AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Hello! Welcome back! A few quick asides from me:

Firstly, thank you so much for reading this story. I was convinced that this story would never be posted, and if it was it would never get read. I am so very, very grateful for all the love!

Next I want to make a quick note on the story's pacing. As with most stories, the first few chapters will be a little slower while we get you up to speed with what everyone's been up to recently and where everyone's at. As the story progresses, so will the pacing and we'll also start to jump around a bit more.

And a final note before we begin today's chapter: this will not be an OP Kairi story. I love reading those stories, and I'll be damned if I don't get a kick out of seeing my girl get everything she deserves and more, but if you're looking for a Kairi who will single-handedly take down all the bad guys without breaking a sweat then I'm afraid you won't find her here. She'll be kicking some serious ass, don't you worry, but everyone has their own strengths; Kairi is just on a journey to find hers.

That's all for now!

CHAPTER FOUR | MASTER AQUA

Aqua had survived worse nights. Several haunted her frequently, though none threatened to tear at her heart quite like the night that had she had spent sitting by her window, staring at the stars and wondering just how they could possibly pull themselves through this particular quagmire.

She knew that hearts could break. After Ven's arrival, Master Eraqus had gone to great lengths to take her and Terra to one side and explain in detail just how fragile a heart could truly be. She'd always seen it as a source of impenetrable strength, but as she watched Ven's recovery she had found herself studying the heart with a newfound respect and more than a little apprehension.

But knowing that hearts could shatter and seeing one for herself were two entirely different things. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the fractured ruins of Kairi's Heart Station, and the longer she stared – fixated by the fractures and fissures that spiralled in towards Kairi's hands – the more the station began to transform until she was staring at Ven's sleeping likeness amid a station torn in two.

She sighed heavily, watching the as the sky began to lighten and the last of the stars started to fade away. From her window she could see the gleam on Master's Defender where it stood embedded in the swathe of grass behind the castle, and her eye caught the glimmer of the trio of wayfinders that dangled from the hilt.

"Master…" she sighed, "I wish you were here to guide us. What I wouldn't give to hear your advice…" She turned her eyes back towards the sky, watching the last of the stars give way to the rising sun, and as the first golden rays appeared in the sky her eye was drawn by a spark on the horizon. A rapidly-approaching spark with an all-too-familiar trajectory.

She threw herself from her bed, hurrying to throw on something more decent. An overshirt, some leggings and – though it had been some time since she'd worn them – her pauldrons and sleeves. They carried a familiar weight that she'd hoped in earnest never to need again, but it felt somehow wrong to leave her room without them.

By the time she had descended the front steps the ship had already arrived and its passengers were beginning to emerge. Goofy first, bearing a familiar suitcase, with Donald close behind. Mickey brought up the rear, his eyes fixed on Aqua as he dropped down on to the grass.

"Gosh, Aqua, I'm sorry we didn't call ahead," he began, "but we were so busy trying to get everything arranged for Kairi that it sorta slipped our minds."

"The Good Fairies made her somethin' new to wear when they heard she was back, so we wanted to bring it right over," Goofy said with a reassuring smile as he hoisted the suitcase a little higher.

"We gathered she was in pretty bad shape," Mickey picked up, "so they've added a few extra spells that should help her. Is she awake yet?"

"Not yet. I think I'm the only person who gets up this early," she answered. Mickey fixed her with a hard stare that suggested he knew more than he was prepared to let on. She wondered if the Realm of Darkness had left him with sleepless nights, too.

"How's she doin'?" Goofy asked.

"Hard to say," she answered, trying her best to smile. Goofy gave her an encouraging nod. "After we pulled her back she was pretty tired. We thought it would be best to let her recover a little more." Mickey nodded in agreement.

"What about Sora?" Donald asked, folding his arms across his chest and tapping his foot impatiently. "Does she know anything?" Aqua's insides twisted as she remembered the missing portrait and the shattered glass. She swallowed thickly.

"Why don't you come inside? The others will be waking up soon, so I can tell you everything we know while we wait."

It didn't take long to bring them up to speed, though once they were caught up they had a raft of questions Aqua couldn't answer. How had her heart become so damaged? Why didn't she remember? How had she come back? The same questions had been plaguing Aqua all night and she was no closer to finding answers than she had been when she'd finally crawled out of bed and in to her nest of blankets in the early hours of the morning.

