Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts does not belong to me, it's the property of Square Enix and Disney. No money has or will exchange hands. It was written purely for entertainment value.

Author Note: Re-edited March 2015. Mostly minor grammar and spelling issues fixed as well as a few other small changes.

Chapter 21

The town was almost a ruin compared to the last time she saw it and Aqua took a few minutes to let it all sink it. Walkways ran off into rubble, the town was maybe a quarter of the size she remembered and the Castle behind them looked like it was long abandoned. The flowers were gone and the courtyard had crumbled away down the side of a cliff. She was holding back the tears but only just.

"I don't think I've been here before," Xion said, turning around in a slow circle, her armour was gone - Aqua showed her how to store it- and the only sign of it was the two circlets on her wrists.

"I have, but it's changed," Aqua told her, voice tight and quiet.

Xion nodded and continued to look around her. "Are you going to the Castle?"

"Yes, it's the best way I can think of to look for answers, there's a huge library inside and if it's still standing then there has to be something there to explain what's happened."

"I'm going to stay in the town."

Aqua turned to look at her. "You don't want to come?" Xion shook her head.

"There are Heartless up there, hundreds of them and I can't fight them. I used to be able to but the power has gone. I'll stay here and find something better to wear. This coat's too recognisable." She looked as though she didn't understand most of the words she was saying - the truth continued to flow through her without permission. "I'll be here when you get back and I can ask the people who live here about what's happened."

Aqua nodded, it was sensible to leave her in the town but she was apprehensive about leaving the only friend she'd found in years, alone in a world she didn't know.

"Do you need munny?" she asked and when Xion nodded Aqua handed over some of what she had. "There's enough there for clothes, food and anything else you think we might need. I'll be back before night fall. Find an Inn if you can."

Xion nodded, pocketing the money.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" Aqua asked, wishing she had something she could leave with Xion.

"I have the armour, that'll protect me, right?"

Aqua nodded. "It will, but if you see any Heartless or Unversed then get somewhere safe."

"I'll be fine," Xion said, sounding more sure this time. "There are signs for shops that way, I'll meet you back here at sunset."

Aqua could only nod and watch as Xion headed away from her. She looked again at the ruin of a once beautiful castle and started towards it. She was glad of her glider when it became clear that the old route she had used was gone but the view from the air was even more upsetting.

"So many lives, so many worlds. What happened?" She asked out loud despite knowing there was no one there to answer her.

"Should we risk going into town?" Roxas asked, Aqua's location had been Radiant Garden for the last hour or so.

Axel shook his head. They had hidden their research corner again and were now stood towards the front lower doors of the library.

"No, she'll come here." He was leaning against a bookshelf with his arms and legs crossed loosely in front of him. "Think about it, she want's to find out what happened and she knows this world. She'll do what we did and come here. I'm sure of it."

Roxas, who was actually starting to pace, stopped for a moment in front of Axel.

"You do realise she's probably going to freak out when she see's me. I look exactly like her now dead friend."

"Yeah… I know, but I was hoping that would make her more willing to help us, given that you have almost all of his heart. She's more likely to trust us than try to kill us."

Roxas nodded, as sad as it was it would probably help.

"But I'm not him."

Axel smiled kindly at that. "I know, you are and always have been, Roxas. Things are just a little complicated that's all." He unfolded his arms and opened them to his friend, Roxas stood on either side of his crossed legs and leaned into him.

"I just don't want to mislead her," he said against Axel's chest.

"You won't - we're not going to lie to her Roxas, we'll tell her the truth and once she sees your Keyblades she'll understand that you're not the same - you saw the way Ventus held his."

"Still though, it might be best if you talk to her before she see's me."

Axel chuckled. "So that you can appear and save me when she comes at me with her Keyblade?"

"Yeah," Roxas said, as if it wasn't already obvious.

"Alright." He sighed and after a moment said. "You know this means I might have met Ventus when I was human? This was a Major world and Keyblade users and Masters visited for the library and supplies - at least according to the books."

Roxas moved back within his arms to see his face.

"But you don't remember?" Roxas asked and Axel shook his head.

"Starting to wish I did but no, I don't. And as I said, you're not him."

