AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Oh-em-gee it's chapter three…

So prior to officially starting this story, I had unofficially drafted the first few chapters. My muse took over and wouldn't let me rest until I'd gotten a few initial ideas down. Once I was about 7 chapters in I started to realise that maybe this could actually become A Thing, and I figured it was time to take a moment, figure out where everything was going, and then commit.

So this means that the first few chapters are probably going to be coming out fairly quickly, as all I'm really doing is updated them to make sure that everything fits with the new story concept and doing a bit of editing (if you think I use a lot of commas, you should see my first drafts).

Thank you so much to everyone who has checked out the story so far! We have a lot of story to get through (the outline alone is 23 pages!), and I look forward to sharing the journey with you.

CHAPTER THREE | AWAKENING

They spent most of the night working to heal Kairi.

Riku joined Aqua after eating what little he could of the dinner Ven had made them. Her usually immaculate room had been thrown in to chaos, with several synthesis stations set up on whatever flat surface she could find, and Riku had to wade through mountains of ingredients and bottles in order to get to her side.

"Whatever happened to her, it's more than a simple healing spell can fix," Aqua murmured. "I don't think we'll even know the true extent of the damage until she wakes up." Riku was too tired to tell her how grateful he was that she said 'when' and not 'if', but something in his smile must have given her a clue. She reached out to squeeze his hand, offering him a moment of silent comfort before they got to work.

Together they carefully peeled Kairi out of her cloak, revealing the mottled skin beneath. The bruises were the most prominent – freshly-formed blues and purples overlapped with older greens and yellows – but there were other wounds too; raised red welts and rashes of tender skin that might have been burned, saved from looking any worse by what little protection was offered by the thick black coat.

Over the next few hours their progress ground to a halt more often than not as people stopped by to see how they were doing. Ven came to them first to let them know that he was giving the others a tour of the castle and show them where they would be sleeping (Riku would be sharing a room with Axel and Roxas, one floor up at the end of the hall). Some time later they were interrupted by Naminé who sat with them as they worked, cradling Kairi's head in her lap as they rubbed a potion-based salve over her limbs. She stayed that way for almost an hour until Axel arrived with Roxas and Xion in tow. Aqua conveniently excused herself, saying she needed to visit the store cupboard for more ingredients and hinting not-so-subtly that Riku should join her. Loathe as he was to leave Kairi's side, Aqua's room was quickly becoming cramped and he wouldn't refuse a chance to stretch his legs. Their venture took longer than expected on account of them bumping in to Terra on his way to bed.

"How is she?" he asked, though he quickly added: "Sorry, I imagine you're probably sick of being asked."

"She'll be okay," Aqua answered. At Terra's unspoken question, she continued. "She's been hurt pretty badly. We just need to handle the worst of the damage until she wakes up and she can do the rest herself." Terra nodded and folded his arms with a sigh.

"I wish there was something I could do," he murmured. Aqua forced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"We both know that your strength is causing damage, not healing it," she said, resting a gentle hand on his elbow. "Riku and I can handle this. You should rest."

"And so should you. Both of you," he added with a nod to Riku.

"We will," he promised.

"We just want to make her a bit more comfortable first," Aqua added. Terra looked like he might object but Aqua quickly turned away and disappeared back down the hall. Riku hovered for a moment, wondering if Terra might ask anything of him, but Terra gave him only a nod before heading towards his room and Riku make his way back to Aqua's just in time to see Xion and Roxas leading Axel and Naminé in to the hall. Naminé offered Riku a tearful smile before Xion led her towards the stairs. Roxas made to follow them, only to stop when he realised Axel hadn't moved at all.

"Axel?" Roxas asked quietly. Axel didn't seem to hear him. He was still standing by the doorway, staring back in to the room with a look on his face that Riku had hoped never to see again.

"Axel," Riku said, his voice loud enough to snap him from his reverie. Despair quickly turned to determination as blazing emerald eyes met Riku's.

"I won't lose her again," he declared, his voice low and dangerous. Roxas closed the distance between them, placing a hand on Axel's elbow and giving him a gentle tug. Axel seemed to deflate a little, and after one last glance in to the room he followed Roxas upstairs to turn in for the night. Riku watched them go, waiting until he heard several doors close on the floor above before he slipped back in to Aqua's room.