Terra was the first to join them, closely followed by Riku; both were equally surprised to find the newcomers sitting at the dining table. Terra offered to make a start on breakfast and Goofy quickly offered to help, dragging Donald with them in to the kitchen. She didn't miss the grateful look that Mickey shot his companions before he turned to Riku who seemed to have woken with a storm cloud over his head if the shadow in his eyes was anything to go by.

"What's wrong?" Mickey asked. Riku hesitated, a hand resting on the back of the nearest chair, and he turned his head away. "Riku?"

"Kairi wasn't ready to fight," he finally answered. "All of that time she spent in the Time Chamber and she never stood a chance." His grip on the chair tightened until his fingers were white and shaking. Mickey's face fell and his gaze dropped to the table where he knit his fingers together.

"We all thought she was ready."

"Did we?" Riku countered. "I saw her once during her training, and that wasn't enough. We took Merlin's word for it." Mickey raised his gaze again.

"She thought she was ready," he argued. It seemed the wrong thing to say; Riku pounded his fists against the table with a wordless roar.

"She didn't know what she was getting in to!" he snapped. "She never even left the Time Chamber!"

"Riku, please calm down," Aqua interjected, rising to her feet. Riku was pacing, raking his fingers through his hair as his shoulders shuddered with rage.

"A few months of training, no real-world experience, and we threw her against all of them-"

"We can't change the past-" He span towards her.

"Why not? Xehanort did!" Their noses were mere inches apart, and Aqua could hear his laboured breathing. She stood her ground, meeting his furious gaze.

"You don't mean that," she countered firmly. Riku drew breath to argue, only to deflate almost instantly. He turned away from them, dragging a frustrated hand over his face and rolling the tension from his shoulders.

"No. I don't," he said at last, turning to face them again. "I just can't help but wonder… If she'd been better prepared then she and Sora could have come home with us. If we'd just done more to help her, then maybe we wouldn't have been left waiting and wishing-"

"You all did what we thought was best," Terra countered, emerging from the kitchen to fix with a hard stare. (It was, Aqua thought, not dissimilar to the stare Riku had often given Terra when he had been working to control his darkness.) It had its desired effect; Riku sighed and leant heavily against the wall, defeated. "Knowing what we know now, I'm sure we would all like to have done some things differently, but those are decisions that you can only make with the benefit of hindsight." Aqua shifted uncomfortably; she had a whole library of things she wished she could do differently. Riku's gaze locked with Mickey's.

"You didn't see her heart, Mickey," he said, and his voice trembled dangerously. "Whatever she's been through, it almost destroyed her, and I can't help but think that Sora's out there somewhere, going through the same thing she did… or worse…"

"We'll find him, Riku," Mickey promised, his voice thick with determination. "As soon as Kairi's strong enough I'm sure we'll find out everything she knows, and until then we can do some searching of our own-"

The door creaked open and Mickey cut himself short. Ven's face appeared through the opening, glancing uncertainly between them.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, stepping a little further in to the room. "I heard shouting." Aqua smiled and nodded.

"We're okay, Ven," he answered. "Although I could use a hand with breakfast, if you're up for it? We're cooking for a lot more people than usual this morning." He glanced between them one last time before smiling and nodding; unconvinced, but willing to let it rest, at least for now. Aqua knew he would have questions later, though she wasn't sure how she was going to answer them.

They were silent for a minute after Ven entered the kitchen, listening to Donald's affronted squawking and Goofy's eager peacekeeping and Terra's rolling laughter above the clanking and clanging of pots and pans. Riku collapsed heavily in to a chair and drew a tired hand over his face. Aqua wondered if he'd slept at all.

"I'm sorry, Mickey, Aqua," he said. "I didn't mean what I said… I'm just…"

"It's hard, waiting," Aqua offered, "especially when you feel powerless. Right now we need to keep our faith in Sora. He's gotten himself out of some pretty tight situations. We have to believe he can hold out long enough for us to save him this time." Riku nodded and, satisfied that he was placated at least for the moment, she turned to Mickey. "Why don't I take those clothes up to Kairi? I imagine she'll be grateful for a chance to freshen up."

"That'd be great. Thanks, Aqua," Mickey answered, though his smile fell a little short of his eyes.

Suitcase in hand, she made her way through the castle. She called first on Xion and Naminé to let them know breakfast would soon ready, and then stopped by the room that had been set for Roxas, Axel and Riku, though she was surprised to find only one of them there.

"Have you seen Axel?" Roxas asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes in an action that was so like Ven that Aqua couldn't help but smile.

"I'm sorry, I haven't."

