Before Ya Read Note: PART TWO! Yes, after the fun time of getting to see Zierra and Sora bump heads (fun to write, too), we get down to business (Aww...). Now you get to learn on what the fuck I meant with the chapter's title. >:D Try not to get lost.

Chapter 5: Part Two: Real Reason Revealed

In the 'Woods of Woe'

"Oh, sorry. Hello, Naminé, I didn't realize you were that acute with what was going on."

The frail, transparent figure of Naminé materialized before Kairi. Sora looked up, startled and even Riku looked slightly puzzled. Kairi nearly fell from jumping.

"That's ok," Replied Naminé cheerily and a bit more audible, "I was surprised you even heard me…people rarely do…." She trailed off, as if lost in old memories, "It's been a long time since we've last met, hasn't it?" She added, sparking up a conversation.

"Yes, it has." Replied Zierra, thinking back, "I haven't seen you since Larx told me she was taking you to a room to stay in—I didn't realize until it was too late that, you were in Castle Oblivion." A sad, mournful expression crossed her demonic features, making her seem human, if not, a bit angelic… "And if I revealed myself to the other nobodies, they'd probably grow even more restless and confused and probably start a war—"

"Wait." Said Kairi, looking quite bewildered. "Zierra, you know Naminé? And Naminé, you know Zierra?"

"Of course," Replied Naminé, as if everyone knew that, "After you got your heart back, Organization 13 didn't get me right then. I stayed with Zierra…at her castle. She told me about the balance and who I was—what I was. And she told me how she wanted me to stay at her castle because she thought I had great potential in magic and was different from the other nobodies."

Zierra nodded. "And I still do. You've become highly skilled with magic. However, I hadn't realized until later that one of the members of Organization 13—before Roxas joined—had mind-washed one of the Sorceresses." Zierra paused to see if Kairi knew what she was talking about. She did, and Zierra had to suppose that Riku and Sora had already filled her in, "The Sorceress was Shikara, fourth ranking. So after a magic lesson, Shikara, instead of taking Naminé to her room, gave her to the Organization 13 for whatever schemes they wanted to use her for. The member only introduced Naminé…luckily we tracked him down and killed him before he could do any more damage then he already had. And if any members of Organization 13 that were there when it happened were still living, they'd be able to tell you about the 'Mad Killer' who came in and murdered one of their members…but it was for the safety of everyone. If Heartlin hadn't—one of the Sorceresses—murdered him, then the Organization members would've been so shocked and confused, there's no doubt that they would've made chaos and started a war."

"Yes," Began Naminé, "but for a long time, even I couldn't even remember who Zierra was. Even now, I barely remember any of the lessons I had or how I learned my magic, or even the castle that I stayed at. And all I remember from the Sorceresses are Zierra, Larx, Fariska, Shikara and Heartlin."

"I don't think you ever met the other four—Nyxx; Myteki, who replaced Larx the person who brain-washed Shikara; and Corien." Zierra then added softly: "It was lucky you came before Organization 13 realized there were only 12 members, right Roxas?"

Just as Naminé had materialized, so did Roxas in front of Sora. The attention turned to the faint, but visible nonetheless, figure of Sora's shadow/nobody.

"Yeah, I s'pose so." Replied Roxas, sheepishly shrugging, "I just learnt about it a few days ago from Naminé, though, so I don't really know much about it and haven't really made up theories and stuff…"

It took a lot of self-control to keep Zierra from rolling her eyes. Remember, he's SORA's nobody, what did you expect?

"Well…now that you're here Zierra…. what do you suggest us to do?" Asked Naminé softly, who had either moved closer to Roxas or Roxas closer to her. Zierra resisted the temptation of saying 'Aww….'

"Get old rat-ears, I guess." She gave a sheepish shrug, in a mock imitation of Roxas who gave Zierra a playful frown as Naminé and Kairi laughed.

"I take 'rat-ears'…to be Mickey?" Inquired Naminé, after the laughter had subsided, all the while Riku seemed lost in his own thoughts and Sora seemed to view it all from afar and uncharacteristically cold.

"Who else has ears that are as big as his head?" Kidded Zierra, a smile on her face. Kairi fell silent while Roxas, used to this cruel humor from Organization 13 laughed and Naminé gave the beginning of a smile on her innocent features.

"What about those Sorceress people, though?" Asked Riku, once again unexpectedly. "Won't they try to…well…not to be harsh, but hunt you down?"

Zierra glanced up at him, as did everyone else. It had been one of the few things he had said—which was quite out of character for him, every since he had found out the reason why Zierra had been forced out of darkness. Time seemed to freeze as it took a few moments for Zierra to find her voice…

(Kairi-)
"They will. It isn't a prediction or a promise; it's a fact." Her voice lacked its usual charm and satiric, musical quality. The atmosphere once again took an unpleasant churn, or at least for Kairi it had. She frowned a little, as she looked from Riku to Zierra. She had known Riku since she had came to Destiny Islands, and had been friends with him and Sora since then. She had known from nearly the minute she had seen him something was wrong—but it still didn't make much sense. Why was he acting so quiet—so withdrawn and only asking these kinds of questions?

