So I think that we can all agree that the new "Kingdom Heart IV" trailer was amazing. No one expected Strelitzia to make an appearance. Or for Sora's feet to be tiny. But I'm assuming that's just for that particular world rather than across the entire game. Regardless, it was exciting. Not that it'll have any real effect on the plot for this series of fics since my version had Sora end up somewhere else. But I'm sure everyone was still thrilled to get that glimpse of the future game.
Isa could feel the ache in his back burning, telling him that he would need to take a break soon. He'd spent to long hunched over reading. But after plenty of combing through the barely-recovered files from the old computer system, he might have something at least relevant. It was Xehanort's notes on experiments on the heart on Subject X. The details that the man recorded about the girl in the cell.
Her limited and fragmented memories. Nothing solid or intact. Scattered pieces. Nothing that Isa didn't already know from those distant past conversations with her through a locked cell door. But reading them now, after learning and gaining far more knowledge in the decade since, those fragments held more potential than they seemed to back then.
A bygone world, like one out of fairy tales…
The question may not be where she came from, but when…
And the words she muttered, "May your heart be your guiding key"…
He shouldn't jump to conclusions. It was rather weak and circumstantial evidence. There could be dozens of other explanations for what Xehanort recorded about her. A misunderstanding or wild theory on his part. Or perhaps her dreams created fanciful things to fill in for her lost memories. But Isa didn't believe in coincidences.
A young girl who knew of other worlds, who may or may not have traveled through time, and who spoke of keys…
Could she have been a Keyblade wielder?
It offered another path of inquiry. If he couldn't trace where she went after vanishing from the underground cell, perhaps figuring out where she came from would provide new clues. A new way to find her. If she was a Keyblade wielder, perhaps that was something that he could use to get her back.
He needed more information. Information on possible Keyblader wielders from another time. And Isa knew where to possibly find information on that topic.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Isa sat up straighter with a groan. He should call Lea and see if he wanted to arrange a visit with an old friend.
Aqua barely looked up from where she was sitting, letting Naminé shyly show off her latest sketch. She was too familiar with the sounds of someone arriving via the Lanes Between to be overly concerned. Besides, it felt more important to finish complimenting Naminé on her artwork and improvement. She was such a quiet and almost timid girl. Helping her confidence seemed just as important as helping Kiru to master his Keyblade.
Though Aqua was mildly amused by how many of her more recent sketches were of Kiru.
Aqua did finally turn her head when Terra banished his armor, set down two suitcases, and crouched down next to them. He peered over Naminé's shoulder before adding his own nod of approval.
"That looks very nice," said Terra. "You could practically frame that picture of the training grounds."
Naminé blushed and tried to hide behind her sketchbook. But Aqua could see her shy smile. Terra took the opportunity to nudge the girl encouragingly.
"Thank you," she said. "It was such a sunny day and it seemed wrong to waste it."
Nodding, Terra asked, "And where are Kiru and Ven? I figured that they would be here," he said, gesturing out at the actual training grounds, "getting some practice in."
"Ven is showing him something. You know how he likes exploring some of the hidden corners of the castle," said Aqua, smiling at the memory. "Remember how good he was at hide-and-seek once he started opening up and talking with us? And now he has someone close to his age to explore with."
"I think Kiru is enjoying it too," said Naminé, standing up and brushing off her dress. "I told them I'd meet up with them later. Ven mentioned that there is a window up in the attic where you can see across the entire surrounding valley."
"There's an attic?" When Terra's far-too-innocent-to-be-authentic question made Naminé giggle, he continued, "Go on then. You guys have fun."
Naminé nodded as she gathered up her art supplies. Then, clutching her sketch pad protectively to her chest, she hurried back down the mountain path. Aqua watched her for a few minutes before finally climbing back to her feet and gathering her own craft supplies.
Peering at the bits of metal and glass, Terra asked, "Are you working on new Wayfinders?"
"Maybe," she admitted. "Though I was mostly showing Naminé how to make them. I thought she might like sharing them with Kiru." Glancing at the twin brown suitcases on the ground, Aqua asked, "How did your visit with Master Yen Sid go?"
While Master Yen Sid had turned down the offer of a Gummiphone, he did have ways of contacting them. That was how he warned Master Eraqus about the appearance of the Unverse swarming into the various worlds. But he preferred to speak with them in person. Which meant that Terra would head over to his tower every couple of weeks for a short visit.
"Unfortunately, he doesn't have any news on Sora or any useful updates. I think he mostly wanted to check on me and is using these updates as excuse. He did invite you to see him when you get the chance." Terra gave Aqua an expectant look, but quickly moved on. "But when I mentioned that we're going to have visitors soon, he sent a few things. Apparently, the fairies prepared some enchanted garments for Roxas and Xion."
Smiling, Aqua said, "That was nice of them. I suppose they would prefer more flexibility than armor would offer. It's kind of funny, you know? None of the newer Keyblade wielders wear armor. I never would have thought that would be something that got left behind."