They worked in to the early hours of the morning until Aqua's strength began to fade beyond anything that ethers or potions could fix. Eventually she was forced to sit back and admit defeat. They'd patched up the majority of her bruises, and those that couldn't be healed completely had been reduced to hues of yellow and faint greens that would take no more than a day or two to clear up completely. Riku wanted to be relieved, but in clearing away her bruises and blemishes they found a collection of scars littered across her body. That they'd been healed by magic was no doubt – they were too clean to have healed on their own – but their lingering presence spoke volumes to the damage that had been inflicted, none more so than the knotted line of silver skin that ran down her back.

Together they cleared as much as they could, stacking equipment in a corner of the room. It was too late (or too early) to be dragging it through the halls to get it back where it belonged, and there was no point disturbing what little sleep the others had been able to get. At the mention of sleep Riku offered to take Kairi back to the room Ven had made up for her so that Aqua could sleep, but she only shook her head and made herself a nest of blankets in the corner.

"It's fine," she answered, her voice coloured with exhaustion. "I've slept on worse floors." Riku had nodded in understanding before settling in to a chair in the corner of the room and keeping watch over them both.

He must have drifted off at some point, because when he dragged his eyes open some time later he found the room bathed in golden light. The door creaked open slowly and Riku pushed himself higher in the chair, rubbing sleep from his eyes as Terra slowly let himself inside. He found Riku first and offered a small nod.

"I knocked but nobody answered," he said. "I thought you might have been asleep."

"I think I was," Riku answered, raking his fingers through his hair. "What time is it?"

"Just gone noon," Terra answered, closing the door quietly behind him. "We figured you both probably needed the rest when you didn't come down for breakfast." He glanced at Aqua then, finding her buried beneath the blankets; the only clues to her presence were a slender hand tangled in the thick duvet and a tuft of blue hair.

"I offered to take Kairi so she could be more comfortably," Riku murmured apologetically. Terra shook his head slightly.

"It wouldn't have mattered," he replied, his voice equally hushed. "All that time in the Realm of Darkness… She says her bed is too soft now. She sleeps on the floor more often than not these days."

"How is she?" Terra paused for a moment as though unsure how to answer, and he shifted his weight and folded his arms and frowned to himself before finally answering.

"She's strong, but she's no fool," he said at last. "She's always known her limits, and she knows it will take time to recover, but sometimes I feel as though she's frustrated that it's not happening faster. We still don't know exactly how long she was there. For us it was ten years, but for her…" He trailed off, lost in thought. Riku rose from his chair, working the kicks out of his back and rubbing the still-tender spot at the back of his head with a hiss. Terra cocked an eyebrow at the motion. "You didn't ask her to take a look?"

"It's nothing," Riku countered (though his throbbing head seemed determined to prove him wrong). He swallowed thickly and tried not to grimace. "We had more important things to do." He made his way to Kairi's side and took her shoulder, shaking it gently. He didn't really expect a response, but it was disheartening nonetheless when she continued to sleep. It was painfully familiar, reminding him of when she had been in his care during their first adventure. She'd been sleeping then, too; lifeless and limp in the belly of Hook's ship. The darkness in his heart stirred at the memory and he forced it down.

"The others are in the main hall. We won't fit everyone in here, and if we have another reaction like yesterday then we want to be ready." Riku nodded.

"I was going to suggest the same," he said. Terra tilted his head as he knelt next to Aqua, reaching out to shake her lightly by the shoulder as he murmured her name.

Her reaction was instant. She jerked violently and bolted upright, emerging from the blankets with Rainfell in hand before she'd truly opened her eyes. It took several minutes of quiet murmuring from Terra to help her wake up enough to dismiss her keyblade and mutter a bashful apology.

Terra led the way with Kairi in his arms and Riku couldn't stop himself from reaching his heart out to hers as he followed. His stomach churned, pulled between a desire to help and an urge to run far, far away from the crushing weight in her heart. At least this time he would not be alone; he risked a glance to Aqua, finding that she looked as troubled as he felt, and he wondered if she'd been doing the same as him.

The others were ready and waiting when they arrived. Several thick mattresses and piles of blankets have been placed strategically around the chamber, with several forming a barrier against the marble bannister at the far end of the hall. Axel rushed towards them as they arrived, crowding around Terra to try and get a good look at Kairi.

"How is she? Is she okay?" Roxas appeared at his side, pulling him back far enough to allow Terra to head towards the throne. Aqua paused beside Axel and laid a gentle hand on his elbow.

