Aqua and Kairi had arrived mere seconds ago in the Land of Departure and were walking through the main hall of the castle towards the thrones.

"So where do you suppose we're supposed to find Master Xehanort's Report?" Kairi asked as Aqua shrugged.

"I'm not sure. My first guess would be the library." Aqua said. Kairi's eyes widened slightly.

"There's a library here?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah. Come on, I'll show you." Aqua said as she led Kairi towards one of the corridors nearby. As soon as they left, a Corridor of Darkness opened up, and Pete emerged.

"Hmm, not very impressive. I bet those kiddos Keyblade Wielders aren't expecting a visit from the mighty Pete!" Pete said as he pulled out a small swirling blue sphere with dusty red chains crisscrossing around it in an X along with a pair of angry red Unversed like eyes on it. Pete grinned and hurried off into the depths of the castle.

…

"Wow!" Kairi gasped in awe of the three story tall library chamber. The floor pattern was square shaped with a half-cylinder like bulge with books on countless rows of shelves between two tall windows opposite the only entrance to the library. All the walls were covered from floor to ceiling with shelves upon shelves, each chalk full of books. There were spiral staircases in all four corners of the room that reached to two catwalks on different floors that ran the whole length of the room and crossed over in an X at the corners. On the ground floor, were several tables, chairs, and a couple couches scattered around somewhat aimlessly.

"Yeah, I know. I figured this place might be as good as any to check first for any sign of something from Xehanort." Aqua said as she walked towards a podium in the dead center of the room that had a single book on it, already open.

"What's this?" Kairi asked curiously.

"This is the library's reference system. Since the library is so massive and you could get yourself killed if you tried getting a book from up on those shelves, this allows us to summon a book in particular right to this podium without having to retrieve it on our own. It also puts books back too when you're done with them." Aqua explained as she flipped through the book on the podium until she reached the section with the letter X and started running her hand through the book listings.

"So…what can I do to help?" Kairi asked. Aqua paused before turning to the young Princess of Heart.

"Well…to be honest, there's nothing you can do to help. See most of the books that have anything that Xehanort might have been interested it, are restricted to Masters and lock themselves up; much like Master Eraqus's book does if held by an Apprentice. So there's really nothing you can do at the moment. I guess you could play a game or two on the Command Board." Aqua suggested as Kairi shrugged.

"I understand. Maybe…huh?" Kairi said as she turned towards the door with a curious look.

"Something wrong?" Aqua asked curiously.

"I'm not sure. I just sensed something weird. Like there's someone else here." Kairi said as Aqua summoned her Keyblade.

"Hmm…now that you mention it, I have that same feeling. Let's split up. You take the dormitories and I'll take the training areas." Aqua said as they started walking out of the library. After a few minutes of searching they met up in Master Eraqus's Memorial Garden.

"Find anything?" Kairi asked but Aqua shook her head.

"No. I'm beginning to think that perhaps we were simply imagining things." Aqua said as Kairi shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe it's the Keyblades again. Perhaps they're here and are hiding from us." Kairi said but Aqua shook her head.

"No, I don't feel that familiar feeling that the Keyblades made Riku or I feel earlier. I don't think it's them. I think it's something else. We'll find whoever it is eventually. For now, let's focus on…Kairi?" Aqua asked as she turned and noticed Kairi looking down at the lucky charm that Sora had made for her three months ago, stroking it with her thumb.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about Sora. I know he's okay, but that doesn't mean I don't worry." Kairi replied as Aqua smiled.

"I envy you, Kairi. You and Sora have something and I'm glad to know you can keep it going regardless of your status as Master and Apprentice." Aqua said as Kairi smiled and pocketed the charm.

"Thanks Master. Since we're on the subject, how are things between you and Ven?" Kairi asked as Aqua paused and turned away from her.

"Things are…okay." Aqua said but Kairi wasn't convinced.

"What's wrong?" Kairi asked as she walked around to face Aqua.

"Well. I just feel like maybe…maybe Ven and I aren't meant to be together. Like since I've become his Master that we've been drifting further and further apart." Aqua said as she turned towards the statue of Master Eraqus. (Music Cue: Reflection – Mulan.)

"Things were so much simpler when Master Eraqus was still around. We didn't have to worry about such silliness. Now I can't even get him trained so that we can be together! I feel like such a failure." Aqua said as Kairi put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't say that, Aqua! You're not a failure!" Kairi said in an effort to encourage the Keyblade Master but she only brushed off her hand.

"Yeah…right." Aqua replied before she sang…

"Look at me
I will never pass as the perfect girl…"

She sang as she looked up at the statue of Master Eraqus…

"…or the perfect master.
Can it be,
I'm not meant to play this part?"

Then she looked down at her lucky charm as she sang…

"Now I see,
that if I were truly,
to be myself,
I would break my dear Ven's heart."

She then started walking towards the gazebo, looking down at her reflection in the Koi pond, Kairi close behind, as she sang…

"Who is that girl I see,
staring straight,
back at me?
Why is my reflection someone,
I don't know?"