"Considering how much magic is woven into the fabric, they have plenty of protection." Nudging Aqua slightly, Terra said, "Come on. We should probably make sure that everything is ready. We haven't had visitors in a while. Maybe we should make some cookies for them. I bet all of the kids would enjoy them."
"I think we have time for some baking tomorrow," she said, smiling at the idea. "Let's dust off those old recipe books."
While Lea had visited the world countless times when it was Castle Oblivion, he'd always traveled there through the corridors of darkness. It would have been simple enough to do the same when Isa suggested the visit. He and Lea had the clothes from those three fairies with magical protections woven into the fabric and Roxas and Xion still had their black coats.
Lea almost suggested it. But he'd known Isa for most of their lives. They were practically like brothers growing up. He'd noticed Isa's discomfort when he'd led him out of the Castle That Never Was after being recompleted and how Isa had avoided traveling that way since. It took him a little while to put it all together, but he did eventually. Which was why Lea and the others were traveling there via Gummi Ship for the first time instead.
His first impression when they arrived was amazement over how much the place had changed. It had never been the most cheerful of locations back when Organization XIII began using it. But the transformation left it barely recognizable. The odd structure that jutted out in various directions as it loomed over the bottomless chasm and the narrow pathway, standing tall against the darkened sky was nothing more than a memory now. A nearly forgotten memory, which Lea could admit was a bit ironic.
The Land of Departure was beautiful. Set up high in the grassy mountains and surrounded by flowing water, the building nearly shone in gold and white. Gold chains ran from the structure. The Gummi Ship landed on the circle of stonework in front of the staircase to the transformed castle. Despite being perched on the edge of light and dark specifically in order to defend the balance, the place seemed bright enough to banish any possible shadow. It was a place of light. Everything about the place seemed like a paradise.
Hard to believe that it was the site of so many murder attempts and the destruction of various Nobodies. Several of them because of Lea's time as Axel.
"Wow," said Xion as she climbed out. "So pretty. It's so different."
Jumping out after her, Roxas said, "I didn't get to see much of Castle Oblivion before, but it definitely didn't look like this."
Lea and Isa followed them in a calmer fashion. The Gummi Ship wasn't exactly as subtle as dark corridors, so it didn't take long for three small figures to hurry out. Ventus practically flew down the stairs while Naminé and Kiru walked after him. All three of them were smiling, though Kiru's was somewhat subdued since he seemed eternally serious and Naminé looked shy.
Shy was better than traumatized, timid, and scared as she was pushed around by members of the Organization like Larxene, Vexen, and Marluxia. Lea preferred her coming out of her shell slowly and being happy. Just like he preferred Riku's replica being his own person rather than letting someone use him.
Had Lea apologized to Kiru yet? He couldn't remember. There had been so many people that deserved one and he was too tired to dig through his memories at the moment for uncomfortable past conversations.
"Hey there, Naminé," greeted Roxas. "Is that a new dress?"
Smiling as she spun around to show it off, she asked, "Do you like it? I drew it out first on my sketchpad and Kairi sent me the beads when I told her about it, but Aqua helped make it. She is so talented at making things."
"You're very good at that as well," said Kiru.
Naminé blushed at the boy's honest praise. And Lea had to admit that they were right about her new dress, even if it was similar to her old one. A little longer in length so that it reached her knees, white beads sewn along the hemline that sparkled like miniature rainbows when they caught the light, and short scalloped sleeves with some more beading along them. Relatively simple changes, but the effect was nice. The outfit wasn't exactly ideal for fighting nor was her sandals, but she wasn't really the combative type. And that wasn't a bad thing. There were enough young Keyblade wielders already and she didn't have to follow that path. Her new dress suited the blossoming artist quite well.
"You two have some new clothes too," said Ventus. "Terra brought a couple of suitcases back when he visited Master Yen Sid."
Tilting her head, Xion said, "Oh? That was nice of him."
"Maybe you three should show them where we put their new clothes."
Lea looked back towards the stairs at the sound of Aqua's voice, the young woman and Terra walking down to join the group. It had been a while since he'd seen the pair. Probably not since the immediate aftermath of the Keyblade War. While he'd been busy taking care of Roxas and Xion, they'd been caring for their own group of half-pints while also researching clues to find Sora like responsible adults. That didn't leave a lot of free time for social visits.
It was kind of funny to realize that the two of them and Ventus were technically older than they looked. All three were at least a decade older than they appeared due to getting trapped in the Realm of Darkness, having his heart shatter so that it ended up in Sora, and getting his body stolen by Xehanort respectively. By sheer number of years, Aqua and Terra were older than Lea and Ventus should have been about the same age instead of looking like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old. It was the opposite situation to Roxas, Xion, Naminé, and even Kiru looking like teenagers while being only a couple of years old.
Being a Keyblade wielder apparently guaranteed the weirdest lives.
"Thank you for welcoming us to your home," greeted Isa politely.
Smiling back, Aqua said, "All of you are always welcome here. The Land of Departure was meant to be a safe haven for all Keyblade wielders."
"And their friends," added Terra, placing a hand gently on Naminé's shoulder.
