Chapter 03
Several engagements set

I look shocked at this young girl, mostly over the fact that I never noticed her before and then suddenly, feel something within me unleash itself, going from my magical core to my heart and plucking some ancient magic from there that I can suddenly sense lying dormant, before – in several beams – shooting out of my back.
Everyone gasps at this and the beams – I quickly count them to be eight – shoot to the door, one of them heading straight for the blonde girl. I shout at her, wanting to protect her, but the beam simply fastens itself around her forehead and solidifies, turning into a golden band with a silver band in the middle and heavily engraved.
There are diamonds, pearls, crystals, rubies, emeralds and other gemstones going up and down in a v-shaped and upturned-v-shaped pattern and in-between this all kinds of signs and signatures engraved on the top and bottom of the golden band. I look shocked at how the band pulls back the girl's hair and makes her all the more beautiful.

I look at her shocked and Snape asks: "Are you alright, Mss. Greengrass?" And for some reason do I get the feeling that the name Greengrass fits this beautiful girl like a glove, while still bringing shame to how beautiful she actually is and she says: "Yes Professor, I think it's just the engagement magic settling in."
And I ask: "Engagement magic?" The girl smiles at me, showing me a sweet and soft kindness I had not expected of her and she says: "My father told me that, when you were born, he approached your mother and that he told her of how she was of the Pendragon line and how he – and with that I – am of the Lancelot Line.
This is very important, because Lancelot was a loyal knight to King Arthur, but through a curse brought upon him and Guinevere, they betrayed him and slept together. Lancelot and Guinevere were arrested and locked away for treason, but King Arthur believed his tale of the curse and Lancelot swore to Arthur he would repay him.
He swore that his first female heir would marry the first male heir of Arthur and Arthur accepted this repayment of a depth of loyalty, but was unaware of the curse Morgana had placed upon his line. And thus, for hundreds of years, Arthur's line only produced female heirs and my family has been unable to repay the depth all this time."

I look at the girl shocked and she says: "My father told me this tale when I was eleven, a week before we left for Hogwarts and when I saw you, I decided I would wait and see how this would turn out. Over the years, I've been waiting for you to wonder about your family line, but I swore myself I would give you all the time you needed."
She then smiles at me and says: "After all, even the Boy-Who-Lived deserves the chance to have crushes and grow up as a regular teenage lad, don't you think?" And I nod, while in my heart I can barely believe how brilliant this young girl is – for her to accept that I want to be a regular boy even with my title and fame.
I smile at her and she asks: "So, next Hogsmeade weekend?" And I blush as I say: "Eh – sure, just – don't expect too much. I'm – well – kind of horrible with dates – and dating girls for that fact." Daphne laughs softly, making me smile at her and Malfoy says: "Never thought I'd see you laugh, Greengrass."

And the girl turns stern, making my smile disappear and making me want to make her smile again as she says: "Just because I wanted for my fiancé to have a regular childhood doesn't mean I would allow myself the same. I am his wife to be and I have sworn my loyalty to him. Not just as my king, but as my friend and fiancé."

This makes me smile at her, amazed at how loyal this girl can be to someone she doesn't even know and I say: "Thank you very much, Daphne. I promise I'll try to reward your loyalty to me the best I can." The girl smiles at me and I hear Malfoy whisper: "Grab her hand and kiss the back of it. It shows your good heart and manners."
I nod and walk over to the girl, doing as Malfoy said and bowing as I do so. The girl smiles again, making me feel warm and proud of myself and then Snape asks: "Mss. Greengrass, did your father perhaps take the Potter Curse into account when he told Lily of this situation between your two family lines and their history?"
And the girl gasps as she says: "No – no he did not. We completely forgot about that." She then looks at me and I see her sadness and regret shine in her eyes, turning the sapphire color into a dull blue and I grab her hand again as I say: "Don't worry, I'm sure my ancient magic just solved that problem when it shot off all those lights."
And the girl smiles as she says: "You're right, those other lights must have send the same circlets to your other partners." She then tilts her head and asks: "But why send off seven others?" And I shake my head and say: "I don't know. I know I have 5 lines to present a male heir to, but why there were 8 beams of light, I don't understand either."

And looking at my friends, I can tell that they are as clueless to this as I am, before Snape sighs and says: "My guess is that our king is of Neutral Nature, making have a need for both a Submissive as well as a Dominant mate." I nod, not too sure if I fully understand and tentatively ask: "Do you really think so, professor?"
The man nods and says: "Yes, Mr. Potter, as I am a Neutral myself, I feel as if that could very well be the most logical reason for the 7 lights we just saw shoot out of my office." And Neville says: "And up into the night sky." And we all see him standing at the window. We run over and I see the beams disappear high above Hogwarts, into the stars.

