Half-way back up the Cave of the Dead I realized my magic wasn't going to be enough to get us back up, down into the neighbouring caverns to unlock the Underdrome, then back up once more to go there. Naturally those Samurais who had chosen to help me were content to take up some of the slack, each of them with their own contingent of our own Heartless.

These Heartless however were distracted by the tempting presence of a loose heart. The Samurais had trouble keeping them under control, and even the suggestion that I'd bypass them and take over personally made the Heartless flee. They still were not willing to let me have direct command over them.

"I thought you said you could handle this," Mickey accused me as we were left with Samurais, who even with magic assistance showed they were not as adept at handling the Castle's own Heartless.

"Actually it was Sora that implied that, I never said it. I did point out I'd have trouble when my magic ran low. It's not out yet, but without the Heartless too it's definitely taking more to keep us going. I think Riku's heart is luring the Castle's Heartless to us as well, and that's not making it any easier."

"Shouldn't we give it back to Riku now?" he asked plaintively, glancing back at Riku's heart still held within the sphere. "Since we're not down there, if there is a trap on it, it shouldn't affect us, right?"

"Probably so, unless he thought of that, but it'll still be triggered and he'll still know we've done it. If he doesn't know we have both Riku and his heart safe with us, I'm hoping that he'll just assume I won't have him on my side when I confront him. By leaving it as late as possible, the chances are we'll surprise him – and he probably shares one issue with me. When surprised, he won't be thinking straight for a time."

"You're gonna have to do something Liam. If these Heartless get any thicker even you and the Samurais won't be able to handle them."

"I'm working on it," I said absently, then paused. "Actually, I don't need to. Vanitas, you know what the Unversed are, don't you?"

"Of course," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Why do you think? They should be a part of you just as they were a part of your namesake. They aren't interested in consuming hearts, and they'll answer to you. Since you answer to me – or at least you'd better if you want to keep on existing – that means we've got some fresh reserve forces we can call on."

"Think they can manage without a bit of magic for a time?" he asked after a moment.

"Probably not. They're getting thicker again."

"Roxas, can I tear you away from Neku for a moment? I'm going to need both hands, and I can't work this while I'm supporting Riku."

While they rearranged themselves to free up Vanitas, I dipped into the collected cards for Wisdom form to make full use of its magic affinity, also making use of a previous request I'd made of Neku to borrow Zexion's Lexicon as well. Illusions, as I've probably said before, cost a great deal of magic, but properly used they can save even more.

"Oh, very nice," Mickey murmured admiringly after the first such illusion. "Those hearts are so real I can almost feel their presence more than Riku's own."

"That was kind of the idea," I admitted. "If the Heartless are busy with the illusory hearts, I don't have to use so much magic and the Samurais can attack them almost without having to worry about themselves. How long are you going to need, Vanitas?"

"That depends on how many and what kinds of Unversed," he replied. "The longer I have, the more of them and the more powerful of them I can call in. I can't say for sure, Master. I've never done this before."

I let the 'Master' pass this time, in part because he was busy but also because it didn't seem to matter what I said about it.

"This illusion will last for a few more minutes yet, and I've got just enough for two, maybe three repeats. After that we'll need your support."

"Should be long enough. Here, take this," he added, returning my Keyblade to me. "You need it more than I do."

I renewed the illusion with only a brief gap between the two, the Samurais easily handling the sudden surge toward us by adopting a phalanx formation, leaving no gap between them with their blades and swings coordinated so that there was no quarter for anyone to get through. The airborne Heartless ignored this, but were swiftly distracted by the fresh illusion.

"Got it," Vanitas said eventually. With those words, the ground seemed almost to erupt with Unversed. Mostly the equivalents of Shadows and Soldiers, the Flood and Scrappers, but there were others too. Several Bruisers started taking large chunks out of the distracted Heartless, while two flocks of Archraven Unversed harried the flying Heartless. An Unversed he identified as a Chrono Twister put out various Stop and Slow spells, once even stealing my own fusion of the two, to keep some of the more powerful Heartless at bay until enough of them gathered together to take them down.

Mickey suddenly burst out laughing as Vanitas took over from Roxas again.

"What's with you?" Sora sounded more concerned than curious.

"Liam," he answered eventually. "It's just occurred to me that he could be seen as the bad guy of all this. He's the one commanding Heartless, Nobody and Unversed together, he created Vanitas and is keeping Riku's heart away from him, and I could be wrong, but I think we'll be the first on the scene at the Keyblade Graveyard at the end of this. He wants to make use of the X-blade, even if it's for different reasons. It's like he's trying to be Ansem, Xemnas and Xehanort all at the same time."

"I don't know I'd go that far," I protested. "Just because I'm – what was it you called me – sneaky, devious and manipulative... well, whatever works I guess. At least I'm not in it for world domination or anything stupid like that."