Ventus nodded in agreement. Then he dashed forward to grab Lea and Isa's hands, trying to tug them along.
"Come on," he laughed. "I can give all of you the tour. I want to show you everything."
"As much as I might enjoy that," said Isa, a small smile tugging at his face, "I'm afraid that I have a few things to take care of first."
"Right." Terra stepped forward. "You asked about searching through our library. Something about finding information about a possible past Keybearer in connection to someone you know?"
Both Roxas and Xion gave them questioning looks. Which reminded Lea that somehow he'd never gotten around to explaining to the two of them about the nameless girl locked up in the hidden underground cell. It wasn't exactly a secret. At least, not an intentional one. It just slipped his mind. But he knew that he should correct that before they started wondering if he was hiding things again.
"There was a girl that we were friends with when we were kids," he said. "She disappeared one day. We've been looking for her for years. Isa thinks this might finally give us a clue to help find her."
Giving a wry smile, Roxas said, "We really do spend all of our time losing and finding our friends, don't we?"
Lea couldn't help the faint chuckle. He wasn't exactly wrong. But at least they'd always found their friends eventually. It gave him hope that maybe they would finally find that missing girl someday.
"So much sarcasm," he teased, trying to ruffle Roxas's hair before the boy batted his hand away. "Don't know where you got it from. Sora's not nearly as snarky."
Trying to hide his faint smile and not completely succeeding, Isa said, "Perhaps he picked it up from his first caretaker."
It was unfortunate that Isa was out of reach. That comment deserved a smack to the back of his head. The short glare that Lea gave him didn't have the same impact.
"I would be happy to show you the library," said Terra, still looking faintly bemused by the entire exchange. "There are books written across the entire recorded history of Keyblade wielders, from Master Ephemer's journals describing the founding of Scala ad Caelum and his original teachings for those first students after the World was divided into many… to the more theoretical and academic writings of Master Brain from during Master Eraqus's youth. There's even a copy of the Book of Prophecies, originally written during the Age of Fairytales from before the World was shattered. There's not much left about that time period, leaving it shrouded in mystery, but Master Eraqus made certain to guard what little information remains about it. If there is any record of your lost friend being a Keybearer, it will be here."
Taking Lea's hand with both of his, Ventus said, "Well, while Terra and Isa are busy in the library, you can come with us. We can show you around, let Roxas and Xion try on their new clothes, maybe have some sparring so Kiru can show off what he's learning, and then stop by the kitchen. Terra, Aqua, and I baked cookies earlier. We used the peanut butter blossom cookie recipe that Master Eraqus used to say was his in his family for generations. Not even Kiru or Naminé have tried them yet."
"Though Ven hasn't stopped talking about them," said Kiru.
Laughing slightly, Lea said, "I'm definitely trying those cookies before we leave." Then, reluctantly pulling free from Ventus's grip, he said, "But why don't you guys go ahead and get started while I catch up? There's a couple of things that I wanted to discuss with Aqua first."
She blinked in surprise, but neither she nor anyone questioned it. Of course, Lea hadn't originally planned to have a private conversation with Aqua when he first arrived. They weren't really that close. But then he'd seen her.
Ventus had mentioned before that he was worried about her not sleeping. And maybe she could hide it to an extent, but Lea hadn't seen her in months and that made it a little easier to notice the difference. Lea also had a little experience in the matter. He knew where to spot the signs. A little too pale in the face with some hints of shadows under her eyes, her hair duller than it should be, and a weariness in her gaze. All subtle and easy to miss when they were around her daily, the changes happening gradually. But it was enough that someone should check on her.
Aqua looked haunted. Lea could understand the feeling. While it didn't carry quite as many painful memories as Radiant Garden, he carried a lot of guilt about his time in this world that tried to whisper at the back of his mind. It was easy for the past to haunt someone. And considering what happened to her and her friends, she had more than enough reason to lose some sleep.
Shaking his head ruefully, Ventus said, "Fine, but I can't promise that they'll be any cookies left if you take too long."
"Guess I've got a good incentive not to take too long then," he said with a smirk. "I'll catch up soon. Promise."
Taking Roxas and Xion's hands, Naminé said, "We left the suitcases inside. Do you want to try them on?"
There was a brief moment of hesitation. The pair glanced towards Lea. Not silently asking him for guidance or clarification on anything. Lea knew that expression on them quite well after how many times they'd directed it towards them over the last few years. This was something a little different. They were searching, but not exactly certain what they expected to find. Then they let their friends lead them away.
Isa tried not to stare as he followed Terra. He knew the history of what happened to him. How Master Xehanort stole his body, but lost his memory of his identity in the aftermath and became Ansem's apprentice. And when he became the first of them to lose his heart, the resulting Nobody was Xemnas. The body of Terra with no heart, but carrying the memories and personality from his time as an apprentice and the subconscious ones from Master Xehanort.
Isa knew that they were different people. He understood it. They didn't even dress alike. Terra wore a dark shirt, red straps across his chest, and tan pants of an older style than was worn in Radiant Garden. Xehanort had worn a white lab coat with a purple cravat when Isa knew him and the Superior wore the same black coat as the rest of the Organization.
