooo

Diplomacy was a skill that the Emperor had been trained in since he was a very young child. From an early age, he was taught that he commanded respect and that traditions must be upheld. He had been taught that the best offense was a strong defense. No matter how the North Wind blew, the Mountain would not bow to it.

None of what he had been taught, nor what he had learned through his many years was particularly helpful at the moment. None of the formal training in the world, or indeed, any of the worlds, could match the natural protective instincts that came from the natural bonds of family or the fire-forged bonds of brotherhood in battle. Which was clearly how the strange children with the Keyblades and the men who accompanied them saw one another. Thus, the Emperor was trying to prevent the two strangers, Lea and Isa, from assaulting Chi Fu. His own soldiers were on their feet, but their own faces showed apprehension and, in Chien Po's case, even anxiety. All of that paled in comparison to the righteous fury etched on the faces of the two strangers.

"Are you gonna apologize for what you said, or not?"

"Do not be so absurd," Chi Fu sniffed. "I have committed no crime. You show an unreasonable amount of preferential treatment to that pathetic creature. And I reiterate my point"

"She's a child!" Isa shouted, and in his fury, that strange scar on his face seemed all the more pronounced. "How dare you make such abhorrent insinuations! She knows nothing of such matters!"

"Pah!" Chi Fu growled. "Is your village so backwater that such concepts of royalty and the privileges of the court are beyond her comprehension?"

"That is enough!" The Emperor said. "Chi Fu, I will not tolerate any further comments from you regarding any of the men or women, or boys or girls, who have elected to provide us with protection!"

"Your Majesty!" Chi Fu gapped, flabbergasted. "It is only out of concern for you that I protest! We truly know nothing of their intentions—"

"Xion's risked her neck for you, since before you even met!"

"She has hardly done anything noteworthy," Chi Fu argued. "Why, in the last two days, we haven't seen hide or hair of any of the Huns or their beastly mounts. How are we to know they're even out there in the first place? We have only your word! This may well be a trick to usurp His Majesty's throne!"

The Emperor pressed a hand to his head. He was beginning to get a headache. Did Chi Fu not realize that the strangers had had ample opportunity to take illicit action if that had truly been their intent?

"Woof-woof-woof!"

The small, stubby-tailed dog Fa Mulan called "Little Brother" burst into the room, barking. Such a noisy little creature. But wait a moment…could he be trying to tell them something?

"Ugh, get that little beast away!" Chi Fu protested. "It is positively revolting!"

"Ah, he's just trying to say hello," Lea scoffed. "Hi doggy. Where's Mulan?"

"That's not his regular bark," Fa Li gasped. "That's his bark for when there's danger!"

"Danger? What sort of danger? Do you have wolves in this part of the country?" Isa asked. "That's serious, do not misunderstand my point, but it's hardly what I'd consider a threat to—"

"Emperor!" A voice boomed out from outside. "Surrender yourself! Keybearers, I challenge you!"

Everyone in the room froze, and for a moment, it was so quiet, the Emperor could hear his own heartbeat. All the people gathered, even those who had never heard the voice before, knew who it must be.

"He's found us! Oh, forgive me, your Excellecy," Fa Zhou bowed deeply. "I have failed to provide you with adequate protection, my lord."

That was hardly fair. The entire point of their coming here in the first place was to reassess the security of Mulan's own family. They were as much targets as he was.

"Your Majesty," Isa said, holding out his hand and as if by magic a very long blade appeared in his hand. "We need to get you out of here."

"Cowardly old fool! You would leave this village to my mercy?"

The Emperor's heart twinged. If he left now…there was no telling what might happen. Shan Yu could just as easily kill with impunity as pursue him. And then there was the question of if he would be able to escape in the first place. Their horses were tired from the journey, and there was little chance they'd be able to make a proper escape in time.

"Aaaaaaah!"

"Come out or she dies!"

The frightened scream of a small child, in the hands of enemies, sent a chill down the Emperor's spine. The two strangers glanced at one another.

"That's not Xion's voice."

"But she's gonna try to take Shan Yu down…"

"Roxas is going to be right behind her, you realize."

"I can't let that child suffer," The Emperor said firmly. This, he would not allow, whatever the further consequences may be. A small child was in direct peril, and it was on his shoulders.

"Your Majesty," Chi Fu protested. "You cannot allow yourself to be put into harm's way. The vile Hun will do unspeakable things to you."

"I must agree…this is far too great a risk," Fa Zhou whispered. "But surely there is something that we can do."

"New objective," Isa said. "Recover the child and destroy the Huns. Your Majesty, do not leave this home under any circumstances."

"Let's roll," Lea said. He held out his hand, and with a flash, he was gripping his own weapon. The Emperor's eyes widened—while Isa's sword had been unconventionally long and oddly bladed, Lea wielded a sword that appeared to be made of flame itself.

"We're coming with you!" One of his men, Yao, shouted. "We can't let you fight 'em by yourselves!"

"If you leave this structure," Isa argued. "Do so only to evacuate others! Lea and the children and I will draw the Huns away!"

Without another word, Isa ran out of the room, his long hair flowing almost like a cape behind him. Lea shouted something that the Emperor had never heard before, a battle cry from his own village perhaps, and tore after him, pausing only to twist his wrists, and his weapon shifting into…two wind-and-fire wheels? It could not be! Those weapons were legendary!

His soldiers, Captain Li, Yao, Ling and Chien Po herded them all back into the chamber where the Emperor had supposed to be staying. From a window, the Emperor could see flashes of fire and lightning and narrow beams of bright light.

"They're rising their lives…for us," The Emperor whispered. "What honor they have."

"I still think we must try and flee, your Majesty," Chi Fu said. He quivered with fear and glanced over his shoulder. "If we hurry, we can escape without any harm coming to us."

"But what about everyone else?" Ling protested. "We can't just leave the kids and them other guys! And Mulan's not back yet either!"

"Here I am!"

Mulan burst into the room, holding a small, terrified child who couldn't be older than six or seven. Oh, thank the heavens, Mulan had rescued the little girl. On her shoulder was—a dragon?! The Emperor's mouth fell open. He had never seen a dragon at this close a distance.

"Aww man!" The dragon said, and for such a small creature, he had a very large voice. "People! I'm not supposed to be seen by people…or am I…what are the rules again?"

"Take it up with the ancestors later, Mushu! I'm going back to help them!" Mulan said, handing the child to Chien Po. The little girl curled up into the giant's chest, barely bigger than one of his own massive hands. "Come on, Mushu!"

"You saw what happened! Those Huns shrugged off three different Keyblade users! It was hard enough beating 'em with just Sora!"

"Are we in this together or not?" Mulan asked. "I can't sit by and do nothing!"

The Emperor turned his head to the side. It seemed the utmost of poor manners to eavesdrop on someone arguing with a divine creature, even a small one. Even then, out the corner of his eye, he could see Mulan pick up a sword and run out of the room again. The little dragon did not seem to take it very well.

"What is it with that girl? Aw man, Sora's stupid bravery has to be contagious! The Huns are supposed to be dead! You can't kill dead things! 'Cause they're supposed to be dead! Wait a sec!" The dragon jumped to its feet, and the Emperor was certain it smiled. "That's it! I'll go get other things that are supposed to be dead!"

He scampered off, leaving the Emperor with Chi Fu, his soldiers, Mulan's family, and the little girl. For a moment, it was quiet, but the tension was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. Nobody spoke until the booming of a cannon head exploding shook the foundations of the house.

"You ever get the feeling, there's a lot more going on in the world than we're ever gonna understand?" Ling asked.

"Every day," Yao answered. "Now c'mon! We gotta help!"

Ling and Chien Po gave firm nods. Chien Po stopped only to hand the little girl to Mulan's mother, Fa Li.

"Soldiers! You're all very capable, there's no question of that…but are you really sure you can fight like that?"

"No. But our friend's out there," Chien Po said. "And…if this is truly the end, then I would like to be with my friends."

Yao gestured with his hand, a dragon cannon gripped under his other arm. Ling roared a battle-cry and the three men charged out of the house.

"Hang on, Mulan. We're comin'!"

Such courage…

oooo

"Oy!" Mushu shouted, banging his gong as loudly as he could. "Old dead people, listen! Heads up!"

"That's not funny," Fa Deng growled. His body held his head in his lap. What was his problem? It hadn't been Mushu's fault that Fa Deng had been captured by bad guys and taken prisoner and then executed. Besides, that had been over a hundred and fifty years ago—you'd think Deng would have gotten over it by now.

"Whatever! I don't got time for this!" Mushu stomped his talon. Dead people were so unreasonable. "Look, which one of you old people is gonna go help Mulan?"

"Guiding members of the Fa family is the responsibility of guardians," First Ancestor said. "Or have you forgotten?"

"Oh come on! You're dead!" Mushu said. "And if you're dead, then you have to know that something funny's going on. I'm bettin' Sora probably has somethin' to do with it, since his…i don't know what they are exactly. Rocko and Shee-yon or something like that. Whatever—they're havin' trouble fighting!"

"Again with the Sora kid!" One of the ancestors, Bàoyuàn scoffed. "I don't care what some stranger did or didn't do. What concerns to our family is he? It's not like he gets anything from my side of the family."

And darned lucky too. Sora's a clueless goofball, but he's my clueless goofball. Better that than getting anything from you, Whiny-Mc-Whiner Beard.

Mushu banged his gong again, but most of the ancestors didn't look like they noticed. Mushu looked up—the statues of the other guardians were still there. He'd been able to breathe fire on Shan Yu to get him to drop the neighbor kid. Rocko and Shee-yon were trying, and sure, they were probably stronger, but it was clear that Shan Yu could last a whole lot longer. It reminded him of the times Sora would fight, fight, fight but end up needing Donald and Goofy to bail him out, 'cause he used up all his energy.

But Mushu felt perfectly fine. He was a dragon. He almost never ever got tired. Say…that gave him an idea.

Mushu began to beat his gong again. This time, light shimmered out of it, and floated up to the other guardian statues. Tùzǐ the Rabbit and Hou the Monkey both glowed gold and then bam! They were alive!

"What's going on?" Tùzǐ asked. His nose twitched really fast and he stood up and held his paws together. "Where am I? When am I? How long have I been asleep?"

"I believe that it has been many years since either you or I have been called to protect the Fa family," Hou said. "Look there, seven new stones since I was last summoned. Many years have passed indeed. Is there new trouble afoot? You are in need of my wisdom? Ah, Mushu?"

"The Huns, fellas!" Mushu said. "The Huns are in the village and our family's in trouble! Let's go get 'em!"

"The Huns, here?" Hou asked. "How can that be?"

"Who knows, Hou? Point is, we gotta go help Mulan and her friends, or else there ain't gonna be no more Fa family for us guardians to guard!"

"Fa family in trouble? I will help, I will help!" Tùzǐ ran very fast around the altar, ducking under the legs of the ancestors. "If the Huns hurt Mulan and friends, then I will help! I will help and get Potions!"

The rabbit darted out like one of those cannon thingies that Yao liked using and raced towards town, not stopping for anything.

"He's not coming back, is he?" Mushu asked. Stupid gong waking up the wrong family guardian. Tùzǐ wasn't a snob or a jerk or anything like that, but he wasn't much of a fighter either. Mushu tossed his stupid gong behind his back and it hit Fa Deng in the head.

"No," Hou said. "I am afraid that Tùzǐ is most likely not going to return within a timeframe that would be advantageous to us or our family."

"And the old dead people aren't gonna be a help, either?"

"Regrettably," Hou said, "I am inclined to agree with your assertions."

"You do realize that we can all hear you," First Ancestor said. "And I must say that I expected better of you, Hou. You are supposed to be the wisest of the guardians."

Hou paused for a moment, and man, he almost looked like a person. Only way smarter. Finally, he said, "First Ancestor, it has long been said that there are times where the politest thing to say is nothing at all. So I will cease further verbal communication."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Mushu rolled his eyes. "Look, I know that you don't like me. And I ain't so fond of you either, old timer! But Mulan's out there, and she's your great-great-great-er, great times twenty-granddaughter!"

"Only nine generations separate Mulan and I," First Ancestor said. "You presume far too much. Know that I am still able to demote you back to gong-ringer, little dragon."

"Oh, enough of all that!" One of the old grandmothers said. Mushu couldn't remember her name, but he remembered she'd been the only one who had mentioned that Mulan had been trying to protect her father way back when, so she was probably the smartest. "Mulan needs our help, so let's get going!"

Smartest Grandmother stood up—yeesh, she was barely taller than Mushu was—and began walking as fast as she could. It wasn't very fast, but hey, it was something. Shan Yu and them other Huns couldn't be stopped, or at least they'd gotten a bunch tougher, but neither could the Ancestors. You couldn't kill what was already dead—though if you could make it shut up, Mushu was listening.

Some of the other ancestors were shuffling along too—the guy with the abacus, the old farmer with the pitchfork, the guy with a funny spear who had been part of an honor guard about two hundred years ago. One of those Shadow Heartless leapt up into the air, and the farmer sliced it with his pitchfork and it went poof!

Fa Deng tossed his head into the fray. It bounced off two of the Huns' heads and then landed at the feet of that Rocko kid. Who screamed like a little girl and kicked Deng's head back across the street where First Ancestor caught it. Hey, hey, hey! First Ancestor!

Now this was more like it!

oooo

Xion could hardly believe her eyes as she saw what looked like at least a dozen ghosts swarm the Huns. One little old lady—even older than Granny—slammed into Shan Yu. Shan Yu grunted in surprise and tried to punch her away, but another old ghost, holding a pitchfork darted ahead and stabbed at him. One of the bare-chested Huns yanked away the pitchfork and charged towards Mulan, but he was hit hard on the head by an old man with what looked like a ghostly staff. Oh yeah, that was the first of Mulan's ancestors.

"Stay away from my great-great-great-great-great-great-great granddaughter!"

Mulan gave a firm nod to the First Ancestor and with renewed strength, she began to fight back the Huns. A Heartless—an Assault Rider—galloped in front of her, and Xion saw Mulan cut it down as easily as it had been a Shadow. Two more Assault Riders emerged from the shadows, but they were blasted away by a tremendous explosion. Xion's first thought was that it was a Fire spell from Axel, but then she heard Yao give a whoop of triumph. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the three soldiers, Ling and Chien Po shielding Yao, who was holding the remnants of one of the cannons.

"You alright, Xion?" Mulan asked as she slashed at another Hun. Her aim was off, slightly, and her enemy kicked her hard in the leg, causing Mulan to stagger.

"Curaga!" Xion called, sending healing magic to cover her friend. Mulan steadied herself and Xion added "I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this up. How can we stop them?"

"How did they get here in the first place?"

Xion thought back to that first day back in the cave. Shan Yu and the others Huns…had been brought back by that archer with the weird spell book. Pete had been the one to give it to him…but yeah, that had to be the source of Shan Yu and the others. It was like the mordite blade—once she had destroyed that, Hades's fight had been lost, and his control over the ghosts from the Underworld broken. So she had to find the archer—come to think of it, he was the only Hun she hadn't seen yet!

If she were an archer, where would she hide? Somewhere high up? Xion squinted, but she couldn't see anything. It didn't help that she had to keep fighting off Heartless and one of the Huns. She flicked her wrist to switch her Keyblade into a claymore. It gave her greater range, which was handy. Xion ran down the street, pausing as she came to the corner. She didn't know much about magic that wasn't related to fighting, but she knew that her spells tended to get weaker the farther they had to travel. So…if the same rules applied, more or less, then the archer couldn't be too far away.

There! Xion could see a glowing green light about a hundred yards away. She charged towards it. She could finish this!

"Seize her! Zhemo, run!"

Oh no, oh no! Xion glanced behind her—Shan Yu was on top of her! Xion turned around to defend herself but he was too close! Shan Yu grabbed one of her arms and twisted it back. Xion felt like her arm was being ripped out of its socket. Yow! Ow ow ow ow ow! That really hurt. Xion yelped with fright and pain. This was bad, this was bad, this was bad!

"Now Mushu!"

A rush of flame and the slashing of steel struck Shan Yu from behind, followed by a loud cry. Xion could see Mulan standing with her sword in one hand. Mushu was perched on her shoulder and on the ground next to Mulan was a large monkey. Shan Yu snarled at Mulan and Xion felt his fingers slacken.

Xion wrenched herself free from Shan Yu's iron grip and ran as fast as she could. The archer, the man who held the book that was sustaining the spell keeping the rest of the Huns alive. She had to stop him. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her. And the archer grinned. His eyes were gleaming gold, and she could almost taste the darkness radiating off of him. He held the book out in front of him and held out his hand. He shouted something that Xion didn't understand and a glowing green bolt, almost like an arrow, rose from the pages of his book and hurled itself at Xion. His aim was off and rather than strike her heart, it grazed her arm, tearing the sleeve of her robe.

That really hurt, but she couldn't stop now. Xion was pretty sure she was crying but she was nearly at him now. All she had to do was stop the archer from using his spell book, and then the spell would be broken and the Huns would be defeated.

Shan Yu caught her around the waist and slammed her to the ground. Xion screamed in pain and fright. She tried to get up but Shan Yu was too heavy. The Hun with the spell book aimed another green bolt at her. His aim was off—Xion felt it slash her cheek. She pulled her arms free, but Shan Yu still had a tight grip on her ankles.

"Kill her! Kill her!"

Panicking, Xion's mind flew to the first weapon she could think of. The cannons she had helped unload! She flicked her wrist and her Keyblade vanished, becoming the strange tube with the dragon head. The Hun's eyes widened in terror just as Xion cast a Fire spell, igniting the fuse on the cannon. A moment later, the entire world exploded and Xion felt horrible heat through her arm. This burned hotter than anything she had ever felt—hotter than Axel's magic, hotter than that splashed coffee, hotter than anything she could think of.

The Hun she had attacked…he was gone. Xion couldn't see what had happened to him. Was he burning up too? And Shan Yu was screaming something, but the grip on her ankles wasn't there anymore. Xion felt something flaky falling on her head. Ashes? She turned her head sightly, even though it really hurt to do it.

The second to last thing Xion saw before she completely lost consciousness was Shan Yu looking in horror as he began to fall apart. It was almost as if every single injury that Roxas and Axel and Isa and everyone else had given Shan Yu that night came back all at once. Weird…but that wasn't the weirdest thing Xion had seen. Her head ached and felt too heavy. Her arm felt numb and she couldn't lift it.

The last thing Xion saw before she lost consciousness was Mulan's dark eyes peering into hers. Xion had never really noticed before, but Mulan had pretty eyes.

The last thing Xion heard was a squeaky voice saying "Elixir! Elixir! This new friend needs an Elixir!" And she felt warmth on her chest, the same kind of warmth she had felt when Sora had pointed to her heart…right before the battle.

Sora…Sora…Sora…

oooo

It was the morning after Shan Yu's defeat, and Lea was exhausted. The Huns had fallen, one after the other when Xion had blasted off the cannon at the necromancer at point-blank range. After that, fighting off the straggling Heartless had been a breeze by comparison, though Lea didn't really remember much of it.

The first order of business had been seeing to Xion's injuries. Mulan had gotten there first, trying to keep her conscious. Roxas had gone berserk, casting Cure spell after Cure spell, exhausting his own energy. And there had been a talking rabbit—apparently a friend to Mulan's dragon—that had scurried in with Elixirs and Potions about as soon as Xion had passed out. She hadn't even been out for half a minute, but Lea had refused to let her do anymore fighting.

There hadn't been much more to it than that. Tend the wounded, fight the last of the monsters, extinguish the fires in the village—though as it turns out, there hadn't even been that many of them. But then it was over…and they could head on out. The conflict regarding the boundary between life and death was more or less settled.

Mulan's ancestors had gone back to their tombstones in the altar, plus their guardians—Mushu and the rabbit and monkey. Apparently, their awakenings were unusual, but not entirely unheard of. Whether their revival was related to the bigger conflicts, Lea wasn't sure, but Mulan and her family seemed perfectly okay with them being around.

As it was, the Emperor wanted to see them in the garden before they left, and Isa had already agreed to it. All Lea wanted to do was confirm their mission was over, the Emperor was safe, and then go back to their Gummi ship. Go back to Disney Castle, and maybe get a little break to go home to Twilight Town. He wanted to get to his real bed and sleep for…a month. And then turn over and sleep some more.

Xion was holding her arm as they walked out to where the Emperor was waiting for them, under the largest tree in the garden. One of the sleeves on her robe had been burned away, and although her arm was healing far faster than it should have (God bless Moogles and their healing items), but it was still very painful. Lea noticed that Xion was limping, slightly. He frowned. He wanted to put an arm around her shoulders, but he was so much taller than her, that didn't seem very practical at the moment.

Roxas, Isa, and Mulan were already standing before the Emperor. Xion bowed deeply to him when they got close.

"Your Majesty."

"Xion. Roxas. Children, if it were not for your efforts, I don't doubt that I would not be standing before you today. You have done China a wonderful service. For this, we are in your debt."

"No problem," Roxas grinned.

"It was our honor, your Majesty," Xion said, bowing again. "I am very pleased that you are alright."

"Indeed," The Emperor said. "The last time a Keybearer provided such assistance to me, I offered a reward, and he declined, saying that the knowledge that a friend was safe was reward enough for him. In turn, for your services, I believe a reward is in order."

"No, thank you sir," Roxas said. Lea paused for a moment, while a reward was tempting, there wasn't anything practical he could think of asking for. And asking for a material reward would likely tick off King Mickey if he found out about it. He kept his mouth shut.

"It is reward enough to know that I've been of service, your Majesty," Xion said. "I live to protect others."

Okay, it's reward enough to have you around, kiddo. But there was something in the way she said that…Lea shook his head. This was neither the time nor place to talk to Xion about whether she was pushing herself too hard. But…when they did get a moment alone together…he would talk to her. Xion rubbed her arm, wincing but still smiling one of her helpful little smiles.

"Hmmm…" Chi Fu sniffed and began scribbling something on that stupid old-fashioned clipboard of his.

Lea changed his mind. Seeing that pencil-necked, rat-faced jerk lose his job would be quite a reward indeed. Out of the corner of his eye, Lea could see Roxas and Xion glance at one another and then Xion grabbed his hand.

