"This is so boring,"

"That's the third variation of that statement you've said in the last ten minutes,"

"I don't care. There isn't a more hands-on way to learn this stuff? These dusty old tomes just cannot hold my interest for long."

During their training at the Mysterious Tower, Master Yen Sid insisted old-school textbook learning was just as important as combat training. Knowledge and wisdom about the Keyblade, Darkness and Light, the worlds and self could only truly be acquired through multiple outlets. A single sentence in a book can be just as profound as an hour lecture by a genius professor. But if you're one of those who can't get into a book unless you're really in the mood to read paired up with the content of the book an assigned study hall can be torture. Lea was one such person. This was irritating to Sora, Riku and Bryan as they all shared the drawing room to read.

After a while, Kairi entered the room. She looked cheerful and, oddly, wore a silly pair of rectangle glasses.

"Hi guys!"

"Why aren't you reading?" Lea said sourly.

"I got the okay from Master to call it good for today." Kairi said, smiling.

"How did you manage that?"

"I showed him some new spells Rachel helped me perfect. I did well enough he just wants me to spar with one of you some time later or run the timed obstacle course by myself."

"Lucky you," Lea said darkly.

"So, what's with the glasses?" Sora asked, interested.

Kairi giggled. "They're magic! And I'm having fun."

"Magic? What do they do?"

"Hmmmm, not telling."

Kairi laughed again. Her gaze panned across the room again to each of them in turn; her smile grew wider and wider. She couldn't hold it in very long and started giggling and snickering uncontrollably.

What she wasn't telling her friends was the silly glasses could make you see things as you imagined them. Ever try to picture a person or a room in a certain way but the imagined image just doesn't come? The glasses could do just that. And more. It didn't matter if the imagined was ridiculous or impossible. So she looked over her friends again and again with new thoughts each time. And each time it got funnier and funnier. What the glasses helped her see was great but so were the expressions of her friends. They were getting more and more confused as to what was so funny and a little miffed the humor was at their expense but they didn't know why.

"Kai-ri! What's so funny!"

"Yeah, what's so funny?"

Rachel came to the doorway of the drawing room. She was brushing off some sparkly rose-colored dust off her shoulders and hair. Fluffy gryphon cub Elias and Tatania the black and white tower cat were hot on her heels; their gazes intently fixed on the glitteries as they fell.

Kairi turned, "These!" And pointed to the glasses.

"Ohohohoh! I've seen those before! Do they really work?"

"Oh yes! Here! Try it."

"I got an idea."

Rachel took the glasses and cast a spell on them. As soon as the puff of green smoke dissipated she had two in her hand.

"Okay, I've copied yours so anything you envision I'll see it too."

"Goodgoodgood! Put them on! I've got the best idea ever."

Rachel did as instructed and looked over the boys. It didn't take more than a few seconds before they were both giggling hysterically.

"Oh! Ohohoh! Now this!" Kairi exclaimed.

"Whatever you're doing, STOP!"

"Yes, your hoots and hollers are not appreciated!"

The first thing Kairi envisioned with the glasses was all the boys as animals wearing formal props. Sora showed up as a walrus (still with Sora-hair) and a too-tiny top hat. Riku was a snow leopard with a monocle and a sharp bowtie. Next Kairi wanted to see what the boys would look like with switched hair colors.

"Ooo! Now switch their styles!"


"I AM SO SORRY!"

"What was that?"

"Kairi? I think?"

"She was in the training hall doing some non-Master exercises with Lea all morning, last I knew."

"But what could she have done? I know she's gotten-."

"Why don't we just go inside and find out?"

Upon entering the training hall, Bryan and Sora discovered-

"I am so sorry. I didn't mean it, I honestly didn't!"

"I know! I know! I don't blame you. Just get your Keyblade out of my face, okay?"

"I'll fix it. It's my fault I hit you and now-*GASP*."

"What?"

"It's okay! I can fix it! I-I hope."

"Fix what, exactly?"

"What happened here?" Sora asked.

"Um…" Kairi said.

"She hit me in the face and is overreacting."

"She clocked you in the face? Wow, Kairi. You're getting better. Especially with the height difference that's quite a feat." Bryan smirked.

"It always circles back to my height, doesn't it?"

"But your eye!"

"What about it?"

"I'm curious. Let me see," Bryan said. "Wow, Kairi, what did you do?"

"I just hit him on the side of the head! I have no idea how that happened!

"Stop using your healing spell! It doesn't hurt anymore. Honest! You can stop now."