And yet whenever he looked in Terra's direction, something in Isa twisted sharply. His hair might not be silver and his eyes might not be gold, but it was the same face. A decade younger than Xemnas at the end, but the same features. Nearly identical to how he looked when Isa first lost his heart. The entire effect felt disconcerting.
But it wasn't Terra's fault. And hopefully spending more time around him would help Isa grow more comfortable with him. Maybe it would make it easier to remember their differences as he got to know Terra better. He would need to put in the effort to try.
It couldn't be more difficult than gradually working to improve things with Roxas and Xion.
"Your home world is quite nice," said Isa. "I'm sure that you are relieved to be back."
Terra glanced over at him, rubbing his arm awkwardly as they walked. He gave Isa a faintly uncomfortable smile. It would seem neither of them were certain how to proceed. But small talk was at least a start.
"It is nice to be home with my friends again," he said slowly. "Especially after all that happened. But I suppose that I should explain that the Land of Departure is not my original home world. None of us are originally from here."
Raising an eyebrow, Isa asked, "Oh?"
"Master Eraqus came from another world where there were several Keyblade wielders. Scala ad Caelum. A world with an entire culture and rich history of distinguished masters and entire family lines of Keybearers. Some were recruited from off-world, but most were raised within that way of life. But even with Scala ad Caelum, they kept the Land of Departure as both a safe haven and the first line of defense against the darkness due to how it is positioned on the border between the two realms. Perfectly balanced between them. Most people lived in Scala ad Caelum, but there would always be a group here to guard it or to study in seclusion from most of the others. His master, Master Odin, was the protector of this world in addition to Master Eraqus's teacher. And eventually he named Master Eraqus his successor. But at some point, something happened to that world of Keyblade wielders. Master Eraqus never told us what it was, but Aqua and I always suspected that it had something to do with darkness." Terra shook his head slowly. "Whatever it was, that world was left empty and only a handful of Keyblade masters remained. Everyone else was gone. Master Eraqus found me and Aqua years later…"
His voice grew quieter. Quieter and heavy with emotions. Grief, loss, regret, but also nostalgia and pained longing for what he'd once had.
"He found Aqua first and then me a few months later. She was eight years old. I was ten. We were young and alone, but Master Eraqus… He saw something in us… in me. He brought us here. He raised us, trained us, and… gave us a home. A purpose. Ven joined us later and even now he doesn't remember where he came from originally." Terra smiled ruefully as he paused in front of a pair of elaborately-carved doors. "Aqua and I were so young when Master Eraqus found us that I only have scattered memories of my old world. There wasn't much back then that I'd wanted to remember anyway. And I doubt that Aqua remembers much more about her own world either. The Land of Departure may not be our original home worlds, but it is certainly our home."
And with that assertion, Terra threw open the doors to reveal the library. Just like the rest of the transformed world, it was nothing like the white maze-like Castle Oblivion that Isa once knew. It held a large and open space with pale wooden shelves lining the walls and warm light streaming down from the skylight above. Long tables ran along the middle of the room, the same type of light-colored wood as the shelves. Perhaps oak or something similar. The floor was made of polished cream-colored marble with only the thinnest veins of gold woven through the stone like stray threads. But in the center was a section inlayed with gray stone in the same shape as the symbol that Terra, Aqua, and Ventus all wore.
Everything about the library made it seem bright, warm, and welcoming in a way that Castle Oblivion never was. But it also made it clear that it was originally built with the expectations of there being far more Keyblade wielders dwelling there than the current numbers.
"You'll have to give me a few minutes to locate the lists of previous Keybearers," said Terra. "Aqua was always more familiar with the organization system and a few things were jumbled up when we were researching what might have happened to cause Sora to disappear."
While the original plan was to let Roxas and Xion try out their new bespelled clothing, maybe seeing if they could convince Naminé to show off some of her latest artwork since Ventus knew Kiru had one of her pictures hanging on his wall, he was struck by a bit of inspiration along the way. He caught sight of a ledge up near the ceiling that was supposedly purely ornamental. And it reminded Ventus of a discovery that he made a long time ago while exploring. One of the smaller secrets of his home. Not as elaborate as the transformation into Castle Oblivion, but still interesting. It was a secret that he hadn't shared with Kiru and Naminé yet and it was one that Lea wouldn't be able to enjoy unfortunately. So wouldn't it make sense to show it off before he came to join them?
He couldn't resist the temptation. And his four new friends didn't take much convincing to join him on a slight detour.
All that it took back then was a carefully-controlled Aero spell. A small whirlwind to boost himself up to the narrow ledge and the hidden secret. A concealed door that blended into the wall. A small door that Ventus easily opened with his Keyblade years ago. It wasn't the most dramatic or amazing discovery ever made, especially in comparison to his later adventures off world. But at the time, it seemed like the best thing that he'd ever found. Too small for Terra or Aqua to explore, but perfect for him.
