AUTHOR'S NOTES:

This is it; this is the last fully-drafted chapter. Progress is going to be much, much slower from here on out but I hope that by spamming you with these opening chapters (RIP to the inboxes of and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who subscribed for story notifications early) I have piqued your interest enough for you to bear with a slower schedule.

This chapter involves more than a few familiar faces who refused to wait their turn and forced me to bring them in to the story a little sooner than I'd originally planned. In truth, they've been begging me to let them in since the first chapter, but we managed to negotiate a compromise and here they are.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER SEVEN | TWILIGHT TOWN

The Lanes Between were just as cold as Axel remembered them. His cloak protected him from the darkness just fine, but the chill was another matter entirely. His glider was warm to the touch, but with the wind whipping past him it did little more than keep his fingers from falling off.

Kairi fared a little better given that she was somewhat protected by the glistening waves that wrapped over her hands, though her biggest issue seemed to be getting her hood to stay in one place. Halfway through their journey she gave up, letting it fall across her shoulders and allowing her hair to whip wildly behind her. She seemed by far the least affected by the darkness that permeated the air around them, regarding it with little more than mild curiosity as she examined the slivers of light that streaked past them.

Eventually Terra led them out of the lane and the golden buildings of Twilight Town quickly came in to view, though they avoided them all and touched down in front of the Old Mansion to avoid suspicion. Axel tried not to look at it, remembering all too well what had transpired the last time he'd been inside. Kairi too seemed to hold a small sense of resentment towards the place; likely a result of Naminé's lingering memories.

"Looks like it's early afternoon," Terra said, watching a cluster of birds flutter from the trees.

"Do you think they're still serving lunch?" Ven asked eagerly.

"There's only one way to find out," Aqua answered. They dismissed their armour in unison and set out towards the woods. Axel hung back, letting them take the lead as he brought up the rear with Kairi.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Fine," she answered, raking her fingers through her hair to work out some of the tangles. He eyed her warily.

"Fine? No lingering darkness? No… nothing?" She shook her head.

"It was no worse than last time," she said.

"Last time?" She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and he thought back. When had she-

Oh. Then. Xemnas had appeared right behind her, pulling her through a dark corridor towards Xehanort. And before then Axel had been the guilty one, doing exactly the same thing. Then of course there was the first time, when his attempts to coax her into coming willingly had backfired hard enough that she dove head first in to an unknown portal. She'd never flinched before, and she certainly wasn't flinching now. He studied her as they walked, hating how the black leather of the cloak sucked all of the colour from her skin, leaving her face hollow and grey.

His thoughts came to a grinding halt as they caught up to the others who had stopped by a wooden hatch near the city's outer wall. Terra summoned his keyblade with a flourish to unlock the doors so that Aqua and Ven could pull them open.

"Maybe we should've asked Chip and Dale for a ship," Axel mused. "At least then we could'a just dropped in to town like normal people instead of trudging through the sewers."

"The sewers?" Kairi asked, her nose crinkling.

"They're not that bad, I promise," Ven said, disappearing down the stairs first. "It's more like a service entrance to the city." Kairi didn't hesitate to follow, though Axel did hear her suck in her breath before descending. Ven's description was decidedly more accurate; though the sewers did run beneath the winding corridor, the vents were few and far between and the tunnel was relatively dry and clean save for a few puddles and empty boxes here and there (though they were more than halfway through before he heard Kairi take another breath).

They emerged in a narrow lane between two rows of towering buildings and the sound of the town hit them like a wave. Laughter floated above a hum of indistinct chatter as people lazed in the afternoon sun, gathering on rooftops or in sun spots. The tram trundled slowly around the common, its bell tinkling lightly as passengers got on and off.

"What's through there?" Kairi asked, pointing to where a crowd of people were filtering through a gap in a tall wall.

"It's an outdoor movie theatre," Ven answered. "Mr McDuck shows all sorts of movies."

"Mr McDuck?"

"Scrooge McDuck," Axel answered. "He's… interesting."

"He's Donald's uncle," Ven added. "He runs the outdoor theatre and the Bistro, too. Seems to run just about everything in Twilight Town."

"And beyond, lad." Axel jumped at the voice, still unnerved by how a creature with such huge feet could move so silently. Scrooge only grinned in response, adjusting his glasses as he stared at each of them in turn. When his eyes landed on Kairi he took off his top hat, holding it against his chest. "Ah, lass, I dinnae believe we've had the pleasure."