"How doesn't that hurt!?" Sora exclaimed. "That's…how does that happen?"

"Seriously? There's three of you and no one can tell me what exactly has you all freaked out?"

"Your eye…"

"Yeah, I got that. Deep pools of lush meadows and glistening emeralds, if I do say so myself. But I doubt that's how you meant it."

"More like a wreath with holly berries." Bryan said.

"What?"

"What's going on in here? Looks interesting."

Rachel entered the training hall with fluffy little Elias across her shoulders.

"Come take a look," Sora said. "You might know what happened."

"How would I know?"

"Just look."

"I promise it was an accident!"

"Nobody is blaming you, Kairi!"

"Okay, fine. I'll take a look. Wow, you did this, Kairi?"

"Well…yes. But I didn't mean it!"

"Well it looks like you busted a blood vessel in his eye."

"*GASP!* I-I-I didn't- Lea I am so sorry! I'll fix it! I promise I'll make it right!"

"Healing magic won't help." Rachel said. "If you've use your spell before the vessel is fixed already."

"Then why is his eye still all…all-."

"Bloody?"

"Wait a second, what?" Lea stopped everyone. "What are you talking about?"

"Um…half of your left eye is all red." Sora said.

"What? I don't feel anything."

"I'm sure if you let her explain," Bryan began.

"So Kairi hit you on the side of the head?"

"Lucky shot,"

"Yeah, the hit must've busted a blood vessel close enough to your eye that's where it pooled. Your Cure spell fixed the vessel. But it's not like blood itself can be hurt so it can't be healed. His eye will absorb it in a few days-."

"What did you say?"

"Absorb?"

"Eyes are good at that. Ever used eye drops before? Where do you think that liquid goes?"

"My world just got a whole lot bigger just now…"


After a particularly brutal run of Master Yen Sid's obstacle course (by brutal I mean they had to run it three times (and Rachel and Bryan could confirm the courses were getting gradually longer)) the team dropped for a break in a cozy parlor room along one of the rooms of the Towers' many halls.

"I hurt," Kairi flopped in the nearest chair.

"I can barely feel my legs,"

"How fast can you get a blister?"

"Was the pendulum new? I don't remember it in previous courses."

"Or the pool of alligators beneath the rope bridge!"

"What is that old man thinking! Is he trying to hurt us?"

"Oh come on. All things considered we've all been through worse."

They had to catch their breath and regain feeling in all limbs. After everyone was done complaining the room fell silent for several minutes. That was until the silence was eventually broken by a truly, out of left-field bizarre statement.

"Rachel, if we ever get stuck on a deserted island and I die first, you have my express permission to eat me." Lea told her seriously.

"Trust me, I will not be eating you."

"Are you two seriously having this conversation?" Sora asked them, eyebrow raised high and still processing if he was really hearing what he thought he was hearing.

"Oh, so that's how it is? Why? Am I not good enough for you?" Lea asked huffily, ignoring Sora completely.

"Oh believe me, sweetie, that's not it."

"For all we know I could spontaneously combust at the moment of true death with my being an Elemental and all. I mean, really, who doesn't like charbroil? Half the work is already done for you at that point."

Sora, Riku, Kairi and Bryan wore identical looks of this-is-the-weirdest-conversation-I-have-ever-heard-but-I-don't-think-I-can-stop-myself-from-listening.

"You have given this way too much thought, my friend."

"Maybe I'll just find someone else to be trapped on a desert island with who would appreciate my sacrifice because they mattered to me."

"The problem would still be the same!"

"What problem!"

"You're too skinny! Even medium-well, there'd hardly be anything to sustain myself with! It'd be like gnawing on a meat-flavored ladder!"

"Does it bother anybody else how she took the realistic approach to this?" Bryan consulted his council of three. "And you," He then turned to Lea. "Why do you engage with her? You always lose."

"I do not. I let her win."

"You do not."

"You can't prove that."


After the potion debacle Lea got a scolding from Master Yen Sid about interfering with someone else's assignment. Since then if he wanted to know what was going on with his friends Master-only assignments he could only observe. This would get no complaints from Sora, Riku or Bryan at all. Of course, it was a bit…well really embarrassing when they got into trouble without Lea's help. During such times Lea was just fine to sit on the sidelines and watch it all unfold. One of those such times started when,

PLLLLWWWOOOSSHHHHFFFKKKKKSSSS!

"SORA!"

"Wha-*cough*! What ha-*cough*!"

"Why is it-*sputter*! Why is it always me!?"