Ventus cast Aero like he did back then. Kiru was the first to use it, jumping on top of the whirlwind and letting it carry him to the ledge so that he would be able to catch Naminé when she followed. Roxas and Xion probably didn't need the extra help, but they let him do it. Ventus explained that doing it this way was part of the fun and they accepted it without question. The ledge was getting crowded by the time that Ventus landed lightly next to them, but he managed.
"So where does this go?" asked Roxas, gesturing towards the small dark tunnel that couldn't be seen from ground level.
Smiling brightly, Ventus said, "All sorts of places. You can sneak into the kitchen, pop out in a hidden corner of the library, or come out on the roof. Even the rooms that you can't reach, you can usually see and hear what's going on inside."
"They're like the Underground Concourse, but for the building instead of the town," said Xion excitedly. "That's so neat."
"Where are we going?" asked Naminé, tilting her head.
Pointing up, Ventus said, "A spot on the roof that you can't reach any other way. If you thought the view from the attic was amazing, just wait until we get there."
"Lead the way," said Kiru, gesturing towards the tunnel.
They couldn't walk through the tunnels and it wasn't comfortable to just hunch over the entire way. They ended up crawling in a single file line through the shadows. Ventus in the lead, followed by Roxas, Xion, Naminé, and Kiru bringing up the rear. Light came through grates and hidden cut-out designs disguised among elaborate carvings on the outside, but those were scattered and scarce. Mostly they explored the hidden secrets of the Land of Departure in the dark.
As bright as the world might be, especially during the time when Master Eraqus was its protectorate, it still had its darkness. But that was the way things were meant to be. They were meant to be balanced together. Trying to deny and remove darkness completely would only lead to suffering.
Ventus pulled his thoughts away from that direction. He didn't want to dwell on the topic too long. Otherwise he would start thinking about Vanitas and all his complicated emotions concerning his other half.
He'd hoped that the others would enjoy this. It was hard for him to imagine someone who wouldn't like it at least a little. Exploring hidden and secret places was fun. Ventus had learned that a long time ago. And from his fuzzy memories of dreaming within Sora's heart, he'd enjoyed it just as much. Crawling all over his island and then later the various worlds that he visited. Because of that, he strongly suspected that Roxas and Xion would enjoy it just as much. Naminé and Kiru were the only ones that he didn't know for certain would have a good time just crawling through the secret tunnel system. But hopefully they would appreciate the view from the roof regardless.
As they tried to pass another grate, golden light filtering through, a voice made him pause.
"Do you want to have some tea while we talk?"
Aqua?
Curiosity was hard to ignore. Besides, he did want to know what Lea wanted with Aqua. It wasn't like the two of them had spent much time together previously. He couldn't pass up the opportunity. Ventus crept a little closer and peered through the grate.
Their hiding place overlooked the kitchen from an unusual angle above some of the cabinets. The kitchen was a large one of brick, green tile, and pale wood, originally built for a decent-sized staff to cook for several Keyblade masters and their students who would eat in the dining room. But none of them could remember a time like that. With Kiru and Naminé joining them and bringing their numbers up to five, that was the most people dwelling in the Land of Departure that Ventus could ever remember. They rarely used the dining room other than special occasions and mostly ate at the worn table that they'd dragged into the kitchen ages ago. They took turns cooking over the magical flames on the stove or in the oven and the deep sink let them wash up afterwards, which tended to be one of Ventus's usual chores. And today, sitting in the middle of the table and waiting for all of them, there was a large plate of—
"Do you smell cookies?" asked Kiru.
"Shh…" Ventus gestured vaguely at the grate despite knowing that Kiru was too far back to see him. "I want to hear."
Roxas and Xion tried to crowd closer as Ventus peered down. Aqua was pulling out a box of tea from the cabinets while Lea trailed after her, poking around curiously at anything that caught his attention. He snagged a kettle and dangled it enticingly.
"Sure, tea sounds great," said Lea. "I guess Ven took my advice about the chamomile tea."
"That was you? I was wondering why he started drinking it," she said.
"Want me to heat it up for you?"
Turning her head towards him, Aqua asked, "You're not going to do it with magic to show off, are you? From what I've seen, you have a knack for both fire and theatrics."
"Tempting, but no. I'll admit I've got pretty good control over fire magic, but it would be too distracting to maintain something like that while we talk."
Lea pulled out one of the chairs and gestured towards it. Aqua hesitated a moment. Then she took the kettle, put it on the stove, and then accepted the offered seat. Lea sat down across from her.
"What do you wish to discuss, Lea?" she asked.
"When did you last sleep?"
Ventus couldn't see her face from his current angle, but he could see the way she stiffened at Lea's question. She turned her head to stare at the kettle instead of risking eye contact.
"Which is it?" he continued. "Insomnia keeping you up at night or nightmares waking you up?"
"I'm fine."
Shaking his head, Lea said, "Yeah, I don't believe that for a minute. Ven already told me that he doesn't sleep much anymore, you look like you haven't seen your bed in two weeks, and I'll bet that Terra isn't getting enough rest either. I don't know about Naminé and Kiru—"
"They're sleeping fine."
