A/N: Here's the next updated chapter. I really don't think much will change in this chapter, but I'm still combing through it.

This happens two years after the prologue and ten years after the defeat of Xehanort. Like before, each student is placed into a trio. The original apprentices are already split into teams, an later chapters explains the teams more.

There are a few established relationships. SoraxKairi are the only ones out of the canon characters. I'll let you discover which out of the apprentices (if your character is involved, you already know).

I don't think there's anything else to say, so enjoy!

…

Ep 1 – The Beginning of a Semester

Paopu Academy, where Keyblade Wielders became Masters. Run by the Nine Masters, it was set up in Radiant Garden, in the castle that had once belonged to the great Ansem the Wise. The first year or two was rocky as the Masters got used to teaching in this way, and classes were still being developed, but as it entered its third year, the Masters were confident that they knew what they were doing.

Over the two month break, some of the students had stayed in Radiant Garden, while others had returned to their home world to visit friends and family.

Sora was currently standing on the roof of one of the towers, watching as Highwind, the orange and yellow Gummi Ship, came into view, carrying students who didn't know how to pilot their own ship or use their Keyblade Gliders yet. A trio of students followed right after it on their Gliders, clad in their Armor.

Sora grinned, recognizing them as Team Twilight, the original three apprentices of Roxas, Lea, and Xion.

The one in front was a young boy, clad in black and gold armor. He was riding a silver and gold hover board-like glider, and kept darting forward and doubling back to circle the other two.

As he almost ran into one of them, the second rider, a young woman in black and glowing blue armor much like the outfits worn by himself and Riku on the Grid, suddenly spun her Light Cycle-like glider around and shot in front of the boy, forcing him to pull up short.

The one he almost ran into, the third member of their group, brought her red and white scooter-like glider to a halt, her red and gold Chinese armor flashing in the sun, to avoid hitting either of her teammates. Sora grinned: he could tell the boy was arguing with the girl in black and blue.

"Hey, guys!" he called, waving them down. The three apprentices turned to look at him, before the boy sipped around the women and shot over to Sora. A few feet from the tower, he jumped off the board, and in a flash of light, both that and his armor where gone.

Standing in front of him was Chuck, now fifteen. He had shot up a few inches in these past two years, but still wore the black hoody with the cat ears. He now wore it unzipped, revealing a green shirt underneath. His legs were clad in black cargo pants: the left leg long, while the right leg stopped just below his knee. Completing the look was the fake cat tail that swung with each of his hyper movements.

"Hi Master Sora!" he said brightly. The two girls landed behind him, and in two more flashes of light, Mora and Mei were revealed as their armor disappeared.

Mora, now eighteen, looked no different from two years ago. Her crystal blue eyes still peered out from a curtain of black, choppy hair that fell in her face, observing everything, and she still carried herself with intelligence and confidence. Sora noticed the lines on her clothes were glowing just a little brighter today, as was the ISO symbol on her left arm. A sure sign of her excitement, despite the emotion absent from her face.

Mei, also eighteen, had only grown a few inches so now she reached Mora's height. She still wore her red and gold robe that reached the floor, made of silk, and the sleeves were about two feet longer then her arms, hiding her hands. The ends of the red sash tied around her waist swirled around her with each movement as she bowed to Sora.

"Master Sora. It's great to see you again," she said in such a soft voice, Sora was forced to lean forward to hear her. He grinned.

"You too, guys. Excited for another semester?" he asked.

"Yes," Mora said with a nod. "We are finally taking our Marks of Mastery this year."

"Hm…" Sora put a finger to his chin and peered at them thoughtfully. "Is that this year? I don't know, I don't think you three are ready," he teased. Mora's lips twitched slightly, recognizing the joke. Mei did also, her hands jumping up to cover her mouth as a soft, surprised giggle escaped her.

Chuck, on the other hand…

"Hey! We are totally ready!" he huffed, crossing his arms and drawing himself up to full height, which was still shorter than the girls. Sora laughed, patting him on the head.

"Not with that attitude, kiddo," he said, before motioning to the door that lead down into the tower. "Go get settled in your room."