The idea that Zierra may be arousing the darkness in him discomforted her. It had been hard knowing that one of her friends had been battling darkness when Riku had been in Castle Oblivion, and that Sora had to fight against a replica that looked like Riku. They were such good friends; Kairi wondered when Sora had become so bold….

Sora. That was a days worth of talking there. But, it had greatly intimidated her by seeing Sora ignite so quickly with Zierra, and if they were off to search for King Mickey—Kairi secretly groaned to herself. Riku and she would never survive with those two.

"I'm afraid, that losing me was like when darkness lost you and Roxas, Riku." Kairi barely registered Zierra's voice, "If not, worse." The dark-haired girl paused.

At first, Kairi had almost been optimistic of Zierra. She couldn't believe anyone could be as demonic as Sora described her (Riku occasionally amending particularly irrational criticism). However, after seeing her snappy retorts, Kairi believed Sora…. now she wasn't sure. Her appearance wasn't helping whether or not she should trust her, either. With that radiant, shock-blue that nearly matched Riku's, it seemed to stun you from thinking clearly and you could only think of the complete awe of its pure intensity; or maybe they just looked so stunning from her dark-red lips. Her face, for the most part, looked delicate yet something not to be messed with…like a rose—beautiful but deadly. Her skin itself had a soft allure to it, but for the most part appeared porcelain from it's fairness, or perhaps it just looked paler because she was so used to seeing tan faces on Destiny Islands. Zierra's hair had a clear, healthy sheen to it, yet they were as dark as pupils and the night sky mixed together and cut off at her shoulder blade like razor-sharp daggers or perhaps jagged shards of ice. They also framed her face and often overshadowed her eyes so that all you could see were the electric blue iris with dark holes in the center that seemed to go on forever just as the darkness did. The only thing sharper then her strangled hair and facial features were her retorts. But aside from her almost devilish face and deathly pale skin, she looked…well…normal, if not, nice. She had apparently changed out of whatever Sora had described her wearing earlier, because now she had low-cut, halter, black shirt with a pattern of swirled roses in the lower right hand corner that extended upwards as well as to the left. Rather standing out from the black, a pair of dark blue but ironically faded jeans hugged her toned thigh, and gradually loosened the lower it went down her leg. Just peeking out from beneath the tattered end of her jeans that touch the ground, is a pair of sleek black shoes with light titanium for the soles.

"You see, I have done many advances." Added Zierra, she bowed her head, as if thinking whether or not she should tell them something… "The Heartless…were my creation."

"That's not true!" Snapped Sora at once.

"Yeah," Said Riku on a far milder note, "Ansem the Wise made them….he told us so." Zierra smiled.

"Yes…. that was what you were told. But that's not really what happened. Ansem the Wise/Diz…. he didn't 'make' the Heartless. Heartless…have always existed. But, they were 'my creation' because before then, Heartless were all in one world—The Void of Abyss. There, those on the Shadow Alliance kept the Heartless…out of the workings of other worlds." Zierra paused again. Kairi could tell Zierra was finding it difficult to admit her own mistakes, "But I…" She sighed. "Whatever the reason Ansem the Wise gave you on why he became so obsessed with hearts…is a lie. I modified his memory to think that. What really happened, was he had just suffered the lost of a loved one—his wife. It had been partially been my fault for I had accidentally done something…. Anyways, the lost was so devastating, he became obsessed not with hearts, but trying to find a way to bring her back since her dying wish had been for him to live…even if she wasn't with him. So, instead, he became obsessed with trying to find a way to bring her back. He loved her so much—he was so dedicated and devoted to her, that he would try his best to let them live until the end of their natural lives together." Zierra, by now, seemed lost in memories. She had turned away from the five of them—Kairi, Sora, Roxas, Naminé, and Riku. The world seemed to have stopped as everyone listened intently to her words.

"Because I felt as if it were my fault for his despair, I kept a close watch on him. Slowly, I tried to show him that the only possible way to get her back was so somehow get a heart to almost substitute for the one she lost—"

"Wait, so we can return people to life if we figure out how to harness the power of Kingdom Hearts?" Asked Roxas. Zierra turned back around, and gave him a sorrowful look.