"Such humility," The Emperor said quietly. "It is to be admired. But you were not the only ones who assisted me."

The Emperor stroked his beard thoughtfully. He turned his attention to Mulan, who immediately bowed before him.

"Mulan, I believe that I owe not only my life, but in actuality, my entire kingdom. You have risked your life for me again and again. For this, you have my gratitude. And I believe, that it is only fitting that you share in this kingdom. As I have no children of my own, I am naming you my heir."

Lea really wished that he could have had a camera, but those probably hadn't been invented in this world yet. But the look of astonishment on Mulan's face, and on the faces of the other soldiers would be something he'd be able to look back on and laugh about for years to come.

"Your Majesty!" Chi Fu sputtered. "You cannot be serious! There is no justification to allow this. A woman cannot lead!"

"I've had just about enough, Chi Fu!" The Emperor snapped, and for the first time, Lea could see that this was a man his people revered. "For three days now, you have criticized every aspect of the efforts these warriors have put forth for us. Indeed, your vitriol goes far beyond that. Your irrational hatred of Mulan goes back since she first took a position as part of the Royal Gaurd. You have constantly put yourself before others, willing to allow others to suffer if it means guaranteeing your safety, but that ends now! From this moment, you are relieved of your duties as my administrator, and will instead take an assistant's position with the keepers of my swine-herds!"

Lea had to bite the insides of his cheeks to keep from laughing. That pencil-neck, having to work on a pig farm? Hahahaha!

"But…but…but…" Chi Fu stammered. "No…no…no…"

"Ignore him," The Emperor said cooly. "With the defeat of Shan Yu, and the destruction of the foul book of magic that allowed his return in the first place, I do believe that there are far brighter days ahead of us. All the brighter, with Mulan helping lead China."

"Thank you, er, you're welcome," Lea said. "So if there's nothing else you need, I guess we'll be getting back to our own…village now."

Cover story aside, Lea was anxious to get Xion to see someone who knew what they were doing to take care of her arm. The healing spells Roxas had cast—and the Elixir that weird talking rabbit had forced down her throat—had done their job, but still it wouldn't hurt to have King Mickey check it out. There might have been something they missed. Maybe it was just paranoia, but Lea couldn't help but worry. It had been a rough couple weeks, especially where Xion was concerned.

xxxx

Since they were still getting the hang of using the Gummi Ship, it took them several hours before they got to a remote enough place where they could actually leave the world to return to their ship. Lea knew there was some sort of trick to doing it on command, but he couldn't remember the details.

The shiny marble walls and floors were a welcome sight to Lea. It had been, what, two or three days now, since they had been back here? Roxas and Xion walked over to one of the couches, and leaned against each other. Roxas already had a bar of sea salt ice cream in his hand. Xion was nibbling on one herself.

Lea grinned and he was pretty sure Isa had a shade of a smile as well. Lea walked over to the freezer and pulled out a bar of ice cream for himself. He took a large bite. Mmm…ice cold, just the thing he needed after so much rice and millet. And there was still his watermelon that he had bought back before the trip started. Excellent! A slice of chilled watermelon sounded heavenly!

"Almost done with my ice cream!" Xion called. "Oh, it's a Winner Stick!"

Lea burst out laughing. A Winner Stick, now that brought back some memories. Winner sticks could be traded in at the ice cream shop back in Twilight Town for a free ice cream. Or, if you hoarded them, you could trade for a better prize—a tiki-head tissue dispenser was fifty sticks, if memory served. A Winner stick had been Roxas's last gift to Axel back when he had fully defected from the Organization.

"Aw man, sorry kiddo, I don't think that's gonna get you a free one," Lea chuckled as he ruffled Xion's hair.

"Still," Xion said. "I'd rather use it for fuel. It's worth a try."

She slid off the couch and walked over to the strange computer-thingy at the far end of the ship. Again, Lea noticed she was limping slightly. That was definitely something he'd look into. If they could get a full day of rest, before their next mission, that would be helpful. Xion placed the stick on the monitor, and waited. The monitor began to glow red—that was odd, wasn't it usually bright blue? It flashed from red to yellow and then…

Wham!

The ship began to jerk violently and then rush forward very, very fast. Lea was thrown forward and he could see Isa floating in midair, mouthing swear words. Actually, Isa was probably swearing his head off, but they were traveling too fast for Lea to be able to hear him. He could see Roxas clinging to the edge of the coach. And then Xion somersaulting through the air. She bounced off the ceiling of the ship and then landed on Roxas. Lea thought he saw Roxas hug Xion to keep her from falling off again, but he was rolling like one of his chakrams. This way and that way, and up and down and backwards—Isa summoned his claymore to try and regain his bearings, but he lost his grip after only a moment. The watermelon rolled its way from the kitchen and bounced—bounced?—against the walls.

Finally, there was a screeching and then the ship came to a halt. Lea was on his back, and the entire ship was spinning. He could hear Isa groaning. His watermelon was miraculously still intact. And he thought he could hear the chiming of the music from the town near the castle, and the clanking of the machinery of the garage. They'd arrived at Disney Castle.

"Alright…so Winner sticks allow instant teleportation to a world. Thanks for figuring that out, Xion. That was clever…"

A moment later, Lea found himself looking up into the worried faces of Roxas and Xion. So small and frightened…and Roxas had a glob of sea salt ice cream in his hair.

"Sorry. Are you alright Axel?"

"I'm fine, kiddo," Lea groaned. "I'll be with you in a sec. We can go see King Mickey."

Just as soon as the room stopped spinning. And Roxas and Xion stopped duplicating themselves…

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Six: Back to Twilight Town

Three days…or was it four? Pence groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, relishing the pressure between his fingertips. Yeah…it was four days wasn't it? Four days of looking over the security footage from the mansion's computer systems, searching for a trace of anything that might be a clue to any source of darkness. Heartless, Nobodies, members of the Organizaiton, any denizen of the dark…

He was in the basement of the mansion, alone, save for his phone connecting him to Ienzo. Hayner was tending to the ice cream shop in Xion's place. Olette was somewhere with Vivi, Pence wasn't quite sure.

"I admire your dedication, Pence," Ienzo said, his image projected on Pence's Gummiphone. "Not everyone would be willing to spend what little remains of their summer vacation cooped up inside, looking up old video records."

"This is what I'm good at," Pence said simply. "Roxas and Xion have Keyblades. I have computers…but we've gone back through two months of data, and so far the worst thing I've seen is Sora being confronted by that dude who kidnapped Master Ansem and the other guy in the black robe. Which is kind of ironic—I spend my whole life waiting for exciting stuff to happen, and I'm a hundred feet from it."

"I count it as a blessing," Ienzo said. "I would put nothing past Xemnas in terms of manipulating anyone. I shudder to think what might have happened had you left the premises with Sora."

"You sound like Olette," Pence said. "She's had nightmares about what's happened. Can't really say I blame her."

"Yes," Ienzo said. "Circumstances such as the ones you've all experienced are enough to give nightmares to anyone. And the unnerving lack of knowledge for what's happening now is arguably worse. I have to admit my own concerns regarding Roxas and Xion's safety."

"You've seen them?" Pence asked. He felt the tension in his shoulders tighten. It had only been a few days, but it had felt like so much longer, and that wasn't even getting into Sora's disappearance. "How were they?"

Ienzo didn't say anything for a very long minute. Pence's breath caught—had something really bad happened?

"Physically, they are fine. I spoke with them recently. They had quite an adventure in Olympus, but they escaped without lasting injury," Ienzo said assuredly. "You needn't worry about them."

Pence wasn't convinced. Physically they were fine? Yeah, he could buy that. Roxas and Xion fought monsters with magic. It's what they did. But Xion…Pence wasn't completely oblivious. She'd been having nightmares—he could tell by the bags under her eyes. And the way she always apologized for stuff…something bad had happened. Something Ienzo knew and didn't want to elaborate on. Pence chewed his lip. He'd let this go…for now, but he would worry about Roxas and Xion. Pence turned his attention back to the computer screen.

"You wouldn't know a way for us to speed the process along, would you?" Pence asked. "Or a way to filter the data so that only the material that would actually concern us would be visible?"

"There are ways…with the assistance of the computer program called Tron," Ienzo said, "I think we may well be able to refine the search. Tron would be most willing, I believe. He was good friends with Sora."

"Tron?" Pence asked. "Wait a moment, what do you mean he would be willing? And he's friends with Sora?"

"Yes, Master Ansem copied the data of a world some years ago, before I even was first apprenticed. to him. This copied world twisted and developed over time and exists entirely separately from its original counterpart. The programs of this system are sapient, and capable of communication with one another and with computer users."

"Wait, you mean there's an entire world in your computer system?" Pence asked. "Not just cyberspace?"

"Yes!" Ienzo said happily, "Quite fascinating, when you stop to think about it. Hearts can live anywhere, even inside data. All the more remarkable, given what Roxas and Xion are dealing with right now. Now if I can remember the password…and here we go…ah ha!"

" Good day, User Ienzo!"

Pence's mouth fell open, but he didn't notice. Inezo's image blurred away and his place was the image of the strangest looking man Pence had ever seen. Skin that was neon blue and..was that armor?

" Greetings, User. What is your name?"

"Uh…Pence? You're Tron?"

" Yes. I am Tron, Master Control Program of the Radiant Garden, friend to Sora, Donald and Goofy."

Pence gave a low whistle. So much for being good with computers.

xxxx

" And by analyzing all video footage and cross-referencing the data you have on User Xion, I am able to isolate individual frames that fully identify her."

"Thanks, Tron!" Pence said. "This could be a big help in finding out if there's any new bad guys to worry about."

This was far beyond even Pence's wildest dreams. The Master Control Program was sapient and could have conversations with him! This was a technological wonder in its own right! And to think, a heart, an essence! Tron lived within the computer, but had his own thoughts and feelings. This was far beyond what he had ever considered, even when he had been helping Master Ansem reconstruct the data they needed for Roxas to return.

The computer screen began to flash rapidly. Pence shook his head and pinched his nose again.

"I will store the images and video recordings of User Xion in a specific file," Tron said. "I will organize the other data into files as well. Heartless, Nobodies, Organization XIII. There are files similarly organized for Radiant Garden. Would you like them to be connected?"

"That might make things easier in the long-run," Pence said. "Thank you, Tron."

" You're welcome, Pence. If it can assist the Users, then I live to serve."

"That's really great of you," Pence said. "You're a good friend."

" A friend…yes, I do enjoy making friends with my Users. I think fondly of the adventures I had with Sora, Donald and Goofy."

Pence chuckled. Sora had always said he didn't "couldn't computer," but he hadn't said he'd actually made friends with one. Ah, classic Sora.

Pence took a sip from his soda bottle. Ah, his favorite flavor—apricot-passionfruit. With the computers being organized at a rate far faster than he could have done, even with Ienzo, Pence's mind began to wander. Where was Sora now? And Roxas and Xion too. Wherever they were, he hoped they were safe. Or having an adventure. Wait a moment…

"Tron, did you say you had adventures wth Sora?"

oooo

"Sixteen…seventeen…eighteen!" Olette said. "Good job, Vivi. That's better than I could do when I was your age."

Vivi picked up the ball he had been bouncing off his Struggle bat and blinked his little yellow eyes. He seemed a little surprised by the compliment.

"Thank you…Olette."

Such a kind little boy Vivi was. Olette had been trying to keep an eye on him, but it hadn't been easy. Now that he wasn't constantly following Seifer around, Vivi was actually a lot harder to find. She had spent nearly two hours looking for him, before she had found him practicing Grandstander.

"I bet that when you get a bit bigger, you may even be able to beat Roxas's record."

Vivi's eyes widened until they were perfect circles. Olette could tell he didn't believe that was possible. But you never knew unless you tried.

"Yo, there ya are. Took me long enough to find ya! I got the ice cream, ya know?"

Olette turned around. Rai was walking towards them, a bar of ice cream in his hand. It was starting to melt.

"A deal's a deal, ya know? Roxas beat us fair and square. So here's the ice cream, shrimp."

"Thank you…" Vivi took the bar of ice cream in his little hand and began to nibble at it. Olette smiled.

"Yeah, yeah…ice cream every day for a month. This is getting expensive, ya know?"

This wouldn't have happened in the first place, if you and Seifer hadn't stolen from Vivi. Olette wanted to say more, but then decided it wasn't worth it to try to make an argument out of it. Such things were rarely worth it.

"Hey, where's them other kids, anyway, ya know? The ones you're always with?"

"Hayner's working at the ice cream shope. Pence is tinkering…" Olette frowned. She wasn't going to tell anyone, least of all Rai, what Pence was working on. She didn't even like that he was still going over the security footage at the mansion. It felt like an invasion of privacy for Roxas and Xion's sake.

Maybe it was a little silly of her to be so concerned about "privacy," or maybe that wasn't quite the right word. It was true that Roxas and Xion didn't like talking about their pasts, but Olette still knew quite a bit. That Roxas and Xion had been part of the Organization—Axel and Isa had been too. And Master Ansem had explained that Roxas had specifically been born when Sora had released his heart to free Kairi's, and that he had had to return to Sora in order for Sora to wake up. And Xion had been created by Vexen—he hadn't really elaborated, but it sounded like he had meant to clone Sora, but goofed up and made Xion instead. All of that was pretty bad by itself, but it worked out in the end. It didn't bother Olette that her friends had once been part of the Organization.

The really bad stuff was everything else. Hayner had a point that Roxas pushed himself much harder in the small jobs they did for the grown-ups in town. Lifting heavy bags of potting soil by himself, carrying entire troughs that had to weigh as much as he did, putting up twice as many posters in half the time as she could…it was like Roxas didn't know how not to work. And that went double for Xion. Olette bit her lip; Xion's constant self-criticism was…scary. Blaming herself for everything that went wrong, even for things that couldn't possibly her fault. She'd even tried to blame herself for Sephiroth showing up. The darkness in Xion's heart? That wasn't right—it couldn't be right. Olette wasn't sure she had ever even heard Xion raise her voice. How could she possibly have enough darkness to attract that…lunatic?

Olette's thoughts went to that little burned up diary. Xion's diary. Olette had only read one page—not even enough to gauge anything, in or out of context. But Roxas's name had been there. And Axel's. And the name Xemnas—Ansem with an X. There was something to that—Roxas was an anagram of "Sora" with the X and Axel was an anagram of "Lea." Olette knew there was something significant to that, but she wasn't sure what it was. Or whether it really mattered. But the diary still plagued her memories.

Because it was burned, that meant someone or something had tried to set it on fire. And Axel was very skilled at fire magic… Did that mean, at some point, Axel had tried to hurt Xion. In some ways, that made sense—Axel had kidnapped Kairi after all. But he adored Roxas and Xion. He was part best friend, part big brother, part dad. What could have caused him to hurt Xion? Or maybe…had Xion forced him to fight her? Whatever it had been…was that part of why Xion was so quick to blame herself and apologize over and over?

And why, why had nobody been able to remember Xion? She'd been gone…just as much as Roxas had been. Sora had sought to find a way to recover Roxas—as well he should have—but nobody had so much as mentioned Xion. Something bad, something horrible had happened—Olette had been able to guess that much—but it unnerved her just how…complete it seemed. And…that day in the Underground…

" It was worth it. I would do it again if it meant helping Sora."

"Yo! Earth to Olette! I didn't mean Hayner and the nerd! Where do ya think I got the ice cream, ya know? Where them other kids act, ya know? The weird ones, ya know?

Olette's jaw tightened. She didn't have Hayner's temper, but that was horribly inappropriate. Rai had no right to say such a thing.

"That's none of your business," Olette said cooly. "And Roxas and Xion are not weird."

Rai shrugged and walked away, his heavy footsteps pounding against the paved street. Olette turned around, wait a second where did Vivi go? He was nowhere to be seen. She hadn't heard him leave.

Olette frowned. She had hoped to be able to take him to the library. Come to think of it, it might be a good place to take Xion to, if—when—she and Roxas finally got home. But that would have to wait until they actually got back.

Olette walked down the street slowly. She hadn't used to take such a leisurely pace, but after everything that had happened…after Sora had faded…there was a certain beauty to the slowness she had never fully appreciated. Walking this slowly gave her the chance to see a starling fly by her, a ladybug crawling on a daisy in a flowerbed, the colors reflected off water flowing from a gutter. It let her see what life looked like.

Where were Roxas and Xion now? Olette chewed her lip. They could literally be anywhere…which wasn't comforting. She had set up the candles in her window as a way to guide Roxas and Xion home, the way Kairi said they did on the islands. She wanted her friends home. And Sora. But what real use were the candles in the grand scheme of things?

"What's that about candles, dear?"

Oh crud, had she said that out lout? And who was that coming up the road? A man barely taller than she, wearing a black robe and white collar and a warm smile.

"Father!" Olette said, swallowing the lump in her throat as best she could. "I didn't see you there!"

"And yet here I am," Father Forthill chuckled. "How have you been doing, Olette? I've missed having you in the choir."

Olette hesitated. Father Forthill was the priest at the church she went to. Father Forthill was a very kind man, patient and understanding and he never rose his voice, in all the time Olette had known him. His hair was white and thinning, his eyes the color of robins' eggs. In a way, looking at his eyes reminded her of Kairi and Naminé. Father Forthill was frankly, one of her favorite grown-ups.

Father Forthill had patiently answered all of Olette's questions when she was little. He was one of the first people who had seen through Seifer's little "disciplinary committee." He had offered to help search for Roxas, way back when she and Pence and Hayner had been trying to help Sora in the first place. Any problem she had had, Forthill had been there.

But he couldn't know there were other worlds—the rules for "world order" were strict. Not many people were even allowed to know about Keyblades…the need for secrecy meant lying to a priest…this made her feel really guilty. She couldn't tell the full truth…but she wouldn't lie either.

"I'm worried about a friend…" Olette said quietly. "They…they're…doing something really hard, and there's not much I can do to help them."

"Something hard?" Father Forthill said. "Is it dangerous? Is there anything I can do?"

"I…um…no sir, I don't think these friends know you. They tend to be a little shy around strangers…and they might not think you'd be able to help them."

"May I have their names?"

It couldn't hurt to tell him that…come to think of it, he knows Xion doesn't he? He's gotten ice cream at Granny's place.

"Roxas and Xion…" Olette said. "The new kids Hayner and Pence and I are friends with. They're…going through a really rough time."

"I understand," Father Forthhill said, his eyes almost twinkling. "Rest assured, my dear child, I will be lighting a candle for them in the chapel tonight. You're welcome to come as well."

"I'll keep that in mind, Father. Thank you."

Father Forthill patted her shoulder lightly and walked away. Olette watched him go down the street until he was out of sight.

She hadn't lied to Father Forthill. But why did she still feel so guilty?

oooo

"I never want to see another ice cream, as long as I live," Hayner groaned. "I lost count of how many bars I sold after two hundred. That was six hours ago."

"You've done well, Hayner," Granny said cheerfully. "Especially after the little incident with the soda bottles."

"I didn't think it was even possible for someone's lip to get sucked that far up a bottle," Hayner said. "And I really don't think I'm better off for knowing."

Hayner grunted. He had done this for Roxas and Xion. And for Olette, too. Hayner grunted again. Mister Yanushi hadn't needed anything for that community vegetable garden, so he had come here in stead. But man, as much as the garden could wear him out, it was nothing on selling ice cream.

Six tantrums, fourteen dropped ice creams, three soda fights…he was exhausted. And Xion had done this every day for weeks?! And Granny had kept it going for how many years? Hayner was never going to think she was just a little old lady again. She had to have superpowers…come to think of it, that would make sense, given how well Xion had done at this job. You needed superpowers. Or a Keyblade. Or both—and Hayner had neither. No matter how many times he wiggled his fingers, he couldn't summon one.

"Well, you've done your part well," Granny said. She handed him an envelope, with the tips Hayner had picked up through his shift. "And here's your cash pay."

"Thank you," Hayner said. However he felt about the job itself, there was nothing like holding cold hard cash in his hand. "I'll be sure to be back tomorrow."

"Oh, I'm taking tomorrow off. Now you run along," Granny said. "I'll close up the shop. Find your friends—haven't seen them all day, now."

Hayner nodded and walked out of the shop. The air was warm, and the sunset vibrant. He had done his bit for the store…so now that meant checking in with the real work. He hadn't had a chance to do any sort of physical training today, but Pence had been cooped up in the mansion's basement, pouring over the archived security footage. He'd find his friends and then they'd make it count.

xxxx

Tracking down Olette had taken less than twenty minutes—he'd found her pouring over the menu at Scrooge's bistro, saying something about planning a "Welcome Home" meal.

"I think it'd be a good way to show our appreciation for them, especially since you ate their ice cream stock."

"It was going to go bad! I did them a favor!" Hayner argued. "Imagine the looks on their faces if they came home to freezer-burned ice cream!"

"Fair point," Olette said. "But I still think cooking is a good idea. Do you have any idea when they're coming home?"

"Cooking?" Hayner asked. "Isn't that Sora's thing?"

"Technically laddie, that would be my Little Chef's thing. Sora was an assistant, and not a very good one either. The number of eggs that boy broke is second only to Launchpad."

Hayner blinked as Mister McDuck waddled up to them. The businessman…er, business-duck had swapped out his usual blue coat for a red one, and his top hat seemed…taller than before.

"Now then, if you don't mind my interruption, I think a little party to welcome the Keybearers when they return is a very nice thing indeed. From what Donald reports, they haven't had it easy, but then no Keybearer ever truly does. If you want catering, I am more than happy to oblige."

Hayner glanced at the bistro—all sorts of very tasty dishes. If Mister McDuck was willing to pay for it…well, that certainly sounded like a plan.

"Now, tell me, do you know the Keybearers' favorite dishes? I'd like to prepare ahead of time. Conservations of resources, don't ya know?"

Favorite dishes….

"Er…"

"We don't really know that…" Olette mumbled, her face flushing with shame. "What would you recommend, sir?"

"Hmmm…well, Little Chef's tarts always proved popular with Sora and his friends. That there's a start. Do you think that the lad and lassie will like that?"