"She will be," she answered with a small smile. Axel looked as though he might had pressed for more details, but Roxas tugged his other arm again and he simply nodded. Terra set Kairi in the throne again and Riku and Aqua knelt before her, each taking one of her hands before taking each other's and sharing a single, determined nod before leaning in to the Dive.

Riku's heart plummeted at the sight of Kairi's heart station. Despite all of their efforts her heart looked worse than before, with new chunks shattered or missing entirely. He was surprised at Aqua's stoic reaction; her troubled eyes were darting from one detail to the next, piecing it together until she finally gasped in horror.

"This is…" She swallowed thickly as they approached, unable to find the words. Riku found he didn't have them either.

They touched down at the Heart Station jolted dangerously as something else crumbled, falling away with a shriek and the distant sound of tinkling glass. A fierce wind whipped up around them and the station tilted beneath them. Riku threw his arms out and his hand caught Aqua's, allowing them to cling to each other to keep from falling.

"Kairi!" Riku yelled, bellowing to be heard above the fracturing glass. The wind was lifting shards of glass from underfoot and sending them spiralling through the air.

"You shouldn't be here." She was standing in the centre, staring at them with red-rimmed eyes. Her cheeks were wet with tears, her hands clenched in to white-knuckled fists stained with crimson, and her hair whipped this way and that in the wind that whirled around her.

"Kairi, you have to come back to us," Aqua pleaded. "We can help you-"

"You can't," she answered, her eyes shifting from Riku to Aqua. He couldn't deny that it was slightly easier to breathe when she wasn't staring at him. He felt Aqua suck in a sharp breath. "Nobody can."

"Let us try," Aqua pressed, taking a step closer. The wind gusted and a glistening shard sliced across her arm, leaving a streak of blood across her skin. Kairi took a step back as another tear slid down her cheek.

"Nobody can help me…" she whimpered. Her fists trembled and her breath hitched as she took another step back from them. Her heel hung over a hole in her heart and Riku found himself unable to breath. "Just go… I'm sorry-"

"Kairi, please. Let us help."

Kairi's head snapped up at the voice, trembling from head to toe at the sound. The light beneath them flickered desperately.

"Naminé?"

"I've missed you, Kairi. Please come back to us."

"How is this possible?" Aqua breathed. Riku could only guess, and in that moment he found he couldn't speak to explain himself even if he wanted to.

"I can't hold the connection… Kairi, please, you have to wake up."

"Naminé, wait!" Kairi called. Riku could feel the connection faltering, but before he could figure out a way to help Kairi had grit her teeth and flourished her hand. Destiny's Embrace appeared in a flash of sparks, the gem-like petals glistening as Kairi lifted it high overhead. Riku shared a glance with Aqua and for a moment he allowed himself to hope.

Until Kairi span on her heel and began hammering at the fragments of her Heart Station.

"Kairi!" Aqua cried.

"Kairi, stop!" Riku shouted, summoning Brave Heart and racing to intercept her next blow. Their blades tangled, locking together as Kairi finally met his gaze. Her eyes with burning with too many emotions to name and she pressed against him with surprising strength.

"I need to give Naminé the missing piece of her heart," she shouted.

"You don't have to hurt yourself to do it!" he argued. She pushed against him again, wrestling her blade against his. "There has to be an easier way-"

"I locked it away and buried it so nobody could steal it. I never wanted anyone to use her ever again!" She released her keyblade and fired off a pulse of light that sent Riku skidding back through the glass. Her keyblade remained entangled with his as he was sent flying, though with a smooth motion she easily recalled it and it reappeared in her hand. She landed a series of blows before anyone could stop her and a panel of glass shattered, falling away to reveal a shimmering keyhole below. Riku watched, stunned, as a beam of light lanced from blade to hole.

"Naminé, hold on!" Kairi called as the clicking of a lock echoed around them.

"If you want me to take it back, you'll have to give it to me yourself." The connection was faint now, barely tangible, and her voice was almost lost under the howling wind and the screeching of crumbling glass.

"Naminé-"

"I have a body now, Kairi. A real body of my own. I want you to see it."

And then she was gone. The keyhole by Kairi's feet faded and from it rose a glistening crimson gem that hovered halfway between staying and going. Kairi stared at it for several long second before reaching out to cradle it delicately against her chest. Slowly the wind began to die down and the horrible screeching began to fade away until everything was silent save for Kairi's gentle sniffles.

"Kairi…" Aqua took several steps closer; tentative at first, but when Kairi didn't object she hurried to close the distance between them. She placed one hand on Kairi's shoulder while the other found her chin, lifting her tear-stained face upwards. "Please come back with us."