"Yes, Master," all three said, before slipping through the door. Sora turned, glancing down in the courtyard where Cid was unloading luggage from the Gummi Ship. Kids, ranging from the ages of thirteen to twenty, milled around him, taking their luggage. The older ones headed right into the castle, while some of the younger ones waited around Cid, unsure of what to do next. Sora couldn't help but grin as he recognized a few, recruited by himself.

Movement from the sky caught his attention once again. Looking up, he spotted another familiar trio.

The one in front wore red and gold Spartan armor, riding a bronze and red bike like glider.

Just behind him, wearing very flexible silver and purple armor, was another young man, riding a silver bike like glider with two black ribbons trailing behind it.

Next to him was the third member of the group, a young woman wearing dark purple and white armor that looked similar to Aqua's armor. She rode a glider that resembled a dark blue and black ship, her left hand keeping her red fedora planted firmly on her head.

Sora waved them down, and the three landed in front of him. Three flashes of light later, Team Departure, comprised of the original apprentices of Terra, Aqua, and Ven, stood in front of him.

"Hello, Master Sora," Bion, now nineteen, said, nodding his head. Bion had only grown more muscles in these past two years, and even a few new battle scars on his already marred arms since Sora saw him at the end of last semester, two months ago. He was taller than Sora himself by only an inch or two, wearing a brown Hercules-like tunic with a blood red cape, black pants, and knee high-lace up combat boots.

"Bion. Enter the Games again?" Sora asked, looking at one of the young man's fresher looking scars. The young warrior grinned, flexing the bicep where the scar was.

"Yep! Hercules Cup. Nearly won this time, too." A small frown crossed his face. "Hercules cheats though," he grumbled, before eyeing Sora. "Did he go invincible when you fought him, Master?" he asked. Sora laughed.

"Yep. There's a trick to defeating him though," he said with a wink, before looking at the other two. "How were your breaks?" he asked, just as Bion opened his mouth, no doubt to ask about that trick.

"Good. It was nice to hear the music of home again," Jasper said with a smile.

Jasper, also nineteen at this point, stood just as tall as Bion, but with a slim, lithe figure of a danger. His long, light purple hair had grown a little longer in these past two years, but was still tied back in a low ponytail. He wore a sleeveless, silver turtle neck top that had three amethysts set in it, across his collar bone. The short stopped just below his pecks, showing off a six pack, and a long purple sash was tied around his waist, sitting low on his hips, with the ends long and free flowing. Baggy pants that tightened at the ankles covered his legs, and a purple silk wrap covered the top of his legs, short on the right, knee length on the left, with a silver diamond pattern along the hem. Over the wrap was a silver linked belt, and on his hands were silver dancer gloves with little silver discs attached. Every time he moved, his gloves and belt would jingle softly, giving the illusion that music followed him everywhere.

Sora smiled at his answer before turning to look at the final member of the group, Kaya.

The oldest of the three at age twenty-one, Kaya's red fedora was pulled low over her eyes, the silver starfish pin attached to it flashing. She had also grown an inch or two, and was wearing a light purple blouse with bell sleeves that moved with her, black jeans, and black boots.

"It was nice to see the Land of Departure again," Kaya said, keeping her eyes hidden. Sora nodded in understanding, not pushing her.

"I'm sure. Go get settled. I'll see you at the assembly," he told them. The three nodded, heading inside. Sora watched as Bion put a comforting arm around Kaya, while Jasper hummed some bouncy little tune.

"That was stupid of me," Sora muttered, looking back down. By this point, Cid had gathered the younger students and were leading them inside. As Sora watched, Team Destiny, comprised of his, Riku's, and Kairi's original apprentices, entered through the courtyard, having been staying in town with Collen's parents for the past week.

Leading the way, now eighteen, was Sora's original apprentice, Kai. His black-blue spikes bounced with each enthusiastic step, having grown just a little longer in the last two years. He wore a sleeveless black undershirt with a light blue short sleeved jacket over it. The jacket had a black hood, and he wore dark blue cargo pants with a yellow belt. Two black straps were attached at the boys hips, crossing behind his legs, and attaching to the pants just above the knees. On his feet were large, dark blue shoes with silver soles, and black wristbands covered his wrists.