"—but the rest of you are almost definitely having issues. Want to talk about it?"
Aqua didn't immediately respond. Ventus could hear the others trying to crowd a little closer to watch and listen to the events unfolding below them. All of them curious and unwilling to crawl away to give the discussion some privacy. They couldn't leave now. Not without finding out more.
"The three of you went through a lot," continued Lea. "No one would ever deny that. Sometimes that means you aren't fine. And that's all right. There's nothing wrong if you guys have some problems after everything. It just means that you might need a little support." Scratching the back of his head briefly, he said, "I've got a bit of experience at helping people out with these sorts of things by now. Turns out I'm a pretty good listener." When she still didn't respond, Lea shifted in his chair and said, "Look at it this way. If your friends are having problems, you'd want to help them, right?"
"Of course I want to help them," she said, finally turning back towards him. "I just…"
"You don't always know how?" suggested Lea carefully. "I get it. It can be hard to fumble your way through stuff, acting like you know what you're doing when you're still learning it yourself. How about I make a few suggestions and you give them a try? They might help Ven, Terra, and you. Can't promise they'll solve everything, but I can at least tell you what seems to help Roxas, Xion, and even Isa and Kairi when those two call me for help."
From somewhere behind Ventus, Xion whispered, "Axel is talking about the rules, isn't he?"
"What rules?" he asked quietly.
"The chamomile tea is a good start," said Lea, preventing the spying Ventus from getting an answer. "It's a good way to relax in the evening before bed. We've made it part of our routine. And keep your doors open at night. That makes it easier to hear if someone has a nightmare or needs help. Because there's a decent chance the first few times, they'll not want to bother you with their problems and you'll need to have the doors open to notice. And there needs to be rules. You'll need to sit down and establish some rules together. Rules like going and talking to someone after nightmares and not apologizing for them. Figure out what you need and what would help calm you down, building it into the routine. Maybe some reassurances, piling together in the same bed, or—"
"Or a nightlight?" asked Aqua softly.
She immediately cringed, as if regretting the words as soon as she spoke. But Lea simply nodded.
"If that helps," he said. "Plenty of people need a nightlight."
"Children. Not Keyblade masters."
"Okay, first? The vast majority of Keyblade wielders running around are children. Including Riku, the newest Keyblade master, and our currently-missing Sora, who has more than earned the right to the title even if he doesn't believe it. And second, there's nothing wrong with needing a light at night for whatever reason. We know better than most that there are monsters that lurk in the dark."
Aqua shifted in her seat, crossing her arms and drawing them close. Ventus wished that he could see her face. But her back was to his hiding place, so he would just have to be satisfied with deciphering her body language. And it was fairly closed off at the moment. She just sat there as Lea stood up to finish tea preparations, sliding a mug in front of her before reclaiming his seat.
Then he snagged one of the waiting cookies. Because apparently he didn't want to wait for everyone to get one. Which wasn't fair because Ventus hadn't even tried one yet and he'd helped bake them.
"You were trapped in the Realm of Darkness for a long time," he said slowly. "They never gave me all the details, but it sounds like it was pretty bad."
"Worse than you can imagine."
"Trust me. I can imagine some pretty bad stuff after what I've seen. But my point is that you're allowed to be uncomfortable after that."
"No. I'm not. I can't be."
Her words came out as a faint whisper. But the tone broke Ventus's heart. He just wanted to burst his way through the grate and give her a hug.
"Aqua," said Lea, gentle and firm. "I get it. You need to be the strong one for the others. You can't have any weaknesses or vulnerabilities because you need to be there to support your friends, right? But sometimes you need help too, Aqua. Sometimes you might need support as well. Otherwise, you won't be in any shape to take care of them. So yes, get a nightlight. Maybe pile together in the same bed as a slumber party if that helps. Comfort each other after nightmares. And if you need someone to talk to, you can call me on our Gummiphones. Don't care what time it is. If you need something, I can get here fast. Or I can just listen. Whatever you need. Got it memorized?"
It took a moment for her to respond. Then she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, giving a small nod as some of the tension melted out of her shoulders.
"You are determined to take care of everyone, aren't you?" she said quietly. "I never would have guessed that when we first met."
Scratching the back of his head, Lea said, "I mean, someone's got to keep an eye on everyone. I've been taking care of Keybearers for a while and you looked like you needed a good night's sleep, so… Yeah,"
"A little sleep might help." Aqua took a small sip of her tea. "I will… try to take your advice. We are all having to adjust and relearn several things since returning. And several habits and assumptions that Master Eraqus taught us need to be… re-examined. You are right that there might be healthier ways to handle my insomnia. Perhaps by not reaching out to the others for help, I might be discouraging them from asking for help in return."
The entire conversation was giving Ventus plenty to think about. He would need to keep an eye on Aqua moving forwards. Terra too. He'd suspected that she wasn't sleeping well, but now he had confirmation. And all those rules that Lea gave her were things that Ventus could do for Aqua in return.
"Come on," whispered Kiru. "We've eavesdropped on them long enough. They deserve some privacy."