"I can't," she whispered, so quiet that Riku barely heard her. "I'm not strong enough."

"Then we'll help you," Aqua offered with a motherly smile. "You don't have to do this alone. Please, let us help." Kairi clenched her eyes shut and curled herself around the fragment of Naminé's heart. Aqua's arms wrapped gently around her shoulders and the sobs came in earnest, muffled by Aqua's shoulder. Riku looked around; the wind was gone and the splintering had stopped, at least for now, but her Heart Station was in ruin. His eyes landed again on the gaping hole where Sora should have been, and when he finally looked up it was only to meet Aqua's troubled gaze.

At long last Kairi pulled back, turning her attention back to the gem-like sliver that continued to hover before her, cradled in her hands. Her eyes were still spilling tears but her expression was one of determination now, and Riku was struck but how much he'd missed her.

"Naminé…" she murmured, her voice warm and tender. She tilted her head upwards, staring in to the light. "I'm coming." Aqua smiled and smoothed her hair, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"We'll be waiting," she said. She shared a look with Riku before kicking away from the platform. Riku followed suit, pulling away from Kairi's heart and returning to his own body. He took a moment to collect himself before opening his eyes, coming to terms with just how heavy Kairi's warring emotions had felt. Back in his body, without them to weight him down, he almost thought he might float away.

The others had spread themselves around the room, leaning against the steps or the walls or – in Ven's case – sprawled across one of the thrones. He was the first to notice them, and he jerked upright as Aqua began to stir.

"What happened? Did you do it?" From the corner of his eye Riku saw the others sit a little taller. He spotted Naminé sitting between Roxas and Xion and he made sure to catch her eye before he nodded.

"Thanks, Naminé," he said softly. Her cheeks flushed pink and her eyes leaked tears as she clutched Xion's hand tightly.

"So she's okay now?" Axel asked. Riku faltered then, and was grateful when Aqua answered for him.

"Not yet," she answered solemnly. "It will take time, but as long as we're all here for her then I'm sure she'll-"

Kairi grimaced, eliciting a groan as light blossomed from her chest. Her back arched as the light erupted, releasing the shard of Naminé's heart in to the air where it hung for a moment before making a beeline for its owner. Naminé gasped with wonder as it plunged in to her chest, and by the time Kairi had begun to stir Naminé was already half way to the throne. Kairi had barely opened her eyes before she was lost behind Naminé who threw her arms around her Somebody and sobbed.

"N-Naminé?" Kairi's voice was no less hoarse in the outside world. Riku wondered just how long she'd gone without speaking. ("I'll get some water," Ven said as he bolted from the room.)

"You're here!" Naminé sobbed, burying her face in Kairi's shoulder. "You're really here…"

"We've missed you." Axel's voice was quiet and thick and his face was crumpled with such happiness that Riku was surprised he was able to speak at all. Kairi peered at him from behind Naminé's hair.

"Axel…" she breathed. At the sound of his name – or perhaps the sound of her voice – the tension eased from his shoulders. The corner of his mouth lifted in to a ghost of his usual smirk as he folded his arms.

"Welcome back, Princess."

"I thought I told you not to c-call me th-th-" She broke in to a fit of coughing, during which Aqua slowly pried Naminé away in order to give her some much-needed air. Kairi looked at her, but whatever she said was lost behind more coughing and wheezing.

"I'm s-sorry," Naminé hiccupped, pressing the palms of her hands against her eyes. "I d-don't know why I'm c-crying so m-much." Xion placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Welcome to having a full heart," she said with a smile. "You'll get used to it." Ven returned then, spilling water over himself in his haste to get it to Kairi. She accepted it gratefully, sipping it slowly as her coughing slowly eased.

"How are you feeling?" Terra asked.

"A little tired, I guess," she answered. Her hands shook as she passed the cup back to Ven with a grateful smile. Riku might have believed it was real had he not seen the state of her heart.

"What happened?" Axel asked. "How did you end up like this?"

"I…" Her hand shook and she bowed her head as a visible shiver ran from head to toe. "I don't remember. I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't apologise. Everything was hazy for me when I woke up," Ven offered with a goofy grin that looked so much like Sora it hurt. "It'll come back to you." Kairi nodded, tangling her fingers in the hem of her tattered skirt.

"Thank you… um…" She squinted at Ven, then glanced over his shoulder to Roxas who was standing beside Terra. Riku could see the cogs in her head turning. "Roxas, right?"