Hayner bit the inside of his cheek. Roxas was one of his best friends…but really, what did he know about him? Not much…at least, not much beyond the Keyblade and Sora stuff. He knew that Roxas liked working, or at least was way better at it than most teenagers. He also knew that Roxas was unshakably loyal to his friends. But what did Roxas actually like? They hadn't had a chance to set up Pence's old laptop, so he had no clue what video games Roxas liked. And he didn't know what shows Roxas or Xion would watch on tv, either. Hayner felt his own ears begin to burn.

"Thank you for the offer, but we better be going now," Hayner said. Beside him, Olette looked nauseous. McDuck bid them a good day and walked back into the bistro. Hayner walked Olette away from the marketplace, towards the sandlot. Even that was deserted.

"I know it's only been a few days, but…" Olette sighed. "I just wish there was a way to help them in a way that really mattered."

Hayner felt a familiar twinge of guilt in his gut. He knew exactly what Olette was getting at. He looked down at his hand. No Keyblade, no staff, no shield. No weapon of any kind that could be used against the monsters that lurked in the shadows. He glanced back at Olette. She had always been so sweet and gentle…he couldn't imagine her using a weapon in any context. And she didn't deserve to beat herself up like that either.

"You got the stains out of Xion's blouse. I think she's going to like that a lot," Hayner said. He paused. Encouraging words weren't his strongest suit. "I think the best thing to do now is…track down Pence."

xxxx

Pence didn't look up from the computer screen when Hayner and Olette walked in the room. He was hunched over it, muttering the weird computer language under his breath.

"So if we connect the modems and the processors, you can transform the data-sized versions of Users into their original incarnations…."

" Thereby allowing for rapid transportation between two like-points, provided the servers are online."

What was that?

Hayner raised an eyebrow. The voice hadn't matched Ienzo, or any of the other scientists from the world called Radiant Garden. Pence had been calling every day, but so far Hayner hadn't heard any voice he hadn't recognized.

"Excellent, excellent, excellent!" Pence said. "If this works, it's going to be the scientific discovery of the millennium! Across all worlds!"

"Alright," Ienzo said, appearing on the computer screen. "tI's nearly online now. I'll be testing it myself, I don't dare test this on anyone else."

"And it's only going to take an hour or so of our time, right?"

"It should take less time than even that—time is fluid across some worlds, in both time period and duration," Ienzo said. "But within the datascape, it is even greater than that. An hour there is only thirty seconds here, and with the connection of our mainframe, I should be within your company within two minutes."

"You following any of this?" Hayner whispered to Olette. She shook her head, Hayner couldn't remember much of what he learned about computers in school—it'd been seven years ago—but he was pretty sure Ienzo and Pence weren't using the terms correctly.

"Alright!" Pence said. "Safe travels, Ienzo! May your heart be your guiding key!"

That was something Keybearers said to each other, Hayner recalled. He had the common sense not to say it out loud, but the truth was, he found that phrase a bit hokey.

"Oh, there you guys are," Pence said, turning around in his chair. "When did you get here?"

"A few minutes ago," Olette said. "Pence, have you been down here the whole day?"

"Yep, same business as usual. Analyzing footage—nothing to report since those bad guys stared down Sora, but they're history."

Hayner grunted—the computers had been useful enough, but a huge amount of material was exactly the same. Woods, woods, woods and more woods. Some Heartless and a few Nobodies, but for the most part, there wasn't much to go on. Of course, that made sense—Sora had wiped out most of the bad guys. New bad guys would probably avoid the area…but Sora wasn't around…so why would they avoid the area then? Was this one of those chicken-egg-circle questions?

Hayner was brought out of his thoughts when the computer began to glow. Now that he knew wasn't supposed to happen! A moment later, the glowing formed a cylinder—made of a hexagon pattern, from what it looked like. Kind of like honeycomb, only white, and a moment later, a figure stepped forward. He was slightly taller than Hayner, with thick blue-gray hair that covered one eye. Hayner knew who he was, but had never actually met him in person. Ienzo.

"Hahaha! It worked!" Pence shouted. "It worked!"

"Indeed it did," Ienzo said. "Greetings, Hayner and Olette! We haven't had the chance to formally meet. I am Ienzo, Apprentice to Ansem the Wise."

"You just came out of the computer," Hayner said. Ugh, that sounded kind of stupid, but he wasn't sure what else could be said.

"Yes," Ienzo said. "Such a method of inter-world travel had not yet been conceived, but Pence's theory proved sound. Sora frequently used such a mechanism to search the datascape in Radiant Garden. Given this world is linked to the same computer, it was well worth the investigation that such travel worked at both ends."

"Wait," Hayner said. "You mean to tell me the computer has a heart?"

"Technically, the programs within the computer have hearts. The device itself is merely that."

Translation, the computer had a heart. Hayner was beginning to wonder whether there was anything that didn't have a heart.

"It's good to see you, Ienzo," Olette said politely. "But did you let Master Ansem know that you were going? You mentioned there's a time difference between your home and our home. Won't he be worried?"

"Oh!" Ienzo blushed and Hayner couldn't help but smirk. For a genius, Ienzo could be as big a goof as Sora was. "Well…I am certain that Master Ansem will understanding that the opportunities this posed were too much to pass up."

"I understand completely, Ienzo," Master Ansem's face appeared on the computer, next to some blue dude Hayner had never seen before. "This is quite an achievement! And Pence, what a wondrous accomplishment—I've never seen someone take to my systems so readily. That being said, Ienzo, you had us worried—Aeleus, in particular, was quite distressed."

"Hasn't it only been about five minutes for you?"

"A thousand apologies, Master," Ienzo sounded deeply ashamed. "I…got ahead of myself and that was wrong of me. I will return home at once."

" Time is relative, Ienzo. Pence is correct in that only a few minutes had passed. You are still young and I dare say you need to spend more time with an appropriate peer-group. You may stay a while longer, my boy."

He hung his head low, so much so that Hayner was no longer able to see his face at all. Pence and Olette exchanged worried glances.

"Ienzo…" Olette said. "Before you go, can I ask a quick question?"

"Technically, you have already done so, but I gather that this concerns Roxas and Xion," Ienzo said. "I am not sure how much I am at liberty to disclose with regards to their mission, but I can tell you that they are drawing strength from one another."

"Did something bad happen?" Hayner asked. There was definitely something that Ienzo wasn't telling them.

"Nothing bad, per say," Ienzo rubbed the back of his neck. "But they are under immense pressure and dealing with situations that they are finding very stressful. That said, I did inform them when we last met that you were all concerned for them, and they are most appreciative."

"Do you have any idea if they're going to come home soon?"

"I'm honestly not sure," Ienzo admitted. "Master Ansem and I saw them depart on their latest mission a few days ago, but we haven't heard from them since."

Hayner sighed deeply and he saw Olette's shoulders sag. Pence groaned and pinched his nose.

"Oh, come now," Ienzo said. "I'm sure that you will be reunited with them soon. As it happens, Master Ansem will be returning to Disney Castle to discuss things with King Mickey tomorrow morning. Most likely, they've completed their mission."

"Morning your time or our time?" Hayner asked. "Isn't it like midnight in Radiant Garden?"

"Not quite," Ienzo chuckled. "But I acknowledge your point. So with that in mind, I best be getting back."

Ienzo turned back to the computer and punched a few keys. The screen began to glow—Hayner realized that Ienzo was preparing to return back to his world. Through the computer. Which worked…somehow.

"I will make sure that you will be informed of what is happening. I know how much Roxas and Xion mean to you, and I'm sure you'll all be on the clock tower again soon."

Soon…

Chapter Text

Chapter Twenty Seven: Returns and Confrontations

The ship had stopped spinning and Roxas and Xion had stopped duplicating themselves, so Lea realized it was time to go see King Mickey. As they docked their Gummi Ship properly, Lea noted that Xion was still holding her arm. Poor kiddo. Now that they were back in Disney Castle, where the decorum was considerably less formal than the Land of Dragons had been, at least where royalty was concerned, Lea didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around her shoulders. Xion leaned against him as they descended from their ship to the garage.

"Back again?" The mechanic—what was his name again…Horace! That was it! Horace smiled at them all. "King Mickey's in the library, gotta whole bunch of other guests there today too."

Other guests? Ah, Ansem the Wise was probably back again. Most likely discussing royal stuff with King Mickey and Master Yen Sid. Lea grunted under his breath. Their mission to the Land of Dragons had been a success for the most part—they had taken out the evil bad guys, and only a couple of buildings in the village had burned. The Emperor had been rescued, and nobody else had gotten hurt too badly. Even the little girl the Huns had kidnapped to use as a bargaining chip had turned out alright in the end.

But…they still didn't really know what they were dealing with. Sure, it seemed wrong that the lines between life and death were being crossed, but that still didn't answer why Maleficent and her goons were taking steps the way they were. What was to be gained from dealing with this stuff? It couldn't just be pursuing power, could it? Seemed awfully extra complicated to handle it this way, instead of just using Heartless.

And riskier too, considering Xion had taken out all the Huns at once, by taking out the weirdo with the evil spellbook, would Maleficent change her tactics? Like, make sure the guy who is controlling the spell isn't somewhere he can get blown to bits by a half-pint with a cannon. Maybe it was one of those weird "must be within a hundred feet or the spell wears off sort of deal."

Whatever it was, Lea figured it would come up when they saw the King. Odds were he had done some investigating of his own—they'd been gone for, what, three days? Four if they counted the initial flight to Land of Dragons in the first place.

They had been to this castle so frequently that getting around wasn't an issue anymore. Lea chuckled to himself on how he didn't once get lost, even though some of the portraits looked like they had been switched. Four turns, and then they were at the same familiar set of doors. Lea could hear chatter through them—huh, that was new.

Horace had been right—it was a lot more crowded in King Mickey's library. The King and Queen were there, and Master Yen Sid. Ansem the Wise and…huh, this time it was Dilan. That was odd. Lea would have thought Ienzo would have come along again. And Donald and Goofy were there too, and that duck in the purple gown who Lea was pretty sure was Donald's girlfriend. And then in the corner, deep in conversation wth one another, were…three of the other Keybearers: Terra, Aqua and Ventus. Wait a second, what were they doing here? King Mickey had specifically said he wasn't getting them involved.

"Your Majesty," Xion slid out of Lea's grip and bowed deeply. As she did so, Lea saw her wince in pain, but she didn't cry out. Roxas joined her in a bow a moment later. Isa bowed as well, though not quite as deeply.

"You're back!" King Mickey said, "I knew ya could do it!"

"Wasn't that hard, either!" Roxas said.

"Hello, you three—oh, four! I didn't see you there, Isa," Master Aqua smiled as Isa shifted shyly to the side. He wouldn't meet her eye—or maybe it was Terra whose gaze Isa wouldn't quite match. Lea frowned. They hadn't spent a whole lot of time with Ven and his friends, but surely Isa of all people would understand that Terra was not Xemnas, even if the old Superior been running around in Terra's body.

Master Yen Sid stroked his beard thoughtfully, and stepped in front of them. Lea felt a twinge of irritation—he never had apologized to Xion for snapping at her. At least not properly. Admitting he should have used a softer tone when you snapped at a little girl and made her cry was not the same thing as apologizing.

"If you could, please elaborate on the events that have occurred since our last meeting," Master Yen Sid said, "I believe there is much to be gained in that."

Roxas and Xion glanced at each other and shrugged, and then began telling everything that had happened. Donald and Goofy—and Ven, too, for that matter—seemed to especially enjoy it. Roxas and Xion were good story-tellers though, explaining how the Huns had been brought back to life through the strange magic of the book. How Maleficent and Pete had formed an alliance with Shan Yu in order to slay the Emperor and bring the kingdom to its knees. How they had raced across the kingdom to warn the Emperor, and then had to travel to Mulan's village to ensure her own family's safety. And how Shan Yu had followed them along, eventually engaging them in combat.

"You say that these men were able to withstand injuries that would have otherwise incapacitated them?" Master Yen Sid asked, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Yes Master," Roxas said. "They were even able to reattach their hands and arms when they were cut off. It was…well, not the strangest thing I've seen, but it's close to it."

"And all of the injuries they would have gotten happened all at once," Xion said. "As soon as the spell-caster died."

"Hmm…" Master Yen Sid said. "And what became of the spell-caster's grimnoire?"

"His what?" Roxas asked.

"Is that another word for book?"

"Yes…" Master Yen Sid said slowly, and Lea was fairly sure he could hear a trace of irritation in his voice. Oh, come on—sure Roxas and Xion could be clueless, but "grimnoire" was not your average word that normal teenagers would know. And Zexion had called his stupid spell book a "lexicon."

"Er…I don't remember," Xion said. She began to rub her arm again, wincing. "I ran towards the archer…and he sent a green bolt at me and Shan Yu tried to grab me and then I…replicated…one of those funny dragon cannons and it went off and the archer…well, I was kind of out of it for a while after that."

In other words, Xion didn't really want to dwell on the fact that the necromancer had been killed, with a gigantic burn in his torso. Not that there had actually been much of the bastard left by the time Lea had gotten her away from there…and Xion had been a little loopy, though still eager to help fight, at the time.

"I see…" Master Yen Sid said quietly. He stared hard at Xion, as if he were trying to see whether or not she was lying. "This is not ideal."

"I think the book probably caught on fire from the cannon," Roxas said quickly, putting a hand on Xion's shoulder. "I bet it's totally destroyed."

"Sorry…" Xion murmured. Lea grit his teeth—he was getting sick of Xion always apologizing for things that weren't really her fault.

"It is unfortunate that you were not able to confirm the destruction of the grimnoire, or else seize it," Master Yen Sid said. "It is possible, if it survived, that Maleficent, or perhaps another foe with nefarious schemes, may be able to manipulate it for their own ends. This could prove to be very dire for us in the future."

Xion visibly wilted and Lea ground his teeth so hard, he could almost hear them crack. Roxas stiffened and tightened his grip on Xion's shoulder.

"With that said," Master Yen Sid continued, "it took a great deal of courage to take such direct action. Your decisions very well may have saved other lives."

Well…that's a start at least. Lea gave a sharp exhale of breath he had been holding. Okay…a compliment. And a nice one. Xion certainly seemed to take it to heart, but the way she held her shoulders…it still looked like she was about to start crying.

"Is that how you hurt your arm?" Ven asked. Xion blushed deeply. Lea bit back a chuckle, as Mater Yen Sid exchanged a look with King Mickey and Ansem the Wise.

"Just a moment, ya said there were how many figures with Maleficent? Two?" King Mickey asked. "I know ya said ya saw Pete, but did you get a good look at anyone else?"

"No…sorry, your Majesty," Roxas shook his head. "I didn't get a good look. If Xion and I had been more decisive, we might have been able to stop them."

"Or Maleficent could have used her magic and the close quarters of the chamber to her own advantage and possibly have captured you," Terra said in his deep, solemn voice. "I understand you're frustrated that you didn't take action, but you mustn't let the question of what might have happened overshadow what did happen."

Thank you, Terra. Lea gave a small smile. That really was the only thing Roxas and Xion could do—they'd go nuts if they kept thinking about how they might have done things differently.

"There's something else you should know…" Roxas said, stealing a glance at Xion. "Xion and I…we were in the garden at the Fa family's home and we met one of their guardians, Mushu."

Donald and Goofy both began to giggle, while Yen Sid raised an eyebrow. In the corner, Lea could see Ven scratching his head, as if he was trying to remember something. Maybe he had traveled to the Land of Dragons himself? Or maybe it was one of the "stuck inside Sora's heart" things.

"And Mushu…he can wake up his family's ancestors…and…" Roxas took a deep breath, as if he was steadying himself. "He helped us talk to Sora."

Wait, what?! That was what Roxas and Xion had been doing after Mulan had taken them outside so he and Isa could state plainly just what they thought of that pencil-neck Chi Fu? They had somehow reached out to Sora?!

"Are ya sure?" Goofy asked. "That it was the real Sora?"

"I…think so, I think it had to have been," Roxas said. "I know that…before, I saw him, and then he vanished, but this was different!"

"I saw him too!" Xion said, and the earnestness in her voice hit Lea as if he'd been punched in the gut. "I felt that it was him. He was wonderful and warm…and he was all see-through…but he wasn't a ghost, really."

"Was there anything else?" Master Yen Sid asked sharply. "Everything that you can recall!"

"He could hear us…but he couldn't talk," Roxas said. "And when I asked whether he was stuck on any of the worlds he had been to before, he said no."

"But he's alive! He's alive! He's alive," Goofy began to bounce with excitement. "This is the most we've heard from ol' Sora in ages!"

"I'll double the search through my library," Ansem the Wise said firmly. "Surely, there must be something that can be learned from this information. The nature of his revival is curious indeed. Roxas, Xion, this may well be the most critical clue we need to find Sora."

Lea knew that Ansem the Wise, under the guise of DiZ, had been, frankly, a colossal asshole to Roxas and Naminé and though nobody remembered at the time, Xion. Praise like that practically made Xion glow with delight and the look that flashed through Roxas's eyes was one Lea had never seen before. On the one hand, it was great, but on the other…it really wasn't that much more to go on. But Lea knew better than to say that in front of the kiddos.

"If there's nothing else," Master Yen Sid said, "Then you two are excused. You as well Ventus. Lea, Isa, stay a while longer…there are things we must discuss."

Hoo boy…

oooo

Ven frowned as he and Roxas and Xion left Mickey's library. Er, King Mickey's library—he still hadn't gotten used to Mickey being a King. It didn't make sense to have only the three of them leave, especially since Lea was definitely going to tell Roxas and Xion everything anyway. And besides, after everything that had happened—Xehanort and Vanitas and Sora and the battle for Kingdom Hearts and getting Chirithy back—Ven was very tired of not being told what was going on!

"So…do you think we should go back and wait by the ship?" Xion asked. She blinked her big blue eyes and she looked really worried. That made Ven frown harder. Why would she be worried? She hadn't done anything wrong. Ven's frown turned into a grimace—it was no fun feeling like you'd done something wrong.

The thought of finding a secret passage to sneak into, and see if they might be able to eavesdrop on the conversation the grown-ups were having, crossed Ven's mind. Such a thought was tempting—Lea was probably going to tell Roxas and Xion everything anyway, and keeping secrets had been catastrophic for him and his friends all that time ago. But betraying trust would be worse. Ven did not want to imagine how disappointed Aqua and Terra would be, if he and Roxas and Xion were caught somewhere they shouldn't be.

There had to be something else they could do. Something they could all do together. Even though it'd been a couple of months since they'd won the Keyblade War, they had only gotten together two or three times. That really didn't seem fair to Ven. They had won a war together, and the three of them had all been inside Sora's heart. But they didn't spend much time together…and frankly, they should.

Ven looked around the hallway. This was the first time he'd ever actually been to Disney Castle. He'd been to Disney Town before though, and he'd made friends there in the past. A grin spread across Ven's face. Now that could be a great way to kill some time until Terra and Aqua caught up with them again.

"Maybe we can go into town—there's some really fun games to play, and who knows how long the grown-ups will be talking!"

"Games?" Roxas and Xion asked in unison.

"There's all sorts of games," Ven said. Had they never been to Disney Town before? "There's Fruitball and and Ice Cream Beat!"

"Ice cream?"

xxxx

Disney Town was bustling as always. Ven grinned as they walked down one of the streets. Turns out, they had been to Disney Town before, or at least the parts that were freely open to the public, without a pass. Musical courtyards and fountains and all sorts of perfomers. These sections were relatively new—they certainly hadn't been there the last time that Ven had been here.

Three little pigs were playing a snappy tune in one courtyard. There was a pig with a fiddle, one with a flute and a third playing a piano.

" Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, Big Bad Wolf, Big Bad Wolf? Who's afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Certainly not I!"

Ven hadn't eaten lunch before he and Terra and Aqua had left the Land of Departure, and Roxas and Xion were hungry too, so it seemed best to find something to eat, especially since it was almost dinnertime here.

Roxas and Xion walked up to a stand where a large goose was selling pipping hot food. They looked somewhat like sausages, but a bit longer. And was that garlic? And onions? Mmmm!

"Three hot dog meals, please," Xion said, pulling out her money pouch. "Ven, what toppings do you want?"

"Er…" Ven said. "Garlic, I guess and…what's ketchup?"

"I think it's like tomato sauce," Roxas said. "Not really sure. Isa doesn't like it when we eat this kind of stuff."

"I think the cheese and bacon sound good," Xion said. "I guess I'm hungrier than i thought. We didn't really get breakfast either. And Axel always burns the bacon at home."

For a moment, Ven couldn't remember who Xion was talking about, but that was right, Axel was Lea's name. Or his Nobody name. Ven was still a little confused where that was concerned. Shouldn't Lea just go by one or the other?

"I think I like mustard," Roxas said, running a hand through his hair. "Not sure why."

Xion paid for the meals and the three of them walked over to a nearby wooden table. At least, Ven thought it was wooden. Ven considered the possibility that it could be plastic. It was blue with yellow stripes.

"Honk! Honk!" The chef waddled over with three little red, plastic baskets. There were the three hot dogs, to their specifications, and lots of crispy fried potatoes.

As they all began to dig into their meal, Ven was surprised to see tears begin to form in Xion's eyes. He couldn't understand why she'd be crying. Wasn't her dinner tasty?

"They're talking about me…aren't they? Our Masters?" Xion asked, but Ven could tell it wasn't really a question. He wasn't sure why the grown-ups would have to talk about Xion in particular.

"How do you figure that?" Ven asked. Xion didn't meet his eye and Roxas patted her lightly on the back.

"I guess…call it a hunch," Xion said. "I just have a feeling…"

"If this is about you not making sure the spell book was destroyed," Ven said, "I don't think you should be too hard on yourself. Like Roxas said, you did really great."

"Yeah…but I've made more mistakes than just that," Xion shook her head weakly. "You weren't here Ven, but when we went to Olympus…Hades had this awful sword made out of a metal called mordite."

"Mordite," Ven said. "I think Master Eraqus mentioned that a few times. Something about…old legends. Old weapons that were the opposite of life. Only used by the most wicked of foes."