"I don't think he came in at all last night. I tried waiting up for him, but I must have fallen asleep." He yawned and stretched, attempting to smooth his hair. It bounced right back in to place and he huffed in defeat.

"I'm sure you'll see him at breakfast," she answered, "but I'll keep an eye out for him and let him know you're looking for him."

"Thanks, Aqua."

It didn't take her long to find him. He was sprawled in the chair in Kairi's room, legs akimbo and face mashed in to the crook of his elbow, an arm draped limply over his head. Careful to smother her laughter (and the speaker on Kairi's new Gummiphone) she snapped a picture of him before reaching over to shake his shoulder lightly. He awoke with a grunt and a snort, dragging his eyes open one at a time and blinking blearily up at her.

"Aqua?" he murmured, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Wha time'zit? Did I sleep in?"

"It's still early," she said, giving him some room as he sat taller and rubbed his face vigorously. "Mickey, Donald and Goofy brought some new things for Kairi, and everyone else has gone down for some breakfast. Roxas was looking for you." Axel stifled a yawn as he stood and stretched, towering nearly a head taller than Aqua. She'd forgotten just how tall he was.

"Yeah…" he sighed, scratching the back of his head and rolling the kinks from his neck, "I probably should've told him I was gonna stay in here for a while. I didn't exactly plan on falling asleep though." He cast his eyes over Kairi, still sleeping soundly, and his expression fell.

"She's going to be okay," Aqua said softly. Axel nodded but said nothing as he perched on the edge of her bed to reach over and shake her shoulder lightly. She groaned and wriggled her shoulder free of his nimble fingers, disappearing beneath the blankets with a murmured protest. Axel paused, his eyes watering, and he took a moment to breathe before trying again.

"Hey, Kairi, it's time to get up," he urged. The pile of blankets groaned in response and Axel laughed, giving the mound a nudge with his elbow. "C'mon, Princess."

"Don't call me that," came the muffled response.

"Well then get up and make me," he challenged, nudging her again. She groaned again and a slender foot emerged to kick him off the bed. He landed on the floor with a surprised grunt, managing to snare the corner of the duvet as he fell. He tugged, hard enough to reveal Kairi's head and shoulder, though the opposite corner remained clutched close to her chest. Axel tugged again.

"C'mon, Sleepin' Beauty," he said. "Is this really how you want Master Aqua to see you on your first day of training?"

"Master Aqua?" she murmured. Slowly she rolled towards them, her hair a tangled mess and her eyes ringed with red as she glanced first at Axel and then at Aqua. It took a moment for her brain to catch up, and when it did her eyes bulged. She sat up hurriedly, clutching at the blankets as her cheeks began to flush crimson. "M-Master Aqua! G-good morning!" Axel grinned and folded his arms.

"Just call me Aqua," she said. "Being called Master is still a little…" She hesitated, unsure of how best to describe it. It wasn't that she was ungrateful for the title, or thought herself undeserving, but hearing it out loud was still…

"Unusual?" Axel supplied.

"To put it mildly," she said through a grateful laugh. She lifted the suitcase on to the foot of the bed and gave Kairi a smile. "Here, Kairi, the Good Fairies made you some new clothes and I thought you might want to freshen up before breakfast." Kairi stared at the suitcase for a long moment before nodding – slowly at first, and then all at once. The movement seemed to make her dizzy, and when she started to sway she reached out a hand to ground herself on the bed.

"Sorry, I'm just…" She pinched the bridge of her nose with a frown. "Everything's a little… fuzzy…"

"That's the sleeping draught, it can make you feel like that sometimes," Aqua said. "It's totally normal, and nothing a warm shower won't fix. Would you like me to show you where the bathrooms are?" Kairi nodded again (carefully) and slowly peeled herself out of the bed, leaning heavily on Axel as he led the way. Aqua followed several paces behind, close enough to study the girl without imposing on the hazy banter that passed between her and Axel.

It seemed everyone wanted to share the blame for Kairi's defeat. For Aqua's part she blamed her own selfishness. She'd been curious to see what Kairi was capable of – to find out just how far the little girl who'd run from the Unversed had come – but rather than taking the time to find out Aqua had spent the night watching the stars with Ven instead. As a Keyblade Master her responsibility was to ensure the safety of her students, and it seemed only right that she consider Kairi her responsibility. After all, it seemed that their run-in in Radiant Garden all those years ago had set Kairi on the path that had led her to Yen Sid's tower, and left her at the mercy of Xehanort. She tried not to think about it, and she fixed on eyes on Kairi's back whilst firmly reminding herself that she couldn't change the past, but then Kairi stumbled and the remains of her hood jerked to the side, revealing the tear along her spine where Xehanort's keyblade had broken her like glass, and Aqua found herself feeling that she would never forgive herself.