"Almost! I'm Ventus. Call me Ven," he added with that same goofy grin again. Riku didn't miss the way Kairi's lips trembled at the sight, though it was quickly hidden with a flush that spread to her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Ven. You two look so alike."

"You'll get to telling them apart soon enough," Axel said. "Ven's the happy one."

"Hey!" Roxas snapped.

"Don't worry about it," Ven continued, laughing as Roxas summoned his Keyblade and Axel leapt nimbly out of its reach. "We didn't really get a chance to get to know each other before, but we will now!" Another smile. Another silent tear that rolled down Kairi's cheek. Ven, to his credit, pretended he didn't see.

"We should get you upstairs to rest," Aqua suggested softly, rising to her feet. Kairi's eyes hardened and she reached for Aqua's wrist, meeting her surprised look with one of firm determination.

"You said you'd help me get stronger," she said. Aqua faltered, unsure, and she stammered awkwardly until Terra finally came to her rescue.

"We all will," Terra said firmly, "but you can't train if you're tired. That's when you make mistakes."

"You're gonna train with us?" Ven asked. His face split in to an eager grin. "That's awesome! You can train with me!"

"I thought you were a Master," Kairi said with a confused frown. Ven rocked back on to his heels and threw his hands behind his head with a grin. Riku thought Kairi might just break as he watched her take in the all too familiar pose.

"Nah," he answered, "I put it off for a bit to go travelling. Had people I wanted to see, things I wanted to figure out… Plus it turns out that being asleep for over a decade really takes its toll on your strength. I'm still catching up to where I used to be. B-but it won't take that long for you!" he added quickly as Kairi's face fell. "I was sleeping for way longer than you were, and Vanitas really did a number on me before I went under. I'm sure you'll be back on your feet in no time!"

"We'll help too," Xion offered. "We're not training to be Masters, but we're here if you need us."

"Besides, someone's gotta whip you back in to shape," Axel added with a tight smile. "These guys might go soft on you if they don't know how much you can handle, and we can't have that now, can we?" Kairi almost smiled at that.

"That sounds like a challenge," she said. Axel's eyes gleamed as he folded his arms with a predatory grin.

"Unless you're scared." The corners of her lips lifted a fraction as she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Not of you." Axel laughed and closed the distance between them, sweeping her up in to his arms and holding her close. She returned the gesture, throwing her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest.

"Welcome back, Kairi."

She leant on him the whole way up to her room, too proud to be carried. Aqua had offered her own quarters, with the promise to watch over her, but Kairi declined (much to Terra's obvious relief). Ven set himself to running errands whilst she settled in, bringing her a pitcher of water and grabbing a selection of potions from Aqua's stores. One by one the others bid Kairi a quiet goodnight, each expressing their relief to see her safe and well. Naminé burst in to tears again and the two embraced for several long minutes.

"This whole h-having a heart thing is m-more trouble than it's w-worth," Naminé spluttered, half laughing and half crying in to Kairi's shoulder. "You sure you don't w-want it back?"

"It's yours now, it's where it should be," Kairi answered. "I'm sorry I kept it for so long."

Upon learning that Kairi hadn't seen her Gummiphone since before the fight with Xehanort, Xion pressed her own phone in to Kairi's hand and reminded her how to call and how to send a message to Naminé's phone.

"We're just down the hall if you need us," she said. "If you want to find us just… follow the crying." Naminé flushed and buried her face in her hands again, earning a laugh from Xion as they headed in to the hall.

Aqua came next, talking Kairi through the different potions Ven had collected for her.

"This one is a sleeping draught," she said, plucking a clear vial from the selection. "It'll help calm your mind before you sleep. I use it sometimes, when things get a little too much."

"Will it put my heart to sleep?" Kairi asked, accepting the vial somewhat hesitantly. Aqua smiled.

"No, just your body, and only for a few hours."

And then Riku was the last. Kairi was staring at the vial so intently that he almost wondered if she even knew he was there. She'd always been perceptive enough, though; it was far more likely that she knew he was there and didn't know what to say. He certainly didn't.

There had been plenty of awkward silences during their childhood, especially when she had been new to the islands. Sora had been the one to break them; charging through the tension with all the grace of a bull in a China shop.

But there was no Sora now, and without him there was nobody to break the silence. Riku shifted uncomfortably, all too aware that the longer the silence lingered the harder it would be to break, and yet his voice had deserted him.

"You saw it didn't you? What Xehanort did to me."