"This is Kairi," Ven said brightly, only to shrink as Scrooge fixed him with a hard stare.

"I'm sure the lass can introduce herself," he said, his tone coloured with more than a hint of amusement. Ven's cheeks flushed with colour and he hastily mumbled several apologies. Scrooge let him squirm for several seconds before turning to Kairi and bobbing his head towards her. "A friend of Sora's, I take it?"

"You know Sora?" she asked.

"Aye, I'm quite fond o' the lad," he answered. "In fact, he's half the reason I'm still running this Bistro. If it were any other venture I'd've packed up and been on my way a long time ago, but after all the work that he and Little Chef put in to the menu it didn't seem right to close it. At least, not without him to close it with me." Kairi smiled slightly and nodded.

"I understand. I'm sure Sora would appreciate it," she said. Scrooge harrumphed and placed his hat firmly back atop his head.

"Well he can tell me himself," he said. "In the meantime, consider your meal on the house. And dinnae try and pick anything off the menu. You let Little Chef know that you're here and you let him whip up something special for you."

"We were hoping we might speak to you," Terra said, catching him before he could turn away entirely. "We could do with purchasing some supplies."

"Purchasing," Scrooge said, his eyes glinting. "Now there's a fine idea. I've got a few wee errands to run, but linger after your meal and I'll talk to you then." He tipped his hat to them and, without waiting for a response, began to waddle away from them.

"He's a sharp businessman," Axel murmured, though he quickly frowned. "Business-duck?"

"Will we have enough munny?" Ven asked.

"I don't think we need to worry about that," Terra replied. "If he was just in it for the munny he wouldn't be giving away free meals. He knows how to bargain."

"He might, but do you?" Aqua challenged, her eyes filled with laughter that belied her innocent smile. She sauntered ahead before he could reply, leaving them all to follow as she led them in to the Bistro. The doorman (who held some fancy title Axel couldn't pronounce) didn't even check the list for their names; with a stiff nod he led them through the gold-plated doors and to a booth towards the back of the restaurant that was lined with velvet and large enough to fit at least five more people. He took their drinks order and promised to tell Little Chef that they had arrived before disappearing in to the kitchen.

"D'you think Scrooge knew we were coming?" Ven asked.

"I wouldn't put it past him," Terra answered, a shrewd smile on his face. "He likely saw us coming a mile away. He always has a way of knowing things he shouldn't."

"Do you reckon we'll have time to watch a movie?" Ven asked.

"Maybe," Aqua offered. "I doubt talking to Mr McDuck will take too long so I was hoping to speak to the Moogles before they close up."

"The Moogles?"

"I was hoping they might know more about our armour," she answered. "They know how to synthesise all sorts of items so they might know how to make some armour for Kairi and Axel."

"It would help," Axel offered. "The cloaks are fine for walking, but they're not quite the same at that sort of speed." He saw Aqua's lips curve in to a knowing smile, but it was quickly covered with a thoughtful nod.

"Kairi, how are you feeling?" She was staring out of the window, lost in thought, a million miles from their conversation. Axel nudged her lightly with his elbow and she jumped, nearly slipping completely out of her seat. She blinked several times, looking to each of them with no small amount of confusion.

"Sorry, I guess I must have zoned out a little," she murmured, her cheeks flushing.

"That's okay. I was just wondering how you were feeling after travelling through the lanes." Her voice had taken a motherly tone, and Kairi chewed her lip thoughtfully before answering.

"Okay, I think," she answered. "I don't feel any different."

"Really?" Ven asked. "No… side effects?" Kairi shook her head.

"Interesting," Terra murmured. "Maybe because your heart is made of pure light the darkness in the lanes between can't touch you."

"She has walked through portals entirely unprotected before and come out fine on the other side," Axel added. "Even Xemnas couldn't claim that much."

"We should still look at getting you some armour," Aqua interjected. "It can protect you from more than just darkness." Axel found himself wondering how different the final battle might have been if she'd been wearing armour; if they'd all been wearing it.

He was drawn from his thoughts by the arrival of their first dish, a selection of mushrooms which had been layered together and sliced in to squares, and conversation faded to little more than compliments on the food. Their second course was consommé; a clear, golden soup that carried a rich flavour of mixed vegetables and something Axel couldn't identify. Their main course was a pan fried fillet of fish drizzled with a brown sugar sauce that made Axel's mouth water, and just when he thought he couldn't eat another bite he was presented with a glistening chocolate mousse that refused to be left alone.