"True, but it's nice in a way."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, that part of us met before we were us, like meeting in a past life or something."

Axel couldn't help but smile, he could still remember Roxas' angry accusations when he had first discovered Ventus and this wasn't like that at all. He even seemed almost happy.

"What?" Roxas asked, scrunching his forehead together.

"Nothing," Axel told him, bending down and kissing him. Roxas hummed against his lips and pushed himself up on his toes. The position was awkward but he managed it and Axel slid his feet further along the floor to even their height difference.

Roxas started to laugh though and Axel pulled back in surprise.

"What?" he asked. "You've never complained before."

"It's just that if Aqua does walk in here and sees us both like this I don't think she'll be impressed."

Axel had to admit that was kind of funny. "It would lighten the mood though and catch her off guard." Roxas levelled a mocking glare at him. "Oh come on, we'll be able to hear her coming, the floors in the corridors echo when you walk on them and we've cleared out all the Heartless for at least the next few hours."

"Still though, if she walks in here to talk to you and you're all flustered…."

"Are you that worried about making a bad impression?" Axel asked, a little more serious.

Roxas shook his head slowly. "I think I'm just nervous."

"Then let me help you with that." Axel leaned in again, but slow enough that Roxas could stop him if he wanted to and kissed him. He kept it slow and soft and couldn't help the sigh that escaped him when one of Roxas' hands started to run through his hair. As eager as he was to meet Aqua, he wanted this to last for a while longer and he hoped she took her time getting to them.

Kairi loved being a mermaid, swimming and breathing under water - never needing to come up for air - it was brilliant. The purple tail and the white bra took a bit of getting used to and she missed her legs but knew that this was better and easier.

Sora was glad to be back until he realised that all of the Heartless were gone and that King Triton's power meant they wouldn't be coming back. He had actually seemed disappointed and looked almost horrified with the idea of helping to sing during a concert rehearsal.

Kairi and been more than happy to join in and eventually Sora had been too (she suspected he had just been too shy to sing in front of her to start with).

They had spend the morning practicing to swim and rehearsing and were now taking a break in the palace gardens. Ariel's father - King Triton had been welcoming of them all and had seemed insistent that Kairi make friends with his daughter. Kairi knew it was because he was concerned with Ariel's interest in the human world but so far she got the feeling it was just as dangerous under the sea as above it. She suspected it was more that he just didn't want to lose his daughter.

"So tell me, what's it like Kairi, being human?" Ariel asked her.

Kairi laughed. "It's hard to explain, you have to walk everywhere, can't just swim higher to get something…. for me I guess it's like what being a mermaid is to you - normal and ordinary. I hadn't thought about it until we were here."

Ariel nodded but sighed. "And you travel the worlds too? Sora said you're looking for your friend." Her hands were moving in slow circles at her sides and her tail swished from side to side. Kairi watched her in the hopes of being able to do the same thing, when she moved from the soft bed of sea flowers she was sat on and back out into the rest of the garden.

"Yes. We're looking for Riku. But there are other friends of ours out there in the worlds that we have to help too."

Ariel nodded, seeming to accept the answer before immediately asking another question. "Do you have a Keyblade too?"

Kairi smiled. "Yes."

"Can I see it?" Ariel asked, looking more and more excited by the minute.

"Sure." Kairi summoned it into her hand in a flash of light and Ariel clapped her hands.

"It's beautiful." She moved her hand towards it but stopped short of touching it. "May I?"

Kairi thought about it, no one had ever asked that before. She knew that Riku had been able to use Sora's Keyblade and visa versa (even though it was dark and the wrong kind of powerful) but how did it work for people who didn't have the power?

"Sure, just be careful."

Ariel ran her hand along the curve of the wave and light shimmered where she touched it, Kairi couldn't help the sudden feeling that this was a good thing and without realising, she reached for the pearl around her neck and pressed her fingers against it. This was familiar somehow, she just didn't know why.

"It really is beautiful," Ariel told her, snapping her attention back to the present.

"Thank you, it reminds me of my world." Not for the first time she wondered if that was possible, if Aqua had met her and somehow made the Keyblade… there were still so many questions she had that probably wouldn't be answered.

"Your world has an ocean?"