She then entered into the gazebo where a picture of Eraqus smiling and hugging Terra, Aqua, and Ven as they all grinned at the camera was nailed into a post. Aqua and Ven were holding hands in the photo. Aqua looked at it as she sang…

"Somehow I cannot hide,
who I am,
though I've tried.
When will my reflection show,
who I am inside?"

Aqua then dropped to her knees and summoned her Keyblade, Mark of Mastery, looking down at it and glancing at her and Ven holding hands in the photo as she sang…

"When will my reflection show,
who I am inside?"

(End Music)

Kairi stood behind her, before putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Can…can I ask you something? Do you even know if Ven feels the same way?" Kairi asked as Aqua shrugged.

"I don't know. I honestly don't know anymore." Aqua replied softly.

"Then why give up if there's still the chance of him loving you?" Kairi asked. Aqua turned and gave her a curious look.

"Huh?"

"Hey, for a long time, I loved Sora while I was completely clueless as to whether or not he loved me back. Then three months ago, he told me so. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Sora loves me and I love him. You just need to have a little faith, that's all. Remind Ven how you feel and his reaction will be your answer." Kairi said as Aqua sighed.

"I just don't know Kairi." Aqua said.

"Well I'm not giving up on the two of you. You and Ven are as meant to be as Sora and me and I'm going to make sure that that spark of romance stays alive between you two." Kairi said as Aqua chuckled.

"You really are optimistic aren't you?" Aqua asked with a smile.

"It goes with the territory of being a Princess of Heart." Kairi said with a shrug.

"I can see that." Aqua chuckled.

"So can I!" A familiar voice said, causing their eyes to widen and turn towards the source of the voice.

"What the-? PETE! What are you doing here!" Kairi exclaimed but Aqua snarled and leapt to her feet, her Keyblade in hand.

"Get out of this world, Pete! NOW!" Aqua ordered angrily.

"What'cha gonna do about it Miss High-and-mighty Keyblade Master? I've got an ace up my sleeve that you're just gonna love!" Pete laughed before he turned and ran for the passageway to the arena.

"Get back here!" Aqua yelled as she and Kairi gave chase. They followed him out into the arena where he stood holding a small sphere.

"Ha-ha! Looks like I need to make like a banana and split! And to make sure I get a clean getaway-…" Pete shouted as he hurled the sphere into the air, causing it to burst open in a cloud of dark blue, purple, and black energy. When the energy faded, it revealed a foe that was very familiar to Aqua.

"No! It can't be!" Aqua exclaimed as she summoned her armor and dropped into her battle stance.

"Ta-da! The Iron Imprisoner! One of the most powerful Unversed alive! Hope you kids have fun playing with him!" Pete cackled before he disappeared in a Corridor of Darkness. Aqua glared at the massive Unversed as it struggled to try and overcome the chains around its arms and the gibbet around its feet.

"Kairi, armor up! This isn't going to be easy!" Aqua ordered and Kairi quickly complied.

"What is that thing Master?" Kairi asked via D-Link.

"That's an Iron Imprisoner Unversed. Terra, Ven, and I each encountered one when we paid a visit to Mirage Arena eleven years ago. This is only the first stage of its evolution so it's at its weakest now more than ever! Follow my lead!" Aqua ordered as she aimed her Keyblade at the Iron Imprisoner I, targeting it with her Rainbow Shower Shoot Lock. Kairi aimed her Keyblade at it as well but before she could move, the Iron Imprisoner started spinning around like a top, creating swirls of flames around it as it flew towards them. Aqua managed to fire off her shoot lock just before it reached Kairi, causing it to fly backwards but not fall over. Kairi quickly ran in and fired a Holy spell right at its head, causing it to completely fall over, growling in pain.

"That's it Kairi! Keep it up!" Aqua shouted as she ran in and fired a Firaga at the creature that seemed to have a larger explosion than usual.

"What was that?" Kairi asked as Aqua landed next to her.

"Fission Firaga! A more powerful Firaga spell!" Aqua replied as she ran towards the Iron Imprisoner again but just as she did, she found herself entrapped within a grey metal cage.

"Augh! KAIRI!" She shouted as she started swinging her Keyblade around in an effort to get free. Kairi started to run towards her but she was quickly knocked away by the Iron Imprisoner as it swung the gibbet around. Kairi managed to right herself in midair and land on her feet. Aqua however was still hacking away at the cage but just as she did, the Iron Imprisoner started firing beams of light from the bottom of the gibbet that homed in on Aqua who had little time to react.

"AQUA!" Kairi exclaimed in shock and horror as Aqua was knocked to the ground by the blast from the beam. Aqua landed on her feet and was alright due to her armor which returned to her shoulder guard. Before she could react, she was hit by the gibbet and knocked into the wall of the practice arena.