"My compliments to the chef," Aqua said as the waiter cleared their plates.

"You can tell him yourself if you'd like." Scrooge was back, and he tipped his hat to the waiter as he passed. "Little Chef never tires of hearing how much people enjoy his food. And, o' course, it'd take us through the back to my office. That is, if you're still wanting to talk business." Terra nodded firmly.

"Mr McDuck, are there any interesting movies about to start?" Aqua asked. Ven folded his arms and pouted.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked. She fixed him with a pointed look.

"Would you like to come and talk about munny and supplies?" Ven paused, still pouting, before finally shaking his head.

"Not really." Scrooge adjusted his glasses and checked his pocket watch.

"I believe they're about to start showing a new one any minute now," he answered.

"What's it about?"

"Ah, laddie, that's a secret," he answered, tapping his bill and winking. "But I can promise you that you haven't seen it before!" Ven grinned broadly Aqua and Terra slid from the booth, allowing Ven to all but bolt for the door. He came to a sudden stop several paces away, whirling around to face them again.

"Axel, Kairi, you wanna come too?" Ven asked.

"Actually, Ven, I was gonna show Kairi around," Axel answered. She turned to him, surprised.

"You were?" she asked. He slid from the booth and stretched the kinks from his back.

"Well sure," he answered. "The last time you were here wasn't exactly by choice, so I figured I'd try and make it up to you. Plus I haven't forgotten about our bet."

"Our bet?" she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"The icing on the cake, of course." Her eyes flashed with recognition and she rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you're already thinking about food again," she laughed. "I won't need to eat again for a week."

"Ven, you're gonna miss the movie," Aqua reminded him. He jumped, eyes bulging.

"Oh, yeah!" he exclaimed. "See ya later!" He waved goodbye before slipping through the door and taking off across the square in a sprint. Aqua and Terra quickly excused themselves to follow after Scrooge, promising to call once they were ready to leave, and after watching them go Axel led Kairi back out in to the square, patting his stomach theatrically.

"Yeah, there's definitely room for ice cream," he said. She rolled his eyes and laughed. "Which reminds me…" He reached in to his pocket and withdrew a small pouch of munny which he tossed towards her. She snatched it from the air with an amused smile before following him to a little kiosk tucked between two accessory shops.

"Butterscotch?" she asked as they too their place in the queue. The customers in front of them collected their order as Axel glared.

"Don't you dare," he growled. She smiled, stepped forwards, and ordered two sea-salt ice creams, though Axel was quick to reach over and take both when the vendor handed them over.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"The icing on the cake," he repeated, turning away and heading out of the plaza.

"Are you going to let me eat the icing on that cake, or do I just get to look at it?" she asked. He grinned at her over his shoulder.

"Kairi, this is Twilight Town," he said. "You can't just eat ice cream on the street. You gotta do it with a view." She followed close behind as he made his way up the hill, pressing him for more information, but he remained silent until the station came in to view. They circled around the back, slipping through the half-open door that led to a winding staircase. Axel could hear Kairi wheezing and puffing away behind him as they climbed higher and higher.

"You're out of practice," he teased. "There was a time when you could practically run rings around me."

"I'm fine," she answered, though her voice was breathy. He paused, waiting for her to catch up.

"Do you want to take a break?" he asked. She took several deep breaths before lunging towards him, reaching out to snare one of the ice creams. He lifted it from her reach just in time, tightening his grip on the stick. "Well, if that's how you wanna play it." He jogged up the next few stairs and Kairi disappeared behind him. He heard her huff of frustration.

"Well that's just… showing off…" she panted, though it wasn't long before he heard her catching up to him. He slowed his pace until she was visible again, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Just where… are we going… anyway?" He flashed her his favourite grin.

"You'll see."

The higher they climbed the slower Kairi's pace, though she remained too proud to ask him to wait. He could almost feel her relief as they finally emerged on to flat ground on the top level. He paused here, asking Kairi to hold the ice creams whilst he pretended to tie his shoes in order to give her a moment to catch her breath. If she was on to him she didn't let it show, and Axel thought that perhaps he'd imagined the silent gratitude in her smile as he took the ice creams back from her. By now she was staring up in to the rafters at the giant wheels and cogs that looked overhead. With her hands free she leant over the bannister, looming down at the enormous stained glass clock face that glistened beneath them.