"Yeah…that sounds about right," Xion muttered. "I was so stupid. See, Hades was gonna kill Axel…Lea…whatever…and I stopped it…but…"

"You copied his sword?" Ven didn't really know how it worked, but Xion could copy other weapons. He wasn't sure, but he thought it might be kind of like the tricks Terra could do with his Keyblade, and make it into different shapes.

"Master Yen Sid was so angry," Xion shook her head. "I thought…i thought he was going to hurt me."

Ven almost choked on his hot dog. One of the worst memories he had came rushing back. When he had spoken to Master Eraqus about the connection between him and Vanitas. Where, in an attempt to prevent Master Xehanort's Keyblade War from ever occurring…

" Forgive me…but you must exist no more."

Ven shook his head rapidly, swallowing his hot dog with a uncomfortable gulp. Xion was staring at him, her eyes wide with concern.

"Ven? Are you alright?"

Ven took a large bite of the crispy fries to keep from answering. He wasn't sure whether or not Roxas and Xion knew that Master Eraqus had once raised his Keyblade against him, and he wasn't going to tell them. Not yet. Maybe not ever. Xion reached across the table and squeezed Ven's fingers.

"What happens now?" Roxas asked. "When we first got King Mickey's letter about all this stuff…we thought you guys weren't getting involved."

"I'm honestly not sure," Ven admitted. "I think that's what they might be discussing. King Mickey said something about the lines between life and death being blurred?"

"Yeah, I don't really understand it either," Roxas said. "But the bad guys aren't really using Heartless this time. I guess I don't see why it has to be people with Keyblades. Hercules did alright against the monsters in Olympus."

"I'm not sure that really matters," Xion said. "My job is to light the darkness and make people happy…whatever the bad guys are doing…wrong is still wrong."

"I think that's a good way to look at it," Ven said. "I didn't fight Heartless until the War. I mostly fought Unversed on my adventures. And monsters are monsters

Ven finished his hot dog and began to think. Lines between life and death…huh, he should have thought to ask Chirthy. Good ol' Chirithy had been in the Final World for ages. And the Final World was the…final stop for people whose "hearts and bodies" died at the same time. Ven glanced at his hand.

He couldn't really remember—it was kind of fuzzy. But when they had actually fought the Keyblade War…something bad had happened. Ven had been distracted with getting Terra back, but he remembered the man called Xigbar saying something about how the heroes couldn't cope with losing, so they cheated to get another chance.

That was the cause of this new conflict, right? But what did it all mean? He looked back at Roxas. He and Roxas were absolutely identical. The same hair, the same face, the same eyes. It was funny in a way, looking at someone who looked exactly like you. People said that Xion looked like Kairi and Naminé, but her hair was very different. Xion had been made from Sora's memories of Kairi—Ven still had no idea how that worked, or for that matter, where Xion got her shiny black hair from.

Ven's thoughts began to wander further back. Back to the days in the Land of Departure, when Master Eraqus was still alive. That had been so many years ago—over ten! But because of the way hearts worked, he had not aged.

Was that what it might be like for Sora, if they managed to bring him home? What if it took them a long, long time, and by the time Sora got home, everyone he knew was old? Ven shuddered at the thought. He and Aqua and Terra had been apart from each other for years, but his own heart had been so injured, he had barely noticed time had passed at all.

"Oh!"

Ven broke out of his self-reflection to see that Xion had been knocked to the ground by…a large yellow dog. Who was pawing at her shoulders and licking her face. Xion began laughing. Ven locked eyes with Roxas, who was smiling wider than Ven had ever seen.

"Haha, yes, Pluto, I missed you too—haha!"

"I didn't know you had a dog," Ven said. Xion didn't reply. Pluto was nuzzling her and bumping his head against hers. Xion squirmed under the dog's grip.

"He's not mine. He's King Mickey's," Xion gasped. "I'm just his friend-haha! Pluto, cut it out!"

The dog barked and began running around in circles. Xion got to her feet and began brushing herself off—the yellow fur stood out against her black robe, even with its ruined sleeve. The goose that had sold them the hot dogs tossed a chunk of hot dog to Pluto who gobbled it up and began running around more. Pluto raced around the corner and came back a moment later with a leash in his mouth.

"He wants us to take him for a walk?" Ven asked. "Is that allowed?"

"Oh, yes!" Xion crouched down to hook the leash onto Pluto's collar. "You might want to brace yourself, Pluto can run very fast!"

Pluto tore off down the path and Xion yelped as she was dragged after him. Roxas ran after her, roaring with laughter. Ven blinked in surprise for a moment, and then followed.

oooo

Mickey watched as Roxas, Xion, and Ven walked out of his library. None of them looked happy. Not even Ven.

"Ya know, I'm getting really tired of you always shooing the kids away whenever there's something icky you don't want them to hear."

Mickey turned to Axel. He had a point, and as a general rule, Mickey didn't like keepin' secrets from people. It felt wrong, like lying. But at the same time…well, sometimes it was better to keep somethin' secret for a little while until you were better prepared to explain it. That was why Mickey hadn't told Sora and Riku about Master Aqua and how she'd been lost in the Realm of Darkness. The hurt had been too much at the time, and Mickey hadn't had really known how to help her.

He still felt real guilty about it. Even though they cleared things up at that party at Destiny Islands and Master Aqua had said she hadn't blamed him for anything, Mickey still felt bad at how alone she must have felt. And that even though it hadn't been too long for her—there was no time in the Realm of Darkness—it had been an awful long time for him.

"It's not that I want this to be a secret, Axel," King Mickey said. "But this stuff is kind of complicated…and I don't wanna hurt Roxas and Xion's feelings."

Axel's eyes narrowed, and woo-boy, Mickey could see why he had been the Organization's assassin. He looked even angrier than he had when Master Yen Sid had shouted at Xion for summoning that mordite blade the other day.

"It's like this…I'm worried about them," Mickey said. And that was certainly the truth. He was worried about Roxas and Xion.

"About what? Roxas and Xion did just fine in the Land of Dragons. Better than fine," Axel curled his hands into fists. "What were they supposed to do, not kill the bad guys?"

"It's nothing like that!" Mickey said. "Please, don't misunderstand me, Axel."

"They fought just as hard as anyone else did, against Xehanort's replicas, and they did just as well," Aqua said. "And from what I saw, they both seem to have an affinity for light-based magic that Master Eraqus would be quite pleased by. What exactly are your concerns?"

"Well…part of it," Mickey said. "Part of it is that we still don't really know what we're facing."

"Excuse me?" Axel crossed his arms, and his eyebrows got more narrow. He looked ready to throw something.

"Do not direct your anger at Mickey, Lea. It is I who has the concerns," Master Yen Sid said. "I must admit I have reservations. Neither of the children has learned quite as much as I would have hoped about the nature of this threat."

"All that means is this time, the bad guys are actually good at keeping secrets," Axel shook his head. "I don't really see how that's really a problem. Or at least, we'd have that problem anyway. How is that their fault?"

"In truth, it isn't a shortcoming on their character, though I cannot help but wonder whether Sora would have discovered at least a clue by now. He certainly had a talent for obtaining information, even if he didn't understand it at the time. But of a more immediate concern, Xion was also one of the Seekers of Darkness," Master Yen Sid said. "And given her ability to copy such weapons of evil as blades of mordite, I cannot help but wonder…whether a piece of his heart still lingers within hers."

Forget throwing something, Axel looked ready to burn down his entire library.

"She said she was sorry. She meant no harm! You know this! How could you even think of such a thing?!"

"I have no doubts that her own intentions are for the good of us all, but she may well still be susceptible to darkness, moreso than any of us!" Master Yen Sid said sharply. "Do not misinterpret my caution for animosity, Lea."

Mickey chewed his lip. Master Yen Sid hadn't mentioned to him that he thought that Xion could still harbor a piece of Xehanort's heart. Was such a thing possible?

It definitely could be…Mickey thought back to the darker days. When Sora was asleep and Riku was grappling with the last remnants of Ansem, Seeker of Darknees, who remained in the deepest regions of Riku's heart. For so long, Riku fought against Ansem, held back the darkness, only to have to submit himself to it in order to subdue Roxas and awaken Sora.

And when Xehanort had shattered Kairi, he had stuck a piece of her heart inside of Mickey. And inside of Riku too. Sora had had to extract it in order to restore Kairi. But Mickey had felt…well, something. He hadn't realized it was Kairi at the time, even if he had figured out that Xehanort had shattered her…and Riku had said he could still feel Ansem's scent, however faint it was, after the battles in Castle Oblivion.

If Master Xehanort had truly left a piece of his heart inside Xion's heart, then Xion would have known it. And she hadn't said anything at all about that sort of thing. Roxas had said things were fine in Twilight Town. So then…there probably wasn't any trace of Xehanort still in Xion's heart.

"Master, if I may speak, while your concern is understandable, it's not possible," Terra said. "I had my own heart held captive by Xehanort. I know what how it felt to have to struggle for control of my body. There are undeniable traces, and I have no seen such things where she is concerned. Whether Xion has natural inclinations towards darkness is not for me to say—"

Axel looked like he wanted to object, but Isa put a hand on his shoulder. Axel exhaled sharply, and for a moment, Mickey thought he could see steam coming out of his nose. Behind him, Isa tightened his grip.

"What else needs to be done?" Isa asked. "What is the next mission you have for us, your Majesty?"

"Um…well, at the moment, there really isn't one," Mickey said. "We're still figurin' things out, and I guess…well, I guess you can get ready to go home. We'll call ya when we need ya."

Axel's shoulders slackened and Isa let him go. Mickey could see Donald and Goofy lookin' at each other and then back at him and then to the door where Roxas and Xion and Ven had left. Ansem the Wise and his guard Dilan both looked really uncomfortable.

"Yeah…alright," Axel said. "I'm gonna go…find the kids."

"Mickey," Ansem the Wise said. "If I may have a word…"

xxxx

"It's been quite a long time, hasn't it Mickey?" Ansem said, as they walked along the ramparts of Disney Castle. "And yet, it seems like only yesterday that you first came into my chambers to discuss the fates of the worlds."

"It's been almost eleven years, Ansem," Mickey said. "And for what it's worth, you don't look any older."

"Unfortunately, I'm quite a bit older than I look," Ansem chuckled. "Such is the nature of age. Some do it gracefully and others age far too quickly. Goodness knows I ruined things for little Ienzo."

"But somethin' tells me that ya brought me here for different reasons than just to think about the old days."

"Indeed…I don't pretend to know everything Mickey, and the more I learn, the more I realize just how little I know…" Ansem said. "But I do have to say that I think that your master was mistaken about the children."

"I didn't know he was going to say what he said," Mickey said. "I really didn't. Master Yen Sid knew Xehanort though, before either of us met him. They grew up together with Master Eraqus, who trained Terra and Aqua and Ven."

"And if there were any who would have the most to fear about Xehanort, and the most haunting memories related to his own efforts in the struggle, it is fair that it would be the one who knew him longest," Ansem said. "But my concern is more that you are not discussing this with the children directly."

"I didn't want to confront them in the library though. I didn't want to put them on the spot," Mickey said. "But maybe I could have handled things better…"

"If I may, Mickey, how well do you know Roxas and Xion?"

"Er…well…to be honest, not well at all," Mickey admitted. "We've really only fought side-by-side once. But I'd like to get to know 'em better. Sora and Riku are really great friends."

Ansem gestured towards one of the courtyards, where the statue of Sora had been put up not long after the Keyblade War. Mickey could see Axel was talking to Roxas and Xion and Ven. Pluto was there too, nuzzling Xion's cheek.

"It'd be best to speak to them now," Ansem said. "Before the rift gets too large to mend."

Mickey nodded at Ansem and walked down the rampart. A few minutes later, he was at the courtyard where the Sora statue stood. Xion had pressed herself to Axel's chest.

"Roxas? Xion? Do ya have a minute? There's something I think I should talk to ya about…"

oooo

In a dark corner of the world where the runty King Mickey ruled, a half dozen gathered in secret, at Pete's request. Some were like him, and had once called this realm home, others were strangers to it. But all had conquest in their hearts. They'd been pushed around and pushed to the side, by runts who didn't deserve the power they had.

"Things are gettin' complicated," Pete said, looking to the people he had summoned one at a time. "The Keybrats is a lot tougher than they look. And now there's more of them gettin' involved. We need to re-stragerize."

"Just give me another chance, and I'll get 'em," the Big Bad Wolf snarled. "Never fought no-one with a Keyblade before, but I knows better now. I want my pound of flesh."

"The old Organization runts know you though, and that other runt is good at wind magic," Pete shook his head. "We probably oughta hold ya back till later."

"Fine…just get me the chance when it comes. I got a cookbook with them brats' names on it. Roasted and filleted and fried…"

Pete shook his head as Big Bad Wolf went on about how he wanted to cook the brats. Pete was no stranger to beatin' runts up and showin' 'em who was boss. But cookin' and eatin' was too much for him.

"That arrow trick of yours almost worked back in Olympus," Pete said, turning to one of the figures. "Can't ya do it again? And this time, do it to one of them Keybrats?"

"Unfortunately," Eris said in a clipped tone, "My magic is quite different here. I do not know how effective my powers are, compared to my own world. My strength is still considered super-human, but there is still much I need to test. What's more, those…replicates, was it? They know my tactics."

"Sounds to me like you're just a big chicken!" The Big Bad Wolf said. "And this world's full of 'em, so you're gonna fit right in!"

"I will not be spoken to like that!" Eris snapped. "You were too busy nursing injuries children gave you to be aware of this, but with Hades's imprisonment, I am now the one best able to control the Heartless among the gods of Olympus! And it is I who will summon them to this world!"

"You're not gonna be able to do anything with that stupid Cornerstone being around!" Pete said, putting his hands on his hips. He shuffled his weight around. "Now what about you, ol' timer? You feelin' stronger yet?"

"But of course," the hooded figure said. "I was able to take the strength of the Huns for myself as they fell. So too did I gain the power of many of those who fell in Olympus."

"Oh, really?" Pete said. "Well, that might be something against the mousey king. He's tougher than he looks though."

"I have a greater history with the Mouse than you realize," The hooded figure said coldly. "Further back than most."

Pete didn't say anything to that. He already knew exactly who the hooded figure was, and he also knew that he boasted magic better than anyone other than Maleficent. That could come in handy when the time came.

"What happens now, anyway?" The Big Bad Wolf asked. "Maly-ficent said we were to stand down."

Before Pete could answer, one of them Dark Corridors opened up. And Maleficent stepped out of it, tall and proud and scary-looking.

"You are to operate from the shadows," Maleficent said. "The lines between those who would oppose us are present, but the bonds are strong."

Yeah, tell Pete something he didn't already know. Them Keybearers who had been taught the old ways from a long time ago were a team, and them other Keybearers from the Organization were a team. The old-fashioned ones really weren't friends with the others though, 'cept the runt. Runts always seemed to make friends with each other.

"Might be too strong," Pete said. "That could count against 'em."

"How do ya figure that?" The Big Bad Wolf asked. "Stronger is better."

"Strength is not to be undervalued," Maleficent said, "But true power comes from knowledge. And it is with knowledge that we shall be victorious. These Replicas…they are not of the natural order."

"No kidding," Pete said. "But what does that mean for us? They're still just as tough."

"They were brought into existence by the shattering of natural law. And who better to help us understand that than another?"

"You don't mean?" Pete said.

"Yes, Pete…contact the Doctor."

Chapter Text

Chapter 28: Of Mice, Magicians and Mad Doctors

Lea chewed his lip as he stroked Xion's hair. The little girl—and being physically a teenager be darned, she was a little girl—was breathing deeply into his chest. She wasn't crying. Not yet. But it was a close thing. Lea exhaled sharply and hoped that Xion wasn't picking up the tension in his own heart.

This was not fair. It was not fair for Yen Sid and King Mickey to be so harsh towards Xion. No matter how nicely they had said it, they had implied that she had a piece of Xehanort's heart in her own. How many times had he heard Xion wake up from nightmares, crying or screaming? Or finding her curled up on the couch, instead of in her bed? Xion had had a piece of Xehanort's heart wedged up in her own already. But that was history, ancient history now.

"You doing alright, kiddo?"

"Fine," Xion said weakly. It was a lie. A blatantly obvious lie. But it was something that she clearly wanted desperately to be true. Lea could feel her inhaling and exhaling. Oh man, oh man, oh man.

Roxas, for his part, was silent. He put a hand on Xion's shoulder and squeezed it gently. Xion seemed to like that—Lea could feel the tension in her shoulders slacken. Okay, things couldn't be too bad if Roxas was still able to connect to her like that. Ven was standing a little ways back, and man, was it weird not seeing a smile on his face. Oh, and that dog Pluto kept nuzzling at Xion. Xion did seem to like that and come to think of it, animals did seem to like her quite a bit.

Lea wasn't sure how long he held Xion to his chest, but he didn't particularly care. He was here now. He had screwed things up epically back in the Organization, but that was ancient history. He was here now, and he was never going to let her go.

The thought occurred to Lea that he had felt this sentiment with such frequency over the last few weeks that it might be cause for concern. Or…an excuse not to let Xion go, which frankly was a principal Lea could live with.

"Roxas? Xion? Do ya have a minute? There's something I think I should talk to ya about…"

Lea gave a curt nod to King Mickey. The little mouse walked up carefully, and stared at them with those huge eyes of his.

"Your Majesty," Xion said, sliding out of Lea's grip and bowing to him. "I'm sorry if…you didn't want Axel—er, Lea—to talk about what you discussed in the library, but…well…"

"No, no," King Mickey shook his head. "It's better you know now. And I'm the one who should be saying 'sorry.' It wasn't fair of me to try and keep it from you."

"It's not true!" Roxas said firmly. "It's not true, your Majesty. There isn't any bit of Xehanort in Xion's heart."

Okay, if Lea was being honest with himself, theoretically, it could technically be possible, since Xion had gotten stuck in Roxas's heart and Roxas wound up stuck inside Sora. And occasionally, flashes of their personalities had poked out from Sora. That said, that had usually happened in Twilight Town, where Roxas and Xion had felt the most at home. It would make sense for bits of them to shine through there.

But not a single time in the last two months had Lea seen even the teeniest, tiniest bit of anything that wasn't Xion. Her timid nature when talking to superiors, her quiet resignation to people treating her badly, her determination to help as many people as possible, her addiction to ice cream. The near-constant bowing to authority figures was new, but Lea was damned sure that didn't come from Xehanort. And what about that big fight in the Keyblade War, them against all those damn Armored Replicas? Wouldn't they have sensed another who had Xehanort's heart inside of them?

"I didn't really think it myself," King Mickey said. "Master Yen Sid was saying that it was possible. Part of it is that there's still so much we don't really understand about Replicas…and well, your powers are kind of scary, Xion."

That was probably the whole mordite sword thing again. Considering King Mickey was capable of far more powerful magic than Lea would dare to use in even the most dire situations—he had heard Mickey cry out "Ultima!" against Xehanort after the bastard had shattered Kairi—he was one to talk about "scary powers." Lea bit back his retort. It wouldn't be worth the confrontation.

"What's to understand?" Ven asked. "I know it's not really my business, but Roxas and Xion are still people. So what if their bodies were made in a lab? It's not anything new, really."

"What do ya mean?" King Mickey said. "Ven, this is very new."

"Is it?" Ven asked. "This reminds me of this alien I met once. This little blue creature…I guess he was a genetic experiment that had been built by another alien. Well, that's what Terra said anyway. Experiment 626 had been built in a lab, but he was alive and I'm certain he had his own heart. Doesn't sound that different from Replicas to me."

"Really?" King Mickey said. "Well, that's really interesting!"

"That sounds…familiar," Xion said quietly. "I think…I think Sora might have met him. In Radiant Garden."

"Now that you mention it," Lea said, "I did see some little blue…thing fighting that army of Heartless. But I figured he was one of yours, your Majesty."

"Hmmm…" King Mickey said. "I'll be sure to ask Donald and Goofy about it. They'd remember something like that."

"Is there anything else?" Roxas said. "It's getting kind of late. Should we be getting home?"

"Oh," King Mickey said. "Do stay the night. It's no bother at all, and I think a good night rest would do ya all some good."

Strictly speaking, it wasn't nearly that late from Lea's perspective. Sure, it was evening here, but different worlds had different times, and it could take a while to adjust. They had left Land of Dragons close to mid-day, but they hadn't spent nearly as much time in the Gummi Ship as they usually did, since Xion had found out the Winner sticks were effectively instantaneous teleportation machines. It was probably mid-afternoon at the latest.

"It's fine, your Majesty," Lea said. "We do have a home of our own to get to."

"Well…alright," King Mickey said. "But do be safe out there, and if you need anything, Donald and Goofy and I will be right there to help ya. Just say the word."

"Yeah, you got it," Lea said. Beside him, Roxas and Xion gave fervent nods. Ven nodded too, and then made a face as if he only just remembered he didn't actually live with the rest of them. Hehehe, classic Ven.

"And there is one other thing—Master Yen Sid wants ya to go to his Tower as soon as possible. Says he's gonna talk to the Good Fairies about fixin' Xion some new clothes."

Oh, right. Xion's robe was…well, still functional, but with it missing a sleeve, it would lose most of its effectiveness. And Lea knew from experience that once tears started in those robes, they tended to be really hard to fix.

Okay, so they'd head out to the Tower and then they'd head on home, and Lea could take a long overdue nap, and the kiddos could have a day off.

oooo

Mickey exhaled deeply as he saw Roxas and Axel and Xion fly away on their ship. Technically, they could have taken the train—Yen Sid's train served as a gateway to Disney Castle and to Twilight Town. But Axel said he wanted them to take a little extra time, and that Master Yen Sid wasn't going anywhere. Fair enough, Mickey guessed. Axel probably wanted the extra time to calm down a bit more too.

Mickey slowly walked back to his chambers. Ven had talked Aqua and Terra into exploring the rides of Disney Town—and they were certainly a treat at night—so now Mickey was back with the four who had been with him from the very beginning. Donald and Daisy. Goofy. And of course, Minnie.

"Do ya think they're going to be okay?" Goofy asked. "They've been through an awful lot."