Lea's POV

It's been a quiet and peaceful year, something I am very grateful for seeing the last decade. Last year on Halloween Sora and Riku took their Mark of Mastery exam and I was finally allowed to return back to my natural human self after spending 11 years as a Heartless and Nobody. I returned along with many other members of Organization 13.
With this return of human form also came the return of Master Xehanort, who wanted the X-blade and for a new Keyblade War to erupt, only for him to come out the victor and create the many worlds we have in our Universe to his will, regardless of the happiness and peace that many of the worlds currently experienced.
Sora and Riku were supposed to be used for Master Xehanort's plan of forging the X-blade, but my return and my promise – as the Nobody Axel – to Roxas that I would always be there to bring him back helped me stop the man just when he was about to complete his plan, to the agitation of my old ex-friend Isa.
Isa had given his heart and soul up for that of Xehanort and was now a Human Nobody, being told mentally what to do by the man controlling his soul. He had attacked me when I had saved Sora from suffering the same fate and with that our friendship, a friendship we had had since our birth, had been officially over.
Xehanort had then retreated and it had taken Riku and Sora a few days before they admitted that this experience had made them fall head over heels for each other, even if it was obvious to me that they had fallen for each other much sooner than this. It had been Riku who had confessed his love and Sora had happily responded.

I shake my head as I know darn well that the kiss the two boys had shared still makes Riku's toes curl when he thinks back on it, but then sigh as I remember master Xehanort's dumbest – and one of his final – moves. He had kidnapped Riku on Valentine's day of all days and had cursed his Keyblade to fill Riku with darkness every time he summoned it.
Sora had been furious and outraged when he had seen his boyfriend look defeated and worn-out, even if the Organization had not touched or hurt him in anyway other than knock him out while kidnapping him and sending him back and the defeated form of his boyfriend had urged Sora into a revenge that ended the Organization for good.

He had unleashed the powers and souls of Terra, Aqua, Ventus, Roxas, Axel and Xion and had used their powers to unleash the Twilight Wings of Fate upon the Organization, eradicating its 12 members and returning his six friends back into human forms. This had been the end of the Organization and the start of a Twilight Universe.
I smile as this had happened months ago and now Roxas and Axel, Xion and Kairi and Sora and Riku were all happily dating, Kairi and Xion here in Radiant Garden, Riku and Sora in Destiny Islands and Axel and Roxas in Twilight Town, where Axel often had to suppress his jealousy because of the close bond between Roxas and Hayner.

Roxas had explained to Hayner and his gang that he and the gang were the best of friends in the virtual world and the three had been more than willing to give that same friendship a chance, a chance that quickly changed into a friendship closer than the one between Roxas and the virtual versions of the same gang.
Roxas had been feeling bumped that his friends had school and thus didn't have the same time for him as they had had during the summer he had spend in the virtual world, but he and Axel had happily moved into the same house as the one he occupied in the virtual world, a house that – shockingly enough – had been empty for years.

I nod to myself and think: "Life has certainly been looking up the last few months." But then see four lights coming from the sky and while one of the beams splits from the other three and heads for Merlin's house, do the other three head for my location, splitting into three separate beams, of which one still heads my way.
I see it slowing down the closer it gets and wonder if this is a new way for Master Yen Sid to call on me, but then the beam wraps itself around my head and I feel the light turning into metal – or better into gold and silver. Touching the now solid band on my head, I feel all kinds of stones set in a certain pattern and words engraved on the band.
I then look around and see Even and Ienzo running over, both of them wearing the same band as I must be wearing and Evan says: "Oh good, you're wearing one too. Ienzo and I were already wondering why we got these, while there seemed to be no circlets send to Dilan or Aeleus. I do wonder what they're meant for."
I shrug and see Aerith coming our way, having run and making me realize she must have been at Merlin's house as she now too carries one of the circlets. She stops at my left and Ienzo asks: "Why the four of us? What are these bands?" And Aerith says: "I don't know, but I did see another three pass our world."

Terra's POV

It's been a couple of months since the Organization was defeated, Master Xehanort had been banished from my body and I had been able to be with my friends again, yet – my time locked inside my own body with my heart in that of Sora, so close yet so far away from my friends had made me realize something I never expected.
As I kept thinking of Aqua and Ventus, who's hearts were also inside Sora, I could only imagine Aqua's amazing blue hair, Ventus' small face and frame, the way Aqua's two belts cross each other over her chest, how Ventus' hair would move up on the right of his head, but down to frame his face on the left.
And all these thoughts, all these memories of my friends and their finest aspects, not only kept my body and soul alive inside Xehanort, but also strengthened me as I slowly but surely fell in love. Yet, it's now been a few months and I have yet to confess to how I feel as I just don't want to ruin the friendship I just found back in my life.

I had of course, out of instinct, made a few moves – I know I will drive myself nuts if I hadn't – yet Aqua seems to think they are just brotherly signs of affection and Ventus seems too young and naïve to realize how I am coming onto him romantically. This is something my heart weeps over, but that I gratefully accept.
Currently I am swinging my Keyblade in fast circles, causing a soft wind to blow my and Ventus' way as he reads a book, while we both sit under a large conifers tree, stationed just a few cliffs below the stone bench where we all met the night before my and Aqua's Mark of Mastery exams, exams that started the mess of the last decade.
I happily accept the cool breeze as Aqua had easily been able to change Castle Oblivion back into The Land of Departure, which had really shocked Riku and Sora as the two had apparently been through some very heavy stuff here while it was still Castle Oblivion, but as the Land of Departure, the greens and flora were brilliant as ever.