"This is the clocktower," she breathed. Axel smiled.

"I promised to bring you here, didn't I?" She smiled at him, her eyes glistening, and he nudged her shoulder with his. "C'mon, the best view is this way." He led her out through the tall stone pillars and in to the sunlight. Kairi gasped, staring in awe at the sight of Twilight Town rolling out before them.

"It's even more beautiful than I imagined," she said. He smiled and, careful not to drop the ice cream, lifted his foot on to the low wall. "Axel! What are you doing?!"

"Sitting," he said. "You gotta sit on the wall when you have your ice cream or it's just not the same." She took a half step back, a hand reaching towards the column behind her.

"But what if you fall?" she asked. He grinned.

"I won't fall, not if I'm careful." Still she hesitated and, after a thoughtful hum, he took his foot off the ledge and sat on the floor instead. "Hey, c'mere, I wanna show you something." Hesitantly she joined him, sitting down several feet away from the low wall and scooting across the floor until the she had her back to the low stone ledge. "Give me your phone." She arched a suspicious eyebrow but did as she was told; he swapped the phone for an ice cream.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he brought up the camera.

"Naminé showed me this. C'mere." He leant in towards her and, after a hesitant moment, she leaned in too. He held her phone out above them, tilting it this way and that with one eye on the preview screen. "Now if we hold the phone at just the right angle… we can… get… a-ha! Ready? Selfie!"

"What?"

The phone clicked and whirred, capturing Kairi's confusion. Axel grinned and tried desperately to keep the embarrassed flush from his cheeks as he sent the picture on its way to Naminé, Roxas and Xion with the caption: "Guess where we are."

"That's what Naminé calls them," he explained. "Self-portraits… selfies…" Kairi's confusion melted a little.

"Oh. I thought…" She smiled and shook her head. "I used to have a friend called Selphie. I haven't seen her in a while…" Her expression became thoughtful and she stared down at her ice cream.

"Well why don't you ask Terra or Aqua to take you back to the islands?" he suggested. "I'm sure she'd be happy to see you." She hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.

"If go back there my parents would never let me leave," she said with a laugh, though it was strained. Axel blinked, lowering the phone.

"You haven't seen them in a while, have you?"

"Not since before we started training," she answered.

"Do you miss them?" She turned to him, eyes wide.

"Of course I do!" she exclaimed. "Just because they're not my real parents doesn't mean I don't love them or miss them."

"That's not what I meant," he said quickly. "I just… You don't mention them much, that's all. I thought you would've wanted to see them again after everything that's happened." Kairi shifted uncomfortably, nibbling on the corner of her ice cream as she stared down at her knees.

"It's… it's complicated." The fingers of her free hand tugged nervously at the hem of her dress and she studiously avoided his gaze. He bit through a large chunk of ice and winced as the chill rose in to his brain. He shivered, searching for some way to reignite the conversation (but his frozen brain was firing on half power and was giving less-than-useful suggestions).

"What about Radiant Garden?" he asked at last. "That's where you're from, right? Wouldn't you like to see it again?" She shrugged, still not looking up from her lap.

"I don't really remember it," she answered. "Merlin told me I came from Radiant Garden, and that's where Master Aqua met me when I was little, but I don't remember any of it." She paused, resting her ice cream against her lips with a thoughtful frown. "I remember my grandma. At least, I think she was my grandma… When I was inside Sora's heart and he was fighting his way through Hollow Bastion I started remembering things, but it's not really much to go on."

"Well we'll have to go back there one day," he suggested. Leaning back and biting off the corner of his ice cream. His tongue was awash with salt before the sugary-sweetness of the soft-ice filling caught up.

"Have you been there before?" He nodded, swallowing thickly.

"That's where I'm from, too. Most of the Organisation members came from Radiant Garden. It's where Xehanort got involved with Ansem's research. Where this whole mess started."

"I'm sorry, I never thought to ask you before… All this time, and we had no idea we were even from the same world," she murmured. "Looks like the universe is a lot smaller than we thought."