Ventus nodded before turning. He glimpsed some rather thoughtful looks on Roxas and Xion's faces, but he didn't linger on it. Trying not to make much noise, they started crawling back through the tunnels. They still needed to see the view from the roof and get back down in time for the pair to try on their new clothes.
His separation anxiety whenever the two half-pints were out of sight had never fully disappeared. Merely quieted down to a dull roar that he could ignore enough to function during the day. If they were in Twilight Town, he could almost pretend that he didn't have that awful feeling that they would disappear forever the minute he couldn't see them. Twilight Town was familiar and safe and comforting. And every time they went to school or to hang out with their friends, they came back unharmed. In Twilight Town, that feeling of dread and worry could be pushed aside as long as they showed up when they were supposed to.
But apparently being off-world changed things. It wasn't too bad at first. They were with Ventus and that kid would keep an eye on them. He wouldn't let anything bad happen. But after a little while, that constant fear of losing them again started clawing its way back to the forefront of his mind. The Land of Departure didn't look like Castle Oblivion and didn't behave like it. No endless white rooms scattered across dozens of floors, shifting and changing to confuse the occupants with doors that refused to unlock without cards crafted of magic and memories. It wasn't a place of traps, mazes, lies, and betrayal. But even if that confusing and unnerving castle had been replaced with the more welcoming original, he couldn't forget how much was lost there.
Not Sora's memories. That was Naminé being manipulated and used by the Nobodies with a variety of agendas. No, he was thinking more of those who were destroyed within those walls. Lexaeus. Larxene. Marluxia. Zexion. Vexen. Some fell to Riku. Others to Sora. But some, directly or indirectly, were destroyed by Axel's actions. Yet another reminder of what he used to be at his worst and who he couldn't allow himself to become ever again. The Land of Departure may be beautiful and peaceful now and those who were destroyed may have been recompleted rather than truly lost, but it didn't change the violence and cruelty that might still stain those halls. And those memories did nothing to ease his anxiety the longer that Roxas and Xion were out of sight.
But he hid it behind a smirk and a few smart-alecky remarks as Aqua ended up giving him a bit of a tour after their conversation in the kitchen. She already had enough to worry about without bringing up his insecurities about the half-pints and a few unpleasant memories about her home. After all, he'd already gone to the trouble of trying to offer the young woman some advice. He didn't want to undo all that work. Still, he managed to keep his sigh of relief silent when the kids finally tracked them back down.
Lea had to admit that the three fairies seemed to do good work and had a knack for matching everyone's preferred styles. There weren't many differences between what Roxas and Xion chose for themselves and the new clothes, but that just meant that the half-pints would like them.
For Roxas, the interior of his jacket was now a black-and-red plaid instead of simply bright red and there was a strip of more red plaid along the bottom edge. He had an actual hood now that he could pull up if he wanted. His bi-colored pants were now divided a little differently, mostly black with the cream-white color running from the knee down along the front of the pants like oversized shin guards.
For Xion, she had some black leggings under her skirt that only reached down to her knees. She wore a sturdy pair of black boots with no raised heels, a section of dark red plaid that wrapped around right above her ankles, and zippers instead of laces. It took Lea a moment to notice that the silver zippers were shaped like Thalassa shells, but it was certainly a small detail that he knew she would like. And in addition to the scalloped sleeves being a little longer, they and the collar of her blouse were also the same dark red plaid as on her boots. Almost as dark as Lea's own shirt.
But the most important part was that, unlike their previous clothes, these came with protective spells. Magic woven into the very fabric to protect their hearts from the darkness and probably some more general defensive magic as well. More subtle than their black coats, but just as effective.
So just like with Naminé, Lea made certain to offer his opinions on their new clothes and enjoyed the smiles that followed. Some hair-ruffling turned those smiles into giggles and mock complaints for him to stop. Then Ventus was grabbing at his arm again and insisting on a visit to the training grounds to show off. Which turned into an impromptu lesson among the younger Keyblade wielders that proved, once again, that Lea still had a long way to go on the Keyblade thing.
He wasn't even going to try that Shotlock stuff that Ventus was teaching his half-pints. Lea would leave the gravity-defying stuff to Xigbar, wherever that guy ended up after being destroyed in the Keyblade War. But at least Roxas and Xion seemed to enjoy it. And he was perfectly willing to sit down to watch with Naminé from the sidelines.
By the time that Isa showed up to join him, sitting on the grass next to him as he watched the children playing around by being terrifyingly-powerful in combat, his earlier anxiety seemed like just a memory.
"Any luck?" asked Lea as Isa settled into place, he taking the right side since Naminé was on the left.
"A few possible candidates that might be her," he said. "It is difficult since we don't have a name and very few of those listed have a picture or description. It is mostly a matter of locating Keyblade wielders who would have been around her age when they vanished from the records and trying to determine if they could have been her."
"If she was a time-traveler, she may have gone back to the past and continued with her life like before." Lea scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I didn't get all the time-travel stuff completely, but isn't that what happened with that youngest version of Xehanort? He ended up going back to the past when Sora beat him and didn't remember anything afterwards? If that's how it works, she could have gone back and lived the rest of her life without remembering us at all. It would explain where she disappeared to when we were kids."