He grimaced, turning his eyes away to trace patterns in the carpet to save himself from seeing her shattering like glass again.

"Yeah, I did."

"And… Sora…" The vial in her hands trembled. "He saw it too, didn't he?" Riku wished it wasn't so easy to remember. He'd tried so hard to forget, refocusing his attention in to believing that Sora would make everything right again. It hadn't been enough. All he needed to do was close his eyes and see Sora charging – too slow to stop Xehanort's keyblade as it sliced through Kairi's back.

"He was running towards you," Riku finally answered. "He knew but… I don't think he saw it happen." She closed her eyes and nodded slightly. Riku knew he should wait, but his mind had created a void between the determined Sora that had left them after defeating Xehanort and the missing pieces of Kairi's Heart Station, and he found he couldn't wait anymore. "Kairi, do you know what happened to-"

"Do you think I'll be able to keep up with Ven?" He blinked, staring at her. Only then did she meet his gaze; her cheeks looked too hollow in the dim lamplight and her expression was flat and unreadable. "I know he said that he's not where he used to be, but neither am I, and I was never that strong to begin with…"

"You are strong," he countered. Her gaze dropped to her lap and Riku smothered a frown. "Look at everything you've been through. Every time you come back fighting. You're strong, Kairi-"

"But not strong enough. Not when it mattered."

"Kairi…" Riku found himself at a loss for words. Sora would know what to say, and he'd follow it up with a stupid grin that would make her laugh in spite of her sadness. But he wasn't here, and Riku could only watch helplessly as Kairi drank the draught in a single gulp.

"They're right, I should rest," she murmured, setting the empty vial on the nightstand and fixing him with a tired smile. "Goodnight, Riku." And with that she wriggled down the bed, rolling on to her side to face away from him and curling up in to a tight ball. Riku waited, standing over her for several long minutes until her breathing evened out and the draught started to take effect. Only then did he bid her goodnight, turn out the lights, and make his way out in to the hall.

"Riku?"

Aqua was waiting for him with Terra and Axel close behind. She motioned and he followed, allowing her to lead them all towards her room where she closed the door after them. It was cramped but they made it work, with Aqua and Terra standing by the bed, Riku by the chair in which he'd spent the night, and Axel leaning heavily against the door with his arms folded, glaring holes in the carpet.

"How is she?" Terra asked.

"You know her better than any of us," Aqua added. Axel's eye twitched, but he didn't comment. Riku stuffed his hands in to his pockets as the day began catching up to him. The excitement of thinking Sora was back, the rush of disappointment and relief at seeing Kairi's face beneath the hood… After almost three years of peace, it was difficult to process all of the emotions that had been crammed in to less than two days.

"How bad was it?" Axel asked. Riku grimaced and Aqua's expression tightened.

"She's falling apart," Aqua answered. "Her Heart Station was in pieces, shattered and broken. And when she needed to free Naminé's heart…" Aqua's stormy eyes met Riku and he shuddered.

"What happened?" Terra nudged. Aqua fumbled, at a loss for words.

"She thought nothing of attacking her own heart to free Naminé," Riku picked up. "The good news is that she still has her keyblade, but the bad news is that she'll likely use it on herself if she thinks she needs to." Axel folded his arms and leant heavily against the wall.

"There's more Sora in her than you give her credit for," he said, though his words lacked their usual fondness. "I saw it when we were training. She got herself hurt to help me out on more than one occasion."

"Maybe putting her through training isn't the best thing for her after all," Aqua murmured, holding her chin thoughtfully. "If she pushes herself too far…" Her eyes flickered to Terra, but the other was too deep in thought to notice.

"No, putting her through training is exactly what she needs," Riku answered. "Kairi doesn't like to sit around and wait; she's done enough of that already. She needs something to take her mind off… whatever it is that's happened to her."

"How long do you think it'll take for her memories to come back?" Axel asked. "How long was it for Ven?"Aqua frowned.

"That's just the thing," she said. "Her heart wasn't asleep."

"So you think she remembers?" Axel asked.

"Or something else is in play here," Terra murmured. "Ven's heart was split in two, the darkness and the light, but Kairi didn't have any darkness to extract. A heart of pure light… Whatever did that kind of damage could have taken her memories, too." Axel's expression tightened. Aqua folded her arms with a troubled frown.

"It's hard to say," Aqua answered. "Right now we have no way of knowing why she's forgotten, or how long it might take her to remember." Riku nodded, though there was something niggling at the back of his mind that refused to be silenced.