First Ven, then Terra, and now Kairi. The list of people you've failed keeps on growing…

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from responding to the phantom in her heart, focusing instead on skirting around Kairi and Axel to open the door to the showers. She set the suitcase to one side of the changing room and rifled through the cupboard to find the softest, warmest towel which she handed to Kairi with a smile. The girl's eyes had cleared somewhat, the lingering effects of the sleeping draught finally fading, and Aqua felt her heart swell when Kairi smiled back at her.

I will not fail you again, she promised.

"I'll be right outside when you're done," Axel promised as he made for the door.

"You don't have to wait for me," Kairi countered.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight," he said, before flushing suddenly. "I mean, I'll have to sometimes, I'm not going to watch you shower or anything, but you get what I mean, I'm not some kinda creep-"

"Axel?" He stopped and scratched the back of his head with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah?" She smiled at him fondly, shaking her head and giggling softly.

"I'll try not to be too long." Axel only smiled and reached over to ruffle her already tangled hair.

"Take as long as you need," he said before slipping back out in to the hall. Aqua waited a moment, aware of the sounds of his phone loading some game or other. Only then did she turn back to Kairi who seemed lost in thought, staring through the wall in front of her and stroking the towel absently.

"How are you feeling?" Aqua asked. Kairi started, clutching the towel close to her chest.

"I'm sorry, I must have zoned out again," she mumbled, lowering her gaze. Aqua quickly lifted her chin again.

"You have nothing to apologise for," she said firmly. "You're hurting, and you're tired, and those sleeping draughts can really knock you out of it if you're not ready for them." Kairi nodded slowly, turning from Aqua to head towards the shower room. Aqua's eyes caught the scar again and her stomach flipped painfully.

It took a few minutes for Kairi to learn how to control the shower, dazed as her mind was, but after a while Aqua left her to it and she made for the hall, opting to stand beside Axel for a minute or two before she would head back downstairs. He stood with his back to the wall, engrossed in his game, while she stood with her hands on the windowsill, gazing down at the training arena below. Terra had been hard at work already, setting up obstacles and equipment ready for the day's session. Overnight they'd gone from one student to three, and Aqua wasn't sure how she was going to handle it. She couldn't help but think of some of the mischief she used to get caught up in with Terra and Ven (and, to their credit, all of the mischief she herself had started) and she wondered how Master Eraqus had ever managed to keep a handle on all of them.

She supposed, in a way, he hadn't. The thought sent an uncomfortable shiver up her spine.

"Something's wrong with Kairi," Axel murmured, bringing Aqua back from her thoughts. She turned to him, but he was still tapping absently on his phone, grunting as his character was squashed under a giant fist.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"She seems… distracted," he said, starting a new game. The chime of the phone echoed between them.

"Waking up from a sleep like that can do that to you," Aqua offered. "The sleeping draught is strong; it's normal for it to make you feel hazy, although perhaps I gave her too large a dose. I'd forgotten how small she was… It might take a little while for it to work its way out of her system." Axel responded with a noncommittal hum but said no more. Aqua gave him a cursory moment before excusing herself to head down for breakfast. Her appetite was non-existent, but with three students and a long day ahead she knew she'd been foolish not to at least try and keep her strength up.

The atmosphere was tight and tepid when she returned to the dining room. Aqua lingered in the doorway, drinking in the sight. Years in the darkness alone – and even life before then, with only Terra, Ven and Master Eraqus for company – left her ill-prepared for dealing with so many guests. Mickey and Riku sat at the far end of the table with Terra, lost in some serious conversation judging by the frowns etched on their features. Donald and Goofy sat close by, the former helping himself to extra sausages while the latter chatted jovially with Roxas and Ven who looked so similar when they laughed that Aqua almost couldn't tell them apart. Naminé and Xion sat some way down the table, huddled over each other's phones as they traded pictures amid an array of sand-dusted shells and books of pressed flowers that lay on the table before them. The dining room, which usually felt too large, suddenly felt impossibly small with too many chairs nestled around the too-small table.

"Good morning, Aqua." Xion was the first to spot her. Naminé's head shot up a moment later and she shot to her feet.

