There have been so many people following/favoriting this story since KH3 came out!

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Kingdom Hearts © to Disney and Square Enix!

All OCs but those listed in the footnotes © to me!

Chapter 3

"Who needs school!? You can teach me!"

Xehanort, now twelve-years-old, smirked as his friend stared at him, her emerald eyes sparkling under her purple hair. A laugh escaped the boy's lips. "You would get bored of me sooner or later."

"Never."

Giggled trickled in from the library doorway. "Xehanort and Venus sitting in a tree!"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Shut up!" Xehanort jumped up, shaking a book at the little silver-haired twins in the doorway who skittered away, giggling. "They're such jerks…"

Venus laughed. "They're just jealous, Xay."

"I guess so." Xehanort sat down. "Where were we?"

"Math."

The boy looked at the book before sighing. "You know, I want to go to school, like you and my sisters do."

"Why? It's boring and you're so much smarter than everyone else."

"I want friends." Xehanort snapped. "I have you, and you're the best friend I could ever have, but I don't know any other kids my age. I spend all my days inside, studying for hours… alone. My sisters get to go to school. They have friends. I'm alone because I'm the heir to the Himitsu fortune."

He let out a long groan, only for his friend to wrap her arms around him. "I'm sorry, Xay."

They sat like that for a long time, the silence only broken by Xehanort's sniffling sobs.

"Venus!" The two parted, Xehanort wiping his eyes as his mother stepped into the room. "Your father is waiting on you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Himitsu." The girl packed her things and left.

Undine watched the girl go before turning to her son. "Xehanort, what's wrong?"

"I want to go to school. I want to make more friends."

"Oh, baby," the mother saw the tear stains on his cheeks, so she knelt down and hugged him, "I'm sorry. Your father thinks it's for the best, and I don't think I could say anything to change his mind. But, what if I help you create some friends for you and Venus to play with?"

"You can do that?"

Undine stood up, pulling Xehanort with her. "Go to your room, and I will meet you there."

The little boy watched his mother go before walking up to his small room. His mother came up a little bit later, with two books: a notebook and a sketchbook. "Here." She handed him the notebook. "Let's make up some friends." Her voice lowered. "They could be Keyblade wielders if you want. Maybe you could write a book about them for when your father is gone, that you can publish. Don't worry, I won't tell your father"

"Huh?" Xehanort stared at his mother as she winked. His expression faded into a grin. "Yeah! But, where do I start?"

Undine began flipping through her sketchbook, "How about with a character I started making. A selkie(1) named Sonder." She showed her son an unfinished drawing of a woman with rubbery legs, dun gray-gold hair, bluish-gray eyes, dressed in soft floral clothing.

Xehanort's eyes flashed with excitement. "Yeah! She could be from another world where the ocean is small and she is some of the few selkie's left." The two laughed as they spent their evening building characters for this new story, and soon Xehanort had a host of new friends.

"Wow!" Venus looked through the sketches. "What are you going to do with all these characters?"

"I'm going to make a book about us. You and I are going to fight with them. They'll be our friends as we travel around the many worlds." He pointed to the selkie. "Sonder doesn't like humans, but she comes with us to save her people, and we become friends." He pointed to an armored human with dark red hair and green eyes. "Guinevere is a famous swordswoman who has decided to hunt down the man who killed her brother." He pointed to a girl in robes with blonde hair and brown eyes. "Jenny is stern and always argues with the rest of us, but she is the powerful mage." He pointed to a girl with dark greenish skin with brown eyes, black hair, and dressed in armor. "This is Leo. She is Jenny's bodyguard and the two of them make a powerful team." He pointed to an alien creature with gray skin and black eyes, and a human with brown hair, green eyes, and fancy clothes. "This is Ard and his adopted brother Luceran. They are world fighters and we keep running into them all over the place. They don't want to work with us, but they still help(2)."

Venus giggled. "That's wonderful! I can't wait to read it!"

"Xehanort!" Cathel called from downstairs.

"Be right back, Vee." The boy hurried downstairs to where his father sat, looking over notes from the company. "Father?"

Cathel looked up, smiling, obviously in a good mood. "Ah, there you are, son. Your mother was talking to me earlier. She said you were feeling lonely and wanted to attend school."

"Yes, sir."

"You know why I don't want you at school, but I can understand you being lonely. I do not think school is the best fit for you, but I do have an opportunity which will allow you to meet people and will give you better experience than school ever would. Does that sound like a good arrangement?"

Xehanort nodded, allowing a small smile to slip out. Maybe, his father would listen to him this time. "I would be alright with that, I think."

"Good, be ready in the morning."

"Yes, sir."

"Father…"

"You wanted experience?" Cathel took his son by the hand, smiling, obviously happy.

Xehanort looked up at the sign for the Himitsu Shipping Company. This was not what he had in mind. As they walked in, workers stared at the boy. They walked up above the factory floor to the main office.

Xehanort sat in a chair as his father handed him a notebook and pencil. "What's this for?"