"I know what you're thinking of, Roxas. And no, Axel didn't die how Ansem the Wise's wife did…. She lost her heart, rather, but because she still hasn't returned, and her nobody is also gone, I call her dead." Zierra sighed, and turned back around, "Anyways, and so, I tried to show him how he could get her back. And, in about a week he caught on. Only one thing…there was nothing that could gather hearts…and he didn't want to murder. All seemed lost. Then I remembered—the Heartless. That was their purpose, which was why they had been made in case the Shadow Alliance ever need hearts… And so…because I had been so foolishly naïve back then…I gave him about ten. They multiplied, as all Heartless do, almost as soon as they came under Ansem the Wise's control. By then, it was too late. Already all of the worlds were doomed…." Zierra sighed once again to herself, "If I only I hadn't been so stupid….falling right into their trap…."

"Whose trap?" Spoke up Kairi, puzzled.

"The Shadow Alliance. They are, as you probably guessed, an Alliance, supposively allies of the Sorceresses. However, both parties betray and use each other for things they need. At the time, the Shadow Alliance had wanted to unleash Heartless to lure more Keyblade wielders other then me. But the Sorceresses objected and said that I was enough and they didn't need to handle more. But, they got more because of me and my stupid action….but…I just couldn't help it. Seeing him so depressed…and it was all my fault…"

"But that still doesn't explain why you modified his memory." Observed Riku.

"It was because…." Zierra sighed but again. "He did it for his love. And this was what the product was—the doom of all other worlds. And it was his fault…. he had disgraced his wife's name." Zierra turned around, her shocking blue eyes taking Kairi's breath away, "Could you live yourself knowing that the person you had loved—the person who you'd give your life for, was suddenly in disgrace because of you? So…I changed his memory. I don't even remember what I changed it to, but I know I did. So…in a way, his life was full of lies. Because of me. And because of me…well, that's really why you're in this mess." Zierra turned back around, and looked up at the trees, "Maybe this is my punishment for being so stupid… Having to clean up the mess, I made, right?"

Kairi felt words stuck in her throat. She glanced around and everyone else had their mouths open…. but didn't know what to say. They now knew the real reason for Heartless…and it had been Zierra's fault. Yet, somehow in a twisted way, it'd been for a rather noble cause…. Kairi's head slightly spun. She wasn't used to having such complex circumstances and didn't know quite how to rationalize whether it was good or bad. Looking to the others for support, she gave up for they too still seemed dazed. She looked back up to the slightly taller then she was Zierra.

"Anyways, we'd better start off towards Mickey…. Naminé—Roxas? Are you guys going to travel with us or just appear when we get to camp?"

The mystique and murky atmosphere shifted once again to a more sober one. Kairi shook her head slightly, as if she were remembering a bad dream.

"Hmm…maybe I'll tag along for a while…." Debated Naminé, hesitantly.

"Yeah. I'll probably walk with you guys for a while…I want to ask som 'more questions." Said Roxas, airily.

Zierra turned back to Naminé, waiting for her final decision. The blond nodded to signal that she wanted to come.

"Well, that's settled then, I suppose." Kairi noticed that Zierra still hadn't fully gotten out of her sober mood, although a hint of her witty side shone through.

With that, the dark-haired girl set off, at a rather brisk pace, towards the darkening sky, her hair billowing behind her slightly in the wind. Kairi set off behind Zierra, the closest person to her being Sora who seemed confused and looked at Zierra with an expression of mingled emotion. On the far left and slightly in front of them, Riku trailed aimlessly behind although seemed to be stealing looks at Zierra. Behind Sora and her and slightly to the right, Roxas and Naminé walked the slowest. Roxas, Kairi presumed, was letting Zierra regain composure before firing off questions most likely about Nobodies or Axel.

So, this is now our group. Thought Kairi to herself, Off to save the world again. Only this time, I'm not some damsel in distress. This time, I'm going to help.

Meanwhile….

At the 'Dark Domicile'

Tempers flared and sparked around the conference room's table. Many members of the Shadow Alliance had come to the Sorceresses's domain in light of the departure of Zierra.

"So...Zierrahas for certainleft?" Clarified a hooded figure, the voice willowy soft.

"Finally. I was beginning to lose faith in Ryleik's prediction." Commented the tall, skinny, brown-haired Rom after Fariska snarled for the hundredth time 'yes'.

"The slut. Running after some other boy—" Rasped Takanna, an elderly, elite member of the Shadow Alliance who had seen this before.

"Rather ran out of her home." Snapped Lukas, who was the same rank as Rom.

"It's a pity she won't find a happy ending…even with whoever her lover is…" Smirked Cierus, "Now that she's gone, we can finally capture that d-mn Kairi girl."

A bitter laugh arose from Nyxx, "Yes. Finally, the young Princess gets to tangle with the big bad Sorceresses. And little Sora will finally meet the real plotters behind his horrible story."

"You better know what you're doing…I bet Zierra's expecting it." Warned Heartlin, the double agent of the bunch who had always been known never to under-estimate her opponent.

Takanna let out a papery cackle:

"I doubt even Zierra knows what she's now up against…"