"I think she knows what happened to Sora," he said. To his surprise, none of the others seemed shocked by the revelation.

"I thought so too," Aqua said.

"She hasn't asked about him once," Axel added. "If she really has no memories after being taken by Xehanort, then shouldn't she expect him to be here?"

"There was space for him on her Heart Station, but the whole section was missing," Aqua countered. "It's possible that her heart remembers but her mind isn't ready to deal with whatever happened yet. Maybe she's trying to cover up the memories or what happened to Sora."

"Or whatever happened to Sora is the reason she's hazy," Terra mused. "We don't know what he could have gotten himself in to. What if something happened to him and Kairi got caught in the crossfire?" Riku nodded with a frown.

"We still don't know where Sora went-"

"We still don't know what happened to Kairi in the first place!" Axel snapped. "We don't know what Xehanort did to her! For all we know, this is all his fault! Can't we focus on helping her first? Why do we have to assume that this has anything to do with Sora?"

"It's been three years since he went looking, Axel," Terra said, his voice low but firm as his eyes flicked to Axel's fingers which were sparking with sputtering flames. "He could have found her by now-"

"Like you found Aqua?" The second the words were out his mouth Axel paled, his eyes bulging. Terra's face fell; Aqua winced. Riku felt the room drop several degrees as Axel pressed himself back against the wall, his hands deep in his pockets. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I shouldn't have… I didn't mean…" Aqua closed the distance between them, placing a hand on his elbow with a reassuring smile.

"We won't know for certain until she remembers," Terra said with a tone of finality. He shifted, bringing the conversation with him; now was the time for action, not speculation. "Riku, you should take your ship and start asking around, see if anyone knows anything – maybe someone's heard something about Kairi or Sora. Maybe Merlin or Yen Sid can point you in the right direction. Aqua and I will keep Kairi here and train her with Ven, and we'll let you know if she starts to remember anything."

"Everyone else should head home," Aqua suggested. "This world can't sustain so many people, not anymore. Once Kairi is feeling stronger we can take her to see everyone. Maybe a trip around the worlds might help jog her memory."

"Well I'm staying," Axel said firmly. Terra frowned.

"Axel-"

"I wanna train for my Mark of Mastery exam," he pressed. "You said I was welcome back any time. As soon as I get that Power of Waking on lockdown, that title's as good as mine."

"The Power of Waking can't be taught," Terra argued. "It takes time and the right kind of journey to find it."

"Well then maybe this is just the next step of my journey," Axel countered. "Besides, I meant what I said. You'll all go easy on her because you don't know what she's made of."

"We saw her in the battle against Xehanort," Aqua offered. "We know what she's capable of."

"That was hardly the real deal," he returned with a glare. "I kept telling Merlin she needed time in the real world to fight against real Heartless, but before we knew it we were all heading towards the big showdown and there was nothing I could do." An uncomfortable silence followed as Axel's words hung in the air around them. It took a moment for Riku's brain to catch up, and another moment for him to process what it mean. A flash of ice raced through Riku's veins.

"So the Keyblade Graveyard… that was her first fight?" Riku asked, fists clenching tightly at his sides. Something stirred in his chest, and it was much harder to fight it when he wanted nothing more than to agree with it.

"Her first real one," Axel answered. "I know she helped you and Sora out of a tight spot when you were working your way up to Xemnas the first time, but that hardly counted."

"I thought you could take as long as you needed," Riku said, careful to watch his tone. Something was stirring in his chest – something that hadn't stirred for a very long time – and he was determined to keep control of it. "Merlin's time magic-"

"Wasn't quite the deus-ex-Merlin-a that we needed. Course it didn't help that Kairi kept saying she was ready. Merlin might be a great magician, but he doesn't know what it's like to fight with a Keyblade. He had no way of knowing whether or not she was really ready to hold her own-" He slammed his lips shut, stopping her voice was rising further. Instead he took a deep breath and buried his flickering fingers behind his head. "I begged him to let me take her out on a mission or two, just to give her a taste of what it would be like in the real world. When that idea got benched I suggested that you or Sora come along and give her an idea of what it was like out there, but you were both too busy. I trained her up as best as I could, and Merlin helped with the magic and stuff, but honestly…" He trailed off, his face contorted with too many emotions to name. Riku clenched his hands in to fists,

"She wasn't ready," Aqua murmured.

"Not as ready as she thought she was," Axel replied with a heavy sigh. "If she was… maybe she could'a fought back against Xemnas."