"We all need to make sacrifices to keep others safe," Minnie said quietly. "And that includes them."

"Yeah…" Goofy said. "I guess."

Mickey stared at his old friend. Goofy had been by his side for decades. And he had sacrificed just about everything for him. They had run a farm together, with Donald, in Happy Valley. And then they had been musketeers together, which was where they had met Minnie, and Goofy had kept it up, serving in the Royal Guard. Good ol' Goofy had fought in every war that Disney Castle had had for many years, and eventually he had put down his sword and picked up a shield. Mickey had never figured out what precisely it was that had made Goofy dislike weapons so much. He decided it wasn't fair of him to ask.

What did Goofy think of this? This newest war with lines between life and death being crossed? He had a soft spot for the children, but then, Goofy had always been good at that. He'd done a great job raising Max.

"I must say I am concerned, though," Minnie said. She walked over to the window, where the others had left in their Gummi Ship. "I know they say they want to help…but I can't help but wonder…"

"Wonder what?" Daisy asked. "What's worrying you?"

"Maybe Master Yen Sid is right," Minnie said quietly. "Maybe those children…are susceptible to darkness."

"No," Donald said. "That's not true at all."

Mickey had always known Donald to have a quick temper—he could get mad like nobody else (though nobody else had his bad luck either)—but this was something he hadn't seen in a very long time. Donald was absolutely loyal to him and Minnie, and only twice ever had Donald disobeyed Mickey's orders—and both times had been to protect Sora. Beyond that, his temper aside, Donald had been with him even longer than Goofy had.

"I don't mean to say that they're looking for trouble," Minnie said. "Far from it, I don't remember the last time I saw anyone more committed to trying to do good in the world. But…they were part of that awful Organization, weren't they?"

"Yeah…but you can't judge 'em for that," Goofy said. "They didn't know any better."

"But because of the Organization, you two were captured," Daisy said. "We forgot all about you, for a whole year. Do you know what it was like? When we suddenly remembered you? Even if the children didn't know about that, they were working for the people who did do it. And that's only the start of what they did."

Donald and Goofy both looked at each other and looked embarrassed. Mickey closed his mouth. He had had to be in hiding for that whole year, trying to track down what the Organization was doing, with Sora's memories. He still wasn't entirely sure how Xion fit into everything. There were supposed to be thirteen members of the Organization and Mickey had had them all counted during that year Sora, Donald and Goofy were asleep, ad Axel and Isa were quick to change the subject whenever Mickey tried to ask about it.

Mickey sighed deeply. He wished Sora was here. It'd be a lot easier if Sora were here to take charge. Sora was so full of love and light, and Roxas and Xion were devoted to him, like he was their big brother.

Or if Riku were here, things might also be different. Riku was one of Mickey's very best friends. Calm and collected, and having completely mastered using the powers of darkness without succumbing to it. Riku's powerful, resilient heart might be just the thing. If Xion and Roxas struggled with darkness, then who better than the one who had fallen to darkness and redeemed himself to show them the way to tame darkness if they were to use it at all?

This, of course, was based on the idea that Roxas and Xion would have real struggles with darkness in the first place. Being able to wield weapons and cast spell that they probably shouldn't wasn't the same thing as actually using 'em in the first place. And come to think of it, that was really something that Mickey ought to remember. He had his own powers he used only in the most desperate situations—and Donald knew spells that were easily as dangerous as mordite, even if he never dared to use them.

He would wait then. Wait and see what happened. And try to figure out just what was going on around the worlds, before sending Roxas and Xion and Axel off again.

oooo

Master Yen Sid closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. For the moment, it was quiet in his study. He had returned to his tower, through the connections via Disney Castle. The young Keybearers would be arriving soon, for parameters to be set in regards to their training, as well as to be given appropriate garments. For the moment, though, it was quiet and that gave him time to think. He had many regrets.

Lea's hostility towards him was not unexpected, though Master Yen Sid was thankful his pupil had thus far maintained his temper. When Lea had first approached him, desperate to do whatever it would take in order to help his friends, Master Yen Sid had been somewhat doubtful as to whether when, or if, he would be able to summon a Keyblade. In his own archives, there were countless accounts who had been granted the ability to wield a Keyblade through the traditional ceremonies, though it had taken years for them to be able to do so.

And what of the friendship Lea shared with the children? It was quite curious—setting aside Roxas and Xion's creation being less than two years previous, Lea was approximately a decade their senior, developmentally. But the bond they shared was unlike any he had seen. Unlike, say, Sora who drew his strength from his bonds of friendship, the three of them appeared to draw their very existence from it. And given the nature of Nobodies, such a description was apt. It was not so long ago that Master Yen Sid had been under the belief that Nobodies, and Replicas, were incapable of genuine emotion. The friendship Lea shared with Roxas and Xion was as sharp a retort to that assumption as any he could think of. Such friendship was certainly not to be overlooked.

But then…Xehanort had once been his friend too. From adolescence, he had grown up with Yen Sid and Eraqus, studying the ways of the Keyblade, learning from a Master who had been like a father to all of them. So many nights watching Xehanort and Eraqus played their many, many games of chess—as well as games that Eraqus made up on the spot, always trying to best Xehanort and never succeeding. Experimenting with new ways to cast magic, and creating their own spells by combining the elements they had affinity for. Countless hours they spent pouring over the old legends of the countless worlds in the Master's tomes. Watching in growing alarm as Xehanort became more and attracted to darkness as the years went by…

And in his foolishness, Master Yen Sid had hesitated. If anything, that was far too kind a term. He had done nothing, knowing that Xehanort was experimenting with foul magic of the darkest kind. Powers that went into direct conflict with what their own Master had been so careful to instruct to them. He had said consequence when Xehanort had actually taken their Master's Keyblade without permission. He had done nothing when Xehanort began to forgo using his armor to travel the Lanes Between, thereby exposing his heart to darkness. Years and years went by, and he had done nothing, even when the child Xehanort had taken for a student had perished. More years went by, and Eraqus was scarred by Xehanort and his delusions of a Keyblade War. And then later still, when Eraqus's star flickered away, and Master Aqua and Terr and Ven were all lost. And when the stars began twinkling out…Yen Sid had stayed within his Tower. Perhaps, if he had taken more immediate action, there would have been fewer left to suffer.

It was not something Master Yen Sid liked to think about. Was that why, now, he was so prudent with regards to the young wielder Xion? Her replication powers, her ability to create a copy of any weapon she held, offered near limitless possibilities. Not in mere strength but in sheer versatility, it was not out of the question that she might tap into powers that had not been observed in many, many years. Powers that…might be best left forgotten.

It was not that he distrusted her. Far from it, though he had spent relatively little time with Xion, the impression he got was that she was earnestly trying to do the best job she could. Her sincerity was without question and such diligence was an admirable quality. But diligence without discipline could be dangerous. If she worked hard, she may find herself venturing into areas she shouldn't. Sloth was certainly something that Master Yen Sid would never encourage, but knowing when one should stop was equally important.

Of first priority, however, was ensuring that Xion and the others had proper equipment. Lea had taken to wearing the clothing prepared by the Good Fairies, and it would protect him not only from the corroding effects of darkness, but also endure far more damage than ordinary clothing would. Roxas and Xion had worn the robes they'd been given in the Organization—such garments were also effective in shielding one from darkness, but Xion's robes in particular were damaged beyond repair. Thus, the need for new clothing. And perhaps…Master Yen Sid felt a rush of shame…perhaps, it would allow him to see them as separate from the Organization.

"Master Yen Sid," Flora poked her head out of the chamber. "Are the children here yet? I was so hoping to see them."

"Patience, Flora," Master Yen Sid said quietly. "They will be here in due time."

Time, outside of its magical applications, had always had a rather amusing irony with Master Yen Sid. No sooner had he said this than the Keybearers, along with Isa, arrive at his door. Xion bowed to Master Yen Sid at the waist and then smiled hopefully. Such an innocent smile…though the eyes revealed they had seen more than their share of horrors.

"Good evening, Xion. Roxas, Lea, Isa."

"King Mickey sent us here," Lea said. "Said that you were having the fairies make a new jacket for Xion?"

Strictly speaking, while a jacket would be practical, in terms of durability and usefulness in combat, Master Yen Sid did not have guidelines for the Good Fairies when it came to actually making the clothing. Whatever they decided for Xion—and quite possibly Roxas as well, as he had heard the Fairies' whispered conversations regarding them both—was largely the Fairies' own business.

"Perhaps a jacket. Perhaps not, I must confess I certainly have no idea," Master Yen Sid said. "But they're waiting for you in the chamber."

He gestured towards it, and Xion gave another pronounced bow, before scurrying into the chamber. Roxas took a single step forward, as if to follow her, and then deciding not to. Lea walked up to one of his walls and leaned against it. Isa examined the books lining the shelves on the wall. Master Yen Sid said nothing. He would wait.

oooo

"Why, look who's here, dears! It's nice to meet you, Xion!"

Xion stared at the woman, who was a bit shorter than her, dressed all in red. Beside her were two other women, one dressed in blue and the other in green. They all had graying hair—though the one in blue had by far the fewest gray strands. Xion blinked. There was something about these women, who seemed very nice, that wasn't quite…human. It was a funny thing to think about. She realized that these must be the three Good Fairies.

"You know my name?" Xion asked, blushing. "Oh, wait…manners. It's nice to meet you as well."

"Such a sweet child," The fairy in red said. "Now, Master Yen Sid said that you'll be needing new clothes. He was most certainly right about that! Just look at the state of your coat!"

"Well…um…yeah…" Xion rubbed her bare arm. It wasn't painful to touch anymore, but it did feel kind of weird to basically have a one-sleeved robe. She couldn't fight in this. But what were these ladies going to do?

"Now then, hold still," The lady in green said, with a bit of a laugh in her voice. "This won't hurt, but it might tickle a bit."

She waved her wand and Xion saw a flash of green light shoot out the end. It struck her in the chest half a second later. It didn't hurt and it barely tickled.

She glanced at her clothes. It was…not exactly what she had it mind. It was an evening gown, dark green, with lace trim. It reached to the floor and…wait a second, had they changed her shoes too? Xion had been wearing heeled boots when she entered the chamber, and now…what were these, silken slippers?

"Um…" Xion said. "Thank you?"

Really, the clothes weren't bad. The slippers were actually more comfortable than the boots. They just weren't really fighting clothes—or any sort of clothes you could wear outdoors—but Xion didn't want to hurt the nice lady's feelings. Master Yen Sid would get angry…and that would be bad.

"Fauna, that's not right for her at all!" The shortest fairy, the one dressed in blue, said with a pout. "That's something for Briar Rose!"

"Who's Briar Rose?" Xion asked. "Is she a friend?"

"A very dear friend, but that's a story for another day," The woman in red said. "But I must agree, that gown simply won't do at all."

She waved her wand and a beam of pink light hit Xion. The gown and slippers poofed away and Xion gasped in shock. She was wearing clothes exactly like Kairi's. The same hooded jacket, the same odd half-skirt. Even the boots were the same.

"My goodness! Don't you look just like Kairi!"

Xion felt her stomach leap into her throat. Just like Kairi. Kairi, the girl whose face she had copied by her very existence. Kairi, the girl she had fought in the Graveyard. Kairi, the girl who she had helped Xehanort kill. Shatter. Kill. The lump in her throat had to be the size of a Grandstander ball. Xion could hardly breathe and tears formed in her eyes. But these clothes were a gift…

"That's not right either!" The shortest woman said. "You can't just copy Kairi, because she looks like her! At the very least, make it blue!"

Just as she said this, the door to the chamber opened up, and Isa stepped into the room, tall and serious-looking.

"Xion, are you alright?" Isa said. "We heard a—gah!"

The spell hit him in the chest, and his entire coat turned blue, matching the stripes on the sleeves of his coat. It actually didn't look bad at all. A moment later, one of the fairies cast a spell and restored his coat back to normal.

"Xion?" Roxas poked his head out from behind Isa's back. Xion blushed deeply as Roxas stepped into the chamber.

"Oh, Roxas too! What a treat!" Fauna said. "Flora, Merryweather, shall we help him as well?"

"Just a sec," Roxas said. "I don't want to get the same clothes Sora did!"

"What?" The woman in red said—Flora, was it? "Oh no, no, no. Merryweather is quite right. That won't do for you at all. And doubly for you, Xion. Kairi's clothes don't suit you, but they're still better than that black robe."

Xion didn't say anything as the women whispered to one another. She felt her ears begin to burn. This wasn't going how she thought it would…though come to think of it, she hadn't really thought about how this was gonna go. She'd been more worried about making a good impression for Master Yen Sid.

"Yes, that's what we'll do," Merryweather said. "Now hold still!"

All three of them pointed their wands at Xion and there were several flashes of color. Xion shut her eyes as the spells hit—okay, that one did tickle a bit—and could hear Roxas call out, though he didn't sound very alarmed.

"There now, that's much better, don't you think?"

Slowly, Xion opened her eyes. She wasn't wearing clothes that matched Kairi's any more. She had pants, silvery-grey with a white stripe on either leg, kind of like the stripes on Isa's coat. There was a little skirt there too, and a large pouch to hold things. A short-sleeved jacket, kind of like Axel's, only dark purple, over a shirt that was the exact shade of blue of the orb in her necklace. Xion placed her hand to her neck—her necklace was still there. The boots were more or less the same as Kairi's, but that was alright—they were big and thick-soled and good for running or walking in rough terrain.

"Lookin' good!" Axel said, poking his head in. "I see you're now a member of the Awesome Jacket Club."

"These clothes are enchanted, much like your friend Lea's," Flora said. "They will shield you from the corroding effects of darkness. And they will not tear or burn nearly so easily."

"Thank you," Xion said, finding her voice again. "This was very kind of you."

"You're very welcome," Flora said. "After everything you Keybearers have done for the worlds, helping you is the least we can do!

"Do stay in touch, won't you?" Fauna said. "We hear so little from our dear Briar Rose, and it would be lovely to have someone to talk to again.."

Guilt filled Xion's insides. Hadn't she promised she'd keep in touch with Granny? And now they were almost home, and she hadn't done so much as start a letter. But that was something she could fix. As soon as she had a chance, she would be sure to write the nice fairies a letter.

"Sure thing," Axel called from the door. "We'll be sure to do that."

Xion bowed to the three fairies—they looked quite surprised at being bowed to—and then followed Roxas and Isa and Axel out of the chamber. She bowed again to Master Yen Sid, who said he would send missives with instructions on combat techniques that were more traditional than they were accustomed to. Axel nodded to that, and led them back to their Gummi Ship.

As the ship flew away, Xion felt oddly home-sick. That was funny—they were on their way home now. She'd ask Axel about that in the morning…or maybe on the Clock Tower when they watched the sunset.

oooo

Ugh…this had to be the creepiest of all the creepy castles that Pete had ever been to. And that included the creepy castle in Hollow Bastion. Or was it Radiant Garden now? Stupid worlds always changin' their stupid names. And Maleficent had sent him to see the man who lived in the creepy castle—Doctor XXX.

Doctor XXX's castle was almost entirely a super scary evil laboratory, kind of like that Ansem guy over in Radiant Garden. Were all creepy castles laboratories? Nah, Maleficent's castle had been plenty creepy and it didn't have no laboratory. It didn't even have electricity.

As soon as Pete closed the door to Doctor XXX's castle it locked up a whole bunch of locks all by itself. Not that that mattered, since Pete didn't need a door, he could open up a Dark Corridor and go anywhere he wanted. But still, it was like them doors and locks had minds of their own.

There were lots of creepy shadows in the castle. Some of them were even the Heartless type. And there were lots of them weird skeletons all moving around. And the stairs creaked really loud as Pete walked up, and the bannister thingy went all bendy.

Eventually, Pete found his way to the biggest room in the castle, in the basement, where the scary doctor was standing over one of those wheelie-beds from hospitals. A skeleton was lying on it, all strapped in.

"You requested to meet with me?" Doctor XXX asked, not even looking up from his work. He wasn't as big as Pete, but he was still bigger than most of the folks in this world. "I am very busy, as you can see."

"Yeah," Pete said. "Maleficent sent me to talk to ya. Says you're the best when it comes to making dead things alive again."

"That's one word for what I do," Doctor XXX said. "There are many, many things for which science has allowed me to reach. I have examined flesh and skin and bone to see what'd feed a leech."

Oh yeah, Pete had forgotten that Doctor XXX had that stupid habit of talking in rhyme no matter what he did. A stupid habit from a psycho-y scientist with a stupid name. Pete didn't like it here at all.

"Look, are you gonna help Maleficent or not?"

"Help the one who opposes the King, why that is just the thing!" Doctor XXX said with a cackle. "For once, within my house, I was invaded by that mouse and he took back his doggy buddy, when I needed it for study."

"Yeah, yeah," Pets said, crossing his arms. "Good to have ya aboard, then. You'll be working with a bunch of people, but yer answering to Maleficent and me, Captain Pete."

Pete jabbed himself in the chest for emphasis and the mad doctor nodded real hard.

"Help you, I will, and harness my hate," Doctor XXX said. "And none too soon, as it is getting late!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 29: Home Again

Ah, Twilight Town was a sight for sore eyes, Lea thought as they walked back through the sleepy streets of town. Judging from how deserted everything was, it was either late at night, or else very, very early in the morning. They hadn't reached the clock tower yet, and Lea's watch was pretty much useless after being on three different worlds' worth of timezones for the last week or so. He was looking forward to getting home though. He could almost feel his soft bed now…he could sleep and sleep and sleep some more.

It was high time that he and the kiddos get a proper day-off. What had they been planning to do before this whole adventure started? Getting some books? That was right, Hayner and them had lent Roxas and Xion a few books and Pence's old computer to make their house look more like a home. That could be a good idea to do for real.

When they got to their little house, Lea pulled out his key to unlock the door, but was startled to see that the door was unlocked. What the heck?

"Somebody's been in our house," Isa said, holding his hand to the side, ready to summon his claymore should the need arise. "Somebody…vacuumed the carpet?"

Lea blinked. Somebody had been in their house? And vacuumed the carpet? Lea walked over to the pantry—it had been fully restocked, and then some…and everything had been alphabetized? Bags of beans, cans of fruit and vegetables, boxes of pasta and rice, shelled walnuts and pecans, three kinds of healthy cereals, two kinds of sugary cereals—mmmm, Rainbow Rings—it was practically their own personal store.

"Somebody ate all the ice cream!" Roxas shouted from the kitchen. "All the ice cream…all the milk…anything perishable."

So they had been burglarized by some neat-freak who restocked the pantry but cleared out the fridge? Lea pressed his fingers to his forehead. No, that was a stupid idea. C'mon, he was the Flurry of Dancing Flames, an assassin—or a reformed assassin. He was smarter than this.

The sudden sound of the front door opening made Lea's hair stand up on end. He turned around quickly, battle-ready senses honed. Standing at the door was…Olette? Wait, what was she doing here this early? And wearing thick yellow rubber gloves?

"I've done the laundry three times…the carpets…the counters…I dusted most of Xion's seashell collection…" Olette muttered to herself. "What's next…what's next?"

"Olette!" Roxas called from the kitchen. "We've been robbed!"

"Hi, Roxas…" Olette said. "The garden then, that can be tended to. If I find the—Roxas!"

Olette flung herself at Roxas, wrapping her arms around his neck. Lea chuckled. He'd been on the receiving end of a few of those kinds of hugs from Kairi. Roxas looked a little taken aback.

"What's going on?" Xion called from upstairs. "Is there something wrong?"

"Xion! You're home!"

"Aaah!" Xion squealed and bolted down the staircase. "Olette?"

"I've been so worried!" Olette cried, hugging Xion as soon as she got downstairs. "Your jacket, it's so nice!"

"Forgive me for interrupting the reunion," Isa said. "But what, pray tell, are you doing here, Olette? It's far too early for a social visit."

What was Olette doing here in the first place? That's what Lea wanted to know. They had come straight from Master Yen Sid's Tower, and so far as he knew, neither Roxas nor Xion had had the time to call any of their friends. Why bother coming over, if there was nobody to hang out with…unless…

"You've been coming here," Lea said slowly, realization dawning on him. "And you've been cleaning our house?"

"Er…yeah…" Olette said, blushing. "See. I'm not good at fighting. And Father always taught me to serve others. And you've done so much for me, i wanted to do something for you. Serving is the one thing I really know how to do…and well, I figured I'd take care of the laundry first—I got the ice cream out of Xion's blouse—and after that the house needed to be kept clean."

"You've done a bit more than just keep it cleaned," Isa said. "The pantry?"

"You guys were gonna need food," Olette said. "And look at it this way, Isa. You don't have to do the shopping for…a while, I guess."

"And the refrigerator?"

"That was Hayner. He said the ice cream was going to go bad anyway, and he couldn't let it go to waste."

"But the early hour?" Isa said. "It's not even five in the morning. We've been traveling, and you know time works differently on other worlds, so for us, it's more or less early evening, but there's no reason for you to be here now."

"I…um…I couldn't sleep," Olette said. "So I figured, might as well get started."

Lea glanced at Olette and noticed she wouldn't meet Isa's eye. He glanced at Isa—hmm, he didn't look that intimidating. Something else might be bothering her though. Still…he'd worry about that later.

"If you guys just got home, I can leave," Olette said quickly. "I don't want to be a bother."

"I'm not tired," Roxas said. "I don't mind you staying."

"Yeah," Xion said. "It'll be fun."

"Well, if you two want to stay up," Lea said, "I guess that's alright. Nothing's open right now, and Isa and I need to rest, but—"

"I brought a book," Olette said quickly. "And we can go to the Usual Spot."

"Alright," Lea said. "You run along. As for me, I have a long over-due date with my pillow. Going to sleep, sleep and then sleep some more."

Olette peered at him curiously, then shrugged and led Roxas and Xion out of the house. As the door closed behind them, Isa raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You cannot tell me that you don't find this somewhat peculiar."

"Sure, it's kinda weird," Lea admitted. "But when has that ever not been the norm for Twilight Town? Everything is kind of weird here, even on a normal day. And it's not that weird really—I bet Sora and Kairi would do their friends' chores, without being asked."