"Doesn't it feel nice to be on the evil side for a change?" Sora laughed. "Maybe we'll even have a chance of winning."

"Why shouldn't we? You could say Xehanort did, eleven years ago. Alright, it didn't turn out exactly how he wanted, and he didn't get the X-blade or Kingdom Hearts, but he did overpower Terra and he did succeed in forcing Ventus and Vanitas to fight."

"I'd almost forgotten that," Vanitas mused. "I'm going to have to do that to Data-Sora, aren't I?"

"Oh, probably. I'm counting on it actually. Neku's afraid of the X-blade with good reason, and more so of it in the hands of me or my Heartless. If you have it instead, at least he won't have to worry about that so much."

"Y'know Xehanort is gonna try and stop you," Mickey said. "He'll see his old plan in your actions and act against it."

"I know," I admitted. "But things are different. I'm better than he is, and I'm not blinded by the same goals he was. Looks like your Unversed have mopped up the Heartless entirely, Vanitas. I don't see any of them left."

"There's a few," he told me as we finally passed through the last door back into the entrance of the Underworld. "They're chasing them down in the caverns that way."

"They shouldn't be able to go that way. I haven't opened the doors yet."

Vanitas grinned at me a moment and said, "Doesn't that pocket feel just a little lighter, Master?"

I glanced down, then swore briefly. The little monster had neatly slit open the pocket I'd left the map cards in and I hadn't noticed a thing. It was useful I suppose, but...

"Would you mind a suggestion?" Sora asked. "Not that it matters if you do, I'm going to give it to you anyway."

"What choice does that leave me? Go on, what's your idea?"

"Since his Unversed are busy clearing out the area for us, why don't you all wait here? I'll run on down to the Lock, since I know where it is, and unlock it for you. You can save your magic and spend all that time inventing some more curse words."

"Someday Sora, your mouth is going to get you into trouble," I accused him.

"What's new there?" he grinned, then left without waiting for me to say anything.

During the wait for him to return, we filled Mickey in on what he'd missed while being held in the Keyblade. He explained to us that he wasn't aware of anything, his memories stopped when I brought out Data-Riku and started again when I restored him.

We discovered – or at least I did – that even though Data-Riku was now in that position, his touch on my darkness was still present, preventing the lesser surges from getting the better of me. His help was keeping the worst of it under control, keeping it safe for now.

Roxas explained to us that he and Neku were making arrangements for those of us that were data to exist at the Graveyard when the time came, which was proving to be a little troublesome for them. They're persistent though.

Then finally, Mickey turned his attention to something that seemed to have bothered him – Vanitas' persistently calling me Master during our discussions, except when he was talking to me directly.

"Just why do you keep calling him that?" he finally demanded bluntly, after I'd absently told him not to for the however many times it was now.

"Because it's true," Vanitas shrugged. "He's a Keyblade Master. He created me, and I answer to him. That makes me his student, and therefore him my Master. Also because he's technically the only one of Eraqus's students to become a Master and who isn't lost somehow. You're busy with things usually, your Majesty, Aqua's somewhere in the Realm of Darkness and Terra's stuck under Xehanort's thumb. Since Yen Sid is retired, that means anyone who wants to have a shot at becoming a Master themselves has to train under Liam."

"Thanks," I muttered. "I'm so glad you decided to say that while Sora isn't around. I'd rather he – or Riku – didn't decide to come to me and try to get me to make them Masters. I'm not the one meant to do that."

Mickey however looked speculatively at me.

"If you could undo what Aqua did to Castle Oblivion, you could set up shop there until we retrieve her. Someone has to be in the Land of Departure to teach new Keyblade wielders."

"I'm not a teacher, Mickey. I don't have the patience for people who can't keep up with me. Besides, I've got people back home who'd notice if I just disappeared without making arrangements to cover for me."

"You could bring him along."

"I wasn't just talking about my boyfriend. There's others too. I've got responsibilities back there I can't just put aside. Anyway, it wouldn't work. Only Aqua can restore the Land of Departure. She's the one who holds Master Keeper, Eraqus's Keyblade. Only that Keyblade can do what you're suggesting."

"Inconvenient," he murmured. "I guess it's a good thing there's no one who needs training then. Who's the one meant to put Sora and Riku to the test?"

"Yen Sid," I shrugged. "But don't tell him. The events leading up to that haven't happened yet."

"Don't start with telling the future again," he shuddered. "I can't get used to knowing you know what will happen."

"You didn't tell him?" Roxas asked me, out of the blue.

"Tell him what?"

"What you told Riku when the two of you were on the Dark Margin."

"Obviously not. I didn't exactly plan on telling him either, but he had a few suspicions. It was easier to put them to rest by explaining it."

Mickey looked on shrewdly, but chose not to ask what it was I hadn't told him. For now, the knowledge of the real origins – and the real story with them – of their worlds and lives would remain known only by Riku, Sora, and my own Nobody.