Kairi smiled, dismissing her Keyblade. "Yes, our world is a group of small Islands surrounded by ocean. I swim a lot, just not with a tail."

"Do you miss it?" Ariel asked her and Kairi nodded. She looked over to where Sora was talking with Flounder and practicing some of the moves she'd already learned.

"I do and I know we'll all go back there once we've found Riku. But I don't think we'll stop visiting other worlds. Now we have the Keyblades I think we have to make sure they all stay safe." She looked at Ariel. "But I think that no matter where I am as long as I have Sora and hopefully Riku beside me, I'll always be happy."

Ariel swam to her side and leaned closer to whisper. "Do you love Sora?"

Kairi's eyes went wide. Trust the one world they find were they don't need to fight, to be the one with a wonderfully blunt mermaid to take the place of Selphie when it comes to asking her personal questions.

"Yes, of course I do. And Riku and our other friends too," she said, knowing her cheeks were turning red, fortunately for her, her hair was floating around her face so it wasn't too noticeable.

Ariel rolled her eyes.

"I don't mean like that, are you in love with him?"

Kairi sighed. "Yes. But I haven't told him, not with everything going on."

Ariel seemed as though she was barely holding in her excitement and Kairi could only think that she and Selphie would be instant best friends.

"I won't say anything, but you should tell him."

"I know, and I will, just not right now."

Ariel nodded and looked back towards where Kairi was watching Sora dance.

"I'll make sure he's your partner for the performance, I'll dance with my sisters instead."

"Thank you."

"No problem, come on."

Kairi nodded then followed Ariel over to Sora and the others, she twirled in the water as she swam, enjoying the freedom of movement and how it felt as though she was flying.

Sora swam over to greet her and she gave into the impulse to hug him. It was different with the lack of clothing but she didn't feel naked, everyone else was the same here after all.

Sora wrapped his arms around her but she could tell by the way he hesitated that he was confused.

"Everything okay?" he asked her.

"Yes," she told him, she didn't want to have to explain anything else.

"Okay then."

"Ariel said we'll be paired together for the concert." She let her arms slip away and kicked her tail to move her back from him a little.

Sora smiled. "Good. We should head in and practice then." He took her hand. "Come on."

Aqua was nervous, though she couldn't figure out why. The lower levels of the Castle had been littered with Heartless and she had stopped on several platforms to destroy them. It had started out as practice more than anything, Xion had told her more about the Heartless when they had been in Castle Oblivion but so far they just seemed like another version of the Unversed. But the more of them she fought, the more she realised these were a different enemy - one she was still strong enough to fight - but different none the less. Because for every one she destroyed she watched a heart float into the sky.

The main parts of the Castle had no Heartless at all, the entire area was clear. There was no reason she could see for this, no defences in place or anything that would keep the Heartless out. It looked as though someone had destroyed every Heartless in sight.

Aqua walked through the empty, echoing halls of a once beautiful Castle and headed straight for the lower floor of the library. She hadn't spent too long there but King Mickey had shown her around on her last visit and she was confident enough in her knowledge of how it all linked together.

When at last she was stood in front of the doors she took a deep breath before pushing them open. The first thing that she noticed was the streaming bright light pouring down onto the whole area, stained glass patterns making the whole place seem like a tranquil haven in a forgotten castle.

But the second and most important thing to catch her attention was the tall red headed young man stood leaning against a bookshelf a little way in front of where she was stood.

The slamming of the doors behind her was the only sound in the room and it did nothing to alleviate the sudden tension. He was tall but younger than her, wearing black trousers with red flames embroidered into the base, a black top and red shirt. His hair stood up in spikes and there were tear shaped tattoos beneath each of his eyes. None of this bothered her though, what made her draw her Keyblade was that he had clearly been expecting her.

He glanced at the Keyblade then back at her but didn't move, he just unfolded his arms and spoke.

"My name is Axel and I'm not here to hurt you, in fact you're probably here for the same reason we are - to understand what's going on with the worlds. We can probably help each other, we've been here for weeks now and have already done some pretty major research. We also have access to most of the computer systems and we'll share with you what we know."