"I mean we should have known. I hear all the best people come from Radiant Garden." He smiled and nudged her shoulder lightly, bringing a smile to her face. "C'mon, let's try this again." He lifted the phone up, gripping his ice cream between his teeth with a grin. After a moment Kairi leaned towards him, the corner of her ice cream between her lips as she smiled at the camera through her lashes. The phone whirred again as it took their picture which Kairi looked at eagerly.

"We look like we're floating," she giggled. "You can't see the wall behind us."

"That's the whole idea," he said. "You should see some of the pictures Naminé's taken. She sets up all these crazy shots that make these pictures that look impossible. There's one with a tiny Roxas standing on Xion's hand and another with Riku in a giant teacup, although that one was taken in Wonderland so it's probably real-"

"Helloooooo! Anyone hoooooome?"

The voice echoed from the shadows, drawing their attention to the pounding footsteps approaching. A shape shifted in the shadows and Axel felt Kairi tense as a figure emerged in to the sunlight. He was short and squat with a round face and dark spikes of hair tied up behind a red bandana, and he grinned broadly.

"I knew I saw people!" Pence proclaimed. He twisted, calling back down the stairs. "Guys, hurry up! You'll never guess who's here!" He took a few steps towards them with a broad smile, his eyes fixed on Kairi. "Hi! I don't know if you remember me, but I'm-"

"Pence!" she said, sitting taller. "Of course I remember you! And Hayner, and Olette-"

"Kairi!" Olette emerged from the shadows and launched herself across the roof, wrapping her arms around Kairi's neck in a tight hug that left Kairi wheezing and laughing all at once. Hayner appeared moments later, chuckling at the sight.

"Let her breathe, Olette," he chided, crossing his arms and leaning heavily against the stone pillar. Olette glared at him over her shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him before slowing clambering over Kairi to sit on her other side. Once settled she took Kairi's hand tightly and fixed Axel with a suspicious glare.

"Kairi, you do want to be here, right?" she asked. Kairi's brow furrowed with confusion and Olette raised an eyebrow. "The last time the both of you were in Twilight Town together it wasn't exactly your choice."

"Ouch," Axel groaned, slapping a hand over his heart and wincing dramatically. "And here I thought we were friends now."

"I'm just checking," Olette sniffed. "It wouldn't be the first time, that's all I'm saying."

"I chose to come," Kairi answered. "Axel and I are friends now. The whole thing was just a big misunderstanding." Olette squealed and linked her arm with Kairi's, leaning in close and jostling what remained of Kairi's ice cream (which was being held at arm's length for safety).

"I'm so excited!" she squealed. "Our gang is getting so big now!"

"It's a shame you couldn't get here a little earlier," Hayner said. "You just missed Roxas and the others. They left about half an hour ago." Axel couldn't help but curse; that would have been right around the time they were eating. Instead he shrugged and leaned back against the wall, biting off another chunk of ice cream.

"We saw them a couple of days ago," Axel responded. "I'm pretty sure we're all…" He trailed off at the sound of pounding footsteps rising from the staircase. Hayner seemed to hear it too, and then Pence. Kairi stiffened again as another figure emerged, black hair gleaming in the golden sunlight.

"Yes! We're not too late!" Xion exclaimed, panting heavily. She wiped the sweat from her brow and turned back towards the stairs. "Told you I'd beat you."

"I stayed so Naminé wouldn't be on her own," came Roxas' voice. "I'd beat you in a fair race any day." Xion scoffed and folded her arms as he appeared from the shadows.

"I'm ready whenever you are," she challenged. His response was cut off by the appearance of Naminé who sped towards Kairi and hugged her tightly. This time Kairi's ice cream went flying, disappearing towards the pavilion below.

"Oops! Sorry!" Naminé exclaimed, watching it fall with a horrified look on her face. Kairi only smiled and hugged her back.

"It's only ice cream," she said as Naminé squeezed herself in to the gap between Kairi and Axel. Axel pouted and shuffled over, clearing his throat loudly.

"Hey, Axel," Roxas greeted warmly. Axel smirked.

"Finally, someone acknowledges me," he sighed. "I am still here, after all."

"You always were one to seek attention." A new voice, and one that Axel hadn't heard in several months (had it really been that long?). He sat taller as Isa emerged silently, laughing as Xion and Roxas jumped in surprise.

"Don't do that!" Roxas cried, clutching at his chest and wheezing. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I'll have to try harder next time," he replied, though his smile quickly fell as his eyes landed on Kairi. Axel turned too, finding to his surprise that she had gone stiff as a board and white as a sheet, staring at Isa with nothing short of terror in her eyes.