"She never would have beaten him," Terra said.

"Maybe, maybe not," Axel countered, "but at the very least it would'a given Sora and me the chance to jump in and help. Roxas and Xion were there too by then; we had four Keyblades against one asshole, and if Kairi had just been able to stand her ground, even for a second-"

"You can't blame yourself, Axel," Aqua offered. His eyes blazed.

"I don't." Riku shuddered at the sudden change in his tone. The fire that had been flickering at his fingertips was roaring in his eyes as his face twisted in to a snarl. It was gone in an instant, and he stretched and forced a smile, though it fell short of the mark and looked more like a grimace. "I think I'm gonna turn in. Gotta be up bright and early for Keyblade Academy tomorrow." His voice lacked its usual energy, and he seemed somewhat deflated without it. After bidding them all a quiet goodnight, he slipped from the room with little more than a wave, pulling the door closed after him.

Aqua sighed heavily and sank on to the edge of her bed, knitting her fingers together anxiously.

"This will not be easy," she murmured. Terra forced a chuckle.

"Well, you were the one who wished for more students to teach."

"Remind me never to wish on a shooting star again," she groaned, though there was a fondness in her voice. "I'm glad she's back with us. After we heard what happened to her, I thought…"

"Me too," Riku added. "Turns out waiting and wishing takes a lot more strength than I ever imagined. Axel's right; Kairi's a lot stronger than we give her credit for."

"I wish I could have been there to train her properly," Aqua sighed. "Maybe then, all of this could have been avoided-"

"There's no point wishing it away now," Terra interrupted, dragging them both from their dark thoughts. Riku hadn't even realised he'd been following Aqua's spiral, and he shot Terra a grateful nod. "We should all rest. Tomorrow will be a challenge."

"I called Mickey earlier to let him know what's happened," Aqua said. "Donald and Goofy are heading out tomorrow with a new Gummiphone for her so everyone will be able to keep in touch. No more waiting in silence – for any of us."

"I'll keep you updated if I find out anything about Sora," Riku returned. "I know it'll be hard, especially for Ven, but I think we need to avoid talking about him as much as possible. If she doesn't remember, we don't want to force her to before she's ready, and if she does remember…"

"There's a reason she's not telling us," Terra finished. "I had the same thought. Ven knows when to be patient; he'll understand."

There wasn't much left to say after that. Riku bade them goodnight and slipped in to the hall, leaving them to discuss the training arrangements for their new pupils. Riku paused at each door as he passed, listening for anything out of the ordinary, but the hall was near silent. Even Naminé seemed to have stopped crying. Kairi's door still stood ajar, and there came a light rumbling from within. For a moment Riku convinced himself that maybe the exhaustion and the potion had left her snoring, but curiosity soon got the better of him and he pushed the door open a little wider.

Kairi lay exactly where he'd left her, lying with her back to the door. Her crimson tresses spilled over the pillow, and Riku watched the rise and fall of her breath for several long minutes, reminding himself that she was really here. Finally the snoring won his attention, and as his eyes adjusted to the gloom he saw a figure dozing in the chair in the far corner, the spikes of his red hair hanging limp and his face mashed awkwardly against the hand he had fallen asleep on.

It was almost ironic to think of Axel as loyal, given how he had turned his back on the Organisation and the majority of its members, but Riku remembered how he had reacted to the news of Kairi's fate. He'd all but crumbled, falling in to a despair that not even Roxas or Xion could pull him out of. Over the following months grief would turn to rage as he worked himself to the bone, convinced that he could somehow help bring her back if he could just try hard enough. He had been the last to concede that all there was left to do was put his faith in Sora, and from that moment on Riku knew he had been wishing with all his heart.

Riku crept back in to the hall, leaving the door ajar once more. When questioned, he would say he headed straight to bed and to sleep, keeping Axel's silent vigil secret. In truth he paced his room for several hours, silently fuming at the revelations Axel had brought them. It was no wonder Kairi was so easily taken… He'd heard snippets of her capture from Roxas and Xion, but it had been too sore a subject for either of them for him to form a clear picture, and he'd never found himself strong enough to press the issue. What was done was done, he'd reasoned; there had been no point lingering over the past. Axel had needed their help, and any spare energy had been spent hoping and waiting. In the rare moments when he'd allowed himself to think of their bittersweet victory, he'd always imagined Kairi going down swinging – a fighter to the end – but now…

He would be having a long overdue discussion with Merlin before the week was out.

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