"She shows up before five o'clock in the morning?" Isa said, crossing his arms. "Open your eyes, Lea. Something is seriously bothering her!"

Lea bit his lip. Okay, it was weird that Olette would show up at this unnaturally early hour. Even weirder that she'd show up to do chores. He'd pull a couple all-nighters before, with Isa, back when they were kids in Radiant Garden, but there was usually a real reason. The festivals celebrating the founding of the city; studying for end-of-year exams…though Isa had always been quick to point out that had Lea studied regularly during the school year, he would not need to study so urgently; staying up all through the night on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa Claus…

Okay, he'd look into it. Isa was right—there had to be something up.

oooo

Roxas inhaled deeply as he looked around the Usual Spot. It was just him and Xion and Olette. It was a little surprising. With only the three of them, the Usual Spot didn't seem quite so small.

"I'm so happy you made it home safe!" Olette said, smoothing her pants. "Xion, your new clothes look amazing! And that necklace, didn't Roxas make it for you? What did King Mickey want? Were you able to help him?"

"It's kind of hard to describe," Xion said. "You know the whole…Power of Waking thing right?"

"Yeah, it's a power to restore lost hearts," Olette said, though from her tone, Roxas could tell that she wasn't quite sure about what she was saying. "And Sora used it to rescue Kairi."

"I guess he used it for more than just that…" Roxas said slowly. He paused, unsure how to continue. Olette had been there at Destiny Islands, when Sora faded away. And she had been there to rescue Ansem the Wise from the Real Organization XIII. And all the Heartless and Nobodies she'd seen… So…really, given everything else she had seen, a little more intel on what he and Xion had been up to couldn't hurt too much. "Well…basically, the doors to the realms of death were opened."

"Realms of death?" Olette frowned. She pressed a hand to her chest, her fingers tightening against her shirt. "Like Heaven and Hell?"

"King Mickey said something about how when people in his world die, they're supposed to go to a place called Heaven," Roxas said. "But he also said that people had been showing up, people who had died a long time ago."

"And while we were there," Xion said, "We met a man named Whitmore and he pretty much dared Roxas to be as good a hero as Sora was. And then we fought this…giant wolf man."

Olette's eyes were so wide, Roxas was afraid they might fall out of her head. But it felt good to talk about what happened with someone who hadn't been there. A lot of it had been scary, but now, it didn't seem nearly so scary.

"And then what happened?"

"We fought off the Big Bad Wolf—that's really what they called him," Roxas said, "And then King Mickey gave us a Gummi Ship."

"Does it run on happy faces?" Olette asked, with a laugh. "I still don't know how that works."

"Neither do we," Roxas shook his head. "But to answer your question, it runs on sea salt ice cream sticks."

Olette blinked once, twice, three times before bursting into a fit of giggles. Roxas grinned. Olette's laugh was almost as nice as Xion's.

"Enough about us," Xion said. "What have you been up to? How's Vivi?"

"He's doing so well, Xion," Olette said, pressing her hands together. "He's taken up Grandstander. He can bounce the ball twenty-two times without letting it drop. I know that's not much compared to you guys, but it's better than I could do when I was…how old is he, eight? Nine?"

"Not sure," Roxas said. "It's never come up."

"Well, Vivi's doing better—Seifer and the others aren't being mean to him anymore," Olette said. "And Hayner's been working with Granny at the ice cream shop. And Pence has been working with the computers in…the Mansion…"

Olette ducked her head and slid onto the couch. When she looked up at them again, Roxas was shocked to see her eyes brimming with tears. He felt very uneasy. What could have caused Olette to start crying? Had he said something that pushed one of her buttons?

"I told them not to. I said this was something we shouldn't be doing. That there were other ways we could help you. But after everything that happened, even here…after Sephiroth…Hayner and Pence were worried. And we thought that maybe Master Ansem had recorded one of the bad guys on the cameras."

Roxas and Xion looked at each other. It made a certain sort of sense to Roxas. Ansem the Wise had that really complicated computer system, so he had to have some cameras somewhere on them.

"But I knew that you two didn't want us snooping in your past," Olette said. "But we did it anyway."

"It's not that necessarily," Xion said. "It's that…um…well…"

"You like that we're your friends and we're not really part of the fight," Olette said. "That we're part of what makes Twilight Town home."

That was a good way of putting it, Roxas thought. Hayner and Pence and Olette were a huge part of his life in Twilight Town. And it was nice that they didn't know all of what had happened…but Olette was still his friend.

"It's not something I like to think about…" Xion said quietly. "Back in the Organization, I…I did so many terrible things."

"I did worse things," Roxas muttered. Xion was always too hard on herself, and looking back on it, his actions had been worse. He had done just as much spying…or "surveillance," or whatever the heck as Xion. He had harvested just as many hearts for Xemnas's version of Kingdom Hearts as Xion—heck, he'd probably harvested more, since Xion kept getting ill. And when he had destroyed Xion, and tried to free Kingdom Hearts…as angry as he had been at the time, Roxas honestly wasn't sure he'd have been able to do it. And then what would have happened?

"Both of you stop it!" Olette said sharply. Roxas's mouth fell open. It wasn't often he heard her raise her voice like this. "I don't care what you did in the past! I just want that to remain the past!"

Roxas glanced at Xion and then back to Olette. Olette blushed, as if just now realizing what she'd said. Xion rubbed her arm, almost unconsciously.

"Did…um…did you see anything?" Xion asked. "Anything at all?"

"We didn't," Olette said. "Not anything past the last few weeks, anyway. Two of the bad guys tried to scare Sora, right around the time we first started really looking for you, Roxas. But other than that, nothing."

Roxas let go a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. It was funny, really, once you got to think about it, just how much

"How are you, really?" Olette said. "Ienzo said…that you were struggling with some things but drawing strength from each other. Did something bad happen when you were away?"

"I…" Xion glanced at Roxas, her brilliant blue eyes glassy. "It's…Olette, have you ever done something wrong, when you didn't realize it was wrong at the time?"

"Other than your diary? No…not really…" Olette admitted.

"That doesn't count!" Xion said. "I mean, I…I made a mistake with my magic…it's kind of hard to describe, but basically…I copied some magic that's really, really dangerous.

"That wasn't your fault, though," Roxas said. "And remember what Goofy said, you weren't actually in trouble…"

He trailed off—even if Xion hadn't gotten in real trouble, it was still pretty clear that what Master Yen Sid had said was bothering her. And the idea that she might be harboring a piece of Xehanort's heart, even unknowingly? What could he do to help her with that? It wasn't true, it couldn't be true, but it had still been said.

"You don't have to talk about it," Olette said. She checked her watch. "It's nearly seven now—we can get something for breakfast at Mister McDuck's bistro."

Xion gave a fervent nod. Roxas walked over to her and took her hand. It was soft and warm and Xion smiled at him, grateful. Olette linked her arm through Xion's at the elbow and together they walked out of the Usual Spot.

oooo

Spying was not as easy as it used to be, especially considering the ones he was spying on were people who knew him. Lea walked through the streets of Twilight Town, towards the plaza where the best shop were. That was where the ice cream shop was, and it wasn't far from the bistro either. Those two were Roxas and Xion's favorite places, and if Lea's instincts were right, and they usually were, that's where they would have gone with Olette. Lea felt a twinge of his conscience.

It wasn't that he was opposed to spying per say, but Olette had been good to the kiddos. Well, most of the kids in Twilight Town had been good to Roxas and Xion, but Hayner, Pence and Olette were different. It was funny, really. All those evenings on the clock tower, eating sea salt ice cream and watching the sunset, Roxas had seen those three running around the plaza. It had been his first real taste of what friendship looked like.

And talk about kids who stepped up to the plate. While Sora and Riku had been drawn into the whole Keyblade wielding stuff when they were just little kids—Terra had given Riku the Inheritance Ceremony when he was like five and Sora had that weird heart stuff with Ventus around the same time—Hayner and Pence and Olette pretty much got drafted into this when he, as Axel, had kidnapped Kairi. They could have gone back to their normal lives, but they didn't. They had been crucial to restoring Roxas in the first place, and if they hadn't…Lea didn't want to think about what would have ended up happening to him and Sora and Kairi and Xion in the Keyblade Graveyard.

But Isa had a point too—it was weird that Olette had shown up so early. Had she known they were coming home? It was possible Ienzo had called them ahead of time and yet…something did feel a little off.

Lea stopped at one of the stands, where bunches of fresh vegetables were on display. Carrots and celery and were those radishes? Lettuce and leeks and cucumbers, too! Huh, they looked great!

"Anything catch your eye?" The vendor, a big-belled man with brown hair, asked. "These are straight from my community garden!"

"What?" Lea asked. Roxas had mentioned building a community garden for Mister Yanushi a while back, but it hadn't been nearly enough time to harvest vegetables.

"You're Roxas's guardian aren't you? Nice kid," The vendor—who had to be Mister Yanushi—said. "Helped me out a lot. I swear, that boy does the work of ten."

"Work of twenty, I'd say," Lea said. "Sure, I'll buy some."

He pulled out some munny and paid for enough vegetables to fill a large paper bag. Perfect, now he had vegetables for his family, and a convenient excuse for why he was here if Roxas and Xion got suspicious.

Assuming he ever actually found them. It was still early enough that most of the shops were only just opening.

"Hi Axel!"

Figured the very minute he'd start to get impatient, he'd wind up finding them. Roxas and Xion and Olette were walking over from the bistro. There was a smear of frosting on Roxas's lip.

"Let me help you with those," Olette said, taking the bag of vegetables out of Lea's arms. "The trams don't let you take food on, and the Underground's still closed, so we'll have to take the long way to get these home. Is there anything else we need?"

That was it! Olette had called their house "home." Maybe it was something, maybe it was nothing. But come to think of it…she'd done that before hadn't she? Back at Doctor Sweet's office—when Xion had been splashed with that hot coffee by those teenagers, Olette had mentioned that they had aloe at home. And again on the clock tower, Olette said she'd take care of Vivi until they got home from their missions.

Huh, that wasn't really much in the way for spying and surveillance, but it made sense to Lea. And it wasn't the least bit icky.

"Er, Axel?" Roxas said, wiping the last bit of whatever pastry he had eaten from his mouth, "You didn't answer. Anything else we need?"

"Um…" Lea said. "There's nothing else, I just wanted to check on ya. And get some vegetables…"

Now that he was paying close attention, Xion and Olette both had red, puffy eyes. Ah, crap. That meant they most likely had gotten into the icky stuff, at least a bit.

Oh well, he'd figure out the details later.

oooo

Roxas and Xion were here. Roxas and Xion were home. Thank God for it. Olette had lit nearly a dozen candles at church, praying for their return. Father Forthill had lit some too, though he never pushed for more information about her friends.

The responsibility of the Keybearer was to fight the darkness. Olette understood this. But that didn't mean she didn't wish there were more tangible ways to help them. She had kept their home clean, though. That was something, if nothing else. And she felt better around them now than she had in days. This felt real.

"So Olette, you gonna stay for lunch?" Axel asked. He was smiling at her, but it wasn't the same sort of smile she'd seen him give Roxas or Xion. He seemed almost nervous. She bit back a frown. Her friends were back. And Axel was her friend too…well, mostly.

"Yes," Olette said. "If you would have me, I'd love to. I can help cook, if you like."

"Or I can help cook," Xion piped up. "Axel, aren't you late for sleeping anyhow?"

Axel gave a bark of laughter and reached out to thump Xion upside the head. Xion giggled and tried to hit him back, but Axel was so much taller and had such longer arms, he was able to hold both her hands above her head with just one hand. Xion squirmed when Roxas reached over to poke her in the ribs. Olette couldn't help but smile. It was rare to see them so carefree.

"Olette, my dear!"

Olette blinked and shifted the bag of groceries in her hands. Father Forthill was walking towards them, his robin-blue eyes shining.

"Hello, Father," Olette said politely. "These are the friends I was telling you about."

"Ah, yes, she was most worried about you," Father Forthill said. "She told me that you might be in a fair bit of trouble. Might there be anything I can do to assist?"

"My goodness!" Father Forthill said, "That's quite a memory."

"We're working on it," Axel said. "But thanks for your concern, Father."

"Father?" Roxas asked. "Axel, why are you calling Olette's dad 'Father'? He's not your dad…is he?"

Olette bit back a laugh, but Father Forthill chuckled heartily. Axel's eyes widened and he smacked himself hard on the forehead.

"He's not my…that's his…that's his name, Roxas."

"Your parents named you 'Father'?" Xion asked. "That's…well, it's not any stranger than my name, I guess."

Father Forthill laughed harder and Axel groaned so loudly, it drowned out Forthill's laughter. Roxas and Xion both blushed—Olette had known they had certain gaps in their knowledge…but nothing quite like this before.

"It's a title, Xion," Olette said. "Like 'Doctor' or maybe 'Master.' Father Forthill is a priest at my church."

"Yeah, yeah," Axel said. "I'll explain the specifics to you later, guys."

"I'd be happy to answer any other questions you might have," Father Forthill said with a nod. "Goodness knows, I doubt you'll be asking me anything I haven't already heard."

"Er," Xion said. "Thank you…um…Father?"

"Man, that sounds weird coming from you," Axel muttered.

Knowing what she knew about Roxas and Xion's pasts, it did feel strange to hear them say the word 'father,' regardless of context. Axel was great to them, to be sure, but Olette wasn't sure she would call him a 'father.' 'Family,' sure, he dearly loved Roxas and Xion. And thinking about that made her think of other parents. Kairi was adopted, though Olette had never met her parents. And Sora's parents…dear Lord, what sort of torment must they be going through right now? Olette felt a rush of guilt. Of all the thinking she had done about all of this, Sora and Kairi and Roxas and Xion and Keyblades and Heartless and Sephiroth…what Sora's parents must be suffering hadn't ever really crossed her mind.

"I best be off. Take care, children," Father Forthill tipped his hand to them and set off again, whistling something that sounded like one of the hymns he liked singing, but Olette wasn't quite sure which it was.

"He seems nice," Roxas said. "So, he isn't related to you?"

"My priest," Olette said. "And the best man I know."

"You didn't tell him anything, did you?" Axel asked. "Look, I don't put a lot of stock in the World Order, but I don't want you getting in trouble."

"No," Olette shook her head. "I just told him you were in some kind of trouble, and I hoped you were gonna be okay."

"Huh," Axel said. "You know that's actually pretty sweet. Thanks."

They walked along, taking the long paths—Axel picked up a few more things, though he passed them off to Roxas and Xion, so he didn't have to carry anything heavy. Olette didn't mind though, it gave her time to think. And time to answer some of Roxas and Xion's questions. It was nearly noon by the time they made it back home.

"Alright, let's get this cooked," Axel said. "I'm hungry and tired. I'm gonna sleep, turn over and sleep some more."

While Axel took his long-overdue nap, Olette helped Roxas put away the vegetables, while Xion fixed sandwiches for everyone.

Her father (not Father Forthill) was away on a business trip…again. She'd have been eating lunch alone, if she weren't here. Eating meals like this, with friends…with a brother and a sister…This was what she had always wanted. She just hoped it would last.

Chapter Text

Chapter 30: Dreams of the Seven

****

There was a certain charm to the nights in Twilight Town. It never got truly dark, but there was a stillness. Lea relished it, as he walked around their home. Sleepy streets and lazy days made for peaceful nights. Everything was still, and after the craziness of the last couple of weeks, stillness was something he could get behind. 

After so many days of fighting and tracking down monsters and undead stuff throughout the various worlds, Lea felt he was long over-due to sleep. He was gonna sleep and sleep and turn over and sleep some more. After the nights in the Land of Dragons, when all they had to go on was a makeshift shelter made out of their coats, Lea was especially eager to get back to his nice warm bed, with its nice, soft pillow. 

Lea poked his head into the room that Roxas and Xion shared. Roxas was already asleep, and he was snoring. Xion was lying on her bed…not under the covers? And still in her new clothes, instead of pajamas? She hadn’t even taken her shoes off. 

Lea sighed as he walked into the room as quietly as he could. He didn’t want to disturb Roxas, since God knew the poor kid needed rest. Xion’s eyes were closed and she was breathing slowly…but shakily. Ah man, another nightmare? Lea placed a hand over Xion’s forehead. It was clammy. Ah man, it’d barely been an hour since they’d turned in for the night, and she was already scared to death. 

Lea chewed his lip. Should he wake her up? No, he couldn’t do that—she had barely been able to keep her eyes open through lunch. She needed her sleep. But what sort of sleep was this? She’d be even worse off than before if this continued. But then again, she already felt guilty for making him worry. Lea knelt down, so that he was level with her. At this angle, he could see the freckles on Xion’s nose. Maybe the trick was to change her nightmare into something else.

“Xion. C’mon kiddo,” Lea whispered into her ear. “You’re way tougher than any monster. You can beat whatever you’re fighting. You’re strong and tough and smart and important.”

Xion didn’t wake, but her breathing began to grow a little calmer. Lea smiled. This might be working. 

“You’re my best friend, kiddo. The little sister I never realized I needed back when I was a kid,” Lea brushed a lock of Xion’s hair behind her ear. “I know the last few days have been really rough, but things are looking up.”

Xion’s breathing grew steadier still, and the trace of a smile etched on her face. Lea grinned. That was something he’d done right. He paused a moment. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to get Xion a blanket without rousing her. But he could fluff her pillow a bit, and get those boots off. An old habit from the Organization—Roxas and Xion frequently fell asleep fully clothed. A habit that had its advantages for combat readiness, but certainly not for comfiness. 

Placing Xion’s boots by her bedside, Lea rose to his feet—ugh, he was too tall to be bending over, it was murder on his knees. Ugh, when did he get old enough to start complaining about his knees? He ran a hand through Xion’s hair again, turned around to ruffle Roxas’s blond locks, and turned to leave. There was a tightness in his chest, in his heart. He wasn’t sure why that was…he was safe, Isa was safe, the kids were safe, if not as comfy as he'd like them to be. Maybe he could figure it out in the morning.

Lea climbed up to his top bunk easily. Below him, he could hear Isa’s snoring. He would do right by the kids. He had to. He’d get things going for Roxas and Xion…and Hayner, Pence and Olette too. But first…sleep.

xxxx

Lea opened his eyes and found himself…what, was he back in Castle Oblivion? Or something like it anyway. A wide room with white walls and white furniture and nothing in the way of windows.

“About time you showed up,” A proud voice called. “We’ve been waiting for you to show up.”

Lea turned around as fast as he could and summoned Flame Liberator. He could hear the flames that shaped it crackling. That voice…wait a second? What?!

Axel was reclining against a far wall, looking rather bored. Next to him…Lea’s younger self. His fifteen-year-old self, who had been just as shrimpy as Roxas—ugh, the growth spurts hadn’t started yet. The same version of himself who had eaten way too much ice cream and carried his frisbees with him pretty much everywhere. That was the version of himself who had befriended Ventus almost as soon as they met. The self of him who had led Isa into Ansem’s castle, and where they had discovered that strange girl. The same version of himself who had lost his heart at Xehanort’s hands.

“We got a Keyblade! And it’s made of fire, that’s so cool!” Lea’s younger self said. “Awesome!”

“What the…heck is going on here?” Lea asked. “Axel…what are you doing here? What am I do here? Am I dreaming?”

“Right in one,” Axel said. “Look, it’s like this—Nobodies can grow hearts, right? I’m the bit of heart that was produced that last year in the Organization. When Axel destroyed himself to help Sora, I merged with the original heart when we were re-completed.”

“So I have two hearts?” Lea asked. “Like Sora did with Ven and Roxas and Xion?”

“No, not really,” Axel said. “It was a full merge. I am you.”

“I am not Axel,” Lea said quietly. “It’s…different. We’re not the same.”

“Oh, knock it off,” Axel said. “That worked with Sora and Roxas, but we’re the same, Lea. Or close enough to it that any difference means zilch.”

“Then why are we even talking in the first place?” Lea said. “I mean, dreams are weird, I get that, but—“

“That might just be it,” Lea’s younger self said. “This is just a crazy dream. Remember that time we dreamt we were part of a singing superhero team?”

Lea winced—that was a dream he had been more than happy to have forgotten. Brought on by far too much candy eaten in one sitting, just to prove to Isa that he wasn’t too old for trick-or-treating. 

“So what’s the deal?” Lea asked again. “Does this have anything to do with all that life-and-death stuff?”

“Maybe,” Axel said. “I died, more or less, with all those Dusks. Maybe there’s a key to that.”

“When that happened…” Lea said quietly. “I remember it being dark. So dark and…empty. But I was still aware of my surroundings…I still was, er, was, I guess. I didn’t disappear.”

“I didn’t disappear,” Axel corrected. “I’m the one who blew myself up with all those Dusks. I was re-completed with the rest of my heart and became you.”

That definitely was a difference. From what Lea had seen, the barriers so far had been between afterlives—and he wasn’t sure the stuff with the ghosts in the Land of Dragons even countered for that. 

“This is making my head hurt,” Lea’s younger self said. “When did I get tall? And what’s with the tattoos, and how come we don’t have them now?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Axel said. “Fact is, we’re blowing it.”

“Blowing it how?” Lea asked, though he had a bad feeling what the answer was going to be.

“With Roxas and Xion,” Axel said. “We’re letting them down.”

“Yeah, I have to agree with the guy with the weird green teardrops,” Lea’s younger self said.

“Look, I know we’ve had our troubles, and things could have gone smoother,” Lea said, “But I’m perfectly capable of taking care of them.”

“Food and water and a roof over their heads isn’t enough,” Axel shook his head. “We’re not standing with them, when we should be.”

“Are you insane?” Lea snapped, his temper rising. “I am standing up for them! Master Yen Sid made Xion cry and I stood up for her!”

“But did you go after her?” Axel asked. “Did you make sure she was safe?”

“I hugged her after Yen Sid said she may have a piece of Xehanort’s heart,” Lea said. “Which is totally not true by the way. I’ve never turned my back on her!”

“But has she been able to talk to you?” Axel demanded. “Remember what happened last time? We kept everything from her and she couldn’t trust us. She’s still not telling us things. She’s trying to hide how she feels and this is just going to get worse.”