"Kairi, it's okay," Naminé said softly. "Isa's one of us now. He's not going to hurt you." Axel's eyes widened as his brain finally caught up to him, remembering the last time the two had been together. Isa too seemed to remember, and the smile quickly fell from his lips. He seemed suddenly unsure, judging by the uneasy tension in his shoulder and the tight expression on his face.

"I see there is quite a crowd," he said, his voice soft. "I only came to see what all the commotion was about. I'm sure I'll catch you all another time." He turned on his heel, disappearing swiftly in to the shadows. Axel felt his heart go with him.

"Isa!" he called, scrambling to his feet. He hesitated in the shadows, glancing back over his shoulder to Kairi who was trembling from head to toe and clutching at Olette and Naminé.

"I'm sorry, Axel, I didn't mean…" Her voice faltered and her face crumpled, and Axel's heart twisted painfully. Someone nudged him towards the stairs, and he looked down to find Xion fixing him with a stern look.

"Go," she ordered. "We'll take care of her." Roxas fell in step beside her with a firm nod and Axel span on his heel to run after Isa. He took the stairs two at a time in his haste, stumbling several times. Isa had always been a fast walker, but Axel wondered if he hadn't sprinted down the stairs in order to get away from them. As it was, by the time Axel emerged from the creaky doorway and rounded the station building Isa was already halfway across the plaza.

"Isa!" he shouted. Isa stopped and turned slightly, watching Axel out of the corner of his narrowed eye.

"I should have known that you had found some new pet project to keep you away," he commented as Axel finally caught up.

"Isa-"

"I understand that I am not worthy to wield a keyblade," he said, turning his back to Axel once more, "but I at least thought I still merited some small place in your life."

"Isa, please, it's not like that," he countered, skirting around Isa until they were standing face to face. "You know what Xehanort did to Kairi. I… I thought I might not see her again-"

"And yet, here she is." Axel folded his arms and glared, though Isa's silent rebuke was far stronger.

"She just appeared," he said. "Two days ago."

"And you just had to be there for her," Isa retorted dryly.

"You didn't see her, Isa," he implored as his stomach fell in to his boots and his heart lodged itself firmly in his throat. Frustrated tears pooled at the corners of his eyes and it took everything he had to rein them in before Isa could see them. "She was so broken. Wherever she's been, however she survived, she needs someone to be there for her."

"Ah, yes, and I can see that you were obviously her only option." His gaze flicked upwards to the clock tower as he folded his arms, shifting his weight to his back foot and placing more space between them. "I expect this means I'll see even less of you now." The sudden change in topic caught Axel off guard.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I hardly doubt your princess will want to spend any time with me, and you've made it quite clear where your priorities lie-"

"Isa," Axel hissed, reaching out and snaring his wrist. "It is not like that."

"Really?" he asked, a slender eyebrow arching dangerously. "Because she seemed so ready to extend the hand of friendship." His eyes landed on Axel's fingers, still wrapped around his wrist; Axel quickly let him go.

"Can you blame her?" he asked. "The last time she saw you, you went Beserk and directed it at her. I'll talk to her-"

"I'm sure you will."

"She'll come around, it'll just take time," he pressed. "She's fine with me, and we didn't exactly get off to the best start. It just… It takes time." His eyes darkened a shade.

"You didn't do what I did," he countered. Axel sighed.

"She'll get there, Isa, I promise." Isa looked up again, staring at the tower. Axel followed his gaze this time, finding to his surprise that the entire group was now sitting on the ledge – Kairi in the middle, squeezed between Naminé and Olette, with the others flanking her on either side. Naminé was pointing to something – the clouds, probably – but Kairi was looking down at them.

"Just… do me a favour?" Isa said after a long pause. Axel jumped at the sound of his voice.

"Anything."

"Teach her how to defend herself." Axel smiled.

"Don't worry, she's training with Terra and Aqua-"

"Without a keyblade," he interrupted, turning to face Axel again. Axel tore his eyes away to meet Isa's gaze. "Xemnas should not have been able to capture her the way he did, and neither should you or I. That Keyblade might as well be worthless if she cannot at least defend herself without it." Axel nodded firmly.

"I'll get right on it," he said.