Aqua just looked at him, trying to figure him out, the name was familiar but she couldn't place where she'd heard it before. He clearly wasn't here alone, he kept saying 'we', so there was at least one other person with him who was staying out of sight. Either because they didn't want to be seen or because they were afraid of her.

"How did you know I would come here?" she asked, ignoring the hammering in her heart.

Axel sighed and after a moment he answered her."There's a book, a register of all Keyblade users and Masters, it was hidden away in a secret part of the library but we found it. It shows where most of the remaining Keyblade bearers are and when you came here it told us."

Her eyes widened and her hands tightened into fists, it was enough to make her realise she still held her master's Keyblade firmly in her hand and as much as she didn't want to, she dismissed it.

"What book?" Aqua asked and Axel looked at her sadly.

"It doesn't say what happened to Terra, the book thinks he's dead. Ventus too."

Her Keyblade was back in her hand in an instant and she raised it, pointing it at Axel. He was too far away for it to be an immediate danger but it was a warning.

"How do you know about them?" she said, voice raised and firm. Her anger covered her building sadness. He knew too much and was too calm about everything, she felt as though she was being played with. "You waited here for me and then tell me all of this the moment I walk in, why?"

"If you lower your Keyblade I'll explain - we'll even show you everything that we've found."

She didn't because she couldn't, she needed to calm down and this wasn't helping.

Axel seemed happy to wait though and stayed right where he was, he watched her carefully but let her calm down.

She let her training kick in, tried to remember it after all this time. Axel seemed to be telling the truth and his presence here would perhaps explain why the castle was free of Heartless. That meant he could fight but he wasn't armed - or if he was he was keeping his weapon out of sight - so he had no intention of fighting her or attacking her. Plus there was someone with him, someone who still hadn't shown themselves. And they were here to research, to figure out what had happened to the worlds, had known she was coming and wanted to meet her.

Aqua then thought about their conversation, Axel had said the book thought Terra was dead, not that he was and when she really thought about it, it seemed like he had been very careful to make that point. And hadn't Ven's last words been to tell her that Terra was alive and out there somewhere?

She lowered her Keyblade, she didn't like it but she also knew that rationally Axel (Who's name she was so sure she knew from somewhere) wasn't a threat. For the second time since entering the room she dismissed it.

"You keep saying 'we', who is it that's with you. I'm not going to hurt them."

Axel looked at her for a long moment. "Alright, but he's not who you think he is. Roxas!"

he called (another familiar name) and someone else stepped out from the other side of the book case.

Aqua gasped and stepped back in shock.

He looked just like Ven.

"Hello Aqua, my name is Roxas." When she just stood in silence Roxas continued on. "I know this is a shock for you, it was a shock for me too… but I'm not Ventus."

Aqua stood in silence for several minutes as the other two watched her. Finally she shook her head. "No, no you're not. He said there was another him but I didn't think you'd look so….."

Her heart was hammering in her chest and she couldn't decide whether to fight or flee. This was all too much, her training hadn't ever prepared her for this.

"Exactly the same?" Roxas suggested and she nodded. He spoke differently to Ventus and he seemed more relaxed, more settled with himself than Ven had ever been.

"Can you use a Keyblade?" she asked for want of something better to say. Roxas nodded and extended both his arms, in one hand a white Keyblade appeared and in the other a Keyblade in black and red with spikes and fire shimmering around the end.

"You have two?" That took her by surprise but on top of everything else it just seemed like another fact to add to her list of new and currently overwhelming information.

He nodded and dismissed them.

The three of them stood in silence again for several long moments, Roxas and Axel looking at each other in silent conversation as she tried and failed to let it all sink in.

"Do you want to sit down?" Axel asked her and she nodded as he walked through the library and came back with a chair for her to sit on. She walked numbly towards it and sat down, Axel and Roxas moving to stand closer to her but staying close to the book shelves and out of her way.

"I just, I just need a few minutes," she told them. "But I will help you." She sighed and took a deep breath to steady herself, now was not the time for tears. "If Ven trusted you enough with his heart then I already know I can trust you, it's just…"

"Not what you expected?" Axel offered and she nodded. "Take your time, when you're ready we'll show you what we have.