"This company will be yours someday, and I want you to understand how it works. Take notes on things that you see and do not understand. After supper tonight, I will answer your questions."

So, Xehanort watched, taking notes and scribbling little phrases along the margins when he got bored… or rather his actual notes filled the margins. His father wasn't staring over his shoulder, so the boy could write his story. He, Venus, Sonder, Guinevere, Jenny, Leo, Ard, and Luceran danced across the pages on an adventure of epic proportions. A fight against the evil dictator… still didn't have a name for the bad guy yet…

He might have a lot of time, if his dad's job was boring.

And it was.

Painfully.

Deathly.

Boring.

Luckily, he had all the time in the world to craft his story. He'd have to share the story with his mother when he got home. Venus too.

He crafted a world of beauty, full of mountains with a large lake in the middle. A castle sat on the hill overlooking it all. He called it Terra Profectionem(3).

"Mr. Himitsu," the door opened and a man stepped inside, "Mr. Shita(4) from the worker's union is here."

"Send him in." The man left, leaving the father and son alone once more. "Son," Cathel spoke sharply, catching Xehanort's attention, "this is a lesson for you. Remember this for the rest of your life… If you know what is best for people then do it. No matter who or what gets in your way, you do it because you know what's best. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Father."

…

This lesson, no matter how hard he tried to block out memories of his father, this lesson would stay with Xehanort for the rest of his life.

…

Mr. Shita came in, attempting to keep a determined face, but a glimmer of fear filled his eyes. "Mr. Himitsu, I have come to talk about the work conditions."

"We have discussed this Mr. Shita." Cathel never looked up from his work. "The conditions state that over half the workers must file a complaint to you."

"I have been unable to get half the workers because they are afraid of you, or somehow they get an extra check if they don't help me."

"That is your problem, not mine."

Ow. Brutal.

Xehanort couldn't help but cringe slightly. His father wasn't a cruel man, but he was practical and took no nonsense from anyone, including his workers. The union leader left, leaving the two of them alone again.

As the day drifted on, Xehanort turned to stare out the window and across the sea. "Father, I have a question."

"Yes, son?"

"Did you ever wonder what is beyond the ocean?"

Cathel set down his pen, a far look in his eyes. "I did. Actually, I think we all do at one time. I know my mother tells stories, and as a child I enjoyed them too. But, as we are the Himitsu family and we have a reputation to uphold, we cannot do certain things as it could tarnish our reputation. The stories are nice, I admit, but sooner or later I had to grow up, and you will too."

'I don't want to.'

That's what Xehanort wanted to say.

But he couldn't.

He clutched his notebook to his chest, holding the stories that poured from his heart close.

"So, what does lie beyond the ocean?"

"Nothing," Cathel sighed, "there's nothing but an island. An island of cat-people called Miqo'te(5). They mainly keep to themselves, but we do have some trade with them."

Cat people… now that would make a cool world to visit.

Maybe he could convince his father to let him visit that island…

Maybe.

It would just take some convincing and the right wording to make it work.

Too easy.

"How did you manage this?" Venus threw a bag over her shoulder.

"Easy," Xehanort grinned, "I just told my father that I wanted to go visit the Miqo'te in order to understand them better for business purposes. He believed me."

The two children giggled as they approached the docks. His father had sent a message ahead so the ship captain that was to take them to the island of Shitai'paki.

A man stood on the docks, looking around. He certainly stood out with his black cat ears and tail. His green eyes noticed the children and smiled. "So, you must be Xehanort and Venus."

"Yes sir."

"I am Captain L'shid. I have been tasked to take you to my home."

Xehanort smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you, Captain."

"My daughter is on board," L'shid pointed, "she'll show you around while I finish loading the cargo."

The children climbed onto the boat, only to be met by a Miqo'te girl with gray ears and tail. "Hello, I'm L'aleks."

"I'm Xehanort, and this is my friend, Venus."

L'aleks showed the two children around the small boat as her father loaded cargo on the ship. When the ship pulled away from the shore, the children found themselves transfixed by how quickly and amazingly the two Miqo'te leapt around the ship, tying down the sails, pulling on ropes.

"Um," Xehanort piped up, "can you show us how to do that?"

L'shid smiled at the boy. "You really want to learn? Not to be rude, but I thought you to be only the academic."

"I want to learn everything."

"Then, come on, boy. I'll show you how to pilot this vessel."

I hoped you like this!

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Footnotes:

(1) A mythical creature that resembles a seal in the water but assumes human form on land

(2) These OCs were created by friends of mine. Sonder was created by Fairyhaven13. Guinevere was made by Valkyrie. Jenny was made by Shire Folk. Leo, Ard, and Luceran was made by liesles.

(3) I'll let you do the translating.

(4) Shita means "under, below".

(5) In my universe, the Miqo'te are a solitary species on the islands that don't interact with humans very often.

VAs:

Young Laura and Lorna- Tara Strong (Twilight Sparkle, Raven, Timmy Turner)

Romans 12:9

"Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good."