Just behind him, also eighteen, was Collen, his long, light brown hair pulled into a high ponytail. He wore a skin tight black shirt under a dark red, long sleeved jacket, open in the front, that dropped to mid-thigh. The sleeves were tucked into black, fingerless gloves, and his legs were clad in dark brown pants, with three belts stacked on top of each other around his waist. Completing the look were black sneakers and a black scarf.

Following those two, also eighteen, was Gina. Her long, thick black hair swayed with each step, contrasting the white top with red trimming she wore. The top had a shallow, wide hood with the same red trimming that was currently down, and long, flowing sleeves. The top was open and short, revealing the black bikini top she wore under it, as well as her stomach. Covering the black bikini bottom she wore was a purple wrap, a lot like Jaspers, but made from studier material. On her feet were purple flats, and around her neck was a light pink and yellow seashell, held in place by a piece of ship swine.

Sora watched as those three talked amongst themselves, laughing. Kai shoved Collen's shoulder, who suddenly caught the smaller boy in a headlock, while Gina watched, laughing. For a moment, Sora saw himself, Riku, and Kairi.

"How fitting," he said softly with a grin, watching as Kai struggled, until Collen suddenly let him go, causing Kai to hit the ground. The illusion of himself and his friends was shattered, though, as Gina walked forward and took Collen's hand, kissing him on the cheek.

"Except that," Sora muttered with a grin. Shaking the memories away, Sora turned and entered the castle. It had come a long way since the Restoration Committee had rediscovered it. All of the wires and pipes were now concealed, the rubble cleaned up, and sounds of life filled the halls.

"There you are!" Kairi said, coming out of a different hall and joining Sora as he walked towards the Audience Chamber. She slipped her hand into his, and he kissed her cheek. She giggled, before giving him a playfully stern look. "The assembly is about to start," she scolded.

"I know," Sora chuckled. "I was on the roof."

"Were you taking another nap?" the ginger accused.

"What? No! I was watching the students come in!" Sora said indignantly. Kairi giggled at him.

"Sure." She shook her head, resting against him. "Don't forget, you're giving the opening speech this year."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Sora huffed, before grinning and letting go of her hand, opting to instead wrap and arm around her as those two made their way to the assembly hall.

…

Kai, Collen, and Gina finally entered the Audience Chamber, which was already milling with students.

"Do you see them?" Kai asked his taller friend.

"Guys! Kai, Collen, Gina! GUYS! Over here!" a voice suddenly yelled.

"Not yet, but I hear them," Collen said with a smirk, glancing around. Jumping up and down in his seat was Chuck. Collen led his team over, and couldn't help but smirk. From left to right was Jasper, Bion (who was holding Jasper's hand), Chuck, Mora, one empty seat, Mei, and Kaya. Gina, also noticing this, smirked and shoved Kai towards the empty seat in between Mora and Mei, before sat in the two empty seats next to Kaya.

Kai, his heart in his throat, sat down, before glancing over at Mora. She was holding her Identity Disk in her left hand. A holograph floated over it, depicting a puzzle game, which she manipulated with her right hand.

"H-hey, Mora. That looks fun…" he said, a blush racing across his cheeks.

"Hello, Kai," Mora said, her eyes flicking over to the boy before continuing with her game. "It is."

Kai watched for another moment, before feeling the lightest brush against his arm. Turning, he spotted Mei, who was also blushing.

"H-hello, Kai," she said, before voice incredibly soft. He smiled warmly at her, having always found her presence soothing.

"Hey Mei," he said. Mei's face turned red. "Have a good break?"

"Oh, uh, um… y-yes," the woman stuttered, covering her cheeks with her sleeve-clad hands. "It was nice to see Twilight Town again."

Kai was forced to lean forward to hear what she said, but smiled at her words all the same.

…

Thirteen-year-old first year, Hazel, quickly found a seat in the Audience Chamber, trying not to freak out at the large amount of people in the room. She hopped into a chair next to an older student with black, slicked back hair. Hazel tucked her feet under her, her hands gripping the edge of the seat between her feet. Mocha eyes flickered up from a book to study the odd girl next to him, taking in Hazel's dark brown hair, forest green eyes, white tank top, green knee-length skirt, and bare feet. The boy then returned his attention to his book, ignoring her. Hazel hesitated for a moment, before taking a deep breath.