Suddenly I notice Ventus' head dropping my way and glancing at him from the corner of my eye, I feel shocked as the blonde lad has apparently fallen asleep thanks to the easy reading, shaded sun and soft breeze caused by my Keyblade. Looking at the closed eyelids and the cute, feminine yet manly face, I have to bite my lip in restraint.
Restraint not to take advantage of my slumbering love and instead of doing so, do I softly, carefully, move Ventus from leaning on my shoulder to lying his head on my lap – far away from my hips. The lad slightly murmurs and I fear for him waking, but then he lies his hand on my knees, pulls in his own legs and sleeps on.

I smile, feeling happier than I have in a long while and while I change the position of my Keyblade, do I keep the wind blowing on his face softly, pushing his hair back and yet the wind seems unable to blow that up-turned curl out of his hair that I love so much. Sighing, I slightly give into my emotions and softly pet the curl.
The hair whips back up every time my hand leaves the soft threads and I smile, happy that Ventus trusts me this much and even happier with the fact that we – in a way – can be together again, even if just as friends. Then suddenly the voice of a – to me – female goddess speaks and says: "My, my, isn't he just adorable?"

And Aqua joins us, sitting on my right and leaning her head back against the tree, sighing and closing her eyes, causing the darkness of her dark blue eye lashes to come in even sharper contrast with the white color of her tan even more than normally and she says: "This sure is a lovely place to just enjoy our new lives, isn't it?"
And I nod, not really understanding what she means, but just glad that I can be there for the two people my heart has been dedicated to so long ago. She then looks up, her eyes sparkling like they always do whenever she thinks of something concerning friends and she says: "I just still cannot believe it."

But this spurs my interest and I ask: "Cannot believe what?" And she says: "That the two young boys we both met so long ago and that young girl I met in Radiant Garden are actually the ones that saved us. That saved our entire world." To this I nod, as I myself needed some time to realize this myself after hearing their tale.
It had been a few hours after Sora had unleashed our hearts and used the bodies of the Organization to give us back our bodies and Sora had just brought us all to Master Yen Sid, to who we had bowed and who had expressed his intense relief at seeing us back safe and sound, before profoundly thanking Sora and Riku for our return.
This had caused my confusion, which had been at the tip of my tongue since I realized I had a body and that Sora – the young boy I met so long ago – stand in the middle of the circle of chairs we were sitting on, to burst and Ventus, Aqua and I had spend over three hours listening to the tale of Sora and Riku and their journeys.

The fact that Master Xehanort had used them like he had, first Riku through his Heartless and then Sora and his Keyblade through his Nobody, had infuriated us all, but Riku had calmed us down by expressing how that had been what made the two fall for each other, the very love that led to our eventual return to human bodies.
We had, all three of us, been glad that the two were even closer than they had been when we met them, but it had still taken us some time – and Aqua changing Castle Oblivion back into The Land of Departure – before we had fully grasped the fact that the two young boys we had met so long ago, were the Keyblade Masters that saved us.

I then sigh and say: "Well, at least my apprentice was able to achieve my goal." But then Aqua lies a hand on my leg, just above the spot where Ventus' head lies and she says: "Don't feel bad, Terra. That's the whole reason I'm here. Master Yen Sid called." This instantly tenses me up in worry and the woman laughs:
"Don't worry, he had good news. You passed, Terra. Master Yen Sid believed, that because you were able to hold your own and keep your body and mind active while under control of a Keyblade Master and Seeker of Darkness, you deserve the term Keyblade Master. Your suffering was the test that made you pass."

I can barely believe what I am hearing and think: "The only thing that could make this better is if –." But then the sun suddenly brightens enough to shine through the shades of the conifers leaves and Ventus groans as he wakes up, while Aqua looks away with her eyes closed and I hold my hand above my face to look at the cause.
Three small beams of light, each almost golden and silver colored and very small, shoot our way and seem to lessen in speed the closer they get to us. Instantly Aqua has her Keyblade ready and I grab mine with a firm hand, stopping the twirls and causing the wind to lie down as we prepare ourselves to defend our friend – and my secret crush.

But the lights are just too easy to hit when they are in front of us as they don't go faster than a mile a minute and I wonder if this is really an attack or a new way of people of other worlds to communicate with us. The beams then change shape and turn into circlets, one side of the band still open and one of them shoots around my head.
I grab it, but then feel the warmth of the light turning into some cold metal and I see the same happening to Ventus and Aqua, the first worrying me more than the second as Ventus is still slumbering slightly. The two beams turn into a set of golden bands with a silver band in between and jewels and words set into the gold.

I look at the bands in shock and ask: "What is this?" But neither of my friends has an answer, while the cold of the metal seems to have completely woken Ventus from his slumber. He lies a hand on his forehead and asks: "What is this? What am I wearing? And why are you wearing the same circlets?" But neither of us answers.