“And what about Roxas?” Lea’s younger self asked. “We haven’t done right by him at all. When’s the last time you talked, just the two of you?”

Lea turned his head, not daring to look either of them in the eye. The fact of the matter was he had been overlooking Roxas. The poor kid had literally been seeing Sora almost everywhere they’d gone, and Lea hadn’t asked him about it at all.  

“I haven’t meant to,” Lea said quietly. “He’s my best friend.”

“They both need you,” Axel said. “We can’t let one fall, trying to hold the other up.”

Axel stood up straight and held out his hands. There was a flash of fire and then, he was holding up his chakrams. A moment later, Lea’s younger self began fiddling with his pockets until he could find his frisbees. 

“Two to make a whole,” Axel said. “But the individuals are just as valuable on their own.”

A moment later, Axel began to glow. Lea’s younger self began glowing as well. Lea felt his chest grow very warm and a moment later, he was alone in the room. And then, the room vanished and Lea found himself sitting on the clock tower. Roxas and Xion were there too, and for once, he was sitting between them. And the sunset had never looked quite so beautiful.

xxxx

Lea opened his eyes slowly. It was morning now. The pain in his chest was gone. He felt better than he had in a while, more well-rested. Sleeping in his nice warm bed sure beat the rocky ground in Land of Dragons, or the hard couches on their Gummi Ship. 

Lea rolled out of bed—huh, Isa was still asleep—and walked across the hall. Roxas and Xion’s beds were empty. He walked down the stairs, slowly. If they were camped out on the couch again…yep. Both Roxas and Xion were there, snuggled against each other. 

Lea made himself a mug of coffee and walked over to the kids. He could do this. He had to. 

oooo 

Olette looked around. The sky overhead was blue. Blue? How could that be…she lived in Twilight Town, and she hadn’t gone to visit any other world. Not since that one trip to Destiny Islands. In the distance, she could see a very large castle, and a town surrounding it. Tall chimneys and pipings stuck out everywhere. Further out, she thought she saw gardens—the trees looked too neat and tidy to be a natural forest. 

Along the platform she was standing on, seven shining crystals stood in front of her, as pure as stars. The crystals, with their many points, actually resembled stars, glowing with pink electricity. Or maybe plasma. 

She took a few steps closer, and as she did, the crystals glowed more brightly, turning from pink to white. A moment later, seven figures stood in place of the crystals—seven young women. Some were tall, some were short. One had dark skin, the others were pale. Several were wearing beautiful gowns—though the shortest of the women, no, she was really more of a girl, wore a simple blue dress and white apron. 

Only one of these women was familiar—a girl a little younger than she, with red hair and blue eyes. Olette’s mouth fell open. Kairi. Or, at least a younger Kairi. About as old as she was supposed to be when Sora and Kairi first started their adventures—and that had been ages ago. 

“Um, hi, Kairi,” Olette said politely. “Do you know where we are?” Or when we are? 

Kairi didn’t answer. She just giggled and pointed to Olette’s chest. Olette placed a hand where Kairi was pointing. She could feel her heartbeat. It pounded in her ears.

A moment later, Kairi disappeared, in a brilliant glow of light. Olette’s stomach leapt into her throat. What? How? No…no, this couldn’t be happening. Kairi was fine. She was safe on the Destiny Islands. As Olette looked around, the other young women disappeared in identical glows of light. And then, Olette heard a voice…she couldn’t tell where it was coming from.

This is how it has been since the beginning…when the World fell to darkness, when it scattered into many worlds…the great X-blade was broken into twenty pieces…seven of light, thirteen of darkness…

The seven glowing lights returned. The first took the shape of a young woman a few years older than Olette, with brown hair that looked like it had been chopped with a knife. She was barefoot and wearing pale purple robes. The second light took Kairi’s form again, this time as Olette had last seen her,  but with a far more solemn expression. Olette felt like crying. How much had Kairi suffered—losing her home, losing her heart, constantly separated from those she loved most.

The third light…did not take any shape. It hovered near Olette and then suddenly went straight for her. Olette barely had time to gasp, much less shout for help, as the ball of light went into her chest. And then…warmth. A kind of warmth that Olette had never felt before. It was comforting…almost like a campfire…or maybe the candles at Christmas Mass. 

Kairi took Olette’s hand and tugged her to stand next to her. Olette couldn’t tell who the other lights were. But then, she felt herself getting even warmer and lighter. And when she looked at her hand, it was shining like the sun. 

xxxx

Olette opened her eyes slowly. She was back in Twilight Town…in her own bedroom…or maybe she had never really left. Was that a dream? It had felt so real. As real as being awake. Which she was now…and she had always had a hard time falling back asleep after waking up. Well not always…lately at least. Whenever she had a dream she didn’t understand. Or a nightmare—so often, she dreamt of watching Sora fade away. Or Xion falling with a terrified scream at the end of that horrible Sephiroth’s sword. 

Olette put a hand to her head. It throbbed with a dull pain. She hoped that it wouldn’t turn into a full headache. She glanced at the clock on her wall, a finely crafted cuckoo clock. As if on cue, the cuckoo chimed three times. Olette bit back a cry of frustration. It was only three o’clock in the morning?! Darn, darn, darn it. 

She leaned her head back on her pillow and tried to force herself back to where she might fall asleep. She knew that trying to sleep was often counter-productive in actually falling asleep, but she was tired. And with her father away on business, she was alone. She wished she had someone, anyone, to talk to. And he wasn’t very affectionate, even when he was home anyway. But it was too late, or too early, to call any of her friends. The loneliness made her heart ache.

What could that dream have meant? Kairi had been in it…but not Sora or Roxas or Xion. And it wasn't the Destiny Islands either. Olette hadn’t been anywhere else…so why dream about that place? It wasn’t a sort of dream that was influenced by memories…or at least not tat she could recall. And who were those other girls…women? Some had looked a bit older than her, at least old enough to go to college. 

That voice…seven lights. Back when they had first met, Kairi had said there were seven pure lights that bad guys had tried to kidnap to use for opening a Final Keyhole. She specified that these lights were seven maidens whose hearts harbored no darkness. Ansem the Wise had said something similar, and Vexen, er, Even, had mentioned Organization XIII trying to identify Seven New Hearts. Seven pure lights, and nobody knew who they were.

Olette put a hand to her chest…and knew. 

oooo

It was nearly midnight when Pence turned off his computer so he could sleep. So many connections left to uncover. 

Skilled as he was with computers, it turned out that the world was a lot bigger than he had ever imagined. So many worlds, not he had known. The ever-present twilight had made the idea of other planets hard to fathom as a kid. But seeing what he had seen…Pence shook his head, the idea was so mind-boggling. 

And the digital world that existed in Ansem the Wise’s computer…that was made by Ansem himself. And yet, there were hearts living inside it. The programs had their own sentience.

What did that mean, in the grander scheme of things, Pence couldn’t help but wonder. What did it mean, when there were living things within a computer? 

And what of the digital Twilight Town? Could those programs have gained their own sentience, their own hearts? Could Pence’s digital self have had his own life? Grown up and make his own decisions? Would those decisions be different than the ones that Pence had made? Would his digital self have the guts to throw caution to the wind and pursue his heart’s desire and tell his oldest, dearest, sweetest friend how he felt about her? 

His thoughts raced and as Pence drifted off to sleep, he found himself dreaming. It was rare that he was aware of his dreams as he slept, but it was always something he enjoyed. He brought his thoughts to the computers. The computers in the Old Mansion and in Ansem’s laboratory. The computer Pence had built for himself. His hand-me-down laptop that he really should give to Roxas and Xion to use. 

Hearts could live anywhere. Even inside data. Even inside books! There was so much to learn.

He’d be sure to call Ienzo in the morning. 

oooo

Computers far more complex than what would be available to ordinary citizens. Tubes and jars of assorted shapes and sizes. Detailed schematics and charts and complicated formulas. And prison cells…

This thrice-damned laboratory. Isa’s teeth ground so hard, he was almost afraid he’d crack them. He hated it here. It had been here that he had lost his heart. Here that he had failed so miserably to save that girl from her wretched prison.

Wait a moment…what was he doing here in the first place? He had made no intentions of ever returning to Radiant Garden in the near future, to say nothing of Ansem’s laboratory. And looking more closely—the laboratory was exactly as it had been over a decade ago. Gone were the makeshift attempts to de-clutter the disorganization of a laboratory left to stand alone for ten years. This was far more maintained. 

Perhaps this was one of those strange waking dreams. Master Aqua and Ventus had spoken of them. Roxas and Xion hadn’t, but their dreams were often truly nightmares that Isa hadn’t ever asked the details of. It really wasn't his place, and he doubted they’d feel comfortable enough to answer him honestly. And most unfortunately, these dreams were not easy to wake oneself from, even when one became aware of it being a dream. 

It was curious then, that he, a non-Keybearer, would be dreaming in such a manner. He wasn't sure what greater ramifications, if there were any, might arise from this. Isa walked slowly down the hallway. It was frightening, even now. At any moment, he was certain, he would have to face one of Ansem’s apprentices. Dilan or Aeleus, perhaps, or maybe Braig. Or would it be their Nobody-selves? When they had existed, Xaldin and Lexaeus had been far more powerful than Saix. If this were indeed a dream, would he even be facing Xehanort? 

No trace of anyone, and now he was in the more secluded corridors of the laboratory. To his knowledge, Ansem the Wise had no idea this part of the laboratory even existed. In here were the tubes where living specimens—no, human beings. Citizens of Radiant Garden, some of them Isa knew by name, had been tortured through the experiments that brought the Heartless into this world and caused ruin. But now, it was completely abandoned—or nearly so…

There! In a far corner…in a horrible, cloudy tube, it was her! Isa ran as fast as his legs could carry him and in a flash, he was at the end of the hallway. He placed a hand against the glass. Even now, he couldn’t see her face.

“You said you were going to help me.”

“I…I did…I tried,” Isa stammered. The guilt and shame of this failure consumed him. She had been his friend, the one he had risked everything for, ands had been lost and there hadn’t been any sign of her. And yet here she was now! He needed to free her. But how could he do so without injuring her? These tubes were dangerous machinery. 

“You promised to free me!”

“I will!” Isa said. He summoned his claymore and began slashing at a large tube that appeared to pump a low-level anesthesia into the prison. Such a poison was disgusting to use to sedate an unwilling prisoner. 

“I need you!”

Isa slammed his claymore against the wall. Perhaps if he gained leverage, he might be able pry open the lid of this horrible prison. Almost there…just a few more inches…he could almost see her now. At last, he would see her face. 

Then…a Dark Corridor opened up. And his friend screamed just as he managed to get the tube opened. And she vanished again…just as he was reaching for her….

xxxx

Isa’s eyes flew open and he was not surprised to realize he had been crying. He had been so close. So tantalizingly close. He could have made amends for this failure. He could have saved her. 

So many failures…so many he had hurt through the years as Saix. So many he had let down. But he had had his atonement, had he not? Risking his life, his identity, his existence to work with Vexen and Demyx to smuggle a Replica body for Roxas to be housed. Protecting Xion, or as Master Xehanort and Xemnas called her, No. i and ensuring she would be able to return. 

“You promised to free me!”

A promise. Such a precious, sacred thing. Lea had been at his side when Isa had promised her they would save her from this awful place. Axel had promised to assist Saix to overthrow the Organization…only for that to go completely undone, and Xemnas had near complete control of Saix. Axel had also promised to bring Roxas and Xion back safely…only for him to fail, despite his best efforts. 

So many broken promises…so many attempts to make amends. Roxas and Xion were here now, and healthy and hale…mostly. Lea adored them and doted on them. 

Lea had charged into an unknown situation, not too long ago, when it appeared that Xion  might fall to Sephiroth’s blade. Lea had carried her all the way home. Lea had kept Axel’s promise. 

It was high time for Isa to do the same. For her. Even if it meant leaving the family he had. He had a promise to keep.

oooo

She stood in the Keyblade Graveyard, alone. Master Xehanort sent her to face the Guardians of Light. She had no name, no number. She had only her duty to Master Xehanort, to clash with the Guardians, and slay those who upset the balance. The Guardians had brought forth more than Seven. This could not be allowed. Though in truth…they only needed one. 

The first she struck down was the boy with the broken heart, Ventus. How foolish were they to bring him to fight, when he had slept for over a decade. He was unfit for combat, and far too foolish. His naive nature was his undoing. Too idiotic to remember that his precious friend had been turned into a vessel. He didn’t get a chance to scream before he was slain.

The second was the oh-so-unfortunate Master Aqua. Lost in the Realm of Darkness for a decade, afraid of the power it could have offered her. Distracted by her love for the foolish Ventus, it took even less time to deliver a killing blow,

The Guardians cried out in horror, and yet none of them dared to move. This would be their undoing. 

Again and again, she struck. The silver-haired boy who had rejected darkness tried to raise his Keyblade against hers, but it was a futile effort. She shattered his weeping and then struck him down. 

The miniature King, the foolish little Mouse, was next. He tried to duck and dodge and then use powerful magic against her, but she absorbed his magic and turned it back onto him.

The duck and dog were next. Pitiful creatures, they weren’t even Keybearers and taking them down was mere child’s play. 

The boy, Sora, tried to defend the weak one. The girl in pink. The Princess of Heart, an even more foolish choice for a fighter than the duck or dog would be. She raised her own Keyblade at them, and with a flash, they were nothing. 

Heartless by the tens, by the hundreds, by the thousands erupted from every corner. Creatures that feasted upon the darkness in humans’ hearts and they were hers to command.

The last standing Guardian was the man called Lea. There was something familiar about him. She knew him…Axel?

“Xion.”

Xion. A name. An identity. Pain erupted from her head. She dropped her Keyblade and it vanished it a flash. She screamed. She screamed even though no words came out. She had done wrong, she had done so much wrong. She had hurt good people. Oh, let it all be undone, let her take it back, please let her take it all back.

“C’mon, kiddo. You’re way tougher than any monster. You can beat whatever you’re fighting. You’re strong and tough and smart and important.”

Xion couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t do anything. The Heartless weren’t doing anything either. Nobody was doing anything. 

“You’re my best friend, kiddo. The little sister I never realized I needed back when I was a kid,” Axel took a few steps forward and brushed a lock of Xion’s hair behind her ear. “I know the last few days have been really rough, but things are looking up.”

Her Kyblade vanished. The Heartless disappeared. Behind her, Xion could even hear Master Xehanort cry out as he faded away. Xion stumbled, blinded by tears and flung herself into Axel’s arms. He rocked her gently and Xion felt the entire Keyblade Graveyard fade away. And then they were all back on the Islands…and everyone was alive and okay. Even Sora was okay…

xxxx

Xion woke up slowly, her chest aching. Another dream…another nightmare…another reminder of all the horrible things she had done. The Graveyard. Striking down the Guardians…

But the way it had ended…Axel had reached out to her. And he had gotten through to her…and he had saved her…and hugged her. Oh, Axel. He was such a wonderful friend. He had stopped it being a nightmare…how could he have done it?

Xion moved her foot against the blankets and realized that somebody had taken her boots off. She had been so tired, she hadn’t even had the energy to change into her pajamas. It must have been Axel.

She strained her neck to look at her alarm clock, but she couldn’t get a good look. Just as well, she was still kind of tired. Across the room, Roxas was still asleep, but…oh, no!

“My fault…come back…where are you…”

“Roxas!” Xion darted over to him. “Roxas, wake up! You’re having a nightmare!”

She took his hand in hers and squeezed it. Roxas jerked away, but she didn’t let go of his hand. A moment later, Roxas’s blue eyes flew open, and he looked terrified.

“Roxas!”

“Xion?”

Oh, poor Roxas. Xion took a step back as Roxas rose to his feet. He didn’t meet Xion’s eye.

“Another dream about him…”

Xion didn't have to ask who Roxas had been dreaming about. She sat beside Roxas on his bed. He wouldn’t look at her, so she looked down too. Huh, she hadn’t ever paid much attention before, but Roxas’s feet were much bigger than hers. For a while, neither of them said anything, but Xion knew she would have to break the silence eventually.  

“I miss him too, so much.”

“I keep thinking about where he is…we saw him…but we couldn’t reach him,” Roxas muttered.

“Yeah…” Xion said. Her heart felt like it had been tied into a a knot with her stomach. She put a hand on top of Roxas’s and intertwined their fingers. “But…if we were able to talk to him with Mushu’s help, maybe there’s some other world out there that…will help us find Sora.”

Roxas put his free hand over his chest, pressing his fingers against his shirt. Was he trying to feel his connection to Sora? Xion felt a surge of guilt, and the knot of her stomach and heart tightened. 

Because of her, Kairi had been injured. Because she hadn’t been strong enough to fight Xemnas, Kairi had been caught by his awful spell. And she hadn’t been nearly strong enough to fight Xemnas and help Kairi and Sora. Xion’s weaknesses had led to Kairi’s abduction. And then Xehanort…and then Sora…

Xion placed her hand over her own heart. She could feel its beat. The beat of her heart. She didn’t have a piece of Xehanort’s heart inside of her, but she had at one point. There was no denying that she was the last surviving Seeker of Darkness…she had so much more to make up for.

Xion felt a shift of weight. Roxas had stood up from his bed, still holding her hand. Xion stood up too, pressing her bare feet into the carpet. Roxas let Xion lead him down the hallway and down the stairs, to the living room. As she sat down on the couch, Roxas sat next to her, and leaned his head against her shoulder. Whatever came next…they’d face together. 

oooo

Hayner soared through the air. He was flying! He had superpowers, just like Roxas and Xion! This was the most amazing thing he had ever felt in his entire life. It was incredible! Sure, he was in some weird…room with darkness all around, but he could see some light, waaaaaay at the end of the tunnel. 

As Hayner got closer to the light, he realized he was looking at a giant circle made out of stained glass. It was…a stained glass portrait of himself? 

Yeah, it was. A giant circle, about as big around as the Sandlot. And it was an exact portrait of himself, right down to the same clothes he had on. In one of his hands, the portrait held…a Struggle bat. Huh, that was weird—most of the stained glass surrounding his body was patterned various shades of green. Just like his old camo pants. It’d been ages since he’d worn those.  

There were several small circles around his own portrait too—tiny portraits of Pence, Olette, and one with Roxas and Xion smooshed together. The people he cared the most about? Or maybe the people who influenced him the most? That would make some sort of sense, if this was a portrait of himself. Hayner frowned. If that were what these portraits represented, he wondered whether he should be worried that there weren’t portraits of his mom or dad. 

He took a few steps forward and the platform began to shake. Gah, what was this, some sort of weird earthquake? Hayner found himself flailing about—why couldn’t he start flying again, that could come in handy right about now! Almost as soon as it started, the shaking stopped and Hayner saw three stone podiums arise on the stain glass. On each podium was a weapon: a long white sword, a rod with…was that a lucky emblem on its end? And the last weapon, a shield, had a lucky emblem too!

He didn’t have a clue how to use magic, so the magic wand was out, and shields weren’t something he could fight with either. But he had fought enough Struggle matches not to be hopeless with a sword, and swords were like Keyblades. Hayner walked over to the sword—ah, it had a lucky emblem too, on its handle—and took it in his right hand. 

The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction. Is this the power you seek?

Hayner startled—where had that voice come from? He looked around and couldn’t see anybody. And it hadn’t sounded like anybody he knew either. Destruction sounded kind of bad…but the power to fight? The power to destroy Heartless and Nobodies and whatever other monsters were out there? Hayner was brave enough…he had the courage. The courage to fight and protect what mattered.

“Yeah, this is what I want!” Hayner took a few practice swings with the sword. It was as easy to use as a Struggle bat.  

Some funny shadows began emerging on the stain glass. Hayner recognized them as Heartless. A whole bunch of them had formed into that giant tornado-y ball back when Sora had last saved his neck. And Xion said these kinds were called Shadows. Huh, that wasn’t particularly creative. But this was Hayner’s chance to prove himself! And get some well-earned payback!

He swung his sword at the Shadows and they responded in kind. There were a lot of them and they had sharp claws, but Hayner’s sword was sharper and one by one they all burst into darkness. Again and again the Heartless attacked, but again and again, Hayenr was finally, finally able to fight them. And as they fell, it was almost as if he felt himself getting stronger. 

Your courage is strong. But the path ahead of you is long. And the closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes…

Hayner blinked and looked around. There was still nobody around. And no other monsters. But at least he had a sword now, and that could…wait, what was that?

His shadow was standing up. And it was growing! It had to be forty feet tall, now! Hayner swore and steadied his feet so he could fight, but then…his sword went poof! It vanished, and he hadn’t made it vanish! How was he gonna get it back? Hanyer began wiggling his fingers, trying to get his weapon back, but it was too late.

Hayner found himself being lifted by the gigantic shadow monster and then he was being thrown—off the platform entirely! He opened his mouth to scream but no sound came out! He was falling and falling and falling!

xxxx

Hayner awoke quickly, and bit back a cry of fear and frustration. That had only been a dream? That was probably a good thing, since he had gotten thrown off the platform or podium or whatever it was. It was so weird. But he’d had powers! He would have been able to help, and do his part. He wouldn’t have to run and hide from the monsters, he could have been able to help fight them. Maybe even help search for Sora!

From his desk, Hayner grabbed an old poster from one of the bazillion movies that Mister McDuck played in the theater and crumpled it up. It wasn’t fair! He was so stinking useless without a weapon, without any way to help his friends. He had tried running down the trails in the woods on the edge of town, but even that was hard! Hayner tore the poster into pieces and tossed them into his wastebasket. 

In his hand was the sword from his dream. Long and sharp, a blade of white, a handle of gold, with a little lucky emblem. 

Hayner grinned.

Chapter Text

Chapter 31: Twilight Training

It was mid-morning in Twilight Town, not that you could really tell from the position of the sun. Anyway, Roxas wasn’t sure he could remember the last time he’d been this tired. He and Xion were sitting with Pence and Olette in the Usual Spot, all four squeezed onto the couch. Hayner was walking back and forth, waving his hands. He had, apparently, had quite the dream the night before. 