"Hi. My name's Hazel. It's a pleasure to meet you," she said to the boy next to her as she offered her hand, remembering the etiquette lessons she had learned from her mother. The young man didn't glance up from his book.

"Miles," he said. Hazel hesitated for a moment, before letting her hand drop with a small pout.

"Guys! Kai, Collen, Gina! GUYS! Over here!"

Hazel jumped slightly and turned towards the sound of someone yelling, only to see a young boy dressed as a cat jumping up and down in his seat. The trio who had just walked in moved towards him, waving and talking not just to him, but to the five people he sat with. Hazel studied them, noticing that they were all older than most of the students in the room, with the exception of cat-boy.

She wasn't the only one whose attention was on the group of nine, however. Most of the people in the room seemed to throw quick glances back at the group, and her sharp ears picked up the muttering around her.

"Look at them! They're the Legends!"

"Not talking to anyone again during the Opening Assembly. The Legends never seem to socialize with anyone except each other, huh?"

"That's not fair. The Legends have known each other much longer than anyone else here. Besides, it's not like anyone ever actually approaches them."

"The Legends?" Hazel asked, turning back to Miles. He glanced over at the group of nine, before looking back at Hazel.

"They were the original apprentices of the Masters. Before the Academy opened," he explained. "Honestly, they're probably the most powerful students here."

"Oh…"

"I hear they're pretty nice though, if you actually talk to them," Miles added, before returning to his book. Before Hazel could say anything else, Master Sora stepped to the podium. A hush fell over the students. Sora looked out at them, before smiling.

"Welcome to Paopu Academy. Or, welcome back to the returning students," he said with that infectious grin of his. "Most of you know me, but for those who don't, I'm Sora." There were a few chuckles at him omitting the title of Master from his introduction. "Paopu Academy was founded to train new Keyblade Wielders to fight both Heartless and the forces of Darkness. The Keyblade Wielder's job is to maintain the balance of Light and Dark in the worlds," Sora began, growing serious. "But beyond that, we are what tie the Destiny of the worlds together. That's actually where the name of the school comes from.

"The Paopu fruit comes from Kairi, Riku, and my home world, Destiny Islands. It is said that when two people share a Paopu fruit, their destinies become intertwined, forever. We are the Paopu fruits of the worlds: shared among them, and connecting their destinies. And it is those destinies that we must protect. Although we aren't currently facing a crisis, you all know how quickly the tide can change. And we'll make sure you all are prepared. So, again, welcome," Sora finished. The students clapped politely, and Sora couldn't help but smile. "Xion, Kairi, and Naminé will show the first years to their temporary rooms until they receive their team assignments," he said. The three women he named stood, heading towards the door. "And the older students are free to explore the castle and town for the rest of the night. Just remember that the Cavern of Remembrance is off limit-" he looked pointedly at the group of nine sitting in the back, "-as is the area beyond the town. Classes start Monday. Good luck!"

"The Cavern of Remembrance?" Hazel asked as the students around her began to rise from their seats, only to find her neighbor, Miles already gone.

"And extremely dangerous cavern, with the entrance just outside the castle," another voice answered. Hazel jumped slightly, turning towards the new voice, only to find Bion standing behind her. He smirked. "I overheard the Masters say that they're going to use it for the Mark of Mastery exam."

"Oh. Y-you're one of those Legends, right?" Hazel asked, surprised he was actually talking to her. Bion laughed.

"You can say that. You might want to hurry though. You're a first year, right?" he asked, motioning over his shoulder with his thumb. Hazel glanced around him, only to see the group of first years moving out of the Audience Chamber.

"Eep! Bye!" she called, darting after them. Bion chuckled at that before continuing towards the front, wanting to talk to his original Master, Terra.

…

A/N: Alright, here you go! Another update. Like I said, not much was changed. I had to switch Aila out (I'm really sorry DeathTheManiac) for a different OC, and tweaked the descriptions, but I kept Hazel in all her glory, since she seemed REALLY popular with the readers.

Miles belongs to Watch Me Whipped Cream

Kaya belongs to Wolfiered23

All others belong to me