"AQUA! NO!" Kairi exclaimed as she saw Aqua fall to the ground, unconscious. She then saw the Iron Imprisoner turn its attention towards her. It then disappeared into the ground. Kairi quickly started looking around as she frantically tried to find the missing Unversed. She suddenly felt the ground beneath her starting to shake and she quickly dodge rolled forward just in time as the Iron Imprisoner burst up from the ground. She quickly turned and fired a Holy spell at it, causing it to recoil in pain. She used this opportunity to use her Judgment Wave Shoot Lock. She channeled her energy into her Keyblade, causing a sudden burst of clean and crisp white energy to erupt from around her, stunning and severely injuring the Iron Imprisoner. She quickly took this opportunity to run for Aqua who still lay unconscious.

"Master! Are you alright? Come on, you've got to wake up!" Kairi exclaimed as she tried to shake the Keyblade Master awake but to no avail. She then remembered the Curaga spell and started channeling as much of that spell's power into her Keyblade along with as much light as she could just as the Iron Imprisoner shook off its confusion and glared straight at her.

"No! Not yet!" Kairi exclaimed before she felt the power in her Keyblade release itself, causing a blossoming flower of energy to appear over the tip of the blade.

"Oh no." She said in horror as she turned to look at Aqua but didn't see her moving. She was breathing but not moving. She then felt what she believed to be a drop of rain. She looked up and saw that a number of white clouds had gathered overhead and were inexplicably raining glowing green drops of rain. Kairi gasped in awe of the sight and in her heart, she knew what it was. She had discovered a second Shoot Lock. A healing and restorative Shoot Lock called…Great Gospel. She felt a sudden rush of energy as her armor literally tingled with energy. The Iron Imprisoner had stopped in its tracks, grunting in pain as it tried to evade the rain to no effect. Apparently the rain was like acid to it. Kairi then felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Aqua climbing up onto her feet, a determined expression on her face.

"Thanks Kairi…I needed that." Aqua said with a smile before turning back to the Iron Imprisoner and dropping into her battle stance.

"Let's show that big tin-can what we can do now!" Aqua shouted as she reactivated her armor and targeted the Iron Imprisoner with her most powerful Shoot Lock. Shiny Bloom. She started spinning around in a circle, firing bolts of light from the tip of her Keyblade as her spinning got more and more elaborate until finally she was spinning on one foot with her left foot immediately behind her head. The bolts of light managed to home in on the Iron Imprisoner, each bolt smacking into it until finally it vanished in a burst of dark flames. Aqua finished her spinning, not looking or acting the slightest bit dizzy. The Great Gospel rain had also stopped by this point.

"And stay out!" Aqua shouted to the vanished Unversed.

"Are you alright?" Kairi asked as her armor vanished.

"Never better actually. Looks like you learned one of your Shoot Locks, huh?" Aqua asked as Kairi nodded.

"Yeah. I never knew that if I channeled as much light and healing magic as I could into my Keyblade, that it would do that. I thought at first, that the spell had misfired but I guess I was wrong." Kairi said with a smile and a shrug.

"Well it's a good thing you learned that when you did, otherwise our goose would have been cooked. I underestimated the Iron Imprisoner. Despite its being in its first form, I had forgotten its moves and how fast it could be. Don't worry though, I've remembered them now." Aqua said as Kairi smiled and nodded.

"That's good. But I wonder what Pete wanted here." Kairi said as Aqua pondered for a moment.

"I'm not sure. He might have been here, searching for the Keyhole. Or perhaps he was here searching for something else." Aqua said as Kairi looked up at her.

"Where is the Keyhole to this place anyway?" Kairi asked curiously.

"Come on, I'll show you." Aqua said as she led Kairi back inside the castle. She led her into the throne room and around to the back of the empty thrones.

"Right here. Right behind this throne is the Keyhole to this world." Aqua said as Kairi glanced at the back of the central throne where the gold outline of a Keyhole rested.

"Do you think we should seal it again, just in case?" Kairi asked as Aqua pondered for a moment, and nodded.

"I don't see how it could hurt." Aqua said as both she and Kairi summoned their Keyblades, aimed it at the keyhole and fired the sealing beams of energy. The sound of a mechanical lock was then heard, followed by a blinding flash of light. When the light faded, they saw the keyhole symbol was now outlined in both gold and a crisp and pure white gold.

"Well, I guess that's it. And still no sign of what Master Yen Sid sent us to find." Kairi said as they started walking towards the front of the throne room.

"Have a little faith, Kairi. We may still find it yet. You never know, it might just drop right into our hands." Aqua said with a chuckle, causing Kairi to laugh. They then stopped laughing when they noticed a sheet of paper with writing on it, flutter down to the ground between them.

"Kairi."

"Yeah?"

"Was that you?"

"Nope."

"Okay, then my spook-o-meter isn't peaking without reason."

End Chapter 25.

Has the Iron Imprisoner been defeated? What does the new Xehanort Report say? Will Sora and Ven manage to escape the Keyblade Rebel's trap? Find out in the chapters to come…