"How's Kairi?" she asked. The room fell silent almost instantly and Aqua squeezed herself inside.

"She's just freshening up," she answered.

"Did you find Axel?" Roxas asked. She nodded.

"He's just waiting on Kairi. She's still a little worn down, so he's going to make sure she gets down to us okay." Roxas nodded and sank bank in to his chair, and Aqua offered him a reassuring smile. "He won't be long."

"Aqua, I'm glad you're here," Terra said, rising to his feet and drawing everyone's attention. He was good at doing that, commanding the attention of a room with little effort. "We were just about to tell everyone the plan."

"There's a plan?" Ven asked, sitting a little higher.

"We have to leave, don't we?" Xion asked. Naminé looked like she might cry again; Aqua wondered just how long it would take her to adjust to having all of the pieces of her heart in her body at last.

"Kairi needs time and space to recover," Terra said with a slow nod, "and helping her needs to be our number one priority."

"We won't be a bother," Naminé offered hopefully. Aqua smiled at her across the table.

"You're never a bother, Naminé, none of you are," she said, "but this world only has a finite amount of resources. With Kairi and Axel, those resources may already be stretched thin between us."

"Wait, Axel's staying?" Roxas asked. Xion too seemed disappointed in the news.

"He's trained with Kairi before," Terra took over. "He knows her limits better than anyone else in this room. He will be vital in helping her recover her strength." Roxas deflated and rocked back against his chair with a quickly-hidden pout.

"Kairi is strong," Riku said firmly. "It won't take her long to recover."

"And once she's strong enough, I'm sure she and Axel will come to visit," Xion added. Roxas nodded and sighed.

"I know it's selfish but… I still feel like I just got him back. I don't think I'm ready to lose him again." Xion smiled and nodded in understanding.

"Riku and I are gonna head out and see if we can find Sora," Mickey picked up. "We'll start with Master Yen Sid and see if we can pick up his trail."

"We've waited long enough," Riku added. Xion perked up with a bright smile.

"That means Naminé can come with us, Roxas!" she exclaimed. Both blondes blinked in surprise.

"Really?" Naminé asked.

"Well if Axel's staying here then we'll have space on the ship," she said. "It feels lonely when it's just the two of us." Naminé's eyes started shining and she clasped her hands over her heart, glancing to Riku.

"Do you think that would be okay?" she asked. Riku sat back with a nonchalant smile.

"It's not up to me. It's your choice," he said. Naminé bit her lip nervously and, after a moment's thought, nodded slowly. Xion grinned and took her hand.

"We have so many places to show you!" she began. "We have to take you to-"

She was cut short by the creaking of the door, falling instantly silent as Axel appeared with Kairi at his side. Her eyes, hidden somewhat by strands of damp hair, seemed to have finally cleared of the sleeping draught's haze, and she stared at each of them in turn with no small amount of surprise and disbelief.

The dress the Good Fairies had given her was fairly plain; solid pink and broken by a silver zip that ran up the front. The fabric around her neck was pulled back, pinned by two silver buttons to reveal a pink plaid lining and a pair of too-prominent collarbones. The collar of her boots was turned down too, revealing another patch of plaid beneath limbs that were marred by a collection of silvery scars. Her arms, also bare, were in a similar state and Kairi folded them carefully around herself as she shrank under the attention.

Ven would eventually break the silence by standing quickly, scraping his chair deliberately across the floor and clinking plates together loudly as he began to load the plate high with food.

"Morning, Kairi!" he said with the biggest smile. "Hungry?" For a moment Aqua wondered if she might object, but Kairi eventually nodded and as Ven heaped even more food on the plate Terra brought some more chairs. Conversations picked up a little as people reshuffled to make room; Axel and Kairi ended up between Roxas and Naminé while Aqua found a spare chair at the head of the table with Terra, Mickey and Riku. They filled her in, explaining their plan, but Aqua barely heard a word. She kept one eye on Kairi as she ate, watching as the girl smiled at Naminé's pictures or laughed now and then at Axel and Roxas.

Something's wrong with Kairi…

Axel's words bounced around her head, and now more than ever Aqua regretted not getting to know Kairi when she had the chance.

Next time: Let the training commence! Apologies that this is slightly shorter than expected, but if I hadn't then we'd have been looking at a mammoth chapter. Don't get me wrong, I love stories with big chapter, but I know they can be a nightmare to read in one sitting so I prefer to break things down where I have the chance.

Which do you prefer? (Side quest unlocked: Leave a review - +10xp)

See you next time!