"See that you do." Axel shuddered – the words and tone too reminiscent of Saïx – but in the time it took to drive the thought from his mind Isa was already several paces away. He opened his mouth to call after him, but no sooner had he drawn breath then his phone began to ring. He cursed under his breath as he saw the name that flashed across the screen, leaving him with no choice but to answer. He accepted the call and Aqua's face appeared on the screen.

"Ready to head back?" she asked. Axel looked up from the phone, hoping to catch on last glance of Isa, but he had already disappeared from sight. He sighed and covered it with a smile.

"Yeah, I think we're ready. Did you get what you needed?"

"Not exactly," came Terra's voice as he appeared over Aqua's shoulder. "The old duck knew exactly what he wanted and he wouldn't budge." Aqua seemed amused by the whole ordeal.

"The movie's almost over, so we'll go pick up Ven and meet you by the tunnels," she said.

"See you in a few." He ended the call and quickly opened up a message to send to Kairi.

Aqua says time to go.

He leant against a nearby wall, watching as she withdrew her phone. Naminé leaned over, showing her how to do something, and after a minute or two Axel's phone buzzed again.

On our way.

She was the first to reach him, several seconds ahead of the others who were yet to appear by the time she arrived beside him.

"Axel, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset S- Isa." He didn't miss the correction, but he chose not to comment. Instead he shrugged and smiled.

"Don't worry about it. He was right, we were quite a crowd up there."

"Are you two okay? I really am sorry-"

"What did I tell you about apologising to me?" he asked. She might have argued had the others not joined them then. Instead she bit her lip and smiled as Naminé took her hand and started leading her down towards the main square, talking excitedly as she used her free hand to show Kairi and Olette several pictures on her phone. Xion and Roxas fell in step with Hayner and Pence, talking about the highlights of the most recent Struggle tournament ("It was such a shame you couldn't compete this year, Roxas!" Pence moaned with a dramatic sigh). Axel let himself fall behind, bringing up the rear, his conversation with Isa playing over and over in his mind. He barely noticed when Roxas slowed down to fall in step beside him.

"You okay?" he asked. He nodded, though Roxas undoubtedly saw through it. He was grateful when he didn't argue the lie. "We talked to Kairi. I think deep down she knows that he's a different person now, it's just all the memories she has of him are… well they're pretty bad."

"That's putting it mildly," Axel growled, careful to keep his voice low. Roxas nudged him with his shoulder.

"Don't let Isa get you down. He'll come around, and so will Kairi. You'll see; we'll all be hanging out together before you know it." Axel found he couldn't quite bring himself to agree.

They said goodbye to Hayner, Pence and Olette in the plaza and met up with Terra, Ven and Aqua by the entrance to the tunnels. They each bore a small sack of supplies, and had two more – one for Axel and Kairi each.

"Did you get everything you needed?" Kairi asked, accepting her bag from Ven as Terra and Aqua began to lead them all through the tunnels.

"Yes, though he's looking for something in return," Terra answered.

"You could all probably help," Aqua suggested, turning to the others. "Mr McDuck is looking for ingredients from different worlds so that Little Chef can create new items for the menu. If you find any that you wouldn't mind sending back to him then he'd really appreciate it, and so would we."

"No problem," Xion said with a nod.

"Did you get to speak to the Moogles?" Ven asked.

"The good news is that they think they can do it," Terra began, "but the bad news is that they're not entirely sure what items they'll need."

"We're going to take a look around the store rooms and see if there's anything back home that could help," Aqua added.

"What are you trying to do?" Roxas asked.

"The Moogles are going to try and synthesise some new armour for Kairi and Axel," Aqua answered.

"Wait – armour like your armour?" Roxas asked, eyes wide and excited. Axel laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Just you wait and see what they've been teaching us," he said. Roxas ducked away, glaring and readjusting his hair with a growl.

"Do you think we could have armour too?" Xion asked. Aqua and Terra shared a look, a silent conversation and finally a shrug.

"I don't see why not," Aqua answered as they emerged back in to the sun. "Collect as much as you can and check in with the Moogles."

"Once they've completed the first set, they should know what they need for the others," Terra added.

"So, wait, what have you been learning?" Roxas asked.

"You'll see," Axel taunted, reaching a threatening hand towards Roxas' hair again. He glared and ducked out of the way, holding his hands protectively near his head.

"Where are you going next?" Kairi asked.

"We're not sure," Naminé answered. "Riku and the King have been asking us to go to certain worlds to see if we can find clues about Sora, but they haven't contacted us yet."