“It was crazy, more real than any dream I can remember,” Hayner said. “I had superpowers—I could fly.”

“I don’t think I’d call it crazy,” Pence said. “Lots of people have dreams where they can fly. But go on, what happened next?”

“I was in this weird tunnel, and at the end of it, there was this gigantic stained glass…window thingy. There was a big picture of me, and little pictures of you guys. And then there were these weird weapons with lucky emblems on them!”

Roxas paused, and glanced at Xion. She was biting her lip, looking very anxious. Roxas knew exactly what she was thinking—Hayner, somehow, had dived into his heart. It was…arguably, the weirdest thing that a Keybearer could do. Dive deep into the depths of one’s heart. Sora had done in a bunch of times. Roxas had done it himself once, in the days leading up to his rejoining with Sora. And then there was that time Roxas had actually fought Sora over control of Sora’s body. Roxas shook his head—that had been right after Axel had destroyed himself to save Sora from an army of Dusks.

“And when I woke up this morning, the sword was there,” Hayner held out his hand. Nothing happened, and Hayner looked annoyed. “Not again…stupid magic disappearing sword.”

Hayner began flexing his fingers, and he looked like he was growing more and more frustrated. Roxas glanced at Xion again, and then noticed that Olette looked absolutely exhausted.

“You doing okay, Olette?”

“Fine…” Olette mumbled. “I had trouble sleeping and woke up too early, but I’ll be okay.”

Roxas turned his head back. He hadn’t slept well either. He dreamt of Sora…again. This time, it had been glimpses of Sora’s memories. He saw glimpses of a world that Roxas had never visited when he had been with the Organization—a steamy jungle and a gigantic treehouse that Roxas had no idea how it could have been built. But did it count as dreaming Sora’s memories, or maybe, Roxas’s memories of those memories? 

“Ah man…but it happened this morning!” Hayner groaned. “The sword was there, it was really there!”

“I believe you,” Xion said quietly. “Really.”

Roxas nodded as well, and Hayner seemed to perk up. He ran a hand through his spiky blond hair.

“Well, if it doesn’t want to come and play, that doesn’t really matter. I’ll get the hang of it sooner or later. But this means I can finally fight!” Hayner pumped his fist. “I’ll be able to help you guys.”

Oh, hell no. 

Roxas felt his throat grow dry. He couldn’t allow…Hayner was safe in Twilight Town. He wasn’t risking his life here. He was having a life. He wasn’t a solider, a Keybearer. 

“Don’t look at me like that, Roxas,” Hayner said, crossing his arms. “This is my decision. And I want to help you. I’m sick of not doing anything.”

“There are other ways,” Roxas shook his head. “Hayner…I’m not sure you realize what this entails…it’s not really fun.”

“Oh, knock it off. I was there when Sora faded into nothingness. I was there when Xehanort kidnapped Ansem the Wise. I was there when Axel kidnapped Kairi,” Hayner began counting off on his fingers. “The Dusks at the Mansion, the big tornado of Heartless…I can’t just do nothing. This is my fight too.”

Roxas ducked his head. Hayner was right. He had been there for a lot of pretty messed up stuff. And if there ever came a time when there were Heartless or Nobodies attacking the town and Roxas and Xion weren’t there…he didn’t want to think about what might happen. But not thinking about something didn’t mean it wasn’t possible. And wouldn’t it be worse, to not be prepared for something?

“It’s not going to be easy, Hayner,” Roxas said. “It’s way harder than anything you’ve done before.”

“But if you’re able to fight with that sword,” Xion said. “If…then I think it would be a good idea for you to learn to fight.”

“I want to learn too!” Pence said. “There’s so much information out there! There’s got to be something that you guys can teach me.”

Roxas glanced at Xion. He felt weird about this. He hadn’t really taught anyone how to fight before. Come to think of it, except for a few things with Xion, when they were first starting out in the Organization, he hadn’t taught anyone anything before. And now, they were looking up to him? It was weird.

“What about you, Olette?”

Olette stared at them, but it was almost as if she were looking through them. She seemed anxious about something. Like she had figured out something scary—it reminded him a bit of how Xion had been when she had been learning about her own nature. Olette kept putting a hand over her heart, almost as if she felt something might be wrong with it. Which seemed really unlikely, since Olette was one of the nicest people Roxas knew. Maybe she was just scared.

“I want…I want us all to be safe,” Olette said. She bit her lip. “After everything you’ve done for us…I want to be able to help you too, if I need to. It’s only fair.”

Hayner wiggled his fingers again. Nothing happened. Sighing, or grumbling, or maybe something in between, Hayner turned back to face them. His gaze was firm, his jaw was set. He was determined.

“Whatever. It’ll show up again,” Hayner said. “So, about training…”

oooo

The Mansion stood tall and silent and imposing, but this was probably the best place in Twilight Town for any sort of training. At least when it came to magic. Xion still felt uneasy about this—though part of it might be that she really didn’t like the Mansion. Her most vivid memories here were when she had been fully prepared to die—whether by Riku’s hand or Axel’s, to return her essence to Sora. But Hayner and Pence were staring at Roxas more attentively than she could have imagined, and they were so desperate to learn how to fight so they could help…

“Alright, so pretty much any weapon can be used against a Heartless but even if you do destroy one,” Roxas said, “If it wasn’t with a Keyblade, its heart is not going to be released. It’ll come back eventually.” 

“Right,” Pence said. “But anything can kill a Nobody right?”

Anything that’s a proper weapon, Xion thought to herself. The Struggle bats they had brought from the Usual Spot would allow them to train and they wouldn’t hurt one another, but Xion knew they’d be useless in a real fight. 

“Alright…um…let’s see…” Roxas muttered. “What would Phil do? Er, let’s start with some running then. A lot of fighting has to do with running at the same time, and there’s magic that really only works when you’re moving.”

“Running? That’s it?” Hayner crossed his arms. “Ah, come on. Running isn’t enough!”

“Hayner, please,” Xion said. “It can be very important.”

“All that’d teach me is how to run away from danger!” Hayner said. “I want to face it head-on!”

“You’ll get your chance,” Roxas said. “But Hayner, I think a good foundation would be a better idea before we start with weapons.”

“Alright, alright,” Hayner said, holding up his hands, “I know when I’m outnumbered.”

Xion smiled to herself. Hayner could be a hothead, but it was nice to see he wasn’t getting too ahead of himself. It’d cause horrible trouble if they started fighting amongst themselves. Behind her, Pence made a tiny unhappy sound—he didn’t like running much.

“We’ll take the south trail,” Roxas said. “That’s maybe a mile through the loop by the river. After that we can double back around here—then we can practice sparring.” 

They ran in a straight line—Roxas in front, then Hayner, Xion, Olette and Pence. It was still early, and as they ran Xion could hear the chirping of birds. She liked that—the woods in Twilight Town were filled with birds and squirrels and all sorts of other creatures. It made the world really feel alive. 

She wasn’t all that familiar with the game trails, but Roxas knew them well and she followed his lead. 

“You know I can go faster than this right?” Hayner asked, as they crossed a stone bridge. “When you said we should run, I thought, you know, it’d be running!”

“This will build your stamina!” Roxas called back. “It’s not enough to run fast. There may be times when you need to run for a long time!”

“I think…we’re running…fast enough!” Pence panted from the back. “You make it look easy!”

“Yeah,” Xion said, trying to think of something that might lighten the mood a bit. Oh! “But then again, Roxas chugs Elixirs!”

“I do not!” 

Roxas’s protests were drowned out over the laughter of their other friends. Roxas glanced over his shoulder and Xion smiled at him. Roxas grinned back and then his grin turned into a smirk. Xion realized that Roxas was probably going to get her back somehow, but she’d worry about that later.

The five of them continued to run, and Xion found that she wasn’t nearly so tired now as she had been when they had first started. They rounded a bend—Xion noted that from here, they were able to see an angle of the clock tower than they otherwise wouldn’t normally be able to. It was nice.

Over another bridge, and down a second path, pass an old well, and soon, Xion could see the Mansion again. Her stomach began to tighten, but she forced herself to keep smiling. It really wouldn’t be good if she started crying here. Memories she had tried to forget, memories that she wished had never happened, were forcing themselves to the forefront. 

The man called DiZ said the Organization was here. That she had led them right to their doorstep. But she could handle it…probably. Xemnas and Saix wouldn’t have tracked her, but the others? Xigbar was fast and there was a bunch of trees for him to hang from. And he probably had a grudge against her for attacking him back in Wonderland. Xaldin was stronger, but there wasn’t much room for him to maneuver. Demyx and Luxord…well, Demyx wasn’t a fighter and Luxord was…someone she didn’t really know very well. But it didn’t matter. No matter who was after her, she couldn’t let anyone stop her from what she had to do. 

A Dark Corridor opened up and the Organization member stepped out of it. Xion felt her stomach leap into her throat. Of course it would be him…he had been the one to find her before, every time she left, he’d been the one to find her….part of her loved him for it.  

“Axel.”

It was alright…it was alright. She wasn’t fighting anyone here. It was just sparring. There were no lives on the line. Nobody was getting hurt…this was going to stop people from getting hurt in the first place. She was with her friends. This was where she belonged…

Thud!

“Yow! Earth to Xion!” Pence said, rapping his knuckles lightly against her head. “You feeling okay?”

“Fine…” Xion said, with a giggle. Axel would rap his knuckles against her head just like that. “Just…got distracted. So…sparring?”

“Yeah!” Hayner said, holding up a Struggle bat. “Let’s see what you’ve got!”

Xion smiled and with a flick of her fingers, she replicated a Struggle bat of her own. It was lightweight, easy to handle, and most importantly, wouldn’t do anyone any lasting damage. She bowed respectfully to Hayner, who looked a little confused before nodding his head as well.

“Alright…um, we’ll go until one of us hits the other,” Xion said. “That way, nobody gets too hurt.”

“Oh, c’mon,” Hayner said, holding his Struggle bat up. “Let’s go until we drop. Don’t hold back, Xion. Promise?”

Xion’s blood turned to ice in her veins as Hayner ran at her. He was shouting something she couldn’t understand. 

“They’re gonna destroy you!”

He’s right. Axel is right—if things come to pass, Xion will lose all existence. She won’t be alive anymore. Whether it’s by forcing all of her memories into Sora or by DiZ’s hand or Riku’s…she is going to die. And there will be nothing left to remember her by…But this is to help Sora. It’s better this way. Better a good person live than a bad person. And Sora is a better person than she will ever be. She’s part of Sora anyhow, composed of his memories. And given that her destruction is inevitable anyhow…

She summons her Keyblade and Axel gasps. He means to capture her, return her to the Organization. She can’t let that happen. She really, really, really doesn’t want to hurt Axel. But maybe…maybe she can get him to finish the job. He’s strong enough to do it. She just needs to press him that hard. 

“Please don’t hold back Axel. Promise.” 

Xion held up her Struggle back just in time to stop Hayner from hitting her. It wouldn’t have hurt that badly—a bruise at most. But she couldn’t let her guard down. The whole point of this was to teach Hayner and Pence and Olette ways they could defend themselves. And there wasn’t any Heartless or Nobody that would ever let their guard down that way.

“Don’t use too much energy in any one attack,” Xion said. “If you don’t get the hit in, then it’ll be easy for you to get caught.” 

To emphasize this point, Xion stepped to the side and Hayner stumbled forward. Had this been a real fight, or even a regular Struggle match, Xion would have taken the opportunity to hit Hayner in the back. But that wasn’t the point of the exercise. 

Hayner was a fighter and he had a temper. That could be trouble if he ever seriously fought Heartless or Nobodies. But it could also be something Roxas and Xion could teach him to use productively. Some enemies had to be fought aggressively.

“Hold still!” 

“No!” Xion dodged Hayner’s next thrust, leaping backwards. She felt her boots press against a large piece of stone. There was a sudden weightlessness there. Xion’s mind rushed back to the Land of Dragons, where they had propelled themselves using their magic. Now that could be a very useful thing to teach the others. 

Hayner continued to try to strike, and Xion matched him blow for blow. She didn’t take the initiative, not just yet. 

oooo

Olette felt that she might cry. The training was useful but to do it in front of the Mansion? That was where she had found Xion’s diary, half-burned. Which meant that it had been where Axel and Xion had confronted one another. She still had no idea what had happened or what could have caused it. Just that there’d been a fight…and judging from the way Xion kept staring into space, she was probably thinking the same thing.

They should have sparred at the Sandlot. At least then, Xion wouldn’t be reliving…whatever it was she was reliving. Come to think of it, Olette realized, Roxas must have some pretty bad memories here too. If the computers in the Mansion led to the Digital Twilight Town. She shuddered, but she didn’t think anybody else noticed.

“Not bad,” Xion said. Hayner was doubled over, panting with effort. She didn’t look the least bit winded. “I think you’re getting the hang of it.”

“Ugggg….” Hayner groaned. “Can you teach me…how to…ugg…never mind. Just leave me here to die.”

“Stop that,” Roxas said sharply, cuffing Hayner upside the head. “You’re not dying. Y”

“What about some lessons on magic?” Pence asked. “I’ve always wanted to learn that!”

Olette considered this as Roxas and Xion glanced at one another. She still wasn’t sure that what Roxas and Xion were capable of was what she’d call “magic.” They didn’t use books, and most of their spells was just saying the name of an element. . But she had seen what they were capable of—fireballs and ice crystals forming in the air, great gusts of wind, barriers to protect loved ones and beautiful pillars of light. 

“Er…that’s a lot tougher to teach,” Roxas said, scratching the back of his head. “Not everybody has the ability to use magic in the first place.”

“And it’s a lot more dangerous,” Xion said. She held up her Struggle bat. “A sword is just a sword. It’ll stay on the ground if you don’t move it. But fire and water and lightning…they’re almost alive.”

Pence scratched his chin like Xion had made a good point, but there was still that ever-present curious look in his eye. 

“I’m sure we can handle it,” Pence said. “Even if it’s magic, it still obeys the laws of physics, right?”

“But it’s not like running or sparring,” Roxas said, his voice growing more urgent. “Magic…it uses up your own strength, your core.”

“The strength of your heart?” Olette asked quietly. She hadn’t really considered that. Roxas and Xion—and Sora, and even Donald—all made it look so easy. 

“Um, sort of?” Xion said. “If you use too much magic, too fast—and that’s if you can use it in the first place—you can get really, really hurt.”

There was a quiver in her voice that hadn’t been there before, and Xion’s gaze clouded over again. Roxas looked even more disturbed, leaning against one of the broken pillars for support. His eyes were wide, almost frantic.

“It’s how…Axel died.”

Olette’s hand flew to her mouth. She had known that…something must have happened to Axel. That technically Axel had been destroyed and that he had been re-completed into Lea. Ienzo and Isa and Lea had all explained the differences between their Nobody selves and their human selves, but if she was being honest, the distinction had never made much sense to her and she wasn’t sure if it was fair. Roxas and Sora were clearly their own people. 

“I know you know what’s at stake, Hayner,” Roxas said. “I get it. Really, you were there for a lot of it…but you weren’t there for all of it.”

“Axel used up all of his strength,” Xion whispered. “To save Sora from an army of Dusks…and he died right in front of…him.”

There was something in the way she said it…like Axel had died in front of them instead of just Sora. Olette knew that Roxas had once been…stuck inside Sora’s heart, somehow. Ansem the Wise had described it briefly, while explaining why they needed to build Roxas a new body. Could the same be true for Xion? Olette didn’t want to think about how that might have happened, and her friends were looking more and more apprehensive by the minute. Even Hayner realized that he had gone too far.

They should leave. They had had enough training for one day. They needed to get out of the woods, away from the Mansion. Too many bad memories in this place, especially where fighting was concerned. 

“Um, guys?” Pence asked. “Look…you’ve obviously put a lot more thought into this than I have…er, I’m sorry if…”

“It’s all my fault,” Xion whispered, so quietly that Olette could only just hear her. “Don’t you see…this is the only way i can make things right.”

“Tell me,” Roxas said quietly. “Tell me why he picked you.”

Neither Roxas nor Xion even seemed aware that Hayner, Pence and Olette were still there. It was almost as if they weren’t in Twilight Town anymore. 

“This was a bad idea…” Hayner muttered under his breath. “Dammit, I’m such a bad friend…”

Olette bit her lip and took a few steps forward, towards Roxas. He was taller than she was, and the look in his eyes, though they stared into nothing, sent a chill down her spine. Roxas looked old. Like he had lived through a thousand battles with his life on the line every time. How close that was to the truth, Olette didn’t want to know and she prayed she would never find out. 

She placed a hand on Roxas’s shoulder. Roxas was shaking like a leaf, even standing still. But slowly, cautiously, Roxas placed a hand on top of Olette’s. He shook his head rapidly and Olette saw a single tear run down his cheek. He ducked his head, so all Olette could see was his somewhat spiky blond hair. Heh, he never needed a comb. 

“Roxas…I think I sprained my ankle when we were running,” Olette said, biting the inside of her cheek. She’d never been good at lying. “I’d like to go back to town…I’m tired of training.”

“Er…yeah,” Roxas said. “Let’s…um…let’s go.”

Olette walked over to Xion and took her hand. Xion startled and her eyes were shiny with unshed tears. 

“I..um…oh!” Xion blushed deeply. Olette ignored this. There was nothing wrong with crying when you were upset.

“C’mon, let’s go back into town,” Olette encouraged. Xion nodded and began walking. As she passed Roxas, she took his hand.

Please, please, please, Olette begged. They got home safe…but…please, help us.

xxxx

“Please don’t say ‘I told you so,’” Hayner groaned as they walked through the marketplace. “That was a disaster.”

“Drop it,” Olette said quietly. “It won’t do them any favors to keep bringing this up. The past is in the past. Let it stay there.”

“It was going fine until I suggested they teach us how to use magic,” Pence said. “Guess that’s my fault.”

“I said, let it go!” Olette whispered. She looked over her shoulder at Roxas and Xion. The two Keybearers were walking ten paces ahead of them towards the Bistro, where Scrooge McDuck was looking over a menu. “They helped us train, now we help them get to act normal for a few hours!”

“Well, top of the mornin’ to ya lads and lassies!” Mister McDuck said, checking his solid gold pocket watch. “To what do I owe the visit? I assure you, I have things settled with small jobs.”

“Er, just passing through,” Roxas said. “How have you been, Mister McDuck? It’s been a couple weeks.”

“Been longer that that for me, boy-o. I’ve had to check my businesses in quite a few worlds, and time passes differently in each.”

Wait a moment, time passed differently in other worlds? Olette blinked in surprise. It hadn’t seemed that way to her—Ienzo never had any difficulty calling them from Radiant Garden. But that would explain why Sora always thought more time had passed than it had—the way he talked sometimes, you’d have thought he hadn’t seen them in years. Behind her, she could practically hear the gears begin to turn in Pence’s brain. 

“Oh,” Roxas said. “Well…it’s good to see you, anyway.”

“What’s this?” Xion asked. “A special menu?”

“Aye, my dear—I’ll be hosting a special concert at the theater, and as such it needed a most special menu.”

Olette looked over Xion’s shoulder. Fabracadabra…Royalberry…

“These look like Disney Town flavors,” Xion said. “Mister McDuck, is this going to be allowed?”

“Oh, but of course! That’s the idea, Miss Xion! I’m hosting this get-together as a favor to the King, and to Sir Goofy as well. A few old friends are traveling, and they’re the stars of the concert, you see?”

That made sense enough to Olette. Next to the menu was a large poster. Unlike the Struggle posters or the advertisements for the silent films and Bistro she had hung up for Mister McDuck before, the poster was far more detailed. Two figures were prominently displayed, both looked quite a bit like Goofy. One had darker skin and wore a bright yellow jumpsuit. The other—who looked strikingly like Goofy—wore a red jumpsuit.

“Powerline and Maxi-milion,” Olette read aloud. “As seen in Disney Town, world-wide phenomenons.” 

“Of course, they’re not going to be here for a while yet,” Mister McDuck said. “Plenty of time for me to buy myself a proper space to build a concert stage. Be sure to attend, Maxi-million has a soft spot for Keybearers.”

Roxas and Xion nodded and said they would attend, if they weren’t on a mission, and Mister McDuck bade them good day. 

There has to be something else we can do, Olette thought to herself. They’ve done so much for us. We need to do something for them. 

Axel would be suspicious if they got back home so soon. And that would mean awkward questions—questions that Roxas and Xion would be really, really uncomfortable answering. They needed to linger a while. She liked shopping…she could keep Roxas and Xion busy shopping. And make Hayner carry the bags this time. 

“Hey guys…I just remembered. We never did get a chance to get you some books, and I think there’s a sale at one of the stores.”

“Oh!” Xion blushed. “That’s right, I still have to return your books!”

You didn’t even get a chance to read them in the first place… Olette shook her head. No. There’d been enough despairing for one day. Her mind wandered back to the night before…or the early morning. Whatever. She had dreamed of Kairi and the young woman with long hair…and those other ladies. Dreamed that she was among their number. Pure of heart…she didn’t want to mention this to Roxas and Xion. Not just yet…

“Follow me,” Olette said, taking Xion’s hand herself. It was kind of strange—Xion could use a Keyblade, and from what Olette gathered, was able to use all sorts of other weapons too, but she had a very soft hand. “The bookshop isn’t far.”

Olette thought she heard Hayner whine about how they were still on summer vacation and they should be doing something cooler than the bookstore. She rolled her eyes at his antics. There were plenty of comics for him to look at once they got to—oh, here they were!

“Roselle’s Books?” Roxas asked. “I’ve never heard of it.”

Pity too. Roselle’s Books was beautiful. A hand-painted sign with golden-orange letters in a tidy script that no matter how many times Olette tried, she had never been able to copy as neatly. Rows upon rows of bookshelves of every subject you could think of. An entire corner devoted to comic books. In the center of the store was a large armchair and resting on a short table next to it was an enormous storybook. 

“It’s wonderful here,” Olette said. “When I was little, I used to come in here and the shop keeper would tell me stories.”

“We were all part of that little club,” Pence said. “And I remember we used to pretend the biggest storybook in the store could talk.”