Kairi had enjoyed the concert immensely and was now swimming around with Ariel, Arista and Alana. They were teaching her new tricks and new ways to swim and Kairi followed them, laughing as she swirled after them.

Sebastian had swam away from the chaos and had joined Sora, lounging in the cove they used to practice.

"I can't tell you how good it is to see the young people here so happy!" he said. "Things were hard here for such a long time but since the Heartless have gone things have been much happier down here." He turned his eyes on Sora and despite the size difference, he couldn't help but feel intimidated by the small red crab. "If you don't mind me saying so, you seem much happier than last time, especially with Kairi here."

Sora tried to laugh it off but he only sounded nervous so he scratched the back of his head instead and looked away.

"Thanks, but we still need to find Riku. I don't think either me or Kairi will be happy until we find him."

Sebastian nodded. "I can understand that, but at least you have each other while you search for him." He wiggled his eye brows and Sora ducked his head.

He looked up and saw Kairi looking at him and gesturing for him to come join them, Ariel did the same and he gave a quick nod to Sebastian before swimming over as fast as he could.

"Is everything okay Sora?" Ariel asked when he reached them, he just looked at her and nodded, eyes flashing to Kairi briefly and she smiled.

He settled into their game and found himself watching Kairi from his hiding place. Riku's voice kept appearing in his head, telling him to tell her how he felt - the same way he had when he'd tried to give him that paupu fruit for Kairi. At the time Sora hadn't quite understood and hadn't been able to tell Riku he'd wanted to split it three ways so that they would never be apart. Later, he'd realised it hadn't been about that. It wasn't about them staying together - it was teasing about a declaration of love. But Sora knew there were other ways to tell Kairi how he felt and he still wanted to split the fruit three ways - he knew Kairi would too.

He wondered though, now that he thought about it, if Riku had understood it that way. Perhaps Riku hadn't understood that just because Sora loved them both differently didn't mean one was stronger than the other. Riku was his best friend and always had been and he loved him. Just because he was in love with Kairi didn't make one greater than the other. Kairi understood (even if she didn't know the extent of Sora's feelings) but maybe Riku hadn't.

"You okay?" Kairi asked, swimming under the entrance to the small cave he was hiding in. "I saw you come in here ages ago and everyone else has been found already so I thought I'd come and get you. Ariel and her sisters have invited us for dinner, she's just headed somewhere first."

"Yeah, I'm fine Kairi." He met her eyes and she frowned.

"Sora?" She clearly didn't believe him.

He reached for her hand and she slid her fingers in with his. "It just feels strange. Maybe we should head to another world, this one seems fine and we need to find Riku."

Kairi was close to him now and she placed her other hand on his shoulder, he felt a pleasant thrum run through him at the touch. "Riku is working for the King, we know that we we'll see him again. We're also not just here to have a rest."

"Oh?"

"Ariel keeps disappearing, Arista said she keeps going to the surface. So far they've been covering for her but they know something else is going on. And Ursula has been seen again, it looks like she was resurrected when the rest of this world was put back together," Kairi explained, her hand still firm on his shoulder.

"So, what you're saying is that there might not be any Heartless here but our friend is still in danger?"

"Yes. Alana and Arista can't go after her but we can, Donald and Goofy are in Ariel's secret place with Flounder trying to see if they can figure out where she's going."

"So we should go and look somewhere else," Sora said, finally understanding Kairi's meaning. "How long until dinner?"

"Two hours, Arista said they'll tell King Triton we've gone off on our own to explore, he'll be fine with it."

"Okay then." Kairi dropped her hand from his shoulder but Sora didn't let go of her other hand. This was starting to happen too much for them to not talk about it but it was harder to get the words past the lump in his throat.

"Sora?" Kairi's voice was quiet and concerned. "Are you sure you're okay?" He was still looking at their joined hands.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." He could tell that she didn't quite believe him but she did let it drop.

"Alright, but you can tell me if it's anything else."

He smiled at that. "I know and I will, for now I just want to find Ariel and make sure she's okay."

Kairi nodded and seemed happy enough with his explanation. She let go of his hand and he felt suddenly empty for a moment before shaking it off and following Kairi.

He promised the voice of Riku inside his head that he would tell her soon.