"Chip and Dale normally call us when we're on the ship," Xion added. "I'm sure they'll have our next destination ready to go."

"How are you all getting back?" Naminé asked as the old mansion came in to view. Axel couldn't help but notice how studiously she avoided looking at it.

"You'll see," Axel repeated. Kairi tilted her head towards him, an eyebrow arching curiously. He only grinned in response and remained silent until they emerged in to the clearing. Terra and Aqua brought them to a halt in the shadow of the trees, and Axel felt his confidence evaporate as they both turned to him with matching smiles.

"Axel, why don't you go first?" Terra suggested.

"Me?" he asked, struggling (and failing) to keep his cool.

"Yes. You're right," Aqua said, "this would be a great time to show the others what you've already learned." He did his best not to frown, focusing on staying calm and collected as he shrugged casually (had that been too casual?) and stepped forwards.

"I mean if you're happy for me to show everyone up, then all right," he said, flashing his cockiest grin. Inside his stomach was churning as he felt everyone's eyes on him, burning in to his back as he took several steps away from them, closing his eyes and breathing deeply and reaching out for that little spark of light…

There. Right there. He found the light, and the thread that came from it. He tugged on the link between his heart and his Keyblade, feeling its warmth in return as he summoned Heart's Flame. He took one final breath, tightening is fingers around the hilt, before launching the keyblade up in to the air.

I don't want to be alone again.

The glider appeared in a flash, and Axel was so relieved at the sight of it that he almost forgot to jump. Somehow he managed to keep his footing, and he made a show of looping around Roxas and the others with a loud bark of laughter.

"How do you do that?!" Roxas demanded as he drew the glider to a halt. From the corner of his eye Axel saw Kairi chewing her lip, taking several steps away to give herself room, and he threw his arms behind his head with a cocky smirk.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" he teased.

"C'mon, Axel, no fair!" Roxas pouted. "I've had a keyblade longer than you – I should know how to do it too!"

"You got two keyblades," Axel countered. Roxas' pout turned in to something of a smug grin.

"So double the reason for me to learn," he argued. Any further rebuttal was cut off by the appearance of Kairi's glider. Axel caught her eye as she passed and he beamed at her, taking an odd sort of pride in the wide smile on her lips.

If Roxas had been jealous of their gliders, it was nothing compared to the look of sheer awe and envy as Aqua, Terra and Ven summoned their armour. He bounded towards them like a puppy, admiring the armour from all sides.

"And the Moogles can make this?" he pressed, rapping his knuckled against Ven's shoulder.

"They think they can," Aqua answered before summoning her glider. Terra nodded, lifting his keyblade to open a doorway to the lanes between before summoning his own glider.

"They won't know until they try," he answered before leaping high in to the air. Ven was the last to follow suit, and when Roxas caught sight of the skateboard-like glider Axel thought his eyes might explode. He might have said as much had it not been for the synthetic click and whir of Naminé's phone as she took a picture of all of them.

"You all look so cool together," she said with a smile. Axel arched an eyebrow as her cheeks flushed pink, and he glanced up and down the line they had formed with their gliders.

"Can we come back to visit you soon?" Roxas asked.

"Missing me already?" Axel grinned, leaning heavily against his glider. Roxas snorted and folded his arms.

"You wish. I just want to learn how to do that."

"It'll be a while before we can have so many visitors again," Aqua answered, "but I'm sure we'll be travelling around soon enough. Our paths will cross again soon." Axel couldn't help but notice that Roxas looked more than a little put out, though he quickly hid it with a nod.

"Don't worry, Roxas," said Xion with a sly grin. "I'm sure once Axel becomes a Master then he can teach all of us. It can't be far off now, right Axel?" A strange heat rushed up the back of his neck and he forced himself to grin.

"Y-yeah, right," he answered, though he narrowed his eyes at them and leant casually on the handholds. "So you'd both better be extra nice to me, or maybe I won't choose you to be my apprentices." Roxas balked at the suggestion.

"You wouldn't-"

"Sorry, Roxas, we gotta go!" Axel proclaimed with a smirk. He looped around the group once before diving in the Lanes Between, listening with no small amount of satisfaction as he heard Roxas calling after him.

Without giving too much away, I can confirm that although it didn't seem like much on the surface this was a very important chapter.

See you next time!