The small potions lab was suddenly filled with an explosion of white smoke. Thankfully the smoke dissipated quickly.

"Wow, you guys. I'd give that a solid nine."

Lea had been standing against a wall, watching the events transpire. He lightly waved a hand in front of his face to clear away any remaining smoke.

"What was-? How did that-? Who touched what?" Bryan asked, flustered and ignoring Lea entirely.

"I didn't think I touched anything," Riku defended himself. He batted some fine powder off of his hair. "You okay, Sora? You were the closest."

"Yeah, *cough*. I'm fine. And I don't think I did either," Sora said. "And I know I triple-checked that last ingredi-."

"Sora? What the heck?"

"Huh? WHAT! What is this?!"

From head to toe Sora was completely snow white. But it wasn't just color, there was an odd texture about him too. So it wasn't just like coloring book page before you get the crayons. The only thing of color about him were his eyes.

"What is that stuff supposed to be?"

"And how did we mess up enough to have that happen?"

"*Peh* What a mess. I bet whatever it is will take forever to-."

"SORA STOP!"

Sora froze at Bryan's shout. His hands were up to his chest as he prepared to start brushing the powder off his shirt.

"Why stop?"

"We don't know what we did wrong to cause this, let alone what it did. How do we know you're not just covered with powder? What if that is what you are?"

If Sora paled at the possibility it was impossible to tell. Veeeery slowly he lowered his arms to his sides.

"Okay," He said slowly and quietly. "If that's true, how would I know?"

"And do we try to figure this out ourselves or run to Master for help?" Riku asked. "You really don't feel anything different?"

"Um, I don't think so? But…would I?"

"Fair point. Just don't move too much until we can figure this out."

"Roger that."

Yeah, like Sora was going to argue. Bryan and Riku went through the steps they'd taken for the practice spell over and over. Where had they gone wrong?

"This actually isn't new to me," Riku said.

"Yeah? How?"

"Back when Rachel tried that wing spell of hers for the first time. She tried it on me first. It worked but there was a similar explosion of white powder."

"Lea! Go away! Stop hovering. You're making me very nervous!"

Lea had been circling Sora like a vulture while the other two were talking and dissecting the problem.

"Lea, leave him alone. I'd rather my best friend not be a pile of powder."

"I don't think he's made of that stuff."

"I'd rather play it safe," Sora said. He did all he could to stay motionless and only moving his eyes to follow and see what Lea was doing. "Hey! Hey! What did I just say!"

Lea flicked the end of one of points of Sora's hair. A fair amount of powder fell off but his hair just bounced back to its regular place.

"What are you doing!" Riku shouted aggressively.

"See? He's just covered with something because he was closest."

"But you didn't know that!"

"Would've just been his hair." Lea said. "Once fixed he'd be able to grow that back. I do wonder though…"

He rubbed his fingers together, brushing off the powder off. But then he got a thoughtful look. What he did next surprised everybody (except Sora since Lea was standing behind him and Sora was determined not to move just in case). Lea wetted his finger. He flicked Sora's hair again. Then he licked his finger.

"Eugh!" Bryan and Riku exclaimed together.

"What did he do?" Sora asked, uneasy.

"Powdered sugar."

"Why would you do-wait, what?"

"It's powdered sugar."

"Powdered sugar? And you're sure it's just on me?"

"Positive. You're fine."

"Oh thank goodness! I was starting to feel a sneeze coming."

Lea was barely able to step back in time before Sora shook his head like a wet dog. A huge cloud of sugar exploded around his head. This was followed by a fair amount of coughing. The method was not thought through clearly. Sora stepped away from the first cloud and kept shaking and brushing himself off. He kept moving to reduce the amount of powder he breathed in. Sure enough his true colors were starting to show up through all the white. But that still left a very washed out appearance. Only all that effort didn't do as much as he'd've hoped. Eventually Sora just took his shirt off to shake it out. He shook out cloud after cloud. Even his skin was coated enough he looked to have the complexion of a vampire. He finally had enough and announced he was going to the bathing hall to wash it out. The spell was obviously a flop anyway so no one held it against him for wanting to leave.

Sora flipped his shirt over his shoulder and made to leave the room. He didn't get very far before he heard snickers from behind. Sora turned. The other three were grinning.

"What's so funny?"

"Look behind you."

Sora looked back. Then he looked down. He had left a very obvious trail of bright white footprints. Sora sighed in a resigned kind of way.

"Well I can't commit a crime,"

And left the room.