Sighing heavily and shaking his head, Isa said, "True. But for now, I would rather work under the assumption that she has not returned to the past and that she is still in our time. I do not wish to give this up as a lost cause. Not yet." Pausing a moment, he said, "I would have expected you to be in the middle of all… that."
Isa gestured towards the training grounds where Roxas and Ventus were busy pretending seeing how many aerial combos that they could combine together before hitting the ground and Xion and Kiru worked on some kind of spinning magic-based attack that was leaving a lot of ice to their surroundings. Occasionally Aqua would offer some advice to whichever Keyblade wielder caught her attention, but mostly she seemed content to watch from the other side of the training grounds. But with Terra's return, she seemed to be considering a little playful sparring of her own.
"Considered it," he admitted, before jerking his head towards Naminé. "But I was seeing if I could convince a certain someone to fix me up some art for next time I visit."
Smiling shyly, she said, "He asked if I could draw him, Roxas, Xion, and you sometime. And that he'd bring me some ice cream if I did."
"Is ice cream your solution to everything?" asked Isa.
"Hey, I also said I'd bring some paint and brushes too. I see you didn't mention that part," he complained teasingly, nudging her just enough to make her giggle before hiding behind her sketchpad. "I just thought that my room could use a little decorating. Roxas has some posters and Xion has her seashells. I figured that I could commission our resident artist to help me out."
"Still," said Isa slowly, almost cautiously, "I would have expected you to be out there with the others. If nothing else, I would have thought that you and Ventus would have a rematch from your first encounter."
"You mean where I tried to take on a trained Keyblade wielder with a pair of frisbees and was crushed?" he asked.
"Being outmatched has never stopped you before. I was just wondering why they haven't dragged you over already. I'm just surprised that you are sitting here instead. There's nothing wrong, is there, Lea?"
Scratching the back of his head as he turned to look back out across the training grounds, he said, "Nah, of course not. I'm fine, Isa. Just a little tired, I guess. It's been a long day and work's been a bit rougher for the last little bit. Plus, like I said, I was just hanging out with Naminé. Haven't gotten a chance lately."
He purposefully ignored the way that both Isa and Naminé were looking at him. As if they were uncertain whether or not to believe him. Which was annoying because he was absolutely fine. There was nothing to worry about. And he was telling the truth. He was tired and, since fighting Heartless was essentially his job, work had been rough lately. He was a little rundown, but it wasn't anything that he couldn't handle.
"I suppose that makes sense," said Isa finally, still not sounding completely convinced. "Neither of us are quite as young and energetic as we once were."
"Come on, we're not that old," he complained, turning to mockingly glare at Isa. "We're not fourteen and fifteen anymore, but I'm not decrepit yet. Don't know about you."
"I'm only a year older than you," said Isa, falling into the familiar argument. "As you've said numerous times through our childhood, that barely counts."
"Hey, you're the one who is acting like our youth is over."
"I suppose I was somewhat hasty in that assumption. After all, you barely have the maturity of twelve-year-old."
Shoving him hard, Lea said, "Slander and lies. Do you hear how cruel he is to me, Naminé? And he's my oldest friend." Grinning, he added, "And I mean that both as I've known him the longest and that he's absolutely ancient."
As Naminé tried to hold onto her sketchbook as she giggled over their antics and Isa tried to figure out a dignified and stoic way to shove Lea into the dirt, they both seemed to be distracted from whatever previous doubts that they might have had about how Lea was doing. Which he considered to be a good thing. There was no reason for the two of them to be worrying about him. He was fine. Perfectly fine.
In case you were wondering why red plaid was added to their outfits, especially since Xion didn't have any color originally except for black and white, the answer is very simple and two-fold. One, all the more recent clothes from the three fairies has plaid along with darkness-shielding properties. And two, I made it red plaid because red is the signature color for Lea, their big brother/parent/guardian figure. Roxas already had a little red in his clothes, so it didn't take much to incorporate it into Xion's ensemble too.
Please keep in mind that I am picking and choosing the different pieces that I want to incorporate from the "Kingdom Hearts χ" group of games. Mostly because those games weren't finished when I started writing (and some aren't finished now). That means I'm not restricted as much when something eventually pops up to try and discredit what I've written. But it also means I'm free to sprinkle in vague references whenever I want about what happened to characters like Ephemer, Brain, and all the inhabitants of Scala ad Caelum. Ephemer founded the place and it is safe to assume he's dead of old age by now. And from my understanding based on where (when) Brain pops up after the events of his game, he would end up in the same generation as Eraqus and Xehanort.
I did have a hilarious idea that Brain ended up changing his name and growing up to be Master Yen Sid, but I don't think Disney would go for that idea.
But I'm glad that we got to have a nice visit to the Land of Departure. Let the kids hang out, let Isa make some (possible) progress on his search for the missing girl, and let Lea give Aqua some advice. And unlike their trip to Destiny Islands, no one almost drowned. That's a victory, right?